The Shining Yankee

The Matrix is covered with Diesel

2008-02-06T15:18:00.000-05:00

ARGH!

As you may have heard, the Suns have reached an agreement (pending physicals) with the Heat to send Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O'Neal. Now, Shaq would be a fine addition if we weren't giving up one the best all-round players in the NBA.

Money:
Marion and Banks have big contracts. That's why they were ideal to be traded. Too bad Shaq's is bigger and longer at 20 million for 2 years. This is stupid.

Play:
Not even close. Sure, having a true center is good. But giving up the most athletic player on the team for one that will be the slowest is not good for a fast-paced team like the Suns. Shaq will be mainly used as a low-post defender, which the team desperately needs. But it's not worth it.

Could this be Steve Kerr getting his way over D'Antoni? If so, go to h***, Kerr. I really hope that the team likes D'Antoni more and will "make sure" that Shaq fails the physical. I don't care that the Mavs might get Kidd and the Lakers got Gasol. If the team really wants a big man, trade Marion for Camby, or something, some one who is actually good.

UPDATE:
The deal was accepted and Shaq passed the physical. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Steve Kerr stinks. 1. Doesn't save money 2. Doesn't work well with team 3. Stabs D'Antoni in the back 4. Makes team worse 5. Makes team worse 6. Makes team worse 7. Makes team, well you get the point.

Captain Morgan and Suns

2008-01-31T16:30:00.000-05:00

I'm back, for now.

In Yankee Land, Johan is now with the Mets. I'll say this much, it's better than giving up Hughes, Wang, Chamberlain, Kennedy or letting him get to the Mets. Other than a total steal of a trade, this might have been the best-case scenario (now out of the league).

Morgan Ensberg has been signed to what is likely a minor-league deal with an out clause if he doesn't make the big league roster (like Ron Villone). He'll play third base, DH, and first base. There's no risk, with some upside, so I like this trade. He hit .230, with 12 homers, 47 runs, and 39 RBI, last year for the Astros and Padres. His best year came in 2005, when he was an All-Star, Silver Slugger, and 4th-place MVP finisher, hitting .283, 36 home runs, 86 runs, and 101 RBI.

SUNS:
Rumor has it that Damon Stoudamire (a target for backup point guard) will instead sign with the Spurs - who happen to be the Suns opponent tonight.
Suns are still "not in rhythm" yet, but with the second-best record in the NBA, at 33-13, they seem good enough to me.

Preview:
The Suns won last game to the tune of 100-95. Big performances came from Tim Duncan (36 points, 17 rebounds) and Grant Hill (22 points, 7 rebounds). Tony Parker was injured last game, but is injured this game as well.

Tonight's 10:30 game will be a mix of Spurs defense and Suns offense.
Predictions:

Suns win 106-79.

Duncan is held to "only" 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Michael Finley will be his biggest "help" with 14 points.

Amare will run wild with 34 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks - 2 on Duncan.
Nash and Marion will post 15-15 double-doubles in the obvious categories.
Grant Hill will be tried out in Manu's role (starter playing off the bench) and will produce Manu-like numbers - 25 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists. Why?
Boris Diaw is a new starter - 23 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists.

GO SUNS.

Feedback

2008-01-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Since this is a relatively new blog, I was hoping that any of my readers would give me feedback to improve this blog. I'm averaging less than 10 hits a day! Help me out and recommend me if you wish.

Please post your feedback as a comment to this post.

Sorry

2008-01-20T11:15:00.000-05:00

I've had an extremely busy week with mid-term exams and music concerts. I'll be back to regular posting within a week. If it means anything to you I got a 100 on my math midterm. The next highest in the class was 88.

Suns/Bucks Recap

2008-01-13T10:53:00.000-05:00

The Suns bounce back from a dreadful loss to Utah with a 122-114 win over the Bucks. Interestingly enough, it's the longest active win streak against one team. Even though they were trailing by 7at the half, they pulled out a patented 3rd quarter blowout to get the win, scoring 17 more than the Bucks. It was a much-needed win and showed just how important Steve Nash is.

Player Performances:
Suns-

Alando Tucker did have a big game, too bad it was in the D-League for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, not in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns. He scored 33 points with 10 rebounds. He's torn up the D-League this season, averaging over 28 points and 7 rebounds.
Marion kind of stunk. I guess his shoulder/elbow is still hurting. The 9 rebounds and 2 blocks were good, but the mere 5 points weren't.
Barbosa had 12 points, 2 treys (threes), and a block.
Raja was better with 13 points, 3 treys, 3 steals, and 4 blocks. He also had a game-high +19 +/- rating. Great defense. I've noticed that Grant Hill and Raja have consistently been to top +/- players. They're true winners. (?)
Amare was great, especially in the first half, totaling 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
D.J. didn't play and Skinner didn't shoot, but he did collect 3 rebounds.
Diaw was the breakout player of the game with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block and a steal. And I recently dropped from my fantasy team. Maybe I should drop Grant Hill just for the heck of it. But Hill's ranked 30th in my league and Diaw wasn't top 150, so I think I'll keep him/
Anyway, Steve Nash was the game MVP with a big night back from the stomach flu (as I so brilliantly predicted). His line was 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 for 4 foul shooting.

Bucks-

Some Bucks were solid, too.
Michael Redd put up 18 points.
Villanueva, Bell, and Simmons each put up double digit points (10, 18, and 17, respectively).
The loser's MVP was Andrew Bogut who (like every other decent center) played well with Amare "guarding" him. His final stats were 29 points and 11 rebounds.

Yankee News / Preview Suns and Bucks

2008-01-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

No more Mike Cameron. He's apparently agreed to a deal for 1-year and less than $7 million with the Brewers. Melky's just fine.

The Cardinals and Blue Jays are nearing a swap of their third basemen Scott Rolen and Troy Glaus. The Blue Jays now get a great defensive third baseman who could rebound with the bat. A-Rod's better!

And more Santana stuff. Now the Yankees are out. Guess we'll never know until he's traded. But then, if he's traded somewhere else, maybe the Yankees are going to chase him there. Or if the Yankees get him, they just want to swing him away for more. Jeez.

Preview:
Bucks suck. Suns are fun? Not after two nights ago when the Suns got killed with three starters. The Bucks lost, too, but only by five to the Lakers. They have not played yet this season, but the Suns beat them twice last season. This time, the Suns will probably have Nash and Marion, but definitely not Hill. A Suns win 119-102.

Player Predictions -

Nash will have big nights after sitting the Jazz game. Nash - 26 points, 14 assists - and Marion - 35 points, 18 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals.
Amare's as good as always with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
17 points for Bell and Barbosa, each with 2 threes.
Strawberry again sets a career-high in points with 11, 2 steals, 4 assists, and 2 threes.
Tucker gets extra time and produces with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Skinner has a kind of weird line with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 blocks.

And the Bucks -

Redd shoots like crazy with 38 points.
Bogut is pretty solid as well with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Mo Williams get 13 points and 8 assists.

Minor Moves and Recap

2008-01-11T15:02:00.001-05:00

Yankees did indeed sign Jason Lane to a minor league deal. Ah well. There's no harm. He primarily played outfield, but did get in a few games at first base. By the way, I was incorrect in a previous post. While, Lane did play for the Astros last year, his most recent team was the Padres. Last year, he hit .175 with 8 home runs and a .599 OPS. Ouch.
His best year was 2005 when he hit .267 with 26 home runs and a .815 OPS.

The Yankees also have some interest in 35-year old former Gold Glove CF Mike Cameron, who was suspended for 25 games next year for amphetamines. A-Rod supports this decision. Does this mean Melky will be traded? If so, Cameron would be the best choice. He is still a very good fielder and a better hitter (for now) than Melky.
If Melky is traded, I don't want it for Santana. My interest in him wanes each day. Next year, Sabathia (who I like more) is a free agent, and there's the rumors of a Yu Darvish posting. Maybe Melky to Pittsburgh for Damaso Marte? That wouldn't be too bad; Marte is a great bullpen lefty. If we can add an extra prospect for Matt Capps, that would be sweet. But the Pirates already have a bunch of young outfielders and top prospect Andrew McCutchen.

I don't even want to go into the Suns/Jazz game very much. The Suns lost 108-86 without Grant Hill, Shawn Marion, and Steve Nash. I guess it kind of makes a difference when you lose two of your top 3 starting defenders (Marion and Hill, the other is Bell) and you offensive captain (Nash).

Performances:

Barbosa scored 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals to take the loser's MVP.
Amare got 21 points, 14 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block.
D.J. Strawberry got to play scoring 8 points (3 of 6) with a trey (three-pointer) and the only positive +/- rating on the team (+4).
As for Jazz:
Kirilenko didn't play.
Boozer had a below average game with 18 points, but only 1 rebound.
Deron Williams had 17 points and 11 assists.
Ronnie Brewer was solid with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and a game-high +24 +/- rating.
The game MVP was Mehmet Okur with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and a block.

Absolutely disgusting.

Suns and Jazz Preview

2008-01-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

Third straight post:

Right off the bat, we know that neither Steve Nash nor Grant Hill will be able to play against Utah today. But given how well they played down the stretch (not beginning) of yesterday's game, I'm not worried. They usually always (does that make sense?) find some way to win. They'll do that tonight with a tough 123-120 win. Marcus Banks will hit the tie-breaking three pointer with 5.6 seconds left before stealing the ball from Deron Williams to seal the win.

Last time:
This was the chipped-tooth game for Steve Nash who was great with 29 points and 11 assists. The Suns won 103-98. Shawn Marion was great as well with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks.

Player Predictions:
Marion will shine even brighter with 34 points, 21 rebounds, 5 steals, and 8 blocks. Andrei Kirilenko who might not play, but will, will do almost as well with 26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals, and 6 blocks. Apparently, neither of these great defenders will do well at containing each other. As for the Stoudemire/Boozer matchup, Stoudemire will outshine Boozer to the tune of 27 points to 19 points, 14 rebounds each, and 4 blocks for Amare and none for Boozer. Barbosa will score 27. Raja Bell will hit 5 threes for 18 total points. Skinner will grab 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. Ronnie Brewer will steal away 4. Deron Williams will have an off night with only 13 points and 6 assists.

Not like any of those predictions will be close.

Recap tomorrow afternoon.

Yankee Tidbits

2008-01-10T14:55:00.000-05:00

Hank Steinbrenner now says that he thinks the team will do just fine without Johan Santana.
Many now believe that the Mets are the leading candidate for Johan with a package involving prospects: P Deolis Guerra, OF Carlos Gomez, P Phil Humber, and P Kevin Mulvey.
I think a Mets trade is the best case scenario outside of Johan staying with the Twins or the Yankees trading a really lame package for him.
Yankees have been linked to 31-year old free agent Jason Lane (formerly of the Houston Astros). They want him as first baseman (he's played 4 games there, but should adjust well to it). Dumb idea. He's had just one good season with 26 home runs, and that was in 2005.

Suns Recap

2008-01-10T14:43:00.000-05:00

This game was too close for comfort. The Suns needed an extra 5 minutes to win this one 129-122 (overtime). But, once again, a win is a win is a win.

Phoenix Player Performances:

Grant Hill obviously didn't play.
Steve Nash came out of the game earlier because of a stomach flu. When he was in, he scored 9 points with 4 assists.
Because of the injuries, Diaw and Banks got some extra time. Diaw made the most of it with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists (sort of close to a trip-double). Banks didn't make a three after going 7 of 8, but he did end up with three points.
Skinner got some solid minutes and put up 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Barbosa was clutch in replacing Nash, scoring a total of 26 points, 5 assists, and a game-high +26 +/- rating.
But Raja Bell was the game MVP with 27 points, including 6 threes, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Wow.
The other two twenty point scorers for the Suns were Amare and Marion with 25 and 23 points respectively. Marion also grabbed 12 boards. Amare was clutch from the foul line going 11 of 14; he also grabbed 11 rebounds with 1 block.

Pacer Player Performances:

The loser's MVP goes to Danny Granger for his 22 points, 11 rebound effort.
Other notables were Troy Murphy (15 rebounds), Jamal Tinsley (19 points, but 8 of 26 shooting, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks), Jeff Foster (11 rebounds), Mike Dunleavy (14 points, 7 rebounds), and Shawne Williams (22 points).

No Preview

2008-01-09T20:37:00.000-05:00

There will be no preview for tonight's Suns/Pacers game. Luckily, I will post a recap tomorrow afternoon. Actually, I will predict another huge Suns win to the tune of 129 to 97.

Miguel Cairo signed with the Mariners. Can't exactly say that I'm bummed about.
There's continued talk of the Steinbrenner boyz/CashMAN power struggle. As long as Cashman, is back for next year, I'm cool. But that's no guarantee. I'd sure like to be the Yankees GM.

The biggest and worst news of the day is that Grant Hill has to take an emergency appendectomy and will miss two weeks. Good Luck. He's a great player and, more importantly, a great person.

Suns/Nuggets Recap, THE GOOSE, the top 10 yankees prospects

2008-01-08T15:16:00.000-05:00

Big Post Today:

The Suns absolutely came out blazing against the Nuggets. A 137-115 win was the result. Talk about ridiculous.

Suns:

This win embodied the Suns; give up a solid amount of points, score even more, and hit 3's. Tonight, the Suns nailed 20 (out of 31) 3-Pointers, one off of the NBA record.
Hmm, where to start?
Nash was probably the one Suns star who didn't shine, but was solid with 13 points, 10 assists, and 2 threes.
Raja Bell was worse, with 7 points and just 1 three-pointer.
Amare was solid to the tune of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
Grant Hill helped the point barrage with 20 of his own to go with 5 rebounds and a three.
Leandro B. didn't score much (12 points) but hit a couple of threes and dished out 6 assists.
Diaw was similar, but lesser with only 4 points but 6 assists.
Piatkowski hit a three pointer.
Skinner also nailed a three to go with 2 rebounds and perfect 3 for 3 foul shooting.
Alando Tucker played 2 minutes but didn't do anything but pick up a foul.
The breakout player of the game was Marcus Banks. This team cast-off showed he belonged in a big way with 23 points, 2 blocks, and a team-high 7 three pointers.
But the MVP goes to Shawn Marion. He shot a career-high 5 threes and picked up 27 points. His 14 rebounds and 4 assists were nice, too. So were his 6 blocked shots.
As a team the number two blocking team in the NBA (Suns) out blocked the number one (Nuggets) 13 to 4. The Suns shot an astronomical 64.5% from behind the arc.

Nuggets:

The Nugget players weren't that bad.
A.I. did nail 32 points and Carmelo got 20 points and 14 rebounds; however, no one else scored above 17 (like I predicted), actually, the next best was Camby's 13.

Great game all the way. A+ performance from the Suns. Apparently Steve Kerr's pep talk and Coach D'Antoni's criticisms really motivated the team. The bar has been set high, and I hope the Suns will meet it more often than not.

THE GOOSE:
Former Yankees closer Rich "Goose" Gossage was the only one to be elected in the Hall of Fame this year (Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice was kind of close). Gossage jumped from 71% last year to a whopping 86% this year. He definitely deserved it. He was described as a top-three all-time closer by ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian (but somehow Mariano Rivera wasn't on that list). Gossage's stats: 124 wins, 3.01 ERA, 1809.3 innings, 310 saves, and 1502 strikeouts. Amazing.

Top 10 Yankee prospects:

I'm a bit late on this one, but here's Baseball America's top 10 Yankee prospects list.

1. Joba Chamberlain
2. Austin Jackson
3. Jose Tabata
4. Ian Kennedy
5. Alan Horne
6. Jesus Montero
7. Jeffrey Marquez
8. Brett Gardner
9. Ross Ohlendorf
10. Andrew Brackman

The rest of article (including best tools and analysis) is here:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/features/265405.html

I disagree with much of this list. Dellin Betances should be in there. Many other Yankee bloggers don't even have Gardner in their top 20. Marquez should be lower, as should Ohlendorf. Kennedy should be number two, and I wouldn't put Austin Jackson ahead of Tabata just yet. But their the so-called experts.

Suns and Nuggets Preview

2008-01-07T15:24:00.000-05:00

The Suns have been maddeningly inconsistent over the past few weeks. The road to consistency won't be any easier with Denver and its Player of the Week A.I. 'Melo and A.I. will prove to be a troublesome duo, but if D'Antoni sticks Marion on 'Melo and Raja Bell of A.I., the defense would work much better. Regardless, this will be a high-scoring game, but the Suns have more stars and are a better team. That equals a 127-119 win.

Last time: Last year October 25, the Suns pulled out a 116-113 win against Denver. The three point lead was thanks to rookie D.J. Strawberry's (now with the D-League) 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds left. Carmelo and Iverson each scored over 20, but the Phoenix Suns didn't have anyone get over 20 points. Thank God they're balanced; seven Suns players scored double digits, with the two rookies Strawberry and Alando in that group (the starters also all scored double digits and Barbosa sat out with bruised ribs).

Player predictions: The only rookie still on the roster is Alando Tucker. This will be his breakout game with 19 points and 8 rebounds to complement 4 assists in 22 minutes. Nash and Stoudemire will get big double-doubles (I'm thinking 30+ points and 15+ assists/rebounds). Grant Hill will almost get a triple-double: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, while Marion does barely get one: 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. Barbosa and Bell will both score in the high teens. Denver's two stars will hit over 30 points, but they will be the only members of the team to score over 17.

Suns vs. Hornets Recap

2008-01-06T18:52:00.001-05:00

Are you kidding me? The Hornets won the game without their second best player (David West) and came from being 13 points down (78-65) to winning 118-113. They're a good team, but Phoenix should have won this won.

Suns:

Marcus Banks and Boris Diaw each scored 11, and Diaw added 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 31 minutes.
Marion was disappointing collecting only 6 points and 7 rebounds on 2-9 shooting. At least he blocked 3 shots.
Grant Hill was solid adding 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Raja Bell played less than 3 minutes and didn't do much.
Stoudemire was sub-par by his lofty standards with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
The biggest loser with Leandro Barbosa who had a -15 +/- rating, despite having scored 28 points.
The loser's MVP award went to Steve Nash for his 23 points, 11 point night.

Hornets:

All five of their starters scored at least 19 points.
Leading the way was game MVP Chris Paul who got 28 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals, playing a full 48 minutes.
Tyson Chandler also picked up a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Suns vs. Hornets Recap

2008-01-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

Marcus Banks and Boris Diaw each scored 11, and Diaw added 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 31 minutes.
Marion was disappointing collecting only 6 points and 7 rebounds on 2-9 shooting. At least he blocked 3 shots.
Grant Hill was solid adding 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Raja Bell played less than 3 minutes and didn't do much.
Stoudemire was sub-par by his lofty standards with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
The biggest loser with Leandro Barbosa who had a -15 +/- rating, despite having scored 28 points.
The loser's MVP award went to Steve Nash for his 23 points, 11 point night.

Hornets:

All five of their starters scored at least 19 points.
Leading the way was game MVP Chris Paul who got 28 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals, playing a full 48 minutes.
Tyson Chandler also picked up a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

SUNS/Hornets Preview and Other Tidbits

2008-01-05T11:12:00.001-05:00

Preview:
Let's go for 5 in a row. This game against the Hornets is going to be tough. But the Suns are the best team in the West now, and I think they'll win a close one. The Suns lost by 3 (101-98) in the last matchup of the best veteran point guard (Steve Nash) and the best young one (Chris Paul). This time, the vet will win, but players will do extremely well. The final score: 107-104 Suns victory.

Players:
Steve Nash and Chris Paul will both post huge numbers. Nash: 33 points, 19 assists, and 3 steals. Paul: 26 points, 16 assists, 6 steals.
The big men Chandler, West, Stoudemire, and Marion will benefit from their point guards. Double-Doubles for all four, the worst being Chandler (12 points, 11 rebounds) and the best being Stoudemire (39 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks). West and Marion will get around 25 points and 15 rebounds.
The smaller guys will be left out a bit. The best of rest will be Grant Hill, posting 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The Angels are interested in a trade for Paul Konerko (White Sox). They'll give up either a package with Howie Kendrick or Chone Figgins. That's just stupid. Kotchman has a similar bat and a much better glove.

Brad Wilkerson is a free agent. I realize he plays the exact position that the Yankees are trying to get rid of (1B/OF/DH) but he could probably do better than Shelley. Only a few years ago (2004) he swatted 32 homers and walked 106 times with Montreal. He's still only 30 years old. He's not a must have, though. My ideal first base situation with a platoon of Shelley Duncan and Juan Miranda.

Bye Bye and Hello

2008-01-04T20:14:00.000-05:00

Andy Phillips and Matt DeSalvo have signed elsewhere, the former with the Reds and the latter with the Braves. I'd be lying if I said I would miss them. Both were not that young (but babies compared to rest of Yankees) in their upper 20's, and their upside was limited. DeSalvo could become a middle-end rotation starter, but Phillips probably won't improve much. DeSalvo could hit over 90 mph and threw 20 different pitches (not really). His control was above-average, too, but he wasn't in any Yankee plans.

Clemens, Knoblauch, and Clemens have been asked to testify for Congress. I don't care, it's not going to change the Yankees that much. I prefer to post on strict baseball, not this riffraff. Unless something dramatic happens, you'll have to look elsewhere for steroid etc. coverage.

But good news has arrived. Yankees signed a few more minor league free agents: IF Nick Green, LHP Heath Phillips, LHP Billy Traber, C Jason Brown, OF Greg Porter, and RHP Scott Strickland (first found a River Ave. Blues).

Nick Green (born in 1978) - was once a Yankee in 2006 as a utility infielder, and that's about his upside this year; good glove playing 2b, SS, and 3b with a bat that'll get 10 hits in a lifetime

Jason Brown (born in 1974) - has been a minor league catcher for the Yankees since 2005; is a career minor league backup catcher; just a roster filler

Greg Porter (born in 1980) - put up great numbers at AA and AAA in the Angels' system getting a .316/.369/.456 vital line and 11 homers and 17 steals; career minor leaguer (career minor league OPS is .801) is a sleeper for a backup outfield job and eliminates any thoughts of Lew Ford

Scott Strickland (born in 1976) - has been a career journeyman, amassing decent major league 3.34 ERA and striking over a batter per inning; his control isn't bad; however, he hasn't seen major league action since 2005; a deep bullpen sleeper candidate, he's just going to strengthen the Scranton bullpen

Billy Traber (born in 1979) - a former 2000 first round pick of the Mets, Traber has been solid in the minors (3.61 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) but atrocious in the majors (5.41 ERA, 1.55 WHIP in 194.6 innings); still on the good side of 30, there is a chance for a breakout season as he enters his prime and could result in a lefty role in the Yankee bullpen

Heath Phillips (born in 1982) - the best haul of the bunch, Heath was rated by Scout.com as the number 10 ChiSox prospect as recently as last year, he was non-tendered this year, and gives the Yankees some much-needed minor-league lefty pitching depth; he is a solid workhorse pitcher who throws a high-80s sinker, and he is a solid sleeper for a LOOGY role in the majors

I hope the Yankees sign even more minor league free agents because cost so little and some can turn out to be very useful. Bounce back-candidates are good, too, for the reason that it will build their trade value.

Colon

2008-01-04T19:18:00.001-05:00

According the this site (found through MLB Trade Rumrs) Bartolo Colon apparently can't even throw 90 mph, removing from the high-risk, decent reward firethrower list. This means that I no longer see him as an intriguing pickup. Forget him, stick with pursuing Lincecum, Cain, Dotel, etc.

http://www.metsblog.com/2008/01/04/note-colon-not-hitting-90-mph/

SUNS SONICS Recap

2008-01-04T06:15:00.000-05:00

That wasn't the blowout I had expected, but a win is a win no matter what. The Suns had to rally from a 20-point deficit to win the game 104-96 due to an atrocious first quarter.

Suns-

Steve Nash got the double-double with 17 points and 10 assist, but also committed 5 turnovers.
With eleven points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks, Raja Bell also added the highest +/- rating with +13.
Grant Hill had a average night with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Shawn Marion 11 points, 14 boards, and 2 blocks with another multi-dimensional night.
Alando Tucker didn't hit the floor once.
Barbosa scored a sweet 16 off the bench.

Sonics-

Durant took 24 shots, making 11 of them en route a 28 points night with 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Earl Watson came fairly close to a trip-double with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, taking the loser's MVP award (MVP of the losing team).
Nick Collison grabbed 14 rebounds and fouled out with 6 PF's, while Jeff Green scored 14 points.
Chris Wilcox didn't even play 6 minutes, but shot 4 points and snagged 3 rebounds.
Former Sun Kurt Thomas got the team's only double-double with 14 points and 12rebounds.

The game's MVP was Amare Stoudemire who made 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Somehow, he managed a -2 +/- rating.

Free Agents and Trade Candidates for the Yankees

2008-01-03T21:51:00.000-05:00

I know I've posted on this topic before, but the offseason is not yet close to over, and many transactions have occurred since the last post.

Free Agents that NYY should target or at least look at:

LHRP Affeldt, Jeremy - a "much-needed" bullpen lefty who posted a 3.51 ERA for the Rockies last year; if he's cheap, fine, but he's been asking for three years and that won't happen; I still think Kei Igawa would be fine as a bullpen lefty; in his only MLB relief appearance, Kei held the Red Sox scoreless for 6 2/3 innings, replacing an injured Jeffrey Karstens; Kei has potential that shouldn't be wasted

RHRP Benitez, Armando - a high-risk, med. reward player, I believe Benitez still has value in his arm as long as he keeps pumping 90+ mph fastballs, which he still does; if he can be had for an incentive-laden contract with a low base, I see no reason to take a small gamble; too bad he's looking for a lot more than that

RHSP Colon, Bartolo - another injury returnee, Colon was a Cy Young pitcher as recently as 2005; he could return to ace form; he's asking for too much money, though; if the salary is reasonable, if there was any chance that he could convert to the bullpen, the injury risk would decrease and he could be very good

RHSP DeSalvo, Matt - just re-sign as an insurance policy; but I doubt he'd pitch in any situation other than mop-up duty

RHRP Dotel, Octavio - yet another injured, hard-throwing reliever who could add to the bullpen; a low-cost pitcher, too, we should ignore his previous outings with the Yankees and let him try again

OF Ford, Lew - he's a minor league free agent, so he could help the AAA team, as well as, provide some outfield depth; only a few years ago, he was considered to be a multi-dimensional up-and-coming player with upside

RHRP Otsuka, Akinori - his arm must really look bad if the interest in him is this low; his numbers are great and would be a welcome addition to any team's bullpen; my proposition - a 2-year deal giving the team at least one year if 2008 is lost to injury

OF Sardinha, Bronson - he wouldn't be a huge loss; but I don't want to give up on his upside just yet

RHSP Jaret Wright is a free agent again, but no one wants him this time.

Other free agents who are decent players, but don't fit with the Yankees:

RHSP Jennings, Jason - was once on a path to ace hood, now lucky to be a number 3

OF Cameron, Mike - Gold Glove defense with solid bat is being counterbalanced by a suspension, money, and age

3B Feliz, Pedro- many agree he was robbed of a Gold Glove; Feliz has a solid batting eye and power, but his average is horrendous; thank God we've got A-Rod back because a Miggy Cabrera trade wasn't happening and I don't believe Lowell was ever going to leave the Red Sox.

Trades Candidates:

CL Huston Street - I've posted about him before when writing about the A's recently. He would be groomed as Mariano Rivera's replacement. I recall reading that he had once struggled a bit against lefties. Now if only Rivera could teach him the cutter ...

1B Carlos Pena - He is a decent defender with a great bat at our weakest position. And to think we released him a year ago. And that there were rumors of a deal for him involving a mere package of Sean Henn and another minor leaguer. Oh well, now he would cost a big 3 pitcher (Kennedy, Hughes, or Chamberlain) and few other top 20 prospects.

P Matt Cain/Tim Lincecum - As much as I love Matsui, I would've loved him more if we could've traded him for one of these two young, high-upside, fireballing Giants pitchers. However, Cain might force Chamberlain to the bullpen (Hughes and Kennedy aren't suited for relief) or Lincecum would convert. Either way, it would be the best bullpen strengthener of all the moves I have just suggested (except for maybe Street). I prefer Lincecum because he's younger and has less service time.

The common theme of these moves is bullpen. Most are high-upside right pitchers who throw 90+ mph fastballs. But this also reminds me of Kyle Farnsworth !?!?!?!

Tigers and Catchers

2008-01-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

No, not Ivan Rodriguez.

The Wildlife World Zoo had named to tiger cubs after Suns players: Nash and Raja. Four newborn tiger cubs had to be named, too. As a result, we have added Amare, D'Antoni, Marion, and McCoy. What sounds better the Phoenix Suns or the Phoenix Tigers? I still like Suns because their offense is HOT! I think the next tigers should be named Grant, Barbosa, Strawberry, and Boris (in that order).

As for catcher, have no fear, Jesus Montero is here. And Francisco Cervelli. And Austin Romine. The Yankees might have the best farm system for catchers. I know Chad Jennings at SWB Yankees disagrees calling it the weakest position, other than first base, for the Yankees. If that's so, the Yankees have a great system. (http://emedia.thetimes-tribune.com/Blogs/SWBYankees/tabid/552/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1911/Prospect-watch-Catcher.aspx)

Anyway, over at Project Prospect, the boys have created a top 10 catching prospect list. The Yankees are the only team with two on the list (Montero at 7 and Cervelli at 9). John Sickels over at Minor League Ball has Austin Romine ranked ahead of both of them. If all this is true, and at least one of them fulfills their vast potential, the Yankees could have a great replacement for Posada. My prediction: Montero keeps growing and is forced into a 1B/OF/DH role with a Manny Ramirez bat; Austin Romine becomes the starting catcher with a I-Rod-esque arm and a bat similar to V-Mart; Cervelli becomes a solid average and doubles hitter, but his main calling card is defense, forcing him into a role as Romine's backup.

Fire Sale: A's are the second coming of the Marlins

2008-01-03T15:50:00.000-05:00

The A's swapped OF/1B Nick Swisher to the ChiSox for prospects Ryan Sweeney, Gio Gonzalez, and Fautino De Los Santos. All of the prospects had been top-5 prospects in the White Sox system. Swisher is a powerful bat with a solid batting eye, although he could use some help in the batting average department posting a .262/.381/.455 (AVG/OBP/SLG) line in 2007.

So far, the A's have traded their best hitter (Swisher) and pitcher (All-Star starter Dan Haren). Next up, starter Joe Blanton, starting reliever Rich Harden, and reliever Huston Street. If Street and Harden come at reasonable price (with Billy Beane? Yeah, right.), I would like to see the Yankees go for them. An ideal price would be two top relief prospects (H. Sanchez, K. Whelan, J. Cox, D. Robertson, M. Melancon, R. Ohlendorf, E. Ramirez, etc.) and a top prospect or young player (I. Kennedy, A. Jackson, M. Cabrera, etc.) for Street, and one player less for Harden. I don't see this happening, though. Swisher would have solved our 1B problem, though, but the package would be the equivalent of losing Alan Horne, Melky Cabrera, and Dellin Betances, not something I would do given that Mark Teixeira is a free agent next year, and Carlos Pena and Miguel Cabrera are the year after. As for Street, if the price is too high, we can sign Francisco Rodriguez as a FA after 2008, and Street would be a free agent the year Mariano Rivera's contract is up. Interesting.

Preview SUNS vs. SuperSonics

2008-01-03T05:59:00.000-05:00

This should be a good start to the new year of 2008 for our Suns. A win here would make it four straight, so that means the Suns will be trying for 5 in row for the next game. Seattle obviously isn't a good team, and they might be without both Chris Wilcox and Kevin Durant. During the last Phoenix and Seattle match-up, the Suns won 106-99 behind strong double-doubles from the big 3. Durant led Seattle's charge putting up 27 points and receiving praise from Raja Bell. Wilcox also had a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. This game's outcome: 121-92 without Wilcox/Durant or 116-107 with both of them (obviously both Phoenix wins).

As for player predictions (boy, these are fun): Four Phoenix starters (Nash, Stoudemire, Hill, and Marion) put up double-doubles with Hill and Marion nearly netting trip-doubles. Alando Tucker gets playing time contributing a little in all categories. As for Seattle, I do not believe Durant or Wilcox will play. Their next best player will be Jeff Green, who puts up a point-rebound double-double, although neither total exceeds 20.

UPDATE:
Durant is now listed as probable and Wilcox is probable. If they both play full minutes, I would expect a small double-double from Wilcox (closer to 10-10 than 15-15) and 20+ points from Durant. Greens numbers will also go down.

You know Yu?

2008-01-02T06:10:00.000-05:00

The East Windup Chronicle offered a third-hand report that the Yankees had interest in Yu Darvish, the young Iranian-Japanese phenom of a pitcher, who could become available after the 2008 season. At the ripe young age of 21 and standing 6'5", weighing under 180 pounds, Darvish has considerable upside, as he has probably not yet finished growing. The pitched (and dominated) in Japanese baseball with the Nippon Ham Fighters. He throws a low 90's fastball (91-93 mph) with strong secondary offerings of a knuckle-curve, slider, sinker, and change-up. His control is strong as well. In 2007, his first year without Daisuke Matsuzaka in the league, he won the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young award.

He is nowhere near free agency, but, apparently, a few MLB team have hoped and inquired his team to use the posting system that allowed Daisuke to reach the MLB a year early. If he is posted, he will almost certainly cost more due to his youth.

Prediction (if the Yankees get him): $75 million posting fee (he projects to be in the $50-$60 million range like Daisuke, but, remember, Daisuke's projected posting fee was $30-$40 million, and we know how that ended up). His contract will be larger as well, perhaps: $65 million for 5 years, a little more than Daisuke $52 million contract. Yu has more leverage than Daisuke because he won't have any problems returning to Japan for a few more years. In fact, there is no real proof he, his team, or his family even will consider the posting.

SUNS KINGS RECAP

2007-12-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

We didn't beat our own mark of 47 1st quarter points, but a 117-102 win is good enough for the Suns and me. Notable performances included:

Phoenix Suns-

Steve Nash went 3-3 from the free throw line, and put up a double-double with 12 points and 15 assists. He turned the ball over only twice and picked up 2 steals.
Grant Hill had a solid all-round game with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Shawn "the Matrix" Marion had an even better all-round game with 25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
Leandro Barbosa put up 22 points without much else in terms of stats.
The big thing tonight was Amare who dropped 31 points, 17 rebounds (10 on the offensive end), and added his own block.

All Phoenix starters had +/- ratings in the teens with Raja Bell leading the way with +18.

Sacramento Kings-

With Artest, Bibby, and K-Mart out, Francisco Garcia led the way with 30 points and 6 boards.
John Salmons made some shots to get a total of 23 points with 7 boards.
Brad Miller did a decent job with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists from the center position.
Mikki Moore helped his team with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
This team's stinker was Beno Udrih, who only got 6 points on 3 of 10 shooting and knocked up a -19 +/- rating.

A solid win for the Suns who have now won three straight to close out 2008.

Top Yankee Prospects

2007-12-29T09:40:00.001-05:00

1. Joba Chamberlain (RHP)- Grade A: No comment needed, great pitcher in any role, next Mariano or next Clemens
2. Ian Kennedy (RHP)- Grade A-/B+: Underrated from the moment he was drafted, has proven himself at every level, next step Big League consistency, impeccable control and baseball smarts, velocity is below average but he still hit 90
3. Jose Tabata (OF)- Grade B+: He seems to be falling off the radar a bit, not making much headlines, but he should, hitting .300 at any level as a teenager is great, and his approach is akin to a big leaguer, next step: power
4. Alan Horne (RHP)- Grade B: Would have much more recognition without the Big Three, after dominating AA, he'll conquer AAA, before heading the NY, but he'll have to come out of the 'pen
5. Austin Jackson (OF)- Grade B: Some say overrated, I don't, he's got all the tools and now he's getting results, could be the next Curtis Granderson (all tools, lot of K's)
6. Jesus Montero (C?)- Grade B (could be A when he's done): The big international signing last year, he's done nothing but rake, and he handled the Catcher position pretty well, but he's a big kid, so he might have to settle being the next Manny Ramirez, huge bat, no defense.
7. Dellin Betances (RHP)- Grade B-: Like the other teens on this list, his grade will probably get higher, he had arm injuries this season, but had a 98 mph fastball and great secondary offerings
8. Andrew Brackman (RHP)- Grade B-: Something about this guy screams JOBA at me, maybe it's size, his huge fastball and blistering slider, or that he had injury concerns that prevented from being taken earlier in the draft. Nevertheless, I got high expectations for this kid when he comes back from TJS. He'll through the farm system like JOBA due to his ability, age, and major league contract.
9. Austin Romine (C)- Grade B-: Hasn't played much, but is a catcher and was highly regarded in the draft. He was a second round selection, but concerns of college commitments prevented from going earlier. He's got a doubles bat and could make home runs, and a cannon arm that super-strong. He was polished for a high schooler, but will need more work before he's ready
10. Humberto Sanchez (RHP)- Grade B-/C+: Another potential JOBA, he's big, injury concerns, with filthy stuff. He's on the road back from TJS, and could get to the big league pen by August.

Other prospects include (in no particular order): Brad Suttle (3B), Carmen Angelini (SS), Jose Pirela (SS), Reegie Corona (2B), Carlos Urena (OF), Kevin DeLeon (OF), Dan McCutchen (RHP), Angel Reyes (LHP), Michael Dunn (LHP), Zach McAllister (RHP), Manny Barreda (RHP), Brett Gardner (OF), Damon Sublett (2B), Justin Snyder (2B/OF), Brandon Laird (3B/1B), Shelley Duncan (1B/OF), Eric Duncan (1B), Marcos Vechionacci (3B), Eduardo Nunez (SS), Jeffrey Marquez (RHP), Christian Garcia (RHP), George Kontos (RHP), Tim Norton (RHP), Kevin Whelan (RHP), James Cox (RHP), Mark Melancon (RHP), Francisco Cervelli (C), David Robertson (RHP), Jairo Heredia (RHP), Ross Ohlendorf (RHP), Edwar Ramirez (RHP), Jon Albaladejo (RHP), Juan Miranda (1B), Seth Fortenberry (OF), Jason Jones (RHP), Jon Hovis (RHP), Steven White (RHP)

By the way, has anyone heard any recent news on hot international free agent Edward Salcedo? Last I heard, he was being heavily pursued by the Yankees and Indians. Agent Scott Boras has even gone as far as calling him the next A-Rod. Also, anyone think that draft picks should be tradeable? Or only the top 10 (not 15 are protected)? Maybe only the following year's draft picks should be tradeable?

Suns Clippers Recap and more

2007-12-29T09:21:00.000-05:00

Two games against the Clippers were just what the Suns needed. They hadn't won two in a row since December 7. The first one was a 108-88 rout of the Clips. The second was 94-88, with the Suns winning again.

As for my predictions on the first game, I was correct in predicting a suns win, but was 20 points off on the score. And player predictions: Alando Tucker did get a few minutes, but he didn't take a single shot, on a 11-14 shooting, Amare picked up 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks, getting the double-double I had predicted. Marion had a off game picking up only 9 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists. Nash had 9 points and 12 assists, close to a double-double. As for other players, Grant Hill and Barbosa scored 16 apiece, with Marcus Banks netting 11. Brian Skinner grabbed 8 boards to complement his 7 points. Most amazing stat was the +/- ratings of the starting 5. +26 for Raja Bell, +20 for Nash, +26 for Marion, +32 for Amare, and a whopping +37 for Grant Hill. Also, Amare played great Defense on Chris Ka(ve)man, holding him to only 9 points and 9 rebounds. No Ruben Patterson.

Second game, Phoenix picked up its first win of the season in which it scores under 100 points. Obviously, it was a close game, with the Suns pulling away at the end. Kaman ran wild this time for 22 points and 20 rebounds. Amare did well though, with 28 points of his own to go with 10 rebounds. Sam Cassell scored 21 and rebounded 9 with Nash "guarding" him. Nash did all right, though dishing 10 assists and scoring 10 points with 6 boards. Marion grabbed 7 boards with 18 points, and Grant Hill dropped 22 with 8 assists. Leandro Barbosa put up the top +/- with +16.
The stat of the day was blocked shots, of which the Suns totaled 16. Amare had 3, Hill knocked down 3, Bell blocked 2, Marion stopped 1, Diaw shut down 2, Barbosa got 1, and Skinner rejected 4 shots. Amazing. Skinner and Hill better re-sign/use player option for next year.

Next game: Suns go back to Cali to play at Sacramento against the Kings who they 127-111 last game. The Suns put up a 47-point quarter in that one. Let's see if we top that.

As for Yankee news, Cano was asked to stop playing Winter Ball, reportedly out of concern of re-aggravating a calf injury. Everyone else is putting up top prospect lists, so I'll do mine.

Down

2007-12-28T23:01:00.000-05:00

My internet was down for most of the day. I'll do a double-recap of the two Clippers-Suns games.

Yankees make the LaTroy Hawkins signing official, and Jim Leyritz (a former Yankee) is charged with vehicular homicide and possible drunk driving. I like the Hawkins signing. He can at least be average and he was really good last year, especially compared to most of the Yankee relievers. Anyway, he was a low-risk, mid-reward guy. Better than Farnsworth. But I won't rip Farnsy. Who knows? Maybe he'll do good this year and Pavano will play 2400 straight games to end his career as a catcher.

I'm Back

2007-12-27T09:57:00.000-05:00

Merry (belated) Christmas!

I'm back from my internet-less ski trip, which wasn't fun since I was able to watch the Suns lose to the Lakers (again), and the announcers kept saying that the Lakers were a better all-round team and would win in a series (playoffs?). The Suns play the Clippers today, it's not a big game, so I won't do quarterly reports. I'll do a recap and preview.

PREVIEW SUNS/CLIPPERS

Let's hope the Suns can at least go .500 against the LA teams. They're looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at the hands of the Lakers. Although Kobe was huge, I think the deciding factor was Andrew Bynum who ran loose for a career-high 28 points. The Clippers have Chris Kaman who can be just as dangerous (number 3 rebounder in NBA). They don't have Elton Brand and their closest thing to Kobe is Corey Maggette, so I think the Suns will bounce back to win this one 128-113. As for my awful player predictions, Alando Tucker gets to play a few minutes and scores 6, and Shawn Marion, Stoudemire, and Nash put up huge double-doubles in their obvious categories. In their previous Nov. 23 meeting, the big 3 did put up double-doubles, with Marion breaking loose for 21 pts, 17 reb, 5 stl, and 2 blks. Kaman and Ruben Patterson put up double-doubles for the Clippers, but they have since then released Patterson.

In Yankee world and the rest of baseball, the Yankees lost out on Mark Prior who with the Padres for 1-year $1 million with incentives to make it a possible $4.5 million. The Twins have backed off on their Santana trade demands, no longer wanting Kennedy. I'm still not a big fan of his, though. He struggled a bit last year (compared to his others) and he could be declining. I would rather have Phil Hughes in the long run. Clemens is still denying his steroids. I'm actually starting to believe him. If he did do it, he's screwed because he would be lying all over the place and he could get the Pete Rose treatment (banned from Hall of Fame). I think he's going as far as he is because he knows he's innocent.

2009 free agent pitching

2007-12-20T18:42:00.000-05:00

At MLB Trade Rumors, they're already looking ahead to next year, listing free agents at each position.

Let's take a look at some interesting pitching possibilities:

There's so many starters. John Lackey (angels) and John Smoltz (braves) both have club options that will be exercised. A.J. Burnett (Jays) can opt out of his contract (like A-Rod). Otherwise, there's Jon Garland, Johan Santana, C.C. Sabathia, Pedro, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez, and Ben Sheets for guys who would help. I'm sure I would really want Lowe, Perez, Burnett, Pedro, Mussina, and Garland, all of whom provide a significant risk with little upside. Santana, Sabathia, and Sheets are guys who must be pursued with no reluctance (barring a unforseen injury). Pettitte will want to pitch, and Yankees will re-sign him. The thing is, I don't see the Yankees having a open rotation slot for 2009 with Kennedy, Wang, Pettitte, Chamberlain, Hughes, and maybe Alan Horne. Hopefully, the Yankees get a draft pick for Mussina.

Relievers:
Wow, bull market!

Closers: The great Hoffman (no chance at signing), Isringhausen, Brian Fuentes, Brad Lidge, Joe Nathan, Francisco Rodriguez, and Al Reyes will all be out there. Sign any and our bullpen will be one of the best. My order of preference is (based on performance and money): Rodriguez, Nathan, Fuentes, Lidge, Isringhausen, and Reyes (Hoffman won't leave San Diego).

Set-up men: Rafael Soriano, Damaso Marte, Dan Wheeler, Kerry Wood, and Alan Embree would all be valuable additions to the bullpen, posting ERA's less than 4.00, closer to 3.00, which is better than just about all of the Yankees 'pen last year.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/12/2009-mlb-free-a.html

2009 Free Agents

2007-12-20T18:22:00.000-05:00

At MLB Trade Rumors, they're already looking ahead to next year, listing free agents at each position.

Let's take a look at some interesting hitting possibilities:

There's a decent catcher crop all in their thirties. Kenji Johjima of the Mariners is the only one who is a near lock to be a positive contributor. The Yankees already have Posada, though, and Johjima isn't going to sign to be a backup.
At 1B, the Yankees will lose Giambi, who has a $22 mil. club option that definitely will be declined. Richie Sexson (Mariners), Nomar (Dodgers), and Delgado (mutual option with Mets) might be available, but the big fish is Mark Teixeira (Braves) who the Yankees will die for. He solves the first base problem perfectly, adding a great balanced bat with phenomenal defense. 7-8 years at $20 mil. per sounds like a reasonable prediction.
Second base has a first base candidate in Jeff Kent (Dodgers), and a Gold-Glover in Orlando Hudson (Arizona), but the Yanks got Cano.
Captain Jeter isn't moving, but Orlando Cabrera (White Sox) is going to be a free agent. DEFENSE!!!
Not much for third base because Chipper Jones isn't leaving the Braves and Glaus (B-Jays), Crede (W-Sox), and Blalock (Rangers) are all injury risks. Plus, we got A-Rod.
Carl Crawford (club option w/Rays), Manny Ramirez (club opt. w/BlowSox), Guerrero (club opt. w/Angels), Griffey (club opt. w/Reds), Brian Giles (Padres club opt.) and Rocco Baldelli (club opt. w/Rays) all have the potential to be free agents, if their clubs allow it. Only Baldelli, Giles, and Griffey actually have a chance, though. Other outfielders include Patty Burrell, former Yank Juan Rivera, Jay Payton, Jacques Jones, Raul Ibanez, Casey Blake, and Milton Bradley. Also, our own Bobby Abreu will be a free agent. Depending on next season's performance, the Yanks will either bring him back for one more year, or let him go for two draft picks. Yankees could sign someone to replace him, or bring up a prospect (Austin Jackson?). Baldelli could also be picked up. I don't particularly care for the others (except for the ones with options that will be exercised).

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/12/2009-mlb-free-a.html

HGH

2007-12-20T16:16:00.000-05:00

Slow day on all fronts, Suns and Yankees. Steinbrenner does not find it likely that the Yankees will pursue Prior. Oh well. He wasn't a key target, just intriguing.

Interesting read here by J.C. Bradbury. He proposes that HGH should be legalized by MLB because it does not really enhance performance. I guess it would be used as a medicine to recover from injuries, like Andy Pettitte and Rodney Harrison (Patriots).

http://www.sabernomics.com/sabernomics/index.php/2007/12/my-solution-to-rid-mlb-of-hgh-legalize-it/

Recap: SUNS@DALLAS

2007-12-20T05:56:00.000-05:00

Nope.
The Suns lost 108-105, but the Mavericks never were behind.
What really killed the Suns was rebounding, especially offensive boards. The Mavericks outrebounded us 49-35, and 19-7 offensively. That's unacceptable. If two of them were taken away by Suns, we might have won. Stoudemire had only 8, and Marion had 10. I wonder what would happen if Skinner started a game.

Prediction review:
My score was off. 4 was the number for Diaw. He had 4 personal fouls, assists, and points. Not what I was hoping for. Grant Hill was one point shy of 10, but Marion, Nash, Stoudemire, Bell, and Barbosa all shot in the double-digits. Alando Tucker didn't play one minute. Marion had a 23-10 point-rebound double-double, but Stoudemire was 2 boards short. Nash had a great night dishing out 18 assists with 21 points. Unfortunately, I was also close on Nowizki who ended up scoring 31. Barbosa was outscored by Terry 13-10, though.

Next game: Dec. 22, against Toronto. I'm going on a ski trip; I hope my condo has internet access.

Updated coverage

2007-12-19T19:47:00.001-05:00

I probably won't get past the 1st quarter of tonight's game, if at all. I barely have any TV channels (no ESPN) so I won't be able to stay updated, other than looking at box scores (like yesterday). I usually get my games off of NBA LeaguePass, which covers all games except for those on NBATv, ESPN, ABC, TNT, or any other big network. No local games either, meaning no Celtics live. That means I won't be seeing many big games on actual TV. The LeaguePass usually doesn't have the high-profile games. Oh well. I'll make do. Try my best.

UPDATE:
Not happening, I won't be able to cover it live. I'll still do a recap tomorrow, though.

Updates

2007-12-19T19:11:00.000-05:00

I usually don't do late games. Weekdays will probably go to 10:00 pm (eastern time). Weekends will go to the whole thing though. So, the latest weekday start time is around 8:00 pm. Yesterday was an exception. Today might be. If you're lucky. I'm not sure if I can, but I'll try my best to post about the Suns. Thanks.

If anyone wants to help, e-mail me and I'm sure we can work something out.

Rookie Trade and Dallas Preview and More

2007-12-19T14:38:00.000-05:00

No more D.J. Strawberry (for now). The Suns sent him to the Development League. They recalled Alando Tucker from there, as well. Tucker was the Performer of the Week in his short stay there, putting up an average of 28.2 points and 7 rebounds per game. Phenomenal. If he does even half as well in the NBA, it'll be great. Tucker has a blog posting here about his experiences:

http://blogs.suns.com/blog/suns01_12190703.aspx

Preview Suns at Dallas Mavericks:

2 Big games in a row means to coverages in a row (I won't do smaller games).

Since 1998, the Suns haven't beaten the two best Texas teams at Texas in a row. They will do it this time, though. Last year's match-up featured overtime, a 32 point-16 assist night from Nash, and 41 points from STAT.

Note: Nowitzki has had a bunch of 30-point games in the last week, but his stats (except assists) are all down from last year's MVP season.

Prediction: Another Suns win, this time 121-113, higher scoring because Dallas isn't the defensive team the Spurs are.

Big night from Diaw as he steps up to squash to the trade rumors floating around. All of the Phoenix starters will score in the double digits, and Barbosa and Alando Tucker, as well. Point-Rebound double-doubles from Marion and Stoudemire (Tucker will fall 2 rebounds short); point-assists double-double for Nash.

Nowitzki will put up 36 points, but it won't be enough. Barbosa will outperform Jason Terry by 10 points, showing the The Brazilian Blur is still the better 6th Man.

As for the baseball, Yahoo! is reporting that a deal for Santana will be done soon (most likely Yankees or Red Sox). I don't think so. Twins want too much. Yankees and Red Sox won't give up that much.

Chad Jennings has some solid reporting here on Yankee prospects (Juan Miranda, Humberto Sanchez, Mark Melancon, and more):

http://emedia.thetimes-tribune.com/Blogs/SWBYankees/tabid/552/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2393/Default.aspx

Now here's a question: With six starters, should the Yankees start one of in the bullpen, AAA, or something else (I would prefer that they cycle 2 out of the Big 3 every rotation - for example Chamberlain and Kennedy one time, Chamberlain and Hughes the next, and then Kennedy and Hughes before repeating the pattern)? Let's hear your opinion in the comments.

Suns Guards

2007-12-18T22:17:00.000-05:00

No, not Raja and Steve,

Steve, J-Kidd, and KJ.

I was playing Kobe Bryant NBA Courtside for the N64 and realized that the Suns had all three of these phenomenal point guards on their team (although Nash wasn't great back then). Most of us know the Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are two of the best point guards now and ever. Kevin Johnson was a Suns legend in the late 80's and 90's. He averaged about 20 points, 1.5-2 steals, and 10 assists in his prime. That's better than Nash. If only they were still on the team. The Suns would have 3 of the top 5 point guards. It wouldn't make a great starting lineup (3 point guards at once, nope) but would be GREAT trade bait. Enough for multiple picks. Ahhh, Michael Beasley.

Yankee Offseason and Suns Offseason

2007-12-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

So far, the Yankees have a solid, but unspectacular offseason. Although unspectacular (meaning no Santana trade), it has required a ton of effort, which I admire. Cash Money and co. have kept the core intact: picking up Abreu's option, re-signing the trio of Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and A-Rod, as well as trading T-Clippard for Jonathon Albaladejo, and offering arbitration to Cano, Bruney, and Wang. Grade: B.

Next step: re-visit the Giants for a Matsui+prospect for Lincecum/Cain trade. I realize it has been declared dead, but can we ever completely trust a GM? Also, it would be nice to sign a Prior, Otsuka, and/or Mench. If all this happens, Grade: A

Suns offseason review:

Big things: Signing Grant Hill and Brian Skinner, and keeping Shawn "the Matrix" Marion
Hill has proven to be a very valuable player for a low salary, consistently starting at SF and putting up double-digit points with solid passing and great leadership. Grade A

Skinner was signed at a minimum price and has greatly exceeded expectations. He played great post defense and rebounded well (although Duncan ran all over him last night). Most surprisingly, he has a solid jump shot, even taking and nailing a few threes. Grade B+

Marion has not complained and has continued to play at an All-star level. Grade A

Small things: Drafting and keeping D.J. Strawberry and Alando Tucker, re-signing Sean Marks, and trading both James Jones and Kurt Thomas

The draft picks were solid, but Mike D'Antoni has barely let them play at all (Tucker is now in the D-League). Marks is just average. Losing James Jones didn't hurt much, getting some salary relief and replacing with Hill is fine by me. Thomas has been capably replaced by Skinner, but we also gave up future picks with him.

Overall Suns grade: B+/A- (would be A if not for trading away future first-rounders to Seattle)
Hopefully, the Hawks start losing and the Suns get someone good with the pick. (D.J. Augustin? O.J. Mayo? Roy Hibbert? etc.)

Triple - A Scranton Management

2007-12-18T16:33:00.000-05:00

Chad Jennings at SWB Yankees got me in on this one.
Dave Miley is still the manager. The only real change is at pitching coach, as Dan Eiland who is now the Yankees coach is replaced with Rafael Chaves, a former Mariners pitching coach.

http://emedia.thetimes-tribune.com/Blogs/SWBYankees/tabid/552/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2388/Miley-returns-as-ScrantonWilkesBarre-manager.aspx

A-Rod-Scott Boras

2007-12-18T15:52:00.000-05:00

Despite the rumors the A-Rod will dump Boras, it's not entirely true. Boras will still be his baseball agent, but he has been talking with Guy Oseary who he will hire to be his life agent, or at agent for non-baseball stuff. Boras isn't really a bad guy. He just wants to do his job the best he can, support his family, and make some dough. Everyone wants that. And everyone is jealous of his money. Me too.

Kris Benson

2007-12-18T15:49:00.000-05:00

According to MLB Trade Rumors and many of my other sources, the Yankees have been scouting Kris Benson. Stick with Prior. He's got more upside and both are severe health risks. I'd rather have Jason Jennings.

Yankee Schedule

2007-12-18T05:56:00.001-05:00

The Yankee Stadium's final game will be on September 21 against Baltimore. That sucks. The last game of the season is on the road at Boston. Wouldn't it have been something if the last series against Boston was in New York to close out the Stadium.

Recap SUNS@SPURS

2007-12-18T05:50:00.000-05:00

YES!!!!
Payback.
Suns beat the Spurs 100-95.
My prediction on the outcome and Spurs score was close.

Suns MVP-Grant Hill, what a great pickup. He's been solid and is performing above my expectations by a ton. Just stay healthy. He put up 22 pts, 7 reb, 3 blk, and 3 asts.

Spurs MVE (Most Valuable Enemy)- Tim Duncan, big surprise. The Suns weren't able to contain him as I had hoped, but a a win is a win. The Finals road has a few more bumps along the way, though. Anyway, the Big Boring Fundamental 36 pts and 17 reb.

Next game: Another big one at Dallas on Wednesday.

3rd Quarter SUNS@SPURS

2007-12-17T22:21:00.000-05:00

At the end of the third, the Suns are pulling away to the tune of 74-67, on pace for a 99-89 victory. The Suns were able to play defense, holding San Antonio to 17 points and Duncan to 4, with Skinner around. Barbosa, Hill, Diaw, and Stoudemire (Hill and Diaw are on my fantasy team!) have double-digit points, as do Duncan, Ginobili, Finley, and Vaughn for the Spurs.

GO SUNS!

Recaps and Reflections will be posted tomorrow!

Mark Prior

2007-12-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

I like this guy. Only a few years removed from a Cy Young-caliber season, he is still full of potential at only 27 years old. He wants to start, but could he move to the bullpen, a la Kerry Wood (his soulmate).

Thanks to Chad Jennings at SWB Yankees for finding this link. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/12/17/2007-12-17_yankees_mets_look_into_mark_prior.html

First Half Recap SUNS@SPURS

2007-12-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

51-50 Suns at half
Pace for 102-100 Suns

Notable lines:
Grant Hill - 12 pts.
Stoudemire - 2 blocks, 10 pts.

Tim Duncan- 24 pts., 12 rebs.
Ridiculous!

Suns up by one, they still seem a little wild, they've missed a bunch of shots and Nash already has 3 turnovers to only 5 assists. They need to pick up the offense and someone needs to get in Duncan's face!

UPDATE:
Bruce Bowen got called for a technical right at the end. Ha!

1st Quarter SUNS@SPURS

2007-12-17T21:07:00.000-05:00

My prediction is going down the drain. Skinner hasn't played a minute (C'mon D'Antoni!) and Duncan has 10 pts 8 rbs. Nash hasn't scored with only 2 assists. STAT has only 2 points. Marion's alright though, with 5pt/4reb.

Diaw's 3-3 from the floor!

Score is 26-20 suns at the end of the first quarter

Current pace: 104-80

Start-up

2007-12-17T20:01:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to start this blog up to make it more user-friendly.

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2007-12-17T18:23:00.001-05:00

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2007-12-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

I'm posting for my account on Technorati to enhance this blog. Nothing much else.

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2007-12-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

E-Mail at generalgao93@yahoo.com

Preview: Suns and Spurs

2007-12-17T14:34:00.000-05:00

San Antonio has a 1-game winning streak and are waiting to get pulverized (SAT vocab) by the Suns, who just started a 1-game losing streak. A solid defense is looking to take on a phenomenal offense.

Prediction: Suns-117, Spurs-99
Nash will have a big game with 17 assists and 32 points. STAT will be decent (23 points, 11 boards) and Marion will revert back to form (19 points 13 boards). The big game performer: Brian Skinner, who will prove to be a worthy replacement of Kurt Thomas, holding Duncan to 14 points and 6 rebounds and making Suns fans feel a lot better about a championship.

Enough with the 'Roids

2007-12-17T14:29:00.000-05:00

With the Mitchell report and all these denials, I'm bored with it just as much as you. So this will be my only post about it.

Andy- Good man, confess, apologize, do what's right. Tell the truth (hopefully). I love you man.

Rocket- Geez. What happened? Superstar to public enemy #2, behind Bonds. Let's hope you're right, although 90% sure you're not.

Quiet Offseason and Disappointing losses

2007-12-17T07:57:00.000-05:00

Yankees: Seem to be content with their offseason. So am I, except for a few things. I don't need Santana, I'll risk it and hope he takes free agency. Too bad, the Matsui and someone else for Lincecum/Cain trade didn't work out. Akinori Otsuka, Kevin Mench, and Mark Prior are out there, I'd like to see them signed. Then, are bench would be strong, are bullpen stronger, and the rotation would be very good, as long as everyone is healthy, but who am I kidding?

Suns: Losing 3 out of 4 is unacceptable! But, really, c'mon guys, I want to see some ballin'. But that's okay because now they'll face a real easy team in the Spurs. We'll see how well Skinner defends Duncan. Offense vs. Defense. Who's better? OFFENSE, that's what this blog's about!