MLB Formally Approves Mets Sale to Steve Cohen; DeBlasio Backs Off

 It's officially time to party Mets fans!! 

Major League Baseball has formally approved the sale of the franchise to billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen for $2.4 billion. Cohen, who is the CEO of Point72 Asset Management is worth close to $14 billion. 

While the vote tally was not released right away on Friday afternoon, it didn't take the owners long after their 1:30 meeting commenced for word to trickle out through Twitter that the vote was taken and Cohen approved. 

About 30 minutes later, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio tweeted that the City Law Department had conducted and completed its review of the sale, and finds no objection to Cohen purchasing the team. The decision by DeBlasio comes a mere 36 hours after a story was published in the New York Post that said the Mayor had expressed to Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred that he did not want to see Cohen purchase the team. 

The Mayor's office reiterated that was not the case and the call was just to express the City was looking into the lease agreement. 

The lease agreement states that no sale should go through were the new owner a convicted felon. Cohen was never convicted nor charged in the SAC Capital Insider Trading scheme from 2013. 

Still there was a belief that DeBlasio would try to block the sale. There was even concern that there was an underlying political motivation from the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Jenniefer Lopez who failed in their bid for the team when negotiating with the Wilpon's. 

With Cohen now front and center as the 95% shareholder in the Mets, things are going to change around here. 

For starters Cohen is expected to finalize the re-hiring of Sandy Alderson as the team's new President of Baseball Operations. Job security for other members of the baseball front office, namely GM Brodie Van Wagenen is in question. 

With deeper pockets, many expect the Mets to be players for top free agent talent beginning this winter. The Mets need immediate help in center field, left field, catcher, starting pitching and bullpen to name a few.

DeBlasio's Political Power Play Gets Nastier vs. Cohen and Mets

 Tomorrow MLB's owners will vote on whether to approve billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen as majority owner of the New York Mets, and it is fully expected Cohen will pull in the minimum required 22 of 29 votes to do so. 

However the powerplay by New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio gets more and more bizarre, as His Honor looks to thwart the deal any which way possible. In fact it was reported by the New York Post late Wednesday that DeBlasio had a phone call with Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred that DeBlasio opposes the deal althogether. 

DeBlasio asserted his feelings on Thursday, according to the New York Post, saying that he will not bow to MLB's deadline on Friday when the owners vote on Cohen. 

The Mayor also declined to get specific about his phone call with Manfred. The Post reported Thursday that the Mayor reiterated he wants his law department to look into the lease in that conversation. 

 Apart of this are different theories that Jerry Risendorf is trying to lead a coup against Cohen, although such a powerplay is expected to fail on Friday vote. There is also thought that Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez are still trying to make waves with political influence. 

It's wild. Check out this video reaction below!! 

DeBlasio to Make Call on Mets Ownership in a "Few Days"

 The tension is palpable as New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said he will make an announcement to approve the plans for the Mets sale to hedge-fund manager Steve Cohen in the next few days, according to the New York Post. 

Of course the vote to approve Cohen's sale by Major League Baseball's 29 other owners is set to take place on Friday, and it is widely anticipated that Cohen will receive the 22 votes necessary to take over the once fledgling franchise.   

According to the Post, DeBlasio is expected to rubber stamp the sale, but has been cagey, leaving many to wonder if the Mayor will attempt to block the sale. According to an amendment in the Citi Field lease agreement from 2006 allows the sitting mayor (in this case DeBlasio) to deny the sale of a team to a "prohibited person" which is defined as a "person convicted in a criminal proceeding for a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude." 

Hence we go back to the SAC Capital insider trader scam, where the company plead guilty to criminal insider-trading charges, and agreed to pay $1.8 billion in fines. Cohen, himself, was never convicted or charged with a crime.

If things go well Friday, Cohen gets approval from MLB owners, and DeBlasio permits the sale to go through, then the offseason proceeds for the Mets. 

Cohen has said he plans to make former GM Sandy Alderson the President of Baseball Operations, which could mean curtains for current GM Brodie Van Wagenen.

Cohen's Mets Approval Could Hinge on New York City Mayor Bill DeBaslio

 The future of the New York Mets and their new owner Steve Cohen could very well hinge on the ok from unscrupulous New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio. 

According to several reports, MLB owners are expected to vote in favor of Cohen taking over as majority owner of team, despite a push by White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is trying everything in his power to stop that from happening. A vote on Cohen is expected to take place Friday by MLB owners, and all Cohen needs is 22 of 29 votes. 

The reason Reinsdorf is so against the Cohen to the Mets transaction is due in part to a friendship he has with Alex Rodriguez, who led a failed bid for the Mets with his partner Jennifer Lopez. Not to mention Reisndorf tried to block Cohen's purchase of the LA Dodgers back in 2012 due to allegations of insider trading by his company SAC Capital. 

While Reisendorf is ruffling feathers, but apparently not enough to disrupt the sale, Cohen and the Mets face a much stiffer opponent in DeBlasio. 

The City of New York plays a roll in ownership change because of a clause in the lease agreement with Citi Field. That clause allows the sitting mayor (in this case DeBlasio) to deny the sale of a team to a "prohibited person" which is defined as a "person convicted in a criminal proceeding for a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude." 

Hence we go back to the SAC Capital insider trader scam, where the company plead guilty to criminal insider-trading charges, and agreed to pay $1.8 billion in fines. Cohen, himself, was never convicted or charged with a crime. 

There is concern that DeBlasio could take his sweet time with a decision, which could directly affect Cohen from moving ahead with business. Cohen has said he plans on making former General Manager Sandy Alderson the new President of Baseball Operations, which almost certainly means current GM Brodie Van Wagenen's days are numbered. 

However if deBlasio drags his feet, it could keep the Mets from making moves to improve the team and hurt them in free agency according to the Daily News. 

A source even told the New York Post that there is a fear that the Mayor is doing this "for the sake of doing so." Adding "It seems like a typical DeBlasio thing, trying to get attention in the wrong places, and stick it to billionaires." 

DeBlasio has a long record of unpopularity in New York City, despite the fact he is a two-term mayor. 

From butting heads with the police, imposing high taxes that have chased residents out of the city, to consistent mismanagement with regards to reopening the cities schools and businesses safely during the COVID pandemic, and so much more, blocking the Mets sale would make New Yorkers hate DeBlasio even more -- especially Mets fans. 

DeBlasio did issue a statement that the evaluation of the Mets sale and the lease agreement is being studied by the Law Department. "The Law Department is doing its due diligence right now. And it will be based on the facts of the research they've done. And then we'll speak to that again quickly," as quoted by the Daily News.  

Jets Offense Suffers Tailspin in Loss to Buffalo

 BILLS 18 - JETS 10 

Those of you who want to take a look at this with the glass half full approach, at least the Jets didn't get blown out by double digits. 

At least for one half of football, the Jets looked like a competent football team. At least for a few drives, Sam Darnold looked like a franchise quarterback. La'Michal Perrine actually existed. And at least wide receiver, Denzel Mims actually showed up. 

But soon "at least" turned into a just another dreary Jets disaster as Gang Green lost a field goal fest 18-10 against the Buffalo Bills. 

Even though Head Coach Adam Gase ceded the play-calling duties to Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains it was little consulation as the Jets offense went into a total and complete deep freeze in the seocnd half. Even though the ballclub held a 10-6 lead at the break, and Sam Darnold and company were moving the football in the first half with rather alacrity against the Buffalo Bills, they could do nothing after halftime. 

How bad was the Jets offensive approach in the second half? The Jets managed only 25 yards on 23 plays in the entire second half. That is a little more than a yard per play. Sam Darnold? After completing 11 of 13 passes for 116 yards in the first half, Darnold completed only one pass in 10 attempts for four yards. Four yards!! 

Darnold even threw two picks, one in the second quarter where he badly misjudged the depth of the nickle corner and threw the ball right into the waiting hands of Dane Jackson. That cost the Jets a chance to tack on to what was a 10-3 lead. 

Later, Darnold threw another costly pick, this time at the end of the game when a desperation pass was deflected at the line and wound up in the hands of linebacker Jerry Hughes to end it. 

And let's be fair, were it not for a couple of drops by Bills defenders, Darnold could have easily had a four interception performance. He was not good, especially after the Jets grabbed a 10-0 lead. 

What makes the performance even more disappointing is how well the Jets played early on. Darnold was spreading the ball around well. Denzel Mims in his first action of the year since recovering from two hamstring injuries impressed with four catches for 42 yards, and rookie running back La'Michal Perine gave the Jets an added boost in the backfield, running for 39 yards on 11 carries, including a five yard touchdown run. 

Dare I say the early first half efforts by the Jets, gave the fans reason to believe that Darnold is indeed the present and future of this franchise. He showed flashes of brilliance. But, his efforts, and in turn the offenses efforts in the second half leave fans, and likely the front office with nothing but questions. 

That is why the Trevor Lawrence questions are coming up, and they will continue to do so so long as the Jets keep losing and Darnold keeps putting up efforts like he did Sunday. 

And it is not like the Bills were anything spectacular on Sunday. Josh Allen, inspite of the fact he threw for 307 yards, need 43 pass attempts to do so, and was largely inaccurate with the football. The Bills were saved mostly by Allen's legs, who led the team with 61-yards rushing as Buffalo never saw the end zone on Sunday. 

At least there is that for the Jets: they held the Bills to six field goals. Unfortunately with an offense so inept, it was not enough.

The Jets teased their fans watching from home on Sunday, teased them into believing that the Trevor Lawrence talk will go away. Instead that discussion will only get louder. By the way the Jets face Kansas City on Sunday.

Giants Blow 11-Point Lead, Lose to Eagles

 EAGLES 22 - GIANTS 21

It turns out that Daniel Jones' 80-yard scamper that turned into a stumble before the endzone was a harbinger of things to come after all.

There are no more moral victories for the New York Giants. Not when the NFC East is on the line. The Giants had a golden opportunity to climb back into the woeful NFC East, holding a 21-10 lead on the Philadelphia Eagles, on the road, with a little over six minutes remaining in the game. 

The Giants, for the most part, had done a lot of things right. They dominated the line of scrimmage against the Eagles battered offensive line. They turned around Carson Wentz and company on a crucial fourth and goal at the Giants three, only to watch Daniel Jones and Wayne Gallman respond with a 97-yard scoring drive that gave Big Blue that 11-point advantage. 

And at the end of the day it didn't matter. 

Had the Giants won this game, they would have been 2-5 -- not exactly impressive, but in this division that nobody wants to win, it would have put Big Blue just a 1/2 game behind the same imploding Dallas Cowboys they should have beaten two weeks ago. 

Emphasis on should have!

Instead the Giants limp back to the bus, and limp back up I-95 with a 22-21 loss that can only be explained as a blown opportunity. 

After the Eagles quickly scored on a three-yard reception by Greg Ward that cut the Giants lead to 21-16 with 4:38 to play, the Giants had every opportunity to end the game. 

And for a little while it looked it would happen. Dreams of a Giants run to the division title could begin to forment in the minds of Giants fans all over North Jersey and New York City as Wayne Gallman had two nifty runs of 14 and 10-yards to move the chains and keep the clock moving under three minutes. 

The the inexplicable happened. The fun stopped. Gallman was stopped short on his next two carries, forcing a third and seven from the Giants own 47-yard line with 2:59 and counting. All Daniel Jones had to do was complete a first down pass and the game would essentially be close to over. 

Jones lofted a perfect pass down the sideline. Evan Engram was wide open. It was going to happ....until it didn't. Engram dropped the sure completion. The Giants were forced to punt. 

The nightmare was only just beginning. All of sudden Wentz was running around and completing passes like the guy who was a MVP candidate three seasons ago. He hit Richard Rodgers twice for gains of 11 and 30 yards each to move into Giants territory. Then the penalties started coming in fast and furious. 

James Bradberry was called for pass interference, moving the ball to the New York 21. After Boston Scott had a couple nice runs to the Giants' 9-yard line, safety Logan Ryan was called for interference giving Philly a new set of downs at the Giants' 5. 

Then out of some devine intervention, Eagles center Jason Kelce is called for a major face-mask penalty for ripping a helmet off. The 15-yard foul pushed the Eagles back to the 18-yard line. Unfortunately, the Giants couldn't cash that check. On the first play after the penalty, Wentz hit Boston Scott in the corner of the end zone near the pylon for the touchdown to give Philly a one-point advantage.  

With :40 to go, the Giants needed to get in field goal range, but even that was asking a lot. The first play of the drive, a seven-yard completion by Jones to Engram was whipped out by a holding penalty against guard Will Hernandez. Two plays later, Jones was stripped sacked as Vinny Curry fell on the ball for the Eagles. 

What a disaster. What a nightmare. 

On a night where Jones actually played well. He had an 80-yard run that set up a Gallman touchdown in the third quarter that gave New York a 14-10 lead, and overall completed 20-of-30 passes for 187 yards and threw two touchdowns. Gallman, while his stats didn't jump out, was effective on his 10 carries for 34 yards, and Sterling Shepherd returned to lead the Giants in receiving with six catches for 59 yards and a touchdown from Jones that gave New York that ill-fated 21-10 lead. 

The Giants have nobody to blame but themselves for this one. It has been a rough year for the Giants. They have had chances to win games. The last second, goalline stand by the Bears in week 2; the blown 14-point lead in Dallas two weeks ago. It is all culminating in a lost year for a team that if it knew how to finish would have been, could have been in the drivers seat in the NFC Least. 

Jets Cut Le'Veon Bell in Latest Disaster

 I am tired of writing the old adage, "Leave it to the New York Jets," but seriously, leave it to the New York Jets. Because only they could sign a player as talented as Le'Veon Bell -- after he missed an entire year of football in 2018, pay him $52 million over four years, and not even a year and a half into the contract, cut him, claiming nobody wants him. 

How is that even possible? 

The Jets cut Bell on Tuesday night as the Buffalo Bills were getting shellacked on national television by the Tennessee Titans 42-16. The reason's behind the move are manifold, but the latest has to do with tweets Bell liked that criticized head coach Adam Gase's use of Bell during the Jets 30-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. 

Bell touched the ball only once on Sunday. Gase has promised numerous times to get Bell involved in the offense, and it never transpired on the field. 

According to reports Bell and his representation, met with Gase and Douglas to discuss a potential trade of Bell with the deadline fast approaching November 3. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets contacted every team, but found the contract difficult to move. The Jets were willing to eat $6 million of his remaining salary, but the big concern for the Jets was Bell's $8 million injury guarantee in 2021. Nobody wanted to take that risk on their books. 

So in the end the Jets cut Bell. They didn't even get a seventh round pick for him. They got nothing, except another black eye. 

The fact is Gase never wanted Bell here. He was upset at then GM Mike Maccagnan for signing Bell in the spring of 2019, and expressed as much. Both Bell and Gase never really got along that well. Last year Bell went bowling while he was away from the team because he was diagnosed with the flu. That upset Gase greatly. 

When Bell came to camp this year, promising to be a good solider, Gase turned around and brought in Frank Gore, and later,  Bell got into a fight with Gase over a hamstring injury during an intrasquad scrimmage. 

Every week Gase would promise to feed Bell the ball more, and it never happened. At the end of the day, Bell ran for only 873 yards and three touchdowns in his entire Jets career. It was a doomed marriage, with plenty of blame to go around. 

On the surface this looks like another huge power play by Gase, and once again he had General Manager Joe Douglas by his side in executing the initiative. Bell is now the second high profile player to leave the Jets because of a dispute with the head coach. The other being Jamal Adams who called both Gase and Douglas liars for not coming through on a contract extension. When Adams' complaints got louder and louder in the media, Gase and Douglas pulled the plug and traded him to Seattle. 

They have now done the same to Bell. 

Fall in line is the edict from Gase and Douglas or else. How can owners Christopher and Woody Johnson sit there and think that this is good for the organization? How could they sit there and think both Gase and Douglas know what they are doing? 

The Jets will use the excuse that they are building a culture, ridding themselves of Mike Maccagnan's players in order to build for the future, but the facts are all Gase and Douglas are doing is building a culture of distrust and chaos. 

How is this all beneficial to the young players on the team? How is this beneficial to Sam Darnold, whom, if you believe the rumors, could be on his way out of New York by next season?

While Bell was no angle in New York, and he is certainly responsible for his crude and at times devisive behavior while he was here, there is no excusing the fact that Gase and Douglas are running a machiavellian ship to nowhere-sville.

Giants Come Close, but Can't Upend Cowboys

 COWBOYS 37 - GIANTS 34 

It was one of the wildest games of the season, full of twists and turns, but don't tell anyone that the Cowboys didn't have a singular purpose in mind when they beat the Giants 37-34 on Sunday. 

 

Win one for Dak. 

That had to be the message and the mindset for Dallas after its star quarterback went down with an ankle injury mid-way through the third quarter. Prescott had the Boys moving into Giants territory with Dallas clinging to a one-point lead of 24-23. As he tried to avoid a defender he rolled badly on his ankle as he was tackled. 

He sat up with tears in his eyes, knowing full well that this was bad as the Cowboys training staff stabilized his foot and sent the Pro Bowler on his way to the hospital.  While the Prescott injury was the main headline coming out of Cowboys 37, Giants 34, it was not the only story. 

The Giants held a 14-3 lead after Kyler Fackrell picked off Prescott and dashed into the end zone for a touchdown from 46-yards out with 5:48 to play in the first quarter. The Giants built their to lead to as large at 17-3, before everything came apart at the seams. 

After Prescott led Dallas on a long touchdown drive that cut the Giants lead to 17-10, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones -- as he's apt to do - fumbled the football at the Giants own 37-yard line. Anthony Brown picked up the loose ball and dashed into the end zone, tying the game at 17 with 5:00 to go before halftime. 

What made matters even worse for the Giants was the fact that holder Reily Dixon hit Evan Engram on a wide open, walk-in touchdown on a fake field goal attempt that totally fooled Dallas, was called back for an illegal shift. 

Instead of it being 24-17 Giants, New York had to settle for a Graham Gano field goal to make it 20-17. 

That was a huge difference in the game. 

The botched special teams attempt was promptly answered by another Cowboys touchdown, this time on a double reverse with Prescott playing wide receiver, and catching a ball from Cedrick Wilson to give Dallas a 24-20 lead at the break. 

Again, early in the third quarter, the Giants had an opportunity. Daniel Jones was moving the team well, and even connected with Darious Slayton on a beautiful 31-yard touchdown strike. But that score was also called back for an offensive pass interference penalty on Big Blue. Another touchdown whipped off the board. 

The Giants had the settle for three more points to cut the deficit to 24-23. 

There was even a drive early in the fourth quarter where Big Blue got deep into Dallas territory, before stalling at the Cowboys 10. Again another Gano field goal, cutting the deficit to 31-26.

Had the Giants scored at least one touchdown on these drives, even two, they would have walked out of Dallas the winners. 

Instead the Giants couldn't hold down back-up quarterback Andy Dalton and Company as the Cowboys stormed back late from a 34-31 deficit to win the game. with :52 seconds to go in regulation, and with the ball at their own 12, the Cowboys went for the win instead of settling for overtime. It proved to be the right strategy. 

Dalton connected with Michael Gallop on two incredible passes, one for 19-yards and another for a 38-yard pick-up to the Giants' 16-yard line. That was good enough to set up for the winning field goal from Greg Zuerlein as time expired. 

While it was a wild and emotional win for Dallas, it was a blown opportunity for the Giants. A win would have moved the Giants into second place in the woeful NFC East, where the Cowboys now sit atop the division at 2-3.

Jets Drop to Woe and Five with Loss to Cardinals

 CARDINALS 30 - JETS 10 

What's there left to say about the New York Jets at this point? 

The Arizona Cardinals walked into MetLife Stadium and put a severe whooping on a Sam Darnold-less Jets team that couldn't do anything right. How does punting on fourth and one twice within the first five minutes of the game sound to you? 

Or how about the fact the Jets faced a third and short and fourth and short at the Cardinals' 13-yard line and couldn't get a first down, and couldn't score as Arizona held an early 7-0 lead. 

Joe Flacco? Even he had no answers. How could he when every big throw he attempted his recievers like Chris Herndon and Jeff Smith were dropping passes like it was going out of style. The only positive was Jamison Crowder, who hauled in eight balls for 116 yards, including a 52-yard reception in the third quarter, and a touchdown that really wasn't to cap off that drive. 

In short it was just another embarassing defeat. 30-10. It wasn't even close. 

Kyler Murray did exactly whatever he wanted to do, throwing for 380 yards and a touchdown, and running for 31-yards and a score. He had himself a fantasy day. Who doesn't nowadays against the Jets?

Yet, here the Jets stand at 0-5, a team with no life, no presence, no fight. They look and play like a group that had given up the ghost long ago and is playing out the string -- in October. 

If that isn't enough grounds for firing head coach Adam Gase, who knows what will be? 

The Atlanta Falcons fired Dan Quinn, Sunday following the Falcons 23-16 loss to the Carolina Panthers. He is the second head coach fired within the week, following Houston's Bill O'Brien. Yet, Gase doesn't even come close in resume to those two, and his team loses by 20 to an 'ok' Cardinals team, and still keeps his job. Makes no sense, but these are the Jets for a reason. 

Schedule Changes: 

Due to the League-wide COVID-19 outbreak, the NFL has had to rejigger its schedule and it affects the Jets. New York was schedule to play at the LA Chargers in Week 6, but will now face the Miami Dolphins instead. The Chargers game will be moved to Week 11. The Jets bye week moves up from Week 11 to Week 10. The reason for this is related to the fact the Patriots-Broncos game, scheduled for Monday, was postponed til next Sunday. The Broncos  were scheduled to play the Dolphins next Sunday, but now that they will face the Patriots instead, it created an opening for Miami, and their matchup against the Jets was moved. It makes sense since both the Jets and Dolphins were originally scheduled to play each other in consecutive weeks in late November.

Yankees legend Whitey Ford Passes Away at 91

 He was known as the Chairman of the Board. Yankees legend Whitey Ford passed away Friday at the age of 91, mere hours before his old team took the field in a decisive Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Ford had suffered from Alzheimer's disease in recent years according to reports.

 

Ford played his entire career in Pinstripes, winning 236 games and pitching to a career 2.75 ERA, winning six World Series titles and playing in 10 All Star Games. His 10 World Series game victories is the most of any pitcher. His 33.2 scoreless innings in the Fall Classic broke a record set by another legendary Yankee, Babe Ruth.

Ford is widely considered one of the greatest Yankees of all time, and the greatest left-handed pitcher in Yankees lore. 

 Ford, a New York native, went 9-1 his rookie year of 1950 at the age of 21, setting the stage for what would be a brilliant career. His best season of course coming in 1961 where Ford when 25-4 in 39 starts. That was backed up two years later when he went 24-7 with a 2.74 ERA in 1963.

In honor of Ford, the Yankees wore a black number 16 on their left sleeve. 

"Whitey's name and accomplishments are forever stitched into the fabric of baseball's rich history," Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. "He was a treasure, and one of the greatest of Yankees to ever wear the pinstripes. Beyond the accolades that earned him his rightful spot within the wall of the Hall of Fame, in so many ways he encapsulated the spirit of the Yankees teams he played for and represented for nearly two decades."

Brosseau Heroics, Questionable Moves End Yankees Season

 RAYS 2 - YANKEES 1 

For the New York Yankees, the 2020 American League Division Series will go down as a blown opportunity. First it was Aaron Boone's decision to remove Deivi Garcia after one inning of Game 2, then it was a number of strange decisions by the Yankee skipper in Game 5 that played a role in his team's dismissal from the playoffs. 

 

The Rays certainly deserve a lot of credit. They were the best team in the American League for a reason, and even when the Yankees came back to tie this series to force a decisive Game 5, they withstood the challenge. They didn't let the prospects of facing Gerrit Cole beat them down. 

And as far as first baseman Mike Brosseau? What's left to say? Brosseau had the at bat that defined this Division Series. The second year player put together a masterful at bat against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the eighth inning, working a 10-pitch at-bat that culminated in a solo home run to left that gave the Rays the definitive 2-1 lead. 

In many respects it was a revenge at bat for Brosseau, who earlier this year was the victim of head-hunting by Chapman which nearly led to a bench clearing brawl. 

The at bat just to get to the home run in Game 5 was legendary in of itself. After missing badly on the first two pitches, Brosseau worked the count full, including fouling off four Chapman pitches to stay alive. Once he got the pitch he wanted, Brosseau pointed at the Rays dugout and exploded in excitement as he rounded first. 

Of course this was a blown opportunity for New York in so many ways. First, Cole got into and out of trouble in the bottom of the first inning when got out of a bases loaded jam by striking out Joey Wendle. He was in cruise control after that until Andrew Meadows tied the game at one on a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the fifth.

It was after that homer that the managerial decisions by Aaron Boone got wackier by the minute. 

First Boone pulled Cole from the game in the sixth inning, and decided to shorten the game with Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman way earlier than he normally should have. The decision to bring Chapman into the ball game while it was still tied in the seventh inning was truly a head scratcher. Champman never pitches well in tied games, and asking him to get seven outs made no sense. 

You would think Boone would have learned something after last season's debacle in Houston. Apparently not. The decision came back to haunt him. 

Not only that, but Boone also pinch hit Mike Ford in the place of Kyle Higashioka, who was swinging a hot bat. Ford promptly struck out in his lone at bat in the top of the eighth. To make things even uglier for the Yankees manager, it meant that he would have to rely on Gary Sanhcez behind the plate for the rest of the game -- the same catcher who was benched because he isn't as good defensively as Highasioka. 

Yup it was a bad night for the manager and a really bad night for the Yankees. 

As for the Rays, their manager Kevin Cash hit all the right buttons. It seemed a bit crude to take out starter Tyler Gaslnow early, but it worked out as Nick Anderson and Pete Fairbanks did a tremendous job out of the pen. While Anderson did give up a home run to Aaron Judge, he kept the Yanks at bay after that. 

Their efforts set things up for Diego Castillo, who was tremendous in two innings of relief, striking out four and giving up only a walk and no hits. 

The Rays earned it. The Yankees? They earned a trip to the off-season. 

Tampa Bay will square off with Houston on Sunday in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

Postitive COVID test, Forces Jets to Shut Down

 Things can't get any worse for the New York Jets, can they? 

Well on Friday, they did, when the Jets sent all coaches and players home after an unnamed player was diagnosed positive with COVID-19. 

The news of course puts Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals in question now, just two days before the two teams meet at MetLife Stadium. 

Already the NFL has had to reschedule multiple games involving the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots due to COVID-19. The Patriots game against Denver is now scheduled to play Monday at 5 ET, while the Titans will host the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday night. 

There was the threat by the NFL earlier in the week that it could consider forfeiting games if it felt that teams were not adhering to  COVID guidelines, but so far the League has not executed on that threat.

The Jets and Cardinals do not share a similar bye week, meaning the game will either be played Sunday if no new positive tests come, or it could be moved to Monday or Tuesday.  Stay tuned. 

 

Yankees Survive, Force Game 5 Friday Night

 YANKEES 5 - RAYS 1 

The Yankees needed Jordan Montgomery to channel his inner Andy Pettitte in order to keep their season alive. While he wasn't as thoroughly dominating as the former Yankees' lefty, Montgomery held his own, kept the Rays off the board, and gave his team a shot to put the pain of Game's 2 and 3 firmly behind them. 

Montgomery did exactly what the Yankees needed him to do. He settled things down. The Yankees, specifically manager Aaron Boone, General Manager Brian Cashman and the entire Yankees analytics department came under heavy fire for their gamble to use the opener in Game 2; a decision that backfired badly. 

After dropping Game 3 last night, the Yankees found themselves on the brink, with their ace Gerrit Cole unable to pitch until a potential Game 5. But the Yanks needed Montgomery to pitch well in Game 4. A loss and the questions would almost certainly come as to why the Yankees sabotaged their chances when they burned Deivi Garcia in Game 2, only to remove him after an inning in favor of inconsistent J.A Happ.

Thanks to Montgomery's four solid innings where he worked around three hits and three walks, and Chad Green's two innings of perfect baseball, the Yankees had the perfect tonic for their ills in this series. 

Meanwhile, the Yankees did just enough offensively to make the efforts of the Yankees pitching stand up. 

Luke Voit got the party started with a solo blast in the bottom of the second to give New York the early 1-0 lead.

After walks to Brett Gardner, Gio Urshela and Gleyber Torres, D.J. LeMahieu lifted one to deep right for a sac fly, scoring Gardner from third to make it 2-0. 

The score would remain 2-1 New York until the bottom of the sixth when Torres lifted the first pitch he saw from Ryan Yarbrough, and deposited it over the left field wall for a two-run homer to break the game open at 4-1. 

The Yankees would tack on some insurance in the eighth on Kyle Higashioka's RBI single to extend the lead to 5-1. 

With the game firmly in control after the Torres homer, Boone turned to Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman to finish it off. Britton twirled 1.2 shutout innings, striking out three, while Chapman held the Rays to a walk over the final 1.1 innings. 

With the series tied at two, the Yankees now can turn the page and bring back Cole for Game 5. Cole pitched really well in Game 1, a 9-3 Yankees victory. If Cole is worth the $324 million the Yankees paid him last off-season, this will be the game to showcase why he is the true ace of this franchsie for years to come. 

Yankees On Brink of Elimination After Rays Dominate

 RAYS 8 - YANKEES 4 

The lingering effects of Aaron Boone's decision to use an opener in Game 2 of the ALDS only manifested itself in an 8-4 loss to Tampa Bay on Wednesday night, as the Yankees fell behind in their best-of-five series two games to one. 

 

Charlie Morton dominated the Bombers for five innings, while Mashairo Tanaka was lit up for two homers in what could be his final Yankees' start. 

The Yankees now face the prospect of turning the ball over to Jordan Montgomery in a must-win-to-stay-alive scenario in Game 4. 

The Yankees pitching issues, which have been a problem all year, have hung over this series since Boone's decision to remove Deivi Garcia after one inning in Game 2. It haunted them in Game 3, and it may haunt them throughout the off-season to come IF the Yankees can't comeback to win this series. 

 It didn't take long for the feelings to sour on the Yankees. 

In the top of the second inning, Tanaka got himself into some series trouble, allowing a couple of singles to Joey Wendel and Willy Adames, before coming back to strike out Kevin Keirmaier swinging for the second out. However, Tanaka had no such luck with Michael Perez who lined an RBI single to right to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. 

While it was early, and it was only one run, the dye was cast for the rest of the night. You could feel it. 

Things only got worse for Tanaka by the fourth inning. After a walk to Wendle and a single by Adames, Keirmaier delivered some pay back on the Yankees righty by launching the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for a three-run homer to give Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead. 

An inning later, Tanaka couldn't even get out of the fifth inning when Randy Arozarena, who has had a teriffic series, launched a solo shot to center to give the Rays a 5-1 lead. Good night Tanaka. The one-time ace of the Yankees was done, removed after the homer in what could be his final night in pinstripes. 

Tanaka lasted only four innings, allowing five runs on eight hits.

As for Arozarena, he killed the Yankees on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 on the night with a homer. He is now hitting .667 (8-for-12) against New York in this series. 

Keirmaier and Perez also destroyed the Yankees on Wednesday. Both went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. In fact Perez's two-run shot off Chad Green in the top of the sixth inning all but ended it. 

On the flip side, Charlie Morton was nothing short of solid. He only went five innings, but held the Yanks to just one earned run on four hits, earning his fifth career postseason victory. Morton has turned it on in October as a Ray. He was 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA last year. He is off to a flying start this time around. 

While the Yankees did chip away, thanks to a two-run bomb by Giancarlo Stanton, his fourth such homer of this series to cut the Rays lead to 8-4. It was not enough. 

The Yankees are now in desperation mode tomorrow night when they give the ball to Montgomery. They need him to turn into Andy Pettitte overnight if they are going to extend this season another night, and turn down the pressure on Boone, whose managerial decisions -- not only during the year -- but specifically in this series, have been costly.

Boone Decision to Use Happ Bites Yankees in Game 2

 RAYS 7 - YANKEES 5 

Aaron Boone's decision to turn Game 2 of the ALDS into a bullpen game turned out to be the worst chess move he could make at the worst time. 

If this were a regular season game, using Game 2 starter Deivi Garcia as the incautious opener wouldn't have garnered much attention - except for a few angry callers on talk radio, and it would have been quickly forgotten. 

However, in the postseason, the decision to pitch Garcia for only one inning only to turn the ball over the veteran J.A. Happ turned out to be a huge mistake, one that could comeback to haunt the Yankees in this series. 

Garcia gave up a solo home run to Randy Arozarena in the bottom of the first inning; big whoop. Arozarena hit a homer in Game 1, and both teams have been hitting homers in this series. It's not like the Yankees can't overcome a 1-0 deficit. 

Instead of allowing Garcia to continue into the second inning, Boone decided to go with Happ, who was lit up like a Christmas tree, allowing four runs on five hits over 2.2 innings, with all runs coming on home runs. First there was a two-run shot by Tampa catcher Mike Zunino in the bottom of the second, and a two-run blast by Manuel Margot in the bottom of the third. Just like that it was 5-1 Rays. 

What did Boone prove by putting in a pitcher whose ERA was 3.07 in the month of September, and whose career postseason ERA is 7.27? What exactly did Boone think would have been achieved? Yes, Happ had not pitched against the Rays this year; and when he did face them last season, he pitched well. But, the facts are the Yankees were in no position to experiment with a bullpen game. 

Not when you are trying to take a 2-0 series lead against a team that was seven games ahead of you in the standings, and was 8-2 against you in the regular season. Boone proved nothing. 

The Yankees did come back, thanks to Giancarlo Stanton's three-run shot - his second homer of Game 2 in fact, and third homer of this series, that cut the Rays lead to 5-4. But that was as close as the Yankees would get. 

The Rays tacked on runs on a Kevin Kiermaier single to center in the sixth, and a Andrew Meadows homer to dead center to push the lead to 7-4. 

The Yankees had a shot at tying the game in the top of the ninth when Rays reliever Petter Fairbanks struggled with his control, walking Gio Urshela and Gleyber Torres. However Fairbanks came back to strikeout Clint Fraizer and Gary Sanchez to stay in the ball game. 

After D.J. LeMahieu singled to drive in Ursehla to make it 7-5, Aaron Judge grounded out to end the ball game. 

All by two runs scored in Game 2 were via the longball. The Yankees hit two homers on Tuesday, both from Stanton, while Tampa Bay hit four. Both teams have combined to hit 12 home runs in this series; a series that is being played in what is notoriously a pitcher park in Petco Park in San Diego. 

Mashiro Tanaka will get the ball for the Yankees in Game, Wednesday night.

Yankees Pound Rays Late to Take Game 1 of LDS

 YANKEES 9 - RAYS 3 

The Yankees are off and running in the American League Division Series, pounding their AL East rivals the Tampa Bay Rays 9-3 in the opener behind four Yankee homers, including a grand slam by Giancarlo Stanton in the top of the ninth inning. 

The Yankees have now scored 31 runs this postseason, and have smacked 11 homers in the process. An offense that once couldn't get out of its own way at times in the regular season, the Yankees are hitting on all cylinders at the most opportune time of the year. 

Stanton's grand slam in the top of the ninth with the Yankees already leading 5-3, was the exclamation point on a helluva night a Bombers team that has different look and feel to it. While October baseball is unpredictable, when a team gets that look, it can be hard to stop. The Yankees have that look right now; the look of a winner. 

That look was felt early and often. Even after Tampa's Randy Arozarena tied the game on a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning, the Yankees answered right away with a Clint Fraizer bomb to the second deck in left to take a 2-1 lead. 

Even after Ji-Man Choi took Gerrit Cole deep on a two-run homer to give the Rays a 3-2 lead, it didn't shake the Yankees one bit. The fought back, and did it the only way they know how, with bombs all over the place. And this was supposed to be a pitcher friendly park in San Diego. Instead the Yankees and Rays turned it into Yankee Stadium West Coast. 

Kyle Higashioka's solo homer in the top of the fifth quickly tied things up at three. Two batters later, Aaron Judge sent a laser into the seats to put New York up 4-3. 

The score would hold there for pretty much the rest of the night. Cole got stronger as the night wore on. He worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth by striking out Manuel Margot. Then Cole came back to dominate the Rays with high heat in the bottom of the sixth to end his evening. 

Overall, Cole gave the Yankees what they needed; six innings of six-hit, three-run ball. He struck out eight. 

The Yankees bullpen was superb with Chad Green and Zach Britton each tossing clean innings in relief, setting the stage for the Yankees monstrous ninth inning rally. 

It wasn't easy of course. The Yankees did have two men aboard for Judge, who struck out looking on a questionable slider on the lower half of the plate, but Aaron Hicks picked him up, by lacing a single to center to score Higashioka to make it 5-3. 

Two batters later, Stanton worked the count to 2-2 before destroying a slider that hung over the plate, depositing it over the center field wall for a grand slam homer. 

The Yankees lead the series 1-0 and will turn the ball to Deivi Garcia, an impressive rookie right hander who struck out 33 batters in 34 innings this year. He will face Tampa ace Tyler Glasnow. There is something special about this Yankees team. They have the look of a winner. After three straight years of near misses in the postseason, the Yankees are determined to get it right this time -- even if the scenery and the circumstances around them are alien.

Jones & Giants Offense, Again, Has No Answers

RAMS 17 - GIANTS 9 

 Leave it to the Giants to find a way to lose a game where the held the powerful LA Rams to just 17 points, and their quarterback Jared Goff to only 200-yards passing. 

 

Defensively the Giants did everything right on Sunday. After the Rams scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the game, a 12-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a Gerald Everett two-yard plunge, the Rams were mostly silent for the rest of the day. 

That credit goes to a Giants defense that held the Rams to only a field goal for a better of two-and-a-half quarters, while forcing the Rams to punt the football five times. Jared Goff was held in check. The combination of Cooper Cupp and Robert Woods were held in check. And the Rams couldn't run the football. 

It was right there for the taking for the Giants, and they fell flat on their face. 

Once again the Giants offense would show signs of life, but would sputter out of control once they got deep into Rams territory. Three field goals to widdle a Rams lead to 10-9 is not good enough. Not when the Rams -- even on their worst day --- are far too explosive. 

This should have been a major upset. Instead it was more of the same. 

Trailing 10-6 late in the third quarter, the Giants drove all the way to the Rams' 11-yard line, before a false start penalty started sending Big Blue backwards. Two plays later on third and four, Daniel Jones couldn't find Darious Slayton for the first down, forcing Big Blue to settle for yet another field goal. 

The lack of offensive fire power inside Rams territory only got worse with each Giants possession. After a 26-yard run by Wayne Gallman set up shop for the Giants at their own 46, the Giants stalled offensively. Gallman couldn't move chains any further, and Jone's screen pass on third down resulted in a one-yard loss and a punt. 

The continued missed opportunities finally bit the Giants on the Rams next possession when Goff hit Cooper Cup in stride for a 55-yard touchdown to give LA a 17-9 lead. 

Even with what appeared to be an insurmountable Rams lead, the Giants still had a chance, and still they flushed that chance down the drain. 

With 2:05 to go in the game, Jones connected with Slayton for 33-yards to the Rams 47. Jones would later scramble twice for gains of 13 and 11-yards to spot the ball at the Rams 23, before he connected with Evan Engram for five yards to 18-yard line. 

Then for whatever reason, Jones stepped up in the pocket, avoided pressure and tried to air mail his second and five pass down the sideline only to have it picked off Darious Williams to seal the deal for Los Angeles. 

The Giants now stand at 0-4. They haven't seen the end zone since the fourth quarter of a 17-13 Week 2 loss to the Chicago Bears, and the turnovers by Jones in critical spots are only getting worse and worse. He is making the case that he is not the guy to lead this franchise forward. It's a shame because the Giants are playing hard, and could have won this game had they only had a competent offense. 

Believe it or not, the Giants could be playing for first place next week when they visit the struggling Dallas Cowboys (1-3). The entire NFC East is a mess with the Washington Football Team in first place at 1-3, the Cowboys at 1-3 and the Eagles at 0-2-1.

Jets Crash & Burn in Disasterous Loss to Broncos

 BRONCOS 37 - JETS 28

As the late John McKay once said about his winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had lost 26 consecutive games from 1976 to 1977, what he thought of his team's execution, he said oh-so modestly that he was "in favor of it."

That would have been about the only appropriate answer Jets Head Coach Adam Gase could give instead of giving the usual uncomfortable presser where he blamed injuries and lack of discipline for his team's defeat. Yet there he was trying to explain away a humiliating 37-28 loss to the Denver Broncos where his team committed 11 penalties, six of which were personal fouls. 

"We beat ourselves. The penalties are just ... they're brutal," Gase murmured during his post game presser. 

Yes, the Jets really did beat themselves. They beat themselves in every facet of the game on Thursday, particularly up front on both sides of the ball. 

The Jets offensive line was like a sieve, failing to protect quarterback Sam Darnold at all costs, as the quarterback spent almost the entire night scrambling around the pocket as if he was Michael Vick. Heck, Darnold even led the team in rushing with 84-yards on six carries, including a stunning 46-yard scamper to the end zone for the opening score of the game. 

Yet, Darnold spent more time on his back than anything else. He was even injured late in the first quarter when he was pile driven into the ground by Alexander Johnson. Many, including FOX lead color analyst Troy Aikman, thought Darnold may have done some damage to his collar bone, but alas Darnold returned after a series in the trainers room. 

Give Darnold credit, he tried to tough it out. He threw for 230 yards, and didn't turn the ball over once, but he had no help. No help from his receivers, except for Jamison Crowder, who was the only one to get open. No help from his offensive line, which couldn't protect him, and no help from his head coach who refused to run the football at all in a game where the Jets were either in the lead or within striking distance. 

On top of that the defense was plain awful. The Jets allowed third string quarterback Bretty Rypien to rip them apart for 242 yards through the air and two touchdowns. The rookie quarterback did throw three picks, including two for Pierre Desir, who also brought one back to the house for a Jets touchdown in the fourth quarter. 

 

However, Desir could have easily had three interceptions of Rypien had he not allowed the football to slip through his hands and into the mitts of Jerry Jeudy for a 48-yard touchdown completion that gave Denver a 10-7 lead with 13:09 to play in the second quarter. 

On top of that the personal fouls were ridiculous. It was an awful night for the Jets front seven, particularly Quinnen Williams who was flagged multiple times for roughing the passer. His worst offense came in the fourth quarter when he was flagged for a face mask on Rypien. The penalty gave Denver new life as Rypien moved them down the field for a go-ahead field goal to make it 30-28 with 3:08 to play. 

The Jets had one last shot to steal the game late, but on a fourth-and-three at midfield, Darnold scrambled to his right and was promptly sacked from behind, turning the ball over on downs. Inexcusable.  

The Broncos turned the Jets miscue into points when Melvin Gordon III hit the pile, bounced off, and dashed down the sideline for a 43-yard touchdown to ice it at 37-28. 

Fans hoping, thinking that the loss would spell the end of Adam Gase will have to keep dreaming. Earlier in the day on Thursday it was reported by NFL Network's Ian Rappaport that Gase's job was not in jeopardy even if the Jets had lost to Denver. After the game, the New York Post's Brian Costello confirmed that there would be no coaching change at this point. 

That is a complete reversal by the Jets, a week after there were hints that Gase would be heavily monitored during the Jets contest at Indianapolis last Sunday, and last night's game against the Broncos. 

The Jets stand at 0-4. They are the worst team in the NFL by a long mile. They have a quarterback who has regressed badly due to the lack of support around him, and the lack of accountability from the head coach. They are a rudderless ship with no leadership. 

While nobody ever roots for someone to lose their job, it is pretty clear that the Jets need a housecleaning with regards to their coaching staff. Adam Gase is now 7-13 as Head Coach. He is 1-11 in the first half of season's as Jets coach. (Remember they were 1-7 to start the 2019 campaign).

Gase has to go. 

So too does his Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains, as well as Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams - who is not getting through at all to his depleted unit. 

While the Johnson Brothers, particularly Chief Executive Officer Christopher Johnson, can tell the press until he is blue in the face that the Jets are trying to build a program, a NFL team can't possibly do that like this. This team needs discipline and accountability. 

Unfortunately in the NFL of 2020 where teams are hiring and recycling coaches every two or three years, hoping to find the next Bill Belichick or Sean McVay, the lack of quality head coaches is at an all time high. After Gase, who knows where the Jets go from here, but they need to go there, and go there soon. 

Rome is burning at 1 Jet Drive, and it is time for change. The Jets look like a team destined for 0-16. They play like it; they act like it. They hold their heads in embarrassment like it. Who knew that we would ever see a Jets team that was worse than the 1995 or 1996 New York Jets coached by Rich Kotite. If anything Gase is succeeding in getting Kotite off the list as worst coach in Jets history.

Reaction to the Yankees AL Wild Card Series Win

 The Yankees are moving on to the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays after a thrilling late night 10-9 win over the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees offense exploded for 22 runs and seven homers in the series victory. Now the two arch rivals are set for a showdown in San Diego. 

Watch the recap: