First of all, I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you had a great holiday, and are now five pounds heavier, I know I am. Anyway, time for some quick random thoughts...

Isn't it amazing how you can go away for a couple of days, be without the internet, and then feel as if you've lost complete touch with society? I spent the holiday with my family in Vermont, did not have access to the internet, did not watch much TV, and then came back tonight to read that the Angels signed Torii Hunter on Wednesday! Seriously? How did I go essentially two full days without knowing that?!?!

Speaking of free agent signings, the Reds apparently have given Francisco Cordero a four-year deal worth $46 million!!! Wow, I realize Cordero put together a good season for the Brewers this past year, but again people, just because they're free agents, and maybe the best one available at their respective position, doesn't mean you have to pay them like an elite player. Cordero is a good closer, a two-time All-Star even, but does he deserve Mariano Rivera or Billy Wagner money? Rivera's recent contract was essentially a "lifetime deal" as we've already discussed, and I think the Mets would now say that they overpaid for Wagner a couple of years ago. So why not learn from mistakes?

The Reds are not a team that can afford to make a mistake like this, and they are going to pay heavily for it. Sure they need a lot of help in the bullpen, but they need help in a lot of other areas as well, and unless you're on the brink of being a playoff team/contender, $11.5 million is a ton to spend on a closer.

And going back to Torii Hunter real quick, why did the Angels feel the need to go so hard after him? They overpaid last year for Gary Matthews Jr., a gold-glove caliber center fielder, giving him a 5 year/$50 million deal, so now they go out and compound the problem by giving Hunter, another gold-glove center fielder, $40 million more! Hey, I think Hunter is a very good player, and an even better person, and if someone should be rewarded, it's him. But why sign both guys? Let's see how this all plays out over the next couple of weeks and months, it could get interesting...

Barry Bonds

I haven't commented on this yet, and I don't want to delve too far into it right now, but I did want to say one thing...good. I hope he goes to jail and never sees the baseball field or Hall of Fame again. I've been around a lot of people in this business, and not once have I heard someone say a good thing about Barry Bonds. He's always felt he was bigger than the game, and now he will hopefully realize he's not. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer before his ego got in the way, and now he'll have to pay the ultimate price. And I know in our society one is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but with Bonds, it's the opposite.

One more thing before I go. I know this is kind of random, but as I've been writing tonight I've had the movie, Invincible, on in the background. If you've never seen it, be sure to go out and rent it. It's a great story, and a good watch.

11.15.07

Why are the Yankees most likely giving Alex Rodriguez a 10-year deal worth $270-275 million? Am I the only one that believes the Yankees should be in the driver's seat, and dictate where this negotiation goes? If there are no other suitors truly out there for A-Rod, then why do the Yankees need to give him 10 years? By the time he is finished with the contract he'll be 42 years old? Just by curiosity, how did that work out for the Giants and Barry Bonds?

I realize A-Rod will be playing in the American League, therefore he can DH, but will he be worth $27 million a year at that point? If the records are part of the reason for the money (since fans will want to see history made), then it seems to me he'll break them well before he's 42. As a matter of fact, if A-Rod averages 35 home runs a year, he'll catch Bonds' current mark of 762 in less than seven seasons! If it's 3,000 hits you're worried about, well he'll probably get there within four or five seasons! So why the additional years?!?!

On top of all this, one issue I have not heard brought up is how Derek Jeter feels. And no, I'm not talking about his relationship with A-Rod, and having to play with him the remainder of his career. Remember that both Jeter and A-Rod signed mega, 10-year deals during the same off-season, however Jeter didn't have an out-clause after seven years, and his was worth about $63 million less. So fast-forward to today and Jeter only has a three-year deal remaining while A-Rod potentially has a new 10-year deal.

As we all know, the Yankees have been known as Jeter's team since 1996. When they traded for A-Rod in `04, it was with the understanding that he would have to move positions not Jeter, and that the money they received from the Texas Rangers would still make Jeter the highest paid player on the team. With all that has transpired, does this now become A-Rod's team? Interesting food for thought...

One more thing before I go... I received a phone call this morning from the same source that sent me the email I included in yesterday's entry. He said to me, "I can't stop laughing hearing all of these people talk, and reading all of these papers. This whole thing was set up. It's unfolding just the way I was told it would."

As hard as it is for me to believe this, the more the situation develops, the more it seems real. But I still don't understand why. Why would A-Rod, Scott Boras, and the Yankees go through all of this trouble when they could have saved face and taken care of it within the 10-day negotiating period following the World Series?

The only reason I could come up with is that A-Rod and the Yankees believed that if he showed enough remorse and went to the team explaining how much he wanted to be a Yankee, then maybe the fans would embrace him like they have some of the other players. While that could have worked, the only way it would have worked was if he took a significant pay-cut like the one I proposed yesterday (8/208), which still comes out to $26 million a year, and is not even a true cut. But to go from the $350 million that Boras initially said it would take to even talk (which was ludicrous to begin with), to $270-275, well, that's not a big enough cut to be embraced by the fans. After all, if he signs this deal, it would break his own previous record for the biggest contract in the history of sports. Oh, how the saga continues...

First of all, I apologize for this taking so long, however my schedule got a bit hectic over the last week. In any case, without further adieu...

6-man Rotation?

Last week, the Boston Red Sox signed Curt Schilling to a one-year deal that was both a thank you (for helping the organization win two championships in four years), and also as a way to shore up the back end of the rotation for `08. Since then however, there's been talk, including on Schilling's website, that the Sox could implement a 6-man rotation next year, yet keep Josh Beckett on normal rest. While this could be the rare situation where it makes sense for a team, considering the combination of youth and age in the rotation, it brings up a much greater issue, and that is the coddling of players, and more specifically, pitchers in today's game.

I can't help but wonder why the appearances and innings of starting pitchers continue to decline, yet the rate of injuries and cost for them continue to rise. People often times make the argument that teams spend so much on these players, that they want to protect them from injury. Well if that's the case, and these pitchers continue to get injured more than the pitchers who worked in four-man rotations, wouldn't you want to get the most for your money and pitch them as much as possible, as opposed to even less??

I realize I don't have any factual evidence to support the increased rate of injuries, but I don't think I'm alone in believing that they've escalated since the Tommy John surgery began in 1974, and became commonplace over the last 10-15 years.

And if this is all true, where do we have to go to start and fix this problem? Just like in basketball where the fundamentals have been lost, the change has to take place from the ground up, meaning in middle school, high school, college, minors, and then the majors. Children have to get back to the days of just going out and throwing, not worrying about pitch counts. You go until your arm is tired, or you're no longer effective, and eventually, you'll build up the arm strength to increase how many pitches you can throw before you get tired.

The goal has to be to get back to making this a game again and not a business. We have to let people, specifically pitchers, enjoy what they're doing as opposed to wondering how many pitches they've thrown or how many days rest their working on. And once we do that, fans will actually see better results, and owners will get what they're looking for, more value out of their money.

The Myth of Free Agency

Each off-season, and for that matter, each year, everyone in baseball talks about the upcoming free-agent class, and it seems like more and more, the classes are pretty weak. Yet for some reason, each year these free agents get a boat-load of money despite the fact that they're not exactly worth it. So this brings up my next point: just because someone is a free agent, and there aren't many other players out there, doesn't mean you have to pay them the money.

Why give a player, such as Gil Meche, five years and $55 million, or Carl Pavano four years and roughly $40 million, when they have a career winning percentage of .500, and maybe one good year under their belt? Is it because you're so scared that someone else will give them the money and sign them? Who cares if they do, it'll be their loss, not your's!

With the advent of sports-talk radio and 24-hour sports networks, fans and media alike, get caught up in the now. Having lived in the New York area for nearly my entire life, it's almost nauseating to hear the talking heads and fans speculate on which big-name free agent its teams should sign. People believe that just because you give a player a lot of money, they are going to perform to that standard, but that's soooo far from being true, it's scary.

If you look at the big-name free agent signings over the last 15 years, how many of them have exceeded expectations, or better yet, have even lived up to them? How many of them have gone to their new teams, and led them either to the playoffs and World Series, or either just an improvement that's worthy of their contracts? For pitchers, I have come up with only a few:

Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens - Going from the Yankees to the Houston Astros for the `04 season

Randy Johnson - Going from the Astros to the Arizona Diamondbacks for the `99 season

Greg Maddux - Going from the Chicago Cubs to the Atlanta Braves for the `93 season

That's it! Many other moves have been through trades such as Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett going to the Red Sox, and Roger Clemens going to the Yankees (and the first year was a major disappointment) to name a few, but as far as free agent signings are concerned, it's more myth than reality.

As for position players, well it's more of the same. Juan Pierre got $45 million over five years, J.D. Drew $70 million for five years, and those two were just from last year alone. Looking back, there have been players who have had individual success after signing their big deals, but it has not translated to team success, and that is the most important aspect of the contract. You never hear owners and GMs saying "we signed this player so he could put up big numbers here," you hear them saying, "we signed this player with the expectation that he will help improve this ballclub and bring a championship to this city..."

Look, free agency is a great time for speculation and hope, but just remember that when your team is about to sign a guy like Aaron Rowand for example, to a deal worth an annual $14 million, or Carlos Silva for $10 million, it's better to have one down year, than to handcuff yourself to a bloated contract for four or five years. If you don't think so, just ask the Yankees with Jason Giambi, Pavano, and Hideki Matsui. If they could go back in time and not sign them, you know they would.

The A-Rod Saga Continues

The Alex Rodriguez saga took an interesting turn today. Reports out of both the New York Daily News and New York Post say that the Yankees are willing to speak to Rodriguez as long as Boras is not part of the conversation. It is believed that Rodriguez is upset with the way things have developed, and would like to discuss returning to the Yankees at maybe even less than he was going to be offered the first time. While this is all a new development, the craziest part to me is I received the following email from a source about two weeks ago that I could not believe to be true:

"Yankees/Arod - There is a verbal agreement in place with the Yankees. Thus far, the info. has been accurate, because it became public about his initial demand, which was an aspect of the plan. Somewhat complicated, but the eventual result will be "AROD a Yankee @ $310-$320 million. They apparently have a "PR plan" to go with it."

Pretty crazy, huh? If this is all true, and A-Rod does in fact go back to the Yankees, there are a few things to consider. One, as a Yankee fan, I'm not so sure I would want him back. It almost seems like the burden of A-Rod had been lifted once he opted out. No more wondering if he would ever be a "true" Yankee, and no more dealing with all of ego questions. The second thing is if the Yankees do sign him, I would say it should be no more than eight years and $208 million. Their initial offer was going to bring his total to 8 yr/$230 with the Texas Rangers chipping in $21 million, so the $208 million would roughly be equal to that. And if A-Rod is so desperate to return, then I would make him pay for it, and prove to everyone that it's not about the money and actually take less than that. Will that happen? Probably not, but it's a nice thought, no?

Big Contracts for Older Players

Over the last week we have seen some well-established, likely Hall of Fame veterans receive large contracts. And while I don't have a problem with the Schilling deal (as mentioned above), Jorge Posada's deal with the Yankees (4/52.4), and Mariano Rivera's offer from the Yankees (3/45, although that really is a ton of money for a closer), I do have a problem with the $10 million Greg Maddux received from the San Diego Padres. While the other contracts were offered as a reward for the time the players have spent with the respective teams and the jobs they have done, what has Greg Maddux done with the Padres that warrants a one year, $10 million dollar deal?

I understand Maddux is a Hall of Fame Pitcher that will likely surpass Roger Clemens' win total, but here's a guy who hasn't had an ERA below 3.96 since 2002, and failed to pitch 200 innings last year! He's still somebody who is great for the clubhouse, and can help younger pitchers learn the art of pitching, but for $10 million? Look, if the Atlanta Braves wanted to pay him that money as a reward for the work he did there over the span of 11 years, that's fine, but the San Diego Padres???

Now to the mailbag...

There was an anonymous comment posted that said, "What about your boy Zumaya?"

While some of you know, and for those of you who don't, I had the privilege of being the radio broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers AA affiliate (Erie SeaWolves) in 2005 while Joel Zumaya was playing there. Every fifth day he would take the mound and light up the radar guns just like he's been doing in Detroit. Well, after reading the news about him injuring his shoulder and having to undergo major surgery on it, I couldn't help but have an empty feeling in my stomach.

Zumaya is one of the really good people in the game. He's incredibly down to earth, and will try to help you out whenever he can, and that's exactly how he got hurt. I just hope he takes his time returning, is diligent with his rehab, and comes back as strong as ever. He's a quote machine for the media always speaking the truth, and a fan favorite for not only Tigers fans, but people all over. Baseball needs people like him, and he definitely deserves to be playing on that stage.

Suggestion:

If any of you are interested in finding out what the life of a professional athlete is like, check out Carl Corazzini's blog at www.griffinshockey.com. It's a great insight on what athletes deal with day in and day out while playing a season, and just goes to show you that they're just everyday people like the rest of us. Feel free to send him questions too.

Thanks to all of you for your time and questions, and keep them coming! Talk to you soon...

Patriots and Yankees, one and the same?

It seems as if the Patriots are becoming the Yankees of the NFL, and while you may say I'm nuts, just follow along.

The Yankees run began in 1996 when they won their first World Series since 1978. Just like many other teams though, they needed some luck on their side, and that luck came in the form of a young fan named Jeffrey Maier. As a 12-year old, Maier reached over the right field fence in the 8th inning of Game 1 of the ALCS to give Derek Jeter a game-tying home run. The Yankees went on to beat the Orioles in five games, and advance to the World Series. There, they faced the Atlanta Braves as underdogs, and actually got blown out in the first two games by a combined score of 16-1, which happened to be played at Yankee Stadium. Of course, they went on to win the next three in Atlanta, including Jim Leyritz's improbable game-tying three-run home run off Mark Wohlers in Game 4, and then went on to seal the deal in Game 6 back in New York.

When the 2001 NFL season began, the Patriots were nowhere close to being a favorite to win the Super Bowl, let alone even make the playoffs. Yet early in the season, in a game against the Jets, Drew Bledsoe got hit by Mo Lewis which knocked him out of the game, and effectively the season. In comes Tom Brady, and before you know it, the Pats are making an improbable run to the playoffs. But like the Yankees, they needed some luck on their side. And where did that luck come from? How about from the officials and the "tuck rule" in the playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. Then, in the AFC Championship game, Brady goes down with an injury, Bledsoe returns, and leads to the team to the victory. Of course, we all know what happened next...As 14-point underdogs the Pats scored one of the biggest upsets in football history defeating the Rams on a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri to win the Super Bowl.

The Yankees failed to defend their title in 1997, losing to the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the playoffs. The Patriots, well, they too failed to defend their title as they missed the playoffs entirely. But both teams rebounded spectacularly well the following year. For the Yankees in 1998, they reeled off a then-American League record, 114 wins, and finished the season 125-50 sweeping the San Diego Padres 4-0 in the World Series. After starting the season 2-2, New England won 15 straight en route to another Super Bowl victory, this time over the Carolina Panthers. Both teams repeated as champions the following year, and the Yankees completed the three-peat in 2000.

Yet after that, or maybe even during the run, a change took place. When both teams first won, they were essentially America's team for their respective sports. The Yankees, baseball's most storied franchise, were once again relevant, and the Patriots were loved because of their underdog status. Both organizations were led on the field by men who many believed were classy individuals which in turn, translated to their players. But as the teams continued winning, fans grew sick and tired of seeing the same teams celebrate over and over. The Yankees became known as the "Evil Empire," because they went out and signed the biggest stars to the biggest contracts in hopes that they could "buy" a championship, and the Patriots reputation as a clean, kind, well-run organization has taken a major hit in the last year. First it was LaDanian Tomlinson suggesting Bill Belichick lacked class following the Patriots playoff victory over the Chargers, then Spy-Gate, and now teams are complaining New England is disrespecting the game and teams by running up the score.

And what does this all stem from? One word, JEALOUSY. In baseball, if other teams were able to spend the money the Yankees were on star players (despite the fact that that plan of building a team does not work), you better believe they'd be doing it. And in football, if other teams were as good as the Patriots, well they'd be doing the same thing. So while one team is from New York, and one team is from Boston, and one team plays baseball and the other plays football, they're actually quite similar.

Pats Should go for 16-0

One of the hot topics right now is whether or not the Patriots can finish the season 16-0, and whether or not they should actually go for it. While there is still plenty of football left to be played, if the Patriots are in position to go for it, then they absolutely should! I know people will say you can't risk losing a star player to injury, but frankly, that's part of the game. And I know people will also say you will never remember a team that goes 16-0 but doesn't win the Super Bowl, and I think that's lunacy.

How many teams have gone undefeated? One, the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Virtually every football fan knows that fact (true they won the Super Bowl that year too). Now, how many teams have won a Super Bowl? A lot more than one. Furthermore, in this day in age the accomplishment of going 16-0 is far greater than getting hot for 3 weeks, and winning a couple of big games.

Brady vs. Manning

Now before I say anything, please understand that I believe both quarterbacks are future Hall of Famers, great leaders, and great people. This is not an attack against either player, but merely an observation. With that said, here we go...

For the longest time I've wondered why I think Manning looks awkward when he plays, and it finally dawned on me. Everything he does on the football field seems learned. From the way he changes the plays at the line of scrimmage, to the way he drops back in the pocket, to the way he throws, nothing seems natural. To me, he is the Bernie Williams of football, a great player, with unbelievable work ethic, but a little awkward to watch.

Conversely, Brady moves with elegance, and grace. He has a natural smoothness to him, and no I'm not talking about his skills with women, but instead the way he moves around the pocket, holds the football, and then throws it down field. So if Manning is Bernie Williams, then Brady is Ken Griffey, Jr. Someone who is a natural athlete that can pick up any sport quickly and look good doing it.

Is it just me, or is there a small part of you that is actually rooting for the Boston Celtics to succeed? I know it's sacrilege for a Knicks fan to say that, but with the acquisitions of two of the "great" people in the NBA, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, I find myself very interested in watching them this year. It's not often that you see players sacrifice personal stats for the well-being of the team, especially players in their prime, however that is exactly what you could see with guys of this character. If that's the case, then the Boston Garden could once again be a fun place to both watch and play basketball.

Speaking of watching basketball, I think I figured out the reason why players consistently say they love playing at Madison Square Garden (and no, it's not because the Knicks have been awful for seven years). Rather, it's because the lights are aimed on the court instead of on the court AND the seats. You actually get a feeling that the lights are brighter on Broadway because they are brighter on Broadway. Unlike essentially all other arenas, the Garden dims the lights on the stands, whether it's the bottom or upper bowls to give the presence that the show is on the court, which is exactly where it should be! Frankly, I'm surprised more arenas have not taken the same approach.

I know the NBA season just began, and the Patriots are playing the Colts Sunday in one of the more anticipated regular season games in recent years, but my mind is still stuck on baseball. Since Sunday's World Series finale, all the talk has been about Alex Rodriguez, Joe Torre, and Joe Girardi. Please don't get me wrong, I LOVE the hot stove season in baseball, and it's off to a great start. But I feel as if all the attention paid to A-Rod, especially during Game 4 of the World Series, and then the next day as ESPN held a SportsCenter Special to discuss the Yankees and Rodriguez, says a lot about what's wrong with our society.

How is it that a single player can upstage a team winning the World Series?? And it's not as if it's just any team, it's the Boston Red Sox, one that went 86 years without winning one, and now has two within four years!! We get far too caught up in individual achievement, whether it's in sports or real life.

Quick thought: Am I the only one who feels bad for Scott Proctor? Here's a guy who was overused to the point of abuse by Joe Torre, gets traded to Los Angeles, and now gets reunited with Torre...

Now, to the mailbag:

Girardi did a great job coaching a young team with no expectations and still got canned. How will he fare with a team loaded with vets and with an ownership who demands a championship? Go Sox - Carl, Boston, MA.

Carl, thanks for the question. Joe Girardi represents something different than Joe Torre, and I believe that's a positive. While Torre did an amazing job over the past 12 years, one thing he was not known for was his in-game managerial skills. With that said, it will be nice to see someone who is a better in-game manager, and has a little more fire. As for how he deals with veterans, particularly guys he was teammates with, well that's obviously something we'll have to wait and see, but as long as he is honest and upfront with them, I'm sure things will be fine. After all, he was a mentor to Jorge Posada, helped nurture Mariano Rivera to the pitcher he is today, was Andy Pettitte's preferred catcher, and worked with Jeter during his developmental years.

In regards to dealing with an ownership that demands a championship, well hopefully both the ownership and the fans will realize that winning a championship every year is unrealistic, and that maybe taking a step back to take a couple of steps forward will be a good thing. Just look at your Boston Red Sox for an example. They finish in third place in 2006, and then have the best record during the regular season and win the World Series this year. By the way, congratulations on that.

A-ROD - To me, this is more of a story about the Agent than it is the Player. The Agent wants to continue to raise the bar amongst his brethren/peers. He already has the highest paid player in the game, now he must find a way to be unique. Must start thinking about things like equity and/or a percentage of the concessions. Also, the Yankees will still be a part of this...whether it be real or perceived. Boras will make them a participant in the press. He needs them to drive the demand up........however, if he is any good...he already has a deal done. Just wait for it to be announced. - Mark, Norwalk, CT

Mark, I definitely agree with you to a certain extent. If you look at Boras over the course of the past several years, it seems as if he rarely leads his players to their desired destinations, but instead to the teams that will pay the most money. While things have worked out pretty well for Pudge Rodriguez, I highly doubt he wanted to go to the Detroit Tigers back in 2004, however they were the only team willing to give him four years and $40 million. Same for A-Rod back in 2000. It seemed quite clear that he wanted to play for the Mets, however Boras turned Steve Phillips off to him, and Rodriguez ended up going to a dreadful Texas team that paid him a record deal. While Boras has done this, I think the players eventually have to stand up to him and tell him it's not ALL about money.

In regards to the Yankees still being involved in the negotiating process, Boras will do the best he can to lead other teams to believe that the Yankees are involved, but I really do not think they will be. The fact that reports have circulated that Boras wanted an extension that brought the overall value of the contract to $350 million, will be the final straw if there wasn't already one.

Thanks to all those who made comments or sent questions. Please keep them coming, and I'll do my best to answer them in the next installment. Talk to you then...