Via Jayson Stark –

The New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks were “never close” to a deal for Dan Haren on Friday, despite widespread reports that the Yankees had separated themselves from the other bidders for Haren, a source familiar with the discussions told ESPN.com.

The two teams did swap names Friday, the source said. But the Yankees rejected a Diamondbacks proposal that would have sent Joba Chamberlain, highly regarded pitching prospect Ivan Nova and two other prospects to Arizona for Haren.

The Yankees, instead, have proposed an entirely prospect-based deal, which Arizona rejected. Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall told reporters in Phoenix that other teams had made offers of “at least equal value” to what the Yankees proposed.

Another sticking point between the two teams, the source said, is how much of the $33 million remaining on Haren’s contract the Diamondbacks are willing to pay. Arizona’s initial proposal would have required the Yankees to assume Haren’s entire contract. The Yankees, and other clubs the Diamondbacks have spoken with, want the quality of the players in the deal to be dependent on how much of Haren’s money Arizona is willing to pay.

The Cardinals, Phillies, Dodgers, Tigers and Twins are all known to have expressed interest in the 29-year-old Haren. However, Haren has a partial no-trade clause that would require his permission before he could be dealt to the Tigers or Twins, the source said.

Still, it’s interesting that “the two teams did swap names Friday.” So much for Cashman’s declaring that he’s not in the market for a starting pitcher.

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As mentioned earlier today, I got to see the RiverDogs down in Lakewood today. Great summer night at the ballpark. It was a hot and humid one. Close game too, 1-0, BlueClaws.

Got to see a lot of guys in the game who were at Staten Island for the Yankees last year – Robert Lyerly, Deangelo Mack, Kelvin Castro, Emerson Landoni, Neil Medchill, Jimmy Paredes, Luke Murton, Sean Black and Ronny Marte. Luke Murton posed for a picture with my kids before the game – which was very kind and appreciated.   Also got to see J.R. Murphy catch. (Lakewood ran like crazy on him.) I did not see Slade Heathcott – as he did not play this evening – and that was a bit of a bummer.

There were also fireworks after the game – which was a nice treat. Charleston had some chances to tie up the game in the 5th, 7th and 8th innings – but, got zippo.

(more…)

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Like clockwork, Baseball America publishes their Prospect Hot Sheet column every Friday, wrapping up the week that was in minor league baseball.  This week’s edition has some love for Yankee LHP Manny “Man-Ban” Banuelos (High-A, Tampa), ranking him the fifth-hottest prospect of the past week.

Why He’s Here: 0-1, 0.00, 11 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 HBP, 4 BB, 17 SO

The Scoop: An appendectomy prevented Banuelos from getting his season started with Tampa until July 1, but he’s been outstanding in his return. With a 1.16 ERA in five starts, Banuelos has a 33-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 23 1/3 innings, including a season-high 10 strikeouts on Wednesday against Bradenton. With solid stuff across the board and an advanced feel for pitching, Banuelos likely would have been in Double-A at this point had he been healthy all year. The way he’s pitching, he might end up there before the end of the season anyway.

That’s lovely, and I’m thrilled that Man-Ban is getting some attention from the game’s prospect watchers of record.  For all the bellyaching that goes on about a dearth of prospects in the Yankees system, 2010 has seen the emergence of several young players, Banuelos included.

But straight from the “WTF?! Department” comes Baseball America’s glaring omission of C/DH Jesus Montero (Triple-A, Scranton) as one of the minor league’s hottest players.  In the same July 16-22 time period, Montero has gone .500/.556/.917 with 2 HR, 4 2B, 4 RBI, 3 BB and 1 K.  I’d say that compares favorably to any of the seven hitters that made the Hot Sheet’s top-13.  Making the “team photo” section was nice but I think Baseball America missed the boat here.  Montero was on fire this week.

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Bill White was a New York Yankees broadcaster from 1971 to 1988, and, in my opinion, a darn good one. Today, he’s now 76-years old.

Would it kill the Yankees to bring him back for a day at the Stadium, or something, before it’s too late?

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Full disclosure: I was at Red Bulls Arena last night watching Thierry Henry’s MLS debut vs. Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League.  As a result, I only checked the score from my Blackberry and watched the highlights this morning on ESPN.  For whatever it’s worth, the new Red Bulls Arena is absolutely incredible in just about every way except for ingress/egress.  It is an absolute cluster-”eff” to get to and from the new soccer arena from NYC.  But that’s neither here nor there…

The Yanks beat KC last night 10-4 behind a somewhat uneven performance from CC Sabathia (6.1 11 4 3 4 9).  Despite shakiness from Sabathia — the Yanks rotation has been unspectacular since coming back from the All-Star recess — the lineup did what one would expect when facing a journeyman like Bruce Chen.

The Good:

• Once again, the Jeter-Swisher-Teixeira combo turned in a multi-hit effort.  This time, they went a combined 7-for-15 with 4 RBI and 5 R.
• Unlike Wednesday’s game, Alex Rodriguez actually joined the hit parade with his 3-for-5 night, including his 599th career home run (#16 on the year) and 4 RBI (bringing his team-leading total to 78).  With apologies to our friend Clint of Tallahassee who will be watching the Yanks in Tampa on 7/31, I really do hope last night’s game is the start of a hot streak for Alex that carries him to HR #600 tonight or tomorrow.  Let’s get it out of the way…
• David Robertson, a member of the much-maligned (and justifiably so) bullpen, is quietly rounding into form as the season progresses.  With his scoreless appearance last night, Robertson’s last seven games (7.2 5 0 0 4 11) have produced a .185/.290/.476 ”against” slash line.  There should be no doubt that Robertson, not #62, belongs in the 8th inning role until further notice.

The Bad:

• Jorge Posada’s defense is unimaginably bad.  Because I didn’t see this, I can only pass along the following link which describes just how comically inadequate Posada is as a defensive catcher.  Considering he’s not much of an offensive threat either — .226/.355/.395 in the 39 games since coming off the DL on June 2nd — one can only wonder just how bad Jesus Montero is behind the plate.  He can’t be worse than Posada at this point, can he?  Posada’s “brain farts” make me wonder if, at age 39, senility is setting in?

 Tampa had the night off, Boston blew a six-run lead but (unfortunately) hung on for the win and the Yanks nevertheless became the first team to reach 60 wins.

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In case you were wondering where 2010 ranks, in terms of hot starts for Yankees teams since 1973, here’s the list:

(more…)

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Via George King -

On other fronts, general manager Brian Cashman said he believes Sergio Mitre can fill the void left by Pettitte’s groin problem that will likely sideline him until Sept. 1. However, with Arizona ready to move Dan Haren in the next few days, the Yankees had scout Kendall Carter watching the veteran right-hander pitch against the Mets Wednesday night in Phoenix.

“He is what he is,” a scout said of Haren, who is 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA and owed $29 million in 2011 and 2012 with a club option for $15.5 million in 2013. “He is getting stale there, he needs to get out of there.”

If it feels like we’ve been listening to “Haren to the Yankees” rumors for the last four years, well, it’s because we have been…

In his last 13 starts this season, Haren has been hit hard: BA/OBA/SLG allowed of .294/.327/.499 (facing 372 batters). If I’m the Yankees, I would be very careful on this one…

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Dave Cameron, over at FanGraphs, feels that the Yankees would have to “eat” at least $100 million (of Alex Rodriguez remaining contract) if New York attempted to trade A-Rod after this season.

And, that leads to today’s wild thought.  Say the Yankees had another option at third base – I dunno, like, say, move Jeter there and bring up Eduardo Nunez, or, something else – should they consider moving Rodriguez, even if it means eating over a hundred million? Or, is it better to just give A-Rod the money and watch his skills decline as he ties up a spot in the Yankees roster and line-up?

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Via a Charleston Post and Courier article entitled “R’Dogs pounded on road” –

Lakewood spotted starter Trevor May an early four-run lead and the BlueClaws rolled to a 10-1 win over the Charleston RiverDogs in a South Atlantic League game Thursday night.

The BlueClaws ended a season-high four-game skid in improving to 16-10, 58-38 overall, while Charleston fell to 13-14, 44-52 overall in suffering its worst loss of the season.

Lakewood notched the four-run second against RiverDogs starter Josh Romanski to take a 4-0 lead. A one-out Charleston error opened the door for Anthony Hewitt’s RBI single and a two-out, two-run single from Jonathan Villar. Only one of the runs in the extended inning was earned.

Romanski (5-3) had a four-game winning streak halted in falling for the first time since June 18. Charleston broke through against BlueClaws starter Trevor May in the sixth inning on Luke Murton’s RBI single to cut the score to 4-1.

Game 4 of the series is at 7:05 tonight, with RiverDogs right-hander Sean Black (4-6, 4.54 ERA) facing Lakewood righty Colby Shreve (5-5, 3.57).

The attendance for this game was 8,151 – and that’s a pretty big crowd for a BlueClaws weekday game.

I’ll be going to the game tonight and am pretty excited about it. Why? It’s the first time that I’ll see the Charleston RiverDogs in person.

I’ve seen the Staten Island Yankees and Trenton Thunder in the past. And, I’m planning on – maybe next year – going to see the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees when they play in Lehigh Valley (against the IronPigs). That would leave the Tampa Yankees on my “Watch games with teams from the Yankees farm system” wish list. (Although, that one may take me a while.)

How about you? Have you seen many Yankees minor league teams in person? Which ones? Any good stories on the experience to share?

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Somehow, I don’t think this is what Tony Schwartz had in mind…

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Via Seth Livingstone –

The Boss is back at Yankee Stadium in a big way.

At least his face is.

On Thursday the Yankees unveiled a 40-foot wide by 13.5-foot tall image in honor of the team’s principal owner who died July 13.

Located on the back wall of the right-center field grandstand, the inscription on the predominantly navy blue tribute reads: “George M. Steinbrenner III, 1930-2010, THE BOSS.” The trademark Yankee Stadium frieze runs across the top.

Steinbrenner’s Yankees won 11 AL pennants and seven World Series.

A list of the Yankees’ 27 championship years – including the seven under Steinbrenner – will be relocated to the facing of the H&R Block Suite level around the Stadium bowl, in view of the field. That relocation will take place prior to the next homestand.

Just a matter of time before something for The Boss shows up in Monument Cave…

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Via Michael S. Schmidt -

Blood testing for human growth hormone will begin immediately in the minor leagues, Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, announced on Thursday. It is the first time a professional sports league in North America will test for the substance.

The move puts baseball, which has been widely criticized for moving slowly on the issue of performance-enhancing drugs, ahead of the N.F.L., which has not been criticized nearly as much about the issue.

“The implementation of blood testing in the minor leagues represents a significant step in the detection of the illegal use of human growth hormone,” Selig said in a written statement. “The minor league program employs state of the art testing procedures and the addition of H.G.H. testing provides an example for all of our drug policies in the future.”

Players who test positive for H.G.H. will face a 50-game suspension, the same penalty for a positive steroid test. Those players selected for testing will have their blood taken after games from their nondominant arm. The blood samples will be shipped to the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City for analysis.

Selig could implement the testing without the approval of the players’ association because the vast majority of minor league players are not on major league rosters, and thus not represented by the players’ union.

Very, very, interesting news. Wonder how many minor league players will get caught at the onset of this?

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Nice touch – and more than I expected.

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Can’t believe I missed this one until now. Via Tom Leo on July 17th -

Former [Syracuse] Chiefs manager Frank Verdi died last Friday in New Port Richie, Fla.
Verdi, 84, died of a heart attack about four months after he suffered a stroke, said John Simone, Chiefs general manager.

Verdi managed the Chiefs in 1961 and 1962, 1968, 1969 and 1970 and again in 1972. He led the Chiefs to the International League pennant in 1970, when the Chiefs won the Govenors’ Cup and Little World Series. He also won the Governors’ Cup title in 1969.

Verdi, who managed IL champions in three cities – Syracuse, Columbus and Tidewater — was inducted into the IL Hall of Fame in 2008.

He played 1,916 games in 18 seasons in the minors, but his only major-league appearance in the majors lasted less than two innings. Verdi replaced Joe Collins for the Yankees in a 1953 game, who had pinch-hit for Phil Rizzuto in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox. He was set to bat in the next inning, however he was pinch hit for by Yankees manager Casey Stengel.

I wonder how many eventual big league Yankees played under him in the minors? Here are the Yankees minor league teams that he managed:

1963  Greensboro Yankees  Carolina League
1964  Fort Lauderdale Yankees  Florida State League
1965  Toledo Mud Hens  International League
1966  Binghamton Triplets  New York-Penn League
1967  Oneonta Yankees  New York-Penn League
1968  Binghamton Triplets  Eastern League
      Syracuse Chiefs  International League
1969  Syracuse Chiefs  International League
1970  Syracuse Chiefs  International League
1972  Syracuse Chiefs  International League  

1981  Columbus Clippers  International League
1982  Columbus Clippers  International League

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Via the Post –

It pays to play for the Yankees.

Not only are the Bronx Bombers defending World Series champions, but an astounding five members of the team have made Sports Illustrated’s list of top-earning 50 athletes.

Alex Rodriguez came in No. 5 at $37 million, while teammate Derek Jeter came in No. 8 at $31 million.

A-Rod is one of three Yankees in the top 13, along with Derek Jeter [No. 8] and CC Sabathia [No. 13], according to the list.

Sabathia was tied with Giants quarterback Eli Manning, both pulling in $26.5 million from salary and endorsements.

Another two members of the Yankees, Mark Teixeira [$20.3 million] and A.J. Burnett [$16.77 million] came in 35th and 50th, respectively.

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who enjoyed a great rookie season last year, came in No. 48 with $16.9 million, according to the list.

For the seventh straight year, SI.com compiled a list of the 50 top-earning US athletes by salary, winnings, endorsements and appearance fees. The average earnings of those on the list reached an all-time high of $26.2 million — up a whopping 11 percent from last year.

Of course, Tiger Woods, 33, had a horrible year as lurid details of his marital infidelity costing the golfer tens of millions of dollars in endorsement dollars. Nevertheless, Woods still took the top spot, despite losing $9 million from a year ago. Woods finished with a total of $90 million.

So, what’s that, about $132 million for the five Yankees? That’s more than entire TEAM payrolls of 25 major league clubs. No wonder so many teams whine about the Yankees payroll…

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Via Tyler Kepner -

The Yankees need a starting pitcher. Or do they? Andy Pettitte is on the disabled list with a strained left groin, A. J. Burnett is perpetually erratic and Phil Hughes, who labored in a 10-2 loss to the Angels on Tuesday, is approaching a predetermined innings limit. That leaves C. C. Sabathia, Javier Vazquez and a lot of angst for fans.

“I’m amazed at the overreaction,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “I’m not looking to get a starter, and our insurance policy is Sergio Mitre, who would be in most people’s rotations. We’re lucky we didn’t have to cash that in until late July. People are saying there’s no way we’re going to go with him. Why not?”

Cashman did try to fortify the rotation before the All-Star break, putting together a deal for Cliff Lee before Seattle shipped him to Texas instead. Cashman insists Lee was a special case, possibly the best pitcher in baseball available for a reasonable price. No pitcher on the current market is comparable.

The Yankees do need a better bullpen. Their relievers’ E.R.A. ranked 18th in the majors through Monday, and it rose to 4.25 in Tuesday’s loss. Take out the incomparable Mariano Rivera, and the figure swells to 4.80. Will Cashman upgrade the bullpen, which is missing its top left-hander in the injured Damaso Marte?

“If I could, but I don’t think that’s realistic,” Cashman said. “There’s just not very much that’s very good out there, and the asking price on what’s out there, you’d think they were closers, not middle relievers or low-end setup guys.”

Of course, the easiest way to limit Hughes’s innings would be to trade for a starter and put [Phil] Hughes in the bullpen in August. But Cashman insists he does not feel that impulse.

“We’re covered,” he said.

No pressure Javy Vazquez, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett…
No pressure at all…

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Today, Tim Dahlberg, a national sports columnist for The Associated Press, lets loose on A-Rod in a feature. Here’s a few snips –

Sometime over the next few games or perhaps the next few weeks, Alex Rodriguez will find a pitch he likes and make baseball history.

His name will go up among the greats of the game. His accomplishment, though, will always stand alone.

Yes, six others are already in the 600 home run club. But how about a big hand for the first admitted steroid user to take his place among the slugging elite?

Yankee fans undoubtedly will give A-Rod just that when he becomes the youngest ever to reach the milestone. Remember, he was only juiced (or so he says) before he put on the pinstripes.

Forgive me, though, if I don’t stand up and cheer. Because we’ve all seen this act before.

A magical mark. A tainted player.

Another entry into the record books we can’t believe.

About the only thing missing is an immense, shaven head and the traveling circus that always seemed to surround it. Say what you will about Barry Bonds, he always made for good entertainment.

There’s nothing terribly entertaining about A-Rod reaching 600. It’s a joyless occasion for all but the most blinded Yankee fans.

With A-Rod, there is no guessing. He cheated and was forced to admit it.

His numbers are as bogus as some of the muscles he grew with chemical help. His legacy is as tainted as any of his fellow sluggers in the steroid era.

A-Fraud, indeed. The only question is how much of a fraud.

Would he have reached 600 by the age of 35 without steroids? Hardly.

Would he be on track to becoming the greatest home run hitter ever without juice? Not a chance.

Even if you believe Rodriguez when he says he used steroids only when he was playing for the Texas Rangers, his march through the record books can’t be seen as anything but illegitimate. The problem is there’s no way to separate what was real from a very gifted player and what was supplemented by a very gifted chemist.

That has to be grating on Rodriguez, who has always been so concerned with numbers that he probably stayed up late every night studying them. Even as he carefully carves out a new persona he has to wonder how No. 600 would have played out on the big New York stage had SI not outed him.

“For me the whole thing as I approach 600 the thing I think about is the perspective of where I was when I hit 500. How things are different now,” Rodriguez said Tuesday. “For me early on, I just thought it was about accumulating numbers.”

The only consolation for baseball fans is that those numbers seem to be getting harder and harder to accumulate. Rodriguez needed home runs in his last two at-bats of the 2009 season to avoid not hitting 30 home runs for the first time since 1997 and has just 15 home runs more than halfway through this season.

O.K., I’ll just hang up now and listen to your reaction…

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What a difference a day makes, huh?  With the exception of some dicey moments in the sixth and seventh innings, the Yanks beat the Angels 10-6 thanks to a complete effort from the entire lineup (well, everyone except A-Rod), including The Greatest Pinch Hitter In The World!™

The Good:

• Colin “Little CC” Curtis did something yesterday that I can’t remember ever seeing before (although I’m sure it’s happened several times before in the 110+ year history of organized baseball).  The Greatest Pinch Hitter In The World!™ stepped up to the plate with an 0-2 count, filling in for the ejected Brett Gardner, and proceeded to work the count full before depositing a three-run, game-changing homer into the seats in right field.  The HR couldn’t have come at a more opportune time in the game and it couldn’t have happened in more improbable fashion.  As Phil Rizzuto used to say when I was a little boy, “Colin Curtis, this Bud’s for you!”
• Derek Jeter, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira did their jobs and did them well yesterday, going a collective 8-for-15 with 3 RBI and 5 R.  Teixeira, especially, deserves a gold star for continuing his torrid July.  Yesterday’s 3-for-5 put Tex up to .383/.479/.767 with 5 HR and 17 RBI in 16 games.  Keep it up, Tex!

The Bad:

• With an 0-for-5 day at the plate yesterday, Alex Rodriguez’s slash stats sit at .270/.344/.483.  Although he’s producing runs — he drove in his team-leading 74th RBI yesterday – it still hasn’t been anything close to a traditional year for one of the game’s all-time greats.  Since June 1st (38 games), Alex is at .240/.301/.473 with a miserable .231 BABIP.  Hopefully as we get into August and September, the BABIP climbs and so do A-Rod’s counting stats…
• Javier Vazquez looked sold through the game’s first four innings, cruising along on just 37 pitches (29 strikes).  Suddenly, in the fifth inning, he labored through a 39-pitch inning and completely lost steam over the course of the next nine batters he faced.  In all, Vazquez (5 9 5 5 0 1) recorded only 15 outs and went from efficient to wiped out in no time.  Perhaps it was the heat and humidity or perhaps it was the 10 days between starts.  Whatever the reason, I hope it doesn’t happen again in five days.

With the win, the Yanks lead the Rays by three games in the loss column (two and a half in the standings) and have opened up an eight game lead over Boston in the loss column (seven in the standings).  Up next for the Bronx Bombers is a four-game set against the Kansas City Royals.  I’d like three wins this weekend please.

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Ralph Houk passed away today – he was 90-years old.

Our own Joseph Maloney did a nice feature on “The Major” last month. Click here to see it.

Many, many, years ago, Houk named his boat “Thanks Yanks” – since it was paid for with Yankees World Series players shares. Today, I hope, that the Yankees and many of their fans, say “Thanks” to Ralph for being part of many good things during his time in Yankeeland.

Some stats on Houk’s career as a big league manager.

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And, to think, once upon a time, Billy Martin probably would have gotten fired for reading the words “Here lies George Steinbrenner” out loud…

Via the Tampa Tribune –

In the days since the barriers came down and the deputies withdrew, the pilgrims have come in a steady trickle to this place, both unlikely and compelling, where George M. Steinbrenner lies.

Finding their way to Trinity Memorial Gardens off State Road 54, they steer carefully into the first parking lot past the wrought-iron gates, nudging their bumpers in the direction of the Georgian colonial mausoleum, a collection of symmetrical angles in polished granite, fighter jet gray.

And even if the building is grand enough, nothing on its exterior suggests the identity of its owner. That requires stepping between the sturdy pillars that flank the narrow wooden entry doors, and peeking through tall, slender windows, to see where his name is engraved.

Some do, gazing inside, even aiming their point-and-shoots into the crypt illuminated by sunlight spilling through three small stained-glass windows. But most are content to gaze at a distance, or settle a while on a nearby bench.

Gilligan and her husband Bill, retired three years ago from the New York suburbs to northwest Pasco County, were satisfied with a drive-by sighting at the end of a morning-long tour of all things Steinbrenner: the spring training ballpark that bears his name, the high school, the cemetery.

They’ll be back. When friends from back home come to visit, Pat says, “I know they’re going to want to come see where Steinbrenner is buried, and we’ll bring them.”

Trinity resident Cathi Emslie expects to visit frequently, too. She and her husband, Bill Emslie, a longtime Yankees scout, traveled in the Steinbrenner orbit for a quarter century, coming to regard him as “our third father.”

For her, Steinbrenner was neither caricature nor legend, but the grateful recipient of her home-baked cookies every Christmas, a memorable storyteller with a wicked sense of humor and a remarkable – if underappreciated – flair for demonstrating loyalty.

Flashing a diamond-encrusted 2000 World Series ring, a Yankees pendant and Yankees-blue toenail polish, Emslie, 54, sparkled as she recalled being part of the Steinbrenner traveling party to Columbus for the 2003 Ohio State-Michigan football game: private jet, top-notch hotel, luxury box. “Unforgettable,” she says.

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It’s an interesting question.

Would his “Cub love” override the perks of managing the Yankees? Tough call. But, maybe the Yankees, internally, should start to think about what they would do…if General Joe uses the Cubs opening as leverage at season end or just bolts for Chitown, period.

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I’m starting to get the feeling that next season we’ll be talking about Phil Hughes the same way we’re talking about Joba Chamberlain this season.

Watching Hughes last night, I saw the same old things that we’ve seen in the past from him – a two-pitch pitcher with stuff that gets creamed when he’s not able to locate it on the black.

At this rate, I could see Hughes pitching his way back into the bullpen for next season and then performing like Chamberlain is this year.

Of course, maybe Hughes can make some adjustments and turn this around. But, for now, the path that he’s on looks a lot like the path that Joba was on last year…at least to me.

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Awful.

Don’t know what else to say.  Use this thread if you want to talk about the game but I sure as hell won’t be talking about it.  I’ll just pretend I didn’t spend three hours of my life watching Derek Jeter, Phil Hughes & Co. suck it out there.

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Via the Daily News –

[Darryl] Strawberry was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of a baseball tournament on Randall’s Island that was sponsored by Verdero sporting goods, a Bronx-based company founded by Jorge Medina. The Verdero team beat Hank’s Yanks, 8-6. Both teams are 18-and-under.

Hank’s Yanks is a pet project of Steinbrenner’s oldest son Hank, and many of the teenage players come from disadvantaged backgrounds. When Yankees special adviser Ray Negron took some of the players to meet Hank Steinbrenner this past January at the team’s spring training complex in Tampa, Steinbrenner told Negron, “Do whatever we can to help.”

Negron said the team also represents an opportunity for players to be seen by major league talent evaluators. Longtime Yankee scout Cesar Presbott was at the game.

Despite George Steinbrenner’s tempestuous reign over the Bombers, he had a big heart – whether it was pouring money into charities, rehabilitating troubled players such as Strawberry, funding law-enforcement causes, or especially supporting children’s organizations. Before the start of the game, a photograph of The Boss was laid at the pitcher’s mound with a lit candle. Negron, Strawberry and former Yankee Roy White and Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. all gave tributes to the Yankee owner, who died of a heart attack last week at the age of 80.

…Do whatever we can to help…

Hankie gets a lot of heat for being the Billy Carter/Roger Clinton of the Big Stein family, and often. Just thought it was worth noting that he’s not all bad…and has a heart too.

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Here’s the story.

And, this is the guy who was supposed to be ready to be the Yankees manager three years ago?

Rule 8.06…

Guess Mattingly never heard of it?

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…because then I would have a Yankees-tie-in for this one…

Now, that’s Entertainment!

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Via George King –

The Yankees recalled reliever Jonathan Albaladejo from the minors to take the place of Andy Pettitte, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin.

Albaladejo was having a tremendous season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. In 41 appearances, the righty had a 0.96 ERA and 31 saves. Albaladejo has pitched part of three major-league seasons with the Nationals and Yankees with a career 4.19 ERA and a 6-3 record.

It could be a short stay for Albaladejo, who could be sent back down when the Yankees call up Sergio Mitre on Saturday to take Pettitte’s place in the rotation

By the way, what ever happened to Mark Melancon? Remember when he was the next great thing?

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Via Bill Madden -

Lou Piniella is retiring as manager of the Chicago Cubs effective at the end of the season, the Daily News has learned.

Piniella’s retirement thus ends one of the most successful managerial careers in history, which began in 1986 when George Steinbrenner gave him the Yankee job without his having any previous mangerial experience. After leaving the Yankees in 1989, Piniella managed the Cincinnati Reds to a wire-to-wire world championship in 1990. He later moved on to the Seattle Mariners where he won three more division championships including a then-record 116-win season in 2001.

He is currently 14th on the all-time win list.

By November, I fully expect the Yankees to hire Lou Piniella as a front office advisor. Should be interesting to see how he plays in the sandbox with Brian Cashman. Will he be like Reggie Jackson, seen and not heard much? Or, will he be more of a player in decisions? In any event, knowing his relationship with the Steinbrenner family, mark it down – Sweet Lou’s coming on board.

Filed under Off The Field News ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post

Sometime in the next week or so, Alex Rodriguez will join Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and  Sammy Sosa as the only men in history with 600 or more home runs.

However, it wasn’t until I was listening to the radio this morning (Mike and Mike *sigh*) that I learned Rodriguez is approaching another milestone: career stolen bases.

To date, only 122 of A-Rod’s 299 steals have been in pinstripes, and he did most of his running in Seattle (including a 40-40 season in 1998), so its easy to not think of him as a running threat despite his better than 80% success rate.

When A-Rod swipes that last bag, he’ll be just the fourth man ever with more than 400 homers and 300 steals joining Bonds, Mays and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, who Kenny Singleton might call “brand name ballplayers.” When he gets to 600 dingers, that puts Alex in the club with just Bonds and Mays.

With all the hoopla and hatchet jobs, its easy to forget that regardless of outside circumstances, its a real treat to watch an historically great player ply his trade 140+ times a year.

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Ken Rosenthal, today, writes “A-Rod’s suddenly an afterthought” – and here’s a snip from that:

[Alex Rodriguez is] no longer is the best all-around player on his team; second baseman Robinson Cano holds that distinction. Nor is he even the best third baseman in his division; the Rays’ Evan Longoria has surpassed A-Rod and the Red Sox’s Adrian Beltre is having a better year.

Longoria, in only his third season, has beaten A-Rod to two straight All-Star elections. He also is more visible than Rodriguez as a commercial pitchman.

In fact, A-Rod ranks only ninth among baseball’s most marketable players according to a new survey by SportsBusiness Daily. Derek Jeter — surprise! — tops the list. David Wright, the other third baseman in New York, also ranks ahead of Rodriguez, in eighth place.

A-Rod’s 600th homer will not alter that dynamic.

The Yankees did not know that A-Rod had used steroids when they re-signed him in Dec. 2007. But, considering the excesses of the Steroid Era, they should have suspected that his place in history might not be secure.

Some marketing bonanza.

A-Rod is two homers shy of 600, and if fans are clapping at all, they’re clapping with one hand.

I’m starting to get the feeling that, when Rodriguez does hit #600, not all of the press coverage on this event is going to be favorable to Alex…

…and, in fact, maybe most of it is going to be negative. And, if so, I wonder if A-Rod will have any reaction to that?

If Alex does comment on the coverage, I just hope he carefully chooses his words…and doesn’t flame the whole thing into something worse.

Filed under Chase For 600 HR ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post