Bleacher Report - Articles by Scott Alfano

Ralph Wilson: We're Moving Games To Toronto To Keep The Team in Buffalo

Scott Alfano — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:15:59 -0400

In a gutsy move to revitalize his small market team, Ralph Wilson has announced that the Buffalo Bills have reached a deal to play 8 games per year in Toronto for the next five years.

Under the terms of the contract, the Bills will play their preseason games in Orchard Park, practice at a local high school during the week and have each home regular season game at the Rogers Centre.

"I've been involved with this team my entire life and it would be my nightmare to see the team moved out of our beloved Buffalo. I feel extremely fortunate that we were able to reach an agreement to play our games in Toronto in order to keep our home here."

Wilson later added, "Besides the 'New York' Jets and 'New York' Giants play their games in New Jersey. We have felt a little selfish being the only football team to play its regular season games in New York all these years. This way, Jets and Giants fans will no longer feel left out."

When asked how he felt, a local fan put it simply. "Ralph Wilson is a jackass."

Burnett Pies Castillo in The Face Following Latest Yankee Walkoff (Humor)

Scott Alfano — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:54:26 -0400

A.J. Burnett has struck again.

Following the Yankees' seventh walkoff win this season, A.J. Burnett pied the man responsible for the win, Luis Castillo.

Friday night, the Yankees were down by one with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth. Alex Rodriguez, known for his performance in clutch situations, came to the plate and hit a routine pop fly to Castillo.

However, rather than putting the game away, Castillo instead let the ball bounce off his glove and hit the grass. Both runners scored, and the Yankees took the game.

While the majority of Yankees could be seen celebrating at home plate following their improbable win, one camera caught a swift A.J. run to his locker for a pie out of the collection he keeps in the back of his locker, run out towards right field, and absolutely wallop an unsuspecting Castillo in the face.

When asked why he did not pie Alex Rodriguez following the win A.J. responded, "A-Rod? I might as well pie Chad Curtis while I'm at it. We couldn't have won tonight without Castillo's help."

Burnett's move was unprecedented, as it was the first time a player got pied in the face by the opposing team since Leon Lett in Super Bowl XXVII in 1993.

When asked for his reaction, Castillo looked down at his feet, then looked back at the camera and responded, "I'm just honored to be a part of the rich history of the New York Yankees. Now I will finally be remembered in Yankee glory among the names of Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle and Melky Cabrera for their ability to give the Yankees the win in the clutch."

Later, Castillo was seen talking to John Sterling to coordinate times to film his Yankeeography.

K-Rod couldn't be reached for comment following blowing his first game of the season.

Selena Roberts Losing Her Credibility As Professional Journalist

Scott Alfano — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:28:00 -0400

I don't blame Selena Roberts for what she is doing to Alex Rodriguez. Being in position to land possibly the biggest story of the year independently is not something many of us would give up. However, as more of her book gets into the media, her once professional reputation is starting to drop as fast as A-Rod's.

Anything that has to do with steroids directly, in my opinion, is still fair game. If she's discovered that Rodriguez actually did steroids in high school and/or during his tenure with the Yankees, I believe it's something at least viable to get in the open.

Now hearing more about Rodriguez's sex life and how his teammates do not like him is not news. There are many many players in ALL sports who go to clubs and who aren't very good teammates.

And now hearing that Rodriguez demanded a ready and able toothbrush after every game? Roberts is seriously getting into fourth grade material.

I am a die hard Yankees fan and I wouldn't wish this woman on Curt Schilling or Jonathon Papelbon. Next she will let us know that Rodriguez kicks puppies in his spare time when not making kids in hospitals cry.

Selena needs to remember how she gained such a positive reputation and go back to that. These Hollywood tabloids have no place on ESPN every night.

Brett Gardner Has Me on The Edge Of My Lazyboy With Anticipation

Scott Alfano — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:53:24 -0500

I can't explain it.

There are many Yankees that will trump Brett Gardner's numbers this year. He's going to hit less than 10 home runs and not have many RBI.

Yet I can't think of a single player I'm more excited to see this year than him.

Of course I can't wait to see what CC, Teixeira, Wang and Joba are going to do.

There is more hope to this season than there has been in a while. The team is younger, more dynamic and will have much better chemistry than recent Yankees' teams.

I can see Gardner hitting .315 with 50+ stolen bases.

I know probably 75 percent of people disagree with me.

"Can see" and actually happening are very different. First, Gardner needs to win the starting job over Melky Cabrera over the next few weeks.

I love Cabrera's arm.

Unfortunately it might be the only reason there's still a question as to who will open the new stadium in center.

I think we have come close to seeing Cabrera's ceiling and it's just not enough.

Of course, most of this is nothing more than a hunch.

Gardner dominated his final year in college (as thousands of players from D-I to D-3 do every year) and has had a good average and on base percentage in the minors.

The only stats I could, with good conscience, use to support my psychic hunch are his stats the second time he was called up to the Bronx.

He hit .294 and looked a lot more comfortable at the plate. Then again, I still have the "don't fall in love with a rookie at the end of the season" rule in the back of my mind as well.

His speed is obviously his biggest asset.

He's a threat to steal anytime he's on the bases and Girardi can't wait to use him. It will bring a new weapon to the team that hasn't been seen in years.

At the least, he will be a solid defensive replacement when needed, and can be the automatic pinch runner late in close games.

At most, he will compete with Damon for the lead-off spot in the lineup and lead the American League in stolen bases.

Most likely he will wind up somewhere in the middle. An everyday player solidly in the nine spot with dozens of stolen bases.

Here's to picking him with my last draft pick on my three fantasy teams.

New York Rangers Continue To Donate To Others' Playoff Chances

Scott Alfano — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:33:59 -0500

Another game, another two points lost. 2-5-3 in their last ten, the Rangers are quickly falling out the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. As a fan, I thought the Rangers' last loss to Toronto was heartbreaking, little did I know what potential they still had to disappoint.

In the Rangers first game with new head coach John Tortorella, the players started off the game looking strong, quick, and aggressive. For the first time in a while they looked like they were trying to win rather than trying to not lose. Then, right on cue, the Rangers gave up a late 3rd period goal and eventually lost in a shootout.

Still, the team had earned one point and looked extremely energized for the first two periods.

Tonight started off the exact same way, they event produced a rarely seen goal less than 20 seconds into the game, though it was overturned (more on that later). The Rangers had numerous chances throughout, again, the first two periods of the game, yet they entered the 3rd period with just a 1-0 lead.

I should have known by now to expect something to happen. Like a Bills' fan in the early 90s, I actually believed we had a shot at winning. Again, with less than 10 minutes left the Rangers gave up a goal. That's alright, I thought, just hold on for eight more minutes, secure 1 point, then let Lundqvist do the rest. However just 60 seconds later Florida scored again, giving us our final score of 2-1.

Lundqvist bails out the Rangers more than the government bails out GM. Yes, the game was lost, but to no fault of King Henry. He has always been more than solid in goal, and in the last 3 games he's given up a total of 4 goals in regulation. When a hockey team cannot win a single game with those stats, how can they expect to do anything?

Zero points earned in a game the Rangers had a 41-22 shots advantage. More chanting of "fire Sather". I'm starting to wonder if Tortorella is already regretting signing on the dotted line to take over this team.

Getting back to Dubinsky's overturned goal early in the 1st period, I have no words other than I'm stunned. I understand at first the refs weren't sure if the his stick was above the crossbar or not, I wasn't too sure either. Then they showed a replay which clearly showed his stick under the bar.

I had no worries about this one. "Sure, let them review it for a minute" I said to a friend watching the game with me, "when the goal stands, it'll just put more energy into the building for the rest of the game".

The next thing I know, the puck was dropped and there was no goal on the scoreboard. I'm baffled at why headquarters in Toronto said not to review the goal. If I were Tortorella, I would immediately put the game under protest, if nothing else, to prove a point and to get the fans that haven't jumped on his bandwagon yet to climb aboard.

Despite not having many positive things to say about the Rangers' latest fumble, I am starting to see a better team emerge from Renney's last stand. I'll admit, I liked Renney. I didn't agree with the decision to see him go. But after just two games under Tortorella, I'm happy they made the change.

In the first two periods of each of Tortorella's first two games, the Rangers have looked like a fast and powerful team. After just a little more time together, days not weeks, I think the Rangers are going to find their stride just in time for a momentum filled run into the playoffs. Let's just hope they don't trade away their youth at the trade deadline.

My Top 10 Yankee Moments of the Past 15 Years

Scott Alfano — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:41:02 -0500

I have been fortunate enough to grow up minutes from Yankee Stadium. So of course I have my own favorite Yankee moments from the last dynasty. Some moments are the ones everyone loves. Others are moments that you might not have noticed if you don't watch them on a daily basis. In any case, these are my top 10 favorite moments in recent Yankees history.

Begin Slideshow

A-Rod Wants To Be In The Hall Of Fame? Pete Rose Will Beat Him There

Scott Alfano — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:12:54 -0500

In the wake of learning of Alex Rodriguez's past steroid use, we once again have many more questions than answers.

Let's forget he used anabolic steroids, and whether he's actually sorry. The main point to be discused is whether or not admitted (or documented) steroid users with Hall of Fame numbers should be allowed into the Hall.

The short answer is not until Pete Rose gets in first.

The list of records Pete Rose holds is staggering. The cliff-notes version—most career hits (4,256), most career games played (3,562) and most seasons of 200+ hits (10).

He has an NL-record 44 consecutive games with a hit. He is the only player in MLB history to play 500+ games at five different positions. He has won World Series titles, MVPs, Gold Gloves and he is a 17-time All-Star.

Pete Rose was banned from baseball in 1989 by then MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti after the "Dowd Report" described details of Rose's gambling on baseball. Not only did Pete Rose bet on baseball, but he placed bets on various baseball games, including the Cincinnati Reds as the team's manager. He was publicly shamed, and thrown out of the baseball world.

Fast forward twenty years and Rose looks like a saint compared to the players in the game today.

As of now, there are a handful of players that have had their names tarnished by positive steroid tests, and there are literally more than 100 others who we do not know about yet.

The home run numbers that were posted in the late '90s across the league were almost silly, but there are no questions about Rose's total hits, his consistency or his All-Star appearances. Pete Rose really produced all those records, and for that, the Hall of Fame should feel fortunate to have Rose as a member.

There are members of the Hall of Fame that have engaged in their own cheating and have had no major threats to be kicked out of the Hall. Gaylord Perry is in the Hall with more than 300 victories and more than 3,500 strikeouts, but we don't know are how many victories and strikeouts could be attributed to Perry's famous spitball.

Performance enhancing substance? Yes. Cheating baseball? Yes. Hall of Fame? Yes.

Pete Rose's offense against baseball hurt in a moral fashion, but his gambling did not have any affect on his career stats. While this is not a plea to allow Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame, I believe it is very important that Pete Rose be admitted to the Hall of Fame before a single player from the Steroid Era makes it in.

It's the only way baseball's Hall will have any credibility in the years to come.

Sean Avery Could Save New York's Season

Scott Alfano — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:43:45 -0500

Yes, Sean Avery is hated by nearly everyone in hockey. Yes, he enjoys being the pest of the NHL. However, if there's one team that can make it work, it's the New York Rangers.

With reports surfacing in the past week that the Rangers are possibly looking to bring Avery back, there are mixed emotions by all. The Dallas Stars are happy they won't have to deal with Avery and his antics anymore. Gary Bettman is fearing the day Avery makes it back on NHL ice and Martin Brodeur is shaking in his leg pads.

In the 2005-2006 season, the New Jersey Devils won their last 11 games, took the Atlantic division on the last day of the season and then swept the Rangers in the first round. However, the next time they met in the playoffs in the 2007-2008 season, the Rangers took the series 4-1, much of it from Avery getting into Brodeur's head.

Avery distracted Brodeur in front of the net by facing him and getting his stick and hands just inches from Brodeur's face, blocking the goalie's view of the game. Players, fans, coaches and announcers knew Avery was the league's poster boy for being a pain, but this move instantly put Avery on another level. The only thing that made this even worse? Avery scored later on the same shift.

The next day, the league adopted the “Avery Rule” so the antics could not continue. As a Rangers fan, I was simply amazed at what he was doing. Admittedly, if I had been a fan of any other team in the NHL I would want the Devils to knock him out of the game and/or series.

I'm not saying everyone on the Rangers loved what he did. All I'm saying is you cannot deny Avery's positive presence on the Rangers that season. They were under .500 when they acquired Avery in February 2007. The Rangers went 17-4-6 the rest of the way with him. His play was not the reason for the turnaround, but his acquisition seemed to breathe life into the team—a breath the 2008-2009 Rangers desperately need.

The Rangers started this season 5-0-0 and 10-2-1, but started falling around the All-Star break and suddenly looked lost. The Rangers have established that they are a low scoring team with a strong defense. They have enjoyed being the definition of blue collar hockey. However, when the Rangers are losing 1-0 games and are hoping for goals rather than expecting them, changes need to be made.

New York City just fits for Avery. It's a city big enough to fill his need for the limelight and there are enough fashion shows to keep him out of trouble off the ice. As much as the Rangers need Avery for emergency help, New York is the only city that could accept Avery.

New York is used to extreme personalities on its teams and historically has rallied behind them. For the most part, Rangers fans appreciate the hard work Avery puts into the game. They realize that though he loves playing the villain, he's not half bad at producing goals either.

At just 5'10", he can be compared to David Eckstein in terms of getting a lot done with not much to work with. Having a positive fan base and a team that believes in him, Avery will also work harder for the Rangers than he would for other teams.

Now with Avery clearing waivers, the Rangers can pick him up for half price, with the Dallas Stars paying the other half of his salary. At a discount like this, it's an opportunity the Rangers should not let slip away. Avery is a scrappy player with a lot of heart, and that is what the Rangers need to make something out of a season that had so much promise just five months ago.

New York Yankees Relief Package on the Way

Scott Alfano — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:06:36 -0500

With the Yankees moving forward from their first season without a playoff berth since the strike shortened season in 1994, the Yankees have completely revamped their lineup and starting pitching with the additions of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixiera. One area that may be just as successful, but with mainly homegrown talent, is the Yankees' bullpen.

Like clockwork, Mariano Rivera will once again be closing out games. Coming off the best statistical season of his career including just one blown save, Mariano is looking to show the minor arthroscopic surgery to remove calcification from his throwing shoulder will have no impact on his performance. Along with Mariano, the Yankees will be heavily relying on both Brian Bruney and Edwar Ramirez to take a chunk of the bullpen innings.

Last year was supposed to be Bruney's breakout season. He had lost close to 25 pounds during the 2007 off-season and was in the best shape of his professional career. Unfortunately he quickly wound up on the disabled list and most of his season was lost. Now, at 27 Bruney has lost nearly 40 pounds in the last two years and is ready to take the helm as the Yankees' setup man for Mariano.

Edwar Ramirez, one of the more soft spoken players in baseball, is also ready to let his strikeout totals speak for him. A former 2007 Minor League Baseball Reliever of the Year, Edwar has established himself as a legitimate big league relief pitcher. Last season, Edwar finished with 63 strikeouts and a 3.90 E.R.A. in 55.1 innings of work. Look for Edwar to be a strong component of the Big Three along with Bruney and Mariano.

Relievers with more questions include Damaso Marte, Jose Veras, and Dan Giese. Dan Giese was the Yankees' long reliever last season, and while he had a solid season, he was injured late in the season from the workload. How he performs in April will be a strong indicator of how much the team will depend on him throughout the season.

Expect Jose Veras to be erratic this season. He throws a heavy fastball in the mid 90s and a solid slider around 80. He spent much of last season under the teachings of Mariano Rivera, and that should help him, but he is not a finished product yet. The Yankees will treat strong pitching from Veras more as a bonus than a necessity.

Damaso Marte came in a mid-season trade along with Xavier Nady in exchange for Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Tabata, Jeff Karstens, and Dan McCutchen. While the Yankees were not looking for a lights out performance, it is safe to say Marte did not perform as they expected and there is no reason to think that will change this season.

Looking at the rest of the AL East, the Boston Red Sox are the only team with a stronger bullpen. A relief featuring Johnathon Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson, Takashi Saito, Manny Delcarmen, and Javier Lopez, the Red Sox bullpen is still the force to be reckoned with in the AL East.

Overall, the Yankee bullpen should perform better than it did last season, both because younger pitchers are honing their skills and the starting pitching is much stronger. With CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Chien Ming Wang in the top three slots, the bullpen should get a lot of rest after taking care of Joba Chamberlain and Andy Pettitte's shorter starts.

Also, look for the Yankees to begin grooming either Edwar Ramirez or Brian Bruney as possible successors to Mariano's throne.