Month: February 2015

Missing Marcus

Posted on by DylanHornik

If you think about it, it shouldn’t be that hard.

The Jets, who own the no. 6 overall pick in the draft, should be able to get just about whoever they want at a pick that high. But winning 2 of their last 3 games put a wrench in their hopes and their fans’ dreams. Ideally, they lose against both the Titans and Dolphins, Rex Ryan and John Idzik are out as head coach and GM, and they would end up with a top 5 pick. They would then use this pick to draft Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to quarterback their team to victory.

Not so fast.

Since they beat the Titans, who ended up with a record worse than theirs, and the Dolphins, they moved down to the 6 slot, and the player they so desperately desire may not be there. Top rated draft prospect Jameis Winston proved that he could walk the walk (completed every pass during combine drills), talk the talk (he wowed with his X and O knowledge on the whiteboard), and has seemingly put his off-the-field transgressions behind him (spoke about how his sole focus is being the best player at his position and winning championships for 15-20 years). Mariota confirmed what we already knew- he’s a gifted passer with good wheels for a QB. The only knock on him is that he may have to adjust to a pro style offense. Jets fans are just fine with that. However, Mariota’s stock has risen to the point where some mock drafts have him going as high as second overall to- you guessed it- the Titans.

Marcus Mariota, right and Jameis Winston are the top two QB prospects in this year’s draft. The question for the Jets is: how high will Mariota go? (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

So now, come April, the Jets may find themselves in a bit of a situation. If Mariota is gone by the time they’re on the clock, what will they do? There are a few possible scenarios in this case.

Most likely, if the Jets don’t get their hands on Mariota , the Jets will have a chance to draft a highly regarded WR prospect Amari Cooper out of Alabama. Cooper posted great numbers in his final season at Alabama, grabbing 124 passes for over 1700 yards and 16 touchdowns in Lane Kiffin’s pro-style offense. He fills the big offensive need that the Jets have besides QB, with the best WR on the roster being Eric Decker, who is barely a no.1 wideout without a star passer. He has the potential to be a huge safety net for Geno Smith who is inconsistent at best and makes you wonder why he just threw “that” pass.

The Jets could also go after a stud on the other side of the ball. If they don’t have the opportunity to get Mariota, they could draft top rated CB prospect Trae Waynes. He dazzled at the combine, running a 4.32 40 yard dash at the position that running almost half a football field matters most. This pick fits perfectly in new head coach Todd Bowles’s defesnvie scheme, one that thrives on putting immense pressure on the QB and having cornerbacks man up and hold down the fort down the field.

Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes is a viable option for the Jets at the 6th overall pick. (AP Photo)

There’s also the possibility (albeit slight) that the Jets could trade their 6th overall pick for a bevy of high picks, and maybe even a quarterback. Earlier this month, reporters speculated that the Jets could trade the 6 slot to the Eagles for two first round picks, two second round picks, and current starting QB Nick Foles. In theory, it works for both sides. The Jets get a serviceable quarterback, and 2 picks this year that they could use on a defensive back prospect (Waynes may not be available, but combine standout Marcus Peters will probably be) and perhaps use their two second round picks on a WR (such as 6’6″ Dorial Green-Beckham) and a much-needed pass rusher like Eli Harold. The Eagles will get a top flight QB prospect that will flourish in their system. Eagles HC Chip Kelly was Mariota’s coach in college for 2 years. Of course this is just speculation, but it can’t be overlooked if it seems to work for both sides.

Although the Jets may not get their man at no. 6, it seems certain that they will have the opportunity to patch up some of their most glaring holes. Whether it’s Mariota, Cooper, Waynes, a trade, or any other situation, Jets fans must be confident in Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles, who seem to be better talent evaluators than their predecessors.

Watch the Wall

Posted on by DylanHornik

The Yankees have recently announced that they are retiring three more numbers in 2015. Andy Pettite, Jorge Posada, and Bernie Williams will join the 15 numbers honored for 16 players (fun fact: number 8 was retired twice, for Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey). Monument Park is getting pretty crowded, and Willie Randolph is getting a plaque there, although his no. 12 won’t be honored. In the near future, the Bronx Bombers will have to ask the Mets to rent room on the left field wall at Citi Field.

Pretty soon, the Yankees will run out of room in Monument Park.

The Mets have just four numbers retired, and only one of them is for a player (praise be to Tom Seaver!). Two of them are for managers, Gil Hodges and Casey Stengel, and the last one is no. 42 for the immortal Jackie Robinson. While it is understandable that there haven’t been as many great Mets players as there have been for the Yankees, I still think that there are some that deserve to be given this ultimate honor. I’ve chosen 5 players that I think should have their numbers retired in Flushing, and I’ve stated their cases below.

First is the guy with probably the biggest chance of earning this honor: Gary Carter. The late Carter only played for the Amazin’s for 5 years, but he is widely regarded as the piece that propelled them to a World Series title in 1986. He arrived from Montreal in 1985 and bashed 32 homers and drove in 100 RBI while hitting .280. In his four full seasons in Queens, he hit less than 20 homers once, in 1988. He never struck out more than 73 times at the plate, and hit two homers in the 1986 World Series. Behind the plate, his fielding percentage was never less than .990, and in the championship year he called games for a pitching staff that ranked 1st in the NL in ERA and HR allowed, and 2nd in K’s, hits allowed, earned runs allowed, and complete games thrown. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 as a Montreal Expo, even though his most productive years were mostly with the Mets. He passed away from brain cancer in 2012, and the team honored him by wearing a patch with his number 8 and “Kid”, a shortened version of his nickname “The Kid”, and placing that patch on the outfield wall. His number hasn’t been worn since 2005 by coach Matt Galante, so it’s time that they officially honor him posthumously.

Next is the player that, in my opinion, should get a Hall of Fame call quite soon. Mike Piazza is widely considered to be one of, if not the, greatest hitting catcher of all time. In his 8+ seasons in New York, he absolutely crushed the ball. In his first four years in New York (including the year he was traded from L.A to Florida, and then to New York and played 109 games for the Mets), he did not hit below .300 and did not smash less than 23 homers, which he hit the year he was traded. As a Met, his career .296 average is 4th in team history, and his .542 slugging percentage is the best ever for a Met. He hit 220 homers and drove in 655 runs in Flushing, both ranking 3rd all time behind Darryl Strawberry and David Wright. Who could forget one of the most powerful moments in New York sports history, when Piazza hit the go-ahead home run to lift the Mets over the Braves in Queens, 10 days after 9/11? Forget the PED allegations (that were never backed up). Piazza was the heart, soul, body, and face of this team for the better part of a decade, and for that reason, he should be given the honor of having his no. 31 retired.

Mike Piazza acknowledging the crowd after his 9/21 homer. He's also pointing towards Mets immortality.

Mike Piazza acknowledging the crowd after his 9/21 homer. He’s also pointing towards Mets immortality.

This player was a key part of the 1986 team, and is often overlooked on the offensive side because he was a Gold Glove first baseman for 6 of his 7 years in the Orange and Blue. Keith Hernandez is often forgotten about as a Met because he had success in St. Louis before he got to Queens, but he did some damage with the Mets. In his 7 seasons,he hit .297, good for 3rd best all time for Mets players, and is in the top 10 in OBP, RBI, and times on base. He also led the NL in walks in 1986 with 94. Defensively, his fielding percentage never dipped below .991 as a Met. He recorded over 1000 putouts at first base in each of his 5 full seasons with the club, and never made more than 10 errors in a season. His reputation as an aggressive fielder sometimes even discouraged teams from bunting even without trying. He also took pickoff throws while positioned mostly in foul territory to make tagging easier, which revolutionized the position-until it was made illegal by the MLB. He did abuse cocaine while part of the Mets, but it seems that half of the 1986 WS team did too. Hernandez’s father always said that when his son was hitting well, he could see his whole no. 17 on the back of his uniform as he would stride into the pitch. Now, Hernandez should see that no. 17 on the wall at Citi Field.

Excluding his final year at Shea, where he pitched in only 7 games, Dwight Gooden was a force on the mound. He established himself as a premier pitcher in the MLB in his rookie year, winning 17 games and striking out 276 hitters on his way to the Rookie of the Year award- at 19. He upped the ante the next year, winning the 1985 Cy Young with 24 wins, 268 K’s, and a 1.53 ERA. His Mets career ERA of 3.10 is tied for 6th in team history, and ranks in the top 10 in a plethora of pitching categories, such as wins, win percentage, WHIP, hits per 9 IP, strikeouts per 9 IP, and games pitched. He was the reason behind the creation of the K Korner at Citi Field, and his curveball probably has the coolest nickname ever (Lord Charles). He did throw a no-hitter, but in the wrong borough, and had plenty of off the field issues, like cocaine. And cocaine. And more cocaine. But he has recovered and reconciled with the team, and is now in the Mets HOF. Now it’s time for his jersey to be retired.

Doc Gooden was a premier pitcher for the Amazin’s. Now he should be given the honor that he ultimately deserves.

Of course, there are other “fringe” players that could be considered, such as Jerry Koosman, Darryl Strawberry, and John Franco, but the four aforementioned players are the ones that I feel should be immortalized in the near future in Flushing. While the Mets don’t have the star power that the Yankees have had in their team history, there are certainly some outstanding players hat have come along that deserve to be recognized.

Valentine’s Day Special: Why the World Loves Basketball

Posted on by DylanHornik

With the Hallmark holiday that is Valentine’s Day this weekend, I wanted to highlight a passionate love affair that has gone largely unnoticed for some time. This scandal is so big, it may be the key to the future for some less developed countries.

No, I’m not talking about who-cheated-with-who in Hollywood. I’m talking about basketball. If soccer is the world’s sports wife, then basketball is it’s mistress. In the last 30 some-odd years, basketball has slowly taken hold in foreign countries, but large scale success has been limited to Spain and some of wealthier Europe-until very recently. It seems as if the sports world is stupefied by how basketball has become so popular (the 3rd most popular sport in the world, actually), especially in places like China and India, but in reality it is not difficult to understand.

First off, basketball is the simplest sport to start up equipment-wise. All you need is some sort of basket and some sort of ball. This is why children in poor areas of decimated countries can play. Even in the United States, there is a reason why basketball is so popular in inner cities: It’s simple. Throw a ball into a basket. That’s it.

Basketball can be played virtually anywhere.

Basketball can be played virtually anywhere.

There’s also the potential that basketball brings to a nation. It has the potential to teach teamwork, dedication, determination, passion, and plenty of other intangibles that can help poor youth in ailing countries. The youth can then use the fundamental values that they learned in basketball to help innovate and revive economies and drive nations out of their current depressive state.

All of that may be well and true, but the main reason why basketball is gaining momentum around the world is simple: Star power. The citizens of foreign nations are able too see through an unobstructed lens just how incredibly popular basketball players are in the USA. They see LeBron James and how he is almost as powerful as our president, and gaze in amazement. They see how Russell Westbrook can dress like a freak and still be called stylish. They see how Carmelo Anthony had his wedding taped for his wife’s reality show, how he is lauded for his charities and philanthropy, and how he can try to act on camera without major ridicule. This is what citizens of a nation want for themselves. For those who are athletically inclined, they want a shot at using their God-given talent to gain fame across the world.

I mean, come on!

I mean, come on!

As a whole though, countries want to have a star of their own that they can latch on to and keep as their “mascot”, and basketball is the only way that this is possible. In most cases, this superstar is foreign. In the Chinese Basketball Association, one American star is currently hamming it up for the Beijing Ducks. Stephon Marbury, former distraction for the Knicks and other teams, is now considered a god among men in the CBA. He’s won two straight championships with the Ducks, and has started in every All-Star game since he’s been there. Marbury is now internationally known, for better or for worse, because of basketball.

In other sports, like football and baseball, the best competition is in the U.S, so whenever a phenom comes around from Europe or Asia, they tend to go to the more established leagues like the MLB and NFL. In basketball, foreign nations are trying to build up their programs to attract home-grown players and keep them away from the NBA. In the past they have not had such success. Dirk Nowitzki is considered to be one of, if not the, best foreign born NBA player of all time, but no one would ever have heard of him if he stayed with DJK Würzberg in the Second German Bundesliga (which has been around since 1966). Conversely. the 2013-14 CBA MVP Yi Jianlian had limited success in the NBA, averaging around 8 points and 5 rebounds in parts of 5 seasons. Jianlian has performed much better in his home country, averaging 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. This bodes well for Chinese basketball as they now have a homegrown star to hang their hats on as a potential “mascot”, and can increase the popularity of the sport across Asia.

Former 1st round pick Yi Jianlian has been a star in the CBA.

Former 1st round pick Yi Jianlian has been a star in the CBA.

Another reason why the world loves basketball is the potential for wealth it has. Take a very average player, Brandon Bass, as an example. On the season so far, the Celtics forward is averaging 9.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. However, Bass has a shoe endorsement deal with Nike, the global powerhouse in this area, and is making almost $7 million this year to provide middle of the road production for Boston.

The fact that a player like Bass can make that much money and have a market value of about $32 million is incredible. It is also one of the two main reasons why other countries love basketball. They see the sport as a “quick” way to wealth. Just ask Spanish players Ricky Rubio and Jose Calderón. For the most part, Rubio and Calderón are decent point guards who don’t score but can pass and run the floor well. Despite their average production, Rubio is making $5 million this year, and Calderón is making $7 million. These players show other countries that as long as you are decent, you can be rich in the U.S.A.

To truly be a global sport, however, basketball needs some help from its proponents. The FIBA World Cup of Basketball can clearly help. Recently put on a four-year cycle, the tournament showcases players from all across the globe. An event like this, while highlighting the progress that the sport has made in some countries, can show places that don’t have the sport how great it really is. To complement the World Cup, additional support is needed by some of basketball’s current stars. If they are able to do something like NBA Cares in foreign countries, i.e. going somewhere and teaching children fundamental basketball skills and knowledge, that can propel basketball to the forefront of a nation’s mind. The NBA, as the ruling body of the sport in the world, needs to encourage the creation of leagues in other continents as well. Not only will it help the spread of basketball, but it will also help the talent pool in the NBA because more often than not, as we have seen, foreign talents come to America to gain fame and fortune through their sports. If this works as planned, I believe that the whole world can catch “Hoop Fever” and basketball will be the world’s sport.

Mound Moves: The Amazin’ Rotation

Posted on by DylanHornik

Base-running gaffes. Terrible fielding blunders. Anemic offense. You name it, the New York Mets have done it over the last five years. It seems as if this team was made to be just plain bad. The one thing that they have aced, however, is starting pitching. The Orange and Blue have compiled an impressive list of top mound prospects, while also maintaining the solid veteran starters they have showcased at the big league level. This year is one of interest on the hill for the Mets, with several prospects reportedly big-league ready (Hello, Noah Syndergaard) or finally coming into their own (Howdy, Zach Wheeler). They also have a surplus of veteran hurlers, such as Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, and the Ageless Wonder that is Bartolo Colon, still on the roster, although they reportedly tried to trade Gee. Oh, and let’s not forget that one-time Cy Young candidate Matt Harvey returns from Tommy John surgery, and NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom is poised for another good year. Now, with 8 pitchers vying for a spot in the 5 man rotation, it seems that the Mets have too much of a good thing.

Let’s take a look at the “bubble” candidates (pitchers who are on the fringe of cracking the rotation), and see who will work best on the mound for the Mets in 2015.

Bartolo Colon: At this point, I’m not sure how Colon is not only pitching in the league, but pitching well at 41. He’s endured elbow injuries, shoulder injuries, and an experimental stem cell transplant, and is still an absolute workhorse on the mound. He pitched over 200 innings for the Mets in 2014, with a respectable WHIP of 1.23 and a record of 15-13. This includes a filthy June, where he went 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA. Colon provides veteran leadership and knowledge of the league with 17 years of experience, but is not the only viable source of veteran understanding. He’s due $11 million this year in the last year of a back-loaded contract. That’s a lot of money for a guy who’s 10 years removed from his only Cy Young award. The Mets had been trying to trade Colon, Niese, or Gee this off-season, but that plan failed so now all three are retained.

Prediction: There’s a slight chance that Colon could be traded by the time the season starts, but it’s far from probable. Expect him to start the season with the team, and look for the Amazin’s to try to ship him off to a contender in July.

The future in Flushing is cloudy for veteran Bartolo Colon.

Dillon Gee: He’s been in the headlines in the off-season for being the pitcher that was most likely to be traded, but we’ve survived the winter, and Gee is still on the roster. He pitched well until spending 6 weeks on the disabled list in 2014, going 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA before a strained latissimus dorsi stopped him. He had a rough last three months of the campaign, posting ERA’s of 6.08, 3.89, and 4.88 in July, August, and September respectively. The Mets haven’t found a new home for him yet, but that could quickly change. The Rockies, Padres, Royals, and Twins all have been linked to him this winter, and none of them have signed a player like him.

Prediction: I expect Gee to be gone before the regular season starts, if not soon thereafter. If not, it is possible that the team could carry 6 starters for the beginning of the year, but they will eventually have to trade one of their vets. Gee just signed a $5.3 million deal to avoid arbitration, which is a fair price to pay for a potential new ball club.

Steven Matz. A good old homeboy. Born and raised in Ward Melville on Long Island, this kid has had a rough road to relevancy. Signed right out of high school, Matz went through Tommy John surgery and lingering scar tissue that sidelined him for almost two years. Then, when he finally made his impressive minor league debut in 2013, he was shut down after six starts due to shoulder tendinitis. His first full year of pitching professionally was last year, and posted a 2.62 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 rate. He used mostly his fastball, and lacked confidence with his off-speed stuff. After dominating in Class-A ball, he moved up to AA Binghamton where he ruled. He posted a 2.27 ERA and a 8.7 K/9 rate in just 71.1 IP with a BB/9 rate of just 1.8. It was noted throughout last year that his curveball improved drastically from 2013. Recently, he was compared to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and whiz kid Madison Bumgarner of the Giants. He still has some polishing up to do before he takes the mound in Flushing, but the future is bright for Matz.

Prediction: Matz won’t get a chance in the MLB from the start of the regular season, but he will be the first man up from the minors if someone gets hurt or is ineffective.

Steven Matz is electric, but not refined enough to pitch in the big leagues.

Jon Niese: After all of the productivity that Niese has given the Mets over his career, it’s difficult to speak of him being on the fringe of  the rotation. But that’s a testament to how deep the Mets are on the hill. He’s been with the Orange and Blue for 5 full seasons, and had the second highest workload of his career last year, with 187.2 IP. He had a respectable 3.40 ERA (the lowest of his career), which the Mets will gladly take along with the experience he brings. Niese’s numbers have generally improved every year of his career and has provided the some stability to the constantly fluctuating Amazin’s. There’s not much else to say about Niese; he may just be a victim of circumstance.

Prediction: I do believe that Niese will be a mainstay in the rotation. He will be the one to provide leadership and knowledge to an otherwise youthful staff. Expect him to be in the middle of the rotation for 2015.

Noah Syndergaard: The supposed Wunderkind in the farm-system, fans have been drooling at the chance of watching Syndergaard pitch in Flushing since early last year. He was elevated to AAA Las Vegas last year and stayed for the entire season, with good reason. In a career high 133 IP, he posted an unusually high 4.60 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and .293 BAA. Despite this, experts say he will crack the rotation out of spring training this year due to his impressive command. In fact, his command might have been his downfall last year. Syndergaard throws around the strike zone so much that no matter what pitch it is, it’ll be close enough for the hitters to swing at it. His K/9 rate of almost 10 can be attributed to this; he gets a lot of swings and misses, but gives up a lot of hits too. Despite his down year in 2014, the sky is the limit for the 6’6″ hurler.

Prediction: I think that the Mets will listen to the desires of the fans and give Syndergaard a shot at the beginning of the year. If he fails, they have Matz in Vegas or perhaps the sixth starter in the bullpen to give him a reprieve.

Noah Syndergaard is a highly regarded prospect, but hasn’t proven himself at a higher level of play.

So there you have it. With Harvey, Wheeler, and deGrom locked in, my 2015 Mets rotaton is: Harvey, Wheeler, Niese, deGrom, and Syndergaard. These guys can lead the Orange and Blue to some success, provided that they find some offense, in 2015.