Harvey Dents The Diamondbacks

Honestly, I wanted to write this post because of the Batman pun. However, it is the truth as Matt Harvey made his Mets debut tonight and made the Diamondbacks hitters look like a bunch of Jokers striking out 11 over 5.1 innings, giving up 3 hits and walking 2 batters and better than that, gave up no runs. He Two-Faced the Snakes by going 2 for 2 with a double as well. The bullpen didn't do their Scarecrow routine and held the lead for a change. Will Harvey become a Bane to Arizona's existence? Probably not, but perhaps the rest of the league will need to crack the riddle that he brings now.

Yes, this was one start, but after a 1-11 start in the second half, the Mets seem to be fully in next season mode, so it's time to see what some prospects have now. Matt Harvey showed to be a power arm unafraid to pitch inside. Does this mean Zack Wheeler will come up before the end of the year? Perhaps. Will there be new bullpen arms in August and September? There better be if you're a Mets fan. That's for another day; today, let's celebrate Harvey.

RIP Gary Carter

There was a time when the Mets weren't a laughingstock. In fact, they were the number one team in New York back in the 1980s. One of the reasons they were was because they made a trade for Gary Carter. After a bounce back season in 1984, the Mets traded for Carter and within two years, they were World Series winners.

Yesterday, Gary Carter died of brain cancer. On a personal level, I have a grandmother who's going through what he did and on that level alone, I sympathize with his family. He will be remembered as a great catcher, even if he was overlooked all those years in Montreal and for getting the Mets over the hump as champions (particularly starting the rally in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series). It also allows the Mets to do something good by retiring his number, something that should have been done years ago. RIP Kid.

Worst Collapses Ever

As any baseball fan knows, the Boston Red Sox are in need of someone to give them the Heimlich. They have lost again tonight, leaving them a 2.5 game lead in the AL Wild Card over the LA Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays. They have company in the choking department as the Atlanta Braves now lead the St. Louis Cardinals by only 1.5 games, with the San Francisco Giants only down 3.5 games. As we watch both teams unravel and see if either of them can salvage their seasons' and reach postseason play, let's look back at all the history of collapses, with a twist. I'm going to measure all the times a team has blow a huge lead and determine how much of the loss was because of a comeback by 2nd place or a choke by 1st place. Let's get started.


1964 Philadelphia Phillies: Remains as the holy grail of baseball chokes. Up 6.5 games with 12 games to play, they lose 10 games in a row to cost themselves the pennant. It was that inexplicable, even the World Series programs for the 1964 World Series were set. Choke-O-Meter: 10

1951 Brooklyn Dodgers: I never blame the Dodgers for losing this one. The reason, if the Giants go 32-15 in their last 47 games, Brooklyn still makes the World Series easily. They were an ordinary 27-24 down the stretch, but not bad enough to lose, except the 2nd place Giants finished 39-8 to reach the World Series, including the win in the 3 game playoff. Choke-O-Meter: 4 (for giving up "The Shot Heard Round The World")

1962 Los Angeles Dodgers: Not nearly as famous as '51, but in my eyes, more of a choke by the Dodgers here. Leads to another 3 game playoff which they lose to the Giants. The reason why the 3 game playoff takes place is because the Dodgers finished the year 3-10 after a 7 game winning streak seemingly won the pennant for them. Choke-O-Meter: 7 (points taken off because their lead was only 4 games before the downturn).

1969 Chicago Cubs: The Cubs were up 9 on August 16 over the surprising Mets. Then, the Mets finished with a 36-11 surge, while the Cubs slumped to a 17-26 finish and is a symbol of the 100 years of futility of the franchise. Choke-O-Meter: 7 (yes, the Mets played great, but the Cubs could of at least stayed alive until the final weekend had they not choked).

1978 Boston Red Sox: Falls into the '51 Dodgers category as they were done in by a hard-charging team, rather than their own ineptitude. The thing no one remembers is that the Yankees were in 4th place when they were down by 14 games. Lost 14 of 17 to fall out of 1st place, then won 12 of 14 to force the famous one game playoff. Choke-O-Meter: 5

1987 Toronto Blue Jays: They were riding high after a 7 game winning streak, the last 3 against the 2nd-place Tigers to take a 3.5 game lead in the AL East. Then they lost all 7 of their final games, capped by a 3-game sweep by those very same Tigers. Combined with their loss in the 1985 ALCS after leading 3-1, they earned the label as "chokers" until they finally won in 1992. Choke-O-Meter: 8 (Loses 2 points because they never held a big lead, despite the epic finish).

1993 San Francisco Giants: Very much like the Red Sox in particular, because the Braves caught them and the Giants needed to rally. San Fran finished the year 38-27 after reaching a 10 game lead out West, while the Braves soared to 49-16 after trading for Fred McGriff. While they did play well, the Giants were hurt by an 8-game losing streak which knocked them out of 1st. Choke-O-Meter: 5 (followed the losing streak by winning 14 0f 17 at the end).

1995 California Angels: This team peaked with an 11 game lead on August 9th, then everything went wrong. The Angels slumped badly for a month and a half, finishing 18-31 and couldn't overcome the Mariners 30-19 finish and lost in a one game playoff. It never gets the attention of the Dodgers or Yankees, but this I believe is the worst of the mid-August collapses because bad play opened the door, not super play by 2nd place. Choke-O-Meter: 9 (avoids 10 because they won 5 of 6 to force that playoff).

2007 New York Mets: The Mets were swept in a memorable series to the Phillies that cut their NL East lead to 2 games on August 30th. They won 10 of their next 12 and brought their lead back to 7. Then, they proceed to finish 5-12, while the Phillies won 13 of 17 to win the East and signal a change in fortune in both teams. The Phillies suddenly became the class of the NL, while the Mets became the class clowns of the league. Choke-O-Meter: 9 (and the effects are still felt).

2009 Detroit Tigers: The Tigers were sailing to the playoffs, and led the AL Central by 7 games on Sept 6th. Then, the Twins rode a 18-8 finish into a one-game playoff, as the Tigers finished 11-15. What puts them here is they were up 3 games with 4 games left. They lose the final game of a series with the Twins, then lose the first two to the White Sox, before salvaging a playoff with a win on last day (a game which Justin Verlander needed to pitch because they were tied). Choke-O-Meter: 6


Just so you know, both the Red Sox and Braves easily reach a 7 on the choke scale, and the Red Sox scale might well be 9 if they finish this collapse through to the end. Should be a fun final week of baseball ahead, something I didn't think would happen.

Beginning Of A New Day

Today, the Mets finally decided to clean house and fire both Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya. All I can say to Mets fans is congratulations. Reggie Jackson said it best when he roots for Mets success so it's more interesting. We can talk more about the future later, but this video should show you're feelings on the matter (similar for mine when Isiah first left the Knicks, please don't let him come back).

Turning Back the Clock

My birthday is on April 30. As a present, my friend Dennis wanted to take my to a Mets-Phillies game at Citizens Bank Ballpark, somewhere I've never been. However, the day of the game, it was rained out and would be rescheduled on Sept. 13th. I wasn't particularly thrilled that I would have to sacrifice a day of NFL Week 1 with travel to Philly and as the Mets fell further and further into the second division of the National League, I thought I would just watch a few innings and watch Sunday Night Football.


Then I read that Pedro Martinez was going to start the nightcap. You see, back in May, the only pitchers worth watching a Mets-Phils game for the pitchers was Johan Santana and Cole Hamels. Now, Johan is injured, but the Phillies added Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez. Now, Pedro isn't the old Pedro and can't dazzle crowds like his days in Montreal and Boston (as well as frustrate Yankees fans, which ended in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS). He wanted to go back to the Mets, but after a less than stellar 2 1/2 years of a 4-year contract, the Mets decided that Tim Redding, Livan Hernandez and Oliver Perez would be better for them. So Pedro signed on with the Phillies in July and joined the rotation in August. Since he started, he's pitched at times well, other times, brilliant like when he outpitched Tim Lincecum on Sept. 3rd. It was in that start that brought Martinez into last night's game and I happen to be legitimately, not excited, but interested in this game.


After traveling about three hours to the stadium and catching the end of the late football games, it was game time and Tony Danza led with the National Anthem (yes, that Tony Danza). The toughest innings for Pedro was the first two as the Mets put runners on 1st and 2nd in the 1st innings and loaded the bases in the 2nd. He got out of it with a strikeout to Daniel Murphy in the 1st and a Cory Sullivan flyout in the 2nd. Then, Martinez got into a groove, retiring the order until a David Wright double in the 6th. He kept Wright on 2nd by striking out Carlos Beltran and giving up a couple flyouts. The 7th inning was when the Phillie faithful started to sense it was a vintage Pedro performance and despite the wave being prominently involved (seems like it's everywhere now, including Yankee Stadium), they responded appropriately. And Pedro worked into another two men on situation and put out the fire, still ahead 1-0.


I was surprised Pedro was out in the 8th inning, but the crowd was now fully aware that any batter would be his last. He got Wright and Beltran out quickly, but ended up walking Murphy in a nine pitch at-bat. Then, Charlie Manuel came out to seemingly take out Pedro, who was at 128 pitches, but ended up leaving him, acquiring Grady Little's sense of managing at that moment (not to mention glorious memories creeping up). Then, the Mets showed why they ended up being on the verge of elimination that night, by having Murphy steal third and was thrown out. Pedro ended the game with eight innings of shutout ball, with six hits, two walks and seven strikeouts, numbers you expect from him c. 2000. After a quiet ninth inning for a change by Ryan Madson, the Phillies gave him career win 219.


Martinez now has arguably better stats (5-0, 2.87 ERA to 6-2, 3.11) than Cliff Lee, who also came over at midseason with much more fanfare. Whether he can keep this up or not will be determined in the next month, especially if Pedro can get a start in the playoffs, which wasn't really considered when they signed him. However, I think as baseball fans, we should appreciate when great pitchers can show us a glimpses into their prime. If you have a young child, you can tell him or her about how great the man on the mound is and they could see it and would remember it forever. I know I will, even though there's no reason to believe this isn't the last time Pedro should have a great start.


Now it's time to review Citizens Bank Park for those who like to travel to different parks:

• I loved the place, though it's helped by the seats we had in lower level 3B side. This is how a ballpark should look.
• They have three bars around the building which is always good; I was in McFadden's which did a good job showing all the late football games and the beer wasn't too expensive which having been to Yankee Stadium know this is rare.
  
• Everybody in Philly wears Phillies shirts at the game, except those with Eagles jerseys and the Mets fans who wasted their money traveling down the Pike; for some reason, I'm guessing that won't surprise you.
• I have to admit, the Phillie Fanatic is the best at what he does, however I won't speak ill of Mr. Met since it's always good to see him walking around.
  
• I love how I can get Yuengling at most concession areas, since it's my favorite beer.
• Great way to end the game with the late Harry Kalas singing "High Hopes", as good as "Go Cubs Go"
• Leaving the Philly Sports Complex by car was awful, even the Meadowlands would only be trouble for about 20 minutes, here it was about 45 minutes. Imagine the Flyers and Phillies playing at the same time during the playoffs, you're better off staying until the next day.
  

Randomness While Thinking of New Ways for the Mets to Lose

It's really becoming Groundhog Day for this franchise. This time, it was Eric Bruntlett pulling off the first game-winning unassisted triple play since Johnny Neun did it on May 31, 1927. Following that loss, and yesterday's as well, it appears that Johan Santana is the latest Met to get hurt and need surgery in the offseason. Santana now joins Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, David Wright and John Maine as the key players who have been hurt for most of this season. It seems like anytime the Mets have had a particularly painful loss, it gets followed by the loss of a key player. Bruntlett's triple play joins Sean Green's walking in the winning run in Philly on May 2, the loss to the Dodgers where the Mets made baserunning mistakes, dropped flyballs and a game-losing throwing error, the Luis Castillo drop against the Yankees and the Cardinal game where Green hit the winning run, followed by Albert Pujols with a mammoth grand slam.


Let's also discuss the Billy Wagner trade to the Red Sox. First off, great job Mets for giving away two high draft picks to restore your farm system and only get two PTBN. Now, Bill Madden on Daily News Live set the scene for Boston; Jonathan Papelbon doesn't want to close, he doesn't want to stay in Boston and he hasn't pitched well from the closer spot (Fang's Bites routinely tweets about him as heart attack Papelbon). Wagner gives the Red Sox a chance to bridge the gap before Daniel Bard becomes the closer and if Bard's ready in 2010 or Wagner pitches horrible, definitely possible, Wagner will net them the two draft picks if they offer arbitration.


Now that we're coming up on the end of the baseball season, the awards races are starting to heat up. The only award the seems to be his to lose is Pujols as NL MVP. Maybe Ryan Howard, Hanley Ramirez and Troy Tulowitzki could be considered, but Pujols is still the best player in the league and since the Cards will make the playoffs, he's a shoo-in. AL MVP is tougher because Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter will split votes from one another and I believe that if the Twins stay in the AL Central race into the last two weeks of the season, Joe Mauer will win the award. His hitting this year at catcher is to great to ignore for a contending player. Keep an eye for Miguel Cabrera and Michael Young, however, since they are having terrific years for competitive clubs. The NL Cy Young looks like it will be between Tim Lincecum and Chris Carpenter, while the AL Cy Young is completely wide open between the likes of Zack Greinke, CC Sabathia, Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay, Josh Beckett and Mariano Rivera.


Looks like the Mark Sanchez bandwagon took a hit after yesterday's game against the Ravens. How do I know? Because my father is the bandwagon; anytime he changes his mind on anything, it must be how bandwagon fans operate. I, on the other hand, never make too much of preseason. The thing everyone should remember is that Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco is the exception of how rookie QB play, not the norm. Peyton Manning struggled through his first season, so did Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw and Steve Young. So Jets fans (and I'm not one of them), keep your expectations low and you'll be satisfied regardless what he does.


The good people at Sorts of Sports have started to rank their top fantasy players with the QB's and will continue to do so for this week and next. I will not and suggest you read them, but I do have a few players that you should look to for fantasy. The two players I'm very big on this year are Matt Forte and Steve Slaton, Donald Brown is my sleeper runner, Aaron Rodgers is someone you should look at if you lose out on Drew Brees and Tom Brady. I think Michael Turner should be avoided if possible, and any QB after the Peyton, Rodgers, Warner group is really the same. I'm sure you noticed I haven't touched on WR's. My feeling is look for any teams number 1's. Vincent Jackson should do well because he's Phil Rivers top guy, same for Santonio Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery and whomever wins the battle of the Giants top receiver. And I agree with Matthew Berry, defense/special teams are as interchangeable as kickers, you pick up the one who don't allow that much points and the rest comes together.


Great Twitter post by the legendary Bill Simmons about ironic Sports Illustrated covers from the steroid era. Couple of comments; it's a shame (unless proven to be a PED user) that Griffey is associated with Sosa and McGwire and the 1998 Sportsmen of the Year cover is the greatest in terms of comedy's sake.


Good job by Entourage to realize that their show hasn't been good this year and decided to bring in Bob Saget uncensored. Here's the video of it. And if you only think of Saget as Danny Tanner on Full House, think the opposite for his standup act.


DirecTV and Versus have to get a deal done so us hockey fans who have DirecTV aren't shut out of the playoffs. We can survive the regular season without Versus, but the playoffs, including two Stanley Cup Final games need to be on. Not to mention that they have a college football schedule that includes teams like Texas, USC and Florida St.


On the plus side of sports on TV, great job by ESPN for showing the English Premier League on Saturday mornings. I've never had a channel that showed the matches live and it was easy for me to ignore it, but now I'm going to try to be as into the EPL as I ever was. I'm very surprised by the slow start by Liverpool and maybe now that Bill Simmons has officially joined the Tottenham Hotspur bandwagon can they succeed in the league.


Finally, let's talk about the Knicks. Now, the stated goal when Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni came in was to be ready for the 2010 free agency. That's been the impetus to every move since they came in last year. They succeed in getting rid of Jamal Crawford's and Zach Randolph's contracts and haven't signed anyone past 2010 since then. However, with the shrinking salary cap next season, no first round pick and the inability to move Eddy Curry and Jared Jefferies (which was Walsh's biggest mistake since he could have traded him and Nate Robinson for Kenny Thomas' expiring contract) will keep this team no closer to contend this season. The target is LeBron James and if LeBron only cares about non-basketball reasons for his next contract, the Knicks would fit. If he makes a basketball decision, he should stay in Cleveland or even head to the Clippers if he thinks of both on- and off-the-court reasons.


Thus, I believe the Knicks should shoot to compete by 2011. The fact is, the Knicks don't have the team that will be enticing to a franchise player, which they need if they want to win. Which is why they should hold off their plans for another year of adding talent to surround a star. The economy could be in better shape after another year and with Curry and Jefferies contracts off the books, they will have more cap room. They also could use their advantage in money to trade for a franchise guy from a team that needs money, like Chris Paul. Besides, when the NBA has a lockout in a couple years, they're going to need a New York team to do well to recreate buzz after the players return.

NL Power Poll

Except for Seattle, who I'd move ahead of Toronto, I'm still satisfied with my AL Power Poll from last week. Now it's time for the NL Power Poll, which will be much harder. The reason being, the National League is much wider than the AL is this year. Joel Sherman in his Hardball blog wrote about eight teams with a legitimate chance to win this year. So let's get started.

16. Pittsburgh- '51-'55 Pirates: In Rob Neyer's "Big Book Of Baseball Lineups", he wrote about the Branch Rickey years which the Pirates were horrible and they traded players like Ralph Kiner and Gus Bell. However, he does make the point that the Pirates would eventually win the World Series five years after Rickey was let go in 1955, since eventually a lot of his players would succeed on the major league level. What does this have to do with the '09 Pirates? Well, Pittsburgh you have to believe will become successful again. They finally went into full-scale rebuild mode, instead of just wait until one player becomes expensive, then trade him, trade another the next year and so on. Getting rid of all your veterans have made some people mad about the Pirates, but I think they should gut the team and bring in as many young players as possible and hope they build a winner.

15. Washington- '95 Twins: Best example for this years Nats is a forgettable Minnesota team who played poor despite still having Chuck Knoblauch and Kirby Puckett hitting, and Brad Radke and Scott Erickson pitching. Also, because of the Twins respectable 37-44 record after July 4th. The Nationals have also started to play better since All-Star break, winning eight in a row before losing to Tommy Hanson and the Braves Tuesday night. The problem with the Nationals is that unless Stephen Strasburg is real deal, they won't be good for many years. It's a shame that Ryan Zimmerman's prime will be wasted with the Nats.

14. Cincinnati- '04 Mets: Only reason I compare these Reds with these Mets is the fact that the Reds picked up Scott Rolen when every indication is that they should sell. Of course, they didn't give up a player of Scott Kazmir's caliber like the Mets did and can't overturn this mistake by spending their way to a pennant. This season has really become a lost year for the Reds as they were a sleeper pick for most of the experts. However, all the good pitching of a year ago (Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto) has gone down and Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo are now wildly overpaid. The Rolen trade, Cincinnati believes make them better for 2010 in a seeming desperate attempt to contend but I think they are another one who should of tried to gut the payroll but now is in the no-man's land of baseball.

13. San Diego- '93 Padres: This Padres team is a lot like the one from 1993 when they tore apart their team, particular their trades of Gary Sheffield (though it netted them Trevor Hoffman) and Fred McGriff. While not in the single-season aspect, they have over the past couple years since the loss to the Rockies in the one-game playoff have gutted the team with the exception of Adrian Gonzalez, the Tony Gwynn of this generation for Padres fans. Trading Jake Peavy gave them four players, including a good starter in Clayton Richard and they passed the closer baton to Heath Bell from Hoffman. For some reason, I do think San Diego will successfully rebuild and in a few years they will win the NL West again. Why? Because the NL West has someone else win every few years.

12. New York- '01 Red Sox: I resisted using the '02 Mets because they weren't injured enough which led me to the 2001 Red Sox. They lost both Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez for long stretches in that season. The main difference was Manny Ramirez had a Manny-like season while David Wright lost his power. They also both had lesser rotations (with the exception of Johan Santana) and plenty of older players playing old. Anything else you want to know about the Red Sox in 2001, just read Bill Simmons two-part review using The Godfather quotes. As for the Mets season, just read my column about the Omar Minaya-Adam Rubin mess. More about the Mets, they can be saved next season if Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes can heal. If not, they should unload Reyes and try to rebuild.

11. Arizona- '08 Giants: Last year's San Francisco team had transferred to this year's Diamondbacks as the Snakes have one great starter, weak pitching staff for the rest and a lesser offense. The key difference is that Arizona has Mark Reynolds and Justin Upton who are their only power on the club and Brandon Webb is injured, while Matt Cain just wasn't as good last year. Actually, when Webb returns from injury next season, Arizona will be set to compete again in 2010, especially if the Giants maintain their impotent offense and the Dodgers come down a bit. They also could see the offense improve with more experience for Miguel Montero and Gerardo Parra.

10. Milwaukee- '97 Padres: I'm sure nobody remember this Padres team, not even San Diego fans. This team was surrounded by the Padres two playoff appearances in the 90s. However, I do feel this example is apropos since they had good hitters but poor pitchers in the following season of a playoff appearance. Of course, I don't remember Ken Caminiti calling out their management and pitchers like Ryan Braun did when he wanted to get another pitcher and I definitely don't remember Tony Gwynn trying to get into the Dodgers clubhouse for a fight, like Prince Fielder did last week. The fact is, this team is continuing to implode this season, but to be fair, the future still is bright. If they get another pitcher in the offseason to go along with Yovani Gallardo, they would be back in the playoffs in 2010.

9. Houston- '83 Royals: Here's another team that no one remembers but I chose the Royals because this was in the middle of an era of success and 1983 was a rare down year for those Royals. The hitting was still good (even the last good season from Willie Mays Aikens), but the pitching was older and not as effective. Sounds like the Astros this year, except they aren't in a division with a runaway winner like Kansas City was that season. The Astros usually play better than expected; I for one picked them for fifth before the season started. However, with Drayton Mclaine not willing or able to add payroll, Houston had no chance to improve prior to the trade deadline and competing for playoff spot doesn't allow him to trade guys like Miguel Tejada. What ends up happening is a no-man's land that no one likes because they won't go full bore for a title or rebuild for a new contender.

8. Chicago- '08 Yankees: I haven't really thought about it, but the similarites between the Yankees last year and this year's Cubs are there. Both were among the favorites to win the World Series, both had loaded lineups who have underachieved and both have had pitching problems (Yankees starters; Cubs bullpen). The key loss for the Cubs has been Mark DeRosa and replacing him with Milton Bradley has crashed and burned for them. Down years by Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto have hurt, along with Aramis Ramirez being hurt this year. Derrick Lee is the singular reason the Cubs have stayed alive, and maybe they can make the playoffs if their hitters start hitting and their rotation stays healthy. However, with an improved Cardinals team to deal with and trouble beating good teams, chances are the Cubs drought continues for another year.

7. San Francisco- '88 Dodgers: I know it's blasphemous for a Giants team to be compared to a Dodgers one, but San Francisco is following the L.A. playbook from 1988. The Dodgers had one hitter carry a poor hitting team (Kirk Gibson) which the Giants have as well in Pablo Sandoval. Tim Lincecum has been the Giants' Orel Hershiser; though the Dodgers didn't have a number two starter the likes of Matt Cain. If this team can get any extra hitting, they will win the wildcard, but that is unlikely. This is a team that could do damage in the playoffs with that staff, but need to get there first, and I just don't see that happening.

6. Florida- '99 Red Sox: To be fair, this year's Marlins are the poor men to that '99 Red Sox team. While Hanley Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra compare as great hitting shortstops, Josh Johnson isn't in the class Pedro Martinez was back in 1999. Pedro was untouchable, like Greg Maddux in 1994, Ron Guidry in 1978 and Dwight Gooden in 1985. Josh Johnson isn't having that kind of year, but 11-2 with a 2.92 ERA is very impressive and the Marlins can be sure that they will win whenever he starts, it seems. Both lineups hit just enough to avoid their shortstops as the lone hitting threat, but not enough to be consistently good enough to win. Their pitching staff outside of Johnson is poorous, like the Red Sox in 1999 except for Bret Saberhagen. They keep winning, but I don't see how they make the playoffs when they allow more runs then they score. Run differential for the Marlins is -1 and it catches up to you when September rolls around; that's why the Mariners won't win and neither will Florida.




5. Colorado- '03 Marlins: I was going to compare this year's Marlins to the '03 team, but going over the Rockies, I saw that they have a better comparison to Florida. They have been spurred by a managerial change when Clint Hurdle was fired for Jim Tracy, the hitting is very similar and so is the pitching aside from higher ERA's. Also, the Rockies rotation is a little older than the Marlins were in 2003, as Dontrelle Willis and Josh Beckett were mainstays that season. As for the lineups, Pudge Rodriguez led their lineup much like Todd Helton is doing this season, while Brad Hawpe and Troy Tulowitzki have provided the power of a Mike Lowell and Derrick Lee. Add the speed of Dexter Fowler to Juan Pierre and you have very similar teams.





Now I thought before the year the Rockies wouldn't compete again, especially after trading away Matt Holliday. However, this team has been on a roll since Tracy assumed the job of manager and it's hard for me to see Colorado fall apart. Ultimately, I think this team will fall short of the playoffs because the pitching is beatable and the lineup hasn't hit like a typical Rockies team. I also don't believe you get to make another surprising run to a World Series more than once in a decade. The Astros had a great run in 2005 and I can't believe they would do it again for many years. It's one thing for a favored team like the Yankees in 1978, 2005 and 2007 reaching the playoffs from behind or the Braves in 1993; they corrected themselves after an underachieving start. The Rockies weren't picked, started slow, and have picked it up, I think they will have another slump before it ends.





4. Atlanta- '05 Indians: Just like that Cleveland team, the Braves have returned to contention with the help of a good rotation and enough hitting. At least the Braves aren't dealing with loaded Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox teams the Indians did. Tommy Hanson has been a revelation and the rest of the pitching staff is as good as any in the National League (and I include the Giants). Javy Vazquez continues to prove the perfect National League pitcher, Jair Jurrjens continues to make the Tigers rue the day they traded him for Edgar Renteria and Derek Lowe has turned around an off year in the past month and a half. Rafael Soriano has thrived in the closer spot and they have been led at the plate by Brian McCann, Yunel Escobar and Chipper Jones.





The biggest problem the Braves have is that the lineup hasn't really been healthy all year and an injury could derail them. Plus, having the Phillies in their division leaves only the wild card left to grab. However, I think there is a flaw on the Giants and Rockies that isn't as noticable on the Braves and this team return to playoffs, maybe for the last time for Bobby Cox. And this won't be the last you hear of the Braves as there is some youth on this team that will contend for a few years, though not the 14 year run that Atlanta had before.





3. Los Angeles- '02 Giants: Since I compared the Giants to the Dodgers, it's fitting to compare the Dodgers to a San Francisco World Series team. The rotations for both aren't that deep, the lineups are good, but depend on one guy to succeed who has a steroid past. I guess the biggest difference is that Barry Bonds played a full year, while Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games for failing a drug test. They even both have Jason Schmidt as a starter, though the Dodgers just got him back from a two year injury. The only difference between the bullpens is age, but Jonathan Broxton is a good closer and George Sherrill strengths a strong unit that Joe Torre tends to overuse.





After the great start, the Dodgers have started to slow down and the Rockies and Giants are now on the Dodgers heels. A lead of nine games has been reduced to 5.5. However, I still think the talent level in the lineup is the best in the division and the rotation led by Clayton Kershaw and Randy Wolf is solid enough with their lineup. The key will be Chad Billingsley because if his hamstring keeps him out for an extended period of time, the Dodgers could be in trouble, since the rotation is quietly thin. That was why they should have tried to get Roy Halladay, even if the Jays wanted Billingsley. Also consider, Torre has been there many times before and can motivate his guys to play the way they should play.





2. St. Louis- '93 Braves and '89 Athletics: This was the toughest team to compare because I couldn't find a midseason hitter pickup that will have the impact that Matt Holliday has had except for Fred McGriff. The '89 A's also made a big midseason pickup as they traded for Rickey Henderson and that led to a World Series win. Both teams, however, didn't only have one source of hitting that the Cardinals had with Albert Pujols. The Holliday acquisition has now turned the Cardinals from a possible playoff team to a slam dunk.





The key for the Cardinals is that Chris Carpenter is back and pitching like the Cy Young winner he once was. Adam Wainwright and Joel Piniero have pitched just as well and they have as good a rotation as anyone in baseball for the playoffs. The Holliday trade, along with the Mark DeRosa pickup and Ryan Ludwick starting to hit like he did last year, has made the Cardinals lineup a strong one and now teams must think before they decide to walk Pujols or not. Finally, Ryan Franklin has been great as closer and the rest of the bullpen have proven a strength. This team is certainly a contender for a World Series and I think are better than the Dodgers now, but the Phillies seem to be ahead of everyone.





1. Philadelphia- '93 Blue Jays: I know I already used the '93 Jays with the Yankees, but to be fair, the team fits the Phillies more. Terrific hitting team improves offense after winning a championship, while strengthing their rotation; that's this year's Phillies. Actually, these Yankees remind me more of the teams from 2002-04 when they still had the championship aura, but was starting not to win. Philly is now even better following a championship and that is discerning for the entire National League.





The trade for Cliff Lee already has CC Sabathia-in-Milwaukee potential after his 3-0 start with a 1.12 ERA. There are no longer any lineup questions as Jimmy Rollins has hit better in the past month and a half and Raul Ibanez has proved an upgrade over Pat Burrell. The pitching depth is there as Pedro Martinez can be effective as a fourth starter in a playoff series and Joe Blanton has been consistent as of late, making only quality starts since July began. Two huge concerns for the Phils. Can Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge return to 2008 form and can the Phillies win if they don't. I think they can win if Hamels doesn't pitch as well because of the addition of Lee, but they need to replace Lidge if he can't improve. They have Ryan Madson who could take over as closer if they need to and they might. The best thing about the Phillies, their offense will slug it's way out of trouble and their clutch, which is very important in baseball. This team is the favorite and should repeat as world champions.

Omar Being Isiah and the Mets Being the Knicks

I'm sure everyone is well aware of Omar Minaya's bizarre press conference yesterday where he calls out NY Daily News Mets beat writer Adam Rubin as someone who wanted to be a Met executive during Tony Bernazard's firing announcement. When pressed by Rubin, Omar played the "I'm not saying, I'm just saying" card, which Rubin rightfully accused Minaya of questioning his motives for reporting on Bernazard's tirades with the Mets minor league players and Francisco Rodriguez. The fact is, Rubin was correct in calling out Bernazard's behavior because it was embarrassing, and he was correct in that aspect as well. The underlying theme of this story has become how Minaya has started to turn the Mets into the Isiah-era Knicks.

Now, before I continue, let's state the fact that the Mets have at the very least played competitive baseball, which the Knicks didn't do. However, the NBA doesn't let you just pick up any player from free agency, while baseball does. Thus, the Mets are capable of picking up guys like Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana, giving the impression of a good team. However, this season has shown us the failures of the Minaya-era as an organization and that you can't just keep throwing money to solve a problem, especially if you won't go full bore into throwing money. That was the story of the 1980s Yankees and it led to George Steinbrenner being banned by Commissioner Fay Vincent in order to win a pissing match with Dave Winfield (which he lost).

Back in 2004, the Mets were a mess. The 2000 NL pennant seemed like it was ancient and an the failures of the Art Howe era were taking shape. Then, the infamous Scott Kazmir-Victor Zambrano trade occured and almost immediately, was deemed a failure that would rank with Nolan Ryan, Amos Otis and Tom Seaver. It was then when the Wilpon's hired Omar Minaya to rebuild the Mets. It was immediate change as he went after Carlos Beltran, the most sought after hitter in free agency and Pedro Martinez and signed them. The Mets bounced back to 83-79 in 2005, then continued improvement with Beltran, David Wright and Jose Reyes to a division title in 2006. Little did anyone know that this would be the peak for the Mets under Minaya.

After breezing past the Dodgers in the Division Series, they faced a less-than stellar Cards team in the NLCS. Two games I will remember in that series as Game 2 was a crushing loss when Billy Wagner gave up a homer to So Taguchi and then were shutout in Game 3 by Jeff Suppan. Eventually, this series went seven and despite one of the greatest catches by Endy Chavez, Yadier Molina of all people hit a 9th-inning homer to win it. The following season, the Mets looked like they were going to make up for the playoff loss, but then started the first of an annual tradition of collapses in September. After last season, it was pivotal for Minaya to shake this team up that continued to fall apart. Instead, he left them completely bare in the farm system and now they can't make any trades.

To be fair, the injuries the Mets have had are devastating. Any team who loses three of their best four players and have to depend on Gary Sheffield at age 40 for their power is in trouble. Also, their farm system was depleted from the Johan Santana trade. Unfortunately, they haven't done a good job with the farm before and after the trade and have also got rid of plenty of players that would be huge for this team today. Heath Bell should still be in a Mets uniform, instead of being traded for a bag of balls. Then, he would be the closer and the money used on K-Rod could be used on another hitter. Xavier Nady shouldn't have been traded, he was a quality bat with a gritty edge; the type of player who is plentiful with the Phillies. Also, the Nady led to the enigma that is Ollie. Speaking of him, the Mets should of never resigned Oliver Perez this offseason; they should of paid the extra price for Derek Lowe, a proven commodity.

Omar Minaya got the job mainly because of his work with the Expos before they moved to Washington. Even though the team was on the cusp of contraction, the trade that I always remember was the Bartolo Colon trade which the Expos gave up Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips. Thus, I believe his reputation was inflated to begin with. He did what he set out to do, he made the Mets relevant, even had them a game from the World Series. However, the way the franchise turned, with the September chokes, the way in which they fired Willie Randolph, the Bernazard mess, players complaining about team doctors and now the war of words between Rubin and Minaya.

Back in 2003, the Knicks were in the same scenario when they fired Scott Layden because his years, the Knicks a bland boring team full of undersized forwards and an albatross of a contract for Allan Houston. Then they hired Isiah and he turned them from boring to embarrassment. That's what it seems like the Mets have done. Now it's time to let Omar go or take a chance that more bad can happen with the team. Perhaps the words "truck party" will be uttered again.

MLB Recap and Re-Picks

Tonight's the MLB All-Star Game and it gives everyone a redo of their preseason picks. Like most baseball writers and bloggers, I have some picks I'm proud of and many that I was completely wrong about. If anyone would like to read the preview edition in it's entirety, here it is. Of my eight award picks, Pujols is right, Halladay could be Cy Young and Santana and Wieters need great second-halfs to have any chance to win NL Cy and AL ROY, respectively.

The playoff pick I want back is Cleveland for obvious reasons, but the Royals, Mets and Cubs have disappointed me. The Giants I thought could contend, but didn't think the Wild Card would of been in play. I'm satisfied with my AL East picks now that the Rays have played better and have as good a chance to win. I undersold how much better the Tigers and Mariners would be and glossed over the Rangers, who have played well. In the NL, the Phillies and Dodgers are where I thought and the Cards and Brewers have played as I expected as well. With that said, here are five fearless predictions for baseball's second half.

1. The Blue Jays will not trade Roy Halladay. J.P. Ricciardi has said he will shop the best pitcher in the American League, but I can't see the Jays get fair value for him in the regular season. They are going to want four premium players/prospects, maybe a fifth and though it will be easier to get this season when he has a year left on his contract, I still can't see them sell it to the good people of Toronto. Honestly, if I'm a Blue Jays fan, I'd stop showing up to games if they trade him and maybe never return. Hockey season doesn't start until October and in Toronto, its 24/7 like baseball in New York.

2. Albert Pujols will win the Triple Crown. Prince Albert has sustained a big enough HR lead to not have to continue his pace and a Triple Crown is more memorable than a run at the HR record. The average is the only thing low, but I think Pujols will up it to .345 and Hanley Ramirez will drop his average. His great play will eventually lead to a NL Central title in St. Louis and return to the postseason for Tony La Russa and friends.

3. The axe will fall for both the Mets and Yankees. Even though injuries are killing the Mets, Jerry Manuel will be blamed for the season. Also, Joe Girardi will be fired as well by the Yankees because I don't think they can get past the first round; if they even make the playoffs. For some reason, I still think Omar Minaya and Brian Cashman will be saved this year, even though they deserve to go with their managers.

4. Seattle and Texas will just miss the playoffs. The Mariners and Rangers have been competitive with the Angels this season, but I don't see them beating out the Halos, now that their offense is clicking and the pitching has become healthier. As for more teams that will be on the outside, the Braves, Brewers, White Sox and Twins also just miss. I also think the Yankees will get passed by the Rays for the AL Wild Card

5. The Cubs will bounce back from a poor first half to make the playoffs. Chicago will make the playoffs as predicted and join the Cards, Phillies and Dodgers as the Giants fail to trade for a hitter and fall short with the Rockies. The AL will have the Red Sox, Rays, Tigers and Angels in the playoffs. Now, my World Series will include the Red Sox and the Dodgers and have Manny's return to Fenway. In a tough six game series, Los Angeles beats Boston.

Randomness While The Pirates Are As Close to a Title As They'll Ever Be.

First things first, congratulations are in order for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the L.A. Lakers for win their championships over the weekend. In the Penguins case, the real winner was America; as for the Lakers, the real loser was America. The Penguins championship capped off the most successful NHL season and playoff since 1994 both in style of play and in TV ratings. The Lakers win seemed too anti-climatic and the Magic threw away this series in Game 4 and once again, you can't go through an NBA season without officiating becoming a talking point. Also, anytime a series goes less than six games, it can't be good, unless each game had a game-winning shot.


On the plus side, the NBA playoffs did give us a chance to watch the Leroy Smith commercials, for once, a commercial that you can laugh at for comedic, not unintentional comedic reasons. (Hint, hint Nike, Vitamin Water)


It's about time DirecTV has put NBA TV on the same level on programming as NFL Network, MLB Network and NHL Network. Coming up on the network is years of NBA Draft, giving me a chance to look back on the best and worst of Draft fashion and to follow past Bill Simmons Draft Diaries. I reek of anticipation.


Be lucky I spared you from today's title Luis Castillo; it seemed funnier to see championship and Pittsburgh Pirates in one picture. However, here's some headlines that didn't work: Randomness while Luis Castillo Watches Tom Emanski's Defensive Drills Video, Randomness while A-Rod Thanks Luis Castillo for Sparing Him Further Yankee Fan Outrage.


Looks like Josh McDaniels has been taught well by Bill Belichick. First, he alienates his incumbent quarterback Jay Cutler; then he trades him. Now, Brandon Marshall is looking to get traded and the Broncos fan base already wants him fired. Sounds like Belichick's years with Cleveland. Meaning, Denver fans can anticipate the Broncos moving to L.A. in five years, followed by McDaniels becoming the coach of the Bengals turning them into the preeminent dynasty after years of losing.


These playoffs I've been a little too nice to Sidney Crosby, and I'm unfortunately taking his side in the handshake flap. It was his first Cup and it's not like he was actively trying to avoid shaking Red Wings hands. Yes, he missed Lidstrom and Draper, but give him a break, it was his first Cup. Now if he wins another Cup and does this again, then he deserves to be killed for this.


Real quote from Evan in RW/RR Challenge when he first started in the "Fresh Meat" season, "It was going to be the best experience of his life because he was competing 'with his idols.'" Also congrats should go to Evan for winning this season in New Zealand, as well as Rachael, but just like in the Stanley Cup, the real winner, America. This season had castmates complain about needing money and not finding work; perhaps because they always stop what they're doing to do this show. To top it off, the spelling bee was the greatest reality show moment in history. We get great words like "thron", "frate"and "mellinum".


Finally, it's time I give Kobe Bryant credit after winning this championship. I still say that LeBron is the better player because his size and skill set has never been seen before and that the Lakers won because they had the best supporting cast with Gasol, Odom, Ariza, etc. However, Kobe has solidified himself as a top-10 all-time player with the title and the pass he made to Derek Fisher for three in the OT of Game 4 that gave the Lakers the lead reminded me of Jordan's passing to Jim Paxson when he won his first title. I still can't get over how the Magic blew this series and making my preview column look foolish, but the Lakers deserved to win and I can't wait until next season. How will the Cavs get better? (Shaq?) Will KG be healthy next year? How do the Lakers respond after winning? Does Phil Jackson retire? All unanswered questions that will be rehashed in October.

My Enemy's Enemy is My Friend Weekend

Once again its that time for interleague play and as always for every Royals-Cardinals series, we have a Diamondbacks-A's. That's the biggest problem with interleague play; way too many series that have absolutely no cache in order to fight through and get a Cubs-White Sox or a Mets-Yankees. However, this isn't one of those weekends here in New York.


At Yankee Stadium this weekend, the Yankees invite the World Champion Phillies into town, while the Mets are headed up to Fenway to take on the Red Sox. That's right, it's a bizarro rivalry weekend. Both matchups have history; the Whiz Kid Phillies were swept by the Yankees in the 1950 World Series and the Choke in '64 prevented another Phillies-Yankees matchup. Meanwhile, every baseball fan knows about the 1986 World Series, a story that's rarely told as a Mets victory, but as a Red Sox loss. Everyone seems to forget that the Mets won 108 games that year and were the prohibitive favorites to win the World Series due to the lofty record.


The point of this article wasn't to give a history lesson, but to point out the irony of Mets and Yanks fans rooting for the crosstown teams. I, as a Yankee fan, have no problem rooting for the Mets to beat the Red Sox. However, my father, as a Yankee fan, is pulling for the Red Sox because he can't stomach the thought about rooting for the Mets. This is a man who rooted for the Red Sox in the '86 Series and took the Boston fan approach after the Buckner play in Game 6, he walked out on a wedding party.


Meanwhile, it would seem easy for Mets fans to root for the Yankees because the Phillies are the Phillies. But, according to Gary Cohen, his view of the Yankees-Phillies series is that it doesn't matter who wins. My best friend Rocky falls in that category, going so far as say "I hope a plane crashes into the Stadium." Well then. Still, Subway Squawker Met fan Jon wrote, "Now this bad week is about to get even worse. This weekend, I will find myself rooting for the Yankees and against the Red Sox" in his post explaining why to root for the Yankees this weekend.


It's also a chance for Yanks and Mets fans a chance to do things they wouldn't normally do. When this post is finished, Johan Santana has finished pitching tonight, giving Yankee fans a chance to root for the man that should be wearing pinstripes, marvel without guilt in his brillance and to feel bad when the Mets make it harder on him to succeed, instead of showing amusement. Mets fans get a chance to see A-Rod from the Yankees perspective...well, I guess they can watch Derek Jeter and see how a shortstop is supposed to carry himself on the field. Of course, you can be like me and give both series a quick glimpse and focus on the NBA and NHL playoffs this weekend.


But for those of you who feel they must watch all powerful and almighty baseball, then don't worry about violating NY baseball law and root for both home teams.