She Couldn't Wait Until Tuesday?

Holy Crap Batman. Carl Pavano has yet another distraction. His girlfriend , Gia Allemand, dumped him after a year's relationship. Considering that he's finally been healthy, the Yankees should do all they can to get her to take him back.

Any references to Pavano have already been removed from Allemand's Myspace page.

2007 League Predictions

We did the individual, now for the team selections..drum roll please...

AL East

This has been a two team race between the Yankees and Red Sox for ... years. The Blue Jays managed to slip into 2nd last year, but by then the division race was long over. Baltimore will be a little better, but still mediocre. The Rays? Who knows just how bad they may finish.

The winner of the AL East in '07 will be...(if you are thinking right now that I am about to say the Red Sox, you would be wrong) the New York Yankees.

No, this is not biased opinionry - especially since opinionry isn't a word. The Red Sox have the edge in start pitching, but the Yankees pen, offense, and depth is better. And though Joe Torre has made a number of mistakes in recent years, he's still better at what he does than Terry Francona. The Sox will be back in the wildcard.

97 Wins to the Yankees

AL Central

The White Sox are just 1 season removed from their world title, and they have the capability to bounce back from their disappointing '06 season to win everything again.

The Indians were a disappointment to many last year, but were as mediocre as I expected them to be, given their pitching. The Indians have a lot of bright young stars, but the pitching is still a question mark.

The Tigers are the defending AL champs and have the strut to go with it. If Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander continue to blossom, and the pitchers remember how to field, the Tigers could have another big year. They certainly won't sneak up on anyone.

The Twins lost Francisco Liriano to Tommy John surgery and Brad Radke to retirement. When Sidney Ponson and Carlos Silva are battling for a rotation spot, you've got problems.

The Kansas City Royals. 'nuff said.

And the 2007 ALCS winner is.....the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers starting rotation and bullpen will help them outlast a tough Indians squad (even with Kenny Rogers now out indefinitely). The White Sox will be selling off parts by August.

95 Wins for the Tigers

AL West

Can a previously managed Buck Showalter team go to a World Series again? Nah, these are the Texas Rangers. Their pitching is improved, but still mediocre. The Seattle Mariners have a pretty good nucleus, but signing Jeff Weaver shows you how desperate they are to fill out their rotation.

This will come down to the "A" teams, the Angels and A's. If Rich Harden can stay healthy, the A's can have a top notch rotation. The Angels will need Bartolo Colon and Jered Weaver to get healthy fast to help out John Lackey. But the Angels still have Vlad and an outstanding bullpen...and it should be enough.

93 Wins for the Angels

NL East

This is really just a two team race. The Marlins will fall back to Earth after their surprising run in '06. The Nats will be worse than gnats. And the Braves will at least be competitive. But this division is between the Phillies and the Mets.

The Mets starting rotation is in shambles at the moment. GM Omar Minaya will have to make significant moves to keep the Mets in the hunt. And while he will probably come up with a solid arm, the Phillies will have too big of a lead to overcome, and will gladly settle for the wildcard.

98 Wins for the Phillies

NL Central

It's still hard to fathom that the Cardinals are the defending WS champs. But they are another year old and weaker. The Cubs spent more money than George Bush has in Iraq to bolster their team, but their pitching still looks as lame as Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.

The Astros have already lost Andy Pettitte and will probably lose out on Roger Clemens once he decides to play again. The Pirates will simply stink; there's no two ways about it.

The winner of the AL Central will be the Cincinnati Reds. Yes, you heard me right. They don't have a solid closer and have a bunch of injuries, but they will still be better than the much more heralded Cards and Cubs.

92 Wins to the Reds

NL West

This division is a crap shoot, year in and year out, and this year is no different. Put the Dodgers, Giants, Padres, and even the Rockies, in a hat and pick one. Bruce Bochy has taken his managerial skills from SD to SF and the Padres will suffer from the loss. The Giants will still try to rely too much on Barry Roids. The Rockies will be competitive, but that's not a rave. No, as much as I hate to say it, the LA Dodgers will win the division.

96 Wins for the Dodgers

PLAYOFFS

AL Div Series; Yankees over the Angels; Sox over the Tigers
NL Div Series; Phillies over the Reds; Dodgers over the Mets;

ALCS: Yankees over the Sox :)
NLCS: Dodgers over the Phillies


WS: In an old time match up, the old time results rise to the top. Yankees over the Dodgers for championship #27.

2007 League Predictions

We did the individual, now for the team selections..drum roll please...

AL East

This has been a two team race between the Yankees and Red Sox for ... years. The Blue Jays managed to slip into 2nd last year, but by then the division race was long over. Baltimore will be a little better, but still mediocre. The Rays? Who knows just how bad they may finish.

The winner of the AL East in '07 will be...(if you are thinking right now that I am about to say the Red Sox, you would be wrong) the New York Yankees.

No, this is not biased opinionry - especially since opinionry isn't a word. The Red Sox have the edge in start pitching, but the Yankees pen, offense, and depth is better. And though Joe Torre has made a number of mistakes in recent years, he's still better at what he does than Terry Francona. The Sox will be back in the wildcard.

97 Wins to the Yankees

AL Central

The White Sox are just 1 season removed from their world title, and they have the capability to bounce back from their disappointing '06 season to win everything again.

The Indians were a disappointment to many last year, but were as mediocre as I expected them to be, given their pitching. The Indians have a lot of bright young stars, but the pitching is still a question mark.

The Tigers are the defending AL champs and have the strut to go with it. If Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander continue to blossom, and the pitchers remember how to field, the Tigers could have another big year. They certainly won't sneak up on anyone.

The Twins lost Francisco Liriano to Tommy John surgery and Brad Radke to retirement. When Sidney Ponson and Carlos Silva are battling for a rotation spot, you've got problems.

The Kansas City Royals. 'nuff said.

And the 2007 ALCS winner is.....the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers starting rotation and bullpen will help them outlast a tough Indians squad (even with Kenny Rogers now out indefinitely). The White Sox will be selling off parts by August.

95 Wins for the Tigers

AL West

Can a previously managed Buck Showalter team go to a World Series again? Nah, these are the Texas Rangers. Their pitching is improved, but still mediocre. The Seattle Mariners have a pretty good nucleus, but signing Jeff Weaver shows you how desperate they are to fill out their rotation.

This will come down to the "A" teams, the Angels and A's. If Rich Harden can stay healthy, the A's can have a top notch rotation. The Angels will need Bartolo Colon and Jered Weaver to get healthy fast to help out John Lackey. But the Angels still have Vlad and an outstanding bullpen...and it should be enough.

93 Wins for the Angels

NL East

This is really just a two team race. The Marlins will fall back to Earth after their surprising run in '06. The Nats will be worse than gnats. And the Braves will at least be competitive. But this division is between the Phillies and the Mets.

The Mets starting rotation is in shambles at the moment. GM Omar Minaya will have to make significant moves to keep the Mets in the hunt. And while he will probably come up with a solid arm, the Phillies will have too big of a lead to overcome, and will gladly settle for the wildcard.

98 Wins for the Phillies

NL Central

It's still hard to fathom that the Cardinals are the defending WS champs. But they are another year old and weaker. The Cubs spent more money than George Bush has in Iraq to bolster their team, but their pitching still looks as lame as Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.

The Astros have already lost Andy Pettitte and will probably lose out on Roger Clemens once he decides to play again. The Pirates will simply stink; there's no two ways about it.

The winner of the AL Central will be the Cincinnati Reds. Yes, you heard me right. They don't have a solid closer and have a bunch of injuries, but they will still be better than the much more heralded Cards and Cubs.

92 Wins to the Reds

NL West

This division is a crap shoot, year in and year out, and this year is no different. Put the Dodgers, Giants, Padres, and even the Rockies, in a hat and pick one. Bruce Bochy has taken his managerial skills from SD to SF and the Padres will suffer from the loss. The Giants will still try to rely too much on Barry Roids. The Rockies will be competitive, but that's not a rave. No, as much as I hate to say it, the LA Dodgers will win the division.

96 Wins for the Dodgers

PLAYOFFS

AL Div Series; Yankees over the Angels; Sox over the Tigers
NL Div Series; Phillies over the Reds; Dodgers over the Mets;

ALCS: Yankees over the Sox :)
NLCS: Dodgers over the Phillies


WS: In an old time match up, the old time results rise to the top. Yankees over the Dodgers for championship #27.

Short Stops - 3/30

Kenny Rogers underwent emergency surgery today to remove a blood clot from his left shoulder. It was originally thought he was just suffering from a tired arm. He's already on the 15 day DL, but will be out a minimum of 6-8 weeks.

Scott Shields has been one of the best set up men in the game for several years, and he was rewarded for it yesterday. The Angels gave the righty a 3 year, $14.6 million deal.

Roster Spots Finalizing

Though some things still need to be worked out (DL'ing players, etc.), the Yankees roster is now pretty much set. Wil Nieves has beaten out Todd Pratt for the backup catcher's spot. Sean Henn has earned a spot as a 2nd lefthander in the bullpen. There's been no official announcement, but it appears Brian Bruney and Darrell Rasner are on the roster as well.
Ron Villone has been asked to take a minor league assignment at Scranton.

Here's how things should look on opening day.


PITCHERS (12)

Pettitte
Mussina
Pavano
Igawa
Rasner
Rivera
Bruney
Farnsworth
Myers
Vizcaino
Proctor
Henn

CATCHERS (2)

Posada
Nieves

INFIELD (7)

Giambi
Mientkiewicz
Phelps
Cano
Jeter
Rodriguez
Cairo

OUTFIELD (4)

Matsui
Damon
Abreu
Cabrera

DL - Wang, Karstens

Opening Day Rememberances - 1993

Excitement had returned to Yankee Stadium prior to the 1993 season. The buzz was stirred up by the acquisitions of Paul O'Neill from Cincy and Jim Abbot from the Angels, and the free agent signings of Wade Boggs (Bos) and Jimmy Key (Tor). 56,000 plus crammed into the Stadium. Traffic was jammed worse than it had been in years. Me and my friends were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the GWB, and then trying to find parking spaces was another fiasco. We finally got into the game as the 4th inning was started.

Paul O'Neill's first game in front of the home fans was a memorable one. Paulie went 4-4 with a double and triple, 2 RBI, and a run scored. He was also playing left field, with holdover Danny Tartabull manning right. The Yankees took advantage of 3 Royals errors to to help topple some Royals pitcher by the name of David Cone.

Abbott threw a complete game to win his first game in pinstripes. The Yankees improved from 80-82 and a 4th place finish in 1992 to 88-74 and a 2nd place finish in '93. They were well on their way to become a perennial playoff team.


Opening Day Lineup

CF B. Williams
3B Boggs
1B Mattingly
RF Tartabull
LF O'Neill
C Nokes
DH Maas
SS Owen
2B Kelly

10 Things I Love About Baseball

Not wanting to sound all negative, here are 10 great things about the game (But first one more negative that I can't believe I forgot - having an off day after opening day. Just plain dumb!).

1. The Yankees

2. Day Games

3. No Time Limit

4. Warm Weather (and those bikini tops for the Cali games)

5. Bob Sheppard's voice

6. Yankee Stadium

7. October Baseball

8. The DH

9. Walk Off HRs

10. Winning

10 Things I Hate...

About the Game I Love.


1. The Commisioner

2. Steroids

3. Barry Bonds & Curt Schilling

4. Player Agents

5. The MLBPA

6. Weekend Night Games

7. Fox Broadcasts

8. Japanese Bid Process

9. Playing Tampa Bay 19 times

10. Scalpers


These could be in a much different order, but that's the order I thought of them. ;)

Lidle Widow, Son to Throw Out First Pitch

Corey Lidle is gone, but will not be forgotten by the Yankees. It was previously announced that the Yankees will wear black arm bands this season to honor their fallen teammate. The team has now officially announced that Corey's widow Melinda and their son Christopher will throw out the ceremonial first pitches on opening day. The team will also pay tribute to Lidle prior to Monday's game with the Devil Rays.

Lidle's parents and twin brother Kevin will also be in attendance.

The West Point Color Guard will present the US Flag, a pair of Navy F-18 fighters will fly over, and another West Pointer will sing the National Anthem. Stadium favorite Ronan Tynan will perform God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch.

No Closer to Closing

Yankee's prospect J.B. Cox, thought of as a possible future closer, is done for most, if not all, of the 2007 season. Cox, who had suffered a broken hand in a brawl over the winter, had surgery to repair a ligament in his elbow.

Cox had a break out season in '06, 6-2, 1.65 w/ 3 saves for the Trenton Thunder. He struck out 60 in 77 innings pitched, and limited league hitters to a .196 average.

Phillips Placed on Waivers

The battle for the right-handed half of the 1st Base platoon is over. Andy Phillips has been placed on outright waivers according to an unnamed Yankees official. Josh Phelps, who was picked up from the Orioles in the Rule V draft, has had a huge spring, hitting .424 with 3 HRs and 10 RBI.

Phillips' spring got off to a rough start when his Mom was seriously injured in a car accident. In 21 at-bats, Phillips had no extra base hits or RBI and was hitting just .190. There's a good chance another team will pick him up. If not, he could be headed to Scranton.





Andy Phillips celebrates with Robinson Cano in better times




Back to the Mound

The news was better for another Andy yesterday. Andy Pettitte threw 31 pitches in a bullpen session yesterday, and is optimistic about making his start (probably April 5) against the Devil Rays.

Leave me Villone (very bad pun intended)

Ron Villone was just about a lock to make the team as a long man. Pretty soon he'll be long gone. Villone got smacked around by the Astros last night, sending his spring ERA to 14.40. Sean Henn pitched a scoreless inning and could be the 2nd lefty in the pen.

Driven Away

Swindal Out as the Man Who Would be King

It's been a tough couple of months for George Steinbrenner's son-in-law, Steve Swindal. First, he was busted for DUI down in Florida. Now he is, in all likelihood, no longer the heir apparent to George. Yesterday, Jenny Steinbrenner Swindal filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

George's mouth, Howard Rubenstein made things quite clear. Rubenstein stated that Steinbrenner is still running the team and it will remain in the family. When queried whether or not Swindal was still considered family, Rubenstein replied, "they're getting divorced". 'Nuff said.

George's two sons, Hank and Hal, have never shown the compunction to run the Bombers. Another son-in-law, Felix Lopez, is currently a senior VP.

Perhaps YES will run a new reality show to choose George's successor.

Opening Day Rememberances - 1981

The Kansas City Royals had finally solved the Yankees in the prior October, so King George was in full swing as the '81 season began. Dick Howser had managed the Bombers to 103 victories, but fell on his sword as the Royals completed a 3 game sweep in the ALCS.

1981 would become a tumultuous season. Gene Michael would open the season as manager, but King George would bring back Bob Lemon to try to save the day again. The season would shut down in July due to a player's strike. A split season set up would be installed as well as an extra round of playoffs. But before all that BS there would be opening day.

April 9, 1981 Texas vs Yankees

With heavy traffic outside, it was the bottom of the 2nd as my Dad and I settled into our seats in left field, just moments before Bucky Dent launched a fly ball into the seats a few rows in front of us. The 3-run shot put the Yankees ahead for good 3-1.

My best memory came in the 7th though. Leading 5-3, the Yankees looked to break the game wide open. Lou Piniella had already singled in Dave Winfield to extend the lead to 6-3 and the Yankees had the bases loaded. Dennis Werth was due up, but Michael sent Bobby Murcer up to pinch-hit against Steve Comer. Bobby launched a drive to deep right center. Rangers rightfielder John Grubb got back to the wall and leaped...IT WAS GONE! The Stadium exploded as one of its favorite sons came through. I was delirious to put it mildly.

Tommy John gave up 2 earned runs in 8 innings for the victory, with Tommy Underwood finishing up in the 9th.


1981 Opening Day Lineup

2B Randolph
CF Mumphrey
LF Winfield
RF Piniella
C Cerone
3B Nettles
DH Werth
SS Dent

Short Stops - 3/28

Mark Prior looks like he's headed to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs to start the season. has made the team as the 5th starter, leaving no room on the roster for the former ace of the staff.

Having failed to earn the Red Sox closer spot, Joel Pineiro is being shopped around by the Beaneaters. Several teams are reportedly interested.

The White Sox have probably lost backup catcher Toby Hall for the season witha torn labrum. Hall is going to try 3 weeks of rehab in order to avoid season ending surgery.

MLBPA head Donald Fehr confirmed yesterday that the next World Cup baseball tourney will take place in March, 2009. Oh ,I can hardly NOT wait.
Save as Draft
The Orioles are talking to the Royals about outfielder Reggie Sanders. The Royals have reportedly asked for Kurt Birkins or Brian Burres in return.

M*A*S*H Update

Chien-Ming Wang threw 45 pitches on flat ground yesterday and afterwards said his leg felt about 70%.

Jeff Karstens hopes to test his elbow out tomorrow, but that is still to be determined.

Andy Pettitte has a throwing session scheduled for today. Yesterday, Andyman said there was no way he would wind up on the DL with back spasms.

Carl Pavano...sorry, old habits die hard.

Yankees vs. Twins

Britton and Basak blow it. Twins win 4-3.


Chris Britton has pretty much blown his slim chance of making the team, blowing a 1-run lead with 2 outs in the 9th. To make matters worse, Chris Basak, who had just slid over to 2nd from SS, booted Toby Gardenhire's (yeah, it's his son), grounder to allow the game winner to score. You would have thought the Twins had just won another world series based on the reactions from John Gordon and Dan Gladden.

8th Inning

Phelps does it again. A 2-out RBI double scores Robinson Cano for a 3-2 lead.

6 Innings Complete

Pavano has been pretty excellent today. He's gotten the Twins to bounce into 4 DPs. Game tied 2-2 after 6.


2nd Inning

Pavano gives up 2 runs, on 4 hits, 3 of them with 2 outs, to tie it 2-2.

Josh Phelps with a long home run to CF. He's been impressive as hell this spring. 2-0 Yankees.

1st Inning

Twins got 2 men on with a walk and error by Chris Basak (filling in for Jeter), but Pavano induced a 5-4-3 DP to get out of it.

Bobby Abreu looking good - solo shot to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

Carl Pavano vs. Boof Bonser

Opening Day Rememberances - 1996

With opening day less than a week away and temps at an abnormal 77 degrees, I think of the snowy opening day of 1996. The Yankees had lost in heart breaking fashion to the M's the prior October, so the new season couldn't come fast enough. There was a new manager, Donnie Baseball was gone, and a rookie prospect was the new shortstop.

As snow fell that day, 2nd year man Andy Pettitte took the mound against the Kansas City Royals. The Bombers came home after losing 3 straight in Texas, dropping their record to 2-3. One of those wins was at Jacobs Field where Pettitte defeated the Cleveland Indians 5-1.

The game was scoreless in the 2nd when Jim Leyritz lead off with a double against lefty Chris Haney. Tino Martinez's 1st at-bat as a Yankee was a productive one, as he grounded out to the right side to move Leyritz to 3rd. Bernie Williams' sac fly to center brought him Leyritz to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

The Royals tied it in the 5th when Johnny Damon, yeah that Johnny Damon, singled and later came home on a force out. But the Yankees bounced right back in their half of the inning, quickly loading the bases on singles by Gerald Williams and Wade Boggs sandwiched around an error on a ball hit by Derek Jeter. Paul O'Neill followed with a 2-run single to give the Yankees the lead for good, 3-1. Leyritz, who was 3-3 on the day and would have the biggest hit of the WS in October, singled to push the margin to 4-1.

Pettitte did what he did all year, give the Yankees a chance to win. He raised his record to 2-0 by limiting KC to 3 runs over 6 1-3 innings, and though Mariano Rivera wasn't involved, the bullpen shut the door on any comeback.

April 9, 1996 Yankees 7 Royals 3

OPENING DAY LINEUP

3B Boggs
C Girardi
RF O'Neill
DH Leyritz
1B Martinez
CF B. Williams
2B Duncan
LF G. Williams
SS Jeter

2007 Award Predictions

Even though I have all 4 teams in the NCAA final four, I will not get cocky. Picking the AL and NL MVP award winners is extremely difficult. But here goes:

American League

MVP: 2006 winner was Twins' 1st Baseman Justin Morneau

The usual names will be bandied about - A-Rod, Big Papi, Vlad, etc. I hate picking a DH, but today's pick is Indians DH Travis Hafner. "Pronk" finished 5th in 2005, 8th in 2006. Hafner's last 3 seasons have been impressive to say the least. His HRs have increased from 28-33-42 and his RBI has been a consistent 109-108-117.
2007 Prediction - Travis Hafner, Cle

Cy Young: 2006 winner was the Twins' Johann Santana

This is an easier choice for me than in the past. There's no reason not to think that Santana, who won in 2004, in addition to last season, won't win it again. He should win the triple crown of pitching (wins, ERA, strikeouts) with relative ease.
2007 Prediction - Johann Santana, Minn

Rookie of the Year: 2006 winner was Tigers' Justin Verlander

Dice-K has the most press. Alex Gordon has the pedigree. But Delmon Young has the bat. Young gave his rep a black eye with his tossed bat into a minor league ump and joining fellow prospects like Elijah Dukes in complaining about their handling by the D-Rays. But this kid can flat out hit. And will.

2007 Prediction - Delmon Young, TB

National League

MVP: 2006 winner was Phillies' 1st Baseman Ryan Howard

Howard should put up big numbers again and could very easily win back-to-back awards. The Mets big 4 of Wright, Reyes, Beltran, and Delgado will contend and of course, the Cards' Albert Pujols is still the man to beat. That all being said, a guy with less publicity in Philly will get the award. Chase Utley has blossomed into one of the premiere hitters in the game. The 28-yr old has average .301-30-103 the last 2 seasons and will benefit from having Howard hitting behind him.

2007 Prediction - Chase Utley, Phi


Cy Young: 2006 winner was DBack's Brandon Webb

The Cards Chris Carpenter won in '05 and finished 3rd last year. No reason to think he won't be in the top 5 again. The D-Train came in 2nd in '05, but was mediocre with a decent Marlins team last year. He'll probably have a bounce back year. Roy Oswalt pitches in a hitter's park, but is solid. The prediction here is the same as it was last year; the Cubbie's Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano finished 3rd in the voting last year and has topped 200 IP 4 straight years. He's also struck out 200+ hitters over the last 2 seasons as he gets ready to pitch for a huge contract extension.

2007 Prediction - Carlos Zambrano, Chi


Rookie of the Year: 2006 winner was Marlin's SS Hanley Ramirez

The Met's Mike Pelfrey, the Reds' HomerBailey, and the Brewers' Ryan Braun bring plenty to the table, but the DBacks Chris Young takes the prize. The Dbacks have a lot of good young talent (Upton, Gonzalez, Drew, etc.), but the centerfielder has power and speed and will produce both. Think the White Sox wish they still had him?

2007 Prediction - Chris Young, AZ

There you have it. For what it's worth.

Rotate and Twist

With less than a week to go before opening day, the Yankees starting rotation already has buzzards circling over it. Andy Pettitte was hit with back spasms last week. He's been reduced to playing catch on flat ground, but that's better than nothing. Chien-Ming Wang, arguably the ace of the staff, felt something pop in his hamstring. The next day he felt a lot better, but the Yankees are likely to be cautious and put him on the DL until mid to late April.

When times like this occur, you look to the kids to step up. We all thought that would be Jeffrey Karstens, especially after he threw 9 shutout innings. Then he got knocked around a bit by the Blue Jays, and hammered by the Tigers on Sunday. He also had to leave the game with a stiff elbow. And while tests came up negative, Karstens is likely to be placed on the DL as well.

Which now takes us to Darrell Rasner to step it up. I have more faith in Rasner than Karstens anyway. The kid looks like he can pitch in the bigs.

Which still leaves us with Carl Pavano starting opening day...ugh


~~~~

As far as the bullpen goes, Brian Bruney is starting to look as nasty as ever. He struck out the side, all looking, yesterday against the Phillies, and has 11 K's in just 5 innings.

Sean Henn finally got knocked around on Sunday, but still has a chance to make the team. Ron Villone finally threw a scoreless inning against minor leaguers yesterday, but seems to have fallen out of favor once again with Joe Torre.

Short Stops - 3/25

Jon Lieber was on the outside looking in. With no room in the Phillies rotation, the plan was for Lieber to be in the pen or be traded. Then Freddy Garcia was shelved with a bicep problem and Lieber was back in the rotation mix. Until Friday anyway. That's when Lieber strained his right oblique and is sidelined indefinitely.

Ken Griffey Jr. made his spring debut on Saturday, going 2-4 while playing in his new spot in right field. Jr. hopes to be ready for the season opener.

The A's Rich Harden appears to be quite healthy this spring. Harden has struck out 25 hitters in just 13 2-3 innings.

Pavano To Get the Nod?

Andy Pettitte has back spasms, Chien-Ming Wang is on the DL with a hamstring injury, and Mike Mussina and the calender don't line up. What is this all mean? That Carl Pavano will in all likelihood be the opening day starter. Talk about getting off on the wrong foot (and probably spraining it).

Just get Clemens on the phone already.


Raul Chavez was among the players sent to the minors yesterday, leaving the backup catcher battle between Todd Pratt and Wil Nieves.

Murcer to Undergo Experimental Treatment

Bobby Murcer will begin experimental treatment Monday for his incurable brain cancer. The good news is that the radiation and chemo he has undergone, has done a good job.

"I'm happy to report that the tests have shown that I'm entirely clear in regard to the tumor," Murcer told the NY Daily News.

"Obviously, this is encouraging news for me, although I know that we're still dealing with an incurable cancer here and just trying to contain it."

The treatments, at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, will continue every 2 weeks until May.

Hang in there Bobby!!!

Wang Out Until Late April

Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa, Darrell Rasner and/or Jeffrey Karstens can relax for a while. There's an extra opening on the Yankees opening day roster. Chien-Ming Wang felt something while running in the outfielder yesterday. The Yankees hoped it was a cramp like he had suffered earlier in camp, but it was no to be. Wang has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain and will be placed on the DL until late April.

My take - this really sucks

Short Stops - 3/23

Nothing can give a manager grey hairs more than injuries just before the start the season. Mike Scoscia and Ron Gardenhire have some of those concerns right now. Angels' spark plug Chone Figgins has a chip fracture in his finger and Twins' catcher Joe Mauer has a stress "reaction", just shy of a stress fracture, in his foot. It isn't known if either player will have to be on the DL on opening day.

In attempt to replace starting shortstop Angel Berroa, the Royals acquired Tony Pena Jr. from the Braves for minor league pitcher Erik Cordier. Maybe it's a temporary move, but Pena's minor league numbers have never been very good. At least when the Yankees play them, Sr. will get to see Jr..

Rasner Makes a Pitch

Darrell Rasner increased his chances of making the big club today, allowing 1 unearned run over 4 2-3 innings in the Yankees 3-2 loss to the Pirates. The right hander, foolishly let go by the Nats last year, scattered 7 hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out 5. It's possible that Ron Villone's struggles of late could be a big benefit to Rasner, who now has 1.50 ERA in 12 innings. In addition, the 26 yr-old has not allowed a walk while striking out 9.

Sean Henn is making things tough for Joe Torre as well. The soon to be 26-yr old lefty, struggled with control in 2 stints in the majors, but has excelled this spring. He's only allowed 2 walks, while striking out 5 in 7 shutout innings (incl. 1 today).

Former Yankee Shawn Chacon blanked the Bombers for 3 innings today before Hideki Matsui's single off of Shane Youman brought home Bobby Abreu for a l-0 lead in the 4th. The Pirates scored a pair of runs in the 7th off of Colter Bean for a 3-1 lead. The Yankees got one back in the 8th when spring hitting machine, Josh Phelps, singled and eventually came home on Bronson Sardhina's sac fly.

Wang Way to Get Loose

First it was Andy Pettitte's back spasms, now we've got Chien-Ming Wang's hamstring to be worried about. The Wanger was doing his normal running when he felt a twinge in his hamstring. The Yankees are hoping it was just a cramp, but stay tuned.

Yankees vs Reds: The Pavano Watch

7th Inning

Ron Villone seems to be struggling ever since Torre said he was pretty much a shoe-in to make the roster. He's allowed a couple of runs in the 7th, Yankees up 7-5.

Josh Phelps belted a solo home run for a 7-3 lead.

6th Inning

Kyle Farnsworth had a nice easy inning, striking out 2.

5th Inning

Pavano exited after 4 1-3 innings. Mike Myers came on, allowing a hit and an RBI grounder.
Pavano's final line - 4.1 IP 8 H 3 R 3 ER 2 BB 2 K
Yankees 6-3 lead.

A-Rod's solo shot off of Lohse gives the Yankees a 6-2 lead.

On a side note, Jeff "Cowboy" Brantley is in his 1st year as a play-by-play guy for the Reds radio broadcast. While he did a decent job on BBTN, he absolutely stinks in this capacity. Gets the players mixed up and forgets to inform you as to what is going on.

4th Inning

Now we've got the Pavano we all know and hate. A lead off walk to Valentin, and a single to Ross put two on. Janish smacked a ball off the right field wall...and no one scored. Bad base running by Valentin gave Janish a long single and loaded the bases. But...Pavano gives up a 2-run single to Kyle Loshe - yes, the pitcher! Trade Pavano now and put Karstens or Rasner or whoever in there. 5-2 game after 4.

Robinson Cano lead off the inning with a double. This is one guy who must wish this was April baseball already. Robbie is now 20-50 (.400) with a HR and 7 doubles.

Yankees make it 5-0 as Lohse throw Melky's tapper into right field.

3rd Inning

Pavano had a relatively easy time through the top of the order this time, retiring Freel, Phillips, and Dunn with a walk to Hamilton stuck in there.

Bobby Abreu is healing up nicely, thank you. A 3-run bomb off of Kyle Lohse gives the Yankees a 4-0 lead. Melky and Derek Jeter started it off with back to back walks.

2nd Inning

Pavano struck out the lead off man, Javier Valentin. David Ross followed with a soft liner to right for a single, the Reds 4th hit of the game). Shortsop Paul Janish bounced out to A-Rod on a high chopper with Ross reaching 2nd. Pavano then made a nice play on a tapper to the side of the mound by Kyle Lohse to end the inning. Much better than the 1st inning.

Yankees lead 1-0 after 2. Robinson Cano reached on a single and came home on an error by Paul Janish.


1st Inning

Can you say rocky starts? Pavano gave up 3 straight hits to Ryan Freel, Josh Hamilton, and Brandon Phillips to load the bases with none out. But after Adam Dunn lined out hard to Bobby Abreu in right, Pavano got Edwin Encarnacion to bounce into an inning ending 6-4-3 double play.

No score after 1.

Furcal out, Papelbon in

The Dodgers Rafael Furcal could be out for a significant amount of time after colling today with centerfielder Jason Repko. Furcal was taking off with what has been initially diagnosed as a severely sprained ankle.

ESPN is reporting that Jon Papelbon will once again be the closer for the Red Sox. The Sox are expected to make an announcement after today's game.

Short Stops - 3/22

Do as I say not as I do - Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa was charged this morning with suspicion of DUI. LaRussa was found asleep at the wheel when police found his car idling through a couple of green lights at an intersection in Jupiter, Florida. His blood alcohol level was .093, a little over Florida's 0.8 limit.

Angel Berroa won the Rookie of the Year award for the Royals back in '03 (also known as the year Hideki got screwed), but now is falling victim to a case of "what have you done for me lately?". The Kanas City Star reports that the Royals' front office has compiled a list of replacements for their starting shortstop. Berra hit .287-17-73 and stole 21 bases in getting the award for 4 years ago. He followed that up with 2 poor seasons (hitting only .234 last year) and 1 mediocre one. His fielding hasn't been anything special either.

The Atlanta Braves took a step towards solidifying their future by signing catcher Brian McCann to a 6-year contract extension. McCann, who also has an option for a 7th season, will reportedly make in excess of $29 million.

Nick Johnson ran outdoors for the first time since breaking his leg last September, but the timetable for the former Yankee's return is any one's guess. Good luck NJ!

Freddy Garcia had to leave his start for the Phillies yesterday with bicep tightness. Garcia pitched much of last season with shoulder soreness; this can't be a good sign for the Phils. Perhaps that is why they haven't been quick to deal Jon Lieber.

Hey what shock this - Cable operators could not make a deal with MLB to retain the Extra Innings package it has had until this point. MLB's new deal with DirecTV screws the fans once again and proves, once again, that varmint head Selig does not care about you.

Yankee Trivia Answers

Here are the answers to yesterday's trivia:

1. Name the 2 Yankees who were double tagged out by the White Sox Carlton Fisk at home plate? (1 pt for each name)
Bobby Meacham and Dale Berra

2. Who were the Yankees 1st and 3rd bases coaches when they won the World Series in 1977? (2 pts for each name)
Elston Howser and Dick Howser

3. Who was the last Yankee pitcher to win a World Series game? (5 pt)
Sterling Hitchcock, game 5 2001

4. Who was the 1st batter El Duque faced in the major leagues? (5 pts)
Quinton McCracken, Tampa Bay

5. Who hit the 1st home run in the remodeled Yankee Stadium in 1976 (5 pts)
Disco Dan Ford, Minn Twins

6. Who hit the pop up that Derek Jeter dove in the stands for in July, 2004? (3 pts)
Trot Nixon

7. Who had the most at-bats in a single game? (5 pts)
Bobby Richardson 11 (22 inning game vs Det, 1962)

8. What pitcher holds the team record for strikeouts by a righthander? (5 pts)
David Cone, 16

9. Who were the last 3 Yankees to hit for the cycle? (5 pts for each name)
Tony Fernandez, Bobby Murcer, Mickey Mantle

10. Who was the first Yankee to win a gold glove? (5 pts)
Roger Maris, 1960

Based on your score you deserve a place in
45-50 Monument Park
39-44 Main Box
34-38 Main Reserved
25-33 Bleachers
15-24 Nose Bleeds
Under 15 Go Root for the Mets

Yankees Trivia

Just a little something to pass the time of day. Try not to cheat, and check back tomorrow for the answers.


1. Name the 2 Yankees who were double tagged out by the White Sox Carlton Fisk at home plate? (1 pt for each name)

2. Who were the Yankees 1st and 3rd bases coaches when they won the World Series in 1977? (2 pts for each name)

3. Who was the last Yankee pitcher to win a World Series game? (1 pt)

4. Who was the 1st batter El Duque faced in the major leagues? (5 pts)

5. Who hit the 1st home run in the remodeled Yankee Stadium in 1976 (5 pts)

6. Who hit the pop up that Derek Jeter dove in the stands for in July, 2004? (3 pts)

7. Who had the most at-bats in a single game? (5 pts)

8. What pitcher holds the team record for strikeouts by a righthander? (5 pts)

9. Who were the last 3 Yankees to hit for the cycle? (5 pts for each name)

10. Who was the first Yankee to win a gold glove? (5 pts)

Short Stops - 3/21

With the first official day of spring, it's just a short leap until opening day. And what would opening day be without Kerry Wood (triceps) and Mark Prior on the disabled list. There's a good chance that one or both will be sidelined on April 2.

Angel's phenom Jered Weaver will also start the season on the DL with a strained bicep.

The LA Dodgers have given manager Grady Little a one year extension for 2008. How happy must Little be to be out of Boston?

The Mets are talking to former Yankee Ramiro Mendoza about a possible minor league contract.

In Memory of Corey

The Yankees are in talks with Melanie Lidle, wife of the late Corey Lidle, to throw out the first pitch at the home opener on April 2nd. The Yankees officially stated that there were on-going talks and nothing is official yet.

Just what has to be discussed? You do or you don't.

Igawa Strikes Back

Kei Igawa had heard the rumblings; perhaps he would lose his starting job to Jeffrey Karstens. But on the heels of Karstens 1st bad outing of the spring, Igawa threw 5 scoreless innings against the Phillies in his best outing of the pre-season, and the Yankees hung out for a 2-0 win.

Igawa's only shaky inning came in the 2nd, when he walked Jayson Werth and fell behind 2-0 to Rod Barajas. But Igawa worked out of the jam and didn't allow a runner past 2nd. The biggest concern that came out of his start, was only starting 10 of 19 hitters off with a strike. Pitching coach Ron Guidry has reminded Igawa to finish his pitches - to follow through completely. Igawa must now do it on a more consistent basis.

Mariano Rivera had yet another easy spring training appearance. He struck out the side, including reigning NL MVP Ryan Howard. Mo struck out Howard with his little used change up.


Bobby Abreu made his 1st spring training game appearance, going 0-3. The oh-fer didn't matter since Abreu took some hard swings (and misses), and was fine after the game. He's expected to return to the outfield on Friday.

With Abreu back, the Yankees biggest concern now revolves around Andy Pettitte. Pettitte's lower back stiffened up and spasmed on him yesterday, and the Yankees have shut him down for the foreseeable future. For now, the team is characterizing the shut down as a precautionary measure. Hopefully it's no more than that.

What, no baseball? The Yankees have their 1st day off today since the start of the spring training games.

Short Stops - 3/20

Haven't had a chance to comment on this up until now, but Pete Rose's latest statement had me hysterical with laughter. Just how desperate is this guy getting to be inducted into the hall of fame and reinstated. Forget it Petie, you little prick. If nothing else, your confession of supposedly betting on the Reds every night should be more proof to keep you out of the hall. On top of that John Dowd's report already said you didn't bet on them every night, especially when Mario Soto was pitching.

I doubt anyone was shocked when it was announced Sunday that David Wells has type 2 diabetes. Boomer is the poster boy for unhealthy living.

The times they are a changing. Ken Griffey Jr. has been roaming centerfields everywhere since 1989, but that's about to change. Jr. will be patrolling right field when the season starts, and long awaited phenom Josh Hamilton will get the nod in center. Reminds me of the time years ago when Buck Showalter criticized for the way Griffey carried himself, especially wearing his hat backwards. Buck, you really are an anal dope. Jr. has been a model citizen in the bigs and now is losing his CF job to a guy who has a history of drug problems. Wonder what Buck has to say about that.

The Red Sox are at the top of the list of things I hate, but it's great to see Jon Lester back on a major league mound. The 23-year old was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer last August and missed the remainder of the season. The lefty will have a mentor in 3rd Baseman Mike Lowell who is a survivor of testicular cancer.

BK Kim is on the block again with the Oakland A's reportedly very interested in acquiring him.

New Poll - Who Remains in the Rotation?

Pavano and Igawa? Igawa and Pavano? Igawa? Pavano? Neither? Something has to give, and it will probably be Pavano's back.

I'm going with Igawa being in the rotation when the regular season comes to a close. Hopefully Pavano will be in parts (well, not literally) nowhere near here.


New Poll - Thataway ---------------------------->

Abreu Back in the Lineup

The chances of Bobby Abreu being in the opening day lineup gets a boost tonight when he returns to the lineup as the DH. Let's hope he has NO check swings. The quiet man has not played in 3 weeks.

The battle wages on for the right-handed side of the 1st Base platoon. Andy Phillips hasn't had many at-bats due to his Mom's car accident and Josh Phelps has taken advantage, hitting over .400 this spring. What's worrisome is Joe Torre talking about Phillips's versatility. Joe, he is now a 1st Baseman for a reason. Torre is loyal to the point of excess, and so it wouldn't be surprising to Phillips make the team even if Phelps were to have the much better spring. To be perfectly honest, I would like to dump both and get a bigger bat, but that's unlikely.

It's a good thing that Doug Mientkiewicz is a defensive specialist, 'cause he hasn't shown squat at the plate (2-26) this spring. The Yankees need him to hit a minimum .250.

It's anyone's guess as to who the backup catcher will be. Wil Nieves is back in the lineup after suffering with a sore elbow. Todd Pratt is suffering from plantar fasciitis, and Raul Chavez got off to a slow start due to a broken hand. All 3 have performed decently behind the dish this spring. Chavez (.294) is the only one hitting above the Mendoza line.

Igawa on the Hot Seat?

Maybe he's just using it as a motivational tool, but Joe Torre has hinted at sending Kei Igawa to the minors until he's up to speed. With the amount of money Igawa has coming to him, it's hard to believe that would be the case, but it wouldn't set a precedent. El Duque started out in the minors, but of course he hadn't been pitching in any professional games for a number of years. Igawa may feel some added pressure, but he needs to show better command tonight when he faces the Phillies. He's allowed 4 runs on 8 hits in 7 IP, but the bigger concern is the 7 walks allowed. On a positive note, Igawa has struck out 12.

Some Yankees fans have gone over the top, already labeling Igawa as a bust (perhaps unfond memories of Hideki Irabu). Can we give this guy a chance to throw in some real games before we blast him? He's adjusting to a new throwing routine, a new mound, new teammates, new language, and a new city.

Jeffrey Karstens' bubble finally burst a little yesterday, as he continues to push Igawa and Carl Pavano for the 4 and 5 spots in the rotation. The 24-year old, who was impressive in his 6 starts and 2 relief appearances last season, had thrown 9 shutout innings before the Toronto Blue Jays roughed him up for 4 runs and 6 hits in 4 1/3 innings yesterday afternoon. Even if he starts the season in Triple-A, Karstens has definitely given the Yankees something to think about.

Are you a Man or a Moose?

It's only spring training, but I for one was relieved to see Mike Mussina throw 5 scoreless innings against the Pirates on Sunday. Moose's lack of command until then had to be at least somewhat of a concern. In addition to having trouble locating his pitches, he had gotten smacked around for 5 earned runs, 11 hits, and allowed 3 home runs in 8 innings.

Taiwan On

Chien-Ming Wang's spring has been just the opposite of Moose's. A model of consistency, The Wanger has excelled in March, to the tune of a 2.57 ERA. He's allowed just 12 hits and 1 walk in 14 innings IP. He's also struck out 7.

You CAN go home again

Andy Pettitte's return to New York could become even more special if he is giving the opening day assignment. Joe Torre has yet to announced the starter, but sentimentality would say that Pettitte will get the ball. Pettitte has certainly pleased everyone thus far, tossing 10 shutout innings, while allowing only 5 hits, and embracing a leadership role.

The Usual Suspects

Mariano Rivera, Kyle Farnsworth, Scott Proctor. Those 3 names are etched in stone for the Yankees bullpen, but its difficult to tell who will make up those final 4 slots. Luis Vizcaino is the closest thing to a given. Ron Villone would seem to have an inside track based on comments made Torre a couple of weeks back. His versatility certainly is a plus.

Lefty specialist Mike Myers will probably clog up another roster spot...again. As much as I don't trust Sean Henn, I would almost rather see him on the squad than Myers.

That leaves 1 spot open. Brian Bruney is behind the others due to his early spring training back troubles, but he could still make the squad based on last year. If Karstens doesn't make it north as a starter he'd probably be sent to Scranton to pitch every 5th day. But Darrell Rasner has been effective this spring, and did a good job filling in last year, and could be a swingman out of the pen. Chris Britton hurt his chances yesterday with an awful outing against the Jays. He faced 6 hitters, only retiring one. Greg Zaun finished him off with a grand slam.

Short Stops - 3/12

The Boston Red Sox started searching for a new closer as soon as they decided Jon Papelbon was better off in the starting rotation. So far Joel Pineiro has the early edge, but he's nowhere near a certainty. The Sox made inquiries on Chad Cordero prior to spring training. Now comes word that New York no-fan favorite Armando Benitez is being looked into by little Theo.
Update - Terry Francona announced today that Julian Tavarez would be his closer if the season started tomorrow. There's no way that's going to happen.




Gagging in Fenway?





White Sox prospect and former QB Clayton Richard must be tip-toeing his way through the clubhouse right now. Yesterday Richard plunked fellow pitcher Bobby Jenks in the throat with an errant pitch. Jenks was shaken up at first, then had to be restrained from going after the rookie. Meanwhile Javier Vazquez continued to celebrate his new contract by getting hammered once again.

It wasn't such a good weekend for ex-White Sox players either. Maglio Ordonez got beaned on Saturday by the Red Sox' Josh Beckett. Ordonez was still feeling some dizziness on Sunday.

The good news for the Cubs' Mark Prior is that he's healthy. The bad news is that he has stunk so badly he may start the season in the minors. At the moment he's got nothing on his fastball.

Josh Hamilton was once the pride and joy of the Devil Rays' farm system. Then came injuries, drugs, and suspensions. The former 1st round pick looks like he's finally made it all the way back as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He's hitting .538 (14-26) this spring to all but assure himself of a roster spot when the team heads north.

Abreu and Junior Mints: Very Refreshing

It's nice for a change to not have a rightfielder shoooting his mouth off. Gary Sheffield was quick to remind us that "Bobby Abreu is not Gary Sheffield". We think that's a great thing! And the news gets even better. Abreu now appears to be on track to be in the opening day lineup after injuring an oblique muscle this spring. The kinder, gentler corner outfielder has been taking dry swings, hitting the ball off a tee as well as taking soft tosses, as he gets nearer to returning to live BP.

Maybe Todd Pratt isn't out of the running for backup catcher afterall. Wil Nieves has been shut down indefinitely with inflammation in his right bicep near the elbow. Raul Chavez helped his chances yesterday, gunning down a would-be Indians base stealer.

Humberto Sanchez has been long tossing as he gets nearer to throwing off a mound.

"Right now they have the hammer. One day I will". Those words came from a young Don Mattingly during contract negotiations. Chien-Ming Wang, who finished 2nd in the '06 Cy Young voting, now knows how Mattingly felt. He had his contract automatically renewed for this season for $490K. How do you think he feels seeing what the MLB unproven Igawa is getting?

Weekend Update

Just don't tell Lorne Michaels. Yours truly was down for the count with a bug and some overtime, so I didn't get a chance to post until today. Here's a wrap-up of the games and news from Friday thru today.

Friday

This game made news before it even started. Carl Pavano was in the middle of warm ups as he readied for his start. First came the news that Pavano was being sued by the guy who Pavano crashed into last year. Then Pavano, with permission form the Yanks, skedaddled. At the time, the team wouldn't specify what the issue was, but said it had nothing to do with the lawsuit.
Since then word has come down that the problem was a medical issue involving Pavano's girlfriend. Pavano verified that info yesterday, though he would not go into any detail. There has been an unsubstantiated rumor that she suffered a miscarriage.

As for the game, the Yankees pitching was the story once again as Jeffrey Karstens stepped up and tossed 3 shutout innings in his emergency start. He was originally slated to appear in relief in the game. Chase Wright followed Karstens with two 2-3 scoreless innings. Meanwhile Derek Jeter delivered a 2-run single in a 4-run 2nd inning. Jorge Posada added a solo home run in the 6th. It was Jorgie's 2nd of the spring. Melky Cabrera added 2 hits as well.

~~~

Saturday

The Yankees traveled to Bradenton on Saturday to face the Pittsburgh Pirates. Eric Duncan smacked a 2-run HR off of Salomon Torres in the top of the 9th to give the Yankees a 5-3 victory. Luis Vizcaino picked up the victory with an inning of relief. Sean Henn recorded the final out to earn the save.

All eyes were on the Yankees' starting pitcher in this one. Kei Igawa improved on his first outing, with 3 innings of solid work. Ronny Paulino tagged Igawa for a 2-out, 2-run HR in his 3rd and final inning of work. Igawa allowed 5 hits, walked none, and struck out 4. Tyler Clippard continued to make a name for himself by throwing a pair of scoreless innings. Robinson Cano helped out the offense with an RBI and a run scored.

~~~

Sunday

Earlier today the Yankees hosted the Cleveland Indians at Legends Field. Chien-Ming Wang got the start and turned in his longest outing of the season. After allowing a 1st inning HR to former Yankee David Dellucci, Wang allowed just 2 more hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in his 4 innings of work. Things did not go as smoothly for Phil Hughes. The prized prospect struggled with his control, walking 3 in 1 1-3 innings. He also allowed 3 runs on 4 hits. He's mostly headed to the minor league camp sooner rather than later.

Fausto Carmona failed miserably in his tryout as the Indians closer late last summer, but he breezed through 3 innings in his start against the Yanks. A-Rod and Brett Gardner each drove in a run off the Indians pen, but the Yankees trailed 4-2 in the 9th. That's when another super prospect gave the crowd a thrill. 19-year old Jose Tabata smacked an opposite field HR off of Jeff Harris for the Yankees final run in their 4-3 defeat.

Mariano Rivera gave up his 1st hit of the spring, but breezed through his 1 inning of work. Bronson Sardinha continued his torrid spring with 2 more hits.




A sign of things to come? Tabata goes deep

Short Stops - 3/9

The names continue to pour in from the HGH bust at Applied Pharmacy in Alabama. Former major leaguer (and member of the '98 Yankees) Darren Holmes is the latest athlete to be thrust into the spotlight.

The LA Angels are already looking into voiding Gary Matthews' 5-year, 50 mill deal should Little Sarge prove to be guilty or not 'fess up to his involvement in the Applied case. Matthews hit 50 points higher than his career average last season and added career highs in HR and RBI.

As part of his visit to Legends Field on Wednesday night, Roger Clemens stopped into the YES booth to talk with announcers Ken Singleton and Al Leiter. The Rocket seemed very relaxed and seems like a natural to do color commentary if he so chooses. He was already better than the informative, but very wooden, Leiter.

Humberto Sanchez has been able to throw off flat ground without any stiffness and he hopes to throw off a mound this weekend. Todd Pratt's career could be winding down. As we previously reported, he's been suffering from an inflamed heel. Turns out he has plantar fasciitis- a nearly impossible injury for a catcher to deal with.

The A's received a big blow to their season when it was announced that centerfielder Mark Kotsay will miss 3-4 months with back surgery. Kotsay's attitude and hustle is invaluable to the ball club.

One of our all-time fav's, El Duque, got slammed by the Orioles yesterday, giving up 5 runs in the 2nd inning. He still has a dance, and you don't Coney.

Good Afternoon Mr. Phelps

Josh Phelps took another step forward today in his battle with Andy Phillips for the right-handed side of the 1st base platoon. Phelps knocked in the go-ahead run in the Yankees' 5-3, 10 inning win over the Atlanta Braves in Orlando, Florida. Phelps got his chance when Chris Britton blew a 1 run lead with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th. Tony Pena Jr. made his Dad proud when he tripled home Willie Harris to tie the game at 3-3.

The Yankees answered right back in the 10th against Braves reliever Steve Colyer with a pair of runs. Phelps had given the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the 8th with a sacrifice fly and came through again, singling home Ben Davis for a 4-3 lead. Phelps is hitting .600 thus far and has taken advantage of Phillips' time away from the team. There's still plenty of spring games left, but it will leave Joe Torre with a tough call. Phillips is a proven major league entity to Torre, especially with his glove. But with Doug Mientkiewicz around, that may not prove to be as important. Phelps won't ever be mistaken for Don Mattingly, but if he can continue to hit, he can give the Yankees lineup a boost this year. That's something Phillips couldn't do last year.

Bronson Sardinha- yeah him again- continues to impress. Though not major league ready, he'll definitely be in the back of Brian Cashman's and Joe Torre's minds when the time comes. After already having game-winning and game-tying hits this week, "Then Came Bronson" went 3-5 to raise his spring average to .438.

Kevin Reese has quietly helped his chances of being a call-up in case of an injury to an outfielder. He's hitting a torrid .462 and has driven in 5 runs.

The Yankees pitching continues to excel. Mike Mussina wasn't spectacular, but wasn't too bad either. Moose allowed 2 runs, including a Jeff Francoeur home run, in his 3 innings of work. The bullpen really stood out though, allowing 1 run over 7 innings. Colter Bean and Matt DeSalvo threw a pair of scoreless innings each, while Scott Proctor and Ron Villone each put up a 1 inning goose egg. Villone picked up the save in the 10th.

FIRST AID ALERT - Carl Pavano makes his second spring start on Friday.

Welcome Back Kotter

Throw a mustache and a 'fro on Andy Pettitte and John Sebastian could start singing the theme to the Gabe Kaplan sitcom. Watching Andy on the mound in last night's 1-1, 10-inning, tie with the Atlanta Braves was a bit surreal. Especially with Roger Clemens sitting in the 1st base stands near the Yankees dugout.

Pettitte wasn't as sharp as he usually is, barely throwing more strikes than balls in his 49 pitch effort. But, he impressed the Rocket and the fans when he escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam, with a strikeout and a tailor-made 4-6-3 double play. Pettitte pitched most of the game with a small cut on his left hand after a piece of a broken bat nicked him (no, it was not thrown by Clemens).

It's still hard to believe that Pettitte left in the first place. The Yankees clearly missed his presence in the 3 years he was gone (like when they had to turn to Kevin Brown in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS). Pettitte was working his way up the ladder of all-time great Yankees pitchers, not just the lineage of left-handers (Whitey, Gator, Lefty, etc.). His 149 wins in pinstripes is the 9th-best mark on the team. He should finish in the top 5 if he stays healthy and plays another year. If Pettitte hadn't left, Whitey Ford's mark of 236 wins would not necessarily have been out of reach.

Here's to a healthy year for the Andyman!

~~~

Mariano Rivera had a nice 1-2-3 inning against Cincy, and threw a change up- almost as rare a blue whale (David Wells?).

Bronson Sardinha stood out among all the veterans with another big 9th inning hit. Sardinha hit a walk-off 2-run home run on Monday to beat the Tigers. Last night he delivered the game tieing single in the 9th.

Short Stops - 3/7

John Rocker has admitted that he has used the growth hormone HGH. Gee, what a shock. Rocker's revelation came via a publicist after Sports Illustrated reported Rocker's name was on the client list of recently-busted Applied Pharmacy in Mobile, Alabama. Rocker claims he used it for medicinal reasons. Sorry, John, it won't increase the size of your brain. Fellow major leaguer David Bell, pro wrestler Kurt Angle, and champion body builder Victor Martinez (not to be confused with the Indians' catcher) were also named. Angels' centerfielder Gary Matthews Jr. was previously reported as being on the client list.

No matter the sport, can we please just ban idiots already? No not the fans, the players. Ron Artest was arrested the other day for domestic violence. Turns out now that the police were called to Artest's home 5 times since August. Two of those calls were specifically for domestic violence. Just because his wife hasn't pressed charges in the past, it doesn't mean the league shouldn't take action. Same goes for the NFL concerning Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson, and half of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Javier Vazquez just picked up a 3-year, $34 million extension from the Chicago White Sox. Amazing how much money you can make being mediocre.

Yanks Streak Comes to an E-nd

An error by young shortstop Alberto Gonzalez lead to 3 unearned runs and enabled the Cleveland Indians to rally to a 6-5 win over the Yankees in Winter Haven, Florida. The loss snapped the Yankees' unbeaten streak at 5. After trailing 2-0 early, Kevin Reese and Josh Phelps each smacked 2-run home runs to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead entering the bottom of the 7th.

The Indians put 3 on the board against prospect Russ Ohlendorf for a 5-4 lead. The Tribe added an insurance run in the 8th off of Kyle Farnsworth. They would need it as Raul Chavez knocked in a run in the 9th for the Bombers.

Chien-Ming Wang started for the Yankees and was up and down, allowing 2 runs in his 3 innings of work. Grady Sizemore lead off the bottom of the 1st with a solo home run that quickly gave the Indians the lead.

Phil Hughes looked very sharp following Wang; Hughes threw a pair of scoreless innings, picking a runner off of 1st and getting another to hit into a double play.

Reese (3) and Hidek Matsui (2) combined for 5 of the Yankees' 8 hits off of 8 Indians pitchers. Tony Sipp picked up the win for Cleveland, with Jeff Harris notching the save.

Short Stops

Gary Sheffield and the Detroit Tigers came to Legends Field to play the Yankees yesterday, so of course the media was all over it. Among the pearls of wisdom that Sheff bestowed on all ears: A-Rod will have a great year, and that opening up about his relationship with Jeter will help him immensely. Sheff had to earn every bit of respect from Joe Torre (you wanted to be treated like a king immediately Gary?). He had planned to retire before the lack of an extension from the Yankees "pushed" him to prove he could get the money. Some people just never grow up.

J.D. Drew is whining about the LA Dodgers' lack of interest once he opted out of his contract. Hmm, let's see J.D.. The Dodgers gave you a very fair contract and you decided to opt out of it because of greed. And you wonder why they don't miss you?

Bobby Murcer held a teleconference yesterday to let everyone know his spirits are good and he plans on getting back to the YES booth this year!

The Marlins' rotation took a blow when it was discovered that Josh Johnson has an irritated ulnar nerve and will miss the 1st two months of the season.

Todd Pratt's chances of making the Yankees 25-man roster has become limited by an inflamed heel. He's been shut down for at least several days. Pratt has said he would retire if he didn't make the club.

Igawa Lackluster, But Yankees Walk Off With Win

Kei Igawa's debut was nothing to write home about it, but prospect Bronson Sardinha will have plenty to talk about it after hitting a 2-out, 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th to give the Yankees a 6-5 win over the Detroit Tigers. Former Yankee Felix Heredia had retired the 1st two batters in the 9th before allowing a single to Josh Phelps. After a wild pitch moved Phelps into scoring position, the left-handed hitting Sardinha drove a Heredia pitch deep over the wall in right for the victory. Ron Villone picked up his 2nd win of the spring.




Bronson Sardinha watches his walk-off HR





Igawa allowed single runs in each of the 1st two innings (1 IP officially), allowing 2 hits, while walking 3 and striking out 3. Hideki Matsui hit his 1st home run of the spring.

Full Box Score

Yankees Pound Phils 10-5

Carl Pavano made his much anticipated return to the mound, and the Yankees pounded out 15 hits in a 10-5 romp over the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, FL. The victory improved the Yankees spring mark to 4-0. Pavano's 2 innings were ordinary; he allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out none. Jeffrey Karstens picked up the victory with a pair of scoreless innings in relief. Melky Cabrera went 3-3 as 8 different Yankees drove in a run. Raul Chavez added a pair of RBI after replacing starter Wil Nieves.

Chase Wright (2 IP 1 ER), Luis Vizcaino (1 IP 1 ER), Colter Bean (1 IP), Mike Myers (.2 IP 2 R 1 ER), and Kevin Whelan (.1 IP) also saw action on the mound, with Whelan notching his 2nd save of the spring.

Anderson Garcia took the loss for the Phillies after starter Cole Hamels tossed 3 innings of shutout ball.

Posada HRs as Yankees Rally

Jorge Posada hit his 1st home run of the spring and the Yankees rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th for a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh. Jeff Kennard picked up the victory, while Jose Veras pitched a scoreless 9th for the save.

Mike Mussina gave up a solo home run to Brad Eldred in his 2 innings of work. Matt DeSalvo, Kyle Farnsworth, and Sean Henn also threw for the Yankees. Ramiro Pena, Marcos Vechionacci, and Kevin Reese paced the offense with an RBI each.

R H E

Pirates 3 9 0
Yankees 4 6 0





Jorge goes deep

Basak Blasts Rays

Chris Basak belted a 3-run homer today as the Yankees rallied in the 7th inning to defeat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 3-1. Ron Villone picked up the victory as the Yankees improved to 2-0. Andy Pettitte made his return debut in pinstripes, throwing a pair of shutout innings. Ruddy Lugo took the loss for the Rays.

Final R H E
Yankees 3 6 1
Rays 1 5 0

5 in 100

The Yankees trailed only Colorado and Arizona for the number of players in Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects, which was released yesterday. Philip Hughes topped the Yankees' list at # 4. Jose Tabata was the Yankees' top non-pitching prospect. The outfielder came in at #27.

Also on the list were:

#57 Humberto Sanchez
#75 Joba Chamberlain
#100 Dellin Betances

Click Here to view the entire list.