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.

There was a huge shift in the universe last week as the boys from the Hausier’s Krowedum Fantasy Baseball League sat down at the Manor Restaurant for their annual draft.  The three time defending champion Master Batters, huge proponents of spending early picks on outfielders, turned their attention instead to the new position of power in Fantasy Baseball;  the Corner Infield; especially First Base.

That Evan Longoria was the object of the Batters’ affection in the first round of their Fantasy Baseball Draft was indication of a huge change at the top of Fantasy Baseball rankings as well as the direction in which many Fantasy Baseball owners are headed this season in assembling their teams.  To be sure, studs still reside at the top of the Outfield list but not in the abundance with which we’ve become accustomed over recent years.

“You have to adjust on the fly, both before and during a Fantasy Draft”, said Batters’ owner, Bobby Carr.  “We’ve made our living by loading up on Outfielders before people realized waiting was foolish.  But, this year, that theory just didn’t hold up.  We’d have been much weaker had we waited on the Corner Infielders than the outfield.  We just thought we’d be much stronger with Longoria and Justin Upton than with Matt Kemp and Aramis Ramirez.”

Now, who is Moonlight to question a squad that has won six of its league’s last eight titles?  Let’s take a look at the Outfielders available in 2010.

Fantasy Baseball Studs

Since his call-up in 2008, Ryan Braun has put up the same numbers as Alex Rodriguez. With few exceptions, Braun should be the fourth pick in most drafts. Matt Holliday re-upped with St. Louis after lighting up the NL Central following his mid-season acquisition last year.  Expect even more production as Holliday takes his spot between Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick in the Cards’ order.

Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

Seattle’s Franklin Gutierrez is a 27 year old with 20-20 potential who’ll bat at the top of the Mariners’ order. It’s amazing to see him at the bottom of many mock drafts.  Take advantage.  A disappointing 2009 has driven down the value of Reds’ prospect Jay Bruce. Yet, despite missing two months with a broken wrist, he popped 23 HR.  He’s in a great hitters’ park and still just 23.  Focus on his strong September and scoop him late.

Fantasy Baseball Slippers

In Tampa, B.J. Upton hit 24 HR in ’07 then 20 combined over the last two years.  He spent ’09 in Joe Maddon’s doghouse and then some in the #9 hole.  Don’t get caught betting on a turnaround.  “Manny being Manny”  now looks more like a mediocre outfielder. The Dodgers proved last year that they can win without the aging, disinterested Manny Ramirez and will likely push him aside in deference to Kemp, Andre Ethier and James Loney.

Fantasy Baseball Stiffs

- Despite tremendously consistent numbers over the last five years, Jermaine Dye remains an unsigned free agent.  Look for him to sign with a contender as a fourth outfielder.  Jack Cust has always been a late round safety ney for anyone in need of power.  Not anymore; as Cust was released last week by the A’s.

Moonlight Graham’s Top Ten Fantasy Outfielders

Ryan Braun
Matt Holliday
Matt Kemp
Grady Sizemore
Justin Upton
Jason Bay
Jayson Werth
Shin Soo Choo
Carl Crawford
Adam Lind