3 Up And 3 Down: Who's Hot And Who's Not In New York Sports
By Daniel Friedman
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Let's take a look at who's hot and who's not on the local sports landscape:
THREE UP:
1. Mets' New Arrivals
Many people (myself included) criticized Mets general manager Sandy Alderson for not bringing in players to help the team's struggling offense. But he's quieted the naysayers for now, as his acquisitions of Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson have made immediate impacts at the plate. Tyler Clippard should help the bullpen, too (more on that in a bit).
2. A-Rod
Try to beat his 40th birthday: he clobbered his 24th home run of the season in a 6-2 win over Texas. It's the sixth time Rodriguez has homered on his birthday.
3. Derek Stepan
Christmas came early for Stepan, the recipient of new six-year contract extension that'll pay him around $6.5 million per year.
THREE DOWN:
1. Mets' Bullpen
Clippard's arrival will help shore up a bullpen that has struggled of late. Jeurys Familia and Bobby Parnell have both pitched poorly over their past few appearances, but at least one of them should be able to get back on track. My money's on Familia.
2. Reggie Jackson
He reportedly cursed out a fan seeking autographs in Cooperstown last week. That's, uh, not the best look for him -- or anyone, really. Reggie did issue a public apology on Twitter regarding the incident, so there's that.
3. Phil Jackson
Not a good week for Jacksons, I suppose. Ex-Knick Shane Larkin (now a Brooklyn Net) became the latest critic of the triangle offense, saying that he wasn't comfortable playing that style. Jackson's also had a rough offseason in general, failing to attract talented players that can really help the team.
