Redsox VS Yankees: The Rivalry Remains

It’s almost April and the baseball season is upon us yet again. Spring training is coming to a close and teams are beginning to pick their opening day rosters. Two teams that will continue their 100 plus year rivalry, is the Red Sox and Yankees. Some may claim an east coast bias, but let’s face it; it is the most exciting rivalry in all of sports. Both teams, especially the Yankees will have to rely on a slew of young players to keep this rivalry intact. Over the past decade, we have seen both teams win multiple world series, each have lost a devastating ALCS, and both teams have competed in high priced bidding wars for top free agents. However, the cost of those free agents and World Series titles came at the expense of their farm systems. In the past, the Yankees and Red Sox have notoriously traded away top minor leaguers (See Milton, Eric and Ramirez, Hanley) in order to stay atop the AL East. And with the Yankees’ total payroll approaching $200 million and the Red Sox not far behind, something was needed to be done. That something was restocking their farm systems by loading up with draft picks and even taking chances on some high risk/high reward type players.

Most fans like myself enjoy when their teams allow their prospects to climb through the system and make it to the Big Leagues. It’s always good to know that there is some 19 year old lefty who throws 95 MPH waiting to come up. Even if your team is hopeless, that one prospect can make fans see that light at the end of the tunnel. Around 2004, both teams came to the realization that trading their best prospects and signing high prices free agents is not the most economical approach to the game. Led by general managers Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman, both teams began their quest for a brighter future led by young stars. It may have taken four years but both teams have some of the best young players in the game.

During the 2005 draft, the Red Sox struck gold twice in the first round. Their first pick was Jacoby Ellsbury from Oregon State. Ellsbury who is blessed with thoroughbred speed and freakish athletic ability was a main contributor to last years World Series title and is expected to start in the outfield this season. Their second pick in that draft was pitcher Clay Buchholz. Buchholz, who through a No-Hitter in his second start last season will be one of Boston’s five starters this year.

Like the Red Sox, the Yankees went to great lengths to establish a respectable farm system. In 2004, the Yankees drafted high school pitcher Phil Hughes. Hughes, who looms over batters, quickly established himself as the best pitcher in the minor leagues, and made it to the Bronx at a tender age of 21. Hughes is reminiscent of a younger Roger Clemens; not only in size and stature but in ability as well. The following season was even better for the Bronx Bombers as they promoted Robinson Cano and Chien Ming Wang; both enjoyed immediate success. They were also able to draft Ian Kennedy, who’s repertoire of pitches and meticulous command reminds some of Mike Mussina. Along with Kennedy, fellow 2005 first round pick Joba Chamberlain turned out to be a huge success. While he is a starter, Joba pitched last season in the bullpen where he dominated until a swarm of flies turned Joba into the second coming of Rick Ankiel.

With the recent improvements in the farm systems, both teams will continue to dominate the baseball world and piss off every other fan. While their best prospects seem to have already been called up, there are still a few left to hope for. The Red Sox have infielder Jed Lowrie and pitcher Michael Bowden, and the Yankees have former first round pick pitcher Alan Horne, and former top basketball recruit outfielder Austin Jackson awaiting in the minors. Fans of both teams should be excited to watch their young stars and with fifteen games between the two teams, this season will most certainly be an exciting yet stressful one.

March Madness Baby!

It seems to be that time of year again. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and 65 teams have worked their way into the 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament once again. After five months of buzzer beaters, underdog upsets, Dick Vitale, and a three week stretch with a different number one team; there remains to be a clear cut favorite for this years tourney. And with both teams from last year’s championship game, Florida and Ohio State playing in the NIT, the window of opportunity for a new champion is wide open. That is why this year’s tournament will be one of the most exciting in recent years.

One reason to jump on the March Madness bandwagon is because of the plethora of highly recruited freshman that have brought some dormant teams back into the limelight. Led by Player of the Year candidate Michael Beasley of Kansas State, this freshman class is the best since of the Fab Five led Michigan to the Championship game in 1992. Beasley, who is averaging 26 points and 12 rebounds is putting up better numbers than Carmelo Anthony did when he was the consensus National Player of the Year as a freshman at Syracuse in 2003. Beasley is not the only freshman who is putting up stellar numbers. Kevin Love of UCLA helped lead the Bruins to a #1 seed while averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds. The center from Oregon has made the Bruins the most complete team in the tournament, but more on them later. Other highly touted freshman include Derrick Rose of Memphis, Eric Gordon of Indiana, Kyle Singer of Duke, and OJ Mayo of USC.

Cinderella teams are another reason why March Madness is one of the televised and viewed event of the year. It seems as if every year a few low seeds will advance to the sweet sixteen or if they are lucky the elite eight. In fact, since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 a 12 seed has beaten a 5 seed every single year. Luckily for basketball fans, this year’s tournament may be packed with upsets. In the Eastern bracket, two teams to watch for are the 12 seed George Mason Patriots and the 11 seed Southern Illinois Salukis. The Patriots were able to reach the final four in 2006 as an 11 seed by defeating the reigning national champs the North Carolina Tarheels and the Connecticut Huskies. The Saluki’s have also enjoyed recent success in the tournament by reaching the sweet sixteen in both 2002 and in 2007. Besides the four 8 vs 9 seed matchups, other possible cinderelllas’ include #11 Kansas State, #14 Georgia who shocked the SEC by winning the conference, and #10 Arizona.

With Kansas, UCLA, UNC, and Memphis as the number 1 seeds, and with Duke, Tennessee, Georgetown, and Texas filling out the rest of the top seeds, ESPN should be ready to label several of these games Instant Classics. The tournament is up for grabs, the fabulous freshman are thirsty, and Maryland (the 2002 National Champion) is playing in the NIT while three relatively unknown Maryland schools (Mount St. Mary’s, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and Coppin State) have all punched their tickets to the big game. The two teams who may have the best chance to win it all are the Memphis Tigers and The UCLA Bruins. Both teams feature a deep bench that has experience playing in March. With that said, it seems that there is no doubt that this year’s tournament will be one to remember.

Riding Off Into the Sunset

Thanks for the memories, Brett.

It seems weird, but somehow, Brett Favre’s retirement really is something of a shock. Sure he was a time fighter (he’ll be 39 in October) but he’d just led the Green Bay Packers closer a championship than they’d been in years. And with such a young team—the youngest in the league, in fact—they seemed like obvious Super Bowl contenders in 2008.

At the end of last season, Favre seemed to give every indication that he wanted to stay. His kids definitely supported the idea. And, unlike years past, Favre wasn’t really suggesting that this would be his final go. There was even speculation that he was pushing the club to go after free agent Randy Moss (who did, in fact, resign with New England) and give himself another weapon on offense.

So why did Number 4 go? There’s some talk that Favre thought the team’s front office wasn’t behind the idea of a 17th season with the Pack. Favre’s agent told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Favre knew he still had it, but he wasn’t sure if the club really wanted him to stick around. Given the team’s 2007 success, it’s hard to imagine that scenario. But it is, at least theoretically, possible.

Earlier today, Favre told ESPN’s Chris Moretensen that the wanted to play another season, but didn’t like his odds of winning the Super Bowl. That, he said, would make the entire go unsuccessful. Obviously, there would be no guarantee that Favre’s return would mean some jewelry for the Pack come February. But it just seems so out of character from the happy-go-lucky quarterback fans know. Most of the time, Favre acted like an energetic kid. But today he just seemed tired.

So many of the people who look up Favre the most—the ones who grew up playing football and pretending to be Number 4—probably can’t even remember the NFL without him. And even if you weren’t a Packers fan, it was hard not to hope some of the Lambeau magic had returned to bring Favre back to one more Super Bowl. Favre proved he still had the goods last season. It’s hard not to wonder if this decision is one that Favre—and the Pack—might come to regret in September.