The Fung Wah Sports Connection

Lester vs. Gabbard

2007-07-28T08:42:00.000-04:00

by Dean GeddesThere doesn't seem to be much talk about a position battle brewing in the Red Sox organization. We all know Curt Schilling is coming back to the rotation, and somebody is going to the bullpen. The Red Sox have two great young lefties, Kason Gabbard and Jon Lester pitching for the right to claim the fifth spot in the rotation.At the start of the season, it seemed like a foregone

One of a dying breed

2007-07-27T11:33:00.001-04:00

By Austin AmorosoOn Wednesday night, a pitcher took one step closer to baseball immortality, to joining the most elite of pitching clubs and all but cementing himself in baseball lore.Tom Glavine won the 299th game of his career that night, beating the Pirates with six innings of three-run ball. On the very same night, Alex Rodriguez also took one step closer to an exclusive and quite impressive

Sox Finally Have a Made Hand

2007-07-26T18:19:00.000-04:00

By Dean GeddesLet's hope the rumors are just that. With the trade deadline less than five days away, there is a whirlwind of speculation surrounding the Red Sox. But for god's sake, the front office had better not sacrifice any future prospect for somebody they don't even need.Rumors seem to include three groups of players: relief pitchers, first basemen and outfielders. I know its great to

Not so fast, Yankees fans

2007-07-25T14:04:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoThe Yankees are rolling. Winners of five in a row and 10 of 12, the Bronx Bombers are finally doing just that, hitting the bombs and putting the runs on the board that everyone expected them to all season long. During this five-game winning streak, the Yankees have notched 12 runs per game, including 17 and 21-run affairs against Tampa Bay over the weekend.And it’s not just the

The Wrath of Roger Goodell

2007-07-24T13:40:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoLast time I checked, this is America, the land of the free. The land where all criminals from jaywalkers to murderers are given their day in court. They are innocent until proven guilty. People don't get punished unless they are found guilty by a jury of their peers.Unfortunately, though, that doesn’t hold true in the court of public opinion where only an accusation is needed to

Barry Lamar Bonds

2007-07-22T21:37:00.000-04:00

by Dean GeddesI know Barry Bonds plays very, very far away from anywhere the Fung Wah Bus operates, but this is a national story. Bonds is on the eve of breaking the most sacred of all sports records. 755. And to top it off there is a giant, juicy scandal swirling all around him and his pursuit of Hammerin' Hank.I should throw in a disclaimer, I'm writing this under the assumption that Bonds has

It's a long season. Relax.

2007-07-20T18:02:00.000-04:00

by Dean GeddesMake no mistake, the Red Sox offense in the last couple months has been terrible with runners in scoring position. They just can't seem to put together big innings. Whether it's a rally-killing double play or the lack of clutch two-out RBI's, it seems these last couple of months the Red Sox need an extra out to score runs.The Red Sox hit .297 with RISP in their first 49 games and

Enter Sandman

2007-07-20T02:01:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoLet's take a trip down memory lane.It's April 15. The Yankees just lost to Oakland on a Marco Scutaro walk-off three-run homerun that dropped the Yanks' record below .500 at 5-6.The loss wasn't all that alarming, despite Scutaro's pension for keeping the ball in the park. It was just a loss, in April, one of many to come over the course of the season.But what was alarming, at

The time is now for Eli

2007-07-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoAfter making a bevy of questionable cuts early in the off-season, there are gaping holes all over the New York Giants roster.Tom Coughlin thinks the team will benefit from moving defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka to strongside linebacker because “it will put more athletes on the field”. That’s a smart move by the Giants brass because Kiwanuka just might be athletic enough to make

Stephon "Stellaseppellire" Marbury

2007-07-18T15:27:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoSo Stephon Marbury wants to take his game over to Italy after his contract with the Knicks expires in two years. I wouldn’t expect it any other way from the oft-traveling point guard.“It’s like a Beckham thing,” Marbury said.Yes, a Beckham thing. Because the sport of basketball in Italy is due to flourish once it is graced with the presence of the Starbury. Right?Well, it’s

Mr. Patriot

2007-07-18T14:58:00.000-04:00

by Dean GeddesThe final piece of the Patriots Super Bowl puzzle is in place. Yesterday the club announced that Mr. Patriot, Troy Brown, will be returning for his 15th season in New England. Brown, more than anyone else during this championship run, has exemplified what the Patriots are all about. Team before individual.Just ask Tom Brady. "When you look up the New England Patriots in the

Patriot Games

2007-07-17T12:02:00.000-04:00

By Dean Geddes It must be frustrating for Asante Samuel. It's every professional sports player's dream, and Asante did it. In the final year of his contract, Samuel had a breakout year, snagging 10 interceptions, when he had totaled just six in his three previous years in the NFL. Samuel also had career highs in tackles and pass deflections. But instead of a long-term deal and a hefty signing

Kyle F---ing Farnsworth

2007-07-17T09:50:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoWhen Tom Gordon left the Yankees for the newly available Phillies closer job after the 2005 season, the Yankees scrambled to find a set-up man that could do the job that Gordon did for two years.In 2005 with Detroit and Atlanta, Kyle Farnsworth combined to go 1-1 with 16 saves, 19 holds and a 2.19 ERA. And so, the Yankees invested $17 million over three years for the

What a relief

2007-07-16T14:04:00.000-04:00

by Dean Geddes The Red Sox are going to win the World Series this year because they have what won them the World Series in 2004. A bullpen. Yes there was Papi's magical late inning heroics, and Schilling's bloody sock. But what made those moments possible, the nuts and bolts of that astounding eight-game winning streak that started down 0-3 in the ALCS and ended with champagne showers in St.

Good riddance

2007-07-16T10:25:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoDespite leading the league in just about every offensive category, Alex Rodriguez was recently mired in a 0-8 slump. How dare he! For $27 million, and with his team hovering at .500, A-Rod can’t be suffering through these kinds of slumps. It’s unacceptable for “Alexander the Great”. And the slump came right after slapping George Steinbrenner in the face. Well, figuratively,

Theo's man

2007-07-14T20:56:00.000-04:00

By Dean GeddesJ.D. Drew is one lucky guy. Never in Red Sox history has a high profile free agent not been crucified for playing this badly. That's what winning will do. A double digit lead in the A.L. East can pacify even the most rabid Red Sox pessimist. It also helps having free agent classmate Julio Lugo stealing the lowlight with a .079 June batting average, including a spectacular 0-33

Igawful

2007-07-13T16:49:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoThe Yankees keep waiting for Kei Igawa to turn it around. He is going to realize a mechanical flaw and fix it, they pray. Something is going to “click”. Unlikely.Almost four months into the experience, Igawa has been nothing but a disappointment. He’s made nine starts and has two wins and a 7.14 ERA to show for it. It was so bad that he was demoted to the minors in May to work on

A-Rod's special treatment

2007-07-12T10:59:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoBrian Cashman, George Steinbrenner and the Tampa contingent have finally come to their senses. They’ve realized Alex Rodriguez is the greatest player in the game today, maybe of all time, and they’re prepared to stray from the norm and offer him some special treatment. Kudos.A-Rod will deserve the $180 million, six-year extension he will be offered by the Yankees, which, thanks

Second half letdown?

2007-07-09T10:57:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoWe reach the midsummer classic with the New York Yankees still looking up at .500, something Yankee vets Joe Torre, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada have never seen. Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera were rookies when it last happened in 1995.In that strike-shortened year, the Yankees’ record stood at 30-36 at the break, a few games worse than the 42-43 record they’ll take to Tampa

Bench coolers

2007-07-06T10:56:00.000-04:00

By Austin AmorosoThis was the lineup Joe Torre sent out to face Johan Santana on Wednesday:Melky CabreraMiguel CairoDerek JeterAlex RodriguezHideki MatsuiAndy PhillipsRobinson CanoKevin ThompsonWil NievesConceding the loss to the best pitcher in baseball, Joe?The Yanks (shockingly) lost that game 6-2, but the loss isn’t what’s troubling. What is is that on a day when Torre was looking to rest his

Angels in The City

2007-07-06T10:55:00.000-04:00

By Austin Amoroso It’s July 6 and the Yankees are still looking up at .500. A 1-7 road trip nullified the 11-1 stretch that had Yankees fans preparing for October baseball for the 13th consecutive year. At 40-42 they are 12 games back of Boston in the AL East and 8.5 back of Detroit for the Wild Card. This might be a season to forget for the Bombers, who don’t seem to deserve that nickname