2014 Sports Predictions - Part one

2014 Sports Predictions - Part one
by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (12-23-13)



Our predictions played out so well last year, we at Seesaw Sports are ending this year with ten new predictions for 2014. Another crazy year of sports is on the way and we'll tell you who wins and who goes home crying. Ten sports predictions for 2014.



TODD:

1) 2014 Super Bowl teams

Since the beginning of the season, I had pegged the Broncos and the 49ers as my Super Bowl picks. I thought they were the best two teams entering the year, and both looked poised to compete in the playoffs. However, it's a total cop-out when prognosticators hang on an old prediction when a better one has made itself evident. Denver still seems like the likeliest AFC squad to advance through the playoffs, but San Francisco is not better than Seattle, especially if the Seahawks have home field advantage. So I'm going with Denver and Seattle. Now, of course, if San Fran does end up making it, I can still take credit for that as well. I've set myself up for the double prediction!

I have a feeling you will come up with another selection entirely, but it seems as though you'd be grasping at straws. Everyone is flawed. These are the two teams with the fewest. That being said, when is the last time the two "best" teams actually made the Super Bowl? It's been a while.

2) March Madness prediction

Again, I am forced to refer back to prior, mysterious statements that no one can confirm, but coming into the college basketball season, I was very high on Arizona. Of course, now everyone is since the Wildcats climbed their way to the number one ranking in the country. They will certainly not remain number one all year, but I do like them to advance to the Final Four.

A couple other teams I like are Memphis and New Mexico. I don't know if they both will make the Final Four but let's say they both advance past their seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Wait, that's another cop-out. Okay, Elite Eight. They both make the Elite Eight.

3) NBA Finals MVP

This is silly, so I will rephrase things and throw it back to you. If I gave you two options for this,

Option A - LeBron James
Option B - everyone else

Which would you choose?

4) Alex Rodriguez results

In the case of Alex Rodriguez, my prediction is that the arbiter in charge of the proceedings decides to lower the suspension levied against A-Rod but does not erase it entirely. The most logical scenario would seem to be Rodriguez getting his suspension lowered to the 50-game level that everyone else in this drama received. So the A-Bomb is out until early June sometime. By that point, I am sure Yankee fans will be exhausted by Kelly Johnson's exploits and actually welcome Alex back. (I like Kelly Johnson! but not as an everyday player. Get real.)

5) NFL Draft prediction

I'll save my World Series picks until Friday because I have some NFL draft thoughts to cover first. There will be as many as six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. You heard me! Even with Marcus Mariota returning to school, the QB crop is as deep as it's been in years, and teams are desperate for a franchise signal caller. To clarify, there will most certainly NOT be six quarterbacks worthy of a first round grade, but at least six get taken day one.


DAN:

1) The two best teams rarely make the Super Bowl and this year's game will be no different. Mojo is the biggest factor in playoff success and two teams stand out with the most mojo this season. The Carolina Panthers will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Their mojo couldn't be higher after a monster win over New Orleans this past week. And in the AFC I'm revisiting my prediction from last year, yet this time its coming true. The New England Patriots will continue to defy the odds and roll past the competition on their way to the big game.

Mark it down, we're having a good old fashioned rematch this February. Panthers vs. Patriots for the title.

2) I'm going in a different direction with my initial March Madness prediction. I'm calling it, a team seeded ten or lower will make the Final Four this March. I'm also high on Duke and Arizona, both are Elite Eight teams this season for sure.

3) I like this game, because you have to take the field as I'm going with Lebron James for NBA MVP. I feel pretty darn good about my odds here. Go Heat!

4) I think Alex gets a slightly higher suspension, missing an aesthetically pleasing 65 games. But I don't think he returns to the Yankees this season. As long as teams like Seattle need names to fill seats, A-rod has value on the open market. The Yankees eat half his salary and trade him for some youth. Where you ask? I'm leaning towards Seattle or Colorado. Just a gut feeling.

5) Wow, hard to top that type of prediction. I know the quarterback needs around the league are running high, but six quarterbacks in the first round? I'm predicting the top pick in the draft will NOT be a quarterback. Round two is the new round one for QBs and this year will be more of the same. I like six quarterbacks in round two, but only two taken in round one. Johnny Football slips into round two for sure and the Redskins draft a quarterback. How about them apples?

[Part two - Predictions six to ten]

MLB season recap: Playoff prognostication & the Off season - Part two

MLB season recap: Playoff prognostication & the Off season - Part two
by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (10-4-13)

[Part one - Gloating and Awards]



DAN:
Let me get this out of the way up front. I'm pulling for the Dodgers this postseason, partially because I call LA home, but mainly because I want to be excited to watch some games throughout the month of October. The 2013 MLB playoffs is lining up to completely shoot its load early. Two of the most exciting match ups were the Wild Card single elimination games. I love the Reds vs. the Pirates. Two franchises struggling to find real success. And the Rays vs. the Indians is just fun. We got each for one game, with the Pirates and Rays prevailing. So we move on.

The true first round, the divisional round, is kind of amazing. The Red Sox vs. the Rays is awesome and the Dodgers vs. the Braves is just as awesome! But in the divisional round? Damn it. Those are my ideal Championship round match ups that we won't see. Detroit vs. Oakland and the Pirates vs. St. Louis are decent, but nothing to write home about. After this round, its not looking pretty.

As a fan I want the Red Sox and Dodgers to advance, but I'm sticking by my January 1st predictions. The Rays are hot and will take down the Red Sox. Same goes for the Braves, who will out hustle the Dodgers for the series win. I'm taking Detroit over an over matched Oakland squad and the Pirates to continue the magic just a little longer against an older St. Louis roster.

This pits the Rays vs. the Tigers in the AL Championship and the Braves vs. the Pirates for the NL crown. Ho hum. The Rays win a tough series while the Braves continue to make the opposition look silly, on their way to the World Series. With the Braves vs. the Rays for the championship of Major League Baseball, the Braves come out on top proving that by late October most of the country has already forgotten about baseball.


TODD:
Your American League rationalization sounds accurate. The Rays and Red Sox seem like the two best teams and two most fun teams to see play for the pennant. Unfortunately, with them facing each other in the divisional round instead, things are not ideal. However, Oakland and Detroit are probably more talented overall than Tampa. I mean Detroit especially is loaded on all fronts when they're on. Really it's amazing how good all four of these teams' pitching staffs are. I know it sounds like I'm talking everyone up to make it harder for me to get a pick wrong, and I am, but I could easily see any of the four make the World Series.

The match ups though, favor two. I think Boston desperately wanted to face either Texas or Cleveland. Tampa was their worst case scenario and they got it. With that pitching and wily, gutty roster, Tampa takes down Boston as you noted. I think Oakland also advances as a semi-upset. This has more to do with Detroit not having all their pieces in order really. Miguel Cabrera has been banged up for a month now; Justin Verlander hasn't been the same pitcher this season. In a five game series, Oakland hits their way to three wins.

It's anyone's guess who wins when Oakland faces Tampa. The pitching staff of each team is super deep, with the edge maybe to the Rays. I like the Athletics' lineup a bit more but only if Yoenis Cespedes gets over his lingering issues from the end of the regular season. Because of experience, I have to go with Tampa as well to make the World Series. After all, while you picked this team from the start of the year, I picked them to at least win the AL East. We both thought they'd be formidable.

As for the NL, you have your opinions backwards. The exciting series is the NL Central tilt between the Cards and Buccos. The Pirates are the best story in baseball and the Cardinals are the best team in baseball. This series should be a lot of fun, especially if that Pirates crowd is as rowdy as they were during the wild card match. Hearing them taunt poor Johnny Cueto so mercilessly was kind of refreshing to hear from a baseball crowd. St. Louis advances but not for lack of effort and pep by Pittsburgh.

The other match up upsets me. I understand you rooting for the Dodgers. It makes sense. But this team is not that good. They have three legitimate starting pitchers for sure but that's as far as their strengths go. Unless these hitters, who've been hitting way over their head all year long, keep it going, this might be a short series. And that's not because I am really high on Atlanta. Because I'm not.

Atlanta's offense is suspect and their pitching is not nearly as strong as it was earlier in the season. I like them to advance past the divisional round but fall to the superior Cardinals in the championship series.

In the World Series, we see two very familiar teams. St. Louis and Tampa Bay have both had tons of playoff experience in recent years. The Rays have David Price and Joe Maddon and Evan Longoria and Wil Myers and lots of good stuff all around, but this St. Louis team just seems better. They had the second best run differential in the majors during the regular season. Assuming Allen Craig makes it back from injury at some point during the playoffs, their lineup is really deep and really underrated. And that pitching staff is killer, both good and so young.

If the Cardinals do win another World Series this season, the National League better watch out because this team is not getting worse anytime soon. Between Shelby Miller, Trevor Rosenthal, and Michael Wacha, they may have the best young pitchers in the majors, and that's not even counting what they have at the minor league level (scary good) and their veterans (Adam Wainwright, anyone?).

Thinking of the Cardinals' bright future makes me sad and somber thinking of the Yankees dark and dreary midnight romp into the off season. Robinson Cano is asking for $305 million; the pitching staff is going to be decimated with hopes resting on Michael Pineda; and the lineup is older than George Burns and George Burns died like 18 years ago.

At least this Alex Rodriguez appeal hearing gives us something to follow...in the hopes that he is indeed suspended and it frees up $30 million for the Yankees to spend elsewhere in 2014.


DAN:
I'm bored thinking of the Cardinals winning another World Series. I know they are a classic MLB franchise who let their best player walk in Albert Pujols only to become a better team, but they have no cache. And our off season prospects aren't much more fun.

Robinson Cano will most likely end up wearing a different uniform next season. He wants too much money and someone will pay it to him. More importantly, he wants a ten year deal which I HOPE the Yankees do not agree to. He is not young enough to warrant anything close to that long of a contract.

As for A-rod, sure freeing up his money is great and all, but I'm hoping he isn't suspended for very long. The Yankees desperately need some fire power in their ever aging lineup. He is an excellent DH still, not amazing, but very good. Any other big names you see moving, or trades going down, before we settle in for the post season action?



TODD:
Of course Rodriguez would be a viable bat in our lineup. He was superior to any and all third base options we had this past season. But can't the Yankees rebuild for one year (since that is what is looking like will happen voluntarily or not)? So why not bottom out and use the A-Rod money on some young guys? I know this isn't basketball or even football. Teams don't bottom out for draft picks in baseball unless that is what Houston has been doing for four years now. But the Yankees are allowed to be bad for one year if it means a nice rebound the following season with a roster we like. 2014 seems like the perfect storm of roster crumbling, money drying up (by choice) and the like to put this in motion anyways.

I know it's New York and that probably won't happen but, on some level, I would rather a last place finish and a retooled roster of younger guys to another season like this where the playoffs is plausible but not likely.

As for other moves, the only thing that people are chatting about is David Price getting moved. Tampa won't be able to afford him after next season and they usually deal guys for something valuable before they hit free agency. Although a World Series title here might make it difficult to part with their ace pitcher. It will be interesting to follow what Price and Tampa do this off season.

[If you missed Part one - Gloating and Awards]

"Liars & Cheats* get Love too" - What ha... happened (August Part two)

"Liars & Cheats* get Love too" - What ha... happened (August Part two)
by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (8-30-13)

[Part one - "Hey. Hey guys. Guess what the bat represents!"]



"What ha... happened," where we scour the internet for a crazy sports photo or GIF and someone must try to explain it. Seesaw Sports asks what ha... happened? Monday: Opening statement. Friday: Rebuttal.

Real photos. Real results. But what in the heck happened?



TODD:
Alex Rodriguez playing with his bat was great and all, but how about actual, sincere love from other human beings. Caught on camera no less. More GIFs baby!

I present to you the following:

Photo: A-Rod the... jovial?

Title: "Liars and cheats get love too"

Description: At some point, in some instance in his long career, teammates were rather fond of Alex Rodriguez. This may have been the only incident, but Andruw Jones and Robbie Cano seem to be having a...dare I say...good time with Rodriguez. A-Rod even seems to be playing along, feigning surprise and acting like a normal guy would while kidding around with buddies. How neat!

Will this ever happen again or will we look back in 30 years and find this GIF as the only remaining evidence that Alex Rodriguez was ever liked by anybody?

What ha... happened?


DAN:
You see the glass half full, teammates loving on Alex and having a good time WITH him. Not so my friend. Rather naive if you ask me. Let me tell you what went down.

Andruw Jones tricked Mr. Cano with the whole "let me draw your house in your palm" trick which always ends with an extra large swimming pool of spit in the hand. Andruw's chuckling and Robbie has a hand full of loogie. The only thing to do is pass on the prank to his buddy Alex. He casually rubs the spit on A-rod's shoulder, then hugs him as a distraction. A hug is always surprising, but especially for A-rod. Notice how Cano wipes off his hands at the end. He's cleaning away the rest of the evidence. Case closed and prank dismissed.

As for your other question, I have a funny answer and a real answer.

Real answer: Alex Rodriguez will get TONS of love from teammates and fans alike when he starts breaking baseball records. I don't care how much you hate him, breaking records and setting new ones is super cool. Whichever team he's on, his teammates will love him for it and look up to him as one of the all time greats. They understand how the game works. And fans, they'll love the spectacle if nothing else.

Fun answer: Since the GIF is obviously a prank caught on tape, its no real evidence of love. I'd venture to say love is returned when given and A-rod gives himself the most love of anyone. My first GIF brought this to light, but we all know about the centaur painting. He loves himself way too much to ever get a real public display of affection from another person.

[If you missed Part one - "Hey. Hey guys. Guess what the bat represents!"]

"Hey. Hey guys. Guess what the bat represents!" - What ha... happened? (August Part one)

"Hey. Hey guys. Guess what the bat represents!" - What ha... happened? (August Part one)
by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (8-26-13)



"What ha... happened," where we scour the internet for a crazy sports photo or GIF and someone must try to explain it. Seesaw Sports asks what ha... happened? Monday: Opening statement. Friday: Rebuttal.

Real photos. Real results. But what in the heck happened?



DAN:
The Alex Rodriguez crying photo is pretty awesome, but its only a warm up. An insightful cover for the sweet stuff inside. We got GIFs baby!

I present to you the following:

Photo: Nice and easy A-rod

Title: "Hey. Hey guys. Guess what the bat represents!"

Description: Are you familiar with Alex Rodriguez? The third baseman for the New York Yankees? He's been in the news a bit lately. Something about PED allegations, a ban by Major League Baseball, an appeal to MLB which has allowed him to continue to play for the New York Yankees and a potential lawsuit against the Yankees themselves for screwing him over with their doctors. Then he got hit by a pitch, hit a home run, dropped his lawsuit and now...

Oh good, you have heard. Well A-rod seems to be enjoying his time with the bat here. I wonder what he's thinking. I wonder who or what the bat represents to him. Why Alex; why are you man handling your wood like that?

What ha... happened?


TODD:
As hilarious as this might be, I feel like Alex Rodriguez has been taking too much heat. Enough heat to bring any man to tears, or a fit of passion with the bat.

I know it is an awful lot of fun to hate on the guy, but we've gone over the line. He's not evil; he hasn't hurt or injured others off the field. He has never gotten into legal trouble per say, other than going against baseball's own rules. And those rules seem kind of arbitrary and shallow to begin with. Why are some performance-enhancing actions legal and others are not? Alex is not the villain you want him to be and his fun time waiting on deck exemplifies this.

A true villain doesn't rub so hard. A-Rod is getting slammed all over and it doesn't seem warranted. Bud Selig tried to suspend him a year and a half for a violation that already has a set penalty of a 50 game suspension. Something doesn't add up! I don't like to be a Rodriguez supporter, but like the wood he's stroking, I'm with him for now.

If Alex Rodriguez was not A-rod, rather someone we previously liked, it would be interesting to see what penalty this situation would have warranted. If all the details were the same except the name of the player, I think Selig would have issued a much more reasonable suspension...which seems absolutely ludicrous! Imagine a professional sports commissioner airing out personal grievances against a player by slamming him with harsher penalties. It sounds like something out of the WWE.

So what happened? Alex has baseball by its balls and he's going to town on their bat.

[Part two - "Liars and Cheats* get Love too"]

The Jeter-less Yankees: A new era in New York - Part two

The Jeter-less Yankees: A new era in New York - Part two
by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (6-7-13)

[Part one - Derek Jeter: Gone or Just resting]



TODD:
Derek Jeter is retiring soon and the turnover on this roster was inevitable from an age standpoint, but Cano is in his early 30's. He was supposed to be the lynch pin connecting the 90's Yanks to the future Yanks. The young guys in the minors are still in the low minors; they are at least two more years away. If not Robinson Cano, who's team is this going forward? Don't say CC Sabathia; taking a look at his velocity this season, I'm afraid he may already be on the downside of his prime.


DAN:
I think Cano re-signs, but this is no sure thing. He will want a lot of money and other teams will be itching to pay it to him as well. But your question of 'what then' is nearsighted and a 'head in the sand' view of the future. Let's assume for a moment that Robinson Cano signs with a team other than the Yankees. Kuroda probably re-signs, Pettitte retires, Mariano Rivera retires and so does Derek Jeter because of injury more than anything. The only Yankee staples of the past five years will be Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira, but neither man is the face of this franchise. Nor is CC Sabathia for that matter. I'll get to the man who has that honor in a moment. The team itself, the one on the field, will be brand new all over again, but just a great. This season has proven that a solid team can be assembled with limited financial resources. Now open up the books, clear them out, and things look much, much brighter. Without the big salaries of yesterday's star players, the Yankees have a lot of money to spend on what is shaping up to be an excellent free agent class for 2014. But who is the face of the franchise?

The face of the 2014 Jeter-less and Cano-less New York Yankees is their former catcher and World Series champion manager, Joe Girardi. He has been a Yankee since the titles of the late 90's. He managed the team to a title in 2009 and has proven his greatness with the lineup already in 2013. We have a great shot at the title this season, and after removing the team's star players, this Yankee team becomes its manager's ball club. Much like Joe Torre pushed the players of that 1996 team to greatness and stardom, Joe Girardi will wrestle the 2014 squad into a set of future stars of his own making. He embodies the team and he is the Yankees.

I can practically see you rolling your eyes over there, so what then, who do you have? Maybe Derek Jeter has another year in him, maybe he becomes a bench / hitting coach, but that doesn't make him the face of the franchise. If not Girardi, who's mug goes on the ticket stub?


TODD:
Yeah the Yankees will still be good with or without Cano. I know this. They have too many resources not to be at least pretty good. But Joe Girardi is no face of a franchise. Give me a break! If you ask an Atlanta fan who their favorite Brave was, does anyone answer by saying Bobby Cox? Managers in baseball are afterthoughts unless they make a glaring mistake. Unlike football or basketball where a gameplan can be administered, baseball coaches essentially just keep track of playing time and keeping everyone healthy/motivated. And you want to put THAT on your opening day tickets?

The reason I asked is because I don't see a clear answer unless New York makes a move. As you stated, assuming Rivera, Jeter and, for argument's sake, Cano are all gone, that leaves the aging Sabathia and Teixeira as the big boys. A-Rod will be around (unless the Yankees are able to void his contract after this HGH suspension business sorts itself out); whether that implies he's healthy or on the field or even given playing time is another story. He is still a very famous baseball player, but no NY Yankee fan wants to root for him as their guy.

I've heard idiotic sportscasters announce how the Yankees should "just trade for Giancarlo Stanton since the Marlins aren't going anywhere" as if Miami would simply give away their best player at the age of 23 just because they aren't winning very much this season. But a blockbuster trade is possible as a means to resupply the Major League club with a franchise star. New York does have a loaded crop of guys in the low minors who are probably two or three years away. Maybe Miami would be interested in a few.

We left ourselves with a lot of assumption-making but therein lies the groundwork for successful debating and predicting. The most realistic scenario sees Robbie Cano return after signing a near $200 million contract. The next most realistic possibility is New York playing the 2014 season behind Sabathia, Tex, and role players old and young. It's not fun nor exciting, just realistic.

But we are getting way ahead of ourselves. We're not even to the All-Star break of 2013 just yet and the Yanks are playing well. I sure hope Derek Jeter is ready to return next month. Lord knows we need an everyday shortstop who can at least hit his weight. The Captain has surprised us before; coming back on schedule now would be another pleasant surprise.


DAN:
Okay, okay so Joe Girardi is the opposite of a glamour pick, but he completely fits the "face of a franchise" mold. He's a former player for the Yankees, turned manager. That at least partially balances out the fact he isn't actually participating in the games. Plus, doesn't his stock sky rocket after this year, assuming things play out as good as or better than they have so far. Most years I agree, the manager is a "pat you on the butt" guy, but this season Joe is working some magic in the dugout.

As for Jeter surprising us all, if we've learned anything from his history then we're in for a show. He's always been full of surprises, exceeded expectations, pulled the Yankees by his teeth when necessary and taken the team to unbelievable heights. With Mo Rivera playing out of his mind, I'm pulling for a second half by Derek Jeter to match. Could we possibly have two historic players singing impressive swan songs together? Could they both go out on top? Damn I hope so!

[If you missed Part one - Derek Jeter: Gone or Just resting]

The Penny Pinching NY Yankees - Final Off-season thoughts Part One

The Penny Pinching NY Yankees - Final Off-season thoughts

by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (2-25-13)

TODD:

Let's wrap up the MLB off-season with one final conversation about the NY Yankees. It was a rather uneventful winter for a team known to out bid and out maneuver its rivals. Something enormous has happened here and I want to touch on this development.  The NY Yankees are now the "thrifty" men in pinstripes.

It has been announced and essentially confirmed that the Yankees are going to cut salary for the 2014 season to get under the new luxury tax threshold. They signed multiple players this off-season for one year deals to accomplish this. They have also pinched pennies at starting positions as to not get tied down to anything long-term. Rumor has it, this will be a one year plan. After they get under the luxury tax, they will then immediately get back over it the following season, but pay a cheaper penalty because of the lack of multiple seasons over the tax.

At first, I looked on this development fondly. For too long have I been forced to explain my Yankees allegiance to people as they taunted me about payrolls and made excuses as for why the NY Yankees were always good. It was always the money, and never the team, despite the fact that other, highly bankrolled teams were having no where near the success.

Yet nevertheless, I was always looking forward to the time when some other team would trump the Yankees' payroll and make us "just another team who spends a lot." The time has finally arrived, but it is significantly less exciting than I was expecting. There are no young, hot prospects coming up to get lots of playing time this season; we are not cutting money at premium positions to give a young guy a chance and watch a new team develop. The NY Yankees are still old as mud but just richer for it. It is...unsatisfying. I pray the season will not be.

DAN:

For someone who prides himself on being anything but a traditional fan, you've been completely played by the opinions of other fans. We Yankees fans don't care why we win, how we win, or what other fans think of our winning. Just win baby.  And now you're unsatisfied that a change in perception isn't living up to the hype. That's because its a show, a game to rile up the rivals.  By all means let us be the "Penny pinching" NY Yankees.

Thrifty is a fun word, but considering how much the Yankees are paying people, they're not actually being thrifty. They ARE in fact pinching pennies, counting every single one to miss the luxury tax in 2014. Since they are just working to avoid the multi-year penalty, I dislike this development a bit less now. They can just spend again in 2015. In principal I'm happy our team is thinking bigger picture, but reality is not nearly as squeaky clean.

I HATE this stupid idea. It only makes business sense and does next to nothing to help the actual team on the field. Our beloved NY Yankees can afford to pay the luxury tax. Lowering or removing it entirely is admirable, but it can't be a one to three year plan. That is asinine and leads me to believe the team will most certainly be sold in 2014 as rumored. The only way this works is if you actually start acquiring young talent for your big money guys, doing so when said players are worth something and not riding the bench because of injury, ahem Alex Rodriquez and Curtis Granderson and more to come I'm sure since our team is old as hell.

I'm sad, not because the team is old and we are stuck with old guys, but because Brian Cashman has always had a plan. He's filled holes with the best of them and made the Yankees a playoff contender for 17 years now. This current situation reeks of no team plan, no long term solution and the looming reality of no championship parade.

[Part Two]

The NY Yankees Black hole at Third- Wrap up Time!

 

The NY Yankees Black hole at Third - Wrap up Time!

by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (1-18-13)

[Part One from Monday]

TODD:

The Yankees' corner man situation won't be pretty. As I tweeted the other day, @sportspinata, the Yankees have turned into an owner in a fantasy auction draft. They had a plan and didn't want to go over budget on certain guys, rightfully so. But, instead of waiting out the other players for a bargain, they waited too long and are left with nothing but scrub options. Sometimes, in these auction drafts, you look back and wish you had gone four to five dollars more on that guy who can actually walk and chew gum.

As for Youkilis, why the vitriol? Why do you care who he used to play for? I never understood this argument from other fans or even analysts. I have never met any of these MLB players, know nothing about who they are and really couldn't care. If they are wearing a Yankees uniform, I will root for them to succeed! Fans get all bent out of shape about the lack of loyalty in professional sports. Here's an idea, stop being so loyal to people you don't know, have never met, will never meet and will never be friends with! You root for a team; that should be enough.

If Youkilis the Yankee bats over .280 I will welcome him with open arms. If he is confirmed as washed up, I will root for his exit, which has nothing to do with who he used to play for.

DAN: 

Completely love the auction draft guy analogy. I've been that guy. I've also been the guy who pays the extra five bucks only to see said player hit IR within a week. Fantasy!!

You've opened a can of worms with the fan debate. I whole heartily agree that as a fan of a team you root for your team and the guys on it to succeed. I don't think I'd care much for Santonio Holmes if he wasn't a Jet, considering he's a demon in the locker room.  But here's where you've got it all wrong.  We root for a team as a fan, but we love our teams because of the guys on it. And we love it even more because of our team's enemies. As a Jets fan I'm grateful to hold the Patriots as an enemy, and as a Yankees fan we have the Red Sox to some extent. Considering the Red Sox have been a vastly inferior product for much of my life, I never really 'hated' them, but as a fan I did come to hate some of their players over the years. Particularly my years living in Boston.

Back to third base and Kevin Youkilis.  It’s not that I hate having him on my team; I’m thrilled to root for whoever is playing third for the Yankees, but I despise him a little. I hold some vitriol for the Red Sox and their players from the successful seasons of 2003 through 2008, a five year stretch in which I spent the first three living in Boston. I do not care for those players, except maybe Johnny Damon who I was thrilled to have as a Yankee. He seemed anti Red Sox by the end of things. Loved it.

As fans we love and hate irrationally and that's what makes it fun! To not hold loyalty to any player is to hold loyalty to a logo which is just color and design on fabric. I'm human and I like to connect with other humans. I want another Derek Jeter!

TODD: 

This is where my irrational love of statistics and my ice cold heart come into play. I could not care less if Derek Jeter played for the Minnesota Twins tomorrow as long as the Yankees had someone to take his place (Hey there Eduardo!). I really have no loyalty to any players of any kind in any sport. I don't know how this developed really. When I was a little kid my favorite players (Ken Griffey Jr. in baseball) were never on my favorite teams. And now that I have no favorite players, I strictly root for fantasy success and the Yankees, end of story.

Columnists always wax poetic about how sports are a business and fans need to see that in the decisions teams make. I actually don't think teams go far enough sometimes. Let's use Jeter as another example. Everyone was fine with this past contract the Yankees gave him because he had earned it with everything he did previously. How idiotic is that!? Would an owner of Home Depot pay an old man who cannot mix paint anymore just because he used to be the best paint mixer in town? Sports seem to show MORE loyalty than regular jobs, not less; and it is because no one roots for or pays to watch that old man mix paint. Teams would be much better off in most situations if they took their hearts out of decisions.

Just know that my heart is cold and black when it comes to professional athletes. Most people think they care about certain players, but they're just too stubborn to admit otherwise. How many of those Yankees fans rooted for Jeter's head when he got off to a terrible start a few seasons back; and how many diehards will yell and scream in favor of Kevin freakin' Youkilis the first time he goes four for five in a game?

DAN: 

Even though I root for players, I'd fire the elderly paint mixer.  I'm forced to agree as both a realist and a big picture guy. I love having players to root for and I've loved rooting for Derek Jeter over the years. But the Yankees should have given him a one year deal and seen how it went. He played great, so give him another year. But signing any old guy long term is dumb. Good franchises don't fall into this trap more often than not, and bad franchises never have this trap to worry about in the first place.

Speaking of a bad team, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I've actually enjoyed rooting for Mark Sanchez over the three seasons prior to this current one as a Jet. Living in Los Angeles I got to see him kick ass on the USC Trojans and then get drafted by my favorite team. Win, win! However, I'm not blind. He has to go. So it doesn’t have to be as cut and dry as you make it. You can root, root, root for your guys until they are no longer valuable to your team. As for the Yankees and Youkilis, he is an excellent one year stop gap at 3B, 1B, DH etc. Great pick up. At least that's what I keep telling myself.  I'll find it in my heart to root for him. It’s not cold and black like yours.

[If you missed Part One from Monday]

The NY Yankees Black hole at Third

The NY Yankees Black hole at Third

by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (1-14-13)


DAN:
Alex Rodriguez is once again getting surgery and the Yankees are left with a hole in their team for at least the first third of the 2013 season. Some might say the hole was there whether he was healthy or not, but I'm not one of those haters.

How do the Yankees, our team, fix this? I really like Eduardo Nunez, but he was Jeter's backup and not a consistent enough hitter as of yet to be relied upon every day. Does he convert to a shortstop / third base hybrid? They signed Youkilis, but can we really rely on him at this point in his career? I don't know farm systems enough to propose a trade, but something needs to happen now!

TODD: 

So many directions to go here; I'll tackle each one like they were shot with a bullet... but something less dangerous and foreboding. This deserves tranquilizer points!

--> Alex Rodriguez is out for six months, give or take 65 days on either end. This creates a huge hole in the Yankees' lineup. I am with you up to this point. However, I am one of those "haters" of the belief that A-Rod is on his last legs. I feel like a mandatory benching for surgery is actually beneficial here. The Yankees will be able to sit him without the backlash and story surrounding. A man more skeptical than myself may even suggest Yankees brass "encouraged" A-Rod to get another surgery.

--> I too like Eduardo Nunez. He runs, puts the bat on the ball and adds some energy to a sluggish lineup. He is not a third baseman though. He struggled with the glove during his time at third last season, and had a very hard time sliding around the diamond defensively. I think his best use will be to DH when added speed is needed, spell Jeter at short and to play sparingly elsewhere. Unless the glove progresses, Nunez won't be effective as an everyday third baseman.

--> There was no hope at all in the free agent pool and we signed the top available corner infielder in Kevin Youkilis. Down the road, moving around a current Yankee to open up a different spot seems like a long shot. Could Cano move to third with his arm strength? Yeah, probably, but that does not seem like something Girardi or Brian Cashman would want to do.

--> The Yankees farm system is worse than it was a year ago. Many of the top pitching prospects had poor or injury-riddled seasons in 2012. The young catchers are not quite ready and things are shallow everywhere else. It also seems against corporate policy for the Yankees to ever make a trade FOR a young prospect, although being able to deal for a young 3B here would be rather intriguing.

--> What does that leave New York with? The answer is simple and discouraging. Kevin Youkilis is a stop gap player for at least six weeks as the season begins. If he is competent, he’ll remain until A-Rod's return. If he is gruesome, other options will be explored. Welcome to a world where Ryan Roberts is the starting third baseman of the New York Yankees!

DAN: 

I don't care for the 'options' you mentioned and who is this Ryan Roberts you speak of? I don't want to know! Back to players I know of and most notably A-Rod and the Youk. Your idea that the Yankees brass encouraged A-Rod to get surgery is intriguing and I'd even consider it if we had even one good option to fill in. Seeing as there's none, even with Youkilis, I respectfully disagree.

As for the Youk, I'm all for irony and poetic justice and that crap, but if Kevin Youkilis fills in for Alex Rodriguez and plays really well then I may just cry. We won’t want A-Rod back at all and Youkilis might actually replace Alex entirely. I enjoyed when Johnny Damon joined the Yankees. Loved it actually as a haha moment. But I don't like Youkilis. I actually dislike him. He is the quintessential image of the chicken and beer fiasco in my mind. And now he is a Yankee? Our guy! No way. Keep out! Do not enter. I'd rather field "insert name of random Marlins player here" than him. Unfortunately that isn’t happening. Give me a few weeks in April and I’m sure I’ll come around.

[Part Two]