To say the depth of the New York Yankees bullpen is being tested would be a massive understatement. Just weeks after losing Mariano Rivera to a season ending knee injury, the Yankees must endure an injury to set-up man turned closer David Robertson for a minimum of 15 . . . → Read More: Yankees bullpen takes another hit with injury to Robertson]]>

Photo courtesy of PAUL J. BERESWILL, NY Post

To say the depth of the New York Yankees bullpen is being tested would be a massive understatement. Just weeks after losing Mariano Rivera to a season ending knee injury, the Yankees must endure an injury to set-up man turned closer David Robertson for a minimum of 15 days – the least amount of time an injured player must stay on the DL. The Yankees placed Robertson on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique prior to yesterday’s game at Baltimore.

Robertson and the Yankees don’t seem to think it’s too severe and are encouraged that the injury was caught early without it getting worse but as manager Joe Girardi pointed out, oblique injures can be tricky.

“We don’t think it’s too severe but it’s hard to tell, obliques can be tricky. We expect him not to pick up a baseball for probably seven to 10 days and then we’ll see where we are after that.” – Joe Girardi

One would think that the closers job would fall on the shoulder of Rafael Soriano who led the American League with 45 saves in 2010 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays before joining the Yankees the following season. Soriano was designed to be the Yankees primary 7th inning reliever coming into the season but with the injures to Rivera–and now Robertson, Soriano is the man in the ninth. A telling sign of just how much the Yankees bullpen depth is being tested.

“We are testing our depth and time’s going to tell if we can sustain what we’re doing, They’ve done a good job so far. You look at the job those guys have done there, they’ve been really, really good. I think the distance from your starters becomes maybe a little more important now.” - Joe Girardi

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Now that Soriano is the closer – at least until – Robertson is healthy, does he feel he needs to alter his thinking or his approach?

“You know, to me, I don’t think nothing changed, sometimes, something happens like that and you got to keep going, because we lost Mariano first and the bullpen tried to do whatever it had to do. Now, with two guys down, it’s not going to be easy for us. We’re trying to be together, the bullpen and the team, and win.” - Rafael Soriano

The Yankees have no choice but to keep going and they surely will. Things may get better before too much longer because injured relievers Joba Chamberlain and David Aardsma are both recovering from Tommy John surgery and could factor in the bullpen mix sometime over the course of the second half of the season. Aardsma told me via Twitter that he’s “hoping for a July return”. Chamberlain’s return date is a bit more uncertain due to the ankle injury he sustained in late March playing with his son on a trampoline.  Chamberlain has said that he fully expects to pitch for the Yankees in 2012 and the Yankees are optimistic as well. Seven weeks have passed since the incident occurred, and he is already walking without a boot. To protect his ankle while moving around, he now uses a basketball ankle brace. He and the Yankees believe he is ahead of schedule but insists they aren’t going to rush anything.

For now, the Yankees will have to pick up the pieces and move forward and hope that no other troops in the bullpen take a hit due to injury.

According to McMurphy, an official announcement will come from the school this week.

Virginia Commonwealth joins Butler as the two newest members of . . . → Read More: Sources: VCU joining A-10 in 2013]]> Days after intra-conference foe George Mason affirmed that it would remain in the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association), Virginia Commonwealth is headed to the Atlantic 10, the Associated Press and Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com are reporting.

According to McMurphy, an official announcement will come from the school this week.

Virginia Commonwealth joins Butler as the two newest members of the conference.

With these two additions, the A-10 has added teams that have combined for three Final Four appearances in the past three seasons.

The move is an attempt to fill in for the losses of Temple, which has moved to the Big East, and Charlotte, which has departed for Conference-USA.

VCU reportedly favored the move because the CAA is more prone to being a “one-bid” conference, whereas the Atlantic 10 has sent multiple teams to the NCAA tournament for each of the past five seasons.

As McMurphy points out, the CAA has had just four at-large bids into the tournament since 2000, while the Atlantic 10 had three just this past year.

VCU head coach Shaka Smart and his Rams will look to sustain their recent success when they move from the CAA to the Atlantic 10 in 2013.

Head coach Shaka Smart has led the Rams to success over the past three seasons and has increased VCU’s national brand in the process.

After winning the CBI championship in 2009-10, the Rams enjoyed a run to the Final Four in 2010-11, and came back this past season, making it to the Round of 32 of the NCAA tournament.

The Atlantic 10 was reportedly in talks with George Mason as well, but the Patriots elected to stay in the CAA. The Atlantic 10 was only looking to add one more team, which ended with this news of VCU’s move.

*Tip of the cap to College Basketball Talk (NBC Sports)

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton joined some historical company on Tuesday night when he became just the 16th player in history to hit four home runs in one game. It excited Rangers players, . . . → Read More: The future of Josh Hamilton beyond 2012?]]>

Josh Hamilton blasts two-run home run, one of his four on the night vs. Baltimore Orioles during Tuesday's 10-3 victory. (MITCHELL LAYTON/GETTY IMAGES)

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton joined some historical company on Tuesday night when he became just the 16th player in history to hit four home runs in one game. It excited Rangers players, fans, coaches and executives alike, but that enthusiasm quickly turned to concern for the latter of that list. A free agent-to-be at the end of the 2012 season and with a huge payday likely looming, Hamilton just made things really difficult for his team concerning his long-term status with the franchise.

Before the season began, Hamilton and the Rangers were getting very close to a long-term contract extension that would have likely kept the slugger in Texas for the remainder of his career. However, an alcohol relapse in early February ended the negotiations and began a shorty, fiery exchange of public remarks between the player and team.

The spat concluded with Hamilton saying he would be cheaper for the Rangers to sign “right now” than later in the season or after its conclusion. He couldn’t have been more right after his historical night that propelled Texas to a 10-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Hamilton was very humble following the performance, but that doesn’t change how he feels about his contract situation.

“Obviously it’s, other than being in the World Series, the highlight of my big-league career,” Hamilton said. “What a blessing that was. It was just an awesome feeling to see how excited my teammates got.”

“It reminds you of when you’re in Little League and a little kid, and just the excitement and why we play the game,” Hamilton said. “Things like that. You never know what can happen. It was just an absolute blessing.”

Oh, so now it’s all about having fun again? If his comments were sincere, this would be the Josh Hamilton that Rangers fans have been dying to see since he was crowned AL MVP in 2010. Even through the 2011 World Series Hamilton was a hard-working, God-fearing, head-first-sliding slugger that was the backbone of this Texas team. It seemed like the relapse changed that; it made him arrogant and disloyal to the team.

Maybe this incredible performance truly did make Hamilton feel blessed and maybe his teammates’ excitement really did give him sheer joy. The Rangers better hope so because Hamilton’s free agent price just sky-rocketed as he predicted it would at the time of the relapse.

The real dilemma here is the fact Hamilton isn’t involved in the contract negotiations at all; his agent, Mike Moye, is in completely and totally in charge of that. In fact, Hamilton didn’t even know Moye had met with the Rangers brass in early April, the first time since the relapse, until after it happened. That means Hamilton’s price not only sky-rocketed after the 4-home run night, but it’s also got a new retail premium on top.

That refers to the price of soon-to-be free agents during incredible seasons, like Hamilton’s current situation. Had he avoided the relapse and been signed to an extension in the off-season, the Rangers could have signed their slugger for a “wholesale” or “discounted” price.

Now his agent has all the leverage and unless Hamilton’s seemingly new-found admiration of his team takes over the situation, the Rangers will be hurting the contract situations of other pending free agents like Colby Lewis, David Murphy and Mike Napoli to name a few. Thus, Hamilton’s selfishness might hurt the Rangers’ team outlook in the long run if his high level of production and lack of love for the team continue.

Immediately, I went to Twitter and saw the message with my own eyes.

Well there you have it. Mariano Rivera just said he will absolutely pitch again. He’s . . . → Read More: Rivera: “I will be back”]]> A few seconds after I published my thoughts on the season ending knee injury to Mariano Rivera, I heard Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay announce the news on his radio show.

Immediately, I went to Twitter and saw the message with my own eyes.

Well there you have it. Mariano Rivera just said he will absolutely pitch again. He’s determined to not let his career end like this.

Courtesy of Conor Orr from the he Star-Ledger:

“I’m coming back,” he said. “Write it down in big letters.”

Rivera was on crutches today and said that he’s heard he could be back to work in 3-5 months. He would not rule out pitching this season but said if everything goes right he’ll be completely ready by spring training next year.

He plans on telling his teammates as a group, something he hadn’t done by the time the clubhouse opened to the media.

Rivera said he decided late Thursday night in his hotel room and that he will fly back to New York Saturday.

“You don’t go out like this,” Rivera said.

He was optimistic that he could breeze through the recovery process.
“I’m a quick healer so that’s good. It’s all good.”

Rivera, though, was unclear on whether it was his initial plan to play next year anyway, or if the injury motivated him to play another season.

“Miracles happen miracles happen, guys,” he said. “I’m OK, I’m a positive man and I’m OK. The only thing is I feel sorry I let down my teammates.”

I’ll have more later on.

Since the end of the 1995 season I have had the privilege of seeing Mariano Rivera pitch. For most of my adult life Mariano Rivera has been a constant presence at the end of Yankees games.

Last night Mariano Rivera was injured doing something he’s done since he was 20 years old. Rivera was going . . . → Read More: Sounding off and analyzing the injury to Mariano Rivera]]>  

Since the end of the 1995 season I have had the privilege of seeing Mariano Rivera pitch. For most of my adult life Mariano Rivera has been a constant presence at the end of Yankees games.

Last night Mariano Rivera was injured doing something he’s done since he was 20 years old. Rivera was going through his usual pre-game routine – shagging fly balls in the outfield during batting practice – when suddenly his foot got caught between the edge of the grass and the warning track. Just like that, in an instant, Mariano went down in a heap and was carted off the field.

The Yankees closer was carted off the field and sent for further tests. (AP Photo/YES Network) MANDATORY CREDIT

The initial diagnosis was a twisted knee but I knew it was much worse. I held out hope that it wasn’t the worst case scenario but in the pit of my stomach I knew it was as bad as it looked.

The harsh reality of the situation set in during the post-game coverage on the YES Network. For the first time that I can remember, Mariano Rivera looked human. He stood at his locker and spoke to reporters while his eyes filled with tears. He did his best not to cry as he responded to reporters.

Does this freak injury mean the end of the line for baseball’s greatest closer?

“At this point, I don’t know,” Rivera said. “We have to face this first. … All that depends on how the rehab is going to happen. From there, we’ll see. I want to think and pray a little bit before I make decisions of whatever happens.”

For all of the people who want me to point fingers and place blame on Joe Girardi or other people within the Yankees organization, just stop it! Those thoughts, ideas, and assumptions have no merit on the situation. Forget about the fact that Rivera has shagged fly balls during pre-game warm-ups every day for the last 20 years. This is about a man loving every aspect of what he does. Shagging fly balls was as important to Rivera’s conditioning and preparation before each game as bullpen sessions are to other pitchers. Think about it, for all of the idiotic things that professional athletes do away from the field such as riding a motorcycle without a helmet or shooting yourself in the leg or even engaging in a pickup basketball game knowing full well your contract prohibits it. Mariano Rivera would never even think about doing any of those stupid things that would have jeopardized his career or the well-being of his teammates. Simply put, Rivera was injured or something he loved and something that was a crucial to his daily preparation.

It wasn’t just Mariano’s physical ability to  throw a baseball that set him apart from others. Mariano had a grace and an elegance about him that was so special and nothing short of genuine.There are countless examples of this from Rivera over the years but perhaps none greater than his message to the critics who say he shouldn’t have been allowed to shag fly balls in the outfield given his advanced age.

 “I don’t want to have it any other way. If it’s going to happen like that, it happened doing what I love to do. Shagging, I love to do it. If I had to do it over again, I would do it again with no hesitation. There are reasons why it happened, so you have to take the way it is and fight through it. Now we just have to fight.”

And there you have it… a message straight from the man himself. ” if I had to do it again I would do it with no hesitation.”

Even still, is this how the career of a first ballot Hall of Famer and the greatest closer ever play the game is going to end?

It can’t, at least not like this.

He deserves something more, if not a victory lap around the majors, at least a better exit than riding out on the back of a cart in Kansas City. He faces an uncertain future – who knows if his 42-year-old body can recover from major knee surgery – but he owes it to himself to try. This is too cruel an exit. It doesn’t matter if you love the Yankees or hate them, it doesn’t matter if you have a passing interest in baseball or live and die with the sport, there’s no way else to put this.

What happened yesterday stinks. Maybe you have a more eloquent way to put that, but I don’t. It was cruel. It was unfair. Mariano Rivera was shagging fly balls during batting practice like he’s done hundreds – thousands? – of times before. He takes one awkward step on the warning track and crumbles to the ground, grabbing his knee immediately and writhing in pain.

I try and take a step back and look at what this means for the Yankees today in the short term but I can’t. This is about today.

Athletes rarely get to go out on their own terms, but it sure looked like the Yankees closer was on his way. He had set the all-time saves record and was padding his lead, looking as good in his early 40s as he did in his 20s. He didn’t directly say that this would be his last season when he answered the inevitable questions in spring training, but he everything else he said seemed to make that clear. Rivera had talked about the pull of spending time with his family, about accomplishing everything he wanted to in the sport.

Just as I did earlier on my Facebook and twitter page, I don’t believe this will be the end for Mariano Rivera. I believe in my heart that he will not go out like this. Sure,the rehab won’t be easy. He’ll be 43 by the time spring training rolls around again. There are no guarantees that he’d recover to be the dominant closer he’s been in the Bronx for 15 years.

Still -Mariano Rivera owes it to himself to try. After 1,051 appearances, 608 saves, five championships and one unmatched legacy, it would be wrong for it to end this way. Love the Yankees or hate them, that’s one thing everyone should agree on.

Tell me what you think. In the wake of the knee injury suffered by New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, do you think he’ll return next season?

Please vote on the poll

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles tendon and likely will miss the 2012 season, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Thursday. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and founder of “Ball So Hard University” is believed to have suffered the injury playing basketball. Schefter’s . . . → Read More: Ravens’ Suggs likely to miss ’12-13 season with injury]]>

Photo courtesy of Mitch Stringer, US Presswire

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles tendon and likely will miss the 2012 season, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Thursday. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and founder of “Ball So Hard University” is believed to have suffered the injury playing basketball. Schefter’s sources say surgery is scheduled for early next week.

Last season Suggs had 70 tackles, including 14 sacks, and was a threat all over the field from his hybrid linebacker-end position. He also forced seven fumbles and had two interceptions. Those accomplishments led to Suggs winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Suggs’ loss will be a significant setback to a veteran team clearly in win-now mode with so many aging stars on the roster. As for a plan following the injury to Suggs, veteran Paul Kruger was deemed ready to take over for the departed Jarrett Johnson before scooping up free falling Courtney Upshaw in the second round of the draft.

Still, the Ravens and their fan base are ready to panic and rightfully so.

NFL fans around the country are buzzing about the upcoming draft as their favorite teams look to add talent for the upcoming season.

Most fans know the big name players, but several young men have impressed scouts and GMs with their off-season workouts. Most small college players finally got their chance to play in off-season games against . . . → Read More: The quest for hidden gems in the NFL Draft]]>

NFL fans around the country are buzzing about the upcoming draft as their favorite teams look to add talent for the upcoming season.

Most fans know the big name players, but several young men have impressed scouts and GMs with their off-season workouts. Most small college players finally got their chance to play in off-season games against big college talent, and for a few, it was the chance they needed to get noticed.

Here are some late round sleepers to keep an eye on.

Ron Brooks (CB/LSU): Brooks played behind two of the country’s best college football corners, but his size and speed won’t go unnoticed, and the young man will get a shot playing professional football. Brooks should hear his name called in the later rounds of the upcoming draft, but his skills could make him a solid pick and a special team’s standout for any team willing to take a gamble on his upside.

Austin Davis (QB/Southern Mississippi): Brooks had a solid career with the Golden Eagles. Davis has good size, speed, and arm strength, and though he won’t be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the draft, he will make an NFL team this fall as a backup and with some good coaching and hard work, could become the steal of the 2012 draft.

Lennon Creer (RB/Louisiana Tech): In my opinion, Creer is perhaps the biggest sleeper at running back. Granted, he’s missed several games with injuries this past season, but has proved when healthy, he has the skills to play at the next level. He has has good size and speed, but his vision is what sets him apart, and any team willing to take a late round gamble will get a solid player for the upcoming football season.

Several great stories will come out of the upcoming draft, but watch these names as these young men will get their chance this fall and could become the next Tom Brady or Arian Foster.

The 2012 NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday in primetime on ESPN.

Today, Tuesday, April 17th, is easily one of the most epic and consequential days on the 2012 sports calendar. It has absolutely nothing to do with MLB or the last remaining NBA games before playoffs. Certainly, it doesn’t have anything to do with the NHL playoffs – (I mean who really cares outside of Canada anyway?) . . . → Read More: NFL schedule released unnecessarily tonight on ESPN]]>  

Today, Tuesday, April 17th, is easily one of the most epic and consequential days on the 2012 sports calendar. It has absolutely nothing to do with MLB or the last remaining NBA games before playoffs. Certainly, it doesn’t have anything to do with the NHL playoffs – (I mean who really cares outside of Canada anyway?) Just saying…

Oh no, this is something monumental, something earth shattering. It’s so big that ESPN – the sports broadcasting superpower – had dedicated three hours of programming to it.

Tonight, at 7:00 ET….

THE 2012 NFL SCHEDULE IS RELEASED! 

I mean, this is groundbreaking. Well, not really. I mean, its not like we haven’t already known for months now who all NFL teams’ 2012 opponents will be but tonight we just find out what order they play them in, and I’m assuming what the primetime games are.

Well… La de freakin’ da!

Anyway, tune into ESPN at 7:00 ET if your insatiable thirst for NFL talk makes this kind of thing exciting to you. Pay my snark no mind.

I’ve thought ESPN has gone down hill for a while now especially since the launch of individualized sports networks like NFL Network and the alike. The downward spiral continues tonight at 7:00 ET. on ESPN.