Mr. Anonymous
Leakers! Whistleblowers! Cowards! Have the courage to put your name on it! That's the reaction we are hearing from many players, coaches and even politicians about those who tell stories without attribution. As a fan or just a citizen, we need to value those who come...
Vote early and often
Sunday's Giants-49ers game is shaping up as a referendum on the future of Ben McAdoo. Reports of dissension in the locker room and players quitting on the team have dominated the headlines, all of course, denied by the coaches and on the record players. Right now,...
Hot Stove Time
Now that the World Series is over, after a minute to take a breath, the Hot Stove Season begins. For the Yankees, Tanaka has three days to opt out of his deal. I think he won't. If he does, the Yanks have their first big decision to make, if they haven't already done...
50 Years On
I had a wonderful long conversation with Dennis Elsas last night, reminiscing about WNEW-FM, which hit the airwaves for the first time as a progressive (underground, meaningful music, free form, call it what you will) radio station fifty years ago tonight. I wrote a...
More Morning Joe
As expected the reasons that Joe Girardi was not retained by the Yankees have come filtering in. Too intense, says a former player. Not in tune with modern sabremetrics. Too old to relate to younger players. Not media friendly. Friction with Cashman. I would reject...
Say It Ain’t So…
The Yankees fired Joe Girardi today. Couch it in nicer language if you will, but the fact remains, Joe is out and not of his own choosing. In the next few days, I'm sure stories will be leaked about friction between him and the front office. Unsympathetic media...
No Cigar
The Yankees had two opportunities on the road. The prize --- a dream World Series against the Dodgers. They fell short. Close but no cigar. What can they do to make sure it doesn't happen to them again next season? Almost nothing. Thee first order of business is the...
Coney Island Baby
This is a short story based on a Lou Reed song originally written for an anthology. Some prominent crime writers were asked to contribute, including my friend Reed Farrel Coleman. Sadly, the book's editor died before publication and no one rose to take his place. So...
Not dead yet
It's tempting to write the Yankees off after a pair of 2-1 losses to the Astros, putting them down 0-2 in the ALCS. We can cite odds forever on how many 0-2 teams have come back to win a series, but these stats are meaningless. The bottom line is that both teams have...
Free Falling pt 2
While most of New York focuses on the amazing Yankees climb to the ALCS, I'm thinking a bit about what happens after the Bombers' run is over, whether it be in the Houston Series or all the way to the World Series. Yanks-Dodgers? That would be cool. But what about...