Good Morning Everyone,

As I stated earlier in the week, my blogging would start picking up again now that spring training is in full swing. For some reason, the more I blog during the offseason, and worry about what the Yankees are actually doing rather than what they should be doing, simply makes for bad blog fodder after so long. Instead, my extremely pregnant wife received the brunt of my “Winter of Discontent ’10-’11″ edition. Bless her heart, because not only has she been busy being pregnant and chasing around our 16 month old, but we moved cross-country on Christmas Day, and oh yeah, she’s a Red Sox fan to boot!

Back to what is bothering me. I’ve heard that the Yankees should simply go out and buy the proven players to plug their holes rather than develop their own talent. Can’t the Yankees simply complement their own home grown talent with a couple of high priced free agents here and there? Why does it have to be “spend the big bucks” because you’re the Yankees?

Is it only obvious to me, or is it really just wishful thinking on my part that Sunday’s birthday boy, newly minted 20 year old lefty Manny Banuelos has proven his worth and his value to the Yankees, and deserves to be slotted into the #5 spot in the Yankees rotation as of NOW? Baby Manny has proven his case, starting 3 games, having a 0.00 ERA, striking out 8, walking only 1, and posting a .176 batting average against. That isn’t even mentioning that Yankees In House Legend Mariano Rivera has stated that Banuelos is the best lefty pitching prospect he has seen since former #1 overall pick Brien Taylor 20 years ago. Rivera was teammates with Taylor and says the difference is obvious: “He just gets it. He’s a pitcher, not a thrower.” Why does Brian Cashman continue not to get it? Are the blinders really blocking out what is so obvious to his own teammates, yet goes unnoticed by a GM whom at the very least, is in quickly warming water on the stove for not getting his big fish this last offseason? Is Ivan Nova, who is all but guaranteed the #4 slot in the rotation that much more refined and ready for AL East brutality than Banuelos?

It’s nice to see A.J. Burnett showing some signs of life this spring. He appears to be refocused and dedicated to proving the naysayers-myself included, that 2010 was an aberration and not the norm. Burnett has looked dominant throughout the spring, and that would be a much needed boost to an extremely thin starting rotation after the big boy atop the list.

Speaking of C.C., I believe Cashman and the front office need to throw the “…we don’t negotiate during the season” policy square out the window, rework Sabathia’s deal with no opt out clauses, pay him his much deserved raise, and keep him firmly in the Bronx until the end of his career. If they don’t, he will opt out-regardless of what he is publicly stating, and the Yankees will have trouble on their hands. Image losing Sabathia regardless of the offer to say, the Phillies for less money because C.C. likes to hit, is friends with Cliff Lee, AND has a chance to become the final piece of a legendary rotation along with the opportunity to win MULTIPLE World Series titles. You heard it here first. The Yankees would be left with not a bunch of stiffs, but a rotation looking eerily similar to the 2004 team, and we don’t need to review that nightmare of lacking a legit #1 when they needed it the most.

Jesus Montero, as much as I want to see him handed the starting job behind the plate, simply is not hitting this spring, and will most likely start the regular season at AAA. I will also safely assume because oft-injured Eric Chavez is hitting-with power, that he will be at least to start the season, the utility infielder while Nunez and Pena are shown the door.

Opening Day is just under 3 weeks away, and the Yankees still appear to be no better than a Wild Card team to me. Places they should have injected youth appear old and worn out. Instead of Austin Jackson patrolling centerfield like a gazelle, and adding even more speed to a lineup that features Brett Gardner, we see a worn out and inconsistent Curtis Granderson. Instead of seeing a youthful bomber in waiting getting ready to make his big league splash behind the dish in Montero, we see the retread and unfocused Russell Martin. Instead of easing either Banuelos or Nova into the #5 slot at the back of the rotation, while Ian Kennedy nicely develops in the #4 slot, we see Nova at #4, a fat has been in Colon, a destroyed arm in Garcia, and a steroid user in Mitre battling for a #5 slot spot. Phil Coke sure would’ve been nice to pair with Boone Logan in the ‘pen too. Is it only obvious to me what’s going on in Tampa this spring? The Yankees are on the verge of reverting back to the powerful, but pitching thin Yankees of the Mattingly/Winfield/Henderson/Randolph era of the 1980s.

As always, take care, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya! I’ll be back on soon enough with news of the next Brost child’s arrival into the world within the next few days!

After an interesting off-season myself, the Yankees had just as many question marks heading into the winter of 2010-11 as I did personally…for my family and I, we safely landed on our feet in Billings, Montana after a brief stay in Atlana, Georgia-for the Yankees, the off-season has been a complete and utter disaster, one in which question marks still haunt this organization several weeks into Spring Training 2011.

The first and most important question: Who will fill the #4 and #5 slots at the backend of the Yankee rotation after Sabathia, Hughes, and Burnett? So far, the obvious answers have to be Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre-both of whom have appeared only sparingly during the spring, and both of whom have more upside than the other “real” options that GM Brian Cashman is looking at. Sure, Bart Colon is looking good, but we know that at close to 300lbs, his should is an about to explode bratwurst. Freddy Garcia is well, Freddy Garcia. Not the once ace of the Mariners staff who was dealt to the Emerald City for Big Unit, but more of a pitcher than a power thrower. White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen said that Garcia “…was the best pitcher the White Sox had in 2010.” But really Ozzie, what does that say about the White Sox? Here’s an idea for Cashman, give the Baby Bomber, Manny Banuelos the nod over Mitre!

The kid is simply ready for the show-perhaps even more so than Ivan Nova. Forget the retreads, and start using the talent that the Yankees have chosen to hold onto, rather than dealing for vets when they were available such as Halladay and that other guy in Philly whose name we won’t mention.

The time for Jesus Montero is now. I know, I’ve heard the same song and dance for two seasons now. He doesn’t have enough experience behind the plate to handle a big league pitching staff. Let me ask you this: when was the last time a big league catcher called the entire game without input from the pitching coach, manager or the pitcher himself? Enough of the excuse. Instead, the Yankees are leaning towards another burned out, oft-injured former All Star in Russell Martin, who by the way is still injured! Are Martin’s defensive skills and game calling abilities that far superior to Montero’s? Simply put, this kid can rake, and to watch him toil at AAA or on the bench while Martin continues to prove he is done is simply wasting time. The Yankees are getting older by the minute, and the perfect opportunity to insert some much needed youth into the roster is now. Banuelos and Montero, along with Andrew Brackman and others waiting in the wings is just what the doctor (and the payroll) ordered.

The Yankees have been rarely known to take a younger player with talent over a proven vet-even when that vet is a certifiable has been. Brett Gardner was given the nod, and has proven his worth. The Yankees gave away Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy and Austin Jackson for Granderson-yet another veteran flop in the Bronx. Cano, Chien Ming Wang are the exception and not the rule. Afterall, looking back at what started the dynasty of the 90′s weren’t the big ticket trades or free agent acquisitions. They were young, talented players such as Jeter, Pettitte, Posada, and Rivera that laid the foundation for a decade plus of postseason appearances and World Series domination.

Perhaps Brian Cashman, whose contract is up at the end of the season should examine what worked for Gene Michael and Bob Watson if he truly wants to leave his own legacy and fingerprints on the organization that accepts nothing less than championship-caliber teams and players year in and year out.

As always, be good, take care of yourself and your buddy next to ya and I’ll be posting more as the spring and regular season approach.

P.S. The Brost family will be growing by 1, as my wife Karri is expecting to deliver our baby daughter any day now, adding to baby Braden, who is now 16 months old, throwing his baseball all over the place, and is ready to take on the role of “Big Brother” to his baby sister!

Hello again one and all…

Since the last time I was on, the Yankees have been eliminated from defending their World Series title. So what comes next in the Bronx? Spend more cash? Trade away minor league talent? What are the right answers? This entry will examine what has already happened over the last few days, and with any luck, what should happen to turn things around for the 27-time World Series Champions!

Brian Cashman has made it loud and clear that he wants Joe Girardi back in the dugout next season. Reports have already circulated that Cashman is looking to “reward” Girardi with a 3 year deal. Why? In 3 seasons at the helm, Girardi has taken baseball’s highest payrolled roster and missed the playoffs, won a World Series, and has gotten bounced in the ALCS. Does this really necessitate a new contract? I say absolutely NOT! Who then…reports have also been circulating that both Joe Torre and Lou Piniella were contacted within hours of the Yankees’ 6-game ouster at the hands of the Texas Rangers to test their interest. Both men said thanks but no thanks. I don’t blame them either. Who would I replace Clueless Joe with? Willie Randolph! A career Yankee, long time member of the coaching staff, and is familiar with several of the players as well as the front office within the organization. He’s a company man. He knows New York, and most importantly, he’s a winner. Yeah, he had a tough experience with the Mets, but so did Joe Torre if you remember correctly. Instead of firing Girardi, Dave Eiland was the sacrificial lamb…my guess is that he will join Terry Francona’s staff in Boston after John Ferrell bolted to take the Blue Jays gig.

The Yankees must shed some if not all of the dead weight on this roster. Jorge Posada is done as a backstop, pure and simple. Let him DH during the final year of a brilliant Yankee career that should see the #20 retired at some point. Let him groom Jesus Montero to take over full time in 2011. Deal Nick Swisher. A great regular season performer and solid clubhouse guy yes, but 2 dismal Octobers has left Yankee fans frustrated with his child-like antics. Javier Vazquez, Joba Chamberlain, A.J. Burnett-they all have to go, and why not, throw Brett Gardner in there too. He is never going to be a .300 hitter no matter how badly the Yankees want to believe he will be. Get some bullpen help in return.

Re-sign Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera-no brainer on all of these guys! Pick up the options on both Kerry Wood and Lance Berkman. Both performed admirably during the final weeks of the season, and are useful cogs to keep both the starting lineup and the bullpen intact. The Yankees MUST, and I repeat, MUST sign both Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford. Simply stated, there isn’t much left to plug the necessary holes if they don’t. And I don’t want to hear about the Yankees being stretched financially…open up the check book and bring home another title!

The Yankees’ rotation will be in excellent shape if it appears as follows…

1. Sabathia 2. Lee 3. Pettitte 4. Hughes 5. Burnett/Nova

The bullpen isn’t too far off from being elite either, having posted the 3rd best bullpen E.R.A. in 2010…here’s how it should look in 2011…

RH Robertson, Mosely, Gaudin, Wood, Rivera (CP), LH Logan, ???

Here, the Yankees need to have a second lefty in the ‘pen on days Logan can’t go. Perhaps Joe Beimel or Javey Lopez. I prefer Lopez because he has vast experience in the A.L. East and is absolutely sick against lefties.

The 2011 everyday lineup should look like this…

LF Crawford
SS Jeter
2B Cano
3B A-Rod
1B Teixiera
CF Granderson
DH Posada/Berkman
C Montero
RF Gardner

Notice that I’ve moved Cano into the 3 hole in the lineup. Tex is getting progressively worse by the year, and he is slowly morphing into Jason Giambi. Opponents could put all 7 defenders on the right side of the infield, and the man STILL refuses to hit the ball the other way. Drives me bonkers. As for Cano, he took major steps in re-establishing himself as an elite talent, and moving into the 3 hole behind Crawford and Jeter, and in front of A-Rod could provide numbers BETTER than what he displayed in 2010!

Reports indicate that Tony Pena is in line to take the Marlins job, leaving only Kevin Long as Girardi’s lone mainstay from the previous staff. Randolph at the least, should be brought in as the bench coach to keep Girardi from going absolutely neurotic with his black binder, and I would love to see Dave Righetti return to the Bronx to work with this pitching staff, and to help develop Ivan Nova and to push Phil Hughes to elite echelon status.

Will any of this happen? Who knows. But as a lifelong Yankees fan who watches, evaluates, and listens, I believe the above moves are the only ones that can right this once championship ship. If not, look for the entire front office-led by Brian Cashman and his minions to be thrown out like yesterday’s trash! Stay tuned as the off-season progresses, as I will undoubtedly put in my two cents as things develop!

As always, take care, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!

P.S. Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife Karri (who by the way is a Red Sox fan!) Love you sweetheart!

Hi everyone! Thanks for tuning back in for my (hopefully more frequent) rants on our beloved Bronx Bombers. I could continue to go on and on about Nick Johnson and Javy Vazquez, but I will save those rumblings for later in the entry. I want to start by passing along my condolences to two of baseball’s legendary figures-both of whom passed away this past week: Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell, and Whiz Kid member and Hall of Fame pitcher for the Phillies, Robin Roberts…gentlemen, may your memory and your individual impact on the game truly live on forever in baseball lore…Rest in Peace.

Now, on to sunnier, err, brighter topics. The Yankees invaded Fenway again last night and absolutely laid the wood on the rival BoSox. Now it’s not time to go and start buying World Series tickets just yet. The Red Sox are a flawed and injured team, just as the Yankees are in their current state. Yes, it was nice to see an assbeating of monumental proportions last night, but it is not the end all and be all of what the Yankees are trying to accomplish. As my wife the Red Sox fan likes to remind me, the Red Sox did start out 9-0 against the Bombers last year and look how things turned out…before getting off of the Yankees/Red Sox thing, I would like to wish a healthy and quick recovery to former Red Sox outfielder Dave Roberts, who is battling lymphoma. Best of luck in your recovery Mr. Roberts…cancer is an ugly thing, and we all hope and pray for the best for you and your family…

Phil Hughes is exactly what I said he would be. I said it three years ago and I was laughed at. Why? He couldn’t stay healthy. Last season, the Yankees still couldn’t figure it out and now look…he’s 4-0 and appears to be the second best arm in that rotation behind Sabathia. So for those naysayers who told me I was crazy…you can officially shut your collective pie holes now, Mr. Hughes has arrived!

The Yankees were hit by yet another injury last night, this time to early season MVP favorite Robinson Cano, who was beaned in the kneecap by a wild Josh Beckett last night. He’s listed as day to day, but aren’t we all? Cano joins Granderson, Nick “I’m a piece of human trash” Johnson and Jorge Posada in the Yankee MASH unit. Francisco Cervelli will remain the starter…When will the Yankees figure out that Posada is breaking down? He needs to be the everyday DH, and Cervelli and Montero need to be the backstops, and yes, Nick Johnson needs to be sent away, who cares where to…

Javier Vazquez will re-join the rotation for an injured Andy Pettitte, who is suffering some elbow tightness and will miss his next start. Sergio Mitre will take Pettitte’s start on Monday. By the way, I don’t give a good god damn if Randy Winn hit a game winning home run the other night. The starting outfield should still be Gardner and Jackson…oh yeah, Jackson is gone…doing what I said he would do in the Bronx this year, only in the Motor City…another great move by Brian Cashman!

So C.C. will take the ball in Game #2 today, and so far, he is looking every bit his mid-season form, and for the Yankees to bury Boston even further into the standings, it’s important that New York continue to dominate this season’s series. Tampa will not lose, but the Yankees don’t need to worry about two teams, just the one they are playing that day…

Well, that’s about all for now…I know I haven’t shared any photos of my new son since his birth, but I thought I’d throw this one up for everyone in Yankeeland so they know that the next generation is being trained properly…

As always, be good, be safe, and take care of your buddy next to ya and enjoy the remainder of the Yankees/Red Sox clash this weekend!

So here we are: Three weeks into the 2010 defense of the Yankees’ 27th World Series title, and there are already issues that should’ve been addressed this past offseason. What are some of those? The Angels exposed several of them during the Yankees’ first series loss of 2010 this past weekend in Anaheim. Let’s review…

1. The inability of DH Nick Johnson to hit American League pitching. I didn’t like the signing when it happened, and it appears more and more likely as if Johnson will be lucky to make it to the All Star break on the Yankee roster. Johnny Damon looks like a bargain now doesn’t he? Even though I said it was a good idea to let Damon walk, I believed it was a good idea at his price. Had he been willing to take the Yankees’ original offer, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

2. Curtis Granderson still can’t hit lefties. We knew this, but to give up Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy AND rookie phenom Austin Jackson? Brian Cashman probably is quietly wishing he had a reset button on that move. Jackson would be doing the same thing as Granderson, just a whole lot cheaper. Coke, could’ve been the one facing Kendry Morales instead of the inconsistent Damaso Marte, who once again appears to be overmatched by hitters early on.

3. Joe Girardi’s in-game management. Yes, the Yankees won the World Series in 2009, but not by some great thought provoking work on Girardi’s part. The intentional, non-intentional walk to Morales to cost the Yankees Sunday was enough evidence of that. Where is Buck Showalter (a Billy Martin student) when you need him?

4. Jorge Posada’s erroding defense. Here, the Yankees could kill two birds with one stone. Dump Johnson at DH, move Jorge to hit full time since he can still rake, hand the starting job to Cervelli for the time being, and ease Jesus Montero into the big leagues as the backup, and by mid-summer, have him entrenched firmly as the next great Yankees backstop.

All seems pretty simple doesn’t it? Then why is it only obvious to every Yankee fan under the sun except the braintrust and on-field management team in the Bronx? Your guess is as good as mine. I will be back this weekend with a Week #4 Review.

Until then, be good, take care, and take care of your buddy next to ya!

Happy New Year to Everyone! I know, it’s April, so why the holiday greetings? It’s the start of baseball’s New Year, and that is better than any hangover one could get in Times Square or the Strip in Sin City on January 1st. Before reviewing what occurred in Game #1 of the season, I will share what I think the Yankees did right and what they did wrong over this past offseason.

What Went Right:

Giving Javy Vazquez another shot to prove he can handle big boy baseball in the American League East. This time around, he’s not expected to be the ace, not even the #2 guy. He will settle in as the #3 or #4 guy before or after Andy Pettitte. I would take his pure stuff against anyone in the league given those circumstances. He will give up the long ball, and lots of them. However, if he wins 12-14 games and strikes out 200 hitters in 2010, the move was well worth it. Afterall, was Melky Cabrera ever going to be an elite outfielder? The answer is absolutely not.

The Yankees chose to keep Nick Swisher and let Xavier Nady walk away. Nady is injury prone, and besides his first two weeks in New York, never really meshed well into the Yankees’ lineup. Let him be the Cubs’ headache now. Swish is an on base machine, one who switch hits for power, and keeps the button down Yankees’ clubhouse loose.

Letting Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui hit the bricks. Given, both were integral pieces in the Yankees getting past the Phils in last year’s Fall Classic, but Damon priced himself out of town (thanks Scott Boras), and there was never a guarantee that Godzilla would ever be able to stay healthy long term.

Giving Phil Hughes the #5 rotation slot over the fat injected Joba Chamberlain. I’ve screamed long and loud about this topic, Joba is the next closer once big Mo hangs up the spikes, and Hughes still has electric stuff. Expect 10-12 wins out of the Baby Rocket.

What Went Wrong:

Trading away Austin Jackson, Ian Kennedy, and Phil Coke for Curtis Granderson. Granderson is a mid 240′s hitter who has visibly lost a step in center field. Yes, he will get his power numbers up, but to give up Jackson, still just turns my stomach. You heard it here first folks, Austin Jackson will be a star someday. This move reminds me of a circa 1980s trade away your good young players for washed up has been bum Yankees of yesteryear. Yuck!

Signing the injury-prone Nick Johnson to DH instead of a proven leader in Jermaine Dye. The Yankees’ lineup is already too left-handed, and it didn’t get much better by adding Johnson. Yes, he is an on base machine like Nick Swisher-when healthy. When has he been? Dye would’ve provided a right handed bat with post season experience galore, and he has a very strong arm that could’ve rotated into the outfield once in awhile. Instead, Dye is sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring.

Okay, so now for what occurred in Fenway Sunday night. Seems like I was watching a game from 2009, and by checking my Facebook shortly after the game, according to Red Sox Nation, they just won the World Series. Hate to tell you Beaneaters, but Beckett looked worse than Sabathia did, and your little man at 2nd base won’t be able to carry you for 162 games like he did Sunday night. Boston is a severally flawed team, allowing Beltre to take at bats from a still productive Mike Lowell, and I am willing to bet anything that this team goes weeks at a time where their offense is non-existent.

The Yankees bullpen looked like pure poop. David Robertson, Chan Ho Park, and Joba Chamberlain looked like BP pitchers rather than members of a defending World Series Championship bullpen. The bats were on, top to bottom, everyone looked in regular season form. I am concerned about Jorge Posada’s continued defensive decline. Here’s what they should do. When Nick Johnson gets injured (and believe me he will, he always does), you move Posada to DH full time. He can still rake. Bring up Jesus Montero and let the next great Yankee catcher begin his tenure. Once Johnson returns, deal his sorry *** to someone for a bag of balls, or some Ben Gay, or something. Maybe a bag of popcorn, just get rid of him.

Before Boston fans reign the streets to celebrate their April World Series title, keep in mind that Boston began 8-0 against the Bombers last season, only to watch New York rise up, bitch slap them right into the Wild Card, where Anaheim took care of the rest. One win does not dethrone a champion in April, so keep your Wally panties dry for the time being.

Since I last made an entry, several things have changed in my life. My Red Sox fan of a wife Karri and I celebrated the birth of our son Braden (who is a Yankee fan by birth, not by choice) in October of 2009. In January, my father Don, who was the greatest influence in my life, lost his 11 month battle with lung cancer at age 57. He will and is truly missed every single day. I would like to believe since these events, I have softened somewhat, but my tolerance for b.s. has grown increasingly short.

As for what lies ahead for the Yankees, we have a very long season ahead of us, as I am as excited as ever to share my thoughts and feelings about the Bombers with you as much as time will allow me to. I have a new little Yankee fan to have by my side throughout the 2010 season, as Braden joins myself and his older sister Alexa in our passion and loyalty to the greatest team in professional sports history. I wish to say thank you to everyone that has followed my blog over the last two + seasons as I begin season #3 blogging about everything Yankees.

Stay tuned as more posts arrive, and as always, take care, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!

~Billy B

Hello one and all and thanks for letting me back into your baseball lives! I haven’t been writing nearly as much this season for a plethora of reasons. My wife is expecting our first child together in about 4 1/2 weeks…my father is suffering from terminal lung cancer, and I am still attempting to find full time employement, so my attention to the blog has suffered for it, and for that I am sorry.

It would’ve been easy to go on the warpath and make light of the fact that the Yankees have breezed for the most part, to their impending AL East title, with little resisitance from the boys in Boston, or the less than stellar Devil Rays in Tampa. I could’ve talked trash at the sweep in the Bronx, or the beating in Boston, but I didn’t. Instead, I have sat back this summer, and simply enjoyed the Yankees’ return to dominance at the hands of both Boston and Tampa. The Rays are done for 2009. Here’s an idea…hitting for an average higher than .220 usually does wonders for the team (See Carlos Pena). If that guy gets once single MVP vote, the writers need to be stripped of the honor to vote, and it should be the players who decide.

As far as the American League Most Valuable Player award goes, if anyone outside of Minneapolis truly doesn’t believe that Derek Jeter IS the best player in the American League in 2009, then YOU should stop watching baseball NOW! Here I present as close as I can get, 100 reasons why Jeter is the AL MVP in 2009 and why Joe Mauer is not! Enjoy!

1. Jeter is the best player on the best team in the league.
2. Mauer’s Twins are a joke…sitting 12 1/2 out of the AL Wild Card and 6 back of the Tigers, who are 17 back of the Yankees in the win column.
3. Jeter has Johnny Damon hitting behind him, and even though he is good, he is not Justin Morneau.
4. Jeter through this writing, has played in 135 games.
5. Mauer missed ALL of April…how can you win a season long award when you missed the ENTIRE FIRST MONTH?
6. Jeter is putting up magnificent numbers at age 35, not to mention he is still playing Gold Glove caliber Shortstop…again, all at age 35.
7. Simply put, the writers owe Jeter for robbing him of the MVP in 2006, when another Twin, (Morneau) was awarded the trophy.
8. Jeter’s numbers compare to that of another middle infieder/MVP…the league’s reigning MVP, Dustin Pedroia. Jeter is hitting at .331, 17 HRs, 63 RBI, 97 Runs scored, and 25 Stolen Bases. Pedroia for the entire season in 2008…hit .326, 17 bombs, 83 ribs, 118 runs scored, and had 20 steals. Jeter still has two weeks left to play to add on to those numbers, clearly making his 2009 better than Pedroia’s 2008 MVP season.
9. Even though Pedroia won the MVP in ’08, plenty of other players had bigger MVP-type numbers, including Youkilis, A-Rod and Morneau. Pedroia was the best ALL-AROUND player in 2008, just as Jeter is in 2009.
10. If the Yankees couldn’t do without one player in their lineup over the long haul, who would it be?
11. Jeter simply plays the game the right way, not showing up his opponents, and cares about two things only…winning and being a New York Yankee.
12. The Twins are awful, do Mauer’s gaudy numbers really affect the outcome for the Twins in 2009?
13. Would the Yankees be running away with baseball’s best record without the Captain and tablesetter at the top of the order for the big boys to drive in?
14. How much of Johnny Damon’s career resurrgence is directly related to the flip flop in the batting order of Jeter and Damon?
15. In October, will it be Jeter setting the pace, or will the Twins gain enough ground to make it to October?
16. This isn’t a career achievement award, but at times has been awarded as such (See Bonds post-1997).
17. If you had to choose between Jeter and Mauer…game on the line, season on the line, one at bat…who are you choosing to step into that box to face that pressure?
18. Pinstripes always make a player look leaner…
19. We are talking Derek Jeter, who refuses to toot his own horn, yet the writers still aren’t smart enough to toot it for him.
20. At the end of the day, Jeter plays in the highly intensified, pressure cooker that is New York, where every single at bat, game, and play is under the microscope, and has a fan base that is the best when you win, and the most unforgiving when you lose. Jeter has proven without a doubt in 2009, and throughout his career, that he thrives on the pressure to perform, and has arguably had the best overall season of his career in 2009. He is the American League MVP. Joe Mauer can’t even get his teammates to play at the next level. How much pressure it is to put up MVP-type numbers when your games don’t matter, and your home is barely half filled?

Okay, so maybe I jumped off the cliff when I said “100 Reason”! You as the readers get my point. He is an All-Star MVP, a World Series MVP, and now he is the best player in the AL in 2009, so cut the man some slack and give him his just due.

When the voting is done at the conclusion of the regular season, I’m sure Joe Mauer will be collecting his MVP trophy. Shame on the voters, and I don’t ever want to see a Dustin Pedroia, or a Curtis Granderson, or an Ichiro Suzuki ever get another MVP vote if Jeter does not get his this season. Why are New York players ignored (twice in Jeter’s case), when they don’t have the gaudy A-Rod type numbers, but others are viewed as “excellent all around players”? The whole process is a frickin joke unless Jeter wins the AL MVP award. He recently passed Gehrig to move into the top spot overall in career hits for the Yankees…what a shame it would be if Jeter could not take his rightful place as a league MVP alongside other great Bombers such as DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle, Maris, Howard, and Mattingly. A travesty it would certainly be…

Stay tuned as the season winds down for a post season matchup preview, as I examine both the AL and NL first round series…

As always, be good, take care of yourself, and take care of your buddy next to ya!

Okay, so now that the 80th All-Star Game is finally over, not only can we as Yankee fans be proud of Tex, Jeter and Mo for showing the Yankee Pride in the AL’s 4-3 win last night, we can hope that it will give the Yankees home field advantage througout the World Series…I’m highly doubting it however, and here is why…

The Good…

Tex’s bat finally woke up after a butt stinking April, though he is still only hitting in the mid-270s and is showing signs of Giambi-like pulling of the ball rather than spraying it all over the field. 21 bombs and 60 ribs is a nice upgrade over Gumbi, not to mention the almost Mattinglyish glove at First Base.

A-Rod had appeared to have woken up…after missing several games due to hip surgery, A-Rod has come on like gang busters over the last week to ten days, hitting almost one home run per game on average over that span…hopefully the first half was used as a spring training session, and the true run producer will be more consistent in the second half of the season.

Mo is Mo…several skeptics thought after a couple of hiccups in April, the Great Sandman had finally gone over the cliff…WRONG! Mo is Mo, and as we celebrate his All-Star record breaking 4th save, along with his 500th career save, when the game is on the line, there is NOBODY ELSE IN BASEBALL I’d rather have on the mound to slam that door than Mariano Rivera.

Jeter is the Captain…After much speculation that Jeter lost a step, and could no longer hit or run, all I have to say is…a .321 average and plenty of gold left in his mitt to do the job. People forget that Jeter played with a severe quad injury most of last year, thus limiting him in the field and on the basepaths, along with tainting his batting average the second half of last season…he never lost it, rather he bucked up like a man and played through it last year.

The Bad…

Don’t let the record fool you…even though the Yankees have the third best record in all of baseball at the break, those of us in the know have plenty to fear as the second half looms. The every series ***-beating at the hands of the Red Sox, resulting in an 0 for 2009 doesn’t make me think the Bombers are any closer to reaching the pinnacle of the sport, nor does their pathetic finish out in Anaheim to an injury-plagued Angels squad whom the Yankees should’ve squashed like bugs under their collective feet. To have leads in the first two games, only to piss them away, and then have the Angels on the ropes in the finale, just to leave town swept means Brian Cashman and the boys have some serious work to do prior to the July 31st trading deadline…And now for the bad portion…

The Ugly…

Joba Chamberlain. The guy stinks of freshly laid dog crap. He is getting worse by the outing, yet Cash and Girardi insist he will be a star. As I and the rest of the baseball world know, that is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! Put his fat f***ing *** in the bullpen as the 8th inning setup guy, give Phil Hughes the chance to shine in the rotation, and get the back end of the bullpen right before it’s too late!

Brian Bruney. Another poop clog in the Yankees bullpen. Since hurting his elbow, the man has been simply putrid. His fastball is so flat one could roll it down a coffee table, and Major League hitters don’t let flat fastballs go by…they deposit them into the stands. Make Bruney a middle innings guy, which is where he has the most success, and move Chamberlain into his role in the 8th inning. After all, it won’t be long, and Rivera will finally retire…and then what? The Yankees have the tools in-house to build a dominant bridge to Mariano, yet they piss it away because Joba and his crippled old man want him to be a starter. When did this become The Dalles Little League, where Dads and kids dictate to coaches where they will play? Absolutely ******* pathetic.

The outfield…what a goddamn joke. The Yankees are stockpiled with a bunch of designated hitters, and none of them can play a lick of defense, led by Mr. Red Sox himself, Johnny “I’m a little bitch” Damon. It’s great that he’s hit 12 of his 16 homers this season at the new stadium, but how many runs has he handed back via his glove or lack thereof? DH Damon and shuffle the roster already…jesus. Yes, that means dealing the once beloved Hideki Matsui or flat out releasing him. Yes, he’s been hot the last couple of weeks, but you know what? So has minor league phenom Austin Jackson and at least he plays the field. Matsui is worthless, and thank goodness that Damon and Matsui are both in the final year’s of their respective contracts.

The Starting Rotation…the Dodgers have the best record in baseball with a bunch of journeymen and throwaways, yet we as Yankee fans are supposed to be proud of the 1st half performances of Burnett and Sabathia? Sabathia is coming ever so close to garnering Ed Whitson comparisons thus far, and Burnett is nothing like the Burnett of 2008. At least he’s staying healthy…so far. I said it before in earlier blog entries and I’m saying it again…Andy Pettitte is a bum and washed up. Yeah, I know he has 8 wins, but an ERA over the moon, and he can’t win at home. A guy like Pettitte in a short series will help get you ousted in the 1st round. He didn’t deserve the $14 mil he was seeking, and I’m not sure he even deserves Major League minimum at the break.

Hughes could give you exactly the same thing as could lefty Phil Coke, for far less money PLUS they would be getting big league experience! Don’t even get me started on Chamberlain again, we all know how I feel about that piss drunk waste of skin…the one I do feel bad for is Chien Ming Wang. I’ve always argued that Girardi doesn’t know how to handle young pitchers, given his track record in Florida and now in the Bronx, and Wang’s 2009 is a direct result of that. He forced the kid to pitch hurt, then made up excuses as to why he was and is getting banged around. Wang is a winner, and if he is given time to heal and rehab, he’ll be a winner again.

Joe Girardi…Why is this man still employed? I could go game by game, and give handfuls of examples that are clearcut evidence as to why he has no business being in the Yankees’ dugout. To make matters worse, does anyone actually believe that his former teammates (Jeter, Rivera, Posada and Pettitte) respect what he has to say? I mean come on, Posada TOOK Girardi’s job on the field, now they are supposed to listen to what he has to say in the dugout as the field boss? Nope. He burned and misused the young arms in Florida, and will do the same in New York if given enough time. What his love affair with Joba is, I will never understand. But enough is enough. I know we as Yankee fans demand greatness, and with that said, anything short of a title and Giradi, along with Cashman must hit the bricks.

Brian Cashman…Again, why is this man still employed? He took the hard work of Buck Showalter and Gene Michael, and pissed it all away in less than a decade. He was handed a dynasty and he tore it apart. Instead of continuing to build a strong minor league system and sign team guys…he traded away prospects, for has beens, and signed me guys. As much of an anti-Joe Torre guy as I was, the least Cash could’ve done in that final meeting was stand up on Joe’s behalf. What a spineless little **********. When will Cashman be held accountable for the failings on the field? He and he alone has final say over this roster, so when the Yankees fail to win it all again for the 9th consecutive year, he has to be the one along with Girardi who have to go at season’s end.

What the 2nd Half of the Season Will Bring…

If Brian Cashman doesn’t pull the trigger and add the necessary parts down the stretch, another disappointing season in Yankeeland! I do like the Hinske deal to stregthen up the bench and add much needed depth. However, the bullpen is still a problem, and as long as Bruney is the 8th inning guy, and the Yankees’ bozo brass think that Mark Melancon is major league ready, it won’t matter. Somebody like Tampa or Texas will overtake the Bombers for the Wild Card, and a second straight year without the post season will quickly become a reality. Do I think that the Yankees should talk to Toronto about Halladay? Yes, but not at the cost of Austin Jackson and/or Phil Hughes without a contract extension first. Toronto has already said no to an extension agreement negotiating period, so let’s move on. Bullpen depth and a quality defensive outfielder along with a back of the rotation starter fills out the Yankees shopping list…now we must sit back and see if they get what they need…

Unless the Yankees can figure out a way to put the 2004 ALCS collapse against the Red Sox behind them, play aggressive, high level baseball against their rivals, it doesn’t matter who the Yankees get down the stretch. At 8-0, along with a 3 game lead in the AL East, we can call it an 11 game lead. The Yankees should focus on the Wild Card, and hope that Boston gets knocked off prior to an ALCS rematch of 5 years ago.

Which means, the Yankees also need to figure out the long hated Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It appeared the Bombers might have been over the hump during their first meeting in the Bronx in 2009, making the Angels look old and tattered, but this past weekend in SoCal once again put tremendous doubt into the minds of the Bombers as they swept the Yankees in embarrassing and disappointing fashion to end the 1st half of the season. The starting rotation, the bullpen, the lack of timely hitting…these are all things that must be cleaned up in the Yankees are to have a legitimate shot at bringing home World Series crown #27. Do I think it will happen? Absolutely not! If it can be ****** up, Girardi, Cashman and the boys will find a way to do so, and at the end of the season, heads will roll, as well they should!

As always, be good, take care of yourself, and take care of your buddy next to ya!

Hello one and all…I hope each of you have had a safe and enjoyable 4th of July weekend, and that each of you are as excited as I am about the upcoming All-Star Game festivities in St. Louis next week. I can’t believe it is the mid-way point of the 2009 season already. Then again, I can’t believe my wife is already 5 months pregnant either…it seems just like yesterday we found out, and here we are on the cusp of her third and final trimester starting…

I do have something to say before I go into my rant about what is wrong in the Yankees’ Universse…I think it is disgusting that my blog has never been nominated as the spotlight blog nor does it ever finish high enough to be mentioned in the “Latest Leaders” scoreboard. Wanna know why? Simply stated…I curse, I spit venom, and I lay out the literal truth about everything Yankees…people don’t like my level of bluntness and their collective little ******* hurt. I don’t care. I’m not changing my tone, so the spotlight and the leaders can kiss my pinstriped ***!

Okay, now for the real business…let us start with the Yankees’ bullpen. Phil Hughes has been wonderful, allowing next to nothing since he and Chien Ming Wang did the old switcharoo in their respective roles. Unfortunately, Hughes still belongs in the rotation while Wang is hurt, hell, he belonged in the rotation when Wang was healthy. The fat piece of human trash Joba Chamerblain is the one who belongs in the bullpen…or worse, back to AAA-Scranton to figure out how to pitch more than 3.2 innings everytime out. How many goddamn times do I need to repeat myself…Joba is not and never will be a star major league starter. Not now, not ever. Put his fat *** back in the back end of the bullpen, let him set up Rivera until he retires, and make Joba the closer. End of discussion. Jesus already! Instead, Joba remains in the rotation, Hughes continues to dominate in mop up and long relief duty, and Alfredo Aceves, who I long have loved, gets his shot in the rotation Thursday in the Minnesota finale. He pitched well at the end of 2008, and I see him eventually being that Ramiro Mendoza-type swingman. Valuable, yet quiet and professional. Jonathan Albaladejo replaces Aceves in the bullpen for now…

As for the other issues…rumors are swirling that the Yankees are in discussions with the Pirates about trading for lefty John Grabow to support Phil Coke as the second lefty out of the ‘pen. It appears that Damaso Marte is done for the year with elbow and shoulder issues. I like the move, but in addition to that, I would like to see the Yankees sign recently released B.J. Ryan and give him the adequate time to heal and build arm strength at AAA-Scranton. Once he is healty, the Yankees now have a 93-95 mph lefty to plug in-one who also has valuable closing experience and could end up being that bridge to Mo Rivera in August and September…think about it!

I just about threw up in my mouth the other day while watching the 4-game series finale between the Yankees and the Blue Jays at the Cathedral 2.0. Why? I swore for a split second that that Mark Teixiera morphed into the former Yankee, Jason Giambi. According to the scouting reports on Tex, he is supposed to have power to all fields and doesn’t hesitate to use all fields. Instead, with the Yankees mounting a comeback in the 9th Innings, and Tex leading things off…the Blue Jays use the old Giambi Shift, pulling everyone (including the 3B and SS) all the way over to the middle and right sides of the infield…leaving only the pitcher and catcher as would be fielders had a ball been hit to the left side…What should “Mr. Team Player” have done? Stroke a groundball to the left and end up on 1st base easily! What did he do instead? On the third pitch, he yanked (no pun intended) a grounder into the teeth of the right side of the infield, and was retired without much effort. The rally started after he and A-Roid were both retired…had EITHER of them gotten on base, the Yankees tie the game, and take it to extra frames. That is the difference between Tino Martinez and his replacements…with Tino and the boys, it was about doing the little things to WIN BALLGAMES…not padding stats or caring less about a game that appeared over…

Now, for the biggest news as we approach yet another trading deadline…Toronto Blue Jays G.M. J.P. Riccardi has stated that he will listen to offers for his ace, Roy Halladay. I’ve said many times on this blog that Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball, bar none. The Yankees chose not to go after Santana, instead choosing to go the route of youth movement and eventually signing Sabathia and Burnett. If you are the Yankees, this is what you must do…let Riccardi know that you as the Bombers might be interested, and see what the Jays want in terms of a package…ask and find out if Boston or Tampa is involved as well. Once that is done, you offer up a package of say, Hughes, Joba, and perhaps Gardner or Melky. There is one hangup however, I would ask for the opportunity to sign Halladay to a long term deal before the trade was completed…a future rotation of Sabathia, Halladay, Burnett, Wang and (fill in the blank) would dominate baseball…AND weaken the Red Sox and the rest of the division. If there were ever a must do deal for an established star, this is the one. Pitching is a premium, and elite starting pitching doesn’t get offered up everyday. Given, the Jays may be hesitant to deal with teams within their own division. However, who outside of the AL East can #1. afford the remaining $14+ million for the final year of Halladay’s contract in 2010, and #2. if the big boys are out of the running, do the Jays honestly believe that the mid-market teams will offer up nearly the quality of prospects when they know Boston and the New York teams aren’t in the running?

Lots of things going on in the great world of Major League Baseball…the Yankees finish up with Minnesota on Thursday, and head out west to take on their long time rivals, the Angels. I perhaps might catch a game on the left coast this weekend…we shall see!

As always, be good, take care of yourself, and take care of your buddy next to ya!