Yankees Continue to Spend Stupidly, Near 4-Year Deal With Headley

I got 52MM bucks

I've repeated it numerous times this offseason. The Yankees do not have a philosophy for building the 2015 team. They're avoiding giving big bucks to those who will help the team (i.e. David Robertson) one second, and in the next moment they are spending money in a ridiculous manner. It continued on Monday when media outlets reported that the Yankees and Chase Headley agreed to to a four-year, $52MM deal.

While $12MM a season is reasonable these days, giving Headley four years is not. This is a guy who has had ONE great season. It was a fabulous, MVP-type season. But he did nothing before it and he's done nothing since. Acquired at this past season's trade deadline, Headley had ONE good stretch as Yankee. He brings a great glove to the position, but having the left side of the infield as a complete good-glove, no-hit combo is not a good combo.

It is clear that Hal Steinbrenner does not want to spend money like his Dad. Which is fine, but spend it wisely. George made plenty of mistakes in that department too, but getting cheap on David Robertson isn't the way to do it. They should have used this money to lure back Brandon McCarthy. They overspent last year on Jacoby Ellsbury (by a lot) and Brian McCann.

This isn't the Kansas City Royals where it takes more than a decade to build a contender. This is New York and though the Yankees don't need to win the World Series every year, you at least want to be competetive.

The team still does not have a solid rotation due to injuries and uncertainities, and the lineup will have a hard time producing runs. Much of the issues comes down to Alex Rodriguez and, believe it or not, this is not his fault. The Yankees stupidly gave him a 10-year deal at an average of $27.5MM a year and it has completely hamstrung them.

This team is in disarray from top to bottom.

Yogi Loses His Lifetime Love Carmen

A sad day for the Yankees family, but much more so for the Berra family. Carmen Berra, long time wife of Yankees legend Yogi Berra, passed away at an assisted living facility as the result of complications from the stroke she had suffered earlier this year.

The Berra's son Larry had this to say:

“She died peacefully -- she went the way she would have wanted to. We’re grateful that she and dad were able to spend some good time together (Thursday). I’m not just saying this because she was my mom, but she was one of the great women of all time.” ¹

In addition to her beloved Yogi, to whom she was married for 65 years, she is survived by their sons - Larry, Dale, and Tim, and 11 grandchildren.

Hal Steinbrenner, managing general partner of the Yankees, released this statement:

On behalf of the entire New York Yankees organization, we offer our deepest condolences to the Berra family. Having known Yogi and Carmen for so long, it is almost impossible to imagine two people who complemented each other better than they did. We will always remember Carmen’s smile and sense of humor, and her kindness and generosity will be deeply missed by all who knew her.” ¹

My condolences to the entire Berra family on their monumental loss.

1 - NY Daily News

A-Rod May Be Ready To Accept His Fate

Despite the sabre rattling from his lawyers, it appears Alex Rodriguez may be ready to drop his sword and accept his 162 game suspension.

Speaking in Spanish at an event in Mexico, A-Rod told the media (courtesy of the NY Post),

“I think that the year 2014 could be a big favor that [Major League Baseball has] done for me because I’ve been playing for 20 years without a timeout,” he said. “I think 2014 is a good year to rest mentally and physically and prepare for the future and begin a new chapter in my life.”

That doesn't sound like someone who is willing to fight until his last breath, or in this case, dollar. Perhaps, A-Rod has realized just how much this back and forth with Major League Baseball is costing him. He's already going to lose out on the $25MM he was set to make in 2014 (he'll receive a little over $2.8MM), so why lose millions more in lawyers fees on a case that could have a less than 50% chance for a successful outcome.

A-Rod added that he's looking forward to a healthy 2015 return.

“I have three years left on my contract starting in 2015 and I hope to play very well and finish my career in New York,” he said.

The Boss Jr., Hal Steinbrenner, issued a  statement on Wednesday that somewhat left the door open for an A-Rod return in 2015, but nothing is guaranteed. It's also hard to imagine that A-Rod would realyl want to remain in NY and that the Yankees would want him back. (From the NY Daily News)

“When he’s on and when he’s healthy, he’s obviously an asset,” Steinbrenner told a group of reporters at the owners meetings in Paradise Valley, Ariz., in his first public comments since an arbitrator ruled A-Rod’s ban would go from 211 games to 162. “We’ll see what happens.

“He’s a great player. I have not thought about 2015 nor am I going to right now.” 

Speaking at a Turn 2 Foundation event, Yankees' captain Derek Jeter wouldn't endorse A-Rod coming to Spring Training, but did empathize with his teammate.

“As a teammate, you’re saddened by the whole thing,” Jeter said Wednesday of Rodriguez’s season-long ban for his alleged ties to Biogenesis and PEDs. “The whole thing has been kind of messy.”

“I’m sure it’s rough. He’s human. I’m sure it’s a rough situation. I’ve played with him more than I haven’t [in my career]. You grow close to guys over the years.”

Jeter also mentioned that he had been in contact with his embroiled teammate, but would not go into the details. Jorge Posada also sympathized with his former teammate's plight, but felt he shouldn't attend Spring Training.

“It would be really tough for Alex and the Yankees and the players,” the retired catcher said. “I just hope he thinks about everything and makes a decision later and not now when he’s mad.”

“It’s tough to see a friend go through that,” said Posada, who has been unable to make contact with Rodriguez. “The game of baseball is tough at times. He’s got my support… It’s tough to watch. You just hope he can move on.”

Yankees to Blow Away 189 Limit if Tanaka Comes Stateside

Hal Steinbrenner told the media Thursday that the $189MM target for the 2014 total payroll and extras was always a "goal, not a mandate." While the Yankees' employees may have gotten that impression, I don't know of too many (or any) fans who thought that was the case. Especially with the bargain basement moves Brian Cashman made last season.

With the possibility of the Rakuten Golden Eagles (Nippon Professional Baseball) posting star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka in the not so distant future, the Yankees will certainly do everything they can to land him. Which means they will blow the doors off the  $189MM limit.

Former MLB pitcher C.J. Nitkowski reported Friday on MLB.com that Rakuten owner Hiroshi Mikitani was furious at the NPB's 11 other owners for accepting MLB's proposal of a $20MM maximum posting fee. (There are rumors that the league may supplement the fee to make it more acceptable for a player of Tanaka's magnitude, but it is just a rumor for now). Mikitani and club president Yozo Tachabani (prefers Tanaka to stay in Japan) doesn't have much time to finalize their decision either way since spring training in Japan begins February 1.

The old posting system was accomplished via secret bids with the winner given an opportunity to negotiate a Major League contract with the player in question.  The new $20MM cap will allow more than one team to negotiate if multiple teams bid the same amount. That will certainly be the case with Tanaka, who was 24-0 this past season.

Teams that bid the the top amount will have 30 days to work out a Major League contract with the player. Besides the Yankees, the Red Sox and Cubs are also reportedly set to aggressively go after  the 25-year old right-hander.

Part of MLB's internal negotiations were about whether the new lesser fee would count towards the luxury tax. (The old posting system fee did not.) The new fee will reportedly not count towards the luxury tax either, but I have not read or heard a definitive outcome of  that part of the discussion.

Either way, the Yankees can forget the magic 189...whether it be a goal or a mandate. We know who's on first, but what's on second?

Cano Gets His Intro and Clears the Air

For now, Cano has gone back to his old #22

Robinson Cano officially became a Seattle Mariner Thursday afternoon with his introduction to the Seattle media. Sporting a David Ortiz-esque beard, Cano set some things straight about his time in New York and the negotiations that took place this off-season in a sit down interview with ESPN's Pedro Gomez prior to the news conference.

Cano felt disrespected by the Yankees during the free agent process, though he declined to provide details. He said he took less money to come to the Mariners...which is laughable. The Yankees final offer was seven years and $175MM or $25MM per season, while the Mariners deal is for $24MM a year. In Cano's mind the annual salary, which was only a difference of $1MM, was taking less money than the $240MM compared to $175MM. Yeah, okay.

The All-Star second baseman added that it wasn't about the money, he wanted this to be his last contract. He realized that when a player turns 36- or 37-years of age it's more difficult to get a new deal.

Cano admitted that he hated batting second in 2013, that he would have liked to have been consulted about it - (paraphrasing) "it's a difficult spot in the order to hit...you're expected to give yourself up, move runners over, etc. I'm not that kind of hitter. I could understand batting there if all the big guys were healthy, but they weren't."

Despite his spot in the order, the 31-year old said he had no problem with manager Joe Girardi or general manager Brian Cashman. He complimented Girardi on helping him to become an All-Star and having led them to a World Series championship. He had similar words about Cashman.

When asked about his legacy after having watched the send off Mariano Rivera received, Cano said Mariano is a special person and it was wonderful to see what took place and be a part of it, but he has 10 years in Seattle and maybe he will build a legacy there.

Gomez queried him about the much talked about lack of "busting it" to first base every time. Cano's response was "I've heard that criticism before. Would you rather have me for 160 games a year or would you rather I played 120-130 games a year and got hurt?" Apparently Cano didn't pay attention to Derek Jeter all this time.

Cano said he had a great time in New York and he thanked everyone and said he was treated very wellby the fans. Cano reitered that the contract wasn't about being greedy, it was the length of the deal that was important to him. He'll find out that many Yankees fans - who have never seen one of their star players in their prime walk away - don't look it that way.

My Opinion - Those fans that will boo have the right to do so, but Cano should not be treated that way. He did plenty for the team and should be shown respect. The Yankees have constantly pilfered other teams' free agents. It's part of the game, get over it.

Yankees Grab Their Johnson

In a Plan 'B' move the Yankees have come to terms with infielder/left-handed hitter Kelly Johnson on a one-year deal said to be worth between $3MM and $4MM.

In all likelihood, this ends the Yankees pursuit of free agent Omar Infante, though after the contract the Yankees gave Jacoby Ellsbury, who can really tell what the Steinbrenner clan has in mind these days.

Johnson is primarily a second baseman, though he has played over 100 games in the outfield and has minimal third base (16 games) experience. He'll be joining his fourth team in the last four years.

The former 1st round pick (38th overall) of the 2000 MLB Amateur draft, Johnson spent his first four Major League seasons with the team that drafted him, the Atlanta Braves. After back to back solid season in 2007 and 2008, Johnson's OPS plummeted below .700 in 2009 and Atlanta not-tendered him.

He signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks and bounced back in 2010 with 26 home runs and an .865 OPS. Johnson continued to hit home runs a year later, but otherwise struggled at the plate and was dealt to Toronto in August for fellow second baseman Aaron Hill and infielder John McDonald.

Johnson was free to walk after a poor 2012 season and signed a one year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, with whom he played third base for the first time in the Major Leagues. He continued to hit for power for the Rays, but was average or below average in other categories. Offensively, he is a step up from Jayson Nix, who the Yankees non-tendered on Monday.

NYDN: Yankees Pushing Hard For McCann and Beltran

At the GM.Owners meetings in Orlando Florida, Yankees head honcho Hal Steinbrenner told reporters the Yankees were going to be aggressive in pursuing free agents to vastly improve the team for 2014.

According to the New York Daily News' Mark Feinsand, the Yankees are doing just that. The Yankees are reportedly pushing hard to sign veteran catcher Brian McCann (this surprised me) and outfielder Carlos Beltran (no surprise).

The Yankees aren't alone in their pursuit though. The Texas Rangers are highly interested in McCann and at least a half-dozen teams, Texas included, have expressed an interest in Beltran. Should the Yankees be able to quickly sign one or both free agents, it will give them a better handle on how much money they can allocate for Robinson Cano, Masahiro Tanaka, and others.

I'm not for signing McCann since I don't believe the Yankees should commit to a three year or longer contract.

Girardi Re-ups For 4 More Years

Many an incumbent president has had supporters shouting "four more years" during their campaign for a second term. Though no one was shouting it, Joe Girardi, performance willing, will be back for four more years as manager of the New York Yankees.

The Yankees just announced that Girardi has signed a new four year contract that will keep him the Yankees manager through 2017. If Girardi completes the entire contract, the Yankees will have had only two managers from 1996-2017.  An unheard fete during the George Steinbrenner portion of the Steinbrenner era.

Girardi was reportedly torn between returning to the Yankees or going after the vacant Chicago Cubs job in his native state of Illinois.  Principal owner Hal Steinbrenner appeared on the Michael Kay Show on Tuesday and said he felt a decision would be made soon regarding Girardi.

Looking at the history of the Cubs, particularly their lack of success, Girardi knows he has a better chance of winning another World Series with the Yankees than the Cubs have of even making the playoffs

The monetary terms of the deal were not released, but it is believed that Girardi got a healthy raise from the $3MM he made in 2013. Rumor has it that it is $16MM over the four years.

Next up on the docket, Robinson Cano.


Official press release from the Yankees:

The New York Yankees announced today they have re-signed Manager Joe Girardi to a four-year contract, extending through the 2017 season. The 48-year-old Girardi has guided the team to the postseason in four of his six seasons at the helm, winning the franchise’s 27th World Championship in 2009. Under Girardi, the Yankees have gone a Major League-best 564-408 (.580) since 2008. 

Over his first six years as manager of the Yankees (2008-13), the club has led the Majors in home runs (1,236), while ranking second in runs scored (4,884) and seventh in hits (8,836) and batting average (.265). The Yankees have also committed the fewest errors (484) in the Majors over the span, with a Major League-high .986 team fielding percentage. 

In 2013, Girardi guided the Yankees to an 85-77 finish, tied with Baltimore for the third-best record in the American League East. He recorded his 500th win as Yankees manager on May 10 at Kansas City in his 844th game as skipper of the club, becoming the fifth-fastest manager in club history to reach the milestone behind Casey Stengel (790 games), Joe McCarthy (796 games), Joe Torre (833 games) and Miller Huggins (833 games). The club made just 69 errors in 2013, the third-lowest total in the Majors and tying the franchise record for fewest in a season (also 2010). Their .988 fielding percentage set a new franchise record, fractionally better than their .988 mark in 2010. 

Yankees Fans Need to Make Up Their Minds and Stop Whining: A Semi-Rant

We know how you feel El Capitan

The year 2008 was very memorable in the history of the New York Yankees. The team was playing its last season on the site of the original and renovated versions of Yankee Stadium. There was a new manager, Joe Girardi, for the first time since 1996. Most of all, the team stunk by the Yankees and George Steinbrenner's standards - 89-73, 3rd place in the AL East, eight games behind the division winning Tampa Bay Rays. The Boston Red Sox took the AL wild card, six games ahead of the Yankees. The fans were livid.

The battle cry was shouted from the rooftops around the metropolitan area. Sign great players!!! Bring in All-Stars!!! We have to win now!!! The Yankees did just that giving deals to CC Sabathia (7 years, $161MM), Mark Teixeira (8 years, $180MM), and A.J. Burnett (5 years, $82.5MM). They traded for Nick Swisher (originally to play 1st base before Teixeira's signing), who became integral after Xavier Nady was lost early in the season. And of course there was still Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada.

The Yankees immediately won their first World Series in nine years and Yankees fans were figuratively fat and happy heading into the winter. Then something happened over the next four years. Players got older, some retired, some skills deteriorated, some didn't heal as quickly as they once did. The 2013 version of the Yankees is the fan base's nightmare. An old, injury riddled team that is currently filled with players who don't have the bat speed or the fastball they once did, and youngsters who aren't ready to be playing regularly in the Major Leagues.

So what's being shouted out now? Why can't we be more like the Pittsburgh Pirates? Say What? You know how the Pittsburgh Pirates got the way they did? By losing and losing some more and losing even more. It's not hard to build a good squad when you are perennially in the bottom of the division and have draft picks in the first five picks every year. Throw in a couple of key free agents (e.g. Russell Martin) and have a bona fide home grown star (Andrew McCutchen) and suddenly life is grand.

Then when the Pirates stars are ready for big money, they'll get dispatched to other teams around the league. Just the same way the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals do. Do you think for one nanosecond, any Yankees fan is going to put up with the seasons it would take to build a team of young talent like that? Not one, not a single one!

89 wins in 2008 and the first non-playoff team in 13 years proved that. Not a team that barely won 70 games, but a team that almost won 90 drove people crazy. It's hard to argue with the Yankees haters when they say the fans are spoiled, because, for the most part, it's true. The younger fans didn't go through the rotten years when there were no championships like the late 1960s and early 1970s, and most of the 1980's and the early 1990s.

You want to talk about bad teams? You did't have to watch guys like Jerry Kenny, Dooley Womack, and Horace Clarke. (Ever see a guy get over 680 at-bats with an OPS less than .600?) Please don't let me tell you about the 1982 "speed team".  The 1996-2000 squads gave many of today's fans a sense of entitlement. The championship is ours or the complete season is a waste. Really? And you claim to love baseball?

Many fans were ready to riot after the team lost in the 2012 playoffs...the American League Championship Series no less. Four wins from reaching the World Series, but the reaction sounded as though the Yankees finished in last place in the AL East.

Of course, the fans are right about some things, it just takes losing to set them straight. The Yankees front office did this to themselves. We all know that. They knew there were rumors about A-Rod's steroid use, but they went ahead and bid against themselves to re-sign him to a ridiculous 10-year, $275MM deal when he opted out of his current contract after the 2008 season. (Just like they knew Giambi in all likelihood was a user before they signed him to a large deal prior to the 2002 season.)

CC Sabathia's a much better person on and off the field than A-Rod could ever hope to be, but re-working his deal through 2017 wasn't a great idea. No, the Yankees didn't want to lose him when he opted out of his deal after the 2011 season, but perhaps they should have let the free agent market help decide the length and amount of the deal.  The big man has a lot of innings and pitches in his left arm and last year his elbow complained loudly about it. Sabathia has looked ordinary and has lost velocity this season. He's guaranteed $71MM over the next three seasons and can get $25MM in the final year of the deal if he stays healthy.

Teixeira has gotten beat up, pull happy, and still has three years and $67.5MM on his contract. Now, you can't count on bad things happening, but when players are on the other side of 30-years of age, things happen more often. Unfortunately, a lot of them occurred this year. But fans can't bash the same contracts they applauded before the last two seasons. (Many of these same fans wanted the Yankees to sign Josh Hamilton this past off-season - 28 RBI and a .665 OPS in 77 games so far for the Angels.)

The worst part about all those contracts combined with Hal Steinbrenner's quest to get the salary to $189MM? The Yankees are not going to be able to sign Robinson Cano. They might even be wise to deal him at this year's trade deadline. Rumor has it that Cano wants a 10 year deal. If the Yankees are dumb enough to give it to him (or for that matter if anyone is) you can expect more 2013's in the future. I love Cano, he's one of my favorite players to watch bat and field, but the insanity has to stop somewhere.

Fans are going to have to learn to live with whatever happens this year. There are no teams like the LA Dodgers to take all the bad contracts away like those idiots did last year with the Red Sox. (It's laughable that people give Boston credit for that move.) Not only aren't there teams like that, but somehow Bud Selig would find a way to not allow the Yankees to salary dump. (He shouldn't allow it either, just like he shouldn't have allowed Florida and Boston to do so last year.)

Most of all, all of us want a competitive, interesting team to watch. If the Yankees front office doesn't wise up, and I question if the current group can, attendance will continue to dwindle, ratings will continue to drop, and the Yankees will not make the playoffs, let alone win a championship, for a very long time.

Then you will really hear some whining.

Yankees Turning to Groupon as Attendance Drops

There's clearly been a direct affect of a chillier spring on attendance at New York Yankees games, but it's nothing compared to what the price of tickets, food, beverage,  parking and/or mass transit has done to keep fans away. The Yankees wanted to build a palace and they did, but they priced out the average baseball fan in the process. The Steinbrenners still don't seem to understand that.

Fans turned en masse to Stub Hub the last few years to find cheaper seats. The Steinbrenners didn't dig that tactic, so they made it harder for fans to get seats this year through Stub Hub (no e-tickets, no pick up window near the Stadium) and came up with their own re-sale plan with Ticketmaster. Yeah, that ticked off fans too. Everyone hates Ticketmaster.

Now the Yankees are turning to discount broker Groupon to sell tickets to games that aren't as attractive to fans.  Through Groupon, fans can buy seats up to 54% off for a series with the Seattle Mariners May 14-16 and the Cleveland Indians June 3-5.

Here's an idea Yankees. Drop your ticket prices, your hot dog prices, your beer prices, your parking prices. Remember...over there at the old Stadium...plenty of people in the seats. And maybe you can put mannequins in the Legends Seats to make it look more people are there. Or hire seat fillers like they do at the Oscars.  Yeah, that's the (overpriced ticket).

Fans are willing to pay to see Derek Jeter, but at these prices people don't want to pay the same amount to see Jayson Nix.

Boss Jr. Lays the Plan Out to Francesa

Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees managing general partner and youngest son of the late George Steinbrenner, was on WFAN Tuesday afternoon with Mike Francesa.

Among the topics covered were the luxury tax/payroll cut, the sale of YES shares to Fox, Alex Rodriguez and his assorted issues, Robinson Cano's possible contract extension, and the ticket/Stub Hub controversy.

Here's the transcript, with some of my editorial comments in bold italics along side:

MF: "Do you have any plans to sell the Yankees?"

Hal: "No thoughts at all of selling the Yankees. There have been no discussions with anybody about selling the Yankees. (I still find it hard to believe that the Steinbrenners may not be open to the idea even if they have had no negotiations with anyone to this point.)

MF:  "How would you describe your participation in the YES deal?"

Hal: "I think it's great. Fox is going to be a great partner. They obviously know what they're doing and they've been doing it a long time."

"I think it's going to bring great things to the YES Network and take us to places that, quite honestly, we might not have been able to get to on our own..."

MF: "Why is that a good deal for the Yankees compared to where your ownership structure was?"

Hal: "...we've had some partners that wanted to get out, number one, so we've been looking here and there for a while. But we had some partners that wanted to get out and Goldman gets into these things for a certain number of years and then they want to get out and go on to the next big deal for them.

"So, this made sense and the key was to get a good partner, and we know the Murdochs and my Dad is close to Rupert...."

"And they know what they're doing. So I think it's going to be good, and the bottom line is that some of the partner that wanted to get out are now going to be getting out, and we're going to have a really good, big company that I look at, quite frankly, as a family company."

MF: "So you are commited as a family to be in this long term?"

Hal: "We are commited as a family to be in this long term. We enjoy this; this is why we are all involved, all of my siblings. And we are going to continue, every year, to field a championship caliber team. I want the fans to know that that commitment will always be in place, because we know they expect it."

MF: "What is your thought, if any on A-Rod and the investigation going on?"

Hal: Well I don't know any more than you do Mike, I really don't. It's not our investigation obviously and anybody is innocent until proven guilty. So we'll just have to see where the investigation leads.

MF: "Have you had any discussions with A-Rod?"

Hal: "I have not."

MF: "Okay. Any plans to?"

Hal:  "I have not seen him around here and I haven't had any plans to have any discussions, no. Doesn't mean we won't at some point." (Hal may not have, but you can be sure a number of different people - Cashman, Girardi, etc. have spoken with him.)

MF: "How would you categorize the Cano negotiations to this point?

Hal: "Well this is going to be a work in progress for weeks and weeks and weeks, and the one thing I'm not going to do Mike is read about it in the papers every day. So, any significant developments we're going to let everyone know, but  things have been quiet the last couple of weeks. He's been off with the Dominican team, we've got Spring Training going on, so we'll see what the weeks ahead lead to."

MF: "Is it fair to say it's going to be shelved from now on from your standpoint to the end of the season or would you guys be open to discussions during the season?"

Hal: "No, look, every rule has exceptions, right? And obviously we've talked to Scott (Boras) about Robbie and I can see that happening on more than one occasion as the season progresses, but we'll just have to see. We have to get through opening day first and get the ball rolling here."

MF: "There's a very large incentive to be under the luxury tax sometime in the near future. I know that 2014 has been a point, a target point, let's say. Is it something that is a very important part of your strategy to be under it, for the obvious reasons, to be under it in 2014?"

Hal: "There's many reasons to be under and they've been well documented, but what hasn't been documented is I don't believe you have to have the $200MM payroll to be world champions. So it is something important to us, but only if we're sure we're fielding a championship caliber team.  I just can't say that enough.

We are going to field a championship caliber team every single year." (Somehow I think he's forgotten what team he's put together this year.)

MF: "Did the idea of being under the 189 next year impact any of your negotiations that want on this past winter?"

Hal: "I think the one year deals were partly that Mike, but they're partly because of the age of some of the players. I think if you can do a one year deal on a guy that's in his upper 30's it's probably a wise thing to do, as long he's okay with it, you're okay with it.

So I think it was partly due to that. We certainly think ahead, but it's more we're thinking 65, 70% of this  year, because that's what's in front of us."

MF: (preceded by talk about the rewards for being under the cap) "Will this be a one year thing or is it something the Yankees want to do in the future; try to be stay under that tax?"

Hal: "Again Mike, I think you can be a world champion and have a payroll under 189. Are we there yet? I don't know. We have to see how these young players do this year. And it's going to have to be a good blend, as I have been saying, of the young players and the veterans. And that's the way that every other team, every other world champion's been the last 10 years."

MF: "It will be a year to year situation, it won't be that the Yankees must stay under that for you in the future, or is that going to be kind of an edict for you?"

Hal: "Again, it's an absolute goal for me to be under 189. It makes sense for all of the reasons we've been talking about, BUT, the priority is always going to be fielding a championship caliber team."

MF: "And you believe you can do that without over...even though the Yankees have spent their life over the tax, you still feel you can put together a plan and be as competitive as you can be on the field, and keep the money under control?"  (How many times is he going to keep asking him?)

Hal: "Yes, every other team seems to."

MF: "But you guys have been in the playoffs more than a lot of the other teams. I mean you really have. You've been there, you have won't a lot of championships since 2000, but you've been in the playoffs every year which you can't say about everybody else."

Hal: "Well, time will tell Mike. As I said, the young players have to continue to develop in the minor leagues, number one, and the players already up at the Major Leagues, the young ones, have to continue - the Novas and the Phelps - to contribute, and the Pinedas. So, you know it remains to be seen. (Keep in mind Pineda may have no impact at all this year.)

MF: "With the injuries this  year, especially to your core group...there is a feeling that the Yankees are going about this in a very different way than in the past. Would you agree with that or you don't agree with that?"

Hal: "Well the way is to always field a great team and that's what we're trying to do. The free agent market, as you know, wasn't that great last year. We felt we wanted to concentrate on pitching, so we worked hard to get Andy (Pettitte) back, to get Kuroda back, Mo (Rivera), and we did the best we could.

I don't know what to tell you, but, um, so...." (Hal not too happy with the structure of the roster now either, hmm?)

MF:  "I mean right now does Brian (Cashman) have the ability to go out and bring in some players who might be costly even on a one year basis. Is that something, we see Wells, could there be more of that or is there a limit to it?"

Hal: "Well, look there a limit to anything Mike, but my door's always open to Brian and he knows that and we talk every day multiple times. And you know this Wells thing I think is going to be good for us. I think he's going to have a rebound year and he's going to contribute in a big way.

And hopefully we get Tex back, and get Granderson back, but uh...you know, no stone is left unturned. So whatever..if he (Cashman) comes into my office, we're going to sit and talk about it, and consider it."

MF: "Do you think Hal, there's been a lot of talk about tickets this year. There's been a lot of talk this year about, maybe some economic pressure. Is it cyclical?...is just seems to be there's a tougher time selling for everybody this year than the last couple of years.

We're learning about all this secondary market stuff and that's impact and everything else. Do you see business as being a little more challenging in 2013 for the Yankees than it has been, say in the last five or six years or is that not an accurate picture?"

Hal: "I think there are numerous teams that are down. I think we'll have to see where the numbers come in. But our ticket sales are coming around. Obviously Spring Training...beginning that whole process helps. We could use some warm weather up there Mike, that would be good to get people in the frame of mind.

But look, the secondary market is what it is. It's not going anywhere and we're trying to keep our season ticket holders happy and all of our fans happy, and give them a great experience and a great team to watch."

MF: "Hal, you're a good business man, this is an interesting question right now and maybe a dilemma for teams. The idea of what fans do with their tickets as season ticket holders. How the secondary market, how teams play this. Have you given that a lot of thought or is it still kind of evolving?"

Hal: "Well we've given it a lot of thought, which is why we have set up Yankees ticket exchange. Our own program so our season ticket holders can got on there, sell the tickets they don't need or don't want for cheaper. And in a way more convenient and safe environment. That's why we've undertaken this, so obviously we've put a lot of thought into it." (It's disgraceful for Hal to infer that Stub Hub isn't a safe place to buy and sell tickets. It's been done many times.  The Yankees do not want tickets sold on Stub Hub at a much lower price than the minimum the Yankees have set with Ticketmaster aka the devil of ticket sellers. The Yankees will also not be accepting e-tickets this season, which is the normal ticket type on Stub Hub. Instead you will need to get the actual tickets from anyone selling tickets on Stub Hub. And you know the majority of the fans hate this new procedure. It's not the fans fault that the Yankees were greedy and priced out so many fans in the new Stadium.)

MF: "But you made the move away from Stub Hub too, so you must have thought there must have thought there needed to be a change too, right?

Hal: "Well, I'm not going to get to much into Stub Hub, but I will say Mike that that partnership was not good for the New York Yankees, but every team's different and every sport's different".

MF: "Do you think it's a changing business though? That's really my point. Do you see now, 'cause I think it might be. I can't really tell, do you think the ticket business is becoming a changing business for teams right now?"

Hal: "Well I think one thing to consider is are season tickets becoming less and less because of other ways to purchase tickets? I don't know any more than you do, but I can tell you we still have a very strong season ticket base and we're very proud of that. So time will tell, but we just want to be sure that our season ticket holders have a place to resell their tickets that's a safe place." (Perhaps consider the ridiculously high price of tickets and a rough economy and high unemployment.)

MF: "Does the YES deal change the Yankees relationship TV-wise at all Hal, or does it change your business plan at all or is it business as usual even though you are going to have a different relationship with YES than you've had in the past?"

Hal: "It's absolutely business as usual. We made it absolutely clear to Fox and they were absolutely great about this- that no deal is worth doing if we lost the control we needed as to how the broadcasts were run and basically anything having to do with the franchise and the organization itself, and they were great about that and they understand. So really we still control things that are important to us."

MF: "How do you feel about this new model that baseball is going to? Do you like the model they are putting in now, that they are.installing? Do you like what they've done with the luxury tax? There's clearly incentive and a lot of people feel it was built and designed to give the Yankees some incentive. Do you like the plan that was installed? (Never though he was actually going to let Hal answer.)

Hal: "Well it was well thought out, there's no doubt about it. I haven't really philosophically thought about that Mike, to be honest with you. I'm just...my fundamental reason, one of the reasons, for this goal is that I truly believe that 189 is a lot of money and with a good mix veterans and player development guys, you'll win championships and I firmly believe that. Time will tell if I am right or not.

MF: "Do you feel your team has made the steps in the farm system to be able to replenish, and really a key to that is coming up with power arms 'cause that's what costs so much money for the most part. With that being the case do you feel that you guys have made inroads that you need to make to replenish your system that way?"

Hal: "Well I think our pitching's been good. Phelps was a pleasant surprise last year. Nova, and uh we've got a couple of other guys. Betances, we'll see what kind of year he has. And we did trade away Austin Jackson, we traded away Jesus Montero, so a couple of good position players that aren't there for us. But I think the next couple of years for position players is going to be tricky. We're going to have to navigate through that. But, I've been pretty pleased with the young pitching.

MF: "You know this is a year for the first time Hal, in many years...maybe going back to say, might be '94. I mean maybe there was a year here and there where the Red Sox were slight favorites...this is the first time the Yankees probably haven't been favored leaving spring in a very, very long time. What is the level of your optimism with this team right now?"

Hal: "I'm always optimistic, that's just me, and you can't pay attention to rankings. You just can't do that. It's a marathon of a season, you know that better anybody, and there's injuries and six months to get through. So, I'm confident that we've got a good group of veterans that's been through the fire before, and they're going to produce."

Yankees Should Look Into Napoli

It looked like the Boston Red Sox were a cinch to sign free agent Mike Napoli to a three-year, $39MM contract. The only thing that stood in the way was the prerequisite physical. Apparently, the results of which have led to a renegotiation between the Red Sox and Napoli's representation.

The hold up is rumored to be an issue with one of Napoli's hips. Burned or semi-burned by big contracts to Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez in 2010-2011, the Red Sox will be very cautious in what they will pay a player that might be damaged goods.

The situation could still fall apart completely, and is the impetus behind the rumor that the Red Sox have reached out to free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche. The 33-year old is coming off a career year for the Washington Nationals in which he hit a career high 33 home runs, tied his best season with 100 RBI, made his first All-Star appearance, and also snared his first Gold Glove Award. He would almost certainly come at a higher cost than Napoli, despite being two years older than the former member of the  Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers.

You can bet Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has pictured Napoli peppering the Green Monster of Fenway Park, but LaRoche would actually make more sense. The Sox have prided themselves on defense for a number of years now and LaRoche would fit the bill as a superior first baseman to the more inexperienced Napoli (133 career games at first base). On the down side, LaRoche tends to be a pull hitter, which doesn't necessarily work well for a left-handed hitter in Fenway Park.

But enough about the Red Sox; after all, this is supposed to be about the Yankees checking in on Napoli. Obviously, they too would have to check in on the condition of Napoli's hip. (One highly paid player in NY with bad hips is enough.) But they should try to offer Napoli a two year deal worth $30MM or even have only one year guaranteed with an optional second year that can kick in automatically if Napoli meets certain criteria (games played, hits, etc.).

Though Napoli is not as stupendous player as some people think - his 2011 post-season has warped the view of him - he's a much better hitter than the recently signed Matt Diaz. Granted, the two would not be competing for the same spot, but the Yankees are going to need a better right-handed bat than Diaz to make up for the loss of Alex Rodriguez. (Or more precisely, what the A-Rod achieved at one time.)

It's already been made crystal clear that these are not the George Steinbrenner Yankees and staying under the $189MM limit by 2014 is a hard and fast rule in Yankeeland. That being said, some money will be freed up when Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera will likely be coming off the books after the 2013 season (a combined $22MM) and Curtis Granderson's $15MM will as well.

Whether the Yankees are setting things up to sell the team or managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner is being more fiscally prudent than his Dad, the Yankees still need to be competitive if they expect the fans to fork over their hard earned dollars to buy single game and season tickets.

Adding Mike Napoli to the lineup could help in that regard.

Yankees and Rupert Murdoch Not Perfect Together

If you know me, you know I hate Fox News and much of the way Fox Sports televises games. Fox Broadcasting is part of News Corporation, the mass media entity run by the 81-year old spawn of the devil, Rupert Murdoch. So you should be able to understand why I threw up in my mouth a little after I read that Murdoch is on the verge of purchasing a 49% share of the YES Network.

The team is not for sale according to an unnamed official, but at one time George Steinbrenner considered selling the team to another media dirt bag named Jim Dolan. Thankfully, Steinbrenner had a change of heart. Will Hal and Hank Steinbrenner stick to their guns at a time when the economy is hurting and the Yankees priced themselves out of packed houses with a new stadium that was aimed at those who eat pate and drink champagne?

While the NY media has been focused on the Mets money troubles and their involvement with Bernie Madoff, perhaps the Yankees are hurting as well. (Which means making less money; to you and me that's not a loss, but it is those who are a part of the lifestyles of the rich and famous.)

Selling a chunk of the network and/or the team itself is one thing, but to sell it to a scum bag like Murdoch is another. By now you know of the phone hacking scandal that News Corp was involved in, which led to Murdoch closing the doors on the 168-yr old "News of the World" and caused him to drop out of a deal to take over a satellite company that would have been worth billions of dollars. Numerous criminal charges were filed against the executives of News Corp., including Murdoch.

The Tasmanian Devil was even called unfit to run a newspaper empire by a British Parliamentary panel. Apparently the Steinbrenner family doesn't care who they deal with as long as their money is green.

This past Sunday, Murdoch caused controversy by tweeting about the "Jewish owned press" being anti-Israel. He later apologized, but pretty much said he didn't know why he was. He still felt he was right, which is no surprise. Fox News has built an empire by blatantly lying to their viewers and never having any accountability for it. As a matter of fact, Murdoch takes no responsibility for anything his companies or employees do.

Hal, Hank, Randy Levine, just say NO to the YES sale. I don't want Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia to one day get their checks from News Corp.

Games People Play

The Yankees negotiations with Derek Jeter got a whole lot uglier this afternoon when Brian Cashman in not so many words told Jeter to "Take it or leave it."

"He should be nothing but a New York Yankee," Cashman said of Jeter earlier today. "He chooses not to be."

"We're not trying to chase Derek away. We're trying to get him to sign," general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday. "But at the same time, he's a free agent. If he doesn't like what we're offering him, if he can find a better opportunity with more money, that's fine. Whatever's important to him."

Pretty tough talk from a guy who has never come off publicly as being tough. Cashman's attitude was most likely in response to remarks made by Jeter's agent Casey Close over the weekend. Close found the Yankees negotiating tactics "baffling". And I agree.

From the get-go, the Yankees have played out the negotiations in the media. Not all that unlike when George Steinbrenner would leak information to select NY media in the 1970's and 1980's. Close's remarks were actually out of character for him since neither he or Jeter generally remark on any negotiations involving the Yankees captain.

The Yankees have offered Jeter a three year, $45 million deal. A fair contract for a 36-yr old coming off the worst offensive season of his career. However, this is no ordinary player. I won't get into intangibles or defensive UZR ratings. The bottom line is that Jeter is the face of the franchise. The guy who always does everything right. The guy who has never embarrassed the franchise. The guy with five rings.

At the same time the Yankees are correct in saying that Jeter will not get a "Victory lap" contract. That makes perfect sense. You don't overpay 36-yr olds. What doesn't make perfect sense is for the Yankees to take a hard line and to take it public. Perhaps it's just tough talk. Talk to cover their asses. If you recall once Alex Rodriguez opted out his contract, the Yankees said they were done with him. We all know how that turned out.

Jeter should never wear another uniform during his playing days. So work out a deal. Would it do any harm to add a fourth year to the contract, with a possible option for a fifth year? Yes, these are frugal times, but no one said to build an overpriced Stadium that people can't afford to go to. The Yankees are loaded with money and don't think for one second they are not.

Why not use other incentives such as they do in Hollywood, where an actor actress will get a percentage of a film. Give Jeter a piece of the YES Network. Just get something done.

My good friend, "the Bman" astutely pointed out "How fecking stupid are the Yankees??!! I hate paying too much, but treating Jeter like this? What a crock. Hey, let's give A-Rod more $ and low-ball a legend."

He has a point and this negotiation shows that things haven't changed a whole lot from Steinbrenner to Steinbrenner. George was notorious for paying other team's free agents more than his own free agents.

The Yankees best wise up soon or they will indeed due serious harm to their fan base if Derek Jeter were to walk.

The Daily Yankeeland - 5/12

Views from the Facade

May 12th, 2009

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: Aaron Hill • Adam Lind • Blue Jays series preview • chien-ming wang • Dave Eiland • George Steinbrenner • Hal Steinbrenner • Johnny Damon • Josh Towers • Memorabilia Sale • Roy Halladay • Views from the Facade

The Yankees three home runs on Sunday gave them 48 on the season. Of that total, less than 50% came with a man on base. Take away Johnny Damon’s 6 home runs with a runner(s) aboard and the numbers are even worse. The worst offender is Mark Teixeira, who has hit 6 of his 7 home runs with no one on base.

Chien-Ming Wang will start for the Scranton Yankees tonight as he works his way back to the Yankees starting rotation. He’s expected to be on a 100-pitch count.

The Hal Steinbrenner era is much different than when his father was running the show. By now George would have had 2 or 3 fits, “leaked” info to the press, and fired someone. That being said, Dave Eiland could be in trouble if the Yankees’ pitching staff doesn’t turn things around. Eiland earned a lot of praise for the work he did with the Yankees young pitchers in the minor leagues, but it has not translated into major league success.

The Yankees will be holding a press conference at 11 a.m. this morning to give a sneak preview of the items on sale from the old Stadium. $11.5 million from memorabilia sales will be given to New York City.

Veteran Josh Towers, recently signed to a minor league deal, made his organizational debut Monday night for Scranton.

Yankees-Blue Jays Preview

The Yankees and Blue Jays meet for the first time this season, beginning a three game series in Toronto this evening. It’s also the first AL series for the Blue Jays other than playing the Orioles. Toronto has had a fantastic start, made even more remarkable considering the rash of injuries they have been hit with. With a 22-12 mark, the Blue Jays lead second place Boston by one game entering Tuesday night’s play.

Toronto lost A.J. Burnett to free agency, and Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan to surgery prior to this season. Once the season got underway, starters Ricky Romero (stained oblique) and Jesse Litsch (forearm strain) joined the DL group.

But the Blue Jays still have their ace, Roy Halladay (6-1, 3.29) and have patched together a solid makeshift rotation. 30-yr old rookie Scott Richmond has won four games and matched Halladay’s ERA. Top pitching prospect Brett Cecil (1-0, 0.64) has struck out 12 batters in 14 innings. 32-yr old veteran Brian Tallet, once a top prospect in the Indians‘ organization, has made four quality starts in five tries.

Closer B.J. Ryan went down with a bad back, but Scott Downs has stepped right in to take his place. And the Blue Jays lineup, which had been lacking in the past, has been firing on all cylinders. Toronto leads the major leagues in runs scored (204), batting average (.294), and doubles (tied with Tampa Bay with 44)., and they’re third in the AL in home runs with 44 and a .467 slugging percentage. The Blue Jays trail only Boston and St. Louis for hitting with runners in scoring position (.312), a stat that is severely lacking for the Yankees.

Aaron Hill missed all but 55 games last year with a concussion. But he’s come back with a vengeance (.943 OPS), leading the team with a .353 average and 8 home runs. Adam Lind (.966 OPS) has heard all the hype and now he’s living up to it. His 6 home runs and 31 RBI are already close to his career highs.

The rest of the lineup is balanced and productive. Mega star Vernon Wells is healthy again and hitting. Marco Scutaro leads the AL in walks and tops the team in runs scored. All this and Alex Rios isn’t even hitting yet.

And let’s not forget Toronto’s defense, which has been superb. 1st baseman Lyle Overbay, CF Wells, and SS Scutaro have yet to commit an error this season. Toronto’s best defender, John McDonald, doesn’t even start.

Series Pitching Probables

Tuesday - A.J. Burnett (2-o) vs. Roy Halladay (6-1)
Wednesday - Andy Pettitte (2-1) vs. Scott Richmond (4-1)
Thursday - CC Sabathia (2-3) vs. Brian Tallet (2-1)

Sweet Lou Pleads the Fifth

NY Daily News columnist Bill Madden reported prior to the 2007 season that Joe Torre would be fired and Lou Piniella would be the new Yankees manager. That never came to fruition, but according to Madden, Sweet Lou will work for the Yankees again one day.

Madden reported this past Saturday that Yankees general partner Hal Steinbrenner told him that Piniella would work for the Yankees again one day.

And on Thursday, Hal Steinbrenner, reiterating his father's longstanding sentiments about Piniella "being part of the family," stated matter-of-factly that "after Lou's done with the Cubs, he'll be back with us as a consultant."

Piniella denies having had any conversations with Steinbrenner about his future and is quite content with his life in Chicago and is only focusing on the Cubs.

"I was there a long time," he said. "Right now, like I told [Madden], my only concern is the Chicago Cubs. I've never talked to Hal about it. I'm friends with Hal. When I was managing there, he basically was around learning the ropes in baseball a little bit. But outside of that, I haven't talked to him about any position at all.

"I'm going to do the best job I can here, and whatever happens after my managing career is over happens."

Mother Nature 1 Yankees 0

Looks like the very first game played in Yankee Stadium will be the second scheduled game. It's been pouring in the tri-state area since last night and it won't be getting any better as the day progresses.

The various photos from yesterday's open house had us all pumped up for baseball even if it didn't count. So now we will have to wait for tomorrow.

We found this story from the Daily News very amusing- you can go to Home Depot and buy the same grass seed that the Yankees use! Yes, you too can build your own stadium. Okay, maybe not, but you can have your lawn look the Yankee Stadium outfield (ground crew not included).

This photo from fieldofschemes.com continues to outrage us. How could they have been so stupid to block the view from the bleachers?

This has to be dumber than the uphill center field in Houston. At least the Astros center fielder can see where he's going.

Speaking of expensive seats-okay we weren't, but now we are- Hal Steinbrenner said yesterday that, yup, we may have overpriced some seats.

"I think if anybody in any business had known where this economy was going to go, they would have done things differently," Steinbrenner said Thursday. "Look, there's no doubt small amounts of our tickets might be overpriced.

"You know, we're continuing to look into that. But the bottom line is, the vast majority of them, it seems like they're right on because we've sold 35,000 full season equivalents, and a lot of the tickets have, you know, sold quite well. And, well, despite what's out there all the time ... there's thousands and thousands of very affordable seating. And, you know, the public is excited, as excited as we are, I think."

Very astute there Prince Hal. Now we're waiting for Hank to blame someone else for the expense.

Those of you planning on going to the Stadium via the new Metro North Station...you'll have to wait until May 23 for it to open.

Check this out on River Ave. Blues. You can now get a Yankees phone.

The Daily Yankeeland - 3/27

The Yankees play the Reds in Tampa this evening at 7:15 EDT. The game is on WABC radio so you can hear the melodic voice of one John Sterling. CC Sabathia gets the start and Mariano Rivera will be making another appearance.

George Steinbrenner will be at the Yankees home opener, according to a source in the know. King George hasn't been at the Stadium since last season's All-Star game.

Peter Abraham of the Journal News reports that it will cost $19 to park at the new Stadium and the new Metro North station won't be ready for the first home stand.

To promote his new album, Bernie Williams sat down for an interview with Entertainment Weekly magazine. Among his revelations, Derek Jeter hated when Bernie played his guitar on team bus rides or airplane flights.

The NY Times' Richard Sandomir has a profile of Yankees veep/bulldog Randy Levine.

“Part of Randy likes to fight,” said Hal Steinbrenner, the managing general partner. “He has a history of not backing down. He likes to be the bad cop. I’m the good cop.”

You may have read the other day that the wife of former Yankees prospect Jose Tabata was arrested after abducting a new born. The story gets even stranger. A stunned Tabata, who is 20 years younger than his wife, thinks she also lied to him about a number of things, including being pregnant. Click here to read Tabata's full statement.

Time to get your priorities in order, Hanley Ramirez. The Yankees have long had a dress code that includes no facial hair, other than a mustache, no earrings, and no long hair. The Florida Marlins recently instituted a similar policy, causing Ramirez to go ballistic after getting his hair cut.

"After the star shortstop was forced to shear his long locks, he strolled through the clubhouse sharing his opinion of the new fashion rules across his chest, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

"I'm sick of this s---," the message read, in thick Sharpie letters. "I'm angry," Ramirez said. "I want to be traded." Ramirez was not only forced to cut off his cornrows under the new policy, he also won't be allowed to wear jewelry while playing.

"It's incredible," he said later. "We're big-leaguers."

Ramirez eventually cooled down after a talk with team officials and said everything was cool.

Yuri Outta Here

Alex Rodriguez may be sticking by his cousin, Yuri Sucart, but the Yankees don't want any part of the family. When Sucart picked A-Rod up after Tuesday's game with the Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Yankees front office said enough is enough.

"It has been handled," New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters Thursday, saying A-Rod being picked up by his cousin, Yuri Sucart, was no longer an issue.

Sucart, of course, is the infamous cousin that was A-Rod's delivery boy and injector. You would think A-Rod would be smart enough not to have his cousin around, but after all, this is the guy who dated/dates Madonna.

Top 10 of 2008

These are top 10 Yankees stories for the year MMVIII (it's not just used for Super Bowls ya know). We could have ordered 7-10 differently, but this is what we came up with.

1. Goodbye, old friend
There's no question that the number one story was the final season in the storied Yankee Stadium that we all grew up with. Yes, there have been different manifestations of the current park, but the games were all played on the same hallowed ground.

The Yankees did a pretty great job, (player replicas not withstanding), of commemorating the year with patches on their uniforms, a somewhat cheesy Stadium countdown meter, a spectacular Old Timer's Day, and a great final night ceremony.

As for the final game itself, the Yankees won 7-3. Andy Pettitte picked up what could be his final win in a Yankees uniform. Derek Jeter gave a heartfelt speech to the crowd after the game and the Yankees took a farewell lap around the Stadium.

The new place will be great, but we'll miss the old one too.

2. I'm in Charge Here
With his health not what it once was, George Steinbrenner turned over the day-to-day operations of the ball club to his sons, Hank and Hal. Hank emerged as the mouthpiece, often shooting from the hip without thinking, but as the year progressed, it became obvious that Hal was the son who was really running the show.

3. Show me the money!
This holiday season was, hopefully, highlighted by the gifts that keep on giving. The Yankees played Santa Claus for CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, giving them contracts that will help them to form the nucleus of the ball club for years to come.

4. Seeing Stars
The Yankees hosted their first All-Star game in 31 years on July 15. Mariano Rivera recorded the final outs of the 9th inning, but it took extra innings before the AL won. The big story, though, was Josh Hamilton's incredible display in the prior night's home run derby.

5. A Different Joe
It was a new year all around, as Joe Girardi became the first manager other than Joe Torre to take the helm of the Yankees since 1995. Girardi had his ups and downs. He admittedly made a number of mistakes, particularly in his reporting of team injuries to the press and his lack of rapport with the veterans on the team.

6. A Big Loss
Bigger than any game, was the loss of long-time Yankees player and broadcaster Bobby Murcer to brain cancer. Bobby was our man growing up, and proved to be an even better person off the field than on. His courage during his illness was inspiring.

7. Bernie Comes Home
After being disappointed by not being offered a guaranteed contract for 2007, Bernie Williams disappeared from sight. He still showed up at various fund raisers from time to time, but he was nowhere to be found when it came to anything basebal-l related.

But that all changed on September 22, when as part of the pre-game hoopla for the final Stadium contest, Bernie Williams emerged, in uniform, from the dugout to a raucous reception from the crowd.

8. Big Trouble for American League Hitters
It took Mike Mussina 18 seasons and it came down to the final game of 2008, but Moose finally got his first 20-win season. Defeating the Red Sox in Fenway Park, Moose finished off a renaissance year that turned out to be his last. It took him a while to make the official announcement, but Moose had already decided this season would be his last before the season had even started.

9. CashMoney
Brian Cashman said he wanted to be back. The Steinbrenner boys said they wanted him back. But the Yankees played the entire season with a lame duck GM. Then on the final day of the season, Cashman signed a new 3-year deal that will keep him on as GM through 2011.

10. Voiceless
The final season in Yankee Stadium was not the same, because its longtime voice was not there. Bob Sheppard had taken ill at the end of the 2007 season and was too weak to work any of the Yankees games in 2008. He did make a pre-recorded announcement for the final home game and Derek Jeter used a tape of the "Voice of God" to announce all of his at-bats. Here's hoping Mr. Sheppard returns in 2009.