Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 187 of 1503)

      Rays in talks with free agent Johnny Damon

      January 21, 2011 /

      ESPN.com has confirmed reports that the Rays are talking with free agent Johnny Damon about a contract, although no deal has been signed yet. The Rays are looking to fill their vacant DH spot and Damon could also play part time in left field as well.

      Damon, Manny Ramirez and Vladimir Guerrero are among several prominent veteran designated hitters still on the market. The Rays have been open-minded in their search, according to sources, but have only a limited amount of money to sign another bat.

      The source said that while a Damon-Rays union “certainly could happen,” the two sides are not yet close to an agreement.

      The 37-year-old Damon hit .271 with eight home runs and 51 RBIs with the Detroit Tigers last season. He has 2,571 career hits in 16 seasons with Kansas City, Oakland, Boston, New York and Detroit.

      Speaking of Man-Ram, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes that the Rangers are pursuing the former Indian/Red Sox/Dodger/woman’s fertility drug user/White Sox to potentially DH for them. The plan is to use Michael Young as their primary DH, but he could also play first base and move Mitch Moreland into a part-time role. Of course, Moreland proved to be the only Ranger that could hit Giant pitching in the World Series, so maybe it would be best if Texas leave Moreland right where he’s at.

      Getting back to Damon, I can’t see the Rays signing him unless he comes cheap. He can’t play the outfield on a regular basis because he has the arm strength of a tyrannosaur and he’s not worth more than a couple of million at this stage in his career. He’s a good clubhouse guy and he would certainly be nice to have in the playoffs but the Rays need to be frugal here.

      External Sports, MLB

      NFL Conference Championship Game Predictions

      January 21, 2011 /
      Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (L) dives for a touchdown on a 3-yard run as Chicago Bears linebackers Pisa Tinoisamoa (C) and Brian Urlacher try and make a stop during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field in Chicago on September 27, 2010. The Bears won 20-17. UPI/Brian Kersey

      Thus far, I’m 6-2 in the playoffs so you know my motto: There’s no better time to fade me than right now. I batted .500 in the regular season so the other shoe might be ready to drop.

      NFC Championship: Packers (-3.5) @ Bears, 3:00PM ET
      While everyone focuses on Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler, I think the defenses will decide this game. Statistically, this is a game the Packers should probably win and win rather easily. But this is their third straight road trip and they’ve been playing playoff-type games for over a month now. (At least when you consider they needed to win their final two home games just to qualify for the postseason.) Factor in the weather, the Bears’ home field advantage and the potentially sloppy field conditions and you might as well throw stats out the window. There are, however, two stats that I’d like to focus on when it comes to these two teams and that’s opponent red zone scoring percentage. The Bears are allowing their opponents to score just 50% of the time in the red zone, while the Packers are even more impressive when it comes to that stat, allowing teams to score just 48.65% of the time. This game has low scoring written all over it.
      THE PICK: UNDER 43.5

      AFC Championship: Jets @ Steelers (-3.5), 6:30PM ET
      I’ll fully admit that I wouldn’t mind seeing another Jets upset. I like Rex Ryan and I would love to hear the trash that comes out of his mouth for two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. But the Jets have to be worn out after playing two emotionally draining games on the road. Their defense can hang with anyone but the Steelers don’t lose in Pittsburgh at this time of year. After the Patriots failed to lay a hand on him last week, Pittsburgh will bring the noise against Mark Sanchez this week and force him to make some poor decisions. I think the Jets ran out of steam at this time last year and they sure acted like their Super Bowl was won last Sunday. I’m picking the Steelers, but they have a habit of bending bettors when it comes to the spread so I wouldn’t be surprised if they only won by a field goal.
      THE PICK: STEELERS –3.5

      External Sports, NFL

      Will Ryan error in putting Cromartie on Wallace again?

      January 21, 2011 /
      Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Wallace pulls in a pass and runs away from Carolina Panthers Nic Harris for 43 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 23, 2010. UPI/Archie Carpenter

      Far be it for anyone to question one of Rex Ryan’s defensive game plans. As much as fans and members of the media think they know about the game, we actually know very little about the X’s and O’s and what it takes to run a defense in the NFL.

      That said, I found something that Rotowold.com wrote very interesting about Ryan’s potential game plan this Sunday when it comes to covering Steelers’ receivers Hines Ward and Mike Wallace.

      Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News predicts that the Jets will use Darrelle Revis to cover Hines Ward in the AFC Championship Game.

      Mehta anticipates Antonio Cromartie covering Mike Wallace. It’s the same way the Jets played Pittsburgh in Week 15, and Wallace went off for 110 yards while Revis held Ward to 34 on two catches. It’d be a mistake, as far as we’re concerned. Using Revis on the declining, 34-year-old Ward would be a waste when the shutdown corner has the ability to eliminate Pittsburgh’s true No. 1 receiver. Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders will remain potential difference makers as they prepare for Dwight Lowery and Drew Coleman.

      I think the idea is that since Cromartie has more speed, he can match up better with Wallace. But as Pierre Garcon proved two weeks ago, if Cromartie isn’t allowed to get his hands on receivers at the line of scrimmage and be physical with them out of their stance, he’s liable to get burned deep. And considering Wallace averages over 20 yards per reception, that’s a concern that Ryan should have if he wants Cromartie to shadow the young wideout.

      But as Rotoworld points out, this is just a “prediction” by Mehta. Who knows what coverage Ryan will unveil this Sunday in Pittsburgh. He’s well aware of the speed that the Steelers’ wideouts posses and he’s not going to put his defenders in a position to fail. Nobody was more irate at Cromartie on that Garcon touchdown than Ryan was, so he’s well aware of what could happen this weekend if he puts him on Wallace.

      Or if he isn’t, then things could get real interesting on Sunday when Pittsburgh drops back to pass.

      External Sports, NFL

      Five storylines to follow for NFL Championship Sunday

      January 21, 2011 /

      This series is brought to you by T.G.I Fridays®, encouraging you to Rush in and Tackle their new Game Time Menu!

      It’s the NFL and it’s Championship Sunday – we know you don’t need reasons to actually watch the games. But here are five storylines to keep an eye on as we draw closer to kickoff.

      1. Are the Jets worn out?
      Very few pundits thought the Jets would beat Peyton Manning on his home field and nobody thought they would upset Tom Brady in Foxboro. But after two straight upsets, Gang Green now has everyone’s attention and you get the sense that people are actually starting to get behind Rex Ryan’s team. Compared to the last two weeks, the Jets have been awfully quiet over the past five days as they prepare for the Steelers. Are they focused or have they worn themselves out? Playing on the road is draining enough during the regular season. What happens to a team when they have to play three-straight road games in the playoffs when a Super Bowl is on the line and they’re constantly underdogs? This time last year, the Jets fizzled out. Do they have enough left in the tank this year to pull off one more upset?

      2. Will Rodgers continue his onslaught on opposing defenses?
      After they crushed the Giants and beat the Bears in their final two regular season games, then went on the road and contained Michael Vick in Philadelphia, the Packers already had plenty of believers last week when they traveled to Atlanta. And after Aaron Rodgers put on a clinic against the Falcons, there’s a large contingent that believes the Pack are Super Bowl bound. But Rodgers has a tough test this Sunday against the Bears, whose defense might as well be cement to Atlanta’s Charmin extra soft. In their Week 17 loss at Lambeau, Chicago held Rodgers relatively in check but he still competed 19-of-28 passes for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Rodgers can make plays with both his arm and legs and he has a knack for getting the ball out of his hand quickly and accurately. Can the Bears pressure him in the pocket and if so, can their corners play as physical as they did last week against Seattle in order to disrupt Rodgers’ rhythm with his receivers? Or will the gunslinger elevate his play one last time in order to make Green Bay’s improbable Super Bowl dreams a reality?

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Twins finally reach an agreement with Carl Pavano

      January 20, 2011 /

      Nearly two weeks ago it was reported that the Twins and Carl Pavano had reached an agreement on a two-year contract, but nothing had officially been set in stone.

      Until now, that is.

      According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the two sides agreed on a deal that will pay Pavano $8 million in 2011 and $8.5 million in 2012. Another $500,000 is available through performance-based incentives.

      A two-year deal worth $16.5 million is quite an investment for a 35-year-old pitcher but Pavano pitched very well in the Twin Cities last year. He finished with a 17-11 record, a 3.75 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 32 starts, so if he comes close to those numbers again over the next two seasons the contract will be worth it. He was a major part of the club’s success last season, so the contract works for both sides.

      In other news, Yankee fans collectively just said, “Thank God.”

      External Sports, MLB

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