First of all, SU says that no play at the end of the game ever determines the game.  Games in all sports are made up of many, many plays and too often the focus is all on one play at the end.  Secondly, we all know that JR Smith is a bit of a knucklehead.  Always has been.  It’s why you can’t count on him as your 2nd best player.  Or your 3rd best player.

SU says the big play last night was the reversed call on the Durant drive with 35 seconds left in the game.  I do not understand this rule.  I do get it that the refs can review a play under the basket if the call was close to the restricted area to see if the player was actually in that area on a charge/blocking type of foul call.  However, in this case, LeBron was clearly outside of the restricted area – not even close.  As SU understands it, if the play is well outside the area, then you don’t review it.  A regular foul call is not reviewable.

Truth be told, yes, it was a blocking call – the reversal was correct.  However, SU says the call should never have been reviewed.  There are so many bad calls in every game – it’s the nature of the NBA.  The plays happen so fast and it’s impossible to get every one right.  The hope is that on balance, the calls even out at the end of the game.  I don’t think it’s fair that you can review that play to see if the player is in the restricted area and then once it’s under review, you can actually reverse the call.  That is not the case with other calls.

That was a bigger play in this game than JR Smith’s bonehead move at the end.  Even if Hill makes that 2nd foul shot, there were still 4.7 seconds left and Golden State would get the ball at half court.  You have to feel they had a good shot at winning the game there.  JR blew it but that’s who he is.

The problem for Cleveland is that Kevin Love has to be out there for offense but he is such a liability in this series on defense.  Not a good match up for the Cavs but he is tough to cover on offense.  Finally, Draymond Green is an idiot.  Let’s face it.  He does a lot for that team but in OT, he was basically taunting the Cavs and the refs let him get away with it with no technical.  Of course, that leads to the scuffle at the end of the game.  This is a guy who cost his team the championship 2 years ago by getting suspended for a game late in the finals.  Clearly he has not learned.

SU does not have a major rooting interest in the series but there is no need for that type of behavior.  His teammates certainly don’t act that way.  You can be an emotional leader without being an idiot.

OK, that is my rant for the morning.  Thoughts?

SU has been on the youth bandwagon for the Yankees right from the start of spring training.  Play Torres and Andujar and watch them grow.  Both of them continue to reward Aaron Boone’s patience and loyalty – especially late in games.  Judge is also producing this year and we sometimes forget that he is still a youngster as well.  This year’s team is resilient and always seems to make a game close if they are behind early and even late.  They are winning all of the close games that they lost in 2017.  Is that managing?  SU says no.  It’s the players and their collective belief that no game is out of reach.

Of course, this is not a perfect team by any stretch and there are holes to plug.  Consider:

• You cannot bat Stanton and Sanchez back-to-back.  Over the last 8 games or so, they are collectively something like 2 for 40.  Stanton broke out of it last night with a powerful infield single.  SU checked the stats this morning to see if perception is reality.  He is hitting .199 against right-handed pitchers (.370 vs. lefties!), .100 in games that are “late and close” including strikeouts in almost 50% of those at bats, and .202 at home where he strikes out 38% of the time.  We are 2 months into the season.  If he got hurt tomorrow, you bring up Clint Frazier who is mashing the ball in Scranton and lose nothing.  In fact, you gain.
• Sanchez is hovering around .200 and refuses to hit to right field where he has huge power.  All of the pitchers know it and continue to throw him off speed pitches down and away.  Btw, David Cone is an excellent announcer.  As opposed to Al Leiter who is mute worthy on the tv, Cone is armed with stats and often predicts just what is going to happen.  Same with Paul O’Neil (without the stats).
• Boone (and CC) both felt Sabathia pitched well last night.  SU says that is a little scary.  He was certainly better than his last start but Gardner was plastered against the left field wall on a few long outs.
• Starters going 5 innings will catch up to them – and soon.  They showed a stat last night that over the last 3 weeks, excluding Severino, the starters’ ERA was 6.90.  The Yankees’ strong record reflects a number of come from behind wins and also winning most of the close games.  SU says this is not sustainable.

I say more than ever, bring up Clint Frazier.  Hicks is an average player – he goes in a trade for a front-line starter.  You have to think long term, and long term Frazier is more valuable than Hicks.  Gardner is hot now and will hit .500 for a couple of more weeks before reverting back to .100 for 3 weeks.  You ride him for now and they will keep him but he is 35 and next year Frazier deserves a full-time shot.

SU says it could be worse.  You could be a Met fan and watch your bullpen blow game after game.  But they are still in the mix and should look to upgrade despite the injuries.

Is it good for basketball to see Golden State playing Cleveland in the finals for the 4th year in a row?  SU has no love for Houston and their isolation style of basketball.  On the other hand, if Chris Paul does not get hurt, I have to believe that Houston wins game 7.  Golden State was in disarray in the 1st half with sloppy turnovers, poor defense and Draymond Green screaming at Durant during breaks in the action.  Of course, they own the 3rd quarter and once they started running the offense through Steph Curry, momentum shifted.

This is Steph Curry’s team.  Durant is a force and he (finally) got it going in the 4th quarter as Houston just couldn’t make a shot in the 2nd half.  SU believes, more than ever, that he opts out after this season.  Let’s say they win the championship and they are huge favorites to beat the Cavs.  SU says the reality is that they are an all-star team and anything short of winning it all is a failure – despite any injuries.  At some point, what fun is that and what does that say about you and your legacy?  Go somewhere else and win it all.  It’s not good for the NBA to have Golden State winning the championship every year with a line up of superstars.

In the East, LeBron James has shown what a great player he is by taking a roster of under-performers to the finals.  He deserves to be in the same conversation with Jordan now for GOAT.  Durant is not in that conversation and won’t be as long as he stays with the Warriors.  If Kevin Love can return the Cavs have a puncher’s chance but if not, there is just no way.  The fast pace that Golden State plays will wear LeBron down.

SU gets the strategy of throwing up 3-pointers in high volume and at a fast pace.  But after watching Houston and Boston in game 7, you have to have a plan B that you can fall back on.  At some point it’s just ridiculous.  Even fast breaks end up with a 3-pointer from the corner when a dunk or lay-up is there for the taking.  And let’s face it: the college game is not producing enough shooters for every team to play that style.  The pure shooters are not making it to the NBA.

Greg Bird is back and looking good.  With Didi’s slump, Bird is going to be moved up to the heart of the line-up right away.  Did you see Boone bench Stanton vs. Verlander yesterday?  Was it just a day off?  SU says if you are a true superstar, you play and you produce against the elite pitchers.  After taking the golden sombrero on Sunday, he got the day off but watch tonight vs. Charlie Morton.  He is over matched with that closed batting stance.  Another 0 for 4 on the way.

Brian Cashman pulled the trigger on the roster with Greg Bird rejoining the team and optioned Ronald Torreyes to Scranton.  Now, Torreyes’s playing time this year is down from last year under Girardi but he is hitting .339 to lead the team and can play 2nd, short and 3rd in addition to being the emergency catcher.  He is also beloved in the clubhouse.  His teammates love his work ethic and spirit.  Aaron Boone referenced that this was a difficult, emotional decision.  We may look back at their record in 2018 “B.T.” and “A.T.”  SU is not a big believer in karma in baseball but this kid is really liked by his teammates.  Something to watch now.

SU says interesting.  On most teams, the optioning of the utility infielder is not a big deal.  Cashman is faced with these issues:

• Other than Severino, his other 4 starters are lucky to go 5 innings per start.  As a result, the Yankees have to carry extra relievers.  This is a season long problem and will ultimately require the addition of possibly 2 front-line starters later this season.
• Greg Bird, an SU fave, cannot stay healthy.  The Yankees cannot count on him being the 1st baseman for the rest of the year nor do they want to play him every day.  Thus, you need to keep Tyler Austin on the roster.
• Neil Walker would need to be waived and again, they want him around as Bird insurance.

The Yankees and the Red Sox will go mano a mano for the full year to try and win the division, avoid the wild card game and avoid playing Houston in the next round of the playoffs.  Boston’s starters are far better than the Yankees right now, and we will see this week how much better Houston’s are.

What should the Yankees do?  Personally, I would trade Stanton.  His contract will be an albatross for the next 10 years.  SU has heard enough about his generational abilities.  When he faces right-handed pitchers with that closed stance, he is over-matched.  The team does not need more home runs and strikeouts.  You didn’t give up much to get him.  You are not going to beat Houston or Boston in the playoffs if you have to rely on Stanton in big situations.  And you’re not going to beat them without 2 more front-line starters.

SU says protect the best prospects.  Cashman will surely earn his salary this year.

Speaking of karma, what about Golden State?  SU says this is Curry’s, Thompson’s and Green’s team.  They are the core.  Durant is a superstar but he has turned into Carmelo Anthony in the playoffs.  He is getting his points but by going 1 on 1 so much, the degree of difficulty of his shots is really high.  On a team with this much fire power, it should not be that difficult for him.  If Golden State loses tomorrow night in game 7, it will be interesting to see if Durant opts out of his contract (I think he can do that this year).  If he is taking too many shots, as SU has said repeatedly, his teammates are not in rhythm.  Apparently, Steve Kerr has talked to him about trusting his teammates.  Monday night will be interesting.

Great game last night between the Warriors and Rockets.  It’s interesting to watch how Golden State is deviating from their winning formula of ball movement to going with the player with the hot hand for long stretches in isolation.  It’s been Durant for much of the playoffs but now we see Curry taking over – especially in the 2nd half of these games.  While you benefit from a flurry of points for short periods, other players are not in rhythm, e.g., Clay Thompson.  And then, late in the game when those players need to produce, they can’t as they have barely shot the ball.

Houston on the other hand plays this isolation style which for SU is unattractive, uninspiring and just hard to watch.  Especially when you have one of the top point guards of all time on your team in CP3.  I mean, who wants to watch James Harden jab step from the top of the key for 20 seconds (other than Carmelo Anthony who no doubt watches in front of the mirror practicing the same move)?  You can’t argue with regular season success certainly for the Rockets but is this style effective in the playoffs?  And SU says how do you let him drive left over and over again and not have someone underneath to protect the rim?

Celtics and Cavs have both held serve so far on their home courts.  LeBron continues to impress with his production.  While he is a pass first player, he knows he needs to score 35+ points a night for them to win.  SU is not sure what happened to Kevin Love who was unstoppable in Minnesota but is really a pedestrian player in Cleveland.  He needs to be the 2nd option for LeBron.  Otherwise, your fate rests with JR Smith and Knick fans know how that usually ends.

Gary Sanchez was brutal last night behind the plate.  3 wild pitches in one inning and SU says Romine stops all three of them.  He finally left the game with a calf issue and maybe that was bothering him.  I get it that in the regular season, your team benefits by having an offensively superior player at catcher and he sure can hit.  But come playoff time, he will be a liability.  He also calls a bad game.  When Romine catches the ERAs are lower and the pace of play moves along.  Sanchez just lacks the instincts of how to call a game and can’t be trusted in the 8th and 9th innings of close games.  Now, David Cone went off last night defending him bigly and he does have a gun for an arm, but the reality is teams don’t need to bother stealing – just wait for the passed ball or wild pitch.  SU is not sure why the Yankees can’t improve his defense.  Long-time SU subscriber S. Greenberg says Sanchez has stone hands – can’t receive the ball cleanly.  SU would agree.

Cole Hamels auditioned for the trade to the Yankees later in the year.  He looked good but where would he start on the Astros?  Maybe the 5th starter?  SU says he is not the answer.  Cashman needs to keep looking and waiting.

Finally, Chase Headley was officially DFA’d.  He can be picked up for the minimum salary for the remainder of the season.  You know Cashman is tempted and may assign him to the minors to compete with veteran Adam Lind.  Greg Bird is close to being ready.  SU says they really need his left-handed bat in there.  I am fine with moving Tyler Austin.  He reminds me of Andruw Jones – all or nothing approach at the plate.

So, what is it about the pattern of former Yankees who have failed PED tests?  Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Francisco Cervelli – all friends of A-Rod.  Hopefully, not friends of A-Rod’s chemist.  SU was saddened to learn about Cano – 80-game suspension and cannot play in the post-season.  Brian Cashman no doubt feels like they did the right thing letting him go to Seattle – that plus having Gleyber Torres to play 2nd base at 21 years old.  Cano did not appeal the suspension.

Apparently, Cano was on a trajectory to make the Hall of Fame.  He already was in 2nd place for career home runs by a 2nd baseman.  It’s hard to see that happening now.  He failed a test for a drug that is used for masking other drugs.  His statement said he was taking it for some unmentioned medical condition.  But we have heard all of this before from anyone that is caught.

SU caught some of the Rockets – Warriors game last night.  Kevin Durant is unstoppable.  The problem is that he is scoring mostly in 1-on-1 situations.  While he gets his points, the other players are not in rhythm and then can’t turn it on when needed.  SU still believes too much of the Rockets’ offense runs through Harden vs. letting Chris Paul orchestrate more but they had the most wins this year so it must work.  This is an interesting series.  SU says the Warriors need a rim protector in there when Harden drives and beats his man to the basket.  They have that guy in McGee but he doesn’t play at all.  Meanwhile, the Cavs are in big trouble but Boston has not played well on the road in the playoffs this year so they need to hold serve these next two games.

The Yankees are keeping Brandon Drury in the minors for now.  Bird returns in a week or so.  If he can stay healthy (no small feat for him), roster moves will need to be made.  SU says package Hicks, Austin and maybe even Drury for a young, front-line pitcher.  Clint Frazier gets his shot this weekend and if he can produce, his upside seems to be higher than what we see in Hicks so far.

Finally, I get that the pro sports leagues want their cut of gambling revenues.  However, once you start putting kiosks in your stadiums and arenas to allow for in-game gambling or even displays at every seat, this could get out-of-hand.  It’s like putting pouches of smokeless tobacco at every seat.  You are inviting people with addictive personalities to get addicted.  As a fan, do you want to sit there and bet on missed foul shots?

A Happy Mother’s Day to the moms out there in the intergalactic SU subscriber base.  This is clearly big news.  The San Diego Padres have designated Chase Headley for assignment after his .115 start this season.  SU says let’s see if Brian Cashman picks him up as we all know he has a soft spot in his heart for Headley.  Maybe the Mets will show some interest?

Here is a good trivia question.  SU usually doesn’t put these out there because many of you cheat (or should I say use the internet to find the answer).  But I think the answer to this question is hard to actually find on the internet so have at it:

“What MLB player hit a World Series home run in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s?”

It’s a tough question but SU did get the answer.  Hint: it came up during today’s Yankee – Oakland game.  That is actually a helpful hint.

Kudos to long-time subscriber, B. Rosano, who predicted a Yankee letdown against Oakland this weekend after the intense stretch against playoff contenders.  The team is definitely playing a little less intensely.  Neil Walker has solidified his position on the roster now with a game winning, walk-off hit today.  SU believes that Cashman will bring up Brandon Drury by Tuesday (apparently his last allowable rehab day in the minors) and will send down Tyler Austin who is in a major 0 for slump and has probably earned the demotion.  SU says teach Drury to play some first base while Bird is rehabbing.  Once Bird returns, they will then have a decision to make with the roster.

SU says that Aaron Hicks has put his spot in centerfield in a bit of jeopardy as Clint Frazier is heating up in the minors.  One of those two will be packaged in the trade for a starting pitcher soon.

Matt Harvey: 4 innings and one hit in his Reds debut as a starter.  Something to watch and see if the Reds turn him into a trade deadline deal for prospects come July.

SU checked the calendar and it’s still early May.  The Yankees have basically run the table against the best teams in the AL – Angels, Indians, Astros and now the Red Sox.  As a Yankee fan, you pretty much cannot ask for more.  But SU says, it’s a long season and in baseball, especially with pitchers, you have to deal with injuries.  But let’s discuss:

• The team batting average is still only around .250.  If you look at the line up, they roll out 3 players a game with averages hovering around .200 (Sanchez, Walker, Gardner).
• You cannot lose sight that this year’s team has won a lot of close games late and come from behind late several times.  Now, does that have staying power all season long?  Perhaps – we see that over the years that teams have a confidence (Astros last season).
• Offensively, they are being carried by hot hitters here and there – but that is typical of most teams except the 1998 Yankees which had strength up and down the line up as well as veterans on the bench like Tim Raines and Darryl Strawberry.
• The bullpen continues to be a question mark although some of the injured pitchers like Kahnle and Warren will return.  Long-time SU subscriber A. Grossman points out that they lack a lockdown lefty (Andrew Miller type) which is true although the hard throwers get everyone out.
• The game has changed.  It’s no longer about stealing, hit and running, small ball.  Today it’s wait for the 3-run home run and take your strikeouts.

SU says you are never as good as you look when you’re hot and you are never as bad as you look when you are cold (although I do make exceptions for Todd Frazier and Chase Headley).  The Yankees are winning pretty much all of the close games right now.  I don’t think that rate is sustainable.  Aside from the record, SU enjoys watching this team for its youth, enthusiasm, good guys and the feeling that they are just having fun out there.  It’s not about millionaires going through the motions.  This team is great.  Cashman will make his tweaks – SU looks forward to Greg Bird’s return – and we will see if the starters can stay healthy.

Is this year’s team on a historic pace for wins?  Can you really project wins in baseball?

Finally, the Mets are advertising for a part-time position to make out the line up cards.  It’s a couple of hours a week.  Copying skills are a must.

Several members of the intergalactic SU subscriber base have asked SU to weigh in on LeBron and what he has accomplished in this year’s playoffs to date.  Think about what he has done:

• The Cavs traded Kyrie for Isiah Thomas who was basically a non-factor for Cleveland.  Thomas is then traded to the Lakers for a bunch of reserve type players.  The net is he lost the only other All-Star on the team.
• He single-handedly willed them to the victory over the Pacers, and then they swept the #1 seed in the East in 4 games.
• He is playing about 45 minutes a game, and knows that for them to win, he needs to score 35+ points, have around 10 assists and 10 rebounds.  Anything less than his A game and they lose.

It really has been impressive.  SU does not like the way he argues every foul call which sometimes results in not running down court but I suppose this helps him conserve energy.  But he puts out every game and is scoring from every angle and every way.  SU says he is deserving to be in the conversation with Michael Jordan at this point in his career.  At his age, this season has been remarkable with this roster.

Thoughts?

Those were the famous words of Mariano Duncan of the Yankees back in 1996 during their world championship season.  Well, the 2018 version of the Yankees are certainly, as of right now, playing that way.  Even yesterday, when down 4-0 in the 8th inning with 1 hit and John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman saying how you can’t win them all, this year’s team rose from the dead to score 7 runs in 2 innings.  It sure seems like they find a way to win every day.

Last year’s team had a terrible record in close games.  It was why despite a high run differential, the won/loss record surprisingly did not match up.  This year’s team is very different and is winning close games and winning close games late.  That is a good formula.  They are plowing through the toughest part of the schedule in great shape.  If you are scoring at home, that’s 6 wins in a row over Cleveland.  Now, as we all know in baseball, a lot of your success comes from when you play certain teams.  The Indians’ bullpen is a mess and that showed up this weekend.  But the Astros have been hot and so were the Angels.

The Yankees are benefiting from the youngsters and due to injury, Cashman did as SU has said right from the beginning.  Play the young guys.  German looks legit as a 5th starter.  There is still a deal to be made later in the year for a front line pitcher and they have the chips now to make a deal.  The team is only hitting .250 and many players have not hit their stride as of yet.  SU says this could be a special season.

What could mess it up?  See below:

• Matt Harvey: no reason to even talk to the Mets.  Harvey has too much ego and this year’s team has a good feeling.  Absolutely no need to kick the tires on Harvey.
• Jacoby Elsbury: luckily, he is so injury prone, SU cannot see how he makes it back.
• Sending Andujar down: if his average tails downward, Cashman will be tempted to send him down and bring Drury up.  I believe there is a limit on how many games a player can rehab.  We are no doubt getting close to that.
• Chapman: he needs to stay healthy and Boone should watch the appearances.  They are playing a lot of close games.  SU likes that Boone is trying to win them all but you don’t want to burn out the relievers.  Guys like Paul Quantrill were very valuable over the years to come in and instantly lose games in extra innings.  Jonathan Holder is that guy this year.  Keeps the bullpen fresh by blowing games quickly.

The team is winning with minimal contributions from Stanton.  The Red Sox come to town next.  SU says do not get into the beanball war stuff with them.  Nothing good comes from that except injured star players – either hit by a pitch or injured in a fight.  It’s stupid.  You can roll that out some other time.