AROUND THE SPORTS WORLD
Turmoil in New York, the college football playoff and Herm hits Arizona
Jim Rodriguez
Dec 9, 2017, 9:28 am
Eli Manning is back. SBNation
You can listen to my radio show, The Sports Bosses, Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. Eastern on SB Nation Radio. Follow me on Twitter @mediarodriguez
Another curious drive around they sports map this week. While I always say that I never let the facts get in the way of a good story, this week’s nuggets tell me that truth is always stranger than fiction:
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
The Geno Smith era began and ended for the New York Football Giants with a 24-17 loss to the Raiders Sunday.
While Geno didn’t actually play bad he will forever be linked to the buffoonery that was the Ben McAdoo era in the meadowlands.
At 2-9, I get what the Giants were doing. But the logic of looking to Geno Smith to see what he can do is like saying .. I have a Rolls Royce but I want to drive something different this week. Oooh that Toyota Corolla looks interesting. All the while the “future” of the team, Davis Webb was inactive for the game.
After the loss New York fell to 2-10 on the season and quickly fired McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese. Eli Manning is back as the driver of Big Blue as New York shakes themselves.
As far as McAdoo...I always thought that he looked like first guy killed in every mob movie. Well, congrats. You just earned Fredo Corleone status. And Monday, the Giants took Fred ah, Ben.. fishing. Good riddance.
TUSCALOOSA, ALA.
The College Football Playoff committee announced that Alabama would join Clemson, Oklahoma and Georgia as the four teams vying for the sport’s National Championship leaving Ohio Stare on the outside looking in. Bravo. They got it right. Bama should be there.
What is the CFP? A business. A show. They hav an obligation to their shareholders ( TV, sponsors, partners) to deliver the most interesting storylines and games.
Clemson vs. Alabama is a better story line. It is two southern teams playing in New Orleans. It is a better game. It is better... business.
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Whoa was that Steelers/Bengals game uncomfortable to watch. Two players taken off in stretchers and a vicious helmet to helmet hit.
While the commissioner may be lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills after getting a contract extension, the Monday nighter pulled back the curtain on the NFL. A violent, cruel game that leaves the players discarded like palm husks on the side of the road.
The league can try to put in all the education, equipment and safety to make the game safer. The players need to give a damn too. No more cheap shots. No more targeting. It just ain’t cool.
TEMPE, ARIZ.
Finally thank you to Herm Edwards. I hope he has a long run as head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils. The press conferences are going to be epic. He’s graduated to “old man shouting at cars” status. Bless his heart.
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So where does one turn now in Houston for mediocre, overpriced salsa? I kid, I kid. While wondering if Breggy Baked Beans are on the horizon. Congrats to Alex Bregman and agent Scott Boras for landing an on its face outlandish three-year 120-million dollar contract with the Boston Red Sox. With deferred money part of the deal the contract will be valuated in the neighborhood of “only” three years 90 million. Would Bregman have taken that from the Astros if offered? The Astros’ six-year 156-million dollar proposal was 26 mil per season. Bregman has the right to opt out after each of the first two seasons of his BoSox deal. If his decline (while still a very good player) of the last two seasons continues, or even if he holds steady, there is near zero chance of Bregman opting out unless he hates life in New England. At the end of the three years, will Bregman be able to land a three-year 66 million-dollar deal when he’s about to turn 34 years old? That plus the 90 mil with deferrals accounted for in his new deal would total 156 million. Massachusetts taxes personal income of just over a million dollars and upward at a nine percent rate. Playing half his games in the Bay State, Bregman will pay Massachusetts tax on half his salary.
Reminders...
Bregman obviously had an excellent Astros’ career, among non-pitchers he is top 10 all-time, but the excellence was frontloaded. Over Bregman’s first three big seasons he compiled a .289 batting average and .924 OPS. Elite numbers. Over the five seasons since: .261 and .795. Good, nothing legendary. After his monster MVP runner-up 2019 season (stats aided by the juiced balls of that season) Bregman was on a strong early Hall of Fame track. Now not so much, without some offensive resurgence. Fenway Park should suit Bregman well. He’ll bang singles and doubles off of the Green Monster, though the much higher than Crawford Boxes wall will not goose his home run numbers. In his time with the Astros Bregman mashed at Fenway with a .375 batting average and 1.240 OPS. That’s in a statistically not very significant 98 regular season plate appearances.
It is myth that Bregman in the postseason was some relentless hitting machine. He posted phenomenal numbers over seven Division Series batting .333 with an OPS over 1.000. Over 68 American League Championship Series and World Series games: batting average .196, OPS sub-.700.
For his career, Bregman’s worst month of performance by far has been April (plus any days in March, .737 OPS). In 2024 Bregman was baseball garbage into mid-May. Should a typical slow start happen again, we’ll see what the Fenway faithful patience level is. By far, Bregman’s best batting month has been August (.992 OPS). As it works out, both Astros-Red Sox series are in August this year. First in Boston August 1-3 then in Houston August 11-13.
Who's on third?
Over the last two seasons combined, new Astros’ third baseman Isaac Paredes has been as good offensively as Bregman. That includes Paredes pretty much stinking for two months in Chicago after being dealt from the Rays to the Cubs. Paredes, who turns 26 years old on Tuesday, was an AL All-Star last season. Bregman, who turns 31 March 30, was last an All-Star in 2019. The defensive drop-off from Bregman to Paredes is a fairly steep one.
There is no question that Bregman’s official departure weakens the Astros via a domino effect. Had Bregman wound up staying here, Paredes would have shifted to second base with Jose Altuve primarily in left field. Now, 600-plus plate appearances that Bregman would have taken project to be divided among Mauricio Dubon, Ben Gamel, Zach Dezenzo, and others. That projects as a substantial offensive downgrade. The lineup net result of the Astros’ offseason is negative. Christian Walker and Paredes joining the infield in lieu of Jon Singleton and Bregman is fine. Kyle Tucker out, hodge-podge in in the outfield, oh boy.
Alex Bregman is an unquestioned gamer, leader, and would seem to have the temperament to take well to the more intense baseball environment of Boston relative to that in Houston. Yankee fans should reeeeally love him now!
New beginnings
Considering baseball wasn’t invented until more than a century later, the poet Alexander Pope did not have baseball in mind when in 1732 he wrote “Hope springs eternal (in the human breast).” It works though. Other than the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies, Major League teams have convened in Florida or Arizona thinking if things break right this could be their year! I’d probably put the Miami Marlins in with the ChiSox and Rockies. Many Astros’ fans are strongly disgruntled over the departures of Bregman and Kyle Tucker. This team still has “gruntlement” potential. The batting order appears Morganna-level (Google as necessary) top heavy, but one through five stacks well versus most other lineups. In the American League only the Mariners, Yankees, and maybe Royals have starting pitching rotations that should rate above the Astros’ rotation. Let the countdown to Opening Day begin!
Spring training is up and running. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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