Hockey Hall Makes Call

To be known as a Hall of Famer is a pretty big deal. It means you were the absolute best at what you did in your given profession. To be getting the call for such a thing in hockey means you were hands down one of the best to ever lace up a pair of ice skates. The Hockey Hall of Fame announced that they will be adding five new players and a builder into their hallowed halls. The builder is Ken holland, while, Kim St Pierre, Doug Wilson, Kevin Lowe, Marian Hossa and Jarome Iginlia are going into the players category. Induction into the Hall is supposed to take place on November 16th in Toronto, but due to the ongoing virus, no word on when it will actually happen.

We'll start this with Ken Holland going into the builders category. Holland is currently the General Manager and the President of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers, a position he got in May of last year. Holland is most know for the work he did with turning the Detroit Red Wings into a powerhouse in the 1990s. For 22 years, Holland built the Wings into a dominating team, winning three cups in that process, four if you cont the fact he was assistant GM for the first title in 1997. While Holland was running the Wings, he oversaw a team that won more regular-season and playoff games than any NHL team at 1,044 victories. Holland sits fifth in league history with 962 regular-season wins as GM. He knew how to build winning teams and keep them together. Hopefully he can do the same thing in Edmonton around McDavid and Draisaitl.

Now onto the players. Kim St Pierre made a huge name for herself in the nets on an international level. She backstopped Canada to two gold medals and five women's world championships. In those international games, St-Pierre had a 1.17 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage playing for Canada. when she retired from international competition in 2013, she recorded 15 shutouts and 24 wins. Those are numbers you only ever really dream about putting up. She did that and then some, helping Canada become a true power in the Women's game.

Doug Wilson is getting induction into the Hall this year, his 24th year of eligibility. Wilson played in the league from 1977 to 1993, all with the Blackhawks (except his final two years in the league which were with the Sharks). Wilson registered 827 points in 1,024 games in the league, with his best year coming in 1982, a year which saw him rack up 39 goals 46 assists for 85 points in 76 games. That performance, along with his overall defensive play that season, was good enough to snag him the Norris Trophy as the leagues top defenseman. On the Hawks all time charts for blue liners, Wilson sits tops in goals (225), assists (554), points (779), power-play goals (80), power-play points (355), shorthanded goals (nine) and game-winning goals (22). He co uld do a little bit of everything on the back end of the Hawks.

While Wilson could score, Kevin Lowe was known more for his defensive prowess. Lowe played in the NHL from 19790 to 1998 with the Oilers and Rangers. Having played in 1,254 games, scoring 431 points. he could move the puck pretty well, as his assist totals outmatched those of his goal scoring ability. But he was more known for his defensive play then anything else.His defensive ability made him the first "defensive defenseman" to be named into the Hall since Rob Langway in 2002. To show his durability in his career, during the two stints he had in Edmonton, Lowe had played more regular season and playoff games in an Oilers uniform than anyone in franchise history (1037 and 172).

Now we move to the Forwards. Marina Hossa gets the call on his first try. Hossa made it to the big leagues in 1997 and stayed through 2017, playing for the Senators, Thrashers, Penguins, Red Wings and finally the Hawks. He scored 1,134 points in 1,309 games. He hit 40 goals three times, with his highest point total hitting 100 in Atlanta in 1997. He got his three cups with the Hawks, the first coming in 2010, after making the finals for three years in a row with three different teams. What made Hossa so great was his hands. He could feather the pass and pick the corners from in close. Had a great shot and at times a bit of a flair for the dramatic. Pretty good skater too.

Finally, we have Jarome Iginla, who also gets in on his first try this year. Iggy played in the NHL from 1996 to 2017, playing for the Flames, Penguins, Bruins, Avs and Kings. He scored 1,300 points in 1,654 games. Lead the NHL in goals twice and on two different occasions hit the 50 goal mark. During his prime years, Iggy was seen as one of the top power forwards in this game. He could hit, fight when he needed to, and could come up with the big goals. He also had a knack for scoring some pretty goals too. During his time as Flames captain, he was known for leading by example, which is what makes him one of the all time greats.

Let There Be Baseball

Fear not my fellow baseball fans, we will have our National Pastime this summer. There still a few details to be hammered out, but we do know for sure that Major League Baseball will have a 2020 regular season. Schedules of who teams play when and where are still being worked out but we do know we will get baseball this year.

Here's what we know so far. Spring training will begin on July 1st, with the regular season set to start either July 23rd or July 24th. The league will have a 60 game schedule for the regular season, which is slated to go through the end of September. Once October hits, we will see the playoff format that we usually get every fall.

The league wants to try and cut down on travel as much as possible, which makes sense given everything that's going on in the world right now. So the 30 Major League clubs, its believed, will be broken up into regions. They will look something like this:

East:

New York Yankees and Mets, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins

Central:

Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers

West:

Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners

Again no word yet of this is the actual alignment, but that's what appears to be the case. It makes the most sense to have it play out this way, cutting down on travel and what not. Only thing that has me curious is what's going to happen with the Toronto Blue Jays if they still have the restrictions on crossing the border between the US and Canada? Only time will tell on that front. Oh but wait there's more. Before the schedule or anything like that even gets put out, there's a few things that the players and the owners had to agree on to get the ball rolling.

Camps resume on the 1st, with pitchers and catchers being the first ones to show up, followed by position players. Teams can only invite 60 players to big league camp, with only those players eligible to play during the season. Part of the league heath and safty protocal, the Designated Hitter will be used across the board this season (something I wouldn't mind seeing stick around from here on out if this works well but more on that at another time).As far as the money goes, players will be paid a full prorated portion of their 2020 salary based on games played, which will equal approximately 37 percent for the full season.

Oh, but we're not done yet According to mlb.com, there's going to some big rule changes for this shortened season. They are as follows:

•Teams will open the season with a 30-man active roster; it will be reduced to 28 players after two weeks, then to 26 after four weeks.

•The Trade Deadline will be Aug. 31.

•To be eligible for the postseason, a player must be added to the Major League roster by Sept. 15.

•Teams will be permitted to carry up to three taxi-squad players on the road during the season, though if a team carries three such players, one must be a catcher.

•During extra-inning games in the regular season, each half-inning will begin with a runner on second base. The batter who made the final out in the previous inning (or a pinch-runner for that batter) would be that runner.

•There will be a 10-day injured list for both pitchers and hitters, though the 60-day IL will be reduced to a 45-day IL.

•There will be a separate IL for players who either test positive or have symptoms/confirmed exposure to COVID-19. There is no maximum or minimum days for this IL.

•MLB’s transaction freeze, which has been in place since the season was suspended, will end on Friday at 12 p.m. ET.

•In addition to COVID-19 testing every other day, some other health precautions are as follows: Team personnel and players not likely to participate in the game (for example, the next day's starting pitcher) will be sitting in the stands or another area designated by the club, at least six feet apart; non-playing personnel will wear masks in dugout and bullpen at all times; no spitting or chewing tobacco (gum is permitted); no celebratory contact (high-fives, fist bumps, hugs, etc.).

So that's what things are looking like, right now, to get baseball back out on the field. Of course as more information becomes available, we will pass word along. I'm digging some of the changes for this year. Fan of the universal DH, not exactly sold just yet on starting the runner at 2nd base in extra innings. Things could change once the season starts, as could opinions on things. Again we shall see as things play out.

Coliseum Closes Doors

Things around the country have been hit hard as of late due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Everybody has been effected in some way, shape or form. Now it has hit NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. With nothing going on since March because of the pandemic, the building has gone silent. And with that, ownership has decided to close its doors indefinitely, until somebody is able to take the building over.

There's been a lot going on around the building over the last number of years, and its frustrating to see what the place has gone through as of late. There have been a lot of ups and downs with the building over the years. The old place was crumbling and falling apart, but became knows as one of the greatest venues in the country to watch a hockey game. When the Islanders were good, it was electric, and very very loud, every single time the team took to the ice. There's really no other way to describe what it was like to try and play there. Once the 2015 season concluded, and the Isles were off to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Coliseum finally got the much needed repairs and redesign. Two years later, it opened back up for business. It's hosted a lot in that time that its been open since. It was even going to be the home ice again for every home game for the Isles from here on out until Belmont was able to open its doors. Then this happens/

The announcement came down yesterday that billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov's company plans to close the arena while it seeks new investors to take it over and assume the remaining debt. This move not only displaces the New York Islanders, who had planed to play home games at the building until the new Belmont Park arena had gone up, but it also puts the $1.5 billion hub redevelopment project in jeopardy. Now the big question is, where do we go from here?

Well as far as hockey and the Islanders are concerned, this won't really change much. There's no plans as of yet for what the Islanders will do when they can go back to playing games at home rinks next season. however it is known that going to Barclays to resume home games is out, as the team no longer has a lease with the building. Some who follow the situation more closely feel that this is just a power move by Prokhorov to get somebody to take the building over. Its a move that does make sense and I have a good feeling that the building will open up again and we will have games played out of there next season. I'm still holding out hope that we will have somebody take over the building and get games back there next year until Belmont is ready.

With all this going on, hearing the building closed hurts. I've spent many a good nights at that palace for a variety of different reasons. A lot of it was for hockey, as we all know its my favorite sport. But I've also seen plenty of wrestling events there, as well as some indoor lacrosse, arena football and other events. it will always hold a special place for me. Sure, it wasn't quite the same after the place got the renovation, but still it was our home away from home on Long Island. I'd be pretty hard pressed to find anybody on this Island that hasn't seen some kind of event at the old barn. I do have faith that it will come back again and be the place to go for a show like it was before.

But for now, all we can do is hold on to the memories until its time to make new ones in a new place.

New York Baseball

Having two baseball teams in the same town can be a lot of fun to watch. Here in New York we got two pretty good ones in the Mets and the Yankees. Both clubs with long history's, the Yankees more so than the Mets. Both teams have had great players pull on their uniforms and that's what we are going to try and piece together here.

There is a little criteria here. If we went all the way back in franchise history, it would be almost all Yankees players, so we trimming this down just a little bit. We are keeping this to guys who have played here over the last thirty years. I'm also keeping it to you have to have played in town for at least four years. We discussed this on the last episode of the show where we talked about starters. So now we gonna talked about starters and backups. So let's get into it right now.

Catcher

Starter: Mike Piazza Backup: Jorge Posada

I've said it before, Piazza wasn't the greatest defensive catcher of all time but boy could he hit and do so with power. Posada was a good hitter and a better defensive catcher. That's why I still wanted him behind the plate. But Piazza was the better player and deserves to start.

1st Base:

Starter: Tino Martinez Backup: Mark Texiara

Both of those guys could hit and were pretty good defensive 1st baseman. I mean you could add the likes of Carlos Delgado, who just missed out, or even John Olerud (who only played three years and wasn't at the cutoff to make it to this list). Both Tino and Tex were leaders and very solid at the plate and in the field.

2nd Base

Starter: Robinson Cano Backup: Edgardo Alfonso

As solid as Fonzy was, both in the field and at the plate, Cano was better. He could hit and do it with a little more power than Fonzy. Fielding was about even, slight edge to Cano. Plus Fonzy was a 3rd baseman by trade and was only really moved to second when Ventura came here.

Shortstop

Starter: Derek Jeter Backup: Jose Reyes

This one was a no brainer. There was no better shortstop to play in this town then Jeter. Ever. He was that good and then some. The only real question is who would you put behind him coming off the bench.That would be Jose Reyes. Arguement could be made on defense for Rey Ordonez, but he couldn't hit a lick. Reyes could hit field and throw and he had speed to burn. That's why Reyes backs up Jeter.

3rd Base

Starter: David Wright Backup: Robin Ventura

I know what some of you are going to say, what about A-Rod? Don't worry he's still on this team, I just put him somewhere else that's all. Wright is the best all around third baseman to play in this town during that time period, with Ventura right behind them. Robin may have had a bit more power and had a more health on his side, but Wright had the all around game that was equal or better than Venutra. Still both guys can pull it off.

Designated Hitter

Starter: Alex Rodriguez Backup: Mike Piazza

See I told you A-Rod was going to make this list. He could hit and do it quite well. He can also play 3rd if one of the other two can't. And you could also put Piazza here too when he isn't behind the plate. But A-Rod had a good swing and good power and there was no way I could leave a guy of his offensive talent off this team.

Left Fielder

Starter: Brett Gardner Backup: Yoenes Cespedes

Gardner has been the steadying force in the Yankees lineup in left field the last six years. Not as flashy as some of his other outfielders in the Bronx, but he's been able to get the job done with both the bat and the glove. As for who's playing behind him, outside of maybe Hediki Matsui, Yoenes Cespedes has been the biggest threat in left in terms of both defense and offense. Only reason Cespedes isn't starting is because of injuries and he hasn't been here long enough.

Center Field

Starter: Carlos Beltran Backup: Bernie Williams

For seven years in Queens and another three in the Bronx, Carlos Beltran played a fine center field. He had great range and could get to most fly balls hit in his direction./ Oh yeah and he could hit too. He was the best hitter in the Mets lineup for a stretch during his time in the blue and orange. He could do a little bit of everything and was good at it too. Backing him up was pretty easy to pick Bernie. He was the anchor in the outfield in the Bronx for 16 yeas and was one of their core players during their title years.

Right Field

Starter: Paul O'Neil Backup: Aaron Judge

Spending nine years holding down right in the Bronx, Paul O'Neil was able to keep up with putting up the numbers he had done in Cincinnati with the Reds. He was a solid fielder and he had a more than capable bat. Could not only hit but he could hit for power and be able to drive in runs. In a few years from now, if he can get and stay healthy and keep producing in the field and at the plate, there's a pretty good chance that Aaron Judge will be able to pass him as the right fielder.

Pitchers

Starting Rotation:

Jacob deGrom

Andy Petite

Mike Mussina

David Cone

Al Leiter

Bullpen

John Wetland

John Fracno

Dave Roberson

Jobba Chamberland

Pedro Felicano

Armando Benitez

Closer

Mariano Rivera

Legend Hangs It Up

When the discussion starts about who the greatest fighter is in MMA history, there's quite a few names that always seem to pop up right away. You have guys like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Lidell, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffen, Rich Franklin. The list goes on and on and on. Now, there's one name that can be added to the top of most lists. Conor McGregor. The Notorious one has become one of the biggest stars that combat sports has ever seen. Now it appears he's walking away from the sport. 

McGregor made the announcement over Twitter on Saturday night just after the conclusion of UFC 250. On Sunday morning, McGregor told ESPN that he has lost his excitement for the sport. 

"The game just does not excite me, and that's that," McGregor said. "All this waiting around. There's nothing happening. I'm going through opponent options, and there's nothing really there at the minute. There's nothing that's exciting me.

This isn't the first time that Conor has called it a career, as he had retired in 2016, only to come back later in the year to return to fighting. He's had 26 career fights, going 22-4 in the UFC, his last one coming in January of this year, beating Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds in the first round. Conor became known for becoming the first UFC fighter to hold titles in two weight classes at the same time when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight belt at UFC 205 in 2016.

What made Conor so great? He s one of the best stand up fighters this sport has ever seen. McGregor hated going to the ground, he would much rather stay on his feet to then go to the ground. Another big thing that stuck out for Conor, was his psychological tatics during fights. He would have no problem trash talking his opponents, getting in their heads, and use that against them as the fights went on. He had that ability to be able to run his mouth and then back it up without a problem. He was that good.

It didn't matter what style of fight you wanted to have, Conor was willing to try and match it. He was good at what he did and he knew it. Conor could run his mouth and then back it up inside the cage.

He will go down in the books as one of the greatest to ever step foot inside a cage. So thanks for the memories Conor, its been a hell of a ride and career.

New York Hockey's Most Underrated Scorers

Ah yes, the art of scoring in Hockey. Being able to register a point in the National Hockey League is one of the greatest skills in all of sports. A lot of great scorers have come through the New York area, playing for either the Islanders or Rangers. Ten guys have scored 500 or more points in an Islanders sweater, while the Rangers have had 11 players reach the 500 point mark. There are the superstars sure, but there are also low key guys who made a big impact on the local hockey market. That's what were going to get into here.

Each team had its big scoring lines. You had the GAG line on Broadway, and La Trio Grande out on Long Island. Brian Leetch put up big numbers on Broadway, while Denis Potvin did the same out on the Island. For every GAG, Graves and Messier, you had a Ron Greschner. For every Trio Grande and John Tavares, you had a Derek King.

So here we go, with the five underrated scorers in New York Hockey.

New York Rangers

Steve Vickers (1972-1982: 698 games played 586 points)

First four years in the league saw him pot at least 30 a season. He was known for his all around play until his skills dropped off in the final year of his career. He was a good two way player who had his scoring punch at the start of his career He was a skilled forward who shadowed behind the GAG line. Vickers had no problem being able to produce.

Anders Hedberg (1978-985: 465 games played 397 points)

Yes I know his better days were in the WHA in Winnipeg, he had over 100 points in every year he played there. At the same time, he was still pretty steady scoring on Broadway. During four of his six full seasons in the NHL (he played only 4 games 1982), he scored at least 30 goals. Hell he scored at least 20 goals and at least 50 points in each season on Broadway. The scoring touch wasn't nearly as good as it was in the WHA, but he could still produce at the NHL level.

Don Maloney (1979-989: 653 games played 502 points)

Don Maloney is the last member of the 500 point club on Broadway, a twenty goal scorer in each of his first five years in the league. The only thing that topped his goal scoring ability was his passing skills, having 40 or more assists three times in his first six years. He wasn't as much of a scoring threat near the end of his time with the Rangers, as his defensive skill stepped up, but he was very productive at the beginning.

Mike Gartner (1990-1994: 322 games, 286 points)

Look there's no doubt that by the time Gartner got to New York, his best scoring days were behind him. He's still very productive while playing here. His last year was his lowest total with just 28 goals, but that was following 40 or more goals in each of his first three seasons here. That sniper ability was still evident in his four years in New York as the 40 goal seasons showed.

Mats Zuccarello (2010-2019: 509 games, 352 points)

Didn't have the goal scoring touch of say a Mika Zibanejad or an Artemi Panarin, but Zuccarello could do a little bit of everything here. He scored double digit goals every year here and had 25 or more assists every year here. To show how consistent he was, Zuccarello became the ninth player in Rangers history to lead the team in points for three consecutive seasons, joining Jaromír Jágr, Wayne Gretzky, Phil Esposito, Andy Bathgate, Bryan Hextall Sr., Cecil Dillon, Bill Cook and Frank Boucher.

New York Islanders

Pierre Turgeon (1991-1995: 255 games played, 340 points)

He was the big prize that came to Long Island in the Pat LaFontaine trade and had an immediate impact. Three and a half years on the Island left an enduring legacy among fans. He was the last Islander to score 50 goals and 100 points in a season. His sublime skills were on full display for the Isles, and it sucks the way things turned out with the hit from Dale Hunter in the playoffs, a play which still bothers most Isles fans to this day. It took away from what could have been more brilliance.

Mark Parrish (2000-2006: 345 games, 214 points)

Wasn't the flashiest player but he knew what needed to be done to score goals. He would take a pounding in front of the net in order to be able to get a shot off or wack away at a rebound. Getting almost 25 goals a year in four of the five seasons here was pretty good. You needed a big goal, Parrish was the guy to get it for you. He established himself as a power forward with pretty good hands that could produce when you needed him to.

Derek King (1986-997: 638 games, 499 points)

His most productive years were in the early 90s with three 30 goal seasons, one of which was a 40 goal year. ASure he spent time early on as a winger on the checking line, but turned into a scorer till injuries started to take hold. He had a level of consistency. A grinder who had no problem putting the puck in the back of the net when need be.

Mariusz Czerkawski (1997-2004: 470 games, 295 points)

For a four year stretch in the late 90s Mariusz was the best player on this team and the face of the franchise. At the turn of the century he had back to back 30 goal seasons, with little of much help on this team. Solid skater with good vision on the ice and really quick hands and could pick the corners with the best of them

Bob Bourne (1974-1986: 814 games, 542 points)

Back in the 80s, there was no faster skater in the entire NHL than Bob Bourne, he could flat out fly. He had seven twenty goal seasons, three of which were 30 or more goals in a year. He had defensive skill that was solid, but his speed created a lot of scoring chances. That speed was on display in the end to end rush he scored on against the Rangers in the 83 playoffs. Lets put it this way, Matt Barzal reminds me a lot of him today as far as the speed and skating ability today