Cashman Re-Ups

Brian Cashman said he still has a job to do. He's got three years to do it. The Yankees general manager signed a new, three year contract that will keep as the head honcho through 2011.

"I know I've said it before, but it's an incredible opportunity and honor to hold the title of general manager for the New York Yankees," Cashman said. "With it comes a great responsibility to ownership, the people who wear the uniform and our fan base. I've got a job to finish here. That's the bottom line."

The Steinbrenner boys were happy to have Cashman back in the fold.

"Before we could move forward as an organization this offseason, we needed to come to a resolution on the person who would hold the important position of general manager and allow us to make another run at a 27th world championship," Hal and Hank Steinbrenner said in a joint statement released through the team.

"We are thrilled that Brian has accepted to renew his commitment to this organization for at least three more years."

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R.I.P. Cool Hand Luke

Paul Newman's passing at age 83 on Friday left a big void in the World. Besides being a great actor, he was a big time humanitarian, donating millions to charity and starting the "Hole in the Wall" camp for cancer stricken kids.

Butch Cassidy, Judge Roy Bean, Reg Dunlop, Hud..the list of memorable characters goes on and on.

Rest in Peace and thanks for some great memories Mr. Newman.

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89-73

What an incredibly underwhelming season. The Yankees dropped game #162 last night, 4-3, to the Red Sox in 10 innings. The Yankees rallied to tie the game in the ninth, but Jose Veras couldn't get out of a bases loaded jam in the tenth. Jonathan Van Every singled home the game winner, some 48 hours, OK, not that long on, after the day began.

Sidney Ponson was impressive in his final start, allowing a run on four hits through six innings. Boston went ahead 3-1 in the eighth, against Darrell Rasner, on Sean Casey's 2-run single. But a sac fly by Juan Miranda (his first major league RBI) and a 2-out single by Robinson Cano tied the game in the ninth against David Aardsma. Red Sox pitcher Devern Hansack picked up his second major league win, and his first in two years.

One of the biggest story this season was of course, the transformation of Joba Chamberlain from reliever to starter and then back again due to injury. Looks like more of the same for next year.

Joe Girardi is already talking about next year's goals as if we didn't know what they were already.

Mike Mussina's 20th win yesterday, and number 270 all-time, could be his last. Speculation is that he'll retire.

Prior to yesterday's game the Red Sox retired #6 in honor of long time player and coach Johnny Pesky. He may be the first person to hit an opening fungo.

The 89 wins was the least since the Yankees won just 87 in taking the AL East in 2000 (something tells us Hank Steinbrenner didn't complain back then). The last non-strike, non-post season team of 1993 won 88 games.

Hard to argue with those who said Robinson Cano should have been sent a message earlier. Since being pulled out of September 14th's game and a subsequent one game benching, Cano went on a 19-46 (.413) tear to finish the season.

Johnny Damon (.303), Alex Rodriguez (.302), and Derek Jeter (.300) were the only regulars to finish at .300 or above. It was the first time for Damon since he donned the Pinstripes in 2006. Damon also had his highest stolen base total in the three years with 29.

Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, and Albert Pujols are the only major leaguers to drive in 100 runs each of the last six seasons.

A-Rod led the clubs in HR (35), RBI (103), slugging (.573), and strikeouts (117).

Cody Ransom has the early inside for the 2009 utility position. Ransom hit .302 in 43 at-bats with 4 home runs and a 1.051 OPS.

Jason Giambi led the team in walks with 76, three more than Abreu. Abreu did lead the team with 39 doubles, while Damon topped in triples with 5.

Andy Pettitte (204.1) and Mike Mussina (200.1) were the only pitchers to top 200 innings. In addition to wins, Mussina led the starters with a 3.37 ERA. Pettitte's 158 strikeouts was 8 more than Mussina's total. Pettitte was second in wins (14) and had the most losses (14). Chien-Ming Wang owned the only complete game in '08.

In saving 39 games, Mariano Rivera appeared in the most games, 64, four more than Jose Veras.

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We Want You as a New Recruit

It may be sung to CC Sabathia in the off-season, but for now it's just because the Yankees rookies went through their hazing on Friday night. Normally this would take place after the last home game, but with all of the festivities and a late night last Sunday, things were put off until Boston. The players were dressed as the Village People, though they didn't have enough uniforms for players such as Phil Coke.

Unfortunately, there was also a lack of photographs. From left to right - Francisco Cervelli as the leather clad biker, Juan Miranda as the cop, Humberto Sanchez is "in the Navy", and Al Aceves as the Indian. Not pictured, Brett Gardner as the construction worker, and David Robertson as the cowboy.

Not their best work, but not bad.

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The Pennant Race - 9/28

It's been an amazing final weekend of the 2008 season, with several playoff spots still up for grabs. The Phillies clinched the NL East with a win over Washington on Saturday, but the Mets victory, combined with the Brewers loss, meant the wildcard would come down the final Sunday, and possibly Monday.

The Marlins had crushed the Mets dreams in 2007, jumping all over then Met Tom Glavine in the first inning and cruised to an 8-1 victory. Johan Santana had put the Mets into position with a masterful shutout on Saturday. Sunday was a match of a pair of left-handers, Scott Olsen for the Marlins, and Oliver Perez for the Mets.

The two teams were scoreless in the sixth inning when the Marlins finally broke through. Cameron Maybin led off with a double and scored on John Baker's single for a 1-0 lead. Jorge Cantu followed with a single and both runners moved up on Mike Jacobs fly out. Jerry Manuel elected to intentionally walk Dan Uggla, but reliever Joe Smith walked Josh Willingham to force in a run. Smith wiggled out of further trouble and the Mets came right back.

Robinson Cancel started the home half of the sixth with a walk. One batter later Carlos Beltran drove the Shea crowd crazy with a game tying 2-run home run, his 27th of the season.

Meanwhile in Milwaukee, the Brewers trailed the Cubs 1-0 on an unearned run. CC Sabathia was doing everything he could to win it for the Brewers, but Milwaukee couldn't break through against an array of Cubs pitchers.

Carlos Zambrano was originally slated to start the game for Chicago, but Lou Piniella end up opting for Angel Guzman, who gave him two innings of work. Chad Gaudin, Neall Cotts, and Kevin Hart kept Milwaukee off the board through six innings.

Veteran Ray Durham greeted reliever Scott Marshall with a lead off double in the seventh. Ryan Braun's ground out moved Durham up to third, and Prince Fielder was intentionally walked to set up a potential double play. Piniella went to Mike Wuertz, who walked J.J. Hardy to load the bases. Wuertz then struck out Craig Counsell for the second out, but walked Corey Hart to force in the tying run.

The Marlins and Mets moved to the eighth inning back at Shea, still tied at 2-2. But Wes Helms connected off of Scot Schoenweis for just his fifth home run of the season and a 3-2 Marlins lead. Two batters later, Dan Uggla slugged his 32nd home run of the year off of Luis Ayala for a 4-2 Florida advantage.

With the Mets falling behind, the Brewers took it to the Cubs in the eighth. Mike Cameron singled with one out and two batters later, second year sensation Ryan Braun belted his 37th home run of the year off of Cubs set up man Bobby Howry. Braun has 71 home runs in 264 big league games.

At Shea, Jose Reyes smacked a double off of Kevin Gregg with two outs in the eighth. A Beltran walk brought up the Mets biggest hitter in the second half, Carlos Delgado. Fredi Gonzalez countered with lefty specialist Arthur Rhodes. Delgado drilled a 1-1 shot to left, but the ball stayed in the park for the third out of the inning.

In Milwaukee, Sabathia completed his seventh game in 17 Brewers starts, Ryan Theriot singled with one away, but Sabathia got Derrek Lee to bounce into a game ending double play.

A quite Shea Stadium held their breath and heads, and prayed as Matt Lindstrom came on in the ninth for the Marlins. David Wright popped out to second base and Endy Chavez hit a comebacker for the first two outs of the inning. Damon Easley drew a walk, giving the Mets on more shot with the tying run at the plate, but Ryan Church flied out to deep center to end the ball game and another disappointing Mets season.


Over in the American League, the AL Central was coming down to the last Sunday. With a half-game separating the two teams, the White Sox needed a win in order to play their 162nd game against the Tigers on Monday. The game being a make up of an earlier rain out. The Twins held destiny in their own hands, knowing that a win would ensure them, at the very least, of a one game playoff on Tuesday.

Pitching was the name of the game for both teams. Chicago's ace Mark Buehrle pitched like one. After losing the first two games against the Indians, the White Sox needed their best to give them his best. Buerhle did just that, allowing one run over seven innings to earn his 15th win of the season. Paul Konerko's solo home run highlighted a 3-run second inning that gave the White Sox the lead for good. Jermaine Dye added some big insurance with a 2-run single in the seventh before Matt Thornton and Bobby Jenks sealed the win.

Meanwhile in Minnesota, the Twins had struggled against the Royals for two days, but Scott Baker was huge on Sunday. The Twins right-hander allowed just four hits, and struck out eight over seven innings, and the Twins rolled to a 6-0 victory. Joe Mauer and Delmon Young drove in two runs each for the Twins, who won their 88th game.

Gavin Floyd will start for Chicago on Monday, while former White Sox star Freddy Garcia goes for the Tigers. Should the White Sox win, they will face the Twins in a one game showdown in Chicago on Tuesday.

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Mussina Wins 20th

It took Mike Mussina 18 seasons, but he can finally say he's a 20-game winner. The 39-year old became the oldest pitcher to earn 20 wins for the first time in his career when the Yankees downed the Red Sox 6-2. Mussina tossed six scoreless innings to extend his season-ending streak to 11.1 innings, leaving after 73 pitches were thrown.

An Xavier Nady 3-run home run off of Daisuke Matsuzaka in the fourth inning snapped a 0-0 tie. The win didn't come easily, however, as the Red Sox rallied in the eighth inning. Joba Chamberlain issued a lead-off walk to Jason Bay, and Mark Kotsay followed with a ground rule double to right. With the tieing run at the plate, Joe Girardi sent for Brian Bruney.

The right-hander, who missed much of the season with a torn Lisfranc ligament, struck out Jed Lowrie looking and retired Chris Carter on an RBI ground out. With Jacoby Ellsbury due up, Girardi went to left-hander Damaso Marte, but it was for naught, as Ellsbury singled to left field to cut the lead to 3-2.

Mariano Rivera went to New York earlier this week and has been contemplating surgery for his sore right shoulder, but he came back for the final series knowing that Mussina had a chance for 20 wins. With base stealing threat Ellsbury on base, Rivera blew three fastballs past Dustin Pedroia to retire the side.

The Yankees added three insurance runs in the ninth off of Jon Papelbon to increase the lead to 6-2, and then it was up to Rivera. David Ortiz reached on an error by Cody Ransom at short, but Rivera retired Kevin Youkilis, Jon Van Every, and Bay, on a ground-out to Ransom, for his 39th save in 40 tries. A jubilant Mussina sat on the bench and was greeted by the Yankees coaches, before joining his teammates on the field. Rivera gave him the game ball for career win number 270.

September 28, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NY Yankees	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	3		6	10	1
Boston	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0		2	5	0

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Gardner, CF	5	1	1	0	0	1	1	.228
Damon, LF	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	.303
Abreu, RF	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	.296
Cabrera, RF	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	.244
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	1	2	1	1	1	0	.302
Giambi, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	3	4	.247
Miranda, 1B	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	.375
Nady, DH	4	1	2	3	0	1	0	.307
Cano, 2B	4	1	3	0	0	0	1	.270
Ransom, SS	3	1	2	0	1	1	1	.325
Molina, C	3	0	0	1	0	1	5	.216
Totals	35	6	10	6	5	10	16
BATTING 2B: Cano (35, Matsuzaka). HR: Nady (25, 4th inning off Matsuzaka, 2 on, 2 out). TB: Gardner; Rodriguez, A 2; Nady 5; Cano 4; Ransom 2. RBI: Nady 3 (96), Molina (18), Cabrera (37), Rodriguez, A (103). 2-out RBI: Nady 3; Rodriguez, A. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Gardner; Molina; Giambi; Miranda. SF: Molina. GIDP: Molina. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Abreu (22, 2nd base off Matsuzaka/Varitek), Cano (2, 3rd base off Matsuzaka/Varitek). FIELDING E: Ransom (3, fielding). Outfield assists: Damon (Pedroia at 2nd base). DP: 2 (Cano-Ransom-Giambi 2).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mussina (W, 20-9)	6.0	3	0	0	2	3	0	3.37
Coke (H, 5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.61
Chamberlain	0.0	1	2	2	1	0	0	2.60
Bruney (H, 12)	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	1.83
Marte	0.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4.02
Rivera (S, 39)	1.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1.40

Boston	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Ellsbury, CF	4	0	1	1	0	0	1	.280
Pedroia, 2B	4	0	2	0	0	1	2	.326
Ortiz, DH	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.264
2-Bailey, PR-DH	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.283
Youkilis, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	1	3	.312
Drew, RF	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	.280
Van Every, J, RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.231
Bay, LF	3	1	0	0	1	2	2	.286
Kotsay, 1B	3	1	1	0	0	0	1	.276
Lowrie, SS	3	0	0	0	0	2	2	.256
Varitek, C	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	.220
1-Kottaras, G, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.200
Ross, C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.230
a-Carter, PH	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	.429
Cash, C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.232
Totals	30	2	5	2	3	7	15
a-Grounded out for Ross in the 8th. 1-Ran for Varitek in the 6th. 2-Ran for Ortiz in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Kotsay (25, Chamberlain). TB: Ellsbury; Pedroia 2; Ortiz; Kotsay 2. RBI: Carter (2), Ellsbury (47). 2-out RBI: Ellsbury. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Bay. GIDP: Drew; Pedroia. Team LOB: 4. FIELDING DP: (Youkilis-Pedroia-Kotsay).

Boston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Matsuzaka (L, 18-3) 4.0 4 3 3 2 5 1 2.90 Lopez 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2.43 Delcarmen 2.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3.27 Okajima 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2.61 Papelbon 1.0 4 3 3 1 1 0 2.34

Chamberlain pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. Marte pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. WP: Lopez. Pitches-strikes: Mussina 73-48, Coke 13-9, Chamberlain 10-4, Bruney 10-7, Marte 6-5, Rivera 23-16, Matsuzaka 73-46, Lopez 29-17, Delcarmen 23-16, Okajima 11-8, Papelbon 33-18. Groundouts-flyouts: Mussina 9-5, Coke 1-0, Chamberlain 0-0, Bruney 1-0, Marte 0-0, Rivera 2-1, Matsuzaka 4-3, Lopez 1-0, Delcarmen 4-2, Okajima 0-1, Papelbon 1-1. Batters faced: Mussina 20, Coke 3, Chamberlain 2, Bruney 2, Marte 1, Rivera 5, Matsuzaka 18, Lopez 5, Delcarmen 7, Okajima 3, Papelbon 8. Inherited runners-scored: Bruney 2-1, Marte 1-1, Rivera 1-0. Umpires: HP: Phil Cuzzi. 1B: James Hoye. 2B: Jerry Layne. 3B: Randy Marsh. Weather: 67 degrees, drizzle. Wind: 3 mph, Out to LF. T: 3:16 (:00 delay). Att: 37,091.

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NFL Picks - Week 4

We never had a chance to go over the picks from last Sunday, but we were 10-6 last week.

YTD - 27-19-1

Week 4 Picks

Big Blue has the week off, so we'll savor that 3-0 start for a bit.

Jets -1 vs. Cardinals
We have no faith in the Jets, but this is Arizona they're playing. Jets and Favre take this one, 20-17.

Broncos -9 at Chiefs
Chiefs are God awful and the Broncos offense is clicking on all cylinders. Broncs shouldn't blow them out.

Browns +1 at Bengals
Wow, tough one. The way things have gone for these 0-3 teams, they'll probably tie. Derek Anderson has to turn things around, doesn't he?

Jaguars -6.5 vs. Texans
Jags are beat up, but last week's win proved just how much talent this team has. Houston doesn't match up.

Saints -4.5 vs. 49ers
Saints defense has been nowhere to be found, but they should be able to do enough to beat the Niners.

Falcons +7 at Panthers
We love this Panthers team, but they haven't been that stupendous. Panthers win, but a close game.

Titans -3 vs. Vikings
The better team takes this one.

Packers +2 at Bucs
Interesting game and a tough pick. Bucs 'D' hasn't been as we would expect. The Bucs are not the Cowboys and that should mean a good enough day for Aaron Rodgers.

Bills -8.5 at Rams
When you're 8.5 point underdogs at home, you know you are in trouble.

Chargers -8 at Raiders
The same theory applies as above. Chargers should crush the Raiduhs.

Redskins +10 at Cowboys
Dallas is the superior team, but that's a big spread for such an intense rivalry.

Eagles -3 at Bears
Even without Westbrook, the Eagles should take it.

Steelers -5 vs. Ravens
Steelers should bounce back from last week's tough loss to Philly.

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The Pennant Race - 9/26

The Mets may very well have saved their season last night. Heavy rains could have an affect on this weekend's series with the Marlins, but the Mets would have been in even deeper water, or something else, had they not won last night's game with the Cubs. Trailing 6-3, the Mets rallied back and then won the game in the bottom of the 9th when Carlos Beltran's line drive ticked off the end of the glove of a diving Micah Hoffpauir at 1st base. Jose Reyes raced home with the winning run in a 7-6 victory. It overshadowed a big game by Hoffpauir, who was playing in just his 31st big league game. The rookie homered twice, doubled, and drove in 5 runs.

The Mets bullpen, for once, was key, holding the Cubs over the final 2.2 innings after a shaky start from Pedro Martinez. It kept the Shea inhabitants in a tie with the Milwaukee Brewers, who also won in dramatic fashion, for the wildcard lead, and moved them to within one game of the idle Phillies in the NL East. Martinez left to a standing ovation, which he admittedly realized could be his last.

Knowing that the Mets had already won, the Brewers were locked in a 1-1 battle with the Pirates. The key to the 10th inning win came down to one at-bat. With two men aboard and two outs, Dale Sveum sent up Craig Counsell to pinch-hit for Bill Hall. Rookie Jesse Chavez walked him, meaning he had to face Ryan Braun. Moments later Bernie Brewer was going nuts, as was the rest of Miller Park, as Braun hit a walk off grand slam. Kudos to the Brewers pitchers, all eight of them, that held the Pirates to one run.

Bullpens were huge in the White Sox-Twins game last night as well. The White Sox built up a 6-1 and looked like they would remain in first place in the AL Central, but the Twins rallied against the Chicago pen, while their own relievers shut down the White Sox after the 4th inning.

An RBI triple by Carlos Gomez and a run scoring double by Denard Span cut the White Sox lead in half in the fourth. Down 6-4 in the eighth inning, the two struck again. Gomez's RBI single off of Bobby Jenks narrowed the deficit to a run, and moments later Span tripled to score Gomez and knot the game at 6-6. In the 10th, Nick Punto drew a one out walk, moved to second on Gomez's ground out, and advanced to third on Jenks' wild pitch. After Span was intentionally walked, Alexi Casilla singled home Punto with the game winner and vaulted the Twins into first place by a half-game.

The Dodgers clinched the NL West when the Cardinals pounded the Diamondbacks 12-3 Thursday afternoon, but held off celebrating until after they lost last night's game with the Padres, 7-5. Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez made the difference with this bunch, which took advantage of a collapsing Dbacks squad.

The Red Sox moved back to within 2 games of the Rays with a 6-1 win over the Indians. Jon Lester and three relievers combined on a 2-hitter and Kevin Youkilis hit his 28th home run. Meanwhile, the Rays fell to the Tigers, 7-5, as Scott Kazmir was tagged for four of the five home runs Detroit hit. Rookie Armando Galarraga won his 13th game for the Tigers.


News and Notes

The Padres clung to their slim playoff hopes with an 8-6 win over the Reds. Roy Oswalt won his 17th game. Oswalt went 8-2, 1.70 in his last 10 starts.

Vlad Guerrero's 3-run home run yesterday gave him at least 90 RBI for the 10th time in his career.

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Surgery in Mo's Future?

The NY Post's George King is reporting this afternoon that Mariano Rivera may need surgery to clean up his aching shoulder. Rivera has reportedly told friends he believes the discomfort is from bone spurs that would require surgical intervention.

UPDATE 4:28 PM from Peter Abraham.

Just spoke to Mariano Rivera. He has been been pitching with a sore shoulder all season. There is inflammation and calcification. He has been given two options: a series of injections and rehab or surgery. He has not made a decision but seems to be leaning toward the surgery.

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Girardi Loses it as Streak Ends

The Yankees seven game winning streak came to an end last night, 7-2 to the Blue Jays as Roy Halladay won his 20th game, but all anyone wanted to talk to Joe Girardi about was Mariano Rivera's possible injury.

Earlier in the day it was reported that Rivera, suffering from an "cranky" body, had gone to New York for his standard year end physical. Last night it turned out that Rivera's shoulder was bothering him and he was sent to New York to get it examined and have an MRI done. Even Mrs. MM said there was no way Mo would leave the team early unless he was hurt.

The media pounced on Girardi, who has had a habit all season of stretching the truth concerning the teams injuries, during his post-game press conference. Girardi lashed back, showing some of the attitude that the media in Florida complained about. Peter Abraham has audio of both the pre- and post-game press conferences. Tyler Kepner also discusses Girardi's propensity for lying about injuries.

Apparently the shoulder has been bothering Mo for a while, but he didn't want to say anything until the Yankees were eliminated. Hopefully, the MRI will show no structural damage. George King has more...

On another note, the Carl Pavano era has, thankfully, come to an end. Pavano was knocked out last (surprisingly, not literally). He was knocked out with two away in the fourth after allowing 5 runs. He finishes his 4-year, $39.95 million contract with a 9-8, 5.00 record in 26 starts. Almost half those wins came in the second half of this season.







"The price of 20 wins"

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The Pennant Race - 9/25

Pandemonium in Flushing. Mets fans woke up this morning with a September hangover, unsure if it was 2007 or 2008. The Mets blew a 5-1 lead to the Cubs last night, blew a chance to win it in the ninth inning, and then lost to the Cubs in 10 innings, 9-6.

Dan Murphy tripled off of Bobby Howry to lead off the bottom of the ninth, sending the Shea faithful into a frenzy. But Howry struck out David Wright and after intentionally walking the Carloses, Beltran and Delgado to load the bases, got Ryan Church to ground to second baseman Ronny Cedeno, who forced Murphy at home. Howry then made a better escape than David Blaine could any day, by striking out Ramon Castro to retire the side.

Derek Lee doubled in the go ahead run in the tenth and Aramis Ramirez put the game away with a 2-run home run.

C.C. Sabathia pitched the Brewers into a tie for the wildcard lead with the Mets in Milwaukee's 4-2 win over the Pirates. The big left-hander won his 10th game in 16 Brew Crew starts, and his 16th win overall, by limiting Pittsburgh to one run and four hits in seven innings, while striking out 11. Sabathia was working on three days rest and is expected to duplicate that feat again on Sunday.

The Twins beat the White Sox for the second straight night, this time 3-2, to move within one-half game of the AL Central lead. Nick Blackburn threw a solid five innings and four relievers limited the White Sox to just one hit from the sixth inning on. Gavin Floyd faces Kevin Slowey in tonight's series finale.

The Dodgers magic number to clinch the NL West is down to one. Manny Ramirez hit his 17th home run since "going west coast" and the Dodgers pounded the Padres 12-4. Meanwhile, Adam Wainwright and four relievers limited the Diamondbacks to two runs in the Cardinals 4-2 win over Arizona. A Dodgers win or Diamondbacks loss today will give LA the western crown.

While the Angels are prepping for the playoffs, Francisco Rodriguez is improving his resume. K-Rod added to his record setting season with his 62nd save of the season.

The Rays maintained their three game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East with an 11-6 win over the Orioles. Aki Iwamura drove in three runs and Edwin Jackson, despite allowing six runs in 5.1 innings pitched, won his career high 13th game.

The Red Sox won their second consecutive 5-4 decision over the Indians. Mark Kotsay snapped a 4-4 tie with an RBI double in the eighth inning. Fausto Carmona got yanked after just one inning and an inconceivable 51 pitches thrown.

News and Notes

Twenty year veteran first baseman Mickey Vernon has passed away at the age of 90. The seven time All-Star won two batting titles and spent most of his career playing for the down trodden Washington Senators.

The Seattle Times is reporting that there is much animosity in the clubhouse towards All-Star Ichiro Suzuki. Teammates have nearly come to blows with the outfielder's selfish attitude.

The Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds became the first player in major league history to strike out 200 times in a season when he k'ed this afternoon against the Cardinals. Reynolds had broken Ryan Howard's year old single season record last night. The record may not hold though since Reynolds has just four more than Howard this year. Oh, and Reynolds has committed 34 errors.

The Rockies' Todd Helton has opted for back surgery next week to correct a disk problem.

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Abreu Slams Yankees to 7th Straight

Bobby Abreu knows how important is too put up good numbers in a free agent season. Last night the right fielder hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to give the Yankees their seventh win in a row, 6-2 over the Toronto Blue Jays. The 4 RBI left Abreu one shy of the magic century mark, a feat has accomplished in each of the last six seasons, and the seventh time overall in his career.

The Yankees also saw the best of Phil Hughes this year. He'll still finish the season with no wins, but the second year right-hander had his most impressive outing of the season, allowing two earned runs over eight innings. He left the game after having allowed a solo home run to Scott Rolen in the eighth inning that tied the game at two apiece.

Abreu has produced impressive numbers since being acquired with the late Corey Lidle prior to the 2006 trade deadline. He had a poor first half in 2007 after straining an oblique muscle, but rebounded after the break to help the Yankees reach the playoffs for a 13th consecutive season. Abreu's play this season has left the Yankees decision makers in a quandary as to the possibility of re-signing him to a new deal.

While we agree that Abreu has put up consistently good numbers and he, along with Jason Giambi, are the only Yankees that consistently work the count, we think the Yankees would do better to let Abreu walk after this season.

While Abreu comes off as very likeable, and genuinely seems to be popular among his teammates, he's always had a reputation as a soft player, and it is clearly the case when he's playing defense. Will Rogers never met a man he didn't like and Bobby Abreu has never met a right field wall, period. Abreu doesn't go aggressively after any ball hit near the wall, and for that matter, he doesn't attack balls hit in front of him either.

The 34-yr old Abreu would most likely be seeking a three year or more deal. Letting Abreu go would also enable the Yankees to move Xavier Nady to his more natural position in right field.

It remains to be seen whether Hughes figures in next year's plans either. After not being dealt for Johan Santana in the off-season, Hughes was counted on to be a major part of the '08 season. But he struggled early and then suffered a stress fracture in his rib cage that kept him out of action for several months.

Last night he pitched like the prospect the Yankees have been counting on, and they hadn't seen since the 2007 ALDS. Hughes' fastball was clocked at 89-91 all night, and hit a high of 92 mph. He mixed his new cutter in well with his top notch curve ball. It was only one game, but it gives us some hope for next season.

A.J. Burnett, who will reportedly seek $15 million per year when he opts out of his Blue Jays contract after this season, allowed one earned run in eight innings and struck out 11. He finished 3-1, 1.64 in five starts against the Yankees with 43 strikeouts in 38.1 innings pitched.

Xavier Nady's 2-out, 2-run single in the third inning gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead before Rolen's 11th home run tied things up. Juan Miranda, who had earlier picked up his first major league hit, doubled off of Jesse Carlson to lead off the 10th and Chad Moeller followed with a walk. After Brett Gardner successfully sacrificed the runners over, Robinson Cano was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Abreu then delivered with his 20th home run of the season, giving him eight 20-20 (HR-RBI) seasons in his career. Only Bobby and Barry Bonds have achieved the feat more times than the Venezuelan native.


News and Notes

Jose Veras, who has struggled the last two months of the season, completed his third straight scoreless stint to earn his fifth win of the season. Sidney Ponson, scheduled to start Saturday in Boston, pitched the 10th inning to get some work in.

The Yankees have won 10 of 11...too little too late.

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What Happens When You are Eliminated

A lineup like this one.

Sept 24 vs. Blue Jays
Gardner CF
Cano 2B
Abreu RF
Nady LF
Giambi DH
Betemit 3B
Ransom SS
Miranda 1B
Moeller C

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Breaking News: Dick Lynch Passes Away at 72

Dick Lynch, the great New York Giants defensive back and long time Giants' radio analyst, has passed away at age 72. Lynch was under treatment for Leukemia.

After one season with the Washington Redskins, Lynch became a fixture in the Giants' defensive backfield, intercepting 37 passes in his career. He also had an illustrious career at Notre Dame, where his interception return for a touchdown helped snapped Oklahoma's record 47-game winning streak in 1957.

Lynch retired after the 1966 season and joined the Giants' radio booth in 1968. You could hear the enthusiasm in his voice when the Giants won and the disappointment, which last many years, when the team did poorly. And of course, he was known to light a big old cigar in the booth.

Rest in Peace, Dick Lynch.

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Hot Air from the South

Can someone please tell Hank Steinbrenner to stop trying to be like his Dad back in the latter's heyday? Seriously. The clown prince is just making a fool of himself and the organization with his hollow statements.

Hank's latest bit of hot air takes a shot at MLB and Joe Torre. He blames the divisional set up for the Yankees not making the playoffs, and also uses it as an excuse as to why the Torre-led Dodgers, in all likelihood, will make it to the post-season.

"The biggest problem is the divisional setup in major league baseball. I didn't like it in the 1970s, and I hate it now," Steinbrenner wrote in the Sporting News. "Baseball went to a multidivision setup to create more races, rivalries and excitement. But it isn't fair. You see it this season, with plenty of people in the media pointing out that Joe Torre and the Dodgers are going to the playoffs while we're not. This is by no means a knock on Torre - let me make that clear-but look at the division they're in. If L.A. were in the AL East, it wouldn't be in the playoff discussion. The AL East is never weak."

Hank, grow a set, please.

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The Daily Yankeeland - 9/24

Jon Heyman is reporting that the Steinbrenner boys have given Brian Cashman until next to decide if he wants to return to the Bronx.

Wade Boggs is among those are still very disappointed that Roger Clemens and Joe Torre were not part of Sunday's farewell festivities.

"When you look at what Joe Torre did with the Yankees - being a part of four championships - he was a part of it and so was Roger Clemens," said Boggs, who was signing copies of the 232-page "Yankee Stadium: The Official Retrospective" book for fans at Mickey Mantle's restaurant on Central Park South yesterday. "For what reason, I have no idea why they left them out. I don't know the mind-set of why they were left out. I did notice that Clemens wasn't in the collage of pictures and I don't know the speculation or reason behind it."

Read more...

If Mike Mussina wins his 20th on Sunday, he'll also tie Hall of Fame inductee Burleigh Grimes with 270 wins, 32nd base on the all-time list.

Phil Hughes will go after his first win once again this evening, in what has been a very disappointing season. The time off this season did allow Hughes to develop his cutter.

“It would be nice, but at the same time, I don’t think one win is really what I expected out of myself or anybody else expected,” said Hughes, who threw four innings in a no-decision last Wednesday. “I think it will still be, definitely, a negative year.”

Read more from Tyler Kepner and Michael S. Schmidt...

Another home run ball ownership controversy. This time it's Jose Molina's final Stadium blast.

"He couldn't get it through the net," Russo griped. "I'm the only one who had the ball."

Read more...

Mike Lupica throws some more dirt on the Yankees' grave.

Marty Noble of mlb.com looks back on a pair of players that had an affect on both New York stadiums - Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden.

Mariano Rivera was part of a contest, sponsored by Michael C. Fina, last week that gave a grand prize to a deserving recipient.

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Moose Wins 19th, but Yanks Eliminated

The Yankees hit a high and a low last night in Toronto as Mike Mussina won his 19th game, but the Yankees were officially eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 1993. While the Yankees were beating the Blue Jays, 3-1, the Red Sox were beating the Cleveland Indians, 5-4, in Boston.

It was almost entirely a night of lows when Mussina was hit on the right elbow by a line drive off the bat of Travis Snider. Moose was clearly in pain as he tried to walk it off, with a stressed Joe Girardi looking on. After a couple of warm up tosses, Mussina remained in the game and quickly got Joe Inglett to hit into an inning ending double play.

The Yankees took a 1-0 lead against Jay's starter Jesse Litsch in the second inning when Xavier Nady followed Jason Giambi's single with a double, and Robinson Cano grounded out, with the infield back conceding the run. Giambi made it a 2-0 game in the fourth when he crushed a pitch over the wall in right-center for his 32nd home run of the year, and the 396th of his career.

Mussina showed no ill effects in the fourth and fifth innings, retiring six of the seven hitters he faced, but his elbow stiffened up and Girardi removed him before the sixth inning.

The Yankees added a big insurance run in the seventh when Cano doubled, and came around on a pair of wild pitches. The play at the plate was a close one, and catcher Greg Zaun and manager Cito Gaston argued, to no avail, that Cano was out.

After Phil Coke and Brian Bruney combined for a scoreless sixth inning and the first out in the seventh, Girardi sent for Damaso Marte to face a pair of Blue Jays' lefties. But Adam Lind singled and Marte walked Lyle Overbay to bring the tying run to the plate. Girardi quickly went to Joba Chamberlain, who was greeted by a line drive RBI single off the bat of Scott Rolen to cut the lead to 3-1. Chamberlain struck out Zaun and then wild pitched the tying runs into scoring position. But the hard throwing right-hander struck out Snider swinging to end the threat.

Chamberlain got in trouble again with two out in the eighth after a single by Alex Rios and a throwing error by shortstop Cody Ransom on Vernon Wells' grounder. Chamberlain compounded the issue by walking Lind to load the bases, and went to a full count on Overbay. But a nasty slider froze Overbay for a called third strike and the Blue Jays' threat was done.

Mariano Rivera struck out two of three in the ninth, including Zaun, who got the "Golden Sombrero", for his 38th save in 39 tries.


News and Notes

Mike Mussina won his 19th game for the first time since 1996, when he his finished his second consecutive 19-win season. He also needs just 5.2 innings pitched this season to reach 200 innings for the first time since 2003. Elbow permitting, he's set to face the Red Sox in Boston on Sunday.
Derek Jeter was scratched from the starting lineup after not being able to effectively swing a bat, due to the fastball he took off his left hand on Saturday, during batting practice. He came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning, with Cody Ransom sliding over to first base to replace Jason Giambi.

Yankees pitching had 14 strikeouts in the game.

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