Jimmy Sez

A couple of weeks ago the sports world mourned the loss of former undisputed middleweight champion Marvin Hagler . It was a sobering reminder of how great boxing once was and how far it's fallen since Hagler's heyday. Throughout his career, Hagler was often recognized as one of the greatest fighters of his generation, but that probably falls short of where he truly stands in boxing history. He wasn't just one of the greatest of his generation, or even just one of the greatest all-time middleweights. Marvin Hagler was one of the greatest boxers that ever lived. Here's why. Skill and Will Successful boxers usually succeed by doing one of two things. They can master the "sweet science" of boxing and outsmart their opponent with evasive movement, strategic counterpunching, and an elegance to their style that wins over fans and judges. On the other hand, some great fighters can get by with an iron chin and the ability to slug it out with powerful hooks and uppercu...

Last summer I wrote about re-discovering my Starting Lineup collection during the pandemic. Since that time I've found some more that I acquired as a youth and used the power of the internet to continue to add to my collection. Since we're still more than a month away from Opening Day, it seems like a good time to take another gander at these quaint little pieces from the 1980's and 90's. I know I'm biased, but this crop is chock full of good stuff with some pleasant surprises mixed in. There's no better way to whet your baseball appetite as we head into 2021. Enjoy! 1988 This one was one of my favorites growing up. In the batter's box Dave Winfield was an imposing figure with long arms and legs that could reach anything that came his way. That's captured pretty well here and the face is instantly recognizable as Winny. The uniform deficiencies - especially early on - with Starting Lineups were covered pretty thoroughly in the last installment, but I...

The highly unusual 2020 baseball season ended with an all too familiar early exit for the Yankees in the AL playoffs. As we turn the page to what should me a more orthodox baseball season in just a couple of months, the Yanks will look to buck that recent trend. But these aren't your father's Yankees, they're not going to spend big this winter to do it. Let's take a look at how the team is looking with pitchers and catchers due in Tampa about two weeks from now. What, Cash worry? When the offseason started, Yankees GM Brian Cashman made it clear that the team's priority this winter would be re-signing DJ LeMahieu. That is, no other major deals would be struck until he was assured that DJ was coming back to the Bronx. This seemed a sound strategy considering that he's been the clear cut MVP of the Yankees for each of the past two seasons. LeMahieu's value to the Yankees really can't be overstated. Since signing a modest two-year, $24 million deal in 2019 ...

A few weeks ago we covered the former Yankees on the 2021 Hall of Fame ballot who earned a championship ring in pinstripes. Here we'll take a look at four players who joined the Yankees when they were well into their 30's and past their prime. For each player, their JAWS (Jaffe Average WAR Score, developed by Jay Jaffe) value is given along with the average Hall of Famer's JAWS at they player's position. JAWS is a Hall of Fame rating system based on WAR that incorporates both career and peak value. If you're interested in learning more about this, click here . Gary Sheffield - Right Field, JAWS: 49.3, HoF JAWS: 57.2 A Gary Sheffield at bat was a sight to behold. Most of the great swings throughout baseball history could be described as beautiful, elegant or graceful, but a Sheffield swing would best be described as an act of violence. Before each pitch he would tilt his bat from an upright position back and forth towards the pitcher, like a pendulum getting increas...