Bonds Pleads Not Guilty

Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty on Friday after being indicted on charges he knowingly used performance enhancing drugs and lied to federal prosecutors in 2003. He was arraigned in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco, CA and is charged with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. If convicted he could face more than 2 years in jail.

Following his arraignment he was turned over to United States Marshalls to undergo normal booking procedures. Bonds allegedly lied under oath 19 times in a December 2003 testimony that was held by a federal grand jury that was investigating the BALCO performance drug facility.

"Even Johnny Cochrane couldn't help Barry if he was alive today although the fans might..."
-Patrick Viveiros

Angry fans protested outside courthouse. A tire retailer arranged it's marquee to read, "Say it isn't so Barry," and a Sacramento man arrived in a witch costume. He believes Bud Selig is on a "witchhunt" for steroid abusers in baseball and that Bonds is not guilty.


Bonds' agent confirmed that Bonds will likely be eligible to play the 2008 season, as his court date will probably be sometime December 2008. Bonds could help an American League team as a designated hitter. The 43-year old all-time home run king showed signs of his age at the end of last season. His performance defensively dwindled as his legs appeared to be giving up on him. However, he has hit 762 home runs in his career and still has one of the greatest swings in baseball so here's the question I had:

Should an American League team pursue Barry Bonds for his hitting services despite the charges he faces?

I don't believe anyone should pursue Bonds because anywhere he goes, the media frenzy will follow. A team looking to increase it's revenue and gain fame by exposure could sign Bonds but then how will that reflect the teams image?

George Bush stated that Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran harbor terrorists, will the team that signs Bonds want to be remembered as the team that "harbored the steroid freak"? It is a far cry to say that Bonds is a terrorist but the media has turned him into one.

Bonds is a tremendous athlete despite the allegations that surround him. He still hasn't been convicted of anything thus his statistics speak for themselves. However, the media continues to try and find ways to connect him with using performance enhancing drugs.

This brings me to another question, would the media be as upset with Bonds had he not been on the brink of eclipsing former home-run king Hank Aaron's all-time mark? I personally believe that Bonds has been targeted and had he not broken that record he might not have faced these charges. What is going to happen to Alex Rodriguez after he eventually breaks Bonds' record? Will the media try and connect him with steroid usage?

The point is, the life of an athlete is hard. Everyday is a battle especially with the media crazed United States. Unfortunately athletes are targets of the media who want only to expose them. Furthermore athletes have become targets for crimes and robbery. Such as the case of Washington Redskins free safety Sean Taylor who was recently murdered by home invaders.

If it comes out that Bonds never used steroids at all the media frenzy surrounding him still won't stop. It appears that majority of the country is against Bonds and therefore the media must do their job in seeing that Bonds is found guilty, if not now than at some point in his life.

Brian Cashman gets it the Sinatra Way

Brian Cashman got it "his way"...


New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman achieved something with his new bosses, Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, that he could never accomplish with his old boss, George Steinbrenner. He convinced them that signing Santana would be too expensive for the Yankees. In return, Cashman got his wish to retain his three-top pitching prospects rather than trade them away for an expensive pitching talent in the form of Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana.

After Andy Pettite announced on Sunday that he would indeed be returning to pitch for the Yankees in the 2008 season, that put the Yankees "over the limit" spending wise this off-season. The Yankees have currently spent over $400 million this off-season to retain six players from last years team these players include: Jose Molina, Alex Rodriguez, Pettite, Bobby Abreu, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. If the Yankees were to execute a sign and trade for Santana, that would then skyrocket their payroll to way beyond $500 million, as Santana is looking for a contract in the likes of seven-years for $150 million.

Essentially the Yankees payroll for the 2008 season alone would then exceed $200 million, AGAIN. Cashman was convincing enough in his argument and got his wish. He took into consideration that the new Yankee Stadium is being constructed and it cost the amount of gold in Fort Knox to build, thus the team would be taking a HUGE financial gamble.

Cashman had better be right about his three gifted pitching prospects and their ability to fill the holes in the Yankees rotation next season. Philip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy will compete for a spot in a starting rotation that currently consists of Andy Pettite, Chien Ming-Wang and Mike Mussina. Cashman is entering the final year of his contract as GM next season.

The Yankees also announced that they will implement some type of innings limitations on their three gifted prospects next season. This does leave the possibility open for a six-man rotation however, that is unlikely. I believe Kennedy and Hughes will resume their starting roles while Chamberlain will return to the bullpen. There is a lack of bullpen help available in the free agent market and a trade for a bullpen pitcher is always a gamble, (i.e. Eric Gagne's woes for the Boston Red Sox after being traded for in a deadline deal this season). Chamberlain has that fire about him that reminds me that of Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox closer.

I believe the way these pitchers show their emotions on the mound is exciting and it also helps fire up the team, fans and makes the game of baseball more entertaining while still remaining it's "gentleman's game" mentality. By showing their emotions and not being scared to throw inside and come at batters, they essentially improve their odds of striking out batters because they are psyching them out and gaining a mental edge on them. I believe Red Sox ace Josh Beckett can attribute most of his success of being clutch in big situations from being an emotional pitcher.

The Yankees announced they are pursuing negotiations with the Oakland Athletics in a deal that would land starting pitcher Dan Haren in the Bronx. Details of the possible trade have not been released. However, it can't be totally confirmed that the Yankees will indeed hang on to their top three prospects if a deal is made with the Athletics for Haren.

Where will Santana go? (IF ANYWHERE)

There were several reports today regarding the current status of the New York Yankees involvement in the trade negotiations involving two-time Cy Young Award Winner Johan Santana. The Yankees are trying to work out a deal with the Minnesota Twins that would send 21-year old pitcher Philip Hughes and 23-year old centerfielder Melky Cabrera to the Twins, along with another mid-level prospect that the Twins would select from the Yankees farm system. In return, the Yankees would get Santana.

However, there have been complications in the deal. Because the Yankees are not willing to trade another one of their top-tier pitching prospects, Ian Kennedy or fireballer Joba Chamberlain, the Twins and Yankees appear to be at a stalemate. The Twins like the offer of Hughes and Cabrera, but believe they are entitled to another of the Yankees top-pitching prospects, Kennedy or Chamberlain, rather than a second-tier prospect.

Hank Steinbrenner, Yankees owner, stated Sunday that the Twins have until Monday evening to accept or reject its offer from the Yankees. If they do reject the offer, Steinbrenner noted that the Yankees will not pursue Santana any further, possibly allowing their long time rival Boston Red Sox to acquire him in the deal they have set up with the Twins, consisting of centerfielder Jacoby Elsbury, and its top Minor League level pitching prospect Justin Masterson and Minor-league shortstop Jed Lowrie. However, there is a problem in that deal also, as the Twins want to acquire another one of the Red Sox top-tier pitching prospects either Jon Lester, lefthanded starter and winner of Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, or Clay Bucholz, the rookie phenom who managed to toss a no-hitter in only his second Major League start.

The Yankees are in desperate need of a number one starting pitcher, and Santana would provide just that. Last year the Yankees "ace" was Chien Ming-Wang who pitched wonderfully throughout the season while chalking up 19 wins in only his second year in the big leagues. However, his inexperience in the postseason was exposed. He was responsible for two of the Yankees losses in the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians.

Currently, the Yankees starting rotation consists of Wang, Andy Pettite (who revealed today he will pitch for the Yankees in 2008), Mike Mussina, Ian Kennedy and Philip Hughes. Mussina could be the odd man out of the starting otation if the Yankees decide to re-instate Chamberlain as a starting pitcher.

If the Yankees complete a trade with Santana, the Yankees would immediately have a solid 1-2-3 combination for a postseason run. They would also prevent the Boston Red Sox from establishing possibly the greatest starting rotation of all-time.

If the Red Sox acquire Santana their rotation would consist of: Santana, 2007 Cy Young Award Runner-Up Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka (Dice-K), Curt Schilling, and Tim Wakefield. That would probably be the greatest rotation ever assembled in the history of baseball and it's a wonder the Yankees are willing to give up their pursuit of Santana only to prevent him from being Boston bound.

Steinbrenner stated the Yankees want to know about the status of their offer soon because they are also negotiating a deal with the Oakland Athletics that could land their ace, Dan Haren, in the Bronx. The stipulations of the deal have not been revealed however, it is believed that Hughes could be a centerpiece in that deal if the Santana deal doesn't fall through but that is only speculation.

Santana informed the Twins on Monday that if the Twins are going to trade him, they will only have their best opportunity during the offseason because he is not willing to waive his no-trade clause during the middle of the 2008 season. It appears the Twins have their best offers on the table from the Yankees and Red Sox however there is a possibility he could end up pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Los Angeles Angels. It appears trade negotiations with those teams have been restricted due to the staggering offers the Yankees and Red Sox have proposed.

Considering Santana is not willing to waive his no-trade clause in the middle of the season I believe if a deal is not made with the Yankees or Red Sox, the Twins will fail in their efforts to trade Santana before he declares free agency after the 2008 season. I truly believe Santana wants to play for one of these big market teams. I believe deals with either Los Angeles team is a longshot but their always remains possibility.

If a deal is not made for Santana in the offseason, I am sure there will be one of the biggest bidding wars ever in the 2008 offseason. And no those discussions won't involve Alex Rodriguez. Furthermore if a deal for Santana is indeed completed this offseason, the team that acquires him will only have a 72-hour negotiating period to re-sign him. He is likely to receive a contract in upwards of $150 million over seven-years.

A-Rod Goes Full Circle

The Daily News reported that All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez is re-opening talks with the New York Yankees on a surprise deal that would bring him back to the Bronx. According to the report, Rodriguez has been negotiating with Yankee officials alone, without the help of his agent Scott Boras. However, it appears the Yankees are not willing to discuss a contract with Rodriguez if Boras is present. A club source told the Daily News, "We will not negotiate with Scott Boras. He cannot be in the room."

A report published on Yankees.com Wednesday evening revealed that the Yankees and Rodriguez are close to agreeing on a multi-year $290 million dollar contract. The Yankees also denied a report published earlier in the day regarding their unwillingness to negotiate with Boras present.

Rodriguez contacted Hank and Hal Steinbrenner through a third person party and plans to visit them in Tampa, FL before a deal would be settled. The Yankees do acknowledge that Rodriguez could be luring them into conversations only to drive his price up in the open market as a free agent. However, a Yankee official told the Daily News that it doesn't appear to be the case.

Rodriguez released a statement on his website AROD.com stating,

"Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family. During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days." , said Rodriguez.

According to Rodriguez he approached the Steinbrenner family through a third-party intermediary. The contact apparently has strong ties with both Rodriguez and the Yankee organization.

After a stellar 2007 season, Rodriguez is likely to be named the American League Most Valuable Player next Monday. He led the Major League in home runs (54), RBI's (156) and runs scored (143), in 2007. He also batted .318 with 24 stolen bases. He is the most highly touted free agent this offseason and the youngest player to ever hit 500 HR.

On Tuesday the Yankees re-signed All-Star catched Jorge Posada to a 4-year deal worth an estimated $52.5 million. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera remains unsigned but was offered a 3-year deal worth $45 million, which would consequently make him the highest paid closer in the game by $4 million. Rivera has not informed the Yankees if he will accept the offer.

THE GARDEN IS BACK!

(Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, the Big Three enjoying themselves during Game 1)

The NBA season got underway last week and I happened to be in attendance for the Boston Celtics home opener against the Washington Wizards. The Celtics entered the game facing high expectations after acquiring superstars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the off-season. Their acquisitions, along with Celtics veteran Paul Pierce have propelled the team in to contention for the Eastern Conference Championship, as well as a possible run for the NBA Championship.

It was a sellout crowd of 18,624 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA. I hadn’t seen that many people attend a Celtics game in very long time. Before the tip-off the Celtics revealed they had dedicated their court to Hall of Fame Boston Celtic Coach Red Auerbach, who passed away last season. It was an honor to witness such an event.

Throughout the game the crowd became involved in harassing Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas. The chants of, “GIL-BERRRRT!” were deafening. It was a very surreal atmosphere at the game.

The Celtics went on to win the game 103-83. Garnett finished the game with 22 points and 20 rebounds earning him honor as the player of the night. He made a huge impression on Celtics fans. He further pleased the crowd by blocking Gilbert Arenas on an attempt to drive to the basket in the 3rd quarter. While following through with the block, he slammed Arenas down to the court, inciting the crowd to go wild.

Following the game Paul Pierce said he only wished Red could have been there to witness the game. He also noted that he feels he is in a better place in his career and that he wishes to finish his career with the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics may well be on the verge of returning to glory with their current setup of Allen, Garnett and Pierce. The energy surrounding the team is positive and full of charisma, hope and dreams of obtaining an NBA Title.

They won their second game Sunday in a very close battle against the Toronto Raptors. Allen scored a team high 33 points while Kevin Garnett earned his second double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Garnett and Raptors forward Chris Bosh were battling throughout the game for rebounds. It was a great game the Celtics managed to win in overtime 98-95.

The Celtics host the Denver Nuggets tonight at 7:30pm on Comcast Sports Network. It figures to be a great match-up with Denver Nuggets stars Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson coming to Boston to face Garnett, Allen and Pierce (“The Big Three”). Also tonight will feature the return of University of Massachusetts alum Marcus Camby.

The return to glory for the Boston Celtics is officially underway.

The A-Rod Situation

(Go on take the money and Run A-Rod.)

So I realize I haven't made a new posting since last Friday. College has kept me very busy over the past week and a half and now that I have some downtime we can discuss some issues...


Apparently, Alex Rodriguez and his ego-building agent Scott Boras believe they are bigger than the game of baseball. In the bottom of the 6th inning during the World Series, Fox Sports Analyst Ken Rosenthal reported that A-Rod would elect to opt out of his contract with the New York Yankees and essentially making him a free agent. A news break that sent a shock wave through baseball fans nationwide.



Yankees GM Brian Cashman has said repeatedly throughout the season that if A-Rod chose to opt out of the remaining three-years of his contract and become a free agent, the Yankees organization would not pursue him on the open market.

As a Yankee fan this really got to me, considering I have sympathized with A-Rod since he became a Yankee. I was at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day 2004 and was so excited that I purchased a Rodriguez jersey. I had high hopes for the superstar short-stop turned third-baseman.

Through his ups and downs as a Yankee I always stood up for him. A-Rod criticisms ranged from his "inability" to produce in the postseason to his sometimes shoddy defense and the fact that after winning the AL MVP trophy in 2005, he finished the 2006 season with 35 HR, 121 RBI and a .290 batting average. Which to me are VERY good numbers, I will take those numbers from any third baseman for a full season of work.

There are a number of reasons why I used to stand up for A-Rod, but not quite anymore. Let's face it the Yankees haven't had a legitimate pitching staff since 2001 with the combination of Mike Mussina, Andy Pettite, Roger Clemens, Orlando Hernandez and Ted Lilly. As we all know pitching wins championships, you cannot slug your way through the postseason like A-Rod tried to do the past three seasons because the pitching staff was lousy. In trying to slug through the postseason A-Rod ended up swinging at bad pitches and hurting his team.

So there he goes, the richest man in baseball just got richer. It makes me wonder why he would want to make more money which will only make him more vulnerable to criticism. Considering the fact that people already despise of him because he hasn't won a World Series despite being the highest paid player in the Major Leagues.

What A-Rod did was a slap in the face to the game of baseball. The World Series is the most coveted event in baseball and he has to make a news break in the middle of the game proclaiming that he will be turning his back on the Yankee Faithful like Joe Torre and Rudi Guiliani have in the past week?

That is ridiculous, he had until 10 days after the World Series to declare himself a free agent why did he have to do it in the middle of the World Series? He gave the Yankees no time to find a new manager, although they did yesterday in the form of Joe Girardi whom I believe is an excellent choice, nor did he give them anytime to discuss a possible contract extension with him.



I hope wherever A-Rod ends up he is practicing his golf swing every October in hopes of someday winning a championship in the PGA Senior Open because he will not bring any team a World Series. I used to idolize the man, now I believe he is nothing but a money hungry, conniving and ambitious monster, who can play baseball but never win a championship because of his selfish ways.

Shame on you Alex. Now I know why even your own fans booed you.





As for the hiring of Joe Girardi as the new Yankee manager, I believe it is a great decision. He brings a whole different type of hands-on teaching that Joe Torre used to do, but has cut-back on in recent years. I believe he was the better candidate over Don Mattingly because he has previous managerial experience, you can't deny the fact that he won NL Manager of the Year in 2006 with the Florida Marlins.

Hopefully he's a reincarnation of former Yankee manager Billy Martin. Girardi is charasmatic much like Martin was, he is a former Yankee, like Martin, and because of the fact he played with Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada, I believe there is a strong possibility that they might resign to play for their former teammate, whom they enjoyed winning three World Series rings with.

It's a Great Day in Boston, Not so Great in the NBA

Yesterday was a huge day for sports, especially in Boston…


After a Game 1 romping of the Colorado Rockies, the Boston Red Sox won Game 2 of the World Series 2-1 in a very close game, and are now up 2-0. The Red Sox pitching staff followed up Josh Beckett’s gem with a brilliant performance of their own, thanks to modest efforts by Curt Schilling, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.


A notable performance was given by Rockies rookie pitcher Udalo Jimenez, although he only went 4 2/3 innings. He had remarkable control in the beginning of the game, however the fire-baller lost control in the 5th inning and was removed from the game after allowing an RBI double to Mike Lowell.


No. 2 ranked Boston College won despite being down 10-0 at halftime to No. 8 ranked Virginia Tech. Boston College QB Matt Ryan completed a 24-yard touchdown pass with :11 seconds left in regulation to secure a 14-10 victory.


Ryan had a remarkable performance, although he allowed 2 interceptions. The Heisman Trophy candidate finished the game passing for 285 yards, and 2 touchdowns. By leading his team to victory despite the 10-0 halftime deficit, he made a strong claim for the Heisman, which is awarded to college football’s most valuable player.


A shocking development is also under way regarding NBA Commissioner David Stern. He announced yesterday that due to the fact that every single referee in the NBA is linked to some form of gambling, he will seek no punishment of them. Furthermore, he announced he is drafting new gambling rules and those very same referees will be now allowed to gamble in a number of ways.

An internal investigation of NBA referee’s revealed that all 56 of the league’s referees have violated the league policy regarding gambling. That policy also bans any form of legal gambling, including lottery tickets, poker games (for money), and casino gambling.

I personally believe they should alter the league policy to allow for referees to partake in state lottery. Casino gambling should not be allowed because the integrity of the games they officiate will be in jeopardy. Considering the fact that anybody can place a bet in Las Vegas on a sporting event via the internet, these referees should not be allowed to partake in casino gambling.

RUDI THE RED COAT

I just so happened to wake up this morning and visit the website for the New York Post. As the website loaded, I saw one of the most astonishing images in my life.

Former New York City Mayor and current Republican Presidential candidate, Rudi Giuliani, announced that he is backing the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

My jaw dropped upon reading this.

How could this former New York City Mayor be sporting the logo of the biggest rival to his "beloved" New York Yankees? This is the man that has a designated seat at Yankee Stadium waiting for him on the side of the home dugout, whenever he wants to attend a game. He is also the man that led NYC through its darkest days after 9/11. And when the Yankees are down in the 9th inning who appears on the scoreboard in center field screaming "Let's Go Yankees!"?

That's right Rudi Giuliani does.

Now he is just another wagon jumper, trying riding the hottest ticket to the White House. After all every politician does it. He's just trying to get people to vote for him, but personally I think he is going to lose a lot of votes due to this. He is becoming reminiscent of John Kerry in his bid for the White House in 2004. (Does the term "flip-flopper" occur to anyone?)

At first I wasn't sure what to think about the situation. But as a die hard New York Yankees fan, I couldn't let Rudi get away with this one, I needed to rip into him a little bit and give him a peace of mind. Especially because Joe Torre has already abandoned ship and with the futures of such All-Stars as, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Alex Rodriguez, in doubt, due to free agency.

I hope Rudi loses his personal seat at Yankee Stadium and they never, EVER put him on the big screen in center field again. The man is a fraud and a disgrace to the Yankee Empire!

If you're voting Republican this upcoming election, Vote Duncan Hunter for President in 2008!

Poor Tom Brady: How Could We Do You This Injustice?

Tom Brady, the All-American hero for the New England Patriots, threw 6 touchdowns for a career high, leading the Pats to 49-28 rout of the Miami Dolphins. Brady was unfortunately overshadowed in two aspects. Tennessee Titans place kicker Rob Bironas hit his 8th field goal to seal a 38-36 victory for the Titans over the visiting Houston Texans. He became the first kicker to ever hit 8 FG's in a game and set a record for points in a game by a kicker with 26.

On the other hand is the obvious, those Boston Red Sox. They completed a magnificent comeback down 3-1 in the ALCS against the Cleveland Indians to win the American League Pennant and advance to the World Series. Struggling through the first four games the Red Sox were reawakened in Game 5 thanks to a stellar performance by flamethrower Josh Beckett Friday night.

The big question at hand was, how would 40 year old Curt Schilling answer the call in Game 6? He pitched extraordinarily well, going 7 innings allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits, no walks and scattering 5 strikeouts in a 12-2 rout of the Cleveland Indians. However we must not forget J.D. Drew's 1st inning grand slam off Cleveland pitcher Fausto Carmona in that game. Drew definitely regained his trust in Red Sox Nation especially with a particular friend of mine. (Can't call him Nancy Drew anymore)

Then came the pivotal Game 7 or as I like to refer to it as, The Night the Rookie Took Over. A night where Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were somehow stymied by Indians junk-baller Jake Westbrook. (They were a combined 1 for 8 in the game, Manny collected an RBI single) It was rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia who sealed the victory with a 2 run home run in the bottom of the 7th inning giving the Red Sox a 5-2 lead. He further contributed with a bases loaded double that cleared the bases in the 8th propelling the Red Sox to an 11-2 victory and giving them the AL Pennant.

So what more does Tom Brady have to do? If you ask me Tom just keep winning! Baseball is almost over. You'll get your curtain call buddy.