NFC East may have many different RB’s in 2010-11
Redskins halfback Clinton Portis hasn’t played since week eight due to a concussion, and his Eagles counterpart, Brian Westbrook, has missed the past several weeks with the same problem.
Both halfbacks have mentioned this week that they are unsure whether they will ever play another down in the NFL, according to reports. Westbrook is worried about his long-term future and how it will affect him in late adulthood, and Portis, already on the injured reserve, said it might be his “time” and that he “had a great career.”
The NFC East already has seen many different halfbacks as of late with the sudden departure of Tiki Barber in 2006 and recently Derrick Ward for New York, and the emergence of Marion Barber in Dallas.
Westbrook said that he hopes to play when the Eagles travel to New York to face the Giants on Sunday.
Ex-Met Martinez gets opportunity of a lifetime against his “daddy”
It was thrilling enough to watch Pedro Martinez pitch against “his daddy” in the American League Championship Series.
But now, Pedro Martinez pitching at Yankee Stadium in the World Series? Really?
In what could be one of the most memorable games in baseball history, there could not be another player on the Philadelphia Phillies postseason roster that would want to beat the Yankees more than Martinez. Martinez has had his fair share of experiences against New York, as we all know. His performance in the 2003 ALCS led to his manager’s departure, and his performance in the 2004 ALCS led to a World Series appearance — followed by victory.
Let’s also not forget his episode with former Yankees’ coach Don Zimmer, who charged Martinez at full speed. In a story for Sports Illustrated, Lee Jenkins displays a quote which Martinez used to describe his initial thought when Zimmer began charging him.
“I thought he was going to just give me advice or something, just go ‘Pedro, you need to slow down or something.’ … His reaction was totally the opposite. He was trying to punch my mouth and told me a couple of bad words about my mom.”
Martinez may say some silly things, but that is what you will find with most professional athletes. Despite the drama surrounding him, he has been known as one of the best Latin American pitchers to ever climb a pitchers mound in the history of the game. With stints in Los Angeles, Montreal, Boston, New York, and now Philadelphia, Martinez has had memories on every corner of the western world.
The league-wide consensus in the mid-2000’s was that Martinez’s grip on dominance was slipping, but that he had some fuel left in his tank to at least make some memories with one other team. After he achieved what every player dreams of: winning a World Series, he had no problem leaving the Red Sox for another team to help wind down his career and collect a few extra bucks. By signing with the Mets, his popular image helped dig the team out of a deep hole by giving hope to a helpless franchise. By this point, he knew that if he didn’t win a World Series, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. But what happened in the second half of his four-year stay in New York changed the way he pitched forever.
Injuries to both his arm and leg at different times set Martinez back. Any player could have called it quits at that point, especially with the money he had and the life after baseball he has to look forward to. But Martinez fought harder than he ever had in his life and turned himself into a different pitcher, a better one.
Maybe his fastball wasn’t blazing in the mid-90’s, but his off-speed pitches were decent and the accuracy of his fastball helped keep hitters from shelling him. He was forced to become more creative as a pitcher, and after working as hard as he did, he changed his mind about the World Series desire.
He wanted to come back to the Mets following the expiration of his contract, but the team wasn’t buying into his injury-prone body. Teams kept him waiting until the middle of the season, when he finally received a call from a potential buyer: The Philadelphia Phillies.
What a perfect storm for Martinez. He could have the opportunity to get back at the team that no longer wanted him, the Mets, and stay in the National League and have the chance to win the World Series on a contending team. Staying in the National League also meant the potential of playing “his daddy” in the World Series.
After working as hard as he did, I would want to do all of that too.
MLB wisely takes away C.B. Bucknor’s World Series umpiring job
C.B. Bucknor is one of the more negative umpires in Major League Baseball, and I know that from experience.
When I was the bat boy for the New York Mets in Spring Training of 2007, Bucknor explained to me that I was handing him the baseballs the wrong way when he asked for them between innings. He said that I should have handed the baseballs to him with my hands on top, and his hands on the bottom so that it is “easier for him.”
That was one of the silliest things I’ve ever heard. After I realized that he had a miserable attitude, I began to look for him on highlight reels to see how well he would do as an umpire. Not surprisingly, I would repeatedly turn on ESPN to find him starting a fight or dragging one on without actually trying to settle it down. He would have this smirk on his face, then eject a player or manager and an evil smile would just light up his face.
The latest news has me laughing in joy. According to the Associated Press, Bucknor was slated to suit up for this year’s World Series. However, after blowing two calls in game 1 of the Division Series, his supervisors changed their mind, choosing to go with a 100% experienced umpiring crew for the World Series. This is surprising news coming from the league, considering 24 of the past 25 World Series have had at least one umpire who never did a World Series before. This was a tradition to keep the rotation of umpires in the World Series fresh for the upcoming years.
The Associated Press has Joe West, Dana DeMuth, Gerry Davis, Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson, and Mike Everett listed as umpires for this year’s World Series. After hearing this news, we shouldn’t have to worry about any controversies surrounding Mr. Bucknor in this year’s fall classic.
Looking back in MattTracy.com’s four year history, 568 posts later
It feels like it was just yesterday, but it has been a bit longer than that.
Thanks to my oldest brother Tim who kicked off this site for me, I was able to start blogging about the Mets and Giants when I was only 14 years old, beginning the Internet’s first Mets and Giants blog. I had always loved to write, so I thought I would try out a website for fun and see how it would turn out. I may not have the longest list of readers, but I have a committed crowd of followers who make their way to the site quite often. I have had my share of great moments with this website, including the time when I attracted over 300 readers when the Giants played in Super Bowl XLII. Regardless of the number of readers, I have been able to make MattTracy.com an enjoyable hobby of mine and an experience that I will never forget.
This website has helped me develop into the aspiring writer I am today, 568 posts later, and it couldn’t have been without the help of my family, teachers, and others who have encouraged me to continue to write about what I love. When I wrote my first post on August 13, 2005, little did I know that this site would spinoff into a resume builder. It helped me land a job as contributing writer of Baseball Youth, as well as Baseball the Magazine and sports clerk at The Daily Star. It certainly contributed to my acceptance into Ithaca College’s Sport Media program, and I hope to continue to be the author of MattTracy.com for years to come.
Now, I would like to give you a brief review of the site by showing some links of posts I have made over the years, with the very first one being my first post on MattTracy.com. You will notice a huge difference in my writing in the four year span. Feel free to click on the descriptions, which will bring you to the desired link location.
1. August 13, 2005 – Mets lose to Dodgers (MattTracy.com’s first post).
2. October 5, 2005 – Mike Piazza’s retirement
3. October 11, 2005 – Manning’s connection with new WR Burress in 2005
4. January 1, 2006 – Clinch NFC East division title
5. April 3, 2006 – Mets win on opening day at Shea Stadium.
6. August 3, 2006 – Mets forced to trade away Nady for Oliver Perez & Roberto Hernandez
7. September 19, 2006 – Mets clinch 2006 NL East title.
8. October 20, 2006- Mets knocked out of playoffs by Cardinals in game 7 of NLCS
10. April 9, 2007 – Mets win 2007 home opener vs. Philadelphia
11. August 21, 2007 – Retired Tiki Barber trashes former team
12. September 4, 2007 – Giants season preview
13. September 6, 2007 – Giants open 2007 season in Dallas
14. September 29, 2007 – Mets beat Marlins after 161 games to force a tie in NL East.
15. December 23, 2007 – Giants clinch playoff berth for 3rd consecutive season.
17. January 13, 2008 – Giants beat Dallas, advance to NFC Championship Game
18. January 21, 2008 – Giants win NFC Championship, advance to Super Bowl XLII
19. January 30, 2008 – Mets acquire Johan Santana from Twins.
20. February 3, 2008 – Giants win Super Bowl XLII by beating undefeated Patriots
22. September 28, 2008 – Closing ceremony of Shea Stadium and my memories of it
23. December 1, 2008 – Distractions don’t stop Giants from winning
24. December 20, 2008 – Media exaggerates Giants’ problems despite holding number 1 seed in NFC
25. December 31, 2008 – 2008 Giants similar to 2000 Giants
26. January 11, 2008 – Giants lose to Eagles in Divisional playoffs
27. February 26, 2009 – Bat boy for second time in three years.
29. April 14, 2009 – Mets play first game in Citi Field
30. June 11, 2009 – My stand on blogs: News is unnecessary
31. October 15, 2009 – Comparing the QB’s: Manning’s stats better than Brees (chart)
Giants to kickoff 2009 season at home today at 4:15
The Giants will open their season against the Washington Redskins today at Giants Stadium, with a kickoff time set for 4:15 pm.
In a season that holds quite a bit of uncertainty already with several new faces on the team, the Giants are confident that they don’t need Plaxico Burress to succeed this season. Burress, who will be off to prison soon, was a key part of the offense led by quarterback Eli Manning. With the legal news swirling Burress, the Giants let the receiver go this past offseason and began to look forward. The team drafted several wide receivers that are now looking to become a big part of replacing Burress, including Ramses Barden and Hakeem Nicks. Neither of the rookies are expected to start, but they should see their fair share of action early on.
We’ll see how that wide receiver situation works out, but otherwise the Giants are looking better than ever. Their defense shouldn’t have much difficulty holding their opponents to minimal yardage throughout the season, and the offensive line looks like it will protect Eli Manning without a problem.
The Redskins, who finished in last place last season with an 8-8 record in a very competitive NFC east, will be traveling to New York to open the season for the second straight year. Coverage of the game will begin on FOX following the 1 PM games.