Scott Cordischi On Sports - Good News/Bad News for the Yankees

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Cha-ching! That’s the sound Texas Rangers lefthander Cliff Lee must be hearing right about now. The soon-to-be free agent has been dominant this post season with his latest gem coming Monday night at Yankee Stadium where he struck out 13 Yankees in his 8 innings of shutout work.

Doing it in New York may have added millions more to Lee’s price tag given that it is the Yankees who are expected to be his top pursuer. Lee is now a sensational 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in his 8 post season starts.

For the Yankees and their fans, it’s a good news – bad news type of situation. The good news is, there’s an excellent chance that Lee will be wearing pinstripes next season. The bad news is that if the ALCS goes to a game 7, it will be Lee who may ultimately eliminate them from the playoffs this year.

-Even though he lost game 3 of the ALCS to Lee, it was a vintage Andy Pettitte performance. The Yankee lefty deserved a better fate.

-Let’s see. Alabama was #1 two weeks ago and lost. Ohio State was #1 last week and lost. I’d hate to be the Oregon Ducks who host UCLA this weekend.

-With all of the news about concussions and the severity of those injuries in the NFL, the league has no choice but to take a tougher stance on those players who intentionally “launch” themselves into a helmet-to-helmet hit with an opposing player.

-Let’s see. Tuuka Rask was supposed to be the Bruins #1 goaltender not Tim Thomas, right?

-Word out of Miami is that the Tuna has left the building. Bill Parcells is no longer working at the Dolphins’ complex having reduced his role to consultant with the team.

-You have to love former Patriot Rodney Harrison’s comments Sunday night on NBC when he told viewers that he used to put $50,000 aside before each season to pay for the fines he expected to receive from the league for dirty hits. Harrison admitted that it was worth the money to have the reputation as a feared and hard-hitting safety.

-I’m not just saying this because I’m a Red Sox fan but I wouldn’t mind seeing the Texas Rangers win it all of the four remaining teams in the MLB playoffs.

-Are we supposed to be surprised that an agent paid big-time college players before they turned pro?

-The Brown Bears should beat Ivy League cellar dweller Cornell this weekend at home which could set up a battle of 3-0 teams in Ivy League play next Saturday when the Bears visit Penn.

-Staying with local college football, URI’s Joe Trainer is doing a fantastic job with the Rams this year. Not only have they upset a ranked team like UNH, they are also playing other ranked teams like Deleware tough and right down to the wire.

-What is Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones waiting for? Son of Bum should have been fired after Sunday’s loss in Minnesota.

-One of the most underappreciated NFL coaches nationally has to be Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher who has coached the Titans/Houston Oilers for 17 straight seasons.

-Election Day could get real ugly for the Democrats. Unless, that is, your running for office in Rhode Island where this state always seems to go blue.

-Speaking of the upcoming election, it’s no secret that Americans are voting with their wallets/pocketbooks. Two years ago when the economy tanked the Republicans took the hit on election day. Now the Democrats will get their comeuppance in the mid-term elections.

-I vote to end this column right here.