by Eddie Mayrose

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…

Remember when we thought that failing to sign LeBron James was the worst that could happen to the Knicks this summer?  Now come whispers from Madison Square Garden that owner James Dolan has taken under consideration the rehiring of Isiah Thomas, perhaps the most incompetent employee the Knicks have ever seen.  Fans can only hope the rumor is a test balloon being floated by Little Jimmy to gauge public reaction.  Prayers might be more appropriate.

Thomas’ bumbling as President and coach was epic.  So much so, that, burying the Knicks in a salary cap mess that required the sacrifice of two full seasons to undo was not even close to his greatest failure.  Nor was the trading away of  so many draft picks that the roster was barren of any players that might have James consider coming to the Big Apple.  Rather, it was his sexual harassment of team exec Anucha Brown Sanders that resulted in a settlement of $11 million and a blight on one of the league’s most storied franchises that is Isiah’s legacy.

So, if Dolan is actually mulling Thomas’ rehiring, if he continues to act like the little rich boy born on third yet thought he hit a triple, if he refuses to acknowledge that New Yorkers paying the league’s highest ticket prices deserve more than one playoff appearance per decade, why should any player, fan or league executive take him seriously?

“How Do You Like Me Now?”

Just a suggestion to those Yankee fans that turned a blind eye to A.J. Burnett’s largely disappointing  ’09 season while vilifying Javier Vasquez as someone that couldn’t win in New York.  It’s time to wipe the pie off of your faces.  Oh, and Curtis Granderson is going to light up the second half, so, you might want to jump on that bandwagon while there’s still room.

New York Mets Stall As Manuel Mishandles ‘Pen

As the Mets limp home from the 2-9 West Coast trip that may have dashed their NL East title hopes, questions abound regarding Jerry Manuel’s handling of the team.  First, despite a staggering total of twelve walk-off losses, Manuel still refuses to use his closer, Francisco Rodriguez, in a tie game on the road; instead, managing to the save rule for no reason other than managing to the save rule.  Last Saturday, the Dodgers knocked off the Amazins on a 13th inning homer by James Loney off of Oliver Perez.  Yes, the same Perez the Mets placed on the DL because they couldn’t find another reason to keep him off the mound.  Yet, there was Perez in a pivotal game while Rodriguez, Manuel’s best available pitcher, languished in the bullpen simply because the score was tied.

Then there’s the case of Luis Castillo. While many factors contributed to the Mets’ slide, there’s no denying the correlation between Castillo’s presence and the team’s fortunes.  The hottest stretch of the season coincided with the second baseman’s trip to the DL; just as his return marked the beginning of the current slump.  Now, I understand that his ridiculous contract is untradable but anyone managing on a level above Tee Ball should realize that batting Castillo second is a recipe for disaster.  He is no longer a Major League hitter, grounding out to shortstop  with the frequency of a coach hitting infield practice.

Whether Manuel, or GM Omar Minaya for that matter, holds on to his job after this latest debacle is anyone’s guess.  But, the skipper need only to look at the stubbornly flawed way in which he constructed his lineup as the reason for the pink slip that might come his way.

by Moonlight Graham

Moonlight regular, Joe Mreczko, posed a question about pitchers that might be able to help his Fantasy Baseball team over the second half of the season.  It’s actually a two-sided question, as any Fantasy Baseball owner should be just as worried about the hurlers to avoid as the ones to target.  So, in order to help Joe work his way past all of the Phillie cheese steaks in his league, here’s a special, Moonlight, second half preview from sixty feet six inches.

Grab Bag

Any list of post All Star Break Studs has to begin with Johan Santana as the Mets’ ace is 64-19 over his career in the second half.  Don’t be fooled by his mundane 8-5 record, either. He’s suffered eight no decisions in which he’s allowed just nine runs.  Use his struggles to your advantage by grabbing him from J-Roller frustrated to this point.

Detroit’s Max Scherzer must have been given a magic elixir upon being sent to the minors a little more than a month ago as he suddenly discovered the velocity that had been missing through the early part of the season.  Since his return, Scherzer is 4-3 while averaging 7 K per start.  His numbers still appear unimpressive because of the slow start so, he may come cheap.

Javier Vasquez has spent half a season seeking the approval of ignorant Yankee fans convinced he didn’t belong in the rotation.  He’s the #2 starter now, (as predicted here in February), but may still be undervalued.  Go out and grab him.

In Colorado, Jorge de la Rosa has disappointed this year, languishing on the DL for more than two months with an injured finger. Keep in mind that he was the NL’s best lefty after the ’09 break.  His climbing strikeout totals over four starts give every indication he’s on that road again.

Drop Zone

While Tampa Bay’s David Price has enjoyed a first half solid enough to garner him the starting nod at the All Star Game, he may suffer a setback due to the Rays’ coddling of him during his Minor League career.  He’s soon to venture well above any total of innings pitched in his career; a situation.  Obviously, as a young stud, he can’t be traded in a keeper league but in a non keeper, I’d sell high.

Yankee pie man A.J. Burnett has had two stellar seasons in his career, each of them in the last year of his contract.  Sadly, that’s not the case in 2010 and Burnett is stinking up the Bronx for a second straight year.  Don’t expect a turnaround as the season winds down.

Over the season’s first two months, Mike Pelfrey gave the Mets every reason to think he was finally realizing the potential that made him a first rounder; ridding himself of the emotional demons that plagued his early career.  In the last month, however, he’s reverted back to the hand-licking, batting practice pitcher that’s afraid to throw a strike with a man on base. If you can find a taker, send him packing.

College Basketball Winners and Whiners

What’s better than the opening of the NCAA Tournament?  Not only does it signal the beginning of the best event on the sports calendar, it brings to a close the four days of whining we are forced to endure annually from the coaches that feel their teams were unfairly excluded.  Here’s a thought, guys.  Beat someone.

For the second year in a row, Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg is telling anyone who’ll listen that his Hokies got the short end of the stick.  He counters the argument that his non-league schedule included a few high schools by pointing out that his squad had a better record than NCAA-bound Wake Forest and even beat the Deacons head to head.  That’s fine.  However, with the Big Dance on the line, they got knocked out of the ACC tournament by Miami; the worst team in the league.  So, spare us all, coach.  You had your shot and blew it.  Don’t expect the Selection Committee to clean up your mess.

As for the Tourney, itself, I have to agree with ESPN’s Jay Bilas, who points out that the field is flooded with weak, at-large teams.  While that should make for an interesting first round, it will, ultimately, allow the heavyweights to advance with little resistance.  I like Wisconsin, Duke, Kansas and Pittsburgh to make the trip to Indianapolis.  Given my history, however, you’d be wise to eliminate all four from your brackets.

New York Yankees’ Rotation Upside Down

I get a kick out of the idea that Javier Vasquez, one of the game’ top ten pitchers over the last decade, will somehow be the fourth starter in the Yankee rotation. Bombers’ fans take issue with the fact that he was the losing pitcher in Game 7 of their epic collapse at the hands of the Red Sox in 2004.  What they forget is that Vasquez garnered an All Star bid off of his first half performance and pitched through shoulder pain for much of the second half of that season.  The thought that either A.J. Burnett or Andy Pettitte is better than the righthander acquired from the Braves is laughable.  Sit back and enjoy this guy, Yankee fans, as he and C.C. Sabathia will give you the best one-two punch in all of baseball.

“I Know You Are But What Am I?”

Caught the YouTube video of the dust-up between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras at a charity tennis match last week.  After watching each become furious with the other over comments dealing with how they walked and spent their money, I got a good laugh wondering what NHL or NFL players might think of the little, snippy, hissy fits thrown by both.  Another reason, I guess, that I wouldn’t watch tennis on a bet.

New York Giants To Play Inaugural Game

When I saw that the Jets had lost a coin flip with the Giants that determined which of the two would open their new stadium I thought immediately of The Honeymooners.  In the episode where Ralph and Norton share the cost of a new television, the TV ends up in the Kramdens’ apartment as the result of a coin flip in which Ralph tells Ed, “Heads I win, tails you lose.”  As if the Jets ever had a chance of hosting the first game.

Speaking of Gang Green, GM Mike Tannenbaum deserves kudos for signing LaDainian Tomlinson.  While LT is clearly on the decline, he’ll be a mentor for Shonn Greene while giving the Jets some insurance against the possible departure of Leon Washington.

Some have wondered why Thomas Jones was released, given that Tomlinson received similar money.  They are two very different backs.  Jones would have been competing for a starting job with Greene; a runner of identical style, while Tomlinson comes in as the backup and gives the offense more versatility.  Loyal Cheap Seaters know that it’s not often I’ve got good things to say about the Jetsies but, this time, they got it right.

High School Basketball Has Room For Compassion

It’s the toughest thing a high school coach has to do.  Despite all of his competitive instincts and the months spent prodding and cajoling his team to strive for excellence, when it comes to an elimination game, he must recognize and concede to defeat before his players do; especially the seniors.  It is his shoulder they’ll need to lean on when they make the heartbreaking realization that their season has run its course; that the daily routine of practice and bonding with teammates has suddenly been taken away.  It’s all the more poignant when it occurs at the end of a long playoff run; standing in stark contrast to the success already gained.  It’s where Steve Oliver, rookie basketball coach at Fontbonne Hall Academy in Brooklyn, found himself last Saturday as his girls trailed badly in the semi finals of the NY State Catholic Championship.

After garnering the first New York City B title in school history, Oliver’s Bonnies were paired with Sacred Heart of Valley Stream, LI;  a sharp shooting opponent whose size would be very difficult for Fontbonne to handle under the best of circumstances.  That they would also have to overcome the loss of their point guard and lead defender to a knee injury in the first two minutes made the task nearly impossible.  For Oliver, he would not only be forced to juggle his remaining players but also his emotions, as the injured star was his daughter, Jill.

With its top scorer, Katie Henderson, now handling the ball, Oliver’s squad struggled to find good shots against the Sacred Heart zone.  Worse, without Jill Oliver,  the Bonnies had to abandon the aggressive man to man defense that had become their trademark throughout the championship run.  Taylor Higgins took full advantage as she dropped a number of three point bombs in leading the Long Island school with 21 points.

With three minutes left, the Fontbonne players had still made no concession to the game’s outcome.  Despite their fatigue, they continued to dive on loose balls and press from end to end;  but their coach had seen enough.  He removed his seniors, each of whom received a warm ovation, and then the rest of the starters that had played most of the contest.  “I wanted to speak to each of the seniors; to thank them”, he said after the game.  He also wanted to remind them of the great season they’d had.  “Tremendous year. The girls gave me everything they had.”  He’d also given them everything he had, and, as he carried his injured daughter out of the gym, it was obvious that she wasn’t the only Bonnie in good hands.