On The Warning Track - 2nd Half Outlook AL East - Yankees

For years the American League East held the unofficial title of the best division in baseball. That’s not the case any more, though the division is still extremely competitive despite its flawed teams. There’s no question that it may take as little as 90 wins to capture the division title and any of the five teams in the division could be on top when the regular season ends on October 4.

The next two weeks will determine whether or not teams are buyers or sellers at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. With a weakened division and the two wild card spots, a minimum of four teams will be buyers, with the Red Sox the lone possible seller as of this writing.

Here’s a look at what you can expect from each AL East team, starting with the Yankees, for the second half of the season.

New York Yankees (48-40): Most media experts and predictors felt the Yankees would finish in 4th or 5th/last place in the division. When you look at the construct of the team, you can understand why those predictions were made. But the Yankees have gotten performances from unexpected sources and have taken an advantage of the inconsistency of their division rivals.

Surprises – There was nothing more unexpected than the performances of first baseman Mark Teixeira and Designated Hitter Alex Rodriguez. Teixeira was selected to his first All-Star since 2009, his first year in New York. The Georgia Tech product saw his production suffer the last few years due to some bad habits and injuries, including a wrist injury that kept him out of all but 15 games in 2013. He entered the break with an AL leading 62 RBI and has his highest slugging pct. (SLG) in six years.

Read the rest of the story on the always free, On the Warning Track.

Time to Take a Look at the Yankees Bank Account

With the addition of Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, and Brian McCann, and the return of Hiroki Kuroda, the Yankees purse strings have tightened up a bit.

So far this is roughly the impact of the players under contract on the luxury tax:

Derek Jeter: $12.81MM
Alex Rodriguez: $27.5MM
Mark Teixeira: $22.5MM
Alfonso Soriano $4MM
Vernon Wells: $0
Brian McCann: $17MM
Jacoby Ellsbury: $21.857MM
Carlos Beltran: $15MM
Hiroki Kuroda: $16MM
Ichiro Suzuki: $6.5MM
CC Sabathia: $24.4MM
Kelly Johnson: $3MM
Brendan Ryan: $1.6667MM

Add in about $11MM for insurance and the Yankees total, with A-Rod, is $183.233MM. Suddenly the luxury tax limit of $189MM is crushing. Since there is no immediate resolution to A-Rod's appeal hearing the Yankees have no choice but to operate as if the lightning rod will be part of the 25 man roster in 2014.

That means that if the Yankees have less than $6MM to spend and need 12 more players on the roster. Which is the reason the Yankees are shopping Ichiro Suzuki and Brett Gardner. The big ticket free agent signings are over for this year and the Yankees will now need to look to trades, from within the organization, and minor free agents to fill out the roster. Should one or both outfielders get dealt it could create an opening for Zoilo Almonte, who had impressed the Yankees the last two spring trainings and in 34 big league games.

Among the players still to be added to the roster are:

Ivan Nova
David Robertson
Shawn Kelley
Brett Gardner or a replacement if dealt.
Francisco Cervelli or Austin Romine
A left-handed reliever (possibly Cesar Cabral)
A 4th and 5th starter - one of which may come from David Phelps, Adam Warren, Vidal Nuno, or Michael Pineda. If Pineda is healthy he would be the ideal choice.

That would still leave four roster spots, five if they release Wells even though he has no luxury tax impact. If Ichiro is dealt, probably for low level prospects/non-prospects, that would take $6.5MM off the books. Gardner is arbitration eligible and would like get $3.5MM - $4MM.

The Rumor Mill

A report came out on Monday that the Yankees were looking into Twins free agent and ex-Met starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey. To say the reaction from the fans was pure rage would be an understatement. Letting Phil Hughes walk and replacing him with Pelfrey would be utter nonsense. (I'm keeping it clean)

The Indians are reportedly shopping Justin Masterson who made over $5.6MM last season and is arbitration eligible. Masterson made his first All-Star appearance this past season and you can expect he'll get a healthy increase, one that would be out of the Yankees range of spending.

Yankees Drop Some Ticket Prices, Raise Others

The following press release was sent out by the Yankees on Monday concerning 2014 ticket prices. Who the fans will be watching remains to be seen. Derek Jeter? Alex Rodriguez? Ichiro Suzuki? Sadly, no Mariano Rivera or Andy Pettitte.

The New York Yankees today announced 2014 full-season ticket license pricing for regular season games at Yankee Stadium. Prices for 96 percent of tickets will either remain the same or decrease.

Approximately 39,000 tickets (78 percent) will have the same price in 2014 as they had in 2013, while approximately 9,000 tickets (18 percent) will have a decrease in price. There are approximately 2,000 tickets (four percent) that will have an increase in price.

All seats in the Grandstand and all seats with non-obstructed views in the Bleachers will not have a change in ticket price.

Terrace Level ticket prices in Sections 305, 306, 307, 332B, 333 and 334 will decrease from $40 to $28, and ticket prices in Sections 313, 314, 326 and 327 will decrease from $55 to $50. There will be no change in pricing for all other 2014 Terrace Level tickets.

In the Main Level, ticket prices in Sections 210 and 229 will decrease from $70 to $50, while ticket prices in Sections 216, 217, 223, 224 and 230 will decrease by $5 each.

Beginning with the 2014 season, seats in Sections 116 through 124 (Rows 12-21) will be known as Field MVP Club seats. Full-season licensees in these locations will have their ticket prices decrease from $260 per game in 2013 to $235 per game next season. Additionally, these licensees will have access to the Field MVP Club Lounge, which is currently being constructed and scheduled to open on Opening Day 2014. Located on the Field Level Concourse, this new space has been developed with the successful Delta SKY360° Suite redesign in mind.

Other Field Level ticket license pricing in Sections 114A through 126 will decrease in amounts ranging from $15 to $25 per ticket per game.

Also for 2014, the Yankees will be introducing 10 new Outdoor Suite Boxes, which will be located in Field MVP Sections 117A, 117B, 122 and 123. Each of these outdoor suites will provide seating for six to eight people. These suites will be available on a full-season basis.

As part of other renovations, the Home Plate Team Store, which is the largest retail location in Yankee Stadium, will be transformed to create an improved experience for fans.

The only Yankee Stadium tickets that are increasing in price are Field Level Section 132 tickets, Main Level Section 215 and 225 tickets and obstructed view Bleacher tickets in Sections 201 and 239.

Fans can purchase 2014 season tickets by visiting yankees.com or calling 212-YANKEES (926-5337). Those with questions may call the preceding number or email seasontickets@yankees.com. Fans with visual impairments and/or who are blind should call (718) 579-4595 (TTY).

A date has yet to be determined for the on-sale of 2014 individual-game tickets.

A grid reflecting full-season ticket pricing in non-Suite locations is set forth below and in the attached press release. For information as it becomes available, please visit www.yankees.com.

Location	2013 Full-Season Licensee Price per Game	2014 Full-Season Licensee Price per Game	Change
Field MVP Club Seat Level (Rows 12-21: 116-124)	$260	$235	Decrease
Field MVP Level (Rows 22-26: 116-124)*	$225	$200	Decrease
Field MVP Level (Rows 22-26: 120A-122)*	$210	$190	Decrease
Field Level (Rows 12-21: 115)	$225	$200	Decrease
Field Level (Rows 12-14: 114A, 114B)*	$210	$190	Decrease
Field Level (Rows 22-30: 115; Rows 12-21: 125; Rows 12-14: 126, 127A)	$210	$190	Decrease
Field Level (Rows 22-30: 125; Rows 15-30: 114a, 114b, 126)*	$175	$160	Decrease
Field Level (Rows 15-30:127A; Rows 12-14: 112, 113, 127b, 128)	$150	$150	No Change
Field Level (Rows 1-14: 111,129; Rows 15-30: 112, 113, 127b, 128)*	$120	$120	No Change
Field Level (Rows 2-14: 108-110, 130)	$100	$100	No Change
Field Level (Rows 15-30: 111, 129; Rows 5-14: 103-107)*	$90	$90	No Change
Field Level (Row 7-29: 131; Rows 15-30: 110, 130)*	$80	$80	No Change
Field Level (Rows 15-30: 105, 106, 107, 108, 109)*	$75	$75	No Change
Field Level (132)*	$65	$75	Increase
Field Level (Rows 15-30: 103, 104)*	$70	$70	No Change
Field Level (133-136)*	$65	$65	No Change
Main Level (Rows 1-22: 216, 217, 223, 224)*	$125	$120	Decrease
Main Level (Rows 1-22: 215, 225)*	$110	$120	Increase
Main Level (Rows 1-22: 213-214b, 226-227b)*	$80	$80	No Change
Main Level (Rows 1-22: 211, 212, 228)*	$70	$70	No Change
Main Level (Rows 1-22: 205-209)*	$50	$50	No Change
Main Level (210, 229)*	$70	$50	Decrease
Main Level (230)	$55	$50	Decrease
Main Level (Rows 1-22: 231-234)*	$45	$45	No Change
Terrace Level (Rows 1-10: 322, 323)	$80	$80	No Change
Terrace Level (Rows 1-10: 315, 316, 324, 325)	$65	$65	No Change
Terrace Level (Rows 1-8: 313, 314, 326, 327)	$55	$50	Decrease
Terrace Level (Rows 1-10: 308-312, 328-332A)	$40	$40	No Change
Terrace Level (Rows 1-10: 305-307, 332B-334)	$40	$28	Decrease
Grandstand Level (Rows 1-14: 414-426), Terrace Level ADA*	$28	$28	No Change
Grandstand Level (Rows 1-14: 405-413, 427-434B), Terrace Level ADA*	$20	$20	No Change
Bleachers (Rows 1-24: 201-239)	$20	$20	No Change
Bleachers (Rows 1-24: 201/239 Obstructed View)*	$12	$15	Increase

A-Rod: What a Fool Believes

Dr. Gross may not be smiling much longer

The Yankees had a really great come from behind win in the 9th inning against the Texas Rangers Tuesday night, but you would never know it. All that was talked about today was the continuing saga of Alex Rodriguez aka A-Quad.

It's a situation that appears to not to be going away any time soon, in part because A-Quad has decided to go on the offensive.  Dr. Michael Gross, not to be confused with the Dad on Family Ties, made the media rounds on Tuesday to refute the Yankees claim that A-Quad has a Grade-1 strain of his left quadriceps.

The ball got rolling when Gross appeared on Mike Francesa's radio show on WFAN Wednesday afternoon and claimed that the MRI of A-Quad's leg showed no injury and that A-Quad felt fine and ready to play in games.

Gross later backed down a little when he was questioned by other media about his supposed examination of A-Rod's quad. Gross, in fact, never actually examined A-Quad, he simply read the MRI. After he told Francesa he "saw nothing", Gross later said he "didn't see much." When questioned by ESPN.com's Andrew Marchand, Gross changed his statement again to "I don't see a significant injury."

Yankees GM Brian Cashman released a statement Wednesday evening in response to the allegation as well as to reports that A-Quad sought a second opinion without getting permission from the team, which would be a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

“I heard via a text message this afternoon from Alex Rodriguez that he had retained a doctor to review his medical situation. In media reports, we have since learned that the doctor in question has acknowledged that he did not examine Mr. Rodriguez and that he was not retained to do a comprehensive medical examination of Mr. Rodriguez. Contrary to the Basic Agreement, Mr. Rodriguez did not notify us at any time that he was seeking a second opinion from any doctor with regard to his quad strain.

“As you know, it is the Yankees’ desire to have Alex return to the lineup as soon as possible. And we have done everything to try and accomplish this.

“As early as Friday, July 12, when I suggested to Alex that we move his rehab from Tampa to Triple-A Scranton (at Buffalo), Alex complained for the first time of “tightness” in his quad and therefore refused to consent to the transfer of his assignment. Again, last Sunday, Alex advised that he had stiffness in his quad and should not play on Sunday or Monday. We sent Alex to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for an MRI which evidenced a Grade 1 strain.

“As always, we will follow the rules and regulations set forth in the Basic Agreement, and will again re-evaluate Alex in Tampa tomorrow, as our goal is to return him to the lineup as soon as he is medically capable of doing so.”¹

Things got even crazier a short time ago when the New York Daily News reported that Gross is now part of Major League Baseball's investigation into the Biogenesis clinic.

"Gross was reprimanded in February for “failing to adequately ensure proper patient treatment involving the prescribing of hormones including steroids.” 

When notified by the Daily News of the reprimand Gross received from the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners, a league source said Major League Baseball’s investigation of Rodriguez in the Biogenesis case would expand.

"This has caused MLB to now expand its investigation (of A-Rod) in regard to his relationship with this doctor and this wellness clinic,” said the source. According to the reprimand letter, Gross started a clinic called Active Center for Health and Wellness, where he permitted an individual “who had completed medical school but did not have a medical license to participate in the care and treatment of the patients.”²

If Rodriguez truly had a leg to stand on (yeah, I went there), he could simply have filed a grievance with the player's union. As far as anyone knows, that has not happened. Here's hoping Bud Selig and company get off their behinds soon and announce a suspension.

"Alex Rodriguez making trouble for himself since at least 2003."

And just so it's not completely lost in the mix, great job by Vernon Wells, Eduardo Nunez, and Brent Lillibridge to beat the Rangers Tuesday night, 5-4.

1 - Courtesy of NJ.com
2 - Courtesy of NYDN.com

A-Rod Ready to Hit Live Pitching

In the next step towards his return to the Yankees, suspensions not withstanding, Alex Rodriguez will face live pitching on Tuesday. That according to Brian Cashman on a conference call with reporters.

A-Rod ran the bases on Saturday at about a 75% effort as he inched closer to a return. The controversial third baseman will still need a rehab assignment of undetermined length before he dons the big league pinstripes. It all may not mean anything if Bud Selig and crew slam the hammer down on A-Rod for his alleged involvement with Biogenesis.

Derek Jeter recently increased his baseball activities and hopefully will return sometime sooner rather than later. Francisco Cervelli's broken hand is coming along nicely and he should return sooner than all of the DL'ed players. Eduardo Nunez is on the 60-day DL and has no timetable attached to him.  Meanwhile, Curtis Granderson's finger gently weeps. (Apologies to George Harrison.)

1 Game In and I'm Already Sick of Hearing About A-Rod

There's no such thing as smooth sailing with A-Rod

Alex Rodriguez has been practically invisible this off-season, except for occasional pictures and comments here and there about his recovery from hip surgery.

Of course, he just had to be at Yankee Stadium for the "glorious majesty" of the home opener. And then he sat on the bench, wasn't introduced, and ate sunflower seeds all day. Most fans probably didn't even know he was in the ballpark and that was just fine with the Yankees and with A-Rod.

Talk radio picked up on it quickly though and Michael Kay wondered aloud why A-Rod wasn't introduced if he was there. Mark Teixeira is on the DL, but he was introduced.  Kay was going to try to find out at the "Welcome Home" dinner that night if it was the Yankees or A-Rod's decision.

According to Yankees PR chief Jason Zillo it was all A-Rod.

Rodriguez told reporters he didn’t “need to be introduced to feel like I’m part of this team.” Asked if he wanted to be introduced, Rodriguez said, “I’ll tell you what – when I get introduced, I want to be on the field and not look back.”

And this is with him not playing..what fun.

Teixeira's Season Hanging By a Sheath

"It hurts when I go like this."

The Yankees 2013 season is going from bad to worse and we haven't even gotten out of March yet. 1st baseman Mark Teixeira was already expected to be out up to two months with an injured right wrist, but word is now he could have season ending surgery at some point.

GM Brian Cashman told the media that there was a 75% chance that Teixeira would not need surgery, but at this point who can rule anything out when it comes to this year's team.

Teixeira hurt the wrist while using a weighted bat off of a tee at the World Baseball Classic. The injury likely would have occurred in Yankees' camp had the WBC not existed. The exercise was just part of Teixeira's normal routine.

What's not normal is the number of injuries the Yankees have suffered before the regular season has started. Curtis Granderson (broken forearm), Phil Hughes (bulging disc in back), Boone Logan (sore elbow), Clay Rapada (bursitis), and Alex Rodriguez (hip surgery) have all suffered injuries that vary in severity. Even Cashman broke his leg and dislocated his ankle while sky diving.

Teixeira's injury may be the worst of all (possibly surpassed by A-Rod, who also may be out for the year.) since there is so much uncertainty on how the sheath is his wrist will hold up. Unlike Toronto's Jose Bautista who had the surgery last year and missed 2 1/2 months of the season, the tendon in Teixeira's wrist is stable.

With it now likely that Teixeira won't return until June, Cashman has to continue to check the waiver wire, but also make more calls to add some pop to the lineup. He already made a good move when he picked up Brennan Boesch after Detroit released the outfielder.

Fans and some pundits (i.e. Mike Francesa) are calling for the acquisition of Justin Morneau from Minnesota. Morneau had had his own injury issues over the last few years (concussions causing the most trouble), but he did play in 134 games last season and produced 19 home runs and 77 RBI. (Plus a .773 OPS). He's scheduled to make $14MM this year and will be a free agent after the season.

The Twins have averaged just 64.5 wins over the last two years, so they may be willing to deal Morneau prior to season's trade deadline. They will ask for plenty for him, but given his salary, injury history and soon-to-be free agent status, they cannot expect to get a prospect laden package in return (perhaps Cashman can deal some of the overhyped pitching prospects in the system).

Twins GM Terry Ryan could probably get a bigger return for Joe Mauer than for Morneau, but Mauer does not fit into the Yankees plans. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, Mark Teixeira will.

Top 10 NY Chumps: Another Ridiculous ESPN List

Dave Rothenberg was sitting in for Michael Kay on ESPN radio earlier today and was discussing the Top 10 Chumps in New York sports in 2012. Yes, another ridiculous list among a plethora of ridiculous lists that ESPN compiles.

Before I heard the 10 people it was obvious that Alex Rodriguez and several members of the NY Jets would be involved. There was voting for the list, but at the moment I don't know if it was done by members of ESPN and/or the fans. Rothenberg mentioned that he had voted, but I did not hear any other details. But I was truly shocked to hear that Curtis Granderson was #10.

The selection of Granderson immediately told me how absurd the list was going to be. Granderson did not have a good 2012 season or post-season. There's no question about that. However, Granderson is the kind of player you want on your team. A stand up guy, who always talks to the media, Granderson has also been a great ambassador for the game with trips overseas the last two years.  His selection also makes me think the fickle New York fans definitely had a hand in things.

Even the #9 selection of Nick Swisher was a bit silly. Swisher had a good regular season and a bad post-season, his normal season in other words.  But how far has this guy has fallen with Yankees fans is amazing - he has gone from being extremely popular to being the #9 chump on a list that deserved to be part of the list. I doubt such lists exists in Cleveland.

As for A-Rod, he was #4; barring some miracle A-Rod will be vilified for the remaining time he's in the Bronx whether he deserves it or not.

Jets coach Rex Ryan topped the list, followed by the team's GM Mike Tannenbaum, and QB Mark Sanchez. The first two you can understand, but I feel for Sanchez. He was over-hyped by the team from the start and because he hasn't played up to a perceived ability, people hate him and that's asinine.

Jets owner Woody Johnson was eighth on the list, and in my opinion, should have been #2 for creating the Tim Tebow fiasco. Despite having not played in New York/New Jersey, the LA Lakers Dwight Howard finished 7th. The fact that he never ended up with Nets  when it almost seemed certain he would and his immature exit from Orlando apparently weighed heavily with the voters.

Former Knicks coach and current Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni  finished 5th. D'Antoni did the best he could with a less than stellar squad, but his refusal to have the offense flow through Carmelo Anthony damned him to New Yorkers.

Fred and Jeff Wilpon finished 6th and clearly would have been #1 had the list been voted on in early September.

A-Rod's 600th - Finally

From BaseballDigest.com

It took him 47 at-bats and was preceded by an 0-17 slump, but Alex Rodgriguez still became the youngest player to hit 600 home runs when he went deep off of Shaun Marcum of the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon.

The recently turned 35-yr old hit the milestone home run three years to the exact day that he his his 500th home run off of Kanas City’s Kyle Davies. With Derek Jeter on 2nd base, A-Rod drilled a Marcum fastball into Monument Park in dead centerfield.

By hitting the ball to a non-fan spot, A-Rod also doesn’t have to worry about negotiating for the baseball. (Yankee Stadium security guard Frankie Babilonia recovered the baseball.) A-Rod was willing to offer an autographed baseball and bat. Jack Curry of the YES Network reported that if necessary, A-Rod was even willing to throw in a lunch with Cameron Diaz and himself.

A-Rod joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Sammy Sosa, and Ken Griffey Jr. at the 600 HR plateau and joined Ruth as the only player to wear a Yankees uniform while hitting his 600th.

So how does A-Rod stack up in history? That remains to be determined.

4 Series, 4 Series Wins

When was the last time the Yankees had a good April? You can't tell me, can you? That's because it seems like it has been forever.

But these 2010 Yankees are off to a much better start than the the squad that won the World Series last season. Of course, much of the cast is the same, but there are significant differences in left field, at DH, and the back end of the rotation.

So far the Yankees have played four series and have won all four. The first time any Yankees team has done so since 1926. First, there was 2 of 3 in hated Beantown. Then another 2 of 3 against fellow AL East beast Tampa Bay for a 4-2 road trip. The first series at home saw the Yankees take another 2 of 3 from their long time nemesis, the LA Angels. And finally, with a game still to be played today the Yankees have already clinched the series with the Texas Rangers by winning the first two games.

In compiling an 8-3 start the Yankees have gotten great starting pitching, timely hitting, and superb defense. All of which Texas has not gotten in the first two games in the Bronx. They haven't even gotten good defense. The Rangers could have set a major league record for errors the last two days if not for a generous official scorer or two.

Right now I'm wondering what I was thinking for picking them to win the AL West (Minny in the AL Central, Philly in the NL East, St. Loo in the NL Central and LA in the NL West are the others).

But let's talk more about the Yankees. This is a team that has won 8 of 11 despite the fact that Alex Rodriguez didn't hit a home run until yesterday. Which, by the way, moved him past Mark McGwire on the all-time list (let's not even go near the obvious subject). Mark Teixeira isn't hitting a 5-yr old's weight, and Javier Vazquez's ERA is higher than the IQ of anyone on "Jersey Shore".

So what is going on? Derek Jeter is being Derek Jeter. He's had a hit in all 11 games, is batting .380 and is secondon the team with 3 home runs.

Robinson Cano is on a tear. His 10-game hitting streak ended Saturday, but he's still batting ("a gaudy", thank you Michael Kay) .356 with team highs in HR (4) and RBI (9).

Jorge Posada has an 1.128 OPS. Nick Johnson has only 6 hits, but 13 walks. Brett Gardner had 3 infield hits on Saturday and his speed caused havoc on the basepaths.

And Curtis Granderson has had no trouble adjusting to NY, posting a .924 OPS in his first 11 games.

Then, of course, there is the pitching. A.J. Burnett was outstanding on Saturday, following up another stand out performance by CC Sabathia on Friday. Andy Pettitte is coming off back to back solid starts as he goes for the sweep today.

And the defense has made just four errors thus far. Granted there have been plays in left field that should have been made, but that's what happens when Marcus Thames is out there.

It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a team to build up an 8-3 record and the Yankees have gotten contributions from everywhere. Just wait until the calendar turns to May and Mark Teixeira starts hitting.

59 is divine?

Yesterday marked the 59th anniversary of two debuts. Both Mickey Mantle and Bob Sheppard made their debuts on April 17, 1951.

Playoff WIn 2 Victory Song

2 down 9 to go.

Some Game 1 Thoughts

Workouts after victories aren't so bad.

The sun is always a little brighter after a nice win. Some thoughts about last night's win.

. How good does A-Rod feel this morning? A-Rod got the monkey off his back with a couple of RBI singles. It was strange seeing Kate Hudson and Jay-Z celebrating together.

. Derek Jeter is Derek Jeter. The Captain of Clutch comes through again with a 2-run, game tying home run that rocks the house. (Great piece on being Jeterian by the Star Ledger's Steve Politi)

.Was it necessary for Joe Girardi to go with Mariano Rivera in the 9th? With a day off today, Girardi probably wanted to keep Mo sharp. But after getting two quick outs, Rivera issued a walk and gave up a base hit. Suddenly his pitch count was to 23. No reason to yank Phil Hughes with two outs in the 8th either.

. Jorge Posada thought he had Game 1 off too. Posada and CC Sabathia crossed each other up, once each according to Sabathia, which resulted in a pair of passed balls for Posada. To make matters worse, Posada lolly gagged after one of the pitches, enabling Joe Mauer to score from third base.

Posada made a nice block on a pitch in the dirt later in the game, but couldn't locate the ball, allowing two runners to advance. The YES Network's John Flaherty pointed out that Posada didn't freeze the base runner at second with his eyes.

. TBS isn't as annoying as FOX. Okay, someone on Twitter pointed out to me that I set the bar pretty low on that one. Chip Caray is carrying on a family tradition of bad/annoying/inebriated (ok, that was just grandpa Harry, though maybe that applies to Dad Skip too) announcers. The "internets" are still laughing about Caray's overuse of the word "fisted" in the Twins-Tigers one game playoff.

I've always like Ron Darling as a commentator, but he was rambling last night and threw in a few malapropisms ("Joba needs to grab the antlers" - it's "grab the bull by the horns", Ron).

TBS had some of the same nonsense production as FOX though- Trying to break the record for talking about the Yankees payroll and failed playoff performances. They brought up all the negative stats for A-Rod, even when he did come through with a clutch hit.

There was sound/audtio problems, but nothing compared to those that took place in the two other division series games that TBS showed yesterday. The Cards-Dodgers was particularly bad.

. Mark Teixeira's start to the playoffs made me think of Tino in '96.

. Orlando Cabrera is annoying.

. Still surprised Ron Gardenhire pitched to A-Rod with a man in scoring position after A-Rod's earlier RBI hit.


As you may or may not know, we/me/I here at My Pinstripes tweet quite a bit during games. There's good interaction between the Yankees fans, beat writers, and other baseball people. I encourage you to join, if you haven't already, and follow me

Tweet of the Night - Have to go with Steve Politi (NJ_StevePoliti): "If Posada gets the game-winning hit, does Burnett send Molina out to pie him?"

The Throw Away Game

With A-Rod needing a rest, Nick Swisher sore after taking a foul ball off of his knee, and Jorge Posada suffering from bruised toes from a foul ball, Joe Girardi has put out a less than stellar Yankees line up for this afternoon's (3:35 p.m. ET) game with the Scott Kazmir and the LA Angels of Anaheim.

SS Jeter
3B Hairston
1B Teixeira
DH Matsui
RF Duncan
2B Cano
LF Cabrera
CF Gardner
C Molina

Hence, "the throw away game". Yankees need a big game out of A.J. Burnett to take 2 of 3 in the series.

25 or 6 to 4

All that slugging (not Posada and Carlson) going on in the Bronx..and on the road (Take note FOX and ESPN) has the Yankees on the brink of a new team record.- Players with 25 or more home runs.

The team is currently tied with the 1938 squad with 3 players and with Johnny Damon (1) and Robinson Cano (2) on the brink of reaching the season milestone, this year's team should set a new standard.

Hideki Matsui's game tying home run on Wednesday was his 25th, joining Mark Teixeira (36), Nick Swisher (27), and Alex Rodriguez (25) who had already eclipsed the mark.

The '38 team members with 25 or more were Joe DiMaggio (32), Lou Gehrig (29), Bill Dickey (27), and Joe Gordon (25).

Always overlooked on the great Yankees team is the pitching and the '38 starting rotation is no exception.

Red Ruffing 21-7, 3.31
Lefty Gomez 18-12, 3.35
Monte Person 16-7, 3.97
Spud Chandler 14-5, 4.03

Ruffing and Gomez are both in the Hall of Fame.

And now some classic Chicago.

Meet the Faulkers

I generally don't talk about A-Rod's love life, but couldn't pass up this one as Kate Hudson, mom Goldie Hawn, and step-Dad Kurt Russell take in today's Yankees game. Taking the next step A-Rod? Goldie getting her Botox from A-Rod's cousin?

Yankees Stumble in Chicago Again

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: A-Rod • a.j. burnett • Chicago White Sox • Derek Jeter • Jerry Hairston Jr. • John Danks • Mark Teixeira • Scott Podsednik • Yankees 8/1 recap • Yankees vs. White Sox

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NY Yankees	0	0	2	0	0	1	1	0	0		4	8	1
Chi White Sox	0	6	0	0	1	0	1	6	X		14	17	2

WP - Danks (9-7) LP - Burnett (10-5)

The Yankees have had some very big moments this season, but when things have gone bad, boy have they gone bad. Such was the case again yesterday when A.J. Burnett got lit up for six runs in the 2nd inning and the Yankees lost to the Chicago White Sox 14-4. As good as the Yankees were on their recent homestand, winning 9 of 10, that’s how bad they’ve looked in losing three straight in Chicago.

Burnett has been as a good an any pitcher in baseball over the last two months, but yesterday afternoon he was completely lacking command. In fact, he twice walked the number 9 hitter with the bases loaded to force in a run. The bullpen was no better either,particularly Phil Coke. The left-hander allowed 6 runs while retiring just one batter.

Read the rest of my recap at Baseball Digest Online.

Yankees Sweep O's out of Town

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2		4	9	0
NY Yankees	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	X		6	11	1

The Yankees enjoyed some afternoon delight on Wednesday, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 to complete their second straight 3-game series sweep. In doing so they extended their current winning streak to six games and moved two full games ahead of Boston in the AL East. A.J. Burnett threw an effective 7 innings to pick up his 9th win, buoyed by a pair of RBI each from Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher. Mariano Rivera picked up his 28th save after Brian Bruney allowed a pair of 9th inning home runs.

The Yankees jumped on Orioles starter, and loser, Jason Berken for four runs in the 1st inning. Derek Jeter led off the ball-game with a double to left-center and moved to third base two batters later when Mark Teixeira singled to center. Alex Rodriguez drove his 10th run in his last 9 games with a single through the left side for a 1-0 lead. With the bases loaded and two out, Robinson Cano doubled the lead with an infield single...

Read the rest of my recap at Baseball Digest Online.

1st Half Ends With a Thud

As I've said before, just one you start feeling good about this team, they get derailed and have an awful series like the one just completed in Anaheim. The Yankees dropped the finale on Sunday because of a poor outing by CC Sabathia and a lack of clutch hitting (how many times has that phrase been used?).

Yesterday's game was a prime example of what's wrong with this team right now and what has plagued them all year. CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett cannot be expected to throw gems every time out, so it's a major issue when the back end of the rotation struggles.

Joba Chamberlain is pitching very poorly right now and not accepting it either. His post-game words sound a lot like the dillusional, immature statements Ian Kennedy said last year.

Andy Pettitte has not been the same since he tweaked his back. He's allowed 4 or more earned runs in 8 of his 14 starts since May 1 (5.49 ERA sine then).

Chien-Ming Wang has been hurt and/or ineffective all season. He'll be out at least a month, which means tryouts are underway. Al Aceves was ineffective in his one start and the Yankees prefer to use him in the bullpen, especially if Chamberlain and Pettitte aren't giving the team innings.

Sergio Mitre is likely to get a shot. He's gone 3-1, 2.40 in 7 starts at Scranton and has averaged better than 6 innings a start. The 27-yr old right-hander has shown promise in the past with both the Cubs and Marlins (he played for Joe Girardi), but he does hold a 5.36 career ERA. He also served a 50 game suspension for using performance enhancing drugs.

Josh Towers would be another option, but his stuff isn't as good as Mitre's. The Yankees can't afford to move Phil Hughes out of the bullpen (unless a quality reliever is acquired), which means a deal for a starter would be another option. Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Doug Davis, Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Tallet, Brian Moehler are among the mediocrity that is probably available.


The Yankees lack of clutch hitting is another matter that won't be addressed with a trade. Guys just need to step up. Girardi said that the outfield will be a mix the rest of the way. Sounds like Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Nick Swisher may see more bench time with Eric Hinske getting more at-bats. Despite his home run total this year and pretty good offense, Damon has solidified my position that there is no way he should be in Pinstripes next year. His outfield play has been atrocious bordering on comical. And as much I love Godzilla, this has to be his last year in Pinstripes as well.

I think they Yankees would still benefit from a bat that is better all-around hitter than Hinske. The Yankees can hit solo home runs with the best of them, but trying in that runner from third with less than two outs is far from being their specialty.

So, what do you think? Take our new poll, "What's the Yankees immediate need".

Yankees Make a Mess Out West

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NY Yankees	3	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0		6	14	2
LA Angels	0	1	0	0	4	2	3	0	X		10	13	0

WP - Bulger (4-1) SV - Fuentes (25) LP - Melancon (0-1)

The Yankees are going to have make a decision soon on the immediate future of Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees young star imploded once again last night, lasting just 4 1/3 innings in a 10-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. To make matters worse, the Yankees had staked him to a 5-1 lead. Chamberlain wasn’t completely at fault though- the Yankees are still snake bitten in Anaheim. Errors by Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter and another poor relief outing from Brian Bruney all contributed to the “Mess out West“.

Read the rest of my recap at Baseball Digest Online.

Pop Goes Castillo

Some 10 1/2 hours later it is still hard to believe how last night's Yankees-Mets game ended. We do feel bad for Luis Castillo. If it had happened to a Dustin Pedroia or Kevin Millar, etc., so be it. Castillo has had a tough time of it at Shea/Citi Field since Omar Minaya ill advisedly signed him to a new 4-year deal at the end of the 2007 season.

Castillo hasn't hit much, has bad knees, and has had stuff happen to him like what occurred last night. Well, nothing quite like that.

In case you missed, the Yankees played a miserable game last night. Poor starting pitching, poor relief pitching, no timely hitting outside of Hideki Matsui's 3-run birthday blast. The only thing missing was Nick Swisher getting doubled off a base. They deserved to lose and then they didn't.

The Yankees were down to their last out. Derek Jeter had reached on a 1-out single, but Francisco Rodriguez struck out pinch-hitter Johnny Damon for the 2nd out. That's when things started getting interesting.

Even though K-Rod had great success against Mark Teixeira, 2-19 lifetime, he didn't want anything to do with the Yankees hottest hitter. After falling behind in the count 3-1, the Mets opted to intentionally walk Teixeira to face Alex Rodriguez. Also something you will not see every day.

But in some ways it made sense. A-Rod had been in a 2-17 slide and didn't have any career success against K-Rod either. The Mets closer again fell behind 3-1 and then threw a strike that A-Rod popped up. As he jogged to first, A-Rod smashed his bat on the ground in disgust.

As Castillo settled under the pop up, it seemed like it moved on him a little bit, possibly from a slight breeze. Even though it looked like the game was over, Jeter and Teixeira ran hard around the bases. And then the game was over. In the blink of an eye...or more precisely in the heel of a glove.

The ball bounced off Castillo's mitt, moved agonizingly past his eyes and outstretched bare hand and fell to the ground. Jeter easily scored the tying run. As Teixeira chugged towards 3rd, Castillo grabbed the ball off the grass and from his knees through to 2nd base, conceivably to keep A-Rod from advancing.

But those extra seconds allowed Teixeira to slide home safely ahead of Alex Cora's relay throw. A wild celebration ensued as K-Rod stood with his hands on his head, his first blown save of the season not really being a blown save.

To paraphrase John Sterling, "That is baseball...."