In N.Y., Marc Berman reported WNBA N.Y. Liberty President Isiah Thomas "was not considered" for the role of Knicks President "despite his friendship" with Owner James Dolan. The Knicks promoted GM Steve Mills to president last month. Thomas "normally shies away from discussing the club." But he said, "I’m involved with the Liberty. I talk to [Dolan] about the Liberty. I don’t talk to him about the Knicks. I respect authority and lines of authority. ... That’s not my place. I have to respect those lines of authority." Asked if he still wants to be an NBA executive, Thomas said, "I don’t know. I’m having a good time with the Liberty. I’d never say never" (NYPOST.com, 8/26).
CAPTAIN'S DECISION: ESPN.com's Buster Olney wrote Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton's "explosion on offense" -- he hit his 50th home run of the season yesterday -- also "cements his standing as the Marlins’ best and most prominent and most marketable player." If the "grand reopening of the franchise includes the selling of Stanton, a lot of Miami baseball fans will read this as: Same ol’ Marlins." Does Derek Jeter -- with that "one chance to make a first impression with Miami baseball fans -- want his first prominent move as the Marlins' front-office captain to be dumping Stanton?" There can be "no way for Jeter & Co. to sell this as a good thing; it would be perceived as only a bad thing." The sooner the Marlins' new owners "make peace with that reality, the better, and shift their focus to building a better team around Stanton" (ESPN.com, 8/27).
ANALYZE THAT: In Boston, Nick Cafardo reported some of MLB's analytic-driven teams are "phasing out many of their scouts." The Astros "cut eight last week," while the Twins "recently cut four." Cafardo: "You don’t like to think about these incredibly talented baseball men being run out of the game." Most of the reasonable GMs "understand you need a combination of analytics and scouting to be successful." Former Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said, "It's cyclical. People are going to come around and realize that you need to put your eyes on a guy, get background on him" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/27).
