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Ask Anthony: Season 2

BY ANTHONY RIEBER | anthony.rieber@newsday.com

2:59 PM EDT, June 11, 2007

Q: Anthony . . . just asking . . . where's the Ask Anthony column?

Bob B.

Q: We haven't heard from your mailbag since April 30th. I hope everything's OK.

Joe C

Q: Where have you been? Are you not writing for Newsday anymore?

John A.

A: Bob, John, Joe, and all of you who were wonderingOK, I think only Bob, John and Joe were wonderingyes, this is the first mailbag since April 30. Here's why: When my web editor and I started "Ask Anthony" before the 2006 baseball season, Newsday.com had zero sports blogs. None. Now Newsday.com has a sports blog for every team, sports blogs from our league columnists, a Web-only column from Jim Baumbach, something from Neil Best that absolutely defies description, podcasts, the N-Zone, Explore Long Island, Talk About It, and countless other features. How is a little baseball mailbag going to compete with all that?

So I have to admit I've been feeling a little crowded out of the Newsday.com universe. Even though I've been getting questions, I haven't been motivated to answer them, because I see the same material being covered by Ken Davidoff's Baseball Insider, David Lennon's Mets Blog and Kat O'Brien's Yankees Blog. And trust me, they all know a lot more about baseball than I do. And Lennon even knows how to put pictures on his blog, something I have not learned how to do yet, even if he is a little out of control about it.

But the nice e-mails from Bob, John and Joe made me realize I shouldn't feel this way. In this new media world, there's enough bandwidth (is that the right term?) for all of us, I guess.

And it was John's question "Are you not writing for Newsday anymore" that really made me laugh. John, I had 51 bylines in Newsday between April 30-June 8. All of them appeared on Newsday.com. So if you missed all of them, but you still visit Newsday.com to see if I've updated the mailbag, I guess the least I can do is update it.

So:

Q: Hi Anthony. Do you think that Vizcaino is finding out that the American League is not the National where he was a very effective relief pitcher, but has not had anywhere the same level of success thus far this year? Do you feel that Myers deserves a spot in Torre's pen when his main purpose is to get a spot lefty out -- but has not really even been doing that effectively this year? Do you feel he is just taking up space?

Thanks, Ted T. from NYC

A: Hi Ted. I think the Yankees should cut bait with Luis Vizcaino, admit he isn't going to work out here, and say fare thee well. Torre, of course, loves guys with track records, and Vizcaino has a decent one, but he has looked awful ever since about the first week of the season. Myers, that's tougher. Yes, he is batting about .500 on getting the key lefty out, but Villone and Henn probably aren't going to get them out either. I would give him more time, but if he doesn't improve, I'd probably show him the door, too.

Q: Alex Rodriguez shouting behind the third baseman in the Toronto game: "Fair," "Unsportsmanlike" or "Who cares"? Basically I give it a "Who cares."

Joe C., Trumbull, Conn.

A: Joe, I may be in the minority here, but I think it's totally fair and totally OK for A-Rod to have done that. Isn't the point to win the game? There are so many things that baseball players do to distract their opponents pausing in front of an infielder on a ground ball to shield his view, an infielder deeking a baserunner into thinking he's got the ball when he doesn't, an outfielder pretending he's going to catch a ball when he knows he isn't going to that I don't understand why this one is wrong. A-Rod did something to help his team win and his team didn't appreciate it. Would I tell a high school player to shout "Ha!"? No, because high schoolers aren't paid to win. A-Rod is.

Q: Mr. Rieber, I recently read your list regarding the biggest Yankee free agent busts. I agree with everyone you've listed, and I wish Joe Torre would never put Farnsworth in a game again. He was horrible with the Cubs! Enough editorializing. My question is this. Wasn't Kevin Brown a free agent? Thanks for the response!

Norm G., Bryan, Ohio

A: Norm! The Yankees got Brown in a trade with the Dodgers involving Jeff Weaver. Oh, one other thing about that list: Ken Davidoff pointed out to me that Hideki Irabu (bust No. 3) was actually a trade, too, since the Yankees acquired his rights from San Diego and then signed him. Told you Davidoff knows more baseball than me. The updated worst Yankee free agent signings list:

1. Carl Pavano 2. Ed Whitson 3. Steve Kemp 4. Kyle Farnsworth 5. Dave Collins

Q: Anthony, why is the Mets offense so weak at times? Please let me know.

Thank you, John A.

A: John, the Mets haven't been getting quite the production from Reyes and Delgado lately, plus Alou and Green and Endy have been hurt. That was an easy one. They'll be fine. I have a feeling their postseason I have no doubts they will win the East will come down to how their bullpen performs. We'll have to wait until October on that one.

That's it, folks. Thanks again. Keep those cards and letters coming.