Good morning to all, here's some of my thoughts on a few topics going on in the New York sports scene.



Yankees streaky play

The Yanks are 19-19 after 38 games.It's amazing to see how this teams goes in spurts of winning three, losing three, winning two, losing two. This has been a result of the inconsistent production by the back end of the rotation and the offense. No Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada to go along with sub .200 hitting from Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano can be best to blame for the .500 play. Cano seems to be coming out of his funk as he quietly has a six-game hitting streak, he plays a big part of the lineup if he's able to get it going.

Darrell Rasner had another good outing yesterday and provided the Yanks with a win. He has accomplished more in his two starts than Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Kei Igawa have combined. He has two wins, the other three...zero. Keep the guy in the rotation as he seems to have the tools to stay with the big club for awhile. It's very important if he can prove to be a reliable starter. Not just for this season but for next year too. There won't be a Mike Mussina or possibly Andy Pettitte come 2009 so his quality pitching proves to be bigger than you think.


D'Antoni to Knicks
Not sure how this will play out at The Garden for Knicks President Donnie Walsh and company but anything is better than Isiah Thomas and his monopoly of control. For a team that needs to focus on defense, hiring an offensive style coach is questionable, but it'll be interesting to see if the Knicks continue to make moves to fit D'Antoni's style. He couldn't do much with the Suns as far as the postseason was concerned, but bringing the Knicks back to respectibilty seems like more of an accomplishment. With that being said, let's see how the players respond to the new coach, assuming there are no drastic changes,


Jefferson Assualt Charges
I happen to believe that Richard Jefferson is a good guy. I find it hard to believe that he choked someone out and I think he side of the story seems to be legit.

"There were no punches thrown. They were saying there was choking. ... This individual doesn't have a scratch on him. There was no mark. There was no blood. There was no anything," Jefferson said. "Obviously, we have a target on our back and it is unfortunate that these people would even do this."

He says that the accuser, Lyle Fox, a 28-year-old South Dakota resident was drunk and was being disrespected. According to police, Fox is still having trouble swallowing and speaking. The police report also has Jefferson yelling "Do you know who I am?"

This story can go either way but the fact that Fox is having trouble speaking and swallowing to this day is a little sketchy to me. The incident took place Janurary 28th. Also, one would think if Jefferson really did choke this guy out, wouldn't this be a big story in Janurary?? Not to mention, have people come forawrd with their accounts of the story siding with Fox? We'll see where this story goes.

Mothers Day

Happy Mother's Day goes out to all the moms out there that make us who we are. Enjoy today with your mother and whoever else is deserving of this special day.

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Tags: Baseball, Basketball, Knicks, Nets, QUITE FRANKLY, Yankees

Kei Igawa is NO GOOD! It's that plain and simple. He gave up six runs on eleven hits in three-plus innings. I'm not sure if Ian Kennedy would've done any better but I'm going to say at least he would've lasted until the fifth inning.

I'm sure many Yankee fans share my frustration. Manager Joe Girardi shared his frustration with the media after the game last night.

"He couldn't get a breaking ball over, whether it was his changeup or slider," Girardi said. "They were basically able to focus in on one pitch. It's not pitching like he's capable of pitching. We need him to pitch with all his weapons."

I'm not sure Igawa has any weapons at all. If anything, the way he pitches you would think he was sent by the other team as a spy. Ok, that's a little far fetched, even for me, but you get the point.

I don't like this guy and I don't like his style. He's afraid to challenge hitters and everything he throws over the plate gets tattooed all over the ballpark. He was a bad investment and I don't think he will ever turn out to be any good. Why GM Brian Cashman didn't send him to the Padres last season is beyond me.

What makes this start even more laughable is that Igawa thought he was ok.

"The result is part of baseball," Igawa said through his interpreter. "It can happen in any game at any time. The next thing I would like to work on is getting more strikeouts."

That's great because he had no strikeouts.

The Yankees made a late inning comeback...or at least tried to. Down 6-2 in the ninth inning, they were able to make it 6-5 and have the tying run at second base and the go-ahead run at first. With Shelley Duncan at the plate, he made solid contact, that at first made you think he might've tied the game but it turned out to just be a flyout to left-center to end the game.

Wilson Betemit was also a guy the Yankees can fault for losing last night's game. He misplayed a few groundballs at third base that led to Detroit's onslaught in the early innings. To be fair, the Yankees couldn't get a hit with runners in scoring position again...until the ninth inning. Too little, too late.

Igawa's turn in the rotation is next Wednesday when the Yanks visit Tampa Bay. Let's keep our fingers crossed Kennedy makes another brilliant start so he can get his spot back. And you thought it couldn't get any worse than Kennedy. Did we forget about Igawa and how awful he is?? Apparently so did the Yankees. One would think they would give another shot on Wednesday but if he bombs, Kennedy will be on his way to the Bronx in a hurry.

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Tags: Baseball, Ian Kennedy, Joe Girardi, Kei Igawa, Shelly Duncan, Yankees

Is it possible to see David Wells come back to Yankee Stadium one more time? According to the NY Post,Wells wants to come back and Hank Steinbrenner is a fan of his.

Wells went unsigned over the winter but continues to throw to his son's high school baseball team to keep in shape.

"I'm in shape, I'd just have to fine-tune a couple of things," Wells said. "I'd need a little bit of time, but not much. Physically I feel fine, real good."

David pitched for the Bombers from 1997-98 and 2002-2003. In '98 Wells pitched a perfect game at the Stadium against the Minnesota Twins. He is beloved by most Yankee fans, although David did raise some eyebrows in Yankeeland. He took himself out of Game 4 of the 2003 World Series with a back injury, which forced Joe Torre to put in Jose Contreares in the game for a second consecutive night. That game was lost in extra innings when Torre summoned Jeff Weaver in and he promptly served up the game winning homerun. In 2005, Boomer signed with the rival Boston Red Sox, a move in which he once stated he would never do.

"New York has always been the favorite of all my stops," Wells said. "When I got traded, I was bitter. When they didn't re-sign me, I was bitter, but I know that wasn't the Yankees, everything was Joe Torre. I wasn't one of his boys. I don't think he liked the way I lived my life or that I spoke my mind."

Wells would welcome the idea of pitching under his former catcher Joe Girardi. Hank admits he's given Wells some consideration concerning a return.

"Obviously, he'll always be a Yankee to me," Steinbrenner said. "I've thought about it.....I saw him on TV, and I did think about it when I was watching.You never know," Steinbrenner said. [Wells] hasn't come up in conversation, but I've had so much other [bleep] to deal with lately."

Wells also stated he believes the Yankees have nothing to lose if they were to resign Wells. I agree. He's a lefty with expirence in New York and might still be able to pitch that big game they need. Whether David can prove to be useful in his mid-40's is another story. I don't think he can do much worse than Phil Hughes and his 0-4 9.00 ERA or Ian Kennedy's 0-3 8.37 ERA.

Give the guy a chance, you never know what you might get. I think the Yanks should take advantage of this situation while the time is right. This Wells-Yankee love affair could take on some stem if fill ins Darell Rasner and Kei Igawa struggle in their starts. As I always like to say, stranger things have happened, so the idea of Wells coming back may seem outrageous at first, but think about it...it could very well be what the Yanks need. I would love to see Boomer back, let's see if the door opens for a return to the House That Ruth Built.

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Tags: Baseball, Darell Rasner, David Wells, Ian Kennedy, Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, Phil Hughes, Yankees

After getting swept by the Detriot Tigers in the middle of the week, the Yankees responded with their own three game sweep of the Seattle Mariners this weekend.

“It’s been kind of streaky,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I’d like to shorten one streak and lengthen another.”

The Yankee offense which was quiet for much of the Detriot series came alive in the recent days. Led by Derek Jeter and his four hit performance on Sunday, the Yanks were able to complete the series sweep with an 8-2 victory at the Stadium. Bobby Abreu also contributed with three hits of his own, Johnny Damon drove in two runs, and the Bombers got back-to-back homeruns from best buds Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano.

The other story in this game was the pitching of Darrell Rasner (1-0). Making his 2008 debut, Rasner pitched well. After giving up a first inning two-run homer to Adrian Beltre, Rasner settled down to pitch six innings, giving up five hits on only the two runs, and struck out four. His performance was much welcomed as he was filling in for the injured Phil Hughes, who has yet to record a win this season and is also on the DL until at least July.

Before Sunday's game the Yanks sent down struggling pitcher Ian Kennedy to Triple-A Scranton to work out his problems. Japanese import Kei Igawa will most likely take Kennedy's spot in the rotation when it presents itself next weekend.

Rasner's performance was the third consecutive start in which a Yankee starter pitched six innings, following Chien-Ming Wang on Friday and Mike Mussina on Saturday.

“Just try to run with this opportunity,” Rasner said. “I think I’m finally getting back in the groove.”

The bullpen was also effective in the victory on Sunday. Ross Ohlendorf, Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

With the series sweep of Seattle, the Yanks are (17-16) and responded to co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, who said he was “disappointed” with the season this far on Friday. The Yanks have an off day Monday but are back at it with the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday at the Stadium. The two teams split a four game series last weekend in Cleveland. Andy Pettitte (3-3) goes for the Yanks.

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Tags: Andy Pettitte, Baseball, Bobby Abreu, Chien Ming Wang, Darell Rasner, Derek Jeter, Ian Kennedy, Joe Girardi, Johnny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth, Mariano Rivera, Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Yankees

These are NOT your New York Yankees playing out there. It can't be. They look like the Yankees, but sure aren't playing like them. If you saw last night's 8-4 loss to the Detriot Tigers then you know what I'm talking about.

Ian Kennedy pitched well through the first 2.2 innings, then gave up four runs before he got the final out of the inning. Bobby Abreu misplayed two flyballs that arguably could've been caught. Instead he stumbled and crashed into walls. As a result, the Tigers were all over Kennedy and the Yanks. Kennedy never made it out of the fifth inning. His final line for the night: five hits,four runs and three walks over 4 2/3.

The Yankees offense did little again. Abreu got the Yanks rollin out of the gate with a three run homerun in the first but that was it. They left 11 men on base, 28 for the series. A series that saw the Tigers get their first three game sweep in the Bronx since 1966.

Earlier in the day, it was revealed that Phil Hughes would be out for at least two months with a strain in his rib cage. With him out of the rotation the Yankees need to find a replacement. With Kennedy and his 8.37 ERA in six outings, they also need to find a replacement for him.

"He's still having that inning that he's having a hard time closing out, and he's not giving us the distance that we need," manager Joe Girardi said. "It's frustrating for him and it's frustrating for us. ... We have to talk about it. We don't need a fifth starter as much in May as we did in the month of April. We have to figure out what's the best plan for Ian Kennedy."

Girardi's club is 14-16 and headed in the same direction as last year's team and the 2005 Yanks, down....but not out. Both the '05 and '07 teams made it to the postseason after dreadful starts so there should still be optimism. You could look at the injuries as a reason to justify the record or you could blame all on Hughes and Kennedy. That wouldn't be right because the offense hasn't done much either. The missing links of Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez seem to be the biggest losses. Posada is good at helping a pitching staff, one that needs all the help in the world and Rodriguez is one of the most feared hitters in the game.

The biggest concern is the pitching and after last night's outing where do they go from here?

"I think I've proven I can pitch here in the past," Kennedy said. "I might not be pitching that well now, but it's only my fourth or fifth start. It'll work out sometime."

Sometime needs to be sooner than later...A LOT sooner. If this keeps going on, the question then becomes how desperate are the Yankees going to become? At this rate, we're going to find out very soon.

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Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Bobby Abreu, Ian Kennedy, Joe Girardi, Jorge Posada, Phil Hughes, Yankees

It appears that Alex Rodriguez aggravated the quadriceps strain in his right leg three days after returning to the lineup. He was pitch hit for in the eighth inning in Monday night's win over the Tribe.

When asked about his status for tomorrow's game against the Detroit Tigers, Rodriguez responded, “no way..If I had to guess, I’d say it would be a few days”.

The Yankees are already without catcher Jorge Posada who is on the DL and his return is uncertain for the moment. An extended absence by Rodriguez might raise some serious concern within the Yankees. For the time being A-Rod appears to be out until he further examines his leg and lets it rest for a few days.

The injury bug has hit the Yanks hard early this season. Despite that, they still have a 14-13 record and are one game out of first.

Tuesday will be a busy around the Yankees as the injuires to Posada and Rodriguez will have many people questioning the extent and severity of both. If you're a Yankees fan, you got to hope for the best. Check back to the site for updates as they become available.

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Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, Jorge Posada, Yankees

The bullpen played a big part in the Yankees 5-2 win Monday night over the Cleveland Indians. The win gave the Yanks a series split and completed a ten-game road trip in which the Bombers went 5-5.

Mike Mussina (3-3) picked up the win as he pitched five innings allowing two runs on seven hits. His only inning of trouble was the fifth inning but pitched through it to pick up the 253rd win of his career tying him for 41st all-time. The bullpen pitched the final four innings and retired the last ten batters they faced. The combination of Jonathan Albaladejo, Kyle Farnsworth, Joba Chamberlain, and Mariano Rivera proved to be too much for the Indians as each pitched a scoreless inning.

The Yankees scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning and never looked back. A few bloopers, groundouts and infield hits got the Yanks ahead. They were held hitless in the first five innings by Cleveland starter Aaron Laffey (0-1). Hideki Matsui had two RBI in the win.

The Yankees were playing without Jorge Posada who was put on the DL after Sunday's game. There was no update on his condition but one should be available tomorrow.

Rivera picked up his eighth save of the season in the win. He has yet to issue a walk or allow a run.

The Yanks return home tomorrow as they have played 18 of their last 20 games on the road.

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Tags: Baseball, Hideki Matsui, Joba Chamberlain, Kyle Farnsworth, Mariano Rivera, Mike Mussina, Yankees

Here are some news and notes for all you fantasy goers out there. I have all of these guys on my team, so if you have them on yours or are keeping an eye on these players, you should take note.

Notes via Yahoo Sports.

Vernon Wells (Tor - OF)

Wells snapped an 0-for-15 skid with a single in the eighth inning Sunday. Over his past 10 games, Wells has gone 6-for-38 with one homer and two RBIs.

Kevin Youkilis (Bos - 1B,3B)

Youkilis set a major league record for fielding perfection over the weekend when he handled his 1,701st errorless chance at first base. Youkilis broke the record of 1,700 straight errorless chances by former Sox 1B Stuffy McInnis from May 1921-June 1922. The errorless streak set by the Gold Glove-winning Youkilis is also the longest such streak of any defensive position in major league history.

Jered Weaver (LAA - SP)

Weaver out-pitched fellow 2004 first-rounder Justin Verlander and the Angels took two of three in Detroit. Weaver took a shutout into the seventh inning when he ran into a little trouble and two runs scored after he was replaced by Justin Speier. The Angels scored six times in the first six innings against Verlander (the second overall pick in 2004, 10 spots ahead of Weaver).

Jermaine Dye (CWS - OF)

Dye missed his third straight game on Sunday, as he continued to rest his sore left groin. He suffered the injury on Thursday against New York, and was forced out of the game in the seventh inning. Guillen's hope was to have his veteran outfielder back in the lineup for Monday afternoon's game with the Orioles. "Right now, I'm shooting for him for (Monday)," Guillen said. "Every day, when the player tells me he's ready to play, I give him another day to make sure he's OK." Dye said he was still feeling a bit sore, so he will be re-evaluated before the game.

Manny Ramírez (Bos - OF)

Ramirez stole the 35th base of his station-to-station career in the fifth inning of Sunday afternoon's loss to Tampa Bay. The stolen bag was a bit of history for the 35-year-old left fielder and the Sox as it was Ramirez's first stolen base in a Boston uniform in over three years -- dating back to a flight of fancy on the base paths on April 10, 2005.

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Tags: Baseball, Fantasy Baseball

The Yanks and Indians finish up their four-game series tonight at Progressive Field. Mike Mussina, RHP (2-3, 4.94) goes against Aaron Laffey, LHP (NR).

Mussina is coming off his best start of the season last week in Chicago. He pitched seven strong innings while allowing two runs via the homerun. Moose is 4-3 with a 5.88 ERA in 10 career starts at Progressive Field.

Laffey will make the spot start today for the Indians because of a doubleheader last week threw a wrench into the rotation. He is making his 2008 debut. In '07 Laffey went 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA in nine starts last season when Cliff Lee was sent to the minors at the end of the season. This season in Buffalo, Laffey is 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA.

The Yanks look for the series split with a win tonight. This is the end of a ten game road trip for the Bombers. They return to the Stadium on Tuesday night.

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Tags: Baseball, Mike Mussina, Yankees

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Tags: Baseball, Standings, 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Tags: Baseball, Chien Ming Wang, Hideki Matsui, Joba Chamberlain, Mariano Rivera, Yankees

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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! -

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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 )

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