BIG PHIL

Sorry everyone... I have been distracted by life and have not been going a good job of Ranting about things Lately.  I will correct that.  Much has happened in the past few weeks and I would Like to take the time to recognize "One of the Greatest Men" I have ever known...

Philip Molinari was a simple man. He loved many things in life. Baseball, Sanatra, Nightlife, The Sea, his Country and most important His Family.  Serving the country in the Navy during WWII he accumulated many stories and had many adventures.  When he returned home, he lived as large as he could, always finding a way to get in and out of trouble but continuing to have adventures throughout.  One day he met, fell in love and married a woman he would occasionally refer to as his better half, Lena (Pat).  Together they had 5 children and those 5 children had 4 grandchildren... one of them being me. 

My grandfather always seemed bigger then life to me.  He taught me how to play cards, how to cheat at cards, how to play poker, how to cheat at poker, how to be responsible, how to embrace your nationality (Italian) but love and respect this country and how to go through everyday life without letting people take advantage of you but how to be understanding at the same time.  From the Navy stories he told about how him and his friends drunkenly shot a cat in a bush accidentally on night because they thought it was the Japanese coming to get them, to how he was arrested for selling fireworks one fourth of July but got off even though there was a pack of fireworks in his shit pocket the cops never found, my grandfather was never a dull man and never short of a story (and always told a good story to boot).

My grandfather had diabetes and lost a leg 7 years ago putting him in a hospice full time.  While in there he lost the other leg and was attached by the disease know as "Deamentia".  On 5/27/12, after a long battle, he finally decided it was time to rest for good.  I know a lo of people lose the people the love, and it was hard losing him, but I think watching him not be able to have any more "adventures" the last 7 years was worse.  He's finally at peace now, having more adventures upstairs, makin new stories to tell me when I see him again.  I just want to say I love you Grandpa "Big Phil". and try not to piss anyone off up there please #justsayin

NOhan!!! It finally happened

If you are a true fan of the game of baseball in New York, last night was awesome. Not like when the Rangers were playing and weaver threw one but Johan did what many before have failed at repeatedly. The best part is it couldn't have been written better.

A guy coming off major shoulder surgery. A guy that they were talking about trading because the didn't know if they could afford him. A guy that goes out there and gives you everything every time he pitches. A guy that couldn't deserve it more.

As a Yankee fan I'll tell you, I wanted Johan the. And I wished they would have traded Burnett for Johan at the beginning of this season. The guy is a bulldog. Never gives up and will figure out how to get you out weather he's throwing 95 or 75.

I have to admit, I kind of believed it might never happen. So many Ex-Mets have done it, it was starting to get comical. But it happened and it was awesome.

Now if your sitting there saying "how can a Yankee fan be so happy for the Mets" then your not a fan of the sport an your an ignorant ass. No hitters are special and especially for a team that has never done it. Never ha one in 8020 games played. As Americans we are almost programed to route for the underdogs. An this is a true underdog story.

Finally I need to say, there is something to this team. It's a team that doesn't know they aren't supposed to be this good. It's a team that doesn't know they were picked last by everyone in the world to finish in this division. The entire season for the Mets can be summed up by one catch. A Native Queens kid, Mike Baxtor, diving to save the no hitter, hurting himself and sacrificing himself for the good of the team and the cause sums it all up. Congrats Johan. Well deserved

SAY IT AINT MO!!!!

As a life long Yankee fan and someone that views baseball as his "A, Number 1 Sport", I want to say how sickening this is.  The games all time best reliever/Closer shouldn't go out like this. A smart Friend posted something today and I will back him.  MO, I hope you come back.  WE know you have the will to come back.  But come back if you want to.  You don't owe the Yankees or us as fans anything.  You have been a professional, smart and one of the most durable players we have ever had. If you feel the need to have it end different, then please do. Mo said when he signed his last contract "GOD WILL TELL ME WHEN IT"S TIME TO STOP PLAYING BASEBALL", well I wish he could have waited until the off season to let Mo know it was time to hang it up because I would have loved to see him go out the way he should... making the last out in the World Series, just like he has done 5 times before. 

Now it starts already.  Panic, disarray and an all out scramble to decide who the new closer is.  Obvious choice is Robertson. The air-apparent to the role has not given up a run all year and is showing no signs of slowing down.  When asked about it thought, D-Rob said "I don't know if I'm ready to be the closer yet."  Now, I know he's still in shock that this happened (we all area) and wasn't expecting to mentally prepare for this role until the off season (even Mo had that), but D-Rob you need to man up.  We need you.  Now more then ever.  Please find that something that the great closers have deep down.  Something that they turn on when the game is on the line that makes then hear and know nothing except it is time to get that save.

I heard the debate about putting Soriano in the closer role and it's not a bad one. Reason are:

• He stinks as a 7thin inning guy and stunk as a 8th inning guy (hence why Robertson got the opportunity in the first place)
• His best role was when he was a closer even if it was in front of 10,000 fans a night and not 50,000
• Your paying him 11.5 million a year for this and next year
• It gives Robertson the Mental time he needs to prepare for the Role
• If he fails, so what, he goes back to the 8th or 7th inning, if Robertson Fails, then what? We're Really Screwed

It's hard for me to say that it shouldn't be D-Rob but I see the argument for Soriano too.  Especially if life for the Yankees play out as so:

• Hugh's Can't find any consistency as a starter and we need to put him back in the bullpen.  Now he is the 7th inning guy
• Joba and his freakish recovery ability comes back and is ready to help out in the bullpen as well
• Soriano can now be Moved for some Starting Pitching or a Position player later in the season with a Chamberlin,Hughs,Robertson final 3 giving Robertson enough time to mentally grasp the fact he is the man and has to be the man.

Who knows. Jeremy Lin tore his ACL and was out 4 months... Shumpert tore it and is out 6 to 8 months... No one has said how long Derek Rose is going to be out with his and Terrel Suggs is out most of if not all of the next season with the same injury.... You just don't know.  What I do know is the Advantage the Yankees have had for almost 20 years over every team in baseball is now gone.  No one was Mo and no one will be Mo. 

You watch Legends Pitch and Play and sometime don't realize or appreciate it until it is gone.  Thanks for everything Mo.  Hope you have a speedy recovery and I hope to see you pitching in Pinstripes again... But if not that's OK too..   GOTTA GO TO MO!

Screw You Girardi!!!

This always happens. Stop over managing you dick!!!! Watching the Yankee game and he takes Hughs out because he's at 100 pitches. Then they give up 6 runs. Let the guy get out of the inning. There were 2 outs!!!

News flash asshole. Your not playing anyone so stop trying to lose games for us. Your job isn't hard. You have the best closer and set up man in the game and one of the best line ups. Stop messing this up!!!

Sorry impromptu rant cause I'm watching the game. (currently 6-1 Baltimore over Yanks)

Baseball Time!

Alright, I know, I know I have been devoting my time to a lot of hockey stuff (no one cares about hockey Ant) so in a reverse the bulk of the Blog to day will be everything baseball. so here we go!

I'll start with the Al East: (cause that's where it's at).  Where does Baltimore get off playing so well  14-9? and 4 of the 9 are at the hands of the Yanks!  2 words Buck Showalter!  This man is a crazy good Coach.  I have a lot of respect for what he did for the Yanks (then left so Torre can win the Series the next year) and Arizona (then left so someone else can win the series there).  Hope one day he can get his Ring.... just won't happen in the AL east. Sorry Buck.  Heard today the Longoria is out 6 to 8 weeks... that's gonna hurt the Rays a lot but they did sign GODZILLA... imagine Matsui at Yankee Stadium in the playoffs, NOT GOOD FOR YANKEE FANS.  The Yanks went form having too much pitching to not enough... go figure.. lets see what this kid Phelps can do as a started and not a reliever(total Different Mindset). Toronto is Toronto (4th best in a great division) and the Sox are an embarrassment.  Couldn't happen to a nicer organization and fan base.  The players need to stop calling out the manager saying "this is not how things are done here.. he's learn soon enough"  HELLO the way things were done there got the last manager fired so shut up and Listen to him.

AL Central: This was supposed to be the easiest division to discuss but it's off to a little different start. The Royals and Twins were supposed to suck (which they do) the Sox were supposed to be mediocre (which they are) and the Indians were supposed to be a good but not great (looks like status quo). The Tigers were supposed to walk away with this one hands down and and struggling. Do i think they will snap out of it, yeah, but for now, NOT SO MUCH.  Time will tell if they can put it together but for now the
"GOOD" INDIANS > "OK" TIGERS

AL West:  This one is weird.  I expect a slug fest between 2 unbelievable teams The Angels are stacked. The Rangers are stacked and have gone to the World Series 2 years in a row... Seattle and Oakland are not supposed to relevant (which they are not) but the ANGELS STINK RIGHT NOW.  Albert cant hit a home run, the pitching stinks,  and no one is playing as a team.  The longest tenured manager in baseball is getting his job threatened and there already 9 games out of first (cause Texas is still that damn good).  Wow. I guess someone had to make the Detroit Situation look not that bad but this has to be the biggest surprise of the year so far at a 8-15 start.

NL East: Let me start this off by saying i am not a Met Fan I am a Yankee Fan, but I am one of those weird Yankee Fans that doesn't hate the Mets and cheers for them when they are not playing the Yanks. In saying that, I will say this about the Met season so far... HOW YOU LIKE THEM NOW!  Wow have the Mets shut a lot of people up so far!  Not that they are playing out of their mind, but everyone picked them to be dead last this year (and maybe rightfully so) without a shot.  25 games in and "they don't look so shitty."  Philly's fall from grace is super surprising and the Marlins are getting a taste of what happens to a team when you make a "ALL LATIN" locker room (see mets season form 2005 to 2010 for reference)... and yes i am saying it is one big Cuban loving "Fiesta"!  The Braves are doing a little better then expected but the Nationals are nasty... 4 out of 5 starting pitchers have an ERA under 2.00 and the one that doesn't has the most wins.  This should be fun. I hope them Mets can keep this up because with as much home grown talent they have they are fun to watch and easy to route for.... btw remember when everyone wanted to chase Omar Maniya out of town for not knowing what he was doing, this is his team he put together from the minor league system... guess he knew what he was doing after all huh... #justsaying

NL Central:  The best story of the year has to go to The Cardinals this year.  I applaud you.  You lose your manager, you lose arguably the best player in the game and you prove to everyone why you won last year... you take it all in stride, pick up the pieces and play as a team to keep winning.... Other organizations should take notice and follow suit (see Sox post in AL EAST).  The Reds are making thing respectable but the rest of this division really is nothing to write home about.  Milwaukee is mediocre without Fielder, Pitt was expected to be OK and they are. Houston is rebuilding and the Cubs have been rebuilding for 102 years so why expect anything different this year.

NL West:  If you don't believe in the Cardinals as the feel good store of the year so far then this HAS TO be it. In a division that has been dominated in recent years by Arizona and San Fran talk, nothing makes me happier then saying that the DODGERS lead by my idol, Don Mattingly, has been killin it this year.  Matt Kemp and Andre Either are nasty and the pitching staff has been killin it this year so far.  I'm sure that Arizona will put it together, San Fran night not because of injuries and we may be surprised by a surging Colorado or San Diego team but Lets go Mattingly Dodgers!!  No really Though Kemp is nasty.. He really is.

There is your baseball fix for now.  Knicks are getting embarrassed by the Heat and whats worse is I heard that there are killer Fire Extinguishers in Miami and one attacked STAT and broke his hand.  If your in the Miami area, beware.  The Rangers need to handle their business with Washington and move on to the next series.  Alright everyone until next time.....

Yeaaaah baby!!!

The only thing sad about the Rangers first round win today was the Fact I didn't get to hear Sam Rosen call the game. Other then that, what a way to start.

3-1 win, inKRIEdable scores another goal, "The King" looks good while getting a little help from his friend "Mr. post" a few times and the Rangers skated well after a physical and emotional game on thursday.

I want to take a second to say this. Thank god the Rangers didn't trade away a few key pieces to get a goal scorer at the trade deadline. Some people thought we needed it (which we do) and others didn't want them to break up the teams chemistry (like me). Well, they got to keep all their players and get a goal scorer for nothing. Kreider is that goal scorer. 6 games in and it looks like they hooked him up to that machine in the matrix and downloaded "NYR 101" into his system. This kid is the real deal and I'm excited about the rest of the playoffs and the Rangers future.

On a sadder note, I am so glad I didn't watch any of the Knicks game. For one, they got a whopping. And for 2, if I actually saw Iam Shumpert Hurt his knee, I might have cried. This kid is my Rookie of the year even if he doesn't win it. He is part of the core that has brought good defensive basketball back to the garden. A torn ACL in your first ever playoff game! Damn man. This stinks. All I can say to that is, Iam, please take care of yourself, heal well and we'll all wait for your return. Thanks for the rookie year this year man

WTF is Freddie Garcia's problem!!! This guy gets lit up like a Christmas Tree ever time he goes out there. With "Pain-in-my-Ada" out for the year, thank god Andy Pettite decided he wanted to pitch again. Andy, get your ass up here, we need you now! #justsayin

LETS GO RANGERS!!!!!

Whats better then a game 7 sporting even in New York... OK there could be a few but not many. Be a Basketball, Baseball or Hockey fan, nothing is better then a game 7. In reality no one wants to get to a game 7 but when i happens, everyone is pumped for it.  Unlike football where everything is a one game series, your long battles series comes down to a "win and your in, lose and you go home" situation.

Tonight, for a lot of you readers, it's all Rangers (and for the sad few of you all Devils).  Nothing else matters. Not the Yankees, not the Mets, not the Knicks, not the Nets last game as a losing NJ franchise and defiantly not a silly football draft.  Oh you might check in on them during an intermission, but It's all NYR tonight.

For any of you reading saying "no one cares about hockey Ant", you have no idea what you are missing and i feel sorry for you.  This is the only sport that you can take off your skate and try and stab a guy and get just a 3 game suspension if the "wheel-o-suspension" lands in your favor.  I love this game and I can't wait for the King to do his thing in goal tonight. 

There is one non-hocky thing I wanted to talk about.  How do you suspend an entire bowl game?  The jackass of a commissioner, Rodger Goodell, wants to suspend the PRO-BOWL because he is unhappy with the amount of competition in the game.  I hate to break this to you Commish, but it kind of works the same why in every league. No one ever takes the all star games seriously.  With basketball they play no defence and the final score is like 150 to 154. With hockey, they play no defense and the final score is like 8-9 (although that was a regular score in the Pitt vs philly playoff series) and in baseball, probably the most competitive all star game, they play for home field in the world series but still is not the greatest competition. 

I love how your the commish but you nor anyone around you can figure this out but here you go.  Your never going to be able to fix the game itself because no one wants to get hurt.  Same goes for any all star game. But, why do you not take a hint from some of the other sports and run a skills competition the Saturday before, or a redraft of the players school yard style.  Basketball has the rookie game, 3 point contest and dunk contest, baseball has the home run derby, hockey has the skills competition and redraft and you have what... guys in Hawaiian shirts... right.

Bottom line is all star sellections are needed and i guess a game is necessary even though it is a washed down version of the game.  They just are.  Deal with it and stop being a cry baby. and just for the hell of it here is a little hashtag love #WHODAT #USAGAINSTTHEWORLD #GOODELLISADOUCHE #justsayin