A smorgasbord of sports thoughts

A lot going on in the Big Apple....

The Mets are all of a sudden road warriors, the Yankees continue to dominate at home, Darrelle Revis may not be who we thought he was, and the Nets have a new coach.  Oh yea, and apparently Lebron James is bigger than New York City.  Yuck….

I have a lot on my mind, and it’s time to rant!

Yanks bullpen is Achilles heal

Joba no longer has the mystique of 2007.

Three games. Three blown leads. The Yankees bullpen is in trouble.

I don’t know what to think of the last three games — two against Boston, one versus Minnesota — but I know one thing for sure. Mariano will be OK. I can’t say the same thing about Joba Chamberlain.

The Pope’s of Hip Hop ready to take over the Cathedral

The Renegades are set to make Hip Hop history

Rap superstars Jay-Z and Eminem announced yesterday on ESPN and YES that they will team-up for two monster Hip Hop shows in September.  The duo spent a few minutes in the booth with Michael Kay and company Wednesday night and said the first show will take place at Comerica Park in Detroit on September 2nd.  The final show of the “home and home series” will touch down in New York on September 13 at the brand new Yankee Stadium.  It will be the first concert ever at the new Cathedral and tickets for both shows go on sale June 12th. 

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Robinson Cano has been one of the few bright spots for the Yankees this year

The Yankees have hit their first losing skid of the season, losing four of their last five games, the last being a humiliating loss to the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4.

So with that, I’d like to shed some light on some of the good things I’ve seen over the past 19 games, some of the bad, and definitely, the ugly parts of this 2010 Yankees season.

37 years young

  

Pettite is still getting the job done

I drafted Andy Pettite on my fantasy team this year, planning to use him for spot starts against lesser competition.  When his turn came on Wednesday to pitch against the Sawx, I immediately added him to my bench.  No way was I starting him in Fenway and risking my team ERA sky-rocketing.  Like a lot of outsiders, I doubted that the lefty had any gas left in the tank. 

The Rivalry Kicks Off The 2010 Season

Sunday night the 2010 Major League season gets underway, and baseball’s fiercest rivals begin the action when the Boston Red Sox host the World Champion, New York Yankees.  The pitching match-up features C.C. Sabathia for New York, and Boston’s Josh Beckett.

Breaking down the AL East

Who will come out on top?

When looking at the AL East, it’s arguable that the best three teams in baseball are in this division. The Yankees, Red Sox and Rays all are stacked with premium offensive players, good pitching and exceptional coaching, which makes this year’s hunt for October that much more interesting.

Beware of batted balls!

I guess Eminem isn’t the only one who hates his mother….

Minnesota Twins leadoff man Denard Span hit his mother in the chest with a line-drive foul ball during Wednesday’s spring game in Tampa against the New York Yankees. Span rushed over to the stands to check on her, then stayed in the game.

Everyone’s seen a “Switch-Hitter”, but have you ever seen a “Switch-Pitcher?”

Can he make an impact on the Major League level?

Pat Venditte is a pitcher who can deal with both his left and right arms.  Although his talent has only gotten him a job pitching for the Advanced Class-A Tampa Yankees, his technique has given him the opportunity to pitch for a very curious Joe Girardi and the Bomber’s tonight versus the Atlanta Braves in Lake Buena Vista, Fl. It should be very interesting to watch an ambidextrous pitcher face off against a switch-hitter like Chipper Jones.

Memo to Yankees: Make Joba the fifth starter

Joba deserves to start this year

Joba Chamberlain should be a starter.

Unless he goes out this year and rolls out a poultry five-plus ERA, throws 91 mph heaters combined with meatball cement mixers, then by all means, put him in the pen. But hasn’t he earned the opportunity to pitch a full season without shackles?