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

Kyle Farnsworth got hit with a three-game suspension yesterday by Major League Baseball. Why? Because he tried to hit Manny Ramirez after Manny hit two shots off of Mike Mussina that night. Last time I checked, that pitch didn't hit Ramirez. If you want to discipline him then fine him, but three-game suspension? That's crazy.

Since 2002 Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have been plunked a total of 22 times, while Manny and David Ortiz have been hit a total of 3 times. We all know Joe Torre wasn't one to get caught up in beanball wars, but you would have to think this ruling is a little questionable considering the pitch didn't hit the Boston slugger. Joba Chamberlain threw behind Kevin Youkillis and got suspended. That was ok beacuse Joba threw at Youk twice...there's no way the ball slipped out of his hand on two straight pitches.

Now here's how bizarre this suspension is...even Manny himself is questioning the suspension! Yes, you read that right. Manny Ramirez said the suspension is undeserving.

“He doesn’t deserve that,” Ramirez said. “He was trying to protect his player. You know, we hit A-Rod the game before. When you’ve got a guy like that on your team, you’re going to protect him. . . . That’s the way the game is played. You hit one of their guys and they’re going to hit one of yours.”

Now that is something you don't see. A red Sox player siding with a Yankee player. But Manny's right on this one. The suspension will be appealed so let's see how this plays out.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ian Kennedy completely bombed last night....again. He only lasted 2 and 2/3 innings thus causing the bullpen more work. He gave up four runs on five hits while allowing five walks. A night after Hughes got lit up again for five runs, Kennedy did no better. At this point in time the Yankees youth movement is NOT working, but it's ok because yesterday I told you why Yankee fans shouldn't worry. Well can these guys at least try and make that statement look somewhat credible? The Hughes-Kennedy duo have combined for an 0-4 start 9.20 ERA in seven starts. Not excatly what the Yanks had in mind this winter when they decided to keep their young guns instead of trading for superstar ace Johan Santana.

The 2005 Yanks started 11-19, the 2007 Yanks started 21-29 and made the playoffs both times. So a 9-10 start for 2008 isn't anything to get alarmed at, especially considering the depth of this rotation. Let the guys in the minors have a shot before moving Joba to the rotation. But someone has to tell Joe Girardi that having Mussina, Kennedy and Hughes following eachother in the rotation is a bad idea. Throw Andy Pettitte in there somewhere, at this rate every time he takes the mound he has to stop a three game losing streak. Alright today is going to be his fourth start of the season but let's hope it doesn't become a habit.

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, Ian Kennedy, Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, Johan Santana, Kyle Farnsworth, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes, 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

Sunday morning is usually a good time to go around to different blogs and see what everyone is talking about. Today,I saw something I thought I would touch on myself.



If you watched yesterday's Yankees - Red Sox game on FOX you saw some bizarre television. I'm sure most of you have been following this rivalry and you know that these games always have their twists and turns, especially when it's in front of a national audience. In the top of the eigth inning the Red Sox leading 4-3, the Yanks were starting a rally. With two men on and two men out Alex Rodriguez was about to step up to the plate. With the game on the line the Sox decided to bring in Jonathan Papelbon. Here's one of those moments that this rivalry thrives on...then the rain came. So we had to wait out a two hour rain delay before we saw the climax of the game. By this point, many fans went home, tuned out or lost the hype they gained while watching the game earlier in the day.

FOX decided to cover NASCAR and promote their other projects and blab about nothing while the key moment of the game was awaiting to get played. I believe that the umpires could've waited another few minutes to call for a rain delay. By the time the game resumed, all the juice was gone and what we got was a cold A-Rod coming off the bench facing a guy who warmed up three times! Why in the world would you call this game before this match-up. Was this a call from FOX? I think so. If you're on the field, you want to finish this at-bat/inning. FOX then decided to push NASCAR down our throats during the rain delay and wasted no time at the end of the game cutting to their racing event. Boy, did they try to milk everything out of a Yanks-Sox audience. Most people in the New York and Boston area can care less about NASCAR. These are not racing cities! Finish the most crucial at-bat of the game! But instead we got a three-pitch strikeout of A-Rod. Had this at-bat been played before the delay we would've saw a much more intense encounter. More pitches,more drama, more intrigue. But what we got was a three pitch, three minute at-bat. Come on FOX, you guys dropped the ball!

I am a fan of FOX's MLB coverage but things like this upset me. ESPN isn't even this bad. I DO NOT want to see or hear about NASCAR when my team has it's star player at the plate when the game is on the line. Let him hit in the rain drops, let Papelbon pitch with the water dripping off the bill of his cap as he stares Rodriguez down with the game on the line. That's drama, that's must-see tv. Whatever the outcome of that at-bat, it would be a classic moment. But FOX decided to pull the plug before we got it. They thought they would capitalize on the big audience they had. Shame on them!

Everyone that I have talked to have said they couldn't believe FOX cut out at this point. I guess the millions of dollars that FOX spent on the MLB package, something like this was apart of their contract. Let's hope this doesn't happen tonight on ESPN, as the weather doesn't look great either. They have SPORTSCENTER to worry about, so many they'll try to rush the game along...at this point, who knows what the corporate guys are gonna do next. Maybe we'll get a surprise episode of Desperate Housewives if there's a rain delay tonight. I wouldn't be shocked.

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, FOX, QUITE FRANKLY, 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

Friday, April 10 - 7:05 p.m., YES
Chien-Ming Wang (2-0, 1.38 ERA) vs. Clay Buchholz (0-1, 5.40 ERA)

Saturday, April 11 - 3:55 p.m., FOX
Mike Mussina (1-1, 3.09 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (0-1, 9.64 ERA)

Sunday, April 12 - 8:05 p.m., ESPN
Phil Hughes (0-1, 5.00 ERA) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-0, 1.47 ERA)

It's early in the season but whenever these two teams meet up, you know the season is officially underway. Yankees and Red Sox renew their rivaly this weekend at Fenway. Both have started the season at 5-5 and both have their question marks surrounding their pitching. The Yankees enter this season as the underdogs to Boston for the first time in a long time, so you would have to think Joe Girardi's crew is on a mission. Let's see how Joba Chamberlain responds to the Fenway faithful if he gets into any games this series, how Hughes bounces back form his rough outing in Kansas City a few days ago, and if Derek Jeter will see any time this series. Get ready for an intense series, as it always is. Series prediction: Sox win 2 of 3.

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, Derek Jeter, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Girardi, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes, Yankees

Bronx, NY - Sunday afternoon the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 in front of a packed crowd front of a packed crowd at Yankee Stadium.

Chien-Ming Wang was solid again, in this, his second outing of the year. He didn't give up his first hit until the top of the 5th. He finished giving up four hits and striking out six as he pitched into the 7th inning.

Hideki Matsui provided the only flare in the game offensivly with a two-run homerun which proved to be enough for Wang and the Yanks.

Joba Chamberlain came into the game in the 7th inning and got a key double play to end the inning. After pitching a scoreless 8th, Mariano Rivera then came in to shut the door and the game was over. He recorded his third save in as many chances. He didn't record his third save last season until May 3rd, so it's nice to see him ahead of schedule.

The Yankees have won three games so far this season, Chamberlain and Rivera have pitched in all three at the end to secure each victory.

“It was a little different coming in with runners on base, but it was good to do that,” Chamberlain said. “You don’t want to give up the runs for Chien-Ming. He did such a great job. The bullpen’s got to hold it down.”

The Yankees offense again was minimal but got just enough to get by on Sunday thanks to Wang and company. Maybe it's the early season low temps but the Yankee offense continues to struggle.

“Hopefully, you’ll see a lot more hitting from us,” Johnny Damon said. “We plan to score some runs here soon.”

The Yanks are 7 for 45 with runners in scoring position (.155) and have only scored 17 runs through their first six games (2.8 a game). It's only a week into the season but it's worth noting. A week like this in October and time to go home. But let's worry about that at a much later date.

The Yanks and Rays conclude their wrap around (Friday-Monday) four game series on Monday night. Mike Mussina goes for the Bombers against Jason Hammel of the Rays.

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, Hideki Matsui, Joba Chamberlain, Mariano Rivera, Yankees

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, New Yankee Stadium, Yankees

In a new feature here on HSNY is Beyond the Bleachers. It will feature some thoughts from fellow Yankee fans around the Stadium. You will get some news and notes from right outside the right field bleachers on River Ave that are witnessed first hand by yours truly. So let's get on with the show.

Monday: Opening Day (it was suppose to be that way.)
There was much hype surrounding the last Opening Day at this Yankee Stadium but Mother Nature didn't allow there to be a game. Wait..they could've played the game and should've played the game. After months of anticipation the Yankees final home opener was upon us. There's no way a little rain was going to get in the way of this game getting played. They played in snow in '96. But someone decided that it would be better to have the final home opener on Tuesday as opposed to Monday afternoon. I was right outside the Stadium that day, right by Stans bar and heard the voices of every Yankee fan trying to be optimistic. Somehow throughtout the day I became a weatherman as I was asked what the day's forecast was going to be. Had I said it was going to be sunny and 75 degrees by 3:00 pm that day, most people would've believed me. Those had to be the out-of-towners of course. Any New Yorker attending the game that day knew they were going to be in store for a long day.

Business was good anywhere you went that day. I would hope so as it was the final Opening Day in this Yankee Stadium (yes I've decided to jump on the media craze that keeps reminding you of all the FINAL occurences in this Yankee Stadium.) Shirts flew off the tables, hats went off the shelves, beers and hot dogs were in high demand and everyone was happy. Until the game was called that is. It was called as soon as it had stopped raining...go figure. That didn't make too many people happy. I, for one was. That meant I got to go home early and would be able to watch the final home opener from the comfort of my own home. Although the media was everywhere you turned, News 12, NY1, NBC 4,ABC 7, YES, ESPN just to name a few, the game was still called and EVERYONE was told to come back on Tuesday night. Oh joy, what a way to take the fizzle out of the final home opener (that was the last mention of "final", I promise). I was lucky enough to make it on to News 12. I'm not sure but I might've made it on to NBC and YES too but didn't see if my 15 seconds of fame caught new life.

Friday Night: The Tampa Bay Rays

Completly different atmsophere as opposed to what I witnessed Monday. Maybe it was because it was Tampa Bay but com' on the Spring Training stuff didn't get you hyped for this series?? Ehh, I didn't think it would. Maybe it was the fact it was nasty out and 40 degrees. Usually a Friday night game the fans would come in bunches and flock the stores and stands. Not tonight. Dead. As my boss would say, "Power Hour" never came. This would be the hour where everyone got off the train and came straight from work and made it to the Stadium and started to settle into their seats. It never happened last night. And judging by the result of last night's game, I don't think the Yankees showed up either. Even manager Joe Girardi called in sick. Well he did show up for work, he just fell asleep in the office. Man, that's a great job. But on all seriousness, I had a conversation with my boss about how good Joba and Hughes looked so far and how we could see really good things from Kennedy. Boy, did that blow up in our faces. My boss did say he sees Kennedy giving up a lot of homeruns. We also talked about the Yankees new lefty Billy Traber being impressive.

If I had stayed around the whole night last night I would have more to add but I was home before Kennedy hit the showers in the 3rd inning. Maybe I should've started throwing in the Yankees bullpen last night, I probably would've gotten better results than Farnsy and Hawkins. In my opinion by July these guys will be looking for work. Maybe I could get them a spot next to me selling shirts and hats outside the Stadium. They'll probably get booed doing that too. Life in the big city isn't easy. Until next time, that's whats going on BEYOND THE BLEACHERS.

- Any thoughts on this article? Please feel free to leave me your thoughts and any personal expirences you may have at Yankee Stadium this season. I want to hear from you! -

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, BEYOND THE BLEACHERS, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Girardi, Phil Hughes, Yankees

The first series of the season is over and for the Yankees, it was a good one.

The Yanks defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Thursday night. Phil Hughes looked good in six innings of work while manager Joe Girardi played small ball in order to pick up his second win of the year.

In the bottom of the 8th, Melky Cabrera led off with a single to right, then Johnny Damon pulled off a sac bunt but since Toronto reliever Scott Downs couldn't hold on to the ball, Damon was safe at first as a result of the error. Next up was Derek Jeter who also bunted and got Cabrera and Damon into scoring position. Bobby Abreu wasted little time as he got a bloop single to score the eventual winning run.

Hughes allowed two runs on four hits in six innings of work to go along with four strikeouts. Not a bad outing for the 21-year old Hughes. His curveball seemed to dance all over the strikezone tonight, a good sign indeed

.“Phil Hughes was ready when he got to camp, and he wanted to grab a hold of this role,” Girardi said

The Yanks also got to use Joba Chamberlain in the 8th and Mariano Rivera in the 9th to secure the win as they did Opening Night. The Blue Jays had the tying run on third base but Rivera struck out the final batter to win the game for New York.

Next up for the Yanks, the Tampa Bay Rays for a four game series. Let's not forget the fireworks these two teams set off in Spring Training, so this series should be something to watch.

(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY and HotStoveNewYork.com )

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Bobby Abreu, Derek Jeter, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Girardi, Johnny Damon, Mariano Rivera, Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, Yankees

Andy Pettitte might have a problem with his back, thus causing him to possibly miss his first start of the regular season.

Pettitte has been sidelined since Thursday with what he says is stiffness in his back. He last pitched on March 17th, where he threw 65 pitches in 3 1/3 innings. At the time, Pettitte was dealing with an elbow issue, but reported no pain after his outing. Now, the back spasms he is expirencing has set him back a few days, something that should cause Joe Girardi and the Yanks some concern. Although, Girardi did downplay his concern.

"I don't think it's a big deal," he said.

Andy skipped his start on Saturday because of the spasms. If he can play catch today and have a pain-free bullpen session tomorrow, then he is in line for either a minor league game on Friday in Tampa or pitch against the Marlins in Miami Friday night. That would then have Pettitte on pace to make his regular season debut against Toronto on Wednesday, April 2nd.

"I was really feeling pretty good last night, and feeling good about it, what today was going to bring," Pettitte told reporters at Legends Field. "Then I woke up this morning and it was kind of tight on me again.

"I've already lost two days. I don't want to set it back any. I'm just going to wait until tomorrow and hopefully it's a lot better and I can feel comfortable playing catch."

If he still is unable to go the Yanks will take it on a day to day basis and if necessary, push back his first start of the season to later in the week.

I'm definitely optimistic because I think it's going to clear up," Pettitte said "We've got options," he said. "It's just the first start of the season. I don't want to do that, but I want to make sure that I'm healthy and not go into the season with a bad back."

A healthy Pettitte is what the Yankees need. If they need to sit him out for the time being, then I say do it. He is much too valuable to the team going into this season and they need to be cautious. In any event, the last few weeks of fragility with Andy should raise some concern amonst the Yanks. Any time he misses will put more of a burden on the rest of the rotation, one that will include youngsters Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes.

Theres $16 million invested in that back, not to mention hopes and dreams of another championship in the Bronx, for Yankee fans, they all better hope Pettitte feels better sooner than later.

(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY)

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Andy Pettitte, Baseball, Joe Girardi, Spring Training, Yankees

Over at Peter Abraham's LoHud Yankees Blog) he takes a look at the Yankees bench. With the addition of Ensberg Friday night to the 40-man roster, the bench is pretty much set.

Heres a look at the bench that manager Joe Girardi will have at his disposal:

Jose Molina (C)
Shelley Duncan (RF, 1B)
Wilson Betemit (1B,2B,SS,3B)
Morgan Ensberg (1B,2B,3B)

Not too bad, but Abraham also notes that their isn't much speed or defense on the bench. I agree with Peter on that notion. I believe the bench was set up this season so Girardi has more of a "B" lineup than a bunch of "fill-ins". Sure these guys are not the best guys to have come off the bench but the Yanks' have had worse. With Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui sharing the duties in center and left, that would give Girardi another option in both positions if need be. As the season rolls along I'm sure we'll see changes but for now, this is the bench that will start the season. Let's hope the starters stay healthy and the bench all perform up to their potential, otherwise the Yankees might be in trouble.

(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY)

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Joe Girardi, Melky Cabrera, Morgan Ensberg, Shelly Duncan, Spring Training, Yankees

The Yankees have added Morgan Ensberg to their 40-man roster. Ensberg is out of minor league options which means he will more than likely start the season in the Bronx.

In order to make room on the 40-man roster, Carl Pavano was placed on the 60-day DL for the fourth consecutive year (is that a record?) Ensberg also plans on changed his uniform number. He is currently wearing No. 21, Paul O'Neill's old number. Since O'Neill is a hug fan favorite and since his number has NOT been distributed to anyone since his retirement after the 2001 season, the decision to hand out No. 21 has caused a stir.

"I can't wear Paul O'Neill's number," Ensberg said.

He plans on making an offer to Wilson Betemit for No.14, the nunmber he wore in Houston. It's nice to see the roster rounding out as Opening Day approaches.

(Frank's articles can also be found at HotStoveNewYork andOnTheBlockNY)

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Morgan Ensberg, Paul O'Neill, Spring Training, Yankees

The Yankees announced Friday that Chien Ming Wang will be their Opening Day starter. The Yankees are entering their final season at the current Yankee Stadium and Wang will be the last Opening Day starter in the historic ballpark.

"I'm very happy," Wang said. "This is my first time on Opening Day. For me, it's big. I'm very excited"....."It shows that the coaches trust me. I still have a lot to learn."

"He's earned it," Joe Girardi said. "He's won 19 games the last couple of years and he's thrown the ball well the last couple of years. I'm comfortable starting him Opening Day."

Wang, the current Yankees ace faces questions concerning being a legit ace. He performed poorly in his two postseason starts last year against Cleveland, but the Yankees don't seemed concerned.

"The two losses make me want to do even better this year," Wang said. "I want to make the coaches trust me even more in the future."

The season starts on March 31st, Wang's 28th birthday. The Yankees rotation has a few questions surrounding them but Wang isn't one of them. He is expected to carry his share of the load. He has won 38 games over the past two seasons, more than any other pitcher in the majors in that span. It's important the Yankees get off to a good start this season after getting off to slow starts the past few seasons. Wang hopes to help the Bombers get off to that good start.

The Yankees open against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:05 pm on March 31. Mission 27 is about to begin.

(Frank's articles can also be found at HotStoveNewYork andOnTheBlockNY)

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, Joe Girardi, Spring Training, Yankees

In less than 24 hours the world got to see how different the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are. The season hasn't started yet and already the comparisons and fire that go along with this rivilary are brought to light.

Yesterday the Yankees played a game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at English Field on their campus thanks to a prmoise made by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner last year. A year after a gunman killed 32 people, wounded 23 others, and then killed himself on Virginia Tech's campus. Steinbrenner donated $1 million to the school and promised that the Yanks would go down and play a spring training game agaist the school's baseball team. The Yankees fulfilled thier promise. Although the Yanks won 11-0, the bigger story was the impact the game had on the school, the staff, the players and everyone else.

"The Yankees - everyone always wants to call them 'Evil Empire' and stuff like that, (but) they're going the extra mile," Va. Tech first baseman Sean O'Brien said. "They don't have to do this. They have a lot of work to do to get ready. It's just amazing that they're doing this."

The Yankees brought most of their "A" team with them. Many, if not all of the Yankee players signed autographs and took photos for people who have not had much to smile about since that fateful day last April. I have to commend the Yankees for this show of support and for extending themselves in this capacity. It shows once again why the Yankees are the most recoginized franchise and set the standards for all the other teams in the league.

On the other half of this rivilary we have the Red Sox. They are slated to open their season in Japan in just a few days but due to a "misunderstanding" between MLB and the MLBPA the Red Sox were about to boycott their final spring training game (which was televised nationally on ESPN) and their season opening series in Tokyo. The reason behind it: apparently the coaching staff was not going to recieve the $40,000 pay that came along with the trip. Are you kidding me? The Yankees and Mets in recent years have made trips to Japan to open their season. There has never been an issue along the lines of what Boston was faced on Wednesday. So the Sox decided they weren't going to play and weren't going to board a plane to Japan unless their coaches got paid. Around 1:30 pm the issue was resolved.

“We felt we had to make a stand, and being on ESPN didn’t hurt,” Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell said.

He also stated, giving $20,000 payments to the coaches would not have been acceptable because the players were making $40,000.

“The club’s working on stuff and trying to get money where it needs to get,” he said. “It was definitely an experience of a lifetime, and it ended in a good way” said Kevin Youkilis.

This is a clear example of night and day. The Yankees went to a college campus to help people who have been suffering and mourning, while the Red Sox complain about their coaches not getting paid enough. This is a joke and a disgrace to the game of baseball! How dare the Red Sox jepordize the game's integrity by trying to put themselves first. It is a priviledge to be asked to apart of an event such as opening the MLB season in Japan. My friends up north have no class and consideration for the fans of MLB. What if we decide to stay home and not attend YOUR games? Where will YOU get your money from to pay for your players? It's nice to know where your priorities are. You rather get go on strike then play the game of baseball which you love (which you are getting paid for!) Remember, it's stilla job and people are paying to watch YOU play. If you don't like it then leave and let someone else take your roster spot. It's that simple. The Yankees know they are just like everyone else...human. You saw a humbling atmsophere yesterday at English Field on the YES network. What you saw on ESPN today, belongs right along side the trash on MTV.

I want to thank the New York Yankees for showing me what's important in this world, but most importantly, for showing me what's not and what's disgraceful.

(Frank's articles can also be found at HotStoveNewYork andOnTheBlockNY)

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

1 comment

Tags: Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Mets, Spring Training, Yankees

Yesterday at Legends Field, the Yankees and Indians faced off. The starting pitchers were Chien-Ming Wang against C.C. Sabathia respectively, a rematch of Game 1 of last year's Divison Series. Just another Spring Training game to most but to the Yankees and their front office, it was an up close look at a potential ace that could be in pinstripes in 2009 .

It's a subject thats sure to be brought up multiple times over the course of the season. That's because Sabathia is a free agent at year's end and will not have any discussions over a new contract during the season. He has already turned down a four-year $68 million dollar contract extentsion from Cleveland. Sabathia for the time being has his sights set on the upcoming season.

"I'm just thinking about this season right now," Sabathia said after allowing three runs over four innings against the Yankees. "I think we've got a good chance with the team we're bringing back and that's all I'm really focusing on. At the end of the year when everything unfolds, I'll cross that road when I cross it."

At season's end, the Yankees will have around $80 million off their payroll due to expiring contracts (Bobby Abreu, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Kyle Farnsworth, and Carl Pavano to name a few.) Also, Mussina and Pettitte could call it quits leaving the Yanks with some major shoes to fill in the rotation. Sabathia seems like a good fit. He could be the new ace of a staff that heads into a new era as the Yankees move into the new Yankee Stadium in 2009.

Sabathia won the A.L. Cy Young last season compiling a 19-7 record and 3.21 ERA. Although he didn't perform well in the postseason last year, neither did the Yanks current ace Wang. In the event Sabathia does end up in the Bronx next year, it would surely help Wang and the rest of the rotation (Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, and supposedly Joba Chamberlain.) That is a strong young rotation that could lead the Yankees to the promise land for years to come, but for now that's only a thought for the imagination. But that dream could become a reality come 2009..lets see how this unfolds throughout the year. I'll be watching.

(Frank's articles can also be found at HotStoveNewYork)

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Andy Pettitte, Baseball, CC Sabathia, Chien Ming Wang, Ian Kennedy, j, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Spring Training, Yankees

It didn't take Joe Girardi long to put his stamp on the Yankees. A mere three weeks into Spring Training and we already see in a difference in the Bronx Bombers. With the exception of a few players, this is basically the same team that Joe Torre managed in his last game as Yankee manager last October. Yet, we there seems to be a world of a difference this spring.

I'm sure most of you have seen the recent developments between the Yanks and the Tampa Bay Rays. Last weekend saw Tampa Bay's Elliot Johnson run over Yankee catching prospect Francisco Cervelli, thus breaking his right hand. Wednesday the Yanks' Shelly Duncan went into second baseman Aki Iwamura with an aggressive slide, which led to a bench clearing brawl. As a result Duncan along with Melky Cabrera were suspended 3 games each by Major League Baseball for their actions in the brawl. Girardi was fined for the incident. The Rays' Jonny Gomes was also fined and suspended 2 games for his "tackle" of Duncan at second base (he plays right field, so how in the world does he end up at second base within seconds of the play?) That, in my opinion is worthy of at LEAST 5 games. A right fielder has no business at second base in what appeared to be an attempt a full fledged charge at Duncan.

"What Jon did was reaction to what they had done, and we did not start a thing," Tampa manager Jon Maddon said. "They perpetrated the entire situation. And then to have the punishment doled out almost on a similar basis, to me is unjust and it's not right. I'm sure we're going to appeal the situation and see what we can do."

"What's unfortunate is it's a situation that if our catcher didn't go down with a broken arm, I don't think (Duncan) would be suspended," Yankees Captain Derek Jeter said. "Now he's suspended and people talk about the way he plays the game. Shelley plays hard all the time. If I were Shelley, I wouldn't change the way I play. There's no reason."

I think too much was made of this situation, but on the other hand according to Don Zimmer and the rest of the Rays, the collision at home plate was "part of the game." So an aggressive slide into second base was "part of the game" as well. This was Girardi's message to the league...don't mess with the Yankees, because we'll get you back. It's something Torre never liked to do while he was manager, so I think this attitude that Girardi brings to the team is excatly what the Yanks need. They will not be push overs for anyone, especially the Tampa Bay Rays! Good for the Yanks and Girardi! The rest of the league has been put on notice, but for now lets just play baseball and get ready for Opening Day.

Oh by the way, the Yanks and Rays play Saturday at Legends Field, we'll see if this situation continues to esculate. Must see tv for Spring Training? We'll find out.

(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY )

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Franciso Cervelli, Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, Melky Cabrera, Shelly Duncan, Spring Training, Yankees

Looking around the 'net and watching tv these days, one topic that seems to cause a stir are predictions. Our own J Platt reported on John Kruk's bold prediction of the Mets finishing third. So I thought I'd throw my two cents in as well. Here's how I view the NL East finishing up:

1- Phillies : Still the team to beat. You have to like Rollins and Howard leading a team that steamrolled their way into the postseason down the stretch last year. A year later, more confident and more expirenced.
2- Mets : Too many questions regarding the bullpen and injuries. If they can stay healthy, then the Mets will be very tough to beat, even with an "old" Pedro.
3- Braves : Gotta like the rotation even if it has question marks (Glavine,Hampton). How well those guys perform will tell a alot in terms of what direction the team will be going.
4- Marlins : Good youthful team, but don't expect them to pose a threat to place any higher in the divison.
5- Nationals : Well, let's just say Lastings Milledge will have a lot of time to record in the studio.

I'm sure I'll get debate on my predictions, but isn't that what makes predictions so great?

Apparently Derek Jeter is one of the worst fielding shortstops in the game. That's ok by me, tell me how many other shortstops have four World Series rings? Jeter is the man I would build my team around if I was starting from scratch. He's a team player and his attitude is ALWAYS team first. A mentality that gets lost in today's world. Ex: Red Sox closer Jonathan Palbelbon claimed he's worthy of top dollar beacuse he's a "championship closer" and he's now in the same class as Mariano Rivera. Jeter personifies the way the game should be played...the right way.

The Mets have continued to downplay the string of injuries that have hit the team this spring. How many times are they going to downplay MAJOR issues? They did it last September/October when trying to explain their collapse. Now they're collapsing before the season even starts! What would the Amazin's look like now if they didn't have Johan Santana? Barry Bonds all of a sudden doesn't seem like a bad option. It's New York, we're used to scandals and criminals, so why not sign Bonds? At least he wont be dancing in the dugout or after a homerun.

Jason Kidd faced the Nets for the first time last night since the Feburary 19th trade that sent him to Dallas. The Mavs are 5-5 while the Nets are 3-7 since. A blockbuster trade it was right? Kidd scored all of three points last night, I agree with Mavs' coach Avery Johnson, he needs to shoot the ball more. Last night showed Dallas can afford a three point night from Kidd. The Nets used to be like that...ahh those were the days.

Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury should have their own reality show on MTV, they might get better ratings there than they do on the MSG Network.

The Roger Clemens saga seems to have died down for the moment. It's about time. It came to the point that I did believe Clemens was innocent, even after the Congressional hearings but when you listen to Andy Pettitte, you have to believe him over Clemens. The mysterious syringes, gauge and pictures of Roger at Canseco's party didn't do it for me. Pettitte being the man he is told the truth and I don't question his credibility, even if he used HGH. He's human and he makes mistakes just like all of us. He did it to help his teams at the time, I'm not syaing that justifies what he did, but give the guy a break. He admitted he was wrong like a man, he held a news conference and admitted his wrong doings again, like a man. That type of character is something that I hold credible and therefore Pettitte should be forgiven. He was put inbetween a rock and a hard place and still stood tall...can't say the same about Clemens.

A lot of people are counting the Yanks out of the playoffs....didn't this also happen last July? How bout we let the season play out for a few months and come back with the playoff predictions.

(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY and HotStoveNewYork.com)

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Andy Pettitte, Baseball, Basketball, Isiah Thomas, Jason Kidd, Knicks, Mariano Rivera, Mets, Nets, QUITE FRANKLY, Roger Clemens, Stephon Marbury, Yankees

In his first action of the spring Mariano Rivera still seemed to have some juice left in his arm. He came into yesterday's spring training game in the 4th inning and dominated, throwing eight pitches, seven for strikes. Not bad for a 38 year old.

Rivera recorded two strikeouts in his inning of work. Of note, he didn't throw his cutter, a pitch that will send him with a first class ticket to the Hall of Fame.

"I didn't need to throw cutters today," Rivera said. "I felt real good out there. I was able to throw the pitches and hit the strike zone."

It's interesting to see that Rivera hasn't missed a beat according to yesterday's outing. He is set for 10 innings this spring and is scheduled to make back to back appearances at the end of spring to prepare himself for the regular season. Rivera is in the first year of the 3 year contract he signed over the winter. Yesterday's appearance was a good sign for Rivera and the Yanks, let's hope the rest of the season goes as effortless and smooth.


(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY and HotStoveNewYork.com)

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Mariano Rivera, Spring Training, Yankees

I hope yesterday was a preview of things to come this summer for New York baseball. The Mets had their first look at their new ace Johan Santana in game action and he didn't look good. The Yankees had their prized three of Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy go in their game against the University of South Florida . The trio combined for five innings only giving up one hit.

"I think it's great for the organization, the scouts, the people who draft and develop," said Joe Girardi. "It's an organization thing that everyone should be proud of."

The world got to see how good these three can be. Ok so they were facing a college team, and it's still early in the spring but you have to be excited about these guys and their seemingly constant successful progression so far this spring. The baseball world, as well as those in New York will be closely watching these guys' every move. That comes along with the territory of playing in the Bronx, but since Yankees GM Brian Cashman was so stern on his stance of not wanting to trade his young talent, the microscope is even bigger on this trio.

Each pitcher seemed to be very attentive of the other's work on the mound as they complimented one another.

"I want Joba's fastball, Ian's change and Joba's slider," Hughes said. "And I'm keeping my curveball." Chamberlain said he'd love to have Kennedy's changeup and Hughes' cool demeanor.
"I'm a very excitable person," Chamberlain said. "Phil can give up a two-run homer or strike out 40 and he's the same. That's something we could all learn from.

Another day has passed and another step has been taken in the right direction. More work has to be done this spring before anyone gets giddy, but for right now it's ok. That's what spring training is all about, and for now, the Yankees are looking alright, which is fine by me.

(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY and HotStoveNewYork.com)

Read more »

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

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

0 Comments

Tags: Baseball, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Girardi, Phil Hughes, Spring Training, Yankees