Rain is everywhere--here in the Midwest and clearly back east, as the Yankees got rained out today.  The game is rescheduled for tomorrow night at 7:05, but the forecast calls for rain for tonight and much of tomorrow.  I hope that Mike isn't soaked, and that his rain gear held up.  Halliday versus Wang tomorrow instead.  For that, I'll be around and re-open the HDLR.  Nothing to miss, then.  Thankfully, the little guy came out of the dentist chair fine.  He's a brave kid.

Hi Everyone, and welcome to the Opening Day Heartland Digital Living Room, where the hot dogs are always fresh, the beverages are always cold, and the chatter is always lively.  Today is at long last Opening Day, so the games finally count, and we can assess and enjoy the team.  Roy Halliday goes for the Blue Jays against Chien-Ming Wang in a battle of very good righties.  Drop by, enjoy the game, and have fun.  Mike will be at The Stadium to bring back a "W" and may provide updates as the game progresses.  I unfortunately will not be here today.  I have to teach until 2 EDT, and my son then has a dental appointment, at which the dentist will perform a "baby root canal," the unfortunate result of his grinding his teeth at night.  I'll need to be there for him, so I won't watch the opener until quite later tonight, with a recap to follow late.  Yet feel free to drop in the HDLR and have a blast.

 

Let's Go, Yankees!

As per Pete Abraham, here is the Yankees lineup for tomorrow:

Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Cabrera CF

There are some interesting features--Matsui batting eighth, Cano batting sixth and being protected by Jorge in the seven slot sticking out especially.  As Pete Abe notes, Cano in sixth splits the slow runners Giambi and Posada.  Abreu and Giambi provide strong accompaniment to A-Rod in the middle of the order, and with Giambi's keen batting eye, Cano might have a ton of RBI opportunities.

This lineup is built to mash. 

Today was a busy and at times hectic day, but one that provided the promise of change for the better, the return of all things Spring, and some earthly pleasures.  Though saddled with work at points throughout the day, I still managed to have some around-the-house fun with the family.  In particular, my son and I are reading The Spiderwick Chronicles, which thus far are markedly different from the movie in what events occur, their order, and details.  I liked the movie, but it packed seven (albeit short) books into one film, which obviously leads to blurring and omitting.  We've finished the first two books, and we're also reading Nim's Island, which has been a lot of fun.  We also had a big, delicious dinner--strip steaks, corn on the cob, and green salad.  It was great to break out the barbecue again, a sure sign of Spring's return, and the steaks came out just right--medium-well for my wife and son, briefly introduced to the grill for mine (3-4 minutes each side).  Later when I took out the dog, I noticed buds on the trees for the first time, a great sign that Spring--and warmer weather--is finally here.

As I stood outside, I also couldn't help but think of Opening Day and all it represents--hope, rejuvenation, passion, elation, warmth--all intertwined with Spring to me.  There is so much to consider for us as Yankees fans--how will the rotation, bookended with much older and much younger starters, perform? Will the lineup turn it on to start the year, unlike recent seasons? How will Cano, of whom so much is expected, play after the big contract and bigger Spring? How well and how often will Giambi play first? Can A-Rod follow up his monstrous, historic 2007 with a terrific 2008? How will the Yankees' middle relievers perform, and who will emerge from the lot as trustworthy? How will Girardi handle managing in The Bronx, succeeding a legend in Joe Torre, and shape the Yankees into his own?  What particular characteristics will the 2008 Yankees display to indicate that they're championship-caliber? Will the Yankees close out old Yankee Stadium in style with their 27th World Series championship?

All answer start to come tomorrow, and I cannot wait.

Tomorrow is an HDLR day, and thankfully the comments will be immediately posted (though back-up e-mails still come, not a bad feature).  Please feel free to come by and chinwag.  There will be plenty of digital leather recliners, cold beverages, spicy chicken wings and hot dogs to go around.  Stop by and have a blast.  Thanks for everyone's patience with the comments and reformatting in general.

Mike will be at the game, and hopefully will stop by with updates and commentary.  Have a blast buddy, and bring home the first of 173 straight wins this year.  No pressure.

Opening Day, one of the greatest days in all of sports.  I cannot wait.

I was pleased this afternoon when I got on the computer and The Heartland was back up and running.  Yet the strain on my eyes from the enormously bright Yankees wallpaper was too much for me to bear, like being assaulted by the wallpaper of a seven-year-old's bedroom. I was able to quickly switch the format to a more pleasant one for the eyes.  Yet as some of you have already noticed, there are still some things yet to solve with the new system at MLBlogs. 

The first and biggest for me, and probably for many of you, is the need for me to approve and disapprove of comments before they appear on the blog.  This is a non-starter for me, since we do the HDLR that is nothing if not rapid conversational dialogue as we watch and listen to the games.  It's painfully tedious and distracting.  I understand the need for it given the occasional trolling by people, or spamming.  However, the ability to flag comments as inappropriate or abusive to me remedies that right away.  Also, sooner or later, bothersome posts and bloggers get the boot.  For people who might not post more than once a day, or who might have to work all day--or night--this means weeding through various e-mails to approve them, rather than locating the occasional problem to eliminate.  I received an e-mail from Mark, who handles technical issues for MLBlogs--a good guy who's had his hands full with the switch I'm sure.  He assured me that they would address this tomorrow, along with a couple other issues such as List displays.  Compared to others, I feel fairly fortunate, since some bloggers did not have their full content up with the blog, or just hated the setup.

If the comment approval issue gets straightened out, then I'll gladly be patient with the rest.  I'd switch to WordPress if it weren't, and WordPress seems easy enough to handle.  Yet with all the work I have to do right now, switching things would use up an inordinate amount of time that would also require contacting lots of people who read and comment here about it, and I'd rather the problems here get solved.  Thankfully, MLBlogs seems to be on top of it.

I hope the way things are now is not too cumbersome for anyone sidling over to The Heartland.  My apologies if they have been.  That hopefully won't be the case much longer.  More importantly, Opening Day is not far away at all, just over a day now.  It's about time.

Let's Go, Yankees!

According to Pete (the Prompt) Abraham, below is the roster the Yankees will have for Opening Day:

Lineup
Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi 1B
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF

Bench
Jose Molina C
Shelley Duncan 1B-RF-LF
Morgan Ensberg 1B-3B
Wilson Betemit 1B-2B-3B-SS

Starters
RHP Chien-Ming Wang
RHP Mike Mussina
RHP Phil Hughes
RHP Ian Kennedy

Relievers
RHP Mariano Rivera
RHP Joba Chamberlain
RHP LaTroy Hawkins
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
LHP Billy Traber
RHP Ross Ohlendorf
RHP Brian Bruney
RHP Jon Albaladejo

60-day disabled list
RHP Andrew Brackman
RHP Humberto Sanchez
RHP Carl Pavano He Who Shall Not Be Named

15-day disabled list
LHP Andy Pettitte
RHP Jeff Karstens

Note Pettite's presence on the DL to start.  He can come off a week from tomorrow (April 5).  Note also the lack of a designated long reliever, which is a very good thing to me considering how badly Igawa, Rasner, and Karstens--hereafter known by their collective acronym IRK--finished the Spring.  Also, there is no reason Ohlendorf can't go up to three innings if fresh.  What will be interesting to see is who goes down to Scranton once Pettite returns.  For now, Albaladejo seems the logical choice.  Yet the first five games without Pettite serve as sort of an extended audition period for Bruney, Ohlendorf, and Albaladejo to show their stuff.  I think Bruney and Ohlendorf were more consistent this Spring and should be ahead of Albaladejo, but if the kid comes in a couple times and blows people away, it might make Girardi and Eiland's choice much tougher.  Note also the first base situation, with no sure backup glove like Mientkiewicz was last year.  That's a problem, as Mike from The Sommer Frieze and Pete Abraham have pointed out more consistently than I.

The Yankees certainly have some questions, but other top-flight teams do as well, making the AL a fairly wide open race among the top teams in my opinion.

Tonight's lineups, as per Pete Abraham:

I'd like to see the offense awaken from its recent slumber, Mussina pitch well, and no injuries occur. Also via Abraham, below are the pitching match-ups for the opening series between the Jays and the Yankees:

Monday 3/31, 1:05 p.m. YES/ESPN: Roy Halliday versus Chien-Ming Wang
Wednesday 4/2, 7:05 p.m. YES/ESPN2: A.J. Burnett versus Mike Mussina
Thursday 4/3, 7:05 p.m. YES: Dustin McGowan versus Phil Hughes

I'll provide some analysis of the Jays' pitchers over the weekend.  All three have given the Yanks problems at various times.

Enjoy the game tonight.

Mike was good enough to send me an article that George Vescey wrote in today's New York Times about Bob Sheppard, alternatively referred to as the "Voice of Yankee Stadium" (as per the plaque dedicated to him in Monument Park) and the "Voice of God" (as per Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter).  In it, Vescey said that Sheppard may return by mid-season as he recovers from a severe case of bronchitis he contracted last October before the start of playoff baseball.  For Yankees fans, players, patrons of Yankee Stadium, and I'd argue real lovers of the game, it is most welcome news. You can find the story at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/sports/baseball/27vecsey.html?ref=sports

I'd also contend that Sheppard has served as the "Voice of History" for the Yankees, serving as The Stadium's announcer since Opening Day, 1951--the last year that the great Joe DiMaggio played and the first for the great Mickey Mantle.  It is staggering to consider the sheer amount of Yankees and baseball history that Sheppard has witnessed over such a wide swath of time, and through seismic shifts in baseball, sports, and American culture and life.  To briefly encapsulate, Sheppard has been the Yankee Stadium announcer for thirteen World Series championships; twenty-two AL pennants; three perfect games (Larsen in the 1956 World Series, David Wells in 1998, and David Cone in 1999) and eight no-hitters in all; countless personal and team milestones; the tremendous eras of the dominant 1950s and early 1960s, the turbulent but successful late 1970s, and the outstanding 1996-2000 years; a thoroughly revamped Yankee Stadium in the mid-1970s with shifting dimensions before and afterwards; scores of classic games; and endless great personal and collective experiences and memories.

For practically all of the rich and storied history at Yankee Stadium since 1951, Sheppard has been there, his unique voice and announcing style ringing through the hallowed theater to its patrons, carried occasionally to the lucky listeners and viewers in far-flung homes.  For the final year of old Yankee Stadium, it would be fitting and poetic for Sheppard to make his healthy return to Yankee Stadium.  I strongly suspect that when he does, the cheers from patrons who once again hear his voice will rival those for the players whose names he has announced and whose exploits he has witnessed for decades.  The Voice of History deserves no less.

On another day filled with negatives, the Yankees lost 5-2 to the Pirates.  Kei Igawa continued the recent trend of long-reliever candidate failure, getting roughed up for four runs earned on five hits and three walks in 3 1/3 IP.  I mentioned that Karstens appeared to head the list of long relievers and he got smacked around.  Then I speculated that Rasner might be the top candidate for the job and he got pounded.  I then wondered if Igawa would win the long-reliever job by default, and he looked terrible today.  The next time the Yankees have a few mediocre (or worse) pitchers competing for a long reliever job, I'm keeping quiet.

On the other hand, for the second straight game the Yankees' relievers shut the door on the opposition, allowing only one run in the remaining 5 2/3 IP, and that was Schmidt (who won't make the team) allowing a homer in the 9th.  Patterson still hasn't allowed an earned run this Spring, and allowed no base runners in 1 1/3 IP with a K.  Ohlendorf and Bruney kept their race tight by pitching scoreless innings, allowing a hit apiece with Ohlendorf fanning one and Bruney two.  Ironically, Karstens threw his hat back into the long reliever ring with 1 1/3IP of one-hit relief for Igawa, fanning two.  At this point, one can almost draw straws for the long reliever job between Karstens, Rasner, and Igawa--and the short straw gets the job. Seeing any of them pitch right now inspires absolutely no confidence in me.  Patterson deserves attention, though he lacks major-league experience. A Spring ERA of 0.00 is nothing to sneeze at, but whether or not the Yanks will keep him is anyone's guess. Regardless, expect this position to be one of transition this year.  Whoever performs stays, who doesn't goes.  Anyone there will be expendable.

After pounding the Phillies a few days ago, the Yankees' offense has cooled off precipitously.  Jeter cranked a homer to deep left off Gorzelanny in the first, and Nick "The Stick" Green added a 9th-inning homer, but otherwise the Yanks were cold at the plate.  A-Rod, Molina, and Ransom had a hit apiece, but Betemit's cold Spring continued with an 0-3 game (with his 15th K of ST), Ensberg was 0-2, grounding into a DP and botching a ground ball at first that led to a run, Posada and Melky were 0-2, Duncan 0-3, and Damon (while recovering from the flu) also 0-3.  The Yankees have tended to rise and swoon as a team the past few years, getting hot and cold collectively, unfortunately.  This is something I'd like to see them reverse, certainly on the cold side. Before I forget, the Yankees reassigned Brett Gardner, ultimately the right move to allow the kid to get at-bats and to develop.  Barring injury or poor play, he just wouldn't get the reps in The Bronx.  Mike Sommer of The Sommer Frieze wonders if he might get called up if Damon struggles.  I'm hopeful that Damon will have a good year, and think the flu bug he's had has led to some struggles.  But his Spring as a whole hasn't been hot by any stretch, so Mike is right to continue to have his eye on Gardner. 

Thankfully, the Yankees have only three more ST games left.  I for one am getting sick of the run-up, as well as the poor performances from purported long reliever candidates.  Let those hitting hot and pitching well remember what they've done right and carry it into the Spring, let those not rectify things forthwith, and let's play ball already.

[Edit: As per Pete Abe, in my mind the preeminent Yankees beat writer for not only sharp analysis but also fast, detailed information, Jeff Karstens "has a groin strain," and will get an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.  He seems to think it's Rasner and, after Igawa's dud, that's hard to argue against.  Patterson has availed himself well but lacks big-league experience.  Rasner on the whole was OK last season, going 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA.  He allowed 4 HRs in  24 2/3 IP, and his WHIP was too high at 1.500.  But to me, the big problem with him last year was he seemed to hit a wall at 4-5 innings.  If that's the case, he might have a chance to be effective in a 2-4 inning range.  The keys for him, with only decent velocity, are control and location.  When his pitches are up he gets banged around.  Regardless, any long reliever for the Yanks should expect to perform well or be quickly replaced.]

The Yankees were blanked by the Phillies 4-0 today, the same Phillies they blasted 13-4 a couple days ago.  Wang surrendered all four runs, earned, in a rough second inning.  He got the Phillies to hit ground balls, but the Yankees booted a couple.  A-Rod's error was particularly costly costing the Yankees a chance at a double-play and extending the inning.  But otherwise, Wang wasn't bad, allowing a total of six hits and walking two, while fanning two.  He got nine ground outs, so his sinker was working.  Yet some grounders eluded Yankees infielders, and others the Yanks misplayed.  Wang hasn't had a good Spring, but this might actually be a small sign that he's sharpening up.

With any kind offense, Wang's start would have kept the team in the game.  Yet the team mustered all of four hits--two more by Cano who batted second in Jeter's absence.  Cano is now batting .467 this Spring.  Hopefully he can carry his stroke and eye straight into the season.  Cody Ransom and Posada had the other hits.  Not to be overlooked, the Yankees' bullpen did a very good job, shutting down the Phillies by allowing three hits and a walk over three innings.  Traber retired Utley and Howard in succession, a very good sign against top-flight lefties. With his Spring that includes a 1.08 ERA, there should be no question that Traber is on the club.  Ross Ohlendorf continues to make a real bid to play in The Bronx, allowing only a hit while fanning two in one inning of work.  His Spring ERA is 2.08, not too shabby kid.  Joba had a walk and a K in 2/3 IP, while Bruney allowed two hits with a K in his 2/3 IP. 

That last bullpen spot will be tough to determine.  Bruney and Ohlendorf appear the front-runners.  I'm not sure one has a real, clear advantage over the other.  Bruney has more experience, but Ohlendorf has impressed just as much.  Tough Call.

Supporters of Chris Woodward were dealt a blow today, as the Yankees released him.  Woodward hit well this Spring (.393 AVG.), but had a hamstring injury.  Plus, he's just not as productive as Betemit who, despite his Spring struggles (.167 AVG.), drove in nine runs on eight hits and had five extra-base hits (out of his eight hits) compared to Woodward's one (out of eleven hits).  Betemit surely needs to step up when the regular season arrives, and fourteen Ks in forty-eight at-bats is waaay too high, but his productivity and flexibility are still big pluses.   Wilson, stop swinging for the fences.  Hit the gaps, it's more democratic. 

Those hoping to see more of Gardner will get their wish, Betemit gets another chance to warm up the stick, and Lane is playing, possibly for others to get a look at him for a trade.  Wang will go today according to Pete Abraham for about 75 pitches, as a tune-up for next week's Opening Day.  As per Pete Abe, the lineup:

YANKEES
Gardner CF
Cano 2B
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Posada C
Betemit SS
Lane LF
Wang RHP

I have a ton of work to do, so it's unlikely I'll be around much (though I might peek my head in later).  Only four more of these before they count, people.

Before getting to some details of today's game, there was a good, brisk discussion in another post yesterday about the possibility of another .400 hitter.  Begun in the comments section of the "Pettite Better" post by Jimmy from BY&L (Baseball, the Yankees, and Life, though my self-imposed acronym makes it sound like either a brokerage firm or a railroad) and picked up by Mike from The Sommer Frieze, they rightly made the case that walks are the key to reaching the .400 plateau.  Mike mentioned Ted Williams and Bonds and the very high BB totals in 1941, and for Bonds 2002 and 2004  They then included notable exceptions such as Bill Terry (Mike), Carew, Ichiro, and Brett (Jimmy).  I would add Tony Gwynn--to me easily the greatest hitter of his time--to that mix.  In 1994, the strike-shortened year, Gwynn batted .394 and had a real shot to reach .400, but only drew 48 walks in 110 games.  The next year, in 135 games, he batted .368 but drew a mere 35 walks.  When he batted .372 in 149 games in 1997, he only drew 43 walks.  He did have 82 walks in 157 games in 1987, when he batted .370, but in general he fits that exception. 

I think drastically reducing the number of strikeouts is also essential to striving for .400.  Clearly, it's an important key to success for any hitter, and realizing that to some degree is somewhat akin to expecting lettuce in one's salad.  Yet there are a couple points to make about that.  There is a clear pattern to how well hitters are seeing the ball in years when they have flirted with .400 and the very low number of strikeouts.  Bonds, who drew a ton of walks, struck out only 47 times in 2002 and 41 times in 2004, anomalous for most of his career. Williams never struck out much, especially for a power hitter, but fanned only 27 times in 1941 when he hit .406.  Gwynn, on the other hand, never drew a ton of walks but also struck out remarkably little in his career.  In nine years, his strikeout totals were in the teens, including 1994 and 1995, and 28 in 1997.  Walks matter a lot, for some hitters more than others.  Low strikeout totals are also indicative of not just how well batters are seeing the ball, and how hot they're hitting, but I'd also argue plate discipline.  Walks show that, but so do strategies within at-bats that produce hits instead of walks, such as laying off close pitches, fouling off others, taking the ball the other way, which Gwynn did so well, and realizing what to do with a certain pitch in a certain place.  All of these lead to narrowing the parameters to a couple possibilities for hitters regarding what pitches and location they can expect, and knowing what to do before it happens--making hitting into science.

If Cano, the person Jimmy mentioned to begin the discussion, can do this and/or draw a lot more walks, he can flirt with .400. He'll need to improve walk numbers and plate discipline, definitely related, to continue to improve.  I think he's a good person to focus on, and not just because of his torrid Spring, though he is hitting a ******** .464 and, while it's Spring, it's also torrid at .464.  Cano requires patience, and needs more plate patience, but the kid is on fire.  He's making us think of big possibilities.

The Yankees dropped a 7-5 game to the Indians, with all seven runs allowed unearned.  Ian Kennedy struggled in the first allowing four runs, including three on a Garko blast, but thereafter settled in fairly well.  His final line was not too bad--4 2/3 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs none earned, 4 walks and 3 K's.  Kennedy certainly kept it close after a shaky first, close enough for the Yankees to come back.  The Yankees scored an unearned run in the third, and tied the game in the sixth. Giambi and Cano doubled back-to-back to make it 4-2, Matsui walked, and Betemit then Molina singled to tie it.  Cano's second double of the game gave the Yankees the lead in the seventh, but they couldn't hold it.  Rasner allowed a three-run homer in the eighth to Andy Marte, giving the Indians the 7-5 lead and eventually the game.

Cano is scalding the ball, going 3-4 with 2 RBIs (a ******** 19 for Spring) and a ridiculous .464 average.  Giambi had two hits including a double to raise his average to a stellar .417.  Molina had three hits and is batting .353 in ST.  Molina also made a terrific snap throw to Giambi at first that had Cabrera picked off by several feet, yet Giambi's swipe tag instead of planting a good firm tag allowed Cabrera to get back to the bag.  Lousy play by Giambi, who also showed bad footwork on the play, illustrating why he's a spotty first baseman at best, detrimental at worst.

Rasner's poor performance, combined with Karstens's recent struggles, likely opens the door for Igawa (shudder to think) to be the Yanks' long reliever and spot starter.  Igawa's ERA is lower than the others, he's walked fewer than Rasner (who has surrendered 3 homers in 14 1/3 IP) and to be blunt, the Yankees have a propensity of playing and retaining players for whom they've paid a lot of money.  They held onto Giambi throughout his enormous contract, and even did the same with Pavano, someone they should have released after he was injured and covered it up, thus lying to the team, in 2006.  They paid $46 million for Igawa between his posting fee and fairly sight-unseen contract and, given the team's apparent recent reluctance to continue to absorb former players' salaries in trades, they may decide to keep him around.  I'm not enamored with any of the three, though Igawa oddly enough has better and steadier numbers than the other two.  Right now, the winner may emerge simply by default--being the least awful option.  As painful as it is to hear, it's hard to say that's not Igawa right now.

I'm interested to hear about the long reliever spot--Igawa, Karstens, Rasner, Patterson?

Channeling beat-blogging guru Pete Abraham, Andy Pettite apparently no longer has back stiffness and will throw a bullpen session tomorrow.  He is slated to throw in a minor-league game Saturday, pushing him back a game or two into the season for his first start.  Yet he should still start one of the first few games, really the most important point. 

I have to confess to being relatively indifferent to who starts when at the beginning with the exception of the Opening Day starter. There are plenty of off days during the first couple months allowing Girardi to juggle the rotation for particular series, match-ups, and to throw different looks at teams.  Pettite clearly belongs among the top two Yankee starters, and will likely move behind Wang soon enough.  Lefty also provides an especially nice contrast to Wang and Hughes--all other Yankee starters are obviously righties--because of Pettite's slider, and toughness on lefties. Certainly good news.

Abraham also said yesterday that Chris Britton was sent down, taking him out of the running for the last bullpen spot despite a good Spring.  Hopefully he'll continue his good work in Scranton and be solid if called up.  This improves Bruney's chances in my estimation.

"Gonna ride you, gonna ride you out like a witch on a broom."--"Crash Burn," Blues Traveler

After a day in which a substitute-laden Yankees roster was waxed 8-0 by the Pirates, the "A" team returned and responded with a 13-4 drubbing of the Phillies.  RC was 3-4 with 3 runs, 5 RBIs (17 now this Spring), a triple and a homer.  He's batting .442.  The Big G was 2-2 with 2 RBIs and a homer, batting .406.  A-Rod was 2-3 with 2 runs, and is only batting .471.  He should clearly be benched.  Jeter was 3-4 with a double and a run.  Shelley the Speedy, Invincible Marauder was 3-4 with a run and an RBI, his 14th this Spring, to raise his ST average to a crisp .400.  Melky was 2-4 with a run and 2 RBIs, batting .348 now this Spring.  Matsui subbed in and got a hit, run, and RBI with a sac fly, batting .414 now.  19 hits, 13 runs. Ensberg even had a hit, nice to see.  Where's the offense?!?

Hughes came through with a good start, surrendering a two-run homer to Feliz in the 4th, but otherwise looking sharp.  He allowed three runs earned and two walks, but only three hits, in five innings while fanning six.  Great to see the kid bounce back from two consecutive bad starts. Billy Traber coughed up a run on three hits, and got bailed out by a nice throw from Duncan to nail Feliz at second.  But Mariano, Hawkins, and Bruney each worked hitless, scoreless innings, with Mariano striking out the side.  Mariano's walk probably means he'll be sent down to Scranton--or maybe even Trenton--to work out his obvious mechanical problems.  But who knows, the guy might have a future with the Yankees someday.  Hawkins has had a very good ST, and Bruney might have the inside track for the final reliever spot.  He's thrown hard, he came into ST 22 pounds lighter, and has pitched well.

Great stuff tonight, and a great illustration of what the highly potent Yankees offense can do--without Damon (who has the flu) and Matsui (for most of the game, anyway), ahem.  Good luck keeping up with the Yankees' offense in 2008.  The Yankees need health, pitching, and smart, patient at-bats.  If and when they get those, they're the team to beat, no question.  That's not based upon Spring. It's based upon the lineup, some potential waiting to be realized, and reason.  I'll stand by that any day of the week.

Before spending some time touting Yankee Fan Club Radio, on which I thankfully appeared for about twenty minutes tonight, I have to say that we had a very happy Easter even beforehand.  The kids got baskets full of chocolates, candy, books, stuffed animals, and a movie apiece.  My wife's mother and her boyfriend were here, and my wife made a big, outstanding ham with all the trimmings--mashed potatoes and gravy, pasta salad, Brussels sprouts in cheese sauce, and her prize-winning apple pie--tremendous.

I have to thank Ty, (Uncle) Joe, and Tony from Yankee Fan Club Radio for having me on today.  They have an excellent, lively show, they generate lots of good discussion, they know a ton about the Yankees and baseball generally, and they're really good people.  I was honored to be on.  At first, I felt a bit nervous, but thankfully didn't completely embarrass myself.  They steered the conversation well between discussions about Joba, Pettite, Ensberg and the first-base situation, and The Mitchell Report.  I greatly enjoyed all of it, and I did my best to tout and thank you, the good readers here at The Heartland, for making this modest corner of the blogosphere what it is.  I even got to make brief mention of the HDLR, into which I'll be sure to extend an open invitation to Ty, Joe and Tony, as well as regular guest and resident statistical and baseball historical guru, Mike Sommer. I'll also add a list for Yankee Fan Club Radio tonight to the blog, and I intend to listen regularly to the show.  It's well worth it, and I highly encourage readers to head over to their website at www.yankeefanclubradio.com to check out their many current and archived shows.  They kindly offered to have me on again sometime, and I'd be honored to do so anytime.  Great bunch at YFCR.  I have to add that I was very impressed not only with their deep baseball acumen, but also the discussion near the end of tonight's show, when they had Mike Sommer on to discuss an all-time Yankees team by position.  Mike and Joe especially went deep into the old-school bag of knowledge.  That part of the show alone was well worth listening to. 

Thanks to everyone for comments and thoughts of support the last few days.  I'm deeply honored and touched.  I'm sorry I didn't respond more and earlier, but I was busy hosting, and there was the show as well.

The Yankees struggled against the Pirates, losing 8-0 today.  They managed only two hits, and Jeff Karstens did not help his cause to be the Yankees' long reliever, surrendering four runs earned on seven hits while recording no outs in the fourth.  Veras allowed two runs on two hits, Ohlendorf a run on two hits, and Edwar a run on two hits and a walk though he struck out the side.  Ensberg and Betemit were 0-3, Gardner was 0-1, Lane and Ransom were 0-2, and Woodward and Matsui had the only hits.  In sum, it was a lousy day for almost anyone looking or needing to make an impression.

Also, and I wish I knew this before appearing on the show tonight, according to Pete Arbaham Andy Pettite did not play catch today as planned, meaning that the earliest that he will likely pitch will be Friday.  If it's any later, his starting the second game of the year a week from Wednesday would be in jeopardy.  He apparently would need to play catch tomorrow, then have a bullpen this Wednesday in order to pitch Friday.  Keeping the fingers crossed for Pettite.  The Yankees sure need him.

Well folks, the truncated game today was rained out, and probably for the best.  Albaladejo got some bad breaks with Jeter's error, Duncan's throw to the wrong base to allow Rios to take second, and provided his own subsequent collapse.  It's as if all that, plus Duncan's dropped fly ball, plus Nuke LaFarnsworth's continued travails, plus the lack of offense in the brief time, have never happened--at least statistically. Tomorrow, the Yanks take on the Pirates at 1:05 EDT.

Lest I forget, Mike Sommer, as well as Bryan Hoch on the Yankees' website, posted that Graig Nettles has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is scheduled to have surgery April 8th.  Quotes from him sounded optimistic, and apparently his screening caught the cancer in its early stages, so it should be treatable and he should recover well.  Keep Nettles in your thoughts and prayers.

After being mired in a scoreless tie for the first seven and one-half innings, the Yankees pushed two across in the bottom of the eighth and withstood a ninth-inning Rays rally to win 2-1.  Again, the Yankees struggled against soft-tossing journeyman Andy Sonnanstine, who allowed only three hits and two walks in five effective innings against most of the Yankees' Opening Day starting lineup.  Remember, Sonnanstine was the junk-baller who baffled the Yankees last year on August 31, allowing just two hits and an unearned run in eight innings in a 9-4 win after struggling in a July 14 start against the Yanks.  Apparently for Sonnanstine, the slower the better against the Yanks.

Yet the Yankees countered with sterling pitching of their own tonight.  Darrell Raner allowed two hits and a walk in four and one-third innings, fanning four.  This kid is certainly not out of the running for the long reliever position, though remarks from Girardi indicate that Karstens seems to have the lead in that position.  Mariano, Edwar, Bruney, and Ohlendorf each worked a scoreless inning, while Veras allowed the lone Rays run in the 9th.  The Yankees' staff won't have easy decisions for the bench and remaining bullpen positions, especially after pitchers jockeying for the jobs pitched efficiently.  Bruney and Ohlendorf have low ERAs, though it is Spring.  Plus, I don't consider those back-end relievers throw-away jobs by any means.  Those pitchers usually don't throw in key innings unless others are in dire need of rest, but they eat innings when starters struggle and fill in when other relievers need a blow.  In most cases, they enter games with chances to keep the game close or hold leads.  Especially when they have the chance to hold games close, the Yankees are a team with as much firepower as any to mount comebacks.  Getting pitchers who give the team the best chance to hold the line in such spots, and who can give a quality inning to rest a teammate, are vital pieces of the puzzle.  Clearly if they were front-line players they wouldn't be vying for jobs so late into Spring.  But my point is these aren't solely chump jobs.

Kudos to Porter and Castro for the eighth-inning RBIs to finally break the ice.  Major kudos to the pitching.  Abreu, Cano, and Duncan had a hit apiece, continuing their fine Springs.  Morgan Ensberg didn't help his cause by going 0-4 in the tight race for a back-up spot.  The Yanks have the Jays tomorrow afternoon at 1:15 EDT.  Kei Igawa gets the start.

Girardi announced to the surprise of few that Chien-Ming Wang will start the Opener against the Jays March 31.  Wang has struggled at times this Spring, and Dianna is definitely right to worry about him after he tailed off dramatically last season, but his sinker can still be devastating.  Kevin Millar has compared it to "trying to hit a bowling ball." Plus, the Jays will field a fairly righty-heavy lineup, and he's been among the winningest pitchers in the majors the past two years.  He's earned it, and Pettite makes a terrific number two starter.  The Yankees will be fine with Wang as long as he keeps his pitches down.

Not to be overlooked, many thanks to the MLBlogs front page for featuring the "On Betemit, Statistics, and Reason" post on the MLBlogs front page.  Let the drooling naysayers elsewhere say what they might about The Heartland. I'll consider the MLBlogs publicity apt vindication. Things have clearly worked thus far here, largely because of the very good readership.  Thanks to the good people at MLBlogs for the attention, and thanks to the people here who have done so much to make The Heartland what it is.

[Update: Pete Abraham and Bryan Hoch are reporting that the Yankees have added Morgan Ensberg to their 40-man roster.  Abraham interpreted this as it being a lock that Ensberg is on the team since he has no options.  It's worth debating, and I'd like to hear people's views.  But I can't say I'm too surprised.]

Thanks to the good people at Yankee Fan Club Radio, I'll be appearing on their show this Sunday evening. This is the largest independent Internet Yankees podcast show, very well done and very lively, so it's a real honor and I'm greatly looking forward to it.  If anyone wants to listen, go to www.yankeefanclubradio.com. [The show starts at 6 p.m. EDT and runs until 7:30.]  Also, The Sommer Frieze has a link to podcasts on the front page that you can access. According to Ty Hildenbrandt, a co-host of the show and writer for SI.com, you can also listen via Ustream.tv/channel/tpsradio.  The e-mail is radio@lvyankeefanclub.com, and listeners can call and leave voice messages at (206) 984-0596 that they will play during the show.  Exciting stuff, and something I never though would occur when I started up The Heartland just over a year ago.
 

I've been discussing a few things across a couple other blogs lately, Mike Sommer's excellent The Sommer Frieze and Bryan Hoch's Bombers Beat.  Primarily, the discussion/dispute has revolved around sensitivity concerning my considering some opinions at Bombers Beat questionable, such as the notion that Wilson Betemit should not be on the Yankees because of a purported lack of offensive productivity and others, such as Chris Woodward, performing better this Spring. For various reasons, the discussion at Bombers Beat has gone nowhere, and my interest in pressing the matter any further there has waned to around zero.  Make a case using statistics, and get criticized by people there who used none to buttress their own, and just misapplied statistical analysis.

A case in point: one commenter there against Betemit's spot on the team writes, "His HR, and RBI totals are slightly misleading as some of them came in garbage time in games that were out of hand (16-8 win over KC 3RBI, and an 18-9 loss to LAA with 1HR 3RBI )." For the most part, that's not true, and it isn't exactly impossible to perform a statistical analysis of Betemit's brief tenure with the 2007 Yankees.  Betemit has been criticized by some at these blogs for a failure to produce offensively.  Yet Betemit drove in 24 runs in 19 hits (out of 84 at-bats) with the Yankees in 2007--more than an RBI per hit.  In 240 at-bats between LA and NY, he hit 14 homers and drove in 50 runs, a pace over 480 at-bats of 28 HRs and 100 RBIs--high productivity.  He strikes out too much and doesn't walk enough, but not produce? Not true, he does--in streaks, but he produces.

Concerning the above comment, again, examining the numbers just doesn't bear out the crux of the criticism--that some of them [HRs and RBIs] came in garbage time.  That's true for absolutely every player, and doesn't have any obvious merit here whatsoever.  More importantly, the numbers just don't bear that out, for the pertinent questions are whether and when he was productive.  See for yourselves:

8/2 vs. White Sox--1 HR, 3 RBI--all three in 2nd, making 8-1 game 8-4, part of 8-run second to tie the game.
8/4 vs. KC [one of the 'garbage time" references]--3-4, 3 RBI--3rd inning, made 4-2 Yankees 5-2 Yanks; 6th inning, two-run single made 8-6 Yanks 10-6. That's a key role in close situations.
8/13 vs. O's--1 HR, 2 RBI--homer and RBIs in 2nd off Guthrie, who was tough on the Yanks last year, making 3-2 O's 4-3 Yanks.
8/19 vs. Tigers--2-5, 4 RBIs--single in 7th makes 4-3 Yanks 5-3; bases-clearing double in 8th makes 6-3 game 9-3, cinching the game against the dangerous Tigers; not "garbage time."
8/21 vs Angels--1 HR, 3 RBI--homer in 9th makes 18-5 game 18-8 Angels--"garbage time," true.
9/4 vs Seattle--1 RBI--6th inning, single makes 3-0 Yanks 4-0 game, not "garbage time."
9/8 vs. KC--1 HR, 3 RBI--6th inning, 3-run homer makes 4-2 Yankees game 7-2, part of 7-run inning, not 'garbage time."
9/9 vs. KC--1 RBI--2nd inning, double makes 2-0 Yankees 3-0 game, not "garbage time."
9/29 vs. O's--1 RBI--4th inning, single ties game at 6, after Yankees were losing 6-1 entering inning and is part of 10-run Yankees' explosion, not "garbage time."
9/30 vs. O's, 2-5, 3 RBI--3rd inning, double breaks 1-1 tie; 4th inning ground out makes 5-1 game 6-1; 7th inning single makes 9-3 game 10-3; two RBIs not "Garbage time," one in "garbage time."

See for yourselves--24 RBIs, many in streaks with some dry runs in between, filled with strikeouts to be sure. But in actual "garbage time," only 4 of his 24 RBIs (16.67%) was in 'garbage time:" the three against the Angels in the blowout, and his last RBI against the Orioles.  All the others were when the game was still in doubt, and within 1-4 runs.  Especially given how porous the bullpen was at times, these runs all mattered.  Additionally, is it the batter's fault that he gets hits and drives in runs late in games? Not necessarily. So much of productivity in baseball is what people do before you.  Betemit produced a lot down the stretch.  He has his flaws, especially striking out too often, is weak enough as a righty to hardly be a switch hitter, and needs to step it up this year.  Today showed that, belting a homer off a good reliever in Accardo.  But he produces and did so when the Yankees were on a late-season tear. They needed him and he delivered when it mattered.

I'm not trying to be disagreeable.  Nor am I trying to dissuade people from going to Bombers Beat. Nor do I mind disagreeing with people, or they with me.  I'm perfectly fine with having divergent opinions. My point is to be careful and thorough with information, and to support opinions.  I dare say that some fans trying to make cases against Betemit's history and likely role on the team have not made their cases at all, certainly not with me. In fact, given the rather Orwellian nature of the discussion and misuse of statistics, I find a few of the views, in Orwellian lexicon, double-plus untrue. You judge for yourselves.  Other than with you good people and other thoughtful baseball fans, I'm washing my hands of the matter.

I was having a grand time, watching the game and chin-wagging with Mike, when all of a sudden the cable and Internet fizzled out.  Apparently some Comcast workers put a disconnect tag on the transformer box in my back yard.  That's what I get for paying my bills on time.  So I missed a lot.

Wilson Betemit, who has had a slow Spring, made up for lost opportunities with a 2-3 day, including a big blast off Jeremy Accardo to right to make it 6-1.  Betemit is in some good competition for a back-up spot, with Cody Ransom going 2-3 with an RBI today.  I still think the edge for the back-up spot goes to Betemit over Woodward and Ransom.  His power is something, and the guy produces runs, as he clearly showed last year.  Shelley Duncan was 2-5 with 2 RBIs, giving him a .343 average and 13 RBIs this Spring.  Matsui was 1-2 with a walk, upping his Spring average to .385.  That's good to see.  Damon was 2-3 with a run, another good sign.  The Yanks pounded out fifteen hits and worked five walks, outstanding work for the second straight game.

But the story, to me, is really the work of Kennedy, Joba and the staff as a whole which was not perfect today, but quite good against what was essentially the Jays' Opening Day lineup.  Kennedy allowed two first-inning hits, but was spared a lead-off runner at third when Shelley neatly fielded Ecksten's double in the right-field corner, threw a pea to Cano in short right, and Cano whirled and easily nabbed the speedy Eckstein at third--great relay work.  Kennedy did allow six hits in 4 1/3 IP, but walked no one and fanned four, allowing only one run.  From what I saw, he showed good command and a sharp curve.  Joba fanned the side in the 7th on 11 pitches.  What more can you say about the kid?  He'll be good, and his velocity in the pen will again be scary.  Nuke LaFarnsworth again struggled, allowing two hits and a run and walking one in one inning.  His Spring hasn't been horrible, but Nuke is never efficient.  It's just never easy with him despite having a rocket arm. Albaladejo allowed a hit in a scoreless 8th, and Britton--who deserves some consideration for the last spot with the club, with his 1.80 ERA--worked a perfect 9th with a strikeout.  Good work on the whole from the staff, and good to see Kennedy and Joba sharp against a good lineup. 

Apologies to Mike for my abrupt absence.

The Yankees turn around after a night game with a 1:05 start, so some of the stars--Jeter, A-Rod, Abreu, Giambi--will rest.  Kennedy and Joba will go today, as will Nuke LaFarnsworth.  Hopefully the kids will sharpen things up.   Betemit's playing first, getting regular time to jump-start his slow Spring.  I'm going to try to catch the first few innings, especially to focus on Kennedy and Joba.  Enjoy the game, everyone.

As per Pete Abraham, here is the lineup and a few of the pitchers who will go today.

Lineup
Damon LF
Cabrera CF
Cano 2B
Matsui DH
Duncan RF
Betemit 1B
Ransom SS
Molina C
Green 3B

Pitching
Kennedy
Chamberlain
Fansworth

It sure wasn't pretty, and Phil Hughes still has some location issues to sort out, but the Yankees muscled out another high-scoring affair, 12-9 over the Pirates.  The starting offense was tremendous, and the subs produced another late-innings comeback this week.  Pitchers such as Igawa and Ohlendorf continue to be enigmatic adventures.  Yet a win is a win is a win.

To accentuate the positives first, the offense cranked out 17 hits, pummeling Matt Morris for 13 hits and 8 runs through 4 innings, and long-time Yankees friend Byung-Hyun Kim for another 3 hits and 4 runs in the 8th to erase a 9-8 deficit.  Abreu and A-Rod were each 2-4, and each have 8 RBIs this Spring.  Abreu is batting .467 and A-Rod an even .500.  They should be ashamed of themselves.  Jorge is starting to warm up, going 3-4 with a second-inning homer. Giambi was 2-3, hitting the ball hard through the shift to raise his average to .407.  Matsui is rounding into form, going 2-3 and lacing a double to right, upping his average to .375.  Chad Moeller and Nick "The Stick" Green smacked 8th inning homers off Mr. Generosity Kim.  Clearly though it is still Spring, the offense is not a problem.

Pitching, on the other hand, has faltered in the last week or so.  Hughes struggled for the second straight start, failing to locate his fastball.  This resulted in three solo homers in the first two innings as a result of missing up and over the plate.  While the wind has been blowing out big-time the last few games, Hughes made lots of mistakes.  He issued two walks and struck out three, looking good at times especially by fanning the dangerous Jason Bay twice.  Hughes's off-speed pitches improved as the game proceeded, keeping hitters off-balance and lunging to foul off breaking balls.  But his fastball was again the problem.  Good velocity, bad location.  He appears fresh as far as pitch speed, so I suspect it's something mechanical--stride, release point--based on my long and distinguished career as a pitching coach.  Personally, I'd love to see Hughes develop a split-finger fastball. It would fool a lot of hitters, especially because his fastball is very straight.

Igawa didn't surrender a run in his inning, but he gave up two hits and a walk, clearly not efficient.  Ohlendorf allowed a hit and a walk in his inning.  Neither is making a good case to make the team at this point.  Traber wasn't so good either, but was plagued by A-Rod's throwing error on a sure DP ball as well as his own control problems.  He's still way ahead of Igawa in my opinion, and has good numbers against lefties.  Kudos to LaTroy Hawkins, who has not allowed an earned run through 7 Spring Training innings.  That signing will be well worth watching this season.  So far, so good.

Mike's boy Brett Gardner was 1-4, but had a honey of a bunt single that landed him on second after a throwing error.  Ensberg is having a nice Spring at the plate, but I have to confess that Mike and Mike Sommer make sound cases for Gardner.  If the Yanks genuinely want him to develop, he should play daily at Scranton.  But the kid adds some jazz to the Yanks, no question.  His speed is excellent, his bunt was perfectly located, he can steal, and he gives the Yankees bench speed.  I'd still rather seem him develop through regular play, but it's getting harder to say send him down when he's genuinely adding components to the team.  [Methinks I hear Mike sharpening his carving knife for the platter of crow...]

Lest I forget, Mike's comment on the previous post about Meacham's suspect calls at third was extremely important.  According to Mike, there were a few poor and indecisive calls from Meacham at third--not for the first time this Spring--that could have cost the Yanks.  I saw one, when A-Rod was sent home (I believe he was, though maybe he went through the sign) on a bloop over third and would have been dead to rights had there been someone covering third.  Instead, he got back.  I didn't notice the others as I furiously typed notes and listened to the FAUX Sports announcers repeatedly diminish the pounding the Yankees laid on poor Matt Morris by insisting that most of their 13 hits off him were "soft" and "not hard hit."  I guess the fact that the ball failed to actually sail through the wall or a player's body was indicative of the Yankees' not sufficiently earning their runs.  Anyway, Mike is right again--Meacham has been wobbly at best this Spring.  Third base coaches should above all things be aggressive, decisive, and accurate, no mean feat but nonetheless essential to the job.  Bowa was for the Yankees, and is the best in the business in my opinion.  The Yankees lost a key guy when Bowa left after 2007, and Meacham needs to get things straightened out and fast.  I can only imagine what the terrific Geoff at the BPS is thinking, if he's been watching and reading about Meacham's escapades.  He'll be on that like ugly on this writer.

At the end of the night, it's Spring.  While I loved watching several innings of the game before heading off to wind things down with the family tonight, nothing tonight got me too exercised.  Hughes will struggle at times this year, as will the other kids.  Count on it.  That's normal.  At least he's working hard, understanding what he needs to improve, and is working out like a horse with the other kids, Pettite and Hawkins.  Spring is all about honing the craft, re-affirming good habits, and seeing the game with clarity.  It's coming with the 2008 Yankees--some facets certainly more than others.  But come it will.

I turned on the TV while making the bed, and saw that the start of the Red Sox-Blue Jays game was delayed because the Red Sox have apparently voted not to play this last Spring Training game, nor make the trip to Japan. They are apparently upset that Major League Baseball has supposedly reneged on an agreement to pay coaches $40,000 apiece.  As of now, the game is delayed and the trip to Japan in jeopardy.

I can't claim to know the terms of the agreement between the Red Sox, MLB and the MLBPA (which covers the players, not the coaches) about the terms of the trip, or whether or not paying the coaches was in the original agreement.  But it seems that the players and coaches were under the impression that MLB would pay the coaches then, according to Mike Lowell, have begun to take things away.  If it were the case that MLB originally agreed to pay the coaches and since reneged, shame on them.  MLB is awash in money.  This really should not be an issue.  If the Red Sox did not get these terms solidified and ironed out beforehand, shame on them AND MLB.  Negotiations can be a tricky business, but nothing should be left to chance.  The terms should be clear and clearly understood by all affected parties. 

Either way, MLB should pony up the cash for the coaches, no two ways about it.  It's unfortunate that the dispute came down to this, with many paying customers inconvenienced in Florida now, and others in the coming days.  Yet that's what strikes do, they inconvenience people in order to make a point about justice and fairness.  Make no mistake, this is a strike that the Red Sox have undertaken and, if MLB has in fact reneged, one that I fully support.  Additionally, I'm not convinced at all that this is a ploy by the Red Sox not to have to make the trip to Japan, a long and arduous trip the Yankees made in 2004 that will require adjustment time for some time afterwards.  Anyone undertaking some form of protest and/or strike does not take that action lightly.  They are often worked up over issues of fairness, and they don't take those lightly, either.  Baseball is different from most workplaces in that coaches, a form of lower-level management, can often have close relationships with players not only at but away from the ball park.  These people matter to players, and unquestionably do with the Red Sox.

I'm awaiting further word on this but, based on what I know, I side with the Red Sox players on this one.  I generally side with workers in labor disputes for many reasons.  This is a labor dispute.  I'm with the players, especially because they seem to be doing the right thing and fighting for others.

Update: Apparently MLB has caved to some degree, for the boycott is over.  The Red Sox and Blue Jays are stretching on the field, and the ESPN announcers said that this game and the Japan trip are on.  Good for the players.  They did the right thing.  Solidarity CAN work.  I also think players such as Varitek handled this well, saying in an ESPN interview that they didn't want to inconvenience fans who "have a right to see the game.  But if need be, we'll hang around here and sign autographs." Public relations, especially fan relations, are an enormous part of work disputes, and I'm glad to see the players do and say the right things today.

The 11-0 final score in the Yankees' favor is truly irrelevant.  The real winners here are the Virginia Tech community, still rebounding from last year's terrible tragedy.  That the Yankees took time out of their Spring Training regimen and schedule to come north, appear in Virginia, raise money for campus charities, and provide a rich experience for everyone involved is without question one of the proudest moments I've ever had as a Yankees fan.  That some fans, and even Virginia Tech head coach Pete Hughes, have experienced changes of heart about the Yankees after this experience is nice and hopefully for the better.  Yet the real story about today is about looking out for fellow human beings. The Yankees did that today, and that's as much as one can hope to accomplish.

Be proud, Yankees fans. 

The Yankees will play Virginia Tech in a charity game today, following up on their $1 million pledge to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund after the murder of thirty-two students on campus last Spring.  The team also brought most of its stars for the game, and have compiled a big lineup for people to see.  According to Bryan Hoch, the Yankees will wear Virginia Tech's maroon and orange colors on NY caps for batting practice, and those and their normal Yankees games caps will be auctioned off for charity.  Say what you will about the Yankees, a corporation's corporation without question.  This is far more than a positive public-relations ploy.  It's a good, generous thing that the Yankees quite simply did not have to do, and the players seem happy to do it.  I applaud it, and hope it in some ways contributes to a continued path to healing that many people are undoubtedly still undertaking at Virginia Tech.

According to Hoch, this will be the Yankees lineup to start:
Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Shelley Duncan 1B
Melky Cabrera CF

Jeff Karstens gets the nod to start.  As Mike Sommer says, this is a no-win situation for Karstens.  Should he do well, he's succeeded against college kids.  If not, he bottomed out against college kids and damaged his chances to become the Yankees' long reliever and spot starter.  Still, the better he does, the better it is for him.  This is a chance to impress, and he quite frankly needs it.

Speaking of kind gestures, Ty Hildenbrandt of Yankee Fan Club Radio and a writer for SI.com discussed with me the possibility of my appearing on Yankee Fan Club Radio sometime in the future.  According to Wikipedia, it is the largest, independently-run Yankees live show podcast on the Internet, and they have had some big guests such as Ken Rosenthal and John Sterling.  It would be a tremendous honor to appear there, and if it comes to fruition, I'll let you know beforehand.  For those interested in this very good show, hop over to The Sommer Frieze and check out recent shows, or visit their website at www.yankeefanclubradio.com.  It's really well done, and much of the banter is both insightful and really funny.  Ty does much for the show, and "Uncle Joe," Ty's uncle, is a pistol.  I'll keep you posted.

That is the question.  Book-ending this issue are two compelling points by two very good bloggers, Pete Abraham on the not side, and Mike Sommer, whose The Sommer Frieze blog Mike turned me onto, on the Gardner side.  Abraham's case is that Gardner would be better served playing every day in Scranton, while Sommer's well-argued case is that Gardner's particular skills provide the Yankees with speed and bench options that neither Lane nor Ensberg do.

This is a tough call, made all the tougher because Gardner is batting .435 this Spring, while Ensberg and Lane have been OK but not great.  While somewhat enamored with Gardner's play, and enticed by his speed and skills at a young age, I ultimately have to agree with Abraham.  I don't think that Mike Sommer is wrong in his case.  In fact, he's right in assessing what Gardner brings to the Yankees over Ensberg and Lane, and his analogy to the variety of options that the great 1998 Yankees had is apt, and certainly not lost on someone like me, who will forever tout the multifaceted greatness of the 1998 Yankees.  My case focuses on the long-haul for Gardner and the Yankees, and on the team as constructed.  The unfortunate fact, given how the Yankees are currently constructed, is that Gardner might not even be the fourth outfielder.  Shelley Duncan will likely procure more playing time because of his power and ability to play both outfield and first base.  Also, while Sommer is certainly right to probe the possibilities Gardner might bring, not the least of which may include stealing bases and pinch-running, the Yankees have plenty of starting players who can run now--Damon (27/30 in SBs) and Abreu (25/33) in the outfield, Jeter (15/23) and A-Rod (24/28) among infielders.  Substituting Giambi with Gardner in a pinch wouldn't be bad, since Duncan or Ensberg could enter at first but, given Geoff from Bleeding Pinstripes and his searing analysis of this occuring in superfluous situations only to cost the Yankees late in games, the Gardner-for-Giambi subbing has some, but limited, value.  The question becomes whether subbing Gardner for Giambi to take an extra base in some fashion outweighs the power that Giambi's bat wields.  Given the speed that the above-mentioned starters bring, Giambi, or Duncan, would really be the only pinch-running option as the Yankees exist now.

Also, Matsui is currently ahead of Gardner and, while an inferior outfielder, carries a superior bat.  Before getting hurt last year, Matsui was tearing it up, shouldering much of the offensive load as the Yankees furiously surged back into the AL East hunt.  He can do that again and, unlike Giambi, doesn't seem affected by DHing.  Matsui has to be the option now, primarily because of his prodigious offensive output.  This is crucial.  It should be remembered that the Yankees had only a few players carry them the first couple months of 2007.  Matsui started slowly, but deserves a chance to show he can still produce, for his numbers are excellent when he does.  But it was A-Rod, Jeter, and Posada for the most part, with Giambi good for a month before getting hurt.  Essentially, the Yankees need players to produce some power in order not to rely too heavily on A-Rod, which was certainly the case for much of last year.  Gardner's skills set does not, and likely never will, include power. Plus, let's face it, the Yankees of the past several years have shown that the big-money guys who are supposed to play and produce at least play regularly.  Until Matsui is moved, or Abreu is not re-signed [and Abreu is still going strong], there seems to be little room in the organization for young talent unless, like Cano, there is a clear chance to replace an unproductive player.

Sommer is not only right to wonder about what Gardner may bring. He's right to assess what Gardner has done right now, this Spring.  The kid can play.  If Gardner were battling for a starting spot, or would play more under Girardi than he likely would have under Torre, I say keep the kid up and play him.  Who knows, that might happen--Girardi utilizing an aggressive rotation that lessens the time Matsui and Damon spend in the outfield while inserting them into 130-145 games as DH or LF.  Yet the likelier scenario, and the one I ultimately prefer given the bevy of outfielders, is that Gardner is allowed to develop in Scranton, keeping his skills and batting eye sharp in ways that most likely wouldn't occur in The Bronx.  At the same time, I'd publicize Gardner's impressive Spring as tacit motivation for Melky, who is quite good but not someone the Yanks seem permanently sold on as their center fielder.  A little competition never hurt anyone and, should Melky falter, Gardner is always a call-up away.

While I come down on the other side of the Gardner case from Sommer, readers here would serve themselves well by skipping down to the link to his site and regularly visiting there.  He writes very well and discusses a variety of sports.  It's an excellent blog. 

I have to say that the kids are impressing me, with a few contributing to a come-from-behind, ninth-inning win against Cleveland, 7-6.  There are a couple weeks until Opening Day, but several young players have made strong impressions, and a few of them are actually pushing for a spot.   Among the more established players, Melky the Clutch may or may not be playing with the motivation of not having received the rich deal he desired.  Personally, I think it's as much a matter of hard-ball, paring down costs in negotiations that Cashman is executing as much as it might be instilling motivation for the kids, for Joba didn't get much of a raise, either--same circumstances apply there.  Either way, there's no question that Melky is playing hard and well this Spring, batting .414, drawing a walk to go with his single today, and stealing his second base of Spring Training.   Cano was 1-3 and is hitting .429 [three hits every seven at-bats]--not too shabby.

Among those looking for more playing time or perhaps a roster spot, Shelley the Invincible is tearing the cover off the ball, batting .333 and belting his third homer of the Spring, a monster shot to center off C.C. Sabathia.  Brett Gardner is making Brian Cashman look like a genius, hitting a single, drawing a walk, and scoring a run. He's batting .435 this Spring.  Cashman's line about Gardner being like Juan Pierre with the ability to draw a walk is probably as much a reflection on what Melky needs to do more of--draw a walk--as it is on Gardner's abilities.  I'd be shocked if Gardner isn't on the 40-man roster and, depending on how enamored Girardi is with his abilities, is certainly making the issue of back-up positions a tougher choice.  Jason Lane and Morgan Ensberg haven't been slouches in camp, and have hit fairly well.  But while both add righty pop, neither would necessarily play more than Gardner, whose speed, youth, and aggressiveness seem a very good fit for Girardi's somewhat new-look Yankees.  It might be better for Gardner to start the season at Scranton to get regular playing time.  But watch for him to be on the 40-man roster, at the very least.  The Yankees have their collective organizational eye on him, with good reason.

Scott Patterson, along with Billy Traber, is also making things interesting for Eiland and Girardi, not having surrendered a run in six Spring Training innings.  His herky-jerky motion seems to deceive batters, hiding pretty good speed and stuff to keep hitters, thus far at least, off-balance.  Whether or not he makes the bigs is a tough call.  If nothing else, that the Yankees are amassing good arms, potentially down the road for the bullpen, is clearly a positive development.  Patterson likely won't be any worse than T.J. Beam, and is earning additional time.

Few surprises among the regulars have emerged this Spring.  If this Spring continues as it has, the real story will be who rounds out the roster.  Don't be surprised to see a couple kids chosen over veterans.

I've tinkered slightly with the design of the blog, adding a few blogs into the lists on the left while consolidating the professional bloggers into their own list.  In particular, I added the blog Yankees For Justice into the Yankees Blogs category.  It's a terrific blog full of good people stories and politics, as well as insights about the Yankees.  It also comes from a similar political perspective to mine, which is generally speaking from the left, which should be little surprise to regular readers here.  I'd also recommend reading a couple other non-Yankees blogs, such as The "Next" Peter Gammons, written by a promising student named Eli, and Fans on the Field, written by Dan and Jason Mathers. The latter is a Red Sox blog, but I genuinely appreciate their humor; plus, their perspectives on the game are often quite good.  Dan's recent post on Zelig was spot-on.

I may add other lists for political blogs and websites, as well as one for music I'm listening to.  There's only so much space here and, while I could use another column on the other side for everything, I don't want to either clutter the blog, or decentralize the posts I write, or elongate the posting space, which will inevitably happen if I change the side-column format.  Many of my posts are long enough as it is.

The split-squad games yesterday illustrated various woes for young Yankees pitchers.  Ian Kennedy was fairly sharp on the whole, but yielded two second-inning home runs.  Joba was good to most batters except Curtis Granderson, who plated two with a lead-off homer and a third-inning Granderson (triple).  Meanwhile, Kei Igawa continues to have this writer scratching his head as to why they ever signed him, coughing up three runs and five hits in three laborious innings.  Following closely on the heels of Phil Hughes' first struggles of Spring Training, one might be inclined to think that the Yankees' young pitchers will struggle, adversely affecting the team's chances for 2008.

Yes, and I don't think so.

Anyone panicking about the recent woes of Hughes, Joba and Kennedy needs to relax and be patient for a couple reasons.  The first, and say it with me, is that this is Spring Training. Players are working out kinks, at this point over a longer stretch of innings, and are incorporating and sharpening new pitches that still need refinement.  They're also still young and relatively inexperienced, so such days will inevitably happen.  They're kids, and kids make mistakes.  They'll straighten things out.  On the second part of the above set of concerns, I am not at all concerned about Joba, Hughes, and Kennedy's recent struggles being a sign that they'll suffer in 2008.  They'll undoubtedly have their moments when they'll lag on given days.  That's something that all of us, regardless of to what degree we wanted to trade for Johan Santana, had to expect.  Hopefully, this is little surprise to people, and that our patience doesn't wear thin on hurlers whose abilities and poise will in all likelihood make them mainstays of the Yankees for quite some time.

On Igawa, I'm not nearly as sold on the scenario I expect for the others.  This is a player with lots of big-time experience--and think what you want about Japanese baseball.  It's good, people, full of good ball players.  Igawa has suffered in New York for a few reasons, one of which is very likely getting his confidence shaken with his struggles the last year or so.  I'm not of the opinion that his tentativeness is merely a result of a different pitching philosophy in Japan.  Getting pummeled would wear on anyone, and he's been regularly pummeled.  Of course, he's also had a propensity for being stubborn when it comes to listening to advice from his coaches, and that has to change.  Eiland and Girardi won't tolerate that for very long, if at all.  But Igawa also shows signs of having poor technique,a troubling sign for a younger but still experienced pitcher.  His mechanics are far too loose and inconsistent, leaving pitches up and vulnerable, or outside the zone and getting him routinely behind in the count.

I'm less sanguine about Igawa's chances of ever making it with the Yankees.  He will likely start the season at AAA, since he hasn't shown any signs of being a reliable lefty option out of the bullpen.  Starting the season in Scranton will also provide him regular work, which he certainly wouldn't get in New York.  Plus, other lefties such as Billy Traber have been far more impressive.  I had my eye on Traber early in camp, mainly because he was a lefty who was getting outs.  Again, this is Spring Training, and there are two weeks remaining at that.  But regardless of the $46 million the Yankees wasted invested in Igawa, it only makes sense to go with the guy who's actually retiring batters and preventing them from scoring.  That's been Traber. I'm not of the opinion that having a lefty as some sort of bullpen talisman is better than having good righties.  Yet the Yankees don't have tons of reliable right-handed relievers, either, making Traber's chances all the better.  He could fall on his face the last couple weeks, but he's still far ahead of many other lefties, including Heath Phillips and Igawa.  Don't be surprised to see Traber up with the Yanks.  Girardi has already added him to the 40-man roster, a sure sign that they expect him in The Bronx at some point.

Not to worry folks.  All will be well.

I neglected to post on it a couple days ago, but we've passed the one-year mark here at The Heartland.  It's been a real pleasure doing this, and I cannot thank everyone enough who reads and comments here.  I hope the second year of The Heartland is every bit as enjoyable and productive as the first had been.

Thank You, Everyone.

I've been perusing the Yankees' April schedule--which happens to be dominated by road games, which I'll get to in another post--and have chosen a few games for HDLR viewing.  I'd like it to be all of them but, for reasons I discussed a while back, have decided to more selectively open HDLR festivities.  Below are several games in the first few weeks that will without question be HDLR games.  If there is an important interceding event, if the Yankees win the first fifteen games, or some other seismic anomaly, I'll reserve the right to throw open the HDLR on an ad hoc basis.  Until then, count on coming by for these games if you'd like:

[All times ET]
Monday 3/31 versus Toronto, 1:05 p.m.--the home opener, count on it.
Friday 4/4 versus Tampa, 7:05 p.m.--possible fireworks, plus I'd like to have a game or more per series this year.
Monday 4/7 versus Tampa, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday 4/9 @ KC, 8:10 p.m.--Royals' home opener.
Friday 4/11 @ Boston, 7:05 p.m.--Yankees-Red Sox, enough said.
Sunday 4/13 @ Boston, 8:05 p.m.--see above.
Wednesday 4/16 versus Boston, 7:05 p.m.--first Yankees home game against Boston.
Saturday 4/19 @ Baltimore, 7:05 p.m.--evaluate for yourselves just how bad the O's might be.

This amounts to eight of the first twenty games for the HDLR, and just over one game per series, with Boston getting two for obvious reasons, and Tampa getting two of that four-game series.  I'll determine HDLR games every few weeks, and will select games for the White Sox, Indians, and Tigers in the next few weeks.  I might choose some games based on possible pitching match-ups, though much will depend upon my schedule.

Hope to see you then.

Word came down today from the Grand Inquisitor, Bob Watson, that Shelley Duncan has been suspended for three games for his Ty Cobb impersonation, Jonny Gomes suspended two games for his lame shove while tripping to avoid an actual confrontation, and Melky Cabrera suspended three games for allegedly violent actions during the fracas Wednesday the 12th.  Pete Abraham is right when he says that there is both time to appeal these, and time for them to be adjudicated before the season begins, meaning that it's likely that the Yankees will be without both for at least the opener.  Additionally, coaches Kevin Long and Bobby Meacham were fined, apparently for having the unmitigated temerity to help the umpires restore order and break up the fracas.  The next time, they should get their money's worth and shove someone. 

I'm not in too much of a bunch over this, at least as far as Shelley is concerned.  Shelley deserved some form of discipline considering his blatantly ham-handed attempt at retribution.  Ultimately it may have the benefit of warning teams that they may get someone fearless barreling into them on the base paths in response for some unnecessary action.  Plus, the Yankees should survive the start of the season without him.  But I'm perplexed about Melky's three-game suspension.  I've seen the dispute several times from a few different video feeds, and have yet to locate Melky throwing a punch at anyone.  Unless there is video clearly establishing that Melky threw a punch, this is the one genuine miscarriage of justice that I'd demand the union appeal.  It's also the more serious for the club, as far as whom they'll miss especially in center.  If someone has some clear proof showing Melky's pugnacity, please send me a link.

I'll add this:  I genuinely expect no breaks from the commissioner or his Central Scrutinizer Bob Watson.  I'm not of the opinion that Watson's tenures with the Yankees should result in any charity in meting out discipline.  Nor has this actually been the case. Nor should the Yankees--or anyone--expect favorable decisions rendered based on past or recent allegiances, or anything for that matter; hence the definition of justice. Yet I'm reminded of an exchange I had last June with Cyn the Red Sox Chick, a blogger, during the Yankees' testy series in Boston when Mike Lowell plowed into Cano between first and second, then collided with Mientkiewicz on his way to first, breaking Doug's wrist.  When discussing various things, from the collisions to beanings, her take on this was the following: "Bob Watson has, historically, taken care of the Yankees since he's held the position he has. So the Red Sox, seemingly, with the Cano hit, took care of business themselves." [June 3, 2007]  Now, I ascribe no credibility to her comments generally, since she and some fellow Red Sox bloggers with whom she cavorts have a history of one-sided exaggerations and nasty characterizations that any sober-thinking child with a cursory attention span can detect.  But it was the gross mis-characterization of Watson's tenure and decisions that stuck with me.  I immediately responded: "On Watson, jeez, come on now. That smacks of conspiracy thinking. You can't just say something and not back it up with evidence. Suspensions for Yankees players have come plenty of times--for various incidents and arguing with umpires, for fighting, and for throwing at hitters--under Watson's watch. You can't do better than that, than the powers-that-be-against-Boston refrain? I'm happy to discuss evidence and specifics if you have them." [June 3, 2007]  Needless to say, there was no forthcoming "evidence" on Watson's allegedly having "taken care of the Yankees." Nor has she ever posted here again.  Thus, especially in light of today's decree, I'm still waiting for such evidence.  Again, on Shelley, suspension deserved.  But for Melky, and the fines levied on Long and Meacham, I'm flummoxed, and I believe rightly so.

Thank goodness Watson has done so much to "take care of the Yankees."  Imagine if he were actually trying to stick it to them.

Since I was committed to go to lunch with my wife, I didn't get to see Billy Crystal's first and last Yankee at-bat live.  We had a free lunch coming at a local restaurant for completing a rigorous seven-week regimen through our gym, so we went and took advantage of the free fare.  Not bad stuff, either--garlic mashed potatoes, lightly buttered string beans, steak and chicken breasts.  When we got home, I saw that Crystal had struck out, and Damon was pinch-hitting for him in the third.  I think it was done right all around--Crystal getting an at-bat in Spring Training is fine with me after hanging and practicing with the team for a stint.  The guy's a life-long Yankees fan, has been a huge booster for the team and organization, and didn't totally embarrass himself.  That it was just one at-bat was also right--not to have the guy take a position, not to have him play a bigger part of a game when there are still plenty of other actual players to evaluate.  Both sides win--the Yankees fulfilled the dream of a famous life-long fan, and they kept any possible distractions to a minimum. 

Concerning relevant game action, I was wowed by the couple innings that I saw Mussina pitch.  He retired all 15 batters he faced--very impressive.  While he'll still be vulnerable when his control is off, he's showing that he still has enough ability, grit, and guile to fool major-league hitters.  Crucially, there were few hard-hit balls off him.  Mussina was in total command, and it presents a good problem for the Yankees.  With six starters, they need to do something with someone talented, and it may mean moving Joba back to the bullpen.  While he would clearly be better suited for starting, with his classic power-pitcher build and repertoire, starting him in a set-up role would minimize his season innings tally, something the organization is clearly concerned with.  It would also solidify middle relief.

Yet at the same time, Joba is just too talented to have in middle relief.  Another scenario may be utilizing Kennedy in a spot-starting/long relieving role and, if Mussina struggles, moving him there and Kennedy into the regular rotation.  Joba is just too valuable with too good stuff to scale back his arsenal, to use him for several innings a week, to possibly give away quality starts (especially after last year's lousy beginning).  Something has to give and, with Mussina pitching lights-out today, he's clearly picking up the competitive baton in a tight pitching competition.  Unless he falls flat in the next couple weeks, I'd be shocked if the veteran Mussina didn't get the nod, at least to start the season, over the talented but still relatively unproven Kennedy.

Any ideas about the rotation to start the season?  Regardless, there are some tough decisions for Girardi to make. 

While today's game produced some intense moments, not to be overlooked are the high-handed quotes emanating from the (formerly known as Devil) Rays.  Starting at the bottom, manager Joe Maddon pushed the envelope of hysterical commentary with this gem: "What we saw today is the definition of a dirty play. There’s no roomfor that in our game. It’s contemptible, it’s wrong, it’s borderline criminal. I can’t believe they did that." Borderline criminal, Joe? Go to bed, old man.  Remember that hilarious hyperbole the next time one of your scrub players goes out of his way to torpedo an opponent in a Spring Training game.  Not to be overlooked is his use of the word "they." While it's possible that this was the product of some form of locker-room collaboration, I highly doubt that, as per my previous post.  I also highly doubt that anyone needed to say anything at all to Shelley about doing anything the next time the Yankees played the Rays. 

Johnny Gomes added, “It was premeditated on his part. … I know it’s not the Yankee way. You rarely see the Yankees do stuff like that.”  The Yankee Way? What on earth does that even mean? What's more, why and how is it that players not on the Yankees are so well-versed on the "ways" of the Yankees?  For the record, the Yankees have never, ever been averse to rough play in response to rough play.  To wit, here is a quote from the late great David Halberstam that should help to shed some light on today's events, as well as what exactly "the Yankee way" is: [The Best and the Brightest, Page 255] "The Yankee regulars were very much aware of [Phil] Rizzuto's value.  It was understood that since he was small and physically vulnerable, Rizzuto had to be protected.  If any opposing player went into second hard at him, the Yankee players would immediately retaliate against the opposing infielders and the Yankee pitchers would throw at the offending player.  Earlier that year [1949], Pesky had taken Rizzuto out in a play at second.  The next time DiMaggio was up he singled.  DiMaggio turned at first, never hesitating, and raced for second, though it was obvious he had no chance.  He laid a savage block on [Bobby] Doerr as revenge."

You tell me what you think "the Yankee way" is.  I have my own ideas, including the fact that it is an inherently subjective, and therefore suspect, construct.  Yet I also think, perhaps unsurprisingly, that history proves instructive, including here.

I just got back from an on-campus potluck lunch, for which I made a spicy jambalaya that seemed to go over well, as evidenced by the empty crock pot.  I got to see a fellow grad who has been living out of state.  He's also a big Yankees fan from The Bronx, and it was good to see him, talk Yankees, and other things.  Good stuff.

I read on Pete Abraham's blog that tempers flared between the Yankees and the Tampa ("Don't Call Us Devil Anymore") Rays.  Heath Phillips, spot-starting for Andy Pettite who apparently has an elbow inflammation, grazed Evan Longoria up and in and was immediately ejected in the first inning, seemingly in umpire overreaction.  In the second, Shelley Duncan knocked a single and tried to stretch it into Akinori Iwamura, sliding in Ty Cobb-style with spikes flashing and being out by a mile.  This precipitated a bench-clearing incident, a shove from Jonny Gomes, and some attempted fisticuffs.  Duncan, Gomes, and Yankee coaches Kevin Long and Bobby Meacham were all ejected.

This is all unfortunate, and surely somewhat unnecessary, but hardly surprising especially given the participants.  Duncan all but alluded to a future incident when he said, after Johnson bowled over Francisco Cervelli, that his decision to plow into a Rays' catcher would be made between third and home.  He plays physically anyway, and that he'd look to take a chunk out of someone didn't surprise me one bit.  I'd also add that such plays do not need to stem from managers.  Players usually know and take upon themselves the responsibility to "get even." I remember asking a guy I worked with, who played tons of competitive hockey at the prep and college level, whether or not any of his coaches ever sent a guy out explicitly to fight.  He said no, not on his teams, because when players got the tap for line and unit changes, and given game circumstances, "They knew what was up, what was expected.  No one ever had to say anything.  Plus, players talk."  They also don't often act blindly, but rather in calculated ways.  That doesn't necessarily mean smart, but instead in premeditated ways.  That's certainly what happened today. 

This clearly goes back to that thoroughly unnecessary incident.  There was just no reason for Johnson to leave his feet to dive into Cervelli, whose leg and not his body was blocking home.  Maddon's encouragement of such rough play early in Spring Training was doubly stupid. I doubt that this will end here, either in Spring Training or between the teams during the season.  Expect the bad blood to continue to boil.

I've just been too busy to watch the game, so for anyone interested, feel free to chew the fat about the game.  The little guy needs extra TLC, I'm under the weather as well, and there's a lot to do around the house today.

It's 2-2 after 2, according to the MLB.com box score.

Let's Go, Yankees!

Following up on the last post, when I linked in a perhaps self-aggrandizing fashion my own travails with those of the Yankees, things have begun to brighten up.  While the little guy's cold and fever have not completely subsided, his situation has been somewhat ameliorated, and we as a family will take our weekend sojourn.  Hopefully I'll have pictures and some details to share after we return.  Also, I just got done bottling the Spring bock, which should be done just in time for the first series with Boston for the year, April 11-13. I have a good feeling about this, "Rivalry Bock."  Even before I confirmed it by double-checking the schedule, I just knew the Yankees were playing Boston that weekend.  Call it kismet. I'll inform you about the results.

A quick question: should it be called "Rivalry Bock" or "Kismet Bock?' I'm leaning toward the former, but the latter has a certain catch to it.  Let me know what you think.

I will try to catch a few innings of the Yankees-Astros game tomorrow afternoon, since it will be on MLB.TV.  If so, I'll be sure to open up a thread for the game.  Feel free to stop by and share your views on the game, the Yankees, Spring Training, and life in general.  If there is wireless, I'll post from the getaway, perhaps even the hot tub...

I cannot stress enough how terrific it is to have baseball back amidst, and central to, the conversation. Let's Go, Yankees!

I had planned to watch some of the Yankees game today against the Twins.  However, the little guy's continued nasty cold intervened, and I took him to the clinic to visit with his doctor.  We ended up spending a few hours there, nothing too horrible, just going from one place to another for one test or another.  He has had an intermittent fever that has precluded his return to school this week, and after noticing that he felt warm this morning, we took his temperature and he had a 102.9 fever, not for the first time the past few days.  Combined with his nasty cough, it was time to get him checked out.

He ended up getting blood work and a chest x-ray to make sure he didn't have either pneumonia or the nasty Andromeda strain that has been circulating around these parts.  Thankfully, he had neither, "just" the nasty cold.  But having a nurse take a blood sample wasn't cool for the little guy, so he sat on my lap and cried as they did it for the 60 or so seconds.  By the end of the short time, he had calmed down and was talking about good kids movies we had seen. I was impressed because even though he was scared, he watched them put the needle in to draw the blood.  The x-ray was obviously easier and, while we waited for the results, I took him to the cafeteria for a slice of Oreo cookie pie, while I had a decent salad.  He napped on the way home, and took it easy tonight.

On the game, and I only read reports and the box score, It seems as though a couple kids gave up homers, Kennedy and Joba.  So be it.  This is Spring Training.  Dianna, I like your comment on the previous thread, and agree with Girardi and you--enough of the walks and, while homers will unfortunately happen, instilling aggressiveness, especially in the younger pitchers, is a good thing.  A couple mistakes in Spring Training won't hurt anyone or anything, and always better to have a rocky moment now rather than later.  Shelley Duncan continues to impress, going 1-2.  The guy has to get playing time this year, either at first or DH.  According to Pete Abraham, it appears that Matsui is behind schedule physically.  Given Shelley's play, Ensberg's warm bat, and the team's commitment to wring as much out of Giambi as they can in his walk year, Matsui might be starting 2008 as the odd man out, again just to start.  I love Matsui and his character, and think he's a terrific hitter when healthy, but the team is larded down with lefty bats.  Also, his mediocre defensive skills are a hindrance right now, for the team and especially for his chance to maximize playing time.  Ideally he, JD, Giambi, and Duncan will all play well while splitting time rotating between playing outfield, first, and DH.  Ideally. Given how Jason Lane is playing well, I can't help but think that the Yankees are entertaining ideas of trading Matsui.  That would be risky because it would bank on the good health of Abreu, Damon and Melky, and it's uncertain how productive Shelley and Lane would be over the long haul.  Yet where Matsui fits into this team, especially as new