June 15th

So Plax's court date has been postponed till June 15th. This really does nothing for the Giants, since they probably won't let him work out with the team till things have been adjudicated. The hope here is that they come up with a plea deal quickly that allows the Giants to know which draft plan to pursue. Right now it looks like they're gonna have to make a trade.

No Long Man

Joe Girardi has announced that Jonathan Albaladejo will be the final piece of the major league pen. Aceves, Giese and Tomko were all sent to the minor league camp, so there is no official long man on the roster, though Albaladejo and Coke can both throw multiple innings. Obviously, if there is a problem with this set-up, it will be a one day problem because there will still be a lot of arms that are already on the 40 man roster waiting in Scranton. Still no word on the UT job, but they will have to open up a spot on the 40 if it's gonna be Pena or Berroa.

Castle's Fun

The best formula in TV these days is dropping a quirky character, often from another profession (Bones, The Mentalist), or one who's been through a unique experience (Life, Life on Mars) and dropping them into criminal investigations. Castle is yet another fun show, with a fine cast that brings a quirky crime novelist in on a series of homicide investigations. Okay, it'll never happen, unless you cound James Ellroy cold casing it with some cops, but dammit, the cast is good and it's a fun show. Enjoy it, Monday nights at 10 on ABC.

2 Points

Hank shutout the Devils tonight in a must win game for the Rangers. Nice work. Callahan scored his 21st. Imagine how many he would have scored had he been playing for Torts all year. We have a lot to look forward to. Go Rangers.

Gardner Wins

Joe Girardi just announced that Brett Gardner will be the Yankee Centerfielder to start the season. Brett Gardner needed to have a great Spring to beat out Melky Cabrera and he did. Of course, the contact concern bears watching. But, if he can take his walks, beat out his bunts, maintain an OBP of .360 or better, and take away hits in the OF, he'll be a great fit. If he can't Melky (if he's still around) will get another shot. If they end up trading Melky, then Damon and Swisher become the emergency back-ups and Austin Jackson and Colin Curtis become the organizational depth. There should be more roster announcements later and in the coming days. Go Yanks!

UPDATE: Ivan Nova, who the Yanks lost in the Rule V draft has been returned. He'll probably start in AA where he will hopefully develope a K pitch.

Rangers Lose in Pittsburgh

They could not afford to come away with no points today. They'll need to really pick it up if they want to make the playoffs.

Yanks Get Nolte for Jones

The Yanks today completed a trade that brought relief prospect Charles Nolte into the organization for Jason Jones, whom the Twins had taken in the Rule V draft and wanted to keep in their system. Nolte, who just turned 23 has risen as high as a-ball and is a strikeout pitcher. Here are his stats: http://www.thebaseballcube.com/Players/N/Charles-Nolte.shtml Looks like another nice move by Cash.

Lottery Bound!

The Knicks blew another big lead at home and lost yet again tonight. They're not gonna make the playoffs, but maybe this is a year they'll get lucky in the lottery. I'm really hoping they get Patty Mills or Steph Curry. Either would be great under Coach D, once they give him more guys who can play. Go Walsh!

Shopping the Melk-Man?

According to Fox's Ken Rosenthal, the Yanks are currently shopping Melky Cabrera, since CF looks like it will be monopolized by Brett Gardner and Austin Jackson for the next several years. Obviously, Melky isn't worth what he once was, but packaged with some other parts, perhaps the Yanks could take back a catcher, a better 3B than Ransom or young prospects. I was hoping they'd trade Nady, but it looks like Melky could go first.


BTW, Austin Jackson Spring OPS: 1.052, Edwin Nunez Spring OPS: 1.061.

AJack!

Austin Jackson continued his red hot spring with a grandslam against the Red Sox tonight. He's been flashing all five tools this spring and the light might be on for good. Ramiro Pena also looked good again beating out a bunt and showing some valuable speed. Eduardo Nunez, the other boy wonder of Spring didn't play tonight. That might not have been fair;)



UPDATE: and as a reward for hitting a grandslam, Austin was sent down to the minor league camp after the game. Joe Girardi did not rule out Austin making it to the bigs at some point this year, but Austin said he still had a lot to work on. When I wrote up Austin several weeks ago, I don't think I included the fact that he has incredible make-up. He does.

2 Points

Scott Gomez scored the gamewinner as the Rangers beat the Wild 2-1 in a game that was more lopsided than the final score indicated. The Rangers also won the fights. Good show! Go Rangers!

The Giants Add a Comp 3rd

Today, the Giants were awarded a compensatory 3rd for the loss of Gibril Wilson and others. That gives them a total of 10 picks for the upcoming draft, with 5 of those picks in the top 100. They have a first, 2 2's and 2 3's. The comp pick cannot be traded, but the other nine picks can be. We'll see what happens. Obviously, it's a very good thing. Go Jerry!

Really?

Today, Yankee manager Joe Girardi said that Xavier Nady would be the starting RF if the season started today. Be thankful that the season isn't starting today and there are about two weeks left to get it right in right. Hilariously, as I typed this Nady actually drew a walk in the Yanks' Spring game against Philly. They should have the ball he watched for ball 4 BRONZED.

Rangers Recall Michael Sauer

Michael Sauer, seen here on the right, using his stick like a crowbar, has been recalled by the Rangers in case Michael Rozsival is not ready for the next game. As you'll recall, Sauer was the Rangers next pick after they took Staal. There were even some people who thought Sauer was the better bet to make it and make it faster. Well, injuries have slowed him, but he must be ready now. It will be interesting to see if they end up playing him. He could be a nice part of the future. Go Rangers.

Yanks Re-Acquire Stewart for a PTBNL

The Yanks have picked up back-up catcher Chris Stewart from the White Sox. He was with Scranton last year, and I doubt the player will be anyone special. I wonder what this says about Molina and Kevin Cash, though. In more interesting news, Posada threw out 3 of 4 attempted base stealers in his minor league game today. That's really encouraging. Go Po!

Ugh

The Knicks were without Harrington, and went down pretty easy tonight against the Kings. When all is said and done, getting another lottery pick might be as good as getting an undermanned team into the playoffs this year. The message they have continually been sending is it's about the future. Let's hope so!

Knicks Fail to Show

The Knicks just didn't show up tonight. It was their first home game after going 3 and 1 on the road, and their first game without Gallinari who is done for the year with the back injury. There seemed to be no fire or energy about them at all, and that's strange given the fact that they are supposed to be battling for a playoff spot. They'll have to do much better down the stretch.

Rangers win by Shootout

Nik Antropov had the first goal of the game and another in the shootout, and I owe him a big apology. He was worth the pick. Still the Rangers gave up three 1 goal leads tonight, and that was a little ridiculous, especially after Ryan Callahan put them up 1 again with just 5 minutes or so to play in the 3rd. Too many penalties and odd man rushed and not quite enough Hank tonight. Still, they pull ahead of the Canadiens by a point in the playoff race, and they had to do that. Good win. Go Rangers.

Mo's Fine

Mariano Rivera just worked his first inning of ST, 1-2-3 with 2K's and a little comebacker. His velo was low rather than mid-90's but he looked very commanding with his control and when he bounced off the mound to field and throw. No worries.

Rangers Return the Favor

Sean Avery scored the 3rd and 4th goals of his return and took cheapshots all day as the Rangers beat the Flyers 4-1 in front of great goal tending by Hank at the Garden. Antropov had another goal, and Freddie Sjostrom added the coup de grace. As skeptical I was about the deadline moves, they are adding up to Ranger wins now, and just in the nick of time. Go Rangers!

Rangers Lose

Bench this man.

Plax?

Here's something to think about: on Monday, the Giants will begin their offseason conditioning program. So what if Plax shows up? I believe there are workout bonuses in his contract, and the union might be encouraging him to force a confrontation. So what do the Giants do if he shows up? Personally, I'd give him a physical and let him get to work. The more that it can seem like we expect Plax back, the more pressure we can put on our potential trading partners. Also, if Plax gets off, we want him in shape.

3 in a Row!

Wilson Chandler went 24/12, Nate had 25 with about 6 boards and 7 dimes, and David Lee had yet another double-double. Apparently, this is the first time they've won 3 in a row in 4 years. So it is both a happy moment on our road to relevance and a sad reminder of where we've been for too long. They have Cleveland in Cleveland on Sunday, so this one could end at 3. Go Knicks.

Rangers Win!

Marc Staal scored the game winner in a 4-2 road victory for the Rangers tonight. Staal was outstanding all night, as were Avery, Gomez and Callahan who ended up as linemates once Zherdev was benched after the first period. Avery had his first goal and at least one assist, and Gomez scored again. Sjostrom chipped in a 3rd period shorty! Nice win.


NOTE: Henrik Lundqvist became the first goalie ever to win 30 games in each of his first 4 years in the league. Congrats, King Hank!

Knicks Still Trying to Snag Delfino

Isola is reporting that Donnie Walsh is still trying to get Argentine Swingman, Carlos Delfino signed and on the roster before the end of the regular season. Delfino is playing in Russia, and the Raptors would have the right to match any new deal, but he is a damn good fit for Coach D'Antoni's system, and it will be interesting to see if the Knicks can get something done.

Po Will Catch on Saturday

Saturday, we'll begin to answer one of the critical questions about the 2009 Yanks. Can Jorge catch most of the games? Girardi said he likes the way Po is throwing, so we'll see. Best case scenario would see Po catching 110 regular season games, and the Yanks seeing enough from Cervelli to get him on the roster some time by July. Go Po!


UPDATE: Jorge Posada will catch on Sunday instead of Saturday.

Boldin in Play

Seems like the trade market for #1 WR's is open. PFT is reporting that the Cardinals are shopping Anquan, while Paul Needell has reported that the Giants and Eagles are both in on him. Later, Needell said an executive with knowledge of the Giants' thinking said he didn't think the Giants were in on Boldin.


Of course they are in on Boldin, and they will be until they can get the Eagles to overpay for him. If the rumors are true and both the Giants and Eagles are also in on Braylon Edwards this could get very interesting. If the Cards or the Eagles are interested in dealing with the Giants, their best bet would be to do it soon, unless they are willing to bet that Plaxico Burress is going to get jail time rather than community service at his late March trial. If Plax doesn't get jail time, then the Giants could be out of the market for a #1 WR. What's more, it makes sense for the Giants to make the Eagles overpay for either Edwards or Boldin, then use Plax's deadline to put pressure on whichever team is left holding a disgruntled stud receiver.


On top of all of this, Braylon Edwards really wants to be a Giant. Stay tuned, it will probably all get worked out this month.


EDIT: Apparently ESPN Radio outlets in various markets are reporting that the Giants have offered this year's 1 and 3 and next year's 1 for Boldin. Bahahahahaha! If they had really done that Boldin would be a Giant already. They are clearly just allowing themselves to be used as a stalking horse.

Knicks win in OT

Nate was great and the Knicks won a rare road game in O.T.. They generally did a better job of sharing the ball, and the result speaks for itself. Go Knicks.

Knicks Win

Larry Hughes went off for 39 and Nate went off for 32 when he wasn't turning the ball over. David Lee, who does everything but play defense, had 19 and 18, I think. Gallo was an 0 for 5 non-factor. Though Hughes and Nate got a bunch of steals, the Knick guards continued to turn the ball over at an alarming rate. Still, it was a much needed win, and they played tough in the second half to come from behing and get it. Go Knicks!

Joba Arrives

Joba looked more like Joba in his 3rd ST outing. Topping out at 96 on the unreliable YES gun, he mixed in good curves, sliders and even his change-up. He went three innings, and gave up a run on a fly ball base hit that Gardner should have caught. He K'd three and didn't walk anyone. He's back on schedule.

Rangers Lose

The Canes took constant advantage of the Rangers' sloppy passing a slow shooting and beat them 3-0. Valliquette was in goal, and he was nowhere near as bad as his teammates.

Making His Move?

It's early, but the race between Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera is looking tremendously one sided as we hit the first turn. Gardner had another big day as he hit his 3rd ST homer and got down to first in 3.75 secs on his susequent bunt for a hit. He also continues to play superior defense in Center. But here are the concerns: contact, power, and throwing arm. The Yanks have made adjustments to Brett's batting stance to keep him down in his crouch longer. They're hoping at a) he'll see the ball better since he won't be changing eye levels as the ball approaches and b) that he'll have a little more pop. It's gonna take a long time to see if Gardner can stay down, but so far, so good. Also, the bunt can be huge for him if he keeps getting out of the box like he did today. And though his throwing arm is not Melky's it's not Damon's or late era Bernie's either. It's decent. He'll get some kills. If he can take his walks, bunt, hit some balls over the infield and into the gaps, and play plus defense, he can be a very pleasant surprise. But that's a lot of ifs. Good luck, Brett.

And Again...

Coach D'Antoni has a problem with his team. They won't pass it to the kid. It's gotten to the point, where, it at least looked like he took Nate Robinson out for not sharing the ball with Gallo. Of course, tonight, that invited Larry Hughes to think he was Nate, and start chucking and missing and unlike Nate, started turning the ball over. The Knicks could have and should have won tonight, but they didn't cause they have a fundamental problem. Some of their best players won't share.

Mark Teahen?

The Yanks are rumored to be looking at Royals super-ute guy, Mark Teahen. As long as the price is right, I'd approve of the pick-up. Yes, his lefty swing is more valuable than his glove, but he can get hot, and has at times shown OBP and SLG skills. He'd be a great guy to have on the bench once ARod got back, too. He was originally in the A's system with Nick Swisher. Interesting possibility and he's only 27.

Huge Win!

The Rangers just beat Boston 4-3 in a chippy and poorly officiated game at the Garden. Antropov, Gomez, Callahan and Zherdev had the goals. Zherdev's was the gamewinner coming with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd, off a rebound. Antropov, Morris and Avery all had assists. Hank wasn't great, but the team is looking better and better.

ARod Out 6-9 Weeks

Monday, Alex Rodriguez will undergo a less invasive surgery than the one he ultimately needs. Tomorrow's surgery will fix ARod's labrum, but won't address his bone on bone impingement. which will require further surger after the season. ARod will only miss 6-9 weeks, wich land him back in the line-up in late April or some time in May. It doesn't seem like the Yanks will need to make any prospect laden trades as a result. So that's a positive.

Knicks Play No D, Lose to Scrubs

The Knicks fell behind in the second half by not sharing the ball and not playing good D. Once again, Gallo was open while his teammates forced shots. Lottery here we come!

He Talks and They Listen

Torts said when he took over that the Rangers would need the top players to come through in order for the Rangers to get turned around. Well, he got his wish tonight as Zherdev, Drury, Gomez and Naslund all scored in their 4-2 win out on the Island. Zherdev also had an assist, as did new Ranger Nik Antropov. They still aren't playing 100% Torts' style, but they are coming along. They need to keep playing hard and getting contributions from the big salaries if they want to make the playoffs. Go Rangers!

Ouch

ARod apparently has a torn labrum in his right hip. Depending on the tear, he may or may not need surgery, and he may or may not be out for a chunk of the season. The Yanks may not feel comfortable with their internal candidates for 3rd and could end up making a trade or signing a thus far passed over FA who can play third. We should know whether or not surgery will happen in the next few days.


UPDATE: Cash says they're not opting for surgery now. They'll try to rehab it.

And He's Back

The Knicks re-signed former Knick Demetrius Nichols today. The long 2/3 with the nice shooting range will get a ten day look. The other day they added Cheikh Samb, the 7 foot something C from Senegal to his own 10 day deal. Good luck, D-Nich!

Knicks Win!

Danilo Gallinari had a career high 17 pts. and Larry Hughes had his best all around game as a Knick as the Nate-less New Yorkers beat the Atlanta Hawks at the Garden. They got good games for Harrington, Wilcox and Lee, too, but Duhon was once again turnover prone (though the team did only have 9 total turnovers, so I may be overstating it). The D is coming around and Hughes seemed to ignite it. He also made a number of great passes to go along with his 23 pts. Get well, Nate!

Torry Holt Has Asked for His Release

Torry Holt, who is due a 1.78M roster bonus on March 17th has asked for his release from the St. Louis Rams. The Giants should probably check him out. He was not an attractive trade target because his salary was to high for 2009, but if he clears waivers, the price could be right. He's no longer a true #1 receiver, but he has more tread left on the tires than Marvin Harrison or Amani Toomer, and might be a great mentor to the young receivers on the team. This way, the Giants won't have to overpay for an Edwards or Boldin. While he doesn't have the upside of either of those two receivers, he probably could provide some continuity while the young WR's and a high draft pick develop. It's certainly something to consider if he is released.

CC is a Giant!

CC Brown, the undervalued, but versatile former Texan starting safety, inked a 1 year deal to play for the Giants today. This is another terrific move by Jerry The Genius Reese. He will spend the year rotating with Phillips and Johnson and maybe chipping in on specials. Still, with only a 1 year committment, if the Giants see a safety they like in the draft, they can go ahead and take him. Reese is batting 1.000 so far. Go Giants!


UPDATE: The Giants also signed TE/ST Lee Vickers. Vickers is a pretty good blocker as a TE, but his forte is really giving up his body on kick coverage. I don't know if this effects the Troupe visit or not.

My Team Went to the Deadline and all we got are these STUPID PLAYERS

The Rangers have screwed the pooch. Today, they dealt away 2 draft picks plus Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha for the right to dump Kalinen and both Nik Antropov and Derek Morris, both of whom will be UFA's this offseason. You just don't give away young players like Dawes and Prucha for underachieving rentals and that's just what was done in total. Morris is a career -27 defenseman who can skate a bit, and Nik Antropov is a huge C/F who scores some goals but had trouble getting motivated. I can't believe both Dawes and Prucha are gone for what we got back. Unbelievable. Fi-re Sa-ther!

Rangers Get Antropov

Rangers just picked up Nik Antropov. Don't know what they paid for him yet. Apparently it was a second and a conditional.

Down to the Deadline

Okay, nothing has happened yet, and nothing is guaranteed to happen. The Rangers want a scoring forward and a defenseman. Let's hope they're smart about it.



UPDATE: 1 hour left, and nothing cooking so far. Stay smart!

Ben Troupe's Coming for a Visit

In another bit of interesting news for the G-men, Tennessee TE Ben Troupe will be in for a visit tomorrow. This is looking like another Jerry Special. Troupe is a very talented TE who's career has been somewhat truncated by injuries thus far. If he can pass must with the Giant doctors, this would be another fine move by Jerry and the Giant Front Office.


In other news, CC Brown is staying over night, and if his broken arm has healed, he'll probable be a Giant tomorrow.

Too Many Rumors

As soon as we hear something specific, we hear the Rangers are on to something different. Needless to say, one way or another I suspect the Rangers will have another Russian tomorrow. Which one, I have no idea, as it seems we've discussed them all since last summer. It will be a good thing - unless the wrong prospects are involved - when some of these rumors become concrete moves over the next 23 hours or so. Go Rangers.

Reese Speaks

Jerry spoke to the media today via conference call. He said that the Giants had indeed looked into the domestic issues of both Boley and Bernard and came away satisfied with the answers they received. He also said Canty would play all over, just as we expected. He said they would continue looking at everybody and at looking at ways to improve the WR postion. He also said, and I think this is significant, that we may not have that many draft picks by the time the draft rolled around. Hmmm. I wonder what he might be up to. Go Jerry!


BTW, you can check out his call and the calls of Canty and Boley at http://www.giants.com/