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New York Yankees: Why Deivi Garcia never received a promotion

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees didn’t make a move at the July 31st trade deadline for a starting and many fans believed that the club was anticipating a promotion of their minor league star Deivi Garcia to the major leagues.

The club even moved Garcia to the bullpen so maybe he could show enough with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders to be considered as a relief pitcher in the big leagues.

Garcia never received that promotion.

Pitching coach Larry Rothschild gave some insight on how the Yankees viewed their young star. “When he made the move to Triple-A, he looked like a young pitcher trying to figure it out there, which you expect.” It seems as the Yankees thought he was still trying to figure himself out at the professional level, which stalled a promotion.

The Yankees, however, can see Garcia in their near future. ” We’ll see how he comes into spring,” said Rothschild. “(As) I said, I think he was tired. We’ll see in spring training. It would be nice to think that’s a possibility but I think realistically, he’s probably going to need a little time, just to get his feet on the ground and get things going in Triple-A and see where it takes him.”

Fatigue is something young players struggle with. 162 games at the major league level is a true grind, and you see this especially with pitchers entering their first year.

The 20-year-old finished his season with a 5-9 record credited to a 4.28 ERA with 165 strikeouts in over 111.1 innings pitched.

New York Yankees: James Paxton exits after one inning with an apparent injury

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New York Yankees, James Paxton

New York Yankees’ left-handed star James Paxton was removed from his start after one inning Friday night against the Texas Rangers. Ben Heller replaced Paxton’s start and manager Aaron Boone requested that Heller get more warmup tosses which could mean only one thing – Paxton suffered an injury.

Paxton threw 21 pitches after allowing two runs in the bottom of the first. He didn’t look his normal self, allowing three hits in the first while only fanning one. Michael Kay even mentioned that he believed Paxton looked uncomfortable and not himself.

Aaron Boone was anticipating that Paxton throw four or five innings depending on how well he was throwing, there was no plan of him only going one inning.

“We might go a little bit shorter with him,” said Boone. “Still expect him to get a lot of work and hopefully he pitches at least into the middle innings.”

The 30-year-old is a big part of the New York Yankees’ postseason plans as many believe he would be the game one start for the American League Divison Series. If the Yankees were unfortunate to lost Paxton, this would put a big dent in their postseason plans as they already lost Domingo German and Dellin Betances.

Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino are believed to be the other starters for the postseason.

Paxton has been the ace of the staff for the last few months of the season where’s he’s credited to a 15-6 record and a 3.73 ERA. He’s won his last ten starts and has looked unbelievable.

 

Veteran Nate Stupar back to the New York Giants

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Middle linebacker Nate Stupar has had quite the week.  Just two days ago after being released from the New York Giants, Stupar was re-signed.  Stupar, whose NFL career spans seven seasons, will provide the young defense with skills he garnered from his seasoned career.

Following in his parents Stephen and Cher Stupar’s footsteps, Stupar attended Penn State University.  Stupar was a star at PSU, playing not only on the football team but the school’s basketball and lacrosse squads.

Although he may have dabbled in other sports, football is in Stupar’s blood.  Stupar’s father Stephen was a lineman at Penn State from 1976-1979.  His uncle’s all played football as well.  One of his uncles Jeff Hostetler was an NFL quarterback, playing for the New York Giants, the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders and the Washington Redskins.

Stupar was drafted in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders and went on to play for the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Atlanta Falcons and most recently the New York Giants.

Going into his eighth season, Stupar, in his NFL career, so far has recorded 133 total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception.  Stupar also had a return touchdown with the Atlanta Falcons.

Stupar will prove to be an asset to the New York Giants defense because he brings with him a tenured career.  He is most certainly adept at the linebacker position and with his drive and determination can add a sense of hope to this defense.

As his football career advances, his heart and kindness expand and grows.  Stupar is truly a shining star.  Along with his wife Marissa, Stupar established the State of Hope Foundation.  He created it when he was at State College in 2016 to “provide children of low-income families, single parents, and other less fortunate situations with positive life experiences that they may not be able to obtain otherwise”.  Through his foundation, Stupar has held celebrity golf tournaments to benefit underprivileged youth.  Stupar has also helped foster kids with his Carry-On program in which he provides a backpack full of school essentials and other necessary items to benefit these children.

Stupar truly provides hope to those less-fortunate and lives his life with a purpose to always give back.   A leader in every sense of the word, Stupar will prove to be a gem for the New York Giants both on and off the field!

New York Jets: Fixes Must Begin with the Offensive Line

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New York Jets

The New York Jets are likely the minority team that is happy to see the bye week finally arrived. After a nightmare 0-3 start on the season, fixes need to be made by Adam Gase and company, and it starts with the offensive line.

The New York Jets are 0-3 on the season, are currently down to their third-string quarterback, have seen injuries on both sides of the ball, and the offense has managed just one touchdown and a meager 13 points in three games. Suffice to say, what could go wrong has gone wrong.

Luckily, a few of those concerns should (and hopefully) will be fixed sooner rather than later. Sam Darnold (should) be back under center by Week 5, and the Jets will be glad to welcome back key defensive personnel such as C.J. Mosley and Quinnen Williams. Demaryius Thomas will hopefully have recovered from a hamstring injury as well.

But other issues will require fixing, and among them is the play of the offensive line, which has left much to be desired so far this season.

The reason why it’s particularly concerning is the realization that the Jets made moves in the offseason to upgrade the offensive line, and create better pass protection. Kelechi Osemele, for example, was acquired via trade from the Oakland Raiders for this exact reason. Osemele is not a bad player, he’s still solid and was a force with the Raiders.

And yet so far, his addition hasn’t helped this offensive line take that next step. The Jets have allowed 13 sacks through their 0-3 start. Last week against the New England Patriots, in which five of those sacks were registered, three came from a four-man rush and one from a three-man rush. Simply put: unacceptable.

The Jets have registered the fourth-most sacks so far this season, sitting alongside the likes of the Miami Dolphins (13 sacks) and Arizona Cardinals (16 sacks) (ProFootballReference). Those franchises are either tanking or at the start of their respective rebuilds. The Jets should be another step ahead, steering in the right direction.

Yes, injuries have ultimately created obstacles too massive for the Jets to overcome through three weeks, and the bye week should help with that. But unless the offensive line gets back on track, it will continuously put Sam Darnold in the crosshairs of the opposition’s pass rush. Subpar offensive line play means there will be no room for Leveon Bell to get going.

Staring at an 0-3 hole is tough, but these changes can and should be fixed. For the offensive line, it might mean simplifying things even more. Unless the Jets accomplish that, then it won’t matter who or how many players come back to suit up. Fixes have to start coming, and it starts with the offensive line.

 

New York Yankees: There’s no better role for Sabathia than in the bullpen

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New York Yankees, Yankees, CC Sabathia

The New York Yankees have made the decision that they would ultimately put their 19-year veteran C.C. Sabathia into the bullpen for the postseason.

“CC will pitch out of the pen at least a couple of times,” said manager Aaron Boone. “He will probably pitch once in Tampa and hopefully again in Texas. … The first time will be a little bit more of a controlled setting where he knows he is coming in. If that goes well maybe do it a little bit more on the fly over the weekend.”

Sabathia worked a perfect fourth inning for the Yankees during their 2-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night. His cutter and off-speed pitches looked great and he looked confidence being in that role.

The 39-year-old will “probably” come out of the bullpen again Saturday against the Texas Rangers, said pitching coach Larry Rothschild. They are building him up and making sure he’s comfortable to do this role for the postseason.

At this point in his career, Sabathia is best in a relief role. He’s struggled all year long with going the distance, so one or two innings of work from a seasoned veteran would be great for the Yankees. It’s also a huge bonus to have another quality left-hander coming off the bench.

The only concern with this plan is that Sabathia has been a starter for his whole career and he may not be used to this style of pitching. The only other time Sabathia has come out of the bullpen was during the 2011 season when the Yankees played the Detriot Tigers for the ALDS where Sabathia pitched 1 1/3 innings.

Sabathia, who is planning to retire after this season, is credited to a 5-8 record with a 4.95 ERA. He’s dealt with a consistent knee injury that has held him back all year.

 

New York Yankees: Expect Luis Severino to make huge impact for the postseason

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New York Yankees, Luis Severino

New York Yankees’ right-hander Luis Severino has only made two starts in the 2019 season but has looked like his normal ace self. He hasn’t allowed a run in nine total innings pitched where he’s fanned 13 respectively in that time.

The Yankees are building up Severino’s pitch count and innings which could only mean they are intending on bringing him back as a starter or back-end starter.

“To me, he’s demonstrated enough to be an option (as a starter),” said manager Aaron Boone. “We have a lot at stake moving forward here and we want to make sure we do everything we can to optimize that he’s a part of things.”

Regardless of what role they put Severino, he’s a big piece of the puzzle. Especially with Dellin Betances out for believed to be the rest of the season, having Severino healthy and back pitching is monumental for the club.

“Our ace is back,” said Aaron Judge. “I’m excited about it; just at the right time. He’s coming back, he’s healthy and that’s the most important thing. I really don’t care what he’s doing right now on the mound but just as long as he’s healthy and we have him for the postseason, I think we’ll be in a good spot.”

Severino has been sidelined for the majority of the season with a right lat and rotator cuff strain.

Last season with the New York Yankees, Severino went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 220 strikeouts over 191.1 innings pitched. After clutching up and delivering the win during the Wild Card game against the Oakland Athletics, Severino severely struggled against the Boston Red Sox in game three of the ALDS.

The expected rotation for the postseason consists of James Paxton, Luis Severino, and Masahiro Tanaka. J.A. Happ and C.C. Sabathia have both been moved to the bullpen since they haven’t proven a starting role for the playoffs.

 

New York Knicks: What Style of Play Should Fizdale Implement on Offense?

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New York Knicks, David Fizdale

The New York Knicks have a very deep roster heading into the 2019-20 NBA Season. Coach David Fizdale most likely will implement an aggressive offensive style in terms of pace. However, it will all be predicated on getting turnovers due to ultra-aggressive defense. Fizdale will try taking advantage of the Knicks depth by playing aggressive on both ends of the court.

A forceful attacking offense will be implemented for the Knicks deep roster by the coaching staff. The challenge will be to attack yet be under control. An uncontrolled attack offensively will lead to more turnovers and hindering shots from poor sloppy possessions.

According to the type of personnel the Knicks have, aggressively attacking the basket night in and night out and forcing their way to the free-throw line will be important for their offense. Plus, this attacking style and continuous trips to the stripe will help alleviate the Knicks defensively due to stoppage in action, which lessens chaos and allows the Knicks to get on defense formally. The offense will help the Knicks defense and vice versa. None of this is possible without great passing. Knicks were at the bottom of the league last season in assists. Players like Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton will certainly help in that department.

The New York Knicks made acquisitions this past offseason to improve their shooting, however, they still lack in that department. That basically shows how atrocious the Knicks were at three-point shooting before the offseason acquisitions. With a projected starting lineup of Dennis Smith Jr., RJ Barrett, Marcus Morris, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson, shooting won’t be a strong point, however, getting to the rim and above the rim will be key for the Knicks. Fizdale’s smartly aggressive offense will put the Knicks in a position to succeed nightly if everything comes together including unselfishness amongst one another on offense.

New York Giants: Expect Evan Engram to Have a Big Day vs Washington

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New York Giants, Evan Engram

The New York Giants look to even their record to 2-2 against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Washington, coming off a disastrous Monday night loss to the Bears, look to avoid falling to 0-4. Last week against the Buccaneers, the Giants’ offense broke through for the first time this season. One of the biggest contributors on the offensive side of the ball this season thus far has been third-year Tight End, Evan Engram.  Engram, coming off of a game where he posted 113 yards on 6 catches and scored a touchdown, looks to continue his success against a struggling Washington defense. There is little reason to expect Engram to slow down at all in week 4, and here’s why:

Why Evan Engram Will Have a Big Game Against Washington:

The success he’s had this year

Engram is off to one of the best starts of any pass catcher in the league this season. Through three games, he has posted 277 yards on 23 catches, both top-ten in the NFL.  With the Giants being thin at the wide receiver position, Engram has stepped up largely. He trails only the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce in every major statistical category for tight ends.

Last week against Tampa Bay, Engram showcased what he is capable of doing with the ball in his hands. On the first play of the third quarter, Engram caught a pass and took it 75 yards for the score. The touchdown was the longest by a tight end in Giants franchise history. Expect the Giants to target him early and often on Sunday.

Washington’s struggling defense

The Redskins are off to an 0-3 start. No part of their team looks impressive to this point in the season. Their defense has been giving up over 400 yards per game, 260 of them through the air. The Giants’ offense has been putting up 408 yards per game through the first three games of the 2019 campaign. Simply put, the Giants offense as a whole will have their way with Washington’s defense.

Landon Collins’ poor play in coverage

Engram specifically will have a superb game though. He will be most likely be covered by former Giant, Landon Collins. Collins signed with the Redskins this offseason on a 6-year, $84 million deal, making him the highest-paid safety in the history of the NFL. One of the biggest reasons Collins was not brought back to Big Blue was his poor play in coverage.

During his time in New York, Collins struggled mightily while playing in coverage. Big plays to tight ends were extremely common when he played for the Giants. Engram will benefit from his former teammate’s poor play. With a player who struggles to cover tight ends on him for most of the game, a defense that is bottom ten in the league as a whole, and his production thus far this season, expect Engram to have a field day on Sunday.

Brooklyn Nets: Deandre Jordan Can Be a Mentor to Jarrett Allen

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DeAndre Jordan, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets

Questions lingered when Deandre Jordan signed with the Brooklyn Nets, mainly the thought of how would he fit alongside Jarrett Allen who boasts a similar play style. If anything, Jordan can help mentor Jarrett Allen.

The NBA regular season is a little under a month away, and training camp is coming even sooner for teams such as the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets, capping off a successful rebuild with an offseason that saw them sign two of the biggest free agents on the market, have plenty of expectations and questions for the upcoming season.

Many of those are obvious: Will Kevin Durant push himself to return this season? In his absence, can Kyrie Irving fulfill his role as a leader? Where exactly should we expect Brooklyn to finish, record-wise this season?

All justified questions, but many of those revolve around just two of three significant free-agent signings for the Nets this summer. Don’t forget that Brooklyn also signed Deandre Jordan, a player whose skill set and position mirror closely to the younger Jarrett Allen already on the roster.

Count Jarrett Allen alongside the likes of Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris Lavert as the players that make up a promising young core for Brooklyn. For Allen in particular, he displayed a knack for defending the rim and showed promising defensive potential, but was clearly outplayed by Joel Embiid in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Allen was simply smaller and Embiid had more strength, which makes the signing of Deandre Jordan a logical choice. But will Jordan’s arrival, and presumably his transition to the starting lineup, stunt Allen’s development?

Some might assume, but it doesn’t have to. Deandre Jordan is 31 years old, and Jarrett Allen is 21. That’s a ten-year difference, and despite the Nets’ title window being fast-forwarded to the present, Allen is still the future. Brooklyn does not just want to win now, they want to stay competitive in the future as well.

That means properly developing the young players on the roster now, and that includes Jarrett Allen. In this way, Deandre Jordan won’t only be a fixture to contend for a title in the short-term, but he can be a mentor for Allen, showing him how to develop his game for the future. Imagine Jordan helping Allen get stronger in the weight room, or how to properly defend elite big men like Joel Embiid inside the paint.

That is what the Nets and GM Sean Marks envisioned when they signed Deandre Jordan. If you don’t believe that, then hear it from the man himself when he spoke to the media on Tuesday:

“Where can his game go? I’d never limit him. But then also how can he develop some of our young guys. You mention Jarrett. For Jarrett to be battling him day in and day out and DJ sharing some of that knowledge he’s learned, that’s terrific when you can do that.”

Sounds like Jordan has a larger and more significant role to play than just for contending for a title in June. He’s an experienced vet and brings a good amount of knowledge and experience that can help this young Nets team. For Allen in particular, he should benefit from that knowledge, and it should make him a better fixture in Brooklyn not just now, but into the future.

New York Knicks: The Transition Game Must Become a Strength For Kevin Knox

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox

New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox been working hard this offseason. Strength, technique, and conditioning are the focal points of Kevin Knox’s summer workout routine.

Former Hall Of Fame forward Bernard King explained the importance of running the floor and attacking the basket to Kevin Knox. He told Knox to attack the rim when driving the lane instead of fading off to the side trying to avoid contact. Knox was also notified that strength and conditioning will help him attack the basket strongly, which will create fouls on his opponents often. If Knox plan on taking his game to new heights by following the blueprint of Bernard King, most improved player surely wouldn’t be out the equation for the youngster next season. It would be very clever for Knox to model his game after the former Knick great in Bernard King.

The transition game for Kevin Knox is crucial. If Kevin Knox improves the way he runs the floor, every other Knick teammate would benefit especially Dennis Smith Jr. DSJ would now have a wing player to run alongside him on a blazing speed fast break. Knicks would put more pressure on opponents when attacking a fast break especially with a player of Kevin Knox’s size taking long strides to the rim for either a finish or a pass to an open teammate.

Overall, Kevin Knox’s potential is through the roof. The 6’9″tall 20-year-old possess the length and touch to be a very intriguing player for a very long time. The New York Knicks definitely have more work to do in terms of rebuilding the roster. Therefore, developing Kevin Knox the best way possible is important for the franchise.