On the Yankees beat

Keep all three of them in some capacity.

Tell them to play nice.

Hire Mazzone

Make Guidry the roaming coach.

Leave Eiland in the minors with the kids for one more year, or bring him up next year mid season with Horne, Sanchez, Carpenter and whomever else is on the way. There are so many names who can count them.

We need a very good staff of coaches. With all the money, egos aside, there is room for Pena, Mattingly and Girardi. I hope all three will start the season with the team.

Funny stuff.

Hankie on BC's job security, denying it's in jeopardy:

"So his job wouldn't be on the line if I tend to agree with him."

LOL

Big if. Nomsayin...

HAH

Nomsayin...

;-)

God all of this manager talk and speculation is almost as exciting as being 2-0 up in a World Series!!!!!

just so you know you're not missing out on anything!

What a great winter it's going to be to celebrate the 2007 World Chamionship!

What are you going to do to pass the time?

Deiscuss amoungst yourselves. I have to go prepare for the sweep!

Sox in 4. I'll be back Monday morning to rub it in!

Go Rudy Go!

How many times have we seen a Mgr. get a "vote of confidence", only to be "fired" days later. The Yanks stuck with Torre till his contract expired. The "bottom line" philosophy of H\H dictates the same future for Cashman.

Here is one possible scenario that might be able to be worked out with the egos involved. Girardi as manager, Mattingly remains bench coach to develop more under a different manager, and bump Pena up to 3B coach with a respectable raise. Just one fans scenario.

If things go bad, it's much easier to fire Girardi then and move Mattingly up at that point. I don't want to see Donnie get fired.

Not much of a vote of confidence. Don't make Donnie manager so you won't have to cry over his firing?

NSH

Not at all what I was saying. Just thought I'd offer a scenario where all 3 could remain with the Yanks.

Personally, I think Mattingly is the wrong choice. Either of the other 2 would be better.

I can't think of any other way that Donnie gets fired. If they don't offer him manager they'll offer him some other face-saving option. Doubt anyone wants another fire-storm over another NYY legend this month.

Kat,
Way to stick it out! Have a good flight back and we look forward to more updates.
If you think we can dissect a decision between two managerial candidates to death, wait 'til "hot stove" season starts...oy!

I hope Terrorist aka Boston Fans terrorized Prudential Building in Boston like they did World Trade Center....

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20071025/capt.b50adacf6b8c4533b840c826752fb174.world_series_rockies_red_sox_baseball_bxf108.jpg

Oh man, this a*hole is back again.

Red Sox Sabotaging Rockies Ticket Sales?

FBI probing online 'attack' on Rockies
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) - The FBI opened an investigation after the Colorado Rockies claimed an "external, malicious attack" on computers halted the team's first attempt to sell World Series tickets.

Computer servers handling the online-only sale were overwhelmed by 8.5 million hits in the first 90 minutes Monday, crashing the system and forcing the Rockies to suspend sales. On Tuesday, fans snapped up more than 50,000 tickets in 2 1/2 hours.

"We are going to be opening up a case looking into the possible compromise of the Web server in Irvine, (Calif.)" said Laura Eimiller, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Los Angeles.

The Irvine Web servers are operated by Paciolan Inc., which handled the ticket sale.

Bob Bowman, CEO of MLB.com, Major League Baseball's Internet wing, has said the system had been overloaded by powerful computers programmed to constantly generate five-digit codes meant to prove that an actual human is trying to buy tickets.

Bowman said those computers were blocked from buying tickets but their attempts to connect weren't discarded, and it clogged the system.

After reading that article posted here by Kat, it definitely sounds like it's Girardi. There were a few hints. I'll point them out after I walk my dog.

Reall hoping it's Girardi!

Let Mattingly manage Scranton for the time being.

Can you do it again next year?

They asked this on TV to MJ after he hit The Shot. Like seconds afterward. I saw it!

Like King Solomon so long ago said, "It is like striving after the wind."

If we put our hopes in Rick Ankiel, or the Sox or the Yanks or any flesh we will eventually be let down.

We true Yankee and Mets fns won't be sad when the Red Sox win.

Good for them.

Maybe we will win next year. In 2000 we had the whole MLB to ourselves. That must be enough. Both the Red Sox and the White Sox broke their curses and you know what? There are NO curses. See the movie Friday Night Lights. There is light and dark and good and bad. We can live in power, love and sound mind or live in defeat and superstition. Period. Moses, Noah, Daniel, Paul, they all knew this.

Why lament the Red Sox victory. Do we want to look and dress like them? No. And now we have the young core that is top notch, sorry to compare ...

There is so much about the way the Sox run things and act that is horrible to behold so as to be envious of them.

But good for the Red Sox winning now and good for Colorado too.

Enjoy ... this is life ... drink it up and disregard those bitter people who know neither the joy of victory nor the sting of defeat. The men too timid to ever step in the ring.

Happy for you Sully if it makes you happy.

But if people look to the Sox WS win as their reason for happiness, the following morning after they win will be the darkest hour of their lives.

It's just a game. A children's game adults now play far worse in so many ways than children.

And as an aside, good job this year Johnette Howard and Kat. You showed what you are made of. You can be proud but you don't need me to say that.

Somebody please tell ant colony to save his sermons for Sunday. I watch this blog a lo and nothing kills a good discussion like another splatter of garbage from that moron.
Please go away colony, nobody wants you on this blog and they try to tell you that all the time but you do not listen, you are to busy patting yourself on the back for some reason or other

What does Mattingly do if he doesn’t get the job? Won’t it be awkward to be a bench coach after begging for the managers job? Can’t really make him manager for a farm team. What do you think?

True, there's usually a dead silence for a while after one of Anthony's interruptions, but you've broken it this time so lets get to other things.

LOM:

I can't find you, I've checked back for days and days but the stuff in the blue column falls there in no particular order, regrettably, so there's no way to identify what thread you popped up on, but --

Yes, of course NYY fans care about BoSox, just as much as they do about Baltimore, maybe not as much as they do about the f**king Angels who own our a$$, but don't feel completely insignificant, we know who you are and the whole Stadium-shaking thing is kind of fun, but after all we nearly always have a winning year against you so no reason for us to obsess. Like you do about us. Maybe it's just karma, who knows why we top you and Angels kill us. Take a deep breath and don't let it spoil your pleasure in your team's current run!

If Mattingly doesn't get the job, he's going home.

If Girardi doesn't get the job, he'll manage somewhere else.

No way both of these guys are going to be with the team.

The odds of me getting it on with Jessica Alba tonight are better than Mattingly managing the Scranton team next season.

Of course we wish we were in the World Series and we will always talk about the teams that are in it...we always talk about the teams we are playing...we talk about teams we are chasing. We care more about the AL than the NL and we care more about our division because that's what we are always fighting for. But we have no reason to hate or be obsessed with the Red Sox more than Baltimore or Toronto. If Red Sox were out of it, there name wouldn't come up at all. We talk about the Red Sox mostly because their insane fans keep coming here with nasty comments begging to be noticed. We are responding to those posts, that's all.

Donnie Boy left the farm to be the favored son. No way he's going to get into the scramble with a bunch of nobodies managing in the minors.

Ant, I am rooting for the Red Sox because I am doing evil's bidding.

If the Yankees were winning with wild hairstyles, baggy pants and cocky attitudes you would f---ing love them and you know it.

We root for winners... you guys root for winners.

Are there any two teams more different than the Bronx Zoo Yankees and the Torre Yankees?

But you guys rooted and loved both, right?

I implore you Ant to separate Church and Sports

Agreed, Sully.

We need to keep religion and politics far away from this forum.

I got Viper agreeing with me, Mike From Jersey saying I'm alright and Ant including me in his sermon...

It's been quite a day

And your team didn't even play ... ;-)

I do not think Mattingly has come this far and gotten this close to being a manager to pack it in and go home if he doesn't get this job.
If he is not "the chosen one" then he knows he will have to bide his time somewhere and the logical places would be as a major league coach or a minor league manager and I think he will do what he needs to do to to get the big job someday.

The Yanks could easily do for Mattingly what they did for Randolph and that is they could hire a new manager, in this case Girardi, and tell him he can pick his own coaches for the most part but he has to keep Mattingly.

The part of the idea above that I don't like is that Girardi should probably have an experienced guy like Pena or even Bowa as a bench coach and besides being a hitting coach, I don't really see a fit for Mattingly on the staff if he's not the bench or hitting coach.

Face it he was placed in the bench coach seat as a trainee not to help the manager. If he's not the new manager he's taking a slot that could go to someone that the new guy actually needs as bench coach.

I get that. That's why I threw the minor league managing stint out there. Mainly I'm saying I don't think he decided to come back to NY just to walk away because he didn't get the job at this time.

I think NSH is right, if they don't give him the job they'll come up with some other offer he can take to save face and to keep the public from going nuts again like they did over Torre.

But where can they put him if not managing in the minors? And I agree he probably won't take that.

But I'm off to the next thing, I'll check in tomorrow to see brilliant solutions.

Let's also keep in mind the Mattingly Jinx Factor.

Don Mattingly has way too much bad karma around him. He and currently Mike Mussina are the two most cursed players in baseball memory. It's not a coincidence the Yanks won championsips after Mattingly retired and were in one before Mattingly started playing, or the Yanks haven't been to a Series since Mattingly became a coach.

There's a great chance if the Yanks hire Matingly as mananger, the Yanks will be an under-.500 team!

Girardi, on the other hand, has great karma and is a winner. Hire him. Give Mattingly a job in the front office, bench coach, manage in the minors, or gome home options.

Poor Anonymous ...

Would you follow him into battle, a horse w no name?

We all know ... never.

ACL,

Ever notice those who hide behind all the anonymous' out there are always the first to have a personal attack on another contributor while they are hiding like little chickens in the tall grass. Gutless little pansies named.....nothing!

Not enough intellect to even come up with an identity. That way they can haide behing all the other anonymous' and have their plausible deniability they need to avoid directly facing someone. Sad people indeed! The tyoe that always point to someone else in public when someone says..Who said that???? Generally the worst types around. I laugh at their attempts at driving other away. They couldn't carry on an intelleigent conversation for more than 3 posts without blurting out some stupid irrelevant personal attack because they aren't very smart...period.

So Nudge, Viper and Sully, two of the brightest people on this blog, as well as Grampa, PTRS and others have, quite correctly, nicely asked Anthony to knock off the religious/political stuff and you chose to attack 'anonymous' - is that because you don't want to 'get it on' with the likes of the guys I mentioned above because they know how to defend themselves? As many have pointed out before, anonymous or not, we can all hide behind aliases if we choose. Personally, as a blog reader ( but very infrequent poster),I enjoy the polite exchanges between folks whose identies remain the same. But right now, that's not the point. And the point is not irrelevant. The point is that many have asked Ant to 'cut it out' and he persists in throwing in his little political/religious barbs - which is too bad, because he's got some good baseball knowledge, and when he's not going around the bend with his silliness, he makes some interesting comments (well, OK, when he's also not glorifying himself with the articles he's written, the degrees that he holds, the beautiful women the dates, etc., etc.)

As for not declaring an identity, Nudge, what makes you so different in that you never declare a favorite team? Essentially, you're just acting as an attack dog on Yankee fans while remaining immune to attack yourself - because you don't expose yourself to those attacks by naming your own favorite team (if you have one, that is.)Sully comes here and owns up as a Bosox fan (and a very intelligent one at that) and everyone can have a good exchange with him. What's your reason for not declaring a team and how is being anonymous somehow less heroic than you?

I don't say all this to get into a verbal battle with you, Nudge, because I freely admit that I don't have the requisite 'smarts' to do so, but I've also noticed that you ignore the more literate debaters and only take on those you feel you can easily bully.

Basically, everyone just wants to talk baseball - Yankee baseball. You and any other dissenter, nutcase or just plain people can come on here and say whatever you like. No one can drive you away but those who disagree can certainly express their wishes that you weren't here. Frankly, Nudge, I can't recall a single positive comment that you've ever made about the Yankees (apologies if I'm wrong - perhaps you've made one somewhere along the line that I've missed.) As already mentioned, you also don't give away your own baseball affiliation and expose your own team to criticism. So, the inevitable question is, why are you here?

I don't believe in jinxes. And Donnie has always been a hard worker. But he is also a quiet, let your bat do talking type of leader and that does not mesh well with what is required to be an all around good manager. Also, great players rarely make good managers. I like Girardi because as a former catcher, knows pitching, has successful major league experience, knows how to work with kids, and has been around Yankeeland long enough that he will protect the veterans from the press and a meddling owner if need be. And forget Mazzone. Bring in Dave Eiland to keep working with Joba, Hughes, and Kennedy plus the other young arms he has done so well with. Most importantly, KEEP POSADA and RIVERA.

I also think the jinx argument is beyond ridiculous.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the Yankee pitching hasn't been up to par during Mattingly's playing days as well as the rapid decline of the starting rotation after the 2003 season since he's been a coach.

Mazzone would be a good fit for this team and I think he and Eiland can co-exist on this team.

I don't believe Joe Kerrigan will be back anyways so Eiland can be the new bullpen coach.

I hate to be the first to say it but Hank actually sounds okay in Tyler Kepner's story today of his telephone interview with the guy yesterday.

Reason Why Redsox are in the World Series They spend alot money on winter of 2006 like Lugo, JD Drew,Dice-k, Okajima. Meanwhile The Yankees become cheap in spending 2006 offseason by trading Sheffield and Big Unit... Cashman and Co went after Igawa which basically stunk.

Money buys happiness for Red Sox

Denver - Much has been made this October of the "feel good" stories of lower-payroll clubs in Arizona, Colorado and Cleveland making the final four in major-league baseball's annual tournament, and rightfully so.

But barring a quick about-face by the Rockies in the World Series, the title will be claimed by the big, bad wolves of the post-season, the Boston Red Sox. With a $145 million payroll, not only are the Red Sox second to the out-of-control New York Yankees, they pay their players nearly three times as much as Colorado.

Exhibit A for Boston's purchasing power will take the mound in Game 3 tonight at Coors Field. The tab for signing Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka last winter was a cool $103.1 million.

That's correct. One hundred and three million dollars, plus some loose change.

To assure the opportunity of overpaying "Dice-K" in yearly salary, the Red Sox paid a posting fee of $51.1 million to his former club, the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball. Posting bids are sealed and Boston wasn't going to take a chance that another club would come in higher, so the Sox offered about twice the going rate.

Once they secured the rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka - the posting fee was refundable if an agreement wasn't reached - the Red Sox eventually struck a deal for $52 million over six years. Team management justified that immense expenditure on Japan's "national treasure" by noting that only his salary, and not the posting fee, was subject to baseball's luxury tax.

And, just like that, the Red Sox got a No. 3 pitcher to slot behind Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling in the rotation. That same winter, the Milwaukee Brewers spent $42 million over four years to get a No. 3 pitcher of their own, free agent Jeff Suppan.

Was Matsuzaka worth more than twice as much as Suppan? Matsuzaka went 15-12 with a 4.40 earned run average in 32 starts. Suppan went 12-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 34 starts.

For those scoring at home, that's three more victories in 2007 from Matsuzaka than the Brewers squeezed out of Suppan. In reality, Boston got much, much more, thanks to the added exposure and marketing opportunities, both in the United States and abroad, from signing the top pitcher out of Japan.

But the Red Sox are in the World Series, which dramatically increases a team's revenue stream, so they're not about to fret over the mere $100 million it took to acquire Matsuzaka.

"As I said after I signed with the Red Sox, I wanted to play my small part in getting us to the championship," said Matsuzaka, who rebounded from two poor post-season starts to win Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, completing Boston's three-game comeback.

"If others could think that I played my small part to get us here, then I would be very satisfied and grateful."

One can only imagine the pressure that Matsuzaka has felt to succeed with the Red Sox, a tradition-steeped baseball team considered community property throughout New England. Beyond the intense scrutiny of the expansive local media, Matsuzaka has a horde of Japanese reporters chronicling his every move, from what he had for lunch to the reasons behind the 3-2 pitch he made with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.

"I think what's made it easier for us is the way he has handled it," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "It hasn't seemed to throw him off his game. In Boston, there's a lot of attention anyway, so it's really not that big a deal."

Attention aside, the handsomely paid Matsuzaka and his handsomely paid teammates are two victories away from claiming their second World Series in four years. Francona acknowledged the "very healthy payroll" that makes his job easier.

"But to not ever step back and rebuild, that also puts some people at a disadvantage in our front office, and I think they do a great job of getting around that and giving us a chance every year," Francona added.

You could probably find a couple dozen other front offices that would love the challenge of that "disadvantage."

This site really needs registration.

There are too many people who hide behind Anon posts and other various monikers and simply post garbage for the sake of p!ssing off others.

Weeding out as many idiots as possible is always a good thing in this kind of forum.

Please, Kat. We NEED registration!

Yanks61,
Very nice post at 5:21 AM, as a frequent reader and poster on this site I can tell right away that someone has posted something that drives people away like politics or religion as the blog just goes silent for a while as regulars just go away for a while.
I know the easy answer is to just skip over certain posts, but when people post religious or political items, it tends to bring out the nutcases and this blog loses any momentum it had going that day.
I'm no "blog cop" so I cannot tell people what to post but I would hope that one would respect the fact that this is called "on the Yankees beat" and is intended for Yankee fans to discuss the Yankees.

Anonymous is basically all of us isn't it? I mean, the only one on this blog who knows me is Rick (aka BBB Champ). Although I'd like to get to know more of you.
I mean our friend Nudge blasted the anonymous who went on a "Ant Rant" yet I'm pretty sure his mom didn't name him "Nudge".
I agree with Viper though, registration would be nice.

I think you know what I mean, Jim.

Not asking for all of us to give our birth names. But registration would force us to pick ONE moniker and stick with it.

It would also cut down on spammers who post a lot of garbage through the night.

Jim A.

Thanks for your support. You're also one of the 'good guys' who stick to baseball and add a whole lot to this forum, which is my daily escape from everyday pressures! Viper, you and others are absolutely right; with registration the folks who are just out to annoy rather than contribute to a sane discussion will just go away. I'd be more than happy to register even though I'm usually only hear to enjoy the commenary (usually as good or better as the pro journalists!)

Yanks61, Viper, Jim A. you represent the voice of sanity today, I won't go on to list the guys and gals who do the same other times but together that's our meat and potatoes.

Then we have our loony folks, and let me just say about that -- we want to think a minute before we decide whether they're poison in the meal or they're that crazy-hot spice that you like a tiny bit of but ruins your digestion if you take in too much.

Destroy The Prudential Building in Boston kinda like Terrorists aka Boston Fans terrorize World Trade Center and killing alot of innocent lives. Terrorists aka Redsox Fans are so happy right now that Yankees mystique and karma went to Boston Sports team...

"daily escape from everyday pressures! "

That's exactly what it is for me as well - although I visit far more often than daily.

The media continues to "get it wrong" concerning the Yanks. After losing to Detroit a year ago, Torre was "gone". Just a week ago they were all reporting that Torre was flying to Tampa to sign a new contract. Early this week, Mattingly was the Steins choice, and just days later they are reporting Girardi has moved ahead of Mattingly. I realize they gotta sell their "fish wrap", but the regulars on this Blog do a far better job of predicting waht's gonna "come down" than these so called journalists. If Girardi becomes the next Yankee Mgr., it will be Hank putting his stamp on the Yanks. It will become obvious at the Winter Meetings if Hank is gonna take this team by the reins, and emulate his father. He currently is learning while stumbling along, ala Luke Skywalker.

Yanks fans are not alone in despising the showboating ways of the RS. SI gives the '07 Sox first place in its list of 16 teams from all sports over the years who stink (or stank) the most for unsportsmanlike conduct. Here's part of their commentary:

"Manny Ramirez has dropped all pretense of hustling out of the box, choosing instead to admire his home runs from home plate -- even when they hit the top of the wall and bounce back (see: ALCS Game 5). Now the diminutive Dustin Pedroia has gotten into the act, flipping his bat Bret Boone-style after belting a home run in Game 7 of the ALCS. Then there are the wild celebrations and wacky dances (see: Jonathan Papelbon)."

One Yanks team of yore hits the list at #10 -- the 'Bronx Zoo' team.

Grampa, it's a great point that you make; in controlled doses the loonies can be great fun, but the occasional visitors who just turn up to taunt are really pathetic losers.

I usually take a half hour on my lunch break to tune in and enjoy the many interesting comments, predications, late breaking information from the evening before(because this is while most of you guys and gals are still asleep) and then come back, intermittently, whenever I can take a few minutes from work.

So while we're waiting for the real fireworks to begin with results of the horse race between Donnie & Joe (I'm for Joe, but would be quite happy with Don), the Arod drama, the free agent signings, the trades etc., do we have a moment for a brief walk down memory lane?

I grew up in the NY area in the fifties, rooting for the Yanks AND the Giants (though of course for the Yanks in the Mayor's Trophy game)and my favorite year was obviously 61. I think I heard or watched nearly every single game and went to many. The 61 WS victory was sweeter than any before that (except 56 - that was beautiful too, but in a far different way) because of the bitter loss to the Pirates in 60. The Yankees so dominated the Bucs that losing was like my first real taste of injustice in life (that's how lucky I was in my childhood!)60 was also the only year that I ever got seats at the WS - in the bleachers, in the Yanks 10 - 0 rout; Ford pitching a 4 hitter, Richardson's 1st inning Slam and Mick's tremendous blast into Death Valley. So coming back to win it all in 61 seemed definitely like baseball Nirvana!That was before 78 of course. Sully, our honored friend from Boston may not have been old enough to remember that year, but I'm sure that echoes of Bucky still haunt Harvard Yard and other sacred precincts of Boston.

You guys must have some favorite years and some favorite games. It would be fun to hear about them!

I grew upo in nearby CT in the fifties, and also went to lots of games and a couple of World Series games. We would buy box seta right on the field as walk-ups on game day!

The Yankees won the first 12 games I went to - many in extra innings because I always rooted for that wanting to see as much baseball as possible. Yogi almost always had the key hit - my hero, Mickey did very little while I watched - he walked four times in my very first game.

After the game we walked across the field to get to our car. Great days, great memories!

More Memories

I got into rock and roll because Alan Freed was on WINS (submarine watching) before the Yankees games. I used to listen under the covers so my parents wouldn't know when I was supposed to be asleep.

I ran all the way home from school to hear Don Larson's perfect game.

Dittos Roy. It is sounding as if Girardi is the choice, and I think it is the right one. We need a leader who is more active and driving. No more tea sipping and naps on the bench. Push these All-Stars to be what they can be, not a bunch of UNDERACHIEVERS.

And, I seriously don't think any of the FA guys will leave because of who the manager is and if they're COMFORTABLE with him. It's all about the MONEY! In reality, managers can come and go.

Let's use AR as an example. Suppose we let him pick the new manager. Then we sign him to a 7 year extension (total of 10 more years). What's he going to do if the Yanks fire the new manager after his first 2 years???? Is he going to void his contract??? No, he'll play for whoever the mangaer is because he gets paid $30 mil a year to play.

The Yanks should hire the right guy to manage the team and turn a deaf ear to all this posturing nonsense by the FA guys!

Viper

Hey, I actually agree with you on something...Registration.

That is why until recently, I have always used my real name. I believe everybody should man up and use your real names. Don't be a coward, stand behind what you say.

I have recently switched to the BBB Champ, but that is just to crow about my fanatsy league championship to many of the guys on here who were in the league. They all know who I really am. And, Jim A has actually met me in person and knows me even better.

I'm all for the registration. How about it Kat??

Which 'posturing nonsense by FA guys' was that, Rick?

I must have missed that.

Was I dozing?

Grandpa Joe

Yes, apparently you have dozed off again. You need to lay off the tea, and try some Red Bull!

Check the NY Post's 2nd story today by George King - A Rod's Decision May Hinge on New Manager.

If these prima dona players want to start picking the managers too, then maybe they should buy a team. Personally, I've heard enough of this crap from these guys.

Yep, Rick, I read George King early this morning and quickly realized he had no source and was up to his usual baseless speculating. If King is the foundation for your tizzy, you can relax.

Too much Red Bull, my fellow geezer.

Try some tea.

Or at least take a deep breath before you let the likes of George King form your opinions. You're giving geezer a bad name.

Another excerpt from the 1st NY Post George King story today...

"Girardi's straightforward approach that is liked by Yankees brass also could be holding up the decision, because there are concerns how Girardi will be received by Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi, as well as by Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera, if they stay."

Again, it doesn't matter what they think. The team needs to hire the best guy for the task at hand!

Course if you want to complain about posturing nonsense from lazy tabloid reporters, I'll be right there with you.

They won't get you all in a tizzy if you read them close.

George uses a lot of language like 'some people have said', and 'there are concerns'.

He means his father-in-law said and his barber has concerns, Rick.

People who have actual sources don't always name them but they do give the general realm from which they came.

Just a hint to save your blood pressure.

Yahoo! Sports, on its Rumor link ... asks if the Red Sox will become the New Yankees, hated by everyone bla bla bla. ...

There are 151 comments if anyone wants to look at it.

I was thinking ...

The Red Sox got Beckett.

We got Pavano.

The Red Sox got Okajima.

We got Igawa.

The Red Sox got Mick-K.

We got Irabu.

And so ... there you are ... that's the difference right there. As Viper said, we don't have the pitching. With the new kids maybe we will?

Also I saw Jesse Litsch of the Blue Jays on TV the other day. He is from Tampa. He said they will have a good team next year. He was very humble and almost shy, not bragging and he seemed to be very positive about his team.

Marcum, AJ, McGowan, Jesse ... that is a good rotation ...

But I can't see the Blue Jays overtaking the Yanks or the Sox.

If only we could get Kazmir or Johan ... then we would be the favorites.

Imagine what Omar M would have given to have Kazmir on the mound instead of Glavine in that last game of the season.

Los Mets really shot themselves in the foot there.

Buy Kazmir, bribe Tampa Bay ... what's the problem? Steinbrenner is already in Tampa. Just walk over to Tropicana Field, say hello to Anita Bryant and give Tampa what they want for Scotty.

Then we will be the favorites.

We need more lefties. And lefties in the pen to face Ortiz and other such hitters on Cleveland.

Also, several people reported last week that Boras had said they would be interested in knowing who the next manager was going to be before sitting down to discuss AR's contract. It's funny how some on here seem to be able to see the reality of what's going on with the team and others just don't get it. Oh well, time will reveal it all.

Hey Rick (alias BBB Champ), I was wondering where you had disappeared to?! By the way, does anyone know where the heck Ruse went? HYD and Ruse are like baseball encylopedia.

Jon K, thanks for sharing the memories. Wasn't it great walking across the field at games' end?!

Funny the little things that stick out as well. I vividly remember a Dodger/Phillies night game at Roosevelt Field in Jersey City, getting out of the game late and seeing the sports' headline on the back of the Daily News announcing the Yanks' trade for Sal Maglie. "The Barber" was a favorite of mine on the Giants (but came to the Yanks from Cleveland) and I was just excited as all hell. Little things like that make baseball memories really magical.

Rick, I'm going to quit trying to help you out now that you reveal that Boras is your reliable source!

LOL!!!

I mean there's just so far I can go for geezer solidarity...

yanks61

I am here as always. Just switched to the BBB CHAMP monicker to crow a little to my fellow league owners on here. I too miss ruse,ca and some others like atticas. I remember a year ago when this blog was in it's infancy and we had our "initial group of regulars". Many differing opinions, but all Yankee related and lots of stimulating conversations.

Nowadays, you never even know what the topic might be and many times, it's not even Yankee related. And lots of posts from people named anonymous, etc. I miss the early days.

Ok Grandpa, I gotta go hang my deer stand so I'll be signing off.

We should ALWAYS take George King's word with a grain of salt. He is wrong far more often than any sports writer in the business. Frankly, I'm shocked when he's right.

That said, the players' opinions should matter at times in regards to picking a new manager. The Yanks don't want to tear this team apart or alienate players with a $200M payroll and that could happen if some of these guys don't approve of the new manager. This is one of the big reasons why Mattingly may have the edge.

Hiring a new manager that is some kind of hardass and confrontational is not really what this team needs at this point. I don’t buy the argument that this team needs a kick in the pants or extra motivation when they've gone to the postseason each of the last 13 years. It’s far tougher to be motivated for 162 regular season games than it is in October for the ALDS, ALCS, and World Series and on the biggest stage.

Once they get into the postseason, it's not like these guys don't care. It's just that they don't have the starting pitching to win those last 11 games against the best teams.

The pitching staff is getting younger, but this team is still chock full of veterans in regards to position players. If they continue the youth movement and stack the rotation with young arms that can eat innings, a run of postseason success will follow. If you don’t address or fix the root of the problem (starting pitching), a new managerial style isn’t really going to change a damn thing.

This team won more World Series and appeared in more postseasons with a laid back manager (Joe Torre) than they did with the hard guys combined (Billy Martin, Lou Piniella, and Buck Showalter). Martin’s conflicts with the owner and some of his star players got old really fast and became a distraction.

I also think it’s premature to label Mattingly as Joe Torre II when he has never been the man in charge. Having a laid back personality doesn’t mean he would be a pushover as manager.

Girardi was not the tough guy that we all view him now under Torre because he didn’t gain that reputation until he got his own gig with the Marlins. Who are we to say Mattingly won’t have a little fire in his belly as well if he becomes the man in charge?

That hard guy stuff may work with a team full of young kids, but this is still very much a veteran ballclub and those tactics sometimes tend to do more harm than good.

Viper, I suspect that Girardi did not channel his hard-ass self when he was NYY bench coach because like you he knew these players were already motivated. He drew on that hard-ass persona when he was faced with a disorganized troup of rookies led by a slothful star (Cabrera) in Florida, where it proved helpful in getting a lot more wins out of them than even the most optimistic hoped for.

Girardi obviously uses some judgment about when that approach is needed, and when it is not.

A good sign. No matter where he manages in the near future.

Girardi was also not the man in charge with the Yankees under Torre.

Coaches don't step on their manager's toes like that.

Of course he would not have contradicted his boss, Viper, but coaches are also not clones and often they contribute by providing something that the manager does not. Zim as bench coach for example was much more fiery than Joe.

Applying the wisdom of Solomon would have the Yankees select Tony Pena. If we're talking about ex-MOY as a quality then he gets the edge over JoeG because he did in the AL.

If anyone has paid attention over the years, the NYY have never won while Mattingly is affiliated with the team--not as player, not as captain, not as coach. Does he have to become a manager to dispel that history. The Yankees need a former catcher to run the team because they are the first to see and know when a pitcher does not have it and to sit him down. We all know that pitching wins in baseball. That catcher who will have the best realtionship with Jorge is Tony Pena. Just bloggin' here.

YFLL