Four Past Yankees to Be Honored

Here is Patrick writing about four past Yankees, that will be honored this upcoming season!!!!


Article by Patrick Higgins

From the MLB, the New York Yankees announced on Monday that they will retire the uniform numbers of Bernie Williams (51), Jorge Posada (20) and Andy Pettitte (46), in pregame ceremonies this season. Willie Randolph will also be honored by receiving a plaque in Monument Park.

Bernie Williams played center field for the Yankees, and won four World Series in five seasons with the team between 1996 and 2000. Williams spent his entire 16 year career with the Yankees. His career batting average is .297, in 2,076 games. He is also fifth in franchise history in hits with 2,336 hits. He is also the franchises leader with 22 postseason homeruns, and 80 postseason RBI’s. Williams will be honored on May 24 before a Sunday night game against the Texas Rangers.

Jorge Posada is one of the greatest catchers in Yankees franchise history. Posada spent his entire 17 year career with the Yankees. His career batting average is .273 in 1,829 games. He also won four championships with the Yankees. Posada is second all-time in franchise history, with 125 postseason hits. He will be honored on Aug. 22 before a Saturday afternoon game against the Cleveland Indians.

Andy Pettitte finished his career with a 256-153 record, with a career 3.85 ERA. He is first all-time in MLB postseason history with 19 playoff victories. His postseason career ERA is 3.81, in 276 2/3 innings. He was also part of five championship teams, with the Yankees.  He will be honored on Aug. 23.

Willie Randolph will receive his plaque during Old Timers' Day festivities before a Saturday night game against the Detroit Tigers.

Peyton Manning is Ready to Play in 2015

Here is our own Patrick Higgins, giving you some Peyton Manning News!!!!


Article by Patrick Higgins

From the NFL, Peyton Manning told Denver Broncos officials, including general manager John Elway, that he is physically and mentally prepared to play at a significant level in 2015. The two sides met to discuss Peyton’s future in the NFL, and even though retirement remains an option for Manning, he didn’t express that idea to Elway and Broncos officials, but John Elway said that he hasn’t made a definitive decision yet.

Manning who turns 39 next month, went out of his way to receive a comprehensive evaluation from renowned performance manager and trainer Mackie Shilstone, during the last two and a half weeks in New Orleans. Shilstone has worked with several elite athletes in the later stages of their career. He has given Manning strong assessment based on numerous workouts and tests. The quad injury that Manning was suffering for the last part of last season is reportedly fully healed as well.

Other sources have said that the Broncos may look to restructure Manning’s contract to open up cap room to sign talented players like wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas, to having a formal physical. In all, this is good news for the Denver Broncos, manning is ready to play.

This is great news for the Broncos. They will get their leader back, if he can pass a physical. Everyone was ragging on Peyton because of his poor play down the last part of the season, but that was because he was injured. When he is healthy, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. They are going to have 50 million dollars of cap space this season, and if Manning will restructure his deal, then they have a shot to resign all of the players they need, to make another playoff run.

Top 5 MLB Bullpens

Here is Chris Saunders, discussing the Top 5 MLB bullpens. Baseball is back!!!!

Article by Chris Saunders

With pitchers and catchers reporting in a week and some change, that only means one thing. BASEBALL IS BACK BABY! Long winter storms/cold weather will soon be upon us! With pitchers in mind, let’s take a look at the top 5 Bullpens for the 2015 MLB Season .

1) Royals- It’s almost a given that KC would be number one on this list, just on the sole purpose of having the “3 headed monster” being Herrera, Davis, Holland. Davis had a 1.00 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and, incredibly, just five extra-base hits (including zero homers) logged against him. Over the last three seasons, Holland has established himself as one of the most consistent ninth-inning arms in a job not known for consistency, and Herrera compiled a 1.41 ERA in 70 innings last year. KC bullpen did all this without Luke Hochever, former first round starter turned reliever, who dominated baseball two years ago. Luke had a 1.92 ERA/0.82 whip before he had Tommy John Surgery, destroying his season. Getting him back, plus the resigning of Frasor for the sturdy middle innings gives the KC bullpen unheralded amount of fire power.

2) Mariners- You could just as easily put them in the top slot of this list. I'd have no complaint. Through no fault of its own, the M's 'pen didn't have the opportunity to assert itself on the October stage like the team that ranks first here, but it made its mark, all the same. Not only did Mariners relievers post the best ERA (2.60) and fourth-best WHIP (1.16) of any big league bullpen in 2014, but they also had the ninth best strand rate (80.7 percent) in the live-ball era. It wasn't just Fernando Rodney and his 48 saves and bow-and-arrow routine. It was also Tom Wilhelmsen holding opponents to a .542 OPS against, Danny Farquhar striking out 10.3 batters per nine, Dominic Leone posting a 2.17 ERA, etc. There are hard throwers and closing or setup candidates abound in this bullpen. So even if it doesn't match '14's level, it should still be strength of this AL West contender.

3) Yankees- Here, too, is another strong candidate for the No. 1 spot. It might seem like this was a conservative winter for the Yankees -- at least, by Yankees standards -- but there's nothing conservative about a four-year, $36 million commitment to a guy with one career save. The Yanks appreciate the value of Andrew Miller as a high-leverage asset no matter the specific role. He was a difference-maker in the AL Division Series for the Orioles last October, and he'll pair nicely with Dellin Betances in the late innings after Betances' robust rookie year (1.40 ERA, 0.78 WHIP in 90 innings). So the departure of David Robertson might not make a big difference in the Bronx, especially if lefty acquisition Justin Wilson can approximate his 2013 numbers (2.08 ERA in 73 2/3 innings) and high-velocity right-handers Adam Warren and David Carpenter can help bridge the gap

4) Oakland Athletics- The Sean Doolittle situation obviously merits monitoring, which is why the A's aren't higher here. Doolittle has a slight rotator cuff tear and is rehabbing after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection. He's doubtful for Opening Day. But the depth here is undeniable, with Clippard (2.18 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) acquired to replace departed free agent Luke Gregerson, and Ryan Cook (3.42, 1.08), Dan Otero (2.28, 1.10) and lefties Fernando Abad (1.57, 0.85) and Eric O'Flaherty (2.25, 0.95) all aboard. The A's had the second-lowest relief ERA in the AL last season. We'll see how long the Doolittle situation lingers as they try to build on that precedent.

5) San Diego Padres-  In the days of which Trevor Hoffman and Health Bell would walk outside the gates to close out games, Huston Street was probably just as consistent as anyway of those two. Streets career with the padres over three years was quite brilliant averaging in the mid 2.00 for ERA with 40 saves to boost. The padres traded him and minor-leaguer Trevor Gott going to the Angels in exchange for Taylor Lindsey, Jose Rondon, R.J. Alvarez(later traded this offseason along with RHP Jesse Hahn to Oakland for Derrick Norris) and Elliot Morris. The padres, however, do pitch in a pitchers ballpark and have serviceable guys out there. Joaquin Benoit (1.49, 0.77) Nick Vincent (3.60, 1.00), Kevin Quackenbush (2.48, 1.10), Newly Acquired in the Seth Smith trade Brandon Maurer (4.65,  1.33) Lefty Alex Torres ( 3.33, 1.46). Padres bullpen had the 2nd lowest ERA, 3rd lowest WHIP, and 3rd lowest BAA, and with the acquisition of James Shields, this could make the padres bullpen even more deadly.   

 

 

The Pick That Ended It ALL

Here is our Patrick Higgins, giving his insight into the interception that ended the Super Bowl!!!! His article gives his opinion on what the Seahawks should've done.

Article by Patrick Higgins

The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24, in Super Bowl 49 this year. At the end of the game, something crazy happened. On the weirdest play call I have ever seen, Russell Wilson on second and goal attempts a pass, and it was PICKED OFF by the undrafted rookie free-agent from Western Alabama Malcom Butler. This interception preserved the win for the New England Patriots. This was the sixth overall championship for the Patriots.

Let’s look at some stats from this game.

o   This was the largest second half deficit overcame to win the Super Bowl, where they trailed by 10 points in the 4th quarter.

o   This is Brady’s fourth career Super Bowl Victory, which ties Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for most by a starting quarterback, and it was his third MVP award, which also ties Joe Montana for most all time.

o   For the Head Coach Bill Belichick, this is his fourth Super Bowl win as a head coach, tying Chuck Noll for most all time.

o   The Seahawks are the first defending champion to lose in the Super Bowl since the 1997 Packers. 

o   That pick that Russell threw, was the first interception to be thrown by a quarterback from the 1 yard line all season. 

In response to the interception, head coach Pete Carol had this to say. "We were going to run the ball in to win the game, but not on that play," Carroll said. "I didn't want to waste a run play on their goal-line guys. It was a clear thought, but it didn't work out right. The guy made a play that no one would have thought he could make."

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell says the  call that cost his team the Super Bowl was made with the game clock in mind. "We were conscious of how much time was on the clock, and we wanted to use it all," Bevell said. "It didn't turn out the way I hoped it would. "Of course I can say now I wish we had done something different. There are 20 different things going through my mind that we can do. If you run it, that doesn't mean you would score on that play."

Ok, now where do I begin? My thing is HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU NOT RUN THE BALL WITH LYNCH. I understand that the Patriots had goal-line three corners on the field, which is putting 7 men on the line and the other four would cover. The Patriots did this because they saw that the Seahawks had three wide receivers on the field. I also know that Carol said they were playing for third and fourth down. The play was a set-up if they scored great; if they didn’t then they would use the timeout, and then run. Though here’s my thought, USE YOUR TIMEOUT!!!! Get them out of the coverage, get manned up man for man, and bring in some extra lineman or tight ends, or your best run blockers. Then you would be able to match their numbers on the line, and then run the ball with Lynch. He was getting 2-3 yards on a hard run during the game. HIS NICKNAME IS BEAST MODE, HE IS A BEAST!!!! He can give you that one yard that you needed. You need to run that ball in that situation. If you don’t score on the play, you could’ve then gotten up to the line quickly, and QB sneaked it. Remember Russell Wilson is a good runner as well, and he can get you that one yard also. Or even perform the read-option to give Wilson the option to hand it to Lynch depending on what the defensive end did, or keep it. That plays gives you two rushing options. I just think you have to give it to give it to Lynch, who was getting 2-3 yards on difficult runs, then run it again or do the read option.

People are also saying that this is the best Super Bowl they have ever seen, I have to disagree with that. The best Super Bowl was  Super Bowl 42 when David Tyree caught the ball on his helmet, and then the Giants were able to score on the catch from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress. That was the best Super Bowl I have ever seen, it had that suspense, same as this game, but I still think that Super Bowl 42 was the best Super Bowl I have ever seen.

The UCONN Coaches

This week, our UCONN expert Art Benedict, discusses the current coaches of the UCONN men's and women's basketball teams. If you are a UCONN fan, you have to read this article!!!!


Article by Art Benedict

I thought it would be fun this week now that we have looked as some of the players on both the UConn Men’s and Women’s basketball team’s and take a look at the two head coaches that make this fine organization run. We will start with the men’s basketball coach:

KEVIN OLLIE

September 13, 2012 was a very special day for the UConn men’s basketball team and an even more special day for Kevin Ollie. On that day, Kevin was named the head basketball coach of the men’s basketball team. He had big shoes to fill as he was replacing legendary head coach Jim Calhoun who stepped down after 26 seasons (1986-2012). Ollie came in with only two seasons of coaching experience after joining Calhoun’s staff as an assistant in 2010-2011. But let’s take a step back and look at how Kevin Ollie got to Connecticut.

Ollie's UConn history --- which began in the fall of 1991 when he reported to school as a freshman from Los Angeles, continued through four successful seasons, including two as a Husky team captain, and resumed when he returned to join Calhoun's coaching staff following a 13-year NBA career --- has come full circle. He may have only served two seasons as an assistant on Calhoun's staff, but possesses a wealth of basketball knowledge after learning from some of the finest teachers to ever coach the game, including Calhoun, Chuck Daly, Larry Brown, and George Karl.  Ollie made a decision to attend UConn more than 20 years ago, coming out of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. Playing on some of Calhoun's finest teams during the mid-1990s, Ollie was a four-year starting point guard and a two-time captain.

He played in 124 games for the Huskies, averaging 6.7 points and 5.0 assists. A third team All-Big East pick, his 619 assist total still ranks third on UConn's all-time list. He graduated in 1995 with a degree in Communications.

But Ollie was far more concerned with team statistics than individual ones. During his four-year UConn career, the Huskies had a record of 92-33, 51-21 in the Big East Conference and made three NCAA Tournament appearances. During Ollie's last two seasons, when he served as a team captain, UConn's record was 57-10 overall and a dazzling 32-4 in the Big East, capturing two Big East regular-season championships, and reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively.

It would have been a dream season for any college coach, but for a coach of just 70 games, whose team was not even able to compete in the 2013 NCAA Tournament because of academic shortcomings of years long past, it was truly remarkable. The Huskies, who had a 12-6 mark in the new American Athletic Conference, won eight of their last nine games, 11 of their last 13, and had a 10-4 record against ranked opponents, including two wins against Florida, the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. With a sparkling 52-18 coaching record, Ollie's .743 winning percentage is the highest of any coach in UConn history who coached more than 20 games. The 32-victory season is the ninth 30-win season for the Huskies.

In just his second season as the head basketball coach at the University of Connecticut and only his fourth year in coaching since retiring from the NBA, Ollie firmly established himself as one of the rising young coaching stars in the college game by guiding the Huskies to a 32-8 season in 2013-14 and the NCAA title, defeating Kentucky, 60-54, in the tourney's championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

This season the UConn men are struggling after losing some star players off of last season’s championship season including NBA bound guard Shabazz Napier. After beating East Carolina last night 65-52, they improved to 12-9 overall and 5-4 in American Athletic Conference play. Ollie’s goal as always is to play at a high level game in and game out.

When asked about Kevin Ollie, former UConn coach Jim Calhoun had this to say: "Kevin Ollie epitomizes what we want a UConn athlete, a UConn student, to be all about. When you say that about somebody, that's heavy stuff," Calhoun said. "Any fox hole you need to jump in, there's your guy. Anytime you need a person who won't quit, there's your guy."

Born in Dallas on Dec. 27, 1972, and raised in Los Angeles, Ollie resides in Glastonbury with wife Stephanie, who is also a UConn grad (1997), and their two children, son Jalen (born 6/22/96) and daughter Cheyenne (born 2/6/01.

GENO AURIEMMA 
 

The head coach of the University of Connecticut Women’s basketball coach hit a milestone that has only been reached by 6 other coaches and that’s career victory number 900. That victory tied him with former Texas coach Jody Conradt for fifth place on the all-time women's list, 198 wins behind former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. And it took him only 1,034 games to get there.  Geno has spent 29 seasons with the UConn women and has transformed this team into a powerhouse. Under his guidance, the Huskies have been transformed from a program with only one winning season, to its current state, which includes nine national titles, 15 Final Fours, five perfect seasons (1995, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2014) and 39 Conference titles, all since Auriemma's arrival in 1985. On the court, his success includes nine national championships, including a record 90-game winning streak and a spotless 40-0 mark during the 2013-14 campaign. Off the court, success means a flawless, 100 percent graduation rate among four-year players and one of the most beloved and followed sports teams in the country. Auriemma’s was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, Mass.) and the Women Basketball Hall of Fame (Knoxville, Tenn.) in 2006. In addition, Auriemma recently finished a successful four-year term as he was named the head coach of the U.S. National Team, which won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Auriemma's squad, which included six former Huskies, posted a spotless 8-0 record in route to the gold medal. Auriemma agreed to serve a second term as the National Team coach from 2013-16.

He is the first coach in women's basketball history to guide a team to five consecutive Final Four appearances on two separate occasions and the current run of seven-consecutive Final Four appearances is also a record. Auriemma is a seven-time national coach-of-the-year and has been named the Conference coach-of-the-year 11 times. In all Auriemma has garnered a combined total of 24 National Coach of the Year honors. And the stats speak for themselves:

Nine National Championships:	1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014
All-Time:	879-133 (.869/29 yrs.)
UConn Record:	879-133 (.869/29 yrs.)
NCAA Tournament:	97-17 (.851/26 yrs.)
Conference Regular Season:	420-61 (.873/29 yrs.)
Conference Tournament:	69-10 (.873/29 yrs.)
Conference Overall:	489-71 (.873/29 yrs.)

The Huskies have won the conference tournament crown in eight of the past 10 seasons. Connecticut extended its streak of consecutive NCAA Regional appearances to 21 straight and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the 15th time in the program's history. Auriemma also guided UConn to its 19th 30-win season in 2013-14 and its 19th in the past 21 seasons.

After beating former UConn alumni Jamelle Elliot by 50 points on Tuesday night, UConn improved to 21-1 overall (the only blemish was the loss to Stanford early in the season) and 11-0 in the American Athletic Conference UConn is poised to take on top ranked South Carolina this coming Monday.

Auriemma is a 1981 graduate of West Chester with a B.A. in political science. He resides in Manchester, Conn., with his wife Kathy. They have three children and two grandchildren.

And let us not forget, as well as Coach Auriemma reaching the 900 victory club, his assistant coach Chris Daley also reached that milestone as she has been with Geno since the beginning. Congratulations CD.

And one final thought. The UConn men and women’s teams have won the National Championships in the same year not only once, but they have done it twice. So there is UConn basketball and then there is everyone else. Go Huskies!!!  

Top 5 Mets Prospects

Here is our Chris Saunders, discussing the top 5 prospects in the Mets organization!!!!  


Article by Chris Saunders

While many Met’s fans haven’t seen a winning season since the days of Billy Wagner, Carlos Beltran, and Paul Lo Duca. Things are on the horizon however, as you will see not just in the top 5 prospects that I have compiled, but there overall organization is on the rise. Met’s fan keep these five players in mind, because the future is bright in the Big Apple.

1) RHP Noah Syndergaard- After being acquired by the Mets in the R.A. Dickey deal in December 2012, Syndergaard made a splash in his first season in his new organization. He reached Double-A Binghamton and started the 2013 All-Star Futures Game at Citi Field for the U.S. team. Syndergaard is a classic power right-hander, and he uses his big frame to throw downhill and induce ground balls. His fastball regularly reaches 98 mph and runs inside on right-handed hitters. Syndergaard's 12-to-6 curveball is his best secondary pitch, though his changeup has the potential to be a third plus pitch in his arsenal. He has excellent command and posted a 4.75 K-to-BB ratio in 2013. Many expected Syndergaard to follow the path that Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler blazed and reach Queens early this summer. But some minor injuries and on-field struggles at Triple-A Las Vegas slowed down Syndergaard's progress this season. He still profiles as a front-line starter and remains on track to make his Major League debut at a younger age than either Harvey or Wheeler.

2) Catcher Kevin Plawecki- The Purdue University product has been on a fast track ever since the Mets took him with the 35th overall pick of the 2012 Draft. Plawecki has excelled at two levels in each of the last two years, playing in the 2014 Futures Game and finishing with strong showing in Triple-A.  Throughout his climb up the Mets' ladder, Plawecki has shown a penchant for making consistent contact. He rarely strikes out and has hit for average at every stop, with a career .295 average entering the 2015 season. He has a contact-over-power approach, but he does have enough strength to clear some fences. Plawecki hit 11 homers in 2014 and that sounds about right in terms of what's fair to expect in the future. Drafted as an offensive-minded backstop, Plawecki has been solid behind the plate, with good hands and enough agility to block balls well. His arm is average, and he's never going to be the kind of catcher who completely shuts down a running game.  Travis d'Arnaud stands in Plawecki's way at the big league level, but while Plawecki may have looked initially like d'Arnaud's eventual backup, he's shown he might be able to compete for the No. 1 job in the near future.

3) Outfielder Micheal Conforto- Conforto's, first round pick in 2014 out of Oregon State signature tool is his left-handed power, which could produce 25-plus homers on an annual basis once he gets to the Major Leagues. He doesn't get cheated at the plate, taking a big uppercut hack that produces nice loft on his drives. While Conforto is willing to take a walk when pitchers won't challenge him, he swings and misses too much to hit for a high average. Most of his value comes from his bat, because while he has some athleticism, he's limited to left field by his range and arm strength.

4) Shortstop Amed Rosario- Rosario creates excellent bat speed, which will help him produce more power as he physically matures. There's plenty of room for his pitch recognition to improve, but his approach is already more advanced than most teenagers. Rosario has all the tools necessary to be a solid defender. He has good infield actions, a strong arm and soft hands. Rosario may have the highest ceiling of any Mets prospect, though he remains a long way from the big leagues.

5) LHP Steven Matz- Matz was New York's second-round pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, but he didn't make his professional debut until 2012 after a long recovery from Tommy John surgery. Now healthy, the Long Island native is starting to move quickly through the Minor Leagues, reaching Double-A Binghamton in 2014. Matz's fastball sits in the low-90s, and it can reach 96 mph. The fastball has good movement, helping him create a lot of ground balls. Matz's curveball and changeup both have the potential to be solid offerings. His command has improved as he has gotten more innings under his belt and further away from his injuries. Matz has proven he still has the stuff to be a solid starter. With health finally on his side, he is looking like the kind of pitcher the Mets expected him to be when they drafted him.