Bleacher Report - New York

How Rutgers Can Transform New York into a College Football Town

Dave Turner — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:22:37 -0500

Last night's Pac-10 matchup between Oregon and Oregon State, dubbed "The Civil War," was about as close as a football game can come to actually being war.

The two teams battled back and forth before Oregon finally outlasted its rival Oregon State, 37-33, to clinch a berth in the Rose Bowl, Oregon's first since 1995.

It was a fantastic display of college football and was as entertaining as sports can be.

You may ask, what does this game have to do with New York? The answer is simple: This is the kind of college football that the Big Apple misses out on year after year.

It was fitting that the Jets were tabbed to play in the NFL's Thursday night game. I think it would be safe to say that many of the people in the New York Metropolitan area, if they in fact were watching football tonight, chose to watch a lackluster Jets-Bills game that saw both teams struggle to move the ball at times.

How many New Yorkers missed out on watching Jeremiah Masoli make clutch play after clutch play or watching as pandemonium ensued at Autzen Stadium once the final whistle had blown?

The answer is, probably not too many. But certainly it is no secret that New York is not a college football town.

But there is hope.

Hope lies in the lands of the school that played in the first ever organized college football game, the school that was once so bad that it was the laughingstock of its own conference but now is on the cusp of becoming a national power: the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

With no other FBS (or I-A) teams in the New York area, Rutgers has already established itself as a draw in the area, which has led to a stadium renovation. Really, though, all of the hype surrounding the team has stemmed from their one marquee win, a 2006 win in dramatic fashion 28-25 over then No. 3-ranked Louisville.

Some may debate how big that win was, but being a resident of North Jersey, only 15 minutes or so from New York itself, I can say that the win resonated all over the area.

People who I knew never to care about college football were talking about the game for days, and it created a never before seen frenzy surrounding college football. To think that was just one game.

The New York area, for all of its sports, is a split market. The NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL all have multiple options for fans to root for. For Rutgers, they are pretty much unopposed other than competition from fans who like an out-of-market team already.

This could have a unifying factor in an area where Met fans are constantly at war with their Yankee fan brethren, and Giants and Jets fans are constantly fighting for Meadowlands supremacy. The New York area can come together to root for the Scarlet Knights.

So what is the point to this argument? It's simple. Rutgers is poised to break out next year, as a promising freshman class began to lead the boys of Piscataway late in the season and is set for a tremendous year ahead.

If Rutgers starts playing multiple games at the level of the Louisville game, the sky is the limit for how big college football could become in New York.

While the pro game is fun, there are many things that college football has that cannot be found in the NFL. For one, the tailgating and insanity prior to a major college football game are unrivaled. Hundreds of crazy—and usually inebriated—college students and alumni pack the parking lots early to take part in the pregame festivities.

There is a passion and a desire among the players that is not seen, as for many players their last few games as a college player will be their last. As someone who has spent time in an NFL locker room, I can say that almost all of the players carry their tremendous school pride with them even into the NFL.

College football needs New York, as it has never really gained a footing in the biggest television market in the country. New York needs college football as well, and it will need Rutgers to be competitive, considering that minus the Yankees and the Giants most of the teams in the area have had less than satisfactory results in recent years.

Certainly a few things could be done to make this happen.

First off, the Big East needs a championship game. Whether it is the NCAA lifting the rule on conferences having 12 teams in order to have a Championship game, or if the Big East takes on a few more programs, a championship played at, say, the new Meadowlands Stadium annually would become an instant hit.

Rutgers and its coach Greg Schiano are at a crossroads in their program. If they are able to take the next step, Schiano could become one of the biggest figures in New York sports, and Rutgers could become a national powerhouse. Soon the Scarlet Knights may be playing games where thousands of fans storm the field after a big win to take them to their first ever BCS game.

Watch out for 2010, the year where college football could become big time in the Big Apple.

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NFL: Liver's Week 13 Thursday Night Pick

Adnan Tezer — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:45:00 -0500

Five things dawned on me as I sat in a Starbucks while writing this. No. 1: Last week’s games SUCKED . No. 2: Starbucks still charges for Internet usage. No. 3: In L.A., even the baristas try to scoreboard their own customers who talk about their scripts being optioned by talking about their own. No. 4: As my friend Eric the Lions fan would say "They burn their coffee." No. 5 and most important: When you date a girl who works at a Starbucks, expect to be shown gratitude with a Starbucks card.

Of course it goes without saying that the following pick AGAINST THE SPREAD is for RECREATIONAL USE ONLY . Only Rick Pitino, LeGarrette Blount, Donte’ Stallworth, Braylon Edwards, Bob Griese, Miguel Cabrera, Tila Tequila, Bill Belichick, Steve Phillips, Travis Henry, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Tony Romo, Elizabeth Lambert, Tiger Woods, Richard Heene (a.k.a. Balloon Boy’s father), the Liver’s biological father (a.k.a. The Most Interesting Man in the World) and all Somali Pirates would be drunk enough to question the Esteemed Liver's pick.

Last week’s record: 6 —9 —1

2009 record against the spread: 106 —68 —2 (.609)

Thursday, December 3

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (+3) (in Toronto)

Looks like Mark Sanchez shook off the effects of that hot dog last weekend. Then again maybe it was just that he was hitting his receivers instead of throwing picks. The last time these two teams played each other produced that disgusting 16-13 overtime Bills win back in Week Six. The Sanchize threw five picks in that one. This isn’t going to be much of a home field advantage for the Bills and the Jets can actually PRETEND that they have an outside shot at a wild card. I want to take Buffalo but injuries to their secondary and offensive line have just gutted them. Personally, I’d rather be Tiger Woods’ PR man right now then have to pick this game but…Pick: N.Y. Jets

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New York Mets: Moving David Wright To First Base

Dave Meisel — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:11:52 -0500

I heard this idea come up again a few days ago. I've kicked it around, and I'm going to make a case for it. I'm not sure that I believe in it 100 percetn, but, again, I'm just seeing where going in this direction takes us. This sort of plan gears more towards "building for the future."

David Wright, while he has been a Gold Glove third baseman twice, is not an elite fielder. His UZR has never been that great—never in the top tier of MLB third baseman. He's been above average a few times, but never a real standout. He does not have a strong third baseman's arm—just watch the throws he makes versus the throws A-Rod makes. A-Rod has the arm to side-arm sling the ball across the diamond with accuracy EVERY time.

Wright has struggled with his arm slot in the past, switching from over-the-top to side-arm and back again. Since the middle of 2008 he's had trouble throwing the ball down the line (towards home, if looking at first base from second base) and making low throws in the dirt. However, he does have great reflexes and great hands for backhanding the balls to his left and right. He has good range. But again, the arm puts a damper on his third base ability

I'm confident that David could learn to play first base well. He is an open-minded, smart, team-first ballplayer. First base is one of the least complex positions to learn on the field. Furthermore, the move to first allows the Mets to make several changes that I am attaching to this argument.

Move Wright to first, and sign Chone Figgins. Wright should give the Mets at least what Carlos Delgado gave them, which was average to below-average defense at first base. Chone Figgins would be an improvement over Wright, as Figgins is a true elite fielder. He also can play multiple other positions, and could gear the Mets more towards being a speed-oriented team-perhaps molding them in the form of the Anaheim Angels. The Mets already steal a good amount of bases, and Figgins could add another 40-steal guy to the top of a lineup that already has Jose Reyes.

Now, with these changes in place, I would not advocate signing Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, or any high-profile position player this offseason. They would probably have enough money after a Figgins signing to get Lackey. For left field, I would advocate "building for the future."

For a year, you could plug the spot with Angel Pagan. You also allow Fernando Martinez to compete for the job in Spring Training, along with Chris Carter and maybe, in the future, Ike Davis (who has played RF during his minor-league tenure). However, ultimately there is an odd man out...which, conveniently enough, leaves trade bait that the Mets could readily move-perhaps for some more pitching depth.

It's an idea to think about, because I would be comfortable with this plan knowing that it allows the Mets to a) make a high profile signing(s), but b) still build for the future by allowing young guys to compete for the spot in left field and c) leave a prospect open as trade bait, whether it's Davis, Martinez, or even Pagan, who teams seem to like.

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Classless Nets Force Interim Coach Tom Barrise To Endure Futility

Leslie Monteiro — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:44:33 -0500

The Nets hired Kiki Vandeweghe to be the head coach and Del Harris to be the assistant coach on Tuesday afternoon, but here's the kicker.

Those two won't be coaching until Friday night so the organization forced Lawrence Frank's loyal assistant to go be the victim of history for the wrong reasons.

Rod Thorn assigned Tom Barrise to coach the Nets tonight with the idea that Vandeweghe would coach without the burden of breaking the record for most losses to start the season.

The Nets had no shot against the Mavericks hence why Barrise received the assignment, and as expected, the Mavericks enjoyed a 117-101 victory against them that helped the Nets start the season with the most losses ever at 18 without a victory.

This was no way to treat a loyal organization guy in having him coach a game that he was bound to lose.

Vandeweghe should have coach this game instead of waiting until Friday night. That's what coaches actually do not chickening out.

What difference does it make if he coached and lost this one? No one would care one way or another.

To take an easy way out does not reflect well on Vandeweghe and the organization. Even if Thorn approached him about waiting till the next game, Vandeweghe should have told his boss that he wants to coach now rather than later.

Barrise looked helpless from start to finish in this game. The players barely paid attention to him when he gave instructions in the huddle, and the referee's ignored him when he pleaded to them for some calls.

It sounded like his players expected defeat once the game started.

Of course, the Nets hatched up the intensity by going after loose balls and throwing bodies around along with trading baskets with the Mavericks, but in the end, we knew what would happen, and deep down, Devis Harris and company knew it.

The Nets don't play defense, and it showed when the Mavericks easily went to the paint in scoring their points.

Vandeweghe will have to teach these guys how to defend if this franchise will ever be a championship contending team, and based on his work with the Mavericks and the Nuggets as a developmental coach, one wonders if he is the right guy when it comes to working on defense.

This is going to be his biggest test as coach. He talked about how he expects his team to make progress under his watch, and a good indication of that will come based on how the team defends.

It's going to take a long time until we see improvements when one looks at how bad they are defensively going back when Lawrence Frank coached the team.

When the game was over, Barrise wanted no part of talking to the media or being around anyone.

It's hard to blame him for that.

The Nets can talk all they want about giving a guy a shot to coach at least two games, but from this perspective, it's about humiliating a guy for no reason.

If Barrise wanted to get his true shot, he would coach the rest of the season.

It's unfortunate this happened.

This team deserved to break the record for the way it conducts themselves on and off the court.

Here's hoping Vandeweghe start off his coaching career with 18 straight losses of his own.

It would serve him and the organization right.

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Solving the Mets' Problems: The Eight-Step Solution

Michael Ganci — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:21:27 -0500

Let me start off by apologizing. Work has been crazy, but I am back. I am not going to let the naysayers keep me from posting, so there. I am here, and I am ready to go. I decided that today would be as good a day as any to construct my offseason guide for what the Mets need to do. I am going to go step by step for what may be a cost-effective and solid way of getting this team back together. This team has money to spend, but we all know that the Wilpons have been swindled in the Bernie Madoff scheme a lot more then we are being lead to believe. Let’s start off with what has already been done.

1) SAY GOODBYE TO JJ AND EXERCISE PELFREY’S OPTION:

These moves were both no brainers. A lot of people seemed to think that the Mets were going to exercise the option on Putz solely for the purpose of marketing him to other teams, but there is a slight problem with that. Putz has no value, and now he may have to settle for a contract from somebody looking to take a gamble. This was a nice move to set the Mets up to spend some money on a solid reliever to replace him. More on that later. Now it’s time for moves the Mets should make, starting with the ones of larger magnitude.

2) SIGN JASON BAY TO PLAY LEFT FIELD

I am one of the few people that seems to prefer Bay over Holliday. And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with the dropped fly ball that Holliday had in the post season. I just love Bay’s compact swing, and I think he would be a beast at Citi Field. He has an ability to hit to all fields, and his defense has been better than what was previously advertised. He would be a very nice guy to slip in somewhere between 3-5 in the lineup.

3) SIGN BENGIE MOLINA TO PLAY CATCHER

I know what you are going to say. He is fat and old, and while both of those statements may be true, he is a good hitter that knows how to handle a pitching staff. Schneider was pretty good at working with the pitchers, but my grandmother has a better bat. The Mets can ill afford to have a guy in there that is going to be an automatic out, so Bengie would be a nice fit. The key here would be to keep him fresh, so keeping a guy like Santos around as the backup would probably be a smart plan. I know we saw some nice things from Thole, but I really think he might benefit from another year in the minors to keep going and learning. This is a guy who needs to play everyday at whatever level he is at.

4) SIGN ORLANDO CABRERA TO REPLACE ALEX CORA

The versatility is what makes Cabrera a nice option. I know Cora did well in his role as a fill in, he is aging and his clock seems to be ticking. We saw what could happen if he was thrown into a prominent role. While he was a good leader, his numbers dropped as he got more and more exposed. Cabrera could be a nice guy to give Castillo, Reyes and Wright the occasional day off. I would also let him take ground balls at first, which is another problem we need to address.

5) SHOW TRUST IN DANIEL MURPHY

The Mets can really afford two big offensive signings, but we both know that it isn’t going to happen. I like what we saw out of Murphy last season. We saw him get into quite a funk, but he was able to dig himself out of the rut and he eventually would make his stats climb to a respectable level. The kid clearly has talent, and if the Mets come into next season healthy and with another bopper like Bay, they can afford to have Murphy hit sixth. He could be a dangerous hitter from there. His patience bodes very well.

6) RE-SIGN COREY SULLIVAN TO BE FOURTH OUTFIELDER

I like what I saw out of him last year. He was a solid fielder for us who showed some spurts of power. He can hit, and he is versatile in being able to fill in out there. Along with Angel Pagan, the Mets are pretty set out there. With a starting outfield of Bay, Beltran and Francoeur and those two on the bench, I would be comfortable.

7) SIGN ONE OF JASON MARQUIS/JOEL PINEIRO TO BE IN ROTATION

I know everyone wants Lackey, but he may command upwards of $15 million. If the Mets invest big money in an outfielder, then they are going to be more willing to explore second-tiered guys. Marquis has a history with Jeff Francouer, who said that Marquis was dying to pitch for the Mets. With his ground ball tendencies, Citi Field would really be a nice place for him to pitch. Then you have Santana, and you allow Maine, Pelfrey and Perez the chance to duke it out with some veterans you bring aboard for depth.

8) SIGN JOE BEIMEL AND OCTAVIO DOTEL TO ROUND OUT BULLPEN

That could be the final step to success. I know what you are asking. Why would I bring aboard Beimel if the Mets have Feliciano? Maybe because it’s not human to have a guy work like Pedro does. The Mets have been ecstatic with what they have gotten out of him, but another year of this treatment might lean to burnout, and then we might face the scary truth of allowing our righties to pitch to lefties. That would be catastrophic. Dotel has said he’d like to return to New York, and as long as he’s healthy, he might be a nice guy to step in the void left by Putz.

There’s a lot to do. I know a lot of you are going to disagree, but let me ask you. What would you do to fix this team?

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Don't Be Fooled: The Carl Pavano Edition

Michael Ganci — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:17:34 -0500

There were few stories that were better to watch this year than Carl Pavano’s re-emergence into baseball. After winning just nine games from 2005-08, Pavano came back with a vengeance this season, winning 14 games for a Twins team that made a remarkable run to the playoffs. As good of a story as this has been, there is worry that comes out of this. I am afraid that Omar Minaya might try and sign Pavano to the Mets.

Anyone else see a problem with this? We all know that the guy has talent. Heck, the year before his career went into the crapper, he won 18 games and he was the king of the world, but everything crashed around him. He couldn’t stay healthy and he made the Yankees pay for their rather large investment. They got nothing in return, and I am afraid the same fate might be in store for the Mets if they make this epic mistake.

I understand the temptation, but we have to realize what happened last year. We had the core injured, and all of us loyal fans watched this team crumble like a Jenga tower. It was painful, and a guy like Pavano seems like a recipe for disaster.

One thing that makes my stomach turn is the concept of Yankee fans rubbing it in. Fresh off of their new World Series win, they would love nothing more than to stick it to us. They have felt the pain caused by Pavano.

The only thing they would like better than him landing with the Mets is if he signed to play on the Red Sox. If the Mets want a low risk high reward pitcher, a guy like Brad Penny or Rich Harden would make more sense.

Please, stay away from this guys. He has mistake written all over him.

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Would Signing Chien Ming Wang Be Right for the Mets?

Michael Ganci — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:15:28 -0500

Rumors across town are circulating about the status of Chien Ming Wang and whether or not he will be tendered a contract by the Yankees. Most people around baseball seem to think that the Yankees will not offer him a deal, but they may try to bring him back at a much cheaper price.

It has recently been reported that Wang got an excellent report from Dr. James Andrews and he may be 100 percent by the middle of April. You can add his name to the list of low risk high reward pitchers that the Mets might consider signing. Guys like Rich Harden and Brad Penny also would come up in that conversation.

Wang will turn 30 in the beginning of the 2010 season, and he has a stellar career record of 55-26. Maybe the Mets could lure him to this side of town by offering him a deal that is stacked with incentive rewards.

Truth be told, it's probably unlikely that this will come to fruition. It may have a negative affect on his marketing in Taiwan, and it also seems like he wants to remain a Yankee. It is compelling to think that Omar might be able to lure him away. This is a guy who won 19 games in two consecutive seasons. You cannot do that unless you have talent.

Let the rumor mill keep on swirling. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

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State of the Minors With Jonathan Mayo

Michael Ganci — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:13:06 -0500

Recently, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to conduct an email-based interview with MLB.COM writer Jonathan Mayo.

Many people know him around baseball circles for his expertise with the youngsters in baseball, and since the Mets’ minor league system has been so scrutinized over the past couple of years, I thought we could get a “State of the Union,” so to speak. So without further adieu, enjoy.

Daily Stache: If you compare the Mets to the rest of the league, how would they stack up in terms of their minor league system?

Jonathan Mayo: They’d still land near the bottom. As was evident when there wasn’t a whole lot to come up to replace the many injured big-leaguers, they’re particularly weak at the top of the system.

There are some interesting young arms from international scouting efforts and Ike Davis looks legit, but there’s still not much there.

Stache: Fernando Martinez hasn’t been able to stay healthy. What would you say is the long-term prognosis for him?

Mayo: I’d say it’s still a good prognosis. His knee is healing fine and he’s slated to play winter ball in the Dominican. While it does seem like he’s been around forever, he’s still just 21 years old.

Even though his big-league stint was less than thrilling, he still showed glimpses of what has had scouts excited for the past few years. Be patient, I still think that bat speed will play just fine in the big leagues.

Stache: Ike Davis has been tearing the cover off of the ball since the season ended? Do you think he will be a good first basemen at the major league level, and if so, when?

Mayo: I do think he’ll be a good first baseman at the big-league level and he’s probably not too far away from getting there. I think you started to see some of the power he’s going to develop.

It remains to be seen just how much power he’ll hit for ultimately, but he’s a decent athlete who should be a very good defensive first baseman while being a good run producer when all is said and done.

I think he can be ready to contribute at some point in 2010, with a full-time gig in 2011.

Stache: Who would you say is the best starting pitcher in the Mets minor league system?

Mayo: While I’m still a Brad Holt believer, I think most are looking at Jennry Mejia as the next “guy.” His stuff is absolutely electric and scouts were raving about it during his stint in the Arizona Fall League.

Yes, his Double-A stats weren’t overwhelming and yes, he could improve on things like command and his breaking ball (a slider).

But he has so much movement and such a live arm, it’s hard not to be excited about him. He’ll pitch all year in 2010 at age 20, so even if he starts the year back with Binghamton, he’s way ahead of the curve.

Stache: K-Rod is only signed for two more years. Do you seeing there being anyone the Mets have that they may be grooming to take over in a couple of years?

Mayo: Not really. I don’t know what happened to Eddie Kunz. I, for one, thought he’d be that guy, or at least helping out as a valuable setup man by now. He’ll be just 24, so there’s still time, but I don’t think anyone looks at him and sees future closer these days.

You never know when there might be a starter who gets converted and takes to short relief, but I don’t see anyone that jumps out at me as an heir to K-Rod.

You could keep an eye on Ugueth Urbina’s kid, Juan, if he can’t cut it as a starter. But that’s a ways away.

Stache: Do you think Aroldis Chapman is going to be the real deal and do the Mets have a shot at signing him? Would that be a wise investment?

Mayo: I’m of two minds when it comes to Chapman. The first is that he’s absolutely legit and that kind of stuff doesn’t come around very often. He’s young, he’s shown he can perform on big stages already, so yes, it’s a worthwhile investment.

At the same time, however, there are many cautionary tales regarding Cuban pitchers (Ariel Prieto, I’m looking at you), so one should at least pause.

That being said, would the Mets even consider being that aggressive on this front? They’re not in the Draft, but have been more active internationally, so that should be interesting to watch unfold.

Stache: Do you think there are going to be any solid guys in the Rule V draft that the Mets should keep their eyes on?

Mayo: It’s too early to tell as teams are still setting their rosters, but there are always guys worth keeping an eye on in the Rule V.

Pitching is usually the best way to go, so I’ll throw out two possible names for you: Lefty Chuck Lofgren from the Indians and righty Kevin Pucetas from the Gaints.

Stache: Who is the best Mets’ prospect that nobody talks about?

Mayo: I’m becoming a big Jeurys Familia fan. Mejia gets most of the buzz because his stuff is off the charts and he’s at an advanced level while still being really young. But Familia shouldn’t be overlooked.

He finished second among full-season pitchers in ERA in the organization at 2.69, led the system in wins (for whatever that’s worth) and finished fifth in strikeouts.

He’s not perfect, for sure, and has a ways to go, but he pitched all year at age 19 in full-season ball, was extremely durable and got better as the season wore on.

Stache: Tell me about Josh Thole. We saw a brief stint of him in 2009, and he seems like a quality hitter. Is he the real deal?

Mayo: He’s hard guy to peg as a prospect. I think his lack of power does have him under-appreciated. I really think the guy can hit and will hit for average and get on base if given the chance to play.

Whether he can catch well enough to be more than a backup remains to be seen, but it won’t be for lack of effort. He does have limited upside since he won’t be a run-producer and doesn’t run, so you can’t put him at the top of a lineup.

That being said, I’d love to see someone give him a legitimate shot at a big-league job, as a backup or otherwise.

Stache: What has happened to Nick Evans? He went from major hype to afterthought. Do you think he is just going to be a backup?

Mayo: I think the hype was overblown completely. The Mets have long believed Evans could hit, but it’s not like he was setting the world on fire in the Minors at any stop. He certainly hit well in Binghamton in 2008 prior to his callup, but in some ways the worst thing that can happen to a prospect is to find immediate success in New York.

You spent one hot week or month there (like his July and August in 2008) and suddenly you’re the greatest prospect on the face of the earth. This past year was pretty much a lost one for Evans, but he’s still only going to be 24 next year.

Who knows what can happen long-term, but I think backup or 4th OF, though one who makes a solid contribution, sounds about right.

For more on Jonathan Mayo, you can check out his blog, B3: Big, Bald and Beautiful , go to his official site , or follow him on Twitter . The Daily Stache thanks him for the opportunity.

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Possible Bench Option: Chad Tracy Edition

Michael Ganci — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:02:32 -0500

Chad Tracy could make for a nice addition to the Mets. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

We all know that the Mets have plenty of work to do. They need to fix their lineup, bullpen, minor league system, and starting rotation, just to name a few issues. But one thing that people need to remember is the bench, and one guy who comes to mind that might qualify as a high-risk, high-reward option for the bench is Chad Tracy.

He could be the power bat we have been missing the last couple of years off the bench.

I know what you are going to say in response. The guy had two good seasons in Arizona. In 2005-06, Tracy hit 47 homers and knocked in 152 RBI, but since then, his stats have taken a steep turn downward.

A major reason for that was the injury bug. Tracy found himself on the DL, and he was surpassed on the depth chart by both Connor Jackson and Mark Reynolds. When he came back healthy, he found himself as the odd man out, and that is the way it has remained since then. I think he wasn’t really given a fair shake, and the Mets could take a flier.

He would serve a nice purpose. Tracy could back up both first and third, and he could be a valuable asset as a late-inning pinch hitter off of the bench. I have definitely heard some worse names thrown out there. Remember, Tracy is only 30, so this could be a positive solution for more than just this year. Maybe he will eventually become our everyday first basemen.

I know. Slow down and wait.

I like the Mets taking a chance in this case. Low-risk, high-reward is certainly the way to go in terms of the bench. We need change, and it’s about time Omar goes out and does something.

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Rutgers Looks To End 14-Year Drought Against West Virginia

Andrew Weaver — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:06:07 -0500

Nineteen-Ninety Four.

It was the year when Nancy Kerrigan’s legs were taken out by one of Tonya Harding’s thugs. Bill Clinton was President of the United States. Kurt Cobain died. O.J. Simpson was “in the news.” And there was no World Series because of a strike.

Certainly, a lot happened in the U.S. in 1994, and most Americans can recall each of these culturally significant events.

But something else happened in 1994 that was significant to a smaller group of people—something that hasn’t happened since.

It was the last time Rutgers beat West Virginia on the college football field.

Remember that one? You might not, and that’s okay—you’re probably are not familiar with what a “fat sandwich” is, either.

But think about that!

Fourteen years!

Since then, the Rutgers football program has gone through three coaches, including Greg Schiano, but has failed at defeating the Mountaineers year-after-year-after-year-after-year-after-you-get-the-point.

Coach Schiano has gone “oh-fer” in his eight years coaching the Scarlet Knights, and it’s no surprise West Virginia is the only Big East team he hasn’t taken down.

So, to say Rutgers is due for a victory against the Mountaineers is like saying Bill Clinton “likes-him-the-ladies.”

And although West Virginia has had Rutgers’ number for (virtually) ever, the past few matchups have given each team a run for their money.

In 2008, Rutgers left Morgantown with a 24-17 loss after failing to convert a fourth down late in the final quarter.

But last year’s defeat was nothing compared to the historic matchup on the last week of the 2006 season which pitted a 15th-ranked West Virginia versus a 13th-ranked Rutgers.

If you are unfamiliar with the result of the game, this picture about sums it up.

For those who are familiar, please accept my apologies for reminding you (I’m still getting over that one).

So, while recent years have carried modest optimism going into this game, West Virginia week always comes with a grain of salt.

We Rutgers people like to think of WVU as rivals, but Merriam-Webster may disagree.

According to M-W, “rival” is defined three ways: (1) one striving to obtain something that only one can possess; (2) a companion, associate; and (3) an equal, peer.

Okay, let’s see how that works.

Definition 1: Sure, Rutgers is always striving to possess a “win,” I suppose, they have just done an awful job in the last decade plus.

Definition 2: Ehh, not so much. I’m not sure companions would constantly refer to each other as “hillbillies” or “guidos.”

Definition 3: Here’s the big red flag. When you haven’t beaten a team in this many years, it’s pretty aggressive to consider them “equals.”

Rutgers has arguably beaten better teams than West Virginia in the past 14 seasons, so why can’t Rutgers figure them out?

Are they simply in Schiano’s head?

It would be foolish to disregard the idea that Schiano is unaware of his coaching record against the Mountaineers, so that could have something to do with his game-planning.

Is it some sort of curse?

Does the aroma of fried raccoon fur somehow scramble the brainwaves of players and coaches wearing scarlet?

(I kid, 'Eers fans. We all drink Jager-bombs in place of water and use pounds of hair gel, I know, I know.)

Whatever it may be, I have a feeling this could be the year the tables turn in favor of the Scarlet Knights, and here are three reasons why.

1) Turnovers

West Virginia turns the ball over. A lot.

They have 22 giveaways this year, and Rutgers leads the nation in turnover margin.

Tasty matchup, right?

Greg Schiano should be licking his chops.

2) A Let Down Game

Last week, the Mountaineers exercised some 2007 demons by defeating the ninth ranked Pitt Panthers at home on a field goal as time expired.

Pair the win with the fact that it was Senior Day for the Mountaineers and they are set to face a Rutgers team who hasn’t won in a decade and a half, and you end up with a classic let down scenario.

Not to mention, it has been rumored that the 'Eers will be invited to the Gator Bowl, regardless of the outcome of the game.

3) The Protection of 'R' Turf

The Mountaineers boast a respectable 8-3 record, but all three of their losses have come away from Morgantown.

Rutgers, on the other hand, has played extremely well at home over their last five games.

West Virginia’s worst loss of the season was a 30-19 defeat at South Florida on Oct. 30.

Rutgers’ best win of the season was a 31-0 spanking of South Florida in Piscataway on November 11th.

It was also the last time Rutgers played at home.

Just saying.

In addition, it’s Senior Day for Rutgers, which means the seniors will be playing their last home game “On The Banks.”

Oh, and there will be over 10,000 more fans packing Rutgers Stadium than the last time WVU came to town.

You can bet that Rutgers Stadium will be overflowing with energy given the magnitude of this showdown with West Virginia.

And to top it off, a win will likely secure a spot in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against an ACC opponent, possibly against the Miami Hurricanes.

It’s been a long 14 years, but a win this Saturday will wipe the slate clean and turn a new page for Rutgers Football.

Last home game of the season, against a division “rival,” on Senior Day, at noon on a Saturday, televised on ESPN, and with a chance to go to the best bowl game the program has ever been to?

Sounds like a storybook ending, 14 years in the making.

R!!!

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Big December Starts Tonight For The New Jersey Devils

Carlos Figueiredo — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:36:46 -0500

The Devils play 15 games in December, matching their high for any month this season (they also play 15 in March).

Of those 15 games, 10 of them are at home, the most in any month for their ‘09-’10 campaign.

The Devils have now won six in a row at home, after starting the season 1-4 on home ice. Looking over their home schedule for the month, it’s very possible for the Devils to go at least 7-3 at home before the new year.

The December home schedule includes (with records as of 12/2):

Tonight vs Vancouver—14-12-0 (4-8-0 on the road)

Friday vs Tampa Bay—10-7-8 (4-5-4)

Saturday vs Detroit—13-9-4 (5-5-2)

12/9 vs Carolina—5-17-5 (0-10-3)

12/11 vs Florida—10-12-4 (7-6-1)

12/12 vs Philadelphia—13-10-1 (5-6-0)

12/16 vs Montreal—12-13-2 (5-7-0)

12/18 vs Ottawa—13-8-4 (3-5-1)

12/28 vs Atlanta—14-7-3 (8-2-1)

12/30 vs Pittsburgh—19-9-0 (10-5-0)

As you can see, only three of those 10 teams (Pens, Thrashers and….the Panthers? Really?) have winning records on the road, but the Panthers are a beatable team at home.

Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Philly will likely be the toughest home games in December. Of course, you can pretty much pencil in Carolina winning their first game on the road against the Devils because, well, that’s what the Devils do.

Their road schedule for the month is a bit tougher (at Buffalo, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Washington, and Chicago), so it would be very nice to see the Devils continue their recent success at home right through the new year.

The Devils also play four sets of back-to-back games during December.

With Johnny Oduya, Jay Pandolfo and Rob Niedermayer all coming back from injuries in the next few games, the team should only get stronger as the month goes on.

December should show all Devils fans exactly what this team is capable of, but I have a feeling that they will continue to show us that they are a playoff calibre team…with as good a chance as any other team in the league to go all the way.

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An Interesting Addition: Billy Wagner Joins Braves—How Will Mets Respond?

Michael Ganci — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:52:30 -0500

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

When Billy Wagner returned from injury last season, I didn’t think the Mets were going to have much use for him. I was actually at Citi Field when he made his return, and the crowd was clearly excited to see him.

He returned with a vengeance, and he pitched so well that the Mets were able to trade him for two players to be named later.

Although he only pitched in 15.2 innings during the 2009 season, he was valuable in limited work. He had a phenomenal 1.72 ERA, and he struck out an astonishing 26 hitters during that span.

Now he is reaping the rewards. Wagner inked a one-year pact today worth $7 million to be the closer for the rival Braves.

Boy, doesn’t that make for an interesting storyline.

We all see where this is going. At some point during the season, Wagner is going to become a thorn in the Mets’ side. Then he is going to say something that is going to upset the fanbase. Billy has a history of speaking his mind, so don’t be surprised if he tries to stir the pot to get the Braves back into the divisional conversation.

Wagner comes in to replace the colorful Mike Gonzalez, who the Braves seem to be letting roam to greener pastures. Reliever Rafael Soriano hit the market as well, so this will hardly be enough to keep the Braves’ pen intact.

The Mets need to respond to this. The Phillies took Brian Schneider. I would respond to that by saying thank you. Then the Braves pick up Wagner, and that is more of an impact move. The Mets need to retaliate.

Sorry Chris Coste, you are not a retaliation. Coste already has paved his way to the exit by saying that he will always be a Phillie. Why don’t you make me puke?

Here’s an idea. How about a new bullpen addition? The Mets let J.J. Putz walk, so why don’t we go after someone that the Tigers allowed to walk? I am talking about Brandon Lyon. He has always been dependable, and he is coming off of a rock-solid season.

Word is that the Yankees are interested. Answer me this: Who aren’t the Yankees interested in?

The bottom line is this. Money talks, and it’s time for the Mets to make a statement.

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New York Giants: Bedlam in The Big Apple

Robert Domaine — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:58:37 -0500

There is something wrong in the Big Apple. Watching the New York Giants this season has been like watching an episode of the Twilight Zone.

Trying to diagnose where it all went wrong is extremely difficult. The fact remains, this isn't the same team we have all grown accustomed to for the past five years.

This week, Antonio Pierce was the seventh Giants player to be placed on the dreaded IR list. Hearing this news made me throw my hands up in the air like AP in the photo above.

What else can go wrong? The laundry list of players on IR, sitting out games, or playing injured is too lengthy to list here. Let's just say injuries are a top two reason for the Giants poor season thus far.

People will yell, "All teams deal with injuries, and that it isn't an excuse." They are right to some extent, but not in this case. This is not an excuse; it is a fact and a dismantling of starters on a very good team.

I saw things that I had never seen before this year. I saw Easy Eli lose his cool on the field and yell at a fellow player. I've seen Osi go absolutely ballistic on the sidelines during the Thanksgiving game.

Basically, I saw the players' frustration boil into a rage. But what are they upset about? Is it the play calling or the players' performance? What exactly has gotten this team so unraveled this year?

I leave that up to the reader to decide. Some fans are clamoring for the heads of DC Bill Sheridan and OC Kevin Gilbride. There is no question that the play calling on both sides of the ball have been suspect all season.

How much of that is the coaches' fault and how much of it has to do with playing second-stringers, I don't know. I do know there will be changes made next season.

Every area of the team has experienced some sort of decline. The offensive and defensive lines haven't performed up to their usual standards.

The running game hasn't been very good. Even the special teams have had issues with Tynes missing FG's and Jeff Feagles having arguably his worst season ever.

If there is one bright spot on the team, it has to be the wide receivers. Funny enough, the wide receivers were the area of most concern for Giants fans before the season started. Everything is upside down.

This Sunday, the Cowboys come into town in first place in the NFC East. This will be a battle, as division games are always the toughest. The Giants will need to play this game like they have nothing to lose because in truth, they don't.

They are at a crossroads, and the time has come for a change in the play calling and overall attitude. It is time to see what tricks the coaches have up their sleeves and let it all hang out before we tumble any further down the rabbit hole.

The Giants play the Eagles and Redskins back-to-back following the Cowboys game. That is three division games in a row during the second half of the year. Brutal in terms of scheduling.

The G-Men will need to suck it up and continue to fight through their worst season in years. The coaches are frustrated, the players are embarrassed, and this team has their backs up against a wall. This makes them very dangerous.

The Giants know that Sunday's game against the Cowboys could seal their playoff fate. A loss would be devastating to the rest of their short season.

In the words of the immortal LT, I expect this team to come out like a bunch of crazed dogs and win this game on sheer pride.

My final score prediction is Giants 24, Cowboys 21.

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Yankees' Prospect Jesus Montero: The Best Catching Prospect in Baseball?

Greg Fertel — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:30:05 -0500

Adam Foster of Project Prospect thinks so , and heaps a ton of praise on the 20-year old. He says that, "we see Jesus Montero as a potential once-in-a-generation hitter. And to us, that gives him the edge over Santana and Posey, even though Montero is a poor bet to stick at catcher."

That last note is the only reason this is debatable. If offensive talent is all that is being discussed, Jesus Montero wins hands down.

Offense is only part of the picture, though. Most scouts don't believe that Montero will be able stick at catcher, but there are a minority who do.

The way I look at it is that he's just 20 years old and the Yankees will give him every chance to remain at catcher, hoping he becomes an adequate one. If not, it seems like his likely position is first base or designated hitter.

There is the chance that he gets tried out in a corner outfield spot, but he doesn't have the mobility to cover the necessary ground out there.

In the comments, Foster continues to point out just how impressive an offensive player Montero is. He talks about how Montero's strikeout rate is well below the average Double-A player, and he is still so young.

His contact ability, along with his expected power project to create a hitting monster. As a hitter, Montero is right up there with Jason Heyward, the Braves' prospect who is probably the best hitter in the minors.

While Foster does state that he doesn't believe Montero will stick at catcher, he doesn't address the ramifications of that.

Let's say that No. 2 ranked Carlos Santana arrives in the majors as an average defensive catcher, and Montero arrives as an average first baseman. In order for Montero to hold more value than Santana, he would need to put up 25 extra batting runs.

That is a pretty stark difference, and one that is very difficult to assume. This is the primary reason I think the Yankees should do everything that they can to keep Montero at catcher.

The difference on the defensive spectrum is so huge that even if Montero is a well below average catcher (-10 runs defensively), the Yankees will probably get more value out of him when he's behind the plate.

Add in the fact that Mark Teixeira is at first base and designated hitters are always available, it's a no-brainer to keep Montero at catcher as long as possible.

Back to the original argument, is Jesus Montero the best catching prospect in baseball? I'd have to say no, because I just can't get myself to project him as being 25 offensive runs better than the next best catching prospect.

Hopefully Montero can stick at catcher, but if not, the Yankees have other talent in the pipeline.

I asked Foster if Austin Romine was close to making the list, and he said that it was very hard to leave him off, but the level of catching talent in the minors was high enough to warrant it.

It's fair to say that the Yankees have a top 5 catching prospect and a top 20 catching prospect, putting them in good shape for the future.

And this is before even discussing guys like Kyle Higashioka and Gary Sanchez...

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What if the New Jersey Nets Had Hired Avery Johnson?

Janet Kessler — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:27:15 -0500

The New Jersey Nets have just announced GM Kiki Vandeweghe will be their new head coach. Best of luck to ya Kiki.

What if they had hired Coach Avery Johnson?

Why not, Johnson is still available! After all we're talking a former Head-Coach of the Year recipient with play-offs and finials experience.

He was a stellar point-guard in his days, and got a ring with the San Antonio Spurs. His only fault is when he became a coach he forgot to hang up his jersey and shoes.

Could his strong, taller than his height persona be the thing the New Jersey Nets need?

Johnson could be a strong disciplinarian, just ask Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki. Johnson once fined Dirk $10,000.00 for kicking a ball in training camp.

There was no actual harm to Dirk, he was just clowning around, or the ball for that matter...Even though it had cleared the gym rafters when Johnson nailed Dirk with the fine.

Johnson would create unity in the Locker-Room!

Yep! Just ask any of the current or former Mavericks that he coach how rock-solid the Locker-Room was during his tenure. It was so together that after what would be the last game Johnson would coach, six members of the teams went to owner Mark Cuban for a meeting of minds.

These were the top members of the roster, they requested either something be done with out-of-control Johnson or Cuban could find trades for all of the six players present at that meeting...The rest as they say really was history!

But wait! We could ask current Nets star point-guard Devon Harris.

Harris came to the Nets from the Maverick you know.

After Johnson declared Harris the starting point-guard at the start of the 2007 season, Harris never got to be in charge of the offense. Johnson insisted on running the point from the bench.

Johnson tried that same offensive scheme later, after Dallas traded with Jersey for Jason Kidd. That really worked out well...for the opponents that is.

Last season Harris seemed to bloom and come into his own with the Nets.

Oohh maybe Johnson to the Nets would be Devon Harris' worse nightmare come true after all. Wake up little Devon, it was just all a very bad dream!

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Is Angel Pagan Drawing Trade Interest for the Mets?

Onan Coca — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:23:50 -0500

Fox Sports is reporting that Angel Pagan is drawing interest from "several" teams. One of the reported teams is the Kansas City Royals, who would like to trade Jose Guillen.

If the Mets consider for one second trading Pagan to acquire Guillen, they should be contracted . Pagan is a better hitter, a much better fielder, and much cheaper.

Guillen, on the other hand, is expensive and has proven time and time again to be a cancer to the health of every ball club he has been a part of.

If the Royals really want Pagan , perhaps a deal could be built around sending Alberto Callaspo and a pitching prospect or two.

Other teams that might have interest in Pagan include the Padres and Cubs, who are both searching for a CF.

For the Padres, the draw would be that Pagan is cheap and is under team control for three more years. The Cubs have a gaping hole in CF, and with Kosuke Fukudome playing a bad RF and Alfonso Soriano playing a horrendous LF, Pagan's plus defense would be a huge help in CF.

Could the Mets work out a deal for Adrian Gonzalez using Pagan as one of the pieces? Do the Cubs have prospects the Mets could use to plug some holes? I think that these are probably both ideas that Omar Minaya and the Mets front office will pursue in the next few weeks.

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Yankees Interested in Former Red Sox Pitcher Brandon Lyon

Anthony Emerson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:12:09 -0500

MLB Trade Rumors has reported that the New York Yankees are interested in former Boston Red Sox reliever Brandon Lyon.

Lyon, a Type B free agent, formerly of the Detroit Tigers, posted a 2.86 ERA with a WHIP of 1.11, and a record of 6-5 last season. The Tigers offered him arbitration, which means that Detroit will get a supplemental draft pick if Lyon sign anywhere other than Detroit.

Lyon, 30, spent his 2003 campaign with the Boston Red Sox. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates mid-season, then traded back to the Red Sox a week later.

He was part of the trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks to get Curt Schilling prior to the 2004 season. He did not appear in a game with Arizona until 2005, and stayed with the D-Backs until after the 2008 season. He then signed with the Detroit Tigers.

Lyon was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1999 draft, and made his debut with the Jays August 4, 2001. He stayed with the Jays until he was placed on waivers and was picked up by Boston on October 9, 2002.

Lyon's best season was in 2007 when he posted a career best ERA of 2.68 with a record of 6-4 and a WHIP of 1.24.

Lyon could be a good set-up man out of the Yankees bullpen, and he could provide a lot of relief to a bullpen with a few question marks left in it.

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NY Mets Outfielder Angel Pagan Has Trade Value

Phil Hoops — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:11:32 -0500

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi over at FoxSports.com are reporting that numerous teams have been discussing Angel Pagan to be their potential starting center fielder.

Outside of the Kansas City Royals, it is not yet clear who exactly is pursuing the 28-year-old outfielder although the article suggests that the Brewers, Rangers and Cubs could all have some interest.

Last season in 88 games, Pagan hit .306 with six home runs and 32 RBI with an OBP of .350.

The question is should the Mets consider trading him if there a solid offer is made?

Personally, I’m torn on this subject. On one hand, Pagan is an injury risk and has made numerous trips to the DL throughout his career. As a matter of fact, the 88 games he appeared in this year were a career high.

Additionally, he made some questionable blunders last year on the base paths as well.

Still, this is a guy who is signed very cheaply and hit over .300 last season. To me he’s a guy that would fit the role of fourth outfielder perfectly and can come in off the bench and hit, if needed.

What do you Mets fans out there think? Am I overvaluing Pagan? Should Omar try move him?

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The Strengths and Weaknesses of the New York Rangers

Hot Stove New York — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:49:16 -0500

The Rangers are in a freefall and it looks like the only thing that can stop them is the break in the schedule.

With no game until Saturday, now’s a good time to break things down and list all of the Rangers’ strengths this season:

Marian Gaborik can score goals.

Ok, that about wraps that up. Now for their weaknesses:

Henrik Lundqvist is having a subpar year. The defense is porous in front of him but he still lets in far too many goals that should be stopped. Hopefully, he’s just in a slump.

The defense is too soft.

The defense has too many breakdowns.

The defense is constantly out of position.

The defense lets too many opposition forwards stand alone, untouched in front of the net.

The defense chases the puck around in their own zone, leaving opposition players wide open.

The defense can’t stop anybody from scoring touchdowns in the red zone...oops, sorry, getting the Giants’ freefall mixed up with the Rangers’.

The whole team is too soft, getting pushed around like a bunch of ragdolls.

Dave Maloney should be the TV color man instead of Joe Micheletti .

Nobody can score a goal except for Gaborik.

The team doesn’t have any defensive-minded forwards.

The team doesn’t have any offensive-minded forwards.

The power play has stopped scoring goals.

The penalty kill has started giving up too many goals.

The effort comes and goes. They’re consistently outworked by the other team, slow to the puck, slow to forecheck and slow to backcheck.

John Tortorella ’s attacking, defense-is-an-afterthought style of play may not fit this team. They’re thinking offense first, yet still can’t put the puck in the net.

And it all leads to bad defensive zone coverage. If a coach is supposed to get the best out of his players and put them in a position to succeed, Tortorella’s not doing it.

Their salary-capped-out situation has forced the roster to be constructed with a mix of young, still-learning guys (especially on defense), disastrous contracts (Michal Rozsival , Wade Redden , Chris Drury , et al.), offensively challenged forwards, one scoring threat and Donald Brashear .

I’m sure I’m missing a few things here and there. Their defensemen are scoring, so I guess that’s a positive, and they’ve been sticking up for each other now and then lately.

Sure, they played decently in their last game but that was in comparison to the absolute disasters that preceded it (and they still lost by three goals).

Right now, the Rangers are a bad offensive team, a bad defensive team, with bad special teams and bad goaltending.

Is there a miracle cure? Only hard work and a prayer can help them now.

And sudden career-ending illnesses to Rozsival, Redden, Brashear and we’ll throw Glen Sather in there, too, for good measure.

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The Double Agent: Why Tony Romo Is the Key to a Giants Playoff Run

Kyle McMorrow — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:29:50 -0500

When the season began, Giants fans' only concern was if New York would get the No. 1 seed throughout the playoffs.

As the season progressed, expectations lowered to just winning the NFC East; now Big Blue fans are wondering if the Giants will even make the playoffs at all this year.

Some have given up, while others remain optimistic, but the truth is the season is still within New York's control, and if the Giants are going to make the playoffs, it starts with the Dallas Cowboys.

With only five games left on the year, the Giants will need to win every game or hope that a team ahead of them stumbles to make the postseason; enter Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys.

While the term "choke artist" may not yet apply to the Cowboys, it certainly does to their leader Tony Romo.

Since 2006, Romo has yet to have a quarterback rating of over 80 percent in the month of December and has thrown 19 interceptions. In addition to his poor numbers, Romo has proven to fail in the late weeks of the season—most notably the fumbled hold on a chip shot field goal that lead to the Cowboys' demise in the 2006 NFC wild card game against the Seattle Seahawks.

In 2008 Romo once again came up empty in a must win game against the Philadelphia Eagles. With one of his poorest outings of the season, Romo threw for only 183 yards and accounted for three of the five Dallas turnovers.

When asked after the game how he deals with a tough loss, Romo simply replied, "I wake up tomorrow and I keep living," perhaps signaling a careless attitude.

Eerily enough, Dallas also started hot last year at 8-4 before finishing 1-3 in the month of December to miss the playoffs.

In addition to his decline in production, Romo has also been sacked more times in December than any other month since 2006, including an astounding 12 sacks last year, a higher total than all other months combined for his 2008 season. That's another indication he is just not comfortable in the month the NFL season now enters.

Romo is now 5-8 in December starts, and with New York, San Diego, and New Orleans on tap, Dallas is going to have a hard time maintaining its division lead with a quarterback who has cracked under less stressful times. Without the Terrell Owens safety blame to fall back on, Romo will have to face the music this time around if he is unsuccessful in leading the Cowboys to the promised land.

If his struggles aren't enough cause for concern, Romo is also suffering from a sore back, and if the Giants can get some pressure, things can get scary in a hurry for Dallas fans.

It's no secret the Giants will need all the help they can get if they want to have any chance of making the playoffs this year. With Romo's track record, Giants fans have to like their chances of New York taking a wild card spot away from the Cowboys, or possibly stealing the division.

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How Greg Paulus Saved Syracuse Football

Adam Fier — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:14:27 -0500

Forget the record, forget the stats and forget the losing.

The short lived Greg Paulus era at Syracuse was a success.

At first glance, a 4-8 record sounds like more of the same for a program that could not get out of its own way since the reigns were handed to Greg Robinson five seasons ago.

After four years of regression, Robinson was shown he door in favor of Doug Marrone, a former Syracuse lineman and play-calling wizard for the high powered New Orleans Saints.

Marrone was given a roster of underachievers that lacked talent, but more importantly lacked leadership.

As enjoyable as it was watching Arthur Jones, among the teams lone bright spots in 2008, the football program lacked direction and lacked an identity.

Enter: Paulus.

After four years of playing basketball for national powerhouse Duke, Paulus found a loophole and decided to use it for a year of playing college football at national laughingstock Syracuse.

Paulus, a hometown hero who played his high school football a short drive from the Carrier Dome and Christian Brothers Academy, came back to lend his hand (and right arm) to rebuilding a once proud program.

In the four years prior to his lone season under center at Syracuse, the football program won ten times. Combined.

Paulus led Syracuse to a disappointing 4-8 record, however beyond the record and beyond his pedestrian stats (13 TD, 14 INT, 2025 yds, 67% COMP), he immediately changed the culture during his first start.

Playing behind a below average offensive line and a number one wide receiver who hadn't played a single snap the year before, Paulus had Syracuse within a few minutes of an opening night victory against Minnesota.

After throwing an interception in overtime which would eventually cost Syracuse the game, the mood in Central New York was filled with something they had grown unfamiliar with: hope.

Hope is a dangerous thing, as teams both professional and collegiate like to hide behind hope and use it to disguise mediocrity, however after four seasons of having nothing to cheer for, Paulus proved that his new football program was not going to be dead on arrival in 2009.

The season was filled with an unsightly amount of injuries (including potential first round draft pick and defensive star Arthur Jones) as well as the off the field and eventual loss of Williams, who had become Paulus' go-to guy and is himself a potential early round draft pick), yet despite roadblock after roadblock, Paulus had his team competing week in, week out.

There were ugly losses (Louisville), inspiring victories (Rutgers), and at season's end, Syracuse was a handful of breaks away from being 6-6 and bowl eligible in spite of all the adversity they dealt with.

Paulus, playing both his first and last year of collegiate football, may not have helped turn his team into an instant contender, but he certainly helped them regain respectability.

His leadership will undoubtedly have an impact on players like Ryan Nassib, who shared snaps with Paulus throughout the year and is likely to be the guy leading the offense in 2010.

At the end of the day, programs and teams are judged on wins and losses, and by that measuring stick, 2009 was a disappointment, filled with plenty of the mistakes and misfortune that have seemed to plague Syracuse during this recent stretch of futility.

Syracuse fans should be encouraged to look beyond the losing, and appreciate the efforts of a young man who played with heart and who made one of the more impressive transitions an athlete has ever made in recent history.

Bold statement? Maybe, but you're talking about somebody who hadn't thrown a meaningful football pass in more than four years, all the while was going through the trials and tribulations of playing at one of the most prestigious basketball programs for arguably the most recognized and accomplished coach in the sport at the college level.

Syracuse fans should appreciate Greg Paulus for the hard work, dedication and commitment to winning he brought to a program that had lost its way and certainly lost hope.

Thanks to Paulus, they've found both.

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Brandon Jacobs Not Playing Up To His Salary

Gavin Bedell — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:22:18 -0500

Close your eyes. Bring yourself back to the 2007-2008 NFL Season, when the New York Giants 6'4'', 264 pound running back was bulldozing over linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs.

Brandon Jacobs helped the Giants run over the NFC and beat the almost undefeated, 18-1 (every Giants fan loves saying that) New England Patriots.

Fast-forward a year to February 26, 2009, when the Giants rewarded Jacobs with a four year, $25 million extension. The extension went unquestioned.

Now, back to the present day.

Brandon Jacobs leads the 6-5 New York Football Giants with 683 rushing yards.

Wait.

Six-hundred eighty-three yards? What week are we in? We're going into Week 13? What happened to our bulldozing, punishing tank?

Simply put, Jacobs is not running hard. I have watched almost every Giants game since Brandon Jacobs broke into the league. I have never seen Jacobs go down from an arm tackle.

This is the same running back that had even retired Patriots safety Rodney Harrison saying "a couple times, I was afraid to hit Brandon Jacobs."

I'm used to Jacobs putting his shoulder pads into a defender, bouncing off, and taking the pigskin twenty yards down field, finishing off the safety with a punishing stiff arm.

This year, he has been anything but that kind of runner.

What are the reasons for Jacobs' lack-luster performance so far this season?

Yes, Ahmad Bradshaw saw a lot of action in the beginning of the season, but Jacobs will be the Giants No.1 back until he wears down (which is maybe sooner than we expected), so there goes the notion of Bradshaw maybe having more of an influence on the situation.

Maybe, Jacobs was running hard for a big contract, and once he got what he wanted, he rested. He has no reason to take the battery on his body.

Even if Eli Manning is under center, the Giants have won their games in the past few years on the back of Jacobs and their smash mouth running game.

It is no coincidence that the G-Men are struggling this season and the running game has gone down the tubes.

If the Giants want to turn this season back around, they need their linebacker-sized running back to start punishing teams.

The offensive line is still there, although there have been signs of diminished performance there as well.

The bright spot for the Giants offense has been the emergence of their young wide receivers. I think most people thought the Giants wouldn't be able to throw, but they have won their games this year with an impressive wide receiver core.

If Jacobs can get his act together and live up to his reputation and contract, the Giants may be able to sneak themselves into the playoffs. They do however, have more problems than just the offense.

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Patriots Slip To 7-4, Jets Can Climb To .500 Thursday vs. Bills

Nick Antonicello — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:47:29 -0500

With the New Orleans Saints routing the New England Patriots Monday night 38-17, the Patriot lead in the AFC East slipped to two games with five still to play.

At 5-6, the New York Jets can take a major step back into playoff consideration with a win in Canada against division rival Buffalo.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees made mince meat of the New England secondary with five touchdown passes and has 27 on the season. If you had to compare the efforts made by the Jets and the Patriots in the Superdome, New York was at least in the game most of the way!

For the Jets, the future comes down to a Thursday match-up in Canada, which in all likelihood will determine if the Jets will have anything to play for other than pride for the rest of December, particularly the final game of the season against Cincinnati.

It is only fitting the Jet playoff hopes come down to another game with the Buffalo Bills.

In the first meeting of the season, the Jets squandered a 210-yard rushing performance by Thomas Jones in a 16-13 OT loss thanks to five picks tossed by rookie QB Mark Sanchez. Sanchez was a miserable 10-29 for 119 yards and no touchdowns.

Despite 319 yards on the ground, turnovers gave the game to Buffalo.

It was in that contest that quarterback Trent Edwards went down, and Ryan Fitzpatrick took over the Bills on offense. Fitzpatrick was less than mediocre, as he went just 10-25 for 116 yards with one pick and one touchdown.

But the Bills broke a three-game skid this week with an upset of the Miami Dolphins to move to 4-7 under new Head Coach Perry Fewell who replaced the fired Dick Jauron.

Fitzpatrick played well, going 17-26 for 246 yards and one pick, as well as a 51-yard strike to a revitalized Terrell Owens who had five receptions for 96 yards. Darrelle Revis will have his hands full once again after shutting down Pro Bowlers Randy Moss & Steve Smith since the bye week.

With just three games separating first from the worst in the AFC East, the Jets are once again getting another opportunity to remain a playoff possibility.

While 9-7 might make it for some, 10-6 seems to be more realistic for the Jets unless they get plenty of help along the way.

With the game at a neutral site, the Jets should have an emotional advantage after a solid performance in the Meadowlands. The Bills should be just as pumped to end the Jets' faint playoff hopes by sweeping the season series, which would leave New York a dismal 1-5 in divisional play for 2009.

It will be that poor divisional record that separates the Jets from mediocrity to a legitimate playoff contender, and that's too bad because this team should be playing in the post season despite some key injuries and growing pains of a rookie starting quarterback.

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A New York Giants Super Bowl Run Would Be More Miraculous Than 2007

David Geller — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:00:48 -0500

The New York Giants know all about feeling lousy following Thanksgiving weekend. In 2007, the sense of despair rang throughout the Meadowlands before everyone even digested their Thanksgiving meals.

The Giants had just lost their second game in three weeks to fall to 7-4. But this was no ordinary loss.

A shockingly horrible Eli Manning stole the show while distributing the ball to the men in purple, tossing four passes into the gut of Minnesota Vikings. Even more alarming were that three interceptions culminated into 21 points without the offense having to take the field.

In a roller-coaster career, this was one of Manning’s low points. The defense looked pedestrian throughout the game too, allowing Sidney Rice to set the tone on a long touchdown catch on the second play from scrimmage.

With little previous success to fall back on, the Giants appeared to be in shambles.

However, instead of folding, they rallied around their beleaguered quarterback and oft-criticized head coach to complete the greatest Super Bowl run in recent memory.

So with more talent across the board on offense, similar names on defense, and being merely one game off the 2007 pace, shouldn’t the Giants take solace in the fact history works in their favor?

The truth is, no. Even though in 2007 many people echoed the same sentiments, this team does not appear capable to muster a Super Bowl run.

First the competition has to be identified. I mentioned earlier in the year that even if the Giants string together enough wins to have a chance to finish off their season with a chance to play in Miami, their road would be a disadvantageous one.

Instead of an old Buccaneers team in the first round, they would travel to Dallas, Philly, or Arizona. Then their next two games would likely be against Minnesota and New Orleans, who could combine for 30 total wins this season.

The Giants defense is bad enough, but bringing this unit to pass-happy teams that play in passing paradises would create an even larger uphill battle.

Sure, many in 2007 didn’t believe that the defense could muster up the four game run that unit did. But it is reasonable to say that there is unequivocally no chance they will be able to hold teams below 21 points every game in January as in 2007.

The 2007 defense had talent, but it laid dormant for most of the regular season. The Giants biggest key to their post-season success was that the defensive line took its game to the next level. Can the 2009 line do that? It’s unlikely. Sure, the names are there. But Justin Tuck is banged, up and Osi Umenyiora’s pass rush tendencies aren’t getting him to the quarterback or allowing him to stop the run.

The most disturbing aspect regarding this unit is their inefficiency up the middle all the way through the secondary. Rocky Bernard has been a bust the size of his belly, and Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are clearly not the same players following off-season surgery. The pre-season loss of Jay Alford has proven to be a killer, because these three simply are not capable of helping out their defense.

No, I’m not forgetting Chris Canty. Although it would be excusable if I did. He’s primarily started plays at defensive end when his number is called, but he has been virtually invisible since his return.

What do you call a middle linebacker that is labeled around the league as a solid backup? An average starter. That’s what Chase Blackburn is. It’s hard to get better in terms of second-string middle linebackers, but now that he will be finishing the season, his presence likely won’t strike fear into defenses.

Here’s another question: What do you call a safety that is labeled around the league as a bad backup? C.C. Brown. He got benched, but the fact he started for so long ahead of Aaron Rouse probably means that Rouse isn’t exactly Ronnie Lott out there.

Michael Johnson has been pathetic too, as he is incredibly prone to being fooled by the quarterback’s eyes. How many times has he gotten to a receiver a good second after the ball has gotten there? Too many.

Okay, so if the defense isn’t getting the job done, what about the offense? It’s true, on paper this unit has more overall talent than the 2007 bunch that consisted of an erratic quarterback, a number one receiver with a bum ankle, and a fifth-round rookie replacing an annual Pro Bowl tight end.

However, the current offensive line neutralizes any of the 2009 Giants’ offensive talent advantages. A major reason Brandon Jacobs has been unable to get into a rhythm is that his line is not clearing holes as they’ve done since the Tiki Barber era.

Frankly, this running game’s hopes lie on Danny Ware. When Jacobs is in, defenses prepare for him to go inside. And when he's gone outside, the blocking around the edge has been pitiful all year, and Jacobs has been stopping his feet too much. With the current personnel, Jacobs offers very little to this squad right now. It’s not necessarily his fault, but that’s the situation.

Ware is at least capable of popping one every now and then, but he can run between the tackles. Bradshaw’s game is predicated off his ability to cut, and right now he has two bum ankles.

New heroes are going to have to emerge for the Giants. And the guys that are actually effective will have to raise their level of play further. A two-game winning streak alleviates much of the pain accumulated the last month and could straighten out this currently sinking Giants ship.

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NFC Power Rankings: Week 13

Richard Resch — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:27:58 -0500

1. Saints (11-0)

In thoroughly dispatching of the Patriots, Drew Brees has put himself in front of the pack for the MVP award. That may be hotly debated, but one thing is for sure: The Saints are the odds-on favorite to win the NFC. (Last Week: 1)

2. Vikings (10-1)

Brett Favre continues his unbelievable play, and his wide receiver corps continues to prove itself. Sidney Rice may be the most improved wide receiver, and Percy Harvin looks like he might win offensive rookie of the year. Adrian Peterson's fumble problems are troublesome, but that's about the only thing not going right for the Vikings right now. (2)

3. Cardinals (7-4)

You think Matt Leinart is tired of Vince Young already? The Titans are a much improved team under Young, so I am not overly concerned with this week's loss. Once Kurt Warner returns, this offense is still dynamic, and the defense isn't bad. The defending NFC champs get the benefit of the doubt. (3)

4. Cowboys (8-3)

Their shellacking of the Raiders on Thanksgiving doesn't change anyone's perceptions of either team, but Cowboys fans have to be happy with the way Tony Romo got the ball to his best receiver, Miles Austin. (4)

5. Packers (7-4)

Like the Cowboys, the Packers did what they were supposed to do on Thanksgiving and beat up on a bad Lions team. Aaron Rodgers continues to play great, and the wild card is theirs for the taking. I don't have enough faith in their offensive line to see them doing any damage in the playoffs. (5)

6. Eagles (7-4)

They were outplayed by an undermanned Redskins team for most of the game but pulled it out in the end. What does this say about the Eagles? I don't know, but they came away with the all-important W. Unfortunately, they may be without DeSean Jackson for some time, as he was lost to a concussion. (6)

7. Falcons (6-5)

They overcame the loss of Matt Ryan to beat a frisky Tampa Bay team. Unfortunately, they face the Eagles in a must-win game and will find life much tougher without their QB against real competition. (8)

8. Giants (6-5)

In yet another embarrassing performance, the Giants played like turkeys against the Broncos on Thanksgiving. Things look grim for the Giants, as they must win their next two games against the Cowboys and Eagles to have a realistic shot. (7)

9. 49ers (5-6)

Don't sleep on the Niners. When Alex Smith plays well, this team can play with anyone. The offensive triplet of Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree creates as good a young core as there is in the league. With a relatively easy schedule, a 9-7 finish is well within their grasp. That might not be enough to make the playoffs, but this team is moving in the right direction. (9)

10. Panthers (4-7)

All right, I think we can all agree the Jake Delhomme Era comes to a close by the end of this season. (10)

11. Bears (4-7)

These are some bad old Bears. Hopefully Jake Cutler is suffering from first season jitters, because he can't really be this bad. Right? (11)

12. Seahawks (4-7)

I watched the 1:00 games at a bar. From my table, I could see about 18 televisions. Not one of them was on the Seahawks vs. Rams game. Enough said. (13)

13. Redskins (3-8)

Seriously? You have to blow back-to-back games in the final minutes to the Cowboys and Eagles? Giants fans can't be happy. (They're not. I know this.) (12)

14. Lions (2-9)

Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Kevin Smith will make the Lions relevant again. But not yet...not yet... (14)

15. Buccaneers (1-10)

They played the Falcons tough. I referred to them as "frisky" earlier, and I stand by that assessment. (16)

16. Rams (1-10)

Just read what I wrote for the Seahawks. Or don't. I don't want to waste anyone's time. (15)

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Vince Carter Is Better Than People Thought

David Glazer — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:12:55 -0500

It is extremely rare for a player that many considered overrated to prove his detractors wrong. However, Vince Carter has done just that even without playing especially well so far this season.

Vinsanity once rocked the house in Toronto, but his ugly exit from that team to the Nets appeared to tarnish his reputation. However, Nets fans loved him. He was always the consummate professional for New Jersey and often the main reason to go see the Nets.

Last year the Nets won 34 games. Devin Harris was an all-star and Brook Lopez was in the running for rookie of the year. Vince Carter was the main man though. His leadership helped every player on that team play their best. Let me repeat this; the Nets won 34 games.

This year the Nets are off to a record worst start. Even though the team has played hard most of the season, they really only had a chance to win maybe three games. The Nets lost to the Timberwolves on opening night only to see the Timberwolves lose their next 15 games. The Nets are one of three victims of the Knicks who look disinterested at best on most nights.

An 0-17 start is an embarrassment. The Nets owner is the culprit. He forced the trade of Carter to save money to make it easier to sell the team. There is no doubt that the Nets would not be winless if Vince were on the team. This Nets team might be lucky to win 10 games at this rate.

So, how is Vince doing in Orlando? On a team with Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson, he is leading the team in scoring. All of his numbers are down, but that was to be expected since he is no longer the main focus. Orlando is in first place and has the second best point differential in the conference. For those who are unfamiliar with point differential, it is probably the best statistic to determine the relative strength of a team. Only the Celtics are better in the Eastern Conference.

The irony is that even though Vince is the leading scorer on the Magic, he is still getting no credit for being a team player. With the Nets, he was the ultimate team player and it is clear from up in New Jersey, that Vince is meshing his game to the Magic team concept.

Vince has been a great fit for the Magic, and his loss is the reason the Nets are winless and a good coach in Lawrence Frank is looking for a new job.

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MLB: Waivers, the Trading Deadline, and the Integrity of the Game

Harold Friend — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:43:20 -0500

The year was 1967. The columnist was Leonard Koppett. The topic was trading a player for "a player or players to be named later."

Waiver Deals

In 1967, June 15 was the trading deadline. After that date, only waiver deals could be made.

In a waiver trade, each team is given the chance, based on reverse order of won-lost record, to buy a player's contract.

The major purpose of the procedure was to prevent wealthy teams vying for the pennant from raiding teams that were out of contention.

If the second place Red Sox wanted Elston Howard from the ninth place Yankees, all the teams with worse records than the Red Sox would have the chance of obtaining Howard's services.

The Yankees Sent Elston Howard to the Red Sox on Waivers

On August 3, 1967, the Yankees sent Elston Howard to the Red Sox for two players to be named later. Leonard Koppett called trades for "a player or players to be named later" as "disgraceful" and "dishonest."

He explained that they undermine the belief that baseball is structured in such a way as to prevent a player from playing against his future employer and knowing it.

Pedro Ramos Helped the Yankees Win the 1964 Pennant

Late in 1964, the Yankees obtained the services of Pedro Ramos, without whom the Yankees would not have won the pennant. In return for Ramos, the Yankees would send the Indians a player to be named later.

The player turned out to be Ralph Terry, who, like Ramos, also helped the Yankees win the 1964 pennant.

What If Ralph Terry Knew?

Terry didn't know that he was the player who would be named later, but if he did know that he was going to be an Indian, would that have affected him when he faced the Indians?

Koppett asks, "What if a player, knowing he'll be with Cleveland next year, has to play against them for the Yankees this year while Cleveland is fighting for a pennant? Will he do his best to damage his next employer? He should---but sooner or later someone might not."

Nullified Trade

Some light is shed on the problem by the Bo Belinsky situation. Belinsky found out that he was the player to be named later in a trade. Commissioner Ford Frick nullified the trade because Belinsky spoke about it. End of trade.

The Current Situation

Today, the trading deadline is July 31. Two thirds of the season have been played and many teams are out of contention.

In the era of free agency, team rosters have little stability. Teams in contention that are willing to spend money or give up promising minor leaguers, pluck players they need from teams that are out of it, especially if the needed player will be eligible for free agency or arbitration after the season.

Integrity

Leonard Koppett's concerns have become greatly magnified. The Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Mets, and Dodgers are among baseball's big spenders.

Take a player on Kansas City or Pittsburgh or any other team that refuses to spend money and that will be out of the race by July 31.

The better players on those teams read the newspapers and watch television. They are aware of the chances that they will be pitching for a particular contender after July 31.

If Zack Grienke knew he'd be picked up by the Yankees on July 31, would he purposely pitch worse against the Yankees on July 25 because he knew that outcome gives him a better chance to make the playoffs?

Will all of those players, as Koppett wrote, "...do his best to damage his next employer? He should---but sooner or later someone might not."

Everyone talks about the integrity of the game. Huge sums of money are involved. The potential for improprieties cannot be allowed to exist.

Leonard Koppett addressed the issue more than forty years ago. It's really had great impact on those who rule the game.

Reference:

Koppett, Leonard (1967). "Wheeling and dealing." The New York Times , August 4, 1967. p.S20.

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Philadelphia Phillies Add Brian Schneider

Adam Bernacchio — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:22:53 -0500

It’s a great time to be a back-up player in the majors these days.

So far this offseason, we have seen Andruw Jones, Omar Vizquel, and Alex Cora sign contracts. Now we can add another back-up player to the list of players who have signed a contract.

According to Todd Zolecki , the Philadelphia Phillies have signed Brian Schneider to a two-year, $2.75 million contract to be their back-up catcher to Carlos Ruiz. Schneider spent the last two years with the New York Mets.

When the Mets traded Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for Schneider and Ryan Church before the 2007 season, I thought it was a good trade for the Mets.

Milledge was the Mets top young player at the time, but he is a clown and I have seen hundreds of Milledge types in my day. The Mets were getting back two professional ball players and with Schneider, they were getting a serviceable major league catcher.

The Mets got what they expected out of Schneider in 2008. Schneider hit .257 with nine home runs and threw out 33 percent of the runners trying to steal against him.

However, in 2009 like most of the Mets players, Schneider suffered through an injury plagued season. Schneider missed 41 games with a lower back injury and his average plummeted to .218 and his OPS dipped to .627.

I like this signing by the Phillies. Would I have given him a two-year deal? It’s debatable.

Schneider is four years younger than Paul Bako and three years younger than Chris Coste (Coste recently signed with the Mets), who were the Phillies’ back-up catchers last season. Schneider’s .345 caught stealing percentage in 2009 is also better than both of them.

Of course knowing the Mets luck with players once they leave Flushing, Schneider will hit .280 with the Phillies and throw out 50 percent of the baserunners trying to run against him.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Brian Schneider Signs On with Philadelphia Phillies - How will he respond?

Wendy Adair — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:06:36 -0500

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer , Brian Schneider has signed a two-year contract with the Phillies for $3 Million.

Schneider is originally from the Allentown area so a return to Pennyslvania is considered a homecoming for his family and friends.

After injuries plagued Schneider for 2008 and 2009, the Mets did not stand in the way of him filing for Free Agency.

During the 2008 and 2009 seasons, Schneider had several lower back and leg injuries and only played in a total of 169 games, and hit .244 with 62 RBI for the two seasons.

Yesterday, Chris Coste, formerly of the Phillies, was signed to the Mets' 40-man roster. In order to make the 25 man roster at the conclusion of Spring Training this March, Coste will need to prove his value.

Brian Schneider and Ryan Church were acquired by the Mets from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Lastings Milledge after the 2007 season.

Both struggled with injuries and fan acceptance during their time on the Mets. Many fans felt that Milledge was a diamond in the rough who was worth holding onto and that Omar Minaya had made yet another foolish move.

Ryan Church had severe and well documented concussion issues and was dealt to the Atlanta Braves in return for Jeff Francouer last July, a move that the Mets have come to have pride in the last few months.

Last August, when David Wright was beaned and had suffered a concussion, Church offered guidance and counseling to his former teammate and friend while the Braves were in town later in the week.

Manager Jerry Manuel did not like Ryan Church at all, although he vehemently denied it, as even after Church went to the Braves, Manuel still spoke of him in negative terms.

Jeff Francouer will most likely be a fixture on the Mets for quite a few years and many Mets fans will soon forget that Ryan Church had any positive contributions in his playing time.

Church's defining moment of the 2009 season was when he scored a run initially but it was overruled when the Dodgers appealed and won because Church missed third base.

Josh Thole appears to be the catching future of the Mets but with Schneider gone, Omir Santos and/or Chris Coste will be his mentors going into the 2010 season.

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How Should the New York Yankees Handle Arbitration with Deadline Approaching?

Greg Fertel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:47:18 -0500

The arbitration deadline is midnight, so every team has to decide which players it will offer arbitration to and which it won't. It is an interesting day because it hints at what the team's offseason plans are.

I touched on this back in October but have since changed my mind. I predicted that the Yankees would offer Andy Pettitte arbitration, but not Johnny Damon.

There was only a month of baseball after I wrote this, so nothing should have changed, but there are some things that have come up that have led me to think differently.

Johnny Damon, Type-A

Johnny Damon made $13 million in 2009 and put together quite an offensive season. Arbitration committees tend to like things like home runs and RBI while seemingly ignoring equally important things like defense.

If the Yankees went to arbitration with Damon, it is likely he would receive a one-year contract in the neighborhood of $15 million. Boras said that Damon would use Bobby Abreu's two-year, $19 million contract as a guideline for Damon, and that seems fair to me.

Paying Damon $15 million for one season in this market seems like a giant overpay to me, and that's why I don't think the Yankees will offer him arbitration. The lure of an extra first round pick and a compensation pick is tempting, but the market dictates that Damon shouldn't get $15 million, so it would be hard to see him turning down an arbitration offer.

Andy Pettitte, Type B

Back in October, I figured the Yankees should offer Pettitte arbitration. I'm still for this move, as there are much worse things than having a No. 3 starter on a one-year deal at $11-12 million.

However, I'm not close enough to the situation to know what is going on here. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Pettitte has said that he would only come back to the Yankees in 2010.

I don't think the Yankees will offer Pettitte arbitration, but I'm not sure they have the leverage to bring him back on an incentive-laden deal at this point. I think offering Pettitte arbitration is the safe bet. If he comes back, you're paying him a fair rate. If not, and he signs with another team, at least the Yankees net a draft pick.

Hideki Matsui, Not Rated

The Yankees obviously won't offer Matsui arbitration, but I just wanted to touch on Matsui anyway. The other day, Buster Olney tweeted, "Heard this: Matsui's attraction as a marketable asset is no factor for the Yankees. It is about getting the right player at the right price." I believe that the Yankees wouldn't get someone solely because of their marketability, because they are focused on winning.

Would signing Matsui prevent them from winning? I don't think so. Second to winning, it always has been, and always will be, the money. The right price for Matsui is a totally different animal than the right price for a different DH.

If the Yankees had to throw Matsui a few extra million bucks over a guy who would produce the same offense, it would absolutely be worth it. Aging designated hitters aren't in demand right now, so Matsui should come at a heavily discounted rate from his previous contract.

The reason, in the end, that Matsui will be back is the money.

So there you go. My guess is that the Yankees don't offer anyone arbitration. I think offering Pettitte arbitration would be the right call, but I don't think it is that important. We'll find out soon enough, and I look forward to finding out what the Yankees are thinking.

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