Upon the 2006 Yankee Preview- The Infielders

The collection of talent around-the-horn for the New York Yankees compares favorably with every team in baseball. Most teams can not boast former MVPs at the corners, and expect to get 80-90 homeruns out of them. Most teams hope to do not have a gold glove short stop playing third, and another stationed at short. Most teams aren't the Yankees.

First Base- Jason Giambi

In a tale of two seasons, Jason had an abysmal start to 2005, and ended the year as baseball's Comeback Player of the Year. Giambi picked the team up and threw them on his back for nearly two months last year, and prior to that many were worried he was finished. He ended the year with 32 jacks and 87 RBIs, and the majority of clubs would do backflips for that production. The Gold Gloves that should inhabit the left side of the infield are not likely to come Giambi's way anytime soon, as he is merely a serviceable fielder. However, his offense is considerably better as an everyday fielder than as a DH, and I think that as Jason himself says "I'll win more games with my bat than I'll lose with my glove". Jason was among the league-leaders in on-base-percentage, heading to first or further in nearly half of his at bats. If his health holds up, I will jump out the window here and say that you could put him right next to Albert Pujols offensively and not give up too much. That's right, I said it!

Prediction: .304, 39, 112, .456. .976 fielding ptg

Back-up- Andy Phillips, who will get work depending on health and durability.

Second Base: Robinson Cano

2005 started with Tony Womack manning second-base for the Yankees, and that experiment was not one to be remembered fondly. Robinson turned heads in the minors, and when something needed to be done to wake our sleeping giant, he was one of the call-ups that the Yankees made. I will borrow from Yankees.com to put Cano into perspective for last year "Led American League Rookies with a .297 batting average, 78 runs, 155 hits, 34 doubles, 47 multi-hit games and 239 total bases. Ranked second with 52 extra-base hits and a .534 slugging percentage, fourth with 62 RBIs and fifth with 14 HR". For a first-year player on baseball's biggest stage, I'd call that pretty darn good. 17 errors will have to improve, but that will come with experience in my opinion. Cano was not moved in any of the proposed hot-stove deals this year, and not for lack of interest. This speaks even further to the Yankees feelings on this kid. I think that he has the potential to be a big player, but he needs to continue his progress and cut down on mental errors.

Prediction: .290, 21, 88, .356 .979 fielding ptg

Back-up: Miguel Cairo returns to the Bronx as a good glove and serviceable bat.

Shortstop- Derek Jeter

You know who he is, and you know what he does. Derek will suit up every game, play his butt off, score 100+ runs every season he is healthy, and occasionally drop your jaw with a play in the field. His defense won him a gold-glove at short last year, and while he still doesn't get to some balls he should, he definitely gets to many more that he shouldn't. Jeter's role goes beyond simply star player however. He was awarded the captainship of the team, and the leadership responsibilities that go along with that designation. Johnny Damon immediately deferred to Jeter on arrival, citing the Yankees as "Derek's team". Jeter, ever the humble one, passed ownership right on to "Mr. Steinbrenner". DJ expereinced unique success to start his career, and his internal drive is certainly asking him to complete the handful of rings.

Prediction: .302, 24, 85, 20 SB, 100+ runs. .988 fielding ptg

Back-up: Miguel Cairo can spell him here, but Felix Escalona is ahead on the depth chart. The next guy on the list was also a fair shortstop in his day


Third Base- Alex Rodriguez

.321, 48, 130= Regular season MVP.
No ring= playoff disappointment

Alex Rodriguez has to be accustomed to being one of the, if not the best player in baseball. He has MVPs, Gold Gloves, HR titles, and the largest salary in history. However, A-rod did not come to the Bronx for the riches of King George, or more individual accolades. He is here to win a ring, and anything less is a collossal let-down. A-Rod is a lightning rod for controversy, and wears a bulls-eye on his back for opposing teams. I do not see a let-up in his regular season output, and personally feel that another upswing is coming. I also think he was robbed of a gold Glove at third, and should be even more motivated to improve his already impressive fielding. As the anchor to a crushing lineup, Alex will be expected to drive in and score runs, and be the hitter teams fear in the clutch. This was his achilles last year, as he often put up huge numbers in games that were close to out of reach anyway. I see another strong year for the reigning MVP, another everyday player.

Prediction: .330, 50, 127, 25 SB, .990 fielding ptg


Back-up- Miguel Cairo.


Now that the four infielders are set, we move on to the outfield. The pitcher/catcher battery to follow.

Upon the 2006 Yankee Preview- The Coaches

Ladies and Gentleman, Welcome to the 2006 season Team Preview for the New York Yankees. The 2005 season was ended at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim via a 3 games to 2 first round exit. The team avoided the dramatic overhaul that many expected, as Torre, Cashman, and the rest of the front office stayed put. We are back this year with some new faces, some old faces, and the same goal, as iterated by The Boss. It’s a ring or nothing this year, and I am down for the ride. I will periodically update this preview (and hopefully improve upon last year’s effort), so as to give my readers an introduction to the subject that I post most frequently about. Let’s begin.

The coaching staff for the Yankees is listed below:

COACHES

Joe Torre- Manager- Torre is back for his 10th season, and the record speaks for itself, loudly. 9 straight playoff appearances, 6 World Series appearances with 4 titles. Speculation surrounded Torre’s potential retirement, but he is back with a 2-year deal, and will do what he does best; coach a winning team. To the casual observer Joe Torre may look disinterested or even asleep during games, but this could not be further from the truth. One of baseball’s best skippers, Torre takes some of the finest talent that has been collected, and guides it in a progressive direction.

Lee Mazzilli- Bench Coach- Lee comes off two seasons as the manager of the tumultuous Baltimore Orioles, and returns as consigliere to Joe Torre. It seemed a bit early for Lee to get a manager’s spot, and I think he would do better to try and grab the helm from Joe when he hangs it up. Good presence here will keep Torre’s spirits up if the season gets long

Tony Pena/Larry Bowa- First/Third Base Coach- Two new additions to the staff, these former big-league managers are highly experienced baseball men who have seen just about every game situation you can imagine. Pena will be valuable for his relationship and communication with the Latin players, and Bowa is a definite upgrade over send-em-home Sojo. I think that Torre will gain a great deal of help from these two, patricularly against NL teams, as Bowa helmed the Phillies for many years (and more recently than Joe’s NL stints). Colorful personalities, I like the addition of these two

Don Mattingly- Hitting Coach- Donnie Baseball did a great job getting Giambi back into the swing of things (no pun intended), and Cano and Bubba Crosby had productive runs as well. The lack of playoff production had people questioning Don, but that blame falls on A-Rod and Sheff as much as their coach. I like a great Stadium-hitting lefty to help Damon make the transition

Ron Guidry- Pitching Coach- Gator fills the shoes of Mel Stottlemyre, and inherits a staff with more external than internal question marks. With Unit 1 year older and coming off an average season, uncertainty about Pavano’s health and Mussina’s durability, and a new set-up corps, Ron will have plenty of challenges. However, he also has a chance to have the talent assembled make his job real easy for him. An intetesting hire with Yankee roots.

Joe Kerrigan- Bullpen Coach- Another former big league manager, Kerrigan brings even more veteran experience and knowledge to the Yankee coaching staff.

The above are all names I will make reference to throughout the year. I tried to include nicknames which I will frequently use as shorthand. Now that the staff is identified, I will move to the position players, starting with the infield.

Upon Random Thoughts

I journeyed to the Museum of Natural History this weekend, and it was a nice trip back (in my head) to my younger days. We saw an IMAX show about the Galapagos Islands, and an exhibit on Darwin which was interesting. I made certain that we visited the ocean mammals room while we were there, because I had something I wanted to do. Suspended from the ceiling of that room is a life-size model of a whale. I distinctly and vividly remember being a child in that museum, and the intense feelings that walking under that immense form inspired within me. It was such a spatial disparity that my senses where somewhat overwhelmed, and I also worried the beast might fall on me. On Saturday I got the slightest hint of those same feelings as we walked under the whale, and I was happy to be taken back to that place in my mind.

The Knicks traded for Steve Francis last week, dealing Penny Hardaway's expiring contract and Trevor Ariza for another 2-guard in a point guard's body. When looked at in isloation, the player that the Knicks received certainly exceeds the parts that they gave up. In the real world, I do not see how this was the best move the Knicks could have made. Other teams were interested in the Hardaway contract, and the willingness to include Ariza suggests that another player could have been acquired, one who fit a more pressing need in the woeful Knicks team structure. Names like Garnett, LeBron, and AI are being floated as summer catches for NY, but I do not see how we can pull any of these moves off. If I owned the Knicks, I fire Isiah and grab the Suns Brian Colangelo before Toronto does.

The Final medal total for Torino put the USA at 25, 4 behind overall medal leader Germany. This puts the Olympics into a nice perspective, as despite all the hype/disappointments, we still had the second-most medals of all the competing nations. Not bad in my book. Rangers netminder Lundquist won a gold with his Sweedish team, and we can only hope that this momentum translates back to the NHL season.

Stay tuned, as the 2006 Yankee preview starts today.

upon Testing Video hosting

Upon Doings a' Transpiring

(the title taken from the Lemon Tree episode of the Simpsons)

2006 has proven to be a difficult year for me to get blogging on a regular basis, due mostly to personal laziness. Hopefully I can shake out of it.

The Winter Olympics is chugging right along, and while I have heard criticism regarding American Idol and 24 crushing it in the ratings (I am guilty of Fox watching too), I do see a utility in the Games. Whenever the Olympics are on, it consistently provides something to watch, for a few minutes or a few hours. I can check in and see what events are running, who is leading, and whether the US has a chance to medal. The supposed stars of the US have disappointed (Ohno, Kwan)and others have choked (Bode, Jacobellis). Snowboarding has been a bright-spot other than the crash in women's boarder-x, as the Americans have smashed the competition in the pipe. Men's and women's hockey are not looking sharp, but could still both come away with a medal of some color. The figure skating with the women could be an American gold, and usually draws a crowd on TV. The speedskating rivalry between Davis and Hedrick is on the fast-track to being over-blown into a racial discussion, just wait.

Overall, the Winter Games have been watchable, and thats all I can really ask for as a sports fan.

The NBA All-Star weekend was another good time, mostly because I was able to watch all the events live for the first time. The shooting stars competition was much better than the old 3-ball format, where teams of an NBA player, retired player, and WNBA player from the same city faced of in a 3-on-3 game. This time it was a series of 6 shots, from a post-bankshot to a half-court. San Antonio took this easily, even making the first half-courter.

The skills comp was won by Dwyane Wade, who dribbled around some comes and passed into a bucket better than LeBron, Nash, and Chris Paul. This one I probably could have missed.

The 3-point competition featured a more star-studded than sharp-shooting cast. Arenas, Allen, Terry, Q-Rich, Dirk, and Billups rounded out the field. All these guys can shoot, no question. However, the best performances I have seen in hitting shots were certainly not replicated. Only one shooter broke the 20 plateau. There was no Peja, no Allan Houston, no Steve Kerr. Dirk won the contest, but there were no real runs to speak of. Still, it was good to see a 7 footer win a shooting contest.

In the dunk contest it was Nate Robinson, Andre Igoudala, Hakim Warrick, and defending champ Josh Smith. Warrick has some sick hops, but appeared to be overlooked from the get-go. Josh Smith got people confused with his tape on the court thing, and was out of the running fast. Nate Rob had the court bounce 360 and a sweet alley from Q to advance, and Igodala rocked one of the sickest comp dunks ever. He caught a pass off the back of the glass from AI, ducked under the backboard and threw it reverse. Nate then brought out Spud Webb and dunked over him with a sick bounce-alley. Iggy did the off the glass behind the back dunk which was sick as well. It came down to a dunk-off, and nate took about 12 tries with a half-court behind the back through-the-legs off-the-glass, until he settled for putting it through his lege twice while airborne, and then dunking it off the glass. Igoudala followed with a through the legs where he travelled from one side of the rim to the other. Nate was the overall winner, and the contest gave us two memorable dunks.

The All-Star Game itself was decent as these games go. The player intros were funny with the dance moves, and Shaq was clown-princing it. The West got out large, and the Piston quad brought the game back. LeBron got MVP, and McGrady got 36 in his hometown.

Position players report today in Tampa. Yanks apparently picked up Sheff's option for 2007. I think its a good move to let the moody Sheff know he's wanted, and let him fit in the middle of the pulverizing lineup.

More to come this week.

Upon Quick Updates

The Super Bowl was a boring as I suspected it would be. Dubious calls on the Big Ben TD run, the endzone offensive pass interference, the holding prior to the Randle-El pass, and the block below the knees on Hasselbeck. I can't remember caring less about a Super Bowl. I still believe that a together Giants team should have won this year.

The Knicks persist in their abysmal state. A trade for Jalen Rose and a lottery-protected first-rounder is hardly the prescription for this sickness. Cellar-dwelling is the last thing a $120 million dollar team should be doing. The Yankees may not win the championship each year, but the are AL East champs and contenders every season. Isiah should be fired, and Larry Brown needs to realize what team he is coaching.

Toronto is quietly trying to transform itself into a contender for the AL East.Read HERE about the signing of Bengie Molina. The big-dollar signings of right-hander A.J. Burnett, closer B.J. Ryan, third baseman Troy Glaus, first baseman Lyle Overbay, infielder John McDonald, catcher Jason Phillips, left-hander Brian Tallet and right-hander Ben Weber were all big moves as well. The problem with big off-seasons like the ones had by Baltimore and Toronto is that they still play in the AL East. Other teams like the White Sox, Angels, Marlins...etc can go big, and then hope to take out the Yankees or Sox in the playoffs, where its at most 7 games. The grind of battling with the NY and Boston over an unbalanced schedule will wear most teams down. Both NY and Boston made the playoffs, thanks to AL East heavy finishes down the stretch. I do not see the Jays making the playoffs, but they could decide what division the Wild Card come out of.

First place NY Rangers. Been about 12 years since that was true. Worth keeping an eye on? Maybe. Dallas Stars are lurking under the radar as well.

Ron Artest won't save Sacramento, and Peja may buy Indy a second-round exit. Tough to derail Detroit-San Antonio II, unless Phoenix or Dallas feel froggy, or Miami gets the Shaq-Wade playoff smackdown they have been waiting for.

That'll do for now.

Upon Clarification

For Kevin-

The my first response was not intended for you.


I believe that some cultures ascended to "the height of civilization" entirely through savagery. The Chinese, Japanese, Romans, Ottomans, British, French, and Americans are all guilty of this throughout history.

I do not mean to dehumanize a race, ethnicity, or religious group. I do mean to comment on those who have dehumanized themselves, by placing value on neither their own life, nor the lives of innocents. It is difficult to see the good in someone who thinks blowing up a crowd full of people is a good thing (and this goes for terrorists and our own military).

When I speak on the Islamic world, I do not mean everyone in it. That would be the same as viewing Bush's recent speech as representative of all Americans. (no thanks) I do however note a disturbing connection to the mass bombings, terror attacks, and suicide bombings, and Islamic groups. There is no state supported group called Christian Revenge, but several Middle Eastern Nations support Islamic Jihad. You would not see a Bishop crusading to kill all Arabs, and even the clergeyman here who preach against homosexuals or abortion (though no less abhorrent)are generally lower clergy, not the Pope and his Cardinals I have seen many imams and other supposed holy men speaking about rivers of blood, and crushing infidels. Regular public addresses in Iran are concluded each time with a state led chant of "Death to America".

To close, I suppose I could be construed as casting aspersions on all based on the actions of some. This is not my intent. I am aware that at the heart of Islam are many of the same virtues that Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and moral people in general hold dear. However, I do not feel wrong in critizing the Islamic world for allowing these atrocities to continue, in much the same way as I feel comfortable criticizing the entire American government for the actions of some. If you do nothing, you are almost as guilty as those who do harm.

Upon a Rant

I am reading about a reaction in the Islamic world to the publishing of caricature in various European newspapers. Apparently, these caricatures poked fun at some aspects of Islam (featuring Mohammed wearing a turban-shaped bomb on his head). Now caricatures are INTENDED to irreverently poke fun at things. They are a free expression of someone's ideas, and have every right to be in a newspaper. Now I understand some people questioning the taste of this caricature, or its sensitivity...etc. I can understand an angry letter to the papers in question. However, it appears the Islamic world is reacting to this issue as rationally as they seem to with many things. Burning flags, threats, outrage, condemnation of all of europe, personal indignation, persecution claims painted with a broad brush, violence...etc. When will these psychotic motherfuckers realize that you can react without sprining to acts of violence and outrage. There is a term with people who react violently and murderously to just about anything...fucking savages.