See You In June

Ever since I wrote about the New York Yankees underperforming and being an incomplete team, the team has done its best to show me how wrong I was. To which I say, as a jaded Yankee fan, this sample is just a bit over 20% of the season. While it is i since start, the Yankees still have a long way to go in a long season before we can definitively say this is a very special team. 

I realize that being 18 games over .500 is pretty damn good. No matter who the opposition is. If you have eyes on the pennant, then you must handily defeat the teams below you. New York has faced the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Tigers, Guardians, Orioles, Rangers, White Sox and Royals. Of that group, only the Blue Jays are playing above. 500.

You have to play the teams according to the schedule MLB devised. After the end of the Orioles series, the Yankees still have to face the White Sox and the Orioles again, this time at home, where the Bombers record is 14-4. Only upon completion of the six contests in the Bronx do the Yankees face a really good team—Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, where New York has historically had trouble. 

After the four games in Florida, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim come to Yankee Stadium. The Angels were playing good baseball until swept by Texas. Detroit follows the Halos, before a trip to AL Central-leading Minnesota. Then the woeful Cubs are in town. 

After that, the Yankees face the Rays, Jays and the red hot Houston Astros for twelve consecutive games. That will get the team to nearly the end of June. By that time, one could realistically measure the chances of this team to win the AL East and perhaps the World Series.

While the Yankees are looking like world beaters, I still see some significant flaws. Both Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo are mired with below .200 batting averages. Hicks looks horrible and Gallo, while coming off a stretch where he actually looked good, has fallen back into his pattern of too many strikeouts. 

Josh Donaldson also is scuffling along. D.J LeMahieu has been hot and cold this season. The catching duo of Kyle Higashioka and Jose Trevino are an improvement over the inconsistent Gary Sanchez on defense; their offense is as paltry as Sanchez was the last couple of years. 

So how are the Yankees doing it—winning so often? Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the two verifiable sluggers, are on fire. Judge leads the league in home runs and Stanton is the top R.B.I. producer. Anthony Rizzo has started to come out of a slump. And new shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa is batting .272. Gleyber Torres has had some huge games, too. 

That’s part of the story. The front line pitching has been solid. Ace Gerrit Cole is sporting a 2.89 E.R.A. to go with his four wins. That pales in comparison to Nestor Cortes, who has a miniscule 1.35 E.R.A. Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino are pitching nicely, and while his record does not show it, so is Jordan Montgomery, although the Yankees are 2-6 in the games he has started. 

The bullpen has been, for the most part, the dominant force behind the Yankees success. Michael King, Clay Holmes, Clark Schmidt and Wandy Peralta have been lights out on the mound. Chad Green has been his usual self lately, which is good thing. Miguel Castro has been solid. 

This offers the inconsistency of closer Aroldis Chapman, who looks lost when he comes in to pitch. Jonathan Loaisiga does not look like the breakout star of 2021. And Luis Luetge has also struggled, most recently surrendering a three run walkoff homer in the series finale in Baltimore. 

How the bullpen is managed and how the starters continue to pitch will be key to how the Yankees play when they meet the better teams. But the hitters need to come alive—I’m talking about Hicks, Gallo and the catchers, for this team to be taken seriously.

Again, it is before Memorial Day and very few teams win the World Series based on their early performance. I am sure I will have more to say about this as the season goes forward. 

The NBA Playoffs continue with the Conference Finals. Boston and Miami have begun their series, with Miami prevailing at home in Game 1 behind 41 points from Jimmy Butler. This is against a Celtics team minus NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, and key big man Al Horford, who has been placed in the COVID protocols. 

The Celtics looked lost in the third quarter of their game. They missed Smart and Horford, with too much of the burden on Jayson Tatum to carry the team offensively when the defense was not present. 

Smart may return in Game 2, but Horford is unlikely to play until the games shift to Boston. By that time Miami should have a 2-0 lead. The sledding will be tough for the Celtics, but not impossible. If Smart and Horford can remain on the court, this series could go well beyond 4 games. 

After all, the Celtics dominated the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, tiring Giannis Antetokounmpo as he tried to make up for the loss of All-Star Kris Middleton to a knee injury. 

Frustrating Butler and hiding him in check will place greater reliance on other members of the Heat, who I just don’t have great faith in.

In the West, the Dallas Mavericks absolutely dominated the Phoenix Suns in Game 7 in Phoenix to win their series. It was a crushing defeat for the Suns, the regular season wins leader and the favorite to  win it all. 

Coming off of his dominant play against Phoenix, Luka Doncic will be tested by a smothering Golden State Warriors defense. Can the rest of the Mavs’ squad overcome Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins, who weren’t at their best in Game 1, a game which Golden State won by 25. 

Do not count the Mavs out just yet. Most thought they would not beat Phoenix, as the team trailed 0-2 before coming home. I am not saying that the Warriors are better than the Suns; it is simply how much magic does Doncic and friends have left?

Two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay looked so much better than the seasonal points leader, the Florida Panthers, in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series. The Lightning may just get to the Finals again the way they first downed a very good Toronto team and the way they looked versus the Panthers. 

Of course, Carolina might have a lot to say about that. Stymied by the New York Rangers for most of the opener of their series, the ‘Canes scored late in regulation to tie the score then won the game in OT. If Carolina plays like they did in the third period and OT, this will be a short series. 

In the West, The Avalanche face a very worthy foe in the St. Louis Blues. It took overtime for the Avs to win Game 1. I predict a six of seven game series here.

Then there is the Battle of Alberta between Edmonton and Calgary. While the Oilers have some great young talent, the Flames might be a bit better than Edmonton. If Calgary wins Game 2, this could be a short series. 

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. I am away for the next week. See you in June.

Dear Diary

Dear Diary: Today is Thursday. I just sat through Game 2 of the Warriors and Memphis. The game where Dylan Brooks fouled Gary Payton II so hard that in the ensuing fall, Payton broke his L (shooting) arm. 

Brooks broke the unwritten code about hard fouls around the head with intent to injure. Steve Kerr, the erudite Golden State head coach, who had played with Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman, immediately called it a dirty play on national TV. 

This has been a rough series. As has been Boston-Milwaukee. These guys are playing seriously. It kind of reminds me of the old days—when Rudy La Russa of the Lakers went after the arch-rival Celtics. Or when Bill Laimbeer and the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons would hack and kick and gouge their way to titles. 

In its own way, if this kind of histrionics persists, it will detract markedly from the product. The Celtics and Bucks are loaded with talent. Then there is Ja Morant, who has become rather all-worldly this year facing the Warriors with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and now the sensational Jordan Poole. In the end, it may take a number of 40+ games from Morant for the Grizzlies to advance. 

Before I went to sleep, I watched a little hockey. The New York Rangers stormed back to down the Pittsburgh Penguins, knotting the series at 1. These are two very evenly matched teams. It would be no surprise to me if there is a Game 7. 

I also saw the Panthers rout the Capitals in their series. This is a six or seven games series as well. While it is a lot of fun and entertaining, in the end, my money remains on the Colorado Avalanche to win it all. 

One last tidbit. I had checked on the Mets and Phillies in the first game of a four game set in Philadelphia. I stopped checking on the score with the Phillies comfortably ahead 7-1. I awoke the next morning to find out that the Mets had stormed back to win the game 8-7. They had done something similar in St. Louis earlier this season. The Mets seem to be the real deal. Baseball in New York (and Los Angeles where the Dodgers and Angels are looking good) is going to be a ton of fun this summer. 

Dear Diary: Today is Friday. It is rainy and nasty. I don’t think that the Texas Rangers and Yankees will get to play today. Or for that matter, tomorrow, when I am supposed to go to the Stadium for the first time since 2018. I hope that the Yankees do the right thing and postpone Saturday’s contest. I have vivid memories of going with my father to a makeup Wednesday afternoon Cleveland-New York doubleheader at the old ballpark and sitting through an hour’s deluge before the game was finally called. It still sends a chill down my spine when I hear a forecast of rain for a day I am going to the Stadium.

Brooks was suspended one game for his conduct. it should be a minimum of two. When Brooks takes the court for Game 4, the crowd will be beyond surly. What was the NBA thinking? Payton is out for the season and one game is enough? 

I checked out Miami and Philadelphia in Game 3 of that series. Joel Embiid had been in concussion protocol and suffered an orbital fracture late in the clinching game against Toronto. Without Embiid, the Sixers looked pitiful, with James harden a shell of himself and despite the frenetic play of Tyrese Maxey, who, like Morant, is fun to watch. 

Surprisingly, Embiid played and the Sixers dominated Miami. The Heat looked ragged and disorganized. I may be prejudiced, but taking sharpshooting Duncan Robinson out of the rotation is a mistake—one which, if the Sixers play like they did tonight, will haunt the Heat. Memo to Eric Spoelstra—put him back in!

I also watched a bit of the Suns and Mavericks. I thought this might be a sweep in favor of Phoenix. Luka Doncic and mates don’t agree. They took it to Chris Paul, Devin Booker and company. Will Phoenix regroup and snare Game 4 on Sunday?

Dear Diary: It is Saturday. I awoke with a brute of a head cold. I was glad the Yankees postponed the game. I had my jersey ready and my winter clothes to put on if I had to go.

Instead, I slept in a bit, awakening to see the last 20 seconds of Game 3 for Boston-Milwaukee. The Bucks scored with just over 11 seconds left on a Jrue Holiday lay up. A foul call on Holiday, which the officials said occurred before the attempted three point shot, led to a furious end.  Boston’s Marcus Smart made the first shot, then caromed the ball off the rim, caught it himself and threw up a shot. The ball bounded around to the Celtics Al Hereford, who tried a tip in, then snare the ball and sank the shot. Except it was clearly after time expired. 

Game over. The Bucks escaped. The Celtics were beyond aggravated about the call not being for three free throws. I have seen worse called for three shots. I also agree that the foul may have happened prior to Smart elevating for the shot. And I don’t think that a replay would have definitively changed anything.  

I did watch a bit of the Rutgers-Maryland Big Ten Men’s Lacrosse Championship. I came away with this: Maryland is a true number 1 in the nation team. And the gap between 1 and 3, where Rutgers sat, seemed to be enormous. 

I did see some more of the Rangers-Penguins. New York battled back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the score. Alas, the Penguins weathered a number of penalties and scored three times to down NY. 

I saved my energy for the Grizzlies and Warriors. Memphis streaked out to a sizable lead at the outset. The Warriors kind of kept pace. In the second quarter, Memphis suffered some shooting woes and the Warriors came alive. For the game, Golden State shot over 61% from the floor and scored 142 points. 

As well as Curry, Thompson, Wiggins and the Warriors shot, Memphis had Morant. Citing three point shots, dazzling with drives or throwing down thunderous dunks, he was the offense for the Grizzlies. He even hit a half court shot to end the first half. 

However, he was injured on a loose ball. Memphis contends that Jordan Poole went for his knee, grabbing and twisting it. I watched the replay. It didn’t seem that way to me. As much as the Celtics yelled about their loss, the Grizzlies called Poole’s actions dirty and warranting a suspension. 

More importantly, if Morant is injured—I thought a meniscus tear the way he limped about and threw down something while on the bench—this series is over. I know that Memphis went 20-5 without Morant during  the regular campaign. Except this is not the regular season and these are the Golden State Warriors. 

Let’s not forget the Kentucky Derby. Because it was absolutely unforgettable. Rich Strike, a horse only permitted in the field the day before the race when another horse could not run, confounded every expert and sprinted past the elites to a stunning win. 

80-1 long shots do not win the Derby. I had mentioned to my wife how much fun it would be if the horse won the race. Then I immediately dismissed that though. What a colossal upset!

Dear Diary: I was astounded when I saw the White Sox and Red Sox were on NBC at 11:30 a.m. I checked it out and the format is good. Exclusivity until 1:00 or 1:30 for a national telecast. Moreover, using broadcasters from each team is an homage to the World Series of my youth when the home team’s announcers would get to call the game. 

The bad news is that this is a one time shot on the network. The remaining 17 telecasts are on Peacock. Another way for MLB to increase revenue. Just like the Yankees are on Amazon Plus on Friday nights—with Friday’s make up as the Sunday doubleheader opener being telecasted on Amazon instead of YES. Aargh.

We pay enough for sports TV. YES, ESPN, FS 1, SNY, TNT, and TBS are included in my cable bill. Which is not cheap. Now it will cost me more to see my teams or any games they play? I am outraged. And remember, you cannot get free TV at all—to get the regular channels, you have to use some kind of service to access the broadcasts. Where were the politicians and the FCC when this was happening?

BTW— the Yankees and Rangers split the two games. New York looked anemic in both games, eking out a first game win on a GleyberTorres walk off homer, then having the formerly unhittable Michael King surrender 3 runs after New York had forged a 2-1 lead on a Giancarlo Stanton dinger to lose the second game. 

I checked on F&M playing in the twice delayed Centennial Conference Baseball Championships. Only to find that they were cancelled due to unplayable field conditions at Swarthmore. Which makes Swarthmore, the regular season champs by virtue of a tiebreaker, the automatic qualifier for the NCAA’s. F&M, which had a very fine season, is unlikely to snare an at-large berth. I am angry at the Centennial Conference and Swarthmore, which had all to gain with cancelling the tournament. So unfair. Find a neutral site, guys. 

I tuned into the Suns and Mavs. To see Doncic and Brunson doing it again to the vaunted Phoenix defense. I saw Chris Paul on the bench. For good reason. He had earlier fouled out, letting down Head Coach Monty Williams when he left Paul in the game with 4 fouls. 

Much of my Sunday interest was on Miami-Philadelphia. I wanted to see if Eric Spoelstra would change his game plan. He didn’t. The team is relying too much on Jimmy Butler, who scored 40 points, and center Bam Adebayo, who netted 21. The Heat could not offset Joel Embiid and a monster game (finally ) from James Harden, who led the Sixers with 31 points. 

I am hardly convinced that this won’t be anything more than a home court, seven game series won by Miami. Miami’s terrible three point shooting is hurting them. Considering that they were the best three point shooting team in the league, the correction is obvious. Play Duncan Robinson. 

What else did I watch on Sunday? Some time was spent watching the Leafs snd the Lightning. This time it was Tampa Bay’s turn to win. The series is tied at 2 returning to Toronto for Game 5. 

And I checked out the Dodgers and Cubs. Which was a rout in favor of Los Angeles. LAD is very strong and they had Walker Buehler on the mound—the ace of the staff. The Cubs are headed in the other direction. I worry about Manager David Ross’s job security. 

One other comment, Diary. I read a piece by Star-Ledger columnist Bob Klapsich about Yankees manager Aaron Boone. We forget that he has had heart problems from a congenital defect and wears a pacemaker. This man has survived open-heart surgery. How can you not root for him?

That’s it. My sports viewing and a few other things for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Thanks, Diary, for listening. 

Just Like That, It's Over

  Just like that, it was over. That statement applies to so many things in sports. The Yankees 11 game winning streak. The dirty hit on the Warriors’ Gary Payton II by Memphis’ Dylan Brooks. Or the goal by Pittsburgh in the third overtime by the Penguins in Game 1 of their series with the Rangers. Maybe even James Harden’s career, as we watch the Sixers flounder without Joel Embiid. 

Look at sports any way you want. There is a finality to every contest and every series. Some games seem to ease into the ending. Others are wrapped in controversy or a spectacular moment. 

It can be a knockout punch by a boxer, the metaphor used by many announces to describe the conclusion of a playoff series, especially when it ends a winner-take-all game. Perhaps it involves a walk off home run or a bases loaded strikeout from an ace closer. 

Maybe it is a winning jump shot which rolls or bounces around before settling into the bottom of the net. We’ve seen those many times before. 

Unquestionably, sports is loaded with drama. A single play in a pressure situation is all it takes. Especially if a superstar is the focal point. 

Sometimes the official makes the decisive call. A strike to end the game. A penalty at a critical time. Or a foul which places a player in a position to win the game. 

Sure, the pre-game anticipation builds with the importance of the clash. Media hype can make the moment even more compelling when it does occur.

Those who grew up with Jim Mc Kay’s voice over on ABC’s Wide World of Sports completely understand …”the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat…” graphically displayed with the ski jumper’s slide off a slick ramp. We exalt when Tiger Woods is victorious or even makes a birdie putt in his comeback from the disastrous car accident. We also exhale when Aroldis Chapman gets through the ninth inning, saving another victory for the Yankees. 

Competition is the essence of the soul. But it is not mutually exclusive from cooperation, which is defined by team sports. For any one athlete to succeed, it takes a group of like-minded individuals operating in sync.

We glorify those who win. Yet we forget those who succumb to injury or defeat, or at least we do not give them the credit they may be due. 

The University of Michigan fight song “Hail to the Victors” expects nothing less. The demands placed on those who compete fails, in many instances, to account for the brilliance of an athlete or team to reach the championship. 

There used to be third place or consolation games at basketball tournaments. It gave the teams that battled to the penultimate game another opportunity to walk away with a little piece of glory. There is no shame to finish with a silver or bronze medal at the Olympics. 

Even the NFL had The Bert Bell Benefit Bowl, held at the Orange Bowl from 1960 through 1969. Imagine an era without a Super Bowl and a real game to establish which team is third-best in the league. So outdated.  

C’mon, really? At the same time when legendary Green Bay Packers Head Coach Vince Lombardi offered this nugget of wisdom:

“Winning is not a something thing, it is an all time thing. You don’t just do

things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”

He added: “Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is…Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” But leave it to that noted late and great Yankees player and American humorist, Yogi Berra, to put it all in perspective: “You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.”

Maybe the Yankees heard about my vicious blog excoriating them. That might have been the motivation for the 11 game streak, notwithstanding that it included wins over second tier opponents like Baltimore and Cleveland. Highly unlikely. 

Nonetheless, those in the doldrums—Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, newcomer Isiah Kiner-Falefa and, to some extent, perennial below the Mendoza line “superstar” Joey Gallo—came alive when it was needed most, to propel the Bombers into first place, with the best record in MLB. 

Of course, the old adage about pitching applies—you can never get enough good pitching. Which has been the real weapon for the Yankees. Both the starting and relief pitching has been superb. Granted that the schedule has been kind to New York, but the players are paid to play the games required of them. 

And when it suddenly came to an end Wednesday night in the Rogers Centre, a.k.a., the place formerly known as Sky Dome, Yankees fans were sad for losing a winnable game for 12 wins in a row. The final scoop by Toronto first baseman Vlad Guerrero, Jr. of a low throw to first by Matt Chapman on a ball hit by IK-F may have punctuated the end to a great early season streak. 

No longer a celebration over the 11 win streak, the focus was only on the loss. But many teams are as dominant over such a stretch—especially early in the season—a season which had an odd start due to the attenuated labor negotiations. The answer is precious few. 

A lot can come from a loss. Should the weather cooperate and allow any of the three scheduled games to be played this weekend, the Yankees can start a new winning streak,  showing what kind of mettle this team has. 

College basketball coaches aren’t saddened by a loss during a conference tournament. Why? Because it gives them a valuable teaching moment for their young charges, diverting their attention from the momentary loss to focusing on what the goal should be all along—winning a bigger prize. 

I am certain that Aaron Boone knows this and would like his team to get back on the winning track as quickly as possible. Yet he also recognizes that it is a 162 game marathon played in a shorter amount of time than normal, which means that there will be peaks and valleys. His eyes, and that of his team, are on capturing the first World Series title since 2009. 

Look at Golden State. In 2016, the year they won a record 73 games, the team failed to win the NBA title. So they learned from that hard loss to Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers and won titles in 2017 and 2018. 

Now that they are whole, the Warriors believe they are truly in contention for another title. The opposition is stiff. In the West, Memphis, the current opponent, has a virtually unstoppable Ja Morant (largely because Payton, the one who could hold him in check, is now gone); Phoenix looks every bit as awesome as they were in the regular season when healthy. And in the East, Milwaukee, Boston and Miami are illegitimate title contenders. 

What is going to happen to all but one team is that they will not become champion. What the non-victorious will be remembered for and what they will have accomplished in losing will not matter in the climate of professional sports. 

What will happen is this—like the Yankees streak, the no hitter the Mets put on the Phillies or the next OT winner in the Stanley Cup Playoffs or the retirement of C. Vivian Stringer, Hall of Fame Women’s Head Coach at Rutgers—just like that, it will be over. 

Man Cave Missive

I am coming to you from the Man Cave, now my bunker, where I eat, sleep, watch TV and stay away from the mid and upper levels of the house while the painters have their way. This will end this weekend, but it is only part one of a number of improvements. Next will be the new blinds, which will permit us to once more inhabit the bedroom—my wife is ensconced in the den, sleeping on a couch like me, but enveloped wby far fewer boxes than I have surrounding me. So here I am, writing while seated on a folding chair, laptop on a box labeled nightgowns and shorts. 

Once we have the carpeting in—it is scheduled for May 9, then we can begin to get rid of the boxes, and the clothes on couches and floors and start to live a more normal lifestyle. I cautiously use those terms, because what is normal anyway these days? Between woke awareness and sensitivity along with twisted stories developed to suit one’s world view, who knows what really is the truth?

Which is why I escape to sports or a book to find solace—if my teams are winning. With so much going on right now, the odds seem to be working in my favor—for now. 

I took some shots at the Yankees last week. Somebody must have communicated my feelings to the team, for all of a sudden, the Yankees are magically winning big, slugging homers and the pitching has been outstanding for the most part. 

Now let’s get some perspective. The wins have come against the Guardians and Orioles. While Cleveland came in as a first place team, they left New York pretty ripped up and went to Anaheim where they met a hot Angels team which kept the G’s in a tailspin. 

As for the Birds, they aren’t chirping like they did in Baltimore. The big boppers of the Yankees took care of that. Turning 30, free agent to-be Aaron Judge slugged a home run on his birthday, the day after his picture made social media where his hand rested inappropriately on his wife’s chest—avert your eyes, children! 

Returning D.J. LeMahieu to the top of the order wasn’t brain surgery. Of course he went on a 12 game hitting streak. That’s what he does when he is in the right place and healthy, unlike last year’s struggles due to injury.

Anthony Rizzo took three pitches deep on Tuesday, making him the early MLB leader in home runs. Fred Freeman who? Remember that later in the year when Rizzo’s bat cools and Freeman is consistently at or above a .300 average on a really good Dodgers ball club. 

Giancarlo Stanton was in a funk. He hadn’t homered in 14 straight games, sitting stuck with 349 career homers. Number 350 came on Wednesday night, making him the 7th fastest player to reach that coveted mark. If his bat has awakened, pitchers should take cover. 

Even Joey Gallo got into the act. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Gallo slammed home runs, one to left center and the other into the right field seats. Sure, he still strikes out a lot. But his ball-to-bat contact is much better than in the past, so there might actually be some hope for him to be less than moribund at the plate for an entire season. 

I remind myself that it is Cleveland and Baltimore that the Yankees are playing. Next is a road trip to Kansas City, where the Royals are having a so-so start to the season. Then an all-important trip to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays in a collision of two of the top AL East teams. When we will also find out how many Yankees remain unvaccinated and therefore unable to cross the border. 

Meanwhile, the Mets continue to win. Not without controversy. The Mets are being plunked at an alarming rate. It spilled over on Wednesday when a retaliatory pitch to the Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado precipitated a baseball brawl. Nobody was hurt, although Mets slugger Pete Alonso, hit twice this early season in the helmet, was tackled by a Cardinals coach in fear that Alonso, a very strong young man, might hurt somebody. Alonso said he rushed into the fray to protect his teammates.

The bigger issue is that the ball has been changed. Top flight pitchers like Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer have made mention that it felt like a cue ball, difficult to grip. Mets catchers have echoed that thought. Which makes it much more difficult to control when pitching inside to Mets batters, which must be the scouting report. That leads to disgruntled hit batsmen and brawls. 

MLB says they are investigating. I hope they investigate this phenomenon fast, before it becomes an epidemic. We have been through enough of those.

I made it to Lancaster with my wife to see the first place Franklin and Marshall Diplomats step a doubleheader against Haverford. While the day was cool and the faint smell of naturally fertilizing the fields was still around, it was great to see some fine Division III baseball.

F&M is a pretty good team. They have to win over arch rival Gettysburg at home on Friday before traveling to an all-important doubleheader at Swarthmore. The winner of those games would secure home field for the Centennial Conference playoffs—a big thing when seeking to make the NCAA Tournament. 

Rutgers had a rough weekend when Iowa came to Piscataway. The Hawkeyes went 2-1 in their trip East. RU managed to maintain first place in the Big Ten, with a trip to Columbus on tap to face Ohio State starting on Friday. Perhaps the best team in the conference travels to RU over Mother’s Day weekend when Maryland pays a visit. The Knights have been hanging tough this season; the toughest part of the season is yet to come.

In NBA action, Golden State, Miami, Boston and Milwaukee all secured first round series wins. Three other series are at 3-2 heading into action on Thursday. 

Those proclaiming that the Warriors are going to win the Western Conference playoffs should remember that Nikola Jokic didn’t have a full complement of able-bodied teammates to work with. For had he had that full team, this series would have headed to seven games. No matter how physical Golden State was with him, he was difficult to stop. For a seven footer, Jokic is imposing as to how he handles the ball. If he had the strength of a true center, like Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlain, Denver would win every year. Say he was on the Warriors—wouldn’t they be unstoppable. That’s how scary good Jokic is. 

Speaking of scary good, Ja Morant of Memphis is just that. Last season’s Rookie of the Year was named Most Improved Player for this year. Nobody has ever been those two things in succeeding seasons. His play in the fourth quarter against Minnesota on Tuesday night included maybe the dunk of the year and a spectacular game-winning layup. 

And Miami put a clamp on Trae Young, who couldn’t repeat his heroics of last year against the Knicks. Which is why Atlanta is done for the season and Miami awaits the winner of the Toronto-Sixers matchup.

There is much drama in that series. Sixers star Joel Embiid is playing with torn ligaments in his right hand, limiting him. He is urging James Harden to play better ball, which may not happen. Harden has a history of being a non-factor in the playoffs before. For if he doesn’t, Doc Rivers will lose another series after leading 3-1. Do I hear Jay Wright being called?

As for the Nets, they are as dysfunctional as Kyrie Irving. While he and Kevin Durant are very talented, the Boston Celtics are one whale of a team. Mired in a miserable slump into early January, the C’s came alive and went 36-6. They play hard defense. They make their shots. They play defending champion Milwaukee next in what promises to be a very entertaining meeting. 

I think that Phoenix can survive a surprisingly strong effort from New Orleans. Without Devin Booker, the Suns are almost mortal. The series victor gets the winner of Utah-Dallas,  games very few follow, because they have the least star power. 

Thus we have baseball in full action, the end of the NHL regular season and the start of the playoffs next week. There is the NFL Draft where the Jets and Giants will try to get better all at once with two picks each in the Top 10. And the NBA Playoffs continue. 

What a wonderful week to be stuck in my cellar, save my trip to Pennsylvania Dutch country. So ends my Man Cave Missive. 

I Hope I Can Eat My Words

  I have detected what is wrong with the Yankees, at least in the early going. I recognize that things can change, but still, are have some serious flaws. I don’t know if they can be corrected. 

After another lackluster game, I found myself searching for answers. Why are the Yankees so moribund that I find myself increasingly unable to watch more than an inning, if that? Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is great entertainment if you haven’t seen it in a while, but still, shouldn’t I be watching ace Gerrit Cole mow down the Detroit Tigers and the supposedly power-packed lineup erupting regularly for 5-6 runs with some extra base hits? How come I am turning to see Max Scherzer manhandle the San Francisco Giants, a pretty good team, in his first Citi Field start as a Met? Why am I waiting until 10;10 to view the Dodgers beat up on the defending World Champion Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium?

  I scrupulously avoided the Yankees in Baltimore, where the fans are stuck with a truly moribund team with a low payroll, yet the O’s somehow have New York’s number again this season. Instead, I am checking the scores for my two favorite college baseball teams, Franklin and Marshall and Rutgers. One I played for, one I watched as a boy. Maybe because both are in first place in their conferences, with RU having had an incredible 16 game winning streak, tops in DI, before losing at home on Wednesday to a Princeton Tigers squad which had 4 wins.. 

Anything but turning to the Yankees. I like Michael Kay only so much on YES. People like newbie YES broadcaster Cameron Maybin; I feel he is trying to please the viewers too much with his insight. Give me David Cone, Paul O’Neill (even if he is unvaccinated and still checking in from Ohio) or Ken Singleton. Oh yeah, Ken is retired now. Ugh. 

I cringe when I turn to Channel 576 on Verizon. I look at my CBS Sports and ESPN apps with dread. What will the Yankees do to muck up another game? Will Aaron Judge, the one desirous of $36 million ayear, fail to come through in the clutch? How many home runs does he have—1? That’s right—1!!

Or will Anthony Rizzo be all smiles, both in the dugout and chatting at first base, the position he mans, not the place where he tends to land after a good at bat. He seems to be part of a clique on the team—always interacting with Judge—perhaps because they both entered the season unvaccinated? 

I give Giancarlo Stanton a pass as a team leader, largely because he is not that kind of rah rah guy. Make no mistake, he is underperforming too. It isn’t leadership by example when your on field performance is not peaking. 

D.J LeMahieu may be hitting for average. But with the overabundance of players manning the infield spots, he is the proverbial square peg in a round hole. Does Gleyber Torres, who seemingly is always taking giant cuts at the plate, sit more to allow LeMahieu to play? Or does Manager Aaron Boone, who famously proclaimed that he would find playing time for all, rely on those who are just not hitting or fielding? 

I look at the Angels. Tyler Wade, the first guy off the bench in 2021, who began to hit last season and has oodles of speed, was hitting well over .300 and finally getting the opportunity to play for extended periods and he is doing the job. The Yankees never gave Wade a fair shake, but relied on Torres recapturing some of his magic instead of continuing his downward slide. Even Anthony Velasquez, who gave the Yankees some solid glove work at shortstop and some timely hits, was allowed to leave. He went to Anaheim, and while he didn’t start the season with the team, when David Fletcher went down, he filled in admirably. 

The Yankees gave up more than just some spare parts this off season. Sure, Gary Sanchez was no longer right for New York. He is fitting in nicely with the Twins in the dual role of catcher and DH. 

Spirited players like Wade, Velasquez, Sanchez, Luke Voit, Gio Urshela and Brett Gardner were no longer welcome in the Bronx. While Aaron Hicks is currently leading the team in hitting, that’s not going to continue nor are his play winning games. Josh Donaldson, a wild card wherever he plays, was brought to New York with his big salary. Give me Urshela anytime over him. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is a nice young player; he will be okay overall as a placeholder until top draft choice and New Jersey native Anthony Volpe rises from Double-A Somerset to the big club sometime in the next two years.  I hope it is sooner—he is a can’t miss prospect. Like another guy a number of years ago from Kalamazoo, Michigan with NJ roots: Derek Jeter. 

Gerrit Cole is not pitching like a stud. Whether he is affected by the cold weather, lack of SpiderTack or whatever, this guy is simply no stopper. He was brought in to win games and he could not get out of the second inning in Detroit without walking five and throwing 46 pitches in an inning he didn’t even complete. 

We’re being told to be patient; that he will be reliable and dominant soon. Would we have had to worry like that about Roger Clemens, Andy Petitte or C.C. Sabbathia in their primes? That is a rhetorical question which does not warrant a response. 

Compare this team to the dominant teams managed by Joe Torre (an aside—the Cardinals are giving away a Torre bobblehead when the Yankees travel to St. Louis, the place where he had his success as a player). There is no Jeter on this team, as much as Judge believes he is the leader. No O’Neill, the Warrior, who also won a batting title.

Catching is such a mess. The catchers now with the Yankees can frame pitches. Period. I want a guy who is capable, like Jorge Posada. Or has the heart of a Joe Girardi. 

As good a fielder as Rizzo is, is he as good overall as was Tino Martinez? This team lacks a  Scott Brosius or Wade Boggs. Is any outfielder nearly as good as Bernie Williams?

The pitching may be the strength of this team, notwithstanding Cole’s abysmal start to the season. Luis Severino is seemingly back to being the dominant pitcher he was before his injury. Jordan Montgomery is a very serviceable left-handed starter. Jameson Taillon may be a surprise in his return from surgery. And speaking of big surprises, Nestor Cortes continues to show potential that nobody saw and which few expect to be continued. 

Yet the bullpen is filled with holes. Chad Green is superb, but, as always, he will be burnt out by June from overuse. Jonathan Loiasiga, last year’s bullpen phenom, has struggled. Luis Cessa, a mainstay, is in Cincinnati. There are a lot of names being asked to pitch a lot of early innings to keep the Yankees afloat. What will this do to them come August and September when most needed?

Just to be clear. Aroldis Chapman is an excellent closer. Not the same guy as 4 years ago. Nonetheless he is still top notch. Unfortunately, he is not Mariano Rivera. Then again, who could be?

Let me say this, Aaron Boone gets criticized and receives passes for his mistakes at the same time. I am trying not to compare him with Girardi, Joe Torre or the Mets manager, Buck Showalter, who preceded Torre in the Bronx. 

I thought about who he reminds me of, and it was clear. He is like his father, Phillies stalwart catcher Bob Boone, who accumulated a 371-444 mark as a manager in Kansas City and Cincinnati, where the talent level was markedly less than what is in New York. Boone’s managing style does not light a fire under his players. Like a Joey Cora in Boston, Dusty Baker in Houston or Dave Roberts in LA. 

Lastly, I am underwhelmed by General Manager Brian Cashman. A devotee of analytics, this team is put together based on the math, and that is simply insufficient. For math never measures the intangibles. The Steinbrenner family may be enamored with him, but the fan base apparently is very restless with no World Series win since 2009.

This is Cashman’s team. He put it together and he selected Boone to manage it. He needs to be held accountable if the team fails to win—in a year where the number of playoff participants has been increased. His contract needs to be negotiated for next year. Should he be back if the team hasn’t played to expectations? 

I know it is apples and oranges. Watching the Golden State Warriors play integrated games against Denver and seeing the enthusiasm of the team and its coach, Steve Kerr, made me wonder why the Yankees seem so dead. They are more like one of the other teams which populates YES, the Brooklyn Nets. Good players but something is missing. 

From the top to the bottom, things are missing with the Yankees. I don’t think this team will be a winner in a division as fearsome as the AL East with the likes of Toronto, Tampa Bay and Boston. Especially if the Yanks have trouble with the lowly Orioles. They look more like the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers. We know how that turned out. Which, to me, is disheartening. Again. 

Come October, I hope I can eat my words. 

And I Haven't Got Time For The Knicks

First, I must make note of an omission. Here at RetiredLawyerSportsOp, we take feedback seriously. And I received some sharp words after last week’s blog. 

A very loyal reader reacted to my oversight regarding the Kansas-North Carolina NCAA National Championship game. When Carolina jumped to that enormous first half lead, this reader confidently texted me that he felt Kansas would make a serious run in the second half, and that the game was far from over.

Well, that reader was correct. The Jayhawks dominated the Tar Heels in a record-setting comeback for a title game. It was the frenetic play and shot-making of Bill Self’s team which made UNC wilt as the game progressed (as opposed to what happened to KU in 3 OT in 1957 when Carolina took down Wilt Chamberlain and his Kansas teammates in the only other NCAA final between the two schools). 

With Passover upon us, I may have to have another slice of Horowitz & Margareten matzoh on the reader’s behalf. Along with some gefilte fish and horseradish. It is the only way I can think of atoning for that oversight. 

The NBA has begun its post-season. The play-in tournament has started. The Nets did not overwhelm the Cavaliers to secure the second spot in the East and a meeting with the Boston Celtics in the first round. Minnesota came from behind a couple of times to overtake the Clippers to send them into the playoffs for a series with the tough Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant. 

Fear not for Cleveland and Los Angeles. Even with losing, they have a second chance for redemption and to secure the eighth seeds in their selective conferences with home games on Friday versus Atlanta and New Orleans. Neither game is a given as the Hawks have Trey Young, the mercurial guard and leader of the Atlanta offense, and resurgent New Orleans has C.J. Mc Collum, who is playing like the All-Star he was with Portland. 

The winner of Atlanta-Cleveland draws Miami. The survivor of the New Orleans-Clippers match gets Phoenix, the team which had the most wins this season. 

With that, the real playoffs begin on Saturday. Steph Curry practiced with his Warriors teammates for the first time on Wednesday as he recovers from a foot injury. Denver will be in the Chase Center to face him, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in a 3/6 series. The other Western Conference series not mentioned is the 4/5 match up between Dallas and Utah. That is now a toss up because Mavs’ star Luka Doncic suffered a calf strain in the regular season finale, and his availability is questionable. 

Over in the East, no one is recalling that the Milwaukee Bucks won the title last year and are a serious contender to repeat. Giannis and crew play a weak Chicago team which they should easily dispatch. Philadelphia, led by scoring champ Joel Embiid and James Harden, who endears himself to nobody but himself, draw the gritty and formidable Toronto Raptors, a team capable of defeating the Sixers. 

Do I see a Nets run deep into the playoffs? Not really. Even a depleted Boston team can bounce Kevin Durant and Kyrie Driving out of the playoffs that quickly. Getting beyond that series will mean Miami, Milwaukee and the survivor of the Philly-Raptors series. 

Phoenix is the team to beat. Everyone else in the West is just not as good as the Suns. Maybe Memphis. And the Warriors cannot really provide enough firepower to overtake either of those two teams. 

Meanwhile, the Lakers made Frank Vogel a scapegoat for their woes. The Lakers suffered from injuries to key players Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Russell Westbrook was an abysmal failure in LA, and he clashed repeatedly with Vogel, who is a very fine coach and should find employment in the NBA rather than later. 

The Lakers are an aged team with James, who is not going lead any team to a championship anymore despite his almost winning the scoring crown this season, nor with Davis, who finds injuries like tornadoes sense churches and mobile homes. 

So I looked up the Lakers head man, Rob Pelinka, the architect of this implosion. And I found out some interesting tidbits about him. 

Pelinka was a 6’6” high school star in the Chicago area who did not attract much attention even with his teams winning state titles. Only when he ran a streak of 40+ free throws in a high-end tournament to garner the M.V.P. award did he begin to get recruited heavily by schools. 

Pelinka was recruited by the University of Michigan, where he played as a reserve and some times starter. He is the only person in school history to have been a member of there NCAA Final Four teams—one championship team and two runners-up, which were the Fab Five teams. 

No slouch academically, Pelinka was the 1993 NCAA Walter Byers Scholar Athlete of the Year. He parlayed his intelligence into graduating from the UM Ross School of Business Administration and cum laude from the prestigious UM Law School. 

Rather than settle into private practice, Pelinka became a sports agent, representing a number of high profile clients, most notably, Kobe Bryant, Andre Iguodala and James Harden. He was the godfather to Gianna Bryant. 

Controversy dogged Pelinka in his representation of clients. No matter how good he was at doing his job, there was something hard and harsh about him.

Pelinka becoming the head honcho in a dysfunctional Lakers front office was a choice outside of the box, despite having married a Jewish pediatrician trained at UCLA Medical School, which tied him to the Los Angeles community.  While Pelinka was super smart and  had plenty of experience in playing the game at the collegiate level, representing many NBA players, it didn’t mean that he was suited to be the lead man at the storied Lakers franchise. 

It was Pelinka who thought that bringing in Westbrook would lead to another championship. Rebuilding this team will be challenging—even if James and Davis are healthy next season, since the trade for Davis gave the team no chance to rebuild through the draft. 

I find it almost comical that the list of possible head coaches for this storied franchise includes the best in the NBA—Nick Nurse in Toronto, Doc Rivers, presently in Philadelphia, and Juwan Howard, the Head Coach and teammate of Pelinka at his alma mater, Michigan. Why, outside of money and maybe a lucky but highly unlikely turnaround would get a name coach to work miracles at the Crypto.com Arena—I still cringe at that name and what it represents—is beyond me. That would be an awfully myopic view of the world, fueled by a rather large ego. Which, there are plenty of them in the NBA—including in the Lakers hierarchy. 

No matter what coach is brought in—Phil Jackson couldn’t right this ship, nor Red Auerbach if he was alive. Not Monty Williams, the two-time NBA Coach of the Year in Phoenix. Or F&M grad Chris Finch, who rose from the ranks of obscure NBA assistant coaches to lead the Timberwolves to the playoffs, for the first time since 2018, and where the team hasn’t won a series since 2004. 

Was Pelinka a wise choice to lead the Lakers? We’ll find out soon enough with his selection of the next head coach. And how he does in free agency as he strives to rebuild a moribund team only two years removed from its championship run inside of the COVID Disney World bubble. 

Such is the state of the NBA as their tournament commences. And I haven’t got time for the Knicks’ sorry state of affairs.