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CC Sabathia or Johan Santana As The Ace Of Your Pitching Staff?

In New York Mets, New York Yankees on December 5, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Johan Santana, left, and CC Sabathia.

Johan Santana, left, and CC Sabathia.

It’s been three weeks since the New York Yankees offered him a six-year, $140 million contract, but chances are that free agent CC Sabathia will likely pitch in the Bronx.

Despite reports that Sabathia would prefer to play in his home state, teams in California either have other free agent priorities or simply don’t have the money.

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that Sabathia signs with the Yankees.

New York will feature the two highest-paid pitchers in baseball, with the Mets’ Johan Santana at $137.5 million over six years.

That’s a salary of $23.3 million for Sabathia and $22.9 million for Santana per season, for a combined total of $46.2 million.

It’s an understatement to say that it’s a big investment for the New York baseball teams in two pitchers. In contrast, the entire payroll for the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays was $43.4 million in 2007.

So who would you rather have as the ace of your pitching staff?

CC Sabathia or Johan Santana?

Sabathia went a combined 17-10 with a 2.70 ERA for the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers last season, and was 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA after getting traded to the Brewers in June.

He led the majors with 253 innings pitched, finished fifth in the National League Cy Young voting and sixth in the MVP balloting.

Sabathia is a durable pitcher capable of supplying his team with quality starts and 200-plus innings each season. His fastball is explosive and his slider is an excellent out-pitch to left-handed hitters. His change-up has improved significantly.

Santana has three dominating pitches—a mid-90s MPH fastball, a high-80s MPH slider and a change-up. The change-up is devastating because Santana throws it to hitters like he’s throwing his fastball.

Santana also throws his slider with different breaks at different speeds, giving him a slurve-like alternative to his other pitches.

He finished the 2008 regular season with a 16-7 record, posting a 2.53 ERA with 206 strikeouts. His 2.53 ERA led the majors and was a career best. He also set a career high in innings pitched.

Santana finished in third place in the National League Cy Young award race.

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Super Bowl Hero Mark Ingram Cannot Elude Trouble Off The Field

In Mark Ingram, New York Giants on December 5, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Former New York Giants wide receiver Mark Ingram in Super Bowl XXV.

Former New York Giants wide receiver Mark Ingram in Super Bowl XXV.

The New York Giants trail the Buffalo Bills 12-10 in the third quarter of Super Bowl XXV. The Giants’ strategy going into the game was to keep the potent Bills offense off the field as much as possible.

On their first drive of the second-half, the Giants 11th play is a daunting third-and-13. The Bills have the momentum and poised to take control of the game.

In one of Super Bowl history’s most memorable plays, quarterback Jeff Hostetler drops back and finds wide receiver Mark Ingram over the middle for four yards.

In a play that symbolized the Giants sheer determination to win the game, Ingram escapes from two tackles from Kirby Jackson and Darryl Talley, jukes away from Mark Kelso, and with JD Williams hanging onto his leg, Ingram hops on the other for one more yard.

As the play develops, it seems to unfold agonizingly slow as the receiver eludes tackles and wills his way for a key first-down conversion at the 19-yard line.

He ends the game with five catches for 74 yards, a performance that helps the Giants to a 20-19 Super Bowl upset.

His personal life since retiring in 1996 sadly has not been as storied.

Today, the former star is scheduled to start a 92-month jail term for drug-money laundering.

He is the father of Alabama Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram, Jr., whose undefeated team has a shot at the Southeastern Conference title against Florida and a chance at a national championship with a win this Saturday.

Ingram had hoped to attend the game before heading to prison, missing it by one day.

In 2001, Ingram was sentenced to six months in federal prison for carrying nearly $3,300 in counterfeit money. In 2004, he served a year for stealing a credit card from a golf course near his home.

And now the money laundering charge.

When Ingram leaves prison, his son’s college career will be over and his 50th birthday will come behind bars.

“I’ve done a lot of things wrong,” Ingram said at his sentencing. “I’m an imperfect man.”

Unfortunately some of Mark Ingram’s decisions after his Super Bowl performance have been less than memorable.

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New York Giants Offensive Line One of The All-Time Best

In New York Giants, New York Giants Offensive Line on December 4, 2008 at 7:51 am

New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara, No. 60, leads the NFL's best offensive line.

New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara, No. 60, leads the NFL's best offensive line.

Offensive linemen. It’s as if the word offensive in their job title hints at something else besides the fact they are actually part of the unit that handles the ball. No other player is so thoroughly under appreciated and marginalized in football.

And they know all too well how the football adage goes—if their names aren’t called they are doing their jobs.

But the New York Giants offensive line has been so good they are starting to be recognized for the job they do.

Leading the NFL in total rushing yards, average yards per rush, average yards rushing per game, total points scored, and average points scored per game will do that.

Don’t know this group that helped the Giants win the Super Bowl?

They are left tackle David Diehl, left guard Rich Seubert, center Shaun O’Hara, right guard Chris Snee, and right tackle Kareem McKenzie.

Television color analyst John Madden calls them the best offensive line in the NFL.

They are young enough to have a great future—Diehl is 28, Seubert and McKenzie each are 29, O’Hara is 31, and Snee is 26.

A great offensive line takes time to put together as ESPN’s John Clayton wrote before the Giants’ Super Bowl win. And the line went through different experimental phases and players to get to it’s present lineup today as Giants beat writer Michael Eisen wrote in June 2005.

All the hard work has paid off.

“Collectively those five guys are as good as any Pro Bowl offensive line you can put together,” said Bart Oates, who was the center on the Giants’ Super Bowl teams in ‘86 and ‘90.

“They work as well together as any group I have ever seen,” said Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Before a game against the Giants, the Baltimore Ravens gave up an average of 65.4 rushing yards.

Running back Brandon Jacobs ran for more than half that amount on the second play and the Giants finished with their fifth 200-yard game of the season.

“The holes were gaping. Gaping,” said Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce after the game. “If you give any NFL back holes like that, he’s going to look like Gayle Sayers.”

The line has started intact almost every game for the past two seasons.

Oakland Raiders personnel executive Mike Lombardi believes that since there is no clear favorite for MVP with only four weeks left in the regular schedule, why not consider the Giants’ offensive line?

He believes the line has controlled games, paving the way for the NFL’s most powerful team.

History indicates that the award will go to a skill player. Although the award does not have to go to one player and can go to a position group, it’s never happened.

Since statistics are the focus in today’s sports, the Giants’ offensive line would not receive consideration because statistics for offensive lines are not officially recorded by the NFL.

Big, tough, and physical, the Giants’ offensive line most often own the line of scrimmage.

As well as the line has played in recent seasons, no single player has been voted for the Pro Bowl.

This season that will most likely change. Many football analysts believe that O’Hara, Seubert, and Snee will each go to their first Pro Bowl. The Giants are first in runs up the middle, sixth in runs to left tackle and tenth in runs to right tackle.

According to Pro Football Weekly, the three players have combined for just seven penalties and three sacks allowed.

Other analysts say that years from now, these five Giants linemen will rank up there with the ’60s Packers, ’70s Raiders, and ’90s Cowboys as one of the greatest offensive lines of all time.

If the Giants win another Super Bowl or two, the offensive line will certainly rank among the greats.

Let’s call their names in recognition for the job that they do as potentially one of the best units in NFL history.

Diehl, Seubert, O’Hara, Snee, McKenzie.

As Giants coach Tom Coughlin said, “They are the heart and soul of this team.”

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