The Sports Truth

The Sports Truth founder, Levi Matthews, and senior editor, Lucas Dwyer, Yankees and Red Sox fans, respectively, spent two days debating the merits of the hottest MLB rumors - specifically their respective favorite teams’ efforts to trade for Johan Santana.

The debaters started their discussion on November 27th and concluded it on December 4th. For the first part, click here.

December 4th …

Levi: Do you wanna stretch before we talk about Santana?

Luke: First off, I love the Yankee ultimatums. Great subplot of this offseason

Levi: It boggles the mind. Just say it’s your final offer and chill the heck out. Why make a deadline?

Luke: Because they want to move on Haren instead?

Levi: But there’s NO way the Twins actually trade Santana for just Lester, right? Right?!? They have to just be drawing this out to get more from the Yanks.

Boston Red Sox LHP Jon Lester is rumored to be heading to Minnesota in exchange for Johan Santana.

Luke: The initial offer from the Sox was Lester, Crisp, Jed Lowrie (who’s good) and another minor leaguer.

Levi: But, how is that offer better than Hughes/Melky?!? Lester has a 4.60 career ERA.

Luke: In what, 15 starts? (editors note: Lester has 26 career starts)

Levi: He’s good, sure. But, is his ceiling as high as Hughes?

Luke: Probably not, but he is a lefty. I guess I agree that the Yankees offer is better. It depends on Lowrie who was the Red Sox minor league player of the year.

Levi: Right.. so I think/pray they’re trying to get Kennedy in it, too.

Luke: For whatever it’s worth, the Sox second offer was Ellsbury, Lowrie, and Masterson (basically where Buchholz was this time last year in terms of development).

Levi: They need a CF/pitcher and they’re asking for that from the Yanks - so I can’t see how thy can agree to any trade with Boston that doesn’t include Ellsbury AND Lester/Clay. If the Sox get Santana and keep Ellsbury and Clay…something is amiss dammit.

(more…)

The Sports Truth founder, Levi Matthews, and senior editor, Lucas Dwyer, Yankees and Red Sox fans, respectively, spent two days debating the merits of their teams’ efforts to trade for superstar pitcher Johan Santana. The debaters started their discussion on November 27th and concluded it on December 4th. For the second part, click here.

The rumor of rampant trade speculation, Johan Santana, could bring a World Series title to the team he’s traded to. However, the left-handed ace comes at an expensive price.

November 27th …

Levi: I’ve crafted a debate in my head between Santana and Haren. Do you know how cheap Haren is?? $15 million over the next three years. What if the Yanks can get him and keep either Hughes or Kennedy? Is that not better than Santana?

Luke: Why is he available?

Levi: Because the A’s are giving up, apparently. They’re starting completely over… without young, cheap pitching somehow.

Luke: How are they going to get Haren without giving up Hughes or Kennedy or Joba?

Levi: They’d give up one. I’m guessing it takes Melky, Kennedy and Hughes to get Santana, plus maybe one of their minor league pitchers. What if you can keep either, especially Hughes, and get Haren?

Luke: I would say that makes more sense. I don’t think the $ has much to do with it.

Levi: No, just the fan in me who wants to see young players and doesnt wanna hear the nonsense about the Yankees buying their championships makes it an issue.

(more…)

As a Yankees fan, I know I can only ask for so much pity. Those in Kansas City and Pittsburgh probably don’t feel too much sympathy for a guy who’s struggled through seasons with players such as Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez dominating his favorite team’s lineup card.

But it hasn’t been fun.

I may be writing a different article if Joe Torre had simply used Mariano Rivera in Game Five of the 2003 World Series and New York had gone on to defeat the Marlins. Or if Dave Roberts had torn an ACL during his infamous stolen base attempt in the 2004 ALCS and the Yankees had rightfully triumphed that season.

Point being, I know the collection of All-Stars and MVPs Brian Cashman and George Steinbrenner put together did come very close to winning it all a few times. But it didn’t happen - and it’s not difficult to see why.

A team comprised solely of aging veterans, most overpaid, few used to the spotlight of New York, is wound too tightly. The pressure is enormous. It’s felt during every at bat. No wonder the most impressive players in 2006 joined the team with little fanfare:

• Chien-Ming Wang: Second in Cy Young voting
• Robinson Cano: An All-Star
• Melky Cabrera: Has a cool name

These youngsters faced no expectations - and then stormed through the competition. Fortunately, it looks as though Cashman has finally learned the lesson.
“Wang and Cano and Cabrera all basically came up, and the expectation from the press wasn’t there to impede their efforts,” the general manager said. “And so, all of a sudden, before you know it, you have a guy (Wang) who finished second in the Cy Young award voting. And you have a guy (Cano) who made the All-Star team.”

Which brings me to the main point of this article: Phil Hughes is gonna be awesome!!! The 20-year old is considered to be the top pitching prospect in baseball … and he’s actually on the Yankees. He’s not being traded to the Rangers for Sammy Sosa. It’s a whole new era in the Bronx.

And it’s a lot of fun as a fan. Of course I understand why the Yanks traded for A-Rod three years ago, but Alfonso Soriano was pretty darn good, too. And he was a homegrown talent. So is Derek Jeter, Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Bernie Williams (God rest his baseball-playing soul). The one advantage fans in Milwaukee had over us in New York was the thrill of watching players from your own farm system make it in the big leagues.

But along with Hughes comes a piece of news that will make small market teams hate Yankee supporters even more: we have a chance to enjoy that once again.

Damn Yankees, I know.