New York Sports Fan Blog

In what came to a shock to most people Roger Clemens was found not guilty on all counts of doping yesterday. Even though the case was long the jurors returned their verdict  relatively quickly, less than 10 hours over several days. This ended a 10-week trial and the verdict was the latest blow to the government’s legal pursuit of athletes accused of illegal drug use. Barry Bonds was only found guilty of one count of obstruction in a San Francisco court last year. Probably one of the most famous anti-drug cases was that of Lance Armstrong. After a two-year, multi-continent investigation of the seven-time Tour de France champion the case was only recently closed with no charges.

Clemens was accused of cheating the achieve and extend his successful career and he was charges with two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing Congress when he testifies at a deposition and at a nationally televised hearing in February 2008. Clemens had denied multiple times that he never used steroids and human growth hormones during his 24-year career with the New York Yankees that produced 354 victories. The government had a strong case against Clemens when his longtime strength coach Brian McNamee testified against Clemens saying he injected Clemens with steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001 and with HGH in 2000. He produced a needle with other materials he said were from those injections. But he was the only one who claimed he knew about Clemens using steroids and HGH. But the defense said that Clemens was injected by McNamee but not with anything illegal, but with vitamin B12. Whatever the case the jury had the final say and they decided that Roger Clemens did not do anything illegal, a decision many people do not believe because of the evidence that was brought up against Clemens.

Everyone knew that the Yankees were going to trade top catching prospect Jesus Montero. But no one knew it would simply be a one for one swap.

Brian Cashman took a gamble in trading the mighty Montero for Michael Pineda, a good pitching prospect, but one who has yet to prove himself as Major League ready.

As a Mets fan, by nature it is hard for me to say anything positive about the Yankees, and I laughed when I first heard about this trade, thinking, “Wow, Cashman is a fool.” But after looking further into it, this may have been the move of the decade for the Yankees.

With a starting rotation that was less than stellar in the last few seasons, the Yankees have been looking to get younger with regards to starting pitching, as they have been letting Ivan Nova pitch more than expected. The Yankees kept this train of thought by trading for Pineda, the 6’8 290 pound right hander from the Mariners that makes CC Sabathia look like Steve Urkel.

The question is, who will have a bigger impact in 2012, Pineda on the mound for the Yankees? Or Montero at the dish for the Mariners? Montero showed massive power in his short stint with the Yankees, making the short porch in right field his friend rather quickly. It was a tough call to trade Montero at all due to his strong swing, but most fans knew it had to happen in order for the Yankees to upgrade their rotation (not to mention dumping AJ Burnett off on the Pirates).

The Yankees also are not lacking in the power department. With big bats like Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez holding down the heart of the order and Curtis Granderson providing a spark no matter where he is placed in the lineup, Brian Cashman felt that Montero was worth giving up for a good pitching prospect, and they got a good one.

Pineda has been clocked in the high 90’s, even topping 100 mph on his fastball several times. Many scouts say he has the potential to make an immediate impact this season for New York, and could even end up being the team’s number one starter by season’s end. CC Sabathia might have something to say about that, of course, but the fact that Pineda has a similar build and a very live fastball could create one of the best 1-2 pitching punches in the American League. With new free agent Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, and either Phil Hughes or Freddy Garcia behind them in the rotation, the Yankees pitching staff could be poised to help the Bronx Bombers to the World Series for the first time since 2009, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies for their 27th championship.

Overall, Pineda appears to be the real deal. Trading proven hitting talent for pitching is always a gamble, as pitching is never a sure thing in this day and age, but the Yankees appear to have reeled in an ace.

Even though they exited in the first round playoffs, the 2011 has to be viewed as a successful campaign for the New York Yankees. Prior to the season, everyone and their mother had the Boston Red Sox winning the AL East. The Yankees were not even a lock to secure a Wild Card bid. Armed with a makeshift starting rotation (C.C. Sabathia, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, rookie Ivan Nova, and the erratic A.J. Burnett) a few slumping players (Jeter, Swisher, Teixera), and injuries (A-Rod, Jeter, Soriano), the Yankees managed to overcome the odds to win the division.

The 2011 season was special for reasons other than the division crown. Two of the franchise’s most celebrated players recorded signature moments over the course of the year. Derek Jeter went 5-5 in a game in which he hit a home run for his 3,000^th career hit. Mariano Rivera converted his 600^th save as well as the career mark for saves with 603. All players that endured lengthy slumps managed to right the ship. Mark Teixera’s batting average was a far cry below his career average, but he managed to tie his second highest mark for home runs with 39 and was a run producing machine. Jeter broke out of his slow start in a big way to finish just shy of a .300 batting average. Nick Swisher also bounced back in a big way after seeing his average sit in the low .200’s in June. Curtis Granderson rebounded strongly from a disappointing 2010 season with MVP caliber numbers. Granderson lead the AL with 41 home runs on the year. Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia delivered very impressive years disproving the critics who said they were done. Ivan Nova burst onto the scene going 16-4 and is a top candidate for AL Rookie of the Year.

The 2012 season could be the beginning of a transitional period for the New York Yankees. Jorge Posada was slowly phased out during the course of the year and Jesus Montero appears to be the future at catcher. Despite the revivals of Garcia and Colon, they are not at all long-term answers in the rotation. Pitching is definitely a necessity this off-season. Nova should not be counted on to deliver the same performance in his second year and Phil Hughes has a history of injury concerns. The Yankees appear to be set with their current roster of positional players, but someone to spell Alex Rodriguez in the field should be brought in as he moves closer and closer to a full-time designated hitter.

Bright Spots: Curtis Granderson, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Mariano Rivera, Nate Robertsom

Disappointments: Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Rafael Soriano, A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain

Despite missing the postseason for the fifth consecutive season, 2011 was a success for the New York Mets. A change in club culture has set the Mets on the right path to have success in the near future. Entering the season, the club’s pitching staff was in complete disarray and there were question marks all around the diamond outside of David Wright and Jose Reyes. Even they weren’t rock solid with their injury history in recent years. The Mets managed to hang around .500 for a majority of the year despite not having Carlos Beltran, David Wright, and Jose Reyes for stretches. The result was optimism  at the end of the year when they finished 77-85. The emergence of some young players on the team shows signs of a new beginning. New General Manager Sandy Alderson and Manager Terry Collins definitely put their stamp on this Mets team. Alderson made some crafty moves in acquiring Chris Capuano be an innings eater and prized young arm Zack Wheeler from San Francisco in a trade for Carlos Beltran. Collins managed wonderfully, getting the Mets to play hard and focused throughout the season, something not associated with the organization in recent years.

With Collins at the helm, Jose Reyes enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career. Reyes had over 10 triples by July and was lead the league in batting. He may have finished with better numbers had a reoccurring hamstring injury not forced him to miss extended time. Several young players had breakout seasons for the Mets. Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy were tearing the cover off the ball, but both had their seasons end prematurely with injuries. A position must be found though for Murphy as he continues to struggle wherever they put him on the field. Also providing a spark were middle infielders Ruben Tejada and Justin Turner. They often worked counts, got on base at the top of the lineup, played sound defense, and filled in for Reyes admirably when he was on the shelf. Lucas Duda also found his stroke, but it remains to be seen where he projects in the field (outfield seems most likely). David Wright missed a prolonged period of time due to a stress fracture in his back, but came back strongly at the plate when he finally returned.

The main focus for the 2012 Mets is ensuring that the dynamic Jose Reyes is penciled in at shortstop and leading off for the foreseeable future. Tejada is a decent replacement, but he is no Reyes by any means. The Mets are strapped for cash because of owner Fred Wilpon’s involvement with ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, but Reyes should be brought back by any means. Returning some injured players to health coupled with further development of young players could make this lineup a very potent one (especially with the fences at Citi Field being brought in). Upgrades in the starting rotation and bullpen are a necessity if this team really wants to compete, but financial limitations may postpone that for another year or two.

Bright Spots: Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, Jose Reyes, Ruben Tejada, Justin Turner, Chris Capuano, Ike Davis

Disappointments: David Wright, Jason Bay, Angel Pagan, Josh Thole, Bullpen, R.A. Dickey

Serious question. I just want to know where we stand right now. I also don’t want to be the first to throw in the towel if we still think a miracle is possible and we can finish above .500 this year. On the other hand, I’m slowly starting to lose track of how many players we have on the disabled list, and I’m recognizing less and less of the players that are taking the field for us every week. As a side-note, the Mets would absolutely dominate the all-injured MLB Playoffs if they started today. No question. David Wright? Ike Davis? Chris Young? You might as well throw Carlos Beltran in there — he’ll be back there any day now. There’s also that pretty decent pitcher you might have forgotten about. Johan Santana? I think that’s his name. Now that’s a dominant team. They’d probably sweep every series on their way to the DL Championship. I don’t know about you but all I’m hearing right now is parade.

On a more serious note, whether the Mets (and their fans) are still hoping the team can right the ship and at least contend with the Marlins and Braves or stay within 10 games of the Phils, the truth remains that some significant changes will be made to the team in the very near future. Or at least they should be made.

For starters, why Jason Bay is scheduled to make $16 million next year is completely beyond me. If it wasn’t for the ridiculous amounts of injuries we’ve had, and the bad luck that has made it so that Bay hasn’t been one of those injuries, he probably wouldn’t have played in half of the games he has so far this season. In fact, nothing would make me happier than to see Bay get sent down to the minors. And not Triple-A; I’m talking Class-A Short Season. Aberdeen Ironbirds if possible. That’s how hard it is to watch this guy play right now. While I’m at it I’m going to encourage you to buy this Jason Bay bobblehead. It’ll be worth a ton in a few years when Bay is out of the majors, and I’ve been told $2 of each sale goes directly to him, which he’ll probably need after he has to give back his salary from the last few years after failing to hit 20 total home-runs in 3 seasons. Please help him out.

Sadly, nothing I have said above about Jason Bay will actually happen. What is going to happen, however, is that the Mets will trade one of their key pieces, if not a few of them. It seems like the favorite to be traded, whether mid-season or in the off-season, is shortstop Jose Reyes. Reyes has been the only bright light in what has been a bottomless pit of darkness of a season so far (okay maybe not. Justin Turner has definitely been a nice surprise), and could even be in the early MVP discussion if he was on a better team. He also represents the player New York would probably get the best value for, as a handle full of teams would be interested in his speed, defense, and hitting. Even David Wright, the Mets poster boy and management’s very favorite has been rumored to be on the trading block, as it’s believed that Wright’s poor hitting would significantly improve in another ballpark (not too convinced about that one…) and on a team where he wouldn’t be expected to be “the guy.”

Personally, I’d rather see Wright go, as I think (and think that most would agree) that what Reyes offers at the plate and in the field is irreplaceable. Wright on the other hand — a talented hitter who seems to go through more slumps than your average “star” player and isn’t terribly clutch — can be replaced. It goes without saying that I would also like to see Beltran go. We could even package him in with Wright as a free giveaway. With a “please take this off our hands before it crumbles in a heap of dust” sign attached to him. Unfortunately, I think Reyes will in fact be the one to be traded. Which is why I just ordered this signed baseball that I plan on keeping in my pocket for the rest of my life, no matter how weird it makes my pants look. Most importantly, what I hope the Mets do is make up their mind about what direction the team is going in. If management wants to rebuild, I am all for that. We have some good young players to build around, and obviously a few pieces we could trade for more prospects and young talent.

What I’m most tired of is this team giving huge amounts of money to injury-prone, washed-up, or underachieving players while our “star” players sit on the bench injured all year while a bunch of no-names run around losing to the Pirates and making me the laughing stock of my Yankee-fan friends. Can you feel the frustration yet?

Doc Gooden Mets/Yankees Superstar Upcoming Signing – 7/24/2010 Here are the details: Where: The Tunnicliff Inn When: 7/24/2010 Phone: (908) 258-7228 All Orders and Mail-Order need to be received by: 7/16/2010 Prices: Flats & Balls: $35 Caps, Equip, Bats & Jerseys: $45 Inscriptions: $15
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New York Yankees third baseman, Alex Rodriguez will be in the Yankees line up tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies. Rodriguez will bat clean up and will play as the designated hitter. Hopefully his minor groin injury will not affect his plate appearance and he can help the Yankees take another game from the Phillies. Rodriguez was batting a .317 in his last 10 games before his injury occurred.

The New York Yankees have completely dominated the Minnesota Twins at home since 2002 with a record of 25-3 before Sunday afternoon’s game. It looked like the Yankees were going to win again yesterday afternoon when the unimaginable happened.

The game was in the bag, Mariano Rivera was summoned in the bottom of the eight inning to record a four out save. Rivera has been perfect all season, he didn’t let up any runs in all his save oppurtunites… until yesterday. Viewers might have thought they were dreaming, but it is true, Rivera facing Jason Kubel with the bases loaded let up a grand slam! Rivera has only let up four grand slams in his career and the last time Rivera let up a grand slam at home was back in 1995! With Kubel’s grand slam, he stopped Rivera’s consecutive save streak at home with 51, tied with Eric Gagne.

In the bottom of the 9th inning the Yankees tried to rally back. Teixiera got up as the tying run with two outs and a runner on first and second and struck out looking on a pitch that was clearly inside but ruled a strike. The Yankees haven’t brought out any pies yet this year, they had a chance yesterday to bring their walk-off magic of last year back, but they fell short.

Rivera is not a machine, he is human. It was bound to happen sometime. Sometimes he is so dominate it is completely shocking when he fails, especially in the fashion that he did yesterday. Every year this happens and fans think, “Oh no, he’s falling apart! Is he at the end of his line?” Then by the end of the year fans forget that his few early season mishaps even happened. Rivera may have a few more bad games to come but his good games will outweigh the bad ones so much that they will be forgotten like usual.

The Twins finally got the monkey off their back defeating the Yankess 6-3. (Yankees.com)

by Eric Heyer at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Yesterday afternoon, Vazquez pitched the first game of the Yankees day-night doubleheader in Detroit. Vazquez has struggled all season long coming into yesterday’s game with a 9.78 ERA. After being skipped in his last start against the Red Sox, Vazquez had an opportunity to redeem himself against the Tigers.

Vazquez showed why the Yankees traded for him by only allowing one hit over the first five innings. In the sixth inning Vazquez ran into a little trouble allowing two runs to score, but that was all the runs the Tigers scored in the game.

Vazquez wound up going seven innings allowing two runs on five hits. If it wasn’t for the stellar pitching of 21 year old Rick Porcello of the Tigers, Vazquez would have recorded his second win of the season. Porcello went seven innings of shutout baseball. Perry came in for the eighth to secure the hold for Jose Valverde who came away with his tenth save.

This was the first time the Yankees lost by a shutout all season and it is the first time they lost three games in a row this season. The only positive the Yankees can take from their loss is that Vazquez was finally back to himself. If he keeps on pitching like he did yesterday, his wins will eventually pick up and their rotation will be solid from top to bottom. (mlb.com) (yankees.com)

by Eric Heyer at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Lenny Dykstra 1986 Mets WS Champ Upcoming Signing – 5/15/2010 Here are the details: Where: Westchester County Center When: 5/15/2010 Phone: (908) 258-7228 All Orders and Mail-Order need to be received by: 5/7/2010 Prices: All Items: $25.00; Free Inscription
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