2019 Giants

The 2019 New York Giants season is finally over as of today.  One positive is we have a young quarterback who has shown glimpses of potential.  Eli Manning must decide if he will retire or seek a starting job elsewhere.  Eli is not a backup, he didn't enjoy being Daniel Jones backup and running the scout team, there might be a team out their that will name Eli their starter or he'll retire.  Eli was never much of a running quarterback and has to be put in the right system to be effective, that being said the right starting jobs are going to be few and far between.  GM Dave Gettlemen is sticking around but Head Coach Pat Schurmer has been fired.  I never liked the Schurmer hire from the beginning, he hadn't proved himself any where.  There was not a lot of talent on this roster on this roster while Pat was here, but he came from a good situation in Minnesota and could have done more in New York.  As far as a new head coach the guy from Baylor has already been here, and I don't want them to go the college rout, this is a proud franchise and they have to get it right, Josh McDaniels is an intriguing candidate.  As far as the draft, this team could use a lot but they need a pass rusher to anchor the defense.  Someone at the top of the Giants draft board should be a Chase Young out of Ohio State, although he might not be there for the Giants at No.4.                 

Winter Meetings Wrap

A lot of money was spent at this year's Winter Meeting in San Diego and most of it was centered around Scott Boras clients. Boras's clients received $814 million at this year's MLB Winter Meetings.  In the first major deal Stephen Strasburg who opted out of his deal with the World Champion Washington Nationals, agreed to a 7 year, $245 million deal to return to Washington.  Also in Washington, now former National Anthony Rendon agreed to a 7 year, $245 million deal with the Anaheim Angels.  Then in a deal the Yankees had to make to get back on top of baseball, former Astro Garrit Cole whom the Yankees drafted out of High School is finally coming to the bronx after agreeing to a 9 year, 324 million deal.  Hal Steinbrenner is finally letting the Yankees spend the money that his father George would have done.  The Yankees who haven't won since 2009 had to go out and spend some money on a top of the rotation starter.  9 years is a long time for a pitcher who is I believe 28, the Yankees might be playing a somewhat washed up guy on the backend of this deal but hopefully we get some championships first.  In other news Didi Gregorius left to join Joe Girardi in Philadelphia on a one year deal. Maybe we'll be seeing more Gelber at short and DJ at second.  The Yankees are also in hot pursuit of Josh Hader.  The signed Michael Wacha amongst some moves.  The Houston Astros sign stealing investigation is not yet complete, so they haven't been punished yet.  With something this severe it is important to take your time, although is has to be done soon maybe by the first of the year.             

Sign stealing cheating vs. gamesmanship,Houston Astros

Yes, rules are made to be broken but rule breaking is called gamesmanship.  In the game of baseball people have been trying to steal signs for ever.  I have no problem if you want to try and steal signs on the field, within the white lines thats gamesmanship.  As soon as technology is introduced as a tool to help steal signs, that's cheating.  Some guys are really good at looking into the catcher from second base and getting a leg up on the competition.  A lot of teams fear players at second base peering in and realaying signs to to batter to the batter as to what type of pitch is coming, this is gamesmanship.  What the Houston Astros were doing with a video camera set up in centerfield going to a television screen in the tunnel where tem employees would study signs and bang trash cans to alert the dugout about the pitch, is cheating.  What the Astros did with technology and pretty clearly had the signs, got in peoples heads and could have changed fate.  What if the Yankees had beaten the Astros in the 2017 ALCS, where they lost all four games in Houston, when the Astros came up with this elaborate system.  Just think of the young pitchers this effects when they get your signs and all of a sudden you can't get anyone out.  The Astros need to be punished for this and severely, in has no place in our game, the Astros have to be made an example of.  Now its hard to punish any players in this scenario such a Carlos Beltran a mastermind of this whole thing, who is now the manager of the Mets. You can do money, draft picks and suspensions.  For punishment I take away three draft picks next year and then two and one for the next five years, a hefty amount of international bonus pool money, fine the organization a hefty amount, suspend AJ the manager of the ballclub a year, suspend his bench coach at the time Alex Cora, mastermind and current Red Sox manager 61 games and finally (pull a donald Starling) make the owner sell the team.  The Houston Astros need to be made an example of and soon before teams start making major moves.  Punishment needs to be handed in the next month, before the New Year.