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Boston.com is reporting that Chris Carter, baring a waiver claim, is going to break camp with the Red Sox.  Carter, who seems to have lost a bunch of weight since 2008's conclusion, has had a great spring with the bat.

As expected, Nick Green will also make the club.  Having played outfield a few times this spring, Green has made Carter's lack of defensive skills a lesser issue.

A few days back, it was announced Clay Buchholz would start the year in AAA, so the Red Sox roster seems to be set.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 03:28 PM | Permalink

The Yankees have apparently decided that they will not carry a long reliever and Albie has made the team as a reliever. 

I am not in love with this idea, but I like Albie's potential.  I suppose seven relievers should be enough to cover most contingencies, but it will be interesting to watch.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If you don't remember the skit, watch it here, but I immediately thought of it when I read the story this morning about selling beer again in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium.  I actually never sat in the bleachers after the beer ban went into effect, but I spent many a night in them before it did.  Let's just say, it wasn't an experience that gives you a lot of faith in your fellow man. 

Now I enjoy a cold one, especially at a ball game, but people can take it a little too far.  Hopefully, the Yankees will be very carefully monitoring behavior in not only the bleachers, but everywhere else throughout the new place.  Going to a ballgame shouldn't mean having to sit through nine innings of drunken, loutish behavior.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:53 AM | Permalink

Pretty wild story from Jon Heyman about Stephen Strasburg and his reported asking price of $50 million.  The article made took me back about 18 years ago to the 1991 draft.  I still remember reading an article, I think it was in the Daily News, about the choice the Yankees had.  They were picking first and scouts were raving about two can't-miss Hall Of Fame players- Brien Taylor and Mike Kelly.  Taylor was heralded as a left-handed Dwight Gooden, while Kelly was compared to Barry Bonds. 

Taylor of course blew out his arm in a fight while Kelly made it to the majors, but didn't do much at all in brief stints in the bigs.  I have heard some amazing things about Strasburg and his abilties, he sounds like he would be an amazing pitcher.  But, considering the risks involved with pitching and the current state of the economy, I can't believe he will come close to getting $50 million.  I would be amazed if he got even half that.  It should be fun to watch in June. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Brett Gardner has won the centerfield job.  I don't know if Gardner is going to hit enough, but he has more potential than Cabrera and his speed is an element the Yankees haven't had in recent years.  It should be a lot of fun to watch him play.  If Gardner hits enough the Yankees could have an outfield of Austin Jackson-Gardner and Swisher in 2010, but that is a discussion for another day.

For now, the announcement means we really only have two questions left to be answered.  First, who is the seventh arm in the bullpen and second, who is the backup infielder?  I talked about the former issue earlier today.  As for the infielder question, as much as I love Ramiro Pena's glove, I wonder if he would be better served by playing fulltime in the minors.  One thing's for sure, Pena has really opened some eyes this spring and his performance may finally give the Yankees a chance to talk seriously about moving Jeter off of short. 

The games count a week from tomorrow, I can't wait.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:30 PM | Permalink

Word out of Tampa is that Joe Girardi is thinking of not bringing a long reliever north when the Yankees start the season.  The thinking is that Phil Coke and Albaladejo can fill that role if needed.

Now, I totally agree with this line of thinking if the long guy they select is Brett Tomko.  He may have great numbers in camp, but Tomko is 36 and has been mediocre at best in his career.  There is no way he can be expected to flourish over the 2009 season.  But, I think that Aceves has a lot of potential and I was hoping he would be the long guy out of the pen this year.  

Furthermore, they are going to have a need for a long guy most of the time Joba starts if they want to keep his innings down.  They haven't said what Joba's innings limit is, but logically 150 seems a good guess.  If he starts 30 times, a reasonable estimate, he would pitch an average of five innings a start.  That is going to force the bullpen to pitch four innings on most days he starts.  Also, what happens when a starter gets shelled and has to be pulled in the second or third inning?  You can pitch Coke and Albe two innings each and then use some other relievers, but that will burn out the pen quickly.  

Far better to have a guy built to go four or five innings available in the pen in my mind.  We will find out soon if the Yankees agree with me.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Interesting minor move today, the Yankees got Chris Stewart back.  If the name sounds familiar, that's because Stewart played one game for them last year. 

I still don't think this solves the catching depth issue, but it is a step in the right direction.  Stewart has shown some life in his bat at times and is young enough to still surprise.  Defensively, he is considered a good catcher.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

catchers (2) - Jason Varitek, George Kottaras

infield (5) - Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Lowell, Jed Lowrie, Julio Lugo

outfield (4) - Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew, Rocco Baldelli

dh (1) - David Ortiz

starters (5) - Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny

bullpen (7) - Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito, Manny Delcarmen, Ramiro Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson

dl (2) - John Smoltz, Mark Kotsay

With Kotsay expected to be out through April, the Red Sox need a back-up firstbase/corner outfielder type.  The candidates are Brad Wilkerson (.111/.200/.306 in 36 ABs), Jeff Bailey (.438/.538/.750 in 32 at bats), Chris Carter (.293/.326/.537 in 41 at bats) and Paul McAnulty (.206/.229/.324 in 34 at bats).

Wilkerson is the best defender of the 4, but he hasn't hit this spring and really has hit in 2 years.  Bailey is probably the most deserving if perseverance counts for anything.  He can hit, but he can't really field.  Tough choice for Boston, but thankfully it is for a reserve position, not a starting position.

There is a chance Lugo isn't healthy to start the season (actually it's likely he won't be ready after knee surgery), so Nick Green (.333/.404/.548) might make the team.

When Smoltz is ready, the Red Sox might have a big decision to make.  While there is a good chance injuries will solve the problem, the Red Sox might have to demote or cut a player upon Smoltz's return.  Masterson has options, but I'm not sure who else does (and who else would make sense to demote).  If Wakefield doesn't pick it up, he might be at risk too.

About 2 1/2 weeks away from opening day.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Apparently Plan B in the event of an injury to Rivera is Joba.  I just don't get it.

Ok, I agree with the argument that Joba is probably right for the job, both makeup-wise and stuff-wise, but what about all the other arms the Yankees have?  If Joba is really going to be a starter, he needs to be left there on a permanent basis.  Marte has 36 saves in his career, Bruney has been impressive in pressure situations, everyone says Melancon is the next Yankees closer.  What about Phil Coke?  

The Yankees keep touting Joba as a frontline starter and they are going to kill that potential if they keep jerking him around.  Joba keeps talking about how happy he is to enter 2009 with a defined role.  The Yankees need to avoid changing that role.  If Mo gets hurt they need to find someone else to replace him, that's the bottom line.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

ESPN and Boston.com are both reporting that Kevin Youkilis will miss the rest of the WBC because of an ankle sprain.  He has been sent to Ft. Myers for an MRI.

Just great.  I love the WBC.  Remember how I commented that the WBC was a bit compellng?  I take it all back.

No word yet on the extent of the injury.  The reports indicate he injured the ankle 4-5 days ago and it was in such tough shape that he was barely able to walk through the clubhouse after last night's WBC game.  We'll probably know more tomorrow.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 06:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

It a kind-of-surprising move, the Red Sox granted catcher Josh Bard his unconditional release.  By doing so, George Kottaras has won the back-up catcher spot for Boston.

This is the second tough departure the Red Sox have given Bard.  The first, you will recall, was when the hastily shipped him to San Diego for Doug Mirabelli (remember the police escort to Fenway?).  I have a feeling that Josh Bard won't be letting his kids route for the Boston Red Sox any time soon.  Of course I'm sure the Red Sox told Bard when they signed him, that he'd have tough competition and he was not a lock to make the team.  But still, ouch.

As for Kottaras, acquired for David Wells in August 2006, he was out of options and must have impressed the Red Sox enough to win the back-up spot.  Kottaras was originally thought of as an on-base machine, but at some point in 2006, he lost his way and really struggled offensively.  But in 2008, he found some power (22 HRs at Pawtucket with a .245 average and a .348 obp) and that combined with his good performance handling Tim Wakefield this spring and his catching of knuckleballer Charlie Zink in AAA last year, must have made the Red Sox decision easy.

Kottaras has much more upside than does Bard, he is cheaper and he was out of options.  A left-handed bat, he has the potential to cut heavily into Jason Varitek's playing time should Varitek struggle.

Thinking about this, I guess I assumed all along the Red Sox would not go ahead with Bard, but that they would instead trade for the next regular Red Sox catcher (i.e. Teagarden or Saltalamacchia) and not, instead, decide on Kottaras.

Notes:  Wes Littleton was claimed off waivers by the Brewers.  The Littleton experiment didn't work as he was terrible this spring (18.56 ERA, granted in only 5.1 IP) and seemingly didn't have a roster spot available to him even if he had done well.

Julio Lugo had knee surgery and is out 3-4 weeks.  I wonder if all that "muscle" he gained in the off-season helped.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

but you cannot deny that the U.S. players are fired up right now!  I am fired up too, that was an exciting game and an especially nice piece of hitting by Jimmy Rollins. 

More games like that and I will become a big WBC fan.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:03 PM | Permalink

Seriously, has there even been someone more in need of firing than A-Rod's PR person?  I know everyone is as tired of this topic as I am, but I would feel remiss if I didn't mention this interview he gave, most of which happened the day after Selena Robers confronted him on steroid use.  It includes a number of really amazingly dumb items, but best of all is this quote from his manager, "He really hasn't had the chance to show people who he really is."

Ok, so the guy who is the richest athlete in baseball and has been in the league for 14 seasons hasn't had the chance to show us who he really is?  What exactly is stopping him?  It's obivously not money.  Media access doesn't seem to be a problem.  Maybe he is just painfully shy- maybe not.   

And if the article wasn't bad enough, look at the photo shoot.  It's like a bad porno set and A-Rod looks like a bad porno actor in half the pictures.  What is he doing and what are the people advising him on publicity matters doing?  Ok, I am going back to baseball now.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Andy detailed his complaints with the WBC the other day because the Red Sox got Dustin Pedroia back hurt from the tournament.  The Yankees also had two injured players, Robinson Cano and Damaso Marte.  The good news is the injuries don't sound serious.  The thing that bothers me is quotes like this one from Cano:

"The good thing is that it's only a few days. This is about your country. It's not about just going to play and have fun.  I don't want to be one of those guys that they say, 'We needed you and you didn't want to play.' The good thing is that this didn't get worse. It's still the same and I'll be ready for Friday."

Now, I don't blame Cano for feeling that way.  Wanting to represent your country and taking pride in doing so are admirable emotions, but the problem is that this tournament conflicts with Cano's regular job- playing second for the Yankees.  

So, how do you reconcile the players' emotions and the needs of the clubs?  First thing I would do is stop the WBC from happening in March.  March is when players are getting ready for the season and it is not the time to play big pressure games.  Pitchers are especially vulnerable as they are asked to ramp up and pitch big inninngs before they have really worked their arms into shape.

Ideally, the tournament would take place in October or November, but you can't ramp up after the season ended and you wouldn't want to compete with the World Series.  If the owners really want this thing to work I think they need to do it midseason, maybe shortening the regular season to 154 games in WBC years.  Instead of the All-Star Game hold the WBC and close MLB for a week.  Cut down on the number of teams (Is Italy a real hotbed for baseball?  Australia?) and play it out.  It will never happen, but that is probably the way to do it.

What is not the way to do it is the way they are now.  I want to get into this tournament but it is hard when you know that the best players are not all there.  The box says the attendance at last night's U.S. game was 11,000, but I would be amazed if there were more than 3,000 people in the stands.  Fans aren't stupid and they are not going to spend their money on a half-assed idea.  MLB needs to either go all in on this or get out of this tournament entirely.  It's a good idea that is poorly executed and we can only hope that a team doesn't lose a player to injury because of it. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:21 PM | Permalink

April 6th is going to be a great sports day for Yankees' fans.  You can tune into the Yanks-Orioles game at 4:05 and then watch the National Championship basketball game at 9pm.  For sports fans these are some of the best weeks of the year, we have survived the dead period between the end of the football season and the start of the baseball season.  March Madness is upon us and when it ends baseball begins.

For the Yankees there are a few issues that need to be sorted out in the remaining weeks of camp. Let's go through them.

Who will be the centerfielder on Opening Day?  It's very hard to see how Brett Gardner doesn't get the job.  Not only is he hitting at a torrid clip, .379/.438/.759, he adds a tremedous amount of speed to the lineup.  Melky Cabrera has a nice OBP, but he isn't hitting for power (not that you should really expect him to) and after nearly 1500 AB's in the bigs, it is hard to see him becoming anything more than he is right now.  Cabrera is out of options, so I would expect him to make the team eventhough Shelly Duncan is more deserving of a spot right now.

Can Posada catch?  His first test came today and by all accounts he did very well.  The next three weeks will tell us what we need to know about this.  

What will the bullpen look like?  From all accounts, it sounds like the Yankees will carry 12 pitchers.  That means seven relievers and the only locks for the pen are Rivera, Bruney and Marte.  I think Phil Coke is probably well on his way to earning a job.  He has put up nice numbers and is a lefty.  Veras is probably back as well, leaving two spots open.  One of those would go to a long reliever and right now I think Brett Tomko is the leader.  It really is a four-player race with Tomko, Aceves, Giese and Jason Johnson.  Johnson first got into a game the other day since he is recovering from retinal cancer.  Giese and Aceves haven't been good so far this March, but there is time of that to change. Personally, I hope they use Giese or Aceves in this role since I don't believe in Tomko's abilities at this point in his career.  One option the Yankees could try is using Coke as the long guy as well.

That leaves one spot and I think it is a two-player race between Edwar Ramirez and Jonathan Albaladejo.  Now Edwar has been hurt so he hasn't had much of a chance to compete yet, while Albie has been good, but in only four innings.  Ramirez was solid last year, but I just don't think he will ever amount to more than a hit-or-miss bet throughout his career.  Albie looked good last April before he got hurt and I hope the Yankees go with him.  Either way, whoever loses this competition should have some trade value, something the Yankees should consider using before the season starts. 

Is Angel Berroa the utility infielder?  For now I think he has won the job because of the injury to A-Rod.  Berroa has torn the cover off the ball, but his defense has been suspect at best.  If you assume the Yankees leave camp with 13 hitters, six of them are going to be outfielders (Damon, Gardner, Nady, Swisher, Cabrera and Matsui)  Add in two catchers and that leaves five infielders and Berroa makes it because A-Rod is on the DL.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Just when players like Mike Lowell and Brad Penny are showing improvement, word arrives that Dustin Pedroia (oblique) and Julio Lugo (torn meniscus) are injured.

While the US squad faces Puerto Rico as I write this (losing 6-0 after 4) in the WBC (still not sure why Puerto Rico has its own team and I mean no disrespect in any way.  In fact, I tried to research it as best I could and just don't quote get it), Pedroia is a scratch.  In Florida, Lugo's knee soreness, per Saturday morning's news, has turned into a month-long rehab should he have arthroscopic surgery in the coming days.

Here's the potential impact:  Jed Lowrie is the Red Sox starting shortstop and Dustin Pedroia is now questionable for the start of the regular season.

Lowrie starting over Lugo wouldn't be a shock, but Lugo was leading the team in hitting in spring training and making it a good battle.  Lugo said he gained 10 lbs of muscle in the off-season, but every time I hear a player say that, I just assume it's his way of explaining why he is 10 lbs fatter...after having not worked out in the off-season.  Not fair to Lugo or any player, but that's always what comes to mind.

As for Pedroia, he is obviously a key cog in the the Red Sox line-up.  With Lowell no guarantee to be healthy and David Ortiz coming off his worst season as a Red Sox, losing Pedroia would be very tough.  I think Nick Green would be the starting 2b if the season started today.  Yikes.

While I am seriously grumpy about Pedroia getting hurt during the WBC, I have to confess, the games have had a certain dramatic and compelling element.  Watching the Dutch beat the Dominican Republic team (caught about 5 innings of the combine 2 games) twice, was amazing and seeing Canada lose to Italy (only caught highlights) was equally entertaining.  Not that I prefer any of those countries over the others, but seeing a deep-underdog win is always a thrill...unless it is in the 2008 Superbowl...sniffles.

We'll know more about Pedroia and Lugo by Monday.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Here's an interesting story about Ivan Rodriguez and his willingness to play positions other than catcher, notably third.  I know he was terrible with the Yankees last year, but his numbers were actually the same as Molina's OPS+ wise and I still think he offers more offensive upside. 

I doubt the Yankees would bring him back, but it's worth a look.  Girardi hasn't changed from his stance that Posada is only catching 110 games or so and we don't even know if he is up to that.  Pudge would be a nice insurance policy, probably the best available one at this point, and with his willingness to play other position he could possible fill in for A-Rod. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

ESPN is reporting that Jonathan Papelbon refers to Manny Ramirez as a "cancer" in the April issue of Esquire Magazine (the one with me on the cover).

While not surprising that his teammates (at least one of them) would feel this way, I am a bit surprised that Papelbon would be so public about it, if indeed the report is true.  It'll be interesting to see how the players Papelbon references in the article as being unwilling to accept Manny's behavior, Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield and David Ortiz, react to Papelbon's comments.

Also, Jon Lester's reported long-term deal hasn't been finalized yet, so not certain that will actually get done or not.  I hope it does and wonder what the hold-up is.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The Dutch, yes the Dutch just beat the Dominican Republic for the second time in the WBC which eliminates the Dominican team from the tournament. 

Now if you compare the Kingdom Of The Netherlands to the Dominican Republic, this isn't an upset, it's actually contains twice the population, but think about the rosters!  

Here's the Dominican one and here's the Netherlands'.  I am not going to say it's USA-USSR, but it has to be close.  This is just stunning.

Somewhere, Robert Eenhoorn is smiling.   Here's to you #50. 

UPDATE: I don't speak Dutch, but this is the sports section of the biggest newspaper in the Netherlands.  I don't see any baseball players, so I am going to guess that despite what ESPN says, this isn't a big deal over there. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:18 PM | Permalink

Yeah, the game isn't over, but the big things you wanted to see tonight have happened.  In no particular order....

1- Joba looked like Joba, something we hadn't seen this spring.  

2- Matsui looked very good scoring from second on a single.  I know he won't play the field very often, but he has to be able to run the bases.

3- Phil Coke looks very good.

4- Cody Ransom made a great throw on a play at third.  It was actually a foul ball, but he pegged it to first.  If he doesn't hit, he has to play great defense and it looks like he is up to that.  (And he went 2-for-3)

5- Brett Gardner continues to hit.  He looked bad on one flyball, but I expect he lost that particular one in the lights.   

Finally in the "too little/too late" department Kei Igawa looks great.  I shouldn't say too late because the Yankees would love to trade him and his salary, but if he shows up in New York in 2009, something has gone terribly wrong.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have seen a number of rumors about the Yankees and their quest to find a third baseman and most of the names scare me, but none more so than Bobby Crosby. 

Last season Crosby played his first healthy season since 2004 and put up a line of .237/.296/.349.  And, he is due $5.25 million in 2009.   I would much rather take a shot with Cody Ransom than sign up for that salary.

I am also very down on the idea of Mark Teahan, who is a better hitter and cheaper than Crosby, but still a huge question mark.  Teahan had a great 2005 and his bat has never come close to that since.  In addition, he has lost speed and his fielding, especially at third, has regressed.  

Neither one of these solutions adds anything more than Ransom in my mind and they cost more.  Ideally, the Yankees could take one of their young pitchers and trade him to another team for a young hitter.  Somone who could play the entire left side of the infield would be great since expecting Jeter to play 150 games this season is a risk.  I don't think they would trade him, but Martin Prado of the Braves is the type of player that would be perfect.  He can play all over the infield and hit.  

The thing is, the Yankees can afford to be patient right now.  As March progresses teams will shake out their 25-man rosters and players who are out of options will have to be traded or released.  Not that he has shown much in the bigs, but Andy Marte was once a top prospect and he would be worth a look if Cleveland tried to send him to the minors.  There will be choices out there and while the Yankees shouldn't jump at many of them, I do hope they are keeping their eyes peeled.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:50 PM | Permalink

The Associated Press, via ESPN, is reporting that Manny Ramirez is not going to collect all of recent 2-year deal with the Dodgers until 2013.  Per ESPN/AP:

Ramirez gets a $25 million salary this year, but just $10 million is paid up front. The rest is due in $5 million installments each June 30 in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

His contract calls for a $20 million salary in 2010, with $5 million payable up front. He is due two installments of $3,333,333 by June 30 in 2011 and 2012, and a final payment of $8,333,333 by June 30 in 2013.

Because of the money deferred without interest, Ramirez's 2009 salary is given a present-day value of about $18.4 million by Major League Baseball.

Ok, the economy hasn't been kind to many (not Manny, but many).  Even ultra-short ETFs can kick you in the butt, but Manny's decision to hack his way out of Boston has proven financially costly.  Maybe in a better climate he'd have scored more cabbage, but alas, he didn't.

Not to dwell on Manny, but he hired many people to make his bed and now he has to sleep in it.

Anyway, real baseball, just 28 days away.  28 days?  Aren't some wars fought in less time?  The 27-day war as an example!  See, I studied...something...at some...point.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

One thing I haven't commented on this spring is the apparent change in Joe Girardi.  As stories like this one show, Girardi really seems to have loosened up this offseason and I think that is a great move.  Too often last season you would hear about how Girardi pissed off some player with another hard ass rule.  His no ice cream in the clubhouse seemed pretty foolish and he was terrible with the media, especially when it came to talking about injuries. 

This being New York, the comparison will instantly be made to Tom Coughlin.  Coughlin showed his softer side to the Giants and they won the Super Bowl.  That comparison ignores a number of things, including the fact that the Giants opened their season 0-2 and trailed 17-3 at halftime of their third game.  2 1/2 football games is about the equivalent of about 25 baseball games.  If the Yankees get off to a bad start over the first 25 games I don't think Girardi will still be manager.  

Hopefully, it doesn't come to that and the Yankees get off to a good start and have a good season.  I think Girardi's attitude adjustment will definitely help. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:46 PM | Permalink

Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe, as well as other sources, is reporting that the Red Sox and Jon Lester have agreed to a $30mm, 5-year deal.  The deal includes a team option for a 6th year at $13mm.

Nice pick-up.  It buys out 2 years of free agency if they pick up the option.  Lester is far from a sure thing as he has had his health issues and really has only put together one good season, but lefties who can throw hard don't grow on trees...except on the rare south paux pine, only found in the forrests of the Ozarks.

If you are ok with me spending the Red Sox money for a minute, then I'd also try to lock up Jason Bay.  He isn't home-grown, but he is a more than solid player and the economy has weakened enough of late that it seems long-term deals are being signed for far less than they were just months ago.

We are at that point in spring training where it is starting to become a grind.  What with loads of games, the distraction/worry of the WBC and the realization that we are still about a month away from an official game, this time of year can drag on.

Also, with NESN offering up intense coverage of the day to day spring training activities, I am realizing that life in Fort Myers for a Red Sox players isn't exactly tough.  There is very little intense working out.  80% of the time you spot a group of players all standing around together doing next to nothing.

Unlike NFL camps or NHL camps or even your kid's summer camp, where there is non-stop activity, spring training for baseball players (at least the Red Sox) is just bit more strenuous than watching an all-day movie.  Yikes.  I wonder what the impact on a team would be if they did more running or conditioning?  Maybe it's just me getting old and longing for the "old days."

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 08:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Yankees just announced that A-Rod will undergo an operation that will keep him out 6-9 weeks.  A-Rod will need two operations, but the first one will be now with the second after the season.

I think this is the right call and I actually know someone who had this very surgery performed by the same doctor.  His injury essentially came from working out too much, something that A-Rod could be accused of as well.  His problem was running caused extreme pain and the surgery fixed that.  

Now, if we look at the calendat the Yankees shoudl expect to be without A-Rod until May 11th if it takes nine weeks for him to heal.  That would mean he misses 33 games, not optimal but certainly better than expected.  The problem is A-Rod will still not be 100% when he comes back and the Yankees can't afford to be caught short.

For a team with a well-stocked farm system, this wouldn't be a huge problem.  You could bring up a young hitter to take A-Rod's place.  The Yankees don't have that, they have Cody Ransom who is in his 30's and has less than 200 AB"s in the majors.  Ransom is probably going to make Wilson Betemit look like an All-Star if he plays 33 games at third.

So, the Yankees need to think about a trade or a signing.  Nomar is officially an Athletic, so that's not a possibility.  The remaining free agent options are not too appealing.  One thing the Yankees have a lot of is young pitchers who could help a major league bullpen.  Time to convert some of that into position talent, a move that is long overdue.  I will never understand how Brian Cashman can spend $200 million on a team, but neglect the bench, but that seems to be his preferred operating model.  With Posada questionable and A-Rod out, he has to change that.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Depending on what you read A-Rod may or may not need surgery.  He may or may not miss up to 10 weeks. 

I don't know exactly who to believe right now, but I do know one thing, the Yankees can't replace that bat.  And with the current bench, they won't even come close.  If I am the Yankees I get on the phone with Nomar right now and try and stop him from going to Oakland.  Beyond that, I have no idea what to do other than hope this is all incorrect and not an Abbott and Costello skit. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

If you have been following the financial markets recently you may have heard how the S+P 500 closed today under 700 for the first time since Ocotber of 1996.  It was October 28, 1996 actually, the first weekday of trading after the Yankees won the 1996 World Series. 

Just think, the last time we were here financially Joe Girardi was a player and World Series hero.  A-Rod was 20 (and steroid free?), Jeter just 21.  Andy Pettitte, all of 24, had pitched an incredible Game 5 to send the Yankees home to New York with a 3-2 lead.   

The 1996 World Series was the first Yankees championship I was really old enough to remember and it will always be a special one for me.  I can close my eyes today and picture Charlie Hayes camping under that pop-up to win the Series.  I still can see Leyritz parking that hanging slider to tie things up at 6. 

Yet when I look at the calendar I see that those events happened nearly 13 years ago.  A glimpse in the mirror seems to confirm that too.  We seem a long way from "We play today, we win today", Mariano Duncan's great team mantra. 

I have been thinking of that team a lot as the dire financial comparisons evoke that fateful October of 1996.  It brings me back to a theme we have bounced around this board a lot this winter; baseball's power to distract us from life's troubles.  I have to admit, I took some time today and watched some of the  Yankees-Team USA game.  I don't normally watch much of early spring training, but it felt good to do so today.  I think I will watch a lot of the WBC and I will keep counting the days until April 6th.  It can't get here soon enough. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have spent the last week trying to figure out if A-Rod just doesn't get it or if he is just stupid.  How can you explain A-Rod having his cousin (yes, that cousin) pick him up from a game last week?  How do you explain today's photoshoot with his kids at the Dominican WBC practice in Jupiter, Florida?  (None of the other players brought their families out on the field to pose for pictures)

If ever there was a time for Alex to shut up, not make any waves and just hit the crap out of the ball, this is it.  But, he seems more determined than ever to remind everyone he is here and he is A-Rod.  I am sure we will have another Madonna story soon.  Thankfully, the WBC will keep A-Rod away from the Yankees for the next three weeks, we could all use the break.

Enjoy it because we have another nine years of this to look forward to.  I know you are supposed to "root for the laundry" but A-Rod makes it hard.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)