Hitting Back :: A New York Sports Blog

Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zach Morris on Jimmy Fallon was indeed epic stuff. More so than meaningless June baseball in NYC.

It’s a cool June New York Wednesday with overcast skies that are threatening. Ah. Kinda sounds like a classic Jimi Hendrix tune.

So, what’s cooking? Oh. Plenty. Well, if you’re as baseball-sessed as the folks here. While there’s a Stanley Cup going to a Game 7 and an NBA Finals where the home team has won all three games thus far, they may as well not exist based on all the sports radio talk about the Yankees suffering their latest defeat to the Red Sox and the Mets actually giving a subpar Johan Santana enough run support to edge the Phillies.

So, here we are in the second week of June with still plenty of baseball left before we go crowning anyone. But that’s not the way it works around these parts. Where one week, the NY baseball teams stink and the next, they are virtual locks for the first Subway Series in nearly a decade. No. Not the fake half a dozen games we get in each new stadium with the Mets invading the real short porch later this weekend with the Bronx Bombers later doing the same at the much longer ballpark in Queens.

So, here are some random thoughts on the area locals and other big sporting events going on:

-If you ignored all the fun pie in the face stuff from A.J. Burnett, he’s been almost Carl Pavano-esque so far in his first Yankee season. Maybe it’s a 2003 Marlins thing. Speaking of DL Pavano, hasn’t he won like six games now with Cleveland or as many as he won in his Bronx stint? Amazing.

-If Santana really did show up Jerry Manuel when he pulled him last night in the eighth for Bobby Parnell which was the right thing to do, then maybe it’s time for someone to get in the ace’s face. This other thing about changing the bunt to a hit which worked out as an RBI double ain’t exactly too encouraging either. Sure. He’s a great pitcher but play by the same rules the rest of your teammates do.

-With him the majors’ first 10-game winner and finishing most of his games in a tougher hitting league, maybe we’d take Doc Halladay over Johan. The Jays ain’t exactly bad either these days. What with Adam Lind looking like an All-Star at second. Imagine if Alex Rios and Vernon Wells get going.

-Heard a fan call into Mike Francesa and compare Jose Reyes and Robinson Cano. Well, one’s a shortstop who bats leadoff and steals at least 60 bases and scores over 100 runs while the other’s a second baseman who hits for a higher average and drives in more. Still, we’d take Reyes over Cano because he can impact the game more. Both are outstanding at times defensively while there are other plays that make you scratch your head. Ditto for Reyes on the basepaths and Cano mailing it in last year. Just imagine if both played up to their full potential.

-When Big Papi goes yard and former castoff Nick Green drives in a pair while Josh Beckett silences the Yankee bats, you know the Red Sox are in their heads. Speaking of which, what will the run-o-meter look like when Chien-Ming Wang starts tonight versus Tim Wakefield?

-I’m more interested to see how Cole Hamels does against his favorite opponent.

-Raul Ibanez now has 20 homers and already speculation has begun about whether he’s on the juice. The Phillie slugging outfielder was far too pleased and even said he’d return every penny earned if found with a positive test. Damn. Maybe he should just take it to prove innocence and sue for libel. Not that it will ever happen.

-I don’t mind how emotional he gets after a save but what happens when K-Rod blows one? Does he still point up to the Heavens?

-Have you ever seen so much fuss made over Mo Rivera’s implosion against the Rays in a tie game? Not like we’ve never seen it before.

-Who has a better built-in excuse? J.J. Putz or Brad Lidge. I’m going with the guy who was a perfect 48 for 48 and won a world championship last year after coming over from Houston.

-I still say Francisco Cervelli should be the Yankee catcher and Jorge Posada the DH. Say bye to Godzilla already.

-David Wright, who hit his fourth homer and first in forever last night is right about Citi Field. But hey. He’s also much younger than Chipper Jones, who he joked to and is having a better year. Suck it up!

-Remember when Derek Jeter was done? Remember when the Yankee centerfield was a weakness? Next.

-I’ll take Carlos Beltran on my team but if he’s going to rip teammates for getting swept by the Pirates and then not bother hustling out of the box, what kind of leadership is that?

-The Stanley Cup rematch has been pretty good but badly needs a last second finish or sudden death. Cause aside from Game 7, what better drama is there than that?

-I like Kobe and he’s the best player on the planet but when he turns to the refs begging and getting a call in crunch time following a clean block by Dwight Howard, something’s very wrong.

-Still can’t believe the Magic rolled out Finals failure Nick Anderson to get the place jumping. What? Dennis Scott wasn’t available.

-There’s absolutely no way Sidney Crosby should be considered for the Conn Smythe given how mediocre he’s looked versus Henrik Zetterberg and Detroit. Our playoff MVP leading candidates:

1.Evgeni Malkin, Pit

2.Chris Osgood, Det

3.Henrik Zetterberg, Det

4.Johan Franzen, Det

If Malkin has a good game Friday and the Pens fall short, it should be enough for the league’s leading scorer to win the award. Only five times in NHL history has the Conn Smythe recipient come from a losing club (Roger Crozier 1966 Red Wings, Glenn Hall 1968 Blues, Reggie Leach 1976 Flyers, Ron Hextall 1987 Flyers, Jean-Sebastien Giguere 2003 Mighty Ducks).

-If Pavel Datsyuk had been totally healthy for this series, it would’ve already ended.

-Has anyone seen Marian Hossa? Please send whatever info you have to the Detroit Red Wings before 8 ET/5 PT Friday night.

-Still can’t believe the Magic shot 63 percent from the field and still had to hang on for dear life to get their first Finals win in seven tries. That isn’t too promising for the rest of the series.

-I really could do without the nauseating second and fourth quarter interviews with the coaches. Though we loved Phil Jackson’s response during the Game One blowout when asked about Kobe and he was like, ‘How about that game.’

-Kudos to Svetlana Kuznetsova on winning the French Open for her second grand slam title easily dispatchng Russian countrywoman Dinara Safina. The elder former U.S. Open winner played steady tennis from the baseline while young Safina melted down for a second consecutive slam final. Last time out down under, it was against Serena Williams, who Kuznetsova bested in three hard fought sets in the quarters at Roland Garros. Too bad she was a sore loser about it. Kuznetsova also went three sets coming back to beat Samantha Stosur in the semis. Congrats on the win and we think she should be ranked a little higher than five. Speaking of which, no player should ever be No.1 and still haven’t won a major. Sorry.

-It’s still great a few days later that Roger Federer finally conquered his Paris demons completing the career slam. Just wish it could’ve come against archrival Rafael Nadal, who we hope will be healthy enough to defend his title at Wimbledon in less than two weeks.

-I don’t care because it’s the story that won’t go away. But someone needs to tell Brett Favre just that.

-And finally, for your entertainment, the absolutely classic appearance by one Mark-Paul Gosselaar as none other than Saved By The Bell’s Zach Morris on Jimmy Fallon a couple of nights ago on Late Night:

Dude hasn’t aged and stayed totally in character which made it work. Full credit to Fallon for letting him do his thing for this anticipated reunion.

“750 Math. 752 Verbal. 1,502 combined score. Stansbury material.“