Via Aaron Gleeman:

Months of speculation, assumptions, rumors, false reports, and anxiety finally came to an end yesterday afternoon when the Twins immediately overshadowed news of Joe Nathan officially opting for Tommy John surgery by signing Joe Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million contract extension that includes full no-trade protection and will keep the reigning AL MVP in Minnesota through his age-35 season in 2018.

Sorta makes all those posts in the Yankees blogosphere about how New York was going to land Mauer as a free agent, albeit sooner or later, seem rather silly now, don’t it?

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Via Bob Klapisch yesterday -

Ask New York Yankee infielders what they thought of Mark Teixeira’s defense in 2009 and you get one of those “are you kidding” smirks. The answer is so obvious to Teixeira’s teammates, they won’t even bother with a long explanation. Alex Rodriguez says, “The guy played at another level,” and leaves it at that.

Only that’s not the last word on Teixeira’s glove, at least not according to Ultimate Zone Rating, a metric used to measure runs saved relative to the average fielder at that position.

Judged by UZR, Teixeira had his best season in 2008, with a 10.7 rating that was No. 1 in the majors. And despite what the Yankees say, UZR practically flunked Teixeira in 2009: He was 16th in the big leagues with a minus 3.6, the second-worst year of his career.

Teixeira repeated an oft-heard complaint among ballplayers and old-school scouts — that when it comes to evaluating talent, nothing replaces an experienced set of eyes.

Numbers, they’ll admit, are helpful because they’re theoretically free of prejudice and human error. But to say 15 first basemen suddenly were better than Teixeira underscores the argument that sabermetrics are blind to the game’s subtleties.

If you wonder which side you belong to, ask yourself: Is baseball art or science? Is it beautiful or just data for the spreadsheet?

You’d be right if you said “both,” but most ballplayers, including Teixeira, reject the notion that UZR and other metrics are better evaluators than those who are on the field.

“Look, if computers could run the game, why bother having general managers?” Teixeira said.

Teixeira admits he’ll miss Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, and not just for the usual nostalgic reasons. He says it won’t be easy replacing their late-inning clutch quotient.

But here’s the kicker: Sabermetrics don’t acknowledge a phenomenon known as “clutch.” Derek Jeter’s “intangibles” similarly are dismissed.

“Oh, come on,” Teixeira said. “You can’t say Derek isn’t different than a lot of hitters when the game is on the line. Or that Johnny wasn’t able to put up great at-bats against the toughest closers. Matsui was the same way. He was a monster when it counted.

“Certain players can say to themselves, ‘It’s time to step it up,’ ” Teixeira said, although he knows UZR doesn’t quite get that.

For the record, Damon had a BA/OBP/SLG line of .312/.424/.649 in “Late & Close” situations last season. And, in “High Leverage” situations last year, Damon’s “slash” line was .333/.448/.637 (in 126 PA). How about during innings 7 through 9 of a game in 2009? Damon’s mark was .298/.394/.536 (in 176 PA). Lastly, when Damon faced a relief pitcher for the first time in a game last year, he went .303/.405/.514 (in 206 PA).

So, maybe sabermetrics do acknowledge a phenomenon known as “clutch”? Or, at the least, in the case of Damon last season, they did…

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Via Baseball-Reference.com – some of the greatest “fifth batters” in Yankees history:

.

I wonder where Robby Cano will end up on this list when he’s said and done?

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Last week, I suggested having a Greatest/Favorite Yankees Tournament. And, thanks to the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, I believe that I’ve worked up some brackets that will make this interesting. Here they are, below – click on the image to enlarge it:

The tournament will start in about a week – and each match-up will be determined by a poll posted here. Pick who you think is best. Pick your favorite. Use whatever scale you want to use – but, make a vote…and let’s have some fun with this one.

I’ve also created a downloadable spreadsheet that you may find helpful with this one – as it allows you to make your picks on a “Guide” and see how they look, and determine your vote, when the next poll/round is available.

Any questions? Please share them now before we start the polling process.

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Via Bob Klapisch yesterday –

Just how risky is the Bombers’ reliance on their aging core players?

GM Brian Cashman admits, “I do worry” about the possibility that Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera could get hurt – or suffer an insidious drop-off in production. The sport’s actuaries say Jeter & Co. should already be in a decline phase, although Cashman says the Yankees are too far along in the current business plan to change it now.

“I realize Jeter is 35, but does that mean I’m out looking for a 23-year-old shortstop to replace him? Absolutely not,” Cashman said. “I understand the risk that comes with older players, but there’s a risk in every aspect of the game. This is one we can live with.”

It’s a tightrope philosophy – the Yankees have no reliable alternatives for the quartet. And, remember, the absence of a Plan B is what ruined the Mets when their front-line players went down in 2009. The difference, of course, is that the Bombers have plenty of secondary firepower throughout the roster.

That’s why Cashman is ready to run the table on the older fraternity. But make no mistake, the Yankees’ fingers are crossed. In 2009, Jeter was the oldest shortstop on a championship team since Pee Wee Reese played for the 1955 Dodgers. And only two starting pitchers have ever been older than Pettitte, 37, when they won a World Series clincher: Burleigh Grimes in 1931 and Eddie Plank in 1913, both at age 38.

Or how about a simple drop-off in production. PECOTA, the somewhat imperfect baseball prognosticating apparatus, calls for the Yankees to go 90-71, and miss the playoffs for the second time in three years.

That’s an incomprehensible outcome for a reigning champion with a $200 million payroll. But PECOTA sees Jeter losing 31 points off his batting average this year. Posada will fall from 85 RBIin 2009 to just 58 (with an 80-point drop in his slugging percentage), while Pettitte is predicted to win only 10 games.

Granted, these are all guesses, albeit math-based. But when you lean on players who are pushing 40, only the most naïve executive would dismiss the possibility of age-related problems.

Dr. Stuart Hershon, the former Yankees’ physician who serves are the team’s medical consultant, said, “A 35-year-old athlete has less stamina and reflex speed than a 25-year-old athlete. Nothing can change that. You become tired more easily, the body needs more time to recover. It’s why you don’t see many football or basketball players in their 40s.

“Even concentration becomes more difficult, which is why golfers don’t win championships in their 50s.”

“Nothing can change that”? You mean they don’t have a pill, lotion, or shot to help offset the effects of aging? Yes, I’m just busting chops here…

As “Klap” also noted in his column, this all just may mean that it’s muy importante for CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira to have typical seasons in 2010 – if the Yankees are going to make another run at a ring. Of those three, Teixeira concerns me the least. But, A-Rod has his hip and maybe the feds to deal with this season. And, CC is coming off two seasons in a row of, pardon the pun, heavy usage.

Don’t get me wrong here…I’m not saying that the 2010 Yankees are going to be a mirror image of the 1965 Yankees. But, I think anyone who doesn’t realize that there’s some serious risk associated to this roster, and its cadre of players, has their head in the sand.

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Yesterday we took the kids to the Lakewood BlueClaws FanFest at FirstEnergy Park. It’s their “open house” that they do each year. They gave out free mini bats and had tons of free food and drinks. You were also allowed to do behind-the-scenes tours of the ballpark and the chance to call-your-own home run in the press box.

I also chatted with some of the staffers working the event and had a chance to check out their nice rings.

It was a great day. Of course, the weather helped. If you’re near a minor league team, and they do this type of “pre-season open house” event, you should check it out. It’s a lot of fun.

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Via Peter Caldera – who, by the way, is rockin’ the pill this Spring with tons of great reports –

Probably sooner than later this year, Derek Jeter will enter baseball’s all-time top 20 in batters hit by pitches. That’s partly a product of his batting style and his nearly 10,000 career plate appearances.

Occasionally, one of those drillings requires a reciprocal turn. And the Yankees did a better job of protecting their hitters last season than in previous years.

But it all falls under the pitching principle of establishing the inside corner.

In 2009, “We led the league in hit batters, which is something I’m actually kind of proud of,” pitching coach Dave Eiland said. “Because that means we are pitching inside.

“Obviously we’re not trying to hit guys. But we’re trying to pitch in, and make hitters uncomfortable, and get outs in there as well.”

Given those constant reminders last season, Eiland’s staff reversed a three-year trend. For the first time since 2005, Yankees pitchers hit more batters (71) than opposing pitchers plunked Yankee hitters (54).

The Yankees’ staff also led the league in strikeouts.

“There’s a difference between going in for a strike and going in for a purpose,” said Joba Chamberlain, who led the AL with 12 hit batsmen.

“We’re 25 brothers, and we understand we have to stick up for each other. We have each others’ back, no matter what happens.

“The offense is going to take care of us, and vice versa.”

Hey, when you pitch half your games in the new Yankee Stadium, you better pound the ball inside to right-handed batters, for sure…or else they’re going to extend their arms and take that outside pitch to right for an easy homer. And, it probably helps to make the lefty-batters move their feet a bit, at times, to keep them honest too.

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Jesse Spector catches up with Dennis Rasmussen and shares this great story –

Visiting the Chicago Cubs’ spring training camp, and seeing Lou Piniella, his old manager from his Yankees days, Dennis Rasmussen can’t help but think back to the 1986 season that put him on the map as a major leaguer. If George Steinbrenner had gotten his way, it never would have happened.

“It was spring training, and I was fighting for the fifth (starter’s) job with Tommy John,” Rasmussen says. “I was pitching in Pompano (Beach, Fla., against the Texas Rangers), and the wind was blowing out, short ballpark, and I gave up a wind-blown homer to Curtis Wilkerson, and I got taken out of the game shortly thereafter.

“Mr. Steinbrenner stood up in the stands, apparently, among many writers, and said, ‘That’s it, I’ve seen enough, you’re on your way to Columbus.’ But then Tommy John got hurt, pulled something in his back, so I got another chance. … I pitched seven innings, gave up one run, Lou named me the fifth starter and I went on, with the help of all my teammates, including Dave Righetti, who saved his (then-record) 46th save as my 18th win – I went 18-6. What almost wasn’t, and might not have happened, became a year that propelled me into being a legitimate major league starter.”

I’m hoping that Bill Madden’s coming book on Big Stein is full of these stories. He really was something back in the day…

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Gonna be a warm one in the heart of Yankeeland today. So, go out and do something baseball crazy, and have fun!

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Reggie hearts A-Jax. Via Steve Kornacki -

New York Yankees Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson sees big things ahead for Detroit Tigers rookie center fielder Austin Jackson, whom he began mentoring after the Yankees drafted him in 2005.

“Austin will hit .300 with 25 homers, drive in 100 runs and have a chance to win a Gold Glove,” said Jackson, a special adviser to the Yankees. “He’ll steal 25 bases, get caught four or five timesand be mad about that.”

He smiled, noting that Jackson, 23, is a perfectionist.

“I love him, love him,” Reggie Jackson said. “He is confident with what he has in his tool box, and he has a whole lot of tools. I have nothing but the highest regard for his aptitude, coachability and his ability to fit into a new team.”

Reggie Jackson said Austin Jackson will hit better than the .288 average he had in the minors and play better in the majors.

“He’ll play even better at this level,” Jackson said. “Why? For the same reason some guys are just good in a pickup basketball game but are great with 14,000 in the seats and the bright lights on. Austin is that kind of player.”

And Reggie Jackson had one last prediction for his protégé: “Austin Jackson is going to be an all-star.”

Yeah, but, can he stir a drink? And, if he does, will he only stir it bad?

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Via Pete Caldera -

Journeyman minor league outfielder Jon Weber, 32, went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI. The non-roster lefty hitter is batting .588 (10-for-17) this spring, and manager Joe Girardi acknowledged that if he were a right-handed hitter, it would’ve been “very possible” for him to make the club over fifth-outfielder candidates Marcus Thames (.120) and Jamie Hoffmann (.136). “He’s swung the bat extremely well,” Girardi said of Weber, hitting .302 with the Rays’ Class AAA affiliate last season.

The other night, the YES boys were calling Weber a junior version of Matt Stairs. Looks more like Steve Kemp or a left-handed batting Jim Leyritz to me. Funny, for the life of me, and I don’t know why, but, I’m always confusing him with John Wehner – just in name only (and not in play style or skill level).

He’s an Indy-league survivor – which is a nice story. But, in April of 2005, Weber received a 15-game suspension for violating minor-league baseball’s drug policy. He had flunked a test in August 2004. Weber claimed, at the time, that he bought Thermogain, a creatine-based supplement, and he denied ever taking steroids. Yeah, just like a lot of guys…

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Numb3rs has hit the end of the line.

Half-dozen years is a nice run. Pretty impressive these days in TV-land, actually. The show had some good chemistry. I’ll miss it.

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I watched the first two-thirds of this one and it’s pretty cool.

If you’ve ever been a fanatic of fantasy baseball, you’ll see a little of yourself in this flick. Nicely done.

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Trades that almost happened:

The Yankees are weighing a possible trade with San Diego for pitcher Matt Clement and outfielder Eric Owens, as well as separate deal for Colorado’s Pedro Astacio, after the Baltimore Orioles scuttled a proposed three-team, 11-player blockbuster trade that would have altered the Yankees’ lineup, rotation and bullpen.

This proposal is on the table: The Yankees could trade Alfonso Soriano, a star infield prospect playing in Class AAA, along with Jason Grimsley, a major league pitcher, and Brandon Knight, a minor league pitcher, to the Padres for Clement, a hard-throwing right-hander, and Owens, who would fill the void in left field created by Shane Spencer’s season-ending knee injury. (source)

Matt Clement and Eric Owens for Alfonso Soriano, Jason Grimsley, Brandon Knight and a major league pitcher? I’m glad the Yankees never pulled the trigger here. Clement and Owens were traded to the Marlins a year later and nether player lived up to expectations. Both are coincidentally no longer active.

The aforementioned rumor came after the news that a three-team blockbuster between the Orioles, Yankees and Padres fell apart. That deal would have sent Clement, B.J. Surhoff and Donnie Wall to the Yankees in exchange for Soriano, Adrian Hernandez, Grimsley and Marcus Thames.

The Yankees were attempting to limit the defensive responsibilities for David Justice and were previously linked to Milwaukee’s Jeromy Burnitz, Montreal’s Rondell White and allegedly turned down a swap of Oakland’s Matt Stairs for Randy Keisler. The Yankees also attempted to directly acquire Surhoff from the Orioles, but were reluctant to give up Soriano. They should have just traded for Stairs.

The Yanks ended up not making any significant moves prior to the July 31st deadline. They did claim Jose Conseco off waivers and signed Luis Polonia during the first week of August.

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We’re now well into spring training and the candidates for the final slot in the rotation are separating themselves from the pack. Logic dictates that a youngster like Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain will open the season as a starter, but if the Yankees opt to evaluate the candidates based on their spring training performance, Alfredo Aceves is the clear winner and Sergio Mitre is still in the mix. If you are one of the fans that think Alfredo Aceves should be named the fifth starter, I recommend you stop reading this post. Then again, you probably did not read it based on the title.

The final spot in the rotation should be occupied by Hughes or Chamberlain. At this point, Hughes looks like the better option, but the spring is still young. Upside is something the front office will take into account, but there are other reasons why Ace should be sent to the pen. Joe Girardi will have to evaluate what would help the team more: a solid back-of-the-rotation pitcher who will make 25-32 starts or a stud reliever that will help preserve wins in 40-50 games. I’m inclined to go with the later. When you take upside into account, it becomes a no-brainer. As good as Aceves has been, Hughes and Chamberlain both have more potential. There is an excellent chance that one of them could finally realize that potential this year as a starter.

Plenty of teams have found success with a league-average fifth starter, especially when they have an extremely sturdy bullpen. If Hughes or Chamberlain performs above the league average lines, the Yanks will be in even better shape. Especially considering that one of them will probably also be joining Aceves in the pen. A relief corps anchored by Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Chamberlain/Hughes and Aceves is just way too strong to pass up. Especially if Chan Ho Park, Damaso Marte and Mark Melancon exceed expectations.

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Via Pete Caldera -

Tino Martinez isn’t just stepping lightly into broadcasting.

“That’s why I’m doing six games of spring training – to make sure I’m presentable and good enough,” Martinez said before heading into the YES Network booth on Thursday night. “I want to work hard at it.”

Four years after he retired as a Yankee, Martinez believes that serving as a TV analyst could be something of a second career. So, just as he approached hitting and playing first base, Martinez plans to be his own worst critic.

“Basically, I don’t want to be annoying to the fans,” Martinez said. “Some guys you listen to, they kind of annoy you a little bit. You want to enjoy the game while you’re watching it.”

On this subject, Martinez is absolutely serious. Mediocrity is not an option.

“If they’re not happy with what I’m doing, and I don’t see my progress, then I won’t do it at all,” Martinez said. “I don’t want to do it if I’m going to be average.”

This isn’t a completely new direction in a somewhat unsettled transition from the field. Martinez, 42, worked on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight,” and said broadcasting is something “I’ve always thought about.”

Martinez also has thought about a front office career, having served as a special assistant to general manager Brian Cashman.

Martinez isn’t sure how many games he’ll broadcast, though the limited number will allow him to keep alive any front-office aspirations. “As a player, you think you know,” Martinez said of the club’s day-to-day operations. “But you really don’t.”

I think the Yankees/YES lead the league in having announcers who don’t work very often. Do they really need one more? Man, I long for the days of the same two or three guys working the booth everyday…

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These are the saddest of possible words: Silver to Barra to Repoz –

If Nate Silver is correct, both the Democratic Party and the New York Yankees might be headed for tough times this fall. The ace political pollster/baseball analyst projects the numbers for 1,600 major league ballplayers in the current Baseball Prospectus 2010, and things don’t look good for the Yankees’ “Core Four.” Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera average out at 38 years of age, and no team in the major leagues is anywhere near as dependent on four aging players as the Yankees are.

Based on the study of hundreds of players in their declining years, Silver projects these slides for the Yanks’ elders in 2010:

Jeter from a 2009 batting average of .334 to .286 this year, a drop in home runs from 18 to 11, and in stolen bases from 30 to 10. Posada from a .285 BA to .263, home runs from 22 to 12. Pettitte from 14-8 and an ERA of 4.06 to 10-11 and 4.70. Scariest of all, Rivera from 44 saves to 22, and and ERA the moves from 1.76 to 3.53.

If Silver is right, the 2010 Yankees are sunk. Worse yet, Steinbrenner and Cashman seem to have no plans for how to replace the Core Four.

So, what do you think, is this Peyote or PECOTA at its best?

I do disagree on the point of “…Cashman seem to have no plans for how to replace the Core Four.”

Cashman always has a plan for that. In the words of Wilma Slaghoople Flintstone and Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Jean Rubble…Chaaaarge it!

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Via Mark Feinsand -

The next round of the fifth-starter competiton gets underway Friday night in Port Charlotte, where Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin will pitch against the Rays.

Mitre, who has allowed three runs in nine innings during his three outings, will start the game. Gaudin will follow him, looking to thrust himself back in the race after posting a 7.71 ERA in his first three appearances.

“I think we’re going to have some tough decisions with this,” Joe Girardi said. “We’ll make them and move forward. Right now, everybody is throwing the ball decent.”

Girardi indicated that any of the five candidates could be eliminated from the race following his next start, though he also said the entire group might be given one more turn to make its case.

I almost fell out of my chair last night, during the YES broadcast of the game, when John Flaherty said “I talked to a couple of scouts today who were raving about the way Sergio Mitre is throwing this Spring.”

Hughes, Aceves and Chamberlain all have remaining minor-league options. Would the Yankees dare give the fifth slot to Mitre in order to keep him and see if there’s some magic there?

Personally, I think that would be a mistake. But, that’s just me. How about you?

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Some numbers to check out:

.

So, here’s the point here.  These numbers are three consecutive seasons in a pitcher’s career.  Note that the more he pitches – in terms of years under his belt and increased workload (meaning Batters Faced) – the worse he gets…across the board.  He allows more base-runners (WHIP, H/9, BB/9) and more homers (HR/9) while striking-out less (SO/9) and allowing more to score (ERA+).  Oh, and his command (SO/BB) gets worse and worse.  Any ideas on who this pitcher is?

(more…)

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Can anyone guess what this represents?

(more…)

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John Sickels has a nice interview posted that he did with Mark Newman (the Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations for Yanks). Here’s a snip on sleepers to watch for…

SICKELS: Can you give us a few additional sleeper prospects to watch for 2010?

NEWMAN: One guy we really love is Jose A. Ramirez, who was in the Gulf Coast League last year. He can get his fastball up to 95-96, and he has an outstanding changeup to go with it. When we traded Arodys Vizcaino, we had it in the back of our mind that Jose could turn into a very similar prospect.

Another pitcher to watch is Adam Warren, out of North Carolina in the fourth round last year. In college we scouted him at 90-92, but in pro ball he was at 92-94, and after a long college season that was a pleasant surprise to see consistent arm strength. He has four pitches, a very solid delivery, and knows how to pitch.

We also like David Phelps, who we drafted out of Notre Dame (14th round, 2008). Like Bleich and Warren, he throws harder now than he did in college, 92-95 last year. He’s improved his curveball and change, and if the secondary stuff keeps developing he will really emerge this year. He has a clean simple delivery, another thing we like.

For hitters I’d watch David Adams out of Virginia (third round, 2008). He’s a polished hitter and we really like his glove, he’s right there with Cano defensively.

And, yes, I’m kidding with the “Big Three” comment. After all, there could never been another pitching prospect troika like Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy…right?

Yeah, I’m kidding again…there too.

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So, now, I’m starting to wonder if 2010 could turn out like 1997 did – in Yankeeland.

You know, 1997 was the season after Joe Torre got the Ring Monkey off his back. And, 2010 is the season after A-Rod got the Ring Monkey off his back.

Granted, Alex Rodriguez is not a platoon of Charlie Hayes and an ancient Wade Boggs. And, Robinson Cano is not some sort of Mariano Duncan and Luis Sojo combination.

But, the 1997 Yankees had a lot of things go right for them. The outfield, the bullpen…all looked good. And, their first three starters had nice numbers for the most part. Yet, one week into September, they found themselves quite a few games out of first place – and only made it close, in the end, with a big closing push.

If anything, I guess you could say that the biggest issues with the 1997 Yankees were the following:

1. They got off to a somewhat slow start – going 29-25 in the season’s first two months.
2. The team they were chasing, the Orioles, got off to a blazing start – going 36-15 in the season’s first two months.
3. They never had a 5th starter that they could trust.
4. Their fourth starter, Kenny Rogers, did not pitch as well as he did the year before – or as well as he did before coming to New York – and basically melted.

Could this all happen again in 2010? Could the Rays (or the Red Sox) get off to a hot start? Could the Yankees be slow out of the blocks? Could A.J. Burnett in 2010 be like Rogers was in 1997? Could Joba/Hughes/Ace/Mitre/Gaudin be a mix of trouble at the end of the rotation?

To me, the answer to all these questions is: “Maybe?”

Of course, none of it could happen. Or, maybe some of it could happen. But, for sure, no one can say that all four of these things happening is impossible, right?

On the bright side, the 1997 Yankees made the post-season (as a wildcard). And, even if these four things happen in 2010, I’m pretty confident that the Yankees have enough going for them that they would also make the post-season (in the end).

Yet, to be candid, 1997 – even with all the great stuff that happened – seemed like such a disappointment. Would 2010, if it went down the same, feel the same?

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Neil Paine ran the numbers.

Also, in this series, Neil tips us off on another great Yankees-related resource to bookmark.

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Below are the Spring Training Stats, as of COB 3/17/10, for select Yankees batters:

Can you guess who is who?

Here’s the answers…

(more…)

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Back in January 2006, I had the pleasure of being one of the first to review the book Fantasyland: A Season on Baseball’s Lunatic Fringe by Sam Walker. And, now, I’m happy to share that there will be a documentary based on Sam’s best-selling book.

“Fantasyland” is being released by both Hulu and Snag Films as their major film releases this month. You can see the film starting on Friday March 19th at www.snagfilms.com.

Click below for a pop-up of the trailer:

Looks like it should be fun. If it’s half as good as the book, it will be excellent.

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Ross has the story.

Amazing.

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He’s available. Would the Yankees have an interest in him?

I’m not going to comment on this one. But, I will share this background from his Wiki page -

In 1996, Dukes’ father was convicted of second-degree murder. One year later, Dukes was arrested for the first time. Dukes has been arrested at least three times for battery, and once for assault.[7] According to court records, he fathered at least five children with four women between 2003 and 2006.[7]

On May 23, 2007, it was reported that his wife filed a restraining order after he threatened to kill her.[8] On June 12, a 17-year-old foster child who was living in the care of a relative of Dukes accused him of impregnating her.[9] Police said the sex was apparently consensual.[9] When the girl confronted Dukes, he allegedly got angry and threw a bottle of Gatorade at her.[9]

Dukes has received anger-management training.[7] When Dukes was traded to the Nationals, the team also hired an ex-police officer in the role of “Special Assistant: Player Concerns”. This person accompanies Dukes everywhere to ensure that he keeps himself free of trouble.[7]

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Via an interview that Tom Krasovic did with Bill James over at MLB Fanhouse:

FanHouse: What will be the next big breakthrough in sabermetrics?

James: Physiognomy.

For those who don’t get it, there’s a Dollar Sign On The Muscle joke there. Nice to see that Bill still has a sense of humor.

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Via Andy McCullough -

After throwing 66 pitches and securing only seven Houston outs, A.J. Burnett did not want to leave. He hadn’t faced live batters in 10 days. His arm felt strong. Yet Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland still trotted from the dugout to fetch him. Burnett yielded.

“I’ve got to finish some innings here,” Burnett said midway through an eventual 3-1 victory over the Astros. “I’m tired of seeing Dave coming out there.”

So far this spring, Burnett has thrown 3 2/3 frames. His brief output on the mound is partly due to the weather. It’s partly due to experimentation with a changeup, a third pitch he hopes will compliment his four-seam fastball and hammer curve. And on Tuesday night, it was partly due to being both “strong” and “quick” to the plate, he said.

Burnett’s command wavered. He walked four. The run came in the third, when Astros centerfielder Hunter Pence lashed a 3-2 fastball to left for a double.

“Strike one was big today,” he said. “I didn’t get ahead of anybody, and it shows.”

Then again, last season, A.J.’s “WHIP” was really bad compared to all this other stops:

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Maybe there’s something here? Maybe Burnett’s going to turn into Mike Moore the Tiger? Hey, it happens some times…

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Irish and Bob Meusel  10/10/1923
Library of Congress LC-B2- 6077-13

Hey, if you’re like Bob’s brother, have a great (and safe) day today! And, if you’re not, have a wonderful day anyway!

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