Derek Jeter Should be AL Player of the Month

Derek Jeter is on a war path this month and as of last night, shows no signs of slowing down.  He should absolutely be in the top 3 for AL player of the Month and I personally think he should win the award.  Here's why.

DJ has hit a staggering .420 through 4/25 with 34 hits, 10 for extra bases, all out of the lead off spot.  He has come through early and often, and he has come through late.  His 13 RBI are second on the team to Nick Swisher's league leading 21.  Again, coming out of the leadoff spot.  It is understandable that other hitters may have more HR's or Extra Base hits, but those individuals are generally hitting in lineups where everyone is hitting.  Derek has proven that he can hit against pitchers having stellar outings (see Darvish outing) and against both Lefties and Righties.  He's timing fastballs, and driving off speed pitches.  No one has figured out how to get him out consistently.  Right now, he looks like the 1999 version of Derek in which he hit .349.  His 34 hits are the highest in the league right now by 3.  The April he is putting together should not be forgotten and should be rewarded.

The above are the tangible reasons why Derek Jeter should be the AL player of the month, and I could write forever on the intangibles.  He's the Clubhouse leader, wise man, Captain, and primary reason the Yankees have 10 wins in the first month against a very tough schedule.  The man has been an absolute force and it is truly enjoyable to watch him hit.  His confidence at the plate is staggering, and young hitters who aren't bombing HR's should take notice.  At this point, anyone not thinking about Derek Jeter for AL Player of the Month should be seriously considering getting their heads checked.  He's been that good, and every moment of his resurgence at 37 should be enjoyed by all fans.

Osi There's the Door

ESPN NY
Been talking up the Giants team unity all week.  Dedicated players putting in time in the weight room and guys like Victor Cruz not holding out.  Appears we do have a bit of a situation with the biggest flip flopping Defensive End anyone has ever seen.  Loves the Giants - hates the contract.  Angry all year - wants to leave.  Wins Super Bowl - wants to stay.  Now its contract time - wants to leave.  I've heard this story before.  I touched on all this in my draft preview, but it might be time to pull the trigger on Osi Umenyiora.  For a guy who has essentially been a back up, he's been complaining about his contract situation for way to long.  Bottom line, he got hurt, JPP has stepped up big time, and the Giants are very good at developing athletic pass rushers.  I'm just surprised he keeps on talking about it like someone kicked his dog.

It really pains me to talk about Osi like this.  He's done so many good things, and of course you want to see him in Blue next season.  Watching him strip the ball from QBs is a thing of art.  Clearly he's got game.  Unfortunately, he just doesn't see that he's just a part of a larger QB sacking machine that is the Giants Front four.  Even as a starter elsewhere, I doubt he gets as many QB rushes, strips, or sacks as he does with the Giants.  I think he's just taken this contract talk public one too many times.  What happens now is just part of the business.

This is where the Giants should Sell High and convince some other team to take on the aging star.  At the end of the day, I hope they do trade him and get something of value.  I for one don't want to see any more articles written about his comments or contract situation.  It's a distraction and it's simply time for the Giants to reload at DE after Osi and Tollefson are gone.

GIANTS Draft Preview - Sorta

ESPN NY

Well there you have it folks, right there in this ESPN article.  Jerry Reese will draft based on talent and not on position.   The Giants have done the same thing for years and it seems to be bringing home the hardware, so why change?  Mel Kiper and Todd McShay are both going to have a heart attack with this one as they will finally have one spot in the draft that they can't drag out and blab about for days at a time.

Everyone knows the needs at RB, TE, ILB and maybe OL.  Osi really needs to take care of business or get off the pot with respect to his current contract situation and just come back to the team. Guy's been back and forth for months on where he wants to be and the whole dog and pony show is getting old.  What do we know?  He is going to get paid at some point and he obviously likes winning.  He's too smart to just take the money to go to some mediocre team where he'll get double teamed every game and barely break 5 sacks.  He's part of a successful system, and if he can't realize that, then, well, it's time to go Osi.  Saying you're bigger than the team is NOT in the Giants blueprint.  It's been real, you're really good, the Giants staff made you something special, but please don't let the door hit you on the way out.  

Glad I got that out of the way.  I was going to go on for days about players the Giants could draft, but then I'd just be wasting your time like the guys at ESPN struggling to fill daytime SportsCenter clips. I will, however, give my cubicle monkey two cents of the Giants draft when all is said and done.  Probably will give a meaningless A/B/C grade like every other media outlet out there too so get excited...

Eli Killin the Jokes

NJ.com
Eli Manning just killing the jokes these days.  Completely deadpanning the crowd about being the third most talked about QB in his own city despite winning 2 SBs.  Good prep for SNL, and overall, I'm hoping this just fuels the fire.

They say behind every joke is a sliver of truth.  And in this case, Eli is 100% right and I could not be any happier.  Not one bit.  2 Super Bowl trophies.  2 Super Bowl MVPs and still dealing with 'little bro' syndrome.  Fear not Eli Manning, the real sports fans in this town have your back 100%.  We are, however, greedy and want you to win a 3rd.  Let the Jets burn down the house with their silly out-dated wild cat offense.  Let them bring in a preacherboy backup QB and relegate him to special teams while the QB2 virginity tracker ticks away.  Let the rest of the cancers and hold outs drag the team down to a sub .500 level.

All I know is all the Giants are tweeting up a storm about being back together. Victor Cruz isn't holding out like some other CB I know.  Linemen are tweeting pictures of empty weight rooms while they're getting their reps in and, thank God (pun intended) no one is off writing sermons.  Not that that's not a bad thing, but it's certainly not a football thing.

So I hope you kill it on SNL.  I hope your DirecTV commercial with Deion is hysterical.  You will get your comeuppance at the White House next Month when THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES slips that Tiffany's Championship ring on your second ring finger, and when you're introduced in Canton someday as a 3x Super Bowl Champ.

Jorge Loves the Price is Right

So Laura Posada sent a tweet out about a special someone enjoying the Price is Right.  Obviously, this had to be the ultra-competitive Jorge.  Really though, everyone, and I mean everyone loves the Price is Right.  It's the perfect mix of sheer dumb luck (see Plinko) and a true understanding of the value of certain goods.  Capitalism in a 60 minute bit that only retirees, cubicle ridden bloggers, and All Star Catchers really get the benefit of enjoying.  Don't know what the Price is Right is you say?  Well you're probably working to hard...

Anyways, Mrs. Posada's reply got me thinking.  How about a Jorge Posada Price is Right Charity Auction to benefit the Jorge Posada Foundation?  Get a bunch of Miami and NYC's finest together and create a classed up version of the Price is Right.  The grand prize?  A chance to go toe to toe with Jorge himself in the Showcase Showdown.  We get the booze flowing, the laughs going, and someone gets to go home with a new jet ski or boat to add to their already massive collection.  We auction off some autographed Yankees gear, invite Derek, Andy and the whole crew, and bingo, bango, bongo we got ourselves a grand ol time and a million bucks for a good cause.  If this isn't the event of the season, I don't know what is.  Sign me up!

PS - Thanks to Laura for responding to my tweet.  Jorge is and always be an idol of mine.  Hardwork and 100% fire to win.  Hope all is well down South!

Oh and would you look at that?

$1 Million to Get It On With QB2??

CNBC
Some girl is going to get $1 MILLION dollars to prove that she stole QB2's V-Card. You heard that right.  Now, roughly every single psychotic girl in NYC will be chasing QB2 around trying to score. On the road, girls will literally be hanging on this guy no matter where he goes.  Even if he's off preaching somewhere in remote Africa, women will be throwing themselves at him to get a piece of that $1Million pie. This should really do wonders for him on the field now that every girl is secretly trying to prove his off the field performance.  Seriously though, how does a girl prove this?  At the end of the day, there's pretty much no chance this guy is going to ever be able to find a sane girlfriend.  He's brought this all on himself and there's now a $1 million bounty on the most private aspect of his life.  Keep up the good work in Jetland.

PS - Somewhere, Antonio Cromartie is just like 'Damn....'

CC in Command and Jeter Rolling in Win

CC Sabathia is definitely a warm weather pitcher.  He brought his A game tonight and shut down a very powerful Texas offense.  All around, a very commanding performance and a solid victory for the Yankees.  Also, Derek Jeter continues his torrid start.  Just to illustrate how good he's been, he could go 0 for his next 28 and still be hitting .300.  The man is on a warpath.  I've been tweeting about it a lot and with a couple more solid games, he should be in the running for AL player of the month.  He's been that good and it's great to see him doing what he is.  Overall a great win by the Yanks.  Not many downsides in this game.

Not Our Problem : Brandon Jacobs Involved in 'Death Race'

Wait Driving 110MPH isn't Allowed?

NBCSports
Brandon Jacobs did something stupid?  No way.  Apparently Brandon thought it'd be a good idea to speed down the Garden State Parkway with 30 friends in exotic sports cars in a late night jaunt to Atlantic City.  Sounds like they had a police escort with them too.  While that's a whole different story for a whole different audience, Ol' Brandon has found himself square in the middle of an investigation.  Just Brandon being Brandon really.  Putting his clearly backwards thought process before anyone or anything else.  Used to only be a threat to opposing DBs, Safeties, and fans within throwing distance of his helmet.  Now he's tearing down the GSP with a police escort in his Lambo putting innocent old folk at risk in a stunt being dubbed the 'Death Race'.  Not a good look for anyone heading into San Fran.  At the end of the day, a good exotic car race with his buddies will soon be a thing of the past for Brandon, as I don't think there are any corrupt cop escorts available for hybrid racing in SF.

3 Game Set a True Texas Test

What Nolan Ryan has done in Texas is truly impressive.  He's taken his fire throwing Hall of Fame career and infused his mindset into a quality ball club.  The Rangers can flat out rake.  Guys like Hamilton, Young, and Napoli are offensive juggernauts. Currently, they have 6 position players hitting over .300 and are sporting a healthy 13-3 record. 

The Yanks will put out their 'alleged' top 3 in CC, Kuroda, and Hughes.  CC will have to be 5th inning CC very early or this team will punish him.  He needs to establish his fastball and deliver a performance to set the tone for the series.  Hiroki Kuroda goes Tuesday against fellow countryman Yu Darvish, which will be a Japanese media frenzy.  The experienced hurler versus the up and comer could be a good matchup if he pitches as well as he did at the home opener.  Finally, Phil Hughes will close out the set.  This is scary.  He needs to miss more bats and bring it to stay in the rotation.  Another battering could be psychologically difficult on him, and the Rangers do not need any additional confidence against the AL East Yankees. 

No doubt the Yankees bats will need to stay hot down in Texas to come away with a series victory.  These games could be high scoring and the Yanks will need to do whatever possible to get their pitchers settled in with some run support and early.  All in, it should be a good display of two teams playing very well.  Taking 2 out of 3 in Texas would be a great early season accomplishment.  Let's hope the Yanks  get a couple Ws.

Rain Out and Some Thoughts on Beer and Chicken

Well the rain is coming down, and the Yankees will get to leave Boston on the early side as tonight's game has been postponed.  Pretty amusing because it gives the Red Sox no chance to even salvage their dignity in the 3rd game.  Apparently even Mother Nature is against Bobby V. and the Sox.

The above picture has been floating around quite a bit, and it's hysterical.  However, it's really not even a question.  Chicken is delicious.  Especially fried chicken.  If I didn't have chicken I'd probably starve to death.  Beer?  Beer is probably one of the greatest things man has ever invented.  The world could literally be falling apart around me and if I had a beer in my hand, I'd probably just shrug it off.  Beer is definitely what got me through yesterday's first 5 innings before the magic happened.  So, apologies to Bobby V.  I'm going with beer and chicken every day of the week.  No need for a burned out loud mouth coach in my daily life. 

The whole beer and chicken thing is, on a whole, really funny.  Think about it.  People have gone ballistic over a couple of guys drinking beer and eating chicken.  90% of guys do that every single day of the week.  If I eat a meal, there's a high probability there's some chicken involved.  The odds are  similar that my drink of choice is an ice cold brewsky.  If a pitcher wants a cold one after throwing 100+ pitches and working his tail off, that's no problem at all.  Even a good nutritionist will probably tell their clients they can have a 'cheat' meal on a weekly basis.  It's really not a big deal but clearly it has entered the sports news stratosphere and won't be coming down for some time.  Fortunately for NYers, it just happened to go down in Boston.