Giants and Pats Superbowl Match

Giants and Pats Superbowl Match

From Boston Globe


Reeves still gives the Patriots the edge, mainly because of the most important piece on the chessboard, Brady.

Whipple, speaking from an offensive mind-set, touched on what makes the Giants' defense a challenge to contend with.

"Giants a pressure defense; they have a really good front four and front seven," he said. "So the first thing is that you have to be able to handle the pressure, and I thought they did a really good job against the Cowboys with third-down blitzes, and [Tony] Romo made some bad throws down in the red zone.

"In terms of scheme, they're a lot more man pressures than zone pressures, so you have to account for those guys trying to overload sides and trying to attack your protection."

As for what defines the Patriots' defense, Whipple believes it's a well-oiled unit that closes up weaknesses fast.

"I think the big thing is that they make you execute, they don't make the mistakes and don't beat themselves," he said. "It starts with their front guys on defense, the three linemen.

"Going back to last week, that red-zone defense was the whole key. They're happy to keep you to 3, because they know most of the time that Tom is so good in the red zone - last week's interception was rare - that they're going to make 7s. The Giants just can't kick field goals.

"That, to me, will be a big thing. I would think that will be a big part of game-planning."

When the Eagles were game-planning for both the Patriots and Giants, Former Patriots defensive back Otis SmithOtis Smith said "pressure" was a buzzword for the defense.

"The Patriots have a scheme that whatever you give them, they're going to take it," he said. "If you have two or three guys playing Randy Moss, they're going to go to their other weapons underneath. If you decide you want to come up and play the shorter routes, and [Wes] Welker or any of those guys, that gives them the option to go deep with the vertical receivers.

"Then they have a good running game, with Laurence Maroney being healthy and powerful again, and another receiver/running back in Kevin Faulk. So it's danger all across the board, and you can include two tight ends in there.

"We play a pressure defense, and our mind-set was to slow down the big plays to Randy Moss and at the same time try to get to Tom Brady. We got to him early, I just don't think we got to him often enough. But I think we did a good job of focusing on their scheme across the board.

The Patriots plan against the Giants was designed to pressure Manning, who all three coaches agree is playing with increased confidence.

"If you can force him out of the pocket, particularly to his left, I think you have a better chance forcing him into some bad throws or reads," Smith said.

Reeves appreciates how the Patriots approach game plans as a staff.

"I do know that the Patriots offensively and defensively always come out with something," he said. "It's not going to be something you haven't seen, but they're going to have a plan to do the same thing with a little different package. I guess I'd say it's the same thing in the package, but they're going to wrap it a little differently. I think the Giants are a bit different."

The great unknowns



http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=olney_buster


posted: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: MLB

Maybe the best moment of the baseball season comes on the first two days of spring training, when pitchers begin to throw for the first time. The catchers will crouch and wait, the pitchers will stand on the rubber and wait, and then the coach charged with synchronizing the timed session will glance at his watch and tell them: OK, go ahead. Then fastballs hiss, mitts pop, you watch and really learn nothing, but think about what could be.

On the first day of spring training last year, at the Indians' camp, I stood next to Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro and watched Fausto Carmona throw, and listened to Mark say flatly: We don't think those days he had as a closer really had any carryover. He seems absolutely fine.

And Carmona was absolutely fine, beginning the year as the Indians' sixth starter and ending it as one of the AL's most dominating pitchers. Teams and players have the right -- the obligation, for that matter -- to be optimistic in spring training, to feel good about what might happen.

You hope to see every team at least once in spring training, and to get a first read on some of the open-ended questions that face every team, such as these:

Arizona Diamondbacks: Was Dan Haren's second-half slide last year a blip, or something more than that? Can young position players like Chris Young, Stephen Drew and Conor Jackson continue to progress?

Atlanta Braves: Can John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Mike Hampton take the ball for 85-90 starts? Can Rafael Soriano stay healthy?

Baltimore Orioles: We know the Orioles are rebuilding. If Erik Bedard is going to be traded, which seems inevitable, then who, besides Nick Markakis, can be serve as a root in that effort?

Boston Red Sox: Will J.D. Drew bounce back from a subpar first year with the Red Sox? He fared well in the last two rounds of the postseason last year. Maybe he has made the transition, or maybe not.

Chicago Cubs: With contract in hand as the 2008 season starts, will Carlos Zambrano be Big Z, or less than that? Is Kosuke Fukudome going to be as good as everybody thinks he's going to be?

Chicago White Sox: How good are John Danks and Gavin Floyd? The White Sox will sink without solid seasons from one or both. Will the money invested in Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel pay off, or make no difference in the way that the Orioles' bullpen spending made no difference for Baltimore last year?

Kenny Williams likes his team's balance, writes Gordon Wittenmyer. There is more tinkering to come, writes Mark Gonzales, even with the signing of Dotel.

Cincinnati Reds: How good will Bronson Arroyo be? Will Francisco Cordero really be worth all that money? Will Homer Bailey's talent manifest itself this year?

Colorado Rockies: Does Ubaldo Jimenez possess staying power? Does Ian Stewart have enough athleticism to make the adjustment to second base? Jimenez has added 15 pounds of muscle this offseason, writes Patrick Saunders.

Cleveland Indians: Will Travis Hafner hit like Pronk, or will he put too much pressure on himself and struggle, even with a contract in hand? Will C.C. Sabathia's impending free agency and on-going negotiations have any effect on him? Who will step up to be the right-handed hitter that the Indians need?

Detroit Tigers: Will the Tigers' rotation hold up? Can Dontrelle Willis make the transition to the AL? Is Detroit's middle relief deep enough?

Florida Marlins: Can the stable of injured young starters bounce back? Might Hanley Ramirez be regarded as the league's best player by season's end?

Houston Astros: Do the Astros have enough starting pitching behind Roy Oswalt? Will Miguel Tejada, generally known as a sensitive guy prone to outside forces, be able to successfully play through an FBI investigation, and give Houston suitable shortstop defense?

Kansas City Royals: Will Zack Greinke build off his strong finish? Can Alex Gordon produce, after not producing much last year?

Los Angeles Angels: Will Scot Shields bounce back and again give the Angels a dominant bullpen? Will Ervin Santana gain consistency, as he has in winter ball? Will Erick Aybar win the shortstop job, or Maicer Izturis?

Los Angeles Dodgers: Is Adam LaRoche good enough to hold down third? Can Jason Schmidt give the Dodgers anything? Will Matt Kemp become the power hitter the Dodgers so desperately need?

Milwaukee Brewers: Will Chris Capuano pitch like the All-Star he has been in the past, or like the pitcher who went winless for almost five months last summer? Will Ben Sheets break down? Will Eric Gagne bounce back from his Boston experience?

Minnesota Twins: Assuming that the Twins swap Johan Santana before the start of the season, can their young pitchers step up to fill the gaps created by the departures of the left-hander, Carlos Silva and Matt Garza? Will Delmon Young become a more patient hitter and give himself a chance to a superstar?

New York Mets: Who will take the ball at the front end of the Mets' rotation, and is that good enough to overcome the Phillies, Braves and the mental ghosts of last September?

New York Yankees: Will the New York rotation have enough depth? The Yankees hope that three youngsters, among Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy, are consistent enough to hold down two spots, but does Mike Mussina have another solid 30-start season? Will Andy Pettitte be distracted, in his preparation, by the Clemens situation?

Oakland Athletics: Will Rich Harden and Bobby Crosby stay healthy? How long will Billy Beane wait before dealing Huston Street?

Philadelphia Phillies: Will Brad Lidge be dominant Brad Lidge, or will he give the Philly fans reason to boo him? Can the Phillies hit enough to overcome the lack of depth in the rotation?

Pittsburgh Pirates: Can the young pitchers once seen as very promising in Pittsburgh -- Zach Duke and Paul Maholm -- get back to being plus performers? Is Jason Bay's bum knee a serious problem?

St. Louis Cardinals: Their projected rotation is Adam Wainwright, Braden Looper, Joel Pineiro, Anthony Reyes and Matt Clement -- is that enough? How quickly will the talent of super prospect Colby Rasmus manifest itself? How good is Rick Ankiel, really?

San Diego Padres: How many games will Jim Edmonds play, and how much will he hit? How soon will Brian Giles be back in the lineup? Will Kevin Kouzmanoff continue to progess as a big league hitter?

San Francisco Giants: Is the rotation good enough to carry what will be a sluggish offense? Will Tim Lincecum hold up and develop a better off-speed pitch? How different will the Giants' clubhouse -- and offense -- be without Barry Bonds?

Seattle Mariners: We saw how good Felix Hernandez can be early last season, with his remarkable outing in Boston. Can he do that over a long season? Will Richie Sexson hit, and if he doesn't, will it matter? Will the Mariners finally complete their trade for Erik Bedard?

Tampa Bay Rays: Will Matt Garza's game advance to the next level? Because if it does, the Rays will suddenly have a solid quorum in their rotation, to go along with an offense that will thrive if B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena hit as they did last year. James Shields has worked out a long-term deal, writes Marc Lancaster, and it could be worth close to $40 million, writes Marc Topkin.

Texas Rangers: What exactly is Josh Hamilton, as a player? Is Jarrod Saltalamacchia the real deal, or a big guy with a swing that needs shortening? Can Jason Jennings rebound?

Toronto Blue Jays: Can the Jays' pitchers stay healthy, and if so, what could they be capable of? If A.J. Burnett makes 30 starts, might this rotation rank among the best in the majors? Will Vernon Wells bounce back from his shoulder surgery, and hit the way he did in 2006? How quickly can B.J. Ryan, coming back from elbow surgery, be a factor in Toronto's bullpen?

Washington Nationals: How will their new ballpark play, and how will it affect the current group of players? Who, besides Ryan Zimmerman, will anchor their rebuilding effort? With 600 plate appearances, how many homers will Wily Mo Pena hit? The Nats expect their ballpark to be ready by Opening Day, Tim Lemke writes.

• Rich Lederer has another post in our ongoing Jim Rice debate. Rich writes, "Despite protestations to the contrary, those of us who oppose Rice's candidacy are not viewing him through a "time-machine prism" or "offensive formulas tailored for the way the game was played in the '90s."

The quoted words are mine. Rich goes on to cite an example of skeptical words written about Rice in 1985: "Virtually all sportswriters, I suppose, believe that Rice is an outstanding player. ... If someone can actually demonstrate that Jim Rice is a great ballplayer, I'd be most interested to see the evidence."

Those words belonged to Bill James, whom Rich and I both view (I assume) as an extraordinary visionary.

With this, Rich absolutely demonstrates one of my primary points about Rice. Bill James was someone who was years (decades?) ahead of his time in evaluating the value of walks and on-base percentage. But he wasn't only ahead of sportswriters, but ahead of managers, coaches, general managers and scouts, who placed value judgments on what they viewed as the proper approach to the game. Jim Rice, as a middle-of-the-order slugger, was expected to drive in runs. That's how he was evaluated, that's what he was expected to do, that's what he did well, that's why he was among the game's highest-paid players.

Guys who hit in the middle of the lineup and drew a lot of walks were viewed by the old guard, in some respects, as selfish players who refused to put their batting average at risk for the betterment of the team. I spoke about this last week with Jayson Stark, in regards to Mike Schmidt, a slugger who drew a lot of walks, and Stark specifically remembered Schmidt -- a '70s star who really played a 21st style of baseball, with lots of home runs, walks and strikeouts -- drawing criticism from peers for his approach. Sure, a Schmidt or Rice base on balls leading off an inning was a good thing, but if there were runners on base, the feeling was that they needed to swing the bat; they needed to drive in runs. Ted Williams, another slugger who drew a lot of walks, was subject to the same sort of scrutiny, as Peter Gammons recalled in a phone conversation the other day. Rice, on the other hand, knew he was expected to drive in runs, as Peter recalled.

Just two players drove in 85 or more runs in 11 seasons in the 12-year period of 1975-1986, and Rice almost certainly would've been 12-for-12 if not for the 1981 strike. In the eyes of the people he played for, he did exactly what a middle-of-the-order hitter should do. Honing his command of the strike zone and drawing walks, alongside all of those hits he generated, was not what his employers wanted him to do.

James ran the numbers and recognized the flaws in this manner of thinking. He was ahead of his time, and now almost everybody in the game has embraced his view. The thinking of hitters and evaluators has completely shifted: A middle-of-the-order hitter who refuses to take walks and trust the hitters behind him to drive in runs is now viewed, within the game, as being selfish.

But James cannot both be a visionary and an example of evaluation at that time, as Rich has used him above. It's one or the other. By the standards of the time -- and RBI unquestionably was the primary standard for the sluggers who played and for those who managed and evaluated -- Rice was exceptional, and he honed his game to that end. He swung the damn bat. The managers he played for and against respected him for it, the executives he played for paid him handsomely for it, and given the standards of his time, the sportswriters rewarded him with a staggering portion of MVP votes. In the James quote above, he takes issue with sportswriters, but he easily could've inserted "managers" or "general managers" or "players" into that sentence.

The RBI way of thinking seems, these days, as outdated as drawing blood with leeches. But Rice did his work within those parameters, and within that context, he was among the best in the game. We cannot go back now and say, Hey, Jim, remember all those times when you swung at pitches just off the plate as you tried to put the ball in play and drive in those runners, because you thought it was your job, because Derrell Johnson and Zimmy and John McNamara and their bosses thought it was your job? Well, we're here to tell you now, in the 21st century, that was a bad idea. You should've taken the walk. So forget it, you played the game the wrong way. We know this because your Adjusted OPS+ -- a statistic no ballplayer or manager or GM ever heard of until after you retired -- is poor. Oh, sure, you drove in a lot of runs, but we're here to tell you, 20 years later, that RBI is a junk stat.

I majored in Civil War history, so please excuse this completely inappropriate analogy between war and baseball: This is like suggesting now that Ulysses.S. Grant was a lousy general because he lost staggering numbers of men attacking entrenched positions. Rather, we should attempt to view his decisions through the evolving technology and tactics of war. Through that horrible vantage point, he was necessarily a tough and brilliant general.

No one can dispute that Rice was either the best or among the best RBI men in the AL for more than a decade, and for power hitters, this was the stat that defined them. That was the accepted vantage point of the time. To retroactively dismiss RBI seems utterly insane. Nicolaus Copernicus thought the sun was the center of the universe, wrongly, but that doesn't mean he wasn't exceptional for his time.

(And in case anyone hasn't noticed, I have not used the word "fear" one time in this conversation with Rich. At least I think I haven't.)

• Kevin Towers has become the Connie Mack of general managers, and landed another two-year deal. Well earned.

• The Phillies are hopeful about signing Ryan Howard, writes Sam Carchidi, and within the same notebook, there is word that Brett Myers has dropped weight. The other Phillies have Jimmy Rollins' back.

Shane Victorino will be returning to his old position in center field, now that Aaron Rowand is gone, writes Paul Hagen.

• Phil Rogers gives some estimates on what the payrolls will be this year.

• The Pirates have the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft, as Dejan Kovacevic notes.

• The Cubs named their minor league coordinators.

• County officials did not approve the funding for the Reds' spring training site in Sarasota, so this situation remains in a state of flux. In short: The tea leaves indicate that the Reds could be headed to Arizona.

• The Orioles formally announced the signing of Lance Cormier.

• Don Mattingly is changing jobs with the Dodgers because he wants to be in position to spend more time with his son. Mike Easler will be the Dodgers' new hitting coach.

• Mark Loretta and Jose Valverde are on the clock, as far as the Astros are concerned.

• The D-backs are taking a look at Eric Hinske, writes Nick Piecoro.

• Robinson Cano would like a long-term deal, writes Kat O'Brien.

• The Tulowitzki deal will be announced today, writes Jack Etkin.

• The Red Sox added a couple of veteran relievers, in Dan Kolb and Dan Miceli, as Michael Silverman writes.

• New Angels GM Tony Reagins wishes his mother could see how far he's come, writes Mark Whicker.

• Joe Torre's placid demeanor is going to be tested in L.A., writes Matt McHale.

• Mike Sweeney won the Hutch Award.

• The Mariners are pumped for spring training, writes David Andriesen.

• Jim Souhan saw a model of the Twins' new ballpark and got fired up for summer.

• A 25-year member of the Milwaukee police force has been promoted by Major League Baseball.

• The Mets agreed to terms with Endy Chavez.

• The Indians are pleased with their offseason, writes Paul Hoynes. Ryan Garko's position is secure.

• The list of Tiger spring training invitees is 21 players deep, writes Jon Paul Morosi.

• Ernie Harwell turns 90 on Friday, writes John Lowe.

PED ZONE

• David Dellucci has no tolerance for steroid users, as Sheldon Ocker writes.

• Chuck Knoblauch has been subpoenaed.

• The Clemens saga is upstaging the Santana trade talks, writes Murray Chass. Clemens isn't sure if he'll attend the Astros' minicamp, his agent says.

AND OTHER STUFF

• Our Australian has been slowed in SEC play.

If Giants lose Superbowl, Do you believe in hangover going to next season and expect them to have a bad season? For Example Eagles, and Panthers.

How do you stop Patriots Offense with so many weapons Mort?

If you double Moss, Brady like to throw underneath stuff to Welker and Faulk or Brady will go with Ben Watson Thoughts?

Jan 23, 2008 10:32 am - Opinion: Why is Santana Deal Taking so Long



http://www.metsblog.com/



...posted by Matthew Cerrone...

During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter last night, ESPN.com’s Tim Kurkjian said that, while it is still a three-team race, he believes that Johan Santana will eventually be traded to the Yankees, ‘since they have made the strongest offer.’

…well, i certainly hope the Twins trade santana to whomever makes the strongest offer…i just hope they eventually see the Mets as having such an offer…

…that said, it is amazing to me just how quiet things are on the santana-trade front…

…honestly, i have not heard much, nor asked much for that matter…i find that when things get down to it, and real dollars are on the line, comments from insiders are even harder to interpret than usual…so, it’s often easier to just sit back and let the narrative play out…

…however, if i had to make an educated guess – emphasis on the word guess – this is what i believe is going on…

…the Twins want to trade santana before spring training, and santana would like to be traded before spring training…the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets have let the Twins know what they are each willing to part with…however, the Twins would like to acquire a ready-for-action, major-league player in the deal, such as Jon Lester or Phil Hughes, a) because they’d like a semi-instant return on the deal, but b) because it will be easier to sell the fans on parting with johan if such a player is starting for the Twins next season…

…the problem is, a) the Yankees no longer want to trade hughes, b) the Twins are not all that enamored with the Red Sox package, otherwise they would have sent them santana by now, and c) the Mets do not have any major-league ready talent to trade, which is why adding Fernando Martinez to their rumored four-prospect package is no guarantee to wrap this up…i keep hearing people say, “Just add Fernando and be done with it,’ but adding martinez will not get the Twins any closer to that major-league ready player…which is why we keep getting radio hosts and random reports suggesting Jose Reyes must be involved…because, if the Mets want to drop the hammer and end this, that’s what it will take, i.e., a major-league ready player…of course, as we know, that’s never going to happen…

…however, at some point, the Twins will have to make a decision…especially if santana forces the issue…

…and so, the Twins are in hiding as they take one more look at what the Mets are offering, and decide whether they absolutely must get that major-league ready player or if they can live with and sell a collection of minor-leaguers…at the same time, santana and his agents are quiet, as they decide how best to encourage a deal, while getting him the most money from his new team, all while helping the Twins get the most back in a trade…meanwhile, the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets have made their case, some more aggressively than others, and they’re sitting quiet while waiting for the Twins to call…

…lastly, the Mets are hoping santana calls the Twins and says, ‘Trade me now, preferably to Queens,” as it will give the Mets all the leverage in a trade, and more or less guarantee they do not have to part with Fernando Martinez…

…again, the above is a ‘guess,’ but it’s a fairly educated guess, and i would not be surprised to learn i am more right than wrong

AccuScore numbers game: Pats will find a way

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3208171

Based on 10,000 simulations, the chances of the Giants winning the Super Bowl are not great -- just 25 percent. The average simulation shows a score of New England 31, New York 21. These baseline simulations clearly favor the Patriots, but there are a number of things that could make this game a nail-biter.

Patriots QB Tom Brady is taking advantage of the warm, likely dry weather in Arizona and is having another 300-plus yard game with a three-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio. The Giants' Eli Manning is good, but he is averages one interception per simulation despite not throwing one in the playoffs.

Baseline Simulation Passing Statistics
QBs Win % Cmp-Att Pct Yards TD INT
Brady 75 21.6-34.4 62.8 304 2.4 0.8
Manning 25 17.9-32.3 55.4 230 1.4 1.0

If Manning can come close to matching Brady, the Giants' chances improve by at least 12 percentage points. If Manning can be perfect in turnovers, then the Giants are in a virtual dead-heat with New England. The Giants have a 45 percent chance of winning, and the average score is much closer (Pats 28, Giants 26) if Manning does not commit a turnover.

Can the Giants convert in the red zone?
The Giants use both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw at running back, while the Patriots have gotten some great performances from Laurence Maroney and vitally important receptions from Kevin Faulk. In baseline simulations, Jacobs and Bradshaw are combining for 152 all-purpose yards and one touchdown. The Patriots' combo has the slight edge with 164 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.

Baseline Simulation Rushing Statistics
Giants Att Yds Avg. TD Rec Yds TD
Brandon Jacobs 15.7 70.5 4.5 0.69 1.4 14.6 0.07
Ahmad Bradshaw 10.7 55.8 5.2 0.22 1.3 11.5 0.05
Total 26.4 126.3 4.8 0.91 2.7 26.1 0.12

Patriots Att Yds Avg. TD Rec Yds TD
Laurence Maroney 21.5 88.6 4.1 0.71 0.9 14.3 0.08
Kevin Faulk 6.9 28.9 4.2 0.14 3.0 32.5 0.14
Total 28.4 117.5 4.1 0.85 3.9 46.8 0.22

Although the Patriots have the overall edge, the Giants are averaging more yards per carry, 4.8 to 4.1. Even with this advantage, the Giants are winning just 25 percent of simulations.

To pull off the upset, Jacobs will have to convert on third down and score touchdowns in the red zone. Despite averaging just 3.2 yards per carry in the playoffs, Jacobs is forecasted for 4.5 yards per carry versus the Patriots. If Jacobs can play at a high level, and excel in short-yardage and goal-line situations, then the Giants' chances improve by more than eight percentage points.

Maroney is the running back who could greatly exceed his overall season numbers. Maroney has had more than 100 yards in four of his last five games, including 122 in both playoff games. In AccuScore simulations we factored in only Maroney's last five games, including a 46-yard outing against the Giants in Week 17. If Maroney continues his recent tear, the Patriots are an overwhelming 81 percent favorite.

Is Brady that much better than Manning?
We simulated the game with Brady playing for the Giants and Manning for the Patriots. The Brady-led Giants win 51 percent of simulations. They go from a 25 percent underdog to a slight favorite with Brady at the helm. Brady's presence helps Plaxico Burress, who averages nearly 100 yards receiving.

Peyton vs. Eli
Last year's Super Bowl MVP, Peyton Manning, has plenty of experience playing against the Patriots. AccuScore replaced Eli with Peyton to see the impact. With Peyton at quarterback, the Giants' chances improve considerably (37 percent).

Conclusion

After running these alternative scenarios, the Giants are not at a big disadvantage at wide receiver or in the running game. They are losing 75 percent of simulations because Brady is forecasted to significantly outplay Manning. However, Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo and Brett Favre were also forecasted for better stats than Manning, and they all lost to Manning.

In simulations where the Giants win, Manning outplays Brady, but the statistics are not beyond reason. Brady still has the advantage in passing yards, but Manning has the better touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Jacobs is averaging 18 carries for 91 yards in wins versus just 15 carries and 63 yards in losses.

The Patriots are the clear favorites, but Giants fans have plenty of reasons to stay positive. If Manning does not turn the ball over and the running game can help the Giants' offense score touchdowns in the red zone, then this could come down to a final field goal. However, if the two-week layoff causes the Giants to lose some momentum while helping the Patriots get their record-setting offense back on track, then this one could be over by halftime.

Stephen Oh, an NFL analyst for AccuScore, is a contributor to ESPN.com.

*
The Joba and Phil Show:
Posted 13 minutes ago

Pilot:
A Kong Named Donkey

Synopsis: Joba and Phil are introduced in their shared Manhattan loft. Joba is large and simple in the style of the Incredible Hulk. Phil is more of a pencil pusher in the style of Clark Kent. Also in the loft is Ian whose presence goes entirely un-noticed by everyone else. There is an intentional reference to the Odd Couple, except that Joba is not slovenly as much as destructive. Turning on the TV they hear a disturbing news report. David Ortiz has captured Suzyn Waldman and carried her off towards the Empire State Building. The mayor of New York has tried to scramble some by-planes to fend the giant creature off, but it seems that they’ve all been deactivated. Sounds like a job for Joba and Phil!

The two heroes arrive at the scene just in time to see Ortiz carrying the field-reporter up the spire of the building. On their way up the building Ortiz tries to hinder Phil and Joba’s ascent by throwing barrels down the stairwells. Towards the top they run into Manny Ramirez who is wearing scuba gear and looking confused. When asked why he’s wearing it he replies, “Tuesday?” and jumps out the window. Joba and Phil make it to the base of the spire where despite Phil’s warning; Joba hurls a baseball at Ortiz. (“No! His secret power is the ability to hit Yankee pitching!”) The ball is smacked back at Joba knocking him out. Phil left alone devises a plan to lure Ortiz down with a trail of bananas. The day … and Suzyn Waldman are saved.

Once again:

I am looking for a flash animator for this series. I have no money, but I am a screenwriter and can easily get all the dialog out. Please send me a message if you have interest in helping us out.

Phlavio for GM!!!

The Red Sox are in the fortunate position of not having to push their rookies. Imagine how much pressure there will be in New York. Girardi is following a popular, successful manager with a string of playoff appearances. By signing the free agent Yankees, the sons have made George look like a spendthrift, $220m and counting. Cashman has new idiots to deal with and will probably be the scapegoat in a house cleaning if the Yankees don't make the playoffs. The young pitchers will also be under a lot of New York pressure and statements like Hank's " We will have the best pitching in baseball in 2-3 years" doesn't help their situation.



This year there are two strong teams from the central and a strong competitor in their own division. Five good teams, only four make the cut and one (Angels) pretty much has a free pass. Girardi has a reputation of overusing young arms and that was in a situation where he was in complete control and there was relatively little pressure. They might kill their entire future this year.