Dear George…

First off as I do every single year, I want to thank you for the amount of time and money you put into making the Yankees one of the elite franchises in all of sports. Yankee fans are very lucky to have an owner that is committed to winning as much as you are. I also want to commend you on not losing your temper this year and allowing your personal rep to make statements on your behalf. With all the pleasantries out of the way, let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this letter.

We are about to lose one the best GM’s we have ever had if you are not able to put your ego aside and realize that you need to let Brian Cashman acquire the payers and you sign the checks. That’s it. You don’t need to have lunch with all the superstars you want to sign IE Gary Sheffield, Pedro Martinez etc, you need to let your GM handle that. You took a hands off approach for most of this regular season and Cashman managed to pick up some quality pitching in Chacon, Leiter and Small without causing the luxury tax to go through the roof. Now that Bernie, Steve Karsay and Kevin Brown are coming off of the payroll we can get players that will fit the payroll and contribute for years to come. Let the GM get Torii Hunter, who would just be the latest in a group of great Yankee center fielders. You would see plenty of defensive highlights with him patrolling center field. Don’t overspend on Hideki Matsui. Yes he has knocked in over 100 runs every year and hits about 20 homers. Almost any decent outfielder out there could do that in that lineup, like Jacque Jones for instance. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT offer Johnny Damon a contract. He is injury prone, very outspoken in the clubhouse and has a pop gun arm best. Runners will take third base on him left and right.
And the owner won’t override my authority? I’m listening…

Secondly leave the starting pitching alone. With Pavano and Wright coming back, you will have 7 starting pitchers. There is no need to spend a ton of money on a head case such as AJ Burnett. Go after BJ Ryan, a hard throwing lefty who would be a great bridge to Mariano and allow Tom Gordon (who also needs to be resigned) to pitch less innings. He can also close a few games as an added bonus. The pen needs help, sign as many castoffs as possible to audition and get some good live arms in there.

Let Joe Torre choose his own course. If he wants to leave, call Lou. If he wants to stay, let him manage. I think his resume speaks for itself. He has managed many different types of Yankee teams in his time and won with all of them. Even the greatest manager in the world gets done in by cold bats and bad relief pitching, don’t forget that.

Derek just take him out out the town and make it look like an accident. There are plenty of third basemen out there…

That’s all for this year. Just remember one thing though. If you happen to catch any more Angel games, keep an eye on the Vlad Guerrero in right field. Remember he is younger than Sheffield and isn’t related to Dwight Gooden. God bless America and lets get number 27 next year.

Regards,

Matty

A Broken Wang

First off, let me be the first to say “I told you!”. I knew starting Wang was a mistake, even though most of what Joe Torre touches turns to gold. He pitched the EXACT same game he pitched last Friday night in Boston, and the score was the same and the result was the same. He is not quite there yet. Yes he was betrayed by an A_Rod error and his own error, but that can’t be held accountable here. Chacon should have pitched last night, because he could have matched Lackey pitch for pitch and inning for inning. The guy started game 7 of the 02 Series as a rookie for god’s sakes, this game was old hat to him. With an off day today, I can only hope the Yankees find their bats at home and give Big Unit some run support, because a Chicago-Anaheim ALCS is not very appealing to anyone.

Torre gets the ball from Wang

Next, Sox Fans can stop there “Let’s shoot Tony Graffanino” thoughts. David wells is to blame for that. You don’t throw back to back curve balls to a Japanese hitter ever!!!! Iguchi and Ichiro and guys like that make their money hitting breaking balls, and when you a throw a curve at the same velocity in the same spot twice in a row the second is going over the fence 9 times out of 10. The Red Sox find themselves with their backs against the wall once again, but this time I think the hands around their throat might be too tight to break free from.

Graffanino picks up the ball that went through the wickets

Takin the Braves and Padres today. This Smoltz/Clemens matchup will be a classic. I hope. If the thing turns into an 11-7 shootout I will be sick.

Welcome back NHL, we will dive into that tomorrow….

There’s no Moose Hunting In Orange County!

I told you yesterday we would back here to discuss the Yankees Game One win and they didn’t let me down. Robby Cano’s 3 run double in the first proved to be all the Yanks needed in their 4-2 win last night. A few observations from last night’s game…
Cano steals a hit from Figgins in last night’s win

First off I think Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams hold almost every postseason hitting record there is at this point. You know there hasn’t been a postseason with out Bernie Williams since 1993 and Jeter since 1995? High payroll or not that is just unreal! The Mets and Dodgers and Red Sox spend money every year and they didn’t make the playoffs every year in that span.

Can we get a petition signed to get McCarver and Buck off Yankee broadcasts? Please!? If only Deion Sanders could come into the booth during every game McCarver calls and spray him down with Gatorade. That would be entertainment.

If Joe Torre isn’t the best manager in the majors since Casey Stengel I don’t know who is. His move to start Mussina last night now looks like pure genius. If this Wang move works out tonight and we have RJ going for the sweep on Friday life will be good. If Wang gets shelled tonight I will be the first to throw Torre under the bus, though, so don’t think it’s cake and ice cream yet. He has a long way to go to regain my faith after last year’s ALCS collapse.

Red Sox looked great yesterday. Well, they looked good to me. I cannot wait to see the day that team loses. I can’t wait to hear the Big Jab the next morning as all the Sox fans call in ready to jump off the bridge. I hope they all take their little Red Sox Nation cards and shove them directly up their own ass. I am really beginning to despise Red Sox Nation. There are a few Sox fans whose opinions I respect, most of them either my friends or people who post on the Big Jab Forums, but 85 percent of them are just morons who are more interested in bitching about whatever they can find (Johnny Damon’s throwing arm, Terry Francona, Manny)than focusing on anything positive that goes on with their team. They talk about how the Yankees buY all their players, but look on that roster. You have ONE HOMEGROWN TALENT WHO HAS BEEN THERE HIS ENTIRE CAREER (Trot Nixon-Papelbon doesn’t count yet and Youkilis doesn’t play enough) and he is as overrated as they come, especially after all the smack he talked about A-Rod in spring training. The Yankees have Bernie Williams, Posada, Cano (An ROY candidate,which the Sox haven’t had in a quite some time) and Rivera. That my friends is the reason why Theo doesn’t want to trade his young players. You won a World Series last year, freakin RELAX!!!!
Sox Fans watching game one in disgust in Sudbury

Updated Divisional Playoff Predictions-
St Lou over SD in 4 games (No Peavy = no chance)
Hou over ATL in 5 games (Lidge is the diference)
NYY over ANA in a sweep
Chi over Boston in 5

EVERYBODY WANG-CHUNG TONIGHT!!!! Til Tomorrow….

Random Thoughts and a Little Sarcasm

First off thanks to Brett Favre for making me look smart last night and covering the 7.5 point spread. I am really starting to hate the Panthers BTW, and nothing would have made me happier then to see them blow that lead. The only reason that place was full last night was because there was no NASCAR Race to tailgate and College Basketball hasn’t started yet. I wonder who was on roids for the Cats last night?

Delhomme doing his best Jake Plummer impression

Now onto the good stuff. To borrow a phrase from the late Jimi Hendrix “Hey Joe”…why are you starting Wang in Game 2 vs. Chacon? Wang didn’t endear himself to me in a pressure situation on Friday night, pitching like, well, a scared kid. Now we are going to bump Chacon to Game 4 and give him a week of rest? He does give you a good bullpen option, but come on. I know I will look like an ass if this works, but I am already second guessing this decision. If we are down a game with Wang going in Game 2 things won’t be pretty in New York or in any room Steinbrenner happens to be in.

Wang adjusts his hat as he realizes he doesn’t like Fenway very much…

Patriots will beat the Falcons in a low scoring affair this weekend, they will lose in Denver and go into the bye week 3-3. From there they will go 9-1 with their only loss being in Miami. A 12-4 record will get them the second or third seed in the playoffs depending on Pittsburgh. Hopefully we get the week one playoff bye, eliminate Cincinatti and move on to play in Indy for the AFC Title. If the football gods love me they will make this happen.

Oh by the way, yesterday’s blog stated the Padres would win in 5 because of Jake Peavy. To a point that is true because he pitched like ass today. 8-0 in the 5th, now we get to listen Morgan and Miller fill time for the next 4 innings. Is it time for Sox V. Sox yet?

Andruw Jones NL MVP. Period. End of story. Where are the Braves without him? I hate Andruw Jones and I personally think this is his Adrian Beltre year, but he was the NL MVP this year. Maybe next year Albert…

Til tomorrow when I analyze the Yankees Game one win…

Stop Jumping You Might Break Your Ankles!!!!

I had to say that to my 4 year old step son earlier as I passed by his room. Of course then I had a creative moment and decided it’s time to update the blog. First things first. The Patriots are going to be ok. I know, you probably think I am a homer who is trying to stay positive but think about it. San Diego is pretty good. We were coming off an emotional win on the road in which we lost 3 of our best players. We were bound to have a stinkbomb at home, we hadn’t lost at home since 12/22/02. This stuff happens. It’s not like the Patriots have made their living getting off to great starts and then going on to win the Super Bowl the last few years (2001 they started at 1-3, 2003 they started 2-2 after a loss to the juggernaut Redskins led by Hall Of Fame Coach Steve Spurrier). Belichick knows what this team has and doesn’t have. Gay and Poole are due to come back soon (hopefully, unless this turns into a Ty Law situation like last year). I look for a win this week against a Falcons team that isn’t going to carve up the Pats secondary and a gameplan tailored to Corey Dillon this week. We will be fine. Even if we win this division with a 10-6 or 11-5 record, it gives us a chance to go into Indy and win and finally once and for all shut the mouths of NFL and Colt fans who still think they are better. Just remember, Manning still has not beaten Tom Brady. Ever. He NEVER beat Florida in college. He just has a constant monkey on his back that he can never get rid of. I still think the Pats go back to the Super bowl and know I don’t think I am out of my mind. It is Week 5. Relax a little.

Onto baseball where the Yankees are now ready to go back to the World Series. Yes you heard me, ready to go back to the World Series. Everyone who is a baseball insider is on this Anaheim, Orange County, Laguna Beach Angels team, but I see one big weakness. Pitch around Vlad and what happens? Garrett Anderson is not healthy. I think Bartolo Colon is a fraud and frankly I don’t think he is someone you can count on the postseason. If Mussina can pitch average at best in Game One, Chacon will win Game 2 and with The Unit going in Game 3 I like my chances. Yanks win in 4.

Sox V. Sox. I like the White Sox in this one. Matt Clement in Game One spells D-O-O-M to me. Schilling wouldn’t go until a Game 4 so basically you are going to have to rely on David Wells to be the ace. One thing that the White Sox have done recently and most of the year is manufacture runs, which you have to do in the playoffs to win. Chi Sox have better pitching (Starting and Bullpen) and have a edge defensively. Gimme the Pale Hose!

Over in the Senior Circuit, I like Houston to beat Atlanta, who have to realize a closer by committee approach does not work. I love San Diego to beat ST Louis. Yes, I know, you once again think I have lost it, but Carpenter has not pitched well this month and the Pads have Peavy going in Game One. It’s possible he pitches Game One and Four. Petco is not a hitter’s park and the Pads have a pretty good record vs. St Lou the past few years. Why the hell not? It’s baseball, crazy things happen when you have an ace and a bullpen. Also the injury to Al Reyes weakens that Cards pen quite a bit. Padres in 5. If I’m wrong, oh well, the better team won…

Taking the Pack tonight +7.5 How many people in the country are dying to take the Panther tonight and double up their winnings or break even from their losses tonight? I think 7.5 is too damn much to give Brett Favre on a Monday night. But that’s just me.