YankeeHeadquartersCom Blog

2008-05-22T09:11:00.001-04:00

It's all systems go for Joba Chamberlain's transformation from bullpen maestro to hopeful rotation ace.

Just a day after Yankees GM Brian Cashman looked the 22-year-old phenom in the eye and asked him if his heart was into starting or remaining in the bullpen, there was Chamberlain pitching the final two innings of a Yanks' blowout last night, his first step in gaining the stamina to joining the starting rotation.

"[Chamberlain] looked me right in the eye and said, 'I want the opportunity to start,' Cashman said after the Yankees hammered Baltimore 8-0 to snap a four-game losing streak.

Cashman and manager Joe Girardi declined to give a timetable for Chamberlain making his first start with the Yankees, and Hank Steinbrenner would only say he's happy the process has begun. It is Steinbrenner - more than any other voice in the organization - who has pushed for Chamberlain to leave his setup role, with the hope of becoming the ace of the Yankees' rotation.

Steinbrenner told The Post late last night that he received a phone call from team president Randy Levine earlier in the day outlining the plan to begin using Chamberlain for extended duty. Girardi summoned the right-hander after Darrell Rasner (3-0) fired seven shutout innings, his third straight impressive start since joining the team earlier this month.

"This was always going to happen, it was the plan from the beginning," Steinbrenner said.

Told that Cashman had a chat with Chamberlain just to ensure his heart was into starting, Steinbrenner seemed surprised it was even an issue.

"Joba has made it clear for the last four months that he wants to be a starter," Steinbrenner said. "I said it four months ago: I know he wants to start."

Chamberlain, who threw 35 pitches over the two scoreless innings, said he is "excited" the process has begun. The plan does not call for Chamberlain returning to the minor leagues to hone his skills as a starter.

"We're going to be patient and make sure everything is taken care of and done the right way," Chamberlain said. "It's going to be a process, and we have that plan just to make sure my legs and my arm is going to be OK."

Eyebrows were raised when Chamberlain remained in the game to pitch the ninth inning, but that was before Girardi revealed that Chamberlain's transformation into starter had begun.

"This has been the plan for months, so we'll continue to stretch him out," Girardi said.

2008-05-12T23:01:00.002-04:00

Some things never change. Kei Igawa was as bad as ever in his first MLB start of the 2008 season. Somehow he and Joe Girardi thought he pitched ok(???). Fortunately the rain out versus the Tigers on Sunday should allow the Yankees to skip Kei for his next start. Wow! How much did the Yankees pay for this stiff? Think of the payroll spent on Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano, and Kei Igawa.

The injuries keep mounting for the Yankees. Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon have missed time. Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, and Jorge Posada have all spent time on the DL. Did Camp Girardi overdo the Army attitude. Maybe Joe Torre knew more than what some originally though. He now has a young, talented team on the rise. The Yankees look like a very old team going nowhere.

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2008-05-04T13:08:00.003-04:00

Darrell Rasner is making the start today versus Seattle. Recall that Rasner had his season cut short last year for the Yankees in a start against the New York Mets. A broken index finger ended Rasners's year. To make room for Rasner, Ian Kennedy has been sent to AAA to regain his confidence and delivery. Also, look for Kei Igawa to make a start for the Yankees later this week. Igawa was been pitching well at AAA SWB.

Here is the story on Rasner and Kennedy:

The New York Yankees optioned struggling pitcher Ian Kennedy to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre prior to Sunday’s game against the Seattle Mariners.

One of New York’s top pitching prospects, Kennedy has been a major disappointment over the first month of the season, going 0-2 with an 8.37 ERA over six appearances - five starts.

Kennedy lasted just 4 2/3 innings in Thursday’s 8-4 loss to Detroit, allowing four runs and five hits with three walks. Although he was staked to an early 3-0 lead, Kennedy failed to work beyond the fifth inning for the fourth time in five starts this season.

The 23-year-old Kennedy also was sent to the minors to make room for Darrell Rasner, who was recalled from Scranton to start Sunday’s matinee contest against the Mariners.

Rasner, 27, went 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA in five starts for Scranton. The righthander posted a 1-3 record with a 4.01 ERA in six starts with New York last season.

The Yankees made another roster move Sunday, transferring injured reliever Brian Bruney to the 60-day disabled list.

2008-05-01T22:03:00.002-04:00

Phil Hughes is out for at least two months... The Yankee season becomes even more critical now with Posada and Rodriguez out as well.....

Phil Hughes has a stress fracture in one of his ribs, and the New York Yankees’ pitcher is expected to be sidelined for at least two months.

The news comes at an inopportune time for the injury-depleted Yankees, also missing three-time MVP Alex Rodriguez, All-Star catcher Jorge Posada and reliever Brian Bruney.

“I say no on crisis mode,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “I say this is what every team that wants to get to the promised land has to deal with at one point or another, and deal with it. And if you can’t, you’re not championship-worthy.”

Hughes, placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, had tests that revealed a stress fracture in the ninth rib on his right side. He will be shut down for four weeks and then re-evaluated. Cashman said the team probably can’t expect the 21-year-old right-hander back before July.

Hughes is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in six outings this year, an alarming start for a touted youngster who was expected to be a key member of New York’s rotation.

“His fastball command has been uncommonly off. Now we get an idea why,” Cashman said.

Still, Hughes refused to offer the injury as an explanation or excuse for his struggles.

“I really don’t think it was an issue in my performance,” he said. “Subconsciously, I may have been doing something different or whatever. But it’s still something that I want to work out as far as performing well when I get back.”

When the Yankees put Hughes on the DL, they initially said he had a strained right oblique muscle. Both he and the team were surprised to receive a more serious prognosis.

“At least for me, I was in disbelief,” Hughes said. “I was expecting to get the results of the MRI and have some small muscle strain or something like that. For it to be this, especially with the way things are going pitching-wise and everything else, it’s just not a fun time right now.”

Read the full story here.

2008-04-30T09:31:00.002-04:00

Alex Rodriguez is going on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quadriceps, leaving the New York Yankees without two of their most important players.

Rodriguez joins injured catcher Jorge Posada on the DL. The Yankees are waiting for additional opinions on Posada’s ailing throwing shoulder before determining whether he needs surgery.

A three-time AL MVP, Rodriguez was sent for an MRI exam Tuesday that revealed a Grade 2 strain. He was put on the DL for the first time since July 2000 with Seattle, when he had a strained right knee.

This is Rodriguez’s fifth career trip to the disabled list.

“If it’s a Grade 2, it’s going to be at least the two weeks. That’s why we’re doing it,” general manager Brian Cashman said.

The Yankees said it hadn’t yet been determined whether Rodriguez would officially be placed on the disabled list Tuesday or Wednesday. Regardless, his stint on the DL can begin Tuesday because the team played without him—and Posada—in a 6-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Rodriguez has been bothered by the injury since getting hurt April 20 in Baltimore. The third baseman missed three games last week, then returned for a four-game series at Cleveland. But he was removed for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of Monday night’s 5-2 win over the Indians and said he felt a “pull” while running the bases.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said the team was surprised to learn the strain was so severe. Rodriguez was not available to reporters after Tuesday night’s loss.

“He’s a hard guy to replace,” Girardi said. “We have to find a way to get it done.”

Morgan Ensberg started in Rodriguez’s place at third base Tuesday night.

“Hopefully, it’ll be no more than the 15 days,” Cashman said. “But we’ve got to get it right.”

2008-04-28T13:36:00.002-04:00

We expected this, so here it is:

From the NY Post

CLEVELAND - The Yankees are about to find out how valuable Jorge Posada is to them, and how long they will be without their All-Star catcher.

When Posada couldn't throw minutes before today's 1-0 win over the Indians at Progressive Field he was scratched and replaced by Jose Molina.

Afterward Posada went on the disabled list for the first time in his career because of a barking right shoulder he wants Dr. James Andrews to inspect. That could mean surgery, which could bring an extended absence.

Posada, who will undergo a second MRI exam (likely Tuesday), didn't start behind the plate from April 9 to April 22 because of what was diagnosed by three doctors - including Andrews and team physician Stuart Hershon - as a strained right shoulder. When the Yankees were in Boston (April 11-13) there was talk of a muscle tear in the labrum area that Posada denied to The Post in St. Petersburg on April 14. According to a Red Sox source, a Boston team doctor injected Posada with a cortisone shot on April 12, but Posada denied that was the case.

"I hope what we are dealing with is nothing new, but I don't know if it's new, different, something that was missed or something prior," said GM Brian Cashman, who was putting a list of possible replacements together. "Anything is open."

If surgery is required, the first season of Posada's four-year, $52.4 million contract could be over. He had surgery on the same shoulder after the 2001 season.

"I tried to play catch, couldn't throw and shut it down," said a dejected Posada, who made one strong throw to second base Saturday. "We are going to find out what's bothering me. We have to be smart about this. It's not getting any better. The MRI showed a strained muscle, but I think it's more than that."

Posada, whose eyes moistened while he talked, is so concerned the problem is serious that he said he was sorry for getting hurt.

"I apologize to the Yankees. I signed a good contract," said Posada, who is hitting .302 with a homer and 11 RBIs in 18 games (seven as a DH).

Because Chad Moeller was designated for assignment Friday, the Yankees were looking into seeing if they could get him back. Nevertheless, Cashman said he wasn't optimistic that could happen.

"I suspect that can't happen until the middle of next week," Cashman said. "My gut tells me that's not an immediate choice."

Chris Stuart, who caught the first of two Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) games yesterday, will be called up to join the team tonight to back up Molina.

How much time Posada will miss will determine what type of catcher the Yankees try to get. Mike DiFelice is at Durham (Rays' Triple-A team) and has an out in his contract if he gets a major league offer. Josh Paul is catching for Round Rock (Astros' Triple-A squad) and Doug Mirabelli is a free agent after getting cut by the Red Sox.

Texas recalled Jarrod Saltalamacchia this weekend and is expected to renew efforts to deal Gerald Laird. Arizona's Miguel Montero is off the disabled list and that makes Robby Hammock available.

"It's huge," Alex Rodriguez said of losing Posada. "We count on him for so many things. It's hard to replace Jorge."

2008-04-24T08:08:00.003-04:00

The Yankees looked much better against the White Sox than the Orioles this week. The Bombers seemed flat last weekend versus the Orioles. Robinson Cano and Jason Giambi are still battling their season long slumps. At least Jason has showed a little pop every now and then...plus he continues to draw the walk. Robinson is hitting the ball hard, but usually right at someone on the opposition.

Mike Mussina's ON/OFF season continues as he pitched a nice game last night. He passed Hall of Famer Bob Gibson with his 242nd ML win. If it had not been for Jorge Posada, the Moose would have been jerked earlier. Manager Joe Girardi was ready to go to the bullpen for LaTroy Hawkins, but Jorge stood up for his pitcher. Mussina threw seven strong innings needing just 101 pitches. Hawkins came in the eight and threw gasoline everywhere getting just one batter out and allowing the ChiSox back in the game. I wonder how much longer Hawkins can hang on with the Yankees as these performances continue. I thought Brian Cashman had learned his lesson with these "National League" type relievers.

I love Mariano Rivera. He just looks much older this season than in the past. Mo picked up his 6th save of the season (another multi-inning save). I wonder how this extra work will affect Mo if these multiple inning appearances continue.

Also....from the New York Post:

Based on a conversation Alex Rodriguez had with hitting coach Kevin Long, Joe Girardi expects to see Alex Rodriguez at US Cellular Field tonight.
Nevertheless, the smart money isn't on Rodriguez returning to the lineup because of a strained right quadricep muscle.
"I don't have plans to play him but I didn't have plans to play Derek [Jeter] the day I did," Girardi said.
Before last night's 6-4 win over the White Sox, Girardi said the chances of Rodriguez, who has been in Miami since Monday for the birth of his second daughter, were long.
"I would be shocked if he played [tonight]," Girardi said. "We have to make sure he doesn't push it too much, too early."
According to GM Brian Cashman, who didn't speak with Rodriguez yesterday, Rodriguez was slated to receive treatment at the University of Miami.
"All I know is that Joe Girardi told me he was looking at the Cleveland series [to play]," Cashman said.

2008-04-20T23:42:00.002-04:00

The Yankees have been preparing for life without Alex Rodriguez, who is expected to miss a day or two in the next week in order to be with his wife as they welcome their second daughter into the world.

But the Bombers might be without the services of the AL MVP for longer than they anticipated, as Rodriguez suffered a strained right quad in Sunday's 7-1 victory over the Orioles.

"It's a little sore, a little tight," Rodriguez said. "Of course I'm concerned. Any time you have any type of ill feeling, you've got some concern."

The injury - the latest malady to beset the Bombers during the season's first three weeks - put a damper on a winning day for the Yankees.

Andy Pettitte took a perfect game into the fifth inning, providing some rest for the staff with seven shutout innings, to help snap the team's three-game losing streak. Derek Jeter doubled twice and drove in three runs, while Johnny Damon belted a two-run homer to give the Yankees some breathing room.

After the game, A-Rod's injury was the focal point.

"That's a big blow," Pettitte said. "I have no idea, but you come out with a strained quad, I'd say he's going to be out for a few days. We just have to pick up the slack."

"Hopefully Rod will be just a couple of days," Jason Giambi said. "Who knows, he's Superman, anyway. He might wake up (today) and feel great."

Click here for the full article from the New York Daily News.

2008-04-16T08:22:00.002-04:00

A quick two with Boston starts tonight. Wang vs Bucholz start game one at the Stadium. Wang is coming off his masterful complete game two-hitter at Boston last Friday night. Mussina and Beckett are slated for the finale tomorrow night. It will be interesting to see how Mussina holds up going against the same high-octane Red Sox 2 times within a span of six days.

Anyone still making sense of Girardi's strategy of pitching to Manny last Saturday with a base open? That may have very well cost the Yankees that game. Would Joe Torre have pitched to Manny? Doubtful....

Who's tired of Michael Kay on the YES Network? Too egotistical and always right in his mind. I miss Bobby Murcer and Kim Kaat doing the games. I do like David Cone's perspective. Paul O'Neill does a nice job as well.

Jose Molina, Posada's backup who was forced out of Sunday's game with a tight left hamstring, is getting closer to returning. Chad Moeller started for the second straight game last night against the Rays. Molina threw and took BP but was held back from running.

Yankee players will have their lockers cleaned out by clubhouse staff after tomorrow night's game in order to prepare for Pope Benedict XVI's Sunday visit to Yankee Stadium. While the Pope will dress in the umpire's room, the church's cardinals will use the Yankees clubhouse.

Jeff Karstens, who is on the DL with a groin injury, plans to start throwing off a bullpen mound this week. Humberto Sanchez and Andrew Brackman, who are rehabbing with Karstens in Tampa, also are throwing on the mound. They are coming back from Tommy John surgery.

Still unsure when Jorge Posada will be able to play. Posada said Monday he was considering taking a cortisone shot and was suspected of getting a shot Saturday night in Boston when a Red Sox doctor visited him in the Fenway Park trainer's room. He made 40 long tosses yesterday and 13 from a distance that was about the same as from home plate to second base. Those throws had life on them.

Joba is still out with no return date while visiting his ailing father. According to Girardi, who spoke with Chamberlain yesterday, there was slight improvement with Harlan, who was struck with polio before he was a year old and uses a motorized scooter to get around.

2008-04-14T08:25:00.002-04:00

BOSTON - The Yankees likely will be without Joba Chamberlain on Monday night in Tampa Bay, as the reliever left the team on Sunday night to tend to his ailing father.

According to sources, Harlan Chamberlain collapsed at his home in Lincoln, Neb. He was listed in critical condition at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, a nursing supervisor there told the Daily News on Sunday night. Chamberlain learned the news after the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Chamberlain's sister called a Yankees official during the eighth inning in an attempt to reach Chamberlain, who was in the bullpen at the time.

After the game, a source said, Chamberlain returned the call, only to learn of his father's collapse.

Sources said Chamberlain broke down in tears inside the clubhouse, as manager Joe Girardi consoled him.

Asked about the situation, Girardi told The News, "Personal stuff stays in there," pointing to the clubhouse.

A team official said Chamberlain was not going to join the Yankees for their charter flight to Tampa on Sunday night, though he didn't know when the pitcher would be heading back to Nebraska.

Harlan Chamberlain has had a long history of medical problems, including polio and a burst appendix, and is confined to a motorized scooter. The 55-year-old was in New York for the Yankees' opening home stand, then attended last week's games in Kansas City, a three-hour drive from his home.

Harlan also made trips to watch Joba and the Yankees in Kansas City and the Bronx last season, when his son burst into prominence as a Yankee reliever, and became a popular figure around Yankee Stadium, with fans often calling out to him on his scooter. He was greeted warmly by Joe Torre last year and Joe Girardi this year, and particularly enjoyed getting the opportunity to speak with Reggie Jackson.

Harlan Chamberlain has struggled with his health, with the left side of his body slowly deteriorating, according to a story in the Daily Nebraskan last November. The paper said Harlan can no longer hear efficiently out of his left ear.

Harlan Chamberlain works as a prison counselor for the state of Nebraska and also as a ticket-taker at University of Nebraska sporting events.

Article Courtesy of New York Daily News

2008-04-13T22:19:00.005-04:00

The curse has been broken - out of the ground, that is.

A pair of hardhats working at the new Yankee Stadium dropped a dime on the location of a buried Red Sox jersey.

Beantown-loving construction worker Gino Castignoli, who lives in The Bronx, confessed to The Post last week that he buried a Red Sox slugger David Ortiz jersey at the site last summer while working at the stadium.

After reading about the traitorous act in The Post, the two workers approached a construction manager and said they remembered Castignoli, who only worked at the Stadium one day, and thought they knew where he must have placed the shirt.

They led the manager to a service corridor near the site of the planned Legends Club restaurant, behind home plate and toward the third base side.

After the hardhats pointed to the spot, workers brought out jackhammers and dug furiously for five hours, creating a 2-foot- by-3-foot, gravel-filled pit in their search for the tainted threads.

They spotted the jersey at 3:25 p.m. and called Yankee brass. The cursed shirt was about two feet deep in cement.

"They absolutely pinpointed that if it was in the ground, that's where it was," team spokeswoman Alice McGillion said, as she let The Post inspect the now partly buried shirt.

But the team declined to identify its latest heroes.

Said McGillion: "The workers came forward this morning and said that they thought if there was a shirt buried, this is where it was" - on the stadium's lowest level, behind where the field-level seats will be.

Truth be told, the jersey felt like a filthy rag - but the lettering of the word "RED" was plainly visible.

The Post first revealed Castignoli's dirty deed Friday. Then yesterday, the Boston-loving boob said he hid it along the third-base line.

More from the NY Post HERE.

2008-04-08T21:10:00.003-04:00

Derek Jeter has a strained left quadricep muscle injury and will miss at least three games beginning with the opening game of the Kansas City series. For now, it looks as if Wilson Betemit will take The Captain's position. He did not look sharp in the opener at KC; dropping a sure peg from Jorge Posada on a stolen base attempt by Tony Pena (not the Yankees first base coach...actually his son).

If Jeter's injury continue to hamper Derek and he goes on the DL, do the Yankees move Alex Rodriquez to short?

Here is the story from Yahoo:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Derek Jeter will miss at least three games and possibly more with a strained left quadriceps, but the New York Yankees are not planning to put their eight-time All-Star shortstop on the DL.

“He probably won’t be available this series,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Tuesday before the New York played the Kansas City Royals. “We’ll shoot for the Red Sox series. We’ll see where he’s at after a couple of days and try to make an evaluation then.”

Jeter said he hurt the muscle running before Monday’s game against Tampa Bay and that the pain was “not that bad at all.”

“I haven’t tried to do anything yet. I’ve got to go in the trainers room and see what they tell me,” he said.

Wilson Betemit replaced Jeter in the lineup and was hitting eighth.

New York did get back first baseman Jason Giambi after a two-day absence. He had been out with a sore left groin.

Girardi said he did not know whether cold weather had contributed to the problems.

“They had no issues in spring training when it was warm. They were both running great,” Girardi said. “The conditions are the same for everybody. You’re never sure why something happens. But they happen, and you have to deal with it.”

Girardi said he had not discussed the possibility of moving Alex Rodriguez, an All-Star shortstop who switched to third when he was traded to the Yankees in 2004.

“We’re just thinking he’s been our third baseman the last few years. He’s comfortable playing third,” Girardi said. “I don’t see it being a problem with him not feeling comfortable playing short. But that’s why we have Wilson. If someone goes down in the middle of the infield for a couple of days, that’s why we have him.”

Jeter attempted to play on Monday but left after two innings. Girardi said an MRI exam did not indicate serious damage.

“It didn’t really reveal like a tear or anything. You could see there was a little something there. It doesn’t change our time frame. We’re not going to entertain any warm weather for the next six days, and that’s a little bit of a concern.”

After the series in Kansas City, New York heads to Boston for its first series this year against the World Series champion Red Sox. Jeter’s absence left the Yankees short-handed as they begin a stretch where they play 18 of 20 games away from home.

“It’s part of the game. There’s times you’re going to be short-handed,” Girardi said. “You’ve got to do the best you can. You get a guy who’s maybe nicked up for three or four days and you don’t necessarily want to DL him because then you lose him for 15.”

2008-04-05T00:36:00.004-04:00

Not a very impressive outing for Ian Kennedy or for the Yankees. The Rays jumped on New York early and late making a close game turn into a blowout. Kennedy surrendered 6 runs in just 2 1/3 innings before being removed after 70 innings. LaTroy Hawkins allowed the Rays to break the game wide open allowing 6 runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Big Kyle Farnsworth, who now has respect from his manager (or so he says) looked the same as he did under Joe Torre. Hmmmm...not a really big surprise here. By the way, that is him in the picture after giving up another long ball.

The Yankees offense scored all their runs (4) in the fourth accumulating just 6 hits and 1 walk for the game. Hideki Matsui launched his first home run of the year down the right-field line. Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was the DH after missing two games with a stiff right shoulder. He was originally slated to catch but told the team during warmups he wasn’t ready. Joe Girardi was not in the dugout tonight. He is suffering from some sort of viral infection...or succumbing under the pressure of having to replace Joe Torre. Melky Cabrera began serving his suspension for the Tampa-New York brawl during spring training. Shelley Duncan is to begin serving his on Sunday.

The Yankees will try to turn things around on Saturday, sending Andy (HGH) Pettitte to the hill and the Rays will counter with Edwin Jackson. The game begins at 1:05 at the Stadium.

2008-04-03T22:34:00.002-04:00

Tonight's game was very enjoyable to watch as a baseball purist. The game between the Blue Jays and Yankees featured two young and impressive right-handers that went head-to-head for most of the game. The Yankees scored the go-ahead run in the 8th inning when Johnny Damon bunted (it seemed he was bunting for a hit more than sacrificing) and Downs bobbled the ball near the first baseline. Derek Jeter followed that with a sacrifice bunt that he actually beat out; unfortunately the umpire "saw" differently. Bobby Abreu blooped a single that brought in Melky Cabrera.

Dustin McGowan and Phil Hughes matched each other for six innings. The "so-far" dominant Yankee tandem of Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera sealed the deal for the Bombers in the eight and ninth innings.

Box Score here.

Game Recap here.

Yankees will throw Ian Kennedy, Andy Pettitte, and Chien-Ming Wang on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday vs. the Rays in a three-game home stand.

2008-04-01T23:06:00.004-04:00

Opening Night for the Yankees

BOX SCORE

The Yankees looked more like a team on a mission this season...at least on opening night. Chien-Ming Wang was strong and the bullpen tandem of Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera wrapped up the game in the 8th and 9th respectively. Melky Cabrera homered and made two beautiful plays in the outfield. In fact, if you did not know any better, you would assume this was another Joe Torre team and another Yankee win.

Here's the Game Story:

NEW YORK -- Eighty-five years after Babe Ruth christened Yankee Stadium with a home run, the Yankees kick-started the ballpark's glorious sendoff season with the creation of a new set of memories, posting a tight 3-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

With red, white and blue bunting dangling from all decks of the facility once lauded as a towering, triple-tiered wonder of the sporting world, Melky Cabrera homered and made two outstanding catches to earn a curtain call -- the Yankees' first in a season that promises to be rife with celebratory ovations.

In the sixth, facing Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay, Cabrera connected with a high, arcing shot toward the right-field corner, well ahead of Alex Rios' leap and destined to hammer off the concrete walkway to tie the game. Cabrera's right arm shot out toward the outfield wall as he raced around the bases, and he was later summoned out of the dugout to again acknowledge the crowd.

Cabrera had a long way to run in the third inning, dashing into the gap in right-center field to flag down Lyle Overbay's deep drive before thudding against the wall with a leap. One batter later, Cabrera was racing toward left-center field, stumbling ever so slightly before grabbing Aaron Hill's low liner, completing his acrobatics with a flourishing head-first skid across the wet outfield turf.

The Yankees took the lead in the seventh off Halladay when, with the bases loaded, Aaron Hill couldn't find a quick handle on Hideki Matsui's hot ground ball to second base. Hill flipped the ball to shortstop David Eckstein's bare hand to record a putout, but Alex Rodriguez crossed the plate with the go-ahead run on the fielder's choice.

Full Story

2008-03-31T22:52:00.003-04:00

The final home opener at Yankee Stadium was rained out today. The preliminary makeup is scheduled for tomorrow night at 7:05 (EST) with the same two starting pitchers slated to go again. There were no player introductions today. Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow but is expected to be out of the area by night.

More from Yahoo Sports (link here)

The beginning of the end will have to wait.

The final opening day at Yankee Stadium was postponed because of rain Monday, pushing back New York’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

It was rescheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday, previously an off day in the series. Yankees right-hander Chien-Ming Wang and Toronto ace Roy Halladay remained slated to pitch.

“It’s obviously a little anticlimactic. You want to get the first one in,” Alex Rodriguez said. “Just have to wait.”

New York owner George Steinbrenner showed up around noon for the 84th opening day at Yankee Stadium, but history was put on hold by steady rain and a wet forecast that washed away batting practice and the planned festivities.

The tarp was still on the field when the game was called at about 2:30 p.m. after a delay of approximately 85 minutes. Players never got introduced, and Joe Girardi’s debut as Yankees manager was postponed.

“I’m cautious about tomorrow, too,” New York GM Brian Cashman said. “Tomorrow night is supposed to be dry, tomorrow day is supposed to be similar to what we just had.

“It’s obviously not the way you want to start. You’d like to have opening day instead of opening night. But you do what you’ve got to do. It’s still going to be opening day.”

Next year, the Bronx Bombers will move into a $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium, under construction just across 161st Street.

“You see the new stadium, but it still seems like that’s years away, even though it’s only one,” Derek Jeter said. “Just 100 yards away? That’s not too far for the ghosts to go.”

The Yankees have won 10 consecutive home openers, the best run in franchise history and the longest active streak in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The last time a Yankee Stadium opener was postponed came in 2003, when New York’s game against Minnesota was snowed out. The next day, Hideki Matsui hit a grand slam during his debut in pinstripes.

“There’s so many memories here that go beyond baseball,” Jeter said.

The irony of the schedule, of course, is that Toronto plays its home games in a dome. If the teams had opened in Canada, weather wouldn’t have been an issue.

“It would make sense, you would think,” Jeter said with a chuckle.

New York is now scheduled to play 20 days in a row before its first off day April 21. But the Yankees have trips to Kansas City, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago and Cleveland in April, so bad weather could force a few more postponements.

“Earlier in the year your starters aren’t conditioned to go six, seven innings, so you may have to use your bullpen,” Girardi said. “But we feel we have enough arms down there.”

Girardi is taking over this season from his mentor, Joe Torre, who spent the past 12 years in charge.

Torre guided New York to the playoffs every season from 1996-2007 and won four World Series rings in his first five years. He walked away in the offseason when the club offered him just a one-year contract with a pay cut, then quickly was hired to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Girardi met with reporters Monday morning and said he slept great the previous night.

“This is an awesome day for me,” he said.

In the end, though, it surely wasn’t what he—or the Blue Jays—had in mind.

“Yeah, you’re disappointed,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said. “You know opening day is always special and then you’ve got to delay it one more day, but you’re better off that way than playing in lousy conditions.”

The rainout means there still has never been a regular-season game in March at Yankee Stadium, christened by Babe Ruth’s homer before 74,200 fans on opening day in 1923. The Yankees played at Shea Stadium, home of the Mets, from 1974-75 while Yankee Stadium was being remodeled.

“Everyone gets excited. You have butterflies and those kind of things. You want to get the games under way,” Jeter said. “It’s disappointing, but we couldn’t have played today.”

2008-03-27T13:21:00.002-04:00

Hideki Matsui was married yesterday in a chapel in New York City. The service and wedding was "hush-hush" as Matsui asked Girardi for the day off on Tuesday. Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, and Matsui had a ongoing bet with the winner becoming married first. (See the NY Post Story here).

Andy Pettitte continues to nurse a sore elbow in Spring Training. The Yankees desperately need Andy to eat innings and starts this coming season especially with Phil Hughes being relatively unimpressive in most outings. One has to wonder if Joba Chamberlain will stay in the bullpen for the season. What is more important, a solid setup man for Mariano Rivera or a 1 of every 5 day starter with an innings limitation?

Jose Canseco's sequel has been leaked with accusations flying...especially toward Yankee's third baseman Alex Rodriguez. SUPPOSEDLY, Alex made passes towards Canseco's ex-wife and "met" a steroid supplier. Once again the accusations seem crazy, but they also seemed crazy in his first book which now seems somewhat true.

Joe Torre will be greatly missed this season in New York. It has yet to be played out how Joe Girardi handles the New York press and deflects any media pressure off his players and onto himself. Many pick the Yankees to finish second again to the Red Sox and out of Wildcard contention. I also feel the Larry Bowa's presence on the field and in the Yankee dugout will be missed. Think of the impact Bowa had on Robinson Cano!

2008-03-24T08:26:00.003-04:00

The Yankees and Mets are in secret talks with the city to buy their old ballparks before the wrecking balls hit - so they can plunder them for lucrative memorabilia to peddle to fans, The Post has learned.

A spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg confirmed the negotiations but would not say how the deals might go down - specifically, whether the city would hope to get a lump sum from the teams or a percentage of the profits of any sale or auction of items.

"At other stadiums, everything from the scoreboards to the dugout urinals have been snatched up by fans, but Yankee Stadium is in a whole other league of collectibles," said Mike Heffner, president of Lelands.com, which has handled several stadium garage sales.

"Each brick could sell for $100 to $300," Heffner said. "I doubt we'd have any trouble selling every seat in the house for as much as $1,000.

"With its huge fan base, Shea Stadium will also fetch a big payday."

Yankee sources and a Mets spokesman separately confirmed the teams' negotiations with the city but refused to give details, citing their ongoing talks.

While the city owns the two stadiums, experts said the teams are in a far better position to bring in bigger bucks from a sell-off because of the emotion factor.

A tiny baggy of infield dirt from Yankee Stadium could fetch $25, experts said.

Each of the 55,000 bright orange seats at Shea could sell for as much as $500 - a drop in the bucket for the same fans willing to pay $12 for a cup of lukewarm beer at the game.

Click here for the whole article from the New York Post

2008-03-18T22:03:00.002-04:00

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP)—Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and the rest of the New York Yankees stood on the third-base line, caps over their hearts while they gazed toward the outfield.

As 32 oversized orange balloons were released into the air, the storied team in its famous pinstripes watched right along with Virginia Tech players, fans and family members of victims from last year’s campus massacre.

And when the national anthem was finished and the players headed for their dugouts, it was time to play a game that was less about baseball than it was about healing.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi could feel it when 200 people were waiting as the team bus made its first stop at the memorial to 32 people slain last April, and in the first inning while Girardi was sitting in the stands with football coach Frank Beamer.

“A young lady came up to me and said her brother was one of the children killed, and her mother thanks us for being here,” Girardi said. “That really hit me hard.”

From beginning to end, the visit Yankees owner George Steinbrenner promised moments after seeing the tragedy unfolding on television last April 16 was one to remember.

The Yankees had made a $1 million contribution to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, created to cover grief counseling, memorials and other costs for the victims and their families after Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people in two campus buildings before committing suicide.

The Yankees presented the donation to school president Charles Steger last May in New York, but said the visit to Blacksburg was a key part of the assistance.

Rodriguez said starting out at the on-campus memorial was powerful.

“There are certain things that happen that are so devastating that time stops,” he said, comparing the shootings to the terrorists attacks in 2001. “For me, this is one of them. This is probably the proudest day I’ve ever (had) to wear a Yankee uniform.”

Hearing that, Hokies coach Pete Hughes said, “knocks you on your heels.”

Girardi looked at the 32 stones at the memorial and thought of the parents.

“To think of the anxious moments of all the parents who had students here and especially the ones who lost loved ones, how difficult that must have been,” he said.

Jeter posed for a picture with a woman in front of the stone that memorialized her fiance. His only request to her was that she smile, which she did.

“It’s part of the reason that we’re here,” Jeter said. “People always ask, well, what can you do? How does this help? I really don’t know. If it just makes people smile or enjoy themselves for the three hours that we’re here, it’s all worthwhile.”

During batting practice, the Yankees wore caps in the Hokies’ orange and maroon, their `NY’ emblem on the front and a `VT’ logo on the side. Those were also the caps worn by Virginia Tech, while the Yankees switched to a Navy blue for the game, still with both emblems.

The pregame ceremony also included presentations to the Yankees of four nameplates engraved in “Hokie stone,” the limestone building material of choice on campus.

As the balloons drifted high above and out of sight, chants of “Let’s go Hokies” broke out. But the cheers were just as loud for the Yankees.

Rodriguez batted in the first with the bases loaded, and hit the first pitch for a sacrifice fly to right. When Hokies starter Andrew Wells got Jason Giambi to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, the Hokies bench emptied to greet him.

“Seeing how they were pumped to have little moments that will last the rest of their lives, to have the conversations of, `Remember when?’ That was neat,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “This was fun for them and fun for our guys.

“What we did puts everything else in a little more perspective.”

Rodriguez and Jeter and most of the starters came out in the fourth inning, and A-Rod strolled across the field with two bats and sat with the Hokies in their dugout.

“He was giving our guys trivia questions for his battings gloves and his bat,” Hokies coach Pete Hughes said. “He signed everything they threw at him.”

Jeff Karstens pitched four innings for the Yankees in their 11-0 victory, allowing both Virginia Tech hits and striking out two. Nine Hokies pitchers combined to walk 10 batters and allow 10 hits, but the score meant nothing.

“I think it was just the sort of thing we were looking for,” said Virginia Tech pitcher Rob Waskiewicz, who retired the side in order in the third. “We’ve been through some hard times, and people are starting to feel better, but I think this was a great thing.”

Second baseman Matt Hacker agreed.

“It was everything everybody wanted it to be,” he said.

Associated Press Writer Sue Lindsey contributed to this report.

2008-03-14T13:40:00.003-04:00

Hidden by the semi-brawl yesterday between the Yankees and Rays was another nice outing by Mike Mussina. His last two starts have given Yankee fans hope for 2008. His first start of Spring Training was not as promising. Mussina was spotting the ball well yesterday and getting the calls. He was also pitching inside; something he has not done much during his career. The 12-6 curve looked good as well. Let's hope "Moose" continues to roll as the Yankees plan to limit innings for Chamberlain, Kennedy, and Hughes. That means Wang, Pettitte, and Mussina must give the Yankees 185+ innings each.

Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan will sit the first three games of the 2008 season:

Cabrera, Duncan suspended 3 games each; Gomes 2 games

NEW YORK (AP)—Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera and first baseman Shelley Duncan were suspended for three games each for their roles in Wednesday’s spring-training fracas between New York and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa outfielder Jonny Gomes was suspended for two games Friday. All three players were fined along with Yankees manager Joe Girardi, third-base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long.

The suspensions, unless appealed, will start at the beginning of the regular season.

Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president for discipline, cited Duncan for “violent and reckless actions, which incited the bench-clearing incident,” and penalized Cabrera for “violent and aggressive actions during the incident.” Gomes was suspended for “violent actions, which escalated” the situation.

Benches cleared during the second inning of Wednesday’s game, four days after Girardi complained about Tampa Bay’s aggressive play after a collision at the plate that injured catcher Francisco Cervelli.

Duncan slid into Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura with spikes raised after hitting a hard grounder off third baseman Evan Longoria’s glove and trying to advance to second base on the play.

Duncan, thrown out by at least 10 feet, was immediately tossed. Gomes was ejected after racing in from right field and barreling into Duncan as other players poured onto the field. No punches appeared to have been thrown as order was restored.

2008-03-12T14:40:00.001-04:00

Well, now it is an issue:

March 12, 2008 -- The Yankees and Rays exploded into a mini-brawl today at Progress Energy Park, with a total of four players and coaches ejected.
It was a follow-up to Saturday's episode, in which Tampa Bay's Elliot Johnson crashed into Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli at the plate, breaking Cervelli's wrist. Afterward, Joe Girardi was upset about the play, and he and Tampa Bay coach Don Zimmer made conflicting comments about whether it was an acceptable play in an exhibition game.
There was a question whether there might be a carryover today, and there was.
In the bottom of the first inning, Yankees pitcher Heath Phillips hit Rays batter Evan Longoria with a pitch, and Phillips was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild.
In the top of the second, Shelley Duncan attempted to leg out a double, and sure enough, there was a play at second base. Duncan slid high into Akinori Iwamura, cleats up, and was called out. But following the slide, Tampa Bay right fielder Jonny Gomes raced in and shoved Duncan.
That set things off, and there was a huge scrum on the infield with both teams, with Zimmer actually walking onto the field eventually. There appeared to be some pushing and shoving before the teams walked off. As they walked off, someone on Tampa Bay was yelling at the Yankees' side, though it's unclear who that was or who specifically his target was.
Girardi and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon met with the umpires between the mound and home. Play eventually resumed, but Duncan and Gomes were ejected, along with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long and third base coach Bobby Meachem.
The next question is whether there will be fines and/or suspensions.
Ironically, before the game Zimmer told The Post, "There's no hard feelings between Joe Girardi and I."

2008-03-12T09:23:00.002-04:00

Yankees-Rays Revisited

The Yankees take on the Rays again in a Spring Training game. It will be interesting to see what, if any, retaliation comes from the Yankees. There has not been a lot of chatter from any Yankees player; only the manager.

"I don't see why anything would carry over. Why would it carry over?" Derek Jeter said. "I think it makes for a good story but . . . we're in spring training. I don't see the reason why something should carry over."
Added Jorge Posada, "Spring training game, guys. Spring training game. Happens. It's a freak accident. Move on. Be able to move on."
Said Shelley Duncan, "Everything I said, we're still going to go out there and we're going to play the game hard. Just like I said before. They showed us what is acceptable. We're just going to go play the game."
The issue doesn't sound as though it's pervading the Yankees clubhouse much. Jeter insisted, "I haven't heard a person talk about it till now," and Posada said there was no feeling in the clubhouse of wanting to take care of something.
"It's not even an issue," Duncan said.

2008-03-11T07:49:00.002-04:00

The collision at home vs. the Rays with Francisco Cervelli on Saturday is still making news. (Article Here) There doesn't seem to a lot of chatter coming from the Yankee side other than Joe Girardi. The Press and Girardi seem to think that because Elliot Johnson has little chance of making the Rays, he should have slid.

Don Zimmer (ex-Yankee bench coach, friend of Joe Girardi, and adviser for the Rays) has a different opinion:

"If I slide into him and break a leg, nothing is said. Instead of breaking my leg I bowl him over and it's not the right play? Well, to me it's the right play, spring training or no spring training. Play the game the right way.
"To me, our kid played it the way he thought it was right, and I think it was right. I'm surprised they made such a big thing out if it. I was dumbfounded. Of all people, I mean Girardi's a tough guy, a tough catcher. I don't know what spring training has got anything to do with it."
Zimmer said Girardi was wrong to criticize Johnson's play.
"This guy's my friend," Zimmer said. "He's his own man. I'm my own man. I think he was out of line.
"Whether he likes that or not, that's the way I feel."

I like Joe Girardi, but this is one situation in which he is way off. The Rays are coming upon a season in which they are predicted to be competitive; possibly for the first time in their organization's history. They are pumped! They are excited! They are letting the league know not to take them for granted. On the other hand, the Yankees no longer have Joe Torre. There is some loss of respect for the way that issue was handled. The Yankees are getting older. The free agents signed during the winter were: Yankees. The Yankees failed for the first time since '96 to win the Division.

Go Yankees, but grow up Joe Girardi. Yankees don't cry!

2008-03-08T14:28:00.003-05:00

#1. Ross Ohlendorf, RHP
Position: P Full Name: Curtis Ross Ohlendorf
Born: August 8, 1982 Austin,Texas
Height: 6-4 Weight: 235 Bats: R Throws: R
College: Princeton University

Don't be too critical of this pick early. Remember, this ranking is based on the players we think we have a major impact on the 2008 Yankees and not including the young prospects listed above. Ross Ohlendorf was the key player obtained by the Yankees in the Randy Johnson deal to Arizona.

He began his Yankee career as a starter in AAA and was hit hard. After a shift to the bullpen, Ross found his niche. Despite only six games with the Yankees at the end of 2007, Joe Torre added Ohlendorf to the playoff roster.

Ross Ohlendorf was a 4th round draft pick out of Princeton by the Diamondbacks in 2004. At Princeton, as a freshman pitcher, he was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Ohlendorf, a second-team All-Ivy selection, was 3rd in the League with a 3.02 ERA. He finished with a 6-2 record. Once moved to the bullpen his fastball velocity picked up a notch or two and now hits 94-95 on the gun. He backs up his fastball with an average curveball and a below average changeup. Ross Ohlendort also sports a recently added splitter. Ohlendorf is competing against pitchers such as Brian Bruney, Chris Britton, Jose Veras, Jonathan Albaladejo, Sean Henn and Edwar Ramirez.

Ohlendorf may not be the marquee player found on most prospect lists, but we believe that the Yankee bullpen is a vital cog for making another run at a World Series. This has been true the past 3 or 4 years as the bullpen struggles to get to the ninth and Mariano Rivera. Younger and more effective arms such as Ohlendor can make this happen.

2008-03-08T01:57:00.001-05:00

#2. Austin Jackson, OF
Position: OF Full Name: Austin J. Jackson
Born: February 1, 1987 Denton,Texas
Height: 6-1 Weight: 185 Bats: R Throws: R
High School: Ryan (Denton,TX)

Austin Jackson was an 8th round draft pick out of Denton (TX) high school in 2005 passing on a basketball scholarship at Georgia Tech. Austin had

a great 2007 moving to the #2 overall prospect of the New York Yankees by Baseball America. He was also rated the #2 overall propect in the

Hawaiian Winter Baseball League. Jackson is probably the best pure athlete in the Yankee farm system today.

Jackson is a 4 tool player with power being the question mark. The Yankees have been working with Austin and making swing changes during the 2007 campaign. He seems to project 20-25 home runs per year at this point. He has significant opposite-field power, which should keep his line drive rate and batting average up. Jackson does take walks but has a tendency to strike out too much. Jackson plays the outfield extremely well; center field is most likely his best fit.

Austin Jackson should start the season in AA Trenton before moving to AAA. 2009 looks like the most realistic date for the emergence of Austin Jackson in Yankee Stadium. However, an injury among the aging Yankee outfielders could get Austin a callup during the 2008 season. And if he does get the call, he may never go back.