The MelkMan Delivers

Melky did it again. Sabathia wasn't sharp, but he did pitch 7 scoreless innings to match Verlander. For his part Verlander gave up a homer to ARod to start the bottom of the 7th, then Melky ended up beating out a infield hit, to drive in Cano to make it 2-0. Aceves gave up a 2 out jack to Thames on a first pitch fastball, but then Mo came in and got a 1,2,3 9th for the save. Yanks win the game and the series. Boston lost, so they also drew a game closer. Big win, Joba starts his second half push tomorrow. Go Yanks!

Knicks in Sessions?

The Knicks seem like they're about to do something else that's pretty smart. Apparently they are in first position to either sign and trade for or give their MLE to 23 year old Buck PG Ramon Sessions. Sessions was a 12 pts/6 assists guy in about 27mins per game last season. Not a great shooter yet, he does sport a nice 3/1 asst/to ratio and could be just the engine that the Knicks need to get the D'Antoni Offense going. I really hope they make this happen. Go Knicks!

He's BACK!

Phil Hughes finally has his velocity back. Pitching in the rain tonight, with the Yanks down 3-1 in the 7th, Phil hit 96 and 97 as he K'd the side around 2 hits that came off of breaking pitches. Up 5-3 in the 8th, Phil once again struck out the side around a single off a curve. He's back and it's only a matter of time before he's back in the rotation doing what he was born to do. AJ Burnett started the game, but had poor control of his fastball and curve. Still he gave the Yanks a quality start against all odd, as he once again kept it together without his best stuff.

Mark Teixeira had three hits, including the big 3 run homer in the seventh that turned the game around and provided the margin of victory. Mo notched another save, and Melky had two assissts from the outfield. It was the Yanks 25th comeback win of the year, and they beat a first place team to get it. They also became the first team this year to score 500 runs. It was a great way to start a second half that will depend on guys like Tex and ARod and pitchers like Hughes and Joba playing and pitching like they can. CC goes tomorrow. Go Yanks!

Yanks Sign Checo

The Yanks added another high upside high school arm to the arsenal when they got NYC HS phenom Mariel Checo to sign on the dotted line. Checo is a tall, projectable kid who is already throwing low to mid-90's as an 18 year old. He went 11-1 this year, and K'd 94 in 52 innings. The Yanks took him in the 41st round and he was regarded as unsignable by other organizations but the Yanks got it done. Earlier this month the Yanks added California HSer, Brett Gerritse. The signings should start coming fast and furious now, but Checo was one of their most intriguing picks, and they got him in the system. Go Yanks!

So So

Toney Douglas looked pretty good in his summer league debut for the Knicks. Jordan Hill loooked just okay, though he had a decent second half on the boards and on O. Morris Almond looks like he's gonna make the team, as he and Skita lifted the Summer Knicks to a ten point lead that they would eventually blow and lose. I'd like to see more from Hill, but this was only the first game and I'm sure more is there. Douglas looked like he could possibly be trained to play the point for the Knicks. Go Knicks!

Whither Zherdev?

Well, with the acquisition of the perhaps more electric RFA EnverLisin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnspXe2h3xw it seems RFA Nik Zherdev is gonna be gone soon. Now, the question is will the Rangers be able to combine him with Redden or Rozsival for a good piece or will they just renounce their rights to him and make him a free agent? I would think there's another deal in the works, and I'd think it will be announced soon, though I have no idea what it might be for. Go Rangers!

Rangers Trade Korpi for Enver Lisin

In a bit of a surprise, late word is that the Rangers have trade Lauri Korpikoski to the Coyotes for two way C Enver Lisin. Lisin is a 23 year old who is said to have tremendous upside on both offense and defense. He may have been the fastest player in the 2004 draft. Anyone seeing a theme here? Meanwhile, Korpi joins the man who drafted him, and some of his old buddies down in Phoenix. Go Rangers!

Callahan Re-Ups With the Rangers!

The Rangers, today, avoided arbitration with Ryan Callahan by reaching a multi-year contract extension with the young, core member of the new generation Rangers. Seems like it was something that should have been taken care of already, but it got taken care of today. Zherdev, Dubinksy and Korpikoski remain unsigned.

Same Stuff Different Day

Sorry. The Yanks have managed to get swept by an Angels team that was missing their three best hitters. Let's hope it was just flukey, cause it sure looked that way on TV. They're off till Friday and so are we. Thanks!

Yanks Lose

Didn't pitch, didn't field. Sorry.

UPDATE: More of the same. Sorry.

Nothing Cooking?

Following the pattern set by Jason Kidd, Grant Hill has now eschewed a multi-year offer from the Knicks to re-join his current team, the Suns. Now there are rumblings that the Knicks might make an offer for old pg Andre Miller. I really don't see the point in that and we seem to be climbing down the ladder instead of up. They had a chance to get a good pg in the draft and they didn't and now they've spent most of FA chasing old guys.

In other news, the Knicks have ordered Eddy Curry to come to Vegas and work out with their Summer League team. Apparently, they want to see if he really has lost 50 pounds.

There's no news on the Lee and Nate fronts and both may be back with the Knicks for one more season at the qualifying rate. Coming off what a blah draft, things just do not seem to be progressing at this point.

The Vegas Summer League starts next week, and it looks like MSG will have the Knicks games.


UPDATE: I'm having an issue loading new pics, so this I will be updating till I get that straightened out instead of starting new posts. Anyway, the Knicks are supposedly tryin to work a trade with the Bullets involving Duhon for Ander Miller. We have to wonder whether or not that would be expanded to get Jeffries back to the Bullets. In other news, ESPN is reporting that the Knicks are one of the teams trying to acquire Carlos Booze from the Jazz. If something could be worked out, we'd have to assume David Lee would be part of the deal. We'll see what happens.

Sweep!

Tex finally homered to break his 95ab drought, and the Yanks more or less cruised to a 6-4 win to complete the season sweep of the Twins, 6-4. Aceves was pretty good, but the defense, and then Coke let him down a bit. He was out after 65 pitches which came in the 4th. Coke walked in a couple of runs and then Albaladejo came in to clean things up and get the pitching back on line. Coke and Hughes are looking like a strong 7/8 combo and Mo was Mo for his 23rd save. Ransom had another error playing 3rd for ARod, and we might see him moved for a reliever for the weekend series with the Angels. Joba starts tomorrow. Go Yanks!

Rangers Sign Kotalik

The Rangers today signed verteran RW Ales Kotalik. Kotalik is a consistent twenty goal guy but a wing and not the center the Rangers were supposesly looking for. Could this signing mean that Zherdev or Korpikoski could be on the move, either in a trade or a release? We'll see. It's somewhat perplexing at this point. Go Rangers.