underneath our Yankee Tree? I mean, I hope he has not thought about just giving us two "toys' which we already had last year and that's it! One was rewinded, the other brought back to see if it has still some magic, or maybe gone out on weak batteries, for after all he is an old "toy."

I was reading about Mariano's surgery, which by the way we all hope that all comes out fine, when I reflected on what saving over 600 games means. Over 600 saves, not even counting his playoff ones, which makes it even more incredible.

I divided his 600 saves, just to have a round figure because it's more than that, five or so more, and I came to this conclusion: It's a tough record to break! Heck, if a pitcher was to save 40 games a season, he would need 15 years to do that. He would need a few things, age, health, a couple of dominating pitches, luck, and sustainability, meaning that he would have to maintain the effectiveness for many years, some would call it "consistency." Probably without one of these, he could not achieve this record, better yet, break it.

As things look today, the 2012 version of our Bostonian Enemy will look quite different. From their Front Office to their players, to their manager, to their coaches, since Francona is gone and whoever comes in will probably change the coaches, all will be much different than what it has been for a few years.

There may still be significant changes as I understand that there is a decision to make on what to do with Big Papi, since it was mentioned that if they sign him to a big contract they may not have enough to invest in a big bat outfielder that they need, as Drew will exit and will be replaced by someone with pop in his bat (Beltran?). Even Varitek may not come back and U-kill-us may have played his last game with them also.

The NL has won the WS the last two years as well as the last two All Star games. Is this any sign that the balance is shifting to the NL, or simply put, in the case of Texas, they have not been worthy opponents, or have taken the NL team light?

We have mentioned many times that the NL pitching compared to the AL's, is not as dominant. Also, the A.L. with the DH, has more power numbers. Is this a fallacy? Have we come to believe that the NL pitchers are weaker when in reality they can take care of the A.L's most potent offenses?

Athletes many times do not recognize the time to hang them up, to retire, and they stick around long enough to see their great careers, take a beating. In Boxing, it's even worse, as many times a great boxer receives enough punishment that their health and even their lives, are in danger. Baseball does not have those worries for sticking around too long, but somehow it tarnishes what once was a great career, a legacy. Boxers do not switch teams, uniforms as baseball players do, so to see you in another uniform that is not a Yankee one, well it does tarnish your Yankeeness.

One could see that this year was going to be a little difficult for Cano to repeat as a Gold Glober, after seeing him miss a slow throw to him while covering first base right on the very first game of the season. He would go on to commit a similar error much later into the season, and a few others on balls that he could have made the play, but didn't. You cannot give Chicken Little an inch, because he will beat you, as he did Robbie.

Everybody is still awaiting it, probably this up coming season, maybe?
Cano is a hitter that has been mentioned to win a few batting titles before he is through playing, compared mainly to Rod Carew, but more powerful. They are similar hitters and if you look at how both swing, go with the pitch, well you will see why the comparison. Heck, they even have the same initials, "R.C.!"

Cano is guy who this past season swung at more bad pitches than he has for the past couple of seasons. Had he walked more he would have had a much better average, but I saw him swing at pitches that he normally doesn't, like maybe swinging more for the fences.

“THE FRANCHISE,” “THE KID,” “KOOZ,” “STRAW,” AND “THE OLD PROFESSOR”
“DOCTOR K,” “SKY KING,” “EL SID,” “MR. MET,” AND “MARVELOUS MARV”

A HALF CENTURY WITH ONE OF THE MOST
INTERESTING, ENTERTAINING, AND AMAZIN’ FRANCHISES IN SPORTS
FROM THE PAGES OF THE DAILY NEWS

THE METS
A 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION


After the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers fled for California in 1957, New York was left without a National League baseball team. The loss of the two iconic teams was heartbreaking and the absence festered for five years until the New York Metropolitans were born in 1962. Baseball in the Senior Circuit returned to the five boroughs and baseball-crazed New Yorkers rooted for a roster full of has-beens and never-will-bes managed by a true legend well past his prime. There was plenty to see, but not much of it was good. The Mets ended up 40-120 in 1962.

For me the 2011 baseball season ended last night, I doubt I will even channel surf to check scores. Leaving spring training in March, there were many on this Board who emphatically believed the Yankees would be lucky to finish in 3rd Place in the AL East. Well we did better than that with the best record in the AL - homefield advantage just didn't prove to be enough of an edge. It's just possible if the weather had cooperated things might have turned out differently, but that didn't happen.