Trade Deadline Grades for Yankees and Mets

The non-waiver trading deadline in baseball has come and gone.  The dust has settled and I'm ready to give out my grades for the two New York teams.

Yankees:  Many thought the Yankees needed to do something.  Many assumed they would be able to acquire that #2 starting pitcher after Cliff Lee spurned New York dollars for Philadelphia familiarity.  It didn't happen.  That's not to say it was for lack of trying.  The Yankees kicked the tires on former Rockie and current Indian Ubaldo Jimenez.  However, the Rockies asked for Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, Jesus Montero, and Manny Banuelos, or Dellin Betances.  The Yankees rightfully said no.  Jimenez, according to AL scouts, is not considered #2 starter material for the AL East.  He may have been an ace in Colorado but the Al East is a different beast altogether.  Then there was Wandy Rodriguez, the Astros lefty who is set to make $39 million over the next few years.  He isn't an ace either but he is paid like one and was treated like one by the Astros in trade talks.  GM Brian Cashman could have had either of those players but he felt the Yankees young prospects and Phil Hughes were all equal or had the potential to be greater than what was offered.  Kudos to Cashman for not letting himself be held hostage.  After all, the Rockies got less than what they were asking for from the Yankees in their trade with the Indians despite the fact that the Indians gave up some decent talent but it was nowhere close to the level of talent Cashman was asked to part with.  Many of the experts have said the Yankees are losers at this trade deadline but I couldn't disagree more.  As a GM of a contending team with a strong farm system you don't go out and make trades for the sake of making trades.  Sure, this is the first season since 1999 that the Yankees failed to make any deal but did they really need to?  Currently they are in contention with the Boston Red Sox for the AL East crown and they currently hold a comfortable lead in the Wild Card.  They have done that with this so-called makeshift rotation behind C.C. Sabathia.  The truth of the matter is the talent that was out there at this deadline did not represent enough of an upgrade to deal two prospects in Baseball America's Top 30 (Montero and Banuelos).  Another hold up was the denial of the Yankees request to have an MRI taken of Jimenez's shoulder.  Why would the Rockies deny an exam on an arm that they wanted so much for?  In fact, why would the Rockies trade their ace who is under team control for a few more years and makes less than $5 million annually?  It just doesn't add up.  Perhaps there is something wrong there or there is something that worried Colorado enough to trade their best starter.  The truth of the matter is that this year Ubaldo's numbers have looked eerily similar to A.J. Burnett's and the Yankees already have a Burnett, why mortgage the farm for another one?  The experts can call the Yankees losers at the deadline all they want but their farm system has good depth at starting pitching and it should be able to step in if something happens to Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, or Phil Hughes.  Because of this I give Cashman and the Yankees an A at this deadline.  Refusing to be held hostage for players that did not significantly improve their chances of winning the World Series was the right move.

Mets:  The Mets have been in a quandary for most of the season.  They have been playing very good baseball and weren't that far out of it.  However, GM Sandy Alderson took the Mets job with a plan, to get the Mets back to contention for years, not just a season.  He traded away closer Francisco Rodriguez in a salary dump move.  This freed up over $15 million next year because of the games finished clause in Rodriguez's contract that he was on pace to surpass.  That money can now go towards re-signing Jose Reyes or, if Reyes bolts, bringing in a decent starter like C.J. Wilson.  Alderson also traded away Carlos Beltran and, although the move was unpopular with some Mets fans, it brought back Zack Wheeler who could be a potential top-of-the-rotation kind of guy.  Coupled with Matt Harvey and the Mets are now looking pretty solid pitching wise for 2013 and beyond.  Alderson didn't blow up the team.  He could have.  But those returns would have been negligible.  Instead he took two players who were not part of the long-term future and turned them into financial flexibility and a potential ace.  Even if Wheeler doesn't pan out he still did the right thing so this analysis will not change over the years.  Going into this season everyone expected the Mets to blow up the team and trade away David Wright and Jose Reyes.  That didn't happen because it didn't have to.  If the Mets are able to re-sign Jose Reyes and David Wright stays healthy and they get Ike Davis back at 100% next season and Johan Santana is healthy then you have a pretty decent team capable of making a run at a wild card spot.  With Johan supposedly coming back this season the Mets can always use this time as an audition for other teams and trade him for younger pitchers if they so desire.  The Mets now have options, something they needed.  Alderson needed flexibility going into this offseason.  He needed to put a little gas in the minor league tank.  He achieved all of that.  The Mets get an A.

Ubaldo and the Yankees

Rumors have started swirling recently about a possible trade involving the Yankees and Rockies for Ubaldo Jimenez.  It is rumored Colorado sees Yankees top prospect Jesus Montero as a possible solution at first base and a deal could center around him and either Dellin Betances or Manny Banuelos, the Yankees top two pitching prospects plus some others.  Given the Yankees recent history with National League pitchers I have to wonder if this deal makes sense for the Yankees.

So far this season, Ubaldo has struggled.  Sure, he is pitching better now after an 0-5 start but the question must be asked, why did the guy who finished third in the NL Cy Young voting last year get off to such a rough start?  Was he jealous of the deals Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki were given by Colorado?  Was his arm not 100% after throwing all of those innings last year?  His velocity has been down this year which could explain why he has been as hittable this season.  His swing and miss rate is down to 7.5% after having never been below 8.9% between 2007 and 2010.  Still, he does get a lot of strikeouts and groundballs, offsetting those numbers a little.  However, his track record in the playoffs isn't very ace-like and his interleague numbers are very blah to say the least.  His numbers against the American League are very similar to what A.J. Burnett is posting now.  He owns a 6-4 record, 4.08 ERA, 7.3 K/9 ratio (down from his normal 8.1 career rate) in 79.1 innings against teams on the Junior Circuit.

The comparables to A.J. Burnett are pretty uncanny this season.  Jimenez has thrown a couple of good starts only to look terrible on his next couple.  This year Burnett's line is: 8-7, 4.15 ERA, 97 hits allowed in 119.1 innings, 52 walks, 100 K's (7.5 K/9) and a 1.24 WHIP.  Jimenez sports a 5-8 record, 4.08 ERA, 101 hits allowed in 110.1 innings, 43 walks, 99 K's (8.1 K/9) and a 1.30 WHIP.  Eerily similar.  Burnett is a little wilder and gives up the long ball (17 this year compared to Jimenez's 8) a little more often but the numbers are very close to each other.  Do the Yankees really want to give up a boatload of prospects for a guy who might just be another A.J. Burnett?

OK, so A.J. never had a season like Jimenez did last year.  Jimenez was a true ace last season.  However, this season he has been anything but.  In a league where offense is no longer king, one has to wonder what is behind Jimenez's recent downturn.  Is it arm related?  He did have major shoulder surgery in 2004 while in the minors.  Sure, it was in 2004 but shoulder problems can linger and become an issue again, especially is the pitcher puts a lot of strain on his shoulder, or even elbow.  Jimenez throws a bunch of pitches that put strain on those joints.  Aside from his 2 and 4 seam fastballs he throws a slider and splitter which can strain even the strongest elbows.  I'm not saying he is injured but his long term health must be questioned if you are going to give up the farm.

Now for the big question, can Jimenez handle the American League?  We have seen many good pitchers come over from the National League to the Yankees only to become shells of their former selves.  Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright (he saw his big success come in the NL hence the 3 year, $21 million deal the Yankees gave him), Kyle Farnsworth, Javier Vazquez, Chris Hammond, Paul Quantrill, and even Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown come to mind although they were good or great in the AL before moving on to an extended NL stay.  I'm not saying Jimenez would follow in their footsteps but it is worth noting.

All of this is just speculation, much like the speculation that Colorado would trade their ace pitcher who is under a team friendly contract until 2014.  I don't see why they would even dangle their best pitcher, regardless of how tough a year he is having.  Colorado is 8 games out of first place in the NL West and they have been known to make a crazy second half comeback.  I just don't see why, unless they are completely blown away by an offer, they would part with their best pitcher who is still just 27 years-old.  If an unbelievable offer came their way then I would understand but why would a team like the Yankees offer up a whole slew of their best prospects for a guy who is pulling an A.J. Burnett impersonation this season?  The Yankees would be much better served to bring Jesus Montero up to the big leagues to replace Francisco Cervelli who has been downright dreadful on both sides of the game, allow Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances (both of whom have made every guru's top 50 prospects list) to develop and eventually take their places in the rotation or bullpen in the next couple of years.  All three of those kids are among the top prospects in the game, and would all be cheaper and under team control for a long time.  If they develop as projected, or if even one does, it still gives the Yankees more payroll flexibility and still gives them a helluva player at that position, whether it is DH, pitcher, or catcher.  There are very few pitchers in this game right now that I would trade 2 of those kids for and three of them are on the Phillies roster (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels), two are on the Red Sox roster (Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz), one is already a Yankee (C.C.) and one is in Seattle (Felix Hernandez).

Bottom line, while Jimenez is intriguing because he might be the best available (or semi-available) starter on the market this year.  However, I wouldn't give up the farm to get him.  Nor would I trade him if I were the Rockies unless he was a real clubhouse cancer and just stopped pitching because he felt bad he wasn't given a new contract.  I don't see this trade matching up.

Swings (and maybe some misses)

-I am big fan of Brad Richards joining the New York Rangers. The fact that he took less money to join the Blueshirts says it wasn't all about the money, as with some past free agents who came to Broadway. He knows John Tortarella and has proven he can win in that system. He brings a playmaking ability, both on the power play and in even strength situations, that the Rangers have been sorely lacking for a couple of years now. While this doesn't necessarily mean that Lord Stanley's Cup is in this team's future, it does mean that at least, as of right now, that gleaming silver has caught the attention of the Rangers. There are still some things that need to happen with the Rangers before we pencil them in. Marian Gaborik has to prove he is tough enough to handle New York and Torts' system. Youngsters like Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Michael Del Zotto, Michael Sauer, Dan Girardi, and Marc Staal, Derek Stepan, and a host of others have to keep improving. And, in the case of Callahan, stay healthy. However, for the first time since Scott Gomez and Chris Drury signed on the dotted line a few years ago, there is real talk of contention. It is my opinion that the Rangers are much better now than they were then.

-Phil Hughes makes his first start since April tonight. He had shown increased velocity during his rehab outings in Trenton so there is always the hope that he comes back and regains the form he showed in the beginning of last season. If the Yankees get that pitcher back they significantly bolster their pitching staff which consists of C.C. Sabathia and the two surprises of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. If Hughes is the same pitcher he was at the beginning of last season then A.J. Burnett becomes the fifth starter by default which isn't a terrible thing. And, if anything happens to anyone there is always Ivan Nova waiting in Scranton.

-I can't help but wonder when Derek Jeter is finally going to reach 3,000 hits. If I had to guess it will come at home against Tampa Bay tomorrow or Friday. Yeah, I know I went out on a limb. I'm also betting that it come on a ground ball.

-The more I think about what the Yankees did with Ivan Nova the more I get a little miffed at the Yankees. Here was a guy who was really starting to turn the corner in his pr career and could be blossoming into a solid #3 starter and then bam! Down to the minors. The Yankee leadership said it was best for his development. Really? Giving the kid the impression that no matter how well he does he was never in the Yankees plans. Telling the kid that basically Freddy Garcia has more upside than you do? He seems like a level-headed enough youngster that maybe this doesn't really bother him. But, then again, he is young and was pitching the best baseball of his MLB career and he still couldn't hold down a job with the Yankees. Can't be good for anyone's confidence. With all that said, I don't envy the choices Brian Cashman has to make. Nova was pitching well but so was everyone else except A.J. Burnett. It probably wouldn't be the best thing for Nova to move to the bullpen because he takes a while to warm up and it also is a different form of pitching. Personally, gun to my head, I probably move Garcia into the bullpen, or Colon. Colon hasn't pitched this many innings in years and has had several injuries to his arm over that span. Garcia is having what is basically a career year and he is like 50 years old at this point. I just don't like "rewarding" kids with a demotion when they are playing well. Nor do I like stunting their development so that an aging veteran who doesn't have near the amount of upside can live off a Yankee Legacy like Jorge Posada is doing. Sure, Posada is hitting right now but is this Jorge really better than a Jesus Montero right now? No. Or, the Yankees could ease Montero into the bigs by sending Frankie "Throw it to Centerfield" Cervelli down to AAA and letting Montero catch a game or two a week and get a start at DH every now and then like the Yankees did with a young Posada.

-Added to the Yankee prospects to watch list are Cito Culver, the Yanks first round draft pick last year and Mark Montgomery, a relief pitcher with Low A Charleston who has struck out 16 batters in 6 innings. Culver, the man whom Keith Law said had no business being a first round pick is hitting .299 with 15 RBI's in 18 games. I'm not saying Culver is going to be the next Jeter but he is making real strides. And, for those interested, this year's first round draft pick Dante Bichette, Jr. is hitting .159 but has 15 walks in 13 games and only has 9 K's. He has something you can't teach there and for an 18 year-old kid thats not a bad start. However, it's Mason Williams that will soon be rocketing up prospect lists, especially if he keeps hitting like he is.

-Mets fans have something to be excited about and the name is Matt Harvey. Here is what ESPN's Keith Law said about Harvey as he heads into the Futures Game "Harvey was the seventh pick in last year's draft and came into pro ball boasting a plus fastball with good downhill plane and a solid average-or-better changeup but struggled with both breaking balls. Reports this year have the breaking balls improving but the changeup regressing -- which would still leave him a three-pitch guy, plenty to be a front-line starter given the strength of his fastball. Harvey tore through high Class A, which is what you'd expect a first-rounder drafted out of the ACC to do. He has made one start in Double-A, giving up four runs and allowing 11 baserunners in four-plus innings." The stuff is there with Harvey and I personally think he will be a future ace for the Mets, especially if they the ballpark as it is.

-For those of you expecting some sort of rant about the All-Star Game rosters, sorry. I just enjoy the game for what it is nowadays. It's always nce to see certain guys make it but its not like not making an All-Star team is like like losing a Gold Glove vote to a DH like Tino Martinez did to Rafael Palmeiro who only played 25 games at first.

Fly Balls

-Imagine you are the manager of a team that just rattled off 11 wins in 12 games, your team is 15-6 in the month of June and you are without your best pitcher who is still rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery. Your best player just came back after spending over 50 days on the DL. What do you do? Resign of course. That is exactly what Nationals manager Jim Riggleman did after his team beat the Mariners 1-0 on Thursday afternoon. Riggleman didn't want to be a lame duck manager, said he wanted job security, so he quit his job. Wait, you wanted job security so you quit your job? If I am a baseball GM I wouldn't even consider a guy who literally quit on his team. Something tells me his heart just wasn't in it, wasn't in this team. If it was he wouldn't have quit, he would have let the numbers do the talking and forced GM Mike Rizzo to re-sign him. Well, stupid is as stupid does and stupid did.

-I am getting really fed up with the Yankees handling of Jesus Montero. There is no way Francisco Cervelli is better than Montero in any facet of the game. Brian Cashman even admitted as much recently. When Jorge Posada was a youngster they didn't keep him at AAA until Joe Girardi was ready to leave. Nope. they brought Posada up and allowed him to learn on the job. If the Yankees want to see what this kid is really made of bring him up, allow him to spell Russell Martin a couple of days a week, thereby keeping Martin fresh, and allow him to DH against lefties. That's 3-4 games a week he could be playing in. And when he sin't playing he could learn from Tony Pena, Russell Martin, Jorge Posada, and Joe Girardi, all former catchers how to better field his position. Right now Montero is batting over .290 at AAA and people around him, including former All-Star catcher Butch Wynegar, think he is bored. Wynegar even said the kid was MLB ready. C'mon Cashman, bring him up!

-Ron Artest has filed for a name change. His new name? Metta World Peace. Ummm, yeah.

-With the 17th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft the New York Knicks took Iman Shumpert, a 6-6 PG from Georgia Tech. The Knicks passed on Chris Singleton from Florida State to get Shumpert. Wait, wasn't Iman a model from the 1990's? Anyway, the kid is supposed to be a good defensive player, something the Knicks need but will not use under Mike D'Antoni.

-The last pick in the NBA draft, the Mr. Irrelevant of the NBA was Isaiah Thomas, Jr. We knew Isaiah Thomas was irrelevant in the NBA for quite some time. At least Jim Dolan didn't order the Knicks to draft him, now that would have been interesting.

-The New Jersey Nets had a very nice draft. They traded with the Celtics for Marshon Brooks, a pretty good scorer who can slide right into the #2 guard position. In the second round they traded for Bojan Bogdanovic, who ranked second in the Euroleague in scoring. I don't think he will be around for a year or two but the Nets needed some extra scoring punch. The Nets then went for defense and rebounding when they took Jordan Williams from Maryland. He is small at 6'9" but he has the instincts. I'll give the Nets an A- for their draft.

-The Knicks draft wasn't as exciting. They could have something if their first rounder Iman Shumpert learns from Chauncey Billups all that he can in running an NBA offense. Until then they have a perimeter defender who should at least contest opposing ballhandlers when Billups is off the floor. They obtained big man Josh Harrellson from Charlotte in the second round. Harrellson is big, has little offensive talent, and will be lucky to crack D'Antoni's strict rotation. Knicks grade is a B- but if Shumpert develops into their PG of the future then this becomes an A.

-There are rumors swirling around the New York Rangers and Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators. Depending on what the Senators would want in return for Spezza he would be an excellent fit on Broadway. However, I don't think a deal will happen, not with Brad Richards a free agent. Spezza had knee issues last year that limited him to 60 games but he is a playmaker and goal scorer, just what the Rangers need. I can't see Ottawa wanting to trade him though, nor do I see the Rangers wanting to part with a lot of the kids they have patiently developed.

-I am not understanding Joe Girardi and his insistance on playing Andruw Jones over Brett Gardner in left against left-handed pitching. Gardner is hitting .278 against lefties with more walks (5) than strikeouts (4) in 36 at-bats. Andruw Jones is hitting .241 against lefties in 58 at-bats but has 21 strikeouts and only 6 walks! Oh, its because Jones has homered 4 times off of lefties this year? Crap Girardi! Look, Joe, I don't disagree with a lot of what you do but give Gardner the playing time. He has earned it. If it makes you feel any better Joe, Gardner and Jones have the same amount of homers (4) but Andruw is only hitting .213 while Gardner is hitting .286 now. C'mon man! Be smart! Put the best lineup out there!

-Don't look now but Ivan Nova is now 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA. He is 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in June. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for this kid.

Foul Tips

-Phil Hughes began his rehab assignment and it seems that whatever was bothering him is now gone because his fastball touched 95 MPH. He went 4.1 innings for Staten Island, throwing 61 pitches, 41 of them for strikes, striking out 7 and walking one. The Yankees could really use a healthy and effective Phil Hughes for the stretch run. If Hughes does come back healthy and effective, I don't think the Yankees need to run out and cough up prospects for a rental starter. It wouldn't make sense.

-Yankee prospect, Tim Norton, might be done as a baseball player. After making his AAA debut and striking out 2 batters in his one inning of work, Norton apparently suffered a severely torn shoulder labrum. This is really bad news as he was probably going to be a candidate for the Major League roster due to his 46 K's in 30 innings at AA and AAA.

-The Yankees came to terms with their first selection in the 2011 Draft, Dante Bichette, Jr. They paid him just over slot, a $750,000 signing bonus. I think the kid is really eager to get started. Hopefully his work ethic doesn't take a hit. He will start the year with the GCL Yankees.

-Jesus Montero is going to be a DH according to all the experts. Gary Sanchez? Well, his defense is worse than Montero's. Sure, the two guys are projected to hit like crazy but where do you play them? Is Sanchez fleet enough for an outfield spot? Right now, it looks like Austin Romine (currently on DL for a concussion) and J.R. Murphy are the Yankees backstops of the future. Murphy can also rip with the bat.

-The Pittsburgh Pirates are only 4 games out of first in the NL Central. They are flirting with .500 and, although this doesn't seem likely to continue, it might mean the beginning of a new era in a black hole of baseball. Maybe.

-The Seattle Mariners are only a half game out of first in the AL West. After last year's performance nobody would have guessed Seattle would have a winning record as of June 19th. But they do, at 37-35.

-The Minnesota Twins are 9-1 in their last ten games. Looks like this team is going to try to claw its way back into the thick of things.

-Eighty year-old Jack McKeon has agreed to become the interim manager of the sliding Florida Marlins. The Marlins are 1-18 in June. Good luck Jack.

-He may not be the best player in this year's NBA Draft, but Jimmer Fredette of BYU is certainly the most intriguing. He can either be a nice scoring option off the bench or he can fade into obscurity after a couple of ineffective years. I can see him doing a J.J. Reddick impersonation in the NBA but I don't know if that is worth a high draft pick. Chad Ford has the Pacers taking Fredette at #15. I don't know if I would take him that high. The Knicks are also an option at #17.

-Will the Mets be buyers or sellers? Or will they stand pat at the trading deadline July 31st? I definitely can't see the Mets as buyers and I don't think they will trade Jose Reyes either. To do so would infuriate a slowly reemerging fanbase. I see the Mets trying to unload a Jason Bay but don't think they will be able to. David Wright isn't going anywhere and if the MEts can hold their heads around the waterline they will be getting Ike Davis back which would sure up their defense and add some much needed pop in their lineup. If Beltran stays healthy and Davis comes back ready to play I can see the Mets sticking around. then again, this is the Mets and bad things seem to come in bunches these days. However, they owe it to their fans to do what is best for the future of the franchise. Even if they keep Reyes and lose him in free agency, so what? You get 2 first rounders for him. Add in another possible first rounder or two for Beltran and lookie what you got here, the beginnings of a new farm system. I trust Sandy Alderson to rebuild this team. He knows what he is doing and has the baseball people around him that might be among the best assembled braintrust in all of baseball.

DOCTOR!!!

Injuries are a part of baseball. Every team puts a few players on the disabled list every year, some of them key players. The Nationals lost Ryan Zimmerman for a few weeks. The Giants lost Buster Posey for the whole year. The Twins lost Joe Mauer for a few weeks. The list goes on. It happens. So far, the Yankees have had to deal with a few injuries, most notably Phil Hughes (not really sure if he was actually injured or if his fastball was just dead), Rafael Soriano (elbow), and Joba Chamberlain (Tommy John surgery). Throw in a missed week by Russell Martin for a bad back and now Bartolo Colon and Derek Jeter to leg injuries and you have the makings of a mess in waiting. So far, the Yankees have not put Russell Martin on the DL, instead, leaning on Frankie Cervelli to do the catching which has been something of an adventure since he all of a sudden becomes a Steve Sax/Chuck Knoblauch clone when it comes to throwing out runners at second base. Derek Jeter seems headed for the DL after suffering a Grade 1 strain. Not the end of the world but with Jeter it is better to get back 100% rather than risk further injury by letting him take the field before he is ready. Ramiro Pena will probably get called up to be the backup infielder while Eduardo Nunez tries to fill in at short.

The loss of Colon, Mike Axisa writes at Riveraveblues.com, will probably be a blessing in disguise. Colon hasn't thrown too many innings in the last few years and this shut down might actually help prevent Colon from tiring out or suffering a major arm injury. It will also give one of the younger kids, a Hector Noesi, Adam Warren, or David Phelps a chance to taste a big league start or two. I agree with this logic. It is better to have these kids come up now than in the middle of September as the Yankees are fighting for a playoff spot. It might turn out to be a huge boost for the Yankees.

What isn't a huge boost is losing your top two set-up men in Rafael Soriano and Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain is done for the year and might not be back until June or July of next year. Soriano, well, nobody knows when he is coming back. The loss of those two pitchers hurts more because David Robertson now has to fill in for them and bridge the gap to Mariano Rivera. Don't get me wrong, Robertson is an excellent pitcher. He actually deserves a shot at being Mo's bridge. However, it is going to hurt the Yankees because they now don't have an arm like Robertson's to come in and put out the fire in the 5th, 6th, or 7th. Who will fill the void? It could be Kevin Whelan who walks a lot of guys but has been getting a lot of strikeouts. It could be Hector Noesi who has performed very well in his short time in the Bronx. Lance Pendleton? Maybe, but I doubt it. Amaury Sanit? No way. Tim Norton? Well, he would be an excellent option with his strikeout rate (46 K's in 30 innings at AA and AAA) but he is now on the DL in Scranton. He probably would have been the best bet to fill in for Robertson as Robertson fills in for Soriano/Chamberlain. One thing is certain, the trade market right now isn't clear and prying away a top reliever from any team will cost more than he is worth. Right now, the Yankees must be patient. Let the kids come up and see what they can do. Like teaching a toddler to be potty trained there will be mistakes and accidents but its all part of the learning process. The Yankees have to keep the faith in whomever they call up and keep giving them the ball until it is clear that that pitcher isn't major league ready.

The Yankees will suffer a little without Jeter. They will lose a few games because nobody like Robertson could come in and put out the fire that a starting pitcher ignites. They will lose a game because losing Colon is like losing an ace and its a lot to ask of a rookie to fill an ace's shoes. It still isn't the end of the world. The heavy hitters in the Yankees lineup remain, for the most part, healthy. CC Sabathia is still healthy. A.J. Burnett has thrown a few excellent games. Mariano is still Mariano. It will take some time but the Yankees will be better in the long haul if they don't overreact and allow the kids to show what they can do. Soon enough Phil Hughes will come back. Bartolo will come back. Soriano will come back. Jeter will come back and resume his quest for 3000 hits. Russell Martin will return and give the Yankees excellent defense behind the plate with some pop in his bat. The doctor is in and he is hard at work.

Pop-Ups and Foul Tips

-The New York Yankees were able to accomplish something that hasn't been done since 1913 on Thursday night, lose 6 straight home games to the Boston Red Sox. Just to put that in perspective, the Yankees didn't even have Yankee Stadium back then. So, congratulations Yankees.

-The New York Yankees have very big, very real problems. First, their bullpen which was supposed to be their biggest strength has turned into a huge potential weakness. First, free agent signee, Pedro Feliciano, their supposed lefty neutralizer, goes on the DL without throwing a pitch. He is followed by the other free agent signee, Rafael Soriano, who, when he did throw a pitch, wasn't very good at it. Now, Joba Chamberlain is on the DL and likely out for the year after hearing he might need Tommy John surgery. Boone Logan remains up and down, and the rest of the bullpen is pieced together by guys fresh from AAA or guys like Luis Ayala who is trying to put his career back on track. This is probably not what Brian Cashman envisioned this offseason.

-So who is available to step up into the bullpen void for the Yankees? Well, at AAA there is Kevin Whelan who has posted some excellent numbers as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's closer. Whelan is 1-1 with 18 saves, a 1.67 ERA, 30 K's, 6 BB's and has allowed only 17 hits in 27 innings. Tim Norton, who just made his AAA debut this past week was also an option before landing on the DL for a reason I am not sure about. He was 1-0 and struck out two batters in 1 inning at SWB but was lights out with Trenton where he posted a 1-0 record and 1.55 ERA with 44 K's in 29 innings. George Kontos is another option. He has posted a 2-0 record with a 2.64 ERA and has struck out 32 batters while walking 11 in 30.2 innings. All the other guys we have seen in the Bronx already this year. Mark Prior is another option but he is still on the DL at SWB after 1 game. The good news is its not an arm issue. Andrew Brackman has been too wild at AAA to earn a call-up and would be a disaster in the pen right now given his inability to stay in the strike zone.

-I am still shocked that the Nationals were able to secure Anthony Rendon at pick #6 in this weeks draft. Could a Nationals-Royals World Series be a possibility down the road?

-Francisco Cervelli, filling in for Russell Martin who is dealing with some back issues, gave his best Chuck Knoblauch/Steve Sax impersonation during this Red Sox series. Three throwing errors on attempted steals at second base have to have Yankees brass scratching their heads. All his throws tail away from second which is probably the result of rushing his throws. Either way, I am surprised the Red Sox didn't try to exploit it more.

-Jeff Marquez made his Yankees debut last night. He was part of the Nick Swisher trade but the White Sox released him and the Yankees claimed him. So, seven years after getting drafted, the kid makes his Yankees debut.

-First it was Eric Hosmer. Now Mike Moustakas has been called up by the Royals. Nice to see the Royals doing what is best for the baseball side of operations by bringing these kids up and not worrying about arbitration years down the road.

-The Sporting News came out with their list of the Top 50 baseball players as voted on by MLB executives. Albert Pujols was number one followed by Troy Tulowitzki, Felix Hernandez, Joey Votto, and Tim Lincecum. Jose Bautista was #23. Joe Mauer was #9! Really? Wow. Robinson Cano was #12. I don't know how you put Mauer that high. Must be the Head and Shoulders commercials. How Bautista is #23 I will never know. Notable Yanks and Mets on the list: Cano #12, CC Sabathia #15, A-Rod #17, Mark Teixeira #26, Mariano Rivera #29, and David Wright tied at #41 with Ubaldo Jimenez. First of all, Wright at #41 and no Jose Reyes on the list. Right now, Wright is not in the top 50 and Reyes is in top #15, period.

-Don't look now bu the Dallas Mavericks are one win away from beating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. The Heat are by no means out of this but I don't think many people expected this. Many hoped for it though.

-After having trouble scoring an goals in the first two games, the Boston Bruins are exploding on Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo. That series is tied 2-2.

-Getting back to the NBA...I am thoroughly shocked the Mavs are up 3-2 right now. Dirk got hurt in Game 1 and the Mavs really lack that second superstar. Still, there they are. But, how can you count out any team that has Dwayne Wade and LeBron James as options 1 and 1A?

-Joba Chamberlain is proof positive that no matter how much you coddle and arm it will still break down if that's what its gonna do. The Joba rules didn't protect Joba anymore than letting him throw too many pitches hurt him. Its not what you do to an arm, its what the arm does when throwing. Shoulders and elbows don't know about rules.

And that's all I got. Enjoy the day. Oh, and my fellow Yankee fans, don't worry. The Sox left town, we can resume winning I hope.

-

The Yankees and Mets Drafts

The New York Mets, with the 13th pick in the draft selected Brandon Nimmo, an outfielder out of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Nimmo didn't have a high school baseball team so he had to play Legion baseball. This pick is purely a credit to the Mets scouting department who went and saw the kid play. What they saw they liked. He is a lefty bat that should develop the power necessary to hit some balls out of Citi Field, especially if they move the fences in. Nimmo is the kind of pick that has to have MEts fans a little excited, he could be their corner outfielder for years to come. Hell, I'm sure some Mets fans would take this kid over Jason Bay right now! I'm not saying this kid is a super-prospect but he had to be doing something right if he got noticed without a high school baseball team. While its always hard to project if a kid will make the Majors, I do see Nimmo becoming the Mets left fielder, or right fielder, for years to come down the road. It might take a little while as the kid adjusts to the new level of competition so for a few years Mets fans will playing Finding Nimmo.

The Yankees didn't have a first round pick this year because the Steinbrenner Braintrust (wait, I thought Cashman had autonomy here) decided signing Rafael Soriano was the better route. So, the Yankees selected 51st overall, thanks to the Marlins signing Javier Vazquez. With that pick, the Yankees selected Dante Bichette, Jr. Yep, son of former Major Leaguer Dante Bichette who was a member of those Coors Field inspired Colorado Rockies teams that launched balls into orbit. Little Bichette is a two-time All Central Florida Player of the Year. He was not on ESPN's Keith Law's Top 100 Prospects List. However, the kid did hit .640 (55-86) with 14 doubles and 10 home runs and 40 RBI's in 30 games as a senior in high school. Keith Law says the power is there but he questions Bichette's hit tool, whatever that means. I think the Yankees might finally have drafted a power bat that plays into a corner outfield slot after years of drafting toolsy guys without much pop (Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson, etc.) Bichette, Sr. and Joe Girardi are close friends so if the kid eventually makes it and if Girardi is still managing the kid will basically be playing for an uncle. Overall, I like this pick. The Yankees needed some power bats that play into corner outfield positions and Bichette, Jr. definitely has that. Bichette has committed to play at the University of Georgia where he is slated to become the teams starting third baseman but, given the closeness of Giardi and his father, I think something can be worked out fairly quickly to get this kid into pinstripes.

Fastballs and Curves

-Tonight is the MLB Draft where Gerrit Cole is slated to be taken first overall by the Pirates. A couple of years ago, in the 2008 MLB Draft, the Yankees took Cole with the 28th overall pick. Cole, a Yankee fan growing up, passed on the Yankees offer and went to UCLA. Now, Cole will be a Pirate or Mariner.

-Plaxico Burress was released from prison today and is now free to begin his search for a new team, when the labor problem is resolved of course. It feels like Plax served one of the longest sentences in athletic history. There is no doubt in my mind that his sentence didn't fit the crime. Totally overblown by New York City. He made a stupid decision and he paid for it by enduring a lot of pain and will deal with it the rest of his life from the embarrassment stemming from the nightclub incident. When he owned those guns outside of New York they were all legal. He should have registered them in New York but there should be a federal mandate that allows weapons to be transferred easily from state to state. Afterall, states don't guarantee the right to own guns, the Constitution does and last I checked all the states ratified that document.

-Taking Plax's place in the prison system will be former Mets and Phillies standout, Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra has not exactly led the glamorous life since leaving baseball. He has been linked to steroid use and now faces 25 counts of grand theft auto, attempted grand theft auto, identity theft, and a few drug possession charges. Apparently, Dykstra and two other men were trying to lease high end cars using false information and then claiming these cars as a credit on a phantom business. If convicted, Dykstra can face up to 12 years in prison.

-This NFL labor crap is killing me. I love the offseason for baseball, football, hockey, and basketball. I love playing GM and deciding who should where and all that. I get excited to think what new players the Giants will bring in and who will be donning the blue uniforms next season. Now, there is none of that in the NFL. Everyday this dispute goes on without resolution is one less day for rookies and free agents to get acclimated to new teams. This could seriously hurt the product on the field next year. Fans expect to see highly touted number one draft picks take the field and show what they can do. Now, without the ability to learn the plays they might not make much of an impact at all, especially the quarterbacks. Free agents who will pull down millions might not have the time to adapt to the new systems and could look terrible through the first few weeks of a season. This whole NFL situation just sucks.

-Through 46 games this season, Yankee prospect Slade Heathcott has already surpassed last years triples, and home run totals. In 2010, Heathcott hit 2 homers and 3 triples in 76 games. This year he has 4 of each so far and is only 5 doubles shy of last season's mark of 16. Progress.

-Yankee prospect Gary Sanchez returned from extended Spring Training after having some "attitude problems." Apparently, Sanchez, 18, refused to do some things coaches asked him to do. Hopefully, he got it all out of his system and he get back on track as a top prospect.

-Speaking of Yankee farmhands, J.R. Murphy might be doing more to establish himself on next years list of top prospects than anyone else in the Yankee system right now. He is currently posting a .321/.366/.502/ line (AVG/OBP/SLG) while slugging 6 homers and 20 doubles. Last season he hit .255/.327/.376 with only 7 homers and 15 doubles. Murphy was drafted as a catcher but he has been getting playing time in the OF and at the corners this year since the Yankees have Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, and Gary Sanchez as catching prospects ahead of him. If he continues to improve like this he might be a legit candidate for third (if he can play defense there) or a corner outfield slot. He is just raking this year.

-One Yankee prospect whose star is falling is Andrew Brackman. He is clearly having issues adjusting to AAA. In 10 starts, a total of only 46.1 innings, Brackman has posted a 2-4 record with a 6.80 ERA. He has walked 36(!!!!!!!) while striking out only 37 and has surrendered 49 hits. The stuff is there but he has been waaay too wild this season. He is a big guy at 6'10" so his mechanics might be a little off. In 2009 he was terrible before finding his groove in 2010. However, time is running out on Brackman who signed a major league contract after being drafted in 2007 which means he is eligible for free agency after this season. I can't see the Yankees letting someone with his stuff just walk but he will have to take a huge pay cut to continue on as a Yankee.

-Jesus Montero only has 4 homers so far this year and 10 doubles. He is hitting .297 now, down from his lofty start. Maybe he is just bored down in Scranton? Maybe he is working on his defense? I can't imagine he has just lost his power overnight. I'm betting on him being bored down there since this is his second season at AAA. He will get called up eventually, especially if Jorge Posada keeps swinging and missing.

-Yankee farmhand and former Braves prospect Cody Johnson has 10 homers in 183 at bats. He also has 81 K's and only 10 walks! He reminds me of the character played by Joaquin Phoenix in the M. Night Shamalan movie, Signs. Seriously, 81 strikeouts?!?!? At AA?!?!?!?! Good luck dude.

-Cody Johnson seems to be indicative of the type of filler-type guys Yankee GM Brian Cashman has brought in for minor league depth. There seem to be a lot of high strikeout guys who can hit the long ball sprinkled in around the Yankee minor leagues. There is Justin Maxwell, who leads the SWB Yankees with 72 K's and is second on the team in homers with 16. Then there is Jorge Vazquez who leads SWB with 18 homers and is second on the team in K's with 68. Just for measurement, Jesus Montero is third on the team in K's with 49. Montero is also third on the team in homers, tied with, get ready for this one.....Ramiro Pena! That's right, Ramiro Pena has more home runs than Brandon Laird, who hit 25 last season at AA and AAA.

-Wanna know if Bryce Harper is the real deal? The answer is yes. He has 13 homers, 12 stolen bases, 14 doubles, 41 RBI, a .610 SLG %, a .434 OBP, and is hitting .338. He also has 32 walks and has K'd just 46 times. For an 18 year-old kid those are PHENOMENAL numbers. Good for the Nationals for not rushing this kid through the sytem, they are letting him develop, keeping his confidence up, and it will pay huge dividends in the end.

-Here are some updates on some other Yankee Prospects:

Tim Norton has 44 K's in 29 innings out of the pen in Trenton. He owns a 1.55 ERA and 0.69 WHIP.

Dellin Betances is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA, striking out 50 in 45.1 innings. He has been a little wild, walking 22 but it hasn't hurt him yet.

Manny Banuelos is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 46.2 innings. He has allowed 26 walks and 38 hits but has struck out 42. Not bad overall numbers. I still think he will be the best of the "Killer B's" but only time will tell.

-Well, that's all for now. Enjoy the MLB Draft if thats your thing. Game 3 of the Stanley Cup is also on at 8.

Just Some Stuff Around Sports

-Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals was amazing. I still think Raffi Torres was offsides by a hair though.

-The Brad Richards era in Dallas may be coming to an end. He announced on Thursday that he won't re-sign with the Stars until the ownership situation there is resolved. This prompted Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk to discuss the possibility of trading his rights before Richards becomes a free agent on July 1. Ummm, Joe, where were you three months ago? You are going to lose your best player, and one of the better players in the NHL, and hope you can trade his rights? Umm, Joe, Richards has a no-trade clause. Good luck.

-There is already heavy speculation that the New York Rangers will attempt to sign Brad Richards this offseason. The Rangers lacked a true playmaking center this season and Richards would give Marian Gaborik someone to play alongside. If Richards does become a Ranger then Chris Drury will probably be gone so that the salary fits in with the Rangers cap. Adding Richards should elevate the Rangers into Cup Contenders as well. But then again, everyone thought the same thing when Scott Gomez and Chris Drury came over.

-Despite Rafael Soriano and his bloated ERA, and then losing him to the DL along with Damaso Marte and the Yanks other free agent signee, Pedro Feliciano, the Yankees have the best bullpen ERA in the majors at 2.88. Pretty amazing when you consider Lance Pendleton, who couldn't stick with the Astros 25-man roster after being selected by them in the Rule 5 Draft, Luis Ayala, Buddy Carlyle, Hector Noesi, and Amaury Sanit have all filled in at one point or another. Not to mention Joba has had his struggles and Boone Logan has looked terrible. Just goes to show you, you never know where bullpen help will emerge from and it doesn't make sense to spend big money on free agent relievers. Didn't work with LaTroy Hawkins, Stave Karsay, Kyle Farnsworth, etc., etc., and probably won't work with Rafael Soriano either.

-Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka will undergo Tommy John surgery. Not sure if that is good news or bad news for the Red Sox.

-The Mavericks tied up the NBA Finals on Thursday night as they came back to beat the Heat a couple of days after the Heat did the same to them. Gotta credit Dirk Nowitzki for not allowing his tendon in his left hand to be an excuse...so far.

-Good riddance to Ohio State head coach, or should I say former Ohio State head coach, Jim Tressel. After calling the Miami Hurricanes program "dirty" a couple of years ago, Tressel has seemingly been on a mission to outdo the 'Canes by racking up NCAA violations. Tressel, in my opinion, should never be allowed to coach in college again. He failed the school, failed the kids he promised to mentor, and failed himself.

-Jason Bay might be one of the worst free agent signings ever made...by any team. He only has 3 extra base hits in his previous 31 games including zero over his last ten games, and on the season only has four doubles and two homers to go with a measly ten RBI's. He is currently hitting .228 this season. As a Met, Bay has 8 homers, 57 RBI's, and only 24 doubles and 6 triples in 129 games. Eddie Whitson, a horrendous signing by the Yankees in 1985 is a close second.

-Nice win by the Mets on Thursday, coming from behind to win 9-8 after being down 7-0. A little side note on that game, not a single Pirates pitcher has an ERA over 3.76 after today's game while the Mets featured three pitchers who sport ERA over 5.00. Those three are, Mike Pelfrey, Tim Byrdak, and Robbie Parnell. The game also featured Chris Capuano being inserted as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning for Nick Evans. However, Terry Collins changed his mind and sent Josh Thole out to hit for Capuano. Thole walked.

-Ivan Nova better start pitching if he wants to keep his spot in the Yankees rotation. Phil Hughes should be off the DL by mid-July and Carlos Silva is waiting in the minors. Nova's days might be numbered right now.

-How long do the Yankees stick with Jorge Posada at DH? He is 0-the year against left-handed pitching, has a batting average that is lower than some pitchers, and cannot play the field too often. Right now, and I hate to say this about one of the best catchers in recent Yankee history, he is just clogging up a roster spot that can be better used on someone else which would give Joe Girardi a little more flexibility when making up the lineup.

-Only three Yankees are not leading in the voting results for their respective positions. Russell Martin leads catchers, Mark Teixeira leads first basemen, Robinson Cano leads second basemen, Derek Jeter leads shortstops, Alex Rodriguez leads third basemen, and Curtis Granderson is second among all outfielders. That leaves Jorge, Nick Swisher, and Brett Gardner the only three Yankees not leading. However, Swisher is 7th among outfielders and Gardner ranks 11th. Cano leads all Yankees with almost 1.2 million votes.

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy whatever it is you enjoy doing.

Suicide Squeezes

-The New York Mets Dillon Gee had a no-hitter broken up in the 6th inning by Nationals pitcher Livan Hernandez. Actually, Hernandez, despite being a pitcher, is a pretty good hitter, for a pitcher. Last year, at Nationals Park, I actually saw Hernandez pinch-hit. Gee, though, is emerging as arguably the Mets best starter. Today he threw 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three. His ERA now sits at 3.44 for the season.

-Francisco Rodriguez now sports a 0.79 ERA to accompany his 14 saves on the year. If the Mets do decide to deal him they should find some takers without a problem. In fact, he might even be the Mets best trade chip.

-Speaking of Mets relievers, how can you not feel good for Jason Isringhausen? The guy is doing well in Queens where his career began.

-I think it is now safe to call Jason Bay and John Lackey free agent busts. I would be willing to bet the Mets and Red Sox respectively would love to find takers for these duds. Bay, however, did collect three hits today, one of them a double. I doubt he is turning it around though but you never know. Lackey, meanwhile, sits on the DL in Boston.

-Last night the Yankees-Orioles game was a marathon that should not have gone 15 innings but both teams had an allergy to hitting with RISP. That is, however, until Robinson Cano took an Allegra and hit a 2-run double in the top of the 15th. Sooner or later, the Yankees are going to have to start hitting with RISP. Right?

-Great game last night by Bartolo Colon who threw 87 pitches in 8 innings of shutout baseball. Colon did everything he could possibly do to ensure the Yankees got the win, even striking out the side in the 8th. However, and I can't fault Joe Girardi for doing this, he was pulled for Mariano Rivera to close it out. Rivera, as we know, gave up the tying run and the Yankees had to go into the 15th before getting the go-ahead runs. I can't dream of pulling a pitcher, no matter who he is, when you are bringing in the greatest closer the game has ever seen. I would have done the same thing.

-Complete games are a rare thing these days. Seven teams do not even have 1 complete game from their pitching staffs. Those teams are Boston, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati, Houston, New York Mets, and San Diego. Philadelphia leads the majors in this category with six.

-Everyone made a big deal about the Phillies pitching staff this offseason. However, Atlanta actually has a better team ERA. Atlanta has a 2.92 team ERA while the Phillies are sporting a 3.06 team ERA. But the Braves have played three more games than the Phillies. Atlanta pitchers are also holding batters to a .220 AVG while Phillies pitchers are holding opponents to a .240 AVG.

-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently whined to The Sporting News about not having a statue outside the Staples Center. Umm, Kareem, the Lakers apparently told you you were going to get one. Guess you forgot. Either way, this is not something you whine about, it makes you look like a self-centered...oh wait.

-To all LeBron bashers out there, take a break. Michael Jordan had his Pippen, Shaq had his Kobe, Kobe had some good players around him. Who did the Cavs have when James took them to the Finals? They had James and nobody else. So what if James hasn't won a championship yet, you can't take away the fact that he has taken over games in the playoffs this year. He and Dwayne Wade are playing well together and it looks like its going to be a Heat-Mavs final. I can say this now after my hatred toward LeBron has gone away after he spurned my two basketball team, the Knicks and Nets, by signing with the Heat. I've moved on, perhaps other just need to do the same.

-I'm actually a little upset that Kobe is out of the playoffs. How awesome would a Lakers-Heat match-up have been? Kobe and Gasol vs. LeBron and Wade.

-Dirk Nowitzki's 48 points was impressive. I don't know if it answers all the questions about his game though. I still need a bit more defense and toughness from a 7-footer. Still, there is no question he is the best big-man shooter in the NBA. He is also one of the top ten players in the NBA without question.

-Jorge Posada to start at first base tonight for the Yankees. Wow. It is his 16th careerstart at first and first since 2008.

-The Rangers signed 2010 Second Round Pick Christian Thomas, son of ex-NHL'er Steve Thomas, to an entry level contract. Thomas scored 54 goals last season in Juniors. He is still Junior eligible so he might not make his debut next year. If he is anything like his dad was, the Rangers should have an added boost on the offense in the coming years.

-Is anybody else jonesing for some NFL offseason free agent movement? Man, I can't wait for this lockout to be over.

Theeeee Yankees Finally Win! And Other Short-hops from Around Sports

-The Yankees have snapped the longest losing streak of the Joe Girardi era, six games. Ivan Nova pitched well enough to get the win and Alex Rodriguez busted out of his slump with two homers. Even Jorge Posada joined in the action, going 2 for 3 with a double. David Robertson saved the Yankees bacon though after Ivan Nova got into a bases loaded jam in the 6th inning. With the bases loaded and only one out, Robertson slammed the door shut on the Rays fingers by striking out B.J. Upton and Casey Kotchman to end the inning. Where would the Yankees be this year without David Robertson?

-The Cleveland Cavaliers "won" the NBA Draft lottery. Kyrie Irving, welcome to Cleveland.

-Speaking of the NBA Draft, do you think the T'Wolves draft another point guard? Kemba Walker should be there and the T'Wolves did draft about 40 PG's a year ago. I wonder if Ricky Rubio will make his NBA debut next season or if he will hold out until he goes to a better team.

-The death of Harmon Killebrew is a blow to Major League Baseball. He was truly a remarkable man and exceptional player, he will be missed.

-Errors by Carlos Pena, Matt Garza, Welington Castillo, and Kerry Wood led to a total of seven unearned runs for the Reds. The Cubs lost 7-5.

-Braves catcher Brian McCann had a game kids dream about. He entered the game in the 9th as a pinch hitter and hit the game tying home run. Then in the 11th inning, McCann hit the game winning homer. Talk about a good day! And to think, this was his off day!

Well, that's it for now on this late-night edition of Sportsaholics Anonymous. Have a good night.

Intentional Walks

Sorry I am not posting as much as I should but I am currently moving to a new house this weekend and there is a ton of stuff to be done beforehand. Now, to get to some of the sports stuff.

-Royals relief pitcher Vin Mazzaro allowed 14 runs in 2.1 innings as Kansas City fell to the Indians 19-1 on Monday.

-The Yankees losing streak is now at 6 after A.J. Burnett blew the lead in the 6th inning last night. Nothing is going right for the Yankees. Wild pitches, poor throws, poor defense, an almost complete lack of hitting, yeah it is ugly. This is the longest losing streak of the Joe Girardi era.

-The Red Sox are now over .500 for the first time this season after coming back against the Orioles last night. As bad as the Yankees are playing, the Red Sox are the complete opposite right now.

-How far has Jason Bay's stock with the Mets fallen? He was asked to bunt to bring up Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner. Wow.

-Jon Niese, Mets relief pitcher, hit a triple last night, in the same inning that Marlins relief pitcher Burke Badenhop drove in what turned out to be the game winning run.

-Arnold Schwarznegger admitted that wife Maria Shriver left him after learning that Arnold fathered a child with a staffer. So, I guess the steroids didn't affect his package.

-Michael Dunn, former Yankee prospect, struck out 5 Mets in 2 innings. He now carries a 1.96 ERA and .98 WHIP. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Dunn, a lefty reliever who was included in the Javy Vazquez/Boone Logan trade, is just a bit better than Boone Logan at this point.

-The Mets have no luck. They started winning so what happens? They lose Ike Davis to injury, Carlos Beltran to pink eye, and David Wright to a stress fracture in his lower back. If I am Jose Reyes I am wrapping myself in bubble wrap.

-The Yankees have only one more win than the Mets.

-The Nationals and Yankees have the same amount of wins.

-Prior to last nights game, the Tampa Bay Rays had not scored more than 5 runs in a home game this year. They scored 5 runs in the 6th inning alone last night as they came back to beat the Yankees.

-Last week Melky Cabrera homered against the Yankees. Last night Johnny Damon homered against them. Coming up, Hideki Matsui as the Revenge of the 2009 Yankees continues.

-Alex Rodriguez is hitting .180 over the last 23 games. He has not hit well since an issue with his oblique.

-Hector Noesi has spent 14 days on the Yankees in two separate call-ups this season and has not faced a single batter. Umm, why is he on the team then?

-So I guess it is safe to say that the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista is for real. He only has 63 homers in his last 162 games. The guy is like Albert Pujols from a couple of years ago. Just a monster.

-Kyle Farnsworth got the save against the Yankees last night, setting them down 1-2-3 last night.

-Cliff Lee walked 6 Cardinals last night to raise his season total to 13. He walked only 18 men all of last year.

-If Shane Battier doesn't re-sign in Memphis the Knicks should go after him. The stats aren't superstar quality but the guy is a leader and plays both offense and defense. Just sayin'.

Well, break out your umbrellas people. It is like an episode of "The Killing" out there, raining and gloomy. Enjoy the sports today if there is any you wanna watch, or isn't rained out.

Is Derek Jeter hurting the Yankees?

We have heard it a lot lately. Is Derek Jeter past his prime? Will he be able to recapture the form that only two years ago had him hitting over .300? The answers are simple. Yes, and no. Derek Jeter is a Yankee icon. Winning World Championships in New York will do that, ask Mark Messier. The past two seasons, however, have been somewhat new for Derek Jeter as he adjusts to, well as he adjusts to his age. Jeter is now 37 years old and has become the focus of a lot of debate throughout the baseball world. Can he bounce back? History says no. Age is generally not kind to middle infielders of Jeter's age. Just two years ago, Jeter put up outstanding numbers, hitting .334 with 18 home runs, 66 RBI's, and 30 stolen bases. Last season Jeter began his decline. He hit just .270 with 10 homers. He did, however, hit 2 more triples (3) and 3 more doubles (30) but his 179 hits were down from 212. This year, Jeter has been off to an even worse start. He looks more like Luis Castillo than Derek Jeter at the plate. So far this year, Jeter has hit the ball on the ground 69 times in 27 games. Twenty of those hits have allowed him to reach base for a .290 average. That average is helped by leading the majors in infield base hits. Jeter's speed is still there but, as the season progresses, he will most likely see those numbers drop. On the rare occasion that Jeter does get the ball off the ground he has only a .133 average, 2 hits in 16 plate appearances. And, on the even rarer occasion that he hits a line drive he possesses a .444 average, 4 singles in 10 plate appearances. More often than not, Jeter has put the ball on the ground, and more often than not, an at bat is wasted. One can almost predict with certainty what Derek Jeter will do in an at bat. He will hit the ball on the ground.

So, if Derek Jeter's best days are behind him, what can the Yankees do about it? Manager Joe Girardi doesn't have an easy solution. Jeter started the year in the second spot in the order with Brett Gardner leading off. However, Gardner struggled and Jeter was elevated back to batting leadoff. Jeter has not exactly lit the world on fire from that spot either. He does possess a .417 AVG in the first inning through 27 plate appearances and a .455 AVG in the second inning in 12 PA's. However, in innings 4-6 he is hitting just .194 and in innings 7-9 he is hitting just .120. As the game progresses, so does the pitcher's ability to get him out. Of course, as a leadoff hitter, it is later in the game that runners will be in scoring position, a situation he is only hitting .130 in. These stats suggest that leading off he can still hit the ball, hitting .278 from the leadoff spot this year in 72 at bats. Sadly, in baseball, one has to be able to hit in all situations, something Jeter has done very little of in non-leadoff situations. There are few options to replace Jeter in the leadoff spot, with Brett Gardner the most viable option. Gardner, however, hasn't exactly shined in that spot either. Moving Jeter further down in the lineup than the #2 spot would create a media storm like no other in Yankee Stadium. This is a predicament but one that should never be taken into consideration if you are the manager of the Yankees where winning is the only thing. Surprisingly, leaving Jeter in the leadoff spot is the best option right now as it is the only place he is hitting the ball.

Watching Yankee games has been pretty painful at times this year. Jeter is not really hitting the ball out of the infield, or off the ground. But with a lack of options and the fact that as the first at-bat of the game Jeter is actually hitting better than anywhere else, it doesn't make sense to take him out of that spot. At least not this year at this point in time. So, Derek Jeter, the Yankee version of Luis Castillo, will be given every opportunity to fight his way through his struggles. After all, there is no way that his power, what little there was, has completely left him? One has to believe that he is capable of more than 2 extra base hits in 108 at bats which comes out to about 11 extra base hits over a 600 at bat season. The question is, will he?

Line Drives

A few quick hits on some baseball happenings around the leagues.

-It appears as if top Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia is going to undergo Tommy John surgery after suffering a complete tear in his medial collateral ligament in his right elbow. If he does have the surgery, the 21 year-old will be out until next year. He is going to head down to Alabama and get a second opinion from leading Tommy John surgeon Dr. James Andrews before opting for surgery.

-The Phil Hughes saga continues. He is slated to see more specialists.

- Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell was fined an undisclosed amount and was suspended two weeks after making threatening remarks and making threatening gestures towards fans while in San Francisco on April 23rd. McDowell, apparently, did something similar last season. This time, he made homophobic remarks about three men while making sexual gestures with a baseball bat and his hips. When McDowell was rebuked for his behavior by Justin Quinn, who was attending the game with his wife and kids, McDowell asked Quinn, "How much are your teeth worth," while making a gesture with the bat. Real class act that Roger McDowell.

-The Cleveland Indians are 19-8 going into Monday's action. They are, by far, the surprise of baseball. The question is, can they sustain this over a season? Well, no. Winning at a .704 clip is hard on the best of teams, in fact almost impossible. What the Indians can do is build confidence, and cushion a lead that currently sits at 4.5 games over second place Kansas City. Yeah, you read that right. The Royals are in second place with a15-13 record. It is doubtful the Royals will be able to sustain over the season, much less into June, so the Indians, who are doing everything right on the field and are bolstered by a healthy and productive return from Grady Sizemore, should be able to build up enough of a lead to push them as the season progresses. It would not be surprising if the Indians made the playoffs at this point. The White Sox have been putting up no offense and when their offense scores a few runs their pitching burns them and the Twins are a shell because of injuries.

-What is with all the O's in Colorad-O? Ubald-O. Tul-O, and CarG-O. Last week's SI had a great story on the three O's. It also dawned on me that Colorad-O was also home to Carmel-O before he was traded, and the Broncos starting QB is now Tim TebOw. Weird.

-Minnesota is having one of the worst seasons I can remember. They have a run differential of -64. No other team is even in the negative 40's.

-Last season the Pirates only won 4 series on the road. They already have won 4 this year.

-Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays leads the American League in batting average and home runs but is 24th in RBI's. Adam Lind, on the other hand, is tied for second in the AL with 22 RBI's. Bautista also leads MLB in walks and OBP. In fact he has almost twice as many walks as K's, 30-16. Go figure. Maybe the dude is for real.

-Vladimir Guerrero has not walked at all this year. It's May.

-Josh Johnson of the Marlins, has an ERA of 0.88, a WHIP of 0.77, is 3-0, and has allowed only 18 hits in 41.0 IP. That is just ridiculous.

-Dustin Moseley, former Yankee, now has a win to go with his 1.63 ERA. Yeah, the same Dustin Moseley.

-Matt Garza of the Cubs is leading the Majors in K's with 51. Seems he likes Wrigley.

-Rafael Soriano is tied for the MLB lead in holds with 8, but sports a 6.57 ERA. Hmmm. No other relievers in the Top 10 have an ERA over 2.61.

-Alfonso Soriano leads MLB with 10 homers. But he only has 20 RBI's.

-Lance Berkman has a .398 AVG, is tied for 4th in MLB with 8 homers and is tied for 4th in RBI's with 23. I can only imagine what the Yankees record would be with him hitting from the DH spot instead of Jorge Posada.

-Peter Bourjos of the Angels leads MLB with 4 triples but has been caught stealing more often than he has been successful, 4-2.

-Two Detroit Tigers lead the majors in strikeouts, Austin Jackson is leading MLB with 37 with teammate Ryan Raburn nipping at his heels with 36. Mark Reynolds only has 25 so far so...WOW.

-Adrian Gonzalez of the Red Sox only has 1 home run so far, but is tied for second in doubles in MLB with 10.

That's it for now. Be safe out there and enjoy your nightly games.

Some Free Throws from Around Sports

I hope you all are getting ready for a run filled sports night. We have the Yankees taking on the White Sox in the final game of a four game series. We have the Mets taking on the Nationals. We have the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. For a link to my mock draft click here. And for a look back at the best and bust picks of each team since 1980 click here. Here are some fun things from around sports today:

- A Dutch football (soccer to us) team, the VVV-Venlo signed a one-year old to a contract. Check out the kid in action here. Of course its a publicity stunt but it makes me wonder what is next.

-Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel is in some hot water with the NCAA and it came out today that some of his player were trading items in exchange for tattoos and the like. Perhaps its time Jim Tressel actually gets punished and takes responsibility for running a seriously unethical football program.

-Bartolo Colon turned back the clock last night and went 8 innings, allowing 1 run and striking out 6. He was able to get out of a bases loaded jam with nobody out without giving up a run. He looks poised and focused out there. Maybe he is just relaxed knowing he doesn't have to face A-Rod anymore.

-I have a feeling that there will be the customary run on quarterbacks in the first round. I don't see any single QB being worth a first rounder but there will be teams going out there and wasting picks. Then, they will rush these young kids into starting roles and boom, they will be done. What a shame.

- If some offensive linemen start to go early I can see a run on them as well. There is a lot of defense in this draft and only 2 wide receivers worthy of first round consideration and there is a shyness from selecting running backs in the first round so if one o-lineman goes it might cause a domino effect.

-The player that makes the most sense for the Giants to draft is Anthony Costanzo. He can slide into a starting job and move David Diehl inside to guard which would also save the Giants $1.3 million in incentives which is due Diehl if he remains a starting tackle.

-Rex Ryan has managed to put his foot in his mouth again (pun possibly intended here) by smack talking the Giants in his new book. He calls the Jets a "better team" and a "big brother" to the Giants. OK, so the past two seasons the Jets have been the better team but a "big brother?" Hey Rex, you haven't won a Super Bowl with the Jets. The Giants have won 3 and been to four since the Jets last went to a Super Bowl. The Jets played in Giants Stadium until last year. The Giants are one of the oldest franchises in the NFL. The Jets a "big brother?" Check your facts Rex. And wait until you win a Super Bowl before you write a damn book, fool.

Well folks, I kept it short and sweet tonight. Enjoy the draft, baseball, or basketball playoffs, or hockey playoffs.