World Series Fun 2015

  

 When you think of playoffs, what comes to your mind? Do you feel excited? What about stressed out? Whether the Giants or Yankees are in the playoffs, I get superstitious. I will not move from my seat until something good happens. When the Giants won Super Bowl 46, they had to beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship. As my wife stepped out to the movies, I had the place to myself. When she came back, the game was in overtime. I was sitting at the edge of “my chair” and told her not to talk to me. As we know, the Giants would win. For New York Mets fans, this has been an exciting time. The Major League playoffs have been exciting. Did you know that only 2 of 10 playoff teams have won a World Series in the past 10 years(Yankees in 2009, Cardinals 2006 and 2011)? This World Series will be a good series.

     The Kansas City Royals have been back to the Promised Land. The last time we had back to back pennant winners were 2010-2011 Texas Rangers.  Even with the loss of Greg Holland, the Royals still have the best bullpen out there. That is there strength. If their starting pitching can get through 5 innings and they have a lead, forget about it. Wade Davis is just that damn good. Their offense his pretty good looking too. They have a National League style offense. Lorenzo Cain is pretty good in the leadoff spot. The lineup can do anything from bunt to steal to popping a few home runs. Their weakness is the starting pitching. If Johnny Cueto and Yordano Ventura pitch lights out, then you are talking about something else. Kansas City will not go quiet into the night like the Cubbies. Besides, the Royals have a better defense!

   The last time the New York Mets played in the World Series, they played my beloved Yankees in 2000. They ended up losing in 5 games. When it comes to the Mets, it’s quite interesting to be honest with you. Everyone knew they had an unreal, young, freakish starting rotation. If anything, people knew that it help them contend this season. Even going into the season, their bullpen was average. We then saw the suspension of Jenry Mejia which certainly did not help them. On the other hand, Jeruys Familia has been lights out as their closer. Throughout the first 4 months, their offense was just anemic. No one was really hitting(including Daniel Murphy!) The Mets acquire Yoenis Cespedes on July 31. That trade ignited the Mets offense.

   American League playoffs seemed to be a bit more entertaining. Both Kansas City and Toronto were down in their respective ALDS series. It looked like we were going to have a Texas team in the World Series. All of a sudden, the best 2 teams in the AL played like the best 2 teams in the AL and forced game 5’s. Both teams won to set up the ALCS.  Mets-Dodgers was definitely exciting. It went the distance. We had the Chase Utley situation. With the Cubs beating the Major League best Cardinals, everyone was thinking “Back to the Future II.” It was supposed to be the Cubs year. The Mets certainly derailed those plans.

    What I would like out of this World Series is a good fight from both teams. If you want my guess, I think it will go the distance. I will not predict a winner because my winner usually loses in the big spots. As a New York fan, as well as for my wife and father-in-law, I could say that I am routing for the Mets. Honestly, I want good baseball. We will get great baseball like we did in last year’s World Series. Everyone enjoy!!!

Yogi: He's our Bear, So Lovable

 

   Hey everyone!!! I’m sorry for such the long the delay between my posts. Between the Jewish holidays  and making up for lost time at work, it has been hectic. Even in the midst of these amazing baseball playoffs, I will be talking about something else. As not only a big time Yankees fan, but a huge baseball fan I will be writing about the loss of Yogi Berra. Honestly, I should be ashamed of myself for not writing about this quite some time ago.  Yogi Berra is one of the all time greats. He ranks higher amongst all time catchers than he does amongst all time Yankees, how astonishing is that? In my opinion, he is the number 1 greatest catcher, slightly ahead of Johnny Bench, of all time. He is the number 5 all time, behind Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, on the Yankees all time list.

     Many people may disagree with me about Yogi being ranked ahead of Johnny Bench as the greatest catcher. Besides for being the best “Bad Ball” hitter of all time, who else wins 3 MVP awards while playing with greats like Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams? It certainly was not Bench. He also caught pitchers like Whitey Ford and Allie Reynolds. Allie Reynolds pitched 2 no hitters in 1951 and guess who caught him? If you guess Peter Lawerence “Yogi” Berra, then you guessed correctly.

   Almost every baseball fan knows that Yogi has won 10 World Series, the most by any player. Did you know that is more World Series wins than the Padres, Mariners, Blue Jays, Royals, Rangers, and Astros combined? They only have 3 World Series wins combined (’85 by the Royals, ’92 and ’93 by the Blue Jays). He won 3 while playing with Joe D and 7 while playing with the Mick. When you play with those legends, it’s easy to overlook someone of Yogi’s stature.

     Yogi seemed to be the quintessential team player. When asked to move around positions, he did as needed for the team. When Bill Mazeroski hit his infamous Game 7 World Series home run, it was Yogi looking at the ball sail over the outfield fence. Elston Howard was behind the plate. What really bothers me is the that fans decided not to honor Yogi at this year’s All Star Game. Everyone fan base got to vote for their “Franchise Four” and Yankees Nation got theirs correct. Fans then got to vote for the top 4 Living Legends. At the time, Yogi was still well and alive. The fans voted Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. Not to sound biased as a Yankee fan, but Berra should have been there instead of Bench.

    Everyone knows that once Yogi retired in 1963, he immediately started his managing career. In 1964, he managed the Yankees to the World Series, but they lost in 7 games. He was immediately fired after the World Series. After being let go, he managed the cross town Mets. In 1973, he also led the Mets to the World Series, but lost to the super hot A’s. He was fired after that World Series. What boggles my mind is why was he fired after taking his teams to the World Series? He obviously knew what he was doing. After 1973, George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees and hired another Yankees great Billy Martin. Yogi was immediately named onto Billy’s coaching staff. People had an obvious amount of respect for Yogi when it came to the game of baseball.

    Yogi will always be missed. Even though I never got to see him play, my dad is always telling me about how great it was to watch him play growing up. When they show clips or classic games on YES of Yogi, it shows his passion and intensity for the game. If people want to learn to play the game better, learn from Yogi. While listening to the Michael Kay Show on ESPN, interviews with past players about Yogi showing up at spring training were just phenomenal. Anyone who was around to see Yogi at any stage in his life, should truly feel grateful.

JPW(rong)!!!!!

  

  I can’t believe it’s almost September! Boy does time fly! Baseball season is in its thickest moments as the pennant races are really starting to heat up. If both the Yankees and Mets make the playoffs it will help all of New York sports. We’ve seen in recent history that Boston sports had its high, especially with the Patriots winning the Super Bowl this year. Speaking of which, football season is upon us!  It’s hard to say what I’m looking forward to more, fantasy football or how my New York Football Giants perform. Let’s just pause for a second. We are only half way through the PRESESASON and both New York football teams have had their off the field issues.

   When you think of 4^th of July what comes to mind? We have barbeques, days off from work, fireworks? If you’re a Giants fan, you have all that plus Jason Pierre-Paul and 9 fingers. Instantly, my first question was what the hell was he thinking? Playing around with fireworks? Granted he is allowed to have some fun, but he can have fun in other ways. The very first reports to come out were that he had just severely burned his hand. About a week later, reports came out through the media(not the Giants) that he had his right finger amputated. Everyone, including Giants management, were shocked and stunned.

     How can I say that the Giants were stunned? You can say that literally and emotionally. JPP would not let the team doctor and other staff to come visit him. They flew down special to Florida to come check him out and see what they can do to help. He would not let them into his hospital room. After that, the Giants had not heard from him for weeks. If you want the truth, it was utterly disgusting of JPP to not allow the Giants to help him in a time of need. Little did anyone know, the Giants had a long term extension on the table before this incident. After this incident, more importantly after he wouldn’t let the team to see him, they pulled it off the table. That was the right move by the Giants.

   Once everyone found out that he had his right index finger amputated, the first question that was asked was how affective he will be this season. As a defensive end, you use your hands a lot trying to rush the passer. Will not having his right index finger affect his play? If he figures out a way to focus, he will have no problems. Marty McFly once said, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” If JPP has that feeling, it will be as if none of this ever happened.

   The Giants had two consecutive subpar seasons. The first season, the offense was the problem. The defense was a top 10 defense in the league. Last season, the offense was drastically fixed, but the defense had the problems. If Jason Pierre Paul comes back strong, he can anchor the defense. The Giants can have a great season if their strengths of the past 2 seasons work together this year.  Was JPP stupid for this stint? Absolutely! Should he have let the Giants medical staff and others come see him? Hell Yes! You never want to upset your employer. Most importantly, if JPP works hard towards his goals, will the Giants be better off? Of course! Let’s hope for the tens of thousands, upon tens of thousands, of Giants fans that JPP produces, as well as the Giants as a team!

Counting Pitches

             

 

  If you are a father, or ever plan on being one, you always dream of taking your children to a baseball game. My father did that with my sister and me growing up. On Wednesday, my father and I were supposed to go to Washington D.C. and catch a Nationals game, instead we saw Yankees-Red Sox game. It was the highly anticipated debut of Luis Serevino, the Yankees top overall prospect. When I found out that he was pitching the game we were attending I was very excited. This was the future of the Yankees. He honestly did not have a bad pitching line: 5 IP, 2 H, 2R/1ER 0 BB and 7K. The Yankees are moving in the right direction.

     When we sat down at our seats last night, we were very excited to see this kid pitch. My dad grew up watching likes of Whitey Ford, Tom Seaver, and Ron Guidry take the mound. Those were pitchers that would always go the distance. Bullpens were rarely used through the late 1970's. Pitchers, managers, and owners barely ever worried about a pitchers pitch count. Whitey Ford pitched 14 seasons with no injuries. The only interruption he had was service time during the Korean War. Ron Guidry and Tom Seaver both had nice and lengthy careers with barely any problems. My dad did not seem to to understand why Luis Serevino was taken out after 5 innings and 94 pitches. I tried explaining to him that it was about "protecting" the pitchers arm.

   If you want my honest opinion, why do you need to "protect" a pitchers arm with innings limits and pitch counts if they may need to fix it regardless. Many pitchers have Tommy John surgery and come back stronger, but you can't prevent that from happening. If you look at the Mets, they have fantastic young starting pitching. Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler already have had TJ surgery. Innings limits already messed up Stephen Strausburg's and forced him out for a season. Masahiro Tanaka did the right thing. He pitched until he couldn't anymore and rehabbed his arm. He came back in the same season.

   I understand that people want to "protect" their investments, short term or long term, but what's the point of investing if you don't get their full potential. Do you think Whitey Ford, Sandy Koufax, or Bob Gibson ever let their managers give them an innings limit or pitch count? People have to understand that thinking for the present and the future is about tapping your potential. You can't get oil unless you drill all the way to the bottom right? Same concept with pitchers. Let's give them another shot. If Major League Baseball wants to "pretend" the steroid era never happened, this is a good start.

Trading Thoughts(and Players)?

     

    The non-waiver Trade deadline came and went this past Friday. There were a lot of deals and no deals. Many teams had many needs, but were their questions really answered? Houston getting Scott Kazmir and Carlos Gomez, Toronto getting David Price and Tulo, or the the Mets getting Tyler Clippard and Yoenis Cespedes, all these teams got a quality hitter and pitcher. Other teams like Kansas City and Washington made upgrades at possible weaknesses, will it work out for everyone Only time will really tell. There are so many things that the trade deadline tells me. 

   The first big trade of the summer was Scott Kazmir going from the A's to the Astros. A few weeks later, the Astros got Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers from the Milwaukee Brewers. It shows a lot of the Astros when it comes to these 2 moves. First of all, after rebuilding through a terrific farm system, they are ready to win now and are confident with their way of play. Second of all, it shows that the Astros are serious about building a contender. Houston fans should be really excited about their team, even if they fall short of the playoffs(they will make the postseason).

   Both the Blue Jays and the Mets showed that they are all in, even if they have "Rent-A-Players." They Mets are more in contention than the Blue Jays, but the Blue Jays are more built to win now. Honestly, I have no problem with what the Blue Jays did, but the main question is whether David Price decides to stay there. My main concern is with the Mets. They desperately need offense, which is why they got Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, and Yoenis Cespedes. Uribe and Johnson are both role players, but Cespedes is a power hitter that can help make the lineup better. Lucas Duda hit 3 home runs this weekend with Cespedes in the lineup. The main concern with this trade is if they can sign him after the season ends. It is more of a concern if the Mets can sign Cespedes than if the Blue Jays will sign David Price.

    The real question everyone has is what happened to those high and mighty New York Yankees. They are in first place in their division, but in desperate need of starting pitching. Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto, and David Price were all on the market, but they didn't want to part with their top 4 prospects. If you want my honest opinion, I completely agree with what the Yankees did. We all know how great Price, Hamels, and Cueto are, but the Yankees have finally built up a respectable farm system. They are trying to win now with the intent of getting younger. It does not mean that they will not sign free agents or make trades, it just means that they will be smarter with the way they build their team. For example, the C.C. Sabathia signing was great for them the first 3 1/2 years. The past 2 plus years of C.C. has been wear and tear on his body. Bringing up youth will help the team now and in the future.

   Baseball is a funny game in so many ways.We had a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates, who for 20 years had losing seasons, finally made the postseason 2 years ago. They built through their farm system and are paying major dividends. The Kansas City Royals made it to Game 7 of the World Series. On the other hand, look at the Boston Red Sox. In 2012, they finished in last place in the A.L., but the next year in 2013 they won the World Series, followed by a last place finish. Never underestimate baseball executives and managers on how they run their teams, its all up to the players on how they play.

In Love With the NBA?

                                                      

   Within 3 weeks, the NBA had a Finals that went 6 games, the NBA Draft, and free agency. I know its not as big as the NFL or MLB right now, but what other sport has 3 of its major events so close to each other? Something like that keeps me intrigued in the sport. As David Stern was leaving his post and Adam Silver was beginning, the NBA was really starting to take off again. LeBron James in the NBA Finals 5 years in a row!! San Antonio building on a dynasty. What about Golden State going from the cellar to World Champs in a matter of about 4 years.

    The real frenzy with the NBA really starts with the Finals this year. What a finals it was this season. LeBron vs. Curry. Will Curry keep up his historic run? Can LeBron help a depleted Cavaliers team overcome an unreal Warriors team? All these story lines produced a great series that went to a shocking Game 6. These finals received the highest ratings since Michael Jordan was last in the NBA Finals. Many people started saying how LeBron James should win the Finals MVP, even if he loses the series, I disagreed with everyone. Andre Iguadala was very deserving of the Finals MVP.

    About a week after the NBA Finals, we had the NBA Draft. There was so much speculation in the months leading up to the Draft. Who's going to go first, Karl Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor? What will the Knicks do? There were a bunch of teams with needs, especially to get younger and more athletic. The Lakers, who had the 2nd pick, shockingly picked D'Angello Russell! That was the first surprise of the draft. Not that Russell was not deserving, but everyone thought Okafor would, at most, be the 2nd overall pick. Knicks fans became excited when the Lakers did not pick Okafor, but than Philly decided to go that way. That made no sense to me because the 76ers had already drafted back to back big men before Okafor. Then we have the number 4 pick with the Knicks. Who do they decide to take? Did they take Mudiay? Justice Winslow? Nope, they drafted Kristaps Porzingas! The whole crowd booed at the pick. It looks like it may be the right pick. He played well in the Las Vegas Summer League, but it’s just the summer league. The way to describe that pick is “cautiously optimistic.”
     
  While the NBA Draft is there for teams to get better in the long term, NBA free agency is more about helping right now. This off season was the most anticipated offseason since the summer of 2010. We knew the likes of Marc Gasol, Khawi Leonard, and Dragic Goran were staying with their current teams. What we did know about the likes of Greg Monroe, Lamarcus Aldridge, and Wesley Matthews was that they were on the move, but to where exactly? Everyone thought Monroe was absolutely going to the Knicks, but he ended up going to the Bucks(any shock there?!?!). Most people knew Aldridge was going to choose the Spurs. Where Wesley Matthews was going was up in the air, all though him signing with Dallas was an interesting choice of destination. Now as some of you realize, I left DeAndre Jordan off this list, but why? Well he is a special case.
    
     As everyone knows, when it comes to NBA free agency there is a moratorium. What is a moratorium? It is the time period where NBA free agents can visit teams that are interested in them and the time they can sign their contracts. This year it was a 9 day difference. Many of the free agents who signed with their teams came to verbal agreements. DeAndre Jordan was a special case. He was being courted by his current team, Los Angeles Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers. He had came to a verbal agreement with Mark Cuban to sign a max deal with the Mavericks. The Clippers seemed so desperate not to lose him, they decided to go to his house in Houston and convince him not to go to Dallas.
    
   As we all know, he spurned the Mark Cuban and the Mavericks and went back to the Clippers. The sad thing is that he could not even contact Mark Cuban to let him know of his decision. If you decide to have a change of heart that is one thing, but to not let Cuban know of his decision was just wrong. It is the responsibility of at least the agent, if not the player himself, to let the other team know he is not going to play for them. If you want my opinion, I believe that not only was DeAndre Jordan a coward, but so were those that convinced him otherwise. It is the professional thing to do. That is part of being a professional athlete. When a college football or basketball player wants to switch schools/programs, he has to let his current program know, it is the same concept here.
    
   The NBA and the NBAPA have to come to an agreement about getting rid of the moratorium. In baseball, we see that teams have exclusive negotiating rights with their own FA’s for 5 days after the end of the World Series. After those 5 days, they are free to talk to any team the wish. Something similar should be implemented by the NBA. It does not like good from a business standpoint. The NBA is really starting to take off in almost every positive aspect. If they can fix this one problem, it would certainly help more than hurt them.