NEW YORK, NY — The pitching market in this year’s MLB free agency pool has gotten smaller and smaller as the weeks go by with the top names available signing one after one.
The Mets solidified their shaky starting rotation by re-signing their best pitcher of 2024, Sean Manaea, two days before Christmas. There is no argument that without Manaea’s mound heroics, especially considering ace Kodai Senga was lost for most of the season, the Mets would not have finished with an over. 500 record in the regular season, let alone get to the National League Championship Series.
After a shaky first half, Sean Manaea became one of the most dominant starters in the NL following the All-Star break – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
The news of Manaea’s return to the Mets may have been a relief to their fans, but it was expected. Sean frequently said how much he enjoyed playing for the Mets, and how much he enjoyed New York. He routinely took the #7 train to Citi Field and enjoyed walking around Central Park during the summer. He told me he took his parents to various NYC museums and Broadway shows during the All-Star break.
Mets radio voice, and Cardozo High School alum, Howie Rose posted on social media about how friendly Manaea is to everyone he meets, and he is right. In a time when too many professional athletes see interacting with both the media and fans as the equivalent of getting a root canal, Sean Manaea is happily an anomaly.
Sean Manaea recorded a 3.47 ERA across 32 starts in 2024 with 184 strikeouts – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
I have watched Manaea patiently chat with video/social media “journalists” the Mets have chosen to credential. “You work harder on the days you are not pitching, than when you are scheduled to start!” I joked. “I decided early in my career to respect the job the media does. They promote the game,” he astutely replied.
Manaea enjoys traveling to remote parts of the globe. Last year he set foot in Antarctica. “Just as pigeons are ubiquitous in New York, penguins are there. It is impossible to avoid them,” he said with a smile. This year, he plans on visiting Samoa before spring training begins.
“I would love to be a travel journalist like the late Anthony Bourdain when I retire,” he told me when I asked about his dream job. Benefits of playing well in New York are the endorsement and broadcast opportunities which await an articulate retired athlete.
Sean Manaea was a fan favorite in Queens during 2024 and will continue to be for the next three years – Image Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports
Former New York Giants linebacker Dhani Jones hosted a show on the Travel Channel for years. Michael Strahan admitted to me he would never have gotten the media opportunities he has received had he been drafted by, say, the Detroit Lions instead of the Giants.
The Mets’ starting rotation is still a question mark. Signing longtime Yankees reliever Clay Holmes to be a starter is a risky gambit. At the Max Fried press conference, Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said Holmes has the pitch assortment to be successful as a starter. He also admitted the Yankees never thought of using him that way.
Sports World mourns the passing of Rickey Henderson
The passing of Rickey Henderson at the age of 65 was shocking because it was completely unexpected. Henderson always kept himself in great shape, and he looked like he could still bat leadoff for his hometown Athletics when he made his final visit to the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum at the end of September to bid his old team farewell. The A’s are moving temporarily to Sacramento as they await their permanent home to be constructed in Las Vegas.
Rickey Henderson passed away at the age of 65 last week – Image Credit: MLB
Henderson showed his trademark sense of humor when asked his reaction to the A’s leaving town. “I am too rich to feel sad!” he replied.
Remembering and Paying Tribute to Jack DiLauro
The 1969 Miracle Mets lost another member this week with the death of pitcher Jack DiLauro. I spoke with DiLauro at the 50th anniversary celebration of that iconic 1969 team in 2019 at Citi Field. Ballplayers did not make the huge paydays then that they do now, and most had to find jobs after they hung up their spikes. DiLauro and I spoke at length about his career as a retail store inventory liquidator.
Annual Professional Bull Riders Tournament at MSG on January 3rd-5th: Tickets Available (CLICK HERE)
The annual Professional Bull Riders tournament in New York City, the Monster Buck Off, will take place at Madison Square Garden from January 3 through January 5. Among the crowd favorites who will be returning are Daylon Swearingen from upstate New York, and Brazil’s Jose Vitor Leme. There will be some controversy as one of the bulls on the PBR tour is named Daniel Penny.
Tickets are still available for the Professional Bull Riders at Madison Square Garden – Image Credit: PBR/MSG
It will be interesting to see what kind of reception this bovine gets.
Netflix’s Debut with the NFL
The Netflix Christmas Gameday pregame show dragged by coming on two hours before the start of the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers game. It was Netflix’s debut with the NFL, and it was clear that if they had to make an error, it would be preferable to go overboard than not provide enough time. In keeping with the season, they provided employment for two NFL personalities who recently lost their jobs, Drew Brees and Robert Griffin III, who were let go by NBC and ESPN, respectively. Griffin did get off a good line by saying Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has more moves than a military family.
We could have done without alleged comedian Bert Kreischer interviewing diehard Steelers fans in the stands at Acrisure Stadium. In one bit, the rotund Kreischer removed his shirt in the cold to show he was one of them. Yawn. I did get one good laugh when a Steelers fan called Pittsburgh the greatest city in the world. Some folks need to travel more.
More from Netflix’s Debut with the NFL
Netflix leaned on CBS for technical help for the games themselves. Forest Hills High School alum Ian Eagle handled the play by play for the Chiefs-Steelers game in Pittsburgh. JJ Watt and Nate Burleson served as the analysts. Watt and Burleson are normally panelists on CBS’s “NFL Today” studio show. This was a good opportunity for both men to keep their in-game broadcasting skills sharp.
Netflix experienced record breaking numbers on Christmas for their NFL doubleheader – Image Credit: NFL
Ian Eagle’s son Noah was also working for Netflix on Christmas, as he teamed up with Greg Olsen to call the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans matchup from Houston. Olsen, as everyone knows, was dropped to Fox’s second-tier NFL team to accommodate Tom Brady. He deserved a better fate because he is superb in relaying to the viewer game strategy.
Netflix spared no expense when it came to its NFL debut. In addition to Beyonce performing at halftime in her hometown, Mariah Carey filmed a special video of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” before kickoff of the Ravens-Texans game.
“Chiefsaholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing” out on Prime Video
Prime Video has just debuted a documentary titled “Chiefsaholic: A Wolf In Chiefs Clothing,” which looks at the bizarre life of Xaviar Babudar. For years, Babudar (a.k.a. “Chiefsaholic”) was a beloved, crazed Kansas City Chiefs fan who was known around Arrowhead Stadium for dressing in a wolf’s costume and acting as in-stands cheerleader. Think of an extreme version of Jets legend, and College Point native, “Fireman Ed” Anzalone.
Unlike Anzalone, who had a noble profession, serving as an NYC firefighter, Babudar supported himself by being a serial bank robber, who was able to avoid apprehension for years. He is now serving a lengthy prison sentence.
You can watch Chiefsaholic now on Prime Video – Image Credit: Prime Video
“Chiefsaholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing” is a compelling story which works even better because it does not use a narrator. We just see news clips and hear from the principals including Babudar himself.
If you want to take your first look at the 2026 car models, you can attend the Philadelphia Auto Show which will run from January 11 through 20 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center located at 12th and Arch Streets in Center City. For more information, log onto phillyautoshow.com.
New NBA Arena coming to Philadelphia?
Philadelphia civic officials last week gave permission to the NBA’s 76ers to build an arena next door to the Pennsylvania Convention Center which they hope will open in 2031. That will make it easier for Knicks and Nets fans to take buses from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to see their teams play in the City of Brotherly Love. Currently, mass transit users need to switch to the SEPTA Broad Street Line to go to the last stop, Pattison Avenue, to get to the Wells Fargo Arena.
“The Last Republican” out in theaters on Friday, January 3rd
A new documentary about former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger, “The Last Republican,” opens in theaters on Friday, January 3. Kinzinger is best known for being one of the two Republicans (Liz Cheney was the other) on the January 6th Congressional Committee. While Kinzinger earned the enmity of Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity for expressing his distaste for the ransacking of the Capitol on that tragic January day, the documentary makes it clear Kinzinger remains a proud conservative and cites Ronald Reagan as his hero. Interestingly, he expresses more contempt for former House speaker Kevin McCarthy than he does for President Trump.
“The Last Republican” will be released in theaters on Friday, January 3rd, 2025 – Image Credit: IMDb
Film director Steve Pink spends time showing Kinzinger’s private life as he becomes a dad for the first time, and the fallout he gets from friends and family for not being a loyal soldier. We also see the unsung heroes of politics, the anonymous workers who toil in a congressman’s office.
Holiday Tunes
It was nice to hear versions of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” by Ray Charles and Dean Martin on the radio during this holiday season. The playful song was removed by many radio programmers in recent years because of some concern about the lyrics in the “Me Too” era. It was an overreaction which appears to have been corrected.
You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.
