Hard to get up off the mat on this one..............

If there is one sport that couldn't take a hit to it's credibility, it's the NBA.

It's like catching a cold when your immune system is depleted. Sure, when everything is looking good and going right, when your body is strong, you can handle a virus. You wait it, sweat it out and eventually it goes away. But when the body is already weak, when everything is being done just to bring it back to a small level of working order, even the simplest of illnesses can be deadly.

For any league, even one that is healthy, the specter of fixing games is like the Ebola Virus. There's no guarantee that you can come back from it. For the NBA, who has been on life support now for a while, looking for anything to bring it back to respectability, the infection is devastating.

Enter Tim Donaghy, the 13-year veteran ref who has alledgedly, for the past two or three seasons, be engaged in a point shaving scam devised by the mafia to protect his image and settle steep gambling debts. Donaghy has been involved in playoff games, has ref'd playoff games and championship games during that time, and his influence on the sport cannot be diminished. He has been in a position to effect the outcome of some of the more important games in the league over that time, something he seems likely to have done now intentionally.

What does this mean for the league?

It introduces "reasonable doubt" into the minds of every fan. Of course, as is the nature of our culture today, this will quickly be relagated to late night humor status, and that "humor" will trickle down to the arenas and the fans all over the league. Donaghy chants will be heard any time a questionable call is made. Confusing, almost non existent fouls will be scrutinized and refs and the league will have to defend itself constantly against a steady stream of questions surrounding the legitimacy of the game calling.

But the truth is what is SOOOO damaging to this sport is that, for a long time, the credibility of the league has been clouded by speculation. That speculation was usually only voiced in a hap hazard, comical, sarcastic manner. Fans who hated the refs would joke about their "motivation" in calling a game a certain way but there were very few earnest feeling behind those jokes. In all, 90% of the people believed there was no real conspiracy, only woeful incompetency (bad enough). Deep down they may have wondered if there were something more to it but realistically they thought "there's no great conspiracy here, just a bunch of dim wits running around."

Now, that small part of each fan that may have thought "there is something more here" is the large part of how they look at the game. It was buried deep behind innuendo but now it is at the forefront of everyone's mind. Donaghy won't be the only one implicated in this. ALL refs will be implicated, simply because they are refs, they will make bad calls, and they will make mistakes. Those mistakes were thought to be just that before. Now, they will be looked at as calculated efforts to influence a game.

The reach of this is truly overwhelming. First, this isn't going away anytime soon. Donaghy hasn't even turned himself in. We have no idea how many games he influenced, how many points he may have shaved, when those games were and what teams it influenced. Was someone's chance for a title derailed by Donaghy wielding his magic whistle? Was someone's playoff hopes dashed by a game in February where Donaghy placated his mafia bosses? Those are all questions that will inevitably be asked and answered.

Second, and perhaps most important, were there any other people involved in this scandal? The NY Post reported today that some federal invesitigators expect Donaghy to turn himself in by Tuesday and, when he does, to flip on other refs and perhaps even players who were involved in shaving points. Having Donaghy at the center of this is bad enough. If it came to be that he was simply the first domino to fall in a huge conspiracy it would deliver a death blow to the league. How could the fans ever trust another game if it came out that certain players were "in on the fix" for some games? Is it out of the realm of possibility? Not at all.

Finally, the NBA has gone out of it's way to try and protect the refs, going so far as to fine Mark Cuban about $300 mill over the course of tha last few years because of his constant complaining about officiating. Now, the NBA will have to rethink how it does EVERYTHIN, especially in terms of the refs. It will HAVE to be open. It will HAVE to be transparent. And it will have to be thick skinned. Refs are going to have to be made available for questioning. They are going to have to be willing to open up and admit mistakes when some are made. They are going to have to go out of their way to convince the fan base that their calls were made because of what they saw rather than what they were trying to accomplish.

Since the departure of Michael Jordan the league has been treading water. Stars in the making, saviors of the Association spring up and die off almost every year. Troubles seem numerous, leagues seem unbalanced, ratings are down, attendance is pretty stagnant (although still good) and the sport has definitely secured a place as the third wheel in this battle of the big three (NFL, MLB, NBA).

Since the end of the Cavs, Pistons series there has been no good news for the league (and even that good news came after yet another tough season overall).

But this is the end game right here. This is the knock out blow. This one will put the NBA to the mat. Will they get up? Probably, but the question isn't whether the stagger back to their corner with their head still screwed on straight, the question is can they recover from this blow to get back into the fight?

With at least 5 or 6 more months of accusations and discolsures about to come out, it seems as if this year will be one of the darker ones in NBA history. And when your game isn't that compelling to begin with success may be a lot further off than may think.

If David Stern ever had any dramatic ideas about how to improve the league, now would be the time to take that chance. Sadly, he may have nothing to lose.

A-Rod aint goin nowhere

It's a simple game of math really.

When Alex Rodriguez sit down at the end of this year and map out which team gives them everything they could want, everything the could leverage with an opt out, who shows up at the top of the list?

Say it loud and say it proud: The New York Yankees.

The consensus seems to be that A-Rod will be looking for a new home because of all the off field "distractions" that come with playing for the Yanks. Want to hang out at a strip club all night with a hot blonde who you are decidely NOT married to (which is probably why you are hanging with her at a strip club all night)? The NY media will catch you. Want to sun bathe on a rock in central park so everyone from a monther of four to a Russian satellite can spot your gleaming pecks? Some ass will be there with a camera to snap a few for the tabloids. Go 0-80 in the playoffs? A whole host of fat, pompous coumnists and talk show hosts will make their living ripping you in every way they can think of. So..........logic dictates to some that A-Rod is gone. The fans booed him all last year, his relationship with Derek Jeter is obviously more strained than Lindsay Lohan's knees at a bachelor party, and someone, somewhere will pay him what he wants.

Here is the question though; if you're A-Rod is number one goal really to get OUT of the limelight?

There are only a few places that would truly be interested in signing A-Rod to the type of money Boras has been talking about ($30 mill a year); the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Mets, the Cubs, the Dodgers, the Angels. Could a sleeper team pull a Texas and jump in at the last minute, say a White Sox or a Tigers? Sure, but I doubt that. So let's assume the first grouping is truly the only grouping that matters in this game of A-Rod.

The Mets are out of the running right off the bat, unless they decide that the two corner stones of the franchise for the next 15 years, Jose Reyes and David Wright, are just too popular and too cheap for their liking. Highly unlikely. The Cubs spent a fortune last year to get their team back to respectability, have dragged their feet signing Carlos Zambrano on a hometown discount contract that would be considerably cheaper than what A-Rod will get, are in the midst of being sold, and unless they could expedite the process of selling the team to Mark Cuban in a hurry (provided they pull their heads out of their ass and realize Cuban would be GOOD for baseball) it is doubtful he would be in on the A-Rod auction. So take the Cubbies out of the running.

The Red Sox? You gotta believe that, with all the slings and arrows that have been directed at A-Rod from both the stands in Boston and the dugout (and the players blogs, interviews, etc...) it would be low on A-Rod's wish list to reside for the rest of his career in Beantown. Can you imagine Rodriguez struggling in Boston? How about if he didn't live up to expectations? It would make what happened with A-Rod at the Stadium last year look like an episode of Oprah.

The Dodgers have the money and the need for a big bat (and star power), but they have a load of great young talent, a tendency to keep prices lower than the other big spenders in the game, and have not floated any real feelers out there about A-Rod. Plus, A-Rod, according to accounts, would prefer to stay in the A.L.

So, in my mind, that leaves the Yanks and the Angels as the major bidders for A-Rod.

Art Moreno has never shied away from saying how much he loves A-Rod, but you have to wonder how much the Angels would legitimately give A-Rod for a yearly contract. Are the Angels REALLY gonna give him $30 mill a year? Possibly, but what/how do you turn to your star right fielder, the face of your organization in Vlady Guerrero and say "hey, we love yah, but we are gonna give this other guy double your salary." That would almost ensure Vlady storming into Art Moreno's office and asking to "look" at his contract one more time.

Plus, the Angels seems to be looking into acquiring Troy Glaus, a 31-year old power hitting third baseman who fits PERFECTLY on that team, the team he previously played for, provides the big bat behind Vlad they have been looking for, comes locked up for another three years, and comes at significantly less than A-Rod would. Would the Angels love A-Rod? Of course, but do they NEED him?

The AL West is significantly weaker than the AL East, so the need for A-Rod is not as great. If the Angels brought back a healthy, underrated Juan Rivera, brought in a big bat in Troy Glaus, combined that with their good pitching, good defense and Mike Scosia-esque style of play (plus a few big young guns in the minors on the way) and the Angels are gonna be a big team for a long time to come.

The Yankees actually NEED A-Rod more than the Angels. The Yanks are not blessed with tremendous young position players coming up through the minors. Johnny Damon might be done. the Jason Giambi era probably can't end fast enough for most in the Yankee organization. It is doubtful whether the Yanks will pick up/look to resign Bobby Abreu after this year, Robinson Cano has not come on as the type of power hitter many expected he would become, and the free agent market seems pretty barren in terms of big name power bats. A-Rod is the major piece to the engine. He is the big cog. He is a huge draw. He is, whether you like him or not, one of the best and biggest players in the game today. The Yanks NEED that kind of bat in the lineup for many years to come.

But the Yanks are gonna offer a king's ransom to keep A-Rod here, we know that. So the question will be does A-Rod want to stay?

How could the answer really be no.

A-Rod has put up monster years in the past, but he's done it in the relative obscurity of Seattle and Texas. Since coming to the Bronx, whether it is good press or bad press, A-Rod has become a name that transcends sports. You KNOW A-Rod's name, even if you don't know baseball. Some stars are stars within the confines of the game. Anyone reading this probably knows Vernon Wells or Miguel Cabrera is. But does the average Joe sports fan know? Probably not. But ask them who Jeter is, who Bonds is, who Big Papi or Manny is, and they will probably know. Those names have become a part of our lexicon. A-Rod is in that discussion.

If he goes to The Angels, the Dodgers, that star goes down. Even if he goes to The Cubs, that star goes down. There is NO PLACE like The Bronx, and A-Rod, as astute as he is, will understand that. His star is as high and bright as it will ever be, and going somewhere else will only diminish that.

What about history?

Well, if you want to be remembered, be a Yankee. Having your number retired at Yankee Stadium actually means something outside of Yankee Stadium. Do we know who is retired at Comisky? Nope. Do they have monuments to those who have been retired in San Fran? Don't think so. But if you're A-Rod and you sign an extension that will keep you in the Bronx for a total of 10+ years, you're gonna have your number retired here, no question's asked. If you're A-Rod, you might be looking at a monument.

Plus, when you pass the all time home run record about to be set by Barry Bonds and return it, possibly for good, to the Bronx, your star will be even brighter.

But how about those pesky fans? Will they ever accept him?

Derek Jeter is the captain of the Yanks, has four rings and is one of the all time great clutch hitters. No one is gonna knock him off his horse. However, A-Rod seems to have accepted that fact and is playing looser and happier than he has in his past three years. The fans have accepted him. They chant MVP when he comes to the plate. He isn't booed for the sake of booing him. A-Rod may never eclipse Jeter, but he will be a fan favorite (provided he doesn't mess up in the playoffs again).

Plus, an extension (with all the bells and whistle that come along with it) would put A-Rod on this team for a decade. He would no longer be some free loader looking for a championship. He would be here for a long, long time. The fans would begin to appreciate what they are seeing from him.

And does Alex Rodriguez really want to go to his fourth team? Great players, historic players like A-Rod change teams once, maybe twice, but multiple times gets a little strange. A-Rod can be a Yankee for the rest of his career, be on a team that will give him a chance to win EVERY year, and be one of the biggest stars in sports year after year.

Considering no one is gonna outbid the Yanks in terms of money, does it really seem THAT logical that A-Rod would want to leave the team?

When you look up at the Yankee lineup in 2012, my guess is A-Rod will be playing third base and batting fourth. Whose batting third is a bigger, less definite issue.

The finishing touches

You know, the recent All Star game got me thinking.

Baseball has been run through the ringer the last few years. Every home run hit has had the smell of steroids surrounding it, the home run race of 1998 (which saved the sport as we know it) has been tarnished forever, the home run records, formerly the most important records in all of sports, are about to be cheapened by the most egregious abuser of roids this century, a commission has been established to invesitgate the issue by baseball, Congress continues to keep their eye on the sport, and African Americans seem less interested in the national pass time than ever before, games still last too long, not enough kids are interested in the game, and ratings for everything from All Star games to world series games have been on the decline.

Yet the sport is awash in money, so much so that Alex Rodriguez is poised, if/when he opts out of his contract, to sign a deal worth over $30 mill a year. Attendance has skyrocketed all over the country where even less competitive teams seem to be drawing better than they ever have. The sport has finally achieved what it always desired, a reasonable amount of competitive balance, where the majority of the teams in the majors routinely find themselves within striking distance of a playoff birth come September each year. And the stars of the game are STARS, eclipsed by no other players on sports (except for the skill position players in the NFL perhaps)

So baseball has a chance to truly take off over the next several years. The owners and the players seem to be at peace, the luxury tax (a poor mans salary cap) seems to be acceptable to everyone involved, and the money is flowing.

But some things still need to be taken care of. Just a few housekeeping tips for Bud Selig and company to sure up the loose ends.

Let Mark Cuban in the party.

When I heard that Mark Cuban was looking to buy the Chicago Cubs I was ellated. Cuban is a perfect owner. He spends money. He treats players well. He loves to win and hates to lose. He wants to make the experience of watching a sport as enjoyable as possible for the fans. And he is a character, someone who will make for good press and interesting quotes. He'll challenge baseball when it needs to be challenged, but he'll also help market the game as effectively and aggressively as he can. He has made Dallas Mavericks basketball, once about as dead as Cherry Coke, the "in" team to root for in a city that only usually cares about its Cowboys.

So, you can imagine how shocked I was to hear that Cuban is considered a long shot to buy the team. Why? Not because he doesn't have the money (he's got plenty of that, and so do the other investors he would be buying with). It isn't because his track record in another sport has been bad. It is evidently because Jerry Reinsdorff, owner of the Chicago White Sox seems to think Cuban is a fool and an embarassment to the NBA and Bud Selig seems to agree. Now, is it shocking that the owner of the Chicago White Sox wouldn't want Cuban owning oh, I don't know, THE CHICAGO CUBS? Does anyone really believe that Reinsdorff has a personal problem with Cuban and that his motives don't include keeping a successful sports owner out of his town?

Please!!!!!! Cuban is good for sports. He makes an ass out of himself. He cares about the game. he is young (comparatively speaking) and outspoken. And he knows how to successfully run an organization. Am I missing something here? Does MLB really think the over-the-top, sometimes foolish actions of Mark Cuban will be a detriment to the league? Does he really think Cuban is gonna jump out onto the field and argue with umps over balls and strikes?

Come on. You know this guy would make it his business to ensure that the Cubs were contenders every year. He would dump money into the team. He would be hands on. And he would be someone to always add a little interest to the sport. Here's a clue: guys like Mark Cuban, who can get under your skin sometimes, can make you laugh sometimes, can make you cringe sometimes...........they are good for sports. George Steinbrenner, and his "in your face" style of ownership has been great for baseball. Cuban would be as well. Would he make his presence felt? Of course he would, but why is that such a bad thing? Some people will love him, some people will hate him, but he will bring a winner to Wrigley and baseball headlines to your local paper.

And why is this a bad thing again?

Someone wake Peter Angelos up

I just realized today how bad the Orioles have been for how long. Nine straight losing seasons? The Orioles? That can't be right, can it?

Well, it is. The Orioles, once one of the proudest franchises in baseball, is an afterthought each and every year, and the future doesn't look that much brighter. So an improved Baltimore Orioles team makes baseball better. They have great fans, they have great tradition, they have still one of the most attractive ball parks in the world and they should have the revenues to compete with the big boys in their division.

So how do we get the Orioles back on track? Here are some ideas: Keep Miguel Tejada and build around him. Watch as Nick Markajis grows into a big time baseball star. Bring up James Brucy, a big time, young minor league outfield prospect, and throw him out there. Build your rotation around Eric Bedard and Daniel Cabrera. Build your bullpen around Chris Ray. Aggresively pursue trades that would benefit the team now and in the future. Get a star the fans can identify with.

One move I would love to see? I want to see Jarrod Saltimacchia on the Orioles. He is the next great catching star in this league, a power hitter and a great defensive player. Adding him to the team would give the Orioles another big, young bat, along with Markajis, Brucy and Tejada (who isn't that young anymore at 31, but is still young). Give up a few prospects and get Jason Giambi. At DH, Giambi (35) could still give a team four or even five years of power numbers. Sure, he'll make a trip to the DL every once in a while, but he will hit for power, get on base, is good friends with Miguel Tejada, and can help groom the younger guys, showin them the ropes.

Brian Roberts, new third baseman Nick Markajis, Tejada, Giambi, Saltimacchia, Jay Gibbons, Brucy, Paterson has the makings of a very formidable lineup for years to come, one that would be balanced with home run power, average potential, and a good mix of young players and old vets. Considering the fact that the Yanks and Red Sox have holes, the Orioles making a comeback shoule be a possibility.

You aint gotta go home, but ya gotta get out of here

Tampa Bay needs new ownership and a new home. It amazes me that baseball would look down on Mark Cuban being an owner yet seems to have no problem with an inept ownership group in Tampa that has put together argueably the least appealing franchise in baseball history. There is nothing interesting about the Devil Rays. Tropicana Field is depressing, even to watch a game on television requires a good quanity of prozac. Their uniforms are drab. Their team plays infront of no one. Their fans know they have no chance. And the young, quality players they seem to have never, ever have a chance to stay with the team. More than any other franchise they are in a constant rebuilding mode.

Tampa Bay needs to move. Where? How about Orlando? That keeps baseball in the immediate area, put the team in a bustling town that has supported basketball and should easily be able to support baseball, is a constant attraction for both locals and out of towners, and is swimming in money.

No to Orlando? How about Nashville? Nashville just barely missed out on the Expos when they were moved to DC a few years back. They have the facilities and they seem to have the interest. Baseball would have no competitors in the area, as Nashville baseball would be the only game in town. And, again, it would be a thriving, bustling metropolis compared to Tampa Bay.

The point isn't the place the Rays move to, the point is that they need to move and need to move soon. If baseball could get their act together in the next year or two it might actually be enough time for the Rays to hang onto the likes of Carl Crawford, Delmon Young, BJ Upton, Scott Kazmir, and perhaps even Rocco Baldelli, or at least hang on to enough of them to stay competitive. Of all the teams in major league baseball no other needs a new home more desperately. It is the ONLY hopeless case in the sport.


And as for that other team in Florida.................

As opposed to The Devil Rays the Marlins have tradition. That's right, I said the Marlins have tradition. Think about it, in the last 90+ years of baseball who has more world series championships, the Florida Marlins or the Boston Red Sox? That's right folks, the Marlins have reached the summitt of the baseball world twice since coming into the league in the early 90's. They have put together great teams, and promptly sold those teams off, but they have brought rings and trophies to southern Florida multiple times, and that is something only the Marlins can boast.
So what do they need? Well, the Marlins also need a new home, but unlike the Devil Rays they don't need a new home in a new town. Miami can easily support baseball, and has in the past. They have packed a football stadium, dealt with the Florida rain storms, dealt with the Florida bottom dwellers, watched as teams they grew to love were traded off like beaver pelts in some old barter town of the wild west, and still they have come back. Not in droves, mind you, but they are there.
What the Marlins need is what they have asked for time and time again, a new stadium with a new roof that protects them from the 40+ rain outs they seem to incur every single year. According to reports early this year the Marlins, who have seen their hopes for a new stadium ebb and flow seemingly with every month since 1998, now believe a plan is in place to build a $450 million domed stadium just north of downtown Miami. This would be the perfect scenario.
Now is the time for baseball to step in and try, as hard as they can, to make this happen. They don't need to relocate a team that doesn't need relocation. The tragedy would be if the Marlins left for greener pastures in a town like San Antonio while the devil Rays continued to wallow in the ninth circle of hell called Tropicana Field. Give the Marlins a new ballpark, new revenue stream, an excited fan base, with a base of good players and one of the best farm systems in baseball? Jeffrey Loria, a man destined to become a Steinbrenner or Lucchino or Wilpon (put your money where your mouth is owners) would have the Marlins competing with the Mets and Braves every year for an East title.

Willie McCovey cove? Meet A-Rod alley

During the All Star Break Alex Rodriguez was as giddy as a school boy about the friendly confines of Pac Bell. That isn't shocking, considering how gorgeous that stadium is rumored to be. But A-Rod was overally enthusiastic. He seemed like someone shopping for a new home. And while I count myself as an avid baseball fan, and believe that there is still a very good chance the Yanks open up the wallet for A-Rod at the end of the year, what is honestly BEST for baseball is for A-Rod to trek on over to San Francisco and inject an incredible amount of excitement into that franchise.
Barry Bonds may or may not come back next year, but if he doesn't the Giants will have $22 milll freed up to go after A-Rod. They have the pitching already in place, with Zito not nearly as bad as he has pitched (look for him to rebound in either the second half or next year) Matt Cain poised to be an ace for years and years to come, Tim Lincecum a possible challenger to that ace mantle breaking into his own, and Noah Lowry slated to be one of the most solid number four starters in the league today. Did I mention each one of these guys is under the age of 30? That's not bad looking into the future.

The problem has been, and continues to be offense. Will A-Rod automatically turn the team around? No, they will have to make other moves. But with A-Rod in the starting lineup for the next 7 to 10 years, and the Giants looking at having the two record holders for home runs (A-Rod is gonna pass Barry Bonds eventually, unless he breaks his knee somewhere along the way), the team would have a reason to invest some money in a few other pieces to make the team a competitor in a deep NL West. But the Giants are baseball royalty and having a winning team in the Bay area would be a real asset to baseball as a whole.

Why would A-Rod be perfect? Because he would be one of the biggest stars on a huge stage poised to lead a team that hasn't won a world series in well over 50 years. Sure, he could go to the Cubs, but their future looks bright with or without A-Rod. They are buying into Sweet Lou, have HUGE hitters locked up for years to come, have good pitching in Zambrano (who you have to believe they will lock up eventually), Lilly, Hill and some nice prospects in the minors. They are on the up and up. A-Rod could go to the Angels but, again, the Angels are gonna be in the hunt for AL West titles and world series rings for years to come as well. They have a great nucleus, one of the great minor league systems in the game, big prospects on their way up, and while they would LOVE to have A-Rod, they don't NEED him.

The Giants NEED A-Rod. Let's say they get A-Rod. How about pairing A-Rod with Jermaine Dye, who will be a free agent at the end of the year? A-Rod and Dye could combine for a terrific one-two punch, and it would allow A-Rod to move back to SS, where he desperately wants to play, leaving the door opened for 17-year old phenom 3B Angel Vilalona to make his impact on the majors in the next few years. The Giants can fill in gaps here and there, but with A-Rod and Dye, combined with what should be one of the best pitching staffs in the leagues, the Giants should be players in the division for years and years to come.

Woud they break the bank for two players? Possibly, but if they did baseball would be better off.

So those are the things that need to happen for baseball to really take care of the final loose ends in the sport. Oakland, D.C., Minnesota all have new parks in the works as we speak and all should find new revenues to play with once they are completed. Ken Griffey Jr. SHOULD be traded back to Seattle to finish his career where it started, and a team that seems to be the real deal in terms of making a push for a playoff spot. After that the sport is chugging along and it seems destined to continue it's run of great success. Now, if Bud Selig and the player's union can find a way to stay out of the way and not screw anything up, things could stay this way for a while.

The future of the Bronx Bombers

Okay, the Yanks continue to play their season long cat and mouse game with .500, with the mouse winning most of the matchups. They just can't seem to get any consistency. They just can't seem to take advantage of the opportunities they are given.

The offense scores in bunches one day, gets shut out the next. The starting pitchers are eratic at best with Rocket Roger Clemens pitching two great games in a row, only to come out and give up the kitchen sink to the lowly Devil Rays last night. The Bullpen continues to be a headache, good for at least 2-4 runs a game for the opposing team, and as great a manager as Joe Torre has been, his handling of the pitching staff still seems to be mystifying with little to no ryhym or reason to it (why, at this point in the season, would you still be treating your lowly bullpen like a first option escape clause when your starter gets in trouble?)

So even though there is a lot of baseball left, and the Yanks MAY have a big run on them (and the run only counts if it leads to a playoff birth), it might not be too presumptous to start thinking about what the Yanks need to do for the '08 season. Some of this could and should be done now. Some of it should be done in the offseason. But ALL of it needs to be done to change the business of the Yanks from controversial explanations to victory celebrations.

Let sleeping A-Rod's lie

The A-Rod saga of "will he, won't he" opt out needs to go away for the rest of the season. There is absolutely no benefit to keeping the story alive, either for A-Rod or for the Yanks. All it does is focus more negative energy and attention on the third baseman and we have seen in the past that it doesn't make for a happy A-Rod. Let the season play out. Baseball has a way of evening things out. It has a way of answering questions for you.

The Yanks may make a huge push and get back into the playoffs, where A-Rod might fail to hit yet again. The Yanks may collapse, with A-Rod having a miserable second half (unlikely, but possible) and the decision may very be an easy one. Or A-Rod may lead the Yanks to an improbable playoff and world series run, making him indispensable. The point is, a lot of things can happen.

But let's say the mostly likely scenario plays out. Let's say A-Rod waits until the end of the year, continues to have a huge year, and the Yanks finish just out of the running. At the end of the season, 10 days after the world series is over, the Yanks have a window to negotiate an extension with A-Rod. Try and work something out there. See what A-Rod is thinking, in terms of money, of his comfort level with New York, with his teammates, and with his future. See what the third baseman is thinking and feeling. And then, try and retain him with an extension past his current deal.

BUT (and this is the most important thing), make sure you have the guts to walk away if he does opt out. A-Rod is a great player but if teams are going to be offering him $35 mill a year, that is a price tag no one is worthy of. The Yanks could EASILY take the money they would save on A-Rod opting out plus the money they would have spent on him and sign two or three high quality players. They could addres hitting and pitching, and do it with players of the highest caliber. If that money is included in on an extension the sting isn't that bad. A-Rod has three more years left on his contract with The Texas Rangers paying a large portion of the remaining salary, meaning that, for three years at least, A-Rod continues to be a bargain. When the other worldly money comes into play, the Yanks would have a lot of money off the books or coming off the books. They would also have time to plan their payroll so the sting wouldn't be that bad.

Signing him to that money NOW would be foolish. As great as A-Rod is, he can't win a game himself, and this year, his shining year, is a great example of that.

Look south young man

The Yanks are always a NOW team, but eventually you have to learn the lessons of experience. The Yanks signed Johnny Damon after the 2005 season to play center. It was a move I liked and applauded. Sure, the money was a little steep, and Boston seemed to be soft on him, but Damon was a good leadoff hitter with decent power. He signed to a four year contract. Now, in year two, Damon is a liability who promises to deliver little on the remaining two and a half years left on his deal. His is broken down physically. His power numbers, his average, his ability to disrupt the game on the bases, have all been incredibly hampered by his injuries. Could he come back next season healthy and spry? Possibly, but highly inlikely.

The point is not to pile on Damon, who would be a productive hitter if his body were cooperating. The point is to say that the Yanks HAVE a good, promising center fielder on the team at the moment, youngster Melky Cabrera, and they might have saved themselves a lot of money and a lot of personnel headaches if they had given Melky a chance last year rather than signing Damon.

The Yanks MUST begin to elvaluate who in their minor league system is worthy of a call up, worthy of a chance, and who isn't. Who are the blue chippers? Who are the big players? When those players are identified, GIVE THEM A CHANCE!!!!! That isn't to say that the Yanks need to have a team full of rookies, but if next year the Yanks decide not to bring back Bobby Abreu or they let Alex Rodriguez walk off into the Anaheim sunset, would it bad a terrible thing to give one of the rookies in the minors a chance to prove their worth rather than waste another $60 mill on a veteran player who will almost certainly pass his prime well before his contract has expired?

Baseball is awash with money. Teams have the cash to sign their big players. They have the cash to committ to the guys who put the fans in the seats and give them an opportunity to be competitive each and every year. That means the days of simply reloading via the free agent market may very well be over. That means developing young talent is not just a luxury anymore, but a necessity.

The Yanks have proven in the past two years that youth can equal immense talent. Chien Mien Wang, Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera have all been un heralded callups who have gone on the solidify their place on this team. Whose to say the next Cano isn't waiting in the wings?

OHHHHH, Bobby............OHHHH Bobby

Words cannot describe to you how little I enjoy watching Bobby Abreu play the game. He looks like a man punching in and out of a clock. Everyone you hear laments how much the man loves the game but it certainly doesn't show on the field. HOWEVER!!!!!! The consensus seems to be that Abreu is gone after this season. Why would the Yanks bring back someone batting .270 right now? But here is the problem: if you let Bobby Abreu go, who, exactly, is playing right field? With the looming A-Rod controversy, and the possibility of third base being open next year, Abreu's bat becomes incredibly important. If he hits in the second half, why let him go? His first half of the season has all but guaranteed you'll get him at well below his current $15 mill a year price tag and what are the chances that Abreu will continue to be as bad as he has looked this season? He is never hurt, keeps himself in very good condition, and when right is a perfect fit for this team. Now, if he falls apart completely in the second half, it would make little sense to keep him, but if he returns to his ways why not keep him around?

Abreu is a guy who thrives under the radar. As long as you can continue to take the pressure off of him, he could still thrive. Plus, he is only 33. That isn't old by any stretch these days and a player like Abreu, someone with no history of injury, seem to age very, very well. If he hits in the second half, who is to say that Abreu, who is a decent fielder in right with a good arm, couldn't be a productive player for the Yanks into his late 30's? And, again, it isn't as if the Yanks are awash with great young position player prospects in the outfield. They are far deeper at the infield positions than they are in the outfield.

Go get yourself a big Texan

The Yanks have a hole at first base. There's no question about that. Andy Phillips is a valuable off the bench player but he isn't a starter and never will be, no matter how much the Yanks build up his potential. Doug Mein-alphabet is injured and isn't the answer when healthy, Miguel Cairo filled in admirably for a few weeks but is still a fish out of water at the position, and Jason Giambi's future is as a full time DH, and possibly one for another team after this year.

That leaves a gapping hole at the corner spot.

Enter Mark Teixiera.

The big burly Texas Ranger is 27 year's old, a free agent after next year, a switch hitter with loads of power, a great defensive player, and a guy who desperately wants to go to a winner (meaning he wants out of Texas badly). He is a gritty player who gives his all each game and there is a good chance the star player has his best years ahead of him. By July 31 the Yanks should make getting this first baseman a priority.

Why? Isn't it pitching (especially the bullpen) that wins championships? Yes it is, but the days when a player like Teixeira is available on the market will be limited with the money in baseball right now and Teixeira helps this team right now and in the future. Think about this: If you trade for Teixeira and stick him at first base it gives the Yanks the BEST infield in the major leagues by far (granted Robinson Cano turns it around hitting wise). Now, going into next season, the Yanks would have Teixeira at a discount, having to pay him starting in 2009. By that time Giambi, Pavano, Damon and a whole host of other player's contracts will be off the books, meaning that, if you had to give Teixeira a $20 mill a year contract, the numbers wouldn't hurt that much when it happened to kick in. Let's say you convince A-Rod to accept a contract extension rather than opt out? That would give you an infield of A-Rod, Jeter, Cano, Teixeira for the next 8 years. That is an infield that could DOMINATE the majors for a long time to come. Now, let's say you don't convince A-Rod to stay and you let him go. Well, the blow of losing him is lessened by already have Tex there at first. He provides you with that big, young bat that you need, meaning that you aren't desperate for another bat come the beginning of next season.

A switch hitting first baseman who does it at the plate and on the field? What is there not to love that? Well, the one thing you don't like about it is that the Yanks would almost certainly have to give up one of their prized pitching prospects in any deal for the big righty, and Joba Chamberlain (who has quickly become the new Phil Hughes) would undoubtedly be at the top of that list. Would the Yanks give up such a prized prospect with a cannon for an arm? Well, the Yanks have a plethora of young, talented arms, and some of them MUST be used to acquire new talent. It will say a lot about Chamberlain if the Yanks put a Phil Hughes "don't even ask about him" label, but something for Teixeira should be figured out.

If your selling, someone is always buying

Last year the belief was the Yanks could never, ever get anything for Jason Giambi and his bloated contract (and considerable baggage). Come to find out, had the stocky left handed DH waived his no trade clause the Angels would have been very interested in acquiring him. It just proves that someone is ALWAYS ready to take on talented players, even when it seems like the odds of them regaining form are limited.

This leads us to the before mentioned Johnny Damon.

Again, I don't blame Johnny, but his body does seem to be breaking down. Now would be the time to consider moving him. Someone, somewhere would want the center fielder. He bring leadership and lead off hitting potential, and only two years left on his contract (meaning you aren't strapped into the guy for long if he doesn't pan out). Right now there is no doubt that Melky is the best center fielder on the team and, considering how bad Damon has been, it is hard to believe that Cabrera couldn't be a decent replacement at the top of the order for him. Damon will likely not regain control of the center field job again with the Yanks, making him a light hitting DH. That will just clog up the options available to the team and put Damon in a position not exactly suited for his overall success.

Trade Damon now, get something for him, commit to Melky in center, and begin the process of cutting ties with aged players who just can't do what you need them to do physically anymore.

Also, the Yanks have youngster Jose Tabatta in the minors right now, a star center field prospect who many have compared to the likes of Manny and Andruw Jones (without the considerable power of those two). He is already a GREAT defensive fielder and many feel that he is the future center field star for the team. That means that Melky AND Tabatta may be ready fo patrol the outfield for years to come. Damon is well liked and he is a gamer, but he is a chip the Yanks could move to get something back, even if it isn't the biggest prospect in the world.

It's Zambrano money

Something tells me the Cubs are gonna find a way to get a deal done with Zambrano before he hits the market, but if he doesn't the Yanks need to make him priority number one for the offseason. Zambrano is 25. He is a power pitcher with a gun for an arm and no history of injury problems. He is a horse who pitches well over 200 innings a season. And he is a gamer.

He would also bring a tremendous amount of character and attitude to a team that desperately needs it. Zambrano plays the game with passion without going out of his way to show anyone up. Sure, he may get into a fist fight with Jorge Posada in the 5th of every game, but so what? At least he would have the guts to stand up to Posada, as opposed to some more recent pitcher who chose to go behind his back with his problems:)

Now, Zambrano is going to demand a lot of money but he is worth it, and if the Yanks didn't bring back A-Rod the money would just about even out (especially if you got rid of Damon and brought Abreu back on a discount). Plus, if you decided to give up a Chamberlain in a deal for Teixeira, getting Zambrano would again lessen the blow because, at his best, Chamberlain would HOPE to be Zambrano.

If you could add a 25 year old Zambrano to a pitching staff that seems destined to already feature Chien Mein Wang and Phil Hughes, those are three top pitchers all under the age of 27 years old. That's not a bad pitching staff for the next 10 years at all.

So, if you're keeping score at home, if I had my way the 2008 season would open with this team:

CF Melky Cabrera

SS Derek Jeter

1B Mark Teixeira

3B Alex Rodriguez

LF Hideki Matsui

C Jorge Posada

RF Bobby Abreu

DH (hopefully not Giambi, whose contract the Yanks should buy out) for now, we'll say Shelley Duncan

2B Robinson Cano

Starting rotation:

Chien Mein Wang

Carlos Zambrano

Andy Pettite

Phil Hughes

Mike Mussina

Time for Torre to go...........but for who?

I love Joe Torre. Most Yankee fans do.

Sure, you can find flaws in his managerial style. His handling of a bullpen (and pitchers in general) has always been sub par. In the early days, when the likes of Mike Stanton, Jeff Nelson, Ramiro Mendoza made up the bridge to Mariano (who had previously made up the bridge to John Wetteland) a lot of those miscalculations were covered up. It didn't matter how he handled those guys because they were all great, big game pitchers who knew what to do without having to be told. You could bring them in in the fifth inning or the eighth inning, it didn't matter. Each one just knew how to get big outs.

Now the bullpen is made up of a motley crew of relative unknown quanities. Scott Proctor has talent and a penchant for getting hit in big spots. Brian Bruney is young and gifted but untested and certainly unproven. Luis Vizcaino is either over worked right now or just simply unable to pitch under the drianing lights of New York (by the way, Vizcaino, even though he has a more well rounded resume than some of the others in the pen, still is far from being a known entity). Kyle Farnsworth is an enigma; a pitcher who can ratchet up the the arm speed to top out at 100 MPH but falls in love with his amazingly average slider and routinely gets hit in big moments.

And then we have Mariano.

It is hard to gauge what Mariano is right now in 07. He is still throwing at 95MPH. He still has moments of brilliance. He can still dominate a game. And many of his problems might be due to the fact that, while the entire rest of the bullpen is overworked, he has been underworked. He needs more games, more moments to get his feel back.

But it is undeniable that Rivera is older and he won't be dominating forever. And while the end has seemed miles away, closers many times have the shelf life of a running back. They have years of greatness and then they fall off the horse all at once. There is nothing gradual about their decline. Rivera has stayed atop the game longer than any other closer in history but he might have fallen off that horse this year.

And with that, and everything else, the true lack of finesse Torre possess in terms of dealing with his bullpen is very much pronounced now. Talent, before, could make up for bad move or a rush to judgement. Now the bullpen needs a more skilled hand and Torre hasn't shown he has that.

Torre's "trust" in certain guys and his distrust of others also been both a blessing and a curse that has allowed him to stay with talented players through tough times, getting the most out of them when it counted and securing true loyalty while also attaching him to less talented players who burned the Godfather of Yankee land time and time again, only to be returned to a role they were obviously not suited for. His loyalty has also stymed younger players at times, especially pitchers, who are routinely given almost no leeway to make a mistake. On Thursday afternoon, as the Yankees were looking for a much needed win, rookie pitcher Matt DeSalvo, who had pitched two wonderful games prior, was struggling mightily against the Chicago White Sox. His pitch count was high but not dramatic. He had given up four runs. He had two outs in the fourth inning. And Torre decided to yank him (no pun intended) for the bullpen, a bullpen that continues to be the most used in baseball. Had that been Andy Pettite or Mike Mussina they would have remained in the game until they blew it up. DeSalvo, who showed a lot of promise in his previous two starts, was given no such vote of confidence. Maybe DeSalvo isn't that great to begin with, and maybe his previous two starts had been freak moments rather than glimpses into the future, but a little more confidence shown him at that moment certainly couldn't have hurt.

So Torre isn't perfect by any stretch. But he is loved, and he should be. The guy is a great coach.

But even great coaches run their course. They get older. They lose their edge. They lose the passion that made them great. I don't know if any of that is true for Torre but what is true is that his team, a team of superstars who many (including me) thought were the best in the AL this year, is 10 games back and looking at a season long battle to just make the playoffs. The Red Sox, in late May, may have already locked up the East. The AL Central features perhaps the best overall teams in the league, teams that seem destined to bring the wild card home to their division. It may take more wins to secure a playoff spot this year than the Yanks are capable of after this horrid, 18-22 start.

So now the question is what happens?

The answer? There is no quick fix. How do you fix Bobby Abreu, Robinson Cano, Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi all at one time? How do you get the team to combine good hitting with good pitching? How do you instill that sense of invincibility, where the players believe, no matter what, they can win the game rather than always believe they will come up one run short?

Replacing the manager probably won't fix that. But there is no denying that, whatever the situation, Torre's magic touch has certainly worn off. If he were fired today it would be justified, it would be acceptable, just as it would have been had it happened after the Tigers series.

Here's the truth, however; it isn't happening.

Here are two of the reason's why;

Roger Clemens - The Yanks made the return of Roger Clemens seem as dramatic as the return of Ceasar after his victory at Gaul. I mean, you would have thought Mickey Mantle had been resurrected and put in center field. It was over the top, annoying and idiotic, and this is coming from a Yankee fan. But the Yanks have invested A LOT in Clemens, win or lose, and Clemens has already said that, if Torre had been fired he would not have come back. Now the Yanks are gonna fire Torre and possibly annoy Clemens? Perhaps the Rocket wouldn't really care, allowing his $28 million to comfort him, but it seems unlikely the Yanks would upset the apple cart that much.

Replacements - Who is taking over? Don Mattingly? While Mattingly may certainly be the future of the Yankee clubhouse why would you throw Torre out to just replace him with a Torre clone? Mattingly and Torre might have two completely different philosophies on how to manage in game but there is no denying that Mattingly, temperment wise, seems cut from the same cloth and as bad as Torre may be in certain areas of managing he will be fired (if he is) not for his handling of the bullpen but for his laid back, blah attitude that looks calm and focused when the team is winning and almost comatose when the team is losing. Mattingly's time doesn't seem to be right now.

Joe Girardi? Again, a wonderful motivator and teacher, but certainly not a firey manager or an in-your-face personality. It also remains to be seen how well Girardi could manage a team still manned by many of his former teammates. Would he feel as free to be himself in a locker room with Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada and Mike Mussina as he did in a locker room filled with young Marlins with no real experience?

The only candidate that seems to make some sense would be Bobby Valentine, who would be controversial and perhaps even short lived, but he would get a lot out of his team, he would get a lot out of his players, he would push each player to be better, and his years in Yankee land would be filled with a lot of winning. But Valentine wouldn't seem to be available until at least after the season unless the Yanks could find a way to get him out of his contract in Japan, and even then the situation would be murky as the Yanks would have two seemingly untouchable coaches (Mattingly and Ron Guidry) who would be thrown together with Valentine, whether the three really liked it or not. Would Valentine agree to a situation like that? To manage the Yanks I would bet Yes, but it would still certainly be awkward at best.

How about Buck Showalter? He already had a run with the Yanks and was one of the architects of building the dynasty team. However, Buck can wear out his welcome both with players and management and, as he sits in the owners box in Cleveland (with a less than secure Charlie Manuel on the field) it would appear Buck already has a chance to perhaps coach a great young team in the future. Would he prefer the Yanks to the Indians? Probably, but he has been down that road already and perhaps he isn't thrilled at the idea of doing it again. However, it would make for an easier transition since Buck and Mattingly are already great friends and Guidry was also a favorite of Buck when the two conversed during spring training visits.

Either way, the line of succession doesn't seem to be one that lends itself to Torre being fired. After the season? Unless the Yanks make a huge comeback and win the world series it appears all but certain that he will be gone, and even with a huge comeback Torre might decide to walk away from the stress of the job anyway. All signs point to him being gone, the only question is, is it after the season or during? Right now, I would bet on Torre being there for the entire year.

Now A-Rod, that's a whole other story.