In the Dirt

Check Out My Other Blogs

2010-05-14T17:46:00.003-04:00

I don't think anybody really ever read this blog, but if this is still in somebody's bookmarks or in their RSS readers I would suggest an update. Start with my Yankees blog: Bronx Baseball Daily. Or my Rangers blog: Broadway Hockey Daily. And I also have a Mets blog: Flushing Baseball Daily.

I just need one more blog: Wasting My Life Daily, and I'll be set.

CC Sabathia Just Missed Joining the Black Aces

2009-11-17T21:36:00.002-05:00

When CC Sabathia stepped out on the mound October 2 on the road against the Tampa Rays he had 19 wins. One more would have given him 20, a nice round number to look good for the Cy Young voters and his only real shot at winning the award. He missed it, but missing out on an award he’s already won is probably not that big a deal to him especially considering the outcome of the playoffs themselves.

The more award that eluded him along with his 20th victory would have landed him in the category for elite black pitchers; he would have become a Black Ace.

The Black Aces are a group of 13 black pitchers who have won 20 games in a season at least once. Jim “Mudcat” Grant came up with the idea for the group and originally called it “The 12 Black Aces” after the group of guys who had broken the “last barrier” as there was still a reluctance to use black men as starting pitchers even after the color line was broken.

The group eventually expanded in 2005 when Dontrelle Willis won 22 games with the Florida Marlins. The other members are Vida Blue (’71, ‘73, ‘75), Al Downing (’71), Bob Gibson (’65, ‘66, ‘68, ‘69, ‘70), Dwight Gooden (’85), Mudcat Grant (’65), Ferguson Jenkins (’67, ‘68, ‘69, ‘70, ‘71, ‘72, ‘74), Sam Jones (’59), Don Newcombe (’51, ‘55, ‘56), Mike Norris (’80), J.R. Richard (’76), Dave Stewart (’87, ‘88, ‘89, ‘90), and Earl Wilson (’67).

Some of the members have expressed an interest in lowering the bar for pitchers to get in such as only winning 18 games or winning the Cy Young award since it is more uncommon for pitchers to win 20 games in this day and age. So far that has been just talk though, talk Sabathia would love to see turn into action as he’s won 19 games twice and a Cy Young.

Grant, who authored a book called The Black Aces: Baseball’s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners that was released in 2006, was on hand during Sabathia’s final start this season anxious to make an addition to the tome.

“I’m looking for the 14th member of our club,” said Grant just before Sabathia’s October 2 start. “I’ve never actually witnessed the 20th victory by any of the guys, so it would be a thrill for me.

“CC is a great guy and he deserves it. And let’s not forget he’s going against (Rays pitcher) David Price, who could very well win 20 games one day, too.”

Big Papi Joins the Party

2009-07-30T21:25:00.000-04:00

In 2002, David Ortiz was non-tendered by the Minnesota Twins.

In 2004, he carried the Red Sox on his back to their first World Series title since 1918.

In 2003, he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

In 2009, after it is determined that his friends Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez tested positive for steroids Ortiz goes into the tank and his average drops to .224 and he is on pace to his the least amount of home runs he has hit since 2002 with the Twins.

These situations don’t necessarily mean that Ortiz was only able to become such an elite player because of The Juice, but it hard to deny.

Should Arod Get His Historic Home Run Bonuses?

2009-05-07T21:27:00.000-04:00

When Alex Rodriguez resigned with the Yankees for $275 million dollars after the 2007 season, the Bombers threw in a nice little incentive package worth $30 million if he could set a new all-time home run record.

And why not? After all if he did accomplish the feat it would have been a big deal and the Yankees surely would have profited enough to toss him that bonus and then some.

But that was before his positive steroids tests from 2003 surfaced and his would be historic home run chase became tainted.

Now it will be a big deal, but instead of a historic run at reclaiming the record from the evil Barry Bonds it is now just one junky passing the baton to another.

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, there are grumblings around baseball that side with the idea that the Yankees should try to stiff Arod on his $30 million bonus when the time comes.

Suppose, given his admission of steroid use and the other furor that has swirled around this man, the Yankees were to argue that he’s no longer a “historic” figure?

Wouldn’t that mean that those milestones were no longer “historic” accomplishments?

And wouldn’t that then mean that they no longer would have to pay him his 30 million “historic” bucks — or any portion thereof?

These are not questions the Yankees are asking — yet. But they’re questions we have heard asked around baseball lately, as A-Rod’s reputation, approval rating and marketability have plunged to somewhere south of Rio de Janeiro.

“If I’m the Yankees,” said an official of one team, “I think I’d be doing everything I could not to pay that money, and let him sue me for it.”

“I think the Yankees ought to challenge it and baseball ought to challenge it,” said an executive of another club. “And then it’s up to A-Rod and the union to determine how much they want to fight it. Does this guy really want to continue to go through this stuff? Does he really want to continue to explain himself?”

It’s a good point. If the Yankees are no longer marketing something historic, but rather something any jerk with the right kind of dedication and drugs could pull off, do they really have to pay him?

What do you think?

Updates on A-Rod's Comments and Cyst

2009-03-04T21:31:00.000-05:00

Alex Rodriguez spoke with reporters yesterday after a tune-up game with Team Dominican Republic, discussing his admiration of Mets shortstop Jose Reyes.

Initially the comments were taken as a slight against Derek Jeter, but now some people, like Chris Harihar of iYankees, have started to wonder if it really was a shot at the Yankees leadoff hitter Johnny Damon.

Here is part of the quote from A-Rod: “I wish he was leading off on our team.”

I can see how that might be a swipe at Damon, but Damon wasn’t one of them.

“Obviously, we know how talented Jose Reyes is,” Damon told The Post. “I know Alex loves me as a teammate and leading off. Jose Reyes still has 10 to 15 years in the tank; I have five at the most.”

In reality A-Rod didn’t take a swipe at anybody, he just doesn’t think before he talks. In the couple of years he has been in New York haven’t we come to expect that just as much as he’s going to be great all season long before disappearing in October?

Meanwhile, there was some more serious A-Rod news yesterday that for some reason came with perfect timing, he has a cyst on his hip. Apparently this is something he had to deal with last season.

“Alex expressed a little stiffness. There was really no pain,” Joe Girardi said on Wednesday. “We just thought it was best because he had some minor issues last year with it. We’ll have a better idea after today with what the course of plan is.”

The Yankees have let him go on playing because, according to Girardi, it hasn’t affected his play at all.

“Whenever you have something going on, you’re concerned,” Girardi said. “The fact he didn’t have a lot of pain is a little bit more comforting. He’s been able to play, and play at a high level. It hasn’t kept him from doing anything. It hasn’t kept him from driving the baseball. That’s the good thing.”

The Yankees, who like to discourage their players from participating in the WBC will likely use this as an excuse to keep him from playing. They’re just going to need some help from the doctors to come up with that excuse.

“We have to err on the side of caution for the Yankees,” Girardi said. “But we’ll let the hip specialist determine if he’s ready to play Saturday. We’ll take his suggestions.”

Nowadays when people talk mysterious ailments involving A-Rod it is always going to come back to steroids and it has started already. Ken Davidoff of Newsday made the connection to a similar issue with Roger Clemens a few years back.

“Before word broke last night about the cyst in A-Rod’s hip, the most famous cyst in recent baseball history belonged to Roger Clemens. As was disclosed in the Feb. 13, 2008 Congressional hearing that involved Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner developed an abscess (an infected cyst, according to medical Web sites) on his buttocks during his 1998 season with the Blue Jays.

Brian McNamee, the former Yankees employee who testified he injected Clemens with illegal, performance-enhancing drugs, pointed to that ailment as evidence of his accusations. A doctor commissioned by Congressional Democrats examined Clemens’ medical report from 1998 and agreed that McNamee probably was telling the truth.”

Apparently it is enough evidence for Davidoff and while I’m certainly not a doctor, it is hard for me to believe that this is not a side effect of repeatedly sticking a needle in your ass for years.

I’ve already chimed in with my thoughts that this seems like more of a Jason Giambi like tumor, hopefully this isn’t a sign of the long string of injuries Giambi suffered as a result of his steroid use.

Brooklyn's First Hockey Team

2008-11-05T14:39:00.005-05:00

Brooklyn has a new professional hockey team. They're called the Aces and they play at the Aviator Sports complex on Flatbush Ave. They're small time and loosely affiliated with the NHL, but they should be exciting and worth checking out if you live in the area.

They won their first game against the New Jersey Rockhoppers 6-3, and they'll play their first home game this Saturday against the same team.

Go to their website to find out more about them.

"This is like a dream come true,” Ace’s forward and Brooklyn Native said. “Minor pro league hockey right here in Brooklyn. I never thought it would happen.”

Queens Pol Raps Mayor on Water Bill Hike

2008-05-06T18:44:00.000-04:00

By Rob Abruzzese and Chris Smoudianis

The chairman of the City Council Environmental Committee blasted Mayor Bloomberg at a Water Board hearing in Queens today for shooting down a plan that would have lowered a proposed 14.5 percent water rate hike.

The move would have lowered the rate hike by five percent and saved some 825,000 city residents nearly $122 million in fiscal year 2009, officials said.

The Bloomberg administration has diverted funds from the water bills to fund projects unrelated to the city’s water and sewer system, charged Councilman James Gennaro, Democrat of Queens.

Each year, the Water Board is required to raise enough revenue to cover its operational and bonding costs and also must make a payment on 15 percent of its debt service. But Gennaro says those additional payments are pinching the pockets of middle class families.

“This is an out of control situation that’s just going to get worse over time,” said Gennaro. “The Bloomberg administration should get its hands out of the pockets of water bill-paying New Yorkers and commit to using the revenues collected from water bills for water and sewer projects only.”

The current rate hike exceeds the 11.5 percent increase projected a year ago. It is especially high since the city began cracking down on property owners who were delinquent to make their water bill payments and lessen the burden of future rate increases.

Gennaro said the rate increase should be around a five and a half percent instead of 14.5 percent. He also says these rate increases set bad precedents which will cause them to continue to rise every year and he estimated they would surpass $300 million by the fiscal year 2015.

The Mayor had another view.

“They spend the money on real projects which we need,” Bloomberg said Monday. “From what I can tell, they do it reasonably efficiently, and this seems to me to be brouhaha about nothing from a couple of people who want to run for higher office.”

“We have to keep the king’s cotton picking hands off water and sewer money,” retorted Gennaro. “This is what has to be done to avoid outrageous water rate increases every year.”

The city proposed another increase in December of 18 percent, citing lower than expected revenues. That proposal did not go through when the city agreed to crack down on delinquent payments.

Rangers Retool For Game 4

2008-05-01T15:48:00.002-04:00

The Rangers are being forced to adjust going into game four in a series against the Penguins which has been just short of a disaster.

Sean Avery and Blair Betts will not be playing in game four. Avery is still in intensive care as of Thursday morning being treated for a lacerated spleen. Betts is recovering from a concussion after taking a puck to the face during game three. He will also be undergoing surgery on the fractured orbital bone near his left eye this weekend.

A familiar face in Petr Prucha will likely get playing time in the absence of Avery, but it will be a new face to replace Betts in Lauri Korpikoski. Korpikoski was the Ranger's nineteenth overall pick in the 2004 draft. In 79 games this season he scored 23 goals and added 27 assists.

Chris Drury is also questionable for tonights game. He injured his ribs during game three and finished the game so if you're betting, bet that he'll be in this one tonight. If he isn't than both Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr will be in the lineup tonight. It is possible that they will both be in the lineup regardless if Prucha is a scratch.

Another move the Rangers are making is removing Christian Backman from the lineup. The slow Backman has been largely ineffective against the speedy Penguins lineup. He is plus-one during the series, but the defense has played poorly during two games and Tom Renney must think that having the slightly faster Jason Strudwick will benefit the team. He will be teamed up with Paul Mara according to Steve Zipay's blog.

The Rangers are also going to have to focus on killing off penalties better. In three games the Pens have scored three powerplay goals and they have each been the difference in the games.

In game one Evgeni Malkin's powerplay goal, or should I say the puck that bounced off Malkin, turned out to be the game winner. In game two Jordan Staal was the only player to score on a goalie during a second period power play. And it was Malkin again scoring the game winner in game three on the power play.

To do this the Rangers desperately need to stay out of the penalty box. They have received 46 penalty minutes over three games and the only chance they've got to win this series is to half that over the next four. If they are that lucky.

The Rangers are not only a slower team than the Penguins with less offensive weapons, but they are now battered and beaten. While they can still win this series, it will take nothing short of a miracle for them to move on.

In The Dirt's projected lineup:
Straka – Dubinsky - Jagr
Shanahan - Gomez - Callahan
Dawes – Drury - Prucha
Hollweg – Korpitoski - Sjostrom

Brooklyn Assemblywoman Convicted of Bribe-taking

2008-04-08T18:46:00.000-04:00

By Robert Abruzzese and Eric Faynberg

New York State Assemblywoman Diane Gordon was convicted of bribe-receiving in the third degree today in Brooklyn Supreme Court. The representative of the East New York neighborhood was stripped of her position as a result.

“The verdict was not what we call repugnant,” said Bernard Udell, one of Gordon’s attorneys after the jury decided on the lesser of two charges. “We believe we had a strong case. The jury did their best. This is the first round; we hope she will be vindicated.”

The attorneys indicated they would appeal the verdict.

Caught on hidden camera arranging a deal with a local land developer, Gordon was to receive a $500,000 house in a planned gated community in exchange for her promise to help the developer, Ranjan Batheja, acquire a valuable piece of land in her district.

Gordon, who must pay a bail fee of $35,000 by tomorrow, faces up to 10 years in prison, or as little as probation and a $5,000 fine. The sentencing hearing was scheduled for May 20^th.

“We’re going to do our best to see that the sentence is probation or less,” Udell said.

Assistant DA Michel Spinakos said he was pleased with the result after the jury also found Gordon guilty of seven lesser charges involving official misconduct.

“We got eight out of nine convictions,” he said. “She is no longer a member of the assembly as of right now. I think it sends a message about corruption in Brooklyn.”

The Road to Congestion Pricing Plan Less Jammed

2008-04-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

By Yesenia Escobar, Amber Gardner, and Robert Abruzzese

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn continued today to press for congestion pricing to be approved by Albany after the measure passed the City Council yesterday.

“Every step that Albany has asked us to take we have taken,” Mayor Bloomberg said at a press conference in Brooklyn.

Mayor Bloomberg also said, “Most of the 30 council members weren’t hard to convince” to approve the congestion pricing plan.

With the approval of congestion pricing, Mayor Bloomberg intends to cut traffic in the Manhattan’s congested areas, decrease air pollution, and improve mass transit.

“A lot of these people understand that if we want mass transit we have to pay for it,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “`I want more things but I don’t want to have to pay for it’ is not realistic.”

At City Hall Council Speaker Quinn seconded the Mayor’s remarks.

“I believe the city of New York desperately needs a continuous revenue stream that will allow us to improve mass transit,” she said.

“Why do we need to improve mass transit?” she asked. “Because we have to get cars off the street because the level of traffic we have is impacting our ability to be the business capital of the world.”

With the City Council voting narrowly in favor of congestion pricing, Mayor Bloomberg said his administration has every right to be optimistic.

“These council members sent a message yesterday. A message from mass transit, a message for air quality, a message to get cars off our streets, and that is a message that New Yorkers should be proud of,” Quinn said.

The congestion pricing plan must get approval from the State Legislature by April 7 in order to receive $354 million in federal funding.

Nixzmary’s Stepfather Convicted of Manslaughter

2008-03-18T18:51:00.000-04:00

By Victoria Gaponski & Robeert Abruzzese

A Brooklyn jury today convicted the stepfather of first-degree manslaughter in the death of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown whose horrific story of abuse led to reforms in the city approach to protecting children.

Cesar Rodriguez, 29, who faced life in prison on murder charges, now faced a 25-year maximum sentence.

After the verdict friends and family were upset that the penalty was not stiffer.

“I expected them to charge him with second degree murder,” said a weeping Welda Cordeo, a family friend who occasionally baby-sat Nixzmary. “He didn’t get it. Eventually he’ll pay for it; his guilt is going to kill him.”

The jury reached a verdict on the fourth day of deliberations. After the third day the jurors asked Justice L. Priscilla Hall to repeat legal definitions for second and first-degree manslaughter and then second-degree murder charges, leading courtroom observers to speculate that he would be found guilty of the greater charge.

“A jury has spoken,” said a disappointed Assistant District Attorney Alma Dwimoh who portrayed the defendant at trial as a cruel taskmaster who got angry when the 36-pound girl “stole” a cup of yogurt. “I’ll always respect the voice of the jury. I’m grateful that at least they are holding him accountable. He did kill her.”

Rodriguez’s attorney Jeffrey T. Schwartz had contended that while Rodriguez beat his stepdaughter it was the mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, who dealt the deathblow. Santiago is being tried separately on murder charges.

“Nixzaliz is the crazy one,” Schwartz said in response to the verdict. “She should be charged with second-degree murder.”

The night of Nixzmary’s death, January 11, 2006, Rodriguez admitted that he punished the girl when he stuck her head under a running bathtub faucet, but denied killing her. Investigators claim that the child’s head was probably smashed against the faucet which killed her.

The defense also tried to focus the jury’s attention on a witness who was supposedly going to corroborate their story that
Santiago acted alone in the death of her daughter. But during the trial the witness testified that
Santiago claimed they acted together.

During the nine-week trial, Schwartz had repeatedly asked for a mistrial since the prosecution delayed handing over testimony, specifically psychiatric analysis’, which the defense claims weakened their case.

“If we were given the material on time, the sentencing might have been lower,” said Schwartz. “We get our butts whipped most of the time because the system is broken and needs to be fixed.”

Rodriguez was also convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a weapon. The weapons charge stemmed from his use of a belt to beat her and a bungee cord he used to tie her to a chair.

In response to this case, city officials have increased the numbers of caseworkers investigating child abuse cases. Also Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno pushed through ‘Nixzmary’s Law’ in January 2006 which allows prosecutors to charge parents with first-degree murder as the result of child abuse.

Since the law has been passed state officials say that there is a greater public awareness of child abuse.

The Tarnished Badge of Wall Street’s Sheriff

2008-03-11T18:52:00.000-04:00

By Mariya Yudekevich, Rob Abruzzese, Chris Smoudianis & Ysenia Escobar

Workers on Wall Street today gave mixed reviews of Governor Spitzer’s ignominious fall from grace and many were less harsh on him than he was on their colleagues whom he prosecuted vigorously as Attorney General.

“Besides the fact that he contradicted himself, by saying he’d end corruption to win the election, there is nothing wrong with it,” said Chase employee John Pipkin said. “It’s not like he picked up a dirty hooker.”

Spitzer for eight years as the Attorney General was known as “the Sheriff of Wall Street” for his vigorous civil actions against corrupt practices in the financial industry. He also took down two prostitution rings at this time.

Some men working on Wall Street were sympathetic to the Governor.

“He is a regular person, it’s none of our business,” said Ray Anthony, a stock broker. “But he was going after people for the littlest things; now he is in the middle of a prostitution ring.”

“Its hypocrisy, he’s worked on a platform that’s been working on corruption and gets what he deserves,” said Kevin McMann, a banker. “If you are going to be on your high horse, you should be clean.”

“It’s a personal issue,” said Juan Delavalle. “I just want to know, did he use the taxpayer money?”

The women were not as forgiving.

Rose Salah, a stock broker, said that she would spit on him if she saw him walking on the street.

But she expressed sympathy for Spitzer’s wife, Silda. “The statement where he said it is a family issue, it’s not,” she said. “It’s a government issue, and a
New York issue. He was a huge disappointment.”

“He is a disgrace and he should resign,” said Sonia Castaneca, an administrative assistant.

Mayor Bloomberg, no stranger to Wall Street, declined to criticize his neighbor, the Governor, and sidestepped questions about Spitzer’s possible resignation.

“I told him our thoughts were with him and I wished him all the best,” Bloomberg said. “If he ever wanted to talk and wanted my advice, I would be happy to give it to him.”

Ranger’s Play it Safe at Trade-Deadline

2008-02-27T15:03:00.003-05:00

Rangers fans were hoping for a big splash during yesterday's trade deadline. What they got instead were a pair of minor deals which will only help the team incrementally.

For the first deal of the day, Glen Sather brought in 27-year-old Christian Backman from St. Louis in exchange for a forth-round pick. Backman is a former first round draft pick in 1998 and has spent some time this month on the injured reserve as the result of a chipped bone in his foot after blocking a shot February 1.

Backman is not the first-pair defenseman most fans craved, however he will fill in for Paul Mara for the next two weeks while he recovers from facial surgery. Also this move also means the Rangers will not have to use Jason Strudwick during the playoffs and Backman and Marek Malik will compete for the sixth defensive spot on the roster.

The other deal the Rangers pulled off was a five-player swap with the Phoenix Coyotes. They sent Marcel Hossa and goalie Al Montoya to the desert in exchange for Fredrik Sjostrom, another first-round pick from the 2001 draft, Josh Gratton and goaltender David LeNeveu.

Sjostrom is a 24-year-old right winger who will essentially take Hossa's spot on the roster. This deal is not much of an upgrade, but it means a roster spot isn't taken up by a player who has been limited to 36 because of a bad back. It also means that Strudwick will not be forced to play wing if the team is short of wingers.

Gratton, nicknamed the “Chin Of Steel,” is an excellent enforcer who has 237 penalty minutes in 67 career NHL games. He may not see anytime on Broadway this season, but serves as insurance in case Colton Orr's upper body injury costs him significant time.

LeNeveu looks like a throw-in on this deal. The Rangers probably requested him to take Montoya's place in Hartford as Miika Wiikman's backup. Montoya's days as a Ranger were up since the emergence of Wiikman as the starting goalie in Hartford and the six-year contract extension of Henrik Lundqvist.

These deals might have come up short of the expectations fans had for the deadline, however they are typical of the types of moves Sather has made since the lockout. Since the Rangers started “rebuilding” after the lockout the biggest splash has been a deal sending Maxim Kondratiev to Anaheim for Petr Sykora. Hardly a big time deal, but it represented addition by subtraction on the blue-line and provided the Rangers with more speed on the wing.

Last season the Rangers made two moves in February and neither were blockbusters. The Rangers sent Jason Ward to Los Angeles for Sean Avery in a move which was meant to bolster the strength of a weak team. The other deal was of the same ilk as they sent a disappointing defenseman, Aaron Ward to the Bruins for Mara. Neither of those deals seemed like much at the time, but the small upgrades paid off as the Rangers finished off the 2006/07 season with a bang.

Other deals have been small as well. Swapping Ville Nieminen for San Jose's third-round pick then sending that pick to Anahiem for Sandis Ozolinsh. Also there was the deal which sent Adam Hall to Minnesota for Pascal Dupuis only to sent Dupuis to Atlanta just days later for Alex Bourret.

Sather has established a pattern of making deals which upgrade troubled areas instead of trying to change the face of the organization all at once. These low-risk/high-reward moves have paid off in getting the Rangers to the playoffs two years in a row while not risking to future. The Rangers of the 21^st century no longer trade the farm for Eric Lindros or Pavel Bure and instead they have waited until July to add the big names like Brandon Shanahan, Scott Gomez, and Chris Drury.

For more NY Sports go to Hot Stove New York.

Rangers Rebounding | Slats Won’t Trade Jagr

2008-02-25T12:01:00.003-05:00

They’re heating up.

Just days after a demoralizing loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Rangers got another 5-0 lead and this time held on to it against the Florida Panthers Sunday night.

Henrik Lundqvist got his career-high eighth shutout by stopping 23 shots. Since signing a six-year extension on February 12 he has allowed 10 goals in just 5 games while backstopping the Rangers to a 4-0-1 record.

Lundqvist isn’t the only one starting to get hot these days, Jaromir Jagr and his new linemates are playing better than they have all season. While Hank was inking his $41.25 million extension, Tom Renney moved the 21-year-old Brandon Dubinsky off the third-line to play on Jagr’s line. The move is paying off in a big way so far as the pair along with Sean Avery have combined for 21 points during the last five games.

With the goal that put the Rangers up 3-0 Sunday, Jagr scored in back-to-back games for the first time since December 30, 2007. He also assisted on four goals during the debacle last Tuesday February 19 that was the game against Montreal.

Aside from the offensive production this has been the most physical top line the Rangers have had since the days of Mark Messier. Dubinsky has been involved in a few scraps this week and both he and Avery were seen retaliating against Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta after his more than questionable hit on Paul Mara Saturday night.

With Dubinsky skating on the top line, the Rangers have $85 million worth of depth. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury are skating on the second and third lines respectively and are also adding to the recent success. Since they each took a step back on the depth chart the pair has 12 points combined including a game-winning-goal each.

Since the recent success, or perhaps in spite of it, GM Glen Sather has announced that he will not be trading 36-year-old Jagr.

“If I was to ask him to leave, he might say yes. But I don’t plan on talking to him about that (trade),” Sather told the Edmonton Journal. “Trade Jagr? Nobody’s called me on him. Why would I want to do that?”

Sather even went so far as telling reporters that he wanted to bring back Jagr for the 2008/09 season.

“Jagr is still the best player on our team,” said Sather. “He’s got two guys all over him most nights and he still draws lots of attention. I absolutely want him back next year,”

Jagr’s contract is up at the end of the season and he will be an unrestricted free-agent on July 1. The Rangers pay only $4.9 million worth of his $8.4 salary this season. The Washington Capitals pay the rest.

Before April Yankees Must Answer Questions

2008-02-22T17:11:00.002-05:00

The New York Yankees are in a period of transition. For the first time in 12 years they will be led by a new manager and this off-season we saw them use a little bit of fiscal restraint, opting to go with young and unproven talent over the big name veteran.

One thing that has not changed are expectations. This year as always the Yankees and their fans expect a championship. New manager Joe Girardi even dons number 27 on his back as a constant reminder of what they are working towards.

Before the team starts thinking about October or even April there are some key issues they must address.

The most pressing issue at hand is how to use 22-year-old Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain made 19 appearances out of the Yankees' bullpen at the end of last season after being groomed as a starter his entire professional career. At the time the plan was that come 2008 he would go back into the rotation, but two issues at hand have prevented this. The first is the Yankees would like to limit him to about 140 innings this season after throwing about 112 last year. Also he was such an effective bridge from the starting pitchers to Mariano Rivera that it is tempting to keep him in that role.

To handle this it seems like the Yankees plan for him is to start the season out of the bullpen until June or July. At that point it is likely that they will send him to the minors for a brief stint to get into shape to become a starter. Then they would call him back up by August to finish the stretch run in the rotation. Of course this plan is tentative and will likely change if injuries occur.

Then there is the matter which players will be joining Chamberlain in the Yankees bullpen to start the season. Aside from Rivera only Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins have guaranteed contracts this season which means there will be about three spots left to fill.

Jonathan Albaladejo, a 25-year-old who came over from Washington via trade, will have a shot at opening the season with the team. Albaladejo pitched in 14 games for the Nationals last season and was very effective with a 1.88 ERA.

Brian Bruney will also have a shot at making the team. After a disappointing 2007 Bruney has reportedly dropped 20 pounds and added a slider to his repertoire which could make him more effective.

Other likely candidates to open the season in the Yankees pen are Chris Britton, Edwar Ramirez, Ross Ohlendorf, and Jose Veras. With no other lefty specialist, Sean Henn even has a chance and Kei Igawa also has an outside shot after being a complete bust last season.

Aside from pitching the only position spot which needs to be filled is going to be at first base. As of right now this position is Jason Giambi's to lose, which he almost certainly will, to injuries. After injuring himself walking around the bases Giambi only appeared in 18 games at first last year.

With more of the same expected, look for Shelle y Duncan and Wilson Betemit to challenge each other for playing time. The Yankees also signed Morgan Ensberg as an insurance policy at first. Although with a grand total of one game ever played at the position it is unclear right now that he will fit on this team. His offensive numbers have also dropped quite a bit over the last three years.

The last pressing issue is how will Girardi juggle the playing time between Giambi, Hideki Matsui, and Johnny Damon. With Melky Cabrera currently entrenched in center field, Damon will see the majority of his playing time in left field where Matsui used to play. Matsui will likely be the everyday DH, but even if Giambi stays healthy he's going to need a decent amount of time as the DH. To deal with this issue Damon may see some playing time at first base, but ultimately Matsui and Giambi are going to be bench more than either are used to.

For more NY sports go to Hot Stove New York.

Hot Stove: Rangers Trade Rumors

2008-02-22T16:54:00.003-05:00

As the NHL trade deadline on Tuesday draws closer and closer rumors are flying as to whom the Rangers might be bringing aboard and shipping out.

The most recent rumor has been that the Rangers are targeting Dan Boyle of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Boyle is in the final year of his contract and it is likely that any deal he signs will be worth about $6 million per season, which means he would probably only be a rental for the Rangers. Boyle also has a no-trade clause in his contract, although according to the NY Post, he is willing to waive that in order to become a Ranger.

However Tampa Bay's preference seems to be that they would like to hold on to him, but salary cap restrictions mean they might not be able to afford him next season. If they can move Brad Richards, who makes $7.8 million over the next three years, expect Boyle to stay put.

Another deal which might end up happening would involve the Rangers and the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have three-time ex-Ranger Martin Rucinsky, who the Rangers are interested in bringing back. This deal would likely involve Marek Malik, who is supposedly coveted by Blues GM John Davidson according to the NY Post. However it is unclear how a winger with just 14 points in 30 games would help the Rangers unless he was just part of a package of players.

Which raises the issue that the Rangers are reluctant to move Malik without getting an additional defenseman somehow. That would mean another trade for a blue-liner or St. Louis including one in the deal. Someone like 26-year-old Barret Jackman, who will be an unrestricted free-agent at the end of the year, might of interest to the Rangers. Jackman is the type of hard hitting defenseman they sorely lack.

The Blueshirts have also made an offer to the Buffalo Sabres for offensive defenseman Brian Campbell according to the Toronto Sun. Campbell is another potential unrestricted free-agent on the lookout for a big contract this off-season. Because the Rangers are restricted on cap space and already need to resign Michal Rozsival, Campbell would likely only be a rental player, but one who could have a great effect on the Rangers' power play.

There have been rumors that the Rangers are also interested in Bobby Holik, according to the Bergin Record. This move is a little unlikely, but would make sense on some level. Holik is a very defensive minded player which would fit into Tom Renney's scheme pretty well and he may be able to jump start the offense of Jaromir Jagr if given the opportunity. The Rangers could be even more inclined to deal with Holik's team, the Atlanta Thrashers, if Marian Hossa were involved in a deal. Although it is unlikely the Rangers would meet the asking price to make a move on the good Hossa.

Other names being tossed around are Tomas Kaberle of the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to the NY Post he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to New York, but because of his affordable $4.25 million contact over three years Toronto will likely want to hang on to him.

The theme which all of these rumors have in common is that the Rangers must be cap-conscious when dealing. This means that even though they might be able to pull off a move they have to keep in mind that a lot of these players will probably only be rentals and not return next season. This will make them hesitant to make the best offers for these players. Also the two areas they are likely to address are either on defense - where they could use any strong blueliner whether he be offensive- or defensive-minded - or upfront where they would like to add someone who could help Jagr or take his place as the top scoring forward.

For more news NY sports go to Hot Stove New York.

Duddy Eyes Title Bout

2008-02-22T16:49:00.003-05:00

For the first time since his return from Ireland New Yorkers got a good look at boxer John Duddy. Fans and media were on hand as he worked out Tuesday morning in the basement of the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square in preparation for his next fight which could lead to a title bout.

On Saturday, February 23, Duddy will defend his IBA World middleweight title against Canadian boxer Walid Smichet at Madison Square Garden. The matchup is an undercard of the heavyweight title unification contest between IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBO counterpart Sultan Ibragimov. If he is victorious he will challenge the reigning WBC and WBO unified middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik this June 7, but Duddy's focus is on his upcoming challenger, Smichet.

“Hopefully sooner or later I'll have a chance at, you know, fighting the worlds best,” said the 28-year-old Duddy. “At the moment I'm just concentrated on fighting on the 23^rd and fighting again in my adopted homeland New York.”

The match this Saturday will be Duddy's first in America since May 18, 2007 against Dupre Strickland. Since that time he has been in Ireland working with a new trainer, Don Turner, to hone his skills and make him better prepared for the next challenge.

“Working with Don Turner has a great effect on me,” said Duddy. “I think I'm more relaxed in the ring. I'm starting to do more of what I did as an amateur where I use my fast hands and not be so much straightforward bull. But at the end of the day its a work in progress i think in my last performance I showed a little bit of improvement. I'm just looking forward to showing everyone what I've been learning.”

Duddy took the time off from boxing in America to work with his new trainer because he was often criticized as being too much of a brawler type boxer. He was always considered a decent prospect, but it was said that he could never raise up to challenge tougher opponents because he was lacking in the skills needed to elevate his game.

Last July, Duddy, a native of Derry, returned to Ireland in what was dubbed his “Homecoming.” He faced Alessio Furlan and beat him by TKO with 10 seconds to go in the final round. He then went on to defeat Prince Arron in two rounds the following October. In his last fight before returning to America, Duddy faced his toughest challenger Howard Eastman. Duddy defeated Eastman in a close matchup in front of nearly 6,000 fans.

“We filled out three arenas and the last arena the Kings Hall in Belfast there were 6,000 people,” said Duddy. “I couldn't get over how many fans back in Ireland were all there cheering on and supporting me. Fighting at home is always a treat.”

Ultimately Duddy knew that to take his fighting to the next level he had to return to America.

“What better way to start the year off than fighting in the greatest city in the world at Madison Square Garden,” said Duddy. “Showing everybody that I'm back and the future remains bright.”

Overall Duddy is undefeated with a record of 23-0 with 17 of those wins coming via the knockout. His opponent this Saturday, in the co-main event, Smichet has a record of 17-3-3 with 13 KO's. The match will be his sixth to take place at Madison Square Garden and his biggest step toward a world title since beating former world champion Yory Boy Campus.

Rangers Fall in Historic Fashion, Kaberle Anyone?

2008-02-20T15:37:00.003-05:00

After taking a 5-0 lead early in the second period against the Canadiens, the Rangers collapsed and lost 6-5 in a shootout Tuesday night in Montreal.

Jaromir Jagr stretched his goalless streak to 12 games, but made up for that with four assists as his line clicked early and often. Brandon Dubinsky, who scored the first goal of the game, had a Gordie Howe hat trick as he assisted on a Sean Avery goal and fought Long Island's own Mike Komisarek.

Jagr's line was so good they helped chase Canadien goalie Carey Price after he gave up three goals on 11 shots in just 13:56.

Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan each picked up their 20^th goals of the season in the second period. The Rangers were playing a fast paced and physical game and did a decent job staying out of the box and away from the best power play in the NHL.

Then with a 5-0 lead the Rangers went home early. At least that's what it felt like to most Ranger fans as the Canadiens came on strong scoring five unanswered goals to tie the game late in the third period. It would be the first time in franchise history the Rangers blew a five goal lead and the first time the Canadiens ever came back from one.

The ensuing let down occurred when Henrik Lundqvist failed to make saves that could have been made, particularly the first goal by Alexei Kovalev. Lundqvist looked like he stopped the shot, but failed to hang on to the puck as it trickled in the net behind him.

Dan Girardi and Fedor Tyutin, two players who like Lundqvist just had their contracts extended, also failed to cover open players and clear rebounds. They were each negative-two during the game as Montreal had plenty of space to maneuver while these two were on the ice.

After the game one couldn't help but think about Tomas Kaberle who has been rumored in deals with the Rangers. Kaberle is more of an offensive defenseman, but there was a big difference in the way the Canadien defensemen kept the puck in the offensive zone keeping the Rangers off offense and the sift that was the Rangers blue-line. A strong blue-liner could have made a big difference in this game.

Down 5-0 Michael Ryder, who has slumped most of the season and been involved in numerous trade rumors, netted a pair to get his team and the fans back into the game.

Starting the third down 5-2 the Canadiens continued to march toward a comeback. Former Ranger Alexei Kovalev scored on a one-timer off a cross ice pass from defenseman Andrei Markov to make it 5-3.

Then just nine seconds later defenseman Mark Streit scored by deflecting a shot from Michael Ryder to make the game 5-4.

The Canadiens capped off the unlikely comeback on the when Kovalev scored and tied it at five. Andrei Kostitsyn made a strong pass from the corner and Kovalev fired a hard one-timer from the slot as he fell due to the follow through.

The game went to a shootout after neither team could score during overtime. Saku Koivu scored for Montreal in the second round which was all goalie Cristobal Huet needed as he stopped Shanahan, Drury, and Jagr for the win.

Rangers Keep Young D-Men

2008-02-18T10:04:00.002-05:00

Just days after the Rangers announced the extension of their franchise goalie they also locked up two of their young defensemen for the next couple of years.

Dan Girardi and Fedor Tyutin, linemates on the ice, both signed multi-year extensions over the weekend.

Girardi was the first to re-up when signed a two-year $3.1 million extension on Saturday that will pay him $1.5 million in 2008-09 and $1.6 million in 2009-10. Then Tyutin received a four-year $11.4 million deal on Sunday which will keep him on Broadway through the 2011-12 season.

Girardi, 23-years old, got quite a raise from the $550,000 he was making this season, but $1.5 million is still not bad for a second-pair defenseman whose skills are likely to increase.

"I'm really happy about it," Girardi told Newsday. "I wasn't worried about it; I let my agent handle it. I'm not thinking about those two years right now; it's getting into sync for a good playoff run."

Tyutin, 24-years old, is getting an even nicer raise from the $1.025 he is making this season. $2.85 will obviously be a decent cap hit, but many teams have expressed interest in the defenseman with the powerful hip-check as the trade deadline draws closer. So the Rangers would rather lock him up now than risk receiving an offer-sheet for him during the off-season.

"It feels good when somebody wants to keep you and they rely on you," Tyutin said in the NY Dailynews. "I just have to keep playing my game and improve and prove that they made the right choice."

With these deals in place the Rangers now have a young core of defenders, Marc Staal, Tyutin, and Girardi, locked up for the next couple of years. This will make it easier for Glen Sather to concentrate on who to add or subtract through trade without worrying about who is going to be on the blue-line next season.

The deals do make less likely that the Rangers will resign Michal Rozsival during the off-season. The Rangers were already short of cap space before they threw money at Henrik Lundqvist last week and resigned the pair of defenseman. Now they will be hard pressed to find the space needed to sign Rozsival to the $4-6 million deal he'll be looking for as a first-line defenseman.

Both Girardi and Tyutin were restricted free-agents who would be exposed to offer sheets this upcoming summer. The only other RFA that Rangers have at the NHL level are Nigel Dawes and Marcel Hossa.

Brandon Shanahan, Sean Avery, Martin Straka, Paul Mara, Marek Malik, Rozsival, Jason Strudwick, and Steve Valiquette are unrestricted free-agents. Jaromir Jagr becomes a free-agent if he fails to reach 84 points and the Rangers fail to make it past the first round of the playoffs.

For more NY Sports news go to Hot Stove New York.

Rangers Make Changes Is Holik Next?

2008-02-17T14:40:00.008-05:00

After a five day vacation the Rangers went back to work yesterday and had a triumphant 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

Brandon Shanahan returned to the lineup and scored a goal after sitting the previous five games to rest his knee, hip, and hamstring. During the game he skated on a line with Scott Gomez and Nigel Dawes.

With Gomez skating on Shanahan's line Brandon Dubinsky was moved up to the first line with Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery. This is a move that paid off big time. Dubinsky has improved his overall game in a big way since he was last on a line with Jagr. Dubinsky lead the charge against the Sabres with a goal and a pair of assists, but the change energized everyone as Avery scored a pair of goals and Jagr chipped in with a couple of assists.

Jagr is still stuck on 15 goals and has not scored one in the last 10 games. If he does not pick one up soon the Rangers may make a move for his former Ranger line-mate Bobby Holik. While playing 31 games together in 03/04 Jagr had 29 points and Holik had 22.

Holik is in the final year of his contract and may be available as a rental player. The only catch is Atlanta, despite being tied for 10^th place in the league, is actually in a playoff race in the putrid Southeast division.

If the Rangers were able to put together a package for the hard hitting centerman he could be a great match for Jagr again. Jagr's shot may not be what it used to be, but that doesn't mean it is downright terrible. Maybe with another Avery type player on the ice, only with a pair of working wrists, Jagr can get some room to maneuver and score some goals.

With Petr Prucha still sitting with a sore shoulder the third-line was made up of Martin Straka, Chris Drury, and Ryan Callahan. That line has some speed and was able to put it together for a goal Saturday afternoon.

The lines have been shaken up a lot this season. It seems that everytime it happens the Rangers respond positively and come out with a big game like the game in Buffalo. Don't expect the lines to be dramatically shifted again anytime soon though, Tom Renney has expressed an interest in locking in a set of lines for the playoffs. So hopefully the Rangers don't turn back into pumpkins next week.

Henrik Lundqvist played in his first game since signing a rich extension Saturday afternoon. He faced 30 shots and allowed just one goal. Hopefully this is a sign that he has put his struggles behind him. It was Lundqvist's third consecutive victory on the road which is his longest streak since he won five in a row from November 14 to December 1.

For news and rumors on the Mets, Yankees, Jets, Giants, Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Knicks, and Nets go to Hot Stove New York.

The Bridges Collapse in Opening Round of CUNYAC Tournament

2008-02-17T14:13:00.004-05:00

The Brooklyn College Bridges were upset by the City Tech Yellow Jackets, 88-78, on Saturday afternoon at Roosevelt Gymnasium in the CUNYAC Men's quarterfinals match-up.

Omar Mahoney, a guard off the bench for City Tech, was the difference in the game. Mahoney scored 31 points overall, including 23 in the first half. It was Mahoney's three point shooting that spurred a 17-1 run by the Yellow Jackets which the Bridges were never able to recover from.

“The first two games we played them, he didn't really do anything,” said Jean-Baptiste, referring to Mahoney. “We weren't really focusing on him and he shocked the hell out of us. He came out and had 23 in the first half and that's just amazing. He just basically stepped up when they needed it.”

Going into the game, Brooklyn was focused on stopping City Tech's pair of First-Team All-Conference players, Jamaal Hall and Ryan Phillip. They were able to do so early, as Brooklyn had a 19-10 lead at the beginning of the game.

City Tech was able to quickly adjust to the double-team the Bridges had on Hall by dishing the ball to the open man, which was often Mahoney, who went 5-6 from behind the 3-point arch. It wasn't long before Brooklyn was down 30-20.

“They basically have two good players,” said Corey McFarlane. “We turned the other players into all-stars. We came out with the intent to double team Hall, but he was able to make passes to (Mahoney) and if he's open, he's going to hit them.”

At this point, a McFarlane steal seemed to turn the momentum back for Brooklyn. CUNYAC's Player of the Year, Jean-Baptiste, scored four points over the next minute to the Bridges within four, but that would be as close as Brooklyn would get. City Tech finished the half up 47-34.

The Bridges got off to a good start in the second half with a 7-2 run that brought them back within eight. Then City Tech seemingly took the life out Brooklyn's offense with a three point shot by senior LaShawn Doyle, which pushed the deficit back to 11.

The game seemed like it was all but over with 4:31 left. after Doyle hit a free throw to give the Yellow Jackets a 17 point lead. Then Brooklyn College fought back to bring the game within single-digits, but with just under a minute left to play, all City Tech had to do was run out the clock.

At this point all the bridges began to get desperate. They resorted to forcing plays and fouling opposition players.

Jean-Baptiste was the game's leading scorer. He picked up 32 points and had 12 rebounds. McFarlane, who won the CUNYAC Championship as a member of City Tech in 2005, fell just shy of a triple-double, scoring 23 points while picking up 12 assists and 9 steals.

Hall was able to come away with a triple-double for the Yellow Jackets. He scored 14 points with 13 assists and 10 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes. Phillip was also a big contributor, scoring 21 points with 14 rebounds.

It was the third matchup of the year for the two teams. City Tech took the first game behind a strong performance from junior Hall, who scored 39 points, and Brooklyn College took the second game by 19 points.

City Tech will continue on to play John Jay in the CUNYAC Semifinals Tuesday night at 7:30 PM.

Extension fit for a King

2008-02-13T21:25:00.002-05:00

It took the Rangers seven seasons to get back to the playoffs, but on Tuesday they made a move which should keep them a contender for the next six years.

The Rangers and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist reached a preliminary agreement yesterday believed to be worth $6.5 million for 6 seasons according to the NY Daily News.

The Rangers and their 25-year old goaltender failed to reach an agreement on a long-term deal this past off-season and Lundqvist was brought back on a 1-year deal worth $4.25. Since January 1, the earliest date the team could negotiate a new contract with Lundqvist, his agent Don Meehan and Ranger's general manager Glen Sather have been at work on a new deal.

The deal is a big one for the Rangers because if Lundqvist was not under contract by July 1 he would have become a restricted free agent. Under rules of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams would be able to place bids on him. The Rangers would then either have to match those bids or lose him.

Losing Lundqvist would be a big blow to an organization with Cup aspirations. Goalies talented enough to win an Olympic gold medal and finish as a Vezina Trophy finalists in their first two seasons are about as common as goals scored by Colton Orr.

Lundqvist has been hot and cold this season. For the first two months of the season he was nothing short of dominating going 13-9 with four shutouts and a 1.82 goals against average. Lately it has been a different story. Since December his record is a plain 11-12 and he has only two road wins during that time.

It is possible that since this time his mind has been preoccupied by contract negotiations and now that this is behind him he will go back to focusing on hockey. Last season Lundqvist helped carry the Rangers to the playoffs going 11-2 down the stretch and for $39 million bet on the organization expecting similar results.

This move also gives the Rangers a big trading chip. The team was probably reluctant to deal the 23-year old Al Montoya because of the chance of losing King Hank during the off-season. Now that he's locked up for the next six years Montoya becomes more expendable especially since the emergence of another 23-year old goalie Miika Wiikman. Wiikman is playing in his first full season in the AHL and has a better winning percentage and GAA than Montoya.

For more NY sports news go to Hot Stove New York.

Celebration for Super Bowl Champs

2008-02-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

The skies were gray, but the streets were blue as people were packed into the Canyon of Heroes for New York City's first ever football ticker-tape parade.

It was unseasonably warm, so there was no mistaking the tons of paper for snow, but it covered the streets all the same.

The fans jockeyed for position as close to the floats as possible and went crazy as the Super Bowl Champion Giants returned to their home town. The team was introduced in front of City Hall by the radio voice of the Giants, Bob Papa. With fans anxious to hear from their idols the players took their places on the stage. Eli Manning and Michael Strahan followed, carrying the Vince Lombardi and NFC Champion trophies before taking their place in the front row next to coaches and Whoopie Goldberg.

It might have been Manning who lead the forth quarter drive that won the big game, but it was Strahan who lead the rally in downtown Manhattan.

“We went on the road and we beat the Patriots. Do you know how we did it?” said the 6-foot-5, 255 pound Strahan before sending himself airborne. “We stomped them out!”

During his speech the 36 year-old Strahan responded to cheers of “One more year,” with a coy, “We'll see.”

After Strahan's impressive performance Manning came to the podium to chants of “MVP.” Shy as ever, Manning needed help from Mayor Michael Bloomberg who came up and adjusted his microphone as he spoke.

Admittedly intimidated following Strahan, Manning declared, “We play football in the greatest city in the world.” The Louisiana native continued, “Y'all deserve the best football team in the world.”

It was a celebration that wasn’t supposed to happen. The New England Patriots were heavy favorites going into the Super Bowl, with fans holding signs like, “18-1,” and, “19-D’oh,” everyone was fully aware of the Patriots failed attempt at history.

“I've had goosebumps so many times in the past week.” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin who reflected on the game with his own amazement. “I've come to think it's normal.”

The fans weren’t the only ones happy to point out New England’s frustration. “Take that Boston,” said Governor Elliot Spitzer as he came to the podium.

Bloomberg, a Massachusetts native, also added a backhanded remark of his own. “The Giants may not be perfect, but then, no one is,” Bloomberg said. “At least not this year in the NFL.”

Ultimately each speaker spent most of their time praising the Giant’s triumphant effort. “They never say die and they always use their heads,” said Spitzer. “David Tyree showed us that.”

As part of the celebration each of the Giant’s players were announced on stage and were given keys to the city from Bloomberg. Afterwards the players showed their gratitude.

“On behalf of this team I wanted to tell you how proud we are to bring a championship to New York City,” said Manning.

Rangers Look to Deal Defensemen

2008-01-28T11:41:00.000-05:00

The Rangers are likely to be shopping defenseman Marek Malik since last weeks spat between him and head coach Tom Renney, but would like an additional defenseman first.

Malik, who will be an unrestricted free-agent at the end of the season, is in Renney’s doghouse since refusing to shake his hand after being benched in last Tuesday’s victory against the Atlanta Thrashers.

Speculation that he will be moved has run rampant ever since. Now, according to the New York Post, general manager Glen Sather is reluctant to move his often benched defenseman unless he gets another blue liner in return or is able to pick one up in an additional deal.

The Rangers have been linked to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the papers for weeks. Heavy hitting Adam Foote is the most likely defenseman to be moved from that team, but 25 year-old Rostislav Klesla is another possible player available in Columbus.

Another player the Rangers have been rumored to be interested in is Jon-Michael Liles of the Colorado Avalanche. Rob Blake of the Los Angeles Kings, who will be an unrestricted free-agent at seasons end, is also available and Toronto Maple Leaf’s Tomas Kaberle may also be available. A deal for Kaberle is unlikely however due to the three-years worth $4.25 million per season left on his contract.

In order to make a move the Rangers may have to involve 22 year-old goaltending prospect Al Montoya. Montoya was the sixth overall pick in the 2004 draft and is unlikely ever to see much playing time as a Ranger due to the emergence of Henrik Lundqvist. Teams with goaltending issues are likely to be interested in prying Montoya away from the Rangers.

Petr Prucha may also be included in any deal the Rangers make. Prucha is just two years removed from his 30-goal rookie season, but has been mostly a disappointment to Ranger fans this season as he has been able to score only six goals in 48 games.

For more NY sports go to Hot Stove New York.

Rangers Retire Leetch's No. 2

2008-01-24T00:30:00.000-05:00

Brian Leetch will join Stanley Cup Champion teammates, Mark Messier and Mike Richter, in the rafters of Madison Square Garden as the Rangers are set to retire his No. 2 during a ceremony Thursday night.

"When we talk about what it means to be a New York Ranger, Brian Leetch is the player who exemplifies that model," Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said. "There is no higher honor to grant Brian than to have his number raised to the rafters of Madison Square Garden."

Those lucky enough to be in attendance Thursday night are set to see the Rangers honor one of the key components which brought the Stanley Cup back to New York. In 1994, Leetch tied a career high scoring 23 goals during the regular season.

In the playoffs he played on an even higher level. While becoming the first American-born player to ever receive the Conn Smyth Trophy given to the MVP of the playoffs, Leetch scored 34 points in 23 games. The defenseman was only held scoreless four times (The Rangers lost all four games Leetch failed to score). He scored 11 goals overall in the playoffs and ended four games with game winning goals; three of those in the deciding games of the series.

"We shared the same desire and commitment and dream to win the Stanley Cup here," Messier said. "We were able to go through the tough times together and go through the good times together, but ultimately through it all we did something that we set out to do."

Leetch skated 17 seasons as a Ranger and scored 247 goals and 1028 points during his entire NHL career. He is second in Rangers history in games played (1,129), leader among defensmen in goals (240), assists (741), and points (981). He won the Norris Trophy as the leagues top defenseman twice in 1992 and 1997. He also served as the Ranger captain during the 1997-2000 seasons.

"It is really important for a guy like Brian, for all that he brought to this organization, to this city and honestly to the game," Richter said. "He's been really one of the most important players that we've had coming out of America and one of the best that has ever put on a pair of skates at his position.”

Leetch's professional career began in 1986 when the Rangers drafted him in the first round, 9^th overall. He broke into the NHL a year later picking up 14 points in just 17 games. During the 1988 season, his first full season, he won the Calder Trophy which is given to the top rookie in the league.

His Ranger career ended in 2004 when he was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a rebuilding process. They acquired a pair of prospects, Maxim Kondratiev and Jarkko Immonen, as well as a first-round pick in 2004 (which became Lauri Korpikoski) and a second-round pick in 2005 (which became Michael Sauer). The deal was not popular with fans and ultimately has not paid off for the Rangers. Kondratiev was dealt two seasons ago in order to rent Petr Sykora for an ill-fated postseason run, while Immonen has returned to his native Finland after failing to impress with the Rangers. The jury is still out on Korpikoski and Sauer, both currently playing for the Hartford Wolfpack.

After the lockout Leetch played a final season with the Boston Bruins before deciding to walk away from the game. In 2007 he told fans that he always wanted to be remembered as a Ranger.

"I always say, if anybody remembers me as years go by, if they say, 'Didn't you play for the Rangers?' that's good enough for me," he said. "If I played long enough and had enough of an impact that someone can at least remember that I wore the uniform that I played in for all those years."

Ever humble, tonight the reluctant superstar gets his due.

Rangers Win After Line Changes

2008-01-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

The New York Rangers couldn’t have responded better to line changes which spurred them to a 4-0 stomping of the Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday night.

Before the game Head Coach Tom Renney did some major line-shuffling. He moved Sean Avery to the top line with Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez, Brendan Shanahan is now skating on the right-wing with Nigel Dawes on the left side and is centered by Brandon Dubinsky. The third line is now comprised of Chris Drury centering for wingers Martin Straka and Petr Prucha, only the Betts-Orr-Hollweg line was unchanged.

The tweaking seems to have paid off if at least for one night. The Rangers as a team skated with energy throughout the entire game and Jagr’s line combined for six points, two goals and four assists.

The last time the Rangers moved around the lineup like this they initially responded well before they feel back into mediocrity and this time they realize they have to keep the pedal to the floor.

"I am glad we won, but we have a long way to go," Jagr said. "We have to win a lot more games to get in the playoffs."

The shakeup took place just one day after Renney said he would rather keep this current team in tact going into the playoffs instead of trying to improve the team by way of a trade.

"You don't want to break up the guys you've committed to all year," Renney said. "You're asking for blood and guts from guys, and deep commitment and all that kind of stuff, and you're offering that up yourself every day as best you can.”

The Rangers have been linked to trade rumors involving the Columbus Blue Jackets lately, but it does appear that they are reluctant to make a move. What would have a bigger effect for the Rangers other than a trade would be for Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist to step up and be the leaders the team needs them to be.

Lately Jagr has been contributing consistently scoring 24 points over his last 18 games and now it is time for Lundqvist to get on the same page. Not counting last night’s shutout over the Thrashers, he has given up three goals or more in 13 of his last 19 games and the team has gone 6-9-4 over that span.

Renney may prefer to change lineups instead of changing rosters, but it may take a roster change at the blue line to get Lundqvist back to his early season form.

For more NY sports news go to Hot Stove New York.

Avery: Stick a Fork In Me "I'm Done"

2008-01-11T11:43:00.000-05:00

Ranger winger Sean Avery's season might be at an end after being placed on the injured reserve for the third time this season according to the NY Post.

Avery declared, “I'm done,” yesterday. After reported discussions with club officials he amended the statement to, “I mean I'm done for the next couple of weeks.”

Avery missed nearly all of December after getting surgery on the left hand and now the Rangers want to keep him from missing more time with an additional surgery on his right hand.

“I'm hoping it will heal on its own by resting it, but if not, I don't know, I guess then I'd have to consider surgery,” said Avery. “It's the same bone that was broken in the left hand."

Having the surgery may be Avery's preference, but the Rangers season might lie in his hands. It is their preference for him to avoid surgery and opt to rest the hand instead.

“It's at a point now where it needs rest; it needs to settle down," head coach Tom Renney told the Post. When asked about surgery he added, “it's a possibility he more than we are contemplating."

Avery has missed 23 out of 44 games this season due to a shoulder separation in October and surgery on his left hand in December.

If his season is over it is a real threat that the Ranger's season could be over as well. The Rangers play noticeably better with him in the lineup. Overall they are 20-19-5, but are 12-7-2 when he plays and 8-12-3 when Avery is out. Last season Avery was credited with turning their season around as the team went 17-6-5 after acquiring him on February 5 from the Los Angeles Kings.

For more NY sports go to Hot Stove New York.

2008 NHL Playoff Predictions

2008-01-01T22:31:00.000-05:00

2008 NHL Playoff Predictions: "As the NHL enters the midway point of the season it is time for us to decide which teams are contenders or just pretenders. Over the past few years, because the league instituted a salary-cap, teams are playing on a more level playing field and this season nearly every team has a shot. However, here are the top 10 contenders and why they're going to make it to the playoffs:

The Detroit Red Wings have no worries getting to the dance. Featuring the best offense in the game, led by Henrik Zetterberg, this team will ride its tremendous goaltending tandem, Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood, all the way to the playoffs.

The Ottawa Senators lost in the Stanley Cup finals last season and this year they picked up right where they left off. Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, and Jason Spezza lead the best offense in the Eastern Conference and Martin Gerber has outperformed his highest expectations.

The Vancouver Canucks playoff chances begin and end with Roberto Luongo. His strong play in net has made what would otherwise be an average team into a strong contender. The Sedin brothers lead this team offensively and should be able to cover up the absence of the injured Brendan Morrison.

The Minnesota Wild have Marian Gaborik who can bust out a 5-goal game if you fall asleep on him. They are strong in net with Niklas Backstrom and appear to have a solid backup in Josh Harding. They are going to need more from their wingers and hope defenseman Brent Burns keeps improving.

The New Jersey Devils still have Martin Brodeur and that is all that seems to matter. Free agency took some key players, but Zach Parise and their young defensemen have done a great job. The transition from a defensive to an offensive team appears to be working also.

The San Jose Sharks are getting phenomenal goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov and another strong season from Joe Thornton. They might be near the bottom of the league in scoring, but they have big strong defensemen and Sandis Ozolinsh is off the sauce.

The Dallas Stars look dangerous but have some tough competition in their division. Offensively they are led by Mike Ribeiro who is on his way toward 40 goals. Defensively they are strong with Sergei Zubov patrolling the ice and Marty Turco behind him in net.

The New York Rangers came into the season with high expectations. Injuries to Sean Avery continue to hold them back, but Henrik Lundqvist has held this team on his back with a Vezina-esque season. If Jaromir Jagr continues his down season, things could get rough for them down the stretch.

The Carolina Hurricanes had a disappointing season last year defending their Cup, but now they look as strong as they did in 2006. Their offense is clicking, but an injury to Justin Williams could set them back. Goaltender Cam Ward has been good, but needs to be better.

The Boston Bruins received a major setback this season when Patrice Bergeron was injured, but have over come his injury with strong goaltending. Their power-play is very strong, but imagine if you add Bergeron to that? Maybe this is the year Marc Savard will break 100 points?"

This article originally appeared in Vol. 1 Issue 1 of Trajan Magazine

Gaborik Scores Five to Beat Rangers

2007-12-21T16:48:00.000-05:00

Marian Gaborik scored five goals and added an assist as his team, the Minnesota Wild, beat the Rangers 6-3 last night at Madison Square Garden.

Gaborik scored one in the first period, two power-play goals in the second, and two more in the third to cap off an amazing night.

"One time I got five goals when I was playing back home for a pro club back there, but this is just totally different," Gaborik said in the NY Post. “You score five goals in the NHL it's just a totally different experience. To reach it here with these guys in front of our fans is just unbelievable."

The first five-goal game of Gaborik’s career was the first in the NHL since Sergei Federov in 1996. With the assist on Pierre-Marc Bouchard’s goal in the second Gaborik tied his career high with 6 points in a game. He last had six on October 26,2002 against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Henrik Lundqvist was the victim of five-goal outbreak and allowed all six goals on just 18 shots and got pulled midway in the third after Gaborik’s fifth and final goal. He has allowed four goals or more in four of his last six games.

"When you let in (that many) goals it's never fun, it's always tough," Lundqvist said. "You have to look at the goals, too. Is it me? Is it just a great performance by their guys? Then you just move on. Sometimes the key is not to think too much."

This upset comes right on the heels of what was a big 4-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday night. That night Jaromir Jagr skated with Martin Straka and Scott Gomez and the trio combined for three goals. Straka has been especially hot lately he has four goals and an assist over his past four games.

Rob Abruzzese's articles can also be read In The Dirt.

Schilling to Clemens: Give Back Cy Youngs

2007-12-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

Curt Schilling, of the Boston Red Sox, has called on Roger Clemens to clear his name or give back four of his Cy Young Awards.

“Roger has denied every allegation brought to the table so, my thought is that Roger will find a way in short order to organize a legal team to guarantee a retraction of the allegations made, a public apology is made, and his name is completely cleared,” said Schilling on his blog, 38pitches.com. “If he doesn’t do that then there aren’t many options.”

Then, 33 months after denying his own steroid allegations in front of congress, Schilling said, “The 4 Cy Youngs should go to the rightful winners and the numbers should go away.”

This is an issue that has come up already when Schilling demanded that, “Everything [Canseco] ever did should be wiped clean. I think his MVP should go back and should go to the runner-up.”

Canseco countered Schillings demands saying, “He lied before Congress and he was reprimanded for it." Canseco added, "What a horrendous performance he put on with the spotlight on him in front of the whole world and he could have said something important. He's a complete hypocrite. Nobody takes him seriously. People around baseball all feel the same way about him.”

In the Mitchell Report, Senator Mitchell claimed that every team in baseball had a steroids issue, that no team was exempt and there were “no doubt” more players involved than named in his report. So why would Clemens have to give his Cy Young up to somebody who very well could have been on the juice himself?

In the post Mitchell-Report era it would be unfair to take away records, Cy Youngs, and MVPs from individual players without finding a way to absolve everyone not linked to steroids, since most players are feebly linked to steroids anyways. A better way to handle it may be to put an asterisk next to everyone’s name in the record books from Lenny Dykstra to the last player off the field before MLB instituted steroid testing in 2002.

Go to Hot Stove New York for more NY sports news.

Rangers Win 4-0 After Shake-Up

2007-12-18T23:08:00.000-05:00

The Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 Tuesday night when Jaromir Jagr’s line scored three goals and had two assists after being shaken up before the game.

For most of this season Jagr has skated with a rookie centerman, Brandon Dubinsky, despite the Rangers spending over $85 million on a pair of all-star pivots. Jagr was paired with him after brief experiments with Scott Gomez and Chris Drury failed to achieve immediate results.

Since Jagr’s immediate positive reaction to Dubinsky head coach Tom Renney has been reluctant to split the pair, but both players have been slumping lately and it was obvious to everyone that something needed to change. Now Jagr is back to being pair with Gomez and is flanked by Martin Straka.

That was just one of the moves the Rangers have made this week in an attempt to shake things up after going 1-4-1 over the past six games. Drury has been moved on a line with Brendan Shanahan and rookie Nigel Dawes, who was just called up this week. Dubinsky replaced Drury on the third-line and skated with wingers Petr Prucha and Ryan Callahan, who returned to the Rangers after a non-trip to Hartford.

Also goalie Al Montoya was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack, but that may be a move which is only temporary because the status of Henrik Lundqvist was uncertain this week after coming down with the flu. Lundqvist appeared healthy and rested Tuesday night as he shutout the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is the second time in two weeks Lundqvist has posted a shutout after being rested the previous game.

Sean Avery will go with the Rangers out west to Minnesota and Colorado according to Steve Zipay’s Newday blog, but there is little expectation that he will get into a game. The Rangers are 4-4-1 since Avery’s wrist surgery.

Go to Hot Stove New York for more sports news and rumors.

Rangers Loose 5 of Last 6

2007-12-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

The New York Rangers were stomped by the Phoenix Coyotes 5-1 during Wayne Gretzky’s return to Madison Square Garden Sunday afternoon.

With Henrik Lundqvist sitting out with the flu, Stephen Valiquette got the start and gave up all five goals on 26 shots.

Joel Perrault led the Coyotes with two goals and an assist and goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 34 of 35 shots for the win. The only Ranger’s goal, scored by Dan Girardi, came in the third period with the Rangers down 5-0.

Joining Lundqvist on the bench with the flu was forward Marcel Hossa and Ryan Hollweg was a healthy scratch. Add Ryan Callahan’s name to players who missed Sunday’s game, Callahan was sent to the Hartford Wolf Pack apparently for a conditioning assignment. Since his return from a knee injury on November 29 Callahan has no goals, no assists, and is minus-3.

Playing in place of these players was a pair of wingers recalled from Hartford, Nigel Dawes and Greg Moore. Dawes was AHL player of the week last week and Moore leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 15 goals and 14 assists. The pair skated on a line with Chris Drury.

Marek Malik, who has been a healthy scratch the past three games, has also returned to the lineup and replaced Jason Strudwick who filled in as a winger on the forth line for Hollweg.

The loss was the fifth in the last six games for the Rangers. During that span they have been outscored 24-10 with the only victory coming last Sunday in a 1-0 overtime victory against the New Jersey Devils. 10 goals in 6 games is sad and Jagr has no goals and just one assist over that span. He continues to be used on a line with rookie center-man, Brandon Dubinsky, despite over $85 million spent during the off-season on a pair of All-Star centers.

For more NY sports news go to Hot Stove New York.

Yanks and Arod Finalize, Bond with Boras Soured

2007-12-13T17:32:00.000-05:00

The Yankees and Alex Rodriguez, who managed to keep his name off the Mitchell Report, finalized their 10 year $275 million agreement which could be worth $305 million if all bonuses are met.

The process of reaching the agreement may have soured a 16 year relationship between Arod and his super-agent Scott Boras.

On a conference call heard here, Alex described the events to the media.

“The whole thing was a mistake, it was a huge debacle,” said Rodriguez. “For me it was a very stressful. I knew what I wanted from day one. The mistake I made was not calling Hank and Hal (Steinbrenner) from the get go.”

Arod said his intentions were always to return to the Yankees, but was mislead by his agent, Scott Boras, into thinking the Yankees were never interested in him. After realizing things didn’t add up Alex interjected his voice into the conversation. “When I realized that my goals were out of line that is when I realized that I had to make my voice heard and that is when I called Hank and Hal.”

The three time MVP said that there were preliminary offers from other teams, but that he turned them all away because his goal was to remain a Yankee.

Rodriguez has been keeping his distance from Boras and claims to have only talked to him once because, “I was very angry about the entire situation.” He has not fired Boras, but sees no further need for his services. “I signed a 10-year deal when it’s over I’ll be 42-years old,” said Rodriguez. “I don’t think there’s going to be anymore baseball after that.”

Even if you don’t believe Alex is innocent here he did reach out to the Steinbrenners and he is going to be in pinstripes for the next 10 seasons. The Yankees expect those years to be monumental and so does Alex. He seems hungry for a World Series ring and he has plenty of incentives for homeruns. He will get a $6 million bonus for each homerun numbered 660, 714, 744, 762, and 763. The Yankees have the best third baseman in baseball and maybe the best player in history, because of that I’m willing to take him at his word. Yankee fans should be looking forward to the next ten years.

Expect Mets and Yanks to Have Eye for Prior

2007-12-13T10:28:00.000-05:00

The Chicago Cubs announced that they non-tendered 27-year old Mark Prior last night after they failed sign or trade him.

The Cubs wanted Prior to return, but expected him to agree to a pay cut because they did not want to pay over $3 million again for him to take up space on the disabled list. Realizing they were not going to reach an agreement with him they shopped him around the league hoping to trade him for prospects. The only serious inquiries came out of San Diego, but it appears the Padres did not want him badly enough to give up anything at all.

Now they’ll have their chance at signing him as a free-agent. Also expect the Mets and the Yankees to be interested in him as well. The Mets are desperate for starting pitching and have tried and failed to match up with teams in deals for Johan Santana, Dan Haren, and Eric Bedard.

The Yankees may make an offer for him because paying a pitcher $3.5 million to not pitch is nothing to them as they have paid Carl Pavano $40 million to not pitch for years.

The Yankees and Prior also have a past history together. In 1998 the Yankees drafted him in the first round out of high school, but failed to sign him.

Prior is recovering from shoulder surgery and is not expected to be ready to pitch until at least June this season. He did not pitch in 2007 and has not thrown more than 200 innings since 2003. That year was the best year of his career as he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA while striking out 245. Overall he is 42-29 with a lifetime 3.51 ERA.

Go to Hot Stove New York for more Mets and Yankees news.

Matsui Might be on the Move

2007-12-11T14:57:00.000-05:00

The Yankees and the San Fransisco Giants are discussing a deal which would send Hideki Matsui across the continent.

The problem is Matsui has a no trade clause and has always insisted that he likes New York. The NY Post is reporting that Matsui might be in favor of a move to the bay area.

Next season the Yankees are going to use Johnny Damon in left field with Jason Giambi and Matsui splitting time at DH. This possibility of a reduced roll is the reason Matsui is supposedly open to the chance of leaving.

The Giant's have reportedly offered pitcher Noah Lowry, but the Yankees are not interested. They would rather acquire pitchers Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain in a deal, but the Giants are hesitant to include either. Instead there is a possibility of 25-year old lefty Jonathan Sanchez coming to New York. Sanchez was 1-5 last season with a 5.88 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. No his numbers aren't good, but the Yankees could use him as a lefty specialist out of the bullpen. Last season lefties hit .197 off him.

Matsui has two years and $26 million remaining on his contract and may request an extension in exchange for waiving his no trade clause.

If the Yankees did trade Matsui that doesn't take Melky Cabrera out of future talks for starting pitchers. There is a possibility either Randy Winn or Dave Roberts could be included in a trade with the Giants. It is also reported by the Post that the Yanks may target free-agent center fielder Corey Patterson.

Pavano Weighs Yankees Proposal

2007-12-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

Carl Pavano is balking at the Yankees offer to buy out the remaining $12.95 million of his contract before resigning him to a minor league deal.

Pavano is owed $10 million for 2008 and a $1.95 million buyout for not picking up a $15 million option for 2009. If they do not release him, Pavano will not be removed from the 40-man roster preventing the Yankees from adding the players they need.

Pavano isn’t sure if he will comply with the Yankees plans because if he doesn’t pitch in the majors in 2008 he will not be as likely to get the type of offer he will expect in 2009.

“I’d be giving up a lot of options if I signed a minor league deal,” Pavano said.

The Yankees are probably willing to call the entire deal a loss, but as unlikely as it is, they probably don’t want to pay him to pitch for another team this season.

Ranger’s Malik Odd Man Out

2007-12-11T14:34:00.000-05:00

New York Ranger’s defenseman Marek Malik has returned from a November rib injury to realize he has lost his spot as a first pair defenseman.

Once Malik was cleared to play he was kept out of the lineup because the defense was “clicking”, but now he’s being kept out because he isn’t the best option.

Malik’s position on the team changed when he went down with a rib injury and Marc Staal was switched to the first pair with Michal Rozsival. Suddenly Staal was averaging over 20 minutes of ice time a night and began to thrive.

Malik returned and Staal’s ice time went back down, but recently Malik has been getting scratched and Staal has been getting more time. This week Malik was a healthy scratch against the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils and Staal played over 20 minutes in each game with Rosival.

Malik is likely to see some time on the third pair with either Paul Mara or Jason Strudwick, but this is a bad match up. Malik is a big defenseman which works to his advantage, but is certainly the slowest blue-liner and opposing teams would be able to exploit that further if he were matched up with another big slow defender.

The website hockey buzz has the Ranger’s connected to a deal which would send Malik, Petr Prucha, and Wolfpack goalie Al Montoya to Colorado in exchange for John-Michael Liles and Marek Svatos. Although that rumor has not been mentioned by either team’s general managers.

Read more NY sports news at Hot Stove New York.

Lundqvist Yanked as Rangers Lose 6-2

2007-12-06T22:18:00.000-05:00

The New York Rangers entered the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday night down 4-2 and decided to pull Henrik Lundqvist.

Do you think that maybe he needs a break? Lundqvist has started in 9 out of the past 10 games and 26 out of 28 games overall.

So far, a third of the way through this season, even the biggest Devil’s fan would have to admit that Hank is a serious Vezina Trophy contender. He entered today in the top three of the four major goalie statistics, first in wins (14), second in goals against average(1.91), second in shutouts(4), and third in save percentage(.927%).

Those stats aren’t going to last if he doesn’t get a breather soon. He has given up four goals in each of the past two games. Not only has he not done that yet this season,s it’s only the second and third time he’s given up four goals or more in any games this season.

The major issue here is with backup Steve Valiquette. While he has played fairly well this year he is not the type of player you want starting 20 to 25 games for your team and because of this Hank never gets a night off. In his defense he hasn’t gotten much of a chance to show he can be a strong backup. He’s only started two games this season and just one in four months with the team last season.

There are two ways to solve this problem. The Rangers can use Valiquette more and find out if he can actually become a solid backup. They can also call up Al Montoya who is healthy again after spending half of November sitting because of an injury. If the Rangers don’t like either of these options they should begin to look for a backup now because if Lundqvist has to keep playing 9 out of 10 games he will eventually break down along with the Ranger’s cup hopes.

For more NY sports go to Hot Stove New York.

Yankees and Twins Discuss Santana

2007-11-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

As the Red Sox rode their ace starter all the way to a World Series victory the Yankees were at home wondering what happened to their “ace” against Cleveland.

Josh Beckett led the Red Sox through the playoffs going 4-0 while allowing 2 or fewer runs each time out. In contrast Chien-Ming Wang pitched 5.2 innings and allowed 12 runs in two starts.

It may not be fair to apply the ace label on Wang, but in reality he is the front-end of the Yankees rotation. Combine that with the fact that the Yankees are going to rely on three pitchers under the age of 25 to get the bulk of their innings next season and even Hank Steinbrenner admits next season is a transition year.

But we all know that he can’t be serious. For the Yankees it has always been about the World Series and never about rebuilding. Now facing the possibility that things may get even worse if Andy Pettitte decides to retire next season the Yankees entered into talks with the Twins about bringing their ace, Johan Santana, to New York on Monday according to ESPN.

"I don't want to get into that at this point, as far as what they want, what we're willing to give and all that," Steinbrenner told ESPN. "It's preliminary right now."

It may be preliminary, but they are likely going to ask for Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera among other prospects according to Sports Illustrated. The Twins are said to not be interested in Wang, at least according to the NY Daily News.

Who the Yankees are ultimately willing to part with has yet to be seen. It might include Joba Chamberlain even though they insist he is untouchable, but Cabrera is likely to be involved in any deal that does happen. This is due to the hole that Minnesota now has since the departure of their all-star centerfielder Torii Hunter.

“If we make a trade for anybody, it’s going to be fair for both sides,” Steinbrenner told the NY Times. “We’re not looking to rob anybody. We’re also not going to give up all of our future for one player, even if it is a pitcher.”

It’s not like the Yankees don’t have options to replace Cabrera either. Johnny Damon could easily play next year in center which would put Hideki Matsui back in left. If they don’t want to risk having two injury prone players in their outfield they could sign one of the available free agent centerfielders, Mike Cameron, Aaron Rowand, or Andrew Jones.

Things become slightly complicated because of Santana has a full no trade clause in his contract. After a deal with any team is reached he would probably require an extension to waive the clause, which is likely to be for about six years and at least $25 million per season. It is scary to think that the Yankees could have over $50 million a year tied up between two players (Alex Rodriguez being the other) on their roster, but it is unlikely this will keep the Yankees from making the deal.

The Yankees are obviously not the only team interested in acquiring the soon to be 29-year old lefty, but both Los Angeles teams seem to be pursuing offense more aggressively. The Mets are involved, but might have to part with Jose Reyes in order to become serious contenders and also seem to be targeting Oakland starters Dan Haren and Joe Blanton instead. The only other real threat to acquire Santana is the Boston Red Sox who have also entered into talks with the Twins according to the Boston Herald.

Whatever happens it is not likely to take place until after the winter meetings which end December 6. Any deal that does go down is likely to surprise fans in one way or another. A team may decided that it has to have him and offer the Twins a package they can’t refuse, but at the same time trading for Santana doesn’t even guarantee that a team gets 34 starts out of him which may cause offers to be smaller than expected.

And of course there is still a chance, however small and unlikely, that he signs an extension with Minnesota.

Healthy Rangers take on Islanders

2007-11-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

The Rangers return to full health this Thursday night as they attempt to beat the Islanders for this first time in four attempts this season.

Last Friday night Martin Straka made his return to the ice after taking a slap shot to his wrist from Zdeno Chara over a month ago. Thursday Ryan Callahan should return to the lineup and Marek Malik will be eligible to play.

"It was a pretty hard practice today and I felt pretty good out there," Callahan told Newsday. "I think Thursday's pretty realistic."

If Callahan does return it appears he will skate with Petr Prucha and Chris Drury, but Malik’s return is not immediately certain. While he has recovered from bruised ribs and a bad back the Rangers defense has been playing so well lately there is no obvious choice of who to scratch.

"The way we're clicking right now, he might have to wait a game or two and see if anything evolves," Head Coach Tom Renney told Newsday.

When he does eventually get back into the lineup it is likely that Jason Strudwick will be the one to sit. Paul Mara is the other option, but Michal Rosival could get a few days off to rest his knee.

Since his return Straka has been skating on the top line with Jaromir Jagr and Brandon Dubinsky, however that line may get tinkered with. Jagr has only one point over his past six games and skated with Straka and Drury late in the game against the Dallas Stars Sunday night and may continue to do so in order to jump start his offense.

Part of the reason the Rangers have struggled against the Islanders this season is the anemic attempts by their power play. Against the Islanders they are a combined 1-for-14 with a man advantage, which is more disturbing considering all three games have been decided by one goal.

Lately the power play unit has been bad against everyone. Over the past eight games they are 3-for-39; meanwhile they have had the second most chances in the NHL with 122. This is something that Renney thinks is improving, “Believe it or not, it's better than it's been," he told the NY Daily News after the unit was shutout in six attempts Sunday night. "I thought we showed some good puck movement. I thought we had some chances."

Notice he didn’t say it’s been good he simply said better and it obviously can’t get worse after they failed to sustain any offensive zone presence even once in five chances last time the Rangers played the Islanders.

For the latest news and rumors for all NY sports teams go to Hot Stove New York.

100th Victory for DiPietro

2007-11-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

Rick DiPietro won for the 100^th time in his career and was rewarded with a 2-1 victory over the Rangers and the first star of the game Monday night.

Perhaps it was fitting that DiPietro earned his 100th victory at Madison Square Garden because he has not had more success against any other team than the Rangers.

Overall he is 10-11-2 against them, but he is 3-0-0 against them this season and 8-1-2 and a 1.89 GAA during the last 11 games he has played them.

"They're a tough team ... but we've played well here and played a big road game tonight," said DiPietro to the NY Daily News. "It's always a physical game; every time you come to this building you expect to have a wild first 10 minutes. The biggest thing is to maintain your composure, even though I obviously lost mine a little bit."

He lost his composure when he punched Sean Avery and received a roughing penalty for it. DiPietro missed eight games last season including one in the playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres after he sustained a concussion due to a hit by Avery on March 25 last season.

Avery was mostly kept quite throughout the game. He received eight penalty minutes during the game, but was in the box even longer than that as there was no stoppage of play for over three minutes after a double minor. In total he spent over 11 minutes in the penalty box. Offensively he was very quite registering only one shot.

For more NY sports go to www.hotstovenewyork.com.

For Rangers Defense Wins

2007-11-19T12:16:00.000-05:00

The Rangers have won five games in a row and face the New York Islanders tonight, the only team to beat them in three weeks.

As a team they have scored the third fewest goals in the NHL, but have been able to win due to a commitment to defense which has seen contributions by everyone from Henrik Lundqvist to a pair of back checking 600-goal scorers.

Lately it has become more obvious that the once perceived weakness of the Rangers, their blue-line, is becoming an area of strength.

Coming into this season most of the talk surrounding the Rangers was focused on the idea that new centers Chris Drury and Scott Gomez would lead an offensive juggernaut to the Stanley Cup. As they sputtered early focus changed to fixing the defense with bigger more offensive players like Sheldon Souray and Ed Jovanovski who might be able to jumpstart the offense. Instead what has taken over the Rangers is their group of young mobile defensemen who play strong fundamental hockey.

"I think we've got guys that are certainly unheralded and maybe have yet to make their mark in a significant way in the league," Head Coach Tom Renney said to the NY Daily News. "That doesn't mean they're not good defensemen.”

The rise of 20-year old rookie Marc Staal, who replaced Marek Malik as a first pair defenseman, has coincided with a less vocalized call for a trade. Also, each time Fedor Tyutin hip-checks an opponent or Dan Girardi makes a poised breakout pass it’s becoming more obvious that this is going to be the road to the Stanley Cup.

"Manhandling guys is history. The skills you have to have now to play defense in this league are skating ability, being positionally sound, poise with the puck and hockey sense,” Phoenix director of player personnel and former NHL defenseman Tom Kurvers told the Daily News. “Their guys have that."

Lundqvist is as stellar as ever in net, but the team’s goals against average has dropped from 2.57 last season to just 1.79 this year even as they have failed to add that big name, pre-lockout style defenseman so many have called for. In fact is has been the removal of guys who were once all-stars like Sandis Ozolinsh and Darius Kasparaitis that has lead to players like Michal Rosival to flourish and come into their own as top defensemen capable to leading the team.

Only just now are the Rangers finding their grove offensively, scoring four goals in four of their last five games, but it is their crop of young defensemen, Staal, Girardi, and Tyutin, along with capable veterans like Rosival and Paul Mara who are helping them win now. This group has the ability to do the little things like staying mobile and focusing on making good first passes, not just moving guys out of the front of the net and holding the puck along the boards.

For more NY Sports go to Hot Stove New York.

Yankees Hot Stove: Mariano Rivera

2007-11-11T11:39:00.001-05:00

The big debates regarding the Yankees this off-season revolve around replacing Alex Rodriguez at third and the possibility of trading for a starting pitcher like Johan Santana or Scott Kazmir.

On the other hand, there is no debate from the Yankees regarding whether or not they need to bring Mariano Rivera back.

Rivera has been with the Yankees since he broke into the league as a starting pitcher in 1995. Now after 13 years he is testing free agency for the first time and the Yanks are going to try to make sure he doesn’t get carried away.

During spring training this year Rivera approached the Yankees about extending his deal beyond this season. Rivera was mostly concerned about remaining on the team to pitch in the New Yankee Stadium. General Manager Brian Cashman asked him to wait and they would discuss contracts after the season ended, but this did not sit well with Rivera. It was at this time when he first expressed a desire to see what was beyond the pinstripes.

Cashman did was what he thought was for the best as it usually isn’t wise to be extending the contracts of players nearing their forties until you are sure that they are not going to break down. Rivera didn’t help himself out by coming out of the gate very slowly this season. In April he lost two games and had an ERA of 10.57.

As the season progressed though Rivera went back to being Rivera and the idea that maybe you wouldn’t want him to return became increasingly more ridiculous. From May through July Rivera struck out 37 batters while only walking two.

Rivera continued to dominate even as the Yankees went through the 2007 season nearly abandoning their core relievers, Scott Proctor, Brian Bruney, and Kyle Farnsworth, ultimately relying on a group of rookies.

Some of them had flashes of greatness, some were inconsistent, and some were consistently bad, but the best one of all, Joba Chamberlain will be gone next year. No he hasn’t gone anywhere but the Yankees plan on using him as a starter next season.

Since Mariano has proven he still has some left in the tank and the Yankees bullpen is relatively young and untested, Cashman is likely wishing he had taken Rivera up on his offer to extend his contract eight months ago.

Now if Rivera walks away the Yankees have two choices they are hoping they don’t have to face. Keep Joba in the bullpen and make him the next closer or go out and pay someone who will never live up to the legacy Mo will leave behind.

If the Yankees were forced to look into hiring their own free agent closer they would have two main options. The first would be to sign Kerry Wood and hope that his body doesn’t splinter into a million pieces. The second would be to sign Eric Gagne and pray you got the Texas version and not the much weaker Boston version.

Since neither of those options are reliable due to obvious reasons they would likely keep Chamberlain in the pen as the closer. While having someone as high caliber as Chamberlain close games is something the Yankees and their fans are quite used to, the Yankees would much rather he go back to starting.

The need to keep Joba in the rotation is important since Andy Pettitte declined his option to return next season. He may still come back, but if he doesn’t it is so much more important for Rivera to come back. Without Pettitte and Chamberlain in the rotation they would go with Chien-Ming Wang and the aged Mike Mussina as the one and two guys followed by 21 and 23 year olds, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. They would also be forced to use the disaster Kei Igawa or acquire another starter.

For those worried Mo might not return, relax, Captain Derek Jeter has. He told the Journal News, “Am I worried? No…I think [he’s] coming back.”

Go to Hot Stove NY for more Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Jets, and Giants news and rumors.

Avery’s Hat Trick Beats Maple Leafs

2007-11-11T11:32:00.000-05:00

It is typically called the “Gordie Howe” hat trick, but nowadays most fans don’t even know who won the Stanley Cup last year let alone who some surly 79-year old Canadian is. So, Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Sean Avery made an attempt to update the term as he scored a goal, got an assist and fought.

By doing so he energized the Rangers toward a 3-2 shootout victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It would be the first victory the Rangers have picked up on the road so far this season.

It was also the first time that Stephen Valiquette, and not Henrik Lundqvist, got the start all season for the Rangers. Valiquette was strong in net allowing only two goals on 34 shots and did not allow any goals past him during the shootout.

The Maple Leafs goalie, Vesa Toskala, was not as lucky. During the shootout he gave up the first goal to the very first shooter, Brendan Shanahan, to put the Rangers up 1-0. The Rangers won the game on the next shot when Marcel Hossa used some fancy puck handling to avoid a poke check from the goalie before scoring.

Hossa finished off a long and intense game where action began during the pre-game skate between Avery and Darcy Tucker. The pair then confronted each other early when they each took unsportsmanlike conduct penalties 11 minutes into the first period when Tucker challenged Avery to a fight.

The two minutes in the box made Avery change his mind and within 10 seconds of getting out of the box the gloves were dropped. Punches were exchanged as Avery eventually came down on top of Tucker and the referees broke up the action.

In the second period Avery proved he’s more than just a goon when he made a great pass from behind the net right onto the stick of Shanahan who scored his fifth goal of the season to put the Rangers ahead 1-0.

After the goal the line remained on the ice and this time Shanahan helped Avery complete his unique hat trick by knocking the puck out of mid-air and on goal. Toskala made the save, but with Avery right at the doorstep he was quickly able to score on the rebound giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

The Rangers played a very strong second period. Scott Gomez consistently made good passes to Avery and Shanahan and Toronto had trouble getting the puck out of their defensive zone for most of the period.

After about 15 minutes of Ranger domination the Maple Leafs were able to salvage something by playing very strong hockey to end the period. Late in the second the blue-shirts began to make mistakes and Toronto was able to take advantage.

The turning point came when McCabe took Gomez off his feet in front of the Toronto net. Gomez was angry that there was no call on the play and got even more upset when Toskala put his catching glove on his head to hold him down on the ice. He finally got up and took a roughing penalty for pushing the goalie in frustration. The Rangers were technically able to kill off the penalty, but Gomez wasn’t out of the box for two seconds when Alexi Ponikarovsky blasted a high rising shot past Valiquette to put the Maple Leafs on the board.

Just two minutes later the Rangers had another brief lapse that lead to the tying goal. This time Andy Wozniewski was able to intercept a pass in the neutral zone before feeding it to Mats Sundin. Sundin then forced his way toward the net doing a good job protecting the puck before taking a shot from the slot. Valiquette made the save but left a nice rebound for Ponikarovsky who tied the game with his second goal of the night.

Each team had chances during the third period to put the game away and both failed. The closest call came when Valiquette left the crease to make a pass to neutral ice only to have that pass intercepted by Nik Antropov. The play was a major faux pas and Valiquette was lucky to get back in time to make a great kick save to keep the game tied.

This was a big win for the Rangers. They were finally able to get that elusive victory on the road and they proved that they can win without Lundqvist in net. The game also showed that even when Jaromir Jagr is not at his best the Avery’s line can still step up.

Read more NY sports at Hot Stove New York.

Yankees and Marlins Discuss Cabrera

2007-11-07T14:45:00.000-05:00

In an effort to replace Alex Rodriguez at third base New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman met with Florida Marlins yesterday to discuss Miguel Cabrera’s chances of coming to the Bronx.

Speculation into this particular rumor has sparked much debate among fans. Many see him as the next Arod, pointing to the fact that at just 24 years of age he has compiled amazing stats like 138 homeruns and a career .929 OPS. Cabrera would certainly fit into the middle of the Yankees lineup well and at the same time provide the much needed right handed power threat they are going to need.

At the same time fans critical of the deal are certainly right in their concerns pointing to his lack of defense and the self discipline to keep himself in shape as causes for concern. What good is Cabrera going to be for the Yankees if he enjoys the New York nightlife more the pressure and expectations of winning?

On Tuesday Cabrera’s former manager Joe Girardi chimed in on the debate. “I didn't have any problems with him. He worked hard for me,” Girardi told the NY Times. Girardi also told the NY Daily News, “I had him and I know what he did for me. He's a great player and a smart player. He really understands the game of baseball. I loved having him."

With the Yankee’s manager supporting a move to get Cabrera the large question looming is whether or not it would be worth going after the 24-year old third baseman since it appears the Yankees are going to have to pay a lot to get him.

Florida Marlin’s president Larry Beinfest is certainly not going to offer Cabrera as a mere salary dump. "When you trade really good players, you want really good players in return,” said Beinfest to the Daily News. This means he is going to be looking at getting a Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, or Ian Kennedy in return. Players Cashman has been reluctant to move in the past.

The last time the Marlins traded players of this caliber they got back one of the best offensive shortstops in baseball, Hanley Ramirez, and a pitcher who threw a no-hitter in his rookie season, Annibel Sanchez, among others. It is rumored that Florida has already told the Yankees there is no deal unless Hughes or Joba are involved.

“I'm sure I'll be challenged like I have been in the past on those guys," Cashman told the Daily News. "No one is untouchable, but some guys are less touchable than others, and those guys fall into that category. I will be tested a lot and this organization will be tested a lot on that."

While there is cause for concern when acquiring a player with the lackadaisical mentality of a player like Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox were able to ride his bat to two World Series victories, but can Yankees fans accept Miguel being Miguel? I think they could as long as next year’s starting rotation isn’t tampered with. If the Yankees are able to pass on players like Humberto Sanchez, Alan Horne, and Wilson Betemit then they should not hesitate to make a move, but what good is acquiring a new third baseman if the team is going to have a hole in centerfield or be kicking themselves every time Kennedy wins 15 games for the Marlins?

The Yankees should continue to kick the tires on this deal while they search for other options and wait for Marlins asking price to go down. If only they can figure out a way to include Dontrelle Willis in on this deal. Until then they will continue to sift through names like Aaron Boone, Garrett Akins, and Joe Crede.

For more Yankees and Mets off-season rumors go to Hot Stove New York.

Kazmir Returning to Mets?

2007-11-05T09:07:00.000-05:00

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are making Scott Kazmir available for trade according to Joel Sherman of the NY Post.

This off-season there are many teams in need of starting pitching, but the best free agent starters are all over the age of 40. This is leading many teams to sift through trade possibilities.

The biggest names of pitchers who might be traded are Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins and Rich Harden of the Oakland Athletics and now apparently Kasmir.

With so many rumors surrounding the Twins and Santana the Devil Rays are thinking that they could get as much or more for a player still under control for the next three seasons as opposed to Santana who will be a free agent a year from now.

The reason they may want more prospects is because they have a very strong group of young offensive players but a complete lack of a decent pitching staff. Figuring it may take two to three more years to compete they are now looking into trading Kazmir for pitchers who will be ready in that time span. Unlike Kazmir who will be just about set to leave via free agency by then.

The New York Mets are in search for a pitcher to front their staff and may look to acquire the same player they sent out for Victor Zambrano a few years ago. Of course it would take much more than that to bring him back and because the Devil Rays have so many young outfielders the Mets biggest chip, Lastings Milledge, would probably not be very attractive.

This is not particularly good news for Yankee fans however. Being in the same division as the Devil Rays they would be less likely to obtain him and if he left the American League East it would also be a hit to them as Kazmir dominates the Boston Red Sox (118K’s in 101.1 innings with a 2.66 ERA against). He has done well against the Yankees, but not nearly as effective.

Get more NY sports @ Hot Stove New York.

Prucha Beats Brodeur in Shootout

2007-11-04T10:25:00.000-05:00

The New York Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in a shootout at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.

Petr Prucha has been spending most of his time this season on the third line with rookies Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan, but was the hero of the game Saturday while skating on a line with stars Scott Gomez and Sean Avery.

Prucha assisted on Gomez’ goal in the first period and won the game during the shootout with a shot over the left shoulder of Devil’s goalie Martin Brodeur.

This was not the first time Prucha notched the game winner in a shootout against Brodeur. As a rookie he won a game on November 5 when he beat the future hall-of-fame goalie between his legs. That season Prucha got attention as he scored 30 goals, but up till this point this season he has not looked anything like that promising young star. Going into Saturday night’s game he had only one goal and one assist.

It was a good night for Prucha’s line-mates, Gomez and Avery, as well. For Gomez it was just the second game he has played against the team he won two Stanley Cups with and this time he made a big impression scoring his first goal against them.

The Rangers scored after they gained the zone with some speedy skating by Prucha who made a couple of moves to beat Devil’s forwards into the zone before getting off a strong backhanded shot. Brodeur made a good initial save, but he allowed a rebound high in the slot which Gomez pounced on to put the Rangers up 1-0.

After the goal the camera turned to Avery who was celebrating not only the goal by his center, but his return to action as well. Saturday night’s game was the first appearance by Avery since he was injured on a hard hit by Ottawa Senator’s defenseman Chris Neil on October 6. Without Avery in the lineup the Rangers looked very similar to the same passive team they had early last season, not able to protect finesse players like Gomez and Jaromir Jagr.

With Avery back in the lineup things are different. During the second period Devil’s defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski landed a big hit along the boards on Gomez and it wasn’t long before Avery and Colton Orr came down on Vishnevski in retaliation. Orr was the one who ended up scraping with the six foot two inch Russian, but the message was clear that when you mess with Rangers skaters now you will have Avery to deal with.

Aside from that line Henrik Lundqvist was once again a star on Broadway. He stopped 28 shots allowing only one goal. He has allowed one goal or less in six of his last seven games picking up three shutouts over that time.

The lone goal he allowed came just 33 seconds after Gomez put the Rangers up 1-0. Sergei Brylin tied the game at one when he got off a shot from the slot after receiving a strong pass from Johnny Oduya who was circling the net after carrying the puck into the zone.

Both goalies were strong during the game as Brodeur would like have been awarded a star of the game had they been playing in Newark, New Jersey. The Rangers were getting opportunities all game long, but he was a constant presence keeping the puck out of the net.

In overtime, about one minute in, Brodeur kept his team alive while making a highlight reel save on Chris Drury. Drury was on a breakaway thanks to a nice play by Dan Girardi in the Ranger’s defensive zone taking the puck away from the Devils before hitting Drury far down the ice. Then it was all Brodeur as he turned away the slap shot attempt.

For more sports news including regular Jets and Giants updates checkout Hot Stove NY.

A-Replacement?

2007-11-02T09:21:00.000-04:00

In the wake of Alex Rodriguez walking away from the remaining three years of his 10-year $252 million deal, the Yankees begin the search for his replacement at third base.

So far there are about as many rumors as to who it is going to be to replace him in the Bronx as there are about what team Arod will eventually pick; the Marlins?!?

There are a couple of viable options out there, but nobody is going to completely replace his 54 homers and 156 RBI’s so not only are the Yankees going to have to upgrade at third, but probably also at first base and maybe upgrade their pitching too.

Before the Yankees begin to scour baseball for their next guy to patrol the hot-corner they have started to search from within the organization.

“Hello Wilson Betemit,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman proclaimed to the NJ Star-Ledger. “Internally, he's our guy until something else comes along.”

It has been rumored since they got him that Betemit could be a possible replacement at third this statement sounds eerily like the one a couple years ago proclaiming Bubba Crosby the everyday centerfielder. So while it is a possibility the bombers don’t make any deals it is unlikely.

The Yankees have also pondered moving Robinson Cano to third thinking it may be easier to find another second baseman, but this is a move both the Yankees and Cano himself are not to fond with.

"I feel so comfortable at second base that right now I don't want to play third base," Cano told the NY Daily News. "That's something that I don't want to do."

Brian Cashman echoed Cano’s words, "I want Robinson Cano at second base." Cashman continued to tell the Star-Ledger, "That's what I want. ... I do know he can play (third base). I don't doubt that."

Once the Yankees turn their search outward World Series MVP and brief member of the 1998 championship team, Mike Lowell, will get a good look. Lowell was once a throw in player in the deal that sent Josh Beckett to Boston, but is coming off one of his strongest seasons of his career. Lowell set career highs hitting .324 with 120 RBI’s.

Signing Lowell seems like a long-shot as he has become a fan favorite in Boston, but it is known around baseball the Red Sox owner John Henry covets Arod, so there is a possibility of the Yankees and the Sox swapping third basemen remains.

A big trade rumor surfacing lately has been involving Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera has a lot of upside, he’ll be 25 years old next season and the career .313 hitter is coming off a season with fine numbers yet again hitting .320 with 34 homeruns and 119 RBI’s. He is also a very patient hitter at the plate, however there are concerns about his defense and many people question his commitment to keeping himself in peak physical condition.

The Marlins may also be motivated to trade him. He’s likely going to earn $11 million next season through arbitration, and as ridiculous as it seems, the cheap-fish are rumored to be going after both Arod and Barry Bonds so they will need to trim payroll to afford either.

Melky Cabrera fans should get ready for a long winter. He is already involved in trade rumors with the Marlins and Miguel Cabrera and will likely be included in just about all rumors. The Yankees would also be expected to give up some of their top-tier pitching prospects in most deals, although they missed out on acquiring Eric Gagne at last years trade deadline after balking at moving any of those pieces.

If the team did trade away Cabrera there are a couple of decent center fielders on the market: Andrew Jones, Aaron Rowand, and Torii Hunter.

Some other names that will get kicked around as the Yankees search for Arod’s replacement are Adrian Beltre, Hank Blalock, and Joe Crede. At this point all of these names are on the backburner.

Rangers Drop 5 of Last 6

2007-10-28T12:27:00.000-04:00

Scoring continues to be a problem as the New York Rangers lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 at home at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.

Fans were nervous going into the second period as the Rangers got off 11 shots in the first and none of them were scoring threats. Then early in the second period Jaromir Jagr tried to alleviate everyone’s concerns as he scored to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.

Just over five minutes into the period Michal Rozsival intercepted a pass at center ice and made a nice pass off the boards to Jagr on the right side. As Jagr skated into the zone he took a hard wrist shot from the right face-off circle. The shot beat Maple Leaf goalie Vesa Toskala who could not see because he was being screened by defenseman Hal Gill.

Coming off of two shutouts in his past three games, Henrik Lundqvist looked strong again early. Just after Jagr put his team ahead and with the Rangers on a power play Lundqvist made a terrific stop on a Boyd Devereaux breakaway. Devereaux received a very long pass from deep in the defensive zone to center ice then muscled his way past a Ranger’s defenseman only to be turned away by Lundqvist.

The good feelings from Jagr putting the team up and Lundqvist making a highlight reel save didn’t last long, less than three minutes later Pavel Kubina scored his first of the season to tie the game 1-1. The Rangers had their chances to keep the goal from happening but were not able to control rebounds or clear the puck from the zone and after moving the puck around from deep into the zone to Tomas Kaberle on the left point then to Kubina on the right point, Kubina just blasted a shot from the blue-line and the puck was deflected by a player in front of the net before going past Lundqvist.

The goal was the first even strength goal given up by Lundqvist in over a week dating back to the loss in Atlanta against the Trashers on October 18.

The Maple Leafs took a 2-1 lead with just under five minutes left to go in the second period when Lundqvist botched a play behind the net. After the Leafs dumped the puck into the zone he went behind the net to pass the puck to a Ranger defenseman, but turned it over to Devereaux who was aggressively fore-checking. Devereaux was then able to make a smooth pass in front of the net to Johnny Pohl who got off a textbook one-timer slap shot for the goal.

Now the Rangers were down 2-1 and needed to keep the score right there. Instead they allowed a third goal just 1:20 after the second. This time it was Nik Antropov who was able to score when he received a centering pass from Kaberle right in front of the net and just pushed it past Lundqvist to put the Leafs up 3-1.

In the third period, with the fans booing loudly and often, the Rangers had a number of chances but were not able to get any shots past Toskala. The scoring was not over though as the Leafs added one more goal with about 15 seconds left when Chad Kilger took advantage of an empty net to put his team up 4-1.

Despite Lundqvist giving up three goals in this game the offense was definitely to blame for this loss. The Rangers out shot Toronto and had better chances, but were never able to capitalize. This is only the third time in 10 games that Lundqvist allowed three goals or more and top offensive players, Jagr, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and Brendan Shanahan, have merely six goals combined over that span. Through 10 games last season the quartet had 25 goals between them.

Read more Rangers news and other NY teams @ Hot Stove New York and Rangers Press.

Yankees Hot Stove: Jorge Posada

2007-10-25T20:26:00.000-04:00

As the Yankees wrap-up their search for the first manager of the post-Torre era they will begin to turn their attention to resigning their potential free-agents.

Among the bigger names of players the Yankees are at risk of losing are Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, and Bobby Abreu are other potential free-agents, however, Pettitte has a player option, Arod can opt-out, and the Yanks hold a team-option for Abreu.

Bringing back Posada, who has been with the team since he was drafted in the 24^th round of the 1990 amateur draft, is one of the Yankees biggest priorities right now. A source told the NY Daily News that the Yankees are, “going to be very competitive,” in bringing their 36-year old catcher back and are supposedly set to offer him a three-year deal in the $40 million range.

That might be just an initial offer as the Detroit Tigers just resigned Pudge Rodriguez at $13 million for next year and his numbers are well into decline, while Posada just came off the season setting many career highs hitting .338 with 171 hits and 42 doubles.

How much money he will command may not be the only challenge the team will face. After the year Posada has had, he will be very attractive for other teams and they will try to do what they can to lure him away from the only team he has ever known.

If the Yankees miss-out on bringing Posada back, replacing him will not be easy. They will not be able to quickly replace him from within the organization and the free-agent market is looking very bare.

From within the organization, the Yankees could attempt to resign Jose Molina and make him the starter, but he has never been a starting catcher and his career .243 batting average makes him more suited as a backup. Replacing him with a minor leaguer is not an option as they have nobody in their system that is close to being major league ready.

That means the Bombers will have to begin searching outside of the organization if they are forced to replace Jorge. Choosing from among the top free-agent catchers is no picnic. In a completely bare free agent catching market, Paul Lo Duca may be the best option, possibly the only option depending on how you look at it. Could the catcher from Shea even be a consideration though? Only if they are desperate. Just slightly younger than Posada, Lo Duca’s production has dropped off quite a bit recently, posting a lower on base percentage, slugging percentage, and appeared in fewer games than any year since 2000.

The last way the Yankees could try to replace Posada would be through a trade, but the issue here is finding someone willing to trade a catcher. All around the league catchers are at a premium. Last year the Texas Rangers could have gotten a lot when they were looking to get rid of Mark Teixeira and the package they considered the best included young catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, which goes to show the premium baseball is putting on catchers lately. If you are going to trade for one you better have something significant to offer.

Jorge Posada made his major league debut September 4, 1995 and has given his all since then. A $40 million three-year offer is a very good start, but the team should be prepared to offer more if that is what it is going to take to avoid the chasm which would be left behind in his absence.

Rob Abruzzese's articles and more NY Sports can be read @ Hot Stove New York.

Who Wants to be the Yankees Skipper?

2007-10-23T10:35:00.001-04:00

The New York Yankees started their search for a new manager yesterday when they interviewed former catcher Joe Girardi for the position. Today they will continue by interviewing Don Mattingly and finally Tony Pena will be interviewed on Wednesday.

Once those interviews are done the Yankees are not likely to be finished. It was originally speculated that Tony LaRussa would interview for the job, but he has since returned to the St Louis Cardinals.

Another widely speculated candidate was Bobby Valentine, but that rumor was put to rest on Monday when Hank Steinbrenner responded to questions by the NY Post on Valentine becoming the new skipper, "I would say at this point probably not. He's certainly a smart guy, but probably not.”

Valentine managed the New York Mets to the 2000 World Series and currently manages the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan.

With Pena’s interview on Wednesday the Yankees will likely look at one or two more candidates. Former Yankee pitcher Dave Righetti, who is the current San Francisco Giants pitching coach, is another candidate according to the NY Daily News.

Righetti pitched with the Yankees from 1979 till 1990. He threw a no-hitter on July 4, 1983 against the Boston Red Sox. In 2000 he became the Giants pitching coach and has aspirations to manage someday.

Another interesting candidate would be Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. With the Sox in the World Series this move is unlikely and the Yankees have yet to ask Boston for permission to talk with their coach about the position. That didn’t stop Red Sox manager Terry Francona from being a little suspicious, "He came in today to talk about what we're going to do tonight and I didn't want to talk to him," Francona said to the Daily News. "It would be sharing secrets."

It still seems like Mattingly has the inside track. He was moved from hitting coach to bench coach this season in what seemed at the time as a step in the managerial direction. When the NY Post asked if there was a favorite Steinbrenner replied, “There's a slight favorite, not a heavy favorite.” Many are assuming that slight favorite is the former Yankee captain.

While the Steinbrenner-Mattingly love fest has been going on since he retired in 1995 it does seem like they have a fondness for Girardi as well, "From what I know about him he appears to be very smart.” Young Steinbrenner continued to tell the Post about his Manager of the Year Award given to him in his first season as manager, “"How many guys have done that?”

Ream more NY sports at Hot Stove New York.

Rangers Lose 1-0 in Shootout, Lose Straka

2007-10-21T07:50:00.000-04:00

The New York Rangers squandered a Henrik Lundqvist regulation shutout Saturday afternoon when they lost 1-0 to the Boston Bruins during a shootout at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.

After the making a big splash during the off-season by signing Chris Drury and Scott Gomez the Rangers were not expected to have much trouble offensively. Despite the $15 million they are paying the two players this year, the Rangers’ offense is dead-last in the NHL in goals scored and are at the bottom of the league in many other offensive categories.

After the first five shooters were stopped during the shootout 20-year old speedster Phil Kessel beat Lundqvist glove side when he got a wrist shot just under the crossbar for the game winner. In just his second season in the NHL Kessel now has five game-winning goals during shootouts.

The Rangers suffered a setback in the first period when Martin Straka broke a finger on his right hand after blocking a shot by Zdeno Chara while killing a penalty. As soon as Straka was hit he grimaced in pain and started to take off his glove, but he kept it on once he realized the Bruins were still controlling the powerplay. Straka stayed on the ice to finish off the penalty kill and even successfully blocked another from Chara before getting off the ice and heading to the locker room.

Goaltending and defense came up big for both teams in this game. Lundqvist, who has started in every game for the Rangers this season, played 65 minutes of shutout hockey before allowing the goal to Kessel during the tiebreaker and stopped all 19 shots he faced.

Manny Fernandez, who has struggled since being acquired by the Bruins from the Minnesota Wild during the off-season, got the start over starter Tim Thomas. He saved all 26 shots he faced and then beat Brendan Shanahan, Drury, and Jaromir Jagr during the shootout.

Much of the game was played with a man advantage. The Rangers had six chances on the power play and failed to score every time, but made up for it by keeping the Bruins from scoring on their eight attempts.

Towards the end of the first period the Rangers faced their only serious situation when Jagr received a double minor high sticking penalty for clipping Glen Murray in the face, but they survived it thanks to a fantastic play by Lundqvist

The Rangers killed the first penalty and were working on the second when former Ranger Marc Savard found himself alone at the bottom of the right circle. He got off a shot which at first looked like a sure thing. It was at that moment that Lundqvist came sprawling across the crease to make a huge glove save and preserved the tie game. As Lundqvist made the save Savard fell to the ice in disbelief before getting to his feet and going over to congratulate Henrik on the save.

The Rangers’ biggest opportunity came early in the second period when Petr Prucha got the puck alone in front of the net. He was turned away by Fernandez who managed a nice kick save to stop the opportunity. The play was unique because it seemed like the only time during the game the six foot nine inch Chara was not in front of the net to clear any Rangers away.

The Rangers certainly need their power play units to get their act together. It could be that their lineup is too top heavy. Their first PP unit is Jagr-Gomez-Shanahan with Drury at the point, but their second man advantage unit consists of Brandon Dubinsky, Nigel Dawes, and Ryan Callahan upfront. While the first group has 1562 career goals combined the second group has just six. This may be allowing teams to stack up their best penalty killers against Jagr and company and take a break during the second half of man-down play.

You can also read Rangers news @ Hot Stove NY and Rangers Press.

Yankees Search for New Manager

2007-10-20T18:42:00.000-04:00

Now in the post-Torre era the Yankees have turned their attention toward hiring a new manager. Bench coach and former team captain Don Mattingly seems to be the internal favorite, but General Manager Brian Cashman has said the Yanks will interview five or six people for the job and have not yet made a decision.

2006 National League Manager of the Year Joe Girardi is another candidate. Girardi won three World Series with the Yanks while playing in New York from 1996 till 1999. He has only managed one season in baseball and turned the Marlins, who were expected to lose 100 games, into wild-card contenders.

Yankees first base coach Tony Pena, who won the American League Manager of the Year award in 2003 while managing the Royals, is another consideration. From outside the organization Tony LaRussa who is expected to leave the St Louis Cardinals has been rumored to be a possibility along with former Mets manager Bobby Valentine.

Whoever does replace Torre is going to have his hands full. Torre hasn’t brought the team to the World Series since 2003, but has faced significant challenges since then. In 2006 the lineup took a severe hit after losing both Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield to injuries, but the Yankees managed to overcome by winning the division. This season rookies made about 25 percent of the starts, but the team still managed to come back and win the wild-card. Also along the way he has had to deal with wash-up aces like Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson and he still managed to win every year. In the end none of this mattered and Torre’s replacement will likely be forced to do better than this or else suffer a similar demise.

End of Torre Era for Yankees

2007-10-20T18:39:00.000-04:00

Joe Torre turned down a one-year offer to manage the Yankees next season on Thursday October 18 because he believed the offer was insulting.

The offer was the ultimate result of a statement made before game three of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians by George Steinbrenner. He said that if the Yankees did not advance past the Indians in the first round of the playoffs Torre would not be brought back next season.

Immediately following the Yankees third straight first-round exit from the playoffs Torre spoke to the media as if it were the last time he would be holding a post game press conference as a Yankee. Many believed that it was only a matter of time before he would be out of the picture, but following the game, possible free agents, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte said that Torre’s departure would weigh heavily on whether or not they came back.

So instead of announcing he would not be back and the team would be moving on George Steinbrenner, his two sons Hank and Hall, Randy Levine, and Brian Cashman kept him on the hook for the next nine days. In an attempt to save face with the players and fans the Yankees decided to offer a one-year nonnegotiable incentive laden contract which included a 25 percent pay-cut and seemed like it was designed to be rejected.

Torre rejected the contract which would have retained his status of the highest paid manager in baseball and the following day he held a press conference near his suburban New York home. Sitting in front of a logo-less navy blue backdrop Torre explained why. He said the team showed they were not satisfied with him by offering to take him back at a reduced salary. He went on to say the team showed it was not committed to him because they were not willing to discuss the details of the contract and the brevity of the deal would keep him locked into lame-duck status. Finally Torre blasted the incentives saying that he understood the team’s goals and felt like his motivation didn’t need to be questioned.

Joe Torre was picked to be the manger of the Yankees November 2, 1995. Since then he has taken the Yankees to the World Series six times and won the World Series in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. He was named American League Manager of the Year in 1996 and 1998. During his 12 years as manager of the Yanks the team went to the playoffs every year and had a combined record of 1,173-767 during the regular season and 76-44 in the post-season. He said during the press conference Friday that his time managing the Yankees has been the most exciting years of his life.

New Coaches for Yankees?

2007-10-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

Since the Yankees have announced that Joe Torre turned down a one-year incentive laden contract the team will be on the lookout for a new manager and probably new coaches as well.

None of the coaches are under contract for next season and that is not going to change for the time being. "I've made them aware that I'm not able to guarantee them positions until we have a manager,” general manager Brian Cashman said to Newsday.

With Don Mattingly said to be the favorite to replace Torre it is likely the Yankees will have to replace him as bench coach. No word has come as to who it might be, but it might be wise for Joe Girardi to at least consider the position. He was the former bench coach before taking the job as the Florida Marlin’s manager in 2006. Girardi also has aspirations to manage the Yankees, but as a first year manager for a team desperate to get back to the World Series Mattingly could be on a short leash should he get the job.

First base coach Tony Pena might also be on the move. He has already been rumored to be a possibility for the position of Houston Astros manager and now he is up for the job as Yankees manager as well according to Sports Illustrated.

Third base coach Larry Bowa may jump ship to coach in Seattle. He is a former coach for the team who this week asked for and received permission to interview Bowa for a job according to Newsday.

Pitching coach Ron Guidry could also be on the move. The Yankees are rumored not to be happy with him after the staff ERA was ranked eighth out of 14 American League teams. The two poor pitching performances of Chien-Ming Wang also reflect negatively on him. Once a new manager comes in, like Tony LaRussa for instance, he may want to bring in his own pitching coach. Dave Duncan would be the coach in this case as he has been with LaRussa from Oakland to St. Louis. He also has a son on the team, Shelly Duncan.

Another possible pitching coach replacement could be Dave Eiland. Eiland was the pitching coach for Scranton and has experience working with Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. If he doesn’t get the job as pitching coach he may even replace Joe Kerrigan as bullpen coach.

After the Scranton Yankees season ended Eiland joined the bombers for September. It was at that point that Hughes’ season turned around. Hughes had a 3-0 record with a 2.73 ERA down the stretch.

The only coach who is likely to keep his current position is hitting coach Kevin Long. During Long’s first season as a coach the Yankees lead baseball in runs scored and batting average. Many players praised the job he did working with them especially Alex Rodriguez and Doug Meintkiewicz.

More Yankee and other NY area sports news should be read at Hot Stove New York.

Avery To Miss 4 Weeks

2007-10-08T15:09:00.000-04:00

The New York Rangers lost Saturday night 2-0 to the Ottawa Senators because of some sloppy line changes and some strong play defensively by the Senators.

Not only did the Rangers suffer their first loss of the season, but midway through the first period Ottawa Winger Chris Neil landed a hard hit on Sean Avery knocking him to the ice. Avery got up and was clearly favoring his left arm and immediately went to the Rangers locker-room. He would not return during the game. Neil was given an elbowing penalty for the questionable hit.

Both Avery and Neil had been penalized 56 seconds into the game for a coincidental roughing call. Neil later fought Jason Strudwick with about 5 minutes left during the first period and he accounted for 13 of the Senators 17 penalty minutes.

Chris Neil is known for his hard hitting style. Last season he sparked a brawl which lead to 100 penalty minutes when he blindsided Chris Drury while he was playing for the Buffalo Sabres. Drury suffered a deep cut across his forehead and needed help just to get off the ice. Neil received no penalty on the play but Sabres’ coach Lindy Ruff called it a dirty play. Drury missed 4 games with a concussion due to the hit.

The Rangers received a scare in the third period when Petr Prucha took an elbow to the face from Chris Neil. The shot was late and the elbow was much more obvious than on the Avery hit. Neil received a two-minute elbowing penalty for the hit. After the game he insisted both hits were clean.

The blue-shirts announced on Sunday that Avery will miss up to four weeks with a separated left shoulder. They have not yet announced who they will call up to take his place on the roster.

Clemens' Last Start?

2007-10-08T01:37:00.000-04:00

After the Cleveland Indians took the first two games of the season at Jacobs Field earlier this week, the Yankees returned home yesterday to the house that Ruth built and the stadium that has seen so many come-from-behind victories this season.

The challenge was not easy - hold off elimination and save their manager’s job. The man they trusted the task to - Roger Clemens. The same man who back in May signed a pro-rated $28 million contract and from George Steinbrenner’s personal luxury box announced during the middle of a game that he was returning to New York to save the Yankees floundering season.

In the third inning with Cleveland winning 2-0, Roger was desperately trying to keep his team in the game. He allowed a leadoff single and faced the dangerous Victor Martinez. The season was on the line and there was a runner on first and the Rocket reared back and let loose a powerful fastball. Martinez swung and missed, but there was not much celebration coming from Clemens. It was his first strikeout of the night, but possibly the last pitch he will ever throw in the major leagues.

Before the game there were questions regarding Clemens’ health especially his groin, but leading up to it he consistently pronounced himself fit to play. As Martinez walked back to the dugout following the tough at bat against Clemens Joe Torre walked out to the mound.

Clemens stood, face downcast, on the mound as Torre walked out to take the ball from him, Alex Rodriguez gave him a pat on the backside and scattered boos gave way to loud cheering as fans realized this might be the last time they’d see the 354 game winner walk-off that mound. Clemens received pats on the back from teammates in the dugout as he quickly left the stadium never looking up and not once looking back.

The 44-year-old Clemens left the game with a strained left hamstring and the baby-faced 21-year-old Phil Hughes literally and figuratively took his place on the mound.

Read all of my articles and stuff on the Jets, Giants, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Mets, and Yankees at Hot Stove New York.

Drury Leads Rangers

2007-10-05T18:29:00.000-04:00

The New York Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 last night scoring four goals in the third period after getting off to a slow start.

Chris Drury scored the game winning goal and had two more assists as quickly begun earning his big $35 million contract.

The Rangers got their season off quickly when Michal Rosival scored a goal 37 seconds in, but then seemingly took the next two periods off.

"The first 10 minutes I thought we were OK, the second 10 minutes of the first period we were not very good, and in the second period, for me, there was only one team on the ice and it wasn't the New York Rangers," Tom Renney told the NY Post.

The Rangers left the ice after the second period and the fans let the team hear their disappointment with a chorus of boos.

It didn’t take long for the team to turn things around and after Petr Prucha tied it Drury did what he does best, scored a big goal. His first goal would eventually become the game winner and he would add a second assist on Martin Straka’s goal late in the game.

Dispite the slow start the first line played very strong. Between the three players on the top-line, Drury, Jaromir Jagr, and Straka, they scored a total of six points (2 goals 4 assists).

As the Rangers left the ice after the game ended fans at the Garden cheered, “"We want the Cup!"

Overall the game was a positive one. The team from Broadway played poorly through the first two periods, but had enough talent to put the Panthers away in the final frame. The weakest link on the team is going to be the defense and Marek Malik and Rosival were impressive. Marc Staal usually looked like a guy who had never played in the NHL before, but managed to make a few strong plays to show the promise scouts talk about.

As usual Henrik Lundqvist played a strong game. He only allowed two goals one of which only scored when rookie Brandon Dubinsky impeded his motion to stop a puck to his left. The King was impressive keeping the Rangers in the game until they got it together enough to score some goals.

Aside from Drury the most impressive part of last night’s victory was the contributions the team received from the third-line of Prucha, Ryan Callahan, and Dubinsky. Prucha tied the game and Callahan was impressive putting them ahead 4-2. If that line can continue to pitch in this team is going to be very strong throughout the season.

Read more Rangers articles @ The Hot Stove.

LeBron Picks Yankees

2007-10-05T16:19:00.000-04:00

When the Yankees hit the road it is not unusual to hear fans in the stands rooting for them against their own home team, but up until yesterday it was typically only in cities with horrid teams like the Devil Rays and the Kansas City Royals.

While watching last night’s game one of the American League Division Series vs. the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland Lebron James could be spotted in the stands sporting a crisp navy blue cap with the famous interlocking NY logo on the front.

“I know a lot of people might not like hearing me say that, but I think everyone knows I've been a Yankee fan my whole life,” James said to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. “They have to deal with it.”

Lebron eventually took his hat off before he left the game with the Yankees trailing during the sixth inning, but not before upsetting at least a few fans.

“I am done with LeBron after seeing him rooting for the Yankees and wearing their cap at the Indians game. That is the most tasteless, classless thing I have ever seen by a sports celebrity,” one fan posted on the Cleveland Plain-Dealer’s website.

Another fan said, “Let him root for the Cowboys, the Yankees or even the Bulls. It's obvious to me that he's nothing more than a fair weather fan and not a diehard Clevelander.”

Not all Cleveland fans held it against him one fan posted, “So what, he's a Yanks fan...that's his right.”

Weather or not Lebron showing up in a Yankees hat pissed you off or not there will be no member of the New York Knicks showing up at Yankees Stadium on Sunday wearing anything but a Yankees hat.

No Love for Giambi

2007-10-04T13:17:00.000-04:00

The New York Yankees will take to the field tonight and play game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field tonight.

When the team takes the field in the bottom of the first it will likely be Doug Mientkiewicz and not Jason Giambi manning first base.

Joe Torre has elected to stick with his best defensive option during the playoffs. At least during times he feels it is most necessary and groundball pitcher Chien-Ming Wang will be getting the start tonight so it is expected that Mientkiewicz will be as well.

“Jason is considered more of a DH who could play first base," Torre said to the NY Post. “Right now, I'm leaning toward Doug. Jason coming off the bench or DH’ing is probably what his role is going to be.”

As for Giambi there is a chance he will not be playing tonight at all as the Yankees face-off against the tough lefty C.C. Sabathia which means Torre might start right-hand hitting Shelley Duncan at DH tonight.

“I don't know if I'll be in there or not, but I will be prepared to play. I will study up on Sabathia, and get my swing right,” Duncan said to the NY Daily News. “Whatever happens, happens. I'm going to have fun with this either way."

Even if Giambi doesn’t see much time at first base don’t expect to see him play everyday as the DH. Hideki Matsui had fluid drained from his knee this week and is expected to see the bulk of his him as the DH while Johnny Damon will man left-field.

Whatever happens Giambi says he’ll be ready, “At the end of the season I felt I swung the bat well and took some good at-bats," Giambi said to the Post. “But whatever is best for the team."

Mientkiewicz finished the season with a hot bat. During the month of September he hit .429 and had one homerun and eight RBI’s over a 22 game span. Giambi was quite the opposite. Since returning from his foot injury on August 7 he hit only .200 which includes a .164 average and two homeruns over 55 during the month of September.

Read all of my articles at HSNY.

Rangers Hope To End Cup Drought

2007-10-04T12:09:00.000-04:00

The New York Rangers begin their quest for the Stanley Cup as they open up the season in Madison Square Garden and they face-off against the Florida Panthers tonight.

When the Rangers take the ice the “obvious” line combos – Gomez/Jagr/Straka and Drury/Shanahan/Avery – will not be taking the ice together, but that is fine Scott Gomez.

“To Start it off, I like to pass it and (Brendan Shanahan) likes to shoot it,” said Gomez in the NY Daily News.

Just because Gomez and Jaromir Jagr are not skating together to start the season doesn’t mean the pair won’t be together soon. “We’re likely to be making changes on the fly in a number of areas as we get into the season and see what works and what doesn’t,” Rangers coach Tom Renney told the NY Post.

The biggest question that remains unanswered is exactly how will Jagr adapt to not having the playmaker Michael Nylander there to feed him the puck? Chris Drury is not exactly the same type of player as Nylander was. He is more likely to shoot the puck than Nylander who often skated around for long periods of time waiting to setup Jagr.

“I anticipate it will be a little different with Chris rather than (Nylander),” Renney said to the Post. “I think Chris will change the dynamic in that sense.”

That is why Renney initially said it was obvious to pair Jagr up with Gomez who is known as one of the best passers in the NHL. Although I don’t think anyone is worried about the talented top line.

“I think that right now, that line with Chris and Jags and Straka looks like it could be really dangerous,” Gomez said to the Daily News.

As for the power-play, it looks like Renney won’t be breaking up his even strength lines. The top man-advantage line skating during practice was Jagr, Drury, and Petr Prucha with Martin Straka and Michal Rozsival at the points. The second power-play line gives a bit of a different look with Gomez, Shanahan, and Sean Avery up front and Fedor Tyutin and Dan Girardi at the points.

“Our best success last year came when we had two units with distinct looks that received an equitable amount of time,” said Renney to the Post.

The rest of the lineup is set as well. The third line which skated together Tuesday was rookie Brandon Dubinsky centering Ryan Callahan and Prucha and the third line will be a combination of Blair Betts, Colton Orr, Marcel Hossa, and Ryan Hollweg with one of them getting scratched.

The defense is mostly familiar faces with Rosival and Marek Malik as the first pair, Tyutin and Girardi as the second pair, and rookie Marc Staal will make his NHL debut tonight playing with Paul Mara as the third pair. Thomas Pock will be a healthy scratch and could possibly start tonight if Mara is held out of the line-up.

Of course Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes for the Rangers tonight. He is coming off of back-to-back 30 win seasons and he finished as a Vezina Trophy finalist in each of those seasons. Last year he got off to a slow start with a 3.57 GAA in October, but rebounded and was one of the best goalies in the NHL down the stretch with a 1.80 GAA after the all-star break.

The team is hoping things start off more smoothly than last season which didn’t go well early and didn’t start winning until the February 5 trade which brought Avery over from Los Angeles. From that point on they finished the season 17-6-6 maddening opponents all the way to the second round of the playoffs. With acquisitions of two of the biggest free-agents on the market in Gomez and Drury they hope to go a lot farther this season.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with talking about how we believe that we're good enough to win the Stanley Cup,” Avery said to the Post. “As long as we back it up on the ice each and every game."

You can also read my articles at www.hotstovenewyork.com.

Breaking Joba Rules Saves Day

2007-09-23T18:49:00.001-04:00

On his 22^nd birthday, Joba Chamberlain picked up his first career save as the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 Sunday afternoon at Yankee stadium.

Behind a strong performance by Mike Mussina the bombers were able to reduce their magic number to clinch the wild-card to two games and put themselves 1 ½ games behind the Boston Red Sox for the American League East lead.

The Yankees played small ball on offense with 11 singles and nine walks and only one extra-base hit during the game. Jose Molina had the only double as he went 3-4 with three RBI’s playing as the regular catcher Jorge Posada got the day off.

Toronto got on the board first in the top of the second inning when left-fielder Adam Lind got up with runners on second and third and doubled to left field to put the Jays up 2-0. The next batter, Curtis Thigpen, singled to center which put his team up by three runs early.

Too many walks lead to the downfall of Blue Jay’s starter Dustin McGowan as the Yankees were able to mount a two-out rally in the bottom of the second because of free passes to Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano. With two-out and two on the Yankees successive RBI singles from Molina, Johnny Damon, and Derek Jeter to tie the game at three.

In the top of the forth inning John McDonald nearly put the Blue Jays back on top after a single to center, but Melky Cabrera fielded the ball barehanded and threw it into Cano who made a great relay throw to get Greg Zaun at the plate to end the inning.

That play seemed to spark something in Mussina who retired the side in order during the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. He struck out three batters as he made quick work of all of the last nine batters he faced.

In the bottom of the fifth it was the base-on-balls which got to McGowan again. He walked Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez to lead off the inning then with one out Cano singled to right field which drove in Abreu and knocked McGowan out of the game.

Two batters later Arod was able to come around and score on Doug Mientkiewics’ infield single to third base. The following hitter, Jose Molina, put the Yankees up 6-3 with a single to center which plated Cano.

Molina added his third hit in the seventh against Josh Banks. It was an RBI double hit to deep right field which scored Matsui who had previously reached on a walk.

The run seemed like a tack-on run at the time but it turned out to be an important one as Luis Vizcaino allowed a two-run homerun to Matt Stairs in the top half of the eight which shortened the Yankee lead to 7-5.

The Yankees then proceeded to break their self-imposed “Joba Rules” which are meant to protect his arm from strain. The rules were broken when they not only brought him in the game in the middle of an inning, but with runners on base as well. Both are no-no’s according to the Yankees Minor League Pitching Coordinator Nardi Contreras who came up with the rules. But the strategy paid off as Joba struck-out Adam Lind to escape trouble.

After pitching in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday night Mariano Rivera did not come into the game for the ninth inning dispite it being a save situation and instead Joba stayed in the game. The inning didn’t last long as Chamberlain got the first batter to hit it weakly back to the mound then struck-out the next two batters to en d the game and earn his first save.

Read more all of my work and more at Hot Stove New York.

Gomez and Drury Lose In Debut

2007-09-23T00:35:00.000-04:00

New acquisitions Scott Gomez and Chris Drury made their debuts as New York Rangers when the team was beaten 5-0 by the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday night.

A rusty power play and some poor defense took the heat as Henrik Lundqvist allowed all five goals in his first game of the preseason.

The first period started with a lot of action and special teams as seven different players on both teams were given penalties in the first 11 minutes. Not included in the penalties was Fedor Tyutin who pulled down Sami Kapanen for which he was awarded a penalty shot which was eventually denied by Lundqvist.

There was no score in the game until shortly after the penalty shot Sami Kapanen was involved in another play. This time he beat two Ranger defensemen including Michal Rozsival to score on Lundvist glove side to put the Flyers up 1-0 12:15 into the game.

From this point on it was pretty much all Philly and just a minute and a half later they scored again to make it 2-0. On the play Jagr made a bad pass right to Simon Gagne who took a shot on net when the puck was deflected by Mike Knuble for the goal.

In the second period the Rangers attempted to get some scoring when Petr Prucha got a pass in front of the net and appeared to score, potentially making it 2-1, but after review it was clear that the puck merely hit the crossbar.

New York had another chance soon after on a power play during which Gomez moved to the net with some fancy stick-work to make a smooth pass to Jagr who had a nice shot but was turned away by Martin Biron.

About midway into the second, the Flyers started to put the game out of reach when Mike Richards scored to make it 3-0. During the play Prucha, Rozsival, and Marcel Hossa appeared to be standing still as Boyd Kane and David Laliberte had plenty of time to get the puck to the net until Richards scored on a rebound.

The only other time during the game the Rangers really threatened was during the third period after Scott Hartnell took a hooking penalty and the Jagr line went back to work. They moved the puck around pretty well and Jagr and Gomez both set each other up with Flyers goalie Antero Niittymaki off-balance only to both miss wide.

The Flyers were able to score two more times during the third period. Steve Downie scored off a rebound and Mike Knuble picked up his second goal during a power-play by knocking the puck out of mid-air while Lundqvist was scrambling to get back after playing the puck behind the net.

Throughout the game head coach Tom Renney was clearly trying different experiments while playing with seven different rookies in the lineup. One rookie in particular, Nigel Dawes, got a lot of attention playing left-wing alongside Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez during the power-plays. The line didn’t generate that many chances and the Rangers didn’t score during eight chances with a man advantage.

Renney will continue to try different wingers to match up with Jagr and Gomez. Hossa has been given the most opportunities during training camp, but Martin Straka and Prucha will also be likely to get chances on the top-line.

The rest of the rookies on the team played the same way Dawes did, not particularly impressive but with flashes of promise. One other standout rookie was Lauri Korpiskoski, a former first round draft-pick, who utilized his speed and size and beat Flyer Jason Smith before challenging Martin Biron in the second period.

$100 Million For This?

2007-09-22T22:31:00.001-04:00

8 Games Left and the Yankees are 2 1/2 games back.

If Tampa's bullpen could hold a lead the Yankees would already be in control of the division.

Will There Be A Moose Call?

2007-09-18T19:11:00.000-04:00

With the Yankees getting closer and closer to that coveted playoff spot the burning question is: Who will be the fourth starter should they make the playoffs?

With Andy Pettitte likely to pitch the first and fifth game of the series Torre picked Chien-Ming Wang to start game three. The reasoning behind this is because the wild-card team will play game three at home and Wang’s ERA is more than a full run lower at home compared to on the road (2.85 at home and 5.05 road). Roger Clemens is the obvious choice for game two, which of course comes with the assumption that he is healthy enough to pitch. So the only thing left to figure out is who would pitch game four?

The pitcher for game four will most likely be one of three players: Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes, or Ian Kennedy.

With the way Mussina has pitched this season it seems he is unlikely to get the call, but Joe Torre loves veteran presence especially in the playoffs. Remember last season when Torre started Bernie over a more deserving Melky Cabrera? So the Moose is the most likely to get the nod, but just because he is the most likely doesn’t mean he actually will.

Mussina’s last start against Toronto was very strong. He pitched 5 2/3 innings and didn’t allow a run, but his three starts prior to that left a lot to be desired and Torre eventually pulled him from the rotation so he wouldn’t put playoff hopes in jeopardy. Will Torre let veteran bias interfere again during the playoffs?

The Moose could make all of this a non-issue by going out to the mound tonight against the Orioles and pitching the way he did in Toronto. If that three game stretch where he had an 17.68 ERA was just a fluke then it will solve this entire situation. Of course if he gets bombed again then you have to look into other options.

Hughes is probably the next most likely to be handed the ball for game four. After a rough return from the DL he has been pitching well lately thanks to his old pitching coach Dave Eiland. Since his arrival in the Bronx Hughes is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA. Last night he pitched well against Baltimore going 5 2/3rds innings and at times he was dominant retiring 14 of 16 batters in a row.

Even though he has been more successful lately he is still having growing pains which could keep him from fitting into the playoff rotation. He has been walking a lot of batters and even when he gets ahead in counts he often cannot finish guys off quickly and as a result has high pitch counts. In his brief major league experience he has made it into the seventh inning only twice and not at all since August 20^th.

Probably the least likely to get himself into the playoff rotation but maybe the best suited for it is Ian Kennedy. He has only three games of major league experience, but during that time has done extremely well for himself. He has pitched 19 innings at the major league level and during that time has a 1.89 ERA and 15 strikeouts.

The problem is that 19 innings is not a whole lot to judge a major league career by. His minor league numbers are impressive, since being drafted in the first round in 2006 he has an ERA of 1.91 and 163 strikeouts over 146 1/3^rd innings of minor league experience. He started the season at the single-A level and rose quickly through the system and was the guy who replaced Mussina after his late August struggles. There are two big questions that come attached with Kennedy, first, is his major league success simply beginners luck and second, does he have enough experience to pitch during the playoffs?

Who will Joe Torre choose? "If it’s close, experience will put me over the line," Torre told the NY Daily News. So My guess is Mussina, but if he doesn’t pitch well between now and October then its anybody’s guess.

You can read all of my articles and more at Hot Stove NY.

Yank’s Wang Beaten By Beckett

2007-09-15T23:57:00.000-04:00

On Saturday afternoon the New York Yankees dropped the second game of a three game series to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park 10-1 the day after the Bombers had come back from a five-run deficit.

The upset put the Yankees five and a half games back in the American League Eastern Division and left them just three games up on the Detroit Tigers in the AL wild-card.

The game included a match-up between two starting pitchers, Chien-Ming Wang and Josh Beckett, who each entered the game with 18 wins apiece and were both considered to be front runners for the AL Cy Young award.

In the first inning, while the sell-out crowd was still expecting to see a pitchers duel, Derek Jeter broke it open with one out in the first inning when he pounded the ball over the center field wall to put the Yanks in front 1-0.

During the bottom of the first the Red Sox quickly answered back as Wang allowed three singles, the final one being an RBI single off the bat of third baseman Mike Lowell to tie the game 1-1. The RBI was number 105 of the season for Lowell which tied a career high for him.

The game remained tied going into the bottom half of the fifth inning until JD Drew drove in Jacoby Ellsbury with a two-out RBI single to put the Sox up 2-1. Ellsbury had pinch-run for Kevin Youkilis who was removed from the game after being hit on the right forearm by Wang earlier in the inning.

Eric Hinske doubled to leadoff the bottom of the sixth and was followed by a single off the bat of Coco Crisp. Two batters later, Dustin Pedroia hit a ground ball which was thrown home in an attempt to get Hinske at the plate. Hinske then collided with catcher Jorge Posada who had blocked the plate. Posada was dazed after taking the hit but he hung on to the ball throughout the play and Hinske was called out.

The Yankees’ luck would not last as the next batter, Ellsbury, hit a single to left field which caused Crisp to score and put the Sox up 3-1. David Ortiz then knocked Wang out of the game with a two-RBI double scoring Pedroia and Ellsbury and put Boston out in front 5-1. Wang lasted only 5 2/3 innings and left the game trailing 5 to 1.

Despite Wang’s early exit Beckett was holding up his end of the pitchers duel. He had retired 12 batters in a row before hitting Jason Giambi in the top of the seventh possibly in retaliation for Youkilis. The Yanks failed to capitalize though after Robinson Cano followed by singling to center to put runners on first and third when Melky Cabrera struck-out swinging to end the inning.

With the Yankees on the ropes the Red Sox tacked on a few more insurance runs to prevent a comeback. The Yanks used five relief pitchers in the bottom of the seventh: Edwar Ramirez, Ron Villone, Brian Bruney, Sean Henn, and Ross Ohlendorf. Combined they allowed four runs on two hits and five walks during the seventh which put the Sox ahead 9-1.

The biggest blow came with Henn facing Ellsbury with the bases loaded who then singled to drive in Hinske and Crisp. Ellsbury scored two runs and drove in three during the day despite not being in the opening lineup.

Beckett wound up improving his record to 19-6 after pitching seven innings, allowing only three hits, a single run, all while striking-out seven. Wang got the loss and now has a 18-7 record falling behind Beckett for the league lead in victories.

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Pettitte Named Clutch Performer

2007-09-11T18:41:00.000-04:00

After a tough first half of the season the New York Yankees disparately needed a reliable starter and for the month of August Andy Pettitte stepped into that role perfectly.

Over a span of six starts Andy went a perfect 6-0 with a 2.36 ERA on his way to earning the first ever Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month Award which is given to the player who plays best when the stakes are high.

"He enjoys the challenge, he pitches big games and is not afraid of anyone,” Derek Jeter said to the NY Post.

Pettitte's performance was integral as the rest of the rotation struggled to keep the team in games. Chien-Ming Wang was the only other starter who provided the team an adequate chance to win making quality starts four out of six times in August, but beyond that the team was lost.

Roger Clemens made three quality starts while Phil Hughes and Mike Mussina provided almost no assistance whatsoever with only three quality starts between them. The month ended with Mussina being removed from the rotation for ineffectiveness.

Pettitte came up huge three times particularly earning victories after Yankee losses every time during the stretch going 3-0.

"He always seems to step up big," Jeter said to the AP.

Indeed Pettitte has made quite a reputation for himself while pitching his team to the World Series seven times throughout his career.

"It seems like in a big game he is the guy you want on the mound," Jorge Posada said to the Post.

Despite a slow start to the season Andy has come on strong since the All-Star break. Since the mid-summer classic he has posted a 9-2 record with a 3.14 ERA and seems to only get stronger with every start.

"I'm really just feeling good," Pettitte said to MLB.com. "My command's been there and that's the key. I'm throwing my stuff for strikes and my two-seamer has been there. It's been a big pitch for me."

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Andy Phillips Out for Year

2007-09-04T14:36:00.000-04:00

New York Yankees first baseman Andy Phillips will miss the rest of the season and will need surgery to repair a fractured wrist after being hit on the right hand Sunday.

Phillips was hit on his right hand by Devil Ray’s starting pitcher Jason Hammel in the fifth inning. He stayed in the game and scored on a double by Melky Cabrera only to be replaced by Wilson Betemit at first to start the sixth.

After the game he was taken to the hospital to have an MRI and X-Rays taken on his hand only to reveal a broken pisiform bone in his wrist. He will have surgery on the hand today and will need at least 4 weeks to recover according to the NY Post.

"It's disappointing, the time of it more than anything," said Phillips to the Post about possibly missing the playoffs.

Andy has been having a strong season this year batting .292 in 61 games. This came after he missed most of spring training then lost his spot on the roster to Josh Phelps who had been a non-roster invitee. Although after Phelps’ play was less than stellar and Doug Mientkiewicz sustained a pair of injuries Phillips was called up as a stopgap and wound up being the permanent replacement because of his strong play offensively and defensively.

Now that he is faced with the possibility of missing the remainder of the season the Yankees will turn to Jason Giambi who lately has been all leather.

"Jason will be the No. 1 priority," Torre said in the Post. "We are not going to push the envelope. We will still DH if Johnny [Damon] needs a day off."

Giambi who is usually in need of regular rest anyway seemed a bit more optimistic when talking to the Post, "I feel good and will do whatever Joe needs me to do.”

When the Giambino does sit or DH the team will continue to turn to Wilson Betemit at first and even go back to Mientkiewicz. Doug Alphabet, who has finally recovered from a broken wrist and concussion he sustained after running into Red Sox Mike Lowell at first base on June 2^nd, was recalled September 1^st when the rosters were expanded to 40 players.

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Clemens Needs Mussina Before His MRI

2007-09-04T13:46:00.000-04:00

After a disappointing start against the Seattle Mariners Roger Clemens was in need of a MRI to check on his elbow which only lasted four innings and 62 pitches yesterday.

"The first three innings, it was a manageable situation for him," Joe Torre said in the NY Daily News. "The fourth inning, he said it started grabbing on him."

Right now the best case scenario is the Rocket only misses one start then can come back to help the Yanks to the playoffs. Worst case scenario is that his season, and possibly the bombers, is over earlier than planned.

"For safety's sake, you're probably going to skip him one time," Torre said to the Daily News. "Hopefully that's all it is."

After the game Roger went to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center to have an MRI on the elbow. The results of the test will come back today according to the NY Post.

The player likely to replace Clemens even if it is only for one start is Mike Mussina who made his first relief appearance of his career yesterday. His outing was less than stellar but it was something to build on. In 3.2 innings he allowed 7 hits and 2 runs while walking none and striking out a single batter.

"There is still stuff to work on but I feel better.” Mussina said in the Post. “It was fun to pitch again, but I still don't know what I am doing. If I didn't pitch today I don't know when I would pitch."

Since Clemens will most likely miss at least one time around the Moose’s next start will likely be on Sunday in Kansas against the Royals. The young team should be a good matchup for Mussina who has faced them twice this season winning both games with a 2.31 ERA.

Should Roger miss an extended period of time the Yanks will be forced to relay on Mussina more than they planned which could be a problem if Ian Kennedy’s first appearance was a bit of beginners luck. Should Kennedy struggle the Yankees will have to turn back to their farm-system which could mean picking somebody like Kei Igawa, Jeff Karstens, or Matt DeSalvo. Those are moves the Yanks would wish to avoid as they continue their run for the wild-card.

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Yankees Sweep the Red Sox and Take Wild-Card Lead

2007-08-31T18:43:00.000-04:00

The Yankees took over the wild-card lead when they finished a sweep of the Boston Red Sox behind a great pitching performance by Chien-Ming Wang and power supplied by Robinson Cano on Thursday.

Wang took a no-hitter deep into the ball game and Cano sent a pair of deep blasts over the left-center field wall to provide the early offense.

Wang’s smooth performance got a big help defensively by the usually clueless Jason Giambi when he made a full extension dive to save an errant throw by Cano to finish off a double-play in the top of the second. Giambi also made a great diving catch in the third which ended the inning.

Cano lead off the bottom of the third with a powerful drive off of Curt Schilling to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. He hit an almost identical shot in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead.

Cano got the sell-out crowd into it, but it wasn’t long until all eyes were on Wang who took a no-hitter into the seventh. After allowing Kevin Youkilis to reach on an error, Wang gave up a single to Mike Lowell which would be the only hit he would allow all afternoon.

With the score still just 2-0 Wang was in his first jam of the afternoon, but a controversial call derailed what might have been a big inning. With two on and nobody out JD Drew hit a ground ball to third baseman Alex Rodriguez who attempted to tag Youkilis out as he ran to third, he missed, then threw to first. Initially Youkilis was ruled safe but after Yankee Manager Joe Torre came out to complain that by dodging the tag Youkilis ran out of the baseline the call was reversed.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona raced on to the field after the Yankees were awarded the double play and was eventually ejected from the game. After some arguments, the game was resumed and Jason Varitek was struck-out to end the inning and Boston failed to score on their best opportunity of the day.

In the bottom of the eight inning reliever Hideki Okajima came on and the Yankees offense came to life. Derek Jeter lead-off the inning with his forth hit of the day and scored from first on Bobby Abreu’s 400^th career double to make it 3-0. Following an intentional walk to Arod, he and Abreu attempted a double steal with Hitdeki Matsui at the plate. Varitek threw the ball past third baseman Mike Lowell and into centerfield which allowed Abreu to score. When left fielder Eric Hinski didn’t backup the play, Arod scored all the way from second which then gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead.

The drama wasn’t over in the top of the ninth however because with one out Joba Chamberlain, who entered the game in the eight inning, was ejected after he threw two wild pitches over the head of Youkilis. The play did not seem like one of retaliation but Joba, who typically has masterful control, threw both pitches eerily in the same spot and then was tossed by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez.

The game was resumed with rookie Edwar Ramirez on the mound who walked Kevin Youkilis on one pitch then got the final two batters out to give the bombers a 5-0 victory and give them a half game lead over the Seattle Mariners for the wild-card lead. Following the game Seattle lost to the Cleveland Indians 6-5 to put the Yanks a full game ahead.

On Friday Major League Baseball suspended Joba for two games and fined him $1,000 for his actions.

Johnny On The Spot

2007-08-29T11:51:00.000-04:00

Johnny Damon, the new left fielder for the New York Yankees, put his team ahead with a two-run homerun in the seventh inning last night, the blast turned out to be the game winner.

For most of this season Damon looked like a shell of his former self. With injuries running rampant within the Yankees organization Johnny was no exception.

His legs were gone and they were his bread and butter. Without them he could not run, he could not hit, and he was horrible in the field. He needed a rest, but with his team struggling they needed him more so with Jason Giambi out Damon took on the role of DH.

Spending time as the DH gave Damon time to rest his legs and still stay in the lineup, but his replacement in the field, Melky Cabrera, made things interesting for him and the Bombers.

Melky got the everyday job in centerfield and was able to convince everyone that he belonged there and would not be surrendering it anytime soon. He simply did what Damon could not do, flash some leather and some legs while playing stellar defense, and as an everyday player for the first time his offense flourished.

"You have to tip your hat to a guy like Melky for stepping up," Damon said to the NY Post.

With Giambi’s injured foot there wasn’t much of a problem, Johnny could DH and give his legs a rest and would still play, but with Giambi’s return looming Damon feared he would become a bench player and actually pondered being traded out of town.

"Yeah, I do wonder," he said to the Post. "We'll just have to see how everything plays out.

Since Giambi’s return however Damon has done a great job forcing his way into the lineup. With his legs totally healed he could play in left field which would give the Yanks exceptional range on the left side of the outfield.

His offense would also improve as shown by his .856 OPS since the All-Star break. Not to mention the fact that he is batting .435 while playing as a left fielder. Maybe that is something of a coincidence because he is hitting everything right now batting .333 in the month of August.

Last night everything came to a head against his former team the Boston Red Sox. With Damon in the lineup in left field he made three spectacular catches and also went 2-4 at the plate scoring 2 runs and driving in another 2.

With that kind of performance Hideki Matsui will see a lot more time as the designated hitter than he expected.

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Is The Moose Cooked?

2007-08-28T18:34:00.000-04:00

Coming off two disappointing starts against the Angels and Tigers, Mike Mussina had a lot to prove last night then proceeded to get stomped for six runs in three innings in Detroit.

Before the start Mussina was asked if he was worried about loosing his spot in the rotation and mockingly replied to the NY Post, “Who would they replace me with?”

The answer is not much of a joke anymore: Matt DeSalvo, Kei Igawa, Ian Kennedy, or Steven White.

With the Yankees fighting for their playoff spot every game is becoming increasingly important, which may force Torre’s hand in a very difficult decision.

"There's no time to lick your wounds," Joe Torre said in the NY Daily News. "We'll sit down and talk about it (today) and see how he feels.”

Even the Moose himself is changing his tune. "If Joe thinks that somebody else can give us a lift or do the job better, that's up to him," Mussina said in the Daily News.

While the Yankees fight for their playoff hopes the obvious options don’t get you too excited. Ian Kennedy is probably the best choice, but Kennedy doesn’t even have a full season in the minor leagues under his belt. While the Yanks already have one of last year’s draft picks on their rotation it makes them even less likely to throw all their eggs in one basket.

The most likely option is Matt DeSalvo who has already had a cup of coffee with the Yanks this season. Last night DeSalvo pitched 8 innings and only allowed a run with the Scranton Yankees. This season at triple-A he has an 8-5 record with a 2.82 ERA, but with the Bombers he a 6.18 ERA in 7 appearances.

Another name being tossed around as a possible Moose replacement is Steven White. White is a 26-year old pitcher from Texas who started the season in double-A but has thrown the majority of his innings this year at the triple-A level in Scranton. He has an ERA of 3.61 and a 5-4 record.

An option that is always on the table, however unlikely, is Kei Igawa. In 12 appearances with the Yanks this season Igawa has not impressed while having a 2-3 record and a 6.79 ERA. Overall this season in the minors he has a 5-5 record with a 3.45 ERA, but since his last demotion has gone 2-2 and a 4.21 ERA.

While none of those options are very appealing Mussina is not making any improvements on the mound. His fastball sat at a meager 86-MPH and reached as low as 84-MPH. As for his next opponent, Tampa, he has a 7.59 ERA against them in 2 appearances already this season.

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Peca Picks Columbus

2007-08-21T22:37:00.000-04:00

Michael Peca is on the verge of signing a one-year incentive laden deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets according to the Columbus Dispatch.

This is a move which ends speculation that the 33-year old center would be playing on Broadway during the upcoming season.

“We had a deal in place with the Rangers for almost three weeks now,” Peca said in the Columbus Dispatch. “It just doesn’t seem like the commitment has been there from the general manager (Glen Sather) to get it done."

Peca was in New York last week in order to take a physical which supposedly would then lead to a contract offer, but an offer never came and while the Rangers waited, Columbus moved in.

“Ever since we started talking with Columbus (Friday), (GM Scott Howson) has been very straightforward and very interested in getting something done. And so right now, that’s where our focus is, getting something done with Columbus.”

For the Rangers this is a move which is meant “To give our young guys a chance," a source within the Rangers told Newsday. Among the leading candidates to fill in from Hartford are Brandon Dubinsky, Nigel Dawes, and Alex Bourret. Among the three Dawes is the only one with NHL experience playing in 8 games for the Rangers last season.

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Peca Waiting for Rangers Decision

2007-08-21T16:21:00.000-04:00

Michael Peca is interested in becoming a member of the New York Rangers, but has given the team a deadline by which they need to sign him otherwise he will consider other offers.

Peca traveled to New York City last week to take a physical with the team and it appears that, if he passed, an offer would follow. However Blueshirts’ GM Glen Sather was unavailable for negotiations over the weekend according to the NY Post.

"We're probably going to force the issue by (today). If I can't reach him (today), we'll just go our separate way,” Peca’s agent Don Meehan told the NY Daily News. “I've tried to reach him (yesterday and Sunday) and can't. And I'm working with time constraints now. I've got to find out where he stands.”

The two-time Selke Trophy winner certainly has interest in coming into New York.

"Obviously, over the last few years they've added some players that can contribute to a pretty good squad. I think anybody on the outside would look at that situation and hope there's a fit."

There is some speculation there may be issues with his legs. The center only played in 35 games last season due to a leg injury which required surgery but insists he is healthy.

"It's a non-issue," he said in the Daily News. "I've been skating for the better part of 2-1/2 months now. My speed and anything I can do on the ice is where I want it."

Peca has reportedly received other offers from the Columbus Blue Jackets and his former team the Toronto Maple Leafs, but will wait to hear from the Rangers before making a decision. All teams are likely to be offering a one-year deal in the $1-$1.25 million range plus incentives.

With the Rangers Peca would be filling the spot left behind when they traded Matt Cullen back to Carolina. Peca is a strong defensive forward and would be the third line center and an important penalty killer.

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Yanks Improved with Young Pen

2007-08-20T20:19:00.000-04:00

Heading into the All-Star break the Yankees were in need of a serious winning stretch to keep their playoff hopes alive. Over the next 28 games they got that stretch going 20-8 by outslugging their opponents 214 to 138.

That outcome wasn’t exactly unlikely because the teams they faced were all sub-.500 teams and many considered the next 20 games against playoff contenders more important. This tougher schedule meant that they could not simply over power teams with their offense as they had been doing – they would need more.

Lately they are getting what they need in the form of a stronger more balanced bullpen. Their new advantage became apparent this weekend when the bomber pen threw 11 innings while striking out 14 and giving up only a single run.

It seems that the balance is working for them. In the past they almost exclusively ran out guys with high velocity fastballs and average breaking balls. Talented pitchers for sure, but the similar styles may have been exploited.

“The most important thing in my mind is the versatility of our bullpen,” Joe Torre said in the NY Post. “At one time we had [Kyle] Farnsworth and [Brian] Bruney and [Scott] Proctor, but it was similar.”

On August 7^th Joba Chamberlain was brought up and the bullpen received a facelift. With Joba’s heat, Edwar Ramirez’s change-up, and Luis Vizcaino’s slider playing a larger roll, the pen is more versatile. Instead of relying on Farnsworth he is now just a supporting cast member helping the team out when he can.

“Now we have different things we can bring in, sliders, changeups,” Torre said in the Post. “So I think it helps to not give the same look all the time.”

The highlight is unquestionably Joba who, in 5 appearances, has pitched 7 innings while not allowing a run and striking out 11 all while reaching up to 99-MPH on the radar-gun.

“I can't remember in my experience anybody like him, not only the fact that he throws hard, but the fact he can make pitches," manager Joe Torre said in the Journal News.

In stark contrast is Ramirez who baffles hitters with his soft 78-MPH change-up which is better than most. In just 5 appearances this season he has struck out the side twice.

"See, this is what we've been missing here. Nothing against Bruney, Proctor and those guys we had doing that job, except they all had the same look,” said Torre in the NY Daily News.

Using the two pitchers Joba and Edwar back-to-back seemed very effective against the Tigers on Sunday. Chamberlain came in and overpowered hitters then he received a perfect complement when Ramirez came in and struck out the side keeping batters way out in front with his slow change. Hopefully it is a combination Torre will stick with in the future.

Joba The Yankee

2007-08-07T13:11:00.000-04:00

Highly touted Yankees’ prospect Joba Chamberlain has been promoted twice already this season and today will be his third as he will be called up to the big show tonight according to the NY Daily News.

He was in New York last week in order to fill out the paper work for a passport and last night he used it to fly to Toronto where he is scheduled to come on in relief of Roger Clemens tonight.

"He's certainly catching everybody's attention quickly, hasn't he?" said Joe Torre to the Daily News.

Chamberlain was drafted 41^st overall during the 2006 draft as part of compensation the Yankees received when Tom Gordon signed on with the Phillies. He did not even play in the minors last year partly due to triceps tendinitis, but made a name for himself during the Hawaiian Winter League racking up a 2.63 ERA.

This year he started out with the Yankees class-A affiliate Tampa where he posted a 4-0 record with a minuscule 2.03 ERA. After being promoted to double-A Trenton he continued his success while striking out 66 batters in just 40.1 innings.

In early July Joba was picked to represent the Yanks at the 2007 Futures Game in San Francisco. Up to this point he had been only thought of as the future of the Bombers, but with a struggling bullpen it is at this point that the team’s front office begins to realize he can be a help now.

In late July he was sent to triple-A as a final test to see if he was ready to help the Yankees as soon as this season. In three appearances, two in relief, he pitched 8 innings and struck out 18 and the team apparently feels he is ready.

"To be happening this quick, it's just a dream," the Joba’s father said to the Omaha World-Herald. "It's a dream that was always there, but to achieve it this quick, it's unbelievable. It's surreal."

Joba’s total minor league numbers for the year are 9-2 record, 2.45 ERA, 135 strikeouts, 27 walks, all over 88.1 innings.

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Yankees Layoff Lefty Myers

2007-08-06T12:05:00.000-04:00

The Yankees designated lefty reliever Mike Myers for assignment after the game last night in an effort to improve their struggling bullpen according to the NY Daily News.

The 38-year old side winder is in the final year of a two-year $2.4 million contract. He appeared in 55 games this year and had a bullpen best ERA of 2.66, but because lefties are hitting .312 off him this season and he is supposedly the lefty specialist he was let go.

"I was a little taken back by the move," Myers said to the Daily News last night. "I know I wasn't doing the job they brought me here to do, so I don't have any hard feelings."

Myers’ replacement wasn’t immediately announced but according to Newsday Jim Brower, who played last season for the Padres before being sent to Baltimore, is being brought up. Brower has been playing for triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre as the closer. In 35 appearances he has an ERA of 1.65 40 strikeouts and 11 walks with 20 saves.

A move to bring up Edwar Ramirez (0.79 ERA) or Joba Chamberlain (8 K’s in last 3 innings) would make more sense, but the Yankees are likely going with Brower because of his experience. Brower has played for seven teams and has made 351 big league appearances since 1999.

Last season he compiled an ERA of 12.15 in 18 appearances so it is possible and perhaps likely that Joba Chamberlain could still get a call-up this week.

Another player who could be back on the Yankees is Jason Giambi who is 1-for-9 in Scranton but has 6 walks. He has traveled with the team to Toronto but there is no word on when he will be activated.

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Rangers Resign Last Piece Avery

2007-08-01T14:32:00.000-04:00

The New York Rangers announced today that fiery forward Sean Avery will be returning next season after being awarded $1.9 million today in an arbitration hearing held on Tuesday according to the team’s website.

At the arbitration hearing on Tuesday Avery asked for $2.6 million and the Rangers countered with $1.3 million. He was awarded $1.9 million this morning and it did not take long for the team to accept that figure according to ESPN.

"We are pleased to have Sean under contract and are looking forward to him returning with the same passion and enthusiasm he brought to our team last year," said GM Glen Sather in the team's press release.

Sather also contradicted a statement he made the other day when he called Avery a, “detriment to the team,” by today issuing a totally different statement. "He is a terrific competitor, who we expect to play a significant role in a successful season,” according to the press release.

Pissing off such an important piece of your team may sound brainless, but remember hockey is not just a sport it is also a business and the Rangers are dangerously close to the salary cap after signing centers Chris Drury and Scott Gomez this offseason. The Rangers have always acknowledged how important it was to resign Avery and even shipped Matt Cullen back to Carolina to ensure they would have enough cap space for him.

After being acquired last February 5^th from Los Angeles for Jason Ward and two prospects Avery played in 29 games and registered 20 points. The arrival of Avery was the turning point of the Rangers season as the team went 17-6-6 after his arrival.

Getting Avery resigned means the Rangers now have all of their restricted free-agents signed and the team is set for its first two lines. Avery will probably play wing on the second line along with Brendan Shanahan and Chris Drury.

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Rangers Retain Hossa

2007-08-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

After realizing what a mess arbitration can be the New York Rangers and Marcel Hossa announced they have reached an agreement on a one-year $780,000 deal according to the team’s website.

The Slovakian and the team avoided an arbitration hearing which was set for this Thursday. Hossa was the last of the restricted free-agents the Blue Shirts needed to sign assuming the team agrees to the result of Sean Avery’s arbitration hearing.

The 25-year old Hossa reached a career high 18 points last season and was key during the stretch run scoring 13 of his points in his final 15 games. He played a vital roll during the shootout leading the team with 3 decisive game winners. The most notable came against the New Jersey Devils and Martin Brodeur on January 2^nd. In the playoffs last season he had a pair of goals and assists and played strong all around hockey managing a plus-five rating in 10 games.

Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadians in the first round of the 2000 draft Hossa was traded to the Rangers in 2005 for Garth Murray. The left winger earned $600,000 last season. He has 20 goals in his two seasons with the Rangers.

This season Hossa will be an important player who will likely see most of his ice time on the third line, but it is possible that he will be playing left wing on the Jagr line where he has had most of his success. If he does play well on the third line it would mean a lot for the Rangers season who are already coming under fire for only being strong on the front two lines ever since the departure of Matt Cullen.

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After Missing Out On Gagne Yanks Should Turn to Youth

2007-07-31T22:21:00.000-04:00

At today’s trade deadline it was the Red Sox and not the Yankees who made the biggest splash by acquiring former Cy Young winner Eric Gagne.

This was not the worst or non-move of the day for a team struggling to find bullpen help. If the Yankees were serious about improving their bullpen a single rental player wouldn’t provide much help to a pen which is in dire need of a complete overhaul anyway.

The move or non-move that hurt the Yankees the most was their failure to trade away Kyle Farnsworth, Brian Bruney, and Mike Myers along with Scott Proctor who was pawned off to Los Angeles for a utility infielder. These guys make up a bullpen which barely strikes out anyone and walks everyone.

On top of their struggles the Yankees have a crop of younger players in their minor league system who are practically being held hostage: Chris Britton, Edwar Ramirez, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. With the departure of Proctor it is likely that Chamberlain will get called up, but with the BB-Boy crew still around it is unlikely that the rest will get the chance to show their skills at the major league level.

The most likely to get promoted first is Joba Chamberlain, who has been recently moved into the bullpen for Scranton Wilkes-Barre in preparation for the job. Joba has thrown 85.1 innings this year with a 2.53 ERA and 128 strikeouts.

Chris Britton has had a great season in Triple-A posting a 2.80 ERA while walking only 13 in 45 innings. Britton was briefly on the team and even performed well when used (three times), but despite this was ignored in key spots and eventually sent down for his efforts.

Edwar Ramirez has been lighting up the scene for the Yankees minor league affiliates with a 0.59 ERA in 46 innings including 85 strikeouts, but he was called up and did a great job warming the bullpen bench. In Edwar’s first (of three) appearance he came in and struck out the side to end the game.

Ian Kennedy has split time from levels A to Triple-A and throughout that time has pitched 117.2 innings while striking out 135 and posting an impressive 1.76 ERA. Kennedy is considered a very good prospect and could see time this season out of the pen as a lefty reliever before taking over his long-term role of starter.

So despite the Yankees not getting Gagne today, the biggest concern right now isn’t who is going to pitch in the 8^th inning, but, is Torre going to keep using Farnsworth in every game where the Yanks have a chance to win? Hopefully, starting with Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees will begin giving their younger players a chance. After all, somebody has to eat up all the innings that Proctor used to pitch.

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Yankees deal Proctor for Betemit

2007-07-31T13:19:00.000-04:00

The Yankees and the Dodgers have reached an agreement this morning in principal which would swap reliever Scott Proctor for infielder Wilson Betemit according to ESPN.

Rumors that this was a likely move have been reported for some time now, but recently gained some steam once the Dodger’s Brad Penny was diagnosed with an abdominal strain. Both teams have been trying to address their pitching situations and it appears the Dodgers have improved their starters by adding an arm in the pen.

The Bombers have been looking to upgrade their bullpen and feel like they have done so by abandoning a pitcher who has surrendered 4 homeruns in his last 6 outings. At one point at the end of June the hard throwing righty became so frustrated by his performance that he set some of his equipment ablaze on the top step of the Yankees’ dugout.

Now he will have a fresh start with the same team that drafted him in the 5^th round in the 1998 draft. In return the Yankees got Betemit who they failed to acquire at last years deadline when he was sent to LA from Atlanta.

Betemit has played third-base, shortstop, second-base, and right field this season. He is hitting .231 but has a .359 OBP and does have power averaging a homer about every 15 at bats. He will challenge Andy Phillips for first base time, but Phillips is currently enjoying an 11-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games. This means that while Betemit will get some at bats at first he could also see some time while Torre rests Arod, Jeter, and Cano.

This also gives the Yankees the room to upgrade their bullpen from within. Joba Chamberlain has been switched to the pen for the Yanks Triple-A affiliate in anticipation of his promotion to the bigs. Hit threw an inning of relief last night and was impressive as he struck-out all three batters he faced. He is going to throw an inning of relief tomorrow then he might be seen in the Bronx.

For more deadline updates go to Hot Stove NY.

Rangers Frustrate Avery

2007-07-30T16:50:00.000-04:00

Last February 5^th the Rangers had a 25-24-4 record and could be best described as a weak team. After a deal for Sean Avery they went on a 17-6-6 run which took them deeper into the playoffs than they have been since 1997.

There was little doubt of the sparkplug effect Avery provided. His tough style of hockey was just what the team needed when they looked down. Despite the seemingly monumental effect he provided GM Glen Sather said that not only was Avery not an instrumental part of turning the team around, but he was actually a, “detriment to the team” according to the NY Post.

"I know this is part of the business, I know this is part of the process, but it's extremely disappointing to read something like that coming from Slats and not to be offended by it,” said Avery about GM Glen Sather in the Post.

In an arbitration brief presented before the hearing in Toronto today the team accused Avery of taking unnecessary penalties among other things. This is an attempt to win a case in which Avery requested a raise to $2.6 million and the team countered with a $1.6 million figure.

"They talk about me taking, 'unnecessary penalties,' and make a lot of references about me that I don't want to go into but that I don't think are fair. I certainly don't think I was a detriment to the team," said Avery

During the Rangers 4-game sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2007 playoffs Avery was very effective as he helped to shutdown the Thrashers’ offense. Avery took up the task of frustrating the dangerous Ilya Kovalchuk, who at one point got so upset he uncharacteristically fought him in route to a 7-0 Ranger’s victory.

Avery had wanted to sign a long-term deal after the season came to an end, but realized that with the team’s cap issues that wasn’t going to be possible. He is still interested in staying despite this possible bad blood. He told the Post, "The arbitration hasn't changed my opinion at all about wanting to be a Ranger and being excited about this season."

It makes little sense for the Rangers to treat Avery like this except as an attempt to win its arbitration case. In arbitration players and teams make their case on how much they think the player is worth, but in this case it seems irresponsible for Slats to risk alienating Avery who is going to be counted upon this upcoming season.

For more NY Sports go to the Hot Stove.

Yankees Miss-Out as Teixeira goes to Braves

2007-07-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

The Atlanta Braves acquired first baseman Mark Teixeira today from the Texas Rangers in a deal involving catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and 4 other players according to ESPN.

The preliminary agreement includes Atlanta picking up lefty Ron Mahay and sending minor league shortstop Elvis Andrus and two pitching prospects over to Texas. One of the prospects according to The Fort-Worth Star Telegram is 19-year old pitcher Neftali Feliz, the other according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is left-hander Matt Harrison.

The deal, which is set to be finalized upon review of their medical records, solves two problems for the Atlanta Braves. They had a promising young talent in Saltalamacchia, but as a catcher he was stuck behind Brian McCann. The Braves are also involved in a tight pennant race just 5 games back in the loss column behind the Mets in the NL East and 2 behind the Diamondbacks for the Wild Card. Teixeira’s superior offensive and defensive skills can help them in their quest for the playoffs.

The 27-year old Teixeira missed most of June and some of July this season due to injury, but has put up impressive numbers even still. He is batting .297 with 13 homers 49 RBI’s and a .921 OPS. Teixeira has hit at least 33 homeruns and 110 RBI’s each of the last 3 seasons. He is not just a one-trick pony either winning gold gloves at first base in 2005 and 2006.

This deal ends rumors which have been persisting all season that Teixeira was going to the Yankees. Since the early season struggles of Josh Phelps and Doug Mientkiewicz the Yankees have been interested, but their refusal to include Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy in any deals is what likely kept the Yankees from being serious. Recently they have also had good offense from Andy Phillips who since taking over the everyday job at first is 33-for-105 (.314).

It makes sense for the Yankees to pass on this move. They are not as desperate for offense as they were earlier in the season and since have climbed into 2^nd place in runs scored in all of baseball. Also with Jason Giambi possibly returning next week there is already a glut of players vying for attention in the starting lineup.