Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 30, 2009 
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The Yankees named Brett Gardner their center fielder yesterday. Meanwhile A.J. Burnett got shelled.
The Mets opened their new park with a college game yesterday. Ernie Palladino was there to see it.
Some fans are finding it tough to get into the new stadiums. Mike Dougherty has that story.
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How’s your bracket? I had Oklahoma going all the way, so that’s that. Picking half the Final Four this season wasn’t much of an accomplishment.
I like UConn over Michigan State; UNC huge over Villanova and then Carolina over the Huskies. UConn has played incredibly well in the last for games. But when Carolina is healthy, no team is better.
Meanwhile, desperate Kentucky could reach out to John Calipari. He’ll have them in the Final Four or back on probation in four years. Maybe both. They should give the job to an alum like Travis Ford. Or go with a smart young coach like Sean Miller.
Ah, the brackets! Well, Pittsburgh kinda blew it for me on the self-chosen Lohud brackets. But at least I have a team in each of the two final four games, even if I didn’t pick any one of the four to win it all.
However, my computer-generated popular pick Yahoo brackets had UNC going all the way, so I may as well root for them!
If they go on to win, I think I’ll let the computer do my choosing every year!
(Hey it’s worked better so far than any other method I’ve tried.)
I was #2 in the bracket contest until the round of 8 started. Then Villanova, Pitt and Louisville all lost so I’m wrecked.
“I was #2 in the bracket contest until the round of 8 started. Then Villanova, Pitt and Louisville all lost so I’m wrecked.”
Nova’s still alive. Tremendous game Saturday night in what has otherwise been a moribund NCAA tournament.
You really thing UNC is that much more talented then UCONN?! UCONN has so much depth now that Stanley Robinson decided to grow up.
Pete
Is there anywhere to find offensive stats on the guys who are going north with the team? Just curious about how everyone is swinging the sticks.
You know, before spring training, all I was hoping for in CF was a good competition between Melky and Gardner. I didn’t want either one to “fail,” and I hoped that it would not be a situation where they were settling for one over the other, because they both performed in a mediocre way or worse.
Well, it was an even better competition that I could have anticipated. It truly was a situation where both players put their best effort out there and got results. The guy who did just a bit better got the starting nod.
I’m a Melky fan, but I’m not unhappy with the way this happened.
John:
Here you go.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....p?c_id=nyy
John in Ohio,
The Yankees site on mlb.com will give you all of the ST stats, pitching and hitting.
Back to what the scout said at the end of the prior thread – I’m tired of these “experts” waiting for Girardi to fail. They think they have a clue as to what Hal (and Hank, I suppose) will do, but they don’t at all.
I’m glad they think Phil looked great, but as soon as the guy said that he should have been the 5th starter (no, he shouldn’t – he’s not ready), it means that he thinks Joba should be in the pen…….and voila, Joba has shoulder problems. GMAB.
So, he’s willing to give Melky a chance after his pathetically abysmal showing last year, but not Gardner so much? LOL
Another boring Yankees have major problems evaluation – the same scout probably raves continuously about the Sox.
U-U-U-UCONN!!!!! GO HUSKIES!
Can’t wait to see how gardie does patroling the new canter field….best of luck to the future hall of famer!
Gardner has looked good in spring training. I love the element of speed he brings to the line-up. I just hope that he continues to hit during the regular season. It’s a little different that spring training.
Cashman likely to make a deal to create 40-man roster space.
Juan Miranda and Steven Jackson are candidates to be moved.
Picking up a position player for the future can’t hurt.
Betsy:
One might assume that “Hughes should be the 5tgh starter” means they had no need for Pettitte rather than Joba should be in the pen.
ive been away and very busy for a few weeks and now im back and ready for baseball. it seems like spring training started about 4 months ago, lets start already!
i have very high hopes for gardner, but the yankees HAVE TO keep melky. gardner won the job but has yet to prove he is an mlb starter, melky at last years level may still be the better option and the damon/swisher options dont look good.
the bloom is really off swisher isnt it? in fran’s lohud fantasy draft last night i picked nick up in the next-to-last round. i still say he ends up with more ab’s than nady. wonder if being benched has changed nick’s mind about not liking to play cf.
UCONN all the way. Peter remember most of the US was saying the same about the Duke/Uconn championship game!!!!
Yeah Babyyyyyy!!!!!!!
Wooooooooo hooooooo!!!!!!!!!
“wonder if being benched has changed nick’s mind about not liking to play cf.”
Probably. What it didn’t change is that he isn’t very good at it.
Nice article on AJ:
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....tml?page=0
Burnett went 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five starts against the Yankees, throwing eight or more innings in four of them. But instead of gloating, the righthander is approaching the 2009 campaign as if he were a part of the first Yankees team to miss the playoffs since 1993.
“Even though I haven’t been here, I’m here now,” Burnett said. “Whatever happened in their past is kind of my past now, too.”
My bracket got blown up by Wake, then West Virginia, lol. However, I was the only one in my office to have Memphis, so I was ok as long as they were alive. Thanks a lot, Missouri, lol.
I don’t know why, but I’m rooting for Villanova. I don’t mind any team besides NC winning, though.
Steve B., good point. I still think the scout was wrong…..though I’m very happy that he thinks Phil looked great.
Steve B
March 30th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Betsy:
One might assume that “Hughes should be the 5tgh starter” means they had no need for Pettitte rather than Joba should be in the pen.
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Yeah, that makes sense….having 2 innings challenged pitchers in the rotation pretty much negates the reason for signing Burnett and Sabathia. They may as well just add Aceves and Kennedy to the rotation.
im thinking nick’s attitude toward playing cf and being moved around in general contributes to his not playing it well. last year, he whined about havint to lead off and having to play cf, and as a result, he pretty much sucked, got benched and brooded for the rest of the year. you would think he might have learned from that experience, we’ll see how he reacts. im excited about the guy, but he should just come to the park ready to play and bat wherever the manager wants him.
Thanks to Steve and Mark. Appreciated.
Not saying it makes sense, GB. Just sayin’ “Joba should be in the pen”, which also doesn’t make sense, isn’t the only interpretation one could take from the scouts’ statements.
Reading what those “two scouts” had to say sounds for like what two drunken idiots might have said. That’s about as serious as that drivel needs to be taken.
sounds ***more*** like what
there will be alot of times this season where it would be advantageous for joe to be able to PH swisher for gardner/melky when they are behind. if swisher could go into cf, he could stay in the lineup. but if swisher doestn embrace the idea, you dont do it.
when he came over, everybody was saying that his presence in the locker room will really help the yankees, but the opposite was true with swisher and the sox last year. im willing to put that off on crazy ozzie, but the yankees have to hope that nick can embrace being moved around and used wherever it helps the team. otherwise his attitude could become a problem for joe.
I wonder how many of these quotes from anonymous “scouts” are actually from scouts. Don’t they always sound like they are from people who know very little about the game? Or, they sound like the national media types who constantly spout the same inane myths because they don’t actually know anything about the team or players they are talking about.
Either some of these scouts are simply semi-functional idiots, or the term scout is used to preface the writer’s personal opinions, IMO.
Ham:
Aside from his 1st season in the bigs, Swisher has never been full time at any position, going back and forth from 1st to the outfield pretty much thru out his career. He should be used to it. Honestly, I don’t think the Yankees want him in CF.
Cashman has repeatedly said he has no interest in seeing Swisher in center.
its very easy now to say that the yankees dont want to see swisher in cf. of course they dont, that would mean that gardner and melky arent cutting it. and with gardner burning up the grapefruit league, it seems there will be no reason to put swisher in as a cf.
but wait a minute. gardners mlb obp is around .280 so far. melky has proven to be a dissappointment. so IF gardner cant get on and melky doesnt improve, you will find yourself wishing swisher could play some cf, not as a starter, but just to help out when they need his bat in the lineup.
saying they expect swisher to play some cf this year is like saying they expect ransom to get 300 ab’s or hughes to make 18 starts, it would be going into the season expecting someone else to fail or miss significant time.
but we all know that some people do fail and some people do get hurt. and if the yankees have a cf problem this season, which is still very possible despite brett’s stellar SPRING TRAINING, the yankees attitude toward nick in CF may change drastically. the question then would be how’s nick’s attitude?
It’s a shame about the ticket situation and the way it sounds like fans have been treated. I understand that Yankees couldn’t predict a recession and the ticket prices are necessary to pay for the new stadium, but the way that article describes how fans went from pretty good seats to some not so good seats without much communication from the Yankee TO is pretty sad stuff to hear. I hope they find a way to get the seats filled with some real Yankee fans and not just the elite folks who are the only people who can possibly afford the best seats in the house.
Being down in VA I’m lucky to get to Yankee Stadium once a year, and while that trip will be a blast for me, I’m going to have just as much fun seeing the Yankees play in Baltimore for 1/10th the price I’m paying to see the game in NY. I’m 4-5 rows back of the plate in Baltimore and in the right-field bleachers in the new Yankee Stadium. I know the stadium is new and should be nice, but something tells me I’ll still enjoy Camden Yards as much, if not more
good point mark…maybe newspapers just have a position known as “scout” so they can quote a “scout” when they want to sound credible?
Pete.. I’m really disappointed about your comment about Calipari!! Specifically “He’ll have them … back on probation in four years.”
As far as I know, Calipari has not been accused of any recruiting violations by the NCAA. He definitely has not been found guilty of any. AND, there is no investigation underway. Innuendos by opposing coaches, fans or sportswriters don’t count.
I believe in “innocent until proven guilty”.
Pete, there is already too much dirt in the sports business. Please don’t add to it.
Pete.
LOVED the comment about Calipari – he was a crook at UMass and is almost certainly one at Memphis – that was the unwritten reason why he went to Memphis instead of a more “name” program awhile back.
It’s nice that someone finally mentioned this about him
Seems like a slow news day. Everyone is discussing Gardner/Melky to death.
Pete stop hating on the Cats. Didn’t you say they would lose in the opening round? How’d that turn out for you?
I was nearly perfect in my bracket picks until Thursday. Thanks, Memphis and Kansas for killing my bracket.
test
I can’t post in the other thread either…..
Just continue your conversations on this thread till he opens up a new one.
I wouldnt mind having Halliday. Then go get Holliday next year or is it the other way around. Holliday and Halliday would be a great tongue twister.
I say trade Burnett and his 5 year contract for Hallidays 2 year deal.
Roy Halladay is not being traded in the AL East – the rumor sprang up just because some guy on XM radio mentioned it. Even if he were, I would NEVER trade my farm system for him – same way I wouldn’t for Santana.
I just want to know what is up with Hughes.
Depends who you have to trade to get him. Minor league players are a crap shoot. Look at that Marte guy that Cleveland cut a few weeks ago. He was supposed to be a cant miss prospect and most people here wanted to trade for him. Within 2 years he went from cant miss to cant make the team.
If Halliday was a couple years younger and had a longer contract. I would trade anyone in the system for one of the top 5 pitchers in the game and a proven success record in the a.l. east.
If you can get past the fact that Stark put Beckett AND Smoltz in his all-money team, this is actually pretty funny. Gardner actually made a list.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=4025962
I wouldn’t give up the farm for Halladay. I’d prefer to keep Hughes. But I would do Joba for Halladay straight up. They might go for that, He can set up on the days he doesn’t start.
Im upset that with all the young studs we have in the minors. None made his futures all star team. This Daniel Bard guy for the sox is starting to scare me a bit. Heres hoping he turns out like that cant miss fireballer they traded. Last name started with an H and Gammons said he was the best pen guy ever.
Joba for Halliday but not Hughes?
I’ve got a soft spot for Hughes.
Speaking of Halliday. Rosenthal has Halliday winning the cy young. So if you had the chance to pick up a player that will win the cy young and give up someone that will be great 4 years from now. Do you pull the trigger? This reminds me of the Knoblauch trade. We gave up some quality minor leaguers for a championship run today.
Why is Siezmore always picked to win the MVP. I know he’s good but there are more than one good player thats in the A.L..
So the other thread is broken?
“If you can get past the fact that Stark put Beckett AND Smoltz in his all-money team,”
Hard to argue. Among guys still playing, can’t think of many, if any, who’ve come up bigger in postseason play. Maybe could have squeezed Pettitte in that group.
We went through this with Santana – I’m not going to rehash that again, but as I didn’t believe in trading Hughes then, I don’t believe in trading him now. This is all moot – this one guy makes some ridiculous comment and has everyone in a tizzy about it.
“So if you had the chance to pick up a player that will win the cy young and give up someone that will be great 4 years from now.”
If we know someone WILL be great 4 years from now, you probably don’t do it.
If we think someone MAY be great 4 years from now, you do it twice.
Young Phil falls into the latter category.
Betsy do you know why Hughes was skipped today, when he’s healthy? Newman and Contrera’s quotes were pretty cryptic. Hopefully it’s nothing.
I’m not trading Hughes-I didn’t wanna do it for Santa, I don’t wanna do it for Halladay.
Okay who broke the gameday thread?
and by Santa..I mean Santana!
Oops.
As for Knoblauch, Guzman wasn’t going anywhere with the Yankees and Milton had solid years with the Twins but excelled in the NL. At the time, Knoblauch was a stud and it took talent to get it.
“That $50 million figure that’s being attached to ballyhooed college-pitching prospect Stephen Strasburg is no joke. Baseball people who have spoken to Strasburg’s adviser Scott Boras say they believe that’s the figure Boras has in mind for Strasburg, the San Diego State pitcher some are calling a once-in-a-decade talent.”
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....index.html
50 million?
“Okay who broke the gameday thread?”
Well, since the last dated comment was 3:25 pm – AND
the last update from Pete was 3:25 pm -
I think we can surmise that…….
It is AROD’s fault. When in doubt always blame Arod. I catch on quick don’t I?