Marquez

I don't see Wang's name was mention at all .



Matt Cerone mention Wang's name not Yes Posters Cerrone only speculated that's all.

http://www.metsblog.com/2008/01/15/buzz-the-twins-are-in-a-tough-spot/#comments

As a Mets fan who wants to see santana in blue and orange next season, this is why i worry about the Yankees…because, it would not surprise me to see them flip these talks around, shift gears, and secretly offer up a player like Chien-Ming Wang, who will earn the league minimum in 2008, after which he’ll likely be paid roughly $10 million per-year each of the following three seasons, before being eligible for free agency after 2011…

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/01/a-cheesy-wager.html

A cheesy wager

Chuck Schumer and Wisconsin Sen. Herb Kohl have announced their ritual bet on the outcome of Sunday's NFC Championship game.

If the New York Giants win, Schumer gets block of Wisconsin cheese. If the Packers win, Kohl garners Junior's cheesecake.

“Brooklyn may have sent Green Bay a gift in Vince Lombardi, but the generosity ends there,” Schumer said in his press release. “When the snow clears this Sunday, I am confident that the Giants will be victorious.”

“In spite of the cold, the Giants will only feel the heat against Green Bay at Lambeau Field,” Kohl said. “I look forward to cheering the Packers on to victory this Sunday and then on to the Super Bowl



January 16, 2008
The whole world's going nuts over Giants-Packers



http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/2008/01/the-whole-worlds-going-nuts-ov.html

Nothing brings out the crazies (and the craziness) like a big playoff game …

Item #1: I love it when the politicians get involved.

Despite the fact that it’s illegal pretty much everywhere outside of Nevada to wager on sporting events, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and Wisconsin Sen. Herb Kohl have engaged in the traditional politician sports bet. If the Giants win, Schumer gets a block of Wisconsin cheese. If the Packers win, Kohl gets Junior’s cheese cake.

If you want to read the politicians’ cheesy statements about the bet, then click over to The Daily Politics. But since that is the most popular blog on NYDailyNews.com and I’m gunning for that title, please hit refresh on The Blue Screen at least twice for every time you click over there. Thanks.

Someday two politicians are going to really place a bet of significance. Like if the Giants win, Green Bay gets renamed Blue Bay. And if the Packers win, a giant cheesehead will be permanently fixed atop the Empire State Building.

Or how about, the loser has to send enough cheese or cheesecake to feed all the homeless in the winners’ state?

Item #2: Exactly who is being punished here?

On Friday at noon, Craig Carton, who co-hosts WFAN’s morning show with Boomer Esiason, will walk across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan wearing nothing but a Giants jersey and a Speedo holding a sign reading “Any Given Sunday.” Why? Apparently that’s what he does for fun.

No, actually, it’s because he lost a bet on the Giants-Cowboys game. He apparently offered to humiliate himself if the Giants won. So on Friday, he’ll make good on the bet. And if you’d like to join his near-naked march (and be eligible to win a big screen TV), you should show up at Cadman Plaza East on Tillary Street in Brooklyn at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

If the Giants beat the Packers on Sunday night, it’s not clear if Carton will repeat the stunt, or if he’ll be joined by either Schumer or Kohl.

Item #3: No soup (or wins) for you.

WLUK, the Fox affiliate in Green Bay, is resorting to drastic measures in support of the Packers’ cause this weekend. They’re pulling “Seinfeld” off the air.

That’s right, you heard me (and thanks, by the way, to ProFootballTalk.com for unearthing this gem). They are yanking a Seinfeld rerun scheduled for 5:30 p.m. this Saturday. Why? Because Eli Manning and the Giants will be in town by then, and Seinfeld is Manning’s favorite show.

“Why give comfort to the enemy?” asked Jay Zollar, the VP and GM of the station and the “brainchild” behind this scheme. “Green Bay Packers fans do not want any of the New York Giants to get a good night’s sleep and FOX 11 will do its part.”

Apparently, as part of this zany publicity stunt, the station is going to allow viewers to choose what will air in Seinfeld’s place. Among the reported choices: An infomercial featuring Emmitt Smith and a Vince Lombardi special on God, Family and the Green Bay Packers (not necessarily in that order).

According to sources familiar with nothing in particular, WLUK is also considering airing footage of Craig Carton walking across the Brooklyn Bridge in a Giants jersey and a Speedo. If that doesn’t break Eli’s concentration, I suspect nothing will.


3 Comments

Craig Carton embarrases himself every morning between 6 AM and 10 AM. Another low class punk the brainiacs at WFA N think NYers indentify with. After reading some of the comments here I think there is a small audience for him. But most people I talk to can't stand the guy. I miss Imus. The morning show now is like 10% sports and 90% Carton's totally unfunny ramblings. I always turn the sound down during his promos. It sounds like fingernails dragging against a blackboard. Too bad they can't find a better partner for Boomer. He's a class act and always offers intelligent insight.
Posted by angeltattoo on January 16, 2008 11:03 PM

OK, I don't like Carton, and he may he just looking for more attention, but I can't believe that this is the kind of attention that he wants. So, I have to hand it to him for paying off his bet. I won't be looking, but I give him credit for that.

Ralph, any time politicians gets involved, that means we are close.

And the Seinfeld thing, tell them that Eli has another distraction; apparently this just in: Jessica Simpson was seen with Eli, so he won't be watching any reruns this week. I guess Romo didn't deliver the goods so she found someone that could. Romo was last seen on another bridge, but he was on the railing threatening to jump (Jones was seen near by in his limo yelling "JUMP JUMP JUMP and take the worthless BUM Phillips with you!" (see what I did with the words Ralph, Bum-Phillips, get it?)
Posted by fusionhead on January 16, 2008 11:25 PM

With the money Manning is reportedly earning from these playoff W's, on top of his nice sized regular paycheck, I think Eli Manning can afford the Seinfeld series on DVD.

January 16, 2008
Ross: Nothing's broken, so I'm playing



http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/

Well, it turns out CB Aaron Ross didn’t participate in the entire practice today, but it doesn’t sound like there’s any reason to be concerned.

“Something would have to be broken for me not to play,” Ross said.

Still, he was only limited at practice today and he has yet to take a hit on his dislocated right shoulder. He’s also still wearing a harness on it to keep it protected. He likely will be able to play on Sunday night, but how long he’ll be able to stay in the game won’t be evident until he takes that first hit.

Meanwhile, even though Tom Coughlin said CB Sam Madison (abdominal strain) was going to participate in individual drills, he apparently didn’t. CB Kevin Dockery (hip) missed practice, too.

RT Kareem McKenzie (ankle) and WR Plaxico Burress (ankle) both were limited. Burress, by the way, said he re-injured his ankle in Dallas, but said today “It feels good.”

***

Jim Fassel isn’t pushing his chips to the middle of the table and guaranteeing a Giants victory, but he will be there to watch on Sunday night. The ex-Giants coach – and the last man to coach them to the NFC championship game – will be at Lambeau Field working the game for Westwood One radio.

I believe Dan Reeves is scheduled to be there to do some broadcasting work, too. That means every Giants coach since 1993 will be in attendance.

No word yet on whether Ray Handley will attend.

Ralph,

Please do us Giants fans a favor and call Tiki Barber and find out how he feels about the NY Giants going to the NFC Championship game.

Please ask him, "Are you sorry that you retired?"

That would be great!

Also, I heard Green Bay has a heated field. The field temp. supposedly stays at a constant 50F. Maybe you should lay down on the sideline to get the full effect.....
Posted by Big Blue 86 on January 16, 2008 7:16 PM

Late day update

The dial-up internet in the Giants Stadium work room is usually limiting, but someone nicked off with my phone cord. Makes these things difficult.

Anyway, here's what happened with the injured Giants today:

-- CB Sam Madison (abdominal strain) and CB Kevin Dockery (hip) did not practice. TC said Madison would do individual work, but that didn't happen.

-- CB Aaron Ross (dislocated shoulder) did some limited work with a brace on. He said something "would have to be broken" for him not to play on Sunday.

-- T Kareem McKenzie (ankle) and WR Plaxico Burress (ankle) did a limited amount of practice work.

The media throng, as you might have guessed, has greatly increased. That means you get multiple cameras around Geoffrey Pope, around Rich Seubert and around Grey Ruegamer, who is a former Packer.

Grey's insights about Brett Favre: "He has a tattoo on his ass. Everything else is on film." (It's a leprechaun, by the way.)favre.jpg

Eli was Eli, which is nothing new. He said he took no satisfaction from proving his critics wrong thus far, saying he hadn't accomplished much yet. I caught up to him as he walked from the media room to the locker room and tried to goad him into saying something amusing.

Me: "You really don't feel awesome that you're proving everyone wrong?"

Eli: "We're still playing. That's all I care about."

Me: "So if you win the Super Bowl, you'll tell everyone where they can stick it?"

Eli: "Yeah, maybe."

We laughed. He's funny.

The Packers have seven players on their injury report, all of whom were limited: LB Nick Barnett (hamstring), CB Will Blackmon (foot), TE Bubba Franks (knee), WR Greg Jennings (groin), WR Koren Robinson (knee), C Scott Wells (glute) and CB Charles Woodson (knee).

Aaron Kampman fuels Green Bay Packers buzz



http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/GPG0101/301170005/1225

Defensive end: Playoffs 'pretty exciting'

By Brett Christopherson
Post-Crescent staff writer

APPLETON — Taking a breather from signing autographs and posing for pictures, Green Bay Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman was asked how it felt being one victory away from the Super Bowl.

He answered without saying a word.

"The smile kind of says it," Kampman finally said. "This is pretty exciting."

Consider that the primary sentiment that weaved its way through Tuesday's 43rd annual Red Smith Sports Award Banquet at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel. Kampman was given the Red Smith Award, presented each year to an individual who has or is still making contributions to sports in the state.

Packers football was a hot topic. Green Bay is scheduled to face the New York Giants in Sunday's NFC title clash.

The site? Historic Lambeau Field. The prize? A spot in Super Bowl XLII.

"I'm one of those (fans) who was like everybody else," said Appleton's Matt Larson, one of the banquet's 1,520 attendees and decked in Packers gear.

"Sneak into the wild card and probably get beat. I would have been happy with that. But I like our five wide receiver set, I like our defense, I like the heart that they're playing with right now."

Expectations were at nothing more than a simmer heading into the season. But a 13-3 record heightened the hope for a postseason run, and the Giants' win at Dallas this past Sunday — assuring the NFC Championship would be played in Green Bay — ignited a fervor.

The Packers have never lost a title contest at Lambeau. The Super Bowl, meanwhile, will be played Feb. 3 in Glendale, Ariz.

"I actually was at home with my family when I saw that the Giants won," said Kampman. "My two boys were jumping around, and everyone was pretty excited. Just to have the opportunity to be at home ... get the victory and then get the chance to play in the Super Bowl."

Brett Christopherson: 920-993-1000, ext. 7115, or bchristopherson@postcrescent.com
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East team skill players continue to shine


http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/insider/news/story?id=3199393


HOUSTON -- The tempo picked up on Tuesday as both squads practiced for approximately two hours in full pads. While many players are standing out for reasons both good and bad, the story of the week thus far has been the play of Coastal Carolina WR Jerome Simpson. The small-school prospect entered the week with a fair amount of hype after dominating his level of competition the past four seasons. He turned some heads during the weigh-in session on Monday, when the 6-foot-1½, 193-pounder measured the longest arms (35 5/8 inches) and second-biggest hands (10 3/8”). He has carried that momentum over to the practice field, where he is showcasing undoubtedly the most reliable hands of any receiver here this week.

The one concern we have with Simpson is that he struggles to consistently separate from press-man coverage. If he becomes more savvy in that regard Simpson could easily emerge as a solid starter in the NFL. Regardless, don't be surprised to hear his named called as early as the second round. Simpson will be worth the risk.

In other news, Delaware QB Joe Flacco was a last-minute addition to the Senior Bowl lineup so he elected to sit this week out. Tulsa's Paul Smith was glad to fill his roster spot and joined several other players on the red-eye journey from Honolulu to Houston after participating in last week's Hula Bowl. Others scratches from the original rosters include LSU QB Matthew Flynn and Kansas DT James McClinton from the West, and Illinois ILB J Leman and Akron DL Nate Robinson from the East. McClinton is the only one to suffer an injury during this week's practices.

Around the East Team

• All the East receivers have been overshadowed by Simpson but Appalachian State's Dexter Jackson has made the most of this week's exposure in front of dozens of NFL scouts. Jackson looks like the fastest receiver on the East roster, which can be seen in his burst as a route-runner, his speed after the catch and when returning punts. If Jackson verifies his speed and quickness with a strong showing at the combine it could land him a spot in the fourth of fifth round of the upcoming draft.

• The East team clearly has the better overall talent at running back with South Carolina's Cory Boyd, Georgia's Thomas Brown and Mississippi State's BenJarvus Green-Ellis headlining the group. Boyd is standing out the most, though, running hard with a solid combination of vision, power and change of direction. He also is showcasing the smooth hands that hauled in 106 receptions during his three-year career with the Gamecocks. Boyd is unlikely to hear his name called before the fourth round due to some past off-the-field baggage and a lack of ideal top-end speed, but the team that takes a chance on the versatile back could be rewarded with an excellent backup.

• With outstanding size and nimble feet, it's not surprising that Virginia Tech OT Duane Brown has been the most impressive offensive lineman thus far. He did a nice job during one-on-one drills of getting set, getting his hands on explosive Pittsburgh DE Joe Clermond and riding Clermond past the pocket. But give some credit to Clermond. Brown has shown a tendency to overset at times and can lose his balance when forced to change directions quickly, and Clermond took advantage by coming back with an inside move that allowed him to get past Brown. Brown plays too high as a run blocker and doesn't always drive defenders off the ball but appears comfortable in space and regularly gets into position on the second level.

• Defensive ends that have the athletic ability, initial burst and closing speed to make an immediate impact rushing the passer are coveted, which is why Pittsburgh's Clermond is on the rise. Clermond is exploding off the ball and simply ran around tackles a few times on Day 2. He isn't a one-trick pony either, as he beat tackles three times using inside moves during the one-on-one period. In the process, Clermond showed an effective spin move and the ability to redirect inside after starting outside.

• Brown wasn't the only lineman who practiced well on Tuesday as Georgia C Fernando Velasco turned in a solid performance as well. Velasco displayed the ability to stay low and seal off defenders like when working against West Virginia DT Keilen Dykes during the nine-on-seven period of practice. Getting into position at the second level didn't seem to be much of a problem either, as Velasco showed a quick first step and enough range to pull around the corner. Finally, Velasco did a nice job of sinking his hips and anchoring in pass protection.

• Yet another offensive lineman that turned in a solid day's work is Akron OT John Greco, who used his wide frame and brute strength to regularly turn away pass rushers, especially during one-on-ones. He also showed impressive footwork when shuffling his feet to staying in front of defenders. As a run blocker Greco showed adequate initial quickness, took sound angles to defenders and sealed the edge.

• Of course, not all of the East offensive linemen shined today and Michigan G Adam Kraus had a day most would like to forget. Kraus lacks ideal lower body strength so playing with leverage is critical to his success, and he struggled to stay low. Wisconsin DT Nick Hayden was able to get under Kraus' pads and knock him back during one-on-ones.

• Speaking of Hayden, he has been active so far. Hayden stays low and possesses enough strength to hold his own working against double teams. He also showed fluid footwork during bag work and has a quick first step that helps him disrupt running plays in the backfield. And as if that weren't impressive enough, Hayden showed good awareness during the team period by reading a screen perfectly and blowing it up, then batting down a pass on the very next play.

Around The West Team

• Oklahoma's Allen Patrick is the highest-rated running back on the West squad. He shows good vision to find the open crease and very few backs in the country hit the hole harder. Patrick displays very good straight-line burst and always seems to be falling forward at the end of runs. However, the more we study Patrick from a big-picture perspective the more concerns we have regarding his NFL potential. For starters, he is a powerful runner but has only decent size, which begs the question of how long his body can hold up under a regular workload at the next level. Secondly, he shows limited elusiveness which limits his potential both as a runner and receiver. Finally, while Patrick has yet to drop a pass in practice he clearly fights the ball and struggles to snatch it seamlessly on the run. Patrick should make for a fine change-of-pace back who excels on special teams in the NFL, but at the end of the day that résumé won't be enticing enough for a team to risk a pick any higher than the fourth round.

• Utah St. G Shawn Murphy is swallowing up defenders, showing adequate footwork and displaying good overall power. He is staying low to the ground, allowing himself to control the point of attack and root defenders out of the hole. Murphy has also been in impressive in pass protection, uncoiling a quick and strong punch that has kept defenders at bay. That said, he did get caught lunging during one-on-ones and that opened the door for Arizona DT Lionel Dotson to get by him.

• Colorado OT Tyler Polumbus is one of the more intriguing prospects here. Polumbus is raw but has shown exceptional feet for a player with his considerable size along with capable strength. During the team period Polumbus blocked down to double team Texas DT Frank Okam and knocked Okam flat on his back. Polumbus also looked good during one-on-ones, showing a quick kick step that made it difficult for edge rushers to turn the corner.

• Oregon OT Geoff Schwartz has excellent size and possesses good overall strength so he rarely loses a battle when he's able to get into sound position. The problem is that at 6-foot-7 it's very hard for him to stay low and get under defenders' pads. Although Schwartz masks this flaw with his strength he can still get into trouble at times, and he got pushed back far too much during one-on-ones. On top of that, Schwartz hasn't displayed sound footwork, as he will stop moving his feet once he gets into position and loses his balance a times.

• Texas DT Derek Lokey looked virtually unstoppable during one-on-ones, using his quick hands to prevent blockers from locking onto his frame and upper-body strength to knock them off-balance. Lokey put his strength on display during the team period, as he was able to get low and stalemate a double team. Considering he doesn't have great size or athletic ability it's important that Lokey continue to have a strong week.

• Joining Lokey in wreaking havoc in the middle was Arizona DT Lionel Dotson, who showed an explosive first step and frequently shot into the backfield. Dotson also showed some versatility as a pass rusher using his quickness, upper-body strength and athletic ability to get to the quarterback. However, there is some concern about his ability to hold his ground when teams run at him because he plays too high and lacks prototypical lower-body strength.

Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl all contributed to this report. Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.

4 comments on "East team skill players continue to shine"

Also See

* Hula Bowl's West roster
* Hula Bowl's East roster
* Scouts Inc. Day 1 Hula Bowl buzzInsider

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dsc00260.jpg Dad, Mom, and 2 sisters

Twins Intrigued With Mets’ Johan Offer?

Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a new article up focused on how the ultimate package for Johan Santana may not be fan-pleasing. That’s because the Twins “seem most intrigued” with the Mets’ offer, which doesn’t include household names. They’re proposing some combination of Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, Deolis Guerra, Philip Humber, and Kevin Mulvey. Seems it would be one of the outfielders plus the three pitchers.

Christensen notes the Chuck Knoblauch and A.J. Pierzynski trades as examples of deals that were derided in Minnesota at the time but ended up favoring the Twins. However I do believe fans are better equipped to evaluate trades these days, the way prospects are followed. (An aside - I still think we all would’ve praised Brian Sabean at the time of the Pierzynski/Liriano/Bonser/Nathan deal.)

mlbtraderumors.com

Twins Intrigued With Mets' Johan Offer?

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a new article up focused on how the ultimate package for Johan Santana may not be fan-pleasing. That's because the Twins "seem most intrigued" with the Mets' offer, which doesn't include household names. They're proposing some combination of Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, Deolis Guerra, Philip Humber, and Kevin Mulvey. Seems it would be one of the outfielders plus the three pitchers.

Christensen notes the Chuck Knoblauch and A.J. Pierzynski trades as examples of deals that were derided in Minnesota at the time but ended up favoring the Twins. However I do believe fans are better equipped to evaluate trades these days, the way prospects are followed. (An aside - I still think we all would've praised Brian Sabean at the time of the Pierzynski/Liriano/Bonser/Nathan deal.)




please let santana go to the mets. im sick of the arms race between the yanks and the sox, i want to play the yanks with the team we have right now, we dont need santana, and we shouldnt give up the blue chips for him, neither should the yanks to beat us. the mets need him and santana needs the mets.

Posted by: 04Forever | January 16, 2008 at 11:43 PM

Santana will be a Met or a Twin this year at this point. It comes down to this, the Mets are the most desperate following their epic collapse.

As much as Santana would help the Red Sox or Yanks, both frankly don't desperately need him. Yanks rotation isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be, especially with that lineup backing them up. And the Sox, well it definitely makes them better but again not a necessity.

Posted by: start_wearing_purple | January 16, 2008 at 11:54 PM

Yeah, I'm pretty sick of the Red Sox and Yankees dominating the market for top tier players. The Mets could certainly use Santana. So yeah..I'm all for that deal. Get him out of my AL Central.

Posted by: ThomeTime25 | January 17, 2008 at 12:11 AM

I just do'nt want him on the Yanks or Sox. And isn't it a serious advantage to the Twins to ship him to the NL?

Posted by: Guitar Hero | January 17, 2008 at 12:26 AM

It would be great for us Mets fans if the deal didn't include both Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez. I'd prefer to hold onto Martinez, being that he's 18, but if including Martinez, while being able to at least hold on to Gomez, is what its going to take to land Johan Satana in Queens, so be it. At least Martinez will be in the AL (hopefully).

I have a feeling there could be some spoken creativity going along that will make the trade, when it happens, much more exciting.

Posted by: NyMets85 | January 17, 2008 at 12:29 AM

i meant to say:

*some unspoken creativity*

Posted by: NyMets85 | January 17, 2008 at 12:30 AM

As a Yankees fan I just pray this is over very (VERY VERY VERY) soon. Of course I'd love to have Santana in pinstripes but I dont want to lose Hughes and the Mets need him more anyway. I go to a lot of Mets games each year and the one guy I'd actually wear a Mets jersey for would be Santana. I just want this ridiculous Santana news to be over. PLEASE GET THIS DONE OMAR!!!

Posted by: gianthinker | January 17, 2008 at 12:31 AM

With the Mets luck though, they will sign him to a 100 mil contract and get hurt. If the Yankees do that , it would cripple them. How can they afford to do that with A-Rod? Baseball should increase revenue sharing.

Posted by: dbacks2007 | January 17, 2008 at 12:36 AM

Packers Players says Giants are Dirty and expect Giant cheap shots


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2008/01/17/2008-01-17_packers_expect_giant_cheap_shots-2.html?page=0


It's a big emphasis, especially with so much being on the line in the game," said defensive end Cullen Jenknins. "We're aware that they do that stuff and we expect them to try it again. It's just up to us to keep our cool and not give them anything cheap. That's what they want to do - they want to bait you into giving them the 15 yards. We just have to keep our cool, you know? Not let it happen

That's how they play," said defensive tackle Ryan Pickett. "They do a little extra stuff after the whistle, things like that. It's a part of football, but they seem to do a little extra. You've got to keep your eyes on them. We just have to take it to them, not sit back and wait, because they get you on fouls and things like that. It's stuff we've seen all year, but they do it as a group."


The Packers have seen the film. They have been warned by their coaches. Now it's up to them to follow Kampman's lead and resist the Giants' bait.

"Oh yeah, they do some stuff after the whistle," said defensive tackle Corey Williams. "We're going to beat them between the whistles. We ain't going to take no cheap shots at them. The shots we're going to take at them are going to be legal shots. They'll be hard, but they'll be legal."

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http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=707369

Jennings running a high-speed route
Receiver quickly rises to elite level
By ROB REISCHEL
Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Jan. 16, 2008

Green Bay - Greg Jennings is just 24 years old. He's in only his second year as a starting wideout for the Green Bay Packers, and he's played in just 28 NFL games.
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In many ways, though, Jennings already acts like a 10-year veteran.

For example, as a reporter recently conducted an interview with Packer rookie wideout James Jones, Jennings hovered over Jones like an overprotective mother.

"Big Brother, eh?" said Jones, who's just six months younger than Jennings.

"Just watching over my guy," Jennings said.

On the field, Jennings also has performed beyond his years. That continued during the Packers' 42-20 victory over Seattle in Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game.

Jennings caught a pair of touchdown passes, including an enormous first quarter score when the Packers trailed, 14-0. Jennings led Green Bay in receptions (six) and receiving yards (71). In 14 games this season, Jennings has a whopping 14 touchdowns.

While the Packers have many weapons in the passing game, Jennings has become their most dangerous. When the Packers host the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at 5:30 p.m., Jennings again figures to be key.

"I was very impressed with Greg from Day 1, from the day he arrived after we drafted him," Packer coach Mike McCarthy said. "He was very mature as far as his route running, understanding what the defense is giving you, how they're trying to attack you, and you can just see the connection between Brett and Greg is definitely a lot stronger than it was last year."

That was evident again against the Seahawks.

Green Bay was in a quick 14-0 hole thanks to a pair of Ryan Grant fumbles that led to two Seattle touchdowns. But the Packers marched right down the field, and then Favre and Jennings hooked up for a 15-yard touchdown that seemed to reverse the momentum of the entire game.

Jennings said the play was originally supposed to be a run. But Favre changed the play, pointed at Jennings, and then led Jennings perfectly on an inside curl route that made it 14-7.

Jennings' second score was a 2-yard touchdown reception that gave Green Bay a 21-14 lead, which it would never relinquish. On that play, the Packers lined up four wide receivers and Jennings operated out of the right slot. Jennings made a nifty move and then got behind overmatched safety Jordan Babineaux for an easy score.

"It was a little corner route," Jennings said. "We played inside leverage. I looked and Brett looked and it was like, 'This is one of the easiest touchdowns ever.' But it was exciting."

Jennings' entire season has been exciting.

After a somewhat frustrating rookie year in 2006, Jennings exploded this year. In 13 regular-season games, Jennings finished collected 12 touchdowns - a total eclipsed only by Pro Bowl receivers Randy Moss (23), Braylon Edwards (16) and Terrell Owens (15) and equaled by T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Plaxico Burress.

Along the way, Jennings became quarterback Brett Favre's target.

"He has the ability to move the chains with the underneath completions," McCarthy said of Jennings. "He also has the speed to go deep. Good football player."

Anyone who knows Jennings probably isn't surprised he's grown up so quickly in the NFL. That's because he's always been mature off the field as well.

Jennings' father is a Pentecostal pastor and his mother is a church missionary. While life in the church put Jennings under the microscope within his community, it also left him extremely mature.

Jennings got married before his senior year at Western Michigan to Nicole Lindsey, a woman he'd known since the fifth grade. The couple has a 1-year-old daughter, Amya.

"It wasn't that strict," said Jennings, who was raised in Kalamazoo, Mich. "My parents gave us a lot of leeway, but at the same time, you knew what you were expected to do. And so you were a reflection of your parents. And any kid growing up doesn't want to make their parents look bad."

Jennings, a second-round draft choice, has nothing to worry about on that front.

He was slowed the final two-thirds of his rookie year by a high ankle sprain and missed the first two games of this season with a hamstring injury. Quietly, the whispers began that Jennings was soft.

Hardly.

In Jennings' first game this season, his 57-yard touchdown was the game-winner in Green Bay's 31-24 victory over San Diego. That touchdown just happened to be the 420th of Favre's career - which tied the all-time record held by Dan Marino - and the big plays for Jennings haven't stopped since.

Favre's record-breaking No. 421 went to Jennings during a 23-16 victory at Minnesota.

Jennings raced past Denver's Dre' Bly on a go route on the first play of overtime and hauled in an 82-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a dramatic 19-13 victory on Monday Night Football.

Jennings also had a 60-yard touchdown against Kansas City and a 44-yard score vs. St. Louis. He finished the year with eight catches of at least 34 yards. His 12 touchdowns averaged a remarkable 35.3 yards per score.

"I feel like as long as the team's doing well then obviously there are going to be individuals on the team that have some success," Jennings said. "With having said that, I've definitely had some success."

And grown up awfully fast.

collins (greenville nc): Thanks for chatting, Marc. The rumored Mets offer for Santana is Guerra, Humber, Mulvey and Gomez, with the Twins wanting F. Martinez added. What do you think of this package, with or w/o Martinez, compared to the reported Bos and NY offers?

Marc Normandin: Thanks for coming to the chat! I don't see why anyone is trading for him if the Twins are still attempting to deal him. They probably aren't going to sign him, and then you are just going to need a big checkbook to get him after the year, and you'll have a better idea of how his future will look with another year of data.

The Mets have a ton coming off the books after 2008, and I really don't think the Yanks have the horses to make a deal that pleases the Twins unless they want to mortgage away a lot of future. Why not just wait

I think Marquez's better than Masterson. Your a Redsox Fan, I respect your opinion and support Masterson..

Masterson projected to be in the bullpen not a starter in Mlb By Baseball America and scouts.

For those who can’t wait until the regular season, NESN, the regional sports network, has announced plans to cover the Red Sox [team stats]’ spring training more aggressively than ever before.

“The station’s expanded coverage will allow our fans a unique opportunity to experience spring training live as it happens,” said Joel Feld, NESN’s vice president of programming.

The 36 days of intense coverage begin Feb. 13.

NESN says it’s expanding its programming by 250 percent over last year. It plans to air live coverage of five morning on-field workouts.

On Red Sox Spring Break Live, host Tom Caron will spend two hours interviewing players, management and analysts from the Red Sox’ spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla.

The show will air live at 10 a.m. on training days. It will be re-aired at 3:30 p.m. on training days. In the evenings, the station will run a condensed, 30-minute version of Caron’s morning show.
Source: http://news.bostonherald.com/jobfind/news/...p;position=also

NL West a very competitive division


http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=olney_buster
posted: Thursday, January 17, 2008 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: MLB

It was just a couple of years ago when folks in the game constantly made fun of the NL West, when it looked, for a time, like the winner of the division might not break .500. These days, however, San Diego general manager Kevin Towers looks at the rosters of his division rivals and shakes his head.

The Diamondbacks' rotation has a 1-2 punch of Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. The Rockies have a developing staff that propelled Colorado into the World Series last season, led by Jeff Francis, who seemed to take his game to another level last season. The Dodgers have Brad Penny and Derek Lowe and newcomer Hiroki Kuroda, and the Giants, for all of their other faults, stack up Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Noah Lowry and Tim Lincecum.

And the Padres run out NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, Chris Young (who was among the most dominant pitchers in the first half of last season), 348-game winner Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf, and at some point, they figure they'll add Mark Prior. "Every team you play head to head all summer is going to run out a pretty damn good 1 through 5," Towers said.

The Padres need their pitching to be an advantage for them. Towers feels San Diego's infield -- Kevin Kouzmanoff, Khalil Greene, Tadahito Iguchi and Adrian Gonzalez -- should be a solid offensive unit, but the outfield continues to be a work in progress. San Diego has a solid pair of catchers in Michael Barrett (who the Padres intend to keep, rather than trade) and Josh Bard. But right fielder Brian Giles had microfracture knee surgery, and while he feels he'll be back at the start of the season, there is nothing certain about his situation. Jim Edmonds is slated to be the center fielder, and he's 37 and coming off a year in which he missed 45 games.

The Padres also have Scott Hairston in the outfield mix. They had hoped to re-sign Mike Cameron, and interestingly, they had proposed (without making a formal offer) a deal that turned out to be larger than the contract that Cameron signed with Milwaukee. The Padres had talked about a two-year deal for something in the range of $17-$18 million, but couldn't get Cameron off his demand for a multi-year deal for a salary of $10 million a year. After Cameron signed a one-year, $7 million deal with Milwaukee last week, Towers phoned Brewers GM Doug Melvin and told him, "Hey, that's a great deal for you guys."

Towers is still sifting through the free agent market, through players like Reggie Sanders, and considering other deals. But no matter what the Padres get, it's evident again that San Diego could be offensively challenged and that it must rely on its pitching. Young, hampered by physical trouble in the second half last year, developed a Pilates regimen this offseason with a trainer referred to him by Maddux, and Young told Towers the other day that he feels terrific, stronger in his core. Prior is throwing from 120 feet, free and easy in his motion, and is aiming to come back by mid-May; Towers' estimation of June is more conservative, by design. "He says he feels as good as he ever has," said Towers. "[Wolf] is throwing, and he's throwing damn good."

He and Prior and the others will be needed.

• Twins officials expect they will trade Johan Santana before spring training, writes Joe Christensen. Spoke with a talent evaluator recently who thinks that if the Twins are intent on swapping Santana for a relatively modest package of prospects before the start of spring training, this may reflect some concern over the pitcher's physical condition. In the aftermath of Santana's 17-strikeout game against the Rangers on Aug. 19, there was some evidence of diminished velocity in the left-hander, and it was noted by at least one scout that he used his slider much less often -- and in his final seven starts after that 17-strikeout game, Santana compiled a 5.11 ERA, allowing nine homers in 44 innings.

• Ryan Howard may be headed for arbitration.

• Some Red Sox prospects have been getting lessons in the winter, as Joe McDonald writes. Kevin Youkilis filed for arbitration. Coffee sales will rise dramatically in the greater Boston area on the days when the Red Sox open their season.

• Lou Piniella isn't worried about 100 years of history. The Cubs made a trade that could put them in a better position to cope with the subtraction of pitching if they make a swap for Brian Roberts. There is some optimism about how much progress a former Notre Dame wide receiver will make this year, writes Fred Mitchell.

• There will be another vote in Sarasota about the Reds' spring training home.

• The Indians have had a quiet winter, writes Jim Ingraham.

• The news on Juan Encarnacion's eye is not good.

• Jason Jennings has finished his deal with the Rangers. Heard that he could get another $4 million to $5 million in performance bonuses.

• Craig Biggio figures he'll stay in baseball, in one way or another, as Brian McTaggart writes.

• The Mariners signed two prospects from Asia, as Larry Stone writes. George Sherrill would like to stay with Seattle, writes John Hickey.

• The D-backs worked out a deal with one of their pitchers.

• The Rockies are just not going to sign Matt Holliday to a long-term deal, writes Jim Armstrong. Colorado is investing in Latin America, writes Jack Etkin.

• The Brewers signed Claudio Vargas.

• Troy Glaus was formally introduced in St. Louis. Derrick Goold has some of the contractual fine print from the trade here.

The Cardinals are thinking about bringing Juan Gonzalez into camp.

• Some in Gwinnett County are unhappy with how the Braves' affiliation developed.

• Keeping Adam Jones would be the best thing that the Mariners could do.

• Jason Schmidt has picked up the pace in his rehabilitation. Andy LaRoche appears ready to be the Dodgers' third baseman, writes Helene Elliott.

• Joel Zumaya says his rehab is going well. Nate Robertson landed a well-earned three-year deal.

• The Marlins signed Mark Hendrickson.

• The Rays are close to signing Jonny Gomes.

• Rich Lederer strongly disagrees with what was written here in the Jim Rice HOF debate last week, in a couple of pieces you can locate through this link. It's interesting that he says he played APBA and counted the "on base numbers" on the card, an acknowledgement which, as a baseball board game nerd, I fully appreciate. In playing thousands of games of Strat-O-Matic Baseball, and drafting dozens of teams, the system I have always used to evaluate players before any draft (until this moment a closely guarded secret from my Strat-O rivals) was to add up the number of points based on the possible rolls of the dice. In other words, in the '80s, if Wade Boggs had hits against right-handers in Column 1 in slots 5 through 10 (I'm sorry, but anybody who hasn't played Strat-O is going to get lost in this part of the conversation), a walk or hit in Column 2-6, and hits or walks on Column 3-5 through 3-10, he scored 59 on that side of his playing card -- six points for every roll on a No. 7, five points for any roll of Nos. 6 or 8, four points for any roll of Nos. 5 or 9, three points for any roll of Nos. 4 or 10, two points for any roll of Nos. 3 or 11, and a point for a roll of Nos. 2 or 12.

I'd go through all the cards and calculate these ratings of all pitchers and hitters versus right-handers and left-handers. This, of course, was a Strat-O-Matic version of calculating on-base percentage. I loaded up on guys who scored the highest in this system, including platoon monsters like Jeff Leonard and Al Newman (who killed lefties) and Dwayne Murphy (who drew tons of walks against right-handers on his '87 card), and I'd trade to get Boggs and Tim Raines; my teams always fared very well. In the early '80s, I drafted Gene Tenace as a backup catcher to pinch hit, because he drew walks, and I would effectively pair him with Ron LeFlore, who I'd keep as a fourth outfielder and as a pinch-runner because of LeFlore's high Triple-A stolen-base percentage. In a close game in the late innings, Tenace could come off the bench to draw a walk and LeFlore would swipe second, and I'd be in business.

But regardless of how Rich or I preferred to play our board games, the reality is that in the '70s and early '80s, many of the executives who ran teams and the managers who managed and the players who played did not value walks the way walks are valued these days. This is partly a function of how the game was played -- the strike zone was larger, there were fewer pitches per plate appearance, and there was more pressure on the hitter to swing the bat. The conventional wisdom was that a middle-of-the-order hitter who took a lot of walks was actually hurting his club (especially if he was a cleanup hitter on a team in a lineup without a lot of depth). Now, was that philosophy flawed, in part? Sure. Folks in baseball should've absorbed Bill James' Baseball Abstracts from the outset (I got my first as a high school graduation present in the spring of '82). But the bottom line is this: Rice's approach to hitting was engrained in the game; guys in the middle of the lineup focused on generating RBIs.

During Eddie Murray's batting practice sessions, he would take a round in which he focused on practiced emergency swings -- awkward hacks at pitches off the plate, or pitches on which he was fooled -- in order to put the ball in play. Why? Because he considered himself an RBI guy, and if there was a runner at third, his focus was to do everything he could to drive the run in. Despite breaking into the big leagues under a progressive manager like Earl Weaver, Murray wasn't thinking about on-base percentage; he defined himself by RBIs. He didn't say at the end of the year, Hey, I had an OBP of .380 and I feel damn good about that.

His first responsibility to the team, he felt (and according to colleague Peter Gammons, Rice had an approach similar to that of Murray), was being in the lineup every day as a reliable teammate, and in this role, he measured himself by RBIs -- more than 80 in 17 of the first 19 seasons of Murray's career. As Peter remembers, Rice felt enormous pressure to drive in runs, and this was not merely self-inflicted. With runners on first and second base and one out and the Red Sox down a run and the count 2-1, he was going to swing at a fastball on the outside corner with the intent of driving in the run.

Rich might not like it, and it might not make a lot of sense in today's OBP world, but that is the way sluggers were taught and expected to think. Ted Williams was one of the sluggers who took walks, refusing to swing at pitches out of the strike zone. Look at the year-to-year leaders and you can see that the elite players tend to walk and strike out more than they used to.

Football has some parallels. Johnny Unitas is regarded, in football history, as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history. And if you look at his completion percentages and quarterback ratings and interception rates, you could, at first glance, ask: What's the big deal? There were four quarterbacks who had higher ratings this year than Unitas did in his best season. His completion percentage would be pedestrian in the modern game, a skill that you might think would translate in a conversation about eras, in the same way that you might think that Rice should've drawn more walks.

But if you talk to anyone affiliated with the NFL in Unitas' era and what they will tell you, without hesitation, is that Unitas was The Man. The game was just different.

There was one thing that Rich wrote that really caught my eye, about past MVP Award results: "At the risk of speaking on behalf of serious fans and students of the game, I believe we would all like for the MVP voting to be a 'barometer' of Rice's [and everyone's] play. We're not 'ignoring the MVP voting entirely.' Instead, we're just discounting it."

I'm sorry, but I guess I'll never be such a serious fan or student of the game that I would discount the information generated in hundreds of MVP votes cast in 14 AL cities during Rice's time as a player. I'll never be such a serious student of the game that I would presume that the past voters like Peter Gammons, Ross Newhan, Tim Kurkjian, Tracy Ringolsby, Ken Rosenthal, Richard Justice, Gerry Fraley, Moss Klein, Bob Nightengale, Bob Elliott and others who spent 10-12 hours a day in ballparks eight months a year didn't know what they were watching. I'd never presume they were simply ignorant in giving Rice all those MVP votes he collected through the years.

And I've always assumed there is plenty of room for opinion and interpretation in the game. Rich's point of view is not wrong; it's his opinion. And I have my own.

PED ZONE

• Lance Berkman tells Alyson Footer that the time for blood testing has come.

• The Astros are in a holding pattern in the Miguel Tejada matter, writes Bob Nightengale.

• Brian Sabean and Peter Magowan can expect stiff penalties, writes Mark Purdy.

• Murray Chass is highly skeptical of the ADD claims. The Massachusetts congressman who brought the prescription information to light continues to have questions about the dramatic rise in ADD drug use.

• The leaders of two Olympic antidoping agencies ripped into baseball's testing program and its leaders.

• The author who collaborated with O.J. Simpson is now working with Jose Canseco.

• A committee member says she has pointed questions in store for Roger Clemens, when he testifies on Feb. 13. His fate may rest in the hands of longtime friend and teammate Andy Pettitte, writes Richard Justice.

• Bud Selig hopes to complete his review of the Mitchell report by the start of spring training.

• Baseball cries over cheating but keeps hiring cheaters, writes Bernie Miklasz. The Cardinals had no reason to shun Glaus, writes Jeff Gordon.

• Jim Leyritz had a blood alcohol level of .14.

Evan, you Root against Giants every freaking game when they play because Your a Jets Fan and You hate them.

Please admit You hate Manning's like Eli and Payton. You rather support Tom Brady. What a freaking joke.

Evan, you Root against Giants every freaking game when they play because Your a Jets Fan and You hate them.

Please admit You hate Manning's like Eli and Payton. You rather support Tom Brady. What a freaking joke.

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* couldawoodashoul
* From: couldawoodashoul
* Posts: 183



I can not believe what I just found out. David Ortiz, the guy who has killed the Yankees, for years, has a .323 batting average with 23 homers and 76 rbi in 326 regular season plate appearances against the Yanks as a Red sock . Along with a post season of; 14 for 57 with 5 homers and 17 rbi in 14 games. Include in it, a walkoff homer in game 4 in the 12th inning of the 2004 ALCS @1:22 am October 18th. Then, a walkoff single in game 5, of the same day @ 11pm in the 14th inning on the 10th pitch of the at bat.

Has only been hit by a pitch in his career as a Red Sock only 14 times, and guess how many times he has been hit by a pitch by Yankee pitcher ? ZERO! NONE! NADA!

Hello, Mr Girardi, are you listening?

I think the first order of business when Mr Poppy steps to plate on April 11th @ Fenway Park- is, the new regime, needs to send him a calling card saying, " Mr Torre is gone, welcome to the new era of the rivalary" PLUNK!





David Ortiz: 14 Hit By Pitches in Career, For BOS vs NYY 0.

'Steroids have been in the game for a long, long time'
Former Yankees manager Stump Merrill visits KHS

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080117/NEWS/801170342/-1/PUBLICRECORDS05

By Laura Dolce
ldolce@seacoastonline.com
January 17, 2008 6:00 AM

KENNEBUNK — Stump Merrill knows what it means to succeed in baseball. As a young man, it meant shining on the field in Brunswick, Maine, then going on to play for the most successful baseball team the University of Maine ever put together.

Later, it meant working his way up the New York Yankees' organization, through every level of the minor leagues, and finally, from 1990 to 1992, as the manager of the most storied team in the major leagues.

Today, Merrill's success story has taken him to the front office as a special assistant to General Manager Brian Cashman.

"Baseball has been my life for a long, long time," he says.

That's just as long as steroids have been a part of the game, he says. For Merrill, it's time that stopped.

It's all about respect, he says, the respect the players have for the game, for their own bodies. That's why he calls the Mitchell Report, and the list of players named, an "embarrassment" to the game he loves.

Don't get Merrill wrong, though. Some of the players named there he isn't so sure belong there.

"I know Roger Clemens pretty well," he says. "Why single him out? Why, with over 80 people in the report, is his the name you hear?"

Merrill says people are innocent until proven guilty in this country but not, it seems, when it comes to steroids.

"If they're guilty, that's fine," he says of the backlash. "But let's make sure before that happens."

Merrill was speaking this week to the Captain's Club at Kennebunk High School; a group of kids, many of them athletes, who are committed to staying clear of drugs and alcohol. He likened the dilemma that many young athletes face to the issues faces major league players every day.

"If a high school athlete drinks, or does drugs, it's no different," he says, alluding to how they're letting their team down, themselves down.

Steroids, in their own way, work the same way, he says.

Merrill was actually part of the first drug testing ever done in minor league baseball.

"The major league union wouldn't allow it," he says.

He was the manager of Triple A Columbus at the time and of the four players of his who were tested, two came back dirty.

"I'm not proud of that — 50 percent," he says. "So we sent them home. We said, 'See ya next year.'"

The team was in first place, heading into the playoffs. They lost that year, but it taught Merrill something about steroids — and consequences.

"The penalty has to fit the crime," he says. "What did the Mitchell Report recommend for a penalty? Nothing. It said, 'Let's forget about it and go on.' Why the hell did we spend millions on this report, what good did it do?"

Baseball's new steroids penalties — a 50 game suspension for a first offense, and 100 games for a second — just isn't stringent enough, he says. If you get caught, you should get sent home.

"If you knew, and I knew, the game's over, you're going to think more seriously," he says. "So how are we going to get there? I don't know the answer, I really don't."

Merrill says he's seen peer pressure help.

"I had a player, maybe 175 pounds, batting .290, 60 RBIs," he recalls. "He came back the next season weighing 225 and with arms that wouldn't fit in his shirt, hit .310, had 105 RBIs. He got pressure from us and his teammates. Next spring he came back as a skeleton."

That's because no one really knows what these steroids do to your body long-term. Look at Jason Giambi, he says. It takes his body much longer to heal now that he's off the steroids. With this current crop of users, Merrill says, the real effects could turn up somewhere unexpected — in their children.

"The next generation is going to pay," he predicts.

That's why he's baffled that the player's union, as strong as it is, hasn't taken a stronger stand to protect the game itself.

"They should say, 'for the good of the game, for respect, this is what we're doing to clear this up,'" he says, adding hastily, "but you'll never clean it up completely. I don't believe it."

Merrill worries, he says, about the impact all of the steroid abuse will have on young people.

"These athletes are supposed to be role models," he says with a sigh. "I question that."

Some are doing a good job of that, like Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. But for every Jeter there's a Giambi and, despite his admitted steroid use, he might shine just as brightly in some kids' eyes.

"He was booed in every stadium he went into for a year, even in Yankee Stadium, his home," Merrill says. "But then he hits two home runs with men on base and now he's a hero. Everyone's forgiven him ...

Britney Jumps Between Personalities

http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=1380446810

In a very "Sybil" move, two of Britney's inner voices were fighting for control last night -- bouncing from British Brit, "Whea's the cah?" to Southern-fried ding dang Spears in just seconds. My troops!

Before the high speed paparazzi chase that ended with four paps under arrest, Britney and Adnan ate, once again, at Gaucho Grill in Studio City. Brit was heard saying of the paps, "Why they out here like this?

"

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dayzfan4life01 (2 days ago) Show Hide Marked as spam
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She has lost like ALL of her personality. A couple years back, Joshua Jackson even commented on how much she's changed ...and not in a good way
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She looks SO sad ..talking about her family i was just sitting here going OMG she looks sad ..
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a freaking commercial on youtube? fuck this show, never again, i can watch tv for this kind of bull... alexis is as annoying as nexus fuck you
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Okay I'm sorry, but who is she and where's Katie Holmes? She seems like a totally different person and it's not just maturity. She talks so... I can't put my finger on it. She is not the Katie Holmes like older interviews posted here. Has she had to have speech classes or something? Whoa.
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Odds and Ends: Aybar, Wang

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/01/odds-and-ends-a.html#comments

How about some late morning odds and ends? You don't really have a choice, do you.

* The Rays have talked to the Braves about acquiring Willy Aybar, according to Marc Lancaster. Aybar has had some off the field problems. But he turns 25 in March and could still be a useful player.
* Reader Yu Hsing Chen checks in from Taiwan with news that Chien-Ming Wang might be heading to an arbitration hearing with the Yankees. MLBTR had 228 visits from Taiwan yesterday - welcome! Taiwan is our fifth biggest traffic source, behind the U.S., Canada, UK, and Japan.

I wonder who the Braves could get for Aybar? It's not that I don't think he's any good--I'm just sort of indifferent about him and we have a ton of middle infield depth. I'd like to see a decent reliever or pitching prospect, but I'm not familoar with the Rays' system to pinpoint anyone in particular.

Posted by: FineHamAbounds | January 17, 2008 at 10:51 AM

If we send Aybar we NEED to get CRAWFORD back LOL. No, i dont really know what we would be looking for, but i would think a pitching prospect as well.

Posted by: thedeuce | January 17, 2008 at 10:53 AM

In all honesty though would Edwin Jackson be to much to ask? Hes a young pitcher who struggled quite a bit. we could start him in AAA give him a bit more time to work on his control and then we would have a nice group of young SP to choose from with him, reyes, jurjjens, james. Rays fans am i under valuing him?

Posted by: thedeuce | January 17, 2008 at 11:08 AM

Deuce...

Excellent... Excellent bounty searching my friend, I would love to get my hands on jackson. He is a young pitcher who still needs to learn to pitch, and just imagine how much he could learn from our veteran staff... also, he has experience as a starter and in the bullpen, so he could provide depth at both places, or serve as a swingman... I really think that this could be a jorge sosa finding all over again for the braves, except that jackson actually has more talent.

While saying all this, I do not know if it happens. We obviously are not going to work a rocco baldelli angle with this in mind because we now have kotsay (although I would not have minded using aybar and possibly devine to get him), so our concentration is definitely on a young pitching piece who can develop in the minors. Plus, Frank Wren said in his radio stream yesterday that he was working on a few smaller moves, I wonder if this may be it.

Posted by: bravesbeast | January 17, 2008 at 11:31 AM

I wouldn't mind having Jackson, but I don't know if a middle infield prospect would be enough. He would almost certainly improve after leaving the AL East, and if he could get his WHIP down a little, I think he'd be at least as good as Chuck James. Still, if I were the DRays, I don't think I'd make that trade.

Posted by: FineHamAbounds | January 17, 2008 at 11:41 AM

I really liked aybar when he filled in when we first had him, and i think he could be a real good at least platoon player, and the rays could use some help in the inf i think. Maybe add prospects on each side to get it done, ala the laroche and gonzo trade.

Posted by: thedeuce | January 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM

Phil,

Want some friendly advice from a former baseball reporter?

1) Be affable with the media. (Want a model? Watch old video and emulate David Cone.)

2) Do NOT read the papers however. Every columnist contradicts himself at least once a season. And to beat reporter, you’re only as good as your last outing. (Maybe your last two outing if the guy works for the NY Times.) Baseball writers talk about history all the time but their memories don’t extend beyond a week, two, at most.

3) More importantly, Do NOT under any circumstances listen to sports talk radio. You’ll never receive the affirmation you seek; the criticism you hear, 9 times out of 10, will be unconstructive and ill-informed. (The other 10% will be drowned out amid the noise.)

4) Praise the fans even when you hate them– no, especially when you hate them– most.

5) Feign ignorance on every subject but baseball; better yet, feign ignorance on every subject but pitching.

6) Make sure to mention, at least once a month, how honored you are to wear the pinstripes and to be a part of Yankees history, tradition, and pedigree.

7) Stay on Jeter’s good side. Great player, but a vindictive SOB. If you need advice from a veteran, talk to Mo.

The Manager is always right. And the Steinbrenners are the best owners in professional sports.

9) Find one guy on the team you not only like but would entrust with your dog, if not necessarily your wife.

10) Find some absorbing hobby that a) will occupy you enough to relax you; b) but not distract you entirely from the mental and physical preparation winning requires.

11) Stay away from the female groupies on the road, but especially those at home. If you have to take care of business, ask A-Rod where you can find something discreet. On second thought, Giambi might have a better grip on discretion, in this area.

12) Ever wonder about the right thing to do? Watch Curt Schilling and then do the opposite.

13) Don’t forget to enjoy yourself.

14) On one or more occasions, Ignore #1-13, but never #7 & #8.

What if Hank is left holding the bag?

http://nc.startribune.com/blogs/christensen/?p=464#comments

Reading Hank Steinbrenner’s comments today in Sid Hartman’s column, I thought about how Hank will be viewed among Yankee fans if the Twins trade Johan Santana to the Mets or, heaven forbid, the Red Sox.

As we all know, Hank talks a good game. He wants Santana badly. But his brother Hal, the team’s money guy, and GM Brian Cashman and several of their baseball people have deemed Santana too expensive. Too expensive even for the Yankees? Yes, in terms of the players you’d have to give up and the $140 million or so for a contract extension.

I still think the Twins will trade Santana before spring training opens, and right now, I believe the Mets are the favorites, followed by the Yankees and then the Red Sox. I don’t think Boston will improve its offers, but I think the Mets will, and at that point, they’ll get him, unless the Yankees finally relent.

Without Santana, the Yankees rotation goes: Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Mike Mussina.

Without Santana, the Mets rotation goes: Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey.

At least one of these teams will be left answering how they passed on the chance to add a two-time Cy Young winner to those question-laden rotations. The Mets are coming off that epic collapse to end the 2007 season. And the Yankees haven’t won the World Series since 2000.

Hank Steinbrenner has done a lot of talking this offseason. Wonder what he’d say then.