Welcome to the House of Horrors: Part CCL

Step right up, step right up, for the greatest horror show on Earth. Enter at your own risk; for once you are inside the devishly Halo House of Horrors anything can happen, and probably will. There will be collisions, errors, hit batsmen, and maybe some blood. Mwahahahahahahahaha.

No one could blame the Yankees if they never wanted to play in Angels' Stadium ever again. It's actually been that way for a number of years. That spectres that used to haunt the Kingdome in Seattle apparently went south at some point and took up residence in Anaheim. It is a place where only Angels do not fear to tread.

Last night was another example of the weird, unexpected, and sometimes unexplainable happening with the Yaknees in town. It even affected the Angels, a normally sure handed team that committed three errors. Two of those errors had helped the Yankees to a 3-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning. A frame that saw Angels start Jered Weaver wrench his frame on a delivery and was forced to leave the game with a bad back.

But this is the House of Horrors and it was for Yankees starter Phil Hughes, who grew up a spitting distance from the mound he strode last night and whose parents watched in horror as he imploded on said mound. Hughes gave up the lead immediately, leaving one pitch up in the zone for the Angels to hammer. A 3-0 lead was suddenly and swiftly a 4-3 deficit.

Curtis Granderson's solo home run off of Bobby Casseveh tied things right back up in the 2nd, but the horror struck in the 3rd. Mark Trumbo's deep fly to right center was perfect placed between Granderson and right fielder Nick Swisher. Earlier, Granderson caught a similar ball behind Swisher. The second time around wasn't so sweet; as Granderson gloved the ball, Swisher slammed into him and jarred the ball loose. Thankfully that's all that got jarred loose as both players got to their feet.

Trumbo pulled into third with a gift triple and scored the go ahead run on Howie Kendrick's sac fly. An inning later rookie standout Mike Trout hit a big fly for a 6-4 Angels lead.

Red hot Mark Teixeira got one run back with his fourth home run in as many games, but Kendry Morales' 2-run double in the 6th extended the Angels lead to 8-5.

Hughes, who seemed to have turned a corner in his last four starts, lasted just 5.1 innings, allowed seven runs, and a career high 11 hits. He got off the hook tough when Russell Martin's 2-out, 2-run double in the 7th capped a three run inning to tie things up at eight.

But this is the House of Horrors and that means the Angels get the last horrific last. It came in the person of Trumbo, who slugged a walk off solo home run off of Corey Wade to start the last half of the 9th. Another game in Anaheim. Another horror show.

Yankees Memorial Day Memories: 1991

The late 1980's and early 1990's were a tough time to be a Yankees fan. The team had been cast out into the loser's wilderness. Guys like Dallas Green, Bucky Dent, and Stump Merrill took the team nowhere.

Things would not turn around until George Steinbrenner was suspended in 1990 for conspiring with gambler/sleazeball Howie Spira to dig up dirt on Dave Winfield. That of course led to Gene Michael making the day to day moves to get the ball club back into contention for the first time since the early to mid-1980's. 

The Yankees won only 71 games in 1991, but on Memorial Day (May 27) of that season, the Yankees gave their home crowd a big thrill. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry hadn't been much since the 1970's since either one or both ball clubs had down times in the time since. But the holiday weekend gave Yankees fans something to talk about it.

Mel Hall in happier times

New York sent Dave Eiland to the mound not as a pitching coach, but as their starter on a very hot Monday afternoon. Boston countered with right-hander Danny Darwin. After a scoreless 1st inning, the Sox jumped on Eiland for three runs in the 2nd, with the aid of errors by infielder Pat Kelly and outfielder Roberto Kelly. 

The Red Sox tacked on single runs in the 4th and 5th innings, the latter courtesy of a solo home run by first baseman Carlos Quintana. Meanwhile, Darwin breezed through the first four innings before Jesse Barfield touched him up for a solo home run in the 5th.

Two innings later Mel Hall went deep to cut the lead to 5-2, and two batters after that Barfield went yard again. Suddenly it was a two run ball game. It would stay that way until the 9th inning when Jeff Reardon came on to close things out for Boston. (The Yankees bullpen trio of Eric Plunk, Steve Howe, and Lee Guetterman had limited Boston to just one hit over the final 4.2 innings.)

Reardon didn't retire a batter. Hensley Meulens and Kevin Maas reached on back to back singles to bring the tying run to the plate in the person of Hall. The Yankees outfielder would later be banished from New York because of endless teasing of a young, sensitive center fielder named Bernie Williams, but on Memorial Day Hall would put his name in the Yankees' history books.

Hall drilled a 2-2 pitch into the right field seats for a walk-off (a term not yet coined) 3-run home run and a Yankees victory before just over 32,000 fans. It was just the Yankees 18th win in 41 games, but it set the stage for many dramatic wins that would unfold in the mid- to late 1990's.

Post Game Unfortunately, Mel Hall's post-career life has not been so joyous. Hall was convicted in 2009 of raping a 12-yr old girl he coached in youth basketball. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison with no chance for parole until half his sentence has been served. Hall will be 71 at that time.

Nunez Bobbles His Way To The Minors

One might expect that Eduardo Nunez would take extra fielding practice, maybe DH, sit on the pines a bit until he got his erroneous fielding in order. But the Yankees took one step further and sent him to the minor leagues today.

It's actually a smart move. While Nunez brings speed to the Yankees lineup, he has six stolen bases, his penchant for making errors for outweighs and offense he can bring to the lineup. In last night's 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, Nunez made a pair of errors that led to two unearned runs charged to starting pitcher CC Sabathia.

With Eric Chavez ready to be activated from the 7-day concussion DL, a roster move had to be made and Nunez turned out to be the marked man. This could also mean another move is in the works though since the Yankees do not have a true back up for shortstop Derek Jeter.

Veteran utility man Jayson Nix has played just 17 games at shortstop, while Chavez played five games at the position in his early/healthier days in Oakland. Empire State (formerly Scranton) Yankees' shortstops Ramiro Pena and Doug Bernier are both currently on the minor league DL while fill in infielder Yadi Mujica has played just nine games above Double-A..

Blood Clot Holds Up Rivera's Surgery

The complications surrounding Mariano Rivera knee exam the last couple of days have finally been revealed. Mo met with the media at Yankee Stadium a short time ago and every beat writer, YES employee, NY /NJ paper columnist all tweeted at once that Mo has a blood clot in his right calf.

Rivera was understandably concerned and a little unnerved by the doctor's finding. Surgery would naturally be delayed by a clot, but Marc Carig of The Star Ledger just tweeted that the surgeon wants Rivera to regain strength and range of motion anyway.

While Rivera had hoped to possibly return late in the season/post-season, Brian Cashman quashed those thoughts yesterday and said baseball's greatest closer won't be back until 2013.

Mariano: I'll Be Back

"I'll be back." That's basically what Mariano Rivera said this afternoon, telling reporters he would not let his career end due to the ACL tear he suffered in Kansas City last night.

It would have been perfect had baseball's greatest terminator quoted the terminator, but his actual words were:

"'I'm coming back. Write it down in big letters. I'm not going out like this,'' he said. ''This has me thinking, I can't go down like this. If it takes two, three, four, five, seven more (seasons), whatever it takes.'' 

Yankees fans are quiet ecstatic to say the least.

Mariano Verdict: Torn ACL; Goodbye 2012

The MRI of Mariano Rivera's knee revealed what everyone was afraid it would. A torn Anterior Crucuate Ligament (ACL) has ended Rivera's season, which might have be his last anyway. As someone who has torn their ACL (thankfully only a partial, not requiring full reconstruction), I feel Rivera's pain and as a Yankees fan I share the pain of not having Rivera on the mound.

So the question is whether Rivera had decided on retirement after the season, will he come back in 2013 so he goes out healthy? Or does he figure he'll quit while he's ahead, or behind depending on your outlook? Whichever the case, this is NOT the way Yankees fans wanted to see the legend go out.

As for Mo's replacement, David Robertson would seem to be the logical choice based on his strikeouts per nine innings, but Joe Girardi could also go with a proven closer in Rafael Soriano. That would leave Robertson to continue in his dynamite 7th-8th inning role. Phil Hughes could also come into the picture if he continues to struggle as a starter. David Phelps could remain in the rotation with Andy Pettitte replacing Hughes, who would then act as a set up man. Something he excelled at in 2009.

OH...NO...MO

Prior to tonight's Yankees game with the Kansas City Royals, Mariano Rivera had to be carted off the field after his knee buckled while shagging fly balls in the outfield. Rivera leapt for a ball and went down as his knee gave way. Initial reports are a twisted knee, but Rivera has gone to a local hospital for an MRI. David Robertson will become the primary closer with Rafael Soriano the alternate. I thought the painting of Eduard Munch's "The Scream" was appropriate, especially since it was sold for $120MM earlier today.

YCN: Phil Hughes' Time in Pinstripes Running Out: A Fan's Take

Phil Hughes was a model of mediocrity again tonight. Which is bad for the Yankees, but fits well for the article I had published for Yahoo today. Hughes' could be joining Freddy Garcia in the bullpen soon if he doesn't straighten things out. Andy Pettitte will be returning soon, which means David Phelps or Hughes goes to the pen. And in Hughes' case it could mean trade bait. Of course you still have to have value to get something of value in return.

Click here to read my latest Yahoo piece.

YCN: Remembering Moose Skowron

My latest piece for the Yahoo Contributor Network is about the loss of Yankees great Bill "Moose" Skowron. Though I never saw him play, I have fond memories of many an Old Timer's Day with Moose, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio and more.

Please click here to read the article.

Andy, Hurry Up

Have you seen Garcia? Have you seen Hughes. Hurry up!

Time to Say Adios to Freddy Garcia

Freddy Garcia was a huge find for the 2011 season - a 12-8 record to go along with a 3.62 ERA in 25 starts (plus one relief appearance.) Based on that performance, the Yankees brought him back for 2012. But this isn't your Father's Oldsmobile Garcia of a year ago.

The 2012 version of Garcia is out of the ball game before most people have settled into their seats. The 35-yr old has lasted just 13.2 innings in four starts and hasn't made it out of the second inning in his last two appearances,. Garcia told reporters prior to Saturday's start that he had made adjustments to his mechanics. Apparently all that did was make the ball go farther for the Yankees opponent (the Detroit Tigers) as he got hammered for six runs in 1.2 IP.

Garcia's record is "just" 0-2 because the Yankees came back from 4-0 and 5-0 to win his other two starts. His overall numbers are awful - 13.2 IP 19 H 20 R 19 ER 5 BB 11 K 3 HR 12.51 ERA.

If for some reason the Yankees don't want to DFA him, they need to at least move Garcia to the pen and switch places with long man David Phelps. The Yankees could also use D.J. Mitchell in Garcia's spot, though the Clemson product was recalled this (Sunday) morning more likely to add another arm to the bullpen (Phelps and Cody Eppley both worked three innings on Saturday).

Update: 1:30 PM 4.29 - Garcia has been sent to the bullpen. No official announcement as of yet, but likely Phelps will take his spot, with Mitchell being a less likely option.

Pineda To Miss 2012..WHAT???

While I was out chasing that little white ball around this afternoon, the Yankees were informing the press that Micheal Pineda will miss the entire 2012 season due to a torn labrum.

I remember the day I heard of the trade that sent Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to Seattle for Pineda and a prospect. I was sad to see Montero go, but ecstatic to get a young stud pitcher like Pineda. Now I sit here wondering if Pineda has a future.

According to mlb.com's Bryan Hoch, Pineda will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to repair the anterior labral tear. The operation will be performed by Dr. David Altchek (with assistance from Yankees' team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad) at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC.

Now the first thing you are thinking is, "Did Seattle send damaged goods?" Brian Cashman emphatically told the press "No" when queried on the subject.

"We had the opportunity to do a full physical exam, which we did, which came out clean. Michael has never had a shoulder issue nor has he complained of one with the Mariners, nor has he ever had any tests on the shoulder with the Mariners. This is just an unfortunate circumstance that can happen. It happened."

Cashman also reported on Pineda's current mental state:

"He's down. I can tell you that obviously he's someone with a bright future that has a lot of things going through his mind about what his future is going to be. He'll get the best medical care possible." 

Pineda raised eyebrows when he reported to Spring Training overweight and lacked velocity on his fastball. Normally lighting up the radar gun in the mid-90's and occassionally higher, Pineda's not-so-fast fastball was clocked at 90-91 mph and didn't improve as camp went on.

It wasn't until he was forced to leave a game against the Phillies on March 30, that the Yankees learned Pineda had been troubled by a sore shoulder for weeks. Afraid of losing out on a spot in the rotation, Pineda kept his mouth shut and tried to pitch past the pain, which was originally evaluated as tendinitis. When Pineda had a bullpen session shut down due to pain this past weekend, the Yankees sent him for an MRI with contrast and that's when the tear was discovered.

The Yankees are optomistic that Pineda will make a full recovery and be back on the mound in a year's time. (Based on what we know from Michael's MRI scan, there is a discrete tear," Ahmad said. "We do feel that tear can be repaired arthroscopically. Based on that, we're optimistic that we can get him recovered."). In the meantime, the Yankees will count on Andy Pettitte's comeback to fill the hole left by Pineda and the ineffective performance, thus far, by Freddy Garcia.

The Captain Steers The Ship

A year ago Derek Jeter had to have heard what people - media, fans, the supposed know- it-all's and probably even opponents - were saying when he was mired in a first half slump. But anyone who has ever watched the Yankees should know that you should never count out Derek Jeter or his competitive spirit. Jeter continued his remarkable first half of the season with a four hit performance in the Yankees series opening 7-4 win over the Texas Rangers Monday night.

CC Sabathia was the benefactor of Jeter's hits and a 3-run blast from Alex Rodriguez to pick up his second straight win. The left-hander was at his best from the second through fifth innings as the Yankees built a 7-1 lead. He allowed a solo home run to Josh Hamilton in the 6th and a 2-run single to Craig Gentry in the 7th before he tossed a scoreless 8th inning. Mariano Rivera retired the Rangers in order in the 9th for his 4th save.

Jeter got the Yankees going in the top of the first with single off of Derek Holland, who has yet to beat the Yankees in six career starts. The Yankees loaded the bases on a single by Robinson Cano and a walk to A-Rod. Holland struck out Mark Teixeira for the second out of the inning, but Curtis Granderson came through with a clutch 2-run base knock.

With the lead cut in half, the Yankees took control in the 5th when Chris Stewart drew a lead off walk and Jeter singled. Nick Swisher's sac fly increased the Yankees lead to 3-1 before A-Rod followed a walk to Cano with his 3rd home run of the season. The long blast to center nearly doubled the third baseman's RBI total (4 to 7).

Notes

Despite a plus-4.00 ERA, Sabathia is now 11-3 vs. Texas in 17 career starts.

The night was Jeter's second 4-hit game and eighth multi-hit game of the season.

9 Run Comeback Flashback: 1987 Comeback vs. Clemens

As the Yankees were sending the Red Sox to an embarrassing Saturday afternoon, it brought me back to June 26, 1987. The Yankees and Red Sox faced off at Yankee Stadium with Roger Clemens, fresh off his '86 AL MVP season was on the hill for the Red Sox.

Yankees starter Tommy John didn't have a better day than Freddy Garcia did Saturday afternoon. The Red Sox tagged him for just eight runs in 1.1 innings pitched. With Clemens on the mound for Boston, a comeback was not likely down 9-0 in the 3rd.

But Dave Winfield belted a 3-run home run to kick start the bottom of the 3rd. Mike Pagliarulo and Wayne Tollenson combined for thee RBI and Clemens night,despite a 9-6 lead, was done after 2.1 innings. But the Yankees hitters weren't done with reliever Steve Crawford and Tom Bolton.

Gary Ward's 2-run single drove home cut the lead to 9-8 and Don Mattingly followed with an RBI double to tie the game. Though Ward was thrown out at third, Winfield drove in his fourth run in the inning with a single and later scored on a Rich Gedman passed ball for an 11-9 Yankees lead.

Unlike Saturday's game, Boston came back to tie things up with a couple of runs off Rich Bordi in the 4th and the game would eventually head to extra innings. That's when Tolleson delivered the game winner - a single off Calvin Schiraldi - to cap a memorable evening.