Via Sweeny Murti today -

Being a member of the media, I rely on speaking to athletes every day to do my job. I ask them questions, they give me answers…this is how the job works. If they don’t speak, I don’t have much to go on. That said, I’m going to suggest that Alex Rodriguez never open his mouth again. Seriously.

This is simply a guy who proves time and time again that he can’t talk and chew gum at the same time. Last week A-Rod had his cousin (who is apparently guilty of transporting a controlled substance into the U.S.) meet him at the ballpark to give him a ride home (the Yankees response was something like, “Just how stupid are you?”). This week A-Rod stumbled in the simple act of trying to compliment Jose Reyes. He rolled out the Welcome Wagon, only to run over Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon in the process.

Former Yankee 3rd base coach Larry Bowa and bullpen catcher Mike Borzello used to fine Alex $100 a pop every time he said something stupid. I was surprised to see that both men are still working, joining Joe Torre’s staff in LA. I just assumed Bowa and Borzello had taken their winnings and retired to a small island in the Caribbean.

If saying stupid things were an Olympic sport, A-Rod would have won a gold medal by now. While trying to defend himself from Mike Lupica, he hammered Derek Jeter (the famous 2001 Esquire article). While confessing to steroids, he accused Selena Roberts of breaking and entering. He once forgot the name Sandy Koufax, referring to him as “the Jewish gentleman.” He referred to his slap at Bronson Arroyo in the 2004 ALCS as a “brilliant play” even though he was called out because it was illegal. Oh, and he keeps calling him Brandon Arroyo.

Listen, I’m not asking for The Gettysburg Address. I’m just hoping for something better than Jeff Spicoli. At this point I really wonder how much our work would suffer if we didn’t get any more pearls of wisdom from A-Rod.

An interesting point. In my lifetime, the Yankees have had a few characters on the team who would say crazy things from time to time. Take Mickey Rivers. However, as uneducated as The Quick was, he never got into hot water as much as A-Rod. Ditto Rickey Henderson. Perhaps the closest to Alex, in terms of having diarrhea of the mouth, as a Yankee, would be David Wells? Still, it seems like Rodriguez says things that are even dumber than what Boomer sometimes offered.

Am I missing someone? Has there ever been a Yankees player who has said/done more “stupid” things while they were in New York than A-Rod?

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99% of the time, Ben Stiller is the kiss of death for me when it comes to enjoying a movie. But, thanks to Vince Vaughn, Rip Torn, Justin Long, Stephen Root, Joel Moore, and Alan Tudyk, this one, albeit a silly movie, is always funny for me. Gary Cole and Jason Bateman were awesome in this one too.

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Via Sam Borden -

And yet despite that, [Alex] Rodriguez has not surprisingly become a polarizing figure in the Dominican, just as he is in the United States, where he also holds citizenship. While some Dominican businesses have taken out advertisements in newspapers in the DR offering support for Rodriguez, there also appears to be a segment that views Rodriguez with disdain.

Much of that feeling likely goes back to 2006, when Rodriguez opted to play for the U.S. instead of the Dominicans in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. This year, Rodriguez has chosen to play with the Dominican Republic, and there are some who believe his flip-flopping is inappropriate.

“I get the Dominican cable channels on my TV here,” said Michelle Badia, a teacher at Somers High School who is Dominican and visits the country several times a year. “You see it quite a bit – people saying, ‘I don’t want him on the team.’ ”

Badia added that she recalled visiting Jamaica Plain, Mass., which has a heavy Latino presence, shortly after Rodriguez picked Team USA over the Dominicans in ’06. “There were a lot of posters of him on the fronts of Dominican businesses there,” she said, “and they had X’s through his face. It was like, ‘He’s not one of us.’ ”

Ulysses Serpa, a baseball fan from West Harrison who is of Dominican and Cuban descent, said, “I would say there are a good number of people who don’t even know A-Rod is Dominican and don’t associate him with that at all. They know David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, (Albert) Pujols. Not A-Rod.”

This has nothing to do with the A-Rod thing here…but…is it just me, or, is Ulysses Serpa a great name or what? I would love to see a baseball player in the big leagues with the name Ulysses Serpa…

Awesome, awesome, name.

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I recently had a chance to do a quick Q&A with Yankees beat reporter Kat O’Brien of Newsday.

Kat’s the Andy Pettitte of beat writers. She’s experienced, professional and among the best at her craft. But, at the same time, she’s one of the nicest people that you can possibly meet. (Seriously, we’re talking “Mayberry” kind of “nice.” And, it doesn’t get any better than that.) Here’s our exchange:

WW: Having spent a good chunk of time covering the Yankees lately, after covering the Texas Rangers, has your view of the game changed? If so, how?

Kat O’Brien: I would not say that my view of the game has changed significantly since going to New York. Covering the two teams is very different, mostly in that there are so many more media around the Yankees. That makes it a little tougher to get to know guys. It takes a little longer just because there are so many other reporters around, but eventually, as a beat writer, they realize you are around a lot and tend to open up a bit. A lot more attention is paid to the Yankees than a mid-market team such as the Rangers, and there are a lot more star/highly paid players, but the game remains more or less the same.

WW: Speaking of the media crush around the Yankees, what’s been your experience dealing with the other beat writers? Is it dog-eat-dog or is the a camaraderie among the group?

Kat O’Brien: It actually is less “dog-eat-dog” than one might think. Obviously it’s very competitive to get stories and be first with given stories, and nobody is sharing exclusive information. But people do get along for the most part. Some are closer than others, but I’ve gotten lunch/dinner or drinks with everyone on the beat at one time or another. There are things you have to be competitive about but not 24-7.

WW: Now that you’ve been a baseball beat writer for a while, is it an occupation that you would endorse for some youngster who had an interest? Or, does it fall into the category of “If you like sausage, then you should never go work in a sausage factory”?

Kat O’Brien: Ha-ha, that’s a funny question. Given the state of the newspaper industry and media in general, it would be difficult in good conscience for me to recommend studying to become a journalist of any sort, let alone a beat writer. My younger brother is interested in journalism, but the way things are going, those of us already in the industry worry about holding onto our jobs. So my take that I probably wouldn’t recommend becoming a baseball beat writer has little to do with the job itself but more to do with job security. The job itself is great, though there is typically a high burnout rate because the travel and hours get to people after a while.

WW: Now that you’ve been blogging about the Yankees in addition to your traditional media duties, do you see the role of beat writer evolving into something new? If yes, what’s your best guess towards what that new role will be?

Kat O’Brien: That’s the million dollar question that applies to just about every job in journalism these days. The role of beat writer (as that of columnist and other jobs) is changing, and faster than most people could have imagined. Blogging is an important aspect of the job for most people. Another big change is that of deadlines. We now write news for the internet, as in ASAP, and perhaps rewrite for the actual print product.

As for what all this means for the future, I wish I knew. Some have speculated that print newspapers will not exist within just a few years, or at least that many of them will not. I hope that isn’t the case.

WW: It wouldn’t shock me if that happened. It’s sad. I can remember, as recent as 1998, when reading the morning paper and digging through baseball box scores was a daily staple. But, I doubt that many people under the age of 50 do that now. Switching gears a bit, what’s your thoughts about the 2009 Yankees? What do you think are their strengths and weaknesses?

Kat O’Brien: I think this is a really strong Yankees team. There are no glaring weaknesses to me in terms of offense, defense, starting pitching or bullpen. The one potential weakness is age. They have a fair number of older guys, which may make them more susceptible to injury . Some guys are already injury concerns, such as Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui, just because they are coming off of surgery. Then again, the Yankees actually got younger by trading in Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu for Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher.

The strengths are many. The rotation is top-notch. What team wouldn’t trade its rotation to have CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain and Andy Pettitte? The bullpen should be very strong as well, as long as Mariano Rivera is healthy and his usual self. And the offense has the potential to be terrific. I expect Posada to have a solid season. Even though his surgery was much more serious than that of Matsui, I’d actually be more concerned about Matsui, given that Matsui has had knee surgery in consecutive offseasons. The one thing to worry about offensively, IMHO, is how Alex Rodriguez fares after admitting to using steroids.

WW: There are opinions out there going both ways on Alex. Some say that he’s going to fold under pressure this season. And, others offer that this mess will have him focused like he was in 2007. You’ve been around Rodriguez more than most – having worked in Texas and New York. How do you think he’ll handle all this and perform this season?

Kat O’Brien: I think getting off to a good start will be more important than usual for him. However, Alex Rodriguez has a remarkable ability to block things out. I really don’t think he will be too affected by outside things, unless there is just a continual flow of further information coming out. He’ll probably have a terrific season.

WW: Speaking of terrific, in all the time that you’ve been covering the Yankees, what’s the one thing that you saw that you will never forget for the rest of your life?

Kat O’Brien: I will never forget having attended the final game at Yankee Stadium. That was really special to be at such a historic event. I might add, I’m sure I will never forget being at the stadium opener either this year. But it was really great to attend the final game and see just how much the Stadium meant to so many people.

That’s it. My thanks to Kat for granting this Q&A and for all her time and attention towards my questions!

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First, via Newsday -

Even when Alex Rodriguez is trying to stay positive, things seem to turn out wrong.

A-Rod paid Mets shortstop Jose Reyes a high compliment today after the Dominican Republic’s first exhibition game before the World Baseball Classic, but it unintentionally came at the expense of at least one Yankee teammate and possibly even Derek Jeter, Rodriguez’s old friend/ nemesis.

“I wish he was leading off on our team, playing on our team,” Rodriguez said of Reyes, who hustled to take an extra base in the fifth inning and then stole third and scored in the Dominican team’s 10-1 win over the Marlins. “That’s fun to watch. Anytime you have that type of speed… I mean, we have a guy in (Brett) Gardner that’ll be fun. That’s probably the most you can have, watching those guys run.”

Rodriguez may have forgotten who plays shortstop for the Yankees these days, but he quickly remembered once his brief press conference was over. A Dominican team spokesman told reporters that Rodriguez’s compliment of Reyes was not intended as a shot at Jeter, the Yankees captain who has remained somewhat distant since A-Rod’s steroid admission.

Next, via the Yankees site -

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will fly to Vail, Colo., on Wednesday, and will be examined and evaluated by Dr. Marc Phillipon, a hip specialist at Steadman-Hawkins Clinic.

After experiencing right hip tightness and stiffness this spring, Rodriguez was examined by Dr. Chris Ahmad, the New York Yankees team physician on Saturday in Tampa, Fla. An MRI examination-also administered on Saturday-revealed the formation of a cyst in the right hip. Dr. Ahmad determined that a follow-up examination with a hip specialist should be scheduled.

The Yankees contacted Dr. Phillipon on Saturday to schedule an appointment, and Wednesday (tomorrow) was the first day he could be seen in his office.

After consultations between the Yankees’ medical staff and Dr. Phillipon, and because there has been no functional pain, Rodriguez was cleared to continue baseball activities until Dr. Phillipon could examine him.

“We felt it was in everyone’s best interest-for the team and the player-to send Alex to Dr. Phillipon, who is regarded as the leading expert in his field,” said Brian Cashman, New York Yankees Senior Vice President and General Manager. “Alex has proven his durability throughout his career, and we will take every precaution and step necessary to ensure his health as we near the start of the 2009 regular season and beyond.”

Any future determinations or comments regarding Rodriguez will take place only after his appointment with Dr. Phillipon, and the exchange of information between the doctor, the team and Rodriguez is complete.

I guess some people would call this karma…first you act like an ass and then you get a pain in your own…

O.K., joking aside, this news today on Rodriguez made me think of something that I recently read regarding the current Barry Bonds trial. Here it is:

Steve Hoskins, [Barry] Bonds’ childhood friend and personal assistant, tape recorded a 2003 conversation at the Pac Bell clubhouse with [Bonds trainer Greg] Anderson in which injections are discussed.

Anderson: “No, what happens is, they put too much in one area, and what it does, it ‘ill, it ‘ill actually ball up and puddle. And what happens is, it actually will eat away and make an indentation. And it’s a cyst. It makes a big [expletive] cyst. And you have to drain it. Oh yeah, it’s gnarly … Hi Benito … oh it’s gnarly.”

Hoskins: “He said his [expletive] went … that’s why he has to, he had to switch off of one cheek to the other. Is that why Barry’s didn’t do it in one spot, and you didn’t just let him do it one time?”

Anderson: “Oh no. I never. I never just go there. I move it all over the place.”

Yuri Sucart could not be reached for comment…

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To watch SNY.tv’s New York Baseball Today, which features a rotating panel of experts, click play below:

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Gee, I was kinda hoping for an A-Rod free day today…but, then, I saw this via the AP (with a hat tip to BBTF) -

Before he lied to her about steroids, Alex Rodriguez turned to Katie Couric for career advice.

On the “Late Show with David Letterman” Monday, Couric said she was speaking to Rodriguez frequently when he opted out of his contract in 2007, trying to convince him to do a “60 Minutes” interview.

At one point, Rodriguez called to ask her, “What team do you think I should play for?”

It was probably just a pick-up attempt by Alex. After all, Couric is 52-years old. That’s right in A-Rod’s happy zone.

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Of all the games that you’ve attended at Yankee Stadium, what game had the “loudest moment” – and what was that “moment”?

For me, it’s a hard call. It’s between the Boone homer in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS and the Justice homer in Game 6 of the 2000 ALCS.

What’s yours? Please leave it in the comments section below. If we get enough answers, I’ll make a poll out of this one.

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According to Steve Kelley, John Wetteland can now laugh off the 1995 ALDS. (Hat tip to BBTF.)

I’ve shared this before, but, I’ll say it again: After the winning run scored in the [1995] ALDS for Seattle, I sat, on my knees, on the floor, about a foot away from the TV, for what seemed like an hour. I couldn’t move. For whatever reason, this one really hurt – probably because of the lead they blew in the series and the fact that it had been so long since Yankees October baseball.

So, you’ll forgive me if I don’t laugh along with Wetteland. (Although, to his credit, Wetteland did say that the failure in 1995 was a motivator for him in 1996.)

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Joe Sheehan likes the Yankees bullpen -

Other than re-signing 2008 trade acquisition Damaso Marte to a three-year, $12 million deal, the Yankees made the statement, however implicit, that they are committed to their homegrown relievers in 2009. One of the bright spots in the team’s first October-free season since 1994 was the emergence of hurlers such as Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras, who combined to strike out 126 men in 113 innings with a 3.74 ERA. By the end of the season, Phil Coke and David Robertson were making contributions in low-leverage situations. Add in free-talent pickups like Brian Bruney and Alfredo Aceves, and the Yankees have more than enough effective relievers to go around, whether you’ve heard of them or not.

Staying out of the reliever market is a good idea for the Yankees, who have spent most of the decade trying and failing to recapture the magic that was Mike Stanton and Jeff Nelson in the seventh and eighth innings. The set-up tandem from 1997 through 2000 contributed to three division titles, four playoff appearances, and three World Championships. Joe Torre’s ability to run a bullpen was in no small part predicated on having those two pitchers around; since ’01, Torre has never seemed quite as comfortable with his relief staff.

Actually, the Yankees bullpen in 2002 was not terrible. See this list of seasons, from 1996 through 2008, where the Yankees had guys on their team with an ERA+>=115 along with a H+BB/IP Ratio<=1.33, with at least 30 games pitched and 85% of them in relief:

 Year   Number Players Matching
+----+--------------------------+------+---------------------------+
 2002        4 Mike Stanton / Steve Karsay / Ramiro Mendoza / Mo Rivera
 2006        3 Scott Proctor / Mariano Rivera / Mike Myers
 2001        3 Mariano Rivera / Ramiro Mendoza / Randy Choate
 1998        3 Mariano Rivera / Graeme Lloyd / Darren Holmes
 1997        3 Jeff Nelson / Mariano Rivera / Mike Stanton
 2008        2 Mariano Rivera / Brian Bruney
 2007        2 Mariano Rivera / Mike Myers
 2005        2 Tom Gordon / Mariano Rivera
 2004        2 Tom Gordon / Mariano Rivera
 2003        2 Mariano Rivera / Chris Hammond
 2000        2 Jeff Nelson / Mariano Rivera
 1996        2 John Wetteland / Mariano Rivera
 1999        1 Mariano Rivera

Me?  I’m not 100% sold on the Yankees bullpen this season.  I’ve already documented concerns on Bruney, Ramirez and Veras.  That leaves Marte and some rookies to support Mo Rivera. 

Could it work?  Sure, maybe…  Then again, maybe not…

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…and raise your hand if you were into the Cat! Or, was I the only one watching this on 11 Alive when I was a little kid?

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Via SportsBusiness Daily:

YES Network will continue to simulcast Mike Francesa’s daily radio show, “Mike’D Up: Francesa on the FAN,” opting to match an offer the radio host signed with MSG Network. The multi-year deal also will see YES simulcast Francesa’s NFL pre-game show “The NFL Now,” which airs Sunday mornings during football season, from 9:00am-12:00pm ET. “YES had the right to match, and they matched,” Francesa said. “I always thought that we’d stay with YES. … From day one, YES has been exceedingly committed.” YES has simulcast Francesa’s radio show since the net’s launch in March ’02, signing a series of one-year deals. Francesa split from his long-time partner Chris “Mad Dog” Russo last summer. Francesa and YES verbally agreed to the deal in November and ultimately inked an agreement at the end of the year. He said the show will move into new studios in the coming months, and he plans to use more YES Network talent in his show, specifically mentioning clubhouse reporter Kim Jones as someone who will see more airtime.

Pretty interesting. I thought that the feeling in the industry was that the MSG Network would get Francesa – and that it was pretty much a done deal.

I guess that the YES Network figured there were not enough White Shadow repeats out there to cover the block of time left open if Francesa bolted. (Yeah, I’m kidding. I know that YES finally started to cool it with the Shadow shows.)

Hey, look at the bright-side…it could be worse. YES could have given Michael Kay more air-time, or something, if Francesa’s slot became open. Sometimes a hot poker in the eye is better than a chainsaw to the throat…right?

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Via John Harper the other day -

All along the Mets have been thinking, privately at least, that they could be in a position to trade for Matt Holliday in late July, and add the big bat they passed on this winter. As in, you know, Manny Ramirez.

Only now they just hope they don’t find themselves needing Roy Halladay, the Blue Jays’ ace who could be available if Toronto is buried early in the killer AL East.

The Roy Halladay part leads to today’s wild thought.

If Doc Halladay becomes available this summer, should the Yankees be in on the bidding to get him? Imagine sliding him into the rotation and then moving Joba to the pen? (That would be one way to ensure that Chamberlain does not exceed 140 IP this year.)

The question is: At what cost? If you had to trade Phil Hughes and other prospects for Halladay, would you do it? (We know that Cashman won’t do it.) Would Hank Stein allow the Mets to trade for both Johan Santana and Roy Halladay? That’s a good one.

Me? I think the Yankees would have to be in on it – like how they got David Cone years ago. You just can’t let someone like Halladay float by without at least kicking the tires on an offer to get him, right?

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Via David Lennon with a hat tip to Pete Abe -

On the heels of a meeting with MLB investigators and as he prepares for the World Baseball Classic, it was another bizarre scene featuring Alex Rodriguez.

Minutes before the Dominican Republic team was about to take the field this afternoon, Cynthia Rodriguez pulled up in a gray Mercedes SUV with a female friend and A-Rod’s two daughters. When A-Rod emerged, he created a media frenzy by heading over to the car and picking up his oldest daughter, Natasha. The pair was swarmed by photographers and his daughter seemed upset by the crush.

Strangely, A-Rod is the only one with a family here, and he carried his daughter onto the field, where C-Rod then posed with the two young girls — Ella is their other daughter — on the outfield grass. The other players seemed totally bewildered by the whole scene as they headed out for the team photo.

This is a reversal from the last time we saw news about Alex and his daughters. For those who don’t recall, here’s the story via the Daily News -

Word of [Alex and Cynthia Rodriguez'] marital strife comes less than three months after they expressed how “thrilled” they were with the April 21 birth of daughter Ella Alexander.

Rodriguez, 32, didn’t join his wife in Miami until 10 minutes after she gave birth, and spent only a day with her and their newborn before rejoining the Yankees.

…the other players seemed totally bewildered by the whole scene…

I guess no one told them that it was A-Fraud showing up today and not A-Rod?

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Amy K. Nelson, at ESPN.com, tells us everything we ever wanted to know, or not, about A-Rod’s primo, Yuri Sucart. Some highlights:

A few years ago, Roger Ball called his good friend Yuri Sucart about getting tickets to a Texas Rangers game for a female friend. Sucart willingly helped Ball; he could, since his younger cousin was the team’s star shortstop. When the woman who would be picking up the tickets asked how she would recognize Sucart, Ball didn’t hesitate.

“He’s the Dominican Shrek,” Ball said. “Yuri looks like this big, mean thing coming at you, but he’s got the softest hands. … He’s sweet as a baby.”

Sucart might physically resemble Shrek, but in everyday life, he is more like the green ogre’s friend and companion, Donkey. For the past 16 years, Sucart has been Alex Rodriguez’s loyal lieutenant, a full-time assistant — and salaried employee — whose job has been to safeguard his cousin and devote himself, at times blindly, to whatever the superstar desires.

“He lives and breathes to please Alex,” one source close to both Sucart and Rodriguez says. “He seriously does whatever Alex tells him to do. He depends completely on Alex’s good nature.”

Sucart’s life, like his role with Rodriguez, is cloaked in mystery. Sucart declined to be interviewed for this story, and Rodriguez is declining to respond to non-baseball questions. But according to Ball, who’s known the family since the early ’90s, Sucart was born in 1962 and orphaned as an infant when his mother died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. Lourdes Navarro, Rodriguez’s mother and the sister of Sucart’s mother, helped raise Sucart, according to Ball and family friends. It is unclear where Sucart lived when Navarro moved her family to New York, where her son Alex was born in 1975.

But when Rodriguez returned to the Dominican Republic for a few years in the early 1980s, the cousins became friendly; Sucart, 13 years Rodriguez’s senior, was more like an older brother, according to sources. Sucart attended college for a few years in the Dominican before leaving for the United States, always reminding friends that he wasn’t “a dummy.”

Ball lived in the west Kendall section of Miami when he first met Sucart at the Rodriguez house. The two became friends, and Ball watched as Sucart started his life as Rodriguez’s personal assistant in 1993, when Rodriguez was drafted No. 1 overall and then signed by the Seattle Mariners. Rodriguez had Sucart live with him in a two-bedroom apartment in downtown Seattle. Sucart took care of his cousin and received a salary that enabled him to provide for his family.

Sucart continued to stay with Rodriguez when Rodriguez went to Texas in 2001 after signing an unprecedented 10-year, $252 million deal. Although his role decreased when Rodriguez married Cynthia Scurtis in late 2002, Sucart remained a key person in his cousin’s life.

In the early years, sources say, the relationship was brotherly, and Sucart — whose first name is most often pronounced “Judy” — was Rodriguez’s friend and protector. But as Rodriguez experienced success in the big leagues, the dynamic with Sucart and the rest of Rodriguez’s family began to shift.

“As Alex’s star rose, his sense of entitlement grew,” says a source who once was close to Rodriguez. “Yuri, Alex’s brother [Joe Dunand] and others became more subservient. … Alex’s sense of entitlement combined with the rest’s lack of success on their own made them ‘yes men.’”

Sources say Sucart was chief among the “yes men.” Whatever Rodriguez asked for, Sucart scrambled to provide. Rodriguez needed a soda? Sucart fetched one. The shoes needed shining? Sucart was on it. When women wanted to cozy up to Rodriguez, they would climb on Sucart’s lap, trying to ply him with money and attention just to reach his rich, famous cousin, says a source who witnessed such scenes on numerous occasions.

“If Alex called at 3 in the morning and said, ‘Make me soup,’” Ball said, “Yuri would be there.”

It’s unclear what Sucart’s exact income is or has been, but friends say his compensation couldn’t be much. Sucart always seems, according to one friend, to “just be getting by.” The one-story house Sucart owns in Miami sits on a beautiful estate, but from the street, it looks to be in rugged shape. Friends say the house is “a dump.”

Sucart, though, is not a saint. He has had a reputation for not always following through on promises, whether it has been free tickets or signed memorabilia. Sucart often has left people hanging. But his reputation also is that of someone who never really seems to have a bad day, a fun person to party with who always is very social. When asked about her cousin, Rodriguez’s half-sister, Susy Dunand-Silva, said he’s “a great person” before adding that she could no longer speak to the media.

Somehow, I don’t think we’ll be seeing that Yuri Sucart Yankeeography any time soon…so, for now, this is a good source for more on A-Rod’s cuz.

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He’s now helping to fill out the Reds line-up card…

Via the Cincinnati Enquirer:

[A-Rod Protégé] Yonder Alonso was in the [Cincinnati] lineup as the designated hitter Sunday with Alonso’s good buddy, Rodriguez, in town with the Yankees.

“One reason I’m playing him is to let A-Rod see him play,” [Reds Manager Dusty] Baker said.

Alonso lashed a double to left-center in his first at-bat.

Yeah, this is a kidding entry…for those who don’t get it…

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Yeah, it’s a snowy March day in Yankeeland today. But, this is nothing.

In 1982, a snowstorm that hit New York delayed the start of the Yankees season for five days. Instead of opening against Texas on April 6th, the Yankees started the season with a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on April 11th. And, in 2003, six inches of snow caused the Yankees to push back their Opening Day by a day.

I went to both of those delayed openers. In 1982, I was sitting in field level seats out in right field. It was very strange to watch the game – while also being able to look to my right and see the mountains of snow that the grounds crew had piled up behind the outfield fence. In 2003, it was cold. I lost the feeling in both my feet around the 7th inning.

I plan on being at the Yankees home opener this year. Let’s hope we’re done with the snow, this year, by then…

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Anyone else find it odd that Peter Abraham did a feature on Billy Eppler (and the Yankees scouting department/effort) and then, four days later, Tyler Kepner did one on Eppler, et al, as well?

It’s almost as if the Yankees (or, is it Brian Cashman alone?) are trying to get something out there that screams “Hey, look at us, we’re just as smart as the front office teams being run by Theo Epstein, Billy Beane, Andrew Friedman and Mark Shapiro!”

Then again, maybe it’s just me…

By the way, related, Bob Klapisch recently did a nice feature on the “brighter” front office teams in baseball today. Click here to see it.

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If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Kat O’Brien’s new feature entitled “In Dominican Republic, baseball is a way out.”

I cannot believe the Yankees denied access to their academy in the D.R. What do they have to hide there?

This is embarrassing, but, “Away Games” has been in my “To Read” pile at home for the last ten years. (My, time flies…)

Anyone out there already read that one?

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In case you somehow managed to miss it, there’s a very interesting book about the Yankees that came out four weeks ago. It’s “The Yankee Years” (by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci).

“The Yankee Years” chronicles the Yankees seasons from 1996 through 2007 – as well as touching upon what was happening, overall, in major league baseball during this time.

Having read the book, I believe the first, and perhaps most important, thing to share is that “The Yankee Years” is not Joe Torre’s book. When you look at the cover of the book, and see Joe Torre’s picture there, and then you look at the author’s names under that picture, where it reads “Joe Torre and Tom Verducci,” it’s probably natural to come away from that with the assumption that this is “Joe Torre’s book as told to Tim Verducci” (or something like that).

And, such an assumption would be a mistake. “The Yankee Years” is written by Tom Verducci and Joe Torre is heavily quoted in the book. That’s the reality of this one. And, that’s actually good news – because Tom Verducci is among the best out there, today, in terms of those who write about baseball.

In “The Yankee Years,” Verducci presents a very engaging narrative account of the Yankees scene and baseball as a whole, from 1996 through 2007, while sharing extremely well researched facts and statistics. And, interwoven with this are quotes from Joe Torre.

For example, the chapter “Baseball Catches Up” from “The Yankee Years,” where the story is about the discussion on how other teams in baseball started working smarter and more efficient (in order to offset the Yankees’ advantage of being able to spend more than most teams), is basically “all-Verducci” doing his craft. (And, it’s great work.)

Now, granted, there are some chapters in “The Yankee Years” where you hear more from Torre than in other chapters. For example, in the chapter “The Issues of Alex” where the subject matter is Alex Rodriguez, the bulk of the quotes in there are from Joe Torre.

Actually, it’s not just Joe Torre who is quoted often in “The Yankee Years.” Mike Mussina, David Cone, Larry Bowa and Mike Borzello are frequently quoted as well. (But, yes, then again, because Borzello is Joe Torre’s godson, you could make the case that he’s going to say what you would expect to hear from Torre.)

Cutting to the chase, I highly recommend reading “The Yankee Years.” If you’re a fan of the New York Yankees, you must read this book. Verducci (with Torre) provides incredible insight on your favorite team covering the years 1996 through 2007. In my lifetime, I’ve read over forty books about the New York Yankees – and, “The Yankee Years” is easily among the best of the bunch.

Further, you don’t need to be a Yankees fan to enjoy this book. With the way that Verducci has packaged this one, it will appeal to any baseball fan. And, “The Yankee Years,” in my opinion, is an instant classic and has quickly positioned itself at the top of the list in terms of being a primary part of any essential baseball library.

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Paul Mulshine has an interesting theory on this -

But that won’t stop scalpers, said Happel. The only way to do that, he says, is through what economists call a “Dutch auction.” This is the reverse of a regular auction. Instead of rising, prices drop. A ticket that starts at perhaps $400 might drop $10 a day until all are sold. Scalpers won’t invest in a product that is declining in value, Happel said.

No one has tried this yet, said Happel. But the first such experiment may now be underway courtesy of the man they call “the Boss.” Not Bruce Springsteen — George Steinbrenner. The Yankees have priced seats for this season at a level that would make a scalper scream. Seats behind home plate home in the new Yankee Stadium are going for as much as $2,500. That’s for one game, not the season. Seats along the baselines are selling at $350 a pop — but only in a 20-game package.

Why so high? Happel theorizes that the Yankee management is thinking, “We need more revenue so we can buy more players and finish third again.” You can tell from that quote he’s no Yankee fan. I am, however, and I can recall that the first game I went to as a kid cost $3.50.

I sure won’t be paying a hundred times that much to go to a game. A lot of others will feel the same way, Happel predicts, and as an economist, he’s having more fun watching this market than most fans have watching a baseball game.

“This will be a good one if the Yankees have to come off of this,” he said. “Maybe you’ll see a really heavy Dutch auction. Those tickets may be dropping fast.”

The Yankees aren’t commenting. But I for one can’t wait to see what the price for a single seat will be this season. Somehow, I can’t imagine some guy in an alley offering to sell a $400 seat for a regular-season game at $500.

So that’s the big difference between George Steinbrenner and Bruce Springsteen. The man they called “the Boss” on the other side of the river may not have solved his pitching problems yet. But he sure has solved his scalping problem.

I could see the Dutch auction effect coming into play for Yankees tickets – very easily – for some games.

Take June 18th, for example. The Yankees play the Washington Nationals that day – it’s a Thursday day game in the Bronx. You really think that guy with the $2,500 ticket is going to find someone on the secondary market willing to pay $2,501 for that game? No way. He’ll be lucky to sell that one for $500 – if he can even do that.

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