Escape Yankees Redundant News

New Years Eve, sitting in the swamps of Jersey, yearning for the crack of the bat, the clock reads 5:13 AM.Time to delve into a gargantuan list of New York Yankees related E-Mail--the quest for inspiration never sleeps. A gargantuan list of headlines featuring a familiar, nauseating theme: The Yankees spend a lot of money, woe is me, yada, yada, yada. My mind flashes to Bill Murray, in the epic Deja Vu movie Groundhog Day.

February 13TH, pitchers and catchers isn't around the corner, it's down the road. Now what? Is there no relief? You may not get what you want, but if you try sometime, you'll get what you need."--(Jagger/Richards) Mick and Keith prove to be prophets as my eye catches two links featuring Baseball's Winter Leagues. News of the sport being played on the diamond in the sunshine, eases my pain. Happy New Year.

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Yanks Gust of Fresh Air

The clamor created by the New York Yankees exorbitant free agent shopping spree is relentless. Baseball's underwear is in a bundle and it isn't pretty. Alarmists yearn for a salary cap. Purists wretch at the stark unfairness of it all. Gloom and doom are the order of the day. Look past the knee-jerk frenzy and you will find hope on the horizon. Peter Abraham provides a gust of fresh air with LoHud's," Spring training travel guide." February 13TH, pitchers and catchers report and the sun returns to the diamond. Until then, follow the links:

• "thank the Lord for the Yankees. With their seats selling for as much as $2,500 a game, while they ask a struggling New York City for another $259 million in tax-free bonds to help finance their new stadium, while they sign three free agents for well over $400 million ---- which is far more than the other 29 major-league teams have spent cumulatively ---- the Yankees present themselves as the very model of arrogance and let-em-eat-cakeness."--(Frank Deford/SI) It's called tradition.
• " If I was Alex or Derek or Robby Cano, I'd be excited about getting him. He'll make all three of those guys better with his defense." --(Buck Showalter) Money well spent.
• "with Mark Teixeira now in pinstripes, the Jeter era may well begin dwindling...Unless Teixeira breaks down from a massive case of big-market jitters, and there's nothing to suggest he will, he's about to become the centerpiece of what's become the best Yankee team (on paper) in a decade."--(Bob Klapisch/The Record) The Big Apple, where expectations never sleep.
• "It’s a perfect storm of baseball brains and money. Cashman knew what he was doing when he passed on Johan Santana last year. Sure, it seemed to backfire on him in 2008 when Santana pitched superbly for the Mets while Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy failed to win a single game for the Yanks. But it showed that Yankees were committed to developing their young arms, with the understanding that they might not all pan out."--(Phil Allard/NYY Fans) The "In Cash We Trust" crew stay the course, regardless of the facts.
• "although the Yankees’ payroll dwarfed Boston’s last season — roughly $209 million to $133 million — the difference in their spending this off-season has been stunning." Clearly part of the shrewdly concocted develop your own pitching plan.
• "This is about as “sporting” as Sarah Palin shooting moose from an airplane, or Dick Cheney firing upon ducks who are transported in by truck special for the occasion. Two plans that didn't quite work out.

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Yankee Hating Festers

" The New York Yankees ride a wave of barbs to the New Year. Name calling is in, fact-based analysis passe. Yankee hating rankles as the: critics, nitpickers, faultfinders, detractors, complainers and whiners assume the position. Anguish is palpable:

• "the Yankees, have no such limitations to their spending. They are the fat man at the all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. The one who continues to stuff himself long after he is full, only because he can." Feedback from the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who annually squander the corporate welfare doled out by the bloated Bronx Bombers.
• Perspective from former Major League pitcher, Todd Jones: "Baseball turns into a job really fast when you strap such an 800-pound gorilla on your back...the magic of being a baseball fan who doesn't root for the Yankees turns into cantankerous feeling toward those guys who make all this money." Yeah, let's root, root, root for the millionaires to beat the multi-millionaires.
• " I wonder if Yankees fans ever blush." Not often, but the words, "Igawa is in the mix," does it for me.
• "Look, you can be angry at the Yankees if you want, but they're just doing what they're supposed to be doing, which is taking advantage of the system," NBC's Jimmy Roberts said on ESPN's "Sports Reporters."
• "So call the Yankees opulent. They are. They're a great bad guy. Always have been.
  Just know they're not the problem. Was that a compliment? Now, I'm blushing.

The ownership of the New York Yankees has consistently chosen to reinvest a significant portion of their revenue into the product on the field in order to perpetuate the most successful franchise in the sports history. Hopefully, this years binge will enable the Bombers to knock off the Rays of Tampa and wipe the blush off of Yankees' fans faces.

Photo/The Onion

Yankees Miff Critics

Pundits are holding an angst ridden, hand-wringing-festival as a result of the all and powerful New York Yankees purchasing baubles from the free agent market. The Steinbrenners try to revitalize an old roster and buy time for a meager farm by paying over-the-top prices for three name brand players and all hell breaks loose. It is a matter of fact that front office failures left the brothers Stein. with little choice, a new stadium is in the wings, the show must go on, pump up the volume. Let the fallout follow:

• "None of the great teams ever really have been purchased, but the Yankees of 2009-11 now are poised to become the first." Records are made to be broken.
• " New York Yankees' tradition of overspending simply because it somehow can, that he never becomes full.
  And it doesn't matter that the other patrons in the place are completely and absolutely repulsed. And all they do is get, uh, spat upon." The Yanks paid $110 million in corporate welfare last year, hope the small market peasants can handle the indignity of being "spat upon."
• "Oh, the Yankees will again have a payroll close to $200 million, the highest in baseball, but that provides no guarantees." We've noticed.
• Team architect wanted: "Well, he’s pretty lucky that he works for the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family - because that plan would not work with the 29 other big league teams.
  So, since the Stein-dollars were there for the taking, Cashman ran with it."--(Was Watching/ Hat tip--Zells Pinstriped Blog.) The last couple of times that Cash's contract was due to expire, there were chuckle inducing press reports of other teams lined up for his services. Brian has a unique skill set that only one organization can handle.

Yankees Spark Reactions

The Yankees' spending spree hit the MLB fan. The Bronx Bombers are back where it all began--you love them or you hate them. A few reactions from a broad spectrum of observers:

• Start spreading the news: "At a time when so much round us is going to hell in a handbasket, one of the great engines of the New York spirit is hitting on all cylinders." The Steinbrenner cash fuels the machine.


• Lessons learned: "The bus always gets crowded at Yankee-hating time.
  But the Yankees had reasons for this decision beyond simply having the money to do it. For them it came down to remembering Carlos Beltran."


• Let the good times roll: "baseball is much more fun when the Yankees are a truly despicable team that every non-Yankee fan in America can hate without conscience."


• Call the Boss:""But things change, especially here, if Hank and Hal [Steinbrenner] decide to do something."

There is a notion floating around the the Teixeira signing was part of some shrewd "stealth" plan. The reality is that Teix. fell in the Bomber's lap when the bidding hit a ceiling and the Yanks stepped up to the plate: " The Yankees were surprised when there $180 million dollar bid was the biggest on the table."--(Buster Olney/ESPN/Paraphrased.) It's good to be lucky and wealthy, now the adjustments commence:

• "Yankees are looking to move two from a group of outfielders of Xavier Nady, Swisher and Hideki Matsui." (Hat tip MLB Trade rumors)
• "Can you picture Nick Swisher or Hideki Matsui in an Angels uniform?

Theoretically, this is a slow time for baseball related news, I had 99 New York Yankees related E-Mails to sort through today. You can love them or hate them, good luck ignoring them.

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Happy Holidays

The entire staff of Baseball Hot Corner, me, would like to extend season's greetings to everyone associated with the New York Yankees: fans, foes, scribes, players, prospects, beat reporters, stat wizards, critics, brass and last, but certainly not least the Steinbrenner clan. The owner's deep pockets and willingness to put their money where their mouth is keeps the Bombers beaming and the haters busy. Ho, Ho, Ho.

Yankees Holiday Links

Two quality articles from esteemed members of the Yankees blogosphere:

• Jane Heller, of Confessions of a She-Fan fame, writes an article titled, "Loving the Yankees Means Always Having to Say Your Sorry " for the NY Times Bats Blog.
• Kevin, of Zells Pinstripe Blog, reports some good stuff about Phil Hughes.

Yankees Snatch Teixeira

The rumors, conjecture, projections, erroneous inside scoops, official positions and budgetary blather are done, Mark Teixeira is a New York Yankee. An elite first baseman, with a glove of gold finally answers the question, "Who's on first."

Credit the Steinbrenner's willingness to flex their financial muscle for the Bronx Bomber's reemergence in the championship mix. Hank talked the talk, Hal walked the walk. The man behind the curtain, Hal Steinbrenner clearly demonstrates he is willing and able to fill Dad's legendary shoes. The competition has noticed, "...they have leaped away from us again..."--(John Henry,Owner,Boston Red Sox.)

The Yankees invest $180 million and receive: a 28 year-old, prime-time player to buttress a rickety roster, a patient #3 hitter with pop, stellar Mattingly-esque defense that will support a revamped pitching staff, removal from the dubious "Manny" sweepstakes, a professional without baggage, a competitive advantage by removing him from the Red Sox mix. It's all good. "There is no player comparable to Teixeira in the trade or free-agent market."--(Buster Olney/ESPN)

The clout of the New York Yankees financial hammer is not subtle. The haters will hate but, "In the end the only ones the Yankees have to answer to is their fans."--(Kornheiser/ESPN) Hal Steinbrenner has stepped up and provided some big time answers, somewhere Dad is smiling.

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Yanks Work in Progress

New York Yankees pitchers and catchers report to Tampa in 53 days. CC and A.J. lead a revamped rotation that provides the potential for significant improvement. Investing a quarter-of-a-billion dollars into the most expensive roster in history would suggest that all the pieces are in place for a return to the top. Not so fast.

"Given age-related decline up and down the lineup, the Yanks might find themselves in the bottom quartile of AL offenses.
The defense, meanwhile, is similarly hopeless."--"(Dayn Perry/Fox)

"Not Quite Murderers Row: The Yankees, as constituted, have three hitters (A-Rod, Damon, Nady) who had an OPS of .800 or better last season in the opening day lineup."--(The Big Lead)

"Stack the Yankees' defense up against Tampa Bay's, and...well, actually don't do that. If you're a Yankees fan, that's just going to make you cry."--(Graziano/Star Ledger)

Who are these guys? Don't they realize that the Bombers' Brass have a plan? "Perry, in his story, makes the case that they should sign Teixeira, who would help tremendously on offense and defense. And I agree. I don't see why you'd invest so much in pitching and then pass on an opportunity (as they did with Carlos Beltran) to sign a young star in his 20s who fits perfectly and gives you everything you need, now and for years to come. But it seems clear that the Yankees aren't serious on Teixeira and are okay with the idea of him going to Boston.
More likely, the Yankees will sign Manny Ramirez to a shorter-term deal.."

The Yankees snatched the hot stove headlines with two garish purchases, but there is work to be done. The challenge of passing two adroitly managed organizations, built on young, talented, balanced foundations and featuring prospering farm systems is yet to be met.

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Yankees Lull

There is a lull in the Yankees' storm, CC and A.J. are on board, booming bats are on the radar. "If the thunder don't get ya, the lightening will."--(Grateful Dead.) Manny rumors rumble, while Teixeira dangles in hot air. Fasten your seat belts:

• "The newspaper, Impacto Deportivo, stated that Ramirez is on the verge of signing a three-year, $75 million contract to join the Yankees. Could be Muy Importante.
• The New York Times reports: "The Yankees are interested in signing Teixeira, according to two people in baseball with knowledge of the matter, but for the moment are unwilling to pay him more than $160 million over eight years, one of them said...The Yankees have a history of swooping in when negotiations between the Red Sox and Boras collapse. Dramitico swooping?
• "Nobody puts more pressure on CC than CC. I know some people scoff at that because New York is different, but because of everything CC has been through, and because of the adjustments he's made—mentally, physically, fundamentally, and just the leadership ability he has, the strength he has as a human being, just what he takes care of both on and off the field—he's going to be fine. He has perspective." Not to mention an opt-out.
• A warm gust from the Dominican: "Guess who has a .408 OBP in the Dominican Winter League and has struck out only eight times in 83 at-bats? Melky Cabrera, that’s who. He and Brett Gardner would be an interesting competition in spring training if it comes to that.
• "The Yankees haven't won a championship since, and Brian Cashman seems committed to steering the club back to pitching and defense. If he signs Manny Ramirez, please delete this paragraph from your memory bank. It's part of the plan.
• "Unlike Santa, the Yankees and Mets just need to assemble their rosters by Spring Training and on a wintry day, it’s nice to know that there are only 54 days until pitchers and catchers start reporting." Amen.

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New York Yankees Links and Notes

Christmas looms while super-agent Scott Boras wraps baseball's biggest packages. Yankees fans follow the winding links:

• "Boras is a verbal machine, a powerful agent who is armed with theories and statistics and who makes certain every syllable supports his beliefs." Message?--show me the money.
• Talk to the Boss: "Hank Steinbrenner is leading the charge for the signing, the source said, hoping to reload his roster after watching the Yankees miss the postseason this year for the first time since 1993. Hal Steinbrenner is said to be warming to the idea, while general manager Brian Cashman isn't too high on adding a 36-year-old outfielder with plenty of baggage"
• "They have a brand to consider, a reputation to protect. The Yankees stand for the ultimate in competition.”
  Host No. 2: “You mean the ultimate in enhanced competition, don’t you?” The rings are real and spectacular.
• Nit picking? "Sabathia also has never pitched well in the Bronx. He has started five games at the soon-to-be-old Yankee Stadium, with a 1-4 record and an 8.61 ERA.
  Then there is Burnett, “as fragile as my mom’s porcelain dolls,” according to the executive. “He’s not tough..."
• Keep hope alive: "Cashman backed off the Mike Cameron deal because Melky Cabrera has improved his plate discipline in winter ball, and there are voices in the organization who still believe Brett Gardner is going to be a useful major league player. No one will argue his energy and intensity, but watch him take batting practice, and you'll find out he's a lot stronger than he looks. Granted, he has to take it into games, but there is something on which to place hope."--(Peter Gammons/ESPN)
• "Teixeira is a very bright man... Teixeira has been the model of reliability...Scott Boras' math says the Red Sox could sign him, Jason Varitek and Lowe and be right around last season's payroll." Say it ain't so.
• Good luck with that: " CC tried to take all attention and expectations off himself."

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Cashman's Crusade

Yankees GM Brian Cashman is a man on a mission. Cash's goal is to "Change the story," whatever the cost. The latest episode of this heart wrenching yarn is documented by Bob Raissman of the NY Daily News, in an article titled, "Brian presses the issue":

"Thursday, as the Yankees introduced $243.5 million worth of ammo - Sabathia and A.J. Burnett - the melodramatic tale of Cashman's bridge from Santana to CC began to unfold.
"It took a lot of pain," Cashman said while being interviewed on the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network. "And certainly a lot of hits going through the process."
After wiping away tears, we figured the "pain" and "hits" Cashman spoke of came from columnists, commentators and other assorted mouths who questioned his decision to invest heavily in Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy last season. In doing so, Cashman authored the Yankees' version of the Wall Street collapse. He took a shot and lost. Happens to the best of them.
Cashman failed miserably and deserved to be pounded"

Brian's perspective is a tad different. "Cashman said yesterday's coronation was really just the "completion of a concept, an overall strategy, dating back at least a year." Let's look at the shrewd scheme: A) Pass on a Cy Young caliber lefty who would bolster the bedraggled rotation built by Brian. B) Rush two prime-prospects to the biggest stage on earth and burden them with exorbitant expectations. C) The kids fold, brush them aside and begin the traditional Ponson parade. D) Target the next really big thing and outbid the meek competition by $40 million. Wait by the phone for weeks as embarrassing questions percolate. E) Increase the historic offer by $21 million add player friendly buy-out to the gargantuan mix. F) The player capitulates and professes his secret love of Pinstripes--Mission Accomplished. G) Connect the dots for the local media, the plan worked, "It took a lot of pain." As always, "Cashman was convincing. He spoke with conviction." He has plenty of practice, from "I'm so sorry boss." to "Igawa is in the mix," to "When Pavavo is healthy he can do what few can do. " The song remains the same.

The media has a history of dancing to Brian's tune: " Cashman was not used to being bombarded by incoming media scuds, not used to being hammered. The only harsh characterizations directed publicly at him came from George Steinbrenner. And almost always - unanimously - the media sided with the poor, picked-upon, baby-faced GM. He was respected. Cashman's rational responses were in sharp contrast to The Boss' irrational ravings.

The Boss faded away, Brian took control of the baseball operation, after threatening to quit, again. The results speak. Criticism made an appearance, Cash wasn't happy: ""(I) read some of the stuff that some of these idiots are writing. I started seeing a couple of interesting articles show up from some lazy writers that aren't good at what they do," Cashman said on XM.
"And I was like, you know what, maybe that's where my motivation (for staying with the Yankees) is going to come from," Cashman said. "I'm like, guys, if you're going to do that, then I can either let that happen as I walk out the door...or I can stay and change the story. And I'm going to stay and change the story. At least that's my intent." Brian's lame lamenting brings back memories of his inappropriate shots at Bernie Williams and Joe Torre, after they left the building.

Bob Raissman, concludes by hitting the nail on the head: "Fortunately, Cashman's power can be used only inside the Yankees organization. To those in the media who chose not to genuflect, those not clamoring for access, Cashman is just another businessman, another self-righteous suit.
Even the "idiots" can now see that."

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Yankees Gaudy Gifts

Christmas came early to the Bronx yesterday as the New York Yankees unwrapped two gaudy gifts. CC, A.J. and a new entourage talked the talk, let's follow the trail of quotable nuggets:

• Unlimited at bats? ""You can never stop swinging for the fences," Cashman said.That's the lesson Cashman learned a decade ago..."
• Ghosts of Christmas past: "New York has used 51 starting pitchers since its last World Series title in 2000, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, tied for sixth in the majors and third in the AL. Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez, Jeff Weaver, Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano have all come and gone. Many of them were introduced with similar hoopla." Lou Gehrig once said something about being the "luckiest man," Cash has exceeded the bar set by the Iron Horse.
• "We've been here. We've done this before. How many times, right? And I've got this on my finger from the times where things have worked out. And I've got tread on my back from where I've been hit by a bus when it didn't work out." The rings were inherited, the bus tread warranted.
• The power of persuasion: ""Ten minutes after he left my house," Sabathia said, "I called him and I looked at my wife, I said, you know, `I'll be a Yankee.' Every time I say that I still get chills thinking about that."
  Sabathia said the addition of a seventh season to the original $138 million, six-year offer was important. His wife said Cashman's decision to offer the opt-out provision was key.
  "When he said that, I said, `We're going to love it,"' she recalled."
• Don't forget the fans: "The pitcher was also concerned about the public perception that he was anti-New York.
  "I was freaking out," Sabathia said. "The Yankees were always in my top three; I just wanted to make sure I heard everything out." The Yanks beat the Angels, who never made a bid and the Brewers who were a measly $61 million short--victory. I'd "have chills" too.
• Another guy with chills: "You don’t mess with success,” Eiland said." Dave just got a lot smarter.
• Trivial pursuit: "Cashman called Sabathia’s weight “an unknown,”
• "Girardi dropped by the workout room at Progressive Field and discovered Sabathia -- less than 12 hours removed from hurling eight innings -- grunting on the machines.
  "That told me something about his work ethic," Girardi said. "There's no way you log in the innings that he logs unless you work." It will be interesting to see how last spring's endless running regime gets modified.
• The stories just keep on coming: "Cashman visited their house, he mentioned the Thanksgiving Day Parade in NY, and she said they'd just watched it and if they come to NY, could they get tickets? He said they could be in the front row, and she said she was sold."
• Does this come with a laugh track? ""I wasn't really concerned about CC's reluctance," Cashman said. Just once, I'd like to hear a reporter retort "Are you serious?"
• CC is ready for the tabloid frenzy: "You guys write it however you want. That got blown way out of proportion. It’s not a big deal.”
• Enough already: "That’s the direction that I took — with great pain,” Cashman said."
• "Pavano raved about the Yankees.
  “He recommended I come here,” Burnett said. “He believed that I had to come here to really blossom and really start something special, that I really would belong here.” There should be a clause in the standard Yankees contract that prohibits the use of the "P" word.

The gibberish never sleeps, but the bottom line is the Yanks used their financial clout to fix flaws and get back in the race. There is only one franchise in baseball with the resources and the willingness, to do what it takes to compete every year. Hope rises from 2008's ashes, whatever the cost.

Photo/NY Daily News

Yankees Maneuvers

CC and A.J. make their grand entrance on the Big Apple stage today, while behind the scenes maneuvers chart the course for the Yankees future. Ruminations rumble and questions never sleep:

• "Funny time for them to find religion, don't you think? Ken Rosenthal of FOX wonders, "But why should a team that bid against itself for the best pitcher on the market suddenly turn passive with the best all-around player? One week the Bombers Brass out-bid the field on CC by $61 million, the next week there allegedly isn't any money to get the job done.
• Buster Olney reports (via The Bronx Block:) "the Yankees have not taken the step that the Red Sox, Angels, Nationals and Orioles have taken -- the Yankees have not even made an offer on the first baseman. Teixeira seems destined to go the way of Beltran and Santana.
• Baseball America's Executive of the Year has a cogent plan: "The Sox identified Teixeira as their top free agent priority before the Yankees spent almost a quarter of a billion dollars to upgrade their starting rotation, and their focus remains unchanged in the aftermath of New York’s spending spree.
• Now what? "Pitchers on Display, but What’s the Lineup?..the Yankees managed only 789 runs in 2008 –- just seven more than the last-place Baltimore Orioles. And now the contracts of Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi have expired."--(NY Times)
• Don't forget the trade market: "the sides were on track for an exchange of Cameron for Yankees centerfielder Melky Cabrera, with left-hander Kei Igawa possibly thrown in as well by New York. Melvin said at the time he considered it a strong possibility the deal would get done this week.
  But Cashman never called back
• The New York Daily News reports: "Tired of waiting for the Yankees to make a move, the Brewers killed the proposed deal for Mike Cameron Wednesday, leaving a gaping hole in center field in the Bronx.
  Could that hole be filled indirectly by Manny Ramirez? No money for Tex's bat and glove but the dread-locked-debacle is still on the radar, must be part of the plan.
• William C. Rhoden gives us the scoop on the new guy: "Sabathia represents a potential breath of fresh air in a stale, cliché-ridden Yankees clubhouse, one with little personality and even less passion, and no recent championships to compensate for those deficiencies." And leaves us laughing about an old guy: "Gary Sheffield was the last great truth teller in the Yankees’ clubhouse." The funny thing is he's serious.
• e-True Sports, passes on some intentional humor to contrast with Rhoden's unintentional blast: "The New York Yankees announced they will purchase the Dominican Republic. “When we crunched the numbers it turned out it was cheaper to buy the whole country, than sign individual players,” explained Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman."

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Yanks Manny Issues

The New York Yankees commit a quarter-of-a-billion dollars to plug holes, yet leaks persist. A big bat is needed and the defense remains porous. The best position player on the market, Mark Teixeira is for sale and would provide an elite bat with a glove of gold. Signing the switch-hitting-star would add a young cornerstone to a rickety Bombers roster and keep him away from the rival Sox and Angels. Cogent baseball logic leads to one conclusion--"Pay the man his money."--(Rounders.)

Not so fast, it's not that easy. You see, the New York Yankees have a budget--seriously, besides what about roster flexibility? (Someone get Cashman a dictionary.) Teixeira's projected ransom is $200 million over 8 years (I'm rounding up, it's a Yankees tradition.) Gee, that's a lot. Or is it? Here's a chart from River Ave. Blues, with Tex in the mix. They project a measly $191 million payroll which is an $18 million dollar savings over last season. Let's get a financial projection via Bloomberg, " scheduled to open their new $1.3 billion palace this season. Vince Gennaro, author of “Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball,” estimates the facility might generate an extra $200 million annually." Money, is clearly not an issue.

While the Bombers' Brass have reservations about the best player on the market, they salivate over Manny Ramirez. NY Daily News sources: "see the slugger as the perfect complement in their lineup to Alex Rodriguez," Manny would provide a big, battle-tested bat, featuring a notoriously goofy persona and deplorable defense. His annual cost would be in Tex's neighborhood for a projected 3 years. An outfield featuring Ramirez loafing in left while Damon assumes the position in center would undermine the fortified pitching staff. Can you say recipe for disaster?

The Yankees whiffed on the opportunity to acquire elite players Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana. Those dubious decisions will haunt the organization for years. Someone said, "Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Mark Teixeira is for sale--"Pay the man his money."

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Yanks Rumors, Conjecture and Gossip

The relentless downpour of baseball rumors subsides as MLB's winter meetings fade away. Yankees fans are left with a drizzle of conjecture and gossip:

• The pitching is fat, but the pickings slim in center: The Bats Blog, postulates that Mike Cameron might not be an upgrade over these guys: "Cabrera was awful last season, with an on-base percentage of just .301 in 129 games. Brett Gardner, the other in-house candidate to play center, had a .283 O.B.P. in 42 games. If the Yankees are considering replacing those players, maybe they don’t value them very highly."
• The one that got away: "Beltran Among Munson Award Winners"
• Wacky sitcom? "The Yankees could Laverne and Shirley for Kei Igawa for all it matters. If Brian Cashman can get Mike Cameron for what amounts to two AAA players, they should name the new Stadium after him." No word on what Cash gets called for paying $46 million for Dice-K light or providing the Melk-man as the prime CF option for two years.
• Apparently, the Brewers sobered up."Igawa was involved but that may no longer be the case."
• Wacky rumor alert: "SI.com reported Monday that Pettitte may have received a three-year, $36 million offer from another unnamed club." Andy's agents have a good imagination.
• Sorry Whitey: ". The lefty never complained, however, cementing his reputation as a latter-day Whitey Ford.
  All the Bombers wanted was a summer of excellence. But Pettitte's 5.35 ERA after the all-star break was a glimpse into how much his cut fastball had been sabotaged by a bad elbow...With that pay cut staring him in the face, Pettitte is now asking himself: Can the pinstripes fit over a bruised ego?" Life is tough.
• Quote of the day: ""I'm not pessimistic or optimistic," Cashman said. "That's just the way I am."

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Yankees Silver Linning

The New York Yankees' shopping spree churns out headlines, boosts expectations and keeps hope alive. A cool quarter-of-a-billion gets invested in two pitchers and another first base candidate while the whole baseball world watches: analysts analyze, haters hate and faith-based fans swoon. The focus is on the free-agent-frenzy, but there is more to the story.

The Bombers' bucks buy more than potentially potent pitching from fresh faced mercenaries, farm relief is part of the deal. While Sabathia and Burnett act as attention magnets in Gotham's glare, Hughes, Kennedy and company breathe a sigh of relief. No one is counting on them for anything. The burden placed on the neophyte shoulders in 2008 has been lifted, a front office failure has been inadvertently rectified. The kids can develop in peace, panic ridden promotions are no longer part of the plan. Money buys more than talent, it buys time.

The Bombers' binge, ironically, gives the alleged youth movement a chance. It will take more than a few headline snatching big tickets to surpass the Sox and Rays. Youth, sooner or later, must be served. The next wave of premium prospects will build the bridge to the Yankees' future. Right now, they're just plugging holes.

Yankees Instant Gratification

Forget about the long-term, the New York Yankees future is now. The championship nucleus dwindles, "rust never sleeps."--(Neil Young.) Rivera is allegedly human. Jeter is the subject of stat. wizards' scorn. Posada lobs in rehab. Pettitte hangs by a $10 million-dollar thread. The end is near.

CC and A.J buttress the Bombers' rotation to potency, when Joba is your #5, the sky is the limit. There is a palpable buzz in the Bronx, spring training can't come soon enough, optimism is reignited.

It's all good, well sort of. Cynics will suggest that the outfield is sparse and note yet another feeble flier at first. It may be mentioned that the proposed lineup is anemic, rickety and injury prone. Nit pickers, I say. The prospect of the Great Rivera shining in the World Series and garnering ring #27 is real. Nothing else matters.

Quote of the day: "there’s no dough left for Mark Teixeira or Manny Ramirez unless Brian Cashman has been flat-out fibbing the entire time. At some point, the Yankees can’t have a roster full of players with long-term, expensive contracts. That makes no sense." (Peter Abraham/LoHud.) It only makes sense, if the desperation to get back on top outweighs cogent, long-term baseball logic. The future is now, nothing else matters.

Photo/Art Files.com

Yankees Back in the Spotlight

Lights, camera, action, the Bronx Bombers are back in the spotlight. A.J. joins CC, running the tab to a quarter-of-a-billion, "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends."--(ELP) (Somewhere, a YES executive is smiling.) Well, in the words of Bruce Springsteen, don't be "Blinded by the light." Reality, lurks in the shadows:

• The Big Lead, in an article titled, "Spending to mask mistakes: The Cashman Way" documents a lurid past: "He also has shown an astute eye for pitching the past few seasons, bringing in Javier Vazquez ($45m), Kevin Brown ($31.5m), Jose Contreras ($21m), Randy Johnson ($31m), Carl Pavano ($39.95m), Jaret Wright ($21m), Roger Clemens ($18.5m) and Kei Igawa ($46m)." That was then, this is now.
• "Another year, another philosophy..Was it panic?
• The process:"For a long time we've been old and everybody knows it," Cashman said. "There's a process."
  But then reality intervened, the process short-circuited." Back where it all began.
• "In terms of sheer baseball decision-making, Cashman has seen the light." Again?
• Can we get back in the warm glow of the spotlight? Not yet, "Burnett's combination of fragility and perceived squeamishness calls to mind the darkest chapter of Yankee GM Brian Cashman's tenure."
• An observation from our neighbors to the north: "Until Burnett drags the Yankees to the playoffs, injuries will define his career."
• Is there a problem here? "When the largest pot of money on the planet is sitting in front of you to take and you have to be convinced to reach for it that indicates a problem of large proportions. God knows the tabloid press in the city won't be changing any time soon."--(Paula Duffy/Examiner)
• "Miserable," is how one executive familiar with Sabathia predicted how the lefty will be in New York. "He's a happy, nice guy who is comfortable in a small-town environment. He's not going to like those expectations. Look what he's done in the playoffs."
  It is true enough that Sabathia's hesitation about New York is a yellow flag.."
• Cheer up:"Plenty is wrong in the world right now. But Britney Spears is back on top and the Yankees are back to being the Yankees," But Britney, we belong on top.

Enough of the dalliance with reality, let's get back in the glow. The Yankees have hired two big guns that will look great on the mound in the Bronx and make Rasner and company a flickering memory. The Yanks are in the championship mix while the haters squirm, back where it all began.

Yankees Speculation and Rumors

The New York Yankees purchase of CC Sabathia is a big step in the right direction but the journey back to the top is just beginning. Let's sort through the rumors, speculation and projections and keep it real.

• The proposed Cabrera for Cameron swap makes sense in the context of the big picture but is no bargain. Melky is expendable given Gardner's speed and Jackson's potential. Here's a scouting report on Cameron from the Baseball Prospectus 2008 Guide (Published prior to the 2008 season.) "Cameron struggled to find an employer...At 35 and in decline, he's a risky investment." So why spend $10 million on a marginal player? Here's a hint: "Cameron is a good friend of CC Sabathia's."--(Peter Abraham/Gannett)
• A.J. Burnett is next on the Yankees' shopping list, be careful what you wish for: "the 31-year-old Burnett would seem to be a bad fit with the button-down Yankees -- especially now that Joe Girardi's clubhouse has taken on the feel of a boot camp. The right-hander, who won a career-high 18 games last season while leading the American League in strikeouts with 231, has a history of arm problems -- including Tommy John surgery -- as well as an explosive temper that led to his suspension, and later explusion, from the Marlins during a pennant race in 2005."
• Fan Graphs, quantifies reason for optimism on the proposed "super rotation."
• Lo Hud, produces a glimpse of an anemic projected lineup, by Bronx Bomber standards.
• Can you say balanced approach?

The Yankees' financial clout snatches the headlines. Catching the Rays and Sox won't be that easy. It will take more than over-the-top money to get the job done. It is a long road back to the top, the journey has just started.

Photo/NY Times

Yanks Yearn for "Habitual Domination"

" The Yankees don't win championships by being Lucky or by some crazed ability to "suck it up in the clutch." No. They win because they are from the Big Apple & they spend Big money for Big players & they have developed a keen taste for Habitual Domination. The Yankees put Meat in the Seats because they Expect to win, by any means necessary".--Hunter S. Thompson

Forget subtle, thoughtful or shrewd, the New York Yankees are using brute power to regain championship cred. because they must. The Bronx Bombers feature attributes that alleged competition can't cope with: a new luxury cash machine, owners willing (read desperate) to spend whatever it takes to win, a multi-billion-dollar TV network hungry for ratings, a never ending stream of corporate welfare, a team architect/point man intensely looking to change his dubious story and a ravenous, jaded fan base. All the ingredients for voracious consumption are in place.

Let the free-agent feast begin, CC Sabathia was bribed (remember, forget subtlety) to perform at the "five-star hotel that surrounds a ball field," in the Bronx. The big man fills a huge hole, but as always there are questions: "The question becomes whether Sabathia can dominate against tougher American League lineups (his AL ERA in 2008 was 3.83, slightly higher than Mark Buehrle's 3.79 with the White Sox), as well as whether that 7.17 postseason ERA is more a misprint than a predictor of future disappointment. The CC deal snatches the headlines, while a garish followup waits in the wings. A.J Burnett has been offered a five-year $80 million dollar deal in hopes that his nasty stuff is capable of taking the mound every fifth day for five years, let's check the stats.--10 DL appearances in 10 years. Another pesky issue, "Imagine what Burnett would be worth if last year's 18-10 season wasn't his first with more than 12 victories?"

Baseball America's Executive of the Year Theo Epstein, notes the Yanks activity,"Yeah, any time a team offers, which at the time was more than $40 million more and could go up to more than $60 million more than anyone else, there's a pretty good chance he's going to sign," said Epstein. "It was a strong signing by the Yankees." Cash, will take that as a complement.

The purists cringe, the haters hyperventilate, the Bronx Bombers smile,"That's the Yankee way, like it or not. And the reason is because it tends to work."

Photo/The Onion

Yankees Land The Big One?

While preparing today's post on the swirling rumors of MLB's Winter Meetings, the ESPN ticker blurts: "Breaking News"--"CC Sabathia to sign with New York Yankees, New York Post reports." The wait is over, the Bombers have a bona fide ace. A go to guy. A durable horse that puts them back on the road to championship credibility. Money may not buy love, but it can buy big time pitching. Be prepared for an avalanche of hyped-hysteria, the bottom line is a headline-splashing free agent with a bonafide track record will be on the hill in the Bronx.

In an effort to keep things real, I consulted two scouting reports on Sabathia for some objective perspective. Leading off Baseball Prospectus 2008 Guide ( Written prior to the 2008 season.)

"the team worked the 26-year-old hard last year, to a point that seemed dangerous. Sabathia eclipsed the 250-inning mark during the ALCS, and it was evident to everybody watching that Sabathia was just plain out of gas in the post-season." This report mirrors the 2008 season as the Brewers rode the big guy to the playoffs and watched him wilt. The difference is the Yanks still have big bucks to spend and there is no reason CC will have to do it himself in the Big Apple.

Next up, Baseball America's 2009 Almanac: "Beyond Sabathia's excellence as a pitcher, his new teammates soon learned he is also an outstanding individual. Laid-back and understated, the soft-spoken giant was a seamless fit.."

Frustrated Yankees fans have something real to cheer about today, assuming reports from the New York Post are correct. (I realize the irony here, but the news is too good to wait for confirmation.)

Sabathia Plays With Yankees

The New York Yankees are "smitten" with CC Sabathia. A durable, left-handed, top-of-the-rotation starter would fill a gaping hole in the Bombers' bedraggled rotation. Everyone knows it. That's the problem.

Yesterday, ESPN's ticker read: "Yankees have great meeting with Sabathia." Today's news reports:

• "Team officials came away from their two meetings with Sabathia believing that the 28-year-old was not fully opposed to playing in New York
• "the team still wasn't sure what chance it had to land the coveted free agent, general manager Brian Cashman said."
• " he has grave concerns about the media scrutiny in New York.."

What will tomorrow bring?

• "We're not being played, we're not being manipulated, we're not being used," Cashman said.
• "Ned Colletti ran into CC Sabathia in the hallway here, and this is what Sabathia said: I want to be a Dodger.

Evidence of the Yankees true impressions filter in with news reports of festering interest in A.J Burnett and Ben Sheets.

• "Overwhelmingly, Sheets is the winner.
  This serves to illustrate that many fans have not forgotten what a force Sheets can be, when healthy, and the Yankees remember as well."
• "another offer may be in the works for Burnett, as the Yankees are said to be willing to go beyond the reported four-year, $60 million offer the Braves have put forth, according to reports on ESPN.com and SI.com.

Don't be fooled by crass imitators, Elvis has left the building.

Yankees' Entourage

Redundant Vegas vernacular flies and baseball rumor mongers hyperventilate as MLB's winter meetings commence. The New York Yankees strut their stuff with an entourage that would make Elvis proud. Brian "Cash" Cashman breaks out the bling in a desperate attempt to bring home the really big one. "Fear and Loathing" are palpable in the Mojave air as we travel to the "Belly of the beast."--(Hunter S. Thompson)

• The stage is set: " the national pastime opens its traveling flea market in Sin City."
• A comedian opens the show: "Anybody who says the macroeconomic situation isn't having an effect on sports is kidding himself," said A's general manager Billy Beane, whose payroll projections are less than what they were at season's end. "It is. It will. It's a fact." No word on Billy's entourage, don't ask about the bling.
• "Boras told NBCSports.com. "Baseball has long-term contracts with national and local TV networks. As I've said all along, the hay is in the barn." And the herd is hungry.
• "There's nothing more ominous for all the clubs here operating in this economy than the Yankees being desperate for pitching," said one agent Sunday night. "They don't seem to care what it costs them to get it." The Santana sweepstakes is a distant memory.
• "it’s clear that not landing either Sabathia or Teixeira would be an abject failure for Brian Cashman and the Yankees, given the number of holes they need to fill." Anyone doubting the veracity of this opinion, needs only to gander at the leftovers.
• "If the Yankees can't get Sabathia, they could turn their focus to the next tier of free agents, highlighted by righthander Ben Sheets and lefthander Oliver Perez...If Teixeira spurns the Yankees and all of the big-name pitchers also avoid the Bronx, the Yankees will have to seriously consider a pursuit of Manny Ramirez" There is a big drop in quality from the big two and the also-rans, if the Bombers whiff early, it's over.(Please, someone talk Brian off the ledge.)
• Oh Sheets: " If the Yankees landed him in conjunction with the sure and steady Derek Lowe, that would be pretty satisfying — at least until Sheets’ first stay on the DL. With Sheets, you wouldn’t be hoping that he keeps completely healthy, just that he limits the severity of his injuries..And Sheets would be a significantly wiser investment than Oliver Perez." Skip, "Desperation Row"--(Dylan) and crank up the youth-movement.

Photo/Holly Cow Yankees Blog

Yanks "Fear and Loathing'

Baseball's sordid free-agent trip leads us to Las Vegas. Here are the links promised from the article, "Yankees Savage Journey."

• "From the poker tables to the crowded lobby at the spectacular Bellagio resort and casino this week, noses will be growing at an astronomical rate.
• Wondering where CC put the Yankees record setting contract offer? "so unconcerned that the worsening economy will reduce his value that he has sat on the Yankees’ offer for three weeks"
• "When it comes to offseason business, Brian Cashman is "willing to try to get stuff done yesterday. I prefer to hit the ground running." The hits just keep on coming.
• " But what if Sabathia truly has no desire to play in New York? Is it then worth it for the Yankees to bribe him into acceptance? In the hallowed halls of the Yankees' front office this is referred to as Plan A.
• "there will be a lot of teams in the same boat - going to Plan B or perhaps no plan at all" The Bronx Bomber faithful can rest assured that one thing our Brain Trust will never, ever run out of is plans.
• Speaking of plans: "it's become maddening. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has begun flying all over the country to visit various free agents, perhaps just for something to do."
• " good to see Brian Cashman is getting aggressive and flying all over the country to meet with players and agents so some of them will take the Yankees' money" Just had a flashback to the good-old-days when players sought out the Yankees to win a ring.
• Florida gets feisty: "And big decisions sometimes turn out to be bad decisions when you spend too much time worrying about other teams.
  Need proof? Look at the Yankees."
• The all and powerful OZ: "The way Boras sees it, Sabathia will have plenty of company among satisfied players by the time spring training begins."
• Fear leads off: "a lot of owners are simply afraid to dive in when they're still hoping that the free-agent market takes a sudden nosedive to parallel the U.S. economy."
• Then loathing: " "Everybody's crying about the economy, but they're using it as cover..But the middle class, the guys on the next rung down, they're going to get nothing." This comment was made by an anonymous player's agent, if I said something this dumb, I wouldn't my name mentioned either. Perhaps, he got wind of Pettitte being offered a paltry $10 million. To paraphrase Clinton, "It depends what the definition of nothing is."

Yankees "Savage Journey"

From the sunny shores of Dana Point California, to the over-the-top opulence of the Bellagio Las Vegas, baseball executives keep their noses to the grindstone, in a relentless quest for championship bling. The economy crumbles and MLB holds its annual Winter Meetings in tawdry Sin City. (If only Hunter Thompson were alive to give this spectacle the mind-altering coverage it deserves.) The commissioner, as always, safeguards the game's best interests. Media hype percolates and bloggers rejoice as the free-agent-frenzy shakes its stupor. The New York Yankees are headliners, "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends."--(ELP)

• "Amid the blackjack tables, roulette wheels and dancing girls, baseball’s executives, general managers and agents will deal, steal and sign some of the game’s best players to contracts."

Editors Note: Technical difficulties prevent me from publishing the remaining links for this article. Please check back later today.

Yankees Relentless Rumors

The trail to Baseball's Winter Meetings is littered with rumors, quotes, notes, speculation, conjecture and gibberish. Let's take a trip down the yellow brick road:

• "All of the tap dancing is over." OK, let's hear from the man with the Yank's future in his hands: "Yankees GM Brian Cashman plans to closet himself in his Bellagio suite as he attempts to make major moves to strengthen the team's pitching, al la sign Sabathia, et al.
  "My memories of Winter Meetings are mostly about what other people do," says Cashman. "I remember when Alex Rodriguez signed that [10-year, $252 million] contact with the Texas Rangers, the buzz it created."
  Cashman agrees he's been deeply involved at the Winter Meetings, "but as a kid growing up I remember how excited I was reading about the rumors, the trades, the possibilities of this and that.
  "But as a participant, I always get disappointed. You feel like you get close to something that could really help you and then it goes up in smoke." Perhaps, the Bombers could hire a confidence consultant.
• " Cashman needs to look in Sabathia's eyes and know for sure that if he takes all the Yankee money that the big lefty definitely wants to be a Yankee." Wouldn't you do this soul searching before you offer $140 million?
• "Typically, the Yankees do not need to beg free agents to accept..." The begging will commence, immediately following the intense eye gazing.
• "Let's be honest here. If Sabathia wanted to play for the Yankees, this would have been done by now." Who said anything about honesty? Is there an honesty consultant in the house?
• "A goose egg for the Yankees among the Big Three might force club brass to dive headfirst into the trade market," Apocalypse Now.
• In case of emergency, whip out Plan B: "there is no “winning with offense.” You win with pitching, particularly starting pitching." Now they tell us.
• "There's increasing buzz about the Yankees' interest in Ben Sheets, possibly an indication that they're not confident they're going to be able to sign Burnett." Who said Pavano's space on rehab mountain would be tough to fill?

Cashman's Contradictions

News reports that Yankees' GM Brian Cashman will meet with CC Sabathia spark feelings of trepidation. The Yanks are at a crossroads and our guide to the promised land has a history of getting lost. I'm reading Buster Olney's, "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty." The author recounts a negotiation from 1998 when Bernie Williams was a free agent and the notorious Albert Belle was the object of the Bombers' affection. A few choice excerpts:

"It was taken as fact in baseball circles that Albert Belle was nuts...Torre and Cashman flew to Arizona to meet with Belle and found him charming...The Yankees offered Williams a five-year, $60 million contract,take it or leave it, knowing Boras would reject the offer. And they bore in on Albert Belle...Cashman closed in on a deal with Albert Belle..'If you get me this, I'll be a Yankee,' Belle said..Steinbrenner approved the terms and Cashman was ecstatic...Cashman called Belle's agent 15 minutes later..and Art Tellem told him there was a problem. Belle wasn't going to be a Yankee. Cashman exploded at Tellem. The Yankees had framed all of their postseason plans around Belle..Cashman emerged as the biggest loser in the negotiations..but he realized, almost immediately that the Yankees may have dodged a major mistake..What mattered was the Yankees succeeded with Williams and Baltimore floundered with Belle, and the episode was a major turning point in the history of the franchise."

Brian Cashman has moves that would make Earl The Pearl Monroe, in his prime, proud. Audacity doesn't begin to describe it. A decade flies by and the contradictions just keep on coming. For a literate update, let's go to The Yankees Republic, and an article titled, "Cash and Burn;Rinse and Repeat": "Brian Cashman belongs among the great geniuses of modern baseball. Witness the contradictions."

The New York Yankees find themselves at another "turning point in history." There is no turning back, the youth-movement map was lost on the journey, our guide assures us he knows the way back to the championship trail. Why don't I believe him?

Yankees Confusing Rumors

My day starts with the alarm clock bleating at 5AM, by 5:30 I'm at the computer sifting through a mountain of New York Yankees: alerts, reports,opinions, articles, comments, E-mails, and assorted gibberish. My deadline is 7AM, when my real job beckons. The mission is to come up with a coherent post, some days are easier than others. Today, I feel like Ian Kennedy looks when another scorching liner goes over the fence. Here are a few conflicting reports that have me in the shape I'm in:

• "Glaring needs: Three starters.
  Secondary needs: A bat. Could be a first baseman, could be a center fielder. Could hit third, fifth or even sixth.
  Fix it in January: The bench needs another warm body or two."--(LoHud) While I'm reading this I'm thinking, "our team architect has taken years not to find a first baseman, and he's going to do all this by February?" Do you believe in miracles?
• "CC Sabathia's heart may be in S.F." Yeah, but where's his wallet?
• "The good news for Yankees fans is that team officials are confident.." Perhaps, they'll all wear #27 this year.
• " It will be CC Sabathia joining the NY Yankees." What are the odds, that the NY Post is "tellin it like it is?"--(Howard Cosell)
• "When it has worked out for us when we signed someone who didn't want to be here?" .Good question, be careful what you wish for.
• "Plausibly, this suggests he wants both fair value and a comfortable locale that likely isn’t New York City."--(The Big Lead) Isn't there a deluxe apartment in the Bronx sky for the big man?
• "So now we know what the Red Sox have been up to all this time while CC Sabathia strings outs the New York Yankees and Scott Boras plans to star in the Merchant of Vegas: They have been further solidifying their foundation. In a time of great economic instability, the Red Sox’ long-term financial situation just got better." File under: Salt in the wound.
• Back to the home front:"When Pettitte was asked about possibly accepting a pay cut to come back, he dodged the topic." Et Tu Andrew?
• "What happened to the untouchable Phil Hughes, the pitcher who the Yankees wouldn’t part with last off-season, not even for Johan Santana? In a perfect world, the Yanks miss on all the bloated free agents and the kids fill the void and redeem the front office. If only the world was perfect.

Photo/NY Post

Yankees Notes and Quotes

How bleak is the hot stove? Arbitration is snatching headlines. Let's wade through a few cumbersome notes, in an effort to find a ray of sunshine:

• "This is as quiet a time as I've ever seen," said Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes. "There's a lot of caution this offseason." "There were some real clear signs that money is an issue," Shapiro said. Go figure.
• Turbulence is on the radar: "I think there will be spurts of activity," Shapiro said. "Once some of these guys sign, there will be a rush to the next level of players, and then it will be slow."
• What Brian said: "The determination we made today was to make sure we control what amount we’d be spending.." What Brian should have said: "We are in a position of having to throw mountains of cash at strangers to fill glaring holes, that the organization couldn't fill internally, as a result we will slash salaries on players that have produced here, because we can." (Note: Cash's new multi-million-dollar deal remains intact.)
• Next: " Brian Cashman says he hasn't ruled out bringing back Abreu, but it's clear that it is not a priority.
  Said Cashman: "They haven't called me and I haven't called them." Can you hear me now?
• The Rumor Merry-Go-Round never stops. Word that the Braves will offer A.J.Burnett a five-year deal reaches Gotham."the Yankees are hoping they won't be left alone when the pitching carousel stops" This is one ride the Yanks don't need to take, five years for a guy who has been on the DL 10 times, in 10 years produces a Pavanoesque flashback.
• Good news from the Bomber beat: "two teams have made the guy an offer. If that doesn’t change soon, the big lefty is going to have make his call." If Cali. isn't on the big man's plate, he must decide between Milwaukee at $100 million or the Big Apple for $140 million. Decisions,decisions.
• Sliding into Home delivers a Winter Ball Report: "Melky Cabrera (Aguilas) went 1-for-3 with a walk. He's hitting .342 in the Dominican League." I realize I'm the only Yankee fan still rooting for Melky, but I've always been a non-conformist.

Photo

Yankees Tighten Bloated Belt

171 men entered MLB's free-agent-frenzy, 169 players wait by the phone, yearning for the sound of their agent's gleeful voice. Don't hold your breath, "The days of largesse are over."--(Ken Rosenthal/Fox)

A stark economy has led bloated baseball to (Gulp) tighten its belt. Everyone is effected, even the all and powerful New York Yankees. The arbitration deadline passed yesterday and the Yanks declined to offer the option to any of its accomplished list of free agents. The Yankees can employ Abreu and Pettitte but the price will have to be right.

Recent Big Apple news that his honor the mayor used his political clout to garner a free, plush luxury suite featuring a gratis menu distorts the fact that times are tough. "The new Yankee Stadium will not be as big a gold mine as expected," Wait, it gets worse," with so many of their corporate customers struggling, the team probably will not reach its initial revenue projections." (I just had a flashback to Brando in Apocalypse Now--"The horror.") Someone has to pay, and the heads of a few non-marquee employees rolled.

News that the Bronx Bombers won't be able to buy their way back to the top, leads to the conclusion that the pennant race will revert to a battle of wits-- a sure sign that the, "Apocalypse is upon us."--(SI)

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Yankees Turn Page

The Yankees youth-movement is a flickering memory. Last year, we were inundated with Generation Trey hype. Who needs Santana when you have Hughes and Kennedy? Reality made an appearance and the kids, overburdened with exorbitant expectations, melted in Gotham's glare. A large swath of Yankees followers got an education--nothing is easy.

Today, the Yanks can offer arbitration to a list of notable names: Giambi, Rodriguez, Abreu, Pettite and the infamous Pavano. The consensus is that Abreu will be the only one offered the option, because the Bombers believe he'll turn them down and two draft picks can be added to the pile.

Pettitte's name draws some attention. The Yanks could use a proven lefty who actually wants to play in the Bronx. Andy yearns to make an appearance on the new stage. So what's the problem? At some point, the Yankees transition to a younger, internally developed roster has to gain traction. Money only goes so far. The front office has been stockpiling arms, who need to compete, for the bottom of the rotation slots. Pettitte's projected #4 spot can be had by a young, cheap alternative with upside. (The list starts with Aceves, Hughes and Coke.) The 16 million-dollar savings can go towards the ransom it will take to fill the top of the rotation's glaring holes.

The youth-movement talk has been talked, it's time to walk the walk. Turn the page on Andy Pettitte's illustrious career.

Photo/NJ.com