Pitchers Impressive For Both Teams in Yanks-Phils Spring Tilt

Counting the remaining spring training games and the regular season schedule to come there are "only" about 170 games until the first round of American and National League playoffs. At that point we will not have even gotten to the World Series. But, last night's spring match-up of the reigning world champion Yankees and their foe from just south on I-95, the Phillies, gave a glimpse of what could be, again.

Pitching was the name of the game. MLB bio says Phillies veteran lefty Jamie Moyer was born 11/18/62. You do the math. To say Moyer has been around a long time is a bit understated. Moyer is the definition of a crafty southpaw. His fastball, if he really muscles up and tries extra hard, might crack 82 mph. But, his ability to change speeds with his off-speed pitches, then spot an occasional "fast ball" (relative terms) with impeccable precision keeps betters off-balance. That's the name of the game.

To see him in-person is even more impressive. The Yankees lineup facing him was legitimate. The only non-starter hitting against Moyer was back-up catcher Francisco Cervelli. Other than that, Moyer stared down the 27-time World Champions and set them down quietly. He twirled 6-2/3 innings, grudgingly giving up just a first inning single,issued no walks while striking out six. If the Yankees did get a piece of he ball the southpaw's finesse induced soft fly balls from power hitters Mark Teixeirea and Alex Rodriguez and routine infield grounders from everyone else.

Just a day prior to this ballgame the Yanks announced that young righty Phil Hughes would fill the last remaining starting pitching slot which was hotly contested throughout spring among four NY hopefuls, including Job Chamberlain. Hughes came out strong throwing all hard stuff, moving it in and out while doing a good job of keeping it down in the strike-zone. In just three innings of work Hughes struck out five. In addition to whiffing Rollins a second time, Hughes also mowed down all-stars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jason Werth. He gave up one earned run and yielded two hits. The only stat to mar a good performance was his four bases on balls. Strangely, Hughes wasn't wild; he was just missing and the Phillies exhibited good patience and plate discipline. The fact Hughes only gave up one run in spite of four bases on balls showed he pitched aggressively and got a strikeout or key ground ball when he needed it.

The oddity of spring training baseball is that for both the manager and the players these games are still basically a practice. Evidence was Yankee closer supreme, Mariano Rivera, who came in to work the sixth inning. Usually Rivera is still in the bullpen spitting sunflower seeds until warming up in the eighth inning. But, Girardi wanted to let Mo get some good work in against the middle of the Phils lineup while their starters were still in the game. Rivera responded with a perfect inning including one strikeout while throwing just 10 pitches. Efficient and sharp was Rivera.

All in all, for a spring training game, it was a great game to watch. We had the two starting pitchers, with 20-some years difference between their ages, pitching with completely different styles, and doing so very well. Then we see one of the game's greatest relief pitchers on display doing his thing and doing so against the best possible competition, the heart of the NL champions line-up, and he just did his job as we have come to expect.

You can't beat fun at the old ballpark.

When I watched the Yankee infield toss the ball around and get it back to the pitcher in-between innings I couldn't help but think how many times Cano, Jeter and A-Rod will do this over and over again as the marathon of the baseball season plays out. Only 170 games until the post-season.

NCAA Hoops: We Should All Believe Enough to Practice What We Preach

The most exciting long weekend in the college basketball season just wrapped up as the NCAA Men's National Tournament quickly whittled its field of 65 hopefuls down to the "Sweet Sixteen."

I don't want to say I told you so, but...I told you so. If you scroll down about three posts before this, or click the link for archives on the right, "Knockin' On Hoops Heaven Door" you'll see the advice that was offered on this blog way back on March 9th. In a nutshell it said that this year's NCAA tournament was not as strong overall, aside from a few of the #1 seeded teams it lacked the great depth and quality of teams, and for these reasons there really wasn't any surprise win that would be considered a major upset amongst all of the teams seeded between 3 and 14.

So, where do we stand now? Beginning last Thursday and finishing up on Sunday night we were treated to great athletic entertainment thanks to CBS' wall to wall coverage. The end result has four teams that were seeded 9th or higher among the 16 teams still dancing. The four vying for permanent ownership of Cinderella's slipper are #9 Northern Iowa, #10 St. Mary's of California, #11 Washington, and #12 Cornell University. The Ivy League Big Red handled Temple in round one and Big Ten rough-houser Wisconsin in the second round to advance.

Members in the count of heavy casualties are #1 seeded Kansas, #2 Villanova, and three #3 seeds--New Mexico, Georgetown and Pittsburgh. The KU Jayhawks fell to Northern Iowa in the second round, Villanova tumbled to St. Mary's also in round two, as did New Mexico drop at the hands of Washington while Georgetown was ousted in the opening round by Ohio.

In all honesty, I had Kansas going all the way and Georgetown and Villanova getting to the Elite Eight. So much for me believing what I put our here in public. Maybe I need to listen to myself and practice what I preached. Any chance we can begin new brackets starting with the Sweet Sixteen?

Oregon Ducks' Promise for 2010 FB Season Headed South

There’s an old English proverb that says, “An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.” For University of Oregon star quarterback Jeremiah Mesoli his brain could not have even been idling recently. Maybe the ignition was completely turned off.

Last season Mesoli led the Ducks to their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1995. As a celebrated dual-threat QB he passed for 2,147 yards and 15 touchdowns while also rushing for 668 yards and 13 touchdowns. There was even some talk of Mesoli being part of the Heisman Trophy conversation based on the promise of a great 2010 season. If you take Mesoli out of Oregon’s prolific “Quack Attack” offense it can barely chirp.

But, now the Ducks will be looking for a new man to take the helm for 2010 despite Mesoli still having another year of eligibility. Last Friday Oregon head coach Chip Kelly suspended his top signal-caller for the entire 2010 season after Mesoli pleaded guilty to second- degree burglary in the theft of a pair of laptop computers and a guitar from a campus fraternity. Masoli pleaded guilty as part of a deal that reduced his charge from a felony to a misdemeanor. His partner-in-crime, literally, was receiver Garrett Embry, who pleaded to the same charge. Both will serve 12 months of probation, 140 hours of community service and pay $5,000 in restitution. Was it really worth it for Mesoli to throw away everything that he had going for him to illegally acquire a couple of laptops and a guitar?

It’s no secret that the off-season, that part of a college athlete’s school year when he is not going through a full regiment of practices and/or games, most lends itself to players finding their way into trouble. Oregon may be on pace to set a new record for players being sentenced to some degree of probation, or being suspended, or dismissed from the team.

From personal experience I can attest to the fact that assistant football coaches and head coaches are much more sensitive to getting phone calls at odd hours during the winter and summer months because their players have much more free time. If someone had the time and resources to compile stats on the number of scrapes with a the law that occur during the fall season, or even during spring ball, compared to true off-seasons like winter and summer, the number would shock you. You are all familiar with the “police blotter” report in local newspapers—drunk driving, assault, burglary. Well, you’ll find the same thing permeating sports pages thanks to the off-season adventures of a small percentage of college players.

Masoli and the rest of the out of bounds Ducks prove a great point that some kids, or whatever name you want to hang on these 18-22 year olds, need structure. Yes, they need to mature, handle responsibility and do all of the things that should happen when living their own lives away from their homes. But, for those who argue that some college football coaches are too demanding, too structured, too over-bearing on their players, just Google recent news stories on Oregon football and be prepared to spend some time there. It is certainly not a quick-read. Given the tremendous amount of notoriety at stake when players misrepresent their college athletic program and university, it’s no wonder coaches work incessantly to drive home important values and discipline. Coaches can’t be 24/7 baby-sitters.

Great Player, Even Better Person--Fearsome Foursome's Olsen Passes On

I was really saddened when I learned of the news of Merlin Olsen’s death on Thursday, March 11th. Olsen died from a cancer of the lung, mesothelioma, which is traced to his exposure to asbestos while he worked as a youth and young adult on construction sites.

Olsen, 69, was one of the players I most enjoyed watching back in the day when there were just two networks televising NFL games. There weren’t many regionally broadcast games, just an Eastern Time zone game and one later for the west coast. So, when the Rams were on it was a treat to watch him and his fellow “Fearsome Foursome” defensive linemen.

My basis for writing this, I really believe if Merlin Olsen played in this era of “24/7 sports” his popularity and legend would be off the charts. Because of the incredibly vast amount of video highlights, analysis, sports talk radio--you name it; today’s NFL players are often over-hyped relative to their actual abilities. After all, we have to have some “wow” factor, even if it is a little inflated in order to help keep highlights reels rolling and people tuning in throughout the day.

Merlin Olsen was as highly a decorated defensive lineman as there was when he played collegiately at Utah State and then in his 15-year NFL career with the Rams. Friends who knew him best often referred to him as being “larger than life” because his personality and character off the field was as admired and respected as his intensity and skill on the field. Olsen was a consensus All-American at Utah State and he won the 1961 Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation's best interior lineman. That’s no small feat coming out of a school like Utah State. The Rams drafted him third overall in 1962 and he spent the next 15 years with the team. He is still the franchise's career leader in tackles with 915. He was selected to an amazing string of 14 straight Pro Bowls, a streak that began with his rookie year.

The storied "Fearsome Foursome" Rams defensive line, Olsen along with Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier, was known for either stopping or turning back most offenses it faced. The Rams set an NFL record for the fewest yards ever allowed during a 14-game season in 1968.

Olsen’s laundry list of accolades is too long to mention in entirety, but some of the highlights of accomplishments and individual recognition he earned are: being voted NFC defensive lineman of the year in 1973, MVP of the entire league in 1974, and being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Another remarkable achievement for a big man who played in the trenches every single snap of the football game, Olsen missed just two, yes two, games in his entire career.

A bright guy who graduated Utah State summa cum laude, Olsen’s post-football career was unlike any other star defensive lineman. He did color commentary for NFL games on NBC and was teamed with their #1 broadcast team. He went into acting and played alongside Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert in “Little House on the Prairie” and then his own show, “Father Murphy.” But, the thing I remember most—and it is a testament to his terrific mass appeal—Olsen was the main pitchman for FTD florists for years. How many defensive linemen today do you see promoting a florist for your Mother’s Day needs? Olsen did because he was a big, believable, sincere man.

Combine Merlin Olsen’s superior ability as a professional football player, his high level of intelligence and the ability to verbalize effectively as a broadcaster and actor, and team that with his gentle giant persona in his personal life—he was one of a kind. I’ll never forget #74 of the Rams.

Knockin' On Hoops Heaven Door & Theater of Absurd Comes to NYC

With the playing of this week’s conference championship tournaments, leading up to the NCAA basketball's “Selection Sunday”, the next few weeks is often termed one of the greatest segments in the yearly sports calendar. By Sunday night we will know which teams’ names will be plotted on the millions of NCAA Tournament brackets posted on kitchen refrigerators, office walls, cubicle bulletin boards and college dorm room walls.

The consistent message from college hoop insiders and analysts is that this year’s tournament field is not nearly as deep and strong as some in the past. To that point, when addressing the top of the ladder Dick Vitale, Jay Bilas, Bob Knight and others who study this for a living all seem to agree that Kansas, Syracuse and Kentucky will nail down three of the four #1 seeds. The fourth top spot is still to be determined this weekend. Barring an unfortunate stumble Duke appears to be the leader for that slot.

Several experts believe that once you get past the top two seeds in the four regions, there is great parity among the rest. This leads to the thinking that when Casual Fan fills out his/her brackets for their pool entries they can no longer just rely on picking the higher seeded team and feeling as though they have a real good chance of being right. The insiders believe that from seeds 3 through 14 there may not be anything that would truly fall into the major upset category because of the lack of overall strength and depth throughout the field. So, you are fore-warned. Maybe take a shot at some of those seeds with bigger numbers next to their name. After all, that’s what eventually determines different bracket point totals. Someone has to pick a surprise winner or two to shake things up.

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When you think of great theater in New York you think of Broadway, “The Great White Way.” But, from the theater of the absurd New York’s Yankee Stadium brings you its inaugural Pinstripe Bowl, a college football bowl game to be played this Dec. 30 and televised by ESPN.

The game will match the No. 3 team in the Big East and the No. 6 school in the Big 12, excluding Bowl Championship Series participants.

Why is this absurd? Let’s remember, people, that bowl games were born as a means of providing a post-season get-away for teams and their fans to go somewhere warm to play a game in the dead of winter. Weather stats tell us that the average temperature for late December in New York is just above freezing at 35 degrees. I bet those Big 12 Conference schools are fired up for this one. How about all of you Texas schools...interested? About the only schools that might see NYC as being warmer than their home climate would be Nebraska (who is not destined to finish low enough to qualify for this bowl) and Iowa State (whose fans would probably show up in short sleeves compared to their normal dress for the near zero wind chills of central Iowa).

There is no doubt that the week leading up to the bowl game would be enjoyable. Holiday time in NYC for those who haven’t experience it is magical. But, keep in mind, if you attend the game at Yankee Stadium you won’t be able to pop into any one of the thousands of coffee shops, restaurants, or department stores to warm-up like you can when strolling and shopping the avenues of the Big Apple. You’ll be in the Bronx, baby, and there’s nothing for you to do but sit bundled up in your baseball stadium seat clutching a lukewarm cup of previously hot chocolate.

The only bowl games played in such a northern climate are indoors in Detroit and Toronto. When I attended a baseball game in the "new" Yankee Stadium last year I don't remember seeing a roof, nor did I hear rumors of one being added. Hmmm.

Shorts Shots On: Super Bowl Winner, Curse of Billy Goat & Tebow's Challenge

Here it is only about a month after the Super Bowl and, for me, the short-lived glow of a very good game has been long gone. It really jarred me when I was on the SI.com website (one of my favorite sports news/features sites) and I saw their promo ad for all of the Super Bowl winning team souvenir stuff they pedal if you sign-up for a new magazine subscription. You know, the team’s Super Bowl DVD, a painted up football, and the commemorative hardbound book. I did a double-take because it was all New Orleans Saints.

Then, after taking brief pause it occurred to me that, yes, it was the Saints who toppled the Indianapolis Colts and brought the Vince Lombardi Trophy home to their beloved “Crescent City.” (I like that moniker a lot better than “the Big Easy”…something just a little disturbing about that term)

The Saints had a great year, no question. But aside from the loyal fans down on the bayou, once the Super Bowl was over their flame on a national level went from blazing, to flicker, to out in a hurry. It’s no one’s fault. Coach Sean Payton, Drew Brees and everyone tied to the Saints are to be given every accolade we can bestow on them. The fact that the Saints were not so long ago the “Aints” should make their story one for the ages. It was just that in December, January and early February. Now, for whatever reason, I had to be reminded that they actually reached the summit that every NFL employee strives to achieve. Sorry, Saints. I still applaud you. Great season—great job.

Baseball spring training camps are in full swing. OK Chicago Cubs fans, this is your year! I have been hearing that for about 50 years, less than half of the total years since your last World Series title which was over a century ago in 1908. How about last World Series appearance? 1945, you say? Correct.

*In Game 4 of the 1945 Series, the “Curse of the Billy Goat” was allegedly laid upon the Cubs when owner P.K. Wrigley ejected Billy Sianis, who had come to Game 4 with two box seat tickets, one for him and one for his goat. They paraded around for a few innings, but Wrigley demanded the goat leave the park due to its unpleasant odor. Upon his ejection, Mr. Sianis uttered, "The Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs lost Game 4, lost the Series, and have not been back since. (*Thanks to Wikipedia).

As QB at the University of Florida, Tim Tebow led his Gators to unparalleled success in his four years at the helm. He accounted for 88 touchdowns, threw only 16 career interceptions and completed 66% of his passes. He earned a Heisman Trophy as a sophomore and the led the Gators to their 2008 national championship.

Now he is facing incredible scrutiny by the NFL personnel offices as they evaluate his once less-than classic throwing motion, and even more his commitment to re-make his motion with the help of many recognized former NFL coaches. Every coach with whom Tebow has worked to develop a more consistent, quicker, efficient delivery has remarked how greatly impressed they are by Tebow’s passion, coach-ability, work ethic, and willingness to do whatever it takes to improve. Just as the former Gator signal-caller provided the intangibles for him and his teammates to raise their individual and collective performances, the ex-pro coaches all believe Tebow will overcome this new challenge, too. For an ultimate competitor like Tebow, who also possesses a great deal of natural athletic ability, telling him he can’t do something, or can’t be something is all he needs to step up, meet and defeat the challenge.