Sports With The StatMan: How to Listen and Interact

Listen live:

You can only listen live on our BlogTalkRadio show page.  You can get there by going to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan.  We usually broadcast on Wednesday nights at 11pm ET and Saturday morning at 11am ET.  The weekday show is our "sports talk segment", talking baseball, football, and hockey, both for our local teams in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, and the rest of the league.

Listen on the podcast:

The live feed is the first 30 minutes of the show, but we have an extra 15 minutes you can only get on the podcast.  The entire 45-minute show is available minutes after we air live and the show is available from several outlets:

• Show page: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan
• iTunes: Search "Sports With The StatMan"
• Stitcher: Search "Sports With The StatMan"
• The widgets on our right margin of this Random Musings blog (http://gstatman.blogspot.com)
• Our "Sports With The StatMan" page on Facebook

Interact with the show:

Do you have a sports opinion on one of the topics we talk about on the show?  Do you have a fantasy question in fantasy football, baseball, or hockey?  Let me know what you think!

• Send me a tweet (@gstatman)
• Leave a comment about a particular episode or write on our wall at our "Sports With The StatMan" page on Facebook

Sports With The StatMan Fantasy Extra #2: Divisional Round

We are trying something new in 2014, as we debut our Sports With The StatMan Extra podcast.  It is a supplement to our regular Sports With The StatMan shows on Wednesday night and Saturday morning.

Tune in to the Sports With The StatMan: Extra podcast for the Divisional Round.  We talk about the Weekly Best from Wild Card Weekend, see how we fared in our positional rankings from last weekend, and present the positional rankings for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, and defense/special teams for the eight teams in action this weekend.

Also, in fantasy hockey, we did not get the hot pick-ups and Schedule Stars in the upcoming Week 16 in the NHL.  We cover that here as well.

Listen and let me know what you think.

Sports With The StatMan Fantasy Extra #1: Wild Card Weekend

We are trying something new in 2014, as we debut our Sports With The StatMan Extra podcast.  It is a supplement to our regular Sports With The StatMan shows on Wednesday night and Saturday morning.

Tune in to the Sports With The StatMan: Extra podcast for Wild Card Weekend.  We talk about the NFL.com Playoff Fantasy Challenge and our positional rankings for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, and defense/special teams for the eight teams in action this weekend.  Listen and let me know what you think.

Sports With The StatMan: Show Notes #315 - December 17, 2012

On a special edition of Sports With The StatMan, we welcomed @lilybraden to the show, our Boston sports contributor and now Stanley Cup of Chowder SB Nation blog contributor, Heather Yunger, to talk hockey. An entire show devoted to the NHL lockout, the players, the owners, and most importantly, the fans.

If you missed the show, or want to hear it again, download the audio from the link below.  If you have comments or questions on the episodes, feel free to leave a comment below or on our Facebook show page, Twitter, or our BlogTalkRadio site.  Links are at the bottom of the blog post.

Show #315 - December 17, 2012 - Special Edition: NHL Lockout (AUDIO)

• Open: 42% of the season has been canceled and pessimistic on whether we will have a season at all
• 2:00: Heather joins the program
• 4:00: The sides do not seem that far apart. Is it worth losing a season over that difference?
• 5:20: Both sides are to blame and taking their time
• 6:50: What separates the NHL are the quality of their fans and the live feel of going to games
• 8:50: The sport of hockey is evolving and the product on the ice is more exciting
• 9:45: Difference of TV coverage of game in U.S. and Canada - capturing the live event
• 13:35: Does a shortened season cheapen the road to the Stanley Cup and how would it change the season?
• 17:10: Would a shorter regular season make more sense in the NHL?
• 17:55: Stanley Cup Playoffs and NBC/ESPN
• 21:10: Did the NHL come all the way back from the last lockout and will it be a national sport when they come back?
• 23:15: Season ticket holder view of NHL Lockout and the possible drain on attendance
• 27:45: Fans feel they have gotten short end of the stick. What can we do about it?
• 31:05: On criticism of Boston fans for having the most active owner pushing the lockout, Jeremy Jacobs
• 32:20: NHL/NHLPA and employer/employee comparisons
• 33:50: Union decertification and "disclaimer of interest", is the union using their decertification bargaining chip too late?
• 36:35: The 2012-13 end game and comparing NHL to other major sports
• 38:00: Where I stand on the NHL Lockout
• 40:15: Don Fehr gives Heather the heebie-jeebies, but owners use threat of lockout as a cudgel
• 41:00: Closing statement: This is Heather's last lockout
• 43:10: Upcoming episodes/How to Find the Show/Close

Show #316 - December 19, 2012 - Pro Talk - NFL Week 15/16, Hot Stove Baseball (SHOW PREVIEW)

Show #317 – December 21, 2012 - This Week in Fantasy Sports - NFL Week 16 (SHOW PREVIEW)

SHOW INFORMATION

• Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sports-With-The-StatMan/345588425455431
  
• Show Page - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan
• Follow the show on Twitter - http://twitter.com/gstatman
• Random Musings blog - http://gstatman.blogspot.com
• iTunes - Search "Sports With The StatMan"

NEXT SHOWS

Here is what is going on next week on Sports With The StatMan:

Upcoming episodes:

• Sports With The StatMan #316: Wednesday night, December 19th, 2012 at 11pm ET
• NFL Week 15 Recap, Playoff Picture, Week 16 Preview
• Giants in danger, clash of the titans in Foxboro, Jets season officially over, Vick and McCoy to return for the Eagles?
• MLB Hot Stove: Dickey trade, who's left?
• Sports With The StatMan #317: Friday afternoon, December 21st, 2012 at 1pm ET
• Special date and time
• Week 15 Weekly Best/Local Leaders, Injuries
• Week 16 Hot Pick-Ups, Game Picks

All of that and more on Sports With The StatMan next week.  For the latest show schedules, log on to the show page at www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan.  Also, your corner sports bar is always open to talk sports.  Just go to our Facebook page and start the conversation.  Like us on Facebook and follow the show on Twitter (twitter.com/gstatman).

Sports With The StatMan - Show Notes #164-166 - July 18-23, 2011

Here are the show notes for this week of shows on Sports With The StatMan. There are audio links to the shows or, if the show is in the future, there is a link to the show preview.  If you have comments or questions on the episodes, feel free to leave a comment below.

Show #164 - July 18, 2011 - Baseball Talk - MLB Week 16 (AUDIO)

• Open: Back to the Second Half of the baseball season
• 1:15: A look at the current standings
• 4:15: Are the Mets contenders?/Phillies-Mets series
• 8:00: Big injuries for the local teams
• 20:45: All-Star Game Recap/Derek Jeter controversy
• 27:45: Jeter's 3,000th hit
• 30:00: Upcoming episodes
• 33:00: Red Sox-Orioles altercation
• 36:15: Upcoming local schedules
• 39:45: Mets try to stay afloat as Reyes and Wright return
• 42:00: Around the League: Thome and the Twins
• 42:45: Upcoming episodes/How to Find the Show/Close

Show #165 - July 20, 2011 - Baseball Talk - Trade Deadline Preview (SHOW PREVIEW)

Show #166 – July 23, 2011 - Fantasy Weekend - MLB Week 16 (SHOW PREVIEW)

SHOW INFORMATION

·          Show Page - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan

·          iTunes - Search "Sports With The StatMan"

·          Follow the show on Twitter - http://twitter.com/gstatman

·          Random Musings blog - http://gstatman.blogspot.com

·          Sports With The StatMan: Extra - http://www.cinchcast.com/gstatman

NEXT SHOWS

Here is what is going on next week on Sports With The StatMan:

Upcoming episodes:

• Sports With The StatMan #167: Monday night, July 25th, 2011 at 11pm ET
• MLB: Week 17
• Sports With The StatMan #168: Wednesday night, July 27th, 2011 at 11pm ET
• NFL: Where We Left Off/Free Agent Frenzy
• Sports With The StatMan #169: Saturday morning, July 30th, 2011 at 11am ET
• MLB: Fantasy Weekend Week 17

All of that and more on Sports With The StatMan next week.  For the latest show schedules, log on to the show page at www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan and follow the show on Twitter (twitter.com/gstatman).

Fantasy Weekend - MLB Week 9

Each week on our Fantasy Weekend show (Saturday mornings, 11am ET), we look back on the last seven days and reveal our picks for the best of the past week. Our regular installments of the Weekly Best, the Lines of the Week, our Stock Up/Stock Down segment, as well as Local Leaders for the four local teams we cover (Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, and Mets).

Listen to the podcast (Sports With The StatMan - No. 148) for all of this and more, including a look at injuries around baseball, and a look at the upcoming week with two-start pitchers and a look at next week’s schedule.

This post covers the past seven days leading up to the Saturday morning show from Saturday, May 28th and Friday, June 3rd.

WEEKLY BEST
HITTERS
#1. RF Nelson Cruz TEX – 39 points
#2. RF Justin Upton ARZ – 37 points
#3. 1B Mike Napoli TEX – 36 points

PITCHERS
#1. SP Jered Weaver LAA – 57 points
#2. RP Heath Bell SDG – 56 points
#3. SP Cole Hamels PHL – 50 points

LINES OF THE WEEK
HITTERS
#1. 1B Aubrey Huff SFO - 4-5, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R (22 pts) (6/2 at STL)
#2. C Chris Iannetta COL - 4-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R (18 pts) (5/28 vs STL)
#3. RF Justin Upton ARZ - 5-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 SB (17 pts) (5/30 vs FLA)

PITCHERS
#1. SP Clayton Kershaw LAD - 2-hit CG ShO W, 1 BB, 10 K (48 pts) (5/29 vs FLA)
#2. SP Ubaldo Jimenez COL - 4-hit CG ShO W, 0 BB, 7 K (44 pts) (5/30 at LAD)
#3. SP Bartolo Colon NYY - 4-hit CG ShO W, 0 BB, 6 K (43 pts) (5/30 at OAK)

STOCK UP
HITTERS
#1. RF Endy Chavez TEX – O/S: 0%/0%, .435/.469/.696, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB, 11 R, 46 AB (54 pts); last 11 GP: 20-37, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 2B, 1 3B, 11 R, 55 pts (6 5-pt games)
#2. CF Rajai Davis TOR – O/S: 56%/45%, .288/.323/.418, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 16/23 SB/O, 24 R, 153 AB (97 pts); last 22 GP: 32-87, HR, 12 RBI, 14 R, 8 2B, 3 3B, 9/14 SB/O, 71 pts (10 multi-hit games)
#3. OF Juan Pierre CHW – O/S: 68%/48%, .261/.329/.313, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 10/18 SB/O, 28 R, 230 AB (118 pts); last 8 GP: 9-34, HR, 5 RBI, 9 R, 1 3B, 5 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, 36 pts

PITCHERS
#1. SP Josh Collmenter ARZ – O/S: 26%/15%, 4-1, 1.25/0.67, 43.1 IP, 24 H, 5 BB, 26 K (136 pts); as a starter (5 GS): 3-1, 29.1 IP, 16 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 15 K, 94 pts
#2. SP Philip Humber CHW – O/S: 31%/14%, 4-3, 3.06/0.98, 67.2 IP, 52 H, 14 BB, 38 K (132 pts); last 7 GS: 49.1 IP, 33 H, 14 ER, 9 BB, 27 K, 118 pts
#3. SP Kevin Correia PIT – O/S: 51%/23%, 8-4, 3.40/1.20, 76.2 IP, 75 H, 17 BB, 34 K (135 pts); last 3 GS: 3-0, 20 IP, 17 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, 61 pts

STOCK DOWN
HITTERS
#1. 2B Dan Uggla ATL – O/S: 98%/78%, .172/.242/.312, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 215 AB (74 pts); last 13 GP: 3-43, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K, minus-1 pt
#2. 1B Adam Dunn CHW – O/S: 97%/70%, .182/.327/.324, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 72 K, 176 AB (59 pts); last 20 GP: 9-68, HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, 3 2B, 14 BB, 32 K, 7 pts (11 “minus” GP)
#3. RF Nick Markakis BAL – O/S: 96%/82%, .239/.305/.311, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 4 SB, 222 AB (106 pts); last 15 GP: 14-63, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 5 BB, 10 K, 1 SB, 19 pts (5 GP of 0 pts or fewer)

PITCHERS
#1. RP Joakim Soria KCY – O/S: 90%/71%, 3-3, 7 SV, 6.00/1.54, 24 IP, 19 K (64 pts); since 5/22 (6 APP): 0-3, 0/3 SV/O, 6.1 IP, 12 H, 7 K, minus-24 pts
#2. RP Carlos Marmol CHC – O/S: 95%/87%, 1-2, 10 SV, 3.33/1.32, 24.1 IP, 32 K (121 pts); since 5/19 (6 APP): 0-1, 1/2 SV/O, 5.1 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 7 K, minus-4 pts
#3. SP Justin Masterson CLE – O/S: 94%/66%, 5-4, 3.28/1.31, 79.2 IP, 58 K (138 pts); since 5/12 (5 GS): 0-4, 32.2 IP, 35 H, 14 BB, 24 K, 9 pts

HOT PICK-UPS
HITTERS
#1. OF Corey Patterson TOR – O/S: 24%/20%, .285/.314/.446, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 7 SB, 193 AB (113 pts); last 6 GP: 11-29, 17 TB, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 28 pts
#2. OF Josh Willingham OAK – O/S: 33%/24%, .250/.327/.467, 10 HR, 37 RBI, 184 AB (110 pts); last 7 GP: 10-27, 23 TB, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 31 pts
#3. 1B Ty Wigginton COL – O/S: 22%/11%, .254/.308/.459, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 122 AB, 1B/3B/OF elig. (71 pts); last 5 GP: 6-17, 15 TB, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 17 pts

PITCHERS
#1. RP Aaron Crow KCY – New CL (Soria); O/S: 11%/6%; 2-0, 1.33/1.04, 27 IP, 26 K (93 pts); last 8 APP: 2 HD, 10.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, 32 pts
#2. SP Dillon Gee NYM – O/S: 20%/15%; 5-0, 3.83/1.15, 47 IP, 37 K (95 pts); last 3 GS: 3-0, 20.2 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 15 K, 62 pts
#3. SP Jordan Lyles HOU – 1st ML start: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (17 pts)

LOCAL LEADERS
HITTERS
#1. DH David Ortiz BOS – .474/.524/1.053, 9-19, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2 2B (32 pts)
#2. SS Derek Jeter NYY – .318/.467/.409, 7-22, RBI, 2 2B, 6 BB, 0 K, 2 SB (27 pts)
#3. SS Jose Reyes NYM – .529/.556/.941, 9-17, RBI, 2B, 3 3B, 2 SB (25 pts) (Cano 25 pts, 8-25, 2 HR)

PITCHERS
#1. SP Cole Hamels PHL – 1-0, 2 QS, 1.80/0.73, 15 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 14 K (50 pts)
#2. SP Bartolo Colon NYY – 4-hit CG ShO W, 0 BB, 6 K (43 pts)
#3. SP Jonathon Niese BOS – 1-0, 2 QS, 1.29/1.29, 14 IP, 13 H, 5 BB, 13 K (42 pts)

Key – O/S: Owned/Starting in CBS Sports fantasy leagues; “minus” GP: a game in which a player scored negative fantasy points; statistics are season totals unless otherwise noted

Sports With The StatMan #75: Show Notes

Preseason football is just that...the preseason. So, why do fans call for coaches to be fired after a preseason game? We talk about that and the new and improved "Bridge to Mariano". We look over the September schedules for the contenders and compare. Plus, the local teams are featured in the 2010 StatMan NFL Preview of the AFC East and NFC East.

This is a new way of putting together the notes for our show. Instead of summarizing the show, I will try to break the show down into smaller pieces so you can listen to the segments of the show that interest you.

Here is the list of topics we talked about:

• 00:00-02:00 – Intro
• 02:00-07:15 – Value of NFL Preseason games
• 07:15-12:45 – New and improved Bridge to Mariano
• 12:45-14:30 – Around the AL East
• 14:30-16:00 – Phillies' West Coast swing
• 16:00-18:00 – Around the NL (Reds-Cardinals, Padres, Giants)
• 18:00-20:00 – MLB disappointing teams of 2010
• 20:00-22:15 – Coming up on the show, Nationals-Marlins brawl
• 22:15-29:00 – Show information, Upcoming September shows, NFL Week 1 local schedules
• 29:00-51:00 – September contender schedules (games left, games vs. .500+ teams, home games, games vs. competition, standings)
  • 29:00 – Yankees (29 games left, 19 vs. .500+ teams, 13 home games, 7 vs. TB/6 vs. BOS, 1 GA of TB in AL East/8 GA of BOS in AL East)
  • 31:45 – Rays (29, 13, 12, 7 vs. NYY/3 vs. BOS, 1 GB of NYY in AL East/7 GA of BOS in AL Wild Card)
  • 34:15 – Red Sox (29, 19, 12, 6 vs. NYY/3 vs. TB, 8 GB of NYY in AL East/7 GB of TB in AL Wild Card)
  • 37:30 – Phillies (29, 14, 16, 6 vs. ATL/0 vs. SF, 3 GB of ATL in NL East/1.5 GA of SF in NL Wild Card)
  • 40:30 – Braves (29, 16, 14, 6 vs. PHL, 3 GA of PHL in NL East)
  • 43:00 – Giants (28, 16, 12, 7 vs. SD/0 vs. PHL, 3 GB of SD in NL West/1.5 GB of PHL in NL Wild Card)
  • 45:00 – Padres (30, 26, 17, 7 vs. SF, 3 GA of SF in NL West)
  • 48:00 – Twins (29, 10, 17, 3 vs. CHW, 4 GA of CHW in AL Central)
  • 49:15 – White Sox (29, 10, 16, 3 vs. MIN, 4 GB of MIN in AL Central)
• 51:00-55:15 – MLB: Big Series over the next week
• 55:15-57:30 – How to get in touch with the show
• 57:30-58:30 – Next week on Sports With The StatMan (9/8, 9pm ET)
• 58:30-1:00:00 – Show review
• 1:00:00- – 2010 StatMan NFL Preview - AFC East, NFC East (2009 actual record/2010 predicted record)
  • 1:00:00 – AFC East: Buffalo Bills (6-10/3-13)
  • 1:05:15 – AFC East: Miami Dolphins (7-9/9-7)
  • 1:11:00 – AFC East: New England Patriots (10-6/13-3)
  • 1:15:45 – AFC East: New York Jets (9-7/11-5)
  • 1:24:45 – NFC East: Dallas Cowboys (11-5/9-7)
  • 1:29:00 – NFC East: New York Giants (8-8/10-6)
  • 1:35:00 – NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles (11-5/7-9)
  • 1:38:30 – NFC East: Washington Redskins (4-12/5-11)
  • 1:42:30 – Big Questions recap, predicted standings, next week's preview
• 1:42:45-1:43:15 – Next week: Playoff Predictions and Fantasy Preview as 2010 StatMan NFL Preview finishes up
• 1:43:15-1:53:00 – MLB: Fantasy Update – Last 7 days (Alex Rios/Edwin Jackson), Season-to-date (Albert Pujols/Roy Halladay), Triple Crown Chase
• 1:53:00-1:54:30 – Show Close: Recap and Next Week's Preview

Join us for the next episode of Sports With The StatMan (#76), which will be on Wednesday night, September 8^th, at 9pm Eastern time. We will finish our 2010 StatMan NFL Preview with playoff predictions and our Fantasy Preview. We will also preview Week 1 in the NFL.

HOW TO FIND THE SHOW
VISIT the show page: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan
FOLLOW the show on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gstatman
READ the Random Musings blog: http://gstatman.blogspot.com
DOWNLOAD the show on iTunes: Search "Sports With The StatMan"

Sports With The StatMan #72: Show Notes

We analyzed the rivalry series of the past weekend (Red Sox/Yankees, Mets/Phillies). The Sox are keeping pace and inching closer to Tampa for the Wild Card. The Rookie of the Year races were spotlighted in the AL and NL. Also, Jets camp is a soap opera perfect for Hard Knocks. And, we kicked off our 2010 StatMan NFL Preview with a look at the NFC West and AFC West.

This is a new way of putting together the notes for our show.  Instead of summarizing the show, I will try to break the show down into smaller pieces so you can listen to the segments of the show that interest you.  

Here is the list of topics we talked about:

• 00:00-00:30 - Show Intro
• 00:30-12:00 – Two rivalry series over the weekend
• 00:30 – Phillies take two of three from the Mets at Citi Field
• 04:30 – Red Sox split at Yankee Stadium
• 10:00 – Terry Francona has kept the Red Sox in the race
• 12:00-14:00 – On Tap: Around the League
• 14:00-18:00 – On Tap: Jets talk and 2010 StatMan NFL Preview begins
• 18:00-24:30 – On Tap: Kovalchuk is a free agent again; possible ramifications for the Devils
• 24:30-29:00 – Show Information: upcoming episodes, how to find the show, recent blog posts
• 29:00-31:30 – Red Sox upcoming series and pitching probables
• 31:30-35:45 – Yankees upcoming series and pitching probables
• 35:45-42:30 – More Phillies-Mets talk: Mets bullpen issues
• 42:30-44:30, 46:00-46:30 – Mets upcoming series and pitching probables
• 44:30-46:00 – Phillies upcoming series and pitching probables
• 46:00-57:00 – MLB: Around the League
• 46:30 – Big Series in the next week
• 48:15 – Cardinals-Reds brawling at the top of the NL Central
• 50:15 – AL Central foes Twins-White Sox are very similar teams
• 51:00 – Strasburg returns and gets pounded by the Marlins
• 52:15 – Rookie of the Year races in AL/NL
• 57:00-1:00:45 – Show Recap and Information: how to get in touch with the show
• 1:00:45-1:35:15 – 2010 StatMan NFL Preview (2009 actual record/2010 predicted record)
• 1:00:45 – NFC West: Arizona (10-6/7-9) – Is it finally time for Matt Leinart?
• 1:05:00 – NFC West: St. Louis (1-15/5-11) – How good a pro will Sam Bradford be?
• 1:08:15 – NFC West: San Francisco (8-8/8-8) – How will Michael Crabtree fare in his first full season?
• 1:10:30 – NFC West: Seattle (5-11/6-10) – Will Pete Carroll bring his USC success to the Pacific Northwest?
• 1:14:00 – NFC West recap
• 1:14:30 – AFC West: Denver (8-8/8-8) – How will Elvis Dumervil’s injury impact Denver’s defense?
• 1:20:00 – AFC West: Kansas City (4-12/6-10) – Will the running back by committee work in Kansas City?
• 1:23:45 – AFC West: Oakland (5-11/5-11) – What will Al Davis do next?
• 1:28:15 – AFC West: San Diego (13-3/12-4) – Can Phillip Rivers finally get it done?
• 1:33:45 – Big Questions recap, predicted standings, next week’s preview
• 1:35:15-1:36:00 – Show Information
• 1:36:00-1:43:45 – MLB: Fantasy Update – Last 7 days (Carlos Gonzalez/Brandon Morrow), Season-to-date (Albert Pujols/Adam Wainwright)
• 1:43:45-1:46:15 – Show Close: Recap and Next Week’s Preview

Join us for our next episode (#73) of "Sports With The StatMan" on Wednesday, August 18th, at 9pm Eastern on BlogTalkRadio.  The ways to find the show are:

• Show page: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan
• iTunes: type in "Sports With The StatMan" in the search

Also, follow the show on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gstatman) and read the Random Musings blog (http://gstatman.blogspot.com).

Sports With The StatMan #59: Show Notes

Timeline
00:00-25:00 – Flyers come back from 3-0 in series and in Game 7 to stun Bruins
25:00-33:00 - Montreal slays another giant in the playoffs, Flyers-Montreal preview
33:00-38:00 - Chicago owns Canucks in Vancouver
38:00-46:30 - San Jose getting tougher, San Jose-Chicago preview, Predictions
46:30-55:00 - Yankees facing the best of the AL Central
55:00-58:30 - My trip to Target Field
58:30-64:00 - Mets facing divisional foes
64:00-70:45 - Red Sox: Beckett issues, Ortiz heating up
70:45-75:00 - Phillies: Injury news, Manuel talks about sign-stealing
75:00-81:00 - Fantasy Minute
81:00-82:30 - Final Note

Main Points
00:00-25:00 – Flyers come back from 3-0 in series and in Game 7 to stun Bruins

• How big of a loss was this in Boston sports history?
• Players returning from injury in Simon Gagne and Michael Leighton made the difference in the series
• Gagne gave the Flyers the fuel to push them over the top
• Flyers coach Peter Laviolette is playing everything just right, evidenced by the timeout called down 3-0 in Game 7, maneuvering around goaltending injuries
• The only way the Flyers could get home ice is this very matchup (#7 Flyers vs. #8 Montreal)
• What will change for the Bruins before next season?
• What happens now to the psyche of the team, especially young goaltender Tuukka Rask? If you remember, Brian Boucher was an up-and-coming goaltender for the Flyers with some playoff success before blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Devils in 2000 stunted his growth.

25:00-33:00 - Montreal slays another giant in the playoffs, Flyers-Montreal preview

• Jaroslav Halak carried the Habs against Washington in the first round, but it was a team effort in Game 7 at Pittsburgh (W, 5-2)
• Hal Gill and Josh Gorges are the defensive tandem getting the attention for Montreal in the playoffs. Gill was with Pittsburgh last year and has been called on to shut down the likes of Ovechkin and the big guns on Pittsburgh.
• Philadelphia loves to score goals on chaotic goal-mouth scrambles. It will be up to Gill and Gorges, along with the rest of the Montreal defense, to clear the crease and make sure Halak can see Flyer shots.
• Cinderella teams that ride a hot goaltender have the tendency to turn into a pumpkin in the Conference Final
• PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA in 7

33:00-38:00 - Chicago owns Canucks in Vancouver

• Chicago was the only home team to win in this series as they won Game 2
• Chicago scored 12 goals in Games 3 and 4 and won both games in Vancouver
• Roberto Luongo has failed against Chicago as he has tried to build a reputation of a good playoff goaltender
• Chicago is in the Western/Campbell Conference Final in consecutive years for the first time since 1989-90

38:00-46:30 - San Jose getting tougher, San Jose-Chicago preview, Predictions

• Marleau and Thornton have played well in these playoffs
• San Jose shed their playoff failure label after handling defending Western Conference champs (Detroit) in five games
• The kids are still alright in Chicago
• PREDICTION: CHICAGO in 7
• Through the Second Round: 7-5 in Playoffs, 2 exact hits (winner and games)

46:30-55:00 - Yankees facing the best of the AL Central

• Phil Hughes is pitching like he belongs in the Big Three of the Yankee starting rotation
• Hughes’ inning count is rising quickly, but he is a lot more economical than Joba Chamberlain was as a starter
• Alex Rodriguez hit a grand slam to pass Frank Robinson for 7th all-time in HR (587); the grand slam tied him with Eddie Murray for 3rd in GSHR with 19 (Lou Gehrig 23, Manny Ramirez 21)
• Will the next generation of kids remember and be able to recite the home run career leaders? Will kids remember 762 like they remembered 755 and 714? Will it take a chase of Bonds for the top spot to ingrain 762 in our heads or have steroids taken the bloom off the rose forever?

55:00-58:30 - My trip to Target Field

• Early returns on how the ballpark is playing: ball is carrying down the lines, not in the alleys or straight away center
• Champions Club has all of the amenities, but only one bathroom

58:30-64:00 - Mets facing divisional foes

• The great comeback game against Washington, in which the Mets scored 6 runs in the 8th, was the only win of the week for the Mets.
• Ike Davis must have patented his foul pop catch and subsequent dugout flip. He has done this three times now and, New York, those things get candy bars named after you.
• The time has come to take Oliver Perez out of the rotation. In his last two starts, he has allowed 21 baserunners and recorded only 20 outs.

64:00-70:45 - Red Sox: Beckett issues, Ortiz heating up

• Daisuke Matsuzaka looked like the Dice-K of old using his fastball in his last start, striking out 8 of 9 Blue Jays on fastball
• Josh Beckett has a back issue and will skip his turn this week. He is scheduled to go Tuesday against the Yankees. Is his back an issue or did they give him some time off to figure things out?
• Even though the Red Sox have Jon Lester and John Lackey, they need a healthy and effective Beckett to win
• David Ortiz is starting to hit for power, hitting two against Detroit on Friday night. Since hitting .143 in April, he has four multi-hit games since then to raise his average to .213. Ortiz had his 34th multi-HR game on Friday, which is third in Sox history (Ted Williams 37, Jim Rice 35). Ortiz is a Red Sox all-timer because of his playoff performance, but he is starting to get those longevity statistics as well, even though he is hanging on.
• Manager Terry Francona will not commit to returning Ortiz as the everyday DH. Mike Lowell (.269-1-9) has gotten very little playing time. Adrian Beltre is still entrenched at 3B. Beltre is hitting .311, but he is not hitting for power.

70:45-75:00 - Phillies: Injury news, Manuel talks about sign-stealing

• Brad Lidge may have some elbow issues, which could be a big problem because with Ryan Madson on the DL and J.C. Romero best in a setup role, who would close games?
• Jimmy Rollins started his rehab today and could return for next week’s (May 17-23) homestand
• Manager Charlie Manuel responded to the Rockies accusing the Phillies of stealing signs at home. Manuel asked how the Mets play so well at home and said the Mets should be checked for stealing signs. The only thing missing from the Mets-Phillies rivalry is a full-out bench-clearing brawl. Eventually, the off-the-field stuff will probably escalate to on-the-field actions.
• MetsBanter.com tells you what they really think of Charlie Manuel

75:00-81:00 - Fantasy Minute

• Last 7 Days (week ending Friday, May 14th)
• Hitters: 1. Ichiro Suzuki SEA 42 FPTS*, 2. Mark Teixeira NYY 36, 3. Hunter Pence HOU 34, 4. Casey McGehee MIL 33, 5. Alex Rodriguez NYY 32
• Pitchers: 1. Dallas Braden OAK 54 FPTS* (perfect game), T-2. Johnny Cueto CIN 47 (1-hitter), T-2. Joe Saunders LAA 47, T-4. Jeremy Guthrie BAL 46, T-4. Mat Latos SDG 46 (1-hitter)
• Season-To-Date (through Friday, May 14th)
• Hitters: 1. Andre Ethier LAD 154 FPTS* (overtakes Braun for the season lead), 2. Ryan Braun MIL 150, 3. Miguel Cabrera DET 138, 4. Vernon Wells TOR 134, T-5. Evan Longoria TBY 130, T-5. Justin Morneau MIN 130
• Pitchers: 1. Roy Halladay PHL 201 FPTS* (1 more start than rest of starters in Top 5), 2. Ubaldo Jimenez COL 182, 3. Tim Lincecum SFO 176, 4. Adam Wainwright STL 159, 5. Matt Capps WSH 158 (only reliever in Top 5)

81:00-82:30 - Final Note

• Dallas Braden is still talking about Alex Rodriguez. Braden’s 15 minutes of fame just got extended with a perfect game last week.
• Mark your calendars: the Athletics have two more series with the Yankees this season. The next time they meet is a three-game set in Oakland (July 5-7) and they also have a four-game series at Yankee Stadium (August 30-September 2). There may be some fireworks.

Next Week
We will return to our regular spot on Wednesday night at 9pm Eastern time. On the show (#60), the Flyers continue their charge toward the Stanley Cup. We’ll talk Conference Finals in the NHL. We will talk baseball, with the mini two-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox over with and it is Oliver Perez’s night to start, so we will see if Perez is still in the rotation. We will also preview Interleague play 2010 and see if the American League will dominate yet again. All of this and more on Sports With The StatMan.

Here are the ways to follow along and get in touch with the show:

• Show Page: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/gstatman
• “Random Musings” blog: http://gstatman.blogspot.com
• iTunes: Search “Sports With The StatMan”

Also, check out MetsBanter.com, which features coverage from our resident Mets expert, Wills Gillan, as well as the StatMan.

Send your pro or fantasy questions or comments on the Show Page or the “Random Musings” blog, or you can send me a tweet. I’ll be sure to get back to you. Also, check the show page for times and schedules of our one-hour show and our latest blog entries, such as our Fantasy Hockey Edition and our Random Musings weekly sports column.

Upcoming Schedule
• Wednesday, May 19th, 9pm ET - Sports With The StatMan #60
• Wednesday, May 26th, 9pm ET - Sports With The StatMan #61
• Wednesday, June 2nd, 9pm ET - Sports With The StatMan #62

Sports With The StatMan #47: Show Notes

Timeline

00:00-10:30 – Open: Olympic Hockey is ramping up

10:30-29:00 – The three magic words we long to hear: Pitchers and Catchers

29:00-63:30 – 2009 NFL Season In Review

63:30-78:30 – 2010 MLB Preview: American League West

78:30-81:30 – Close: Next Week and Upcoming Schedule

Main Points

00:00-10:30 – Open: Olympic Hockey is ramping up

We got on the air just as Canada was defeating Switzerland in the shootout in their preliminary round game, 3-2.  We talk about the preliminary round thus far, the strength shown by the Canadians and the Americans, and which teams might squeak into the quarterfinals.

10:30-29:00 – The three magic words we long to hear: Pitchers and Catchers

The rite of Spring is here and teams are starting to file down to Florida and Arizona to start Spring Training.  The team that needs the most practice on fundamentals is the Mets and they report to Florida last out of all of the local teams.  A bad decision, to be sure, but you are seeing that several Mets are already down there voluntarily.  David Wright and Johan Santana are starting to talk it up, too.  Is this the start of a new page in Met history or is this more of the same?  You’ll remember Carlos Beltran pegged the Mets as the team to beat in the National League East before the 2008 season and that did not work for the Mets.  This time, jobs are on the line for the GM and the Manager.

The main questions for each local camp.  What will 2010 bring for these teams?

Mets: Question marks about the starting rotation after Johan Santana

Yankees: Moving on without Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui and the battle for the 5th spot in the rotation

Phillies: Doc Halladay replaces Cliff Lee atop the rotation, but Cole Hamels has to be better than he was last year

Red Sox: Mike Lowell is still on the team, but where will he end up?

29:00-63:30 – 2009 NFL Season In Review

Top 10 findings of our pre-season predictions

10. Overall: Pre-season game-by-game picks: 148-108 (.578); Picking every game week-by-week: 177-79 (.691) (+29)

9. Playoffs: picked PHL to lose in WC round

8. Picked ARZ-GBY playoff matchup

7. Biggest misses: CIN (+7), NO (+6, wins SB)

6. NFC: Picked 4 of 6 playoff teams (missed DAL, NO), 3 exact seeds (ARZ 4th, GBY 5th, PHL 6th)

5. AFC: Picked 4 of 6 playoff teams (missed NYJ, CIN), 1 exact seed (BAL 6th)

4. Picked very poorly for NE (-3), NYJ (+3), NYG (-3); close on PHL (+1)

3. Picked within 1 game of exact won-lost record for 13 teams

2. Picked 4 teams correctly on won-lost record (BUF, CLE, DEN, ATL)

1. Right on Colts getting to Super Bowl (wrong in picking them as WC and to win SB)

We also revisited each NFL team’s Big Question we asked in August, what those answers were, and proposed an Offseason Question for each of the 32 teams.  Find your team in the podcast, as I went division-by-division, starting with the AFC East and ending with the NFC West.

63:30-78:30 – 2010 MLB Preview: American League West

The opening installment of our baseball preview started this week with a look at the American League West.  We reviewed the comings and goings for each team, broke down what each team has on the field, and made a prediction for finish in the division and an over/under pick on wins.  Here are the predictions:

(listed in order of last season’s finish)

1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2009: 97-65; 2010: O/U 87.5 wins) – Prediction: 1st, Over 87.5 (92-70)

2. Texas Rangers (2009: 87-75, 10 GB; 2010: O/U 77.5 wins) – Prediction: 3rd, Over 77.5 (85-77)

3. Seattle Mariners (2009: 85-77, 12 GB; 2010: O/U 79.5 wins) – Prediction: 2nd, Over 79.5 (90-70)

4. Oakland Athletics (2009: 75-87, 22 GB; 2010: O/U 81.5 wins) – Prediction: 4th, Under 81.5 (72-90)

78:30-81:30 – Close: Next Week’s Show Preview, Upcoming Schedule

Next Week

We will return to our regular spot on Sunday night at 8pm Eastern time.  On the show (#48), we will wrap up our Olympic hockey talk, as the Gold Medal Game will be earlier in the day.  We will also prepare for the return of the NHL on March 1st.  Also, we’ll break down another baseball division.  Next week, we’ll break down the National League West.

Upcoming Schedule

• By Saturday: “Random Musings” Sports Column (blog)

• On Sunday: Sports With The StatMan: Fantasy Hockey Edition – Week 20 (blog)

• Sunday, February 28th, 8-9pm ET: Sports With The StatMan: No. 48 (live show)

* All blogs will be available on our “secondary” blog, which is called “Random Musings from the StatMan” (http://gstatman.blogspot.com). You can listen to the show live at our show page (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan) or download the podcast, which is normally available 15 minutes after the show, either from the show page or from iTunes (search: Sports With The StatMan).

Here are the ways to follow along and get in touch with the show:

• Show Page: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/gstatman

• “Random Musings” blog: http://gstatman.blogspot.com

Send your pro or fantasy questions or comments on the Show Page or the “Random Musings” blog, or you can send me a tweet. I’ll be sure to get back to you. Also, check the show page for times and schedules of our one-hour show and our latest blog entries, such as our Fantasy Hockey Edition and our Random Musings weekly sports column.

Sports With The StatMan #44: Show Notes

Before we get to the timeline, take a look at last week’s Random Musings sports column, “Building Something”.

Timeline

00:00-12:00 – Open: The month of February, the Super Bowl bye week, and why hockey needs a big Olympics

12:00-18:30 – Show information and February schedule

18:30-27:00 NFC Conference Championship wrap, Thoughts on Favre’s next career move

27:00-40:00 NHL: Local Matchups, Rangers talk, Islanders talk

40:00-56:00 NHL: Flyer talk, Leafs dealing, Bruins are ice cold, Devils talk

56:00-68:00 NHL: Goalies for Sale, NHL Standings and Playoff Races

68:00-76:00 MLB: Mets let free agents pitchers them by

76:00-78:00 – Close: Next Week’s Show Preview, Upcoming Schedule

Main Points

00:00-12:00 – Open: The month of February, the Super Bowl bye week, and why hockey needs a big Olympics

I’ve never been a big fan of the bye week between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl.  We lose our momentum for football.  There are two weeks to break down the big game.  The Colts can stop the run and the Saints’ blitz will be figured out by Colt QB Peyton Manning.  The Colts are favored by a little more than a field goal, but there is another week to talk about the game.

February is the time between the Super Bowl and Spring Training.  February is a chance for hockey to gain notoriety and while there is less NHL action in February than usual, the Olympics are this month.  They need a great Olympics to help get hockey back into the national consciousness.  They need impact trades and there were two today.  The Maple Leafs sent scoring away (Niclas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jason Blake) and brought back defense (Dion Phaneuf) and goaltending (Jean-Sebastien Giguere).  There are still deals to be made and it will be a fun February for hockey.

Also:

-         What is going on with the Bruins and Rangers?

-         What are the Mets doing?  I wonder if they know at this point.

12:00-18:30 Show information and February schedule

February Schedule for “Sports With The StatMan”

Sunday, February 7th, 10am-11am ET: Super Bowl predictions

Sunday, February 14th, 10pm-11pm ET: Olympic Hockey Preview, NFL Season In Review

Thursday, February 18th, 10pm-11pm ET: Olympic Hockey talk, 2010 AL West Preview

Sunday, February 28th, 8pm-9pm ET: Olympic Hockey wrap, 2010 NL West Preview

18:30-27:00 NFC Conference Championship wrap, Thoughts on Favre’s next career move

The Saints defeated the Vikings in overtime, 31-28, on a Garrett Hartley 40-yard field goal.  The Saints won the coin flip, marched down the field, thanks in part to two first downs by penalty, and Hartley booted the first down.  There was a very questionable pass interference call on Ben Leber that gave the Saints their final first down.  But, the Vikings have only themselves to blame.  Brett Favre could have run a few yards to set up a field goal with 19 seconds left.  He could’ve thrown it out of bounds.  But, Favre threw an interception and his season ended on the interception.  He never played another down.  This is not the first time this has happened.  But, Favre is a gunslinger and this is who he is.

Will Favre return?  I don’t think he would go out like that, but I don’t think he will make the decision on retirement any time soon because the wound is too fresh.  When he makes his decision will determine how much I will believe him.  I’ll believe him if he is still retired on Labor Day.  But, he could still pull a Pedro Martinez and join a team during the season next year.  He is definitely an original.  If he won the Super Bowl, you would have to include him in the conversation with the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

The Saints used their blitzing defense to beat Favre up, but they will not have as much success with that blitz against Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl.  The Saints also do not have the shutdown corner that the Jets have, so Reggie Wayne will be active in the passing game.  Hartley’s game-winning field goal means that Hartley, who started the season on a four-game suspension for using a banned substance, and who was not the regular kicker for most of the season, will end his season in the Super Bowl.

The Saints have not been to a Super Bowl since entering the league in 1967.  This Super Bowl is really all about New Orleans.  Manning grew up in New Orleans.  Manning’s father, Archie, was a Saints hero in New Orleans.

27:00-40:00 NHL: Local Matchups, Rangers talk, Islanders talk

• The Islanders lost to the Flyers on Saturday afternoon, 2-1, in the only local matchup this week.

• The Devils and Rangers meet at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night in a rematch from the regular-season classic game in their last meeting, a 1-0 shootout win for the Devils.

Rangers

The Rangers could really use a win right now.  They are in a bad way.  Since the two-game 14-goal outburst against Montreal and Tampa Bay, they have been outscored 20-5 in five games in dropping all five games.  Goalie Henrik Lundqvist has been hung out to dry and the victim of no goal support. 

Coach John Tortorella has nowhere else to go after going to the whip earlier in the season.  He has resorted to starting a war of words with New York Post reporter Larry Brooks.  When a team stops listening to their coach, the coach is done.  Just look at the Islanders and Peter Laviolette in 2003.  The team tuned him out and he was soon fired.  He won the Stanley Cup in Carolina 3 years later and he is now at the helm of a Flyers team that is playing very well.  Eric Mangini got another year in Cleveland because the players responded to his possible firing with four straight wins to end the season.

The Rangers have lost five in a row and close the week at home against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference in Washington and New Jersey.  They have to win one of the first two games this week against Colorado and Los Angeles.

Islanders

The Islanders will get some rest during the Olympic break, which is more than most teams.  That may be the only thing that will help them.  The Islanders are wasting a golden opportunity to get into playoff position.  The logjam between 6th and 13th place in the Eastern Conference is starting to spread out and the Islanders are sinking to bottom of that group.  The goaltending is as muddled as over.  Martin Biron is far away from the Coliseum and Dwayne Roloson has not been the same since Rick DiPietro has not been the same.  Roloson thrives on workload and knowing that DiPietro is going to take half his starts, even though he knew this would happen, has hurt his confidence.

Jack Hillen has had a good year as an up-and-coming defenseman for the Islanders and he was hit in the jaw by an Alex Ovechkin slapshot in the 7-2 loss on Tuesday night to the Capitals.  Hillen will be out 6-8 weeks with a fractured jaw.  Andrew MacDonald is another up-and-coming defenseman for the Islanders.  MacDonald is on his way to being the Hillen of last season.

The Islanders have had a tough run lately, but this is what they signed up for.  They are going to win games they are supposed to lose and lose games they are supposed to win.  It is all part of the growing process for the young team.  In the latest “Random Musings” sports column, called “Building Something”, draws some parallels between the Islanders and Jets.

40:00-56:00 NHL: Flyer talk, Leafs dealing, Bruins are ice cold, Devils talk

Flyers

The Flyers continue to score first, now 16 of 18 games where the Flyers have had the early lead.  Coach Peter Laviolette juggled his lines, and it resulted in the first goal against the Islanders in the their 2-1 win on Saturday.  The Flyers defeated the Islanders for the 14th straight time, which equates to more than two years.  Did the line juggling work because the team bought into it or just because they were playing a team they have handled so well?

In the next week, the Flyers will go on a Western Canada trip, but they could not have better timing.  The Oilers are the worst team in the league.  The Flames just lost one of their best players in Dion Phaneuf.  Did Phaneuf have issues in the locker room?  How the Flames come out after the trade will explain a lot.

Speaking of Phaneuf, the Leafs made two nice deals in picking up the solid defenseman and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who has a chance to rejuvenate his career.  Giguere is a Cup winner for the Ducks in 2007 and won the Conn Smythe Award on the losing Ducks team against the Devils in 2003.  Phaneuf will add some impact to the blueline, adding more physical play to an already-physical back line with Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, and Luke Schenn.  Jason Blake, who was a big part of the Giguere trade, never fit in with the Leafs.  He signed the big contract and never reached the same level he was at with the Islanders.  Blake will be back in Southern California where he started his NHL career, when he was with the Kings.  Giguere is a lot better than Vesa Toskala, who was shipped to Anaheim with Blake.  Toskala was a much maligned player for the Leafs.  So, the Leafs are going to do well after this trade. 

Bruins

The team is now healthy, as only Andrew Ference is on Injured Reserve.  But, the wheels are still falling off.  The Bruins have not won since their California trip.  In the last game of the California trip, the Bruins lost to the Kings in a shootout.  Including that game and the six games since, the Bruins are 0-5-2 and have been outscored 23-11.  The Bruins have not won at home in almost a month (January 5th vs. Ottawa), currently holding a six-game home losing streak.  They have three home games this week, but it is against scalding Washington, rival Montreal, and sizzling Vancouver.  A big week would get them back into playoff position, but they are holding their breath and trying not to fall any farther.

Devils

The Devils were shutout and lost in a shootout earlier in the week, but they had a big OT win on a Travis Zajac goal.  In that game, Jamie Langenbrunner was taken off the same line as Zach Parise and Travis Zajac and Dainius Zubrus joined them.  The line combined for four of the five goals in that 5-4 OT victory.  Could this line (Killer Z’s? Nytol Line?) stick around for a while?

The Devils will face Toronto twice in the next week, so they will see first-hand the effect of the new recruits for the Leafs.

56:00-68:00 NHL: Goalies for Sale, NHL Standings and Playoff Races

Where will the other goaltenders go?  Marty Turco and Martin Biron are out there.  The Flyers no longer need a goaltender, as Ray Emery is back from injury and Michael Leighton has proven to be a very good backup.  Who needs a backup or who needs some short-term help?  Goaltending around the league is pretty stable.  Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Washington have had injuries or ineffectiveness from incumbent goaltenders, but they have settled those issues from within.

Vancouver has started on their 14-game, 42-day road trip, which includes the Olympic Break.  They won the first game of the trip to start on the right foot.  Vancouver has won seven in a row and the Canucks are 3rd in the Western Conference.  However, Vancouver is only 11-11-1 on the road.  Will they get more than 14 points during their 14-game trip?…Ottawa has won 9 in a row and has risen to 5th place in the Eastern Conference…Carolina has won four in a row, so even the bottom of the Eastern Conference is playing very well.  The top five spots are pretty safe in Washington, New Jersey, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Ottawa.  Philadelphia and Florida are next, with Atlanta and Montreal close behind…In the Western Conference, the Kings are hot, winning six in a row, including two against the Bruins in shootouts, and have climbed all the way to 5th in the West.  Calgary snapped a long losing streak with a big win against Edmonton, and the Flames are in 8th but tied in points with 9th-place Detroit.

68:00-76:00 MLB: Mets let free agents pitchers them by

The Mets have sat idly by while Joel Pineiro, Jon Garland, and Ben Sheets pass them by.  Not that the Mets should have jumped at any of these pitchers.  The Sheets deal of $10 million guaranteed plus incentives is a tough call for Oakland.  If the deal does not pan out, the A’s will not be able to rebound from that move as easily as a team in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Boston would.

The Mets have to do something.  They need a starting pitcher and the only way to go right now is by trade.  Mike Pelfrey is not a #2.  John Maine is not a #3.  Oliver Perez might be a #5.  If the Mets can get a #2 pitcher behind Johan Santana, Pelfrey and Maine can slot themselves where they belong on the staff.

In the deal to get Gary Matthews, Jr., they traded reliever Brian Stokes.  Now, they could use another arm in the bullpen.  A 7th-inning reliever is more important than a 4th or 5th outfielder.

A lot of the moves have not made have been smart in letting Sheets, Carlos Delgado, and Bengie Molina go.  They are learning after paying Oliver Perez his overvalued contract last offseason, but that does not bring in the right players for 2010.  There is no reason why the Mets should not try to contend.  They have a great nucleus and they have pillars to their franchise.  The wrath of Met fans are coming from the bad taste in their mouths from last year and the poor persona of Omar Minaya in the media.

The big move the Mets did make was for Jason Bay.  He needs to hit 30 homers to validate the signing and that might help David Wright get a few more out of the park, too.

Free agents still out there: Johnny Damon, Orlando Hudson, Erik Bedard, Jose Valverde

76:00-78:00 – Close: Next Week’s Show Preview, Upcoming Schedule

Next Week

We will have Breakfast with the StatMan on Sunday morning.  Our next show (#45) will be at 10am Eastern time for an hour on Super Bowl Sunday.  We will have our Super Bowl predictions and we’ll talk some more hockey and Hot Stove baseball.

Upcoming Schedule

• Wednesday: “Random Musings” Sports Column (blog)

• Saturday night: Sports With The StatMan: Fantasy Football Edition – Super Bowl XLIV (blog)

• Sunday, 10-11am ET: Sports With The StatMan: No. 45 (live show)

• Sunday: Sports With The StatMan: Fantasy Hockey Edition – Week 19 (blog)

* All blogs will be available on our “secondary” blog, which is called “Random Musings from the StatMan” (http://gstatman.blogspot.com). You can listen to the show live at our show page (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan) or download the podcast, which is normally available 15 minutes after the show, either from the show page or from iTunes (search: Sports With The StatMan).

Here are the ways to follow along and get in touch with the show:

• Show Page: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/gstatman

• “Random Musings” blog: http://gstatman.blogspot.com

Send your pro or fantasy questions or comments on the Show Page or the “Random Musings” blog, or you can send me a tweet. I’ll be sure to get back to you. Also, check the show page for times and schedules of our one-hour show and our last blog entries, such as our Fantasy Hockey Edition and our Random Musings weekly sports column.