Monday Morning Mehta 8/15/05
Edition # 128
August 15, 2005
www.mondaymorningmehta.blogspot.com
Sorry for the late send off but the PGA Championship takes precedence...
NEXT MMM: August 29th - AFC PREVIEW!
Phils/MLB
Phillies come off a great 5-1 west coast trip to pull within a half a game of the Houston Astros for the Wildcard race.
Positives:
- Vicente Padilla and Robinson Tejeda. Padilla has gone 7 innings or more in his last 3 starts and has has 7 straight quality starts (6 IP w/ less than 3 ER). Tejeda has only given up 6 ER in his last 5 starts, and is now looking like he can pitch past the 5th or 6th inning.
- Great road trips by Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell. Abreu hit .333 with an OB% of .481, 1 HR, 3 RBI's, and 7 runs scored. Burrell hit .364 with 2 HR's and 10 RBI's. Abreu got on and Burrell knocked him in alot on this trip.
- Ryan Howard has been awesome at times. Howard's grand slam off a struggling Dodgers ex-closer Yhencey Brazobran was the highlight of the week. Still, 50 K's in 158 AB's is going to hurt him in the long run.
Negatives:
I am still skeptical even though the Phillies are only one half games out of first for the following reasons:
- They just beat up on a couple of bad teams and for some reason, the Phils just pound the West (19-6). The Phils are still 20-26 against the teams in their own division, who they will play alot in September.
- I just don't believe in this starting rotation. There is no guy who can be trusted for 8 innings and 1 or 2 runs in 3 or 4 straight starts. We do have 6 inning and 3 run guys though which will keep up contending.
- (Insert broken record) Inconsistency at the top of the lineup. You won't score runs at a consistent enough pace with the Phils leadoff hitter. Notice how Chase Utley's RBI production has taken a nose dive since being put into the # 3 hole? It's a lot easier to drive in runs with Abreu (.409 OB%) and Burrell (.385 OB%) in front of you than it is when you have the top of the Phils order.
- This is something I've been thinking about lately, the Phillies have no identity. They're not a great hitting team, they're not a great pitching team, what are they? The Braves have an identity (pitching & being able to plug guys in anywhere). The Cards have an identity (hitting, Pujols, and consistent pitching). The Astros have an identity (Pettitte, Oswalt, Clemens, Lidge). The Phils just aren't that good.
Overall, I still think this team will stay in the race, just like 2003 until the end and I still see them falling short.
Around the League
- There's one player who is going completely gone berserk. 21 year old Jeff Francoeur of the Atlanta Braves is absolutely insane right now. The guy swings at everything and is hitting the ball like a maniac. In 102 AB's for the Braves, he's hitting .382 with 9 HR's and 26 RBI's. What makes it more amazing is that he has not walked one single time. Not once! Want more? He's got 8 outfield assists in 24 games which puts him only 2 behind the league leaders. I'm sure pitchers will catch up to him soon, but this is ridiculous.
- In the AL, it looks as if we're going to have 4 teams battling for 3 spots. The Red Sox and Yankees will battle it out for the AL East, while the Angels and A's battle it out once again for the AL West. One of those teams will be on the outside looking in though.
- The Houston Astros missed a gold opportunity this week as they only went 3-3 vs. some weak teams, including losing 2 out of 3 at home to the Pirates. The offense is still an issue in Houston.
Eagles
I'm really trying hard not to get too involved in the whole Terrell Owens fiasco but it's really hard not to. Even I don't even want to venture a guess as to how this is going to end up. I do wonder what will happen though if Owens steps onto the field as an Eagle and performs like he did early in the season last year. If he catches 6 or 7 TD's in the first 4 weeks, the fans will immediately jump back onto his side (how about a game winning TD on MNF to start the season?).
I just want the games to start so we can stop hearing about this over and over again (yes, I'm in denial that this won't be an issue all season long).
PGA Championship
Phil Mickleson wins his second major of the year on a birdie on the 18th hole, just minutes ago. I was not impressed at all with the way Mickleson played on Saturday or Sunday (+4 in the final 2 rounds). He continues to play well when Tiger isn't in contention (Thursday and Friday) and not play well when Tiger is in contention (Saturday and Sunday). Still, this is his second career major and he deserves credit for that. He's going to have to beat Tiger when they're playing head to head for me to be a believer, Phil's got way too much choking in him for me.
I went to the PGA on Friday and here are some observations:
- I've been to a Super Bowl (2002 - Patriots victory over Rams - Adam Vinateri's kick), been to an NBA Finals game (2003 - Nets vs. Lakers), and have been to a World Series (2003 Yankees vs. Marlins). This was the at least on par with those events, and I think because of the length of the event and the closeness you are to the action, it may even be better.
- Sergio Garcia kills the ball. His drives have another gear to them.
- I was shocked at how high Vijay Singh, John Daly, Fred Couples, etc tee up the ball.
- I stink at golf.
- Tiger Woods was 3 shots away from winning the grand slam.
- Adam Scott wins a major in the next 5 years.
- Paul Azinger has an awesome short game.
- John Daly drives are funny to watch. He's consistently 25 yards further than even the long hitters.
NHL Week in Review By: Ed Wasser
- I wasn't even going to write the article this week because nothing was really jumping out at me. Some weeks are like that. Then I read that the Panthers signed ex-Flyers stiff Chris Gratton. Huh? I knew he was very high on the Rangers hit list and now he's on the Panthers. How'd that happen? Salary cap or no salary cap how do the Rangers get out bid by the Panthers for a player? Then I heard Al Morganti on Comcast say "when is Glen Sather going to get off the golf course and do some work?" So I looked at the Rangers roster. It's a mess. And the window for buying out contracts has closed so now they're stuck with guys like Darius Kasparaitus (33 years old), Martin Rucinsky (34 years old), and what's going on with Bobby Holik and Mark Messier? I know some people get fed up with me always writing about the Rangers and to that I say, you've read this far so you might as well finish, but now the Rangers beyond sad. I'm starting to cross over from hating the Rangers to just thinking they're just incredibly inept and pathetic. And between the Rangers and Knicks how is Cablevision chairman James Dolan able to walk the streets of New York City without fear of being beat up?
- The Leafs signed Eric Lindros to a one year, incentive laddened contract worth $1.5 million. Or roughly the same money Flyers goon Donald Brashear makes. Of course one of those monetary incentives is for games played so you can expect Lindros to play like he has a dozen eggs in his uniform like he did three years ago for the Rangers. And don't think the press in Toronto won't take notice and tear him to shreds. This is gonna be good.
- I can not believe it but word on the street is that Flyers season tickets and multiple game packages are selling like hot cakes. And word is that tickets are selling great league wide. What can I say...I'm stunned. I thought the league would suffer a public relations hit like baseball did in 1995 but it appears like it's not, at least in terms of ticket sales. But of course the NHL is doing their best to screw it up. Looks like they are about to sign the deal with Comcast. Or more specifically The Outdoor Life network. Remember when the NHL signed a deal with Sports Channel long about 1985? Allright, I know you don't remember. They were on a network with only half the amount of households as ESPN just so they could get a few extra dollars. Nationally broadcast NHL games were almost nonexistent. I thought Comcast was going to create an NHL Network with this deal, that's why I thought it would be a nice deal for the NHL. It doesn't look like that's going to happen. So hockey will be shown nationwide on a network that mainly shows fly fishing and cycling.
- I've never seen a guy have a tour de force performance in a press conference like Donavan McNabb did last week. Obviously the focus was on Terrell Owens. McNabb took the high road about Owens but he was stern when it came to Owens bringing McNabb's family into this whole mess and was did a fantastic job blowing off Owens' "hypocrite" remark. I gained a whole new respect for McNabb.
- And speaking of Terrell Owens if you want to sock it to him in style go to www.foryouto.com and pick up an F.U.T.O. t-shirt.
Comments?
saurinmeht@aol.com
ewwasser@hotmail.com
August 15, 2005
www.mondaymorningmehta.blogspot.com
Sorry for the late send off but the PGA Championship takes precedence...
NEXT MMM: August 29th - AFC PREVIEW!
Phils/MLB
Phillies come off a great 5-1 west coast trip to pull within a half a game of the Houston Astros for the Wildcard race.
Positives:
- Vicente Padilla and Robinson Tejeda. Padilla has gone 7 innings or more in his last 3 starts and has has 7 straight quality starts (6 IP w/ less than 3 ER). Tejeda has only given up 6 ER in his last 5 starts, and is now looking like he can pitch past the 5th or 6th inning.
- Great road trips by Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell. Abreu hit .333 with an OB% of .481, 1 HR, 3 RBI's, and 7 runs scored. Burrell hit .364 with 2 HR's and 10 RBI's. Abreu got on and Burrell knocked him in alot on this trip.
- Ryan Howard has been awesome at times. Howard's grand slam off a struggling Dodgers ex-closer Yhencey Brazobran was the highlight of the week. Still, 50 K's in 158 AB's is going to hurt him in the long run.
Negatives:
I am still skeptical even though the Phillies are only one half games out of first for the following reasons:
- They just beat up on a couple of bad teams and for some reason, the Phils just pound the West (19-6). The Phils are still 20-26 against the teams in their own division, who they will play alot in September.
- I just don't believe in this starting rotation. There is no guy who can be trusted for 8 innings and 1 or 2 runs in 3 or 4 straight starts. We do have 6 inning and 3 run guys though which will keep up contending.
- (Insert broken record) Inconsistency at the top of the lineup. You won't score runs at a consistent enough pace with the Phils leadoff hitter. Notice how Chase Utley's RBI production has taken a nose dive since being put into the # 3 hole? It's a lot easier to drive in runs with Abreu (.409 OB%) and Burrell (.385 OB%) in front of you than it is when you have the top of the Phils order.
- This is something I've been thinking about lately, the Phillies have no identity. They're not a great hitting team, they're not a great pitching team, what are they? The Braves have an identity (pitching & being able to plug guys in anywhere). The Cards have an identity (hitting, Pujols, and consistent pitching). The Astros have an identity (Pettitte, Oswalt, Clemens, Lidge). The Phils just aren't that good.
Overall, I still think this team will stay in the race, just like 2003 until the end and I still see them falling short.
Around the League
- There's one player who is going completely gone berserk. 21 year old Jeff Francoeur of the Atlanta Braves is absolutely insane right now. The guy swings at everything and is hitting the ball like a maniac. In 102 AB's for the Braves, he's hitting .382 with 9 HR's and 26 RBI's. What makes it more amazing is that he has not walked one single time. Not once! Want more? He's got 8 outfield assists in 24 games which puts him only 2 behind the league leaders. I'm sure pitchers will catch up to him soon, but this is ridiculous.
- In the AL, it looks as if we're going to have 4 teams battling for 3 spots. The Red Sox and Yankees will battle it out for the AL East, while the Angels and A's battle it out once again for the AL West. One of those teams will be on the outside looking in though.
- The Houston Astros missed a gold opportunity this week as they only went 3-3 vs. some weak teams, including losing 2 out of 3 at home to the Pirates. The offense is still an issue in Houston.
Eagles
I'm really trying hard not to get too involved in the whole Terrell Owens fiasco but it's really hard not to. Even I don't even want to venture a guess as to how this is going to end up. I do wonder what will happen though if Owens steps onto the field as an Eagle and performs like he did early in the season last year. If he catches 6 or 7 TD's in the first 4 weeks, the fans will immediately jump back onto his side (how about a game winning TD on MNF to start the season?).
I just want the games to start so we can stop hearing about this over and over again (yes, I'm in denial that this won't be an issue all season long).
PGA Championship
Phil Mickleson wins his second major of the year on a birdie on the 18th hole, just minutes ago. I was not impressed at all with the way Mickleson played on Saturday or Sunday (+4 in the final 2 rounds). He continues to play well when Tiger isn't in contention (Thursday and Friday) and not play well when Tiger is in contention (Saturday and Sunday). Still, this is his second career major and he deserves credit for that. He's going to have to beat Tiger when they're playing head to head for me to be a believer, Phil's got way too much choking in him for me.
I went to the PGA on Friday and here are some observations:
- I've been to a Super Bowl (2002 - Patriots victory over Rams - Adam Vinateri's kick), been to an NBA Finals game (2003 - Nets vs. Lakers), and have been to a World Series (2003 Yankees vs. Marlins). This was the at least on par with those events, and I think because of the length of the event and the closeness you are to the action, it may even be better.
- Sergio Garcia kills the ball. His drives have another gear to them.
- I was shocked at how high Vijay Singh, John Daly, Fred Couples, etc tee up the ball.
- I stink at golf.
- Tiger Woods was 3 shots away from winning the grand slam.
- Adam Scott wins a major in the next 5 years.
- Paul Azinger has an awesome short game.
- John Daly drives are funny to watch. He's consistently 25 yards further than even the long hitters.
NHL Week in Review By: Ed Wasser
- I wasn't even going to write the article this week because nothing was really jumping out at me. Some weeks are like that. Then I read that the Panthers signed ex-Flyers stiff Chris Gratton. Huh? I knew he was very high on the Rangers hit list and now he's on the Panthers. How'd that happen? Salary cap or no salary cap how do the Rangers get out bid by the Panthers for a player? Then I heard Al Morganti on Comcast say "when is Glen Sather going to get off the golf course and do some work?" So I looked at the Rangers roster. It's a mess. And the window for buying out contracts has closed so now they're stuck with guys like Darius Kasparaitus (33 years old), Martin Rucinsky (34 years old), and what's going on with Bobby Holik and Mark Messier? I know some people get fed up with me always writing about the Rangers and to that I say, you've read this far so you might as well finish, but now the Rangers beyond sad. I'm starting to cross over from hating the Rangers to just thinking they're just incredibly inept and pathetic. And between the Rangers and Knicks how is Cablevision chairman James Dolan able to walk the streets of New York City without fear of being beat up?
- The Leafs signed Eric Lindros to a one year, incentive laddened contract worth $1.5 million. Or roughly the same money Flyers goon Donald Brashear makes. Of course one of those monetary incentives is for games played so you can expect Lindros to play like he has a dozen eggs in his uniform like he did three years ago for the Rangers. And don't think the press in Toronto won't take notice and tear him to shreds. This is gonna be good.
- I can not believe it but word on the street is that Flyers season tickets and multiple game packages are selling like hot cakes. And word is that tickets are selling great league wide. What can I say...I'm stunned. I thought the league would suffer a public relations hit like baseball did in 1995 but it appears like it's not, at least in terms of ticket sales. But of course the NHL is doing their best to screw it up. Looks like they are about to sign the deal with Comcast. Or more specifically The Outdoor Life network. Remember when the NHL signed a deal with Sports Channel long about 1985? Allright, I know you don't remember. They were on a network with only half the amount of households as ESPN just so they could get a few extra dollars. Nationally broadcast NHL games were almost nonexistent. I thought Comcast was going to create an NHL Network with this deal, that's why I thought it would be a nice deal for the NHL. It doesn't look like that's going to happen. So hockey will be shown nationwide on a network that mainly shows fly fishing and cycling.
- I've never seen a guy have a tour de force performance in a press conference like Donavan McNabb did last week. Obviously the focus was on Terrell Owens. McNabb took the high road about Owens but he was stern when it came to Owens bringing McNabb's family into this whole mess and was did a fantastic job blowing off Owens' "hypocrite" remark. I gained a whole new respect for McNabb.
- And speaking of Terrell Owens if you want to sock it to him in style go to www.foryouto.com and pick up an F.U.T.O. t-shirt.
Comments?
saurinmeht@aol.com
ewwasser@hotmail.com
posted by Monday Morning Mehta at 11:28 AM
2 Comments:
When I first read this comment my first reaction was that it was Saurin playing a joke. But I'm thinking it's real so I'll bite.
1.) 100% NOT TRUE about the secret waiver. Banner defied TO to produce it. Still waiting.
2.)And if TO had a career ending injury he could have been released but guess what...Gene Upshaw told him that it was a bad contract from the start but he signed it anyway. And it was his union that has this ridiculous CBA with the non-guaranteed contract. Ohhh...by the way, TO's signing bonus was $10 million and he would have gotten the rest of that because it's guaranteed. That's not quite ZERO dollars.
3.) The stuff about TO getting a call from Donavan's brother didn't occur over 2 days, it was one. The 'keep my family out of your mouth' stuff happened at the press conference, not the day before. McNabb said he didn't know that his brother called TO and I believe him. Guess what, it was a good idea. All McNabb said, correctly I might add, is that he and is his family have nothing to do with his bad contract so leave us out of it.
In closing, I haven't heard one person, NOT ONE that is even close to thinking the same way you do about Donovan, TO, and the press conference. And it's not 100% fact. It's like 50% at best.
Ed Wasser
That wasn't a spammer, I wrote that. I'm really into trees. It's going to be the new focus of MMM.
E.W.
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