While I have admired Brian Cashman's efforts to rebuild the farm system, I have been extremely rough on him as well.  Yet today is not the day to trash Cash, especially when one considers that he reeled in two warm bodies for the likes of LaTroy Hawkins and Kyle Farnsworth.  This coming off less than a week ago when Cashman fleeced the Pittsburgh Pirates, coming away with Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady.

Filling positions of need without making the farm system bleed, and mind you these were no salary dumps but legit players that other teams were targeting.  The most incredible thing is these teams knew the Yankees due to injuries or ineffectiveness were desperate for and outfielder, lefty reliever and hitting catcher.  And don't come whining baseball people, because it seems to me that the Mets got Johan, Angels got Tex and Brewers got Sabathia, for very little on the dollar.  Of course when the Yankees pull off great deals, gun shy owners will always point to them as a scapegoat.

To Farnsworth's credit he was pitching better this season, given restored confidence by Joe Girardi.  However last Friday night in Boston with two runners on and one out in the 8th when Girardi pulled Farnsworth for Mariano Rivera, the writing was on the wall.  And to aquire Pudge Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame catcher who can hit better than anyone they've got at the catcher position on the present roster is a steal in two ways.  First Pudge is a great all-around player, secondly this move eliminates the Yankees need to carry three catchers, thus opening up a roster spot for another bench player or more likely a reliever.

Speaking of relievers, Girardi who has brilliantly distributed innings among his staff will no doubt continue this "committee and Mo" approach as the Yankees hit the stretch run.  The "8th inning guy" so to speak could be Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, David Robertson, Damaso Marte, or possibly recently promoted to Triple-A Mark Melancon who could be this year's version of Joba Chamberlain.  The starting rotation could also be tweaked internally as well with Ian Kennedy and Chase Wright pitching well and Phil Hughes and (please dear God no!) Carl Pavano working back from injuries.  Ultimately if the Yankees can get Chien-Ming Wang a couple of starts before October, they should be pretty well set, of course they still have to get there first.

Finally to end as an aside, perhaps I'm a bit superstitous but sometimes guys hit better in roles they're more comfortable in.  Whether positionally or a spot in the batting order, some guys have their ticks.  Hence it makes one wonder if after yesterday's action against Baltimore, the Yanks wouldn't be better off having Bobby Abreu DH and Xavier Nady play in RF.  Abreu in limited time as a DH has ripped the cover off the ball and Nady who has primarily played in right for his career really came alive yesterday.  Sometimes there are things you can't explain in baseball and maybe this is one of those things.

If Pudge Rodriguez does play well and is a huge part of a post-season run, it makes one wonder if the Yankees might look to groom Jorge Posada for 1st base, possibly re-sign Jason Giambi or Bobby Abreu for DH and trade the chronically injured Hideki Matsui.  By the way given Matsui has a very big head and a penchant for knee injuries, does this make him the Japanese Barry Bonds? 

I hope the censors don't catch this one because ESPN has become the worst four-letter word in sports.  If Wayne Gretzky called the Disney owned company a "mickey mouse" organization, you'd never know about it because let's face it they never cover hockey.  What was once the great "Big Show" with the likes of Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick has turned into a "Big Soap Opera," so much so that Vince McMahon should sue for copyright infringement. 

Here is a bevy of reasons why I cannot stand ESPN:

1.) Brett Favre, Brett Favre, Brett Favre.  Oh sure they've done this before with Michael Jordan and Roger Clemens, but I don't need to hear  from everyone from Chris Mortensen to Joe Beercan from Madison, Wisconsin on every single angle possible.  Here's something that takes ten seconds boys and girls, if he's not playing he's retired, if he's playing, he's playing, just let me know that and I'm fine ok.

2.) Gimmicks.  What do I mean by gimmicks?  Does "Title Town" come to mind?  How about "Who's Now?"  Remember what a doozie that one was?

3.) The so-called "experts."  You know the self-aggrandizing ex-jocks and or execs. who think that since they played the game that they know everything and that you're too stupid to know anything because you never played the game.  Steve Phillips has to be the worst, John Kruk is pretty awful and Sean Salisbury a scrub quarterback and self-proclaimed know-it-all, Mel Kiper Jr. and I can keep going on and on and on. 

4.) The Rush Limbaugh wannabees.  In fact ESPN even went so far as to hire Rush awhile back, while I don't agree ideologically with Mr. Limbaugh, he at least is an expert at his craft.  However a lot of these personalities on ESPN are trying to be edgy and opinionated and in your face just for the sake doing it.  Names that come to mind are Stephen A. "everything I have to say is important," Jemele "racist" Hill, Skip "clueless" Bayless, etc.

5.) Virtually no hockey highlights.  I understand you don't cover the sport ESPN, but show me some highlights.

6.) Same old story, same old song and dance.  Favre, T.O., Barry Bonds, A-Rod, Manny, Spygate, Steroids.  Can a man get some sports highlights please?

7.) Poker all the time, even on ESPN Classic.  Remember when ESPN Classic (formerly classic sports) used to actually show classic games and events?

8.) They even managed to ruin ESPN News!  I used to flip over there to get away from the garbage, apparently someone found out because I can't escape it there either.

9.) Kobe and Shaq soap opera.  Fine so the Shaq rapping video was funny, but I don't need 20 minutes of analysis on it.  Heck as a Celtics fan it almost cost me a championship, because Paul Pierce almost blew out his knee slipping on all of that drool they were foistering on Kobe.

10.) ESPN2 has become irrelevant.

11.) ESPN original entertainment.  Memo to ESPN, you are not HBO and you never will be.

12.) Showing 20 minutes of NFL Live in June instead of an hour of Baseball Tonight.

13.) My wish segments.  Great captivating stories, very well done packages, but does it belong on an "all sports network?"

14.) Firing Harold Reynolds over nothing.  He must've been too good and too knowledgeable for that network. 

15.) The Outdoor Games.  Stop trying to force people to like stuff and stop pretending that they actually do or care.

16.) Fake news conferences, especially using that fake baseball GM Steve Phillips.

17.) ESPN deportes on SportsCenter.  If ESPN deportes was so great, I'd be watching it right now.  But oh yeah funny thing is, I never do!

18.) The fact that they still cover the WNBA as if someone other than lesbians are still watching.

19.) Their eye candy isn't hot enough to be that stupid.  If you're going to have attractive people on that don't know what they're talking about that's fine, just make sure that they can at least hack it in the SI Swimsuit Issue ok? 

20.) Disney owns them and Disney is evil, need I say more?

Ok so I realize we're just hours away from the HR Derby at Yankee Stadium, but here's an interesting thought.  Since there are no Yankees competing with A-Rod declining and Jason Giambi not being selected, why not Derek Jeter? 

I believe the Stadium crowd would get a kick out of their favorite son taking part in the last HR Derby in The House That Ruth Built.  Who cares if he hasn't hit for power this season despite connecting for his 200th career HR on Saturday in Toronto, I believe it would be something really fun to see, especially since Jeter has never done it before.

Contrary to other sluggers like Rodriguez, I can't see how it would mess up Jeter's swing, especially his power stroke.  Heck if anything maybe it'll get his bat jumping with some more pop in the 2nd half? 

In any event does it sound any more or less insane than NL HR and RBI leader Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies not even making the NL All-Star team?  And MLB wonders why it has such problems maketing the sport to the African American community.

Let Jeet compete!

Ok are you as sick of this story as I am already?  I've finally decided to voice an opinion on the whole Brett Favre saga.  I guess every sport needs one, the NBA with Michael Jordan, MLB Roger Clemens, NHL Mario Lemieux and the NFL with Favre.  But there are an afwul lot of things that haven't made sense in this whole story right from the get-go.  Additionally does anyone remember who won the Super Bowl last year?  Because all I seem to see for NFL stories are Favre, the Patriots and the Cowboys... but I digress.

One of the more stunning things to transpire last year was the fact that Favre and the young Packers made a huge leap from 8-8 to losing by a field goal in OT in the NFC Championship Game.  After threatening to retire coming off frustrating seasons with that young team in the past, one would've figured upon coming that close to another Super Bowl apperance that Favre would've welcomed the challenge to take another shot.

In the same token while I understand the Packers wanting to move on, but unless they felt last year was an abberaion or that the team had reached their peak with Favre at the helm, I don't know why they wouldn't want to bring him back into the fold.  Take a look around the league and at other teams with recent legends who've bowed out of the game and look how long it took them to recover if they even have at all.  Buffalo with Jim Kelly, Miami with Dan Marino, Denver with John Elway, San Francisco with Steve Young, etc.  Teams have a real hard time recovering once they lose that franchise quarterback.  Heck the last time the Dallas Cowboys won a playoff game Troy Aikman was their QB.

If you're Green Bay I belive you have to reinstate him, otherwise that's real bush-league on their part to a living legend.  Conversely considering they still have Favre under contract, they should not cave in and release him.  Although if they think he's so washed up that he can't quarterback the Pack, then what is the harm in letting him go if he can't possibly be good enough to play for the Vikings, Bears or Lions?  Ultimately he'll either be the starter in Green Bay or accomodated in a trade to an AFC team.  Teams that would be smart to inquire about Favre in the AFC are, Miami, Buffalo, Houston, New York, Baltimore and Kansas City.

I always tended to chastize the media in overblowing the coverage of Favre, sometimes making people so sick of the story that they'd blame Favre for leaving his decision up in the air.  This time though some fault does go on the shoulders of Favre, he should've just said coming this far with the season being that much longer I'm going to need some extra time to recover from such a mentally and physically draining loss, the end.  Instead we've actually learned nothing.  Like I've always maintined I'll believe this guy is really retired when on Week 1 of the NFL season he isn't suiting up for anybody, so why should we be so suprised?

For what it's worth to the Packers, ponder this thought.  I'm sure the Giants are really happy that despite him skipping training camp amid talks of retirement, that Michael Strahan came back for one last season to give the team a huge on-field and emotional lift for their defensive run in winning the Super Bowl.  Even with all the drama and speculation it worked out.  Contrary to that perhaps Favre has become the Packers version of Tiki Barber and maybe both sides moving on would be all for the best.  However a fair warning, once a guy the ilk of Favre is gone especially at the QB position, it is awfully difficult to replace him.

Brian Cashman’s record on pitching is an outright abomination.  When takes an honest look at his pitching acquisitions, it has become even clearer that he simply gravy trained on the success of Gene “Stick” Michael and Bob Watson.

This guy's record on pitchers is a joke.  I mean look at the championship rotations: Stick Michael: Pettitte, Cone, Key, Mendoza, Wetteland, Rivera, Boehringer, etc.  Bob Watson: Wells, Nelson, Stanton, Lloyd, Weathers, Mecir. 

If you want to give Cashman credit for Clemens and El Duque then fine, but those were more George M. Steinbrenner III moves than Cashman.

Let's look at Mr. Cashman's record though with pitchers shall we:

1.) Mike Lowell for three minor league pitchers from the Florida Marlins who barely if ever saw the light of day in MLB.

2.) Jason Grimsley, decent rubber arm out of the pen.

3.) Denny Neagle, the beginning of the love affair with NL pitchers who were former Atlanta Braves.

4.) Letting go of Jeff Nelson, though Torre probably had as much to do with that.

5.) Mark Wholers (another ex-Brave) and Jay Witasick, wonderful replacements for Nellie eh?

6.) Ted Lilly for Jeff Weaver for Kevin Brown, guuuh, then signing Kei Igawa instead of bringing Lilly back, double guuuh!

7.) Signing Chris Hammond (another ex-Brave) to replace Mike Stanton, bringing back Stanton, Mendoza and Nelson after letting them go and bringing them back after they were even more washed up.

8.) The "Felix's" Heredia and Rodriguez.

9.) Mike Mussina (a no-brainer signing).

10.) Trading Sterling Hitchcock to the Cardinals in 2003 for a bag of baseballs, who pitched well in relief in the 2001 WS, came back to bite the Yanks against the Marlins where they could've used him instead of Weaver.

11.) Javier Vazquez, instead of Curt Schilling.

12.) Steve Karsay (another ex-Brave).

13.) Jaret Wright (another ex-Brave).

14.) Carl Pavano.

15.) Letting Pettitte go (though probably a George move), getting Pettitte back.

16.) Alan Embree, Wayne Franklin, Darrell May (make sure your kid is left-handed).

17.) Al Leiter, Shawn Chacon, Aaron Small, finally found lightning in a bottle.

18.) Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, decent but blown out by Torre come playoff time because of spotty rotation.

19.) Cory Lidle, decent pickup.

20.) Kyle Farnsworthless (another ex-Brave).

21.) Randy Johnson, mixed reviews, decent regular season poor playoffs.

22.) Luis Vizcaino, decent but blown out by Torre, see Scott Proctor.

23.) La Troy Hawkins, forget Paul O'Neill, why does he have anyone's number at this point.

24.) Sidney Ponson (twice for the love of God!), Dan Giese, the Columbus shuttle is back!!!

(Other dishonorable mentions):

Buddy Goom.
Gabe White.
Donavan Osborne.
Antonio Osuna.
Juan Acevedo.
Tim Redding.
Chris Britton.
Alex Graman.
Scott Erickson.
Armando Benitez.
T.J Beam.
Colter Bean.

As someone who was an advocate for the hiring of Joe Girardi as Yankees manager it pains me to write this.  There needs to be some accountability in the Bronx and a change of culture.  For far too long dating mostly back to the end of the 2004 season, there has been far too much of a prevailing "fat-cat" attitude in which veteran players would stroll into town looking to gravy train a ride to a championship on the backs of the guys who've done it four times before.  Except there's only four guys left from that run and they're getting older and their backs are breaking with nobody else picking up the water.

While a shouting Hank Steinbrenner is much better than an empty missive from "The Boss" via a publicist, those words need to be followed up with action, pronto.  It's not enough to tell A-Rod to go jump in a lake when he opts-out, only to come back and reward him with $300 million, especially when your captain starts talking like the Yankees won before without him and with gamers like say perhaps a Mike Lowell type at 3rd.  You can't complain or should take action if your GM didn't want Johan Santana and you did, you're the new boss, you have the final say to sign off on it.

This Yankees team should've unloaded some fat contracts along with Torre and Cashman after the 2004 ALCS debacle.  The problem here is when you scream at these guys (especially the hitters) they realize that the Yankees can't move 'em because of their contracts and there's no competition off the joke of a bench (somewhere Bernie Williams is laughing) and nobody but the likes of Brett "freaking" Gardner to pressure them from the minors.  And why if you're pegging Ian Kennedy as a big part of your future or you have guys in the minors touted as the next "Joba" or "Mo" such as Mark Melancon, J.B. Cox or Daniel McCutchen are you stunting their growth with stop gaps like Sidney Ponson, Darrell Rasner and LaTroy Hawkins?

In my view if the Yankees after playing the next five games against Boston and Tampa, end up ten games out of a playoff spot at the All-Star break, I would advocate making some serious changes.  This team can't have it both ways, either trade for some big ticket guys who'll help your squad for the next 3-5 years or rip it all down and start getting rid of the old overpaid guys. 

So far there have not been any high expectations held on Girardi like there were on Torre, whose contract renewal was dependent upon incentives such as say reaching the ALCS in 2008.  And why was Girardi chosen?  The same reason Lou Pinella was not: Brian Cashman wanted all the power and Lou Pinella with his popularity, track record and high regard from The Boss, would've usurped Cashman's power with the Yankees in wanting his own players in his clubhouse. 

So if the Yankees are ten out at the All-Star break or trading deadline, I say start making changes at the top.  Hence my new GM would be Gene "Stick" Michael and my new Manager would be Buck Showalter and if A-Rod doesn't like it, tough he can leave just like Roberto Kelly, Mel Hall and the like of the early 90's.

Following that I would try to make some deals to bring back some younger players.  For example the Yankees have a few guys in the last year of their contracts.  Thus I might try and deal a guy like Jason Giambi to a team that needs a bopper and is in contention like his old team the A's, his old manager Joe Torre and the Dodgers or even the Giants who are incredibly still alive in the sorry NL West. 

After that I'd try to flip a guy like Mike Mussina who is having a fine season to a contender where he'd get a shot at a ring.  Moose lives in Pennsylvania and the Phillies with Brett Myers blowing up, could use a vet to help bolster a post-season run and team him up with the guy he was compared with, "slow and slower" Jamie Moyer.

Though he is a quality character guy in the clubhouse and has won in New York before, would be good with the young pitchers and they would risk him not returning next season, they might be able to get something back for Andy Pettitte.  If Texas continues to hover around .500, they need pitching.  Perhaps if Arizona (closer to home) or old skipper Joe Torre comes calling in L.A. Pettitte would be open to it if for just a 2-3 month playoff run. 

Maybe a team with closer issues such as the Tigers or Cardinals takes a bite on either Kyle Farnsworth or LaTroy Hawkins.

Finally, both Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon are swinging the bats well enough this season to warrant some interest.  Perhaps a team with the need of a veteran presence comes knocking, like Oakland, Minnesota, Florida or Milwaukee.

Of course I could be way off here and the Yankees wheel off 15 wins in a row.  But in any event someone has to stand up and be accountable or held accountable and decide where the Yankees are headed in 2008 or start getting ready for 2009 and beyond.  Because you can't have your cake and eat it for too long, or else you risk getting really fat and imploding all together.

It sounds odd to say just days after Friday afternoon's debacle, but when one takes a step back and looks the the 2008 New York Yankees after 81 games (44-37) they are much improved compared to the 2007 version (40-41) at this point.  Which not to slight Torre, but makes me wonder with the kind of talent he had if Buck Showalter wouldn't have done as good if not better or if Don Zimmer really was the "man behind the curtain" whom Torre had little post-season success without from 2004-2007.  In any event the Joe Girardi Yankees aren't perfect but they are better.

Jorge Posada (A): I know Jorge hasn't had a huge sample given injuries, but he can still flat out hit and his presence alone on this team really shows. 

Jason Giambi (B+): Who says the ghosts don't still come alive at Yankee Stadium?  This guy was dead in April, but now leads the team in homers and is in the top five in the American League and probably should be an All-Star.  Contract year sure, but Girardi really cracked the whip on him in Spring Training and it shows.

Robinson Cano (F): I know that Robbie has picked it up the last two weeks or so, but given his new contract he has just looked lethargic this season.  Terrible on base percentage.

Derek Jeter (B-): Ok its a bit of a pass but Jeter is a gamer, coming back quickly from a strained quad and playing regularly after getting hit on the hand.  Jeter like Cano has picked it up in the average department the last couple of weeks, but it would be nice to see some more power output.

Alex Rodriguez (A): Sure Mike Lowell would've plugged in nicely, but like with Posada and Kobe and Shaq, the Yankees couldn't do without A-Rod.  A-Rod has been blazing a trail since his return and is still near the top of the A.L. with 15 homers and a .327 batting average.

Johnny Damon (A): Another guy who looked almost completely lost but has been burning up the basepaths of late.  Damon has been the consumate table setter, leading the team in hits with 93, doubles with 20, steals with 13 and is sporting a .322 batting average.

Melky Cabrera: (C): Melky got off to a hot start which really raised expectations in a hurry.  No he's not Bernie Williams yet (if ever) but he does give the Yankees a plethora of contributions either in the field or on the bases even when he's not hitting.

Bobby Abreu (A): Probably the most consistent of all Yankees hitters to date.  Abreu leads the team with 53 RBI, is second in hits and third with 10 homers.

Hideki Matsui (A): Was tearing it up, now his knee might be torn up, again.  Helped to carry the team in the early going, but with all of these knee injuries I really have to start wondering about steroids with this guy.

Bench (D): The bench pretty much gets a D.  Duncan didn't play enough, Betemit was hurt too much and Ensberg was a Josh Phelps-esque bust.  Moeller and Molina have provided some stout defense as well as Gonzalez but this group just can't hack it.  Bring back Bernie anyone?

Mike Mussina (A): Speaking of those ghosts at Yankee Stadium, Mussina has been flying around New York but instead with a super-hero's cape.  Moose was being counted on as a 4th/5th starter to win 10-11 games.  In order to keep the Yankees in the race he's had to pitch like a 3rd starter and has already won 10 to lead the staff before the All-Star break.  He would've probably tied last year's total had the Yankees game in Pittsburgh not been rained out.  Who would've thunk Mussina would be the leader in wins and Giambi the leader in homers at this point? 

Andy Pettitte (B+): After a rocky start Andy looked a little tired from all of the off-season circus that was the Mitchell Report.  But with 9 wins and a recently concluded 20.2 scoreless innings streak, Pettitte looks primed for another huge 2nd half.  Pettitte is the best 2nd half pitcher in baseball and who wouldn't rather have him at $16 million for this year than Johan Santana for $150 million minus your best prospects? 

Chien-Ming Wang (B+): Wang looked as if he'd put those doubters to bed with a rapid 6-0 start.  He tailed off a tad and was just starting to get back into a groove before his freak injury.

Darrell Rasner (C): Some of his early starts Rasner got no run support.  In some of his more recent starts he's gotten knocked around.  But Rasner is what he is, an adequate back of the rotation guy who can eat up innings and keep you in the game.

Phil Hughes & Ian Kennedy (F): It should probably be an incomplete because of injuries but a combined record of 0-7 doesn't cut it boys.

Joba Chamberlain (A): Last year contrary to popular belief, he not Roger Clemens spurred this team onto the post-season.  Joba was lights out again in the pen and will try to save the Yankees bacon again, this time as a starter.  One can tell already just how mentally tough those late inning situations out of the pen have helped in Joba's progression.

Mariano Rivera (A+): You can tell I don't throw around A+'s lightly.  Think the Yankees may have wanted to give MO a 4th year on that contract?  Rivera an ERA under 1.00 and perfect in saves with 22, enough said.

Kyle Farnsworth (C+): Has been better than most in the Yanks pen which isn't saying a lot, but he does seem a little more confident with Girardi at the helm.

LaTroy Hawkins (F): I'm sorry but did anyone mention to Brian Cashman that this guy has the worst ERA of any pitcher at Yankee Stadium?  Forget O'Neill or Clemente, why does this guy have anyone's jersey number? 

Ross Ohlendorf (F): Maybe the Yankees should groom his as a starter because his confidence looks shot.

Edwar Ramirez (C+): If this guy could learn a pitch to compliment his change-up he might really turn out to be something good.

Jose Veras (B-): Sometimes he's lights out, sometimes he's lit up.  Effectively wild with some great velocity.

Bullpen etc: Bruney and Albaladejo were solid early before getting hurt, Giese was decent in long relief, but Traber and Igawa have looked like flops as lefties out of the pen.

All in all Joe Girardi has navigated this group fairly well in the early going.  He's done a much better job of balancing the bullpen and seems to have instilled more aggressiveness into this squad.  Given injuries to A-Rod, Posada, Wang, Jeter, Matsui, Hughes, Kennedy, Bruney and Albaladejo, considering the Yankees are only four games back in the loss column to Boston speaks volumes about Girardi.  No Girardi hasn't been as "rah-rah" in public as say Billy Martin, and sometimes he does look like a 2nd year manager still learning the ropes, but he does know and uphold the principle of the "Yankee-way" of the late 1990's. 

This Yankees squad, somewhat in transition is in almost the same place as another pioneer Yankee team.  The 1993 Yankees under 2nd year manager Buck Showlater posted a record of 46-35 after 81 games.  That was the last Yankees team in a non-strike year to miss the playoffs, however had there been a Wild Card back then they would've made it.  This Yankees squad is better than that one talent wise and this time around there is a Wild Card, but the division is still very much within reach.

Patriots fans can now find solace in that according to most NBA experts that they and the Celtics were underdogs when playing for the championship in their respective leagues.  Sounds pretty laughable doesn't it?  An 18-0 and 78-24 team viewed as the presumptive underdog?  As a fan of both the Celtics and Giants, all I need now is for the Steve Phillips' of the world to tell me how the Yankees won't win the World Series in 2008 and I'll be a very happy man.

If you've read my earlier columns, you'd know I've made clear my displeasure of these so-called "experts" not giving enough credit to the Boston Celtics.  Whether it was the league not liking the "bland, pale, un-marketable" franchise, which boasts the most tradition and titles.  Or ex-coaches, execs, players and commentators harboring old bitter feelings of jealousy, racism and hatred of the once and now proud franchise. 

The experts said the Celtics were stuck after the lottery balls went awry.  Blasted them for only getting Ray Allen and then questioned if they'd gotten rid of too much for Kevin Garnett.  Then went on to criticize the team as having no depth, "The Big Three and Scalabrine."  After that it was questions of age or if they could all jell and co-exist on the floor at the same time.

There were then questions as to whether the Celtics could topple teams in the Eastern Conference such as the Cavs, Pistons and Bulls.  Following that it was the matter of the Celtics being able to win against quality teams, then quality teams from the Western Conference, then win against quality teams on the road, then quality teams from the Western Conference on the road. 

Had the Celtics not lost KG to injury for a short stretch after the All-Star game and had they not just coasted down the stretch (though they won more of those games than not at the end) the Celtics probably could've bested or tied the Bulls record of 72 wins.  But it wasn't about the regular season for these Celtics, they had far greater aspirations as mentioned right from the beginning but few seemed to be listening or believed their lying eyes.

When the Celtics got to the playoffs questions arose about Doc Rivers ability to win in the post-season.  The Celtics at times during the Atlanta series never looked better or worse than they did the entire season.  The naysayers rose up again, if the Celts couldn't win on the road they were toast.

The Celtics then got to what ended up being their most difficult series against Cleveland.  Yet even as Boston knocked out the Cavs in a hard fought seven game tilt against the defending Eastern Conference Champs and quite possibly the best player in the world in LeBron James.  The experts seemed to forget those two "inconvienent" facts and still wouldn't give Boston any credit.

Moving onto Detroit, most picked the Pistons because they were battle tested, playoff proven and could win on the road.  Fair enough, though Cleveland and James had singlehandedly dispatched of them with ease in last year's Conference Finals.  What did the Celtics do but win more games on the road than Detroit did, including the series clincher on in The Palace at Auburn Hills.

Finally to the NBA Finals where everybody was drooling over Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson and how they'd breezed through a seemingly tough but beat up Western Conference and this time unlike the regular season they'd be bringing Pau Gasol. 

But to paraphrase the late Senator Lloyd Bensten, "the Boston Celtics had seen the Atlanta Hawks, they'd played the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers were NOT the Atlanta Hawks."  Old "Head and Shoulders" wouldn't be passing "Red."  Kobe was barely Michael Cooper let alone Michael Jordan.  There was no Shaq, no Magic, they certainly weren't Worthy and By Scott did they ever get Kareem'd!  Heck after game six the Lakers might've well been that other team from L.A.

Perhpaps the "experts" were just trying to keep everyone interested by creating far sexier storylines than a 66 win team in the regular season coasting to a championship.  Be we fans know better, we know if the C's had lost, it would've rivaled the biggest choke 'round Boston since Billy Buck.  Instead the Celtics celebrated their first title since that fabled year of 1986 and brought it back home to Beantown, even though only one in five dentists agreed that they were truly the best.

Over 9,000 fans showed up for the last exhibition game never to be played in Cooperstown, New York between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.  Amid protests there won't be a Hall of Fame Game next year for Major League Baseball.  Which begs the question if they're done playing in front of crowds numbering around 9,000 or so, does this mean no more Major League Baseball will be played in South Florida next year too?  The shame of this is overall greed and this garbage excuse of having "scheduling conflicts."

Yet somehow MLB is able to schedule games (exhibition or otherwise) in Japan, China, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, heck even Cuba and yet they can't find a way to fit in Cooperstown, New York!?!?!  Once again another sign of big business giving the snub to small town America.  Granted the players looked none too thrilled to be there as much as the give or take 9,000 who showed up just to be in their presence, but I guarantee you if one had to take a poll and ask players where they'd rather be, Cooperstown, New York for a day or Beijing, China for two weeks, the choice would be unanimous.

I mean seriously anything for a buck right you guys?  By the way that move out of Montreal to Washington made that team really competitive right?  What a joke.

The National League is the only league left anywhere that pitchers still bat.  While I'm of a younger generation, I still consider myself a big time historical baseball aficionado.  And I can see both sides of the argument, strategy and purity and tradition vs. offense and entertainment, I get it.  That being said its really stupid and boring to watch pitchers bat.

I say this coming from the perspective of a Yankees fan, American League baseball fan and as someone who has known nothing but the DH in the AL growing up.  And to that #### Steve Phillips (are the Seattle Mariners going to rally back and make the playoffs this year Stevie?) over at ESPN who talks about the "tradition of the game," I've got news for you.

If baseball stuck to tradition Chien-Ming Wang wouldn't never gotten hurt running the bases.  Know how I know how?  Because if baseball stuck to tradition and never installed inter-league play, American and National League teams wouldn't meet until the World Series in October and hence Wang never would've been running the bases because the Yankees wouldn't have been playing in Houston, but maybe in Arlington you know against a team in their own league who they've still yet to play this season! 

Does this come off a bit as sour grapes?  Sure.  Could Wang have gotten hurt as easily running sprints in the outfield warming up?  Possibly.  Say what you will of how fluky the injury was or how asinine it is that anybody would come up lame like that just simply running the bases, but the point is Wang should've never been on the bases to begin with.

I've voiced my opinion in previous posts about my feelings on instant replay and the wild card and while NL owners stick with the pitcher batting for financial reasons, I have no use for it as a fan.

Nobody wants to see a pitcher bat in the All-Star Game, but it can still happen in an NL park.  Sure it makes things interesting in the 6th or 7th inning strategy wise, but in the 3rd or 4th inning with runners at the corners and two outs, nobody in their right minds wants to see the pitcher come up to the plate.  One could even argue that in a close game in the AL, the manager of the team with the lead has to make more of a decision strategically.  Do I leave my starter in to face the power hitting DH or do I go to my pen, or do I go to my pen because there's basically no easy automatic outs in the lineup.  In the NL if I'm a manager with the lead and the pitcher comes up, there's no way my starter is coming out, so I sit there and say ok go strike 'em out kid! 

If you enjoyed watching Billy Crystal batting in Spring Training, then knock yourself out, because like him most pitchers are an automatic out, but the sad thing is these guys aren't 60 years old either.

And you thought the New York Yankees were done with fat, moody, booze bag, washed up head cases as pitching solutions right?  Except this time it won't be David Wells but apparently Bombers brass thought it poignant enough to give Sidney Ponson a second go-around before say I don't know Sidney Crosby? 

Ponson is 4-1 this year with a 3.88 ERA, but if you're a pitcher not named Edison Volquez and the Texas Rangers get rid of you, that's not a good sign.  If one wants to argue he'd be able to eat up some innings if nothing else in the interim, fine.  But you can't tell me that David Wells wouldn't have been a better fit.  Plus Wells is a lefty to boot, something the Yankees really can't boast at the moment. 

Just to note, Ponson in his first stint with the Yanks in 2006 had an ERA of 10.47, yikes!

If you're a twenty-something basketball fan like myself, chances are you have a vague memory or don't remember the battles of the 1980's between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, let alone the 1960's.  No right around when I started following the NBA the Celtics and Lakers were just miserable.

Robert Parish and James Worthy were on their last legs and winding down brilliant careers.  Instead it was Magic the coach being about as successful as Magic the TV host (by the way where have you gone Tommy Davidson?)  Dee Brown vs. Nick Van Exel didn't exactly engender any thoughts of Hondo vs. West.  And chants of "Beat L.A." were mostly limited to hopes of finishing ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers when it came time for the NBA Draft Lottery and the ping pong balls.

Those were some dark days indeed.  While the Lakers made it back with their 3-Peat, including an additional finals apperance, the Celtics though almost coming within two wins of facing the Lakers again in 2002, mostly wallowed in tragedy (Len Bias, Reggie Lewis) bad luck (Tim Duncan) and cheap stupid owners (trading Chauncey Billups and Joe Johnson).  However, now that's all over and both teams are back at the top, just like they should be.

Both teams have some striking similarities: Both coaches formerly played for the New York Knickerbockers, both Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce either wanted out of their respective cities or were almost traded away and both Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol have helped in shifting the burden from the other stars (Bryant, Pierce, Odom and Allen) and have raised each respective team from a middle of the pack squad to an elite contender.

I don't know that it will be as heated as in the past but for one thing it should be fun.  I mean really when's the last time in any sport recently that we got a chance to see two classic throwback rivals play for a title?  Perhaps one would have to go back to Super Bowl XXX between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers or back in the 1977, 1978 and 1981 season's when the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers squared off for the first time since 1963, after meeting all of those years between 1941 and 1956, where generations had heard but still had not come to see live. 

This will be a lot more historic than just a typical NBA Final.  This one is for Cousy, Russell, Hondo, Bird, McHale, Parish, Kareem, West, Baylor, Wilt, Magic and Worthy.  You want this one because you don't want to lose to "them," no matter what side you're on.  And more importantly you're not playing just for who is the best team this year in this league in this final matchup, you're playing for who is ultimately the best franchise.  Enjoy!

If being in favor of instant replay in baseball means being for getting the calls on the field right, then count me in as someone who wants instant replay in the game.  Because ultimately getting the call correct is what it's all about right? 

Now obviously umpires make mistakes just like players and managers and coaches and on down the line.  However I don't really understand this whole emphasis on "baseball tradition" as to why instant replay can't come to fruition in baseball.

Heck the only reason its been that way for over 100 years is because over 100 years ago games weren't even on radio let alone broadcast in crystal clear HDTV.  They had no concept of instant replay as a tool back then, but who is to say they wouldn't have utilized it if they'd had the opportunity?  MLB isn't fooling anyone anymore by sheepishly sweeping these calls under the rug.

Some umpires may take offense to this whole notion of actually being held accountable and overruled just like players, managers and coaches, but I say tough, it's not about you guys it's about getting the calls right!  Don't worry about opening some pandora's box, the technology is there so use it.

As far as the pacing of the game, would having an extra umpire up in the booth monitoring the game on a big-screen HDTV instantly relaying a disputed HR call down to the field be any slower than the umpires on the field huddling up and deliberating or arguing with both managers and players over such a call? 

Perhaps the worry is that the technology has become too blatantly good that the umpires will cease to be relevant.  Because with the advent of HDTV and slow motion zoom and K-Zone and Questec, there's no hiding anymore and no excuse for being able to overturn obvious calls.

Honestly the only reason umpires are there is because they were there first as the only means to make calls and resolve disputes.  Its sort of like bikes and cars, sure bikes came first but if you had the option of having a car to get around wouldn't you take the car?  Upon further review, rising oil prices and botched calls make me crave for a change.

I'll admit from the start I liked it, thought it was a novel idea to perhaps even ####e up the long and arduous baseball season. Now however it needs to end, because other than a few geographical rivalries which bring in big box office numbers, there's really no point to it anymore.

It is only May and some teams in both the American and National League are already done with each other for the rest of the year. How crazy is that? Or that fact that some divisional rivals won't play until late July, long after they've already played multiple teams from the other league. Additionally I also believe that the schedules of teams playing within the same division should be hacked from 18-19 games down to 13-15 games.

Even those big rivalries have been over saturated with the Yankees-Mets, Dodgers-Angels, White Sox-Cubs, A's-Giants playing against one another six times. Heck that's only one less game than those teams play against some opponents in their own league!

On a few other notes of why this idea has lost its spark: 1.) The games are on virtually everywhere all the time, one can simply order MLB Extra Innings and watch any team, any player any time. That is also another reason why the popularity and viewership of the All-Star game has dropped over the last decade or so. 2.) With free agency players switch teams and leagues and cities practically all the time. 3.) For every good rivalry there's always a Houston-Minnesota series.

Maybe it doesn't have to be completely abolished but it would heap a great deal to mix it up a bit.

The scene is set for a 1PM game at Yankee Stadium on May 17, 2008 against the New York Mets.  On the Diamond Vision highlights are playing from exactly ten years ago when David Wells reached baseball immortality against the Minnesota Twins by hurling a perfect game.  Then an announcement is made directing fans in attendance to turn their attention to the owner's box behind home plate for a special announcement.  And it is no other than "Boomer" himself, announcing his triumphant return to the New York Yankees.

After the latest Kei Igawa debacle, why not?  And if Darrell Rasner is unable to duplicate his brilliant outing against the M's, unless you really believe what you're seeing in Ian Kennedy's turnaround at AAA, those calls will become even stronger and louder in the Bronx.

Is bringing back Wells the old way of doing things?  Yes and no.  Especially when one considers that the old ways of say last year wrought Roger Clemens and his $ 28 million dollar price tag.  However Wells comes in with lower expectations and at a lower cost to the Yanks.  Think Al Leiter circa 2005.

While GM Brian Cashman may harbor some ill feelings towards Wells, there is no rift with ex-teammate Joe Girardi unlike former Yanks skipper Joe Torre. 

Even if Wells is only a short term fix, like Leiter he could become a long-man out of the pen a situational lefty or spot starter, neither of which the Yankees have at the moment. 

The argument against it of course is if Wells is completely shot or they want to try some more kids out of the farm system.  Speaking of which, what exactly does "major league ready" mean to the Yankees?  This season they started with Phil Hughes (21), Joba Chamberlain (22) and Ian Kennedy (23) and back in 2005 when they were throwing out over priced losers like Kevin Brown, Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano, they had Chien-Ming Wang at age 25 sitting around in the minors who wasn't given a chance until those guys got hurt.  Was he not major league ready or did they not even have a clue about him until they were forced to use him?  Part of their problem for all of their change in philosophy towards the farm system is that some factions are still prone to thinking that guys like Shelley Duncan, Andy Phillips and Darrell Rasner are considered rookies. 

Whether you believe that Boomer III should happen or that the Yanks should keep on throwing kids at the wall in Monument Park until they get a number that sticks, this much is clear, Kei Igawa needs to hit the showa and hit the road and hit the bricks and just go away forever.