IT'S HERE!!!! .... IT'S HERE!!!!



The new phone book is here!!!



That’s right, opening day is finally here and it couldn’t be a nastier more bitter day here in the Bronx.  It’s chilly and raining and should continue to rain throughout the day, but hopefully not too hard.  Girardi believes the game will be played, as it will only be misting throughout the game. 

Most of the players are used to playing in 80 degree temperatures after spring training in Florida, and now it’s a shot of reality hitting them in the face.  Hopefully the cold air won’t affect CC’s performance today.  More often than not, inclement weather will affect the breaking and offspeed pitches.

The Yankees are 62-45-1 (.579) in 108 Opening Day games in their history.  The 2011 season marks their first season-opening game at home since 2008 and their third all-time season-opening game against the Tigers, against whom they are 1-2.

The Yankees have lost their previous two Opening Day games and if they happen to lose today, it would be 3 in a row.  The last time the Yankees lost 3 consecutive Opening Day games was  1997- 1999.  So on the upside of things, if they lose today, maybe they will have another season like the 1999 season.

This is the first time the Yankees have ever played an Opening Day in March in the Bronx.

If Jorge Posada hits a Home Run Today he will tie with Babe Ruth for the most by a Yankee on Opening Day with 5 all-time.

Yankees Lineup

Brett Gardner
Derek Jeter
Mark Texeira
Alex Rodriguez
Robinson Cano
Nick Swisher
Jorge Posada
Curtis Granderson
Russell Martin

Pitching - CC Sabathia (21-7 in 2010):  CC is taking the mound for the third consecutive opening day appearance.  The last player to do this was Roger Clemens from 2001-2003.

In CC's two previous opening day starts he is 0-1 with a 10.24 ERA.  Let's hope he does a little better today.

Tigers Lineup

Austin Jackson
Will Rhymes
Magglio Ordonez
Miguel Cabrera
Victor Martinez
Ryan Radburn
Jhonny Peralta
Brandon Inge
Alex Avila

Pitching- Justin Verlander (18-9 in 2010)

This is the Tigers only trip to Yankee Stadium this season.  The final Yankees series against the Tigers is May 2^nd through May 5^th in Detroit. 

The Tigers were 81-81 last season.  They were 4-4 against the Yankees and allowed 39 runs over the 8 games.  The first meeting was in May in Detroit where the Tigers took 3 out of 4 from the Yankees including May 13 when Verlander and CC faced off.  Verlander pitched a shutout against the Yankees that day.

The two teams did not meet up until August again, in Yankee stadium for another 4 game set.  This time the Yankees took 3 out of 4 from the Tigers.  Again, Verlander and CC faced off, but this time CC got the win in a 6-2 win.

Speaking of Verlander, I watched him pitch last Saturday against the Phillies down at the Tigers spring training complex in Lakeland, Florida.  Verlander looked totally dominant.  His fastball was hitting 96 mph and was consistently accurate.  He would offset the fastball with his changeup that would drop down to 74 mph.  I don’t know how any player can try and hit a ball that drops over 22 mph from one pitch to the next.  Verlander also threw a number of breaking pitches in the 84-89 mph range.  Bottom line is Verlander’s an ace in every sense of the word and deserves that 20 Million they pay him in Detroit.

Projecting the 25 Man Roster

We are one day away from Opening day (assuming it doesn’t get rained out tomorrow) and Girardi has still not “Officially” announced the 25 man roster.  I think at this point though, it’s fair to make some assumptions as to who is on the roster and who is being sent to AAA.

Starting Pitchers

CC Sabathia

AJ Burnett

Phil Hughes

Ivan Nova

Freddy Garcia

Position Players

Russell Martin – Catcher

Mark Texeira – 1^st Base

Robinson Cano – 2^nd Base

Derek Jeter – Shortstop

Alex Rodriguez – 3^rd Base

Brett Gardner – Left field

Curtis Granderson – Centerfield (Grandy is the only starter who may not start the season with the team due to his oblique injury but the last two days he sounded pretty optimistic that he can play Thursday.  If not, he will start on the 15 day DL and Chris Dickerson will take his place)

Nick Swisher – Rightfield

Jorge Posada – Designated Hitter.  No more catcher for Posada due to concussion issues from last season.  It may take him a while to get used to the DH role. Hopefully he figures it out soon.

Utility/Bench Players

Eduardo Nunez – taking over the role from Pena after a very strong spring. Nunez will be backup for SS & 2^nd Base and can be used as a pinch runner since he is very fast.

Eric Chavez- he will be playing the corners, 1^st base and 3^rd base.  This was a great signing by Cashman this offseason and it’s great to have a 6 time gold glover as a backup.  Chavez had an incredible spring this year.  I saw him hit a home run on Friday night that still hasn’t landed. Hopefully his offensive numbers stay hot while not a regular player.

Andruw Jones – Jones is taking over for Marcus Thames this year and will be the right handed bat off the bench.  We may see Jones start some games in left field, when the opposing team has a lefty starting, since Granderson’s numbers are still sub-par against lefties.

Gustavo Molina – Molina is the biggest surprise to make the 25 man roster this year as the backup catcher.  Once Cervelli fractured his foot, the job was practically given to Montero who couldn’t get his offensive numbers going this spring.  The Yankees made the decision to send Montero down to AAA to get it together and learn a little defense.  Chances are we won’t see too much Molina but Cervelli should be back by May 1^st.

Bullpen

Mariano Rivera – closer

Rafael Soriano – Yankees picked up the AL leader in saves for 2010 as a setup man for Mo.  Looks like the Yankees only want to play for 7 innings!

Joba Chamberlain – Joba’s new role will be middle relief this year as it looks like he got bumped from the 8^th inning slot.

David Robertson – Roberton will continue as a right handed middle reliever this year.

Boone Logan – Logan is Girardi’s Left Handed go-to guy. 

Bartolo Colon- Colon used to be a starter and even was the favorite in spring training as the 5^th starter, but due to his previous injuries and lack of innings over the last 5 years, he will start in the pen.  He can always be used as a starter later in the season…. If he makes it that far.

Luis Ayala – Since Pedro Feliciano was injured with shoulder problems, Ayala is the 2^nd lefty in the bullpen.  Ayala had great spring numbers allowing only 1 run over 11 and 1/3 innnings.  Ayala beat out Steve Garrison for that final lefty spot in the pen.  Girardi must be thrilled to have two good lefty’s, so he can micromanage the hell out of the final 4 innings of games.

Why The Trade Makes Sense

As of today, Granderson's injury is still a question mark and he said its 50-50 that he will play on opening day.  I would imagine the Yankees are quite concerned about this injury and will play it safe by starting Granderson on the DL for the start of the season.  It's easier to deal with a small problem now, then a large problem in June/July.  With Granderson's health and Andruw Jones sub-par numbers this spring, the Yankees needed some insurance.


With Mitre being the odd man out in the rotation battle this spring, it was logical that Cashman would try to deal him.  The Brewers, like the Yankees, had an extra player but in their outfield, Chris Dickerson.  Since Zack Greinke was injured this spring, the Brewers needed a starting pitcher and the Yankees needed a fourth/fifth outfielder, it just made sense -- Trade Mitre for Dickerson.


Dickerson was having a decent spring training, batting .278.  He has quality career numbers against righties, batting .273/.363/.420.  It looks like the Yankees will start Dickerson when they are facing a righty and start Andruw Jones when facing a lefty.  Dickerson has some big league experience in the outfield, which is more than the Yankees can say about Eduardo Nunez who has been getting some starts in left field.  Nunez has looked terrible trying to track down fly balls, so he would be a defensive liability.  


The other options for the outfield spot weren't looking much better:  Golson, Curtis & Mesa.  Of that group, I like Melky Mesa the best, but he is still a long way from playing in the big leagues.  Golson who made some starts last year is having a slow offensive spring only batting .231, so the Yankees need to let him heat up in AAA if they will call him up.  Colin Curtis is the other option but he has been injured this spring and is batting .000 in six starts.  His winter ball numbers in the Mexican League weren't much better than Golson, batting only .240.  Bottom line is nobody in the Yankees system made much sense and Cashman had to get creative.  


This trade wasn't a "Big Trade" but it alleviated some of the concerns the Yankees had for the outfield.  Bringing in Dickerson for righties and starting Jones for lefties was a smart solution to a temporary problem.  It should be interesting to see what the Yankees do once Granderson is healthy, but something tells me Cashman has a few other moves up his sleeve.

Lots of News From Sunny Florida

We arrived yesterday in Tampa and as soon as we got here, the Yankees started making some moves.  Sergio Mitre was traded to the Brewers for Chris Dickerson early in the day and Kevin Millwood was signed to a minor league deal before lunchtime.  Say what you want about Cashman but both these moves make a lot of sense.

Mitre has been struggling this spring and has never really found a definitive spot on this team.  He has been used as a long man and a spot starter, but overall has never really become a go-to pitcher.  Since the Yankees had signed Bartolo Colon, and he has pitched incredible well this spring, it is logical to make him the long man.  Colon has not pitched 100 innings since 2005, and has only pitched a total of 64 innings over the previous two season.  The Yankees considered him as a starter, but realized Colon wouldn't make it though the full season.  Since his numbers were so strong this spring, it would be a shame to cut him, so Colon has been named the long man, ultimately leaving Mitre the odd man out.  Its also noteworthy that Colon's pitch speed decreases inning by inning, so leaving him as a reliever makes it a no-brainer.

Now Granderson looks like he may be injured and could possibly start the season on the DL, so the Yankees needed an extra outfielder.  It seems like Golson and Curtis didn't impress the team, so the Yankees looked outside the organization, finding Dickerson.  That is why Mitre was traded for Dickerson. Dickerson has some major league experience and Mitre had no place on the team. Simple as that.

Last night or this morning, Ivan Nova was named the 4th starter and Garcia the 5th starter.  We watched Nova pitch last night and he looked good, even without his great stuff.  Last week when he pitched the no hitter against the Orioles he looked really sharp and his fastball had great movement down in the zone.  Last night, he was good, but definitely not "sharp."  Notwithstanding, he still managed to pitch 6 solid innings allowing only 2 earned runs.  He had a few strikeouts and a walk, which led to one of those runs.  Nova has come into camp to prove his worth as the #4 starter, and he is the obvious choice.  If he doesn't work out, the Yankees still have insurance with Colon and possibly Millwood.

Millwood was given a low risk contract where he could make 1.5 mil if he makes the major league roster with incentives for ever 10, 15, 20 and 25 games he pitches.  If he doesn't make the team by May 1st, he can opt out.  The Millwood decision is very low risk and is nothing more than an insurance policy.

Cashman gets a lot of heat, but he made some smart low-risk moves this offseason.  These moves so far have been high reward and hopefully will continue to pay off as the season progresses

Hughes' New Pitch

It probably doesn’t need to be said, but Phil Hughes is hands-down my favorite Yankee.  I remember skipping classes in law school to watch his major league debut, and even watching games while sitting in the back of my labor law class in awe of the movement on his fastball.  It’s been great watching the young prospect move up from the minor leagues and develop into an 18 game winner last season.  Hughes continues to develop as a pitcher by developing his secondary pitches and yesterday came up with something new.

He pitched in last night’s game against the Jays and introduced his new Slider.  It may not exactly be a slider, but it’s not a curve or cutter either.  The new pitch is actually a variation of Hughes’ cutter.  It lacks the velocity of his cutter and fastball, yet still looks like a fastball to the batters when it’s released from his hand.  Batters are forced to commit early, which caused 6 batters to strike out on that pitch alone last night. (7 total strikeouts on the night)  In the minor leagues, Hughes threw a slider which was cast to the side when he made his way to the Yankees in lieu of his cutter.  His cutter has caused him some problems this spring so Larry Rothschild tweaked his grip, which helped create this new pitch.

Hughes stated this new pitch will be used to get batters off his fastball, which seems to work so far.  It was thrown last night against right handed batters due to the sharp break.   The cutter on the other hand will be used more against lefties, similar to Mariano Rivera.  Obviously it’s much too early to say whether it will be effective long term, but anything that makes his fastball more effective, will yield more strikeouts. 

Now Hughes needs to really develop that changeup and he can have another 18 win season.  Last year he just couldn’t get that changeup down which caused him problems, especially giving up home runs.  Most critics don’t believe AJ Burnett will bounce back to his old self (although everyone thinks Beckett will pitch Boston to the World Series… go figure), but if AJ gets it together, the Yankees could have a monstrous 1-2-3 starting pitcher combination.

And Who's Not!

Jesus Montero, the highly touted prospect known for his bat is struggling this spring.  He is batting .222 with only 2 doubles this spring.  Montero is known for his power numbers but has not hit a home run this spring.  The Yankees believe his low offensive numbers are due to him putting too much pressure on himself and it seems likely he may get optioned down to Triple- A.  Optioning him down actually will help him develop his offensive numbers since he will have an opportunity to start everyday rather than once or twice a week as the backup catcher to Martin.  It took Montero until June of last year to get his offensive numbers going, but once he did they skyrocketed and he hit .351 during the second half of the season. 

Posada seems to be having a difficult time adapting to the DH role.  The days of Jorge Posada playing catcher seem to be over, and he must find a way to be an effective DH.  Rumors around Spring Training show that Posada has spoken with Johnny Damon and David Ortiz about how to make this switch.  Hopefully they give him their keys to success because Posada is only batting .231 this spring.

The Yankees know what they are getting with Ramiro Pena.  He has a great glove, but very troubling offensive numbers that seem to be getting worse.  In 2010 he hit only .227, and many of his outs seemed to come during important bats in the game.  His Mexican League Winter Ball numbers weren’t better, as he only batted .233 and this spring got even worse, with his .171 batting average.  He is now looking at being replaced by Eduardo Nunez for that utility infielder spot.  I think it’s fair to say, we may have seen the last of Pena.

Andruw Jones was signed this season to replace Marcus Thames as the 4^th outfielder.  There is no chance of Jones being cut, but he is doing awful this spring.  He has more strikeouts (8) than hits (7) this spring his average is down to .219.  At the very least, he is still a terrific outfielder and the Yankees won’t have to try and use Nunez as a backup outfielder.

Swisher has surprised me with a slow start this spring.  All I heard during the offseason and beginning of spring training was that Swish was focused and working on his batting with Kevin Long as well as plate discipline.  That has yet to be seen as Swisher is batting only .255 with a dismal .280 on base percentage with 9 Strikeouts…. So much for plate disclipline.  At least with Swish, you can feel confident he will work hard to get it together and have another good season.

Who's Hot

That Arod is soo hot right now
Seriously though, Arod is on fire this spring.  He has at least one hit in every game he played this spring, except for last night when he went 0-2.  It's ok, he's still batting .410 with 5 home runs and the team high 12 RBI's this spring.  I know it leaves me thinking...... Save some for October!

Jeter is loving his new stride/swing!  It took him a few games to get it going, but over the last two weeks he has improved dramatically. His average is now .341

Granderson is having a tremendous spring.  He is batting .385 with 7 RBI's & 15 hits (2nd most to Arod with 16)  It looks like he is trying to make his speed a factor once again this year 3 triples and 2 stolen bases.  It really started coming together last season when he made some progress with Kevin Long.  His average against lefties in 2009 was .183, but jumped up to .234 in 2010.  It's still not great, but that is a 50 point improvement over one season.  This will now be his second season in New York and I think we will see some serious improvements in Granderson this year, the more he works with Long.

Texeira is determined to have a strong start to the season this year.  He is batting .317 with a team high 8 doubles.  Texeira is laying off the weights and working more on getting time in the cages.  Normally his spring training routine includes more weight training, but this year he is just working on getting as many swings in as possible.  The more swings he takes now, the quicker it will allow him to get in the groove, thus eliminating those terrible April's for Texeira.  Less time in the gym though, could mean less home runs though come later this season.  Might be something to keep an eye out for later.

Eric Chavez has made some heads turn this year and it looks like he is going to make the team as a utility infielder (1st & 3rd) along with Nunez (2nd & SS).  Chavez has not only learned how to play 1st base legitimately, by working with Tino, but he is also batting .341!  Yesterday he injured his calf, but it doesn't seem serious and he is not in jeopardy of missing opening day.

You Really Want This Guy To Be The 5th Starter?

So who will be the 5th starter?  It's coming down between Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon.  Although Colon has better numbers this spring -- Going with Colon is CRAZY!

The most important reason why Colon should not be the 5^th starter is because he did not pitch at all last season.  To me, this means he will be unable to get through the entire 2011 season.  He has not even pitched 100 innings since 2005. In 2009 he only pitched 62 innings, 2008 he pitched 39 innings, 2007 he pitched 99 innings, 2006 he pitched 56 innings. Now with having a full year off, his stamina is shot.  Sometime in the month of May, his speed will decrease or he will get injured.  It’s no different than a rookie pitcher when he enters the majors; teams must keep an eye on the amount of innings before the rookie throws out his arm or shoulder.  Since Colon only pitched 62 innings over the last two years, he essentially falls into that same group.

Colon did pitch this winter in the Mexican Winter League and actually had some impressive numbers, but what this also tells me that he is ahead of the curve right now.  Most players did not play winter ball and when they face off against Colon, he has a bit of an edge.  Player’s bats are a bit slow and they don’t know Colon’s pitching style or even what pitches to expect since it’s only spring training.  Over the next month of the season, as players become more acclimated to the season and know the scouting reports they will have the upper hand, especially when Colon starts losing some of his stamina and speed.

Now if you have read this blog or seen any of my tweets since the winter, you know I dislike Colon.  Besides the fact that he is old, he makes absolutely no effort to stay in shape.  You would think that coming into camp as a professional athlete trying to make the New York Yankees, Colon would shed a few pounds or hit the gym like a maniac.  Instead, he just struts around with his triple-chin making no effort to drop some weight.  It seriously bothers me that he can call himself a professional athlete while weighing 275 pounds.  

If the Yankees cut him, I doubt any team will pick him up.  If the Yankees keep him, they should have a backup ready, because it won’t be long before he is injured or totally busts.

Numbers Can Be Deceiving

Yesterday Freddy Garcia got the start against the Blue Jays and was pulled after 6 innings after allowing 5 earned runs.  On the surface you would think he pitched poorly, but the numbers were a little deceiving.  Garcia didn't have a flawless game by any means, but there were some great signs.

Garcia retired the first nine batters in order and dominated the first time through the Blue Jays lineup.  It was a great start following his previous appearance where he struggled to make good pitches.  In his last start, he got himself in deep counts and struggled.  Yesterday though, he was ahead in most of the counts and had an extremely low pitch count through 6 innings.  His slider was working well and his accuracy was impressive except for an occasional curve ball that would get away from him, and of course the slider in the 6th inning to Cooper who took him yard.

During the second time through the Jay's lineup, Garcia had a little struggle in the 4th inning.  He allowed three hits and three runs.  The positive thing to take away from that was he quickly rebounded.  Garcia retired the next three batters in order with a fly ball and two strikeouts.  Garcia then struck out the next two batters in the fifth inning, essentially striking out four batters in a row after giving up three runs.  Garcia had a total 6 strikeouts in yesterday's game.

After getting the first two outs in the sixth inning, Nunez who was playing left field misplayed a ball that easily would have been caught by Gardner.  If Nunez caught the ball, Garcia would have gotten through 6 innings with only 65 pitches and 3 earned runs.  Instead, Garcia had to face left hander David Cooper and made a bad pitch.  He threw a slider down and inside to Cooper who golfed the ball out for a two-run home run.  Girardi made mention that if this were a regular season game, he would have put a lefty reliever in to face David Cooper.  Bottom line, it was one bad pitch that hurt his line for the day.  Everyone would have been happy with 6 innings with 6 strikeout and only 3 earned runs, especially the way Garcia rebounded after allowing the 3 runs in the 4th inning. Instead Garcia has now pitched 13.2 innings and has a 5.93 ERA.

On a side note, this Blue Jays team is pretty good.  Last year they kicked the Yankees butts.  The Yankees were 8-10 against the Jays last year and it seems like the Jays got younger and faster.  The AL East was a tough division last year (4 Teams played over .500 ball) and it looks like it will be just as tough this season.

Friday's Game in Dunedin

The Yankees are on the road this afternoon in Dunedin to play the Blue Jays.  Burnett is the starting pitcher and the Yankees left the regular infielders back in Tampa.  Dunedin is one of my favorite spring training fields.  It is a minor league ballpark in the middle of a residential neighborhood and everyone who works at the field is from the town, from the elderly people ripping ticket stubs to the old men tossing brauts on the grill.  It's probably the only stadium you can get Labatt's on tap too. (The park has a canadian theme to it)  It really is the exact opposite of Steinbrenner Field which has a very corporate and city atmosphere and a great place to visit if you are in Tampa. 

Here is today's lineup:
 
Brett Gardner LF
Russell Martin C
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Eric Chavez 1B
Eduardo Nunez 2B
Ronnie Belliard 3B
Ramiro Pena SS

Chavez is getting the start at First base and Nunez is starting at second.  I think Girardi has made up his mind at this point that both Chavez and Nunez will make the team as backup/utility infielders.  Both are worth keeping an eye on over the next two weeks.  Especially with Nunez trying to beat out Ramiro Pena for that last spot.

Burnett is coming off a great start against the Nationals last weekend where he threw 4 innings and only allowed 2 hits and 0 Runs.  He has improved his mechanics and is striving for consistency as well as a solid changeup.  This will be his final start before Girardi announces who is the #2 starting pitcher this season.  That announcement is set to come this weekend.

Also making an appearance today will be Sergio Mitre who has been sidelined recently due to a minor oblique injury.  He pitched a bullpen on Wednesday and Girardi says he's feeling good again.  Mitre is set to pitch 3 or 4 innings today.

Andrew Brackman who was actually cut from the Major League Roster earlier this week, will be making the trip as well.  It seems as the "Cuts" have only been made, on paper, and have no substantive effect on the spring training roster yet.  Brackman will have another opportunity to face some major league batters which should help him develop as a potential call-up later this season.  Hopefully he will have an opportunity to face Bautista on the Jay's and prove his worth!

Who's Hot?

First, Arod is getting fed popcorn by Cameron Diaz at the Super Bowl and now he is batting .406 in spring training.  Sounds like a great year for Arod!  He has a hit in all 11 Games he has played so far this spring and Rodriguez has an RBI in the last five games.  He has now hit a home run in his last three games and has 4 total over 11 starts.

"This is my third season and I've never seen him as focused as I see him now,"  --- Swisher

Hopefully things are this good in October! 

Nova throws a No-No.........Sorta

Nova looked great tonight in his No-Hitter (6 innings) against the O’s. He looked much sharper than his previous start in Dunedin against the Jays, when he was pulled after three innings with 62 pitches.  Nova kept the ball up in the zone that game but tonight his fastball looked great with some nice movement diving down at about 91mph.  He had a nice rhythm going as he went deeper in the game and never was behind in any count.   His total pitch count was a very conservative 59 pitches and he worked fast.  It makes it very difficult to deny the 5th Spot for Nova after a performance like tonight.

Opening Day Lineup

Here is tonight's lineup.  This is the first time all spring Girardi has all the regulars playing together.  It looks like this will be the starting lineup for opening day and Jeter will stay in the leadoff spot with Swisher backing him up in the 2 hole.  This lineup could be altered during games when the Yankees are facing left handed pitchers though.  Andrew Jones will most likely get the start in some of those games.

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

Ivan Nova is tonight's starting pitcher and this is a big game for him.  Last game he was unable to make it through the third inning because he threw too many pitches.  He threw about 60-65 pitches last outing and the Yankees will allow him to throw as many as 80 pitches tonight.  He needs to make it further in the game tonight, which shouldn't be too difficult as they are playing the Orioles who are not carrying all their starters.  This is supernova's chance to make his case as the #5 starter.

A Simulated Day

Not much to report from Yankees camp yesterday as the Yankees had an off-day. Only Sabathia and Colon were the only players doing any work yesterday when they pitched against one another in a simulated game. Both pitched a scoreless 12 simulated innings to a small group of minor league prospects.

The only thing noteworthy about this game was Russell Martin behind the plate. This was an opportunity for Martin to get behind the plate and do a little training with CC. Martin seems to be getting along well with all the pitchers in camp and really trying to understand their personalities, so when it’s crunch time, he can work with the pitchers rather than just agitating them. Not only is it important to have the personal connection with them, but yesterday they worked on the little things that happen during a game. Martin got a feel for Sabathia’s pitches and what types of pitches CC likes to use in different counts.

I am still uncertain whether Colon is a serious candidate for the 5th spot in the rotation, but the Yankees seem to like him.  He has some great numbers this spring and has been pitching well, but as we have seen over the past fiver years, he can't stay healthy.  Coming into camp at 275 pounds doesn't give me much faith that he will be healthy for more than half a season either.  I suppose in the next two weeks we will find out whether the Yankees are ready to cut Mitre or send Nova to AAA to make room for Colon..... or we will find out today that Joba is more injured that previously though and nobody will have to be cut or send down.

Let the Rivalry Begin

Tonight the Yankees are playing the Red Sox in Fort Meyers.  You can check out the game on ESPN 2 at 7 PM.  Manny Banuelos is scheduled to start, replacing Mitre who has been sidelined with a minor injury.  Alfredo Aceves is starting for the Red Sox as he is attempting to make his way into their rotation.  Aceves was released this offseason by the Yankees after injuries plagued his 2010 season.  He now is fighting for a shot to make the starting squad for Boston. 

Althought tonight's game has been hyped since Banuelos is starting against Boston, I wouldn't read too much into the game.  Boston is playing their varsity squad tonight and this lineup looks tough.  Boston really made some improvements this offseason and pose a major threat in the already strong, AL East.

RED SOX
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Carl Crawford LF
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
David Ortiz DH
Mike Cameron RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
Marco Scutaro SS

What Yankee fans should be looking for with Banuelos is how he reacts to a lineup filled with stars. Banuelos throws a 96 MPH fastball, a curveball and a changeup. Although he has been dominant with these pitches (especially his fastball) in each of his prior spring training games, this lineup is strong and will pose a challenge.  He is slated for somewhere between 50-60 pitches tonight.  If Banuelos can bounce back after giving up a hit and continue to throw strikes and attack the batters, he will make a strong impact.  Ultimately Banuelos will start the season in Double-A, but he can make a major league impression with a dominant outing against the Red Sox.

The Silva lining??

Reports out of Chicago indicate the Yankees scouts have been looking at Carlos Silva.  Yes, the same Carlos Silva involved in that fight last week with teammate Aramis Ramirez.  Both the Yankees and the Nationals had scouts on hand yesterday when the Reds played the Cubs and Silva started.

Silva had another terrible outing giving up 4 runs, with 5 hits over five innings.  That was coming off his last appearance where he gave up 8 runs to the Angels last week.  Last year he went 10-6 with a 4.22 ERA with the Cubs.  During his last full season in the American League he posted a 6.46 ERA.

Silva is due 12 Million this year, but Seattle is still contributing about 5.5 Million.  Obviously, no option is off the table for the starting rotation, but picking up Silva is a gamble and most likely won't be worth whatever is traded away.  Cashman's moves this offseason with veteran players were framed around low risk and high reward, but with Silva there is very high risk and the reward is a mediocre starting pitcher who fights with his own players int he dugout, at best  The Yankees may want to just gamble on Colon rather than waste their time for Silva.

No different than Sabathia, Garcia's second start looked terrible.

Garcia had an awful outing in today's game against Minnesota.  He pitched only 2 & 2/3 innings but threw 68 pitchs.  He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits with 2 walks and a hit-by-pitch.  Overall his pitches looked flat and his mechanics seemed off. It looked like his body was falling towards first base during his delivery.  I couldn't tell where his foot was landing exactly during the delivery because of the camera angles, but it seems like he is letting his body open up too much causing his pitches to appear flat.  

When you are only pitching in the low 90's with your fastball, you can't get away with pitches that have no movement .  That seemed to be the problem today.

It's only Garcia's second start this spring, so it really isn't a big deal.  Sabathia had a terrible second start and nobody panicked, so Garcia is most likely still in line for the 4th or 5th starter spot. 

The bright spot from Garcia today was his velocity was clocked at 92mph.  Last year, he threw between 87-88mph.  He is now two years removed from surgery, so it wouldn't be too surprising to see his velocity increase a bit more.

AJ looking better each start

AJ Burnett pitched 4 innings yesterday and looked sharp.  He struck out 4 while giving up no walks.  He did give up a home run though, but then retired the next nine batters in order.  AJ was working in his curveball and even used his changeups in a few spots.  Martin was the cather and apparantly pushing Burnett into throwing the changeup.

So far this spring he has not given up one walk over 9 innings.  His ERA over this limited time period is 2.00 which includes that one errant pitch from yesterday which yielded a home run.  He also has 6 strikeouts.  

If this is the AJ Burnett of 2011, I am happy! 

Crossroads for Joba

From the weight issues to the trade rumors, Joba has been a hot topic of discussion this spring training.  He came into camp noticeably heavier but claimed it had to do with his offseason workouts.  He said he built a gym in his house and was working out more, so he gained somewhere between 20 - 25 pounds.  I find this to be somewhat unlikely, especially since he still looks like a fat guy, and refuses to discuss it further with the media.  Cashman has been conspicously tight lipped about this as well, most likely because there is a chance Joba can be worked into a trade deal.  

It seems like Joba may be at the crossroads of his career.  Reports from Tampa indicated during Monday's game, numerous scouts were keeping a close eye on Joba.  (More than usual for a spring training game)  Now that Joba has been replaced as the 8th inning set-up man for Mo, there is a good chance the Yankees bullpen may be strong enough without him.  They will have Mitre as the long man and Robertson made a great debut these last two seasons.  With Feliciano and Logan as the lefties, the bullpen looks solid.  Joba can make great trade bait, but the Yankees can't just give him up for nothing.  Bottom line is the Yankees need a strong starter for the #4 or #5 spot.... or even #3 if AJ has a season that looks like last year.

 

Joba's performance this spring has been OK.  He had a perfect inning this yesterday and this past Monday.  His fastball is in the 92-94 mph range right now, which is higher than where it's been during past spring trainings.  He changed his mechanics slightly by starting his hands at his waist, which makes it look as though he is starting from the stretch.  Working out of the stretch was a problem for him last year, but his new routine is being credited for improving his fastball.  If he has a good fastball, the rest of the pitches will improve as a result.  

He also pitched last Saturday and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits over 1 inning.  He was not as sharp as his previous appearance the previous week against the Astros when he had 2 scoreless innings which included a double play to end one inning, after allowing 2 singles.  Maybe it was from experience, or from the mechanics, or it just could be spring training numbers which mean nothing, but I personally think the double play was a good sign that indicates even when he gets into a little jam, he can pitch through it.  His numbers this spring are very limited and not indicative of his performance, but he has a 3.60 ERA, with 6 Hits, 2 Walks, and 2 strikeouts in 6 total innings.

Many rumors have been swirling about the Yankees looking to trade Joba for Liriano.  I don't think the team is planning on trading him anytime soon.  In fact, I think they really want to see how he begins the season and how the team begins the season before they make a move.  Spring training numbers are good, but ultimately they are not very indicative of results over the full season.  The Yankees also want to keep an eye on how Liriano develops this spring since he complained of shoulder tightness a week or two ago.  Reports from the Twins indicated Liriano didn't do the strength training exercises during the offseason, which most likely led to the shoulder tightness once he began throwing again.  If that is not a sign to hold off, I dont know what is. 

If the Twins were willing to deal Liriano, I would assume the Twins would want something more than Joba in this trade (likely one of the Killer B’s), so it would be a good deal for them.  Joba is getting paid nearly nothing (1.4 Mil), will be arbitration eligible again next season, and the Twins could benefit with having Joba as the set up man for Nathan.  Losing Liriano would hurt them, but they do have a good starting core:  Pavano (I know, I know), Baker, Duensing, Blackburn, & Slowey.  Adding somebody like Joba to take care of middle relief for them could really benefit them and they may actually be able to win a game against the Yankees in the playoffs.

To make this trade more enticing to the Twins, Joba needs to stay healthy.  By “Staying Healthy” I mean, losing some weight and not looking like such a sweaty drunk while on the hill.  Having David Wells in Yankees camp to help train some of the pitchers is a huge mistake since it seems like Joba is facing some of the same negative issues Wells faced…. Like being a drunk and off field distractions.  Although Wells goes down in Yankees lore as part of those legendary teams, realistically he caused many problems in the clubhouse and was not always loved the way he is now.   

Hopefully we will see more of the Joba we saw in 2007-2008, and even possibly losing a few pounds.  If other teams see improvement, we may have an opportunity to land a legitimate 4 or 5 starter.  One way or another, he must get a new photo of himself to use on the big screen  ----->

 

 
 

 

 


 

The New Set-Up Man

The Yankees made a great signing this offseason with the three year deal they gave Rafael Soriano to be the new set-up man for Mo.  Soriano was a 30 year old free agent when the Rays decided they were cutting payroll and didn't re-sign him as their closer.  The Yankees picked him up on a three year deal worth 35 Million.

It seems like the Yankees are dropping Joba from the 8th inning role and plugging Soriano in.  I can't wait to see how this plays out, as it seems as though the Yankees just cut games down by two innings with Mo & Soriano.  With Robertson, Joba, Mitre, Feliciano and Logan to fill in the rest, the Yankees bullpen can have a monster season.  (still need a #4 & #5 starter though)

Soriano's numbers don't lie, as he was one of the best closers in the American League last season.  Last season he had a career high 45 saves for the Rays with an ERA of 1.73.  He struck out 57 batters (down from 102 in 2009) and only allowed 36 hits over 62.1 innings.  By all accounts, he had a great season.

His numbers against the Yankees were very strong as well.  Over 7 appearances, he only allowed one run on three hits with 5 strikeouts and held the yankees to an opposing batting average of .125 

Soriano had his first appearance in spring training last night and pitched a scoreless inning.  No different than Mo, Soriano does his own preparation in Spring Training and takes it slow.

Enter Sandman

So far, we haven't heard much about Mariano Rivera in spring training.  That is because there was no news to actually report.  Typically Rivera doesn't start pitching until a little bit later in spring training.    He knows his body best and the Yankees can't argue with the results.  Simple as that.  

Mo pitched for the first time yesterday, when he threw his first live batting practice of the spring.  He probably will pitch in a game sometime next week at the very earliest.

The Battle of Nunez & Pena

Ramiro Pena and Eduardo Nunez are both competing for the open utility infielder spot on the team.  Nunez seems to be edging out Pena based on the offensive numbers.  Over the last two years, it doesn't seem like Pena has developed his offensive side and this spring training has not started well.  As of today, he is batting . 158  Fortunately for Pena he went 2 for 3 today against the Braves.  We know that Pena has a great glove and good speed, but needs to step it on the offense.

Nunez seems to be getting more and more attention from the Yankees.  They were reluctant to trade him this offseason and Girardi says he wants to see more of Nunez in spring training before making a decision on the open utility infielder spot.  This should come as a relief to Nunez since Girardi is making the first round of cuts this weekend and he will remain safe.   Nunez is batting .348 in the grapefruit league (albeit it's only been 7 games or so), but he aslo went 2 for 2 today and  hit a  Home Run yesterday against the Astros.  

Pena has had two years to prove his worthiness to the team, but has fallen flat.  It may be time to try Nunez and give him an opportunity to prove himself.

The Happiest Place on Earth

The Yankees played the Braves at Disney World this afternoon.  The Braves home field throughout spring training is at the Wide World of Sports in Orlando, which is situated right in the heart of Disney.  Today Garcia got the start for the Yankees in this magical world of Disney. 

Freddy Garcia has the look of a pitcher determined to make the opening day roster as the #4 Starter.  Garcia is attempting to improve on this comeback season of 2010 and it looks like his velocity has already increased.  Last season he pitched between 85-86 MPH but this spring he has been clocked between 88-89.  He even made mention that his slider and changeup have improved due to the increased speed of his pitches.  It seems like he is a man on a mission and if he makes some improvements from last season, could be a legitimate starting pitcher that eats many innings throughout the season.  It would be nice to replace Andy Pettite with a new veteran type of presence on the pitching staff.

So far in spring training he has started two games for a total of 5 innings.  Although this does not amount to much yet, his ERA is 0.00 and he threw 3 scoreless innings this afternoon with two strikeouts. 

Looks like I'm not the only one who thinks Gardner will bat lead off

Last week I discussed the idea of Brett Gardner batting lead off in the batting order and dropping Jeter down to #2.  I just read an article by Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily news who is reporting sources from the Yankees are indicating that Gardner will bat lead off and Jeter is getting bumped. 

It Makes sense to me and the above link from Feinsand is a great read with much more in depth stats on Gardner in the leadoff spot.  The stats are hard to argue with and Jeter is such a gamer, I'm sure he won't have much trouble adapting back to #2.

I'm a big fan of Mark Feinsand and highly recommend his articles.  You can also hear him on the radio broadcasts in the fifth inning when he joins....Jawn Sterling & Soosan Waldman.  He really makes a point of getting to know the Yankees organization from the front office to the bullpen coaches.  He has been reporting on the Yankees since he was the beat writer with Major League Baseball & Yankees.com a few years back.  He usually is a very good source.

Good to see AJ making some progress

Although I was busy in trial all day today dealing with a schmuck attorney, I made sure to catch the YES Network's replay of the 1PM game.

Today AJ Burnett pitched day game against the Phillies and had three scoreless innings.  Its about time AJ!  All kidding aside, it's good to see AJ making strides in his progress.  AJ didnt allow one hit and struck out Ryan Howard.  

Of course these spring training numbers are somewhat meaningless, after the game, AJ talked about his renewed confidence in himself.  Its obvious he was having some mental issues he couldnt get through last season, but Rothschild claims he worked with AJ in the offseason to specifically address the mental aspect of the game.  If Rotschild knows what he is doing, hopefully we wont be watching AJ with his arms locked behind his head with that frustrated look on his face as a ball sails over the right field wall.

On another note, Russell Martin caught AJ during today's game.  That makes two days in a row for Martin behind the plate.  This past weekend was the first time he got into gear due to his knee injuries and he looked sharp.  Girardi said Martin is the starting catcher, but keep an eye of for Montero as well as Romine during the next few weeks.

How Much Credit Should Kevin Long Get?

Just read an article by Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record.  Normally I am not a fan of "The Klap" but it's an interesting read on the improvement of Nick Swisher.  You can read the article here.  It also reinforces the idea that Kevin Long may be the most important piece of this Yankee offense.  Hopefully Long will have the same results with Jeter's new swing.

Last year Swish really made a dramatic improvement in his offensive game.  This seems to be attributable to Kevin Long, the hitting coach for the Yankees.  Following a lackluster World Series, Swisher got in contact with Long about a month later to work on his swing.  They worked together one on one to work on Swish's mechanics and  the results speak for themselves.  Swisher's batting average jumped from a .249 to .288 in 2010, batting .300 against right handed pitchers, and he hit .298 in the first half of the season.  His slugging percentage improved as well and he hit 29 home runs for the second consecutive year.

This year he plans to work on improving his on base percentage and is continuing to work with Long.  Keep an eye on Swisher this season and looked for improved plate discipline.  Chances are we could see him batting in the 2nd spot after Jeter.  Girardi likes Jeter batting leadoff and Swisher had a decent amount of starts batting second this year.  With Granderson's numbers dropping, Swisher may just steal that 2nd slot from him. 

Next year he has a club option on his contract for 10.25 mil, and if he continues his ascent, this option is a no-brainer for Cashman.  Just in case you were wondering what his wife looks like.  Check her out on the right.

Where does Chavez fit?

This year Eric Chavez, 6 time gold glove third baseman for the Athletics, was singed for a minor league deal and may actually have a shot on this team.  He was one of those low risk – high reward signings, Cashman made this offseason.  With Chavez's experience, Cashman may be highly rewarded with this signing  Chavez has been working with Tino Martinez & Mark Texeira on his fielding skills to be the backup first baseman.  Yesterday he started at first and had a pretty solid defensive game, which included a nice scoop on a bad throw by Laird.  Girardi has been tight lipped about Chavez’s role but it seems he may be carried into the regular season as a backup first baseman and of course third baseman. 

I’m not certain who they would drop from the team but I think it would likely be Ramiro Pena.  His offense struggled last year when he only hit .227 with a  .258 on base percentage, and his winter ball numbers weren’t much better.  In the Mexican league he batted only .233 with a .296 on base percentage.  It will be interesting to see what role he will play on this team in the future as Eduardo Nunez seems to have caught a lot of attention last season.

Nunez played in Triple-A last season and batted .289 with a .340 on base percentage.  He was called up late in the season last year by the Yankees and hit .280 in 30 games.  He has decent speed as well and stole 23 bases in Triple-A.   Nunez may have beaten out Pena for a backup infielder role with these impressive numbers, but I think Chavez is a very worthwhile option and I believe he will start the season with the Yankees. No matter whether it’s Chavez, Pena or Nunez this season, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.  Watch for Chavez over the next several weeks. 

The Battle Begins

Since the Yanks were unable to land Cliff Lee and Andy Pettite retired, there seems to be two vacancies in the starting rotation.  The battle for the fourth and fifth spots is pretty wide open at this point in spring training.  Every candidate really must prove to the Yankees they deserve the spot. 

There are four names who really stand out as potential candidates:  Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre & Bartolo Colon.  Betances, Brackman, & Baneulos are starting the season in Double – A, and may make some appearances later this summer, but none are considered a starting pitcher option at this point.  It seems like the favorites are Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova. 

I think Mitre will play a big role with the Yankees since he is versatile and can be used as a middle reliever or long man, or even starter if they need him.  Mitre ‘s ability to adapt to the role he is needed throughout the last two seasons, has been very impressive.  The Yankees will likely have him start a game sometime throughout the next week too.  But, ultimately I think the Yankees want to continue working with Nova and Garcia to get the last two spots and keep Mitre in the bullpen.

After slowly recovering from shoulder surgery a few years back, Freddy Garcia is coming off a strong year with the White Sox in 2010.  This was his first full season back since 2007 and he went 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA.  He pitched yesterday against the Rays and looked good with his fastball getting into the 89-90 mph range.

Ivan Nova had a decent debut with the Yankees last season.  He went 1-2 in 7 starts with an ERA of .450.  His major problem was getting through the fourth and fifth innings.  He was lights-out in the majority of his starts within the first three or four innings, then would fall apart.  The Yankees were impressed with him as there seems to be some real potential if he can get over the fifth-inning hump.  The team is aware of this issue and will be spending time teaching him to pace himself and get through longer outings.  He was the first starter who was stretched out to pitch 3 innings yesterday and he looked dominant.

I think it’s highly doubtful that Bartolo Colon will actually make this team.  He is totally out of shape and came into camp at 275 lbs.  It was a joke last year when the Red Sox picked him up and it’s a bigger joke this year that the Yankees gave him a try.  He had a good outing in tonight’s game against the Red Sox, but I wouldn’t take that to mean anything, since they didn’t bring their good lineup. 

There is always a chance that AJ is terrible again this season and we could be talking about looking for a #3, 4 & 5 starter, but let’s just pray that’s not the case!

You're on the Mark, Texeira!

Mark Texeira is known for his slow offensive starts to a season, but last year was very different.  In 2010 Texeira batted a career low .256.  The only month he batted over .300 was in July when he had a great month and hit .344.  The other months ranged from .136 in April to .289 in August.  Needless to say, Texeira looked pretty awful last year.  His redemption last year was the gold glove award.

Throughout all the troubles Texeira had last year, Girardi never moved him from the #3 spot.  Hopefully we will see a change in Texeira this year, but just in case we don’t, I think it would be fair to move him out of the #3 spot.  In his place I would have Robinson Cano hitting third.  Cano is coming off his best year yet and shows even more promise for the coming season.  Reports from the offseason about Cano indicated that he was working out all winter long in the Domican Republic along with Francisco Cervelli.

Last year Cano batted .319 with a .381 on base percentage and a career high slugging percentage of .534.  Overall Cano’s numbers get better and better each year.  There is no longer any reason for Cano to bat #5.  When was the last time a player with the best batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage for any team batted fifth?  Although I’m sure the guys at Elias could shed some light on that stat, it makes very little sense.  Especially when the #3 batter only hit .256, and looked downright lost for easily half the season.  It’s time for Girardi to make the move and allow Cano more at bats to help the team’s offensive numbers. 

As much as I love Texeira and I truly believe he will make a dramatic change in his offensive numbers this season, Girardi needs to man up and and tell Texeira that he is bumped from the #3 spot.  Allowing a struggling slugger to bat third only costs the team much needed runs.

Some notes from Game 6 - Yankees at Rays in Port Charlotte

Yesterday both Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova pitched a combined 5 scoreless innings.  Freddy Garcia pitched the first two and Girardi said his velocity was up around 89-90 mph.  He allowed only one hit, retiring BJ Upton, Johnny Damano and struck out Longoria to end the first innning.  Garcia threw 20 pitches, 14 for strikes. 

Nova came in relief following Garcia and pitched three scoreless innings, giving up three hits.  Nova is the only pitcher so far to pitch 3 innings.  Hopefully the Yankees are trying to push him this season, so he can actually pitch through the 5th inning which was a problem for Nova last year.

Overall, it was a good outing for both Garcia and Nova who are the favorites to fill the 4th and 5th pitching slots.  This first week of games is just about over and now its time for these guys to really make an impression.

I can only imagine how much money The Boss was fined over the years

Just read an article from former LoHud Yankee blogger, Pete Abraham, that Red Sox owner John Henry was fined him $500,000 by Major League Baseball for comments he made to the Boston Globe in 2009 regarding revenue sharing!

If Henry was fined a half million dollars for this, how much money was Steinbrenner fined over the years for his comments?

Read Pete Abe's article here

He's in the competition

Here is a little insight into the Yankees organization's thoughts on where they view Jesus Montero within the organization.  John Sickels inverwied Mark Newman who is the Yankees Vice President of Baseball Operations. Seems like Montero has a real opportunity to become the next big thing in New York.

SICKELS: What about these reports that he is in contention for a backup job behind Russ Martin? Wouldn't that stall his development, to sit on the bench?

NEWMAN: Montero is in the competition.

SICKELS: Really?

NEWMAN: It depends on what you mean by backup. If he is a backup who plays once a week, then no, I don't think so. If he is a backup who can play 70 or 80 games, spend some time at DH and get enough at-bats to stay sharp, then yeah, I think that's a possibility, that could happen.


 Check out the full article here!