Stewie and Birian: State of the Rangers

Can you identify the keyword from this clip which best describes the state of the NY Rangers?

LETS GO RANGERS

OK. I admit it.

I am hooked again.

I can't stop doing it.

That's right, I am an NHL playoff addict.

I mean don't get me wrong, regular season hockey is about as fun as watching paint dry but when the playoffs roll around and the Blueshirts are a part of em, well, I just can't get enough.

Last night I made my first visit to "The Rock" aka The Prudential Center is beautiful Newark, New Jersey.

A few points about The Rock. Very nice arena. Sites views are amazing from everywhere in the building. Tons of bathrooms and vendors. 2 Belevedre Vodka VIP lounges. One large main bar. Inside, it's just a great all around place. Outside, well, that is another story. It's super easy to get to the arena via the WTC Path.

The game was intense as it gets. When the Rangers went up 4-1 it looked like it would be a route but the Devils came back and made it a dramatic game until the end.

Of course it was a 50-50 mix if Rangers and Devils fans (if not more on the Rangers side) so that always make the atmosphere great.

OK...as for the Mets

Johan rules, Wright rules, it's great to see Jose smiling again and Aaron Heilman is a complete joker.

I got a new laptop so I promise to blog more often now.

LETS GO RANGERS

We forgot about that - Part 1

While doing some research we came across some never before seen documents which detail the predicted outcome of each MLB division. Written prior to the start of the 2008 season, let's take an early peak at how I thought the standings would shake out in the AL:

AL West:

At one time I would have called the Angels the team to beat in the West but the potential loss of Kelvin Escobar for the season and John Lackey’s arm problems have dealt a severe blow to the starting rotation. Despite one of the better bullpens in baseball for the much of the 21st century it will not be enough to carry a team with question marks up and down their starting rotation. Tori Hunter is a nice addition but cannot carry an offense. Couple that with an aging Garrett Anderson and the balky back of what once was the best Outfielder in the game, Vlad the Great, who has been reduced to splitting time between RF and DH and this team will come up short. . Look for Seattle to improve upon last years success with perhaps the biggest offseason addition outside of Johan to the Mets, Eric Bedard. Expect a huge season from Felix and this rotation will be one of the deepest and most dependable in baseball. The lineup will not score a ton of runs but if they remain status quo and Sexson can do half of what he did when he was with the Brew Crew it will be more than enough for a team that relies on pitching and defense to win this division outright.



1st place: Seattle



AL Central:

I know the fashionable choice here is Detroit but…. well, no buts about it. The Tigers lineup is stacked from top to bottom and will score more runs than any team in the history of baseball. There’s not an easy out in this lineup and the addition of Cabrera adds more fuel to the fire than the Exxon valdez. Dontrelle Willis will be the determining factor as to whether or not this team gets to and wins the World Series but even if he has a mediocre season it will be more than enough, given the depth of their rotation, for this team to go deep into the playoffs. Cleveland will once again be a formidable opponent but I have questions around their pitching staff. CC is a stud but much of their success will depend on the continued maturation of Fausto Carmona. He’s a stud in the making but this is a big year for him and the Indians need him to prove he is an ace of today and not of the future. If they can get off to a quick start and Borowski can close the door consistently then I look for Cleveland to battle it out with the Yankees for the WC.



1st place: Detroit



AL East:

Well, same old story here. It’s the Red Sox and Yankees, the Yankees and Red Sox. We know both teams will score plenty of runs and are evenly matched on that front. This race will come down to pitching. As long as Beckett’s back issues aren’t recurring this rotation will do more than enough to get the ball to Papelbon. Dice-K should be equal to or better than his 1st year in the bigs, Buchholz has a lot of upside, and I think Lester could win 12-14 games in the middle of that rotation. Health will be the determining factor. The same can be said for the Yanks. Can Pettitte go deep enough in games and make 30 starts? Can the kids (Hughes/Kennedy) meet expectations and provide enough quality starts to prevent the bullpen from being overworked? Is the Moose hanging on for one season too many or does he have something left in the tank? Assuming both teams can stay healthy I give the edge to the Sox since they own 2 closers. One is on their payroll. Can you guess who the other is?



1st place: Boston



Wild Card: Yankees


Stay tuned for the NL capsule.

Update on Pedro

According to SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt, the Mets have placed Pedro Martinez on the 15–day disabled list with a mild strain to his left hamstring, while activating Nelson Figueroa.

Martinez is expected to be out four to six weeks.

Also, Willie Randolph told reporters that he may choose to pitch Oliver Perez on Tuesday, in the home opener, with Figueroa getting a start later in the week against the Brewers.

..thanks to metsblog

And while Pedro's injury is a big blow to this rotation (though i don't think anyone thought he'd be injury free this year)it doesn't change the expectations for this team. Here's 3 reasons why I am not pulling the fire alarm: Johan, Maine, Perez. This team still has as good a 1-2-3 punch as anyone else in the NL and it will still be there pitching that sets them apart part the pack.

The Jose Canseco of potato chips

Often times my friends ride me for what I write on this blog. It's as if by having a blog that is predominantly about the Mets, I have become a member of the team in a way.

So when I get an email like I did earlier from Goldberg, I just have to share it with you guys. The email was a forward from our good friend Larry Dolinko with an attachment.

The attachment was a complaint letter that Dolinko decided to write today on his free time and reads as follows:

Wise Foods Inc.
Wise Consumer Affairs Dept.
228 Raseley Street
Berwick, PA 18603-4533


To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Larry Dolinko and I am a very loyal Wise potato chip consumer.
I have been enjoying your product for as long as I can remember
(15+ years) and the majority of the time I buy the Wise BBQ Flavored
potato chips. In a normal week, I probably eat 3-4 bags of your 1.5oz Net WT bags.

I was very upset on April 2nd when I bought a bag of the BBQ
chips (code 65B75: August 4, 2008 freshness date) to go along
with my sandwich. When I spilled the bag onto my plate, all of
the chips (except 1) within the bag had no BBQ flavor on them
AT ALL. I hope you can understand my frustration and disappointment
at this situation.

Please let me know if there is any additional feedback or information
I can provide. Again, I am a very loyal customer and do not intend to
replace my chip preference with the other options (Krunchers,
Dirty Chips, Lays, etc) on the shelves at the store, but I wanted to give
you the feedback I think you deserve.

Thank You!

Larry Dolinko
Managing Director and Potato Chip Aficionado


Thanks for the feedback Larry. Enclosed are 2 cases of BBQ Flavored chips.

It smells like basbeball: