On the Yankees beat

30 million a year till he turns 40

I agree with Larry M on AR. Yeah, it would be nice to have him back, but we haven't won anything with him here and we did win with guys named Brosius and Hayes. Just goes to show that he isn't a guarantee of anything. Make him a decent offer and if he walks away, oh well!

I say no more than a 5 year extension (that takes him to 40) and do not break the $30 mil per year barrier. That's what Boras wants to do. I say draw a line in the sand and stick to it.

IMO Girardi is the right choice and the one the Yanks want too. Their problem is what to do with Mattingly? I said to have him further tune his skills as the bench coach under a 2nd manager with the understanding that he is next in line. Or, if Donnie can't check his ego to work under Girardi, then he could go manage at AAA for awhile (to get the experience of managing). Then there would be a track record of his player moves and game decisions, etc.

However, many reporters don't see him coming back if he doesn't get the managers spot. Again, I say oh well! This isn't a popularity contest. It's about getting the right person(ality) for the job at hand. If Donnie goes home, then make Pena the bench coach. It should be about the TEAM, not the individual egos. They all COULD work for the common good of the team, if they just check their egos.

Many All-Star caliber players on this team have had to check their egos - Giambi, Damon, Mussina, Matsui, etc. and accept lesser roles for the good of the team. Why can't Mattingly do the same??? His day will come.

I just saw something on ESPN that says Girardi will be named the manager within two days. Not that I believe everything I see on ESPN but I figured the choice would leak out before any official announcement.

On Mattingly: If Girardi is named the manager, I honestly would not expect Mattingly to stick around for the good of both of them. Girardi doesn't need the papers interviewing Mattingly about his managerial decisions or speculating about the choice the Yanks made every time the Yanks hit a bump in the road. Mattingly doesn't need that stuff either and he's too classy for it. I'd like to see Donnie go to the minors leagues and manage for a few years if he doesn't get this job.

On A-Rod: This will be debated forever but the man is not a curse and his contract will not hurt the Yankees pay him they can afford so who cares what the contract amount is? You're keeping the premier player in baseball on your team and assuring that you do not have to worry about 3b for 7 years at least so now they build the rest of the club, starting with the pitching staff.
Anyone who thinks letting A-Rod go will improve the team is crazy.
I wasn't a huge fan of A-Rod's at one point because I thought he was egotistical to a fault and mentally weak but I watched him closely this year and I saw a lot of things I was impressed with, starting with the fact that he seemed to be an outstanding teammate, especially to the younger guys. I saw him talking to young pitchers during innings and trying to keep them calm (Captain Jeter did none of this), I saw him put his arm around Edwar Ramirez when Ramirez had just given up a grand slam after 3 walks in a row. I saw how hard he works to be the best he can be and he earned my respect. I still think he's prone to care too much what people think but we can't all be perfect.
I'll take the 50 homers and 145 RBI's for the next 7 years.

KAT-
Thanks for going the "extra mile" with the Sunday update, we all appreciate it.
I'm consistently chided about "Fantasy Baseball" on this Blog and how it's all "numbers" and has nothing to do with real Baseball. Yet it's these same people who support A-OPT, and consistently site his "numbers" as justification for keeping him on the Yanks. The only number that is important when considering whether the Yanks should keep A-OPT, is how many times have the Yanks appeared in the World Series during his 4 year tenure. Zero\Nada\None.

I'm really hoping it's going to be Girardi and it's looking like more and more signs are pointing that way.

It would be kind of awkward for Mattingly to stay on as bench coach, but if he wants to do it, then go ahead. I would ideall like Mattingly to get managerial experience at AAA, but he probably wouldn't want to do it. Perhaps Bowa as bench coach?

I think you guys are right about Mattingly not being here if Girardi is hired and I'm scared that that will play a huge part in little George's decision.

They wouldn't want to spurn a Yankees legend regardless of whether it's the right choice or not (I've wanted Girardi since April.)

As for A-Rod, I like what BBB Champ said. Make him a good offer, if he stays, great if he walks, oh well. Our dynasty teams had no one hitting more than 35 homeruns, we had chemistry and could do the basics.

I think that Cash knows this but is pressured to sign A-Rod because fiscally, he's such a great business move, especially with the new stadium coming. They're setting attendance records after being bounced in the first round year after year.

Hank Steinbrenner: At least the Yankees are better than the Red Sox in the marketing department

From Redsox Fan and Yankees Hater Jeff Loudebeck

[QUOTE]http://www.soxandpinstripes.com/sox_and_pinstripes/2007/10/some-sayings-ar.html#comments

Some sayings are just too appropriate to question, such as "the apple does not fall from the tree." I give you the maniacal tyrant George Steinbrenner, and his bumbling sons, Hank and Hal (also known as Harry and Lloyd; you will understand this comparison if you are a fan of the movie, Dumb and Dumber).

The elder Steinbrenner played a significant role in transforming Major League Baseball from a game into a business by signing free agents to excessive contracts, driving up the prices for other owners and leading to the inflated payrolls of today. Over the course of his ownership, Steinbrenner also kept a revolving door of managers, until finally settling down with Joe Torre, one of the few individuals who has worn pinstripes in recent years worthy of respect.

Now that the patriarch has ceded control of the Yankees to his sons, Harry and Lloyd (or Hank and Hal), the franchise is encountering more disarray than it has seen since the 1980s. If the early decisions and comments from Hank (who is more reminiscent of Harry than Lloyd) are an indication of this team's future, it will be a tumultuous, albeit amusing, period in Yankees history.

First, there was the Torre debacle, offering a less than flattering contract that was understandably rejected by Torre. If the Yankees were not interested in retaining Torre - and from the way the contract was composed, it was evident they definitely were not - they should have just told him they were parting ways instead of trying to initiate an ill-fated public relations move. Then, when he didn't like Torre's response to the contract offer, Hank Steinbrenner essentially said, "If it wasn't for my daddy, where would he (Torre) be?"

Hank Steinbrenner's latest gaffe happened just before Game One of the World Series when he was interviewed by esteemed New York Times writer Murray Chass. Among Steinbrenner's comments were:

“The Red Sox have become a popular team. If it wasn’t for the rivalry with us, they’d be just another team.

“They talk about Red Sox nation. We talk about Yankee universe. As bad as they want it, they’ll never be the Yankees with their brand.

“What would they be if they were in another division. They’d still be good, but there are other good teams in baseball. The bottom line is the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is the best thing baseball has going for it.”

It's an interesting time in Major League Baseball. The roles are reversed in the game's greatest rivalry. The Red Sox are primed to win their second World Series in four years, and are the model of stability with their ownership, their general manager and their field manager. Naysayers point to Boston's position as having the game's second highest payroll, but fail to recognize that the farm system is loaded and a growing number of key players are homegrown. The Yankees are enduring an ownership transition (even though it is within the family, it is still a major transition), a general manager who is given more credit than deserved (he should be tarred and feathered by Yankees universe for the rotation and bullpen he stuck Torre with), a managerial vacancy and the potential departure of key free agents like Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and possible free agent Alex Rodriguez. They have an array of promising young players as well, and they are also saddled with bad contracts of fragile veterans like Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi.

Hank Steinbrenner is right about two comments. The Sox-Yankees rivalry is great for baseball. And even though the Red Sox popularity is at an all-time high, the Yankees brand is still more recognizable around the world. That has little to do with the team itself, and more to do with New York City, which is highly visible worldwide on television and the big screen, where billions of people around the globe see characters wearing Yankees apparel, and naturally buy their own. Many of these people could not name a player on the Yankees roster or tell you how many World Series titles the team has won.

Hank's comment about the Yankees brand is interesting for another reason. The Yankees lack of post-season success in this decade is so prominent that his only defense is the Yankees are better in the marketing department. This stance is wise. All three Steinbrenners can point to the team's status as the most successful franchise in the history of professional sports. Yet, just as the 16 banners that hang from the Celtics arena, those 26 flags are entertaining reading in the history books, but they do little to help the team now. After all, the Yankees are now the American League version of the Atlanta Braves. Despite having the financial resources of playing in the nation's biggest city and enjoying the advantages of baseball's most expansive payroll, the Yankees have not played in a World Series since 2003 and have not won the Fall Classic since 2000.

Most franchises would be overjoyed with 13 straight post-season appearances and four World Series titles since 1996. The Yankees are not satisfied, nor should they be. When you have the game's highest payroll by a landslide year after year, that should allow you to assemble a World Series-caliber team - a true team, not a collection of players like the Yankees currently have.

Since John Henry bought the Red Sox in 2002, expectations have grown in Boston. The team has an ownership group that is willing to pay the money to sign key free agents and select and sign draft picks that few teams can afford. In today's landscape - when baseball teams are making more money than ever, and the playing field is more level because of revenue sharing - it is unrealistic to expect the Yankees, the Red Sox or any big market team to win the World Series every year. Yet it is realistic to expect a legitimate World Series contender in most seasons, and a team that makes noise in the post-season.

If the Red Sox win the World Series over Colorado, the last five seasons will include an ALCS Game 7 loss in 2003, a World Series title in 2004, a three-game exit in the 2005 ALDS, a third place American League East finish in 2006, and an American League East title and World Series crown in 2007. Would you rather have that as a fan, or the Yankees five-year record of a World Series loss to Florida in 2003, and ALCS Game 7 defeat against Boston in 2004 and three consecutive first round exits?

When told of Hank Steinbrenner's comments about Yankees universe, Henry had a laugh and said,
"As far as I'm concerned, they can have Mars and Pluto. We're going to settle for Red Sox Nation."

Yes, this is a grand time for Red Sox Nation. The Red Sox are poised for success, this season and for the long term. The Yankees will certainly not become the Orioles, but their short-term future is on shaky ground, especially if they lose Rivera and/or Posada, and start three young arms in the rotation next season. If the Sox win two more games and capture their second World Series title in four years, they will surpass the Yankees as the most formidable franchise in Major League Baseball. Who knows, maybe the Yankees will regroup and win another World Series in the near future. If so, this photo will accurately depict Hank and Hal Steinbrenner's celebration:
[/QUOTE]

Messenger,

Thank you for posting those mindless comments made by a jealous Yankee-hater. You remind us of just how great we are. The Red Sox may win the World Series yet the headlines are about the Yankees. I LOVE IT. GIVE US MORE, PLEASE.

Hank Steinbrenner's at it again this time against his Father

[QUOTE]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/sports/baseball/28chass.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&ref=baseball&oref=slogin

Hank Steinbrenner, who will be the team?s general partner with responsibility for baseball operations, said if he had been in charge 20 years ago, when he first and briefly became involved in the front office, the Yankees wouldn?t have so readily shed their young players.

?This is not a new concept for me,? Steinbrenner said, referring to the retention of young players. ?We had them for a long time, but they were traded away. I believed in keeping the young talent back then. After 1986, I wasn?t there for a while, and things changed.
?It?s been an up and down thing for a long time. We were supplying a lot of teams in baseball with young talent. Unfortunately, we didn?t keep them. We?re committed to keeping them now.[/QUOTE]

Yawn.....we need something to talk about.

Jim A

We can talk about how pathetic the NL is...

Can't even win a game at home?

Baseball needs to fix this ridiculous rule.

Both leagues must either have a DH or get rid of it.

It's absurd.

Or we can talk about Theo trading Elsbury and the rookie no-no pitcher for Santana?

That would work Phucker. Or we can talk about Roy's insane idea's that A-Rod is the reason the Yankees haven't won since he got here. (I interrupt this entry to say it's already 1-0 Red Sox, Colorado is toast) It couldn't be because the Yankees haven't pitched well or anything like that it's simply because A-Rod has some kind of voo-doo curse on him, which makes a lot more sense.
Roy-
The reason A-Rod's other teams didn't win was because they could only afford his salary and not much else but the Yankees can. I really think you need to pick another team to follow, go ahead and get your Red Sox nation card because you obviously will not be happy when the Yanks sign A-Rod to a long term extension.

Today is my 41st Bday and what do I get? The Patriots maul my beloved Redskins 52-7 and the Red Sox are going to win the World Series.
Um...I'm not pleased.

Could be worse Jim! I am a Bucs fan!!!

Happy B-day!

If the Red Sox are smart they will go for the kill and get Johan Santana. Why not? Beckett, Mice K, Santana are a great top three.

Bucholtz has come a long way from stealing those grammer school computers.

He could have been a wide receiver at Texas A&M ... he must be a tough kid ...

I don't know if I would trade him for anyone except either Kazmir or Johan. The Red Sox might go for Santana to keep him from the Yanks and vice versa.

BTW, James Shields had like 186 K's and 36 walks or something insane like that. He throws strike after strike that kid.

What about another team trying to get him? The stats look good.

E. Jackson is also a good pitcher in the making. Maybe the Mets or Duncan with the Cards can turn him around.

We have the payroll and the highest equity. Use it to bribe the loser teams and pick up a Kazmir if you can. Someone called him "Steve Carlton, only smaller."

I wouldn't go that far ...

But the Yanks are very flawed now ... no lefties in the pen, holes here and there ... a few good moves and they will be on top again. With no moves or the wrong moves, we will see another first round exit next year.

I wonder how Wang will bounce back after his playoff nightmares.

So many questions!

Jim A.,

Happy Birthday!

I celebrated it by doing 50 crunches and running a mile at the lake with Patricia.

I am sure your day was a lot more fun in spite of the terrible losses. You want to suffer? Try rooting for the Mets and the Jets.

From what I read in the New York Post the offer will be 5 years or so, and something between 25 and 30 million.

That sounds fair, right?

He can pile it on top of the other millions ...

How much more does a person need?

I hope he accepts the offer and stays. Why go to SF or LA?

Jim A

HAH

Tom Brady is ruining fantasy football league the guy who has him is undefeated.

Today his victim was...Yours truly.

Happy Birthday ;-)

PS..

PHUCKTHEREDSOX

Ant

One little mile?

That's only 7 mins of cardio...

Shame on you.

It's just a fact that nobody here cares about the game tonite except to want to get the WS over and get on to stuff that actually matters to us.

Then front office won't have to beg Bud to let them announce the new mgr on an off-day, the countdown on Alex will start, and they can get those two preliminaries out of the way and go on to the business of shaping the 08 team.

a five year deal is not going to keep A-Rod in pinstripes. He is looking for at least 8 years

He's not looking for 8 yrs now go find your son.

I believe he's doing a show called entourage.

Greiner, a five year extension with the Yanks is on top of the three years left on his current contract. It is the equivalent of an eight year deal with any other team.

Yeah!!

Nice work Grampa.

A possible offer:

30 million per for the five extra years.

Enough above the contracted rate for the three remaining years on his existing contract to bring the average for the eight years to more than 28 million (the prorated record Clemens set) but less than 30 million, so NYY can say they've never paid anyone 30 mil per, but Boras can salvage his pride by saying he got AR 30 mil per for the 5 year extension.

Everybody saves face.

The rest is just money, NYY prints it.

To Jim A: Happy B-Day, 41 boy that was a good year.

Franscesa today on WFAN brought up an interesting point. What happens if A-Rod's name ends up on George Mitchell"s list? What does that do to his bargininng power? If thats the case, Yankee fans better hope he is on the "list", if not there is no way that he does not opt out. Its all about the $$$$$

Jim A,

Happy Birthday Bro!

Just for some fun, Here's a Yankee lineup that I'd like to see:

Jeter SS
Giambi 1B
A-Rod 3B
Bonds DH
Hunter CF
Posada C
Matsui LF
Cano 2B
Melky RF

Screw Damon and Bunting Bobby.

Don't take me seriously guys. I'm only having some fun. The game is really boring and there's no football on tonight.

Jon Heyman from CNNSI is reporting right now that A-Rod will OPT OUT of his current contract.... I guess five years ain't going to get it done even if you add it to the three thas left. First Torre, then Donnie, now A-Rod.. BOO HOO BOO HOO BOO HOO

Anyone see the breaking news on si.com that A-Rod will opt out?

Oh well. Sctratch that lineup.

He's chasing the jack.

I know we give you Red Sox Trolls a hard time, but you've done it! You backed up your team all year long and now with Mike Lowell's home run (why can't we get players like that? Oh we had him and we let him go?....figures). You are well on your way to being the 2007 World Champs.

You probably will dominate the division and the league for the next few years to come.

Even with all the GREAT players we have. We just don't have the chemistry that Boston seems to be able to mix up year in and year out.

Just feels like 25 players, 25 cabs in the BIG Apple?

Oh well...Congrats to Boston.....you deserve it!

What a long cold winter it's going to be.........:(

I really hope the Yankees stick to their guns and tell Alex buh bye. I could understand if the Yankees weren't really to offer him a new contract close to what he's going to get on the FA market....but they are. Go enjoy playing somewhere that'll b*tch that they can't field a good team around him because they spent their load on him, ie: Texas Rangers. Since all teams like to cry poor and the big bad Yankees ruin Baseball by spending money to retain their key guys.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/specials/playoffs/2007/10/28/rodriguez.contract/index.html

Bye Bye A Rod. Good Luck!

Michael PTRS,

Believe it or not in high school I was a sprinter and won gold medals in the 200 m and 4 X 100 relay.

Now I am lucky to make a mile!

Even if I was chasing Bridgette Moynihan!

1 mile is it. That's all!

As Forrest Gump said, "And then my runnin' days were over!"

Sully,

Congrats to you on the Sox win and the other Sox fans ... a great win. Such heart. 04 vs. Yanks. This year vs. Indians.

Clearly this is a team with another gear. They remind me of the 1989 Detroit Pistons in a way, but I don't know why.

I can hardly keep my eyes open so I am going to bed.

I expect you will stay up and follow the game. I am happy you will be happy.

Very nice job by Aaron Cook ... after two blood clots in his lungs, the kid did so well ... very proud of him.

If we have our health we have everything, yes?

John G.

My lineup ... (yes I am writing it again. If anyone doesn't like it, go boil an egg or something equally fun)

Clemens, Moose, Giambi, Abreu, Damon and Igawa and Farns gone.

Eat the money. Sell more jerseys in Japan and Taiwan if you have to. Addition by subtraction. One third of the payroll is a total waste. Cashman should admit the mistakes from Pavano to Brown to Irabu to Giambi to Igawa and eat the money.

C ... Jorge, Bard, Piazza, Molina ... some combo depending on JP.

SP

Wang
Pettitte
Horne, Kazmir or Santana
Kennedy
Hughes

MRP (weakest link)

Joba
Gregg from Marlins
Bruney
Trade for Proctor again
Weenie
Beanie

Closer

Mo or Joba

1B Andy and Menky

2B Cano or Phillips on Cincy

SS DJ

3B A Rod or Cano

LF Ludwick

CF Colby Rasmus or Melky

RF Melky and Duncan

DH Matsui and Duncan

If we get Gregg and Kazmir we can win next year.

And lefties in the pen.

Again, Pavano, Igawa ... they are not Beckett and Mice K. That's the difference.

And Ludwick ropes. Not great stats but he ain't foolin' around up there and he ain't intimidated. The Cards have 7 good outfielders and need only 4. Why not? Ludwick was not the best hitter but certainly one to be feared and a person with great potential. Players come into their own. Look at Franklin on the Cards at 34 with his new pitch.

This is a time for bold moves.

Got to keep up with the Red Sox.

I HATE THIS BASTARD I HOPE HE GETS LOU GEHRIGS DISEASE SO BAD THEY RENAME IT "ALEX RODRIGUEZ DISEASE"

OOOOOOH IM PISSED OFF NOW!!

let's start with getting pitching, the hell with a- rod, aka (buminplayoffs)the way i look at it he owes us some money! got to keep jp, and weed out the guys who don't hustle,BA can't pitch MM or under pressure and let the yanks get grungy lookig and the hell with the pretty boy stuff, and kick some ASS!!!

I think this is actually a blessing in disguise.

I don't think signing him to a long term, extremely expensive contract is not a good idea.

For one thing, he might be one of the best sluggers of all time but you never know if this past year will be his best and everything from here on will be inferior.

If his performance does decline or revert to the numbers in 2006( being booed mercilously remember?) then you are stuck with a huge immovable contract with an aging superstar.

Look at the Giambi signing and look how big a mistake that was. We don't need a repeat of that again.

Let him go.

Send A-Rot an email message at:

http://arod.mlb.com/players/rodriguez_alex/email.jsp