BASEBALL HOT CORNER

Yankees' Shopping Season

2009-11-21T08:50:00.003-05:00

Baseball's shopping season commences. Hyperbole, innuendo, rumor, speculation, distortion and lies rule. Yankee fans give thanks that their team can pick and choose this year's shrewd plan. Last year's $423 million orgy of spending wiped away front office folly. A ring resulted. The Bronx is beaming.

Let's hit the links for an all-you-can-eat free agent speculation buffet:

Rules in a knife fight?
Let's hear from the luckiest man in show business: "We're entering it slowly because we have to get organized."
The plate is full.
Silly trade rumor.
Sounds familiar.

PHOTO/NY Daily News

Billy Martin Revisited

2009-11-18T06:52:00.004-05:00

The name Billy Martin conjures up mixed memories. The feisty dugout force built a career on winning and controversy. Many remember Martin's Bronx Zoo chapter and forget the bold innovations that he brought to the game.

Chris Jaffe of Hardball Times previews his book, Evaluating Baseball's Managers, by detailing Billy Martin's success. An in depth analysis reminds us of how talented and accomplished Martin was. It is a must read for Yankee fans.

PHOTO/Sports Illustrated

Book Review: The First Fall Classic

2009-11-17T06:45:00.003-05:00

New York City basks in the glow of the last World Series courtesy of the Yankees' 27TH championship. A new book: The First Fall Classic, by Mike Vaccaro, chronicles Gotham circa 1912 when the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox squared off.

Vaccaro writes: "They showed just how arresting and addictive the game could be (especially when played on the level-or, at least mostly on the level). And they introduced the rest of the nation to the reality of rabid, passionate, unyielding fans willing to go to any length to support their teams."

History comes alive as Christy Mathewson and John McGraw headline a list of legends battling for baseball's bragging rights in a city hungry for headlines: "This was the peak of New York's grand newspaper wars...And there was no surer way to separate a citizen from his two pennies than to satisfy his baseball jones with huge scare headlines chronicling the collapse of the local nine."

The more things change; the more they stay the same. 97 years pass, some circumstances strike a familiar chord: "Soon enough the crowd was snapped back into a frenzy, thousands of them plunking down ten cents for a program (a reduction from a quarter the year before, when so many people had complained of price gouging."

"New York City, after all had waited seven long years for a team that they could rally its full force behind." John McGraw provides a quote that would be an appropriate motto for Steinbrenner's Yankees: "Any son of a bitch can make money...but it takes a special son of a bitch to be world's champion."

Mike Vaccaro's The First Fall Classic turns a bang-bang double play by combining history with vintage baseball writing: "...his spitball all but giggled at the flailing hitters as it splashed into Meyer's glove." The result is a rich reward for baseball fans and history buffs.

Yankees Move On

2009-11-14T08:11:00.003-05:00

The confetti is gone from the Canyon of Heroes. The '09 New York Yankees are finished, their beaming fans simmer on success until spring. The hot stove will keep us warm through winter. Baseball's rumor mill never sleeps. Let's hit the links:

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Winning Eases Yankees Pain

2009-11-10T06:42:00.004-05:00

Waves of accolades wash over the World Champion New York Yankees. A winning induced fervor brings the Canyon of Heroes alive. The Big Apple embraces a fresh chapter in pinstriped lore. The page turns on bad news. Thorny issues fade. Let the good times roll.

It wasn't long ago that an opulent new stadium opened with five-star ambiance and vast stretches of empty seats. The tax payers dug deep, corporate welfare happened while the great recession roared. Outrageous ticket prices spurned loyal patrons. Greed permeated the Bronx air. Fair and ethical weren't in the mix.

The biggest star money could buy, Alex Rodriguez, confessed to cheating then ended up in a hospital bed while his surgically repaired hip healed. Mediocrity took the field, Wang wobbled, Joba transitioned, Girardi's neck was in a noose. Bleak was on deck.

Adversity didn't kill the '09 Yankees, it made them stronger. A team struggled, survived and thrived. Camaraderie counted. The MVP returned with a bash. Relentless winning resulted. The rest is history. A chapter of bad news is closed. Let the good time roll.

PHOTO/NJ.com

Yankees Earn Championship

2009-11-05T11:01:00.003-05:00

Mission accomplished. Girardi needs a new jersey. 28 is next. The World Champion New York Yankees recapture the crown. Vintage performances by long-in-the-tooth winners kicked in destiny's door.

Hideki Matsui whacked Pedro and company for six RBI. Andy Pettitte somehow survived the hyped ravages of three days rest to notch another clincher. The Great Rivera shatters the bat of Father time, again. The Phillies fall to the best team in the sport. I took in the Series spectacle behind enemy lines. Being surrounded by red wearing, ear drum shattering Phiilies phanatics amped up the ambiance. The opportunity to mingle led to the following exchange: "You guys should win it every year with that payroll." "I wish it was that easy, there is a lot more involved than money." "Huh?" "If NY loses the World Series it is a Big Apple catastrophe. If the Phils lose, it is one of the finest sport's years in the city's history." Expectations are not created equal.

The home town news supported the phanatics misconception: "As such, you play a season without real joy at accomplishment. Rather, you plod through, meeting expectations painted with a bottomless check book."--(Marcus Hayes/Philadelphia Daily News) Mr. Hayes, clearly didn't witness the Yanks play this season. For the first time in years, joy was in the house. Walk off wins ruled, boisterous pie-wearing celebrations followed. Camaraderie counted.

The deepest pockets don't mean much if if ownership isn't committed to winning. The next generation of Steinbrenner learned a few things from dear old dad. Caution based austerity isn't in the mix. The dark Pavano, Giambi, Igawa chapter is finally closed because the Brothers Steinbrenner swung for the fences. A new group of high-profile mercenaries were added to the venerable remnants of the Gene Michael/Joe Torre dynasty. Deluded expectations mushroomed. A clear message was sent: Girardi wins or he is gone. The new Joe delivered. Adversity was countered with preparation. Decisive, nonconformist, decision making plugged perpetual holes. Critics cringed. A championship caliber team was built from the dugout. Girardi needs a new jersey.

New York's Timeless Baseball Reporting

2009-11-04T06:34:00.005-05:00

Someone said, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." I'm reading Mike Vaccaro's excellent book, The First Fall Classic, which describes the events surrounding the 1912 World Series between the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox. Vaccaro writes: "This was the peak of New York's grand newspaper wars... and there was no surer way to separate a citizen from his two pennies than to satisfy his baseball jones with huge scare headlines chronicling the collapse of the local nine."

That was then, this is now. Newsday reports:"Short rest could bite Yankees...Girardi's decision to use starters on short rest could have drastic consequences."--(Davidoff) The sky is falling, read all about it.

Safe to say good news doesn't sell. In April when Wang and Nady went down and A-Rod was in a hospital bed in Colorado, did it seem possible that the Yanks would be in the World Series? Was it likely that they would be up 3-2 over the defending World Champs or have a 10-4 postseason record? Who managed to get them there? Does Girardi's record mean anything? A measly 103 regular season wins highlighted by consistent comebacks. Decision making? Who moved Jeter into the leadoff slot? Who built a bullpen bridge with a failed phenom and a Mexican League veteran? Who rested the pitchers down the stretch so the big three could fill the void of a vacant fourth starter slot. Who built a cohesive team out of a cast of characters? The manager's job is to put his team in a position to succeed. Two home games, one win snatches #27. The facts speak, don't listen to the noise.

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Phillies Fight Back

2009-11-03T06:33:00.003-05:00

Destiny was derailed Monday night in the City of Brotherly Love. New York's quest for their 27TH championship was thwarted courtesy of Cliff Lee, Chase Utley and A.J. Burnett. Lee was good but not great this time around. The Yanks had a chance until enigmatic A.J. took the hill. Burnett's razor sharp command from game two was history. Futility was in the mix.

Burnett signed with New York for a cool $82 million and the opportunity to pitch in big games. Game two's dominant performance flashed what is possible, given his elite talent. Game five's deer in the headlights demeanor provided a confidence crashing dose of reality. A.J. got whacked for six runs in two plus cringe worthy innings. Burnett's roller coaster career takes another sharp turn.

Philadelphia's hope kindling hero, Chase Utley continues to hammer homers. Two more long balls carried Philly's vaunted offense again. Eight runs were barely enough for the home team to survive, courtesy of their wobbly pen. Philadelphia is somehow alive.

The Jersey Turnpike series heads home to the Bronx. Destiny is on deck. Lee and Burnett will be on the bench. Advantage is in the house.

PHOTO/Newday

Destiny On Deck for Yanks

2009-11-02T07:02:00.003-05:00

Destiny is knocking on the door of the '09 New York Yankees. A dramatic ninth inning rally with two out, no one on, resulted in a 7-4 confidence buttressing win. A 3-1 series lead has the Bronx Bombers on the brink. #27 is on deck.

The list of prime-time players grows. CC should stand for consistently consistent. The big man brings it every time. A-Rod's redemption tour brings the MVP to the postseason. The Great Rivera shatters the bat of Father time. A special season shines.

Girardi rebuffs relentless critics by convention defying, flaw fixing maneuvers. Don't have a fourth starter? Three will work. Stuck in a perpetual bullpen quagmire? Match up mania will get the ball to MO. The new Joe's playoff scorecard reads: 10 wins 3 losses. Destiny is on deck.

PHOTO/Newsday

Yankees Blast Phillies

2009-11-01T06:53:00.004-05:00

The New York Yankees used a customary power surge to silence the Philly phanatics in their home town band box Saturday night. The Bronx Bombers snatched back home field advantage from the formerly cocky Phils. Momentum switched sides.

New York received clutch contributions from unlikely sources. Nick Swisher snapped his postseason skid with a homer and double. The raw power of Andy Pettitte produced an RBI single, shock and awe don't do it justice. Damon doubled. A-Rod's camera slamming blast dug the Yanks out of a 3-0 hole. The bullpen provided confidence enhancing relief. Joba and Marte (seriously) delivered. Hughes hiccuped again in the ninth but the ultimate security blanket, The Great Rivera, did what he does--game over.

A raucous, belligerent Philly throng gets a dose of rain and reality. Suggestions of home field dominance are all wet. Sabathia vs. Blanton on deck, over-the-top, misguided, City of Brotherly Love cockiness has left the building.

PHOTO/Newsday

Yanks World Series Press Clippings

2009-10-31T07:00:00.003-05:00

The Yankees travel by train from the melancholy, elitist confines of the new Yankee Stadium to the raucous spectacle of the Phillies phanatics. Obnoxious doesn't do it justice but give the gang some cred, mellow isn't in the mix. The clock ticks down, bedlam is on deck. Let's pass the time by hitting the links:

Girardi's secret weapon?
I'm on record as believing A.J.Burnett wasn't worth $82 million. Fingers remain crossed that I'm wrong. One dominant, timely start is enough to convince some, that it was a stroke of genius:" ...doubts surrounding Burnett always exceeded his talents...There should be fewer questions now..." --(Newsday)
Statistical analysis brings a lot to the game. The thing that never ceases to amuse me, however, is the air of absolute certainty in conclusions drawn solely by digits. The latest example second guesses Girardi based on long-term numerical evidence and disregards Joe's extensive experience playing the game. When the author writes, "Swisher...is an All Star caliber player..." bemused head shaking results. It reminded me of a passage in The Yankee Years that mentioned that Cashman's stat guys thought they had acquired the next David Ortiz when the Bombers traded for the infamous Wilson Betemit. A few choice numbers don't tell the whole story.

PHOTO/NY Daily News

Yanks Bounce Back

2009-10-30T12:22:00.002-05:00

The relentlessly resilient '09 New York Yankees did it again Thursday night in the Bronx. A bounce-back, 3-1 win knots the Jersey turnpike series at one. A pitching duel featuring A.J.'s stuff vs. Pedro's smarts was the main attraction. No one was disappointed.

A slumbering Stadium crowd was sparked by Burnett's whiff inducing hook which was set up by strike zone scorching heat. Martinez countered with a whiffle ball worthy array of precise slop. It was all good.

Burnett handed a 3-1 lead to the Great Rivera, the game was too important to cross a rickety bullpen bridge. 38 pitches later, the Phils were finished.

Pitching has dominated two uneven games. Sooner or later, each team will have to strut their bullpen suspects. Sooner or later, the MVPs should show up. Next stop, the ironically named City of Brotherly Love. Boring isn't in the volatile mix.

PHOTO/LA Times

Phillies Muffle Yankees

2009-10-29T08:31:00.004-05:00

The first World Series game at the new Yankee Stadium fell flat courtesy of Cliff Lee and his dazzling array of precise pitches. Hype and hoopla faded fast as the vaunted Bronx Bombers whiffed. Lee hit the mute button on a soggy, listless home crowd.

CC Sabathia was good but not great, that wasn't going to work. Chase Utley played the foil to perfection, his two solo dingers put the Phils on the board. The Yankee ace handed a two run deficit to the stocked pen after seven. Drama left the building as Phil Hughes continued his postseason pratfall. A conga line of alleged relief followed, Brian Bruney is back and still bad. The curtain came down on the Yanks' game one hopes.

New York's home field advantage is gone. Erratic A.J. is on deck. Pedro is primed. The Yankees start the Turnpike series in a pothole. Game two is now crucial. Girardi turns to Mr. Unreliable, A.J Burnett while the bullpen bridge wobbles. The resiliency of the '09 New York Yankees is a matter of fact. A defining test, on the biggest stage is next. Stirring comeback or numbing calamity? Don't touch those dials.

World Series Notes

2009-10-28T06:09:00.004-05:00

The rain just keeps on coming but the warmth of baseball's World Series stretches from the Bronx to the City of Brotherly Love. Let's go around the horn for some World Series related links:

Home sweet home: "the New Jersey Turnpike Series. To live up to this name, as any Turnpike veteran will confirm, the Yankees and the Phillies will have to drive 90 miles per hour on the shoulder, on two wheels, with a door open, gesticulating at the drivers obnoxiously driving only 85."--(NY Times)
What happened to tradition? "Go to Philadelphia this month and you'll see stories about how the Phillies have reversed the town's ancient inferiority complex about its pro sports teams."--(Washington Post)
The one plan that eventually works: "While modest compared to the Yankees orgy of spending...Ultimately, having the resources means being able to compete. Amaro doesn't have the no-ceiling platinum card issued by the Steinbrenner family to Yankees GM Brian Cashman."--(Hartford Courant)
FanGraphs scouts an old rival: "The Isis to the fastball’s Osiris, Pedro’s change is quite the miss"

PHOTO/AP

Local Perspective on a Special Series

2009-10-27T06:12:00.002-05:00

A New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies World Series is special on and off the field. History's elite franchise from the Bronx visits the "City of Brotherly Love." Whoever coined that nickname had a profound sense of humor.

The match up provides magic to this Yankees lifer who went to school in the Philly area and regularly travels to where the sand turns to gold. (Atlantic City is Phillies country.) Recently, at a Taj Majal poker table, I had the opportunity (?) to sort of chat with a venerable Phillies fanatic.
Noticing my Yankees cap, he yammered: "The Yanks better make the series. We owe them." I paused to scoop a pot in silence. "Do you know what I'm talking about?" I responded with a bemused smile, confident that he was about to educate me." The cantankerous codger continued: "1950, you guys swept us." 59 years later, revenge percolated. In retrospect, he was pleasant by Philly standards where obnoxious is a birthright.

The Yanks/Phils World Series features the two best teams in the sport. Intriguing match ups abound, on and off the field. Unique local flavor doesn't begin to describe it. The baseball gods have a sense of humor.

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Yankees Clinch

2009-10-26T05:33:00.002-05:00

The New York Yankees are back. World Series glory is on deck for the 40TH time. A raucous Bronx throng witnessed the 110TH win of the '09 season. Success was snatched. It wasn't easy.

The best offense in baseball stranded a relentless slew of base runners. The scoreboard read 3-1 New York in the seventh when Girardi replaced old reliable, Andy Pettitte, with one out, tying run at the plate. It felt like the game was just starting. Joba Chamberlain took the ball and did the job.

Six outs to go, Girardi pulls the trigger. The Great Rivera assumes the position. A flared hit and shattered bat induce familiar white-knuckle drama. The Stadium rumbles. Lady luck sticks her nose in, it's the Yanks turn. The esteemed Angels are buried. The Phillies are next. The New York Yankees are back.

Photo/Newsday

New York Yankees' Links

2009-10-25T07:08:00.003-05:00

The clock ticks; the rain doesn't relent. Yankees' drama is on deck. Let's hit the links to relieve the angst:

Bud Selig, the people's commissioner:"No, Fox didn't cause the rain. It's off the hook on that one. But it has caused a postseason format that has done, among other things, the following as Major League Baseball nodded and drooled:"--(LA Times)
Whole lot of shakin' going on: "The bridge to Mariano Rivera, solid during the regular season, has been shaky, but someone or a couple of someones besides Mo likely will to have to step up with some zeroes."--(MLB)
Don't forget the warm and cuddly fans: "Postseason baseball was about little ball when Babe Ruth was pitching, but in this generation it's about pitching and power, and the Phillies have both."--(ESPN)
Locker Blogger, interviews a couple of chat-worthy coaches.
Let's hope not: "But increasingly the best those champions have to offer is often left behind in the LCS."--(Washington Times)

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New York Yankees' Press Clippings

2009-10-24T07:38:00.003-05:00

Andy Pettitte waits in the wings, while the Yanks return to their not so cozy confines. Angst arrives at 7:57 pm E.S.T. Ominous weather is on deck. Plenty of time to peruse the Yankees' news:

Nothing to giggle about: "The quick-talking, head-bobbing right fielder, who added personality to the Yankee clubhouse all season, was visibly subdued..."--(NY Times/Jack Curry)
Deja Vu all over again: "But the bridge to Rivera is starting to creak, and if the Yankees get past the Angels, they will meet the ruthless offense of the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.--(NY Times)
Easier said than done: "Postseason baseball has now become a race to a lead in the sixth or even the fifth inning. Lights out is coming earlier than ever."--(Wall Street Journal)
Stop making sense: "And let's give Joe Girardi some credit for understanding how baseball players actually work."--(ESPN/Neyer)
History lesson.
Cash is king. "The ultimate Yankee doomsday scenario may be reasserting itself. Oh my goodness, what if the Yankees, with all that cable money, actually make the right decisions?"--(NY Times)

PHOTO/ESPN

Girardi's Laughable Critics

2009-10-23T10:52:00.005-05:00

The Yankees lost a potential AL Championship clincher in Anaheim Thursday night. The Bombers' 110TH win didn't happen. It shouldn't be a shock. Angel's ace John Lackey has a proven playoff pedigree; Yankees' starter A.J. Burnett doesn't. It didn't take long to prove the point as A.J. got whacked for four in the first. A blowout was on deck. Burnett settled down, five shutout innings followed.The Yankees put six on the board in the seventh, another come-from-behind win was palpable.

A.J. took the hill in the seventh while professional critics crooned. FOX broadcaster Joe Buck was bewildered why A.J. was still pitching while the Yankee bullpen was rested and ready. What was Girardi thinking? Perhaps the Yankees' skipper noticed Burnett's five shutout innings and modest pitch count. Perhaps he noticed that Chamberlain's latest transition is a tad shaky. Perhaps he had heard A.J.'s refrain that he put on pinstripes to pitch in big games and "couldn't wait" to pitch the potential clincher. No matter, Buck droned on. Contrived controversy sells. Just ask FOX.

The irony is that Girardi has been skewered this postseason for over-managing. A conga line of relentless relievers have paraded to the mound while the playoff ledger reads six wins, two losses. Results seem secondary while nitpicking is king.

Joe Girardi has somehow navigated the '09 Yankees to 109 wins. An eclectic group of long-in the-tooth luminaries, hyped mercenaries and assorted parts have melded into the best team in the sport on Joe's watch. Results matter.
Leave the nitpicking to the nitwits.

PHOTO/Newsday

Yankees Bury Angels

2009-10-21T06:14:00.002-05:00

The New York Yankees made a statement, without a word, last night in Anaheim. Prime-time talent buried the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The rally monkey never had a chance. Joe Girardi somehow managed to navigate the Bombers to their 109TH win, what a coincidence for someone, according to a list of laughable critics, who can't manage a pitching staff.

A-Rod and the indomitable force known as Melky put crooked numbers on the board. CC Sabathia slammed the door with another dominant performance. Another impressive notch, in a long list of accomplishments, for the -09 Yankees coincidence isn't in the house.

PHOTO/Newsday

Angels Trip Yankees

2009-10-20T06:07:00.003-05:00

Baseball is never easy. Yankee fans craving a sweep of the slumbering Angels were destined for disappointment. A three run lead, courtesy of a Jeter, A-Rod, Damon power surge, looked good with old reliable, Andy Pettitte, on the mound--it wasn't enough. Vlade from Cali. awoke with a game-tying whack. The game was in the hands of the bullpen. Advantage Yankees--not so fast.

Joba Chamberlain's raging bull alter ego never made it to the Anaheim hill. The Angels ate the kids lunch. 4-3 Los Angeles. Posada delivered a solo blast promptly after speed merchant Gardner was gunned down at second. Eleven grueling innings featured kamikaze base running and a conga line of relievers.

Girardi's twitchy hook has managed to put 108 games into the win column for New York but second guessers never sleep. Mexican League refugee Alfredo Aceves entered the 11TH with two out and no one on and gave it up. It was the Angels turn to dance. Baseball is never easy.

PHOTO/Newsday Photo Gallery

Yankees' Press Clippings

2009-10-19T05:56:00.003-05:00

The best team in baseball brings their magic to Cali. Start spreading the news:

Captain clutch is under the microscope: ""The most underrated skill most people mis-evaluate is the head," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. "His head is off the charts."--(LA Times)
Christmas comes early: " Actually what the Yankees did was benefit from some very un-Angelic-type play, and took two gifts, courtesy of the Angels."--(FOX)
No rules in a knife fight?
Knock, knock, knocking on history's door.
The Yankees' rumor mill never sleeps.

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A-Rod's Long, Strange Trip

2009-10-18T08:17:00.004-05:00

Alex Rodriguez is channeling Reggie Jackson. Mr October has company. The Yankees are in the express lane for their 27TH championship. Coincidence isn't in the house.

A-Rod did it again Saturday night in the Stadium. A dramatic, rain drenched, game tying bomb in the ninth reached the seats. Pandemonium ensued. The bullpen took over--Yankees win. The MVP is obvious.

A-Rod entered the '09 season with a gaudy resume crammed with pretty stats and no rings. Tabloid fodder isn't what the organization had in mind when they doled out a record setting 10- year contract. Expectations were hoisted beyond Gotham's traditional hyperbolic limits. A balky hip brought reality into focus. April was spent on rehab mountain. The press leaked a front office self-serving salvo, apparently Yankees' GM Brian Cashman was against signing Alex to his latest legendary contract. Conveniently timed, don't blame me rhetoric never sleeps in Brian's world.

The $200 million dollar team was mired in mediocrity. The forecast was bleak while the Red Sox ruled. Alex returned. The rest is history. MVPs shouldn't be determined solely from stats, they should be the product of the win column. 108 wins and counting. The MVP is obvious.

Photo/Newsday Photo Gallery

Sabathia Dominates Angels

2009-10-17T07:30:00.003-05:00

CC Sabathia's power laced pitches punctuated the Yankees' game one win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Friday night. Dreary conditions dissipated with the warmth of playoff baseball. The Stadium crowd simmered with anticipation as the Yankee ace lead the way.

A 4-1 score felt lopsided. The Angels fell flat with a gaffe-ridden performance. Bronx Bomber Mojo was in the house. It was no contest.

Any questions regarding Sabathia's playoff pedigree were answered. The big man is the real deal. Eight dominant innings while the crowd chanted: "CC, CC, CC" told the story. The great Rivera took the ninth--game over.

Baseball's postseason is allegedly a "crap shoot." The final four feature three good teams and one destiny enhanced juggernaut. History teaches us that anything can happen. Don't bet on it. The '09 Yankees have evolved from an eclectic group to a special team. 107 wins aren't a fluke. The numbers don't speak they shout.

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Yankees' Flashback

2009-10-15T06:15:00.000-05:00

Dug through the archives for a few flashbacks of the Yanks '09 joy ride:

Photo/Denver Post