Tagged: C.C. Sabathia

The Steelers and Big Game Ollie

Last night the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. I thought the score would be 34-21. I was pretty close. I don’t really like either teams but I kind of like Pittsburgh. If Arizona won then I could say my Patriots beat the NFL champions by 40! I was cheering for whoever won me money. I ended up making twenty dollars! In the first quarter Pittsburgh was very close to scoring a touchdown then the Cardinals challenged the play and got it so the Steelers settled for a field goal. In the second quarter Pittsburgh scored two touchdowns and two extra points, which are the stupidest thing in football. The Cardinals scored one touchdown and it would have been two if James Harrison, a linebacker didn’t intercept the ball in the end zone and then run 100 yards to score a touchdown with no time left! I think Harrison should have been MVP for that play. In the third quarter the only thing that happened was the Steelers kicked a field goal. Then in the forth quarter Kurt Warner and the Cardinals come back, scoring 16 points, two touchdowns, two extra points, and a safety. The Steelers though scored a touchdown in the last minute and Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers were off to Disney World and Antoine Homes won Super Bowl MVP.

yahoosports.com
Oliver Perez resigned with the New York Mets today one a three year, $36 million dollar contract. The deal is still pending a physical though. In 2008 Perez went ten-seven with a 4.22 ERA, 180 strikeouts, and 17 no decisions. His carer stats include a 55-66 record, with a 4.39 ERA, and 1,027 strikeouts. Big Game Ollie had 105 walks, the most in baseball last year. Perez has played seven carer major league seasons with the San Diego Padres, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the New York Mets. Perez has played the last two seasons with the Mets. I thought Perez would sign with the Brewers. The Brewers are a good team and lost both of their aces, Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia signed with the Yankees and Sheets is rumored to be going to the Texas Rangers. The Sheets move would be a great one by the Rangers. The Mets rotation looks like Johan Santana as the ace, Perez, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey, and Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia, and Jonathan Niese will compete for the fifth spot in Spring Training. Redding and Garcia were signed this offseason. It is possible that the Mets will resign Pedro Martinez. That is a very unlikely move though. Pedro is old and doesn’t fit the Mets’ plans. If I had to rate the Oliver Perez move I wold rate it a 8 out of ten. Sure Perez is inconsistent but the Mets needed some help with their starters and Big Game Ollie could be that help they needed.
newyorkdailynews.com

Oliver Perez

diehardsportsfan.net 
Also tomorrow I have my play, The Magician’s Nephew so I might not have time to blog and Wednesday I have my championship basketball game so I might not have time then. Sorry.
-Bob

Pettitte Stays in Pinstripes, While Varitek is do This Week

Andy Pettitte, 36, signed a one year, $5.5 million dollar deal with the Yankees. The deal could be worth up to $12 million dollars if he reaches all of his incentives. Contracts with incentives are the best contracts, you can’t overpay or underpay a player who has incentives in the contract. Pettitte was 14-14 last season with a 4.54 ERA. He also had 158 strikeouts in 33 games, 204 innings pitched. Pettitte played nine seasons with the Yankees before joining the Houston Astros from 2004-2006 and then went back to the Yankees after the 2006 season. The Yankees rotation is now set to be C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Chein-Ming Wang, Pettitte, and then Joba Chamberlain. I think Phil Hughes should be the fifth starter and not Joba. Joba went 3-1 this season as a starter. Joba needs to stay in the bullpen so in a few years when Mariano Rivera retires Joba can become the closer, but I am getting off track. In order for Pettitte to come back on to the roster the Yankees designated Chase Wright for assignment. Wright went 10-3 this season at Double-A and Triple-A

Andy Pettitte

The Red Sox have set a Friday deadline for Jason Varitek. The deal would pay him a base salary of $5 million dollars for 2009 and a club option for 2010 worth $5 million dollars. if he doesn’t make his mind up by Friday Boston would likely trade for a younger catcher, maybe Jarrod Saltamacchia (that was a mouthful), of the Texas Rangers or Miguel Montero, of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Varitek will turn 37 in April. Last season he batted .220, with 13 home runs, and 43 RBI’s. He was backup to Joe Mauer of the Twins in the 2008 All-Star Game , his third all-star game, at Yankee Stadium and caught Jon Lester’s no-hitter.  Varitek will probably start this season and will have Josh Bard or a young catcher as his backup this season and in 2010 will mentor a young catcher. It is also possible that Boston wants a young catcher to catch knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. That is unlikely though because Wakefield is close to retirement. I hope Varitek comes back tomorrow! 


Jason Varitek gives Alex Rodriguez a face full of catcher's mitt, setting off a benches-clearing incident July 24.

I love this picture.

Also I just noticed that in past entries “Varitek” is spelt “Varitex.” Sorry.


Glavine to Boston?!?

Tom Glavine a low risk high reward player said he felt good after throwing of the mound for the first time since elbow and shoulder surgery in August. Glavine is a local guy according to Julia (Julia your “dream” came true) over at Julia’s Rants. Glavine’s longtime teammate John Smoltz recently signed with the Red Sox. Glavine, a free agent, made thirteen starts last season. He went two and four, with 37 strikeouts, and a ERA 5.54. Tom Glavine is 42 years old. Glavine is a sure first ballot hall of famer he has 305 carer wins, an ERA of 3.54, and has 2,607 strikeouts. Glavine has played twenty-two seasons with the Braves on two different occasions and the New York Mets. He has won twenty games five times. While Glavine is a great player and I am sure he would love to go to the Red Sox, but Boston already has eight starters in Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Dice-K, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny, Smoltz, Clay Buchholz, and Michael Bowden. Smoltz though could come out of the bullpen and I think Clay could too. As for Bowden he’ll come up from AAA in mid-season. He would probably cost a around the amount of Smoltz and is better. Am I saying that I would rather have Glavine then Smoltz? No, Smoltz will not pitch till June but he can be a starter or come out of the bullpen which I wish every pitcher could. Glavine will should sign with a team with young pitchers, the Rays, Twins, A’s, D-Backs, Reds, Pirates, Brewers, Nationals, Marlins, or maybe even the Padres. he also could resign with the Braves who have signed Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami. The Braves also traded for former Chicago White Sox, Javier Vazquez. Vazquez is listed as the Braves ace on Braves.com don’t get that one. I would put my money on the Brewers or the Braves. The Brewers lost C.C. Sabathia to the Yankees. Ben Sheets, the other Brewers ace is still on the market. One game I would love to see, Red Sox vs. Brewers, Jon Smoltz vs. Tom Glavine, at Fenway Park. 

Tom Glavine (left) John Smoltz (center) Greg Maddux (right)

Former Met Tom Glavine retired the final 17 batters he faced during the Braves' 6-1 win in the first game of a day-night doubleheader today.





Pat The Bat

First- Since there is news to blog about look for Red Sox, Yankees, Rays to continue when there is no news to blog about or during spring training.

Second- Milton Bradley signed with the Cubs pending a physical on a three year $30 million dollar deal. Look for more on that tomorrow.
Third- Jason Giambi is expected to go to the Oakland A’s.
Forth- Twins owner Carl Pohald died today.
WOW! Is the hot stove heating up two all-star players are close to signing while one signed today. Pat Burrell signed with the Tampa Bay Rays today on a two year $16 million dollar contract. Pat the Bat won the World Series with the Phillies beating the team he signed with today the Tampa Bay Rays. Burrell is 32 and the right handed slugger the Rays have needed forever. Burrell is a veteran who can help the Rays this year. Burrell will probably be the DH with the A’s. Burrell walks a lot while he hit 33 home runs, had a .250 batting average and drove in 86 RBI’s. The move by the Rays kind of keeps them up with the Yankees who signed C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira along with former Red Sox Kevin Cash. Burrell will help the Rays who know have to play with people watching them. Even with the signing Tampa Bay will not compete, because Longoria and others will have to make changes, which will give the Rays a not so good first month, half, or who knows it could take a week for Longoria to make his changes. Now that the Hot Stove is heating up maybe Varitex will sign with Boston soon.
Burrell

Red Sox, Yankees, Rays- Rotation

First- WOW! Today is the slowest day in sports ever. So slow I was going to put this story up around spring training.

Second- Some of my NFL predictions were off, but who would have thought that the Chargers would have beat the Colts.
Third- My Celtics better start another streak. If they win tonight against the Knicks it will be a two game win streak.
Now to the Entry.
Who will win the A.L. will it be the Rays, Sox, or that team in New York (I’m to mad at them for some reason to say their name). I will lock at every thing from the players to their ballparks to their fans.
Rotation
C.C. Sabathia, NYY, A.J. Burnett, Chein-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes/ Alfredo Aceves
Josh Beckett BOS, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brad Penny, Tim Wakefield/ Clay Buchholz
James Shields TB, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, David Price/ Mitch Talbot
The Yankees have two real aces along with one ace. To be a real ace you have to be an ace no questions asked. To be an ace you only need some people to think your an ace. C.C. and A.J. are real aces while Wang is just an ace. The Red Sox have three real aces being Beckett, Lester, and Dice-K. They also have an ace being Brad Penny. they Rays have two real aces being Shields and Kazmir. Garza is an ace while Price is a future ace. Joba needs to stay in the bullpen so if I were the Yankees I would get Smoltz or someone and move Joba to the ‘pen. The Red Sox need to have a sixth man ready like Clay or Masterson in case Penny or Beckett gets hurt. I would start Clay in the bullpen at first. Masterson should stay in the bullpen. Bowden needs half a year then the Sox should call him up in the summer. The Rays just need to get better every year. Their rotation is great, just not ready to compete with the rotations of Boston and New York.
Note- If a “/” is in front of their name then they are the “sixth” or backup starter. If they are bold that means they are one of the top five starters, which gives their team a point. If underlined then they are an honorable mention and gives their team 1/2 a point.
Sorry not showing much love to the Rays.
Todays points
Red Sox- 3.5
player
Yankees- 2.5
player

Rays- 1.5
player
Look out for the infield tomorrow

Are Athlete’s Salaries to high?

First look at the new logo in the top right I just noticed that.

C.C. Sabathia will get paid 9.5 million before he throws a pitch. Teixeira want 150 million over 10 years so he would get 15 million a year, while teachers don’t get paid anything. So I would like to change and issue a few rules.

A.) Make a limit on how much a team can have. A-Rod gets paid more then the whole Flordia Marlins team. Doing this would let small market teams like the Royals have a chance. Well I guess they do have a chance I mean look at the Rays. Have the Yankees give some of their money to say the Nationals.
B.) Don’t get paid when you are injured or in the offseason. Your not working why should you get paid. When I am sick are taking a vacation I don’t get paid. Why should C.C. or A.J. or anyone get paid when they are not working.
C.) Give bad teams more money and not good teams after the World Series. When the Phillies won it all they got money unlike Baltimore or the Tigers. Yes I think the teams that make the playoffs should get bonuses but not the good teams that don’t make the playoffs, the Yankees, Astros, and, the Twins. Heck you could even say teams above .500 that miss the post season shouldn’t make it.
So there you go Mr. Selig I think I speak for all small market team fans even though I am a Sox fan. Don’t get me wrong I like the advantage of having money but I would like some more  teams the Red Sox can have closer games with and not 11 to 1 wins.