Some interesting Teixeira trivia via Michael Tunison -

This might help explain why future Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira changed his first name to Kurt (not legally, of course) for a spell after the news came out regarding [Kurt] Cobain’s suicide. In fact, he told MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds in an interview last night that he even signed documents using that name.

HR: What is this stuff about Kurt Teixeira?

MT: You know what? When I was a kid I was a big Nirvana fan. And, uh, Kurt Cobain unfortunately passed away when I think I was in eighth grade. And when you’re twelve or thirteen years old and your favorite band isn’t gonna make any more music, you take it pretty tough. So, uh, I went by an alias for a little while.

HR: Yeah, your mom said…

Mark’s mom (on video): Mark tried to change his name to Kurt when he was, uh, because he loved Kurt Cobain when he filled our forms he would put, he would sign “Kurt Teixeira”, so we had Kurt Teixeira things coming to the house for a while. I’d go, “what is this?” and it was because he had this thing for Kurt Cobain.

HR: You had the mail coming to your house?

MT: I would fill out…anytime I’d fill anything out whether it was for comic books or CD clubs or anything I would write Kurt Teixeira just because I didn’t know what I was doing. I was twelve years old and I was having fun with it.

I wonder if this means Courtney Love can get into the Yankees clubhouse whenever she wants…?

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Via Adam Kilgore -

Chien-Ming Wang’s debut for the Nationals remains most likely at least one month away. While the Nationals originally hoped Wang might be able to pitch in May, he has experienced no setbacks and prefers the precautionay stance the team has used in his recovery from shoulder surgery, said Alan Nero, one of Wang’s representatives and the managing director of Octagon’s baseball division.

Wang is throwing simulated innings every two or three days and is scheduled to appear in the majors in late July or early August, Nero said. Wang last pitched in the majors July 12 of last year for the New York Yankees.

The long rehab in Viera, Fla.’s stifling weather has been a grind, but Wang is “doing quite well,” Nero said. Last week, the Nationals allowed Wang a three-day break from rehab in Viera so he could visit his family in New Jersey.

“He’s been incredibly positive,” Nero said. “With the Yankees, there was never a complete understanding of the injury. The conservative approach the Nationals have taken has been outstanding.”

Paging Dr. Stuart Hershon and Dr. Chris Ahmad…

Of course, the agent is going to praise the Nats. But, the slap on the Yanks here is interesting. I guess we’ll find out in about a month where this all goes…

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Via Tom Verducci –

Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long put second baseman Robinson Cano under a strict order in spring training this year: never swing at the first pitch.

“It was hard,” said Cano, who has a gift of being able to put the bat on the ball on almost all pitches, even those out of the strike zone. “But I knew it was something that was going to make me better. I looked for a good pitch, a pitch that I can drive.”

Long’s spring training edict was part of his plan to turn Cano from a good hitter who had the ability to win a batting title into a great hitter who could win an MVP award, a plan that began when Long tweaked his mechanics after the 2008 season. Forcing Cano to take the first pitch of every at-bat in spring training drove home Long’s message that to get to the next level Cano needed to swing at pitches he could hit for power, not just put into play.

“He’s not the kind of guy you can scream and yell at,” Long said. “He’s the kind of guy you have to tell exactly what you want. This year what I want — and we laid it out — is 35-45 walks and to drive in runs.

“Last year the focus was, ‘We’re going to get your mechanics under control. We’re going to get your average back to where it needs to be.’ But we didn’t talk about driving in runs. And you know what? He failed in those situations. OK, so we let it go. This year’s focus is keeping everything we had and now adding to the package: driving in runs.”

Sure enough, Cano has become a rare gem in baseball: a second baseman with game-changing slugging ability.

I dig what everyone is saying about Cano these days…but, shouldn’t we wait and see what he does over the next five years before we put him in Cooperstown?

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Not sure if you noticed, but, the Staten Island Yankees opened their 2010 season last Friday.

I’ll be at their game this Saturday, with some friends, and am looking forward to seeing guys like Kelvin De Leon and…

Hey, wait a minute? Are there any players at Staten Island now worth getting excited about? Sure doesn’t seem like it, to me.

Anywho, it’s minor league baseball on a Saturday night in June…what’s not to like about that?

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So much is being made of the Yankees call to skip Phil Hughes’ next turn. Here’s the skinny via Pete Caldera –

Phil Hughes will skip a turn in the rotation. For his own good.

“It’s something I knew was coming,” Hughes said, conscious of the Yankees’ prescribed innings limit. The prized right-hander, who turns 24 on Thursday, added, “It was just a matter of when and how and all that sort of stuff.”

With 82 1/3 innings and 13 starts under his belt, the time is now.

On this western swing, the Yankees have off-dates Thursday and Monday, which permits manager Joe Girardi to keep his other starters on regular rest.

Hughes understands. But that didn’t take away from his disappointment, especially since he’s being skipped at Dodger Stadium. Hughes, who grew up in Southern California, had family members looking forward to seeing him pitch in person.

“It’s definitely disappointing. But Joe told me if I wasn’t disappointed, he’d be a little worried,” said Hughes, who spoke in his usual even tone. “Sometimes, it’s what needs to be done. So, I’ll take advantage of the few extra days off and prepare for Seattle.”

Here’s something to consider – looking at Hughes’ 13 starts this year:

Phil Hughes’ first six starts of the season: 39 IP & an ERA of 1.38
Phil Hughes’ last seven starts this season: 43.1 IP & an ERA of 4.78

Are things catching up with Phil? Maybe…so, perhaps this is a good time for a time-out?

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Yanks lost 10-4.

Not only am I completely swamped and don’t have time for a full recap, I wouldn’t have anything to say that isn’t rated NC-17.  Watching the first inning was enough to turn me into a ball of fury…

AJ Burnett has been atrocious over the last calendar month.  Either he gets himself fixed or he should be skipped in the rotation for a turn or two.  $16.5M contract or not, the Yanks can’t be maxing out the bullpen for Burnett’s starts every single time.

Finally, for the time being, I’m not touching the Posada-Burnett thing with a 10-foot pole.  Posada and Burnett are both idiots, however.  They either need to get along or never work together again.  I don’t want to see the jawing back and forth any more.

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Sounds like “yes” and “no.” Via Mark Feinsand –

[A.J.] Burnett is 0-4 with a 10.35 ERA in June, struggling to find any type of consistency that helped him open the season 6-2 with a 3.28 ERA in his first 11 starts.

“I don’t feel like myself,” Burnett said. “I’m not having fun right now. I mean, who would in a stretch like this? The game’s supposed to be fun. When you come out and take the air out of your team right away for a handful of starts, it gets quite frustrating. I’m going to keep plugging away. That’s who I am. It’s just a matter of getting on a roll.”

Is Dave Eiland’s absence hurting Burnett’s chances of turning things around? Burnett admitted that Eiland’s absence has been a part of it, though both Burnett and Girardi said the responsibility is on the pitcher to work out the kinks.

“Not having him here is a big loss for all of us, but I’m not going to point any fingers or make excuses at all,” Burnett said. “I’m out there throwing pitches, whether Dave’s in the dugout or not. He’s corrected me enough where I should have a memory of what Dave says. I’m a man, I’m a professional athlete who’s got a big contract, who’s here for a reason, and there’s not a reason why you shouldn’t be able to do that on your own.”

“It’s not like A.J. hasn’t pitched for 12 years in the big-leagues,” Girardi said. “You can’t put it on one person for a reason why a guy is going bad. Obviously we miss Dave, but to put your finger on exactly what it is, all of us have been here with him, we understand what he needs to do. He needs to get it done.”

Last night was weird for A.J., huh? And, this is probably the worst 4 games in a row that he’s pitched in his career. So, how long until the “He can’t pitch to Posada” thing starts up again this year?

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This past Saturday, I was driving south down the Garden State Parkway, some time after 3 pm and before 4 pm, and I spotted a Lamborghini Reventón on the road.

When you consider how few of them are around, it’s something to behold. Let’s just say…it, was, incredible.

To confess, I’m not much of a car guy. Yes, when I first got my license back in 1980, and for the next six years that followed, I fully understood (and took advantage of) the dynamics and residual trappings of having a nice ride. But, by the time I was 23-years old, I began to understand that a car was a machine whose purpose was to get you from “Point A” to “Point B” and it’s value was exponentially transitory. As such, I never became one of those guys – not even in my current “mid-life” state – who needed a status car to serve as the shiniest toy in my collection.

Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche…don’t need ‘em. Give me an every-man utilitarian Chevy or a Honda and I’m just fine. Now, that said, again, the Lamborghini Reventón is a whole different animal…

And, if I ever had $1.6 million to throw away…I’m pretty sure I would consider getting one.

Then again, I would have to imagine that such a purchase would bring cause for my car insurance premiums to go up a bit…so, maybe I’ll just stick to the thrill of spotting one on the road once every forty-seven years…

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I’m still ticking…

This Triple-A action photo was taken on June 2, 2010:

Do you know who this player is?   Hint: Think “Ken Huckaby.”

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Via Ken Rosenthal -

The Yankees bought a lot with their major-league leading $206 million payroll.

But, as usual, they skimped on their bench.

Their deficiency was obvious on Saturday, when they started Ramiro Pena at short in place of Derek Jeter, who had a heel problem, and Kevin Russo at third in place of Alex Rodriguez, who was the DH.

Pena and Russo are versatile players and good defenders, but neither would provide sufficient offense if either Jeter or, more likely, A-Rod, was out for an extended period.

The Yankees’ rotation is second in the league in ERA. Their offense is second in runs. Club officials believe the bullpen is better than its statistics indicate. But the team is flirting with trouble by carrying such modest utility infielders. The Yankees are not yet actively looking for help, sources say — but they should be.

A-Rod’s groin/hip issues are restricting him, and given the closeness of the AL East race, the Yankees might not get to rest him in September. Jeter, meanwhile, turns 36 on Saturday. And, as first pointed out by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, his groundball rate is its highest and his line-drive rate its lowest since Fangraphs.com began tracking such data in 2002.

The problem for the Yankees is finding a capable utility man who can fill in at short and third. The Braves’ Omar Infante and Angels’ Maicer Izturis, the players who perhaps best fit the profile, will not be available — they already play for contenders.

The Royals’ Willie Bloomquist and Blue Jays’ John McDonald are veteran utility types, but at this point neither represents a significant offensive upgrade. Ditto for Jayson Nix, who was designated for assignment by the White Sox over the weekend.

Ryan Theriot? The Cubs moved him off short, believing he is better suited for second. Geoff Blum of the Astros? He hasn’t played short with any frequency since 2006.

The Yankees might need to get creative in their search. After investing $206 million, it’s the least they can do.

You know, when you look at this list of Yankees infielder bench players since 1996, you really can’t say enough about the jobs that Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston did last year:

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Please consider taking the following poll:

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

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You know, in baseball, we’re always warned not to look past a current series and think about the next one. But, I can’t help myself from thinking about the Yankees series next weekend – against the Dodgers.

And, I can’t stop wondering what the reactions will be during that one – and how it will be covered, especially on the YES Network. You know…with the whole Joe Torre angle.

By my quick look, there are only nine currently active Yankees on this team who once played for Torre: Andy Pettitte, Javier Vazquez, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano. And, Vazquez was not here when Torre left New York.

You know that Pettitte, Rivera, Jeter and Posada will be all hugs and kisses with Torre when they meet up in Hollywood. Cano will probably be that way too. I doubt Hughes and Joba will have much of a reaction to the whole thing. But, what about A-Rod? Don’t forget what Torre said about Alex in his book. And, if you did, I’m sure the media will bring it up next weekend.

And, how about Joe Girardi and Joe Torre? How will things be between them this weekend? If it’s nice, will that be short-lived if there’s some nasty stuff that goes down on the field?

I think the whole thing is going to be very interesting. Shame these games are not being played in New York…because that would just take it to another whole level.

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Just how good have the 2010 Yankees been, to date? Let’s look at the numbers…

The Yankees have won 43 of their first 69 games this season. There have only been 25 other teams since 1996 to win at least 43 of their first 69 games in a season. The list is below.

Let’s think about this for a minute. Including this year, there have been 15 seasons since 1996. And, there are 30 big league teams. So, at best – although not mathematically possible,  I would assume – there could be 450 such seasons where a team won 43 of their first 69. (I say “not mathematically possible” since a win for one team is a loss for another – so, they all can’t win 43 of 69.)

In any event, 26 out of 450 is 6%, rounding up.

Seeing this, dare we say that the Yankees start this season is in the top 6% of all starts by major league teams since 1996? I don’t see why not, right?

But, as we all know, the race doesn’t always go to the swift, but, sometimes it goes to those who keep running.  So, what do you think? Can the Yankees keep up the pace for the remainder of the season and finish on top?

Teams with 43+ wins in their first 69 games since 1996:

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On more than one occasion, when a left-handed batter is up at Yankee Stadium, and the TV coverage is using the field camera from the third base side to show him in the box, I’ve noticed a certain Yankee Stadium server/waitress in the background.

She usually has her sleeves rolled up and…well…let’s just say she’s hard to miss. She’s standing in the Luxury Suite boxes – probably Section 18 or 17B. (But, for all I know, it could be Section 17A or 16 as well.) Like I said, I’ve seen her in the background more than once – during different games as well.

Maybe that’s just her “station”? Or, maybe she’s trying to pull a Pam Anderson – who was “discovered” in the crowd at a BC Lions football game?

In any event, is it just me, or, has anyone else noticed this woman showing up in camera shots, and often, while watching a Yankees home game?

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The General Manager of the Yankees must have had a pretty big grin on his face after this one. A couple of years ago when Brian Cashman was pondering the decision to trade for Johan Santana, he had to consider this game as the best case scenario argument against doing so. Think about it, Cashman decided to hold on to Hughes and go after Sabathia in the 2008-2009 offseason. The fruit of this decision could not have been more realized than this season to this game.

Hughes, the prize of the package that would have been sent to the Twins, is pitching like an all star, an ace even. And this game featured the pony that Cashman decided to put his money on, and that horse went 8 full shutout innings. To make it sweeter, they beat Santana. And to make it even sweeter, it was against the crosstown rival Mets. Ok, you want to sweeten the pot even more? The Yankees now have sole possession of 1st place. Add that to the World Series championship last year, and I’d say Cashman made some smart moves and non-moves.

On another note, is it just me, or is the ball not flying at all to left field? When Tex crushed that grand slam, I thought it was going to at least be 10 rows back yet it barely went out as it hit the top of the ball and bounced over. Either way, I’m sure Teixeira will take it.

Lastly, I feel like I say this every year but, Mariano Rivera might be having his best season. The last time Mo gave up an earned run was against these very same Mets, on May 21. That’s right, an entire calendar month without an ER. In that stretch, hitters could only produce the following slash rates : .030/.111/.030. It will truly be a sad day when “Enter Sandman” is no longer played in the 9th.

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I spent most of the day in NYC today. Left the house at 9 AM and got home at 5:30 PM. As such, I totally missed the Yankees game this afternoon. I did see a ton of Yankees fans on my train this morning heading into the city. Some Mets fans too. And, around 3 PM, my son and I caught up with my wife and daughter – and my wife relayed a message from my father-in-law about Tex’s slam. I’m sure that Corey will soon have a summary up on today’s game – and all the good stuff about the Yankees now owning first in the East. In the meantime, here’s a little Yankees-related Father’s Day stuff to share…

This morning, before we headed out for our day in Manhattan, my wife and kids presented me with some Father’s Day gifts. Among those were Madden’s book on Big Stein – hooray, hints did not go wasted! – and one of those 2010 Stars & Stripes Welcome Back Veterans Caps. (Again, while I’m usually a traditionalist when it comes to Yankees hats, I liked this one and it’s for a good cause.)

Funny thing about the cap…

My wife was not sure what size to buy; so, she took a peek at my current Yankees cap – which is now in it’s eighth season of use. And, that’s a size 7 1/2 cap.

However, there’s a catch there. I bought that one when I was much heavier. And, after I got myself into better shape, it became too big for me. So, years ago, I soaked it in water and let it dry…to shrink it to a size that fit. However, she didn’t know this when she checked out the size – and she got me a 7 1/2 in the new cap.

Of course, it was too big when I tried it on this morning. Therefore, after we got home this evening, I went to exchange it for a size 7 3/8 cap. But, much to my surprise, every new Yankees “Stars & Stripes” cap that I tried on, in size 7 3/8, was also too big for me. Trying to figure all this out, I tried on a few “regular” Yankees caps in size 7 3/8 – and they all fit perfect. Seeing this, I deduced that the new “Stars & Stripes” caps were “running big.” Therefore, next, I started trying on “Stars & Stripes” caps in size 7 1/4, being hopeful to find one that would fit. And, after three that were too tight, I finally found one 7 1/4 that would work…and probably be a good fit after stretching it out a bit.

Of course, as I already know, the lesson here is that you really need to try on a sized New Era baseball cap – and not assume that it’s going to fit correctly just based off of the the size on the label.

O.K., one last Yankees-related Father’s Day thing…

The four of us went to Bat Day at Yankee Stadium last month. And, while there, at one point, we were out in left-center field behind the bleachers. Since one of the Yankee Stadium Photo Program staffers was there, we had a picture taken of the kids, with their bats, with a full Yankee Stadium in the background. It turned out to be a nice picture. So, we decided to splurge and get two 8×10′s of the picture (via the Yankees Photo Program) – frame them (ourselves) – and give them to “the grandfathers” (my dad and father-in-law) from the kids for Father’s Day.

Yesterday, we were celebrating a belated birthday and early Father’s Day with my dad – and we had the kids give him the picture.

One item to note here…the thing with the Yankees Photo Program is that they place the date and score on the pictures. I have no issue with the former – it’s a nice and useful touch. But, the latter only works for me when the Yankees win. Who wants to be reminded of a Yankees loss? It would make much more sense, to me, if the Yankees Photo Program would list the date on the photo – and only list the score when the Yankees win. (And, in the case of a loss, just list “Yankee Stadium” or something like that, after the date.)

Now, as you may recall, the Yankees lost on Bat Day this year. So, right there, on the kids picture, it says:

May 16, 2010 – Twins 6, Yankees 3.

Yeah, it’s a bummer – but, it’s such a great picture of the kids that I had to let it slide…with some grumbling over it…which I thought went unnoticed…

…but…

I thought wrong.

When we gave the picture to my dad last night, my daughter (who’s eight) said to him “You’re going to like this. But, I have to warn you that there’s something my dad doesn’t like about it.” And, my son (who’s six) then followed this up with “Yeah, it’s the score.”

Hmmm…pick up on his hints for the latest Yankees book, get him a new Yankees cap, and take notice that he laments and doesn’t want to be reminded of Yankees losses…

Now, that’s a job well-done by the family of the Yankees fan dad on Father’s Day…if I do say so, myself.

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Via the AP -

Lady Gaga can still play Yankee Stadium — she’s just gotta follow the ground rules.

The outlandish pop singer talked her way past security and visited the Yankees clubhouse after the team lost to the New York Mets on Friday night.

The New York Post reported that Yankees co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner was upset with Lady Gaga’s antics and permanently barred her from the locker room.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says Lady Gaga isn’t banned. He says celebrities have access to the clubhouse, but not after a Yankees loss.

And, I thought that Joe Girardi banned candy from the Yankees Clubhouse?

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Just as baseball and apple pie are staples of America, statistics and fathers are the hemoglobin of baseball. So, since today is Father’s Day (really, it is, Hallmark says so!), I want to wish all the fathers out there a Happy Father’s Day!

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Always good to win a “bad feeling” game.

What “bad feeling”? Hey, you never watched/listened to a Yankees game and had a “bad feeling” during the contest?

I had two during this one.

When Jose Reyes hit his second homer in the game, in just the third inning, I thought to myself: “Oh, crap. They’re going to lose this game and Jose Reyes is going to end up hitting three homeruns in the game – or something worse.” That was “bad feeling” # 1 today.

Man, I cannot stand Jose Reyes. I hate the way he celebrates on the field like a wannabe back-up dancer from a Saint Tropez night club. I hate the way he wears his uniform with his shirt hanging out. I hate his Milli Vanilli dread-hair and accompanying Mets Doo-Rag. If he played for the Yankees…I’d puke. Really, if the Yankees ever had a player who went about his baseball business like Jose Reyes, I would vomit. So, the thought of the Yankees losing to the Mets, and Reyes having a “legendary” day in the process…well…let’s just say: Ugh.

And, for a second, after that third inning homer, it looked like Phil Hughes was going to lose it…walking Pagan. But, give Phil credit, he pulled it all back together and had a solid game.

“Bad feeling” # 2 came in the eighth inning. Yanks nursing a two-run lead and here comes Joba Chamberlain. I thought “Oh, lovely, this is not going to be good.” But, much to my surprise, he got through the frame without allowing any runs. Whew.

Finally, Mo Rivera for the save. At this point, I was out of the house and driving over the Mantoloking Bridge listening to the game on the radio. And, John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman were talking about how long it’s been since we’ve seen Mariano. But, no “bad feelings” here. Mo is Mo. Mo was Mo. And, the game was in the bag.

Yankees win. The-uh-uh-uh-uh Yan-keys win! Ah, that’s nice.

I still don’t think they’re out of the woods yet with their offensive struggles…but…for one day…just take the “W” and be happy with that.

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If you would have polled Yankee fans six months ago, most would have thought that a Hoffman would be patrolling the outfield in Yankee stadium – not a Huffman – but baseball works in funny ways.

Back in December, the Yankees traded troublesome right-hander Brian Bruney to the Washington Nationals in exchange for a first-round pick in the Rule V Draft. Bruney pitched his way out of Strasburg-ville and Hoffman was sent back to LaLa Land before the Yankees broke camp. The trade ended up being a wash for everyone – except the Dodgers.

Although he’s not playing at the major league level, versatile outfielder Jamie Hoffman is playing quite well for the Albuquerque Isotopes, posting a .318/.374/.455 line with four homers and nine stolen bases in 63 games. The Dodger outfield is pretty crowded right now, and there are several solid outfielders in Albuquerque, so its doubtful that Hoffman makes it to the majors before September, but the Yankees sure could use a little extra depth right about now.

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So I took a look at the numbers, and while Teixeira may be having a subpar season so far, there is still a chance he can turn it around. If Tex goes on to hit at the exact pace he did last year from June 19, 2009 – the end of the 2009 season, his numbers don’t look as bad :

94 Games from 2009 + 67 games from 2010
729 PA
628 AB
168 H
38 2B
3 3B
29 HR
105 RBI
86 BB
.268/.348/.476/.824

Sure, it’d be an off year for him. But it wouldn’t be the Rico Bergman-like numbers he’s putting up now. You should also keep in mind that this excludes Tex’s hottest streak of the season, which was from May 2, 2009 – May 31, 2009. Since we know he is capable of an outstanding month like that, lets take a look at Tex’s current numbers and add in that hot streak :

26 Games from 2009 + 67 Games from 2010
425 PA
357 AB
96H
22 2B
0 3B
23 HR
72 RBI
49 BB
.269/.341/.524/.865

If Tex goes on a tear like that for the next 26 games, he’d put himself in a pretty good position to finish the final two plus months of the year with his usual numbers. Hopefully this isn’t “just a different year”, and Tex can live up up to his annual numbers.

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Via the Daily News –

Major League Baseball teams soak fans who buy seats online with random and exorbitant costs – and New York’s clubs are among the top offenders, a new report says.

A family of Mets fans buying four seats for $84 in Citi Field can pay up to $31.50 in fees above the ticket price, according to the report prepared by Rep. Anthony Weiner’s office (D-Queens).

A family of Yankee fans spending $88 on four tickets can expect an extra $28.60 in processing fees, convenience fees – and even fees for printing the tickets themselves. “Families spending the afternoon at the ballpark can end up spending the money they reserved for hot dogs and Cracker Jacks … before they even get through the gate,” says the report.

“Yankee and Mets families are some of the hardest hit families in MLB.”

Weiner is crafting a measure requiring all Web sites selling baseball tickets to display total fees as a percentage of the ticket price.

“We hope Major League Baseball and its teams can sort this out on their own, but we will introduce legislation if they don’t,” Weiner said. “Their smart position should be, ‘We will take a look at making these fees more fair and consistent.’ ”

The report notes that fans who buy the cheapest seats are often slammed with the most fees.

A bleacher bum who buys a $5 Yankee ticket through a Web site can pay up to $9.40 in fees – a staggering 188% markup. Mets fans who purchase $11 seats face $11.50 in additional costs.

The most outrageous charge, Weiner said, is a $2.50 per ticket fee imposed by the Yankees and Mets on fans printing their tickets at home. Weiner said his staff was unable to determine how teams and ticket services, such as Ticketmaster, divide the add-on charges.

Hey, as El Tiante used to day, it’s great to be with a Weiner…

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Via the Yankees today -

The New York Yankees will host a special television event at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, June 20, prior to the Yankees-Mets game at 1:05 p.m. All fans in attendance for the pregame ceremony – which will begin at 12:30 p.m. – will be able to participate in the filming for a top-rated, Emmy Award-winning, primetime hit television show.

Fans with tickets to Sunday’s Father’s Day game vs. the Mets are urged to arrive at Yankee Stadium and be in their seats no later than 12:15 p.m. All fans in their seats during pregame ceremonies will be able to be a part of the unique experience for one of the top primetime television shows in the country.

Well, for sure, it’s not for The Simpsons. My guess? 30 Rock. But, what do I know?

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Anyone else notice what former Yankee Melky Cabrera has done in his last 25 games with the Braves? His BA/OBA/SLG line is .337/.360/.477 (in 90 PA). Atlanta has gone 17-8 in those 25 games, by the way.

Good for Leche. I’m happy for him and hope that he continues at this pace for the rest of the season.

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What a horrible, horrible game. Granted, I like what the Mets have done in terms of getting pitching talent from the far east, but this was rediculous. The Yanks attempted late rallies in both the 8th and 9th innings, but couldn’t get the job done. If you missed this one, be glad.

MLB needs to sit down with the umpires after this season and discuss the horrible job they’ve done. Last night with a 3-1 count, the umpire not only called a low strike on Jorge Posada, but he punched him out. If the umpires don’t know what the count is, we’re in trouble.

The good? Javy Vazquez flat out dominated the Mets. The one run that the Mets did score came quick off a David Wright double and Ike Davis single. Other then that, Javy gave up 1 hit and 3 walks over the final 6.1 IP. Rough that he gets the loss in this one, but we all know that Javy is back to pitching like he should be and that’s what matters.

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Is it possible to hit rock bottom while you’re still tied for first? It’s sure feeling that way right now…

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I find it amazing that there are exactly three 40-win teams in major league baseball right now, and all three of them reside in the AL East. Add in a Toronto Blue Jays team that has good starting pitching and is hitting way over their head, and you have far and away the best division in the game despite the Orioles.

Tampa is 4-3 against Boston, and 3-2 vs. the Yanks.

Boston is 3-4 against Tampa, and 3-5 vs. the Yanks.

The Yanks are 5-3 against Boston, and 2-3 vs. Tampa.

It’s pretty even, with no real domination by any 1 team. And with the ability to completely change the complexion of their teams via their financial might (or in the Rays case, the might of their prospects), it’s hard to say how the teams will play against each other in August and September. Somebody is going to have a really horrible fall after a fantastic summer.

As an aside, I want to say that I’m not a Lakers fan. I am a fan of a Boston team losing, however. So congratulations goes to the Lakers for winning the NBA championship.

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To date, this season, Mark Teixeria’s OBA is .344 and his SLG is .392 (in 302 PA). Seeing this, I wondered “If he finishes the season with those levels, who was the last Yankees first baseman to be that bad?”

So, I ran the numbers – and here they are:

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The first thing that jumped out at me, here, were the numbers for Don Mattingly when he was 30-years old…the same age as Teixeira is now…

Well, in any event, if Tex finishes the season with these numbers, it will be the worst offensive showing by a full-time Yankees first baseman since Donnie Baseball in 1991. Ouch.

Of course, there’s still a lot of baseball to be played…and hopefully Mark can do better than we’ve seen from him so far.

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So, what do you think? Is this good news or bad news about the Yankees pitching staff this season?

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Tweet here and a tweet there says it’s so. That didn’t take long, did it?

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