John Autin has all you need to know about the Rays Han Solo’ing Sabathia five times last night.

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The Teflon G.M. has got Ernest P. Worrell’s back!

Great stuf from Mike Mazzeo -

When it comes to A.J. Burnett, Brian Cashman encourages everyone to “smoke the objective pipe.”

In the eyes of many, Burnett (8-9, 4.60 ERA) hasn’t pitched well enough to keep his spot in the rotation. But Cashman sees things a bit differently. He thinks everything has been overblown.

“I encourage everybody to just break it down,” Cashman said. “Break it down. Compare him to other people. Look at his start-by-start. Look at his run support. If you smoke the objective pipe, I think the coverage on him would be a little smoother, more accurate.”

The Yankees, who have used a six-man rotation for nearly two weeks, will go back to a five-man rotation next week.

“We’ve got six guys who are capable of pitching in a rotation in a pennant race,” Cashman said. “That’s a good thing. Someone is going to have to go, and we’re going to make that decision. But this stuff about [whether] A.J. Burnett is worthy of being ripped from the rotation is a bunch of crap.”

Cashman continued: “I have more objectivity than most of us, let’s put it that way. I’m just used to the [expletive] emotional response to stuff that doesn’t really reflect reality. A.J. Burnett is not pitching anywhere close to as bad as people say.”

Still, Cashman wouldn’t say whether Burnett was going to stay in the rotation after this week.

We didn’t “smoke the objective pipe,” but here’s what we came up with:

• Of all pitchers who qualify for the ERA title, Burnett ranks 91st (4.60).

• As far as run support is concerned, Burnett ranks 27th in the majors (6.84).

• He hasn’t won since June 29 and is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA during that stretch (seven starts).

• He hasn’t won an August start in his two-plus seasons with the Yankees (0-8, 7.18).

Upon being approached by reporters after Cashman’s epic rant, Burnett was appreciative that the Yankees’ GM stood up for him.

“That’s awesome,” Burnett said. “One thing about Cash is he’s always had my back. … This year he’s been the same guy, expressing how much I mean to this club and how much he enjoys me being here.”

Burnett is in the third year of an $82.5 million contract with the Yankees.

That Brian Cashman, he’s the best G.M. in baseball, eh?

More from the Post -

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman on Friday launched an impassioned defense of supposed No. 2 starter A.J. Burnett, lashing out at the pitcher’s critics and claiming reaction to his struggles are “overblown,” based on the perception he is overpaid and rely on emotion rather than facts.

“The stuff on A.J. is way overblown. A.J.’s been solid for us this year. I just think the way it’s playing doesn’t necessarily reflect how he’s pitched,” Cashman said. “The public outcry recently is all emotion rather than factual.”

Cashman, acknowledging Burnett has not performed like a No. 2, nevertheless called on critics to “peel the onion” and examine Burnett’s recent numbers, claiming a lack of victories could be attributed to various factors.

Cashman said he is “used to the bull—- emotional response to stuff that doesn’t accurately reflect reality.”

Burnett, who is scheduled to next pitch Monday, last won on June 29 to go 8-6. Since then, he has suffered three losses and four no decisions. His ERA in that span is 6.00 (28 earned runs in 40 total innings).

“Look at his starts. He’s got one of the least amount of run supports. If you break down his start-by-start scenario and you look at those starts, it’s not bad. I encourage everybody to actually peel the onion take a look,” Cashman said.

“No, he’s not pitching like a No. 2 starter. He’s pitching like a quality starting pitcher in the American League, period,” Cashman said. “And if you factor in health and you take his money out of the equation people would try to trade for him for the stretch drive and feel good about it.”

“I think he’s being treated differently publicly because (of the) money,” Cashman said. “So forgive him for saying ‘yes’ to a contract. You want to blame somebody for his contract blame me. But the man can still pitch. The man is a starter. He can still help us significantly.

“Remove the numbers and the perception of him is completely different and I’m talking about the salary numbers not the statistical numbers.”

…I think he’s being treated differently publicly because (of the) money…

When you hear lines like that from the Yankees G.M., you know that George Steinbrenner is dead…

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Via Bristol’s Buster -

Looks like the earliest that Alex Rodriguez would be activated, based on the schedule drawn out for him, would be Thursday, Aug. 18,in Minn.

From July 8th through August 17th. That’s six weeks on the D.L.

Well, when he went out, they said it would be four to six weeks. And, six weeks it is…

Sort of reminds me of that old joke: How long does it take a podiatrist, chiropractor or therapist to cure you? It’s usually equal to the maximum number of office visits covered under your health plan.

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It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these. So, it seems like a good idea to run this again.

Please consider taking this reader survey. It’s safe, easy, and quick. It should take you just a few minutes to complete it. Thanks in advance for your time on this request!

Click here to take survey.

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Here’s a look at where the Yankees were, when they woke up on August 12th, over the last 17 seasons:

So, is it true that the Yankees, since 1995, have not won a pennant in season where they were not in first place at the close of business on August 11th?  Or, am I missing something here?

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Via Ken Rosenthal -

Curtis Granderson is frustrated.

Frustrated that NFL stars and NBA stars are more heavily promoted than baseball stars. Frustrated that the percentage of African-American players keeps falling. Frustrated that many kids do not perceive baseball as “cool” and turn to other sports instead.

None of these problems is new. Granderson, the New York Yankees’ center fielder, admittedly is not aware of all of the facts. But here is one of the game’s biggest stars, leading ambassadors and most insightful, eloquent players saying that more should be done.

His perception alone speaks volumes.

“I think the advertisement of the game — whether it’s action, excitement, flash, whatever it is — can help with the ‘cool’ factor of the game, and the presentation of the game among kids,” Granderson said.

“You have a lot of kids say that it’s not a cool sport. Even me, growing up, a number of kids would come to me and say, ‘Why are you playing this sport so much and not as much basketball and football?’ Those are the cool ones.

“I like what basketball is doing, what football is doing,” Granderson continued. “Why can’t we do as much, since we’re America’s pastime? The end result would be promotion of the game itself, which in turn could lead to an increase in more kids and African-American kids playing the game.”

“I feel like kids in general, not just African-American kids, are influenced by what they see, both positive and negative,” Granderson said. “When given the opportunity to put the stars of your game out there — whether it be the way they dress, the way they talk, the way they present themselves, how they perform — kids want to mirror that.

“Case in point: When Michael Jordan was playing in his heyday and he was doing layups and dunks, sticking his tongue out. The amount of kids who did it either accidentally or purposely . . . even I would get comments when I played, ‘Man, why are you sticking your tongue out?’

“It just happened. I don’t know if I was trying to do it or not. But at some point in time, the comparison was being made by me to Michael Jordan. Everybody had seen him do it, whether in a highlight or a commercial. He was in a million commercials promoting that.”

I’m sort of on the fence with this one. I’m all for getting kids interested in baseball – and I stress all. It’s a wonderful game and a huge part of American culture. Actually, at this point, it’s not just a huge part of American culture. There are places outside the U.S. where they are also extremely passionate about baseball.

But, if the intent (to address this) is to “market” or “promote” baseball the same way that the NBA and NFL promotes its game, I’m not sure that’s a good thing. Part of the charm of pro-baseball is that it is different from pro-football and pro-basketball. But, maybe that’s just me?

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Where was Derek Jeter last Friday? Via hennmusic -

Aerosmith had a surprise visitor to their studio last Friday night: New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter (pictured [below] with Steven Tyler).

Considering Boston is Red Sox central, this could have been a tense situation, but all was cool, reports the gang at Aerosmith fan club AeroForceOne.

Turns out Jeter is a good friend of producer Jack Douglas. Small world, but Derek became pals with Jack when he was producing Aerosmith’s 1982 album, “Rock In A Hard Place.” With Brad Whitford out of the fold, the band hired guitarist Rick Dufay to try to take over Brad’s duties. Rick and Jeter have a close personal tie, and Jack and Rick became lifelong friends.

There were only a handful of people in the studio that night but the Yankee spent about a hour and half chatting and listening to some of the bands new tracks with Douglas and Tyler; Steven and Brad were the only band members in attendance.

Jeter was certainly in enemy territory but he felt right at home with Jack and Steven being native New Yorkers.

Aerosmith are currently in the studio working on the group’s first album of new material since 2001′s “Just Push Play.”

Dream on, Derek.

Somewhat related, is Aerosmith the greatest “American” rock band of all-time? How about The Eagles? Or, The Grateful Dead? Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band? Beach Boys? The Ramones? The Doors? Creedence Clearwater Revival? Nirvana? Pearl Jam? Green Day? The Red Hot Chili Peppers? Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers? Van Halen? Someone else?

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This is three times in the last five days that Mariano has not been Mariano.  And, that’s not good.

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Since 1988, there have been 32 players to post an OPS+ of 145 or better (while playing in at least 100 games) in their “Age 30″ season:

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Of these 32, there were 22 to post a season with an OPS of 145+ (while playing in at least 100 games) before they were age 30:

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Related, here are the 10 players who performed at age 30 better than they did, ever, before age 30, in terms of OPS+:

Since they’re both center fielders, Curtis Granderson and Jim Edmonds jump out to me here.  In fact, Edmonds’ 2000 season is a lot like the season that Granderson is having this year.

Edmonds was able to repeat that level of performance for the five years that followed 2000.  It will be interesting to see if Granderson can do the same.

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Via Bryan Hoch -

The Yankees expect to have a decision by the end of the weekend on their starting rotation, with A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes on the bubble to be nixed from what is currently a six-man staff.

“We’ve talked about it,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said on Thursday. “We feel we need to get it down to a five-man rotation and go with it.”

Girardi said that the Yankees are going to make their final call before they head to Kansas City for a three-game series that opens on Monday.

That means that Burnett’s most recent start on Tuesday, in which he hurled five good innings before imploding in a four-run sixth, will be the last impression the Yankees are considering.

Burnett is winless in seven starts since June 29, faring 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA over that stretch.

“Some of the games he has lost have been very close losses where we haven’t scored a lot of runs,” Girardi said.

Meanwhile, Hughes will get the ball on Saturday against the Rays, his first appearance since he had a start skipped due to a 13-pitch relief appearance on Sunday in Boston.

Hughes is 2-3 with a 4.55 ERA in six games (five starts) since returning from the disabled list in early July.

The Yankees have been carrying 13 pitchers since recalling Ivan Nova from Triple-A to start the second game of a July 30 doubleheader. Nova has won all three starts since then, cementing his place in the rotation.

If the call is to ditch Burnett, then he’s done for the season – because he will check out. I think the Yankees know this – and that’s why it will be Hughes…regardless of how he throws in is next start.

Maybe they will get creative – and sub Hughes for Colon’s next start, and, in the next rotation turn, sub Hughes for Garcia’s start, giving the old guys a break, etc. But, I doubt this will happen.

This will be an interesting call for Girardi and Cashman – that’s for sure.

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Pitchers with the Yankees, since 1973, who had 11+ wins in a season where they were age 24 or younger and started at least 50% of their games pitched:

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Just a half-dozen guys in the Steinbrenner Era.  Dat’s it.

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Say whatever you want to say about Ivan Nova. But, the fact of the matter is that the Yankees are 14-5 in games that he has started.

And, that ain’t too shabby.

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The Blue Jays are stealing signs? Maybe they got the idea from the Yankees…back in the day…

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Braves Release Scott Proctor, Promote Arodys Vizcaino To Atlanta.

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Via Andrew Marchand -

Really, [A.J.] Burnett once again confirmed that we should finally, once and for all, forget mentioning him as a possible No. 2 starter and ask if he is even a No. 5.

For Burnett, Tuesday night looked like every other night, except for the hair. Burnett bleached it blond because his family called him “chicken,” wanting him to emulate his 7-year-old son’s look. It would have been a nicer little tale had Burnett just finished off the night.

He cruised for five innings before Abreu knocked a solo shot and the scruples out of Burnett’s head. He went haywire after that, walking three — one intentionally thanks to Girardi — and allowing four runs.

Girardi keeps saying the Yankees will pare down to five starters eventually. Burnett, even at $16.5 million, can only concentrate for so long in a season.

He hasn’t won in August since George W. Bush was president. He has gone 15 starts — which is almost half a season’s worth — without picking up a victory in the month. His last win was in 2008. He has never won a game in August as a Yankee.

It is not only that he loses, but he is cruel to leads, no matter if they are big or small. On Tuesday, it was only 1-0 when he fell apart. Last week, he could not hold on long enough to a 13-1 lead to pick up a W.

On his current 2011 seven-game winless streak he has had the lead in six of them.

“I haven’t won in a long time,” said Burnett, who is 8-9 with a 4.60 ERA. “I think I’ve pitched a lot of games that I could have won. I think a lot of things are out of my hands and are out of my control. I’ve given three runs in 20-something of my starts. If that is not good enough to win, I don’t know what is.”

Actually, he has allowed three runs or fewer in 14 of his 24 starts.

Everyone wants to get on Burnett for him being a bust. And, many want to get on Girardi for keeping him in the rotation. But, how come there are so few getting on Brian Cashman for signing this guy, and paying him like an ace, in the first place? It’s Cashman who saddled the Yankees with this turkey. Yet, he’s getting a buddy pass now…like he usually does. Wow.

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I had a long trip home tonight after work.  So, after dinner, I hit the gym (to let off some steam).  After a nice workout, I got home around 9 PM.

Instead of picking up the game, I decided to watch Predators on HBO In Demand. (I had never seen it before tonight.)

The movie ended just after the final out of the Yankees game – just in time for me to catch the recap of what happened.

A Burnett melt-down in the sixth.  Mo taken yard in the ninth.  And, the Grandy Man getting “Jeff Nelson’ed” to end it with the winning run at the plate.

Granted, I only saw the “low-lights,” but, is it just me, or, is this possibly the worst Yankees game of the season to date?

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Read all about it.

Which five is better than the other?

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• In 2009, the Yankees were 69-43 after 112 games and went 34-16 over the rest of the season.
• In 2010, the Yankees were 69-43 after 112 games and went 26-24 over the rest of the season.
• In 2011, the Yankees were 69-43 after 112 games and have gone 0-1 since that time.

How do you think they’ll do from here out? More like 2010 or 2009? Or, will it be worse than 2010? Or, better than 2009?

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Via the Daily News -

A year after umpire Joe West ripped the Yankees and Red Sox for slow play, the Bombers have shaved five minutes off their average game time, but are still playing at a glacial pace in comparison to the rest of the baseball – something painfully apparent during this weekend’s Beantown showdown. The game times of the three matchups on Friday, Saturday and Sunday were 3:26, 3:25 and 4:15, respectively.

The Yankees’ average 2011 game lasts 3:01. The MLB average is just under 2:51. The Mets clock in at 2:54. There are several reasons for the discrepancy between the local clubs, but the biggest is pretty simple: The time hurlers take between pitches.

The Yankees’ starting five this season (counting Ivan Nova instead of Phil Hughes) averages 22.7 seconds between pitches.

Last season, Fangraphs.com, a baseball analysis website, reported the average time between pitches league-wide as 21.5 seconds. The numbers count pickoff attempts as a pitch, but do include timeouts taken by the batter or pitcher in the middle of an at-bat.

“We have a situation in this day and age (where) I’m hard-pressed to (name) any batters that really stay in the box,” said Mike Port, former vice president of umpiring for Major League Baseball.

The Yankees average 142 pitches per game; the Mets are at 143. If we multiply 2.6 (the difference, in seconds, between the staffs’ average time between pitches) by 142, we find a 369 second-difference between the teams. We ought to subtract about 20 seconds here for the extra pitch the Mets throw per game, giving us a 349-second total. In other words, of the seven-minute difference between the Mets’ and Yankees’ length of games, just under six of those minutes can be attributed to slowness of the Bombers’ pitchers. (We accounted only for starting pitchers because they represent the majority of innings.)

In 2010, CC Sabathia took 24.6 seconds between pitches and was the fifth-slowest starter in baseball, according to Fangraphs. This season the Yankees ace has brought that number down close to 23 seconds. Asked if he was doing anything different this year, Sabathia said, “No. I’ve always done the same thing. It’s just one of those things.”

With his dropoff in time, Sabathia is no longer the most deliberate Yankee starter. A.J. Burnett averages a snail-like 23.5 seconds between pitches in 2011.

There are worse offenders than Burnett. Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka took 24.6 seconds between pitches before being shut down for the year following Tommy John surgery. Slower still is Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon’s 30.8 seconds between pitches – an outrageous number even when considering that relief pitchers generally take longer between deliveries. Papelbon was fined for violating pace of game rules in 2009.

Well, if anything, you can’t blame this all on Jorge Posada – since he hasn’t caught at all this season.

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Via the Daily Press -

It’s not set in stone, and it might not be for another week and a half. But former Kecoughtan pitcher/outfielder Jake Cave confirmed Wednesday that he is leaning toward signing with the New York Yankees after his season with the Peninsula Pilots ends.

Cave, who was taken in the sixth round (209th overall), plans to take his physical in Tampa, Fla., after the Pilots play their final game in the Coastal Plain League playoffs. The eighth-seeded Pilots open against No. 1 Edenton Thursday night at War Memorial Stadium.

“I haven’t signed yet, but I’ll be leaving for my physical (soon) and we’ll see where it goes from there,” Cave said. “My plan is to get the physical and be playing for the Yankees. That’s the way I’m leaning right now.”

Cave said there has been no agreement made at this point. The two sides have discussed money, but Cave would not say how much he has been offered.

If things do fall through with the Yankees, Cave always has LSU. He signed with the Tigers last fall.

LSU coach Phil Mainieri told TigerSportsDigest.com that Cave told him last week he planned to sign with New York.

“He had a choice between a great program here and a great franchise in the Yankees,” Mainieri said. “I don’t begrudge the kid for doing what he thinks is best for him.”

Cave went into the draft as a two-way prospect, but the Yankees drafted him as an outfielder. He’s played primarily in the field this summer with the Pilots and leads the team with a .326 batting average. He also has a team-best .423 on-base percentage.

Cave has pitched 12 1/3 innings and made two starts without a decision.

The signing deadline for players selected in the draft is Aug. 15. So far, four of New York’s first six picks remain unsigned. Dante Bichette Jr., the Yankees’ first-round pick (51st overall), signed in June for a $750,000 bonus.

I hope that Cave does sign with the Yankees. This could be a special player. And, I can just picture the “Cave Men” at Yankee Stadium when he makes it – like the “Coneheads” back in the day at Shea Stadium.

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Just don’t get caught with your hand in the cookie jar.

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Sum’ballgame!

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Since 1919, only twice have the Yankees lost 10+ games to the Red Sox within their first 113 games of the season: 1973 and this year (2011). Below are the seasons in which the Yanks lost to the Bosox 9+ times within their first 113 games of the season:

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Not sure if this means anything – but, it does suggest how much Boston has beat-up on New York, up to this point in the season, more so than in years past.

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And, I have to get up in 5 1/2 hours and go to work.
It’s tied, 2-2, after nine.
Scutaro, again? Really?
Good night, Yankees.
I hope I don’t find a mushroom cloud when I wake up later this morning.

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Via Mark Feinsand -

The final months of Jorge Posada’s 2011 season – and possibly his career – may be spent as a casual observer.

Joe Girardi talked with Posada on Sunday, informing him that he was not going to be the designated hitter against righthander Josh Beckett, the one role that had belonged to the Core Four member throughout this roller coaster season.

“He said he was going to put the best lineup on the field, and he doesn’t know when I’m going to DH again,” Posada said. “So right now I’m sitting on the bench.”

Posada is hitting .230 with nine home runs and 31 RBI in 90 games this season, but he’s hit only .205 with no home runs and four RBI in 26 games since July 1.

Just three and a half weeks until rosters expand – so, Jorge is probably safe from being released. The bigger question may be…does he make a post-season roster?

My guess is: Probably not. And, that won’t go down well. Not a sweet way for a great Yankee to go out.

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Not a list you want your ace on, if you’re the Yankees.

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Here’s a fun sort – via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia. It’s Yankees leaders in TRAA, through yesterday, of all current and former Yankees not yet in the Hall of Fame:

TRAA                           TRAA     RCAA     FRAA
1    Charlie Keller              421      386       35
2    Roy White                   379      242      137
3    Alex Rodriguez              337      347      -10
4    Don Mattingly               324      293       31
5    Tommy Henrich               276      280       -4
6    Bernie Williams             274      343      -69
7    Willie Randolph             224      115      109
8    George Selkirk              214      165       49
9    Roger Maris                 199      203       -4
10   Thurman Munson              187      113       74
11   Jason Giambi                186      245      -59
12   Jorge Posada                185      207      -22
13   Paul O'Neill                180      178        2
14   Gil McDougald               178      100       78
T15  Graig Nettles               176      109       67
T15  Bob Meusel                  176      139       37
17   Bill Skowron                175      139       36
18   Bobby Murcer                151      199      -48
T19  Snuffy Stirnweiss           147       66       81
T19  Hank Bauer                  147      132       15
T21  Gene Woodling               135      107       28
T21  Tino Martinez               135       71       64
23   Tom Tresh                   125      102       23
24   Oscar Gamble                115      103       12
25   Birdie Cree                 101       98        3
26   Red Rolfe                   100       58       42
T27  Hideki Matsui                98      136      -38
T27  Ben Chapman                  98      114      -16
T29  Wally Pipp                   95       18       77
T29  Robinson Cano                95       81       14
31   Mark Teixeira                92       89        3
32   Joe Collins                  91       44       47
33   Nick Swisher                 86       60       26
34   Ron Blomberg                 82       86       -4
T35  Del Pratt                    81       14       67
T35  Elston Howard                81       63       18
37   Mickey Rivers                78       48       30
38   Gary Sheffield               75       79       -4
39   Johnny Damon                 73       83      -10
40   Don Baylor                   62       61        1
41   Danny Tartabull              57       72      -15
42   Mike Stanley                 56       72      -16
T43  Irv Noren                    55       27       28
T43  Johnny Lindell               55       41       14
45   Ken Griffey Sr.              53       39       14
46   Nick Etten                   52       81      -29
47   Harry Wolter                 51       45        6
T48  Brett Gardner                50       15       35
T48  Bobby Abreu                  50       55       -5
50   Jimmy Williams               49       14       35
51   Norm Siebern                 48       24       24
52   Clete Boyer                  47      -67      114
T53  Lou Piniella                 46       38        8
T53  Aaron Robinson               46       48       -2
55   Bobby Bonds                  45       38        7
56   Jerry Mumphrey               44       26       18
57   George McQuinn               42       33        9
T58  Chris Chambliss              41       51      -10
T58  Derek Jeter                  41      371     -330
T58  Elliott Maddox               41       28       13
61   Wally Schang                 39       26       13
T62  Jesse Barfield               38       19       19
T62  David Justice                38       21       17
64   Dan Pasqua                   34       21       13
65   Kid Elberfeld                33       26        7
T66  Pat Collins                  29       28        1
T66  Curtis Granderson            29       35       -6
T66  Charlie Hemphill             29       29        0
T69  Hersh Martin                 28       28        0
T69  Bill Johnson                 28        2       26
T69  Ben Paschal                  28       26        2
T72  Bob Cerv                     26       22        4
T72  Oscar Grimes                 26       21        5
74   Aaron Ward                   25      -88      113
75   Jack Clark                   24       24        0

I never would have figured to see Jeter so low on this list.

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Via the Post -

It looks like A-Rod will be safe at third.

Major League Baseball officials will not suspend injured Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez over illegal poker allegations, The Post has learned.

“Even if it is determined that he was [playing illegal poker], he will not be suspended at this time for this infraction,” a source said. “He will be warned again and not lightly.”

Last week, baseball brass announced that they would call Rodriguez into MLB headquarters to be grilled about claims he played in high stakes private games frequented by thugs and drug users.

League officials have been probing Rodriguez’s alleged poker playing, reports of which first surfaced early last month.

But the source told The Post that, unless Rodriguez admits to some other more serious infraction, he will not be suspended for any of the activities that so far have been alleged.

Although MLB objects to the behavior, the league apparently does not feel that it is serious enough to suspend Rodriguez for any period of time.

They will give him a serious warning to stay out of that kind of game, the source said. The new warning will come after the league previously cautioned the star slugger about his card playing in 2005.

Rodriguez still has not yet met with MLB probers — a meeting his spokesman said he “looks forward to.” The meeting could come in the next two weeks.

Also, baseball will seek to have language added to the next collective bargaining agreement with the Players Association that specifically bans playing in illegal underground poker games and other illicit gambling.

The Yankees have declined to comment on the poker reports.

I guess we can file this one under “Until the next time…”

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Freddy Garcia’s ERA this season at night is 4.41 (compared to 1.73 in day games). And, his ERA this season is 10.13 when facing the Boston Red Sox.

What are the odds that Freddy throws a gem this evening at Fenway?

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I warned you that this stuff was coming. Here’s some stuff from Luis Castillo’s new book, via the Post -

A-Rod irritated the other players because he was so high-maintenance. He required his personal assistant to position his toothbrush on a certain part of the sink, specifically the edge near the right-hand cold water tap, leaning with bristles up over the basin. The first time he ordered me to do this, I couldn’t believe my ears when he said, “And put some toothpaste on it.”

Probably the strangest thing we had to do for A-Rod was lay his clothes out on the table so he could get dressed. You had to lay out these items in a predetermined order: socks at the head of the table, followed by undershorts, undershirt, shirt, pants, and then shoes. I had to carry his clothes from his locker to the trainer’s room, where he liked to get dressed away from the prying eyes of the media.

A-Rod was different in another, childish way that made players laugh behind his back. When you watch games at home you sometimes see players come into the dugout after they hit a home run. If you’ve ever wondered what they’re saying, it’s usually things like “Way to go!” or “Good job!” Not A-Rod. After he hits a home run, he comes into the dugout and brags about it. Usually he’s speaking Spanish to one of the other Latino players, and if he hit a home run he wouldn’t shut up. “Wow, did you see I hit a home run?” he’d say. “That pitcher threw me a ball right over the plate and I smashed it over the fence. Did you ever see anything like that before?”

Even during the rockiest and most difficult years of his being manager, Joe Torre was usually focused and kept his nose to the grindstone. There was only one thing that distracted him from work, however, and it wasn’t women — it was horses.

I found out about this quirk of his during a late-season game. Torre called me over in the dugout, and from the dark look on his face I thought it was something serious. He waited until I was close and then lowered his voice. “Go down to my office,” he said. “I want you to check the score on the Off-Track Betting channel and see who won.” I was stunned. It was during a game! I had never before been asked to leave my post.

“Make sure you find out the exact track and horse,” he added.

I ran down into the clubhouse and found the attendant, Joe Lee.

“Joe, Mr. T just asked me to find out something about which horses won,” I said. “What’s he talking about?”

Lee was chewing gum and looked unimpressed about the whole thing. “Yeah,” he said. “Don’t you know why he’s got that TV in his office? It’s usually just tuned to one channel.”

“What’s that, the YES Network?”

“No, the OTB station.”

Lee led me into Torre’s office and showed me how to decipher the race results. I jogged up to the dugout and gave them to Torre, who grabbed the paper and studied it like his life depended on it. When he had discovered the information he wanted, he turned to Don Zimmer and showed it to him. The older man’s eyes lit up, and before I left they were talking excitedly not about the next batter but the OTB results!

If that’s the worst stuff in the book, it’s pretty mild. However, it will be interesting to see if Bud has any comment on the Torre part.

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