MAKE PLAYS

I'm fully aware that here in the great state of Pennsylvania people get sick and tired of hearing about the New York Yankees.

After all, the Phillies are the World Champs, and the Pirates could have a historic season this year, and yet the Bronx Bombers still get more attention.

Well get used to it, because I think we could be seeing a lot of drama in the Bronx this summer, and it starts with Derek Jeter moving to the leadoff spot.

No big deal you say? Is is that big of a difference having Jeter bat first instead of his customary second spot? On its own, this move isn't earth-shattering, but it shows the lack of offensive talent currently occupying the Yanks' roster. With A-Rod on the shelf for a while nursing an injury that could hamper his effectiveness the rest of the year, the Yanks have a huge hole to fill.

Yes, Mark Teixeira will be a huge upgrade over the departed Jason Giambi, but what will happen when he struggles in April, like he always does? How will he handle the scrutiny of New York?

The Yankees will have to rely on the aging Jorge Posada to overcome his recent injuries, Robinson Cano to break out of last year's season-long slump and Xavier Nady to repeat last year's career year. Gulp.

Sure the rotation is seemingly loaded after adding C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. But do I even need to mention Burnett's injury history? And everyone remembers the workload Sabathia shouldered down the stretch last year, could C.C. break down? Chien Ming-Wang is an injury risk too, and Joba Chamberlain is still unproven as a starter.

Add to this the opening of the team's decadent new Bronx palace (with the ticket prices to go with it) and a struggling Yanks squad could lead to more acrimony than even we are used to from the Pinstripers.

So while we may have to hear a lot about the Yankees this summer, a lot of it may end up being music to Yankee-haters' ears.

-Steve

So I'm sure you noticed all the baseball shirts and jerseys walking around campus. Well, at least I hope there was since I was at the Collegian's office for most of the day and let's face it, most of my staff was in baseball apparel. OK, OK...I'm guilty too. I couldn't help but pull out my old school Tino Martinez Yankee shirt.

What's the deal, you ask?? It's Opening Day!

For some reason, Opening Day means a lot more to people than any other day in baseball except the playoffs. For some reason, people hang their teams' season on the very first game of the season. Well that's just silly. And I'm not just sayin that since my beloved Yankees lost to the Orioles. No. It's just funny to see people so down in the dumps with one loss. Just a FYI, there are more than 100 games left in the season. Plenty of time to pull themselves up from the cellar of their respective divisions. There are, after all, 218 days until the scheduled Game 7 of World Series.

Although I must say it was entertaining to see all the Phillies fans to be reminded of what appeared to be a Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park.

So if your ball team didn't come out firing on Opening Day, don't fret. It may seem depressing when you're all decked out in your team's colors and they don't pull through. BUT just remember there's a long season ahead. And if that doesn't work out, there are those two words that keep sports fans constantly invested...."Next year"

Oh, and if you're not a baseball fan, my North Carolina Tar Heels are national champions. Now that's something to celebrate.

- Julie

Sunday, of course, was the Phillies' home opener. And since they won the '08 World Series, it was time for them to do something more exciting than winning the Series itself -- raising a stupid flag.

But the Phillies fans could not handle the intensity of the flag-raising. Want to see some Philadelphians beat the hell out of each other? Want to see a really bad emo haircut? Want to hear 40,000 people who sound like Sly Stallone? (OK, we can't help out on that part. This video doesn't have sound.)

From the Deadspin:

Beautiful. Anyway, it must suck for Phillies fans realizing that their team is 0-1 and the Battlin' Bucs are 1-0.

-- Shorts

Last week, Miniaci had a post about phenom Stephen Strasburg.

Strasburg is almost a lock to be taken with the first pick in the draft, held by the Washington Nationals, who as we know, have a history of failing to sign draft picks, allowing Aaron Crow to get away last year. Additionally, the Nationals are desperate for talent, and probably need quantity over quality, even quality like Strasburg.

What if the Nats could trade their pick?

Right now, baseball rules forbid draft picks from being traded, a topic that generates a fair amount of debate.

Hypothetically, if the Nats could trade the top pick, what sort of haul get they get in return? On one hand, Strasburg is considered the next Dwight Gooden or Roger Clemens, but on the other, he's never thrown a pitch in professional competition. So, the Nats would likely want major league ready talent in return, and they would likely want more than one player as well. Would other teams be interested in giving up multiple major-league pieces for an unproven, albeit ultra-talented player?

One scenario I envision would involve the Nats and Yankees making a deal. (Giving up loads of resources for a top pick is likely territory for only the big-market teams).

If the Yanks sent Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy a hitting prospect like Jesus Montero or Austin Cormine and their own first rounder (the 28th pick), I think it could work. The Nats would acquire some players with potential, while the Yankees would get their phenom.

MLB probably won't allow teams to trade picks anytime soon, but it's interesting to think about.

-Steve

The promising career of Nick Adenhart ended abruptly when the young pitcher was killed in a hit-and-run accident just after midnight Thursday.

Adenhart, 22, was in the Angels' rotation and had just pitched six shutout innings for the Angels only a few hours before the accident took his life. He has been considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball the past few seasons. He was listed as the Angels' No. 1 prospect heading into the season by Baseball America and was BA's No. 24 prospect in all of baseball in 2008.

It's usually sad when anyone dies, but Adenhart was a young stud prospect who was killed while driving home and was killed by a reckless driver. The Angels have postponed their game Thursday to mourn the pitcher's death.

It's a real shame; he could have been an All-Star for years to come. Now we'll never know. Our condolences go out to the Adenhart family and the families of the other two people killed in the accident.

- Miniaci

The city of Philadelphia lost its most recognizable voice today, when legendary announcer Harry Kalas passed away at the relatively young age of 73.

Kalas, known as "Harry the K," was famous for his gravelly voice and his trademark "Watch this baby...OUTTA HERE!" home run call, words that saluted thousands of Phillies homers as they sailed into warm summer nights across America.

Kalas began calling Phillies games in 1971, and his trademark voice raised generations of Phillies fans, including myself. I know that I probably heard more of Harry's voice during the summer than I did of my friends or family.

It's cliched to say he felt like part of the family, but for thousands of Phils fans across the Philadelphia region hearing Harry Kalas call a Phillies game was an instant slice of home. His presence was as much of a part of Philadelphia as a cheesesteak from your favorite local sub shop or a stroll down Broad Street.

And as brutal as Joe Buck's call of the final out of the 2008 World Series was, Kalas' was equally great. There was no voice I would rather have had call the greatest Philadelphia sports moment in a quarter of a century.

But don't take it from me, because I'm not the only one shocked and saddened by Harry's death. Leslie Gudel could barely hold back tears before the Phils' game today on Comcast SportsNet, John Kruk broke down on the phone on ESPN and Larry Andersen was apparently sobbing during the radio broadcast.

Amazingly, Kalas' TV broadcast partners (Scott Franzke, Gary Matthews and Chris Wheeler) were able to hold it together when I was watching the beginning portion of today's game.

This is what Mike Schmidt, arguably the greatest Phillie ever and one of Kalas' favorite players, had to say on Harry's passing:

He gave me my sports name. People all over the country refer to me by the name that Harry actually gave me ... 'Michael Jack.' Every time I hear it now for the rest of my life, his face and his smile will resonate.

Also, check out what NFL Films President Steve Sabol had to say on Kalas' passing. Harry was the voice of NFL Films for many years, and some of the greatest plays in NFL history are set to his voice in the NFL Films archives.

His substance was his style. There was no shtick, just a steady blend of crisp articulation and resonance. In many ways, Harry is the narrator of our memories. His voice lives on not only on film, but inside the heads of everyone who has watched and listened to NFL Films.

Phillies president David Montgomery was able to say this about Kalas earlier today as he choked back tears:

We lost our voice today. He knows the game and made a tremendous contribution to the sport and to our organization ... Anybody who has played for us, it's an immediate point of connection with the club. He is the Phillies.

It's going to be a long season for the Phillies without Harry the K, and I know it'll be awful hard to turn on the Phightins and not hear his voice. Even Adam Eaton was almost watchable with Harry calling the action.

Rest in peace, Harry Kalas. You'll be forever in our memories.

(All quotes are from this.)

-- Ben Skalina

I know that for a lot of you, the Masters are old news by now, and that's ok, but I wanted to have a few days to process what happened down at Augusta before I recorded them. And now that I have reflected upon the tournament that was I am ready to make a few observations.

1. What will this year's defining moment be? After Kenny Perry's tee shot at the 16th I thought that would be the defining moment, but obviously Perry didn't win, so that shot will be more a reminder of his collapse than anything else. The defining moment was really Angel Cabrera's par save on the first playoff hole, which was remarkable, despite not being very pretty to watch. As someone who plays from the woods a lot, and who doesn't save par from there very often, I really respect what Cabrera did there. The punchout, approach shot and putt were all perfect, and under pressure too.

2. What will we ultimately remember about this tournament, however, is yet to be determined. If Phil Mickelson never wins another major, we will remember how his putter betrayed him on the back nine. If Phil had swung the flat stick decently on the back, he could have easily been -13, and the outright winner. Likewise, if Tiger never completes a final-round comeback to win a major, we will remember this Masters as a time when he squandered a chance to do so. I honestly thought Tiger would nail his eagle putt on 15, and carry that momentum to the final three holes to cap a miraculous comeback. Tiger is still the best player in the world, and is still almost a mortal lock in my opinion to surpass Jack Nicklaus as the all-time major winner, but right now I think it's fair to question his ability to win a major when he's not dominating, and to score when he's behind. Tiger needed a low number on Sunday, and he was playing well enough to do so, he just didn't come through, and until he does, there will be a hole in his resume.

3. My final impression is that Augusta is still Augusta. It has been beaten to death that since being "Tiger-proofed", Augusta no longer rewards risk-taking and creativity, the traits that made it famous, and allowed players like Seve Ballesteros to showcase their games. I think Sunday should debunk that notion. If Mickelson hadn't putted like an amateur on the back nine, he could have easily broken the scoring record for a major. Woods was a few putts away from posting an extremely low round too. And although people will always maintain that Angel Cabrera didn't win the Masters, Kenny Perry lost it, the Argentine made three birdies on the back nine to keep the pressure on Perry. In all, it was the best Masters I've watched since Tiger's famous chip-in in 2005, which is hands down the best golf shot I have ever seen. What makes Augusta great is that it rewards players for making great shots, and the course did that this week.

-Steve

So apparently the MLB asked each team to send three jerseys worn in its home opener to league offices. No problemo! The Washington Nationals sent the shirts worn by Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman and Elijah Dukes.

A new batch of jerseys were sent back to the team. Just one problem here. Two of those three jerseys spelled out "Natinals" on the front rather than "Nationals."

Clubhouse manager Mike Wallace said he and his crew checked the back of the jerseys. Why would they think to check the front anyways?

Well it was into the fourth inning when the goof was noticed, and both Dunn and Zimmerman switched into their appropriate jerseys.

Of course this doesn't happen to the Phillies or Orioles. It can only happen to the newcomer of the family - the Washington Natinals

- Julie

Well, tomorrow is the big day, the NFL Draft. It is the day many football fans look forward too. Who will your team pick? Who will drop? Who will be drafted as a reach? So many questions. It's an exciting two-day event. In the spirit of things, and because everyone else does it, I've decided to compile a mock draft. Enjoy.

1. Lions- Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia
2. Rams- Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
3. Chiefs- Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
4. Seahawks- Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
5. Browns- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
6. Bengals- Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
7. Raiders- Jerry Maclin, WR, Missouri
8. Jaguars- B.J. Raji, DT, BC
9. Packers- Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
10. Niners- Aaron Maybin, DE/LB, Penn State
11. Bills- Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
12. Broncos- Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
13. Redskins- Andre Smith, OL, Alabama
14. Saints- Malcolm Jenkins, CB, OSU
15. Texans- Ray Maualuga, LB, USC
16. Chargers- Beanie Wells, RB, OSU
17. Jets- Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
18. Broncos- Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
19. Bucs- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
20. Lions- Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
21. Eagles- Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
22. Vikings- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
23. Patriots- Brian Cushing, LB, USC
24. Falcons- Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
25. Dolphins- Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
26. Ravens- Clay Matthews, LB, USC
27. Colts- Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri
28. Bills- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
29. Giants- Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
30. Titans- Hakeen Nicks, WR, North Carolina
31. Cardinals- Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
32. Steelers- Larry English, DE, N. Illinois

- Miniaci

Sure, most of the golf world is focused on Tiger and Phil playing together at Quail Hollow this week, but me? This week the center of my golfing universe is the Iberian Peninsula. Why? My favorite golfer of all-time, John Daly, is playing in his first professional tournament this season, the Spanish Open.

Daly shot a 70, (which seems pretty good until you find out he's in 45th place, the players tore the course apart today), but today the score isn't important for Big John, it's more about re-establishing himself in competitive golf (he's still serving a six month suspension from the PGA after spending the night in a North Carolina drunk tank). As the picture in the article linked to above shows, Daly has lost weight, and appears ready to get back to golf.

At 43, Daly will likely never contend in majors again, but that doesn't mean he isn't a ton of fun to watch play. His sand shot in a playoff at the 2004 Buick Invitational was awesome to watch (fast-forward to 1:35 in the video to see it), and win or lose, Daly provides a unique golf experience every time he picks up a club.

Let's hope he can get it together this time.

-Steve