The Daily Yankeeland - 10/8

It's been a few days, but we were under the weather and then had to catch up on our day job. The league championship series are set, Mariano Rivera had his surgery, and the winter leagues are underway.

First and foremost, Mariano Rivera is doing well after Tuesday's surgery to remove bone spurs from his right shoulder. He should be able to start throwing in January.

Jon Heyman was on with Mike Francesca the other day. Among the topics of discussion was Joe Girardi's difficulties with the media. Peter Abraham also points out that Tony Pena was marginalized, because Girardi liked to lean on "his coaches" (Meacham, Harkey, etc.).

Another strange twist in the Yankees closing ceremony plans- there won't be any. The Yankees have decided that the finale on September 21 was a fitting end. Which means that the Giants, boxing, etc., will not be acknowledged.

Ross Newhan of the LA Times wrote a nice piece on Don Mattingly's contribution to the Dodgers' success.

Harvey Araton of the NY Times says Joe Torre bleeds Dodgers blue, but has a Pinstripe undershirt.

Derek Jeter's spikes and bat are among new items featured in the baseball Hall of Fame.

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The Daily Yankeeland - 9/23

What? There's a game tonight? Didn't the season end on Sunday? Oh wait, that's right, the MLB scheduler makers fecked up. The Yankees travel north of the border tonight to visit the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Tonight's game is huge and we're not talking about the fact that the Yankees aren't mathematically eliminated. Mike Mussina (18-9, 3.57) goes for win number 19 tonight. If he gets it, he'll go for number 20 in Fenway Park. Moose will be opposed by Jesse Litsch (12-8, 3.72).

Phil Hughes makes his second start, since coming from the DL, tomorrow night against new Yankee killer, and maybe future Yankee, A.J. Burnett. The series finishes up on Thursday with Carl Pavano going against Roy Halladay, who will be looking for his 20th win.

We waded through many of the reviews of Sunday night's festivities and though most were favorable, there were some definite on-the-money criticisms. The ridiculous re-enactment of the 1923 lineup and of players like Joe D. The complete omission of Joe Torre from the highlights. The inclusion of Jesse Barfield in the highlights.

There was one thing we were quite curious about - who pulled the lever to set the countdown to zero. We saw no mention of it, so we asked Peter Abraham during his live chat yesterday - the answer? Michael Kay. Michael Kay??? WTF. Not even Hal or Jennifer Steinbrenner? By the way, nice of Hank not to show.

Here are some of the good columns we read concerning Sunday's ceremonies and some of the suggestions of what could have made the day better:

Richard Sandomir of the Times.

Joel Sherman of the Post.

Peter Abraham's video chat from yesterday. We asked what Pete would have added and taken away from Sunday's ceremony, how Jason Giambi felt about the possible end of his days in Pinstripes, and about the countdown lever.

Yankees spokesperson Jason Zillo claimed that Torre and Clemens were not intentionally skipped. Yeah, right.

Word has it that Roger Clemens was not invited. Duh. He was reportedly heartbroken over being left out of the montage. Ya reap what you sow.

You knew there were some people who were going to try to purloin some history on Sunday.

As for the business of rebuilding the Yankees. We're not happy about the Yankees considering bringing back Jason Giambi. Remember, this is about winning, and while the Big 'G' is a really likeable guy, it's time to go.

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Bob Sheppard Feeling Good

What a way to start out the web day. Peter Abraham pointed his readers this morning to an interview in Busted Halo with the one and only Bob Sheppard. The "Voice of God" is feeling much better these days and is hoping to return to Yankee Stadium for the All-Star game on July 15.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it.

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Laugh-Rod

One of YES' new shows this season is YESterdays which focuses on player's back stories (to steal a phrase from LOST). Alex Rodriguez is profiled on this week's episode, so YES sent out transcripts to the media. Peter Abraham posted the following excerpt in which Cynthia Rodriguez describes her husband's less than stellar performance at delivery time of their 2nd child. It's a very funny read.

“As tough and big as he seems, he is real wimpy around doctors or any type of medical situation. I don’t know why I thought the birth of our child would be different. In the middle of the night, I realized that I needed to go to the hospital. I wake him up. The first thing that comes out of his mouth, ‘Can we call your mother?’ And I started, ‘No. Let’s wait and make sure that I am in labor, and make sure that, you know, it’s the middle of the night.’ And go to the hospital and everything. And finally, a few hours later, I said, ‘I think you can call my mom now.’

“Uh, and the color came back to his face when I told him he could call my mom. And then forget it. I was like not even having a baby; he was the one. The one nurse had a cold cloth on his head. The other nurse had the blood pressure on his arm. And my mother was like rubbing his back. And he is passed out on a couch. And I am there, in the middle of labor. And really, I am not being paid much attention to besides the doctor and a couple of nurses. And he is there moaning. In between pushing, I am going, ‘Honey, are you OK?’ And are you breathing? Are you OK?’ “

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Catcher in the Sling

Jon Heyman is reporting that Chad Moeller passed through waivers, which means he could be back with the big club very soon. Chris Stewart's Yankees debut was awful last night. He couldn't get on the same page as Phil Hughes and went 0-3 at the plate.

Peter Abraham is reporting that Jose Molina was limping a lot when the Yankees-Indians series ended on Monday, leading to speculation that he could have re-aggravated his hamstring injury (it would also explain why he didn't start last night).

It's going to be a limp along kind of year.

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A-Rod Out for Start of Homestand

Well we presumed incorrectly; Peter Abraham reports that Alex Rodriguez did indeed leave tonight's game after aggrevating his quad injury.

Alex Rodriguez left the game tonight after aggravating the quadriceps strain in his right leg. He said there was “no way” that he would play tomorrow night against the Tigers.

Not cool.

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I Never Used Steroids

You were probably expecting us to talk about Roger Clemens with the title of this post, but that's not who we're referring to at all. And in this case there would be no doubt about the veracity of the statement. That's because it pertains to Daniel McCutchen, the Yankees pitching prospect that was suspended for 50 games towards the end of the 2006 season for the use of performance enhancing drugs (P.E.D).

While it was assumed by virtually everyone, and even written up that way by the media, including McCutchen's home town paper, the suspension was not for Steroids or HGH. As Peter Abraham of the Journal News reports, McCutchen was suspended for using Adderall, a prescription drug legally given to him for attention deficit disorder (ADD).

McCutchen's mistake was not filling out the proper paper work with the Yankees after he signed with them. The error cost McCutchen the last 30 games of 2006 and the first 20 of 2007. McCutchen used the time off to finish his bachelor's degree and then worked on re-establishing himself within the Yankees organization. He did just that, going 16-4, 2.59 combined for Tampa and Trenton at the single and double 'A' levels.

McCutchen has established an aggressive attitude on the mound, so much so that his teammates have nicknamed him "Danimal". His progress and demeanor have not gone unnoticed by the Yankees hierarchy.

"There's a game plan for everybody, but some guys move themselves, and he's one of those," (Brian) Cashman said. "He's a starter for now but we believe he does have the ability to relieve. Once we get more performance indicators, we'll see where he fits. But we like him."

At 25, McCutchen knows he has to step it up quickly or he'll fall off the Yankees radar.

"At my age, I need to be on the fast track," he said. "But whether I started the year at Double-A or Triple-A, I know I'm close to the majors.

"I've gone through too much already not to keep pushing and get there."

With a 94-mph fastball, a good sinker, changeup, and curveball, the odds are he'll reach his goal sooner rather than later.

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The Daily Yankeeland

There is a good feature by Tyler Kepner in today's NY Times on how Phil Hughes is interacting with fans via his blog. Other players have official websites, but rarely ever update them. Dr. Phil Good on the other hand, usually updates his on a daily basis, holds contests, and takes fans' questions.

So far, so good. That could describe how things have been going for Andy Pettitte since he arrived in Yankees camp.

"Everything has been normal," Pettitte said after throwing his first and final round of batting practice yesterday. "It was nice to come in here and get into a routine. What I needed was a routine. Everybody acted like nothing happened. I came here and wanted to apologize for making them answer questions and [everybody said] I didn't need to apologize. Everybody has made it extremely easy, including the organization."

As for his pitching, Pettitte says he still lags behind but has ample time to recover.

"My legs are getting there and I can tell my arm isn't quite sharp. It got fatigued at the end," Pettitte said. "It felt like my arm was dragging. I have six starts here so I am not concerned."

Now we'll see how he handles that first road trip.

Things are far from over for Roger Clemens. The House Oversight committee, after making a mockery of this whole thing, has now drafted a letter to the Department of Justice to investigate whether Clemens lied before Congress. Ironically, Brian McNamee, who was clearly lying at times before Congress, is not being looked into further by the committee.

On top of that, an unnamed major league snitch player has apparently told Congress that Clemens often joked about his wife and Jose Canseco's ex comparing implants at the infamous party.

One of the best in the business, Mike Vaccaro, has a great piece on our man Melky Cabrera and his destiny as the last regular center fielder in the current Stadium.

Some good anecdotes; stories from the always-entertaining Peter Abraham:

A feature on fielder's pitching practice

Jason Giambi's work ethic

and Mike Mussina's locker "with a view"

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That Crazy A-Rod

During Alex Rodriguez's "How 'ya doing" repartee with reporters this morning, he mentioned that he was tested 9 or 10 times for drugs last year.

That high number got the media's attention, including that Journal News beat writer/blog king Peter Abraham. Why would someone be tested that many times if there were no issue. Well it turns out that A-Rod was just being A-Rod, and was making his point by exaggerating a bit.

Since reporters, of course, queried him about the high number, A-Rod felt compelled to release a statement to clarify things.

“My quote from earlier today was taken literally. I was not tested nine or 10 times last year. I was just using exaggeration to make a point.

“My intent was simply to shed light on the fact that the current program being implemented is working, and a reason for that is through frequent testing.

“I apologize for any confusion I may have caused.”

Wonder if A-Rod will be getting a call from Henry Waxman or perhaps Arlen Specter.


"So then I told them I was tested 9 or 10 times."

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The Daily Yankeeland

Longtime Star Ledger columnist Sid Dorfman has a good take on where baseball goes, or doesn't go, after the Congressional hearings.

Peter Abraham has some good audio from A-Rod from this morning.

With today being the first day of full workouts for the positional players, Joe Girardi held a meeting with all the players. He was actually the last on an agenda that included Brian Cashman, assistant GM Jean Afterman, and trainer Gene Monahan.

Andy Pettitte got some anxiety relief from an unexpected source on Monday; his old manager Joe Torre. Pettitte's cell phone rang about 2:30 pm on Monday as he prepared to address the media.

"He is a great man and I appreciated it," Pettitte said of the Dodgers' new manager. "He told me how proud he was of me. Other than that, I can't say."

Based on a conversation with Joe Girardi, Jason Giambi is expecting to play a lot more 1st Base this year. That would allow Hideki Matsui to get plenty of at-bats at DH.

"He told me, 'I need you at first base,' " Giambi said yesterday. "It was nice to hear."

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The Pettitte Recap

Unless something major develops, we're going to try not to focus too much on the P.E.D. issue for the rest of spring training. But here's some more on yesterday's happenings.

Peter Abraham has a copy of Andy Pettitte's opening statement as well as audio of the press conference.

Jayson Stark wrote a very good piece for ESPN.com which really reflects how we feel about Pettitte and the whole situation.

Brian McNamee's attorneys aren't going to let Pettitte put this behind him just yet. Pettitte will most certainly be a key witness in any lawsuit McNamee may file against Clemens.

Right now, Pettitte's like your kid- you want to shake him for what he did, but ya still love him.

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Old Meets New

The Yankees gave a tour to reporters yesterday of the Yankee Stadium construction. We've already documented our feelings on the new place, but now we're even more excited about the new place.

Yankees chief operating officer Lon Trost talked about the plan to make the outside of the Stadium look like the 1923 version and the inside like the 1976 park. You can see a video tour on Lohud.com.

Peter Abraham also has some good details about the new Stadium as well as some stuff on the current Stadium, where yesterday's tour began. They even took a peek into King George's suite.

One question though- what is a martini bar doing in Yankee Stadium? C'MON!

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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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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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The Fallout Continues

While some players continue to deny steroid and HGH use (Roger Clemens), others have come forward, albeit with half-hearted apologies (Andy Pettitte). There are those who have given full disclosure and co-operated (Dan Naulty) with the Mitchell investigation, but they are in the minority. And there are those players like Johnny Damon and Albert Pujols who are furious about their names being mentioned in a premature and false report produced by NBC news.

Steve Politi of the Star-Ledger had an excellent piece in today's paper on Naulty. It's the story of a player who took the easy route to get what he wanted, and has lived with regrets- and physical and mental ailments- ever since (photos to the left are Naulty in '89 and '97).

Naulty was a 6'6" stringbean who used steroids to bulk up and help him to gain entry to major league baseball. Later, he switched to HGH to help the numerous injuries that occurred as a result of too much muscle mass on his frame. Naulty actually received a World Series ring from the 1999 Yankees, though he wasn't much of a contributor. His career was taking a downward spiral at that point. Ironically, he credits a new faith that he gained by participating in Christian-based meetings with several Yankees. The ironic part? Andy Pettitte and Mike Stanton, both named in the Mitchell report, were also part of that group.

Today, Naulty is a pastor and tries to counsel youth to stay away from drugs and alcohol. If only more players would learn from his mistakes. Click here to read more of Naulty's story.

The more you re-read Andy Pettitte's statement, the more you realize his apology rings hollow. It's not even really an apology. "If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize." Those words don't exactly say, "I'm really sorry for what I did and I was stupid."

We're huge Andy Pettitte fans and have always admired and respected him. Anyone who has ever dealt with him speaks glowingly of him. Joe Torre once said, "If you have a son, you'd want him to be like Andy Pettitte."

Okay, maybe not completely. We are still Pettitte fans and we think it was great that he came forward. But, at the same time, he could have been a little more sincere with his words. Dan Graziano and Peter Abraham sum up our feelings quite nicely.

As for Roger Clemens, now that his buddy Pettitte has come forward it kind of puts him in an awkward position. His reputation is already tainted. He's in the Mitchell Report as a repeated steroid user. And if he did want to come forward, he made it even harder by having his attorney blast the report and defend his honor. Of course, he could just claim that his lawyer spoke on his own without consulting him.

But, how do you remove the taint when you haven't done anything wrong? That's what Johnny Damon is wondering right now. Damon's name appeared in that erroneous NBC report. He considered suing the station, but his agent advised against it.

"I woke up and my brother is telling me there are reporters at my father's house," Damon told The Post. "My dad told them, 'My son isn't a liar, my son doesn't lie.'"

"It sucks. I am wondering if there is any legal course to turn to", Damon said. "I walk around with my shirt off. If I had anything to hide I wouldn't do that. I really don't know what to say. There seems to be some people who don't like me..."

"I asked my agent about legal action, but he said it wasn't worth it. Maybe the president [of NBC] will write me a nice letter."

Damon was one of 41 players listed in the NBC report that were not included in the Mitchell report. Pujols was also on the erroneous list and worried about his family's reaction.

"What concerns me is the affect this has had on my family and that my character and values have now been questioned due to the media's lack of accuracy in their reporting."

MLB wants to pull a Mark McGwire and move forward, but this is all far from being over.

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Pettitte Advised to Stay Quiet for Now

Peter Abraham of the Journal News received this email from Andy Pettitte's agent, Randy Hendricks:

“I have advised Andy that as an active player, he should refrain from commenting until we have had an opportunity to speak with his union and other advisors. At the appropriate time, he will have something to say.”

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Yankees Won't Budge

Peter Abraham spoke to a trusted Yankees insider who insists the Yankees will not budge off of their offer for Johan Santana. That means no Austin Jackson, Alan Horne, or Ian Kennedy.

PeteAbe also says that though the Sox may be in the lead, the Dodgers and Angels are now involved. Source

The new contract here is the obvious thing keeping other teams from getting involved. The Angels could part with players that are a lot better than the Red Sox prospects.

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Cashman Reiterates A-Rod Stance

Brian Cashman met with the print media after today's Joe Girardi press conference at Yankee Stadium, and of course the topic of Alex Rodriguez came up.

He also made it clear that Alex Rodriguez is not coming back. Along with the loss of the subsidy from Texas, the Yankees still can’t believe that A-Rod didn’t have the courtesy to at least talk to them first. Cashman, Hank Steinbrenner and Hal Steinbrenner all reached out to Rodriguez and he blew them off.

A-Rod and Boras can say all they want. Not kissing the ring was a HUGE mistake for their bargaining position.

Source

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Mattingly Denies Reports

From PeteAbe:

Don Mattingly’s agent, Ray Schulte, is denying a report that his client told the Yankees he wasn’t ready to manage. The story was initially in the Star-Ledger of New Jersey.

“It’s not true,” Schulte said. “I talked to Don and he has no idea where that came from.”

Schulte said Mattingly wants Joe Torre to return. But if not, he is prepared to manage the team.

Mattingly made it clear last week that he wanted to manage. But he also said in strong terms that replacing Torre under these circumstances was not what he wanted. “It’s a no-win situation,” he said.

It’s anybody’s guess as to what is going on behind the scenes. But I’m sure Mattingly and many of the players have told the Yankees they want Torre back.

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Bob Sheppard to Miss ALDS

Bob Sheppard missed the end of the regular season with Laryngitis and now he will be out of the post-season indefinitely.

Peter Abraham of the Journal News got this press release from the Bombers:

BOB SHEPPARD TO MISS DIVISION SERIES GAMES AT YANKEE STADIUM; WILL SNAP STREAK OF ANNOUNCING 121 CONSECUTIVE POSTSEASON GAMES

The New York Yankees announced today that public address announcer Bob Sheppard will be unable to attend 2007 Division Series games at Yankee Stadium due to a bronchial infection. He will be replaced by longtime backup Jim Hall.

Sheppard is in his 57th season as public address announcer at Yankee Stadium. His forthcoming absence will snap a streak of working 121 consecutive postseason games at Yankee Stadium, including 62 games in 22 World Series. His postseason streak began on October 4, 1951, in Game 1 of the World Series vs. the New York Giants. The lineups that day included Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra and rookies Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.

“Doctors are monitoring my progress,” Sheppard said. “And I am hoping to get back to Yankee Stadium to watch—and announce—Yankees playoff games long into October.”

Sheppard’s first game as Yankees public address announcer was on Opening Day, April 17, 1951, as the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox, 5-0.

Get well soon Bob! :(

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