Sometimes a trade seems to work out for both teams.

So far, that is the case in the Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and Jason Bay to Boston deal, which also helped restock Pittsburgh's future -- until those players are good enough to be traded away.

Ramirez has already boosted a sometimes anemic Los Angeles offense and should be happy for awhile. Bay is off to a solid start with Boston and gives the Red Sox another quality bat along with a much better defensive outfield.

Plus, getting rid of the biggest headaches the Sox' organization had might be addition by subtraction.

Posted in Our Take Steve Navaroli

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Tell me when people stopped caring about the Major League All-Star Game.
How did this happen?
All I know is that growing up in the 1970s and 80s, fans and players did care. It mattered who won, which was good for bragging rights all the way around.

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In a just world, Omar Vizquel and Greg Maddux would be American folk heroes.
Sadly, thanks to steroids, the era of doubt settled on Major League Baseball during their careers.
But the two of them brought class, grace and beauty to a sport often mired in controversy.
And this is probably the last summer we'll get a chance to watch them perform.

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I've never done this before. But I've heard it's fun, so I'll try it. I'm going to Yankee bash.
Now I've always dismissed Yankee bashers, attributing their hatred to jealousy directed at a quality franchise. At least the Yankees' performance on the field, most years, justifies the inordinate attention.
But this season, with their record hovering around .500, the Bombers deserve the bombardment of disdain. At 48-42 -- only three games better than the uninspiring Orioles -- the Yankees fall short of relevancy as a mediocre, rebuilding team.
So why does Joba Chamberlain's transition from the bullpen warrant daily ongoing coverage? How can more Yankees make the All-Star team than the Rays, the team with the best record in baseball? Who at ESPN thinks everyone is so interested in a team that probably won't be a factor in the playoff hunt?

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Ever since the fans started voting, the All-Star Game has been a popularity contest.
Many times over the years the more deserving players were either reserves or left out altogether.
However this trend hit an all-time low this season with seven American League starters being either members of the Red Sox or Yankees.
Ho hum. It's just another example of what is wrong with baseball as a whole.

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We realize that New York and Boston feel the entire baseball world revolves around their team. Heck, at times even Major League Baseball itself seems to only care about the Yankees and Red Sox.

However, heading into Saturday's games, the Tampa Bay Rays were in first place in the the AL East by three games over Boston and nine ahead of the Yankees.

The Rays are a story that is getting too little attention. Too many people still care more about Alex Rodriguez' marital woes.

Will Tampa hold on? It is hard to say, although be sure that the few fans (okay, very few) who don't care about the Sox or Yanks certainly hope so.

Posted in Our Take Steve Navaroli

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The U.S. Open playoff battle between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate was compelling theatre to say the least.

Here was the No. 1 player in the world -- likely the best of all time going against a 45-year-old player, who played in relative obscurity before the Open.

Posted in Our Take Steve Navaroli

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I don't mean to sound like an old fogey, but that was not the CBS I grew up with on Saturday night.

In the network prime-time debut of mixed martial arts (which you can read much more about on Ted Czech's blog), a bald and bearded fellow named Kimbo Slice rolled around with a fellow named The Colossus.

Mr. Slice was finally declared the winner when Mr. Colossus’ cauliflowered left ear nearly came off in revolting fashion, following a barrage of punches from Mr. Slice.

(What’s next, CBS? Richard Dawson sending Jim Brown out to kill people on national TV?)

Anyway, I dug up some info on Mr. Slice, who is apparently the Next Sports Superstar (tm):

Posted in Our Take Pro Sports Sports Editor's Realm

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Get ready for what could be an incredible Stanley Cup finals when Pittsburgh take on Detroit, beginning Saturday in Motown.

Both teams are entering the finals in style and fans should be treated to a classic series that features the absolute two best teams in hockey.

Also, both have a one-two punch that are second-to-none in the league with the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin facing the Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.

This series is the marquee match-up for the NHL.

Hockey fans: Enjoy it. Non-hockey fans: Check it out, you might join the rest of us

Posted in Our Take Steve Navaroli

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After seeing their favorite go without a win again, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans were upset that Kyle Busch spun him out on the way to victory at the Richmond International Raceway last weekend.

According to reports, Busch had to be escorted from the track for his own safety. Now that is really pathetic.

Why do I think some of these same people would have cheered if Junior would have pushed Busch out of the way? Or how many of these same folks cheered when Dale Sr. did the same thing?

At least Junior took the high road saying to chastise Busch would be “hypocritical,” especially since he admittedly pushed Busch out of the way at Kansas last year.

Too bad some of his fans can’t feel the same way.

Posted in Our Take Steve Navaroli

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So the Dallas Mavericks and their league-high payroll were ousted from the NBA playoffs in the first round. For the second straight year. By the Hornets of all teams.

So now Dallas is left without a coach (Mark Cuban fired Avery Johnson on Wednesday), an aging roster (Josh Howard is the only signed player in his 20s), no first-round draft pick (traded to New Jersey in the Jason Kidd trade) and a bunch of so-so players — Dirk Nowitzki notwithstanding.

Here’s hoping that Cuban can straighten up this mess.

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With Saturday's win over North Carolina, maybe all those Kansas Jayhawk fans can finally just get over Roy Williams leaving them for the Tar Heels. It's been four years since he returned to his alma mater, something many coaches look forward to doing. All the guy did was return your program to its place among the elite in college basketball. Of course, they never mention how they got current coach Bill Self from University of Illinois with a big money offer. That never seemed to come up in the we-hate-Roy-because-he-left-us conversations.

Now, it seems that same things could be happening again to Kansas as Self, an Oklahoma State University alumni, is reportedly being wooed by the Cowboys and their big-spending booster, T. Boone Pickens. Of course, Self is saying he's not interested. But how long will he keep saying that if the figures being thrown around, including a $6 million, signing bonus are true?

Here's to hoping Self makes the cash grab and heads off to Stillwater. That way Jayhawk fans will have someplace to direct their stupid, misguided anger instead of Chapel Hill.

Tom Hunt

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So if a York Catholic team that lost four of it's five starters can manage to win another YAIAA, District 3 and PIAA Class AA championships and goes 34-1, what happens when the program returns three of its starters, including the two leading scorers?

In other words, how can the Fighting Irish be considered anything but heavy favorites to win the school's fourth consecutive state title in girls' basketball?

"I think they can do it," senior Ashton Bankos said. "They have an extreme amount of talent on that team. You have Kady (Schrann), you have the McGanns. You have Brittany (Hicks). And then you have all those other players that didn't get as much playing time, but they work so hard at practice and they are going to be able to play so hard."

Posted in Our Take Prep sports Sean McLernon YAIAA basketball

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"I really want to play my computer games because I didn't get to play all week," Schrann said of her plans to celebrate Friday's 52-40 PIAA Class AA championship victory?

Computer games? Why didn't you get to play all week?

"I had homework," Schrann said. "My mom is really strict about it, so I couldn't play."

Posted in Our Take Prep sports Sean McLernon YAIAA basketball

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A final look at the 52-40 York Catholic state championship victory before I get to work on some material for tomorrow's 50-cent edition.

York Catholic had four players score at least nine points. Kady Schrann led the way with 12, Ashton Bankos scored 11, Jenny McGann had 10 and Brittany Hicks finished with nine, all in the first half.

Kelly Rhein was the game-high rebounder with nine, helping the Irish narrowly outrebound the Colts 29-28. Northern Cambria had a slight edge on turnovers, however, forcing 20 and giving up only 19.

The most glaring difference in the team's numbers? That would be field goal percentage.

Posted in Our Take Prep sports Sean McLernon YAIAA basketball

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The buzzer just sounded. The final score: York Catholic 52, Northern Cambria 40.

That's three consecutive PIAA Class AA state titles. Over the past three seasons, York Catholic has a 103-2 record.

And with three starters coming back, including top two scorers Kady Schrann and Brittany Hicks, it won't be much of a surprise if the Irish make it four in 2009.

Posted in Our Take Prep sports Sean McLernon YAIAA basketball

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A basket in the post by Kelly Rhein, a runner from Kady Schrann and several defensive stops has made the score 46-31 in favor of York Catholic with 3 minutes remaining in the game.

Northern Cambria has yet to score a point in the fourth quarter.

Posted in Our Take Prep sports Sean McLernon YAIAA basketball

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The first 1:38 of the fourth quarter has been sloppy on both sides, but the Irish are still finding ways to increase their lead.

Mary McGann hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to make the score 42-31. Northern Cambria's Jen Valeria picked up a steal at midcourt and had what looked like was going to be an easy layup, but Kelly Rhein came sprinting up and Valeria missed the shot.

You can credit Rhein with an intimidation on that play. It's too bad they don't keep statistics on that.

Posted in Our Take Prep sports Sean McLernon YAIAA basketball

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York Catholic is inching closer and closer to its third straight title.

The Irish turned a seven-point halftime lead into an eight-point advantage at the end of three quarters after Northern Cambria's Brenna Kochinsky's 30-foot heave at the buzzer was just off the mark, bouncing off the backboard and the rim.

Kelly Rhein scored the last basket of the quarter, which should be her first points of the game.

Posted in Our Take Prep sports Sean McLernon YAIAA basketball

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The Irish are still leading, taking a 37-29 advantage. York Catholic coach Kevin Bankos called a timeout with 3:54 left in the quarter.

Schrann and Bankos have both cracked double digits, with 10 points each so far.

Posted in Our Take Prep sports Sean McLernon YAIAA basketball

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