Cesar Valverde's New York Yankees friend's fan blogs

After Sunday's 11-2 defeat by a last place Baltimore Orioles team, it is apparent that the Atlanta Braves need to seriously consider replacing Bobby Cox.

Bobby Cox and Chipper Jones are the last two links in a Braves uniform to their World Championship team of 1995. I, along with every other Atlanta Brave fan, should be appreciative of what Cox has accomplished in his tenure as the Braves skipper. And I am. But all good things must come to an end. Cox's good thing in Atlanta ended with their last playoff appearance in 2005.

Watching Atlanta play over the last week or so, has been painful. Not only have they been losing frequently, they have played uninspired, ignorant baseball. From base-running mistakes, fielding errors, and other miscues defensively that do not show up in the boxscore, this club needs someone lighting a fire under them. Atlanta needs a Fredi Gonzalez/ Ozzie Guillen type manager that is not afraid to get in his players' faces.

Continue reading "Time for Change at the Top in Atlanta"

John Sterling has been the radio personality for the New York Yankees for the past 15-20 years. His most popular call is when the Yankees finish off an exciting victory. He says, "Ballgame over. Yankees win! Thhhhhhhheeeeeeeee Yankees Winnnnnnnnnnnnn!" But what about when a Yankee hits a home run? He's come up with a few cool ones. Which one is your favorite? To see what it looks like from the booth, check this out!

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Continue reading "What is your favorite Home Run Call from New York Yankees Broadcaster John Sterling?"

LeBron James' buzzer beating three pointer in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals will not make Cleveland fans forget about "The Shot."

Now that Cleveland has been eliminated, we can take a definitive look back at  the magnitude of LeBron James' game winner back in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The result is a rather indifferent, not much.

Sure, I'm an M.J. homer. I'll admit it. But I can back this statement up. First of all, Jordan's shot won something more than a game. It won a series. In a single play, he carried the Chicago Bulls to the next round of the playoffs, which at the time, was something Chicago was not very familiar with. As a six seed in the playoffs that year, Jordan took his Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals. The last time the Bulls had reached the Eastern Finals. 1975.

Continue reading ""Le Shot" Will Never Replace "The Shot""

Tommy Hanson earns his first MLB win in his second start for the Atlanta Braves.

Perhaps it is a little early to determine whether it was the right decision to cut Tom Glavine, or if it was the right time to call Tommy Hanson up to the Majors, but one thing is undeniable. Hanson has the stuff to be one of the best pitchers in the game. How fast he achieves that status, if he does at all, is to be determined.

After giving up three homeruns to the Milwaukee Brewers in his Major League debut, I was admittedly a little concerned. I did not expect sheer dominance in his first start, but I did not expect he would give up three long balls and seven runs in six innings. He left his fastball fat way too many times and one of the best hitting teams in the National League made him pay. It wasn't all bad, however, as he struck out the side in the second inning, giving the Braves faithful a glimpse at what he could possibly be.

Continue reading "Early Return on Tommy Hanson"

I love the killer attitude by the New York Yankees in their recent 9-8 victory over cross-town rival New York Mets, but they shouldn't have won the game.

I'm much more of a Yankees fan than a Mets fan, but generally when it comes down to it, I am a baseball fan. What happened at second base to end the game was sloppy and could have very well been avoided.

There are times where one hand is necessary to catch a ball. This was not one of them.

Hey, Luis Castillo. The winning run was on base and there were two outs. Do everything possible to catch the ball. Hey, how about using two hands to catch the ball, assuring that you make the catch. I'm just a fan, and it's just a suggestion, but it might be something you should do next time out.

Continue reading "Lack of fundamentals causes Mets loss, Yankees win"

In the sports world, nothing compares to Game 7. At times, it defines careers, and it always defines the teams involved.

Although I am not a hockey fan, tonight's Stanley Cup Finals matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings sparked a fire within me. There's something about Game 7 that does it. No other situation in sports can put both team's in such a do or die moment. Every play is put under a microscope. Player's entire careers can be made in a single Game 7. A Game 7 is for sports fans, what Christmas Day is for children. For that reason alone, I may become a hockey fan tonight.

What comes to mind when you first hear, Game 7?

Perhaps Aaron Boone's moon shot off of Tim Wakefield in the 11th inning of the 2003 ALCS. The last American League pennant for the New York Yankees in old Yankee Stadium came off that dramatic homerun. The lasting shot of the old knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield, walking slowly back to the dugout, while the blur of Yankees fans are going berserk in the seats down the right field line. Who doesn't remember Boone leaping from outside the right handed batter's box, to land with both feet on home plate. Then watching the guest commentator, Bret Boone, Aaron's brother, as tears welled up in his eyes. That's so Game 7.

Continue reading "That's So Game 7..."

I actually never knew how the NBA Draft used to be, so I am glad I am doing this piece. I learned a lot researching the draft and the evolution of what it has become over the years.

If you don't know about it either, you may find this interesting. Before entering the best and worse New York Knicks draft choices, let me fill you in with Draft information. You may like it.

Most of my post are opinion based, but here are the facts. The first ever Draft took place in 1947. For 18 seasons, there were anywhere from 13 to 17 rounds to pick through, featuring something called territorial picks. Teams that were having a harder time drawing fans could chose not to use its first-round pick and select a local player instead, hoping they would bring in an already established fan base.

Continue reading "The simple evolution of the NBA Draft (history piece)"

University of Texas pitcher Austin Wood throws 12 and 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball in a College World Series Regional Game.




I know most people are thinking, "Who in the heck is Austin Wood?" That in itself is a tragedy. The left-handed Senior threw 13 innings of scoreless relief against the Boston College Eagles, and did not even recieve the decision. The Longhorns did finally get the win, scoring a run in the 25th inning, five frames after Wood was removed from the game.



In a day in age that features so many specialists such as closers and set-up men, as well as pitch counts, this is a feat that we may never see duplicated again. Wood was removed from the game after his 169th pitch, one that made contact with the batter he was facing. His final line looked like this: 13 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 14 K, 4 BB. Wonder who Texas head coach Augie Garrido gave the game ball to? When asked about Wood's outing, Garrido, the winningest manager in college baseball history, said, "It was the best pitching performance I've ever seen."

Continue reading "True Texas LONGhorn"

There have been plenty of players that have had the privilege of wearing orange, blue and white, the official colors of New York City. Just like it is to wear Yankee pin stripes, when you put on that New York Knick jersey, now that is something special.

Who remembers Dick McGuire, Richie Guerin and Harry Gallatin? Okay, what about Stephon Marbury, Quentin Richardson and Marcus Camby?

Plenty of players have laced it up for the Knickerbockers over the years. Some good, some, not so good. With that said, it allowed me to think... what is the best New York starting five of all time?

Obviously, this is all opinion based, but I'll be sure to provide reasons with why I chose my pick. Here we go.

AT POINT GUARD FROM ATLANTA, GEORGIA, NUMBER 10, WALT FRAZIER.
This should be a no brainer, as the No. 5 pick of the 1967 NBA Draft led the Knicks to their only two championships in team history ('70, '73). Frazier, who has his number retired by the organization, is arguably one of the better guards to ever play the game. His ability to control the game was amazing and he did so defensively. He is still the franchises all-time leader in assists with 4,791. If you only know Frazier as the spokesmen for Just For Men hair products, please do some research on this guy.

Continue reading "Greatest starting five in New York Knicks history..."

The time has now come for the Atlanta Braves to send the hometown hero out of town.

This is tough to write because I have wanted him to succeed as much as anyone in the Atlanta organization. After one of the most prolonged slumps in the history of baseball, I must finally admit that the Braves need to trade Jeff Francoeur. No more waiting for him to turn it around. No more hoping a team is going to actually give up a top prospect for him. The right fielder has run his course in Atlanta.

The Braves are at a pivotal point in the season. They just dealt three prospects for Nate McLouth, and appear to be in it to win it this year. However, that is not going to happen when they pencil Francoeur in the lineup every night. Maybe they could hold out a little longer if he was a Gold Glover at a position in which defense is incredibly important, like second base or shortstop. That is not the case. He is a corner outfielder, with an incredible arm, mind you. But his arm doesn't even come close in making up for his abysmal production at the plate.

Continue reading "Time for Francoeur and Braves to Part Ways"