Archive for September 2008
Rangers Warming Up To Hit The Full Season Ice
29. September 2008 by critter.
Well it’s that time again. The new NHL season is at our doorstep with lots of league-wide changes. One of the most noticeable facelifts for the 2008-09 season has to be the New York Rangers. Their decision to go a different direction and allow both, captain, Jaromir Jagr and his right-hand man, Martin Straka, walk away and sign with the new European “Super League” has led to a shift of “leadership,” dynamic, and talent. Along with those two stars went fan favorite henchman, Sean Avery. And with less than a week to go before the puck drops for the regular season, aged veteran and all around leader Brendan Shanahan remains unsigned.
The Rangers used the new cap space to bring in star defensman, Wade Redden, ex-Canucks captain, Markus Naslund, a young hotshot Nikolai Zherdev, and a good amount of musle in Aaron Voros. On paper, all great pickups. But the outcome remains to be seen until these players take the ice together and see if they can mesh well. It will either be a great lineup that will once again put them in playoff contention, or if they don’t click it can turn into a big mess.
Overall, I feel the moves give the team much more speed and depth in their bottom lines. Most importantly the loss of Jagr will boost their powerplay. For the past several years, the powerplay should have been the Rangers’ strongest feature but instead of moving the puck around and pounding the net, they’ve just been guilty of always feeding the puck to Jaromir Jagr. Every team just needed to address Jagr and if they held him back they had a great chance at winning. Without Jagr, the puck will be spread around and the outcomes won’t depend solely on one all-star.
The Rangers will start the season over in Europe, so to take care of travel, the team played a very packed preseason with 6 games in 8 days. They only won one game, but like every other sport, preseason consists mostly of young talent playing and trying out to make the team. Only time will tell.
The puck drops on October 4th.
Red Bulls Lose Heartbreaker
29. September 2008 by critter.
In a match that saw a tied record for 7 total goals in the first half, the Red Bulls saw a much-needed point slip away in the 90th minute of play when the Colorado Rapids knocked a long cross into the net and pull ahead in a 5-4 victory.
It was a poor defensive effort on both teams part’s and the Red Bulls slipped just a little bit more than the Rapids in losing only their 2nd match at home this season.
With 4 more games left in the regular season, the Red Bulls find themselves still stuck in 4th place in the Eastern Conference and 6th overall. In MLS, the top three teams from each conference automatically make it into the playoffs and two wildcard spots are given to the the two teams with the most points out of the teams reamining (both can come from the same conference if need be). So as of right now (as it’s been for the past several weeks) the Red Bulls would hold the spot for the first wild card with 35 points. And then Real Salt Lake with the 2nd wildcard with 34 points.
HOWEVER, DC United and FC Dallas are a draw away, each with 33 points AND Kansas City trailing just behind those two with 32 points. The Red Bulls will go up against last place, Toronto, next; but then face the other current wildcard holder, Real Salt Lake, before taking on #1 overall, Columbus Crew; and finish off against the red hot Chicago Fire (no pun intended).
It’s going to be a tough couple of weeks and if the Red Bulls make it through to the otherside, I’m afraid they might be a little too tuckered out to play with the big boys in the playoffs. Let’s hope….
Wanted
29. September 2008 by rich.
Who: A doctor/individual
What: A doctor/individual that can perform a routine procedure
When: ASAP
Where: Queens, NY
Why: The Mets have choked again
How: 
Shea Goodbye
29. September 2008 by Glendo.
The last game ever was played at Shea Stadium today…..The Mets fall to the Marlins 4-2, the Brewers won their game over the Cubs and clinch the NL Wild Card. The close out Shea the same way they opened it, in a loss. For the 2nd year in a row the Mets lose on the final day of the season to miss out on the playoffs. It sucks to be a fan of this team right now. The Mets had all their old players on hand today during the closing ceremonies. With the greatest moment when Tom Seaver, The Franchise, threw the last pitch at Shea to futre hall of famer Mike Piazza, to close out Shea. The two then walked to the center field fence and closed the gate in center. The lights then went off at Shea. Citi Field next year. LETS GO METS
Final Regular Season Series at Shea
26. September 2008 by Glendo.
After a crazy game last night, with Church’s slide and Beltran’s walk-off hit, the Mets find themselves a game behind the Phillies and tied with the Brewers in the Wild Card with 3 games remaining. The Mets will be battling the Marlins and the weather this weekend as they try to get into the playoffs. The Marlins are the same team that ended the Mets season last year, the Mets will look to make sure this does not happen again. Mike Pelfrey will pitch the opener, the Mets need him to step up big. Saturdays starter is yet to be named, it looks like it will be either Brandon Knight or Jonathon Niese. The Mets will turn to Santana in the finale if a playoff spot is not clinched by then, if one is the Mets would likely save Johan for the NLDS. Huge games coming up. HUGE.
The Phillies are hosting the Nats. The Brewers at home against the Cubbies.
At some point this weekend, depending on the weather the Mets will have the Last Day at Shea, celebrating Shea Staduim will players from the past.
MATCHUP
Florida Marlins (82-76, 3rd Place NL East) at New York Mets (88-71, 2nd Place NL East/1GB)
Tonight: Marlins (Chris Volstad, 5-4, 3.10) at Mets (Mike Pelfrey, 13-10, 3.70) 7:10pm ET
Saturday: Marlins (Ricky Nolasco, 15-7, 3.55) at Mets (TBA) 1:10pm ET
Sunday: Marlins (Scott Olsen, 8-11, 4.23) at Mets (Johan Santana, 15-7, 2.64) 1:10pm ET
Minaya gets 4 year extension
24. September 2008 by Glendo.
According to ESPN.com, the Mets have given Mets GM Omar Minaya a four-year contract extension.
Buster Olney, who is reporting this states, “The deal is all but done, but it is not known when the extension will be formally announced.”
Interesting that they didn’t wait to the year is over, especially with what is going on right now……………..
I guess the Wilpons dont blame Minaya.
Mets, Cubs meet in possible NLDS preview
22. September 2008 by Glendo.
The Mets could be seeing a lot of the Cubs during the next two weeks, beginning with a four-game set at Shea Stadium that opens today. If the playoffs started today, the Cubs and Mets would face off in the Division Series. The Mets need this games. They find themselves 1.5 GB of the the Phillies in the East and 1.5 games up on the Brewers in the Wild Card. The Mets still control their own destiny win and they are in.
Niese will get the series going tonight. Niese provided the Mets a signifcant lift when, in his second big league start, he pitched eight shutout innings against the Braves.
MATCHUP
Chicago Cubs (94-60, NL Central Champs) at New York Mets (86-69, 2nd Place NL East/1.5GB)
Tonight: Cubs (Jason Marquis, 10-9, 4.39) at Mets (Jonathon Niese, 1-0, 4.09) 7:10pm ET
Tuesday: Cubs (Rich Harden, 10-2, 2.03) at Mets (Johan Santana, 14-7, 2.65) 7:10pm ET
Wednesday: Cubs (Carlos Zambrano, 14-6, 3.77) at Mets (Oliver Perez, 10-7, 4.10) 7:10pm ET
Thursday: Cubs (Ted Lilly, 16-9, 4.17) at Mets (Pedro Martinez, 5-6, 5.50) 7:10pm ET
Mets in Turner Field….
19. September 2008 by Glendo.
As much as the Mets have tried to eliminate any parallels between this summer and last, they now would be wise to avoid creating similarities between their current pursuits and those of 10 years ago, nine years ago and seven years ago, when their seasons ended, for all intents and purposes, in Atlanta.
The Mets can’t let the ghosts of the past effect them now in the haunted Turner Field, which has been a type of graveyard to the Mets and their seasons. The go into this series tied in the loss with the Phillies and two up on the Brewers, thanks in part to Soto’s 3-run homer in the ninth yesterday and Santana dominating the Nats. Olly Perez will take the mound tonight, he seems to pitch well in big spots and has faired well against the Braves. Perez has won 5 of the last seven starts against Altanta.
The Mets’ record in Turner Field, beginning in 1998, is 28-61.
Big series for the Mets. Phillies are in Flordia, and the Brewers are in Cincy this weekend.
MATCHUP
NEW YORK METS (85-67, 2nd Place NL East/.5GB) at ATLANTA BRAVES (67-86, 4th Place NL East/19GB)
Tonight: Mets (Oliver Perez, 10-7, 4.09) at Braves (Jo-Jo Reyes, 3-11, 5.50) 7:30pm ET
Saturday: Mets (Pedro Martinez, 5-5, 5.47) at Braves (Jorge Campillo, 7-7, 3.79) 7:00pm ET
Sunday: Mets (Mike Pelfrey, 13-10, 3.67) at Braves (James Parr, 1-0, 2.20) 1:30pm ET
PIONEER LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS
19. September 2008 by gchacko.
Baseball America rank the Rookie-level Pioneer League prospects:
1. Wilin Rosario, c, Casper (Rockies)
2. Cutter Dykstra, of, Helena (Brewers)
3. Will Smith, lhp, Orem (Angels)
4. Devaris Gordon, ss, Ogden (Dodgers)
5. Luis Jimenez, 3b, Orem (Angels)
6. Delta Cleary, of, Casper (Rockies)
7. Bryan Shaw, rhp, Missoula (Diamondbacks)
8. Trevor Harden, rhp, Missoula (Diamondbacks)
9. Dexter Carter, rhp, Great Falls (White Sox)
10. Kyle Russell, of, Ogden (Dodgers)
11. Pedro Baez, 3b, Ogden (Dodgers)
12. Jose Perez, rhp, Orem (Angels)
13. Efrain Nieves, lhp, Helena (Brewers)
14. Rossmel Perez, c, Missoula (Diamondbacks)
15. Angel Castillo, of, Orem (Angels)
16. Wily Peralta, rhp, Helena (Brewers)
17. Erik Komatsu, of, Helena (Brewers)
18. Dan Hudson, rhp, Great Falls (White Sox)
19. Tony Delmonico, 2b, Ogden (Dodgers)
20. Michael Kohn, rhp, Orem (Angels)
Happy Bday dearest:
17. September 2008 by admin.
GQ aka glen aka glendo aka glomo
Happy bday Quill…
as a bday gift the mets are going to trun this crap around…
