Jersey Hardball

It's a Walk Off

2009-05-18T12:10:00.003-04:00

3 games. 3 Heroes. 3 consecutive walk off victories. The Yankees have done in the Twins in the most thrilling of fashions for 3 consecutive games. Tonight, they look to sweep the 4 game series with Andy Pettitte on the mound. First it was Melky, then it was A-Rod, followed by Johnny Damon. Who will be the hero tonight?

This Yankees Walk Off Party is Brought to you by Zoolander

2009-05-18T12:07:00.001-04:00

A Successful Road Trip

2009-05-15T09:54:00.002-04:00

After a brutal homestand that saw the Yankees lose 5 in a row including 2 to Red Sox and 2 to the Rays, the Yankees couldn’t have asked for much better returning home with a 4-2 road trip. The Toronto series couldn’t have started off any worse, but to be fair the Yankees really had no shot against Roy Halladay, who was 15-5 in his career against they Yankees coming into that start. After the series opening loss the Yankees came back to win the next two capped off by a 3-2 win last night.

CC Sabathia is finally looking like CC Sabathia. His last two outings have been brilliant (2ER in 17IP). It was also nice to see Hideki Matsui back in the lineup and contributing. Next up for the Yankees is their longest homestand of 2009. They will play 4 against Minnesota, 3 against Baltimore, and 3 against Philadelphia.

The Yankees need to take the positive momentum they have built over the past 6 games and carry it over to this homestand. In order to call it a success they need to win at least 6 out of the 10 contests. It all starts tonight as Phil Hughes looks to right himself against Francisco Liriano.

Damon Home Run Diverts Disaster

2009-05-11T16:42:00.001-04:00

The weekend series with the O’s couldn’t have started any better. Alex Rodriguez made a triumphant and dramatic return to the field with a home run in his first time up at bat. Even better was CC Sabathia’s complete game shutout performance to give the Yankees a much-needed 4-0 victory. Coming off of such a high, Saturday’s game turned out to be a complete letdown. Phil Hughes had a disastrous start and the Yankees lost 12-5.

On Sunday they were on the verge of dropping 2 of 3 to the Orioles. Joba pitched well for the most part but had another first inning hiccup. The Yankees found themselves down 3-2 in the 7th, and after two men reached on consecutive infield singles Johnny Damon continued his amazing start to the season and belted a monumental 3 run home run. It was his 6th home run in his last 9 games. The Yankees went on to win the game 5-3.

Had it not been for Damon’s heroics the Yankees would have limped into Toronto to face the first place Jays after today’s off day. Instead, they are flying high and should go into Toronto and take 2 out of 3. Toronto, despite countless injuries in their starting rotation have rushed out of the gates to a 21-12 record. However, they have yet to face AL East opponents New York, Boston, and Tampa Bay. The pitching match ups for the series look like this:

Tuesday: RHP A.J. Burnett (2-0, 5.26) vs. RHP Roy Halladay (6-1, 3.29)
Wednesday: LHP Andy Pettitte (2-0, 5.26) vs. RHP Scott Richmond (4-1, 3.29)
Thursday: LHP CC Sabathia (2-3, 3.94) vs. LHP Brian Tallet (2-1, 4.95)

2009-05-09T14:44:00.002-04:00

First game. First at-bat. First pitch.

Manny Steroids Bombshell!

2009-05-07T12:00:00.004-04:00

Breaking News:

From ESPN.com

"Major League Baseball is expected to announce Thursday that Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and will be suspended for 50 games, The Los Angeles Times is reporting."

[My Take: There have been whispers about this before. Jose Canseco took what looked like a shot in the dark and proclaimed that he was "90% sure that Manny Ramirez was on the juice."

As much as you hate the guy for blowing the whistle on the steroids era, more often than not, Jose Canseco is on the mark when it comes to who's using steriods and who is not.]

Down Goes Posada

2009-05-05T16:17:00.004-04:00

Just when you thought the injuries could not get any worse for this ball club, this happens. Jorge Posada, who was off to a fine start to the season left last night's game after aggravating a prior hamstring injury. He is to have an MRI today and will probably spend some time on the DL.

You can add Posada's name to a disabled list that already includes Damaso Marte, Cody Ransom, Brian Bruney, Chien-Ming Wang and Xavier Nady. Alex Rodriguez, may return from the DL this weekend, which would lighten the blow of Posada being out a bit. However, we all remember how much the Yankees were hurting when Jose Molina was forced into everyday action last season while Posada was out. Get well soon Jorge!

Bring on the Bo Sox

2009-05-04T16:33:00.002-04:00

I know that it is still early in the season but this 2 game mini series with the Red Sox is a big one for the Yanks. After the 3 game sweep at Fenway last week, the Yankees should be looking for a measure of revenge in this series. The Red Sox are reeling a bit after dropping 3 of 4 over the weekend against Tampa. It will certainly help to have Nick Swisher back in the lineup. He was sorely missed in Saturday’s loss against the Angels.

Series Pitching Matchups:
Phil “The Thrill” Hughes will take the ball for the Yankees. He will be countered by Jon Lester.
Game 2 on Tuesday will see Joba Chamberlain against Josh Beckett.

Alfredo Aceves was called up from Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

Walk Off Winner!

2009-05-01T22:40:00.004-04:00

This team shows no quit and has a late 90's Yankees feel to it. It sure looked bleak after the Angels went up 9-4 after 7 innings but guys like Melky Cabrera and Ramiro Pena continue to step up day after day with big hits. And after scoring 4 in the 8th the Yankees capped off the comeback in the 9th without making an out. They loaded up the bases on a walk by Teixeira, a hit by Matsui, and a hit by Cano, who extended his hitting streak to an amazing 18 games. Jorge Posada ran the count full against Angel's closer Brian Fuentes and hit the pay-off pitch into the left center field gap for a game winning hit.

This team definitely has a never say die attitude that all championship clubs should have. CC Sabathia is on the mound tomorrow and after his last couple of starts he looks like he should be rounding into form. Yankee fans hope he turns in a solid performance tomorrow to extend their winning streak to a season best 5 games. Also, lets keep our fingers crossed on the condition of St. Nick Swisher, who left the game after being hit by a Jared Weaver pitch. It didn't look serious and hopefully we'll see Nick back in the lineup tomorrow.

BOX

Joba Follows Phil Tonight

2009-04-29T16:17:00.001-04:00

Joba Chamberlain will try to follow Phil Hughes’ good performance with one of his own as he starts tonight for the Yankees. Joba should try and incorporate the same type of game plan that Hughes and Molina used to tame the Tigers last night. Hughes had good velocity on his four-seamer and used it well along with his cutter to get ahead of the Tigers hitters early. This allowed him to use his knuckle curveball to keep the Tigers off balance all night long.

While Chamberlain doesn’t feature a cutter, he can use his slider in a similar manner. He can throw it just off the plate outside to righties and in off the plate in on lefties. Along with his four-seamer (which hopefully by now will be back where it should be), the slider will allow him to use the curveball as an out pitch against righties, and perhaps the changeup as an out pitch to lefties.

Chamberlain will be opposed by the promising 21 year old rookie Rick Porcello. Porcello, who is a native of Morristown, NJ is a hard throwing righty who also has an excellent breaking ball. The Yankee hitters will have their hands full with Porcello tonight.

Phil the Thrill

2009-04-28T22:56:00.002-04:00

BOX

A Weekend to Forget...

2009-04-27T13:13:00.000-04:00

The Yankees have to be scratching their heads following being swept by Boston this weekend. Sunday night’s game saw a lifeless effort by the Yankees which could be directly linked to how the first two games of the series played out. Friday night’s contest looked all but theirs as Mariano Rivera was one out away from closing out a 4-2 win for the Yankees. Instead he gave up a game tying 2-run homer to Jason Bay. The Yankees went on to lose the game in extra innings when Damaso Marte allowed a walk off home run by Kevin Youkilis.

Saturday’s game promised to be a pitcher’s match up of epic proportions as former teammates AJ Burnett and Josh Beckett went head to head. Burnett held up his part of the deal as he looked dominant through 3 innings. By that time Beckett had already allowed 6 runs and after 3 the Yankees led 6-0. The Red Sox would then mount a ridiculous comeback on Burnett and a parade of relievers as they scored in each and every subsequent inning and won the game 16-11. Burnett who looked so dominant through 3 looked lost over the next 2 frames and ended up allowing 8 earned runs over 5 innings.

After the heartbreaking losses that the Yankees endured on Friday and Saturday, they simply looked flat while being defeated 4-1 Sunday night. Andy Pettitte had little to no support by his teammates in the field and at the plate. Pettitte did not help his own cause very much either as he allowed an embarrassing moment when Jocoby Ellsbury stole home on the lefty.

Overall, it was a weekend to forget for the Yankees. Did I forget to mention that Brian Bruney and Cody Ransom both went down with injuries during the series as well? It’s on to Detroit now for the Yanks. They can sure use a dominant 8 inning performance from CC as the bullpen has been bruised and battered over the past 3 days. Let’s see if the hefty lefty can deliver a much needed win.

Hey Big Papi...SHUT UP!

2009-04-23T14:12:00.003-04:00

For years Yankees fans saw Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox continually plunk Derek Jeter and others on numerous occasions with little to no retaliation. And for years Yankees fans thirsted for someone to step up to Red Sox hitters (mainly Ortiz and Ramirez) and pitch them inside. Yankees fans wanted to see their pitchers come inside not to target Red Sox hitters, but to back them off of the plate and establish the inside corner.

We finally have the pitcher we so deeply yearned for. Joba Chamberlain has come inside on Red Sox hitters regularly the past couple of seasons. And he has enjoyed great success against them because of it. Most notably, he out-dueled Josh Beckett in a 1-0 Yankee win in Fenway Park just last season. Chamberlain is well within his rights to throw inside. Although, it may seem that he has a strange fetish when it comes to seeing Kevin Youkilis hit the deck, Chamberlain has done nothing wrong.

That brings us to “Big Papi”, David Oritz. Ortiz was quoted in the New York Post talking about how Chamberlain should not continue to throw inside and particularly not throw inside on Kevin Youkilis. Here are the direct quotes:

“None of that, man--just play the game the way it’s supposed to be, and that’s about it.”

“This is a guy, as good as he is, and the next step for him will be to earn respect from everybody in the league. He’s not a bad guy, but when things like that happen, people get the wrong idea.”

Here is my issue with what Ortiz had to say. First, he plays on the same club with a guy who just last week tried to decapitate Bobby Abreu. Ortiz should look around in his own locker room before commenting on Chamberlain. Chamberlain never fired a ball at a batter's head, after the batter stepped out of the batter's box.

Second, as far as I can tell, Chamberlain is playing the game the way it’s meant to be played. While he did throw inside or behind Youkilis on numerous occasions, he never hit him. He has played the game the same way that winner’s such as Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale, and Tom Seaver played the game. As a power pitcher he must own the inside part of the plate and if he has to back hitters off a bit, he is well within his rights.

Thirdly, Ortiz couldn't be more off on the "respect" thing. Chamberlain shouldn’t be concerned with earning the respect of everyone in the league. His main concern is to win games for the New York Yankees. If he has to come inside, that is his right. The last thing he should think about when pitching is, “What if Youkilis doesn’t like me?”

Lastly, Ortiz needs to worry about himself, and his .220 batting average. This guy clearly has not been himself since Manny left. Whether, that is attributable to Manny leaving, being older, being fatter, whatever the case, Ortiz should shut his yap, and worry about his own game.

It could be that Big Papi is trying to gain a psychological edge over Chamberlain. If that is the case, it just shows that Ortiz the Red Sox don’t feel comfortable stepping in against Joba. If I were Joba, I would buzz Ortiz the first time he comes to bat (just knock him down, not to hit him) and give him a little wink afterwards, as to say “You are not telling me what to do.” “You are not my Papi.”

-Favad Ali

The Melk Man Delivers!

2009-04-22T18:13:00.004-04:00

Melky Cabrera finished off today's marathon game with a two run walk off home run in the bottom of the 14th. It was Melky's second home run of the game.

CC Sabathia is still having control issues to start off the season. He was curiously left in the game in the 7th having already surrendered 5 runs through the first 6 innings. He went on to give up the lead before giving way to 6 relievers who combined for 7 and 1/3 innings pitched while allowing only 3 hits.

My apologies to Jose Veras, who was out of this world in relief. He went 3 and 1/3 innings and retired the last 10 men he faced, striking out 4 of them. He picked up the win.

BOX SCORE

Day off tomorrow. And then it's off to Boston for the Bombers. Joba Chamberlain will kick off the series on the mound for the Yanks. He will be opposed by Jon Lester. It should definitely be a good one.

Yanks Defeat A's 5-3

2009-04-22T09:40:00.001-04:00

A revamped Oakland lineup with newly acquired veterans such as Jason Giambi, Matt Holliday, Orlando Cabrera, and Nomar Garciaparra could not solve Andy Pettite over 7 innings last night. Pettitte scattered 9 hits and allowed just 2 runs. He has gone at least 7 innings in each of his three starts this season. He is the only Yankee starter to do so. Brett Gardner drove in two runs as did Johnny Damon, who hit the game’s only home run, which landed in the second deck in right (it was no cheapie). Mark Teixeira drove in the other Yankees run. Brian Bruney’s streak of 22 consecutive batters came to an end as he allowed a run on 2 hits in the 8th inning. Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera tied a record as Rivera saved a win for Pettitte for the 57th time. Wins and saves might not be the best way to quantify a pitcher’s effectiveness, but this record is a testament to the longevity and durability that both Pettitte and Rivera have displayed throughout their careers.

-CC Sabathia will start for the Yanks today, as they close out their first homestand. The A’s will counter with rookie lefty Brett Anderson. With a win the Yankees will go 4-2 on this homestand, not bad all things considered.

-Xavier Nady will not have to have season ending surgery after all. Instead he will rehab the strained ligament in his right elbow and should be back with the team for about a month or so.

-Chien Ming Wang, whose next start will be skipped, was sent down to Tampa to work on his mechanics as he tries to work out the kinks in his motion and delivery. The Yankees will also closely monitor his physical condition as Brian Cashman is not convinced that Wang is 100% healthy as the pitcher claims. The Yankees are 8-3 in games not started by Chien Ming Wang.

Trying to Explain the Right Field "Wind Tunnel"

2009-04-21T14:17:00.003-04:00

I am no physicist. I couldn't tell you why there were 20 home runs hit in just four games at the stadium thus far with 14 of them hit to right field. Could it be that there is a wind tunnel phenomenon taking place in right field due to the open concourses and the shape of the upper deck? It has been a hot topic for the last couple of days and everyone seems to have their own interesting opinions on it.

-Accu-Weather.com has an interesting take on the possible wind tunnel effect taking place.

-ESPN's Buster Olney is convinced there is a problem that needs to be addressed immediately.

-CNBC's Darren Rovell think the home run boost could be extremely marketable for the Yanks.

While some of the homers hit looked like certain pop outs off the bat (Asdrubal Cabrera's grand slam off Anthony Clagget and Mark Teixeira's home run off Fausto Carmona come to mind), I would like to hold my judgement until we see this home run boom continue over a span of 20-30 games rather than just looking at 4.

-Favad Ali

It's a Wash

2009-04-20T16:54:00.005-04:00

Tonight's opener against Oakland has been postponed due to rain. No makeup date has been announced as of yet. Stay dry everyone.

This message was brought to you by Chien Ming Wang

What's Wang with Chien Ming?

2009-04-20T11:33:00.004-04:00

There seems to be a whole mess of things that are hampering the performance of the once reliable righty. The laundry list of things for Wang and the Yankees to ponder include poor mechanics, lack of velocity, and lack of confidence. In three starts he has allowed 23 runs on 23 hits in just 6 innings. He has walked 6 batters while striking out only 2. His ERA for the year stands at 34.50 and he has a WHIP of 4.833. These numbers are truly staggering and the Yankees are extremely concerned about what to do with the struggling pitcher.

Courtesy of Yankees.com, here's Joe Giradi's take on the situation:

Girardi and his staff met on Sunday morning to discuss the possibility of skipping that start, which they could do without shifting anyone out of turn thanks to an off-day on Thursday. But they have not yet addressed the issue with Wang, and have not yet come to a final decision.

"We have had a lot of healthy discussion over this morning," Girardi said.

"We looked at a lot of video. We looked at where his hands were, the height of his leg kick, where his head is, if it's on line, the angle of his arm. We looked at everything. We just haven't had a chance to discuss it with him yet."

The Yankees and Wang both insist that he's completely healthy, despite the fact that his velocity in Saturday's game rested in the high 80s and low 90s -- a noticeable tick lower than the mid-90s sinkers he was firing throughout his two 19-win seasons. Girardi is not worried about Wang possibly tipping his pitches, because he has always thrown such a high percentage of sinkers.

Hitters usually knew what was coming, but they couldn't hit it anyway.

[My Take: The Yankees must find a way to allow Wang to work out the kinks without hurting his team any further. They cannot send him down to the minors as Wang is out of options. They could place him on the 15 day DL, while he doesn't seem to be physically injured, his psyche surely has to be hurting right now. Lastly, they could send him to the bullpen to become the long man and callup Phil Hughes, until Wang is able to regain his form. Either way, Wang's next start (in Boston) will probably be skipped as the rest of the rotation will not be affected because of Thursday's off day. The Yankees have their work cut out with this one and they better come up with a solution. You just simply cannot have a guy in your rotation who is an automatic loss each and every time he takes the mound.]

-Favad Ali

Yanks Salvage a Split

2009-04-20T09:11:00.004-04:00

After an embarrassing game Sunday which once again saw Chien Ming Wang give the Yankees no shot at winning the game with another putrid effort. The Yankees looked favorite to win on Sunday when you looked at the pitching matchup.

It was AJ Burnett, who had been so good in his first two starts against Carl Pavano, who had struggled almost as badly as Wang has in his first two starts. Unfortunately, things weren't going as planned through six innings as the much hated Pavano and the Indians were leading 3-1. AJ Burnett clearly didn't have his best stuff as he walked 7 batters in his 6 1/3 innings of work, but he did keep the Yankees in the game. I don't know if it was Pavano stepping up his game to stick it to the Yanks or it was the Yankees hitters pressing a bit to try and beat Pavano, but the Yankees just couldn't get to Pavano in his six innings of work.

A series of quirky plays ensued in the 7th and 8th innings as the Yankees were able to get to the Indian bullpen and take the lead and secure a much needed 7-3 win. Jorge Posada hit a disputed pinch hit home run in the 7th, one which the Indians argued was interfered with by a fan. Instant replay was used and the home run was confirmed. The 8th inning saw the Yankees pull away with a broken bat bases clearing double by Cody Ransom in which Indian outfielder left fielder Shin Soo Choo simply did not play as it seemed to have been a catchable ball. Either way the Yankees will take it as a loss to Pavano would have just added fuel to the fire of the embarrassing effort on Satruday.
BOX

Next up for the Yankees is a 3 game st with their old friend Jason Giambi and his Oakland A's. Andy Pettitte will start for the Yanks. The A's will counter with Dana Eveland. I'm sure the crowd will give a warm ovation for Giambi. His time in the Bronx had its up and downs. He never did live up to the promise of his mega money contract, but he was still a likeable figure despite all of his on the field and off the field struggles.

Jeter's Homer Wins It

2009-04-17T16:15:00.003-04:00

BOX

Party Pooper

2009-04-16T16:33:00.003-04:00

I personally have seen enough of Jose Veras. Do we really need a 4A pitcher in the game pitching in high leverage situations? Lets get Melancon up here! Send Veras back to the minors where he belongs. Better yet trade him...or waive him. As long as we don't have to see him ruin games any longer.

New Stadium, New Hope

2009-04-16T10:06:00.007-04:00

Today is the day. After a lengthy road trip, the Yankees are finally home. They will open their brand spanking new ballpark with all the pomp and circumstance that one would expect from the Yankees. Kelly Clarkson will sing the national anthem. There will also be a military performance of stars and stripes forever in honor of the opening of the original stadium in 1923 which had the same performance. Among those in attendance will be 40 former players including Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Whitey Ford, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, David Cone, and the list goes on and on. Yogi Berra, to no surprise will throw out the first pitch. There will be a few other special appearances at today's procession including Willie Randolph and of course, the boss, George Steinbrenner.

Mike Lupica writes that the opening of the new stadium will usher in a new era of Yankees baseball.

George King anticipates the opening ceremony to be done with the utmost of style.

Apparently, there will also be a game played today. CC Sabathia will take the mound and throw the first official pitch in new Yankee Stadium history. He will be facing his former team, the Cleveland Indians. Last year's Cy Young award winner, Cliff Lee will be pitching for the Indians. He is off to a slow start to the season as he is 0-2 with a 9.90 ERA in his first two starts of the year.

It should certainly be a memorable day the stadium. It should be a memorable season at the new stadium. Nothing would be better if the Yankees could take all of the enthusiasm and excitement the new stadium has brought and use it to propel them back to prominence and erase the memories of the last few seasons full of disappointment. The new stadium signifies a new beginning and a new hope.

-Favad Ali

Jeter, Yanks Take Rubber Game

2009-04-16T09:25:00.004-04:00

It was a night when the "old guard" came through as the Yankees took the rubber game in Tampa in a well-pitched, hard-fought 4-3 win. Derek Jeter singled in Ransom with the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth off of Rays closer Troy Percival. Andy Pettitte started, and pitched well over 7 1/3 innings of work, allowing 3 runs. Mariano Rivera closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth to secure the series and a winning road trip (5-4) to start off the year. Robinson Cano continued his hot hitting (.382) with a homer and a double. He looks like a changed man at the plate thus far. Next up is the home opener at the new stadium. More to come in a bit.

BOX

With or Without A-Rod

2009-04-15T14:41:00.003-04:00

Doctors say Alex Rodriguez is ahead of his rehab schedule and could make it back to the club a week sooner than the expected mid May target date. A-Rod, who recently proclaimed that he would “cut the fat” out of his life and put his focus solely on baseball would be a welcome addition to the lineup as the Yankees have gotten little to no production from the third base position in A-Rod’s absence.

While he would be a welcome addition on the field for the club, it is still debatable whether or not the Yankees are better off without the embattled slugger when it comes to team chemistry. Not only does A-Rod promise to bring big production in the lineup upon his return, but also a circus like atmosphere that follows him wherever he goes.

Life without A-Rod has been pretty smooth for the Yankees as they have been able to keep their focus on the field rather than taking questions about their mercurial teammate. Although, he has promised to be “part of the team” and “one of the guys”, you can be sure that if A-Rod doesn’t make good on his oaths to the team, we’ll be back to talking about the ridiculous things he says, the ridiculous things he does, and the ridiculous people he dates; and that will not sit well with the rest of the team, which seems to have gelled nicely sans A-Rod.

Breaking Injury News

2009-04-15T13:41:00.004-04:00

From Pete Abe:

"Nothing official yet, but the word is that Xavier Nady will need (elbow) surgery and miss the season."

[My Take: Bad break for Nady and the Yanks. The decision of how to get ABs for four guys (Swisher, Nady, Damon, Matsui) in three spots (LF, RF, DH) just got a little easier for Joe Girardi. Now the question of who will take Nady's roster spot comes into play. Could we see Shelley Duncan back in pinstripes? Imagine the fun Nick Swisher and Shelley Duncan would have together. However, if I had to put my money on it, I would guess it's probably going to be Angel Berroa who gets the call up.]

Burnett Dominant in Win

2009-04-15T09:25:00.004-04:00

He did it again. Following another atrocious start by Chien Ming Wang, AJ Burnett once again delivered a much needed win. He took a no hitter into the 7th last night and was just plain filthy. He had it all working; four seamer, two seamer, slider, and curve. He ended up going 8 innings allowing only 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 9.

Last night also saw the return of Mark Teixeira. Teixeira drove in the eventual game winning run with a sac-fly in the eighth. Our boy Nick Swisher homered yet again. He ducked out of the way from a pitch thrown up and in by Matt Garza (who is just plain nasty) and proceeded to homer two pitches later. Is this guy hot or what? The captain also delivered a 3-run homer in the game with his patented opposite field swing. Brett Gardner hit a couple balls over the shallow outfielders, showing he has the ability to put more than just a slaptastic swing on the ball at times.

Burnett is now 2-0 as a Yankee. Both of his wins prevented a 3 game losing streak. We all knew the guy could pitch, that has never been in question. If he stays healthy and continues to grow as a pitcher, we could see a special season out of this guy.

BOX

Next up is Andy Pettitte, who is looking to build on his dominant performance in KC. He will be countered by Andy Sonnanstine, who the Yankees have handled in the past. If the Yanks can pull out a win in today's game, they would go home with a 5-4 record on this season opening road trip. Not bad considering the way they started out in Baltimore to open the season.

Milledge not Lasting

2009-04-14T21:05:00.002-04:00

The Washington Nationals have optioned outfielder Lastings Milledge to their Triple-A ball club in Syracuse on Tuesday. The Nationals are off to an 0-7 start to the season and Milledge has performed just as poorly. He was hitting .167 (4-24) with 1 walk, 10 strikeouts, and just 1 RBI thus far. Assistant General Manager Mike Rizzo said the demotion of Milledge was “…to get more comfortable with his swing, to get more comfortable with the position and to do it in a less stressful situation than the National League East.”

I have to say I was a little surprised by this move. To start Milledge performed very solidly in his first full season in 2008, showing why he has once considered one of the top prospects in the game, In 138 games last year he clubbed 14 home runs and stole 24 bases while batting .268 with a .330 OBP. These definitely aren’t All-Star caliber numbers but they certainly are encouraging for a young player still adjusting to the big league level. Secondly, at only 24 years old Milledge ideally is part of the future of the Nationals organization. Even with the logjam in the Nats outfield I would think they might give him more time to work out his struggles than just 7 games. Also the two outfielders behind Milledge, Austin Kearns and Josh Willingham definitely are not part of the Nats future and I don’t expect either to outperform Milledge over the course of the season.

I understand the Nationals can’t just keep penciling in any player who is struggling just because of his potential and hope for future growth,. For the fans sake they have to attempt to put the winning combination on the field. Honestly though the Nats are headed for the basement in the NL East and even the most optimistic Nats fan knows this. That is why the quick hook for Milledge was so surprising. Being only 24 years old and coming off such a promising ’08, I thought he’d get more than 24 at bats to work through his struggles. I guess that’s why my phone never rang when the Nats were looking for a replacement GM for the recently departed Jim Bowden.
-Robb Lennahan

AJ the Stopper 2.0

2009-04-14T12:02:00.001-04:00

Following another Chien Ming Wang disaster, the Yankees are once again looking to AJ Burnett to put an end to a 2 game snide. Burnett battled through 5 1/3 innings of two run ball in his first start against the Orioles in his Yankee debut. It was good enough for a win; however Burnett was displeased with his relatively short outing. He will be keen to give more length tonight as the bullpen has been worn out after last night’s debacle. The formula for tonight will be to get 7 innings from Burnett, 1 from Bruney, and 1 from Rivera to close it out.

However, that is easier said than done when Matt Garza is the opposing pitcher. Garza rose to prominence with his brilliant ALCS performances against Boston last year, earning him the ALCS MVP honor. Garza is coming off of another brilliant effort against Boston in his first start, allowing just 1 run over 7 innings of work. The Yankee lineup will their work cut out for them against Garza tonight, which is why this start for Burnett is that much more important. Runs will be at a premium for the Yanks, especially if Mark Teixeira isn’t available once again. Burnett must be the stopper for the second straight start or the Yanks will be looking at their first 3-game losing streak of the season.

The Legend of The Swish Continues to Grow

2009-04-14T00:03:00.007-04:00

Another big night for newcomer Nick Swisher, as he not only hit his third home run of the season, he also pitched a scoreless inning and recorded a strikeout.

In other news the Yankees were bombarded by the Rays as Chien Ming Wang has suddenly forgotten how to pitch. He was rocked once again, this time to the tune of 8 earned runs while recording only three outs. The Yankees went on to lose the game 15-5. Wang's ERA has ballooned to 28.93 (15 ER in 4.2 IP). Wang's ineffectiveness is a major cause for concern. You have to think if he continues to fire blanks in this fashion, we may see the return of Phil Hughes or even Ian Kennedy real soon.

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Another return seems imminent as there was an Alex Rodriguez sighting before the game. It's time to jump for joy! I am not by any means the biggest A-Rod fan/supporter/apologist etc. But I think all Yankee fans have seen enough of Cody Ransom...(.083/.154/.125)

Honoring Adenhart

2009-04-13T18:34:00.003-04:00

I picked up this article by Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register through Buster Olney's blog on ESPN.com. Mr. Miller suggests that the Angels honor Nick Adenhart by banning the sale of beer for one game this season.

I could not agree more with this proposal to honor the recently lost young pitcher. I think it's a wonderful tribute to Adenhart, something that has more substance than just having his picture on the center field wall or stitching his number on all the players jerseys. I'd even take this one step further if i were Angel owner Arte Moreno and push for Commissioner Bud Selig to try and pass one beer less game at all 30 stadiums over the course of the season.

The downside is obviously loss of revenue to the clubs. With the extremely high mark up on all concessions cutting beer sales at even one game would definitely hurt revenue and as we saw at the Rogers Centre earlier this season a 'Dry Game" also negatively impacts attendance. Even so i think the owners need to look past their bottom line and use this proposal to pay the ultimate tribute to a pitcher and promising young man who was tragically lost.
-Robb Lennahan

Harry Kalas (1936-2009)

2009-04-13T14:59:00.001-04:00

A truly sad day for Phillies fans and all baseball fans as longtime voice of the Phillies, Harry Kalas passed away today at the age of 73. Kalas was known for his one of a kind voice and his "Outta Here!" home run calls. As a Yankee fan, I did not get to hear many games called by Kalas, but the few games that I did catch were very enjoyable because of his wonderful voice and unique style of broadcasting a game. Kalas had also been doing voice-overs for NFL Films since 1975. Kalas was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.

FULL STORY

Yanks Ready for Rays

2009-04-13T14:18:00.001-04:00

The defending American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays will welcome the Yankees to the Trop for a 3 game set starting Monday night. Chien Ming Wang will look to bounce back from his poor first outing in Baltimore as he will be countered by left-hander Scott Kazmir. The Yankees will watch from the dugout as the Rays will be raising their American League East Champions and American League Champions Banners. This will be the third of four season openers the Yankees will take part in. The next and final one will be to open their season opener at the New Yankee Stadium against Cleveland later this week.

It will be interesting to see if the Yankees will show the same respect and class as they have in the past for Red Sox banner raising ceremonies. Mark Teixeira is not expected to start once again, as he is still hampered by that sore wrist. I’d like to see Joe Girardi give Ramiro Pena a start at third over Cody Ransom. Ransom has not been playing well both at the plate and in the field. At the very least, you should get better defense with Pena in the field. The Yankees are banking on Swisher and Cano to continue to carry the lineup in Teixeira’s absence. Otherwise, it could be a long day as Kazmir owned the Yankees to the tune of a 2-1 record with 1.06 ERA in 3 starts against the Bombers last season.

Josh Beckett, Head Hunter?

2009-04-13T00:29:00.005-04:00

Is Josh Beckett aware that Bobby Abreu no longer plays for the Yankees? Was Beckett's wayward pitch intentional? You be the judge...

Yanks Leave Sweep on the Table

2009-04-12T23:58:00.006-04:00

This weekend's series could not have been going better. Friday's game saw Andy Pettitte looking as good as ever over 7 strong innings of work. The Yankees won the game 4-1 on the back of Pettite's strong effort.

BOX

It was more of the same on Saturday as CC toed the rubber looking to make up for his opening day hiccup. And makeup he did. He pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings in another easy Yankee victory, this time by the score of 6-1. This game also saw continued hot production at the plate from Nick Swisher. Swisher went 2 for 3 with a homer and 3 RBI. The only downside was that Mark Teixeira was scratched from the lineup due to a sore wrist.

BOX

That brings us to today's finale with the Royals. Joba Chamberlain took the hill for his first start against Royals ace, Gil Meche. Joba pitched was shaky at times but got through six innings of work while allowing only one earned run. He was in line for the win as the Yankees took the lead from the Royals in the 7th, scoring 3 runs in the inning to put the score at 4-3. Damaso Marte started the eighth inning on the mound and breezed through two batters, throwing only 11 pitches. However, he was removed from the game in favor of Jose Veras right hander Billy Butler, and that is when the wheels started to fall off. Veras walked the only batter he would face. Girardi then brought in Phil Coke to face switch hitter Brayan Pena, who was 0-3 batting left handed during the game. By bringing Coke in, Pena switched to the right side. Coke went on to allow a double, single, and another double consecutively and the Royals plated 3 runs.

In my view this was a case of over managing by our beloved skipper Joe Girardi. Why remove Marte after retiring the first two batters with relative ease? The two batters Marte retired were left handed, but Marte is very capable of getting right handers out. Is he only going to be used as a lefty specialist? Not only did he over manage with Marte, he did so with Veras. OK, it's not Joe's fault Veras walked Butler. However, it is his fault that he brought in Coke to allow Pena to turn around and hit right handed when he was struggling to hit left handed all day long. Why give a struggling switch hitter a fresh start on the other side of the plate when he had shown he was struggling batting left handed? Phil Coke has got terrific stuff, but is he any better than the proven vet, Marte? What makes Marte strictly a lefty specialist and Coke not? I'm going to give Joe the benefit of the doubt. It's still early. But, these are the types of losses that teams look back on in the end of the year saying, "We should have won that game."

BOX

Next Stop, KC

2009-04-10T09:32:00.000-04:00

The Yankees will kick off a three game set with the Royals today at 4pm. Andy Pettitte will toe the rubbber for the Bombers as Kansas City will counter with Sidney Ponson. The Royals have been tagged the sleeper pick this year in the American League and with good reason. They have a solid front end of the rotation with Zach Greinke, Gil Meche, and Kyle Davies. They are also strong in the backend of the bullpen with Juan Cruz and Joakim Soria. They also made some nice moves adding to their lineup this offseason with the aquisitions of Coco Crisp to play center and Mike Jacobs to play first. In a weak and wide open AL Central the Royals can definitely compete. If their opening series in Chicago (taking two of three) is an indicator, the Royals will be in the race this year.

Great Day for the Yankee Faithful

2009-04-10T09:20:00.004-04:00

Could yesterday have gone any better for Yankee fans all over the globe? The Yanks get their first win in dominating fashion over Baltimore. The offense looked very good and AJ Burnett looked like he was worth every penny of his newly signed contract. What made the day even better for fans though? It happened in the 2nd inning of the Texas/ Cleveland game when Carl Pavano was lifted from the mound after being pounded by the Rangers. Carl only recorded 3 outs while giving up 9 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. I'm sure Yankee fans all over couldn’t be happier.

Also yesterday in Toronto, New Jersey native Rick Porcello made his Major League debut for the Detroit Tigers. The 20 year old right handed pitcher started on the mound and pitched a pretty solid game, putting up a line of 5 IP- 4 ER- 9 H- 1 BB- 4K, though he was tagged for the loss. What’s more impressive though is his professional pitching career consists of only 125 IP in single A ball. Porcello is certainly showing that he is the Tigers top prospect and hopefully he will live up to expectations.

Canseco Calls Out Manny on Steroid Use

2009-04-10T09:01:00.003-04:00

Jose Canseco is still at it. After achieving the ultimate "I told you so” moment on baseball in the wake of Alex Rodriguez’s admitted steroid use, Canseco is back to naming names. This time it is Dodger slugger Manny Ramirez who Canceso is grouping among the growing list of performance enhancers. Speaking at the Brovard Auditorium on the USC campus recently Canseco stated he was “ 90% sure “ Manny’s name was also on the list of 104. While Canseco admitted he had no real proof to back up his claim he cited the owners reluctance to sign him this winter as evidence to his allegations. When Manny Ramirez was asked about Canseco’s accusations he just laughed, saying “ I got no comment, nothing to say about that. What can I say? I don’t even know the guy.”

If you played in the MLB over the last 10 + years you are guilty by association of steroid use. Regardless if you are a career minor leaguer or a future Hall of Famer there is a cloud of suspicion over everyone’s head. Up to this point the master outer Jose Canseco has proven to be pretty accurate on the names he’s linked to steroid use. This time though I think he’s just trying to create a buzz for himself. We all know his current money troubles and this is a perfect way for him to get a few public appearance paychecks. He admittedly has no proof but there’s no better way to drum up attention for himself than to call out one of the biggest names in the game today. At this point I’m just tired of Jose. Yes he did blow open the door on steroid use, job well done Jose. I don’t need to hear him name a new name every month just so he can get some attention. Jose should be working on his celebrity boxing career and let the game of baseball try to move on.

Observations From Today’s Game (11-2 Win)

2009-04-09T16:53:00.001-04:00

The Yankees were finally able to get their first win of the season, defeating the O’s 11-2. AJ Burnett was good but not great as he went 5 1/3 innings while allowing 2 runs and striking out 6. The key was he kept the Yankees in the game and allowed the offense to wear down the opposing pitcher and get into their bullpen early. Burnett did have to labor but he did get into the 6th inning, something games 1 and 2 starters, Sabathia and Wang were not able to do.

Mark Teixeira hit his first Yankee home run as did Nick Swisher. Robinson Cano who also homered, looks very good so far at the plate showed power and patience throughout the three-game set. Robby could be primed for a big season. Back to Swisher, in limited duty he is showing why he is the clear choice to play everyday over Xavier Nady. And no, I’m not talking about his 3 hits and 5 RBI today. I’m talking about his ability to go deep into counts, take his walks, and wear down the opposing pitcher. This is something that Swisher can provide on a daily basis that Nady cannot. In his 5 Ab’s today, Swisher saw a whopping 29 pitches. Add that to his ability to hit for power and he should be your everyday starting right fielder.

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Nick Adenhart 1986-2009

2009-04-09T14:57:00.004-04:00

Some sad news to comment on today as Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver in a hit and run car accident early Thursday. Two others travelling in the same car were also killed. Adenhart was a promising young prospect who pitched the night before against Oakland going six shutout innings. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Adenhart family and the Angels organization as they cope with this devastating loss. It's nothing short of horrific when a drunk driver with a suspended license can take the lives of three promising young individuals. The Yankees trying to get their first win of the year doesn’t seem very important right about now.

Full Story

AJ, The Stopper?

2009-04-08T23:16:00.004-04:00

Another game and another poor performance by a Yankee starter. Chien Ming Wang didn't fare much better than Sabathia did on Opening Day. The Yankees found themselves chasing the entire game as Wang could not get through 4 innings before allowing 7 runs. The Yankees will look to salvage a game from this series tomorrow afternoon . It will be up to AJ Burnett to make that happen.

Can AJ be the stopper? Well, we will soon find out. Burnett gets the ball tomorrow with the task of getting the Yankees their first win of the year and avoid an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Orioles. The Yankees have gotten no length from game one and two starters, Sabathia and Wang. The offense found themselves in chase mode in both games, and you just cannot win many games that way.

So, it's up to AJ, who can really make a great first impression if he can put forth a solid effort and deliver the Yankees their elusive first win of the season. The Orioles will counter with little known Alfredo Simon. I'm sure if Burnett can shut the O's down for at least the first few innings, the Yankees lineup should get some runs off of Simon. Either way this is a golden opportunity for Burnett and one that he should not let go to waste.

Oh My God! The Sky is Falling!

2009-04-07T13:39:00.002-04:00

CC Sabathia choked! He’s washed up! He can’t throw strikes! The Yankees just flushed $161 million down the drain! The Yankees should have signed Derek Lowe instead!

Mark Teixeira choked! He can’t take the pressure of playing in New York. He can’t even take the pressure of some boos in Baltimore! He can’t get a big hit!

Joe Girardi can't manage! The Yankees can't win with this guy! He doesn't know how to handle a pitching staff! If the Yankees get off to a slow start, he should be fired!

This pretty much sums up what I have read/heard after the Yankees dropped their season opener against Baltimore. To all of you ridiculous sports writers and radio hosts, please, SHUT THE HELL UP!

It was one game.

Exclusive Photos of the New Yankee Stadium

2009-04-06T20:12:00.006-04:00

I know these are a few days late. But maybe, these pictures will divert you from thinking about today's loss to the O's.

Photos Courtesy of Chris Siswo

Special Jersey Hardball Correspondent

Mets take a full game lead over the Phillies in the NL East

2009-04-06T17:14:00.002-04:00

The 2009 season has officially begun and the Mets are 1-0 with this afternoons 2-1 over Cincinnati. The disappointments of ‘07 and ‘08 are forgotten for now as the Mets are on pace for a perfect 162-0 season. Of course by next week said disappointments could be fresh in everyone’s minds if the Mets find themselves struggling. However if today is any indication the ‘09 Mets will be a very formidable squad as displayed by their new and improved bullpen. Newly acquired Sean Green, JJ Putz, and Francisco Rodriguez combined to pitch the final 3 1/3 innings of the game only allowing one base runner, a walk by Putz. There still is 161 games left to play but with a new and improved bullpen the Mets should avoid their ‘07 and ‘08 fates and finally reach the postseason in 2009.

Check out the Boxscore from the game at ESPN.com

Opening Day

2009-04-06T09:06:00.002-04:00

Opening Day has finally arrived. It began last night with the Braves defeating the Phillies 4-1. Free agent signee Derek Lowe was brilliant for Atlanta. The Yankees hope to get the same kind of performances from their newly acquired aces, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett in their opening series against Baltimore. The action starts today at 4:05pm at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Sabathia gets the call for the Yanks. Baltimore will counter with their ace Jeremy Guthrie. A solid start for Sabathia will be needed to set the right tone for the Yankees, who have been notoriously slow starters the past couple of seasons going 14-15 in April of 2008 and 9-14 in April of 2007. But enough talk already, It's time to play ball!

Sheffield back in the Big Apple

2009-04-03T19:42:00.002-04:00

The New York Mets have reached a contract agreement with the recently released slugger Gary Sheffield today. Sheffield is expected to be in New York on Saturday and his contract will be official upon his passing of a physical.

This seems like a very odd move for the New York Mets. Their corner outfield positions are held down by Ryan Church and Daniel Murphy, with Marlon Anderson, Jeremy Reed, and Fernando Tatis serving as backups. Anderson would appear to be the odd man out even though he is a versatile player capable of playing every outfield position and first base. I just don’t see the benefit of having Gary Sheffield in a Mets uniform. Even if an injury were to occur he is still seemingly behind Tatis in the depth chart and is really no longer capable of playing the outfield everyday anyway.

The only positive I see coming out of this signing by Omar Minaya is that Sheffield is almost guaranteed to hit his 500th career home run in a Mets uniform in the first season in new stadium Citi Field. Possibly Omar Minaya heard of the Phillies interest in Sheffield and wanted to grab him from their arch rivals and defending World Series Champs. Whatever the reason for the signing, Sheffield wont cost the Mets anything more than a roster spot so anything they get from him should be a positive but it’s hard to see him helping the Mets in any way.

Welcome to the New Yankee Stadium

2009-04-02T15:16:00.003-04:00

YESnetwork.com has some great pictures of the Yankees getting their first taste of the new Yankee Stadium. Follow the link for the pictures.

LINK

Yankees win Grapefruit League, Head North to Christen Stadium

2009-04-02T09:27:00.004-04:00

The Yankees finished up their Grapefruit League schedule with a 9-5 win over the Phillies on Wednesday. CC Sabathia started the game in his final tune up before the regular season opener in Baltimore on Monday. Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui both homered in the game. The Yanks finished with a 22-10-1 spring record, tops in the Grapefruit League. To honor their achievement Commissioner Selig presented the Yankees with a basket of grapefruit after the game.

The Yankees will hold a special workout at the stadium today and have two exhibition games with the Cubs on Friday and Saturday. Chien Ming Wang will throw the first ever pitch at the new stadium at 7:05 Friday night. I for one cannot wait. We will have a special correspondent at the game who will take some exclusive photographs of the new stadium’s first game, which we will share with you. The season is upon us. I can almost taste it!

-Favad Ali

It's Official: Jeter to Leadoff

2009-04-01T13:29:00.003-04:00

Joe Girardi announced on Wednesday that as of right now, Jeter will bat leadoff in Monday's season opener in Baltimore. The move should payoff as Jeter as it should cut down on Jeter's propensity to hit into the ground ball double play. Other than that, the move won't have any major significance in my opinion.

It was also announced on Tuesday that Jonathan Albaladejo will begin the season in the bullpen for the Yankees. This means that the Yankees will not have a "long man" in the pen to start off the year. The inclusion of Albaladejo is a curious one in my opinion as you wouldn't imagine Girardi using him in a big spot. Which in case, you should have a mop up guy such as Brett Tomko, Alfredo Aceves, or Dan Geise. In Joe Girardi, we trust.

The only remaining roster spot to be determined is the uitility infielder role off the bench. The two finalists seem to Angel Berroa and Ramiro Pena. Whoever wins this spot will only hold on to it until that A-Rod guy returns. In that case, why not Pena. Lets see what this kid can do. He is an excellent defensive shortstop with speed. He is also a good situational hitter who is able to lay down a bunt if needed. Lets see what the kid can do.

-Favad Ali

Sheffield for Hire

2009-03-31T15:49:00.003-04:00

The Detroit Tigers released outfielder Gary Sheffield today. Sheffield, who will be due $14 million dollars, was having a very disappointing spring batting only .178 in 45 at bats.

Just like most people I was very surprised by this move. Of course it is probably the right move but how often do you see a team release a 9 time All-Star who is one home run shy of his 500th dinger. Sheff’s stay in Detroit was a major disappointment to say the least. In two injury plagued seasons he hit just .250 with 44 homers in only 247 games. Also while with Detroit the once versatile Sheffield became relegated to DH duties.

This move also will bring into question Sheffield’s legacy as he nears the end of his career and moves onto the Hall of Fame ballot. Assuming another team signs him for the ‘09 season, that will mark the 8th ball club he’s played for. Throughout his career he has been one of the most feared hitters in the league but in the steroid era is 499 homers and 2615 hits enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. Also take into account that he has never been the most media friendly player and is notorious for his surly attitude. Even after his release he stated he was “ probably the most athletic guy on this team”. Come on Gary, you’re 40 years old and haven’t been healthy since 2005, you wouldn’t be the most athletic guy on an independent team.

I think 2009 will be the last we see of Gary Sheffield. Im pretty confident there’s a club out there that will take him on as a bat off the bench/ 4th outfielder. Beyond ‘09 I just don’t see Gary’s inflated ego taking a contract for what he’s worth right now, which would probably be in the 1-2 million dollar range. The next question then becomes is he a Hall of Famer? I personally would say yes, but honestly if he does get in it will be after a number of years on the ballot. What do you guys think, would you vote him in?

-Robb Lennahan

Rivalry Renewed

2009-03-30T16:43:00.006-04:00

Yankees vs. Red Sox: Position by Position

With the Yankees falling out of playoff contention last year, the rivalry took a bit of a year off. With the moves the Yankees have made this offseason I believe they have closed the gap with their bitter rivals and the war is back on for 2009! I am no way discounting the Rays because they are the defending division champs and they will battle the Yanks and Sox all year long. This post is just purely to highlight the special rivalry the Yanks and Sox share.

C-Yankees. If Posada is anywhere near 100% his offensive production should be head and shoulders above the woeful Varitek

1B-Yankees (Barely). Tex is primed for a big year in the Bronx, but Youk is also an offensive force, especially in Fenway Park. Tiebreak goes to the Yankees because they ended up signing Teixeira away from the Sox, who so desperately wanted the slugger

2B- Red Sox. Reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia will probably come down to earth a bit from last year but Cano’s inconsistency gives Pedroia the edge.

3B-Yankees A-Rod Returns in May. Enough said.

SS-Yankees. Jeter may be headed into decline but I’d still take him over the combo of Lowrie and Lugo anyday.

LF-Push. Bay fit into the Red Sox clubhouse nicely, but Damon continues to be a force coming off of another great year.

CF- Red Sox. Ellsbury is exactly the type of player the Yankees hope Gardner turns into this year. Excellent defensively and on the bases.

RF- Push. Drew still has yet to put together a complete season in Boston. While the combination of Nady and Swisher should be comparible to Drew's production.

DH- Red Sox. Papi had a down year in 08 while Matsui could barely stay on the field. Papi takes it on pedigree.

Bench: Push. The Yankees will feature a bench with Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera on it. While the Sox have Rocco Baldelli and Mark Kotsay on the bench.

SP- Yankees. Top 3 are a push. Sabathia, Wang, Burnett are just as good as Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka. 4-5 Starters give the Yanks the edge. Pettitte and Chamberlain over Wakefield and Penny easily.

Middle Relief- Red Sox. The Yankees should be improved but the Sox have the proven bullpen arms.

Closer- Yankees. Rivera is still the greatest of all time but Papelbon isn’t far behind.

Manager- Red Sox. Francona has shown a winner’s touch while Girardi has yet to taste the champagne.

Front Office- Red Sox. You can’t argue with their success in mixing solid vets with young players from within. A lot like what the Yankees did back in ’94-’01. Yankees are slowly getting back to that formula.

Final Score: 6-6

It should be a fun year.

I’m sure these will be hotly contested opinions. I’d love to hear your comments/arguments. So please Post ‘em!

-Favad Ali

My Yankees Opening Day Roster

2009-03-30T14:13:00.002-04:00

Everyone else is doing it, so I figured why not me...

C Jorge Posada
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Robinson Cano
3B Cody Ransom
SS Derek Jeter
LF Johnny Damon
CF Brett Gardner
RF Xavier Nady
DH Hideki Matsui

C Jose Molina
RF Nick Swisher
CF Melky Cabrera
INF Ramiro Pena

SP CC Sabathia
SP Chien Ming Wang
SP AJ Burnett
SP Andy Pettitte
SP Joba Chamberlain

CL Mariano Rivera
SU Damaso Marte
SU Brian Bruney
MR Jose Veras
MR Phil Coke
MR Edwar Ramirez
LR Brett Tomko

Brett, the Best Bet for Center

2009-03-30T13:25:00.004-04:00

Before Sundays win against Pittsburgh, skipper Joe Girardi named Brett Gardner as the team's starting center fielder. We are happy for Brett and think that his speed and defense will help the team immensely. Brett should be given the green light to run at his own discretion and if so he should rack up upwards of 40 stolen bases this year. The Yankees haven't had a speed threat like that since Alfonso Soriano.

My only concern was that maybe Joe could have held off with announcing the winner of the battle between Gardy and the Melk Man until the last couple of exhibitions against the Cubs christening the new Yankee Stadium. Gardner, being a young player could let complacency slip in much the way we saw with Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera in the past. However something tells me that Gardner will not let this oppurtunity go to waste and will play every game like he's competing to keep the job. Because in all essence he will be. If he falls into a prolonged slump I'm sure we'll see Melky or someone else trying their luck in conquering the center field position.

-Favad Ali

David Price: The future is...in the minors

2009-03-26T16:39:00.004-04:00

The defending AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays optioned 23 year old left handed pitcher David Price to their minor league camp today. The move was based solely on the Rays desire to closely monitor the workload of their young phenom. After pitching 139.1 innings between the majors and minors last season, the Rays do not want to increase his innings by more than 20% in 2009. A 20% increase would put Price’s ‘09 innings pitched to roughly 165 innings.

While I completely understand the decision made by the Rays and am not at all surprised by it, I think it’s the wrong one for the organization. The Rays who are hampered by a limited payroll, play in the same division with the infinite money of the Yankees and Red Sox and realistically have a short amount of time to be competitive. Regardless of how deep their minor league system is and how good they are at developing players, we just have not seen a team consistently compete with one of the lower payrolls in the league. Now I fully understand that with Price pitching in the minors he can be lifted at any point in the game without any real consequences as to the outcome of the game. In the big leagues though, this is much harder to justify. Removing Price from a 1-0 game in the 5th inning is easier said than done, especially if the Rays lose the game. I also understand the Rays desire to give Price regular work and keep him on a consistent pitching schedule but I think it would be more beneficial to their major league team if he was with them all season. They could possibly start Price in the bullpen and then move him into the rotation later in the season similar to what the Yankees did with Joba Chamberlain in ‘08.

Is it possible for the Rays to compete this year even with David Price in the minors for half of the season? Absolutely. In fact I think the Rays have a stronger team than last season. Unfortunately for them so do the Yankees and Red Sox. This means EVERY game matters. This is why I believe David Price should be on their major league roster all season, even if he’s in the bullpen. In such a competitive division you must have your 25 best players available even if that means taking a risk with the left arm of your future ace.

-Robb Lennahan

Yankees New and Notes

2009-03-26T13:38:00.001-04:00

Manager Joe Girardi will experiment with the lineup batting Derek Jeter in the leadoff position for the rest of Spring Training. He will drop Johnny Damon to number two because he likes Damon’s ability to pull the ball and hit in situations. Story

[My Take: This could be an interesting move as Damon is one of the toughest players to double up and has more pop than Jeter. However, the move could be a wash as Jeter is also an exceptional situational hitter because of his propensity to shoot the ball to right field.]

Brian Cashman is still looking to move Melky Cabrera who is out of options and has taken a back seat to Brett Gardner in the CF mix. The White Sox are a prime target according to Ken Rosenthal who can throw Cabrera into their CF competition which features motley-looking crew consisting of Brian Anderson, Dewayne Wise, and Jerry Owens. Story

[My Take: Melky’s has had more than a fair chance to become a mainstay over the past 3 seasons. It’s time to cut him loose and see if the Yankees can get something worthwhile in return. Also, Gardner’s superior speed and defense along with his patience at the plate are more of an asset than what Melky brings to the table. Gardner could/should not be longed for this position in the future though, as Austin Jackson would be the ideal answer in center for the future.

CC Sabathia has been named the starter for both the season opener in Baltimore and opening day ten days later at the new Yankee Stadium against Cleveland. Story

[My Take: No surprise here as CC should take the ball for both openers as he is the big name/big money ace who was brought in to be the number one starter that the Yankees have lacked for so long now.]

-Favad Ali

NYY Position Battles

2009-03-25T15:59:00.003-04:00

It seems that Joe Girardi has selected Xavier Nady as the starting rightfielder to start the season instead of Nick Swisher. Much to our chagrin as the stats just show that Swisher is the more prudent choice as documented in this previous article.

Joe Girardi has not yet announced his choice for starting centerfielder but Brett Gardner has to be in the lead if you take in his performance this spring compared to Melky Cabrera’s. Whoever ends up starting will only be keeping the position warm for Austin Jackson, as the youngster looks primed for a shot at the bigs this year or next.

All things being equal, Brett Tomko looks like the frontrunner in the race to fill the long man role out of the bullpen. Tomko has out performed Dan Geise and Alfredo Aceves his spring and as a result deserves the shot.

Cody Ransom has won the dubious honor of holding third base for Alex Rodriguez until the slugger returns from injury. Ransom didn’t really have to compete for the spot as the Yankees didn’t have many other options. As a result of Ransom being forced into a starting role Angel Berroa looks have won the utility role of the bench.

-Favad Ali

Kudos to Japan

2009-03-25T11:11:00.003-04:00

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday, but I wanted to congratulate Japan for winning a second consecutive WBC crown. The championship game was a thrilling one as they beat Korea 5-3 in 10 innings. Team USA can learn a thing or two from both Japan and Korea about how to play and win in these tournament showcases.

AJ Burnin' Up

2009-03-25T11:01:00.003-04:00

For as long as AJ Burnett has been in the Majors, we have all heard about the stuff he possesses and his potential to be great. He is now 32 and his stuff and his potential have yet to translate into great success on the mound. He and the Yankees believe this is the year that it will happen. Burnett looked solid once again as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 7-1 Tuesday night. He pitched into the sixth while allowing 1 run on 4 hits. His spring ERA in 4 starts is a stellar 1.20. Obviously, you can’t expect Burnett to pitch this spectacularly during the regular year, but everyone around Yankees camp believe he is primed for a solid first year with the club.

He has matured as a pitcher and learned a lot from former Blue Jay teammate Roy Halladay. AJ looks and works more like a pitcher rather than just a hard thrower compared to years gone by. Everyone knows about his fastball, but he has done an excellent job of mixing in his breaking pitches and changing speeds this spring. He has even been tutoring Chien Ming Wang, talking about mixing in more offspeed pitches to compliment his hard sinker. They key for AJ this year will be staying healthy. He has been injury plagued throughout his career and must stay off the DL as he and the rest of the Yankee starters will play a vital role in the team’s success this year.

-Favad Ali

So Long Curt

2009-03-23T14:12:00.003-04:00

Curt Schilling announced his retirement today via his blog 38Pitches.com. Schilling is a borderline hall of famer and a bona fide big game pitcher whose loud personality almost outweighed his ability on the mound. He was truly one of the best big game pitchers to ever toe the rubber, compiling an 10-2 record in the postseason.

As a Yankee fan, I am glad to see him go, as he has been at the center of the Yankees misfortunes in recent years, from his MVP performance to beat the Yankees in the ’01 World Series as a member of the Diamondbacks to his bloody sock performance which propelled the Red Sox to overcome a 3-0 series lead in the ‘04 ALCS. Schilling could have been a Yankee going in to the ’04 season, but the Yankees chose to go and trade for the younger Javier Vasquez. At the time, it seemed like the right move, but it blew up in their face and the rest is history. He will forever be a legend to fans in Boston and a villain to the highest degree in New York.

-Favad Ali

Japan Knocks off Team USA

2009-03-23T13:55:00.001-04:00

Japan defeated the United States in a semifinal showdown held at Dodger Stadium Sunday night by a final of 9-4. Japan now moves on to face Korea in an All-Asian final on Monday, looking to repeat as WBC champion. USA fought through injuries throughout the tournament and should be commended for their efforts. However, it just doesn’t seem right that Team USA felt like an underdog against Japan. If I’m not mistaken, baseball was created in the United States and not in Japan. The fact of the matter is that the United States and its players just haven’t bought in to the tournament at the same level as the Asian and Latin countries have. And that to me is a shame.

While the collection of players that did commit to the team were of all star caliber, you cannot sit here and say that the US had their absolute best roster that they could possibly field. Also, these single elimination games are in essence a game 7. One team played the game like it was game 7 and the other played like it was just another grapefruit or cactus league game. I know Davey Johnson was managing with his hands tied as he owes it to the clubs that which the players belong to get them into games and to get their work in, but if the US is ever going to do well in this competition they will have to play them to win.

What manager would leave their starter in the game to get brutalized the way Oswalt did in the fourth inning which in effect lost the game for the US. If its game 7 of a playoff series, you just don’t do that. But Johnson must have felt that he owed it to the Houston Astros to let Oswalt “get his work in.” This tournament can only be successful here in the US if and only if the USA is successful on the field. They won’t be successful on the field unless they can get their absolute best players to buy in and the manager of the team is allowed to manage to win the games at all costs.

-Favad Ali

"Derek Jeter is God"

2009-03-22T15:06:00.006-04:00

Ozzie Guillen known throughout his managerial career for his colorful quotes was at it again recently. Only this time he was heaping all kinds of praise on Yankee captain Derek Jeter. Here is a quote from the post taken from MLB.Fanhouse.com. Guillen was commenting on White Sox Rookie Gordon Beckham and his comment on wanting to be like Derek Jeter:

"That's a great statement of confidence, but Derek Jeter is a god of baseball,'' opined Guillen. ''You look in the dictionary for God, and Derek Jeter's picture is right there. I wish he could play like God. When you have [four] rings, make a lot of money, captain of the New York Yankees, good-looking women, no way he will be Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter is God. Derek Jeter is baseball. Everybody else is just trying to play the game.''

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If I didn't know any better I'd say Ozzie Guillen wanted to take Derek Jeter on a man date. Speaking of man dates, I highly recommend taking a good buddy to see the new flick, "I Love You, Man." Very funny.

Best Wishes to Aaron Boone

2009-03-19T14:19:00.003-04:00

We here at Jersey Hardball would like send our best wishes to Aaron Boone, who announced yesterday that he will undergo open heart surgery for a condition that he has had for about three years now. The surgrey and recovery time will cost Boone the entire 2009 season with the Houston Astros.

Boone of course, will forever be a part of Yankee history as he delivered one of the more dramatic home runs in baseball history to beat the Red Sox in game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. Lets all wish Boone a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.

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Matsui Should Leave his Glove at Home

2009-03-18T16:27:00.004-04:00

Hideki Matsui will be the everyday DH this year and as well he should be. In fact if he stays healthy, he should be among the best DHs in the league this year. He is a 34 year old who has the knees of a 68 year old. Joe Girardi recently placed a ban on Matsui playing the outfield until June, when Interleauge play rolls around. I say, he shouldn’t even play the outfield in those games. Instead, the games held in the NL park should be built in days off for the aging slugger.

Besides, even before Matusi had his knee problems, he was never considered a great defender. In fact, at his best, Matsui was considered on the edge of average to below average in the outfield. Couple that with his knee issues, and Matsui would be probably be closer to atrocious in the outfield.

The problem is the Yankees have too many DH types on their roster. One player who should see a significant number of at bats at DH is Jorge Posada. He is coming back from shoulder surgery so don’t count on Jorge catching 140 games this year. Because of this Girardi will have to start Posada as the DH at times to keep his potent bat in the lineup. This would no doubt cost Matsui some at bats, but he won't cost the Yankees any runs on defense if he is sitting on the bench.

-Favad Ali

Team USA Advances to Semis with Walk Off Victory

2009-03-18T11:21:00.003-04:00

Trailing 5-3 going in to the bottom of the ninth, Team USA was staring in the face of another embarrassing early exit out of the World Baseball Classic. The team had looked flat all night long. They left tons of runners in scoring position, played sloppy defense, and didn’t look like they had any fight left in them. However, we all know baseball can be a funny game. This was just another example of that.

The inning started off with back to back singles from Shane Victorino and Brian Roberts. Derek Jeter followed by lining out sharply to right. That left runners on first and third with one out. Puerto Rico was a double play away from eliminating the USA. Jimmy Rollins was next and he drew a hard fought walk to load up the bases. The next two batters were Kevin Youkilis and David Wright. It was up to a Red Sox and a Met. Here I was, a tried and true Yankee fanatic, pulling for a Red Sox and a Met.

Youkilis had homered earlier in the game and my apologies to the Fack Youk blog as a Yankee fan, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing the Red Sox slugger do it again. However, he walked and a run was forced in. USA was still behind 5-4 and David Wright was next. I am in no way a Met fan. But, I’ve always respected Wright as a player. I had already rooted my heart out for a Red Sox player to succeed why stop there. Wright who finally seemed to be getting his swing going as he already had two hits in the game coming into the at bat looked determined to deliver. And deliver he did. He hit a flare down the right field line that touched down and allowed the tying and winning runs to score. It was a magnificent sight as the team rushed on to the field and celebrated as if they had won the World Series. And in the middle of the celebration was Derek Jeter hugging and high-fiving Kevin Youkilis and David Wright. A Yankee, a Red Sox, and a Met; all celebrating in unison. You won’t see that anywhere but in this tournament.

This competition has had its detractors, no doubt. However, you cannot deny the competition and drama that took place on that field on Tuesday night. Team USA staved off elimination to advance to the final four in Los Angeles in dramatic fashion. This surely was the type of game that could and should spark more interest into the tournament. This was the type of game that Bud Selig and others had in mind when they dreamed up the idea to have a World Baseball Classic.

-Favad Ali

Royals Sign Former Yank Ponson

2009-03-17T22:40:00.005-04:00

Are the Kansas City Royals attempting to build a bigger fan base in the Netherlands or are they just trying to give up more runs this season? Well good news KC fans your team should accomplish both by bringing in pitcher Sidney Ponson to camp on a minor league contract.

This made me wonder why do teams continue to bring in pitchers who are virtually assured not to be productive on the field. Here’s a list of 5 veterans who are in big league camps this year who fit the bill.

With these kinds of numbers and that many innings thrown I don’t want to hear about "potential", "catching lightning in a bottle", or "veteran experience." What good are those things when you can’t get anyone out? I understand the need to fill roster spots on the big club and in all the minor league levels but I’m sure there’s a number of pitchers out there who are 10 years younger that can give teams a high 4 ERA. I just don’t see the benefit to teams giving the Sidney Ponsons’ of the world a shot year after year but there has to be a reason. What am I missing?

-Robb Lennahan

Kei Contributor?

2009-03-17T14:32:00.008-04:00

Don’t look now but Kei Igawa (the same guy who regularly wore sunglasses while pitching) has an 12 inning scoreless streak going this spring. His performance is notable as he finally looks like he trusts his stuff and is allowing batters to put the ball and in play and getting themselves out. I know spring training performances usually don’t amount to much, but it will be interesting to see what they Yankees do with Igawa.

The five man starting rotation is set with Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Chamberlain, and Pettitte. The bullpen should consist of Rivera, Bruney, Marte, Veras, Coke, Giese, and Edwar Ramirez. David Robertson is another promising bullpen arm the Yankees could go to. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are certainly higher up on the depth chart than Igawa is, should they be in need of an emergency starter. Igawa will, in all probability begin the year in Scranton. Either way, the Yankees will want Igawa to continue his excellent spring into the season as he will in my opinion, serve as trade bait later on in a potential deadline deal.

I Love Me Some Me

2009-03-17T10:19:00.003-04:00

Oops! He did it again! Just when you thought our favorite slugger (who is apparently more full of himself than we thought before) would slip out of the public eye while he rehabs his hip injury; think again. In a story in today's New York Post which displays photographs from A-Rod's upcoming appearance in Details Magazine, the narcissistic slugger is seen smooching his own image in a mirror among other seductive poses. Here is a link to the full article entitled "Confessions of a Damned Yankee." This guy cannot seem to get of his own way.

Mets Sign 50 Year Old, Julio Franco

2009-03-16T19:40:00.003-04:00

He's back! The Mets have signed the ageless Julio Franco once again. However, this time, Franco won't be battling it out to become the 25th man on the roster. Instead, he will be calling the shots for the rookie-league Gulf Coast Mets. We want to wish good luck to Julio, as he was one of the true good guys of the game during his 23 year career, which started in 1982 and ended in 2007.

Casey on the Mound

2009-03-16T16:28:00.003-04:00

The most talked about battle this spring in the Mets camp has been for the #5 spot in the pitching rotation. The three most likely candidates are former All-Stars Freddy Garcia and Livan Hernandez as well as Tim Redding. Unfortunately for the three pitchers none of them are doing anything to cement their place on the big league club. Redding has the best shot at cracking the Mets roster only because he signed a guaranteed contract this off season. His spring has been plagued by injuries holding him to only 2 innings pitched thus far and he looks headed for the long man role out of the bullpen. Garcia and Hernandez who both signed minor league deals are showing why . Garcia has only thrown 5 innings and posted a 14.40 ERA with 7 hits, 5 walks and 4 strikeouts. Hernandez has been a bit better posting a 3.72 ERA in 9.2 innings with 9 hits, 5 walks and 4 strikeouts. Not exactly encouraging numbers from either pitcher especially walking more batters than their striking out.

So who takes the last spot in the rotation? I say the Mets should give lefty Casey Fossum the first crack at it. This spring Fossum has looked good, throwing 7.2 innings with a 3.52 ERA. His other numbers have been good, allowing only 7 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6. The downside to Fossum is that he hasn’t started a game since 2007 and enters camp with a career 5.47 ERA. My question is can Fossum really do any worse than Garcia, Hernandez, or Redding. I really don’t think so. Outside of resigning Pedro Martinez or bring up youngster Jon Niese I think Fossum is the best option at the moment for the #5 spot in the Mets rotation.

-Robb Lennahan

Whew! MRIs for Cano, Marte Show No Damage

2009-03-16T16:19:00.001-04:00

Precautionary MRIs done on Cano’s right shoulder and Marte’s left shoulder showed no structural damage as the two returned to Yankees camp after participating in the WBC for the Dominican Republic. Both have been listed as day to day and could return to action by weeks end. After the way the Yankees did or did not treat A-Rod’s hip all of last season, the team had MRI’s done for the two players despite both saying the examination wasn’t necessary.

Both Cano and Marte will be integral to the Yankees success this season. Cano is coming off of a down year in which he was criticized for mental lapses and lack of hustle after signing a big contract extension. Marte will be the left handed setup man for Mariano Rivera. He along with Brian Bruney, Jose Vera, Phil Coke, Edwar Ramirez could be a solid bunch out of the pen as all of them have shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but just need that consistency that is vital to all great bullpens

Jorge Back Behind the Plate

2009-03-16T10:37:00.001-04:00

After enduring most of last year watching a cast of catchers trying to fill the shoes of Jorge Posada, it was surely a welcome sight to see Jorge back behind the plate Sunday against the Twins. His road to recovery from shoulder surgery seems to be right on track. Posada looked good in his four innings of catching duty although no Twins player attempted a steal while he was on the field. That is when we will find out just how close Posada is to being back to 100%. The Yankees sorely missed Posada’s bat in the lineup and his veteran presence behind home plate. Jorge ability to stay healthy will be the X-Factor once again this year, especially with the absence of Alex Rodriguez for the first month and a half of the season.

NY Ink

2009-03-13T21:36:00.013-04:00

I came across this article by Kat O'Brien in Buster Olney's blog on ESPN.com. It talks about the numerous tattoos gracing the bodies of some of the Yankee pitchers.

I thought this was interesting. Obviously tattoos are becoming more mainstream with the growing popularity of TV shows such as Miami Ink and LA Ink. I also challenge you to turn on a NBA game and find a player without a tattoo. Sports team logos are becoming more and more common as well. ( I too have joined this category) Below are just a few pieces i've come across on the web that go beyond the simple logo and push the boundaries of baseball inspired tattoo art. Enjoy!

Santana So-So in Spring Debut

2009-03-13T10:41:00.004-04:00

Johan Santana made his much anticipted spring debut Thursday against the Florida Marlins. He was touched up for 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings work, including a home run given up to Met nemesis Dan Uggla. The important thing for Mets fans was that his sore elbow held up just fine. Santana is now on track to make the opening day start against Cincinnati on April 6.

Now the Mets can focus once again on the battle for the final spot in the rotation. Right now it seems as if Livan Hernandez is the front runner for the job. Not because he has pitched particularly well this spring, but becasue Freddy Garcia and Tim Redding have been getting lit up all spring. If I am the Mets, why not give that Pedro guy another go? I know he has burned them in the past, but at this point if you sign him to an incentive-laden deal, what is the harm?

-Favad Ali

Rivera Rehab Right on Schedule

2009-03-12T12:06:00.004-04:00

We could see the great Mariano Rivera make his spring training debut Monday against the defending World Series champion, Philadelphia Phillies. Rivera threw live batting practice on Wednesday and said he’s “feeling better and better” and he “has no doubts” about being able to come back better than ever. He is set to throw another batting practice session on Saturday before his scheduled spring debut on Monday. It will certainly be a welcome sight to see #42 back on the mound again, as he looks ready for another brilliant season to add to his brilliant Hall of Fame career.

The Yankees are off today, but travel to Ft. Myers to face the Red Sox in a spring training grudge match sure to set the stage for what should be another season long battle between the Yanks and Sox.

Team USA falls to Venezuela 5-3

2009-03-12T12:04:00.004-04:00

Both teams already knew they had advanced to the second round of the WBC coming into yesterday’s game. The game was played for seeding purposes for second round matchups in Miami. As a result, Team USA will start the double elimination second round against a formidable Puerto Rico team and Venezuela will face off with the Cinderella Netherlands squad. My picks to advance out of this quartet are USA and Venezuela, but Puerto Rico should not be taken lightly as they are the only undefeated team left in the tournament.

The tournament has been a gripping one thus far and should only get better. I implore everyone to tune into Team USA’s pursuit of the WBC Championship and cheer on Captain America Derek Jeter, and the rest of the USA squad.

-Favad Ali

A Prelude of Things Worse to Come

2009-03-11T22:53:00.005-04:00

If you took a look at the box score from today’s Yankees/ Tigers game you might be a little worried about the line from newly acquired CC Sabathia. 1.2 IP-5 ER- 6 H- 1 BB- 0 K. Looks bad and I’m sure the first thought in a lot of people’s minds was that CC’s heavy workload the last two seasons is finally catching up with him. This doesn’t seem to be the case though. As reported on Peter Abraham’s great LoHud Yankees Blog, Sabathia is still working on his cutter something that takes him a few spring starts to get full control of. So Yankee fans needn’t worry.

The fans that should be worried about the stat line from today’s game are those of Detroit though. The Tigers ace Justin Verlander posted a line of 2 IP- 2 ER- 3 H- 4 BB-2 K. After a 2008 season where his walk rate increased and his strikeout rate decreased from the previous season, today’s numbers look like it could be more of the same. Of course I’m sure he’s still working on his own pitches and it’s only one spring start that means nothing but after a disappointing ‘08 you can’t help being worried about today’s start.

If Verlander doesn’t return to his pre-’08 form the Tigers will be in a world of trouble. After Armando Galarraga the Tigers staff has a number of questions. Jeremy Bonderman is still an injury concern, Nate Robertson is coming off a +6 ERA season, Edwin Jackson showed a glimpse of his potential in Tampa in ‘08 and who knows if we’ll ever see an effective Dontrelle Willis again. 20 year old phenom Rick Porcello looks to be another year away from hitting the big leagues. The Detroit bullpen isn’t looking any better either. Oft-injured flamethrower Joel Zumaya hopes to have a healthy season but in his 23.1 innings in ’08 he walked 22 batters. Also returning are Fernando Rodney, Bobby Seay, and Freddi Dolsi who combined for a 4.43 ERA last season.

The man they brought in to help stabilize their pen, Brandon Lyon, registered an ERA of 4.70 last year allowing 75 hits in 59.1 innings. It looks like its going to be another long year in Detroit. Wasn’t it just this time last year when everyone was handing the Tigers the World Series Championship and touting their ’unstoppable’ offense? My, how times have changed.

-Robb Lennahan

Dominican Disaster

2009-03-10T23:23:00.005-04:00

Down goes the Dominican! Down goes the Dominican! For the second time in a week the mighty Dominican Republic went down at the hands of the unheralded Dutch team. The Netherlands move on to the second round of the World Baseball Classic in Miami and the Dominicans will disassemble and rejoin their major league clubs. However, the likes of David Ortiz, Miguel Tejada, Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, etc will not soon forget the embarrassment they suffered with these two losses.

It might not mean much to us here in the states. But back home in the Dominican, where this tournament actually does mean the world, the people are surely shocked and outraged by the performance of their team. The Dominicans, rich with MLB all stars at virtually every position were beaten by a Netherlands team comprised of mostly minor leaguers and veterans of the world renowned Dutch League. If there ever was a David and Goliath match up this was surely it. And like the age old story, this one ended with David slaying the mighty Goliath not once but twice.

For those who doubted the worth of this tournament should only have to watch this game and they would be convinced about the importance and quality of this competition. Kudos to the Netherlands on a great victory and shame on the Dominicans who were the victims of one of the greatest upsets in international baseball history, twice.

-Favad Ali

MLB: The New Class

2009-03-10T21:42:00.006-04:00

For the most part spring training stats don’t mean much. If Albert Pujols were to go hitless all spring or Roy Halladay didn’t record an out it’s still a pretty safe bet that they would still produce once the regular season rolls around. However spring stats are a helpful tool to gauge what the emerging crop of youngsters may or may not do in the near future. I’ve decided to look at the spring stats of 16 top prospects who have a chance at impacting the big club sometime this season.

Take these numbers for what you will. Obviously they mean nothing. Dexter Fowler could become the biggest star and Matt Wieters could be the biggest bust, we’ll never know until they actually hit the big leagues. It’s just interesting to see their stats thus far in spring and also possibly useful if you have a forth coming fantasy draft. My sleeper pick is Beckham, come on zero strikeouts this spring you gotta love that!

-Robb Lennahan

Lets Make a Deal

2009-03-10T12:17:00.005-04:00

Before the start of the 2008 season the Yankees committed themselves to a youth movement of sorts in the pitching staff by refusing to part with a group of their youngsters such as Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy for Johan Santana. This proved to be a bad decision when a combination of injuries and poor performance held the duo to just 73.2 IP and a 7.45 ERA. Now for the ‘09 season the Yanks have gone back to their recent roots and spent heavily on the best free agents available, bringing in CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett to fill out the starting staff. This basically means another season in AAA for Hughes and Kennedy, unless, Joba Chamberlain goes to the pen and one of them win the #5 spot in the rotation, which as of now doesn’t seem likely.

Instead of sending Kennedy back to AAA, I think it would be in the Yankees best interest to trade the young righthander. While I do believe that you can never have too much pitching depth, especially young pitching, Kennedy just turned 24 years old and his trade value will only be decreasing regardless of how good he does in AAA this season. He last two seasons in the minors have been almost unbelievable. He’s pitched 223.1 Innings and struck out 246 batters while posting a 2.01 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP.

Unfortunately, he now seems lost in the shuffle in the Yankee organization behind the new big money guys CC and AJ, the phenom Joba and the younger Hughes. If the Yanks stick him back in the minors another year and attempt to move him next season they’ll find teams won’t be as interested in a then 25 year old pitcher with less than 100 innings experience in the big leagues. The time to trade Kennedy is now and here’s a few possibilities I thought could make sense.

1. A trade of potential for potential. Kennedy goes to the White Sox for power hitting 3rd baseman Josh Fields. The Yanks get a potential power bat to fill in at 3rd in A-Rod’s absence and the Sox get another young arm to go with Danks and Floyd. The Sox also throw in a 2nd minor leaguer to round out the deal.

2. At the trade deadline the Yanks send Kennedy, Mark Melancon, and Nick Swisher to the A’s for Matt Holliday. This is assuming the A’s have conceded the AL West and are looking to move Holliday and the Yanks are looking to upgrade from Matsui/ Damon in left field. If so its obvious what the Yanks get in this. As for Oakland they get a bat to replace Holliday for the rest of ‘09, a pitcher in Kennedy who they can put in their rotation right away and a young power arm for the pen in Melancon.

3. The Yanks send Kennedy, Melky Cabrera, and minor league pitcher Zach Mcallister to Milwaukee for Mike Cameron and Bill Hall. In Cameron the Yanks get a Gold Glove caliber center fielder with a little pop and in Hall the they get a replacement at 3rd for A-Rod and then a quality utility man off the bench when A-Rod returns.

Of course, I’m no general manager, I just play one on the internet, so I don’t expect any of these deals to happen. I haven’t considered salaries or any of the other fine points of making a trade. I just think in their raw form these deals make sense for both teams involved. More so, I like Kennedy and I just want to see him get a shot in the big leagues beyond a September call up and I don’t see that happening anytime soon with the Yankees.

-Robb Lennahan

Mets Release Duaner Sanchez

2009-03-10T11:06:00.001-04:00

Omar Minaya announced today, that the Mets have released 29 year old reliever, Duaner Sanchez, citing diminished velocity and an inability to command his once devastating breaking ball. Sanchez returned last year after a lengthy layoff which included two shoulder surgeries. He was below league average last year out of the pen posting an ERA+ of 97. That, combined with his poor performance this spring led to the Mets decision to let him go.

A-Rod, A OK After Surgery

2009-03-10T10:21:00.003-04:00

Alex Rodriguez had successful surgery Monday to repair torn cartilage in his hip (story). Everything went as planned and A-Rod is scheduled for a return sometime in May. A-Rod will have more extensive surgery on the same hip in the offseason but he should be ready to play for spring training 2010. The Yankees should be able to be alright without the three-time MVP in the lineup. However, it will take a concerted effort from the rest of the lineup as well as the starting rotation. Cody Ransom is still the leading candidate to fill in for Rodriguez, however another name has been thrown into the rumor mill as a possible A-Rod replacement.

According to the Kansas City Star, the Yankees are interested in aquiring Mark Teahen to keep third base warm until A-Rod returns. Teahen had an excellent 2006 campaign (.290/.357/.517), but has regressed the past two seasons with combined splits of .270./.333/.406. He would be a better option compared to Ransom and/or Angel Berroa. However, it would cost the Yankees a pitching prospect or two. I still think the best route would be to sign Mark Grudzielanek. He is a career .290/.332/.395 hitter and would only cost the Yankees a one year contract at around $1 million or so. Also, Grudzielanek would be an upgrade as a bench player once A-Rod does return.

-Favad Ali

"I'm Dutch isn't that Vierd"

2009-03-08T11:29:00.005-04:00

I always thought anything is possible but now I know that statement is a 100% fact. Why? The Netherlands beat the Dominican Republic yesterday 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic. The Dominican team has so much depth that Jose Reyes has to come off the bench. This is a team that features Hanley Ramirez, David Ortiz, Miguel Tejada, Jose Guillen, Robinson Cano, and Willy Tavres. Yet they could only put up two measly runs against Sidney Ponson. That’s right Sidney Ponson!! The loss basically came down to a lack of clutch hitting for the Dominicans. The were able to put up 8 hits and 8 walks against the Netherlands pitching staff but left 21 runners on base. Miguel Tejada alone left 7 guys on. Also throw into the mix Tejada and Miguel Olivo hitting into double plays and Willy Tavares getting thrown out attempting to steal 3rd base and you have all the evidence you need to explain why they only scored 2 runs.

The pitching staff was as advertised for the Dominicans though. All three runs allowed to the Netherlands were unearned coming in the 1st inning from 2 errors and a wild pitch from Edison Volquez. The games staff which consisted of starter Volquez, Rafael Perez, Pedro Martinez, Dmaso Marte, and Carlos Marmol combined to allow only 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 12. It was an especially impressive performance for Martinez who went 3 scoreless innings allowing only 1 hit and striking out 4.

The Dominican team is now one loss away from being eliminated in the tournament. Their next game is today against the Panama squad. If they can find a little life in their bats, the pitching staff should still lead them deep into the Classic.

-Robb Lennahan

Others Must Step Up in A-Rod's Absence

2009-03-05T16:01:00.005-05:00

Everything that could have gone last year for the Yankees did go wrong. And this resulted in them missing out on the postseason. This season, the Yankees will have to overcome the loss of Alex Rodriguez if they wish to stay in the AL East race and everything will have to go right in order for them do so. The lineup will have to step up in a big way to cover for the loss of A-Rod. Love him, or hate him; Alex Rodriguez has been an offensive force for the Yankees since his arrival. His production will surely be missed. But they can win without him; if, and only if the many question marks up and down their lineup are answered.

Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui both need to stay in the lineup and produce at their career levels. Whether this will happen or not is not a given by any stretch of the imagination. Posada is coming off of shoulder surgery which cost him most of the 2008 season. He has hit well thus far in the spring, although he has yet to catch this spring and has been a last minute scratch due to his shoulder once already. Hideki Matsui is trying to come back and play on two bad knees which will relegate him to playing exclusively as a DH this year. He also missed most of last year and will be counted on to come back healthy and productive this year.

Also, whoever emerges from the battle in CF between Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera will have to step up their production significantly. Cabrera has been regressing the past two seasons while Gardner is still an unknown commodity at the Major League level. Robinson Cano also needs bounce back from a disappointing year last year. If his production after being benched late last year is any indication, expect him to bounce back close to his 2007 form.

The Yankees should get average to above average production from the remaining positions on the field (Teixeira at 1B, Jeter at SS, Swisher/Nady in RF, and Damon in LF). But this will not be enough; they need solid production from Posada (at the catcher position), Matsui, and Cano at the least. Anything they get out of the center field position would be a plus.

Things certainly did go terribly awry last year. Lightning may just strike twice again this year. Its up to everyone in the lineup to pick up the slack while A-Rod is gone. The one difference between this year and last is a vastly improved starting rotation. This should help the lineup cope with the loss of A-Rod, and keep them competetive until his return.

-Favad Ali

Bro-Rod: "Alex Rodriguez to Miss Ten Weeks"

2009-03-05T13:33:00.004-05:00

Just when you thought it could not get any worse for Alex Rodriguez this spring. A-Rod's brother told ESPN Deportes earlier today, that the slugger will have surgery to remove a cyst that has formed on his right hip. Sources also say that surgery is schedule for Monday in Colorado.

There has been no official word from the Yankees on this matter as of yet. If this story proves to be true, this could be a devastating blow to the Yankees, as Rodriguez would miss the entire month of April and probably most of May as well.

Since 2004, the Yankees are 20-23 in games that Rodriguez has missed. Trade rumors have already hit the airwaves on possible replacements for Rodriguez at third base until his return. Names such as Garrett Atkins of the Colorado Rockies, Chad Tracy of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Bill Hall of the Milwaukee Brewers have been thrown about. If the Yankees stand pat and do not make a trade, Cody Ransom will likely get the bulk of playing time at third base.

Either way, A-Rod's absence will leave a huge void in the middle of the Yankees lineup. However, with the vast improvement in pitching, particularly starting pitching, the Yankees should be able to tread water until Alex return's. Also, the signing of Mark Teixeira looms even larger now more than ever. Imagine A-Rod going down and not having the force that is Mark Teixeira there to soften the blow.

Right now, the word is 10 weeks. However, ESPN's Stephania Bell reports that depending on the severity of the injured hip, A-Rod could be looking at more than the reported 10 weeks of recovery time. Yankees fans, it's time to hold our collective breaths.

-Favad Ali

Odd Man Out

2009-03-04T22:51:00.004-05:00

Today on Rob Neyer’s blog at ESPN.com he has a link for a very interesting article about a book recently written by former Angels minor league pitcher, Matt McCarthy.

Check out the article, written by Benjamin Hill and Allan Schwarz, here.

Basically, the book recounts all the juicy details of his summer with the team, the truth however doesn’t seem to have a place in his novel. He alleges everything in his tale from steroid use, racism, and all around inappropriate behavior from his teammates and manager. McCarthy accusing current White Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks of advising him to fake an injury to avoid lifting weights and of showing up to the park hung over on several occasions. Jenks, who has never tried to hide his troubled past stated that McCarthy’s accusations are false and that he “..couldn’t point him out in a room. I didn’t know who he was then. I don’t know who he is now.”

He also describes an incident accusing current Angel Joe Saunders of making disparaging remarks on the team bus when in fact Saunders had been promoted from the club days before the supposed incident took place. These are just two of a great deal of claims in his book that have been proven false by statistical and transaction information or that have been called flat out lies by former teammates.

McCarthy who is a graduate of Yale and the Harvard Medical School is currently an intern in the residency program at New York Presbyterian/ Columbia hospital. Judging by his collegiate resume I’d say he’s a pretty bright guy and he looks to be doing pretty well for himself. My question then would be ‘Why write this book?’.

It seems pretty obvious to me this guy is blatantly trying to cash in with his sensationalized stories. If his tall tales were true maybe he could drum up some sympathy for being a good boy on a team of misfits, but with all the embellishments and inaccuracies he winds up looking the worst of all. The fact remains this book never needed to be written. Baseball players are just that, they’re not saints we all know that so we certainly don’t need to read about it in this nobody’s book. Shame on publisher Viking Press as well for putting out this book that has proven to be greatly inaccurate. They really need to stop production on this book and pull it from store shelves in my opinion. If this were to happen I doubt McCarthy will care, he’s got his paycheck and I’m sure that’s all he’s worried about.

-Robb Lennahan

A-Rod to see Hip Specialist in Colorado.

2009-03-04T14:27:00.002-05:00

Surprise! Alex Rodriguez, is in the news again. Rodriguez was sent to see a hip specialist in Colorado after complaining of stiffness in the right hip (story here). Well, at least this time, Alex is in the news and it has nothing to do with his admitted use of steroids. Or, does it? Look, as a Yankee fan, you would like to give A-Rod the benefit of the doubt.

However, the cyst (which can form due to repeated injections in the same area) that has formed on his hip is definitely a head scratcher. Now, if you go along with Alex's story, then the cyst cannot be related to his usage of steroids in 2001-2003. That was 6 years ago; his current hip ailment certainly cannot be attributed to something that happened 6 years ago.

However, if you are like me, a cynic, who just cant take Rodriguez for his word, you might not be surprised if the cyst has formed because A-Rod has still been injecting something (HGH, maybe) in that same area of his body. I am in no way trying to make any type of allegations against Rodriguez, but due to his own sketchy stories, you can't help but wonder.

-Favad Ali

Manny and Dodgers Finally Agree...

2009-03-04T13:56:00.004-05:00

The Dodgers have reached a 2-year $45 million contract with Manny Ramirez. The deal includes an opt-out for Ramirez after the first year along with a full no trade clause. Manny finally knows where he will play this year. All is well with the world! Now, we can finally get on with our lives!

Santana's Elbow, Cause for Concern

2009-03-04T09:54:00.003-05:00

Mets fans, it is time to start worrying. Johan Santana, the most irreplaceable player on the Mets roster is likely to miss his opening day start. In fact, his elbow issues may keep him from making first start until the second series of the season. The Mets’ ace has been battling a tender elbow this spring training and has yet to make a spring training start.

My only question in all of this, if there is such a concern about Santana’s elbow, why has he continued to throw bullpen sessions? He was scheduled to fly back to New York for an MRI, which was cancelled because in part, because the Mets didn’t want Santana to fly back in the midst of a snow storm, and Santana claimed he felt “OK”.

If you are the Mets why are you taking any chances with this guy? He is your franchise player. He’s the player that you shelled out $137 million for. To risk anything with Santana is flat out ridiculous. If he goes on the shelf for any extended period of time because of this how silly will that make the Mets look? They would look flat out amateur.

If I’m Omar Minaya, I am shutting down Santana until he has passed his MRI and is showing no further signs of pain, tightness, irritation, inflammation, or any other ailment that he may have in that elbow of his. How can you not shut him down? Considering, that if Santana does end up going down for any extended time period, so will the Mets chances in 2009.

-Favad Ali

Jeter Has Big Day Against Yanks

2009-03-03T17:19:00.004-05:00

The Captain had a strong showing today, against The Yankees. He led team USA to a 6-5 victory over the Bombers, going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Let's hope this is the first and last time The Captain suits up against the Yankees. Also, Brett Gardner had another solid day at the plate (3 for3). He has taken an early lead over Melky Cabrera for the starting job in center, showing patience and power (2 HR) at the plate so far this spring.

USA Looking to Rebound From 2006 Showing

2009-03-03T11:35:00.005-05:00

Jason Stark writes that Team USA is ready for the World Baseball Classic this time around. I am not ready to make the same statement. While manager, Davey Johnson has already proclaimed Team USA as the team to beat in this year's classic, it is far from a forgone conclusion that team will be able to make up for their embarrassing exit from the last classic at the hands of Mexico.

While, USA baseball has learned from their mistake from the last go-round of playing just one exhibition game leading up to the tournament, Team USA is still far behind in form when compared to the Japanese and Cuban teams, who have been in training for months. All in all, I believe it will be up to the players and how seriously they take this tournament, as the deciding factor on how the team fares in this competition.

Some glaring omissions from the roster could prove costly to Team USA's chances. Among those who will not be participating include Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum, Joe Nathan, Lance Berkman, Chase Utley, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Joe Mauer, Josh Hamiltion, etc. This is surely a who's who of players. If they push themselves and treat this tournament as they would a playoff series, this roster, even with the omissions, is capable of beating anyone. It will be up to Davey Johnson and the coaching staff to make that happen.

-Favad Ali

Cruz and Cabrera sign for '09

2009-03-02T18:04:00.003-05:00

After Manny Ramirez the two biggest names left on the free agent market have finally agreed to contracts. Over the weekend the Kansas City Royals agreed to a deal with relief pitcher Juan Cruz on a 2 year- 6 million dollar contract. Also reportedly today the Oakland A’s have landed shortstop Orlando Cabrera with a 1 year - 4 million dollar deal. It was also reported that the A’s were close to a deal with free agent Nomar Garciaparra as well.

These are excellent moves for both teams. In Juan Cruz the Royals get a proven power arm out of the pen. Cruz, who has a 2.88 ERA and 12.6 K/9 the last two seasons should prove to be an exceptional 8th inning setup man to closer Joakim Soria. His signing also allows the Royals to use newly acquired Kyle Farnsworth in less stressful roles earlier in the ballgame, which should improve his overall performance.For Oakland, Orlando Cabrera provides a massive upgrade offensively and defensively over Bobby Crosby.

Though Cabrera doesn’t have the strongest arm, he has good range at the shortstop position as well as a very solid glove. In the lineup Cabrera is capable of leading off or hitting in the two hole, in either spot he’ll be a nice table setter for Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi. If Oakland can also complete a deal with Garciaparra, they suddenly have some impressive offensive depth. That is until Eric Chavez makes his annual trip to the disabled list.

Ultimately both these signings will help to improve their respected clubs but both Kansas City and Oakland lack the starting pitching to make them playoff competitors. Of course they still have to play the games and that means anything’s possible.

-Robb Lennahan

Manny to Dodgers: 'No Deal Again'

2009-02-27T01:51:00.004-05:00

This is just getting absolutely ridiculous. It has been reported late Thursday that Manny Ramirez has once again turned down the Dodgers most recent contract offer. The latest contract called for a 25 million dollar deal in 2009 with a player option of 20 million for 2010. This has been the 4th offer rejected by Ramirez and agent Scott Boras. This latest offer has also been the best Ramirez has received, giving him full control over his 2010 status. The original offer from LA, while the same in dollar amounts, called for a club option on the 2010 season.

Frankly this just makes me angry. I don’t know who I’m more annoyed with, Manny or the Dodgers. I just want to scream at Manny, telling him to stop turning down a potential 45 million dollars to play 2 seasons of baseball, when there’s people all across this country who are losing their jobs and homes. Manny needs to stop being so goddamned greedy. He’s made more money in his career than most people can imagine, as has Scott Boras I’m sure. The two of them need to wake up and realize the economy isn’t improving and maybe they should be a little sensitive to that. In a time when people can’t get jobs they need to stop turning one down that pays 25-45 million dollars.

As for the Dodgers organization the first thing they need to realize is that they can win the NL West without Manny. Of course with Manny they would probably coast to the division title but they don’t necessarily need him to get to the top. They did lose their best pitcher Derek Lowe to free agency but they’ve made a number of nice moves to improve the club. They’ve replaced Lowe with left hander Randy Wolf who is coming off a strong season splitting time between Houston and San Diego. Also 21 year old phenom Clayton Kershaw should be greatly improved following his debut season in ‘08.On the offensive side they have brought in second baseman Orlando Hudson and super utility man Mark Loretta. Adding Hudson, allows them to move Blake Dewitt to a utility role. Combining with Loretta the two provide solid bats and both are capable of playing every infield position, giving LA an extremely deep and versatile bench.

If the Dodgers do continue to negotiate and finally relent to Manny’s demands, it basically makes Manny the god of LA. The worst part is, he’ll know it. Secondly it will make the Dodgers essentially powerless in any future negotiations with clients of Scott Boras. I really wish the Dodgers would walk away from Ramirez and Boras and just let them go to that ‘mystery team’ Boras keeps hinting at and see if they can find a better offer. My guess is there is no other team with serious interest and I know they won’t find a better offer out there. Manny would have it all in LA. He'd be on a serious playoff contender, he'd be the lone superstar on the team grabbing all the love from the Dodger faithful and most importantly he'd get his money. The Dodgers offers have been well beyond market value and well beyond generous. I implore Dodger owner Frank McCourt and GM Ned Colletti to make one final take-it or leave-it offer and remind Manny that he needs the Dodgers more than the Dodgers need him.

-Robb Lennahan

Best Rotation in the Game?

2009-02-26T16:03:00.004-05:00

CC Sabathia, Chien Ming Wang, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and Joba Chamberlain. Not a bad starting five. In fact, I challenge you to name a better starting five. Sabathia, the best left handed pitcher in baseball the last two seasons, and Wang will be good for a minimum 15 wins each with an era in the mid 3’s. Burnett and Pettitte will be good for 12-15 wins each with an era in the low 4’s. And Joba, if he stays healthy he will dominate, albeit in limited innings, I’m hearing around 150. What starting five can top this? Let’s try and find one.

Exhibit A
Boston Red Sox
Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Wakefield, Penny, Smoltz, Buckholz

This rotation is very top heavy, yet very fragile. Beckett must stay healthy to lead at the top of the rotation. You should get solid years from Matsuzaka and Lester once again, but the remaining arms are very spotty. Wakefield is going on 43 years old and has a tendency to be inconsistent. Penny and Smoltz were top of the rotation starters in years past, but both are coming off of major injuries and cannot be counted on until the second half of the season. Buckholz has shown flashes of brilliance but is not ready to become a regular member of a major league rotation.

Exhibit B
Tampa Bay Rays
Kazmir, Shields, Garza, Sonnanstine, Price

Young, hard throwing, and durable. That describes how the front four performed last year. But that was last year. Can they repeat solid 2008’s and prove they are consistent big league pitchers. Price is the X factor. He looks to be a can’s miss prospect. His showing in the postseason was nothing short of phenomenal in relief. But being a big league starter is a whole other animal. Also, the oft-injured Scott Kazmir will be a key as the Rays don’t have much depth in the starting rotation should he or someone else go down with an injury.

Exhibit C
Chicago Cubs
Zambrano, Harden, Dempster, Lilly, Marshall

The Cubs rotation was among the best in the game in 2008. However, expect a slight drop off this year. The combination of Harden’s health and whether or not the Cubs get repeat performances out of Lilly and Dempster, who each tallied 17 wins last year will be the key to Chicago’s success in the rotation this year. Zambrano should bounce back from a down year to lead this formidable five.

Exhibit D
San Francisco Giants
Lincecum, Cain, Johnson, Zito, Sanchez

The Giants rotation will be key for them competing for a division crown in the weak NL West. Cy Young Tim Lincecum should only improve this year. Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez have immense talent and are young and hungry. The veteran lefty duo of Randy Johnson and Barry Zito will also contribute. Johnson is looking to reach the magical 300 win mark while Zito showed he may have figured out how to pitch again, as he went 6-5 while holding batters to a .232 average in the second half of last year.

Honorable mention: Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Arizona Diamondbacks.

While arguments A-D were compelling, I would still take the Yankees rotation going into 2009 above anyone else’s. No other rotation boasts the same type of power and guile that the Yankees do. With an established ace who is coming of off back to back brilliant seasons, a sinkerballer who posted back to back 19 win seasons in 2006 and 2007, a flame thrower who wants to prove he can be a consistent winner, a wily lefty who still has what it takes to get batters out, and a 23 year old fire balling phenom, I sure do like their chances. Only time will tell if my argument will hold true.

-Favad Ali

2009 World Baseball Classic Upcoming

2009-02-26T14:14:00.008-05:00

Will the World Baseball Classic ever be as popular as The Soccer World Cup, Olympic Basketball, or other high profile International sporting events? Only time will tell. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy the last installment of the classic or that we aren’t looking forward to this year’s tournament. With that, I give you my bold predictions for the 2009 World Baseball Classic which gets under way on March 5th.

-The United States will reach the semifinal only to be knocked out by the Dominican Republic.

-Chinese Taipei, The Netherlands, South Africa, Italy, and Australia will combine to win 1 game (Someone has to win when South Africa and Australia squares off against one another).

-Bernie Williams will go deep for Puerto Rico.

-A big name MLB pitcher will go down with an injury.

-Japan will repeat as tournament champions.

Click here for Rosters and Schedules.

Let the Games Begin!

2009-02-25T22:05:00.004-05:00

Spring Training games began today! Just over a month until the real games begin. Here’s a little run down from the start of the spring:

Yankees defeat the Blue Jays 6-1
The big news from this game is of course the solo home run by Brett Gardner. Also homering for the Yanks was some guy named Alex Rodriguez, maybe if this guy has a good spring he could be a September call up. Other offensive standouts for the Yanks was a double and 2 runs scored by Robinson Cano and a double by top prospect Austin Jackson. On the hill Brett Tomko got the start going 2 innings and allowing just 1 hit without any runs, walks, or strikeouts. We also saw the return of Kei Igawa who went 1 scoreless inning giving up one hit and striking out one. Game two of the spring is Thursday against the defending AL champion Tampa Bay Rays. Hopefully this spring meeting will be a little less hostile than last years.

Mets defeat the Orioles 9-3
It was a great start to the spring for the Mets. The guys in the lineup with the biggest question marks attached to them started the spring games red hot. Luis Castillo, Ryan Church, and Daniel Murphy all had 2 hit’s a piece. Castillo added 4 RBIs while Church chipped in 3 RBIs with his 2 doubles. Outfield prospect Nick Evans added 3 hits and 3 runs scored. Darren O’Day and Brian Stokes both pitched perfect innings of relief. Last seasons workhorse in the pen Pedro Feliciano got the win pitching 1 1/3 of scoreless ball giving up 2 hits and striking out one. Duaner Sanchez also appeared giving up 1 run in 1 inning on 1 hit and 2 walks.

Other notes around the league
-Travis Ishikawa hit 2 Home Runs and Tim Lincecum pitched a scoreless inning in the Giants 10-7 victory over the Indians.
-Jake Peavy went 1 scoreless innings for the Padres in their 4-3 victory over Seattle in 10 innings.
-The defending World Series Champion Phillies started the spring 0-1 with a loss to the Pirates 8-2
-Hanley Ramirez homered in Florida’s 5-5 tie with the Cardinals.
-Defending AL champion Rays lost 7-0 to the Reds. For the Reds Edison Volquez and Johnny Cueto both pitch 3 scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts. Very surprising to see the Reds let both of their best young pitchers go 3 innings in the first game of the spring.
-Finally my White Sox lost to the Angels 12-3.
-Robb Lennahan

A-Rod Goes Deep

2009-02-25T16:17:00.002-05:00

A-Rod went deep in his first spring training game against Toronto today. A-Rod and the Yanks better hope this happens about 40-50 more times this year for A-Rod, and another 5 times in October if they hope to drown out this story. Good Luck.

Body of Lies

2009-02-25T14:07:00.006-05:00

Today marks the first day of Grapefruit League play. The Yankees will suit up to take on division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays. But, this of course is not the story. As usual it’s all about Alex Rodriguez and how he will be received by the Blue Jays fans in Denedin, FL. You must be thinking to yourself, when will this story go away? I, myself have been thinking the same thing for about two weeks now. But the reality is its not going away. Many fans feel for the fallen star, but he only has himself to blame.

I’m not trying to take shots at A-Rod. I actually believe he has been unfairly targeted throughout all of this. His rights to anonymity were violated while 103 others got off scot free. He has been torn to shreads by the media even though he is the first big name user to come out and admit it and apologize for it as soon as they were caught. But the person who has done Alex Rodriguez the least amount of favors throughout all of this has been Alex Rodriguez.

This story is going to drag on and on as new revelations are made about the countless lies that have spewed from the mouth of A-Rod. He has lied about his age when he took it, and used it as an excuse, he has lied about not knowing what the drug was called, he lied about it being available over the counter in the DR, and the list goes on. Now, it has been revealed that during his (according to Alex) “best year”, 2008, he worked with banned trainer Angel Presinal throughout the length of the season.

His cloudy stories and explanations to the media have given them too much to work with when it comes to checking his stories and investigating him further. He now needs to simply shut his mouth and play the game. That is until Selena Roberts’ book, "A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez" is released on April 14, when again I am sure, A-Rod will have some more explaining to do.

-Favad Ali

Veteran SS still looking for work

2009-02-24T15:38:00.002-05:00

A 34 year old Shortstop, who has played 140+ games for 8 consecutive seasons, a career .274 Batting Average, 2 Gold Gloves, a World Series Ring and a single season high of 71 strikeouts over a 12 year career. This is the resume for one Orlando Cabrera. Can someone please explain to me why, a day before spring training games are set to begin, he hasn’t been signed. Yes I understand teams covet youth like never before and signing Cabrera will force a team to forfeit a #1 draft pick to the Chicago White Sox. I know all about the possible questions concerning Cabrera’s ‘negative’ attitude in 2008. But there’s got to be one team out there that could use him, isn’t there? Even though, he’s pretty old in the baseball world, he’s still been remarkably consistent over his last 3 seasons. If we look at his averages since 2006 we get a stat line of 635 At-bats, 183 Hits, 37 2Bs, 96 Runs, 22 SB, a .288 BA, and he still remains a solid defensive SS.

The A’s had expressed interest earlier in the winter. Cabrera would be a definite upgrade over current SS Bobby Crosby, but the A’s have reportedly been courting Nomar Garciaparra of late. He would certainly be useful for the St. Louis Cardinals. Cabrera would be a massive upgrade from newly acquired Khalil Greene and also be a nice table setter at the top of the lineup for Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick. He would be a nice one year shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds in their quest to compete while rebuilding. There’s got to be a few other clubs with at least mild interest as well.

Now I’m sure money was a major factor earlier in the winter. But it’s now late February and like other recently signed free agents Orlando Hudson and Bobby Abreu, Cabrera should realize it’s in his best interest to take a one year deal at market value in this depressed market. Hopefully for Cabrera’s sake he’s not holding on to the hope that he’ll get a contract similar to the head scratcher the Giants gave Edgar Renteria (2yrs-18 mil). It’s hard to believe Cabrera won’t be playing in 2009 but if it is about the money and he doesn’t realize the Renteria deal is the anomaly of the winter than we might not see Cabrera on the field come early April.
-Robb Lennahan

Nats say goodbye to Perez

2009-02-23T14:44:00.003-05:00

Can someone please remind Odalis Perez that he’s Odalis Perez. The left handed pitcher was released by the Washington Nationals on Monday for failing to show up to their spring training camp. Perez was reportedly upset with the minor league contract, worth $850,000 if he made the major league roster that he signed on February 5th. He said he would not show up to camp until his contract was renegotiated. After not returning messages left for him by Nationals GM Jim Bowden and manager Manny Acta the decision was made to release the disgruntled pitcher.

This is an extremely odd move by Odalis Perez. The first question of course is why did he even sign the contract? It’s possible that he wasn’t 100% pleased that all he got was a minor league deal but he still agreed to the contract. In ‘08 the lefty made 30 starts posting a 4.34 ERA, he did however allow 182 hits in only 159.2 IP. Regardless, pitchers are always in demand especially left handed pitchers. I’m sure he had a few teams inquiring about his services. Of course this is pure speculation but I wouldn’t be surprised if he had at least one major league contract offer on the table, yet he choose the Nationals offer. Secondly, Perez’s holdout most likely has put him in an even worse position than he perceived he was in with the Nationals. With spring training games starting on Wednesday does Perez honestly believe he’ll find a better deal for himself now? I could envision a team offering him slightly more money but I would find it hard to believe that a team would be willingly to give Perez a guaranteed roster spot at this point in the spring.

Barring a purely awful spring he was pretty much assured of making the Nationals roster regardless of his contract. The smart move for him would have been to stay with the Nats, if he remained mildly productive he could of drummed up some trade interest and might have been out of Washington by August 1st. He might think he got what he wanted with his release. He’s just overlooking the fact he’s a marginal pitcher who now has a bad reputation. I think I have a better shot at getting a Major League contract than he does this spring.

-Robb Lennahan

MLB Weekend Notes

2009-02-22T13:24:00.007-05:00

-The Minnesota Twins signed Third baseman Joe Crede to a 1 year contract. The deal has a base salary of 2.5 million with incentives the deal could total 7 million.

The key to the Twins success in recent years has been pitching and defense. Crede is among the top defensive 3rd baseman in the game so he should provide some much needed stability at the hot corner in the Metrodome. Offensively Crede gives the Twins the right handed power they desperately needed for the middle of their order. If Crede can stay on the field this should prove to be a great signing by the Twins.

-The Texas Rangers signed pitcher Kris Benson to a minor league contract. Benson has a career record of 68-73 with a 4.34 ERA over 7 big league seasons. He has not appeared in a big league game since 2006. Benson missed all of the ‘07 season and in ‘08 made 11 starts for the Phillies AAA team going 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA before being released.

This is basically a no lose situation for Texas. Benson is someone who has all the talent but has never been able to translate it to success on the field. Peter Gammons once even proclaimed him a future CY Young award winner many years ago. Texas is in dire need of any sort of reliable pitching. Their projected #5 start Brandon McCarthy has only been able to make 27 starts the last 2 seasons due to injuries. If Benson proves capable Texas can slide him into the #5 slot in the rotation and if not he’ll just go pitch in AAA. The Texas farm system is extremely deep so the Benson signing is nothing more than a stopgap or an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle for a season. I’m sure if Benson can give them 10-15 starts with an ERA around 4.50, Texas will feel like the signing paid off.

-The Oakland A’s have shown interest in signing free agent Nomar Garciaparra. Nomar struggled through an injury plagued ‘08 batting only .264 in 55 games for the LA Dodgers.

This could prove to be another shrewd move by Oakland GM Billy Beane. While Nomar is no longer the same player from his glory days in Boston, he has still proven himself to be a quality major league player over the last few seasons. Garciaparra could move the offensively disappointing SS Bobby Crosby into a more limited role as well as providing a backup for the oft injured 3rd baseman Eric Chavez.I’m sure nobody in the organization is naïve enough to believe Garciaparra will take over as the full time starting SS, but he is certainly an upgrade offensively over Crosby and he provides some depth in the lineup to go with newly acquired Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi.

-The Atlanta Braves have reportedly reached a deal with Outfielder Garrett Anderson. The deal is a 1 year contract worth 2.5 million dollars. It is believed Anderson will move into a platoon role at the Leftfield position will Matt Diaz.

This is a move the Braves needed to make. Anderson is no longer a quality defensive outfielder but he will give the Braves a quality bat and provide the ever popular veteran leadership. Anderson’s number have been very consistent over the last 4 seasons, so he should be a safe bet to bat in the .290s with a little bit of pop. After missing out on Ken Griffey Jr. earlier in the week the Braves needed to add a quality veteran until youngsters Jordan Schafer, Jason Heyward, and/or Gorkys Hernandez are ready to join the big league club.

-Robb Lennahan

Hudson chooses LA for '09

2009-02-20T20:31:00.005-05:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly on the verge of finalizing a one year contract with free agent 2nd baseman Orlando Hudson. The deal calls for a 3.38 million dollar base salary with a additional 4.6 million in possible incentives. Signing Hudson also means the Dodgers will have to give the Diamondbacks a 1st Round draft pick in the June draft, due to Hudson’s Type A free agent status.

This is an extremely good move for Los Angeles. A move that could put them atop the weak NL West even if they don’t resign Manny Ramirez. On the field adding Hudson gives the Dodgers a Gold Glove 2nd baseman and combining with SS Rafael Furcal should give them one of the best double play combos in the league. The signing also allows them to move Blake Dewitt to more of a utility role. Combining Dewitt with free agent acquisition Mark Loretta gives the Dodgers two quality super-subs. Both Dewitt and Loretta not only provide quality bats off the bench but both are capable of playing every infield position.

Offensively Hudson seems to be the ideal player to pencil into the #2 spot in the order. Hudson, a excellent contact hitter with gap-to-gap power should combine with the speed of Furcal to give opposing pitchers fits and provide plenty of RBI opportunities for the 3-4-5 hitters in the lineup. Hudson and Furcal will also give the Dodgers two switch hitters at the top of their lineup, something that will give opposing teams a variety of matchup problems late in games.

With the recent signing of pitcher Randy Wolf and now Orlando Hudson the Dodgers are poised to repeat as NL West champs. While there is still questions about their pitching staff, especially after the loss of Derek Lowe, their offense should put them over the top. The signing of Hudson gives LA one of the deepest and most versatile squads in the league. If LA does manage to bring back Manny Ramirez, watch out because the Dodgers will be a force to be reckoned with come October.

-Robb Lennahan