Dodgers Go All In With Free Agency

 Hello MLB fans! Get ready for another exciting edition of the Buckley Sports Report! I will dive into some of the recent MLB free agency moves, specifically Shoei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Coming into this off season, the most coveted prize that MLB teams longed for were the two Japanese studs, Ohtani and Yamamoto.

Shohei entered the free agent market at the end of the 2023 season, after spending his MLB career with the unsuccessful Angels.  He is the first MLB player to not only hit with power, but also pitch at a CY Young caliber since Babe Ruth.  Ohtani delivered 44 HRs while sporting both a .304 batting average and a 3.14 ERA over the course of 2023.  That stat line earned him the AL MVP, as well as the largest contract in MLB history.  The deal struck with the Dodgers was 10 years $700 million, but Shohei included an interesting request when the contract was constructed.  The young pitcher/hitter offered to be paid only 2 million per year with the remaining 680 million deferred until his contract expires.  This allows to Dodgers to have more wiggle room in the budget for other big name players.  

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, not like Yoshi in Super Mario, entered the MLB free agency as the leading pitcher in the NPB.  He has dominated Japanese professional baseball for years as the top rated pitcher, and friend of Shohei Ohtani.  Yamamoto decided to take his talents across the Pacific and toe the slab in the US.  His 2023 season made peoples eyes pop as he shoved for a 1.16 ERA and a .860 WHIP.  These impressive stats led big market MLB teams to begin scouting him during the past season.  The Giants, Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers led the bidding as the most aggressive and wealthiest teams in the league.  With the money saved on the Ohtani contract, the Dodgers were able to land Yamamoto.  The contract sits at $325 million over 12 years for the 25 year old Japanese star.  

After losing out on both Ohtani and Yamamoto, the Mets are going to stick with what they have and save money to resign Pete Alonso.  As for the Yankees, the acquisition of Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo fills the outfield gaps for at least one year.  They are now turning their attention to either Bake Snell or former Yankee Jordan Montgomery. 

We will have to see what the future holds for both local baseball teams.  That's all for now, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.  Enjoy your families! HO HO HO!

YANKEES LAND A BIG FISH WITH SOTO

 Hello NY Yankee fans! Merry Early Christmas to all baseball fans out there. 

Brian Cashman finally swung for the fences by landing one of the most impactful players in the league.

The young stud Juan Soto has been tearing up the MLB over the past few years in Washington and San Diego. Now he will be bringing his power bat to the Bronx in hopes of making the Yankees a serious contender again. The Yankees had to part ways with a number of players of varying experience to acquire Soto. The deal included seasoned catcher Kyle Higashioka, part time starters King, Vasquez and Brito, as well as a number of minor league figures. 

Prior to the San Diego trade, the Yankees traded minor league hopefuls for Alex Verdugo. The trade marked the eighth time in which the Yankees and Red Sox have made a trade. He is coming off a sub-par year compared to his previous performances. Verdugo hit .264 with 13 HRs last year for the lackluster AL East rival. The Yankees desperately needed a strong defensive left fielder after their years of inconsistency since the departure of veteran Brett Gardner. 

Brian Cashman is still looking to beef up the pitching rotation by appealing to the Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto. As the number one pitching prospect in all of Japan, he is searching for a paycheck on this side of the Pacific. His reputation and skill set have already started a competition between large market organizations such as the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets. These three teams have history with Japanese players and the cities have strong Japanese cultural presence. The Yankees hope to leverage Yamamoto by including Matsui and Tanaka in contract discussions. This could tip the scale in the Yankees favor, but money talks. High end owner Steve Cohen is poised to outbid every team in the league due to the Mets wealth. 

The Yamamoto signing could take days, weeks, or months. The waiting game is officially on. Have a very happy and healthy holiday season. MERY CHRISTMAS AND GO YANKEES 

Knicks and Wizards Square Up Tonight in Nation’s Capital

Hello there NY Knicks fans! Me and Bobby are coming to you from Christopher Morley Park and bringing you a preview of the Knicks Wizards game.

Coming into tonight’s game, the Knicks are entering on the heels of a 2 point victory over Trae Young and the Hawks. With RJ Barrett out for the Knickerbockers due to migraines, the team had to rely heavily on the two headed snake of Brunson and Randle. Julius Randle seems to be filling his role better after his offseason ankle surgery with a PPG close to 30. Even more astounding is Randle’s recent ability to avoid hogging the ball. His assists over the last few games have increased dramatically compared to his numbers earlier in the season. Randle has been finding the open man as team chemistry blossoms before our very eyes. 

 

As for Brunson, he has been Mr Clutch when the Knicks require a critical bucket or defensive stop. Jalen puts opponents on skates with his crossovers and drives to the basket. 

Turning to the big man on the boards, Mitchell Robinson, AKA Big Mitch. His career year so far is spearheaded by both offensive and defensive rebounding, averaging 15 RPG. His critical hustle gives the Knicks second and third opportunities to score as well as transition into fast breaks. Not only has he been on fire regarding rebounds, but he is also throwing his own block party. As an anchor on the defense, Robinson always finds a way to collect blocks and protect the paint from opponents. 

 

With RJ on the shelf, the door was left open for Josh Hart. He hasn’t provided the scoring help, but Hart’s defensive skills improve the team’s ability to fill the RJ void. Even though Josh Hart is not an offensive guru, his hustle back to defense, assists on the offensive side, and overall hustle as a teammate is what coach Thibodeau needs from a bench player. 

 

The Knicks will have the upper hand tonight due to Wizards’ youthful inexperience. They will still need to be careful, as the Wizards have nothing to lose. Although Washington possesses a few key veteran pieces in Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma, the overall core of the team is very young. 

 

Hopefully the Knicks can contain Poole and Kuzma tonight and bring home another W. A road win would certainly keep their mojo going. You can catch the game tonight on MSG at 7:00pm with Mike Breen and Walt Frazier. Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Stay safe and healthy and don’t eat too much turkey. Gobble Gobble. God bless. 

 LETS GO KNICKS!

BRING HOME A W! 

Islanders Trying To Fix Team Chemistry

Hello there NY Islanders fans I am coming to you from Sunset Park in Port Washington and bringing you the latest on the Islanders. 

The Islanders are on a four game west coast trip and trying to right the ship. Coming into tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Islanders have not lived up to this writer’s expectations. After getting off to a 2-0 start, the team looked set to make a decent run. Although they have been picking up points throughout the early part of the season, they have not put in a consistent 60 minutes yet. 

 

Although it is nice to have veterans who can provide experience, youth is king on the ice.  Every king needs a prince, and that prince is veteran experience.  Locker room attitude and team mentality are molded by experienced hockey players.  Too many old skaters on the ice can be a detriment to a team in regard to speed, hand-eye- skills, and overall longevity.  Vancouver’s youth has proved to be their elixir for success, while veteran presence has been the Islanders kryptonite.  This is seen most in the Canucks’ young players Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes.     

 

A veteran general manager can be beneficial in many ways and can be detrimental as well.  A perfect example of this is the Islanders’ GM Lou Lamoriello.  He is skilled at finding key pieces for playoff pushes, like Bo for example.  The downside of his veteran experience is his lack of ability to spot youthful players. 

 

Ilya Sorokin, runner up for the 2022 Vezina, has looked like a shell of his former self. Ilya’s recent contract extension may be weighing heavily on his mind and contributing to his poor play as of late. Regardless of Ilya’s average performance so far, the fault is not all on his shoulders. If the Islanders cannot light the lamp, one cannot expect them to come out with a W. 

 

Going into the offensive struggles of the Islanders, captain Anders Lee has only two goals on the year after coming off 25 in the 2022 season.  Bo Horvat, who the Islanders acquired at the trade deadline last season, recently signed a contract to remain on the Islanders on a long term deal.  He has been assisting on goals but not putting the puck in the back of the net. 

 

Hopefully, the Islanders can turn their ship around before it takes on too much water.  The Isles are going into tonight’s game against one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Hopefully they can put in good consistent effort and come out with a win in regulation tonight. You can catch the Islander Vancouver game on TNT starting at 10pm. Let’s Go Islanders YES YES YES 

Julius Randle and the Knicks invade Cleveland

Hi everyone, Happy Halloween! Trick or treat! Here’s my treat for you: a nice Halloween blog to get you in the spirit (but don’t worry no spirits will haunt you from this article) 

I’m coming to you live from Kissena Park with Bobby by my side as always (can’t get rid of this kid lol). I’m bringing you a preview of Knicks Cavs tonight in the first of a home and home 2 game set. 

The Knicks got utterly embarrassed by the Pelicans on Sunday in a 96-87 defeat, following a loss to the Atlanta on the road. The Knicks are trying to right the ship before they take on too much water. They look to take out their recent frustrations on Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell, who the Knicks should have acquired. Coming into tonight’s game, this reporter believes that the Knicks need to return to fundamental basketball and avoid playing hero-ball.  They need to create open looks, find the open man, and control the boards. Randle has been the poster boy for the iso style selfish basketball that defines the team as of late. 

On the defensive side of the ball, if they cut off the head of the snake, Mitchell, the Knicks could take the upper hand in the matchup. Hopefully RJ Barrett continues his offensive ascension, and the Knickerbockers can tighten up the turnovers. Over the past couple of games, even when the Knicks seem to have the game on lock down, inopportune turnovers have caused a snowball effect. Not only must the offensive hard hats be on, but the defensive fundamentals are also key to bringing home a victory in the first game of a back-to-back set with Cleveland.  

Hopefully the Knicks can even up their record and come back to a loud MSG tomorrow night. 

Until next time, have a great Halloween. Stay out of trouble and don’t eat too much candy (save some for me)! 

 

 

 

 

The World Series is Here

The long wait for the 2023 World Series is finally over! WOOHOO! Good afternoon baseball fans, it’s your favorite sports reporter and my boy Bobby coming to you live from Point Lookout on this cloudy but warm November day at the beach. I am bringing you my bold predictions for the 2023 fall classic. 

 Coming into this year’s World Series, the Texas Rangers had to fight and claw their way through the last round. Losing their division on the last day of the regular season, forced them to go through the three game wildcard round against the Rays. The Rangers brought out their brooms for the first two round of the postseason taking care of the rays and the Orioles. Riding high as they went into the ALCS against the Astros, they kept the momentum going and took the first two games. The next three games went to the Astros as the Rangers lost their mojo. With their backs against the wall, Texas managed to get off the mat to fight back to force a game 7. Ultimately they prevailed against the instate rivals and heading to the WS. 

 

The Diamondbacks have not been to the World Series since they defeated the Yankees in 2001 (unlucky for Yankee fans). The Dbacks are trying to clinch their second World Series in franchise history, but they had to put up their gloves in the NLCS where they faced the Phillies. It was a drag ‘em out series, but the Cinderella story prevailed over the Philadelphia Goliath. 

 

That brings us to tonight.  At the end of this series, although it will be a close matchup, I believe Texas is too darn powerful to fail. The Texas bats will need to overpower the Dbacks outstanding pitching if they want to win. If the Snakes want any chance of beating the Rangers, they will have to control the pitching matchups. Arizona’s starting pitching staff needs to give the team length and give their offense a chance to knock out Texas’ starters early in order to come out victorious. 

 

I think this could go the distance, but ultimately the 2023 World Series Champions is… (drumroll) the Texas Rangers. 

 

Well, that’s all for now. Enjoy the game tonight and you can catch all of the action at 8:03pm EST on FOX. Thanks for reading, enjoy the beautiful day. Talk to everyone soon, happy Halloween! Enjoy the trick or treating. Peace out 

Ooh piece of candy! 

Let's Get a 2023-2024 Season Underway for Nets and Knicks

Hello NBA fans, I’m coming to you live with Bobby from Fort Totten. I have your 2023 NBA preview and notable off-season transactions. 

Bradley Beal is headed to Phoenix to pair up with KD and Booker. The Wizards acquired Chris Paul and future assets in exchange for Beal. Shortly there after, Chris Paul was traded to the warriors for Jordan Poole and draft picks. 

Kristaps Porzingis is coming back to the Atlantic division but this time not as a Knick, but as a Celtic. 

 

The biggest question of them all was whether Damian Lillard would end up in Miami or stick around in Portland. There was a suitor that remained nameless until about two weeks ago. That suitor happened to be the Milwaukee Bucks, as they sent Jrue Holiday and Malcolm Brogdon to Portland in exchange for Lillard. It was part of a three team deal that had Portland also acquiring DeAndre Ayton from the Suns. Phoenix is looking towards the future as they acquired key bench pieces like Landry Shamet and others in the trade. 

 

Moving on to our local teams. The Knicks did not make any major moves to acquire another superstar. The Knicks brought back their core players and only added a few role players to fill out their bench. They signed Dante DiVincenzo to a four year contract. 

 

The Knicks begin the 2023-2024 season against an Atlantic Division foe in Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jaylen Brown.  Knicks are trying to not only remain competitive this season, but ultimately build off of their playoff appearance from last year.  With the new acquisition of Jrue Holiday after being released from the Blazers, the Celtics look like one of the powerhouses of the Eastern Conference.  It will be a tough matchup for the Knicks but I, for one, think that they might go down fighting, but at least we will give it our all.   

 

Going to the borough of Brooklyn, after the debacle of having a so-called super team crumble, the Nets find themselves in a rebuild phase. The main pieces acquired in exchange for KD include Mikal Bridges, who should pan out to be a superstar. 

 

You can catch the Knicks game tonight on ESPN starting at 7pm EST.  If you are looking for the Nets game, it is over on YES network starting at 7:30pm as they battle Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.

 

Hopefully both NY teams can get off to a 1-0 start!

Thanks for reading, talk to you guys soon. 

 

Happy Halloween to all!

 

Peace out, stay safe and healthy. LETS GO KNICKS! LETS GO NETS! 

 

New York Islanders Season Outlook

 Hello there New York Islanders fans, me and Bobby are coming to you from the nautical mile in Freeport. 

New York Islanders hockey is finally back! I am giving you a season outlook as a diehard Islanders fan and NHL fanatic. 

 

Coming into the 2023-2024 NHL regular season, the Islanders are bringing back practically every player from last year’s roster. This time, I believe the new addition of Bo Horvat will build more chemistry with Mathew Barzal. I am looking forward to seeing the connections that they can continue to improve upon. 

The big news over this off season was the resigning of Ilya Sorokin to an 8-year extension. Semyon Varlomov also received an extension adding 4 years to his isles run. The Islanders roster is not full of young guns, but what they lack in youth they make up for in experience. Most critics consider the average roster age for the isles to be too high. There is something to be said about experience on the ice, especially in today’s NHL. 

 

The Islanders got off to a good start this past Saturday, defeating the Sabres 3-2. They picked up their first win of the season, and at home no less. 

 

Tonight, at UBS Arena the house will be rocking once again, as the NY Islanders go for a 2-0 start against the up-and-coming Arizona coyotes. Matt Dunba and Clayton Keller spearhead the young Coyotes team facing Ilya Sorokin between the pipes. Hopefully the NY Islanders can light the lamp and do the YES chant a couple more times tonight. 

You can catch all of the action tonight at 7:30 on MSG. LETS GO ISLANDERS BRING HOME ANOTHER W! 

 

YES YES YES! 

 

 

 

 

 

NY GIANTS SEASON STARTS WITH A BANG

 Hello football fans, Bobby and I are coming to you live Kissena Park and bringing you a Big Blue report before the big game on September 10th. They face their hated rivals the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

Coming into the 2023 NFL Season, the Giants additions look to put the hurt on Jerry’s Boys at home in NJ. With another year of experience, the Big Blue offense can only get sharper under Danny Dimes as Kayvon Thibodeaux anchors the defensive side of the ball. Expectations for the Big Blue Machine can only go up after Brian Daboll lead the team to their first playoff victory in 12 years. The defense held pace with the Vikings high powered offense, giving the young squad a taste of postseason pressure. This reporter believes that the highly criticized defensive squad has the physical and mental wherewithal to compete with the likes of Dak Prescott and Tony Pollard. 

Now turning over to the offensive side of the ball. On paper the Giants have improved drastically but the eye test will prove to be the only way to measure them. Our firsthand look at Daboll’s key pieces will be under the spotlight on the national stage. The offensive rookies from last year go into the season with more knowledge and composure. Veteran Darren Waller will impart wisdom and knowledge to the young receiver and TE core who over performed last year. They exceeded critics and writers’ expectations, who thought that the running back core would lead the Giants offense. 

 

We will have to wait and see if the Blue Man Group can pull off a win against the cowboys who sport a 16-4 record against the Giants since 2013. You never know, miracles can happen. This has been Mr. Football, bringing you the latest information. Thanks for reading, enjoy the beautiful day. 

LET’S GO BIG BLUE 

  

Giants and Jets: Back in Action 2023

 Hello people! I’m back from camp, how’s everyone doing. Coming to you today from beautiful King’s Point Park with my main man Bobby. 

Football season is on the doorstep and the Jets have Super Bowl aspirations after signing a number of key pieces. The other A-Rod in New York, Aaron Rodgers joined the team. Adam Lazard and Dalvin Cook beef up the offense to support one of the best defenses in the league. With Rodgers at the helm taking over for Wilson, the Jets expectations seem to be AFC Championship game or bust. This expert thinks Rodgers can deliver the Jets to the promised land. 

 

With the addition of Rodgers and Cook, the Jets were not receptive to going on HBOs Hard Knocks at first. After two episodes it seems that the team is open to the cameras and the hype that follows. This reporter wonders if the extra attention will get in the heads of Jets players and staff as preseason goes on. 

 

Now to the Big Blue preseason report. The acquisition of Darren Waller from the Raiders should help Danny Dimes exponentially in the passing game. The Giants have not had this type of dynamic tight end to grace the huddle in ages. Also, the Giants have brought back the defensive lightning rod that is Kayvon Thibodeaux.  Saquon Barkley and the Giants were going back and forth like a seesaw to bring back the running back this season. The front office and Barkley finally saw eye to eye on a one year $11 million contract. Finally, let’s talk about Danny Big Bucks, formally Danny Dimes. His four year extension, worth $160 million, is the highest valued contract on the team. Isaiah Hodgins and Danny seem to have sting chemistry, with plenty of room to grow. 

 

Now, on to this reporter’s most important details: Jets and Giants 2023 season predictions. the Big Blue Crew will take a step up from last year and win 12 games. Offensive improvements and a young up-swinging defense will help the Giants take the next step. The first big test for Captain America starts with their Dallas rivals on September 10th.

Now I’ll transition to the crosstown Green Lantern team. With all the new additions previously stated, this reporter believes that 13 wins is not an over-reach. 

 

All the action kicks off September 10th and 11th for both NY teams. I hope everyone enjoyed the blog, please comment, and reach out. Love you guys and stay safe to the troops overseas, come back home safe. Until next time, this has been Mr. Football reporting from King’s Point Park.