MLB Play Of The Year

We've seen some fantastic defensive plays to this point in the 2015 Major League Baseball season. Now, on August 28th, I'd like to put it to a vote. Below I will display the four plays I feel have been the best of the year so far. Then we put it to a vote as to what has been the best play of the year. So lets begin the debate shall we.


First up, we go back to June 28th. Tampa Bay Rays against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers center in Toronto. Blue Jays 3rd baseman Josh Donaldson does this:


Next up we go back to August 12th, just a couple of weeks ago. The Milwaukee Brewers are playing at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. Cubs 1st Baseman Anthony Rizzo heads into foul ground to make this catch:


Play number three up for nomination, we go back a little over a week. The Washington Nationals are out in San Francisco playing the Giants at AT&T Park. It's late in the ball game when this happened:


Finally, we head to last night. Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia is the place. Philles and the Mets are the two teams. Its extra innings, there was this:


Now its up to you. Which of these four plays has been the best of the year?

Mets Flounder But Don't Lose Ground

This past weekend was a tough one for the New York Mets. They were riding high coming into the weekend. They just swept the Colorado Rockies, outscoring them 23-5. That series allowed the Mets to open up a 4.5 game lead over the 2nd place Washington Nationals. It gave Mets fans something to smile about, it made you feel comfortable and excited going into this weekend series against the Pirates. Then reality set in and it all fell apart for the Mets, to a certain degree.

This season the Mets have struggled against the NL Central, now going a combined 9-20 vs. the NL Central. They are 48-29 against the rest of the league. In this series against the Pirates, New York was outscored 16-6. The first two series were close, having to go to extra innings in both games, before the Pirates got the clutch hits they needed. In the Sunday game, it was a double whammy that cost the Mets the ballgame.

First it was the mental error by Ruben Tejada in the 7th. After a rain delay, the teams came out for the top of the 7th. Bobby Parnell took over on the mound. With one on, Parnell then coaxed a comebacker from pinch-hitter Michael Morse that seemed destined to result in a double play. However, shortstop Ruben Tejada appeared late covering second and Parnell's throw went into center field, placing runners on the corners with none out. Officially, the error was assigned to Parnell. After that the flood gates opened on the Mets, allowing the Pirates to cruise to an 8-1 victory.

As of late I've been all over Booby Parnell for not really being able to get a quick inning in relief. He has caused indigestion for Mets fans as of late, seemingly getting rocked almost every time he has come out to pitch as of late. I know Parnell is just coming off Tommy John Surgery, which is a tough thing for pitchers to come back from. Sure there have been some instances where a pitcher doesn't fully recover from the operation, but more often than not, pitchers will come back to form (or as close to back to form as possible) and continue on with their careers. Parnell hasn't looked like his old self. Yes he is still throwing very hard, that hasn't been in question. He's just having trouble locating his pitches. They have gas but no movement. If you can't get movement on your pitches, it won't lead to too much success. In two outings this series, Parnell, who’s coming off Tommy John surgery, gave up five hits and six runs, four of which were earned, while only getting two outs. He was booed off the mound after both appearances. This is not to say that other players on the Mets haven't struggled, because they have. Juan Lagares dropped a ball in the outfield Sunday as he crashed into the wall to try and make a catch. Stuff like that can be easily covered up. Bobby Parnell having trouble getting guys out can't really be covered up that quickly, or easily.

After the way this weekend went, it has to make you worry just a little bit as to how the Mets might fair come playoff time. As it sits right now, three of the five playoff spots are being held down by the top three teams in the National League Central, the Cardinals, the Pirates and the Cubs. The Mets have a total of 9 wins against that entire central division, which could spell trouble. I don't know what it is, but the Mets just can't get a win against the Central to save their lives at the moment. But the Mets have caught a couple of big breaks.

As it sits right now, the team still holds a four and a half game lead on the Washington Nationals, who now sit a game under .500. Washington has been an underachieving teams this season. I know they have been dealing with injuries most of the year, but still they were expected to run away with the East, and that hasn't been the case at all. The Mets have gotten a little bit lucky, in that the Natinoals just got Swept by the Giants out in San Francisco. It has helped the Mets out that the Nats have now lost six straight games. Washington last got a win by beating the Dodgers on August 10th. Things have gotten rough for the Nationals, as they are now 10-21 since the all-star break, one of the worst records in the National League in that time frame.

New York does catch a bit of a break going down the stretch run here. As it sits right now (at the time of this writing) the Mets will face two teams, TWO TEAMS, with winning records. They play the Baltimore Orioles (60-56) during the upcoming two-game series at Camden Yards. Then they don't face another team with a winning record until the American League East-leading Yankees (64-52) come into Queens for a weekend series September 18th to the 20th.

Yes the Mets stumbled against Pittsburgh this past weekend, but, as far as the division standings go, they got lucky they didn't lose any ground.

NBA Schedules Announced

You know your getting close to the fall when this is announced. That's right the schedules have been announced for the 2015-16 NBA Season. For the 30 teams that make up the NBA, there will be a total of 1,230 games played during the regular season. There are some pretty interesting, must watch games coming up this season, but we'll get into that in a little while. First things first, here's what the schedules look like for the local teams.

2015-16 New York Knicks Schedule
10/28 at Milwaukee 8:00 p.m.
10/29 vs. Atlanta 8:00 p.m.
10/31 at Washington 7:00 p.m.
11/2 vs. San Antonio 7:30 p.m.
11/4 at Cleveland 8:00 p.m.
11/6 vs. Milwaukee 7:30 p.m.
11/8 vs. L.A. Lakers 3:30 p.m.
11/10 at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
11/11 at Charlotte 7:00 p.m.
11/13 vs. Cleveland 7:30 p.m.
11/15 vs. New Orleans noon
11/17 vs. Charlotte 7:30 p.m.
11/20 at Oklahoma City 8:00 p.m.
11/21 at Houston 8:00 p.m.
11/23 at Miami 7:30 p.m.
11/25 at Orlando 7:00 p.m.
11/27 vs. Miami 7:30 p.m.
11/29 vs. Houston 7:30 p.m.
12/2 vs. Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
12/4 vs. Brooklyn 7:00 p.m.
12/5 at Milwaukee 8:30 p.m.
12/7 vs. Dallas 7:30 p.m.
12/9 at Utah 9:00 p.m.
12/10 at Sacramento 10:30 p.m.
12/12 at Portland 10:00 p.m.
12/16 vs. Minnesota 7:30 p.m.
12/18 at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
12/19 vs. Chicago 7:30 p.m.
12/21 vs. Orlando 7:30 p.m.
12/23 at Cleveland 7:00 p.m.
12/26 at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
12/27 at Boston 6:00 p.m
12/29 vs. Detroit 7:30 p.m.
1/1 at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
1/3 vs. Atlanta 3:30 p.m.
1/5 at Atlanta 8:00 p.m.
1/6 at Miami 7:00 p.m.
1/8 at San Antonio 8:30 p.m.
1/10 vs. Milwaukee 7:30 p.m.
1/12 vs. Boston 7:30 p.m.
1/13 at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
1/16 at Memphis 8:00 p.m.
1/18 vs. Philadelphia 1:00 p.m.
1/20 vs. Utah 7:30 p.m.
1/22 vs. L.A. Clippers 7:30 p.m.
1/23 at Charlotte 7:00 p.m.
1/26 vs. Oklahoma City. 7:30 p.m.
1/28 at Toronto 8:00 p.m.
1/29 vs. Phoenix 7:30 p.m.
1/31 vs. Golden State 7:30 p.m.
2/1 vs. Boston 7:30 p.m.
2/4 at Detroit 7:30 p.m.
2/5 vs. Memphis 7:30 p.m.
2/7 vs. Denver 1:00 p.m.
2/9 vs. Washington 8:00 p.m.
2/19 at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
2/20 at Minnesota 8:00 p.m.
2/22 vs. Toronto 7:30 p.m.
2/24 at Indiana 7:00 p.m.
2/26 vs. Orlando 7:30 p.m.
2/28 vs. Miami 7:30 p.m.
3/1 vs. Portland 7:30 p.m.
3/4 at Boston 7:30 p.m.
3/5 vs. Detroit 7:00 p.m.
3/8 at Denver 9:00 p.m.
3/9 at Phoenix 9:00 p.m.
3/11 at L.A. Clippers. 10:30 p.m.
3/13 at L.A. Lakers 9:30 p.m.
3/16 at Golden State. 10:30 p.m.
3/19 at Washington 7:00 p.m.
3/20 vs. Sacramento 7:30 p.m.
3/23 at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
3/24 vs. Chicago 7:30 p.m.
3/26 vs. Cleveland 7:30 p.m.
3/28 at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
3/30 at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
4/1 vs. Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
4/3 vs. Indiana 7:30 p.m.
4/6 vs. Charlotte 7:30 p.m.
4/8 at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
4/10 vs. Toronto 7:30 p.m.
4/12 at Indiana 7:00 p.m.

2015-16 Brooklyn Nets Schedule
10/28 vs Chicago 7:30 PM
10/28 at San Antonio 8:30 PM
10/31 at Memphis 8:00 PM
11/2 vs Milwaukee 7:30 PM
11/4 at Atlanta 8:00 PM
11/6  vs Los Angeles 7:30 PM
11/7 at Milwaukee 8:30 PM
11/11 at Houston 8:00 PM
11/13 at Sacramento 10:00 PM
11/14 at Golden State 10:30 PM
11/17 vs Atlanta 7:30 PM
11/18 at Charlotte 7:00 PM
11/20 at Boston 7:30 PM
11/22 vs Boston 6:00 PM
11/25 at Oklahoma City 8:00 PM
11/28 at Cleveland 7:30 PM
11/29 vs Detroit 6:00 PM
12/1 vs Phoenix 7:30 PM
12/4 at NY Knicks 7:00 PM
12/6 vs Golden State 6:00 PM
12/8 vs Houston 7:30 PM
12/10 vs Philadelphia 7:30 PM
12/12 vs Los Angeles 5:00 PM
12/14 vs Orlando 7:30 PM
12/16 vs Miami 7:30 PM
12/18 at Indiana 7:00 PM
12/20 vs Minnesota 1:00 PM
12/21 at Chicago 8:00 PM
12/23 vs Dallas 7:30 PM
12/26 vs Washington 8:00 PM
12/28 at Miami 7:30 PM
12/30 at Orlando 7:00 PM
1/2 at Boston 3:00 PM
1/4 vs Boston 7:30 PM
1/6 vs Toronto 7:30 PM
1/8 vs Orlando 7:30 PM
1/9 at Detroit 7:30 PM
1/11 vs San Antonio 7:30 PM
1/13 vs NY Knicks 7:30 PM
1/15 vs Portland 7:30 PM
1/16 at Atlanta 7:30 PM
1/18 at Toronto 7:30 PM
1/20 vs Cleveland 7:30 PM
1/22 vs Utah 7:30 PM
1/24 vs Oklahoma City 3:30 PM
1/26 vs Miami 7:30 PM
1/29 at Dallas 8:30 PM
1/30 at New Orleans 7:00 PM
2/1  vs Detroit 7:30 PM
2/3 vs Indiana 7:30 PM
2/5 vs Sacramento 7:30 PM
2/6 at Philadelphia 7:30 PM
2/8 vs Denver 7:30 PM
2/10 vs Memphis 7:30 PM
2/19 vs NY Knicks 7:30 PM
2/21 vs Charlotte 6:00 PM
2/23 at Portland 10:00 PM
2/25 at Phoenix 9:00 PM
2/27 at Utah 9:30 PM
2/29 at Los Angeles 10:30 PM
3/1 at Los Angeles 10:30 PM
3/4 at Denver 9:00 PM
3/5 at Minnesota 8:00 PM
3/8 at Toronto 7:30 PM
3/11 at Philadelphia 7:00 PM
3/13 vs Milwaukee 6:00 PM
3/15 vs Philadelphia 7:30 PM
3/17 at Chicago 8:00 PM
3/19 at Detroit 7:00 PM
3/22 vs Charlotte 7:30 PM
3/24 vs Cleveland 7:30 PM
3/26 vs Indiana 6:00 PM
3/28 at Miami 7:30 PM
3/29 at Orlando 7:00 PM
3/31 at Cleveland 7:00 PM
4/1 at NY Knicks 7:30 PM
4/3 vs New Orleans 1:00 PM
4/6 at Washington 7:00 PM
4/8 at Charlotte 7:00 PM
4/10 at Indiana 6:00 PM
4/11 vs Washington 7:30 PM
4/13 vs Toronto 8:00 PM

So that's what it looks like for the local basketball teams this season.

Geno Smith Injured At Camp

This season looked like it was going to be a coming out party for Geno Smith in 2015. He had weapons to work with in the passing game with the addition of Brandon Marshall. His offensive line has shown a better, more sound protection game through the start of camp. He showed signs that he might have finally turned the corner to becoming a good quarterback in the NFL. And then it all went away. For six to ten weeks at least anyway. That's how long the Jets QB will be out of action with a broken jaw.

This all took place during an altercation in the New York Jets locker room that ended with quarterback Geno Smith suffering a broken jaw began as a dispute over $600, sources told ESPN. It all started, apparently according to ESPN, when Geno accepted a $600 plane ticket from IK Enemkpali to appear at the reserve linebacker's football camp in Pflugerville, Texas, on July 11, according to sources. Problems arose when Smith did not show to the camp, which took place days after someone close to Smith was killed in a motorcycle accident in Miami, sources said. After Smith did not attend, Enemkpali demanded that the Jets quarterback refund him the $600 he allegedly used to purchase the plane ticket. Smith told Enemkpali he would reimburse him the money, but he had not as of Tuesday morning. Enkempali confronted Smith on Tuesday about the money, and the confrontation ended in a punch and a broken jaw. All of this is coming from an ESPN report.

According to the same report, Geno had tried to go up to Enemkpali and tried to pay off the $600 and had planned on attending the event out of goodwill, but clearly something came up. Jets head coach Todd Bowles said in a press conference after the fact, stating "It takes two to tango -- one to throw a punch, but two to tango."

There's a couple of ways to look at this whole messed up situation. First there's IK Enemkpali. This is not Enemkpali's first brush with off-the-field violence. At 19, while at a bar when he was at college at Louisiana Tech, a fight broke out and he punched an off-duty cop who was working security at the bar. On that night, Enemkpali had to be subdued first with pepper spray and then with a stun gun. He was arrested and charged with battery on a police officer and disturbing the peace/drunk, according to court records. The charge was amended to simple battery, and he received a suspended jail sentence and was placed on 13 months' probation. He also was ordered to perform 32 hours of community service and to complete an anger-management course (ESPN).

So, as you can read, Enemkpali has had some anger issues in the past. It may have lead to this and him having a short fuse. It doesn't come as a surprise that he was cut as soon as this happened. Its a good move, a statement move, by the Jets. Its telling the fans that there is no tolerance for this kind of stuff in the locker room or with this team. I fully support Coach Bowles and how he has handled this whole thing. Todd Bowles has had a lot to deal with in his first few weeks at Jets camp and as Jets head coach for that matter. I mean think about it, from what has happened before camp with Sheldon Richardson to now having to deal with this. That's a lot for a first year head coach to take on and he's handled it quite well.

When it comes to Geno and the quarterback position, that's a whole different story in and of itself. First there's Geno. He hasn't had the greatest first two years for an NFL Quarterback.  His 41 turnovers, and 34 interceptions, have been well documented. He is 11-18 lifetime as a starter, coming off a 3-10 season last year. Everybody, including myself, had gotten on Geno the last few years for being a weak starting QB. I was willing to give him a little more slack going into this season. Why? Because he now has weapons to work with in the passing game. I was looking forward to see what he could do with better receivers. Now who knows what's going to happen with Geno when he comes back.

With Geno out of action, it sits that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starting QB with Bryce Petty, a rookie, serving as the backup. Fitzpatrick is a solid quarterback, he doesn't have as strong a throwing arm as Geno does, but he is still a  good QB. Fitzpatrick best years as a starter came with back to back 6-10 seasons as the starter for the Buffalo Bills in 2011 and 2012. Sure he has a tendency to turn the ball over, as he did throw 23 interceptions in 2011, he has more experience and is a more well rounded QB than Smith. I would have trusted Fitzpatrick as a starter than Geno. Now this leads me to believe what will happen when Geno gets healthy. The earliest he can come back is Week Three against the Eagles at home, and he can come back no later than Week Seven in New England. Who is going to start when Geno gets back is up to Fitzpatrick. If Fitz is playing well, I wouldn't see going back to Geno. You have to stick with the hot hand at QB. The Jets may also look other places for QB's. Some sources say that the team has looked into Tyler Thigpen and Rex Grossman.

The whole incident was childish on both IK's and Geno's part. It could have easily been taken care of quietly, but it wasn't and it lead to this. Both guys were in the wrong and now both guys are suffering from it.

Remembering Frank Gifford

This past weekend, the NFL and the football world for that matter, lost a true Giant of a man. A big huliking, but shifty running back, Frank Gifford was the face of the New York Giants from 1952 to 1964. He was able to then make a smooth transition into the broadcast booth, being a staple of Monday Night Football from 177 until 1997. Gifford passed away this past Sunday in his home in Connecticut. He was 84 at the time of his passing, which came of natural causes.

Gifford got his start in the football world, making a name for himself as a shifty running back at USC. He was an all-american in 1952, putting up stellar numbers the year before. In 1951 alone, he ran for 841 yards on 195 carries. People knew right then that Gifford was going to be a big star in the game. He began his NFL career with the New York Giants by playing both offense and defense. He made eight Pro Bowl appearances and had five trips to the NFL Championship Game. Gifford's biggest season may have been 1956, when he won the Most Valuable Player award of the NFL, and led the Giants to the NFL title over the Chicago Bears. During his 12 seasons with the New York Giants (136 regular season games) Frank Gifford had 3,609 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns in 840 carries, he also had 367 receptions for 5,434 yards and 43 touchdowns. Gifford completed 29 of the 63 passes he threw for 823 yards and 14 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. The 6 interceptions is tied with Walter Payton for most interceptions thrown by a non-quarterback in NFL history, while the 14 touchdowns is also the most among any non-quarterback in NFL history. When Gifford finished his career, the numbers are staggering. All told, Gifford ran for 3,609 yards and 34 touchdowns, caught 367 passes for 5,434 yards and 43 touchdowns, and threw 14 touchdown passes on the halfback option (NY Times).

Gifford was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 30, 1977. Giffrod's three Pro Bowl selections came at three different positions: defensive back, running back, and wide receiver. Once his playing career came to an end, Gifford couldn't truly leave the game he loved, so he tried his hand at broadcasting. Gifford broadcasting career took off when he became a commentator mainly for NFL games on CBS. His big break came in 1971 when he replaced Keith Jackson as play-by-play announcer on ABC's Monday Night Football, joining Howard Cosell and Don Meredith, and would continue on as a commentator until 1997 (He was the last surviving member of the group. Cosell died in 1997 and Meredith passed in 2010). The three of them became the face of Monday Night Football, becoming must watch TV every week during football season. He was so good in the broadcast booth, Gifford was able to pull home some awards and honors for his broadcasting work. Gifford was a Two-time Emmy Award winner, winning Outstanding Sports Personality in 1977, and winning a Lifetime Achievement Award for broadcasting in 1997. Also, in 1995, Gifford won the Pete Rozelle Award for longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.

As a player, Gifford was the personification of the Giants during their glory years in the 1950s and early ’60s, the best-known figure on teams that featured many other stars, including quarterbacks Charlie Conerly and Y. A. Tittle, linebacker Sam Huff, fullback Alex Webster, defensive back Emlen Tunnell, defensive linemen Andy Robustelli and Roosevelt Grier, and his fellow running back and receiver Kyle Rote. He was the face of the Ginats, as he bleed Blue form the time he was drafted until the day he died. Gifford always believed in the franchise he played for, never giving up on the Giants in his career.

As great a football player as he was, he was all that as a broadcaster, which is what most football fans of the younger generation remember him for. Some of his work in the broadcast booth will go down in history. He was able to bring the game to life, providing new insight to the world of football like few before him. Tuning into Monday Night Football during the late 80's and early 90's was enjoyable in part because of the men in the booth. Frank Gifford made it fun to watch Monday Night Football

Frank Gifford is survived by his wife, Kathie Lee Gifford, and children.

Biggest Trade Deadline Steals

Oh the trade deadline. Regardless of the sport, the trading deadline is always a time for contending teams to try and add that missing piece to get them to the promise land. Its also time  for teams in rebuilding mode to get a group of possible prospects that they can build the franchise around for years to come. Sometimes, the trades work out the way you hope. While other times, trades will blow up right in your face. Here's some of the most lopesided deals made at the deadline.

Jeff Bagwell Traded from Boston To Houston in 1990
In exchange for Bagwell, Houston sent Larry Andersen to Boston. The 1990 season was a decent one for the Red Sox, as they won 88 regular season games, taking home the AL East and falling to the Oakland A's in the ALCS. Boston had plenty of infield prospects at the time, including future heavy hitter Mo Vaughn. What Boston really needed at the time of the trade was help in the Pen, which is where Larry Andersen came into play. He had a 1.23 ERA in his 15 regular season games. It kind of fell apart after that. Andersen left for the Padres the following season. Boston slipped in the standings in 1991, finishing 3rd. Meanwhile, Bagwell shined bright in Houston. HIs first year with the Astros, 1991, Bagwell just so happened to win NL Rookie of the Year. He then went on to become one of baseball's best power hitters during a 15-year career with the Astros in which he belted 449 home runs and won the 1994 NL MVP award. Yeah I say the Red Sox won that deal.

Boston Red Sox get Pedro Martinez from Montreal Expos: Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe from Seattle Mariners in 1997
First there's the Pedro trade. After having four great years with the Expos, including winning a Cy Young, Pedro was on the Move to Boston. Montreal had to ship off Pedro, because of Financial reasons. In return for Martinez, Montreal received a pair of serviceable arms in Carl Pavano and Tony Armas, both of whom had decent runs in Canada. Meanwhile, the Red Sox added a future Hall of Famer, who will go down as one of the most dominant pitchers in franchise history. Martinez won two AL Cy Young awards, finished runner-up for two more in Boston and ultimately served as the ace of the 2004 team that ended an 86-year World Series drought. With the Lowe and Varitek trade, it was Seattle who was in more desperate need than Boston was. Seattle was so desperate for bullpen help that they gave up two solid prospects in varitek and Lowe for Heathcliff Slocumb. Slocumb's time in Seattle wasn't all too memorable, as he left after posting a 5.32 ERA the next season. The two players the Red Sox got back for him certainly were in Boston. Together, Lowe and Varitek combined to make five All-Star teams with the Red Sox and both were members of the 2004 World Series winners, with Varitek also serving as the backstop for Boston's 2007 championship team.

Cleveland Indians get Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips from Montreal Expos in 2002
Man, the trade deadline hasn't been that kind to the Expos/Nationals franchise. In 2002, Montreal was in the middle of fighting for a playoff spot, hanging around the race for quite some time. Montreal was in turmoil at that time, as they would leave for Washington two years later. The Expos felt that getting Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew would help them get over that hump to make the postseaosn. Colon did his part quite well, going 10-4 with a 3.31 ERA. Eventually Colon was dealt to the White Sox after the 83-win Expos fell well short of a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the three guys who were sent to Cleveland, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips, all went on to stardom and have had great careers. Lee would team up with CC Sabathia to make a great one-two punch at the top of the Indians rotation. Sizemore made good on his enormous potential during three consecutive All-Star campaigns in Cleveland before injuries derailed his career. And Phillips became an All-Star caliber second baseman, albeit doing so with the Reds after the Indians inexplicably gave up on the talented infielder and traded him for Jeff Stevens in 2006.

Texas Rangers get Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia from Atlanta Braves in 2007
At the time the deal was made, the Braves were sitting 4.5 games back in the NL East. Atlanta was trying to reclaim the NL East crown and wanted to make a big move. They did, and it backfired bigtime. Sure they managed to grab up Mark Teixeira, who turned down the Rangers' offer of a long-term deal. Once that happened, he went on the trading block. Atlanta snatched him up. Even though Teixeira hit .317 with 17 home runs in 54 games, Atlanta missed the playoffs in 2007 and he was shipped to the Angels for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Mark midway through the 2008 season. Meanwhile, Feliz, Andrus and Harrison all became key contributors during the Rangers' back-to-back World Series runs in 2010 and 2011. It blew up on Atlant, making them feel worse than when they made the deal.

Toronto Blue Jays get Jose Bautista from Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008
A small part of you has to feel bad for the Pirates on this one. Now granted, there's no way of knowing for a fact that a player will have THIS kind of a breakout, but come on now. At the time it looked like nothing, but now it looks like a really big deal from a Jays perspective. In 2008 Pittsburgh decided  to give up on the man they call Joey Bats. Pittsburgh decided to pick up catcher Robinzon Diaz, who played just 43 games with the Pirates in 2004 and 2005. A six-time All-Star in Toronto, Jose Bautista became the first player in franchise history to hit 50 homers in a season in 2010 and is in the midst of his sixth straight 20+ HR season in 2015. Pittsburgh thought they were getting the better end of the deal in getting Diaz. Bautista finally got regular playing time and found a home and a calling in Toronto. The rest is history.

Minnesota Twins get Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano from San Francisco Giants in 2003
Both the Twins and Giants had fine years in 2003, winning each of their respective division (San Francisco won 100 games to claim the NL West, while the Twins won 90 to claim the AL Central). San Francisco was looking to make upgrades at the catcher position, which is why they brought in A.J. Pierzynski. AJ was coming off back-to-back seasons of hitting over .300 for the Twins at the time of the deal. To get him, they parted with a trio of pitchers in reliever Joe Nathan and prospects Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser. San Francisco quickly tired of Pierzynski and released him following the 2004 season, his only one with the club. Minnesota won out on this trade. While pitching for the Giants, Nathan was a middle of the pack reliever who hadn't really made a name for himself. Once getting to Minnesota, he earned the role of closer, Nathan went on to save 260 games and made four All-Star teams before leaving to sign with the Rangers following the 2011 season. Though Boof Bonser didn't work out for Minnesota, Francisco Liriano gave the Twins another gem in the deal by quickly becoming one of the best pitching prospects in baseball and winning 47 games in the majors from 2005-2011. Yeah I'd say the Twins made out like bandits in this trade.

Blue Jays pick up Edwin Encarnacion in 2009
Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart went to Toronto, while the Reds were able to pick up Scott Rolen. Not a bad deal from a Reds point of view. During his first year with the Reds, in 2010, Rolen hit 285 with 20 home runs and 83 RBI while providing Gold Glove defense at third base. Chronic shoulder issues limited him to 157 games over the next two years, during which he hit a combined .245 with only 13 home runs and 75 RBI. He was out of baseball after the 2012 season. Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart ever amounted to anything in Toronot. It took until 2012 for things to really take off, but they did for Encarnacion, who today is one of the premier power hitters in all of Major League Baseball.

Diamondbacks pick Up Curt Schilling in 2000
While Travis Lee and Vicente Padilla provided Philadelphia with some decent performances, what Curt Schilling did in Arizona makes them almost irrelevant. From 2001 to 2002, Schilling would go 45-13 with a 3.10 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a ridiculous 609 strikeouts over 516 innings of work, walking only 72. He was equally impressive during the playoffs in 2001, going 4-0 with a 1.12 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 56 strikeouts over 48.1 postseason innings. After an injury-filled 2003 campaign, Arizona shipped Schilling to Boston for a package that included right-hander Casey Fossum and lefties Jorge De La Rosa and Brandon Lyon. Schilling was so dominate during his time in Arizona, it made the other guys in the deal that went to Philly totally pointless.

Thee are just some of the most lopsided deadline deals in MLB history

(Thanks to ESPN and Bleacher Report for help with this article)

What To Watch In Training Camp

And here we go. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!?!?!?! Training Camp around the entire National Football League and teams are getting geared up to chase the Lombardi Trophy. Both New York teams, the Giants and Jets, are looking to bounce back after a rough go of it last year. Big Blue finished the year 6-10, while Gang Green is trying to shake off going 4-12 a season ago. Both teams are having new face, and coaches for that matter, that are trying to be ready by the time the season starts on September 14th.

For the Giants, they are coming off a rough year. Sure they came on strong at the end of the season, but by then it was too little too late. Big Blue is now looking to try and get back to the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl win in 2011. Steve Spagnuolo has been brought on board to try and right the defensive ship, but there's more to it that that if the G-Men are going to get back into playoff contention this season. So here's some storylines to watch out for in Giants Camp this summer

1. Jason Pierre-Paul's Status
After hurting his hand in a firework accident, there's no guarantees as to whether or no JPP will even play for the Giants this season. Because of the injury, he is going to miss time at the start of the year, probably missing the first three or four games of the year due to his hand. As it sits right now, Pierre-Paul hasn't signed his tender, which means he may not even play for the Giants this season. So with JPP slated to miss playing time this year, who's the guy who is going to take his starting spot on the Giants defensive line? You have Robert Ayers, Kerry Wynn and Jordan Stanton behind him on the Giant's depth chart, but which one of them can fill the void JPP's injury is leaving. You could also throw two other names out there as to who can help pick up the slack: Damontre Moore and Owa Odighizuwa. Moore has 5.5 sacks as a reserve last year and Odighizuwa is a rookie who can possible make an impact.

2. Return To Form For Victor Cruz
A season ago, Cruz went down with a torn patellar tendon, a major blow to the Giants offense. It left the window open for Odell Beckham Jr to come through and take over the top wide receiver spot on the team. Now with Cruz on the comeback trail, it could leave the Giants with two spectacular weapons for Eli Manning to throw to. During his career, Cruz has been a very productive receiver in the NFL. He won't put up the flashy numbers like other wide receivers in the game, but is still worth every penny the Giants are currently paying him, when he's healthy. The big question going into camp is how healthy, and how back to form, is Victor Cruz? If he is back to his old self, or something close to it, then with him, Odell Beckham and Ruben Randell, the Giants will have a great receiving core. But lets say Cruz can't produce like he once had. Is there a backup plan in place?

3. Can Steve Spagnuolo Deliver The Goods?
Things haven't exactly looked good for the Giants defense over the last couple of years. Big Blue have surrendered over 6,000 total yards three of the last four seasons (2011-2012, 2014), which is a bit of a surprising number considering how good the D-Line has been known to be for the Giants in the past. Steve Spagnuolo has a tall task ahead of him to try and rebuild a defense that had once been known so much for its feared pass rush. The question is can the players buy into his new system and right the ship? Jon Beason is going to be critical for the Giants defense, if they are hoping to get back to the top.

4. How Good Is The Offensive Line?
This seems to be a recurring theme the past few seasons going into Giants camp. Ereck Flowers, Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg, Geoff Schwartz, and Marshall Newhouse are all going to have to step up. Will Beatty is missing time after recovering from surgery during the offseason to repair a torn pectoral, which is why Ereck Flowers is going to have a lot of pressure on him in camp. Richburg and Pugh are playing new positions this year. Richburg will be making a return to center, which is his natural position. Pugh is now being asked to line up at left guard, which is going to be a changeup for him. With the new players being moved around to new spots, they need to get adjusted and comfortable with their new spots if the Giants are going to have success this season.

5. Find A Way To Stay Healthy
This has been one of the biggest killers of the Giants over the last couple of seasons has been their health. We already talked about Beaty and JPP getting hurt. Beckham missed minicamp with a hamstring injury, and starting tight end Larry Donnell missed it with an Achilles injury. The Giants' roster isn't deep enough to weather injuries, and no roster is deep enough to weather a rash of injuries to starters. The Giants need to hope that their bad injury news for the offseason has all already happened, and that they get through August without another injury gut punch.

As rough a year as it was last season for Big Blue, it was much worse for Gang Green. The New York Jets finished the year 4-12, the first time the Jets have had that bad a season since 2007 (another year in which they went 4-12).Rex Ryan is no longer coach (he's now with the Buffalo Bills), as well as John Idzik, who was let go as General manager (he's now the Jacksonville Jaguars Salary Cap Consultant). So now it's up to new GM Mike Maccagnan and new Head Coach Todd Bowles to get the team back on track and do something that hasn't been done since 2010, that being get the Jets into the playoffs. In order for that to happen, everything has to fall right for the Jets in an improved AFC East. Here's a few things to look at for Gang Green in training camp.

1. The New Coaching Staff
There are quite a few new faces to the Jets coaching staff heading into this season. Todd Bowles now takes over as the new head man, with Chan Gailey (the ex Bills head coach) running the offense and Kacy Rodgers (the old Dolphins defensive liens coach) running the defense. Training camp will give everybody a chance to get to know how things are going to be run around the organization under the new management. Todd Bowles will have to try and regin in a team that enjoyed Ryan's loose, free-wheeling style. This new offense that Gailey will implement will try and turn a question a quarterback into a decent one. Plus with Rodgers now taking over a totally revamped defense, it will be interesting to see if he can pull them together and make them a winner.

2. The Quarterback Situation
Speaking of the Quarterbacks, this is still a big issue for the Jets. If the Jets, or any team in the National Football League for that matter, are going to be a success in this league, they need to have stability at the Quarterback position. I have not felt the Jets have had a solid, proven NFL ready QB since Chad Pennington (but that's just my take). Going into camp Geno Smith is once again fighting it out for the starting job, this time its with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick hasn't been the main guy in any organization he has played in, so he may have to step his game up if he wan'ts to beat out Geno for the starting job. Geno really has to prove something in camp, the biggest thing being hang onto the football. He has had 41 turnovers in his 30 career starts in the NFL. This is Geno's real test to try and nail this job down.

3. How Good Is The Offensive Line
Much like the Giants, the offensive line for the Jets is going to be something to look at during camp. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, James Carpenter, Nick Mangold, Willie Colon, Breno Giacomini Oday Aboushi and Brian Winters are going to be counted on to return to form. Back in 2009 and 2010, the Jets were considered to have one of the top offensive lines in the NFL. Well that hasn't exactly been the case over the last couple of seasons. They have had struggles keeping the opposing defense out of the backfield. Outside of Ferguson and Mangold, nobody else on the line has really proven to be worth their wait. This Jets line doesn't scare you nor does it really provide much protection for their QB's. The offensive line needs to step up and shape up if the Jets new offense is going to be a success.

4. Return Of The Defense
Last year, one of the biggest problems the Jets had was the secondary. They had one of the WORST secondary's in the entire league. They didn't have Revis, nor did they have Cromartie. Well guess what? Both guys are back in the fold for this season. The secondary already looks like its going to be a strength of this Jets team again this season, something that hasn't been said in quite some time. Lets also give credit where its do, to a new look defensive line. Selecting Leonard Williams generated a decent amount of attention and praise for the new regime. One of the big question for the Jets will be how much he will be able to contribute as a rookie. Sheldon Richardson's suspension adds a big of urgency to Williams' development. He is now looking at filling a big role early in the season. How ready will Williams look? You also have to take into account the need to get Muhammad Wilkerson a new deal. He has already said that he will be in camp, so he avoids a holdout. But how effective is he going to be.

5. New Weapons To Work With
You have to wonder just how well these new weapons will mesh into this organization. Chris Ivory is still the guy in the running game for the Jets. He doesn't have Chris Johnson to contend with, but instead has to compete for carries with newcomers Zac Stacy and Stevan Ridley. Both guys have to worry about their health, as Ridley has dealt with a bit of an injury bug the last few seasons. The depth is decent, but where's the breakaway threat? Same question can be made for the receiving game. Sure Eric Decker had a decent year last year, but I made this argument a season ago he isn't really a number one wide out. Now it looks like the Jets have one with the addition of Brandon Marshall from the Bears. Marshall has a chance to prove himself again, as he's coming off an injury-plagued season with the Bears last year. Factor in that with his age, as he is 31 years old, it makes you wonder a little. He still has plenty of talent, there's no denying that. Marshall gives the Jets a chance to have something they haven't had since Jerricho Cotchery in 2007. That being a 1,000-yard receiver. On paper, the Jets have the weapons to work with. Now its just waiting to see how well it translates to the field.

These are just some of the storylines to watch during training camp this summer!