Via the Times –

Tim McCarver backtracked Monday from the comparison he made Saturday between the Yankees’ treatment of Joe Torre’s legacy as manager to the way World War II despots, “primarily in Russia and Germany,” airbrushed former generals out of photographs “after they had shot ’em.”

McCarver made his comments during Fox’s broadcast of the Tampa Bay-Yankees game. It followed the melancholy celebration of Old-Timers’ Day, which came shortly after the deaths of George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard.

McCarver, a close friend of Torre’s, said Monday in an interview from Florida that his analogies between the Yankees and the Third Reich and Stalin’s Soviet Union were “inappropriate.” But he added, “In my opinion, the underlying point here remains true: Yankees management has erased Joe Torre from their history.” He said, “I don’t think the Yankees have embraced the image of Joe Torre.”

Jason Zillo, the Yankees’ director of media relations, called the Fox truck on Saturday to complain about McCarver’s comments. In a statement issued Monday, Fox Sports said that McCarver “regrets” using the World War II analogy and that it would take no action.

I think this is a combination of “Freedom of Speech” and “Hey, it’s the truth” at play here…but…still…I am surprised that baseball hasn’t gotten involved at this point to try and get Timmy slapped for getting the game into the news for the wrong reasons.

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Via the Daily News –

Yankees All-Star shortstop Derek Jeter is once again the most marketable player in baseball – by a mile.

Jeter topped a survey by SportsBusiness Daily of 49 of baseball’s business movers and shakers, pulling in 80% of first-place votes as the sport’s signature star.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols finished a distant second, winning just three votes for the top slot.

The clean-cut Bronx Bomber is already baseball’s most prolific endorser, pulling in $9 million a year from deals with Nike, Ford, Gatorade, Gillette and others, according to Forbes magazine.

“Perhaps unlike any other Yankee star in our generation, Derek is likeable beyond the Bronx,” said Brian Helfrich of SportsBusiness Daily.

“Jeter has a package of attributes that no other baseball player comes close to matching: he has spent his entire 16-year career with America’s grandest sports organization, leading the Yankees to five World Series rings.

“At the same time, he’s made headlines for the right reasons – on-field success and high-profile romances – and managed to avoid them for the wrong ones.”

Jeter’s low-key personality plays into his popularity.

“Derek is so marketable due to his likability, passion, hard work, leadership and most of all, his humility,” said Randy Bernstein, president of Premier Partnerships.

“I think a lot of people like partnering with him, from an endorsement standpoint. He’s just so respectful in his approach. A lot of time you just don’t get that with celebrities,” said Steiner Sports Chair Brandon Steiner.

The Mets’ David Wright was No. 8 on the most saleable list, and the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez No. 9.

Jeter also topped SportsBusiness Daily’s previous most marketable polls, in 2005 and 2003.

Yeah, but, until he starts modelling “Ten Jeans” like Rick Cerone or appearing in a movie with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders like Bucky Dent, can we really say that Derek Jeter has “made it”? And, yes, I’m kidding…

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Via Brian Costello -

With 12 days to go before the trade deadline, Yankees GM Brian Cashman is sticking to his plan, even with Andy Pettitte on the shelf for 4-5 weeks with a groin strain.

That plan involves trying to bolster the Yankees’ bench and possibly their bullpen — but it does not include the pursuit of a starting pitcher.

“I’m not looking for starting pitching,” Cashman said. “I don’t feel compelled. This is why we have Sergio Mitre.”

Mitre started for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre last night, allowing three runs on four his in 42⁄3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks. He will come off the disabled list (strained left oblique) in time to start Saturday’s game against the Royals in Pettitte’s place.

“Mitre would be in most people’s rotations,” Cashman said.

Translation: I can’t get Sidney Ponson to return my phone calls.

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Via the Asbury Park Press two days ago -

More than 160 years after Hoboken played host to the first officially recorded organized baseball game, New Jersey fields more minor- and independent-league baseball teams per square mile than any state in the country.

The presence of the independent Atlantic League’s Camden Riversharks, Newark Bears and Somerset Patriots, the independent Can-Am League’s Sussex Skyhawks and Little Falls-based New Jersey Jackals, the Eastern League’s Trenton Thunder and the South Atlantic League’s Lakewood BlueClaws gives New Jersey one team every 1,173 square miles.

The landscape is so distinct that no other state with at least seven teams has a ratio even twice that of New Jersey.

But, judging by this season’s announced attendance averages as of last week, it doesn’t appear as if resources are spread too thin.

The BlueClaws (5,811), Patriots (5,509), Thunder (5,211) and Jackals (2,214) all were ahead of their respective league averages. The Riversharks (3,483) and Skyhawks (1,870) weren’t far off the pace, while the Bears (1,907) lagged far behind the average.

New Jersey wasn’t even part of the professional baseball scene only 17 years ago.

With the exception of two separate two-year stints in Jersey City, the sport was absent from the state from 1950 until the Thunder and the New Jersey Cardinals began play in 1994.

The Skyhawks replaced the Cardinals, who were dropped by the parent St. Louis Cardinals, after the 2005 season.

Actually, the feature in the Press is a great read. Click here to read it in full.

I once read something that said no state in America without a major league baseball team has sent as many players to the big leagues as New Jersey – if I recall it correctly.

I know the Yankees, Mets and Phillies can block a major league team from coming to New Jersey. But, someday, someway, it’s going to happen…I hope. The state deserves it.

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Many want to salute Javy Vazquez for pitching well lately. And, in fact, in his last 8 starts, Vazquez has gone 4-2 with an ERA of 2.55 (in 53 IP).

But, look at who he has faced in these games: Baltimore, Toronto, Houston, the Mets, Arizona, Oakland and Seattle (twice). And, we know that the O’s, Astros, D-backs and M’s are terrible. And, the A’s can’t hit, at all. Also, the Jays have really tailed off lately.

Don’t get me wrong – doesn’t mean these stats don’t count. But, I want to see Vazquez pitch well against teams like the Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins, White Sox and Angels before I start planning any parades for him this season.

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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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Talk about a pie in the face…

From Bob Klapisch today -

Maybe someday the Yankees will drill down deep enough to understand A.J. Burnett’s self-destruct mechanism — that genetically-coded temper that keeps sabotaging what should’ve been a brilliant career. But don’t hold your breath waiting for Burnett’s awakening. The evidence keeps mounting that the Bombers are stuck with this immature, volatile 33-year-old pitcher who can’t even be trusted in July, let alone September or October.

After getting lit up by the Rays in the first two innings on Saturday, Burnett stormed into the clubhouse and slammed a pair of Plexiglass lineup holders on wooden double doors. Burnett suffered lacerations to both palms, forcing him out of the game before he’d retired a single batter in the third inning.

Burnett says he’ll apologize to the Yankees this morning. No doubt his teammates will be polite and exonerate him. But in the back of their minds, the Yankees are surely wondering about the mind-set of a veteran who still hasn’t learned a thing about composure.

Baseball, after all, is a trust-based culture; it’s the game’s most important currency. When Mariano Rivera takes the mound in the ninth inning, the Yankees trust him to close out a victory. It’s the same way they feel about Andy Pettitte in the postseason; they just know, one way or another, he’s going to give them a well-pitched game. But Burnett has yet to earn the Yankees’ faith, if only because he’s so inconsistent, so combustible and so utterly lacking in the qualities that make a champion.

But there’s been a wide gulf between the Burnett the Yankees admired from afar and the one who wears their uniform today. He still throws an elite-caliber fastball, and that fastball breaks sharply, as advertised. But Burnett has proven to be easily provoked by disagreements with Jorge Posada, and is just as easily unnerved by opponents’ rallies.

The Yankee hierarchy would like nothing more than to trade Burnett, but realistically know it’s impossible. He makes too much money and, as the world has seen for itself, he’s just too immature. So it’s in the Yankees’ interests to rebuild and restore Burnett’s confidence, which is one reason Girardi was so busy making excuses for him.

Maybe Burnett is just one of those brain dead people who keep doing stupid things…getting hurt in the process? Didn’t he once burn his hand while ironing his jeans? And, didn’t he once tear the nail of his index finger, catching it while closing a car door? I thought I once heard those things about him. Or, maybe those were just stories to cover things that he did to himself out of anger in the past too?

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Via the Daily News –

Yankee ace CC Sabathia celebrated his 30th birthday in grand fashion with a party at Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in Manhattan Sunday night.

The star pitcher arrived with his very pregnant wife, Amber, shortly after 11 p.m. She said their baby is due in two weeks.

Sabathia, dressed in jeans, white T-shirt and a beige blazer, entered his party in true Yankee style – he was welcomed at the door by Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, and entered to DJ Funkmaster Flex playing a classic Jay-Z hit song, “Fiesta.”

A host of stars from the world of entertainment, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, R-&-B singer Anthony Hamilton, model Tyson Beckford and movie director Spike Lee, also arrived, passing by Sabathia’s initials “CC” formed in light projected onto a black curtain hung outside the club on W. 25th St. in midtown.

Most of the Yankee roster was in attendance for the party, including pitchers Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett.

Bombers Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada also came out to party with Sabathia.

While a 3-foot alligator in a tank drew plenty of attention, A-Rod and his hot date, Cameron Diaz, were a bigger attraction.

A-Rod entered and left the party alone, but sources confirmed he was inside with Diaz.

Other notable guests included New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs and former American Idol runner-up and Broadway star Constantine Maroulis.

They partied into the night as hits “Please Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna and “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé played.

At midnight, the star-studed crowd sang “Happy Birthday,” although Sabathia’s real birthday isn’t until Wednesday.

Off-day today. Betcha some of the boys went at it pretty good last night.

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Alex Rodriguez is two homers short of 600 career big flies. When will the big six-oh-oh show?

My gut feeling is that it could take as long as 6 to 11 more games for it to happen. And, this is where it gets interesting.

After today, the Yankees have six more games on their current homestand – two with the Angels and four with the Royals. If A-Rod hits #600 on the homestand, there will be a nice reaction for him at Yankee Stadium.

But, if Alex needs more than 6 games to reach the milestone, it could come on the Yankees next road trip – which is 3 games in Cleveland followed by 3 in Tampa Bay.

If it takes A-Rod 11 more games to get the big one, then it will come in Tampa Bay – and the reaction there should be good for him as there are many Yankees fans in Tampa.

But, what if #600 comes for Rodriguez in Cleveland? How will the crowd react to that? In fact, will there be many there, period, to see it?

In any event, what’s your prediction for when #600 comes, where, and what the reaction will be?

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I’m still not sure what to make of Yankees tickets sometimes.

I have two season tickets in the Main Level by Johnny Rockets. They’re just past first base.

Don’t get me wrong – they’re nice seats, closer to the infield than the outfield, under cover, close to food, bathrooms and the Yankees Museum (if you need to cool off), etc. But, they’re not great seats, not padded an any way, there’s no wait staff, and there’s not as much leg room there as can be found in field level seats. Oh, and they’re not cheap – it’s $75 per seat (meaning it’s $150 per game for the two of them).

Also, since I drive to the Stadium, I have to park at games and that’s $25. Then, when you throw in gas/tolls and food, on top of the tickets and parking, I’m spending $225 per game, minimum by my estimation, for me and someone else to attend a single Yankees game.

Now, personally, my family is a single income household. And, in addition to myself, I have my wife, two kids and two dogs to feed, take care of, etc. It’s been that way for us for the last six years – four human mouths and two canine ones on one paycheck. Oh, and, it’s not the paycheck that it used to be – thanks to the economic downturn which brought cause for me to take a 12% pay-cut when my job was eliminated two years ago and forced me to take a different one. Related, sometimes there’s a need to look at our financial standings at a given moment and make some budgetary calls.

This weekend was one of those times for me. Going over some expenses, I realized that I needed to sell some upcoming Yankees games that I had this year – one Friday against Boston, one Sunday against Seattle and a Saturday against Boston. I was really looking forward to going to these games. But, when you look at this in terms of being $675 to attend three baseball games as opposed to being $675 applied to some important family expenses, it’s a no-brainer for me.

It’s times like these that I hate the Yankees for charging fans as much as they do for going to a game, etc. I feel like I’m being squeezed out of being able to go to more than two or three games a year. (In a perfect world, I would like to go to at least six games a season – and maybe as many as ten or eleven, not including post-season games. I think that’s a nice number for someone who loves the Yankees and enjoys seeing the games in person.)

Yeah, I know, I could sit in the upper upper-deck or the bleachers, and then it would not be as expensive. But, to me, unless it’s a post-season game, if you’re going to sit that far away – and still have to pay a fair amount of money for it – then you might as well watch the game on TV and save your money.

Now, here’s the kicker: I sent a mass email this morning to some friends asking them if they wanted to buy any of my games at face value. What happened? All three games were sold in less than 36 minutes. So, clearly, there’s demand for Yankees tickets – even at their cost, etc.

Like I said, I’m still not sure what to make of Yankees tickets sometimes. But, it seems like the Yankees know what they’re doing, in terms of tickets being sold – even if it means the screws for an average family man.

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I thought this might be a fun topic for an off-day…coming off Old-Timers Day weekend. What follows are my favorite Yankees at each position. Stress the “my” part here. Note that this is not a “best” or “greatest” list. It’s just those Yankees who I found it easy to root for – and enjoyed having them on the team. And, since I’ve been a Yankees fan since 1973, the clock starts on this list from that point forward.

Catchers: Thurman Munson, Jorge Posada, Ron Hassey. (Honorable Mention: Mike Stanley, Rick Cerone)
First Baseman: Don Mattingly, Tino Martinez, Chris Chambliss. (Honorable Mention: Mark Teixeira, Steve Balboni)
Second Baseman: Willie Randolph, Robinson Cano, Steve Sax. (Honorable Mention: Mike Gallego, Larry Milbourne)
Shortstops: Derek Jeter, Bucky Dent, Andre Robertson. (Honorable Mention: Randy Velarde, Wayne Tolleson)
Third Baseman: Graig Nettles, Scott Brosius, Mike Pagliarulo. (Honorable Mention: Toby Harrah, Aurelio Rodriguez)
Left Fielders: Hideki Matsui, Rickey Henderson, Roy White. (Honorable Mention: Brett Gardner, Johnny Damon)
Center Fielders: Bernie Williams, Mickey Rivers, Melky Cabrera. (Honorable Mention: Jerry Mumphrey, Claudell Washington)
Right Fielders: Paul O’Neill, Lou Piniella, Bobby Murcer. (Honorable Mention: Oscar Gamble, Steve Kemp)
Designated Hitter: Cliff Johnson, Carlos May, Tim Raines. (Honorable Mention: Chili Davis, Mike Easler)
Starting Pitchers: Andy Pettitte, Ron Guidry, Orlando Hernandez. (Honorable Mention: Jimmy Key, Rudy May)
Relief Pitchers: Mariano Rivera, Sparky Lyle, Dave Righetti. (Honorable Mention: Goose Gossage, Dick Tidrow)

Yeah, I know…where’s A-Rod, Winfield, Mussina, Reggie and some others…?

Sorry, either I found them hard to root for, at times, or there were others that I just liked rooting for more than them. How about you? Who is on your list?

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Via Joe LaPointe -

[Sergio] Mitre, discussing the possibility that he may start next Saturday in [Andy] Pettitte’s place, said he threw 60 pitches in a bullpen session Thursday while trying to rebuild arm strength.

“We didn’t anticipate Andy going down,” Mitre said. “Something’s going to happen.”

Of being ready to throw multiple innings, Mitre said he was “for the most part, yeah.”

Girardi said he would meet with General Manager Brian Cashman to consider his options. One of them may be a trade.

The best pitcher thought to be available is Houston’s Roy Oswalt, but he had to leave the Astros’ 9-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday with a bruised lower left leg after he was hit by a batted ball.

Others mentioned in trade speculation are the Chicago Cubs’ Ted Lilly, the Houston Astros’ Brett Myers and the Cleveland Indians’ Jake Westbrook.

Of course, knowing Brian Cashman, New York will call up Tim Redding before they make a trade for someone like Lilly or Myers…

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The good news – today could have been a day to cave, take lumps, and have an “L” pinned on their chest; but, the Yankees bullpen and bats pulled a “W” out of their hat. And, this victory gives New York a three-game lead in the A.L. East over Tampa Bay – and Boston is now seven back in the loss column as well. With this in the books, and forecasting the rest of the schedule, CoolStandings.com gives the Yankees a 87.2% chance of making the post-season this year. And, that’s the highest percentage of any team in baseball at this moment.

Now, the bad news – Andy Pettitte’s injury. He’s probably done for July now – and will more than likely miss three starts, at the least. As a result, A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes need to step up and pitch consistently well while Andy’s out. If not, we could be looking at a spell where the Yankees putter around at a .500 clip for a while. And, if that happens, there’s a good chance that the Rays close the gap on the Yanks.

You know, the Yankees did take two of three in this series. But, that Friday game could have gone either way. The Rays concern me – in both the chase for first and what comes after in the post-season. It used to be that the Red Sox and Angels were the teams I least wanted the Yankees to face in October. But, now, the Rays are right up there. You know, it’s funny. The Twins are usually a very good team. But, come post-season, you know there’s no way the Twinkies can beat the Yankees – it’s in both team’s heads. But, the Rays…man…I get the feeling that they don’t sweat the Yankees, at all, and maybe the Yankees should be very worried about them…especially if they end up meeting in the A.L.C.S. this year.

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Via the Daily News –

It hasn’t been a banner week for Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain. First he was voted the most overrated player in Sports Illustrated’s anonymous poll of major leaguers, and Saturday he got the first hint from Joe Girardi that his job as Mariano Rivera’s primary setup man could be in jeopardy.

While complimenting righthanded reliever David Robertson, who struck out the side against the Rays on Friday night, Girardi put Chamberlain on notice.

“I’m not saying on a daily basis I am going to change our eighth-inning guy, but you have to earn your roles here,” Girardi said. “And we evaluate on a daily basis.”

After posting a 13.50 ERA through May 7, Robertson has gone 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA over his last 22 outings, lowering his mark to 5.28 entering Saturday’s game.

Next stop for Joba after this…Scranton/Wilkes-Barre?

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A.J. Burnett lost this game for the Yankees. First, it was allowing back-to-back two-out hits in the first leading to a run being score followed by allowing a HBP and a homer in the second after retiring the first two batters in that frame. Then, it was a Doyle Alexander/Kevin Brown act of stupidity that lead to him coming out of the game in the third inning. That quick exit brought cause for Dustin Moseley and Chad Gaudin – two pitchers who probably don’t belong in the majors right now – to enter the game and allow it to get out of hand. (No pun intended, A.J.)

Hey, this is what you get with A.J. Burnett. Sure, the walk-off pies are all the rage with the under thirty crowd. But, look at Burnett’s lifetime stats. On a 162-Game Average, he’s good for 34 starts and 218 innings pitched – but, with a win-loss mark of 14-12. Yes, he wins less than half his starts and loses just about as many games as he wins. Just look at last season, in a great Yankees team year, he made 33 starts, won 13 and lost 9 games.

I know, I know, many want to talk about his Game 2 start in the World Series last year. But, that was one game. Otherwise, check out his 2009 post-season starts:

.

Twice, in Game 5 starts, he blew it, badly – and Andy Pettitte had to bail him out the next game.

The worst part of all this? The Yankees are paying Burnett $16,500,000 a season – making him one of the highest paid pitchers in the game. And, they’ll be doing this for the next three seasons after this year. Great move by Brian Cashman on this one.

But, then again, he knows that by now – which is why he tried so hard to trade for Cliff Lee this season. With the Yankees starting rotation this season it’s: Sabathia and Pettitte and then roll the dice to see what’s going to show up with Burnett, Vazquez and Hughes. Sure, at times the latter three can be stunning – but, you can never be sure if that’s going to happen or not.

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Like he really needs another pelt on his belt, right?

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Via the Daily News –

Joba Chamberlain thinks there are some real cowards in Major League Baseball. The Yankees reliever was voted the Most Overrated Player in an anonymous survey of major league players conducted by Sports Illustrated. Chamberlain received 12% of the votes from the 187 who responded to the poll.

“Anonymity is a real cowardly way to answer that,” Chamberlain said of the poll. “I wouldn’t do it. I get approached, and they are always going to run them, but I won’t do it.

“If you have something to say to me, be a man.”

Afterwards, Joba shared many other life lessons for the world to live by…

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Via Tim Bontemps:

Eduardo Nunez wasn’t surprised to get an invitation to his second minor league All-Star Game, after leading the International League with 107 hits for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre in the first half.

But Nunez said he didn’t expect to see his name penciled into the No. 3 hole by Durham Bulls manager Charlie Montoya for Wednesday’s 2-1 win by the IL over the Pacific Coast League.

“I was surprised when I looked at the lineup and saw that I was third,” Nunez said after going 0-for-2. “I was surprised, and I was excited.”

It was just the latest accolade to come the way of the 23-year-old shortstop, who, after a rough start, steadily has improved at each level in the minors.

After hitting .313 in 73 games with Staten Island in 2005, and being selected to the New York-Penn League All-Star Game, it took Nunez three years to make it out of A-ball. In 2006 and 2007, he spent the majority of the season with Low-A Charleston, making brief cameos with High-A Tampa, before spending the entire season with Tampa in 2008.

But after being promoted to Double-A Trenton for the 2009 season, the light seemed to come on for the 6-foot, 155-pound shortstop. He hit .322 with nine homers, 55 RBIs and 19 stolen bases for the Thunder, and the Yankees added him to their 40-man roster after the season ended.

That success has carried over to this season, as the 23-year-old right-hander is hitting .305 with three homers, 40 RBIs and 18 steals in 21 attempts for SWB.

“I don’t see my stats,” Nunez said. “When I go to the field, I go to play hard. I don’t see my stats. … I don’t care how many hits I have.”

So, what should the Yankees do with Nunez – trade him, or, make him the Yankees starting shortstop in 2012?

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An interesting piece was in the Times yesterday regarding some fans who were not in favor of George Steinbrenner. Here’s a snip:

The death of Mr. Steinbrenner on Tuesday has elicited fond remembrances and effusive tributes from Yankees fans outside the gates of the team’s stadium in the Bronx and throughout the region. The man known as the Boss was praised for bringing the struggling Yankees back to life in the 1970s and for rebuilding what has become one of the richest and most successful franchises in all of sports.

But Mr. Steinbrenner’s death has sparked more complex emotions among a smaller, less visible demographic: Yankees fans who loved the team but hated Mr. Steinbrenner. Their outrage over his braggadocio, management style and even his politics drove them away from the team, and now that he is gone, they are looking at the Yankees in a new light and considering becoming fans once more.

Life — as in baseball, as in death — is complicated, and though no one likes to speak ill of the dead, some of the people who came close to making exceptions this week in the case of Mr. Steinbrenner have been these Yankees fans, or former fans, or formerly former fans.

New York and New Jersey residents’ relationships with their sports teams can be as nuanced and as perplexing as their relationships with their spouses, or former spouses for that matter. Lapsed Yankees fans coming to terms with Mr. Steinbrenner’s death are, as a result, an emotional, mixed-up lot. They talk of rushing home as children to turn on the television to watch Don Larsen pitch a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series, yet they have no problem rattling off Mr. Steinbrenner’s sins as well as any Red Sox fan might.

Each had a personal “last straw.” For some, it was political: they were disgusted that Mr. Steinbrenner pleaded guilty in August 1974 to having made illegal contributions to the 1972 campaign of President Richard M. Nixon.

For others, it was about Yankee Stadium: they said Mr. Steinbrenner was wrong to push for tearing down the old ballpark to build a new $1.5 billion stadium with public subsidies, and they hated his publicly articulated argument that the largely Latino neighborhood around the stadium was too dangerous for people to come to.

Others said it was about baseball: they blamed him for trading players they loved, like pitcher David Wells, and never forgave him for firing Mr. Berra.

“I would rather watch a team that struggles and gets to the World Series once in a while so that it means something, rather than feel like, ‘Well, we won because we bought all the best players,’ ” said Neil DeMause, 44, a former Yankees fan who lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.

I fully understand what DeMause is saying here. And, it is much, much, sweeter – at least to me – when a team like the ’76 Yankees reaches the World Series or when a team like the ’96 Yankees wins a World Series than it is when a team like the 2009 Yankees wins a World Series. And, while I still love going to Yankees games, I’m not in love with the present “experience” has become in attending games at the new Yankee Stadium – in terms of cost and having to witness the seating élitism that is practiced there now.

And, in the past, during the ’70′s and ’80′s, I found myself – at times – not being pleased with Steinbrenner’s antics.

So, I “get” what some are saying in this feature. But, times change. Steinbrenner changed a bit as he got older too. And, I am mourning his passing. I suppose some others just have a hard time of letting certain things go. And, that’s fine. I also have my own persistent feelings of resentment towards some things. We all do, don’t we?

How about you? What’s your take on Yankees fans who were not fans of George Steinbrenner and who allowed that to influence how they thought about the team and how they now feel about his passing?

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In baseball, sometimes you play well and lose and other times you play poorly and steal a victory.  Tonight would certainly fall into the latter category as the Yankees beat Tampa 5-4 in walk-off fashion but otherwise played a lousy, error-filled game.

The Good:

• Nick Swisher.  It was his night from beginning to end, starting with his pregame interview on 1050 ESPN Radio where he talked about his Ohio State kinship with George Steinbrenner and ending with his game winning single to right, scoring Curtis Granderson from second base.  In between, he managed to go 3-for-5 with a HR and 3 RBI.  Not only did he get the game winning hit but his moonshot HR in the 8th inning was the game-tying run.  Without Nick Swisher the Yanks don’t win this game, period.
• Robbie Cano & Jorge Posada.  Although they each only managed one hit apiece, those hits were back-to-back solo HR’s to tie the game.

The Bad:

• Derek Jeter.  A sacred cow he might be, but right now he belongs in the slaughterhouse.  Jeter went 0-for-5, including a costly strikeout right before Nick Swisher’s game-winner took Captain Intangibles off the hook.  Jeter made two of his five outs on the first pitch and saw only 13 pitches all night (2.6/PA).  This kind of impatience and inefficiency can mean only one thing: Jeter is no longer qualified to bat leadoff.
• CC Sabathia.  After rolling through the month of June (5-0, 2.19 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) and the first part of July (3-0, 1.19 ERA, 1.06 WHIP), this wasn’t a particularly great start (7 8 4 3 4 6).  Sabathia had his velocity but for some reason just couldn’t get Rays hitters to make outs.  Bad starts will happen from time to time…

With a win tonight the Yanks guaranteed themselves first place through the weekend.  Can’t beat that.

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Here’s the confirm.

No word on whether or not Kevin Russo will be invited back for the Old Timers Day game tomorrow.

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Via Bill Madden -

Television reports that New York Yankee players went to the graveside service for Yankee public address announcer Bob Sheppard Thursday are not accurate.

The Daily News reported in Friday’s editions that no player Sheppard had introduced at the Stadium over his 57-year career had attended his funeral, a fact the Yankees confirmed when the News called to ask why no players were at the service.

The Yankees reported that one team bus carried front office personnel to the funeral in Baldwin, L.I., Thursday morning, and that no players attended the service, as the News reported.

In another feature, Madden shares that Brian Cashman was there and delivered the eulogy.

I can understand most of the current Yankees players not being there. Many of them didn’t know Bob. And, with the All-Star break, many of them were out of town. But, I’m surprised that Reggie Jackson didn’t make the trip – especially because he’s in the front office now. And, maybe, just maybe, Derek Jeter could have gone, as Yankees Captain, to represent the players – especially because he’s making such a big deal of using Bob’s recorded voice, still, to announce his At Bats.

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Related to a feature that M.J. highlighted this morning, Andy at B-R.com’s Stat of the Day Blog takes it a step further and offers this nugget. Interesting stuff…

So, what do you think?  Are these two modern day Yankees heroes among the worst ever, defensively, in the history of the game?  Or, were they just below average and played a lot because of their bats?

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Via Joe Haggerty:

Adrian Beltre was trying to stuff it away in the past, but he was still a little puzzled at Fenway Park about what took place during his All-Star experience in Anaheim.

In case anybody needs a refresher course: A.L. All-Star manager Joe Girardi announced to the media Beltre wasn’t going to be playing in baseball’s grandest exhibition game because of an injured left hamstring – which probably pleased a Red Sox organization that must not have been overly thrilled watching a potentially injured player take part in the Midseason Classic – and that he would be replaced on the roster by Rangers third baseman Michael Young.

Beltre reacted quizzically at the All-Star game media availability when approached for his reaction to sitting out his first trip to the All-Star classic, and went looking for answers. Then the third baseman huddled with super-agent Scott Boras, and suddenly things had completely, magically reversed and the slightly-injured third baseman was back in the game.

That’s where things got a little hazy and a lot messy.

It doesn’t appear that there’s much love lost between Beltre and Girardi now, as the Yankees skipper never really sought out the third sacker to apologize for the foul-up. One reporter informed Beltre that Girardi told reporters Beltre was headed to the disabled list after the All-Star game, and the third baseman couldn’t really contain himself.

“What’s the deal with that guy?” said Beltre of Girardi. “The shock was that nobody told me anything. I’m being replaced? Okay, by who? Michael Young. Okay, but nobody told me anything. Maybe if somebody had talked to me and said that maybe I shouldn’t have played . . . well, then maybe I would have thought it was a good idea.

“But to just take the initiative of saying I’m not on the roster without talking to me? I don’t think that was the right thing to do. I don’t care anymore. I was there to get my at-bat and I had fun. It’s no big deal. It’s in the past.”

Girardi was said to have been the victim of a miscommunication.

“It was a good experience,” said Beltre. “A lot of craziness with the media, but it was good.”

Scott Boras to the rescue? Maybe A-Rod should have asked Scottie to help too, and then he would have gotten into the game as well?

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I saw Bigger, Stronger, Faster* for the first time ever last night on TV. (Yeah, I know, I’m two years behind the times on this one.) It was interesting – and it does offer some food for thought on the whole PED debate. I found it both educational and entertaining. If you’ve never seen it, and have a chance to catch it, I recommend checking it out.

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Sam Borden has the roster of who else is attending the big day this weekend.

The big names are Yogi, Whitey, Reggie, Goose and Gator. And, it’s nice that Skowron, Nettles, White, Chambliss, Clarke, Dent, Cone, Larsen, Stottlemyre, Turley, Coleman and Terry will be there as well.

But, no Mike Mussina, Paul O’Neill or Bernie Williams? That’s a shame. Who else is missing that you would like to see there on Old-Timers Day?

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The New York Times ran a story which showed the best players during George Steinbrenner’s tenure as owner, ranked by WAR and sorted according to their mode of acquisition:

Best via draft:

Derek Jeter, 69.9 WAR
Jorge Posada, 45.8
Ron Guidry, 44.4
Andy Pettitte, 42.6

Best via international signing:

Mariano Rivera, 51.7
Bernie Williams, 47.3
Robinson Cano, 22.4
Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, 17.7

Best via free agency:

Mike Mussina, 30.3
Dave Winfield, 25.6
Jason Giambi, 21.8
Reggie Jackson, 16.9

Best via trade:

Willie Randolph, 49.8
Graig Nettles, 40.6
Alex Rodriguez, 40.2
Rickey Henderson, 30.1
Paul O’Neill, 24.8

Overall, Jeter, Rivera, Randolph, Williams and Posada make up the top five players acquired via draft, international scouting, free agency and trade during Steinbrenner’s 36-plus seasons as the team’s owner.  Seems about right to me.

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Via Brian Costello –

Bill “The Spaceman” Lee’s hatred of George Steinbrenner did not mellow at all with the Yankee owner’s death Tuesday.

Lee, who pitched for the Red Sox for 10 seasons, ripped Steinbrenner in a TV interview.

“Trust me, if hell freezes over, he’ll be skating,” Lee told a reporter for WMUR-9 in Manchester, N.H.

The TV station talked to Lee on a golf course Tuesday afternoon a few hours after Steinbrenner died from a heart attack at 80 years old.

Lee began the 58-second interview by saying, “As far as Steinbrenner’s passing? Good.”

During the 1976 season, Lee famously broke his collarbone during a brawl between the Yankees and Red Sox when Graig Nettles tackled him.

Lee said Steinbrenner tried to have him kicked out of the game after the fight.

“Steinbrenner tried to have me banned from baseball,” he said.

“He said I was an incompetent and I was bad for the game of baseball. Well, I’m not a convicted felon like George Steinbrenner, and he’ll take that to his grave.”

When the reporter asked Lee if he had any sadness about Steinbrenner dying, Lee said, “I have no sadness. I’m Irish; I’m Catholic, and when you’re gone, you’re gone.”

I used to think that Bill Lee was an interesting and funny guy…but, that’s stopped after reading this report.

Now, he’s just a 63-year old cranky pot head…

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Rumor: a Roger Clemens indictment is not far off.

Maybe C-SPAN can hire Suzyn Waldman to announce when Clemens is in the court room?

Just hope that Andy Pettitte doesn’t get dragged into this mess…

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Via Otis Livingston:

“[George Steinbrenner] once told me, and this is a direct quote: ‘If you do something for someone and more than 2 people know about it, meaning you and that person, then you did it for the wrong reason,” said former Yankees PR executive Rick Cerrone.

And, to Big Stein, this was not just lip service. Click here to see just one example of this.

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