Derek Jeter, One of the Best Ever?

Ever since 1996, Derek Jeter has been the face of the New York Yankees and every Yankee fan will tell you that he is one of the greatest players to ever put on a Yankee uniform. Then you have non Yankee fans, what I mean by non Yankee fans is people who hate the Yankees and who can't appreciate what the Yankees have done, who believe that Jeter is overrated and not even that good. But that is just stupid, because if you would have asked any GM in 1996 that they could have a shortstop for 15 years who averaged a .300 batting average, 180-200 hits a season and played above average defense, I'm sure they would have taken it, without taking a breath. But that's just me. But the question that I am bringing up is does Derek Jeter belong in the conversation of greatest players ever?

Now if you look at the statistics, Jeter is best producing shortstop of all time, but anyone who has read my blog before knows that numbers don't explain everything. But in Jeter's case the numbers only help, because Jeter is everything that a young and up incoming baseball player should strive to be. I believe that Jeter deserves to be in the conversations that you hear regular baseball fans discuss, who is the best baseball player ever? Ruth, Aaron, Mays.

If you look at Jeter's stats year in and year out throughout his career, you don't see one year that is different then the other. Jeter's whole career is based on consistency, and not consistently bad numbers but consistently great numbers for a shortstop. Consistency is why Jeter should be in the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) conversation. He is going to finish his career with over 3,000 hits and if he chooses to play till he is 40 years old he statistically has a shot to pass Pete Rose's all time career hits record. And if he does break Rose's record, its not because Jeter got 250 hits in one year, its because he on average gets 207 hits in a season. Jeter has only lead the league in hits once in his career, once. Just to show to relevance of that stat: Pete Rose lead the league 7 times in hits and also got 230 hits in one season.

Also one thing that people always say about players is that did they win championships in their career? I will let you answer that question yourself. Jeter has been the best overall player in baseball since 1996, and what makes players the G.O.A.T is consistently being the best player during their respected time periods and also Jeter has done this all by being clean. No connections to steroids, nothing, he goes out everyday and plays the game right. I have never heard anybody say anything bad about Jeter, never and I don't plan too. But the next time someone asks me who the G.O.A.T is my answer will be Derek Jeter and I can't wait to see his or her responses.

What was Cashman thinking?

It is always interesting to watch what the Yankees do around the MLB trade deadline every year. Last year, Brian Cashman made some small moves to help the Yankees towards the World Series championship, those players weren't big named but they were big contributors to the Yankees down the stretch and winning the championship. Eric Hinskie, Jerry Hairston Jr, and Chad Gaudin, did their jobs in helping the Yankees achieve their ultimate goal.

Now this season, Cashman again brought in three players, Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns and Kerry Wood. Berkman is a great player and everyone knows that, and it was a great move to get Berkman, kudos to him. Berkman fits great in the Yankees lineup batting 2nd. Kearns is also another great pick up by Cashman, a 4th outfielder, who can hit and maybe finally convince Giradi not to put Thames in the outfield ever again.

Now the one move that bothers me beyond anything is why Kerry Wood. Everyone knows that the Yankees needed help in the bullpen, especially in the 8th inning. Joba Chamberlain has been horrible in that role and David Robertson has been not as bad as Chamberlain but not that good either. So it’s understandable why they went after a guy for the 8th inning, but why Kerry Wood, he’s horrible straight up. The Rays went and got Chad Qualls who is decent, and the Rays gave up a player to be named later, I'm sure in all the Yankees organization we could have found a player to be named later, come on. Also Matt Capps was traded to the Twins for a decent prospect, who are the Yankees kidding holding on to these prospects. I am just saying that Kerry Wood was not the best the Yankees could do. This just reminds me of when the Red Sox traded for Eric Gagne at the deadline to be the 8th inning man for Jonathan Papelbon, how did that work out for them? Not to good, because Gagne was washed up and Wood is everything that describes a washed up pitcher, and it has nothing to do with his 6.30 ERA this season it has to do with the fact that he was activated off the DL again this season as recent as Saturday.

Also what was Cashman thinking not pulling the trigger on the Dan Haren deal? The deal was all set and ready to go, but Cashman wouldn't deal Chamberlain. At this point I think I would be ok with trading Joba to the Diamondbacks for their washing machine. What do they see in Chamberlain, it boggles my mind. Fine I understand why you didn't trade him to Minnesota after the 2007 season for Johan Santana after he was lights out all that year, but I think its pretty out there that he is nothing more than a middle reliever, a decent one at best. Does he still show the flashes of dominance? Absolutely but he’s a major league baseball player, he should be that good.

I hope for Cashman's sake that Wood pitches well, because Yankee fans will point fingers and the fingers will point to Wood then to Cashman. I just don't feel comfortable at all with this bullpen in the playoffs. Unless the Yankees starters go 7 plus innings in the playoff games and Mariano Rivera can pitch 2 innings in save situations then we will win games or if we out score teams by 5 runs or more. But if it comes down to Game 7 in the World Series against the San Diego Padres and in the 8th inning in a one run game and Kerry Wood is coming into the game, I will have my eyes closed and my rosary beads in my hand praying.

PS- Great move by Cashman to finally release Chan Ho Park, it was long over due.

2010 New York Yankees Midseason Report 2

I am hoping most of you read the first part of the Yankees midseason report, as I went over the infielders. Today I am going to be going over the outfielders for the Yankees. Enjoy.

Left Fielder

Brett Gardner- So far this season Brett Gardner has been everything that Joe Girardi has hoped he would be. Batting 9th almost everyday for the Yankees, Gardner is batting .309 and has 25 stolen bases and also he plays gold glove defense. The best part about it, is that Gardner knows and accepts his role on the team to slap the ball and get on base, not hit homeruns, even though if you have watched Gardner’s 5 homeruns this year, they just don't clear the fence he gets a hold of them. Watch for Gardner to continue to play like this and hopefully, gain the confidence of the Yankees front office so they don't go out and get another all start to play left field.

Center Field

Curtis Granderson- Granderson honestly hasn't been anything that the Yankees had hoped for when they traded away blue chip prospect Austin Jackson, but to be fair he was hurt for a portion of the season, so we will give him the benefit of the doubt. Look for Granderson, if healthy, to have a strong second half and bring it into the playoffs.

Right Field

Nick Swisher- What can you say bad about this guy. Last season he had a decent year, but everyone loved him (especially me) because of what he brought to the team from a clubhouse perspective. So what does Swisher do. He goes out and makes the AL All-star team, he is on pace for a overall career year, and everyone still loves him. Look for Swisher to continue this great season and in a few years after his career is over run for mayor of New York.

Bench Players

The bench outfielders for the Yankees this season have been Colin Curtis, Marcus Thames and Chad Huffman. Colin Curtis has been very solid defensively for the Yankees but the stick hasn't been there. Marcus Thames should have his glove stolen from him, because he is downright terrible in the outfield, but his bat has been very solid and has silenced many critics, who wondered why Girardi put him on the team. Now Chad Huffman has been a solid overall bench player for the Yankees, but watching him in outfield makes me wonder if Thames should have his glove back (just kidding), but its pretty ugly, his bat on the other hand isn't as bad. The second half we will see Curtis be more of a defensive replacement in the late innings, Thames will DH a lot against lefties or pinch hit in the late innings, Huffman will probably be brought back up in September when the rosters expand.

2010 New York Yankees Midseason Report Part 1

I thought before you guys read my next blog I would like to talk about the losses not only to the Yankee Family and not only to baseball but to the whole sporting community.

This week has been very hard on the Yankee family with the deaths of Bob Sheppard and George "The Boss" Steinbrenner. Sheppard has been the voice of the Yankees since 1951 and as many called him the "Voice of God" though he never did a game at the new Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter has Sheppard’s voice taped for his pre at bat call, "Now batting numba 2 "Derek Jeet-tah."" Sheppard’s passing is very sad. Growing up a Yankee fan and going to hundreds of games in my life, when Sheppard left in 2008, and you didn't hear Sheppard’s voice over the sound system you knew something was missing and knew that he was gone, he will be forever forgotten and missed.

For the last few years George Steinbrenner was sick and everyone knew that, he was absent from his box at Yankee Stadium and the only time fans heard from him was through statements. Steinbrenner, you either loved him or hated him was one of the greatest owners not only in baseball history, but in sports history and he will be missed so much. I had the honor of seeing him in person during the late 90's dynasty run. I was leaving the game with my father and we were walking towards the parking lot and there he was crossing the street with a few people with him. As he passed by my dad says "Hey George good game today huh?" and George looks at the both of us and says "Hey, yea great game, have a goodnight." Now maybe he was nice because the Yankees had just won, but that’s the lasting impression I have of "The Boss." Hopefully with the passing of "The Boss" Hal and Hank will keep the same winning tradition and as there father has said before "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next." Miss you "Boss"

Going into the All Star break in the 2010 MLB season, the New York Yankees are exactly where they expected to be, having the best record in baseball. Now 88 games into the season, the Yankees sit atop the AL East over the Rays by 2 games and they way they finished the first half by winning 8 out of their last 10, they seem ready to just run away with the division and the league. I will be going through the Yankees roster, talking about each of their respected first halves and talking about what they will do in the second half.

Part 1- Infielders

Catchers

Jorge Posada- Posada isn't having the year that he, or the fans expected, but it’s not entirely his fault. Posada has only played in 60 of the possible 88 games for the Yankees, missing most due to injuries. Even then, Posada has hit 9 home runs and 29 runs batted in and those numbers seem down for a player with Posada's background, but in this Yankee lineup Posada can be hid until his bat comes around. Look for Posada to see more time at the DH position, so they can save him for the playoffs.

Francisco Cervelli- Anyone who is not a hardcore Yankee fan, probably has no idea how much Cervelli has meant to the Yankees this season. Like I said with Posada missing numerous games, Cervelli has been the man that has stepped in and kept the veteran Yankee pitching staff in check, along with having a ridiculous batting average with runners in scoring position and that very cool fohawk. Look for Cervelli to play a good amount of games behind the plate in the second half, and if his bat stays hot with runners on, look for him to see time when it matters most.

First Baseman

Mark Teixeira- After another Mark Teixeira like April, he has settled down and is playing like the Mark Teixeira that the Yankees are paying him to be. Although his average is down at .254 he has 17 home runs and 60 RBIs. Teixeria also whether he is hitting or not, is playing great first base as usual. Look for Teixeria to just flat out rake the ball in the second half, finishing the season with his normal Mark Teixeria statistics.

Second Baseman

Robinson Cano- This could possibly be the year that Robinson Cano finally proves all the scouts right. Now we have known for a while the Cano could hit, but he never seemed able to put it all together in a full season, until now. Cano seemed to slow down at the end of the first half, but hopefully these days off will help him get back on track. Look for Cano to come back from the break on fire and this will be the final leg for his first of a few batting titles.

Shortstop

Derek Jeter- Currently the numbers don’t speak for what Jeter brings to the table night in and night out. But Jeter is the captain and the lead off hitter on this team and I don't care if he is batting .250 I want Jeter to get that extra at bat late in the game. Look for Jeter is get his batting average up somewhere near the .280 area and maybe if he gets hot he could bring it up to .290 and maybe even .300. But that won't matter because to Jeter the only statistics that matter to Jeter are the ones in October and Jeter will have plenty at bats in October.

Third Baseman

Alex Rodriguez- For any other third baseman in baseball who had Rodriguez's stats right now they would be very happy with themselves, but for us Yankee fans, we expect more from Rodriguez. Is that fair to A-Rod? No but its ok because were Yankee fans, but on a serious note Rodriguez is on his way to another 3o home run and 100RBI season. Rodriguez until July has yet to "carry" the Yankees for a time period like he has done in the past, so I think that by looking at the way A-Rod finished the first half it looks like July will be that month.

Bench Players

Ramiro Pena and Kevin Russo have filled in nicely when called upon. Pena playing second, third, shortstop and even the outfield when called upon, he is a very solid fielder and sometimes has luck with the stick. Russo equal to Pena has been just as solid in the field and has come up with some big hits and made a big impression on Brian Cashman who decided to waive Randy Winn instead of sending Russo back down to the minors. Look for both to stay solid and see more time down the stretch if the Yankees clinch a playoff spot early.

Is Ilya Kovalchuk really worth 10 million dollars per season for the Islanders?

Any of you who haven't been paying all of your attention to the NBA free agent market might have heard that the New York Islanders have reportable offered Ilya Kovalchuk a ridiculous 10 year 100 million dollar contract to come play in Uniondale. Even though we don't know whether or not Kovalchuk will sign with the Islanders or the New Jersey Devils, as a die heart Islanders fan I began to wonder whether or not I wanted him on the Islanders.

Many of you are probably thinking, "are you kidding me, who wouldn't want Ilya Kovalchuk on their team." And there right Kovalchuk was drafted 1st overall in 2001 and ever since his second season in the NHL he has amassed 40 or more goals and has been one of the premiere goal scorers in the NHL since he arrived. Kovalchuk has also won the Rocket Richard award once and has amassed over 50 goals twice on his career. Who wouldn't want him?

As much as it looks pretty on paper to see Ilya Kovalchuk lining up next to John Tavares, I don't believe that it will help the Islanders in the long run. Garth Snow the Islanders General Manager has been saying the Islanders are rebuilding and they are set to sticking with that, so how would signing Kovalchuk be rebuilding? It wouldn't be and as much as he would put people in the seats in the lonely Coliseum, and yes the Islanders do have the money to spend. But what about when John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey's contracts expire, these are only 3 of the many young players the Islanders are building around, and having a 10 million dollar hit on the salary cap each year for the next 10 years doesn't seem smart. How many dominant years does Kovalchuk really have left? Also Kovalchuk has only been to the playoffs once in his career, not saying that it is his entire fault but it could speak about what kind of player he is.

If Kovalchuk ends up signing with the Islanders, I would be happy, because he gives the Islanders the goal scorer that they have been looking for, but at the same time, I say stick to the plan Garth. It worked for the Penguins and the Blackhawks, why not us too?

Who Really is the Best Player in the MLB?

In every sport, there is always the question, "Well who is the best player? And year in and year out nobody can agree on the same player. In the MLB this season, the question is raised who is better Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez or Joe Mauer. Many highly educated baseball people believe Pujols is the best. Almost every fantasy baseball fanatic says that Ramirez is the best player in baseball. I guess only myself and all of Minnesota believe that Mauer is the best player in baseball.

Albert Pujols is called by many to be a machine. What they mean by machine is that he can do everything. Don't get me wrong, the man can hit and he can hit the ball hard and far. Pujols consistently hits over .300 every years since his rookie season in 2001 and he has hit over 30 home runs and had over 100 RBIs in every season in the MLB. Pujols has been dubbed the next one to win the Triple Crown, or hit .400 in a season. The Triple Crown could be possible, but more likely will be doubtful then possible. Especially with Hanley Ramirez in the National League for a long time and other great average hitters in the NL. There is also no way Pujols will hit .400 because he is a home run hitter, and when those fly balls start getting caught at the warning track, that average is going to fall. A line drive hitter has a better shot at reaching the .400 mark. After all that about Pujols, you would think, "How can you not say Pujols is the best player in baseball?" The reason is because he plays 1st base. Now Pujols is a good defensive 1st basemen, but when a guy has bad back, or bad knees or is just too old to play the field and he’s not in the American League, where do they stick him? First base. Pujols could be the best hitter in baseball, even though that is up for debate as well, but he is definitely the best power hitter in baseball.

Hanley Ramirez who is the youngest out of the 3 I named before, but he can do it all. He can hit for a high average, hit home runs, steal bases and has a rocket arm at the shortstop position. Also Ramirez plays a decent shortstop but again shortstop is a more demanding position the first base is, but Ramirez is making strides to becoming a solid shortstop in the MLB. Ramirez has the best tools out of him, Pujols and Mauer, but again he is youngest like I said and is put in a real bad spot. Ramirez is on the Florida Marlins and is the face of the franchise already, and didn't have anybody to help him mature in the game of baseball. He was on his own from the beginning of his career, as I am sure many of you read in the recent weeks when Marlins manger Fredi Gonzalez benched Ramirez for not hustling on a ball that he accidentally kicked into left field, and allowed the runner to go to 3rd base. Is the fact that Ramirez didn't have anyone to help him mature, no but I know I wouldn't want that kind of attitude on my team. Now he is so young and he is slowly becoming the leader the Marlins organization wants him to be, but it could take a few years. The sky is the limit for Ramirez and I wouldn't be surprised in a few years to re write this article and say that Ramirez is the best player.

Joe Mauer is flat out the best player in baseball, this really shouldn't even be a question. He is flat out the best hitter in baseball, he hits for very high average and hits line drives, he never strikes out and he uses the whole field. As of last year, he found the power stroke that the scouts said that he had. Mauer doesn't hit towering homeruns; Mauer's home runs are line drives that are hit so hard that they leave the park. Unlike Pujols, Mauer has a better shot at batting .400 because of all the line drives he hits as oppose to the fly balls Pujols hits. Mauer also has 3 batting titles in 4 seasons as a professional and was the first catcher to lead the MLB is batting average and the first catcher to lead the AL in batting. That’s right Mauer is a catcher, catching is easily the most demanding position in baseball and he has been able to put up better batting averages the both Pujols and Ramirez. Last season Mauer also hit more home runs than Ramirez and had more RBI's then Ramirez. Mauer also has 2 gold gloves as oppose to one by Pujols and none by Ramirez. He is feared both at the plate and in the field, other then hitting and catching, Mauer also controls a pitching staff, which is an overlooked quality of a catcher.

I hope that this will help push more people to the Joe Mauer bandwagon, because even though he did win the MVP last season in the AL, I believe he hasn't received enough credit for what he brings to the table. Never has there been the combination of gold glove fielding and hitting for average and power to come from the catcher position. Not saying Ramirez and Pujols aren't great because they are, but neither of them bring the complete game that Mauer brings to the table.

Let me know, if you agree, disagree or think I should have included any other players.

Thanks

Stephen Strasburg The Real Deal?

Never in Major League Baseball Draft history did it feel like the NFL, NBA or NHL draft, but in 2009 that all changed. For the first time, people actually wanted to watch the first round of the MLB draft, and for the first time they actually could, because the first round was aired on MLB Network. The reason that it was aired on TV was because Stephen Strasburg was projected to go 1st overall in the draft. The hype surrounding Stephen Strasburg was rivaling that of any player taken number 1 overall in any of the other professional sport drafts. Strasburg was taken number 1 overall by the Washington Nationals.

For those who don't no much about Strasburg, you might want to keep your eye on him, but he is dubbed by many in baseball as the greatest college-pitching prospect in the history of baseball. He is a right-handed pitcher, whose fastball ranges between 95mph and 100mph on average and he also has a very good curve ball ranging between 79mph and 81mph. He is as close as a "can’t miss prospect" then anyone has ever been, though he only pitched 3 years at San Diego State University, he made his last 2 count. In his sophomore year he finished at 8-3 with a ridiculous 1.57 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 97 and one-third innings. His sophomore season was what really put him on the map as possibly being a high draft pick. But it was his junior year that cemented him at the number overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft. You thought his sophomore year numbers were nuts, he finished his junior year 13-1 with a better ERA standing at 1.32 and a outrageous amount of strikeouts, finishing with 195 strikeouts in only 109 innings which is a 10 strikeouts per 9 innings which for those who do not know is absolutely amazing.

Before the 2010 MLB season, where Strasburg would begin the season was a big topic, because you had many people saying that he is ready to pitch in the big leagues and then you have people saying that yea his stuff is defiantly pro ready but he is mature enough to pitch in the pros. What they mean by being mature enough to pitch in the pros is we don't know how Strasburg will handle defeat. Granted he has lost before in his career but he has always been the big fish in the little pond, now he will be on the same playing field as everyone else. The Nationals decided to start Strasburg in the minor leagues, and the result has been the same. Whether it was Double-A or Triple-A, Strasburg has still been light outs, he didn't allow a run, earned or unearned, until his 4th start in Triple-A.

The real question is, is Strasburg ready to pitch in the big leagues. Many pitchers who have been rushed to the bigs have failed miserably, the odds are completely against him, but again no other pitcher has had the stuff he does and the numbers to back it up. It will be interesting to see how he does, but I believe he will win 20 games in the future and win a Cy Young award in his career. But it will not be easy for Strasburg to do that, because remember he does play for the Nationals and even though they have a bright future they have along way to go to be a contender in the National League, but drafting Strasburg was a step in the right direction. The sky is the limit for the kid and if he keeps his head on straight and does and says all the right things, he has an extremely bright future.

On May 26th, the Nationals announced to MLB Network that Strasburg's first major league start would be in June against the Pittsburgh Pirates, those dates are June 8th, 9th or 10th, mark your calendars.

Let me know what you guys think Strasburg will do when he comes up, and how do you see his career going? Thanks for the input.

Who Will be the odd team out in the AL East?

Going into the 2010 Major League Baseball season, many wondered who would win the AL East. Many baseball analyst's said that the 3 best teams going into the 2010 season were the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Rays. The problem is that only one team can win the division and one team can win the wild card in the American League, even though anyone who knows about baseball can tell you, the winner of the AL wild card is coming from the AL East. This means that one team will be the odd team out. Who will it be?

Up until the 2008 season the Rays were called the Devil Rays and they were the laughing stock of the American League. They barely had more fans at their games then most high school football games in Texas. Maybe its because they have a team in a area where many old timers move down to, or maybe because they just flat out were terrible. I'm going to go with the second one, the Rays organization had there first season in 1998, and it wasn't pretty as expected, but up until 2008 it seemed that the Rays would never move out of the basement in the AL East, let alone compete with the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Two of the most prestigious and respected franchises in all of sports. But something went right in 2008, led by Joe Maddon the Rays came out of no where and won the AL East, beating the Red Sox, who finished with the wild card, and the Yankees who missed the postseason for the first time since 1995. The 2009 season was suppose to be just like the 2008 season, which was dubbed the coming out party for the Rays organization. It didn't go as well, as everyone hoped it would, it didn't help that the Yankees regained form and won the division by winning over 100 games and the Red Sox being competitive like they are year in and year out winning the wild card.

It seems ever since the beginning of time, the Yankees and Red Sox have hated each other and its true. Everyone knows the Curse of the Bambino, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, the bloody sock and who could forget the Yankees collapse in the 2004 ALCS, losing 4 games in row to the Red Sox. Even if the Yankees or Red Sox are having a bad season, every game between each other is like another battle in the war that has gone on for years. Within the last 15 years year in and year out they have been competitive.

In 2009 both the Yankees and Red Sox made the playoffs, with the Yankees winning the division and the Red Sox winning the wild card, and everyone was hoping for another meeting of the two powerhouses in the ALCS, but the Red Sox were knocked out the playoffs in the first round. The Yankees swept the Minnesota Twins and handily beat the Angels in 6 games. They then went on to win their first world series in 9 years in 6 games against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Even though we are only one month in the 2010 season, it already feels like its getting down to the wire in the AL East. The Rays are in first place by .5 game over the Yankees and 7 games over the Red Sox. The Rays and Yankees are off to blazing hot, history making starts. The Rays and Yankees have the two best records in baseball as of May 8th. The Red Sox aren't having the beginning of the season they were hoping for but again its only May and a lot can happen, but they aren't helping out there cause.

Again like I said before a lot can happen from now until October, I believe the Yankees will take over the Rays at the top of the AL East, not because I am a Yankee fan, but because the Yankees are better, there is no way around it. There pitching staff and lineup and the end of there bullpen is just flat out better. The Rays are young and yes they have been down the stressful stretch of October before, but the Yankees and the Red Sox have players who are older, and have been there done that more than once.

I believe the Red Sox will make a move for a big hitter, someone that will actually strike fear in the opposing pitcher. Not saying that Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkillis and Victor Martinez are big hitters. But lets be honest here Pedroia is a great baseball player and arguably the best second basemen in baseball, but he should not be batting 3rd. Youkillis is a great hitter don't get me wrong and he should be batting 4th but he has no one protecting him in their lineup. Martinez is one of the best hitters for catchers in the MLB, but again he is a catcher and he is no Joe Mauer. He should be batting at least 6th in their lineup. Look the Red Sox have the pitching there is no doubt about it and it will come around, but they need a power hitter in that lineup, could that someone be Adrian Gonzalez?

Don't get me wrong I jumped on the bandwagon of the Rays in 2008. Who didn't? It was a great story of a young team taking down the Goliath’s of the American League, they have an amazing lineup with good hitters up and down the lineup, but there pitching is young and unproven. There pitching great right now, and Jamie Shields is a proven pitcher and David Price was on the team in 2008 and he pitched well, but other then that, who is proven. Matt Garza is off to a hot start and he can pitch in the big games, but where was he last year, and Wade Davis has the stuff to be a very good pitcher is baseball, but what has he proven. The Yankees have CC Sabthia, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte and who can forget Mariano Rivera. Those four combined have 13 world series championships. The Red Sox have Josh Beckett, John Lackey and John Lester. All three of these pitchers are big game pitchers; they have ice in their veins. I just don't see how the Rays can hold off both team, but who knows that’s why they play the game right?

American League East Final Standings (Prediction)

1. Yankees

2. Red Sox

3. Rays

4. Toronto

5. Orioles

What do you think will happen?

Phil Hughes the right choice?

At the beginning of spring training, the New York Yankees only had one position not filled going into the season. That position was the 5th starter, and there were about 5 pitchers competing for that spot. Realistically the competition was only between Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Both Hughes and Chamberlain were highly touted pitching prospects that came through the Yankees system.

Joba Chamberlain was drafted 41st overall in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft, he had attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In college Joba was a starting pitcher and only played two years of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, transferring from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. His college numbers were outstanding posting a 16-7 record in 32 games with a 3.37 era. The numbers that really stood out was 232 strikeouts in 208 innings. He then spent nearly a full season playing minor league baseball, when he was called upon by the Yankees at the end of the 2007 season. Chamberlain was flat out electric when he first came up to the big leagues, fooling hitters and making them look dumb. He was what the Yankees needed in the 8th inning to form a bridge to the greatest closer in baseball history Mariano Rivera. After the Yankees failed in the playoffs in 2007, Chamberlain was named to start in the bullpen for the 2008 season, but that didn't last that long. In May of the 2008 season the Yankees started the slow transition to move Chamberlain to the starting rotation. The transition wasn't easy as the Yankees watched his pitch count like a hawk and by doing so; Chamberlain's starts were very short. He finished the 2008 season with a 3-1 record along with eight no decisions most due to the fact that he didn't pitch past the 5th inning, because of his pitch count. Going into 2009 the Yankees said that Chamberlain would be a starting pitcher. But again due to babying Chamberlain he was never able to get a rhythm going, like he did when he was in the bullpen. Also he velocity dropped drastically from the electric 98mph plus to about 92mph. Many thought that Chamberlain was hurt, but many Yankee fans and I believe this is due to the babying the Yankees front office conducted with Chamberlain. In the postseason though it seemed like Chamberlain had come back to his 2007 form by showing a great performance in the 2009 postseason being the 7th inning man in front of Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera.

Phil Hughes was drafted 23rd overall in the 2004 Major League Draft right out of high school, which was a risky pick, due to the long history of hard throwing high school pitchers whose arms burn out. Hughes arm didn't burn out; because he had become more then just a thrower he became a complete pitcher. He spent the 2005, 2006 and the beginning of the 2007 season in the Minor leagues putting up ridiculous numbers. At the beginning of 2007 Baseball Digest named Hughes at the 2nd best prospect in the Yankees system, and even though he had the stuff and the skill to start in the big leagues, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wanted Hughes to start the season in Triple A. Due to injuries Hughes got his first big league start on April 26th, 2007 against the Toronto Blue Jays, he only lasted 4.1 innings and got the lose. His second start though was phenomenal he went 6.1 innings throwing a no hitter and was forced to leave because of a pulled hamstring. He was out for most of the season and returned in August and was named to the playoff roster. During the postseason, he came in for Roger Clemens in relief and pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball and earned his first postseason win and the only one for the Yankees that year. Going into the 2008 season it seemed, as the sky was the limit for Hughes. But due to injuries Hughes missed most of the 2008 season and returned at the end of the season with a few spot starts. Going into the 2009 the Yankees had already named that Chamberlain would be one of the starters which meant that Hughes was the odd man out and was to start the season in Triple A. When Chien-Ming Wang was injured at the beginning of the season it was Hughes who was called upon to take his starts. When Wang returned Hughes was moved to the bullpen and due to the Yankees shaky bullpen Hughes became the set-up man to Mariano Rivera and flourished there. After the a decent postseason in 2009, the Yankees front office said that Hughes would be in competition for the 5th spot in the rotation to compete with Chamberlain.

Like I said before the only big thing going on at Yankees spring training was the competition for the 5th spot in the rotation. Most of spring training both Hughes and Chamberlain were neck in neck and in the end Joe Girardi choose Hughes for the last spot in the rotation. That choice was agreed upon among most Yankee fans that have been fed up with waiting and waiting for Chamberlain to finally be the pitcher he is suppose to be. Is that fair to Chamberlain? No its not, because the Yankees front office babied him and basically ruined him. Hughes on the other hand had to be the favorite the whole time, he is younger and he arm is already stretched out to be a starting pitcher. Even though the season is well under way and Hughes has been flat out nasty, and Chamberlain seems to be on his way to being the set-up man he once was. But what do you think should happen with the future of these two young studs?

The Heart of the 2009 New York Yankees

On November 13th, 2008 the New York Yankees traded utility man Wilson Betemit and two minor league prospects to the Chicago White Sox for a minor league pitcher and outfielder/first basemen Nick Swisher. The Yankees at the time thought they were trading for someone to fill in their need at first base with the departure of Jason Giambi. After a late off-season move by the Yankees, they signed Mark Teixiera, filling the need at first base. That left Swisher in competition for the starting job in right field with Xavier Nady. After spring training, Joe Girardi named Nady the starting right fielder, leaving Swisher to start the season on the bench.

Swisher's bench time would only last a short time, after a few pinch hit at bats, and few starts in right field and first base, Nady went down with an severe injury meaning that Swisher was now the starting right fielder for the Yankees. From that part of the season on, the Yankees were a different team; they just didn't no it yet. Right away Swisher became a fan favorite, with his signature salute to the bleacher creatures during the roll call. Also his very famous Swish-hawk, and his outgoing personality.

Since 2000, the last time the Yankees had won a world series championship; the Yankees never seemed to put together a team. Granted the put players on the field every year expecting to win, but you could tell they starting to shy away from what made them winners in the late 90's and early 2000's. The teams that won the championships in '96, '98, '99, '00, they were teams; they worked together to achieve the ultimate goal which was winning championships. Guys like Joe Girardi, Jim Leyritz, Chuck Knoblauch, Chad Curtis, Shane Spencer, Scott Brosius there are many more, they were team players. They put the word "team" before individual statistics. From 2002-2008, the Yankees went out and tried to put a juggernaut team together every year and the results stayed the same, losing in the World Series, losing in the playoffs and even in 2008 they missed the playoffs completely, they were basically a mess.

Not saying the 2009 Yankees aren't a juggernaut team, because they did spend a ridiculous amount of money to bring in the likes of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mark Teixiera. But when you watched the '09 Yankees there was different something about them, they had a certain swagger, a very Swishelicious swagger.

I have read many articles about how the Yankees in 2009 were a very loose team, having fun, playing as if baseball was a game, and not their jobs. That I feel all started with that November 13th, trade with the White Sox. The Yankees not only got a proven hitter in the major leagues, but they got the old Yankee swag back on that day. Not only did Swisher bring his power bat, his eagle eyes, he brought fun back to the Yankee clubhouse.

One article I read about Swisher was that one of the first days into spring training, he took control of the radio, and the rest was history. If you watched a Yankee game, you couldn't help but notice Swisher at whatever he was doing. Whether it was fooling around in the dugout keeping everyone loose, or talking to the fans out in right field, or even when he was called on to pitch against the Rays, you knew he was there.

During the regular season, Swisher put up good numbers batting .249 29 homeruns and 82 runs batted in also added 97 walks and a very healthy .371 on-base percentage. But those stats aren't what made Swisher important. He was, and still is the heart of the New York Yankees; the fun he brings to the table cannot be match by any numbers that any of the other players on the team put up. It wasn't just Swisher who made the Yankees believe that baseball was fun again, Melky, Cano, Burnett and CC helped but Swisher was the leader.

If I had a vote for the 2009 AL MVP, my vote would have gone to Nick Swisher, because MVP stands for most valuable player, not greatest stat guy. Value can be defined differently, but the value that Swisher has, is immeasurable. Is it up there with Jeter, Posada and Rivera, no...not yet at least. Swisher won't bat .340, hit 50 homeruns in a season, but he will give the team his best effort day in day out and no one can take that away from him. The Yankees as a team might belong to Jeter, but the clubhouse belongs to Swisher.

Crosby vs. Ovechkin

The most heated debate in the hockey world, is who is better Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin. There is no doubt that they are two of the best hockey players, but the debate goes on. Sidney Crosby was drafted in 2005 1st overall, and had more hype surrounding him then any other player before he was drafted. The 2005 draft was the first draft to happen after the 2004 lockout, and it was the first draft to use the newly installed lottery. Leading up to the 2005 draft it was called the "Sidney Crosby sweepstakes." Alexander Ovechkin was drafted 1st overall in the 2004 draft, granted he was drafted 1st overall, but he did not have the hype surrounding him like Crosby did.

Because of the NHL lockout in 2004, both of there rookie years were the same year, 2005. Right away before the year began, the cameras were all on Crosby, and it didn't help that The Great One himself said that if anyone could break his record's it would be his fellow Canadian, Sidney Crosby. But slowly throughout the season, you couldn't help but notice that Ovechkin was all over the highlight reel and putting up ridiculous numbers, just like Crosby. The attention then became who would win the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year).

After the 2005 season it was Ovechkin who received the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year in the NHL after he posted 52 goals and 54 assists, totaling 106 points. Crosby who also had a memorable rookie season finished with 39 goals 63 assists, totaling 102 points. But this would just be the beginning of the rivalry between the two.

During the 2006 season, into both of their second NHL seasons, after getting their feet wet, they both exploded onto the scene, making their names known as the two best players in the NHL and the faces of the game of hockey. Ovechkin's season wasn't as well as his rookie campaign but he still put up great numbers tallying 46 goals and 46 assists, totaling 92 points. But it was Crosby who took center stage that year tallying 36 goals, 84 assists and totaling a ridiculous 120 points. Taking home the Art Ross trophy (most points in the season), the Lester B. Pearson Award as the MVP voted on by the players, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league MVP.

The Crosby-Ovechkin debate is the most debatable topic in the NHL, and one of the most debatable in all of sports. Some compare this rivalry to the Kobe-LeBron rivalry of the NBA. I believe that this is a better rivalry because Crosby and Ovechkin just flat out don't like each other at all. Ovechkin has been quoted saying that Crosby is a whiner, and Crosby thinks that Ovechkin is a dirty player. Both sides can be seen, because many players claim that Crosby whines if he doesn't get a call, and just by watching Ovechkin play, he goes out of his way to hit someone(hence this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZkPn9kjRFE), after you watch this video, you can Oveckin went right after Malkin, and well Malkin knocked him out.

This rivalry really took a turn to Crosby's side after he was the youngest captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup in 2007 and then the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup in 2008 and also scoring the game winning goal in overtime in the Gold Medal game against the United States, capturing the Gold Medal on home ice. Ovechkin though has more individual trophy's and more top 10 plays on Sportscenter, at the end of the day the only thing that matters, is winning and that seems like the only thing Sid the Kid knows how to do.

The future is bright for these two stars, and it will be exciting to watch.

The End of an Era?

With only one or two days of the regular season left in the NHL, two iconic American born player are possibly calling it quits. These two iconic players were two of the core players that put United States hockey on the same level as countries like Canada and Russia. They have been apart of many memories that have occurred for USA hockey since the 1980 miracle. These two iconic American born players are Mike Modano and Keith Tkachuk. Mike Modano has been rumored to retiring at the end of this season, and after his final game at home in Dallas, the Stars honored Modano, with a video tribute. Modano was seen getting emotional on the bench as both the Dallas Stars and the Anaheim Ducks taped their sticks on the board to applaud Modano. Keith Tkachuk on the other hand has announced that this would be it at the end of the season. Tkachuk was also honored after his final home game in St. Louis. The St. Louis Blues played a video tribute for Tkachuk and Tkachuk took a lap around Scottrade Center with his 3 children.

Mike Modano was originally drafted in 1988, 1st overall by the Minnesota North Stars. At the time he was the 2nd American born player to be taken first overall in the NHL draft. He moved with the team in 1993 to Dallas has stayed the face of the franchise, captaining the team from 2003-2005 and being an alternate captain from 1995-2003 and then again from 2005-to now. Mike Modano just hasn't been the face of the Dallas Stars, but of USA hockey as a whole. Modano owns every major statistical category for American skaters other then goals scored. He is easy considered the greatest American player to ever play the game of hockey. Modano have been a finalist for multiple awards in the NHL. He also is a 7 time NHL all star and owns every major stat for the Dallas/Minnesota franchise. Modano also was on the Dallas team that won the 1999 Stanley Cup.

Keith Tkachuk was also a highly touted American skater, was drafted 19th overall by the Winnipeg Jets, in 1990. Tkachuk have a lot of success in the NHL. He twice scored 50 or more goals in a season and was the fourth player in NHL history to have scored 50 goals and receive over 200 penalty minutes in the same season. This stat alone shows that not only was Tkachuk a goal scorer, but he was also a hard nose player and would sacrifice his body for the better of his team. Tkachuk is currently third on the all time goals list for American born players behind leader Brett Hull and Mike Modano.

Modano and Tkachuk have been apart of 2 of the biggest moments in USA hockey history, behind the 1980 miracle on ice. Modano and Tkachuk were both on the 1996 World Cup, Gold medal team that beat the Canadians in a 3 game series. The Americans lost the first game on home soil, no one expected them to go into Canada and win both games. But just as the Americans have done before in 1960 and 1980 pulling off "miracles" the American boys did just that beating the Canadians twice on there home ice and taking home the 1996 World Cup of hockey. They were also part of the embarrassing finish of 6th place at the Nagano Olympics in 1998 but they came together and rebounded and finished in 2nd in Salt Lake City in 2002 to take home the silver medal in the Winter Olympic, even though they lost to Canada in the gold medal game.

Both Modano and Tkachuk will forever be remember not only for their accomplishments in the NHL , but for what they did to the game in the United States its immeasurable. Modano and Tkachuk together are two of the greatest American born hockey players to ever play the game of hockey, and they have paved the way for players such as Patrick Kane, Zach Parise and Dustin Brown and many others.

This year the United States Olympic hockey team finished in 2nd place yet again losing to Canada in an overtime thriller, but because of the road paved before them by players such as Modano and Tkachuk. United States hockey is on the rise again, and that is because of the road paved by players like Modano and Tkachuk. Herb Brooks would be proud and United States hockey fans should be excited for the future, because I am guaranteeing it will be a bright one.