Hitting Back :: A New York Sports Blog

Not surprisingly, the two New York baseball teams came out the biggest winners at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas with the Mets landing free agent closer and single season 62 save record holder K-Rod and wisely dealing for former Seattle closer J.J. Putz while the Yankees chased, chased and chased bending over backwards to land the biggest fish Cash Cow Sabathia severely overpaying by 60 million until the former 2007 AL Cy Young winner finally was convinced thanks to an out clause after the third year if he doesn’t like it here.

Would you go to all that trouble to land one of the game’s top starters when it was clear as day he didn’t want any part of New York hoping against hope that one of his hometown California NL teams the Dodgers or Giants would come calling keeping him in a Senior Circuit he flat out dominated tossing seven complete games in carrying the Brewers to their first October baseball in 26 years?

I’d have gone for Option B and looked into acquiring San Diego ace Jake Peavy, who might be better than Johan Santana even though Daily News columnist narcissist Mike Lupica and other Mets propaganda would have you believe otherwise. As if the Venezuelan was the second coming of Christ because he took the ball once on short rest and dominated giving the Amazin’s a chance on the final Sunday before the roof caved in causing Omar Minaya to wake up from the doldrums and realize his pigpen wasn’t championship caliber. I wonder what could’ve tipped him off? Was it the Phillies’ 1-2 punch of Ryan Madson to the perfect Brad Lidge resulting in the city of Philadelphia’s first world championship in 25 years?

Funny but as down as I am on the Yankees flexing their mu$cles for Sabathia, I could’ve sworn he finished five more games in three months than Santana did in his first NL season. In fact, the 27 year-old new Yankee ace’s 10 CGs are one better than the 29 year-old Mets ace for his entire MLB career.

This doesn’t mean Sabathia’s better. In fact, Santana has the more proven track record if you go year by year comparing their careers with Sabathia’s meteoric rise coming the past two seasons in which he won a combined 36 games with the Indians and Brewers taking home his first Cy and finishing in the top six despite half a season in the Senior Circuit. Santana finished third behind deserving NL recipient Tim Lincecum and Arizona’s Brandon Webb.

Speaking of Lincecum, it kind of makes you wonder why they didn’t extend an offer to Sabathia, who grew up pretty closeby and could’ve made a great 1-2 combo for the Giants, a team which has fielded some of the most pathetic squads recently having bought failed lefty Barry “Baked” Zito.

They already gave too many years to Edgar Renteria to fill a hole at short left by Omar Vizquel. You’re telling me they couldn’t go for a top tier pitcher who could’ve turned them into a division contender. It doesn’t take much to win the NL West. Just ask the Dodgers and Manny Ramirez.

Maybe it’s true that the Giant offense isn’t scaring anyone. But in a pitcher’s park, had they stacked up Sabathia with Lincecum, overlooked Matt Cain and young arm Jonathan Sanchez, suddenly they’d have a staff in place to compete no matter what Zito gave them.

Here’s a novel idea. Just bring back Will Clark, Robby Thompson, Matt Williams and Kevin Mitchell to give the offense a boost. If only it were that simple.

One other thing on Santana. While Lupica’s right that he’s more reliable than Sabathia, just remember all the Yanks did was waste more of their own money to get the former Brewer. Both will be paid the same yearly salary making a cool 23 million to win 18-20 games.

Only one team traded away prospects. And until the Mets see October or add another championship, you can’t say much. Telling a blowhard like Lupica that before he bashes the team in the Bronx for doing what they do best.

Better yet. What’s a tougher league? The loaded AL featuring DH driven lineups or the watered down NL that includes garbage teams like the Nats, Padres, Pirates and Giants?

Hard to believe the Nats are offering the kitchen sink to Mark Teixeira with a standing offer also from Baltimore with Boston in serious pursuit of the first base switch hitting slugger who also packs some leather. You don’t think he’d sign with such a bottomfeeder? Will the Angels bring him back? It’d probably be in their best interest considering Vlad Guerrero ain’t getting any younger.

With the Yanks and Mets loading up and getting more state grants to fund their state of the art new stadiums, what bad economy?

Apparently, they haven’t gotten the message.