Tex, Swish, Cano!

The Yanks took the second of their three game series at the Trop on huge homers by Tex, Swish and Mo. Tex's two run shot tied the game at 3, then Swish's shot tied it at 4. Cano hit the game winner in the top of the 9th. Robertson got the win after a perfect 9th. Mo gave up a two out shattered bat single on his way to the save. Boone Logan got two big outs in the 7th. Javy was just alright. Berkman was 0-4 in his first Yankee action. Kearns and Wood did not play. The win guarantees the Yanks will leave Tampa in first. CC throws tomorrow. Go Yanks!

We're Down With JPP!

The Giants wrapped up the last major pre-camp move by locking up first round DE Jason Pierre-Paul for a 5 year deal worth over 20M with over 11M guaranteed. I'm very excited about this player. He's one of those guys who was not a "workout warrior" type, but whose raw AA just exploded off the tapes of him. So no one taught him to get out of the blocks while running a 40? I've seen him throw OT's around like only LT used to do. He's an absolute beast and has a chance to join the ranks of the all-time great Giant passrushers. And he's sturdy enough to become a force against the run, just as Strahan did in his day. And yes, I am rolling out the big name comps. The kid is ascendant and really has a chance to be great.


In a separate move the Giants also signed veteran safety John Bushing. He'll compete with Michael Johnson for the 4th safety role.


Camp starts tomorrow. Go Giants!

Cash Shines at the Deadline

Brian Cashman showed great savvy in plundering two of the worst teams in baseball for Berkman, Kearns and Wood. He did so by giving up just Melancon and Paredes and adding very little in salary. Two more players could go later or have cash considerations take their place. Cash held onto all of the systems best prospects while deepening the line-up, the bench and the bullpen. Just an outstanding job here at the deadline. Way to go, Cash! Go Yanks!

Kerry Wood is a Yankee

Now it's being reported that the Yanks are close to acquiring Kerry Wood in a deal where Cleveland would pick up most of the dough. Wood would be a gamble on stuff. He's been up and down in his star crossed career and the Yanks would be hoping for a hot Wood down the stretch. Again, it's an okay gamble but completely dependant on price. Still no word on any UT deal for the Yanks. Go Cash!


UPDATE1: Apparently, the deal is done and awaits the commissioner's approval. Wood still throws had and has been trending up after a poor start that saw him DL'd with a blister. Velo plays well down the stretch and in the post season. We'll have to see what we gave up.


UPDATE2: Looks like the Wood deal is another PTBNL or cash deal.


UPDATE3: The Yanks DFA'd Chan Ho Park to make room for Kerry Wood.

Giants Sign Joseph

The Giants today signed Linval Joseph to a 4 year deal. That leaves only Jason Pierre-Paul unsigned among the Giants' picks. Joseph has a chance to be a great player. One of the strongest players in the draft, he can really collapse the pocket and has the quickness to knife in or pursue. He was not a passrusher in college, but that could develop in the pros. Joseph looks like yet another great second round pick by the Giants. Now get JPP done. Go Giants!

Yanks Lose

Phil Hughes has to stop giving up homers to bad players, and the O has to keep grinding for 9 innings. Gotta win tomorrow. Go Yanks.

And Austin Kearns?

Austin Kearns has reportedly been pulled from his game tonight so he can be traded to the Yankees. Haven't heard anything about compensation from the Yanks for the one time uber prospect turned journey man. I'm sure we'll have updates.


UPDATE: It's for a PTBNL.

Berkman to the Yanks?

Still away from my files, but it looks like the Yanks are closing in on a deal for Lance Berkman. Of course, it looked like they were closing in on Lee a few weeks ago and we saw where that went. Readers of the blog realize Dunn and Berkman have beem longterm interests of the Yanks. Though Dunn has been more valuable this season, Berkman takes good ab's and has OPS'd a cool .850 since June 1. He would stabilize the DH position which has been in flux since Nick Johnson got hurt and would give us a better bat off the bench than we've had in quite some time when he's not starting. Dunn would do all the same things, of course, but it doesn't seem like that's in the cards right now. Hopefully, the price for Berkman will make sense. The Yanks are also supposed to be interested in Fernando Rodney. They should be able to really improve at the deadline as they are one of the few teams that's willing to spend. Go Yanks!



UPDATE: Miranda is out of the line-up for Colin Curtis tonight... hmm.


UPDATE2: Joel Sherman reports the deal is done and the teams have to wait 24 hours to announce it because of a technicality. Still can't evaluate it until we know the terms.


UPDATE3: Apparently the deal is for Kevin Russo and Jimmy Paredes! Way to go, Cash! That means Miranda could be heading elsewhere.


UPDATE4: Now it's looking like it's Melancon and Paredes. Not as good a deal though the Astros are picking up more than half of the money.

Kahnle Signs

The Yanks have apparently come to terms with 5th round power arm Tommy Kahnle. He's had very mixed results and shown poor control, but you can't teach 98. He must have lowered his original asking price because he hasn't pitched all that well and the Yanks were not going to give him what he was floating. Let's see if they can teach him so control. Go Yanks.

Giants Waive Jones Claim Alex Hall

Sorry for the continued lack of graphics, but the Giants have waived S Chad Jones and claimed DE/LB Alex Hall. They'll no doubt be able to get Jones to the IR, but the waiving was a necessary move in the offseason. The Alex Hall pickup shows that neither adding Tracy nor switching to Fewell has ended their now long love affair with collecting tweeners. Hall was touted in his draft, but hasn't done much as a pro, thus he was waivable and claimable. Go Giants.

Frolov to the Rangers

I'm not home and away from my photo files right now, but it appears that Alex Frolov may finally be joining the Rangers. Their desire for him has been followe here for years. When they first tried to get him he was a rising player. Now he's a 28 year old with character concerns. I must also question doing this while Kovy's status is up in the air. Anyway, on a one year deal, maybe Frolov will redeem himself. The Rangers did need more scoring. Go Rangers.


UPDATE: It's official, Frolov is a Ranger.

Yanks Lose

Poor pitching and no grinding just doesn't work for these Yanks. Javy Vazquez goes tomorrow. Go Yanks.

Yanks Recall Alby

It looks like Jonathan Albaladejo will be taking Andy's place when he hits the DL tonight. Alby has been a different pitcher this year in AAA. They changed his arm angle and made him a 4 seam guy, and the results have been fantastic. He's k'ing more than 1 per, and it makes you wonder why they spent so much time developing him as a sinker/slider guy. Here's hoping he's part of the solution! Go Yanks!

Andy to Miss 4-5 Weeks

Cash says Andy Pettitte will be out 4-5 weeks with a grade 1 groin strain. The time will include his rehab starts. Sergio Mitre will come off the DL and make the first of Andy's missed starts. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little refiguring of the bullpen today and tomorrow. Go Yanks.

Gutty Win!

With the Rays already up 3-2 in the 3rd and with the bases loaded, one out and Andy having to leave the game with a groin injury, Dave Robertson came in and got the next 5 outs, to shutdown the Rays, and allow the Yanks to get back into the game, which they ended up winning 9-5. The Yanks did a great job of grinding today and got big hits from Cano, Tex, Swish, Jeter and ARod. Girardi did a nice job with the bullpen by brining in DRob early to put out the biggest fire. With the win, the Yanks have won the series and taken a 3 game lead over Tampa. Huge win. Monday is an offday. Go Yanks!

Yanks Lose

Poor pitching, not much grinding. Bad recipe. I suspect we'll see some DFAs and musical chairs with the organizational relievers, soon. Go Yanks.

Yanks Win a Dramatic One

Wow. On a night when they paid tribute to both Bob Sheppard and George Steinbrenner, it was Nick Swisher who came up with the big hits to put Tampa 3 games back. Swish homered to tie it in the 8th, then with two outs in the 9th, he singled home Curtis Granderson for the win. CC was not sharp, and Cano and Posada had homered to tie it earlier, before CC gave up an uncharacteristic 4th run. Huge win. AJ goes on Old Timers Day. Go Yanks!

Rest in Peace, Boss

There are rumors going around that George M. Steinbrenner III, Williams College `52, has been taken to the hospital. Obviously, the hope here it's a short stay and that he's back home with his family as soon as possible. God bless you, Boss.

UPDATE: Apparently he has had a heart attack. My prayers are with the Boss and his family as they get through this.

UPDATE: Apparently, the greatest owner in sports has passed away. This is just a very sad day for the entire Yankee family, and I believe, the country. I used to run into George when he was coming out of a Manhattan restaurant called Nicola's. We'd always chat about the Yankees. When I got into Williams, he gave me a big "atta boy!" He was always great to me, and I was happy when the fans got to see that side of him when we started winnings titles again. God bless you, Boss!

Here Comes The Correction

In the last game of the "first half" Mark Teixeira had 4 hits to finally push his average over .250, as the Yanks clobbered the Mariners 8-2. He's hitting like he did during his correction last year and we should be in for a torrid second half. CC was once again utterly ace-like in picking up his 12th win. Cano and Gardner continued their great seasons and Derek Jeter started hitting the ball hard again. If they can get the pen scotchguarded, they are going to have a much better second half. They are 24 games over .500. Enjoy the break!

Big Name Hunting?

In the past day or so, both the Knicks' Donnie Walsh and the Rangers' Glenn Sather have said they are not done. In both cases the men seemed to be implying big things instead of small. For example, Sather talked about needing more scoring, and not leaving it all up to Marian Gaborik. Marc Berman of the Post got the idea that the Knicks were looking for an outside shooter, and were also looking to trade Eddy Curry and Wilson Chandler.

So what could this mean? In the Rangers' case I still think they are waiting for Ilya Kovalchuk to come to them for a price they can handle. And then I think we would see Brandon Dubinsky packaged with Rozsival for some cap relief. None of that would bother me. Kovalchuk's a better LW than Dubinsky, and we have other kids in the system who will also be better.

The Knicks' case, is a little more sinister. They felt absolutely jilted by LeBron the other day, and since then there has been all sorts of chatter about Carmello Anthony. That could be the shooter they are alluding to, though it takes him way too many shots to get his points, and he needs to drive more, rebound more, pass better, and play better D, if he wants to be what he can be. The other noise we're constantly hearing is about Chris Paul. I had heard a rumor at the beginning of the year that either he would somehow be the next Knick PG. The rumors have emerged again in the wake of the LeBron debacle. Paul is a truly great player and worth a lot. That wouldn't bother me. But we'll have to see if we still have Gallinari and Randolph when the music of this crazy summer stops.

In both cases, the mission from MSG this offseason seems to have been "Get big names."

Rest in Peace, Bob Sheppard

The Yankees and Yankee fans lost more than a ballgame last night. They lost the voice of Yankee Stadium. Bob was also the voice of Giants Stadium for most of its existence. He was often imitated but never duplicated and certainly never surpassed. I used to love how he would pronounce Willie Randolph's name. Frank Marion, the old back up linebacker and ST captain for the Giants was another good one. He was the very best at what he did, and we'll all misst him greatly. God bless you, Bob.

Yanks Lose

Javy Vazquez pitched 7 innings of shutout ball, and left with a 1-0 lead. Joba pitched the 8th, loaded the bases and gave up a grandslam. Yanks got two on in the top of the 9th, but weren't able to turn it into a rally.

Joba does not seem to be getting any better at the major league level. Jonathan Albaladejo is setting save records for SWB. They should be swapped. CC goes tomorrow, let's end the first half with a win! Go Yanks!

Knicks Come to Terms With Mozgov

The Knicks have come an agreement with Russian C Timofey Mozgov. Tim is 7'1" and weighs 270. He's 24 years old. The deal is apparently worthj 9.7M over three years, and the Knicks are paying his Russian team 500K to buy out his last year. Seems like he might be a nice fit for the D'Antoni system, and it certainly gives them another true C sized big to go along with Jordan. Thanks to Draftexpress.com for the head's up! Go Knicks!

Better

In his last start before his All-Star appearance, Phil Hughes was more lie his old self going 7ip, 1ER, 1R, 6H, 5k, 0BB. His velocity was up a tick for much of the game, and he get out of trouble a few times. So maybe the pitchers did miss Eiland? Just a thought. Tex hit solo shots from the left and right side to bracket the Yanks 6 runs. The big blow was a two run triple from Cano. So not getting Cliff Lee earlier didn't spoil their winning streak. Chan Ho Park had some difficulties after getting the first two outs of the ninth. He gave up a couple of hits and had men on second and third before getting the final groundball out. Javy Vazquez goes tomorrow. Go Yanks!

Ray Felton?

Reports are coming in right and left that Ray Felton will be the new Knicks point gaurd. Obviously, it can't be a deal that jeopardizes next year's cap, but it seems they've ch0sen Felton over Luke Ridnour as their guy. Felton was the fth overall pick in 2005, and has sort of defined average since then. I'm curious to know how long Walsh and/or D'Antoni has been interested in him. I have thought since D'Antoni came aboard, he would, at some point, find an underachieving PG around the league and make him a star. Maybe this will be the guy. He's certainly going to have some great finisher and shooters to dish to. We'll find out the financials when this gets announced, but I doubt it will stop the Knicks from getting another max in at the deadline or a year from now. Go Knicks.


UPDATE: Just check his stats for the first time in awhile, and he may be an improving player, his FG% and 3PT% were well up this year. His FT% was down, and in general, he needs to get to the line more and improve it. He also showed a marked improvement in winshares. We might be getting a player on the rise, and like I said above, I sort of expect D'Antoni to turn a guy like this into a star.


UPDATE 2: The deal is for 3 years at 7M per. 3/21. It's a very good, and movable deal. Well done, Donnie Walsh!

UPDATE 3: It's actually a 2 year deal for 15.8. And even better but still movable deal. There may be a 3rd year option, but it hasn't been negotiated.

Jesus Saved!

The Cliff Lee deal is off, and Jesus Montero is still a Yankee. We'll, no doubt, see Cliff Lee in FA, and hopefully not see any other superstars the Yanks are interested in put on the market for awhile. Montero, who's been hot lately, lately needs to keep on keeping on, come up in September, and show everyone he really is okay at Catcher. Cash has to not offer him around, because every time he does, it devalues him. Texas got Lee, but we got Jesus. Go Yanks!

Yanks Sign Chad Tracy

The Yanks have signed versatile 3B/1B/OF Chad Tracy. He cannot hit anymore for some reason, but he gives them some versatility off the bench for the short term. Colin Curtis or Kevin Russo will probably be sent down.

Rangers Re-Sign Girardi

The Rangers have apparently re-signed Dan Girardi to a 4 year deal worth around 13.3M. They may be overrating Girardi, and you have to wonder what it will cost them to re-up Staal, at this point. If either of them were tough, the Rangers wouldn't have made some of the other moves they're making. Go Rangers.

Cliff Lee to the Yanks?

There was obviously a disturbance in the Force. Something woke me up and had me check sports. Joel Sherman is reporting that the Yanks are about to get Cliff Lee from Seattle for a package that include C Jesus Montero, 2B David Adams and either P Ivan Nova or P Hector Noesi. I was hoping they could get it done with Romine and a better pitcher. This violates the Cashman Doctrine of never paying twice (prospects and extension) but I'm not going to kill them for it. Lee is an elite pitcher who wants to play for the Yankees and is in his prime. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, when I first got the feeling that the Yanks might do this sooner rather than wait for the offseason, this mostly about our post season rotation and winning #28.


I think the reason there are a few reasons they were willing to give up Montero, and it has to do with the market for Lee. The Twins and Rangers were apparently deeply involved in the trade talks, and if either one of them got Lee, the Yanks might have been cooked in the division series this year. So they had to beat at least two possible opponents and that's why they played Montero. I was really hoping they could get it done with Romine and better pitchers, that apparently wasn't going to make it happen. Also, though I believe Montero is already a big league average defensive catcher, he doesn't really project to any other positions but 1B (Teixeira) and DH (a host of aging players going forward). Romine does look like he'll be a solid catcher, and of course Gary Sanchez, who is destroying the GCL looks like he's going to be a whole lot better. It's hard to project GCL kids, but they didn't give him 3M because they thought he can't play.


So it looks like it's bye bye Montero. This plays into another saying and that's that, "You always pay more at the deadline." Still, Cliff Lee is one of the difference making players you have to be willing to trade top prospects for. David Adams is a very good 2B prospect, who is organizationally blocked and was going to be used in a trade at some point. Nova and Noesi are probably relievers in the bigs.


Now what? The Yanks have too many starting pitchers, and as I speculated when I brought this subject up awhile ago, Javy Vazquez or AJ Burnett are now the best pitchers available on the trade market. Cash should be able to get good prospects or maybe even prospects and a power bat for one of them. In a related note, Nick Johnson had setback this week, and they might be looking for a DH type to help them get # 28.

Overall, I'm not happy to see Montero go, but I understand there was competition for Lee and it was competition we might have to face in the division series, and we do still have Romine, Murphy, Sanchez and others. And Cliff Lee is absolutely one of the best pitchers in baseball, he wants to be a Yankee and will help us win playoff series and hopefully championships.

Good Old ARod

Yanks just beat Seattle 3-1 in a game that was tight until ARod notched a two out, two run single in the top of the ninth to break the tie and put the Yankees up for good. After this week of LeBron, it was great to see the Yankees, who aren't afraid of the local taxes in New York, go out and win a tough one. Curtis Granderson also had 3 hits and may be waking up. And Swish had 4 hits and a walk. We should have scored more. Andy Pettitte was great, except for another bad throw on a bunt play, and pitched 8 innings of 1 run ball. Mo got the save. Hughes faces Lee tomorrow. Go Yanks!

Randolph at Center of the Lee Deal

The David Lee sign and trade with Golden State has gone through and the Knicks got Anthony Randolph, Rony Turiaf, and Kelenna Azubuike. Randolph is the key piece, he's 6'11" 220 and just turning 21 and he can finish, block shots and rebound. He's has significant upside if it can be coached out of him, and along with Gallo gives us two nice, long guys with some skills. Randolph probably needs to get stronger, but that should come with maturity. Rony Turiaf is good guy off the bench who can bang a bit and Azubuike is a shooter who actually plays D. So we're a better team than when the season ended, and we have room to get some more players. A point guard like Luke Ridnour would seem to be next. Good luck to David Lee. Go Knicks.

Ugh

On to plan B. Kid changed his mind this morning. Unfortunate. I just cancelled NBA League Pass, and I encourage all of you to do the same. Just a terrible WHIFF for the league. Stern has lost control and enjoy not maximizing your ratings and Ad revenues, NBA. Fools. They had a chance to recreate the Babe Ruth mania. The Heat doesn't even sell out. Bad night for the Knicks, bad night for the NBA and bad night for the game of basketball. The David Lee trade with the Warriors will probably go through now and we'll evaluate that later. Ugh.

Not Looking Good

Either this is the greatest smokescreen since the Warren Commission Report, or LeBron James has changed his mind in the last 24 hours and is going to the Heat. Now, at the outset of this free agent season, I said LeBron James or failure. Well, it may be failure, but I can't kill the Knicks. They did everything right for two years and tried their best. They did that for us as much as for LeBron. So, unless this is an amazing smokescreen, we're not going to get LeBron. But we have a team that is trying, which is more than I can say for most of the last ten years. Go Knicks!

Yanks Sweep!

AJ Burnett pitched well for the second time since Dave Eiland returned and the Yanks won 6-2 to complete the sweep of Oakland. Tex hit a 3 run jack and Swish also homered. The offense is showing signs. They also made some great plays on D tonight. Now it's on to Seattle and let's win there. Andy pitches the opener. Go Yanks!

What of This Man?

Behold, the most powerful commissioner of any sport, David Stern. As NBA Commish Stern has overseen unprecedented growth and expansion as well as various Dream Teams, ubiquitous branding schemes, the foundation of the WNBA, the developmental league and the NBA draft lottery. What he has never been able to do; however, is put his biggest star in his biggest market. Couldn't do it with Magic. Couldn't do it with Bird. Couldn't do it with Jordan. And couldn't do it with Kobe before his heel turn. He has a chance to with LeBron James right now. He can take his most valuable player/asset and drop him in his biggest market, finally, after all this time. You don't think he's all over it? Guess again.

LeBron a Knick?

That thing I've been telling you about LeBron being in the bag for the past two or so years? Looks like it's true. I just got a few e-mails that he's a Knick. Now, if true, this will leak FAST, and well in advance of the special tomorrow night. Based on who sent the e-mails, I believe it is true. And if it is true, welcome back New York Knicks!

UPDATE: You're going to hear so much BS about LeBron going to Miami or Chicago or Cleveland from anyone with an interest in the ratings of the ESPN or internet refreshes before the announcement, but this is leaking out already in some spots, and I'd imagine it will be the worst kept secret in America by the time the special start. He's a Knick. Deal.

Kovalchuk?

Wow, after getting excited about a youth movement, I wake to find the Rangers are a finalist for Ilya Kovalchuk. If it doesn't break the cap, make it happen, Sather! You owe us! Go Rangers!

The King of Swing!

While CC continued to drive his ERA down by picking up his 11th win by throwing 8.2 innings of 1 run, 3BB and 10K ball, ARod took care of the rest. In the 3rd, Tex was hit by a pitch to load the bases and ARod avenged him once again with a grand slam. Later he hit another homer, driving in 5 of the Yanks' 6 runs. Meanwhile, Tex made a number of great defensive plays on balls in play. Wow. The Yanks really are playing much better D this year.


On anthother note, I think the Yanks are real players for Cliff Lee, now, rather than in the offseason. We'll see what happens, but Romine and a non-Betance pitcher could do it. AJ goes tomorrow. Go Yanks!

McDonagh Signs!

In a very nice turn of events, Wisconsin Defenseman Ryan McDonagh has decided to forego his senior season and sign with the Rangers. McDonagh was the key item in last summer's Gomez trade. The 7th overall pick in the 2007 draft, the Rangers had wanted him since he absolutely blew the doors off the NHL combine. McDonagh is a tough, strong stay at home defenseman who will be a perfect compliment to Del Zotto, if they decide to do that. He's a fine first passer, but he's not a Leetch type at all. He had been waffling before the recent prospect camp, but had such a positive experience, he decided to sign. Go Rangers!

Checkmate

It's is obvious now that Cleveland and Chicago cannot complete a sign and trade for Bosh without giving up pieces of their franchises that interest LeBron. So in either situation he'd be going to a weakened, capped out team Meanwhile the Knicks have already secured Amar'e, whom interests LeBron as much as Bosh does - some say more. And they still have more caproom coming. If LeBron really wants to be a billionaire, transcendant and a winner, I think we have checkmate. Go Knicks!

Vaz!

Javy Vazquez was outstanding over 7 innings of 3 hit 1 run ball as the Yanks beat the A's 3-1 to move 20 games over .500. Tex homered and Grandy tripled, and, boy, could we used their O. The outfielder, Gardner, Grandy and Colin Curtis all made great plays. Joba pitched a dominant 8th hitting 97 on the gun, and Mo pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Way to start the roadtrip. CC pitches tomorrow. Go Yanks!

Whither LeBron?

Sorry about the trouble with posts disappearing tonight. They will probably reappear at some point. It's happened before. Anyway, with Amar'e in New York, LeBron's only choice of non-Knick big sidekick is free agent, Chris Bosh. The thing with Bosh is that he wants a 6 year deal, and that will require any interested team in doing a Sign and Trade deal with Toronto. The problem with that is that the one player they coveted in a Bosh S+T, was David Lee from the Knicks, and the Knicks have already filled their power need. So that leaves, Chicago, Miami and Houston scrambling for parts. Cleveland has not talked to Bosh or Toronto about a Sign and Trade. And meanwhile both LeBron and Dywane Wade are apparently annoyed by Bosh's attempts to piggyback on them. That makes the Knicks the only team with both a sidekick LeBron wants and the cap room to sign him. The math just keeps getting easier. Go Knicks!

Amar'e Is a Knick!

The Big Meeting is over and Amar'e Stoudemire has verbally agreed to be the first domino in the Knick Renaissance. It's clear they would not have taken this step without a blessing from LeBron, but let's not just view Amar'e as a means to an end. He's an elite scorer in his own right, and the best Knick in quite some time. Great to have him aboard! But, the key is who comes next? We are headed back to the playoffs. Go Knicks!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone is having a great holiday. I've been in and out and in tune with the breaking story of the Knicks second meeting with Team LeBron. Apparently, the clandestine meeting between LeBron's agent and representatives and MSG President Scott Neil and Basketball Operations point man Glen Grunwald, took place Saturday morning in Cleveland. Now the media is going to spin that every possible way, but the truth is second meetings are always a good thing. And secret meetings are possibly the best things. As we've followed the moves of the Yanks and Giants for years, we've learned those secret meetings are always good news. I still believe LeBron will be a Knick when all is said and done, and the secret meeting just makes me that much more sure. Drive safely, everyone! Go Knicks!


UPDATE: apparently a league source is reporting that the Knicks are flying back to Cleveland to meet with LeBron again tonight. True or false, Go Knicks!

Thames Time!

Marcus "Mr.Pie" Thames did it again! He just ended a nutty game in the 10th with a two out single that drove in Cano with the winning run. Hughes was bad today. Mo was bad today. Tex is heating up. Gardner is a magical being. We got three guys thrown out at home. Po hurt a finger on his catching hand. But, the Yanks won their 50th. They need to do better in the second half, but it will come together and that will happen. Off to Oakland. Javy pitches there. Go Yanks!

Could It Be?

We are three days into NHL Free Agency, and from all appearances, they'are actually serious about a youth movement! So far, rather than doing anything splashy that would tie up postions for years, the Rangers have added a new backup goalie, a new enforcer, and just re-signed Prospal and Prust. They still have to deal with Staal and Girardi, but it absolutely looks like they are leaving spots open for kids. And some of the kids might be ready.


They're just coming off of what sounds like their best prospects camp ever. Stepan and Grachev dominate. Pashnin was an absolute revelation on D - though he can't come over till next year. Chris Kreider is up to 220 and possesses world class speed with the puck. Werek was impressive. And on and on. I wonder if watching them scrimmage so much told them some were ready. Dale Weise was already going to get a shot, but now it looks like Stepan, Grachev and McDonagh, if he signs, will also get shot. Interesting change of direction!


Though I wanted them to get Kovalchuk, I am always up for youth movements over signing FA's who used to be good. Now let's just avoid any prospecty trades! Go Rangers!

Brett Gardner is a Yankee

Forget about Carl Crawford. The Yanks have their speed and OBP guy going forward. The Yanks scored 11 runs in the 3rd inning of today's win, and Gardy was both the sparkplug and the hammer. He lead off the big inning with a line drive single, then hit a grandslam in his second AB of the inning. Later he walked. He plays great D, too. He keeps improving, and we don't need to replace him. Big win for the Yanks. Either Hughes or Javy goes tomorrow. Go Yanks!

Knicks Make Their "Official Offer"

The latests news is that the Knicks have made their official offer to Amar'e Stoudemire. This news is at best inaccurate and at worst a little disingenuos. This deal got done Thursday night, more or less. As is so often the case in player movement stories, the reports are behind the actual events. Anyway, if he passes the physical, it's just a very good situation for the Knicks. At the very least they have replaced David Lee. At the very most, they have shown LeBron that while Cleveland wouldn't go get him Amar'e last season at the deadline, the Knicks did withing 24 hours of meeting with him. Good job, Knicks, but getting LeBron is still Job 1. Go Knicks!

Whither Carmelo?

This week we heard that Carmelo Anthony would not sign a new deal with the Nuggets. We also heard that the Knicks were looking into trading for him, or had made him their target next July. Friday, we heard nothing about Carmelo, but tonight we learn Carmello has put his house up for sale http://tinyurl.com/36upmu8 . Could the trade talks with the Knicks be bearing fruit? Is he the backup plan, or might he be another inducement for LeBron. Now, he is no LeBron, as player and especially as a rate player, but he does score, looked great in D'Antoni's O, and gets to the line. I've always had a feeling he was going to be a Knick. We'll see. Go Knicks!

Yanks Lose

Good AJ was back, but bad bullpen and bad O were also back. Unacceptable. Andy goes tomorrow. Go Yanks!

Amar'e!

It seems like the first domino has fallen. The Daily News is reporting that the Knicks are closing in on a 5 year max deal with Amar'e. My guess is that it's structured so that there's an opt out after 3 year's at which time the Knicks will use their Bird rights to award a bigger contract. That format will probably only be turned to if they get two more players. Speaking of which, Dwyane Wade had a very good meeting with the Knicks today and says he's "intrigued." Interesting. The Knicks are currently meeting with Bosh, though it seems like a formality since they already have Amar'e. And an Amar'e and Gallo pairing has to be hugely appealing to LeBron. Go Knicks!


UPDATE: Apparently early reports that the Knicks meeting with Bosh only lasted one hour were wrong - it's still going on! Who knows what this means, but nothing if final till it's final.

Next Up For the Knicks

The Knicks are already in Chicago for Friday meetings with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Though it seems Amar'e might already be in the bag, the Knicks should go ahead and have their meetings, Dwyane could be a valuable fallback option for them if he doesn't agree with Miami soon. Bosh is also more or less expected to go to Miami, but as long as the Knicks have cap room, they should meet. Coach D knows both players from the Olympics so the circumstances should be comfortable. After that, they are scheduled to have a formal meeting with Amar'e on Sunday or Monday, though that might be a formality at that point. We'll see. Go Knicks!

Amar'e On the Way?

There's been an undercurrent of sentiment that Amar'e is in the bag. The Knicks spoke to him last night, then met with him briefly before flying from LA to Ohio. He's supposed to visit the Knicks on Sundays, but rumors are starting to fly that they are crunching the numbers now and he will be the Knicks new PF. Amar'e is one of the few athletes to make a full recovery from microfracture surgery and was at his best under Coach D'Antoni. Clearly if this is getting done, it wouldn't be without LeBron's blessing. So, go Knicks!

Alex Makes CC a Winner

CC pitched 8 strong innings today, and had a shutout going into the 8th. He gave up a walk and hit, then Po let a ball go by, there was a single and the game was tied. In the bottom of the 8th, Tex singled and ARod hit a bomb to right. Mo closes. Yanks win 4-2. Cano had homered earlier. The Yanks have to start hitting. CC now has ten wins and went from the starter who was struggling to the only one who isn't! AJ goes tomorrow, we'll see if Eiland has helped. Go Yanks!

Knicks LeBron Meeting Ends

The Knicks have completed their scheduled meeting with LeBron James. It lasted over two and a half hours and they were cautiously optimistic after the meeting. Walsh says he expects another meeting. To me, this is all part of LBJ's Cleveland Exit Strategy. I still fully expect him to be a Knick as I have for the last two years. Go Knicks!

Rangers Hire a New Enforcer

Just a few minutes after losing their reigning enforcer Jody Shelley to a suprising three year deal to the Flyers, the Rangers signed Derek Boogaard to be their new enforcer. He's a baaaad man but may not be the clubhouse leader Jody was. That leadership has to be replaced. Go Rangers!



UPDATE: The Rangers gave him 4 years, 6.6M. That probably represents a pretty significant overpay. Now hire some people for him to protect!

UPDATE: Apparently the Boogaard deal is just front loaded. The 6.6M is an extrapolation of the first year amount. The real deal is 3.6M which is fine.