Category Archives: new york yankees

The Biggest Choke Jobs of 2008

Since the year is winding down, we can look over the past year and put certain things in context. Some teams were supposed to have monumental years, but fell short. Some teams have better excuses for their lack of success. Injuries, arrests, or suspensions can lead to a team not fulfilling their potential, the following teams didn’t have any of those reasons for not living up to their hype by failing to win a championship.

6. 2008 New York Yankees – With a payroll of over $200 million dollars, this Yankess team was supposed to make the playoffs, if not win a championship. They were so cocky about their chances of have a good team, that they didn’t pull the trigger on a deal that would have landed them Johan Santana. The Minnesota Twins wanted either or both of the Yankees top pitching prospects, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes. The Yankees wanted to keep their young guns and it ended up hurting them in the end. Johan Santana had a Cy Young caliber season and the Kennedy/Hughes tandem struggled to stay in the Majors. The Yankees didn’t win the AL East and failed to win the Wild Card, making this the first season many of the Yankees players didn’t see a pitch in the post-season.

5. 2007-2008 NBA Western Conference – The Western Conference was the superior conference in the NBA last season. The Western Conference owned the Eastern Conference in head-to-head competition and looked like they would come out with the NBA Championship at season’s end. The only team that stood in their way was a team from Boston. The Lakers, Suns, Rockets, Hornets, Mavericks, San Antonio, and Utah had great seasons and looked like championship teams. After a long season of beating on each other, the Western Conference team that would make the Finals, had a long run. The Lakers finally won the Western Conference, but lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics. A few calls here and there would have changed the outcome, but the Western Conference definitely fell short of expectations in the end.

4. 2008 Detroit Tigers – With the move that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers and getting Edgar Renteria in another deal, Detroit was a lock for a World Series ring. The addition of Cabrera and Willis would have added to the depth of talent Detroit already had on their team. Magglio Ordonez, Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Verlander, and Gary Sheffield were already leaders on the team and could only perform better with the addition of more All-Stars. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as expected in Motown. Verlander’s ERA rose to around 6.00, Renteria couldn’t handle AL pitching, and Willis ended up in A-ball and struggled with command. The Tigers ended the season under .500 and started blowing up the team by trading Rodriguez mid-season.

3. 2007-2008 UCLA Men’s Basketball – After making the Final Four in the two previous seasons, the UCLA Bruins had their eyes on an NCAA Championship. Darren Collison, Russell Westbrook, and Josh Shipp were all coming back and they would add top recruit, Kevin Love, to an already great team. UCLA coasted into the NCAA tournament with a top seed and made another Final Four. The other teams in the Final Four were some of the best teams in the country, but UCLA was the only team with players who had Final Four experience. UCLA lost in the National Semi-Final game to a much younger Memphis squad.

2. 2008 Chicago Cubs – The Chicago Cubs have a history of letting their fans down, but 2008 seemed different. They had the pitching and offense to finally end the curse and win a championship. The Cubs didn’t stand pat and even improved their team by adding Rich Harden in a deadline trade. They had a great season and won the NL Central in a close race. The finished the regular season with the best record in the National League and faced the NL West champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the first round of the playoffs. The Dodgers were red hot going into the post-season and beat the Cubs in three games. The Cubs pitching and lack of left-handed bats were too much to overcome. This may have been one of the most disappointing ends to a Cubs season since 1984.

1. 2007-2008 New England Patriots – The New England Patriots played like they had something to prove during the 2007-2008 season. They won every game during the regular season very easily. The Vegas odds makers even started to fall for the Patriots dominance by throwing up point spreads in the 20s, something usually only seen in college games. New England used their 16-0 momentum by winning both the divisional game and AFC championship game and punching their ticket to the Super Bowl. The NFC champion, the New York Giants, was a team that barely made the playoffs and had to win on the road three times to just make the Super Bowl. Even though the Giants nearly beat New England in the final game of the season, no one gave them a shot at winning the Super Bowl. New England had trouble with the Giants from the start of the game to the finish. The Giants defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, had the perfect gameplan, he blitzed Tom Brady and caused chaos for the New England offense. The New York Giants, thanks to an insane catch by David Tyree, ended up ruining the Patriots perfect season. 18-1 is usually as good as it gets in the NFL, but 19-0 was so close, but the Patriots couldn’t finish.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Teixeira Will Be In Pinstripes

It took long enough, but the Yankees got their man. Mark Teixeira will sign an 8-year deal worth $180 million dollars. That is $22.5 million a year for a man who has been the last two years’ trading deadline prize. This deal will shore up the 28-year old for the prime of his career. With the signings of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, it looks like the Yankees are back to buying their way to the World Series.

The Red Sox, Orioles, and the Nationals were the only other teams left in the bidding war after the Angels pulled out earlier this week. As of yesterday, it didn’t even look like the Yankees were in the mix for Teixeira, but money talks and the Yankees threw too much on the table for anyone to resist. New York will now try to move either Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Xavier Nady, or the newly acquired, Nick Swisher.

The Yankees are opening up a new stadium and look like they are wanting to bless the new ground with not one World Series championship, but a string of championships with the years attached to these monster deals this off-season. I’m waiting for the Red Sox to make their move, I don’t know what could trump these moves the Evil Empire has made the last month. The Red Sox will have to sign Jesus of Nazareth.

As a consolation prize for not signing Teixeira, the Nationals signed Corey Patterson. I can’t even imagine trying to explain that move to their fanbase.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Time To Support Your Local Blooger

I don’t try and hide my love for the McRib. My mother knows this and he made it a point to call me and tell me that my hometown in Indiana now has the McRib. I have been in Ohio for over two years and we haven’t had them. Looks like I am going to be making a road trip back home in the next few weeks. Now here’s some links to some posts around the blog world.

Roger Clemens’ Son Is In Some Hot Water – Babes Love Baseball

An Effin’ Short Version of ‘Good Will Hunting’ – On 205th

Top 5 Most Depressing Bands You Made Popular – Uncoached

Dinner With Mike Ditka, Almost – Luol’s Dong

An Interesting Note About Jeff Samardzjia – Mondesi’s House

2008 Nickname Olympics – Chicago Bull

Tribute To Don Lafontaine – H8torade

Some Interesting New Orleans Saints “Dialogue” – Kissing Suzy Kolber

College Team Ends 49 Game Losing Streak – SPORTSbyBROOKS

Donyell Is A Sixer – Five Tool Tool

R.I.P. New York Yankees – The Money Shot

– Us Versus Them

Was C.C. robbed? – Out Of Left Field

Bloggers Are Not Dorks! – The Ghosts Of Wayne Fontes

Ocho Cinco Is Radioactive – Hugging Harold Reynolds

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

The Mustache Is Back!

Jason Giambi hasn’t exactly been doing great in the 2nd half this season. I think I may have jinxed him in one of my “Fantasy God” posts. I have him on both of my fantasy baseball teams, but here lately, I have been benching him. He shaved off his mustache a few weeks ago, but I was watching the Yankees/Red Sox game yesterday and I noticed that the mustache was back and looking good. He did end up hitting a homer in last night’s game, but it was a meaningless solo shot very late in the game.

Giambi had more of an impact in today’s game against the Red Sox. He hit a pinch-hit 2-run homer in the 7th inning to tie up the game 2-2. Later in the game he hit a walk-off single that score the winning run. I know the Yankees may almost be mathematically out of the running for the post-season (okay, I know they aren’t, but the Rays, Red Sox, White Sox, and Twins are playing very well), but the Yankees are making thing interesting.

The Yankees do play the Red Sox again later in the season and could squeak in if either one of the Sox teams or Rays fall off. Derek Jeter has never been sitting at home in October and I feel that he will be very motivated and get his team start playing like a normal Yankees team.

The mustache is back, now if I can only get McDonalds to bring back the McRib.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

A-Rod – Desperate Housewives Edition

There are reports that Alex Rodriguez and have allegedly split up. I can’t say that this is surprising, but for a extremely rich athlete who is in the public eye as A-Rod is, it’s hard to keep a marriage together. There are rumors that A-Rod has been seeking the solace of Madonna and his wife has been spending a lot of time with Lenny Kravitz. Really? Is A-Rod imitating Jose Canseco’s career to a tee? Canseco was link with Madonna years ago and both have also been linked to a certain “pharmaceutical” craze in baseball as well.

I can’t remember a more polarizing figure in baseball than Alex Rodriguez. Curt Schilling is very polarizing, but the Red Sox are a lovable team and it saves him from receiving even more scrutiny than he already does. Schilling has one thing going for him, he’s actually had success in the post-season, something A-Rod hasn’t accomplished. The next time the Yankees make the post-season, A-Rod can do himself a favor and carry his team to a World Series championship and save himself from a lot of the bad press he receives.

I think being single could be a good thing for Rodriguez. Imagine what kind of action he could get with Derek Jeter working as a wingman or “bro.” He can take care of a slump the old fashion way and take one for the team, a.k.a. “Slumpbuster.”

Suit Up!

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Isiah Thomas Must Be Coaching The Mets

The Mets are looking horrible these days, I don’t know how it could happen. My assumption that Isiah Thomas is secretly coaching the team could be correct, but until my theory is proven, Willie Randolph needs to do something drastic. Omar Minaya, the Mets GM, met with Randolph and got the dreaded “vote of confidence,” but they need to trade what few prospects they have left on more pitching. Reyes, Church, Wright, and Beltran have all been hitting, but the rest of the team isn’t showing up. They always have a good shot at winning ever 4th and 5th days with Johan Santana and John Maine pitching, but the rest of the rotation is really bad.

I would suggest cutting ties with Carlos Delgado and move Moises Alou to 1st base and keep Angel Pagan in leftfield. Pagan has been injured lately, but showed signs of being consistent before his injury. Who knows, maybe someone will trade a 5th starter for Delgado.

The Mets need a kick in the crotch right now, it will hurt at first, but afterwards, you won’t want it to happen again.

The Mets have one thing going for them at the moment, they are probably still better than the Yankees.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Is Robinson Cano Alive?

Robinson Cano is named after the great Jackie Robinson, but currently Cano is batting like Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Cano is currently batting .151 and I haven’t seen any silver-lining at all. He hasn’t even had a good game this season yet, the best game was a pinch-hit homer to win a game. He was benched that game due to his slump. As you all know, I like to talk about my fantasy league team (1st place!). Anyways, Cano was a high draft pick by many and by me. He is a career .300 hitter and has pretty average power with around 20 home runs a season.

I know Cano is a slow-starter, but I really hate that excuse. If a player is known as a slow-starter, why isn’t he playing every spring training game to get his 4-5 at-bats in? Most of the slow-starters don’t like to play in colder weather, I can somewhat understand that, the ball acts differently in cold than it does in warm weather. Cano needs to carry this team now that A-Rod and Posada are out for awhile. If Cano or Melky Cabrera can’t lead this team, the Yankees are going to bury themselves too deep to catch up. I think Cano can get out of this funk, but I don’t see him making the All-Star team this season. He has a lot of work to do if he wants to be mentioned in the same sentence as Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.