(Long Island, NY) We haven’t even reached Memorial Day and both New York baseball teams are at a crossroads in the season. A recent rash of injuries suffered on both clubs has put their fans into panic mode. Stand pat and ride it out or play ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ and mortgage some of the future for the present?

The Mets are in more of a dire situation than the Yankees because their problems arise from their starting rotation. And we all know that pitching wins. A short staff to begin the season just got shorter with the injuries to starters Brian Bannister, John Maine, and Victor Zambrano. Replacement arms such as Jose Lima has not worked out. Jeremi Gonzalez kept the Mets in the game in his first start at Milwaukee, which has been the highlight of his stay so far. They are playing with fire if they attempt to maintain the division lead with no help for the top two starters. Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine have pitched brilliantly so far, but age and injury may catch up to them.

Steve Traschel is what he has been throughout his career- a .500 pitcher who will eat up a lot of innings. Bannister should return from his injured hamstring shortly, but he is still a rookie and cannot be depended on to keep his consistency through the dog days.

Should General Manager Omar Minaya go out and make a deal for a starting pitcher? Obviously, the team needs to make a change. Is it worth mortgaging the future for someone at this time? Depending on the return, yes.

If he can obtain an arm such as the Florida Marlins’ Dontrelle Willis, top prospect Lastings Milledge may get it done. The young outfielder is in Triple-A after having a good spring. Willis is having an off year, but is only 24 years old and coming off a 22 win season.

Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics is a big time arm who has not been the same since Rick Peterson left the position of A’s pitching coach in 2004 take the same job with the Mets. Could a reunion make everyone happy? Possibly, but the cost to get Zito and the fact that his contract is up at the end of the season make it very risky.

Over in the Bronx, losing outfielders Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui has hurt, but should not cause long term problems. Can they get by with back-ups such as Terrence Long and Melky Cabrera? They should be able to weather the storm with Sheff returning. But Matsui is likely done for the year. A rumor has the Yanks thinking about acquiring a big bat such as Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies. His swing from the left side of the plate and the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium make it an interesting possibility. But does the Yankee clubhouse need another player with a similar attitude like Sheffield and Randy Johnson?

Now that the first installment of the ‘Subway Series’ in completed, it will be interesting to see if either team pulls the trigger on a deal before they meet again at the end of June. The Mets may have taken solace in the fact that they won two of three from the Yankees. But things do not get any easier with the Phillies coming into town. (The Mets captured game one of the three game set with a thrilling 9-8 comeback win in 16 innings over Philadelphia). The Yankees left Shea for Fenway Park and have split the first two contests against the Boston Red Sox.

(Long Island, NY) Monday morning quarterbacks are a dime a dozen. It’s easy to critique a move or non-move when the game is over. But Mets manager Willie Randolph may have been the only person in the ballpark that felt closer Billy Wagner was not going to blow the game.

The Subway Series sometimes takes on a life of its own. But after a stirring comeback on Friday night (and beating the Yankees great closer, Mariano Rivera), the Mets were three outs away from shutting out the Bronx Bombers and taking the first two games.

A four run lead usually means your closer gets to take this one in from the bullpen and rest up, especially since he pitched the previous evening. But to the surprise of many, Randolph called on Wagner to begin the ninth inning.

As Wagner imploded with every batter that reached base, it was apparent that it was not his day. Forcing in a run with a bases loaded walk was bad enough. But when he forced another on the next pitch when he hit Bernie Williams, only then did Randolph give him the hook.

Of course, the Yankees then tied the game to force extra innings. And they eventually won the game in the 11th inning when Andy Phillips drove in Miguel Cairo from third base with a base hit.

But the puzzling thing was that Randolph didn’t even have someone warming up in the Mets bullpen in that fateful ninth inning before it was too late. When Wagner started struggling, that was a signal that most managers would have sensed to get an arm loose. But Randolph stuck with him at least two batters too long.

Should Wagner have been in there in the first place? Probably not because if he is needed in the Sunday game, that would be three consecutive days pitched. Especially after throwing 30 pitches on Saturday, we probably won’t see Wagner on Sunday if it would have been his spot or not. Possibly a blessing in disguise the way he has been throwing.

Wagner should not get a pass here because of a questionable managerial decision to put him in a game. There is no excuse for the way he pitched today. But Randolph should be thrown under that same proverbial bus. In 2005, his bad decisions were called ‘rookie mistakes.’ He doesn’t have that luxury this season.

(Long Island, NY) The off-season trade for starter Kris Benson to the Baltimore Orioles for reliever Jorge Julio has been criticized since it was first rumored. When New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya pulled the trigger on it, the critics had a field day. Even more so when Benson started off good, Julio started off bad, and the Mets were thin in the rotation.

The other player acquired by the Mets in the trade, John Maine, made an emergency start due to that lack of starters. While he did not pitch great, he looked to be a serviceable arm. Unfortunately, he pitched with an injured finger and that caused him to have trouble throwing his curve ball. And to make matters worse for him, he was placed on the Disabled List a few days later.

Jorge Julio was relegated to mop-up duty after his slow start. Way too many gopher balls to be trusted. He looked as bad as the chop shops and auto junk shops behind Shea Stadium. Mets manager Willie Randolph started using him in situations where he can get a little confidence back. He actually started to pitch a little better and was accumulating a high number of strikeouts.

The Mets hosted a three game set against the Atlanta Braves the first week of May. The Friday night game went on forever and the bullpen was taxed. Closer Billy Wagner and set-up men Duaner Sanchez and Aaron Heilman were used in addition to Julio.

The middle game was one that Randolph hoped he could get a good and deep start out of Victor Zambrano. As usual, Zambrano could not help his team and left the game in the second inning with an elbow injury that subsequently required season-ending surgery. Long man Darren Oliver came in cold and was effective. By the bottom of the ninth, the Mets led 6-4 and didn’t have many options left.

Enter Julio for his first save opportunity of the season. Getting smacked around but surviving, he escaped a jam after giving up one run. Not perfect, but you’ll take the win as a Met fan.

What this does can possibly have an effect on this team. By Randolph showing faith in Julio to close out the Braves can possibly be the springboard he needed to once again find himself. Remember, Julio was the Orioles closer once and did have a 30-save season. If he can just pitch well enough in the middle innings that may allow Heilman to get back to the rotation where he belongs. After Pedro and Glavine, it’s a crap shoot. Steve Traschel has been shaky lately, but he should go back to being what he has been his entire career- a good middle or back of the rotation guy. If Brian Bannister gets healthy and comes back soon, that still leaves one more spot available. With the way that Jose Lima has pitched, he should be jettisoned right away.

Heilman has proved himself worthy to start. He has been more effective out of the pen, but Sanchez was not expected to be as good as he has. Do you feel more confident having Heilman or the likes of Maine or Jeremi Gonzalez starting? If the pen can survive without him, he may be their best bet to have a lead to give them.

We may look back at Julio’s first save later in the season and remember how important it was to strengthen the pen. The team is hesitant to move Heilman out of the pen, but their choices are limited.

(Long Island, NY) When you thought you had seen it all, the New York Knicks even trump themselves. What was promoted as a coup and a master-mind decision by General Manager Isiah Thomas only one year ago is now blowing up in his face. The almighty Larry Brown, coming off a repulsive 23-59 season filled with more side stories than the daytime soap operas, is rumored to be on his way out. One and done for the future Hall of Fame head coach?

What is being floated now is the possibility of Knicks owner James Dolan buying out the final four years of Brown’s contract for approximately $25 million for the remaining four years and $40 million. By the way the season went for Brown, and his health concerns that became an issue towards the end of the regular season, this would seem like the proper thing to do. Brown was never the right coach for this team, and it showed more and more as the season wore on.

One of the main issues with Brown was his handling of the line ups and talking about his players to the media to get his message across. Point Guard Stephon Marbury had the longest and loudest feud with the coach and is also a hard player to trade. His long term and salary cap unfriendly contract make him hard to deal, coupled with his history make him almost impossible to deal. No one can take away the fact that he is a very talented player, but he also has never been on a winner and the teams that have peddled him away improved once he was shown the door. Did it come down to either Marbury or Brown had to go and the coach wouldn’t count against the salary cap?

Thomas is rumored to be the most likely successor to Brown. He had a decent coaching record in Indiana and was always waiting in the wings since he was first brought on to run the team. He put this team together and if he cannot get them to gel, then it should close the book on him, too.

It was obvious early on that the Larry Brown-Knicks marriage was going to end in divorce. But is a bit of a shock that it went this sour this quick. If it does in fact become a reality, how much worse a job can Thomas do? The Knicks had the second worse record in the NBA this past season, so they can only drop one more slot to the bottom of the barrel.

(Long Island, NY) They are called the ‘Baby Bombers.’ The Staten Island Yankees are accumulating titles just as the parent club has. The New York-Penn League short season single-A affiliate has amassed three league championships in their first seven seasons, nothing to sneeze at. And they enter the new season in June as the reigning champions after a two game sweep over the Auburn Doubledays.

The Staten Island Yankees were born in 1999 after serving as a Cleveland Indians farm club in Watertown, New York. The Yankees took control of the team and they played their first two seasons at a refurbished College of Staten Island. They won the NYPL championship in only their second season and opened up Richmond County Bank Ballpark in 2001 by raising their first banner. The backdrop of the stadium has a view of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. A pretty sight while enjoying a ballgame, I might add.

The SI Yankees also won the league championship in 2002 and finished in last place of the McNamara Division for two straight seasons before bouncing back all the way in 2005. Former Yankee infielder Andy Stankiewicz led them to the championship after returning for a second go-round as manager. He was at the helm in 2003 before another ex-Yankee, Tommy John, took over for one year in 2004.

The rivalry between the Yankees and Cyclones has been well chronicled since the Mets placed their own NYPL team in Brooklyn in 2001. Dubbed either the ‘Ferry Series’ or the ‘Battle of the Bridge,’ these games can be as intense as when the two parent clubs meet each regular season in their ‘Subway Series.’ It gets started right away this year, with the two teams playing a ‘home-at-home-at-home’ three game set to begin the season. The SI Yanks travel to Coney Island on June 20th, have their home opener on June 21st when they host the Cyclones, and then go back to Brooklyn on June 22nd.

The list of team alumni is long. Nothing less should be expected from an organization such as the New York Yankees to produce prospects from even the lower level of their minor league system. The following players have reached the majors after plying their trade in Staten Island: Jason Anderson, Wily Mo Pena, Rosman Garcia, Chien-Ming Wang, Robinson Cano, Brad Halsey, Andy Phillips, Sean Henn, Brandon Claussen, Alex Graman, Melky Cabrera, John-Ford Griffin and Dave Parrish.

They sport the same famous home uniforms with the pinstripes and road grays as the big league Yankees. They are successful on the field and at the gate. When you look at it, they are not that different from the team that plays in the Bronx.

(Long Island, NY) When the New York Mets placed one of their minor league teams in Coney Island in 2001, everyone knew it was a brilliant idea. But the team’s success on and off the field since then has even surpassed those hopes and dreams. As the team gets ready for its sixth season in Brooklyn, the anticipation is rising and will come full head on June 20th when the Cyclones host their chief rivals and defending NYPL champions, the Staten Island Yankees.

The New York-Penn League is considered a short season Single-A level that begins in June after the Major League Baseball college draft. The season is only 76 games, and that poses a problem for me. Keyspan Park is perhaps the most enjoyable location to watch a minor league baseball game and to only utilize it for 38 home games doesn’t seem right. The place is packed every game, including the bleacher seats in right field, which were added during the first season. The team averages close to 8,000 fans per game, an amazing number in the minors.

Having longed for professional baseball since the Dodgers abandoned them following the 1957 season, Brooklynites could not wait for America’s Pastime to return to their borough. Starting on that opening home game and right until the end of last season, every Cyclones game is an event. If you have never attended one, you are doing yourself a disservice. The scenic ballpark is located right in front of the famous boardwalk, which is visible along with the Atlantic Ocean over the right and centerfield fence. The Parachute Ride is also right there to remind us that we are definitely in Coney Island. Over the left field fence, the ride that gave the team their name, the Cyclone, can be seen giving riders a thrill. And don’t forget the Wonder Wheel, which is over in the same direction.

There is no better sight to see than when the sun is setting over the beach, the lights from the rides are illuminated, and a baseball game is taking place at the same time. Just like that old television commercial told us, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

The team has been very successful, never finishing below .500 in each of their first five seasons. They were crowned league co-champions in the inaugural 2001 season, and have won the McNamara Division three times, resulting in three playoff appearances. Many familiar faces have either managed or coached the team over the years. Former Mets Howard Johnson, Bobby Ojeda, Tim Tuefel and Mookie Wilson have been teaching the new ‘Boys of Summer’ the tricks of the trade. The list of Cyclone alumni to make the major leagues include Danny Garcia, Matt Watson, Lenny DiNardo, Franklin Nunez, Scott Kazmir, Joe Hietpas, Justin Huber, Angel Pagan and Brian Bannister.

The Cyclones have also given homage to their Brooklyn roots. Located in the lower level of the stadium is the Brooklyn Baseball Gallery. It is like a mini Cooperstown for the Dodgers. There are actual seats from Ebbets Field, the uniform worn by Johnny Podres when he pitched the complete game victory in game seven at Yankee Stadium of the 1955 World Series to give the Dodgers their only championship in Brooklyn, numerous photos and team apparel, and so much more. And members of the Brooklyn Dodgers have made appearances over the years at the ballpark as well. Duke Snider, Joe Pignatano and Ralph Branca have heard the cheers from the fans just as they did back at Ebbets Field.

This season, a statue stands just outside the entrance to the ballpark of Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson. The two late, great Dodgers are remembered in a pose that took place on the field in May of 1947 during a game in Cincinnati. Taunts and boos reigned from the crowd at Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier that April. Reese walked over and put his arm around Robinson’s shoulders in a show of support. It is one of the more famous scenes from a game that is full of them. An excellent choice for a monument.

Another season in Brooklyn. Play ball

(Long Island, NY) When people hear the name Joe Torre, they immediately think of what a great manager he has been for the New York Yankees. Of course, that is true. But to take all of his other accomplishments and ‘back seat’ them would be unfair just because the man has excelled at this point of his career even higher than before.

Born July 18, 1940 in Brooklyn, Joe grew up a New York Giants fan in a Brooklyn Dodger part of town. His first big league season as a player was 1960 with the Milwaukee Braves. The following season, he played in 113 games and hit .278 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI. He played with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves until he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for 1B Orlando Cepeda on March 17, 1969. He was acquired by the New York Mets on October 13, 1974 for ray Sadecki and Tommy Moore. He was named player-manager on May 31, 1977 and took over full-time manager status on June 18, 1977.

His record as Mets manager is not a true reflection of his skills. The team was down right terrible and did not spend any money on players. Perhaps a good note on his Met managerial tenure was that the team avoided 100 losses in his five seasons at the helm.

He took over the job in Atlanta in 1982 and promptly delivered a National League West division crown to a franchise that had been struggling for a long time. His three seasons at Fulton County Stadium produced a first and two second place finishes. He went on to manage the St. Louis Cardinals from 1990 to 1995, finishing as high as second.

When Yankees owner George Steinbrenner made a manager change after the 1995 season, people looked at it as another time he was budding in for the worse. Buck Showalter had just led the team to a wild card playoff appearance and seemed to have them going in the right direction. Torre was not a very successful manager, and struggled in his stay in St. Louis. Why would the Yankees make this change?

Call it a hunch, or intuition. Torre became the first native New Yorker to manage the Yanks and promptly won the World Series in 1996. No need to go into all his other accomplishments with the Yankees, as I’m sure all of you are well aware of them.

But off the field, Joe really shines. He survived prostate cancer in 1999 and missed the team’s first 36 games that season while recovering from successful surgery in St. Louis. Along with his wife Ali, he started the Joe Torre “Safe At Home” Foundation in 2003 to aid in the prevention and awareness of domestic violence. He made the public aware of his story growing up in that environment and is using it as a tool to help others. In addition to his on the field awards, he has also won the Milton Richman “Gotta Have Heart” Award by the NY Chapter of the Baseball Writers of America Association, the Joan Payson Community Service Award by the BBWAA at their 2005 awards banquet, and carried the Olympic Torch in both the 2002 Games in Utah and the 2005 Games Torino, Italy.

Torre is one special person, and a heck of a baseball manger, too.

(Long Island, NY) Scott Kazmir pitches another gem against the Boston Red Sox, this time beating their ace, Curt Schilling. And the Mets brass is happy because Victor Zambrano didn’t walk the park in his last outing. Is it just me, or are the Tampa Bay Devil Rays still choking on their oranges from laughter over that trade?….Is it too early to take back some of that Kaz Matsui bashing done in Spring Training?….Regardless of how good a ballplayer Mike Jacobs turns out to be, Carlos Delgado may turn out to be that missing ingredient the Mets had been looking for.

The Yankees’ Carl Pavano may not be ready to pitch in the Bronx until June. This is due to a bruised buttock. That is not a misprint. That is not a joke. But the last laugh is on the Yanks. The guy helps the Florida Marlins beat them in the 2003 World Series, and then goes 18-8 in his walk year. Signs a big multi-year free agent deal and has stunk up the joint ever since. Should we be surprised? I say no. Need evidence? OK, how about the fact that he has only finished .500 or better in two of his eight big league seasons? And that does not include 2003, when he went 12-13. And his career ERA is over 4.00. He is not a big-time pitcher, no matter what his paycheck says…..Things are shaping up nicely for a fun first ‘Subway Series’ at Shea on May 19th through 21st. Both NY teams are playing good ball and it will have a little more juice to it if they can maintain first place in their respective divisions.

“Madison Avenue” Matt Leinart will be doing his dancing in the deserts of Arizona. It would have been interesting to see him in New York, but the Jets made the right choice with D’Brickashaw…..Too bad the rookie will only spend one season at home before the team packs up and moves their training facility to New Jersey…..Maybe SNY can start a reality show on Ferguson, showing him driving through the Garden State like Tony Soprano…..While I’m on that subject, this season has been a little ‘light’, no pun intended. No offense to Vito and his private love life, but when the most exciting scene so far has been a masked Christopher punching Lauren Bacall in the kisser, the boys at HBO need to step it up. Artie and his whole American Express scandal episode was a ‘could-miss.’ I’ll wait it out and hope for a little improvement. Just when you think they’ve ‘jumped the shark,’ somebody will get whacked in a ‘oh-so-holy-s**t’ way to get you right back into it. I have faith.

The announcement that the United States Soccer Team will be the only country participating in the upcoming World Cup in Germany to not have flags and markings on their bus was just brilliant. We all understand they are doing it for security reasons, but to then describe the bus to a tee (blue with no distinctive markings) made it a moot point. Unless every German bus looks like that, any potential terrorists with a third grade reading level will be smart enough to do damage. Good job, whoever you are. Dumb as a box of rocks.

LAST CALL: Congrats to the trio from Hofstra on getting picked up for the NFL. OT Willie Colon was picked in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, WR Marques Colston by the Saints in round seven, and DE Stephen Bowen was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent.

Long Island Sports Update:

The Long Island Ducks have started the season 3-2 after a two-stop road trip and open their home schedule on Friday May 5th.

The New York Dragons are 9-5 and headed for another AFL playoff appearance. Nice job by Nick Browder taking charge after the team lost starting quarterback Aaron Garcia and his back-up, Juston Wood.

(Long Island, NY) Hard to believe that this is already the seventh season of Long Island Ducks baseball. What started out as a ‘maybe’ in 2000 has turned out to be one of the most popular attractions on the island.

Media day was this past Thursday, and on hand to meet and greet were the regulars, and a few new faces, too. Owner Frank Boulton, manager Don McCormack, and coach/part owner Bud Harrelson were joined by new pitching coach Dick Such, first baseman Bucky Jacobsen, and pitcher Pat Mahomes.

Boulton was proud to announce that the Ducks would pass the three million mark in attendance at approximately their 60th home game, the fastest mark for a 6,000 seat stadium. Anyone who has ever attended a Ducks game can easily see why. This is an organization that has done their homework. They are the model for success at the minor league level. From popular promotions, to fun in between inning activities, and a great mascot, what’s there not to like? Throw in inexpensive ticket prices and free parking and there is no question on why they operate at over one hundred percent capacity.

Boulton added that the staff only takes off one week around the holidays, working year-round to prepare the fan’s experience to be the best it can be. The team is comprised of many home grown players who are extremely popular and enjoy interaction with the fans. Sundays at Citibank Park start out with pre-game autograph sessions and conclude with ‘Kids run the bases’ activities. Try getting on the field twice in the Bronx without being escorted off in handcuffs.

Mahomes was named the opening day starter and hopes to return to the major leagues before too long. His best season was in 1999, when he went 8-0 for the New York Mets.

Jacobsen was a big time power hitting prospect in 2004 with the Seattle Mariners before two knee surgeries interrupted his career. Missing all of 2005 due to injury, he hopes to be on the road back to the bigs, as well.

Judging by both players’ opening game performance that may not be as far fetched as some may believe. Mahomes was the winning pitcher and Jacobsen went long in a 5-1 victory at Camden. The Ducks went on to sweep the three game set and begin the season 3-0, heading to Bridgeport before their home opener on Friday May 5th.

A major notable absence on opening day was in centerfield. The last remaining original Duck from year one, West Babylon’s own Justin Davies, decided to retire from baseball. He will be missed by all and forever lauded for his accomplishments on and off the field. Nicknamed by his teammates ‘the Mayor’, Davies had a great career on Long Island and a major reason why the team captured the 2004 Atlantic League championship.

The team’s slogan for 2006 is that every game is a ‘9 inning vacation.’ I couldn’t agree with them more.

With so many holes to fill on both sides of the ball, the New York Jets and their new front office really couldn’t make a mistake whichever way they went in the 2006 NFL Draft. Let me rephrase that. They would have helped themselves either way. After the top three were taken, they had a big decision. ‘Madison Avenue’ Leinart or D’Brickashaw Ferguson?

They chose Ferguson, the left tackle who started all four years at Virginia. Some critics may say that they should have gone for the popular quarterback. Maybe they should have. But to have an opportunity to get a LT such as Ferguson cannot be overlooked. The NFL has changed so much over the years that what was once not looked at as a skill position, LT has as much importance in an offense as quarterback, wide receiver, or running back. Without solid protection, even a qualified quarterback will have trouble moving the ball from flat on his back. The Jets currently employ all right-handed quarterbacks, and their blind side will be safe with Ferguson.

As for USC’s Leinart, he fell all the way to number ten, where the hapless Arizona Cardinals selected him. They are rebuilding for the umpteenth time and have also added running back Edgerin James, who left the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent. Questions about Leinart’s arm strength could have been the reason he didn’t go as high as Texas’ Vince Young, who will be Steve McNair’s replacement in Tennessee.

The Houston Texans took away some drama by coming to terms with defense end Mario Williams of North Carolina State the night before the draft. Reggie Bush, the Heisman Trophy-winning back from USC, went number two to the New Orleans Saints.

The Jets went back to the offensive line in their second pick, choosing Ohio State center Nick Mangold. The 300-pounder will be the replacement for the departed Kevin Mawae, who will be joining Young in Tennessee.

In the second round, the Jets traded down with the Washington Redskins (and picked up a second round pick in next year’s draft) and chose Oregon senior quarterback Killen Clemens at number 49. Clemens was productive but is rehabbing a broken fibula. The third round brought inside line backer Anthony Schlegel and strong safety Eric Smith.

Every draft class is a crap-shoot. Who will be the next big time player out of the class of 2006? We shall see. Experts say that it takes up to three years to evaluate a draft effectively. Offensive line is a position where a rookie can jump right in and start and make an impact. With Ferguson and Mangold being projected as the two best available players at left tackle and center respectively, head coach Eric Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum may have hit the jackpot in their first draft.