Knicks Finally Win One

The Knicks almost blew another big lead in Charlotte, but Wilson Chandler steppeed up with 7 points and 4 rebounds in the 4th quarter and Duhon and Nate hit clutch free throws to ice the victory. David Lee had a 16 board night. This was the Knicks' first win in their last 7 games. I think we could see more changes in January. They don't play again till 2009 and that's one year closer to 2010. Go Knicks.

Giants Finish 12-4

The Giant back-ups got important minutes as the Giants lost a tight, meaningless game to the Vikings. Hopefully, the Giants will find some better refs at home in the playoffs. Now, it's time to rest and re-scheme some things. Then, roll on and REPEAT! Go Giants!

Thanks, Sam

Sam Madison was removed for the Giants/Vikings game today and it turns out he has a broken ankle. He's done for the year. And he probably won't be back with the Giants next year, but it's important that we all remember the plays he made and the veteran leadership he supplied in bringing along Webster, Ross, Dockery and Thomas. His contributions should not be forgotten and his teammates must honor him with another ring. Thanks, Sam!

Turn 2?

There's a report this morning that the Yanks are looking to trade 2 from the group of Swisher, Matsui and Nady. Matsui has a full no trade and is thought to have approved the Dodgers, Giants and Mariners as destinations. Swisher and Nady have no restrictions, though Swisher would have to command a lot since he's the best all around player of the three and the Yanks just trade for him. So it seems that Matsui and Nady would be the most likely to go. And if Matsui goes the Yanks will need a DH and they might be able to get one on the cheap in January. Go Yanks!

Merry Christmas!

We know why ARod is smiling today, and I hope all of you are, too. Merry Christmas, and God Bless you!

What's Next?

Now that the Yanks have added a great bat and improved their defense with Tex and Swisher at first and in right, respectively, what are they gonna do with Xavier Nady? It seems likely that Nady and stuff will be traded for a catcher or a CF. It's also possible that Hideki Matsui agreed to a possible trade somewhere during the GM meetings, but the return there would presumably be less, and money might have to be included. So what do you think the Yanks will do next?

Way to Swoop!

According to multiple sources, the Yanks are signing Mark Teixeira! The terms have not come out yet, but the story will no doub be interesting. Way to go Yanks!

Swooping In?

According to the ESPN ticker, Buster Olney is reporting that the Yanks are currently discussing numbers with free agent 1B Mark Teixeira. Could it be? Has the Big Swoop started? Go Cash!

UPDATE: Heyman's Reporting the Same Thing http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/35144

The Yanks Better Get Swooping!

While the Washington Times tells us a Tex announcement is coming today and they think that he'll be a Red Sox, Post columnist Kevin Kernan was just on ESPN's First Take and said he thought the Yankees would swoop in at the end and grab Teixeira. He said they had been waiting and waiting to swoop, so let's see if they do. Kernan also said part of the FO really likes Manny, but he thought it would be Tex.

Texcapades Coming to a Conclusion?

SI's Jon Heyman, who always seems to know what's going on with Boras clients, is now saying a Teixeira deal is imminent, but he doesn't know with which team. He thinks Boston's in first, though the Nationals have supposedly jacked their offer and may be willing to offer a ninth year. He's calling the Yankees "the wild card." Funny, I thought the Yanks finished 3rd. Anyway, it should all be clear soon enough. I had a baseball insider tell me earlier today that the Yanks want Tex, but Boras wants Tex to go to the Sox, and Manny to go to the Yanks. He also mentioned Pat the Bat Burrell as an option if neither of the first two come through. I would hope Adam Dunn would be their 3rd choice, but he didn't seem to think the Yanks were in the mix for Dunn. He also told me the Angels were trying to get Dunn or Burrell and the Dodgers were trying to get Randy Wolfe or Jon Garland. There's the update as the world waits on Teixeira.

Giants Take Home Field Advantage in OT!

In their biggest game since Super Bowl 42, the Giants behind 3 Brandon Jacobs TD's and an amazing 215 yards from Derrick Ward secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Earlier in the day they had iced a bye when the Vikings lost. It was quite a game, and apparently the Panthers have been allowed to cheat on pass defense and the OL all year. What a game. The Giants overcame two 8 point deficits to tie it up and then won it in OT on the heroic play of the two backs. Eli was fine and Boss also had a TD. GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Angels Have Withdrawn Their Offer to Tex

This is interesting: the Los Angeles Angels have just withdrawn their offer to Mark Teixeira. Does this mean Tex has made a decision? What do the Angels know that the rest of us don't know yet? And what are the Yankees up to? Lock him up, Cash!

The Man Who Holds the Keys to the Yankees 2009 Offense

Scott Boras is the agent for both Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez and it's seeming more and more like one of them will provide the big bat the Yanks are looking for. This evening, Kat O'Brien is reporting that the Boras has told Cash that Tex can be a Yankee for 8/180. Earlier this evening the Yanks leaked to the Times that they were considering offering 8/160. It seems like the Teixeira cycle is headed for an exciting finish. The Ramirez cycle won't begin in earnest until Tex has landed somewhere. It seems like the Yanks could close a deal with Tex if they were so inclined to right now. We'll know as soon Cash hops on a plane, or doesn't. Btw, if Boras is really offering him to the Yanks, it could mean that the Yanks are MT's first choice. It would be in Boras's best interests to land Tex in Boston because that would keep the Yanks part of the market for Manny, which Boston will not be a part of. So, if he's offering him to the Yanks at the expence of his own marketing scheme, it seems Teixeira has spoken up.

The Plot Thickens Some More

According to the latest article in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/sports/baseball/21teixeira.html?ref=sports the Yanks have decided that 8/160M is how they value Tex. No offer has been made yet, and it's unclear whether such an offer would even be considered, given the reports that other offers are North of there. If; however, Tex wants to be a Yankee, 20M a year would probably be enough to scrape by on. I think Tex at 20 is a BUY! But I don't think he will take 8/160. I don't think Boras would let him. The article also suggests that the Yanks would have to move some players to make room, and to that I say: move those players! I hope they would move players for Manny, too, if they decide to go that way.

Hank and Hal Want Manny?

There's an MLB on XM report going around that says Hal and Hank Steinbrenner have overruled Brian Cashman on Manny Ramirez. First of all, that's not really how the Yanks work. The way it works is that Cash talks to the baseball people and makes a recommendation to ownership. So while it's possible that Cash recommended Teixeira or waiting till January to address the O, while the brothers would prefer Manny, it's not like Cash said "no way" on Manny and Hank and Hal said, "You're overruled!" They tend to talk about everything, so if the Steinbrenner bros are now targetting Manny, it's probably not happening over anyone's violent objection. As of the end of the week, Cash had indicated that they hadn't even talked about Manny yet, presumably waiting for the Teixeira market to resolve itself and reticent to pull out whatever price support the specter of the Yanks were providing before moving onto the next target.


Now, why would the Steinbrenner brothers prefer Manny? Lots of reasons. First, he requires fewer years and dollars. Second, and I think this is the big one, the boys are opening a new stadium and Manny is box office. Both Manny and Mark Teixeira came to LA around the deadline this past summer, and both were outstanding, yet only Manny created a mania, and the crowds that could be seen on the news, jamming the sadium and buying up every souvenir they could get their hands on must have been Manny Manna to Hank and Hal. They want their stadium to be a hit. Another reason is they want YES to stay the dominant regional sports network. Finally, I do think they see enormous baseball value in batting Manny 4th behind ARod. So while I do think the Steinbrenners are looking to buy more than wins with a Manny deal, wins will still be part of it.


Now, why would Cash be against a Manny deal? First, Manny's an older player on a team who includes getting younger and more athletic as one of it's short, medium and longterm goals. Second, he's a pain in the ass for management. Third, where do you play him? Cash is the one who will have to either trade Matsui or put Manny in left and move Damon back to Center. That would be completely antithetical to the stated goal of improving the D. So, ideally Cash would have to move Matsui and make DH available for Manny. Now, Cash must know the market for Matsui, and it must not be value laden. He could also trade Nady, and get good value, but then he'd risk playing Manny in right. That could be worse than Abreu.


We should know what's going to happen by Christmas. It's funny that overpaying Teixeira for 8 years is the more conservative option.

Heyman vs.Feinsand

So, this morning SI's Jon Heyman has the Yanks in on Mark Teixeira and having spent part of yesterday discussing "parameters" with Scott Boras. Mark Feinsand, though is still pimping his Manny to the Yankees scoop. Seems like we're getting down to the nitty gritty and the Yanks just might be heard from on one of these players. I think if Tex wants to be a Yankee, he has to tell them and be willing to be creative on the deal. I think if Manny wants to be a Yankee, he's gonna really have to sell them that his behavior in Boston was the result of the abuse he felt from the Sox FO. Tex seems more like a Cash player, while Manny seems more like a Steinbrenner pick. I wonder if anything will get done by Christmas.

Knicks Getting Killed at Home

Yikes, but they're bad tonight.

Sox out of Tex-stakes?

Red Sox principle owner John Henry e-mailed various media sources tonight to let them know that after meeting with Mark Teixeira and Scott Boras, and being informed of the other bids, that the Sox would not be a factor. If we are to believe this the Sox are now out of the running for Teixeira. Meanwhile, Boras released a statement saying Tex was in the midst of eliminating teams. At the same time, the Angels have apparently moved onto their secondary targets. That would leave the Orioles and the Nationals in it of teams that are known to have made a bid. Those are some pretty sad prospects if they are now Tex's only options. But are they his only options or have the Yanks made a late move on the patient slugger? It's impossible to say now, since they have been in stealth mode for the past seven days. They seem to be planning something big. Could Tex be it? We'll see. Go Yanks!

Rangers Win in OT!

I must give credit where credit is due, and tonight the Rangers beat the Kings in LA on strength of a penalty shot goal by Michael Rozsival, and and overtime goal by Michael Rozsival. Those were two very expensive goals, but he had a tremendous impact tonight. Drury, who's heating up had the Rangers first goal. Sundin must be chomping at the bit;) Go Rangers!

Building a Mystery

According to Kat, the Yanks have not made an offer to either Tex or Manny and are "monitoring" each situation. Clearly by backing away from Cameron and Sheets and not pushing Andy, the Yanks are locked and loaded for one more big free agent move. But will it be Tex or Manny or something we're not considering? Let us know some time, Yanks!

Melky is Safe for Now

According to the lovely, talented and Irish Kat O'Brien, the Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera and Key Igawa trade is officially off. And there is no doube a party going on in the Dominican Republic over this news. This once again begs the question: what are the Yankees up to?

Manny? Really?

The plan may be becoming clearer, both the Daily News and WFAN say the Yanks are going hard after Manny Ramirez and may be offering him a 3 year deal worth 75M. Obviously, Manny would give the Yanks huge offensive boost as well as making them glad that they signed strikeout/groundball pitchers.


So, if they're going to spend the money, why Manny over Mark Teixeira? Teixeira is younger, a switch hitter (Yanks love those), a better teammate and a more valuable defender. What's the problem? There really isn't one. But I think IF the Yankees do prefer Manny over Tex, it's partly about the new stadium. Sure Manny is a pain the in butt and a poor defender, but he is a much better hitter than Tex and he puts people in the seats. Any baseball owner who saw the coverage of Manny-mania in LA this past season would love to have him on their team. He not only gives a team an elite offensive weapon, he gives a team box office. In other words, like ARod, he pays for himself and is straight gravy for the TV ratings. As good as Teixeira is, he doesn't put people in the seats and he doesn't move the needle on TV. So that really could be it, why Manny instead of Tex? The stadium and YES.


BTW, this isn't to say there aren't great baseball reasons for wanting Manny. He is, quite possibly, the greatest right handed hitter in baseball hitory, is insanely dedicated to his hitting, does not seem to be declining, and his three year deal would match up with CC's option, and the three years left on Mo and Po. What's more, the championship window for Mo, Po and Jete is closing, and they need to win now. Go Yanks!

Knicks Lose a Heartbreaker in LA

The Knicks blew a 15 point halftime lead and lost by 2 to the LA Lakers in LA. It was a tough loss that will bother them once they recover from the physical and primarily uncalled beating they were given. Still, they played well and were without Jefferies. It's gonna be hard to part with David Lee should they pull-off the Curry and Lee for Bell and Diaw trade. Lee shouldn't have to pay for Curry's indifference. Oh well, go Knicks.

Rangers Win in Regulation!

Chris Drury scored the first goal, Dawes scored the game winner, and Nik Zherdev added an empty netter to give the Rangers and 3-1 regulation win. No Sundin updates, but it's sounding about 50/50. Go Rangers.

What Next?

The Yanks are continuing to wait on Andy Pettitte. Now is there any other reason anyone can see for them not moving onto other pitching targets than they want Andy and 10M and not a dollar more? Okay, so if they're not making anymore big offers to free agent pitchers what are they doing? The answer could be "looking for a bat," and there are one great and several damn good bats on the free agent market right now. Manny's the great one and Mark Teixeira, Adam Dunn and perhaps Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi could all be considered damn good to one degree or another. Of course the answer could also be "working on a trade." But we know it's not the Cameron trade cause they haven't called the Brewers back. So it could be a trade for a bat or another pitcher. What's clear is Cash is in stealth mode, and when he goes into stealth mode, generally good things happen. Go Cash!

Eli and 5 Other Giants Make the Pro-Bowl

Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Chris Snee, Shaun O'Hara, Jeff Feagles and John Carney have all been named to the Pro Bowl and will all go to Hawaii, unless they have a parade or something else to take care of. Tuck, Snee and the kickers will start, Eli and O'Hara will be back-ups. What's more is that seven other Giants, including Jacobs, Boss, Pierce, Blackburn, Diehl, Hedgecok and Robbins were named alternates. Damn good showing by the GMen, though it's a joke that Corey Webster's big season went unnoticed. Go Giants!

Decision Time?

The Red Sox have apparenly made an "historic offer" to free agent 1B Mark Teixiera. Other sources are reporting that a decision will come soon. The question here, is how deep into this are the Yanks? They're into something since they turned their backs on Cameron and it could be Tex, Manny, Peavy or something no one has even considered yet. The other bidders for Teixeira are the Angels, Orioles and Nationals. Heyman reported today that the Yanks were "behind" and could "pounce" on Manny if Tex ends up elsewhere. Stay tuned.

Knicks Lose in Phoenix

The Knicks lost a close on in Phoenix. The Knicks would have won had they hit more of their threes or if there was a less blatantly homeristic crew of refs. It was brutal. Chandler and Lee both fouled out on about 3 legit fouls apiece. Jefferies seemed to get hurt again, which shortened the rotation even more. Nate had a very good game nearly bringing the Knicks all the way back, and Harrington had 20-something on a bad shooting night where he played good D. The Knicks be jellin'. Stay tuned!

Thing Are Quiet

A little too quiet in Yankeeland. As noted they seem to have backed away from the Cameron trade and they don't seem to care when they hear back from Andy Pettitte. So what are they doing now that they've locked up Sabathia and Burnett. They're not twiddling their thumbs, cause they are aware of more team needs. I think they're either in on a big trade, or in on a big free agent bat. We'll see what happens, but they are up to something. Go Yanks!

Melky May Stay

Melky Cabrera may get to stay a Yankee. The 24 year old CF, who's having a good season in winterbazll, was long thought to be going to Milwaukee as part of a Mike Cameron deal, but as of late today, the Yanks seem to have backed away from that deal. It could mean they are focused on getting Andy to agree, or it could mean they are after another bat. We'll see. Go Yanks.

Yankee Stuff

The Yanks have still not gotten an answer from Andy Pettitte, whose agents now claim he has a 3 year 36 million dollar offer from "another team." Could it be Texas, or the Dodgers? Hard to know if it's even true, but I'd expect we would hear something one way or another today or tomorrow.

In other news, the Yanks and Milwaukee are set to resume the Mike Cameron for Melky and Igawa trade talks. Each side is looking for a financial concession so this could either happen or fall apart again. The case for getting Cameron is that he would give the Yanks an average or better hitter in CF. Both Melky and Gardner were way below average at the plate last year and were major drags on the offense. The case for not getting Cameron is his ten million dollar salary and that the fact that he is now a below average hitter against RHP. Most pitchers are RHP's, so this OPS+ of 88 could be an issue over several hundred AB's. His 88+ against RHP would still be an upgrade over what Melky and Gardner gave us, but what we want to be is at least average at every spot in the order. This should come to a head in the next 48 hours or so.

Sundin?

The Rangers may be trying to find cap room to accomodate former all-star C Mat Sundin in the coming days. Sundin met with Glen Sather over the weekend and all appearances suggest that they'd like to get something done. We may finally see a Prucha trade as they scramble to find space. Ideally, we'd see a Rozsival trade, but let's be serious, who would take him?

Giants Lose

For the second game in a row, the Giants couldn't get anything going on offense, and steadfastly refuses to go to the no huddle when it might have given them some monentum. Now, they must win next Sunday at home against Carolina or there will be no homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. If they are still the best team in football, they haven't shown it in awhile. Ridiculous.

Offer Submitted?

There's a rumor circulating (I believe it started at NoMaas), that the Yankees have offered former Dodger Manny Ramirez and 3 year 65M contract. If true, that would indicate the Yanks are in the hunt for a big bat to put them over the top for 2009 and the subsequent seasons. Also, if the Yanks can sign Manny, they might want to trade Hideki Matsui or Xavier Nady to cut payroll and make either DH or OF space. Manny's bat, would obviously electrify the Yankee line-up. He is known to be good friends with Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano, but it is unknown whether or not those friendships could keep him focused on winning and being a good teammate. In any event, if this is true it does indicate that the Yanks are looking for a slugger, and if it's not Manny it will probably be someone else. Go Yanks.

Giants Wrap Up Webster!

Corey Webster is a Giant and will stay a Giant for the next 5 years. Today the Giants announced a new deal that will lock up the increasingly elite Giant Corner through 2013. Jerry Reese and Kevin Abrams must be congratulated for locking up yet another key piece of what could be a Giant Dynasty. Now go beat Dallas! Go Giants!

Knicks Crush Sacramento

Nate returne, Harrington and Lee went OFF and the Knicks won again. It was so bad that Malik Rose and Jerome James played multiple minutes in the 4th quarter. I wonder if this blows the medical exemption the Knicks were trying to get on Jerome. Oh well, it was a big win and they are only 1 game under .500, playing with an undermanned squad as they head into Phoenix. Go Knicks!

Rangers Win in OT

The Rangers once again went to shootout after blowing two 1 goal leads in regulation. Hank was money in the shoutout and Chris Drury scored the game winner. Naslund and Blair Betts had the two regulation goals for Rangers. Lundqvist was much better tonight. Mats Sundin was in the building. Go Rangers.

Red Flags

Newsday is reporting the the Yankees will no longer pursue free agent fireballer Ben Sheets because of "too many red flags" presumably in his medical records. That takes him out of contention for the 5th spot in the rotation. As of now, the Yankees have a standing offer out to Andy Pettitte who has not accepted it yet. Should Pettitte continue to snub the offer, the Yanks could have Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves and Ian Kennedy compete for the spot, make a trade for Peavy or re-open negotiations with Derek Lowe or another FA. At this point, I'd just let Hughe and Aceves and Kennedy compete for it, and start putting together an offer for a big bat. Go Yanks.

Rangers Getting Blown Out in Jersey

Down 5-1 mid-second. Unacceptable and changes need to be made before the season is lost.

UPDATE: Rangers lose 8-5. Unacceptable. The Devils may well pass them at some point. Hank was also terrible tonight.

Yanks Trim 2

Too make room for CC and AJ, the Yanks today non-tendered Chris Britton and Justin Christian. I'm a bit surprised that they haven't used the non-tender deadline to get rid of some more players. Britton, who never got a consistent shot with the Yanks will probably be picked up quickly. Justin Christian who is very fast will also probably find a place, perhaps in the NL. Meanwhile, no news on Pettitte or the Cameron trade yet. Stay tuned.

Cash Gets His Other Man

The Yanks have added AJ Burnett to the roster on a 5 year 82.5M deal. All along, I've been calling this a gamble on greatness. Well, they were in Vegas so why not gamble. Burnett's career has been plagued by health and inconsistency, but he was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2008, and the Yanks must be hoping that he's finally maturing. There is some evidence that he is: first, the Blue Jays, who had him were really trying to re-sign him till their Canadian currency devalued; second, the other team that wanted him as badly as the Yankees was the Braves, and they know a thing or two about pitching. There are some who believe that Burnett will turn out a big like Schilling - great arm who was hurt/inconsistent till his 30's when he became a great pitcher. If it works out that way, the Yanks will have gotten a cheap ace. If he stays injury prone and inconsistent, they will have gotten an expensive Pavano. I tend to think he'll be good in the regular season and very good in the post season. If he flops, we can always put his electric arm in the bullpen. Go Yanks.

Big Friday

So, today we should find out whether or not the Yanks have signed Burnett and/or Andy Pettitte, and if the long rumored Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera and parts unknown trade has finally been completed.

If Burnett somehow loses his mind and chooses Atlanta the Yanks will probably move quickly to lock up Derek Lowe.

If Pettitte spurns the Yanks' final offer which was presented by Cash himself today on a side trip to Houston, the Yanks will have to decide whether to pursue Ben Sheets or just leave the rotation spot open for some combination of Hughes, Aceves and Kennedy.

If the Cameron trade stalls again, it will probably be completed next week, or the week after.

The big question will be, once the rotation has been settled, are the Yanks going to go after a patient and powerful bat for the middle of the order. Go Yanks.

Gone Jedi?

According to Peter Abraham over at the Yankee blog linked here, Brian Cashman has once again left the Bellagio for parts and people unknown. Most likely he's off closing the Burnett deal, or maybe, just maybe he's visiting with Jake Peavy, since the deal that would have sent him to Chicago is now dead. Go Cash! Do Good!

Adios, Melky

Thanks for everything Melky, it was fun following you and a shame that you haven't developed in the way that it looked like you might. Best of luck with the Brew Crew.

Cameron Coming?

According to good ol' Dan Graziano, the Yanks and Brewers today resumed their trade talks for Mike Cameron. DG thinks it could be a straight up trade for Melky Cabrera and that's one the Yanks should make. Cameron has 1 year left on his deal and would actually be a very good placeholder should Austin Jackson have a breakout minor league season in 2009. Cameron was 10 runs better than average on both offense and defense last year, and that would work nicely for the Yanks. He K's a lot, but he also hits homers and has walked at times during his career, so could probably be encouraged to do more of that now in the Yanks', hopefully, patient line-up. Make it happen, Cash!

UPDATE: Feinsand says it's happening: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/12/11/2008-12-11_sources_yankees_to_trade_melky_cabrera_t-1.html

Cuttino Mobley Set To Retire Thursday

Cuttino Mobley, who came to the Knicks as part of the Zach Randolph deal, will retire Thursday without ever having played a minute for the Knicks. His physical revealed a heart problem and after consulting with a lot of doctors, he has chosen to retire. The undermanned Knicks will gain a roster spot and could fill it by using one of their trade exemptions. I wish Mobley a happy, healthy rest of his life.

Correcting an Old Mistake?

Well, Graziano, who's apparently leaving after the first of the year or so, is going out in style. Tonight, he reports that if the Yanks sign only one of Burnett and Lowe, they will then sign Sheets or Andy, and go after Manny. http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2008/12/yankees_express_interest_in_ma.html

If the Yanks could get Manny on a short, high AAV deal, they could add one of the greatest right handed hitters in history to their line-up and correct a mistake they made when he left Cleveland in the first place. This bears watching, as among the people who want Manny for the Yanks is Hall Steinbrenner. Could get interesting.

Harrington GOES OFF!

Still don't have a good Al Harrington shot as a Knick, but he went off against the Nets tonight to the tune of 39 points and 13 boards. The Knicks were down to a 6 man rotation after David Lee got hurt early in the second half. But, they were still able to pull away from the Nets with other great performances by Wilson Chandler (24 and 9) and Tim Thomas (26 and 4). Let's hope Lee is okay, but the Knicks showed a lot of heart winning on the road with an even shorter rotation tonight. Good win. Go Knicks!