Separated at Birth: Jason Taylor and James Blake?

The second installment of All on the Field's Separated at Birth feature. Jason Taylor (left) is a stud for the Dolphins, while James Blake (right) knows his way around the tennis court.

As always, email me with any suggestions for future installments and I'll give you credit if/when I use it.

Yard Sale at ATT Park

Memo to San Francisco Giants GM Brian Sabean: it's time to clean house, and I think a yard sale may be in order.

Henry Schulman at the San Francisco Chronicle says that if the Giants don't fare well this weekend against the Dodgers, it's time to start thinking trades.

And Mr. Sabean, we're not talking about the kind of trade that mortgages our future for a glimmer of hope in the present. At the risk of sounding extremist, this franchise is ready for a good old fashioned fire sale.

Here are the players to put on the block and the price tag we should expect in return:

• Matt Morris -- he's assembled a surprisingly good first half of the season, which unfortunately has been wasted on a losing cause. Also, as Schulman points out, he's got another year on his contract at a relatively reasonable price.
  Asking Price: Arguably the most attractive item at our sale, Morris should yield two solid pitching prospects, or at least one very good one.
  


• Ray Durham -- Why Sabean re-signed an aging Durham to a two-year deal is beyond me. After a career season last year, Durham is once again acting like the 35-year old human that he is.
  Asking Price: With his aging body and oversized contract, Durham is going to be tough to trade. I'd take anything I could get without having to eat any of his salary. Another option is to package him with another player, perhaps Morris.
  


• Pedro Feliz -- The word that defines Feliz's career with the Giants is average, and that's not to be confused with producing a hit every three times up to bat. San Francisco has waited seven-plus years for Feliz to realize his potential, only to realize that they were only kidding themselves.
  Asking Price: Disappointing though he may be, Feliz's salary is fairly modest. And one team's "average" may become another team's "steady." I'd hope to trade Feliz for a solid hitting prospect, preferrably an outfielder. Given the current state of the franchise, I wouldn't mind some raw talent; time is not an issue.
  


• Barry Bonds -- Gasp! Not the face of the franchise! Face it, San Francisco signed Bonds to be in a Giants uniform when he breaks the record. If Bonds does that during the month of July, I see no reason not to trade him. In fact, it might be unwise not to, given Bonds' statements about returning for another season next year.
  Asking Price: It would certainly take the right fit to be able to move a player with Bonds' contract and attitude, but I think it can be done. I can see an American League team (maybe Oakland?) signing Bonds as a rental to aid in a playoff push. What San Francisco could get in return is beyond me, but I think that ridding the team and the city of a Giant albatross would be accomplishment enough.
  


• Randy Winn, Dave Roberts, and Steve Kline -- These guys aren't terrible, but they are eating up the budget and preventing younger players from establishing themselves at the big league level.
  Asking Price: Whatever you can get.
  

Mr. Sabean, it's pretty clear that this year's team isn't in any danger of winning the World Series, much less finishing above .500. So now that you've been granted a reprieve by Peter Magowan, can we allow ourselves a rebuilding year?

The Giants have established a reputation as buyers at the trade deadline over the last decade, and the strategy nearly won the franchise a World Series in 2002. But the glory years of the late '90s and early 2000s have clearly faded, and it's time to start looking to the future.

An All-Time Low for Fresno State

In its attempt to become a "legitimate" athletic university, Fresno State has always cut corners.

I know about this inferiority complex because I grew up in the Central San Joaquin Valley. I watched as the Red Wavers puffed up their chests when the Bulldogs beat USC in the Freedom Bowl of 1992, and I watched when Melvin Ely led Fresno State to the second round of March Madness in 2001.

For a slow-moving region of the Golden State, collegiate sports are a very big deal.

Problem is, Fresno State has made success on the courts and on the fields too much of a priority, certainly much bigger than what takes place in the classroom.

As a result, we've had pleasant experiences with point shaving, illegal "tutoring" of athletes, unlawful wielding of a samurai sword, drug dealing, and oh yeah, murder. Most of the problems in the last decade have stemmed from the basketball program (they didn't call Jerry Tarkanian Tark the Shark for nothing), but in 2005 the women's basketball team was introduced to controversy as well.

The football program, which coach Pat Hill has managed to respectability, sports a graduation rate of just over half, but at least it hasn't produced any felons in a while.

The embarrassment continued earlier this week, when former volleyball coach Nancy Vivas was awarded $5.85 million in a discrimination suit. Vivas claimed that she was discriminated against for her sexual orientation and that her women's teams did not receive treatment equal to what the men's teams were given.

And so we find Fresno State even further away from being a legitimate university than it ever was. More than a decade after Tarkanian was hired and this whole mess began, the Bulldogs' shortcut to success has turned out to be a very long road to travel.

Rickey Henderson's Latest Comeback

It seems baseball is an addiction that Rickey Henderson just can't shake.

Henderson's latest comeback isn't as a player, thank goodness, but as the New York Mets' hitting coach.

The rise in the ranks has come quickly for Henderson, who was hired June 20 as a special instructor to tutor Jose Reyes on the art of baserunning.

The decision makes sense on some levels. The Mets have struggled lately, and the presiding sentiment in baseball management seems to be if it looks like it's broken, we'd better fire someone. In this case, previous hitting coach Rick Down was the victim.

Hiring Henderson was the easy choice given his recent work with Reyes, who is without a doubt the cornerstone of the franchise. Also, Henderson played briefly for the Mets (come to think of it, who didn't he play for at one time or another?) in 2000 and for several years with the Yankees, so he is familiar with the New York scene.

On the other hand, Henderson was a certain type of hitter, and he might have a difficult time relating to and critiquing players such as David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran. For that reason, my choice would have been former Dodgers' hitting coach, Eddie Murray, who also played for the Mets during his career.

Unfortunately, Omar Minaya didn't consult me before hiring Henderson.

Time will tell if hiring the Man of Steal was the right decision. In the end, I think he'll turn out alright. Baseball is in Rickey's blood, and enthusiasm and a love for the game are key ingredients to success.

One other benefit to signing Henderson: should Reyes go down, the Mets may not have to look far to find a replacement leadoff hitter and base stealing threat. "Put me in, coach!"

Seattle, Ichiro, and the Economics of Baseball

The Seattle Mariners are about to do for Ichiro Suzuki what they wouldn't for Alex Rodriguez before the 2001 season.

According to some reports, the Mariners are close to signing Suzuki to a five-year extension worth around $100 million.

At $55 million, plus a $13.1 million posting fee, the Mariners have gotten a tremendous bargain for Ichiro's services in the last seven seasons. All he's done is his .333 with 1,482 hits, 732 runs, and 258 stolen bases.

His .994 fielding percentage and 64 outfield assists haven't gone unnoticed, either.

But at 33, is Ichiro worth upwards of $20 million per season for five more seasons?

Yes and no -- but more yes than no.

Ichiro's very best seasons are certainly not in front of him, though with a .359 batting average through the All-Star break, he has proved that he's not running out of gas just yet. Also, given the fact that Ichiro is a singles swatter and not a power hitter, I fully expect him to maintain a .300 plus average until he decides it's time to quit.

The stolen bases and defensive flair will not be around forever, though, and it's strange to think of committing more money to a player in exchange for less production.

But that's where the economics of baseball come in.

Baseball is definitely about winning games and competing for championships, and Ichrio is a big part of the recipe for success. But as the past two seasons so painfully proved, Ichiro cannot do it alone.

What he can do, however, is put butts in the seats, and that is something the Mariners can't live without. The mystery of Ichiro -- his amazing placement of the ball between outfielders, his breathtaking speed, his cannon-like throws, and his enigmatic personality -- keep people coming to Safeco Field.

The intangibles listed above cannot be taught or learned, and that's what makes Ichiro a fan-favorite. It's also what separates Ichiro from A-Rod, who is arguably the more talented all-around player.

Rodriguez's price tag was simply too high for the Mariners, and management felt they had to let him walk. Seattle feels differently about Ichiro, though, and if they have to break the bank to keep him, they will.

And they won't be sorry.

Is it a Sport: NASCAR?

"Watching 2,000 left turns doesn't do much for me," my brother said this morning.

Tens of millions of Americans feel differently about NASCAR, though, and given its massive following, stock car racing deserves at least an "Is it a Sport?" day in court.

Why NASCAR might be considered a sport

It has been suggested at times that NASCAR has a following of 75 million in America, but this article claims the true number is actually closer to 37 million. Either way, that's a huge number, unparalleled by any other borderline activity/sport.

And my perception is that if you're a fan of NASCAR, it's pretty much the most important thing in your life.

Besides the rabid fan base, there's also the intense level of competition. The Nextel Cup awards points for wins, top five, and top 10 finishes, and at the end of the season, one racer is proclaimed champion. If you're scoring at home, Jeff Gordon is atop this year's standings.

And finally, it can be argued that NASCAR driving requires great skill. No disagreement here, except to say that calculus and barbecuing would also fall into that category.

Why NASCAR might not be considered a sport

In a way, it seems fitting that NASCAR is on the cusp of surpassing baseball and football as the national "sport" here; apparently, we Americans admire the ability to sit for long periods of time.

All sarcasm aside, I do have a great deal of respect for the skill and bravery of NASCAR drivers. Unfortunately, though, those traits do not classify them as athletes. As I wrote in the inaugural post of this debate, an activity must require physical fitness to excel to be considered a sport.

With NASCAR, once you strap on the seat belt, you're good to go: no amount of strength or cardiovascular endurance gives you any advantage over the field.

Final Ruling: Not a sport
Certainty: Sorry, NASCAR fans, but this one's a blowout in my books.

Hawk-Eye Wants Your Job

Line judges and umpires, beware.

Hawk-Eye, the electronic replay system at Wimbledon, may put you out of a job.

The system was in effect for the first time in this year's Wimbledon Championships, and its affect on the game was felt in compelling fashion. Roger Federer, who went on to win the tournament and solidify his case for the greatest player of all time, nearly lost because of it.

Federer had apparently won the first set tiebreak when a call was reversed in Nadal's favor. The replay showed the ball nicked the line and the point was played over. Federer won the set anyway, and all was well.

But then came a crucial point in the fourth set, when Federer trailed 0-2. The game was 30-all and Federer breathed a sigh of relief when Nadal hit a ball that everyone in the stadium believed to be out.

Except for Hawk-Eye, that is.

The point was given to Nadal, who went on to take the break and glide through the rest of the set. After the game, Federer was heard to say that Hawk-Eye "is killing me."

Had Federer not rallied to win the fifth and deciding set, the story of the day would be Hawk-Eye. It is, of course, merely a footnote, but not one that should go unnoticed.

Proponents of Hawk-Eye say that it makes the game as fair as it can be. I beg to differ, and so does Roger Federer.

For one thing, machines like that need to be calibrated to the nth degree. As John McEnroe pointed out on the telecast, even a 90% accuracy rating isn't perfect. If that machine is off even by a millimeter, it can make the difference in the match.

Not only that, but the machine slows down the pace of the game considerably. Several times Nadal seemed to challenge simply to disrupt Federer's momentum; if the call was overturned, that was a bonus.

Human umpires and referees make mistakes; it's a proven fact. But the element of subjectivity and human error has always been a component of tennis, and the sport has survived just fine for over a century without adding machines into the mix.

I'd just as soon leave it that way.

Separated at Birth: Rafael Nadal and Apollo Ohno?

Today begins what I hope is a long and successful series here at All on the Field: Separated at Birth. The Fresno Bee, the newspaper I grew up reading, used to run a column with this feature, and I always had three or four that they could use if only they asked.

They never did, so this time and this place is my chance to shine.

Basically, these posts will try to find people in the sports world that resemble other celebrities. If both parties are famous in the sports world, it's all the better. Also, I will take suggestions, so shoot me an email with your idea. If I use it, I'll certainly give you credit.

The first installment, in honor of today's Wimbledon championships, pairs tennis player Rafael Nadal (above), and speed skater Apollo Ohno. What do you think?