So, there it is.  A-Rod plays one more week and then hangs it up officially as he moves on to his mentoring/instructional role with the Yankees.  SU’s take:

• I will definitely miss A-Rod.  Admittedly, he’s a knucklehead and has poor judgment.  He has taken the advice of some bad people over the years and made his share of mistakes.  Having said that, I think he’s a basically good guy and a great baseball player.  Too much ego, too much vanity and too much preening at times.  He certainly knows the game and has been a model citizen the last couple of seasons.
• On a Yankee team that has been boring for the past several seasons, he was a guy you waited to see come up to bat.  The current line-up features no-one, as in no-one, that you even care to see hit.  As dull as can be.
• But here’s the deal for SU.  Brian McCann is now getting a lot of the DH at bats as Gary Sanchez is doing a lot of the catching.  I have watched McCann for almost 3 years now.  Whenever he gets a hit, I am surprised.  Truly surprised.  He is a .230 hitter who swings for the fences.  If this is A-Rod’s last week in pinstripes, just start him for every game.  You lose nothing offensively by putting him in there.  McCann does nothing more than he does.  I understand you still think the team is in the wild card hunt (note to readers: it’s not).  The reality is let us see him play his last few games.  It won’t happen but it should.

SU prediction: A-Rod plays somewhere else in 2017.  I think he believes he has something left in the tank and will work on his conditioning and flexibility in the off-season.  And I hope he does.  OK, thoughts from the SU intergalactic readership?  Will you miss A-Rod?

This tidbit from the Times of Israel web site:

The head of the Lebanese delegation to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro boasted Saturday that he physically blocked the entrance to a bus to prevent Israeli athletes from boarding amid a refusal to travel with them to the opening ceremony of the games on Friday.

“There were more than 250 buses assigned to transport delegations from the Olympics village to the ceremony. After we boarded bus number 22, for the Lebanese delegation, I was surprised to see the Israeli delegation approaching and trying to get on,” Nacoula said.

“I told the bus driver to close the door but a trainer who was with the Israelis prevented him from doing so. I had to physically stand at the door and block him and the rest of the delegation from boarding, knowing that some were trying to force their way through and were looking for trouble,” he went on.

Nacoula alleged that the Israeli had their own bus to take them. “Why did they want to board a bus with the Lebanese delegation?”

“I stood at the door and told those responsible that we would not let them on the bus with us,” he said.

Back home, Nacoula was praised in the press and on social media as a hero.

The incident was first described on Friday by Udi Gal, the Israeli sailing team trainer, who took to social media to criticize the Lebanese.

“I kept on insisting that we board the bus and said that if the Lebanese did not want to board as well they are welcome to leave,” Gal wrote in a Facebook post Friday.

“The bus driver opened the door, but this time the head of the Lebanese delegation blocked the aisle and entrance. The organizers wanted to avoid an international and physical incident and sent us away to a different bus,” he added.

SU says: here’s to hoping that Lebanon goes medal-less in Rio.

No, but thanks for asking.  The subject has come up on sports talk radio this morning and SU just doesn’t see it.  True, he was a gold glove first baseman his entire career, made the All-Star team a few times at a high profile position and won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009.  He had 400 homeruns as a switch-hitter which is impressive.  But to me, he falls short.  Care to weigh in from  your perspective?

SU’s biggest memory of Tex will be his unwillingness to adjust batting left-handed as the shifts against him became more and more severe.  Absolutely refused to do it or consider it.  His numbers tailed off badly the last few years – some of that due to injury but much of it due to stubbornness.  He could do it right-handed but felt he was paid to hit homeruns and that was that.  SU will miss his glove and consistency.  I will not miss his .130 batting average every April.  And for you cynical Met fans, the Yankees will not retire #25.

Speaking of the Mets, SU enjoyed its time at Citifield the week before last in a suite behind home plate.  Great ballpark and great staff.  SU sends a shoutout to the Human Resources team of the Mets for its hospitality and being easy to do business with.  Well done.

SU has been following some of the averages of the recent trade deadline players.  Here is my theory: when you trade a player to a new League at the deadline, they find themselves facing pitchers for the first time.  This makes a huge (as in HUUGGGGEEEE) difference in how these players perform (see Eduardo Nunez struggling big time for the SF Giants so far).  It should be a factor for GMs as they consider these moves.  Similarly, it’s an advantage for pitchers that move to a new League.  HUGE advantage.

SU made a visit to the NY Jets training camp this week (see?  I get around).  Beautiful facility in Florham Park, NJ right in the middle of corporate office parks.  Brand new and all-encompassing.  Unfortunately, nothing to report on actual players as they were not out there but I did read that Brandon Marshall and Revis got into it yesterday at a level that was more than just “the heat of the action.”  Clearly, they do not like each other.  We will see how this plays out over the course of the season.  The Jets return a lot of key players and if Fitzpatrick can repeat his form from last season, they should be a playoff team.  However, that is a big if as he had a career year.  The key for them is to avoid Geno Smith.

Finally, it’s time to get in Olympics mode.  I must admit that I struggle to do that.  I do enjoy women’s soccer and basketball, swimming and some of the track and field.  The men’s hoops team is just too good – even without some of the stars on the roster.  Funny moment on the Mike Francesa show this week on WFAN.  He was trying to name the players on the roster for the men’s team.  Rather than just have someone look it up, the FAN always likes to play the guessing game with Big Mike so he can look brilliant when he gets a few right.  He is truly the imperious one but for me, a good listen.  He knows the Yankees and I do enjoy his pompousness and ability to repeat every statement 3 times in a row.  Not everyone can talk in triplicate.

SU says kudos to Sandy Alderson of the Mets who was able to grab Jay Bruce at the trade deadline to shore up their offense.  They did have to part ways with their 2nd baseman of the future, Herreria, but they needed to jolt the offense now and Bruce is having a great year with RISP.  It’s not ideal unless Curtis Granderson can log some innings in centerfield but SU says good move and bold.  They also reacquired Jonathan Niese to have another starter in the rotation given all the injuries.

Meanwhile, as SU has been saying for months, the Yankees completed the fire sale by sending Beltran to the Rangers and Nova to the Pirates.  Cashman got a high draft pick from Texas (#4 overall pitcher from 2015) who has struggled this year but hey, roll the dice.  Apparently, Brian McCann stays put for now although he may be headed back to Atlanta in the off season.  Question: do we now get to see A-Rod in the line-up every day???

The experts on the MLB Network are very high on what Cashman has done and SU is excited.  Now, if he can move Jacoby Ellsbury to any team for anything, he will be the MLB Executive of the Year.

A lot of guys changed teams this afternoon.  Texas is all in for this season even with Prince Fielder going down although he was having a terrible year.  The SF Giants picked up Matt Moore who is coming back strong now from Tommy John surgery.  He could be key down the stretch and in the playoffs.

As always, SU had its fingers on the pulse of the Yankees.  Brian Cashman is now all-in on selling as they deal Andrew Miller to the Cleveland Indians for two prospects.  SU is sorry to see Miller go as he was a sure thing who showed he can pitch in New York.  Not everyone can do that.  He was really good and worth keeping but if either or both of these prospects turn into something special, then it’s all good.  The Yankees badly need offense.  Jacoby Ellsbury sucks the heart out of the fans on a daily basis with his weak play for $22 million a year.  The fans need to get behind some young guys.  I have no clue who either of these guys are but count me in.

Rumors are that no-one wants Beltran.  That cannot be true.  If you are a contender – especially in the AL – he is your man for an immediate jolt of offense.  He must be moved by tomorrow and just plug A-Rod in there at DH and let the season fade away.

SU is excited.  Brian McCann can be next.  Blow it all up.

SU is back from some badly needed R&R in the Canadian Rockies but as always kept a close watch on the latest developments in the sports world.  As we near the August 1st trade deadline, the question is whether the Yankees should be buyers, sellers or stand pat.  SU has given this some thought:

• The recent winning record is a mirage.  Do not be fooled.  This team is still unwatchable, old and plodding.  They are uninteresting.  Cashman’s deal for Chapman was excellent.  They picked up a top prospect, got back Adam Warren and even a couple of other middle-level pieces.  This gives the fan base hope for the future.  Young guys who can run, steal bases, advance from 1st to 3rd on a single (what???) and make plays in the field are why we watch.
• Moving Beltran is a no-brainer but you have to do it soon as who knows if/when he will re-aggravate his hamstring?  He has had a great year and some team can certainly use him.  He needs to go soon.
• The question is do you also trade Andrew Miller?  He has 2 years left on a reasonable contract and is highly valued by the Nationals.  The talk is that it’s easy to pick up a closer.  SU does not believe that but if you can get a top prospect at any position, I would do it.  Betances can slide into the closer role for next year.  The key is not to get someone like Aaron Hicks.
• Mark Texeiria has started to hit (note this is all relative as he had one game with 2 hits).  SU believes he is another guy a contender might be interested in.

Bottom line: as a life-long Yankee fan, I would be more than happy to sacrifice the rest of this year to have some youngsters who are near Major League ready for the future.  Note to Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner: stay the course and move the players now.

SU is making its debut at Citifield tonight for the Mets – Cardinals game and will report back on the mood of the fans.  They are still right there and ready to make a run down the stretch.  They could use an offensive jolt but if you have strong pitching, you are in every game.  No one will want to face them come playoff time.

Olympics just around the corner.  SU says all of the Russians should have been banned from Rio.  They take cheating to a new level.  Can you imagine if they had an expansion MLB team?

Roger Federer is out the remainder of the tennis season.  His knee is not responding.  If would be sad if his career ended from an injury caused by giving his kids a bath which is where he first tore his meniscus.

Finally, sad to hear that Amar’e Stoudemire is calling it a career.  Good guy who wanted to play in New York.  The Garden was alive for a couple of years and he even made Raymond Felton look good.

SU was watching some Yankee action this afternoon (naturally, we use that term loosely).  All of a sudden in the 6th inning, up comes A-Rod to pinch hit with 2 men on and 2 outs.  He just missed a 96 mph fastball and then hit a liner foul in the right field corner.  He ultimately walked and kept the inning alive.  Not much right?  But SU saw something: the guy has pride and even though he never plays anymore, he really took each pitch seriously and was right there.

Here is what needs to happen right after the All-Star Break:

• Trade Beltran before he really pulls his hamstring.  They are going to lose a great opportunity by keep running him out there.  Do it now!
• Shut Texeira down now for the season.  He is awful.  A-Rod gets all the flack but Texeira is an automatic out.  Let him have his surgery.  You can’t move him with his bad knee and bad neck and 13 rbis for half a season.
• Trade Chapman to the Nationals so he can be re-united with Dusty Baker.  They need a closer and are a win now team.

Prediction: the Yankees will still contend for the wild card even with these moves because A-Rod is going to catch fire and Refsnyder will get more steady at bats.  But you have to loosen the roster.  Aaron Hicks can go in any trade – not a NY guy.  SU hopes he figures it out but it won’t be in the Bronx.

By the way, how good is Didi Gregorius?  This guy is hitting .300 with power.  He should bat 3rd or 4th.  Girardi has him (finally) up to 5th.  I know it was hard to move him ahead of Chase Headley.

Of course, Aaron Judge now tweaked his hamstring and went on the DL.  But he will come back and needs to be part of the picture.  The fans are ready.  SU is ready.  Cashman: make it happen.

As for the Mets, their pitching is falling apart but with Wheeler coming back, they should be able to hang around.  Too bad for Harvey although many Met fans have no compassion for this guy.  No doubt, he has lost millions on his next contract.

SU has always been a big Nunez fan from his Yankee days.  Since being dealt to the Twins, he is one of the few players that I follow in the box scores each day.  This is a guy who coming out of spring training did not have a position.  He was a utility infielder who could also play the outfield as needed.  Even now, he alternates between shortstop and 3rd base with the occasional 2nd base appearance.  For the season, he is hitting .316 with 11 homeruns and 35 rbis, 19 stolen bases and 94 hits.  The Yankees saw hims as Jeter’s heir apparent for a while but he often got hurt and was never given the chance to really play every day to prove himself (unlike Aaron Hicks who has proven himself to be a .201 hitter.  Does he really need to play so much to keep A-Rod on the bench?).

There is article in today’s New York Times that talks about how many players are on this year’s All-Star teams that were drafted or acquired by Theo Epstein between the Cubs and the Red Sox.

When you compare that track record to Cashman on the Yankees, big, big difference.  No doubt the Yankees could use a guy like Nunez now.  But that’s ok: we have Chase Headley and Ellsbury to root for.  Zzzzzzzz.

SU was surprised to see the Mets force feed Jose Reyes into the line-up last night after a stretch of games where the offense was really clicking.  Question: why mess around with a good thing?  You put a hot bat on the bench at least for one night.  Let’s see how this plays out.

Amazing that the entire Cubs’ infield are All-Star starters and the Red Sox also have a bunch of players on the AL team.  The pressure on the Cubs will arrive in October.  SU says they are going to make an aggressive bid for Miller or Chapman on the Yankees.  Right now, the key for the Yankees is to get Texeira hot enough to be desirable by some team for the stretch run.  Beltran needs to stay healthy also so he can be dealt.  SU is a long-time fan but it’s so clear that this roster needs to be blown up over the next couple of years.  The fans will be patient.  Just bring up Aaron Judge and anyone else under 30 years of age.

SU has had a day to reflect on Kevin Durant’s decision to go to Golden State with a 2-year deal for a lot less money than he would have received by staying at OKC.  My thoughts:

• Everyone is anointing Golden State to be the NBA champions for the next several years.  SU says not so fast.  I don’t think there are enough basketballs to go around for this talented group.  OK, there will be a “transition” period – that is the consensus opinion.  You see this sometimes in the Olympics with the “Dream Teams” as they pass up open shots in order to defer to their other talented teammates.  No doubt, there will be a lot of that on Golden State in the beginning.
• The Warriors have had to decimate their roster and they will not be nearly as talented on the bench.  What does that mean?  In the perfect world, you wouldn’t start either Klay Thompson or Durant, and have one of them play significant minutes with the 2nd unit.  Is there a chance in hell that happens?  Nope.
• Durant had his reasons for leaving and who knows if he was fed up playing with Russell Westbrook in OKC.  If he was, that’s fair.  The guy is super talented but is a ball controller who loses his mind on occasion.
• Durant took less money.  Sure, he will likely get paid in the long run but he is taking a gamble with a 2-year deal to win a championship.  Not everyone does that in free agency (see Carmelo Anthony who took the money over a chance to win now.  Nothing wrong with that – it’s a personal preference).

Bottom line: SU is fine with the decision but feels it’s premature to say the Warriors are a lock to win the championship next season.  Team chemistry is a tricky thing and in the end, injuries often come into play. SU predicts some other team is going to emerge that will surprise – maybe the Boston Celtics.  Coaching matters at some point and they have one of the best.

Meanwhile, should the Cavs now look to move Kevin Love to become more offensive?  You know Carmelo would fill that void nicely in the event they meet Golden State in next year’s finals.  Love is a poor fit with the Knicks but maybe there is a 3-team deal somewhere that would make sense.

Brandon Jennings has now signed with the Knicks to be a back-up point guard.  Positives: he is someone that has always wanted to play in NY.  Negatives: another high volume shooter for his position.  Probably past his prime.  Phil Jackson has assembled a roster that likely make the playoffs this year.  Certainly not much youth here and a lot will depend on team health.

Former Michigan player of the year Trey Burke has been traded to the Washington Wizards.  Another team for SU to watch.  Now OKC needs to move Mitch McGary to the Knicks or the Nets.

So, Met fans, who knew that signing Jose Reyes would have such an impact on the team’s offense?  He has inspired the entire team by just playing in the minor leagues.  How crazy is baseball?

Over in the Bronx, it’s time to put A-Rod in the line-up every day.  Enough with nursing Beltran’s hamstring and waiting to see if Aaron Hicks can hit as high as .220.  July will be a really interesting month for Cashman and the Yankees.   SU says do the right thing and trade Beltran now before he totally blows out the hamstring and has no trade value.

SU is all set for the coming season.  Jeremy Lin gets 3 years at $36 million from the Brooklyn Nets.  Actually compared to other numbers being reported today, pretty reasonable.  Assuming he is a starter, that’s a bargain.  Great move for Lin as he will be immensely popular in NY.  Hopefully, he can also irritate the Knicks in the process.

Here is a staggering contract number for you coming out of Toronto: unconfirmed but being reported that DeMar DeRozan is being offered 5 years, $145 million by the Raptors.  SU’s crack research team has done the math and that comes out to $29 million a year.  What does that make Durant or LeBron worth then?