While watching Mariano Rivera close yesterday's 3-1 Yankee win in Seattle, I noticed something that I myself have tended to underrate during his fabulous career.
Rivera has remained successful all these years because of his cutter, but also because of his pitching smarts and there was a great example of that in yesterday's game.
With a man on first and one out, Rivera faced Seattle's Micheal Morse as the tying run.
"Mo" fell behind 2-1, but he threw a low, breaking cutter that Morse swung at and missed.
Since Morse just swung at a ball below his knees, he was set up for a high fastball.
On the 2-2 pitch, Rivera went "up the ladder" with a 93 MPH cutter and got Morse to swing at it for a huge strikeout.
Rivera changed the "eye level" on Morse by going "low" and then throwing a pitch that was up.
After a two out walk to Raul Ibanez put runners on first and second, Rivera closed the game by striking out Nick Franklin on three pitches.
The key out was Morse as Rivera reached back to use his experience and his savvy to save an important game for the Yankees.
"Mo" has mystified many over the years who can't fathom how he's been able to last so long and be so successful by essential throwing one pitch, but a big part of it has been his "mound smarts".
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Did the "King" Call for the Coach's "Head"?
It was somewhat surprising to hear that John Tortorella was relieved of his duties as the head coach of the New York Rangers, but it's a move that probably had to be made.
Besides the question of who will be the next Rangers coach, another perplexing inquiry is if Henrik Lundqvist had a hand in this purge.
Tortorella won a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning but that was when the rules of the game were different.
Since the lockout of 2005, the NHL has become a league that showcases the skill players and not the grind it out type of game that "Torts" craves.
Earlier this season, former Ranger Sean Avery posted on his twitter account that the "players hated" Tortorella.
Since this came from Avery, no one paid any mind to it. After all, it's Sean Avery, but did it really come from him?
The enigmatic Avery just happens to be a co-owner of a Tribeca restaurant called "Tiny's and the Bar Upstairs". He co-owns the place with one Henrik Lundqvist and the two have remained friends.
Friends talk all the time, and sometimes they talk about things that they don't make public.
There's been no confirmation that Lundqvist talked to Avery about Tortorella, but the reports are starting to circulate that the Ranger goalie may have "planted that seed".
Lundqvist did not give off an optimistic vibe and did not offer the coach a show of support at "break up day" earlier this week.
I have to think there's more to this than just the goaltender's unhappiness.
Tortorella never adjusted his coaching style to fit his roster. You can't make Marion Gaborik a defensive player, you can't ask Rick Nash to block shots and you don't hamper a young offensive player's growth (Chris Kreider) because he doesn't play the kind of defense to fit your system.
The Rangers are a team that has had trouble scoring for a number of years now, particularly on the power play, so when you have players who are potential goal scorers, you need to bring the best out in them. Tortorella admitted as much when he was assessing what went wrong after game five of the Bruins series.
Owner Jim Dolan may have a macabre appreciation for those who shun the press, but Tortorella went over the line with the media a little too much. So much so, that it got to the point of him being an embarassment to the organization with the way he was handling the pre and post game pressers, not to mention his negative remarks about individual players. It's one thing to criticize players in the media, it's another thing to criticize players in the media when you tell those same players that you despise the reporters. That kind of tact leads to losing the room. The "Carl Hagelin stinks on the power play" comment wasn't exactly greeted with cheers in the Ranger room.
Remember when Tortorella made Brian Boyle a healthy scratch for three straight games during the season. It's true that Boyle wasn't playing well but it wasn't for a lack of effort. The Rangers center had earned the right to at least work out his problems while playing, not sitting. There was a telling comment from Boyle before game five in Saturday's Daily News. Boyle was asked how he and the team go about dealing with an elimination game and the big center responded with "you don't care what the coaches think".
That is a very telling statement, one which says the players had to constantly look over their shoulder for fear of losing ice time and a lack of trust from the coaching staff. A team cannot properly function like that.
I'm sure that little stunt that Torts pulled on NBC during the Bruins series when he issued the word "G-damn" didn't sit well with upper management. You don't tug on Superman's cape and you don't bite the hand (NBC Sports) that feeds you (the NHL)
After Lundqvist's luke warm comments earlier this week, there was a real fear growing among the organization of losing the goaltender to free agency.
GM Glen Sather has never been afraid to pull the trigger on a head coach, and today, he came out firing.
Besides the question of who will be the next Rangers coach, another perplexing inquiry is if Henrik Lundqvist had a hand in this purge.
Tortorella won a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning but that was when the rules of the game were different.
Since the lockout of 2005, the NHL has become a league that showcases the skill players and not the grind it out type of game that "Torts" craves.
Earlier this season, former Ranger Sean Avery posted on his twitter account that the "players hated" Tortorella.
Since this came from Avery, no one paid any mind to it. After all, it's Sean Avery, but did it really come from him?
The enigmatic Avery just happens to be a co-owner of a Tribeca restaurant called "Tiny's and the Bar Upstairs". He co-owns the place with one Henrik Lundqvist and the two have remained friends.
Friends talk all the time, and sometimes they talk about things that they don't make public.
There's been no confirmation that Lundqvist talked to Avery about Tortorella, but the reports are starting to circulate that the Ranger goalie may have "planted that seed".
Lundqvist did not give off an optimistic vibe and did not offer the coach a show of support at "break up day" earlier this week.
I have to think there's more to this than just the goaltender's unhappiness.
Tortorella never adjusted his coaching style to fit his roster. You can't make Marion Gaborik a defensive player, you can't ask Rick Nash to block shots and you don't hamper a young offensive player's growth (Chris Kreider) because he doesn't play the kind of defense to fit your system.
The Rangers are a team that has had trouble scoring for a number of years now, particularly on the power play, so when you have players who are potential goal scorers, you need to bring the best out in them. Tortorella admitted as much when he was assessing what went wrong after game five of the Bruins series.
Owner Jim Dolan may have a macabre appreciation for those who shun the press, but Tortorella went over the line with the media a little too much. So much so, that it got to the point of him being an embarassment to the organization with the way he was handling the pre and post game pressers, not to mention his negative remarks about individual players. It's one thing to criticize players in the media, it's another thing to criticize players in the media when you tell those same players that you despise the reporters. That kind of tact leads to losing the room. The "Carl Hagelin stinks on the power play" comment wasn't exactly greeted with cheers in the Ranger room.
Remember when Tortorella made Brian Boyle a healthy scratch for three straight games during the season. It's true that Boyle wasn't playing well but it wasn't for a lack of effort. The Rangers center had earned the right to at least work out his problems while playing, not sitting. There was a telling comment from Boyle before game five in Saturday's Daily News. Boyle was asked how he and the team go about dealing with an elimination game and the big center responded with "you don't care what the coaches think".
That is a very telling statement, one which says the players had to constantly look over their shoulder for fear of losing ice time and a lack of trust from the coaching staff. A team cannot properly function like that.
I'm sure that little stunt that Torts pulled on NBC during the Bruins series when he issued the word "G-damn" didn't sit well with upper management. You don't tug on Superman's cape and you don't bite the hand (NBC Sports) that feeds you (the NHL)
After Lundqvist's luke warm comments earlier this week, there was a real fear growing among the organization of losing the goaltender to free agency.
GM Glen Sather has never been afraid to pull the trigger on a head coach, and today, he came out firing.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
It May Be Time to Take Off the Duda "Training Wheels"
Judging by what's been happening lately within the Mets batting order, it may be time for Mgr. Terry Collins to move Lucas Duda into a more prominent position.
Collins has been "protective" of Duda and doesn't want to move him around in the batting order, but the slumping Ike Davis may make him change his mind.
Duda swung the bat very well last night and has been swinging well the past few games.
On the other hand, Davis has gotten off to a slow start once again, and doesn't look comfortable at the plate.
Last night,the Mets 1B at least tried to go the opposite field against left hander Ted Lilly and did get a single, but he hasn't gotten into a good groove yet and a move down in the order may help.
Duda did well against Lilly (two hits including a double) and is now hitting .275 this season, with an on base percentage of .471 and a slugging percentage of .627. (BTW: he's hitting .300 (6 for 20) against left handed starters this season)
Later today, the Mets face another left handed starter in the Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu.
It will be interesting to see if Collins even puts Davis in today's starting lineup and instead, goes with Justin Turner. Duda will be in the lineup and you may see the Manager show a little more faith in his young slugger.
Collins has been "protective" of Duda and doesn't want to move him around in the batting order, but the slumping Ike Davis may make him change his mind.
Duda swung the bat very well last night and has been swinging well the past few games.
On the other hand, Davis has gotten off to a slow start once again, and doesn't look comfortable at the plate.
Last night,the Mets 1B at least tried to go the opposite field against left hander Ted Lilly and did get a single, but he hasn't gotten into a good groove yet and a move down in the order may help.
Duda did well against Lilly (two hits including a double) and is now hitting .275 this season, with an on base percentage of .471 and a slugging percentage of .627. (BTW: he's hitting .300 (6 for 20) against left handed starters this season)
Later today, the Mets face another left handed starter in the Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu.
It will be interesting to see if Collins even puts Davis in today's starting lineup and instead, goes with Justin Turner. Duda will be in the lineup and you may see the Manager show a little more faith in his young slugger.
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