Man, this game was a hard one to watch. It may look like a close 4-3 game, but it definitely didn’t feel like it.

This entire game had a vibe about it. From A-Rod coming out of the game after just a half of an inning, to having Moeller behind the plate with Burnett coming off a rough outing in Toronto. You see a lineup that ends up featuring Pena hitting 4th, and a 8-9 of Thames and Moeller. Throw an ice cold Posada in and the fact that it’s getaway day and you’ve got yourself a rough game.

I don’t know if there was a glare or something coming in from center field, but both Moeller AND Cervelli looked horrible behind the plate tonight. Aside from the cross up that Moeller and Burnett had, the catchers flat out missed a few balls that should have been caught. At one point Mike Harkey came out and yelled at them.

Speaking of Burnett, he needs to get his fastball under control. He couldn’t locate anything. On top of that, in total, Burnett hit 3 batters. Just so happened 1 of those HBP ended up being a K instead. Goes to show ya what kind of shape the Orioles are in. Bad AJ was out there, yet he kept them in the game through 6 innings.

Offensively, other than Cano continuing his great first half by extending his hitting streak to 4 games, there wasn’t much to get excited about. They just couldn’t put much together against the rookie, Jake Arrieta, in his first major league start. Swisher hit the ball hard a few times but carried an 0-fer. Granderson got a triple that should have been ruled a double.

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And, that was 2 hours ago – and still no report as to why. This is strange. Usually, with an injury, the media gets an update at some point during the game, no?

Update: Rodriguez had a flare-up of the groin tightness he suffered on Sunday, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney. Via WM at 9:18 PM ET. But, on the other hand, LKJ says you have to wait until after the game.

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Via the Daily News yesterday –

Shortly after the Yankees tabbed high-schooler Cito Culver in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft on Monday night, many draft experts were so harsh in their criticism it could have made Mel Kiper Jr. blush.

Baseball America had the 17-year-old shortstop ranked 168th, leading many to question why the Yankees chose the Rochester product so high. Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ VP of amateur scouting, said Culver was the highest-ranked position player left on their board when their pick came around, making the decision easy.

“The main ranking that means something to me is what ranking our guys have,” Oppenheimer said. “I had basically over 100 years of scouting experience go in to see this kid. When guys like my cross-checkers who have been doing this for a long time, former major-league hitting coaches like Gary Denbo and former scouting directors like Bill Livesey come back with a thumbs up, that means a lot more to me than the public opinion of Baseball America or some of the other publications who just aren’t able to get to these guys and don’t have scouting staffs.”

Ah, two thumbs up, eh? Well, then, of course, then it makes sense to take a player with the 32nd overall pick who wasn’t on anyone’s Top 100 list – sans your own.

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So much is being made about Cito Culver’s prom fashion choice. Here’s the story:

Cito Culver is taking his status as a New York Yankees first-round draft pick pretty seriously.

The Irondequoit High shortstop will attend the school’s senior ball on Friday night with close friend Josiah Heath, and both will be dressed in matching tuxedos.

“Pinstriped,” Culver said. “White with black pinstripes and a blue tie.”

Navy blue, like the Yankees.

The tuxedos were supplied by Vittorio Tux Shop, 1900 East Ridge Road in Irondequoit. The store, owned by Vittorio Barbagallo, has a few of the unique tuxes in-house.

“We don’t rent it out too much, and we only have it in certain sizes,” store employee Anthony Baccari said Wednesday. “Chris and Josiah came in Tuesday, and they’re coming back (today) for their fitting.”

So, does the tux look like Yankee gear? “It absolutely does,” Baccari said.

Culver, 17, was selected by the Yankees with the 32nd overall pick on Monday night. He is the first player from the Rochester area chosen in the first round since 1977.

Click here for more on his prom wing man, Josiah Heath.

Hey, is this the worst thing that someone can wear to their prom? I’ve seen some crazier stuff out there, for sure.

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Chris Jaffe has a great Yankees-related fun fact to share today.

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Being a Yankee fan sure beats being an O’s fan, doesn’t it?  I mean, did you see that sixth inning?  The Yanks couldn’t have been luckier to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.  For those that didn’t watch the game, the Yanks scored two runs because:

-Mark Teixeira’s leadoff infield “single” took a bad hop at the lip of the outfield grass and tied up O’s 2B Julio Lugo;
-Mark Teixeira advanced to third after A-Rod hammered a solid single to LF but Luke Scott didn’t field the ball cleanly and had it skip off his glove;
-Robinson Cano’s single bounced high around the first base bag, just over Ty Wigginton’s head and into RF.  Teixeira scores (2-2), A-Rod to third; and
-Posada grounded into a tailor-made double play but SS Cesar Izturis sails his throw high and wide of first, A-Rod scores (3-2).

It’s always better to be lucky than good and, let’s not forget, it’s better to have CC Sabathia on the mound.  It still wasn’t vintage CC — 7 9 2 2 3 8 — but it was the kind of start that makes me feel like he’s gearing up for a run of dominance.  He had his secondary stuff working (12 whiffs on 40 breaking/offspeed pitches) and cruised through the middle innings on only 32 pitches.

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In going through all the internet chatter about the Yanks’ first 30 draft picks, I figured it might be of interest to some readers to pull specific quotes from a group of respected amateur baseball observers with their thoughts on how Cashman & Co. did through the first two days.  The “panel” includes Connor Glassey of Baseball America, Keith Law and Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com and Frankie Piliere of MLB FanHouse.  More after the jump…

(more…)

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After taking Cito Culver (SS), Angelo Gumbs (OF), Rob Segedin (3B) and Mason Williams (OF) through the first four rounds of the draft, the Yanks made 26 more selections.  They are listed after the jump (now with video!).

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Ok, so I’ll admit that I didn’t watch the entire game. I did watch up until the 7th, and here’s some thoughts.

First, you can increment the quality start tracker for Hughes as he improves to 8-1. He may not have had his best stuff, but he grinded it out. He bent, but did not break. With that win, Hughes moves into a 3 way tie with Buckholz and Price for the league lead. The AL East youngsters have truly dominated this first third of the season.

Then you have Swisher, continuing his bid for an all star selection. I don’t personally think he’ll make it since on the field he’s one of the lower profile Yankees, but I definitely think he deserves it.

The other star of this game was Curtis “The Manderson” Granderson. Since coming back, he’s fashioned the following all star calibur slash line .324/.390/.595, with 6 XBH and 8 ribs in 41 PA. THIS was the droid we were looking for.

But after the Yankees broke it open, I decided to turn to my recording of the Strasburg start. Wow. That kid can pitch. He AVERAGED a 97 mph fastball, hitting 100. He threw a devastating sinker at 96. His curve ball was 82, and his change up 88. All 4 pitches were nasty with tons of movement, and it allowed him to punch out 14 batters in 7 innings of work. I simply can’t wait to see him pitch against a major league team. It should be fun.

Lastly, watching that game on MLB network, just made me want to say that I miss Jim Kaat. Yankees brass, if you’re reading this, please get him back. Please.

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With the 145th and final pick of the 4th round, the Yankees selected Mason Williams, OF, West Orange (Winter Garden, FL) HS.

Williams was the 17th-rated prospect out of the state of Florida and the 145-best prospect overall, according to Baseball America.  Once again, here is their writeup:

Mason Williams, of
West Orange HS, Winter Garden, Fla.

Williams pitches and plays center field and led West Orange High to its deepest playoff run in school history. While he competes hard on the mound, his slight 6-foot-1, 160-pound frame and sidearm delivery don’t get scouts excited. His hitting ability, speed and overall athletic ability do. His build evokes Doug Glanville comparisons, and Williams has some strength and a surprising feel for hitting for a high school outfielder. He’s shown polish to his approach and makes consistent, hard contact with a fundamentally sound swing. His speed stands out as well, and scouts have seen him consistently above-average and occasionally even better. He has excellent range in center field as well and has above-average potential defensively with solid arm strength. Power is his only true below-average tool. Williams has the athletic ability and the skill to go out in the first three rounds, and his commitment to South Carolina wasn’t seen as a hindrance to his signability.

Hmmm… from the sound of it, he’s built — and plays like — another Brett Gardner type in that he’s slight of build and relies on speed on the basepaths and in the outfield to provide his maximum value.  After taking two high-ceiling prep athletes (Culver/Gumbs) and a potential impact college bat, I don’t really see what the Yanks get out of the Williams pick here but, like with everything else, we’ll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.

* * * * *

One housekeeping note: this concludes the live-update portion of my draft coverage.  I will post additional columns later tonight and during the day tomorrow to bring everyone up to speed on the rest of the draft picks Cashman & Co. make through the end of tomorrow’s draft.

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With their third pick (112th overall), the Yanks selected 3B Robert “Rob” Segedin from Tulane University.

Segedin was the 88th ranked draft prospect according to Baseball America and the fourth-best prospect coming out of the state of Louisiana.  Here’s their writeup:

Rob Segedin, 3b
Tulane

Segedin injured his lower back in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2008, and continued back problems and a shoulder injury led Tulane to shut him down after five games last spring. He was healthy again by the summer, when he helped Bourne win its first-ever Cape championship, and has wielded one of the most potent bats in college baseball this year, hitting .434/.516/.788. Segedin has plenty of strength in his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame, and he makes consistent, hard contact. His righthanded stroke is geared more toward line drives than loft, but he does show the ability to lift mistakes out of the park. He’s not nimble on the bases or at third base, but he manages to get the job done defensively. He has plenty of arm at the hot corner, and his fastball topped out at 94 mph when the Green Wave used him as a reliever two years ago. Because of his back, he has pitched sparingly since. There aren’t many quality bats like Segedin’s in this draft, but his leverage as a draft-eligible sophomore at an academically strong program could drive up his price and down his draft position.

For scouting video, click here.

As with the previous two picks, the Yanks took another positional prospect although this one is clearly more polished.  The back injury issues that BA references are probably a bit alarming for someone so young but I’ll choose to see the upside here in that the Yanks got what looks to be a very polished college bat that could move quickly based on his success in both the collegiate and Cape Cod ranks.

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The Yanks took another prep positional prospect with the 82nd and final pick of the 2nd round.  This time, it was SS/OF Angelo Gumbs of Torrance (California) High School.

Baseball America’s writeup of the 20th-best prospect in the state of California:

Angelo Gumbs, of
Torrance HS

Gumbs wears No. 21 in tribute to his idol, Roberto Clemente, and plays with the same energy and abandon, slashing at the ball, diving into bags, cutting loose with powerful throws and making spectacular plays in the field. Gumbs also hails from a school with a strong baseball legacy, and its major league alumni include the father-son tandem of Fred and Jason Kendall. Gumbs has spent most of his high school career at shortstop, but the 6-foot, 200-pounder’s future is in the outfield. His tools are impressive but not overwhelming. His 60-yard dash times were in the 6.75-6.85-second range in showcases last summer, and he zips down the line in about 4.15 seconds from the right side of the plate. His windmill delivery produces strong throws, and he has often made breathtaking catches on the scout ball and showcase circuit. At bat, Gumbs has improved immensely over the past year, working under the tutelage of professional coaches at MLB’s Urban Youth Academy in Compton, and he has terrific bat speed. He got off to a blazing start this spring, only to be slowed in late April by a sore right elbow and flu symptoms, which reduced him to DH duty. He has struggled with offspeed stuff and breaking pitches, and battles a tendency to pull off the ball. Gumbs has the ability to be an electrifying outfielder with five average to plus tools. He’s just 17, and the club that drafts him will need to be patient as he develops, but Gumbs could provide an enormous payoff.

If you want to see scouting video, click here.

Say this for the Yanks, they’re addressing the lack of high-ceiling position players in the farm system.  Like Culver, he’s extremely young (17 years old) and seems to be a bag of raw, athletic talent.

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Before diving in, I have to start with a pair of confessions.

1) For the most part, I can’t get my gander up about the draft – particularly the No. 32 pick (where if you care, Dave Magadan appears to be the cream of the crop historically).

2) I am not a Yankee fan today.

You see, my adopted hometown is the center of baseball today. It’s Strasmas. The end of Strasover (Why is this game different from all other games?). Strasburgageddon. The Straspocalypse.

Yes, tonight, at about 7:07 PM the fortunes of my No. 2 team – the lowly, lowly Washington Nationals change, perhaps forever when last year’s No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg will toe the rubber at National Park and face seventh straight Triple-A first major league lineup – the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I’ve been conscious of my Yankee fandom for nearly two decades and the only times I’ve been this nervous/excited for a game was getting ready to watch Game One of the 1996 World Series and getting my tickets and going to Game Four of the 2001 ALCS. That’s it, that’s the list.

As Yankee fans, we’re spoiled. They’ve more or less always been good. Forever. They’ve never been abjectly embarrassing. We can commiserate with the Horace Clarke Era, or talk about Andy Hawkins no-hit loss, but Washington’s baseball history has been horrendous.

No World Series title since 1924. No postseason since 1933. Lost two teams. Finally got a team back, only to see it flirt with contention, then collapse.  And this doesn’t count the current iteration’s Montreal years.

However, 42,000-plus people (which could generate roughly $1.5 million, or about 10% of Strasburg’s contract, for the team in one night) will pack the ballpark and watch this 22-year-old savior put the franchise on the map.

In the almost 10 years that I’ve lived here, the only thing that has generate more buzz, more water-cooler talk, more good feelings that Strasburg’s debut is President Obama’s inauguration. It’s that big a deal.

So remember, when complaining about the Yanks’ lack of clutch hitting, their bullpen issues, their lousy drafting, their lousy management, their inability to catch the Rays or bury the Sox – Yankee fans are lucky, and also spoiled. There’s something to be said for struggling, for being bad – because it makes the rebound that much sweeter.

Now, since this is Yankee blog – here are the Yankee connections to tonight’s event (where those not going and not from near me can watch on MLB Network with a healthy dose of Bob Costas and Jim Kaat):

• Strasburg’s batterymate will be Yankee legend Ivan Rodriguez.
• Former Yankee Cristian Guzman will probably play second base.
• Former Yankee and Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez will likely pinch hit or run at some point.
• With Pudge’s return from the DL – former Yankee Wil Nieves goes back to being a backup catcher (Thank God).
• Tyler Clippard is the Nats’ eighth-inning guy.
• And Brian Bruney won’t be here – being deemed too lousy even by Washington standards.
• The visiting Pirates feature a raft of ex-Yanks: Ross Ohlendorf, Daniel McCutcheon, Octavio Dotel, Steven Jackson and tonight’s starter Jeff Karstens.

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Via Sean Forman @ Bats Blog –

Using our database, 33 of the 36 first overall picks from 1965 to 2000 made the major leagues and produced 697 WAR in 406 player-seasons.

Once a team drafts lower than fourth over all, though, the odds of acquiring a star drop quickly. Only 22 of the 36 players picked fifth over all during that same period made the majors, and they produced 204 WAR.

So if success in the draft is somewhat random, how do good teams land talented players?

The four primary ways teams acquire players are the draft; free agency; amateur free agency (which accounts for most of the players from Latin America); and transactions with other teams like trades and waiver claims.

If we look at how the players from the last 10 World Series winners were acquired and how much WAR they produced in the championship season, 24 percent of the teams’ WAR came from the draft. That is behind free agency (41 percent) and team-to-team transactions (32 percent) but far ahead of amateur free agents (3 percent).

The two most draft-dependent teams were the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies (54 percent) and the 2002 Angels (48 percent).

These percentages understate the importance of the draft to a certain extent, because many of the drafted players are used as chits in deals at the trading deadline.

But when you look at the field in October, it will be likely that few of the players on the field were drafted by the team they are playing for.

Of course, this study doesn’t take into account that some of the last ten World Series winners had to go out and buy free agents because they screwed up most of their high level draft picks…

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It will be questions about his family.

Via nesn.com –

Culver’s father, Christopher Culver, Sr. won’t be joining in on any draft parties, as he is scheduled to be imprisoned for at least six more years after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree burglary and third-degree arson. He burned down the family’s Rochester home on Easter Sunday 2008.

What is it with the Yankees and taking kids #1 who come from broken families? They did it last year with Slade Heathcott too. And, of course, we know about Joba’s mother.

Don’t get me wrong. I know that kids can’t pick their parents. Shoot, for that matter, let’s talk about Babe Ruth’s parents. Obviously, people can rise above these things, sometimes. But, also, at times, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as well. And, when I hear Jonathan Mayo on the MLB Network say that there are questions about Cito Culver’s effort (at times) and then see reports like this about his father, I have to wonder if the Yankees did all the requisite background checks on this kid’s make-up.

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In the current print edition of Baseball America, John Manuel looked at their the grades for every major league team’s draft over the last ten years. And, along with that, Jim Callis went back and graded each draft for the last decade and ranked teams by their overall grade-point averages.

In this analysis, the Red Sox (3.40 GPA), Diamondbacks (3.20), A’s (3.10), Phillies (3.05), Rays (2.90) and Twins (2.90) were the top five teams in baseball in terms of drafting well over the last ten years. (Rays and Twins were tied for fifth.) And, the Yankees ranked 26th overall – with a GPA of 1.95 – only bettering the Mets (1.90), White Sox (1.75), Astros (1.55) and Mariners (1.45).  Clearly, this is not pretty news for the Yankees front office in terms of grading out well in the draft.

In the same edition of Baseball America, Jim Callis had a feature on the best scouting directors (current and former) in the last few years. Among those listed were David Chadd, Mike Rizzo, Logan White, R.J. Harrison, and Jason McLeod. Note there’s no mention of Damon Oppenheimer, the man in charge of the Yankees amateur scouting and draft, or anyone else within the Yankees front office here.

And, today, with their first pick in the 2010 draft, the 32nd overall pick, the Yankees selected Cito Culver - probably two or three (or maybe four?) rounds earlier than he should have been selected – passing on talent like Anthony Ranaudo, Bryce Brentz, Ryan LaMarre and Seth Blair (just to name a few).

Considering all this, and then factoring in that the Yankees had screwed up their first three picks in the draft just about every year from 1998 through 2008, I have to wonder about what’s going on in the Yankees front office with respect to handling the draft?   (“What about 2009?” some may say?  Well, the jury is still out on that one.)

At some point, Damon Oppenheimer – and his bosses, Mark Newman and Brian Cashman – have to be held accountable for the way they’ve been wasting the Yankees “prime” picks, draft after draft, no?

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The Yanks selected Christopher “Cito Culver, SS, West Irondequoit (Rochester, NY) High School with the 32nd and final pick of the first round.

I’d love to give you guys a nice writeup from Baseball America or Keith Law or even John Sickels but, alas, I wasn’t able to find anything.  I suppose that should sum up the kind of reach this pick was, especially with some of the talent that was sitting there.

I’ll reserve judgment for a later date and will give this kid a chance to earn his ‘stripes but my first reaction is definitely disappointment.

Update #1 (10:41 p.m.): This comes from Baseball America’s writeup for prospects in New York State which had Culver as the #3 ranked prospect in NYS:

Cito Culver, ss
Irondequoit HS, Rochester, N.Y.

Hidden away in upstate New York—hardly a baseball hotbed—Culver sticks out like a sore thumb. He is the rare Northeast prep product with a legitimate chance to play shortstop in the major leagues. Culver’s best tool is his arm, which rates as a 65 on the 20-80 scouting scale. Some scouts report seeing him up to 94 mph off the mound, but he has no interest in pitching. The game comes easily to Culver, whose actions, instincts and range are all plus at times, though he has a long way to go to become a consistent defender, and some believe he profiles as a utility player down the road. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Culver is a solid-average runner and a switch-hitter with a loose, whippy swing from both sides of the plate. He projects to have below-average power and is mostly a slap hitter, but he does generate good bat speed and could be an average hitter as he gets stronger. Culver is an excellent athlete who plays basketball in the winter, and he could take off once he focuses on baseball. He could be drafted in the fourth- to sixth-round range, but he is considered a difficult sign away from his Maryland commitment.

The good stuff here is the arm, the bat speed and the athleticism.  The bad stuff here, obviously, is that people perceived him as available in the mid-rounds scheduled for tomorrow or Wednesday.  Plus, if he’s got such a strong commitment to Maryland, does that mean the Yankees have to buy him away from the Terrapins at over-slot for a questionable first rounder?

I feel marginally better about the pick although I still really would’ve pissed my pants for Castellanos or a pitcher.

Update #2 (2:05 p.m. (the following day)): Keith Law had this to say about the Culver pick:

[Q]: Can you make a case FOR the Yankees drafting Culver where they did?
[KLAW]: Not really, no. I know some teams that had him on the fringes of their second-round boards, but this still feels like a reach to me.

[Q]: What was the reason behind the Yankees taking Cito Culver with their first round pick?
[KLAW]: They loved his makeup, knew the kid inside and out, scouted him extremely heavily, and felt that he’s a switch-hitting shortstop with a plus arm and a chance for average or slightly above-average power. I don’t quite share that optimism, based not so much on my own notes from seeing him last summer but more on what other teams are telling me.

[Q}: I'm starting to come around on Culver after buying some spin. Is there something to be said for the Yankees knowing this kid better than other teams' scouts because of his location? I don't know what to think of this.
[KLAW]: Just following up – I have never liked the take-the-local-kid philosophy. That’s how the Pirates ended up with Neil Walker. Sometimes it works, and if you’re the Angels or Braves the local kid is often pretty good, but that can’t be your primary rationale for taking a player if you’re north of the Mason-Dixon line.

[Q]: Doesn’t the Yankees-Culver situation show the folly in being unable to trade picks? They loved the kid, but heard he wouldn’t last to 82. Rather than trade down to the 50′s and pickup another pick, they needed to choose between reaching for him or not getting him at all. Might have been the wrong choice, but it seems silly that you cant trade down.
[KLAW]: Excellent argument.

This K-Law chat stuff is just food for thought.  Keith Law is a good scout and a good writer but he’s by no means the alpha and omega of player evaluation or draft strategy.  If he were, he’d be earning big bucks in a front office so we should all take his excellent work with a teensy, tiny grain of salt.

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When Girardi got tossed in yesterday’s game, I noticed he had gone out to argue without his hat.  It reminded me of  former Yankee skipper Ralph Houk, who used his hat as a prop in many  confrontations with  umpires.   He would sometimes slam it to the ground, repeatedly take it off and put it back on, slam it to the ground and kick it, Ralph’s hats certainly got a workout.

Ralph had a very unusual career as a major league skipper.  He took over from Casey Stengel in 1961, winning World Championships his first two seasons and a pennant his third.  He is the only manager to start his major league career in such a spectacular  manner.  In 1964 he becomes the Yankee GM with a pennant to show for his first year in that position.  In one of the oddest turn of events in baseball history, Ralph decides to fire Yogi as manager after the 1964 pennant winning season, and hire Johnny Keane the manager of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals. Call it the curse of crossing Yogi, call it the evil eye (CBS became owners of the Yankees), but Ralph’s luck  had just run out.

Ralph’s second run as Yankee manager starts 20 games into the 1966 season when he fired Johnny Keane.  The Yankees record at the time 4-16.  The Yankees would finish last his first year back and ninth (in a ten team league)  in 1967.  After that, the club would have a series of .500 type seasons finishing around the breakeven mark each year through 1973 with the lone exception of 1970.   In 1970, the club won 93 games finishing second a distant 17 games out of first.  Ralph resigned after the final game in 1973.

Ralph wasn’t gone for long, he was back at the helm for the 74 season this time leading the Tigers to four dismal seasons winning  between 57 and 74 games each season before his final Tiger campaign in 1978, where he won a respectable 86 games.  Ralph resigned after the 1978 campaign.

In 1981 he takes over as manager of  Boston finishing in 5th place for the first half of that strike season and 2nd place for the second half of the season.  He manages the Boston club for three more years finishing 3rd, 6th and 4th in his final campaign as major league manager.  He resigned after the 1984 campaign.

So there you have it, best start to a career as manager and  ends with 17 straight seasons without winning so much as a division title. Amazingly, he never was fired from any manager’s job in spite of the fact that his teams only contended twice in those 17 years (losing both times).

Ralph had his odd quirks as a manager.  For example, he liked his lead off hitter to be a second baseman.  Bobby Richardson was the lead off hitter between 61-63, his OBP for those years .295, .337, .294.  Horace Clarke led off between 1967-1973, his highest OBP was .339 (1969), lowest .258.  In 1972 and 1973, leading off both seasons, he scored 65 and 60 runs respectively.  Ralph did not allow his pitching coach to visit the mound, all visits were done by Ralph.   Ralph decked a singer/movie star named Gordon MacRae in the late 1960′s in a nightclub for making a pass at his wife.  Ralph is the oldest living major league manager, he turned 90 last August.

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Consider this post a placeholder for the draft coverage that I plan to put online over the next few days.  I have the good fortune of counting among my closest friends a top-notch amateur scout; he’s agreed to provide me some good insider content on certain players the Yanks are looking at in this week’s Rule IV MLB Draft, which is spread over the next three days.

Check back here if you’re interested in draft coverage!

Update #1 (12:20 p.m.): I’ve compiled all of the names the Yanks have been associated with via various mock drafts and projections from the writers at Baseball America, Keith Law (ESPN.com), Jonathan Mayo (MLB.com), Frankie Piliere (MLBFanHouse) and John Sickels (minorleagueball.com).  Instead of listing the links for each incarnation of the mock draft these sources have published, I’ll just list out the names the Yanks are supposedly considering.

Baseball America — Kyle Parker (OF/1B, Clemson); Tyrell Jenkins (RHP, Henderson (Texas) HS); Ryan LaMarre (OF, Michigan); Christian Yelich (1B/OF, Westlake (California) HS)

Jonathan Mayo — Austin Wates (OF, Virginia Tech)

Keith Law — Tyrell Jenkins (RHP, Henderson (Texas) HS); Christian Yelich (1B/OF, Westlake (California) HS); Gary Brown (OF, Cal-State Fullerton)

Update #2 (2:15 p.m.): Frankie Piliere just released his most updated mock draft so I’ve added the new name below in italics.  I’ve also compiled Andy Seiler’s mock drafts from his MLBBonusBaby website.

Frankie Piliere — Anthony Ranaudo (RHP, LSU); Jedd Gyorko (SS, West Virginia); Drew Vettleson (OF, Central Kitsap (Washington) HS)

Andy Seiler — Justin O’Conner (C/SS, Cowan (Indiana) HS); Cameron Bedrosian (RHP, East Coweta (Georgia) HS); LeVon Washington (OF, Chipola (Florida) Junior College); James Paxton (LHP, Grand Prairie AirHogs (Ind. League)); Barret Loux (RHP, Texas A&M); Matt Harvey (RHP, North Carolina); Zach Lee (RHP McKinney (Texas) HS)

Update #3 (2:25 p.m.): John Sickels just released his most updated mock draft so I’ve added the new name below in italics.

John Sickels — Matt Harvey (RHP, North Carolina); Nick Castellanos (3B, Archbishop McCarthy (Florida) HS); Jedd Gyorko (SS, West Virginia)

Bear in mind that these names come from various incarnations of mock drafts going back as far as October 5th of last year.  Since the MLB draft is a huge guessing-game of signability issues and players climbing/falling draft boards, it’s really hard to get a read on where the Yanks will go with the 32nd (and final) pick of the first round.

Scouting reports and other content to follow…stay tuned!

Update #4 (9:15 p.m.): YES!  Christian Yelich and Gary Brown were just taken by the Marlins (#23) and Giants (#24), respectively!  I feel like we dodged a bullet there because those were two of my least favorite players associated with the Yanks in the mock drafts.  Only seven more picks until the Yanks add some talent to the system!

Update #5 (9:45 p.m.): With only three more picks before the Yanks make their selection, the “best available” players are:

Nick Castellanos, 3b, Archbishop McCarthy HS, Southwest Ranches, Fla.
Stetson Allie, rhp, St. Edward HS, Lakewood, Ohio
Justin O’Conner, c, Cowan HS, Muncie, Ind.
Brandon Workman, rhp, Texas
Asher Wojciechowski, rhp, The Citadel
Peter Tago, rhp, Dana Hills HS, Dana Point, Calif.

I’d piss my pants if we ended up with Castellanos but I have a feeling we’re going to take either the college arm (Workman) or the prep arm (Tago).  I guess we’ll find out…

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Did you catch any of Bob Lorenz’ play-by-play work this weekend on YES?

I thought he did a solid job.

What I liked most about Lorez was his style. He’s got that nice and “every guy” delivery but it’s very professional and polished – somewhat like it was with Frank Messer, back in the day.

And, what I loved about listening to Bob Lorenz do these games was that he made sure the story was “the game” – instead of attempting to make “his announcing of the game” be the story of the game. You know what I mean? (See: Kay, Michael.)

What did you think of Bob Lorenz in the booth this weekend?

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Let’s look at these three game that were just played between New York and Toronto.

Friday, June 4th: The Jays beat up A.J. Burnett, pretty good, getting six earned runs in six innings against the Yankees #2 starter. And, New York only manages 5 hits in 30 At Bats against Toronto’s pitching. Yes, that’s a BA of .167 – which, ain’t good…ever. Yankees lose this one, 6-1.

Saturday, June 5th: The Yankees had a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th inning in this game – but, Andy Pettitte got touched up for a solo homer in that frame which allowed the Jays to tie the score. And, it stayed that way until the 14th inning when Chad Gaudin blows it for New York. Again, the Yankees bats were MIA in this contest. In total, New York was 8 for 47 in this one against the Jays pitching. And, that’s a BA of .170 – which is just as bad as it was for the Yankees in the first game of this series. Yankees lose this one, 3-2 in fourteen.

Sunday, June 6th: The Yankees were losing this game, two-zip, heading into the 8th inning. And, then, the Jays gifted four runs to New York in that frame. How? Here’s how the Yankees “offense” went in the 8th inning: Batter hit by a pitch followed by another batter hit by a pitch. Runners on first and second, no outs. Double – one run scores – and now it’s runners on second and third with no outs. Next is a strikeout and an IBB. Based loaded, one out. Then the Jays wild pitch in a run. Another strike out – runners on second and third, two outs. Single – two runs score. So, in total, the Yankees score four – and it’s greatly assisted by two HBP and a WP. In any event, New York now takes a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 8th inning. But, here comes Joba Chamberlain who almost chokes it up allowing hits to “sluggers” Jose Molina and Fred Lewis. One run does score. However, thanks to Mo Rivera locking down the ninth, the Yankees squeeze out a run-one win – again, assisted by two HBP and a WP in a key inning (late in the game).

All told, over these three games, the Yankees batters were not very impressive, at all. And, they were spanked by the Jays – and barely avoided getting swept (if not for the Jays pitchers getting wild in the 8th inning today).

On the bright side, the Yankees next six games are against the Orioles and Astros. There should be at least four wins in there, somewhere, for the Yankees, no?

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Peter Barzilai thinks so:

Is it time to worry about Mark Teixeira?

The Yankees first baseman went 0-for-6 and tied a career high with five strikeouts in a 3-2, 14-inning loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday. Traditionally a slow starter, he is now hitting .215 with eight home runs, 34 RBI, 45 strikeouts and 33 walks.

“I’ve done it before. Strikeouts are a part of the game,” Teixeira said. “Today, I just didn’t see the ball real well.”

A year ago Teixeira was hitting .213 on May 15 and went 29-for-72 (.403) to raise his average to .284 on June 5. That makes this year’s average by far the worst of his career through the same date. The drop in home runs and RBI is not as significant but still disconcerting. Teixeira, 30, is on pace for 23 home runs and 98 RBI, the homers ranking as a career low and the RBI being his lowest total since his rookie season of 2003.

So there is no doubt his numbers are down, but a closer look at Teixeira’s performance suggests they won’t stay that way.

His walk rate is up (13.2% from 11.5% in 2009) and strikeout rate down (18.8% from 18.7%) from a year ago when he led the American League with 39 home runs and 122 RBI. But the red flag is in his BABIP (batting average on balls in play), which is only .236, nearly 70 points lower than his career mark of .305.

As long as Teixeira keeps walking and striking out at his current rate, he will start to find more luck and more balls dropping for hits.

Then again, sometimes this bad BABIP thing can last for a full season – like it did for Nick Swisher in 2008:

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From May 9th through June 5th, yesterday, has been exactly 4 weeks. During this time, the Yankees have gone 13-14 (in 27 games).

New York’s overall team ERA during this period hasn’t been all that bad: 4.25 in 239.3 IP. However, their bullpen has allowed 35% of inherited runners to score during this span too. (The overall big league average, to date, is 32%. So, the Yankees pen has been worse than average in this area during this time. As you can see later, we can probably thank Joba and Chan Ho for that.)

During this span, the Yankees collective bats have posted a BA/OBA/SLG line of .282/.353/.426 (in 1,069 PA). And, that’s been good for an average of 5.0 runs per game. But, that’s misleading because there were three games within these 27 where the Yankees scored 11 runs – where they won two and lost one.

But, the big number here, of course, is that record of 13-14. Given their team roster/payroll, there’s no excuse for the Yankees playing one game under .500 over a period of four weeks. Plus, the Yankees play has been worse than that 13-14 mark suggests.

During these four weeks, the Yankees went 6-1 when facing the Orioles and Indians – who are two of the worst teams in the league with records of 15-41 and 21-33, respectively. The Yankees also went 2-1 against the Twins – who, for some reason, just cannot beat New York if their life depended on it. (Since 2002, Minnesota is 18-54 against the Yankees under Ron Gardenhire and 725-572 against everyone else.)

This means, since May 9th, the Yankees are 8-2 when playing the O’s, Tribe and Twinkies and 5-12 when playing everyone else. Yes, five and twelve. That’s not exactly the level of play that you would expect from the defending World Champs, is it?

So, whose to blame? Well, let’s look at some Yankees pitchers, first, during this span:

CC Sabathia: 5.81 ERA in 33 IP
A.J. Burnett: 5.65 ERA in 36.6 IP
Joba Chamberlain: 7.94 ERA in 11.3 IP
Chan Ho Park: 7.45 ERA in 9.6 IP

If not for Javier Vazquez (2.77 ERA), Andy Pettitte (2.91 ERA) and Phil Hughes (3.41 ERA), the Yankees pitching would look a lot worse than that aforementioned 4.25 ERA during this span.

Next, some Yankees batters and their BA/OBA/SLG marks during this four week span:

Marcus Thames: .205/.360/.308 in 39 AB
Francisco Cervelli: .208/.302/.278 in 72 AB
Mark Teixeira: .222/.311/.343 in 108 AB

And, really, that’s about it on the truly bad side. Everyone else has been doing as expected during this span – or better. In fact, Robbie Cano, Curtis Granderson, Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher have been great over the last four weeks (when they’ve played) – and Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have both been reaching base 36% of the time since May 9th.

So, does this all mean, if CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira play lousy then the Yankees will not do well? Sure seems like it, over the last four weeks, no? And, of course, we know what happens when they perform well – as we saw the Yankees Championship season last year.

Let’s hope these three get their act into gear soon…and that, what we’ve seen from them the last four weeks doesn’t last for another four weeks or longer.

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Pre-Fight: In the undercard,Vanes Martirosyan did a pretty good job of dismantling  “Mean” Joe Greene in a fight also at 154 pounds. The two prospective contenders exchanged some low-blows, but Martirosyan was just busier. Oh, and in addition to copping someone else’s nickname, Greene also wore a No. 2 Yankee jersey out to the ring and his corner all wore Yankee jerseys – with names on the back in addition to numbers and an ad for an auto body shop on the front. This, as Michael Kay, would say, is bad luck. No names, of course.

We also get a featurette on Cotto and Foreman. The Cotto interview centered on the question: Is he done? I think not. He may not be upper echelon like Paciquaio, but he can still be a bankable draw.

In Foreman’s feature – we learn about his emigration – first to Israel (where he fought out of a Palestinian gym) then to Brooklyn.

We’ve also been beaten up with the Jew vs. Puerto Rican story line – with Max Kellerman throwing a ton of Yiddish out for the fans at home.

Walk-up: Seems to be a pro-Cotto crowd, which as Kellerman explained might be related to the Jewish fight fan community not yet believing in Foreman.

Foreman is coming into a mix of some crazy Hebrew horn and then Slipknot (?). So confused.

Introductions: Michael Buffer rocking a white tux… nice look, even minus the pinstripes.

Bit o’ history: Benny Leonard won the first fight in old Yankee Stadium – July 24, 1923. Beating Lou Tendler in a lightweight title fight in front of about 58,000.

Crowd gets pretty amped for Cotto – not Derek Jeter amped, maybe David Justice amped. Foreman gets A-Rod applause – mixed at best.

Round One: Cotto pushed Foreman around, landing a couple solid jabs that pushed Yuri back a few times. Foreman rode his bicycle for most of the round. 10-9 Cotto.

Round Two: Cotto staggered Foreman another couple of times. Foreman’s got way faster hands, but Cotto’s just stronger. If this goes the distance, Foreman might have a shot – but it won’t at this rate. Cotto 10-9.

Round Three: Foreman, despite dropping his mouthguard, had the better of things – but just barely. His big shots just aren’t that big – think Brett Gardener home run swings – they look impressive, but c’mon, it’s still Brett Gardener. Foreman 10-9.

Round Four: Color man Roy Jones Jr. says Foreman is throwing big shots even though he’s not a knockout guy because Cotto’s had the better of things. I think its more that he’s feeling his oats. Oh, the attendance is officially 20,272 – or just about what you could put into Madison Square Garden. Foreman 10-9.

Rounds Five and Six: The magic of the DVR keeps me from missing anything when the boy wakes up for a minute. In Round Five, Cotto got a bit of his starch back, but Foreman was still very fast. Cotto 10-9. In Round Six – the numbers say there haven’t been many punched landed… but the fight feels like its been busy. Cotto’s gotten his mojo back after a two-round hiatus. Foreman’s hands are quicker, but they just don’t seem to do much. He’s got a bloody nose and a very red face. Cotto 10-9.

Round Seven: You know what, bully for Yuri Foreman. He tripped once, banged up his knee and then fell again. His knee is Mickey Mantle in ’68 bad at this point, but he’s not giving up. Cotto just teed off . Foreman’s all speed and without speed, well he’s done. Cotto 10-9.

Round Eight: Foreman’s corner throws the towel in – against the wishes of the fighter. But it’s not over! The corner did not throw the towel! The ref: “You’re fighting hard, I don’t want you to go out like that.” Cotto’s gonna win, but Foreman’s gonna win a TON of fans. This is all guts right now.  Cotto 10-9.

Round Nine: Cotto with a left hook to the body and down goes Foreman. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stops it at 42 seconds of the ninth round with a TKO Miguel Cotto – new WBA Super Welterweight Champ. Foreman was a warrior, but that was a good stoppage – certainly better than a flying towel.

Post-Fight: Cotto’s pleased… wants to keep fighting big name guys – and he probably can. Maybe a Sergio Martinez or someone like that.

Foreman is the story here – thanks God for keeping them both “healthy more or less.” The replay of the fall – shows Yuri’s leg just buckle – I’m thinking the 15-DL, but probably out 4-6 weeks.

“Listen, I’m the former world champion – I’m here to fight.” ~ On not quitting.

The ref – Mercante – felt the towel was unwarranted and he was protecting the fan’s interest. This guy should take Cowboy Joe West or CB Bucknor’s job.

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Before today, since 1973, there have only been three Yankees to strikeout 5+ times in one game. Here they are:

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And, now, you can add Mark Teixeria to the list.  

Four times in 38 years.  Well, you don’t see this everyday in Steinbrenner Yankeeland, do you?

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This just in: Playing the Toronto Blue Jays is not the same as playing the Baltimore Orioles.

As more on this becomes available, it will be updated here.

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If this were 1930 instead of 2010, today would have been the biggest day in the sporting calendar in New York City.

You had the Belmont, which I’m a bit embarrassed to say, I did not watch. Call me a fairweather racing fan if you want, but the lack of a Triple Crown, the lack of buildup for the race and a full slate of stuff to do around the house kept me away from the television.

However, the main event so to speak is tonight when Miguel Cotto challenges Yuri Foreman for Foreman’s WBA super middleweight title (154 pounds).

Foreman, a Belarusian immigrant and aspiring rabbi (he won’t leave his hotel to head to the Stadium until after sundown) won the belt by beating Daniel Santos last November, but is not highly regarded.  His 28-0 record has only eight knockouts in it and is built on mostly journeymen.

Cotto is jumping up in weight from his usual welterweight (147 pounds) to challenge Foreman. A Puerto Rican fighter, Cotto was last seen getting just annihilated by Manny Pacquiao (ironically Foreman won his belt on the undercard of that fight).

With only two professional losses – one to Pacquiao – right now the best fighter on the planet – and the other to the now-suspect Antonio Margarito (Margarito was caught tampering with his wraps in his next fight and is still barred from fighting in the U.S. as a result) – Cotto is a popular fighter and has had success fighting in New York close to the Puerto Rican Day Parade (wins in Madison Square Garden in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009).

As it stands, Cotto and his 34-2 (27 knockouts) is the favorite against the lightly regarded Foreman despite being the smaller man [Foreman is the natural 154-pounder and having four inches in height on Cotto].

The undercard goes on the air on HBO at 10:15 ET and the main event ought to start around 11:15. If I can get back to the computer – I’ll do my best to score and live blog the bout.

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Via the Toronto Sun –

For the Blue Jays fans, nothing washes out the taste of two ugly losses like a good, old pounding of A.J. Burnett.

The former Blue Jay, who turned to the pinstripes a year ago, is the pitcher that Toronto fans love to hate.

Both the Jays and their fans needed an uplifting performance following the depressing defeats against the Rays on Tuesday and Wednesday — both losses coming in the ninth with the hometown heroes in the lead.

This night, though, the Jays showed more than enough character and plenty of thump as they bested Burnett and the Yankees 6-1.

The game didn’t quite have the electricity and magic of last year’s marquee matchup that featured Burnett against Roy Halladay — that one ending in a 5-1 Jays victory before 43,737 delirious fans.

But it was close. And it had a couple of heroes.

Instead of Halladay, this night belonged to right fielder Jose Bautista and left-hander Brett Cecil.

Cecil? All he did was chill the Yankees, limiting them to one run off five hits over eight innings in winning his sixth game of the season — tops on the team.

In the clubhouse, Cecil had a plastic and rhinestone replica of a WWE championship belt slung over his right shoulder, the bling given to him by Ricky Romero, courtesy of Scott Downs.

He also had the great satisfaction of besting his team of boyhood idols as he grew up a diehard Yankees fan.

“It’s one thing to get up there and pitch against some of your childhood heroes and teams you’ve grown up watching, but it’s another thing to go out and win a ball game like that,” said Cecil, who has won four in a row, where he’s sported a combined 1.57 ERA.

While the win was gratifying for Cecil, it was beneficial for all 25 players in the clubhouse given the two devastating losses against Tampa Bay.

“This means a lot for this team to come out and get an opening win against a team like the Yankees, defending (World Series) champions,” Cecil said. “It just shows us and shows people that just because we lost two tough games, we’re not going to come out and not be aggressive.”

Burnett will always be in the Jays’ crosshairs because he opted out and bolted Toronto as soon as he could – to get big bucks on the open market. Makes me wonder how Yankees fans, today, would view A-Rod if he had actually joined another team when he opted out…before Hank Stein rescued and rewarded Alex, when he did.

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Via Pete Caldera –

Pitching coach Dave Eiland has taken a personal leave of absence from the club. “He’ll be gone as long as he needs,” said manager Joe Girardi. “And that’s all I’m going to share.” For the time being, bullpen coach Mike Harkey will assume the duties of pitching coach, while advance scout and head video coordinator Charlie Wonsowicz fills in for Harkey.

Though the nature of Eiland’s absence was not disclosed, he is expected to return soon, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Eiland, 43, was at Thursday’s game at Yankee Stadium, and spoke with reporters afterward about CC Sabathia’s victory. Eiland was not at Rogers Centre on Friday afternoon, when Girardi made the announcement.

Until Eiland’s return, “We’ll carry on … business as usual,” Girardi said. “Dave’s very valuable to us. We’re going to miss him. It’s just like when you have a player go down. People have to pick up and help out.”

I hope, whatever it is, it all works out for Eiland. It has to be somewhat serious for him to leave the club.

Semi-related, is it just me, or, does anyone else have the feeling that, deep down, inside, Girardi would rather have Harkey as his pitching coach anyway?

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All of those bloops hits that fell for Cervelli in the first few weeks of the season have appeared to stop.

Over his last 82 PA since May 9, ‘sisco has produced the following Jose Molina-like slash rates : .209/.300/.284.

His overall season numbers may still look decent for now, but don’t be fooled.

This guy is starting to get exposed playing everyday, and I for one can’t wait for Posada to get healed up enough to return behind the plate full time.

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