Hope Springs Eternal

Reading the NY Post the last couple days and you might as well sign the Yankees up for Division winner and the # 1 seed. I know it is the spring and it is supposed to be a lovefest and hoping all things will turn out perfect. It gets me excited and frustrated all in the same sentence, because you know it will not happen. Here are some things that are being thrown out there and if I think they will happen:

Jason Giambi Monster year and 1B all season:

All I keep hearing is he is in a contract year and did a new training program to get more limber and ready to take on an entire year at 1B. All the reports are that his foot is better, he lost weight (not being on the juice will do that to a man), and is ready to break out.

It is amazing what a player on a contract year can do. I think Girardi will give him enough days off to keep him fresh and I think Giambi will have a solid year. I am thinking .270 Avg., 30 plus HR, and 90-100 plus RBI. Not enough to get the $ 22 million picked up, but I think Yankees will get something for this huge contract.

Johnny Damon making sure he is talked about as a top tier player again

Damon had had one of his worst season in baseball and was so distraught prior to the season that he contemplated giving up $40 million and retiring (of course his wife bought 6 new cars and 2 new houses and his mind was made up to play). Damon now said he is ready and will have a bounce back year that is so good, he will again be mentioned as a top player in baseball.

I will go half way on this one. He will have a better year then last year as he has lost weight and Giardi will allow him to run all the time. He will not be a top tier player again, but he will be a top base stealer and run scorer which is exactly what the Yankees need him to be.

A-rod said “Derek Jeter will keep the MVP award in NY this year”

Derek is getting up there in age (god can you believe that is being typed, it seems like yesterday he was hitting a bomb in Cleveland in his first game). The reports are he has lost a step and Jeter has taken that personal. He started a program in the off-season all about quickness and improving his first step so he can get that range back.

This is all A-rod posturing, he looks good and becomes a great teammate by saying how great Jeter will be. If Jeter did not win MVP 2 years ago, he never will. He needs to win a Batting Title, lead the league in Runs Scored and steal 40 bases to get MVP. MVP voters love the long ball and RBI’s, so for any player that does not hit a ton of bombs they need to have a monster year in every other category.

Kei Igawa is throwing by his own program this spring and has showed a lot more command and confidence.

I will not waste my blog with this debate. If this happens, great, otherwise nothing to see here.

The Circus Comes to Capital Hill

What a joke yesterday was on Capitol Hill. I must say, I can tell why this country is an absolute mess and why nothing gets solved or done. It was unreal how all of these senators had there minds made up prior to even getting to the hearing and went right down party lines (democrats for Mcnamee/Republicans for Rocket). I mean one representative sat there for 20 minutes debating with McNamee if he was a drug dealer or not just an absolute joke.

What I think hurt both parties yesterday:

Pettitte and Knoublach confirm McNamee’s story.

It really hurts Clemens credibility when Pettitte and Knoublach both confirm what McNamee said. Why lie about Clemens when he told the truth about everything else?

Pettitte’s and Mrs. Pettitte’s depositions:

Clemens was an absolute mess when he was asked why Pettitte and his wife confirmed he spoke to Andy about HGH. I mean the words mis-heard should never be spoken on Capital Hill, I still do not know what it means. Clemens said 10 times Andy and I had such a close bond, if Andy used HGH he would have told me or asked me about it…..AHHHHHHH Rocket you just told everyone you were SHOCKED when you found out Pettitte used HGH, you obviously did not have as close a friendship as you thought.

McNamee lie, lies, lies-

On committee member went over all of McNamee’s lies for approx 5 minutes and all Mcnamee could answer was yes that was a lie, yes that was a lie over and over again. He just is not a credible person and would not hold up in the court of law. The guy is a weasel and can not make the NYPD proud.

Canseco BBQ-

If you’re having a steroid hearing must mention Jose Canseco, that is rule one. I think McNamee takes the hit on this one. To say over and over and in depositions and testimony that Roger spoke about steroids at this BBQ just kills a big part of your story. I mean the next day the game announcers mention a bunch of times that Clemens did not attend the BBQ. Just again proves this guy is not credible.

FINAL OUTCOME-

Pettitte sold Clemens down the river and out of all the depositions he is the most believable. Taking both sides (Clemens “I never did HGH/Steroids and McNamee “He did this and this and this) into account I think it falls somewhere in the middle. Clemens did HGH and maybe tried some steroids, but he was not a raging needle in his ass as he walks to the mound guy that McNamee is saying. Rep. Cummings said it best when he said you need to draw from the testimony of all parties and which one draws you to the truth. The one that appears to be from the most reputable source is Andy Pettitte and he said Rocket told him he did HGH. In my mind that closes the case.

Mr. Clemens your reputation is gone, you will not be prosecuted, but you will never be elected to the Hall of Fame. You did something illegal to get the results you achieved and for that you will pay with never reaching the pinnacle of your sport.

NY Post Exclusive

Post has learned Joba will be in the pen this season and likely for the entire season baring an injury to a pitcher in the rotation, or someone struggling. They do not want him to exceed 140 inns this year.


Here is the link:


http://www.nypost.com/seven/02122008/sports/yankees/its_a_setup_97303.htm

Why Bother!!!

The Roger Clemens and Brian Mcnamee show starts Wednesday February 13, 2008 and to everyone’s surprise the Committee has decided to let Andy Pettitte off the hook and he was excused from having to testify. WHAT!!!!

The members will have his 2 hour deposition and rumors are it will hurt Clemens, but give me a break. For the last 2 months all we have heard is the he said/she said (I will let you assign the he and she in this affair) stuff from Clemens and Mcnamee. I wanted to hear from Pettitte’s mouth what he knew and did not know. This will just be another circus show for MLB and get nothing done.

If you’re going to do it, do it correctly. The first round of hearings Giambi and Bonds are not there. The 2 biggest abusers of steroids and one guy that admitted under oath to doing it, are not there. During the second round, the one guy who can shed some light on it and actually a reputable source, Pettitte, is now excused. Man the gov’t is more f’d up then baseball will ever be……I guess we knew that already

Is it just me or isn’t there more important things to do right now in this country then have ball players testify? Do not get me wrong, I want to know and wanted to hear Andy speak, but why are multiple full days of the Senate Oversight Committee being utilized to try and find out about steroids in baseball. We are approaching almost 4,000 soldier’s dead in Iraq and this is what is being done by our Gov’t…just sad.

The Smoking Gun Arrives

Wow Brian McNamee brings out the evidence he has to prove Roger Clemens is an HGH/steroid user and it is a paper trail….oh wait no, it is bloody gauze pads and the actual needles he used on Roger in 2000-2001. This guy is sick, that is all I can say. I think Roger did it, but man McNamee was thinking about this day 7-8 years ago. McNamee has absolutely no respect for the man that took him in and gave him everything he has. I mean Roger paid him a ton of money and gave him other high priced clients that paid him a ton of money and for him to do this, just shows how low class he is. I am in no way defending Rocket for what he allegedly did, but McNamee is a complete jerk if these really are needles from 7 years ago.

Man did Roger pick the wrong trainer, Bonds trainer goes to jail for months on end so he can protect Barry and McNamee is holding needles and gauze from 7 years ago. I think if the needles show HGH in them and steroids in them with DNA from Rocket he is in trouble. I am not sure how much they will hold in the court of law though. I mean if McNamee did inject him with B-12, couldn’t McNamee have loaded the needles in the last 7 years with steroids.

I will take a wait and see on this one, maybe the testing can prove how old the substances are in the needles. If they can and DNA matches Clemens’, as well as HGH/Steroids in needle that is 7 years old he is done. There will be jail time possible and Hall of Fame is done.

Rough Off-season for Donnie Baseball

Kim Mattingly was arrested for public intoxication and this is the mug shot at her arrest. Holy S what happened to her? She refused to leave Mattingly’s ranch and he had to have her arrested for public intoxication, as per the AP reports. I always remember her in pictures when Donnie was playing I always thought wow, Donnie has a hot wife. This is a shocking photo and just shows money does not buy happiness.

What a decision by the Yankees this off-season. I know Mattingly was hurt by the Yankees hiring Joe Girardi, but it looks like they made the right call. Donnie baseball has had to resign from his position as bench coach with the Dodgers and take a lesser role of special assistant. He left for personal reasons as reports surfaced of his divorce.

Donnie Baseball gave us all a million memories to cherish; I hope all will out work for him and his family and hope he is on the Dodger bench sooner rather then later.

Johan traded and Yanks Get Morgan!!!!

Well the Mets waited all teams out and gave up pretty much nothing from there roster for the best pitcher in the game. The 72 hour window closes today at 5:00PM, which I do not even thing matters, they will get it done. My prediction of the contract:

$7 million signing bonus (that gets his contract this year to $20 million)
6 more years at $120 million and a vesting option if Johan pitches a certain amount of innings for the 7th year to kick in at $20 million. Signed sealed and delivered!!!!!

If I am the Twins owner I fire the Twins GM the minute this trade is completed. He tried to hold the Yankees and Red Sox ransom and could have had Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera plus 2 prospects for Santana 2 months ago and now he gets 4 prospects and none of them are can’t miss have to have guys. I mean at least get Fernando Martinez over Carlos Gomez. All reports are Martinez is the stud of the Mets farm system.

The Yankees responded to this back page news with some major acquisition of there own drum roll please…………….Morgan Ensberg is a NY Yankee, YES!!!!!!!! Looks like Yankees are going with the quantity over quality theory at 1B. This is shaping up to be some competition. Jason Giambi-awful, Wilson Betimit- next, Shelly Duncan- if only hit and fielded as well as he celebrated, Jason Lane and Morgan Ensberg- both never played 1B regularly. Should be a fun Spring Training. I think the Ensberg signing is a good no risk possible high reward signing. He claims his shoulder is 100% and if that was the reason he sucked the last 2 years and he can get back to 2005 form it is a great move. We will see.

Time for Yankees to call Twins and try to see what else they are giving away. Pat Nesek, Joe Nathan want to wear pinstripes, they do, make the trade RIGHT NOW.