Author Archive
2010 MLB New Stars: Mark Melancon Deserves Job Even Before Spring Training
Posted: 18th February 2010 by Joseph DelGrippo in MLB
One of the clichÚs you hear in the weeks preceding the opening of spring training camps is that "competition brings out the best in players."
Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman both have said that during the last month. In fact, here is what Girardi said just yesterday:
ôI expect guys to pitch at a very high level. Will statistics play 100 percent of the decision? No. WeÆll look at guys, how theyÆre ...
What’s the Goal in Signing Expensive Free Agents, To Win or To Look Good?
Posted: 3rd January 2010 by Joseph DelGrippo in MLB
He was an early 30's (in age) slugger, traded several times during the early part of his career until a team in the NL Central finally gave him the opportunity to play full time. At this point, he began to produce big offensive numbers.
He was a middle of the order hitter and a little suspect with his defense, but was durable, averaging over 150 games per season. While the power ...
Here’s Hoping the Indianapolis Colts Lose in the First Round of the Playoffs
Posted: 27th December 2009 by Joseph DelGrippo in NFL
Today was New York Football TV watching day. It is rare that I actually watch both the New Jersey Giants and Jets on the same day, but both games were important to the decent to slim playoff chances each team had.
Also, my Dallas Cowboys team did not play until the NBC Sunday night game at 8:20 p.m.
The Giants blew their season because they can't stop the run. The Jets, with ...
New York Giants Can’t Stop the Run, and It Cost Them a Playoff Spot
Posted: 27th December 2009 by Joseph DelGrippo in NFL
As a complete sports fan, one of things I do is listen to sports radio. It makes the hour-plus work commute a little easier, as Iáfrequently call in and make salient points, often giving the radio host something else to think about.
Always think "outáof the box" and do not always go with the popular thought.
Most hosts do not research or prepare for their shows, and it is often revealed in ...
Javier Vazquez Trade Looks Like a Good One, but There Is a Big Variable
Posted: 26th December 2009 by Joseph DelGrippo in MLB
Everybody seems to love the New York Yankees trade with the Atlanta Braves for Javier Vazquez. The Yankees traded OF Melky Cabrera, LHP Michael Dunn and Low-Low A (although highly rated) pitcher Arodys Vizcaino to get the former Yankee right handed pitcher.
I am always a little wary when too many people love things at the same time. When too many people jump on the bandwagon, it always seems like time ...
Roy Halladay to the NL Was the Best Thing to Happen to Yankees and Red Sox
Posted: 21st December 2009 by Joseph DelGrippo in MLB
The title to my original piece was "Roy Halladay Should NOT Be in the Yankees' 2010 Plans." However, as usual, the thoughts are in my head and in my notebook (with generous amounts of information and facts to back up my thoughts), but the time to get it all down was non-existent.
Then witháthe whopping four-team, 175-player trade that went down last week, I thought that I had to get something ...
Can the Cowboys-Eagles and Packers-Cardinals Play Back-to-Back Weeks?
Posted: 15th December 2009 by Joseph DelGrippo in NFL
After tonight's 24-9 win by San Francisco 49ers over the Arizona Cardinals, the NFC West just go a little closer. The Niners now sit at 6-7, two games behind the Westùleading Cardinals (including sweeping both games this year) with three games to go.
If only the Niners could have made one more play at Minnesota in Week 3 in Brett Favre's miracle game. They also had a fourth quarter lead at ...
The Cowboys’ Marion Barber Is Not an NFL Starting Running Back
Posted: 14th December 2009 by Joseph DelGrippo in NFL
During yesterday's game against the San Diego Chargers, the Dallas Cowboys ran the ball consistently well, including for big chunks of yardage on two different drives. The first drive was in the second quarter, when the Cowboys ran the ball 14 times on a 15 play drive, culminating in a game deciding goal line stand.
Second year tailback Felix Jones was superb on that drive (five rushes for 37 yards), but ...
Johnny Damon Needs the New York Yankees More Than They Need Him
Posted: 29th November 2009 by Joseph DelGrippo in MLB
While every one now is ponderingáwhy Roy Halladay is needed on the Yankees (he isn't), I want to focus on the firstáimportant deal that Brian Cashman will attempt to get done.
After Johnny Damon finally helped the New York Yankees back to the World Series, and winning their first title since 2001, he is a free agent again. And every time Damon has been a free agent, he has changed teams. ...
Heroes and Goats: Notes on Game Four of the 2009 World Series
Posted: 2nd November 2009 by Joseph DelGrippo in MLB
Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez provided the heroics for the Yankees in their 8-5 win Sunday night in Game Four of the 2009 World Series, but when there are heroes in the game of baseball, there also must be goats.
Unlike other sports, baseball is mostly a zero sum game.
If a pitcher gets a really big (or final) out, then the hitter didn't "come through in the clutch." If a hitter ...