Girardi's Biggest Mistake

Joe Girardi has made some questionable decisions throughout this season and they've occurred at a much higher rate during the postseason. There were several short essays written about his tendencies yesterday over here. Most of of the debate focused on pitching changes and other substitutions, but his (and Brian Cashman's) biggest error may have come in roster construction:

sbarro philly foot sausage 8:31 am
I mentioned this yesterday, but I am still intrigued to hear what everyone thinks.
I have a question: do you all think that maybe Girardi made a mistake in not adding Cody Ransom to the roster?

I had an idea last night, that Cody could potentially be inserted as a pinch runner who could steal home or score in a squeeze play at the plate.

Here’s my thinking: the man can jump from a standing position atop a 60 inch box. When the throw reaches the catcher, the catcher would be in a squatted reach position to tag the runner, in this case, Cody Ransom. But Cody could simply take the catcher by surprise, jump over him and touch the plate.

What do you guys think? I think it would work, and could be one of the most spectacular plays since the 2001 Jeter shovel pass to Posada in the ALDS

The only appropriate response is this.

Scranton Swept, Miranda Recalled

Crash Davis and the Durham Bulls completed a three game sweep of the Scranton Yankees last night, winning the Governor's Cup as International League champions and thwarting Scranton's attempt at going back-to-back.

Scranton jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but Durham tied it the seventh off starter Ivan Nova (who we'll likely hear and see more from in 2010). It stayed tied until the top of the 12th, when Durham pushed the eventual winning run across. For those out there who like to blame Cody Ransom whenever possible, he went 1 for 5 and according to RAB's Mike Axisa, fanned to end the bottom of the ninth, with the winning run on third. He did however have the only two Scranton RBI on the night.

Also, check out durhambulls.com for the highlights from Game 2. The Bulls' keystone combination of Sean Rodriguez and Elliot Johnson (Francisco Cervelli's buddy from spring training 2008) turn a sweet double play.

After the game, the Yankees recalled first baseman Juan Miranda. He'll likely join the team in Seattle today. The Cuban expatriot was signed in December 2006 and hit .290/.369/.498 with 30 doubles and 19 homers in 502 PA this year. In a brief September call up last year, he hit .400/.500/.500 in 14 PA. Miranda was up for a day in April when Hideki Matsui's knees were acting up, but did not get into a game. As I speculated in our look at potential September call-ups at the start of the month, I expect the Yankees to showcase Miranda as much as possible this month and flip him in the off-season as he has very little chance of a future with the organization.

Miranda's recall puts the Yankees' Major League roster at 36. The only members of the 40 man roster not with the big club right now are Andrew Brackman, Wilkins De La Rosa, Christian Garcia, and Ian Kennedy, all of whom are some combination of injured and/or not ready for prime time.

According to SWB beat reporter Chad Jennings, Austin Jackson and Zach Kroenke were told nothing and will head home for the time being. The Yankees would have to make room on an already full 40 man roster to add either player.

Progrostercating

With Sergio Mitre starting and a big four game set against the Red Sox looming, Anthony Claggett's recall yesterday was a prudent move. The downside is it returned the roster construction to the absurd 13 man pitching staff (not to mention indirectly caused some baffling substitutions).

That said, Brett Gardner's broken thumb and Alex Rodriguez' semi-regular rest necessitates the presence of a second back-up infielder on the roster beyond Jerry Hairston Jr, so another move will likely be made today.

Cody Ransom was a replacement level player at best, but I can't quite comprehend the level of vitriol directed at him in recent weeks nor the amount of revelry in the wake of his DFA-ing yesterday. Then again, I made bashing Angel Berroa and Brett Tomko a routine part of my schtick, so who am I to judge? I wouldn't be at all surprised if Ransom winds up at Scranton when this all shakes out.

Either way, a replacement is needed for the replacement level player, and indications are that a move may be made today (see the 5:41 update)- which would be wise in my estimation.

Ramiro Pena will almost assuredly be the player to come up and Claggett will almost assuredly be the one to go. Too bad Claggett didn't get a chance to lower his 43.20 career ERA. As for Pena, he was sent down on July 1st following the acquisition of Eric Hinske. Going to AAA for the first time in his career, Pena hit .241/.341/.366 in 134 PA. His AVG at Scranton was actually lower than his career minor league mark, but he showed improvement in both OBP and SLG. The IsoD of .100 is particularly encouraging. The sample size is small, but in one month at AAA Pena received 38 more PA than he did in three months in the Majors. I'm hopeful that his needed time in AAA will prove valuable to his overall development.

Defensively at Scranton, Pena made 19 appearances at SS, 8 at 2B, and 5 in CF. Learning centerfield was one of Pena's main objectives upon his optioning out, but as Cliff Corcoran pointed out at Bronx Banter yesterday, the arrival of Jerry Hairston Jr makes it far less important for Pena to be capable in CF for right now. For what it's worth, he handled 10 chances in CF flawlessly at Scranton, and can still increase his stock over the long term if he's able to play both IF and OF.

As it looks right now, the Yankee bench moving forward will be Hinske, Hairston, Pena, and Jose Molina, with Pena likely being optioned again if Gardner returns this month. That bench doesn't offer much in the way of offense. Hinske, and to a lesser extent Molina, will run into one every now and again, but none of the four have particularly good OBP skills.

However, to a man, the Yankee starters are good to excellent offensively, with Melky Cabrera's OPS+ of 111 ranking last amongst the usual nine. As such, the offensive skills of the bench are of secondary importance to what else the bench can offer.

In Molina there is an excellent defensive catcher who is reputed as one of the best game callers in the league.

In Hairston there is a utility man capable of playing anywhere but catcher. He offers some speed off the bench and has a good baseball pedigree coming from one of the three baseball families to span three generations.

In Pena there is an excellent defensive infielder who also can pinch run and who I hope has made some progress at the plate during his time at AAA - perhaps that's already manifested in his IsoD.

In Hinske you have a good pinch hitting option who has good pop and average OBP skills. He's a risk with the glove, but he won't kill you in RF or at 1B, and could play 3B and LF in a pinch.

As Joel Sherman pointed out yesterday, that's a nice, versatile bench - and that's about the best you can ask for when rolling out a regular line up such as the one the Yankees have. Gardner's return and the September roster expansion will allow the Yankees to augment the bench further and maybe add a little more offensive skill just in case.

Only Cody Ransom...

For those who don't have Google Reader (you should really set one up), this is what individual posts look like, regardless of what blog they come from. You can subscribe to all your favorite blogs, Google Alerts, newspaper topics (i.e. Star-Ledger Yankees) and so forth. It keeps them all in one place and lets you know how many unread items you have, keeps stats on your reading habits and allows you to save posts by starring them. It's probably not as many as some people, but it lets me read over 5,000 posts a month, a number which is probably higher than most everyone who doesn't have an RSS reader of some sort. It will change the way you read things on the internet forever, in a good way, especially since you can use it with an iPhone.

The program also has this function that pretty much no one uses by which you can indicate if you "liked" a post. This one happens to be from MLB Trade Rumors, a feed which has over 3,000 subscribers (we have 89 at last count, woot!) and it was the first post on that feed I can remember seeing that anyone has "liked".

I don't really know what it is about Cody Ransom that made him a Twitter cult legend and a Yankee blog favorite (or anti-favorite?). At the age of 33, he's obviously by no means a prospect and Maybe it was the four homers he hit in 43 at bats last year. More likely it was his ridiculous YouTube jumping video. Either way, Cody Ransom is one of those fringe players that hardcore fans find interesting for whatever reason but the casual observer might not recognize by number.

Something tells me this isn't the last we see of the utility man. If the Mets don't claim him off waivers, he'll be back around soon enough.

Questionable Decisions

Good morning Fackers. Well, all in all that wasn't a bad road trip: 5-4, which after losing three straight against the ChiSox didn't seem like a realistic possibility. Sure, that was an ugly three game stretch last Thursday through Saturday, and the loss in Tampa was brutal all around. But after starting 2-4, the Yanks closed out with a nice three game winning streak, including a two game sweep of the Jays despite having Roy Halladay pitching against them in one game and Sergio Mitre pitching for them in the other. I'll sign up for that every time, thanks. With the Sox loss, the Yanks enter the big four game set with a 2.5 game lead.

Last night's game sure had some head scratching decisions though. Both Jay and I have been critical of Joe Girardi in the past. I've even been accused of having a bias against him. I'll fully admit that I was only able to watch and listen to parts of last night's game. That said, I think there were some poor decisions made.

My second guessing began as first guessing. As soon as the line up was posted, I sent Jay a message expressing my displeasure with it. Despite having DH'd Sunday and then enjoying the Monday off day, Alex Rodriguez was back in the DH spot. Now I'd prefer he be getting regular rest for his hip rather than being ridden into the ground as he was earlier this year. And I can understand the reasoning behind trying to save him from the Rogers Centre turf for a night. However, by any definition, A-Rod was already well rested having played just two games in the last three days, and one of them being at DH.

Meanwhile, the fact that Sergio Mitre was taking the mound prompted the Yankees go back to the ludicrous 13 man bullpen. If ever there is a reason to carry that 13th pitcher, having Sergio Mitre on the mound the night before a huge four game set against the Sox would be it. At the very least, Anthony Claggett's presence last night was a security measure against burning the pen on the eve of the big showdown.

As a result of Claggett's recall, Cody Ransom was designated for assignment. For last night at least, I don't have an issue with this move (more on this later). However, this move left Jerry Hairston Jr. as the primary back-up at 3B, SS, 2B, LF, and CF for last night. But rather than keep his supersub on the bench, Girardi chose to start him at third and give A-Rod yet another half night off as the DH.

The LaRussa-philes of the world would say that this move was good in that it got Hideki Matsui out of the line up against a lefty starter, except Godzilla is destroying left handed pitching this year to the tune of a .576 SLG, and .913 OPS, both marks better than his numbers against righties. He has 8 HRs against both types of pitchers, but only 85 ABs against lefties as opposed to 200 ABs against righties. In short, there's is absolutely no reason to sit Matsui against soutpaws.

Complicating matters, Jorge Posada was given the night off as well, leaving the bottom of the order as Cabrera-Hairston-Molina, far less dangerous than the usual Cano-Swisher-Cabrera or even a Cano-Cabrera-Molina.

This fact came to the fore in the seventh inning. With the score tied at three, and Robinson Cano on second base, Hairston's spot came around. With one out, two weak hitters due, and the go-ahead run in scoring position, Girardi called on Hideki Matsui to pinch hit. The moved paid an immediate dividend, as Matsui drove Cano home and kept the line moving for two more runs to score. However, had Girardi began the evening with a more conventional line up, the move likely wouldn't have been necessary.

As a result of the move, in the bottom of the inning the Yankees needed a new third baseman. Despite having a three run lead, Girardi wasn't comfortable placing defensively-challenged one-time third baseman Eric Hinske at the hot corner. Instead, he opted to sacrifice his DH spot and move A-Rod to third, thereby turning his half day off into a third of a day off which in turn kind of defeats the purpose of trying to give him time off at all.

The eighth spot in the order was now occupied by the pitcher, and it came around again in the top of the eighth. The Yankees led 6-4, with one out and a runner on third. Of course, Phil Coke wasn't going to hit here. So Girardi called on - who else - Eric Hinske. Boggles the mind. If he was going to use Hinske in that spot anyway (rather than say Posada), why not role the dice with him for one defensive inning?!?! Even if he didn't want Hinske in the field long term, he could have saved his DH spot for an additional inning, giving A-Rod additional rest. He still would have had the option to place A-Rod at third for the eighth and/or ninth, when it was no longer a certainty that the #8 spot would come around again.

The Yanks didn't get burned by the move and wound up winning 8-4. But it could have been a disastrous few decisions. The 13 man pitching staff left the Yanks with a 3 man bench for the night. Starting Hairston immediately limited the bench's flexibility. Pinch hitting for him crippled it. Dropping the DH killed it. At game's end Jorge Posada was the only man on the bench, and as the back-up catcher it was no sure thing that he would have been used. What if Toronto had tied the game at some point from the seventh on? What if the game had gone to extras? The Yanks presumably would have been sending pitchers up to hit at some point.

In the end it didn't matter. For a guy who is supposed to be well educated, baseball savvy, and forward thinking, Joe Girardi makes a ton of moves that seem to be done just for the hell of it.

Game 107: On The Way Home

Last night's win combined with the Red Sox 12th inning loss assured that the Yankees would be in first place by at least a half of a game when their 4 game set begins tomorrow. It would certainly be nice to win tonight as well, guaranteeing a lead of either 1.5 or 2.5 games, but that doesn't seem like a very likely proposition given who they are sending to the hill.

Tonight marks Stage Four of the Sergio Mitre experiment. His earned run totals have progressively increased (3, 4, 5) while his innings have decreased (5.2, 5, 3). Both of those trends are headed in the wrong direction, and he's got a 7.90 ERA.

His peripheral stats tell a different story, though. He hasn't walked too many batters (3 in 13 2/3 IP), given up only one home run and his .418 BABIP would suggest that he's been unlucky with the distribution of his hits. No one had high expectations for Mitre, but giving up 5 runs in three innings like he did in his last outing against the White Sox is a surefire way to earn a ticket back to the farm. If the Yanks defense has another night like the one they did behind Andy Pettitte, perhaps the Serg can cobble together 5 or 6 innings and keep the Yanks in the ballgame.

The Blue Jays counter with Marc Rzepczynski, a rookie with 6 Major League starts under his belt, none against the Yankees. The man of few vowels has a 3.25 ERA, but only one win partially because he hasn't thrown more than six innings in any of his starts (and partially because he plays for Toronto). He's averaging almost 19 pitches per inning, so the Yanks could be seeing the Jays bullpen fairly early on tonight if they play their cards right.

In roster news, Cody Ransom was mercifully DFA'd , pointing to the beginning of the end for the "#codyransom" party on Twitter. Ransom did muster 10 RBIs in 86 plate appearances this year but was only hitting .190/.256/.329. To take his place, the legendary Anthony Claggett has been summoned from Scranton. As you may or may not recall, Claggett was the young gentleman who came in for Chien Ming Wang in the 22-4 debacle against the Indians and allowed 8 ER in 1 2/3 innings. He is there presumably as an escape hatch if Mitre continues his descent into Chien Ming Wangdom.

With the toughest match up out of the way last night, the Yanks have a chance to head home from this road trip with a winning record despite dropping three straight to the White Sox. Winning their last three would be a hell of a turnaround. Let's go Yanks.

In a strange game,
I saw myself as you knew me,
When the change came,
And you had a chance to see through me,
Though the other side is just the same,
You can tell my dream is real.

The Good And The Bad (But Mostly The Bad)

Since that game was unbearable and it's Saturday night, we are going with an abbreviated recap.

The Good:

• Jeter, A-Rod and Mark Teixeira combined to go 7-13 with 3 RBIs.
  
  
• Jerry Hairston, Jr. had a solid debut, driving in a run on one hit (although it should have been two when he dropped a single into leftfield in the 6th and Jorge Posada was forced out at 3rd).
  
  
• David Robertson and Mark Melancon each threw scoreless 2/3's of an inning.
  
  
• Seriously, that's it.
  

Okay, and The Bad:

• Cody Ransom started at first base. Did Eric Hinske have something better to do?
  
  
• A.J Burnett's great streak is now officially over. It was basically over when he allowed six runs in the 2nd inning. To start, he got Paul Konerko to fly out but then the Sox went: single, single, single, walk (to the #9 hitter), single, double, single before Burnett got the final two outs of the inning. His line for the day: 4 2/3 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 2BB, 4K.
  
  
• Phil Coke's ERA went from 3.77 to 4.58 in 1/3 of an inning. 4 hits, three walks and six runs will do that to you. To be fair, two of those walks were called for by Joe Girardi, but they still count.
  
  
• The team went 2-13 w/RISP, leaving 8 runners on base. The White Sox were 8-19.

If I had to choose just one play to boil this game down into, it would be the at-bat between Phil Coke and A.J. Pierzynski in the 8th. Coke got him to swing over a slider on the first pitch, and then Peierizynykksssiki fouled off two more tough ones. On his second 0-2 pitch, Piersznik the catcher on the White Sox swung at a pitch that was a good foot off the plate and well below his knees, but fully extended his arms and just got enough of the bat on the ball to send it into left field and drive in a run. Tim McCarver called this a "great piece of hitting" which of course is complete bullshit because he swing at a terrible pitch and got unimaginably lucky.

Anyhow, this series has evolved into quite the disaster, hasn't it? One loss by walk-off followed by two blowouts. And tommorrow the Sox send Mark Buehrle to the mound who is about as hot as an pitcher could be against CC Sabathia who is 1-8 against teams over .500.

Here's my plan for tonight.

Game 104: Game Face

If the Yanks are going to salvage a split of this four game set against the White Sox, they'll need to win these next two. Luckily for them they'll have their two best pitchers taking to the hill this weekend, starting with A.J. Burnett this afternoon.

As we've pointed out the last several times through the rotation, A.J. has been on fire of late, 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP over his last eight starts, with opponents batting just .193/.295/.271. In five career starts against the White Sox, Burnett is just 2-2, but with a 2.78 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. The Yanks will need him to stay hot today to stop this mini slide.

He'll be opposed by John Danks. Danks had rough start to the year, with a 5.10 ERA through 11 starts. Over his last eight though, he's pitched to a 2.53 ERA and 1.07 WHIP while holding opponents to a .199/.276/.311 batting line. Danks has faced the Yanks twice in his career, going 1-1 with a 6.10 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP.

In roster news, Jerry Hairston Jr. is in the house, with Big Ugly Duncan getting optioned back to Scranton. Some will be upset with Cody Ransom's continued presence on the roster, but Ransom has to stick around at least until Brett Gardner returns. Hairston's main function right now is as the back-up CFer, meaning Ransom is still necessary as a utility infielder, particularly with A-Rod still requiring weekly rest. Shelley's righty bat would have been nice to have with southpaws going the next two days, but the Yanks will have little reason to pinch hit anyway, so it shouldn't be a huge loss. Hairston is in the lineup today in left, with Ransom at first and Teix DHing. Johnny Damon and Godzilla get the day off against the southpaw.

The Yanks have lost three of four. While they were firing on all cylinders in Wendesday's win over Tampa, they've looked awfully sloppy in the three losses. That's gonna happen now and again, but it's time to snap out of it. They're facing good pitching the rest of the weekend and need to be on top of their game. Time to put on the game face.

I'll suffer through the first couple innings on Fox this afternoon, then it's off to the beautiful Ives Concert Park in Danbury, CT for the dirty hippy jamband show, as Gov't Mule comes to town. As such, here's "Game Face" from 12/30/06 at the Beacon - another show I attended. It's broken in two parts (part two here), but it's well worth it for the sweet jam that includes "Birdland", "Norwegian Wood", and "Mountain Jam" teases, as well as the start of "Smokestack Lightning" with the Dickinson brothers from the North Mississippi Allstars.

/end music tangent

Enjoy the game.



To be at one with your weakness
Is your greatest strength
Guess you should be proud of your game face

Guess it always was your hallelujah
Guess it was your saving grace

All You Need Is Just A Little Patience

Last night provided the perfect storm for the more paranoid portions of the fanbase, particularly those who are quick to criticize Brian Cashman. As the non-waiver trade deadline passed at four o'clock, the Yankees had not added another starter or bullpen arm while our friends in Bahstahn added Victor Martinez, and inexplicably, Casey Kotchman.

Shortly after eight o'clock, Sergio Mitre - the man who would be replaced by a new starter - took to the bump for his third start as a Yankee. He had already been given a 3-0 lead, but it wouldn't be enough. Mitre's third start was worse than his second, which was worse than his first, which wasn't all that good to begin with.

Compounding matters, the Yankees played a sloppy game around him, resembling the Bad News Bears in the bottom of the seventh, and the bullpen wasn't all that great either. Of chief concern was Alfredo Aceves, who in his first appearance since missing five games with a sore shoulder, did not look good at all - allowing five baserunners and four runs in an inning and two thirds. What's more, the ChiSox were tatooing the ball. Without consulting pitch fx, Alf didn't appear to have much bite on his pitches, and of the five outs he recorded, four were on deep flyballs to the warning track, including Johnny Damon's circus catch.

It's just a couple bad outings, but I'm concerned about Alf. His last two outings, bookending his sore shoulder down time, have covered two innings to the tune of 6 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, and 0 K. That's raised his ERA by a full run. His ERA has increased by a run and a half since spot start just before the All-Star break. Maybe it's just the law of averages catching up with him. Maybe it's just a bad stretch. Maybe it is an injury. Maybe it's from his near Proctorization at the hands of Girardi earlier this season. Regardless, an ineffective Alf is a big problem for the Yanks as he's both a very reliable bullpen arm as well as a potential rotation option.

Jay already linked to some of the tabloid stories this morning and I can only imagine the gnashing of teeth going on in the comments section at LoHud. I slept in on this wonderful Saturday, so Mike at RAB has already beaten me to the punch on this, but the moral of the story is let's just calm down for a second here.

Yes, the Yankees could use another pitcher. Sergio Mitre, dubious to begin with, is looking more and more like he's not going to cut it. But consider the alternatives. Would you have surrendered Austin Jackson to bring flyball machine Jarrod Washburn to the bandbox in the Bronx for two months? Would you have surrendered Joba or Hughes and a boatload more to bring in Roy Halladay? Would you have mortgaged the farm for Cliff Lee? Could you have managed not to pull your hair out if the rumored Bronson Arroyo deal went down Monday? How much would you have been willing to surrender for Brian Bannister?

But just because the July 31st deadline has passed doesn't mean that all is lost. We're talking about a back end starter here. Cashman still has another month to add an arm (or two), and I'd be willing to be that he will. The economic climate has changed the landscape for Major League Baseball as well, and Cashman has indicated that he thinks there will be more waiver movement than usual this year. Cash is a pretty smart guy, and that's about as close he'll ever get to tipping his hand. In Cash speak, I'd take those comments as a near guarantee that there's a move coming before August 31st. If not, maybe Zach McAllister or Ivan Nova gets a shot.

In the meantime, yesterday wasn't a total wash for the Yanks. In the morning, we identified what we thought were the three needs the Yanks had going into the deadline. While the biggest one remains unfulfilled for the moment, with one minor and painless move, Cash took care of the other two. Jerry Hairston Jr. is a supersub. He's not going to light the world on fire with his bat, but he can capably six positions. He'll serve as the back-up CFer until Brett Gardner returns and then will likely replace Cody Ransom. That should satisfy those that obsess over the weakness at the utlity infielder position. All Hairston cost was Chase Weems, a catcher at low-A Charleston who was no better than fifth on the organizational depth chart. Not a bad deal.

In short, don't call for Cashman's head until September 1st rolls around. Back shortly with the preview.

Trade Needs And Options

We're six hours and counting from the non-waiver trade deadline. Before we take a look at what the Yankees' needs are, first, let's take a look at their roster situation. Things aren't nearly as bad as they were in late May when I went on this diatribe, but the organization doesn't have quite the roster flexibility I'd like right now.

The Yankees are currently at the limit on their 40 man roster. They have a bit of flexibility in that both Xavier Nady and Chien-Ming Wang can be moved to the 60 day DL to open two spots on the 40 man. One of those spots will likely be taken by Shelley Duncan today, as all indications are that the Yankees will stop carrying the ludicrous 13 man pitching staff they've had all this week and add a righty bat with the ChiSox throwing southpaws in the three remaining games this series. That will leave the Yankees with one other spot to add a player without removing someone already on the roster.

Still, they're a bit hamstrung. Ian Kennedy, Christian Garcia, and Kevin Cash are all out for the season with injuries. Since none were on the Major League roster at the time of their injuries, they can't be placed on the 60 day DL. I'm not sure that they can be called up and DL'd either. The Yankees wouldn't consider releasing IPK or Garcia, but would Cash - I just don't know if the CBA would allow that.

Damaso Marte, on the DL since April, is in the midst of a rehab assignment, but the latest scouting reports have not been good. He gave up 2 HRs in his last appearance and was clocked topping out at 88 MPH. Given that the Yanks are in the market for bullpen help, I doubt you'd see anything happen with Marte, but there is a slim possibility he could be moved to the 60 day to create additional room.

Juan Miranda, though producing rather well, is blocked by Teix, and has little trade value. He may be a candidate for DFA if another spot is needed.

Got all that? OK, here's what I figure the Yanks are going to be looking for today:

1). Utility infielder. Cody Ransom has been hot of late (3 for his last 7, 3 2B), but at 33 he is what he is, and what he is is replacement level at best. With A-Rod, Jeter, and Cano, the Yankees don't need a back-up IFer often, but they may look for an upgrade if one's available. Ramiro Pena is waiting in Scranton, and while he offers a great glove and good speed, he doesn't have much of a bat and is in Scranton ostensibly to learn the OF as well.

2). Back-up CFer. Speaking of the OF, Brett Gardner's broken thumb has left the Yankees without a viable CF back-up, and Shelley Duncan's likely arrival today will do nothing to change that. At the start of the season, I wouldn't have had a problem with Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher out there in an emergency, but after their collective performance at the corners this year I don't feel that way any longer.

I highly doubt the Yankees will go the trade route on this one, as whoever the back-up is will likely be a goner when Gardner is ready to return. But given Melky's streakiness, I wouldn't entirely rule out going after a new CFer all together. More likely, the Yanks will go after former top prospect Corey Patterson, as has been rumored, especially since Josh Anderson was flipped to KC.

3). Some sort of pitcher. This is both the trickiest one to figure, but also the biggest need. The Yanks want at least one pitcher if not more. They've been rumored for both starters and relievers. Maybe they view that as two separate needs, or maybe they view it as one that can be filled in one of two ways. They did acquire Josh Hirsch from the Rockies on Wednesday, but that appears to be a move for needed depth in Scranton. Given Hirsch's numbers, I pray we don't see him in the Bronx this year.

Sergio Mitre is not the answer in the rotation's five spot. It doesn't appear that anyone on the 40 man is ready to step in. Personally, I think Mitre may be of some use in the pen, which could mean Alf or Hughes goes to the rotation, but the Yankees have given every indication that they want both those guys to stay in the pen this year.

All that, coupled with Joba Chamberlain's impending innings limit situation and CMW being gone until who knows when, makes the need for a starter even greater. Cliff Lee has been dealt, Roy Halladay appears to be staying put (and is too pricey IMO), leaving Jarrod Washburn as the most rumored name out there. But, given the M's move on Wednesday, it would appear that they're buyers rather than sellers.

To me, Washburn in the most appealing in terms of price, but I have concerns about how he'd perform for the Yanks. On the surface the veteran southpaw is having a great year (162 ERA+) after spending five of the last six at or below league average. But 34 year old pitchers don't often show such drastic improvement, and Washburn is no exception. Digging deeper, there's a lot to suggest Washburn isn't pitching as well as his surface numbers indicate.

First, his BABIP is .249, well below the league average of .300 - that will likely be correcting itself over the season's last two months. Second, his FIP is 3.75, still better than league average, but much worse than his 2.64 ERA. Third, Washburn is an extreme flyball pitcher. That works to his advantage pitching half his games in spacious Safeco Park with an excellent outfield defense. I shudder to think how that would play in the new Yankee Stadium, against AL East competition, with the Yankees outfield "defense" behind him. He may suffice as a fourth or fifth starter - which is really what the Yanks are looking for - but let the buyer beware.

The Yankees have also been linked to bullpen arms such as Chad Qualls and Scott Downs. Presumably, such an acquisition would allow the Yanks to work Phil Hughes back into the rotation, which might be the plan anyway with Joba fast approaching his innings limit.

Clear as mud, right? That's just what I'm thinking and reading around the interwebs. Who knows what kind of ace Brian Cashman has up his sleeve this time. We'll have a better idea in a few hours.

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Although they have seemingly faced a lot of borderline journeymen or unfamiliar rookie pitchers this season, the Yanks haven't had to send too many to the mound. And when it finally came time to do so, Sergio Mitre did what was necessary for the Bombers to walk away with the victory.

By this time last year, the Yankees had already asked Kei Igawa, Darrell Rasner, Dan Geise, Sindey Ponson, Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes and even Brian Bruney to start games for them. Last night was only the 9th start they needed from outside their Opening Day rotation this season, with seven of those coming from Hughes. Having only one pitcher nearly incapable of recording a victory in the early going this year (Wang) as opposed to two last year (Hughes and Kennedy) is a big reason that the Yankees just took over sole posession of first place in the AL East.

It wasn't a dominant outing for Mitre, and it got off to a rocky start in the 1st when Brian Roberts doubled to lead off the game, advanced to third on a groundout and scored when Nick Markakis singled to center. Roberts made his way around the bases again in the 3rd, via a single, stolen base, thorwing error (by Mitre) and finally came home on a one out dribbler to Jeter.

The Yanks did their damage in the second through fourth innings, starting with a manufactured run by A-Rod. He walked to lead off the 2nd, stole a base, advanced to third on a fly ball and scored on a sac fly. Alex was the one driving in the runs in the third inning, with a two out, bases loaded single that scored Cody Ransom, and Jeter. Robby Cano added a two run homer to the home bullpen in the fifth inning and Ransom scored again on a single by Johnny Damon later in the frame.

Mitre faced the minimum 6 batters in the fourth and fifth but ran into trouble in the 6th. He gave up back to back singles to Markakis and Aubrey Huff, who both came around to score two batters later on a single by Melvin Mora. The Serg got Nolan Reimold to strike out before Girardi replaced him with Alfredo Aceves.

The Marlins' cast-off and Tommy John rehab case didn't exactly impress with his performance last night, but when he left the game, he could only win, not lose it. He gave up 8 hits but only one was for extra bases - the double in the first to Roberts. The O's worked just one walk off of the sinkerballer and he threw 57 of his 91 pitches for strikes. After Aceves, Phil Coke and Mariano Rivera each pitched a scoreless inning to lock down Mitre's first Major League win since 2007.

It would seem that Mitre has earned himself another go 'round in the rotation and will be enough to keep Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves in the bullpen, at least for now. Mitre has already matched Chien Ming Wang's win total for the season and with the news that Wang might not be back for a while, this outing is enough to to cast aside concerns about the thinning rotation for the time being.

Twin Sweeps

(Photos via AP/ESPN)

Well it wasn't pretty, but the Yankees cobbled together enough offense and pitching this afternoon to complete their second sweep of the Twins in as many series.

After a scoreless first, the Yanks jumped out to an early lead in the second. Alex Rodriguez drew a lead off walk then stole second base. He was then joined on the bases by Jorge Posada as a 3-2 offering from Francisco Liriano hit Posada atop the foot. Robinson Cano then bounced an easy one to second baseman Matt Tolbert, who may or may not have been screened by the advancing Posada. Either way, Tolbert booted the ball, loading the bases with no one out. Melky Cabrera flew to right, but not deep enough to score A-Rod. Cody Ransom followed with a walk, forcing in the first run. A fielder's choice from Brett Gardner erased Ransom at second but plated Posada, then Derek Jeter dropped a bloop single into short right-center to make it 3-0. The Yanks then ran themselves out of the inning. A pick off attempt from Liriano had Jeter caught between first and third. Gardner broke for home, and the throw from Justin Morneau was in plenty of time to get Gardner. It wasn't quite as bold as Gardner's mad dash against the Twins in May, but it was close.

Alfredo Aceves gave two runs back in the second. After an efficient first that saw just a single, Alf jumped out 0-2 on leadoff hitter Jason Kubel. But his third pitch, a fastball that was supposed to be outside, caught too much of the plate and was bombed out to deep centerfield to make it 3-1. Things got a little rough from there. Michael Cuddyer walked on five pitches, then advanced to second as Alf threw away a pick off attempt. With one out, Mark Redmond grounded to third. Cody Ransom made a nice play on a tough hop off the lip of the carpet, but struggled getting the ball out of his glove and threw away his rushed throw to first, allowing Cuddyer to score and Redmond to advance to second. Alf then got the next two batters, but his own struggles and the error forced him to use up 26 of the roughly 65 pitches he had in the tank.

Both starters threw perfect third innings, then the Yankees struck again in the fourth. Posada led off with a single, despite a brilliant play by Nick Punto to field the ball deep in the hole. Cano promptly doubled Posada to third. After another Melky flyout, Cody Ransom atoned for his earlier error, collecting his second RBI of the afternoon by driving in Posada. Gardner followed with his second RBI, singling in Cano to make it 5-2.

Just as he had in the second though, Aceves struggled after his offense gave him some runs. Kubel led off again, and this time Aceves retired him on a little nubber in front of the plate. Cuddyer doubled and moved to third on a Brian Buscher single. Alf then plunked Redmond to load the bases, and was at his 65 pitch limit.

David Robertson had the uneviable task of entering a bases loaded one out jam. He struck out Punto for the second out, but proceeded to walk Denard Span and Tolbert to force in two runs. Robertson rebounded to retire Joe Mauer to get out of the jam, but the Yankee lead was down to one.

Mark Teixeira pushed the lead back to two in the top of the fifth, knocking his first HR in 95 at bats. That closed the scoring on the afternoon, but the adventures were not over yet.

Robertson fanned Justin Morneau leading off the fifth, but then issued his third walk in just one inning. Girardi yanked D-Rob in favor of Jonathan Albaladejo, who sandwiched a walk of his own between two Ks to end the inning. Albie then worked a perfect sixth, convincing the official scorer to award him the "W".

Girardi got a little match-up happy again in the seventh. With lefties Mauer, Morneau, and Kubel due up, Phil Coke was the obvious choice to start the inning. Mauer led off with a bunt single, was erased on a fielder's choice from Morneau, then Coke fanned Kubel. The Yankees had a two run lead in the seventh, two outs, a runner on first, and Michael Cuddyer coming up. The Twins run expectancy for the inning was just 0.2255 at that point, while the Yankees win probability for the game was 72%. While Cuddyer is a good hitter, he's not as a good as Mauer nor Morneau, and this year at least, he's even a tick below Kubel. But he's right handed, so even though Coke has held righties to a line of .167/.297/.296 - even better than what lefites are hitting off him - Girardi saw fit to make a pitching change.

Phil Hughes was summoned. I understand Hughes is probably the best non-Mo arm in the pen right now. I understand that Girardi loves him. But as discussed at several points earlier, Fack Youk is starting to worry about the way Hughes is being used. If Girardi absolutely needed to deploy Hughes mid inning, the bases loaded one out jam in the fourth was a much more opportune spot. Instead, Girardi brought him in to replace Coke, who's likely just a peg below Hughes in the bullpen pecking order. Hughes didn't even have to retire Cuddyer, as Morneau was thrown out at second trying to advance on a pitch that skipped away from Posada.

Hughes returned for the eighth. After retiring the first two batters, Ron Gardenhire set up a pinch hitter for Redmond: Jose Morales. So we have a close game, bottom of the eighth, two outs, and the mighty Jose Morales coming up to pinch hit. Sound familiar? While this was a Mo worthy situation on Wednesday night, apparently the extra run lead and the lack of a runner on first was enough to make Girardi comfortable to allow Hughes finish the inning himself this time. And that he did.

Mo pitched the ninth, working around a two out single for his 23rd save. In all it was a good day. It was a game in which the Yankees squandered some offensive opportunities and made a couple costly errors. It was a game in which they sent a spot starter to the mound, with a low pitch limit, and he didn't pitch particularly well, yet the still escaped with a win. Still they managed to go through five relievers, leaving mop-up man Brett Tomko and the struggling Brian Bruney as the only guys not to pitch. Tomorrow they send arguably their least reliable starter to the mound. I hope they have enough of a pen to piece that one together too. We'll see you then.

Game 85: Outshined

It's our second matinee in four days as the Yankeess and Twins wrap up their season series this afternoon. The Yanks look to sweep the season from the Twinkies for the first time since they went 7-0 in 2003. Barring a playoff matchup, this will also be the final time the Yanks play at the Metrodome.

Former phenom Francisco Liriano gets the start for the Twins. The lefty was part of the Twins' haul from San Francisco in the A.J. Pierzynski deal (nice work again Mr. Sabean). Liriano set the world on fire as a rookie in 2006, moving from the pen to the rotation in May and going 12-3 with 2.16 ERA (200 ERA+), a WHIP of exactly 1.00, and 10.7 K/9. An elbow injury allowed him just two starts after August 1st and cost him all of 2007.

Liriano returned last year. He got off to a rough start, carrying an 11.32 ERA after three starts, earning him a trip to AAA. He lit it up at Rochester, leading to his agent and the MLBPA investigating filing a grievance to get him recalled. He came back up in early August and went 6-1 with a 2.74 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 8.2 K/9 over his final 11 starts. But the wheels have come off this year. Liriano leads the AL in losses with eight, has a 5.49 ERA (74 ERA+), and his WHIP has ballooned to 1.48. One of his better starts this year came against the Yanks on May 15th. He went six innings, gave up just one run, fanned six, but also walked six and took a no decision.

For the Yankees, Alfredo Aceves gets the spot start. Alf has been a revelation out of the pen this year, versatile and valuable, and has earned this start. In four MLB starts covering 23 innings last year, he went 1-0 with 2.74 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He held opponents to a .238/.304/.393 batting line, but benefited from an absurdly low .236 BABIP. In four minor league starts this year Aceves was 2-0 with 3.80 ERA and a WHIP of just 0.97. He made two relief appearances against the Twins in May, pitching a perfect inning in both, and picking up two of his five wins on the year.

Alf last pitched Sunday, going four innings of scoreless relief, allowing just a single hit, and picking up his first Major League save. He needed just 43 pitches to cover the four innings. It would serve the Yanks well if he can be that efficient today, as he's expected to be capped at about 65 pitches.

The fifth starter spot won't be needed again until July 21st. There's no telling who will get that start, but it's looking increasingly likely that it won't be Phil Hughes - which is a huge mistake in my estimation. Aceves is likely the next best choice for the near future, and a good start today will go a long way towards ensuring he gets the ball again on the 21st.

As for the line-up, A-Rod will be the DH today with Cody Ransom starting at third. Might it have been better to DH him last night and play Hinske at third against a righty? Johnny Damon and his leftfield tightrope act get the day off, with Swisher moving into the two spot in the order and Melky playing in left. Posada catches the day game after catching last night's game.

There will not be a live chat this afternoon folks; sorry about that. While we still intend to do them for weekday afternoon games, doing two this week just isn't feasible. Feel free to use the comment section to discuss the game as it unfolds. I'll be kicking around there.

The good news is that if you're a Cablevision customer living in-market, and you're willing to pony up $20 to $50, you can watch today's game on your computer, which means my workday afternoon just got a little less productive.

Soundgarden got left out of our little Seattle inspired grunge-o-rama against the M's last week, so we'll make it up to them today. The Yanks will head to California after the game. But at 6-0 against the Twins this year, they're definitely feeling Minnesota as Alf tries to outshine Liriano.



I'm looking California
And feeling Minnesota
So now you know, who gets mystified
So now you know, who gets mystified

Show me the power child, I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
It gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again.
I'm feeling outshined.

Alf Is Outta This World

Joe Girardi prefers to refer to Alfredo Aceves as "Ace". I prefer "Alf", recalling the Melmacian alien and sitcom star of my youth. So instead of another "Ace in the Hole" or "Aceves Comes Up Aces" headline like you'll likely see elsewhere, I'm sticking to Alf. Today though, Girardi's moniker of choice was more apt, as Aceves saved the Yankees bacon on a marathon Sunday afternoon.

Aceves was the lone member of Satuday's Yankee bullpen not to see action in the 12 inning game, requiring rest after Girardi pushed him one inning too many in Thursday's loss. Today, he entered in the sixth, after a poor start from Joba Chamberlain and an inning and a third of scoreless, if shaky, relief from the just-recalled Jonathan Albaladejo. Aceves proceeded to throw four shutout innings on just forty-three pitches, thirty-three of them strikes. He allowed just one hit, a leadoff single in the eighth, walked none, and fanned five, including Scott Rolen looking to end the three hour forty-four minute game.

In stark contrast to Alf's performance was another frustratingly poor outing from Joba Chamberlain. Aceves' "stuff" is vastly inferior to that of Joba's, but Alf trusts his repetoire infinitely more than Chamberlain at this stage. Aceves challenged hitters all day, needing less than eleven pitches per inning pitched. Joba nibbled all afternoon, crapping out after eighty-six pitches in just three and two thirds innings.

Staked to a 4-0 lead, Joba gave three back in the third before the wheels completely came off in fourth. An error by Cody Ransom, subbing for A-Rod at third, certainly didn't help, leaving all five fourth inning runs credited as unearned, but the bottom line is that with two outs, Chamberlain repeatedly failed to finish off the inning, allowing four consecutive hits before giving way to Albaladejo.

My cousin, uncles, and father attended today's game. The last contest my father went to was another sloppy Chamberlain start, on April 17th, in which the Yanks and Tribe combined for six home runs. Today the ball was flying out again, with the Jays and Yanks knocking out two apiece.

After Chamberlain left the Yanks in an 8-4 hole in the bottom of the fourth, Hideki Matsui got the Yanks right back into it, launching a three run shot to cut the lead to one. The following inning, Derek Jeter added a two run shot to put the Yankees ahead for good; it was one of four Jeter hits on the day.

Jorge Posada, batting clean-up in place of A-Rod, had a big day, going 4 for 5 with a double, scoring twice, and driving in three. Johnny Damon drew two walks; Mark Teixeira drew three. Robinson Cano, dropped to seventh in the order, had a better afternoon, picking up a pair of singles, but ran his RISP oh for to twentyone.

Today's victory ensured that the Yanks will take their third straight series. Tomorrow afternoon they go for the sweep; hopefully the Fred Durst caps are gone for that one.

A quick programming note for those of you watching the tube tonight: at nine o'clock the MLB Network will be showing Pride of the Yankees, the Lou Gehrig biopic. Released in 1942, the movie probably hasn't aged well and will probably seem hokie by today's standards. But it's a fitting end to this Fourth of July Weekend, Plus you get to see Hall of Famers Babe Ruth and Bill Dickey, as well as Bob Meusel and Mark Koenig play themselves. Gary Cooper, who played Gehrig, was a natural righty. So for the baseball scenes he wore a backwards uniform and ran to third base after hitting, then the film was flipped to make the reels.

Enjoy what's left of your holiday weekend.

Yanks Acquire Hinske

Back in the 1950s, the Yankees and the Kansas City A's traded with each other on a weekly basis it seemed. Half a century later, the Pittsburgh Pirates are the trading partner of choice.

Following last year's six player deal that brought Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to the Bronx, this year saw the Bucs have Andy Phillips in spring training, claim Stephen Jackson off waivers, and trade for Eric Hacker.

Today came another deal between the two clubs. Multiple sources are reporting that the Bucs have sent Eric Hinske to the Yanks in exchange for minor leaguers Eric Fryer and Casey Erickson.

Hinske will provide depth for the Yankee bench. The 2002 AL Rookie of the Year can play the corner spots in both the infield and outfield. While not a major bat, Hinske can provide some pop off the bench when needed and may offer a more appetizing option at third base than Cody Ransom, which could lead to A-Rod receiving more frequent days off as planned. Hinske spent the last three seasons with the Rays, Red Sox, and Blue Jays, so he knows the AL East well.

Hinske's acquisition likely means that Ramiro Pena will play AAA ball for the first time in his career. Pena did well for himself, particularly considering that he hadn't played above AA before. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him, and in the long run, he'll likely benefit from getting regular ABs at Scranton for now. Pena's demotion leaves Ransom as the backup SS, a position he has played extensively, if not spectacularly in both his minor and major league careers (career UZR/150 of -8.4).

Fryer was playing for High-A Tampa. He was acquired from Milwaukee this past offseason for Chase Wright. After a hot start, he's leveled off to .250/.333/.344. He's played predominantly in the OF, but can also catch.

Erickson was at Low-A Charleston and was 3-3 with 2.25 ERA in 3 starts and 18 relief apperances.

Game 72: Rubberband Man

A key to a successful baseball season is winning series; it's the surest way of having a winning record. The Yankees are 2-0-1 in four game series, 1-2-0 in two game series, and 11-6 in three game series for an overall series mark of 14-8-1, but have dropped three of the last four. Of the 17 three game sets they've completed, 11 have had the third and final game determine who took the set. The Yankees are 8-3 in those rubber games, but have lost two in a row to the lowly Marlins and lowlier Nats. The Yanks look to end that rubber game losing streak tonight and take the series from the Braves.

Andy Pettitte gets the start tonight, and he's a bit of a rubberband man himself. As Joe Girardi likes to say, Andy has a tendency to bend, but not break. Pettitte's had some ugly outings this year, yet his record sits at 7-3 and the team is 10-4 in his starts. On May 18th, he picked up a win against the Twins despite allowing 12 hits over 6.2 IP. On May 29 in Cleveland, his back acted up on him. He allowed 10 baserunners in 5 IP, but he held the Tribe to just one run.

In his last start though, Pettitte had no such troubles. Friday against the Marlins Pettitte threw seven innings of one run ball, allowing just three baserunners and fanning seven. He even helped his cause with an RBI double. He looks to build on that tonight as he returns to the city that saw the greatest perfomance of his impressive career. Lifetime, Pettitte is 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA against the Braves in the regular season and has two big postseason victories in Atlanta.

The Yanks will be opposed by old foe Derek Lowe, who has been tagged with the loss in his last two starts. In his time with the Red Sox, Lowe made 15 starts and 24 relief appearances against the Yanks, going 8-10 with 6.07 ERA and 1.68 WHIP. I'll take more of that please. Lowe and Pettitte went head-to-head twice, both in 2002, with both pitchers taking a win and a loss each.

It was rumored that Alex Rodriguez might get his weekly day off tonight, but he is in the lineup, meaning he'll likely skip Sunday's Subway Series game in order to get back-to-back days off. Cody Ransom is in the lineup however, as Robinson Cano was a late scratch. According to Pete Abe, Cano's claims he's just getting a day off, but his wrist was also taped. Given that he was in the original lineup, it appears that the Yankee Cloak and Dagger game has returned for the second consecutive day.

Oh, and just for good measure, I'll throw this in too.



Hey y'all prepare yourself for the Rubberband Man
You never heard a sound like the Rubberband Man
You're bound to lose control when the Rubberband starts to jam

Rehab Roundup

We'll be back with the exciting conclusion of the 1996 World Series tomorrow. But now, as we approach tonight's game preview, let's take a quick look at the Yankees who are currently on the disabled list.

Xavier Nady will officially start his rehab assignment with AAA Scranton tomorrow. All Nady's previous rehab action came in extended spring training games, so his thirty day rehab clock starts tomorrow. Chances are he'll be back with the big club long before his time is up.

Jose Molina is working out in Tampa, as is Damaso Marte who continues to play catch with The Memory of Carl Pavano.

Lastly, Cody Ransom continues to rehab with AAA Scranton. RAB's Mike Axisa pointed out last night that Ransom rehab clock runs out on Wendesday, meaning he'll have to be activated or cut loose. Since Ransom is on the 60 day DL he doesn't currently count against the 40 man roster. Thanks to DFAing Jose Veras last Tuesday, the Yankees have an open spot on their 40 man for Ransom.

The quesion is, who goes off the Major League roster? Logic would dictate Angel Berroa. However logic dictated that he would be gone at innumerable points over the past six weeks. It wouldn't surprise me to see Ramiro Pena sent down and see Berroa hang on to his spot until Nady is ready to return. I'm not advocating for this move, but Berroa has more lives than a cat.

Speaking of Veras, the Yankees have until either Thursday or Friday to trade him or else he will be released. It's also possible that the team is holding the empty 40 man spot for a potential return on a Veras trade, but I highly doubt anyone would give up anything of value for him.

Lastly, CC Sabathia could not receive treatment at The Ted yesterday due to the makeup game between the Cubs and Braves. He is scheduled to throw a bullpen today and insists he will start on schedule against the Mets on Friday. If he can't, the A.J. Burnett suspension will leave the Yanks without a starter for that game, meaning Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves would likely spot start.

Friday Injury Update

"It's Friday. You ain't got no job; you ain't got shit to do"

It is Friday. But I do have a job and I have a ton of shit to do, so I'm left counting down the hours to a weekend that won't really even exist for me. How about some good news regarding the Yankees walking wounded?

• Jorge Posada will be activated from the DL for tonight's game. Sayanora Kevin Cash!


• Melky Cabrera will rejoin the the team today. His injury is just a bruise and will supposedly keep him out 5 to 7 days, but he will not need to go on the DL. At least that's what the team says. They've been wrong (or lied) before.


• Brian Bruney got a clean bill of health from Dr. James Andrews. There's no ligament damage; his problems are being caused by the same flexor muscle that landed him on the DL in the first place. The bad news is there's no timetable for his return.


• Xavier Nady got into his first extended spring training game yesterday. As the DH, he went 2 for 5 with a HR and a BB. He's slated to start throwing on Monday.


• Molina, Ransom, and Marte worked out at the minor league complex. Marte did not throw.

Yankee Rehab

As we collectively shake off the rust from a three day weekend and the unofficial start of summer, several Yankees are now shaking off the rust down in Tampa.

Jorge Posada, Jose Molina, Xavier Nady, and Cody Ransom all went to Tampa Sunday to continue their injury rehab.

The AP reports that Posada could be in Extended Spring Training games this week, Nady could DH in minor league games in the next couple days, and Molina may be ready by week's end.

The return of either catcher will help the Yankees, allowing them to DFA the worthless Kevin Cash, who despite having a three hit day yesterday is still batting just .182. Getting rid of Cash will open up a 40 man roster spot as well and the Yankees would be wise to add Shelley Duncan, Todd Linden, or John Rodriguez so they that they have another bat at their disposal on the 40 man. Cash will assuredly clear waivers and will likely wind up back with Scranton.

Posada was having a tremendous season before injuring his hamtstring, hitting .312/.402/.584 and his return will deepen the line-up and make the bottom third of the order slightly less of a black hole.

Nady's return will create an interesting roster situation as both he and Matsui will be relegated to designated and pinch hitting duty. The original plan was to hold Matsui out of the field until the Yankees visit an NL park, but his surgically repaired knees have given him trouble this year. Matsui has grown progressively worse in the field over the past several years and probably shouldn't see the outfield in anything other than an emergency situation. Still, having one or two bats of that quality available on the bench will be a luxury the Yankees have not enjoyed this year.

Ransom is on the 60 day DL and not eligible to return for another month. Given his poor play prior to his injury and the emergence of Ramiro Pena as a viable infield option I'm not so sure we'll see Cody Ransom in pinstripes again.

Welcome Back

A small news item concerning the New York Baseball Yankees... A-Rod comes back today.

For all of the haters, including Yankee fans that don't like him, if you think this isn't a good thing or he isn't going to make a HUGE difference over the season, you are kidding yourself... and I suggest you get a lawyer because you got robbed of an education.

For those of you that are engulfed and overwhelmed in A-Rod's off the field bullshit, and think it's going to tear the clubhouse apart, I suggest you go get yourself a copy of Cosmopolitan Magazine, make yourself a Sex on the Beach, and fuck the fuck off. This is baseball and no one cares.

A small statistical analysis for those of you who care:

(Click to enlarge)

Welcome back.