BOSOX DON’T GIVE AN INCH

Rodger Maris

With Bobby Valentine on board, the Red Sox went out and addressed another issue that was lingering. What to do about the missing Jonathon Paplebon? Paplebon went to a hitter’s park and in his place comes Andrew Bailey from the Oakland A’s!

Years ago, in the mid 50’s and early 60's, the then Kansas City A’s were considered a New York Yankee farm team, as the A’s languished near the bottom of the 8-team American League, they sent all their stars to the Yankees, and up until Rodger Maris, that was the case.

Such greats as Enos Slaughter, Art Ditmar and Bobby Shantz, Clete Boyer, Ryne Duren, Virgil Trucks, Ralph Terry, Hector Lopez, Rodger Maris, Joe De Maestri, and Bob Cerv all came to the Yankees. This was between 1955 and 1961!

Well history is repeating itself. The only difference is the Bosox are getting the values!

THE SCUTTLEBUT

Payton Manning

The New York Daily News’ Gary Myers has offered a prescription for the ailing Jets, the idea being that they bring on Peyton Manning, and keep Mark Sanchez. It sounds good at face value, but what about Manning’s age, and recent injury. If you couple them together, it can be dicey. If you remember Brett Farve, the idea was similar in nature, and what happened? Farve didn’t finish the year out.

I think if you want to destroy Sanchez’s confidence, this will do it. He is going on his fourth year with the Jets, and had them in the AFC Championship game twice, in spite of Shottyheimer game plans.

SPEAKING OF WHICH

Mark Sanchez

If you want a reason to get rid of Shottyheimer, consider this: This season and last, the Jets were slow to get started for the most part. Too many games were exciting and pulled out at the end. The Jets were slow to score and played catch up all season. The only real game they got ahead of was their final game this year against Buffalo.

What that tells me is that the Jets offensive game plan is not good going into a game! This puts a lot of pressure on a quarterback, let alone a young guy like Sanchez. Sanchez may not be the best and maybe never will, but he could be a good one, good enough to get to a Super Bowl or two. If you compare him to Elie Manning in his first few years, Sanchez comes out more favorably.

A-ROD A LIGHTENING ROD

A-Rod

Alex Rodriguez has six years left on his obscene contract. Since the 2007 season, A-Rod has not been healthy, has not really earned the millions he is being paid. His latest injury in his knee has him seeking help in Dusseldorf, Germany for a procedure that is not approved in either the US or Canada. Although the procedure called Orthokine is not banned by MLB, it is not recommended by it either.

Time for the Yankees to find a way to buy out A-Rod’s contract, and stem some of the loses they will incur. He will be 42 when his contract expires in 2017. I keep wondering how many of those remaining six years will be productive? Better pay him off, and get back in the bidding wars for some of these free agents once again. I think his contract is what held Cashman back from signing anyone of note this past winter meeting.

Rodriguez is considered one of the best all-around baseball players of all time. He is the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs, and the youngest to hit 600, besting Babe Ruth's record by over a year. Rodriguez has fourteen 100-RBI seasons in his career, a record. A-Rod is the all-time leader in home runs by a player of Hispanic descent.

That’s all I wrote, folks!