As the fiercest hurricane in twenty years prepares to slam the East Coast with winds in excess of 130 miles per hour, another storm is brewing which fans of the major professional sports leagues will embrace with open arms.
Between September 9 and October 26, the 2010 regular seasons for the National Football League (September 9) and the National Hockey League (October 7), as well as the 2010 postseason for Major League Baseball (October 6), will monopolize the airwaves with their respective opening acts.
However, on October 26, the ‘perfect storm’ ensues when the National Basketball Association lifts the curtain on a new season to give rise to that ecliptic moment on the calendar where sports fans can have their pick of meaningful games to watch, at home or in-person, among the four major sports in North America.
And with the steady approach of this annual confluence, player performance, prospectively and retrospectively, is broken down, dissected, and examined ad infinitum like at no other time during the year; especially in New York where the demands for success can overwhelm those with the strongest of resolves.
In light of this information, there’s no time like the present to enumerate the seven players in New York sports who had and/or will have the most significant impact on their teams as baseball’s postseason looms on the horizon and the NBA, the NFL and the NHL prepare for the dawn of their new seasons. One player per team will be named.
CC Sabathia, New York Yankees
It can never be overstated how valuable Charles Carsten Sabathia has been to a New York Yankees starting rotation that has been beset by inconsistent performances from A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez throughout the season, hampered by shoddy post All-Star break showings from Phil Hughes and decimated by an injury to Andy Pettitte.
Sabathia leads the Yankees in wins (18), ERA (3.14) and strikeouts (160), which place him in first, eighth and ninth in the American League in those respective categories.
And although second baseman Robinson Cano may receive more consideration and support for the American League MVP Award, Sabathia’s candidacy should be taken as seriously as his bid to win the Cy Young Award.
Hitting may rule the day in the Bronx but, ultimately, pitching wins championships. And of the current postseason contenders, no starting pitcher has been nor will be more crucial to their team’s success than CC Sabathia.
Angel Pagan, New York Mets
New York Mets third baseman David Wright leads the team in home runs (21) and RBI’s (86), but Angel Pagan has given the Mets hope for the future.
In an outfield where Carlos Beltran’s best days are behind him and their search for another steady corner outfielder is ongoing, Pagan has quietly emerged as a star in his own right.
Pagan leads the Mets in batting average and, among all National League outfielders, he is first in stolen bases (32), sixth in hits (137) and seventh in batting average (.294), all while playing a Gold Glove-like centerfield for the majority of the season.
So along with first base (Ike Davis), shortstop (Jose Reyes) and third base, Pagan has given the Mets’ front office one less position to concern with reloading this coming off-season and opened up intriguing trade possibilities involving Carlos Beltran.
Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Knicks
Prior to the beginning of the 2005–06 NBA regular season, Amar’e Stoudemire underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee and, as a result, ended up playing only three games for the Phoenix Suns during the campaign.
Surprisingly though, the Suns would go on to post a 54-28 record and reach the Western Conference Finals before gallantly falling to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.
The New York Knicks won’t even come close to achieving similar results if their $100 million man misses any significant time due to injury this coming season and beyond.
In the most talent-laden free agent market in NBA history, Stoudemire became the cornerstone in plans to resurrect one of the marquee franchises in the league as well as the best big man the Knicks have had on their roster since Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing.
Fresh off a season in which he averaged 23.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and played all 82 games in the regular season for the first time in his career, the 27-year-old Stoudemire appears primed to lead the Knicks into an era where mediocre basketball is a thing of the past.
But if Stoudemire’s shoulders aren’t broad enough to carry that burden, the Knicks will have to look to the NBA Lottery for answers.
Eli Manning, New York Giants
When starting quarterback Eli Manning left the New York Giants’ preseason opener against the New York Jets after suffering a three-inch laceration to his forehead, fans of ‘Big Blue’ held their collective breaths knowing full well they could ill afford to lose the Super Bowl XLII MVP.
However, twelve stitches and one missed preseason game later, Manning was back in the saddle again, accompanied by an enormous sigh of relief.
Over his six-year career, Manning has proven to be extremely durable. After starting in 87 consecutive regular season games through last season, Manning has the third longest active streak among NFL quarterbacks; behind only Brett Favre (285) and Peyton Manning (192).
This distinction bodes well for the Giants, who need Manning to play all sixteen regular season games for the sixth straight season more than ever.
With back-up signal caller Jim Sorgi on injured reserve and third-stringer Rhett Bomar still waiting to take his first regular season snap, New York’s depth at the position is severely compromised; which is why the Giants have started to make inquiries about Arizona Cardinals disgruntled quarterback Matt Leinart in a classic demonstration of desperate times call for desperate measures.
Therefore, New York’s hopes for a successful 2010-11 season ride largely on the health and well-being of one Eli Manning.
Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Click here to read why the Jets’ Super Bowl talk means absolutely nothing without Darrelle Revis.
John Tavares, New York Islanders
Last season, New York Islanders rookie center John Tavares finished first on the team in points (54), second in goals (24) and third in assists (30). Among rookie skaters, Tavares finished second in points, tied for first in goals and third in assists.
Islanders captain Doug Weight said that “John’s going to be a big piece (of an Islander rebuilding effort)” after Tavares’ first NHL game last year, which is why the 19-year-old was taken with the first overall pick by the Isles in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
In his sophomore season, Tavares will be expected to continue the steady progression toward becoming one of the elite players in the league while elevating the play of his teammates in the process.
Tavares has also been a huge draw at the box office for the Islanders. After winning the Draft Lottery, the team’s ticket sales department reported a "300% increase in phone calls and e-mail inquiries” from 2008-2009 and were "on pace" to renew 90% of its season tickets in 2009.
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Behind a porous defense, Henrik Lundqvist single-handedly carried the New York Rangers to the brink of making the playoffs last season.
Lundqvist faced the third most shots of any goalie in the NHL, but yet finished eighth in the league in goals against average (2.38) and save percentage (.921).
And no one in the Rangers’ locker room took losses harder, as well as take the most responsibility for those defeats, than Lundqvist did.
Entering the 2010-11 season, the Rangers will once again rely heavily on Lundqvist to keep their anemic offense in games and cover for their glaring defensive liabilities.
There it is, folks. Agree? Disagree? Your voice is welcome to be heard.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation featuring one of the most important players in New York sports today.
The Magnificent Seven: The Most Important Players in NY Sports Today
