Some interesting MLB stats for you this morning:

Gary Sanchez, San Diego Padres: .294, 5 home runs and 11 rbis in 34 at bats.

Aaron Hicks, Baltimore Orioles: .364, .481 on base percentage

Gio Urshela, LA Angels: .304; 24 rbis

Mike Tauchman, Chicago Cubs: .260; .397 on base percentage

SU is not saying that Brian Cashman should not have made these moves and deals. Clearly, any Yankee fan wanted Gary Sanchez out of NY. I wish all of these guys well this season. Urshela was an inexpensive 3rd baseman who was a gold glove quality fielder. Maybe you keep him and save a few dollars on Donaldson? Hicks needed a new home and SU is happy to see him get to play (and batting 5th for the 2nd place Orioles!).

If you are a Yankee fan, the 2023 version, aside from Aaron Judge, is unwatchable. No other way to say it. Offensively, their games are a snoozefest. They are lucky that they have the best bullpen in the MLB plus Judge when he is healthy. The problem is that when he is out (2nd time on the IL now), the players who get paid the big bucks like LeMahieu and Stanton, really come up short. As in really, really short. Volpe is struggling but he hits 9th and anything you get from him is a plus. Oswald Peraza is batting .311 with 10 home runs and 21 rbis in 119 at bats in the minors this year. The thinking is that there is nowhere to play him in the infield with Donaldson back and Volpe playing everyday but SU says give him a shot and plug him in at 3rd, 2nd and shortstop. The team is desperate for offense, speed, some level of excitement. The Yankees are really in need of outfielders as Bader can’t stay healthy, Stanton can never stay healthy and they are afraid to play him in the outfield, and Judge is hurt.

Right now, a wild card is all the team can hope for in 2023 and there is a lot of competition there.

Over in Flushing, the Mets with baseball’s highest payroll are really floundering. Yes, they have had their share of injuries, and now Alonso is out for a month. Might they be sellers in July?? Actually, might the Yankees be sellers? (Nah). The next month is key for both teams.

For tennis fans, the first 2 sets of the Alcaraz – Djokovic match yesterday were some of the best tennis you will ever see. Interesting contrast between 36-year old Djokovic and 20-year old Alcaraz. You have to give Djokovic credit for still competing at such a high level at 36. Interesting stat for him: 45 Grand Slam semi-final appearances in his career, and 34 finals – including winning 20 of his last 21 semi-finals, and 14 of his last 17 finals in these events. He’s not for everyone, and some of his views are off but you have to acknowledge the sustained greatness in his career during the era of Federer and Nadal.

SU is still trying to fully understand the new arrangement in golf between the PGA TOUR and LIV. It’s not a great look for the sport and maybe you can look the other way when it comes to the Saudis (SU cannot). It will be interesting to see if the players approve the new deal.

The Denver Nuggets are the real deal. Jokic is so refreshing to watch. It was amusing to read some of the experts criticizing his flopping for foul calls as if literally every other NBA player does not do that. How do you not give credit to a big man who is a triple-double threat every game? He’s not the most athletic person on the court but is a joy to watch given his team orientation. He makes everyone around him better – a lot better. SU says appreciate that and recognize how few players do that in the NBA right now.

SU was not that surprised when the Celtics got this series to a game 7 after being down 0 – 3. They have the more talented roster and had leads in both home games of the series. When they tied it up at 3 -3 after the miracle buzzer beating tip-in, many said game 7 would be a blowout for the Celtics. SU believed it would be a close game as Miami would be playing with house money at that point. Everyone was betting against the Heat – much less pressure.

The reality is that Tatum tweaked his ankle in the game’s first minute and that had an impact on the outcome. SU says it was a factor but certainly not THE factor. The Celtics felt the pressure and that showed up in their 3-point shooting for the game. Clearly, they hoisted up way too many 3s but when you get down in the 2nd quarter by double digits, sometimes you forget who you are. Credit to the Heat for staying together and getting back to the NBA finals. They don’t play pretty but definitely play more like a team. The Celtics have some big decisions with contracts during the off-season as Brown is due for a max deal. They have been very close now for back-to-back seasons. Do you blow it up?

Apparently, in the NBA, it’s just that hard to come back from being down 0 – 3. We have seen it happen in other sports. The Celtics had the rare advantage of having home court – a missed opportunity. Fun fact: Boston is the first city to lose a home game 7 to a #8 seed in both hockey and basketball in the same season. Way to go!

Should the Knicks retire Carmelo Anthony’s number? SU says absolutely not. Look, Melo is a good guy, speaks his mind and was not a high maintenance player in NY with the media, fans, etc. But for SU, I never liked his style of play, i.e., jab step, jab step, jab step, and absence of how to play true team ball. No championships, no finals appearances, no really memorable playoff runs. Only 7 seasons. It looks like MSG is going to do it. Better make room then for other numbers to join him then as the bar will be lowered.

You have to admit, the start of the MLB season in New York has been underwhelming with all of the injuries and mediocre records. However, we are starting to see a change as the Mets have won a string of games coming from behind late, and the Yankees have a hot Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo. For the Mets in particular, this is huge as winning in that fashion changes the whole mood of the clubhouse and gives a team confidence that no game is out of reach. The Mets also have brought up their top prospects, and that is always a good thing. They also have recalled Gary Sanchez and that is usually not a good thing.

The Yankees have a red hot Judge, and it shows just how much they rely on him to win games offensively. It’s actually a black mark on Cashman’s record that he wasn’t able to improve the offense from last season. Yes, the injuries to Donaldson and Stanton have hurt but we all know that Donaldson is past his prime and even when he returns, it won’t help scoring runs. Stanton will help but he will also get hurt again later in the year as he needs to hit that 40% of games played level target for the Yankees in 2023.

SU is excited about the young catcher, Ben Rortvedt, who had 2 hits in his Yankee debut Saturday and looks like he can hit. He must get regular playing time and when Trevino returns, they will have a decision to make. Now, he has been hurt for 2 years since being acquired from the Twins and who knows if he can stay healthy? But SU says keep him on the roster at least and use him as a DH. The team badly needs more offense as teams will get smart and start walking Judge all the time.

Aaron Hicks has been Designated for Assignment. End of an era. It’s the best thing for all parties involved. The Yankees rarely eat salary but they will here on Hicks’ contract. SU predicts someone will pick him up once the time period passes where they would have to pay his full salary going forward. He actually had started hitting of late but he needs to move on. The fans have been killing him – even on the road. He’s not a bad guy.

The PGA Championship was great over the weekend. This guy Block stole the show with his top 15 finish and a hole in one in the final round. Good for the sport and the fans. Is having a LIV golfer, Brooks, Koepka, win a bad thing for golf? Do fans care at this point? Do fans want to watch a tour where the top players are paid millions of dollars just for showing up to play 3 rounds? It’s not for SU and I would not watch any sport do that. Between sponsorship deals and appearance fees (essentially), is it true competition? Or just a series of exhibitions?

The NBA is not likely going to get the Lakers – Celtics finals that they would have wanted as both series are now 3-0. Truth be told, SU has not been watching the Conference finals but I will tune into the finals if it’s Denver – Miami. The Nuggets are a fun watch and play at a very fast pace. The Heat are quite a story overcoming injuries and getting contributions up and down the roster. I have to believe the Celtics will make a stand, and not sure this series is quite done yet.

Finally, a men’s tennis comment. We are now seeing the changing of the guard from the Nadal/Djokovic/Federer era. Nadal is out until 2024, and has already announced that will be his last year on the ATP Tour. Djokovic has some elbow issues and it’s hard to see him making it deep into the French Open or beyond. There are some great young players – Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner – and Medvedev is figuring things out. Like all sports, the next generation takes over at some point. Even LeBron is nearing the end. We will miss the Big Three/Four era when they are gone but time marches on.

While the Knicks’ season ended last night, the future is potentially bright for this team, and they are definitely trending in the right direction. A few points:

1. This team plays hard. There is a grittiness to them.
2. Jalen Brunson had a coming out party against one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. He showed that he is an elite point guard, and if they can put some real shooters around him, then you have something special. Last night, he was all 1-on-1 but that was how they run their offense.
3. Get rid of the 1-on-1 offense next season. Julius Randle is Carmelo Redux. Jab step, jab step, pass the ball with 3 seconds on the shot clock. That is not the NBA anymore. The best teams are up tempo – the Knicks need to do that. Clearly, the Quickley injury was huge plus Thibodeau had put Rose and Fournier in moth balls so the roster was extra short.
4. Try and trade Randle. He is a solid player but his attitude seems to be up and down, and he is a ball stopper deluxe.

SU is back on the Knicks’ band wagon after a 20-year hiatus. Good times ahead.

Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors are out. This year’s team just could not win on the road all year. James Wiseman never developed as expected, and they could have used a mobile big man vs. the Lakers. Jordan Poole is a mess and SU wonders if they may trade him in the off season. He is still fun to watch on offense but needs to learn to play defense. Klay Thompson shot them out of this series and Draymond Green can be a free agent soon. The Warriors’ GM is also a free agent. An interesting team to watch in the off-season.

The Yankees showed some fight last night coming back a couple of times late vs. Tampa Bay. SU says you can point to the injuries to explain their current last place position but even when fully healthy, they need more. The Frankie Montas trade was such a killer last summer. JP Sears on Oakland is a really good pitcher and had showed flashes for the Yankees last year. At this point, I think we can all agree that the Yankees over-hype their minor league prospects. Volpe is the real deal but others just never fully develop. Michael Kay pointed out that Tampa Bay has feasted on the bottom feeder teams so far while the Yankees have played few of them. Perhaps true but the Rays still beat up on them and the Yankees will continue to struggle to score runs all year. Josh Donaldson is closer to returning but is that a good thing?

SU heard last night that in 2022, 51% of all MLB pitchers spent time on the IL during the season. That is pretty amazing. Pitching is not a natural motion and pitching in the high 90’s must be even more unnatural. One wonders if there is a trade-off of speed for health?

The Mets have also underachieved but they have even more injuries than the Yankees. SU will reserve judgment until they are closer to a full roster. I still believe their long-term prospects this year are better than for the Yankees.

SIxers – Celtics game 7 will be a fun watch. These two teams are hard to predict. You have to give LeBron credit to play at such a high level given his age. The Lakers play hard on defense. Denver is really good though – have to give them the nod to make it to the finals. Miami will lose quickly to either the Sixers or the Celtics.

You can’t say no one told you this was coming. SU was on the case a week ago as the Yankees embarked on that road trip. Going 2 – 5 puts them into a tie for last place in the competitive AL East. And it is not going to get any better. Aaron Boone is juggling the same lame group of hitters each game but really, it does not matter where anyone hits in the lineup.

Yes, you can blame it on injuries but every team is dealing with its share of injuries. SU says given that Stanton only plays 40% of the time anyway, you have to anticipate that he will be out for half the season. Just feels like the team missed the boat here on offense. Jake Bauers came up and played half an inning before crashing into the left field wall making a great catch. SU is hoping he will make an appearance. Seriously, even if he is only 80%, worth throwing him out there.

Bottom line: there are more exciting things to watch now on the sports front starting with game 7 Rangers – Devils tonight. See? SU is all over hockey.

Where do you rank the Bruins’ game 7 loss in the first round after setting an all-time regular season record for wins and points? It has to be way up there. The reality is that there is extra pressure when you have that once in a lifetime regular season record. Remember the Yankees in 1998? Down 1 – 2 to Cleveland in the playoffs – that was major pressure. El Duque responded and set things back on track but a team carries extra weight in those instances.

Miguel Andujar got called up to the Pirates on Saturday and promptly went 4 -5 in a doubleheader with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs. Good for him. Hoping he can stick with the hot Pirates.

The Warriors – Kings’ series was a great playoff opener. Fast pace, high scoring. Golden State needed Steph Curry to bail them out in game 7 with 50 points but you can’t expect him to do that at his age vs. the Lakers. While the Knicks went down in game 1, SU sees that series going 7 games. But on offense, they need to stop with all of the 1 on 1 stuff and get back to moving the ball. They are much better in transition. SU fully expects them to rebound in game 2 – especially if Jimmy Butler is dealing with a sprained ankle.

Just saw that the Mets hit Ronald Acuna Jr. on the Braves in game 2 of their doubleheader after the Braves’ pitchers hit 3 Met batters in game 1. Buck Showalter style ball. No more big hugs and yukking it up at 1st base. Good for the rivalry.

It has taken SU many, many years to get back on the Knicks’ bandwagon. I left once Isiah Thomas took over and briefly returned during the Linsanity era (I think that was 3 weeks) but the Melo dynasty was too much to take (jab step, jab step, jab step and everyone else stand around).

But this version is very appealing to watch. The Knicks play hard every night – on both offense and defense. They have a likeable group of players although Julius Randle is borderline for SU. And when Randle is out resting, they push the ball and let their athleticism take over. Josh Hart has been a huge addition – that guy hustles, plays tough defense and looks to push the ball at every opportunity. For SU, there is nothing worse than a team that walks the ball up the court and barely crosses mid-court in 8 seconds. What is the point of that? Today’s NBA with all of the rules on defense and how teams play is built for a high tempo offense. Just watch the Warriors and the Kings – they get it.

Next up for the Knicks is Miami. Somehow, Milwaukee once again choked away a big 4th quarter lead last night and the Heat advance. The Knicks have home court advantage for this series and MSG is a difference maker this year. Very intimidating to the opposition. Hopefully, Randle’s latest ankle injury is not as severe and he can return. They are already down Grimes in the starting lineup and do lack some depth. Clearly, the need is to find a way to contain Jimmy Butler and make others beat you. This should be a fun series.

Management needs to sign Josh Hart to a contract in the off season.

SU is back on the Knicks’ bandwagon. Just please keep Isiah Thomas away from Mr. Dolan.

I know: 13-9 is a good record for April, and it projects to a 96-win season. Most teams would sign up for that in March. SU has watched its share of games and has a good feel for the team. Consider:

1. 16 of the 22 games that the Yankees have played have been at home. They are not as good on the road as we know.
2. Like many teams, they have their share of injuries – especially to the starting pitchers. Schmidt was much better yesterday which apparently is very important as Rodon is not near making his return. Nor is Severino. Donaldson is on the IL although SU does not consider that to be a loss. The Stanton injury is more significant as he will likely get hurt again later in the year. Bader may be back in a week or so which will help a lot.
3. The Yankees are something like 23rd in MLB in runs scored. If you watch them, they don’t hit in the clutch (continuing a 10-year run) and don’t even put that many runners on the bases. They are playing 3 rookies now and you have to get through their growing pains phase. But the big bats are not exactly producing so far. Judge’s monster season in 2022 covered up some other shortcomings that are still short this year.
4. The more balanced schedule is a good thing for 2023 as the AL East is very good.

The positives are the faster games. So, in those games where they are not hitting, they end pretty quickly. SU says keep an eye on the team over the next couple of weeks with more road games and Tampa Bay looming on the schedule. The current record may move closer to .500 very quickly.

SU is officially on the Knicks’ bandwagon. They are playing an exciting brand of basketball. Yesterday, you had to give Tom Thibodeau credit for keeping Julius Randle on the bench for the whole 4th quarter as Toppin was playing very well and Randle’s head was not in the game. SU is not a fan of walking the ball up the court and waiting until 8 seconds are left to run a play. You get the lead by pushing the ball and moving it on offense. Cleveland is going to figure out how to stymie those late play calls on the shot clock.

The best series is Golden State vs. Sacramento. Both teams look to push the ball, and scores in the 120s are fun games to watch. Steph Curry almost blew the game yesterday calling a timeout when they didn’t have any which results in a technical foul and loss of possession. He then shot with 10 seconds left instead of running the clock down. The Warriors were lucky to escape with the win. Sacramento is really good and well-coached. If they advance, no one in the West is going to want to play them.

What is going on in the NBA playoffs with all of the cheap shots, i.e., stomps on the chest, kicks or punches to the groin? Dillon Brooks on the Memphis Grizzlies takes it to another level. Of course, he has been an a-hole going back to his days at Oregon in college. SU says it is a way for a marginal player (which he is) to stick around in the NBA. Does every team need an “enforcer?” The Detroit Pistons had more than one back in the 1990s but for SU, it’s stupid. Just play. Much prefer to seeing highly skilled players do their thing vs. the antics of a Draymond Green, etc. The NBA is going to have to figure this one out – and soon – as their star players are even in the mix now (Harden, Embiid). Not a good look.

The energy at MSG on Friday night for the Knick game was off the charts. The Garden has the best home court advantage in the NBA, and we will see if the Knicks can bring the same energy to game 4 today. The momentum swings in NBA playoff games is crazy – you cannot expect one performance to carry over to the next. Loved seeing Duncan Robinson finally getting some minutes and producing for Miami.

SU was reading up on the Max Scherzer suspension for “sticky stuff” on his hands and glove. Initially, I was thinking he was getting a raw deal but apparently the MLB rules are very clear on rosin in your glove and coming from places other than the rosin bag on the mound. I do agree with Scherzer that the rule should be changed, as you don’t want umpires making subjective judgments at the ballpark based on their sense of stickiness on hands. Scherzer will now have to adapt as the Mets really need him with all of the injuries to starting pitchers. In case you have not been watching, the Mets are killing it on the West Coast this week. If they can ever get completely healthy, watch out.

SU is aware that I am one of the few people watching the Tennis Channel these days but the men’s tour has so many great young players right now. Nadal and Djokovic can’t stay healthy and you have to figure this is the year that we see the changing of the guard in the Majors. Alcaraz, Sinner, Rune are the youngest up and comers but there are also plenty of mid-20s players as well. Djokovic is the victim of not getting vaccinated and then making his return on heavy, wet, slow clay which has damaged his elbow. It’s unclear if he can recover in time for a run at the French Open and Nadal is not even playing right now.

Wow, the NFL just suspended several players for a year for betting on non-NFL games. Apparently, you can do that but not from an NFL training facility or the stadium. Seems like an odd rule considering how the League promotes all of these betting sites?

Finally, as mentioned by others on this blog, the NHL playoffs are certainly dramatic and exciting. SU has tuned in – a bit – to some of the Rangers-Devils games, and the pace is off the charts. Even the mighty Bruins dropped a game in the first round.

SU did not see the Yankee game live yesterday in the 1st inning where the Guardians formally challenged a play in center field at 21 seconds. Now, the rule is that you have 15 seconds to make the formal challenge. Apparently, the Guardians played the replay on their center field TV screen and the crowd went wild when it saw that Aaron Hicks actually trapped the ball instead of catching it cleanly. The umpires huddled and then allowed the challenge.

Now, the good news is that they ultimately got the play right but that is not the rule. You have 15 seconds to challenge. Period. SU has done the math (several times), and 21 seconds is longer than 15 seconds. Case closed right? Nope. Aaron Boone rightly went nuts and earned his first ejection of the season. SU says abide by the rules please. Ignore the rest. And MLB should please acknowledge that the umpires blew the call and we can move on.

SU loves the NBA Play-in Games. This is great. So much on the line. The road team won 3 of the 4 games, and the Lakers were lucky to advance at home in OT. Positioning for these spots down the stretch became a thing and resulted in more meaningful games vs. having teams tank to improve their odds for the draft. It’s entertaining. Props to the NBA for coming up with this.

Of course, this is followed by something like a 3-week period of 1st round playoff games as the NBA likes to stretch these out. Lakers – Grizzlies is a very interesting first round. Miami vs. Boston could also be fun. All eyes in NY are on the Knicks – Cavs. This is a winnable series for the Knicks. This is a fun time of the year with the start of baseball and the NBA playoff games.

Tampa Bay Rays are now 12 – 0. While many of their games have been at home and against teams with losing records, well, this is baseball and a streak like that is very, very rare. They always put a competitive team on the field and seem to overcome injuries every year. Their schedule gets a lot harder right away but they are no doubt good in 2023 yet again. The Yankees are winning the close games so far this season vs. what happened in the 2nd half of 2022. The starting pitching continues to be a problem with the injuries. SU says it’s barely mid-April: no need to get aggravated. Now, come early May, well different story.

Whoa, just read that the NY Mets already have 9 pitchers on the IL and it’s only early April. Apparently, they have the oldest starting rotation in baseball combined with a bullpen with a history of injuries. Sounds like the perfect storm at the moment. As we know, injuries usually crop up as the season unfolds but it looks like the Mets beat the rush for this year. This will be something to watch as they try and navigate the early months of the season.

The Yankees are off to a decent start at 3 – 2, although for SU, the all-right handed lineup is still an issue. Last night, they had IKF in center field and Aaron Hicks getting another start in left field. Hicks was the only left-handed bat in the lineup as Rizzo was sitting. The Phillies started a left-handed pitcher but he was basically untouchable. Hicks was lustily booed with each out and you have to feel badly for the guy. It’s almost like the fans are rooting for him to fail now. No doubt, he is anxiously awaiting some road games.

SU is struggling with my Yankees’ rooting interest. Actually turned off the game last night after 7 innings as you knew they would not come back. I am not sure what the issue is at this point. I like the faster pace of play as in I love the faster pace of play. What an improvement! The ball/strike calls are pretty bad but players seem to not be arguing too much so far. SU may have to ease into the season and find a favorite player on the team to root for. Volpe is the easy one but I usually prefer a fringe player.

Props to Caitlin Clark who took the high road yesterday and had only nice things to say about LSU’s Angel Reese. Smart move. They will both be on the US Olympic team together soon enough and Clark is also a trash talker. She gets it and this should be the end of it now.

The NBA playoffs will soon be upon us. Are the Knicks better without Randle? The ball seems to move a lot more. He can get hot and dominate a game but the team’s level of play has not dropped off with his absence. They are a good watch this year. The NBA Western Conference is crazy close for the play-in games. It’s great to see teams have to try right down to the end of the regular season vs. tanking (there are still plenty of those).

Thoughts on the new baseball rules?