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.

Valentine Takes His Lunacy One Step Further On 9/11 Comments

All this clown needs a pair of big shoes and a red nose.

Bobby Valentine shoved his foot in his mouth on Wednesday, the 12th anniversary of 9/11. It was comments that never should have been made, let alone on one of the most horrible days in our country's history. Then he escalated things after Yankees vice-president Randy Levine responded with a much more thought out statement.

Valentine's exact comments to Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno on WFAN radio Wednesday:

"Let it be said that during the time from 9/11 to 9/21, the Yankees were (not around). You couldn’t find a Yankee on the streets of New York City. You couldn’t find a Yankee down at Ground Zero, talking to the guys who were working 24/7.”

 "Many of them didn’t live here, and so it wasn’t their fault. And many of them did not partake in all that, so there was some of that jealousy going around. Like, ‘Why are we so tired? Why are we wasted? Why have we been to the funerals and the firehouses, and the Yankees are getting all the credit for bringing baseball back?’ And I said ‘This isn’t about credit, guys. This is about doing the right thing.’”¹

Valentine has been controversial in the past and loves to draw attention to himself, but this time he stepped beyond the bounds of good taste. I'm not a fan of Levine, but he deftly handled Valentine's comments, which of course Valentine could not leave alone.

Levine's statement to Newsday:

It’s very sad that Bobby Valentine would pick this day. This is a day for reflection and prayer. The Yankees have always remembered the heroes of 9/11 and continue to do so. What Bobby Valentine should understand is that nobody wants to hear about his opinion as to who does what better. He should be silent and remember.”

“This is not the day to point fingers at anybody. This is a day to reflect. Moreover, since he only thinks about himself, he must have forgotten when the Yankees visited Ground Zero, St. Vincent’s Hospital, the Armory, the Javits Center, where rescue crews were working.”²

Valentine responded to Newsday in an email:

"Sorry, I must have missed that. If it was between the 11th and the 20th (of September) it was my mistake. I might have missed it. I will follow Randy’s lead and be silent.”

Did anyone think Valentine would be silent?  The mouth that roared then went on NBC Sports Radio and stuck his other foot in his mouth.

“I don’t know if I was trying to take credit for the team. I was trying to make a fact, that 12 years of hearing what was done and (hearing) it reported incorrectly, I just thought I’d speak for the record that, that week, there weren’t any Yankees out there. And if there were, Mr. Levine can just come up with a photograph of somebody at a firehouse or a funeral or at someone’s house.

“All I remember is people asking for the Yankees and me making excuses for them not being there.” ³

The New York Daily News' Mark Feinsand, then with mlb.com wrote this after talking to Joe Torre on the 5th anniversary of 9/11:

"After the workout, Joe Torre, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter and other members of the Yankees visited the rescue staging area at the Javits Center, the Armory and St. Vincent's Hospital, though they were unsure of the roles they were supposed to play. Most of the people they were set to encounter had either lost loved ones or were holding out hope that their family members would emerge from the disaster from five days earlier."

"At the Armory, I felt very uncomfortable, like we needed someone to go in and test the waters to see if we had any right being there," Torre said. "One family looked up at us, and with their eyes, asked us to come closer. I remember Bernie going up to someone and saying, 'I don't know what to say, but you look like you need a hug.' That was probably the most emotional part of the whole thing."

"My role in the world seemed very insignificant; I hit a ball for a living," Williams said. "There are people out there who have great jobs that impact people in a way I could never imagine, and it took this incident to realize what kind of impact I actually did have, just by playing for the Yankees."

Jeter remembers feeling uncomfortable during the trip downtown, but he knew that, despite his own feelings, it was a trip he had to take.

"What do you say to someone who just lost a family member?" Jeter said. "It made you feel good, though, because there were people who were happy to see us. It put a smile on some faces, so I was glad we were able to go." ⁴

Perhaps now that Valentine has both feet in his mouth he'll shut up. Yeah, you are right, not a chance in hell of that happening.


1 - New York CBS Local
2 - Newsday.com
3 - New York CBS Local
4 - MLB.com

In This Corner Wearing the 3 Piece Suit, Joseph Tacopina

The heavyweight championship of Major League Baseball is getting more contentious by the minute. Alex Rodriguez's number one defense attorney started throwing hay-makers on Saturday when he accused the Yankees of forcing his client to play last season while hurt.

Tacopina went as far as to say that Yankees team vice president Randy Levine told A-Rod's hip surgeon Bryan Kelly, “I don’t want ever want to see him on the field again." He also stated that the Yankees and Major League Baseball have conspired to rid the game of A-Rod and the $86MM that remains on his contract. ¹

Needless to say the Yankees fired back with Levine, an attorney himself, telling the Star Ledger's Andy McCullough that the charges were "completely fictitious, false, and specious" and that Tacopina's approach was "out of touch and reckless".

As for the accusation that the Yankees and MLB were in cahoots, Levine categorized it as a "completely stupid allegation".  He and the Yankees, with A-Rod's permission, are willing to show the third baseman's medical records and transcripts of phone calls with Dr. Kelly to the public to "show who is telling the truth." He also told McCullough that it was time for A-Rod to "put or shut up."

Levine also fired a shot across the bow when he said the only records the Yankees don't have are when A-Rod was treated by Toronto based physician Dr. Anthony Galea, who plead guilty two years ago to sending unapproved drugs to the US.

When queried after yesterday's game in Boston, A-Rod sidestepped the controversy and left it up to his attorneys. His manager, Joe Girardi, was clearly upset by the insinuation that he would put an unhealthy player on the field.   “I don’t ever want to ruin anyone’s career. That would break my heart.”

There will be a lot of heartache and headaches before this whole thing is over with.


1 - nj.com

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.

Yankees Break Ground on Heritage Park

What was once the land that held Yankee Stadium became the host to rubble. But soon it will rise again.

Okay, that was really over dramatic.

The Yankees broke ground yesterday on Heritage Park. The gift to the community that will sit atop the old Stadium grounds and will replace McCoombs Dam Park that was torn asunder for the new Stadium.

Brian Cashman and Randy Levine were joined by the Bronx Borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., as well as (for some reason) Joba Chamberlain.

Read more about it here.

Don't Try to Kick the Yankees Around

Major League Soccer has never drawn fans like major league baseball has, but that didn't stop MLS commissioner Don Garber from criticizing the Yankees.

Randy Levine responded today.

“Don Garber discussing Yankee attendance must be a joke,” Levine said Friday. “We draw more people in a year than his entire league does in a year. If he ever gets Major League Soccer into the same time zone as the Yankees, we might take him seriously.

“Hey Don, worry about Beckham, not the Yankees. Even he wants out of your league,” he said.

Garber actually didn't say much.

“It’s incomprehensible that you watch a game, and there will be front-row seats empty,” Garber said.

He still clarified his remarks after hearing of Levine's diatribe.

“When I mentioned the New York Yankees yesterday, my comments were part of a larger assertion that all businesses—even the most successful sports entities—are experiencing some impact from the economic downturn,” Garber said through a league spokesman.

“The Yankees are one of the world’s strongest sports brands and the context of my comments about a few empty seats at Yankee Stadium was to illustrate the economic challenges we are all facing,” he said.

Cat fight over.

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.

Yankees Get Their Cash

Despite protestations from Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester), the Yankees will receive the $370.9 million in (primarily) tax-exempt bonds they sought to help finish the new Yankee Stadium. New York City’s Industrial Development Agency voted 11 to 1, with one absention, to give the go-ahead. NYC Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. was the lone dissenting vote.

The Mets also received the $82.3 million they requested. There was no truth to the rumor that it was to be used for new commemorative patches.

R-Lev Gets Subpoenaed

Yankees' president Randy Levine was subpoenaed on Tuesday by Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester) to testify before a state assembly committee on Wednesday concerning monies spent on the new Yankee Stadium.

Brodsky is upset at the Yankees, and the New York City Industrial Development Authority, for what he sees as a lack of cooperation in providing documentation to back further funding requests by the Yankees.

Levine appeared on Mike Francesa's radio show to clear the air. Here are some excerpts.

Francesa: "Why has this become such a hot issue?"

Levine: "2 reasons- secondary financing, which is common and was contemplated all along... Every cent is being paid for by the Yankees"

Levine then took Brodsky to task for grand standing and distorting the facts. The facts are that the Yankees are spending 1.3 billion of their own money. New York City owns the ballpark and the Yankees are tenants. The Yankees responsible for all maintenance costs of the new Stadium.

Francesa: "The NYC Comptroller said an audit shows direct cost to the city is $325 million due to oversights and mistakes."

Levine: It's not the actual Stadium that he's referring to. As part of the arrangement, the city is building the infrastructure - brand new parks, parking garages, etc...Rising construction costs are effecting it. The Yankees get no revenue from the garages. In fact, despite spending $1.3 billion, the Yankees only get 600 parking spaces."

Francesa: "If you are paying with private financing, why going to the city?"

Levine: "The Stadium is being built with a tax exempt financing mechanism. We have a 43 year lease with the city. Since the Yankees are tenants, there are no property taxes. The Yankees will pay make payments on the bonds issued in lieu of a property tax."

Francesa: "Could this have done without the city's help?"

Levine: "No, because borrowing would have been so much higher it would have been impossible. You don't have to pay federal tax on the bonds as you would with a bank. The Yankees are also putting $225 million of their own money on top of the bond money."

So there you have it. You can listen to the entire interview on WFAN's website. The Stadium will actually cost $1.5 billion and these issues will probably be resolved pretty quickly. As Newsday reported, Mayor Bloomberg took a shot, through a spokesman, at Brodsky as well.

"I guess it makes for good political theater because it's the Yankees, but when it comes to valuable taxpayer dollars, decisions should be made on return, not rhetoric," Bloomberg spokesman Andrew Brent said.

Play Ball!

The Daily Yankeeland - 10/25

Time to catch up a little on our favorite band of underachievers. You can end the speculation that Larry Bowa might return to the Yankees as third base coach. He'll be staying on in with Joe Torre in LA as will Don Mattingly and the rest of the staff. There's still talk about Milwaukee's interim manager Dale Sveum taking the job, but as we have pointed out before, Sveum held the position and Boston and did not do a good job in the eyes of Red Sox fans.

Speaking of Milwaukee, rumors has it that Willie Randolph is interviewing for the job. Good luck Willie!

Darryl Strawberry had some sage words of advice for Joba Chamberlain after the latter's DUI arrest. If anyone has learned from experienced, it's the Straw man.

Congress is reviewing allegations that the Yankees improperly received funding for additional expenses in building the new Stadium. Randy Levine told Congress that the Yankees would have left town if not for the funding they received. Sure, Randy, go work on your perm.

It may just be rumor, but word is that the Yankees and Cubs may play an exhibition game in the new Stadium before the official opener.

The Daily Yankeeland - 10/25

Time to catch up a little on our favorite band of underachievers. You can end the speculation that Larry Bowa might return to the Yankees as third base coach. He'll be staying on in with Joe Torre in LA as will Don Mattingly and the rest of the staff. There's still talk about Milwaukee's interim manager Dale Sveum taking the job, but as we have pointed out before, Sveum held the position and Boston and did not do a good job in the eyes of Red Sox fans.

Speaking of Milwaukee, rumors has it that Willie Randolph is interviewing for the job. Good luck Willie!

Darryl Strawberry had some sage words of advice for Joba Chamberlain after the latter's DUI arrest. If anyone has learned from experienced, it's the Straw man.

Congress is reviewing allegations that the Yankees improperly received funding for additional expenses in building the new Stadium. Randy Levine told Congress that the Yankees would have left town if not for the funding they received. Sure, Randy, go work on your perm.

It may just be rumor, but word is that the Yankees and Cubs may play an exhibition game in the new Stadium before the official opener.

The Daily Yankeeland

Hideki Matsui feels his surgically repaired knee will be ready to go come opening day. For Matsui that means being able to play left field. How Joe Girardi ends up using Matsui, Johnny Damon, and Jason Giambi remains to be seen.

Mike Mussina says things are not going to be easy for Andy Pettitte this season. The team is expecting 190-200 innings and 15 wins out of the left-hander, but Moose knows how much crap Pettitte will have to put up with in visiting ball parks.

Despite previous enthusiasm, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Pettitte disappeared from the public spotlight after this season.

Derek Jeter says the game has definutely taken a hit from all of the steroid controversy and is truly embarrassed by the poor publicity that the game is dealing with.

Brian McNamee's attorney Earl Ward said yesterday that Roger Clemens shouldn't worry if he ends up with jail time. That's because the Rocket's good buddy Dubya would most certainly pardon him. Rusty "JR Ewing" Hardin's response to Ward's allegations? "He needs to stop smoking his own dope."

No one should be surprised by the disgraceful split among party lines during the hearing. That's just Washington, D.C. at its' worstbest. Rep Dan Burton (R-Indiana) could definitely have his pic next to the word "hypocrite" in the dictionary. The best response yesterday though probably came from Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman:

“I think Clemens and McNamee both came out quite sullied, and I didn’t think it was a hearing that needed to be held in order to get the facts out about the Mitchell report,” Waxman said.

Then why did you have a hearing, Henry? It's your committee!

Phil Hughes has some great pics on his blog from his weekend at a NASCAR event with Shelley Duncan and Ian Kennedy. He also convinced IPK to answer some questions from fans.

Randy Levine is pissing someone(s) off for a change. This time it is Bronx Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr.. Diaz asked Levine how many Bronx residents were hired to work on construction of the new Stadium. Levine could not provide an answer, upsetting the Bronx pols.

Then Levine got into it with Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo. She wanted to know why a community foundation that was supposed to dole out 800k a year from Yankees contributions to Bronx non-profits,had taken more than a year-and-a-half to hold its' initial meeting. Levine told her to go ask Bronx Borough Prez Adolfo Carrión. A ticked off Arroyo blasted Levine and walked out of the meeting.

Keep up that great P.R. work there, Randy.

No decision yet in Chien-Ming Wang's arbitration case, but the right-hander was not upset by yesterday's proceedings, which in fact went quite smoothly.

The Daily Yankeeland

Hideki Matsui feels his surgically repaired knee will be ready to go come opening day. For Matsui that means being able to play left field. How Joe Girardi ends up using Matsui, Johnny Damon, and Jason Giambi remains to be seen.

Mike Mussina says things are not going to be easy for Andy Pettitte this season. The team is expecting 190-200 innings and 15 wins out of the left-hander, but Moose knows how much crap Pettitte will have to put up with in visiting ball parks.

Despite previous enthusiasm, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Pettitte disappeared from the public spotlight after this season.

Derek Jeter says the game has definutely taken a hit from all of the steroid controversy and is truly embarrassed by the poor publicity that the game is dealing with.

Brian McNamee's attorney Earl Ward said yesterday that Roger Clemens shouldn't worry if he ends up with jail time. That's because the Rocket's good buddy Dubya would most certainly pardon him. Rusty "JR Ewing" Hardin's response to Ward's allegations? "He needs to stop smoking his own dope."

No one should be surprised by the disgraceful split among party lines during the hearing. That's just Washington, D.C. at its' worstbest. Rep Dan Burton (R-Indiana) could definitely have his pic next to the word "hypocrite" in the dictionary. The best response yesterday though probably came from Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman:

“I think Clemens and McNamee both came out quite sullied, and I didn’t think it was a hearing that needed to be held in order to get the facts out about the Mitchell report,” Waxman said.

Then why did you have a hearing, Henry? It's your committee!

Phil Hughes has some great pics on his blog from his weekend at a NASCAR event with Shelley Duncan and Ian Kennedy. He also convinced IPK to answer some questions from fans.

Randy Levine is pissing someone(s) off for a change. This time it is Bronx Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr.. Diaz asked Levine how many Bronx residents were hired to work on construction of the new Stadium. Levine could not provide an answer, upsetting the Bronx pols.

Then Levine got into it with Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo. She wanted to know why a community foundation that was supposed to dole out 800k a year from Yankees contributions to Bronx non-profits,had taken more than a year-and-a-half to hold its' initial meeting. Levine told her to go ask Bronx Borough Prez Adolfo Carrión. A ticked off Arroyo blasted Levine and walked out of the meeting.

Keep up that great P.R. work there, Randy.

No decision yet in Chien-Ming Wang's arbitration case, but the right-hander was not upset by yesterday's proceedings, which in fact went quite smoothly.

MMD Answer Levine

Mike and the Mad Dog opened their show today with a response to Randy Levine's comments in the New York Times. Levine comes off looking like an even bigger buffoon than before.

Franseca took the point since he has been the most critical of Levine over time, including well before the Joe Torre situation came up. They accurately pointed out that Levine is thin skinned and needs to toughen up if he is going to put himself in the forefront of the Yankees hierarchy.

Levine stated that MMD criticized Levine because their YES contract comes up next year. As Francesa pointed out, "how would criticizing help negotiate?".

Clearly MMD do not need YES, but they do need MMD.

Kudos, and I don't give them to MMD often, for defending Tom Verducci as well.

MMD Answer Levine

Mike and the Mad Dog opened their show today with a response to Randy Levine's comments in the New York Times. Levine comes off looking like an even bigger buffoon than before.

Franseca took the point since he has been the most critical of Levine over time, including well before the Joe Torre situation came up. They accurately pointed out that Levine is thin skinned and needs to toughen up if he is going to put himself in the forefront of the Yankees hierarchy.

Levine stated that MMD criticized Levine because their YES contract comes up next year. As Francesa pointed out, "how would criticizing help negotiate?".

Clearly MMD do not need YES, but they do need MMD.

Kudos, and I don't give them to MMD often, for defending Tom Verducci as well.

Levine Comes out Firing

First we had Hank Steinbrenner stepping in front of the moving freight train in his defense of Daddy. Now Mr. Politico, Randy Levine, has come out with both one barrel firing at his critics. He does not address all criticism, only that which came from people who he feels have a conflict of interest.

First he attacked Mike and the Mad Dog, because Levine has been openly critical about spending money to air their show on YES, and they have a new negotiation coming up.

Then he attacked Tom Verducci, one of the most respected men in the business, because he once collaborated on a book with Joe Torre.

And finally, John Kruk, of all people, because he and Torre share an agent.

Levine had no problem though calling up a NY Times reporter, Richard Sandomir, whom he once did a major favor for, so he could be heard.

This is NOT getting any better.

Source

Levine Comes out Firing

First we had Hank Steinbrenner stepping in front of the moving freight train in his defense of Daddy. Now Mr. Politico, Randy Levine, has come out with both one barrel firing at his critics. He does not address all criticism, only that which came from people who he feels have a conflict of interest.

First he attacked Mike and the Mad Dog, because Levine has been openly critical about spending money to air their show on YES, and they have a new negotiation coming up.

Then he attacked Tom Verducci, one of the most respected men in the business, because he once collaborated on a book with Joe Torre.

And finally, John Kruk, of all people, because he and Torre share an agent.

Levine had no problem though calling up a NY Times reporter, Richard Sandomir, whom he once did a major favor for, so he could be heard.

This is NOT getting any better.

Source

Hank Hammerin'

Sometimes you just need to leave well enough alone. Apparently, Hank Steinbrenner didn't get that memo. Hank decided to be the bull in the china shop (actually he looks like a bloodhound) and blast Joe Torre for his comments pertaining to the "insulting" contract offer.

"Where was Joe's career in '95 when my dad hired him?" said the new Boss. "My dad was crucified for hiring him.

"Let's not forget what my dad did in giving him that opportunity - and the great team he was handed," Steinbrenner told The Post by phone from Tampa, Fla.

"You can't take credit for success when you're going good, and then not take at least some of the blame when things change," Steinbrenner said. "I'm sorry he feels insulted, but that was not the intent."

Source

Now was not the time for firing salvos back in the Torre camp. Torre was respectful of George during his press conference. Right now Randy Levine, mainly because he was the front man during the news conference, is the villain. Hank needs to learn how not to move in front of the on coming train. His actions only further infuriated the majority of the fans.

But here's the bigger issue, bean counters and politicos are now running the show. George didn't know baseball, he was a "football man", when he bought the Yankees, but he did learn over the years. These guys haven't. Levine, in particular, is strictly business and politics. He repped the owners during the '94 player's strike. He was a deputy mayor to Rudy Guiliani - (very interesting Bob Raissman piece back in March concerning that issue.); he was an integral part of getting the new stadium approved. But does he know baseball and baseball people? Fuhgetaboutit.

We're starting to read things like, "Brian Cashman has been authorized to negotiate...". This does not bode well for the immediate, and possibly future, status of the Bombers.

Hank Hammerin'

Sometimes you just need to leave well enough alone. Apparently, Hank Steinbrenner didn't get that memo. Hank decided to be the bull in the china shop (actually he looks like a bloodhound) and blast Joe Torre for his comments pertaining to the "insulting" contract offer.

"Where was Joe's career in '95 when my dad hired him?" said the new Boss. "My dad was crucified for hiring him.

"Let's not forget what my dad did in giving him that opportunity - and the great team he was handed," Steinbrenner told The Post by phone from Tampa, Fla.

"You can't take credit for success when you're going good, and then not take at least some of the blame when things change," Steinbrenner said. "I'm sorry he feels insulted, but that was not the intent."

Source

Now was not the time for firing salvos back in the Torre camp. Torre was respectful of George during his press conference. Right now Randy Levine, mainly because he was the front man during the news conference, is the villain. Hank needs to learn how not to move in front of the on coming train. His actions only further infuriated the majority of the fans.

But here's the bigger issue, bean counters and politicos are now running the show. George didn't know baseball, he was a "football man", when he bought the Yankees, but he did learn over the years. These guys haven't. Levine, in particular, is strictly business and politics. He repped the owners during the '94 player's strike. He was a deputy mayor to Rudy Guiliani - (very interesting Bob Raissman piece back in March concerning that issue.); he was an integral part of getting the new stadium approved. But does he know baseball and baseball people? Fuhgetaboutit.

We're starting to read things like, "Brian Cashman has been authorized to negotiate...". This does not bode well for the immediate, and possibly future, status of the Bombers.