Andy is Back (and so am I)

Surprise, surprise, Andy Pettitte is back in pinstripes.

In all honesty, I bet when he looked at his other options – which were none – taking the Yankees $10 milion offer didn’t look such a bad deal.  I don’t like how it went down, but I do like that Pettitte is back because he is a much better 3A starter than anyone else in the organization and he adds depth and experience to the rotation.  I say 3A starter because AJ Burnett won’t last through June without a trip to the DL.

So let’s examine the Yankee rotation right now:

1. CC Sabathia
2. Chien-Ming Wang
3. AJ Burnett
4. Andy Pettitte
5. Joba Chamberlain
6. Phil Hughes
7. Ian Kennedy
8. Alfredo Aceves

See, that’s what I’m talking about.  If pitching wins championships, I will take that rotation with me into battle anytime.  Sure there are some questions at the back end of the rotation after Pettitte, but it’s better than relying on those guys to be your 3rd or 4th starter.

I like Pettitte’s contract, too.  Only $5.5 guaranteed, so when Hughes starts pitching like he did when he was tossing that no-no in Texas he can jump right in and make Pettitte the 5th starter. Incentives can bump the contract up, but they’re the Yankees, so money isn’t a problem (except when building a stadium).  I think it’s also a big plus to have two lefties in the rotation.

I’m still swamped with the move and with work, so posts will continue to be intermittent for the time being.  I do have plenty to say about Joe Torre’s book and some more comments on free agency, so please stay tuned.

Notes on the Past Week

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, I have just moved out of New York to start a new job and things have been hectic.
Regardless… a lot has happened this week in the world of sports so here is some commentary:

• On Monday, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Back in December, I selected who I thought should make it and I picked six players, including the two that were elected.  What makes me angry is the process itself since players such as Mo Vaughn and Jay Bell actually received Hall of Fame votes.  You have to be kidding me.  Maybe Vaughn had a couple good years, but he is certainly no Hall-of-Famer and Bell was just a glorified utility player.  It’s ridiculous that these players received votes.  In addition, it is ridiculous that Rickey Henderson was not a unanimous selection.  Who really looked at their ballot and said Henderson doesn’t belong in Cooperstown?  That individual should be removed from the BBWAA.  The writers annoy me, though, because no one has been enshrined unanimously and I guess, therefore, no one will.  Stupid.  You’re either a Hall-of-Famer or you’re not.  Rice shouldn’t have to sit on the ballot for 15 years and Henderson should have been selected unanimously.  Here’s a process that is in some desperate need of revision.
• The Texas Rangers moved Gold Glove shortstop Michael Young to third base to accommodate youngster Elvis Andrus.  Why is it that an unproven rookie can push aside a veteran (in his prime!)?  Shouldn’t it be the other way around?  After demanding a trade, Young backed off and agreed to play third.  Nice move Texas.   Luckily, he is signed through 2013, so he’s not really going anywhere.
• Manny Ramirez still doesn’t have a home, not really to my surprise.  He’s a great hitter, but does anyone really want to give this guy three years knowing there’s a strong possibility that he gives up on the team at some point?  I’m surprised Scott Boras hasn’t opened up Barry Bonds‘ vocabulary and started crying collusion.  Manny dug his own hole by giving up on his teammates, who were in the middle of a pennant race and doesn’t deserve to play the game next year as a punishment.  I still think some competitor will give him a one year deal to try to get them into the postseason, but don’t be shocked if Washington chases him to try to get people to that new ballpark.  The darkhorse is still that Manny announces retirement.
• The Yankees are still fielding offers for Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.  I read something that said Brian Cashman isn’t going to make a deal for the sake of making one, which was nice to hear.  I still think their best bet in the outfield would be Johnny Damon in left, Swisher in center, and Nady in right.  We all know the Yankees don’t care about defense and it’s not like Swisher is terrible.

On a final note, congratulations to the Arizona Cardinals who just won the NFC title game and will play for the Lombardi trophy in the Super Bowl.  I saw an interview with longtime Cardinal Adrian Wilson who was moved to tears and legitimately cried during the interview.  It was a great moment that showed what sports is really about.  Once Big Blue was eliminated, I started rooting for Arizona, the ultimate underdog that never really competes, and I will continue to do so in the Super Bowl regardless of their opponent.

All Birds in NFC Title Game

Before I get to the miserable effort by my New York Giants, let me just acknowledge a job well done by the Arizona Cardinals.  Anyone have them in the NFC title game back in the pre-season?  Didn’t think so.  I don’t even think anyone gave them a chance in either of their first two playoff games.  For a franchise that has been a complete disaster throughout their entire history, congratulations for proving everyone wrong and even making it this far.  In all honesty, I will be rooting for them the rest of the way.  When my team isn’t in it anymore, I like rooting for the ultimate underdog, which is exactly what the Cardinals are.  Realistically, they only started playing competitive NFL football about two season ago and since they have been so bad for so long, they have my vote.  Another thing about the Cards is how they trust Edgerrin James despite his incessant whining these last several weeks about not getting the ball.  Even though he practically begged for his release and does not want to play in Arizona, the Cardinals still gave him the ball a nice amount of times yesterday, demonstrating a trust that I didn’t think was warranted.  Good call by them, though, as he delivered.

As for my Giants, I can’t say that I really enjoyed anything about the game.  They were terrible, the offense was atrocious, and the defense laid back for most of the game.  No one got to Donovan McNabb for the third time this season and special teams costs the Giants at least 6 points on two John Carney missed field goals.  I’ll be honest in that at the begining of the season I had said that I would be fine for 5 years and not expect another trip to the Super Bowl until then, but once they went 11-1, I had visions of Tampa in my head.  There is no one person to blame for the Giants collapse and no I don’t think Plaxico Burress would have made that big a difference, so don’t even bother with the question.  When Eli is throwing wobbling balls, no one is going to catch them.  Needless to say, I’m disappointed to say the least.  The players, however, looked beat up and tired, so here’s hoping a long off-season will give them enough rest to make it back to the top.