Come Knocking on My Door...

Johnny Damon to the Yanks, or, J.D. to the Yanks sounds a little better. Damon leaving the Red Sox for the Yankees is the equivalent of Brad Pitt leaving Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie. Ok, well, not exactly. But it would be if Pitt left Jolie for Aniston. After all, Jolie is more on the dirt bag side, Aniston is more of the classier one. But you get my point. But I thought I was drunk when I read the head line “DAMoN the Yankees” last night. I truly believed that J.D. would end up back with the Saux. He said a few weeks ago that he would not sign with the enemy. And also said that it isn’t about the money. Oh really? Well, 0 for 2 right there. If it wasn’t about the money, then why wouldn’t he sign the deal with Boston? Boston offered 4 years, just like the Yankees. But they offered him $10-$12 less than their bitter rivals, New York Yankees. I’m sure it wasn’t 100% about the money. But the money did play a role in his decision, no question. But lets take a look at 3 other determining factors for J.D. skipping out on the Saux.

• Theo Epstein --- Damon stated that he was unsure and uncertain about the new executives on board in Boston. With Theo, he trusted what he was doing, and all the moves he would make, and had made. Every move and transaction was to benefit the team, and make them into a championship team. Not to cut payroll and try to make some extra money solely for the organization.

• Manny Requesting Out --- I am tired of hearing “Manny being Manny”. Manny wants out. Yes, Manny has a chemical imbalance and says things without thinking. And he has said he has wanted to be traded, then days later, makes proclamations that he wants to remain with the Red Sox. But enough is enough already. Once you demand a trade every year, then he must be unhappy. But if Damon stayed, it would have been more likely for Manny to be traded, because of the big raise Damon would have commanded, and received, which would have forced out one of their big contracts. And if Manny goes, so does the chances of another Boston Championship. And I truly do believe J.D. wants another championship…really bad…which leads me to…

• Johnny Damon believes the Yanks have best chance of any team in baseball to win the World Series. And isn’t that most important when signing with a team as a Free Agent? Johnny Damon has enough money. The contract that he signed with the Yankees is more per year, than what he was commanding, 7 year/$80 mil. He just wants to play the game. He just wants to win. He is what you call a gamer.

So now the question is, did the Yankees really need to sign Johnny Damon? My answer: Certainly Not. The Yankees have enough bats in the lineup offensively to supply their starting pitching staff with 5 runs/game, and that is with Crosby in the lineup. The Yankees could have used this $13 million/year for 4 years on pitching, which is the one area they needed to address. You think Ron Villone is going to cut it? The man has had only 2 seasons in which he had an ERA under 4.08. And he has been pitching since 1995. Octavio Dotel is coming off Tommy John surgery. Mike Myers is a good left handed specialist, but they are relying on Kyle Farnsworth to set up Mo’. Yes, I like Farnsworth, but will he be able to handle New York? I am going to question that every day until the opening day. Yes, he performed in Detroit and Atlanta last season, but those are low-key markets. I mean, the Braves can’t even sell out a playoff game. But Farnsworth couldn’t excel, like scouts and player personnel believed he would, in Chicago. Chicago is a big market, bit media city. The fans and media in Chicago, especially for the Cubs, take baseball to heart. So if he couldn’t make it there, what makes you think he can live up to expectations in New York? And one last note, Bubba Crosby was adequate enough out there in CF, and someone who might even be better defensively. He did a nice job at the end of the season in ’05 and in the playoffs, so why not give him a shot full-time?

My last question is, was this a good move by the Yankees? My answer: Yes. After rethinking it through, I believe it was a good pick up for the Yankees. Here are a few reasons why:

• They finally get themselves a true leadoff hitter, and one of the top 2 lead off hitters in the game today. And that’s not knocking Jeter, because he was very good in that leadoff spot, but Jeter is finally going to be and should be utilized in the 2 hole.

• 3 of the top 4 players in the league in Runs Scored are now in the Yankee lineup (and will probably bat 1-3, and that isn’t including Matsui, who was 11th in the AL in that category). You can guess the Over/Under for Runs Scored by those 3 could possibly be set at 375 alone. That’s a lot of runs.

• The Yankees also improve themselves defensively. They upgrade in CF with Damon taking over the helms for Bernie Williams. It isn’t a significant upgrade, but it is an upgrade none-the-less. Damon’s arm is just as weak as Bernie’s, but Damon is quicker, faster and gets a much better read on the balls.

• Damon is going to change the way opposing teams pitch to the 2006 version of Murder’s Row. With Damon and Jeter at the top of the order, you will have to pitch to both of them. Can’t pitch around them, which most likely means whoever hits 3rd, whether it be A-Rod, Sheffield or Giambi, will have either Jeter or Damon on base.

• Damon is also a very good base runner. He will take the extra base, go from 1st to 3rd on weak arms and slow balls to the OF, score easily to balls in the outfield when on 2nd base. He will guarantee you 100 runs and 30 doubles (which he has done for 8 consecutive seasons).

• It’s only a 4 year contract. He is only signed until he is 36 years old. By that time, his skills will be diminished. But that’s all they signed him for. They didn’t meet his agent, Scott Boras’ demands of 7 years.

Whatever the Yankees had decided to do, pass up on Damon and signed pitching help instead, or do what they did, sign Damon, it would have been a good decision. But thinking about it over and over, signing him was probably better for the team. They have unlimited resources. Relievers come cheap. They can trade Pavano or Wright or both for a mid level Starting Pitcher or a top quality relief pitcher like Mike Gonzalez of the Pirates. They always find a cheap pitcher to fill in holes where they need, like Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon did last season. But a player like Damon, they aren’t on your doorstep so often. So when they are, and they want to contribute to winning a World Series, you better take him in. And that is exactly what they did.

MLB Hot Stove

Here is breakdown of a team by team Important moves via trade/free agent signings during the off season. And I have graded the teams based on their current moves. Let's see where my man, Billy Beane, fared. Leave some comments....

AL East

New York Yankees:
Additions:
RP: Kyle Farnsworth FA
RP: Mike Myers FA
C: Kelly Stinnett FA
Losses:
RP: Tom Gordon FA

The Yankees improved themselves slightly. Gordon wasn’t reliable in the post-season and is now 38 years old. They were able to sure up Gordon’s set-up role with a much younger Kyle Farnsworth, although, he has failed in Chicago, but flourished in Detroit and as a closer in Atlanta, not exactly big markets. So the big question is, can he thrive in NY? I am uncertain about that. Mike Myers is a good lefty out of the pen, but also 36yrs old. Kelly Stinnett is a down grade from Flaherty as a back up catcher, but that doesn’t mean too much.

Final Grade: C

Boston Red Sox:
Additions:
P: Josh Beckett (traded)
RP: Guillermo Mota (traded)
RP: Mike Timlin (resigned)
3B: Adam Marte (prospect)
2B: Mark Loretta (traded)
Losses:
RP: Mike Myers FA
SS: Edgar Renteria (traded)
C: Doug Mirabelli (traded)

The Red Sox failed to trade Manny at this point, which I believe would be a bad decision, and they also have been unsuccessful at locking up Johnny Damon to a long term deal. But I believe Damon will eventually land in Boston. I really like the deal they made for Beckett and Mota. Beckett is only 25 years old and gives the Red Sox rotation a pitcher who can shut down any team at any time. Only negative, he has a chronic blister problem on his right hand, his pitching hand, and has been on the DL 5 times during his brief career. Mota was one of the best relief pitchers in the game with the Dodgers, but then he was unable to meet expectations after he was traded with Paul LoDuca to the Marlins for Brad Penny during the 2004 season. But I believe Mota can be an excellent set up man for the Red Sox. I also believe the Red Sox stole Loretta from the Padres. Loretta has been a very good second baseman the last 3 years, although he is 36 years old and was injured last season. But when played, he was very good.

Final Grade: A-


Baltimore Orioles
Additions:
C: Ramon Hernandez FA
RP: LaTroy Hawkins (trade)
Losses:
RP: B.J. Ryan FA
RP: Steve Kline (trade)

Orioles scored a very good catcher off the free agent market, but they lost too much. They traded away a good relief pitcher in Steve Kline and got LaTroy Hawkins in return. Hawkins was unable to live up to expectations when he signed with the Cubs as their closer, and that is nice. He was actually atrocious. Then Hawkins was traded to the Giants, and stunk it up there. So in other words, Giants made out on that deal. Then they also lost B.J. Ryan to the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency. Now they are without a closer. They lost too much and got back minimal. And now Miggy is looking for a trade because he sees no direction with this team. Neither do I.

Final Grade: D


Toronto Blue Jays
Additions:
P: A.J. Burnett FA
RP: B.J. Ryan FA
1B: Lyle Overbay (trade)
Losses:
P: Dave Bush (trade)
OF: Gabe Gross (trade)

Yes, the Blue Jays overpaid for Burnett and B.J. Ryan, but they needed to. They now have a pitcher who can compliment Roy Halladay in the starting rotation and now have a formidable starting rotation with Ted Lilly, Gustavo Chacin and Josh Towers at the back end of the rotation. Overybay gives them a power bat who can hit 50+ doubles a season and approximately 20 HRs and someone who can now protect Vernon Wells in that lineup. This also allows J.P. Ricciardi to explore options with Eric Hinske and Shea Hillenbrand by trading them for either pitching or possibly even another big bat.

Final Grade: A


Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Additions:
3B: Sean Burroughs (trade)
Losses:
P: Dewon Brazleton

Not much happening here, but I don’t think this is a major risk, after all, Brazleton was their opening day starter last year and was forced to head down to the minors, which didn’t sit well with him. Burroughs had a rough season last year, and now is added to this already crowded infield but should be the starting 3B with Aubrey Huff at 1B and Jonny Gomes at DH. TB has a lot of room with a very young and very talented, but crowded, outfield. It will be interesting to see if they trade one of them, as well if they trade Julio Lugo to make room for B.J. Upton.

Final Grade: C


AL Central


Chicago White Sox
Additions:
1B/DH: Jim Thome (trade)
1B: Paul Konerko (resigned)
IF: Rob Mackowiak
Losses:
OF: Aaron Rowand (trade)
RP: Demaso Marte (trade)
1B/DH: Frank Thomas FA
DH: Carl Everett FA

I think the White Sox didn’t need to make too many changes to their team, and that is exactly what they did. They did take a risk on Jim Thome by trading away Aaron Rowand, but they are OK with that because they have the young CF prospect Brian Anderson who they want to play every day. The Phillies are paying a good portion of Thome’s contract. I have heard that Thome is extremely healthy, and if he can return to 85% of the form he was in 2004, he provides the White Sox a legit power hitter behind Konerko.

Final Grade: A-


Minnesota Twins
Additions:
2B: Luis Castillo (trade)
Losses:
J.C. Romero (trade)

They lost J.C. Romero who is a very good relief pitcher for a few minor leaguers. I don’t like that trade but their bullpen is so strong where they can part with him. But they did trade for 2B Luis Castillo who will lead off in front of Shannon Stewart. Castillo has lost a step, but he can still steal bases. The reason why he wasn’t stealing as many bases the last 3 years is because he wasn’t leading off anymore and batting behind Juan Pierre. But if Castillo can stay healthy, he helps out that lineup tremendously. This is a trade that sort of went under the radar because of all the other big names that were traded away by Florida, but Castillo could and I believe, will, have a major impact on this team. He is a gold glove caliber defender and playing on turf should also help him start stealing bases once again. The Twins also offered Jacque Jones arbitration and are waiting to see what happens with that. And they are interested in Mike Piazza as a DH and part time Catcher and it is also reported that they are also interested in Nomar Garciaparra. We’ll see how the rest of the off-season plays out.

Final Grade: B


Detroit Tigers
Additions:
RP: Todd Jones FA
P: Kenny Rogers FA
Losses:
N/A

I believe Dave Dombrowski is wasting his money on Kenny Rogers. He signed the 41 year old to a 2 year deal. Just gave him too much. But Rogers will eat up innings and will give them a chance to win games, but I just think they should have signed him to a 1 year, incentive laden deal. As for Todd Jones, they needed a closer, and even at 38, he can do the job, as he did a fine job with the Marlins last year. But there are other areas of concern that they need to address such as 1B, OF and another Starting Pitcher.

Final Grade: C


Cleveland Indians
Additions:
P: Paul Byrd FA
RP: Bob Wickman (resigned)
Losses:
RP: Bobby Howry FA

Not too many moves made by the Indians, but they didn’t have too many moves to make. They are a mid market team and they would like to resign Kevin Millwood, but that looks highly unlikely right now. They lost out on the Trevor Hoffman bid, but they did a good job resigning Bob Wickman to remain as their closer. Signing Paul Byrd was a decent move, but people are saying it’s a wash for when they eventually lose Millwood, which I think is absurd. The loss of Millwood can be big. But who knows, maybe they can bring him back.

Final Grade: B (will either go up or down based on Millwood)


Kansas City Royals
Additions:
RP: Elmer Dessens FA
P: Mark Redman (trade)
Losses:
N/A

It’s like the old saying, things can only get better when you’re at the bottom. They traded for Mark Redman, who could be a clubhouse cancer, but a decent pitcher and possibly someone who can work with this young pitching staff. They need a veteran presence in the clubhouse especially with the starting pitching, because their self esteem is shot by losing so frequently early in their career, most notably, Zach Greinke. They are looking to unload Mike Sweeney, which is the only true bright spot in that lineup, other than Matt Stairs. But this team is not improving in the standings.

Final Grade: D+


AL West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Additions:
RP: J.C. Romero
Losses:
C: Bengie Molina
P: Jarrod Washburn

Sured up their already top notch bullpen by adding J.C. Romero. But declined arbitration on Molina and Washburn. They are ready to allow Molina’s brother Jose, and/or Josh Paul to take over at Catcher. Washburn wore out his welcome and wasn’t able to live up to his 2002 post season that he displayed. They are still looking to add a big bat with either Mike Sweeney or possibly Manny Ramirez. If they do that, their final grade will shoot up astronomically. Right now, its just average because their bull pen was already very good.

Final Grade: B


Oakland Athletics
Additions:
P: Esteban Loaiza FA
RP: Jay Witasik (resigned)
Losses:
1B/DH: Scott Hatteberg FA
1B/DH: Erubiel Durazo FA
RP: Octavio Dotel FA

Hmmmm…I am scratching my head on the 2 additions. 1) Why would Billy Beane sign Loaiza to a 3 year/$21 mil deal? He isn’t worth it. He could have thrown out that extra cash to someone like Hudson, Mulder, Tejada instead. I don’t like the signing at all due to the terms of the contract. Loaiza could make a formidable #5 starter, but they already had that in Kirk Saarloos. (Although there is rumor of Saarloos and Joe Kennedy being traded to the Dodgers for Milton Bradley, which would be worth it.) Then I do not understand why they would resign Jay Witasik. He absolutely stinks. They could have picked up a reliever in the free agent market or else brought someone up from the minors. That would have been more feasible. Losing Durazo and Dotel is a good thing, but losing Hatteberg I don’t like that much. But I understand the move, because there really isn’t a place for him to play. But he was a very serviceable player during his 3 years in an Oakland uniform. They get a bad grade right now, unless they do trade for Bradley or sign Mike Piazza or Frank Thomas to an incentive laden 1 year contract.

Final Grade: D-


Texas Rangers
Additions:
OF: Brad Wilkerson (trade)
OF: Termell Sledge (trade)
Losses:
2B: Alfonso Soriano (trade)

I believe the Rangers will not hold onto Brad Wilkerson and will in turn trade him to possibly Toronto for pitching. Soriano is a big loss in that lineup, but they wanted to shed the payroll. Rangers have not improved themselves at all, as they failed on the Josh Beckett deal where he was to be traded for Hank Blalock.

Final Grade: D-


Seattle Mariners
Additions:
N/A
Losses:
RP: Shigetoshi Hasegawa FA
Util: Pokey Reese

Seattle still has not made any significant moves whether it be letting big names go or signing a big name, such as Kevin Millwood. Until then, I will have to give them an incomplete.

Final Grade: Incomplete

Ramble On...

This week, I write about the Gary Barnett and Colorado debacle, upcoming Duke/Texas game, some Nets and NBA stuff and meeting with the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, and more….

I went over to the Union Square Barnes and Noble in New York City last night to the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, book signing last night. He, who I believe, is the best and most original sports writers today; I just had to meet him. So I get there and had to wait about 2 hours until I was finally able to meet him. As I walked up, I had to hold up my Brian Scalabrine NJ Nets jersey. He seemed like he was in shock, as if he just saw Bea Arthur nude, thinking he would never see something so bizarre in his life. But he was cool. I got to ask him a few questions and he also mentioned that he doesn’t hate Scalabrine, instead, he respects him and likes him, but just doesn’t agree to the 5 year $15 mil contract that Danny Ainge through at him in the off season. The Sports Guy said that if he had signed on for 75K/year, then it would be a different story. But it was cool to hear him say that he actually likes Scallops. See, who doesn’t like that lovable red head?

Sticking with basketball, has anyone noticed that Chris Kaman of the L.A. Clippers has a striking resemblance of a cross between Tom Petty and Dauber, the nit-wit character from the T.V. show “Coach”?

Something else I have been pondering…the three ugliest players in the NBA in the past 5 years are Sam Cassell, Darvin Ham and Popeye Jones. After determining those finalists, I had to decide who, indeed, was the ugliest. This is what I came up with in reverse order….
3) Darvin Ham - - - The man looks like Shrek in some ways
2) Sam Cassell - - - I think if we were to investigate, we could prove that he is, in fact, and alien.
1) Popeye Jones - - - He’s so damn ugly, that we can’t even think of anyone or anything that this beast looks like.

I was very proud to see the Nets bounce back from the loss against the Raptors to beat the Charlotte Bobcats. There is no way the Nets should have lost to the Raptors. But thankfully, they were able to pull it out against the Bobcats.

I really don’t like Kobe Bryant.

Can you name me 2 players that are more exciting to watch than Dwayne Wade and LeBron James? Duncan is boring, people are starting to forget about Kevin Garnett, Shaq’s amazing career is winding down, Kobe, well, do I need to explain from above? Vince Carter turns the ball over at least 18 times a game and Dirk Nowitzki is just plain ugly. The only player that I can say comes close to Dwayne Wade and LeBron, in terms of excitement and the things they bring to the table, is Steve Nash. You never know what he is going to pull. But Wade and LeBron bring it to another level.

I was watching the Real World: Austin reunion show last week, and I do not think there is anything more awkward than A) Danny proposing, with cameras, in Central Park and B) Johanna dating that ugly loser, Wes. Was there ever an uglier cast or dumber cast in the history of the Real World? I think Corky and Wendy the Retard from the Stern show are better looking and more intelligent than this group of characters. And don’t give me this “What are you talking about? Kelly is hot” b.s. She isn’t. Guys are just mesmerized by her bags but fail to notice that her face is hurting.

Final episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm was very good, with one exception; a very disappointing ending.

So Garry Barnett stepped down, well, was actually fired, but technically stepped down, as head coach at the University of Colorado. And for what? Losing 3 games in a row? A blow 70-3 loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship? So what? But then again, maybe they were firing him based on his character and events which occurred in the past, such as, the sex scandal where women at the university would perform favors on top football recruits, or when the female kicker accused players of the team raping her and then Barnett made a mockery of her by stating that she was a bad kicker, which was his was of defending his players. Look, either way, Barnett had to go. He is now facing charges that players received “incentives”. That’s 3 strikes. He proved in 11 years that he is a formidable coach in D-1 NCAA. It’s his character that comes into question. And when problems keep arising, he has to go.

Duke/Texas showdown tomorrow afternoon, 1 EST, in my home state of NJ at Continental Airlines Arena. #1 vs. #2. LaMarcus Aldridge facing off against the Defensive Player of the Year last year, Shelden Williams. Daniel Gibson taking on freshman phenom Greg Paulus. This should be a very interesting game. First off, Texas is an excellent rebounding team with Brad Buckman, Aldridge and P.J. Tucker. Duke can also rebound, but they mostly rely on Williams. Gibson is now an experienced point guard, where as Duke’s maestro is a freshman, Paulus. How will he be able to handle this game this early in the season? I think it is good for him to have this kind of game now, but will he choke under the pressure? But Duke has no one that can stop J. J. Reddick, the single most threatening player in college basketball. He can shoot it from the outside, way outside. And if he is on, there is no stopping him. And he has now developed a new kind of game, where he slashes to the hoop, looking to get the foul call so he can shoot from the free throw line, where he never misses. And as long as Reddick can get Aldridge/Buckman/Tucker into foul trouble and make them go to their bench early and often, Duke has the advantage. Either way, it should be a good showdown.

MLB Hot Stove will have its own column this week….

Until next time…

End of the Road...

Saying goodbye is hard to do. Breakups are never easy, even if it is mutual. You form a bond and a trust with another, which is, essentially, what Bernie Williams, the New York Yankees organization, and the fans of the Bronx Bombers have done. But I would say, it also extends past just the “New York Yankees” family.

I grew up, and proudly, still am, an Oakland A’s fan. I was never a Yankee fan. But, let me point out, I am first and foremost a baseball enthusiast. This sport, which I believe is the greatest sport, is filled with a rich history, which the Yankee organization is also overflowing with. I respect their rich history of 26 World Championships. Yogi Berra being part of 10 of them. The Scooter, Joltin’ Joe, Ruth, Booze Hound Mantle, and of course, my grandfathers favorite player of all-time, Lou Gehrig. And the most storied franchise in sports history, the most coveted place to play and ground to cover is in Center Field of that Cathedral, Yankee Stadium.

Now, Bernie Williams’ career didn’t pan out to be as great as the careers of Mantle or DiMaggio, but he did carry on the legacy and the torch of playing Center Field. Bernie Williams played in just under 2,000 games as a member of the only organization he has ever been a part of. He is 5th all-time in Yankee’s history in hits. He has 4 gold gloves, appeared in 5 consecutive all-star games from 1997-2001. He played in 120 post-season games and compiled a very respectable .277/22/80. Those 22 HRs are also the most all-time in post-season history. In the 1995 ALDS against the Seattle Mariners, he became the first player in post-season history to hit a HR from both sides of the plate in the same game. In that ALDS, the first post-season of his career, he posted a remarkable .429/2/5.

He was clutch so many times during his brilliant career. And I do not use the word brilliant loosely. That is exactly what he was. In an era with performance enhancing drugs, Bernie performed and excelled on the grandest stage, the playoffs, and in the toughest city do that, New York City, for the greatest and most storied franchise in any sports history, the New York Yankees. I am not saying Bernie is a Hall of Famer, I do not think his career merits that distinction. But he deserves to be acknowledged as one of the greatest Yankees to ever wear pinstripes.

I am also writing this because of his character. Never once have you heard one negative flaw said, or written about him from the media, coaching staff, teammates or anyone he has played against. He has represented the New York Yankee organization with class.
I remember the first time I met Bernie Williams. I was only 15 years old. It was December of 1996, right after the Yankees were guided by Bernie Williams to their first World Series Championship in 18 years. I attended a Yankee fan fest. When I arrived, there were 3 people that I felt I needed to meet. First was David Cone. He was the cornerstone of the Mets franchise in the late 80’s, and then anchored the Kansas City Royals Staff in the early 90’s, and was also a member of the Toronto Blue Jays (I still remember like it was yesterday when the Yanks traded for Coney at the trade deadline of the ’95 season. When it was finalized, everyone on the Yankee team was ecstatic, to the point that when it was finalized during one of their games, Jim Leyritz broke out Cone Heads.) And I’ll tell you, meeting Cone was an honor. That year, he came back from rotator cuff surgery and pitched a 7 inning 1 hitter against my A’s. But I had to congratulate him on it, and he was extremely grateful and humble with my congratulatory condolences. Another class act (although, earlier in his career, he was more of a rebel while with the Mets. Some great reads on that.) The other person I wanted to meet was Joe Torre. Here was a man who was just fired by the St. Louis Cardinals and now took over for Buck Showalter (who should never have been fired by the Yankees) and managed the Yanks to the World Series, all the while his brother passed away during the fall classic. Unfortunately, I was unable to meet Mr. Torre. And finally, I wanted to meet Bernie Williams, the player who had been with the major league club since ’91, when things didn’t look too good for the organization. And when I met him, he was a true gentleman, a class act. I had him autograph the same bat that Cone signed, and that is one of the most treasured pieces I own. It isn’t worth as much as some of my other memorabilia, but it is special to me.

I do not root the Yankees, but I respect most of their players, for their work ethic and for the way they respect and play the game. And the one who led them by example all along was Bernie Williams.

Ramble On...

Baseball’s Hot Stove is underway with some interesting transactions via trades and free agent signings (which I will talk about last), Nets kill me, and I will never bet on the Kansas Jay Hawks ever again. We’ll talk some NBA, College B-Ball, Michael Irvin and more…

Were you actually shocked that Michael “I Can’t Get Enough Cocaine” (well, replace “Cocaine” with “Crack” for this incident) Irvin was caught with a crack pipe in his vehicle last Friday? I’m not. He has a history, a record, of being arrested on drug charges such as cocaine and some Mary Jane. Why would anyone think or believe that Irvin was over his sniffing coke and smoking the reefer, or in this case, smoking the crack. C’mon, haven’t you seen him on the Sunday and Monday Night NFL Countdown? Why do you think he’s so crazy? Because he’s on all sorts of drugs. Why do you think he sticks up for T.O. and believes that Favre would have turned the Eagles season around? Because the man is on crack. On top of that, just take a look at his suits. If that doesn’t point the finger at him for being on crack, I don’t know what else does.

Speaking of crack and suits, is Daryl Johnston on crack too? Did anyone see the suit he was wearing on Sunday during the Giants/Seahawks game? The man had on a teal suit jacket, a navy blue vest, faded light blue and white striped collared shirt and red tie. He looked absolutely ridiculous. What was he thinking? Is he married? Who allowed him to appear on television like that?

Also more about Moose besides his jacket, and before I get into that whole Jay Feeley debacle. Daryl Johnston was all over Mike Holmgren’s jock during the game. Every play call that was made, Johnston made an “Oh” face and praised him. It was utterly annoying. That deserves a few kicks in the shins. Then again, if he gets kicked in the shins, that means he will fall to his knees, which I think is the position Johnston would prefer to be in while in front of Mike “The Walrus” Holmgren.

Now onto the Giants game. Jay Feeley looked so alone on the bench in Overtime. Oh, wait, could that be because he missed not 1, not 2, but 3 consecutive game winning field goals. Ok, ok, I understand him missing the 53 yard FG, but he had one that was 47 and another for 42 or 43 yards. He could have, or at least should have, hit 1 of those 2. If I were on the Giants, I’d be sure to give Feeley an atomic wedgie.

Thanksgiving was a good time last week. I ate a lot of ham, yes, that’s right, ham, not turkey. I hate turkey. Anyway, I watched the two football games, the Lions/Falcons game and the Denver/Dallas game. Of course the Lions SUCKED. But at least the Denver/Dallas game was entertaining. A game that went into O.T. and cost my buddy Bords some cash, all because Ron Dayne is out of shape and was unable to score a TD on that 45 yard run in O.T., which just led to the inevitable Jason Elam game winning FG, which gave the push. But Ron Dayne had a nice game filling in for Tatum Bell. Where was this Ron Dayne when the Giants drafted him 6 years ago?

Friday night, the same day Irvin was arrested for having a crack pipe (And on another note, how can you be so stupid to carry paraphernalia with you in your car after you have been arrested twice for drugs---although the marijuana charges were later dropped. It is beyond me. Only a man on crack can be that stupid. That is, of course, on top of his suits.) Well, anyway on Friday night I had some people over my place for some poker. Everyone drank, of course I lost money, and then myself, Bords and Cheetah put down some money on the Over in the Nets/Suns game. I mean, c’mon, they gotta cover the over, right? There’s no way they can’t, right? Both teams are horrible defensively, so it’s a given. Am I right? WRONG. I vow that I will never put money on another Nets game EVER. (Note: The three of us then put money for the Under in the 2nd half. Good thing we actually hit on that. But for now on, I will never put money on a Nets game.)

How did U.T. almost blow the game against Texas A&M last Friday?


Tim Duncan got me my first triple double of the season in NBA Live. I am averaging about 168 points a game. My first 5 picks in the NBA Live Dynasty Mode were Duncan, LeBron, Zach Randolph, Grant Hill and Earl Boykins. And my bench consists of: Eddie Griffin, Stephen Jackson, Dan Dickau, Josh Childress, Bruce Bowen, Dajuan Wagner and Kyle Korver. Put it this way, my team is unstoppable and I am going to beat the Bulls 1997-1998 record of 72 wins. Heck, I think I’m going undefeated.

Saturday night I went out to Blackthorn. It’s a pretty cool place. Cheap drinks. So my buddy Berger and I were watching the Notre Dame game (He’s a PSU Nittany Lion fan, and alum of PSU) so he, of course, was rooting against Notre Dame. The kicker (I have no clue of the kid’s name) had missed a PAT (Extra Point) which cost them big time, along with a FG. He single handedly almost blew the game for them because of that missed extra point. I felt really bad for him. But not that bad. And to think, I was about to take Notre Dame in that game as 13 point favorites over Stanford. I am grateful for Bergs telling me not to take that game.

My hockey fantasy team is starting to pick it up. Let’s hope it can continue like this.

I am officially done with 1 of my fantasy football leagues. I have a very slim chance of making the playoffs in my Garwood league, the team I share with Billy, called Laces Out (for those who can’t pick up the reference, and shame on you that don’t, it’s a bite off from Ace Ventura). My other league, my team Ray Finkle, has the most points in the league, but fighting for a playoff spot. Very important game this week. It is the last game of the regular season, playoffs start next week, and I am playing the team that is one game ahead of me in the division. If I win this game, I get into the playoffs, and he doesn’t. Please, let’s all hope that I get in, or else I won’t be a pleasant person to conversate with.

And now…Baseball…

I want the A’s to sign Mike Piazza. They don’t really have a DH anymore, which Hatteberg gone. What they have is C: Jason Kendall, 1B: Dan Johnson, 2B: Mark Ellis, 3B: Eric Chavez, SS: Bobby Crosby, LF: Bobby Kielty/Jay Payton, CF: Mark Kotsay, RF: Nick Swisher. If they added Piazza to that lineup, it would be much added power to the middle of the order. And then Piazza can spell Kendall from catching once or twice a week. Piazza is also a great clubhouse guy, and would be great for this young team.

Ok, I’m not very happy though with one of the A’s acquisitions. Why are they giving $21 million to Esteban Loaiza? That is absolutely absurd. They have 6 guys who can start (Blanton, Haren, Harden, Zito, Saarloos and Joe Kennedy), along with rookie Dan Meyer who should be over his troubles from last year, and 2 other guys who spot start if need be (Juan Cruz and Justin Duchscherer). So why sign Loaiza to such a large deal? Why are you signing him for $7 mil/year? You could have had Tim Hudson for $10 million. This just frustrates me. Now rumor has it that this makes room for Barry Zito to be traded away. Look, I understand that the A’s are a small market team and the only way for them to be competitive is to build up their farm system, have them play for their major league club for anywhere between 5-7 years, then before they become high priced free agents (like Zito in this case, and Hudson a year ago), they trade them away for top prospects. But hold onto at least one of your players that was and still is the core of the foundation. Please, that is all I am asking you to do.

The Florida Marlins started their fire sale with the trade of Josh Beckett and 3B Mike Lowell to the Boston Red Sox for prospects. I don’t know how I feel about this trade. Josh Beckett, although only 25 years old, has already been on the DL 5 times in his career. Mike Lowell had an off year last year, but in order for the Red Sox to obtain Beckett, they needed to take on Lowell’s contract as well. Yes, the Red Sox gave up top prospects, but they haven’t proven anything in the majors, yet. Beckett, on the other hand, has proven to be a big game pitcher (look at the complete game in Game 7 of the 2003 World Series against the NY Yankees at Yankee Stadium). Mike Lowell had a bad year last y ear, but he had 3 very good, impressive years prior. But it’s Beckett’s health that concerns me. But you know what, the Red Sox had to take a chance on this deal and give up some of their top prospects in their farm system in order to get a legit ACE.

As for the other part of the fire sale, the Marlins traded away their 1B slugger, Carlos Delgado to the New York Mets (this kind of surprised me). The Mets gave away a pitching prospect and C/1B Mike Jacobs in this deal. The Mets also received $7 million towards Delgado’s contract. I don’t know how I feel about this trade for the Mets, but I am dedicating a column for the Mets acquisitions and will elaborate more on that.

Then finally, the Florida Marlins just traded away Luis Castillo (who was actually with the team in ’97 when the won the WS, but at that time, Craig Counsel was their starting 2B. But he has been plagued by injuries, but I think this is a good trade for the Twins. They get a legitimate top leadoff hitter, or you can bat him 2nd (depending on if you want to keep Shannon Stewart at leadoff, I personally would put Castillo at 1, and Stewart at 2). He is an excellent defensive 2B, gold glove material, and has a lot of speed, and can steal bases, although he has only stolen 52 bases in the last 3 seasons. But those numbers dropped due to injuries and moving behind Juan Pierre in the order to the 2 hole, which is exactly why I would put Castillo at the top of the lineup because he can steal bases. Stewart isn’t much of a threat. He will also get a lot of triples, especially in what was formerly known as the Metrodome, and will score a ton of runs batting in front of Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter and Justin Morneau (who should put up better numbers). And also imagine if the Twins do sign Mike Piazza? They will have a pretty dangerous lineup to go with their already formidable pitching staff and bull pen.

The Chicago White Sox resigned Paul Konerko to a 5year/$60 million contract. Konerko took less money than what was offered to him by the Orioles ($65mil, and reportedly were going to up the price) and the Angels. I am happy for the White Sox, especially after acquiring Jim Thome from the Phillies (and getting the Phils to pay a decent chunk of the contract). Their lineup is more thunderous which should make them the favorites to repeat. But how often does a player resign with their team, and for less money, because he believes that can win the championship again and because he loves the place he plays. I tip my hat to Paul Konerko.

I also tip my hat to Brian Giles. He received a 3 year/$30 million offer, and resigned with the San Diego Padres. He too, like Konerko, could have received more money else where (Yankees or Dodgers), but decided to take a hometown discount and stay with the Padres.

And also worth noting, the Yankees biggest acquisition of the free agent signing period (Matsui doesn’t really count, because he didn’t technically become a free agent and available to other teams), back up catcher, Kelly Stinnett.

Until next time…