Bleacher Report - Articles by Chris Val

Reality of the Tampa Bay Rays

Chris Val — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:33:49 -0400

With only two and a half weeks until the All-Star break, it is safe to wonder where the Rays magic from last season has gone.

Has it subsided for just the first half of the season? Will it come back, or were the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays a one-time thing? Being 37-35 and fourth in the Al East leaves the question of whether this team can pull it back together.

One can only assume, but if we look at the clubs strengths and weaknesses it may just give us the answer to the question that we have all been wandering.

First, lets take a good look at what this club does well.

The Rays have a great manager in Joe Maddon, who has proven to have the ability to improve this ball club in a steadfast manner. Taking once arguably the worst team in baseball, and tuning them into 2008 AL champs is one of the rarest of feats that one will see in their time.

Maddon is a true leader in that locker room and is a manager who his players respect and follow. Not only does he care about his players, but he cares about his players characters and the morale of his ball club. So definitely look for a push from Maddon to get his players back on track very soon.

On the field you have a nice mix of young leaders in Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton, along with veteran leaders in Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena.

Longoria is a special player who can change the outcome of a game. He hits for average, he hits for power, he can play defense and all in all, he is a five-tool player. Being only his second season in the MLB, his first full first-half season of baseball has been exactly what the Rays knew he could do.

He is hitting .304 with 16 home runs, and is second in the American League with 61 RBI, only trailing the Boston Red Sox' Jason Bay. Look for big things from Longo for the rest of the season.

B.J. Upton is another one of those special players. Although he has really struggled over the majority of the season so far, he is now really starting to turn it on. B.J. is hitting .400 over his last 10 games with 2 home runs and 9 RBI. Perhaps the most important stat out of those 10 games are his stolen bases, which stands at 8.

Even though Upton is only hitting .243 for the season, look for his average to steadily increase before the season's end. He will be a big factor for this team now that he is back healthy hitting, running, throwing and playing his normal tremendous defense.

Perhaps the biggest surprises out of the Rays offense has been Jason Bartlett and Ben Zobrist. Bartlett, who is known way more for his great defensive play than his bat, is having a career season.

He is tearing the cover off the ball hitting .372, a career-high seven homeruns with 32 RBI. Bartlett was sidelined for 19 games from the end of May to the middle of June due to a sprained ankle, but has come back right where he left off. In his last seven games since coming off the DL, he has hit .370. Hopefully Bartlett will be able to keep producing, and if he does, he will come up big many times for this club down the stretch.

Zobrist is the other big surprise of the season in which Joe Maddon needs to keep finding ways of getting him in the line up and playing everyday. Zobrist is hitting .292 with 15 homers and 42 RBI. He has really been producing for the Rays ball club and hopefully can do the same in the second half of the season. If he can put up repeat numbers next half, look for the Rays to make some moves in the off season to free up some space in able to keep Zobrist.

Out of all these big surprises and great potential in this Rays ball club, they are still only in fourth place at 37-35 in the AL East. A head-scratching problem to most people.

Well, lets look at how their pitching has held up this season.

First, Scott Kazmir has been sidelined with a quad injury since early June, and is expected back sometime either late this week or early next week. IF Kazmir can come back healthy and be the pitcher the Rays are used to seeing, he will be a huge help for the Rays and will take considerable amount of pressure off Sonnanstine, Nieman and Price.

The second issue with the Rays pitching is their inability to go deep into ball games. Young guys like Price and Nieman, between the both of them this month, only twice have they been able to pitch past the fifth inning.

Another real disappointment has been Sonnanstine, who has so far this season posted a treacherous 6.60 ERA and is 5-7 on the season.

The Rays rotation needs to start picking each other up on a more consistent basis. After all, Garza, Shields and Kazmir are all No. 2 guys who have the potential of being No. 1's. In order for the Rays to make any move to the top of the division the pitching needs to start going deeper into games and being more consistent.

If Shields has a rough outng one week, it is that much more important for Garza to come out the night after and really pitch through sixth or seventh inning, and vice versa.

Other real blemishes through the course of the season have been Pat Burrell and Grant Balfour. Burrell was highly signed and was looked to as the DH guy that would perhaps put their lineup over the top in producing more home runs and more RBI. He has yet to do that. Burrell is hitting only .234 with only one home run and 17 RBI.

Understandably, Burrell was sidelined for about a month due to a neck injury, but the lack in his production is still very frustrating, and I'm sure makes it hard for manager Joe Maddon to find him a spot in the order.

Balfour is yet another question mark for the Rays. Balfour is the Rays' fire-baller and really needs to settle down and start delivering, as he has proved he can last year. It is imperative to come in big in middle innings for the Rays in close games. If he can get it together, he will be another big key for the Rays ability to get it back together.

The Rays have been down so far this season, but they are far from being counted out. With many big injuries due to key players such as Scott Kazmir, B.J. Upton, Pat Burrell, Jason Bartlett, Scott Percival, and Akinori Iwamura, who will most likely miss the rest of the season with an ACL tear, are right on track to have a big second half of the season.

There is a lot of season left and many games for the Rays to really stiffen up, get healthy and make a charge for that No. 1 or wild-card spot in the American League. After all, this team has really held their own with the amount of injuries they have sustained. On the other hand, perhaps a few changes, or few notable players stepping up will be all these Tampa Bay Rays need to once again open Major League Baseball fans' eyes and let people know, once again, that they are for real.

Expectations of a Giant Season in New York

Chris Val — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:25:45 -0400

After the 2009 free agent period and NFL Draft, the expectations of the Giants 2009 season are extraordinarily high. On both sides of the ball, the Giants look like a very solid football team on paper.

On the defensive side, acquisitions such a Rocky Bernard, Chris Canty, and Michael Boley seem to have put the Giants over the top. Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty wont just give great depth to the Giants defensive line but they guarantee sacks and pressure on the quarterback.

With Pressure from Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, along with Fred Robbins and Barry Coefield is a talented tandem within itself. Now add Canty and Bernard to that mix, which will help keep everyone fresh and the opposing offesnive line on their heals only to guess where the pressure will be coming from next.

Michael Boley is a remarkable athlete. He has speed, strength and great agility for a player his size. Boley has not had a break out season quite yet and may not be very well known to many NFL fans.

But, I believe that will quickly change with his coming to the New York Giants. Boley will be used in a much different way in New York than how he was used in Atlanta. In Atlanta, they liked to play Boley in a lot of cover formations because of his speed and athletic ability, but with the majority of his time spent in coverage, limited his game.

Now, the Giants believe they have the complete package with Boley. Not just because of his ability to cover, but because of his ability to rush the passer. The Giants will use Boley in blitzing formations, cover formations, you name it, he can do it, which is why he will a big factor for the Giants in the upcoming 2009 season.

Now, lets skip to the offense.

Lets not forget about how well the Giants went about their 2009 draft. Drafting Hakeem Nicks first with the 29th pick and then another wide receiver in Ramses Barden with their fourth pick.

Hakeem Nicks is a guy who I believe can come in and make an impact immediately for the Giants. Nicks does lack top end speed but what he lacks in speed he makes up in quickness. Nicks will be a guy that will find a way to get open because he is so quick.

That's the factor which makes it very difficult for defensive backs to defend him. Speed is important, but it doesn't always create separation, quickness is what creates that initial separation from a defensive back.

Nicks also has very big and very soft hands which will be a key for Eli Manning. A sure handed wide receiver is what the Giants were looking for before the draft, and now they have one.

With the Giants' fourth pick in the draft, they selected the 6'6 229 pound Ramses Barden from Cal Poly.

According to NFL.com, Barden is being compared to the talent of Shannon Sharpe and Brandon Marshall, which is great company to be compared to. Barden is a huge red zone threat and will most likely be one of the main targets down in the red zone this season.

With all this great talent in the draft, lets not forget about returning players like Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss and Mario Manngham. Hixon had a great season in 08. With only seven games started, he racked up 43 reception and led the team with 596 yards.

Understand that the 2008 season could be looked at as Hixon's rookie season at wide receiver. Before the pre season of 08, Hixon was purely a special teams guy, but Coughlin may have found his diamond in the rough in Hixon who is still only 23 years old.

At the other end the Giants still have Steve Smith who led the team with 57 receptions in his sophmore season. Smith looks to be very promising as well. He runs great routes, has great poise and looks to be one of Eli's most trusted options.

Then, the Giants also have Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham waiting in line to get their shot. Moss could be another surprise to Giants fans this season as he ended last year with only 12 catches, but only 12 passes were thrown his way.

He caught every pass thrown to him, which is a big advantage for him leading into the 2009 season.

We also can't look past Manningham. He wasn't able to catch on to the offense as early as he would have liked last year due to an injury, but you can bet that he is ready for the 2009 season and he will be yet another one for Giants fans to keep an eye on.

Overall, the Giants really have great depth and talent at almost every position. The only position with question marks is the safety position, and the wide receiver position, but just because we yet to know who will submerge from the bunch.

So Giants fans, be excited for this upcoming 2009 season. There are big shoes to fill by athletes with great talent, seems to be a great year in the making.

The New York Giants' First Pick in the 2009 Draft Will Be...

Chris Val — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:34:47 -0500

Okay guys, I have been doing a lot of research on this, and I have picked out some wide receivers that I think are good fits for the Giants in the upcoming 2009/2010 season.

Most of these guys are worth a late first to second-round pick, no crazy stuff here. Let me know what you guys think.

1. Hakeem Nicks 6'1", 210lbs.- The guy Reminds me of Anquan Boldin. His rare ability to make a run after the catch and to make a defensive back pay by lowering his shoulder is amazing. Rarely do you see him go down on initial contact. The one thing he does lack is speed, he isn’t the fastest out there, but he sure is quick. His lack in speed is really his only down side. Most likely he wouldn't be much of a vertical threat.

2. Darrius Heyward-Bey 6'2", 206lbs. 40 time- 4.36- To me, this gus is right up there with Nicks, maybe better. I wouldn’t mind either of these picks if the Giants decided to draft them. Bey is as fast as it gets, give the man a hole and he can just explode through it.

He can catch up to any deep ball, which would make it hard for even Eli Manning to over throw him. With his deep ball skills, he would obviously be a great vertical threat in which the Giants are drastically needing in their offense.

He also has the height to get up and make a catch in traffic, which is always a plus when Manning is under center. Undoubtedly, Eli does struggle with a high release. Bey's downside is in his ability to run crisp routes, but that is very coachable in the NFL.

3. Kenny Britt 6'4" 205lbs- If there was an identical replacement for Burress, this would be the man. There isn’t much flashy about him, besides his size, but he has big soft hands and obviously towers over everybody to snatch the ball out of thin air. An area where he seems to have some trouble is beating the jam at the line of scrimmage.

4. Jarett Dillard 5'11", 185lbs- Now your first reaction might be, 5'11" 185lbs? No way? But, yes way! The kid can jump through the roof with a 42" vertical (in junior year) most likely higher by now. Dilard has great route running skills and great hands. Really reminds me of a young Amani Toomer but perhaps better.

His ability to adjust to the ball in mid air at the collegiate level, is already at a professional skill level. He has really flown under the radar, but has a great attitude towards the game, works hard and has a good head on his shoulders.

Another thing that impresses me about Dillard is his ability to get two feet in bounds at such a young age... Some of the catches he makes along the sidelines are extraordinary!

5. Aaron Kelly 6'5 190 lbs. 40 time-4.55- This guy definitely uses his height to an advantage. Just chuck it up between two defenders and he will most likely come down with it. His concentration and hands are great; he can really make some great catches in traffic.

Kelly doesn’t have that break away speed nor will he shake anyone out of their shoes, but the ability for him to come down with the ball is just sensational.

If the Giants were to draft a wide receiver in the 2009 draft, I hope that these are the guys they are looking at. Obviously, none of these guys are going to come out and make a huge impact in their first year, but at least it would be a start in the right direction.

Giants-Eagles: Big Game for Big Blue

Chris Val — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:46:04 -0500

On Jan. 11, 2009 the New York Giants will face their arch rival the Philadelphia Eagles. On game day in East Rutherford, NJ, the weather man is calling for a cold day and snowy morning, warranting the Giants to run the ball down the Eagles' throats.

This game is the Giants' opportunity to put an end to the hype in calling the Eagles last year's Giants. This is the Giants opportunity to establish their dominance in the NFC East, in which they have waited to do since their last reign in the 80's and early 90's.

The Giants will come to play Sunday with having an extra week off. The offensive line is rested and you better believe Brandon Jacobs is ready to go, "I can go out and run full speed, make harder cuts, I'm ready to go. I feel real good, I feel real good about our situation and where we are right now, just cant wait till the game gets here", said Jacobs.

Jacobs is ready to play come Sunday and he is so motivated for Sunday to where coach Tom Coughlin keeps having to remind him that the game isn't until Sunday. "All day long he's been saying, you know Brandon, the games on Sunday.

"I'm wired, you got to think about it, I didn't do anything for the past two weeks. I feel like my production has been down when I have played, so I want come out be able to produce and help my team win, and I want everybody fired up", said Jacobs.

Jacobs is healthy, fired up and ready to run against the Philadelphia Eagles. On the other hand, the Eagles better be ready for Brandon Jacobs.

In the first game the Giants faced the Eagles, Jacobs ran for 126 yards with two touchdowns on 22 carries. In the second matchup, Jacobs was on his way to a repeat performance running for 52 yards on 10 carries, but got hurt midway through the game.

The Eagles ability to stop Brandon Jacobs depends heavily on their chances of winning the game.

Another player the Eagles need to look out for is Kevin Boss. In the first game Boss caught six passes for 69 yards and a beautiful diving touchdown catch in traffic. Boss is a huge threat catching the ball and making big plays after the catch. So, obviously, stopping Boss will also be on the itinerary for the Eagles.

For the Giants, Eli Manning needs to bring the same game that he brought last year to the playoffs and without Burress, it will be difficult, but everyone is very confident that Domenik Hixon can step up and get the job done.

"I think with our young, talented receiving core, we've got a lot of guys that have proven to be able to step up. We're all real confident in Domenik and obviously losing Plaxico is a big loss for us but with Hixon and the rest of our young receiving core, we're all comfortable and confident as what we can do as an offense", said Boss.

It's apparent that the New York Football Giants are ready to go. They will take the field with enthusiasm, confidence, and a competitive edge. The Giants understand that this game is no gimme, they are going to have to work for a full 60 minutes to pull out a victory against a very hot Philadelphia team.

Their offense needs to stay balanced with doses of Jacobs and Ward along with their defense flying to the ball and filling the running gaps. The Giants need to be prepared and game plan for even a banged up Brian Westbrook because shutting him down is their defensive key to victory.

From Monday through Saturday, the media and the critics get to do the talking, but come Sunday, the Giants will let their play do the talking and the Eagles will witness why the Giants are the defending Super Super Bowl Champions.

Brandon Jacobs: A Giant Difference Maker?

Chris Val — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:05:49 -0500

Undoubtedly, Brandon Jacobs has been one of the Giants' biggest reasons for success in the '08/'09 season, behind the Giants' tremendous offensive line, of course.

Brandon Jacobs is a player that can do it all, which is outstanding considering his frame, 6'4" and 264 pounds. Not the type of player a football expert would consider to be running out of the back field, but Jacobs lets his athletic ability and significant play do his talking for him.

His ability to run over a linebacker and then possibly shake a defensive back out of their shoes, needless to say, is something rarely ever seen from a back his size.

In 12 out of the 14 games the Giants have played this season, Jacobs has contributed for 1002 yards, 12 touchdowns, 5.1 yards per carry and 83.5 yards per game. So, considering Jacobs as a huge part of the Giants offense is not an over statement at all, to say the least.

Jacobs is a player in which every opponent needs to game plan for, while is also every defensive backs nightmare and possibly many linebackers at the same token. Stopping the 6'4", 264 pound frame is no easy task, especially when he bulldozes through you once or twice.

So when a defensive player see's him coming at him a third time, it's not unfair to assume that they will most likely cringe just at the thought of trying to bring him down again.

Jacobs brings a totally different component to the game when he is on the field. He forces the defense to put eight or nine guys in the box on first and second downs, giving Eli Manning the option to audible the play, or to give Kevin Gilbride the opportunity to be a bit more creative in the play calling.

Thus, letting Manning throw for a few consecutive first downs in a depleted backfield when the defense is geared up to stop the run.

Jacobs brings yet another component to the Giants game plan, which is selling an effective play action pass. While the safety's are up on first and second downs to gear up for the run, it leaves cornerbacks with no safety help over the top, exposing the defense to a big pass play down field.

Or, when Jacobs is effectively running the ball, it forces the safety's to over pursue and look for the rush before the pass, which then freezes the safety and leaves for a wide open Domenik Hixon or Amani Toomer.

In turn, not only will it be a long day for the linebackers hitting Jacobs, but it will be just as long for the safety's trying to stay balanced in the way they attack the ball.

With Brandon Jacobs in the game, he totally changes the Giants' game plan and what they can do on offense. If you don't believe me, just take a look at some highlights of the Dallas game while Jacobs was inactive in Week 15.

Dallas was able to keep some of their linebackers off the field, while stacking up four to six defensive backs to play the pass.

Well, why wouldn't the Giants just run the ball, you may ask? Well, without your No. 1 running back, it was tough for Derrick Ward to find a groove and their was very limited push from the offensive line. The Defensive line and linebackers did a great job of filling the gaps and really knocking around the offensive linemen along with Derrick Ward.

Still, one would think, with only a four-man rush, Eli Manning would have all day in the pocket to throw the ball where a receiver would eventually get open and perhaps be able to spread the field?

Negative, with the speed of DeMarcus Ware from the end and the power of Greg Ellis and Chris Canty up the middle, Eli Manning had almost less than three seconds to get the ball off almost every time he would drop back, which would be a long day for any quarterback.

So, legitimately if the line couldn't block and if Manning had almost no time to throw, wouldn't the outcome have been the same even if Jacobs was in the starting line up? No, when a team has a guy like Jacobs in the backfield, he forces the defense to respect what he can do on the field.

He forces the defense to game plan against him, which takes tremendous pressure off the passing game.

When Eli Manning and Brandon Jacobs can both put up good numbers the Giants are nearly invincible. When Eli Manning throws for a 73.5 passer rating or higher, while Jacobs puts up at least 100 yards, the Giants are 11-0. When either Eli Manning or Brandon Jacobs score at least two touchdowns in one game, the Giants are 6-0.

So, the necessity for Brandon Jacobs to be in the starting lineup is crucial for the Giants and opens up major opportunities for Eli Manning to then throw the ball down field. When it's all said and done, Brandon Jacobs is a Giant difference maker for the New York Football Giants.

But he is more than just running defenders over and instilling an intimidation factor. He also makes a defensive coordinator work for his paycheck for that upcoming week.

Yankees Free Agent History Tells the Story

Chris Val — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:58:06 -0500

Once again, the Yankees wind up bidding historically high on a player that may not be the best fit for them. CC Sabathia is a great player, but his desire to pitch for the Yankees is questionable, as well as his desire to live on the East Coast; his heart just may be to pitch in his home state of California.

Yet the Yankees obviously never fail to get what they want; money is power and we all know that the Yankees have plenty of the former and therefore the latter. With that money and power, the Yankees in the past have failed to make wise decisions with where, how, and when to spend their money.

Let's be honest: Over the past eight years, acquisitions such as Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, and others have not panned out in ways that the Yankees have hoped.

Rodriguez, a huge performer in which the Yanks made him the highest paid ball player alive...not to say that Rodriguez hasn't been successful, but is he worth the money that he is receiving? Great regular season numbers, but when he gets to play in October, we can all agree he is already on a beach somewhere sipping on a margarita with Madonna.

Giambi, had a stellar few seasons with the Yankees (when he was on steroids). His play then declined as well as his playing time. He did have a coming out season last year with 32 home runs 96 RBI and a .247 batting avg, but are those stats really worth the 120 million over seven years that the Yankees were paying Giambi? Needless to say his glove is atrocious at first base leaving the Yankees with a huge whole at the right side of their infield.

Pavano, who only pitched a handful of games, due to injury was also awarded a huge paycheck. Randy Johnson was seemingly washed up, Sheffield shined for maybe a season and more of the same from Kevin Brown.

Lots of money wasted on underperforming free agents.

So what makes the Yankees think that throwing $140 million for six years at Sabathia will make the difference? Haven't the Yankees learned their lesson from the past eight years? Obviously not!

So what are their alternatives in the 2009 free agency you ask? Well, the pitching free agent pool is filled with possibilities. The best fit for the Yankees may be Ben Sheets, the 30-year-old hard-throwing right-hander from the Brewers. Sheets, for the past four years has put up solid numbers; his wins are down, but only due to a lack of run support.

With Wang, Chamberlin, and Sheets at the top of the rotation makes room for young studs at the bottom of the rotation, such as Phil Hughes and up and comer Alfredo Aceves, who are both pitching well for the Yankees fall team. It is important to have youth at the bottom of the rotation; Phil Hughes is a great prospect even though he struggled last season to stay healthy, but his success as a rookie didn't go unnoticed.

Let's also not forget about Andy Pettitte, the Yanks need a lefty in the rotation and who better than Pettitte? This may not be the most popular choice, but Pettitte can pitch in New York, his performance wasn't promising last season but why not let the man retire a Yankee and help bring the first World Series to the new Yankee Stadium.

An acquisition that could be the most beneficial to the Yankees would be acquiring first baseman Mark Teixeira. If there is one player that the Yankees should throw money at, it would be Teixeira. Let's face it, there is almost no downside to this guy, a two-time Silver Slugger award winner and a two-time Gold Glove winner.

Its a win-win situation for the Yankees. If he doesn't hit, his infield play will be solid at least, giving the Yankees possibly one of the strongest infields in the entire MLB. From what the baseball nation saw from the Tampa Bay Rays last season, no one can argue that a strong infield isn't crucial to success.

A big fix isn't crucial to the Yankees pitching rotation, just a couple of tune ups and their pitching will once again be among the top of the American League. On the other hand, the bat of Teixeira and his defense is a Yankee necessity!

He fills a void defensively at first base and replaces Bobby Abreu's bat in the lineup. With a couple of smart business decisions plus, baseball decisions equals, promise for years to come for the New York Yankees.

Yankee Stadium Offers a New Remembrance

Chris Val — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:36:03 -0400

A place where legends played and rivals stirred, a place where hope never dies and its past should be written in history books. A place where pride carries itself lightly, and a place where spirits have gathered in the month of October to stand beside their faithful. This place is a home, a house that Ruth built, a cathedral...Yankee Stadium.

For some of us, Yankee Stadium will always remain in our hearts and has been a ground for stories to be almost fairy tales. Stories that can be passed on from generation to generation being told just before we tuck our children or grandchildren into bed.

Stories of the Babe calling his shot, Lou Gehrig thanking the good Lord for making him a Yankee, Maris hitting his 61st home run to break Ruth's record, The Mick hitting a home run off the facade in right field, or Derek Jeter diving three rows head first into the stands at full speed.

All these stories will be carried on through time and remembered not only in our minds, but also in our hearts.

Whether we were there for it, or whether our faith dimmed and some shied away from it, it has always stood tall and it has always been there for us. A time when the biggest attack on our nation occurred on 9/11 and during the 2001 World Series, Yankee Stadium was there with open arms and yet provided a place of unity where all Americans could reunite together again as ONE nation under God.

Yankee stadium healed a city's heart and soothed its wounds. It picked up the people and stood them back on their two feet once again. It provided a mound where the President of the United States stood, gave a thumbs up to the crowd and confidently threw a strike right down the middle of the plate to let us all remember that we are strong!

Yankee stadium was a place where worry went to waste and where an individual could put behind him life's mishaps. This was a true place of unconditional love and belief.

While we may gasp, smile, laugh, or cry over Yankee Stadium's drama-filled ending, we will have a new stadium. A place of new remembrance, you might say. A place where new memories, legends, stories, and fairytale endings will take place. It's a re-birth of a Yankee nation, or should I say an American tradition.

New Yankee immortals will come and fill our hearts with joy, passion, and love for the game we call baseball. A twist in the climax of a glamorous never-ending story as we tell it to our children and grandchildren over and over again, night after night.

This will be a new place to hold in our hearts, a new place where the smell of hot dogs, the crack of the bat, the sweet sound of Bob Shepard's voice, and Frank Sinatra serenading us to his song "New York, New York."

The New Yankee Stadium is an empty atmosphere waiting for us to fill it with hope, joy, belief, legends, and more World Series.

Let's keep Yankees Stadium in a place where no one else can touch it, where no one can miss it, and where we can all remember it. Let's keep it in our hearts, so it stays pure and unscathed. And at the same time, we will make the new Yankee Stadium our new home and a house that we will build, together.

Tampa Bay Rays Need Quality Pitching To Lead the Way

Chris Val — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:58:51 -0400

October is almost here, we are only a week away from the playoffs, and the Tampa Bay Rays, for the first time in history, will be attending. Not only did the Rays make the playoffs for the first time in their franchise history, but they did it in style by winning the A.L. East.

After losing a total of 96 games last season, and so far winning 96 games this season, the question comes up; What has been the difference maker for this ball club?

The difference maker beyond a shadow of a doubt has been their pitching.

Not only has 1.) Scott Kazmir, 2.) James Shields 3.) Matt Garza, 4.) Andy Sonnanstine and 5.) Edwin Jackson

All five starters pitched extremely well, but so too has the bullpen.

With the addition of a true closer in Troy Percival and relievers Dan Wheeler and J.P. Howell, the Rays have one of the best bullpens in the game. Percival has really given the Rays' bullpen a whole new dimension, even though he has been a bit injury plagued. He has been successful in bringing a shutdown mentality into the ninth inning of ball games.

With a steep 4.63 ERA, he still has been able to save 28 games, even while missing significant time due to injury.

Wheeler, after being acquired in 2007, which was a deal that sent Ty Wigginton to the Astros, has pitched as advertised with a solid 3.17 ERA and 17 saves. Needless to say, the Wheeler and Percival tandem has been great for the Rays, saving a total of 45 games and winning a total of seven games.

Out of all the new acquisitions and surprises this year, J.P. Howell has been right in the middle of things. Howell was originally a starter, but just didn't cut it. He was then confidently converted into a middle reliever by Joe Madden, where he has shined ever since.

When needed, Howell has come up very big for the Rays in middle innings, pitching with an outstanding 2.22 ERA and 6-1 record. With the three of these guys ready to pitch late in games, it makes it very hard on any team to amount to a comeback against the Rays.

With the bullpen being nothing less than outstanding in the 2008 season, their success has assuredly rubbed off on the starters. Combined, the starting five has 63 wins and only 45 losses. Even though every starter has pitched very well this season, can they hold up? Is this young pitching staff experienced enough to take on experienced teams like the Red Sox or the Angels?

The answer to those questions is, "Yes." Let's not forget that the Rays have the best record at home this season, and being lead by the 2007 strikeout king, Scott Kazmir, they are more than ready and confident to pitch well in any situation.

With Scott Kazmir being the ace of the club, and for him to be successful in October, he needs to manage his pitch count efficiently and have great command with his slider. The ability of Kazmir going deep into games is going to be essential for the Rays. Kazmir's effort can be even more valuable by keeping arms in the bullpen fresh for when Sonnansine's and Jackson's turn comes to pitch in the rotation.

Sonnanstine and Jackson have the two highest ERAs on the team, Jackson with a 4.37 and Sonnanstine with a 4.38. If these two guys can keep the Rays in the game without giving up a major amount of runs, look for the Rays to make a big run in October.

Perhaps the most consistent pitcher on the team, James Shields, needs to do more of the same as he did in the regular season. If there is a guy that needs to be an anchor for this team, it's Shields.

He's had a solid season with a 3.57 ERA and a 14-8 record. Shields has stayed healthy and has pitched great for the team in the past two seasons. With a fantastic one-two punch in Kazmir and Shields, the Rays should be able to make a long playoff run.

The middle guy in the rotation has been Matt Garza. Garza came to the Rays as a bit of a question mark, and with his injury concerns before the start of the season, no one really knew how he'd perform.

Garza has come through and stepped up just as every other player on this team has. Garza has answered every one of his critics by putting up very good numbers. A 3.66 ERA and an 11-6 record forms Garza's best body of work to this date in his young career.

Rays fans, I encourage you to be optimistic and look for more fireworks upon the ones that have already taken place. With the combination of five very good starters and a great bullpen, hits could be few and far between for the Red Sox, Angels, or Twins. The 2008 playoffs could not only be an exciting one, but a historic one.