Let’s have some fun. I was surfing Sportsbook reviews looking for what the odds makers think about the local teams chances of winning the World Series. The big free agent signings of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder have surged the Angels and Tigers into the top five, respectively. The Yankees are tied with the Angels was 13-2 favorites. The Phillies are still #1 in […]
In recent months I have discussed the dangers of long-term deals, specifically when it came to the Mets signing Jose Reyes. The years, more than the dollars, is usually the problem. Long-term contracts lead to teams paying premium dollars for players past their prime. The average annual value is often skewed because you have situations (see […]
On Opening Day 2011 there were 12 teams with payrolls of $100 million dollars or more. The Florida, now Miami Marlins were 7th from the bottom with a payroll of $56 million dollars. Over the last two weeks we have heard they have outstanding offers to Jose Reyes, Albert Pujols, Ryan Madson, and Mark Buehrle. […]
The MLB free agency period is now upon us and much speculation has been written where the Big Three free agents of Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes will be headed next. But should players who have played their entire careers with an organization be allowed to leave their respective teams this early in […]
The hot stove began early here in New York, so it’s time to start planning for what the Yankees can do to improve their ballclub in 2012. Decisions have to be made on CC Sabathia, who is expected to opt-out, Nick Swisher who has a $10.25 team option, and even Alex Rodriguez, who is owed 6 […]
I always hate hearing the old saying that a certain pitcher is more of a National League vs. American League hurler. It comes across arrogant, as if the National League isn’t Major League Baseball. Yes, there is a clear advantage to pitching against eight hitters versus a nine man lineup that includes the DH. But […]
It’s been 27 years since Davey Johnson first managed a big league ballclub. He told Frank Cashen that prior offseason that it was “a smart decision” to hire him. It’s probably equally as smart, perhaps fortuitous due to the resignation of Jim Riggleman, for Mike Rizzo to make the same decision in 2011. Johnson has managed, […]
When we talk about war in the modern game its normally in relation to Wins Above Replacement (WAR). We never consider the impact real war, and those who fought to serve our country, had on our National Pastime. When NFL star Pat Tillman volunteered to fight in Afghanistan it was a headline story. How many […]
Kostya Kennedy, author of the new Joe DiMaggio book “56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports,” joined me on last night’s radio show. When discussing the project we talked about how this record has withstood the test of baseball time. Despite different eras of offense, performance enhancing drugs, expansion, and even the […]
Although growing up in Brooklyn, and spending the first 26 years of my life there, I never had the affinity for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Growing up a Mets fan, I was more interested in learning about the history of the team in Flushing, versus their ancestors that resided 3,000 miles away. Since the creation of […]
It was a Friday afternoon on May 22nd, 1998. The night before the Mets beat Cincinnati 6-1 behind a complete game by Masato Yoshii. The team was hovering around .500 and only 13,766 showed up at Shea Stadium that night. Everything changed, however, as the Mets made one of their boldest moves in team history […]
Interesting blurb from a blog in the Belleville News- Democrat earlier today: Even last year the Yankees were rumored to have been the monkey wrench in the Matt Holliday works. While they publicly said they weren’t interested in the slugging outfielder, reports after the fact indicated that New York offered a short term contract for […]
I am not a fan of All Star Game’s so this view is one of bias. Starting with allowing the fans to vote for their favorite, I mean the best, players via a ballot. This has been an age old problem in MLB as commissioner Ford Frick had to strip the fans of their voting […]
Up until tonight I only heard tales of that great July 4th, 1985 victory where the Mets beat Atlanta 16-13 in 19 innings. Last summer, John Strubel, who is writing a book about the game, discussed it with me on NYBD Radio. I have to admit that tonight’s 2-1 win in 20 innings may be […]
Last spring I suggested the Mets “deal the farm” for Padres first basemen Adrian Gonzalez. The package I proposed was Jenrry Mejia, Jonathan Niese, Fernando Martinez, Daniel Murphy and Brad Holt. A rich package, no doubt, but this is a player that hit 40 homers and put up an OPS+ of 166 while playing half […]
