Today’s wild thought is a two-for-one special – meaning you get two wild thoughts for the price of one. And, boy, are they wild!

It’s pretty much a given that Joe Torre, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, someday. And, it’s a pretty safe bet that Mo Rivera will retire before Derek Jeter – so Rivera gets in before Jeter. Unless…

And, here’s wild thought #1: Should the Yankees, and Rivera, set it up so that Mo Rivera comes back to throw one meaningless pitch in a September game during Jeter’s last season – in order to set up a situation where Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are on the H.O.F. ballot, for the first time, together – and therefore have a chance to go into the Hall together? Yeah, I know – that’s crazy. But, I thought of it today – and, this is supposed to be about wild thoughts…

O.K., moving on to wild thought #2 – which is not as wild as the first one. Assume that Torre, Jeter and Rivera are in the Hall – and, as such, then have a chance to vote on players who are not elected by the baseball writers. Does this help the future chances of guys like Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada – should these three not get elected to the Hall by the writers? Think about it. When Torre, Jeter and Rivera talk, the other Hall of Fame members will listen. And, you would have to think that Torre, Jeter and Rivera would be talking up Bernie, ‘Sado and Andy as much as possible – when the time comes, no?

What do you think?

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So, the Yankees head into Tampa today for a three game set with the Rays – and New York has their three hard-throwers in the rotation set up to pitch this one (meaning Burnett, Sabathia and Chamberlain).

This leads to today’s wild thought: What if the Rays take it to A.J., CC and Joba and sweep the Yankees in this one – putting themselves just 4 games back, in the loss column, behind the Yankees.

Will New York just shrug it off, and move on to their next series, or, would a sweep by Tampa (against the Yankees stud starters) set off all kinds of crazy things in Yankeeland that will mean bad news for the team? What do you think?

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I just noticed that Jonah Keri writing a book about the Tampa Bay Rays, and their climb from worst to first last year, and how they use a Wall Street approach to baseball.

And, we know there have been books written about Theo Epstein and Billy Beane detailing their approach as baseball General Managers.

So, I wonder why…and it’s today’s wild thought, by the way…why no one has ever written a book about Brian Cashman and his great work as G.M. for the Yankees? What do you think?

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Someone who’s been a Yankees fan for the last 25 years recently said to me “I just wish this Yankees team wasn’t so hard to like.” And, that leads to today’s wild thought.

In comments left by readers of this blog, this season, I have seen laments, at times, about Alex Rodriguez, Joba Chamberlain, Robinson Cano, Brian Bruney, Jorge Posada, Chien-Ming Wang, Nick Swisher, Andy Pettitte and Melky Cabrera. And, there may have been other Yankees players mentioned along these lines as well – and I just don’t remember them now…

And, in comments left by readers of this blog, this year and in the recent past, I’ve seen complaints about Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, Randy Levine, Lonn Trost and Brian Cashman.

So, here’s the wild thought…actually, it’s more a series of questions…

Are these current Yankees a tough bunch to “like” – even for a dyed-in-the-wool Yankees fan? It is because of one player in particular, or a collection of players? Or, is it because of the Yankees front office? Is it because of one person, in particular, in the front office, or a collection of them? Or, are these current Yankees a tough bunch to “like” because of the players and the front office, combined?

Or, is this all hogwash and do you find this Yankees team and/or organization easy to “like”?

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With Chien-Ming Wang on the disabled list (for an unknown period) and Joba Chamberlain having issues performing under the requirements of taking a regular turn in the Yankees rotation, today’s wild thought suggests it’s time for Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi to make some changes to their pitching staff. And, here’s what we suggest changing:

1. Add Sergio Mitre to the 40-man roster by cutting Kevin Cash. And, once Mitre is on, promote him to the 25-man roster by optioning Mark Melancon to Triple-A.

2. Move Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen and replace him in the starting rotation with Sergio Mitre.

3. Drop Anthony Claggett from the 40-man roster and replace him with George Kontos. And, once Kontos is on, promote him to the 25-man roster by optioning David Robertson to Triple-A (or, if you can, by disabling Brian Bruney). Sure, some may be thinking here “What about Brett Tomko?” However, as crazy as it sounds, I would keep Tomko – for now – just to pitch in games where the score is out of hand.

4. Have George Kontos take Chien-Ming Wang’s place in the rotation until the latter is back from the disabled list. If Kontos has issues, then flip him with Alfredo Aceves (making Kontos a long-man in the pen) and allow “Ace” to fill in for Wang until he comes back.

5. If possible, try and acquire Cliff Lee via a trade with the Indians – and then give him Mitre’s or Kontos’ spot in the rotation – whichever one is pitching worse. (And, then you can cut Tomko to make room for Lee.)

If you had a chance to give the Yankees rotation a make-over for the second half of 2009, what would you do?

Update, 7/13/09 9:49 am ET: I just became aware that George Kontos is done for the season. (Thanks to WasWatching.com reader “yagottagotomo1″ for the heads-up on this news.)

O.K., simple enough – insert Ivan Nova for George Kontos on the plan above and go from there…six of one, half dozen of the other, as far as I am concerned. I only took Kontos over Nova since he was a little older and had some more Triple-A time under his belt…

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Given the health issues around Chien-Ming Wang and the inconsistency of Joba Chamberlain, does it make sense for the Yankees to go out and get a proven starting pitcher for the second half of 2009? Well, that’s today’s wild thought…

And, while everyone is focused on the chase for the Blue Jays’ Doc Halladay, perhaps the Yankees should try a sneak attack at another solid starter…like the Indians Cliff Lee? He’s also available…see this, recently, from Bob Nightengale:

The Blue Jays would require a package greater than the three prospects the Cleveland Indians received last year for ace CC Sabathia, Ricciardi said, considering Halladay won’t be a free agent until after the 2010 season. Halladay, 10-2 with a 2.79 ERA, said he is open to a trade but has told Ricciardi the teams for which he would exercise his no-trade rights.

Cleveland is in a similar situation with Cliff Lee, the defending Cy Young winner who is a free agent after next season. Indians GM Mark Shapiro has not publicly made the left-hander available. But since Cleveland has the American League’s worst record, teams are bound to call.

“We’re in a position where we are open to all thoughts and ideas,” Shapiro said.

Few teams might have the resources and prospects to acquire players the caliber of Halladay and Lee, who are making $14.25 million and $6 million this year.

Well, we know that the Yankees have kicked the tires on Halladay. Maybe they should do the same with Cliff Lee and the Indians?

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Here’s today’s wild thought – and it’s tied to all the talk about Doc Halladay being available via trade.

What if the Blue Jays decide to handle this like the Marlins did when they made Josh Beckett available? By this, I mean, what if Toronto decides to use this as an opportunity to dump Vernon Wells contract – insisting that the team who trades for Halladay also takes Wells – like when Florida insisted that the team who acquired Beckett also took Mike Lowell.

After all, if the Jays can’t afford to pay Halladay, wouldn’t they want to also shed all that money due Vernon Wells – especially given the way Wells has performed since signing that deal?

This would narrow the field for trading Halladay – since few teams could afford to take on Wells’ contract. In fact, it could make it a two team race between the Red Sox and the Yankees. Further, maybe the Blue Jays would then want Brett Gardner (from New York) or Jacoby Ellsbury (from Boston) as part of the return for Halladay and Wells? For certain, with Johnny Damon, Xavier Nady and Hideki Matsui being free agents in New York, the Yankees could consider taking on Vernon Wells for this season and those remaining on his deal – even if the cost, around $20 million a year, is crazy. And, perhaps the Red Sox might see Wells as a replacement for Jason Bay if he leaves as a free agent?

So, that’s today’s wild thought. Should the Jays try this package play? If they did, if you were the Yankees and/or Red Sox, would it scare you away?

Me? I’d have to think about it . And, if I were the Yankees, I would really have to get some good intell on Vernon Wells to see if he could rebound in New York the way that Mike Lowell did when he went to Boston – before I pulled the trigger on that one.

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Here are the career stats for Robinson Cano, through yesterday, compared to the stats for Juan Samuel when he was the same age as Cano – via Baseball-Reference.com:

Batter	        OPS+	PA	From	To	Ages	G	AB
Juan Samuel	107	2876	1983	1987	22-26	644	2675
Robinson Cano	110	2714	2005	2009	22-26	654	2551

Batter	        OPS+	PA	From	To	Ages	 BA	 OBP	 SLG
Juan Samuel	107	2876	1983	1987	22-26	.269	.312	.457
Robinson Cano	110	2714	2005	2009	22-26	.303	.335	.471

Batter		OPS+	PA	From	To	Ages	H    HR  RBI
Juan Samuel	107	2876	1983	1987	22-26	719  80  326
Robinson Cano	110	2714	2005	2009	22-26	772  75  352	 

Batter		OPS+	PA	From	To	Ages	BB   SO  GDP	SB
Juan Samuel	107	2876	1983	1987	22-26	151  629  35	205
Robinson Cano	110	2714	2005	2009	22-26	115  299  84	 16

It terms of games played, plate appearances, OPS+, hits, homeruns, RBI and walks, these two are very close. Samuel struck out a more – and that’s probably a key difference here. It suggests that he had more holes in his swing than Cano – as the walk totals for both these players offer that they were hackers. (Samuel was also a lot faster than Cano – see the stolen base totals.)

In any event, it’s an interesting comp-find here. And, it’s today’s wild thought: Is Robinson Cano the next Juan Samuel? What do you think?

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We’ve heard so much in Yankeeland this season about how Hideki Matsui is clogging up the Yankees roster this year because he can only D.H., etc. Just this morning, I heard Kim Jones talking about it on WFAN. So, here’s today’s wild thought. As much as I am a fan of Godzilla – and have been since 2003 – if he’s really a burden to the Yankees roster, why not release Matsui (and then replace him on the roster with a more versatile player)?

Is it about the money? Heck, at this point, the Yankees owe Matsui another $6.5 million for this season. And, we know the Yankees have tinkled away more money on lesser players. It can’t be about not wanting to eat that cheddar.

Is it about the fear of paying Matsui to play for another team, if he’s released, where he can come back to haunt you? Well, where is Matsui going if the Yankees let him loose?

Godzilla cannot play the outfield – so, he’s not going to the National League. And, thanks to players such as Jason Kubel, Adam Lind, Luke Scott, Jim Thome, Hank Blalock, Ken Griffey Jr., Jack Cust, Mike Jacobs and David Ortiz, there’s a limited number of teams in the American League who can use him: The Tigers, Rays, Angels and Indians.

Since Cleveland is going nowhere, that leaves the Tigers, Rays and Angels. Perhaps that’s why the Yankees, if they truly feel that Matsui is roster blockage, won’t cut him? New York fears Detroit, Tampa Bay or Los Angeles picking him up, with the Yankees paying the tab, and Godzilla then wrecking New York’s season somewhere down the line?

Or, maybe, it’s the whole “keep good relations with the Japanese market” thing? But, for sure, Matsui is gone from the Yankees at the end of this season. So, is having him for three more months really that important there? In any event, that’s today’s wild thought. If it’s for the good of the team, in terms of having a better roster, should the Yankees release Hideki Matsui. What do you think?

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There seems to be much talk in Yankeeland today about Alex Rodriguez taking a walk in the bottom of the 9th inning last night – with one out and the tying run on third base. Some feel that A-Rod should have made contact, somewhere in his At Bat, and driven home the tying run. And, others feel that A-Rod did the correct thing by not expanding his strike zone, etc., and taking the free pass.

It’s funny, it spots like this, I always think back to a Yankees game from the 1980′s. It’s when Don Mattingly was in his prime and Bill White and the Scooter were doing the Yankees broadcasts. In this game, the Yankees were losing, and it was late, and Donnie Baseball came through with a huge hit – on a pitch that was up around his eyes. When it happened, Bill White went nuts. In praise of Mattingly, White went on and on about how Mattingly was a winning player, a team player, and a leader, etc., – because he knew that he was never going to get a good pitch to hit in that At Bat (as the other team didn’t want ‘the big man’ to beat them) and he took it upon himself to make something happen despite of those plans by the opposing team (and pitcher).

I’m not 100% sure – but, I want to say it was the Yankees game of May 13, 1985. I do recall that it was a home game, at night, and it was when Mattingly was among the best in the game. And, I know that White stopped doing Yankees games after 1988. Looking at Mattingly’s homerun log, it appears that May 13, 1985 could have been that game.

In any event, that’s today’s wild thought. In a big spot, should ‘the man’ on your team be happy to take a walk, if the other team is not willing to let him beat them? Or, are you like Bill White and feel that a winning and team player, a leader, should make it happen based on what he has to work with?

Me? I see both sides of the debate. I understand, as a batter, how you shouldn’t chase pitches. But, then again, if something is close enough to make it happen…as a fan, I love it when our ‘man’ comes through with a hit in a spot like that, taking it on his own shoulders, rather than leaving it up to the next guy.

It’s a tough call. But, a fun wild thought.

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Today’s wild thought is on Phil Hughes – who looked impressive pitching the seventh inning out of the Yankees bullpen last night.

Part of the lament about Hughes as a starting pitcher has been around the fact that he’s basically a two-pitch pitcher (fastball and a curve) and that his fastball is in the lower-90′s. And, while this is enough to fool minor league batters, this requires him to have pinpoint control/command, or face an impatient and aggressive swinging team, to excel as a starter in the majors. If Hughes had a quality third pitch – that he could throw for strikes – then that would make up for his shorter fastball and enable him to have more success in the majors as a starter. However, his cutter/slider and change-up are works in progress at this moment.

This all said, it’s been proven that someone can pitch out of the bullpen, at the major league level, with just two-pitches – providing that one is exceptional and the other is enough to keep batters honest. And, as a relief pitcher, because you’re only facing a line-up once, at the max, in a game, you can get away with just having those two pitches.

And, last night, being able to gas it out – as he was only going one inning, Phil Hughes’ fastball, which is usually in the 89-93 MPH range, was in the 94-96 MPH neighborhood – which is a near exceptional fastball. If Hughes is able to throw a heater in the mid-90′s and mix in his curve, he can be a very effective relief pitcher – like a John Wetteland type (who was also a fastball/curve failed starter who was converted to closer).

In closing – that’s today’s wild thought: Should the Yankees, and Phil Hughes, now start thinking about his future in the majors…as a relief pitcher?

Granted, starters get paid a lot more than relief pitchers. Hughes knows this, I’m sure. And, it’s somewhat easier on the mind, for some, to throw as a starter and then have four days off to play around with your Wii, etc., as opposed to having to deal with the stress of being in the game, in a big spot, two or three times a week (or more). But, then again, if you’re a closer, and you’re great, in a town like New York, you can be a legend. Just go ask Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage or Mo Rivera.

What do you think? Based on what we saw last night – albeit just one game – should Phil of the Future be a member of the Yankees bullpen?

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Today’s wild thought is an off-the-wall trade proposal…

…if the Oakland A’s offered the Yankees Matt Holliday, right now, for Nick Swisher, Alfredo Aceves, Dellin Betances and cash…would you make that deal, if you were Brian Cashman?

Tough one – huh? It would be fun to see Teixeira, A-Rod and Holliday batting back-to-back-to-back in the new Yankee Stadium this summer. And, Swisher and money are no issue to give up…but, do you include the somewhat useful Aceves and the promise of Betances?

Me? If I’m the Yankees, I make that deal and don’t look back – even with Holliday being a free agent at the end of the season and the loss of Swisher’s “chemistry” factor. How about you?

Then again, would the A’s make such a deal? Probably not…but, hey, I did say it was a wild thought, right?

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The Yankees 2009 season is 28.4% in the books as of last night. This means, in about another week, this season will be one-third done.

As of this morning, the Yankees are in second place in the A.L. East – one game back of the Boston Red Sox. That’s the good news.

Overall, the Yankees record is now 26-20. They are 6 games over the .500 mark.

However, to date, the Yankees are 6-3 against the lowly Baltimore Orioles this year. And, the Yankees recently took a four-game series from the Twins – where the Yankees were very lucky, out-scoring the Twins by five runs, overall, in those four contests.

When you take these layup games against the O’s out of the picture, and subtract those four lucky wins against the Twinkies, the Yankees are 16-17. This is one game below the .500 mark.

This leads to today’s wild thought: Is the Yankees current place in the A.L. East standings misleading in terms of capturing their performance this season, so far? Has New York, sans some favorable match-ups and a few lucky games, been more of a mediocre performer this season? What do you think?

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This may be more of a fact than a wild thought…but…have we heard a peep out of Hank Steinbrenner in the last three months? What ever happened to that guy? Looks like someone put a gag order on him…and then some. Either that, or, he’s having buyer’s remorse on the A-Rod deal and is now hiding out in a bunker somewhere.

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The Post is reporting that Joe Torre and his Los Angeles Dodgers will be coming to the new Stadium next season to play the Yanks – as part of the inter-league schedule in 2010.

This leads to today’s wild thought: When L.A. comes to town next year, during the first game of the series with the Dodgers, before the managers/coaches come to the plate to present line-up cards, should the Yankees have some sort of video tribute for Torre and then have the P.A. announcer call him out of the dugout (to come to the plate) – so that the fans can salute him? Or, should the Yankees do nothing and just allow the fans to react on their own, without being primed by a video, to Torre when he appears on the field to hand in his line-up card?

If you had to make the call, what would you do? And, if you do something for Joe, do you also do something for Don Mattingly?

Me? I think it would be a nice touch to do this for Torre – meaning have the video, etc. And, then, maybe sometime during the game, have a little Mattingly highlight video run between innings – so that the fans could start a “Don-e, Base-ball” chant or something…

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Today’s wild thought is a quick one: Is it just me, or, has the buzz around the Selena Roberts book on Alex Rodriguez come and gone, in a flash, making about as much noise as an A-Rod post-season At Bat?

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In an e-mail exchange today with a friend, we were discussing how the new Yankee Stadium isn’t “home” yet – the way that the old Stadium was…because of all the time we spent at the old Stadium and the need to see more games at the new Stadium in order for it to have that “familiar” feeling when you’re there. (For the record, I do feel the new Stadium growing on me. I’ve been there for three games now and have felt better about being there each time.)

However, one “familiar” thing from the old Stadium that I will miss at the new Stadium is the homerun into the upper-tank in right field. That was such a Yankee Stadium signature snapshot in my mind. Whether it was Oscar Gamble, Reggie Jackson, Mel Hall, Don Mattingly, Tino Martinez, David Justice or even Johnny Damon, there was just something cool about watching a lefty Yankees batter launch one into the upper-deck in right.

With the new Stadium, to get one into the upper-deck in right field, you’re going to need to book a seat for the ball on the Space Shuttle. Sure, maybe, once in a blue moon, someone might get one up there – but, it’s not going to happen, say, 15 times a year.

Anywho, that’s today’s wild thought: Missing the upper-tank tater in right at Yankee Stadium. How about you, will you miss it too?

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Today’s wild thought: How long will it be until the Brothers Steinbrenner (Hank and Hal) realize that it’s not going to work in Yankeeland…meaning having two parties leading the organization who are somewhat not fully -engaged and who lack the über-controlling nature of the predecessor owner, their father, who was on top of the team, twenty-four-seven, like a fly on a road apple…and then elect to sell the team?

Will it be two years from now? Five? Seven? Ten? Or…never? What do you think?

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Today’s wild thought: Are the New York Yankees becoming the Texas Rangers? Here’s where the two teams do have some connections:

1. The Yankees have A-Rod, and all the trappings (good and bad) that come with him, whereas the Rangers used to have A-Rod (before he came to New York).

2. The recent post-season history for both teams consists of early exits during the ALDS.

3. Lately, in the last five years or so, the Yankees have experienced some major individual starting pitcher disappointments. And, we know that the Rangers have been trying to find decent starters for years.

4. When the Rangers got their new ballpark, it turned out to be a launching pad for homers. And, it’s starting to appear that the Yankees new stadium is a homer haven.

Are these connections just a coincidence? Or, have the Yankees become the Rangers of the east? What do you think?

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Presently, everyone in Yankeeland is in love with Nick Swisher – and this includes the Yankees, their fans, the Yankees beat writers and just about every Yankees blogger to be found. And, why not? Swisher is batting extremely well now, he’s playing multiple positions – including pitching! – and is providing lots of good quotes and sound bites, etc.

However, it should be noted that last season, while playing for the Chicago White Sox, Swisher got off to a great start as well. In his team’s first 12 games in 2008, Nick started in 11 of them. During that time, he collected 50 Plate Appearances and fashioned the following BA/OBA/SLG line: .289/.460/.474 – yes, that’s an On Base Average of four-sixty!

But, then, Swisher hit the skids in Chicago. After those first dozen games, it was all downhill for Nick. In his team’s next 20 games in 2008, Swisher started in 20 of them. During that time, he collected 89 Plate Appearances and fashioned the following BA/OBA/SLG line: .147/.270./213 – which is down-right ugly.

So, what happens if Nick Swisher, in a week or so, goes just as cold for the Yankees this season as he did for the White Sox in 2008? Will everyone in Yankeeland love as much then and they do now? Well, that’s today’s wild thought…what do you think?

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This evenings wild thought is a question. If you owned the New Yankees, and you had a chance to replace Brian Cashman (as G.M.) with Buck Showalter and, at the same time, you could replace Jean Afterman (as Assistant G.M.) with Tim Purpura, would you make that trade?

Me? I think someone like Purpura would be a huge improvement over Afterman – with Tim being able to do all the things that Jean can do, as well as him being able to excel at all the things she cannot do well.

And…Showalter for Cashman? Hey, that’s an interesting one. As I have said in the past:

Brian Cashman has value. He understands New York. He can navigate through the Yankees organization. He’s polished. He can take a punch. There’s nothing wrong with having Brian Cashman as the face of the front office – and being the person on point between the owners, the team, the media and the fans.

However, Showalter has an outstanding track record in terms of being a builder of baseball teams – albeit as a manager and not a G.M.

Put it this way…if you told me, today, that Cashman/Afterman were out for the Yankees and that Showalter/Purpura were in…well…I think I would be more excited over that news than I would be upset. How about you?

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I know that this wild thought may be seen as a bit of a cold one. But, could there ever be a better time than now to offer Ian Kennedy to the Los Angeles Angles in exchange for outfield prospect Clay Fuller? Kennedy is a SoCal guy. The Angels need starting pitching. Kennedy looked good in his first Triple-A start. Fuller is a switch-hitting outfield prospect who would fit nicely into the Yankees system. Hey, again, yeah, maybe this is not the time for these types of wild thoughts. And, sorry if it comes across as insensitive. But, in baseball, sometimes, timing is eveything…

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At this moment, there’s a 42% chance of rain, at game-time, for the Yankees ’09 opener against the Orioles. Knowing this, I wonder if General Joe will once again try the “Save-A-Starter” trick that he attempted with Ian Kennedy and Brian Bruney during Game 9 of last season?

It would be a shame to lose CC Sabathia’s first start due to him starting in bad weather and then having to come out, or have the game called, because of rain. In any event, that’s today’s wild thought.

What do you think – should Girardi try it again, today, given the weather forecast?

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By now, I’m sure that most of you know the Michael Kay story: Local guy, went to Fordham, got a job with SportsPhone. Later, he went to work for the Post and then the Daily News. From there, he was able to get a gig doing Yankees games on the radio – as well as doing some post-game stuff on TV for the team. This led to him becoming a TV play-by-play man for the Yankees – as well as him getting his own show, CenterStage, on YES. In addition, Kay eventually got his own radio show on ESPN Radio in NYC (which is also picked up, nationally, on X-M Radio).

I think that’s the Kay story. Maybe I missed or got something mixed up? In any event, that’s basically it.

It’s quite a success story. It’s one that many of us have probably dreamed about happening to ourselves. Personally, next to getting to play for the Yankees, such a career path would most likely be number two on my vocation path wish list.

However, this all said, many Yankees fans do not enjoy Kay’s work.

So, this leads to today’s wild thought: If you could go back in time, and insert someone else – say, a different member of the media or some celebrity/personality, etc. – into the Michael Kay career path, where they would then become the voice/face of the Yankees television network as well as having a major radio show, who would you pick and why?

Basically, what I’m asking here is: If you could replace Michael Kay with anyone and let them have his current gigs, who would you choose and why? Would it be someone like Joel Sherman? Tom Verducci? Jon Heyman? Sweeny Murti? Keith Olbermann? Matt Lauer? Ed Randall? I’m just throwing these names out there as some examples – and not implying that I would take one of them.

I’m not sure on who I would pick, to be candid. That’s why I’m interested in your opinion…

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Given that the Yankees are having issues selling many of their really expensive seats this season, do you think we’ll soon see the day where the Yankees will adopt a variable ticket pricing policy? That’s today’s wild thought…

Many other big league teams have such a policy. The Mets have had it for years now. Personally, as someone who has the 81-game season ticket package and who then sells off 72 tickets to eight other parties, at face-value, in lots of nine games each, the thought of the Yankees going the variable ticket pricing way is my biggest nightmare – as not all tickets then would have the same face-value. (And, that makes it much more difficult to split up the games.)

How about you? As a fan of the team, how would you feel if the Yankees adopted a variable ticket pricing policy?

Sure, it might mean that you’ll pay less to see the Yankees play the Royals and the Rangers compared to, say, the Red Sox or the Rays. And, it might mean that you’ll pay less to see a Tuesday night game in May compared to, say, a Saturday day game in July. But, would that mean that the Royals game or the May game would be cheap? Or, would it just mean that they’ll be expensive and the Red Sox game or the July game would be even more expensive?

Ah, that’s the question, no?

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Derek Jeter’s contract is up after the 2010 season. And, some Yankees fans only want him back after that if he moves off shortstop. However, the Yankees have A-Rod at third and Tex at first – for years to come. And, Jeter’s bat doesn’t profile for the outfield. So, where does Jeter go?

How about second base? If Robbie Cano hacks and/or dogs his way out of Yankeeland over the next 2 years, would the Yankees ask Jeter to play second in 2011?

Well, if Jeff Kent, Julio Franco, Toby Harrah, Mariano Duncan, Juan Samuel, and Tim Teufel could play second base in the majors and not kill their teams, then there’s no reason why Derek Jeter, even with his limited defensive skill set, cannot play second base and help the Yankees. Anyway, that’s today’s wild thought…

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Looking at the Tampa Bay Rays schedule, we can see that the Rays play the Red Sox and Yankees 15 times between Opening Day, April 6th, and May 10th. But, it’s mostly a Boston-Tampa thing since the Rays play the Red Sox 10 times between April 6th and May 10th.

So, today’s wild thought is this: Could it be possible, if the Yankees get off to the rough start that I expect them to this season, if either Tampa or Boston wins 8 of 10 of those H-T-H match-ups, could either the Rays or Red Sox establish a commanding lead in the A.L. East by May 10th?

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Reportedly, Joe Girardi is leaning towards using Brian Bruney as his 8th inning setup man out of the pen. Related, here’s today’s wild thought: What if Brian Bruney is just the next Scott Proctor?

By this, I mean, Bruney is a good guy and teammate, stand-up in the sense that he wants to do well and holds himself accountable for failure; but, at the same time, is prone to bouts of wildness and/or pitches that get too much of the plate which prohibit his ability to be a relief pitcher who you can trust late in a close game.

If true, who sets up for Mo Rivera? Jose Veras? Edwar Ramirez? It can’t be Damaso Marte – if you also want to use him as a left-handed specialist. Ditto Phil Coke. Who else is there – from guys likely to make the Opening Day roster?

Or, is Bruney no way, whatsoever, the next Proctor – and this is all moot? What do you think?

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Could the Yankees recent high praise for Melky Cabrera all just be a matter of “putting the pig in a party dress” in order to see if the Brewers will take him for Mike Cameron? Well, in any event, that’s today’s wild thought.

What do you think?

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Via Buster Olney’s 2001 Baseball Preview “Gripped by Success: Yanks’ Pitching Seems Unbeatable” which appeared in the New York Times on April 1, 2001:

There might be secret recipes in the fast-food and cola businesses, but not among pitchers. They will demonstrate their curveball and slider grips even to members of opposing teams, with the implicit understanding they are part of the same brotherhood, and the shared knowledge occasionally germinates.

Roger Clemens learned how to throw his forkball while signing autographs at a golf tournament. A coach in Cuba taught Orlando Hernandez how to throw a slider, and in time, Hernandez refined the pitch with his own instincts. Andy Pettitte struggled to control his sinker until an old sinkerball pitcher suggested an alteration. As a teenager, Mike Mussina tried emulating knuckleball pitchers and essentially invented a pitch that he still relies upon almost two decades later.

Clemens, Hernandez, Pettitte and Mussina are members of a Yankees starting rotation that could rank among the most accomplished in baseball history.

Prior to the 2001 season, I recall seeing a Spring Training photo of Clemens, Hernandez, Pettitte and Mussina, all lined up next to each other, shoulder-to-shoulder, with arms extended each holding a baseball.  When I looked at the photo, back then, it excited me and led me to ponder the possibility of having four “horses” to lead the way for the Yankees (that season).

I don’t remember being that excited about the Yankees rotation before the 2002 or 2003 seasons – even though that 2003 unit was pretty strong, in the end.  And, of course, since 2004, the Yankees starting rotation has had question-marks, at least to me, heading into each season.

And, while I realize that this year’s starting rotation, at this point in time, should be questioned, to an extent, I also find myself starting to get excited about this year’s group as well – somewhat like I was pumped prior to 2001.

Why is that?  I’m not sure.  Maybe it’s just blind hope?  Or, maybe it’s catching on to a vibe coming out of the Yankees camp this Spring regarding their starters?  In any event, today’s wild thought is this:  Could the Yankees starting rotation this year be the best that we’ve see in Yankeeland over the last six to eight years? 

What do you think – and why?

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