by Ron Prezzano

The Yankees did have chemistry this year. Unfortunately it was stripped from the lineup in the last three weeks of the regular season with the return of Hedeiki Matsui and Gary Sheffield. Joe Torre’s hands were tied when it came time to play these two. He had to. This, as it turned out, was the wrong time to screw with team chemistry.

In the beginning of the year the Yankee team that played everyday lacked that chemistry also. Matsui and Sheffield were part of that starting lineup. I remember writing an article on how boring this Yankee team was in the first month to six weeks of the season. No clutch hitting, poor starting pitching and an already over worked bullpen.

There was this familiar feeling surrounding this team that things would eventually work there way to a head to head battle with the Red Sox. Then the injuries unfolded. This perhaps was the highlight of the season for the New York Yankees.

Brian Cashman and Joe Torre had their work cut out for them and the two seemed to be on the same page and that is when the chemistry started to develop. This, in part, was due to the understanding and confidence that Brian Cashman was now the true General Manager of this franchise. Now he and Joe Torre did not have to constantly look over their shoulder for every decision that they collectively agreed upon and eventually made. They would be held totally responsible for their moves and that would be fine as far as Brian and Joe were concerned.

The infusion of younger and hungrier players into the everyday lineup had an immediate impact on the field and the results were equally positive. There was a life to this team that was not present in the past three plus years.

You need a blend of confidence, energy, swagger and yes, even fire. You are not going to win without that mix for the most part. To say that you need a team of Rivera’s, Jetter’s and Williams who just go out there everyday and do their jobs sounds wonderful. It won’t happen because you could never find nine guys with that approach who play everyday. It’s a blend.

The Yankees, in their championship seasons, always had a blend. Knobloch, O’neill, Clemens, Nelson, El Duque, Tino. These guys showed emotion and brought the energy level up to a point where it needed to be, to be a champion. The Yankees had it for a good part of the season but they lost that energy this year in the final three weeks of the season. Too many All Stars and an all too familiar look that lulled them back to a false sense of “We are the best lineup in all of baseball.”

Blame it on pitching, but the pitching was not horrible, the offense was.

Lou Piniella has made a difference every place that he has managed with the exception of Tampa Bay. He can motivate talent. Tampa Bay had a class AA team for the time he managed there and a payroll to match. So it is unfair to judge him on that level. No one could win being dealt with that hand. I am glad he was not hired to manage the Yankees but if he was I’ll bet the ranch he would have been successful.

I like Cashman and I like where he is going with his approach. I’m pretty sure he has learned from his frustrating years as a three-headed GM. I am guessing that this will be the last year of a top to bottom All Star lineup for the Yankees under Cashman’s present day’s watch. He has a lot more rope as far as I’m concerned.

by Ron Prezzano

The St. Louis Cardinals have done what both the New York Mets and New York Yankees could not accomplish in a short series. Hit in the clutch.

 It doesn’t take a team batting average of .300 to win in a short series. With the quality of good pitching each team must face in the post season, it would be highly unlikely that offense would dominate the series. Strong starting pitching and timely hitting is of the essence and go hand in hand.

   What killed the Detroit Tigers was momentum. They got it after game two of the first round ALDS against the Yankees and rattled off seven straight wins. The only problems here was that the Cardinals and the Mets stretched the ALCS to seven games. Add in a rainout and that left the Tigers with a week waiting for their opponents to be determined. Now that is a momentum killer. The Tigers had the good starting pitching and timely clutch hitting down pat before their week off.

    Let’s face it the best teams don’t always win in a short series. The Yankees and Mets each won ninety-seven games in their division and were the top winners in each of their leagues. The Cardinals won eighty-three games. The lowest ever win total by any World Series Champion. Tack on the eleven post season wins by the Cardinals and they still did not win as many games as the Mets or the Yankees.

   The Mets get somewhat of a pass, as this is their first post season in five years. They do not have to be embarrassed by their post season showing. They swept the Dodgers in the NLDS and pushed the Cardinals to seven games in the NLCS. It happens.

   The Yankees just were embarrassed once again in the post season. Loosing in the first round of the ALDS. This after a monumental breakdown against the Red Sox in 2004 and a first round knock out by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (can we shorten the name please) in 2005. This momentum has to be stopped.

By Ron Prezzano

If there is one thing that I am not and that is political, as far as politics are concerned. I've lived my life surrounded by Parents who were staunch Republicans and married into a family who were split down the middle when it came to devotion to political party beliefs. This always made for conversations, at the dinner table, that started out on an intelligent level but quickly deteriorated into some of the most asinine comments ever to be uttered by mankind.

It was funny to watch some very bright people, when riled enough, stoop to name calling and throwing anything at hand, including food and silverware, in the direction of the arguing party but always missing their intended target. Which usually meant I often had corn, mashed potatoes or a utensil embedded somewhere on my Sunday best (my uncle actually stabbed his best friend in the arm with a fork during a heated debate on, of all things, capitol punishment). This would leave a lasting impression on a young family member, as myself, to become somewhat politically shy.

Over the years It became increasingly obvious, to me, that the two party system was being bogged down by bureaucratic #### on the Democratic side and forced Corporate (Big business, Oil and Auto) decision making by the Republican side. They just love a war economy. Lots of blowing things up and re manufacturing of things to blow up.

Think of the Democratic party as an El Duque type of performer. Throwing a lot of junk out there and sometimes it manages to be effective. Even having a long winning streak. Then when the opposition starts to get a grip on how to handle the #### that is being tossed around becoming whinny and defensive to the point of bad behavior. Thus the wheels falling off the bus.

Think of the Republican party as a one or two pitch pitcher. Curve ball after curve ball after curve ball. Nothing straight. Always a bend to it. When the opposition starts to get sick and tired of the curve ball and voices it's displeasure on it's lack of diversity and creativity here comes the knuckle curve. Unlike Mike Mussina, the Republican party cannot muster a good hard straight fastball, or in this case, unwilling to develop one.

Ah, somehow you knew this would get around to sports.

There are not too many people out there who call themselves sports fans who can root for two teams in the same town in the same sport. Mets, Yankees. Rangers, Islanders. Giants, Jets, etc. There has to be a commitment to favor one team slightly over the other. I'm sure uncle Lester would have stabbed his good friend Vinny in the chest if it were a debate over the best short stop or third baseman in New York on rival teams during that Sunday dinner.

Sports are like politics but sometimes with more involvement and passion in most countries. With better results. Only a small fraction of people are killed each year as a result of sports arguing. Unless of course you are a soccer fan. Those guys are crazy. No fence sitting there.

I thought the over reacting by punters who were knocked over by the wind of a rushing blocker was bad. Check out the number of soccer players who, given their reaction to the phantom hit or knock down or trip, look as if they were shot at and missed or #### at and hit and need to be taken to the nearest Mash unit.

So, until a better option is developed (which probably will not happen in my lifetime) I am a political fence sitter. Voting for the lesser of the two dysfunctional parties concerning what I deem important issues.

I am not a fence sitter when it comes to sports. Watch out Vinny.

                                    Ron's Baseball InsightS

In this wonderful storied game of baseball the rules are bible to many who are ensconced in it's captivating statistical library. Almost perfect to the purist. With the exception of the Designated Hitter rule, baseball has changed very informally over the past century. Surely a game that plays without the use of a clock has time to investigate the fairness of unfairness.

With the exception of the senior circuit National league, Baseball around the world has excepted and prevailed using the Designated Hitter rule. So I am not going to suggest that baseball readdress that rule. Even though certain purists will argue at nauseam it has ruined the game. It makes for good point counterpoint conversations in sports venues across the universe. I like that.

What needs to be addressed here is the unfairness of the way baseball rules pitching decisions.

Currently, when a starting pitcher pitches five innings, come rain or shine, he is credited in the pitching decision be it wins or losses. That is fine. I like that. He has pitched more than half of the game and he has set the tone for that contest. This pitcher can continue to pitch three and two thirds more innings and get pulled out of the game because of tiredness, pitching match ups, etc. He could be leading at this point. Enter the relief pitcher and he immediately gives up the tying run or runs not attributed to the starting pitcher. The reliever gets the final out of the inning and the score is tied. Blown save for the reliever. I like that. No decision for the starter. Here is where I get cross eyed. The Starting pitcher's team (who has blown the lead) scores in the next inning to win the game. The Reliever gets the win. There is a definite problem here and that leads me to a suggestion for a rule change.

Surely the baseball gods must admit purgatory has been served and lets move on to fairness. Everyone makes mistakes. Just look at the Kansas City Royals.

I am not asking for major surgery here only fairness. If a starting pitcher is available to keep his team in a position to win or lose a game after five innings then why not let him keep his win advantage into the tie for all nine innings. If the reliever allows the tie, either by inherited runners or by his own evil deed, why punish the starter? He has pitched the majority of the game and left with his team winning, or in case of a tie, not losing. The reliever pitches a third of an inning and could get the win? that is not fair. I still don't like that.

Let the starting pitcher be available for the win in a tie game up to regulation time. Nine innings, just as long as the team and the reliever have not given up the lead or tie the starting pitcher gave them. Remember the starter has pitched the majority of the game. After nine innings and the game goes into extra innings the rules could remain as they are now. Perhaps even taking into effect the innings pitched by the starter and the length of the game. Remember I am after fairness here. I like that.

A blown save for a reliever pretty much tells the story for the reliever. Wins and losses do not always tell the story for a reliever. A starting pitcher should be given the advantage because of the innings he pitches and his ability to keep his team in a position for the win. Wins and losses do tell the story for a starting pitcher. A reliever should not be given the advantage here for fairness reasons.

I'm on a mission. So let's not change the silly names for the foul poles to fair poles but foul rules to fair rules. I like that.

I keep hearing spring is in the air. The calendar says it is that warm
colorful season. Even the sports section of our daily newspapers suggest that spring has sprung. Just look at the baseball standings. We are around that forty games played mark. This is the barometer which gives us an idea of where our favorite teams are heading this season. Surely that suggests it's spring time. The problem…my bones say, somewhere south of Baltimore Maryland, near I 95, the warm colorful migration north somehow got hijacked.

Yes folks, it's the first leg of inter league baseball season and I am still wearing a leather jacket most mornings and late afternoons. My interlocking NY gear is still hanging in my closet behind some well worn hooded sweat shirts and luggage form a winter trip to LA.

I turn on my radio to my favorite afternoon sports program, WFAN’s Mike and the Mad Dog. Hosted by Mike Fransessa and Christopher Russo. I hear Mike fending calls from exuberant  Met fans who are once again full of pomp and circumstance. They are warning Mike and Yankee fans that their time has passed. “To all you Yankee fans, Look at da standins” Tony from Queens chimes in. “Pedro’s gonna pull a Zimmer on da whole bunch. It's a new era. Were gonna eat Randy’s lunch.” Wave in the Orange and Blue. After a few uh..hus after every statement, Mike finally breaks in with…” Will you guys please stop.” He refers to the last ten years of New York and particularly Yankee baseball and motions to his producer to hang up on the caller. Mike is a ...until you prove it to me it ain't going to happen, kind of guy...Next caller. This time it is an arrogant Yankee fan reminding Met fans, “Look, all you Met fans, when October comes you guys will be once again looking up at the Braves and possibly the Phillies, licking your collective wounds.” Chris “Mad Dog” Russo now cuts in and says,_"Hold on, you Yankee fans are getting carried away. Gee Whiz give me a break. You act as if you guys have a right to passage to the post season. It's been five years and you haven't won a darn thing. Come on.” Chris laughs and motions to his producer to hang up and take the next caller." Al from White Plains, your next on WFAN...AL?"

So it goes. Spring really is here and now it is official. I am beginning to feel warm and comfortable. Just go to any Yankee or Met message board this week and the thermometer reads as if it's mid July. That's more like it. Don't try to be congenial here. The posters will eat you alive like a swarm of summer mosquitos.

Here is a basic breakdown:

Both The Yankees and the Mets have big name players and big salaries. That's the way it should be. After all this is New York. Edge to Yankees in the salary department. The Yankees have OK starting pitching and a spotty bullpen. The Mets have OK starting pitching and a spotty bullpen. We are even here. The Yankees have a good offensive and fairly decent infield. The Mets have an OK offensive and great defensive infield. Slight edge to the Mets here. The Yankees have a weak offensive and poor defensive outfield. The Mets have a good offensive and good defensive out field. Advantage Mets. Yankees have (at this point) a pretty weak bench. Mets have a good bench. Advantage Mets. The Yankees are one of the worst clutch hitting teams (given their talent) in baseball. The Mets are all about clutch. Huge advantage Mets. The Yankees have Joe Torre. The Mets have Willie Randolph. I give the Yankees the edge here.The reason being Joe will Shoulder a lot of the media attention and Willie seems to be a little testy at times when pushed by the media. Not much,if any, of a factor though.

It sure does look like an easy pick. Although I have been told recently that… “Great breakdown…but when it comes to rivalry games, I believe all that goes out the window.” I agree. This is why you play the game, to borrow a phrase from a departed New York football coach

So, let the games begin and maybe mother nature will join in and heat things up. One can only hope.

“Honey… Did you throw out my Yankee Hat?