New York Giants Off-Season Update

With the NFL Draft now in the rear-view mirror, teams are starting their off-season programs.  With OTA’s already done, soon enough mini-camps will begin and before you know it the pre-season and regular season will be upon us.  For the Giants, the defending on their Super Bowl title is being kicked into top gear.

The Giants have been making some roster and personnel moves recently.  The biggest moves are the contracts situations of defensive end Osi Umenyiora and head coach Tom Coughlin.

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Osi Umenyiora’s displeasure over his contract has been publicized plenty over the last few off-seasons.  He has wanted a re-structuring of his contract for multiple off-seasons.  Last season, it resulted in Umenyiora missing practice time, holding out over the contract dispute.  This season, there will be no such problems.  

Umenyiora and the Giants agreed to a restructured contract June 1^st.  Umenyiora was entering the last year of a seven year contract in which he would receive $3.975 million.  Umenyiora has outplayed the contract he signed and had every reason to want more money. 

 This resolution is a win for everyone because both sides are happy and get what they want.  Umenyiora gets the extra money he has been looking for and the Giants get to keep one of the best defensive linemen on their team for at least another season.

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   As for Tom Coughlin, he also received a contract extension.  The extension will keep Coughlin on the Giants sideline through the 2014 season.  The contract will kick in this year, meaning that total is for three years and $20 million as Coughlin’s original contract was set to expire after this season.  The new contract makes Coughlin one of the highest paid coaches in the league; deservedly so.  Coughlin should be able to come back for as long as he wants to coach, leading the Giants to two Super Bowl victories since the 2007 season. 

The Giants have also made a few roster moves, re-signing defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and cutting tight end Jake Ballard.  Ballard tore his ACL in addition to needing microfracture surgery, suffering the injury in the Super Bowl against the Patriots.  Ballard had failed his physical and was subsequently released.  The thought is that the Giants will bring Ballard back once he clears waivers.  Ballard went onto Twitter to show his appreciation for the Giants and his feelings on the future, “Thanks for the love everyone but don’t worry, it’s a business, I’m on the road to recovery, and I believe I’ll be in a Giants uniform in ’13.”

Not all news this off-season for the Giants has been positive though, as offensive lineman David Diehl was arrested on suspicion of DWI after his car hit multiple parked cars in Queens.  There were no passengers, and Diehl was not injured during the process.  If he is indeed charged, Diehl could be facing a suspension from the NFL. 

Recap: Homer Happy Yanks Sweep Rival Mets

The New York Yankees showed New York fans that they are still the number one team in this city, with a sweep of the rival New York Mets.

On Friday night the Yankees took Johan Santana deep early and often. In the second inning, Robinson Cano took the first pitch he saw from Santana, and drove it into the right field seats for a two-run homer.

It did not take long for Cano to get to Santana again. In the third inning, Cano again smashed the first pitch he saw from Santana into the right field seats for another two-run home run, and gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead. Cano saw two pitches in his first two at-bats, and had two home runs and 4 RBI. The next two batters, Nick Swisher and Andruw Jones, both took Santana deep in their at-bats, and the Yankees hit back-to back-to back home runs.

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The Yankees tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning and took the opening game 9-1.

Johan Santana, in his first start since his no-hitter, lasted five innings, gave up seven hits, six earned runs, and four home runs.

Hiroki Kuroda had another solid outing, going five and two thirds innings before surrendering a hit. Kuroda went seven innings , allowing just the one hit, and striking out seven Mets batters.

In game two, the Yankees again used the home run ball to get passed the Mets.

With the game tied at one in the sixth inning, David Wright took Phil Hughes deep to left center to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. It was Wright's eighth home run of the season, and the 15th home run given up by Hughes this season.

In the bottom half of the inning, with Curtis Granderson on base, Mark Teixeira hit a line drive over the right field wall and the Yankees went ahead 3-2.

Curtis Granderson added a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth off of Bobby Parnell and the Yankees won 4-2.

Phil Hughes went six and a third innings allowing six hits and two solo home runs, and got his sixth win of the season. Hughes has now given the Yankees three solid starts in a row, and besides giving up solo home runs, Hughes has been very strong.

In the series finale, the Mets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on Andy Pettitte. Vinny Rottino singled home Scott Hairston to open the scoring in the second inning. Later in the second, Jordany Valdespin doubled to right scoring Rottino and Omar Quintanilla.

Pettitte held the Mets in check after the three run inning, and allowed the Yankees to mount a come back.

In the seventh inning the Yankees got on the board with a Russell Martin two-run homer, and cut the Mets lead to 3-2.

The Yankees took the lead in the bottom of the eighth with a pair of RBI singles from Teixeira and Rodriguez. After back to back singles by Jeter and Granderson, Teixeira laced a ball back up the middle to drive home Jeter. Rodriguez followed with a bloop single down the right field line that scored Granderson.

In the top of the ninth, the Yankees called on Rafael Soriano to close out the game, but Soriano could not. Before Soriano could record an out, Lucas Duda and Ike Davis hit back to back doubles, and the game was tied.  Boone Logan replaced Soriano and did not allow the Mets to score again, leaving the game tied at 4 headed into the bottom of the ninth.

It took just one batter for the Yankees to finish off the Mets, as Russell Martin took John Rauch out to left for his second home run of the game, a 5-4 win, and a series sweep.

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The Yankees took all three games against the Mets in the Subway Series, and except for Friday night's blowout, the series was an exciting one for both sides, although Mets fans would have felt better with at least one win.

The two teams will meet again in two weeks at Citi Field, and the Mets will have a chance to get revenge for the three game sweep they suffered at Yankee Stadium this past weekend.

Johan Santana Throws First No-Hitter In Mets History

Friday, June 1st 2012
Final Score: St. Louis Cardinals: 0 New York Mets: 8

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Johan Santana had to wait what was an excruciating 19 months in between MLB starts, but that seems like a blink of an eye for Mets fans after seeing Santana pitch tonight.  Santana tonight pitched the first no-hitter in New York Met history.  The record lasted for more than 50 seasons, totaling 8,019 games without a no-hitter.  This leaves the San Diego Padres as the only team left in the majors without a no-hitter.

It was a career night for Santana, who has never thrown even a one or two hitter but throwing a three hitter on five different occasions.  In addition to being his first no hitter as well as the first in Mets history, Santana set a career high for pitches thrown with 134.  The original plan, according to manager Terry Collins, was to have Santana on a 115 pitch limit.  Those plans had to be tweaked with history within reach as Santana finished off the 8th inning at 122 pitches.  A reason for the high pitch count was the five walks in addition to seven strikeouts Santana accumulated throughout the game.  The raucous crowd of 27,069 could be heard chanting “Johan” as he came to bat in the 8th inning before finishing off the game in the 9th.

Much like anything in history, more than one person plays a part in the outcome.  Tonight, the Mets defense stepped up behind Santana.  In the 7th inning on a hard hit ball my Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, left fielder Mike Baxter crashed into the wall with his arm outstretched preserving the no hitter.  Baxter would have to leave as a result of the play with a left shoulder contusion and will undergo further testing.

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Another play in question involves former Met Carlos Beltran, who was returning to Queens for the first time since being traded last season, and 3rd base umpire Adrian Johnson.  Beltran ripped a line drive down the 3rd base line which was ruled foul by Johnson.  The Cardinals argued that the ball was far, as Beltran would eventually ground out to end the at-bat.  Replays later proved to be inconclusive, but could be argued as either hitting the chalk or missing it.  “I saw the ball hitting outside the line, just foul,” Johnson is quoted as saying to reporters after the game.  After being shown the replay, Johnson was asked what he thought and he replied with, “No comment.”

In addition to Santana’s sterling performance, the 3-4-5 hitters David Wright, Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy, the heart of the Mets lineup, delivered big time production knocking in all eight Met runs.  Duda had four R.B.I. including a 3-run homerun on the 6th inning of Cardinal starting pitcher Adam Wainwright.  Murphy added two 2-our R.B.I., with three total with Wright getting his R.B.I. on a bases loaded walk in the 7th inning.

Up next for the Mets and Cardinals is the second game of their four game series at 4:15 P.M. ET.  R.A. Dickey (7-1, 3.06 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets versus Lance Lynn (8-1, 2.54 ERA) of the Cardinals in a match-up against two of the most surprising and top pitchers in the majors this season.

Hughes Pitching Himself Out of the Rotation

Phil Hughes entered the 2012 season as a question mark for the Yankees. Since his 18-8 season of 2010, Phil Hughes has struggled to become the top flight pitcher the Yankees were hoping he could become.

The Yankees pitching rotation took a hit when Michael Pineda went down with a season ending injury. The team decided to bring back fan favorite Andy Pettitte to help their rotation. With the return of Pettitte, one pitcher would be the odd man out, and be sent to the bullpen. The Yankees had to decide between Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes on who they would send to the pen. They choose to send Garcia, who has had a season to forget, to figure out his troubles in the bullpen.

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Hughes has not given the Yankees a reason to keep him in the rotation, but the Yankees have given Hughes a second chance. Hughes is 4-5 this season with 49 strikeouts, 13 walks, and a 5.64 ERA. In his last start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Angels tattooed Hughes for 11 hits, and 7 runs, both season highs, in 5.1 innings of work.

Hughes has made it passed the sixth inning just three times this season, and has pitched into the eighth inning once. With a depleted bullpen, the Yankees need quality starts out of their starting rotation, and Hughes has not delivered so far this season.

Now the question must be asked, what will the Yankees do with Phil Hughes? The bullpen seems like the easy choice, and could fix Hughes' problems, but his past bullpen performances are nothing to be excited about. During the 2009 championship run, Hughes came out of the bullpen for the Yankees. In 6.1 innings during the postseason, Hughes gave up 11 hits and 6 runs.

If the Yankees were to put Hughes on the trade block, it is unclear what they could get for him. He has not helped his value with his starts this season, and teams may be turned off by the number of home runs given up by Hughes already this season.

The Yankees have options as to what they want to do with Hughes, but what is going to help Hughes get his "mojo" back? It will be interesting to see what they decide to to with Hughes, if he cannot pick up his game and start giving the Yankees the kind of starts they expect.

San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets Post Game Recap 5-26

Final Score: San Diego Padres: 0 New York Mets: 9

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Johan Santana turned in one of his vintage outings this afternoon at Citi Field as he dominated the Padres throwing a complete game shutout.  This was Santana’s first complete game since August 22^nd 2010 in Pittsburgh against the Pirates and his first complete game shutout since August 12^th 2010 against the Colorado Rockies. 

San Diego sports one of the weaker lineups in baseball, so Santana was able to take advantage.  He kept hitters off balance all afternoon as the Padres were only able to get one player into scoring position.  Very few balls were hit well, enabling Santana to breeze through innings on a very nice May afternoon in Queens.  This was easily Santana’s best start of the season as he surrendered only four hits and no walks, adding seven strikeouts.

Scoring has not been something the Mets have done in Santana starts this season; so the nine runs today was a welcomed surprise. Entering the game this afternoon, Santana had a 1-2 record despite a 3.24 ERA.  Their overall record is 4-5 in his starts, which is disappointing with how well he has pitched.  A great start to the season would be that much better if a couple of those stellar Santana outings were backed by some offense.

With the Padres pegging lefty Clayton Richard as their starter, Mets manager Terry Collins made a few tweaks to his lineup.  Collins decided to stack his lineup with right-handed batters and it proved effective on this afternoon.  Scott Hairston blasted a three-run homerun for his 4^th of the season in the first inning.  Two batters later, Vinny Rottino launched his first career homerun, staking the Mets to a dominant four run lead, never looking back.

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The Mets offense was quiet for the remainder of the afternoon until the 8^th inning, when catcher Mike Nickeas hit his first career grand slam and first homerun of the season.  Nickeas’ homerun, just like Hairston’s and Rottino’s earlier in the game, were aided by the new dimensions of Citi Field; which were put into place to make Citi Field more hitter-friendly. 

Today was the third game in a row in which Ike Davis knocked in a run.  Davis’ season long streak was continued with an RBI double in the 8^th which gave the Mets a 5-0 lead.  Since being told 4 games ago that he will not be demoted to Triple A Buffalo, Davis has gone 4-9.  He now has 20 R.B.I on the season and raised his average to a still uninspiring .173. 

David Wright walked and scored in the Mets four run first inning, but was hitless the remainder of the game.  His average has dipped to .390 after going 0-6 in his past two games. 

Ronny Cedeno was forced from the game in the 8^th inning because of an apparent leg injury.  It was later clarified that it was only a cramp that forced him from the game, and he should be good to go Sunday.  Cedeno returned two weeks ago from a left intercostal strain.

The Mets look to take three of four in the series Sunday afternoon as R.A. Dickey, 6-1 with a 3.45 ERA, pitches against Padres starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, 2-4 with a 3.49 ERA, at 1:10 P.M. ET.

Knicks Remove Interim Tag, Name Mike Woodson Head Coach

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The Knicks officially removed the interim tag from Mike Woodson Friday night, naming him their next head coach.  After leading the Knicks to an 18-6 record in the regular season and their first playoff win in over 11 years it became more and more evident Woodson would be the next head coach.  Support from the top three players on the team, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler also didn’t hurt. 

Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the Knicks, but sources are saying that Woodson’s contract has two guaranteed years with a third-year option.  Each year is worth approximately $4 million per season.  This is a significant contract because it has the potential to match up with the length of the contracts with Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler.  All three have shown support for Woodson and this gives them the opportunity to actually grow together and build some continuity, as the organization has seen nearly 70 different players come and go throughout the last three seasons. 

Woodson got this job because he was able to get the players to buy into his system and had them playing hard every night.  Woodson had a direct impact with the improved play and maturity of players such as Anthony and J.R. Smith.  Jared Jeffries said late in the season on ESPN radio that Woodson was better at handling personalities, compared to Mike D’Antoni who was focused more on coaching.  Woodson held everyone, including stars, accountable which helped him gain respect from his players.  Knowing how to deal with the different players and personalities on the roster mixed with his no-nonsense approach made for a great product on the court and led to him getting his contract.

Earlier this month, Woodson dumped his agent, Keith Glass, to be represented by CAA, Creative Artists Agency.  Woodson is now being represented by Terry Prince from the agency replacing Glass. CAA also represents multiple people within the Knicks organization, including Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and executive Mark Warkentien. 

Glass is the son of Joe Glass, who was the representative for Larry Brown during his tenuous season with the Knicks during the 2005-06 season.  Woodson says the decision to change agents was not influenced by anyone else and made the decision on his own.  “I have no contract with the Glasses.  I paid for my services and I elected to move on,” said Woodson.  Woodson continued, saying, “James Dolan had nothing to do with me making this decision.  It was Mike Woodson’s decision.  I had every right to make that decision, to move on if I choose to do that.”  The switch had little to do with the agency’s ties with the Knicks he would later add.

Knicks J.R. Smith Arrested 5-24

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Knicks backup Guard J.R. Smith was arrested Thursday night around 8:30 P.M. in South Beach, Florida.  Smith had a standing bench warrant pending against him, so once the cops realized it was him they arrested him.

The warrant stems from an arrest last year in which Smith was operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license said Sergeant Bobby Hernandez. After Smith did not appear for a court date in July to answer his charges the bench warrant was issued. 

Smith was not engaged in any illegal activity at the time of his arrest Hernandez stated.  Smith was taken to Miami-Dade County jail, where officials say he was let go on bond early Friday morning.

Hernandez also stated that Smith will appear in front of a judge to answer for the charges, but no court date has yet to be announced. 

Smith has a player option for $2.5 million for next season.  It is unclear whether he will exercise that option or opt-out and become a free agent.  The Knicks would like to have him back if they can afford to.  The Bird Rights court hearing in June will have a big impact on the Knicks this off-season as it will dictate where the Knicks are forced to spend their money. 

Rough Start to OTA's for Giants

It seems like yesterday that the Giants were playing against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLI, but in actuality there is a new NFL season right on the horizon.  This week was the beginning of Organized Team Activities for teams in the NFL.

With their Super Bowl rings in hand and June 8^th being the date set to visit the White House, the Giants are preparing to defend their title this fall and winter.  The start of OTA’s signals the start of a new season, meaning it is again go time for the Giants.

OTA’s are relaxed spring practices.  They do not include pads and have no live hitting.  It is an opportunity for rookies and veterans alike to get a feel for each other, building chemistry and continuity.  Teams are also only allowed to have up to 14 practices scheduled for the “down time period” of the NFL.

The Giants have a large number of people returning from season-ending injuries trying to get back into shape.  This gives them an opportunity to get re-acclimated with teammates and coaching staffs.  With such a relaxed atmosphere, there is nothing that can possibly go wrong you would think.  The worst thing usually is veterans holding out wanting a contract extension or more money.  For the Giants, worse things happen.

Through the first two days of OTA’s the Giants are two for two in losing a player.  During the first workout, cornerback Brian Witherspoon was lost for the season again, tearing his ACL for a second consecutive season on the same knee.

“It was heartbreaking,” said cornerback Terrell Thomas, who is returning from his own season ending knee injury last year.  “Just a basic Cover 2 drill, seemed like the knee just gave out.”  Witherspoon added depth to a Giants squad that was very thin in the defensive secondary last season.  Backup Antwaun Molden was also taken off the field with a hamstring injury, but his is not thought to be serious.

The injuries for the Giants did not end there.  Earlier today, on the second day of OTA’s for the Giants, Wide Receiver Hakeem Nicks fractured his right foot.  He will be out for approximately 12 weeks.  The Giants are hoping he can be back during the preseason.

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 If for any reason Nicks’ rehab does not go as planned, the Giants will have a huge void in their offense.  Victor Cruz has added pressure with the departure of Mario Manningham and the loss of Nicks will only magnify that.  Hopefully Nicks is back as soon as possible as he is a very important part of the Giants currently and into the future.

Yankees Pitching Not the Only Problem

The 2012 season has been nothing short of a disappointment for the New York Yankees. They sit at the bottom of the American League East with a 21-21 record.

All eyes were on the Yankees pitching rotation at the beginning of the season. Could the Yankees give C.C Sabathia enough support? How are the Yankees going to replace the injured Michael Pineda? Is Hiroki Kuroda going to fill the number two spot with wins? And of course, what Phil Hughes will the Yankees get this season?

Now 43 games into the season, the pitching isn't the only problem the Yankees have. Can anyone remember the last time the Yankees got a hit with a runner in scoring position? In their 6-0 loss to the Royals last Tuesday, the Yankees were 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position, including one inning where they had bases loaded with nobody out and could not score.Last night in their 3-2 win over Kansas City, the totaled just six hits for the game, and one hit with a man in scoring position.

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The only bright spots in the Yankees lineup this season have been Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, and Raul Ibanez. This wouldn't seem so bad, having four guys that are having great seasons so far, but they are outweighed by the players who are having dismal seasons at the plate.

The middle, or heart, of the Yankees order has been the weak link of the lineup. Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira have slumped all season long.

Robinson Cano is hitting above .300 for the season, but has only 5 home runs, and 17 RBI in the first 43 games of the season. This is not the line the Yankees were expecting from their potential MVP candidate.

Alex Rodriguez has also been a major flop this season. He has been anything but clutch, failing to get the big hit when the Yankees need it the most. Rodriguez is hitting .276 with 5 home runs and 15 RBI. These should have been A-Rod's numbers after the month of April, not the end of May.

Mark Teixeira has been a disappointment offensively since he came to the Yankees in 2009. Over the past three seasons, Teixeira's average has steadily dropped, and this season doesn't look to be any different. Teixeira is hitting an abysmal .229 with 5 home runs, and 20 RBI. Raul Ibanez has 9 home runs with 27 RBI in four less games.

The heart of the Yankees order has combined for 15 home runs this season, Josh Hamilton has 18 home runs so far. It's time for Cano, Teixeira, and Rodriguez to start producing the numbers Yankee fans are used to seeing. Rodriguez may not be the A-Rod of old, but he is certainly better than the numbers he has posted this season.

The Yankees of the past five years have relied heavily on their offensive output, and it has carried them through, and the Yankees need them now more than ever with their pitching staff struggling again.

There is no room for error in the American League East, every team has a lineup that can put up runs, so there is never a night off for the pitchers. The Yankees offense needs to get back on track and help the team win games, or there will be no postseason in the Bronx this season.

Iman Shumpert Named to All-Rookie First Team

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Today Iman Shumpert was named to All-Rookie First team by the NBA.  Shumpert is joined by Cleveland Cavalier Kyrie Irving, Minnesota Timberwolf Ricky Rubio, Denver Nugget Kenneth Faried, Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson, San Antonio Spur Kawhi Leonard and Detroit Piston Brandon Knight.

Normally there are only five players named to the team, but there was a three-way tie between Leonard, Knight and Shumpert so all three were given recognition.

The All-Second Team featured Houston Rocket Chandler Parsons, Sacramento King Isaiah Thomas, New Jersey Net MarShon Brooks, Minnesota Timberwolf Derrick Williams and Cleveland Cavalier Tristan Thompson.

Shumpert averaged 9.5 points 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season.  He was also seventh in the NBA in steals at 1.7 per game.  Shumpert suffered a serious knee injury in Game 1 against the Miami Heat in the playoffs, tearing his ACL and meniscus.  He faces a 6-8 month rehab process, with the Knicks hoping he is able to return in December or January.