The New York Yankees have driven themselves to success throughout the season. Currently on an eight game winning streak and leading the AL East with a 2 game lead up on the Tampa Bay Rays, makes them serious World Series contenders. Their currently 86-50 on the season, which is amazing, because two of the Yankees most important players in their line-up haven’t been impressive.

Yankees third baseman, Alex Rodriguez hasn’t been putting up the numbers that’s expected. Despite being on the disabled list do to a left calf strain, his batting average is .265 with 21 home runs and 97 RBIs. Shortstop, Derek Jeter age’s has caught up to him. His batting average is .266 with 59 RBIs.

With the amount of talent the Yankees have on their roster, they still manage to lead the AL East. Yankees second baseman, Robinson Cano, has been playing his best this season. He’s bringing in .318 batting average and 26 home runs with 91 RBIs. Cano is a possible MVP candidate. The Yankees starting pitching rotation has been holding up with CC Sabathia leading the way with 19 wins and a 3.05 ERA.

With all that being said, will this Yankee team win the World Series Championship. The Texas Rangers line-up has been on fire with left fielder Josh Hamilton sky high batting average of . 362, designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero’s 25 home runs and right fielder Nelson Cruz .316 batting average. That’s not all, the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays are talented enough to compete for the World Series.

The Yankees are still the favorite to make the World Series this season, but will they be able to exceed expectation? I’m still thinking will it happen.

Just recently the Denver Nuggets offered forward Carmelo Anthony a 3-year extension that’s worth $65 million dollars. This deal was offered to Anthony over a month ago. Anthony has yet to decide whether he’ll except the Nuggets offer; the Nuggets will trade Anthony if he decides not to take their deal.

The reason the Nuggets offered Anthony the 3 year contract extension is because they fair they’ll lose him to free agency in 2011. Anthony’s contract is finished at the end of the year. After Miami Heat forward, LeBron James and Chris Bosh leaving their previous teams to create a championship opportunity for themselves; the Nuggets feel that can easily happen to them.

I don’t believe Anthony wants to stay with the Nuggets, it doesn’t take a doctor to figure this out. His house is already up for sale, and it’s been over a month and Anthony still hasn’t decided whether he’s going to stay with the Nuggets.

Anthony should become a member of the New York Knicks. It will be a great opportunity for him to try and win a championship. I can’t believe I’m saying this about the Knicks. If Anthony signs with the Knicks and becomes teammates with Knick’s center, Amare Stoudemire, I feel that can be a championship quality team.

The Miami Heat are already looking like the best team in the Eastern Conference, but bringing Anthony to New York will give the Heat a run for their money. Stoudemire will do good in the paint while Carmelo can be a good low post player as well. Knicks forward, Danilo Gallinari will be a good outside shooter and guard Raymond Felton will do a good job getting his teammates involved. The only problem is that Knicks head coach, Mike D’Antoni coaches a fast pace offense which is something that doesn’t fit into Anthony’s style of play.

After the 2010 season New York Yankees, short stop, Derek Jeter’s contract will be finished. Jeter has been a member of the Yankees roster since 1995 and has been labeled as New York’s favorite athlete. He’s been a 10 time American League All-Star, four time Golden Glove Award winner, and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 2009.

Throughout Jeter’s career he managed to stay away from off the field problems and was able to keep his personal life separate. Fans love his leadership, athleticism and his will to win. Throughout my years of living in New York, not one person dislikes Jeter.

Unfortunately, Jeter is 36 years of age. He hasn’t been able to perform at the same level at the plate and on the mound. This season, Jeter has a .274 batting average, 9 home runs with 48 RBIs. In 2009, Jeter had .334 batting average, 30 stolen bases and 66 RBIs. In 2006, Jeter had a .343 batting average, 97 RBIs with 34 stolen bases. Despite this season, the only season Jeter had a batting average under .300 was his rookie season in 1995 and in 2002.

I don’t believe the Yankees should pay much for Jeter. He’s 36 years of age and he’s not getting better with his numbers. His season’s are numbered. They shouldn’t give a max deal to a 36 year old short stop that’s not getting better and is passed their prime.

I believe the Yankees should keep Jeter as a player, because he’s meant more to the Yankees than any other player on that roster. He’s their captain and his leadership means a lot to the Yankees, but his performance isn’t the same.

OK, I know what you’re thinking. Actually I have no idea. Even if I saw this title, I would be dumbfounded. I don’t think I’ve ever written or spoken the word “dumbfounded” before so I do know how you feel.

But I’ll be glad to explain to you what the title means. Next week on ESPN I will be holding a one our special called “The Explanation” to inform the readers of what I’m talking about.

Now that all that crap is out of the way, I will actually explain what I mean.

If you haven’t heard, former NY Giants WR / Special Teamer David Tyree has signed a 1-day contract with the team in order to retire from the Giants. Anyone who was not a (diehard) fan, probably never heard of David Tyree before his epic catch in Super Bowl XLII to help lead the Giants to an improbable Super Bowl victory over what was then an undefeated New England Patriots team.

That catch is argued by many as the greatest play ever in the Super Bowl (don’t forget Eli Manning did an amazing job avoiding a sack on the play as well).

But even as legendary as that play was, he knew when it was time to step away from the game. After an injury and lack of playing time, he knew he couldn’t contribute to a football team anymore.

See where I am going with this now?

Chan Ho Park is another player in the New York area who cannot contribute to a team. If you haven’t noticed, Chan Ho Park only is utilized in a mop up role, and he has a beautiful 5.60 ERA. And I know what you’re thinking. Why does Chan Ho Park still have a job? Only the Bermuda Triangle and the location of Amelia Earhart are bigger mysteries.

–Mark Elliot Wishnia–

Former New York Yankee owner, George Steinbrenner died at the age of 80 on Tuesday July 13th. Steinbrenner is arguably the most remarkable owner in Major League Baseball history, because of his personality and his ability to turn a failure into a success.

The Yankees did a great job honoring Steinbrenner before their game against the Tampa Bay Rays, which they received the victory, 5-4 with center fielder, Curtis Granderson getting the walk off run. Steinbrenner recently retired and he passed the torch to his two sons Hal and Hank Steinbrenner.

Major League Baseball lost a great owner in Steinbrenner, but I had a enough of everyone talking about this topic. Some of these networks (without mentioning names) were all over this guy like it was the president that passed away.

I understand how much Steinbrenner meant to the Yankees, but I don’t believe having a two hour show with nothing but Steinbrenner topics was good. That’s poor television and choosing more topics should have been the way to go.

Seattle Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll made a guest appearance on a show to discuss topics about his book and the first five questions were about Steinbrenner, a person that never influence the game of football. There’s a lot to talk about with Carroll, such as, USC football controversy, first season as the head coach of the Seahawks, LenDale White getting released from the Seahawks, and the first question they have is about Steinbrenner.

Steinbrenner is a huge figure in sports, but lets give it a break.

I’m a young Yankee fan. I can’t share in all the stories everyone else has about George Steinbrenner. I really don’t have any memories prior to 1996 when the apparent “changed” Steinbrenner was running the team. But clearly I have missed a lot. ESPN and the MLB Network have not spoken about anything else all day except for George Steinbrenner. They have repeated the same tributes and interviews over and over and over from 9:45am through the rest of the day. It has been insane. I understand that George Steinbrenner’s legacy. He made the Yankees relevant again. He made winning a main priority in all sports for all owners. And the reason I know this? Well, other than the fact that I just hear these things and see these things over the years, I think if I never knew who George Steinbrenner was, I would be an expert on the man after today. I hate to be looked at as the real “jerk” in this whole situation but there have to be people out there who agree that today’s coverage has been a little bit of an overkill.

I have chosen to list a a top 10 of events that occur or that can occur that would never get as much coverage as this:

10. The death of the pope.

9. World Peace.

8. The second coming of Jesus.

7. The invention of the time machine.

6. Lebron James.

5. Brett Favre.

OK OK… 6 and 5 may be debatable. I am sticking to it!

4. A pitcher to throw a perfect game in all 35 starts he has in a season…. with all 27 outs being strikeouts every time on 3 pitches… and all the strikeouts looking.

3. A baseball player hitting a homerun in every at-bat of a season… in 600 at-bats.

2. Kim Jong Il choosing to apply for United States citizenship.

1. Osama Bin Laden converting to judaism and joining the Israeli army.

None of the above events, would get as much coverage as the passing of George Steinbrenner. Absolutely insane.

–Mark Elliot Wishnia–

It’s raining in New York today but the gray skies and wet streets are nothing compared to the dark storm of emptiness that every Yankees fan is undeniably feeling. This morning, word spread fast about the passing of the Bronx Bomber’s magnanimous owner – George Steinbrenner – and soon the baseball world was abuzz with memories, stories and affections befitting of The Boss.

To sum up the impact, meaning, or purpose anyone’s life in mere words is always a daunting task. Humans hurt each other, love each other, and make their marks in countless individual ways that fancy vocabulary has never been able to capture. This is ever more evident when one is trying to harness the essence of a force such as George Steinbrenner. Oh, certainly there will be tributes and homage enough to fill the seats of the Stadium for endless seasons to come but none will do justice.

I could attempt to retell the history we all know so well…the ups and downs and visionary success that Steinbrenner washed over New York City like a wave of passionate intent. I could try to convey what having an owner who was ruthless in the pursuit of victory has meant to my own fandom. I could even endeavor to paint a genuine picture of what it means to have Pinstripe Pride…but these things are not tangible, they cannot be measured…and neither can George Steinbrenner.

Surely, his life must serve as a lesson to us all. When controversy looms, when failure threatens, when they tell you ‘no’…remember that victory is an eternal quest. To be better is second only to being the best. And to be the best is to never, ever, ever stop growing or learning or trying.

Critics will talk about the money, tossing sour grapes but the fans will always remember his dedication. To be ruthlessly passionate and never apologize for it – this is George Steinbrenner’s legacy and there are certainly no words that can do justice to this spirit.

The Knicks of course were able to land one big free agent, Amare Stoudemire. But what does this really mean for the lowly Knicks? The entire nation waited until 9pm ET, on July 8, to hear where Lebron James was going. He stabbed Cleveland in the back, and chose not to go to the Knicks. The Knicks then acquired Kelenna Azubukie, Anthony Randolph, and Ronny Turiaf in a sign and trade deal for (now former) fan favorite, David Lee.

We all know Amare Stoudemire is all all-star. But can he be an all-star on this team. Stoudemire is locked into a 5 year deal with the Knicks. He of course does not have nearly the same talent that surrounded him in Phoenix. So in this 5 year deal, how many solid years can the Knicks really get out of Stoudemire?

First let’s note that Stoudemire will turn 28 in the second month of the season. Therefore he will be 33 in the second month of his fifth season. Second, we must note that he has already has knee problems in the past. Third lets assume that regardless of what other moves the Knicks make for this season, it still will not be enough to support Amare Stoudemire.

So year 1 of his contract is wasted. Expectations again will not be high with Stoudemire on the team this year, although in theory, the Knicks should have maybe their best season in the last 5 years but that isn’t saying much.

Fast forward to year two. Assuming incredibly optimistic circumstances, let’s say Carmelo Anthony chooses not to sign an extension this year and chooses to test the free agent market next year. (We are also assuming the NBA will not be in a lockout). And let’s say the Knicks are fortunate enough to sign Carmelo Anthony. Well now you have Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Now that’s a team. Assume a 3 year deal and assume this paring can attract other solid players as well although the cap space will not be as empty as it was this year. You can throw Tony Parker into the mix here if you want. Next year, the Knicks with this lineup should be a playoff team. So in year 2 of Stoudemire’s contract, lets assume the Knicks have their best year in 11 years and make a nice push to the playoffs. They of course most likely would not win a championship.

Moving along to year 3 of Stoudemire’s contract, lets assume a similar year to year 2 with the same players around.

Year 4 is now complicated. Stoudemire is now 31 years old (when November rolls around). Are we assuming that with the knee problems Stoudemire already had in the past, by age 31 as the real face of the franchise at this point he is going to be healthy? It is really hard to assume that he will be. Even someone with healthy knees, may start to feel a grind by the time year 31 of their life comes along. Assume a down year for the Knicks here.

Year 4 is wasted.

Year 5 can’t be any better than year 4. Stoudemire is only older now. Assume year 5 is wasted too.

So, we take a look at this 5 year $99.7 million contract and it appears as though only 2 years are worthwhile. That of course is also assuming optimistic circumstances (Carmelo Anthony/Tony Parker). If the Knicks can’t find a supporting cast, all you have here in my opinion is a potential Stephon Marbury. A guy who was really supposed to turn the franchise around and be this big time star, and really none of that happened.

It could be a bumpy ride folks…

–Mark Elliot Wishnia–

The Jenrry Mejia experiment is over in New York…at least for now.

The Mets did the right thing when they sent 20-year-old rookie to the minors Sunday. While Mejia was an adequate if inconsistent reliever for the Mets this season, GM Omar Minaya’s decision to send him to the minors to start is what’s best for Mejia and the Mets organization in the long term.

Mejia finished strong in his final appearance Sunday, retiring all three Yankees that he faced. The lineup was nothing to sneeze at: Mejia made fast work of Derek Jeter, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira.

For the season with the Mets, Mejia’s numbers were acceptable but not spectacular. His raw talent was apparent but at times, his inexperience clearly hurt him. In 30 appearances, Mejia pitched 27 2/3 innings, had an 0-2 record and had a solid 3.25 ERA. He struck out 17 batters and walked 15 while allowing 29 hits.

The original plan this season was for Mejia to continue to learn in the minors, but Mejia had other plans. He was clearly the Mets strongest pitcher in spring training games and earned a spot on the 25-man roster.

“When we broke camp in spring training we had to put him on the team because the way he was throwing — the best reliever we had going at the time,” Minaya admitted.

At first, Mets manager Jerry Manual was hoping Mejia could be the 8th inning setup man, but Mejia’s youthful inconsistency quickly cost him that job. In recent weeks, the hard throwing hurler was often reduced to mop-up duty, coming in when the Mets were far behind, like in Sunday’s 4-0 loss to the Yankees.

Now, with the Mets starters going deeper into games and the bullpen improving, Minaya feels the time is right to prepare Mejia for his long term role: starting pitcher.

“Other guys have picked it up and we feel much more comfortable with some of the guys picking it up. We feel comfortable that there’s been some development up here and he has helped us in different situations,” Minaya said. “This is just another step for him that we feel is going to help the team, help him and help the team long term.”

Mejia seems to be taking his demotion in stride. “I want to be in the major leagues,” he said. “I’ll go down, continue working hard. It’s good because they think about me. They’re not sending me down because I didn’t do my job. I did my job.”

The Mets now know that Mejia can survive at the Major League level. He can face big league hitters without embarrassing himself and he can make a contribution to the team.

Now the young hurler has to go down to AA Binghamton and readjust to being a starting pitcher again. Instead of facing a handful of batters, he has to redevelop the stamina and variety of pitches to go through the opposition’s batting order three or four times a game. Being a starting pitcher requires a different mindset and if that’s going to be his role in the future, it’s time Mejia learned how to do it.

The Mets hope Mejia’s confidence will increase during this minor league stint. This half season in New York gave Mejia a taste of life in the Majors and what it will take to succeed. It’s time for Mejia to apply those lessons, hone his craft and become a bona fide big league starter.

The Mets were right to send Mejia down now. Next spring, when he returns, he can fight for a legitimate spot in the Mets starting rotation. Mets fans are looking forward to Mejia’s return…when he’s ready.

Despite losing their last two consecutive games against the New York Yankees, the New York Mets have showed improvement. Going 8-2 in their last 10 games they’ve played. The Mets are currently 39-30 and second in the NL East, trailing the Atlanta Braves by 2 1/2 games. Since calling R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi from the Minor Leagues, the Mets have found success. Dickey is 5-0 on the season with a 2.82 ERA and Takahashi is 6-2 with a 3.13 ERA on the season.

The Mets eight game winning streak was ended by the Yankees on Saturday. Mets starting pitcher, Mike Pelfrey wasn’t helpful on the mound, giving up two home runs with two strike outs in seven innings pitched. Despite Pelfrey’s meltdown on Saturday, he’s still having a surprising season, with an 9-2 record and 2.69 ERA. Johan Santana didn’t get the run support that he needed (like always) and that was part of the reason why the Mets didn’t excel against the Yankees on Sunday.

It’s still hard to be sold on the Mets success despite their previous eight game winning streak. Shortstop, Jose Reyes is slowly getting back to where he needs to be and third baseman David Wright is starting to look more comfortable at the plate, who’s now leading the National League in RBIs.

It will take Mets general manager, Omar Minaya, to make some key trades before the deadline, (which I don’t believe he’ll do) in order to move this team into playoff potential. There’s been rumors about Minaya making a move to get Seattle Mariners pitcher, Cliff Lee, but I don’t believe he’ll be happy pitching for a team like the Mets. Their line-up hardly provides run support and their front office is a mess.

The Mets finally ended the whole debacle that occurred when Daryl Strawberry, a respected former Met, visited the team in Washington on May 20th. Apparently at the time the Mets didn’t feel so good about the whole situation.

Now players like Francouer are reaching out to Strawberry to let him know there are no hard feelings and that Strawberry would be welcomed back anytime.

If I were the rest of the Mets, I would go along with Jeff Francouer. Maybe it is just a coincidence, but since Strawberry’s visit, the Mets are 6-1 which includes 2 wins over the reigning World Series Champs in the New York Yankees as well as a sweep over the division leaders and reigning NL Champs in the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets actually blanked the Phillies for the entire series.

I know it is early in the season still, but after Strawberry’s visit, the talks of Jerry Manuel being fired have slowly drifted away, and the Mets are now just 2 games out of first.

With the success the Mets have been having, they should theoretically have no problem walking all over Milwaukee in the next series and all of a sudden the Mets may be considered “a playoff contender.”

Darryl Strawberry, welcome back to New York Citi.

Well there’s nothing like a 90 minute NFL Super Bowl Location Selection Show. Who doesn’t want to watch that? At the completion of the program on the NFL Network, it was announced that the Super Bowl in 2014 (Super Bowl XLVIII) will be played at the New Meadowlands.

So is this a good or a bad thing? Well first let me talk to the common person. The common person is most likely the one reading this article. Now lets face it.. you are not going to this game. Regardless of who is in the Super Bowl, you will not be attending this game. You have a better chance of winning the New York Mega Millions jackpot. And even if you won the Mega Millions Jackpot, even with that money, you probably still couldn’t find a ticket to the game.

So what is my point? My point is that you, the common man (or woman) can only be disappointed about this outcome because you are worried it may snow during the game. Well isn’t that what Football is all about? Football teams whether it be warm weather, cold weather or whatever weather needs to know how to play a game in snow. At anytime on any team’s schedule, the possibility of snow exists.

And weren’t fans upset last year when both championship games were played in warm weather stadiums? Fans LOVE the cold. It is what makes a game so exciting. But don’t confuse the Meadowlands with the Arctic Circle. It really does not snow that often in New York. I know this by the lack of snow days received while being a student in the very state. If I had to make a prediction right now, I would say that for Super Bowl XLVII it will be 37 degrees and sunny. It will be a little chilly. All the players will need is a few hand warmers and they will be golden.

Now if you are some corporate high up “much cooler than I am” kind of guy… well good. Serves you right. Chances are you are a rich greedy SOB as it is. So instead of shorts and a t-shirt, you need to wear long sleeves, a sweatshirt, and a jacket. You’ll get over it. The cold isn’t that bad. Add a hat and gloves to the list I just mentioned and it is like you’re in Florida. Man up.

And for those of you who don’t like heavy volumes of people, that’s a shame. I guess you’ve never been to China… or even in New York any other time of the year. There are constantly tons of people in New York. During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, I doubt you will notice anything different. Traffic to the game shouldn’t be too bad either. Remember, the Meadowlands is not in the heart of New York City. The game is being played in the state of New Jersey. On game day there shouldn’t be too much congestion within the city.

But overall this is a good thing. It is something a little bit different. It will be a great experience for all viewers and all teams playing in the game. It is taking place just outside the greatest city in the world. It is boring watching the Super Bowl take place in the same 7 stadiums over and over. It is nice to get a different atmosphere. But this subject will disappear shortly. We still have 4 years until this event occurs.

Oh and by the way, dreaming is nice. We all dream. But don’t expect all your dreams to come true … the Jets and Giants will not play each other in that Super Bowl.