On the Yankees beat

Dru

Your bright eyed optimism was sorely missed.

The cynicism/pessimism was beginning to take over in your absence.

Alas...You're back and waxing enthusiastic about Melky Cabrera.

Balance restored. ;-)

PS. Are you playing in the Fantasy league with us?

Thanks Mike ( blushing ).

Its the Ying and Yang thing.

I didnt realize you guys were doing a fantasy league...would love to join. Any spots left?

Waxing entusiastic about MELKY CABRERA??? Hahahahaha, I had forgotten about him Another major joke of a player. How I cant wait see to those balls dropping in between him and the left fielder as Melky stares blankly at whoever the guy is you stick over there. Melky Cabrera...thats right another one of the cherished B- players you couldn't afford to give up for the Leagues best pitcher. I guess I know how CAshman felt though. With Damon out there in left he will need someone to flip the ball to so that he call reach the infield with it.

A-Rod says he gets tested 9-10 times a year...oh I was only kidding....especially since the only people who get tested more than once are those under suspicion or who have failed a test...no no no he was only exagerating. Yeah like 9-10 is not much of a stretch from ONE, which is the amount a player gets tested. Nothing to worry about though. It's not like this team has a history of having juicers on the roster or anything.

I see Diane is real excited about the fact the team has to sit down its players and train them into what they should and shouldn't say. Fidel Castro, Marx, Lenin, Stalin and Hitler had the same programs. Yeah I think it is a plan that wqs developed by some guy names Herman Goebels or something. He had a word for it called propaganda. Good to know the Yanks have a few bucks left over after flushing 220M down the toilet on payroll to get some of the Scientology guys to work on their players mind control.

Great team your throwing out there. A couple of guys that couldn't decide if they wanted to play golf or play for the team....and most the rest the fans wish were playing golf instead of playing for the team. Cant wait to see that Hughes fever when he has a 5.20 ERA. Yes sir!

Oh say hey kid, you sound like me, Mr. Nudge, Mr. know it all, predicting doom and gloom for the Yanks and "waxing poetically".. You and I can wax other things , we are big dumbbells, I look forward to reading your idiotic posts. Love Mr. Nudge

Dear Alex,

Please shut your mouth.

Thanks,
Mac

The team will be ok. Why get so hysterical? We have listed all the flaws, mis steps, and on and off field problems many times.

It is what it is. Cashman has made some very very bad moves, scores of them. But as I said, many of us would have said to grab Kevin Brown or even Giambi. They seemed great at the time.

Maybe we'll make the playoffs.

A lot depends on AJ Burnett, Halladay, Marcum, McGowan, BJ Ryan, Jesse Listch and Jannsen on Toronto and then Scotty the K, Shields, Garza and others on Tampa Bay. If they are all healthy and Eckstein plays well, then Toronto will be tough this year. Tampa wants to play in October and they ain't talkin' about golf.

Our young pitchers will have their ups and downs but they could win 13 games each. Joba will stay in the pen till the All Star Break. We'll bring up Melancon and trade 4 decent kids like Horne and Carptenter and Smith to plug a pitching hole.

We'll need fundamentals and small ball skills, and Girardi will try to teach that.

For the 1000th time, with Josh Hamilton instead of Melky, with Eckstein, Gregg, Ludwick and perhaps Sowers or Cliff Lee, we'd be the best team in the league.

Right now the Angels, Detroit, Boston and Cleveland are all better than us. By how much I can't say. Toronto has the better starters. Guys like Jackson and Sonanstine on Tampa could improve, and James Shields is one of the better pitchers in all of MLB who we don't know about. 185K's and 30 odd walks. And 12 wins for a bad team.

There's not point in getting too high or too low right now.

It could be a fun season. Or, it could melt in a way with Damon, Godzilla, Giambi, Farns, Moose and Igawa under performing and or getting hurt as they always do.

We'll just role with it.

Final thought:

Why won't Congress hold hearings on ...

A. Depleted uranium seeding Iraq and Afghan. with radioactivity, causing our soldiers to get sick and also horrible birth defects in the native children?

B. All the Big Pharma meds contaminating our ground water?

Another dopey Yankee fan. Depleted Uranium is....DEPLETED. So no there is no harmful radioactivity. But what do I know.....I',m only a Nuclear Engineer. Not as smart as some bleeding heart Yankee fan.

Mac,

Alex knows baseball. He knows that when you cant reach simple ground balls in the infield anymore people will start questioning why your are playing SS. Then after two of your best years your hitting is off and people start saying...is Jeter done....we should move him to the outfield to replace that .240 hitting, no catch making bum we have in centerfield Melky Cabrera. Then Alex will ease into SS and look grand because he was backing the Captain even when the Captain never backed him.

Se Diane...no media propaganda class and he ran circles around your Herman Goebels, L Ron Hubbard morons you have in your front office. MPTRS thinks Alex has a 8th grade education....maybe so but he appears smarter than the rest of the organization.

WOW..Ant Colony and Say Hey, two peas in a pod, nobody kills a thread faster. I really wonder what team Say Hey roots for. Sox?? hmm...Mets?? Maybe.

I cant imagine going to another teams site and making ridiculous rants. On the other hand, jealousy is a powerful emotion. It has to be jealousy since I can bet Say Hey doesn’t go to Tampa, Toronto, Detroit, Philly…well any other team’s site except for the Yanks. I read you loud and clear Say Hey, its OK buddy, your team ( whatever it is ) doesn’t need to feel like 2nd class citizens anymore.

The funny part...as soon as the yanks do well...he will be nowhere to be found. Just like the Boston Anon after the Pats lost. What brave souls!

Wow Say Hey, I am impressed with your ranting and raving. I really like you. Typical smarty pants , know it all, and a crooked engineer type, probably lives at home with mommy. You can be my best bud on this blog, and call me Nudgey. Do you read encyclopedias like I do? You're angry dude, and so cool . Love Nudgey.

Dammit A-Rod! How dare you say these things:

"If I had a daughter, I'd want her to marry a guy like Andy (Pettitte)".

"I think Derek (Jeter) will have an MVP season"

Doesn't this guy know when to shut up? Now he has gone and put pressure on the captain and broken up Andy P's marriage because the current Mrs. P thinks he is cheating on her.

I'm with the rest of you, TRADE THIS GUY RIGHT NOW! He is a team killer.

I just wanted to see what it was like to be one of "those" type of fans for a bit.

Wow....I just realized how big of a fanny bandit I am. I mean seriously, I really serve no purpose in life or on this blog.

Maybe i will just stop trying to get attention from a bunch of people that I don't know and that don't even care about me. Or I will just continue to be a giant doouuche.

That can't have been the real Jim A. up there, because the real Jim A. knows that AR does in fact have a daughter.

Jim..dont you feel a little dirty now? Kind of like when Gary from Bachelor Party saw that "chick" taking a piss standing up? ( please exuse my language ladies )

Say Hey...hey I dont mind people taking shots at the Yanks, been dealing with that all my life..its actually fun to have opposing views. I have many friends who are Mets, Sox and Phils fans..I really love the chats we have. Just wanted to know what team you root for so we can go back and forth. Oh I see, you dont want to give that information? Very anxious to give IT out but a little too scared to take IT? Very honorable, you are a real stand up guy. God I envy you.

Diane,
It was me and the funny part is, that's what Alex said. He mentioned in the quote that he had two daughters. oh wait, he exaggerated as he has one daughter and one due soon, but he caught himself that time.

It's in one of Kat's thread postings from yesterday....check it out.

Dru,
You're right, I felt a little like Carl Weathers after filming the awkward "beach hug" scene w/ Sly Stallone in Rocky III. Ick.

I love the comments deriding Nudge, Jim A. and others....

One has to wonder if the author(s) of such profundity realize how idiotic they are.

It's patently clear that unless, as Nudge is fond of saying, the "smart" people are here to carry on a reasonably intelligent conversation, these idiots spend their keystrokes in some sort of perverted "backdoor" tribute to the very same people they try and fail to make jest of.

Oh well....

NEWSFLASH!!!!...baseball IS BACK!..and so, it appears, are the minges of this blog.

Word....Casual.....word

DRU: Welcome back from vacation. What timing with me asking about you yesterday. I hope it was grand. I'll be vacationing myself in a few weeks. Fortunately for me, my vacationing involves a 3 day stop through Tampa where I'll be attending the final spring training game on the 27th against the Pirates. Then the week after that, is the AA vs. AAA matchup in Trenton. I can't wait. It really will be a showcase and a great opportunity to see some key cogs to our future outfield (Tabata and AJAX roaming for Trenton).

Say Hey is a Mets fan. The ironic part to that is that while The Say Hey kid played for the Mets, he was god awful. I mean embarrassing. Why not choose a different handle to write under?

RAB posted a great article on all of the positive signs that the Yanks can report out of spring training with so many players reporting in great shape. That's great news as compared to last year. Add in the fact that the Big Three were all early to arrive and I'm estatic. Diane has asked why wouldn't it be reasonable to expect that this team would do just as well as last year's and I can say that I truthfully expect this team to be better than last years. That doesn't however mean I expect them to necssarily win more games. Simply because other teams have gotten better as well. The Twins trade of Santana, even though it was to the NL, actually hurts the Yanks. Consider that both the Indians and Tigers have realistic playoff aspirations. Consider that both play a large number of games against the Twins. I'm assuming it's 19 like the Yanks/Sox. Anyway, if you figure that Johan would've pitched in 1/5 of those, we're looking at 4 games that Johan would've pitched that will now be pitched by someone lesser. To be conservative, we'll assume that Johan would've gone 3 - 1 in those games and that his replacement will go 2 - 2. That's a one game swing in the standings benefiting two teams that the Yanks may have to compete with for the Wild Card. It's true, the Sox are the front runners to win the east. Doesn't mean they will, but if I were making preseason predictions, that's where I would cast my vote.

On that same note, I'm happy that Bedard is out of our division. Not out of our league, but at least out of our division.

Jim A.,

LOLx3 because after I posted that I thought hmm maybe it was a direct quote from 'Alex being Alex' and that really was Jim A., but I said to myself NAH not even Alex being Alex could forget whether he had a daughter or not...

Luckily the team plays him to play, not to talk ... ;-)

Sorry guys, my typing is not good --

"PAYS" him to play of course...

Forget FOX-TV...Alex Rodriguez is the real American Idol. I still cannot get over the fact he received close to 4 million votes in the 2007 All-Star elections.

"Say Hey" may of been miserable during his tenure with the Mets....but there is little question about the fact that he was, and remains, the best pure baseball player EVER to lace up a pair of spikes.

If one factors in all aspects of the game...Willie was the epitome of a "5 tool" player.

NO ONE else has even come close.

Yes...I know...a very "un-casual" observation....but there a few things that I am very passionate about.....Willie Mays is one of them.

HYD...great timing indeed. Something told me to check the site...now I know what it was. Have fun down in Tampa and take lots of pics.

What was the date again on the AA vs. AAA matchup in Trenton?

I hear A-Rods new nickname is Nostradumbass

His prognosticating skills are off the charts. Like really...remember back when he was a free agent and he and his genius agent did all that research into the Texas Ranger farm system. His big prediction of how well stocked they were in the minors and all. Yeah that all panned out into....how many last place finishes again? Yeah I guess he did that same assessment of the Yankees farm system this time he was a free agent. Loaded with beauts like Shelly "no footwork" DunKKKKKan and Chase"4 in a row" Wright. Don't forget Ty"I still don't shave" Clippard and that Carl "8 mill per win" Pavano. Those guys are juiced (an expression you Yankee fans can really understand) to step in and help out when that joke of a starting staff crumbles.

Wang - Team won't even resign him yet. Lots of confidence in the number one guy.

Pettitte - Cheater, Liar and deciever of the team. Didn't even know if he wanted to play for the team. Great veteran presence.

Mussina - Bombed out of the rotation last year. Stuck it in the teams face saying who you got thats better? Team had no answer. Biggest whiner this side of Sonoma California.

Hughes - Last years phenom. 3 more wins than injuries. So the team is calling a do over. Now this years phenom. No one can figure out if he has a third pitch or not. Doesn't matter though Nostradumbass has him pegged for Cy Young.

Igawa/Kennedy/Karsten/Ohlendorf/Wright - What a hysterical collection of number 5's. A combined 6-7 lifetime between them. Or maybe the Hutt will step in. That of course once HE figures out how many pitches he can throw.

Wow some minor league system. Position players come to the big leagues....THENlearn their positions. Pitchers come to the big leagues.....THEN figure out what pitches they throw. Does anybody know anything about these guys before they get to NY? Is it like a secret or something? Is this the most disfunctional organization ever in sports history? Well no even these Yankees can't out do the NY Knicks I'm afraid.

Don't even get me started about the Joba rules and innings limits and pitch count restrictions. These are the rules they have for Little Leaguers so I guess that is a preview of what to expect from these guys.

So where again am I wrong?

April 1 - It's a Tuesday night game.

Willie was great for his career, but his time as a Met was a mistake.

I'll definitely take tons of pictures while down in Tampa and will post a web link here for those that wish to view.

I guess if my team played second-fiddle to the crosstown Yankees for the last 45+ years, I'd probably have a bit of an inferiority complex too.

That said, I'd at least make sure my team made the postseason before I started trolling into enemy territory and ripping the crosstown guys who haven't missed the postseason since 1993.

Tell me again, which team blew a 7-game lead in the last 10 days of the regular season last year - which resulted in the biggest collapse in MLB history?

Just curious.

Yankees Looking to 40th World Series in 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------
Since 1921 when the New York Yankees appeared in their first World Series...they have appeared in 39 World Series...that's almost half at 45%..

They have won 26 of them for a winning percentage of .667...

Win or lose it is great to have them playing in so many championship series and representing New York so well...

I hope the make it number 40 in 2008...

Willie Mays was one of the best players ever but there are others just as good.

Alex Rodriguez: Jeter to have MVP season

No surprise here. Jeter is the only shortstop in the history of the game to have 200 or more hits six different seasons. No other shortstop is even close. And he has done it the last three years straight.

As a matter of fact Derek Jeter is the only player in baseball to win the All-star MVP and the World Series MVP in the same year (2000). MVP seasons are nothing new to him.

As far as ARod declaring that Jeter will have an MVP year in 2008 I totally agree.

An MVP candidate should be a multi-dimensional player that contributes to a team's success in a number of areas. Obviously the more areas a player contributes significantly increases his value.

For example, a player that is a great fielding shortstop is a tremendous asset to his team.

More valuable would be a one that also hits well, can sacrifice bunt and successfully executes a hit and run consistantly. So it continues that the player's value increases if he is a significant asset on the basepaths, stealing, taking the extra base and scoring alot of runs.

The most valuable player would have all of that and be a leader on the field in the dugout and clubhouse. Contribute significantly on the bases, in the field, at the plate and in the clubhouse as a leader to a team's success meaning the division title or wild card slot for example and you have the MVP.

It is not a stretch to predict that Derek Jeter will have an MVP year in 2008.

Ahhhhhaaaa......you are ripping the Yanks farm system??? WOW...Remember when Lastings Miledge could have yielded Barry ZIto? What did you guys end up getting out of him..a backup catcher? The Mets farm system is so barren now after the Santana trade ( which by the way the Mets were lucky to get, if they were in the AL, that pile of junk they sent the Twins would have been turned down in an instant ). They Mets farm system is ranked behind the Nats,,,yeah its that bad and isnt getting better.

Let see who else the Mets have..

Pedro...maybe he can finally make 1 playoff start for the Mets. That was money well spent, he has yet to make it to October.

Oli Perez...Im sure Mets fans love seeing him pitch. He makes Ricky Vaughn ( pre Glasses ) look like Greg Maddux.

Orlando...??? This is 2008, not 98.

Maine...got rocked in the 2nd half. Does he even have a secondary pitch? A mets fan at my work says all he throws is fastballs in the low 90's high 80's. Honestly..from a die hard Mets fan.

Santana...Im sure he'll have a good year this and next year, but just wait until the wheels come off. Led the league in innings over the past 4 years...know who had those honors the two years before that? Zito...Buehrle...both are shells of themselves. Good luck with that elbow clocking 25M a year. Im sure he can continue to keep throwing 220+ innings without getting hurt...no problem, right???

And dont think things will get better my friend. Let look at Omar's track record.

Omar Minaya traded away Pedro Martinez in his prime for Carl Pavano.
Then traded Pavano for Claudio Vargas.
Who could forget trading away Jason Bay for Lou Collier.

Lets also not get into Scott Kazmir for 'gulp' Victor Zambrano.

Oh so you want to talk about FA's?

Mo Vaughn
Robbie Alomar

But thats all in the past. How about that Mets pen...Wagner, Heilman? then............Duaner Sanchez???? Mota???? PPPPlease. The Mets had the worst collapse EVER..if the Santana deal didnt go through, you would have picked up Livan Hernandez and hoped for the best.

Well good luck, your club is going all in, if they dont win the WS this year....well, there's always the 86 miracle highlights to masterbate to. Was it really 22 years ago??? Kids drinking weren’t even born yet…DAMN.

PS. Who won the subway series again????

Stop by anytime my friend…this is fun!!

Did I just read that there were other players just as good as Willie Mays? I think someone doth imagine things in their sleep. Mays was head and shoulders the greatest all around ball player of all time. The Babe was the best hitter of all time but Mays was THE all around ball player.

And please.....do not insult my intelligence by putting Mickey Mantle in the same class as Willie. That is Yankee fantasy. There certainly hasn't been a player that has come along since Willie that even approached his status so I dont know who you may be thinking of.

CO,

Whats for dinner tonight?

Danny,

Calm down a bit. The 200 hit thing is great but you have to compare him against his era. Honus Wagners numbers make Jeter look sickly. Playing 154 games a season in the dead ball era for part of his career, he accumulated 3415 hits 1732 RBI's with .327 lifetime BA and 722 SB's. 9 100 plus RBI seasons 16 seasons over .300.

Also that All Star MVP means like nothing. Look he's a real good SS but lets let his career play out before we start overhyping him. He's not a Yankee farmhand!

Danny,

BTW, you aren't suggesting Jeter is a great fielding SS are you?

Brian Cashman needs a tan and to relax. He's spent billions for mediocre results, but he may turn things around ... I feel badly for the poor guy.

And Wow, DRU and Pee Wee Herman, two peas in a pod. Do you ride in the basket of his bicycle like E.T?

Let's take a quiz on which team you would rather have? Consider the budget and the national and global economic downturn (Tsunami) we will have to weather.

Brian Cashman Model

CF Melky
RF Abreu (16 mil)
SS Jeter
3B A Rod (300 mil, overpaid by 100 mil)
1B Cast of thousands
C Posada (big bucks till 40)
2B Cano (lazy work habits says NY Post)
LF Matsui and Damon
DH Cast of thousands Part II
P Pettitte, Moose, Three Kids, Igawa

Ant Colony Model

CF Jeter/Josh Hamilton/Colby Rasmus
SS David Eckstein/Jeter
1B Menky and Andy Phillips
2B Cano /Eckstein
3B Cano/Crede/Chavez
C Bard, Piazza
LF Ludwick/(Open to Suggestions)
RF Hamilton/Duncan
DH Duncan/Ludwick

Pitchers

Noah Lowery, Matt Cain, Timmy for Matsui and kids
Jeremy Sowers
Cliff Lee
Billy Koch
Kevin Gregg (Michal PTRS agrees)

Total Savings = 4.7 Trillion Dollars

Dead Wood Gone = Igawa, Moose, Damon, Godzilla, Giambi

You've gotta be freaking kidding me. The Yanks wouldn't win more than 75 games with that pathetic group.

Ant Colony truly is a retard.

Ant,
Your Eckstein fixation is fascinating and disturbing all at once.
I'd rather the Yanks bring "Stanky the Yankee" out of retirement than get that dude.

Dru,
You shouldn't break the Genius Omar Minaya's b*lls too much. After all, he did pick up Luis Castillo and sign him to a multi year deal.
Moises Alou will stay healthy this season......and will battle Carl Pavano and Mike Hampton for comeback player of the year honors.

Let's not forget the playoff performance of Carlos Beltran swatting all those HR's and carrying his team.....oh wait, that was when he was an Astro. With the Mets he ended their series by looking at 3 straight strikes as if the bat was glued to his shoulder.

Carlos Delgado- Great smile.....tin hands, lead feet.

David Wright's career year= A-Rod's worst

But hey....things are gong to get better for the Mets because Jose Reyes has promised to be less of a jackass this season!

I guess I can understand why the Mets fans are so excited.

Nudge,

Honus Wagner? Teams had one pitcher in the late 1800's and early 1900's. They started 50 games a year. The batters' averages got fat facing these guys. They pitched the entire games and it wasn't unusual to have 40 complete games. No relievers, no set up men, no closers, no lefty/righty specialists, no cutters, no sliders...nothing.

Nothing but batting practice everyday disguised as major league pitching...

Besides, the post is in response to the TOPIC offered by the hostess saying:

QUOTE A-Rod: Jeter to have MVP season UNQUOTE

Are you suggesting that it is common practice to dive into the stands head first to catch a foul ball like Jeter did?

I know another shortstop that not only doesn't dive head first into the stands for a foul ball but gets BENCHED by his manager for lack of hustle.

But to get back on topic - Jeter is definitely capable of having an MVP season as ARod has predicted - if he puts it all together - another Gold Glove season (done that), another 219 hit season (done that), another 134 runs scored (done that), 44 doubles (done that), another 24 home run season (done that), another 100 plus rbi season (done that), another season of stealing 34 out of 39 attempt (done that), another season of batting .343 (done that), and another All-Star MVP (done that) and just like the TOPIC and ARod stated -

Derek Jeter is capable of having an MVP season

Danny,

First take a deep breath you are hyper-ventilating. I didn't realize that Jeter was the only SS in history to dive into the stands. As for your knowledge to early baseball.....check out the batting practice pitchers ERA's during those years. I your team scored 2-3 runs off batting practice pitchers then you would be classified as......lousy. Don't minimize the players of earlier ERA's because you chose to think the world centers around you your team and now.

Jeter is not even in the top 15 of ML SS's fielding wise. His days are long past and you would have a hard time finding many fans even on this site that think he still is a GG fielder. He has greatly reduced range now and isn't even the best fielding SS on this team. If Jeter didnt win the MVP 2 years ago he never will. It is about time the organization looks to transition him out of the infield to prevent his offense from suffering. SS is a demanding position that beats up on a body. Thats what made Ripkins streak all the more impressive.

And whats with the "Mystery" Mets references? I guess your another one of those limited minded Yankee fans that think if you say anything against the Yankees you must be a Met or Sox fan. Well we have gone around that mountain 100 times the past year and I have no intention of indulging another weak thinker so believe what you wish. It's irrelevant to your argument anyway.

BTW Reyes is defintely one on the 15(or more) better fielders than Jeter.

Nudge,

Shortstops are no longer the one-dimensional fielding specialists you seem to be stuck on.

I am contributing to this blog simply because the topic is that ARod stated that he believes Jeter is going to have an MVP type season.

The MVP is driven by many considerations, the least being fielding. So give up on your fielding obsession.

I believe ARod prediction comes from knowing that if Jeter puts it all together - another Gold Glove season (done that), another 219 hit season (done that), another 134 runs scored (done that), 44 doubles (done that), another 24 home run season (done that), another 100 plus rbi season (done that), another season of stealing 34 out of 39 attempt (done that), another season of batting .343 (done that), and another All-Star MVP (done that) and just like the TOPIC and ARod stated -

Derek Jeter is capable of having an MVP season

BTW, Jeter has won the Gold Glove three of the last four years at shortstop so get off of your high horse simply because some Red Sox fan came up with a formula to measure the angle of the dangle...good grief.

Danny,

Whaaaaaaa???

Speak sense please and watch a little Baseball. Your comments are devoid of viewing experience.

Please don't compare Reyes to Jeter -

Reyes didn't get Rookie of the Year (Jeter did)...

Reyes didn't get World Series MVP (Jeter did)...

Reyes didn't win a Gold Glove (Jeter did)...

Reyes never got 200 hits in one season (Jeter did 6 times)...

Reyes never drove in over 100 runs in one season (Jeter did)...

Reyes never scored more than 122 runs in one season (Jeter did 4 times)...

Reyes never hit more than 36 doubles in one season (Jeter did 5 times)...

Reyes never hit more than 19 home runs in any season (Jeter did 5 times)...

Wow rookie of the year. Like Steve Sax. You remember Steve Sax. The Knoblach before Knoblach! And what does RBI's and Hits and Doubles and Hr's have to do with fielding?

As Red Bodine asked....ask you ignorant or just st..st..st..stupid?

Jim A, my good friend.

Number of World Series for David Eckstein since, let's say, er, 2002

Add the one, carry the three, cost a rot a money ...

3.

2002 Angels ....... Win

2005 Cards ......... Loss

2006 Cards ......... Win

How many World Series wins for the Yanks since then?

Marlins in 2003 .... Hmm ... blown away by Beckett, blown away by Beckett again on 72 hours rest, AJ Burnett was hurt ... would have been swept ...

Boston 2004 come from behind sweep

Lost to Paul Byrd pitching with a tumor in 2007 ...

I think we need another Knoblauch leadoff small ball guy.

David Eckstein is that guy. Even Omar Minaya, according to Newsday, wanted to sign him this past offseason but David does not want to live in that Third World City. Not after St. Louis. No, no, no. So he went to Acidrania, also known as Canada.

Did the Yanks go to the World Series three times since 2002?

Did they win any WS since 2000?

No?

We need winners!

We need esprit de corps.

We need to recreate the 95 - 2000 Yanks.

Again, Eckstein would be a perfect fit.

Do we have a leadoff hitter?

Are we fundamentally sound? No ... no, no, no.

You know this Jim A.

Sorry but this is the ONLY time I really have questioned your baseball judgment.

No one is perfect.

Yes, David Eckstein is the reason why the Angels and Cards were in the World Series. Their success had nothing to do with pitching, defense, offense, or Eckstein simply being in the right town at the right time. It's all about Eckstein.

Ant Colony is a freaking buffoon.

Ant,
If you ask ANYONE in baseball if they would trade Derek Jeter or Robinson Cano for David Eckstein you would be laughed out of the room. The Yankees have not been knocked out of the playoffs because they didn't have David Eckstein. If they want good luck charms they can buy everyone a rabbit's foot key chain.

Nudge: This pains me, but I actually agree with you. Jeter, while he has been a great shortstop overall and at one point was even a great fielder, has not deserved the gold glove he received 3 of the past 4 years. The gold glove is kind of like the starters in the NBA All Star game. Voted based on popularity, lifetime achievement, and name recognition, not actually on the field performance.

Ant: Being on championship teams does not a winner make. Not sure if you're a basketball fan, but would you call Mark Madsen a winner because of his titles with the Lakers? I'm pretty sure those titles were won because of Kobe/Shaq. I'm pretty sure Vlad and the AMAZING bullpen (not to mention those damned rally monkeys) were the keys to the Angels WS and that Pujols and Carpenter were the keys to the Cards. Eck was just a player that was fortunate to be on the right teams at the right time.
I've been trying to ignore you and the what seems like 3 personalities you have. As best I've identified them, there is the ever popular in an infamous way, thecrazy lun, the wanna be tough guy (dare me to say that one to your face?), and the one that I actually can tolerate, though also the one I don't believe is as real as the first one, the wanna be professor who teaches 18 classes a semester and posts about baseball (not everything else under the sun). So, if you can pretend to be guy #3 for all involvement associated with this blog, you'd be welcomed by most, if not all. If you really are the first guy and you draw off of the thoughts of unknown faces and monikers that you are a putrid soul, then I say we start a collection on this blog to get you the requisite assistance. Ant, my question for you is, which one of these three personalities are you and most importantly, which will you be for the duration of the season?

HYD,

Its no disresspect to the guy. its just that he isn't what he was.

Sully, I'm assuming we're still taking participants in the Yahoo Fantasy League, but that's your call as I'm only going to post the email address for those interested to contact you.

DRU: If interested, email Sully at the following address: info@sullybaseball.com

We only have 6 teams so far, so let's get some more of us involved. It's Sully's Newsday Fantasy League and I think it'll add to the chatter on this blog. I'm expecting to see more of the regulars than I currently do, so get to it Jimmaaaaaaaaaay (sorry, that's just how I hear it in my head when I read Jim A.), Princess Di, Grandpa Larry (no offense intended), the other token Red Sox Fan, our all baseball knowing Nudge, and all the rest. May the trash talking begin!

Nudge: Do you have an IPhone or do you get blog updates sent to your cell phone? Your dedication to responding and commenting on this blog is truly unmatched.

Yup...
Sorry, I've been nuts at work

(Dennis Miller is on break but I am working on other Versus stuff that frankly stinks but my twins need food)

But yes!
Anyone who wants in on my free Yahoo league open ONLY to Newsday Board members...

e mail

info@sullybaseball.com

Don't worry... I'm the only admitted Red Sox fan.
I already belong to a Red Sox league full of re-TAHDS from Boston

If Derek Jeter has an MVP-type season this will be a very good year. Now's the time. He ain't getting any younger and he's part of one of the best lineups ever assembled.

ARod is at least as good as Mays. If you take out the drugs, Bonds too.

Kat let Audrey know she did a unbelieveable job w/ the pictures today, and the fan favorite on the message boards so far is Jesus Montero we can't wait to see Austin Jackson and Jose Tabata's pics as well.

thanks courtesy of the fans on the NYYFANS board.

There have been, and continues to be, great ballplayers.

Every era has ballplayers that stand above the rest.

Bonds and A-Rod are two who stand out in this era.

The question is:

If you were to pick one...just one...player that you think epitomizes a complete ballplayer that stands out above anyone else in the history of MLB, who would that one ballplayer be?

For me...and many others, that ballplayer is Willie Mays.

He should have won one in 2006!

Ohh nudgey man, I bet you sleep with a thesaurus in your pants and dream of manny and ortiz.

Last year ST was accented with players coming in out of shape and followed with injuries to key players which put us in the hole early.

This fact I believe is part of the Joe Torre mentallity of ST and no competition for jobs. Player after player, who was injured,has admitted poor conditioning last year. Apparently Joe G. keeping in touch with the players during the offseason worked. As players such Abreu, Damon, Cano have listen and are ready to play ball.

I like what I hear about the new leadership.

Willie Mays was great. Ty Cobb, Barry Bonds and A-Rod right up there. But the best ballplayer of all time - the best pitcher and hitter - head and shoulders above his contemporaries? Babe Ruth.

TRIBAL WARS!!!!

Ahh Ant, dont be upset. What would we do without your rants??? Just talk baseball??? SHHHAAA RIIIGHT. That lineup you listed gave me a great laugh this morning...thanks again!

Im gonna go a little Ant on you guys...I work with a fine gentleman from Nigeria. He talked about what happens when strangers 1st meet in his country. He says that even though they are from the same country, look the same, behave the same way, talk the same...the 1st question one stranger would ask another is "what tribe are you from". The wrong answer could start a fight. This is not unlike some Yankee fans in here when talking about Jeter??? Ill agree with Nudge by saying his range isnt what it used to be. A move to another position ( cant really think of one ) will be needed in the next 5 years, if not sooner.

But what I cant get is why we are bashing ‘O Danny boy’ for saying that Jeter can win a MVP this year. Fielding does play a part in the MVP votes, if not then Papi would have been one already. Three factors play into the MVP voting.

Hitting
Fielding
Team Record

The last part is the only reason J-Rolls won over Hanley Ramirez last year ( check the stats ). With that said, how can Jeter win the MVP this year?

1st..he will need outside help, nobody else in the AL can have a monster year.

2nd..he will need a couple highlight reel/ESPN plays for national spotlight. Jeter's range may be limited, but he still has a strong arm and makes sick running plays on pop ups. It will take a dozen of those sick plays to make an impact on the voters.

3rd..hitting, he's gonna need to win the batting title ( very reasonable ). He's gonna have to hit 20 HR's ( been done before ). He's gonna need to get 20 SB's ( within reach ). He's gonna have to lead the league in runs scored ( been there ). Finally, he's gonna have to register a bunch of walk off hits to propel the Yanks into the Playoffs. ( check ).

Im not saying Jeter winning the MVP is probable. Im sure Alex only made the statement to toy with the media a little, but its not impossible for this to happen. Again its possible, but just not probable. Ill tell you this though, what other SS in the AL has a better shot at the MVP??? The best SS are in the NL, Guillen moved to 1st, Tejada went to the NL, Renteria is more overrated than Jeter.....Really, Derek has the best shot..but thats not saying much about the position in the AL.

What Im getting at is we are part of the same tribe here, lets not bash Danny for thinking one of our own guys, our captain nonetheless, has a shot at the MVP. I'll be rooting with you Danny Boy!

Sully/HYD...thanks for the invite! I sent you an email Sull from my Yahoo address. Send me the invite when you get a chance.

I'm a big Jeter fan, but let's face it, A-Rod, Posada, Cano and Mo all have better shots at being MVP for the Yankees at this point than Jeter does.

Through madness you see a lil potential ,

What ANt is clearly not saying is that YES the Yankees need a sparkplug right now the Sparkplug is Jorge Posada and that is sad.

In all honesty the Yankee sparkplug was Arod begining with the 2004 playoffs with the glove incident had that play continued and was not called back the momentum shift was there. The play in toronto was a sparkplug type play. the issue is the fans here are salty towards the guy.

When I saw the play in 04 I saw not one fan BOO Arod when the play first happened in fact HE WAS CHEERED !!!!! it was when the reversal and the media got on him about it was when people tunred on him. I was actually impressed that this man would do what the hell it takes to try and win a game in other words EFFORT!!!!! and his team should have had his back. if he was running slow motion down the line when he could have ran harder then that is different.

So yes what this team needs is sparkplugs and I see a couple of canidates for this role .

1. Alex Rodriguez - once he is in sinc he is the one with rally cries

2. Shelly Duncan - from the high fives to the 9th inning 3 run bomb

3. Jorge Posada - fiesty is all I can say

after these three i cannot name no one else

Anon..I hear you brother. The HA play is what started our run last year. I dont think the fans give him enough credit for how hard he works and how much he wants to win.

Hey, Nudgey boy is back. You are such a smarty pants, and we all enjoy reading your idiotic posts. I bet you type with 1 hand because the other is in your pants thinking about Tito.

HYD,
No thanks on the fantasy thing...I'm in Rick's league but my attention span is too short to stick with it so I have my nephew signed up and I am his co-manager (aka "I told you so guy"). He's already threatened to: Fire me, kick my ass and make moves just to get me pissed and the season hasn't started yet. It should be fun.

One thing I do like to laugh at is when people manage a fantasy team and think that it would easily translate to managing a real team. Ant would be great at fantasy because it's there that he can just say "go get Pujols" or something like that and actually have a shot at doing so.
Then there's "Trader Roy" who makes at least two transactions every hour. I think I had more fun watching other people than I did managing my team. I even drove "Roy" up a wall at the end of the season as I decided to release my whole team and pick up a bunch of scrubs. "Roy" bitched at me like crazy but he was the one picking up all my good players...hahahaha. Don't worry "Roy", I won't do that again. I just didn't realize how seriously you took the fantasy thing. By the way, I know you are morally against the security code but we'd really like you to come back to this blog, I personally miss "RAD's". For those of you new to the blog, "RAD" stands for "Roy Appreciation Day" where everyone is encouraged to use as many "quotation" marks as possible. Roy is a legend and he's missed- "come back, Roy" .

Anon 09:55: I don't think the Yankees will have a problem looking for someone to give them a spark or energy jolt this year. There will be a lot of youngsters around such as Hughes, Joba, Kennedy, Ohlendorf, Duncan etc. and you know what young guys are doing even when they are not playing? They are sitting on the bench talking about the stupidest things you can think of and getting the veterans to laugh and shake their heads.

Even at a regular job it can help. I have a pretty experienced team in my office and we all just go about our business but last year I hired two guys right out of college and they bust everyone up with the ridiculous things they talk about. I take my group on a deep sea fishing trip every June and last year these two jokers spent more time busting on each other for puking than anything. It was high comedy as they tried to get pictures of each other vomiting and stuff like that....they have bumped up the atmosphere in the office quite a bit. See what I mean? The Yankees are always accused of being so "corporate" so maybe an infusion of youngsters is all the spark they need.

Please please please, dont anybody insult Willie again by mention ingBonds or A-Rod as being within a mile of him talent wise. A-Rod and Bonds are HR hitters and not much else. I won't even go into the quality of pitching that Mays faced versus these guys.

Babe Ruth is the greatest HITTER head and shoulders above the rest. How someone can say he was the greatest pitcher is mind boggling but thats to be expected when ones know little about a game beyond their own team history. Babe Ruths pitching numbers would be fantastic today but inspite of Danny's delusion about the earlier pitching, his numbers were ordinary. BTW he never pitched for the Yanks.

Remember that the 2 greatest catches ever made in sports history where made by NY Giants.....David Tyree Super Bowl 42 and Willie in 1954 World Series against Cleveland.

HYD,

My technology is all land line computer. I blog both from work and home. Usually this time of year things are slow and i can keep up pretty quickly. As the summer rolls on my schedule is tight between playing ball, hiking, boating, travel, beach etc, so I usually am only on in spurts. Then of course the sloooowww months of the winter when all there is to talk about is proposed trades...I tend to pass. I prefer talking about the real stuff rather than the stuff that might happen.

HYD, my schedule is tight, but I am not tight. Just ask Manny

Thanks for the invitation but I have this handicap: I am completely unable to see the attraction of fantasy baseball -- partly because there is no TEAM there, and partly because of the escapist element (completely unbound by reality).

At one time last year this blog turned into mostly a fantasy league blog for a while, when what had previously appeared to be perfectly sane adults stopped talking about the real team and went on and on ad infinitum about their fantasies. My view at the time was, 'tell your dreams to your therapist, they probably mean something'.

Ugly, huh?

I'm not trying to start an argument over this but I happen to think Willie Mays' catch in the '54 series is a very overrated play. I've seen Torii Hunter, Mike Cameron, Jim Edmonds, Gary Matthews Jr. (just to name a few) make
catches that were as good or better and they make them appear almost routine.

I'm a little too young to remember Mays playing career except his Mets days so I do not have an informed opinion about him overall, but I've read a lot about him and I cannot argue with people who say he is the best player ever.

Im with ya Jim A, I only know Mays, Ruth and other from stats, books and highlight clips. Doesnt Babe Ruth have the record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched in the WS? That not too ordinary to me. Sadly, I cant join in on the discussion without seeing them for myself. With that said, I always loved Lou Gherig. From my time...Ken Griffey Jr had the sweetest swing Ive ever seen.

As far as fantasy is concerned. It's has nothing to do with losing yourself in a fantasy land or disconnecting from reality. Its a friendly competition with some trash talking. If you've never played before dont knock it. You'd be surprised how enjoyable it is. As far as Jim A's experience, for someone thats not into it, or new, you realize just how long a baseball season is and it will wear you out. You need to be in a league that matches your involvement level. Some leagues have caps on how many transactions you can make so guys like ROY cant do that. Other leagues are very competitive and have 12 or more very active managers like ROY. When the owners dont match up, it wont be fun. Ive been in a league with the same 12 guys for 6,7 years. There are players from Jersey, NY, Boston, Pitt, Philly, Vegas, Toronto, Cleveland....it was kind of funny how the pieces fit together, buts its been great. Winning isnt the point, chatting like this and talking baseball is what makes it so much fun. We all talk trash, but respect each other. Its like having all the best people on this blog talking baseball without the trolls stopping by. I love it!

Babe Ruth WAS perhaps the best hitter...although Ted "th' Head" Williams is arguable in that slot (imagine what his numbers would have been if he had not missed 4 seasons in the service of our country)...but, Willie....Willie could do it all...run with the best of them whether he was stealing bases, or running down fly balls, hit for average, hit for power, drive the ball to all fields, make one spectacular catch after another...a bazooka for an arm....but you know what makes him the greatest? (above all the just mentioned that is)....when he got done playing a game, he'd often go out in the street and play stickball with the kids....the man lived to play baseball....that exuberance and effervescence that Mays had for the game, along with his incredible talent, in my book, makes him the best ever.

BTW...Ruth WAS a great pitcher....and yes he did hold the record for most scoreless innings in the WS.

Dru,

All pastimes have their pleasures and I don't begrudge anybody who enjoys it the fun of their fantasy baseball life.

When it gets boring is when we get the posters who forget the difference and clog up the blog with nonsense posts about ridiculous trade ideas along the lines of 'let's trade Melky for Manny' or similar nonsense. If you haven't seen anything that ludicrous here, you haven't read our trade-talkers with attention.

Maybe I'm off base but I attribute that loss of contact with reality to too many hours making fantasy trades... ;-)

lol...I see what you mean Diane.

450 ft plus a relay is at least 100ft difference in comparison to the the avg staduim now add in the angle of the catch and the power of the throw which is not only strong but accurate. now there are players who can

A. catch up to the ball

B. have a strong accurate arm

so to make that play one would have to

merge Tori Hunter , With Vlad Guerrero

and still Andrew Jones is not as elite as Willie.

Now in a physics view point one can argue

A. 450 ft gives more time for the catch but being that the hit was a rocket off the bat it still does not explain how the runners were not able to advance. That is the logical beauty of the play the accurate throw after the long winded over the body catch