Have you ever played baseball? If you have, you surely had a position. Maybe you played more than one but most people played A position, singular. You found a spot, you played it, you potentially got good at it. You perhaps even honed your talents to play at the high school or college level.
But let's take it a step beyond that, let's assume you were good enough to be noticed and get drafted (or signed) by a major league team. That team saw something in your ability to say, "we want this kid to be part of our organization." And when they did so, you have to have an abundance of talent and it's likely they see that raw ability as something that can project to the major leagues. Even if you are the world's best hitter, you have to have a position. There has to be somewhere that you play and can play well enough to be serviceable, at a minimum in the major leagues. A couple of premier hitters do come to mind - Ryan Braun, Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols - as players that have no real home in the field but have found a spot to basically just stick so that they can mash. And they DO mash.
There are also players that make it to the major leagues because they can play a multitude of positions and hit just enough to stick in the bigs. Most of these utility players are older, never really hit much but their ability to just slip into a handful of positions makes them favorable for any roster. The conventional rule of thumb for a utility guy is the fact that their defense is solid, if not flawless, regardless of where they play in the field. Any hitting that they do is an added bonus but that is certainly not in the job description.
This brings us to a player that is unfairly becoming public enemy #1 in New York - a feat that is surely not hard to do. When signed by the Yankees, Eduardo Nunez was a short stop. He was not a second baseman, not a third base man, not a left fielder, nor was he a right fielder. He played one position, he excelled at one position and while working his way up the organizational ladder, he hit. And he ran. Two of the fastest players I ever got to see run the bases were Brett Gardner and Eduardo Nunez. Who is faster? That's too close to call and surely cannot be measured home to first since Gardner bats left handed.
One thing Nunez did not do was play short stop on Monday, second on Tuesday, short on Wednesday, left field on Thursday, third on Friday, and back to short stop for the weekend. Players do not generally do that in the minors, not if they are top prospect worthy. Eduardo was top prospect worthy. Last season, the Yankees decided that Eduardo Nunez was too good to be back in the minors. He was too good to not get a roster spot over the non-hitting, solid gloved Ramiro Pena. He was ready to tackle the next level and now it was on Joe Girardi's shoulders to find playing time for this young kid. For those who never got to see the Eduardo Nunez I saw in Staten Island, Charleston, Trenton, or Scranton, you do not know what you are missing when you see only snippets of his talent on a semi-regular basis. And believe me, his talent is not nearly as hyped as it should be. The ball jumps off his bat and his speed is blinding.
Is he a future gold glove short stop? Maybe, maybe not. Ask the person who watched a young Derek Jeter if they thought he'd ever make it to the majors, let alone the Hall of Fame. Jeter's the kid that barely hit .200 and made 50+ errors in his first season in the minors. We all know what happened next and it's been a story book career for DJ. When the Yankees traded for Alex Rodriguez, arguably the best short stop in the game at the time of the deal (aside from Omar Vizquel), who moved to third base? Part of the reason for A-Rod making the move can be attributed to the fact that A-Rod just might have been the better fielder and more capable of making that move. That point has been debated for years and is truly irrelevant at this point. What matters is that players play a position, singular, and making a move is not easy. A-Rod needed time to adjust and there were some bumps in the road but he is a gold-glove caliber third baseman. The transition was known, it was worked on, and it was a one time thing. The Yankees, whether it was Joe Torre or Joe Girardi, were resolute in their decision to not use A-Rod as a short stop, no matter what happened to Derek Jeter. Rodriguez came to New York to be a third baseman and that is what he became.
For Nunez, every day is an adventure. One day he is in the lineup and in left field, the next day he is giving Jeter a rest and playing short, and then he slides over to third to spell A-Rod. Sure he takes ground balls daily at 2B, SS, and 3B - and let me tell you that fungos are EXACTLY like the real thing. Yes, he started taking fly balls in the spring and supposedly has been doing so during the course of this season but that does not make you an outfielder!
Call me an apologist but I'd like to consider myself to be a realist. If you think shuffling a player around the field because it's best for the team is the way to turn a player into whatever you wish him to be, you're delusional. If you believe that a person that was a short stop for a number of years can just shift from one spot to another without an adjustment period, you've obviously never tried to stand in the infield and catch grounders that are hit at speeds of 100+ mph, or fly balls that do the same. It's just not reality. More power to the players that can do it but when a player is not capable of doing it so easily, the player is not the one to blame. On any given day, you can flip on a Yankees game and ask Where's Nunez and there's a good possibility that today's answer is different from yesterday.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A Pineda For Your Thoughts
As the news trickles in regarding Michael Pineda's torn labrum and season ending surgery, the deal that Brian Cashman made is looking more and more dubious by the day. When the deal went down, I was not a fan. Why? Pineda struggled (putting it nicely) in the second half of last year. There was the learning curve but there was also some lost velocity and he was not the same pitcher. Also, the Yankees sought a DH and Jesus Montero projected as a DH and maybe a part time catcher but definitely as a hitter. Seems like a good fit for a team that has a great crop of pitching on the horizon (Banuelos, Betances, Phelps, Warren, Mitchell, etc. etc.) and paltry hitting (Mason Williams, crickets, crickets, crickets.)
No, there's not a prospect on the Yankees named crickets, that's the sound of silence, well, semi-silence mixed in with cricket noises.
Pineda arrived out of shape (GREAT first impression, I don't think you get to make two of those), mysteriously lost 5-7 mph on the gun (seems odd for someone who is "healthy" and young), and got destroyed in Grapefruit League action. Now the team is stuck with this albatross. Anything but a torn labrum would have been a good diagnosis but there's something about pitchers with bad shoulders that just doesn't sit well. I keep thinking of this guy Mark Prior...
But I digress, looking forward, the Yankees do need pitching help and they need it sooner rather than later. All eyes are squarely on Andy Pettitte to help stabilize the rotation once he is ready but that solves only 1/2 the problem. Right now, there are two starters (Hughes and Garcia) that are underachieving (putting it very nicely) and there's not much behind Pettitte. Hughes cannot find his way out of the 5th inning and Garcia couldn't hack it through two in Boston this past weekend. Pettitte will easily take one of those spots but will the loser of that contest do something to put a stranglehold on the other?
David Phelps has opened some eyes, and rightfully so. Does he deserve a rotation spot? Well, he'd have to go down to AAA to build up strength to change roles. So who does that leave?
Manny Banuelos - can't stay healthy
Dellin Betances - can't throw strikes (this is NOT a 2012 issue, this is a recurring theme)
Adam Warren - maybe
DJ Mitchell - probably their best pitching prospect and has three good pitches.
Whatever does happen with Pineda, it will be a long road back to just pitch again and it's likely he'll need to learn how to pitch differently from the explosive 1-2 fastball-slider combo that won him 10 games as a rookie in 2011.
Further proof that I NEVER approved of this deal, shuffled in ascending order:
KingDJ27 @kingdj27
No, there's not a prospect on the Yankees named crickets, that's the sound of silence, well, semi-silence mixed in with cricket noises.
Pineda arrived out of shape (GREAT first impression, I don't think you get to make two of those), mysteriously lost 5-7 mph on the gun (seems odd for someone who is "healthy" and young), and got destroyed in Grapefruit League action. Now the team is stuck with this albatross. Anything but a torn labrum would have been a good diagnosis but there's something about pitchers with bad shoulders that just doesn't sit well. I keep thinking of this guy Mark Prior...
But I digress, looking forward, the Yankees do need pitching help and they need it sooner rather than later. All eyes are squarely on Andy Pettitte to help stabilize the rotation once he is ready but that solves only 1/2 the problem. Right now, there are two starters (Hughes and Garcia) that are underachieving (putting it very nicely) and there's not much behind Pettitte. Hughes cannot find his way out of the 5th inning and Garcia couldn't hack it through two in Boston this past weekend. Pettitte will easily take one of those spots but will the loser of that contest do something to put a stranglehold on the other?
David Phelps has opened some eyes, and rightfully so. Does he deserve a rotation spot? Well, he'd have to go down to AAA to build up strength to change roles. So who does that leave?
Manny Banuelos - can't stay healthy
Dellin Betances - can't throw strikes (this is NOT a 2012 issue, this is a recurring theme)
Adam Warren - maybe
DJ Mitchell - probably their best pitching prospect and has three good pitches.
Whatever does happen with Pineda, it will be a long road back to just pitch again and it's likely he'll need to learn how to pitch differently from the explosive 1-2 fastball-slider combo that won him 10 games as a rookie in 2011.
Further proof that I NEVER approved of this deal, shuffled in ascending order:
KingDJ27
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
LaTroy Hawkins 2: The $35 Million Dollar (Setup) Man
Why not pile on? I mean, every time Rafael Soriano pitches, he has the chance to either prove Brian Cashman wrong and dominate the 8th inning of games therefore shortening a Yankees' game to 7 innings. Or he can prove Brian Cashman right by pitching the way he's pitched thus far, giving up 3 fewer runs to date than he gave up all of last season.
In 2010, Soriano had a season that put him on the map as a closer in the majors - 45 saves, 1.73 ERA in 62.1 IP. I would not throw any closer into the upper tier after one season on the job since there are hundreds of closers that shut the door for a season or two before vanishing into baseball anonymity.
Strangely enough, the list of potential employers was short when the off-season came. So short that the Yankees ended up being the only team on the list and they did a great job of not only out-bidding themselves but dividing the front office, again. This time it's not a Tampa-NY division per-se, rather it's a division of Soriano-Anyone Else.
His signing made some sense but the terms of the deal make absolutely no sense. Three years, $35 million, with player opt-outs after each of the first two years. Giving him the option to opt-out would likely only be exercised if another team came along with more money. It's hardly likely that Soriano would bow out of New York without a guarantee someplace else, even if the city is too much for him to pitch in.
At this point the Yankees would have been better off with a number of other relievers (Grant Balfour immediately comes to mind) or better yet, signing Alfonso Soriano to pitch the 8th may have been just as effective. Surely Soriano can rebound to match last season's output but it's hard to fathom at this stage that he will only give up three more runs if he throws another 50 or so innings. At this point, even bringing back LaTroy Hawkins would have made more sense; just don't give him #21 to start his career in pinstripes. For now, that's the only solace Rafael Soriano can take since his #29 only evokes memories of Jessie Barfield.
In 2010, Soriano had a season that put him on the map as a closer in the majors - 45 saves, 1.73 ERA in 62.1 IP. I would not throw any closer into the upper tier after one season on the job since there are hundreds of closers that shut the door for a season or two before vanishing into baseball anonymity.
Strangely enough, the list of potential employers was short when the off-season came. So short that the Yankees ended up being the only team on the list and they did a great job of not only out-bidding themselves but dividing the front office, again. This time it's not a Tampa-NY division per-se, rather it's a division of Soriano-Anyone Else.
His signing made some sense but the terms of the deal make absolutely no sense. Three years, $35 million, with player opt-outs after each of the first two years. Giving him the option to opt-out would likely only be exercised if another team came along with more money. It's hardly likely that Soriano would bow out of New York without a guarantee someplace else, even if the city is too much for him to pitch in.
At this point the Yankees would have been better off with a number of other relievers (Grant Balfour immediately comes to mind) or better yet, signing Alfonso Soriano to pitch the 8th may have been just as effective. Surely Soriano can rebound to match last season's output but it's hard to fathom at this stage that he will only give up three more runs if he throws another 50 or so innings. At this point, even bringing back LaTroy Hawkins would have made more sense; just don't give him #21 to start his career in pinstripes. For now, that's the only solace Rafael Soriano can take since his #29 only evokes memories of Jessie Barfield.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Explaining Tex
So I took a LOT of heat for a recent comment I made that went a little something like this "I hope Mark Teixeira breaks or pulls something so I don't have to see him play again." My bombastic statement revolved around a key point that was lost in the shuffle. Robinson Cano is the Yankees best hitter and should bat third. That primary statement, backed by my other statement, brings things together. The most important thing, in my mind, is that there was no way Tex would drop in the order at this point in the season so the only way to move him from the third slot was for him to get hurt. He did, the Yanks lost anyway, and life goes on.
The Jeter Watch Begins
Many baseball fans are focused on that World Series event that is slated to begin Wednesday in San Francisco and while I think it should be a good Series (Rangers in 6), my heart and mind are in the Bronx as this proves to be a pivotal year. Lots of questions exist for Yankees fans but the one of supreme importance is "What will Derek Jeter make as a free agent?"
I've posed the question before and it is now front and center. What do you give Jeter, years and dollars? Joel Sherman raised some interesting points recently and they should surely be considered. Jeter is older. His production was his absolute worst this season, and he's got all those rings, hits, records in his favor as well.
Offering more than a 3 year deal at $12 per year is insane, but crazier things have happened so I'll throw out a 3 year, $42 million as where this thing will land and then start praying that he lives up to it because at some point, the money does matter and the intangibles lose their value.
I've posed the question before and it is now front and center. What do you give Jeter, years and dollars? Joel Sherman raised some interesting points recently and they should surely be considered. Jeter is older. His production was his absolute worst this season, and he's got all those rings, hits, records in his favor as well.
Offering more than a 3 year deal at $12 per year is insane, but crazier things have happened so I'll throw out a 3 year, $42 million as where this thing will land and then start praying that he lives up to it because at some point, the money does matter and the intangibles lose their value.
Friday, October 15, 2010
2010 ALCS Preview
The Yankees dodged a bullet as the other ALDS series was stretched to 5 games, forcing both teams to use their ace in the win to advance game, ultimately shoving Cliff Lee back to the 3rd game of the ALCS. You are kidding yourself if you do not recognize how well that plays in the favor of the Rangers. How? If you're the Yankees you are hoping to earn a split on the road, right? Right. If you're Texas and you settle for said split at home, you've got your ace in a pivotal game 3. That said, the Yankees have made the best move possible to combat Lee by starting Andy Pettitte in the home opener to shift the balance.
For the Rangers to win they must continue to exploit the Yankees' pitchers' and catchers' inability to throw out their base runners (8 SB and none caught stealing.) Game 1 starter, C.J. Wilson is no slouch (15 W, 3.35 ERA during the regular season but his line vs. the Bronx Bombers is checkered - 3 starts, 1 CG, 14.1 IP, 27 base-runners, and a 5.65 ERA.) Which C.J. Wilson will show up tonight? Interesting tid-bit, C.J. lives a straight-edge lifestyle which is interesting to hear about considering the debauchery that many of the pros partake in. Maybe I care a little more than most because of my life choices?
The bullpen. It's an understatement that Texas has a dominant bullpen but other than the ageless Darren Oliver (4G, 4+IP, 0.00 ERA, 7ks vs. Yankees) the rest have been hit and hit hard. Baseball fans know that the Yankees tend to struggle a bit with the plus fastball (who doesn't) but these are familiar arms that have walked their fair share vs the Bombers.
On offense, Kinsler is getting hot at the right time. The 2B had a torrid ALDS and is turning the corner towards getting healthy. Josh Hamilton missing almost all of September has been a step behind in the ALDS - we'll see how the extra time off impacts his healing. Nelson Cruz (3 HR during 2010 vs. Yankees) was a beast vs the Yankees and their best hitter was Jorge Cantu - who has been irrelevant of late so it will be interesting to see if Cantu sees significant action in this series.
For the Yankees, it starts with pitching and defense. The song that wins every WS trophy is a familiar tune in the Bronx for good reason. The starters, anchored by CC and Pettitte are as rock solid as it gets. Interestingly, the Yanks have placed Phil Hughes in the game 2 role. Hughes was impressive in his post season starting debut vs the Twins and starting the big righty in Texas makes perfect sense for three reasons
Offensively, the Yankees need to stick w/what works. Take pitches, work counts, and make the other pitcher labor more than he needs to. Robinson Cano has been the most stable force all season on both sides of the ball (3 errors? You read correctly) but he'll always be known for his offense. This year was no aberration and I look for him to continue his hot hitting as he is unphased at the plate. I also will predict now that Cano will be the #3 hitter next season, dropping Tex to #5.
All in, Yankees in 6. Lee getting only 2 starts and not starting until game 3 will severely hurt the Rangers chances of advancing and other than speed, this is not a matchup that favors the Rangers much, if at all. They've had a solid run but their marathon's just about over.
For the Rangers to win they must continue to exploit the Yankees' pitchers' and catchers' inability to throw out their base runners (8 SB and none caught stealing.) Game 1 starter, C.J. Wilson is no slouch (15 W, 3.35 ERA during the regular season but his line vs. the Bronx Bombers is checkered - 3 starts, 1 CG, 14.1 IP, 27 base-runners, and a 5.65 ERA.) Which C.J. Wilson will show up tonight? Interesting tid-bit, C.J. lives a straight-edge lifestyle which is interesting to hear about considering the debauchery that many of the pros partake in. Maybe I care a little more than most because of my life choices?
The bullpen. It's an understatement that Texas has a dominant bullpen but other than the ageless Darren Oliver (4G, 4+IP, 0.00 ERA, 7ks vs. Yankees) the rest have been hit and hit hard. Baseball fans know that the Yankees tend to struggle a bit with the plus fastball (who doesn't) but these are familiar arms that have walked their fair share vs the Bombers.
On offense, Kinsler is getting hot at the right time. The 2B had a torrid ALDS and is turning the corner towards getting healthy. Josh Hamilton missing almost all of September has been a step behind in the ALDS - we'll see how the extra time off impacts his healing. Nelson Cruz (3 HR during 2010 vs. Yankees) was a beast vs the Yankees and their best hitter was Jorge Cantu - who has been irrelevant of late so it will be interesting to see if Cantu sees significant action in this series.
For the Yankees, it starts with pitching and defense. The song that wins every WS trophy is a familiar tune in the Bronx for good reason. The starters, anchored by CC and Pettitte are as rock solid as it gets. Interestingly, the Yanks have placed Phil Hughes in the game 2 role. Hughes was impressive in his post season starting debut vs the Twins and starting the big righty in Texas makes perfect sense for three reasons
- Break up the lefties.
- Space out the starts between Hughes and Burnett - it's fair to assume that Sabathia and Pettitte will go very deep into their respective games. Hughes and Burnett will likely have shorter leashes so if Girardi needs to go to a long man in game 2, there's an off day + another game in between before Burnett takes the hill.
- The Rangers are power hitters, any time there's a righty starting at Yankee Stadium makes me leery of the HR ball w/the short RF fence.
Offensively, the Yankees need to stick w/what works. Take pitches, work counts, and make the other pitcher labor more than he needs to. Robinson Cano has been the most stable force all season on both sides of the ball (3 errors? You read correctly) but he'll always be known for his offense. This year was no aberration and I look for him to continue his hot hitting as he is unphased at the plate. I also will predict now that Cano will be the #3 hitter next season, dropping Tex to #5.
All in, Yankees in 6. Lee getting only 2 starts and not starting until game 3 will severely hurt the Rangers chances of advancing and other than speed, this is not a matchup that favors the Rangers much, if at all. They've had a solid run but their marathon's just about over.
2010 NLCS Preview
The money is on the "phavorite" here and the question truly is, do the Giants have a shot against the Phillies? If yes, then how? Well the answer is it's easier said than done but the Giants need to hang in there against the starters and hope to get into the Philly bullpen. The achilles heel for the Phils is their shaky bullpen led by Jose Contreras. Yes, you read correctly. Those who are not in the know have missed Contreras as the stablizing force for the Phils who even stepped in and closed games during one of Brad Lidge's disappearing acts.
Position by Position - does it really matter? There's no firepower in SF to match the right side of the Philly infield. SS is a virtual wash on both sides of the ball and 3B is virtually irrelevant to the argument. Defense is key and the Giants will not be afforded the luxury of Brooks Conrad in this series. The outfield is one that keeps me guessing, at least from the SF standpoint. They are loaded w/castoffs, some which have played over their head, but they all seem to contribute at the plate. OF defense, particularly Pat Burrell's (does anyone care about the story line of Pat the Bat returning to Philly? Maybe a little?) will be shaky but it's on par w/Raul Ibañez so there's a wash.
The focus is on the game 1 matchup of Halladay vs. Lincecum. It's hard to imagine either one replicating their first playoff start (no-hitter and two-hitter, respectively) but it is conceivable that these aces will take the bump deep into the game while being very stingy to the opposing team. The rest of the starting pitching is certainly noteworthy with the "other" Roy, Oswalt backing Halladay, followed by Hamels (2.23 ERA in the 2nd half!) Don't sleep on the Giants though, their starters can bring it. From Cain to Sanchez to rookie Madison Bumgarner the team is deep in their rotation.
The bullpens are iffy for both teams. Brian Wilson was so solid all season (led the league w/48 saves) and had a spotty NLDS to say the least. Wilson, however, is still more reliable than the aforementioned Brad Lidge, I think...If the starters falter, the focus will be on some middle men that have not been battle tested in October so that may come into play over the next week or so.
Lastly, the Phillies will likely run and test Buster Posey and the Giants' staff at holding them in place. The Giants are basically a station to station team and Carlos Ruiz is likely to not be tested too much behind the dish.
When it's all said and done, Philly takes this series in 5 games. My expectation is that Hamels will implode in game 3 and things will drag on for another game.
Position by Position - does it really matter? There's no firepower in SF to match the right side of the Philly infield. SS is a virtual wash on both sides of the ball and 3B is virtually irrelevant to the argument. Defense is key and the Giants will not be afforded the luxury of Brooks Conrad in this series. The outfield is one that keeps me guessing, at least from the SF standpoint. They are loaded w/castoffs, some which have played over their head, but they all seem to contribute at the plate. OF defense, particularly Pat Burrell's (does anyone care about the story line of Pat the Bat returning to Philly? Maybe a little?) will be shaky but it's on par w/Raul Ibañez so there's a wash.
The focus is on the game 1 matchup of Halladay vs. Lincecum. It's hard to imagine either one replicating their first playoff start (no-hitter and two-hitter, respectively) but it is conceivable that these aces will take the bump deep into the game while being very stingy to the opposing team. The rest of the starting pitching is certainly noteworthy with the "other" Roy, Oswalt backing Halladay, followed by Hamels (2.23 ERA in the 2nd half!) Don't sleep on the Giants though, their starters can bring it. From Cain to Sanchez to rookie Madison Bumgarner the team is deep in their rotation.
The bullpens are iffy for both teams. Brian Wilson was so solid all season (led the league w/48 saves) and had a spotty NLDS to say the least. Wilson, however, is still more reliable than the aforementioned Brad Lidge, I think...If the starters falter, the focus will be on some middle men that have not been battle tested in October so that may come into play over the next week or so.
Lastly, the Phillies will likely run and test Buster Posey and the Giants' staff at holding them in place. The Giants are basically a station to station team and Carlos Ruiz is likely to not be tested too much behind the dish.
When it's all said and done, Philly takes this series in 5 games. My expectation is that Hamels will implode in game 3 and things will drag on for another game.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
What Would You Do?
Always looking forward, I've come up with an idea for a column that I'd like to test out. It's title is evident and the premise is simple. The answer is rather difficult.
Here's the first question. If you're the NY Yankees, what contract (years and $) do you offer Derek Jeter? If you'd like to back up your argument with something quasi-intelligent that would help spark a more interesting debate.
Things to ponder - the Captain, 5 rings, all time hit leader, 36 years old (37 in June '11), currently at .268 (24 points lower than his all time low for a single season), etc. etc.
Here's the first question. If you're the NY Yankees, what contract (years and $) do you offer Derek Jeter? If you'd like to back up your argument with something quasi-intelligent that would help spark a more interesting debate.
Things to ponder - the Captain, 5 rings, all time hit leader, 36 years old (37 in June '11), currently at .268 (24 points lower than his all time low for a single season), etc. etc.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Eating Out:NYC
I know there are a lot of pet friendly areas in the Big Apple but little did I know that there are restaurants that are serving up the food of man's best friend. Ok, maybe that's false and my statement is a tad harsh but my trip to Daisy May's on Friday night, after a 5 year hiatus, was less than stellar. As usual, the sides steal the show however, the quality of the meats (main courses) was a HUGE disappointment.
My pulled pork was just a pile of mush that was drenched in BBQ sauce, a sauce that had no discernible taste. The ribs were rather tough, lacking flavor, and looked as if they could have just wandered out of a Chinese food restaurant (which would have meant a savings of nearly $15 for that order.) The BBQ brisket was another meat dish that was so sauce-heavy there was nothing to taste other than a mouthful of BBQ sauce.
As I mentioned, it's been a while since I've visited and it'll be even longer before I go back. If this is the best BBQ NY has to offer, a lot of NYers do not know what good BBQ is. A huge let-down that was only made better with a mason jar of sweet tea. At least they still do something right...sides, sweet tea, and bourbon peaches (which should be THE dessert but are on the sides menu.) Red velvet cupcakes at $4/per is insulting.
My pulled pork was just a pile of mush that was drenched in BBQ sauce, a sauce that had no discernible taste. The ribs were rather tough, lacking flavor, and looked as if they could have just wandered out of a Chinese food restaurant (which would have meant a savings of nearly $15 for that order.) The BBQ brisket was another meat dish that was so sauce-heavy there was nothing to taste other than a mouthful of BBQ sauce.
As I mentioned, it's been a while since I've visited and it'll be even longer before I go back. If this is the best BBQ NY has to offer, a lot of NYers do not know what good BBQ is. A huge let-down that was only made better with a mason jar of sweet tea. At least they still do something right...sides, sweet tea, and bourbon peaches (which should be THE dessert but are on the sides menu.) Red velvet cupcakes at $4/per is insulting.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
South Beach, South, South, Beach
The King James era is set to begin in Miami and LeBron has some friends in Dwayne Wade (who's staying) and Chris Bosh (who's joining the fray.)
Bosh and Wade were a given and served as old news (and a major indicator that the Cavs were losing their native son.) For the past couple of years, sports fans have heard that this was the free agent class to look out for - with some big market teams having some deep pockets to spend on some of the cream of the NBA's crop.
Add in some static with players opting out (Pierce and Nowitzki) and players re-upping (Durant) and it made for an interesting week. A week that ended with the most amazing sports spectacle I can recall. The Decision was aired for the world to see as LeBron set up shop in CT and was peppered with some soft questions that basically asked which toothpaste he used? Boxers or briefs? Grimace or the Hamburgler? And to confirm if he's truly a never nude?
The reaction generated, both before, during, and after the saga that was the decision was the perfect recipe for sites like Facebook and Twitter as a stream of LeBron based messages littered the boards - even if the message was sent by someone claiming the didn't care, it was evidence that they cared, at least a little.
The decision to join his pals Wade and Bosh in Miami, soon to be coached by the iconic Pat Riley, was surely a difficult one for LeBron. For starters, he was leaving home (which if you ask me is easy, stay in the dump that is Cleveland or relocate to South Beach? Hmmm, gimme about a minute to torch my mansion and we're on our way south.) Next, Bron Bron was leaving $30 mil on the table. That may seem like chump change to some but I'm sure he'll feel that somewhere along the line.
In reality, James is not a sellout. He is an athlete that wants to win. In sports, all athletes are judged as winners or losers and winning is the only vindication for one's career - ask A-Rod and then ask Jim Kelly. The big stats for James are back-burnered (fastest to scoring title, MVP, 15k points) until he wins. Leading his teams to the best record in the East, the playoffs, and the Finals are not enough. Nothing will ever be enough until he wins.
Kobe did not get vetted until the Lakers won without Shaq. Pippen never could get vetted because the Bulls didn't make it happen without Jordan. Patrick Ewing is vilified for never bringing the Knicks to a title. Charles Barkley. Karl Malone. And the list goes on and on. Putting yourself in a position to win is nothing new. Veteran players do it all the time, this time, the veteran is LeBron and he's taking less money and a more attractive situation to give it a go in Miami. We don't know the details of the deal yet but here's my guess, it's got an escape clause after a year or two so that he can jump ship if need be to a team that can truly win...If the Heat win it all, LeBron loses. If they don't win, he loses.
I guess the salary cap watch for 2012-13 should start now...
Bosh and Wade were a given and served as old news (and a major indicator that the Cavs were losing their native son.) For the past couple of years, sports fans have heard that this was the free agent class to look out for - with some big market teams having some deep pockets to spend on some of the cream of the NBA's crop.
Add in some static with players opting out (Pierce and Nowitzki) and players re-upping (Durant) and it made for an interesting week. A week that ended with the most amazing sports spectacle I can recall. The Decision was aired for the world to see as LeBron set up shop in CT and was peppered with some soft questions that basically asked which toothpaste he used? Boxers or briefs? Grimace or the Hamburgler? And to confirm if he's truly a never nude?
The reaction generated, both before, during, and after the saga that was the decision was the perfect recipe for sites like Facebook and Twitter as a stream of LeBron based messages littered the boards - even if the message was sent by someone claiming the didn't care, it was evidence that they cared, at least a little.
The decision to join his pals Wade and Bosh in Miami, soon to be coached by the iconic Pat Riley, was surely a difficult one for LeBron. For starters, he was leaving home (which if you ask me is easy, stay in the dump that is Cleveland or relocate to South Beach? Hmmm, gimme about a minute to torch my mansion and we're on our way south.) Next, Bron Bron was leaving $30 mil on the table. That may seem like chump change to some but I'm sure he'll feel that somewhere along the line.
In reality, James is not a sellout. He is an athlete that wants to win. In sports, all athletes are judged as winners or losers and winning is the only vindication for one's career - ask A-Rod and then ask Jim Kelly. The big stats for James are back-burnered (fastest to scoring title, MVP, 15k points) until he wins. Leading his teams to the best record in the East, the playoffs, and the Finals are not enough. Nothing will ever be enough until he wins.
Kobe did not get vetted until the Lakers won without Shaq. Pippen never could get vetted because the Bulls didn't make it happen without Jordan. Patrick Ewing is vilified for never bringing the Knicks to a title. Charles Barkley. Karl Malone. And the list goes on and on. Putting yourself in a position to win is nothing new. Veteran players do it all the time, this time, the veteran is LeBron and he's taking less money and a more attractive situation to give it a go in Miami. We don't know the details of the deal yet but here's my guess, it's got an escape clause after a year or two so that he can jump ship if need be to a team that can truly win...If the Heat win it all, LeBron loses. If they don't win, he loses.
I guess the salary cap watch for 2012-13 should start now...
The Nets Should be Outlawed
New owner! New arena! New coach! New big money contract for a not-so-talented basketball player! That's me paraphrasing the new marketing campaign for the once proud (maybe to their mama?) New Jersey, soon to be Brooklyn Nets.
To the tune of $35 mil over 5 years, the Nets got what's behind door #3 in the name of Travis Outlaw. Who? Right. Travis Outlaw. A forward that has seven years of experience (Portland wasted a first round pick (#23) on him in 2003. He has averaged 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22 minutes/game. If that wasn't enough to convince you that he's worth his weight in Blintzes, he has shot .441 from the field and .363 from beyond the arc. His best season was in 2007-08, when he averaged 13.3 points and 4.6 rebounds so I guess his average numbers can improve slightly provided he plays more than 34 games like he did in 2009-10?
Let the consolation prizes start rolling in but you can't blame the Nyets, it's not like they could have signed Wade, Bosh, and LeBron. Oh wait...
To the tune of $35 mil over 5 years, the Nets got what's behind door #3 in the name of Travis Outlaw. Who? Right. Travis Outlaw. A forward that has seven years of experience (Portland wasted a first round pick (#23) on him in 2003. He has averaged 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22 minutes/game. If that wasn't enough to convince you that he's worth his weight in Blintzes, he has shot .441 from the field and .363 from beyond the arc. His best season was in 2007-08, when he averaged 13.3 points and 4.6 rebounds so I guess his average numbers can improve slightly provided he plays more than 34 games like he did in 2009-10?
Let the consolation prizes start rolling in but you can't blame the Nyets, it's not like they could have signed Wade, Bosh, and LeBron. Oh wait...
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Free Agency - Part 1
While LJW (LeBron James Watch) is fully underway, I am not diverting any attention to the most overhyped basketball story of the new millennium. Ditto for D. Wade. And really, when did C. Bosh get that good?
Week 1 of Free Agency is nearing a close and there have been a handful of moves to date. For starters, let's look at the knee-jerk reactions by teams that "needed" to re-sign their own.
1. Joe Johnson (SG, Hawks) - Oh Atlanta! Just when you had hoop-heads convinced that you were turning a corner as a laughing stock franchise, you go out and give JJ a max deal? Really? Him. The pros and cons are fairly straight forward. Pro - solid scorer that is the team's leader. Con - 6 years and too much $ for a 29 year old guard that plays spotty D (at best.)
2. Rudy Gay (SG, Grizzlies) - Oh Memphis! (I really like that intro...) You'll never get it right, similar to the story of your franchise - basketball in Vancouver? Huh? Oh, that won't work but Memphis will! Huh? Where to from here? Wherever it is, I guarantee you'll be shackled w/Gay, the top scorer from a year ago that plays no D and GOT A MAX DEAL!?!?!
Two signings in and I'm seeing a trend. Push the panic button for the only player that can consistently drop points and hopefully fill some seats in the process. YIKES! Questionable business acumen by these two front offices.
3. Amar'e Stoudamire (PF, Knicks) - When a team signs a guy with bad knees and a bad eye, that's Amar'e! Plan A - Get LeBron (could still happen, but doubtful.) Plan B - Get D. Wade (could still happen, but more doubtful.) Plan C - Get C. Bosh (less likely w/Amar'e in the fold.) Plan Q - GET AMAR'E - nobody will notice that we're this far down on the checklist. Why Amar'e? He's a name that can generate some interest. Why not Amar'e? His injury history translates to a contract that can't be insured so the Knickerbockers are on the hook for all $100 mil that is due Mr. Stoudamire over the next five years. A dubious move from the "genius" that is Donnie Walsh, even worse when you combine that w/the fact that he and Knicks' coach Mike D'Antoni are not exactly BFF...At Coach D's pace, he'll be fired by season's end (at the latest.)
4. Dirk Nowitzki (PF, Mavericks) - the face of the franchise is back after dipping his toe in the free agent waters for about 4 minutes. When the terms are disclosed, we'll figure out if this move made sense.
5. Paul Pierce (SF, Celtics) - the face of the C's comes back w/a restructured deal (opting out of $21+ for next year and signing for $61 for the next 4. Sure it's a net positive for the Truth but it frees up significant money for the C's to retain players and retool an otherwise aging roster that has 7 free agents.
Week 1 of Free Agency is nearing a close and there have been a handful of moves to date. For starters, let's look at the knee-jerk reactions by teams that "needed" to re-sign their own.
1. Joe Johnson (SG, Hawks) - Oh Atlanta! Just when you had hoop-heads convinced that you were turning a corner as a laughing stock franchise, you go out and give JJ a max deal? Really? Him. The pros and cons are fairly straight forward. Pro - solid scorer that is the team's leader. Con - 6 years and too much $ for a 29 year old guard that plays spotty D (at best.)
2. Rudy Gay (SG, Grizzlies) - Oh Memphis! (I really like that intro...) You'll never get it right, similar to the story of your franchise - basketball in Vancouver? Huh? Oh, that won't work but Memphis will! Huh? Where to from here? Wherever it is, I guarantee you'll be shackled w/Gay, the top scorer from a year ago that plays no D and GOT A MAX DEAL!?!?!
Two signings in and I'm seeing a trend. Push the panic button for the only player that can consistently drop points and hopefully fill some seats in the process. YIKES! Questionable business acumen by these two front offices.
3. Amar'e Stoudamire (PF, Knicks) - When a team signs a guy with bad knees and a bad eye, that's Amar'e! Plan A - Get LeBron (could still happen, but doubtful.) Plan B - Get D. Wade (could still happen, but more doubtful.) Plan C - Get C. Bosh (less likely w/Amar'e in the fold.) Plan Q - GET AMAR'E - nobody will notice that we're this far down on the checklist. Why Amar'e? He's a name that can generate some interest. Why not Amar'e? His injury history translates to a contract that can't be insured so the Knickerbockers are on the hook for all $100 mil that is due Mr. Stoudamire over the next five years. A dubious move from the "genius" that is Donnie Walsh, even worse when you combine that w/the fact that he and Knicks' coach Mike D'Antoni are not exactly BFF...At Coach D's pace, he'll be fired by season's end (at the latest.)
4. Dirk Nowitzki (PF, Mavericks) - the face of the franchise is back after dipping his toe in the free agent waters for about 4 minutes. When the terms are disclosed, we'll figure out if this move made sense.
5. Paul Pierce (SF, Celtics) - the face of the C's comes back w/a restructured deal (opting out of $21+ for next year and signing for $61 for the next 4. Sure it's a net positive for the Truth but it frees up significant money for the C's to retain players and retool an otherwise aging roster that has 7 free agents.
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