Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Schiff

The New York Jets Should Trade For Brett Favre

Andrew Schiff — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:55:49 -0400

Early February 2008, the New York Giants hoisted their third Super Bowl Trophy in twenty-one years.

Clearly, the Giants had become the toast of the town football-wise in New York.

Giants quarterback, Eli Manning, had lived up to his billing, at least in terms of coming through in the clutch, and for the second consecutive year, a "Manning" had won a championship.

Meanwhile, the New York Jets, that other team in New York, wallowed in yet another disappointing season.

After having won New York City's first Super Bowl crown in 1969, the Jets have had their moments, but, for the most part, mediocrity has prevailed.

True, they had a nice little club in the early eighties, inspired by their massive pass rush known as the New York Sack Exchange.

Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau were the two great stars, and then in the late nineties and Bill Parcells got the club to the AFC championship; yet, it seems, the Jets have always played second fiddle to their older, more established cousins.

Everyone knows that the Jets, like the Giants, may call the Meadowlands their home, but they are playing in Giants Stadium, even with a new complex going up as we speak, the Jets remain visitors.

That is why the Jets must make a move to get Brett Favre.

They need a star of starts to put themselves back the way they were under Broadway Joe Namath.

It's simply a great fit.

Brett Favre has asked the Packers to trade him and now that his old club has told him that they no longer need his services, Green Bay should send him packing far away, to a different conference and division where, unless they meet next February, he can use his magic.

For Favre, this would be an excellent choice.

The Jets have no dominant player at the position, with questions about incumbent Chad Penington's throwing strength always looming in the background.

Favre would give the Jets, as the cliché goes, instant credibility. In a town that has toasted the big stars like Mantle, DiMaggio, Seaver and Lawrence Taylor, Favre would be treated and fawned over in a way not seen since the Namath donned the number twelve uniform for the white and green.

For Favre, New York would provide all the attention and love that he desires.

True, Green Bay is a legendary football town, but media wise, New York is the place where a star's shine can grow brightest.

Favre can be in a city where can enjoy the company of other great players who enjoy his hyper enthusiasm.

Imagine Favre hanging out with Derek Jeter and David Wright or even doing commercials with Eli Manning.

Favre can wind up anywhere, but as long as Green Bay controls his rights, they should send him packing to a place that could help the National Football League's most mediocre franchise and give their fans something to cheer about.

Here We Go Again: Brett Favre Is One Big Pain in the Rear

Andrew Schiff — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:27:37 -0400

Brett Favre loves the spotlight. He loves drawing attention to himself. His retirement is much the same way he played football. Loose and carefree.

"So what if I throw an interception. I'm having a great time out here."

Lucky for Favre, the Green Bay Packers have a question mark at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers is a fine prospect, but that's what he is—a prospect. The only reason why the Packers aren't immediately giving the future Hall of Fame quarterback his final walking papers is the unknown.

The club wants to remain competitive, and much of that, as usual, rests on the shoulders of the man behind the center. Not only that, Rodgers may, in fact, be a true No. 1 quarterback, but replacing a legend like Favre is going to be difficult.

Life isn't always fair, and it's clearly unfair to the young quarterback who has been groomed as the heir apparent to his majesty.

Making matters more complicated, Green Bay's coaching staff harbors hard feelings toward Favre.

Head coach Mike McCarthy, one of the better up-and-coming sideline generals in the National Football League, blamed his club's final loss of the season on Farve's intercepted pass in the NFC title game.

In a New York Daily News article written by columnist Gary Myers, McCarthy revealed, in essence, that Farve's intercepted pass thrown in overtime leading to the New York Giants upset win, was a mistake by the legendary quarterback.

The Mississippi-born Favre was supposed to have thrown outside, toward the sideline, when, instead, he threw inside, leading to the interception. The pick by Giants corner back Corey Webster, led to the game-winning field goal, giving the underdog New York Giants an improbable 23-20 upset in the sub-arctic conditions of Green Bay's Lambeau Field.

The Giants, of course, went on to defeat the previously unbeaten New England Patriots two weeks later in Arizona in Super Bowl XLII.

But let's face facts, Favre was clearly bothered by the weather conditions in the NFC Championship game. It is surprising when you consider how often he's played in similar weather, that the Green Bay legend looked like he wanted to be somewhere else, while his counterpart, Giants quarterback Eli Manning looked like he couldn't get enough the icy conditions.

The Packers' organization is in a tough spot, but they will have to decide soon. It is unclear whether Farve's determination to play is greater than his desire to man the helm at Lambeau Field once again, which may result in him wearing the uniform of another team.

Favre probably realizes that his somewhat narcissistic decision might cost him some fans in Packer nation, for now. But then again, Favre has always made his decisions by his heart. This time, instead of putting one in the end zone or throwing one away, he might even fumble before the ball is snapped.

Willie Randolph Should Be Fired

Andrew Schiff — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:02:21 -0400

My colleague, and fellow Met fan, turned to me at work and said, "Andrew, you're not going to believe what happened in today's Mets game."

The Mets played the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday afternoon, and blew a four-run lead, despite a brilliant performance by Johan Santana. Ten strikeouts, three hits and a shutout through seven innings was not enough to convince Mets manager Willie Randolph to keep the two-time Cy Young Award winner in the game, despite the fact that the bullpen has been used constantly.

Sure Santana gave up two hits in the seventh, but he fanned the last batter and looked like he could go all the way. But it's Willie Randolph's world we're talking about here, where no starting pitcher gets a complete game.

It's time for him to go.

Let him go back to the Yankees, where he can be a third base coach. He does not know how to manage a pitching staff. He's completely clueless. Worse still, the players don't respect him.

I've been giving Willie a free pass, up until now. Randolph is so concerned with presevering his starters, yet he works his bullpen to death. True, the Mets have some injuries and age, but they are playing badly on the field. When they need to rely on their ace to complete the deal, Randolph virtually hands the game away.

Met fans have been waiting all year for a perfomance like this from Santana and Randolph snatched it from them, right under their nose.

Owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon met with Randolph several weeks ago and told their manager to "just win." This came after the Mets skipper made accusations that the criticism of him on the Mets network, SNY, was racially based.

It seems to me that the only race-baiting was being done by Randolph to put the Mets owners in a position where they, nor Met General Manager Omar Minaya, could fire him.

The Mets could be motivated to keep Randolph through next year, when they open their new park, Citi Field, where they are honoring a player who never donned a Met uniform, the late, great Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson, the man who integrated major league baseball.

It will be lovely that the Mets, who have a black manager, the first for a Major League Baseball team in New York, will simultaneously be honoring Robinson's role in baseball history. But does it really serve the Mets' best interests?

Robinson deserves all the accolades he gets, and his No. 42, retired by baseball, is a fitting tribute to the great man. But he never played for the Mets and it seems ludicrous, to me, that he should be honored in this way.

I digress.

The Mets deserve better than Randolph, but what do you expect from an organization that is the most underachieving in baseball.

New York Knicks Should Pass on Donnie Walsh

Andrew Schiff — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:00:55 -0400

It seems inevitable at this point: former General Manager and current team president of the Indiana Pacers Donnie Walsh to the New York Knicks.

But let me make one thing clear: The New York Knicks should pass on this man.

What has Donnie Walsh done in the last five years with the Pacers that warrants him this huge control over the biggest laughingstock in the NBA? Sure, Walsh, at least on the surface of things, will be considered an upgrade over current Knick GM Isiah Thomas.

But even my grandmother would be an improvement over Thomas.

After all, this is the same man who hired Thomas, a coach who lead a young and talented Indiana team to nowhere. The same Isiah Thomas who made a bad situation in New York worse. Wasn't this the same man who hired Larry Bird to be the GM of his club. What has Bird done in the last several years to deserve to keep his position, one that he will most likely lose at the end of the season?

Walsh hired both of these great players in positions of power. Do Knick fans really want him deciding who the Knicks should draft?

And what of that "talented" Pacers team that Walsh assembled only a few years ago? One that had the likes of Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest. O'Neal never really blossomed and Artest is now playing ball in Sacramento, banished there because of his on and even off-court behavior. Punching a fan is never a good idea.

Walsh is smart. And I don't necessarily mean in the talent evaluation sense. He's going to get cash, the likes he's never seen from other owners he's worked for. Sure he's a millionaire now, but getting James Dolan's dough will put him in another tax bracket.

Let's face it—hiring Donnie Walsh, a native New Yorker, is a superficial band-aid for a team that needs a young architect to build the club.

OK, so he won't make rude comments to female employees (I suppose that's good), but building a championship-caliber team in any sport is an art form. You need a coach to decide what system he wants to employ and bring in the players accordingly, not a mish mash artist like Thomas. Walsh was decent at it at one time, I suppose, but at this stage, I have no confidence in this over-the-hill executive (I guess you figured that out, already).

Truthfully, Walsh wasn't even that good in the first place. How many championships did his teams win? Did he ever compliment the great Reggie Miller with another star player?

At 67 years old, Walsh will be cashing those Cablevision checks with a big smile on his face.

The question is, will Knicks fans be smiling in 2008-2009?

To My Father and Our Sports Memories

Andrew Schiff — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:03:44 -0500

Its been a difficult last two weeks.

My father passed away on February 15, 2008. He was seventy-five. We weren't as close as many sons and fathers are. Without going into great detail about our relationship, which was contentious at time, he was able to influence my life, immensely.

My dad grew up on the Dodgers of Brooklyn. He loved Duke Snyder and would describe they way the lefty would swing and how the ball looked when he Snyder hit a home run. Despite loving the Dodgers, and loathing the Yankees as he did, I remember when Mickey Mantle died a decade ago, my father actually cried.

Naturally, after the Dodgers left Brooklyn, he began rooting for the Mets in 1962 and when I came around to following baseball, the Mets, naturally, were my team as well. He took me to my first game on July 28, 1976. The Mets lost to the Pirates 1-0, despite Tom Seaver's heroic performance. But it wasn't the game, it was being with him that I enjoyed most.

I also loved when he would talk to me about the great Knick teams that I just missed out on. He loved basketball, I think, more than any other game. Willis Reed, Dave Debusshure, Bill Bradley and, of course, Walt "Clyde" Frazier. That was truly a time to be a Knick fan. He always told me that a great team, like the Knicks team of the late sixties and early seventies, had to have balanced scoring. When a player scored too many points, he looked down on it because he was weened on teamwork.

Then, of course, was the New York Giants. My father was usually off on Sundays and he would take me for a drive around Brooklyn. We would listen to the Giants' games on the radio. The Giants were bad in the late seventies and he would remind me of the excellent Giants teams of the 1950s and early sixties. It wasn't just the Giants. He admired great Packers teams of the sixties lead by the great Vince Lombardi.

About the Giants, my father told me about Andy Robustelli, Jim Katkavage, Rosie Grier and Frank Gifford. Who could forget Sam Huff?

Truly, though, he had enormous respect for the Packers. The power sweep, Bart Starr, Jim Ringo. He always said, "you knew it was coming, but it was impossible to stop!"

What can one say about one's own father. I wish I had had the wisdom to have said in this article, what I should have said to his face.

Thank you.

Love, your son,

Andrew

The All-Time New York Mets

Andrew Schiff — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:58:21 -0500

With Spring Training only a week or two away, and with the football season over, save for the dreaded Pro Bowl, I have decided to assemble the All-Time Mets team.

The Mets, unlike their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees, aren't laden with geat all-time players. Nonethless, the bunch I've assembled are, in my opinion, a fascinating group of players who know the game.

First Base: Keith Hernandez

Not a surprise here. The greatest fielding first baseman of all-time who helped spark a turnaround in this franchise when the Mets acquired him on June 15, 1983, for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey.

Hernandez' first game as a Met against the Montreal Expos saw him get two hits and establish his signature frequent trips to the mound to advise his pitcher as to what to throw the batting opposition.

Hernandez helped the Mets to five consecutive 90-win-or-more seasons, a World Series title and two division titles.

Second Base: Edgardo Alfonzo

One could argue that Felix Milan should get the nod, especially since Alfonzo played third base during his Mets tenure.

The choice here goes to Alfonzo because he could hit for both power and average and field his position. His best year was when he hit 27 home runs, 108 runs batted in and a .304 average.

In 1999, he was part of that dynamic infield that had made the fewest errors in the league.

Short Stop: Jose Reyes

I could have picked Bud Harrelson for his longer tenure, but Reyes' numbers are just better.

It's too bad that Reyes had such a disappointing end to his season. He regressed a bit, but his stolen base numbers were obviously very impressive given that this is the era of the home run.

Third Base: Howard Johnson

Once again, there were other candidates. Robin Ventura won a Gold Glove, but didn't have nearly enough good seasons.

Ray Knight was the 1986 World Series Most Valuable Player. David Wright had his first 30-30 season in 2007 and won a gold glove.

Nonetheless, a consistent .300 hitter, Howard Johnson is the choice. He had three 30-30 seasons, almost went 40-40 in 1989 and set a record for most runs batted in in 1991 with 117. In a year's time, Wright could be the new choice.

Catcher: Mike Piazza

A lot of other choices: Jerry Grote, John Stearns, Gary Carter, and even Todd Hundley.

Piazza's the pick here because of his eight and half years of great offense. You could break it down like this: Piazza as the greatest hitting cather in Mets history and Jerry Grote on defense.

Outfield: Mookie Wilson, Carlos Beltran, Darryl Strawberry

Wilson, the Mets all-time stolen base leader, was with the Mets in the lean times of the early 1980s through the glory years of 1984-1989. He was an underrated fielder, too.

Despite a disappointing first year in 2005, Beltran rebounded in 2006 by tying a Met record for home runs with 41. He is a marvelous outfielder who has won two consecutive Gold Gloves.

Despite all his off-the field problems, Strawberry still established the club career record in home runs with 254 to go along with numerous All-Star game appearances. Still, one has to ask: What could have been?

Starting Pitcher: Tom Seaver

What a shocker! The Franchise won three Cy-Youngs. Still the best Met ever.

Jerry Koosman, Dwight Gooden, David Cone and Al Leiter could fill out rest of staff.

Relief: Jessie Orosco and Tug McGraw

Both relievers may not have the gaudy save numbers that modern relievers have accumulated today, but Orosco and McGraw were clutch. Ya' Gotta Believe!

John Franco had a fine career, but he was more effective, in my opinion as a middle reliever.

Bench

Tommie Agee, Kevin McReynolds, Bud Harrelson, Rusty Staub, and Felix Millan.

An Ace in Queens: Can Johan Santana Adjust to New York?

Andrew Schiff — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:04:09 -0500

Surprise, surprise.

Only last month I had written an article on how the New York Mets didn't have the prospects or the depth to land the big prize, Minnesota Twins lefty Johan Santana.

I also added that General Manager Omar Minaya also made some short-sighted moves limiting the club's ability to ad the ace from Venezuala.

Boy, was I wrong.

By a process of elimination, the Mets were able to make the deal. Trading propects outfielder Carlos Gomez, pitchers Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey, the Mets did not give up prize outfielder Fernando Martinez or even shortstop Jose Reyes, whom the Twins asked for in talks in November.

First, the Mets are only one of a handful of teams that could afford Santana's price tag.

His asking rate eliminated most of Major League baseball, except the free-spending New York Yankees, the prospect-rich Boston Red Sox and the Mets.

The defending champion Red Sox, fresh from their triumph over the Colorado Rockies in last year's World Series, had no serious motivation, other than to keep him away from their dreaded rivals, to acquire Santana and give up some of the young players who helped Boston win their second title in four years.

No longer under the leadership of the ambitious and star-struck owner, George Steinbrenner, the Yankees were more interested in signing veterans like Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez. Somehow, the Bronx Bombers lost their typical ambition and decided to go with the young arms.

That left the Mets as the sole club vying for Santana's services.

When Johan Santana contacted the Twins and told them to get a deal done, trade talks intensified.

After three days of intense contract negotiations, which included an extension granted by the Twins and Major League Baseball, Johan Santana is now a New York Met.

The question is, however, what impact the pressure of playing in New York will have on the great ace?

Considered by many to be the best pitcher in baseball, Santana has always been a media friendly personality and has handled post-season pressure well.

But, there is no way to truly gage how quickly, or how well, if at all, he will adjust to New York.

Santana is a notoriously slow starter. What will happen if he is 0-2 in April?

How will the impatient New York media and Mets fans react to Santana then? Conversely, how will Santana react to the media and the fans when things aren't going smoothly?

Many a new player, even Hall of Fame caliber players, have typically gone through an adjustment period, or have not adjusted at all.

Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and Mike Piazza had their difficulties initially and eventually came around to embrace New York.

This is not, however, the case with every new arrival to the city. While Clemens, Rodriguez and Piazza struggled at first, Pedro Martinez handled the transition with aplomb.

Once again, it is difficult to predict how someone will react.

When Bobby Bonilla signed with the Mets back in the early 1990s, everyone expected, given his outgoing personality and Bronx background, that he would be a huge success in the city.

Bonilla put up decent numbers, but he failed to click with the New York scene and was ultimately moved, although he returned for a year in 1998.

John Olerud, whose former Toronto Blue Jay manager Cito Gasten believed would be virtually criushed by the New York media, thrived in the city and had some of his better years in Queens.

Whether Santana succeeds ultimately in New York will depend on thick skin and support of management, his teammates and even the fans. And, of course, his talent.

Mets' fans are notoriously more patient with their players than Yankee fans. When Piazza was acquired by the Mets, fans at first reacted badly to Piazza's slow start.

Soon though, there was a collective realization that everyone had to get behind him and that his success was tied to the ballclub's future. That's when the fans began to support him. Soon Piazza became a hit, in more ways than one.

There will be more expectations on Santana. After the Mets' brutal seven game slide with seventeen games remaining in 2007, the ace lefty will be expected to lift New York to the playoffs and beyond.

As Met announcer Bob Murphy used to say toward the end of close games, "Fasten your seatbelts."

New York Mets Should Have Dumped Carlos Delgado

Andrew Schiff — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:21:52 -0500

Many factors led to the New York Mets' embarrasing meltdown in the fall of 2007. The Mets, as we all know by now, botched a seven-game lead with 17 games left to play. It was the worst collapse in Major League Baseball history.

Poor starting pitching, an ineffective bullpen, sloppy play in the field, a lack of clutch hitting, inappropriate on-field behavior (i.e., Lastings Milledge's suspension for continuously arguing with an umpire), a lack of clubhouse leadership, and even some questionable dugout decisions made by Willie Randolph, all factored in New York's dramatic downfall.

Omar Minaya ought to share blame for the Mets demise last season, too. He amassed an old pitching staff and made some bad personnel decisions that adversely effected the overall depth of his team. He also has a tendency to be too close to his players, and not give Randolph enough support when the stars like shortstop Jose Reyes fail to run out grounders.

It's somewhat surprising, given all these problems, that the Mets were even in contention at all.

Luckily, Minaya has made some interesting moves this offseason to address the Mets needs in 2008.

By now, everyone has heard that the Mets have surprisingly acquired Johan Santana (assuming he agrees to a contract), arguably the best pitcher in baseball, to bolster their solid staff. He traded the talented but immature Milledge for two solid "young" veterans; let the egotistical Paul Lo Duca, the aging and infeffective Tom Glavine, and the unproductive and slipping Sean Green leave via free agency. These moves were simply additions by subtraction.

However, another player the Mets ought to have said adios to was Carlos Delgado.

Aside from the fact that Delgado has been prone to injury, the veteran first baseman showed absolutely no leadership skills in guiding this talent-laden team to the playoffs. Where was Delgado and his close friend, center fielder Carlos Beltran, after a tough loss? Both would quickly leave the clubhouse after a New York defeat, leaving youthful third baseman David Wright to be clubhouse spokesman.

At least Beltran put up good numbers.

Sure, Wright emerged as the Mets best hitter, perhaps even their best all-around player, but is he really ready to be a leader, the kind that Beltran and Delgado ought to be?

I realize that Delgado was injured down the stretch, but his frequent habit of leaving early after a loss clearly created a vacuum in the clubhouse.

Delgado's continous ups and downs at the plate, and the fact that the quality of his defense has slipped considerably, should have led Minaya to move Delgado to the American League, where he belongs.

At least this way, he could perform as a designated hitter, play spot first base when a fly ball pitcher is on the mound, and focus on hitting (though even that seems to be slipping).

The Mets acquired Ryan Church (along with catcher Brian Schneider) from the Nationals in the Milledge trade. Church is a solid acquisition, who mainly plays in the outfield, but also plays first. However strong the Church pickup is, it might have served the Mets better to have acquired Nick Johnson, instead.

True, Johnson is coming off of a serious injury, but he's a great fielder with a high on-base percentage, much like the Red Sox first bagger Kevin Youkilis and the Rockies' Todd Helton. Of course, this doesn't necessarily address the leadership problems the Mets have, but at least Johnson will solidify the infield, especially from the wild throws from Wright and the howitzer arm of Reyes.

The problem with the Delgado situation is that he is one of Minaya's guys. Omar's loyalty to some of his veteran players was one of the reasons New York crumbled late last year.

The good news is that the Mets, now with Johan Santana, a power pitcher on the mound—replacing the ground ball pitcher in Tom Glavine—may not need a gold-glove caliber first basemen.

In fact, the staff, with the likes of John Maine, Oliver Perez, and of course the crafty Pedro Martinez, is made up of fly-ball pitchers.

Nonetheless, Delgado's problems with his health, his inconsistency at the play, lack of leadership, and, even yes, his iron glove, could hurt the New York's National League entry somewhere down the line.

Overconfidence: Why the Giants Won't Win Superbowl XLII

Andrew Schiff — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:22:39 -0500

What a run!

Who would have thought that the New York Giants would be in Arizona competing in this Sunday's Super Bowl contest?

It was one of the great accomplishments in this storied franchise's history, one that has had its share of ups and downs.

Few believed that the Giants were good enough to reach this point, even though they gave this week's opponent, the undefeated New England Patriots, an excellent contest in week seventeen.

Since that game, the Giants began to believe in themselves and were out to prove the doubters wrong.

The team rallied around the idea that they were the underdogs.

First, it took a while for people to realize the Giants meant business.

Ok, so they beat Tampa Bay. That wasn't too shocking.

But when they defeated the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys (a team that defeated them twice in the regular season) and beat the Green Bay Packers (who blew them out in week two), people took notice.

In the last week in a half, however, a shift has occurred.

Once, the Giants were everyone's underdogs. Now with New England not playing their best football, the Giants have become the stylish pick.

Unfortunately that could be bad news for Giants fans.

Rather than remain focused, the Giants are beginning to chirp and talk about how great they are.

Perhaps New York has begun to read some of the positive press they rightly earned over the last few weeks. Sports Illustrated columnist, the knowledgeable writer Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman has even picked New York to win.

While Zimmerman's prediction might be music to Big Blue's posse, this truly could be the Giants undoing.

Even Plaxico Burress has gleefully predicted a 23-17 victory over New England. It's nice that Burress has gained so much confidence in himself and his team, but he needs to be careful.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are focused and are saying the right things, like a true veteran club. They know how good the Giants are (at least they are saying so); they played them and almost lost.

New England is being wise by saying the right things and not giving the Giants any more motivation.

True, New England is not playing their best coming into the big game. But with a two week layoff, and a chance to make some adjustments, Bill Belichick seemingly has his team in a good state of mind.

The Giants, to me, seem a bit too boastful and unfocused. Like the Packers, who complained about New York's dirty play, the Giants have started to do the same with the Pats.

Osi Umenyiora's complaints about Matt Light's dirty tactics are ridiculous—true or not.

The Patriots are a dirty team at times, but I would suggest whatever aggression Umenyiora has toward Light, and the rest of his teammates, ought to be used during the game—not in television interviews.

I'm picking the Patriots to win, not necessarily because they have better talent, which they do, overall, but because I'm more impressed with their mindset.

New England, 30-17.

Packers Fury: Cheesehead Nation Protests Bleacher Report Author

Andrew Schiff — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:55:47 -0500

A wild protest was staged outside the apartment of Bleacher Report contributor Andrew Schiff in New York for his controversial article on legendary Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre.

Schiff had reported that Favre and his homosexual lover center Scott Wells had recently announced their undying devotion on national television.

"I'm shocked," a nervous but undeterred Schiff admitted in a local radio show. "I didn't realize I was unleashing a such firestorm."

Thousand of Packers fans, Cheeseheads, NFC Central loyalists, and even some Bears fans came out with signs and placards protesting the freelance journalist.

"How dare he besmirch such a fine American as Brett Favre," an angry Milwaukee, Wisconsin resident Mike Arnold said with disgust. "Sure Brett loves the ballet, but that don't mean he's a sissy."

George Wilson, who made the 17 hour trek from Edina, Minnesota, was in tears.

"I'm a Vikings fan. I hate the Packers, but that bastard went over the line when he maligned one of the finest human beings that ever walked the planet."

Wilson, a retired plumber, said he wanted to stand in solidarity with his fellow NFC Central dwellers.

"It's brought us all closer together," Wilson added.

Schiff has not been able to leave his one bedroom apartment since the protesters began picketing last night. He's been holed up in his room, watching reruns of Laverne and Shirley and reduced to eating oatmeal.

"I've always liked oatmeal," Schiff admitted, "but not this much."

Husband and wife Hank and Louise Smyth, Packers fans since they could barely walk, were heartbroken when they read the article Schiff published and were recent arrivals to the scene.

"It's just despicable," a red-eyed Mr. Smyth related. "If Mr. Schiff considers himself to be a serious journalist, he better retract that article. True or not."

The couple describes how Mr. Favre actually married them ten years ago at the fifty-yard line in Lambeau Field. "It was a beautiful ceremony. I didn't realize that Brett was a minister on the side. That man is so talented."

Countless stories about Brett Favre's humanity filled the brisk New York winter air.

Phillip Schumacher, a machinist from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, related a memorable event.

"Well, I was stranded on the highway with a flat tire. My arthritis was just killing me. All of a sudden a car pulls over, a 1990 Oldsmobile, and out pops Favre wearing his Packers uniform. First, I was angry ‘cause he was wearing his white road jersey (instead of the more preferred green version), you know the one Pack wore in Super Bowl II to beat the Raiders. It even had a streak of chocolate ice cream on it."

Schumacher quickly got over his momentary anger, when Favre not only fixed the stranger's flat tire, but changed his oil, too. He even fixed his transmission.

"It makes me cry, just to think of it," Schumacher admits.

Word spread of Schiff's work fast. The UN is even considering sanctions. It would mark the first time that the United Nations has ever declared sanctions on a person.

"Oh, well," an exasperated but philosophical Schiff admitted, "at least I'm making history."

Glove Love: Major League Baseball's All-Time Fielding Team

Andrew Schiff — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:18:32 -0500

Defense.

We understand how important this skill in every game that's played around the world. From football to soccer, lacrosse to boxing.

In baseball, players are often overlooked for their defense at certain positions, and are often praised only for the offensive skills.

If Ted Williams, who many consider to be the greatest hitter the game has ever seen, but a mediocre defensive left fielder to boot, can get elected to the Hall of Fame without a cynical word—why couldn't second baseman Bill Mazerowski, the former Pittsburgh Pirate, inducted into Cooperstown in 2001, not escape criticism?

Mazerowski was considered the finest fielding second baseman in his era, though is largely remembered for the walkoff homerun that won the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees. But cries of cronyism prevailed when the Veterans Committee elected him to the Cooperstown. After all, how could a lifetime .260 hitter make it to the Hall of Fame?

In honor of Maz, I have decided to assemble the all-time greatest fielding team in baseball history by position.

First Base: Keith Hernandez

The former St. Louis Cardinal and New York Met first bagger made the position important for defense. True, Charles Comiskey revolutionized first base in the late 1800s, but Hernandez's great range and powerful arm, and his ability to charge homeplate on bunts made him unique. Sure, his cross-town rival Don Mattingly was close, and was clearly a better hitter, but Hernandez was more innovative and had the position down to a science. Eleven gold gloves is still a record.

Honorable mention: Mattingly, Comiskey Gil Hodges, J.T. Snow, Willie McCovey, Vic Power.

Second Base: Bill Mazerowski

Mazerowski simply dominated his position. Soft hands and great range characterized his career along with eight Gold Gloves. Actually, believe it or not, when I saw Pokey Reese play the position for the Reds several years back, I had never seen the kind of range that he displayed at the position. But I couldn't give it to a guy who didn't do it over an extended period of time. Robert Alomar won more Gold Gloves than anyone at second base, but I was never overly impressed with him.

Honorable mention: Joe Morgan, Frank White, Willie Randolph, Roberto Alomar, Ryne Sandberg, Bobby Richardson, Tommy Herr, and, believe it or not, Doug Flynn.

Shortstop: Ozzie Smith

What a shock. No one could match the "Wizard of Oz" for his range, soft hands, and acrobatic moves. Ozzie was simply the best ever. With thirteen Gold Gloves, no one even competes. Interestingly, the second best I ever saw at that position was a player that only won one Gold Glove, the current White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen. Go figure.

It was "Doc" Adams of the New York Knickerbockers who invented the shortstop position in 1848, not to add an extra infielding position but rather to "assist in relays from the outfield."

Honorable mention: Guillen, Omar Vizquel, Dave Concepcion, Rey Ordonez, Edgar Renteria, Mark Belanger and Tony Fernandez, Rabbit Marranville.

Third Base: Brooks Robinson

No surprise here either. Brooks was the greatest hands-down, and even did it in the post season—most famously against the Big Red Machine in the 1970 World Series. 'Nuff said.

Honorable mention: Graig Nettles, Scott Rolen, Ken Boyer, Terry Pendleton, Mike Schmidt, Buddy Bell and Matt Williams.

Left Field: Carl Yastrzemski

I'm not choosing the best overall outfielders the way the Gold Glove does; I'm breaking it down by position. I was all set to choose Barry Bonds, but while he was excellent in many respects, I always thought his concentration was poor at times. Yaz was fundamentally sound and was simply the best left fielder ever. He did a great job at managing the Green Monster.

Honorable mention: Bonds, Dave Winfield (I realize he moved to right later), Dusty Baker (won a Gold Glove). Sad I couldn't put more here, left field is usually reserved for the weaker outfielders.

Center Field: Willie Mays

Wow, there are a lot of candidates here. Gary Maddox, Ken Griffey, Jr, and Joltin' Joe—but Mays was simply the best. Who else could have made that catch against Cleveland in 1954? The throw was even better.

Honorable mention: Maddox, Griffey, Jr., Joe DiMaggio, Dom DiMaggio, Andre Dawson, Andrum Jones, Jim Edmonds, and Andy Van Slyke. I'm sure there are others I'm missing.

Right Field: Roberto Clemente

A.k.a. Superman. Great throwing arm and excellent range. Those who speak about him, from Tim McCarver to Willie Stargell, rave about his defense. Even more importantly, he was a wonderful leader and a great humanitarian, too. Dwight Evans was fantastic as well, but didn't have Clemente's ability to cover vast tracts of real estate.

Honorable mention: Evans, Dave Parker, Larry Walker, Tony Gwynn, Hank Aaron, and maybe someday Jeff Francour.

Catcher: Johnny Bench

The best all-around catcher, too. No one approached Bench in terms of throwing out runners, handling a pitching staff, pop fouls, blocking balls, etc. Bench's arm was so strong that he did, in unprecedented fashion, have his right arm behind his back as the pitch was being thrown.

Honorable mention: Ray Shalk, Thurman Munson, Carlton Fisk, Jerry Grote, Jim Sundberg, Ivan Rodriguez, Bob Boone, Tony Pena and, someone I saw with my own two eyes and was duly impressed, though no one will think I'm sane: Charlie O'Brien.

Right-Handed Pitcher: Greg Maddux

We don't think of pitching as an important position to field, but Greg Maddux is the best from the right side.

Honorable mention: Jim Palmer, Bob Gibson, Ron Darling, Phil Niekro, Orel Hershiser (great pickoff move) and Harvey Haddix.

Left-Handed Pitcher: Jim Kaat

Overlooked and under-appreciated as a Hall of Fame candidate. His fourteen Gold Gloves could get him into Cooperstown, although I doubt it.

Honorable mention: Ron Guidry, Mark Langston, Kenny Rogers, Mike Hampton.

Well, here are the greatest of the great gloves of all time. It's too bad more players like Hernandez and others, can't get in the Hall of Fame on their fielding merits alone.

Maybe someday that will change.

Packers News: Brett Favre Blames Playoff Loss on Love for Center Wells

Andrew Schiff — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 11:26:39 -0500

It was a frustrating Sunday evening for Cheesehead nation.

Last week, not only did the Green Bay Packers lose a surprising overtime contest to the New York Giants that sent Big Blue to Arizona for next week's Super Bowl—but an even more stunning piece of news crept across the land:

Brett Favre's admission for his love for center Scott Wells.

Not only did Favre come out of the closet, as it were, but he blamed his poor play not on the frigid, subzero conditions, but on his strong sexual attractions for the beefy 6’3” center out of Tennessee.

"Look," a nervous Favre said in a press conference. "I've been thinking about this for a while, letting everyone know for my love for this man—our love, really."

It all began innocently enough several years ago when the young center began snapping the ball to the legendary quarterback.

"I was scared at first," Wells admitted. "He had such a reputation around camp. But he was so gentle when he placed his hands right under me...I got chills."

Favre and his wife Deanna had separated months ago, but for obvious reasons, she kept showing up for Packers games anyway to protect the quarterback's reputation.

"I wish Brett only the best; I had suspected this for a long time," a weepy Deanna said. "He's a wonderful father."

The Favres have agreed to an amicable divorce. They will share custody of their two daughters Brittany and Breleigh.

Favre's mother Bonita was also not surprised to learn the news.

"Brett was a special child," Mrs. Favre relates. "True, he was a great athlete on the playing field, and excelled at everything masculine, but that was only one side of him."

There was another side of Brett that no one knew, and everyone will know, now.

For instance, Favre loved ballet, Broadway musicals, and was a huge fan of Liza Minelli. Given his conservative Southern roots, it was difficult to be the "real" Brett Favre.

"Now I can be myself, finally," Brett said recently at the home he and Wells share, their jerseys draped next to each other, side-by-side, on the satin couch they recently purchased.

Wells held Favre's hand as they two looked off into the sunset.

Both have denied rumors that they have mutually requested a trade to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Nolan Ryan of Football: Why Brett Favre Is Overrated

Andrew Schiff — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:58:19 -0500

Recently, I wrote an article on how Nolan Ryan was the most overrated pitcher in baseball history. I'd like to say the same about the losing quarterback in this Sunday's match-up between the Greenback Packers and the New York Giants.

Brett Favre is the most overrated quarterback in the history of the NFL.

I don't deny the Mississippi native will end up in Canton. He's set a bunch of records, and has accumulated great statistics over his 16 seasons. He's even led his team to a Super Bowl. I'm not denying that there's some greatness there, but he's certainly not, as Terry Bradshaw describes, the "greatest quarterback in the history of the game."

Not by a long shot.

Why is this the case?

Too often, Favre's style is not one of quarterback, he is rather, more of an unapologetic gunslinger. It's like describing a baseball power pitcher who never learns to pitch, but rather just mindlessly throws the ball.

Too often, Favre has played like a quarterback who is in his early years, throwing interceptions and forcing throws.

For some reason, everyone is on this guy's bandwagon. They love that he is a gamer, that he's wild, along with his mobility and powerful throwing arm.

These are certainly qualities of a talented quarterback, but he isn't all that good.

Favre is the Nolan Ryan of football. Great career statistics, but not one I would count on in a big spot.

Here's a list quarterbacks who I'd rather have, any day.

Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Otto Graham, Y.A. Tittle, Dan Marino, John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ken Stabler, Steve Young, Jim Kelley, Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Joe Namath, and Johnny Unitas.

Favre may have better stats than most of the quarterbacks on the list, but he seems to make the dumb throws that a great quarterback doesn't make.

Critics will say that Favre hasn't, in more recent years, been surrounded by talent. But some of the lack of success by the Pack has been attributed to Favre's stupid decisions.

How does a veteran QB, in a tight spot, throw such a bad pass like the one he threw against the Giants, in overtime? Truly great quarterbacks find ways to win games and certainly, Favre has won his share, but he's lost as many as he's won.

Admittedly, this year Favre has not made as many mistakes as he has in the past, but in an era when the science of quarterbacking has become an art form, a veteran like Favre plays like he's from a an older, more antiquated era.

And that's not a good thing.

Giants-Cowboys: Don't Expect New York to Beat the 'Boys

Andrew Schiff — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:54:06 -0500

I hate the Dallas Cowboys.

Nothing would thrill me more than to see the G-men knock off the fancy-shmancy 'Boys and their obnoxious fans.

You know which fans I'm talking about—the ones who live in different cities throughout the country, the ones who still wear Troy Aikman's jersey.

They were obnoxious in the 1970s, and even worse in the 1990s.

However, being a realist, I know my Giants won't finish off Dallas.

I call it like I see it: The Cowboys are the class of the NFC.

My New York Giants are a good football team. They played a highly competitive game against New England, and played well enough to finish off the Bucs last Sunday.

But New York will have to play another grade "A" game to beat Dallas. Here are some of the reasons they won't do it...

The New York secondary is weak.

True, they played well against Tampa, but Jeff Garcia and his receivers were still rusty from a long layoff due to injuries.

I like Aaron Ross' talent, but Webster, Madison, and Dockery just don't cut it.

I'm still not convinced Eli Manning is a top-notch QB.

Manning has clearly made strides, but he still makes dumb plays—like that idiotic fumble against New England, which helped kill the Giants' momentum, and those poor throws he made against Tampa, like the screen he attempted to make to Ahmad Bradshaw, which landed at the running back's feet.

Nice pass, Eli.

The Giants can't consistently play at a high level.

You get the feeling that even when the Giants win, they're unable to take their game up a notch—the exception being the New England game, of course.

Even with all these issues, though, the Giants may indeed have a chance.

The secondary could step it up, and the Giants line might not only pressure Tony Romo—they may be able to sack the young QB four or five times (though given Dallas's great offensive line, this will be unlikely).

Another way the Giants might be able to pull of an upset is, of course, by creating turnovers. If the Giants win the takeaway battle by a large margin, New York could emerge victorious.

Also, Manning will have to play better than he did against the Patriots and Tampa Bay. That means the Giants offensive line must give him time and space to throw. And, that means that Eli must play like an elite quarterback.

He threw the ball with authority against the Patriots. Against Dallas, he has to execute throughout the game and not have any lapses.

Thus, while the Cowboys clearly have the edge in talent, the Giants may have a chance to pull out a win.

Unfortunately, I don't think any of these possibilities will end up in the Giants favor.

While I'm aware that Terrell Owens isn't 100 percent, and that Romo's focus might be elsewhere as he hangs with hottie Jessica Simpson, I still expect Dallas to roll.

The reality is that the Giants just don't have the talent to stay with Cowboys.

Prediction: Dallas 41, Giants 24

Andrew Schiff is the author of a forthcoming book on a seminal figure in 19th Century baseball: Henry Chadwick

Was Nolan Ryan Overrated?

Andrew Schiff — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:01:24 -0500

Several years ago, I was at a baseball conference hosted by the Society of American Baseball Research.

SABR, as it is known among baseball junkies, is an organization dedicated to fostering the study of baseball past and present. That's why I was astounded when, in a roundup of the best pitchers of all-time, SABR members voted Nolan Ryan the greatest hurler in the history of the game.

Ryan certainly has some gaudy numbers. All baseball fans acknowledge—and the stats support—that the righty from Refugio, Texas, is the best strikeout pitcher in the history of the game. Ryan holds both the single-season and all-time records for Ks, as well as the record for most career no-hitters with seven.

These two categories, perhaps the most exciting numbers a pitcher can attain, makes Ryan, on the surface, numero uno in the minds of baseball fans and aficionados.

However, upon closer inspection, Ryan in my view just barely ranks as a great pitcher.

He wasn't the best pitcher of his generation, and he never won a Cy Young. In fact, I can name at least 20 pitchers since 1900 who were better.

Here's a list, in no particular order...

1) Tom Seaver

Ryan's ex-teammate in New York was called "The Franchise." He won three Cy Youngs, and was a five-time 20-game winner.

Ryan won 20 games twice, but also lost 16 games those same years.

2) Steve Carlton

Won four Cy Youngs. He and Ryan battled it out for the title of all-time strikeout king after both passed Walter Johnson in the 80s.

Carlton was the best lefty of his era. He won 27 games for a Phillies team that won only 58 games in 1972.

3) Christy Mathewson

Mathewson may rank as the greatest pitcher of all time.

The scholarly righty for the New York Giants won 20 games nine times and 30 games four times. True, he pitched in the Dead Ball Era, but those numbers are staggering by any standard.

Oh, by the way, a 2.13 career ERA.

4) Walter Johnson

A contemporary of Mathewson, Johnson won 20 games 12 times. The Washington Senators were habitually bad. Johnson wasn't just a power arm; he knew how to pitch too.

5) Sandy Koufax

Ryan may have had more lifetime wins, and edges Koufax in no-hitters by three, but Koufax was the best pitcher in baseball for five seasons. Ryan never accomplished that.

6) Bob Feller

Though the power righty lost four years because of World War II , Feller was the best pitcher of his era. A six time 20-game winner, he led the Indians to their last World Series title in 1948.

7) Jim "Catfish" Hunter

Though Hunter finished under 300 career wins, he had a great postseason record, leading the A's to three consecutive championships. Hunter won 20 games five times and never walked more that 84 batters in a season.

Ryan walked 200 batters in a season twice!

8) Eddie Plank

Eddie who? Plank was left-handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics who won 20 games eight times. Lifetime ERA 2.35.

9) Warren Spahn

Spahn pitched three decades for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, and one year for the miserable Mets of 1965. Won 20 games 13 times.

10) Bob Gibson

Who can forget the intimidation of the first great African American power-pitcher? A five-time 20 game winner, Gibson's winning percentage was a superb .591.

11) Greg Maddux

Finally someone from "our" era. Maddux is still writing his script.

A career winning percentage of .619, 347 career wins, 12 Gold Gloves. With Roger Clemens having to explain himself, Maddux now stands out as the most complete pitcher of his generation.

12) Roger Clemens

Okay, he probably cheated. But I bet his years up until the late 90s were clean. His first four Cy Youngs were legit.

13) Whitey Ford

One of the greatest postseason pitchers in the history of the game, Ford's career winning percentage (.690) is second only to that of Pedro Martinez (.691).

14) Pedro Martinez

Sure, Ryan is more durable; Martinez will never come close to the Texan's 27 years. But Ryan was never close to being as dominant as Martinez, who won three Cy Youngs for the Boston Red Sox.

15) Jim Palmer

Palmer won 20 games a staggering eight times as the ace for those great Orioles teams of the 1960 and 70s.

16) Grover Cleveland Alexander

Among the first inductees in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Alexander won 30 games three times and had 373 career wins. 'Nuff said.

17) Lefty Grove

The former Philadelphia Athletics ace won 300 games with a winning percentage of .680. Eight-time 20-game winner. Won 30 games once.

18) Ferguson Jenkins

Pitched in Wrigley and still won 20 games seven times. Never walked more than 90 batters in a season and had over 3,000 career strikeouts. Won one more Cy Young than Ryan. In a word: underrated.

19) Randy Johnson

Injuries will keep him from getting 300 wins, but Johnson's .654 winning percentage and his great strikeout numbers (which nearly compete with Ryan's) make him better.

20) Carl Hubbell

The second greatest pitcher in Giants' history won 20 games five times.

Ryan clearly belongs in the Hall of Fame and deserves credit for his accomplishments. In fairness, he didn't always play for good teams, but he never distinguished himself ahead of some of his contemporaries, aside from strikeouts and no-hitters.

Furthermore, those categories don't reflect consistent dominance and mastery in the craft of pitching.

True, the 1970s had many great pitchers, but Ryan's severe wildness hurts him. To me, he belongs with pitcher like Don Sutton, Joe Niekro, Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez.

Great, but not all-time elite. Sorry, Nolan.

Minaya's Moves Hurt Mets

Andrew Schiff — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:32:39 -0500

Omar Minaya's moves quickly put the Mets in contention in 2005 and 2006, but he has since proven himself unable to pull off the kind of trade that would put New York above the herd in the National League.

Don't expect the Mets to land a number one starter in the likes of Johan Santana anytime soon.

Unless the city's National League entry is willing to part with Jose Reyes, the Mets lack the organizational depth in starting pitching (or even positional players) to attract a true ace.

Why, you ask, is this the case? Here are three of Minaya's shortsighted moves that have damaged the team' chances:

a) Taking former number one draft choice—and starting pitcher—Aaron Heilman and making him a middle reliever. This reduced Heilman's attractiveness as a starting pitching prospect.

b) Trading promising young starter Brian Bannister last winter to the Kansas City Royals for hard throwing, but wild, Ambiorix Burgos. We know how that turned out. Oh, by the way, Burgos is a middle relief pitcher.

c) The Mets drafted middle relief pitcher named Eddie Kunz rather than a starting pitcher in the first round of the 2007 draft. This marked the first time a middle relief pitcher has been selected in the first round.

See a pattern?

Minaya is so obssesed with middle relief, he has depleted the Mets starting pitching depth where they can't maneuver to make a deal.

Clearly, the middle relief role has taken on greater significance in baseball these days, more so than in the past, but Minaya has taken it to a whole new level.

The problem, however, is that the rest of baseball still values starting pitching more than he does. Do you see any trade negotiations between the Yankees and Twins, or between the Red Sox and Twins, for any middle relief pitchers?

The Twins simply want some starting pitching in return for Santana. The Mets don't even have enough impressive positon players in the minors to offer what the Yankees and Red Sox can offer aside from that.

Sure, Carlos Gomez is fast, but can he hit? Fernando Martinez has ability, but he hasn't done much in the minors to date.

Finally, Mike Pelfry and Philip Humber have underperformed relative to expectations.

Alas, the Mets don't have enough pitching talent to land the big prize. Heck, they may not have enough to land a strong number two starter in the likes of Joe Blanton.

When will Minaya learn?

Andrew Schiff is the author of the upcoming biography The Father of Baseball, A Biography of Henry Chadwick. Learn more at http://www.henrychadwick.com/.

The Best Sports Story in 2007? Oy! Baseball in Israel

Andrew Schiff — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:04:02 -0500

There are so many stories that captivate the mind in 2007: Michael Vick’s arrest for torturing animals, Sean Taylor’s murder, and the widespread steroid’s scandal in baseball. But why focus on the negative?

To me, the biggest and best sports story of 2007 was the flowering of baseball in the Holy Land.

The Holy Land? Yes, it’s true. But who would have thunk it? Normally we associate the game outside the United States in places like Korea, Japan, South America, the Dominican Republic, or Puerto Rico. But the Middle East?

The Bible tells the story of Moses sending scouts into the Holy Land to ensure easy conquest over the inhabitants. But the scouts that the Israel Baseball League hoped to lure aren’t the kind Moses had in mind.

Larry Baras, a millionaire in his mid-50's, developed the idea to bring America’s national pastime to Israel because he believed that Israelis, who already have a passion for basketball, would be intrigued by America’s oldest and most enduring game. Also, Israelis enjoy other aspects of American culture like food (pizza and hamburgers, for instance), and corporations (Home Depot and McDonald’s).

An entrepreneur who owns SJR Food Inc., Baras also cooked up the idea because of Israeli’s intellectual reputation. The tiny nation has been able to produce the highest ratio of university degrees, the second highest output of books per year, and the highest rate of home computers per capita. Baras believed that these factors could lure Israelis to the ballpark and the playing field.

Though Israel is noted for its spectacular biblical moments or, more recently, failed peace initiatives, the birth of a professional baseball league in one of the most underrated, and too-often-criticized, democratic nations in the world is truly one of the most amazing sports stories of 2007

Already the cradle of the three major religions, Israel can now call baseball, along with soccer and basketball, a viable game. The League successfully recruited a number of ex-baseball players like former miracle Met Art Shamksy and ex-Yankees Ron Blomberg (the first designated hitter in baseball history) and Ken Holtzman to manage teams. The league features a modest six clubs ranging from cities like Netanya (Tigers) to Tel Aviv (Lightning) to Modi’in (Miracle).

While a few of the current players are Israeli (most of the athletes are players lured from the west, some Jewish), there is hope that with growing spectator interest, there might be room to groom more Israeli athletes. Someday ball players with names like Avi Greenberg and Moshe Horowitz could be donning the uniforms of American baseball clubs in the future.

The league began their modest 45 game schedule on June 24. Each club boasts a 20-man roster and all the games were played on only three different fields. The League is also played under slightly different rules. Games are only seven innings and in case of a tie there are no extra innings, but rather a Home Run Derby to determine the winner.

To date, the Israel Baseball League already boasts of a player who has been acquired by a major league club—Jason Rees, an Australian outfielder with power and speed who signed with the New York Yankees. Rees played for the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox and finished first in home runs and RBI, while leading the Blue Sox to the championship in the league’s inaugural season.

While there is no plan to expand (the league has moved the Petach Tikva Pioneers to Jerusalem and changed their name to the Lions), there is hope that interest in the league will grow. After all, it is commanded: Be fruitful and multiply!