1st Base Getting Crowded with Ensberg

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com is reporting that the Yankees have agreed to a 1-year minor league deal with veteran 3rd Baseman Morgan Ensberg.

Since some guy named A-Rod is holding down the fort over at 3rd, Ensberg is expected to compete for the 1st Base job with Wilson Betemit, Jason Giambi, Shelley Duncan, Jason Lane, and anyone else the Yankees can scrape off the bottoms of their shoes.

The 32-yr old, right-handed hitting Ensberg had a huge 2005 season when the Astros reached the World Series. That year he hit .283 with 36 home runs and 101 RBI. But he tailed off to 23 HRs and 58 RBI in '06, and hit just .230-12-39 in 115 games split between Houston and San Diego this past season.

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Don't Buy That #65 Jersey Just Yet

After originally stating that he would keep his #65 this season, Phil Hughes has had a change of heart. He revealed his intentions on his website, though he hasn't selected (been given) a new number just yet.

Our suggestion? #19 to follow in the footsteps of previous successful Yankees hurlers, Bob Turley, Dick Tidrow, and Dave Righetti.

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Thursday Hot Stove

The Mets negotiations with Johan Santana continue as the left-hander's agent, Peter Greenberg, is reportedly seeking a 6-year, $150 million deal. The Mets are also heavily into talks with Kyle Lohse. And they've added reliever Ruddy Lugo to the bullpen mix, picking him up off of waivers from the A's.

MLB.com reported earlier today that the O's were considering trying to sign Erik Bedard to an extension. ESPN.com has countered that with a report that Bedard's agent, Mark Pieper, said that the O's were not considering a new contract. ESPN also reports that the O's and M's are still talking deal and working on the "language" of the deal concerning physicals for Adam Jones and George Sherrill.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports is reporting that veteran outfielder Luis Gonzalez has reached agreement with the Florida Marlins on a 1-year deal worth $2 million, plus another $1 million in incentives.

Much bounced around reliever Jorge Julio has agreed to a 1-year minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians.

The Phillies officially completed their signing of free agent 3rd Baseman Pedro Feliz. The former Giant will get $8.5 million for 2 years. The club also has an option for 2010.

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5 of 100

Baseball Prospectus came out with their top 100 prospects in Major League Baseball today. Joba Chamberlain, at #5, tops a list of 5 Yankees that made the list. The others are Ian Kennedy (34), Austin Jackson (47), Jose Tabata (48), and Alan Horne (67).

The Reds' Jay Bruce tops the compelete list below.

1. Jay Bruce, of, Reds
2. Clay Buchholz, rhp, Red Sox
3. Evan Longoria, 3b, Rays
4. Joba Chamberlain, rhp, Yankees
5. Clayton Kershaw, lhp, Dodgers
6. David Price, lhp, Rays
7. Travis Snider, of, Blue Jays
8. Colby Rasmus, of, Cardinals
9. Homer Bailey, rhp, Reds
10. Cameron Maybin, of, Marlins
11. Rick Porcello, rhp, Tigers
12. Matt Wieters, c, Orioles
13. Franklin Morales, lhp, Rockies
14. Andy LaRoche, 3b, Dodgers
15. Wade Davis, rhp, Rays
16. Jacoby Ellsbury, of, Red Sox
17. Jordan Schafer, of, Braves
18. Desmond Jennings, of, Rays
19. Mike Moustakas, ss, Royals
20. Jarrod Parker, rhp, Diamondbacks
21. Joey Votto, 1b, Reds
22. Daric Barton, 1b, Athletics
23. Chase Headley, 3b, Padres
24. Andrew McCutchen, of, Pirates
25. Reid Brignac, ss, Rays
26. Carlos Gonzalez, of, Athletics
27. Nick Adenhart, rhp, Angels
28. Chris Marrero, of/1b, Nationals
29. Angel Villalona, 3b, Giants
30. Neftali Feliz, rhp, Rangers
31. Matt LaPorta, of, Brewers
32. Chin-Lung Hu, ss, Dodgers
33. Jeff Clement, c, Mariners
34. Ian Kennedy, rhp, Yankees
35. Ross Detwiler, rhp, Nationals
36. Jason Heyward, of, Braves
37. Geovany Soto, c, Cubs
38. Brandon Wood, 3b/ss, Angels
39. Matt Antonelli, 2b, Padres
40. Jacob McGee, lhp, Devil Rays
41. Johnny Cueto, rhp, Reds
42. Manny Parra, lhp, Brewers
43. Steven Pearce, 1b, Pirates
44. Chris Tillman, rhp, Mariners
45. Josh Vitters, 3b, Cubs
46. Fautino de los Santos, rhp, Athletics
47. Austin Jackson, of, Yankees
48. Jose Tabata, of, Yankees
49. Eric Hurley, rhp, Rangers
50. Brett Anderson, lhp, Athletics
51. Fernando Martinez, of, Mets
52. Adam Miller, rhp, Indians
53. Justin Masterson, rhp, Red Sox
54. J.R. Towles, c, Astros
55. Carlos Triunfel, ss, Mariners
56. Gio Gonzalez, lhp, Athletics
57. Jed Lowrie, ss, Red Sox
58. Elvis Andrus, ss, Rangers
59. Jordan Walden, rhp, Angels
60. Ryan Kalish, of, Red Sox
61. Matt Latos, rhp, Padres
62. Engel Beltre, of, Rangers
63. Brent Lillibridge, ss, Braves
64. Gerardo Parra, of, Diamondbacks
65. Carlos Gomez, of, Twins
66. Scott Elbert, lhp, Dodgers
67. Alan Horne, rhp, Yankees
68. Carlos Carrasco, rhp, Phillies
69. Chris Perez, rhp, Cardinals
70. Brandon Jones, of, Braves
71. Bryan Anderson, c, Cardinals
72. Luke Hochevar, rhp, Royals
73. Michael Main, rhp, Rangers
74. Chris Davis, 3b, Rangers
75. Chorye Spoone, rhp, Orioles
76. Jeremy Jeffress, rhp, Brewers
77. Taylor Teagarden, c, Rangers
78. Wes Hodges, 3b, Indians
79. Deolis Guerra, rhp, Twins
80. Chris Nelson, ss, Rockies
81. Michael Burgess, of, Nationals
82. Greg Reynolds, rhp, Rockies
83. Gorkys Hernandez, of, Braves
84. Henry Sosa, rhp, Giants
85. Radhames Liz, rhp, Orioles
86. Jair Jurrjens, rhp, Braves
87. Aaron Poreda, lhp, White Sox
88. Chris Volstad, rhp, Marlins
89. Hank Conger, c, Angels
90. Max Scherzer, rhp, Diamondbacks
91. Casey Weathers, rhp, Rockies
92. Dexter Fowler, of, Rockies
93. Wladimir Balentien, of, Mariners
94. Neil Walker, 3b, Pirates
95. Michael Bowden, rhp, Red Sox
96. Joe Savery, lhp, Phillies
97. Ben Revere, of, Twins
98. Trevor Cahill, rhp, Athletics
99. Chris Carter, 1b, Athletics
100. Lars Anderson, 1b, Red Sox

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The Daily Yankeeland

Depending on how who you believe the Yankees either turned down a soft, last minute offer for Johan Santana or an absurd one. Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record says it was Ian Kennedy, Jeffrey Marquez and a prospect. Joel Sherman of the NY Post says the Twins said you can take Hughes out if you substitute Kennedy AND Chien-Ming Wang. We think Sherman's take sounds a lot more plausible.

Hank Steinbrenner, meanwhile, declined to say if the Yankees tried to top the Mets' offer, but did give the Mets a thumbs up- "I think the Twins did what they needed to do and I think the Mets made a good deal." Source

Derek Jeter's new G2, Gatorade's low calorie sports drink, ad will premiere during Super Bowl LXII this Sunday.

Roger Clemens was back on the mound yesterday, throwing batting practice to some Houston Astros prospects. He obviously had no comment to anyone on the steroid situation.

A Florida judge has ruled that Jim Leyritz must take daily breath tests while he awaits trial on DUI charges. Judge Marc Gold ruled that Leyritz must stay away from alcohol and drugs, and must be blow into a breathalyzer 3 times daily. The ruling came after Leyritz pleaded "not guilty" of DUI and vehicular homicide. Source

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Now Batting...

Today I have the honor of having one of my posts on The Journal News' Yankee Blog written by Peter Abraham. With January being a slow news month, PeteAbe had some of his readers, who also write blogs, do some guest blogging. It's always interesting to read other people's viewpoints, and it has given exposure to a bunch of great blogs. Some of the guest bloggers aspire to be future PeteAbe's while I aspire to have fun during my day job.

In my guest post, I talk about the old/current and new Yankee Stadiums. You can either read the entry HERE or below. Hope you enjoy. And yes, the photo is me in pre-renovated Yankee Stadium, circa 1973 (or possibly earlier).

And a big thank you to my biggest supporter, my wife, for doing a great editing job as always.

--- Pinch-hitting for Peter Abraham ---

2008 is a year of transition in the Bronx.

To begin with, someone new will be filling out the lineup card for the first time in 12 years. Then, there's been a shift in philosophy regarding the role of the organization’s up-and-coming prospects. Following the long reign of King George, there’s a different Steinbrenner at the reins. But most of all, the Bronx will be the site of not one, but two Yankee Stadiums. For this is the final season of the House that Ruth built and New York city remodeled. Except for two unmemorable seasons in Flushing, it has been the home of the Yankees since 1923.

It’s hard to imagine which will feel more odd- walking out of the current Stadium for the last time, or walking into the new one for the first time. And, the impact of both events will be overshadowed by the day the wrecking ball takes down most of the place we all grew up in.
To compare this with the last transition, in 1973 there was also much debate about renovating the original Yankee Stadium. Many fans wanted their beloved ballpark to forever remain as it was.












I remember the first time I walked inside the old Stadium in 1970. I looked on in wonderment at the monuments in centerfield, uniquely placed right smack in the field of play. The high black centerfield wall seemed a mile away, at 461 ft.. The white facade regally encircled the top of the place. The simple, but informative scoreboard stood out in centerfield, and the Yankees’ bullpen was nestled between the bleachers and the rightfield seats. And yes, there were those annoying structural posts that could completely block your view if you had the misfortune of sitting behind one. About half of the 65,000 seats were filled on that day.

After that game, we walked onto the field (yes, you read that correctly!), and exited out beyond left-centerfield. The atmosphere was of a different era and we all wanted it to stay that way.
Flash forward to today. There are many people who are just as angry about the new Stadium being built as they were about the renovation 35 years ago. The discussion has been going on for years: move to New Jersey (I always liked that idea as a kid), renovate again, or build a completely new place. I was indecisive for the longest time. Despite some of its’ obvious warts, I thought the Stadium should stay put and be improved. But over the last couple of years, I’ve come to realize that the fans deserve some serious upgrades to the facility.

While the players enjoy a state-of-the-art clubhouse like no other, the Stadium itself is no longer fan friendly. The average person sits in an uncomfortably cramped seat, traverses narrow aisles and stairs, waits in endless lines at the bathrooms and concessions, and has to decide which food tastes the least lousy. The video/message boards that line the 1st and 3rd base lines aren’t visible from much of the upper deck.

I realize the new place won’t come without its share of issues and problems. For the sake of high-priced luxury boxes, there will be 5,000 less seats. There’s a steep rise in parking prices on the horizon, and you can bet that ticket prices will increase dramatically as well. And NYC tax payers will be footing much of the $91 million bill for the new Metro-North station.

But, just as I remember attending my first Yankees game in 1970, I also remember going to the first Sunday home game in 1976 when the remodeled Stadium reopened. I recall a sea of shiny blue seats and a new gleaming white facade that paid homage to the old yard. There was a new Monument Park in left-centerfield where fans could pay tribute to their heroes, and a video display board in center. And though the park’s seating capacity had been decreased by over 10,000 seats, the once-upset fans were happy to see a better version of their Stadium.

I believe the fans reaction will be the same way this time around. We’ll take in all of the changes and new features and be in awe all over again. I now look forward to stepping into “Yankee Stadium 2.0” for the first time.

The greatest team in all of sports deserves the greatest place to call its’ home.




Check in from time to time to Sliding into Home to see updated pics of the new Stadium construction.

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Globe Writer's Son Dead in Afghanistan

Just saw mention of this tragedy on PeteAbe's blog; very sad.

We would also like to extend our condolences to the family of Boston Globe sportswriter Bob Ryan and his extended family. Ryan's son Keith, an attache for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, based in Islamabad, was found dead in his in residence in Afghanistan. It appears that the 37-yr old committed suicide.

Keith Ryan was about to come home to visit his wife an 3 children in Silver Spring, MD.

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Breaking Down the Santana Trade

When we first heard the Johan Santana deal announced yesterday, we reacted with a combination of relief (that the Red Sox hadn't landed him) and shock (that's all the Twins got?!). There are a couple of factors though that can play into our final feelings on the trade.

La Velle E. Neal III (what a name!) of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that Johan Santana told the Twins he would not waive his no-trade clause if he was not dealt by Tuesday (yesterday). Santana has completely denied similar ultimatums that were attributed to him during this whole process. If it's true than the Twins did indeed have their hands tied in making a deal.
Peter Abraham of the Journal News reported that Twins' GM Bill Smith went back to both the Yankees and Red Sox in one last attempt to get the best deal possible. Both Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein said no to lower packages.

So Smith took the Mets deal which was no fantastic assortment of players. Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Deolis Guerra. Let's take a look at each of them.

Carlos Gomez has the too much bandied about tag of "5-tool player" thrown around his neck. For those of you who don't know, a 5-tool player is one who grades at high skills in hitting for average, hitting with power, speed, defense, and arm strength. It can pan out in a player like Alex Rodriguez, but more times than not it usually results in players like Michael Coleman, who never translate minor league success to the majors.

Gomez hit .232 in 58 games with the Mets in '07 with 12 stolen bases in 15 attempts. His minor league numbers have never shown the power potential of a 5-tool player, and unless this 22-yr old bulks up, he's not going to either. Like a lot of Latin American ball players, Gomez is a free swinger who strikes out too often, and doesn't walk enough for a guy with his speed.

Whether or not the Twins make him their immediate replacement for Torii Hunter, remains to be seen. Gomez could probably use a full-season at Triple-A, or at the very least, platoon with a left-handed hitter (he only hit .212 against righties) his first year in Minnesota.

Mets fans have been hearing about Phil Humber for quite some time now. The 25-yr old spent 3 season at Rice University before joining the Mets in 2005. In 3 minor league seasons, Humber has a 4.11 ERA. In '07, his first at Triple-A, he went 11-9, 4.27 with 44 walks and 120 Ks in 139 innings pitched. Despite some moderate success, the Mets didn't think he was the answer to their starting rotation woes last season.

Humber did come up for a couple of looks the past 2 years, including a start in the heat of the pennant race in late September. The Nationals tagged him for 5 runs on 6 hits, including a home run, in 4 innings pitched. He'll probably start the season at Triple-A.

Kevin Mulvey is a New Jersey boy, who spent 3 years at Villanova. He split 4 games in '06 at Rookie ball and Double-A, and spent all but one game at Double-A in '07. His numbers weren't overly impressive at 'nova, but he showed promise at Binghamton last year, going 11-10, 3.26 with 43 walks and 110 Ks in 151.2 IP.

Mulvey obviously wasn't in the Mets system long enough to get a real idea of what he can do. He'll join Humber in Triple-A.

Deolis Guerra will turn just 19 on April 17 and has spent 2 years at the 'A' and advanced 'A' levels. The Venezuelan born right-hander went 9-14, 3.28 with 68 walks and 135 Ks in 178.2 innings pitched. It will be a few years before Guerra will have an impact at the major league level. He should start the season in Double-A.

On paper, it looks like the Twins got hosed, but time will tell. Though they will be paying a small fortune to Santana, this was an excellent deal for the Mets.

The only real downside for Yankees fans is having to listen to obnoxious Mets fans crow about Santana on WFAN. But at least we still have Phil Hughes.

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Pettitte Could Contradict Clemens

If we are to believe Brian McNamee's lawyer, Earl Ward, Andy Pettitte may contradict Roger Clemens' claim that the Rocket knew nothing of Pettitte's HGH use when its the left-hander's time to meet with Congress. Ward believes Pettitte will testify that he discussed HGH with Clemens some time between the 2001 and 2002 seasons. That conversation reportedly lead to Pettitte's talk with McNamee on the subject.

"We're hopeful based on Andy's reputation that he will corroborate Brian's statements with regard to Roger," Ward said in a telephone interview.

"Based on what we know, there was a situation where Andy was speaking to Roger in Brian's presence, then Andy came over to Brian and essentially said, 'Why didn't you tell me about this stuff?' He referred to HGH," Ward said. "Brian discouraged him and then several months later, when he (Pettitte) got injured, he came back and asked Brian about it, and that's when Brian injected him. We believe that based on the fact that Andy came to Brian and asked him about HGH, it was Roger who told Andy about HGH and that's why he asked Brian about it."

Pettitte was originally slated to be deposed yesterday, but it was pushed back until February 4. Pettitte's lawyer, Jay Reisinger, would not elaborate on what his client will discuss with Congress.

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Breaking News: Mets Acquire Santana

Better the Mets than Boston. That's the feeling right now after hearing that the Mets have acquired Johan Santana from the Twins for a group of prospects. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey are heading to Minnesota in exchange fo the two-time Cy Young winner.

The deal is pending the Mets ability to sign Santana to a long term contract. It's expected that the Mets have from 48-72 hours to get something done with the left-hander's reps.

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Whatever Happened To

This is our 2nd installment of "whatever happened to...", looking into the lives of various Yankees since their retirement.

Steve Balboni - Was a minor league slugger that never quite made the transition to the bigs while with the Yankees. But after a trade to KC, Balboni won a World Series ring and slugged 140 HRs over a 5 year period. Today, the guy we referred to as "Balbummy" when he wasn't going good, is running a hitting academy in Edison, NJ. You can also catch an interview Gotham Baseball did with him last week.

Matt Nokes - was a phenom when he joined the Detroit Tigers, slugging 32 HRs in 1987. But he only had an average career, which included 4 years (1991-1994) in the Bronx. Nokes topped 20 HRs twice for the Yanks and was on the receiving end of Jim Abbott's no-hitter in Sept., 1993. Today, Nokes is the hitting instructor for the ABD Academy in Corona, California.

Bert Campanaris - In 1983 Campy spent the last of his 19 year big league career in the Bronx. But he had the good fortune to be playing 3rd Base on July 4 of that season when Dave Righetti tossed his no-hitter. Today, Campy is retired in Scottsdale, AZ , Campaneris lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. But he also participates in baseball camps and works with the MLB Players Alumni Association.

Kevin Maas - Was Shane Spencer before Shane Spencer. But Maas never had the success Spencer had and his rookie home run slugging petered out pretty quickly. He now lives in California and coaches his son and daughter's baseball and softball teams.

Doug Drabek - Represents one of the foolish Yankees trades of the 1980s. Drabek was a 155 game winner and nabbed the NL Cy Young award in 1990. Today, Drabek lives in Woodlands, Texas and monitors his son Kyle's progress. The younger Drabek was the 18th overall pick in the 2006 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mike Aldrete - Played the final 32 games of his 10 year career as a member of the '96 Yankees. He split time between 1B, DH, and the outfield. He earned a WS ring after he appeared in 1 ALCS game and 2 World Series games, with one at-bat. Aldrete is now the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Randy Velarde - Had 2 stints as a Yankee (1987-1995, 2001), narrowly missing out on a championship both times. Velarde once turned an unassisted triple play, and assisted on the final out in Jim Abbott's no-hitter. Velarde now lives in Midland, TX and unfortunately for him, has his name back on people's minds. Velarde was mentioned in the book, "Game of Shadows", and was also mentioned in the Mitchell Report on performance enhancing drugs. Velarde, Clemens, Knoblauch, Stanton, Pettitte...so that's how they grow 'em bigger in Texas.

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The Daily Yankeeland

Robinson Cano's deal is done. In addition to the 4-year, $30 million basic package, there will be 2 club options that could add another $26 million to the deal.

The Daily News has a report that Mayor Bloomberg has reneged on his promise to replace parkland gobbled up by the new Yankee Stadium. The mayor also said there would be additional parkland added. But only 21.3 acres are being replaced, 4 less acres than the original total.

Speaking of Yankee Stadium, Yankees.com has a piece on the Yankee Stadium tour, which we WILL take this year. Must Must Must.

Here we go again, new pitching coach Dave Eiland says that he will be getting Joba Chamberlain ready to be a starter during spring training. But that doesn't mean things can't change. Here's something else to chew on for a while: Kyle Farnsworth is our 8th inning set up man. UGH!

Hall of Famer Whitey Ford is selling much of his baseball memorabilia. The collection consists of several hundred pieces. Chief among them are Whitey's 1961 World Series MVP Award, the warmup jacket that Lou Gehrig wore when his consecutive games streak ended in 1939, and Tony Lazzeri's 1928 World Series ring.

"My wife is tickled this is happening," Ford said. "Now we're going to have room in the house."

An unnamed Red Sox official has now joined the group of voices that feel a Johan Santana trade is not far off. Speculation rose even more after the Mets pulled Carlos Gomez from winter ball...during their World Series.

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Clemens * π + y

This is just one of the many charts and statistical breakdowns that Randy Hendricks and his firm put together to defend Roger Clemens' honor. You can see all 49 pages of the report at rogerclemensreport.com.

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Turn 2 and Sink That Putt

Derek Jeter's annual golf tournament to raise money for his Turn 2 Foundation teed off today at the Avila Country Club in Tampa, Florida. The outing was the culmination of a star studded weekend that began with a party at the Yacht Starship on Saturday. Sunday day, attendees sat in on an auction and were served dinner.

"It's been an amazing journey," Jeter said. "I never knew it would get to a point like this where we would have the participation of such amazing people that we do. It keeps growing and I'm proud to be a part of this."

Among those expected to play today were Morgan Freeman, John Legend, Allan Houston, Annika Sorrenstam, Michael Jordan, Andruw Jones, and Warren Sapp. Legend gave a special performance at Saturday's party.

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Monday Hot Stove

Sock it to me - The Red Sox and White Sox have made a minor swap, with the crimson hose obtaining pitcher Dave Aardsma. In return, the pale hose get right-handers Willy Mota and Miguel Socolovich.

First the Orioles denied that the Mariners' Adam Jones was headed to Baltimore for a physical as a prelude to an Erik Bedard trade. Now, ESPN reports that Orioles owner Peter Angelos has not signed off on the deal.

Nats' new catcher Paul Lo Duca will be out of action for the next 3-6 weeks due to surgery for a minor miniscus tear. Maybe he'll find a way to blame that on the Mets too.

After 14 season behind the plate, catcher Mike Lieberthal has called it a career.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting the Tigers front office is working on a long term deal for phenom Curtis Granderson.

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Breaking News: New Kid on the Knoblauch

Apparently Chuck Knoblauch was not hiding out in Mexico, with or without Jessica Simpson. Knobby had not returned calls from congressional contacts and was nowhere to be found when they tried to subpoena him. Knobby was probably just getting all his ducks in a row- translation: talking to some lawyers first.

Earlier today, the former Yankees 2nd Baseman agreed to talk to the House committee, investigating steroid use, this Friday. A deposition will be taken in preparation for formal hearings on February 13.

"We are pleased that Mr. Knoblauch has agreed to voluntarily participate in a transcribed interview or deposition with the committee. As a result, the Committee is withdrawing the subpoena," House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis said in a statement.

Good luck Knobby...if you have to hit one of their mothers in the head with a glass of water.

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But You Still Don't Have a Dance Coney

David Cone has made peace with the Bronx Bombers and will be joining the YES Network's broadcast of about 50 Yankees' games. King George had been annoyed by Cone's return to baseball with the Mets in 2002 (and probably his deal with the Red Sox in '01), but it's all water under the bridge.

Coney will replace Joe Girardi in the booth and David Justice as host of the kid-oriented "Yankees on Deck".

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Bobby Murcer, Survivor

The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) held its' 85th annual dinner last night, and though many awards were handed out, the Milton Richman "You Gotta Have Heart" Award may have proved the biggest hit of the night. The award was given to our main man, Bobby Murcer, Yankees great, broadcaster, and more importantly, cancer survivor.

It was a little over a year ago that Bobby's life suddenly was turned upside down. Complaining about severe headaches, Bobby went to the doctor to get it checked out. An MRI showed a malignant brain tumor. But aggressive treatment and an incredibly positive attitude have helped him to survive.

"The reason I'm here tonight is because of all your love for me. That's what's sustained me and that's what's given me the strength to be here tonight and to fight this deadly disease."

New Yankees manager Joe Girardi presented the award.

"Bobby, you've inspired us with all the hits and the great catches," Girardi said, "but you've never inspired us more than with the way you live your life."

Keep on keepin' on, Bobby!!!

Johnny Damon received the Joan Payson Award for excellence in community service for his work with the Wounded Warrior Project. The association works to help soldiers are who injured in the line of duty. Army Capt. Tony Odierno, who lost his left arm in Iraq, was one of the presenters. Damon was quite moved by the award.

"I'm not that emotional of a person," Damon said, pausing several times to compose himself. "But for the freedoms that we have, we all should pay more attention to a gentleman like Tony who goes out and fights for it.

"We're going to make these guys come home and live normal lives, and feel like they're a part of our country still."

Other recipients on the evening were Jimmy Rollins (NL MVP), who took a good natured shot from Mets' manager Willie Randolph - "You going to make some predictions today?", and Alex Rodriguez received the player of the year award from Yogi Berra, who may also have delivered the line of the night in true Yogi fashion. “You’re pretty good.”

Other award winners included Joba Chamberlain (Joe DiMaggio “Toast of the Town” Award), and Eric Wedge (Manager of the Year).

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The Daily Yankeeland

Agent Randy Hendricks and his firm have released an 18,000 word thesis to defend his star client Roger Clemens against allegations of steroid use. The Hendricks Report, not to be confused with the Mitchell Report, is a statistical breakdown of the Rocket's career, and includes 38 charts in making its case.

Charley Waters of the Minnesota Star-Tribune feels that a Johan Santana deal is imminent. Of course he's put stuff out before that turned out to be pure speculation. The Star-Tribune also feels that Twins GM Bill Smith may soon do his best Howie Mandel impersonation with the Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox. "Deal...or No Deal?".

Hank Steinbrenner was a no-show at last night Baseball Writers' annual gala, but he did take a shot at those who say the Yankees championships from 1996-2000 were tainted.

There have been reports that have just touched on the subject, but apparently some reporters such as Jon Heyman have been more blatant in their handling of Don Mattingly's sudden departure from the Dodgers. It seems that Donnie and his wife of 28 years, Kim, have agreed to separate. We hope they can work things out.

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Mariners Set to Acquire Bedard

The Seattle Times is reporting that outfield prospect Adam Jones has flown to Baltimore for a physical, as a prelude to a deal for Erik Bedard. It's not known yet what players will be involved, but Jones was told it's a done deal.

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Cashman Throws One Up and In

As reported by Peter Abraham of the Journal News, Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein sat down for a Q and A Friday night at William Paterson College. Cashman took the opportunity to take a shot at Bernie Williams.

Cashman said Williams spent too much time with his music career “and that took away from his play” on the field.

Cashman said Williams had a “terrible season” in 2005 and that former manager Joe Torre was wrong to play Williams as often as he did in 2006 because better players were available.

PeteAbe had the opportunity to get Bernie's reaction Saturday night as the ex-Yankee and his former teammate Paul O'Neill hosted a charity fundraiser for Hillside Food Outreach in New Rochelle, NY.

“I don’t think he has any basis to say anything like that,” he said. “Let me put it this way: Questioning a person’s commitment to the team is a very serious accusation, at least in my book.”

Bernie was then asked if his music had indeed interfered with his final seasons in the Bronx.

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion,” he said. “I haven’t really talked to (Cashman) about what he said. But I want to.”

While Cashman is entitled to his opinion, he should have kept it to himself. There's no denying that Bernie wasn't the same player over the last couple of years of his career, but he's done more for the Yankees than Brian Cashman ever has.

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Friday Hot Stove

With reports of the Yankees close to tying up Robinson Cano with a long term deal, the Twins are doing likewise with Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau. Cuddyer inked a 3-year, $24 million deal, and Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP, will get $80 million over 6 years.

The Yankees are close to a minor signing with veteran utility man Chris Woodard.

The A's added Jeff Fiorentino off of waivers from the Reds. The A's are Fiorentino's 3rd team in 3 weeks. The once highly thought of prospect, who's still just 24-yrs old, was released by the Orioles on January 2nd.

Buster Olney says that the Giants and Mariners are the favorites to land veteran 1st Baseman Tony Clark.

The Rocky Mountain News is claiming the Mets are close to signing Livan Hernandez. It would be great to see him as a teammate of his brother, El Duque.

Rod Barajas was supposed to be the Blue Jays starting catcher last year, but free agent talks broke down at the last moment. This time around Barajas has signed on with Toronto as a back up to Greg Zaun. Had Barajas' deal gone through last year, the Jays would have let Zaun go.

The Braves have signed reliever Rafael Soriano to a new 2-yr, $9 million contract. Atlanta decided to buy out Soriano's 1st year of free agency, by paying more than he requested in arbitration.

If the Orioles can't find themselves a closer to replace the injured Chris Ray, Andy MacPhail indicated that Greg Aquino may be the 1st option.

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The Daily Yankeeland

2000 World Series hero Jose Vizcaino has been hired as a special assistant for the LA Dodgers. The 18-year MLB veteran will work on special projects in baseball operations, and serve as an instructor during spring training. His duties will also include instruction at the Dodgers' baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.

Virginia Tech University has begun to prepare for the Yankees visit on March 18th. In addition to re-aligning the foul poles, temporary seating is being installed to accommodate a large crowd. Currently the school's English Field holds just 1,000 seats. A crowd of about 5,000 people are expected to attend the game.

The school's baseball team will also be making an adjustment- they'll be using wooden bats rather than the customary aluminum bats.


Tickets will not be available to the general public, but instead will be disseminated through a lottery like the one used for Va Tech's basketball and football tickets.

The Yankees committed to the exhibition game and donated $1 million to Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund after the tragic campus shooting this past April 16.

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Breaking News: Cano Close to 4-year Deal

FoxSports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting the Yankees and Robinson Cano are close to agreeing on a 4-year deal that would be worth a reported $30 million. The deal would include all of Cano's arbitration years and 1 or 2 years of free agency.

Cano and the Yankees were getting ready to go to arbitration with the two sides far apart. Cano had submitted a proposal of $4.55 million, while the Yankees submitted a figure of $3.2 million.

Cano qualifies as a "super-two" player, meaning he gets four years of arbitration eligibility, instead of the normal three years.

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And Hold the MSG

Major League Baseball has already branched out to Japan with a series of regular season games - this year's games pit the Red Sox against the A's. And now Bud Selig is ready to bring the game to China.

The San Diego Padres and LA Dodgers will be playing a 2 game exhibition series at Wukesong Field, the site of this year's summer Olympics. Joe Torre and Dave Winfield made the trip to Beijing to join U.N. ambassador to China, Clark Randt, and Chinese baseball official Meng Wei in making the announcement.

Both teams promised to field top notch players for the series, and players' union COO Gene Orza said his membership was excited about the series.

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The Daily Yankeeland

Where for art thou Chuck? Congress is looking for ya. Apparently Chuck Knoblauch is on the lam or at least in hiding from the congressional subpoena server. Meanwhile, Brian McNamee's lawyer, Earl Ward, is trying to reschedule McNamee's day before congress. He's also working on trying to get his client immunity.

All's quiet on the Johan Santana front, but SI's Jon Heyman believes the Mets have taken the lead as the favorite to land the 2-time Cy Young winner. Though a deal may not be imminent, the Mets appear to be having the most regular dialogue with the Twins.

The Yankees have broken another record, but it's a somewhat dubious one. The Yankees' final payroll for 2007 was $218,311,394, nearly $63 million higher than the Red Sox payroll. In all, 10 teams top the century million mark. Click here to see the full list.

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Jose Can you Extort?

Desperate for money and because he's a piece of scum, José Canseco has allegedly tried to extort money from the Tigers' Magglio Ordóñez. Mags doesn't want to press charges though, so the FBI will not be opening an investigation.

According to a New York Times report Canseco told Ordóñez he would keep him out of his new book, the sequel to "Juiced", if the Tigers' outfielder would invest in a movie project promoted by Canseco. Ordóñez said a friend of Canseco's kept calling him, so he informed Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski of the matter.

“One of José’s friends was leaving me messages,” Ordóñez said. “I told Dombrowski because I didn’t know why he was calling me.”

“I didn’t want to press charges against him,” Ordóñez said. “I don’t want any problems. He is probably desperate for money. I don’t understand why he is trying to put people down.”

Dombrowski wouldn't comment on the matter, preferring to keep it an internal matter. Canseco denied any involvement in the alleged matter as well as any knowledge of possible FBI involvement. He did admit to calling Ordonez several months back to talk about the book.

Canseco responded to a query as to whether Ordonez, his 2001 White Sox teammate, would be in the book, by pushing the tome. “You are going to have to buy the book to see that,” Canseco told the Times.

It would seem doubtful that any other players would step forward to claim Canseco tried to extort them as well, since most don't want to deal with the steroid issue.

Canseco, meanwhile, is having difficulty getting his new book, "Vindicated", into stores. Last week, Berkley Books, (part of the Penguin Group), dropped the project after feeling it would not be ready by the time the major league baseball season opened. But Simon Spotlight, part of Simon & Schuster, picked up the book and will release it on March 31.

Canseco also lost his ghost-writer Don Yaeger at the end of December, after Yaeger had doubts about Canseco's "facts".

“What he sent me was stuff like, ‘Look at the difference in their bodies;’ there were not a lot of specifics,” Yaeger said.

But now Canseco's kicking it up a notch by hiring Pablo F. Fenjves. Fenjves is the former National Enquirer staffer who ghost-wrote O.J. Simpson's "If I Did It". Maybe José will be able to tie the two books together into some 'roid rage killing spree.

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For the First Time as Husband and Wife

We give you, Mr. and Mrs. Ian Kennedy (cue applause, hooting, and hollering). In case you wanted to see photos from Mrs. IPK's shower and other fun activities, here they are, as well other photos from IPK and his wife/USC Basketballer, Allison.

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Cano Looking to Future

The Yankees have not had a long-term 2nd Baseman since Mets' manager Willie Randolph manned the position in the 1970's and 1980's. (Pat Kelly only played more than 100 games twice in his 7 years in the pinstripes, and Chuck Knoblauch lasted only 4, mentally challenged years in the Bronx.) But Robinson Cano would like to change all of that. Entering his 4th full season in the majors, the native Dominican would like to sign a long term deal with the Yankees, and avoid arbitration.

In his first year of arbitration eligibility, Cano's reps a proposal of $4.55 million. The Yankees' proposal is well below that at $3.2 million. Cano started out poorly in '07, but finished with career highs in home runs and RBI, and has a lifetime batting average of .314. With help from former coach Larry Bowa, Cano's defense has also improved greatly and he is blossoming into one of the better defensive 2nd Baseman in the AL.

Cano's agent Bobby Barad told Newsday's Kat O'Brien that no negotiations have begun with the Yankees. But Barad said that Cano would be open to have his status locked up early, as the crosstown Mets did with David Wright and Jose Reyes.

"Could it get done? That's more complicated", said Barad. "It depends on, there's so many factors that would determine that."

With large salaries already being paid to a number of older veterans and others, such as Derek Jeter, having contracts coming up for renewal sooner rather than later, it's understandable that the Yankees may not want to throw too much money at Cano too soon. Then again they may want to learn a lesson from their previous contract negotiations with Jeter, who made much more money after the Yankees decided not to initially offer him a long term deal.

As Don Mattingly once said, referring to contract status, "This year they (the Yankees) have the hammer. Next year I will.".

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A Sneaker Fit for a King

LeBron James was seen, much to the chagrin of Cleveland Indians' fans, with a Yankees hat on during the American League Division Series this past fall. Now King James is hawking a new Nike sneaker line that is a tribute to the Bronx Bombers.

The Air Zoom LeBron V features the pinstripes as well as LeBron's, and Don Mattingly's, number 23.

The best feature, though, is an homage to the Bleacher Creatures under the tongue of the shoe. "Le-Bron Ja-Mes. Clap. Clap. Clap Clap Clap" gives the sneaker its own role call. Though not necessarily Yankees related (perhaps a nod to New Yorkers), the strap reads "Fresh for '08. Suckers!"

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Knobby Gets the Call

The House of Representatives Government Reform and Oversight Committee didn't hear back from Chuck Knoblauch, so the former Yankees 2nd Baseman will be getting a formal invitation to attend next months congressional hearings. Committee chairmen Henry Waxman (D-Calif) and member Tom Davis (R-VA) jointly announced today that Knobby had been subpoenaed to raise his right hand and testify under oath.

"The committee has taken this step because Mr. Knoblauch failed to respond to the invitation to participate voluntarily in a deposition or transcribed interview and the February 13 hearing."

Knoblauch certainly hasn't helped himself out with his somewhat belligerent attitude. Considering he has stated that he has no friends in baseball, his testimony could be quite eye opening.

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Donnie Baseball Steps Down

Citing family reasons, Don Mattingly stepped down as the LA Dodgers hitting instructor earlier this evening. Donnie Baseball will remain on the Dodgers' payroll as a special assignment coach. Mike Easler has been named as the new hitting coach.

Mattingly released the following statement through the team:

"I'm very grateful that the Dodgers have allowed me to take care of these family matters and I hope that everyone can respect our privacy during this time," Mattingly said in a statement issued by the team. "I truly appreciate the support of all Dodger fans since joining the organization and I look forward to helping the team win in 2008 and beyond."

We wish Donnie and his family all of the best! We were hoping perhaps he saw himself in a Dodgers uniform and thought better of it.

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White Sox Ink Dotel

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Chicago White Sox have attempted to strengthen their bridge to Bobby Jenks by signing Octavio Dotel to a 2-year deal. The 34-yr old will reportedly make $11 million.

The signing means the White Sox have invested $30 million in the pen for Dotel and Scott Linebrink.

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Yankee Greats Take Pen in Hand

Yankee and baseball legends will be in New Jersey this Saturday and Sunday signing autographs and chatting with fans. But be sure to being your checkbook. In addition to the entrance fee, there are charges for various autographs as well.

The Crown Plaza Hotel in Secaucus will host the 2 day event, which has a ton of Yankees greats and not-so greats. One day admission is $10, 2-day will set you back $18.

The 1998 team is celebrating the 10th anniversary- could it really be that long?- of that special season. David Cone, Homer Bush, Chad Curtis, Chili Davis, Joe Girardi, El Duque, Rickey Ledee, Ramiro Mendoza, Graeme Lloyd, Jeff Nelson, Tim Raines, Luis Sojo, Shane Spencer, and coach Don Zimmer are expected to be in attendance on Saturday.

Sunday will see Paul O'Neill, Mike Stanton, Daryl Strawberry, and coach Chris Chambliss.

Newly elected Hall of Famer Goose Gossage is expected to be at both days of the show. Tracey Stallard, who gave up Roger Maris' 61st home run, Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Dick Williams, and our favorite guy Bobby Murcer will also be among those attending. Oddly, the only current Yankee expected to be there is Wilson Betemit.

Click here for all the details

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The Golden Child

No, not that really bad movie with Eddie Murphy (though Charlotte Lewis looked really hot). Chase, the Golden Retriever/batdog for the Trenton Thunder is going to be a puppy pappy. Chase got it on with Cyndarella, female Golden, and pups are on the way.

You can own one of the pups too. If interested, contract Cynazar Golden Retrievers at cynazar@aol.com or call (732) 846-4949.

Way to go Chase!

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What Did you do on your Winter Vacation?

Johnny Damon spent part of his vacation stumping for Rudy Guiliani today in Orlando, Florida.

Will any Yankees get in trouble if they publicly go against Mr. Yankee?

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Monday Hot Stove

Yadier Molina agreed to terms on a brand spanking new contract with the Cardinals today. The 4-year deal also has an option of a 5th year, and would buy out his 2nd year of free agency.

The Royals have signed Brett Tomko to a 1-year, $3 million deal. Can the Royals stock up on mediocre pitchers, or what?

The Indians thought about bringing back Bartolo Colon. Then they saw him pitch in the Dominican, where he only hit 89 on the radar gun. The White Sox have reportedly backed off too, because of Colon's desire for a multi-year deal.

The Rockies have reportedly signed their rookie phenom shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki, to a 6-year, $30 million deal. There's also an option for a 7th year included.

The Reds have inked lefty Jeremy Affeldt to a 1-year, $3 million deal. Remember when Affeldt's agent called his client a premier left-hander and wanted a 3- or 4-year deal?

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Pick a Number, any Number

We're heading towards the end of January, which means its time for those little nasty meetings called arbitration hearings. Agents usually advise their clients not to attend so they don't hear the bad things that management says about them.

Wilson Betemit avoided arbitration by agreeing last week to a 1-year, $1.165 million deal. That's a bump of three-quarters of a million dollars. In the meantime, representatives for Chien-Ming Wang, Robinson Cano, and Brian Bruney have submitted their arbitration figures and the Yankees have countered with their offers. Here's how it shakes out.

Chieng-Ming Wang Wants: $4.6 million
Yankees: $4 million
2007 Salary: $489,500

Our Take: Considering Wang has won 19 games in back-to-back seasons, we don't see his playoff meltdown impacting his salary. We think he should be awarded the higher figure. Obviously we'd like to see the two sides compromise at $4.3 and avoid the hearing.

Robinson Cano Wants: $4.55 million
Yankees: $3.2 million
2007 Salary: $490,800

Our Take: This is a tough one. Cano started the season horribly, but then had a huge 2nd half. Because of that split, we think the Yankees will win the arbitration hearing, so again we'd like to see a compromise and a pre-arbitration contract.




Brian Bruney Wants: $845,000
Yankees: $640,000
2007 Salary: $395,545

Our Take: Dude, seriously. You stunk last year. And ERA of 4.68 and 37 walks in 50 innings pitched. The Yankees will win this one in a cake walk.

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We've Got Some 'splaining to Do

Work interfering with blogging. Reprehensible. But unfortunately it happened to us the last 2 weeks. We were on the computer so many hours during the day and evening, we couldn't take any more. But now we're back and better than ever. Okay, we're just back.

First off, we are still basking in the glow of the GIANTS great NFC Championship win last night in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field.

Now, lets get back to baseball. Unfortunately, the steroid issue isn't going away any time soon. Yesterday we read about a growing rift between Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens. Supposedly they were never as close as everyone thought. Is this Derek Jeter-A-Rod, Part Deux?

Reportedly, Pettitte is upset with Clemens because of the Rocket's public airing of his phone conversation with Brian McNamee, and his overall aggressive defense of his reputation.

Though Clemens and Pettitte were work out buddies, fellow Texans, and Yankee pitchers, their relationship was apparently exaggerated by the media.

They were never as close as they were made out to be," a friend of both said on the condition of anonymity. "They just sort of went along with it in the media, because it was a good story."

Their friendship didn't extend much beyond the playing field and workout room. Pettitte is deeply religious and prefers a quiet night at home. Clemens, the extrovert, likes to hit the town when the team is on the road (perhaps this is some of the "activity" McNamee had alluded to).

Clemens denial of any knowledge of Pettitte's use of HGH made us think he was lying at the time. But perhaps he really didn't know because the two are not as close as we were lead to think.

* * *

Clemens' attorney Rusty Hardin did confirm that his client will testify, under oath, before Congress on Jan. 26.

“Roger looks forward to telling the truth under oath,” his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said. “The date they proposed for us to meet with staff is the actual date we proposed, so we appreciate it.”

* * *

According to McNamee's hired gun, Earl Ward, his client met with Clemens' reps in 2003 or 2004 to warn them that the Rocket might fail a steroid test. Jim Murray, who works for Randy and Alan Hendricks, asked specific questions and took detailed notes. The meeting came about as a result of MLB's announcement of a steroid testing policy.

"The meeting coincided with baseball's announcement of testing," said Earl Ward, McNamee's lawyer. "Brian wanted to let them know Roger had some problems. They discussed steroid use, and this was as far back as 2003 or 2004, and Murray took notes."

* * *

Clemens, as well as Barry Bonds, and anyone else suspected of steroid use, has to be looking into the case of former NFL-er, Dana Stubblefield. The former San Francisco 49er has been sentenced to 6 months in prison for lying to federal authorities during the BALCO investigation.

OK, that's enough 'roid talk for now. Except for this...we didn't fail to notice the contract extension for Bud Selig. We just don't feel like vomiting in public.

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Giants 12.5 Point Dogs

The opening Super Bowl line was Giants +13, now +12.5

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Congrats to the Pats

Congrats to the Patriots on their 18th win. Now hopefully it ends there. Tom Brady was actually human today. And if you saw the 1st minute of the CBS pre-game, you saw an actor playing a professor, ranting about a perfect season.

That was Don Meehan, a very good friend of mine, who is both and actor and an IT guy. Here's his website.

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We're Going to the Super Bowl

Okay, we'll only be watching on TV, but the Giants did it!!! We didn't think it was possible and then a damn kicker nearly blew it, but they pulled it out!!!! GO GIANTS!!!



Our boy Tinker was ready to take a bite out of Tynes.

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This Week in the NFL - Championship Games

Wowee Wow Wow...wow, that sounded stupid. But the Giants are in the NFC Championship game for the first time since wiping up the Meadowlands with the Vikings in January, 2001.

Unfortunately, just as we did last week, we don't think the Giants are coming out on top in this one. And hopefully, we're wrong again. Between the cold and Brett Favre, we see the Packers winning it 24-20. Which also means we are taking the Giants and the 7 points.

We don't expect the AFC game to be competitive at all. Sure the Chargers will score some points, but we see a rout here. Patriots 41-23.

Lets just talk about backup QBs for a moment. Can you imagine if the NFC game came down to Jared Lorenzen and Aaron Rodgers? As the pics below attest, one looks like a bowling ball and the other should be holding a bong and a snowboard - or perhaps reprising the role of Frank Serpico in a movie sequel.































On a sad note, we just learned that Ernie Holmes, a member of Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" back in the '70s, died in a car crash earlier today. He was just 59.

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Wednesday Hot Stove

The Hot Stove continues to crawl along at a snail's pace, but there were a few happenings today.

The Cubs are bringing back Jon Lieber, who pitched for the north siders from 1999-2002 and was their last 20 game winner.

The Tigers have signed left-hander Nate Robertson to a 3-year, $21.25 million extension. It's amazing how much you can make at mediocrity.

Marlins pitcher Anibel Sanchez, who tossed a no-no in 2006, won't be ready for the start of Spring Training after undergoing labrum surgery.

The A's are bringing back Kirk Saarloos, who spent the last year plus with the Reds. Saarloos, who was with the A's from 2004-6, signed a minor league deal.

Jose Valentin is going to continue playing and is going to do it as a Met. The 16-year vet signed a minor league deal and accepted an invite to Spring Training.

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