Chasing800 is going to look at each position and give you insight and opinion on the current situation and what may loom ahead. Today we will look at First Base.

Current Situation:
Mark Teixeira is your man at First Base for 2009 and the immediate future. After signing an 8 year deal in the offseason with the Yankees, Tex has found a new home and looks forward to bringing a championship back to the Bronx. His defense and offense are upgrades over Jason Giambi, who left for the Oakland A's over the winter. Teixeria should help his fellow infielders Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter and when he comes back, Alex Rodriguez and save them a few errors. This guy is a pure stud any way you want to look at him. He can win a Gold Glove and hit 40 HR and drive in 130 RBI. This is the guy the Yankees want to have in their lineup for so many reasons. He's about to hit his prime and is ready to show the world why he chose the Yankees over the Angels and Red Sox.

Chasing800 Prediction:
Mark is going to have a great season. The key is to see if he starts the season slow like in past years. His production should also increase once A-Rod comes back in May. I'm looking at .317 39 HR 117 RBI for Tex in his first season in the Bronx. Some may say he should put up slightly better numbers than that and to that I agree, but I want to stay realistic here. I also predict a Gold Glove for Tex this year. He's been tearing the ball all spring so let's hope he rides that right into the season.

Share your thoughts on The Forum: http://www.chasingrecords.com/

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: 2009 Outlook, Baseball, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Spring Training, Yankees

Jason Giambi has signed a one year deal with his old team the Oakland A's. Giambi has some juice left in him which should help the A's who are in a dire need of offense. Giambi signed with the Yankees after the 2001 season in hopes of adding power to an offense that struggled mightily during the 2001 World Series. Good luck to Giambi.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Jason Giambi, Yankees

On Tuesday the Yankees formally introduced Mark Teixeira to the world. Mark put on the pinstripes for the first time with the No. 25 on his back. That's awesome becuase that now turns my old Jason Giambi jersey into a Teixeira jersey.

According to Tex, the Yankees were in the running the whole time and they were in contact all along, yet the only offer made was on December 23rd, the one Mark accepted.

“Once we got the contract figured out, it was a no-brainer for me,” he said.

I'm sure it's not hard to turn down $180 million. A lot of credit should go to Brian Cashman, the Yankees GM. He made a personal visit to Teixeira's home and convinced Mark and his wife Leigh to sign. Mark said his wife was the one who told him New York would be the best fit and so with the wife's approval Mark went ahead and told Cashman he was in. Much thanks to Leigh for making the right call.

Manager Joe Girardi says he will be thrilled to pencil Tex's name into the lineup everyday. Now the questions is, does he bat in front of or behind Alex Rodriguez. It's a good problem to have if you're Girardi and the Yanks.

“Most lineups will hate facing our pitching and most pitching will hate facing our lineup,” Tex says.

Another big day for the Yankees and they may not be done. When asked if they were done with the big signings for the winter, Cashman, Team President Randy Levine, and part owner Hal Steinbrenner all didn't give an answer, which leads us to believe there could still be more help on the way to the Bronx. We'll have to wait and see, but for now, the Yankees can feel very proud of their recent accomplishments, it will certianly put the Yankees as the team to beat in the American League.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Brain Cashman, Hal Steinbrenner, Jason Giambi, Mark Teixeira, Yankees

They did it again! The Yankees have once again gotten the premeir player on the free agent market, this time it's Mark Teixeira coming to the Bronx. Oh happy days are here again!

The Yankees have now signed 3 of the 4 top free agents on the market this offseason, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and now Teixeira. Manny Ramirez is the other top free agent left and his still has a shot at playing in pinstripes. This has been an unbelievable winter for the Yankees and their fans. GM Brian Cashman has put together a solid team from top to bottom, one that complements one another quite nicely. The agreement that the Yankees reached with Mark is for eight years and $180 million. That makes $423.5 million dollars that has been invested in 3 players this winter but how could you argue with the moves? The Yankees desperatly needed pitching, the Yankees went and got it, they needed another bat to replace the departing Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu, so they got Teixeira. It's not like the Yankees spent for the hell of it, they spent wisely and they spent on needs, like I alluded to earlier this offseason. They now have the perfect guy to complement Alex Rodriguez in the lineup and makes the defense a whole lot better. He's a 28 year old switch-hitting first baseman about to reach the prime of his career, good move by the Yanks and thank goodness we didn't get Manny.

With the addition of Teixeira, this unquestionably puts the Yankees as the team to beat in the American League. The Boston Red Sox were on the verge of signing Teixeira until they withdrew their seven-year $170 million offer last Friday. The other possible suitors for Mark were the Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles (Anahiem) Angels but they all didn't meet Teixeira's wants. The latter of the group, the Angles withdrew their offer on Monday to Mark and Tuesday afternoon he became a Yankee. It's really Christmas in the Bronx. I can't believe it, I feel like a little kid in the candy store with full access to everything. This is exciting and I can't wait for the season to begin. Don't tell me the Yankees buy their championships, because they gave the players what they asked for and simply had the money to do it. If other teams had it, they'd do it too.

As for now, welcome to New York Mark!

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: AJ Burnett, Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Bobby Abreu, Brain Cashman, CC Sabathia, Jason Giambi, Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, Yankees

This has been a homestand of milestones for the Yankees. It might as well be as the team isn't really playing for anything else. First we saw Mariano Rivera pass Lee Smith for sole possession of 2nd place on the all-time saves list. Then we saw Derek Jeter become the all-time hits leader in Yankee Stadium history by passing Lou Gehrig. Now Alex Rodriguez has set his own milestone.

On Wednesday night Rodriguez hit his 35th HR of the season in the 8th inning, thus marking the 11th consecutive season in which he has accomplished the feat and 12th time he's done it overall (1996, 1998-2008). That ties him with Babe Ruth for the most such seasons all-time and passing Hall-of-Famers Hank Aaron and Mike Schmidt.

"I've set some really high standards for myself, and 11 years in a row -- that says a lot more than the numbers," Rodriguez said. "It says that you stayed healthy and you've been very fortunate, and also that you've played with some tremendous teammates."

Rodriguez is the only player in Major League history to record at least 35 HR's, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored in 12 seasons. Wednesday night's HR was also the 208th of his Yankee career, tying him again with teammate Jason Giambi. He currently ranks 10th all-time on the Yankees career list.

"He's a big offensive player, year in and year out," manager Joe Girardi said. "He keeps himself in unbelievable shape and he's able to drive the ball out of the ballpark the other way. Not a lot of guys can do that. What he's done over his career is amazing, and he's still got a long way to go."

Is it more amazing what A-Rod's accomplished or that he hit the HR when the Yanks were ahead and it was in a no pressure situation? That will always be the debate until we get some key hits from no.13. Life is great as Alex Rodriguez right? Well nonetheless congratulations to Rodriguez who statistically is having a good year and continues to collect milestones and continues his climb up the all-time HR list.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera, Yankees

Derek Jeter made some history yesterday as the Yankees won 8-4 over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Entering the weekend Jeter needed 9 hits to tie and 10 hits to pass Lou Gehrig for most hits all-time at Yankee Stadium. Jeter is now tied with Gehrig with 1,269. He got 3 hits in each game of Saturday's doubleheader and recorded another 3 hits yesterday. The record-tying hit was a homerun to the bleachers in right in the 5th inning. Once the Stadium scoreboard made the sellout crowd aware of Jeter's feat, he got a curtain call.

"It feels good," Jeter said after yesterday's 8-4 win over Tampa Bay. "I'd be lying to you if I said it didn't. I always say records are meant to be broken, but this one with the Stadium closing here in a week, at least I know I tied for it.

"It's pretty special. You think about the history of this organization. When you mention players' names, Lou Gehrig is right up there at the top. To be tied with him in anything is something I'll always remember."

Alex Rodriguez started the scoring off in the first with a grand slam, his 34th homerun of the year and 553rd all-time. Jason Giambi also contributed to the scoring with a two-run shot.

The negatives that came from yesterday's game saw Robinson Cano get benched by Joe Girardi for not hustling for a ball hit off of Giambi's glove in the 4th.

"I just wasn't happy with that, so I took him out," the manager said.

Carl Pavano, yesterday's starter left in the 6th inning with a stiff left hip, but still recorded the win. Pavano is 3-1 on the year.

To close things out, Mariano Rivera came in to get one out in the 9th inning to record his 35th save of the year and 478th of his career tying him with Lee Smith for 2nd all-time.

In a time when the Yankees need everyone to step up Jeter has answered the call. With his 9 hits this weekend he raises his batting average to .408 in his last 29 games, talk about clutch. With the season winding down and the Yankees seemingly headed for an early winter yesterday gave you alot to cheer for. In the future when you look back at these Yankees you'll always remember Derek Jeter, always consistent and always a winner.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Carl Pavano, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera, Robinson Cano, Yankees

20 games to go, 7.5 games out of the wild card and the Yankees still think they have a shot at making the postseason. That shipped has sailed. The season ended the night Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedoria hit a grand slam to break open a "close" game. At the end of that grand slam Jonathan Papelbon stood with his arms opened as if he stood there in victory. Boy was he right. The Yankees haven't recovered from that onslaught.

As a Yankee fan I am ashamed of this team. Such promise and so talented, injuries or no injuries, they still had the pieces to make this thing interesting down to the last day but I feel like most of the team has given up. A-Rod can't hit the clutch again, Cano makes dumb mistakes a player of his caliber shouldn't be making, Jeter isn't himself this year, Pettitte seems to be down to his last few breaths, Melky Cabrera should be playing in some Independent League, Giambi is all or nothing, Veras is no modern day Jeff Nelson, Ramirez is no modern day Ramiro Mendoza. I've had enough of Girardi and his positive outlooks. That's not what he was brought here for. He was brought here to institute passion into the players who essentially need a good kick in their rear. Cano cost the Yankees a game last week by being nonchalant and when asked about it you compare him to being as smooth as Roberto Alomar?! Are you serious? I guess he was talking about the Roberto Alomar that couldn't buy a hit in his last days as a Met. That kind of stuff gets me pi***d.

Then you get quotes like:

"We're not out of it yet, All we can do is go out there and play hard." - Johnny Damon

"I look at this team and I look at our lineup and I feel like this team should win....I feel like this team should beat up on people. That's how I feel." - Andy Pettitte

“How many games do we have left?” Told there were 22, Rodriguez’s eyes grew wide and he muttered an expletive. “You have to do what you can do,” he said. “We have to take it one game at a time and look up after 15 games and see where we stand. Crazier things have happened.” - Alex Rodriguez

I mean why is there a sense of urgency now and why wasn't there any in August? I have to question the leadership of this team. They're in crisis mode now and need to win now at any costs. The Rockies did it last year, so did the Phillies. So you can't tell me the almighty New York Yankees can't make miracles happen. It just seems unlikely. What a shame. The Yankees will go home on September 28th once the final out is made in Fenway Park. Money can't buy you happiness or a championship these days. Not only that but now it doesn't even buy you a pass to the postseason. That's pathetic. 20 games to go, 10 more at the Stadium, why bother playing themnd ? Oh yea, it's the last year of Yankee Stadium, apparently the memo never got to the Yanks. Instead of playing for a championship to close out the most historic stadium of all time, they're closing it out against the Batimore Orioles on ESPN, oh joy, what excitement, I can't wait!

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Baseball, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Joe Girardi, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Yankees

On a bright Sunday afternoon the Yankees were the Bronx Bombers again. They hit 4 homeruns and scored 15 runs against the Royals at the Stadium in the series finale and took 2 of 3 this weekend.

The Yanks were down 3-0 quick after Mike Mussina gave up 3 runs in the top half of the 1st but New York answered back in the bottom half of the inning. With 2 men on Alex Rodriguez came to the plate and drilled one out to left center tying the game at 3. A few batters later, the X-Man, Xavier Nady hit one off the right field foul pole to give the Yanks a 4-3 lead. In the the 2nd, Jason Giambi and his new 'stache hit a grand slam into the bleachers in right that busted the game wide open. Later in the game new-comer Cody Ransom hit a 2-run HR, his first as a Yankee and the Yankees were well on their way to victory. Final score, 15-6 Bombers.

Mussina settled down after the rough 1st inning and pitched well. 6 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, a quality start for Moose, who now ups his record to 16-7 on the year. The 266th win of his career which ties him with Bob Feller on the all-time win list. 20 wins in a season is looking very possible for Mussina, a feat he has never accomplished. He's got around 7 starts left.

"That would be pretty cool," he said, "Twenty wins for the first time at 39? But who knows? With only 33 or 34 starts, it's tough now to win 20 games."

A-Rod hit his 28th HR of the season and 546th of his career on Sunday. He went 3 for 3 and recorded 5 RBI. Most importantly to Yankee fans, he finally hit a HR when they needed one, when he tied the game at 3 in the 1st. Derek Jeter went 4 for 4, raising his season average to .295. The Red Sox got pounded by the Blue Jays at Fenway so the Yanks picked up ground in the wild card, which they now sit 5 games back. 37 games left, not much time to get things turned around, but certainly anythings possible.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Xavier Nady, Yankees

The rosters for the 2008 All-Star Game were announced yesterday afternoon. The hometown Yankees are going to be represented by 3 of the game's best. The crosstown Mets, however have only 1 representative. Let's take a look at the rosters.


AMERICAN LEAGUE STARTERS:
First base: Kevin Youkilis (Boston)
Second base: Dustin Pedroia (Boston)
Shortstop: Derek Jeter (New York)
Third base: Alex Rodriguez (New York)
Catcher: Joe Mauer (Minnesota)
Outfield: Josh Hamilton (Texas)
Outfield: Manny Ramirez (Boston)
Outfield: Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle)
DH: David Ortiz (Boston)

RESERVES:
J.D. Drew (Boston)
Jason Varitek (Boston)
Joe Crede (Chicago)
Carlos Quentin (Chicago)
Grady Sizemore (Cleveland)
Carlos Guillen (Detroit)
Justin Morneau (Minnesota)
Milton Bradley (Texas)
Ian Kinsler (Texas)
Michael Young (Texas)
Dioner Navarro (Tampa Bay)

PITCHERS:
Mariano Rivera (New York)
Scott Kazmir (Tampa Bay)
George Sherill (Baltimore)
Roy Halladay (Toronto)
Jonathan Papelbon (Boston)
Justin Duchscherer (Oakland)
Joe Nathan (Minnesota)
Joakim Soria (Royals)
Cliff Lee (Indians)
Francisco Rodriguez (Los Angeles)
Ervin Santana (Los Angeles)
Joe Saunders (Los Angeles)

NATIONAL LEAGUE STARTERS:
First base: Lance Berkman (Houston)
Second base: Chase Utley (Philadelphia)
Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez (Florida)
Third base: Chipper Jones (Atlanta)
Catcher: Geovany Soto (Chicago)
Outfield: Ryan Braun (Milwaukee)
Outfield: Alfonso Soriano (Chicago)
Outfield: Kosuke Fukudome (Chicago)

RESERVES:
Brian McCann (Atlanta)
Aramis Ramirez (Chicago)
Matt Holiday (Colorado)
Dan Uggla (Florida)
Miguel Tejada (Houston)
Russell Martin (Los Angeles)
Nate McLouth (Pittsburgh)
Albert Pujols (St. Louis)
Ryan Ludwick (St. Louis)
Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego)
Cristian Guzman (Washington)

PITCHERS:
Aaron Cook (Colorado)
Tim Lincecum (San Francisco)
Dan Haren (Arizona)
Ben Sheets (Milwaukee)
Carlos Zambrano (Chicago)
Brandon Webb (Arizona)
Ryan Dempster (Chicago)
Brian Wilson (San Francisco)
Edinson Volquez (Cincinnati)
Kerry Wood (Chicago)
Brad Lidge (Philadelphia)
Billy Wagner (New York)

A few interesting things here. Jason Varitek and his .215 batting average? Joe Crede and his .260 average? One can make arguments about leaving the reinvented Mike Mussina and his 11-6 record. Jason Giambi and his 18 HR and 53 RBI. A disappointing fact here is that there is only one Mets player on the NL team. You would've thought they would've played better and had a couple more representatives but that hasn't been the case this season. It's possible we see David Wright in the game if he's voted in by the fans as per the final vote. Same goes with Giambi for the AL team. Mussina could get in as a replacement.

I don't have any issue with the selections other than Varitek, but the players voted him in. Maybe having them vote players in is not such a good idea, neither is having the fans being able to vote 25 times. It's more of a popularity contest than a showcase of the game's best all around players. Even with the fans doing the voting, NOBODY watches the game! For whatever the reason nobody pays attention to it. I don't watch it past the 2nd or 3rd inning. Once I see my guys in the game, that's enough for me. I could care less that the winner of the game determines home field advantage in the World Series. The game means nothing to me, I see it more as just an honor of respect to those who are there. I might be at Yankee Stadium for all of the All-Star Game festivies that weekend. I'm sure if I am, it will be an amazing expirence. If only the game lived up to the hype.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Mariano Rivera, Mets, Mike Mussina, Yankees

Johnny Damon returned last night to Oakland. A place he used to play in 2001. In the last few weeks, Damon has returned to being "Johnny Damon". He's playing the way he is know for, being an offensive sparkplug.

His batting average has gone from .265 to .325 in his recent surge. That placed him third in the American League at the start of play last night. His OBP is .392, a stat that is very important now that Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada are back in the lineup.

"Last year, I wasn't healthy for at least 100 games," Damon said last night before the Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics 3-1. "You could definitely tell. But things have gone OK so far this year."

He's also growing a mustache. Jason Giambi has been sporting it and has seen his numbers go up as well. Maybe there is something to the 'stache. Damon has also been very vocal about the team's moves and inconsistent play.

"We've had some great comebacks the last couple of days. You think it would help us out the next day and it hasn't. We haven't been able to build off the momentum. There's a lot we need to figure out.
We definitely think we can get on a run. But we need to do it now. Last year was just an amazing comeback that we had," he said. "But with our division being tougher, that's going to be tougher to do."

I agree. I feel like Damon is speaking for the fans. Damon is addressing a lot of issues that Yankee fans want answers to. Joba's move to the rotation and the inconsistent play are some prime examples. I hope his teammates are listening to him and will respond with playing well on the field. Last season when Posada questioned the heart of the team and they responded. Let's see if Damon's recent "rants" lead to any change in play. Let's hope so.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Yankees

The New York Yankees (30-30) start a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals (23-37) at Yankee Stadium tonight. After yesterday's improbable win, the struggling Royals come in at just the right time for the Yanks to feast on. Here are your matchups this weekend.

Tonight - 7:05 p.m., YES
Kyle Davies - RHP (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. Darrell Rasner - RHP (3-2, 2.67 ERA) NOTE: Davies served up A-Rod's 500th HR last season.

Tomorrow - 1:05 p.m., YES
Brian Bannister - RHP (5-6, 4.60 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte - LHP (5-5, 4.21 ERA)

Sunday - 1:05 p.m., YES
Zack Greinke - RHP (5-3, 3.56 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain - (1-2, 2.42 ERA)

Monday - 1:05 p.m., YES
Luke Hochevar - RHP (3-5, 5.13 ERA) vs. Mike Mussina - RHP (9-4, 4.01 ERA)

Prediction: Yanks win 3 of 4.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Baseball, Darell Rasner, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina, Robinson Cano, Yankees

Michael Kay said it best when he said "this is the biggest win of the season". No question about it, it surely was.

Chien Ming Wang was awful again and goes winless for the sixth consecutive start. Melky Cabrera didn't help his cause either by dropping a flyball that helped jumpstart the Toronto offense.

Kyle Farnsworth did his usual, give up runs. The Yankees have had many leads this season that have quickly disappeared, something that is occurring too often in my opinion.

But the Yankees fought back. On the day they got Jorge Posada back in the lineup, we saw life from the New York offense. Wilson Betemit slugged his second homerun in as many days and Jason Giambi on a sore foot hit a game winning two-run homerun into the upper deck to send the fans home happy. Yes, the 'stache is working.

Whatever powers that come from the 'stache or the gold thong, Giambi has been hitting the ball well in recent weeks. Today, with two outs and two strikes he hit one far into the afternoon sun. And so as a result, the Yanks are back at .500 and won the series from Toronto.

I, along with many people (Kay and ESPN's Tim Kurkijan) agree that this is the biggest win of the year and this should be the point where this 2008 season takes a turn for the better. It's no coincidence that with Posada back in the lineup, the offense got going. We'll see what the Bombers do from this point forward.

You had to see it coming. In the bottom of the 8th, Johnny Damon (another guy donning the 'stache) almost gave the Yanks the lead. With two outs and runners at second and third Damon drove one out to deep right center where Lyle Overbay made a great catch to save the game. Gotta give Overbay some love for his "web gem."

On the downside of things today, Wang was not himself. It's getting to the point where you have to start wondering what's wrong with the Yankee "ace". Wang says his arm slot is not there and thus causing him to elevate his slider but now having gone six straight outings without a win, something is wrong. If it's an injury, the Yanks will keep that tight lipped. If it's mechanics, then Wang needs to tinker around with them during his bullpen sessions. One would think that Wang's leg injury that had him get an extra day of rest a couple weeks ago is the root of the problem.

I'm no doctor but the Yanks better find out what's wrong with him and find out soon. You're not going to have games like today every fifth day so if Wang is injured, then rest him and have him miss a start if need be. But if Wang continues to struggle like this then the Yanks can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. There's no calavary on the way this year, unless you view free agent David Wells this year's impending savior. Joba's in the rotation now, so now is the time to get it together and win.

Today was a huge win for the Yankees for so many reasons. It's time to build off of it and run with it. Time is ticking...but you have to believe this team is about to hit their stride. I can only assume for now...I just hope they don't make me look bad for being so optimistic.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Chien Ming Wang, David Wells, Jason Giambi, Joba Chamberlain, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Melky Cabrera

Joe Girardi got his money's worth last night in the bottom of the 9th inning and minutes later pulled out a 2-1 win.

Jason Giambi was called out on a pitch by home plate umpire Chris Guccione on a "foul tip." A couple problems with that. The ball didn't appear to hit Giambi's bat and Guccione didn't make the call until Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez pointed it out. That brought Girardi out of the dugout and in the face of the home plate ump. He was then ejected.

"I didn't think it touched him," Girardi said. "Hence I was a little upset..... I wanted to kick something, and I figured that was the best thing. Walls don't work too well. ... I wasn't happy with the explanation."

Before he hit the showers he put on his best Lou Pinella impression by slamming his hat to the ground on two occasions and kicked it for good measures.

"I enjoyed it," Derek Jeter said. "I was hoping he would kick it all the way to the dugout like Piniella. ... Girardi wants to win. He cares a lot. Just because some people may not have seen it, I know he has that in him."

That was the greatest thing I've seen all season. It's excatly what every Yankee fan wanted to see all these years. The crowd went crazy for Girardi's antics. A manager that will fight for his team and do everything he can to protect them. Girardi has done just that and last night was the icing on the cake. Joe Torre was critcized for not showing that type of emotion during his tenure in the Bronx. This is excatly why I thought Girardi would be a perfect fit for the Yanks as manager. Did it fire up the team? Let's hope so.

Robinso Cano provided the exclamation point on the night as he singled home the game winning run. Is that the type of hit that gets Cano going for the rest of the season? Probably.

Ian Kennedy started the game and pitched well. It was his best start of the season. He did give up four walks but he was agressive in the 3rd inning when he was faced with bases loaded and one out. He got out of the jam and his confidence started to rise.

"For me, in recent history, it was a rarity for you to see that," Kennedy said. "But in my past, I've always pretty much come back and have done that."

It was the second consecutive solid outing by a Yankee starter. Now the Seattle Mariners come into town just at the right time. The Yanks swept them earlier in the month and are looking forward to the rematch. The Bombers have their top three pitchers going for them this weekend so it's a chance for the Yankees to right their ship. Last night's win was good for so many reasons, now they just have to keep building off of it.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Derek Jeter, Ian Kennedy, Jason Giambi, Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, Robinson Cano, Yankees

In the wake of the Subway Series, I have a lot of questions going in.

I would have to say that New York is still a baseball city. Just anyone you ask has an opinion on the Mets and Yankees. You don't really get that with the other sports. Everyone in New York knows who Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Jose Reyes, David Wright are. You ask many people who made that Super Bowl saving catch,possibly the best catch ever for the Giants this year and it might take awhile to get an answer. Sure, everyone knows who Eli Manning is...now, but this is still a baseball town. Look around the 'net and you see Met and Yankee blogs and sites all over the place. With that being said, there are a lot of frustrated people out there. Especially those fans who followed the Knicks and Nets during the winter. Now they see the same thing happening with the boys from the Bronx and for the guys from Queens.

Both teams have underachieved this season thus far. This meeting this weekend will put even more pressure on the two teams. The question right now is, who is under the most pressure to win this series?


The logical answer seems to be the Yankees and their $200 million payroll and last place status. Especially after losing three of four to the not-so lowly Rays. But, I believe Willie Randolph and company are in serious trouble if they don't show some life this weekend. They are coming off losing three of four to the lowly Nationals. Word around town is that Willie might not even make it to Monday as Mets skipper. I don't think the guys in the office need to push the panic button this early into the season but for a franchise that is still trying to recover from last Setember's collapse, it seems like the apprioate action.

Johan Santana was thought to be brought in as a savior..I guess his 4-2 record isn't good enough. Andy Pettitte is 3-4 and you don't see Yankee fans going crazy. It's because we trust Pettitte and we know he will work himself out. So does the organization. The Mets need to trust their guys, there's reason for concern, sure but no need to worry. Johan is still going to win 15 or 16 games, he is still going to be what you need him to be. John Maine is pitching like the number 2 guy the Mets need. I'd wait at least until the All-Star break before putting anyone on the hot seat.

In the Bronx, the Yanks haven't hit. The pitching has been there. Ok, so Ian Kennedy wasn't great in his return, but the bullpen has been as good as we've seen in a long time. If the Yankees didn't have their "B-" lineup out there, then it's logical to think that one of Joba Chamberlain's loses and Mariano Rivera's loss could've been avoided. Chien-Ming Wang could be halfway to 16 wins by now, but the offense has slept through the first quarter of the season. No A-Rod and no Posada sure does hurt..but so does Jason Giambi's sub .200 average. Also one thing that manager Joe Girardi needs to stop is the constant changing of the lineups. It's a different lineup every single day. Why? What's the purpose? Leave it alone, be consistent with it. Melky Cabrera comes in and see himself batting, 1st,2nd,6th,8th, and 9th. Why is he all over the lineup? He's either your 1st or 9th hitter. With his new found power, 6th is passable, but that's not his game.

All the nonsense needs to leave the clubhouse too. Get rid of the gold thongs, get rid of the he said-she said stuff and get down to playing baseball. Concentrate on playing the game. A lot is expected of both teams so start giving everyone their money's worth.

This series, which is now a two game series might be benefical to both clubs. Spilit the two games and you're back at square one. The team that loses both games is going to be in trouble and will have to answer a lot of questions. Wait...that happens now. So what excatly do we get out of this series? Both teams are stinking up the town so should we really except great games or should we expect both teams to play up to their capabilties? I hope for the latter. Nontheless, New York is going to be watching this weekend, the country will be watching Sunday Night on ESPN, so I sure hope both teams can put on a show.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Chien Ming Wang, Eli Manning, Ian Kennedy, Jason Giambi, Joe Girardi, Johan Santana, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Melky Cabrera, Mets, Yankees

Last time the Yankees were in Cleveland was last October. It was the infamous "Bug Game." A game the Yanks thought they were going to win but ended up losing, thus turning around the series in the Indians favor as they won the ALDS in four games.

The starter in the "Bug Game" was Andy Pettitte. He was also last night's starter in the return to the Jake (excuse me, Progressive Field). Last October saw Andy at his best , last night was a different story. Jason Giambi who was stuck in a season long slump busted out of it in a big way hitting two monster homeruns giving Andy and the Yanks a 3-1 lead. Reliable Andy couldn't hold the lead. Iin the bottom of the fifth and two outs, the Indians mounted a rally that turned the game around and led to a 6-4 Indians win. Jhonny Peralta hit a three-run homerun to left and Franklin Gutierrez follow with a homerun of his own.

"I made some bad pitches and ran out of gas a little bit," Pettitte said. "I hit a wall there....I fought with myself the whole game, battled with my command and never got in a real good rhythm. With two outs, I had a hard time getting the guys out. They made me work extremely hard and wore me down pretty good."

The Yankee offense has shown signs of life lately but couldn't build any type of comeback in the final innings. Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup for the first time since Sunday. He went 0-4."

I felt pretty good," Rodriguez said. "I'm going to be fine."

With the loss the Yanks are 12-12 on the season. After a three game win streak, the Bombers have dropped two straight. They look to rebound this afternoon with Ian Kennedy (0-2, 9.64 ERA) going against Jeremy Sowers - LHP (NR). The game is at 3:55pm on FOX.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Baseball, Jason Giambi, Yankees

The struggles for the Yankees continued last night as Phil Hughes picked up his third loss of the season. With the Yanks losing 8-2 in Baltimore last night, it pushes their record to 9-9 on the year.

Over at Peter Abraham's LoHud Yankees Blog, he notes why Yankee fans shouldn't be worried about the team's performance to this point. Here are some highlights:

* The Yankees have played 18 straight days. Kids making shoes in factories in Third World countries don’t work 18 straight days.
* The following players have missed games because of injury: Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Jorge Posada, Jose Molina, Wilson Betemit
* The following players missed games because of suspension: Melky Cabrera, Shelley Duncan.
* The following players have so far forgotten how to hit: Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano.
* The following players have been away to care for critically ill fathers: Joba Chamberlain.
* The following managers missed games because of illness: Joe Girardi.
* Number of games at home: 9
* Number of games on the road: 9
* Number of games when it was warmer than 60 degrees: 5
* Number of new managers: 1
* Number of new coaches: 4
* Number of games against the defending World Champions: 5
* Number of starts by Andy Pettitte: 3 out of 18.
* Number of times Joba and Mo have pitched in the same game: 3

I know it hasn't been typical Yankee baseball this season but as you can see, it's been a little crazy around the team in such a short period of time. Once everyone gets healthy and people settle into their roles on the team then things will start to click. It took until July last year for things to get rolling. Phil Hughes,Ian Kennedy, and Mike Mussina are a combined 1-7 Let's not even go to the E.R.A. because that will just make your head spin.

So far the year of transition is in full effect, just as many people predicted. Hughes looked a lot better last night through the first five innings than he did in previous two starts. He will be better and so will Kennedy. Mussina on the other hand better start finding some tricks up his sleeve or else he won't be around for much longer. Kei Igawa won't be much better. You think the Yankees would've posted more money to sign Matsuzaka last winter if they knew they would be in this position with their pitching? It's worth the thought. But if the struggles continue, Joba will be in the rotation faster than Roger Clemens recieved that check for the pro-rated $28 million he got last year. Speaking of Roger..do you think its possible the Yanks would give him a call this season or is that completly out of the question??

Anything is possible. I would sign Clemens but it would HAVE to be at a salary of about $1 or $2 million. Or do the Yanks make a trade for a stud? Well it's way too early in the season to be asking these questions, so sit back and relax, it's only April. Things have been worse around here, no need to worry....yet.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Andy Pettitte, Baseball, Derek Jeter, Ian Kennedy, Jason Giambi, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Girardi, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes, Robinson Cano, Shelly Duncan, Yankees

Chien-Ming Wang has answered all the critics so far this season that say he is not a certified ace. Was his two-hit shutout against the Red Sox enough to silence the critics? Possibly.

Wang has taken a new approach to pitching this season and has added some pitches to his arsenal. A four-seamer to lefties and a slider. Both have proven to be effective this season. After Friday night's gem, Wang is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA on the 2008 season. He struck out three while not allowing a walk on 93 pitches in his complete game effort. His only mistake was a homerun to J.D. Drew in the fifth. A homerun that Bobby Abreu could have very well have caught had he jumped half an inch higher.

"Your team looks awfully good when your guy can go out and pitch nine innings," Alex Rodriguez said. "I'm glad I'm playing behind him and not facing him."

In the first of 18 meetings this season, the Yankees strike first. They won last year's season series 10-8.

Jason Giambi provided the blow that put the Yanks ahead for good last night with a homerun in the seventh inning that broke a 1-1 tie. The Yanks tagged on more with Melky Cabrera's sac fly in the same inning and Abreu running out an infield hit in the ninth as the Yanks won 4-1.

Wang has three of New York's six wins so far this year. The bullpen got the night off which is a good thing because usually these Yanks-Sox series feature each team pulling out every trick from under their sleeve in order to win these games. The next two games should be interesting, but for now the Yankees have been led by their ace into enemy territory and led to victory. Not a bad start to the rivalry for the Bombers.

Read more »

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Bobby Abreu, Chien Ming Wang, Jason Giambi, Melky Cabrera, Yankees