Yankees news

A-Fraud just after striking out with men on base, again...

The New York metro area is aflame with the news that Joe Torre has co-written a book with Tom Verducci. The book isn't even out yet, but the tabloids are running with the pre-release blurbs. The Clarion Content will have to withhold comment into we have actually read the book. However, to comment on the commentary; what people are surprised that A-Rod was known as A-Fraud in the Yankee clubhouse?!? Have you seen the guy play in the post-season? It is not exactly a surprise to the Clarion Content. Seriously, Joe dropped him to 8th in the batting order in the A.L. playoffs against the Tigers because he sucks. He is the king of the "we are already winning or losing 11-0, three run homer." But the bigger the moment, the faster he wilts. (We'll see this season if Madonna and a little Kabbalah meditation have been able to cure him.)

The other point that folks are blowing up out of the previews of the Torre-Verducci book is that General Manager Brian Cashman didn't go to bat for Torre's contract extension the 2007 off-season. Again, this is news? Everyone in the know in New York knew this at the time. Cashman was lukewarm on Torre at that point, and Torre knew he needed a two-year deal for job security. Apparently, the book reveals that not only didn't Cashman want to give Torre a two-year deal, but he didn't even present that to management as the key sticking point of Torre's contract negotiations.

The New York media's histrionic reaction to the forthcoming book was entirely predictable. They mirror their audience, a New York Daily News poll shows that over 80% of readers already have an opinion about the contents of the as yet unreleased book. How's that?

In other Yankee news, old reliable stalwart Andy Pettitte was resigned to a $5 million incentive laden deal. Barring injuries the Yankees will head into the season with a starting rotation of Chien-Ming Wang, C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain. Looks good on paper, but can the curse of the A-Fraud be overcome? Even with half a billion dollars in free agent signings? The Clarion Content doubts it.

Another delusional Marbury

Zach Marbury as a member of the Atlanta Krunk.
Too bad they couldn't afford jerseys

Yo, Steph's got a little brother? Who knew. And while Zach Marbury admits his older brother's gifts of a Ferrari and a home at a young age sapped some of his desire and willingness to make an effort, he says next year it is the NBA for him.

Zach Marbury was invited to the Portland Trail Blazers' training camp as a free agent in 2001. He was cut. He played for the Knicks summer league squad in 2004, but didn't make the team. Since then, he has bounced around. Last year, he played for the Atlanta Krunk in the Continental Basketball Association. The team went 9 up and 41 down and has since moved to Augusta to become the Groove. This year he is heading to Venezuela to play in the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto with Los Guaros De Lara. Fortunately, in typical Marbury fashion he hasn't let reality set in and drain his confidence. Zach, who left college early back in 2001 and has never played in a regular season NBA is quoted in the New York Times, "I want to be mentioned as one of the top seven point guards in the N.B.A. for the next seven years. I know that I’ve got the skills to do it. I just feel like if I get the chance to play with those types of players every night, I can be as good or maybe better."

Forgive us if we snicker.

If we told you who...

If we told you who got shot in the leg early this week, you'd hardly believe it. The wide receiver who got called up off of the practice squad to replace Plaxico Burress on the New York football Giants, Taye Biddle, was shot in the leg and hand while visiting his family Decatur, Alabama. According the Associated Press, police said there was no evidence Biddle caused or provoked the shooting. Plaxico, of course, couldn't exactly say the same. While this is no laughing matter, the good news is Biddle was treated and released from the hospital. The police haven't arrested anyone yet. We may not have heard the end of this story.

Knicks rumors hot and heavy

There are all sorts of rumors swirling about the New York Knicks. Several of them were in the air last night when the Knicks met the Phoenix Suns. Newsday reports that Shaq is very excited about his relationship with Knicks coach, Mike D'Antoni. Like LeBron, Bosh and D-Wade, Shaq will be a free agent in 2010. Perhaps the Knicks could pair a young LeBron with an old Shaq? Speaking of LeBron, the New York Daily News reports that it is no done deal for the Knicks and the Global Icon in 2010. LeBron was quoted grousing in GQ about how D'Antoni's teams don't play any defense.

Finally of course, it is all over the press that the Athens based team, Olympiakos Piraeus, the very team that signed Josh Childress from Atlanta, could be in the market for Stephon Marbury. The Knicks would be more than grateful to have somebody take Starbury off of their hands. He has refused to give them a break on the $20 million he is owed. He is acting as his own agent. The Knicks haven't budged either because they surely do not want to see him go to an Eastern Conference contender and succeed. If Marbury is released after March 1, he would not be eligible for the playoffs. Olympiakos is interested in part because Childress is sidelined with a hernia.

The Knicks, by the by, beat the Suns and have now won four out of six. They remain only two games out of the eighth playoff spot in the East.

Bucking the trend

Despite major setbacks across the board for the economics of sports; which includes everything from declining NASCAR attendance, to stagnating luxury box sales at Yankee stadium, to General Motors canceling Tiger Wood's bag sponsorship contract, to the LPGA losing sponsors, and on and on. The Chicago Cubs are bucking the trend. They are for sale. And their franchise and Wrigley Field are a hot commodity. According to Forbes it is likely they will be a good deal for the perspective buyers as purchasing solid, possibly undervalued, assets during a depressed market is frequently a good move. The Cubs, who were bought by the Tribune Company in 1981 for $21 million are expected to fetch close to $1 billion on the auction block.

Bills hold the line on ticket prices

inside Ralph Wilson Stadium

The Buffalo Bills who already have the lowest average season ticket prices in the NFL announced yesterday that will be holding the line on ticket prices this off-season. Way to go Bills! The recession and nine straight years of missing the playoffs seem to make it obvious that they should not raise prices, but not everybody operates that way. Regular readers know we have been heaping scorn on the Yankees and their lunatic ticket prices as Wall Street buckles. The Yankees have ignored the economy and the fact that they haven't won the Series in nine years, waiving the dismissive Marie Antoinette hand, "Let them eat cake."

Get lost then!

Former University of North Carolina Tar Heel and current Carolina Panther defensive end Julius Pepper declared through his agent last night that he wishes to play with a different team. He becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

The Clarion Content's reaction, "Don't let the door hit you in the butt!" Anyone who has watched the Panthers games closely, as our editorial staff has for years, knows Peppers takes a lot of plays off. He is a go hard for a play, stand around for a couple, go hard for another play, then stand around for a couple plays again kind of guy. His efforts are at best inconsistent and at worst lackadaisical. Peppers has scads of natural talent, but he is lazy. He likes to rush the quarterback, but can hardly be bothered to attempt to stop the run. Panthers fans know, too, that down the stretch the defense's inability to put pressure on the opposing quarterback was one of Panthers biggest failures.

Peppers was part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. He is a front-runner, a guy who is at his weakest when the going is toughest. Sure his statistics look good, and he makes the spectacular highlight reel play, but down in and down out his inconsistent efforts are quite evident.

He wants to leave. We say, "Fine. Get lost!"

Lions to use the Schwartz

The bumbling Detroit Lions used the Schwartz yesterday to pluck Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz from his current job and plug him into their head coaching position. Schwartz has been highly successful at Tennessee. His defenses have been highly ranked in yards and points allowed, including allowing the second fewest points in the NFL this year. Schwartz is considered a cerebral strategist. He is an avid chess player with a degree in economics from Georgetown.

Schwartz said, "I don't shy away from a challenge." Good thing because the Lions have won exactly one playoff game since 1957.

Yankees ticket follow-up

The Clarion Content warned weeks ago that the Yankees were having trouble selling the most expensive tickets and the luxury boxes in the new Yankee Stadium. This continues to be a major problem. The recession and the crushing of the lower Manhattan investment banker community have hit the Yankees hard. The Clarion Content smiles at the thought of the Yanks money people, especially Randy Levine, getting their comeuppance.

The Yankees however are not sitting on their bums taking it lying down. The Yankees have hired Prudential Douglas Elliman, a well-known Manhattan residential real estate brokerage to help sell the luxury boxes and über-expensive tickets. Über-expensive, you say? How's about seats (not boxes) that range from $350 to $2,500 per game. Oh well timed, Mr. Levine, nothing says recession friendly like 20 game ticket packages that cost $100 grand for two seats. Brilliant. We're sure the fans will be in a sympathetic, generous mood towards the $500 million trifecta of free agents, Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett while they are getting shafted on ticket prices. Well done. The Yankees refuse to release data indicating how ticket sales from this year compare to last year.

Read more here in the New York Times sports section.

New Hall Class

Bert Blyleven

The Clarion Content salutes the newest members of the baseball Hall of Fame, the incomparable Ricky Henderson and the slugging Jim Rice. Regular readers know we lobbied for the Rice selection. We were quite pleased he got in by a slim margin yesterday. Henderson is the all-time leader in the most important statistical category, runs scored, he was a no-brainer.

The Clarion Content's editorial staff has often been accused of being a "large" Hall supporter, that is to say we have to broad a willingness to accept guys into the Hall. We are convinced our position is relatively moderate. Talk about a big Hall of Fame, here from the New York Times is an article supporting the removal of the 5% rule. This rule states that a player must receive at least 5% of the vote in each year of eligibility or his name is removed from the ballot. The Clarion Content isn't so sympathetic to author Dan Rosenheck's case for Bobby Grich or Darrell Evans, or even one of our all-time favorite players Dwight Evans. It is after all the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of the Really Good.

Currently on our list of guys on the outside looking in who we would support their candidacies for the Hall of Fame: Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, Tommy John, Andre Dawson and Tim Raines. (We would listen to arguments for Sweet Lou Whitaker.)