Yanks Ready for Rays

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.

Oh My God! The Sky is Falling!

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.

Yankees win Grapefruit League, Head North to Christen Stadium

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

Rivalry Renewed

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

Others Must Step Up in A-Rod's Absence

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