Feel free to use this post as a place for you to comment on anything Yankees-related (or within reach of tagging the bag of being Yankees-related on a decent slide) today. It could be a casual conversation offering, or, something you saw in the news, or something very detailed that you want to share that’s within the territory of Yankeeland.

Or, comment on something that someone else has posted here in the comments…

Have fun. Play nice. And, remember, keep it Yankees-focused.

P.S. – if you want to discuss the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame election results, as a special treat, here – that’s O.K., today, too.

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Via Crain’s New York -

Sales of David Wright and Derek Jeter T-shirts have slowed as Mets and Yankees fans make way for two new stars on the diamond. Fans are scooping up shirts bearing the names and numbers of free-agent pitchers Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez and CC Sabathia since they were signed last month.

“We’ve sold them out three times,” says John Camilleri, operations manager for Sports Avenue, which runs both the Mets and Yankees Clubhouse shops in the city. “Normally, Wright and Jeter are tops, but Mets fans are buying K-Rod and nothing else, and Yankees fans are buying Sabathia and nothing else.”

Fans bought more than 5,000 of each player’s shirts from Modell’s Sporting Goods before the end of last year, with Sabathia sales ahead by about 5%, a Modell’s spokesman said. With the Yankees signing of Mark Teixeira, Sabathia now has some competition. Meanwhile, Mets fans are hoping Derek Lowe jerseys will hit the racks soon.

Of course, the beauty of the Sabathia game jersey is that it’s a natural “one size fits all.”

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Via the Boston Herald -

In the fallout from those [Teixeira] talks, which resulted in an e-mail from perturbed Red Sox principal owner John Henry to the media, Boras’ reputation was also besmirched by an editorial on the Boston Globe’s op-ed page on Dec. 20, three days before the negotiations ended. The editorial applauded the Red Sox’ decision to walk away from the “con” perpetuated by the “devious” Boras, who had “rooked” the Red Sox in the past. The piece drew a parallel between the victims of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and victims of past Boras negotiations. The editorial failed to mention that the Globe’s owner, the New York Times [NYT] (even though it is trying to sell it) owns 17 percent of the Red Sox, a pertinent disclaimer in this case given the ownership’s direct involvement in the Teixeira talks.

Boras has frequently pointed out that no matter how often he gets vilified by nameless front-office sources for allegedly concocting phantom offers or shopping around concrete offers, the only thing that has been proven is his ability to continue to haul in massive contracts. It is a safe bet that being compared to a swindler like Madoff did not go over well with Boras.

The Sox, meanwhile, are, at least for now, done with Boras. One well-placed source said the club will never deal with him again unless it can be guaranteed that talks are being conducted honestly. We would take that threat a little more seriously if Boras’ clientele list were to shrink dramatically, but since that is not realistic, we will take it as a sign of just how badly the club felt it got stung by lies from Boras. They are in a “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me” mode right now, with the Teixeira talks feeling like the last straw to them.

This is funny. Two years ago, the Red Sox were fine in terms of dealing with Scott Boras in an underhanded manner – because it benefited them (on the J.D. Drew deal). And, now, they’re belly-aching about the way Boras does business. Too bad, eh?

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Via Tom Haudricourt:

The Yankees still have interest in acquiring Brewers centerfielder Mike Cameron after talks broke off in late December. They recently floated the idea of swapping first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher for Cameron.

Acquired earlier in the winter from the Chicago White Sox, Swisher was targeted to play first base for the Yankees before they signed Teixeira. He has approximately $21 million left on his contract over the next three seasons and is not considered a top-notch centerfielder despite seeing considerable action there last year in Chicago.

Having lost two strikeout pitchers in Sabathia and Sheets, Melvin figures more balls will be put in play off the Brewers’ staff this year. Thus, he’s inclined to keep Cameron despite his $10 million price tag.

“I’m not motivated to move him,” said Melvin, who promised Cameron he would only trade him to a contender. “Having a good defensive centerfielder is valuable.”

Cameron, who turned 36 on Thursday, said he took the trade talk with New York in stride and is looking forward to another season in Milwaukee.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m a Brewer until somebody calls me and tells me otherwise,” he said. “I have no control over that. Doug talked to me and told me what was going on, and I appreciate that.

“If I’m back in Milwaukee, that’s cool with me.”

I’m still trying to understand this Cashman lust for Cameron. He’s O.K., but, com’on…let’s move on.

Maybe Cashman is confused? Perhaps he’s mistaking the Brewers’ center fielder for the Summer Glau character, Cameron, on The Sarah Connor Chronicles and that’s why he’s jonesing so bad on this one?

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Playing around with the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, I was looking to run a list of Yankees starting pitchers who were great and who did it for many years in a row. So, I set the “Seasons With, Streak, Pitching” option for “Playing for the New York Yankees, most seasons in a row where RSAA >= 20 and GAMES STARTED >= 25.” Here’s the list that it generated:

Pitcher            Years   #
Red Ruffing	1935-40	6
Whitey Ford    	1962-64	3
Ron Guidry	1977-79	3
David Cone	1997-99	3
Russ Ford     	1910-11	2
Bob Shawkey	1919-20	2
Carl Mays      	1920-21	2
Herb Pennock	1924-25	2
Lefty Gomez	1934-35	2
Lefty Gomez	1937-38	2
Tiny Bonham	1942-43	2
Ed Lopat      	1949-50	2
Whitey Ford	1955-56	2
Jimmy Key      	1993-94	2
Andy Pettitte	1996-97	2
Roger Clemens	2000-01	2

Look at Red Ruffing here. Not only does he top the list – but, he blows everyone else away. This just may be another Yankees pitching record for Ruffing that no one will ever beat.

Seeing this, I decided to look at who were the top pitchers in baseball from 1935-1940. Also via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, here’s that list:

 Pitcher	         RSAA	  IP
 Lefty Grove	280	1296.0
 Red Ruffing	176	1455.0
 Tommy Bridges	159	1361.0
 Bob Feller	146	1106.0
 Lefty Gomez	139	1177.2
 Ted Lyons	133	1096.0
 Carl Hubbell	131	1416.0
 Bobo Newsom	115	1688.0
 Thornton Lee	113	1221.0
 Johnny Allen	108	1097.0

Ruffing is second to only the great Lefty Grove here. Any time you’re talking a positive pitching achievement and you’re second only to Lefty Grove, well, that’s not too shabby. (And, seeing Lefty Gomez here, on this list, confirms my former suggestion about the greatness of the Ruffing/Gomez one-two punch from 1930 through 1942 for the Yankees.)

Now, playing around with all these numbers got me wondering even more…in terms of RSAA per 9 innings pitched, who are the best Yankees pitchers, all-time, to date? Here’s that list:

 Pitcher	        RSAA	 IP	RSAA/9 IP
 J. Chamberlain	32	124.1	2.32
 Mariano Rivera	259	1023.2	2.28
 John Wetteland	29	125.0	2.09
 Tom Gordon	39	170.1	2.06
 Goose Gossage	103	533.0	1.74
 Steve Farr	29	169.0	1.54
 Jeff Nelson	42	311.0	1.22
 Sparky Lyle	93	745.2	1.12
 Ron Davis	31	291.2	0.96
 Spud Chandler	154	1485.0	0.93
 Whitey Ford	321	3171.0	0.91
 Lefty Gomez	242	2498.2	0.87
 Bobby Shantz	44	462.0	0.86
 Dave Righetti	107	1136.2	0.85
 Tiny Bonham	109	1178.0	0.83
 Jimmy Key	52	604.1	0.77
 Russ Ford	92	1112.2	0.74
 Carl Mays	88	1090.0	0.73
 Mike Stanton	36	448.1	0.72
 Hank Borowy	62	780.0	0.72
 Ed Lopat     	118	1496.2	0.71
 David Cone	72	922.0	0.70
 Marius Russo	53	681.0	0.70
 C-Ming Wang	48	628.2	0.69
 Red Ruffing	239	3168.0	0.68
 Monte Pearson	61	826.0	0.66
 Wilcy Moore	30	422.0	0.64
 Ron Guidry	166	2392.0	0.62
 Or. Hernandez	60	876.1	0.62
 Joe Bush     	53	783.0	0.61
 Urban Shocker	61	931.1	0.59
 Rudy May     	55	841.2	0.59
 Andy Pettitte	143	2212.0	0.58
 Bob Shawkey	157	2488.2	0.57
 Waite Hoyt	141	2273.0	0.56
 Mike Mussina	96	1553.0	0.56
 Johnny Murphy	61	989.0	0.56
 Roger Clemens	67	1103.0	0.55
 Steve Hamilton	29	485.1	0.54
 Allie Reynolds	99	1700.0	0.52
 Tom Sturdivant	29	524.0	0.50
 Lindy McDaniel	30	545.0	0.50
 David Wells	45	851.2	0.48
 Herb Pennock	115	2189.0	0.47
 Bill Bevens	31	643.0	0.43
 Ramiro Mendoza	32	699.2	0.41
 Vic Raschi	70	1538.0	0.41
 Tommy John	59	1367.0	0.39
 Joe Page     	30	780.0	0.35
 M.Stottlemyre	97	2662.0	0.33

Well, here, the bullpen guys top the list. That sort of makes sense – especially for the modern relief pitchers. If you’re good, hardly anyone is going to touch you up, that badly, when you’re throwing one inning and then you’re done.

It’s interesting to see Mike Mussina, David Wells, Roger Clemens, Orlando Hernandez and Andy Pettitte on this leader board. That was the Yankees 2002 starting rotation. Hey, they were pretty good, huh? Just makes it even more amazing that they (sans El Duque) got pounded by the Angels in the ALDS that season.

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Even though the big day is more than a month away, WasWatching.com has learned what Madonna is giving Alex Rodriguez for Valentine’s Day. A picture of the “romantic” gift from the “Material Girl” is below:

I wonder if she got it from Phiten and if it has any titanium in it?

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Via the Daily News -

Carl Pavano admitted, “I failed for four years in New York,” but he also suggested Friday that more support during his terrible tenure as a Yankee would have helped.

While Pavano said he didn’t hold “any grudges,” he also noted, “When you’re down, you expect your organization to pick you up, not kick you when you’re down. I’ve had to pick myself up quite a few times the last four years,” according to a report on mlb.com.

Overall, New York is “a great place to play,” Pavano said. “There’s no reason for me to focus on what happened to me, because that’s all behind me. I’m not holding any grudges. You just keep moving forward.”

Yankees GM Brian Cashman declined comment on Pavano’s remarks.

…I’ve had to pick myself up quite a few times the last four years…

What a sad story. If only poor ol’ Carl had Life Alert…

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Replacement Level Yankees Weblog has run some numbers and the results say that the Yankees have a chance to win 101 games this season and have an excellent chance to make the post-season. Then again, Replacement Level Yankees Weblog ran some numbers before last season and those said that the Yankees had a chance to win 92 games with a 63% chance of making the post-season.

When reached for comments on this, Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman said “We’re the New York Yankees. We’re always swinging for the fences…even when projecting. We just need to start translating some of these pre-season paper championships into reality. For some reason it’s just not happening. My job is obviously frustrating the hell out of me right now, to be honest. Because I just believe we’re better than this. We just have to make better decisions, I guess…”

O.K., well, maybe Cashman didn’t say that…but, doesn’t it sound like something he would say?

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Not one that I own in my DVD collection. And, it’s not one that I would seek out to watch. But, if I catch it on HBO, or something, by accident, I usually stop and watch it for a while. All told, I’ve probably watched the whole thing at least three times.

This is one of the reasons why I’m happy for Jon Cryer and the success that he’s reaped via his role on Two and a Half Men. The dude has put in his time with flicks like this one, No Small Affair and Morgan Stewart’s Coming Home. The race doesn’t always go to the swift, but, sometimes, to those who keep running. Cryer is an example of that.

(more…)

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Feel free to use this post as a place for you to comment on anything Yankees-related (or within reach of tagging the bag of being Yankees-related on a decent slide) today. It could be a casual conversation offering, or, something you saw in the news, or something very detailed that you want to share that’s within the territory of Yankeeland.

Or, comment on something that someone else has posted here in the comments…

Have fun. Play nice. And, remember, keep it Yankees-focused.

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Please consider taking the following poll:

Thanks in advance. And, please feel free to add comments on your opinion in the comments section below.

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Via Henry Schulman with a hat tip to Tim Dierkes:

Some speculation has arisen that the Giants might find a first baseman in New York, either Nick Swisher or Xavier Nady. I do not expect either will come to San Francisco.

I’ve been told by a good source that Yankees GM Brian Cashman wants to keep Swisher to replace Bobby Abreu in right field and deal Nady, who becomes a free agent after the 2009 season.

Just for the heck of it, I just checked the Bill James Handbook 2009 to look at the projections therein for Swisher and Nady. This is what they list:

Nady: 147 games, 23 HR, with a BA/OBA/SLG line of .284/.337/.473 leading to an OPS of .810

Swisher: 142 games, 23 HR with a BA/OBA/SLG line of .240/.359/.451 leading to an OPS of .810

Close, huh?

So, then I went over to FanGraphs to look at Nady and Swisher in terms of “Clutch” scores. Here’s what I saw…in terms of their lifetime numbers:

Swisher: -0.05
Nady: +0.09

That’s not really a huge difference either.

The remainder of Nick Swisher’s contract is as follows: He’s paid $5.3 million in 2009, $6.75 million in 2010 and $9 million in 2011. And, the Yankees now hold a $10.25 million option for 2012 with a $1 million buyout. For that reason, I would trade him and keep Xavier Nady – rather than do what this report suggests Cashman wants here.

Why? When all things are equal, as these stats show, I’d rather have the guy who’s playing for a contract, and who is hungry, like Nady, than have a guy who’s going to get paid, no matter what, for at least the next three years. But, then again, that’s me…

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Some recent changes to the Yankees projected 2009 Opening Day roster (based on the players they reportedly have under contract now):

Jorge Posada
Juan Miranda Mark Teixeira
Robinson Cano
Alex Rodriguez
Derek Jeter
Hideki Matsui
Johnny Damon
Brett Gardner
Xavier Nady
Jose Molina
Melky Cabrera
Wilson Betemit Ramiro Pena Angel Berroa
Chris Malec Nick Swisher
Chien-Ming Wang
Joba Chamberlain
Darrell Rasner Ian Kennedy CC Sabathia
Phil Hughes
Alfredo Aceves A.J. Burnett
Mariano Rivera
Brian Bruney
Jose Veras
Edwar Ramirez
Phil Coke
David Robertson
Mark Melancon Damaso Marte

One too many outfielders on this one as it stands…either a trade is coming or one between Cabrera and Gardner will end up starting the year in Triple-A.  It would also be nice to see one more semi-established starting pitcher make the squad too (in place of Hughes).

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Last week, Paul Keck contacted me regarding his new book “The Greatest Comeback Ever: A fan’s diary of the 1978 New York Yankees championship season.” As a result, we did a quick Q&A about the book that I wanted to share here. It follows below. My thanks to Paul for bringing his book to my attention and for his time during this Q&A.

WW: What can you tell us about your new book, The Greatest Comeback Ever: A fan’s diary of the 1978 Yankees Championship Season?

Keck: The Greatest Comeback Ever is a daily diary I wrote as a 16 year old Yankees fan in 1978, and captured the amazing Yankees comeback season against the Boston Red Sox. It has just been published this December, and is available on Amazon.com. The Yankees went on to win the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that year. It is a unique book on a unique season, the only one ever written by a young fan, live-time on an historically important sports season.

WW: Has the book been published exactly as you wrote your diary in 1978? Or, has it been edited in any way between how it was then and how it is now?

Keck: All the “hits, runs and errors” of the original diary have been maintained, with only a handful of exceptions for clarity. For example, there was a case where a player’s name was misspelled and might have been confused with another players name, so the correction was made in the book.

WW: What brought cause for you to do the diary in 1978? Was this something that you did every season when you were young? Or, was there something else behind it?

Keck: I say it was divine providence to pick one year in my life to write a diary and manage to spontaneously capture an amazing baseball season. It actually started as an autobiographical journal of what was going on in my life at the time, but I lost interest in that and tore out the dozen or so entries I had made on that topic and began writing the Yankees journal. I had always enjoyed writing and the Yankees, my favorite team, so these two went together well. 1978 was the only year I have ever written such a journal.

WW: What’s the one thing, above all, that you would want the readers of your book to take away from it?

Keck: That even even against seemingly impossible odds great comebacks can be made in any arena of life, on both the personal and organizational level. With the 1978 Yankees team this happened on the baseball field, and required a change in leadership (Bob Lemon replacing Billy Martin as manager) which led to a change in team chemistry-namely peace and unity which allowed the ballplayers to refocus on the game.

WW: There was a newspaper strike in New York for most of the 1978 season. Did you use some other sources for the information in your diary that year? Or, is everything in there an eye-witness account?

Keck: As an avid fan, I took in every source I could while following the Yankees season. This included watching the games on TV and listening to radio, reading most of the NY newspapers prior to the strike, and daily discussions with friends.

WW: Looking back back at what you wrote in 1978, now thirty years later, was there anything that you noted back then that surprised you today? What was it?

Keck: Interesting question, and I can say no. The theme of the fight for first has been around since the first ballgames were played, and remarkably I find much in the game the same as when it started-that includes 1978 vs. 2009. The baseball is still white with red stitches, the grass is still green, new ballparks are being built and fans still love the game-both the modern day and historical aspects as well. The greater sums of money that are involved in the business of the game today have certainly changed, but the love of the game by the fans continues to persist. And that’s just great!

WW: Of course, that begs the question “So, what do you think of the 2009 Yankees?”

Keck: I’m excited about the new Stadium and look forward to seeing the Yankees at play in 2009. With the recent additions of some excellent players, I have to think the organization’s goal is to form a new 1927 powerhouse team, one of the best of all time. I applaud the Yankees for their work to put the absolute best team on the field every year-and this will be one of the best ever. See you on opening day!

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Via the Post -

ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons appeared on Boston radio station WEEI yesterday and referenced a rift between new Yankees teammates Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez.

“As you probably remember, there was a lot of testiness between Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira when they played in Texas together,” Gammons told the radio station, according to Boston.com. “… And I don’t think Alex really cares about communicating with other players, we know [that] from Derek Jeter.

“Also, we haven’t really seen Teixeira in a situation where the expectations are really that high, and he’s going to have to deal with them in New York. It will be very interesting to see how it goes with the Yankees.”

For what it’s worth, at his presser on Tuesday, Teixeira said that he and A-Rod traded text messages after he agreed to sign with the Yankees. Further, Teixeira said that he was excited to to “get a first hand look at one of the greatest players of all-time.” Then again, I could see where a no-frills guy like Tex might not be a huge fan of the A-Rod Clydesdale Jog™.

So, was Teixeira just ‘saying all the right things’ the other day? At the end of the day, does it matter if they really don’t get along? See: Gehrig/Ruth and Munson/Jackson.

It’s what happens between the lines that counts – much more so than who’s having sleep-overs with their BFF during the season.

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SNY.tv checks in with Tim Dierkes of MLB TradeRumors.com. The video is below:

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The Business Public Relations group at MLB asked me to pass along some information regarding the 20th Annual Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) Dinner.

For those not aware, B.A.T. is a terrific organization that helps members of the “baseball family” (i.e. pre-pension era players, former negro league players, families of players, minor leaguers) who have a substantial need (financial or otherwise). This year, the theme will celebrate the memories of Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium. Below are former Yankees that will be present:

Roy White
Whitey Ford
Joe Girardi
Bob Watson
Pete Ward
Bill Virdon
Mike Torrez
Rusty Torres
Willie Randolph
Charlie Silvera
Bobby Shantz
Mike Pagliarulo
Graig Nettles
Paul Mirabella
Phil Linz
Jim Leyritz
Jay Johnstone
Cliff Johnson
Ed Figueroa
Art Ditmar
Chris Chambliss
Jim Bouton
Ruben Amaro, Sr.

In addition, these Hall of Famers will be there:

Luis Aparicio
Orlando Cepeda
Bob Gibson
Al Kaline
Joe Morgan
Robin Roberts
Ozzie Smith
George Brett
Dick Williams

The dinner is open to the public and those interested in purchasing tickets/tables can go to www.baseballassistanceteam.com. Anyone interested in attending will be contributing to this foundation, but will also get the chance to rub elbows with baseball legends.

I’ve never been to a B.A.T. Dinner. But, back in 1998, I met a fellow baseball fan who shared that he went to the dinners each year on a regular basis. And, the stories that he told me about attending were incredible. To say that it’s a good time is an understatement. I got the feeling from him that it was such an incredible experience that it left you counting down the days until the dinner the following year – because you couldn’t wait to go back again.

Here’s the what, when, where, and who for the 20th Annual Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) Dinner to be held on January 27, 2009:

WHAT: The Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) will be hosting their 20th annual fundraising dinner. The theme for the dinner will celebrate the memories of New York’s Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium. In addition to the theme, B.A.T. will honor Ozzie Smith, George Brett, Bret Saberhagen and Vince Coleman with the Big B.A.T./Frank Slocum Award and Luis Gonzalez with the Bart Giamatti Award. Over 125 current and former Major League players are scheduled to attend, which includes the likes of former Yankees and Mets. The event is open to the public.

WHEN: Tuesday, January 27, 2009; Reception begins at 5:45 p.m. EST

WHERE: New York Marriott Marquis Hotel located at 1535 Broadway, New York, NY.

WHO: Founded in 1986, B.A.T. is dedicated to helping those members of the “baseball family” most in need. B.A.T. strives to provide a means of support to people who are unable to help themselves. Through charitable contributions from corporations, foundations and individuals, B.A.T. is there to assist those with financial, psychological or physical burdens.

Again, for information on how to purchase tickets, or to make a donation, please contact B.A.T. at (212) 931-7821 or log on to www.baseballassistanceteam.com.

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Feel free to use this post as a place for you to comment on anything Yankees-related (or within reach of tagging the bag of being Yankees-related on a decent slide) today. It could be a casual conversation offering, or, something you saw in the news, or something very detailed that you want to share that’s within the territory of Yankeeland.

Or, comment on something that someone else has posted here in the comments…

Have fun. Play nice. And, remember, keep it Yankees-focused.

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Via SNY’s Geico SportsNite yesterday, video from the big presser at the Stadium. Here’s the clip:

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I’m working on a little project and was interested in some input from the readers of this blog.

I’m constructing a list of “major” starting pitching acquisitions by the Yankees since 1996 – albeit via trade or free agency. Obviously, I have some research tools at my availability that will enable me to work up a list of acquisitions and then select those players who were starting pitchers. And, I certainly have my own opinions on which ones of those were major in terms of the size of the trade made, or the contract awarded, and the expectations placed upon the incoming pitcher. Nonetheless, while I believe that the trade made for Roger Clemens or the free agent signing of Mike Mussina were “major” moves, I’m also curious as to what other Yankees fans think on this matter.

If you have any thoughts, opinions, etc., on this topic, please share them in the comments section below. And, of course, thanks in advance.

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Feel free to use this post as a place for you to comment on anything Yankees-related (or within reach of tagging the bag of being Yankees-related on a decent slide) today. It could be a casual conversation offering, or, something you saw in the news, or something very detailed that you want to share that’s within the territory of Yankeeland.

Or, comment on something that someone else has posted here in the comments…

Have fun. Play nice. And, remember, keep it Yankees-focused.

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As most Yankees fans know by now, on July 30, 2008, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada had labrum surgery to address a tear in his subscapularis muscle. Missing Posada in 2008 cost the Yankees dearly. And, having Jorge return to action this season is critical towards the Yankees success in 2009. But, is it reasonable to expect Posada to return in 2009 and perform to his usual levels?

To address that question, I reached out to Professional Orthopaedic Associates and asked them if they could share an expected prognosis, in general, for a professional athlete in his late thirties who had the same type of surgery as Posada – where the athlete would be required to expose the repaired shoulder to repeated stress after the procedure.

Dr. Harry A. Bade, a Board Certified and Fellowship Trained Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 25 years of surgical experience specializing in the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injuries, rotator cuff repair, shoulder reconstruction, knee arthroscopy, hand fractures and tendon injuries, was kind enough to provide an answer. Dr. Bade’s reply was:

The prognosis depends on the size of the tear in his subscapularis tendon. Of the four rotator cuff muscles, the subscapularis is on the anterior (or deep) aspect of the shoulder blade. It is an important dynamic stabilizer of the shoulder and is also responsible for internal rotation of the humerus (upper arm bone). These actions are critical when it comes to the overhead throwing motion.

This injury is evaluated by an orthopaedic surgeon, first by physical examination and, if necessary, later by arthroscopic surgery. Arthoscopy allows the surgeon to directly view the tear and perform appropriate corrective surgery. This involves releasing the tendon and suturing it back to its insertion on the (lesser tuberosity) of the proximal humerus. This muscle, if well repaired, will heal and again function properly. Healing of the tendon to the bone should occur within 2 to 3 months of the surgery, but reconditioning of the muscle to improve both flexibility, strength and function will take many more months. A return to throw program usually begins 4-6 months after surgery. In most cases, the athlete may expect to return to repetitive throwing that is required of a professional baseball catcher.

While we do not know the size of the tear in Posada’s shoulder, we (hopefully) can assume that it was well repaired. Therefore, allowing time for healing and reconditioning, this information from Dr. Bade suggests that Jorge is right on schedule with his return to throw program which began last month.

This is great news for Posada, the Yankees, and their fans. And, of course, my thanks to Professional Orthopaedic Associates and Dr. Harry A. Bade for their assistance on this matter.

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The Yankees have signed Jason Johnson and Angel Berroa to minor league deals.

Berroa is a terrible batter – in the Luis Sojo/Alvaro Espinoza mold. And, he’s very over-rated as a fielder.

Of all the right-handed pitchers to throw in the big leagues between 1947 and 2008, logging between 1,200 and 1,400 innings pitched, Jason Johnson is the second overall worst pitcher in terms of Runs Saved Above Average – trailing only Jimmy Haynes.

Ah, two great finds here by Brian Cashman!

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Via Joel Sherman -

Andy Pettitte’s chances to return to the Yankees have dropped precipitously because in the aftermath of the Mark Teixeira signing the organization is now strongly inclined to lower the $10 million offer that the lefty already has been resistant to all offseason, the Post has learned.

Pettitte recently rejected the Yankees’ latest $10 million overture, and now – barring a wave of sentimentality by the Yanks or significant change of strategy by either side – that dollar figure very likely will not be offered again.

Multiple sources refused to divulge if the offer had been lowered already. But one executive briefed on the matter described both the chances of making a deal and the $10 million bid as on life support. Another executive said he did not believe that the $10 million offer was there to be taken any longer. A lowered offer almost certainly would assure the end of the prideful Pettitte’s second tour with the Yankees.

While I still think that having Andy Pettitte return to the Yankees, for just the 2009 season, is vital to New York’s chances to reach the post-season this year, at this point, it’s clear that Brian Cashman and the Brothers Stein do not feel the same way. Therefore, at this junction, Pettitte should pull the string on any other offer that he has out there – and, I hope that he has a stellar season and wins twenty games. He deserves it – and the Yankees front office deserves to watch it happen for some other team…because of the lack of respect that they have shown Andy this off-season.

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To watch SNY.tv’s weekly Hot Stove Edition of New York Baseball Today, which features a rotating panel of experts and previews the offseason, click play below:

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The Indians have signed Carl Pavano.

Man, what is Mark Shapiro thinking?

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Feel free to use this post as a place for you to comment on anything Yankees-related (or within reach of tagging the bag of being Yankees-related on a decent slide) today. It could be a casual conversation offering, or, something you saw in the news, or something very detailed that you want to share that’s within the territory of Yankeeland.

Or, comment on something that someone else has posted here in the comments…

Have fun. Play nice. And, remember, keep it Yankees-focused.

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Via Bill Shaikin of The Fabulous Forum blog in the L.A. Times –

And, in a winter in which the Yankees have been roundly criticized for spending more than $400 million on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, they clearly made the right financial call on Abreu. They declined to offer Abreu arbitration, not wanting to risk a one-year contract at or near his 2008 salary of $16 million. Abreu will be fortunate to make half that, based on the current market.

I’m not so sure on this one.

It may have been nice to get that draft pick for losing Abreu – especially when you consider how many the Yankees have given up this off-season. (Yes, I know, they do get one for blowing their pick on Gerrit Cole last summer – and that does help offset some of what they have lost so far. But, remember, the Yankees blew another pick last year on Scott Biddle. And, it would be a shame to basically punt two drafts in a row.)

Here’s my logic: Do we know, for sure, that Abreu would have accepted the Yanks’ offer, with the hope to get a one-year deal with New York, given the market where guys like Pat Burrell and Milton Bradley are making $8 to $10 million a year? Well, I see the point where Burrell and Abreu can be paired as “like” players both offensively and defensively. And, I could understand where some might say Bradley is at that level, when healthy, too. Therefore, yes, sure, Bobby Abreu will probably get a contract for 2009 (on the open market) in the range of $9 to $11 million for the season. But, he’ll also probably get a two-year deal too. (After all, Burrell did a multi-year deal. So did Bradley. And, Raul Ibanez too.)

So, if you’re Bobby Abreu, would you want a one year deal for $16 million to be on a team that doesn’t want you – and doesn’t need you – or would you rather have a two-year deal for something like $20 million where you’re going to a team that wants you – and has a position for you to play?

I just don’t see how someone can assume – again, for sure – that Abreu would take $16 mill for one to be in a hostile situation over taking $20 million for two to be in a situation where he’s wanted and was the ability to post some numbers that may allow him to get another contract after this one. Then again, if someone wants to assume then I suppose they have that right…

Personally, I think we have to let this one play out to the end before we start saying the Yankees made the right call on not offering Abreu arbitration…but, maybe that’s just me.

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Beats being “Mr. May!” Via the Post -

There’s no love lost between Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees’ hometown rivals. While watching the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Miami Heat at Miami’s American Airlines Arena recently, he was introduced to June Azoulay, the wife of Madison Square Garden’s official photographer, George Kalinsky. Rodriguez hugged her, but not before tapping her cap with his hand and saying, “It’s a pleasure meeting you, despite the fact that you’re wearing a Mets hat.” A red-faced June said it was a pleasure, too.

Even I have to cut Alex some rope on this one. Clearly, he was just trying to be funny. Amazing what can be attempted…in terms of turning a non-story into a news item…sometimes.

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Clean…and clever!

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