Two Thumbs Up

The Colorado Rockies locked up Troy Tulowitzki through the 2020 season with the announcing of a seven-year, $134 million contract earlier today.

Basically, Tulowitzki is going to be a member of the Rockies for the majority of his playing career. He’ll be 36 when his current contract is up.

You can’t blame the Rockies for this one. The 25-year old shortstop is quickly developing into one of the best shortstops in the game, if he isn’t already.

He plays solid defense, runs well and swings a mighty bat.

The Rockies will end up with a huge bargain in the end and that’s what they are hoping for—but it doesn’t come without risk.

Tulowitzki has missed significant time in two seasons now. He sat out most of 2008 with a torn quad muscle. This past season, he suffered a broken wrist after being hit in the hand. The injury caused him to miss a month of the season.

Had he not suffered the injury, Tulowitzki would have been well on his way to another 30 homer, 100 RBI campaign.

I think we will see a 40-homer season from Tulowitzki at some point.

2011 Forecast: .299, 33 HR, 115 RBI, 15 SB, 105 R

Two Thumbs Down

In other news, the Dodgers are reportedly close to signing a three-year, $21 million deal with SS Juan Uribe.

Uribe hit .248 in 148 games with the Giants last season, while posting career highs in homeruns (24) and RBIs (85).

I don’t know why the Dodgers insist on paying Uribe that kind of money to play infield for them. He provides decent pop, but I doubt very seriously that he’ll reach 20 homeruns again.

His defense is average at best, and he produces a lot of outs (career .256 average, .300 OBP).

Uribe hit .280 with 13 homers and 34 RBIs in 261 ABs at AT&T Park last season. To extend upon that, he hit .346 in 182 ABs at AT&T Park with 9 homers and 32 RBI in 2009.

In contrast, Uribe hit a paltry .215 on the road in 2010 and .241 in 2009. Maybe the team that signs him should consider benching him on the road.

This will be another waste of money for the Dodgers organization.

2011 Forecast: 400 ABs, .250, 17 HR, 60 RBI, 45 R

Marlins Bolster Their Staff

Javier Vazquez also cashed in, signing a one-year deal worth $7 million.

Normally, I would say this is a good move, given his poor history pitching for the Yankees, but there are too many red flags here.

He isn’t getting any younger, for one, but he also lost velocity on his fastball last year.

Couple that with career worst ratios in HR/9 (1.8), BB/9 (3.7) and his worst K/9 since his last stint with the Yankees (6.9) and you’ve got yourself quite a risk.

Vazquez likes to use his fastball up in the zone after working his breaking pitches down in the dirt to produce strikeouts. It’s harder to do that when you don’t have your old velocity.

Don’t expect a miraculous recovery in velocity, either. That’s unlikely at his age.

He will really have to use his other pitches effectively if he wants to avoid another 2010 season.

The good news is that he is a different pitcher in the National League—for the better. Another positive, Vazquez only allowed hitters to hit .258 against him last year and 18 of his 32 homers allowed came at Yankee Stadium.

It’s a risky deal for Florida, made even worse by his no-trade clause. That will make dealing him at the break very difficult should he register any success with the Marlins.

2011 Forecast: 165 IP, 6-8, 4.35 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 140 Ks

More to Come

The Winter Meetings are upon us and there are still some very high-profile free agents on the market. It should make for an interesting conclusion to the offseason.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment box below. You can e-mail me suggestions or questions at jtmcadams@aol.com. Follow me on Twitter @JoeSportswriter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

What image do you get when you think of both baseball and professional wrestling?

You never think of the two as being “peas in a pod.”

And the only similarities you might think of are the vast amounts of steroids used by their stars.

However, the two sports share a similarity that goes beyond comparing Barry Bonds’ physique to that of Triple-H. Both sports are American institutions.

American institutions that are slowly losing interest.

The reason ironically is because of their attempts to “cater” to the casual fan.

Baseball has Yankees-Red Sox, while pro wrestling has John Cena-Randy Orton.

Both are long rivalries that were exciting at first but now we’re just sick of, and both will intensify again after Thanksgiving, with the Yankees and Red Sox fighting over the latest prize free agents, while at least the WWE will go into a different direction with Cena and Orton, and Orton will be a face while Cena will be the heel.

These rivalries are what Major League Baseball and the WWE think that people want to see.

There might be some truth to that—the Yankees and Red Sox do pull in higher ratings than most other teams—while the WWE’s ratings are higher when John Cena is around.

But this has done nothing but turn off the die-hards.

In wrestling, the die-hards want to see newer wrestlers get a push. They’re waiting for the day when John Morrison, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, and other newer, fresher faces get their turn.

In baseball, true fans want to see teams be featured on ESPN and Fox other than the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals and Phillies. 

Thankfully in baseball, as long as the good teams win, they get the attention of the press—well, sort of.

The San Francisco Giants had an excellent team with a great pitching staff this year. Because of that they won their first World Series since 1954, which was four years before they moved to San Francisco.

But all I heard about this series from ESPN were questions about where Cliff Lee was going to wind up and if the Yankees, who ironically were eliminated by Lee and his Rangers, would make a push toward him.

ESPN might as well hire Michael Cole based off of how they talk about the non-marquee franchises, especially compared to their constant over-hyping of the Red Sox. They were doing everything but dismissing the Giants like they were just a mediocre NBA team who won the eighth seed in the East.

So what will the solution be for baseball? Oh, more wild cards, great.

The current system in baseball is fine. Three division champions, one wild card per league. Four playoff teams in each league, one goal.

Now their plan is to have two wild cards face each other in a play-in series, which is a mistake. 

Say a team finishes with the second best record in the National League, yet is second in their division. Why would they have to play against a team that finished second in a weaker division and is more than five games back of the first wild card team?

Isn’t 162 games enough?

Wrestling fans probably feel the same way about Vince’s “Brand Extension,” which looks more and more like it will be slowly phased out.

The Brand Extension, for those of you who aren’t into wrestling and clicked on the article because I mentioned baseball, was the splitting up of the WWE roster into Raw and Smackdown, their two shows. The reason being to cut down on travel and employ more wrestlers.

But this ended up just diluting the titles. Right now there’s a WWE Champion, and a World Heavyweight Champion. 

Who’s the real champ?

Yes, I know, maybe wrestling and baseball are completely different, but not in the treatment of the hardcore fans in an attempt to appeal to casual fans.

To bring in casual fans, both need drama. With baseball its already there, but it isn’t being packaged correctly, unless of course its Yankees-Red Sox. Adding more playoff teams won’t solve this problem, it will only make it worse.

Wrestling its all about packaging to create the drama, and they seem to be back on the right track.

Maybe Baseball needs to take some pointers from pro wrestling, and no I don’t mean they should start fixing games, but knowing how Bud Selig, Fox and ESPN think, I wouldn’t put it past them.

After all the last time they did, attendance did go up.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Matt collected baseball cards, especially rookie ones. Every Saturday he would head down to the comic shop at the wharf and buy at least one, sometimes 10. It didn’t matter who it was, as long as it was a rookie. To him, there was no difference between a 2001 Albert Pujols and a 2009 Chris Jakubauskas. But there was one team for which this was different, his San Francisco Giants. He kept those rookies separate from the others.

For the first time since he was seven, in 2002, the Giants were in the World Series. They lost to the Anaheim Angels back then, a crushing blow. When Matt was eight, his hopes were dashed again when the Giants lost to the Florida Marlins in the 2003 National League Division Series. Since then, nothing…until this year. The Giants won the pennant.

Matt’s uncle John gave Matt his first baseball card.  John had a longer memory. He remembers when the New York Giants moved to the bay in 1958. They lost the 1962 Series to their old rival the Yankees in seven games and again to their new one, the Oakland A’s, in 1989, swept in four.

People always talk about the Cubs’, Rangers’, and retired Red Sox streaks these days, but the Giants are no slouches themselves. They haven’t won a World Series in 56 years, longer than their AL opponent, the Rangers, who have only been around for 50. It’s hard to complain, though. The Giants franchise, founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, has won more games than any other professional North American sports team.

Matt kept the 2010 Giants rookie cards bound in a rubber band. He snapped off the band and flipped through them. Not a Hall of Famer in the bunch, except maybe Tim Lincecum, but it’s too early to say. It was a group of mostly relative unknowns. That was part of what drew Matt to them, this scrappy, intense, perhaps destined team that had the perfect mix of inspiration and cool veteran experience. He had all the rookies but one– one of the more well-known Giants, left fielder Pat Burrell, who won the Series two years ago with Philadelphia. His namesake Matt Cain, Buster Posey, and, now, Cody Ross were his favorites.

Pitcher Matt Cain and rookie catcher Gerald “Buster” Posey would be the battery for Game Two. Cain started his up-and-down career with the Giants, his record suffering along with bad teams in ’07 and ’08. Posey, a fan favorite, batted .305 with 18 homers in his first campaign and is possibly looking at Rookie of the Year honors. Catcher Bengie Molina was traded to the Rangers to make room for him. Outside of Cain and Posey, every other starter on the field began his career with a different team.

Journeyman right fielder Cody Ross played his first game for the 2003 Detroit Tigers. Four teams later, he found a home in San Francisco, in the 2010 NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. In the Game 1 win, he took Halladay deep twice. In the clinching Game 4, he drove in the tying and winning runs. The unleashed Ross was in some sense the Mr. October of the Giants.  Center fielder Andres Torres also began with the Tigers. He struggled his first seven years, including a mid-career, three-year minor league stint before being given another chance in 2009, this time with the orange and black.

The rookie cards of the Giants infield were a medley of black, white, navy blue, red, silver, and “Marlin Blue.” Gritty first baseman Aubrey Huff started with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000. 2010 was his first year as a Giant, his fifth team. Second baseman Freddy Sanchez started with the Boston Red Sox, only to be traded to the cellar-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates the year before the Sox won it. Just two years ago, a World Series berth was unimaginable to him. Before this year, he and Huff had 18 years of experience between them, on seven different teams, without a postseason.

The left side of the infield, on the other hand, owns a couple of rings. Third baseman Juan Uribe, who started with the Colorado Rockies in 2001, won it all with the Chicago White Sox in 2005. And Edgar Renteria, veteran of the infield, was brought up by the Florida Marlins in 1996. They won it in ’97.

There was one more home-grown talent on the team, though, that Matt was hoping to see trot out onto the field in the 9th inning tonight–the oddly-coiffed, black-bearded closer Brian Wilson.  Wilson, who redefines “freak” and has fans screaming “Fear the Beard,” led the majors in saves this year with 48.

Matt heard his mother come home from work downstairs. He wrapped the rubber band twice around the cards and put them in his pocket. It was a pocket full of journeymen. Many fans took special pride in their team’s home-grown talent. Matt understood that, and players like Lincecum, Cain, Posey, and Wilson reinforced that feeling for him, too. But he was quite proud of what the Giants put together here–taking a piece from this team and a scrap from that one, hopefully creating a championship patchwork.

“Dominick!  Matthew!  Anthony!  Time to eat,” his mother called from the base of the stairs. Matt ran down and saw his mother standing in the entryway to the kitchen, smiling.  His eyes glanced over the dining room table.

Pat Burrell.  Phillies.  2000.

Good ol’ mom.

Extra Innings

Congratulations San Francisco Giants and Giants Fans!  How sweet it is.

I wrote this just prior to Game 2.  It still stands as a nice tribute to the world champs (and to moms). 

Want more Giants?  Then you have to check out Bleacher Report’s San Francisco Giants site which has some great reads, including:

– Everything you need to know about the Giants offseason in Jefferson Evans’ What’s Next for the World Series Champions? Time to Repeat and Win Another WS.

– Indulge in the Giants victory in fan Zack Farmer’s heart-felt Unbelievable Ride: San Francisco Giants Erase Pains of Past.

You should also check out excellent SF Giants fan blog, the McCovey Chronicles.

Still want more of the 2010 World Series?  I also have a tribute to the AL Champion Texas Rangers on my blog.  Take a peek, if you’d like, at Ryan’s Rangers, 2010.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Top Five Stories From Yesterday

1.  The San Francisco Giants win their first World Series title since 1954 after Game 5, and the series four games to one.

2.  The Colts take the lead in the AFC South after cruising to a Monday Night Football win over the Texans in Indianapolis.

3.  The Vikings cut WR Randy Moss less than four weeks after acquiring him from the New England Patriots.

4.  The Bulls hand the Trail Blazers their first loss of the season behind a huge night from Luol Deng.

5.  The Flyers move into first place of the Atlantic Division after defeating the Hurricanes in Philadelphia.

Top Five Games From Yesterday

1.  Giants 3, Rangers 1: San Francisco won the World Series behind a three-run Edgar Renteria HR in the seventh inning, and a superb performance from Tim Lincecum.

2.  Rangers 3, Blackhawks 2: Eric Christensen scored the game-winner 6:30 into the final period to break up a tie game, and help New York to a home win over the defending champs.

3.  Flyers 3, Hurricanes 2: Scott Hartnell scored 6:30 into the final period to stretch the lead to 3-1, and led Philadelphia to the win despite a late goal from Carolina’s Joe Corvo.

4.  Kings 111, Raptors 108: Sacramento was down by 17 after the first quarter, but chipped away and sealed the win with two Beno Udrih free throws with 12 seconds left.

5.  Spurs 97, Clippers 88: San Antonio won its 17^th straight game over Los Angeles as Tony Parker led the way for San Antonio with 19 points and nine assists.

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

1.  Tim Lincecum, Giants SP: One run on three hits with 10 K’s over eight IP, helping San Francisco clinch the World Series with a 3-1 win over Texas in Game 5.

2.  Luol Deng, Bulls SF: 40 points and four rebounds in Chicago’s 110-98 win over Portland.

3.  Roberto Luongo, Canucks G: 30 saves for his first SO of the season and 52^nd of his career in Vancouver’s 3-0 win over New Jersey.

4.  Kelvin Hayden, Colts CB: Had five tackles, and returned an INT 25 yards for a TD in Indianapolis’ 30-17 win over Houston.

5.  LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers PF: 33 points and nine rebounds in Portland’s 110-98 loss to Chicago.

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

1.  Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers SG: Just 3-of-10 shooting, and only six points in Portland’s 110-98 loss to Chicago.

2.  David Murphy, Rangers LF: 0-for-3 with three K’s in Texas’ 3-1 Game 5 World Series loss to San Francisco.

3.  Matt Taormina, Devils D: Had a minus-two in New Jersey’s 3-0 loss to Vancouver.

4.  Chris Pronger, Flyers D: Had a minus-two and two penalty minutes in Philadelphia’s 3-2 win over Carolina.

5.  Matt Schaub, Texans QB: Threw for only 201 yards, and committed both turnovers in Houston’s 30-17 loss to Indianapolis.

Top Five Events To Follow Today

1.  NHL: Canadiens (7-3-1) at Blue Jackets (6-4-0), 7:00 PM: Two teams off to solid starts this year face off in southern Ohio.

2.  NCAA FB: Middle Tennessee State (3-4) at Arkansas State (3-5), 7:00 PM, ESPN2: Both teams are trying to catch Troy in the Sun Belt, and a win will keep them in the race.

3.  NBA: Magic (1-1) at Knicks (1-2), 7:30 PM: Orlando makes the trip north in the first of many meetings between Dwight Howard and Amar’e Stoudemire.

4.  NHL: Sharks (5-3-1) at Wild (4-4-2), 8:00 PM, Versus: San Jose makes a Midwest stop to take on Western Conference foe Minnesota.

5.  NBA: Grizzlies (2-1) at Lakers (3-0), 10:30 PM, NBA TV: The latest meeting of the Gasol brothers also showcases a good start to the season for Memphis this year.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I moved back to Buffalo after being gone for 31 years. I guess I’m getting old, but I don’t remember so much interest in the Yankees back then. It’s probably just that my mind is going.

In any case, there are an awful lot of Yankee fans in Buffalo—or else it’s just an act of support for locally owned New Era Caps that half the millinery products observed in the Queen City have that overlapping NY logo on them.

As someone whose favorite baseball team is whoever the Yanks are playing, call me a big, fat Ranger fan at the moment. And since I am a die-hard fan of the underdog, I’d be rooting for Texas even though they are from my least favorite state, formerly owned by one of my least favorite Presidents and from a town almost as arrogant and full of itself as the Big Apple.

I’m a Ranger fan at present because, for the underdog fan, the Rangers cause is the quintessential band wagon to jump upon. This franchise has never won a single championship, either in Washington or, more recently, that other hotbed of corruption and paying-to-play known as Big-D. So, Senators, Rangers: losers all and always. Until 2010, perhaps.

But, I digress. This really isn’t about the Senators/Rangers at all. It’s about Buffalo and how Buffalo really is not and really should not be about the Yankees, New York City or anything having to do with either one.

I realize they came late to the party, but the Blue Jays should be the MLB team Buffalonians support. According to that famous urban sociologist Richard Florida (from Buffalo, now living in Toronto), Buffalo IS Toronto, and vice-versa. Tor-Buff-Chester, as he calls it, is the fifth largest Mega-region in North America, just behind NY, LA, Chicago and Atlanta.

So, Buffalo should get behind the Blue Jays, just as Torontonians have adopted the Buffalo Bills as their football obsession. Well, sort of.

And for those who see the Buffalo-Toronto relationship more like North Side-South Side in Chicago—where I spent 23 of my 31 years in exile from Buffalo—then there are a couple of other candidates for Buffalo’s boys-of-summer (and Fall, and Halloween) affections.

There’s Pittsburgh, the quintessential small market, small payroll, live on your 30-year-old laurels until the fans stop coming (sound familiar, Bills fans?) major league franchise.

And if, maybe because of the Steelers and the Penguins, you just can’t stomach cheering for anything that comes in black and gold, there’s the Indians. You know, the team from the city that’s almost as much-maligned as your own town, that Mistake by the Lake, where the river caught fire, that sister in NBA expansion to the good old short-lived, but long-remembered and forever mourned Buffalo Braves: Cleveland.

On second thought, Cleveland still has the Cavaliers, who almost won a championship but now no longer have the man who was supposed to bring them the championship. But still, they have the franchise and it will survive the King James version of itself and eventually make another run—or not.

And now Cleveland has the Clinic and their downtown looks a whole lot further along in its renaissance than Buffalo’s does, so… If the Lake Erie down-shore rivalry just won’t let you swear allegiance to the Tribe, then there’s the ultimate cursed, forever star-crossed lovable losers in Chi-town who have something in common with Buffalo sports fans’ futility and desperation if anyone does.

So now, there should be no excuse for anyone in Buffalo, except perhaps the occasional tourist who doesn’t know any better, to continue to support, root for, identify with or wear the logo-apparel of (New Era or not) those Damn Yankees.

All joking aside, this is a serious matter. What is the purpose of sports fanship in the first place? It isn’t just about a game played by overgrown, overpaid, oversexed, overdrugged kids. It is a morality play. It is vicarious redemption. It is the oppressed versus the oppressors, David versus Goliath, Robin Hood versus the Sheriff, Eric Clapton versus the Deputy.

And Buffalo, misunderstood, misbegotten, and damn out of luck that it has been for the past hundred years, give or take a decade, is David, Robin, Eric and all the little people. They’re the freaking Munchkins of Munchkin Land, not the Wizard in the Emerald City.

The Yankees and their New York, New York, making it there/making it anywhere town are Goliath, the Sheriff and all his deputies. They’re the Wonderful Land of Oz.

So, you can’t be real Buffalo people and wear a Yankee cap for crying out loud! Does David cheer for the Giants? Does Robin Hood wear Nottingham colors? Does Eric Clapton wear a badge? Buffalonians as Yankee fans?

Talk about identity confusion. That’s like being a woman trapped in a man’s body. Or maybe Shakira trapped in Susan Boyle’s body. But, you get the point. I mean, you don’t go to Tavern on the Green and order chicken wings. And I’ll bet you can’t buy a Beef on Weck on the Island of Manhattan.

Buffalo may be on the other side of a comma from New York in its address, but it’s on the other side of the universe from New York City in every other respect.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love New York. Love, love, love it. Love the view of the skyline from the Staten Island Ferry (I’m too cheap to take the boat to Liberty Island). Love the lights, the over-sized surrealism of Times Square, love New York Strip, love the pace, the hustle-bustle, the lions guarding the public library and the lions on Broadway (The Lion King is still running, isn’t it?). I love the Donald. I love 30 Rock. I love “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”

Overall, New York City is a wonderful city. It’s a nice place to visit. So is Disney Land. So is a good strip club from time to time, if you’re into that kind of thing. But, Buffalo’s home. It’s where we’re from, who we are and where we end up even if we’ve been gone half our lives thinking we got off the Titanic just in time.

It’s not New York. It’s barely in the State of New York. If it weren’t for the taxes and the government corruption you’d think we were in—I don’t know—Ohio or something.

We’re the upstarts, the underdogs, the also-rans, the city that lost the best franchise the NBA ever had, that couldn’t get a major league franchise even by building a new stadium and out-drawing three major league clubs in the minors—why? Because we were breathless watching Triple-A?

No, because Buffalo is probably the only city in the known universe where you can actually convince a hundred thousand people to attend a dozen games or so just to prove you can draw major league numbers so you can get a MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM only to see the franchises go to Denver and freaking Tampa Bay.

We’re the fans that will fill one of the NFL’s largest venues, even though we’re the league’s second smallest city, and even though we haven’t seen a playoff game since our teenage kids were born. Why?

Not because we’re naïve or stupid and think the Bills have a shot at the Super Bowl when we have a better shot at the number one draft pick, and not because we’re like battered spouses that keep coming back for more even though every time we do we get another kick in the teeth. We keep coming back because being from Buffalo is a burden we all have to bear, whether its sports or real life.

We keep coming back to the stadium and the arena, because teams like the Yankees need to be beaten into humility by teams like the Rangers (though it would be more fun coming from the Indians or the Pirates or—my favorite underdog baseball team—the Nats).

Because at the Ralph or the HSBC, Buffalo gets a shot at humbling somebody bigger, better, richer. Maybe not every day, but on “any given day.”

And outside of sports, it’s the same thing. We get involved in various civic organizations, volunteer projects and what-not. Like Extreme Home Makeover, for instance. It’s all part of the same struggle.

Did you know that the producers of Extreme Makeover Home Edition said that Buffalo was the best place they’ve ever worked—in terms of the number of people who came out to help, in terms of the attitudes and cooperation of the people involved and in terms of the beneficiary of their project.

Mrs. Powell, the new home recipient, said she’d refuse the offer unless the program did something substantial for the rest of the neighborhood as well. ABC had to do a two-hour program that week because in addition to the Powell Family’s much deserved makeover, seventy-some other homes in the neighborhood got help, and they built a new park in the neighborhood besides.

That wasn’t the TV people dreaming that up. That was Buffalo people bearing down on TV people. They bowed to the pressure from the Powells and the rest of the locals. They went with our flow. They were New York and they had to bend to Buffalo for a freaking change.

Why did it happen that way? Because being from Buffalo, in Buffalo, is a burden. All the momentum is pulling us down.

Bills losses beget Bills losses. Bad seasons beget lost decades. The Sabres get to the Stanley Cup Finals, play three over time periods in game six and end up losing in the end to a non-goal. It’s always wide right, in the crease, somebody else’s (Music City) miracle. It’s a bereft, rotting, weed-begone brownfield of a waterfront that in any other city would be dotted with parks, hotels, luxury condos and maybe a brand new stadium.

If we didn’t all carry Buffalo around on our backs all the damn day 24/7/365-6, the city would just collapse and become Newark or, God forbid, Detroit. Yeah, it is important to have some other city we can compare ourselves to, to reassure us we have further yet to fall.

But, that doesn’t change what’s good about Buffalo, and there’s a lot that is. And it’s America’s best kept secret.

It’s an amazing park system, outstanding architecture, more theatre options than Chicago on a given day. It’s two world class art galleries, an outstanding symphony, more Frank Lloyd Wright than any place outside of Chicago, more days of sunshine than Orlando and a moment of greatness a hundred years ago where inventions flourished with their inventors, where millionaires were more numerous per capita than anywhere in the world and where the rest of the world came to see how it was done.

It was the first city to be fully electrified, home to the world’s largest office building for a time, the world’s largest steel mill and the world’s best luxury automobile company, just a short century ago.

But that was the high point, and it’s been downhill from there. And gravity bears down hard on the backs, the spirits and the resources of Buffalo and Buffalonians.

Still, we press on, like the little boy with his finger in the dike. Like the Little Engine that Could. Like the turtle versus the rabbit. Like David against Goliath. Like Robin Hood. Like everyone who’s ever been up against it. We press on. We fight. We believe. We carry the city on our backs and refuse to set it down even for a moment, for a second, for a momentary break, for fear it will crumble if we let go.

So, why would we be Yankee fans?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Rick Rypien, a center for the Vancouver Canucks found himself getting into a shoving match with a fan in the middle of a hockey game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

While fans at the Yankees vs. Rangers ALDS Game 2 were seen throwing trash into the Rangers’ bullpen on Monday.

Obviously, there’s plenty of very unhappy fans out there—that becomes frustrated with what’s going on in the game. 

Fans have no right to attack player but players are also in the wrong when they start fighting fans. In Rypien’s case has been suspended indefinitely by the league, pending a review of the incident and altercation.

Before we even hear about the ruling on the suspension.  You can already witness what happened during the game.  Watch footage of those fan-involved incidents, along with more of the best web videos right here. 

Here are Wednesday’s top sports videos from around the Internet.

Enjoy!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

At 1:00 PM on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field. 

At 8:00 PM that same day, the Philadelphia Phillies will play the San Francisco Giants in Game 2 of the NLCS. 

The city of Philadelphia is growing accustomed to these Fall double-headers, featuring the Eagles and Phillies.  Twice during Philadelphia’s World Series runs in 2008 and 2009, the Eagles and Phillies have played on the same day at their home fields. 

This Sunday should bring back memories to Philadelphia fans.  Both good and bad.  

Will the history of these double-headers in Philadelphia repeat itself this Sunday? 

Double-Header 2009

On November 1st, 2009, a war between New York City and Philadelphia took place.

Last year, the Eagles hosted the New York Giants in an early afternoon game, the same day of Game 4 of the 2009 World Series between the Yankees and the Phillies.   

The Eagles, many would say, upset the Giants that Sunday and won the game in a blowout, 40-17.  Donovan McNabb threw for three touchdowns while Philadelphia’s defense forced four turnovers.  

The Eagles moved to 5-2 on the season and NFC East title was in their sights…

It was a good start to the day, but the Phillies had lost Game 3 the previous night and now trailed in the series 2-1.  Could Joe Blanton shut down the New York Yankees lineup later that night?    

Let’s just say New York lost the battle, but went on to win the war. 

The Phillies trailed for most of the game, but managed to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth on a Pedro Feliz home run.  Then Brad Lidge entered the game in the top of ninth and was one strike away from pitching a scoreless inning.  A Johnny Damon single, two stolen bases, and an A-Rod single would give the Yankees the lead, as New York would score three runs in the ninth.  

That game pretty much wrapped up another World Series title for the Yankees.  

Double-Header 2008 

This Sunday would be a much better day for Philadelphia fans.  

On October 26th, 2008, the Eagles played the Atlanta Falcons, an appetizer before Game 4 of the World Series. 

Brian Westbrook was the star of the game, rushing for 167 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles defense forced the inexperienced Matt Ryan to throw two costly interceptions as Philadelphia would go on to win the game 27-14.   

Heading into Game 4, the Philadelphia Phillies led the series 2-1, so this was crucial game for the Tampa Bay Rays. They decided to put Andy Sonnanstine on the mound.  

The Phillies crushed the Rays, winning 10-2 and taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.  Sonnanstine would only last four innings and give up three earned runs, including a based-loaded walk in the first inning.  

Ryan Howard was an absolute monster: two HRs, five RBI and four runs.

Philadelphia fans knew things were going their way when pitcher Joe Blanton hit a home run in the fifth inning.  

Double-Header 2010? 

So what will happen this Sunday in Philadelphia?  How many fans will be in the parking lots from 11 in the morning until 11 at night? 

History bodes well for the Eagles.  They are 2-0 in the double-headers, winning by double digits on both occasions. 

History also bodes well for the Philadelphia Phillies.  Why exactly? 

In 2008, the Eagles hosted the Atlanta Falcons.  After their win, the Eagles and Falcons both had the same record, 4-3.

In 2010, the Eagles will host the Falcons once again.  After the Eagles win, they will have the same record as the Falcons.  Both teams will be 4-2.

Coincidence? I think not.  

Sunday will go down in history as another great day for Philadelphia sports.

Looking Ahead 

If the Philadelphia Phillies advance to the World Series, Game 1 will be at 7:57 PM on Wednesday, October 27th. 

It is the same night as the Philadelphia 76ers’ home opener, which is scheduled for 7:00 PM.  Not a big deal?  Wrong. 

It is the debut of Evan Turner and not to mention, some team called the Miami Heat. 

Will the 76ers management be rooting for the San Francisco Giants?

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Well NY sports fans, this is the time of the year we have all been waiting for. MLB playoffs, NHL season getting under way and the NFL season is in full swing. Granted, the Mets haven’t been respectable since June, the Yanks are doing what they do best: winning games in October. They swept the Minnesota Twins to move onto the American League Championship Series, awaiting the winner of the Tampa Bay Rays/Texas Rangers series.

The Islanders and Rangers opened their seasons over the weekend. The Isles lost a hard fought game 5-4 in a shootout against the Dallas Stars. The Isles welcomed back goalie Rick DiPietro as the opening night starter for the first time since 2007. Even though injuries have hurt them early on in the preseason, the Islanders brought in some new defenders to help sure up the front of the net as they hope to take some of the pressure off of DP.

The Rangers welcomed the Derek Stepan era as he scored three goals in his NHL debut, including the deciding goal, in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

In their first head-to-head meeting of the year, the Isles got the best of the Rangers 6-4. One of the headlines coming out of the game was the obscene gesture new Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski made towards the always controversial Sean Avery.

As much as it pains Jets fans to admit, the Giants may be a playoff team this year as well. The Giants defense has looked unbeatable the last two weeks, shutting down the Bears and the Texans respectively. In Sunday’s win over the Texans, the Giants defense improved to first in the NFL in yards allowed per game (244.6), per play (4.1) and passing yards (146.0), and second in sacks (19). Hakeem Nicks is making a statement with his play as of late, and will be a big part of the Giants success as the season goes on.

Once again, the Jets defense looked very impressive as they were able to get past the Vikings 29-20 on Monday night, improving to 4-1. The offense struggled throughout the first three quarters, only managing five field goals. The defense turned out to be better than their offense as they put the game away late when Dwight Lowery intercepted Brett Favre‘s pass and returned it for a touchdown with 1:30 left in the game. In the spirit of Halloween, that was the nail in the coffin.

As October continues, the sports world may revolve around New York, even if no one wants to admit it. With two contending football teams, a baseball team that is the favorite to reach the World Series, and a pair of hockey teams fighting for respectability, the next few weeks of New York sports are going to be very interesting and undoubtedly exciting.

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With another season ending in disappointment for Chicago Cub fans, is it too early to shout out the refrain, “Wait Until Next Year?”

That’s the slogan of the Chicago Cubs, whether they realize it or not. No other team in the history of sports has been mouthing those words for a longer period of time; 102 years to be exact.

The slogan actually culled by the new ownership group, Tom Ricketts and family for 2010 was “Year One.” I guess that was because it was their first year running the team, and it sounds a helluva lot better than “Year 102,” and “We Still Can’t Win This Damn Thing.”

Next April is, “Year 103” and it’s time the Chicago Cubs fix the mess that they created, and start doing things the right way.

There is only one man for that job and his name is Ryne Sandberg.

Sandberg came to GM Jim Hendry after the 2006 debacle and asked to be considered for the Cubs managerial job that went to Lou Piniella. At the time, Sandberg had no coaching or managing experience.

Hendry suggested he get some before he tried his hand managing at the Major League level, so he gave him a job managing in the low minors.

That was four years ago.

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg started riding the buses, staying in cheap motels, and eating at fast food dives to reach his dream of one day managing his beloved Cubs.

He’s had success including being named Manager of the Year in the PCL this year.

He’s considered one of the leading candidates for the job, along with Cub interim manager Mike Quade, who had a 24-13 record after taking over the team from Piniella.

That’s a very good record, and many of the current Cub players are saying Quade should get the job based on his trial run. That’s all well and good, but anyone was an improvement over the played-out Piniella, who should have been sent home a long time ago.

Sandberg didn’t get the opportunity to take over the team and see how he would do, but several of the players on the roster played for him and admired his managing style in the minors.

He helped to develop and teach them the right way to play the game, just like he said in his Hall of Fame induction speech.

Aside from running the bases, going the opposite way, hitting the cutoff man, and giving yourself up to help your team, he also meant play hard and play the game the way it should be played.

In other words, don’t stand at home plate and admire your handiwork. Run hard out of the box. That ball you’re admiring might not reach the stands.

Those are words that Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez need to hear, and they will, from a guy who gave up everything to go down to the minors to work on his craft.

This wasn’t a baseball lifer looking for a chance. Sandberg could have retired and lived like a king for the rest of his life with the money he made playing the game. But he had unfinished business, and that business was to teach today’s players how to play the game the right way.

He also has ideas. When interviewed a month ago, he mentioned that the Cubs need to set up a systematic way of doing things in their minor leagues throughout the organization, so players will know what is expected of them. Any players that come to the Cubs parent team should know beforehand how to play.

Why have the Cubs failed for over a century?

It’s because they keep getting people from outside the organization who have no clue what you have to do to win playing half your games at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs play more day games than any other team in baseball. That sets up late nights on the town, and coming in hungover for the next day’s game. You have to make sure you build your team with the type of players that will be able to handle the temptations and do the right thing.

Playing in Wrigley Field also allows you to know the quirks and nuances of the park. When the wind blows out, it’s a hitters paradise. But when the wind blows in, runs are few and far between if you build your team with a bunch of softball hitters.

You need players that can run the bases, steal, bunt, and do whatever is necessary to create runs when the conditions are not favorable. Sandberg knows this because he played here for so many years.

He won’t be fooled like a Dusty Baker or Lou Pineilla, who had no idea what they were getting into coming to manage the Cubs. And while Quade has been here coaching for the past four years, he has never seen a team that was built to win in this ballpark. Sandberg has. He played on it.

The 1984 Cubs had speed at the top of the lineup, with the “Daily Double” of Bobby Dernier leading off and Sandberg in the two hole. Both players got on base, worried the pitchers with their ability to steal, and ran the bases with perfection.

They set the table, and let the others drive them in. The Cubs had six players that year with over 80 RBI’s.

The 1984 Cubs were one game from the World Series because they had the type of team that could flourish both at Wrigley Field and on the road. The only other team they’ve had since then that could do that was the 2003 Cubs after they acquired Kenny Lofton in a late season trade.

That team was only five outs from the World Series before disaster struck, but it was the right type of team to have a chance to win it all.

Ryne Sandberg knows what it takes, and more importantly, maybe he could pass it on to JIm Hendry, to tell him what he needs to succeed.

Sandberg has the secret to winning at Wrigley. He also has the dedication and desire.

And one more thing: bringing back a hometown hero to run your team has had previous success in Chicago.

Mike Ditka took over a sad-sack franchise, and led the Bears to the Super Bowl in 1985.

Ozzie Guillen brought the Chicago White Sox their first World Series championship since 1917.

See the pattern here?

That’s why Ryno is the right man to end the drought on the North Side of Chicago.

Tell me I’m wrong.

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Top Five Stories From Yesterday

1. The Phillies sweep the Braves out of Philadelphia, increasing their lead in the NL East to six games and reducing their magic number to four.

2. The Padres retake the lead in the NL West after they defeat the Dodgers, and the Giants lose to the Cubs.

3. The Rays get back to within 1.5 games of the Yankees after winning the third game of their big four-game series.

4. Vincent Jackson is not traded by the San Diego Chargers, and will have to serve a six-game suspension if he decides to play in 2010.

5. The Jets’ Darrelle Revis will not play Sunday against Miami due to recurring hamstring problems.

Top Five Games From Yesterday

1. Phillies 1, Braves 0: Roy Oswalt and two relievers combine for a one-hit shutout, and give Philadelphia complete control of the NL East by winning their 10th in a row.

2. Cubs 2, Giants 0: Randy Wells has a great performance for Chicago as San Francisco drops out of first in the NL West.

3.  Padres 3, Dodgers 1: Miguel Tejada’s 300^th career HR is the highlight as San Diego retakes the lead in the NL West.

4. Rangers 2, Angels 1, 12 innings: Texas reduces its magic number in the AL West to four after scoring in the 12^th for the victory.

5. Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 4: Ubaldo Jimenez is staked to a four-run lead and cannot hold it as Colorado drops further back in the NL West and wildcard races.

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

1. Roy Oswalt, Phillies SP: Zero runs on one hit with eight K’s over seven IP in PHI’s 1-0 win over ATL.

2. Max Scherzer, Tigers SP: Zero runs on two hits with eight K’s over 7.2 IP and the victory in DET’s 4-2 win over KC.

3. Jose Lopez, Mariners 3B: 3-for-4 with three HRs and four RBI in SEA’s 6-3 win over TOR.

4. John Bowker, Pirates RF: 3-for-3 with a HR and two RBI in PIT’s 11-6 win over STL

5. Carlos Beltran, Mets CF: 3-for-5 with a HR and a RBI in NYM’s 7-5 loss to FLA

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

1. Chad Gaudin, Yankees RP: Three runs on three hits in 1.2 IP in NYY’s 7-2 loss to TB.

2. Kyle Lohse, Cardinals SP: Six runs on seven hits in three IP in STL’s 11-6 loss to PIT.

3. Jon Niese, Mets SP: Six runs on five hits in 5.2 IP in NYM’s 7-5 loss to FLA.

4. Buster Posey, Giants C: 0-for-4 with three K’s in SF’s 2-0 loss to CHC.

5. Johnny Cueto, Reds SP: Eight runs on eight hits in 1.1 IP in CIN’s 13-1 loss to MIL.

Top 5 Events To Follow Today

1. MLB: Rays (90-61) at Yankees (92-60), 7:00 PM, MLB Network: Tampa Bay looks for the split, and to get back within a half-game of the division lead; (CAN’T MISS MATCHUP: Price (TB) vs. Sabathia (NYY))

2. MLB: Giants (85-67) at Cubs (69-82), 7:00 PM: San Francisco tries to get back into the NL West lead; (Bumgarner (SF) vs. Dempster (CHC))

3. NCAA FB: #19 Miami (Fla.) (1-1) at Pittsburgh (1-1), 7:30 PM, ESPN: An interesting matchup featuring two teams looking for a big non-conference win on their schedule.

4. MLB: Rockies (82-69) at Diamondbacks (61-91), 9:30 PM: This might be a must-win for Colorado tonight given the way the Giants and Padres are playing; (Francis (COL) vs. Kennedy (ARI))

5. MLB: Padres (85-66) at Dodgers (73-79), 10:00 PM: The NL West leaders look to hold onto their slim advantage; (Good matchup; (Latos (SD) vs. Kuroda (LAD))  

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