Bleacher Report - Articles by statboy yankopherson

AL East Preview

statboy yankopherson — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:46:22 -0500

Just like last year—Rays, Red Sox, Yankees?

Back to normalcy—Yankees, Red Sox, Rays?

It could go either way. In fact, the Red Sox could win the division too. In fact, there are six different combinations that these teams could end up in. The only scenarios that are ridiculous would be the Blue Jays or the Orioles making a move. This is because the Jays refuse to produce/buy positional talent, and the O's refuse to produce/buy pitching talent. The Jays pitching with the O's hitting would still fail to approach the power of the top three in this division.

It is not very often that the best three teams in a sport all come from the same division. The NFC East is very good in the NFL and the Western Conference is very dominant in basketball, but neither of those examples are comparable to this situation. The three best teams in baseball literally cannot under any circumstance make the playoffs.

Lets take a look at positional rankings. For the record, this source happens to favor the New York Yankees, but has made a sincere attempt at fairness:

*2pts for a win, and 1 for second, third gets none

Catcher: Posada, Navarro, Varitek

1st Base: Texeira, Youkilis, Pena

2nd Base: Pedroia, Cano, Iwamura

Short: Jeter, Bartlett, Lowrie/Lugo

3rd Base: Rodriguez, Longoria, Lowell

For the infield the Yankees lead with 9, and BOS and TB are tied at 3.

Left field: Crawford, Bay, Damon

Center: Upton, Ellsbury, Gardner/Cabrera

Right: Nady/Swisher, Drew/Balldeli, Joyce/Kapler

DH: Ortiz, Burrell, Matsui

Things tighten up here. Yanks still lead with 11, and BOS and TB are tied at 8.

SP1: Sabathia, Beckett, Shields

SP2: Kazmir, Wang, Lester

SP3: Matsuzaka, Burnett, Garza

SP4: Pettitte, Sonanstine, Wakefield

SP5: Chamberlain, Price, Penny

Yankees: 19, Tampa: 12, and Boston: 11

CL: Papelbon, Rivera, Percevil

SU: Balfour, Okajima, Bruney

Manager: Terry, Joe M, Joe G

FINAL SCORE: Yankees 20, Redsox 16, Rays 15

Injuries always play an important role in the season, so the chance of the division actually finishing Yankees-Red Sox-Rays is still only slightly above 33 percent.

Notes: All three first basemen are very good... Cano is closer to Pedroia than most people acknowledge....Bay may very well be better than Crawford....Right field was the hardest decision (although DH was killer too)—the fact that Swisher and Nady can platoon is what tilted the scale...Rotation scores work out differently depending on what order the players are put in—more proven starters tended to go higher than rookies and injured players.

This is evident in ranking Wang ahead of Burnett in the Yankees rotation, and putting the fifth starters: Chamberlain, Price, and Penny behind the fourth starters: Pettitte, Sonanstine, and Wakefield. However, it is acknowledged that the fifth starters do have the most upside.... Rivera is better than Papelbon (period), but in an true attempt at public fairness, Papelbon was put first..... Managers are all good, and 20 years from now there is a very good chance that Joe G will be considered the best of them, or so my gut tells me.

This is going to be one hell of a season.

Sabathia To Go Out West to Dry

statboy yankopherson — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:38:16 -0500

The west coast is a generally dry area with deserts in the south. The west coast is also dry in a different way—winning. No team from out west has won a World Series since the days of Schilling and Johnson pitching together and Bonds and Glaus slugging it out.

CC Sabathia is going to follow his heart and go out west. Apparently there is no room for a World Series in his heart because he is hiding from it. He is hiding from the pressure and world stage that could have been had with extra money too.

The Yankees are not going to sign Sabathia. In fact, he is just using them to raise a bidding war between his west coast friends anyway.

Instead of ending up with Sabathia, the Yankees will get the best two free agents out there. They are putting on a full court press on Burnett, surpassing the Braves offer, while with the other hand reaching back for more. Also the Yankees are prepping an offer for sheets in the $30 million range.

BURNETT IS BETTER THAN SABATHIA.

When both pitchers are healthy, that statement is correct. Burnett has a better career strikeout rate, and a lower career walk rate than CC. He is the more dominant "ace-like" pitcher.

With Sabathia you know what you are getting. It is true that their is no risk at all. But if the Yankees weren't willing to take a risk, then why wouldn't they just go after the crappy Derek Lowe.

Sabathia's shunning of the Yankees is his problem, and a blessing in disguise for this franchise. Without the $140 million contract, the Yankees will be able to sign Burnett and Texiera.

Burnett is the better option because the Yankees have young guns like Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to fall back on. They can afford the risk of having Burnett, just because the reward is so great, and Texiera is awesome.

Hey CC - have fun watching the playoffs from your couch.

NBA Underrated Player of the Year (So Far)

statboy yankopherson — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:53:37 -0500

Josh Boone was the New Jersey Nets starting Center.

The Nets drafted an outmatched-looking rookie who struggled in those precious few minutes that he got each game.

The Nets were getting eight points and seven rebounds out of the Center position.

In the NBA these days, that is not going to cut it.

Since Josh Boone's injury, the Nets have had to insert that outmatched-looking rookie into their starting lineup.

Outmatched no more.

Brook Lopez has been tearing it up since he took over as a starter. He is averaging close to a double-double with almost 16 points-per-game as a starter. Although he has only started seven of 14 games, he averages over 10 ppg—a very impressive accomplishment for the young man.

The team is now benefiting from the extra six-to-eight points and several rebounds that Brook Lopez is providing.

Lawrence Frank may just be forgetting about the man that he called his starting center at the beginning of the year. Boone's injury clearly had a positive impact on this team.

The Nets have won four of their last six games, and neither Vince Carter or Devin Harris are to blame.

Brook Lopez deserves credit—why isn't the league noticing?

Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, Devin Harris Combine for 50+ in Nets Win

statboy yankopherson — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:19:35 -0500

Fact: Players have higher value when they are young.

Fact: A young team that can win can become a dynasty.

Fact: None of the NBA's top teams are young.

Fact: The Nets are a young team.

Question: Are the Nets a good team?

The Nets pulled out a big win last night in Sacramento. Vince Carter and the kids have shown that they have what it takes to win close games.

Lopez is showing a lot of promise, projecting as a nightly double-double threat. Yi has the shot to score in double-digits nightly. Harris is already an unquestionable leader at this point in his career. Ryan Anderson has a sweet three-pointer. CDR is a good role player.

The Nets are fluttering around the .500 mark. What an accomplishment for this team. They got rid of their veterans, and it is already paying dividends. The fresh legs of this team could probably already take down last year's team with Kidd and Jefferson.

Years ago, the Lakers were a dynasty. They were a dynasty because they had young talent. They did not acquire veteran leaders. No, they had young guns Kobe and Shaq.

The Nets may very well be a dynasty. Right now they are an average team. In two or three years, the Nets' core will be in their prime. They will have a relatively low salary cap, and will be able to sign a good free agent in 2010 to be the last piece of the puzzle.

Imagine: Brook Lopez being a 20 pts/10rbs player competing with the likes of Howard and Bosh for the All-Star start. Harris being a 20 pts/10 assists and making us all forget Kidd ever existed. Anderson will be a forward capable of what Peja could do in his prime. CDR will have established himself by then. Throw ______ into the mix.

Dynasty.

How to Win a World Series 101

statboy yankopherson — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:42:24 -0500

The worst thing you can do is bring in a proven ace.

I know that sounds stupid, but it is true

Would you not rather have a ace prove himself on your team?

You are much better off in terms of young talent and cash if you discover your own ace.

08 - Hamels
07 - Lester (little bit of a stretch)
06 - Carpenter
05 - Buehrle
04 - Pedro (little bit of a stretch)
03 - Beckett
02 - Lackey

*all led their teams to world series wins

In case nobody has noticed, the best way to win is to find, not buy an ace.

One of: Hughes, Kennedy, or Chamberlain will lead the Yankees to a World Series soon.

If it is not them, then it will be another young gun, because the Yankees will have tons of draft picks if they can refrain from the proven aces.

Their is a saying that you hear in school. Advice for a good leader, who wants to prosper and rule for a long time - "use history as an example"

-Niccolo Machiavelli

Whichever team can realize this proper formula for winning wins the world series year in and year out.

Why the Yankees Should Trade for Zach Greinke

statboy yankopherson — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:51:36 -0500

Zach Greinke has proved that he is capable of pitching a full run lower than the league average—in the American league.

He is not just a good arm like AJ Burnett

He is not just an NL proved pitcher like Peavy and Sabathia (I know he won the CY Young in 2007, but he was bad with the Indians recently)

He is not old like Lowe.

He is not in a permanent state of injury like Sheets.

No, Zach Greinke is none of those. He is a young pitcher who could contend for the triple crown with the Yankees offense behind him.

I wonder what the Royals demand?

Phil Hughes: Who is this Character?

statboy yankopherson — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:54:02 -0500

Who is Phil Hughes?

Is he the young gun that throws 94-95, who has a great hook?

Is he one of the most over-hyped prospects ever?

The truth is that nobody knows for sure. He is making big news recently, with speculation as to how good he actually is.

The Facts

Phil was a dominant high school pitcher in California, and was a clear first round draft pick
Phil dominated the minor leagues with a mid 90s fastball
Phil has had no arm injuries—ever
Following his meteoric rise, Phil hurt his hamstring

As any athlete does, Phil had to get his stamina back, and shake off the rust

That grace period is over for Phil.

Then again, he is just 22 and probably has two or three more seasons to prove himself before the doubters can honestly give up on him.

Next year will be Phil's chance to shine, but at the same time, not his last chance. After a short detour, things are looking back on track for this young man's career.

Yankees Ace of 2009 Will Be...

statboy yankopherson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:38:17 -0500

Phil Hughes will step up and anchor the 2009 Yankees rotation.

In his last eight starts (between the AFL, international league, and two with the Yanks) Phil has a 2.45 era and almost 80 strikeouts in just over 50 innings.

Success that is not at the major league level can be discounted fairly easily in most cases. Having a 2.45 era is one thing, but the strikeout ratio is alarming.

He is a for real bonafide ace. Hughes looks like he will be a perennial CY young candidate, and a future hall of famer.

Buy his jersey while the foolish keep giving up on him (that is whenever he actually decides between 34 and 65)

The regular season and the post season are two entirely different beasts. Whether Phil, Wang, Joba, or a free agent addition lead the Yanks during the regular season, I think we all know who their post season ace is. Andy Pettitte.

The Yankees will have a good enough rotation to get to and succeed in the playoffs next year without any new additions.

Phil

Wang

Pettitte

Joba

Ian

Looks like a pretty solid rotation to me.

Ideally the Yanks sign one free agent and start Kennedy at triple A.

CC should follow his heart and go out west.

The Yanks just need to sign a Ben Sheets type player and they will be fine

Phil

Wang

Sheets

Pettitte

Joba

and Ian at Triple A is a dominant rotation.

Philip Hughes will prove the doubters wrong.

BTW, the yanks offense will be much better next year without any additions too. A-rod, Jeter, Swisher, Cano, Posada, and Matsui are likely to improve; while only Damon and Nady are likely to regress.

I think the Yankees are in a better situation than everyone is giving them credit for.

the statman

Brooklyn or Not, Here Come The Nets

statboy yankopherson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:07:56 -0500

In 2002 and 2003, the New Jersey Nets approached the pinnacle of basketball. They were on the brink of making history year after year.

Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Kenyon Martin were a great core. The Nets even brought in Vince Carter to try to finally get the job done and take home the NBA trophy.

It didn't work.

The Nets couldn't get over the hump to become the top team, as opposed to a top team. And as the years went on, New Jersey's hopes at a championship decreased.

Don't get me wrong—the period between 2004-06 was not bad, they were still a playoff caliber team. Many owners would have been content with a solid veteran team like that.

The Nets looked at the situation in a more unique way.

They took the logical philosophy that if you have an aging team, then you will never get better. They aborted their mission, and decided to build for the future—they never wanted to see the day when they were old and bad.

The Nets let Kenyon Martin walk away, then proceeded to trade away Kidd to the foolish Dallas Mavericks. In return for the aging star, the Nets received Devin Harris.

Harris looks like he is going to be a all-star caliber point guard. After never accomplishing 30 points in a game, he did so three times in a row recently.

Then, the Nets went on to the next stage of their plan. They traded away Richard Jefferson, the man who led their team in scoring last year, for a project named Yi Jianlian. He is a project that should be well worth while—he has a sweet shot.

In one of the most impressive draft day performances in recent memory, New Jersey got Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, and Chris Douglas Roberts.

Lopez has the size, strength, shot, athleticism, and most importantly the attitude and understanding of the game to become an all-star center.

CDR is a slasher who can cut into the lane and create, and Anderson is leading the league in three-point field-goal percentage to date.

Sure, they were bad last year. Sure, they are going to be bad this year. The thing is, they saw disaster chasing them, and the escaped.

Now the Nets are ready for a possible move to Brooklyn and will show up in style. This is thanks to Kiki Vandeweghe and Rod Thorn building this team, which will consist of Harris, Douglas-Roberts, Lopez, Anderson, Yi, Sean Williams, and Josh Boone for years to come.

This is a good young team that also has a lot of cap room. They will be ready to add a star, move to Brooklyn, and content seriously for an NBA title sooner than you think.

An example of a team that made a mistake is the Washington Wizards.

They were going nowhere fast, and had a lot of cap room. What did they do? They resigned their big-name veteran players, Gilbert Arenas, and Antwan Jamison.

In not copying the Nets formula, the Wizards have virtually rid themselves of any chance of real success in the near future.

Struggling and aging teams around the league should try to employ the Nets superior tactics, and find that 'Dallas' team that will give you an golden egg.

All your team has to do is wait for it to hatch. The Nets are waiting patiently right now, and I think we are beginning to feel the very first signs of life.

Why Hasn't the Economic Plague Reached NYC?

statboy yankopherson — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:06:56 -0500

In 2000, the entire country was rocked by the so called "subway series" between the Yankees and the Mets. NYC flourished, as their fans got to enjoy success that no other city has ever enjoyed. They got to see their two beloved teams reach the pinnacle of the sport. The New York baseball teams clearly have enjoyed solid success over the years.

Recent times haven't been so kind to the city that never sleeps. The Yankees and the Mets both had what it took to be successful to a certain extent. Year in and year out, you would see one of them, if not both of them, playing October baseball. Many would consider that type of production to be great, or at least par.

In New York, that type of play isn't appreciated. The somewhat spoiled New York fans seem to take the approach of World Series or bust. The city has not enjoyed that pleasure since that cold October night back in 2000. Was that glorious day the top of the mountain, or have the last few years just been a bump in the road?

Lets face it, the economy is bad right now. In fact, we just had a presidential election in which the means of fixing our economy was the deciding factor for approximately 60 percent of Americans. Therefore, New York and its teams should be doing worse than ever right now, correct?

Incorrect.

The two New York teams have more reason than ever for optimism. This economic crisis that is hitting our country really hard can't find NYC. It is in its own bubble shield, protected from any kind of plague that causes frugality.

Hank Steinbrenner and his New York Yankees are in a much better position than most people realize. They truly do have an ace in waiting in 22 year old Phillip Hughes. They have a strong core, which everyone knows is important to anything—your body, your team, etc...

This strong core consists of Jeter, A-Rod, Wang, Chamberlain, Cano, Rivera, and Posada. At the same time, they have all the money in the world to work with. They can go out and address those positions which I didn't mention and give several big-name players a blank check.

CC Sabathia seems like the kind of guy that could anchor a staff for years. A.J. Burnett seems like just the kind of pitcher that Hank will drool over. The Yankees can sign both of these high profile pitchers, and still significantly reduce their payroll.

A rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte, and Chamberlain is hard to top. What if Burnett gets injured? This is where that young phenom Phil Hughes comes into play. They will have a strong, young, and deep rotation that could win them 100-105 games next year.

The only other place that the Yanks need help is in the outfield, and maybe first base. The Yankees have a new stadium coming in next year, which will provide plenty of revenue. They can address their rotation, first base, and the outfield without worrying about the price. What a luxury.

The Mets have a really strong core, but are a little weak in the supporting cast. They have a few stars performing up to hype, but need some role players, depth, and durability.

Their offseason has Derek Lowe written all over it. Schneider is a real grinder. Reyes, Beltran, Wright, Santana, and Wagner are all worthy of having teams built around them. The Mets are strong up the middle.

They are two durable starters, two or three relievers, and an outfielder away from becoming the class of the National League. They can achieve that in Lowe, Abreu, and a few more pieces. As with the Yankees, the Mets will have tons of revenue coming from their own new stadium.

New Yorkers deserve to hold their heads up high. They seem to have survived the economic crisis well, and will enjoys the bounties of that for years to come. The Nets are even moving to Brooklyn soon. The Giants look like a threat to repeat. Favre is leading the Jets charge. D'Antoni's squad looks decent on paper.

New York is the place to be.

2009 World Series: Yankees V.S. Mets

Start spreadin' the news. I'm leavin' today. I want to be a part of it, New York, New York....good old Frank

until next time,

-Statman Yankopherson