WasWatching.com: October 2006 Archives

The Yankees continue to hear from teams asking about Gary Sheffield, but it doesn't appear they expect to get a starting pitcher in exchange for the slugger if they pick up his option with the intent of trading him.

That's why they are open to seeing what soon-to-be free agent right-hander Jeff Suppan, who played a big part in the Cardinals' improbable journey to a World Series title, is looking for.

"His name is on their list of pitching possibilities," a member of another organization told The Post yesterday.

This rings a bell.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:06 AM | Comments (5)

Sheff Could Go Now

From Newsday -

The Yankees' auction of Gary Sheffield has progressed to the point that general manager Brian Cashman has a potential deal in place if he wishes to pull the trigger, an official from another American League team told Newsday yesterday.

But Cashman is not quite ready to make a trade. A person familiar with the team's plans said "there is no urgency" to the process. The Yankees seem inclined to wait at least a little longer with the hope that the market for Sheffield improves.

The Cubs and Phillies are believed to be among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of Sheffield, who is an attractive, more affordable alternative to free-agent sluggers Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee. Those players will land long-term, multimillion-dollar deals, but all Sheffield costs is $13 million for one season, with at least $4.5 million deferred.

The Yankees have until Sunday night to officially pick up Sheffield's option, and they are expected to do so shortly after agreeing to a trade, which now seems inevitable.

The Yankees are open to all types of packages, an AL team official said. Cashman, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, is willing to accept a package of prospects, bullpen help or a starting pitcher, the official said.

How about Sheffield for Brett Myers or Mark Prior? You know - the typical headache-for-a-headache deal?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:55 AM | Comments (2)

October 30, 2006

First Inning: Philip Hughes

FirstInning.com has all the numbers on Philip Hughes.

According to their "Similar Players" findings, this is what they have for Hughes:

Similarity Score - Player - Year

32 Dontrelle Willis 2003
22 Aquilino Lopez 2001
19 Jonathan Broxton 2005
18 Zach Duke 2004
16 Jesus Silva 2002
13 Edwin Jackson 2003
12 Yusmeiro Petit 2005
12 Ryan Wagner 2003
11 Brad Penny 1999
7 Anibal Sanchez 2005

D-Train is a fun comp. But, Aquilino Lopez? Yikes.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:02 PM | Comments (3)

The Last Twenty?

I think most current Yankees fans expect to see uniform numbers 51, 42, 2, and 6 be retired for New York someday. And, a large subset of those fans would probably be O.K. with seeing # 21 retired as well. (Yeah, I know baseball retired # 42 already - but, I'm talking about in honor of Mo Rivera.)

But, what about # 20?

When he's done in New York, there will probably be a strong case to be made that Jorge Posada was the 3rd greatest offensive catcher in Yankees history - behind Berra and Dickey and just ahead of Munson and Howard.

Berra, Dickey, Munson and Howard all have their numbers retired by the Yankees - albeit that Munson and Howard were special cases.

Does it not make sense that # 20 should be retired someday as well?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:36 AM | Comments (11)

October 29, 2006

Remembering Billy

From the Contra Costa Times -

Alfred Manuel (Billy) Martin was born May 16, 1928, in Berkeley to Alfred and Joan Martin. He was raised by his mother after his parents separated. She, being of Italian ancestry, called him "bello," which is "beautiful" in Italian, and that's how he got the nickname "Billy."

Billy started his major league career as the second baseman for the Yankees. He went on to be the MVP in the 1953 World Series and was an All-Star in 1956. Billy played and partied hard, and the partying got him traded in 1957 to the Kansas City Athletics. Despite their deep friendship, Billy and Casey didn't speak for years after that trade. Billy always felt that Casey did nothing to stop the trade.

He returned to the Yankees in 1975. He took the Yankees to the World Series in 1976 and 1977 and won the World Series in 1977. Billy resigned briefly in 1978 after feuding with outfielder Reggie Jackson and team owner George Steinbrenner. He returned to the Yankees in 1979 and was fired for fighting with a salesman.

Billy went on to manage the Oakland Athletics and won the Western Division split-title in 1981 after he perfected a play called "Billyball." The A's went on to sweep the Royals and then lost to the Yankees. He was fired from the Athletics in 1982, and returned to the Yankees in 1983, 1985 and 1988, but for never more than one full season, due to his temperament.

On August 10, 1986, the Yankees retired his uniform number -- 1. They also dedicated a plaque in his honor at Yankee Stadium. The plaque says, "There has never been a greater competitor than Billy."

His untimely death on Dec. 25, 1989, in a car crash shocked all. His grave is located close to Babe Ruth, with the epitaph being something he said: "I may not have been the greatest Yankee to put on the uniform, but I was the proudest."

They said Martin was the only man who could actually hear someone give him the finger.

He was a funny guy - there's a story about him and Mantle, when they were young, running from rangers after they were caught poaching on a farmer's land (featured in one of Mantle's books) that's priceless.

In summary, the usual drill was for the rangers to just run the guys off the land and give them a scare. However, on that day, Martin didn't feel like running too long and told Mantle "Screw it, I'm going to shoot it out" and then Billy turned and aimed his rifle at the rangers. If I recall correctly, in the book, Mantle said that the rangers looked like they saw a ghost when this happened at hit the dirt in an instant.

Pure Billy.

I still would have not retired his number though...that was a gift from Stein.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:56 PM | Comments (7)

Today's Recommended Yankees Reading

It's up to A-Rod, not Jeter.

Bombers Fielding Sheff Calls.

It's Donnie's ball in the Bronx.

A-Rod situation as fluid as words.

Trying to Cash in on a vision.

With the Yankees, Gamble's hair became a weighty issue.

Peters Abrahams are Jeter's Biggest Fanboys.

Weaver: From Scrapheap To Penthouse.

Same story, two different casts of characters.

Mets and Yanks: The Gonfalon Bubble.

Enjoy.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)

October 28, 2006

Cano Going Long For Kevin

From Newsday -

Cano, who turned 24 Sunday, had praise for Kevin Long, the Yankees' Triple-A hitting coach, who will be introduced as Don Mattingly's replacement next week. Mattingly, who returned to the Yankees in 2004 as hitting coach, will replace Lee Mazzilli as Joe Torre's bench coach.

"He's one of the best guys," Cano said of Long. "In Triple-A, I remember I was struggling a little. I went down to the cage and worked with him, and after that, I started doing good. The next season, I hit .333."

Cano added: "He motivates you. He works hard. He always arrives early and he doesn't just concentrate on one or two players. He works with everyone."

This is nice to hear...but, there's a difference between getting Triple-A players to listen to you and getting major league All-Stars to listen to you.

I recall, years and years ago, reading something - somewhere - that talked to getting the attention of major league players. The study said there are two types of managers/coaches who can usually get a big league player's attention.

The first type is the former player who had success. This is guys like Torre, Mattingly, Piniella, Guidry, etc. The theory goes that players synch up with the fact that they played the game at the highest level and had success - so, they know what they're talking about when they speak.

The second type is the person who just scares you. Whether it's a tough guy like Billy Martin or a hulking presence like Dallas Green, it's the intimidation factor that gets the players to pay attention.

Of course, a guy like Charlie Lau or Leo Mazzone flies in the face of this entire theory. I hope that Kevin Long does as well.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:39 AM | Comments (3)

October 27, 2006

Watch Out Derek...

...David Eckstein is now only two rings behind you.

And, just when did Jeff Weaver become the ectomorphic version of Curt Schilling?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:48 PM | Comments (5)

Mike Stanley

Any chance the Yankees could get him to come out of his "retirement" and be their new batting coach?

Wouldn't he be a good fit for this team and coaching staff?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:16 PM | Comments (7)

The Unit Price

In the end, the Yankees traded Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, Randy Choate, Brad Halsey, and Dioner Navarro in order to acquire Randy Johnson. In addition to the five players lost, the Yankees sent $9 million to the Diamondbacks in the trade for the Big Unit. Further, the Yankees gave Johnson a $32 million, two-year, contract extension through 2007 when they got him.

In a way, one could say that Randy Johnson cost the Yankees Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, Randy Choate, Brad Halsey, Dioner Navarro and $41 million.

Here's the question: Based on what Randy Johnson has done for the Yankees in the last two years, and what we can expect from Johnson in 2007, was it worth it?

I can't see how anyone would say "yes" to that question.

Should Brian Cashman get some heat for this deal, in retrospect?

I could see how someone would want to say "yes" to that question.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:23 AM | Comments (13)

October 26, 2006

Newsday: Maz Out, Donnie Moved

From Newsday (with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org) -

Don Mattingly will replace Lee Mazzilli as Yankees bench coach, people with knowledge of the situation told Newsday Thursday.

The promotion brings Mattingly one important step closer to the manager's seat and solidifies him as the favorite to be Joe Torre's successor. Torre's contract expires after next season.

Mazzilli's run as Yankees bench coach ends after only one season. He was the Yankees' first-base coach from 2000-03 before spending a season and a half as the Baltimore Orioles' manager.

General manager Brian Cashman, who spent a second consecutive day in meetings with his professional scouts at Yankee Stadium, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

I would not have made this move.

Then again, maybe Mattingly sees this as a way to get to Cooperstown someday - via the combo of the almost good enough career and having a few rings as a manager too? Maybe that's worth the risk of dealing with getting fired someday down the line and dealing with what that brings?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:26 PM | Comments (9)

David Cone & The 2000 Yankees

If the Cardinals win the World Series this year, people will talk about how they have one of the lowest regular season win totals for a team that won a ring - and, that will lead some to mention the 2000 Yankees (who won a ring while only winning 87 games in the regular season).

But, when it comes to the 2000 Yankees, how much was that win total a reflection on the overall team? Six years ago, I addressed this question.

Therefore, I hope, should talk of the 2000 Yankees come up after this World Series, people remember the fact that David Cone was the reason why that team only won 87 games in 2000. Well, Cone and Torre - because Joe kept running him out there.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:24 PM | Comments (5)

All Things Bubba

If you have a second, you might want to check out All Things Bubba.

Just don't break the news that Bubba is now a free-agent.

Bubba Crosby had a nice Yankees career - in a Roger Repoz kind of way.

Darren Viola, if you're out there, any chance that one of your boys will take up the "Bubba" handle someday?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:12 AM | Comments (14)

Lights, Camera, Larsen!

From the Sun Times -

[Doak] Ewing, of Naperville [Milwaukee] and president of the Naperville-based Rare Sports Films Inc., offered [Don] Larsen the chance to view the only existing TV broadcast of the [perfect] game [that Larsen threw in the '56 Series], beginning at the top of the second with one out.

The footage, a kinescope broadcast filmed for the U.S. Armed Forces and intended to be destroyed a week after viewing, hadn't been seen in 50 years.

Ewing, 58, calls the footage a "freak" find he purchased through an Oregon film collector, who had bought the reels at a flea market in 1990.

Now, on the 50th anniversary of the milestone, Ewing has a mission. He hopes to make the footage available for private and public screenings for a yet undetermined fee.

However, his dream is to broadcast the game on network or cable TV.

Move over Roger Patterson and Abraham Zapruder, here comes Doak Ewing!

OK, jokes aside, it's amazing that no other film of this game exists. No one, 50 years ago, thought to keep of copy of the footage? Wow.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:31 AM | Comments (8)

October 25, 2006

The Bottom Line

I was just reading the AP Report on Jeter's return from his European vacation and Derek's comments on A-Rod and Torre. Is it just me, or, does Jeter use the expression "bottom line" a lot? Check it out the next time you read about, or see, him interviewed.

Funny, I can't picture D.J. hanging out on West Fourth Street.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:36 PM | Comments (6)

...6, 5, 4, 3....

....well, that countdown didn't take too long. From the USA Today -

New York Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield, informed Wednesday that the Yankees will pick up his $13 million option in 2007, was angry by the decision, hoping instead the Yankees would let him go.

""This will not work, this will not work at all," Sheffield told USA TODAY. "I don't want to play first base a year for them. I will not do that."

Sheffield, who heard that the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels were interested him, said he was hoping to test the free-agent market and receive another three-year contract.

"I don't know what they're [Yankees] going to do," Sheffield said. "Maybe they picked it up just to trade me. If they do that, if I just to a team for one year, there's going to be a problem.

"A big problem.

"I will not do this."

How many days until Pitchers & Catchers report?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:31 PM | Comments (12)

Scott Boras Is A Carny Barker

On the drive home this evening, I heard Scott Boras being interviewed on the Michael Kay Radio Show (on 1050 AM, ESPN Radio, in NYC). Boras was speaking to A-Rod's desire to stay in New York and the talents of Daisuke Matsuzaka.

In talking about Matsuzaka, Boras said that Daisuke (pronounced DICE-kay) throws 94 MPH.

OK, maybe he tops out at ninety-four (according to the reports that I've read from sources other than his agent). So, I can live with this claim. It's sort of like the "bench press" lie - you know, like saying "I can bench press 275 pounds" - even though you've only been able to do it once, and for one rep, on a good day, with a spotter helping you at the end.

In any event, Boras continued on about Matsuzaka - claiming that Daisuke had a devastating breaking pitch called "the gyroball."

I guess that Boras must have missed Jeff Passan's interview with Matsuzaka from a few months back where Matsuzaka (himself) said that he does not feature a "gyroball" - although he's tried to throw it in the past and may have accidentally thrown one in a game somewhere.

Is it just me or is there a difference between saying someone throws "X" as a 'devastating pitch' and saying 'maybe I threw it once by accident'?

Boras is doing what Boras does best when it comes to selling Matsuzaka here - he's taking an ounce of information and making it into an ocean of smoke-screen. This is just another reason why teams should proceed with caution when it comes to paying a fortune for Matsuzaka.

Or, teams can just listen to what Boras is saying on this pitcher, and, maybe, when the deal for Matsuzaka is done, Boras can then start to sell "Otis the Frog Boy" and "Jeanie the Half-Girl" as the next great free-agent keystone combo?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:53 PM | Comments (13)

Matsuzaka - Worth The Price?

I was just reading SG's fine write-up on Daisuke Matsuzaka
over at the Replacement Level Yankees Weblog and it made me think of Hideki Matsui's troubles when he first joined the Yankees. For those who don't remember, via ESPN.com, here was the issue:

...Matsui arrived in the big leagues without any weapons to combat the cut-fastball and sinking two-seamer -- two pitches that are virtually non-existent in Japan.

Even the traditional four-seam fastball posed a threat to Matsui, since Japanese pitches don't throw nearly as hard as major leaguers.

"That's what worried me at first, because the pitching here is better," Matsui said through an interpreter the other day. "There was quite a bit of adjustment for me. I was worried if I would be good enough to play here. The sinker and the cutter were much different than what I was used to."

Now, the reports say that Matsuzaka throws around 140-150 KPH. In the States, that's a range of 87-93 MPH. So, it's safe to say, on average, Matsuzaka is just touching 90 MPH on his fastball. Reports also say that Matsuzaka, in addition to his fastball, throws a slider, forkball, changeup, and two-seam sinking fastball.

Since Matsui said that you don't see sinkers and cutters in Japan, I would bet that has helped Matsuzaka - because he reportedly does feature these pitches.

But, in the big leagues here, batters are used to seeing pitchers who feature the forkball/sinker/cut-fastball tool belt. And, unless it's a sinker like Wang's or a cut-fastball like Rivera's, hitters are not going to be over-powered by these style pitchers.

So, unless Matsuzaka has Wang/Rivera type movement on his breaking pitches, he's not going to fool many hitters here with a 90-MPH heater and pitches with a slight wrinkle to them.

In fact, this could be some of the reason behind SG's projection result of 37 HRs allowed in 186 IP for Matsuzaka on U.S. soil.

I would have to believe that a pitcher who allows 35+ HRs in less than 200 IP in the majors would be looking at an ERA near five for the season - unless he walks few and whiffs a lot of batters.

Again, the question here is - Does Matsuzaka have the package of pitches that will make major league hitters whiff, and often?

Once White Sox scout was recently quoted as saying, on Matsuzaka -

"He is not coming with great movement, or deception on his changeup, or anything of that nature. He is just a good, solid pitcher."

No great movement, huh?

Anyone who signs Matsuzaka is probably looking at a $60 million total package between the posting fee and his contract. That's a lot of coin for someone who could end up pitching like Jose Lima in this country. It's too much risk for my nerves. I think the Yankees should pass on Matsuzaka, now, thinking it all over.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:24 PM | Comments (24)

Boras: A-Rod Will Be In The Bronx In 2007

From Sam Borden of the News -

Speculation about the possibility of Alex Rodriguez getting traded will surely linger until he actually takes the field at the Stadium on Opening Day, but the embattled third baseman's agent said yesterday that he has received assurances from GM Brian Cashman that there will be no A-Rod auction this winter.

Scott Boras, who negotiated Rodriguez's 10-year, $252 million contract, said he recently got a phone call from Cashman in which the GM was adamant that Rodriguez isn't going anywhere.

"Brian Cashman and I had a discussion and he made it clear that he has no intention of trading Alex," Boras told the Daily News, "and I told him that Alex Rodriguez has a no-trade clause."

Boras then added, "There will be no movement of Alex Rodriguez this offseason."

When reading this, I think back to what Steve Kelley wrote last month:

After the 2000 season, when he was a free agent and the baseball world was opening up to him like the dawning of a new era, the Mariners offered Alex Rodriguez their kingdom.

Ken Griffey Jr. was gone to Cincinnati. Randy Johnson had been traded to Houston and eventually was on his way to Arizona.

The Mariners were going to belong to A-Rod.

The team's CEO, Howard Lincoln, put together golf dates for Rodriguez with the movers and shakers of the Northwest. He wooed A-Rod like a desperate college basketball coach.

And, publicly at least, the love was requited.

Toward the end of his last season in Seattle, Rodriguez was telling everyone how much he loved Seattle. He was saying he wanted to stay. He said he thought he could be part of a pennant contender for years to come.

He said he wanted to be like his hero, Cal Ripken Jr., and spend his entire career with one team.

In truth, Rodriguez didn't know what he wanted when he was in Seattle. Sure, he wanted to play for a winner. He wanted to be recognized as one of the best players in the game. And he wanted to be loved.

But he told everybody exactly what he thought they wanted to hear. And his Seattle teammates watched and rolled their eyes.

Maybe Rodriguez was on his way to being the next big thing, but he never would be the next real thing.

His personality was as fake as a beauty contestant's. He always was the most disingenuous man in the room. And nobody spots a fake quicker than a teammate.

And, I think back to something Scott Boras said back in December of 2003:

Said Scott Boras, who represents Rodriguez: "Tom Hicks has indicated he will not consider a trade [involving Rodriguez] in the immediate future. I take that to mean Alex will be back with the Rangers next season.

So, when digesting all this, I suggest that you expect nothing, but, be prepared for anything. To quote Cardinal Andújar: "There is one word in baseball that says it all, and that one word is 'you-never-know'."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:44 AM | Comments (30)

Yanks Look To Trade Sheff

From The News -

The biggest buzz among the few general managers attending the World Series is the silent auction the Yankees have apparently already begun for Gary Sheffield. It turns out that Yankee GM Brian Cashman had always intended to pick up Sheffield's $13 million option for next year - but not for the purposes of keeping him. Once the Yankees acquired Bobby Abreu from the Phillies at last July's trading deadline, it was clear Sheffield no longer fit in their plans, but by picking up his option, they can now get something for him. And it could be a nice return as at least a half-dozen teams - the Angels, Orioles, Cubs, Giants, Astros and Rangers - are in the market for a power-hitting corner outfielder, and that doesn't include the Red Sox and Mets. The Yankees can now prevent Sheffield going to such rivals, not a possibility had they let him flee.

Initiating countdown to Sheffield's tirade.......10, 9, 8, 7.....

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:40 AM | Comments (10)

Yanks To Start Hitting Up Fans Twice?

I wonder how Yankees fans will feel if the club starts charging a “season-ticket license fee” for each seat in the new Stadium?

For those who don't know, this type of fee is a "cover charge" (for lack of a better term) that you, as a season ticket holder, will have to pay for "the right" to purchase season tickets.

Such a fee could be in the hundreds or thousands of dollars - on top of the cost of the tickets.

I hope the Yankees don't go for this - but it would not shock me to see it happen.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:04 AM | Comments (6)

October 24, 2006

Don Fehr: Read My Lips, I Gave It A Shot

From the Times -

In the negotiations that culminated in a new labor agreement that was announced yesterday, the union had the best interests of George Steinbrenner’s checkbook in mind. Whereas the other clubs are out to get the Yankees’ money and inhibit them from spending what is left, the union tried to help the Yankees.

The union proposed that the rate schedule for the tax on payrolls above designated thresholds start over in the new five-year agreement that was announced yesterday at Busch Stadium before Game 3 of the Word Series.

As a club that has exceeded the threshold and paid the tax each of the four years of the existing agreement, the Yankees pay at a rate of 40 percent. Last year they paid $34 million; this year they will pay just under $26 million.

The union wanted the Yankees to be able to go back next year to a rate of 22.5 percent, which they have not paid since 2003, the first year of the expiring agreement.

Oh yes. As hard as the union tried to scale back the Yankees’ tax rate for 2007 and subsequent seasons, the clubs’ negotiators wouldn’t go for it. But Steinbrenner should at least send Donald Fehr, the union chief, a thank-you note acknowledging the union effort. Who else does anything nice these days for poor old George?

More importantly, will the new CBA still allow teams to deduct new-stadium building costs from the revenue-sharing payments they make? If they took that away now, Big Stein should call a lawyer.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:57 PM | Comments (4)

Torre's 1-2 Punch

In the Joe Torre Era, the Yankees have had four seasons where they had a great 1-2 punch at the start of their line-up:

1999: Knoblauch & Jeter (113 RCAA)
2002: Soriano & Jeter (57 RCAA)
2003: Soriano & Jeter (56 RCAA)
2006: Damon & Jeter (78 RCAA)

Clearly, the Knoblauch & Jeter team of 1999 was the best of the bunch.

It's a shame that Knoblauch's career ended the way that it did...and it would be very interesting to someday hear the true story behind all his issues. Was it HGH related? Was it the stress of his father's condition? Both? Something else?

Com'on Chuck - write a book for us. I would read it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:41 PM | Comments (5)

The Mose Is Loose!

Adam Cohen inserts some Yankee lore into the big question today. It's worth checking out.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:21 PM | Comments (1)

Seung-Yeop Lee In 2007?

From the Pirates official site -

Lee's contract with the Yomiuri Giants expired after the 2006 season, and there has been widespread speculation that Lee would like to sign with a Major League team. The Yankees reportedly have agreed to begin negotiations with Lee this offseason.

This ties back into what was reported last July.

If the Yankees do sign this player, it means Giambi is the full-time DH and it also means less playing time for Melky Cabrera. And, it probably means that Bernie Williams is done in New York.

Unless...would the Yankees look to trade Abreu, and cash, to some team for a starting pitcher? There are many teams that would love Abreu's bat - but not at $15.5 million for 2007 with a $2 million buyout for 2008. Sure, the Yankees could throw in $7 million to make this attractive for someone. But, Abreu still has that no-trade clause.

Still...Venezuela ties Abreu and Ozzie Guillen together. Would the White Sox take Abreu (and cash), and move him to LF for 2007, in exchange for someone like Freddy Garcia? Would that interest the Yankees?

Probably not.

This whole thing is probably just bad news for Melky in 2007.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:59 AM | Comments (17)

October 23, 2006

Lee Maz Out?

From Newsday -

Putting together the Yankees' 2007 coaching staff is on general manager Brian Cashman's agenda for this week, and there is an expectation within the organization that there will be some change.

Each coach has an expiring contract. Hitting coach Don Mattingly, third-base coach Larry Bowa and first-base coach Tony Peña all appear to be secure, but bench coach Lee Mazzilli appears less so.

Mazzilli and manager Joe Torre are close, but with Torre barely escaping his own dismissal, he likely does not have as much clout in determining his own coaching staff as he did a year ago. Cashman did not return messages yesterday.

Joe Girardi's availability could be a factor. Girardi, Torre's bench coach in 2005, is up for the job of Nationals manager. But the lure of getting in line to be considered one of Torre's potential successors could prove to be too attractive. Steve Mandell, Girardi's agent, refused to comment.

Peña also is a candidate for the Nationals' job.

Meanwhile, pitching coach Ron Guidry wants to return for a second year and bullpen coach Joe Kerrigan has the backing of Cashman, who initially hired him as a video scout during the 2005 season.

I know people who know people and those people have told me in the past that Mazzilli has a bit of a Sonny LoSpecchio side to his personality. Nothing evil, mind you. It's just that, they say, he has that "I'll tell you what you're going to do" air about him at times that rubs some people the wrong way.

If true, I could see where the Yankees might want to let Lee talk a walk.

It would be great if they could convince Girardi to take Mazzilli's spot - and park him there in case Torre needs to be replaced. But, that would leave no one on the staff to coach the outfielders. Where's Jose Cardenal when you need him?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:38 PM | Comments (19)

Matsuzaka Wants Seattle?

From the Seattle P-I -

In many circles, that talk includes Daisuke Matsuzaka. The teams that are believed to be preparing posting bids to pay the Seibu Lions for the rights to the services of the right-handed starting pitcher are the Mariners, Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs and Mets. And the Angels and Orioles might take a flier at the 26-year-old right-hander who was 17-5 with a 2.13 ERA in Japan this season.

But where is it that Matsuzaka himself would like to land? Baseball sources say that if he could choose, he'd come to Seattle to play. The reasons are twofold -- center fielder Ichiro Suzuki and catcher Kenji Johjima.

Matsuzaka, associates say, has long wanted to play with Ichiro, something that both men experienced in the World Baseball Classic last spring. Team Japan won the tournament with Matsuzaka winning the Most Valuable Player award and Ichiro serving as mentor to the younger men on the team.

And Matsuzaka and Johjima spent time as teammates at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Then again, as Cindy Lauper sings, money changes everything. Or, would Matsuzaka pull an Irabu and refuse to sign with the team that acquires him? And, what does A-Rod think of this whole thing? (Just kidding on the last part.)

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:10 PM | Comments (9)

Backing Up Jorge In '07

Wil Nieves and Sal Fasano are gone. Ben Davis too. The only Yankees catcher on their current 40-man roster is Jorge Posada. So, who will be the back-up catcher for the Yankees in 2007?

Joe Oliver to Chris Turner to Todd Greene to Alberto Castillo to Chris Widger to John Flaherty to Wil Nieves to Kelly Stinnett to Sal Fasano. It's been some string, huh?

What's so hard about finding a decent back-up catcher?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:15 PM | Comments (8)

Today's Recommended Yankees Reading

All Eyes On A-Rod.

Is there a Yankees' tie to Rogers' streak?

Limited-edition EasyCards featuring Wang fetch huge sums at charity bid.

The Rumor Mill: Taking a Breath.

Enjoy.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:54 AM | Comments (12)

October 22, 2006

Why The Yankees Should Let Mussina Walk

I thought this would be as good a time as any to weigh-in, officially, with my thoughts towards Mike Mussina (as a Yankee) in 2007 and beyond. This way, next season, if the Yankees retain Mussina and he tanks, I will have something to point back to and say "Told you so!" Conversely, if Mussina the Yankee is good in 2007, the WasWatching.com faithful can point to this entry and tell me how wrong I was on Moose.

Let's start with age. At the close of the 2007 post-season, Mussina will be days away from his 39th birthday. Since you know that Mussina will not sign a one-year deal for 2007, bringing him back to the Yankees ensures that the days of the "40-year old pitcher" will be alive and continuing into the last season of Old-New Yankee Stadium.

Plus, the only American League starting pitchers, age 38 or older, in the last 30 (or so) seasons do to well have been hard throwers like Nolan Ryan or Roger Clemens or extreme-junkers like Jamie Moyer or Charlie Hough. Mussina, as a Yankee, in 2007 will be lucky to be a 15-game winner. In all probability, Mussina wins 12-13 games in 2007. Is that worth having to carry an old-timer the next season? Rasner or Kartsens could probably win 12 games next year with the Yankees in Mussina's place.

Secondly, age aside, look at Mussina's trend in New York. In the first three years of his contract, he was fine. But, the last three seasons paint a different picture.

In 2004, Mike Mussina was a below-average pitcher. In 2005, Mussina was just barely a league-average pitcher. Last year, 2006, Mussina improved - coincidentally enough in the "option year" of his contract. Will Mussina be that inspired in 2007? More than likely, he reverts to being an average-pitcher again next season, once his contract is secured.

Also, let's talk about reliability. It's reasonable to expect someone in the front-three of your rotation to make 33 starts in a season. Here are Mussina's start totals the last few years:

2003: 31
2004: 27
2005: 30
2006: 32

Notice again that last year. Mussina, lately, was always good to miss 3-6 starts a year - until this past season, his option year. How many starts to you think Mussina will make in 2007? Based on recent performance, you're looking in the ballpark of maybe 30. That means he misses a half-month of pitching over the course of the season.

I know that some people out there think "Wait, this is the new Mussina - he's got that new change-up - that's the reason why he was great in 2006 - and why he will be very useful next season as well!"

Check the stats. The "new" Mussina had an ERA of 3.24 before the All-Star break and an ERA of 3.96 in the second-half. Batters hit him for .225 before the break and .268 after the break. So, much for the "new" Mussina, huh? Towards the second half of the season, once he had his stats padded-enough for the year, he once again was a pedestrian hurler.

The above are cold-hard-stats. It doesn't even include the issue that the Yankees last won a ring before Mussina got here and have not won a ring since he's been here. Still, because it would be a hard case to prove that moving Moose might be good for karma, I'll stick to the facts.

Mike Mussina - old, unreliable, and pedestrian. And, since pedestrians have the right of way, the Yankees should let him walk now.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:36 PM | Comments (26)

October 21, 2006

Jeff Suppan For 2007?

From the Chicago Tribune -

Jeff Suppan has a nice contract coming his way, and it seems more likely than ever he's going to get it after his most valuable player performance in the National League Championship Series.

No veteran player has done more for less the last three seasons than the nondescript, rock-solid Suppan. He gave the St. Louis Cardinals 18 victories for $1 million in 2004, including a triumph over Roger Clemens in Game 7 of the NLCS; 16 victories for $4 million in `05, and 13 victories (and counting) for $4 million in `06.

That's a mere $191,489 per victory; contrast that to $545,455 per for Greg Maddux over the same time frame.

The point isn't that Maddux has been overpaid, but how big a bargain Suppan has been for the Cardinals. Not surprisingly, a different set of agents (Scott Leventhal and Damon Lapa) will negotiate Suppan's next deal. He fired the ones who got him the agreement with St. Louis after he split 2003 between Pittsburgh and Boston.

Entering the postseason, the Cardinals were hopeful, perhaps even optimistic, about being able to re-sign Suppan and Jeff Weaver after the season. Getting one of them to return could be essential because otherwise they are looking at only youngsters such as Adam Wainwright and Anthony Reyes as the only known commodities behind Chris Carpenter.

The last 8 seasons in a row, Suppan has been good for 30+ starts a year - and over 6 IP per start. He's durable - and will only be 32-years old next season.

Suppan is not, and never will be, an ace. But, he's actually a solid # 3 starter. If the Yankees can pick up a stud SP this winter, to go with Wang, I would not be upset if New York let Mussina and Wright go, and then signed Suppan (to be 3rd in the rotation) - with Johnson to be the 4th man in the rotation (and Jeff Karstens and/or Darrell Rasner in the 5th slot).

I know that the A.L. will be harder for Suppan than the N.L. - but, we know that Suppan will not melt in the post-season.

The key, actually, will be the price-tag. I'm O.K. with a three-year deal for $25 million (or so). But, anything higher than that figure probably warrants a pass.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:21 PM | Comments (15)

Bloggers: Yanks Should & Will Keep A-Rod

Yesterday, I sent out a quick-and-dirty poll to several Yankees Bloggers which contained the following two questions:

Question 1:

Should - regardless of whether or not they will - the Yankees trade Alex Rodriguez?

Question 2:

Will - regardless of whether or not they should - the Yankees trade Alex Rodriguez?

The authors of fifteen different Yankees blogs responded - and here are the results:

Note: I did not vote in this poll - so, these results do not include my opinion.

For the record, two bloggers responded "yes" to both questions and nine bloggers responded "no" to both questions. The remaining four bloggers had mixed answers.

Here are a few comments on the topic that some of the bloggers elected to share:

YF from Yanksfan vs Soxfan -

Assuming there's a reasonable deal on the table that includes pitching, I would expect him to move. All the negativity is bad for business, the Yankees have needs, and he's a valuable commodity. I wouldn't expect him to go cheaply, however. I wouldn't expect the team to accept cents on the dollar for so much production.

Sam Borden from NY Yankees Blog -

There is no doubt that Rodriguez is one of the most talented players of this generation - if not in baseball history - but there is also no doubt that the idea of playing in New York has festered in his head. I don't see that changing. If he can be turned into young pitching, it's a deal that has to be made.

Patrick from YanksBlog.com -

I have a hard time finding a good, viable reason to trade him. When people talk about New York fans being unreasonable, this is a textbook example. Offense (.313 AVG/.495 OBA in '06 with RISP and 2 outs), defense (one questionable year does not erase a proven, gold glove caliber history), personality (unnamed sources in media reports are not going to make me deal him) - none of it cuts it with a player of this class. Essentially, he's had 2 bad postseason series' in a row. I'm as October crazy as the next guy, but so what? The postseason is a sample size season that decides the entire season. Great players can have a rough 7 games in an otherwise great season. He's not writing letters here, he's playing baseball.

Joe from The Sporting Brews -

I think it goes without saying, though I will anyway, that it (a trade) must be for equal value. That means a No. 2 starter and further serviceable Major League talent. But, (a trade will not happen since) I can't foresee them acquiring equal value in a trade.

Jim Baumbach from On The Yankees Beat -

I think the Yankees will most definitely listen to the offers they will receive, and there will be plenty of calls. And perhaps they will investigate some options that could be attractive to them. But ultimately I think it will not benefit them to trade Rodriguez, not at what they will get back in return. And they will go for one more year to see if he can become a bigtime postseason player, finally.

Mr. Faded Glory from High and Tight -

You don't trade a once in a generation type player, one year removed from an MVP, who in a down year hits .290 with 35 HR because Steve Phillips and Mike Lupica deicde to focus on ridiculously small sample sizes and rile up ignorant fans. No. Hell no. Especially not for what's being bandied about as being available.

So, there you have it. According to the majority of Yankees bloggers in this poll, Alex Rodriguez should and will be a member of the New York Yankees in 2007.

Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for taking part in this poll!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:11 AM | Comments (14)

October 20, 2006

Enter Next Sandman?

Watching the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright throw in the 2006 NLCS made me think of something Yankees-related.

Mariano Rivera will be 38-years old by the end of next season. Would it make sense for the Yankees to use Philip Hughes in their bullpen next season, as a set-up man, with the hope that eventually he will replace Rivera as the next closer in the Bronx?

Hughes, while he's been a starter to date, has the stuff to close - like Wainwright. Plus, doesn't he help the team more if he's a part of 45-55 wins (as a reliever) than if he's a part of 15-25 wins (as a starter)?

Of course, there's a couple of issues here. First, the Yankees need starters now and in the seasons to follow and Hughes would fill that need. Secondly, there's always the strong chance that Joe Torre would ruin Hughes' arm if he was used as a relief pitcher - by using him too often.

Still, this could be a way for Hughes to break in with the Yankees next year - by just coming into a game and pumping gas for an inning while dropping an occasion hook here and there. If handled properly, working out of the pen would be the way to ensure that Hughes' arm his not abused (given his age) - assuming that Torre could be controlled.

Hughes could set-up for Mo in 2007 and 2008 and then be the new Yankees closer in 2009 (when Rivera should be ready to step down). Put it this way - who else is onboard now to replace Mariano when the time comes? J. Brent Cox? I'm not sure that Cox has the command of a Hughes - at least yet.

Young starter converted to reliever Hughes can be to Rivera what young starter converted to reliever Rivera was to former Yanks closer John Wetteland. If this worked then, why can't it work again?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:53 PM | Comments (17)

Contreras Huge Asset To Yanks

No, not that Contreras......

From the current edition of Baseball America (RR) -

Brian Cashman didn't hesitate. Before the question was completed the Yankees' general manager blurted out, "Nardi Contreras."

For the first time in what seems like eons the Yankee system provided pitching depth, arms that were healthy and pitched effectively. Cashman credits Contreras, 55, who is in his second year as the minor league pitching coordinator and his 36th in professional baseball, a career that includes stints as a big league pitching coach with the Mariners, White Sox and Yankees.

"Nardi has done a great job," Cashman said. "Combine his experience and great desire to help each pitcher get better with the fact that he has great people skills and you have a great teacher."

Maybe most important is that their pitchers stayed healthy.

"We made adjustments with our program and Nardi stays on top of each pitcher, he is constantly talking to each (minor league) teams' pitching coaches," Cashman said.

Considering the pitching prospects that the Yankees are mounting in the minors, it's a good thing to have a smart guy overseeing the whole operation.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:30 AM | Comments (1)

Do I Smell A Book Coming?

From Newsday -

Rick Cerrone, easily the longest-tenured Yankees public relations director ever employed by George Steinbrenner, Thursday was told his expiring contract will not be renewed.

Steinbrenner used to go through p.r. directors as often as managers, using 12 in his first 22 years. But Cerrone, hired in 1996, lasted 11 seasons, to his surprise.

"I had a wonderful 11 years, which was a lot longer than I ever could have expected it to be," he said by phone. "I am leaving without any complaints."

Before Cerrone, the longest Yankees p.r. directors under Steinbrenner were Jeff Idelson and Harvey Greene, each of whom lasted less than four seasons. "I lapped the field at eight years," Cerrone said.

The news, delivered by chief operating officer Lonn Trost Thursday, did not surprise Cerrone, whose request to discuss an extension during the season was rebuffed. Jason Zillo, Cerrone's assistant, is the top in-house candidate for the job.

Cerrone, if he did a book, could be the perfect man to tell every Yankees "inside" story that's happened in the Torre Era. I would want to read it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:21 AM | Comments (2)

18 Months Later

One and a half years ago today, the first entry to WasWatching.com was made.

On the very first full day of WasWatching.com, the site received 1,324 hits. Just the other day, the site had 25,262 hits in a day.

I'm taking that growth as a sign that people are interested in what's being said here. But, today, I'm also trying something unique to get a handle on what people think about WasWatching.com - I'm lifting the registration requirement (for a day) on making comments.

Therefore, if there's something that you want to say about this blog - or even if you just want to say "hello" (which would be great!) - all you need to do is type it and click it (today). Thanks in advance for your help with the request - and for your interest in this blog.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:05 AM | Comments (22)

October 19, 2006

Yadier-Bing!

I'm pretty happy for Yadier Molina tonight. I liked the kid ever since he got in Manny Ramirez' face during the 2004 World Series. You have to love tough-nosed backstops.

No dancing for Agador tonight huh? And, does the 2006 NLCS now mean that we can call the Mets' David Wright "Mr. Noctober"?

OK, as much as it pains me to say this, you have to give the Mets some props at this moment - they did not go down without a fight in this post-season (which is probably a lot more than you can say about the 2006 Yankees). Plus, Los Mets did it with people like John Maine and Oliver Perez.

Mets fans probably hurt right now as bad as a baseball fan can hurt - but, while the 2006 Mets will not win a ring, they had a decent shot at making the World Series and went down swinging.

Well, not really "swinging"...Beltran (to quote Ernie Harwell) "stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched it go by" on the last out with the bases loaded tonight...but, overall, the Mets team pushed it as hard as they probably could this October.

Speaking of Beltran on the last out...just imagine if this LCS and Game 7 had happened to the Yankees, and it was A-Rod caught looking for the final out with the bases juiced. Somehow, I don't think Carlos Beltran will get the same reaction from the media, etc., that Alex Rodriguez would have received had that been him in that spot.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:47 PM | Comments (21)

Costas: Yanks Should Trade A-Rod

From the Post, albeit a Page Six item:

October 19, 2006 -- BOB Costas agrees, A-Rod should go. At a breakfast this week at '21' - addressing a group that included Mario Cuomo, U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica Brenda Johnson, Steven Swid and Bill O'Shaughnessey - the NBC sportscaster said the Yankees should trade the third baseman "if they could get some young pitchers back . . . There is enough of a pattern to identify 'issues' with the guy. He may be one of the greatest six or seven ballplayers of all time. But clearly something is going on in his head. He's pressing . . . He's a very fragile guy."

As Captain Spaulding once said to Horatio Jamison:

Put it in a box. Put it in a box and mark it, uh..."fragilly"......Mark it fragilly. F-R-A-G... Look it up, Jamison, it's in the dictionary. Look under "fragile." Look under the table if you don't find it there.....

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:27 PM | Comments (22)

Thoughts On A-Rod To The White Sox

I was just looking at the remainder of Alex Rodriguez' contract - with thoughts towards who else besides the Yankees can afford it. Here's the remaining payout due A-Rod:

2007: $27 million - $7 million paid by Texas
2008: $27 million - $8 million paid by Texas
2009: $27 million - $7 million paid by Texas
2010: $27 million - $6 million paid by Texas

But, after the 2008 or 2009 season, A-Rod can void the remainder on his contract unless his salary is increased to the higher of "$32 million" or "$1 million more than any other position player."

I would be shocked if any baseball player earned more than $27 million a year during the seasons of 2007-2009. Therefore, whoever owns Rodriguez better be prepared to raise his salary to $32 million a year after the 2008 season.

Would a team call his bluff after 2008? Could they? By this, I mean, what if his team told him "We're not giving you the $5 million raise - so, void your contract, if you want to go for that option"? Would this be possible? It doesn't sound like the raise after 2008 is an automatic thing. More so, it sounds like it's a way for Alex to get out of the deal if his team refuses to give him a raise.

Of course, the team could refuse the raise and A-Rod could ignore his option to void the deal as well.

In any event, it appears that the Yankees owe Alex at least $80 million over the next 4 years. The list of other teams that can afford a contract like that, outside of the Yankees, are the following:

Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Angels
Chicago White Sox
New York Mets
Los Angeles Dodgers
Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros
Atlanta Braves
San Francisco Giants
St. Louis Cardinals
Philadelphia Phillies
Seattle Mariners
Detroit Tigers
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays
San Diego Padres

You know that the Yankees will not trade A-Rod to the Red Sox or Mets. So, take them out of this mix. And, it would be a reach for the Astros, Braves and Padres to squeeze in Alex's contract. Take them off the list here as well. Also, the Yankees would probably prefer to keep Rodriguez out of the A.L. East, so, that removes the Jays and Orioles. This leaves:

Los Angeles Angels
Chicago White Sox
Los Angeles Dodgers
Chicago Cubs
San Francisco Giants
St. Louis Cardinals
Philadelphia Phillies
Seattle Mariners
Detroit Tigers

Therefore, if the Yankees do trade A-Rod, soon, it will probably be to one of the nine teams listed above here. Since it's reported that Alex would like to play somewhere that would lend towards day-trips to Miami, I would guess that makes the following teams to be the favorites - in terms of maybe landing him:

Chicago White Sox
Chicago Cubs
St. Louis Cardinals
Philadelphia Phillies
Detroit Tigers

Of these five teams, the White Sox stand out the most to me. Outside of Ozzie Guillen being their manager, they seems to be the perfect trading partner in a possible A-Rod deal. Their G.M. likes Alex and has dealt with Brian Cashman before - in another spot where the Yankees were trying to move a high-paid person out of New York.

Perhaps Joe Crede and Brandon McCarthy from Chicago for A-Rod? Or, maybe Joe Crede and Josh Fields for A-Rod (and then the Yankees deal either Crede or Fields for pitching)?

Crede is really just an average hitter - but, he can pick-it. Still, Crede is in chronic pain due to two herniated discs in his lower back. Therefore, I would prefer to see the Yankees get Brandon McCarthy and Josh Fields from the White Sox - in a trade for Alex Rodriguez. Let the White Sox figure out what to do with Crede from there.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:26 AM | Comments (25)

Snow Bomber Update

From the Star Ledger -

No. 1 draft pick Ian Kennedy has a 1.04 ERA through three appearances (one start) in the Hawaiian Winter League, having struck out 14 in 8 2/3 innings. Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees' second pick, is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA, 15 strikeouts and two walks in 10 innings over three relief appearances. Former No. 1 pick Eric Duncan, from Seton Hall Prep, was off to a 6-for-27 (.222) start in the Arizona Fall League. Outfielder Brett Gardner was 11-for-24 (.458) through seven games, with a .641 on-base percentage.

Mark my words: Gardner will be playing in the Bronx, at some point, in 2007. I could even see this line-up happening:

LF Brett Gardner
SS Derek Jeter
CF Johnny Damon
1B Jason Giambi
RF Bobby Abreu
DH Hideki Matsui
C Jorge Posada
3B Somebody
2B Robinson Cano

I just wish there was a way to work Melky Cabrera in there as well.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:53 AM | Comments (10)

October 18, 2006

WWRSND?

Many fans of the Boston Red Sox have always liked to make a certain statement about the Yankees Derek Jeter.

Watching some of the 2006 NLCS, I have to wonder what the members of Red Sox Nation would say about the Mets' Jose Reyes - if they had to watch Reyes do that little "happy dance" that he does each time something good happens for the Mets - 19 times a season?

When I see Jose Reyes start to break into his "Ricky Martin meets Danny Terrio" Rumba-Routine, one word always comes to mind - and it's "Agador." Of course, I should qualify this observation with the disclaimer of "Not that there's anything wrong with that!"

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:12 PM | Comments (15)

Proctor, Proctor, Give Me The News.....

From MLB.com:

Scott Proctor visited a doctor in Tampa this week, concerned about a possible bone chip in his right elbow.

His fears were quelled Wednesday, as an MRI exam, X-rays and a CT scan revealed no damage to his arm.

"It's a relief," Proctor said in a telephone interview.

Proctor, 29, was examined by Dr. Andrew Miller, one of the Yankees' Tampa-based physicians, on Monday. According to Proctor, the tests showed an old injury near his elbow, but he was told that as long as it doesn't bother him, it was nothing to worry about.

During the final month of the season, Proctor heard an occasional "clicking sound" in his elbow, leading him to believe there might be a bone chip. He spoke on Wednesday with team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon, who informed him that there was no bone chip and that no surgery would be necessary.

The test results will be sent for a second opinion to Dr. James Andrews, the orthopedist who typically handles all such matters for Yankees players.

Proctor plans to seek a second opinion in Miami for his own peace of mind, but is confident that his arm is sound.

"I feel good," Proctor said. "This was the best news I could have heard."

"...he was told that as long as it doesn't bother him, it was nothing to worry about"

That would make me want a second opinion too.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:13 PM | Comments (9)

Cavalcade Of Un-Stars

A: Tim Redding, Darrell May, Kris Wilson, Sidney Ponson, Scott Erickson, Donovan Osborne, Wayne Franklin, Al Leiter, C.J. Nitkowski, Alan Embree, Gabe White, and Felix Heredia.

Q: Who were some of the pitchers to log innings for the Yankees over the last three years?

Why is it that the Yankees never seem to find a Chris Carpenter type guy off the scrap heap?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:42 AM | Comments (14)

The Bizarro Jerome

John Rolfe at S.I. shares a fan's thoughts on Big Stein, the Yanks, and their fans:

One particularly bracing missive arrived the other day from Lisa Keenan of South Portland, Maine. Herewith, the Reader's Digest condensed version:

"I can't speak to Yankee fans of the 20s, 50s and 60s, but I CAN tell you that the ones of the new millennium are about the most insufferable bunch on the planet, and THAT'S what drives the rest of us to distraction. It has nothing to do with Yankee tradition or history at this point, and everything to do with money and George Steinbrenner.

"Yankee fans say that the rest of the league hates him only because of his 'passion' to win, which is completely false. We hate him because he's a pathetic, arrogant fool, with no eye for talent or feel for chemistry, whose sole talent lies in being able to sign a check. He's the Mr. Potter (It's A Wonderful Life) of baseball. Like a poor little rich boy, he has acquired all these most expensive things (in his case, ballplayers) without thought as to how they will fit in or complement what he's already got, and still something is missing.

"So he just goes out and buys something else (probably Barry Zito). It's also sad to say that most of the players he buys are the type motivated only by the money (see: Johnny Damon), not the tradition and certainly not by winning. The money spent may buy talent, but not heart and soul (see: A-Rod, although I tend to think his heart and soul was simply beaten out of him). Face it, John. At this point, Yankee Stadium has become a Field of Bad Dreams for underachieving losers."

I'm guessing that Ms. Keenan must have had a bad "meet-up" with a Yankees fan or something?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:27 AM | Comments (6)

October 17, 2006

Yanks Pay Tribute To Lidle

Via ESPN.com -

New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was remembered as "a loving husband and an awesome father" at a Tuesday memorial attended by family, friends and teammates of the avid yet inexperienced pilot who was killed on an aerial tour of New York City.

Those at the 45-minute outdoor service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Lidle's hometown included Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and a contingent of Yankees: All-Star Derek Jeter, former high school teammate Jason Giambi, Jaret Wright, manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman. Also there were Oakland pitcher Barry Zito, Philadelphia teammates Pat Burrell and Chase Utley and former Yankees pitcher Aaron Small.

Small, the former Yankees pitcher, had been friends with Cory and Kevin Lidle since age 9.

"If there was a baseball game being played, me and Cory and Kevin were in it," he said, his voice breaking. "Cory was more than a friend. He was like a little brother to me."

Considering that most of the Yankees players should have been expecting to be playing in the ALCS right about now, I am surprised not to see more of members from the team, who reside in the U.S., there today. O.K., guys like Andy Phillips don't make several million a year and cannot afford an unplanned trip to the West Coast like this one. But, for the "American" Yankees who make more than $10 million a year, would it have hurt them to make this trip? Sure, Lidle was only with New York for two months. But, if you worked with someone, for only two months, and they were killed in a crash of some sort, unexpected, at a very young age, and it would cost you little to attend the service, you would probably go there, no?

What were Posada, Sheffield, A-Rod, Damon, Johnson and Mussina doing today where they could not attend? Don't say they had business planned for the day or were on a planned vacation - because, again, no one on the Yankees should have planned anything until after the scheduled end of the World Series, right?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:12 PM | Comments (13)

Let's B-Real On A-Rod Deal

When the Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez (and money) from the Texas Rangers back in February 2004, New York lost Alfonso Soriano and minor leaguer Joaquin Arias in the trade.

At the time, Arias was a prospect - but not a blue-chipper. Soriano, then 28-years-old, was an All-Star type player albeit with some holes in his game.

Therefore, if the Yankees were to now trade A-Rod, I suggest that it would only be reasonable to expect something like the package of Soriano & Arias in return - and, actually, maybe something a little less considering that the Yankees will not be off-setting Rodriguez' pay (like the Rangers did when they threw money into the 2004 trade).

Yes, I'm saying - should the Yankees trade Alex Rodriguez this winter - that Yankees fans should be happy if New York gets two players in return: One player at or near All-Star status who can help the team at the major league level in 2007 and one minor league Grade-B prospect.

If the Yankees can get this package, and find a team willing to take on A-Rod's contract, as well as the new team being a franchise that Alex would accept, then it's O.K. to pull the trigger.

Making trades is all about having leverage. The Yankees do not have huge leverage in shopping A-Rod. There are only a few teams that can afford him and only a sub-set of those teams which Alex would accept in a trade. If the Yankees can strike a deal with one of those few teams in that "sub-set" and they can get that major-league ready player to help next season and a prospect as well, I can live with that deal.

To expect anything more than that would be ignoring the facts that are in play with this situation.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:27 PM | Comments (15)

Mark Mulder

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last month -

Mulder, who is a free agent this winter, had a partial tear in his rotator cuff repaired Tuesday in New York. Once inside his shoulder, the New York Mets' physician and Cardinals' team physician made the decision to stitch together the torn tendon instead of smoothing over the frayed pieces. That process will lengthen his rehab and delay the date he can begin throwing for the next season.

It will, the doctors said, make the shoulder healthier.

"It should be as good as new," Mulder said.

This is based on zero information or rumor - it's all gut feel - but, I cannot shake the feeling that Mark Mulder is going to be next year's "Octavio Dotel" for the Yankees. I can see Cashman giving Mulder several million as a base for 2007, with incentives on IP totals for this year - and then some sort of option for 2008.

Between Johnson's back, Mulder's wing, and Pavano's (fill in the blank), the Yankees could have a full house next year in terms of glitzy starting pitching names on the Disabled List to start the year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:22 AM | Comments (17)

A-Rod To The Cubs?

There are reports out now that suggest the Cubs have an interest in trading for Alex Rodriguez.

If this happens, I hope the Yankees insist that LHP Donnie Veal is included as part of any Cubs package.

I think the A-Rod to the Cubs deal can happen - since Chicago inked Piniella. In fact, if I was told this was the reason why the Cubs passed on Girardi, I would not be shocked.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:10 AM | Comments (10)

October 16, 2006

A-Rod = Lone-Wolf

From TMZ.com -

Just days after Alex Rodriguez lost friend and teammate Corey Lidle to a tragic plane crash in NYC, the Yankees slugger had a frightening airplane experience of his own.

As reported by CBS 2 news in Los Angeles, the 31-year-old walked away uninjured after his private Gulfstream jet overran a runway at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif. and was brought to a halt by an arresting system on Friday.

While the event might have scared most people into a hermit-like state for the remainder of the weekend, not A-Rod. The $250 million man hit the Hollywood scene almost immediately after exiting the plane. First stop was the exclusive and expensive Ivy restaurant in Beverly Hills, where it looked Alex enjoyed a peaceful meal by himself before his personal driver escorted him into an awaiting vehicle.

Rejuvenated and relaxed, Rodriguez hit popular nightclub Area the following evening. Even though he was flanked by several beautiful women throughout the night, the happily married dad left the club all by his lonesome.

Sounds lonely to me - no "E," Turtle or Drama to share a meal with or to join him at the clubs?

By the way, any chance that Alex was in SoCal scouting out, if you pardon the pun, a new landing spot for him to play at next season?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:24 PM | Comments (11)

Yanks Are Baseball's Cash Cow

George Will recently cited the Yankees attendance this season -

And this year, when the Yankees were drawing 4,200,518 fans to Yankee Stadium, they also played in front of 3,080,290 million on the road.

This means that one of every ten tickets sold to a major league baseball game this season was for a game involving the Yankees.

Yeah, the Yankees are bad for baseball...sure.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:45 AM | Comments (3)

October 15, 2006

Torre & A-Rod Don't Mix - The Sequel

If you didn't believe it when Jon Heyman said it three days ago, Peter Abraham says it again today:

It may take a few weeks, a few months or even into next season, but at some point Rodriguez will be out of pinstripes. His mood swings and contrived emotions have become too much for Joe Torre and the core players to take. His entrance into a room routinely causes eyes to roll.

When Torre batted Rodriguez eighth — eighth! — in Game 4 of the division series, it was a direct message: agree to a trade when we call you.

When Torre was a player, his nickname was "The Godfather."

Sounds like Joe is going to give A-Rod an offer that he can't refuse.

A comment made here by a reader the other day on the Heyman feature brought cause for me to look up an old Ken Rosenthal piece on Alex from April 2005 entitled "Lightning Rod: Rodriguez has talent for ticking off peers." In that feature, Rosenthal wrote:

The Rangers do not view Rodriguez fondly. Third baseman Hank Blalock imitated Rodriguez's glove slap in mocking fashion in an early spring training baserunning drill. First baseman Mark Teixeira, without naming Rodriguez directly, joined the chorus condemning him for his comments about his 6 a.m. workouts, telling a Dallas-Fort Worth reporter, "Everybody works hard in this game."

Rangers players nicknamed Rodriguez "The Cooler" last season, a wry observation on how he cools off every team he joins. Even shortstop Michael Young, perhaps the Rangers player with whom Rodriguez was closest, admits the team chemistry improved dramatically after Rodriguez was gone.

"The pieces just didn't fit. I don't know why," Young says. "Once we kind of got the new wave in here, it played to our strengths -- being a super-aggressive team, going out every night trying to win a ballgame."

If (when?) A-Rod is traded from New York, it will be interesting to see the reactions reported from the Yankees players, etc.

It almost makes me wish that Mussina and Sheffield will still be on the team - because I'm sure they will have something to say on it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:04 AM | Comments (28)

October 14, 2006

Now That The Tigers Have Won The Pennant...

...Yankees fans should root for them to win the World Series.

Since 2001, leading into this post-season, every team that went on to win the World Series was the team that knocked the Yankees out of the post-season - except for the 2005 Angels.

Think about it.

2001 - Arizona beats the Yankees - they win the ring.
2002 - Angels beat New York in the ALDS - they win the ring.
2003 - Florida beats the Yankees - they win the ring.
2004 - You know, the whole Boston thing.
2005 - The Angels break the chain.
2006 - The Tigers re-establish the link?

While nothing makes up for the lack of a ring over the last 6 years, it would be nice to say: Since the last Yankees ring, five out of six times, the team that beat the Yankees ended up being the best team in baseball.

So...Let's go Tigers!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:22 PM | Comments (5)

Stick Men Thrown Into The Volcano

From Jon Heyman -

Joe Torre's job was spared, but the Yankees have fired their two long-time advance scouts, Wade Taylor and Chuck Cottier. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed the firings but said the decision was unrelated to the team's disappointing postseason.

"It had nothing to do with losing to Detroit, " Cashman said.

To replace Taylor, a former Yankees pitcher, and Cottier, Cashman said they'd hire two pro scouts, who will do the advance work plus other special assignments. The Yankees plan to hire scouts in different regions to cover the whole league and will also use more video work to scout opponents.

"We're still going to advance and have people in the stands," Cashman said. "We're just not renewing the two people we had."

These two were Stick Michael's guys. Cash can say that this has nothing to do with the ALDS results...but I don't believe it. File these terminations along with the claims by some players that the Tigers were better prepared for the series.

I have to wonder if the Yankees focused more on the Twins, in terms of scouting for the ALDS, and then got caught with their pants down when the Tigers ended up as the Wild Card team at the last minute?

Then again, seeing the results of the ALCS to date, maybe the A's focused too much on the Twins and Yankees and not enough on the Tigers too?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:53 AM | Comments (5)

October 13, 2006

A-Rod's Runway Mishap

From the AP -

A private jet, carrying Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and six others, overran a runway at Bob Hope Airport on Friday and was brought to a halt by an arresting system. "I spoke to Alex. He's fine," agent Scott Boras said.

None of the seven people aboard were injured, federal officials said.

The Gulfstream G-II carried five passengers and two crew members, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement from Washington, D.C. It departed from Las Vegas earlier in the day.

I'm very happy to read here that no one was hurt.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:37 PM | Comments (0)

Do I Hear Twenty-Six?

The last record for most hits in a day for WasWatching.com was 24,083 - which happened on August 28, 2006.

Today, I just noticed that we had 25,262 hits (here) on October 11th. (Yes, I don't check the counts everyday.)

This is now the new record.

Thanks to all for making this happen - and for your interest in WasWatching.com.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:40 PM | Comments (7)

Moose Loose?

From Jon Heyman today -

The Yankees have decided not to exercise the $17 million option on Mike Mussina. If they can't work out an equitable alternative deal -- say, for two years -- they'll have to pay him the $1.5 million buyout.

I expect the Red Sox, Mets, and Indians to all try and offer Mussina a two year deal as well. And, since Moose's agent is Arn Tellem (who Big Stein once said was "no good"), I expect Camp Mussina to field as many offers as possible.

For all we know, the Nationals and Orioles might make a run at Mussina as well.

I would bet that Moose wants to stay in the AL, close to Montoursville (PA), and play for a team that can help him reach 280 career wins.

Prediction: Mussina will be playing his home games in Fenway Park next year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:05 PM | Comments (12)

Donnie Next Would Be A Mistake

This comment by Michael Kay at the Post's Blog got my attention today:

From everything that I have heard the Yankees are absolutely blown away by how great Don Mattingly has been as the hitting coach, his work ethic and his level of preparedness. I think when Joe Torre leaves, the next manager will be Don Mattingly.

This would be a mistake. When Donnie Mattingly looks into the mirror and asks "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the current most beloved ex-Yankee of them all?" the mirror says back to him: "Duh, it's you - by a landslide."

Don't believe me? Listen to the crowds at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day, Old-Timer's Day, and the post-season when his name is announced during personnel introductions. If you asked Yankees fans born between the years 1975 and 1989 who was their favorite Yankees player, I would bet that 90% of them say "Don Mattingly."

And, when someone is loved that much by the fans, you should never hire them as a manager - because every manager is hired to be fired - and, someday, if he's hired for the job, Don Mattingly would have to be fired. When that happens, the fans will go nuts against Yankees management.

If the Yankees thought the feedback that they got from the fans in 1978 over Billy Martin being fired was bad, they haven't seen anything yet if they hire Donnie and then fire him. The Orioles have never hired Cal Ripken Jr. as manager - even though he is super qualified for the position - for this same reason. You don't put your "gods" in a position where you then have to strike against them. It's pretty much common sense.

This is why I would never hire Mattingly to manage the Yankees - even though he probably has the skills for the job.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:06 AM | Comments (21)

October 12, 2006

Move Damon To 1B?

Peter Abraham suggested this four days ago and I have not been able to get it out of my mind since that time:

* Play Melky in center. He deserves a shot.

* DH Giambi full time. He can't stay healthy when he plays the field.

* Teach Damon how to play first in spring training. Why not? He'd be willing.

Because of the fact that he throws left-handed and has no arm, Damon should play first base. Yes, he has speed (and some might think that's wasted at first) - but, by playing 1B, he will keep his legs fresher (for offense) over the long season. Also, by playing first, this will prevent Damon from killing himself on outfield walls. Lastly, Johnny loves to talk - and playing first will allow him to chat away with base runners (and maybe distract some in the process).

Melky Cabrera has the range to play a decent centerfield. And, his arm will stop guys from going first to third on singles up the middle.

At worst, if he's not great in center, Melky could be the one year answer there - and then move him to RF in 2008 (when Abreu is gone and Brett Gardner is ready to take over in CF).

Spring Training should be more than enough time to get Damon used to playing first. And, as a bonus, Damon could still help as a back-up outfielder, if needed, and then Giambi could play first that day.

This makes a ton of sense - that's why it will probably never happen.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:44 PM | Comments (15)

What Would It Cost To Lose A-Rod?

Some comments made by readers here today regarding Alex Rodriguez got me wondering - how much did A-Rod help the Yankees in 2006, offensively?

I decided to use Pythagorean Winning Percentage to try and put a number on this.

Based on the Yankees runs scored and allowed this year, their Pythagorean Winning Percentage was .595 - which is close to their Actual Winning Percentage of .599 in 2006. This means, with Rodriguez in the line-up, the Yankees this year were a 96-97 win team.

What would happen to the Yankees Pythagorean Winning Percentage this season if we took A-Rod out of the mix - and replaced him with a player that accounted for zero runs in 2006?

If you count Alex's runs and RBI this season, it's safe to say that he had a hand in producing 199 runs for the Yankees in 2006.

Let's take 199 runs away from the Yankees total and see what happens to that .595 Pythagorean Winning Percentage.

Whoa! It drops from .595 to .476 - and the Yankees go from 96 wins to 77 wins. That's huge.

But, in reality, even a stinky player, playing 3B in New York for a full season, would produce some runs. It's not correct to assume no Rodriguez means zero runs.

How about Miguel Cairo? Would he be stinky enough? According to the stats at Baseball-Reference, Miggy Cairo, if he played a full season, would be good for around 100 runs produced.

This means that replacing Alex Rodriguez with Miguel Cairo would cost the Yankees around 99 runs produced. How does that impact their Pythagorean Winning Percentage?

This makes our number change from .595 to .540 - and the Yankees go from 96 wins to 88 wins (rounding up).

Therefore, according to this study, having Alex Rodriguez play 3B in New York last year helped the Yankees get 8 wins. This margin, in 2006, is the difference between winning the A.L. East by ten games versus winning the A.L. East by two games.

I believe this should be the selling point for those who want to see A-Rod stay or go (from the Yankees) this winter. The Yankees will still be a very good team without Alex Rodriguez at 3B in 2007. However, having Alex Rodriguez on the team will mean an extra 8 wins (or so) on top of that total which the very good team delivers (with them having a scrub at third instead).

It's an interesting question - for Yankees fans: What would you prefer, winning the division by 10 games, coupled with the A-Rod "stuff," or, winning the division, barely, without A-Rod?

I would imagine that the mileage on this one would vary for many - depending on their tastes.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:20 PM | Comments (31)

Heyman: Torre & A-Rod Don't Mix

From Jon Heyman yesterday -

Someone close to A-Rod said he thought he could live with Joe Torre "for a year," which happens to be exactly what remains on Torre's contract. But it's apparent now that he'd prefer not to. And Torre has made it clear that, at the very least, Rodriguez is a puzzle he can't figure out. (Torre also has told at least one executive with another club I know that A-Rod is the problem and he wants A-Rod gone.)

For some reason, Rodriguez doesn't have the support of a lot of fans, much of the media, his former friend Derek Jeter or Torre, who insulted A-Rod by batting him eighth in a desperation move and has spoken publicly and openly about A-Rod's alleged weaknesses, something he normally is unwilling to do.

This whole thing is starting to smell like the A-Rod & Buck Showalter thing that went down in November 2003 - just before Alex was traded.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:42 PM | Comments (19)

2007 Yankees Need "The Man"?

I've decided to try and think about baseball a bit today - to get my mind off other things. Specifically, I decided to look at the Yankees best hitters during their "ring run" and their best hitters during their current "ring drought." Thanks to the CBE, this is what I found:

During 1996-2000, Bernie Williams was "The Man" on offense for the Yankees. The numbers prove this to be true.

Since 2001, the Yankees have had players like Giambi and A-Rod produce at a rate near where Bernie was from 1996-2000. But, Giambi's issue has been staying sound enough to play and Alex Rodriguez, well, you know.

As much as I hate the expression, the Yankees seem to lack a hitter, recently, who can be "the straw to stir the drink" offensively - like Bernie Williams did from 1996-2000.

Since the Yankees line-up is full now - it's not going to be a matter of adding a hitter to the team. More so, it's going to be a matter of having someone from the current squad step up to be that "straw," everyday, without excuses.

Maybe Bobby Abreu can be that guy? Maybe it's Giambi staying sound and productive all season? Maybe it's A-Rod putting up another MVP season?

Someone in the middle of the Yankees line-up in 2007 needs to be a consistent offensive force for this team in order to match what Bernie Williams did for the Yankees from 1996 through 2000.

And...it's probably up to Abreu, Giambi and A-Rod to be take on the challenge and deliver next year.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:22 AM | Comments (22)

October 11, 2006

Learning Something From The Lidle Tragedy

When I found out about Cory Lidle's accident and passing today, the news hit me like an uppercut to the gut. I was stunned and sick to my stomach.

It got worse from there. About an hour after I first heard the news, I began to beat myself up a little on my reaction.

It started when I began to question the motive behind me being so upset. Was it because this was a member of the "Yankees Family" passing away in tragic fashion? No - it was not. Let us be honest with this - even during this terrible and sensitive time - Cory Lidle was as much a member of the "Yankees Family" as Esteban Loaiza or Mark Wohlers. Lidle's passing, in terms of a place in Yankees history, is not the same as Thurman Munson's sudden passing in 1979 or Catfish Hunter and Mickey Mantle becoming so ill that it cost them their life.

I was more than certain that I was shocked and saddened by the news on Lidle because this is a story of a young man, a husband, a father, a brother, etc., who suffered a terrible and unexpected accident - and lost his life.

The more that I thought about this - the more that I realized that there was more to it than that. I asked myself "If you heard that 'John Smith,' a young accountant from Anytown, NJ, had died when his plane flew into a building, would you have also felt like someone had just punched you in the stomach?" The answer is, in truth, "no."

OK, how about if I heard that "Joe Anyname" who was a "HR professional born in Staten Island, NY" and a "father of two" had "died in a freak plane crash"? Would I be upset, like I was on the Lidle news? Would the fact that I had so much in common with this person (in terms of a background) make his passing hit me like a body blow? Again, the answer is "no."

In this crazy world that we live in, everyday, we hear about people getting killed, in terrible ways, and many of us - including myself - will go about our business most of the time without much reaction. Maybe we'll say something like "What a shame" or something. But, it's rare that we will get physically ill over the news. We've become desensitized to bad news - because there's so much of it.

And, this is where I started to beat myself up. All life is equal. If I can get so upset over Lidle, then I should get as upset over someone else, without the celebrity status, when I learn about bad things happening to them in the news too.

I began to wonder if I was the sensitive and caring person that I like to think that I am - because of this inconsistency in my behavior here.

Then, I got home and turned on ESPN. It seemed as if ESPN was giving coverage to the Lidle story on a non-stop basis. Based on the feeds that ESPN was getting, it seemed like other channels, like CNN, were devoting serious time to the Lidle accident as well.

This make me start to wonder about the media - in the same manner that I wondered about myself. What if this had been "Joe Vanilla" or "John Nobody" flying that plane today? ESPN would have zero minutes on the story. CNN might mention it once, for two minutes, over the course of an hour. And, the next day, it would be hardly mentioned anywhere.

This got me thinking more about my issue - and one that was obviously shared by the mass media. Why are we reacting like this now and not always?

I've come to the conclusion that the Lidle news has impacted me because "I knew of him" - as I've seen him work for several years now, at varying distances and frequencies. I knew his face. I can close my eyes and picture his image, from his head to his toes, in my mind. And, I can now sense his loss - as I will never see him work, or play, or anything, in real time again.

Nonetheless, this doesn't make my "normal" reaction to something like this happening to a "common person" O.K. - looking at this in retrospect and using my Lidle reaction for comparison. At the least, when I hear news, like this, about anyone, I should take a second and think about the severity of the situation, etc. - rather than gloss over it and move on to the sports section or the weather report (just because I did not "know of" the person). I should feel some pain.

Something like this happening to anyone is a tragedy, and, no one's "story" in a situation like this is bigger than anyone else's "story."

I'm going to try and take this away from this experience - and attempt to do better at recognizing the true severity of events in the news and applying the proper respect. I want to be more sensitive as a person.

I share this in case anyone else can relate to it. Nothing can make up for what's happened to Cory Lidle. But, if we can take something away from this situation, in an attempt to better ourselves, it's better than learning nothing at all from this tragedy.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:34 PM | Comments (18)

Cory Lidle In Plane Crash

Here's the story.

I'm at a loss for words.

Obviously, my condolences to his family.

Update, 5:01 PM ET: Here's a story that just ran in the Times about Lidle and his flying:

When the Yankees fly, the pilots are not only in the cockpit. There is another pilot in the main cabin, where the players sit. He is probably studying his hand-held Global Positioning System receiver, tracking the weather and noting the plane’s precise speed and altitude.

Lidle, 3-2 with a 3.38 E.R.A. since joining the Yankees, could be their fourth starter in the playoffs.
He is Cory Lidle, who has been a major league pitcher for nine years and a pilot for seven months. He earned his pilot’s license last off-season and bought a four-seat airplane for $187,000. It is a Cirrus SR20, built in 2002, with fewer than 400 hours in the air.

A player-pilot is still a sensitive topic for the Yankees, whose captain, Thurman Munson, was killed in the crash of a plane he was flying in 1979. Lidle, acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies on July 30, said his plane was safe.

“The whole plane has a parachute on it,” Lidle said. “Ninety-nine percent of pilots that go up never have engine failure, and the 1 percent that do usually land it. But if you’re up in the air and something goes wrong, you pull that parachute, and the whole plane goes down slowly.”

The day after the Phillies’ season ended, Lidle met with an instructor, Tyler Stanger, in nearby Pomona, Calif. They flew to Long Beach that day, and Lidle was hooked.

“He was probably my best student,” Stanger said in a telephone interview. “He learned very, very quickly, and a lot of it is desire. He had huge desire.

“Really, anyone can learn how to fly. If you can drive a bus, you can fly an airplane. But to learn quickly takes money and time. Of course, Cory had plenty of money, and it was the off-season, so he had the time.”

Lidle, who is making $3.3 million this season, met with Stanger twice a week, for three or four hours at a time, all winter. He became queasy once, Stanger said, somewhere over New Mexico while returning from Texas. Otherwise, Lidle was a natural.

Part of Stanger’s job is to surprise students by simulating emergencies. He will pull the throttle to the idle position, essentially letting the plane coast as if the engine were failing.

Other times, he said, he would instruct a student to wear blinders so only the instrument panel was visible, simulating bad weather. Then Stanger would tilt the plane nose-high or nose-low, making the student recover by trusting the instruments.

“Most people get kind of ruffled,” Stanger said. “He was like, ‘O.K., no big deal.’ A lot of it is his mental state.

I'm getting sicker just reading this stuff.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:55 PM | Comments (30)

Oddibe Young Again

Warning: This has nothing to do with the Yankees - it's just a brief interlude of blogging self-indulgence.

One day, about 26 years ago, the ball team I was playing on was having a practice. I was one of the last off the field, coming in from the outfield, and when I reached the shortstop position, I said to my teammate (who was hitting out of hand to us) "Give me a grounder."

Years later, when I saw that scene in "The Natural" where Redford comes in from batting practice and stops on the mound to throw a pitch, I thought "I know that feeling!"

Anyway, he did send one my way, and I fielded it clean - - and tossed it back to him at the backstop. He said something like "Try this one" and he hit me a tougher shot in the hole. I picked it clean.

Then, it became a contest. He kept trying to get one by me and I kept making play after play - - some of them great stabs. Grounders, liners, you name it. Some I had to dive for - but, none that I missed. To my right, right at me, up the middle - no difference.

As this was developing, all my teammates began to stop packing up their stuff and began paying attention to the sideshow. Of course, there was a lot of hooting and hollering on each play - - along with plenty of "If you played like that every day, maybe we'd let you play the infield" and jabs like that. It was fun - and short, maybe only lasting 4 or 5 minutes.

I never had a streak like that, not even in practice, where I never missed one - and at the same time was making great plays, with ease. While never a glove man, I was Mark Belanger for that moment. And, it felt great.

All the while, by the third base bench, there was a radio playing (which one of my mates had brought to the practice). While I was having the time of my life at short, Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good To Me So Far" was blasting.

And, to this day, over a quarter century later, every time that I hear that song (and, I just heard it on the radio now), within an instant, I'm brought back to that field and that moment in time (as if I was on the field again) in my mind.

I would have to imagine that this connection will be with me for the rest of my life. A pretty cool song and a stupid four meaningless, but fun, minutes from my youth.

It's not "Rosebud" - but, it will do.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:42 PM | Comments (2)

Mitch Hilligoss

Back in June of this year, Jim Callis put Hilligoss on my radar. According to Baseball America, Mitch was the 17th best prospect in the New York-Penn League last year. Here's what else they had to say about him:

Mitch Hilligoss, 3b/ss, Staten Island (Yankees)
B-T: L-L Ht: 6-1 Wt: 195 Age: 21 Drafted: Yankees '06 (7)

Hilligoss' track record says he'll hit. He batted .404 and .386 in his final two seasons at Purdue, .309 with wood bats in the Central Illinois Collegiate League in 2005, and .292 in his pro debut to finish 10th in the NY-P batting race. One scout who saw Hilligoss as an amateur compared his swing, offensive potential and overall game to Frank Catalanotto.

As with Catalanotto, Hilligoss' forté is getting the barrel of the bat to the ball consistently, driving balls to the gaps and driving pitchers crazy with an advanced two-strike approach. He also hangs in well against lefthanders and hit .397 against them this summer.

The Catalanotto comparisons extend to Hilligoss' defense as well. Though he profiles best as an infielder, he doesn't have the hands or range to stick in the middle of the diamond. He's a better fit at third base, but he doesn't project to hit for the power wanted there or on an outfield corner.

Hilligoss will have to hit for a high average to be a factor--and he has done that at every level so far.

Given his age, and the way that he hit at Staten Island, I wonder if the Yankees will fast track Hilligoss to Trenton in 2007? That would be a big jump - but, if he passes that test, he could be in the Bronx around the time that Giambi's contract is up.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:13 PM | Comments (3)

StrikeTwo.net's Yankees Page

If you're ever looking for a good Yankees "Blog Roll" - striketwo.net's Yankees Team Page is a good source.

It was nice to see WasWatching.com ranked as the #2 Yankees blog there today. (Do I really average 32 posts a week? I need to cut down, huh?)

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:22 AM | Comments (10)

Pete Abe's 5 Ways to Fix the Yankees

From Peter Abraham -

The ALDS loss to Detroit exposed some holes in the Yankees that need mending. Here is what Yankees beat writer Peter Abraham of Gannett News Service proposes:

1. Keep Joe Torre: To win in the playoffs, a team has to get there first. The Yankees have great talent, but with Toronto improving and Boston always a threat, a berth is no guarantee. Having a hothead such as Lou Piniella as manager would only decrease the odds.

2. Trade Alex Rodriguez: It was a steal getting him for Alfonso Soriano and a prospect in 2004. But three years later, teammates and fans dislike him and he's a proven playoff choker. His act has worn thin. Deal him to the Angels for Ervin Santana and a prospect.

3. Cut 'em loose: The Yankees hold options on Mike Mussina and Gary Sheffield. Let them leave. Why keep two 37-year-old players who are in decline? Both are me-first types.

4. Sign a first baseman: Sean Casey would be fine. Most anybody with a decent glove would be fine. Let the untradable Jason Giambi DH, where he can't get hurt.

5. Sign Daisuke Matsuzaka: Barry Zito belongs in the National League, not the tough-and-tumble AL East. Matsuzaka will cost a lot to bring over from Japan, but the Yankees will have plenty spend having dumped Mussina and Sheffield. That would make the rotation Wang, Matsuzaka, Santana, Randy Johnson and eventually Philip Hughes.

I still want to think about what I would do, if I ran the Yankees. But, I'm open for suggestions - anyone have any?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:30 AM | Comments (16)

Just Tabata Being Tabata?

Baseball America, in their current issue, had some potentially concerning information on Jose Tabata that I found eye-catching. First their scouting report on Jose:

Though a thumb injury cost him most of the second half, Tabata's offensive prowess was quite evident. He models his game after Manny Ramirez, and that's the name scouts and managers bring up most when discussing Tabata's potential.

He has an extremely advanced hitting approach with a swing geared to drive the ball to right-center field. He possesses a sound two-strike plan and his strikeout-walk ratio improved every month. Though he hit just five home runs, scouts see 30-homer potential.

With arm strength and speed that are both a tick above average, Tabata profiles perfectly in right field. He sometimes has problems coming in to field grounders and his routes on fly balls need improvement. There are some mild concerns about his body language on the field, but it has yet to affect his performance.

Next was a mention on Tabata in a feature on young players this season in the Sally League:

Opposing managers, who tabbed Tabata as the league's best batting prospect in Baseball America's Best Tools survey, raved about the right fielder's approach at the plate as well as his arm strength. Yet while his strike-zone discipline exceeded his experience, a few skippers were not enamored with the occasional cockiness Tabata displayed on the field, a trait the Yankees believe is more representative of his age than his demeanor.

Here are the parts that jump out at me:

"There are some mild concerns about his body language on the field, but it has yet to affect his performance."

"...a few skippers were not enamored with the occasional cockiness Tabata displayed on the field, a trait the Yankees believe is more representative of his age than his demeanor."

Tabata "models his game after Manny Ramirez." As a hitter, that would be great. But, in terms of in-game conduct, that could be an issue.

I hope someone can get Jose's attention over the next year or two and get him to realize that there's a right-way and a wrong-way to go about your business on the field - regardless of your talent level.

I know that some will say that I'm just being an old-timer on this - and that attitude doesn't matter when the talent is great.

To that, I have a two word answer: Ruben Rivera.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:50 AM | Comments (7)

October 10, 2006

Final Tally On A-Rod In The Clutch This Year

Back in June of this year, I looked at how Alex Rodriguez was batting in what I consider a clutch situation - when the Yankees were losing by 2 runs or less.

Yesterday, WasWatching.com reader "redbug" asked me - in a comment to something written here - to update that study. Thanks to the Day By Day Database at Baseball Musings, here's the final 2006 numbers for A-Rod, as well as how he did in this view during 2004 and 2005:

As you can see from the data, during 2004 and 2005, when the Yankees needed the "big hit" from Alex Rodriguez in a game situation where they were trailing by 1 or 2 runs, A-Rod came through for New York. Actually, it's funny - while Alex was great at this during his MVP year in New York (2005), he was even better at it during his first season in the Bronx (2004).

But, as was the case when I looked at this back in June, this season, A-Rod was terrible for the Yankees when batting in a game where the Yankees were down by a run or two. In these spots, he batted .209 with very little power.

What's interesting here is the At Bat totals for each season - they're very consistent. This means that A-Rod had the same amount of chances - in this type of situation - each year that he's been in New York.

Of course, the main question here is: What happens if Alex plays for the Yankees in 2007? Does he return to his great form in these situations or does he maintain his lack of performance when the chips are down? Related, what caused the slide in 2006 in the first place?

One theory is that Sheffield and Matsui took some of the pressure off A-Rod in 2004 and 2005 - and once they went down in 2006, and the heavy lifting on the Yankees was left to A-Rod and Giambi, Alex caved.

That's just a theory - but, it's very possible.

Sheffield should be gone from the Yankees in 2007. But, Bobby Abreu will be here next season for all 162 games (in Gary's place). Matsui will be back next year too.

Therefore, it would not shock me, if the Yankees keep A-Rod next season, to see Rodriguez "bounce back" as a batter in spots where the Yankees need him the most.

The only real question may be if the "drama" that came as a result of Alex's troubles in the clutch this year have done too much damage for the Yankees to keep him in 2007. A huge post-season for A-Rod this year would have gone a long way to make a return possible. As it is now, I think we'll be tracking how Alex does in 2007, down by two or less, for a team other than the Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:21 PM | Comments (19)

Torre On WFAN Today

Joe Torre was on WFAN in NYC today - and had some interesting things to say. Here's some of what I thought were the highlights of his 30 minutes on the air:

Regarding the 2006 ALDS loss, Joe said that "we were overmatched" and that "Brian and I have a lot to talk about." But, what was most interesting was that Torre said the loss of the 2006 ALDS was worse to take than the loss in the 2004 ALCS because his team was competitive in the 2004 ALCS.

Sounds like Torre thinks his team did not show up for this post-season.

Regarding Alex Rodriguez' comfort level, and Torre's and Jeter's role in that, Joe said that he and Jeter have treated A-Rod "the same or paid more attention to his needs than any other player" who has come in to the team.

Sounds like Torre thinks A-Rod is high-maintenance.

Regarding the team's pitching this year, Joe said that he "probably used Villone too much" and that the Yankees don't need anything "substantial" - they just need "some adjustments in the bullpen" in terms of "more depth." Joe then said that they need pitchers in the pen who can give them more than one inning per game and who could pitch more often.

Sounds like Kyle Farnsworth will be traded this winter.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:06 PM | Comments (15)

Why The Yankees Will Not Improve In 2007

Most Yankees fans feel that the Yankees need to improve their starting pitching next season. I would agree with that assumption. The issue that I have with this suggestion is "How?"

Let's first look at the Yankees starting rotation, in terms of what it should be, next year:

#1 - Worm Killer Wang
#2 - TBD
#3 - TBD
#4 - Randy Johnson and/or Carl Pavano
#5 - Jeff Karstens and/or Darrell Rasner

What I'm attempting to say here is: The Yankees have one SP that they can count on (Wang) and four question marks (for next year) that should be able to fill the last two positions at the back end of the rotation. What the Yankees need is two strong starting pitchers to buddy with Wang at the front of New York's 2007 rotation.

Some people feel that Mike Mussina should be the #3 pitcher in the rotation for the Yankees in 2007. But, the call here is that Mussina is old (as he will be 38 next year), a priss, and not a team player. Personally, I think the Yankees have had enough old, cranky, me-type pitchers over the last few years. It's time to stop that trend. And, by the way, the last time Mussina was able to throw 200 IP was 2003. His time is over.

Other people feel that maybe Johnson/Pavano should be pushed up to the #3 slot - with Karstens/Rasner moving up to #4 - and then giving Philip Hughes the # 5 position in the rotation. This would be a mistake.

Hughes has zero Triple-A experience to date. He's done great in Double-A. But, look at a recent scouting report on him from the current edition of Baseball America:

He maintained quality stuff all year. Hughes throws a two-seam fastball at 89-90 mph and a four-seamer at 91-95. He throws two versions of his three-quarters breaking ball, one that's harder and one that breaks more. He also throws a straight changeup at 82-83 mph with terrific late fade.

Hughes pitches off his fastball and has an aggressive approach. He repeats his delivery well and his arm action is loose, clean and quick. The biggest thing he needs to improve is his command, as he tends to leave pitches over the plate and up in the strike zone.

See the problem? You throw 90-93 and leave it in the zone in Double-A and you'll get outs. You throw 90-93 in the majors and leave it up in the zone in the bigs and you're Jaret Wright. The Yankees must leave Hughes in Triple-A for at least 20 starts before thinking about bringing him to the majors.

How about Free Agents - can they fill the #2 and #3 spots for the Yankees?

Here are the major SP Free Agents out there this off-season: Ted Lilly, Tony Armas Jr., Mark Mulder, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf, Jason Schmidt, and Barry Zito.

Of this group, only Clemens, Pettitte, Schmidt, and Zito are "top of the rotation guys." Maybe the Yankees can sign one of these pitchers - but, it's probably 50-50 at best - unless they want to overpay through the nose.

How about trading for a front-end starter? This is worse than the Free Agent front. There are no major pitchers slated to be Free Agents after 2007. So, why would any team be willing to trade the Yankees a front-end starter - again, unless the Yankees overpay in the trade.

Lastly, there's Daisuke Matsuzaka.

How about these names: Tomo Ohka, Masato Yoshii, Hideo Nomo, Kazuhisa Ishii, Hideki Irabu, Mac Suzuki?

What I'm trying to say here is that when Matsuzaka becomes a great starting pitcher to come from Japan, he will be the first one ever. You cannot count on Matsuzaka to come to the U.S. and be a front-end starting pitcher. He would be a fine gamble for the 4th or 5th slot of your rotation. But, to count on him to be a #2 (or even #3) type pitcher is a huge gamble.

In summary, the Yankees need two new and very good starting pitchers for next year - and their best bet at getting maybe one very good starting pitcher is the Free Agent route. That still leaves the Yankees short in their rotation for 2007.

The Yankees should be in better shape around 2009 - when guys like Philip Hughes, Tyler Clippard, Ian Kennedy, and Joba Chamberlain might be able to be major players in their starting rotation. But, until then, expect the same ol' rotation woes in Yankeeland - just because the answers to the Yankees pitching problems are not out there at this time.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:02 PM | Comments (34)

N.Y. Post: Torre To Stay With Yanks

The New York Post is reporting that the Yankees will allow Joe Torre to return as manager in 2007.

If the Yankees feel that a 67-year old man making $7 million a year has enough fire left to lead their team, I'm sure they have their reasons.

But, this Yankees team still has issues.

Two days ago, I wrote:

If the Yankees do nothing, then nothing will happen.

I still stand by that statement. Somehow, the Yankees need to do something to turn this thing around. If it's not a change in manager, then it's time to look at the team.

The only parts that are movable are Mussina, Sheffield, Wright, Lidle, Rodriguez. (I wish Giambi was movable - but that's going to be a hard one.)

A-Rod is the only one listed above where the Yankees could possibly make a trade. But, they would need his approval to do it.

Alex has said that he wants to stay in New York. However, I'm pretty sure he's said in the past that he would love to stay in Seattle and loved playing in Texas. He's always going to say that he wants to be where he is at that time.

Therefore, if the Yankees could work out a deal that would favor Alex, I expect him to approve it.

The question is: If you allow Mussina and Sheffield to walk - and then trade A-Rod - is that enough to correct the Yankees issues?

It probably depends on who replaces them. Brian Cashman has his work cut out for him.

Thinking this through...it might have been easier to try a new manager.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:39 AM | Comments (34)

October 09, 2006

One More Log For Today

It's a slow news day today [wink, wink] - so, what the heck?

Should the Yankees tell A-Rod that they want to trade him to the Angels this winter - and then ask Anaheim for pitcher Ervin Santana and top shortstop prospect Erick Aybar (in return)?

But, wait, there's more!

Before the Yankees ask A-Rod and the Angels, they ask Derek Jeter to move to 3B in 2007.

As a Yankees fan, would you be happy to see this happen?

I don't think I would be so down on these events - and I might even learn to love them.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:39 PM | Comments (23)

And The New Manager Of The Yankees Should Be...

I was just reading this from Steve Goldman:

Mr. Torre turned 66 this year. In the entire history of baseball, few have managed at 65 years old or older. The most notable, and this is close to the entire list, were Connie Mack, Casey Stengel, Jack McKeon, Felipe Alou, Frank Robinson, Tommy Lasorda, Leo Durocher, Wilbert Robinson, Paul Richardson, Walt Alston, Ralph Houk and Herman Franks. Total pennants and World Series wins among them: 40 and 23. Total pennants and World Series wins ages 65 and up: eight and five. These consist of three pennants and two championships for Mr. Mack, four pennants and two championships for Mr. Stengel, and one pennant and one win for Mr. McKeon. History suggests that managers have to stay young, both so they can relate to the younger generation and so strategy doesn't pass them by.

So, maybe it makes sense for the Yankees to go younger with their next manager?

Here's someone to consider: Tony DeFrancesco.

He's a local guy - born and raised in Suffern, NY. He went to Seton Hall University too.

DeFrancesco is young - he'll be 44-years old next season. He was the Sporting News Minor League Manager of the Year in 2003.

Here's some background on Tony that I was able to copy off the internet:

The 2006 season is DeFrancesco’s 13th as a manager in the Oakland A’s organization. He joined the River Cats after five seasons as the manager of the Midland Rockhounds, Oakland’s Texas League Double-A affiliate. During his tenure in Midland, DeFrancesco won a combined 290 games.

DeFrancesco made his managerial debut in 1994 with the Athletics’ Arizona League affiliate, followed by two seasons (1995-96) with Southern Oregon (Rookie) and two seasons (1997-98) with the Visalia Oaks (Single-A).

Prior to his first managerial job, he served as a coach at Southern Oregon and a roving catching instructor in the A’s system.

A ninth-round selection of the Red Sox in the 1984 Draft, DeFrancesco played eight seasons of professional baseball between the Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds organizations. A catcher, he had his best professional season in 1984 when he batted .299 and was named a New York-Penn League All-Star while with the Elmira Pioneers (Rookie).

DeFrancesco attended Seton Hall University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education.

Here's a guy who is an up-and-comer in terms of being a managerial prospect. Yes, he's property of the A's now - and Billy Beane will not let him walk for nothing.

But, think Billy would trade DeFrancesco for Jason Giambi and a bucket of cash? Beane would probably love to add that chapter to his next book.

Of course, this will all never happen. It's a shame though - because someone like Tony DeFrancesco might just be what the Yankees need now.

Someone young, new, no connections, hungry, wants to make his mark, etc. And, as a younger-newer person, he would probably work well and partner with Cashman.

Then again, we can say most of those things about Joe Girardi too, huh? Too bad that the Cubs job is open now. That's going to be hard for Girardi to pass.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:16 PM | Comments (10)

From "The Kings of Heart" To "The Queens of Sharts"?

I've been thinking some more about this notion of "When the going gets tough, the Yankees go in their pants."

I believe there is some evidence, in the post-season, to support this claim. See the following:

2002 ALDS: The Yankees win Game 1 and have a 5-4 lead late in Game 2 - but blow that game. They never win another game in the series - and end up losing three straight games.

2003 World Series: The Yankees are up, 2 games to 1, when Torre brings in Jeff Weaver to blow Game 3. They never win another game in the series - and end up losing three straight games.

2004 ALCS: The Yankees are up 3 games to none. In Game 4, well, you know, the whole Dave Roberts thing and the Yankees blow Game 4. They never win another game in the series - and end up losing four straight games.

2006 ALDS: Yankees win the first game. In Game 2, late in the game, Mussina cannot hold a 3-1 lead and the Yankees blow the game. They never win another game in the series - and end up losing three straight games.

Do we see the trend here? Each time, the Yankees got off to a good start in the series, and, the minute that something bad happened, that was it - and they never win another game in the series.

Of course, the 2005 ALDS does not fit this pattern, but, in four of the last five post-seasons, the Yankees have spit the bit when the going got tough and just caved in like a house of cards - instead of fighting back.

Four out of five times: One tough loss - and then never win again.

Be honest here. If this pattern was happening over 2002-06 with a team other than the Yankees, and I called them the "21st Century Chokers," would you fight me on it? As Yankees fans, we have to face it, this current squad lacks heart and is quick to shart.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:54 PM | Comments (15)

Klapisch: Yanks A Mess & Lack Guts

From Bob Klapisch -

The Yankees are rich, but soft. They can hit, but not when it counts. They talk about pinstripe tradition, but the roster is plagued by petty rivalries and jealousies that act as a cancer in the postseason.

Derek Jeter can't stand Alex Rodriguez and refuses to come to his defense. Mike Mussina doesn't like A-Rod, either, although, come to think of it, the Stanford grad hasn't much use for any of his teammates. No one talks to Johnson. Everyone thinks Carl Pavano is a joke. The Yankees' best pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang, is isolated by his limited knowledge of English.

On and on, the list of dysfunctions keeps going. Instead of a dynasty, the Yankees have become a newer version of the Braves -- consistently outplayed by younger, hungrier teams such as the Diamondbacks (2001), the Angels (2002 and 2005), the Marlins (2003) and now the Tigers.

Torre spent most of 11 seasons turning the Yankees into a class, mature organization that was once the envy of the industry. But little by little, his magic has dissolved. The Yankees have become addicted to the All-Star-at-every-position philosophy, and the bloating that's followed is found in more than just the payroll. The Yankees' egos are such that they no longer hustle their way to victories. Instead, they've been relying on nuclear superiority.

Most of the time, it worked. That lineup was indeed the best the American League has seen in decades, maybe ever. But there's still no substitute for hard work and old school enthusiasm. When the Yankees ran into a young team that refused to be intimidated, such as the Tigers, "They just curled up and died" said one major league executive.

But if Sweet Lou replaces Torre, the first order of business will be to instill the old code of Yankee toughness that was the signature of the Billy Martin era. One scout who's watched the Yankees this year said, "It used to be that teams were afraid of the Yankees, but not anymore."

The Yankees never looked as tight as they did in Game 4 against the Tigers, which is exactly how they played Game 7 of the 2004 League Championship Series against the Red Sox, which was a clone of Game 4 against the Angels in last year's ALDS. Coincidence? Not anymore. It's become a pattern of failure.

Each time, Torre took the high road, refusing to blame anyone in the clubhouse. He's a good man who deserved greater effort from his millionaires. But it's also true that a team assumes the personality of its manager; the Yankees took Torre's calm and used it as an excuse to become docile.

The result? Everyone on the block knows the Yankees will crumble if you stand up to them.

This is why I said this team needs an enema.

If there's a silver-lining to the last five years, maybe it's that "this" is all in the open now and it's time to put an end to it. Flush it all out and get back to what works.

The only concern is whether or not Cashman can be the architect that Gene Michael was in the early 1990's.

The keys are building young talent, rather than trading it away, and making smart trades. So far, Cashman is doing the former. Now it's time for him to do the latter. More O'Neill's and Tino's and less A-Rod's and Kevin Brown's. I hope Cashman can do it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:22 AM | Comments (11)

Bloody Sock Helped Tigers Over Yanks?

From the New York Post -

Jeremy Bonderman wouldn't name names, but he confirmed what every Yankee fan know. The Bronx Bombers, baseball's $200 million team, have a lot of enemies in the baseball world.

Bonderman, who threw 81/3 innings of five-hit ball to lead the Tigers to a series-clinching 8-3 win over the Yankees, told The Post in a champagne-soaked Detroit clubhouse that he got tipped earlier this week on how to pitch the Bombers.

"I had a guy call me up a couple of days ago and give me insight about how to get these guys out, and I have all the thanks in the world for him to do that for me," said Bonderman. "He didn't have to do it. It was a great favor."

Quick, someone get me the outgoing call logs for Curt Schilling's cell phone covering the days of October 3rd through October 6th.

Schilling would fit the profile here - he studies hitters like no one else. And, he's ballsie-enough to pick up the phone and make such a call.

Bonderman did look Schilling-ish on Saturday, at least to me.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:04 AM | Comments (2)

Daily News' Harper: Jeter Is The Problem

From John Harper in the News today:

There's only one person who can change the dispassionate climate surrounding the Yankees, and it's the reluctant captain, Derek Jeter. But if he hasn't been willing to embrace A-Rod by now, it's hard to believe anything is going to change.

Scouts have been saying it more and more - in critical situations, pitchers armed with enough firepower can attack A-Rod boldly up in the strike zone, usually with major success.

But the bigger problem is A-Rod's addled state of mind, the steady erosion of confidence that made him look clueless at the plate during stretches of the 2006 season, when he was guessing so badly that he was missing sliders by a couple of feet. And that surely is tied to his relationship with Jeter.

It is no news bulletin that A-Rod wants to be liked, accepted, loved, however you want to say it, by his teammates, especially Jeter. And the captain hasn't budged on the matter, to the point where an ex-teammate, who wouldn't use his name for fear of crossing Jeter, said yesterday it creates a certain tension at times.

"He won't let Alex in," the former Yankee said of Jeter. "Everyone in there knows it, and it bothers Alex and impacts the clubhouse."

Jeter sets the tone for everything the Yankees do, so while he got tons of credit, and rightfully so, when they won, he has to take some of the blame now for allowing the A-Rod mess to seemingly suffocate this team. He has kept A-Rod at arm's length, apparently all because he can't get past the famous Esquire article of five years ago in which A-Rod allowed his jealousy and self-esteem issues to surface for the first time.

This is not the first time that we've heard about the distance between Jeter and A-Rod.

Therefore, I believe this situation to be true - even though it is possible for some to be running wild with stories about Alex and Derek.

This reminds me of 1977 - when Reggie Jackson joined the Yankees clubhouse and was not accepted by Thurman Munson, and others, because of remarks that Jackson made about Munson in a magazine interview. A-Rod used Esquire (to diss Jeter) and Reggie used Sport (to get on Munson), if I recall correctly.

Reggie Jackson, to his credit, did not allow any lack of love in the Yankees clubhouse to impact him in a bad way - in fact, Jackson performed extremely well in New York.

To A-Rod, I would go back to what I said when Tom Verducci focused on Alex's feelings that he lacked support in the Yankees clubhouse this year:

Winners make commitments. Losers make excuses.

Blaming Jeter for A-Rod's problem is an excuse making - and a loser's approach.

Rather than get on Jeter for not fluffing A-Rod's pillow everyday and making sure that the skid-marks in Rodriguez' underwear come out in the laundry each week, it makes more sense to examine the mental toughness, or lack thereof, of A-Rod - and consider if he's just not ready to play in a town like New York.

If Alex Rodriguez needs Derek Jeter's love in order to survive in New York and play well, then he's too fragile to play for the Yankees.

That should be the story here - not a dig on Jeter.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:20 AM | Comments (11)

October 08, 2006

Piniella & Pitchers

Comments made to a recent item posted at WasWatching.com suggest that Lou Piniella, the rumored next manager of the Yankees, is death to pitchers.

Piniella had the Yankees from 1986-88, the Reds from 1990-92, and the M's from 1993-2002. (I'm not including Tampa Bay because they really were not a quality team during Lou's time there.)

I'm having a hard time finding the pitchers that Piniella ruined as a manager.

When Lou was in New York last time, besides Dave Righetti, Ron Guidry and Tommy John - what pitcher of quality, in terms of present value or potential, was under Piniella's control?

Dennis Rasmussen? Bob Tewksbury? Charles Hudson? Seriously, where are the bodies of the pitchers that Piniella killed when running the Yankees?

How about the Reds? You might want to say that Lou ran Dibble, Myers and Charlton into the ground. But, who's to say that those guys would have had long careers? Pen-men, on the whole, always come and go.

Who did Lou ruin in Cincy? Scott Ruskin? Jack Armstrong? Scott Scudder? Really, do we know for sure those guys were going to be stars in the majors if not for Piniella?

Jose Rijo did pitch great for Lou with the Reds - and for the next two seasons after Piniella left. Did Piniella cook Rijo, or the guy who had him for the two years that followed?

It was not Randy Johnson or Jamie Moyer in Seattle. They did great for Lou with the M's - and thereafter. I suppose that some might suggest that Piniella, in Seattle, abused Joel Pineiro, Gil Meche, and Freddy Garcia. However, who's to say that Pineiro and Meche were the real deal in the first place. And, Garcia, last season, three years after Piniella, was a stud for the White Sox.

People like to paint Piniella like he was Billy Martin managing the 1980 Oakland A's, in terms of pushing pitchers. But, unless I'm missing something, I don't see it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:48 PM | Comments (13)

Sheff: Torre Messed Our Heads In Loss To Tigers

From the USA Today:

Torre, who managed the Yankees to 11 consecutive postseason appearances, has come under scrutiny for the Yankees' latest playoff loss. He benched Sheffield in Game 3 and first baseman Jason Giambi in Game 4 of the playoffs, and caused a firestorm when he demoted Rodriguez to the eighth spot in the batting order in Game 5.

"I think that affected the morale and psyche of the entire team, not just A-Rod," Sheffield said. ""I'm not making any excuses, but everyone was wondering what was going on. It made it a real weird day. You would like to be treated with a little respect, I don't care who you play for.

"We were worrying about all of that stuff, and we still had a game to play. If I'm on the other side, and all of a sudden they're putting Rodriguez eighth and putting me or Jason on the bench, you wonder what's going on. Those guys [the Tigers] were asking me about it. I think it boosted their morale. It gave them confidence they didn't have.

"[Tigers manager] Jim Leyland took advantage of that. He can make you believe anything. He can put a fire under your belt like you never had before in your life.

"Not to make excuses, but we didn't have that."

Funny, when Torre benched Tino and Boggs in 1996, the team went on to win the World Series. If the Torre moves did upset the team's head for the ALDS, I think that's proof that this squad lacked the mental toughness of a champion.

Hopefully, the Yankees know who's on the "Priss Squad" on this team and they get them all out of here before the start of next season.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:33 PM | Comments (17)

Stein On The 2006 ALDS

From the AP:

"I am deeply disappointed at our being eliminated so early in the playoffs," Steinbrenner said in a statement issued Sunday by spokesman Howard Rubenstein. "This result is absolutely not acceptable to me nor to our great and loyal Yankee fans. I want to congratulate the Detroit Tigers organization and wish them well. Rest assured, we will go back to work immediately and try to right this sad failure and provide a championship for the Yankees, as is our goal every year."

Rubenstein said he spoke with Steinbrenner on Sunday.

"Clearly he was upset," he said.

Every time I read one of these Big Stein "statements" via Rubenstein, all I can think of is John Gill from Star Trek lore. I miss the old George reactions.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 05:02 PM | Comments (11)

Sweet Lou?

There are reports out now that suggest Joe Torre will be fired and replaced by Lou Piniella.

Piniella is a winner.

He had wire-to-wire champs, the 1990 Reds.

He's had four 1st place teams and four 2nd place teams. He's had four 3rd place teams.

He had a team that won 116 games in a season.

He's won 90+ seven times - - missing an 8th by 1 win.

Piniella understands New York, the Yankees, and Big Stein.

Piniella will add some fire to the Yankees. For sure, no longer will Yankees batters get HBP and nothing happens. Also, if there's a questionable call made against the Yankees, the umpires will hear protests from Lou.

Mattingly, Guidry, and Bowa all have relationships with Lou. So, I would expect some of the coaching staff to stay.

Lou can be tough on pitchers and catchers. He's not "Torre kill the RP" tough. But, Lou will push his starters like Torre never did in New York. If Piniella joins the Yankees, this could be an interesting situation for Hughes and Clippard.

Lou Piniella would not be the worst replacement for Torre. The only concern that I have here is the A-Rod factor. Lou and Alex have a long relationship. It's strong too.

Personally, at this stage, I believe that A-Rod is too large of a distraction to help the Yankees. He adds too much drama to the scene. It's all A-Rod, all the time, in New York (and in the national media) these days. It's somewhat "T.O." like at times in terms of media attention. (I'm not saying that Alex is a trouble maker like Owens.) And, even with the talent, who needs that baggage?

I would be shocked if Piniella joined the Yankees and then A-Rod was sent packing.

As much as I feel that the Yankees need to get rid of their tired blood, if choosing Lou means that A-Rod stays in New York, I would probably pass on Piniella and go after someone like Ron Hassey - meaning take someone respected in the game but who has no ties to anyone on the current Yankees roster or front office.

But, with what's happening in Yankeeland, and over in Mets camp, these days, Big Stein probably wants a 'name.'

And, Sweet Lou Piniella is probably the biggest name out there now.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:48 PM | Comments (16)

No Joking

"This town needs an enema!" - The Joker, in Batman (circa 1989)

I've been thinking about the Yankees this evening - now about five hours past the end of their 2006 season. And...that famous Joker quote will not leave my head.

The days of O'Neill, Stanton, Tino, Pettitte, Brosius, Cone, Knoblauch, Nelson, Girardi, Mendoza, Curtis and Wells are long gone. Sure, Jeter, Mo, Posada, and, to an extent, Bernie remain. But, three or four men cannot carry a ballclub.

The A-Rod's, Giambi's, Mussina's, Sheffield's, and Big Units that have been with the Yankees recently have corner-stoned a half-decade of post-season failure for the Yankees.

It's time to purge this Yankees team of it's current supposed cadre of strength and attempt to re-boot the timbre of the team. The Yankees need a shift of position with respect to their mental modus operandi. They need to get away from a prevailing false sense of entitlement and placid demeanor and adopt a greater sense of urgency and aggressive nature.

The Yankees need to recapture that hunger which finds failure unacceptable. This team needs to retool with the mindset of "We must take it, if we want it. Otherwise, if we assume that it's just going to happen, we will be let down."

And, this not only includes playing personnel - it means the manager as well. I found this in the Times this evening (regarding the Yankees) to be interesting:

But the most intriguing question will be the futures of Manager Joe Torre and Rodriguez.

Torre has just one year left on his contract, and the magic he once wielded in the postseason has disappeared. There are club executives who wonder if he should be back, and others in the organization who have noticed that Torre has not won a pennant since the resignation of the bench coach Don Zimmer in October 2003.

The Yankees have lost their last three playoff series, and are 3-10 in the postseason since taking a three-games-to-none lead over Boston in the 2004 American League Championship Series.

Joe Torre had never been to the mountain top prior to 1996. Then, he lived on top of the mountain for several years to follow. In 2001, Torre fell off the mountain. And, while Joe has tried to re-climb the mountain several times now - over the last 5 years - it's just not happening for him and his camp. As the Times author wrote "the magic he once wielded" has "disappeared."

It's time for new blood in Yankeeland. The old blood is tired.

The Yankees should allow Sheffield and Mussina to go. The Yankees should look into trading Alex Rodriguez. If there's a way, the Yankees should look to move Giambi - even if it means paying part of his salary and getting lesser players in return. The Yankees need to not rely on Randy Johnson anymore and get, at least, two pitchers in their prime for their starting rotation.

And, they should get a new, hungry, aggressive, and passionate manager to set the new tempo and lead this team.

If the Yankees do nothing, then nothing will happen. No joking.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:14 AM | Comments (10)

October 07, 2006

October 7th @ The Tigers

By the time that Lidle, in relief of Wright, was knocked out of this game in the 5th inning (with no one out), this game - and the Yankees season - was over.

Not even pithy T-Shirts or select Pacino movies could get the Yankees to the ALCS this year.

Five days ago, about this ALDS match-up, I wrote:

I know that some might see this match-up as the 2003 World Series all over again - facing a young and care-free rags to riches team, with pitchers that throw hard, and they play in a big ballpark, with crafty manager, etc.

But, the Marlins in 2003 were peaking towards the World Series. The Tigers limped into the post-season.

That sounded smart. After all, the Tigers only won 19 of their final 50 games this season. I was wrong. I should have listened to a friend of mine, who told me (on that same day) that, according to the BP keys to post-season success, it would be the Tigers over the Yankees in the ALDS.

In terms of recent Yankees post-season failures in the ALDS, this ALDS loss is not as painful as 1995 - but, it's just as bad as 1997 or 2002. In terms of overall recent Yankees post-season failures, this series loss is not as painful as 2004 - but, it's just as bad as 2003.

Yup, in many ways, this Yankees October was 2003 all over again. The "no-names" beat the "big-names" and they stuffed it down their throats in the process.

Watching Jeremy Bonderman cruise through the first 5 innings today, on only 40 pitches, against "Murderer's Row & Cano," really drilled the Yankees problem home, to me. Working the pitcher, playing for deep counts, etc., is only successful against bad-to-average pitching. It does not work against good, great, or hot pitching. When you face pitchers who can pound quality strike after quality strike, you better start stringing together some singles for a rally - because you're not going to get that fat and/or cookie pitch to blast for extra bases. Go ask Sheffield, or Giambi, or A-Rod about that.

Lastly, there will always be a part of me who will wonder if this game would have been different with Wang on the hill for New York - and Mussina pitching Game 5. At the least, if Wang could have kept the Tigers off the board for the first three innings, or so, maybe it would have kept the crowd out of the game for a while and their energy would have not been something for Bonderman and the Tigers to feed from in this contest. As it was, between the Yankees going down in the first on seven pitches, the Ordonez homer in the second, and the Pudge 2-out RBI in the fourth (after the A-Rod error), the Motown faithful were rocking before this game hit the fifth inning.

On the whole, for those in Yankeeland, this game was as ugly as Jeanie Zelasko's freckled cleavage.

Congrats to the Tigers. They won, fair and square - and in convincing fashion. I hope they win the ALCS now - because I'm not interested in seeing the A's win and then having to listen about how smart Billy Beane is, all winter. And, since it looks like the Mets have a good shot at making the World Series, I want the team that beat the Yankees to beat the Mets in the World Series. That will keep the Mets fans quiet after this October.

Pretty sad that this is what's left for a Yankee fan to root for, huh?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:03 PM | Comments (15)

2006 ALDS Game 4: A-Rod Bats 8th

Today's Yankees starting line-up, last I heard:

Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Sheffield 1B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Rodriguez 3B
Cabrera LF

I love the idea of getting Melky in LF and having Godzilla at DH.

But, here's where I'm getting dizzy. This game is the Yankees season. It's must win. Lose and you go home.

Jason Giambi is not playing and Alex Rodriguez is batting 8th.

You tell me, when the Yankees signed Giambi, on that day, if I said to you "In a must win game, do you sit Giambi?" what would have been your reaction?

Also, tell me, when the Yankees traded for A-Rod, on that day, if I said to you "In a must win game, do you bat Rodriguez 8th?" what would have been your reaction?

Mark down today's date: October 7th, 2006. This is the date that we can look to when judging the acquisitions of Giambi and A-Rod. The results of today's starting line-up tell you everything you need to know. In a "must win" or die game, the manager of the team feels that he cannot count on these guys to be major factors towards a chance to win.

What a bizarre day this has become - learning about this line-up now. When I woke up this morning, I truly began to feel that the Yankees would win this game today and bring it home for Wang in Game 5. And...I liked New York's chances in Game 5. But...I thought that A-Rod and Giambi would be part of the win in Game 4. Looks like that was a mistake. Maybe Abreu and Sheffield can be the big men for the Yankees today? Put it this way - they're going to have to be the ones.

Giambi sits this one out and A-Rod might be lucky to get three At Bats.

Bizarre, indeed.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:43 PM | Comments (7)

Damon: We Need To Have More Life

From the Journal News -

“We have to come back tomorrow and not play scared,” Johnny Damon said. “We have to believe how good we are. We’re the best team out here and we have to believe that. We need to have more life.”

Next, Damon said "Hey, who are you guys and where's Mueller, Millar, Bellhorn, Manny and Papi?"

You know that Damon, Jeter, Matsui and Posada are going to show up today. That's not the issue. Today, the Yankees need big things at the plate from Giambi and A-Rod. Just like the 2004 Red Sox could count on Manny and Ortiz, in a big game like today, Jason and Alex need to be the big men.

Will it happen? We'll know for sure around 7 pm ET today.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:02 AM | Comments (16)

October 06, 2006

October 6th @ The Tigers

It's not over yet, but, Martha Wash is looking for her sheet music.

Randy Johnson was not a total bust tonight. Some ground-ball hits early hurt. And, those two two-out RBI hits in the 6th killed his night. But, he could have been worse. Nonetheless, even if the Big Unit went eight today and only allowed 2 runs, it would not matter, because...

Kenny Rogers, the worst post-season pitcher in the history of baseball, held the Yankees to zero runs over 7 2/3 innings pitched. During this time, Rogers made New York batters go 0-17 with runners on base - and 0-8 with runners in scoring position.

Having Kenny Rogers do this to you in October is like allowing Jessica Simpson to beat you in a game of Jeopardy!

The only bright-side to this course of events is that it lends towards the line of logic that suggests "Well, if Kenny Rogers can do this tonight, maybe Jaret Wright can do it tomorrow?"

Actually, if Wright can go a solid 5 tomorrow, Proctor should be good for two and Farnsworth and Rivera can chip in one inning each. But, the Yankees still need to score some runs to force a Game 5 back in New York.

Lastly, if this does not happen, we will have to start to consider the thought that the Yankees are the Atlanta Braves of this century. That may sound mean...but, when you make the post-season every year for the last 6 years and get zero rings in the process, you probably deserve whatever label people hang on you.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:20 PM | Comments (25)

Wang's Home Alone

Thanks to WasWatching.com reader "bfriley76" for the tip on this from the Post:

Chien-Ming Wang didn't accompany the Yankees to Detroit because he wouldn't be available until Game 5 at Yankee Stadium.

Despite Andy Taylor's instructions to Barney Fife, in this case, I think it's insane to keep your only bullet in your shirt pocket.

If the Yankees lose tonight, a loss in Game 4 means there will be no Game 5. Therefore, if the Yankees lose tonight, Game 4 is the key game of this series. You need Game 4 before Game 5 is of any concern.

If you still want to start Wright in Game 4, that's fine. But, at least have Wang there to spot him - like Johnson in Game 5 of the 2005 ALDS and Mussina in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS - if needed.

And, if Wang is not needed in Game 4, the flight from MoTown to New York is not going to kill him for Game 5. Heck, I've spent longer trips in my car driving to Yankee Stadium than Wang will have to sit on the plane.

Torre is making a mistake here.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:41 PM | Comments (10)

Kabak: Yanks Fans Fail To Represent

Benjamin Kabak has an interesting feature posted today on Yankees fan Stadium reactions during Game 2 of the 2006 ALDS.

Ben opens with:

Once upon a time, Yankee Stadium in October was electric. The fans were loud and boisterous. The crowd seemed to know something about baseball. They rooted for the Yankee as though every one of the 56,000 fans were a member of the team, and they booed the opposing team as though personally insulted by their presence in the Bronx.

So after sitting through 9 innings of lackluster play by the Yankees and nearly no passion from the fans, I have to ask myself: What happened?

And he closes with:

It’s always fun to go to the Stadium in October and soak in the playoffs. Yesterday was my first playoff game since Game 3 of the 2001 World Series and I had missed the playoff atmosphere.

But after sitting through that debacle yesterday, I still miss that atmosphere. I miss the real fans and the passionate fans. I know the Tigers fans will be out in full force tonight. Where were you yesterday, New York?

That was simply pathetic.

But, it's in the middle of his feature where Ben hits Yankees fans the hardest:

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to pull off a rare New York doubleheader. I spent the afternoon in the Tier Reserve at Yankee Stadium and the evening in the chilly Loge Reserve at Shea Stadium. For six hours yesterday, I watched playoff baseball in New York and observed fans of all stripes rooting for their respective teams. Let me tell you this: The Mets care a lot more than the Yankee fans do right now.

This is something that I've been hearing from many diehard Yankees fans over the last few years - that, come October, it's the "suits" that take over the Stadium and the "real fans" are missing. I recall one person telling me, around five years ago: "You can spot 'them' a mile away. They show up just at game time, or during the first inning, still dressed for work, wearing a Yankees hat that looks brand new - which it is...because they just bought it outside the Stadium when they showed up."

I have personally been to post-season games at the Stadium since 1977. In fact, I was there 30 years ago today when Hal McRae tried to kill Willie Randolph. And, even back in 1977, you had an amount of "fans" at post-season games who could be labeled as "front runner" attendees.

Therefore, this October "situation" is not totally new - but, it has grown, at the Stadium, over the last few years.

I would estimate that it could happen someday at Shea Stadium, as well - if the Mets make it to the post-season for several seasons in a row.

Just this past Wednesday, I was asking a Yankees fan friend at work if he was going to any post-season games this year and he said "Nah, it's too expensive and it's easier to just watch the games on television. I'll probably enjoy it more that way."

And, this is the issue. Yankees fans have had October baseball now for 12 years in a row. For many "day-in/day-out" fans, there's no sense of urgency for them around attending these games - since they've had a chance or two to get to one over the last decade. If the Yankees had not been in the post-season for 12 years, and then made it, the diehard Yankees fans would fight over tickets like wild animals (regardless of the cost). Now, it's too "easy" to say, "I'll just watch the games on T.V." and let the "suits" fork over the dough in order to have something "status" to drop in conversation the next day in an attempt to impress someone.

And, when you have more people at the game who barely know the players than those who could tell you Derek Jeter's middle name, you're going to get a more sedate crowd at the games.

As a Yankees fan, if this bothers you, I have bad news. The more seasons in a row that the Yankees make the post-season, and the more expensive the post-season tickets get, the "situation" is only going to get worse.

If you look at home many post-season games the Yankees have lost at home since 2004, you have to wonder if the lack of the "true" 10th man has anything to do with it?

I was there for Game 6 of the ALCS in 2004, and, I can tell you that there were many Yankees "fans" sitting on their hands - and just as many Red Sox fans going crazy. It was darn right comfortable for the Sox players that night.

Now, I'm not saying that Yankees fan attendee post-season reaction needs to go back to 1970's battery-throwing levels, but, it probably wouldn't hurt to have opposing teams feel a "tad" more uncomfortable about having to face the Yankees and 55,000 screaming fans.

Again, it doesn't have to be a situation where the other team fears for their personal safety. Just make it like what the Yankees players hear when they go to Fenway Park.

It does get the other team's attention. And, in the post-season, when little things can make a difference, it helps.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:32 PM | Comments (10)

ALDS Yankees Trends

The Yankees have a lot of history with the ALDS. Here's a summary of their experience, in terms of after two games and the final series result:

As you can see, many times the Yankees have been tied after two games of an ALDS - with mixed final results.

Taking it a step further, before 2006, how many times have the Yankees won the first game of an ALDS and then lost the second game? The answer: 1997, 2002 and 2005.

The Yankees lost the ALDS in 1997, 2002, and 2005. That's not a good trend, when looking at 2006.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:15 PM | Comments (1)

A Jeter By Any Other Name?

Der-ick Gee-ter.....

"Derek Jeter," as a name, has that sweet symmetrical syllable thing going for it - like "Mick-key Man-tell" worked for "Mickey Mantle."

This makes me wonder: What if Derek Jeter was not named "Derek Jeter"? Suppose that the guy raised in Kalamazoo, who later went on to wear # 2 for the Yankees, and be a baseball star was named "Horatio Lipschitz" or "Dewey Zuverinkster"? Would that take away from his mystique?

I suppose, in such a case, people could have called him "H-Lip" or "Dew-Zoov" or something. But, it's just not the same as Der-ick Gee-ter.....

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:59 AM | Comments (2)

And, Now, For Some Bad News.........

Did you know that the last time Randy Johnson won an LDS game was October 8, 1995?

How long ago was that? Look at it this way: Melky Cabrera was 11 years and 2 months old at the time.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:19 AM | Comments (7)

Torii Hunter Gobbles It Up

From TheStarPhoenix.com -

Twins center fielder Torii Hunter, to USA Today, on his team suddenly getting switched from its anticipated prime-time playoff series against the Yankees to matinee TV against the A's: "We were prime steak when we were playing against the Yankees. Now we're just turkey sandwiches."

He's got that right.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:13 AM | Comments (1)

Capt. America Hearts Yankees Capt.

From the Post - with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org -

The Diamondbacks' Eric Byrnes came across like a future TV star in his guest appearances on ESPN's Baseball Tonight this week.

Byrnes wasn't scared to admit his supreme admiration for Derek Jeter.

"When I'm standing on second base and Derek Jeter walks by and gives me a little tap and says, 'What's up, Bernzy?' I get the chills,'' Byrnes said on Baseball Tonight. "He's the one player. What's so funny is, if you look at the numbers, numerically he is not necessarily the best player in the game, but he just has that aura about him. It is inexplicable. The star power of Derek Jeter is like nobody I have ever met in my life.''

I have to thank Byrnes for the Jeter mention - because that's my tie-in to mention him here and comment on his ESPN work.

I thought that Byrnes did bring his energy to the set - and his story-telling and self-mocking style were entertaining enough. But, the visual was too much to take. Picture Vince McMahon from the neck down and Michael Score from the neck up.

I know that Byrnes is trying for the Marshall Allman/LJ Burrows look with his hair - but, (A) it's not working for him, and, (B) Steve Rogers would not approve.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:00 AM | Comments (5)

October 05, 2006

Far From Perfect Now

When Randy Johnson faces Kenny Rogers in the ALDS tomorrow, will that be the first time that two pitchers who have thrown perfect games will face-off against each other in a post-season game?

I believe the answer is "yes."

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:06 PM | Comments (4)

Game 3 of the 2006 ALDS Will Be A-Rod's Greatest Post-Season Game of All-Time

Here's what's currently forming for Game 3 of 2006 Tigers-Yankees ALDS.

On one front:

Alex Rodriguez, in his career, has faced (scheduled Tigers starter) Kenny Rogers 24 times. In 5 of those 24 times, Rogers walked A-Rod.

In the 19 times where Rogers did not issue a pass to Rodriguez, Alex has produced a hit 10 times. Yes, that's a batting average of .526. But...wait...there's more! Five of those ten hits for A-Rod were homeruns! Yes, in his career, when Rodriguez gets to bat against Rogers, half the time he gets a hit - and half of those hits are usually a homer.

On another front:

This is a post-season start for Kenny Rogers. In his post-season career, Kenny Rogers has pitched in 9 games - throwing 20.3 innings. During this time, Rogers has allowed 16 walks and 32 hits. Yes, over his entire post-season career, Kenny Rogers has allowed 2.4 baserunners per inning pitched. Further, Rogers' lifetime post-season ERA is 8.85!

If the batter-pitcher match-up in Game 3 of the 2006 ALDS is not the perfect storm for a huge A-Rod night at the bat, there's no such thing.

And, if A-Rod should go Oh'fer against Kenny Rogers in Game 3 of the 2006 ALDS, then maybe it's time to wonder "What in the name of Joseph 'Sport' Sullivan is going on with Alex in October since Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS?"

[Before the claims of insanity begin, I'm only kidding with that last part.]

Now...quick...someone contact Jim Fannin and make sure that he passes these stats to Rodriguez before the game starts tomorrow.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:32 PM | Comments (9)

October 5th vs. The Tigers

I told you that the Tigers would show up to play for this game. I also warned you about Guillen and Zumaya.

As much as I want to say that Mussina did his job today - going seven on 93 pitches - the wild pitch and 2-out hit allowed in the 5th and the 0-2 triple in the 7th were big mistakes.

Now you have a situation where it's a best two-of-three and the Tigers have the homefield advantage. The game tomorrow night, for Randy Johnson, is "must win." And, if the Yankees lose tomorrow, they have to think about bringing Wang back a day early to pitch Game Four.

When Matsui led off the 9th today with a single, and Torre had Melky pinch-run, I questioned that move. Cabrera is faster than Godzilla. But, Miggy Cairo is 37 for 44, over the last 3 years, in SB attempts. If ever there was a "Dave Roberts 2004" situation for the Yankees - this was it. Get Cairo in there and take a shot at second base - or, at the least, take a shot at second once there were two outs and Damon was up.

Lastly, where have Sheffield, A-Rod and Cano been these last two games? O.K., Sheff did have an RBI in Game One. But, Cano and A-Rod have been invisible.

Over the last two games, Alex Rodriguez has whiffed 4 times where 3 of them were looking. For a guy who was seeing the ball great in September, all of a sudden he's lost at the plate again. Maybe Torre needs to move him down in the line-up some more?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:24 PM | Comments (25)

Listen While You Work

FYI, for those stuck at work, where you can't get a radio signal, you can listen to the game today, for free, on your PC.

Go to: 1050espnradio.com

and click on the "Listen Live" button.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 01:13 PM | Comments (20)

Win Or Lose Mussina Needs To Go Deep Today

Think about it.

The Yankees and Tigers, because of the rain yesterday, will now play their remaining ALDS games in a row. It will either be two-, three-, or four-games in a row, depending on the game outcomes.

Today is Mussina for the Yankees. Tomorrow is Randy Johnson.

On Saturday, it will be either Jaret Wright and Cory Lidle - as Torre won't say "who" yet.

Randy Johnson is a question mark in terms of how many innings he can give you tomorrow. It could be eight or it could be less than one. No one knows, for sure.

You know that Wright or Lidle are going to give you 5 or 6 innings on Saturday, at best.

This means that you can probably count on the Yankees bullpen being needed in Game 3 of this LDS - and Game 4, if the game is played.

The last thing the Yankees need is for Bruney, Proctor, Farnsworth and Rivera to all have to pitch today, behind Mussina - because you can safely bet that two of those four (or more) will be needed on Friday. And, maybe all of those four will be needed on Saturday (if the game is played).

Don't even get me started about the potential pen abuse for New York impacting Game 5 of this series (now) because of the rain-out.

This is why Mike Mussina has to give the Yankees at least 6 innings today - and better if it was 7 innings. This will require Mussina to average around 15 pitches per inning. That's very economical - but, the Tigers are a free swinging team. So, it's possible.

Bottom line, if Mussina only goes 4 or 5 innings today, it's going to hurt the Yankees chances in this series - thanks to the rain taking out the off-day (that was scheduled for today).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:08 AM | Comments (4)

Hey, CBS, Over Here!

I cannot believe that they missed me. Congrats to some of my fellow Yankees bloggers for making the cut!

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:31 AM | Comments (5)

Mussina's Post-Season Legacy

Rick Carpiniello takes it to Mike Mussina:

As good and solid as he has been, Mussina was in the middle of the diamond for some bad moments. He took the clinching loss against the Angels last fall (2 2/3 innings, five earned runs). He left Game 3 of the 2002 ALDS, a no-decision in a loss, against Anaheim after four innings (four runs) because of a sore groin. He lasted three innings (five runs) in his only start of the 2001 World Series, a loss.

I know that Mussina pitched in two games during the 2001 World Series. Therefore, Carpiniello does not have his facts correct. (I think Carpiniello did not look at Game 5 of the 2001 World Series.)

According to my math, in 15 Yankee post-season games, Mussina's ERA is 3.69. Still, in those 15 games, Mussina's W-L record is 5-6.

Nonetheless, the 2001 ALDS, 2003 World Series and 2004 ALCS were Mussina's Yankees post-season high-lights.

All told, I would offer that Mussina has been a good post-season pitcher for the Yankees. I hope he continues that this October.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:47 AM | Comments (4)

October 04, 2006

October 4th Game Called

Yeah, a retractable roof on the new place would be a stupid idea.

Go tell that to the 55,000 fans who have been sitting up in the Bronx for the last two hours.

I am so bummed by this turn of events. I know that you cannot fight the weather. Nonetheless, as a working stiff, I'm going to now miss watching this game. I hate having my eyeballs miss watching a Yankees post-season game. I cannot remember the last time that I missed watching a Yankees post-season game.

I probably would have played hookey or "worked from home" in the past - in order to be able to watch a day post-season Yankees game. I cannot do that tomorrow. Having this game called tonight kicks me right, square, in my Yankees-fan fannie.

Worse, because of meetings in the office on Thursday, I cannot stay tuned to a radio or Gamecast to follow the action as it happens. (Don't even get me started over the fact that this game will now be played without me having a chance to change into my "lucky game watching clothes" because I will be at work.)

Let me try and equate the feelings now for me on this one.

I think I have it.

At this moment, Game 2 of the ALDS between the Tigers and Yankees is the football.

The weather is Lucy.

And I am freakin' Charlie Brown.

Yeah. That fits.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:01 PM | Comments (21)

Start Of LDS Game 2 Delayed By Weather Threat

As much as I love Shirley Manson and her boys, in a situation like this, I'm only happy when it does not rain.

Oh, there's going to be a lot of tired Yankees fans on the east coast tomorrow AM, for sure.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:23 PM | Comments (3)

Going To Games In The Future

Maury Brown's great feature at BP today regarding baseball team's emphasis on season ticket sales these days includes this on the Yankees:

The Yankees are trying to get fans to stop reselling on StubHub, who is also a major radio sponsor for the club. The club has stated that they will revoke season tickets from those that resell on not only StubHub, but eBay as well. The reason? The Yankees are considering launching their own company to sell secondary tickets. A New York assistant attorney general believes that the Yankees have the legal right to prevent the secondary sales while in the midst of creating their own online site designed for secondary sales; Pinstripe Marketplace is listed as 'coming soon' on Yankees.com. Those that purchase season tickets with the Yankees sign a contract stating it is in violation of the Yankees policy to resell tickets. If the Yankees find a season ticket holder in violation of the policy, the Yankees can revoke postseason, as well as season ticket licenses for the 2007 season, and beyond.

This whole thing has me thinking that, when the new Stadium is open, you're only going to be able to get a ticket to a game if you're a season ticket holder already or if you want to buy someone's tickets - but you'll have to do the latter through the Yankees.

Well, that's if you want to do it legally.

When the new system is in place, look for the "Pssssst! Buddy! Wanna buy a ticket? system to really take off.

When you outlaw re-sales on tickets, only outlaws will be re-selling tickets, no?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 02:22 PM | Comments (8)

ALDS 2006 - Game 2 Key

Some splits, this season, on the Tigers starter tonight, Justin Verlander:

ERA - Home: 3.31, Road: 3.91
ERA - Day: 2.78, Night: 3.98

Since this is a night game, on the road for Verlander, the Yankees have an advantage here. But, an ERA just under 4 is still great.

Here's another split on Justin:

BA allowed - vs. Left: .279, vs. Right: .253

Therefore, look for Posada, Giambi, Cano, Matsui, Damon and Abreu to do the heavy lifting tonight.

Giambi is not a great night hitter. And, Cano and Damon hit better on the road than in the Bronx.

Posada, this season, has hit RHP well, and excels in the Bronx at night.

Therefore, Jorge is the secret weapon in this game for the Yankees - or, at least, he should be one. Maybe Matsui or Abreu can sneak in there too.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:54 PM | Comments (2)

It's Never Going To Stop

I was listening to Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio this morning on my way to work.

The Yankees won. The Cards won. The A's won. There were stories to be told about each game, for sure. But, what did I hear from almost an hour this morning?

A-Rod versus Jeter - who would you rather have, the numbers guy or the clutch player? Blah, blah, blah. A-Rod is Peyton Manning and Jeter is Tom Brady. Blah, blah, blah. A-Rod is Dan Marino and Jeter is Joe Montana. Blah, blah, blah.........

As long as these two guys play for the Yankees, and until A-Rod has that huge moment in the post-season, or until Jeter flops in a huge spot (in a bad way), it's always going to be "A-Rod versus Jeter" in the media, etc.

And, what are the odds, at this stage, of A-Rod having that moment or Jeter having that flop?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:56 AM | Comments (13)

October 03, 2006

October 3rd vs. The Tigers

Abreu-cadabra!

Just about every time this game started to look closer than it should be, along came Bobby Abreu. And, that Jeter guy had a pretty good game too. (At the rate Derek is going, his Yankeeography is going to have to be a two-parter.)

I thought that Worm Killer Wang pitched better than his final numbers read. That double by Polanco was barely fair. Take that out of the Tigers rally against him and it's a whole different line-score in this game for Wang.

Two sightings from this game to note:

1. Tanyon Sturtze in the Yankees dugout. So, where was Carl Pavano?

2. FOX showing Patrick Ewing in the stands during the bottom of the 2nd inning. That is one large man. Imagine if he went for baseball instead of hoops. As a batter, how would you like to see a seven-foot, 250-pound, Ewing taking toe to the pitching rubber with his extra long wings and looking downhill at you?

This was a good win for the Yankees. If they lost this game, given Johnson's condition and the questions around Game Three, a loss tonight would have made Game Two "must win." It's nice not to have to deal with that kind of pressure this early in the post-season.

Lastly, the Tigers did not look scared or tense tonight. They sure did not look like a team that just choked up a division. I expect them to show up tomorrow and play tough. The Yankees should expect that as well.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:39 PM | Comments (16)

I Could Have Told Them In Three Words

I saw this mentioned over in the comments section at Bronx Banter today and I just had to write on it........

From the Post -

As part of their preparation for what many consider will be a bludgeoning of the Tigers in the ALDS that opens tonight with Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees took in a motivational presentation yesterday in the clubhouse prior to a workout.

Chad Bohling, the director of optimal performance, set up a screen and turned off the lights. What the Yankees saw were clips of "Rudy" and "Any Given Sunday" mixed in with highlight clips of themselves for positive reinforcement.

Al Pacino's "inch-by-inch" speech from "Any Given Sunday" filled the quiet clubhouse.

"I don't know what to say. Really, three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today," the Yankees heard Pacino bark.

While some adults would consider such tactics sophomoric, there were no snickers in the clubhouse as the players paid strict attention to the message Bohling attempted to send.

Too bad that Derek Jeter didn't walk out of this meeting and say "I came here to play baseball, not to be put to sleep by some two-bit, carny hypnotist!"

OK, if you really wanted to motivate the Yankees, why not replay Game 5 of the 2005 ALDS, Games 4-5-6-7 of the 2004 ALCS, and Games 4-5-6 of the 2003 World Series and then just tell the team "Don't do that"?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:54 AM | Comments (5)

ALDS 2006 - Game 1 Key

Assuming that the game tonight is close........

According to Joe Torre, Mariano Rivera is only pitching the 9th inning in Yankees victories this post-season.

Based on his last 5 starts this season, it's reasonable to expect 6 or 6.3 IP tonight from Chien-Ming Wang. Actually, anything less than six would be a disappointment.

Therefore, someone from the Yankees bullpen will need to cover the 7th and 8th inning of this game - most likely. That's Proctor and Farnsworth territory.

So, if the game is close this evening, the performance of Proctor and Farnsworth should be the keys to nailing down a win today.

Then again, that's probably going to be the key for every close post-season game this year for the Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:25 AM | Comments (3)

Tigers Fan Thoughts On ALDS

From The Wayne Fontes Experience -

The Tigers can do the world at large a huge favor by taking out the Yankees. If there is one, and only one, bright spot in their backing into the playoffs, is that everyone will be rooting for the Tigers.

From The Detroit Tiger Weblog -

If the Tigers can find a way to take one of the first 2 games I actually believe the Tigers will win this series. This is fully a homer pick and not based on anything resembling solid logic. I’m confident that Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman can pick up wins against the Yankees 3rd and 4th options. Of course I was confident that the Tigers could beat the Royals and that didn’t mean a whole lot, but right now I’m looking for reasonable doubt.

From the Detroit Tigers Baseball Guide -

The Detroit Tigers find them in the playoffs for the first time since 1987. But they have been stumbling as of late losing their last 5 games, all at home. Their first opponent will be the New York Yankees who are definitely used to playing in October. The Tigers will definitely have their work cut out for them, but this is not an impossible journey, they have proved that they can win all season.

From Tiger Tales -

The Yankees lost to teams that they were supposed to beat in each of the last 4 post-seasons. This year will be no different as I see the Tigers pitching their way to an upset in 5 games. The hitting hero and series MVP will be Carlos Guillen. The top pitcher will be Joel Zumaya.

I only have two thoughts on these findings. One, it's interesting that some Tigers fans are thinking positive about this series. Two, it's really hard to find many updated Tigers Blogs out there (compared to the number of Yankees or Red Sox related blogs).

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:29 AM | Comments (1)

Personality Tests Needed?

From Bob Herzog's review of the Yankees defining moments this season:

The Philly Phlash

It was the deadline deal of the year. The Yankees acquired rightfielder Abreu and righthander Lidle from the Phillies and soon after, no one was worried about when Gary Sheffield would return from his wrist injury.

Abreu turned into an on-base-percentage/RBI machine in pinstripes and was, in Torre's words, "a perfect fit" as the No. 3 hitter in the lineup. In the deciding five-game sweep of Boston in August, Abreu went 10-for-20 with four doubles.

After the sweep, Torre sought out Abreu on the field and whispered in his ear. "I just told him we couldn't be happier to have him here," the manager said. "He's a professional and a great role model for both Melky and Robby."

Abreu said, "It means a lot to me because it means he's happy to have me here and he believes in me."

Abreu gave the Yankees every reason to believe they made a smart move, and given his age, 32, it was one with long-range implications. Abreu batted around .340 in his two months with the Yankees with an on-base percentage well above .400. He drove in runs, scored runs, showed off an excellent throwing arm and played a reliable rightfield, a position to which he has staked a claim for years to come. Said Torre, "He slipped into this lineup and this clubhouse as easy as anybody."

A (Lightning) Rod

It got so bad at times this summer at Yankee Stadium that the booing for Alex Rodriguez would begin the instant he swung and it was obvious the ball had been popped up. Before a fielder even made the catch, venomous jeers filled the air. Even an extra-inning homer that turned an apparent loss to the Braves into a walk-off victory in late June didn't earn A-Rod exemption from the fans' wrath.

Just a couple of nights later, Rodriguez went 0-for-4 and was booed all night. George Steinbrenner told a group of reporters after that game, "Nobody likes to hear that, but he's got to put up with it."

Rodriguez had to put up with plenty all season. In June, he endured a 4-for-32 skid and in August he hit rock bottom with a 2-for-27 streak that included 14 strikeouts. He also led all AL third basemen in errors, which didn't help.

"Playing in that stadium, you can never live up to yourself," Torre said of A-Rod's ordeal. "It [the booing] has become sort of the thing to do. You can't let it get to you. You just have to learn to deal with it because you can't change it."

A-Rod acknowledged that, and the booing finally abated - perhaps because fans became sympathetic and perhaps because the Yankees pulled away to their ninth straight division title. Oh, and Rodriguez did lead the team in RBIs even in what many believe has been the worst season of his career.

A Sports Illustrated article about Rodriguez in September could have proved divisive, but A-Rod thought otherwise, saying shortly after the article was published, "I've never gotten so much support in the clubhouse."

Abreu & A-Rod. Both Latin. Both good-looking. Both make a ton of money - probably more than they should, based on their recent production and the current market.

But, Abreu (according to his manager) "slipped into this lineup and this clubhouse as easy as anybody." And, A-Rod (according to himself) has "never gotten so much support in the clubhouse" until now. This implies that he got little support there to date. Why the difference?

Obviously, the answer here is that they both have a different personality. So, this begs the question - in acquiring future "mega-talents" should the Yankees be looking at personality as well as production?

I'm pretty sure that the Yankees do look at avoiding players with a history of conflicts. But, what about looking at things like the ability to join the team, play well, and avoid being on the radar of the media and the fans?

I realize that's a hard skill to measure. But, if you look at Abreu's experience this year, to date, and how things have gone for A-Rod this season, and you asked each player how their "time" in the pinstripes was this year, and if they would be willing to trade places, I think you would hear that Abreu would want no part of what A-Rod went through and Alex would love to have it the way that Bobby does now.

There's something to be said about not having a hard time in New York.

Sure, there is another factor here - performance. If you hit 50 homers and drive in 140 runs, no matter how you are, the clubhouse, etc., will find a way to deal with you - go ask Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez or Albert Belle about that. But, it's not reasonable to expect that level of play from someone all the time.

When I think of some of the recent players that the Yankees have acquired, like Jose Contreras, Rondell White, Jeff Weaver, Raul Mondesi and Kevin Brown, it tells me that they do not always take personality and/or the ability to perform in New York into account.

Rather than just roll the dice and say "Abreu, you win" and "A-Rod, you lose," doesn't it make more sense to try and look into the player's personality and their ability to successfully handle the stress of Yankeeland?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:25 AM | Comments (9)

October 02, 2006

Power & Speed In The A.L.

Just in case you were wondering.....

...How many A.L. teams, in the history of the league, have hit 200+ HR in a season, with at least 130 SB, where they had 100+ SB less CS?

The answer is four:

Indians 1996
Blue Jays 1998
Yankees 2001
Yankees 2006

While this is impressive, it does tell you that you still need to pitch to get a ring. Having great power and great speed in your line-up, alone, is not going to wrap up a championship for you.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:34 PM | Comments (3)

ESPN Experts: Twins Or Yankees To Win It All

ESPN polled 17 in-house experts on this baseball post-season.

Seven picked the Twins to win it all this October. Six picked the Yankees to win it all. (Two picked the A's, one picked the Mets, and another picked the Dodgers.)

Eight of the 17 picked the Mets to make it to the World Series.

They all picked the Yankees to win the ALDS over the Tigers.

I'm not sure if this all is good news or bad news.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 04:15 PM | Comments (1)

Torre To A-Rod: Let The Big Boys Shoulder This One

From Peter Abraham's Blog -

Joe Torre announced his lineup for Game 1:

Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Gary Sheffield 1B
Jason Giambi DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B

Yes, A-Rod will be hitting sixth for the first time this season. Quite a message being sent.

Never a dull moment, huh?

And the Tigers' starter in Game 1, Nate Robertson, is a lefty too. Wow.

For what it's worth, four months ago, I did say that A-Rod is at his best when not batting fourth. Maybe Joe finally gets it?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:38 PM | Comments (7)

It Must Be That Time Of The Year....

They're starting to crawl out of the woodwork around town.

When does Jim Leyritz start selling autographed "Last Home Run of the 20th Century" replica baseballs on the corner of Jerome and 164th?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 03:26 PM | Comments (0)

2006: Chock Full O'Fun Already

Regardless of how the Yankees do this October, this season was a fun year for New York.

Where do I start?

The MVP-type season from Jeter. The near-twenty-win season from "Worm Killer" Wang. All the great catches in CF by Johnny Damon. That great series at Fenway. The stellar all-around season from Posada. The game in May against Texas where the Yankees came back from being down 9-0. Melky robbing Manny back in June. Mussina yelling at Torre to stay in the dugout. A-Rod's walk-off homer against the Braves. Pulling off the Abreu deal. The emergence of Everyday Scottie Proctor. The batting brillance of Robinson Cano. Watching Matsui and Sheffield come back from injury.

And, there were so many milestones too:

Jeter & A-Rod get their 2,000th hit. Bernie passes Donnie for # 2 all-time in Yankees doubles list. Unit whiffs # 4,500 and Moose gets # 2,500. Sheffield gets RBI # 1,500. And, of course, Mo Rivera gets save # 400.

Did I miss anything?

Bottom line, this has been an exciting year in New York for Yankees fans - even with the A-Rod saga.

Anything that happens from here is just icing on the cake.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 12:30 PM | Comments (5)

Tigers-Yankees 2006 ALDS Preview

OK, we know that the Yankees handled the Tigers this regular season - New York went 5-2 against them.

And, we know that the Yankees (as a team) can out-hit the Tigers on almost any given day. And, we know that the Tigers are just 36-38 since the All-Star break.

But, the Tigers do have some pitching on their side - and they can play defense with the best of them. And, remember, pitching and defense matter in the post-season.

However, over the last two months, Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman have not been pitching well for the Tigers. This means that Nate Robertson and Kenny Rogers are the big hopes now for Motown. (Yeah, Kenny Rogers.)

On offense, Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez have been swinging hot bats for the Tigers. Other than that, everyone else on Detroit can probably be pitched to at this moment.

Actually, Guillen scares me - it always seems like he's getting a big hit for the Tigers. (And, back to the pitching-side, the Tigers Joel Zumaya scares me a bit in this series too.)

I know that some might see this match-up as the 2003 World Series all over again - facing a young and care-free rags to riches team, with pitchers that throw hard, and they play in a big ballpark, with crafty manager, etc.

But, the Marlins in 2003 were peaking towards the World Series. The Tigers limped into the post-season.

Let's face it - the Yankees should win this ALDS in four games. New York knows it. Now, they just have to do it. And, it starts with winning Game One. If the Yankees lose Game One, they could be in a 1-2 hole heading into Game Four - with Wright starting for New York. That's not good.

The Yankees need to win two of the first three games in this ALDS in order to be in a position to win the series in four games. Since Randy Johnson is slated to start Game Three, this means Wang and Mussina need to win at least one game - probably two. If they don't, well, just imagine what will happen in New York if the Yankees lose this ALDS to the Tigers.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 10:10 AM | Comments (7)

The Cowabunga Kids?

Possible future Bronx Bomber pitching studs Chamberlain, Kennedy, Melancon and others in the Yankees system will be playing in the Hawaii Baseball League this winter for the West Oahu Canfires.

Not a bad gig, if you can get it.

Hat tip to Chris Constancio at THT.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 09:13 AM | Comments (1)

October 01, 2006

It's Crowded, And They Still Go There

From the MSG Network -

The Yankees drew 4,248,067 fans to Yankee Stadium in 2006 to surpass the all-time single-season franchise- and American-League home attendance record of 4,090,692 (set in 2005)...they are only the second team in Major-League history to reach the four-million mark more than once joining the Toronto Blue Jays who did it three times (in 1991, 1992 and 1993)...the Yankees led the Major Leagues in total home attendance and average home attendance (52,445) and also led the Majors in total road attendance (3,080,263) and average road attendance (38,028)...the Yankees also established the all-time Major-League record for combined home and road attendance in a single season with 7,328,332 (4,248,067 at home / 3,080,265 on the road)...the previous Major-League record for combined home and road attendance was 7,178,421 by the Colorado Rockies in 1993.

So much for "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded."

Think about this for a minute. The Yankees averaged 52,445 per game at home this season. The new Stadium is slated to have 51,000 seats. Can anyone say "Supply and Demand"?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 11:30 PM | Comments (18)

October 1st vs. The Blue Jays

OK, so, Tom Verducci was wrong. But, he came close, eh?

I'm more impressed that Jeter and Cano have become the first middle-infield teammates in modern baseball history to bat .340+ in the same season.

And, thanks to the Royals today (or, should I say pretty boy Fernando Rodney?), I get my wish - and the Yankees open up the post-season with the Tigers.

Sometime tomorrow, I'll do some analysis on the ALDS for the Yankees - now that we know who they will play.

In the meantime, Yankees fans should get their rest now. There's going to be a lot of late nights over the next few weeks to come.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:50 PM | Comments (1)

Clemens & Pettitte Fingered By Grimsley

From Newsday -

Roger Clemens, one of professional baseball's most durable and successful pitchers, is among six players allegedly linked to performance-enhancing drugs by a former teammate, The Times has learned. The names had been blacked out in an affidavit filed in federal court.

Others whose identities had been concealed include Clemens' fellow Houston Astros pitcher Andy Pettitte and former American League most valuable player Miguel Tejada of the Baltimore Orioles.

According to the 20-page search warrant affidavit, signed by IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky, Grimsley told investigators he obtained amphetamines, anabolic steroids and human growth hormone from someone recommended to him by, a source said, former Yankees trainer Brian McNamee. McNamee is a personal strength coach for Clemens and Pettitte.

Personally, I believe that Clemens has been using PEDs - and I would love for that to be proven in order for it to be part of his legacy.

Since Pettitte has always been Clemens' puppy dog, it should not shock me, if true, that Andy followed Roger down this path.

I've always been a big fan of Pettitte - so, this news saddens me today. The book that Pettitte wrote is entitled "Targeting A Life Of Integrity & Purity." If these charges are found true, I guess that's not exactly going to help book sales, huh?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:19 AM | Comments (25)

Big Unit Update

Randy Johnson news from the Journal News -

"It felt pretty good,'' Johnson said.

A tougher test will come today when Johnson throws 40 pitches off the bullpen mound. But, so far, every indication is that Johnson will be able to start the third game of the American League Division Series on Friday.

"It doesn't surprise me that he will do everything he can to get out there Friday,'' Torre said. "I never had any doubt about his determination.''

Johnson learned about his disc problem on Thursday and had the injection on Friday. He had previously decided to skip his final start of the regular season because of back spasms.

"(Today) will be the barometer of how everything is. If I get through that, it'll be one hurdle that we're over,'' he said.

"I can win 17 games anywhere, but my better chances of getting to the playoffs were coming to the Yankees. That's why I'm here, so I'll do whatever it takes,'' he said.

"I've pitched through pain and discomfort before. I'm 43 years old; I've got an arthritic knee; I've gone through one back surgery and another one probably I may need. I'm not going to complain about my health. I'm here to pitch in the postseason and I'll do whatever I can.''

Johnson said he first injured his back on Sept. 6 in Kansas City. He carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning that night and threw 81 pitches.

"The spasms are gone. But the spasms were there because the muscles were fatigued and protected themselves,'' Johnson said. "We'll throw tomorrow and see how I respond to that.''

If Johnson comes through today well, he would throw in the bullpen again on Wednesday, rest Thursday, then start on Friday. He left no doubt as to his intentions.

"I don't want to put anybody in a compromising position,'' Johnson said. "But pitching means everything to me.''

Unit is setting himself up for a compare here - from 2004 - either Curt Schilling or Kevin Brown. Stay tuned.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 08:10 AM | Comments (1)

September 30th vs. The Blue Jays

We left the house yesterday at 11 am ET. And, we were out of the house until 5 pm ET. During this time, I had no access to any media - none, zero, nada, zip. And, by the time we got home, I had a full-blow, totally-crippling, migraine headache. The best that I could manage was to take some mega-pain-killers and pass out. Twelve hours later, I woke up and found out that the Yankees lost this game.

I know, this sounds like an Aaron Stampler "I lost time" story - but, it's the truth.

So, all I can talk about from this game is what I saw in the boxscore this morning.

Looks like Karstens held his own and Jeter put himself into a spot to win the batting title.

It would have been nice to see the Yankees win this game - just because it would have locked up the best-record-in-the-majors title. But, a win on Sunday, weather providing, can do that as well.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at 07:43 AM | Comments (1)

WasWatching.com

Laconic commentary from a Yankeeland zealot.

October 31, 2006

Smells Like Teen Schilling

Yankees Sez....

Happy Hollow Weenie!

The Same Page?

Sheff Could Go Now

October 30, 2006

First Inning: Philip Hughes

The Last Twenty?

October 29, 2006

Remembering Billy

Today's Recommended Yankees Reading

October 28, 2006

Cano Going Long For Kevin

October 27, 2006

Watch Out Derek...

Mike Stanley

The Unit Price

October 26, 2006

Newsday: Maz Out, Donnie Moved

David Cone & The 2000 Yankees

All Things Bubba

Lights, Camera, Larsen!

October 25, 2006

The Bottom Line

...6, 5, 4, 3....

Scott Boras Is A Carny Barker

Matsuzaka - Worth The Price?

Boras: A-Rod Will Be In The Bronx In 2007

Yanks Look To Trade Sheff

Yanks To Start Hitting Up Fans Twice?

October 24, 2006

Don Fehr: Read My Lips, I Gave It A Shot

Torre's 1-2 Punch

The Mose Is Loose!

Seung-Yeop Lee In 2007?

October 23, 2006

Lee Maz Out?

Matsuzaka Wants Seattle?

Backing Up Jorge In '07

Today's Recommended Yankees Reading

October 22, 2006

Why The Yankees Should Let Mussina Walk

October 21, 2006

Jeff Suppan For 2007?

Bloggers: Yanks Should & Will Keep A-Rod

October 20, 2006

Enter Next Sandman?

Contreras Huge Asset To Yanks

Do I Smell A Book Coming?

18 Months Later

October 19, 2006

Yadier-Bing!

Costas: Yanks Should Trade A-Rod

Thoughts On A-Rod To The White Sox

Snow Bomber Update

October 18, 2006

WWRSND?

Proctor, Proctor, Give Me The News.....

Cavalcade Of Un-Stars

The Bizarro Jerome

October 17, 2006

Yanks Pay Tribute To Lidle

Let's B-Real On A-Rod Deal

Mark Mulder

A-Rod To The Cubs?

October 16, 2006

A-Rod = Lone-Wolf

Yanks Are Baseball's Cash Cow

October 15, 2006

Torre & A-Rod Don't Mix - The Sequel

October 14, 2006

Now That The Tigers Have Won The Pennant...

Stick Men Thrown Into The Volcano

October 13, 2006

A-Rod's Runway Mishap

Do I Hear Twenty-Six?

Moose Loose?