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by Derek Felix

More HB: The Day After

September 30, 2008 in MLB, More HB, NFL, NY Mets, NY Yankees

-And so, the New York baseball season is over and it really does feel weird that both the Mets and Yankees won’t be playing meaningful baseball as October gets ready to hit. I just can’t remember what this felt like. Sure. The two teams both finished with identical records winning 89 games which meant they didn’t stink by any stretch but when you have the kind of payrolls they do, so many expectations come with it for this spoiled city which makes it all the more disappointing.

In the end, both teams despite big names proved to be flawed which was why they fell short in their postseason bids. Injuries aside, the Yankees didn’t have enough pitching or timely hitting. For some reason, they never hit the way they could’ve and too often couldn’t deliver in the clutch. That along with being a very streaky team which sometimes lacked energy kept them from putting together that run with their best ball coming way too late when the season was already lost.

The Mets also had their share of injuries but severely underperformed the first 10 weeks getting Willie Randolph axed before waking up under Jerry Manuel to get back in the race. Despite no pen to speak of, they persevered and once again were in great position to win their division before it all came crashing down in the final couple of weeks though not as badly as last year. While the pen could never be trusted and cost them a ton of games, what was most baffling was the offense which at times disappeared. How do you explain getting shutout 1-0 against the majors’ worst team the Nats? And what about scoring only five runs in the do or die weekend series against the same Marlins who danced on their field eliminating them last year? Questions will continue to linger about David Wright and Jose Reyes until they stop disappearing and carry this team back to October and beyond.

Now, it will be a long offseason for Omar Minaya with plenty of angry customers wondering why next year will be different at Citi Field. Getting a real second baseman while unloading Luis Castillo along with revamping the bullpen are just a couple of topics he must address with new record closer Francisco Rodriguez at the top of the list. It’s also likely Pedro Martinez pitched his final game as a Met after struggling mightily. And then there’s Oliver Perez, who will be seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $12-16 million per year under greedy agent Scott Boras$. Is he really worth that kind of money longterm? I say no. He’s just too unpredictable to get to that next level. What about Carlos Delgado? Do they pick up the $12 million option rewarding him for his brilliant second half or do they try to get younger going for better defense? If they let him go, it won’t be easy to replace his big bat.

As for the Yankees, they will need to decide on center field moving forward along with what they intend to do with Joba Chamberlain. If they make him a starter, then they must continue to shore up their pen. Bringing back 20-game winner Mike Mussina should be at the top of Brian Cashman’s list. Figure Andy Pettite to either retire or go elsewhere following a dismal second half. The Yanks of course need a real ace and should be in the running for C.C. Sabathia, John Lackey or A.J. Burnett with him expected to opt out of Toronto. There’s also the first base situation where they could be competing with the Angels and Mets for Mark Teixeira. Figure Jason Giambi to go elsewhere after a productive season proving he can still be a valuable DH somewhere. As for Bobby Abreu, he’s a solid run producer who gets on base but leaves something to be desired for in right which is why we see Xavier Nady shifting.

Whatever transpires over the next three months, New York baseball fans know full well their rosters won’t look the same following a quiet October.

Get ready for chaos.

-Just in case we forgot, there’s still one more regular season game to be played later today when the Twins visit the Windy City against the White Sox, who earned the one-game home playoff by getting a grand slam from overlooked rookie second baseman Alexei Ramirez in an 8-2 win over the Tigers in a makeup game Monday. They get the game despite winning their first in six thanks to the Twins dropping two of three to the Royals despite sweeping three from Ozzie Guillen’s club to pull half a game up. It’ll be John Danks going on three days rest against Nick Blackburn to decide the AL Central for the final playoff berth.

One team will advance to play the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series while Boston travels to California to meet the 100-win Angels.

The NL of course is all set with the Cubs taking on the Dodgers while the Phillies host the Brewers, who are in their first postseason in 26 years.

We’ll have more playoff stuff later on.

-It’s hard to choose one between each but our pick for NL MVP would be Ryan Howard for how he carried the Phillies the final month having one of the best Septembers eerily similar to when he clubbed 58 home runs and knocking in 149 to win the award two years ago. I’ve always been a huge fan of Manny Ramirez and he sure stepped up carrying the Dodgers in the final two months impacting their lineup while coming back to win the NL West. But it’s hard to pick him over Howard with how well the first base slugger finished leading his team to a 13-3 record over the final 16 pressure packed games in a very tight race.

-The same could be said for the NL Cy Young where worthy candidates like Johan Santana, Brandon Webb and Tim Lincecum all are in the running against Milwaukee rental Sabathia, who tossed a remarkable seven complete games pacing the league while turning in a money performance following Santana’s gem to get the Brewers in. For that, we’ll give the nod to Sabathia over Lincecum with Santana third and Webb fourth.

-AL MVP is a little easier and could depend on if the Twins win with Justin Morneau once again in the running against Boston tandem Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. It’s hard to ignore Carlos Quentin’s impact with the White Sox, who haven’t been the same since he went down. To be honest, he would’ve been a lock had he not broken his wrist. If the Twins get in, Morneau should win his second MVP in three years this time edging another do everything infielder Pedroia, who resembles a young Derek Jeter. If not, give the award to Pedroia because he’s been his team’s best player since the Manny trade.

-As for AL Cy Young, Cliff Lee should get the nod handily edging out K-Rod, Dice-K and Roy Halladay. I know he won’t get a lot of consideration but Moose deserves a few votes for how well he pitched in the Bronx this year.

-What else can Joe Girardi be two-faced about and purposely hide from the media?

-It’s nice to see Brett Favre finally be allowed to open it up and get on the same page with Laveranues Coles, who caught three touchdowns for the first time in his career- half of Favre’s career high six in the Jets’ 56-35 win over Kurt Warner and the Cards. I just wonder if Gang Green fans can be pleased about their D turning a 34-0 halftime cushion into a game by allowing three straight TDs in the third quarter before Favre and the Jet offense put it away.

-Did anyone ever think the Bills and Titans would both be the only remaining unbeatens in the AFC looking like playoff locks?

-How come Terrell Owens always blames Dallas defeats on not getting him involved enough when it was about as believable as anything Sarah Palin says? Can’t he ever give credit to the opponent because the Redskins played a heck of a game and have certainly turned things around since the NFL Opener defeat to the Giants? But hey. T-Ho will always be a selfserving primadona who doesn’t care about the team concept despite his talent which is why I’d never take him on my team.

-I could do a better job than Scott Linehan did with the Rams.

-It sure took long enough for the Lions to realize Matt Millen wasn’t a good Team President. I wonder what keyed them in on that.

-When someone takes shots at the Yanks and Mets for not qualifying, just remember you could be the Tigers who gave up the world for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, who now looks like a serious rebuilding project. Tell ya one thing. Cameron Maybin sure looks good in center for the Marlins. And if Andrew Miller pans out, that’s gonna be one heck of a rotation in 2009. The Mets and Phillies might have some competition for the NL East.

-Just how ridiculous is Jim Dolan? Idiotic enough to continue bringing back Allan Houston while refusing to payoff Stephon Marbury to get him off the Knicks roster. That’s why no matter who’s running it, they’ll always be the same laughingstock.

-Now would be a good time to tell the Rangers that the NHL regular season begins in a few days over in Europe cause they have looked really bad so far. I wonder what Glen Sather thinks now of investing six years and six and a half per on Wade Redden. Just wait till the season starts up. You ain’t seen nothing yet.

-What I like about the Giant organization is they stick to their rules disciplining Plaxico Burress for missing two straight days of practice even if it was due to a personal family matter. The wideout still should’ve communicated better this way he wouldn’t be fined and have to sit out next week’s home game versus Seattle. However, there aren’t any excuses and no exceptions under Coach Coughlin which is why I believe this team can repeat. They get it!

-Someone might want to tell Jerry Jones that this isn’t the 50′s anymore when he last played organized football. He doesn’t belong on the sideline.

-Boomer and Carton are a fun listen on WFAN in the morning because they work well and have solid chemistry. Listening to them rant over the Mets’ latest disappointment was good radio. Loved Carton’s nickname for Wright for failing to deliver in the clutch: “D-Rod.” A reference to Alex Rodriguez.

-I feel bad for diehard Met fans like Steve Somers, Tony Paige, Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno, who live and die with their team all year long. You can feel the emotion and terrible bitterness in their voices. Particularly Somers, who last week coming back from a great Weezer concert sounded heartbroken over a costly extra inning defeat to the Cubs. You could really tell how badly he wanted to see them get in and reverse last year.

They all did and showed so much. Maybe if the Mets had played with as much energy as they brought to the WFAN airwaves, they wouldn’t be sitting home instead getting ready for Lou Piniella’s Cubs. They might get paid to talk sports but they wear the Mets’ logo as a badge of honor as did outstanding play-by-play man Howie Rose.

Nobody ever likes to get their hearts broken. Especially by their favorite sports team which is what can make following sports so crazy. One minute, you’re as high as the sky and the next you feel like burying yourself under the sand.

It’s the real diehards who never abandon ship who shall always get my sorrows. Cause it takes a lot sometimes to stay with a team that constantly gives you heartache.

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Avatar of Derek Felix

by Derek Felix

More HB

July 27, 2008 in More HB

-The Mets lost a marathon 14 inning affair to the Cards 10-8 at Shea. A game which featured 18 runs, 37 hits and a preposterous 55 runners left on base took over five hours to decide with more than 53,000 rooting on the first place club in Queens. Despite two Carlos Delgado home runs and Fernando Tatis’ tying dinger in the ninth off St. Louis closer Ryan Franklin, the Amazin’s fell short due to Albert Pujols going yard off the last man standing Aaron Heilman for a two-run shot for the Cards’ first homer of the night. The final Met reliever predictably ran out of gas in his third inning finishing with 57 pitches (41 strikes). Try explaining that to a few Met fans who still want to kill one of their best setup men for what was an understandable loss.

New York had plenty of opportunities for someone to be the hero in extras but stranded all seven runners including the bases loaded on walks in the 12th before Tatis grounded back to Kelvin Jimenez. They went quietly in the 13th and 14th allowing Brad Thompson to pickup the win in relief. That he hails from Vegas seemed appropriate given how crazy this game was which featured 16 pitchers (eight apiece) and 24 position players plus ex-Met closer Braden Looper as a pinch hitter for the opposition.

Met manager Jerry Manuel summed it up best:

“We had chances, we just couldn’t push it across. It was just one of those nights.”

Still, the Mets showed plenty of resiliency after falling behind immediately 4-0 as veteran Brandon Knight struggled before steadying the next four while teammates picked him up even getting the lead on Jose Reyes’ 12th dinger. The Cards cameback with a four-run sixth off three Met relievers to go back ahead 8-5. But the big bats of Delgado and Tatis made it a very long night and ride home for supporters who stuck it out.

-The loss dropped the Mets’ division lead to a game over both the Marlins (3-2 in 12 over Cubs) and Phillies, who used a seven-run fifth to rally past Atlanta 10-9. Greg Dobbs slugged the go-ahead pinch hit three-run home run which allowed the slumping Phils to overcome a nine-run Brave fourth in which they shelled ace Cole Hamels. He was charged with all nine with five unearned due to a couple of errors including by Chase Utley and himself. It didn’t matter because six Philly relievers combined to shutdown Atlanta the rest of the way tossing five and a third scoreless with closer Brad Lidge going 1-2-3 for his 23rd save.

The Marlins got two solo homers from Jeremy Hermida and a Jorge Cantu run scoring double which plated Hermida for a 3-2 extra inning win in Wrigley. They’ve taken the last two from the Cubs with the fourth game later today.

-Meanwhile up in Beantown, the Yankees ran their perfect post All-Star mark to 8-0 by defeating the Red Sox 10-3 at Fenway. Trailing on two early runs, they used a Bobby Abreu RBI single and a Robinson Cano solo shot to tie it. Center fielder Melky Cabrera then manufactured a run by beating out a bunt down the third baseline, swiping second and then coming around to score on Johnny Damon’s two out base hit in the fourth.

They broke the game open with a four-run sixth including a Derek Jeter RBI single, an Abreu RBI two-bagger followed by an Alex Rodriguez run scoring base hit. Though All-Star MVP J.D. Drew went deep for his 19th in the sixth, the Bronx Bombers poured it on with three more off Craig Hansen highlighted by the hot hitting Cano’s two-run double as they pulled within a game of the wild card while remaining three behind Tampa, who prevailed 5-3 in Kansas City.

Andy Pettite rebounded from a tough opening inning working six allowing three runs (1 ER) while walking three and fanning seven in improving to 12-7. Four Yankee relievers including new lefty Damaso Marte (0.1 IP, 1 K) held the Sox to one hit over the final three frames.

Also debuting in left field batting seventh behind Cano was Xavier Nady, who took the collar in three trips with a walk and caught stealing.

-The hottest Yankee has been Cano, who after a dreadful first half which saw him hit just .246 has erupted to go 18-for-35 (.514) with three home runs and 10 RBI’s. Interestingly enough, the 25 year-old second baseman has done his best work in the second half hitting .341 following the break the past three campaigns. To hear Damon tell it, the timing couldn’t be any better:

“The All-Star break came at a good time for this team. Robinson was able to gather his thoughts. He was swinging the bat well. He’s a big reason we’re on the streak we’re on now.”

The Yanks are clicking on all cylinders and will aim for the sweep and a tie for the wild card if Sidney Ponson can outduel Jon Lester later tonight.

-The Brewers won for the 10th time in 11 scoring two each in the seventh and eighth including a tying Ryan Braun homer along with a Bill Hall go-ahead single and run scored as they rallied to defeat the Astros 6-4 pulling into a tie with the Cubs for the NL’s best mark. Both teams are 60-44 with 58 left.

-The Rockies used a four-run fifth to get past the Reds 5-1 for their fourth win in a row pulling to 11 under (47-58) and remaining six behind Arizona, who took their second straight over the Giants 5-3 to stay a game in front of the Dodgers (6-0 over Nats). NL ROY runner-up Troy Tulowitzki had three hits including the game-winning RBI single for Colorado. For the Diamondbacks, ace Brandon Webb went seven innings of three-run ball allowing four hits while walking two and striking out eight for his 14th win. The former Cy winner who eclipsed 1,000 career strikeouts was overshadowed by second-year Giant star Tim Lincecum, who struck out career high 13 while allowing two runs in seven innings.

Webb talked briefly about the Giants’ 23 year-old former 2006 first round pick when they shared a locker room at the AS Game:

“He was a couple of lockers down from me but he didn’t say too much. It was more like, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ some chitchat here and there. It’s always fun to play in these kinds of close games.”

As for Lincecum, he didn’t talk much about all the K’s opting to discuss what his philosophy is on the mound:

“I’m more concentrating on the task at hand. I’m not out there worrying about my strikeout totals or anything while we’re in a game like that—especially a close one. It’s more, ‘Let’s get out of these innings, let’s get our bats going.’ That’s pretty much what I was trying to do.”

What an amazing talent. I don’t think the Giants will be trading this young hurler anytime soon.

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by Derek Felix

Kontos and Coke not traded

July 26, 2008 in MLB, Newsworthy, NY Yankees

A day later, the trade which sent Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to the Yankees became official. As it turned out, neither former Staten Island Yankee George Kontos nor Trenton teammate Phil Coke were in the deal as reported late last night.

Instead, both Double-A starters are staying put while Triple-A SP’s Jeff Karstens and ex-Baby Bomber Daniel McCutchen are going to the Pirates to complete the trade which also sent outfield prospect Jose Tabata and reliever Russ Ohlendorf the other way.

In 12 starts this season for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre, the 25 year-old Karstens was 6-4 with a 3.80 ERA while striking out 55 in 68 and a two thirds. He made his final start last night picking up the win going five and two thirds on three runs, nine hits while walking a couple and fanning five. The former Texas Tech star was selected by the Yankees in the 19th round of the 2003 Draft.

During an injury riddled 2007, he made one appearance with Staten Island tossing five innings of one-run ball while fanning eight for a victory during a rehab stint. Thus far, Karstens has seen limited action in the majors having little success going 1-4 with over an 11.00 ERA.

The 25 year-old McCutchen had a great 2007 pitching extremely well for both Tampa and Trenton combining to go 14-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 23 starts (24 GP). In 142 total innings, the former University of Oklahoma star who the Yanks grabbed in the 13th round back in 2006 allowed just 116 hits and nine long balls while walking 33 and striking out 103. Opponents hit just .227 against him. For his outstanding performance, he was tabbed a Florida State League Mid-season and Post-season All-Star.

Oddly enough, he was originally taken by the Yanks in the 2003 27th round but didn’t sign. Tampa selected him the following year in Rd. 28 but he didn’t sign. The Cards also took him in 2005 in Rd.12 but failed to sign him as well allowing the Yankees a second chance to get him. He saw limited action here in Staten Island going 1-0 in two starts with a 1.13 ERA. In eight innings, he struck out 11 before progressing to Charleston.

In his first season at Triple-A, McCutchen had mixed results posting a 4-6 mark with a 3.58 ERA in 11 outings. Two of those four victories were shutouts. In 70.1 IP, he’s allowed 73 hits (10 HR) while walking only 11 and K-ing 58.

Now, the older McCutchen will team with Pirates’ outfield prospect Andrew McCutchen hoping to impress enough to make the bigs. Interestingly enough, both were busted for steroids with the latter serving out a 50-game suspension before bouncing back.

So, now the deal is done and Nady and Marte will be in Pinstripes probably in 20 minutes as the Bronx Bombers aim for eight straight with Andy Pettite opposing Tim Wakefield in Fenway.

If there’s one criticism of how the trade changed, it’s that it put bloggers like myself and even writers who cover the sport at a disadvantage. MLB writer Jennifer Langosch’s original story which appeared on milb.com last night still is up giving analysis on both Kontos and Coke even though they wound up staying.

Heck. It wasn’t even fair to Coke, who after one scoreless frame where he K’d the side was pulled from the game last night.

Such is the nature of the business where sometimes, things change. I’m very happy that Kontos will be staying put. Must’ve been a roller coaster of emotions over the past 24 hours for the former Northwestern star. We’ll see if he and his teammate make the most of it in the Yankee organization.

Blake dealt to Dodgers: In other MLB news, Casey Blake was dealt from the Indians to the Dodgers in exchange for two minor leaguers. The 34 year-old veteran utility man was hitting .289 with 11 homers and 58 RBI’s. He’ll go to LA and play mostly third. He also can play first and the outfield if needed. Solid pickup for Joe Torre’s club.

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Avatar of Derek Felix

by Derek Felix

More HB

July 23, 2008 in More HB

-The Mets rebounded with a 6-3 win over the Phillies thanks to Jose Reyes game breaking three-run homer in the home sixth off reliever Ryan Madson grabbing a share of the division lead with the rubber match this afternoon on Kids Day with Oliver Perez opposing Jamie Moyer. Twice, the Phils rallied from early deficits against John Maine, getting back-to-back homers from Shane Victorino and Geoff Jenkins plus a Jimmy Rollins RBI double. Maine settled down to go seven permitting just the three runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts for his ninth victory- first since June 25 versus Seattle.
The Mets got a lift from closer Billy Wagner, who returned from a stiff shoulder after a night off retiring his former team in order for his 25th save in 31 chances. Met fans who might get a little nervous when he takes the mound for the ninth, please not what tonight’s hero Reyes said of the veteran:

“He makes it easy.”

As for Billy The Kid, he was happy to get back out there despite some aching:

“Of course you feel it, but I was able to stick with it. If I can compete, I’ll be out there. The training crew, they deserve a lot of this credit. They were fantastic. They deserve a lot of the credit just to get me out there.”

Nice to see the chatty lefty who’s closed out 383 games pay due respect to the trainers as they play a key role in any locker room.

If the Amazin’s can get today’s game which starts a little after 12, that will be four consecutive series from their nemesis. It should be fun to see what happens.

-Props to second baseman Damion Easley, who at age 39 continues to defy logic by hitting the ball well. In fact, as WFAN talkie Steve Somers pointed out during an interview, “You had to set a record with those three infield hits for oldest player.”

The Schmoozer has to be right. How in the world are the Mets a better team with Luis Castillo, who’s here another four years as DL fodder? Plus rookie Argenis Reyes has been a solid defensive backup who boasts much better range.
-Down in South Florida, the Marlins were routed by Atlanta 9-4 preventing a three-way first place tie. Gregor Blanco and Yunel Escobar each drove in three runs and Tim Hudson tossed six shutout frames striking out a batter per inning before leaving with an injury. Chipper Jones also left early due to a left hamstring strain. The veteran third baseman was 0-for-2 with an RBI but is still pacing the Senior Circuit with a .369 average. Remarkable.

-C.C. Sabathia continues to dominate for Milwaukee this time going the distance in a 3-0 blanking of St. Louis to pull the wild card-leading Brew Crew two games ahead of the Cards. J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun hit solo shots and the former Cleveland southpaw who won the AL Cy last year three-hit St. Louis walking a pair while K-ing seven. He tossed 106 pitches with 71 going for strikes. In four starts since switching leagues, he’s a perfect 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA completing three games and even hitting a home run. Is there anyone who still believes this wasn’t the right move for the Brewers even though they parted with a package which included top prospect Matt Laporta???

-Matt Holliday drove in a pair as the Rockies defeated the Dodgers 5-3 for their sixth win in seven making much traveled veteran southpaw Glendon Rusch a winner for the fourth time this season. I didn’t even know he still pitched. Brian Fuentes closed it out for save No.17 as Colorado improved to 45-58 which is now good enough to trail first place Arizona (50-51), who fell at home to the Cubs 10-6 by six games. The Dodgers meanwhile at three under (49-52) remained a game out. What a division. Who thinks I’m still crazy for believing the Rockies will comeback to take it?!?!?!?!?!?! ;-)

-The Red Sox got three runs in the 12th highlighted by a two-run Mike Lowell single in a 6-3 triumph over hapless Seattle sweeping the series to remain three up on the Yankees for the AL wild card. In a big series, Boston now gets a day off to travel back East to Fenway where they’ll host those red hot Yanks for three beginning tomorrow.

-Don’t look now but the Brewers have won seven in a row and sit just a game in back of the Cubs for the NL’s best record.

-Man. I don’t know about you but what the heck did the Hawks do so wrong after taking the eventual NBA champion Celtics seven to watch valuable sixth man Josh Childress leave for Greece?

-Final thought. Who decided that Wendy Williams should become a TV host? Just saying.

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by Derek Felix

More HB

July 23, 2008 in More HB

-The Yanks continued to roll earlier today defeating the Twins 5-1 at the Stadium sweeping the three-game set improving to a perfect 6-0 since the break. Rookie left fielder Justin Christian broke a scoreless tie with a two-run fifth inning double. That was enough support for veteran righty Mike Mussina, who continued his bounce back season tossing eight scoreless scattering six hits walking none and striking out seven to improve to 13-6 lowering his ERA to 3.26. The Yanks added three more runs in the sixth thanks to a two-run double by Alex Rodriguez plus a Richie Sexson sacrifice fly. After relief failure LaTroy Hawkins permitted Minnesota’s only run in the ninth, Mariano Rivera came on to get the final out striking out Jason Kubel looking for his 25th save.

-The Yankees couldn’t gain ground on the Rays, who edged the A’s 4-3 in St. Pete thanks to a solid eight and a third from James Shields allowing three earned before veteran Troy Percival got the final two outs for his 20th save. Johnny Gomes his his eighth home run and shortstop Ben Zobrist drove in a pair with a solo shot and RBI single which proved to be the difference.

-AL WC leader Boston is scoreless with Seattle in the second inning. They lead the Yanks by two and a half pending today’s outcome.

-The AL Central division leading White Sox got a multi-homer game from slugging first baseman Carlos Quentin, who slugged No’s 25 and 26 including a go-ahead three-run job in a five-run eighth as Chicago came back to defeat Texas 10-8. Quentin now leads the AL homers and his 76 rank second 22 behind major league leader Josh Hamilton, who took the collar in four trips whiffing three times. Chicago leads the Twins by two games.

-John Maine looks to get the Mets back on track against Brett Myers in a couple of hours at Shea after last night’s ninth inning debacle. It’s no secret that Johan Santana should have been in there to start the ninth. Though he only has six career complete games, yesterday was a situation which called upon the 29 year-old Venezuelan to go the distance. It didn’t sound like he was out of gas based on his answers following the game but Santana wouldn’t second guess Jerry Manuel. Most great pitchers want the ball in that spot. He threw the same amount of pitches (105) that a 10 year older Moose tossed earlier today in eight. The Mets needed to go for the jugular there.

-The base running mistakes by Endy Chavez getting tossed out at the plate twice thanks to faulty third base coaching from Sandy Alomar didn’t help which wasn’t the first time the latter erred. How does he still have a job? Neither did Phillies’ All-Star second baseman Chase Utley’s diving snag of a Fernando Tatis line drive to help his team escape a bases loaded jam in the seventh, which turned out to be the play of the game.

-If the Rockies can win again over the Dodgers, they’ll put even more pressure on Arizona. Who thinks the Cubs are getting swept?

-Update: Kevin Youkilis’ two-run third inning double has Boston ahead 2-0 over the Mariners.

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Avatar of Derek Felix

by Derek Felix

More HB

July 23, 2008 in More HB

-Listening to WFAN’s Tony Paige in his monologue of one of the worst Met losses and the overnight host is absolutely dead on about Johan Santana not being left in to start the ninth inning against the division rival Phillies. The Mets led 5-1 at one point until the former Twins’ AL Cy winner gave up a solo shot to Philly center fielder Shane Victorino in the seventh. Still, the Met ace on this night pitched like one getting through the eighth with a three-run lead intact. In fact, he had thrown just 105 pitches. You had to figure he had something left to maybe even finish what was the biggest game of the season at a packed Shea with first place up for grabs. Instead, on a night when he didn’t have Billy Wagner available (shoulder tightness), Jerry Manuel opted to pinch hit for Santana. Instead, he turned it over to Duaner Sanchez.

Paige took note of the intro of the AP game recap. One which is worth repeating:

When Jimmy Rollins saw New York reliever Duaner Sanchez come out to pitch the ninth inning instead of starter Johan Santana or closer Billy Wagner, he went straight to the batting tee to stay loose.

It didn’t matter that he was due up sixth and the Philadelphia Phillies trailed by three runs. He thought they had a chance.

The ever optimistic NL MVP was right.

You’d think by now some managers would learn. Especially when Wagner wasn’t around to close it out which meant Manuel was banking on Sanchez to come through in a different role. Instead, the setup man failed miserably giving up three straight base hits loading the bases forcing the interim skipper to pull him for second-year reliever Joe Smith. Smith closed games for the Single-A Cyclones a couple of years ago. Truthfully, it wasn’t his fault that Jose Reyes on a grounder missed the second base bag allowing a run to score and everyone to be safe. Still, he was out of the game replaced by lefty Pedro Feliciano. He’s been a fixture in seventh and eighth situations usually against lefties. Don’t believe me? Check the splits entering last night:

vs left .222

vs right .324

Not surprisingly, pinch hitter So Taguchi made Mets’ fans worst fears realized by delivering a tying two-run double to right over Endy Chavez. Then everyone’s fave Jimmy Rollins followed suit with a two-run go-ahead double. A couple batters later, the Phillie shortstop would come into score a sixth run on Ryan Howard’s RBI fielder’s choice.

By the time the Mets’ hottest reliever Aaron Heilman got into the ninth recording the final out, the damage was done. I have to question Manuel on why he didn’t put in Heilman after Sanchez got into trouble. He had been pitching very well and probably would’ve been the best choice.

Still, in this Relief Era Error ruled where pitch counts prevent most starters from finishing what they started unless your name’s Roy Halladay (real best pitcher in the game), you have to ask why Santana wasn’t out there to at least start that fateful ninth? It’s ridiculous. The guy tossed eight allowing two earned on eight hits walking none and fanning four. Without Billy The Kid, he has to be out there.

Instead, the Amazin’s suffered a crushing home defeat failing to move a game up in the standings. Instead, combined with a Marlins’ 4-0 blanking of Atlanta in which four pitchers combined to one-hit the former NL East front runners and ex-Met Mike Jacobs slugged a three-run homer, the Mets find themselves tied for second a game behind those Phils.

Does such a devastating loss set the tone for the next two days in Queens? Will this get the struggling Phillies going. They were 12-18 in their last 30 blowing a seven and a half game lead as the Mets turned around their season following the Willie Randolph firing.

The Mets should still have the edge in tonight’s game with John Maine facing recently recalled one-time Phillie closer Brett Myers following a minor league stint. A win would cure what happened and make fans forget. The middle game of this series now becomes crucial. We’ll see what they’re made of.

-Is it any wonder that Phillie big pickup Joe Blanton struggled serving up a pair of two-run dingers to Carlos Delgado and Ramon Castro? At least he went six and tossed four more pitches than Santana.

-Over in the Bronx, the Yankees continued their sizzling play improving to 5-0 since the break with an 8-2 win over the Twins. Darrell Rasner gave them a boost pitching into the sixth on what should have been just one run allowed due to first base umpire Mike Dimuro’s bad call ruling that Jason Kubel was safe on a potential inning ending double play in which Jason Giambi showed great athleticism to start it. Instead, the Twins took a 2-1 lead before eventual rookie winner David Robertson got the final out.

The Yanks have been swinging hotter bats lately and finally, they got going in the bottom half against Kevin Slowey. With Johnny Damon on first distracting the Minny starter enough, he grooved an inside heater to Bobby Abreu, who deposited it into the short porch for a 3-2 Yankee lead. Alex Rodriguez followed with a single for his second hit of the night to keep it going and then swiped second. After Jason Giambi was walked, resurgent second baseman Robinson Cano continued his hot hitting delivering a run scoring single to center putting them up a pair.

The following inning, the Bronx Bombers put the game out of reach batting around for four more highlighted by a two-run double from team captain Derek Jeter making it 6-2. An Abreu double and Giambi single increased the margin to six.

Relievers Jose Veras (1 IP, K) Kyle Farnsworth (1 IP, BB, 3 K’s) and Dan Giese (1 IP, H, K) finished off the final three frames pulling the Yanks to a season high 10 games over (55-45). With first place Tampa Bay falling to Oakland 8-1, they’re now just three and a half out. Meanwhile, Boston got a solid outing from Dice K, who pitched into the eighth permitting just a couple of runs while walking two and fanning six in a 4-2 road win over the Mariners to pull within half a game of first. They still lead the Yanks by three for the wild card.

-With his major league-leading 41st save, Angels’ closer Francisco Rodriguez is just 16 saves short of the major league record established by former White Sox closer Bobby Thigpen, who had 57 saves in 1990. With 62 games remaining, it’s a pretty good bet that the potential 2008 free agent will set a new record.

-With their fifth win in six, the Rockies remained seven behind NL West leader Arizona, who beat the NL-leading Cubs a second straight time to go a game up on the Dodgers. Ironically, that’s who Colorado beat getting homers from Brad Hawpe and Ian Stewart in a 10-1 rout bouncing back from a 16-10 defeat. They’re still 14 below .500 (44-58) but if they hang around in that weak division and play their cards right, I still believe they got a shot to comeback and win it.

-Did you ever think you’d see the day that WNBA players would be fighting and getting tossed out of games with suspensions coming? That’s precisely what occurred during a game between the Shock and Sparks in Auburn Hills much like that infamous brawl between the Pacers and Pistons a few years back.

With 4.6 seconds left in a game Los Angeles won 84-81, Sparks’ rookie Candace Parker got tangled up with the Shock’s Pienette Pierson, who then ran into her touching off the fireworks. Parker, who paced her team with 21 responded by throwing a punch before Deanna Nolan took her down as coaches and players left the bench highlighted by Detroit assistant Rick Mahorn knocking down former WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie, who tried to play peacemaker.

Ironically, the former Bad Boy was also involved in the 2004 brawl as a Pistons’ broadcaster trying to prevent Ron Artest from going into the stands. LA coach Michael Cooper thought he was trying to keep the peace but was “too big.”

Though this was far from as ugly as that NBA incident, it was disturbing to say the least. The three officials should have gotten better control preventing it to escalate following a hard foul from Detroit’s Cheryl Ford on Parker. This was definitely disappointing and suspensions and fines will be certain to follow.

-Finally, why must ESPN deliberately put a FAVRE portion on their bottom line ticker as if it were a scoreboard? Talk about insanity. I’m as tired as most of the whole Brett Favre escapade. That the people in Bristol would go this far tells you all you need to know about how out of touch they really are.

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Avatar of Derek Felix

by Derek Felix

Random Thought

June 27, 2008 in Random Thoughts

I only have one thought crawling around my head as I get ready to head out to cover a more fun brand of baseball between the Staten Island Yankees and Hudson Valley Renegades. It’s this:

-Why whenever the Mets beat up on the Yankees does a professional broadcaster such as Howie Rose turn into such a complete homer? Suddenly, a man who’s one of the most respected play-by-play men in the business feels the need to exceed in his calls making silly references to how “most Yankee fans have left” when their team is down by seven runs in the eighth at The Stadium. Well, duh Howie! Let’s not be too obvious about how important it is for the Amazin’s to beat up on the Yanks’ Double-A pitching version in Game One of an overhyped Subway Series between two overrated teams. Heck. I bet if I put together a team of high school All-Stars, they could’ve batted around against what the Yanks sent out there for the first game in the Bronx.

Has anyone even seen the pitching match-ups for this dreaded series? Tonight when it shifts to Shea for the rest of the weekend, the Yanks send out veteran scrub Sidney Ponson for his second tour of duty against Pedro Martinez. That’s about as fair a fight as Mike Tyson in his prime against Michael Spinks.

Don’t try telling Mike Lupica, who always takes cheapshots at the Yanks whenever he can while pushing Mets propaganda in the Daily News whenever possible even if they’re the bigger embarrassment in this town. He probably still thinks the Yankees play in the weaker division when at last check the Rays were for real and even the Orioles are playing a respectable brand of ball having taken a couple from the Cubs at Wrigley when nobody had beaten the majors’ best team there in a while.

Let’s be real. Before the WFAN Mets homers wave their pom poms if their team does what it should this weekend with very favorable match-ups, the only reason they’re in the hunt is because their division is mediocre. The Phillies have comeback to earth and the Marlins are remembering who they are. On paper, you’d still have to say the team in Queens should wind up winning the NL Least.

Heck. If you went and looked at what’s happened to the senior circuit since Interleague, only two teams boast great records and they both reside in the NL Central which happens to also be the best division in the league with the Cubs, wild card leading Cardinals and Brewers all playing well. Even the Pirates have improved but don’t tell Lupica that they entered Friday only a game and a half worse than the NL’s highest payroll.

It doesn’t count. Only the BIG BAD Yankees do when they lose to much cheaper teams which have more chemistry and better pitching without three of their starters hurt. See. Facts sometimes elude this columnist who continues to write the same recycled columns.

But again, what would you expect? This town has officially become a circus. While there’s a much more glorious event going on over in London at the All England Club with Wimbledon, the New York papers continues to obsess and overanalyze every move in what basically is a meaningless series. Will it mean much in late August and early September? We already know the answer.

But the way Rose and Lupica act regarding these games is like some sort of holy war. This is exactly what the late great George Carlin- the best comedian ever- was talking about when it comes to this country. The press have lost their minds.

Oh. The Yanks and Mets do play in New York where everything is heavily scrutinized. But they’re about as much rivals as the Giants and Jets. Unless these teams start fulfilling lofty expectation$ and meet in the World Series daily, there’s not much of a rivalry to speak of no matter what propaganda the talkies on WFAN feed you.

The one time they met for all the marbles, the Pinstripes were the superior team winning their last World Series.

You want old fashioned rivalries? You have to go back to the 50′s with the Dodgers and Giants occupying Ebbets Field and The Polo Grounds.

Maybe one day, the papers will come to this realization because our ballclubs are flawed and not that good.

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Avatar of Derek Felix

by Derek Felix

Random Thought

May 31, 2008 in Random Thoughts

Normally, I list a whole bunch of random stuff floating around my brain. But being that it’s kind of late here in Shaolin, NYC and I need some rest, I did have this one random musing which I felt like issuing:

-This isn’t something I feel totally comfortable saying but it must be stated anyway. This blog represents a lot of things. I’ll never beat around the bush on any issue. I’m always game for pretty much anything. Especially revolving around sports. Lately, the Mets have been getting plenty of press both negative and positive for finally responding to management backing Willie Randolph. They had reeled off three in a row including a fascinating extra inning comeback win over the Marlins which was reminiscent of 2006. Then David Wright bashed the ball jacking a couple out off favorite Met target Brad Penny. They finally were back to .500 and starting to play the kind of winning baseball most had expected. Then came last night where resurgent reliever Aaron Heilman imploded. Given a one-run lead to protect, he permitted four straight hits allowing the Dodgers to score five in the eighth on their way to a 9-5 win evening the four-game series headed into the weekend. As usual, the customary boos were back at Shea from disgruntled fans who expect their team to win every game. Since when is that even plausible?!?!?!?!?! Let’s face it. New York sports fans are spoiled rotten. When our teams don’t perform on a given night, the majority of us including yours truly act like it’s the end of the world. When did it become this way? I don’t know. But it just seems common these days to have a sky is falling mentality. I’ll readily admit to bashing the Rangers even writing them off last February when they looked deader than Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign. Then they played to capability finishing fifth in the East and derailing the rival Devils in five before losing in identical fashion to the Pens the next round. As someone who’s been very critical of the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants and of recent Yankee teams which got off to miserable starts only to make October again, I have developed a more patient approach. These days, I’m not so caught up in how many games the Yanks are trailing Boston by or the wildcard. Baseball is an extremely long season and there’s still over 100 games to go. It just seems to me that our town has become lame. You read the papers and nerds like Kevin Kernan are psychoanalyzing everything like it really matters. Oh really?!?!?!?!?! Last I checked it was May 31st with four entire months left in the season. Does winning games now help teams down the road? Absolutely. It’s one less win they’ll need down the stretch. However, it’s far from life and death the way people in this town have made it become. Listening to the WFAN airwaves has become tedious. How many more recycled debates could they have? It’s just dull. How about covering other sports? The NBA Finals should be darn good and the Stanley Cup even if Sidney Crosby’s mug makes me want to vomit is at least watchable with the Pens trying to square their series tonight against the very gifted Red Wings. I just am fed up with how we handle stuff. There’s so much more out there. It truly is the best city in the world. My advice to those using bags to breath in and out on their beloved teams is get some air and suck it in. Live a little! It will pay off in the end.

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Avatar of Derek Felix

by Derek Felix

More HB

May 7, 2008 in More HB

-Make it two straight losses for the Yankees, who were blanked by resurgent southpaw Cliff Lee 3-0 in the Bronx tonight. A year removed from an injury sidetracking him back to Buffalo to get fixed in Triple-A, the 29 year-old Lee has returned better than ever dominating opponents. He’s now won all six starts walking only two in 44-plus. The Yanks managed six hits in seven innings but couldn’t come up with the big one to bail out tough luck loser Chien-Ming Wang, who permitted a run in the first, fourth and fifth. He went seven falling to 6-1. The best chance Joe Girardi’s club had was a two out rally but Lee buckled down getting Hideki Matsui swinging on a wicked curve to end the sixth. The lefty fanned seven before giving way to 1-2 punch Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt with the latter getting the Yanks in order to save his second straight.

-While the Mets dominate the airwaves in this city for their inconsistencies in the wake of a forgettable September, it’s the Yanks up and down play which has gotten lost in the shuffle. What exactly is this team which wins a few, then loses a few and never seems to be able to come up with the big hit when behind after seven innings? At 17 up and 18 down, the Bronx Bombers are an enigma which continues to lose ground to a much stronger Red Sox club. Only due to the Tigers scratching out two against stingy closer Jonathan Papelbon did Boston not increase their lead which remained at four and a half over the Yanks. Sure. They’re still without Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada which impacts the lineup. However, the good teams find a way to overcome obstacles. Right now, they’re very mediocre with the April excuse behind them. It’s time to step up.

-The final day of a six-game Western swing was a very good one for the Mets, who hammered Brad Penny for 10 earned in four and two thirds en route a 12-1 rout of the Dodgers, salvaging the final game of the series to even their record to 3-3. The Amazin bats awakened with four in the second including a two-run single from third string catcher Raul Casanova. Up five, they batted around for six more in the fifth. Even starter John Maine got into the act with a two-run single. Luis Castillo’s walk forced in a run. Following a David Wright two-run double, Castillo came into score on a wild pitch for an 11-0 lead. Right fielder Ryan Church continued to swing a hot bat taking ex-Yankee Scott Proctor deep into the Dodger bullpen tying Wright for the club lead with six dingers. He paced the Amazin’s with three hits and three runs scored. 

It all came in support of a sharp Maine, who came within two outs of a too rare complete game shutout. Matt Kemp broke up the shutout with an RBI single. After 117 pitches, Maine was done giving way to ex-Dodger Duaner Sanchez, who recorded the last two outs getting James Loney swinging to end it. Maine went eight and a third allowing one earned on four hits with two walks and four K’s improving to 4-2 on the season.

-Now, the Mets return home to Shea for a seven-game homestand beginning Friday with three against the Reds and four versus Lastings Milledge and the Nats before a fun three-game series at Yankee Stadium next weekend.

-Speaking of Milledge, he’s gotten out of the gate slowly. After taking the collar in three plate appearances in a 4-3 walkoff loss to the Astros, the former Mets’ 2003 first round selection is hitting .256 with one home run, 11 RBI’s, 15 runs and three stolen bases in six attempts. Not the kind of start the 23 year-old Bradenton, Florida native wanted in his first full season manning center field in D.C. There’s still plenty of time for him to get going but you’d have to be foolish not to notice the early returns on that trade so far for Omar Minaya. With Church becoming the Mets’ most consistent performer in their lineup and catcher Brian Schneider (.308-0-8, .395 OBP) playing well in 19 starts despite injuries, it couldn’t be going much better for the Mets.

If Church and Schneider continue to perform well, there won’t be much to complain about for Amazin fans when it comes to that deal. Come to think of it, nobody’s had much to say lately about it choosing to take our their frustrations on Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Aaron Heilman, Willie Randolph and Jose Reyes.

The Mets are 17-15 and still a weird team to get a read on which is why they get plenty of criticism after losses from fans and media alike. It’s because they expect a team which acquired one of the best pitchers in the game to play better than this after how last season ended. The talk from Randolph that his ballclub is more relaxed away from Shea doesn’t take them off the hook. This is New York. Players here must have thicker skin and be able to shake off the booing and heavy criticism. With two last place opponents coming in with a combined record of 28-40, the Amazin’s need to send a strong message by winning at least five of the next seven going into that weekend series against their crosstown rivals. Anything less would raise eyebrows.

-Where would the Braves be without Chipper Jones? With two more hits in a 5-2 home win over the Padres, the 36 year-old switch hitting third baseman is now hitting .429 (51-for-119) with 10 homers and 29 RBI’s. Just amazing stuff from one of the most consistent star players of this era. Last year with his team missing the postseason a second consecutive season, Chipper finished at .337, 29 homers and 102 knocked in despite missing 28 games. With another 42 doubles and four triples, he had 75 extra base hits. Did we mention his OBP was .425 along with a .604 slugging? The guy is just a great player. He needs four more dingers to reach 400 for his career. He’s also closing in on 2,200 hits 32 shy after tonight. By the time he concludes his career, the man they refer to as Larry in Queens will be in Cooperstown.

-Chauncey Billups going down tonight with a possible groin injury changes everything in that Pistons-Magic series. He’s the glue which keeps Detroit together. Tell ya one thing. Rashard Lewis (33 pts, 11-of-15 FG, 5-of-6 3′s) sure is shooting it well. Having Dwight Howard (20 pts, 8-of-13 FG, 12 Rebs, 6 Blk) inside definitely helps. I still think it comes down to the play of Hedo Turkoglu, who came to life in the fourth quarter scoring 10 of his 18 as the Magic outscored the Pistons 38-17 to win 111-86 getting back in the series. If the streaky shooter plays better along with Jameer Nelson, then Orlando should be pretty competitive. Who knows how Billups’ injury will affect him?

-Is there still an NHL playoffs going on? I wasn’t too sure.

-It’s not everyday that Rafa Nadal loses on clay but that happened earlier today when Juan Carlos Ferrero got the better of the Spaniard ousting him 7-5, 6-1 in Rome. It was only Nadal’s second defeat on the red surface in 105 matches. He did play with a blister but give Ferrero his due. This probably isn’t a good sign for Nadal’s future opponents in Roland Garros because it will make the rating three-time French Open champion even more focused and harder to beat.

-I just want to say it’s nice to know that Barry Zito is back in the San Fran rotation again. At least the $128 million man pitched effectively enough to keep his team in a game for a change, only giving up two earned to fall to 0-7. Will he make 20 losses? Hey. His ERA dropped below 7.00. We’re sure Scott Boras is telling Brian Sabean about that.

-Speaking of Boras, when he says Oli Perez is one of the best pitchers in baseball, does he actually believe that?

-Pirate center fielder Nate McClouth is hitting .333 with nine homers, 28 knocked in and 31 runs. Just wanted to make sure you’ve been paying attention.

-The special PBS aired on legendary singer Marvin Gaye was excellent and depicted what one of the most soulful singers went through where despite all his God given talents was never really satisfied. All due to his crazy father, who wound up killing him. It definitely told a sad tale of a man influenced by depression, sex and drugs. If you missed it, find the time to catch it.

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