The final tennis grand slam of the season kicks off Monday, August 29th in Flushing at this year's U.S. Open. For the WTA Tour, it promises to be ultra competitive. There's a new number one ranked player heading into the star studded event. It's 18-year-old Russian teenager Maria Sharapova. The 2004 Wimbledon champion is the fifth youngest world number one on the women's side with only Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Tracy Austin and Steffi Graf holding it at a younger age. A semifinalist at each of the first three slams, Sharapova will try to justify her elite status.
Last year, Svetlana Kuznetsova became the first ever Russian to win the U.S. Open. However, she was the third different Russian woman to win a major in 2004- Anastasia Myskina (French Open), Sharapova (Wimbledon). This year, Kuznetsova has reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The defending champ enters this tournament as a fifth seed. Can she repeat?
This season has been a different story at the slams with familiar faces winning. First, it was American diva Serena Williams taking time out of her busy schedule to claim her second Australian Open and seventh career major. At Roland Garros, Justine Henin-Hardenne ruled Paris for the second time in her career, capturing her fourth slam. At the All England Club, a name from the past rose back to prominence. Venus Williams entered Wimbledon without many expecting her to do well but she had other ideas; going through defending champ Sharapova in the semis and fighting off championship points against Lindsay Davenport to win a three set epic for her third Wimbledon and first slam title since the '01 U.S. Open.
Ironically, all three women will be lower seeds. Henin-Hardenne is seeded seventh while Serena eighth and Venus 10th. They all have won at the Open- Henin-Harden ('03), Serena ('99, '02), Venus ('00-'01). This might not be good news for the rest of the field. That said, it's time to breakdown who has the best chance of winning this year's trophy.
Bracket One: This features top overall seed Sharapova with defending champ Kuznetsova at the opposite end. Other competitive players include ninth seed Nadia Petrova, 14th seed Alicia Molik and rising star Nicole Vaidisova. The 16-year-old Czech is over six feet and hits thunderous groundstrokes like Sharapova. She recently pushed Henin-Hardenne before losing in two close sets at Toronto a week ago. This will be her second appearance in Flushing.
Potential Sleepers: Sharapova could have a tough opening round match against Eleni Daniilidou. Daniilidou knocked out French Open champ Henin-Hardenne in three close sets in the first round at Wimbledon. Dinara Safina is the younger sister of Marat Safin. She has been on the tour over three years with her best slam result coming here two years ago when she reached the fourth round.
Analysis: It's hard not to like Sharapova to breeze through the first three rounds. There just doesn't seem to be anyone who can push her. That could change by the round of 16 where dangerous Aussie Molik could loom. Molik made a great run to the quarters in Australia this year but missed the last two slams with an injury. She's never made it past the third round in Flushing but that could change. On the bottom portion, Kuznetsova shouldn't be challenged until the third round where she could meet up with Vaidisova. If that match comes down, an upset is possible. Petrova is the overlooked player in this section because she has enough game to get to the second week. A quarterfinalist here a year ago, she should be waiting in the fourth round for either Kuznetsova or Vaidisova.
The Pick: Sharapova hasn't had many problems with Kuznetsova. If they play in a quarter showdown, the choice is obvious. However, it's possible she could have trouble with Molik. Off her Wimbledon victory last year, she bowed out to Mary Pierce in the third round. A year more mature and driven, she should be able to reach the final four.
Bracket Two: This section features the hottest player on the tour, fourth seed Kim Clijsters. Clijsters recently won The Rogers Cup in Toronto defeating Belgian nemesis Henin-Hardenne in straight sets to capture the U.S. Open Series. She has been on fire this season winning a tour high 49 matches and six titles including three this summer to lift her ranking into the top four. Other main competitors in the bracket include Serena and Venus Williams along with 18th seed Ana Ivanovic. This is Ivanovic's first slam year on tour. Her best result has been the quarters at Roland Garros.
Potential Sleepers: Daniela Hantuchova and Francesca Schiavone have both made quarterfinals at Flushing and can compete well from the baseline but neither should be a surprise. The one player who could be a dangerous opponent is Chinese teenager Shuai Peng. She is another powerful baseliner who can fire winners from both sides. She's never advanced past the second round but if somehow she did, Peng could be a potential third round opponent for Serena.
Analysis: Clijsters has nobody that can threaten her in the top half. If she's on, it should be cruise control till a possible quarter showdown with either Williams sister. After winning down under, injuries prevented Serena from competing at Roland Garros. When she returned at Wimbledon, she still was on a badly hobbled leg, which might explain an awful third round loss to Jill Craybas. She's only played one match since forced to default in the round of 16 at Toronto over a week ago. It's hard to predict which Serena will show. If healthy and motivated, she shouldn't have a problem reaching the fourth round. Venus should have an easy first two rounds and could face Hantuchova in the third round. If she's on her game, a round of 16 sister match-up looms.
The Pick: Clijsters has an easy first three rounds. The only potential for a competitive round of 16 match is Ivanovic and that's a big if. She should be waiting in the quarters for either Serena or Venus. At Wimbledon, their anticipated fourth round match never came down but this time, it should. Though she hasn't had much success against her younger sister, a fitter Venus should prevail to setup an elite eight showdown with Clijsters. That match would be a toss-up because both are extremely quick and can go from defense to offense. In a recent final at Stanford, Clijsters won in straight sets. She's playing great. So, we'll take her to setup a semifinal showdown with Sharapova.
Bracket Three: Section three features third seed Amelie Mauresmo at the bottom with Henin-Hardenne on the opposite end. Other top competition includes 12th seed Mary Pierce and 13th seed Anastasia Myskina. Mauresmo, Henin-Hardenne and Pierce all have had solid seasons and could come out of this bracket. Myskina struggled earlier this year but is playing better and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Potential Sleepers: Elena Likhovtseva is a veteran who has reached the fourth round in Queens four times. This year, the 29-year-old Russian made her first ever slam semi at the French. She's good enough to play into the second week and be competitive. Serbia and Montenegro's Jelena Jankovic is in her third year. Only 20, the 17th seed had her best showing at a slam reaching the third round in London. This is her second U.S. Open. If there is the potential for a surprise, it could come from Bulgaria's Sesil Karatantcheva. In her first full slam season, she upset Venus at the French on her way to the quarters. The 16-year-old is a talented baseliner who could make some noise.
Analysis: Henin-Hardenne shouldn't have much trouble early on but could play American Angela Haynes in the second round. Haynes gave Serena a tough first round match at Wimbledon. She has a lot of talent from the ground but has never been consistent. Henin-Hardenne should be weary of that. She should get through and reach the fourth round where she could face Pierce. At the bottom, Mauresmo could meet Karatantcheva in the second round but her depth of groundstrokes and experience should be too much. She should be waiting in the round of 16 for either Myskina or Likhovtseva.
The Pick: Henin-Hardenne had no trouble beating Pierce for the French Open title. But Pierce shouldn't play as badly if they meet in the round of 16. Henin-Hardenne should still advance to the quarters and await either Mauresmo or Myskina. Mauresmo has been more consistent this year and usually goes deep into tournaments. She should play Henin-Hardenne for a chance at the semis. But when push comes to shove, Henin-Hardenne is tougher in big matches and should make the final four.
Bracket Four: This section features second seed Lindsay Davenport, who held the number one ranking since last October before a bad back forced her to the sidelines during the U.S. Open Series allowing Sharapova to claim the top spot. She just returned this week at New Haven and hasn't had any problems. The bracket also includes sixth seed Elena Dementieva, 11th seed Patty Schnyder and 15th seed Nathalie Dechy.
Potential Sleepers: Japan's Shinobu Asaqoe is a vet who reached the quarterfinals last year. However, her best result at slams this season has been the second round. France's Tatiana Golovin is only 17 but in her second full year. She made the round of 16 twice last year and went into the third round in her U.S. Open debut. Golovin enters play seeded 23rd. Croatian Karolina Sprem is always under the radar but she's never advanced past the opening round in her previous two tries. But the 20-year-old is talented enough to get to the second week.
Analysis: If her back doesn't act up, Davenport should have no problems reaching the fourth round. Once there, she could wind up playing Dechy or Golovin. Dementieva hasn't had a great season but the '04 Open runner-up should advance into the round of 16 without a sweat. A potential match with the tricky Schnyder could be on the horizon.
The Pick: Davenport defeated Dechy in an Australian Open semifinal but made the match an adventure. If she's right, look for her to win easier this time and get to the final eight. Dementieva's best showing is the fourth round in each of the year's first three slams. She has a chance to advance further but will probably have to play Schnyder. Schnyder is a difficult opponent because she's a lefty and has a variety of spins on her shots. But Dementieva is more talented and should advance to play Davenport for a shot at the semis. Unless her body is broken down, Davenport is the choice to reach the final four and meet Henin-Hardenne.
Breaking Down The Final Four: Clijsters would meet Sharapova in one semifinal. Both are exceptional baseliners who can run down shots. Sharapova has more steam on her serve and forehand but Clijsters is great at keeping points alive and is more consistent. All year, Sharapova has fallen short in big matches. Clijsters' problem has been losing twice in tough three setters to Davenport in the fourth round at the last two slams when she had a lower rank. She has never won a slam and usually tightens up in big spots. But she has been building towards changing that. I like her to reach her fifth slam final.
Davenport has been the best player on the WTA Tour since last August. But she still hasn't been able to win her fourth career slam since triumphing at the 2000 Australian Open. Her biggest issue lately has been health. When nothing's bothering her, she hits the cleanest ball on the circuit. Henin-Hardenne also endured health problems earlier this year, which contributed to a first round loss at Wimbledon. However, she is better now and should be a handful for Davenport because of her footspeed. This match is a toss-up because both can wear down. It should go three sets. I'll pick Davenport to advance to her second straight slam final and third of the season.
Who Will Be Holding The Trophy: Kim Clijsters, Belgium. Clijsters would have to conquer her toughest opponent in Davenport to claim the prize. But she has been playing great tennis. Davenport could wear down on the hard court, which should benefit Clijsters. She has indicated that she might retire in 2007 due to injuries, which should be more incentive to win. If she does, it would be the 22-year-old's first ever major. Long overdue.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Rucchin Flies To Rangers
Adding veteran depth to their roster, the Rangers acquired center Steve Rucchin from the Mighty Ducks Tuesday night in exchange for minor league enforcer Trevor Gillies and a 2007 conditional pick.
Rucchin, 34, had played his entire 10-year career with Anaheim since '94-95 when he posted six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in his rookie season. In 616 career games, he's tallied 432 points (153-279-432).
The former Ducks captain helped lead the franchise to their only Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2003, falling in seven games to the Devils.
In '03-04, Rucchin played in all 82 games for the second straight season, scoring 20 goals and adding 23 helpers for 43 points. The 6-2 pivot also won 53.6 percent of draws taken.
A two-way center who can setup teammates and possesses leadership skills, Rucchin should be a key addition to the Blueshirts. He enters the final year of his contract due 2.26 million.
Gillies, 26, was signed as a free agent by the Rangers last summer on July 20, 2004. In 49 games with AHL affiliate Hartford, he contributed two assists and racked up 277 penalty minutes, ranking first on the club in that category.
The six-year AHL vet has never made it to the NHL. He'll try to change that in Anaheim.
Rucchin, 34, had played his entire 10-year career with Anaheim since '94-95 when he posted six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in his rookie season. In 616 career games, he's tallied 432 points (153-279-432).
The former Ducks captain helped lead the franchise to their only Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2003, falling in seven games to the Devils.
In '03-04, Rucchin played in all 82 games for the second straight season, scoring 20 goals and adding 23 helpers for 43 points. The 6-2 pivot also won 53.6 percent of draws taken.
A two-way center who can setup teammates and possesses leadership skills, Rucchin should be a key addition to the Blueshirts. He enters the final year of his contract due 2.26 million.
Gillies, 26, was signed as a free agent by the Rangers last summer on July 20, 2004. In 49 games with AHL affiliate Hartford, he contributed two assists and racked up 277 penalty minutes, ranking first on the club in that category.
The six-year AHL vet has never made it to the NHL. He'll try to change that in Anaheim.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Rangers Sign Immonen
The New York Rangers came to agreement on a professional contract with Finnish center Jarkko Immonen.
Immonen, 23, originally a Toronto Maple Leafs eighth round pick in the 2002 Draft, was acquired by the Rangers along with Maxim Kondratiev, a 2004 first round pick (Lauri Korpikoski- from Calgary) and a 2005 second round pick (Michael Sauer) in exchange for defenseman Brian Leetch on March 3, 2004.
Last season, Immonen played for JYP Jyvaskyla of the SM Liiga in Finland where he totaled 47 points (19-28-47) over 54 games, finishing tied for sixth in scoring. His 28 helpers were good enough to tie for third in the league. In three postseason games, he tallied two assists, tying for first in scoring on JYP.
Immonen, 23, originally a Toronto Maple Leafs eighth round pick in the 2002 Draft, was acquired by the Rangers along with Maxim Kondratiev, a 2004 first round pick (Lauri Korpikoski- from Calgary) and a 2005 second round pick (Michael Sauer) in exchange for defenseman Brian Leetch on March 3, 2004.
Last season, Immonen played for JYP Jyvaskyla of the SM Liiga in Finland where he totaled 47 points (19-28-47) over 54 games, finishing tied for sixth in scoring. His 28 helpers were good enough to tie for third in the league. In three postseason games, he tallied two assists, tying for first in scoring on JYP.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Willie Learns Lesson
With his ball club well on its way to a second straight victory against the Nationals, Willie Randolph called off the dogs after six innings, pulling ace Pedro Martinez with an 8-0 lead.
The game was over. Or at least that's what he thought. No way could the lowest scoring team in the majors comeback from that kind of deficit with three innings left. But not so fast. With washed up middle reliever Danny Graves in, suddenly Washington scored a couple of runs and loaded the bases with an out forcing Randolph to bring in Dae-Sung Koo. But after Koo whiffed Nick Johnson for the second out, it got even hairier when Ryan Church plated two more runs with a single to center.
Suddenly, what was a laugher turned into a ballgame. Adding insult to injury, Randolph's third reliever Aaron Heilman reloaded the bases when he hit Preston Wilson and then gave up another two-run hit to Brian Schneider. Just like that it was a two-run game.
With the Mets never a lock when things are tight, you just knew somehow Braden Looper would blow it in the ninth. As is his custom, he recorded the first two outs on weak groundouts. But then suddenly, the right-handed version of Mitch Williams imploded. He gave up consecutive singles to Church and Wilson to put runners on the corners before Schneider ripped a double into the gap to miraculously tie the game, sending off a chorus of boos at Shea Stadium.
Unbelievably, Pedro's 13th win was gone and so too was an easy win. Luckily for Randolph, fate would be on their side in the 10th. When 40-year-old reliever Roberto Hernandez put runners on the corners with two out and Johnson crushed a pitch 400 feet, fortunately it was hit to the deepest part of the ballpark with Carlos Beltran hauling it in on the track.
In the bottom half of the frame, Gerald Williams worked a one out walk. After everyone's favorite whipping boy Kaz Matsui lined out to right, Jose Reyes walked forcing Williams to second. At that instant, Randolph made a move that made sense, sending up Chris Woodward to pinch hit for Hernandez. Woodward, who was a hero earlier this year with a walkoff homer, came through with an RBI single up the middle to win the game, sending 51,785 home happy.
With his team in a crazy wild card race, Randolph took a calculated risk pulling his best pitcher early. He had done this before and gotten away with it. Why take out Pedro when he only threw 78 pitches? The bullpen all year has been inconsistent. Would sending him out for another inning have hurt? At least then he could have gone with his best guys for the final two frames.
Randolph is a first year manager and should be given some leeway. However, in the heat of a playoff race with teams in front of them seesawing back and forth for the wild card lead, he can't be messing around. The Mets need every game. They are 63-59 and trail the Phillies by two games. One in the loss column. In between them, the Astros, Marlins and Nationals sit making this too unpredictable to call.
There's roughly 40 games remaining for almost everyone. One bad move can prove costly. For Willie, last night should serve as a lesson.
The game was over. Or at least that's what he thought. No way could the lowest scoring team in the majors comeback from that kind of deficit with three innings left. But not so fast. With washed up middle reliever Danny Graves in, suddenly Washington scored a couple of runs and loaded the bases with an out forcing Randolph to bring in Dae-Sung Koo. But after Koo whiffed Nick Johnson for the second out, it got even hairier when Ryan Church plated two more runs with a single to center.
Suddenly, what was a laugher turned into a ballgame. Adding insult to injury, Randolph's third reliever Aaron Heilman reloaded the bases when he hit Preston Wilson and then gave up another two-run hit to Brian Schneider. Just like that it was a two-run game.
With the Mets never a lock when things are tight, you just knew somehow Braden Looper would blow it in the ninth. As is his custom, he recorded the first two outs on weak groundouts. But then suddenly, the right-handed version of Mitch Williams imploded. He gave up consecutive singles to Church and Wilson to put runners on the corners before Schneider ripped a double into the gap to miraculously tie the game, sending off a chorus of boos at Shea Stadium.
Unbelievably, Pedro's 13th win was gone and so too was an easy win. Luckily for Randolph, fate would be on their side in the 10th. When 40-year-old reliever Roberto Hernandez put runners on the corners with two out and Johnson crushed a pitch 400 feet, fortunately it was hit to the deepest part of the ballpark with Carlos Beltran hauling it in on the track.
In the bottom half of the frame, Gerald Williams worked a one out walk. After everyone's favorite whipping boy Kaz Matsui lined out to right, Jose Reyes walked forcing Williams to second. At that instant, Randolph made a move that made sense, sending up Chris Woodward to pinch hit for Hernandez. Woodward, who was a hero earlier this year with a walkoff homer, came through with an RBI single up the middle to win the game, sending 51,785 home happy.
With his team in a crazy wild card race, Randolph took a calculated risk pulling his best pitcher early. He had done this before and gotten away with it. Why take out Pedro when he only threw 78 pitches? The bullpen all year has been inconsistent. Would sending him out for another inning have hurt? At least then he could have gone with his best guys for the final two frames.
Randolph is a first year manager and should be given some leeway. However, in the heat of a playoff race with teams in front of them seesawing back and forth for the wild card lead, he can't be messing around. The Mets need every game. They are 63-59 and trail the Phillies by two games. One in the loss column. In between them, the Astros, Marlins and Nationals sit making this too unpredictable to call.
There's roughly 40 games remaining for almost everyone. One bad move can prove costly. For Willie, last night should serve as a lesson.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Hard Hits: Time For Torre To Show Who's Boss
With his team continuing to underperform after losing two of three to AL East cellar dweller Tampa Bay in tough fashion, Yankee manager Joe Torre has once again come under fire from owner George Steinbrenner. Torre's club has lost a lot of nailbiters this season and has not been without fault. However, reading an irate Boss continue to take shots at the classy manager through PR spokesman Howard Rubinstein has gotten old.
Is this the same owner who gave his manager of nine seasons a three-year $19.3 million extension that runs thru 2007 back in March? Now because the $200 million dream team that Steinbrenner's Tampa cronies helped put together might not be good enough for an 11th straight postseason appearance, Torre could be on the firing line. Is that how it works?
Blame the manager for why the geriatric Big Unit is average. Blame him for handing the overly sensitive big baby a two year extension through 2007 worth $30 million before he even threw a pitch. Who cares if he was 41? He was going to be great forever and never break down.
As soon as Jaret Wright returned from the disabled list and pitched the Yanks to a win Monday at Tampa, it took just a couple of days for Steinbrenner to praise the work of pitching guru Billy Connors. The same Connors who has produced hardly any worthy pitchers in the minors the past few years. Does he get credit for how awful Jose Contreras was in two years or how inconsistent Felix Rodriguez and Scott Proctor have been? What about Wright's brutal four starts during April and missing nearly four months? I almost forgot. That was the Boss' geniuses in Tampa.
It's amazing how Connors gets all the credit when someone does well but pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre never does. Not even for how well Chien-Ming Wang pitched before he went down. Instead, Stottlemyre gets lambasted in the papers by King George every chance he gets. But never directly because he no longer has the audacity or maybe not the energy anymore.
Stottlemyre has been here as long as Torre and was a big part of those championship pitching staffs. But now, when he can't save a washed up Kevin Brown from back aches, somehow it's his fault that Brown can't pitch anymore.
Should Torre take the blame for how poorly free agent flop Carl Pavano pitched before he wound up on the DL with elbow tendinitis? In George's mad world, of course! The manager is to blame for everything.
Torre has not had a great season. He has made some questionable decisions along the way. Against the White Sox over a week ago trailing by a run in the ninth, he let Alan Embree pitch to Paul Konerko, whose mammoth home run wound up the difference. This past Tuesday, with a five-game win streak on the line after Mariano Rivera blew his second save in three chances, he elected to load the bases in the 11th with a wild Proctor on the mound. Proctor, who already balked Carl Crawford to third and pitched around Yankee killer Eduardo Perez, promptly missed the plate badly on four straight pitches to Jonny Gomes forcing in the winning run.
Even I was scratching my head on those two. However, during a 162 game season, nobody is perfect. Torre explained his reasons for why. As the expression goes, damned if you do and damned if you don't. It must be tough being manager of the most successful sports franchise.
That's until you look at what Torre has accomplished during his tenure.
Four World Series championships. Six pennants. Nine consecutive postseason appearances. Eight division titles. Two AL Manager of the Year Awards in 1996 and 1998. He entered this season with a .610 winning percentage in 1456 regular season games in the Bronx. Only legendary skippers Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel had over a .600 winning mark in over 1000 games in the Yankee dugout. With a 6-0 shutout at Oakland on May 8th, Torre won his 900th game as Yankee manager. He entered Friday night with a record of 952-621. Recently, he passed Ralph Houk on the all-time franchise list for fourth winning-est manager trailing just McCarthy, Stengel and Miller Huggins. Pretty impressive company.
His team trails Oakland by 1.5 games for the wild card and are four behind division-leading Boston. Beginning with a three-game set at the White Sox, there are 43 games left. Still enough time for Torre's club to save the season.
With the heat on, you can tell that Torre does not like off field distractions. He has maintained that he will answer Steinbrenner after the season. Instead, he has emphasized winning on the field, which is how he's gone about it since the beginning.
If his ball club doesn't make the playoffs for the first time since 1993 (excluding '94 strike season), Torre could be out. But if it happens, I hope he sticks it to Steinbrenner and gets in the final word by resigning. He's put up with a lot of shenanigans. Wouldn't it be fitting if Joe told George who was boss?
Is this the same owner who gave his manager of nine seasons a three-year $19.3 million extension that runs thru 2007 back in March? Now because the $200 million dream team that Steinbrenner's Tampa cronies helped put together might not be good enough for an 11th straight postseason appearance, Torre could be on the firing line. Is that how it works?
Blame the manager for why the geriatric Big Unit is average. Blame him for handing the overly sensitive big baby a two year extension through 2007 worth $30 million before he even threw a pitch. Who cares if he was 41? He was going to be great forever and never break down.
As soon as Jaret Wright returned from the disabled list and pitched the Yanks to a win Monday at Tampa, it took just a couple of days for Steinbrenner to praise the work of pitching guru Billy Connors. The same Connors who has produced hardly any worthy pitchers in the minors the past few years. Does he get credit for how awful Jose Contreras was in two years or how inconsistent Felix Rodriguez and Scott Proctor have been? What about Wright's brutal four starts during April and missing nearly four months? I almost forgot. That was the Boss' geniuses in Tampa.
It's amazing how Connors gets all the credit when someone does well but pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre never does. Not even for how well Chien-Ming Wang pitched before he went down. Instead, Stottlemyre gets lambasted in the papers by King George every chance he gets. But never directly because he no longer has the audacity or maybe not the energy anymore.
Stottlemyre has been here as long as Torre and was a big part of those championship pitching staffs. But now, when he can't save a washed up Kevin Brown from back aches, somehow it's his fault that Brown can't pitch anymore.
Should Torre take the blame for how poorly free agent flop Carl Pavano pitched before he wound up on the DL with elbow tendinitis? In George's mad world, of course! The manager is to blame for everything.
Torre has not had a great season. He has made some questionable decisions along the way. Against the White Sox over a week ago trailing by a run in the ninth, he let Alan Embree pitch to Paul Konerko, whose mammoth home run wound up the difference. This past Tuesday, with a five-game win streak on the line after Mariano Rivera blew his second save in three chances, he elected to load the bases in the 11th with a wild Proctor on the mound. Proctor, who already balked Carl Crawford to third and pitched around Yankee killer Eduardo Perez, promptly missed the plate badly on four straight pitches to Jonny Gomes forcing in the winning run.
Even I was scratching my head on those two. However, during a 162 game season, nobody is perfect. Torre explained his reasons for why. As the expression goes, damned if you do and damned if you don't. It must be tough being manager of the most successful sports franchise.
That's until you look at what Torre has accomplished during his tenure.
Four World Series championships. Six pennants. Nine consecutive postseason appearances. Eight division titles. Two AL Manager of the Year Awards in 1996 and 1998. He entered this season with a .610 winning percentage in 1456 regular season games in the Bronx. Only legendary skippers Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel had over a .600 winning mark in over 1000 games in the Yankee dugout. With a 6-0 shutout at Oakland on May 8th, Torre won his 900th game as Yankee manager. He entered Friday night with a record of 952-621. Recently, he passed Ralph Houk on the all-time franchise list for fourth winning-est manager trailing just McCarthy, Stengel and Miller Huggins. Pretty impressive company.
His team trails Oakland by 1.5 games for the wild card and are four behind division-leading Boston. Beginning with a three-game set at the White Sox, there are 43 games left. Still enough time for Torre's club to save the season.
With the heat on, you can tell that Torre does not like off field distractions. He has maintained that he will answer Steinbrenner after the season. Instead, he has emphasized winning on the field, which is how he's gone about it since the beginning.
If his ball club doesn't make the playoffs for the first time since 1993 (excluding '94 strike season), Torre could be out. But if it happens, I hope he sticks it to Steinbrenner and gets in the final word by resigning. He's put up with a lot of shenanigans. Wouldn't it be fitting if Joe told George who was boss?
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Rangers Re-sign Five Players
It's been a busy week for the Rangers. Tuesday, the club announced the re-signing of defenseman Tom Poti, agreeing on a one-year deal worth 2.3 million. He was acquired from Edmonton on March 19, 2002 along with Rem Murray in exchange for Mike York and a 2002 fourth round pick.
In '02-03, Poti finished tied for seventh in scoring among NHL defensemen, posting career highs in assists (37) and points (48), making his first ever All Star appearance. The following season, he had 24 points (10-14-24) in 67 games.
As a Ranger, the 28-year-old Worcester Massachusetts native has recorded 22 goals and 58 assists for 80 points over 158 contests. For his seven-year NHL career with Edmonton and New York, Poti has 185 points (49-136-185) in 443 games.
Wednesday, the club reached terms with RFA Jozef Balej on a one-year deal. The 23-year-old Balej became a Ranger on March 2, 2004 when the team traded Alexei Kovalev to Montreal in exchange for him and a 2004 second round pick (Bruce Graham). In 13 games with the Rangers, Balej tallied a goal and four assists including his first career goal against Martin Brodeur of the Devils on March 15, 2004 at Madison Square Garden. Last season in the AHL, the Czech born right wing scored 20 goals and added 22 assists in 69 games for Hartford.
Thursday, the Rangers re-signed Jamie Lundmark, Garth Murray and Chad Wiseman.
Lundmark, 24, was drafted ninth overall by the club in 1999. He has appeared in 111 career games for the Rangers registering 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points. Last season with Hartford, the Edmonton native scored 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in 64 games.
Murray, 22, was selected by the team in the third round of the 2001 Draft. In '03-04, he made his NHL debut versus the Sabres on January 30, 2004. In 20 career games, the Regina junior product notched his first NHL goal against Pittsburgh on March 21. With Hartford last season, he tallied nine points (4-5-9) and racked up 182 penalty minutes.
Wiseman was acquired from San Jose in exchange for Nils Ekman on August 12, 2003. The 24-year-old Ontario native has appeared in eight NHL contests (four with San Jose in '02-03) including four with the Blueshirts in '03-04, registering his first career goal and point against the Devils' Martin Brodeur on January 15, 2004. Last season, he scored 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 60 games with Hartford.
Rangers Sign Prucha, Holt and Pikkarainen
At a team function welcoming back Adam Graves as part of the organization with season subcribers on hand at MSG, Rangers Assistant GM Don Maloney confirmed the signings of forward Petr Prucha and netminder Chris Holt. Prucha was selected in the 8th round of the 2002 Draft out of the Czech Republic. Holt was taken in the sixth round of 2003 and starred at the University of Nebraska-Omaha the past two seasons....Blueshirts signed Finnish rookie free agent defenseman Hannu Pikkarainen to a contract.
In '02-03, Poti finished tied for seventh in scoring among NHL defensemen, posting career highs in assists (37) and points (48), making his first ever All Star appearance. The following season, he had 24 points (10-14-24) in 67 games.
As a Ranger, the 28-year-old Worcester Massachusetts native has recorded 22 goals and 58 assists for 80 points over 158 contests. For his seven-year NHL career with Edmonton and New York, Poti has 185 points (49-136-185) in 443 games.
Wednesday, the club reached terms with RFA Jozef Balej on a one-year deal. The 23-year-old Balej became a Ranger on March 2, 2004 when the team traded Alexei Kovalev to Montreal in exchange for him and a 2004 second round pick (Bruce Graham). In 13 games with the Rangers, Balej tallied a goal and four assists including his first career goal against Martin Brodeur of the Devils on March 15, 2004 at Madison Square Garden. Last season in the AHL, the Czech born right wing scored 20 goals and added 22 assists in 69 games for Hartford.
Thursday, the Rangers re-signed Jamie Lundmark, Garth Murray and Chad Wiseman.
Lundmark, 24, was drafted ninth overall by the club in 1999. He has appeared in 111 career games for the Rangers registering 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points. Last season with Hartford, the Edmonton native scored 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in 64 games.
Murray, 22, was selected by the team in the third round of the 2001 Draft. In '03-04, he made his NHL debut versus the Sabres on January 30, 2004. In 20 career games, the Regina junior product notched his first NHL goal against Pittsburgh on March 21. With Hartford last season, he tallied nine points (4-5-9) and racked up 182 penalty minutes.
Wiseman was acquired from San Jose in exchange for Nils Ekman on August 12, 2003. The 24-year-old Ontario native has appeared in eight NHL contests (four with San Jose in '02-03) including four with the Blueshirts in '03-04, registering his first career goal and point against the Devils' Martin Brodeur on January 15, 2004. Last season, he scored 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 60 games with Hartford.
Rangers Sign Prucha, Holt and Pikkarainen
At a team function welcoming back Adam Graves as part of the organization with season subcribers on hand at MSG, Rangers Assistant GM Don Maloney confirmed the signings of forward Petr Prucha and netminder Chris Holt. Prucha was selected in the 8th round of the 2002 Draft out of the Czech Republic. Holt was taken in the sixth round of 2003 and starred at the University of Nebraska-Omaha the past two seasons....Blueshirts signed Finnish rookie free agent defenseman Hannu Pikkarainen to a contract.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Hitting Back
-When Mike Cameron dove head first trying for a highlight reel snag Thursday in San Diego and collided head on with Carlos Beltran, it was one of the scariest moments ever in baseball. Cameron suffered a broken nose and two fractured cheekbones, which required surgery Saturday. Beltran had one fractured cheekbone and a concussion. As crazy as it sounds, one of them could have died on that field. Going full speed like that is dangerous, especially when neither called off the other. Most outlets focused on the extent of their injuries, which was good. But let's be honest. That should have never happened. These are major leaguers who both have plenty of outfield experience. One of the most important aspects of going after a fly is communicating with teammates to make certain someone makes the catch and prevent serious injuries. It's taught in little league. Maybe both guys should take a course.
-Alex Rodriguez put an exclamation point on becoming the first right-handed Yankee batter to hit 20 home runs at Yankee Stadium, when he demolished a Juan Dominguez pitch into the old Yankee bullpen Saturday. The ball traveled an estimated 485 feet. The last time someone hit a ball that far in the Bronx, it was Jay Buhner, who drove one next to an ambulance for Seattle several years back. It's safe to say A-rod has earned his stripes this year.
-If the Mets knew Jae Seo was going to pitch this well, don't you think they wouldn't have traded Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano last year?
-Is there a bigger hot dog when it comes to catching fly balls than 'team leader' Gary Sheffield?
-David Wright at 22 is already doing things that most seasoned vets could only dream of.
-Is there a better future at third and short than Wright and Jose Reyes? You remember Reyes. The young shortstop who couldn't stay healthy. Look at the havoc he can create when he's 100 percent. Reminds me of a young Vince Coleman before the fire cracker incident outside Shea.
-2004 AL MVP Vlad Guerrero has 25 homers and 85 RBI's in just 98 games for the Angels. Beltran has 13 homers and 59 RBI's in 107 games for the Mets. Do you think Mets brass wants a do over here?
-Are we supposed to hand the Jets the Lombardi Trophy because Paul Hackett is no longer around? Last time I checked, they still had that great 'clock management' coach Herm Edwards. Doesn't that concern Jets fans or are their recent memories in need of a battery charge?
-So because the Jets defense thinks so highly of itself, it's okay for them to play rough with the Giants during a practice? After seeing what transpired and hearing some of the comments from both sides, that meaningless August 26th preseason game against Gang Green could be worth watching.
-Someone should get a memo out to Terrell Owens and his agent Drew Rosenhaus that their circus act is wearing thin. It's still hard to believe TO found someone as arrogant as him. They deserve each other.
-Even if WFAN's Chris "Mad Dog" Russo didn't get upset when the Giants Tiki Barber called broadcast partner Mike Francesa 'the one with all the knowledge,' you know that had to sting Russo inside. Maybe next time Russo won't mention fumbling and Barber in the same sentence, even if he insists it was a joke. Tell you one thing. It makes for entertaining radio.
-Is it just me or do Joe Benigno and Sid Rosenberg sound a lot better by themselves? Shhh...don't tell FAN. Wouldn't want to hurt their feelings.
-Listening to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith discuss other sports besides basketball is like watching Michael Jordan play baseball.
-I wasn't around when it happened but Pistons owner Bill Davidson calling Larry Brown a bad person was hypocritical and unprofessional. Was Brown such a bad guy when in one year after being hired, he guided Davidson's Pistons to their third NBA title? Davidson talked about how the Pistons became too much Brown and not enough of his players. Please! If he was such a distraction off the court, how come the Pistons were able to comeback against the Heat and force a Game Seven against San Antonio for all the marbles? If he thinks Flip Saunders is such a great replacement, maybe he didn't follow the Timberwolves that closely.
-With that being said, I would like to admit that I was wrong about the Knicks getting Brown. In a previous column over a month ago, I endorsed Herb Williams. Apparently, all the stars were aligned for Knicks President and GM Isiah Thomas. It still doesn't make what he put the classy Williams through right. The only saving grace is that Herb will be Brown's top assistant on the bench. Hopefully, when Brown gets tired of this group, Williams will replace him as coach. We'll put the over/under at two years.
-Is Stephon Marbury offering to play the two under Brown some kind of great unselfish move? I always thought Marbury wanted to be the star point guard and have it all on his shoulders. But apparently, that's not the case. Hey Steph...wake up and smell the coffee!
-So much for the Nets bringing in that 'final piece' Shareef Abdur-Rahim. But they still got that team player Jeff McInnis who cried his way out of Cleveland and traded for Marc Jackson. Are these moves really supposed to put them over the top?
-Where are all these golf experts who had Tiger Woods winning the PGA Championship for his second straight major and third in four this year before he drove a ball? One thing about golf. It is the most unpredictable sport because anything can happen. One bad swing or funny bounce and nothing's certain. Lucky for Woods, Phil Mickelson is living up to his reputation. Hint: Not when he won his only major at last year's Masters.
-It's still a pleasure to watch Andre Agassi strike a tennis ball. He's making a nice comeback at this year's U.S. Open Series. Already captured his first title in a year and might win another this weekend. Hopefully, he can go out the same way at this year's U.S. Open like Pete Sampras did a few years ago.
-And finally, it sure is nice to have hockey back. Missed all the torment of going to Ranger games. Apparently, the Rangers are thinking of renaming themselves Team Jagr. So much for things changing.
-Alex Rodriguez put an exclamation point on becoming the first right-handed Yankee batter to hit 20 home runs at Yankee Stadium, when he demolished a Juan Dominguez pitch into the old Yankee bullpen Saturday. The ball traveled an estimated 485 feet. The last time someone hit a ball that far in the Bronx, it was Jay Buhner, who drove one next to an ambulance for Seattle several years back. It's safe to say A-rod has earned his stripes this year.
-If the Mets knew Jae Seo was going to pitch this well, don't you think they wouldn't have traded Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano last year?
-Is there a bigger hot dog when it comes to catching fly balls than 'team leader' Gary Sheffield?
-David Wright at 22 is already doing things that most seasoned vets could only dream of.
-Is there a better future at third and short than Wright and Jose Reyes? You remember Reyes. The young shortstop who couldn't stay healthy. Look at the havoc he can create when he's 100 percent. Reminds me of a young Vince Coleman before the fire cracker incident outside Shea.
-2004 AL MVP Vlad Guerrero has 25 homers and 85 RBI's in just 98 games for the Angels. Beltran has 13 homers and 59 RBI's in 107 games for the Mets. Do you think Mets brass wants a do over here?
-Are we supposed to hand the Jets the Lombardi Trophy because Paul Hackett is no longer around? Last time I checked, they still had that great 'clock management' coach Herm Edwards. Doesn't that concern Jets fans or are their recent memories in need of a battery charge?
-So because the Jets defense thinks so highly of itself, it's okay for them to play rough with the Giants during a practice? After seeing what transpired and hearing some of the comments from both sides, that meaningless August 26th preseason game against Gang Green could be worth watching.
-Someone should get a memo out to Terrell Owens and his agent Drew Rosenhaus that their circus act is wearing thin. It's still hard to believe TO found someone as arrogant as him. They deserve each other.
-Even if WFAN's Chris "Mad Dog" Russo didn't get upset when the Giants Tiki Barber called broadcast partner Mike Francesa 'the one with all the knowledge,' you know that had to sting Russo inside. Maybe next time Russo won't mention fumbling and Barber in the same sentence, even if he insists it was a joke. Tell you one thing. It makes for entertaining radio.
-Is it just me or do Joe Benigno and Sid Rosenberg sound a lot better by themselves? Shhh...don't tell FAN. Wouldn't want to hurt their feelings.
-Listening to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith discuss other sports besides basketball is like watching Michael Jordan play baseball.
-I wasn't around when it happened but Pistons owner Bill Davidson calling Larry Brown a bad person was hypocritical and unprofessional. Was Brown such a bad guy when in one year after being hired, he guided Davidson's Pistons to their third NBA title? Davidson talked about how the Pistons became too much Brown and not enough of his players. Please! If he was such a distraction off the court, how come the Pistons were able to comeback against the Heat and force a Game Seven against San Antonio for all the marbles? If he thinks Flip Saunders is such a great replacement, maybe he didn't follow the Timberwolves that closely.
-With that being said, I would like to admit that I was wrong about the Knicks getting Brown. In a previous column over a month ago, I endorsed Herb Williams. Apparently, all the stars were aligned for Knicks President and GM Isiah Thomas. It still doesn't make what he put the classy Williams through right. The only saving grace is that Herb will be Brown's top assistant on the bench. Hopefully, when Brown gets tired of this group, Williams will replace him as coach. We'll put the over/under at two years.
-Is Stephon Marbury offering to play the two under Brown some kind of great unselfish move? I always thought Marbury wanted to be the star point guard and have it all on his shoulders. But apparently, that's not the case. Hey Steph...wake up and smell the coffee!
-So much for the Nets bringing in that 'final piece' Shareef Abdur-Rahim. But they still got that team player Jeff McInnis who cried his way out of Cleveland and traded for Marc Jackson. Are these moves really supposed to put them over the top?
-Where are all these golf experts who had Tiger Woods winning the PGA Championship for his second straight major and third in four this year before he drove a ball? One thing about golf. It is the most unpredictable sport because anything can happen. One bad swing or funny bounce and nothing's certain. Lucky for Woods, Phil Mickelson is living up to his reputation. Hint: Not when he won his only major at last year's Masters.
-It's still a pleasure to watch Andre Agassi strike a tennis ball. He's making a nice comeback at this year's U.S. Open Series. Already captured his first title in a year and might win another this weekend. Hopefully, he can go out the same way at this year's U.S. Open like Pete Sampras did a few years ago.
-And finally, it sure is nice to have hockey back. Missed all the torment of going to Ranger games. Apparently, the Rangers are thinking of renaming themselves Team Jagr. So much for things changing.
Hard Hits Special Part II: End of Road For Yankees???
Tell Tale Signs
This team was flawed from the very beginning and management shut its eyes. They never had a backup plan if starters went down or if the pen got thin. Nobody anticipated Cano becoming the everyday second baseman when they signed Tony Womack. When Womack is now their best option in center, that doesn't say much. With Ruben Sierra out with a strained left hamstring, there aren't many options on the bench. John Flaherty backs up the declining Posada. Crosby is used mostly as a pinch runner or late inning defensive replacement. Tino Martinez has provided some power and D at first but that was mostly in May, though he has hit better lately. Andy Phillips is a decent fastball hitter but hasn't proven he can hit anything else.
The signs have been there all year. From losing three out of four at Tampa to being swept by the worst team in baseball, the Triple A Royals, the Yanks have failed to take advantage of teams they used to beat up on. Those losses could comeback to haunt them.
For a decade, the Bronx Bombers have dominated like no other team in baseball, winning four world championships and reaching six World Series. Only the Braves have made the postseason for a longer stretch.
They have never had a season like this where so many starters went down. The key to those championship seasons during that run of four in five years was pitching. They always had guys who came up big and most importantly, stayed healthy. Whether it was Jimmy Key, David Cone, Andy Pettite, Dwight Gooden, David Wells, Roger Clemens, El Duque, they always had enough proven pitchers who got the job done and tossed it over to the pen for the final three frames. That meant Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, Graeme Lloyd, Mariano Rivera and John Wetteland in '96. After '96, Rivera took the baton and saving games in the postseason to a whole new level with much of the same relief core which included Brian Boehringer, Ramiro Mendoza and Jason Grimsley along the way.
When you look at the names in that pen, it was more than two or three guys. They were like a perfect unit who each had a role and more often than not, shutdown opponents. Teams knew that if the Yankees had the lead after six, it was basically over. That kind of depth and intimidation is long gone.
Dominant Mo
Now, the Yanks have to outslug teams to win and hope they can protect leads long enough so Rivera can get the ball. He's the one sure thing on that staff. In a season that began with two consecutive blown saves to the same team that rallied off him in Game Four of last year's ALCS, doubts began that the once unshakable closer was done.
So how did the 35-year-old Panama native respond? By doing what he does best. Since the third game of the season when he was touched up for five runs (four unearned) by Boston, Rivera has saved 31 consecutive games. In dominating fashion, he is having arguably his best regular season, posting a 5-3 record with a remarkable 1.03 ERA. Rivera's best ERA for a season was 1.66 two years ago. In 52.1 IP, he has allowed only six earned runs of 12, giving up just 27 hits (1 HR- Jason Varitek on April 5) with 11 walks and 59 strikeouts.
To put in perspective how lights out Rivera's been this year, his WHIP is an incredible 0.73 and opponents are hitting .148. Compared to last season when he recorded a career high 53 saves, he has been far more stingy. He had a 1.94 ERA in 2004 with 65 hits in 78 plus with 20 walks and 66 K's with a 1.08 WHIP and .225 average allowed.
A-rod Answers Critics
Just as big this year has been A-rod. After much criticism last October for failing in the clutch during the Yanks' collapse against Boston, the 30-year-old third baseman has comeback with a vengeance. Coming into Friday's game, Rodriguez was leading the AL in homers (33) and among the league leaders in RBI's (90), batting average (.314) and runs scored (83). As noted earlier, he tied a Yankee record for most long balls hit by a righty in the Bronx. With seven weeks left in the season, there should be a new Bomber atop the record book.
Not only has he been terrific overall, but the New York native has excelled in key situations. With runners on, A-rod has produced 15 homers and 72 RBI's. With runners on and two outs, he's taken pitchers deep eight times and driven in 34. With men in scoring position, he's slugged six homers and driven in 53. With RISP with two outs, he's hit four long balls and had 25 base knocks. Most notably, Rodriguez has hit .444 with a homer and 14 RBI's with the bases loaded.
After starting the season batting second behind Jeter, Rodriguez was shifted to fifth by Torre. There, he was able to relax and start hitting like arguably the best player in the game. When he was behind Hideki Matsui, he hit .347 with 16 dingers and 44 RBI's. But after spending 41 games there, Torre finally moved Rodriguez up to the cleanup spot. Since then, he's hit .301 with 16 homers and 40 RBI's in 61 contests.
All season, Rodriguez has been locked in and resembled more of the 2003 AL MVP who starred for Texas that Yankee brass thought they were getting for Alfonso Soriano last year. A-rod's big year has included a jawdropping three home run, 10 RBI game vs. the Angels on April 26. For the season, he has four multi-HR games. It has to be one of the most satisfying seasons he's had.
Giambi Is Back
While Rivera and Rodriguez have been great, Gary Sheffield and Matsui are both on pace for 100 RBI's, making the middle of the order lethal. Toss in the reemergence of Jason Giambi and the offense has been explosive.
Giambi, who was under heavy scrutiny for a San Francisco Chronicle leak of his admission that he used steroids, took a while to round into form. Once he started playing regularly, he gradually rediscovered his stroke. The transformation began in June when he hit over .300. By July, Giambi was all the way back to being the dangerous first base slugger teams feared. He won player of the month hitting a torrid .355 with 14 homers and 24 RBI's with four two-HR games. He recently added his fifth multi-homer game at Cleveland August 4th.
With him returning to form and Rafael Palmeiro recently testing positive for a banned substance, questions have arisen as to what turned around Giambi. The 34-year-old California native has maintained that it was hard work with hitting instructor Don Mattingly that signaled his renaissance.
Unfortunately for Giambi, there will always be lingering doubts due to the vast knowledge that he used performance enhancements during his run to the top of the sport. Hopefully for the former Oakland Athletic 2000 AL MVP, he's not as clueless as Palmeiro.
Putting It In Perspective
Jeter and Cano have been solid at the top of the order with the captain getting on base at a .388 clip and the Rookie of the Year candidate hitting close to .290. Even with as good a top six as there is in baseball, it still might not be enough.
It's possible that the Yankees could sweep the MVP, Cy Young and ROY Awards and not make the postseason. If they miss, whose fault will it be? There's a saying in sports that you win as a team and you lose as one.
Maybe George Steinbrenner should remember that just in case.
This team was flawed from the very beginning and management shut its eyes. They never had a backup plan if starters went down or if the pen got thin. Nobody anticipated Cano becoming the everyday second baseman when they signed Tony Womack. When Womack is now their best option in center, that doesn't say much. With Ruben Sierra out with a strained left hamstring, there aren't many options on the bench. John Flaherty backs up the declining Posada. Crosby is used mostly as a pinch runner or late inning defensive replacement. Tino Martinez has provided some power and D at first but that was mostly in May, though he has hit better lately. Andy Phillips is a decent fastball hitter but hasn't proven he can hit anything else.
The signs have been there all year. From losing three out of four at Tampa to being swept by the worst team in baseball, the Triple A Royals, the Yanks have failed to take advantage of teams they used to beat up on. Those losses could comeback to haunt them.
For a decade, the Bronx Bombers have dominated like no other team in baseball, winning four world championships and reaching six World Series. Only the Braves have made the postseason for a longer stretch.
They have never had a season like this where so many starters went down. The key to those championship seasons during that run of four in five years was pitching. They always had guys who came up big and most importantly, stayed healthy. Whether it was Jimmy Key, David Cone, Andy Pettite, Dwight Gooden, David Wells, Roger Clemens, El Duque, they always had enough proven pitchers who got the job done and tossed it over to the pen for the final three frames. That meant Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, Graeme Lloyd, Mariano Rivera and John Wetteland in '96. After '96, Rivera took the baton and saving games in the postseason to a whole new level with much of the same relief core which included Brian Boehringer, Ramiro Mendoza and Jason Grimsley along the way.
When you look at the names in that pen, it was more than two or three guys. They were like a perfect unit who each had a role and more often than not, shutdown opponents. Teams knew that if the Yankees had the lead after six, it was basically over. That kind of depth and intimidation is long gone.
Dominant Mo
Now, the Yanks have to outslug teams to win and hope they can protect leads long enough so Rivera can get the ball. He's the one sure thing on that staff. In a season that began with two consecutive blown saves to the same team that rallied off him in Game Four of last year's ALCS, doubts began that the once unshakable closer was done.
So how did the 35-year-old Panama native respond? By doing what he does best. Since the third game of the season when he was touched up for five runs (four unearned) by Boston, Rivera has saved 31 consecutive games. In dominating fashion, he is having arguably his best regular season, posting a 5-3 record with a remarkable 1.03 ERA. Rivera's best ERA for a season was 1.66 two years ago. In 52.1 IP, he has allowed only six earned runs of 12, giving up just 27 hits (1 HR- Jason Varitek on April 5) with 11 walks and 59 strikeouts.
To put in perspective how lights out Rivera's been this year, his WHIP is an incredible 0.73 and opponents are hitting .148. Compared to last season when he recorded a career high 53 saves, he has been far more stingy. He had a 1.94 ERA in 2004 with 65 hits in 78 plus with 20 walks and 66 K's with a 1.08 WHIP and .225 average allowed.
A-rod Answers Critics
Just as big this year has been A-rod. After much criticism last October for failing in the clutch during the Yanks' collapse against Boston, the 30-year-old third baseman has comeback with a vengeance. Coming into Friday's game, Rodriguez was leading the AL in homers (33) and among the league leaders in RBI's (90), batting average (.314) and runs scored (83). As noted earlier, he tied a Yankee record for most long balls hit by a righty in the Bronx. With seven weeks left in the season, there should be a new Bomber atop the record book.
Not only has he been terrific overall, but the New York native has excelled in key situations. With runners on, A-rod has produced 15 homers and 72 RBI's. With runners on and two outs, he's taken pitchers deep eight times and driven in 34. With men in scoring position, he's slugged six homers and driven in 53. With RISP with two outs, he's hit four long balls and had 25 base knocks. Most notably, Rodriguez has hit .444 with a homer and 14 RBI's with the bases loaded.
After starting the season batting second behind Jeter, Rodriguez was shifted to fifth by Torre. There, he was able to relax and start hitting like arguably the best player in the game. When he was behind Hideki Matsui, he hit .347 with 16 dingers and 44 RBI's. But after spending 41 games there, Torre finally moved Rodriguez up to the cleanup spot. Since then, he's hit .301 with 16 homers and 40 RBI's in 61 contests.
All season, Rodriguez has been locked in and resembled more of the 2003 AL MVP who starred for Texas that Yankee brass thought they were getting for Alfonso Soriano last year. A-rod's big year has included a jawdropping three home run, 10 RBI game vs. the Angels on April 26. For the season, he has four multi-HR games. It has to be one of the most satisfying seasons he's had.
Giambi Is Back
While Rivera and Rodriguez have been great, Gary Sheffield and Matsui are both on pace for 100 RBI's, making the middle of the order lethal. Toss in the reemergence of Jason Giambi and the offense has been explosive.
Giambi, who was under heavy scrutiny for a San Francisco Chronicle leak of his admission that he used steroids, took a while to round into form. Once he started playing regularly, he gradually rediscovered his stroke. The transformation began in June when he hit over .300. By July, Giambi was all the way back to being the dangerous first base slugger teams feared. He won player of the month hitting a torrid .355 with 14 homers and 24 RBI's with four two-HR games. He recently added his fifth multi-homer game at Cleveland August 4th.
With him returning to form and Rafael Palmeiro recently testing positive for a banned substance, questions have arisen as to what turned around Giambi. The 34-year-old California native has maintained that it was hard work with hitting instructor Don Mattingly that signaled his renaissance.
Unfortunately for Giambi, there will always be lingering doubts due to the vast knowledge that he used performance enhancements during his run to the top of the sport. Hopefully for the former Oakland Athletic 2000 AL MVP, he's not as clueless as Palmeiro.
Putting It In Perspective
Jeter and Cano have been solid at the top of the order with the captain getting on base at a .388 clip and the Rookie of the Year candidate hitting close to .290. Even with as good a top six as there is in baseball, it still might not be enough.
It's possible that the Yankees could sweep the MVP, Cy Young and ROY Awards and not make the postseason. If they miss, whose fault will it be? There's a saying in sports that you win as a team and you lose as one.
Maybe George Steinbrenner should remember that just in case.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Hard Hits Special Part I: End of Road for Yankees???
As the season has gone on for the New York Yankees, one thing has become abundantly clear. How unprepared the organization was in case their winter plan backfired.
Johnson No Sure Thing
All season long, Randy Johnson has looked every bit his 41-year-old body (soon to be 42). Acquired to anchor the staff, he has been anything but automatic. With consistency lacking, ranging from effective outings where he goes deep into games to subpar ones where he serves up batting practice, allowing 24 home runs and posting over a 4.00 ERA, he has not been worth it for the Yankees. While Johnson has 11 wins and averages almost a strikeout-per-inning (152 K's in 159.1 IP), he has allowed four more hits than innings pitched.
Not only has the team been underwhelmed by his performance but they also must contend with whether his back is healthy enough for each turn in the rotation. Thursday, Johnson was unable to make a start due to his achy back. If things had gone as planned at this juncture of the season, this might not have been cause for concern. However, the Yankees entered Thursday trailing Boston by five in the loss column and found themselves four behind both the Athletics and Angels for the wild card.
With no spot starters left, Joe Torre called on reliever Scott Proctor in a big spot. To his credit, despite permitting a leadoff homer to ex-Yank Dave Dellucci, Proctor limited Texas to three runs over five plus innings of work. When your ace is no sure bet with under 50 games remaining in a pennant race, you're in trouble.
Injuries Decimate Staff
Aside from Johnson's struggles, the Yankee staff has been decimated by injuries. A Tampa contingent thought it was a good idea to give oft-injured Jaret Wright a three-year deal worth $21 million. Wright was coming off a career year with the Braves under the tutelage of pitching coach Leo Mazzone, where he won 15 games with a respectable 3.28 ERA in 32 outings. In his previous five seasons, Wright won a combined nine games in just 22 starts; never coming close to reaching 100 innings due to a history of arm trouble. Maybe that's why the Braves balked at re-signing him. You would think this would have sent red flags up but not with The Boss' crack committee. Not only should that have been a warning sign but with the 29-year-old righthander initially failing his physical, it should have guaranteed that he not wind up in Pinstripes.
As luck would have it, Wright got tattooed in four outings, allowing 36 hits in 19 plus, serving up six gopher balls with a Coors-like 9.15 ERA before going on the 60-day DL with a right shoulder inflammation.
Out since April 24th, Wright is finally ready to return and will start next Monday vs. Tampa Bay, taking the place of Columbus call-up Aaron Small. Small has only been brilliant in his four starts, going 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA. If not for White Sox hurler Freddy Garcia, who matched him pitch for pitch in a classic duel in which each allowed just a run Wednesday afternoon, Small could easily be perfect.
A 33-year-old journeyman who hadn't started in over nine years when he pitched for Oakland, Small knows how to pitch and most importantly, throws strikes. He doesn't look like he wants to go back down. And how do the Yankees reward his effort? By demoting him to the bullpen. When manager Joe Torre was asked why, all he could say was that Small was the most flexible and felt Wright will do the job because he's worked hard to get back. Say what? But it has nothing to do with the fact Wright makes a ton more money? The manager would never indicate if he's under that kind of obligation.
Over the past two weeks, Small has been the team's most effective starter in the heat of a playoff race. At this point, it shouldn't matter where he came from. You have to go with your best. Small deserves to stay in the rotation.
Meanwhile, the team's biggest free agent signing was former Marlin Carl Pavano. To be fair, the New Britain Connecticut native was one of the most sought after starters last winter. After winning a career best 18 games posting a 3.00 ERA last year, the Marlins, Red Sox, Tigers, Orioles and Yankees all were vying for his services. When the dust settled, the 29-year-old righty chose the Bronx for an astronomical price of $40 million over four years. With it came a lot more pressure. Pavano knew that going in but wanted to pitch here.
After a decent start in April going 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA in five outings, the wheels came off the next two months, where he gave up a ridiculous 95 hits in 71 innings, including 14 long balls; going 2-4 over 12 more starts. Making matters worse, Pavano couldn't pitch at Yankee Stadium, giving up 73 hits including 10 homers in just 47 frames, posting a 1-3 record with almost a 7.00 ERA in nine outings. By contrast, he went 3-3 in eight starts on the road with a solid 2.89 ERA, including his only shutout of the season at Seattle on May 17.
When he gave up four runs over six in a no decision against Baltimore on June 27th, Pavano reached 100 innings for the season. However, the next day he complained about shoulder tightness and was held out of the rotation. By July 7th, the ball club placed him on the DL with a sore right shoulder. It wasn't known how long he'd be out but it didn't sound that bad. However, a little over a month later this past Wednesday after he visited specialist Dr. James Andrews, it was discovered that he had rotator cuff tendinitis, meaning that Pavano would be sidelined another six weeks, which basically translates to the rest of the season.
Even worse is the continued unreliability of injury prone Kevin Brown. The embattled 40-year-old has struggled through an awful season. In 13 starts this season between DL stints, he was 4-7 with a larger than life 6.50 ERA. The definition of BP, Brown has allowed an astounding 107 hits in just over 73 innings, which translates to a .341 batting average against. And that's with only permitting five homers. That's right. Just five left the ballpark!
Injured again, the washed up sinkerballer has been out since July 24th with a right lumbar strain. At last check, Brown was back home in Georgia working with a physical therapist on strengthening his back, hoping to return next month. Don't count on it.
The string of bad luck even spread to impressive rookie pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. Wang, 25, had been a breath of fresh air for the Yanks, going 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA in 13 appearances. Before the All-Star break, he was their most consistent starter, pitching into the seventh inning in nine of 12 starts. He won his last two games against Detroit and Cleveland five days apart. Despite not having his best stuff, Wang gave up just three earned runs in 13.2 innings.
A couple of days later, he complained of soreness and the team shut him down. Wang soon landed on the DL retroactive to July 9 with a right shoulder strain. After some time off, he finally threw on flat surface 120 feet this past Tuesday. Wang could work off a mound soon and might be able to return before the season ends. Hopefully for the pitching desperate Yanks, it happens.
The one starter who hasn't been sidetracked is Mike Mussina. Moose has made 24 starts going 11-7 with a 4.01 ERA. Like Johnson, the crafty 36-year-old righthander has been inconsistent. He has thrown two shutouts but served up 19 homers. His batting average allowed has gone up for the third straight year as a Yank: 2003- .238 BAA, 2004- .276, 2005- .283 thus far. At least he can be counted on to take the ball every fifth day.
Yanks Look At Other Options
With so many injuries to their staff, the Yankees even took a flier on 39-year-old vet Al Leiter, who the Marlins waived in July. After a great debut at Fenway on July 17 where he held the vaunted Sox offense to a run in six plus, fanning a season best eight, the erratic southpaw has reverted to form. All over the plate, he can load the bases in an instant and pay dearly or dance out of trouble. He entered his sixth start as a Yankee Friday night with a 2-3 record, 4.68 ERA with more walks (19) than strikeouts (16) and more hits (28) than innings (25).
Recently, the team acquired former Rockie Shawn Chacon in exchange for prospects Ramon Ramirez and Eduardo Sierra. In three outings, the 27-year-old righty has been brilliant posting a 1.42 ERA in 19 frames. Despite that output, he has been the victim of hard luck, losing once and getting two no decisions. The way he's pitched, Chacon should stick in the rotation. Unless of course, some over the hill vet comes along. Hideo Nomo anyone?
Bullpen Issues
With starter inconsistencies from one game to the next, it's taken a toll on the bullpen. The once reliable setup duo of Tanyon Sturtze and Tom Gordon have been less than stellar lately.
After a solid first half, Sturtze has struggled mightily with a 6.23 ERA in 14 appearances before Friday. So much so that when he entered Thursday night's game against Texas with a three-run lead, the first pitch to Michael Young was hit out to tie the game. Fortunately for Sturtze, Derek Jeter hit a solo homer in the bottom half making him a winner.
In the same game, Gordon entered the eighth to protect a one-run lead. Anything but automatic, he loaded the bases with two outs, forcing Torre to call on Cy Young candidate Mariano Rivera to record a four out save.
Though Gordon's second half hasn't been bad, he already has allowed as many HRs (3) in 17 plus as he did in 42 innings before the All Star break. The most alarming difference is Flash's control. Usually with good command, Gordon has walked one more batter than he's fanned (9 BB, 8 K's in 17.1 IP). In the first half, his ratio was 19 walks to 42 K's, allowing 14 less hits with a miniscule .185 batting average against. By contrast, he has given up almost a hit per inning and seen opponents' average increase to .246.
With Sturtze and Gordon having problems, it's been tougher for Torre to find the right combo that can get the ball to Rivera.
Two Gutwrenching Losses
This past week, the team lost two of three to the major league best White Sox. But it was the way they lost the final couple that might sum up their season. After taking the opener 2-1, they dropped the series in excruciating fashion.
It started Tuesday night when former Yankee free agent bust Jose Contreras outdueled Chacon in a 2-1 game. With the game hanging in the balance and his team down a run starting the ninth, Torre elected to stay with Alan Embree. A waiver pickup from Boston, the lefty had been awful most of the season and had an ERA over 7.00. But with little confidence in Sturtze and trying to rest Gordon and Rivera, Torre let Embree face dangerous slugger Paul Konerko. Big mistake. The only legit power threat in the White Sox order hammered an Embree pitch 460 feet off the left field bleachers giving his team a two-run cushion.
When MVP candidate Alex Rodriguez led off the bottom of the ninth with a homer, his 19th at the Stadium; it tied a Yankee record by right handed hitters shared by Joe DiMaggio and Gary Sheffield. Unfortunately, the team's two out rally fell short when Bernie Williams lined out to Konerko leaving runners at the corners.
With questions surrounding why Torre left in Embree and heavy criticism by an enraged Boss, the manager cited that Konerko's numbers were much worse against lefties for the season. However, at a time when his team needs every game, would it have killed him to have Rivera start the inning and keep the deficit at one?
Wednesday was no better. This time, the score was tied at one when Torre was forced to pitch Rivera in the ninth and 10th. Desperate for a win, he went with his best. Unfortunately, the closer wound up on the losing end when Juan Uribe hit a ball into the right center gap that the aging Williams couldn't track down. With the center fielder not recovering the ball quickly, Uribe stretched a double into a three-bagger. On the flip side, White Sox center fielder Aaron Rowand had been a thorn in the side of Yankee hitters, robbing several of sure hits and covering more ground than Williams.
In a tight series where each game was decided by a run, it was a huge difference. This isn't a knock on Williams. It's not his fault GM Brian Cashman never could find a reliable defensive replacement. Torre had little choice, opting to keep Williams in over Bubba Crosby because the game was even.
Needing a strikeout with an out, Rivera induced Scott Podsednik to hit a sharp grounder to Robinson Cano, who fired home. But Jorge Posada's tag was too late as Uribe snuck a foot in. Just like that, the Yanks had fallen short again.
Games like those could be the difference between making the postseason for the 11th straight season and packing up for an early winter.
See Part Two
Johnson No Sure Thing
All season long, Randy Johnson has looked every bit his 41-year-old body (soon to be 42). Acquired to anchor the staff, he has been anything but automatic. With consistency lacking, ranging from effective outings where he goes deep into games to subpar ones where he serves up batting practice, allowing 24 home runs and posting over a 4.00 ERA, he has not been worth it for the Yankees. While Johnson has 11 wins and averages almost a strikeout-per-inning (152 K's in 159.1 IP), he has allowed four more hits than innings pitched.
Not only has the team been underwhelmed by his performance but they also must contend with whether his back is healthy enough for each turn in the rotation. Thursday, Johnson was unable to make a start due to his achy back. If things had gone as planned at this juncture of the season, this might not have been cause for concern. However, the Yankees entered Thursday trailing Boston by five in the loss column and found themselves four behind both the Athletics and Angels for the wild card.
With no spot starters left, Joe Torre called on reliever Scott Proctor in a big spot. To his credit, despite permitting a leadoff homer to ex-Yank Dave Dellucci, Proctor limited Texas to three runs over five plus innings of work. When your ace is no sure bet with under 50 games remaining in a pennant race, you're in trouble.
Injuries Decimate Staff
Aside from Johnson's struggles, the Yankee staff has been decimated by injuries. A Tampa contingent thought it was a good idea to give oft-injured Jaret Wright a three-year deal worth $21 million. Wright was coming off a career year with the Braves under the tutelage of pitching coach Leo Mazzone, where he won 15 games with a respectable 3.28 ERA in 32 outings. In his previous five seasons, Wright won a combined nine games in just 22 starts; never coming close to reaching 100 innings due to a history of arm trouble. Maybe that's why the Braves balked at re-signing him. You would think this would have sent red flags up but not with The Boss' crack committee. Not only should that have been a warning sign but with the 29-year-old righthander initially failing his physical, it should have guaranteed that he not wind up in Pinstripes.
As luck would have it, Wright got tattooed in four outings, allowing 36 hits in 19 plus, serving up six gopher balls with a Coors-like 9.15 ERA before going on the 60-day DL with a right shoulder inflammation.
Out since April 24th, Wright is finally ready to return and will start next Monday vs. Tampa Bay, taking the place of Columbus call-up Aaron Small. Small has only been brilliant in his four starts, going 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA. If not for White Sox hurler Freddy Garcia, who matched him pitch for pitch in a classic duel in which each allowed just a run Wednesday afternoon, Small could easily be perfect.
A 33-year-old journeyman who hadn't started in over nine years when he pitched for Oakland, Small knows how to pitch and most importantly, throws strikes. He doesn't look like he wants to go back down. And how do the Yankees reward his effort? By demoting him to the bullpen. When manager Joe Torre was asked why, all he could say was that Small was the most flexible and felt Wright will do the job because he's worked hard to get back. Say what? But it has nothing to do with the fact Wright makes a ton more money? The manager would never indicate if he's under that kind of obligation.
Over the past two weeks, Small has been the team's most effective starter in the heat of a playoff race. At this point, it shouldn't matter where he came from. You have to go with your best. Small deserves to stay in the rotation.
Meanwhile, the team's biggest free agent signing was former Marlin Carl Pavano. To be fair, the New Britain Connecticut native was one of the most sought after starters last winter. After winning a career best 18 games posting a 3.00 ERA last year, the Marlins, Red Sox, Tigers, Orioles and Yankees all were vying for his services. When the dust settled, the 29-year-old righty chose the Bronx for an astronomical price of $40 million over four years. With it came a lot more pressure. Pavano knew that going in but wanted to pitch here.
After a decent start in April going 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA in five outings, the wheels came off the next two months, where he gave up a ridiculous 95 hits in 71 innings, including 14 long balls; going 2-4 over 12 more starts. Making matters worse, Pavano couldn't pitch at Yankee Stadium, giving up 73 hits including 10 homers in just 47 frames, posting a 1-3 record with almost a 7.00 ERA in nine outings. By contrast, he went 3-3 in eight starts on the road with a solid 2.89 ERA, including his only shutout of the season at Seattle on May 17.
When he gave up four runs over six in a no decision against Baltimore on June 27th, Pavano reached 100 innings for the season. However, the next day he complained about shoulder tightness and was held out of the rotation. By July 7th, the ball club placed him on the DL with a sore right shoulder. It wasn't known how long he'd be out but it didn't sound that bad. However, a little over a month later this past Wednesday after he visited specialist Dr. James Andrews, it was discovered that he had rotator cuff tendinitis, meaning that Pavano would be sidelined another six weeks, which basically translates to the rest of the season.
Even worse is the continued unreliability of injury prone Kevin Brown. The embattled 40-year-old has struggled through an awful season. In 13 starts this season between DL stints, he was 4-7 with a larger than life 6.50 ERA. The definition of BP, Brown has allowed an astounding 107 hits in just over 73 innings, which translates to a .341 batting average against. And that's with only permitting five homers. That's right. Just five left the ballpark!
Injured again, the washed up sinkerballer has been out since July 24th with a right lumbar strain. At last check, Brown was back home in Georgia working with a physical therapist on strengthening his back, hoping to return next month. Don't count on it.
The string of bad luck even spread to impressive rookie pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. Wang, 25, had been a breath of fresh air for the Yanks, going 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA in 13 appearances. Before the All-Star break, he was their most consistent starter, pitching into the seventh inning in nine of 12 starts. He won his last two games against Detroit and Cleveland five days apart. Despite not having his best stuff, Wang gave up just three earned runs in 13.2 innings.
A couple of days later, he complained of soreness and the team shut him down. Wang soon landed on the DL retroactive to July 9 with a right shoulder strain. After some time off, he finally threw on flat surface 120 feet this past Tuesday. Wang could work off a mound soon and might be able to return before the season ends. Hopefully for the pitching desperate Yanks, it happens.
The one starter who hasn't been sidetracked is Mike Mussina. Moose has made 24 starts going 11-7 with a 4.01 ERA. Like Johnson, the crafty 36-year-old righthander has been inconsistent. He has thrown two shutouts but served up 19 homers. His batting average allowed has gone up for the third straight year as a Yank: 2003- .238 BAA, 2004- .276, 2005- .283 thus far. At least he can be counted on to take the ball every fifth day.
Yanks Look At Other Options
With so many injuries to their staff, the Yankees even took a flier on 39-year-old vet Al Leiter, who the Marlins waived in July. After a great debut at Fenway on July 17 where he held the vaunted Sox offense to a run in six plus, fanning a season best eight, the erratic southpaw has reverted to form. All over the plate, he can load the bases in an instant and pay dearly or dance out of trouble. He entered his sixth start as a Yankee Friday night with a 2-3 record, 4.68 ERA with more walks (19) than strikeouts (16) and more hits (28) than innings (25).
Recently, the team acquired former Rockie Shawn Chacon in exchange for prospects Ramon Ramirez and Eduardo Sierra. In three outings, the 27-year-old righty has been brilliant posting a 1.42 ERA in 19 frames. Despite that output, he has been the victim of hard luck, losing once and getting two no decisions. The way he's pitched, Chacon should stick in the rotation. Unless of course, some over the hill vet comes along. Hideo Nomo anyone?
Bullpen Issues
With starter inconsistencies from one game to the next, it's taken a toll on the bullpen. The once reliable setup duo of Tanyon Sturtze and Tom Gordon have been less than stellar lately.
After a solid first half, Sturtze has struggled mightily with a 6.23 ERA in 14 appearances before Friday. So much so that when he entered Thursday night's game against Texas with a three-run lead, the first pitch to Michael Young was hit out to tie the game. Fortunately for Sturtze, Derek Jeter hit a solo homer in the bottom half making him a winner.
In the same game, Gordon entered the eighth to protect a one-run lead. Anything but automatic, he loaded the bases with two outs, forcing Torre to call on Cy Young candidate Mariano Rivera to record a four out save.
Though Gordon's second half hasn't been bad, he already has allowed as many HRs (3) in 17 plus as he did in 42 innings before the All Star break. The most alarming difference is Flash's control. Usually with good command, Gordon has walked one more batter than he's fanned (9 BB, 8 K's in 17.1 IP). In the first half, his ratio was 19 walks to 42 K's, allowing 14 less hits with a miniscule .185 batting average against. By contrast, he has given up almost a hit per inning and seen opponents' average increase to .246.
With Sturtze and Gordon having problems, it's been tougher for Torre to find the right combo that can get the ball to Rivera.
Two Gutwrenching Losses
This past week, the team lost two of three to the major league best White Sox. But it was the way they lost the final couple that might sum up their season. After taking the opener 2-1, they dropped the series in excruciating fashion.
It started Tuesday night when former Yankee free agent bust Jose Contreras outdueled Chacon in a 2-1 game. With the game hanging in the balance and his team down a run starting the ninth, Torre elected to stay with Alan Embree. A waiver pickup from Boston, the lefty had been awful most of the season and had an ERA over 7.00. But with little confidence in Sturtze and trying to rest Gordon and Rivera, Torre let Embree face dangerous slugger Paul Konerko. Big mistake. The only legit power threat in the White Sox order hammered an Embree pitch 460 feet off the left field bleachers giving his team a two-run cushion.
When MVP candidate Alex Rodriguez led off the bottom of the ninth with a homer, his 19th at the Stadium; it tied a Yankee record by right handed hitters shared by Joe DiMaggio and Gary Sheffield. Unfortunately, the team's two out rally fell short when Bernie Williams lined out to Konerko leaving runners at the corners.
With questions surrounding why Torre left in Embree and heavy criticism by an enraged Boss, the manager cited that Konerko's numbers were much worse against lefties for the season. However, at a time when his team needs every game, would it have killed him to have Rivera start the inning and keep the deficit at one?
Wednesday was no better. This time, the score was tied at one when Torre was forced to pitch Rivera in the ninth and 10th. Desperate for a win, he went with his best. Unfortunately, the closer wound up on the losing end when Juan Uribe hit a ball into the right center gap that the aging Williams couldn't track down. With the center fielder not recovering the ball quickly, Uribe stretched a double into a three-bagger. On the flip side, White Sox center fielder Aaron Rowand had been a thorn in the side of Yankee hitters, robbing several of sure hits and covering more ground than Williams.
In a tight series where each game was decided by a run, it was a huge difference. This isn't a knock on Williams. It's not his fault GM Brian Cashman never could find a reliable defensive replacement. Torre had little choice, opting to keep Williams in over Bubba Crosby because the game was even.
Needing a strikeout with an out, Rivera induced Scott Podsednik to hit a sharp grounder to Robinson Cano, who fired home. But Jorge Posada's tag was too late as Uribe snuck a foot in. Just like that, the Yanks had fallen short again.
Games like those could be the difference between making the postseason for the 11th straight season and packing up for an early winter.
See Part Two
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Hard Hits: Bernie All Class Till End
As his career winds down, Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams continues to go about his business the only way he knows. In as trying a season as there's been for the switch-hitter, he's handled everything well.
It started when the Yanks got off to an awful start, losing three of four at Tampa Bay in the beginning of May. While the team was struggling on the field, Yankee brass was meeting off the field to discuss the plight of their club. It was then decided that their starting center fielder for over the last decade would no longer play on a regular basis. For the first time in his 15-year career, Williams was a role player. Did one of the most popular Yankees complain? Of course not. It's not his style to be selfish, instead putting the team first. Whatever Joe Torre wanted was fine.
This from a guy who had been one of their best players during the team's run of four World Series championships in five years. In the ball club's 10 straight postseason appearances, Williams has come through with many clutch hits in October, including an all-time playoff best 22 home runs and 79 RBI's in 115 games, the most ever in baseball history. One such big hit was an extra inning walkoff homer against the Orioles in Game Two of the championship series which evened the series up, shifting the momentum in the Yankees favor on their way to their first World Series title since '78. Williams took home the ALCS MVP hitting .474 with 2 HRs and 6 RBI's.
It's more than just the postseason which has made the center fielder one of the most popular Yankees in team history. It's the level of consistency Williams has shown at one of the hardest positions to play in all of sports. Playing center for the Bronx Bombers comes with a lot of pressure. From the great Joe DiMaggio to the larger than life Mickey Mantle, it has been a position where expectations were always high. Such was the case for the cool and collected San Juan, Puerto Rico native.
He made his major league debut on July 7, 1991 as a 22-year-old. Though he struggled early on and couldn't play regularly due to starter Roberto Kelly, Williams showed enough progress in his second year to give the team a reason to trade Kelly to the Reds for Paul O'Neill. The move would turn out to be brilliant because it made Williams the starting center fielder and O'Neill became one of the best players on those great Yankee teams.
Still, even as Williams improved in '94 and '95, a slow start in 1996 almost got him traded. Luckily for the Yankees, general manager Gene Michael didn't listen to The Boss. They would be rewarded when Bernie turned it around and had his best season as a pro, hitting .305 with career bests in homers (29) and RBI's (102), pacing the ball club in long balls. From then on, he became one of best outfielders in the game for almost a decade.
However, this good stretch began a year earlier when he helped get the Yanks back to the postseason for the first time since the '81 World Series when they lost to the Dodgers. Though they fell in excruciating fashion to the Mariners in a five-game classic wild card series, it was the start of something big. Ironically enough, that series defeat was the only postseason baseball popular team captain Don Mattingly ever saw.
For Williams, that season was the beginning of his rise to stardom. Over those eight seasons stretching '95 to '02, Williams averaged over .300, 24 homers and 102 RBI's, winning one batting title (.339 in '98), making five consecutive All-Star appearances ('97-01) and winning four straight Gold Gloves ('97-00).
One memorable Williams moment was after Scott Brosius had thrown across to Tino Martinez for the final out of the '98 World Series in a sweep of the Padres for their second World Series title in three years. As the final out was recorded, Williams knelt down in center and pounded his glove because it could have been his final game in Pinstripes. After the season, he was due to become a free agent. It was about as emotional as you'll ever see the stoic Williams.
In fact, a month later, he almost went to bitter rival Boston. They were pushing hard to get him but when George Steinbrenner found out, he quickly offered Bernie a comparable contract which kept him a Yankee. At the time, Williams signed a seven-year deal worth $89.5 million (12.8 average) becoming one of the highest paid players in baseball history.
Williams has been a very good player throughout most of that contract. However, since 2003, he has been hampered with injuries and declined. Though he was still productive last year hitting 22 long balls with 70 RBI's in 148 games, his average for the second consecutive season slipped under .300, finishing .262. It was his worst mark since his first full season in '93 when he hit .268 in 139 games.
His 15th major league season has seen a steady fall from grace that's included a couple of dropped routine fly balls and mental mistakes which opponents have taken advantage of. It's been hard to watch Williams struggle. With that the case and the Yanks even trying to convert free agent second baseman Tony Womack to center, it was clear that this would be his final season in Pinstripes. The ball club finally indicated as such last Monday, when they failed to pick-up a $15 million team option for 2006.
Even with that the case and going through his worst season, Williams continued to exude class the next day when he spoke to reporters.
It started when the Yanks got off to an awful start, losing three of four at Tampa Bay in the beginning of May. While the team was struggling on the field, Yankee brass was meeting off the field to discuss the plight of their club. It was then decided that their starting center fielder for over the last decade would no longer play on a regular basis. For the first time in his 15-year career, Williams was a role player. Did one of the most popular Yankees complain? Of course not. It's not his style to be selfish, instead putting the team first. Whatever Joe Torre wanted was fine.
This from a guy who had been one of their best players during the team's run of four World Series championships in five years. In the ball club's 10 straight postseason appearances, Williams has come through with many clutch hits in October, including an all-time playoff best 22 home runs and 79 RBI's in 115 games, the most ever in baseball history. One such big hit was an extra inning walkoff homer against the Orioles in Game Two of the championship series which evened the series up, shifting the momentum in the Yankees favor on their way to their first World Series title since '78. Williams took home the ALCS MVP hitting .474 with 2 HRs and 6 RBI's.
It's more than just the postseason which has made the center fielder one of the most popular Yankees in team history. It's the level of consistency Williams has shown at one of the hardest positions to play in all of sports. Playing center for the Bronx Bombers comes with a lot of pressure. From the great Joe DiMaggio to the larger than life Mickey Mantle, it has been a position where expectations were always high. Such was the case for the cool and collected San Juan, Puerto Rico native.
He made his major league debut on July 7, 1991 as a 22-year-old. Though he struggled early on and couldn't play regularly due to starter Roberto Kelly, Williams showed enough progress in his second year to give the team a reason to trade Kelly to the Reds for Paul O'Neill. The move would turn out to be brilliant because it made Williams the starting center fielder and O'Neill became one of the best players on those great Yankee teams.
Still, even as Williams improved in '94 and '95, a slow start in 1996 almost got him traded. Luckily for the Yankees, general manager Gene Michael didn't listen to The Boss. They would be rewarded when Bernie turned it around and had his best season as a pro, hitting .305 with career bests in homers (29) and RBI's (102), pacing the ball club in long balls. From then on, he became one of best outfielders in the game for almost a decade.
However, this good stretch began a year earlier when he helped get the Yanks back to the postseason for the first time since the '81 World Series when they lost to the Dodgers. Though they fell in excruciating fashion to the Mariners in a five-game classic wild card series, it was the start of something big. Ironically enough, that series defeat was the only postseason baseball popular team captain Don Mattingly ever saw.
For Williams, that season was the beginning of his rise to stardom. Over those eight seasons stretching '95 to '02, Williams averaged over .300, 24 homers and 102 RBI's, winning one batting title (.339 in '98), making five consecutive All-Star appearances ('97-01) and winning four straight Gold Gloves ('97-00).
One memorable Williams moment was after Scott Brosius had thrown across to Tino Martinez for the final out of the '98 World Series in a sweep of the Padres for their second World Series title in three years. As the final out was recorded, Williams knelt down in center and pounded his glove because it could have been his final game in Pinstripes. After the season, he was due to become a free agent. It was about as emotional as you'll ever see the stoic Williams.
In fact, a month later, he almost went to bitter rival Boston. They were pushing hard to get him but when George Steinbrenner found out, he quickly offered Bernie a comparable contract which kept him a Yankee. At the time, Williams signed a seven-year deal worth $89.5 million (12.8 average) becoming one of the highest paid players in baseball history.
Williams has been a very good player throughout most of that contract. However, since 2003, he has been hampered with injuries and declined. Though he was still productive last year hitting 22 long balls with 70 RBI's in 148 games, his average for the second consecutive season slipped under .300, finishing .262. It was his worst mark since his first full season in '93 when he hit .268 in 139 games.
His 15th major league season has seen a steady fall from grace that's included a couple of dropped routine fly balls and mental mistakes which opponents have taken advantage of. It's been hard to watch Williams struggle. With that the case and the Yanks even trying to convert free agent second baseman Tony Womack to center, it was clear that this would be his final season in Pinstripes. The ball club finally indicated as such last Monday, when they failed to pick-up a $15 million team option for 2006.
Even with that the case and going through his worst season, Williams continued to exude class the next day when he spoke to reporters.
"It's something they felt they had to do," he said during batting practice for Tuesday night's game at Cleveland. "I'm still playing for this team and I'm going to do all I can to help this team win."
"It wouldn't be fair to talk about it at this point in the season," he added.
This was exactly how you would have expected the soft spoken Williams to handle the situation. In an era of me-first athletes who put themselves ahead of their teams, Bernie is a throwback who understands what's really important. Winning.
That's why it's always been easy to root for him. Once the Yankees signed him as a 17-year-old amateur on his birthday 20 years ago on September 13, 1985. A month away from turning 37, Williams is closing in on the finish line. In that time, he's done himself proud and been a model Yankee.
It will be a sad day when #51 no longer patrols center field at Yankee Stadium. However, they'll never forget Bernie.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Rangers bring back Rucinsky again
Martin Rucinsky has already been a Ranger twice. He made it a trifecta late Wednesday night when he agreed to a one-year deal worth three million. Once again, the 34-year-old veteran left wing will play for New York, where he fit in well during previous stints.
Rucinsky became the third Czech free agent in two days to ink a deal with the club. They also signed Marek Malik and Martin Straka a day earlier. Rucinsky will rejoin Jaromir Jagr, who he combined with to score the gold medal winning goal against Canada at the 2005 World Championships at Austria back in May. He also could possibly team up with Straka when the season gets underway two months from now.
Originally acquired from the Dallas Stars along with now deceased Roman Lyashenko on March 12, 2002 in exchange for Manny Malhotra and Barrett Heistein, Rucinsky played very well in the final 15 games of that season registering three goals and 10 assists.
After playing a year with in St. Louis, Rucinsky returned to New York for the '03-04 season. The interchangeable forward often complemented Bobby Holik, Eric Lindros and Jagr on various lines. His superb speed and grinding two-way style meshed well with each. In 69 games, he tallied a solid 42 points (13-29-42) along with a respectable +13 rating before being dealt to Vancouver for Martin Grenier and R.J. Umberger on March 9, 2004.
Rucinsky can play in any situation and virtually in any role. Whether he's used on a scoring line or a checking line, he can excel. The former Edmonton Oilers '91 draft pick is always a threat shorthanded due to his rock solid skating and excellent defensive instincts.
Having played for seven different NHL clubs (Edmonton, Quebec/Colorado, Montreal, Dallas, New York, St. Louis, Vancouver), the well traveled Rucinsky will be entering his 15th season. He hasn't lasted an entire season with one team since '00-01 with Montreal when he played in just 57 contests registering 38 points (16-22-38).
In his Ranger career, Rucinsky has gone 16-39-55 in 84 games with the club. The Czech wing has 208 goals and 300 assists for 508 points in 817 total NHL games.
Blueshirts Add Two More And Re-sign Third: Thursday, the club announced that it had reached deals with Ville Nieminen and Jason Ward. Nieminen, 28, is a pesky wing who can get underneath the skin of opponents. He last played a key role on 2004 Stanley Cup runner-up Calgary, where he tallied eight points (4-4-8) in 24 postseason games. The former '97 Colorado selection will be joining his fifth club. Ward, 26, is a former number one choice (11th overall, '97 Draft) of the Montreal Canadiens. Though he has decent size (6-3 200), Ward has never been able to fulfill expectations. In 105 career NHL games, he's scored just 10 goals and 10 assists. However, more than half that production came in '03-04 when he appeared in a career best 53 contests tallying 12 points (5-7-12) with Montreal. ... Rangers re-signed RFA defenseman Thomas Pock to a three-year contract. Pock, 23, was originally signed as a free agent out of The University of Massachusetts on March 23, 2004. That same day, he dressed as a Ranger and scored his first career NHL goal against Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden. In six games, he scored twice and added two helpers. He played last season with Hartford and Charlotte. In 50 games with the Pack, Pock had just six points in an injury plagued season.
Rucinsky became the third Czech free agent in two days to ink a deal with the club. They also signed Marek Malik and Martin Straka a day earlier. Rucinsky will rejoin Jaromir Jagr, who he combined with to score the gold medal winning goal against Canada at the 2005 World Championships at Austria back in May. He also could possibly team up with Straka when the season gets underway two months from now.
Originally acquired from the Dallas Stars along with now deceased Roman Lyashenko on March 12, 2002 in exchange for Manny Malhotra and Barrett Heistein, Rucinsky played very well in the final 15 games of that season registering three goals and 10 assists.
After playing a year with in St. Louis, Rucinsky returned to New York for the '03-04 season. The interchangeable forward often complemented Bobby Holik, Eric Lindros and Jagr on various lines. His superb speed and grinding two-way style meshed well with each. In 69 games, he tallied a solid 42 points (13-29-42) along with a respectable +13 rating before being dealt to Vancouver for Martin Grenier and R.J. Umberger on March 9, 2004.
Rucinsky can play in any situation and virtually in any role. Whether he's used on a scoring line or a checking line, he can excel. The former Edmonton Oilers '91 draft pick is always a threat shorthanded due to his rock solid skating and excellent defensive instincts.
Having played for seven different NHL clubs (Edmonton, Quebec/Colorado, Montreal, Dallas, New York, St. Louis, Vancouver), the well traveled Rucinsky will be entering his 15th season. He hasn't lasted an entire season with one team since '00-01 with Montreal when he played in just 57 contests registering 38 points (16-22-38).
In his Ranger career, Rucinsky has gone 16-39-55 in 84 games with the club. The Czech wing has 208 goals and 300 assists for 508 points in 817 total NHL games.
Blueshirts Add Two More And Re-sign Third: Thursday, the club announced that it had reached deals with Ville Nieminen and Jason Ward. Nieminen, 28, is a pesky wing who can get underneath the skin of opponents. He last played a key role on 2004 Stanley Cup runner-up Calgary, where he tallied eight points (4-4-8) in 24 postseason games. The former '97 Colorado selection will be joining his fifth club. Ward, 26, is a former number one choice (11th overall, '97 Draft) of the Montreal Canadiens. Though he has decent size (6-3 200), Ward has never been able to fulfill expectations. In 105 career NHL games, he's scored just 10 goals and 10 assists. However, more than half that production came in '03-04 when he appeared in a career best 53 contests tallying 12 points (5-7-12) with Montreal. ... Rangers re-signed RFA defenseman Thomas Pock to a three-year contract. Pock, 23, was originally signed as a free agent out of The University of Massachusetts on March 23, 2004. That same day, he dressed as a Ranger and scored his first career NHL goal against Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden. In six games, he scored twice and added two helpers. He played last season with Hartford and Charlotte. In 50 games with the Pack, Pock had just six points in an injury plagued season.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Rangers Ink Trio
With the NHL finally back in business thanks to a more management friendly CBA agreed upon by the owners and players two weeks ago, the free agency period got underway Monday. The big question for the Rangers was would they stick to the rebuilding plan assistant GM Don Maloney mentioned at last weekend's entry draft in Ottawa.
Based on the signings of 2003 number one draft pick Hugh Jessiman, 2004 number one Al Montoya and Rick Kozak, it looked like the organization was serious about going in a different direction.
By buying out malcontent Bobby Holik last Friday, it left only five NHL players signed for the '05-06 season, set to kickoff October 5th at Philadelphia.
With so few players under contract, it left the door open for the Rangers to dip into the market and land a couple of free agents. Yesterday, they made good on Maloney's vow to not just go after the biggest stars but rather brought in role players who could fit in better.
With a glaring hole on the blueline, the Blueshirts inked Marek Malik to a three-year deal worth $7.5 million (2.5 average). The ex-Canuck defenseman tied with Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis for the best plus/minus (+35) in '03-04. He's a stay-at-home type who is responsible defensively. While he is big (6-5, 215), the 30-year-old Malik is not overly physical. Instead, he relies on sound positioning. The lack of hitting might infuriate fans but if he plays his game, he could fare well on Broadway.
The team later agreed to terms with Martin Straka on a one-year contract worth three million. Straka has a history with star right wing Jaromir Jagr, forming solid chemistry in Pittsburgh and on the Czech national team where they combined for an Olympic gold medal in Nagano ('98). Now reunited, look for Straka to fill a hole and play left wing on the top line with Jagr and center Michael Nylander.
Straka, 32, is a versatile playmaking left wing who can also shift to center if needed. He last played for the Kings registering 14 points (6-8-14) in 32 games after being acquired from the Penguins. The only risk with Straka is that he is injury prone. He had some really bad luck staying on the ice in '03-04 due to a sprained knee, missing 28 games. Hopefully that won't be an issue this season.
Team president and GM Glen Sather also came to terms with veteran goalie Kevin Weekes. Last summer, he signed a one-year deal dependant on a season. The 30-year-old ex-Hurricane still was restricted, which gave the Rangers a chance to re-sign him. He agreed to a three-year contract worth an average of 1.9 million-per-year.
In '03-04, Weekes posted solid numbers for Carolina, winning 23 games with a respectable 2.33 GAA, .912 save percentage and six shutouts. If the athletic netminder can duplicate that in New York, he should be a popular Ranger.
The Rangers now have over 22 million in salary committed to eight players, leaving about 16-17 million left in the cap to get other players signed. They are expected to re-sign Group II free agents Tom Poti and Blair Betts.
Rangers still have several RFA's to re-sign including Jozef Balej, Alexandre Giroux, Bryce Lampman, Jamie Lundmark, Dominic Moore, Garth Murray, Jed Ortmeyer and Chad Wiseman.
Based on the signings of 2003 number one draft pick Hugh Jessiman, 2004 number one Al Montoya and Rick Kozak, it looked like the organization was serious about going in a different direction.
By buying out malcontent Bobby Holik last Friday, it left only five NHL players signed for the '05-06 season, set to kickoff October 5th at Philadelphia.
With so few players under contract, it left the door open for the Rangers to dip into the market and land a couple of free agents. Yesterday, they made good on Maloney's vow to not just go after the biggest stars but rather brought in role players who could fit in better.
With a glaring hole on the blueline, the Blueshirts inked Marek Malik to a three-year deal worth $7.5 million (2.5 average). The ex-Canuck defenseman tied with Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis for the best plus/minus (+35) in '03-04. He's a stay-at-home type who is responsible defensively. While he is big (6-5, 215), the 30-year-old Malik is not overly physical. Instead, he relies on sound positioning. The lack of hitting might infuriate fans but if he plays his game, he could fare well on Broadway.
The team later agreed to terms with Martin Straka on a one-year contract worth three million. Straka has a history with star right wing Jaromir Jagr, forming solid chemistry in Pittsburgh and on the Czech national team where they combined for an Olympic gold medal in Nagano ('98). Now reunited, look for Straka to fill a hole and play left wing on the top line with Jagr and center Michael Nylander.
Straka, 32, is a versatile playmaking left wing who can also shift to center if needed. He last played for the Kings registering 14 points (6-8-14) in 32 games after being acquired from the Penguins. The only risk with Straka is that he is injury prone. He had some really bad luck staying on the ice in '03-04 due to a sprained knee, missing 28 games. Hopefully that won't be an issue this season.
Team president and GM Glen Sather also came to terms with veteran goalie Kevin Weekes. Last summer, he signed a one-year deal dependant on a season. The 30-year-old ex-Hurricane still was restricted, which gave the Rangers a chance to re-sign him. He agreed to a three-year contract worth an average of 1.9 million-per-year.
In '03-04, Weekes posted solid numbers for Carolina, winning 23 games with a respectable 2.33 GAA, .912 save percentage and six shutouts. If the athletic netminder can duplicate that in New York, he should be a popular Ranger.
The Rangers now have over 22 million in salary committed to eight players, leaving about 16-17 million left in the cap to get other players signed. They are expected to re-sign Group II free agents Tom Poti and Blair Betts.
Rangers still have several RFA's to re-sign including Jozef Balej, Alexandre Giroux, Bryce Lampman, Jamie Lundmark, Dominic Moore, Garth Murray, Jed Ortmeyer and Chad Wiseman.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Hard Hits: It Was 'An Accident'
Rafael Palmeiro has had a distinguished 20-year baseball career which has included 10 seasons of 35 homers-or-more and 10 100-plus RBI years. Recently, Palmeiro reached a career milestone when he recorded hit number 3000 against Seattle on July 15th. It put him into exclusive company with Henry Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray as the fourth player in major league history to reach 500 home runs and 3000 hits. A moment like that should be savored and celebrated. Not tarnished.
Before this season began, Palmeiro was one of several star sluggers under scrutiny to testify before Congress back in March about whether he ever used performance enhancement drugs. Back then, he defiantly rejected the notion standing up, pointing and saying, "I have never used steroids. Period."
That was under oath. When major league baseball shockingly announced that Palmeiro had indeed become the seventh major leaguer and first notable one to test positive for steroids Monday morning, Palmeiro quickly released a statement claiming he didn't intentionally or knowingly use. He even went as far as to say, "Why would I do this in a year when I went in front of Congress and I testified and told the truth?" Added the embattled Orioles first baseman, "Why would I do this during a season where I was going to get 3000 hits? It just makes no sense... I'm not a crazy person."
Whether or not Palmeiro wants to portray his innocence, it's hard to argue with the end results, which contradict his statements and make him look like a pathological liar.
What isn't known is when he tested positive. That wasn't released by MLB.
So, was it really an accident as Palmeiro basically is claiming? Was he setup as the fall guy? If you're a conspiracy theorist, you might take the bait. It is pretty mindboggling that a well known player who insisted they never cheated before to a grand jury in the nation's capital would be stupid enough to get caught red handed when he knew the consequences. And we're not talking about the weak 10-day suspension Palmeiro has to serve. We're referring to his reputation being tossed out the window and put in serious jeopardy of making Cooperstown.
The public is a sucker for the truth. When something like this comes to the forefront, the vast majority will believe MLB because the test cameback positive.
While Palmeiro tried to claim that he didn't know how the roids wound up in his system, he also went on to apologize to baseball, the Baltimore Orioles and the fans for making a mistake. Correct me if I'm wrong. But if he unknowingly took something that he didn't realize could be a banned substance, what would he have to be sorry about? Clearly, the 40-year-old first baseman contradicted himself here. Either he knew what he took and was trying to underwhelm the public or he didn't and wasn't sure how he was found guilty.
In any event, Palmeiro's positive test is a black eye for baseball and once again begs the question if MLB's anti-drug policy is stiff enough. Why would a potential Hall of Famer risk getting caught in probably his final year? It makes no sense.
So, was it really an accident Rafael or would you like to alter your statement and get the story straight? It's time to stop deceiving the public.
Before this season began, Palmeiro was one of several star sluggers under scrutiny to testify before Congress back in March about whether he ever used performance enhancement drugs. Back then, he defiantly rejected the notion standing up, pointing and saying, "I have never used steroids. Period."
That was under oath. When major league baseball shockingly announced that Palmeiro had indeed become the seventh major leaguer and first notable one to test positive for steroids Monday morning, Palmeiro quickly released a statement claiming he didn't intentionally or knowingly use. He even went as far as to say, "Why would I do this in a year when I went in front of Congress and I testified and told the truth?" Added the embattled Orioles first baseman, "Why would I do this during a season where I was going to get 3000 hits? It just makes no sense... I'm not a crazy person."
Whether or not Palmeiro wants to portray his innocence, it's hard to argue with the end results, which contradict his statements and make him look like a pathological liar.
What isn't known is when he tested positive. That wasn't released by MLB.
So, was it really an accident as Palmeiro basically is claiming? Was he setup as the fall guy? If you're a conspiracy theorist, you might take the bait. It is pretty mindboggling that a well known player who insisted they never cheated before to a grand jury in the nation's capital would be stupid enough to get caught red handed when he knew the consequences. And we're not talking about the weak 10-day suspension Palmeiro has to serve. We're referring to his reputation being tossed out the window and put in serious jeopardy of making Cooperstown.
The public is a sucker for the truth. When something like this comes to the forefront, the vast majority will believe MLB because the test cameback positive.
While Palmeiro tried to claim that he didn't know how the roids wound up in his system, he also went on to apologize to baseball, the Baltimore Orioles and the fans for making a mistake. Correct me if I'm wrong. But if he unknowingly took something that he didn't realize could be a banned substance, what would he have to be sorry about? Clearly, the 40-year-old first baseman contradicted himself here. Either he knew what he took and was trying to underwhelm the public or he didn't and wasn't sure how he was found guilty.
In any event, Palmeiro's positive test is a black eye for baseball and once again begs the question if MLB's anti-drug policy is stiff enough. Why would a potential Hall of Famer risk getting caught in probably his final year? It makes no sense.
So, was it really an accident Rafael or would you like to alter your statement and get the story straight? It's time to stop deceiving the public.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Hard Hits: Just Hire Herb Already
While the NBA draft has come and gone and the free agent signing period underway, somehow, Knicks President and GM Isiah Thomas still has not figured out that no high profile coach is coming to New York to take over the tenuous position. This past Wednesday, Larry Brown's wife Shelly proclaimed to New York Post beat writer Marc Berman that her husband would not be coming but instead hoped to return to Detroit healh permitting. Even with it looking more likely that Brown would stay in Detroit, Thomas has continued to wait, almost as if he had some sort of blind faith that the Brooklyn native would actually change his mind.
What can't be figured out is what kind of kool aid owner Jim Dolan has given Thomas to make him believe that the Knicks coaching position was appealing. It's almost as if Thomas has become as stubborn as Glen Sather was with the Ranger coaching job two summers ago. Did he actually think a big name would want to come here, knowing in advance that they'd be under the radar without full control in an almost clown-like atmosphere? Thing is Barnum and Bailey is still one of the most profitable events when they come to town. And most importantly, they don't leave fans bitter and nauseous.
Already, one of Thomas' most coveted coaching free agents, Nate McMillan accepted an offer to coach the Portland Trail Blazers. In the past, Portland has been a place where clowns often reign supreme. But McMillan decided their future was much better and worth the gamble.
Where would you rather be? With a team that has a rising star at point guard with young athletic wing players and enough room on the cap to maneuver. Or with a team that is so far maxed out on the cap due to ridiculous length of contracts with little chance of adding a good big man who could make a difference. The choice is simple.
While Thomas continues to pin his hopes on Brown, the other elite name Phil Jackson decided that returning for a sequel in Hollywood with embattled player Kobe Bryant was more lucrative than coming back to where he won two NBA championships as a player in '70 and '72. Coincidentally, those are the only two titles the Knicks have won.
With former Minnesota coach Flip Saunders all but ruled out due to how much authority he wants with any prospective employer, this doesn't leave many options.
So, what is Isiah waiting for? Herb Williams did an admirable job taking over for Lenny Wilkens. Though he only went 16-27, he came into an impossible situation with a team that was going nowhere. After an initial poor beginning, his team responded well and competed better. Williams even got something more out of "Tiny" Tim Thomas by featuring him more as a go-to guy in the post. Thomas has a reputation for being soft but under Williams, he looked rejuvenated. If Williams gets the position, maybe Thomas will continue to thrive and increase his trade value.
Williams also got Jamal Crawford to distribute the ball more, even using him at the point in the fourth quarter in place of Stephon Marbury. In those instances, Crawford led the Knicks to victories. Maybe there is hope for Crawford after all. He certainly is talented, possessing a killer crossover, unlimited range from the outside and excellent leaping ability as Knick fans will attest to his two innovative dunks off the glass. It's just Crawford becoming more disciplined and not just running and gunning. There's also other teammates and defense, something the athletic player should be able to play.
Williams preached that his team come to play every night. He demanded that they become a better defensive club and exhibit better working habits. A trademark of the old "Back To D" Knick clubs in the 90's when they often challenged for the NBA title.
Despite being treated as if he was a ragged doll, Williams continues to exude confidence and show professionalism and understanding for why the process has taken so long. When asked to comment on things during a recent Knicks Summer League Camp game in Las Vegas by MSG's Gus Johnson and John Andareise, Williams didn't take anything personally. He insisted that he was the coach of the team and planned to go forth with gameplans for the upcoming season on what he felt will work with the newest Knicks. Until proven otherwise, Herb is the coach. And given his even-keel temperament, I feel he should be given a chance to work with this young nucleus of players.
He's got more NBA experience than Thomas' old Bad Boy pal Bill Laimbeer, who coached the WNBA Detroit Sparks to a title in '03. Laimbeer would have to make a transition from coaching team oriented women to more ego-driven men, who can create chaos. While he is knowledgable and would be an authoritative type of coach, it remains to be seen if that kind of personality could work here with younger players.
So, will Isiah finally wake up from the abyss and do the right thing? It's time to give the job to the most deserving man.
Hitting Back:
-Why does Isiah have to take it so personal when it's suggested that Stephon Marbury might be on the block? Maybe if he didn't basically proclaim that nobody on the roster was untouchable, people wouldn't speculate. Especially when the Knicks are overloaded at guard.
-This Nate Robinson will energize and excite fans when he gets into games this fall. Who knows? He could even wind up being a steal as part of the Quentin Richardson deal.
-When Willie Randolph starts Aaron Heilman to close the ninth with a four run lead against the Pirates and then allows him to load the bases before putting in closer Braden Looper, it doesn't exactly show much faith in Looper. It also was an awful move by a rookie manager who is still learning on the job.
-People who blame Looper for how that game turned out are way off. Looper wasn't put into a good situation. It didn't help that Cliff Floyd tried to be Superman when all he had to do was let the ball drop in front of him, which would have kept the game from being tied.
-Having Marlon Anderson and journeyman Jose Offerman split duties at first wasn't exactly Omar Minaya's plan for success. Until his recall from Norfolk, I didn't even know Offerman still played.
-What's more stunning? The fact that rookie starter Chien-Ming Wang gives the Yankees a better chance to win than Randy Johnson or the fact that Floyd was shafted from the All-Star team while less deserving teammates Carlos Beltran and Mike Piazza were voted starters?
-Is Mariano Rivera still done?
-A-rod has been brilliant this season and deserves his starting nod at third in Detroit but how does Hideki Matsui get overlooked by his peers when he has two less RBI's? He's been every bit as clutch.
-It's nice to see Jason Giambi coming around. But to all those who wrote him off before he had reached 100 at bats without being played consistently: Did you jump the gun a little soon to kick the guy while he was down?
-Now that the Olympic fiasco is over for New York, maybe now Mayor Bloomberg and the rest of the politicians can get back to what their job entails.
-Congrats to London on what should have been a momentous occasion landing the 2012 Olympics, only a day later was ruined by angry terrorists. It's sad that this will continue to be the story but is the harsh reality of the world we live in. One day, good shall prevail over evil. I just hope I'm around to see it.
What can't be figured out is what kind of kool aid owner Jim Dolan has given Thomas to make him believe that the Knicks coaching position was appealing. It's almost as if Thomas has become as stubborn as Glen Sather was with the Ranger coaching job two summers ago. Did he actually think a big name would want to come here, knowing in advance that they'd be under the radar without full control in an almost clown-like atmosphere? Thing is Barnum and Bailey is still one of the most profitable events when they come to town. And most importantly, they don't leave fans bitter and nauseous.
Already, one of Thomas' most coveted coaching free agents, Nate McMillan accepted an offer to coach the Portland Trail Blazers. In the past, Portland has been a place where clowns often reign supreme. But McMillan decided their future was much better and worth the gamble.
Where would you rather be? With a team that has a rising star at point guard with young athletic wing players and enough room on the cap to maneuver. Or with a team that is so far maxed out on the cap due to ridiculous length of contracts with little chance of adding a good big man who could make a difference. The choice is simple.
While Thomas continues to pin his hopes on Brown, the other elite name Phil Jackson decided that returning for a sequel in Hollywood with embattled player Kobe Bryant was more lucrative than coming back to where he won two NBA championships as a player in '70 and '72. Coincidentally, those are the only two titles the Knicks have won.
With former Minnesota coach Flip Saunders all but ruled out due to how much authority he wants with any prospective employer, this doesn't leave many options.
So, what is Isiah waiting for? Herb Williams did an admirable job taking over for Lenny Wilkens. Though he only went 16-27, he came into an impossible situation with a team that was going nowhere. After an initial poor beginning, his team responded well and competed better. Williams even got something more out of "Tiny" Tim Thomas by featuring him more as a go-to guy in the post. Thomas has a reputation for being soft but under Williams, he looked rejuvenated. If Williams gets the position, maybe Thomas will continue to thrive and increase his trade value.
Williams also got Jamal Crawford to distribute the ball more, even using him at the point in the fourth quarter in place of Stephon Marbury. In those instances, Crawford led the Knicks to victories. Maybe there is hope for Crawford after all. He certainly is talented, possessing a killer crossover, unlimited range from the outside and excellent leaping ability as Knick fans will attest to his two innovative dunks off the glass. It's just Crawford becoming more disciplined and not just running and gunning. There's also other teammates and defense, something the athletic player should be able to play.
Williams preached that his team come to play every night. He demanded that they become a better defensive club and exhibit better working habits. A trademark of the old "Back To D" Knick clubs in the 90's when they often challenged for the NBA title.
Despite being treated as if he was a ragged doll, Williams continues to exude confidence and show professionalism and understanding for why the process has taken so long. When asked to comment on things during a recent Knicks Summer League Camp game in Las Vegas by MSG's Gus Johnson and John Andareise, Williams didn't take anything personally. He insisted that he was the coach of the team and planned to go forth with gameplans for the upcoming season on what he felt will work with the newest Knicks. Until proven otherwise, Herb is the coach. And given his even-keel temperament, I feel he should be given a chance to work with this young nucleus of players.
He's got more NBA experience than Thomas' old Bad Boy pal Bill Laimbeer, who coached the WNBA Detroit Sparks to a title in '03. Laimbeer would have to make a transition from coaching team oriented women to more ego-driven men, who can create chaos. While he is knowledgable and would be an authoritative type of coach, it remains to be seen if that kind of personality could work here with younger players.
So, will Isiah finally wake up from the abyss and do the right thing? It's time to give the job to the most deserving man.
Hitting Back:
-Why does Isiah have to take it so personal when it's suggested that Stephon Marbury might be on the block? Maybe if he didn't basically proclaim that nobody on the roster was untouchable, people wouldn't speculate. Especially when the Knicks are overloaded at guard.
-This Nate Robinson will energize and excite fans when he gets into games this fall. Who knows? He could even wind up being a steal as part of the Quentin Richardson deal.
-When Willie Randolph starts Aaron Heilman to close the ninth with a four run lead against the Pirates and then allows him to load the bases before putting in closer Braden Looper, it doesn't exactly show much faith in Looper. It also was an awful move by a rookie manager who is still learning on the job.
-People who blame Looper for how that game turned out are way off. Looper wasn't put into a good situation. It didn't help that Cliff Floyd tried to be Superman when all he had to do was let the ball drop in front of him, which would have kept the game from being tied.
-Having Marlon Anderson and journeyman Jose Offerman split duties at first wasn't exactly Omar Minaya's plan for success. Until his recall from Norfolk, I didn't even know Offerman still played.
-What's more stunning? The fact that rookie starter Chien-Ming Wang gives the Yankees a better chance to win than Randy Johnson or the fact that Floyd was shafted from the All-Star team while less deserving teammates Carlos Beltran and Mike Piazza were voted starters?
-Is Mariano Rivera still done?
-A-rod has been brilliant this season and deserves his starting nod at third in Detroit but how does Hideki Matsui get overlooked by his peers when he has two less RBI's? He's been every bit as clutch.
-It's nice to see Jason Giambi coming around. But to all those who wrote him off before he had reached 100 at bats without being played consistently: Did you jump the gun a little soon to kick the guy while he was down?
-Now that the Olympic fiasco is over for New York, maybe now Mayor Bloomberg and the rest of the politicians can get back to what their job entails.
-Congrats to London on what should have been a momentous occasion landing the 2012 Olympics, only a day later was ruined by angry terrorists. It's sad that this will continue to be the story but is the harsh reality of the world we live in. One day, good shall prevail over evil. I just hope I'm around to see it.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Simply InFedererable
Call him the best player since Sampras. Call him whatever you will. In a virtuoso performance fitting of an artist, Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4 to claim his third consecutive Wimbledon championship. He became the first player since Sampras to win three in a row and now is in exclusive company with Bjorn Borg as only the third male in the Open Era to ever accomplish this feat. Fred Perry was the first to ever do it when he won the historic tournament from 1934-36.
With dominating groundstrokes and passing shots that defied logic, he dominated a very good player in Roddick. So brilliant was Federer that he hit a ridiculous 49 winners and made just 12 unforced errors for the match. An incredible ratio for a final. Sixteen of those winners came from the ground. Federer even outaced Roddick 11-7.
In the first men's final rematch at the All England Club since 1989 when Boris Becker defeated Stefan Edberg in the second of a trilogy, Federer imposed his will on Roddick early to set the tone for the match.
After both players held serve to two all, Federer took advantage of a weary Roddick in the fifth game to go up a break. Roddick, who a day earlier had to go four hard fought sets to defeat Thomas Johansson, might have been feeling the affects of that match early on. He didn't have as much zest on his deadly serve or huge forehand. Federer was able to take quick advantage and claimed the first set with ease when he broke for a second time on a looping slice backhand return crosscourt that landed just inside the line. He was so dominant that he only dropped one point on his serve and slugged 15 winners to just one error in the set.
When Federer held with ease to open the second set, it looked like it was going to be very difficult for Roddick to crack Federer's serve. But after a sharper service game to even it one all, Andy took advantage of a rare unsteady game from the top ranked player in the world. When he ripped a forehand, forcing a forehand volley error from Federer into the net, Roddick pumped his fist and had the break. But right away, the champion put pressure on Andy's serve and although he didn't get back on serve, he made it known that it would be a struggle for the American to hang on and claim the set.
When Roddick slipped up in similar fashion to Roger earlier in the set, the Swiss product pounced forcing Andy into a long backhand which put the pivotal set back on serve three apiece, prompting a 'Come on' from Federer. From that point, both players held their serve without trouble until Federer led 6-5. With Roddick serving to push it to a tiebreaker, Federer earned two set points. But Roddick came through with two unreturnable service winners and held for six all.
In the tiebreak, Federer jumped out to a 3-0 lead when he surprisingly took both points on Roddick's serve. But even more remarkably, Roddick came right back to make it 3-2 when he hustled to hit a perfect slice backhand winner down the line to put it back on serve. Unfortunately for Roddick, Federer played the next two points well to lead 5-2. When he forced Roddick into an error, Andy slammed his racket in frustration because he knew how vital the second set was. Time was running out. When Federer hit a service winner down the tee, he claimed the tiebreak 7-2 and took a commanding two set lead. Out of the eight tiebreakers they've played, Federer has taken seven of them.
With some light drops of rain falling, play was halted for 25 minutes. This gave Roddick a chance to regroup and talk to his coach Dean Goldfine. But on this day, nothing was going to stop Federer.
When play continued, Roddick came out serving well and hitting the ball crisply from the baseline. He even got to deuce on an early Federer serve giving the partisan crowd some hope. However, Federer did not budge.
Both players held for three all without any problem. Like champions usually do, they seize the moment. That's what Federer did in the seventh game of the set. With Roddick knowing he needed to hold, Federer went on the offensive to put himself in position to earn a break. The game started with him running down a Roddick volley and cracking a winner down the line. When he hit a return that Roddick had to play between his legs on the next point, eventually Federer hit a running forehand winner to get to love-30. That's when the crowd sensed that it could be the beginning of the end. When he hit a beautiful crosscourt backhand winner to break Roddick and lead 4-3, he was two games away from destiny.
After each player held for 5-4, Federer easily served it out. When he nailed a service winner that Roddick couldn't return, Roger pumped his fists in excitement and dropped to his knees, laying against the grass as if it were the comfort of home. On this surface, he may as well have been. It was Federer's 21st straight match won at Wimbledon and 36th consecutive victory on grass with his last loss on the surface coming against Mario Ancic in the first round in 2002. He's come a long way since then.
The 36 straight victories are five shy of the record set by the uncomparable Bjorn Borg. Borg won all 41 of his matches at Wimbledon enroute to a men's tournament record five consecutive titles from 1976-80. Federer will take a shot next year at matching that impressive streak and winning a fourth Wimbledon in a row. For now, just Borg and Sampras ('97-00) have ever won four straight championships at the All England Club.
As a 19-year-old four years ago, he ended Sampras' run in four sets with a forehand return winner and fell to his knees then because he beat a legend. Now, Federer is the one writing his own script for fans to remember.
The slam was his fifth major of his career and first since overwhelming Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets at last year's U.S. Open. Federer had been having a great year winning seven titles heading into defense of his crown. But two of his three defeats had come in the first two slam semifinals, losing to eventual champions Marat Safin (Australian Open) and Rafael Nadal (French Open). If he didn't win in London, it would have been considered a letdown. That's how much has become expected of Federer.
Even more amazing is the fact that Federer doesn't lose in finals. He is five-for-five at grand slams having dropped just one set and has won a tour record 21 in succession. The previous best was 12, shared by Borg and John McEnroe.
Federer will now have a chance to defend his title at the U.S. Open in six weeks. If he can, he will be eight away from the all-time record of 14 set by Sampras. It might be a little early to start counting down but Sampras was the same age when he won his third consecutive Wimbledon in '95 and fifth title. If Federer can continue his supreme level and stay healthy, maybe one day he can challenge that remarkable record.
For Roddick, once again, he finished runner-up to Federer. While it had to be disappointing for the 22-year-old American, he should take some solace in knowing that other than Federer, nobody else has solved him at Wimbledon or any other grass court tournament in the last three years. During that span, Roddick has won 32 of his last 35 matches on the surface.
Roddick did try his new tactic of going to the net more against Federer. But he wasn't as successful as he had been in previous matches, able to win just 18 of 42 (43 %) points due mostly to Federer's solid ball striking from the baseline. Meanwhile, Federer won 17 of 25 (68 %) points when he came in. A much better ratio.
That was the kind of day it was. Nothing Roddick could have done.
He was up against the best.
With dominating groundstrokes and passing shots that defied logic, he dominated a very good player in Roddick. So brilliant was Federer that he hit a ridiculous 49 winners and made just 12 unforced errors for the match. An incredible ratio for a final. Sixteen of those winners came from the ground. Federer even outaced Roddick 11-7.
In the first men's final rematch at the All England Club since 1989 when Boris Becker defeated Stefan Edberg in the second of a trilogy, Federer imposed his will on Roddick early to set the tone for the match.
After both players held serve to two all, Federer took advantage of a weary Roddick in the fifth game to go up a break. Roddick, who a day earlier had to go four hard fought sets to defeat Thomas Johansson, might have been feeling the affects of that match early on. He didn't have as much zest on his deadly serve or huge forehand. Federer was able to take quick advantage and claimed the first set with ease when he broke for a second time on a looping slice backhand return crosscourt that landed just inside the line. He was so dominant that he only dropped one point on his serve and slugged 15 winners to just one error in the set.
When Federer held with ease to open the second set, it looked like it was going to be very difficult for Roddick to crack Federer's serve. But after a sharper service game to even it one all, Andy took advantage of a rare unsteady game from the top ranked player in the world. When he ripped a forehand, forcing a forehand volley error from Federer into the net, Roddick pumped his fist and had the break. But right away, the champion put pressure on Andy's serve and although he didn't get back on serve, he made it known that it would be a struggle for the American to hang on and claim the set.
When Roddick slipped up in similar fashion to Roger earlier in the set, the Swiss product pounced forcing Andy into a long backhand which put the pivotal set back on serve three apiece, prompting a 'Come on' from Federer. From that point, both players held their serve without trouble until Federer led 6-5. With Roddick serving to push it to a tiebreaker, Federer earned two set points. But Roddick came through with two unreturnable service winners and held for six all.
In the tiebreak, Federer jumped out to a 3-0 lead when he surprisingly took both points on Roddick's serve. But even more remarkably, Roddick came right back to make it 3-2 when he hustled to hit a perfect slice backhand winner down the line to put it back on serve. Unfortunately for Roddick, Federer played the next two points well to lead 5-2. When he forced Roddick into an error, Andy slammed his racket in frustration because he knew how vital the second set was. Time was running out. When Federer hit a service winner down the tee, he claimed the tiebreak 7-2 and took a commanding two set lead. Out of the eight tiebreakers they've played, Federer has taken seven of them.
With some light drops of rain falling, play was halted for 25 minutes. This gave Roddick a chance to regroup and talk to his coach Dean Goldfine. But on this day, nothing was going to stop Federer.
When play continued, Roddick came out serving well and hitting the ball crisply from the baseline. He even got to deuce on an early Federer serve giving the partisan crowd some hope. However, Federer did not budge.
Both players held for three all without any problem. Like champions usually do, they seize the moment. That's what Federer did in the seventh game of the set. With Roddick knowing he needed to hold, Federer went on the offensive to put himself in position to earn a break. The game started with him running down a Roddick volley and cracking a winner down the line. When he hit a return that Roddick had to play between his legs on the next point, eventually Federer hit a running forehand winner to get to love-30. That's when the crowd sensed that it could be the beginning of the end. When he hit a beautiful crosscourt backhand winner to break Roddick and lead 4-3, he was two games away from destiny.
After each player held for 5-4, Federer easily served it out. When he nailed a service winner that Roddick couldn't return, Roger pumped his fists in excitement and dropped to his knees, laying against the grass as if it were the comfort of home. On this surface, he may as well have been. It was Federer's 21st straight match won at Wimbledon and 36th consecutive victory on grass with his last loss on the surface coming against Mario Ancic in the first round in 2002. He's come a long way since then.
The 36 straight victories are five shy of the record set by the uncomparable Bjorn Borg. Borg won all 41 of his matches at Wimbledon enroute to a men's tournament record five consecutive titles from 1976-80. Federer will take a shot next year at matching that impressive streak and winning a fourth Wimbledon in a row. For now, just Borg and Sampras ('97-00) have ever won four straight championships at the All England Club.
As a 19-year-old four years ago, he ended Sampras' run in four sets with a forehand return winner and fell to his knees then because he beat a legend. Now, Federer is the one writing his own script for fans to remember.
The slam was his fifth major of his career and first since overwhelming Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets at last year's U.S. Open. Federer had been having a great year winning seven titles heading into defense of his crown. But two of his three defeats had come in the first two slam semifinals, losing to eventual champions Marat Safin (Australian Open) and Rafael Nadal (French Open). If he didn't win in London, it would have been considered a letdown. That's how much has become expected of Federer.
Even more amazing is the fact that Federer doesn't lose in finals. He is five-for-five at grand slams having dropped just one set and has won a tour record 21 in succession. The previous best was 12, shared by Borg and John McEnroe.
Federer will now have a chance to defend his title at the U.S. Open in six weeks. If he can, he will be eight away from the all-time record of 14 set by Sampras. It might be a little early to start counting down but Sampras was the same age when he won his third consecutive Wimbledon in '95 and fifth title. If Federer can continue his supreme level and stay healthy, maybe one day he can challenge that remarkable record.
For Roddick, once again, he finished runner-up to Federer. While it had to be disappointing for the 22-year-old American, he should take some solace in knowing that other than Federer, nobody else has solved him at Wimbledon or any other grass court tournament in the last three years. During that span, Roddick has won 32 of his last 35 matches on the surface.
Roddick did try his new tactic of going to the net more against Federer. But he wasn't as successful as he had been in previous matches, able to win just 18 of 42 (43 %) points due mostly to Federer's solid ball striking from the baseline. Meanwhile, Federer won 17 of 25 (68 %) points when he came in. A much better ratio.
That was the kind of day it was. Nothing Roddick could have done.
He was up against the best.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Dandy Andy Sets Up Rematch With Roger
After having to wait an extra day to complete his semifinal match against Swede Thomas Johansson, American Andy Roddick setup a championship rematch of last year's Wimbledon with a hard earned four set victory over Johansson 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (10), 7-6 (5).
For Roddick, the match was befitting of how this tournament has gone for him. The '03 U.S. Open winner had his work cut out for him against '02 Aussie champ Johansson. That much was evident in the first set when each player held serve to force a tiebreaker. With Roddick needing to capitalize on one of two set points, Johansson surprisingly ran off the final four of the tiebreak to own the first set.
However, momentum shifted dramatically when Johansson took a bathroom break after the set. The timing seemed a little odd. When he returned, Roddick broke him twice in the second set and took it easily 6-2 to level the match.
With the balance of the match hanging on who could get the third set, both players performed admirably, combining powerful accurate serves with solid groundstrokes. This led to plenty of competitive rallies and forced both players to fight off break points to stay on serve. Late in the second, when Roddick broke Johansson to go up 6-5, it seemed a foregone conclusion that he'd serve it out without trouble. But that wasn't the case this time. When Johansson converted a second break point with a crosscourt backhand winner, it sent the set to a pivotal tiebreak.
In a tightly contested breaker, both men took turns earning set points to take the lead. Roddick fought off two first with help of a Johansson wide forehand and a service winner. Then Johansson served away a Roddick set point before earning a third of his own. But the hard serving Roddick came through with a clutch ace to level it. After Johansson fought off a second Roddick set point, finally, Andy capitalized on a third chance with a service winner to take it 12-10. The set lasted 68 minutes.
If Roddick thought the victory would be smooth sailing from this point, he had another thing coming. Johansson continued to match Roddick serve for serve. For the day, each player had 19 aces.
Ultimately, they headed for another tiebreak. It's rare that the server wins every point in the breaker but for 10 consecutive points, both Roddick and Johansson took turns holding. With the score knotted at five and Johansson serving to get a set point, an unlikely bounce wound up deciding the outcome of the match. All match long, Johansson had kicked his serve out wide effectively. On this crucial point, his first serve went directly into the corner towards Andy's forehand. But he hit a slice return that just clipped the top of the net and magically, went over leaving Johansson not enough time to recover, giving Roddick match point on his own serve. Just what he needed to escape any further drama of a potential fifth set. Roddick cooly stepped up and crushed an unreturnable shot down the middle that Johansson barely got a forehand on for a service winner to end the match to advance to his second straight Wimbledon final.
Now, the task becomes more difficult for him. Beat top ranked Roger Federer on his most dominant surface. As if the task wasn't easy enough, Roddick has had his share of problems against Federer. Federer has won eight of the nine meetings including the last two at the All England Club. In '03, he eliminated Roddick in the semis with a routine straight set victory. Last year, it was a bit more competitive with Andy surprising Roger by grabbing the first set. But a determined Federer stormed back taking the next three sets in close fashion to repeat as champion.
Can Roddick finally climb the final hurdle and dethrone Federer? He's playing a better brand of tennis than he did last year and at this year's semi defeat to Lleyton Hewitt down under. Roddick is not just dominating on serve or with his lethal forehand but also surprisingly at the net. He's made it part of his game plan to get up to net and take advantage of his deep groundstrokes. So far, Andy has been very sharp, showing some new found flair finishing points away. Even getting himself dirty by diving. This kind of aggressive tactic could be essential if Roddick is to pull this off.
He also is getting up and down the court faster due to improved fitness. Considering that Roddick has already had to go the distance to win two of his matches against earlier opponents and needed to tough out a four setter against Johansson, that fitness could be put to a test against Federer.
With the two-time defending champion having no problem advancing past Hewitt in the other semi Friday, he will be better rested. Federer has only dropped one set thus far, coming back in a heated third round encounter with German Nicolas Kiefer. But since that match, as the opponents have gotten tougher, Federer has lifted his game to another level. He was brilliant against Juan Carlos Ferrero in a very competitive round of 16 match. Against Fernando Gonzalez in the quarters, he had to be equally as dominant to win in straight sets. And finally, against Hewitt, another opponent he has owned lately, Federer was tougher on the big points, allowing him to cruise in three against a game opponent.
Contrast that with Roddick, who had a two day five set struggle in the second round with lucky loser Daniele Bracciali and also was pushed the distance in an ultracompetitive quarter against two-time semifinalist Sebastien Grosjean. He also defeated Guillermo Coria along the way to that match-up in a straight sets test.
During his run to the finals, he has dropped five sets and had to play extra days to advance twice due to rain. All that wear and tear could be cause for concern. But Roddick seems fairly confident that he'll be ready to go.
One thing that could help Roddick this time is he now knows he can win five set matches. Until his two wins at this year's event, he hadn't pulled a match out in five since his comeback from two sets down in the '03 U.S. Open semis against David Nalbandian. Ironically, that was the one major he won.
So, can Roddick prevent Federer from making history and winning his third straight Wimbledon? Something only the legendary Borg and Sampras have accomplished in the modern Open Era. Tune in tomorrow to NBC's Breakfast at Wimbledon at 9 ET/6 PT to find out.
It could be a classic.
For Roddick, the match was befitting of how this tournament has gone for him. The '03 U.S. Open winner had his work cut out for him against '02 Aussie champ Johansson. That much was evident in the first set when each player held serve to force a tiebreaker. With Roddick needing to capitalize on one of two set points, Johansson surprisingly ran off the final four of the tiebreak to own the first set.
However, momentum shifted dramatically when Johansson took a bathroom break after the set. The timing seemed a little odd. When he returned, Roddick broke him twice in the second set and took it easily 6-2 to level the match.
With the balance of the match hanging on who could get the third set, both players performed admirably, combining powerful accurate serves with solid groundstrokes. This led to plenty of competitive rallies and forced both players to fight off break points to stay on serve. Late in the second, when Roddick broke Johansson to go up 6-5, it seemed a foregone conclusion that he'd serve it out without trouble. But that wasn't the case this time. When Johansson converted a second break point with a crosscourt backhand winner, it sent the set to a pivotal tiebreak.
In a tightly contested breaker, both men took turns earning set points to take the lead. Roddick fought off two first with help of a Johansson wide forehand and a service winner. Then Johansson served away a Roddick set point before earning a third of his own. But the hard serving Roddick came through with a clutch ace to level it. After Johansson fought off a second Roddick set point, finally, Andy capitalized on a third chance with a service winner to take it 12-10. The set lasted 68 minutes.
If Roddick thought the victory would be smooth sailing from this point, he had another thing coming. Johansson continued to match Roddick serve for serve. For the day, each player had 19 aces.
Ultimately, they headed for another tiebreak. It's rare that the server wins every point in the breaker but for 10 consecutive points, both Roddick and Johansson took turns holding. With the score knotted at five and Johansson serving to get a set point, an unlikely bounce wound up deciding the outcome of the match. All match long, Johansson had kicked his serve out wide effectively. On this crucial point, his first serve went directly into the corner towards Andy's forehand. But he hit a slice return that just clipped the top of the net and magically, went over leaving Johansson not enough time to recover, giving Roddick match point on his own serve. Just what he needed to escape any further drama of a potential fifth set. Roddick cooly stepped up and crushed an unreturnable shot down the middle that Johansson barely got a forehand on for a service winner to end the match to advance to his second straight Wimbledon final.
Now, the task becomes more difficult for him. Beat top ranked Roger Federer on his most dominant surface. As if the task wasn't easy enough, Roddick has had his share of problems against Federer. Federer has won eight of the nine meetings including the last two at the All England Club. In '03, he eliminated Roddick in the semis with a routine straight set victory. Last year, it was a bit more competitive with Andy surprising Roger by grabbing the first set. But a determined Federer stormed back taking the next three sets in close fashion to repeat as champion.
Can Roddick finally climb the final hurdle and dethrone Federer? He's playing a better brand of tennis than he did last year and at this year's semi defeat to Lleyton Hewitt down under. Roddick is not just dominating on serve or with his lethal forehand but also surprisingly at the net. He's made it part of his game plan to get up to net and take advantage of his deep groundstrokes. So far, Andy has been very sharp, showing some new found flair finishing points away. Even getting himself dirty by diving. This kind of aggressive tactic could be essential if Roddick is to pull this off.
He also is getting up and down the court faster due to improved fitness. Considering that Roddick has already had to go the distance to win two of his matches against earlier opponents and needed to tough out a four setter against Johansson, that fitness could be put to a test against Federer.
With the two-time defending champion having no problem advancing past Hewitt in the other semi Friday, he will be better rested. Federer has only dropped one set thus far, coming back in a heated third round encounter with German Nicolas Kiefer. But since that match, as the opponents have gotten tougher, Federer has lifted his game to another level. He was brilliant against Juan Carlos Ferrero in a very competitive round of 16 match. Against Fernando Gonzalez in the quarters, he had to be equally as dominant to win in straight sets. And finally, against Hewitt, another opponent he has owned lately, Federer was tougher on the big points, allowing him to cruise in three against a game opponent.
Contrast that with Roddick, who had a two day five set struggle in the second round with lucky loser Daniele Bracciali and also was pushed the distance in an ultracompetitive quarter against two-time semifinalist Sebastien Grosjean. He also defeated Guillermo Coria along the way to that match-up in a straight sets test.
During his run to the finals, he has dropped five sets and had to play extra days to advance twice due to rain. All that wear and tear could be cause for concern. But Roddick seems fairly confident that he'll be ready to go.
One thing that could help Roddick this time is he now knows he can win five set matches. Until his two wins at this year's event, he hadn't pulled a match out in five since his comeback from two sets down in the '03 U.S. Open semis against David Nalbandian. Ironically, that was the one major he won.
So, can Roddick prevent Federer from making history and winning his third straight Wimbledon? Something only the legendary Borg and Sampras have accomplished in the modern Open Era. Tune in tomorrow to NBC's Breakfast at Wimbledon at 9 ET/6 PT to find out.
It could be a classic.
Venus Out of This World
In a championship match that will go down as one of the greatest women's finals, Venus Williams defeated Lindsay Davenport in a gutwrenching three sets, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 9-7 to win her third Wimbledon crown. It was her fifth major title and first since winning the U.S. Open in 2001. That was also the year she repeated at the All England Club.
The match went down in Wimbledon history as the longest ladies final, lasting a grueling two hours and 45 minutes. It eclipsed Margaret Court's straight set victory over Billie Jean King in 1970 which lasted two hours and 28 minutes back in an era before tiebreakers were introduced.
It was every bit as tension filled as the length indicates. Venus and Davenport put on a display of big serving, heavy ball striking and remarkable shot making that captivated the audience. With some clutch hitting from both players and terrific hustle as well, it was so close that either could have won. Williams outpointed Davenport 129-119. Both players broke the other four times.
Up a set, Davenport broke Williams to take a 6-5 lead in the second, giving her a chance to serve for the championship. But a resilient Williams came out hitting aggressively from the baseline, not even allowing Davenport to record a point, breaking at love to force a pivotal tiebreak. In a seesaw battle that saw Williams jump out to a 4-1 lead but then have Davenport creep back to 5-4 to put it on serve, Venus came up with the goods to take the next two points and force a deciding set. What the crowd didn't realize was that the tennis they were about to witness would be some of the best ever played.
From the very start of the third set, each player fought tooth and nail to hold serve. With Davenport up 1-0, Venus saved two break points to stay on serve. Neither player would budge until Williams cracked at 2-3 to put Davenport within two service games of winning her first slam since the 2000 Australian Open. However, once again, with defeat staring her in the face, Venus raised her level in the next game to break Davenport. Davenport had two points to go up 5-2 but Williams wouldn't allow it to happen finally forcing deuce, before recording the key break to get back on serve 3-4.
With the action already riveting enough, Davenport needed an injury timeout during the break due to a lower back strain. This only increased the drama of a third set that would become the longest women's final in Wimbledon history since Louise Brough defeated Margaret Osborne duPont 10-8, 1-6, 10-8 in 1949.
When she returned, it was evident that Lindsay couldn't bend over and moved around the court gingerly. But the gimpy number one player in the world continued to show the mettle of a champion, refusing to go down without a fight.
After both players held serve to make it 5-4 Davenport was again a game away from the title. With all the pressure on Venus to stay in the match, she almost slipped up, giving Davenport a championship point at 30/40. With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Williams came up with another gutsy point finishing it with a backhand winner down the line to stave off elimination. It was the first time a ladies champion overcame championship point at the All England Club since 1935 when Helen Wills Moody accomplished the feat, coming back to defeat Helen Jacobs 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
With pressure mounting every game, somehow, the hobbled Davenport mustered enough resolve to force Williams to stay alive twice more. But with Lindsay's back stiffening, Venus wisely served into the body, inducing some errors. With her serving at 6-7, a crucial point took place that might have been the beginning of the end for Davenport. With Williams serving 15-30 two points from defeat, the two battled, trading groundstrokes from corner to corner in an awe inspiring 25-stroke rally that concluded with Williams smacking a forehand crosscourt winner that sent Davenport bent over for a good minute before Venus finished out the game to level it at seven. For the match, Williams finished with 49 winners to Davenport's 30.
With Davenport serving to go up 8-7, Williams finally got to her winning the first three points to setup three break points. But Davenport bravely fought off the first two to show that she still had something left. However, the third break point would be too much for Lindsay to overcome when Venus nailed a forehand down the line to put her in position to serve for the championship.
Williams quickly forced two Davenport errors to 30-love. When Davenport gave everything she had in the third point, Venus sent a thunderous running backhand down the line to set up three match points for the title. After the shot, she lifted her arms, pumping them as if to say, 'One more!' After she double faulted for the 10th time, Williams finally triumphed when a Davenport forehand sank into the net, setting off a tremendous celebration of leaps from a jubilant Venus. Almost in tears as she reached the net to embrace her close American rival, Venus congratulated Davenport on a match well played.
As a 14th seed, Williams became the lowest seeded woman to ever capture the Wimbledon crown, besting Maria Sharapova, who won it last year as a 13 seed over sister Serena.
For Williams, the long journey back to winning her third Wimbledon got off to a slow start in the opening set. Unlike her semifinal match against Sharapova when she couldn't miss, Venus wasn't as sharp, spraying errors from both sides and doublefaulting a few times. The sluggish start allowed Davenport to get up two breaks 5-2 and serve for the set. However, Williams finally showed some life breaking Davenport at love and holding at love to win eight straight points to get within 5-4. Finally, Davenport served out the set the second time around without a problem.
Though she dropped the first set, Williams would not let up the rest of the match. Ultimately, she wouldn't be denied on this day. One that will be remembered for a long time.
The match went down in Wimbledon history as the longest ladies final, lasting a grueling two hours and 45 minutes. It eclipsed Margaret Court's straight set victory over Billie Jean King in 1970 which lasted two hours and 28 minutes back in an era before tiebreakers were introduced.
It was every bit as tension filled as the length indicates. Venus and Davenport put on a display of big serving, heavy ball striking and remarkable shot making that captivated the audience. With some clutch hitting from both players and terrific hustle as well, it was so close that either could have won. Williams outpointed Davenport 129-119. Both players broke the other four times.
Up a set, Davenport broke Williams to take a 6-5 lead in the second, giving her a chance to serve for the championship. But a resilient Williams came out hitting aggressively from the baseline, not even allowing Davenport to record a point, breaking at love to force a pivotal tiebreak. In a seesaw battle that saw Williams jump out to a 4-1 lead but then have Davenport creep back to 5-4 to put it on serve, Venus came up with the goods to take the next two points and force a deciding set. What the crowd didn't realize was that the tennis they were about to witness would be some of the best ever played.
From the very start of the third set, each player fought tooth and nail to hold serve. With Davenport up 1-0, Venus saved two break points to stay on serve. Neither player would budge until Williams cracked at 2-3 to put Davenport within two service games of winning her first slam since the 2000 Australian Open. However, once again, with defeat staring her in the face, Venus raised her level in the next game to break Davenport. Davenport had two points to go up 5-2 but Williams wouldn't allow it to happen finally forcing deuce, before recording the key break to get back on serve 3-4.
With the action already riveting enough, Davenport needed an injury timeout during the break due to a lower back strain. This only increased the drama of a third set that would become the longest women's final in Wimbledon history since Louise Brough defeated Margaret Osborne duPont 10-8, 1-6, 10-8 in 1949.
When she returned, it was evident that Lindsay couldn't bend over and moved around the court gingerly. But the gimpy number one player in the world continued to show the mettle of a champion, refusing to go down without a fight.
After both players held serve to make it 5-4 Davenport was again a game away from the title. With all the pressure on Venus to stay in the match, she almost slipped up, giving Davenport a championship point at 30/40. With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Williams came up with another gutsy point finishing it with a backhand winner down the line to stave off elimination. It was the first time a ladies champion overcame championship point at the All England Club since 1935 when Helen Wills Moody accomplished the feat, coming back to defeat Helen Jacobs 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
With pressure mounting every game, somehow, the hobbled Davenport mustered enough resolve to force Williams to stay alive twice more. But with Lindsay's back stiffening, Venus wisely served into the body, inducing some errors. With her serving at 6-7, a crucial point took place that might have been the beginning of the end for Davenport. With Williams serving 15-30 two points from defeat, the two battled, trading groundstrokes from corner to corner in an awe inspiring 25-stroke rally that concluded with Williams smacking a forehand crosscourt winner that sent Davenport bent over for a good minute before Venus finished out the game to level it at seven. For the match, Williams finished with 49 winners to Davenport's 30.
With Davenport serving to go up 8-7, Williams finally got to her winning the first three points to setup three break points. But Davenport bravely fought off the first two to show that she still had something left. However, the third break point would be too much for Lindsay to overcome when Venus nailed a forehand down the line to put her in position to serve for the championship.
Williams quickly forced two Davenport errors to 30-love. When Davenport gave everything she had in the third point, Venus sent a thunderous running backhand down the line to set up three match points for the title. After the shot, she lifted her arms, pumping them as if to say, 'One more!' After she double faulted for the 10th time, Williams finally triumphed when a Davenport forehand sank into the net, setting off a tremendous celebration of leaps from a jubilant Venus. Almost in tears as she reached the net to embrace her close American rival, Venus congratulated Davenport on a match well played.
As a 14th seed, Williams became the lowest seeded woman to ever capture the Wimbledon crown, besting Maria Sharapova, who won it last year as a 13 seed over sister Serena.
For Williams, the long journey back to winning her third Wimbledon got off to a slow start in the opening set. Unlike her semifinal match against Sharapova when she couldn't miss, Venus wasn't as sharp, spraying errors from both sides and doublefaulting a few times. The sluggish start allowed Davenport to get up two breaks 5-2 and serve for the set. However, Williams finally showed some life breaking Davenport at love and holding at love to win eight straight points to get within 5-4. Finally, Davenport served out the set the second time around without a problem.
Though she dropped the first set, Williams would not let up the rest of the match. Ultimately, she wouldn't be denied on this day. One that will be remembered for a long time.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Venus and Lindsay Meet in All American Final
When the greatest tennis tournament at the All England Club began, to most observers, Venus Williams wasn't a serious contender to win her fifth grand slam title and first since taking the U.S. Open in 2001. How could she have been when younger sis Serena loomed in the fourth round and French Open champ Justine Henin-Hardenne was expected to be waiting in the quarterfinals?
But that's why they play the matches. As Venus was taking care of business in her early rounds, suddenly, her bracket opened up. In the very opening round, a weary Henin-Hardenne fell victim to Eleni Daniilidou in three sets. Then with a potential sister showdown within grasp, an injury riddled and weary Serena couldn't get through Jill Craybas, losing in straight sets despite trying her best. But after surviving the first two rounds with come-from-behind three set victories, Serena couldn't pull another magic trick out of her bag. She was done.
Maybe this was a blessing in disguise for Venus. Whenever they have met in slams, it's always been tough to watch and usually hasn't produced the kind of high quality tennis both Williamses are capable of. For Venus, it meant one less distraction on and off the court. A chance to just focus on the task at hand without all the fuss.
A round later, she avenged Serena's loss by whipping Craybas, only dropping two games to advance to her first quarterfinal since the '04 French Open. Finally against a tougher opponent in French runner-up Mary Pierce, Venus found out that she still had what it took to win a major. After bageling Pierce in the first set, things got a little tight in a competitive second set tiebreak. But with tension running high, Venus fought off several set points and ultimately prevailed 12-10 to advance to her first semifinal at a major since falling short in the final to Serena two years ago.
Venus would have the unenviable task of having to dethrone the talented Russian defending champion Maria Sharapova in the semis. Sharapova, just 18 had shown little signs of retreat in attempting to repeat. Just like Venus, she hadn't dropped a set all tournament and remarkably had been broken just once heading into the match. But in an ultracompetitive slugfest, it was Venus who showed better hustle and shotmaking along with a bundle of determination. The first set was intensely played with each player crushing balls from the baseline which produced an exciting brand of tennis that had the crowd captivated. But when Venus blew a set point and dropped her serve to a game Sharapova, it forced a tiebreak. But once there, the more experienced 25-year-old American played a cleaner game taking it 7-2 to capture the momentum. This seemed to take some fight out of her opponent. She broke right away to start the second and never let up. Though Sharapova wouldn't go away, Venus proved to be too much, even breaking the will of the number two ranked player. When it was over after a Sharapova backhand sailed long, Venus had won the second set 6-1 and put her arms up in triumph.
She showed the world that she was back. The victory had to be extra satisfying for Venus, who had never defeated Sharapova in two previous tries. Most including myself felt she would give a great effort but come up short against the defending champ. There would have been no devastation if that's what happened because Venus was an underdog. But on this day, this wasn't your normal 14th seed playing number two. This was a two-time Wimbledon champion and four-time slam winner. The hunger was back.
Today, Venus will meet a familiar foe in number one ranked Lindsay Davenport for the championship. It promises to be intriguing. Both players are in their mid to late 20's. Davenport is 29, four years older than Venus. Imagine that! Two seasoned vets will battle to become the sixth different woman to win the sixth consecutive slam. We're so used to seeing younger champions such as Sharapova, Henin-Hardenne, Kuznetsova and Myskina. Even Serena is still just 23. When two older women battle for all the marbles, it's news.
Both finalists haven't won a slam title in a while. Venus won her last one four years ago at the All England Club when she was a younger 21. For Davenport, the drought has been even longer. She won her third slam at the Australian Open back in '00. Yes. She was 24 then.
Before last year's Wimbledon, Davenport had considered retirement due to inconsistent play and injuries. It appeared that last year would be her last on the WTA Tour. However, an impressive run to the semifinals where she had a great chance to take out Sharapova in straight sets and continued success at the U.S. Open Series (four tournament wins) changed her mind. If not for an injury in last year's semifinal against eventual champ Kuznetsova, she might have won her fourth major. But it wasn't meant to be.
By the end of the year, she was number one and decided she wasn't done. Instead, Davenport seems to have had a renaissance at an older age. In Melbourne this year, she advanced all the way to her first final since being runner-up at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open five years ago. Against Serena Williams, Davenport seemed in control up a set and a break enroute to her second Aussie title. However, Serena battled back and a moody Davenport had little left in the final set.
At Roland Garros, a surface not suited to her firepower groundstrokes, she surprised Kim Clijsters in the fourth round, showing grit in a three-set comeback win. But the next round, she fell in the quarters to Pierce. Still, it was a nice run on the clay which had to give her more confidence heading to the grass courts.
That has been evident so far. After cruising through the first three rounds without a problem, Davenport faced Clijsters again in the round of 16. In a competitive rematch that produced some excellent rallies and winners from both players, Davenport squeezed out a three set victory. After dropping a second set tiebreak to force the final set, Lindsay stepped up her game and didn't fade like she had in Australia. Instead, she hit some remarkable running forehand winners and dictated most of the points. It enabled her to prevail 6-3 and make the quarterfinals. There, she avenged her U.S. Open defeat to Kuznetsova by prevailing in straight sets, 7-6 (1), 6-3.
In the semis, she faced some stiff competition in Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo. A match that took over two hours and two days to complete due to rain produced some excellent tennis from both combatants. So close were the points that the first two sets needed tiebreakers. Mauresmo took the first one 7-5 and seemed in control when Davenport had an awful opening game of the second set to donate a break of serve. However, a persistent Davenport broke back and forced another tiebreak. This time, Lindsay came up with the goods taking it 7-4 to force a final set. When Davenport broke to lead 4-3, all she needed was to hold her serve twice to win. But when rain halted play with her leading 5-3 and Mauresmo up 15-love serving to stay in the match, it meant a difficult task of having to comeback Friday and try to close it out as quickly as possible. Especially with a rested Venus waiting. After Mauresmo won the final three points on her serve to make it 5-4, Davenport cooly got all her four first serves in and won every point to conclude the contest 6-4 and advance to the final.
This will be a championship rematch of five years ago. At that time, Venus won the first of her four slams, defeating a higher ranked Davenport 6-3, 7-6 (3). Now, five years later, once again Davenport is ranked higher and will be the favorite. If Venus is victorious, she will become the lowest seed (14th) to ever claim the Wimbledon crown. Last summer, Sharapova claimed the title as a 13 seed.
Now that both are there, two things are certain. Someone that hasn't lifted a trophy in four-or-more years will win Wimbledon. Both competitors will be American, ensuring tennis fans in The States with an early Fourth of July present.
Let the fireworks begin.
But that's why they play the matches. As Venus was taking care of business in her early rounds, suddenly, her bracket opened up. In the very opening round, a weary Henin-Hardenne fell victim to Eleni Daniilidou in three sets. Then with a potential sister showdown within grasp, an injury riddled and weary Serena couldn't get through Jill Craybas, losing in straight sets despite trying her best. But after surviving the first two rounds with come-from-behind three set victories, Serena couldn't pull another magic trick out of her bag. She was done.
Maybe this was a blessing in disguise for Venus. Whenever they have met in slams, it's always been tough to watch and usually hasn't produced the kind of high quality tennis both Williamses are capable of. For Venus, it meant one less distraction on and off the court. A chance to just focus on the task at hand without all the fuss.
A round later, she avenged Serena's loss by whipping Craybas, only dropping two games to advance to her first quarterfinal since the '04 French Open. Finally against a tougher opponent in French runner-up Mary Pierce, Venus found out that she still had what it took to win a major. After bageling Pierce in the first set, things got a little tight in a competitive second set tiebreak. But with tension running high, Venus fought off several set points and ultimately prevailed 12-10 to advance to her first semifinal at a major since falling short in the final to Serena two years ago.
Venus would have the unenviable task of having to dethrone the talented Russian defending champion Maria Sharapova in the semis. Sharapova, just 18 had shown little signs of retreat in attempting to repeat. Just like Venus, she hadn't dropped a set all tournament and remarkably had been broken just once heading into the match. But in an ultracompetitive slugfest, it was Venus who showed better hustle and shotmaking along with a bundle of determination. The first set was intensely played with each player crushing balls from the baseline which produced an exciting brand of tennis that had the crowd captivated. But when Venus blew a set point and dropped her serve to a game Sharapova, it forced a tiebreak. But once there, the more experienced 25-year-old American played a cleaner game taking it 7-2 to capture the momentum. This seemed to take some fight out of her opponent. She broke right away to start the second and never let up. Though Sharapova wouldn't go away, Venus proved to be too much, even breaking the will of the number two ranked player. When it was over after a Sharapova backhand sailed long, Venus had won the second set 6-1 and put her arms up in triumph.
She showed the world that she was back. The victory had to be extra satisfying for Venus, who had never defeated Sharapova in two previous tries. Most including myself felt she would give a great effort but come up short against the defending champ. There would have been no devastation if that's what happened because Venus was an underdog. But on this day, this wasn't your normal 14th seed playing number two. This was a two-time Wimbledon champion and four-time slam winner. The hunger was back.
Today, Venus will meet a familiar foe in number one ranked Lindsay Davenport for the championship. It promises to be intriguing. Both players are in their mid to late 20's. Davenport is 29, four years older than Venus. Imagine that! Two seasoned vets will battle to become the sixth different woman to win the sixth consecutive slam. We're so used to seeing younger champions such as Sharapova, Henin-Hardenne, Kuznetsova and Myskina. Even Serena is still just 23. When two older women battle for all the marbles, it's news.
Both finalists haven't won a slam title in a while. Venus won her last one four years ago at the All England Club when she was a younger 21. For Davenport, the drought has been even longer. She won her third slam at the Australian Open back in '00. Yes. She was 24 then.
Before last year's Wimbledon, Davenport had considered retirement due to inconsistent play and injuries. It appeared that last year would be her last on the WTA Tour. However, an impressive run to the semifinals where she had a great chance to take out Sharapova in straight sets and continued success at the U.S. Open Series (four tournament wins) changed her mind. If not for an injury in last year's semifinal against eventual champ Kuznetsova, she might have won her fourth major. But it wasn't meant to be.
By the end of the year, she was number one and decided she wasn't done. Instead, Davenport seems to have had a renaissance at an older age. In Melbourne this year, she advanced all the way to her first final since being runner-up at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open five years ago. Against Serena Williams, Davenport seemed in control up a set and a break enroute to her second Aussie title. However, Serena battled back and a moody Davenport had little left in the final set.
At Roland Garros, a surface not suited to her firepower groundstrokes, she surprised Kim Clijsters in the fourth round, showing grit in a three-set comeback win. But the next round, she fell in the quarters to Pierce. Still, it was a nice run on the clay which had to give her more confidence heading to the grass courts.
That has been evident so far. After cruising through the first three rounds without a problem, Davenport faced Clijsters again in the round of 16. In a competitive rematch that produced some excellent rallies and winners from both players, Davenport squeezed out a three set victory. After dropping a second set tiebreak to force the final set, Lindsay stepped up her game and didn't fade like she had in Australia. Instead, she hit some remarkable running forehand winners and dictated most of the points. It enabled her to prevail 6-3 and make the quarterfinals. There, she avenged her U.S. Open defeat to Kuznetsova by prevailing in straight sets, 7-6 (1), 6-3.
In the semis, she faced some stiff competition in Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo. A match that took over two hours and two days to complete due to rain produced some excellent tennis from both combatants. So close were the points that the first two sets needed tiebreakers. Mauresmo took the first one 7-5 and seemed in control when Davenport had an awful opening game of the second set to donate a break of serve. However, a persistent Davenport broke back and forced another tiebreak. This time, Lindsay came up with the goods taking it 7-4 to force a final set. When Davenport broke to lead 4-3, all she needed was to hold her serve twice to win. But when rain halted play with her leading 5-3 and Mauresmo up 15-love serving to stay in the match, it meant a difficult task of having to comeback Friday and try to close it out as quickly as possible. Especially with a rested Venus waiting. After Mauresmo won the final three points on her serve to make it 5-4, Davenport cooly got all her four first serves in and won every point to conclude the contest 6-4 and advance to the final.
This will be a championship rematch of five years ago. At that time, Venus won the first of her four slams, defeating a higher ranked Davenport 6-3, 7-6 (3). Now, five years later, once again Davenport is ranked higher and will be the favorite. If Venus is victorious, she will become the lowest seed (14th) to ever claim the Wimbledon crown. Last summer, Sharapova claimed the title as a 13 seed.
Now that both are there, two things are certain. Someone that hasn't lifted a trophy in four-or-more years will win Wimbledon. Both competitors will be American, ensuring tennis fans in The States with an early Fourth of July present.
Let the fireworks begin.
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