Tim Tebow

The New York Jets didn't need Tim Tebow they can barely win now.  The Jets felt a need to make a splash so they went out and got a quarterback who can't run their conventional offense.    Now they're going to have to set up two completely different offenses, one for Tebow (option/wildcat) and one (conventional for football) for Mark Sanchez.  Each type of offense needs its own type of personnel,  so if their plan is to use Tebow for up to 20 plays a game, they're going to have to bring a whole new personnel package onto the field.  This gives new meaning to the 53 man roster, which they'll have use all of because Tebow can't run a conventional offense.  The other thing is if Tebow is going to run 20 plays a game, what are you going to do with (your starter) Sanchez, I guess you're going to bench him for (what amounts to) a third of the game.  You're pulling your starter so that your backup can run not a few but as many as 20 plays a game.  What happens when Sanchez has a bad game or a bad series and fans start chanting (TEBOW- we want TEBOW) does Tebow go in for more than just those 20 plays (does he eventually become the starting quarterback), not to mention what this going to do to the confidence of Mark Sanchez who still young.  The organizational may tell you it was but this move had nothing to do with football.  Tim Tebow has a fan base that will come with him and market Gang Green.  The Jets felt they had to go out and make a major move, to grab the back page of the paper back from, their co-tennents the New York Giants who just won the Super Bowl.  This move had nothing to do with football, it was all about marketing, Tim Tebow attracts fans who will buy tickets, this was about selling seats, (psl's, suits) advertisements (commercials) and merchandise.  This move does not improve their football team, which was 8-8 last season they need a receiver and at least one running back before a quarterback.  Soon we'll be seeing a lot of Tebowing Jets Fans.  I don't understand this move at all and it wouldn't surprise me if by week 12 or so Jet Fans started getting on the coaching staff to play Tebow.                  

Andy Pettitte, Yankees

The comeback of Andy Pettitte is in it's early stages.  The news came as a pleasant surprise when it was officially announced that Andy's one year retirement was over and he would be making a comeback.  He threw a little on the side and said to Brian Cashman and a few others that he felt good and that he had the drive to work out and play again.  Andy was offered a contract earlier in the winter but did not make the decision until last week that he would pitch in a Yankee uniform again.  He does not care about stats or money, he felt this was the right thing to do.  Pettitte threw his first official bullpen to Russell Martain on Tuesday and said he felt good.  Andy will not be ready to go when the team breaks camp and heads north at the end of the month, he may be ready around early May.  Andy will need a good six weeks or so to get his arm, legs, and body in Andy Pettitte baseball shape, he works out hard and does all the training he learned from Roger Clemens.  By that time maybe their may be an open spot in the Yankee rotation as they currently have six starters for five spots and with the addition of Andy they'll have seven starters for five spots.  Does someone get traded, does someone get sent to the minors or to the bullpen, these are decisions that the Yankees brass will have to make.  Having Andy Pettitte a proven veteran, (5  WS championships, .635 W-L/%)  might push some of the other starters to work harder at things,  now that the Yankees have a lot of starting pitching.  Andy Pettitte is a very good player he'll battle, he'll work through injuries and he's a good club house guy.  No team plays 162 games using only five starters  , having a guy like Pettitte is a plus.                          

spring training (Yankees)

The players have been reunited with their coaches and some former Yankee greats (Yogi Berra, Greg Nettles, Ron Guidry, Reggie Jackson, Lou Piniella, David Wells, Tino Martinez, Rich "Goose" Gossage  as well as others) down in Tampa for Spring Training.  After a few key moves (resigning Sabathia, picking up the option on Swisher, trading for Pineda) over the winter the Yankees are back to baseball and looking to improve on last years 97 win performance which ended with an ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers.  Everyone has looked good so far, the pitching rotation has to be set with five of the Yankees six starters in camp (Sabathia, Kuroba, Pineda, Hughes, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia) and manager Joe Girardi has gone out and said that only Sabathia and Kuroda are guaranteed spots.  I would put Garcia in the bullpen, but that is just me.  Francisco Cervelli is back from the concussion he sustained at the end of last year and has regained the back-up catching duties.  Carrying one or two lefties in the bullpen and a bench spot might be the only other spots up for grabs on this team.  There are a lot of Veterans on this team, and so there are very few spots on the 25 man roster, that is going to go north up for grabs.