Yankees first official workout notes

The Yankees started their quest for championship #28 this morning as they held their first workout of the season. There are no players that reported late so all the pitchers and catchers are in camp, position players will report Sunday and then the ballpark will really come alive. Francisco Cervelli met the media today, Mariano Rivera did the same and Andy Pettitte was a big topic about not playing in the World Baseball Classic and possibly playing past this season. 
Cervelli denied the allegations against him. He said that he was recommended to go to the Biogenesis clinic by someone but wouldn’t say who. He said it wasn’t a teammate or his agents. He did say he went there and just listened and didn’t leave with anything. Cervelli also said look at him and his numbers, does it look like he is taking steroids. I guess you have to believe him, there is no reason not too and honestly I don’t think people care that much about him. He isn’t really a story, Cervelli has a chance to be the starting catcher this year and he is a Yankee but he really isn’t a big deal.

Mariano Rivera reported on time this year, he said he feels like a 9 out of 10 but will be a 10 when the season starts. He said he has made a decision on his future but isn’t going to announce it just yet. He did say he will let everyone know in the near future though. It sure sounds like he is going to retire and we should find out soon enough. He said he expects to be how he always is and that he is feeling great and excited to be back.

Andy Pettitte wanted to play in the World Baseball Classic especially with his old manager Joe Torre managing team USA. He said that Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman had concerns though and basically talked him out of it. He said they said we will support you if you do it but we would prefer if you didn’t. He said ultimately it was his final decision but he felt although he would of loved to pitch for his country he had to be loyal to the Yankees. Pettitte also said he isn’t sure if he will continue past this season but won’t make any decisions until the season is completed. He sounded the opposite of Rivera, that he may play again next season.

Phil Hughes threw 40 pitches today in his bullpen and Clay Rapada threw 35. A lot of the pitchers seem ahead of the normal schedule. Hughes said it was his sixth bullpen already. The first workout was smooth, no problems reported.

David Adams who missed most of the last two seasons with an ankle injury will be sidelined now with a back injury. He will be in camp but won’t be cleared for full activity when the first full squad workouts begin.

The Yankees made a trade tonight. They have acquired reliever Shawn Kelley from the Seattle Mariners for Abe Almonte. Almonte was a minor league outfielder who really had no where to go with the Yankees. Kelley is 28 and went 2-4 last season with a 3.25 ERA. He made 47 appearances with the Mariners last season during three different stints with the big club. He averaged more then a strikeout per inning and he also made 14 appearances in AAA where he was 2-0 with six saves and a 0.90 ERA. Alex Rodriguez was placed on the 60 day disabled list to clear room on the 40 man roster and the Yankees 40 man roster now stands at 40.

Yankees postgame notes after their win

It came out after this 8-3 win over the Rockies that Alex Rodriguez has been playing on a sore right knee since hurting it last Sunday night while running the bases against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Joe Girardi had a chance to pull him with a 6-0 lead after seven in this latest game, and he took advantage of it.


A-Rod might be hobbled a bit, but he hasn’t let it bother him at the plate. He knocked in three runs with two hits, so he now has at least one RBI in five straight games and 50 for the season. He’s batting .545 (12 for 22) in his last six, with at least one hit in each game, and .408 in his last 14.

”He comes to play every day, and that’s what great players do,” Girardi said. “You’ve got to find a way to fight through the little nicks that you have in the course of the season.”

CC Sabathia turned in another inspired performance in winning his third straight start and becoming the first pitcher in the majors to win 10 games – eight innings, one run, seven hits, one walk, nine Ks.

The lefty matched Chien-Ming Wang for the fastest to 50 wins among Yankees pitchers over these last 30 years. This was Sabathia’s 85th start in 2 1/2 seasons. He’s also the fifth Yankees pitcher in the last 60 years to win No. 50 and have fewer than 20 losses. This season, the Yankees have scored at least seven runs for him eight times. Also, he has gone at least seven innings 11 times in 17 starts, often taking the burden off a banged-up bullpen.

Yankees snapped their two-game skid and have won 11 of 15.

“I feel the past week we’ve been playing outstanding baseball,” Nick Swisher said.


The Yankees are up to a major-league-best 21-4 in day games as opposed to 23-27 at night.

“It’s probably a lot of luck,” Gardner said.  That is a really weird stat and I don't know what to make of it. 

Curtis Granderson scored two runs and leads the majors with 68. He has scored at least one time in seven straight games, which is one away from his career high. He’s also batting .295 in home games.  He is like a completely different players since changing his swing last season.  This season he is just on a tear though and it is fun to watch. 

Jorge Posada had a season-high-tying three hits and has now hit safely in 10 of his 11 starts, batting .405 over the span.  Ever since he sat out that one game he has been a different player.  I don't know if that helped him clear his mind or get everything off of his chest but whatever happened it worked.  I also think his son having surgery and being ok has helped. 

Nick Swisher went 2 for 3 with a sac fly and is now batting .315 in his last 27 games, raising his average from .204 to .245.  They needed Swisher to start hitting because he is a fun guy in the clubhouse but they couldn't have him batting 200. 

Sunday is Old-Timers’ Day. They will take batting practice starting at 10 a.m. The ceremonies begin at 11:30, followed by the Old-Timers’ game. The regularly scheduled games is down for 2:20.  It is always a fun day and Joe Torre, Bernie Williams and Lou Piniella will be making their first Old Timers appearances.  Torre was at Yankee Stadium for the unveiling of the Steinbrenner Monument but this will be the first real appearance for him as he will be announced and get a hand and all of that.  He last managed in 2007 with the Yankees and left in a not so good way, the organization and he have mended fences though and it should be a great day. 

Yankees lose to the Rockies as Giambi has a big night

The New York Yankees lost to the Colorado Rockies by the score of 4-2 tonight.  Jason Giambi made a return to the Bronx.  He played with the Yankees for seven seasons and was a crowd favorite.  He did get a nice ovation and then in his first at-bat launced a solo homerun deep into the right field bleachers.  Giambi is now 40 years old and limited to pinch hitting duty but in this series with the DH he gets to play all three games.  The Yankees will play three games against the Rockies and then after an off day play three against the Brewers. 

A.J. Burnett made the start for the Yankees.  Burnett didn't have his control and he wasn't very good but what has been a major difference from last year is he kept the Yankees in the game.  If this were last year he would of totally imploded been out of the game and the Yankees would of had no shot.  In this game he figured things out and finished strong and was able to pitch into the seventh inning.  Boone Logan had another strong outing as he gave up one hit in 1 1/3 innings.  He is their only lefty out of the bullpen right now and they need him to get out some lefties.  Luis Ayala finished off the game with 1 1/3 innings giving up one hit. 

The offense was all supplied by Alex Rodriguez.  He had an RBI double and a sacrifice fly.  Rodriguez is starting to really heat up once again.  His power numbers are a little down but I wouldn't be suprised to see him go on a streak soon where he hits five in a week.  Nick Swisher had a good night with a couple of hits, Curtis Granderson had three walks. 

The two teams will play game two of the their three game series on Saturday afternoon.  It will be C.C. Sabathia vs. Aaron Cook.  On paper this looks like a total mismatch where the Yankees should win setting up a rubber game on Sunday which is Old Timers Day.  Sunday should be an emotional day as Joe Torre will be back in the bronx for the first time since 2007 when he managed against Cleveland in the ALDS that they lost in four games.  Bernie Williams and Lou Piniella will also make their first Old Timers Day appearances. 

Yankees at Cubs

The New York Yankees will be playing at Wrigley Field this afternoon against the Cubs.  The game is a 2:20PM start and will have Doug Davis for the Cubs against Freddy Garcia as the pitching matchup.  Here are the lineups for the game.  The Yankees haven't played in Wrigley since 2003 so this is a rare occurence.  It is a homecoming of sorts for Mike Harkey, Joe Girardi and Mick Kelleher, Nick Swishers day played for the Cubs and Curtis Granderson is from the area.  It should be a fun weekend.  The Yankees will also see old friend Alfonso Soriano who was traded for Alex Rodriguez. 

Yankees Lineup:Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Russell Martin, Eduardo Nunez, Brett Gardner, Freddy Garcia.

Cubs Lineup:Kosuke Fukudome, Starlin Castro, Blake DeWitt, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Pena, Alfonso Soriano, Tony Campana, Koyie Hill, Doug Davis. 

It is interleague play in the National League ballpark so there is no DH, it is always interesting but also a little scary when the Yankees pitchers have to bat.  C.C. Sabathia enjoys it, he is a good hitter, A.J. Burnett has experience with it.  Joba also likes it but he won't get the chance as he is lost for the year.  It is scary because Chieng-Ming Wang got hurt running the bases and was never the same.  It is a different brand of baseball though and the Yankees will try to have them bunt and be very careful on the basepaths. 

New Baseball Committee

Comissioner Bud Selig announced this afternoon that he will have a new comittee starting this season. The committee will review on field baseball issues. There are 14 people on the committee and they are: Joe Torre-Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tony Larussa-St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Scioscia-Los Angeles Angels manger Jim Leyland- Detroit Tigers manager John Schuerholz- Atlanta Braves president Andy Mcphail-Baltimore Orioles president Terry Ryan-former Twins general manager Mark Schapiro-Cleveland Indians general manager Chuck Armstrong-Seattle Mariners COO Paul Beeston-Toronto Blue Jays CEO Bill Dewitt- St. Louis Cardinals owner Dave Montgomery- Philadelphia Phillies owner Frank Robinson-Hall Of Famer and former player George Will-Journalist Bud Selig thought that this group could have an impact rather quickly like within a year. I hope this works and it looks like a good thing but we will see what happens. The umpiring was terrible this past season and especially postseason although Bud Selig the comissioner said he has been thinking of this for some time and it isn't because of the poor postseason the umpires had. It is an interesting group consisting of many different backgrounds which is good.

Joe Torre Safe At home Dinner

Joe Torre had his annual Safe At Home Foundation Dinner last night at the Chelsea Piers. He of course had a lot of Yankees there and revealed that he was rooting for the Yankees in the World Series. He did say it was "surreal" to see the Yankees winning the World Series without him. Joe Torre said "but to watch what they've done, and especially with Joe Girardi at the helm, it really made me feel good even though I'm supposed to be a National League fan. When you're as close to these guys as I have been for all these years, I was just real pleased for them." It looks like after saying he would be done after this upcoming season that he is trying to extend his deal for another year. I can only say poor Don Mattingly it looks like Joe Torre may be one of those guys you have to rip the uniform off of him before he retires. Don Mattingly has been so loyal to him and saying all the right things. I know it was never formally said that Mattingly would take over but everyone has basically said that and been led to believe that but how long will Donnie Baseball have to wait. I know he did interview for the Cleveland and I think Washington job but didn't get them so he will continue on as the hitting coach for Joe Torre and the Dodgers.

Phillies win the NL Pennant

The Philadelphia Phillies won the National League Pennant last night by the score of 10-4. They are in the World Series for the second year in a row and should be congratulated for that. The Phillies bats really bludgeoned the Dodgers pitching. The Yankees will play tonight and try to win the AL Pennant and set a date with the Phillies. There is no need to talk about the possibilites there yet as the ALCS isn't over yet but clearly it would be the 2 best teams in baseball if it does happen. The Phillies have big bats but they also have Cliff Lee pitching like an ace even though Cole Hammels hasn't pitched that well and Brad Lidge regaining his composure and looking like the old Brad Lidge. The Phillies were just a better team then the Rockies and the Dodgers both and it will be interesting to see if the long layoff will hurt them or if it really won't matter. If the Yankees win tonight they will both basically have the same time off since the World Series doesn't begin to next Wednesday. It was nice to dream of Joe Torre coming back to Yankees Stadium or at least possibly doing that but in the end Joe Torre got beat by the superior Phillies once again.

NLCS Preview

The NLCS will begin tomorrow in Los Angeles. The Phillies beat the Dodgers in the NLCS last year in 5 games but this year the Dodgers have the homefield. Clayton Kershaw will start game 1, the Phillies have not announced their rotation yet but it will probably be Cole Hammels. The Phillies may choose to break up the lefties and that would open up a shot for Joe Blanton to pitch game 2 with the Cliff Lee in game 3 and maybe Pedro Martinez in game 4 otherwise they would throw J.A. Happ. I think the Dodgers have more depth in their rotation and a better bullpen, the Phillies weakness is their bullpen at least in the backend although they think they may have straightened Brad Lidge out. It remains to be seen as the stakes are even higher now. The Phillies have the clear advantage in the lineup and with their power but the Dodgers lineup isn't terrible especially if Manny Ramirez continues to hit like he did in Game 3. I think the Dodgers will win this series in 6 and set up a Yankees/Dodgers World Series which would be one for the ages. I do think the Phillies would be a better team if they had a closer so it is possible that Brad Lidge steps up and then I could see the Phillies winning this series but right now I wouldn't trust him or anyone else who may close for them. It looks like Joe Torre will be retiring after this year so this may be the best chance for him to return to NY and face his former employer and the team that made him what he is. The Dodgers will be starting Kershaw in GAme 1 who is the 2nd youngest starter for them in postseason history and they have a long history. Cole Hammels doesn't seem to be the same pitcher as he was last year but he is looking to rebound in the NLCS.

Torre: Rooting for Yanks, Girardi

This was interesting, I found this on Peter Abrahams blog and you can read it at this link. Joe say's he watches lots of Yankee games and roots for them, lets root for a Yankees/Dodgers World Series that would be something special. Torre: I’m rooting for the Yanks, Girardi Posted using ShareThis

The Captain Speaks

We have all been waiting for the New York Yankees captain to speak and he finally has. Derek Jeter did an interview with SI.com's Jimmy Traina today. The interview will run in tomorrows edition of Hot Clicks. Here is some of what he had to say. "I'm just curious as to why people keep asking the same questions over and over. We've been down this road before. Alex is a teammate. I support him. Our whole team is behind him. We all support him and we are looking forward to a new season. To be quite honest with you, it's old hearing the same questions. It's something that has been addressed before in the past. Everyones moved beyond it and it really doesn't need to be addressed again." He also had this to say about the Yankees high expectations for 2009- "I don't know how you can say more pressure because every year we are expected to win a championship. That's the bottom line. So I don't know how you can have more pressure then winning it all, you know what I mean? So every year it's the same expectations for us and that won't change." You can check extra mustard on si.com tomorrow for the entire interview. I am happy with this statement, it is what he needed to do, say he supports Arod and so does everyone else and that they have to get ready for the season and trying to win a title and that is the last of the Torre book for the team. I hope he did speak about the Book, but we will see what else he said tomorrow.

Joe Torre

It was a snowy day in NYC and Joe Torre was starting his book tour in midtown at the Barnes and Noble. I wasn't there, but reports were stating that there were hundreds of people there to see him. He did speak to reporters before the book signing. He later appeared on the Mike Francesa radio show on WFAN NY. I did get to hear most of that interview. This is what I got out of it, he said people would call him Afraud as a joke to his face, never behind his back. In the book though he says they would say it behind his back, so which is it Joe?? He also said he wasn't bitter at all and was relieved after that meeting in Tampa when he was finished. This statement seems to be true but then why did he ask Cash why he never brought up the contract that they had talked about? Why would he care if he was so relieved? Why would he say later on that he wanted 2 yrs, if he was so uncomfortable it shouldn't matter what they offered, he wouldn't take it anyway. I still think Joe is the real fraud, he says he didn't violate any code at all and if he was still with the Yankees he would of published the book also. He said he started this in 2007, no one really believes that though do you?? I just hope that once this week is over, thats the end of this, it goes away. Jorge Posada did defend Joe saying he did nothing wrong but that he hasn't read the book yet. Mo was at the Knicks game last night and said he isn't bothered by the Moose comments and that he hasn't read it yet either. He also said he is feeling good. I am waiting for Jeter to come out and make a statement, like a true captain and just end all of this and move on to worrying about trying to make a run at the World Championship. Sam Borden of the Journal News is doing the blogging duty for Peter Abraham over at the lohud yankees blog, please check it out at http://yankees.lhblogs.com. He has a lot more coverage on there, as he did attend the book signing. I am ready for spring training which starts next thursday with Pitchers and Catchers reporting. I plan on having some kind of spring training preview this week, so look out for that.

The American Idle Speaks

The great Carl Pavano had something to say about Joe Torre and his book. Here are the quotes: "I am extremely disappointed that someone I had a lot of respect for would make these types of comments in his upcoming book." "I wish nothing but the best for him and my former Yankee teammates but with that said it does explain why I haven't recieved any christmas cards from Joe in the last few years." I don't think there are too many people that are happy with Torre right now in NY but this guy should just shut his mouth and have absolutely nothing to say. He stole $40million from the Yankees and yes I would consider it theft. He is as much of a fraud as Joe Torre if not more, this is just unbelievable how clueless the American Idle is also. Melky Cabrera is out of minor league options according to MLB trade rumors meaning that he can't be sent down to the minors without first passing through waivers. Chad Jennings of http://community.thetimes-tribune.com/blogs/yankees/ has a update on Alan Horne who is one of the Yankees top pitching prospects. He is throwing 50 times from 120 feet and said he expects to throw off a mound soon. He will most likely stay down in Tampa for extended spring training or in A as he is coming off a shoulder injury. If he is healthy though he will be in AAA by May I would say at the latest and will be an extra guy for more depth if there are injuries or ineffectiveness.

Larry King and Joe Torre

I sat through the entire Joe Torre interview on CNN with Larry King. I have to say he didn't ask the worst questions but no follow ups. I was writing in questions on the live blog along with some others, probably some of you im sure. The thing is they weren't asking the good questions online from us the real fans. It was ridiculous the things they were asking him on air, where were the good questions like Hey joe how does it feel to ruin countless bullpen arms? Hey Joe how does it feel to be up for so long, keep drinking that green tea in LA. I hope to see you in the world series where the Yankees can beat your brains in. Hey Joe thanks for ending the curse of the bambino. What were you thinking when you batted arod 8th? Hey Joe what happened to what happens in the clubhouse stays there?? Good job letting Joba get eaten up by the midges. How about the great strategy of playing the infield in in game 7 against arizona in 01 and losing the series for us. Should I continue, i am sure i have a lot more to say. How about I hear from you guys, please chime in and comment on this, how we really feel about Joe Torre, keep it clean of course but post your true feelings. Please also check out larry king lives blog to see some of my comments under Gary and also what is being discussed on http://yankees.lhblogs.com