The Final Score

Okay, so this video is a few years old. But where was I when Mike Milbury was inducted into the U.S. hockey hall of fame? Wow. And, Islanders fans, don't blame me for bringing up Milbury's name. Islander505 did it. That sparked my YouTube searching...

And when he messes up he's even better.

I don't have a problem with the candidates appearing wherever they can. And no problem with ESPN for letting them speak. Hey, ESPN is in the ratings business, and this should pull some people in.

But having Chris Berman do the interviews?

When Erin Andrews is available and works for the same network?

That's it for me for October. Good night everybody!

I thought of something to post about the Islanders on our little non-team-sponsored* blog today, and then when I went to the team-sponsored Chris Botta blog** I saw he had already done it.

Darn him and his Islanders-centric universe!

Anyway, this quote from Scott Gordon caught my eye after the Islanders' overtime loss in Philly last night:

“As I told our guys, ‘Whether you lose in a shootout or lose in overtime, it’s a tie in my mind.’ The body of work is done in the 60 minutes. That’s what’s important.”

Lots of people have weighed in on Botta's blog**.

What do you think, TFS nation?

*Except for the fact that Cablevision owns Newsday and also the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, and owns the TV stations that air the Rangers, Isles and Devils and also takes advertising from the Islanders, Jets, Yankees and Mets and advertises at the Islanders and Mets games. And then there's the Ducks and Dragons.

**But he swears its independent

Spoke to Bill Torrey this morning about what he's doing now (still working for the Panthers on a limited basis) and what he thinks of the Islanders (he's all for the build-from-within movement because, as you know, he did that same thing many years ago).

We did not talk about bow ties.

Here's the story.

Like it?

When I was younger, I used to track the daily filing of baseball free agents and see if my favorite team could use this player or that player.

So I'm going to do that for the Mets and Yankees for the next two weeks. From the players who filed yesterday, here are the ones I think could interest the locals.

The Mets' biggest needs, to me, are starting and relief pitching (duh) and outfield. But I think the Mets are going to aim lower than the Yankees when it comes to the top-tier starting pitchers. Remember, these are only players who filed on Thursday:

Starting pitchers: Oliver Perez, Freddy Garcia (photo above), Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe, Jon Garland, Ryan Dempster
Relief pitchers: Eric Gagne, Juan Cruz, Bob Howry, Jeremy Affeldt
Outfielders: Bobby Abreu, Raul Ibanez, Manny Ramirez

The Yankees needs are pitching (starting, mostly), outfield (especially righthanded hitting) and first base. The Yankees will go after top-tier starters, but if they miss out on CC, they could panic and throw money at second-tier guys:

Starting pitchers: Same list as Mets
Relief pitchers: Affeldt
First base: Mark Teixeira, Doug Mienkiewicz, Kevin Millar (photo below)
Outfielders: Manny, Jay Payton

OK, Mets and Yankees fans: Which of these players would you like your team to pursue?

Back tomorrow with today's filers.

Living the life of a hockey mom in Alaska didn't prepare Sarah Palin for the nuances of regional baseball rivalries.

From Seema Mehta of the LA Times:

It was a throwaway line meant to be a crowd-pleaser. But it fell flat.

Palin has been booed by Pennsylvania sports fans before. Earlier this month, the Republican vice presidential candidate was loudly heckled at a Philadelphia Flyers game.

From betus.com.
The Yankees are listed as the overall favorites to win the 2009 World Series.

Odds to win the 2009 World Series

Yankees 6-1
Mets 14-1

Other NL
Cubs 10/1
Phillies 12/1
Dodgers 14/1
Cards 16/1
D-backs 20/1
Astros 30/1
Braves 30/1
Marlins 30/1
Rockies 30/1
Brewers 40/1
Padres 40/1
Reds 50/1

Other AL
Angels 10/1
Rays 12/1
R Sox 12/1
Tigers 14/1
Indians 16/1
Jays 20/1
W-Sox 20/1
Twins 25/1
A's 40/1
Mariners 40/1

Not listed: Orioles, Royals, Rangers, Nationals, Pirates, Giants