Sweeney Murti is reporting that Ian Kennedy, not Kei Igawa, will make the start on Thursday. Kennedy was unhittable in his one start at AAA Scranton, and he is by far the most appealing option. Igawa was average in AAA, and other options are similarly unappealing. The two best options on the 40 man roster are Chase Wright and Jeff Karstens, and Karstens isn't ready to pitch yet. Wright is a legitimate option, but he's still probably not ready for major league action again. Kennedy pitched well last season, and 7.1 innings of 1 hit ball with 8 strikeouts in his one AAA start is enough proof to show that he's the best option available. Options off the 40 man roster include Jeff Marquez, Dan Giese, Steven Wright, and Dan McCutcheon, but none of them are as talented or as ready for the majors as Kennedy. The Yankees had planned on using Kennedy as their 4th or 5th starter this season, and he did pitch in the majors last season, so they are not rushing him. This was part of his development, and the team hopes he can return to being the pitcher they hoped he would be. In short, he's the best option short-term and long-term for the Yankees' plans. Darrell Rasner will now start on Friday against the Mets.
Moving on to the NBA, game 4 of Boston and Cleveland tonight. A lot is on the line tonight. Boston wants to shut the naysayers up by proving they can win a playoff game on the road. I thought that criticism was ridiculous heading into this series, as Boston was 31-10 on the road in the regular season, but the Cavaliers blew them off the court on Saturday. Another win for Cleveland tonight, and the theory that Boston can't win on the road will gain even more steam. Cleveland isn't nearly as great a team as Boston, but they are dangerous. They have a superstar who can simply will his team to victory (just ask Detroit), a couple of three point snipers, and a big man who can score. They also play very good team defense. If they win tonight, which they very well might, LeBron James has the ability to steal a game on the road almost by himself. While he is under intense pressure to perform at a higher level than he has been, Boston is under much more pressure to win a game on the road. Sure, they can technically win the championship without winning a road game, but it would be much easier for them if they could get that monkey off their back now. The competition will only get better from here.
Mike D'Antoni (not D'Antonio) is the new head coach of the Knicks. A lot of people are criticizing the move on both the Knicks and D'Antoni's parts, but I don't really understand. Reports have said that D'Antoni and Jerry Reinsdorf did not get along, and combining that with the unwillingness of Chicago to pony up as much money as New York did, I can't blame him. He has absolutely no pressure, and he'll be making a boatload of money. From New York's side, he was the best coach available, and he plays a more exciting up-tempo style which will at least be fun to watch. The fans will take that, as long as Isiah's gone.
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