On the Yankees beat

Anyone out there have any solutions for Kyle Farnsworth? It's been so frustrating for the Yankees to watch this guy pitch, hit 96, 97 and 98 on the centerfield radar gun, and yet struggle to get hitters out. Doesn't make much sense.

Of course his command has something to do with it -- he falls behind hitters way too much -- but perhaps it's getting to the point where we should wonder whether he can do it here, in New York. The Yankees handed him $17 million over three years, which they may regret if this continues.

The Yankees thought they would have Octavio Dotel by now, but his return doesn't seem likely until the end of July, if not sometime in August. Puts some pressure on Brian Cashman to find relievers by the trade deadline. Expect former Devil Rays righthander Jesus Colome to get a chance soon, and maybe even Ramiro Mendoza as well.

So did anyone get a good view of the tension between Farnsworth and catcher Jorge Posada in the ninth inning on Tuesday? Just wondering what your thoughts and observations were... Please post in the comments section, and we'll discuss.

(The above photo is credited to The Associated Press. Two bonus points to anyone who can identify when the photo was taken, and what exactly was going on.)

Phil Hughes (4-3, 3.18 ERA) pitches tonight for Double-A Trenton at New Hampshire. You can follow the game online here or listen to their radio broadcast here.

The Yankees placed Robinson Cano on the disabled list today after an MRI showed a "small tear," Cano said. The Yankees think he will be ready to return after the All-Star break, but they are quick to say that hamstrings are unpredictable.

In other news, righthander Octavio Dotel is slated to throw his first bullpen session in what will be more than two weeks on Saturday and Dave Miley is back managing Triple-A Columbus after missing a few games because of his bad back.

Also, keep an eye on Jesus Colome. The former Devil Rays reliever is making his first appearance for Columbus tonight after redoing his entire delivery with Yankees minor-league pitching coach Gil Patterson down in Tampa the past two months. A good week and Colome could push his way onto the major-league roster.

There seems to be a lot of chatter on this site about whether the Yankees should trade their prospects or stand pat. A couple of points:

1. The Yankees don't often stand pat and their needs might be even greater now, depending on how long Robinson Cano is sidelined.
2. How convinced are you that the young farmhands are genuine big-time prospects? The consensus is that pitcher Phil Hughes is the real deal, but I'm skeptical about young pitchers. Until Cano and Chien-Ming Wang turned up as gems last season, the Yankees hadn't developed many legit prospects since the days of Jeter-Posada-Bernie-Rivera. Melky Cabrera doesn't look like an everyday answer to me.
3. Some of you bloggers are saying you'd be content to "rebuild" and sacrifice a possible playoff run this year. But do you really think the Yankees' system is so well-stocked that you can expect it to produce several championship-caliber players?
4. A sobering thought. Derek Jeter turned 32 last night. Jorge Posada turns 35 in August. Mariano Rivera is 36. Bernie Williams turns 38 in September. Will any of these so-called prospects some of you seem so willing to wait for be ready in time to replace these franchise cornerstones? Or, better yet, play with them and under Joe Torre?

Deals or no deals? I trust Brian Cashman's ability to make a good trade more than I trust the Yankees' minor-league system. Let the trading begin.

Could it be that injuries will do what neither the Red Sox nor any other AL East team has been able to do for the previous eight years – prevent the Yankees from winning a divisional champion?

The latest cause for worry is the hamstring injury suffered by Robinson Cano in the night game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Marlins. Cano pulled up lame several steps from second base on a double to right-center in the sixth and immediately left the game in obvious pain. The hard-hitting second baseman, batting .325, was initially diagnosed with a strained left hamstring.

Manager Joe Torre appeared concerned late last night, saying, "We'll have to wait overnight to see whether it's a full-blown [tear] or just a cramp." Cano, trying to summon up a smile, said he had never experienced such an injury before and walked with a noticeable limp as he left Yankee Stadium. He was hoping for good news on Monday.

But hamstrings have not been good to New York baseball teams this season. Mets starting pitcher Brian Bannister was placed on the DL on April 29 with a strained hamstring and still hasn't returned to action. Yankees outfielder Bubba Crosby strained his hamstring making a diving catch on May 18 and the next day was placed on the DL. He missed nearly a month.

Everyone loves Bubba, but losing Cano for any substantial length of time would be a much greater blow to the Yankees, who already have a depleted lineup without Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui.

Before the Yankees begin their day-night doubleheader, wanted to take a moment to wish Jon Heyman well. After 15-plus years here breaking countless exclusive stories, he's leaving Newsday to join Sports Illustrated. I can't thank him enough for all the stories we had double bylines on, stories he deserved full credit for. Best wishes.

It was mid-way through Joe Torre's pre-game session with the media in the Yankees' dugout that the rain started falling heavy enough for this blogger to seek some shelter. So I kidded the Yankees' manager about wrapping up his anecdotes so I wouldn't get soaked. He obliged and ended his session with a laugh, but rain remained Sunday's story.
A visit to the field revealed puddles on the tarp and more puddles on the warning track but assurances from stadium personnel that the field would drain properly. Then, a quick peek into the room under the seats where the grounds crew gathered and watched radar projections. They told us "a six-hour deluge is coming up from Philadelphia in about 30 minutes."
Then GM Brian Cashman held court in the basement pressroom moments later and confirmed that he heard the 1 o'clock game might not start until 7 or 8. Would that be a delayed start for the early game or an on-time start for the scheduled night game? Cashman laughed and said, "That's not my job. I'm in charge of baseball, not scheduling."
So I settled in for a long afternoon of sitting around The Stadium with a bunch of other baseball writers in similar predicaments. Then we got a surprising announcement: The tarp was coming off the field and the game would start at 1:50, only about 45 minutes late. Sure enough, at 1:53, Mike Mussina delivered his first pitch to Alfredo Amezaga, the Marlins' leadoff hitter, and lo and behold, we were watching baseball not weather maps. For how long, none of us knew, but it sure felt good, even if the only thing more unpredictable than the weather is what happens on a baseball field.

Hearing the thunderous cheers for Jim Leyritz, David Cone and Darryl Strawberry at Saturday’s Oldtimers’ Day introductions at Yankee Stadium makes you realize you don’t need to be a once or future Hall of Fame player to become wildly popular with Yankee fans. Sure, the loudest cheers for generations of Oldtimers’ Days were reserved for Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. Then, more recently, for Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and Phil Rizzuto. Yogi was there Saturday, but Whitey and Scooter were absent and remind us of their advancing age and our own mortality. But it’s clear the next generation of Yankee fans will have their own Oldtimers’ Day icons, and enshrinement at Cooperstown isn’t needed. As long as you have a link to the Joe Torre Championship Era – like King, Coney and Straw – you will forever be the object of adoration in the Bronx.
Can you imagine the decibel level of noise that will echo around the new Yankee Stadium in 2009 when such Bleacher Creature favorites like Paul O’Neill and Bernie Williams – neither bound for Cooperstown – return for Oldtimers’ Day? What about that day down the road when Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Torre himself make their triumphant returns? And, dare we ask, what about Alex Rodriguez, lately Nay-Rod to Yankee fans? Assuming he leads the team to a World Series title before his career his through, even Rodriguez one day will be the toast of this town. After all, Hall of Fame candidates are welcome, too.

Don't look now, but...

Phil Hughes has a no-hitter through six innings.

Follow the game here.

Live audio here.

UPDATE:

Hughes' bid ended on his first pitch of the eighth inning.

Just wanted to take a brief break from discussing potential trades to bring you this minor-league tidbit (Then we'll go back to trades. Promise.)

Triple-A Columbus is on the road without its manager, Dave Miley, because he has been suffering from a bad back and is off to visit a specialist. His doctor in Columbus told him last week that he's having issues with a disc or two.

If Miley needs surgery, team officials do not expect him to return to the bench this season.

For the moment hitting coach Kevin Long has taken over the in-game managing duties with some help from pitching coach Neil Allen.

Got to find it interesting that Bob Boone, the Nationals' assistant GM, appeared in Trenton this week to see the Double-A affiliates of the Yankees and Blue Jays.

For someone as big as Boone to show up, it certainly means the Nationals are serious. Still believe the Nationals won't budge on Alfonso Soriano unless they get Phil Hughes in return. But obviously Jose Guillen could be had for a cheap price. And don't discount the Blue Jays in this scenario. Boone saw their 2004 top pick, David Purcey, pitch that night, so maybe the Nats have interest in him.

Thoughts?

As if you're not already sick of hearing from me in the newspaper and on the Web, now you can listen to me on the radio. I'll be on "Sports Talk" tonight at 10:40 p.m. on Long Island's 90.3 FM. The call-in show runs from 9-11 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

What an outing by the bullpen, with four relievers combining to throw four scoreless and hitless innings to preserve the 5-0 win. If they could do that every night... of course they can't and they won't. And there seems to be a healthy debate over whether fans want the Yankees to go after a outfielder or a pitcher. We've discussed the possibilities in the outfield. Now let's hit the pitching. Do you want starters or relievers? And who do you want, and why? There's about five weeks to go before the trade deadline, so the market is about to get interesting. Let's hear your thoughts.

Looks as if everyone got fired up over the talk of trades. Strong cases made by everyone. Here are the general themes of what you guys wrote in the comments section, and I'll give you my take. And then feel free to come back what you think about my take. It's one big cycle, and it won't end until July 31. Buckle up.

* Alfonso Soriano
Most everyone who weighed in wants him, and with good reason. The guy is a total bases machine. Somebody brought up the notion of signing him to a longterm deal right away, and that's a good thought. He loves New York, still has his Jersey apartment and would probably love to return to pinstripes, but is he really a longterm fit? So it's probably a given the Yankees don't pick up the option on Sheffield, but signing Soriano longterm may complicate matters more than solve any. But that said, the Yankees must think about this year, too, and if they can get Soriano without giving up Phil Hughes, Cano, Wang, etc., it's a no-brainer. Good luck at that.

* Keeping prospects
This is a tough one. Phil Hughes looks good, really good at times, and he's so young, but how do we know he's the real deal? We don't, and we won't until he comes up and pitches. And what happens if he does what Sean Henn did last year? Then he loses stock. So it's always a delicate decision regarding prospects. Take Eric Duncan for example. A former first-round pick, his name still attracts attention. But his struggles this year in Triple-A and Double-A hurt any chance that he alone can be the biggest chip in a deal for a big name. So while many fans are insisting the Yankees hold on to Hughes, Jose Tabata, Austin Jackson, etc., don't forget that sometimes what you get for them is more than you'll ever get from them. And it's always a gamble, either way.

* Pitching, pitching and pitching
It's important, very important. And Brian Cashman has constantly stated it's his priority. After watching games like he 4-2 loss on Monday, it's easy to jump to the other side of the debate and say the Yankees need a big bat. They certainly do, and there's no debating that. But do they need a big bat more than they need another starter or a more reliable reliever? No, they don't. So while Soriano's numbers are attractive, when in doubt, go pitching.

* Jose Guillen
Some people seem to be in favor of this. He has a lot of pluses, including power, fiery attitude on the field, outstanding canon for an arm. But his attitude has always eaten away at clubhouse -- google "Jose Guillen and suspenion" and you'll have hours of reading to do. While in most cases these type of players fall into the Yankee way, it's never a given. And it's never pretty when it doesn't work out.

***

That's all from here. Great game tonight. How about that Ryan Howard???

That's what everyone wants to talk about this time of year, clearly. So let's get right to it. We're not supposed to get too high or too low, we're always told, but it's hard not to be worried while watching the Yankees' 4-2 loss tonight and not think they really, really, really need a corner outfielder who can hit consistently with some pop.

Melky Cabrera looks as if he is hitting a wall, hitless in his last 14 at-bats. And rightfield has been a silent position, aside from Bernie Williams' recent surge.

So who do you want, and why? Let's hear it. And we'll discuss.

Octavio Dotel stopped by today, but don't get excited. He's not getting activated. In fact, the timeline just was pushed back some. That's because Dotel felt discomfort in his elbow Saturday morning after throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings the night before, and now he's shut down from throwing until Thursday. He figures to throw on the side then, and he will continue his rehab with Double-A Trenton.

The Yankees have been saying they were expecting him up within the next seven to 10 days, and they did not give an updated timeline. Dotel hopes he can be in the majors after only one more minor-league rehab appearance, but that certainly seems unlikely. Expect him to go through the motions again, perhaps throwing on back-to-back days before the Yankees call him up.

Obviously this is a bit of a blow for the Yankees given the state of their bullpen. But the Yankees have been consistent in their approach that they don't want to rush him, not when he's only a little more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery.

My guess? Figure early July, of course barring any more setbacks.

The Yankees added another arm to their bullpen, calling up righthander Jose Veras from Triple-A Columbus. Veras throws hard but is prone to moments where he loses his control, Joe Torre said. Kyle Farnsworth played catch during batting practice and said he felt better, but he still looked awfully stiff walking on the field. Torre ruled him out for today, as well as T.J. Beam, who has pitched two days in a row in two different cities. He'd also like to stay away from Mariano Rivera and Scott Proctor, leaving him with Ron Villone, Matt Smith, Mike Myers and Veras as options.

Hearing Andy Phillips describe his wife's fight with cancer over the last six months was rather gut wrenching and heart breaking, and then equally as motivating and encouraging, maybe more so. His eyes filled up with tears at times, while other times he spoke rather proudly about his wife's courage and strength, and then smiled.

It has been some emotional trip they've been on for six months, and it's finally getting back to somewhat being normal. Andy's wife, Bethany, was told she's cancer-free last month (she had a rare form of cancer resulting from a molar pregnancy), and she just had her final chemotherapy treatment last week. They're happy, and relieved.

She's here in Washington D.C. on her first trip of the season, and will be in Philly to be with her husband. She's still tired, Andy says, and will be for "several, several months," but they'll take that. She's healthy, and that's what matters most.

As for baseball, Phillips won't put his slow start on what was going on in his life, but it's easy to see the correlation in his numbers. He was 4-for-29 as his wife fought cancer with chemo into May, and 24-for-77 ever since they were told she's cancer-free. You could sense the pain in his voice as he described returning to an empty apartment in the city or an empty hotel room every night, worried about his wife.

"There's a fine line between providing for your wife and providing for your family, and then being there emotionally for her," Phillips said. "Finding that balance was the toughest thing to figure it out."

Andy went home to Alabama every off day, and he even didn't sleep one night to catch a 6 a.m. outbound flight. It was the off day following a night game in Boston in late May, and the Yankees didn't get back to New York until around 2. He returned to his apartment, showered, and then right back to the airport to catch a 6 a.m. flight. The next morning, he caught another 6 a.m. flight back to New York.

Early on Andy didn't know whether he could handle being away. He described a game in Toronto when he had tears in his eyes on the field all game, so much so he barely remembers what happened on the field during the game. But when he went home questioning where he should be, his wife convinced him to return to the Yankees.

"She told me, 'If it weren’t for what you do, we wouldn’t be able to take care of this, and you’re where you’re supposed to be,'" Andy said. "Also knowing our family was there to take care of her, our church family also was there to take care of her, all of those things gave me the peace to get back on that plane to get back without saying anything. Up to that point I didn’t know."

Kyle Farnsworth's back spasms on Friday forced the Yankees to evaluate their bullpen, and they decided it's time to make a move. So today they designated Aaron Small to make room for young righthander T.J. Beam, who impressed Ron Guidry in spring training and has pitched well at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Columbus.

Such is life for Small, who one year ago saved the Yankees with an incredible 10-0 run. Who can forget Yankee fans chanting his name in Game 3 of the ALDS while Randy Johnson was getting hit hard? One of his many memorable moments. "That year is going to be special when I'm 70 years old telling my grandkids," Small said. "But I still feel like there’s another comeback in me."

Small, 34, called this "the hardest demotion I've ever had," and that's saying something given he's been a part of so many organizations during his career, and he even contemplated retiring before he was called him up from Columbus last July.

If Small passes through waivers, he said he will accept his assignment to Columbus. But you got to figure the chances are decent a National League team in need of a starter will pick him up. He is cheap (he makes $1.2 million), and the Yankees believe he is better suited to be a starter, something they couldn't offer him.

To give you an idea of how small the visiting clubhouse at RFK is, picture your high school locker room. Now shrink it a few times. Then a few more. It's that bad.

The Yankees didn't seem to mind too much. The players who were in the clubhouse before the game were mostly huddled by the television, watching the U.S. Open.

Over in the Nationals' clubhouse -- which isn't all that nice either but at least somewhat more spacey -- Alfonso Soriano spoke about his situation with the Nationals. As Ken Davidoff wrote in today's Newsday, Soriano said he likes playing here. Which may be true, but he didn't seem like he would mind a trade too much either. Would you trade Eric Duncan for Soriano?

Funny how many former Yankees are on the Nationals. In addition to Soriano, there's Nick Johnson, Mike Stanton and Felix Rodriguez. Former Yankee Mike Vento also has 18 at-bats this season, but isn't on the roster now.

Lastly, my Yankees Insider today was a reminder that the Yankees didn't win the AL East last year because of the big names they acquired. It was the little moves, like acquiring Shawn Chacon, that worked so well. So I was wondering, if the Yankees go the same route this year, who do you think this year's Chacon will be?

My guess is Pittsburgh's Craig Wilson. Just a guess.

The Yankees resume interleague play tonight in Washington against the Nationals before three games in Philadelphia. While manager Joe Torre made the usual complaints about playing in National League ballparks – Jason Giambi will have to play first, Yankees pitchers will have to bat, etc. – he did have fond, if incomplete, memories of his last visit to RFK Stadium.
It was July 1, 1985, when Torre homered in a Cracker Jack Old-Timer’s Game. He didn’t remember whom he hit it against.
It was Yankees Hall of Famer Whitey Ford.
“Whitey Ford?” Torre said. “Wow. I’ve got to remind Whitey of that when I see him.”
Torre did recall hitting another home run against Ford.
“I hit one off Whitey in spring training,” he said. “When he was young and vibrant and I was, too.”
The Yankees’ last visit to RFK was no less memorable. On Sept. 30, 1971, they were awarded a forfeit win when fans stormed the field during the Senators’ last game with the Yankees trailing, 7-5.

It was Jorge Posada’s yelling and gesturing after he got hit on the right elbow by a Jason Johnson pitch on Wednesday night that led to Randy Johnson’s ejection in the seventh inning for throwing inside to Eduardo Perez.
Posada didn’t talk after the game, but did before yesterday’s. He said he was mostly upset with Jason Johnson for coming inside to Derek Jeter twice in the fifth inning, once near the Yankee captain’s head.
“Derek almost gets hit in the head and then I get hit,” Posada said. “This guy doesn’t have that bad control. If you can’t throw a ball inside, don’t throw it. You’re going to throw at people’s heads, that bothered me.”
Posada, who left Wednesday’s game an inning after getting plunked on the funny bone but was back in the lineup yesterday, echoed the sentiments of many of his teammates when he applauded Johnson’s seeming purpose pitch. Johnson and manager Joe Torre were ejected and both also face automatic suspensions.
“It’s a part of everything,” he said. “Us getting hit and we really haven’t done anything about it. I thought what Randy did at least showed something from the pitching staff.”
Torre agreed. “There’s a fine line,” he said. “If you’ve got players who are busting their rear ends for you, you want to make sure you protect them.”

Randy Johnson definitely earned the respect of his teammates in the clubhouse for throwing at Eduardo Perez, or as the players say, "protecting" his players.

It's not something players like to talk about, as throwing at hitters carries a negative connotation, as it should. But throwing at players to make up for something the other team did is one of the old-time baseball unspoken rules that still lives today.

The pitchers that enforce it most definitely are rewarded in the clubhouse.

One minor example come to mind.

In 2004, toward the end of the regular season, Brad Halsey threw at Dave Roberts of the Red Sox in response to something that happened earlier in the game (forgive me for forgetting). He was fined $1,000, chump change for baseball players, except not for a rookie. After the game, several players approached him in the Fenway Park clubhouse and assured him he would not be the one paying the fine.

Don't expect these Yankee players to start a collection to pay whatever fine Johnson receives. But know this. He has their respect for having their backs on the field.

Want a few other examples of clubhouse respect?

Believe it or not, Kevin Brown actually gained the respect of his teammates for taking the ball last summer when the Yankees were out of pitchers, knowing full well he was hurt. This wasn't like the 2004 ALCS when he took the ball without disclosing how hurt he really was. Last year everyone knew and they were thankful for his effort.

How about someone who doesn't have the respect of his teammates?

One guess.

Yup, you guessed it.

Carl Pavano.

It's Randy versus Jason about to get underway here at a cloudy and cool Yankee Stadium, and it's hard to say which Johnson has the better chance. The way Randy has been going this season, how can you pick him? His outing last Friday was definitely a low point, if not THE low point of the season for the 42-year-old lefthander.

Joe Torre said before the game he's convinced Johnson's problems are all mechanical, and that Johnson (Randy) was given the option of having this start skipped so he could focus on getting his delivery back the way he likes it.

Randy declined, Torre said, because he felt the best thing for him to do was to go back out there and pitch.

We'll soon see.

The Yankees have a chance to have four starters in the All-Star Game, which will be held July 11 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Derek Jeter has received the most votes of any American League player. Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez are also leading at their positions and Johnny Damon is third among outfielders. Here are the latest tallies with a comment for each:

First base
1. David Ortiz 915,362
2. Jason Giambi 626,289
Ortiz has played 12 innings at first base this season
Second base
1. Robinson Cano 602,637
2. Mark Loretta 535,043
How weak is AL’s second-base crop?
Shortstop
1. Derek Jeter 1,121,712
2. Miguel Tejada 776,442
Albert Pujols is overall top vote-getter with 1,442,273
Third base
1. Alex Rodriguez 1,067,369
2. Mike Lowell 468,031
Yankee fans can travel to Pittsburgh to boo A-Rod
Catcher
1. Jason Varitek 630,657
2. Ivan Rodriguez 595,132
3. Jorge Posada 489,480
Banged-up Posada could probably use the three days off
Outfielders
1. Vladimir Guerrero 1,115,476
2. Manny Ramirez 1,080,426
3. Johnny Damon 754,396
4. Ichiro Suzuki 677,392
6. Gary Sheffield 466,520
9. Hideki Matsui 362,289
Feel free to stop voting for Sheffield and Matsui

At exactly 5:24 p.m., Joe Torre announced that Derek Jeter was going to play shortstop on Tuesday against the Indians. Sorry it took me six minutes to get the news to you. Even blog technology has its limitations.

You have to pity poor Andy Phillips. He was playing every day and hitting the tar out of the ball in Detroit and Baltimore. I remember remarking to a colleague in Baltimore, “Wait till he goes 0-for-10. Joe can’t wait to get him out of the lineup.”
Turns out we didn’t have to wait until 0-for-10. Phillips goes 0-for-4 in one game and, with Derek Jeter needing to DH because of his sore thumb, Phillips goes back to the bench. When he finally gets to start again on Sunday (only because Jason Giambi is hurt), Phillips goes 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and looks awful doing it.
I’m not saying Phillips should have started over Jeter or Giambi when Jeter had to DH. It’s just unfortunate for Phillips that it worked out that way when he was going so well.
The problem with Phillips is when he doesn’t play regularly his swing gets out of whack and he flails at everything, whether it’s in the strike zone or not. And for whatever reason, Torre just doesn’t see him as an everyday player. Torre has “his guys” and will go to battle with them every day. The guys who aren’t “his guys” are always ripe to be shunted to the bench or the back of the bullpen or Columbus without a moment’s notice.
After Sunday’s game, Torre volunteered that Phillips looked awful. Volunteered it! Could you imagine him doing that with one of his core players? This is what he said: “I can’t fault anybody with the quality of the at-bats today. Except maybe Phillips, he hasn’t played for a few days and he got a little overanxious.”
Torre did add that it was “understandable” for Phillips to look that way.
Did you know there is actually a blog devoted to ripping Joe Torre? It’s called http://firetorre.blogspot.com/

Joe Torre is committed to giving Melky Cabrera a long look in leftfield while Hideki Matsui mends, and Bernie Williams and Bubba Crosby will share right once Crosby finishes his rehab assignment.
That’s fine for now, but what should the Yankees do going forward? I want to get your take, Yankees fans, on a plan I would consider putting into place this season, or, if that’s not possible, next.
The Yankees should trade Cabrera and whatever else it would take (other than Phil Hughes, who is their only decent chance at developing a No. 1 starter in years) to the Twins for Torii Hunter. They should then move Johnny Damon to left.
My argument is this: outfield defense is more important than the Yankees seem to think. With an outfield of Matsui, Damon and Gary Sheffield – which could still be the Yankees’ outfield next season – a lot of balls will fall in that could be outs.
That won’t happen with Hunter in center and Damon in left. Damon is a step slower than in his prime and is not a top defensive centerfielder. He would, however, be a top defensive leftfielder, which is important in Yankee Stadium.
Next season, or whenever he returns, I’d move Matsui to right. He doesn’t have the arm for right, but it’s more important to me that he no longer has the legs for left, which anyone watching Yankees games this season knew before he got hurt.
The downside to this scenario is trading Cabrera before you know what he is and not trading Cabrera for pitching help, which the Yankees may need more than a centerfielder.
What do you think?

Quick alert for all the Kevin Thompson fans out there (I know at least two of you personally): Kevin is starting in rightfield on Saturday against the A’s. It might be his next-to-last day in pinstripes as Bubba Crosby could rejoin the team after Sunday’s game. So enjoy KT while you can.
UPDATE: KT had quite a day. He hit his first major-league home run, a solo shot to left, in the fifth off Kirk Saarloos. The Yankees were able to retrieve the ball for him and Thompson couldn’t hide his smile even though the Yankees lost, 5-2.
“It was like a surreal experience,” Thompson said. “It felt great.”

Finally, some positive injury news. Derek Jeter is back.

Well, not totally. He's the designated hitter tonight, and the Yankees don't know when he's going to be able to return to shortstop. His right thumb hurts too much for him to squeeze the ball when he throws it, but it doesn't bother him swinging a bat, so the Yankees couldn't wait any longer.

At a time when players are dropping seemingly by the game, the Yankees will gladly take Jeter, even if it's just as the DH for a couple of days.

Separately, I've received a couple of emails about impending roster decisions.

-- Shawn Chacon comes off the disabled list to start Sunday, and Matt Smith figures to be the pitcher sent down because he has options. But sooner or later we're going to see the end of the line for Scott Erickson and Aaron Small if they don't pick it up.

-- Bubba Crosby could come off the disabled list as soon as Sunday, and you would think Kevin Thompson would go down. While that could be the case, if Derek Jeter is back at shortstop by then, maybe Nick Green goes down.

Your thoughts?

If what has been reported about Jason Grimsley’s use of performance-enhancing drugs is accurate – and there’s no reason to think it’s not – then that means two members of the Yankees’ 1996-2000 dynasty were at some point in their careers juicers. Two that we know of.
Now, Jose Canseco spent so little time with the Yankees at the end of the 2000 season that he hardly qualifies. But Grimsley was an important part of the 1999 and 2000 bullpens, winning 10 games combined and pitching nearly 175 innings.
The questions I have aren’t about those two, but about who else was using then. I’m not going to speculate on any particular players – and I ask you to avoid that temptation if you choose to respond to this blog – but we are free to think anything we want about any player we want.
When all is said and done, do you think Canseco and Grimsley will be the only 1996-2000 Yankees linked to the steroid scandal? As a Yankees fan, would you even want to know if other Yankees from those teams used steroids?

Are you buying Brian Cashman's assertion that his primary focus on the trade front is pitching, even after the latest news about Gary Sheffield's surgery that will keep the slugging rightfielder out unit September? I can't help but be skeptical.
No Matsui and no Sheffield means no depth in the lineup, as far as genuine power is concerned. Yes, Melky Cabrera has been a revelation and, yes, Bernie Williams has done a decent job. But can they keep it up? Joe Torre joined Cashman Thursday in saying that pitching remains the primary concern and that the lineup is productive enough. Maybe.
It's true that the pitching staff has its own fragility to deal with, be it age or injuries. But unless we're talking Dontrelle Willis, what worthy pitchers are out there? So don't be surprised if Cashman finds a way to turn minor-league prospects into a veteran outfield replacement. And wouldn't old friend Alfonso Soriano fit in nicely?

The heavy rain that has been constant all day banged tonight's game, or, in other words, postponed it. That's the terminology baseball players use when it's raining. You hear "Game banged?" a hundred times before the official word comes down.

The player who was rooting for the rainout tonight the most had to be Derek Jeter, who wasn't going to play again because of his sprained right thumb. Torre said it's possible Jeter returns tomorrow night, but this weekend seems more likely.

Everyone who watches the Yankees regularly has known for about two or three weeks now that 21-year-old Melky Cabrera is a fine player capable of playing in the big leagues right now, and he announced it to the baseball world tonight.

There's few stages in baseball as big and intimidating as Yankees-Red Sox (even in the regular season) and Cabrera learned about that last season at Fenway with that forgettable liner by Trot Nixon that he played into an inside-the-park home run. And tonight was fitting retribution or him, if you will. Cabrera saved the game for the Yankees when he stole a Manny Ramirez home run to end the eighth inning.

It's crazy to think, given their roster of multi-millionaires, All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers, but where would the Yankees be without Melky Cabrera right now?

And how's this for a side note: I know it's only June 6 and this decision is for another day down the line, but... With Gary Sheffield's potentially season-ending injury, you got to figure the Yankees won't pick up his option. Perhaps now it's easier for them to let Sheffield's production walk because of what Cabrera has showed them.