With that being said, GM Brian Cashman is reaching out to fill the void.  Who are the players Cashman is targeting?  Derrek Lee, Chipper Jones, and Scott Rolen.

That’s a real strong list of names…  If it was 2003.  Does Cashman realize all these players are RETIRED (well technically Rolen isn’t)?!?!?!?  Now I know Brian recently busted one of his stems skydiving, and he’s probably eating some good pills, but even in a Vicodin stupor he can’t be serious.  But for shiggles, if the Yankees added any of these seasoned vets, how would it help the Bombers?

Derrek Lee – Lee missed the entire 2012 season.  After drawing no interest in the 2011 offseason and into the 2012 spring, Lee hung up the cleats.  In his last season between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Lee batted .267 with 19 home runs and 59 RBI’s (prior to being traded to Pittsburgh, he was terrible).  Not exactly the numbers you want out of a starting first baseman (and possible DH because you know Travis Hafner WILL spend a quarter of the season on the DL).  In fact his last productive season was 2009 when he went .306/35/111.  All the steroids in the world won’t help Lee repeat those numbers (DISCLAIMER – In no way am I saying the Lee was on the juice.  I’m pointing out that at 37 and a year removed from baseball, even steroids wouldn’t give him a competitive edge).

If Lee were to see some time in pinstripes, I wouldn’t expect an average above .250, with minimal power.  There’s a reason his phone hasn’t rang in 15 months.

Chipper Jones – 2012 was Jones’ swansong as he finished the season touring National League ballparks by shaking hands and kissing babies.  While rednecks in the South revered him, fans of every other team chanted “LAAA-RRRY” anytime he stepped in the batter’s box.  His season wasn’t terrible going .287/14/62, while spending some times on the DL (he was limited to 112 games).

Jones wouldn’t help the Bombers in any way, because there’s no way in hell he’d ever come out of retirement to play in the Bronx.  While he might be a bit of a scumbag, he’s a Florida hillbilly who spent 19 years playing for his favorite team, doing all he can to spit on New York.  Money’s not as important to him as being a white trash folk hero.

On the flip side, if the Yankees somehow conned him into coming out of retirement I’d piss my pants.  It would burn Atlanta more than Sherman did in 1864 (not my piss).

Scott Rolen - Rolen is a bit different than Lee and Jones because he’s not officially retired.  He’s still waiting for an offer of a starting job, or A-Rod money.  He’s going to keep waiting because it’s more likely I get those offers.  Between the DL and the bench the former All-Star only played 92 games last year (up from his 65 in 2010), and was less than impressive batting .245 with 8 home runs and 39 RBI’s.

Rolen would make the Yankees worse than they already are because they don’t need another broken toy.

He reminds me of the old guy at the bar.  You’ve seen him.  He dresses in clothes that aren’t age appropriate, always wears a leather jacket, and hits on young girls.  Everyone around him knows he’s a joke, but he still think he’s got a shot.  Those guys shouldn’t be pitied, but laughed at.

If anyone on Cashman’s “wish list” were to sign in the Bronx, it would be Lee, and he wouldn’t make much of an impact.

Yankees fans, these aren’t your daddy’s Bombers.  It’s a new era of Yankee baseball where the blank check no longer exists, the luxury tax is a problem, and “win-now” becomes “let’s see what we can do.”  While King George might be rolling over in his grave, his kids like big stacks of money, so Yankee fans better get used it.

What’s your take?  Hit me up at jay@thesportsriot.net or on Twitter @JayPlatt

Timing – Even though the Major League season takes up over six months of the year, how is having this competition during Spring Training a good idea?  Players are leaving their own respective camps to represent the country of their choice (I’ll get to that).  Even though a lot of these players already have their Major League roster spots locked up, they are not getting the work with the organization that their priorities should be focused on.  Be it at-bats so hitters have their timing down, or the correct number of innings/pitches so pitchers can be stretched out fully for the season, by taking players away from their team to compete in an exhibition is hurting the players.  Baseball players are wired to win.  Without their own coaches putting on the brakes they’re going to go balls out to win a game, like they are in midseason form.  This only opens up players to injury (ask Mark Teixeria and the Yankees).

Call me crazy, but wouldn’t a better timeframe for the WBC be in November after the World Series?  That way players who want to rest, can choose to rest, while others still have enough gas in the tank to play a few more games can have at it.  Fall and winter leagues can be pushed back a couple of weeks to accommodate this and would prolong the hangover after the World Series that so many fans go through.

Coverage – The brain surgeons who are running this show clearly want MLB to reap any proceeds for the WBC, or no other network gives a shit.  I’m actually leaning toward the latter here because outside of the brawl that occurred in yesterday’s Canada/Mexico game anything that has to do with the WBC isn’t given any media coverage (SIDEBAR – That was one of the better basebrawls I’ve seen in a long time and almost ranks up with there with Nolan Ryan beating the shit out of Robin Ventura.  The problem I have is with Arnold Leon.  How does it take three pitches to hit intentionally hit a batter???).  You can find some WBC information if you search, but don’t expect to be in the headlines of ESPN.

Then there’s actually watching the games (since it’s a bitch to read about them).  If you want to watch any games, you need to have the MLB Network as they are the only network that is carrying the WBC.  You can watch the games online through MLB.com, but you must prove that you have the MLB Network.  So if you don’t, and you want to watch USA take on Italy, you’re shit out of luck (I’d suggest a sports bar, but with college basketball conference play, it’s a longshot).  How is pigeonholing the WBC to one network that people have to pay extra to have (from their basic cable bill), actually helping promote baseball?  It’s almost as if Major League Baseball is just self-gratifying themselves not really giving a shit if people are watching or not.

Teams – What exactly are the rules in choosing what country you represent in the WBC?  I did some research and couldn’t find them anywhere.  Whatever they are they’re pretty loose.

Look at Team Italy.  After looking at their team, I’m convienced if you’re last name ends in a vowel or you’ve eaten a meatball before, you’ve met their roster requirements.   Out of the 25 players on Italy’s roster, only seven were born in Italy (Alex Maestri, Luca Panerati, Alex Liddi, Alessandro Vaglio, Lorenzo Avagnina, Mario Chiarini, and Stefano Desimoni).  I’m willing to bet the other 18 “Italians” on the roster have never stepped foot in Italy (thank god for Chef Boyardee).

Then there’s Puerto Rico.  I’ve discussed this in bars with people and most think I’m wrong (mostly Puerto Ricans), but last time I checked Puerto Rico isn’t a country.  It’s a United States Commonwealth.  The good people of Puerto Rico are US Citizens, use the American dollar, and their president is Barack Obama, just like me.  Can I play for team Puerto Rico (aside from having a beer belly and bum knees)?  I understand why Puerto Rico has their own team, given the island’s love for baseball, but then the rules should be changed so everyone is on a level playing field.  The people in Aruba and Curacao love baseball too, yet they play for the Netherlands.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely against the WBC.  I think it’s a great concept with a ton of potential.  I just think that Major League Baseball is doing a half-assed job in the execution of it.  Where do you stand?  Do you even care?  Drop me a line or hit me up on Twitter @JayPlatt.

The Sports Riot! as a whole has never hid our disgust from the Islanders.  The franchise is run so poorly that the clowns who run the Sacramento Kings think they have their shit together.  Come on, Garth Snow isn’t qualified to be GM playing NHL 13, no less an actual NHL team.  Then throw in their fans (or lack their of).   90% of them jumped ship when Mike Bossy hung up his skates.  Shit, my nephew’s Long Island Midget team draws better than the Isles.

I know all six of you Islanders fans will say that’ll change once the big move to Barclay Center happens, but that’s a bunch of crap.  If fans aren’t coming to the games when it’s in their back yard, they’re not going to suddenly travel 30 more minutes to watch a junk product.

It’s real easy to get on a tangent about the Islanders and their fans because as funny as that circus in Long Island is it’s an embarrassment to all sports fans.  Whatever, as long as the Islanders continue to write their own headlines I’ll continue to laugh.

Speaking of headlines…

You know your team is fucked when it’s not just the fans don’t want to go see the Islanders, but players don’t even want to wear their sweater.  Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky has announced that he is not returning to the NHL this season to play for the Islanders, but instead will stay and play in the KHL.  He said in a statement through his agent that it had nothing to do with the Islanders as a franchise but it’s personal and has to do with his family.

Hahahaha.  You’ve got to be kidding me.  Does anyone really buy that line of bullshit?  This is the same player who filed a grievance with the NHLPA last summer to block a trade from the Ducks to Long Island because he wanted no part of them.

Visnovsky’s not the only one.  Ironically at the time of this writing, I’m listening to a sports radio station out of Edmonton, and they’re talking about the Islanders and how players want nothing to do with the  team because of their dysfunction (it had nothing to do with Lubomir, but how they’re $3 million under the salary cap floor and no one knows how they’re going spend it because no one wants their money).  Apparently they’re referred to as the “Place Where Players Go to be Forgotten.”

I swear you can’t make this shit up.  In all seriousness, we as fans only read headlines to get our information.  We don’t know what’s going down behind closed doors, but how bad can it really be that the opportunity of playing in The Big Apple isn’t even enough (and no, it’s not the big-bad New York media)???

Obviously I can’t see the Islanders or the NHL actually allowing Lubomir to stay in Slovakia because it’s only going open the door for other Eastern Euros to do the same.  In saying that, I wouldn’t expect high production from Visnovsky.  He’s going to play the stereotypical “lazy Russian” card and only go through the motions.

Islander fans…  You guys really need to get your head on straight because no one likes to be the habitual butt of a joke (ask Chiefs fans).  One thing about all six of you is you’re resilient little fuckers, which I can respect, so drop your hate mail to be at jay@thesportsriot.net, or @JayPlatt on Twitter.

“What would happen if a Canadian adopted me?”

Okay, out of context this might not make sense, so before we look at these words of wisdom, let me catch you up.

I’m guessing Jose’s meeting in Vegas to start is anti-aging drink went south because now he has a hardon to run for Mayor of Toronto.  I know he’s not fucking around because he’s posting it on Twitter.  He first asked advice on becoming a Canadian citizen (I’m sure they’d welcome him with open arms).  Then he followed up by asking Torontonians to post their grievances because he’s going to fix them.  He then proceeded to really dive head first into the shallow end of the pool by posting a couple of campaign promises.

- Play and manage the Blue Jays for free.

- Play for the Maple Leafs, even though he can’t skate.

Sounds like he’ll win by a landslide, but hold your horses Torontonians.  There’s still that whole citizen hurdle.  Well that’s where this Tweet comes in.  This after he listed different ways he can become a Canadian citizen.  These ideas range from marrying a Canadian, claiming Cuban refugee status, and “converting to an Eskimo and joining a tribe” (more people who would welcome him with open arms).  Even Jose had to re-read his list on how to be Canadian and realized a four-year-old could come up with a better ideas so he decided on adoption.  Now that you’re up to speed, let’s again look at this Tweet:

“What would happen if a Canadian adopted me?”

Eight little words can really make you think right?  What you happen if YOU (being Canadian), adopted Jose?

- Neighbors will think less of you.

- You’ll catch a case of the crabs.

- Ozzie will come to visit and never leave.

- Your teenage daughter will want to live with grandma.

- The phrase “Got twenty bucks?” will become the new “How was your day?”.

- Learn the biggest dick on him is his personality.

- For once you’ll be the smartest man in the room.

- Your teenage daughter will catch a case of the crabs.

- You’ll wind up and jail and Jose in the hospital.

This list can be really endless, but Canada, do you really want this asshole living in your country (again)?  Anyone who can read know that Bugs Bunny has a better shot of being the next Mayor of Toronto it still makes his delusions entertaining.

I know after reading this list you have your own ideas what would happen if you adopted Jose.  email me at jay@thesportsriot.net or Tweet them @JayPlatt, and I’ll add them to the list.

I know there are fans who are bitter and claim they are done with the NHL, but frankly, they’re full of shit.  Hockey fans are like no other breed of fan.  They are hardcore in their love of hockey and there’s no such thing as a casual fans.  We’re all like battered women who will come crawling back to our abusive husband that we call the NHL.  No matter was anyone says, all the Canadian teams and the bigger US markets will continue to sell out their arenas.

I saw all of the bullet points of the proposed CBA and looks fair on both sides.  The only thing I wish was addressed was re-alignment.  While I’m figuring I should get to see the Jets in Philly a couple of times in the short season (unfortunately I’ll have to wait until next year to see the Oilers coming through), their travel schedule will be a nightmare, especially when they’ll be more than normal travel, which is going to hurt their chances at making the playoffs.

Now I’ll have to wait until the schedule is released so I can buy tickets for the Flyers opening night.  Word on the street is the season will start on January 19th with all 30 teams playing.  Hopefully it won’t interfere with me seeing my nephew’s hockey tournament.  I’m sure he’ll be bummed when I’m not there to root him on.

Come on Rioters!  you know you exploding with excitement it that the NHL’s back.  Drop me a line at jay@thesportsriot.net or on Twitter @JayPlatt and show your love.

If you give a nutjob a forum to you have pure gold.  That’s what Twitter does for Jose.  I already have encouraged all of you to follow Jose, but if you didn’t, we have decided to make this Jose’s forum by posting his Tweet of the Day.  Now this isn’t easy.  Jose posts multiple times a day and everying he says is a diamond in the rough.  So enough intro bullshit, let’s look at Jose….

“Calling a Ponce De Canseco staff meeting for 10:30 tonite Las Vegas time to build the PDC company.  please be available if you are interesed”

Okay…  If you don’t follow the genius that is Canseco, “Ponce De Canseco” is a proposed anti-aging beverage he is trying to create.  I should also probaby preface this by saying prior to this tweet, he tweeted Warren Buffet and Donald Trump, asking them to be investors on “the ground level”.

Anyway…

Ponce De Canseco is probably a combination of steroids, HGH, self-tanner, and colored contact lenses that might give you hepititis.  I only know this from Twitter.  Now let’s look at the Tweet.

Considering he’s Tweeting about it, you know he’s not fucking around.  Who the fuck uses email anymore anyway?  I know when Chris and I call a TSR! meeting we use MySpace and Friendster (we’re lacking in the social netowrking department, but it’s how we roll).  Any sucessful business runs off just putting it out there.

The best word in the entire Tweet is “Staff”.  Isn’t that a bit persumpuous?  How is there a “staff”, when nothing is really in place?  Delusions will kill you.  Call me an asshole, but referrring to someone as “Staff”  is pretentious, and let’s be honest, Jose has no reason to be pretenious.  This is an overly tanned hardon who thinks he’s still an A-list celebrity (an old Tweet).  Delusions also make for genius.

The great thing about this Tweet is you have to “be in the know”.  Jose broadcasted it so all his followers would be sad knowing they are not part of the “staff” (unless you have a $20 and know the secret handshake).  If so there would be a location, and room number (jesus…  Everyone who went there looked like a Vegas whore).

Something tells me Jose drank half a botte of Grey Goose alone at the Excaliber while waiting for Buffet, Trump, and maybe Cuban, but ended up with a blow job from a 22-year-old meth addict from a bad home…

Holy fuck…  He just tweeted he wants to run for Mayor of Toronto.  Tomorrow…

Jose.  I want IN!  Tweet me the info so I can let my accoutant know.  You can tweet Jose @josecanseco, and me @jayplatt.

The first thing everyone does on New Year’s is spout off bullshit they claim to do, that are “resolutions”.   We all do them (don’t bullshit yourself, you do), but they never seem to stick.  I have a few of my own, but aside from this being the year of TSR! (which isn’t a resolution, but simple fact), it’s really not important.  So instead of going on and on about what we’ll be doing this year, I’d rather look into the heads of some athletes and what their resolutions for the New Year should be.

Kobe Bryant – Shoot the ball more – Coming into the season Laker fans were excited. By adding Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to compliment Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest (F-World Peace), and Pau Gasol, it appeared the Lakers finally got their shit together enough to make another run at an NBA Championship.  Unfortunately things haven’t gone as planned and the Lakers have found themselves 15-16, 10^th place in the Western Conference, and a LA laughing stock as the Clippers now own Los Angeles.  The gasbags on ESPN and talk radio around the country blame the Lakers struggles on Nash’s age and health issues and that Howard couldn’t hit a free throw if the net was the size of a kiddie pool.  I think that’s a cop-out.  The problem is Bryant.  Bryant is being way to generous sharing the ball.  He’s only averaging 22 shots a game (which leads the league).  The Black Mamba is better than that and good to the point that he should be able to win with the Washington Generals surrounding him.  Maybe if Kobe got off is ass and he shot 44 shots a game the Lakers might become a playoff team.

Lance Armstrong – Save a baby from a burning building – Is there a more hated athlete than Lance?  The former Mr. Crow turned from an inspirational hero to a world-wide pariah that is having statues removed in countries I didn’t know existed.  He needs some good PR so the public forgets he cheated for a decade.  What better way to do that than having your face plastered on the front page of every newspaper in the nation with a baby in your arms after you save him from a fire?  Obviously this isn’t going to be something that’s going to fall into Lance’s lap, but enough free time and a police scanner would be a good start.  If his patience wears thin, why not start the fire himself???  He would definately be in the right place at the right time to save a baby.  If he’s going to go that route he needs to  make sure there are no witnesses and no one dies.  That shit goes down, he’s really fucked.

Jose Canseco – Get more Twitter followers – You don’t have to be a sports fan to know Jose Canseco is a mental patient.  The guy is so desperate to stay in the public eye he’s written books no one cares about, writes for a free magazine no one gives a shit about, will go on any talk show in the country to saying bizarre shit that people have no opinion about,  and getting his ass kicked in in any celebrity boxing match with someone equally or less irrelevant then him (occasionally even sending his twin brother Ozzie in his place so they can share the Canseco pain).  All this while slowing looking more and more like George Hamilton with ridiculous colored contacts.

That’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Jose.  Have you ever read any of his Tweets?  This guy is so fucked in the head he might be a genius.  From his views on sports (he’s still working on an MLB comeback), to the economy and politics, Jose can fix it all.  Just last night he tweeted how he wanted to fight Shaq in an MMA cage,\ and wants to run for an important political office in the US or Canada (I didn’t know he had dual citizenship).  He’s like James fucking Carville on steroids or possibly a superhero.  Whatever it is it’s mind-blowing.  If you’re on Twitter you NEED to follow him @JoseCanseco (you can follow it up with a follow to me @JayPlatt).  I love Jose and you should too.  The man’s brilliance will change your life.

Maurice Clarett – Do the dishes – When I read the other day that Maurice Clarett’s girlfriend is on the lamb after kicking his ass I laughed until I cried.  Poetic justice anyone???  The biggest dirtbag ever to wear to play college football, whose name isn’t Lawrence Phillips, is finally a victim!  Hopefully after years of beating the shit out of women, carrying illegal guns, smoking way too much pot, and spending some time in the joint, he’s learned his lesson.  Next he’ll make sure the kids are in bed (who am I kidding, we all know there’s no shot he pays child support, no less has custody of any children), dinner is ready, and the dishes are done when his old lady come home from a double shift at The Gold Club.

Joe Flacco – Tell more people he’s an elite quarterback – If you’ve heard any comments out of Joe Flacco throughout 2012 you know he thinks he’s an elite quarterback.  He spent a year campaigning his ass off telling any Tom, Dick, or Harry that he was among the NFL’s elite, even saying he was better than Tom Brady and Aaron Rogers.  It was so convincing I even ate the bullshit he was serving up and drafted him to be the starting quarterback on one of my fantasy teams (luckily I drafted RGIII as a backup).  Flacco backed up his words with a season by throwing 22 touchdowns (15^th in the NFL), and 10 interceptions (24^th), for 3,817 yards (14^th).  He finished the regular season with a stellar quarterback rating of 87.7 (12^th).  So what if his stats put him in the elite class with QB’s like Andy Dalton and Philip Rivers???  As long as he thinks he’s better than Drew Brees and Aaron Rogers he’ll still try to to convince the fans.  Isn’t that what really counts???

Matt Ryan – Earn a better nickname - Throughout our lives we all get nicknames.  I’ve been called Asshole, Fuckface, and Platt my entire life (ok, maybe Platt doesn’t count since it’s my last name).  While some are funny and if you’re in the spotlight it’s more known than you’re actual name, they’re not all good.  Take Matt “Matty Ice” Ryan for example.  I know fans of the dirty pigeons  claim it’s because he has ice in his veins when he’s on the gridiron, but I say bullshit.  If he had “ice in his veins”, like Falcons fans claim he would have won a playoff game by now.  Matty Ice makes him sound like  some dipshit who spent his college years drinking real shitty beer, grouping unwilling co-eds, playing grab-ass with his frat-boy douches, and going “hogging” on a Friday night (probably not too far from the truth).  That shit isn’t cool, in fact it’s embarrassing (mama ain’t proud).

That’s all I got.  Any questions, comments, or hate mail can be sent to jay@thesportsriot.net or on Twitter @JayPlatt.  Look for big things this year from The Sports Riot!  Shit’s about to get real.

Once the game ended I wasn’t the best person to be around.  The combination of anger and sadness make me look like a walking country song without an empty bottle of Jack Daniels.  Then I realized that my feelings weren’t a country song, but the Seven Stages of Grief (which I went through in the matter of an hour of so).  Let me explain…

1 – Shock & Denial - When Matt Weiters hit a lazy ground ball back to the CC Sabathia, resulting in the last out, I stared at the TV with my mouth open for five minutes.  I couldn’t believe it was actually over.  This is a team that battled back all season and it wasn’t supposed to end this way.  It couldn’t actually be over.  There had to be another out the umpire’s missed (much like Nate McClouth’s home run off the foul pole).  The O’s couldn’t have lost.  No!

2 – Pain & Guilt - Then it set in that it was over.  I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I didn’t want any bullshit condolences, and I really didn’t want any texts from assholes gloating a Yankees win.  I had nothing sports related to look forward now because the NHL is fucked.  I just wanted to be left alone to sulk (much like when your dog dies in a country song).  As I thought about it, maybe the loss was my fault.  I shouldn’t have missed Lew Ford’s at-bat because I had to use the bathroom.  Maybe if I should have worn my “Sheriff of Swattingham” shirt like I did the night before when they won the outcome would have been different.  God dammit!

3 – Anger & Bargaining - I then realized it wasn’t my fault and started getting some nutty thoughts.  How the fuck is it my fault that Adam Jones only swings at balls in the dirt!  I had nothing to do with the O’s having bases loaded with one out and weren’t able to score a run.  I can’t be blamed for seven of the Orioles regular’s not being able to hit their weight and Mark Reynold striking out ten times in six postseason games.  Fuck Raul Ibanez too, I hope he gets hit by a car.  I hope I cross paths with Derek Jeter so I can punch him in his smug face.  If Cal Ripken didn’t littler the airwaves with nonsense during the game the outcome would have been different.  Maybe if Craig Sager didn’t dress like Wink Martindale it would be the O’s, not the Yankees, dousing themselves in champagne.

4 – Depression, Reflection, Loneliness - At this point I realized I wasn’t fit for public consumption so I just sat on the couch and kept to myself.  I watched a bit of the Nat/Cardinals pre-game and caught up on my Words With Friends games.  I knew it was a good season, but still…  It shouldn’t have ended this way.  The Orioles were supposed to continue to prove the doubters wrong and put down the Yankees.  I don’t want to watch fans of other teams celebrating.  Maybe I should turn my phone off and go to bed.

5 – The Upward Turn - The numerous conversations in my head made me realize life isn’t that bad.  As much as I love the Orioles and sports in general, they’re not paying my bills (I like to call this my Bronx Tale moment).  I have a job, a home, friends, and family.  I’ve been though worse shit in my life.  Aside from the loss it was a hell of a ride.  It wasn’t since the 90′s I saw people hyped up about Orioles baseball.  How good did it feel going to Orioles Park and seeing real Orioles fans in the stands, not New York and Boston trash who think they have a license to be an asshole because they’re in a different city (in all fairness they’re like that in their own city as well).

6 – Reconstructing & Working Through - Even though I know life is okay it still sucks.  The series would have ended in four games if Jim Johnson didn’t blow a save in Game Three (Ibanez, fuck you again), but it is what it is.  It’s not like the world is going to end, that’s sometime in December (according to some nutbag).  The baseball gods didn’t smile on us this time.  They gave it to the Yankees, but their fans will feel the same grief in about a week because they’re not getting past the Tigers.  Even non-delusional Yankees fans know this.

7 – Acceptance & Hope -   Now that reality completely set in it was time to look toward the future.  A young team full of players that unless you are an Orioles fan probably have never heard of shocked the baseball world by winning 93 games.  They restored baseball in Baltimore.  The Orioles can be no longer lumped in with deadbeat teams like the Pirates, Royals, and Mets.  It’s only going to get better.  Look at the 2007 Phillies.  They made the playoffs and lost to the Rockies in the NLDS.  The next year they won the World Series.  Who’s to say with a couple tweaks the Oriole’s can’t do the same thing?  It’s not like the AL East is what it was.  The Yankees aren’t getting any younger, the Blue Jays can’t get their shit together and the Red Sox just suck.  The future is looking bright in Baltimore.  The bottom line is the Orioles and their fans should hold their heads up high after a miraculous season.

Did it suck?  You’re goddamn right it did and still does, but in the big picture it could be worse.  I could have rooted for a team that blew six-run lead, only to go home disappointed.  Sorry Nats fans…

Feel free to send me your condolences at jay@thesportsriot.net, or send me hate tweets @jayplatt.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Oakland Athletics v. Detroit Tigers - Baseball’s two hottest teams in baseball will meet starting tonight and it’s a tale of two teams.  First you have the A’s.  In the preseason I looked at their roster and expected them to fight the Mariners for the basement in the AL West.  It’s littered with rookies and nobodies that had no chance of competing with the Angels or Rangers.  They proved me and 99% or baseball fans out there wrong.  With surprising power from guys like Brandon Moss (21 HR’s in 84 games), Josh Reddick (32 HR’s and 85 RBI’s), and Yoenis Cespedes (.292/23/82), combined with good starting pitching (Tom Milone and Jarrod Parker led the team with 13 wins), a dominant bullpen, and stellar defense the A’s gave the finger to the rest of the league and became the fifth team in MLB history to be 13 games behind and win their division.

In the spring I found the Tigers to be the exact opposite of the A’s.  They were a team expected to be in the playoffs, if not a World Series favorite, but I guess they didn’t know it.  The Tigers spent a majority of the season playing mediocre baseball at best (if not just shit the bed), until September when they turned it on to win the AL Central.    Even though it took a hot streak and a collapse by the White Sox to make the playoffs this team still has four starter with at least 10 wins (Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister, and Rick Porcello), two with over 200 strikeouts (Verlander and Scherzer).  Offensively they flat-out rake.  With a lineup that features Prince Fielder, Austin Jackson, Delmon Young, and lest not forget Triple-Crown winner, Miguel Cabrera, this team can light up a scoreboard.

Prediction:  If the A’s are going to win this series it’s going to be an uphill battle.  Although the A’s have some pop in their lineup, they have a problem scoring runs and in a short series it’s going to be tough to knock Verlander, Scherzer, or Fister out of the game.  Should they be able to get to them early and face the Tigers less-than-impressive middle relief, they’ll have a chance.  Should the starters go deep and they end up seeing Jose Valverde, it’s game over, and Athletics fans will have to watch him do his ridiculous save celebration.  TIGERS IN FOUR.

Baltimore Orioles v. New York Yankees - I’ve been an Orioles fan for as long as I can remember and took a lot of shit growing up in Long Island for it.  Then I took more shit after 1997 when they couldn’t smell .500, and even more shit for rooting for the Phillies from friends who even pulled out the “fairweather fan” card (I guess you can’t pull for two teams even if you liked them when they sucked and catch them live more than 20 times a season), even though I still made multi-annual trips to my personal baseball heaven in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  Enough of my own fandom, let me break this down.

If anyone says they actually thought the O’s would win 93 games they’re either a) totally mental or b) a liar.  As a fan I was hoping for .500, but was thinking more along the lines of 75 wins at best.  Like everyone else I overlooked “The Buck Factor”.  Buck Showalter has been known for rebuilding teams quick with the roster he has, and that’s what he did in Baltimore.  Using cast-offs like Nate McLouth and Lew Ford, rolling the dice with rookies like Manny Machado and Steve Johnson, and moving a terrible third baseman in Mark Reynolds to first base, where he looks like a Gold Glove defender, the Orioles have found ways to win (they used over 50 players this season).  Throw in Adam Jones’ “Stay Hungry” leadership and the best bullpen in all of baseball, Buck has built a winner in Charm City.

The Yankees were favorites heading into the season and while they had the Orioles on their heels for the last month of the season won the division.  They boast a deep and versatile lineup that features Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez.  Also when talking about the Yankees you can’t leave out Derek Jeter, who at 38 had one of the best seasons of his career.  On the pitching side CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, and Phil Hughes all won at least 15 games and even though Mariano Rivera missed most of the season with a knee injury, the bullpen didn’t miss a beat with Rafael Soriano stepping right in to close games.

Prediction:  This is going to be an interesting series as they split the season series 9-9 and both teams finished one and two in home runs.  If the Orioles can keep the games close it’s going to be tough for the Yankees.  The O’s have gone 29-9 in one run games, 16-2 in extra innings, and are 74-0 when leading after seven innings.  That won’t be an easy task for the Birds given the Yankees big bats.  The O’s are playing with house money (that means nothing to lose for those of you who didn’t get it), have home field advantage due to MLB’s stupidity, and this time the Yankees won’t have Jeffrey Maier.  ORIOLES IN FOUR.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

San Francisco Giants v. Cincinnati Reds - This series is going to be a bloodbath.  The Gigantes entered the season as favorites to win the NL West and did just that by blowing by the rest of the division and cruising to another postseason birth.  This is a different Giants team though.  Giants teams in the past were led by pitching by always struggled to score runs.  While the pitching is still strong with a rotation the has Matt Cain, Madison  Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong, this offense no longer is relying on guys like Pat Burrell, Cody Ross, and Aubrey Huff to come through in the clutch.  Buster Posey has put up MVP numbers, Pablo Sandoval has stayed healthy and the additions of Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro has made the Giants an offensive juggernaut.

The Reds have the best offense in the league.  Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Ryan Ludwick, and Rookie of the Year favorite, Todd Fraizer (not Bryce Harper), can score runs in bunches.  Their pitching is equally strong.  A couple of years ago Bronson Arroyo was considered the team’s “ace”, and now he’s a fourth starter at best sitting behind Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, and Homer Bailey.  The bullpen is no slouch either with Sean Marshall, Jose Arredondo, and Jonathan Broxton paving the way for Ardolis Chapman.  Chapman has finally lived up to the hype and dominates the ninth inning with his 103 MPh fastball  (122 K’s in 72 innings).  The Giants lineup is going to want no part of that.

Prediction:  This is the most equally matched the division series, but the Giants could have an edge IF Tim Lincecum decides to put down the bong and actually pitch.  Lincecum has been an abomination this season going 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA.  Somehow if he can find some past magic he could be huge for the Gigantes out of the bullpen (there’s no way in hell I’d give him a start).  That’s a big if though.  Even so, I like the boys by the bay.  GIANTS IN FIVE.

St. Louis Cardinals v. Washington Nationals - I find this to be the least interesting series out of the four and even though the A’s and O’s shocked the baseball world by making the playoffs, the Nationals are my personal surprise.  During Spring Training Davy Johnson told the media he should be fired if the Nats didn’t make the playoffs and I thought he had early Alzheimer’s setting in.  I saw the Nats as a good team but weren’t ready to compete with the Phillies or the Braves.  I went as far as saying I would eat a dirty sock if the Nats made the playoffs (I’ve yet to do that).  Well Johnson’s team didn’t just make the playoffs, they finished with the best record in baseball.  Led by Gio Gonzalez (whose 21-8 record is good enough for the Cy Young Award in my book), Jordan Zimmermann, and the shut-down Stephen Strasburg, the Nats had the best rotation in the National League.  Offensively Adam LaRoche put together a career season finishing with 33 and 100 RBI’s, Ryan Zimmerman avoided the disabled list (for the most part), and Bryce Harper (who I’m convinced the only fans who like this smug bastard are Nats fans), finally made the show, gave the Nats a lineup that can put runs on the board.

The Cardinals got into the playoffs how they did last season.  They turned it on in September and beat the Braves again (this year in an actually postseason game), to advance to the division series.   No matter how they got in the postseason, they’re a team that has to be taken seriously.  Kyle Lohse, Lance Lynn, and Adam Wainwright went a combine 48-23, and guys like Mitchell Boggs, Trevor Rosenthal, and Edward Mujia all have ERA’s under 3.00, keeping opponents at bay until the ball is handed to fireballer Jason Motte.  Offensively Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, David Freese, and Carlos Beltran help make up a veteran bunch with extensive postseason experience.

Prediction:  The Nats are deeper than the Cardinals with players like Jayson Werth, Michael Morse, and Ian Desmond all able of coming through in the clutch, but aside from Werth the Nats lack postseason experience.  This team reminds me of the 2007 Phillies.  An upstart team that will contend in the future but isn’t quite there yet.  While the Cardinals no longer have the self-proclaimed genius Tony LaRussa, they’ve been there before and know the little things to do to win in the postseason.  CARDINALS IN FIVE.

Where do you stand?  Email me at jay@thesportsriot.net.  If you’re really adventurous, you can follow me on Twitter @jayplatt, all I’ll be tweeting all postseason.

Jay’s Take:  Look, I hate Valentine.  Not just because in sixteen years as a manager he’s only made the playoffs once.  It’s his attitude.  There’s not many managers in the league who are a bigger dicks than Bobby.  I think he’s a me-first manager, who would rather call his players out as a distraction than actually take any responsibility for his own mismanagement.  In saying that, the Sawx being in the shit shouldn’t be all laid on him.  When the Red Sox hired Valentine they didn’t allow him to bring in his own staff, so he’s working with guys he probably wouldn’t if given the choice.  A man could only do so much with the tools he has.  That’s upper managements fault for not giving Valentine the freedom he needs to run the team.

As for the Sawx being an abortion on the field, that shit’s on the players.  I’ll give them some slack about injuries, but this team is healthy now and is coming off a 7-1 pounding by the Orioles.  The starting pitching isn’t getting the job done, and the offense might get the job done about once a week, then they disappear.

Clowns like Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, and David Ortiz need to man the fuck up, hit the batting cage, and start winning ballgames.  By crying like little girls, all you are doing is making things worse and embarrassing yourselves.

What’s your take?  Email me at jay@thesportsriot.net and let your opinion be heard.