Missed this one. We took the kids to go see the Lakewood BlueClaws host the Hagerstown Suns – since the Chicken was there (and we had so much fun the last time we caught the Chicken when he was in town).

I did catch the last out of the Yankees game when we hit the car in the parking lot – and then heard the whole post-game wrap-up. Boy, would I have kicked myself, hard, if I had missed Andy Pettitte throw a perfect game or no-hitter…chicken or no chicken.

As it is, give Pettitte all the credit for this one. To be perfect, as long as he was, in a close (two-zip) game…and…then…to not cave in once he lost the perfecto and then the no-no on back-to-back batters in the seventh…after two outs…well…that’s focus ladies and germs. That’s how a pro handles it. Attaboy Andy.

Coming into this game, over his last 12 starts, Pettitte had an ERA of 4.09 and had allowed an Opp BA/OBA/SLG line of .250/.316/.368 (facing 303 batters). And, that’s very good. But, four of those twelve starts were clunkers. So, that means when Pettitte has been “on,” lately, he’s “really on.” Let’s hope he’s “on” in October – because the Yankees will need him in that three-slot, and performing well, when that post-season bell rings.

Getting back to the game I saw this evening…here are some photos…for those who like minor league ballparks, at night, at the end of the summer…

(more…)

Click here for more information about this entry.

Via Darren Rovell:

Those expecting to hear of a price gouge for Yankees postseason tickets might be surprised.

It’s not coming.

CNBC has seen the final face value prices that the Yankees submitted to Major League Baseball and increases will be much smaller than the jump season ticket holders saw for home games played at the old Yankee Stadium in the 2007 postseason, the last time the Yankees were in the playoffs. In fact, some 2009 postseason seats will cost LESS than this year’s regular season prices.

Ticket prices in the new Yankee Stadium are especially complex to decode since premium ticket holders — those in three suite areas — already paid for their suite licensing fees, which makes up the bulk of the per game ticket price.

That’s one of the reasons why ticket holders in most premium areas see a face value on their tickets of less than 20 percent of the price they eventually pay. The rest of the price is then made up of these fees that are paid ahead of time.

For example, those who sit in the first rows behind home plate, pay $2,500 a seat, but the face value of the tickets — and thus the price paid on a per game basis — is $325.

For the ALDS, the Yankees are expected to announce that the top per game price will be $275, $50 less than what those sitting in the best seats pay for each regular season game.

Those season ticket holders sitting in non-premium seats will pay the same per-game price as they are paying for the regular season for their ALDS seats, with the exception of one section of seats.

Compare that to the increases on the 2007 postseason face value of tickets, which roughly ranged from 30 percent to 130 percent above the regular season price for the ALDS, the only series the Yankees played that year after being bested by the Cleveland Indians.

Fans will see bigger jumps in price from the ALDS to the ALCS, should the Yankees advance, but the increases — which start at 27 percent over the ALDS prices — is nothing out of the ordinary.

Non-season ticket holders won’t have much of a chance at getting playoff tickets, since the Yankees have sold the majority of the new stadium on a season ticket basis and Major League Baseball is expected to ask for another 10 to 15 percent of the seats for executives, sponsors and media partners.

Well, if the Moonlite BunnyRanch doesn’t raise prices on Valentine’s Day, it only seems fair that the Yankees don’t look to jack up their prices in October, right?

Please consider taking the following poll:

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

I missed last week’s report. (Disney trip and all.) So, with this report, you get two for the price of one!

What stands out the most in my mind, during week twenty, was that the Yankees, with the results of those games up at Fenway Park, basically relegated the Red Sox to the chase for the Wildcard (and out of the race for the A.L. East crown).

What stands out the most in my mind, this past week, is that the Yankees lost two of three to the Rangers – who are also in the hunt for the Wildcard – and then swept the White Sox – without breaking much of a sweat. It also makes me wonder if New York eased off the throttle…just a bit…when playing Texas to somewhat stick it to the Sox…

…ah…but that’s probably more suited for a Wild Thought rather than a Weekly Report…or, is it?

This time, last season, the Yankees were 11.5 games out of first place. And, in 2007, at this time, the Yankees were 5 games out of first place.

In fact, you have to go back to 2006 to find the last time the Yankees were in first place on August 30th.

So, how do you feel about this Yankees season, right now? Are you as excited as you were in 2006? More? Less? Why?

Me? I still have to see the Yankees play well in the ALDS before I start to get truly pumped. The fact that the Yankees sat at home last October hasn’t made me forget that they have lost 13 of their last 17 post-season games played. I want to see New York win a post-season series…and I want to see it in the 2009 ALDS. And, if the Yanks lose the 2009 ALDS, and win only one game, or less, in the process…well…boy…am I going to be ticked. And, to be honest, it will make this whole season – and all the comebacks and wins – not all that it should be…

…how about you? Feel the same?

Most who read this blog know that I’m a big fan of the series Prison Break that ran on FOX. Related, I have to confess that I’ve yet to see “Prison Break: The Final Break” on DVD. But, in case you’ve missed the skinny on this one, here are some reviews:

DVD Review: Prison Break – The Final Break – Blogcritics Video

‘Prison Break: The Final Break’ review @ Examiner.com

The DVD Lounge | Prison Break: The Final Break – Blu-ray Review

When I get a chance to see this DVD, I will share my thoughts on it. In the interim, have you seen it? What did you think of it?

Add Dellin Betances to the list of Alan Horne, Andrew Brackman, Christian Garcia, Humberto Sanchez, J. Brent Cox, Jason Stephens, Lance Pendleton, Mark Melancon, George Kontos and Brett Marshall. Mike Ashmore has the scoop.

These days, it seems, that you cannot be a Yankees pitching prospect unless you have a tendon where the ligament in your medial elbow used to be…

Nice to see Alfredo Aceves have a strong performance in this game. And, seeing it, along with the performance of Phil Hughes today – combined with Hughes’ performance all season out of the pen – makes me wonder if the Yankees would consider using Aceves in the rotation next season and keep Hughes in the bullpen?

Now, on to Joba Chamberlain. Girardi and crew elected to have him go three innings today – throwing 35 pitches. All this time, under the old and new Joba Rules, Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi have said that Chamberlain would be in the Yankees rotation come October. So, here’s the question: If you have Joba throw 35 pitches per start for the next month, what’s going to happen in the post-season when you ask him to start a game and throw 100 pitches? Will his arm be up for that after a month’s “vacation”?

Hopefully, the Yankees will build his arm up – having him go 45 pitches, 55 pitches, 65 pitches, 75 pitches, and 85 pitches over his next (and remaining?) 5 starts. Otherwise, if you have him throw 35 pitches per start from here to October…well…you’re just asking for it in the post-season when he starts a game…if the plan still is to keep him in the rotation at that time…

Click here for more information about this entry.

Yesterday, I mentioned how well things are going for the Yankees in the last ten weeks or so. In fact, since June 24th, when Brian Cashman went to visit the team in Atlanta, the Yankees have gone 43-16 – which is an incredible winning percentage of .729.

Below is a chart which shows the Yankees record, by opponent, during this run – with the opponent’s overall winning percentage (to date) at the far right:

Team		W	L	Opp W%*
Blue Jays	7	2	.457
Red Sox		6	1	.581
A's		5	2	.442
Mariners	5	2	.523
Tigers		3	0	.531
Orioles		3	0	.408
Twins		3	0	.496
Mets		3	0	.446
White Sox	3	3	.492
Braves		2	0	.527
Rays		2	1	.547
Rangers		1	2	.563
Angels		0	3	.594
		43	16	    
			
*Through August 29th                

As you can see, the Yankees, in putting together this run, have beaten up on some sub-.500 teams. As mentioned here before, New York has gotten somewhat fat playing against the Blue Jays, A’s, Orioles, Twins and Mets during this streak – going 21-4 against those weak teams (as the above chart shows).

In fact, I just noticed this morning, looking at the standings over at Baseball-Reference.com, that the Yankees are 33-30 this season, to date, when playing a team with a winning percentage =>.500 and they are 48-18, to date, when playing a team with a winning percentage <.500 (this year).

Now, I know that many like to say, in response to this type of inspection, that "You're supposed to beat the tar out of the weak teams and break even against the tough ones - that's how you end up finishing in first place." And, I get that - I really do get it...

...but, I'm thinking ahead to the post-season, for the Yankees. And, there will be no Blue Jays, A's, Orioles, Twins or Mets for the Yankees to play in October. Most likely, New York will have to deal with Detroit or Texas in the ALDS and then face someone like the Angels, Red Sox or Rays in the ALCS (should the Yankees advance past the ALDS for the first time since 2004). And, that’s a horse of another color, no? Do the Yankees have what it takes to beat a good team in the post-season? What do you think?

I caught a little of the Yankees Encore on YES this morning – where they were showing yesterday’s game (in the bottom of the 2nd inning) – and Michael Kay was going on (with Al Leiter) about how impressive it is that the Yankees are “26 time World Champions.” You hear those 26 World Championships referred to a lot in Yankeeland. It’s almost as if the team is not named “the New York Yankees.” More so, it’s as if they are the “26 time World Champion New York Yankees.”

And, while I don’t want to take away from what the Yankees have accomplished in their history, I can see where this would rub fans of other teams the wrong way. Often, I’ve heard, on this topic, from non-Yankees fans “Yeah, it’s twenty six. But, in the last 46 years (prior to this season) it’s six rings. Six for forty-six. That’s great. But, don’t make it out like you guys win a ring every four years or so – because that ain’t what’s happening.”

It’s an interesting point. In the last 46 years, the Yankees have won 6 rings. But, in the same time, the Dodgers, Cardinals, and A’s have each won 4 rings. Is six all that more than four? Well, sure, it’s more. But, it’s not a heap more, is it?

Further, in the last 46 years, the Orioles and Reds have each won 3 rings. And, the Tigers, Mets, Pirates, Twins, Blue Jays, Marlins, and Red Sox have each won the World Series twice since 1963. So, overall, lots of teams have won more than one World Series in the last 46 years.

Think of it this way: Say you met someone and they bragged to you: “I have a .243 lifetime batting average.” But, you knew that this meant they had gone 26 for 107. And, in fact, in their last 46 of those 107 At Bats, they only had 6 hits. Wouldn’t you be tempted to say back to them “Yeah, but, that was all front loaded – because you went 6 for your last 46 and that’s an average of .130″?

That’s basically what non-Yankees fans are saying when they’re responding to having “26 time World Champions” thrown in their face – in just about every Yankees conversation. So, maybe it’s time for the Yankees, and their fans, to give that “26 time” thing a rest? What do you think?

Because of the rules around first place teams not being able to play a Wildcard winner from their division in the LDS, if the Red Sox or Rays win the A.L. Wildcard this season, the Yankees cannot face them in October unless they reach the LCS. So, this means, as of today, it appears that the Yankees will face the Tigers, Angels or Rangers in the ALDS this year – with the latter happening if Texas wins the Wildcard.

The beauty with Texas winning the Wildcard would mean that the Angels cannot face the Rangers in the LDS. So, if Texas gets it, New York would face them in the ALDS – because it’s doubtful that the Tigers will have a better record at the end of the year than the Yankees.

Of course, if the season ended today, the Yankees would face the Tigers in the ALDS and the Angels would face the Red Sox.

What would have to happen for the Yankees to face the Angels in the ALDS? Texas would have to win the Wildcard and the Tigers would have to finish with a better record than the Angels – which is unlikely to happen.

Looking this all over, if I had to guess, I would say that the Yankees would draw the Tigers in the ALDS this year – or maybe the Rangers if they can win the Wildcard.

Of the two teams, which is the one you would want to face, as a Yankees fan, in the first round of the post-season? You want to deal with Motown’s Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson and Rick Porcello in a best three out of five set? Or, does Texas’ Kevin Millwood, Scott Feldman and Tommy Hunter scare you less?

It seems like the Rangers big three would be an easier ticket, no? What do you think?

…have been very good in Yankeeland, yes?

The Yankees record in their last…

10 Games:   7-3
20 Games:  14-6
30 Games: 20-10
40 Games: 29-11
50 Games: 35-15
60 Games: 43-17

You really can’t complain too much about playing .717 baseball over a 60 game period, can you?

Still feels great to pound on Jose Contreras. How he did what he did in 2005 is still beyond me. The guy is just terrible, and he killed the Yankees when he was on the team in 2004, and I love to see him get whipped…but, maybe that’s just me.

Hey, how crazy would it have been if Sergio Mitre would have pitched a no-hitter today? Crazier than Mike Warren throwing one? Or, Jose Jimenez?

I have to confess, when A-Rod made that play on Konerko, leading off the fifth, for a split second, I was thinking “Maybe…” But, Jim Thome, up next, put a quick end to that…

…oh, well, in the end, all that matters is the “W.”

Click here for more information about this entry.

Via the Post –

Manager Joe Girardi announced “The Joba Rules, Version 3.0″ yesterday.

After watching Joba Chamberlain’s ineffective start on extra rest this week, the Yankees are moving the fragile right-hander back into the regular five-man rotation.

The innings limit for the season will remain, though, and the Yankees plan to pull Chamberlain after just a few innings in several of his upcoming starts.

“The bottom line is for us to win games and get the best out of players,” Girardi said. “In evaluating what happened, it looked like it was working great. He came out of the break and was lights-out. But we think that a change needed to be made. We were listening to him and talking amongst ourselves.”

The Yankees had been giving Chamberlain extra rest between starts in an effort to keep his workload below a team-imposed innings limit, which Girardi revealed yesterday is 180, including the playoffs.

The Rangers roughed up the 23-year-old on Tuesday, scoring seven runs in four innings. That led Girardi to tweak the plan. Girardi talked with pitching coach Dave Eiland and general manager Brian Cashman after Tuesday’s game, mulled it over and then told Chamberlain of the change before last night’s 5-2, 10-inning victory over the White Sox at the Stadium.

“We’ve always had a plan back and forth,” Chamberlain said. “We tried it. It didn’t work. We’re going to try this, and I think it’s going to be great. It’s something that I’m looking forward to.”

You know, when you’re teaching someone on how to throw a baseball, you often tell them to hold it as if it were an egg. Or, if you really want to get the attention of a teenage-boy who’s holding the ball too tight, you can tell him to hold it like it was a mammary gland.

I’m starting to get that feeling about how the Yankees are treating Joba Chamberlain. They’re attempting to hold him like he was an egg…or, well, the other thing I mentioned. Maybe, instead of calling him “Joba” Chamberlain, we should start referring to him as “Yabos” Chamberlain?

Have you seen Alex Rodrguez’ BA/OBA/SLG line from July 31st through August 28th? It’s .322/.440/.478 in 109 PA.

In the 14 games before this run, A-Rod’s BA/OBA/SLG mark was .193/.246/.333 (in 61 PA). Clearly, Alex is turning it on…let’s just hope he can keep it up for the next two months.

In the 201 PA since he’s come back from being suspended, due to failing a PED tinkle test, the Dodgers Manny Ramirez has the following BA/OBA/SLG line .283/.383/.480 – and those are nice numbers…but, they’re not “Superstar!” stats, for sure.

So, here’s a question: Seeing this, are all those Yankees fans and/or bloggers who were screaming this past off-season for the Yankees to sign (then free agent) Manny Ramirez feeling the same way, now, as you did then?

This one would have been a tough one to lose…just because Sabathia pitched a great game…and because the Yankees have split their last ten games before this one.

Sure, New York can play .500 for the rest of the season and still finish with 96 wins this year.

But, of course, if New York had lost this game, that would have sliced their lead in the A.L. East down to five games…since Boston won today and has now won 8 of their last 11 games. And, while being up five with 32 to go is a nice cushion…six games is even sweeter.

Good job by the Yankees pen in this one…although…personally…I expected Brian Bruney to blow it when I heard he was coming in to pitch…and thought it even more when he fell behind A.J. Pierzynski. 3-2, after starting him off with two strikes…

…always nice to be wrong in these situations!

Just got back from spending five days with the family down in Disney World…doing the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Epcot stuff. (We skipped the Hollywood Studios attraction – basically because we felt there was more to do at the other parks for our kids, ages 5 and 7.)

We had a great time…and I got to listen to Robbie Cano’s walk-off, on the car radio, on the way home from the airport. Nice re-entry in to Yankeeland…thanks Robbie.

Hey, my thanks, also, to MJ and Corey for all their posts over the last 5 days – great job guys! So, did ya miss me? Maybe not…I’ve already heard from one WasWatching.com reader who shared that they thought MJ and Corey made some wonderful posts this week.

A quick story about the vacation…

Baseball is doing pretty good. I noticed a lot of people visiting Disney wearing some sort of baseball T-Shirt, cap, or uniform jersey. I saw a few fellow Yankees fans. And, one or two Mets fans. But, I also saw fans of the Red Sox, Rays, Orioles, Tigers, Royals, Phillies, and Brewers. (I did also see one kid running around wearing an A’s T-Shirt with “Zito, 75″ on the back, for what it’s worth.) Of all these teams mentioned, I would say the fans of Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers and Phillies were most represented.

Me? I wore my Yankees cap on Monday through Thursday and got no reaction from anyone. But, today, I wore a “Staten Island Yankees” T-Shirt and a few people stopped me about it.

One of the cast members greeting park visitors on a ride saw me and joked “Yankees? We don’t let Yankees on this ride!” And, in a souvenir shop, another cast member, a woman in her late 50′s, saw my shirt and said “They lost last night.” When I told her that I knew, but, it didn’t matter because they had a nice lead, she noticed it was a “Staten Island Yankees” shirt and she then said “Staten Island Yankees? Did you know they used to play in my hometown first?” I then asked her if she was from Oneonta. And, when she said yes, we talked about the Yankees leaving there and the Tigers coming in to take their place.

Later, when we were on the monorail, an older couple spotted my shirt and they joked at us with “Staten Island? We don’t generally listen to people from Staten Island.” And, when we looked at them funny, they told us that they were born and raised on Staten Island and lived there for many years before moving to Long Island.

Lastly, as we were going through the metal detectors at Orlando International, one of the security officers saw my shirt and asked “Staten Island Yankees, are they still playing?” And, when I answered him, we talked about the ballpark by the Ferry and then chatted about the Brooklyn Cyclones and KeySpan Park.

So, next time you’re looking to make some conversation…put on a Staten Island Yankees shirt and head on down to Florida…and see what happens…

Foxsports.com’s Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Angels are close to acquiring Tampa’s #1 starter, LHP Scott Kazmir.

As a Yanks fan that has watched his team lose to Anaheim time and again in the regular season and the playoffs, this isn’t great news.  The only silver lining in this dark cloud is that Kazmir is oft-injured and inconsistent so maybe (just maybe) he goes out west and provides the same 50-50 flip-of-a-coin inconsistency for the Angels that he’s been giving Tampa all these years.

What I want to know is why Tampa is cashing out of the playoff race now, when they could’ve gotten more for Kazmir during the non-waiver trading deadline.  Sure, Tampa has prospects in Hudson Valley (Short Season A-ball), Montgomery (AA) and Durham (AAA).  But I’m surprised they’d give up on ’09 when they’re still in the Wild Card hunt…especially with Boston coming to town for a key three-game series next week.

For all the ass-kissing of the Tampa franchise over the past 18 months or so, I have to say this move makes no sense to me.  They’re a well-run franchise but they too are not infallible (despite what the chubby in Peter Gammons’s pants says).  Yeah, you could say that I’ve grown to dislike them.

Update 4:50: SI.com’s John Heyman is also reporting this trade so it seems even more like a done deal.  Heyman is saying that the Rays will get back Double-A LHP Alexander Torres and High-A 3B Matthew Sweeney.  Interestingly, Heyman says that either Wade Davis or Andy Sonnanstine will take Kazmir’s spot in the rotation.  I get Wade Davis; he’s pretty solid.  Sonnanstine, however, well, I’ll just be diplomatic and say that he’s not quite up to MLB snuff…

Update 5:30: MLB.com is reporting that this deal fell through.  Oh well.

-Posted by MJ

To continue a thought that I had yesterday : Joel Sherman has this gem:

Phil Coke is now tied with Ron Mahay for the most homers allowed by lefty who has pitched exclusively in relief this year. And Mahay was designated for assignment recently by the lowly Royals. More problematic is that Coke has permitted six homers to lefties, which is the most by a southpaw who has pitched exclusively in relief this season.

With the abundance of left handed relievers (Zack Kroenke, Wilkins DeLaRosa, Mike Dunn) in the Yankees farm system, Coke may very well end up losing his job next season if he doesn’t turn it around soon.  Heck, he could lose it this season to Damaso Marte if he’s not careful.

- Posted By Corey

It doesn’t take Ron Burgundy to figure this out.  Since May 25th, Melky Cabrera has fashioned the following slash rates: .234/.305/.373. This is over a span of 78 games, and 284 plate appearances. During this stretch, Melky has 6 homers and just 28 RBI. In the field, he hasn’t been any better either. His UZR/150 currently stands at -7.9 for the season at CF,  -4.3 overall.  We’ve also seen him have brain farts out there in center, throwing the ball to the wrong base.

But, if you look at the numbers from the beginning of the year till May 24th, Melky looks like the hitter we’ve been hoping he’d turn into.  In 42 games, spanning 141 plate appearances, Melky had the following slash rates: .328/.374/.492 with 5 homers and 20 RBI. 20 RBI in 141 PA, for a bottom of the order hitter, is pretty damn good. This is also the time when Melky seemed to be getting walk off hits on a daily basis.

What is it about this guy that he decides to stop playing after April/May?

- Posted By Corey

Channeling my inner Steve:

There’s a tropical storm brewing off the Atlantic coast of Florida right now and his name is Danny.  Why does this matter?  Well, according to weather.com, Tropical Storm Danny is predicted to start dumping rain in the New York metropolitan area by mid-afternoon and wash out the weekend.

The White Sox are coming into Yankee Stadium for their only visit to the Bronx to play a three-game set this weekend.  Assuming tonight’s game is playable but that the worst of the storm hits New York on Saturday and rains out that game, a day-night doubleheader would have to be scheduled for Sunday.  The Yanks play in Baltimore on Monday while the White Sox play in Minnesota so it would be feasible to pull off the double-dip.

However, if Sunday’s game is also rained out, we get into a bit of a dicey situation.  The teams could opt to schedule the make-up games as a double-header on a mutual off day.  The teams could also opt to make up one of the games on an off day and leave the second makeup game to the last day of the season, to be played if necessary.

The Yanks and White Sox have common off days on 9/10 and 9/24 but, because the White Sox begin a six-game road trip on the West Coast starting on 9/11, it’s unlikely that they’d agree to fly from Chicago after their game on 9/9 to play at least one game on 9/10 and then fly all the way to Anaheim thereafter.

That means that 9/24 is the most likely makeup date.  It just so happens that this is the Yanks’ last off day of the regular season and comes after a grueling six consecutive games against the Angels and Mariners…and right before the final homestand of the year against Boston.

How much would it suck if the Yanks have to fly back from Seattle knowing that their off day is being used up to play the White Sox in a makeup game?  How much worse would it suck if that scenario played out right before the Yanks square off with the Red Sox in what might or might not be a division-clinching scenario?

So, as it stands right now, we better all hope that a Sunday doubleheader is what we get this weekend.  I really don’t want to go into the final week of September with the division on the line and Boston on the horizon, having to play some stupid-ass games against Ozzie’s obnoxious club.

-Posted by MJ

Click here for more information about this entry.

The headline says it all: Coke Spills. This one was a must-win for the Texas Rangers. Unfortunatly for us, they came through and have proved that they are for real.

The Yankees offense killed me today…putting together only 2 runs off of 7 walks and 4 hits within the first 3 and 2/3 innings is flat out pathetic. Cano and A-Rod each left 5 men stranded while Swisher and Matsui each left 4 men stranded.

On the pitching side, while Burnett tossed a quality start striking out an impressive 12 batters, he is still susceptible to the consequences of walking too many batters.  The league leader in bases on balls was up to his usual tricks, surrending 3 walks in his 6 innings. Want an interesting/frustrating stat about Burnett? Take a guess when the last time AJ Burnett started a game and didn’t give up a walk this year. Can’t think of it? That’s because he hasn’t. In fact, the last time Burnett failed to surrender a walk in an outing was on July 23rd, 2008. This is nothing new for AJ, in fact, as in his entire career he’s had 14 starts where he hasn’t surrended a walk out of 236 career starts. I realize he tossed a pretty good game, but there’s nothing that bothers me more then surrendering a walk.

The real goat of the game, however, was Phil Coke. Once Philthy, Coke is now just pitiphil. Since July 11th, Coke has appeared in 18 games, hurling 14 and 1/3 innings, surrending 13 runs on 18 hits, 5 walks and 1 hits batsman. His ERA in that time is 10.05. How long do the Yankees keep sending him out for?

- Posted By Corey

The Post has the story.

He’s having, perhaps, the best year of his life huh?

- Posted By Corey

ESPN.com is reporting that the Boston Red Sox have granted Brad Penny his release.

With Wakefield coming back strong last night, I guess Penny saw the writing on the wall and proactively decided that he’d rather jump ship than suffer the same humiliation as John Smoltz.

Boston’ s rotation is now Beckett-Lester-Wakefield-Buchholz-??

-Posted by MJ

Click here for more information about this entry.