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  • How Special Has Phil Hughes Been This Season?

    Posted by on May 8th, 2010 · Comments (0)

    Phil Hughes is 23-years old and has started three games this season, within the Yankees first 28 games of the year, where he’s thrown 7+ innings and allowed 2 earned runs or less. A pitcher that age, or younger, hasn’t done that for the Yankees, to start a season, in the last 39 years.

    That’s impressive.

    For more on this, here’s a chart of Yankees starters, from 1961 to 2010, Age<=23, who have games with IP>=7 and ER<=2 within the first 30 games of the season:

    Rk Player Year #Matching 6   W L ERA GS CG SHO IP H ER BB SO
    1 Steve Kline 1971 5 Ind. Games 4 1 1.17 5 4 1 46.0 27 6 5 21
    2 Phil Hughes 2010 3 Ind. Games 3 0 1.27 3 0 0 21.1 12 3 4 23
    3 Stan Bahnsen 1968 3 Ind. Games 3 0 1.44 3 0 0 25.0 16 4 4 15
    4 Mel Stottlemyre 1965 3 Ind. Games 2 0 0.69 3 2 2 26.0 14 2 5 12
    5 Dave Righetti 1982 2 Ind. Games 1 0 1.26 2 0 0 14.1 6 2 12 9
    6 Bill Burbach 1969 2 Ind. Games 1 1 1.12 2 1 1 16.0 10 2 8 14
    7 Al Downing 1964 2 Ind. Games 1 0 0.49 2 1 1 18.1 10 1 10 21
    8 Joba Chamberlain 2009 1 Ind. Games 1 0 1.29 1 0 0 7.0 3 1 3 6
    9 Andy Pettitte 1996 1 Ind. Games 1 0 2.25 1 0 0 8.0 8 2 2 5
    10 Al Leiter 1988 1 Ind. Games 1 0 1.29 1 0 0 7.0 4 1 2 7
    11 John Cumberland 1970 1 Ind. Games 0 1 2.57 1 0 0 7.0 6 2 1 7
    12 Al Downing 1965 1 Ind. Games 1 0 1.00 1 1 0 9.0 5 1 4 6
    13 Jim Bouton 1962 1 Ind. Games 1 0 0.00 1 1 1 9.0 7 0 7 3
    14 Bill Stafford 1962 1 Ind. Games 0 1 1.29 1 0 0 7.0 2 1 3 3
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 5/8/2010.

    .

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    Brackman Continues To Be A Bust

    Posted by on May 8th, 2010 · Comments (5)

    Via Tim Bontemps -

    Shortly after landing a franchise record $3.35 signing bonus in August 2007, [Andrew] Brackman underwent Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2008 regular season. He then spent his first full season with Low-A Charleston a year ago, with little success. The 24-year-old right-hander was 2-12 with a 5.91 ERA in 29 games (19 starts), striking out 103 and walking 76 in 106 2/3 innings.

    This season hasn’t been much better. After spending two weeks on the disabled list with an injured finger on his pitching hand, he is 0-3 with a 11.49 ERA, including allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings in a loss to Brevard County on Thursday night.

    The Yankees could have taken Brett Cecil with the pick they wasted on Brackman. That’s too bad. Cecil would be much more useful to them now…

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    Yankees Becoming The Walking Wounded

    Posted by on May 8th, 2010 · Comments (0)

    Via Peter Abraham -

    In the last seven days, the Yankees have had seven players leave a game with injuries.

    Your next report on this matter will come from John Cameron Swayze…

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    And Romulo Sanchez Makes Thirteen…

    Posted by on May 7th, 2010 · Comments (1)

    Yanks are now carrying 13 pitchers on their active roster, heading into tonight’s game.

    What does that leave them with, a three man bench? Man, that’s crazy…

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    Yankees, Sabermetrically, To Date

    Posted by on May 7th, 2010 · Comments (1)

    We know that the Yankees are playing great this season, so far, in terms of winning games. But, how are they doing, to date, in terms of batting and pitching? Thanks to the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia we have some numbers on that to look at:

    First, the A.L., through yesterday’s games, offensively, by team:

    RCAA                           RCAA      OWP     RC/G
    1    Yankees                      42     .639     6.38
    2    Tigers                       28     .583     5.76
    3    Rays                         22     .568     5.36
    4    Red Sox                      20     .562     5.67
    5    Twins                        16     .551     5.50
    6    Blue Jays                     9     .526     5.02
    7    Royals                       -6     .484     4.79
    8    Indians                     -15     .442     3.96
    T9   Rangers                     -16     .445     4.47
    T9   Angels                      -16     .447     4.21
    11   A's                         -17     .441     4.09
    12   White Sox                   -22     .426     4.13
    13   Orioles                     -29     .402     4.04
    14   Mariners                    -31     .373     3.44
    

    Much like last year, the Yankees are the top of the heap with the sticks in the league. Next, here’s how the teams shake out pitching-wise:

    RSAA                           RSAA      ERA    BR/9 IP
    1    Rays                         34     2.84    10.51
    2    Twins                        22     3.60    11.89
    3    Yankees                      16     3.45    11.37
    T4   Rangers                      14     3.89    12.88
    T4   Mariners                     14     3.58    12.00
    6    A's                           4     3.96    12.10
    7    Blue Jays                     2     4.03    11.82
    8    Tigers                        0     4.26    13.09
    9    Orioles                      -4     4.49    13.36
    10   Indians                      -8     4.29    14.10
    11   Red Sox                      -9     4.68    12.97
    12   White Sox                   -12     4.64    12.87
    13   Royals                      -25     5.21    14.46
    14   Angels                      -33     5.30    14.64
    

    New York is in good shape here too – but, not as good as the Tampa Bay Rays.

    Hey, things could be a lot worse, eh? Take a look at the Angels and White Sox. They were supposed to be contenders this year, no?

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    Paul Olden

    Posted by on May 7th, 2010 · Comments (2)

    Anthony Fenech writes about the Yankees current P.A. man today -

    Paul Olden has two championship rings.

    One is a large, diamond-studded ring encrusted with 113 stones. The other is a smaller ring with one large, single diamond in the middle.

    On a spring day in the Bronx, Olden, the New York Yankees’ public address announcer, sat in his office in Yankee Stadium and reflected on the journey between the two rings.

    “It was a long wait,” he said. “But I’m proud of the long wait it’s been.”

    The first ring is a 2009 New York Yankees World Series championship ring. The second is a 1986 Las Vegas Stars Pacific Coast League championship ring.

    “I cherish that one and I still do,” he said of the first ring. “It will always have a special place in my heart, and I’m happy it was in Las Vegas.”

    From Las Vegas, where he was the play-by-play voice of the Stars for three seasons in the late 1980s, Olden made his way through the professional broadcasting ranks and is the successor to arguably the most legendary public address announcer of all time, Bob Sheppard.

    “This is one of the greatest jobs I’ve ever had,” he said over the phone before the Yankees’ second home stand of the season. “There’s no denying that working for a winning team with the Yankees has its benefits on many levels.”

    Like his office. He recites the starting lineups and stadium announcements from an office that is “really a suite,” he said.

    The 56-year-old Olden has a laundry list of play-by-play stops on his resume, ranging from baseball to football to basketball, radio to television, and from one side of the country to the other.

    Since Las Vegas, Olden has been the voice of four American League teams — Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Cleveland and New York — and has broadcast the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and New Jersey Nets.

    And for good measure, he has been the public address announcer for every Super Bowl since 1994.

    After a handful of people were shuffled in and out of the P.A. booth as the 99-year-old Sheppard’s health declined in 2008, the Yankees awarded Olden with the job last season.

    “The fact that I was a known quantity and established here in New York helped,” he said.

    But so too did his relationship with Sheppard. They met in the 1990s, when Olden was broadcasting Yankees games on television. He said they still talk every couple of weeks.

    “He enjoys talking and I enjoy hearing him laugh and his stories,” Olden said. “I’ll tell him something funny from the booth or someone that’s asking about him, and he’s always happy to hear that.”

    Olden is comfortable outside of the play-by-play booth these days, enjoying the time at home to explore some of his hobbies, which include a photography blog he likes to update.

    “I think at this point in my career, this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” he said.

    Click here to see Olden’s blog. He’s got some cool photos posted recently.

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    Survey: Mets Fans Alchies, Yanks Fans Loners

    Posted by on May 7th, 2010 · Comments (4)

    Via Sophia Hollander of the WSJ

    To better understand the personal lives and psyches of New York sports fans, The Wall Street Journal tapped the polling firm Public Opinion Strategies to conduct a survey of 650 male and female fans across all five boroughs.

    Unsurprisingly, the Yankees are more popular: Sixty percent of the survey’s baseball fans said they followed the Bronx Bombers, compared to just 33% who favored the Mets.

    The Mets have more fans in Queens, of course, and the Yankees have an edge in the Bronx, but Manhattan is dead even at 19% each.

    Men who follow the Mets are slightly more likely to have stopped their education during or just after high school (30% versus 25%), but there’s no great income disparity. Yankees fans are more likely to earn $100,000 a year or more, but the margin—28% to 24%—is statistically insignificant in a poll with a margin of error of 3.8%.

    But the biggest distinction of all had nothing to do with income, education or neighborhood. It wasn’t what they read or do for fun or prefer as a pet. It was their relationship with alcohol.

    Male Mets fans were 43% more likely than Yankees fans to drink beer. They also drink more in general: the percentage of male Yankees fans who said they don’t drink was almost double that of their Mets counterparts (30% to 16%).

    At least the Mets men have better support systems: they rated higher for marriage (51%) and pets (47%). By contrast, the typical male Yankees fan is unmarried (59%), owns no pets (58%), and is less likely to have children in his home.

    Mets fans had the Yankees fans beat in one telling category: they seem to pay a lot more attention. Not only do they monitor their team’s progress more often and make more bets, they listen to substantially more sports radio (26% to 17%).

    So, does this mean it’s now time to play pin-the-label on the WFAN caller?

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    The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer’s Inside View

    Posted by on May 7th, 2010 · Comments (0)

    I have seen a lot of advance praise for Doug Glanville’s “The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer’s Inside View” (scheduled to be released on May 11, 2010). Buzz Bissinger, Peter Gammons, and George Will, among others, have endorsed this one. So, I was pretty excited when I recieved an advance copy to review this one.

    To be candid, when I started reading “The Game from Where I Stand,” and was about one-third into it, I wasn’t knocked off my seat. Don’t get me wrong – it was, to that point, a pleasant read. However, it was more like a “nice baseball book to read on the beach one day this summer” than it was “a book about baseball unlike any I have ever read” (as Bissinger referred to it).

    However, then, I got to the section of the book where Glanville wrote about “The Stresses of the Game” – which was followed by a chapter on “Relationships in the Game.” And, at the junction, it all started to click. With those 44 pages, “The Game from Where I Stand” shifted from first gear to high gear – and in a hurry. Seriously, that 20% of the book, thereabouts, makes this work from Glanville a must read for all baseball fans. Glanville’s contribution here was, indeed, very honest, thoughtful, and insightful. Really, it’s great stuff.

    And, the second half of “The Game from Where I Stand” was very fascinating as well.

    In summary, on the whole, I was very impressed with Doug Glanville’s “The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer’s Inside View.” The early-bird acclamation for this one is more than warranted. Glanville’s work here just may be one of the best baseball books that you can read this season. I highly recommend “The Game from Where I Stand.” This book truly is an insider’s revealing look at the world of major league baseball – one that both informs and entertains. Doug Glanville provides a great contribition to the all-time collective of baseball books with “The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer’s Inside View.”

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    Steiner Sports Saturday Special

    Posted by on May 7th, 2010 · Comments (0)

    Got a heads up on this one via Jerry Milani:

    Fans who purchased select Steiner Sports Yankees or Red Sox player-specific memorabilia yesterday, today, and tomorrow through 3:05 p.m. ET (just before the 3:10 p.m. first pitch) will receive their item free of charge should that particular player hit a home run during Saturday’s game.

    Betcha Steiner hopes the game Saturday isn’t like this one.

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    A Whale Of An Earworm

    Posted by on May 7th, 2010 · Comments (0)

    Had this one stuck in my head all morning…so, now, I pass it to you…


    Moby – Natural blues
    Uploaded by julia.

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    Flying Fists Of Fury

    Posted by on May 6th, 2010 · Comments (7)

    Last night I was watching MLB network and they had a little montage of Cervelli doing the fist pump this season. He’s done it quite a bit. Anyway, Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams gushed about how contagious a catcher’s excitement is. They then went on for (at least) a minute about how much they love the first pump and how his young enthusiasm is great for the team, etc.

    That’s all fine, and I agree. I think it’s great. I love it as a fan of the team.

    But, I have to know, why did they hate it when Joba Chamberlain did the exact same thing? If anything, I’d be more angry at the catcher as all he did was catch the pitch. Makes zero sense to me.

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    The Price Of Yankees Games On The Secondary Market

    Posted by on May 6th, 2010 · Comments (4)

    Baseball-Reference.com is now including links to a StubHub ticket page for the games remaining on a team’s schedule – along with the “min and max” ticket prices for each game on StubHub.

    I thought it would be interesting to look at this data and see what remaining Yankees home games are not in high demand. Here’s the whole list:

    Date		Opp	Price Range
    Friday May 14	MIN	$15-$10030
    Saturday May 15	MIN	$19-$10030
    Sunday May 16	MIN	$21-$10030
    Monday May 17	BOS	$34-$15680
    Tuesday May 18	BOS	$34-$3000
    Wed'sday May 19	TBR	$8-$1750
    Thursday May 20	TBR	$7-$1750
    Friday May 28	CLE	$14-$1999
    Saturday May 29	CLE	$16-$1999
    Sunday May 30	CLE	$15-$1500
    Monday May 31	CLE	$7-$1999
    Tuesday Jun 1	BAL	$5-$1999
    Wed'sday Jun 2	BAL	$7-$1999
    Thursday Jun 3	BAL	$6-$1999
    Friday Jun 11	HOU	$19-$1999
    Saturday Jun 12	HOU	$22-$12320
    Sunday Jun 13	HOU	$19-$12320
    Tuesday Jun 15	PHI	$23-$1999
    Wed'sday Jun 16	PHI	$23-$16800
    Thursday Jun 17	PHI	$23-$4000
    Friday Jun 18	NYM	$46-$18480
    Saturday Jun 19	NYM	$45-$18480
    Sunday Jun 20	NYM	$39-$17360
    Tuesday Jun 29	SEA	$11-$11200
    Wed'sday Jun 30	SEA	$10-$11200
    Thursday Jul 1	SEA	$12-$11200
    Friday Jul 2	TOR	$9-$11200
    Saturday Jul 3	TOR	$18-$13440
    Sunday Jul 4	TOR	$17-$13440
    Friday Jul 16	TBR	$15-$13440
    Saturday Jul 17	TBR	$30-$13440
    Sunday Jul 18	TBR	$21-$13440
    Tuesday Jul 20	LAA	$11-$11200
    Wed'sday Jul 21	LAA	$15-$11200
    Thursday Jul 22	KCR	$10-$11200
    Friday Jul 23	KCR	$12-$11200
    Saturday Jul 24	KCR	$20-$11200
    Sunday Jul 25	KCR	$15-$11200
    Monday Aug 2	TOR	$9-$11200
    Tuesday Aug 3	TOR	$9-$11200
    Wed'sday Aug 4	TOR	$10-$11200
    Friday Aug 6	BOS	$49-$17920
    Saturday Aug 7	BOS	$62-$17920
    Sunday Aug 8	BOS	$50-$17920
    Monday Aug 9	BOS	$43-$16800
    Monday Aug 16	DET	$9-$10640
    Tuesday Aug 17	DET	$10-$10640
    Wed'sday Aug 18	DET	$10-$10640
    Thursday Aug 19	DET	$10-$10640
    Friday Aug 20	SEA	$12-$10640
    Saturday Aug 21	SEA	$24-$11760
    Sunday Aug 22	SEA	$15-$11760
    Monday Aug 30	OAK	$9-$10080
    Tuesday Aug 31	OAK	$8-$10080
    Wed'sday Sep 1	OAK	$5-$10080
    Thursday Sep 2	OAK	$6-$10080
    Friday Sep 3	TOR	$11-$10640
    Saturday Sep 4	TOR	$13-$10640
    Sunday Sep 5	TOR	$11-$10640
    Monday Sep 6	BAL	$8-$9999
    Tuesday Sep 7	BAL	$5-$2963
    Wed'sday Sep 8	BAL	$4-$9999
    Monday Sep 20	TBR	$7-$2963
    Tuesday Sep 21	TBR	$7-$9999
    Wed'sday Sep 22	TBR	$7-$3500
    Thursday Sep 23	TBR	$7-$9999
    Friday Sep 24	BOS	$43-$16240
    Saturday Sep 25	BOS	$40-$16240
    Sunday Sep 26	BOS	$48-$16240
    

    Looks like Memorial Day Sunday against the Tribe is not in high demand. And, I’d love to see where some of those $4 seats are against the O’s on September 8th.

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    Rob Neyer’s The Yankee ‘Eras,’ 1903-2010

    Posted by on May 6th, 2010 · Comments (0)

    Good stuff. Click here to check it out.

    Dave Collins over Donnie Baseball? I dunno…

    How about you? What do you think of Rob’s work on this one?

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    Two B.A. Aquarius Babies, Born 64 Years Apart

    Posted by on May 6th, 2010 · Comments (1)

    Seeing the latest news on Lawrence Taylor, born on a February 4th, I have to wonder…

    …how much trouble would Babe Ruth, born on a February 6th, have gotten into if he had been born 64 years later than he actually was?

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    How Good Is This Year’s Start In Yankeeland?

    Posted by on May 6th, 2010 · Comments (1)

    Here’s a list of teams since 1996 to win 19+ games within their first 27 games of a season:

    .

    In terms of “good starts,” this year’s Yankees are right up there with the Yankees teams of 1998, 2000 and 2003. And, looking at the entire list of squads to make this list, there are a ton of eventual playoff teams to be found here. So, should the Yankees start printing tickets for October already?

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    Swishalicious Takes Nails Jr. Under His Wing

    Posted by on May 6th, 2010 · Comments (0)

    Via Brett Christopherson

    The text message consists of nine words, yet they have come to mean a great deal to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers second baseman Cutter Dykstra.

    “‘Don’t ever lose the faith you have in yourself,’” he said, repeating the message. “I saved it, actually. I look at it all the time.”

    The sender? New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher, who befriended Dykstra during an offseason in which they met up at UCLA to work on all things baseball and chat about all things life.

    The meaning?

    “I want to be out there,” Dykstra said prior to Wednesday’s Midwest League doubleheader with Quad Cities at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

    “I want the ball hit to me. I want to make plays. I want to show them that I can play there every day.”

    Don’t ever lose the faith.

    Dykstra hasn’t. He insists. He promises.

    But he easily could have — maybe even should have — following a forgettable 2009 that saw the unraveling of a baseball player as he was coping with the unraveling of a family.

    His father, former big league star and supposed investment guru Lenny Dykstra, found himself the subject of a seemingly endless string of unsavory headlines that included fraud, lawsuits, bankruptcy and divorce.

    Meanwhile the younger Dykstra, now 20, opened the season with the Rattlers but scuffled in 29 games, hitting just .212 with a homer and seven RBI before being reassigned to rookie level Helena (Mont.).

    Ah, the mentor-protégé relationship. It never gets old, does it?

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    Can Brett Gardner Make Yanks Forget FA-To-Be Carl Crawford?

    Posted by on May 6th, 2010 · Comments (6)

    An interesting thought via Josh Levitt today –

    Obviously the long term implications of [Brett] Gardner’s hot start are yet to be determined. But if Gardner continues to hit and utilize his speed on the base-paths, then it’s possible that the Yankees already have a younger and much cheaper version of Carl Crawford. While Gardner has not shown Crawford’s power to date, he brings the same dynamics to the table that Crawford does, namely speed and athleticism.

    Then again, Gardner’s hot start could be just that: a hot start. But his performance at the dish has to make us think-or at least reconsider-whether or not the Yankees will need to invest $90-$100 million in Carl Crawford this winter when they already have -gulp- Brett Gardner.

    Oh, course, this all assumes that Curtis Granderson isn’t the next Ruppert Jones

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    BA ♥’s Arodys Vizcaino

    Posted by on May 6th, 2010 · Comments (13)

    Hi, my name is MJ and I’m a Baseball America addict…

    Today’s dose of BA comes in the form of a write-up of ex-Yankees (now Braves) farmhand Arodys Vizcaino.  The highlights:

    Pitching for low Class A Rome on Saturday, Braves 19-year-old righthander Arodys Vizcaino reinforced his status as one of the game’s top pitching prospects, overpowering Greensboro with a fastball that reached the mid-90s and an outstanding curveball that ranks among the best in the minors.

    Vizcaino, who came to the Braves in the offseason deal that sent Vazquez to New York, struck out a career-high 10 batters in six innings and didn’t walk anyone, allowing two runs, one of which was unearned. All 10 of Vizcaino’s strikeouts were swinging, most of which were against his curveball.

    Listed at six feet, 189 pounds, Vizcaino has a strong, sturdy build… With a fluid delivery and a quick arm, Vizcaino generates easy velocity—sitting at 92-95 mph and touching 96—making the ball explode out of his three-quarters arm slot.

    While Vizcaino’s fastball is at least a plus pitch, his curveball is his best offering, a wicked 80-83 mph bender with nasty bite. Vizcaino was brutal to hit against once he got to a two-strike count, showing the ability to change the hitter’s eye level by getting him to chase a high 94-95 mph fastball or bury him with a sharp, late-breaking curveball.

    To the growing legion of reactionary, impatient Vazquez-haters out there, this report will do nothing to soothe the hard feelings that Cashman gave away a legitimate pitching prospect.  My take on this report, however, is that although Vizcaino is gaining a lot of attention for his talent and repertoire, he’s still at least two full seasons away from the big leagues AND it demonstrates that Cashman’s scouts clearly do have an eye for amateur talent.

    I wish Vizcaino all the success in the world and I hope Cashman and his team find several more like him in the coming years.

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    Dallas Braden Not Done Talking About A-Rod

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (29)

    Did he really say: “[A-Rod] plays for the name on the back [of his uniform]“?

    Yes, he did….

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    SI Cover Jinx

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (4)

    April 27: Sports Illustrated Issue comes out with Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada on the cover.

    May 3: Jorge Posada leaves game with sore calf.  He has yet to return as a starter.

    May 3: Mariano Rivera has ”tightness” in his left side.  Though he has been deemed “available,” he has yet to be used.

    May 5: Andy Pettitte leaves game in the 5th inning with mild inflammation in his pitching elbow.

    Derek Jeter, you better watch your back.

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    Let’s See The Yankee Stadium Grounds Crew Try This One

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (0)

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    Yanks Send Pettitte For MRI On Pitching Arm

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (7)

    Via Andrew Marchand:

    New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte was removed from Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Baltimore Orioles because of stiffness in his forearm and triceps. Manager Joe Girardi said Pettitte will undergo an MRI.

    “Anytime you are talking about the area around the elbow, you start to worry a little bit,” Pettitte said through a team spokesman. “I think it is going to be fine but I’ll know a lot more after the MRI results.”

    Girardi also wasn’t jumping the gun.

    “We’ll let the tests determine what’s going on,” he said.

    Pettitte threw just 77 pitches and was removed after five innings with a 6-1 lead. The Yankees went on to win 7-5. He improved to 4-0 this season and has a paltry 2.08 ERA.

    We’ve seen this before with Andy – and he had a major elbow issue when he was in Houston. And, of course, once, when it happened, it ended up with Pettitte making some bad choices.

    This could be very, very, bad news in Yankeeland. Cross your fingers and hope for the best. That’s all we can do now…and wait and see…

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    May 5th vs. The Orioles

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (10)

    The Yanks won 7-5 in a game they were in complete control of until the top of the 8th inning.  At that point, the bullpen melted down and it took Girardi four pitchers to cobble together the final five outs of the game.

    I’ll be frank, I’m at work and I didn’t watch the game (I did gamecast online, however).  I have no intention of watching this game when I get home.  There will be no bullet-point analysis here which, frankly, sucks for Nick Johnson, who had himself one hell of an afternoon (finally).

    For those of you that are conversant with Yankee uniform numbers, you’ll get what I’m saying here: #30, you’re on notice.  Pack your bags and rent an apartment in Scranton.  You’re no longer wanted here.

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    Charlie Wonsowicz

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (0)

    Via a nice story in the Staten Island Advance today about a Yankee that many don’t know –

    Charlie Wonsowicz has been around the Yankees’ organization longer than the Core Four.

    Unfortunately for him, it’s a distinction that isn’t about to earn the Tottenville native a cover story in Sports Illustrated any time soon.

    But the advance scout-video coordinator, who began his pinstripe career 18 years ago as the team’s part-time left-handed batting practice pitcher, isn’t complaining.

    “I still love it,” Wonsowicz declared an hour before last night’s 4-1 win over the Orioles, another game when a Yankee starting pitcher would go deep into a game and basically dominate the opposition.

    And Wonsowicz, the 41-year-old father of three and one-time Tottenville HS left-handed ace, can take some credit for that.

    He won’t, mind you.

    Take credit, that is.

    “I’m a caddie for the other guys,” he insists of his role on the Yankee coaching staff.

    But that’s not so.

    Not even close.

    Wonsowicz has been around the Yankee organization a long time now. He’s had a first-hand view of the organization’s last five World Series championships. He has a notion of what’s worked for the Yankees in the past, and what hasn’t.

    That alone would make him a valuable person to have around.

    But the former St. John’s University pitcher is also a legitimate baseball guy.

    He’s a pro.

    “It’s like life. The more you do, the more you know,” he said. “I feel like I’ve learned a ton over the years just by being around the people I’ve been with.”

    Tuesday was a typical workday at the Wonsowicz office, the long, deep cavern of hi-tech space behind the Yankee Stadium home-team dugout; a room filled with plasma computer screens and ergonomically correct chairs, a place where hitters stop by to check previous at-bats against opposing pitchers, and where Yankee pitchers come to check on the nuances of the opposing hitters.

    Wonsowicz was at the ballpark before noon. He’d already checked-out various scouting reports on Orioles hitters, and spoken with Joe Girardi before most players had shown up for work.

    There also was some video work to be done before sitting down with Burnett and pitching coach Dave Eiland in mid-afternoon.

    That’s where the most critical moments of the day unfold.

    “We go over the plan for the game,” Wonsowicz said of the daily meetings. “We try to prepare as best we can without overloading anyone with useless information.”

    Betcha Charlie has seen a lot in the last 18 years, huh?

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    A Stoneburner In Jersey

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (2)

    Graham Stoneburner pitched a gem this morning down in Lakewood, NJ.

    And, in the contest, the Charleston RiverDogs turned a 1-6-3-2 triple-play in the 8th inning. Here’s the details:

    • Pitcher Change: Ronny Marte replaces Graham Stoneburner.
    • Domingo Santana doubles (4) on a ground ball to left fielder Deangelo Mack.
    • Torre Langley singles on a ground ball to shortstop Kelvin Castro. Domingo Santana to 3rd.
    • Jonathan Villar grounds into a triple play, pitcher Ronny Marte to shortstop Kelvin Castro to first baseman Luke Murton. Domingo Santana out at home. Torre Langley out at 2nd.

    Sounds like someone should have told Domingo Santana that you don’t keep running until someone tags you out.

    I wonder how many triple-plays have ended with the catcher getting the putout?

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    Cinco de Mayo’s Pick A Number Game

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (5)

    A Wednesday day game on May 5th against the Orioles. Any guesses on what the attendance at Yankee Stadium will be today?

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    Jeter To Tie Iron Horse Today

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (1)

    Via Scott Boeck -

    When Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter takes the field in Wednesday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles, it will be his 2,164th game played.

    Why is that significant? It will tie Lou Gehrig for the second-most games played in franchise history. He’ll likely finish the year around 100 games back of Mickey Mantle’s (2,401) record for the club’s games played.

    Just another accomplishment on Jeter’s resume.

    On April 30, Jeter, who passed Gehrig for the most hits in franchise history last September, became the active hits leader when he hit a home run against the Mariners.

    No Yankee had managed that distinction since 1952, when Johnny Mize did it.

    He currently has 2,782 hits. Ken Griffey is second 2,776.

    I wonder what the team will do, in terms of a ceremony, when Jeter does break Mickey Mantle’s record for games played as Yankee…

    That’s a heckuva record. And, once Jeter sets it, I bet that it stands for another 30 or 40 years.

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    Cano’s 2010 April Is One For Yankees History Books

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (9)

    Via Craig Slater

    New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano unofficially made team history on Friday.

    According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became the first Yankees player in the franchise’s 107-year history to finish the month of April with at least eight home runs and a .400 average or better. (The last player to do this was Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants six years ago.)

    It’s difficult to believe that of all the Hall-of-Fame players who have worn the pinstripes — Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter — none had accomplished this feat.

    A Barry Bonds like performance from Cano? Hmmm…

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    Yankees To Be 1st MLB Telecast In 3D

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (5)

    Pete Dougherty has the story.

    So, which YES broadcast team member are you most afraid of seeing in 3D?

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    No, They Wouldn’t, Would They?

    Posted by on May 5th, 2010 · Comments (10)

    It’s looking more and more like the Red Sox may release David Ortiz. What a difference three years makes, huh?

    Here’s a wild thought: Say Nick Johnson continues to struggle or ends up on the D.L., and Big Papi is “out there” for anyone to pick up…would the Yankees make a move and replace Johnson with Ortiz?

    How strange would that be…seeing Ortiz in a Yankees uniform?

    It would sort be like when New York picked up George Scott in 1979 and John Mayberry in 1982. And, it would probably work out just as well as those two moves did – meaning badly.

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