Yanks Add Two To The 40 Man Roster

From Ed Price:

The Yankees have added left-handed pitcher Wilkin De La Rosa and right-hander Eric Hacker to the 40-man roster.

De La Rosa, 23, was 9-4 with a 2.11 ERA in 32 combined games (11 starts) with Class A Charleston and Class A Tampa in 2008, ranking fifth in the organization in strikeouts (125 in 106 2/3 innings). De La Rosa was originally signed as an outfielder and converted in 2007.

Hacker, 25, was 9-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 26 combined starts with Class A Tampa and Double-A Trenton in 2008, ranking second in the organization in ERA. He was the Yankees' 23rd-round pick in 2002.

Adding people to the 40-man in a case like this is done to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.

Here are the MiLB.com player pages for both Hacker and De La Rosa.

Hank Likes Manny

From the NY Post:

Hank Steinbrenner said the Yankees will explore all options during the offseason, including the possibility of making an offer to free-agent slugger Manny Ramirez.

"There's nothing we are not looking at," Steinbrenner said today at the Yankees' spring training complex. "And personally, I like Manny. He's one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game. He's a free spirit for sure, but he knows how to win. We like some of the other guys, too. We just don't know yet."

Ramirez was traded from Boston to the Dodgers on July 31, and Los Angeles is expected to attempt to re-sign the high-priced outfielder.

"I want to see who is the highest bidder," Ramirez said when the Dodgers lost the NL championship series. "Gas is up and so am I."

I like Manny Ramirez as well, and I think he'd be a good addition to the Yankees. But, being that he's going to ask for at least four years and I'm not sure it's worth it.

By why must Hank always share the team's plans with the rest of the world? Hank, please shut up.

Hank also had this to say at the end of the article:

"Every team in baseball wants Sabathia," Steinbrenner said. "That's the bottom line. It's not a real secret. Pitching is in the forefront for everybody, not just us. That's why starting pitching is at a premium."

Thank you for stating the obvious.

10/30 Winter Ball Report

In the AFL the Phoenix Dersert Dogs beat the Peoria Javelinas 7-1: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Austin Jackson went 0-for-4

Kevin Russo went 1-for-4 with a HR, RBI, and a run scored

Kevin Whelan pitched 3 innings in relief, he allowed 1 run on 2 hits, walked 2 and struck out 2. He threw 44 pitches, 26 for strikes.

In HWB the Wakiki BeachBoys beat the Honolulu Sharks 5-2: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Damon Sublett went 2-for-4, with a homer, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored

Andrew Brackman started for the BeachBoys and pitched very well. In 6 innings he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walked 1 and struck out 7. He threw 91 pitches, 57 of them for strikes.

Other Yankees players are playing in the Venezuelan, Mexican and Dominican winter leagues. Here's a run down of the players in each league:

Venezuelan League: Edwar Gonzalez, Francisco Cervelli and Carlos Mendoza are playing for Cardenales de Lara. Reegie Corona and Victor Zambrano are on Navegantes del Magallanes. And Edgar Soto is on Aguilas de Zulia.

Dominican League: Bernie Castro, Matt Carson and Wilkins Arias are playing for Aguilas Cibaenas. And Jhonny Nunez, Jose Valdez, Amaury Sanit and Oneli Perez are playing for Tigres del Licey.

Mexican League: Justin Christian is playing for Caneros de los Mochis. And Walter Ibarra is on Naranjeros de Hermosillo.

You can check out all of their Winter Ball stats here.

Online Rumor: Kennedy For Taveras in the Works

From Bleacher Report:

Rumors are swirling that a trade may be in the works to help shore up the starting rotation for the Colorado Rockies. The Colorado Rockies are reportedly in talks with the New York Yankees to swap center fielder Willy Taveras for starting pitcher Ian Kennedy.

The Colorado Rockies have made it well known that they are in the market for a starting pitcher this winter. Most pundits have assumed that they would be dangling All Star outfielder Matt Holliday or slugging third baseman Garrett Atkins.

In Colorado, Taveras has become expendable to make room for top prospect Dexter Fowler, another speedster who also hits for average and power. Even if the Rockies choose to let Fowler gain some experience in Triple-A Colorado Springs, they still have Ryan Spilborghs and Seth Smith to man center field.

In New York, the Yankees are looking for an upgrade in center after Melky Cabrera turned in a disappointing '08 season. Taveras' numbers (.251 BA, .308 OBP) nearly mirror Cabrera's (.249 BA, .301 OBP), except in the stolen-base department, where Taveras set a Rockies record with 67 stolen bags.

Both players have an extreme upside. Scouts have said that Taveras, who is one year removed from hitting .320, is still learning how to read pitchers and steal bases. George Frazier, the Rockies' TV analyst, believes that Taveras could steal 100 bases in a season sometime in his career. He is entering his second year of arbitration and could only improve at the plate hitting in front of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

I'll be honest, I think this rumor is bulls***, but with that said I still felt the need to pass the info along to my fellow fan. At least we can spend some time debating the issue.

It's an interesting idea, but I think we already have a Willy Taveras type player in Brett Gardner, and Gardner may be the better defensive player. Taveras had a -5 in the Bill James fielding bible plus/minus ratings, ranking him 22nd in the league. Taveras was 14th in the MLB with a .875 zone rating, ranked 13th with a 2.61 range factor, and was dead last in qualifying center fielders with a .976 fielding percentage. In limited time Gardner showed that he was a very good defensive center fielder, and I don't think it was a fluke.

On the plus side Taveras has shown that he can hit at this level, he's a .283 lifetime hitter, and as the article stated he hit .320 in 2007.

So let's pretend this rumor has something behind it; I probably wouldn't make the move. I think the Yankees can get a little more for Kennedy, and there's also the slim chance that Kennedy may turn out to be a decent pitcher. I also think Gardner can be just as good a Taveras if given the chance.

What about you, would you trade Kennedy for Taveras?

New Overhead Shot of the New Stadium

(click to enlarge)

For the main updates page click here.

Should the Yanks go After Junichi Tazawa?

From ESPN:

Junichi Tazawa, a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher who wants to play in the major leagues, was passed over by Japan's 12 professional teams in Thursday's amateur draft.

Tazawa, whose fastball reaches 97 mph, had asked Japanese teams not to select him so that he could pursue a career in the United States.

"I'm very relieved," Tazawa said. "I was very nervous right up until the end of the draft."

Earlier this month, Japan's professional baseball teams agreed to introduce a ban on players who return to Japan after opting out of the amateur draft in order to play for overseas pro teams.

Back in September, Gene Michael went over to Japan on a scouting trip. George A. King III reported at the time that the weren't interested in Tazawa, but that could have changed since he went undrafted.

As the ESPN article states, he has a good fastball in the 90's, and according to this article, he also throws several breaking pitches. Here's some video of Tazawa:

And another.

Here's a frame-by-frame breakdown of his windup.

So what do you think, should the Yankees go after this guy?

Yanks May Have Plate Transfering Ceremony

From Pete Caldera:

Yankee Stadium could host one final ceremony after all.

Plans are in the works to have Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte transfer home plate from the current ballpark into the new Yankee Stadium - perhaps on Nov. 8, according to a person familiar with the concept.

Not a bad idea, and those are exactly the four people who should be doing it.

Davidoff: Yanks and Sox to Fight For Teixeira

From Ken Davidoff:

This promises to be a fascinating baseball offseason, with huge dollars being committed to huge names. The free-agency battle that seems to be exciting industry folks the most is not that for the stud starting pitcher CC Sabathia, nor for the wonder that is Manny Ramirez.

It's the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes - not a shocker, when you consider he could wind up with the most money this winter. More than anything, it speaks to both the clubs that figure to be in his competition for his services and the person running the auction.

"That's going to be phenomenal," said an official from a club that will not be signing Teixeira. "The Angels, Red Sox and Yankees fighting for him, with Scott Boras as the ringleader."

What will ultimately decide this is the level of restraint exhibited by the Yankees and Red Sox. The Angels want Teixeira back, after they employed him for a two-month trial run. They've made that clear. Owner Arte Moreno isn't afraid to spend.

He does remind us that just because they will be bidding, it doesn't mean that either team will acquire him:

Don't forget, however, that the Yankees and Red Sox defined last winter with their respective discipline (some might describe it in less flattering terms). Neither club wanted to pay up the prospects and dollars necessary to land Johan Santana from the Twins, steering the lefty toward the Mets.

Davidoff also doesn't see the Yankees (or the Sox) meeting the current asking price:

It would be a shocker if the Yankees paid Teixeira the 10 years and $200 million that Boras will request. Since the Yankees are finally saying goodbye to Jason Giambi after seven roller-coaster seasons, do they really want to weigh themselves down with another monster contract at a non-premium position?

General manager Brian Cashman could approach Teixeira the way he approached Johnny Damon three years ago: Stick to a reasonable number of years and hope the market drops. But Teixeira's market is less likely to fall out that way.

I don't think anyone will come close to 10 years/$200 M either.

10/29 Winter Ball Report

In the AFL the Peoria Javelinas lost to the Phoenix Desert Dogs 10-2: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Kevin Russo went 2-for-4

Humberto Sanchez pitched 1.2 innings in relief. He allowed 1 run (unearned) on 1 hit and 2 walks. He threw 37 pitches, 20 for strikes.

In HWB the Waikiki BeachBoys beat the Honolulu Sharks 12-9: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Austin Romine went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.

Other Yankees players are playing in the Venezuelan, Mexican and Dominican winter leagues. Here's a run down of the players in each league:

Venezuelan League: Edwar Gonzalez, Francisco Cervelli and Carlos Mendoza are playing for Cardenales de Lara. Reegie Corona and Victor Zambrano are on Navegantes del Magallanes. And Edgar Soto is on Aguilas de Zulia.

Dominican League: Bernie Castro, Matt Carson and Wilkins Arias are playing for Aguilas Cibaenas. And Jhonny Nunez, Jose Valdez, Amaury Sanit and Oneli Perez are playing for Tigres del Licey.

Mexican League: Justin Christian is playing for Caneros de los Mochis. And Walter Ibarra is on Naranjeros de Hermosillo.

You can check out all of their Winter Ball stats here.

Congrats To The Phillies

To the dismay of Mets fans, the Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 MLB World Series Champions. They defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 tonight in game 5 on the World Series to take the series four games to one. It's their first WS championship since 1980.

Cole Hamels was the WS MVP, he went 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two games.

Now we can move on to the hot stove period.

Jeter Talks To SI.Com And As Usual He Says Nothing

He dances around topics ranging from his relationship with Minka Kelly, to the election and the Kabbalah.

You can check out the entire interview here.

But if you're used to how Jeter speaks with the media you will know you're not going to learn anything from the interview.

Moose to Meet With Agent at End of the Week

From George A. King III:

Arn Tellem will travel to Montoursville, Pa., shortly to find out what Mike Mussina's future holds.

"I am going to see him at the end of the week," Mussina's agent said yesterday.

A decision should come shortly after that. I can't wait till all this speculation can end and decisions/moves can finally begin to be made.

Hopefully the weather will allow the Phillies to end this World Series tonight so we can move onto the off-season and hot stove period. Its not like anyone is watching or cares anyway.

10/28 Winter Ball Report

In the AFL the Peoria Javelinas lost to the Scottsdale Scorpions 3-2: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Kevin Russo went 1-for-4 with a double.

Humberto Sanchez pitched 1.2 innings in relief. He allowed 1 run (unearned) on 1 hit and 2 walks. He threw 37 pitches, 20 for strikes.

In HWB the Waikiki BeachBoys beat the Honolulu Sharks 12-9: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Austin Romine went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.

Other Yankees players are playing in the Venezuelan, Mexican and Dominican winter leagues. Here's a run down of the players in each league:

Venezuelan League: Edwar Gonzalez, Francisco Cervelli and Carlos Mendoza are playing for Cardenales de Lara. Reegie Corona and Victor Zambrano are on Navegantes del Magallanes. And Edgar Soto is on Aguilas de Zulia.

Dominican League: Bernie Castro, Matt Carson and Wilkins Arias are playing for Aguilas Cibaenas. And Jhonny Nunez, Amaury Sanit and Oneli Perez are playing for Tigres del Licey.

Mexican League: Justin Christian is playing for Caneros de los Mochis. And Walter Ibarra is on Naranjeros de Hermosillo.

You can check out all of their Winter Ball stats here.

Cashman Discusses Various Topics

From Ed Price:

Yankees GM Brian Cashman made an appearance at Foley's NY Pub in Manhattan Tuesday to promote the release of the game and gave his first public comments on Joba Chamberlain's arrest earlier this month.

Asked if he is confident that it was a one-time error by Chamberlain, Cashman said he wasn't.

"He knows that we care a great deal about him," the GM said. "He knows that he's got all the support from us that we can provide, because we do care about him. At the same time, I can't tell you I'm confident about anything that goes on in other peoples' personal lives."

"He made a mistake," Cashman said. "He apologized for it. Thank God no one was hurt. It's a very serious issue. I hope that's the end of it."

"He knows that stuff like that can't happen," Cashman said. "And he's the first to admit that. And hopefully it's something he has and will learn from."

Cashman had this to say about the upcoming off-season:

"I'd love to be able to dictate the tempo of how the winter goes," he said, "but that's not normal.

"We're going to be aggressive, but we always are. ... There's a lot of things that I wish I could do. Whether I'll be able to do them, I have no idea. We'll find out soon enough."

He also said that as far as he knows, Mike Mussina has not made a decision about next year yet.

Peter Abraham also reported on Cashman's appearance at Foley's:

On the third-base coach situation: “It can come from within; it can come from outside the organization. (Manager Joe Girardi) and I have been talking a great deal about what direction we should go.” Cashman talked about the idea of moving Tony Pena or Rob Thomson to third and hiring somebody to fill their spots.”

Jorge Posada: “He’s doing the rehab on his shoulder. His throwing program commences the first week of December.”Is Posada their catcher? “Yes. The plan is for Jorge Posada to be our catcher.”

Chien-Ming Wang: The Wanger was in NYC today getting his right foot checked out and got a clean bill of health. He threw a bullpen in Tampa on Monday. “He’s doing terrific,” Cashman said. “He was fine. He had no pain, no problem.”

Jeter Still Knows How to Win in October

How slow are things in Yankeeland these days? So slow that I'm actually going to post something about Derek Jeter beating Tiger Woods in a video game. Yes, a video game.

From the NY Post:

Jeter and golfer Tiger Woods were in Orlando, Fla., working on Gillette Champions promotions, including for a global online video gaming competition that opens Friday. The shaver maker, part of Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co., is partnering with EA Sports in a tournament that culminates in February with winners playing Gillette endorsers such as Woods and Jeter in person.

Jeter said he took Woods down in "FaceBreaker" video boxing.

"We were just playing a game which I beat him in a few times," Jeter said. "We've got video, photos, all the proof."

"It feels like it should be about the middle of November, so it's been a little awkward," said Jeter.

Jeter also said he hasn't been watching the playoffs or World Series.

"I see highlights of them. If I'm not playing in it, I don't really want to sit around and watch, but I'd be lying to you if I said I'm not interested in what's going to happen."

He laughed when asked which team he's rooting for: "I'm not rooting for anybody."

But he said the Rays' emergence this year has added to the Yankees' challenge in the AL East that they and Boston had dominated in recent years.

"They have a young team and I'm sure they're going to be good for many years, and that unfortunately makes that division that much tougher," he said.

"We need to play consistent baseball," he said. "I've said time and time again, the best teams make (the playoffs) and the hottest team wins. This year, we weren't either one."

When asked about potential free agent signings Jeter said, "There's so many rumors in New York, I learned a long time ago not to even comment on potential teammates."

Rollins Says CC Will Be a Yankee

From Jon Heyman:

Jimmy Rollins, a friend of superstar free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia dating back to their upbringing outside Oakland, Calif., and one of the best prognosticators in the game considering his lofty and correct predictions for his own Phillies, didn't hesitate when I asked him where he thought Sabathia would wind up.

"New York, American League,'' Rollins, an Alameda, Calif. product, said. "They've got enough money, and they need him.''

It's becoming the prevailing opinion around baseball that the Vallejo product Sabathia will become a Yankee, though it's too early to tell for sure whether that belief originates from wishful thinking on the part of Sabathia's handlers, the union or fellow players. Sabathia's agent, Scott Parker, didn't return a call, but the general consensus is that Sabathia's people would naturally prefer that their client maximize his take, which would very likely mean he'd go to the Yankees, who will presumably be the high bidder. And as one baseball person remarked, "I've never seen guys leave money on the table.''

Some estimates suggest that Sabathia could receive $160 million as a Yankee but maybe $120 million or so if he insisted on going home (or close to home).

Wow $160 M is a lot of money, but at this point what other options do we have?

Again, this is more speculation, but at this point in time what else do we have to talk about? Hopefully Rollins is right.

Heyman also mentioned that the although they have no yet expressed interest, the Yankees are intrigued by him.

Page 2 Catches Up With Scott Brosius

From Jeff Pearlman:

... about to begin his second season as coach of the baseball team at Linfield College, his alma mater, in his hometown of McMinnville, Ore., Brosius lives the calm, laid-back life that his DNA seems to require. Competing in the Division III Northwest Conference, Brosius' Wildcats play under a 60-watt spotlight. They may draw, oh, 100 fans to a game, and the go-hard-or-die approach that Brosius grew accustomed to with the Yankees doesn't quite exist at Roy Helser Field. "It was a hard adjustment at first, because I sort of grew used to a very, very high level, and these kids obviously aren't there," says Brosius, who led the Wildcats to a 35-13 mark and a spot in the Division III championship tournament in 2008. "You're a teacher before anything else, which I love. But it was a big change."

Though Brosius certainly enjoyed his 11-year major league career, he was always -- in the best possible sense -- a man who shunned the spotlight; he politely ducked excessive praise and was quick to point out the merits of teammates. In a city that had five different newspapers covering the Yankees, Brosius read about his team exactly zero times. "That's probably how I survived," he says, laughing. "When I arrived [in a trade for Kenny Rogers], I made a commitment to myself that I would never check out the Yankees' coverage in the newspapers -- and I didn't. In four years there, I never read a Yankee article. That was liberating. I held no grudges against writers, and I never obsessed over how I was perceived. I wanted to be anonymous."

Brosius went about his business with a much-appreciated workmanlike diligence. He refused to hotdog; followed up home runs with a quick, compact trot around the bases; never complained about a day off. "Scott is the ultimate professional," Joe Torre once said -- the perfect praise. "You don't have to worry about him."

Brosius also said how the memories of the 1998 World Series are still very vivid in his head and that, "I never wear the ring, but I don't need to. I was there for the moments."

Brosius was very easy to root for, he never said anything or did anything to embarrassed the franchise, and he went out everyday and did everything he could to help the Yankees win. Always a class act and he epitomized the grinder mentality of those Yankees teams.

ESPN's OTL Look at the New Stadium's Financing

A few days ago I posted this about how the Yankees got tax-free bonds, and how would have left the Bronx had they not received that tax-exempt financing. This is just another case of the government handing out money to the rich.

ESPN's "Outside The Lines" took a look at this situation. Here's the video:

(hat tip to River Ave. Blues)

10/27 Winter Ball Report

The Peoria Javelinas beat the Scottsdale Scorpions 6-3: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Austin Jackson went 2-for-3 with a RBI, a run score, and a walk.

Kevin Russo went 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, a RBI, and a run scored.

Kevin Whelan pitched a scoreless inning in relief, he allowed no hits, 2 walks and 2 strike outs.

Other Yankees players are playing in the Venezuelan, Mexican and Dominican winter leagues. Here's a run down of the players in each league:

Venezuelan League: Edwar Gonzalez, Francisco Cervelli and Carlos Mendoza are playing for Cardenales de Lara. Reegie Corona and Victor Zambrano are on Navegantes del Magallanes. And Edgar Soto is on Aguilas de Zulia.

Dominican League: Bernie Castro, Matt Carson and Wilkins Arias are playing for Aguilas Cibaenas. And Jhonny Nunez, Amaury Sanit and Oneli Perez are playing for Tigres del Licey.

Mexican League: Justin Christian is playing for Caneros de los Mochis. And Walter Ibarra is on Naranjeros de Hermosillo.

You can check out all of their Winter Ball stats here.

Just a few things...

There is absolutely nothing going on today regarding the Yankees, so here are a few links from the weekend:

- Dugout Central discusses Jeter's defense and what the Yankees should do about it.

- To the delight of many Yankees fans, the Daily News' Bob Raissman says the John Miller - Joe Morgan ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team may be breaking up.

- Mike Mussina's agent says Mussina has not made a decision about whether he will retire or not.

- The Post's Joel Sherman says Phil Hughes is making Brian Cashman look like a fool. Which is fine if you are ready to give up on Hughes right now, but seriously, am I the only one tired of this argument?

- Don Zimmer talks about his relationship (or lock of one) with George Steinbrenner.

- The Daily News checks in with former Yankees' third baseman Mike "Pags" Pagliarulo.

- The Newark Bears may be folding.

- Bronx Banter has joined the SNY.tv blogging network. Congrats and good luck with the move!

And here are a few more things...

- Former Yankee reliever Luis Vizciano was arrested on DUI charges in Tampa today.

- The Trenton Thunder won the Best Double-A Team Minor League Baseball Yearly Award.

- Chien-Ming Wang was selected Monday as the 10 most outstanding young men and women in Taiwan for 2008. Congrats to the Wanger!

Admittedly none of this stuff is that interesting. So if you have nothing to say about any of this stuff, just discuss the World Series, the Giants big win over the Steelers yesterday, the Jets win over the very lowly Chiefs, the Presidential election, Monday Night Football, whatever you want.

This Week in Yankees History (10/26-11/1)

October 26th - November 1st

October 26th

1877 - Former Yankees P Eustance “Doc” Newton (1905-09) was born. On October 4, 1904, Doc was drafted by the Highlanders from the Los Angeles (PCL) in the 1904 Rule 5 player draft. Doc will go 20-25 in 78 games for the Yankees.

1918 - Former Yankees INF George “Snuffy” Stirnweiss (1943-50) was born. The Yankees signed George Stirnweiss as a free agent in 1940. He joined the Yankees in 1943 just hitting .219. In 1944, he hit .319. He led the AL in 4 departments: base hits (205), runs (125), triples (16) and stolen bases (55). In 1945, he led the AL with .309 BA, triples (22), Runs (107), hits (195) stolen bases (33). Snuffy was a member of the AL All Star teams in 1944-45 as a 2nd baseman. George led the AL 2B in fielding in 1944 and 1948. George appeared in 3 World Series with the Yankees in 1943, 1947 and 1949, appearing in 4 games and batting .250. He continued to play for the Yankees until he was traded to the Browns in June of 1950. He finished up his MLB playing career with the Indians, retiring after the 1952 AL season. Know for his speed on the base paths, George finished his Yankees career with 66 triples and 130 stolen bases. He was with Phil Rizzuto at Yankee Stadium, when Phil was released in 1956, George made sure that Phil, who was very upset went home safely. In 1958, George was killed in a train wreck in New Jersey.

1938 - Yankees obtained P Oral Hildebrand and OF Colonel Mills from the Browns for C Joe Glenn and OF Myril Hoag.

1946 - Former Yankees INF Toby Harrah (1984) was born. On February 5, 1984, Toby was traded by the Indians with a player to be named later to the Yankees for a player to be named later, along with P George Frazier, and OF Otis Nixon. The Indians sent Rick Browne (minors) on February 8, 1984 to the Yankees to complete the trade. The Yankees sent P Guy Elston (minors) on February 8, 1984 to the Indians to complete the trade. Toby hit .217 for the Yankees in 1984, he was a complete failure at the plate. On February 27, 1985, Toby was traded by the Yankees to the Rangers for a player to be named later and OF Billy Sample. The Rangers would send Eric Dersin (minors) on July 14, 1985 to the Yankees to complete the trade.

1950 - The BWAA selected Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto as the 1950 AL MVP. He posted a .324 BA with 200 hits and 125 runs, but drove in just 66 runs. Rizzuto, who received 16 of 23 1st-place votes, easily out-pointed runner-ups Billy Goodman of the Red Sox and his Yankees teammate Catcher Yogi Berra.

1964 - Former Yankees P Steve Adkins (1990) was born. The Yankees in the 15th round of the 1986 amateur player draft drafted Steve. Steve went 1-2 in 5 games with the Yankees during the 1990 season. On June 26, 1991, Steve was traded by the Yankees to the Cubs for David Rosario (minors).

1977 - Yankees Closer Sparky Lyle became the 1st AL reliever to win the Cy Young Award. Lyle led the AL with 72 appearances, posting a 13-5 record with 26 saves and a 2.17 ERA.

1991 - Former Yankees P Bill Bevens (1944-48) passed away (1924-1991). Bill went 40-36 in 96 games for the Yankees. In the 1947 World Series, Bill lost his no-hitter game against the Dodgers in the 9th inning to lose by a score of 3-2. On January 17, 1949, Bill was purchased by the White Sox from the Yankees. On March 28, 1949, he was returned to the Yankees by the White Sox. On April 18, 1949, the Yankees released Bill.

1996 - The Yankees clinch their 23rd World Series by defeating the Braves, by a score of 3-2, in Game 6. Yankees catcher Joe Girardi’s RBI triple keys a 3-run rally against the Braves starter Greg Maddux. The Yankees closer John Wetteland is named the 1996 World Series MVP after posting his 4th save.

2000 - In Game 5 at Shea Stadium, the Yankees win their 3rd consecutive World Series, their 4th title in 5 years and record 26th World championship, by defeating the Mets, by the score of 4-2. Luis Sojo's 9th inning 2-out, tie-breaking single off of Mets starter Al Leiter is the decisive hit. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter becomes the 1st player to win the All-Star Game MVP and the World Series MVP honors in the same season. Joe Torre becomes only the 5th manager to win 4 WS championships, joining HOF Managers: Joe McCarthy (Yankees) (7), Casey Stengel (Yankees) (7), Connie Mack (A’s) (5) and Walter Alston (Dodgers) (4).

October 27th

1876 - Former Yankees OF Patrick “Pasty” Dougherty (1904-06) was born. On June 17, 1904, Patsy was traded by the Boston Americans to the Highlanders for 3B Bob Unglaub. His best Yankees season was in 1904, when hit .283 for the Yankees.

1955 - Former Yankees P and HOF Manager Clark C. Griffith passed away (1869 - 1955). Clark was the 1st Manager of the Highlanders. As a pitcher with the Yankees, Clark went 31-23. His Yankees Manager record was a 419-370 mark, (1903-1908). His best season was in 1904, with an 92-61 record and then in 1906, going 90-61, both seasons were 2nd place finishes. The 1904 season the Yankees lost the pennant on the last day of the season on a wild pitch by Jack Chesbro.

1972 - Yankees obtained C Rick Dempsey from the Twins for OF Danny Walton. Rick would be a reserve catcher for Thurman Munson until his trade in June of 1976 to the Orioles. Walton was a major disappointment for the Yankees, never showing the signs of being a power hitter the Yankees had hoped for when they had obtained him from the Brewers. Walton spent the 1972 season in the minors, while young Dempsey had cups of coffee with the Twins the past 4 seasons.

1985 - Manager Billy Martin is fired by the Yankees for an unprecedented 4th time and is replaced by former Yankees OF Lou Piniella, who had been the team's hitting instructor since retiring as a active player in 1984.

1996 - After 2 humbling losses at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees won their 1st World Series title since 1978 with a 3-2 victory over the defending World Champion Atlanta Braves in Game 6.

1999 - Roger Clemens pitched the Yankees to their 2nd straight World Series sweep, shutting down the Braves by the score of 4-1 and ending his quest for the one and only prize that eluded him. The Yankees won their record 25th World championship - and 3rd in 4 years. Game 4 marked Bombers 12th Series victory a row, matching a team's mark. Yankees Closer Mariano Rivera gets his 2nd save and is named the 1999 World Series MVP. The Braves joins the Giants (1910-19) as the only MLB teams to lose 4 World Series in a decade.

2000 - NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani thinks it is okay for children to take a day off from school to watch the Yankees' ticker-tape parade. His Honor, believing baseball can be an educational experience, has allowed his own kids, Andrew and Caroline, to miss classes in the past to watch the Yankees post-season celebrations. The Mets, this year's runner-ups in the Subway Series, turn down Giuliani's invitation to be part of the parade for the World Champion Yankees down the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan.

2001 - The Diamondbacks pound the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2001 World Series by a score of 9-1 behind starter Curt Schilling. Schilling hurls 7-innings to win his 4th game of the postseason. Craig Counsell and Luis Gonzalez hits HRs for Arizona as Yankees starter Mike Mussina takes the loss.

2006 - Former Yankees P Joe Niekro (1985-87) passed away. On September 15, 1985, Joe was traded by the Astros to the Yankees for players to be named later and P Jim Deshaies. The Yankees sent Neder Horta (minors) on September 24, 1985 and Dody Rather (minors) on January 11, 1986, to the Astros to complete the trade. Joe went 14-15 36 games for the Yankees. On June 7, 1987, Joe was traded by the Yankees to the Twins for C/DH/1B Mark Salas.

October 28th

1904 - Former Yankees OF Elias “Liz” Funk (1929) was born. Liz appeared in 1 game for the Yankees with no hits.

1916 - Former Yankees OF/1B Ed Levy (1942, 1944) was born. Joe hit .182 in 54 games with the Yankees between trades with the Yankees and the Phillies.

1917 - Former Yankees Closer Joe “Fireman” Page (1944-50) was born. The Yankees signed Joe as an amateur free agent in 1940. Joe Page was the Yankees bullpen closer from 1944-1950. He finished his Yankees career with a 57-49 record in 278 games with 76 saves. He led the AL in saves in 1947 with 17 along with 14 wins, again in 1949 with 27 saves and 13 wins. Joe appeared in 2 World Series with the Yankees, going 2-1 with 2 saves. Joe was named to the AL All Star team in 1944, and in 1947-48. In 1949, Joe won the Babe Ruth Award for his performance in the World Series against the Dodgers. On May 16, 1951, the Yankees released Joe. Joe passed away on April 21, 1980, at the age of 63. Before his death, he ran a hotel-bar in Ligonier, Pa.

1953 - Veteran baseball announcer Red Barber resigns from the Dodgers broadcasting team and takes a job with the rival Yankees, joining Mel Allen in the Yankees broadcasting booth.

1979 - The Yankees replaced fired manager Billy Martin with former Yankees MLB Coach Richard Howser, who was the head coach of the Florida State Seminoles baseball team. In 1980, Howser will lead the Yankees to 103 victories, but lose the 1980 ALCS to the Royals.

1981 - Behind solid pitching of starter Burt Hooton, the Dodgers completed a World Series comeback defeating the Yankees, by the score of 9-2. The Dodgers had trailed the Series 2 games to none before bouncing back to win 4 straight games. Pedro Guerrero drove in 5 runs for the Dodgers, who avenged two 6-game World Series defeats to the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.

2001 - In the World Series, Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks pitched a 3-hit shutout to defeat the Yankees, by the score of 4-0, taking a 2-0 advantage in the Series. Matt Williams became the 1st player in World Series history to hit a HR with 3 MLB different teams. He hit HRs in the Fall Classic for the Indians in 1997 and the Giants in 1989.

October 29th

1882 - Former Yankees OF Arthur “Circus Solly” Hofman (1916) was born. Before the1916 AL Season, he jumped from the Buffalo Blues (Federal League) to the Yankees. He hit .296 in 6 games for the Yankees.

1891 - Former Yankees P Joseph “Happy Joe” Finneran (1918) was born. In May of 1918, the Yankees purchased Joe from the Tigers. Joe went 3-6 in 23 games for the Yankees.

1920 - The Yankees raid the Red Sox again, this time signing away General Manager Edward Barrow, who will become the Yankees new General Manager. He would be instrumental in building the Yankees farm system and great trades that allowed the Yankees to dominated baseball in 1920-30’s. From 1939-1945, he was the Yankees President running the team for the Jacob Ruppert Estate, before leaving the Yankees in 1945, when the team was sold to new owners. Ed would be elected to Baseball’s HOF in 1953.

1959 - Former Yankees OF Jesse Barfield (1989-1992) was born. On April 30, 1989, Jesse was traded by the Blue Jays to the Yankees for P Al Leiter. Jesse never regained his batting stroke that he had earlier in his MLB career with Blue Jays.

1965 - Former Yankees INF (1913) and HOF Manager Bill McKechnie passed away. Bill was a weak fielding player, who would have more success as a MLB Manager. He was elected to Baseball’s HOF in 1967. As a Yankees INF in 1913, Bill hit .314 in 44 games. He won NL pennants with the Pirates, Reds and the Cardinals. In 1925, his Pirates team defeated the Senators in the World Series.

1968 - Yankees released veteran INF Richard Howser as a player, then signed him as an MLB coach. Richard was plagued by back problems, when he came to the Yankees to finish out his MLB playing career.

1975 - Former Yankees OF/DH Karim Garcia (2002-03) was born. On April 2, 2002, he was signed as a free agent with the Yankees. He appeared in 5 games and hit .200. The Yankees released him in July of 2002, he was picked up by the Indians. On June 25, 2003, the Yankees purchased Karim from the Indians. He hit .302 in 52 games before leaving the team for free agency.

1991 - Buck Showalter replaces Stump Merrill as the Manager of the Yankees. At age of 35, Showalter becomes the youngest active manager in the MLB. He will manage the Yankees through the end of the 1995 AL season. Buck Showalter played minor league baseball in the Yankees farm system, later becoming a Manager in the Yankees farm system.

1996 - Former Yankees P Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell (1952-53) passed away (1922-1996). On August 28, 1952, Yankees purchased veteran P Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell from the Reds for $35,000 and 4 players: pitchers Johnny Schmitz and Ernie Nevel and Outfielders Bob Marquis and Jim Greengrass. Blackwell will go 3-0 with 2 saves in September and the 1953 AL season.

October 30th

1888 - Former Yankees P Marty McHale (1913-15) was born. Marty went 12-27 in 51 games for the Yankees.

1941 - Former Yankees DH/3B Jim Ray Hart (1973-74) was born. Jim hit .254 for the Yankees in 1973. On June 7, 1974, Jim was released by the Yankees.

1948 - Former Yankees OF Mickey Rivers 1976-1980 was born. On December 11, 1975, Mickey was traded by the Angels along with P Ed Figueroa to the Yankees for OF Bobby Bonds. In 1976, he hit .312 and was named to the AL All Star Team. He would hit .326 in 1977, but dropped to .266 playing with injuries. On August 1, 1979, the Yankees traded Mickey with players to be named later to the Rangers for players to be named later, OF/DH Oscar Gamble, and Amos Lewis (minors). The Rangers would sent Pitchers Ray Fontenot and Gene Nelson on October 8, 1979 to the Yankees to complete the trade. The Yankees would send minor league pitchers Bob Polinsky, Neal Mersch and Mark Softy on October 8, 1979 to the Rangers to complete the trade.

1962 - Former Yankees OF/DH Danny Tartabull (1992-95) was born. He was the son of former MLB player Jose Tartabull. On January 6, 1992, The Yankees signed Jose as a free agent. His best Yankees season was in 1992, when he hit .262 for the Yankees. On July 28, 1995, Jose was traded by the Yankees to the A’s for OF/DH Ruben Sierra and Jason Beverlin.

2001 - George W. Bush becomes the 8th President of the United States to attend a World Series game and the 1st since Dwight D. Eisenhower to throw out the ceremonial 1st pitch. Wearing a New York Fire Department windbreaker in honor of the heroes of the September 11th attacks, the president walks to the mound by himself, gave a thumbs up to the crowd, and threw a perfect strike much to the delight of the stadium faithful. In Game 3, the Yankees win by the score of 2-1 over the Diamondbacks, behind strong pitching by starter Roger Clemens and closer Mariano Rivera.

October 31st

1882 - Former Yankees OF Bert Daniels (1910-13) was born. Marty hit .257 in 455 games with the Yankees, before being sold to the Reds in October of 1913.

1957 - All Star C Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees says the team returned fine money to the Yankee players involved in the Copacabana nightclub fight in May.

2001 - A 2-out, 2-run HR by Tino Martinez in the bottom of the 9th inning ties the game, and Derek Jeter hit a HR in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Yankees, a 3-2 victory over Arizona and knots the World Series at 2 games apiece. Both HRs come off of Byung-Hyun Kim, who relieved Curt Schilling in the 8th inning. Yankees Closer Mariano Rivera gets the win in relief for the Yankees.

November 1st

1884 - Former Yankees OF/1B Robert “Ham” Hyatt (1918) was born. On June 19, 1918, the Yankees purchased Bob from the Braves. Bob hit .229 in 53 games with the Yankees.

1893 - Former Yankees OF Alex Burr (1914) was born. Alex appeared in 1 game with the Yankees with no plate appearances. Alex Burr was killed in an airplane accident on October 12, 1918 while serving in the United States Air Service in Cazaux, France. Burr's plane crashed into a lake in flames; his body was not recovered. He had been serving in France since November 1917. Alex was 24 years old at the time of his death. Burr was one of 5 MLB players who were killed in World War I. The others were: Bun Troy‚ Larry Chappell‚ Eddie Grant‚ and Ralph Sharman.

1943 - Yankees AL All Star starter Spud Chandler is named AL pitching ERA leader, with a 1.64 ERA. Spud went 20-4 for the 1943 Yankees.

1978 - Yankees starter Ron Guidry is the unanimous choice for the 1978 AL Cy Young Award. Guidrry led the AL in wins (25), winning percentage (.893), shutouts (9), and ERA (1.74).

1979 - The Yankees acquired OF Ruppert Jones from the Mariners and C Rick Cerone and P Tom Underwood from the Blue Jays, giving up 7 players, including the popular 1B Chris Chambliss, INF Damaso Garcia, OF Juan Beniquez, and Pitchers Jim Beattie and Paul Mirabella. Chris Chambliss will be with the Blue Jays for only a month, before they swap him to the Braves. The Yankees will use Rick Cerrone as their starting catcher, replacing the rookie duo of Jerry Narron and Brad Gulllen, who stepped in the role as catchers after Munson’s tragic death during the 1979 AL season. The Yankees 1st Base position will remain unstable with the departure of steady Chris Chambliss, until the arrival of Don Mattlingly.

2001 - The 1st MLB game ever started in the month of November is a memorable one as the Yankees, for the 2nd consecutive night, make a dramatic comeback in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game and go on to victory in extra innings. In an amazing case of history repeating itself, Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim is again victimized, this time by Scott Brosius, who hits a game-tying 2-out, 2-run HR to knot the game at 2-2 in the 9th inning, as Alfonso Soriano’s hit a RBI single with Chuck Knoblauch scoring the winning run in the 12th inning to give the Yankees, a 3-2 victory and 3-2 lead over Arizona in the World Series. Steve Finley and Rod Barajas homered in the 5th inning for Arizona's runs.

2005 - Larry Bowa was hired by the Yankees as their 3rd base coach for the 2006 AL season. A 5-time NL All-Star shortstop, Bowa managed for Padres and the Phillies, and also he coached for the Angels, Mariners and Phillies. Bowa is the 1st addition to Yankees manager Joe Torre's coaching staff, which lost P coach Mel Stottlemyre (who retired) and bench coach Joe Girardi (who became manager of the Marlins). Luis Sojo, who coached 3rd base the last season, is expected to be offered another job in the organization by the Yankees.

previous week

(As always I'd like to thank Fw57Clipper51 for his great contribution.)

Does Anybody Want to Play for the Yanks?

We've already heard that Derrek Lowe wants to be a Red Sock and Jake Peavy "hates" New York. Today, both the NY Post and NY Daily News had articles about CC, and both had some bad news if you're a Yankees fan who hopes he ends up pitching in the Bronx next April.

First there was this from Anthony McCarron's article in the Daily News:

The 28-year-old Sabathia is the No. 1 starter available for the Yanks' No. 1 need and many in baseball believe if Sabathia is simply interested in getting the biggest, longest contract, he'll be fitted for pinstripes.

But nothing is certain - ex-Yankee Doug Mientkiewicz was quoted in USA Today in September saying that Sabathia had told him of New York, "I'm not going to go there."

Those who know Sabathia - the same people who talk glowingly about his sweet, easygoing nature and his "big ole smile," as Abe Hobbs, his high school coach described it - say money won't be Sabathia's only consideration. Sabathia, who is married with two kids and another due this month, is looking to build a house near Los Angeles. Some believe he'd prefer to play in California, in the National League, because he loves to hit.

"I know he wants to put on some World Series rings before he leaves the game and do some special things," Hobbs says. "He's a guy who, in a couple years, people will start talking about the Hall of Fame. He's smart enough to know that it's a much shorter road to the Hall of Fame through New York. I could see him playing in New York.…I don't think anything in California is a lock right now."

"This is just my guess, but the challenge of playing in New York might be intriguing to him, knowing him the way I do," adds Paul Cogan, the scout who signed Sabathia as the 20th pick of the 1998 draft. "He could handle it. But he really likes to hit, too. In the past, he's grabbed me and said, ‘Tell these people that I can hit!'"

"The only team who can pay him out there (California) is the Angels, unless the Dodgers do," said a major league executive who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It might get to be like Kevin Brown with the Dodgers - the Yankees might be the only team bidding in that neighborhood.

"Most of the time, the highest bidder is rewarded, if the highest bid is enough. This guy can ask for Mars and take the moon this winter."

At least the people who spoke to McCarron left open the possibility of CC heading to New York.

In George A. King's article from the Post there is nothing new about CC, just more speculation that he doesn't want to pitch in the AL or the east coast. The same stuff we had been hearing prior to his post season statements about playing anywhere, which obviously could have been made just to keep everyone in the future bidding war.

King also mentioned that "word is spreading that A.J. Burnett will shy away from The Bronx, too," but then went on to write,

Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, denied his client has ruled out the Yankees.

"That is 100-percent wrong," Braunecker said. "If he does indeed opt out of the deal [with Toronto] he will see if the Yankees are interested."

Again, the agent is probably just saying this to make sure the Yankees are in the bidding for Burnett regardless of whether he wants to play here or not so they can drive the price up.

Initially this post was just supposed to be based on McCarron's article, but then I stumble upon the King article and then this one from Bill Madden of the Daily News:

But while reports have widely circulated that Sabathia wants to pitch for a West Coast team, preferably in the National League, that Burnett would like to pitch for Baltimore, where his wife's family is from, and that Angels owner Arte Moreno is resigned to spending over $100million to retain Teixeira (also a Boras client), there are mitigating factors to consider.

Sabathia, who is building a home in L.A., is going to be pursued by both the Angels and Dodgers - the latter especially if they are unable to re-sign Manny Ramirez. In addition, the Giants, despite owing Barry Zito another $100 million over the next five years, are said to be prepared to be players for Sabathia, who, in the end, likely will command a six-year deal in excess of the $137.5 million the Mets gave Johan Santana. Said one baseball exec: "The Giants are the wild card here, but the Dodgers, if they lose Manny, will have no choice but to get heavy into Sabathia.

"The problem for all of those teams, including the Brewers (for whom Sabathia finished 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA after being acquired from Cleveland in early July) is that, if the Yankees go to $150 million, they're probably all going to be out. Then it will be up to Sabathia to decide if he wants to take less for pitching where he wants, and, in that case, it probably won't be his decision because the union will put too much pressure on (his agent, Greg) Genske not to sign for under market."

He also had this to say about Mark Teixeira:

As for Teixeira remaining with the Angels, a National League GM speculated: "He's a terrific player, but let the buyer beware. He's drunken Boras' Kool-Aid and has no loyalty to anything other than the highest bidder. In that sense, he's just another mercenary."

That should be some good news for the Yanks.

A lot of speculation going on this morning, huh? At least there were some good quotes from real sources, even in the George King article.

There seems to be two schools of thought on this one; either a player will be loyal to their heart and go where they truly want to play, or a player will be loyal to money. I'm hoping greed prevails.

10/25 Winter Ball Report

The Peoria Javelinas lost to the Peoria Saguaros 15-4: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Jeff Marquez started for the Javelinas, and got hit very hard while picking up his first loss of the winter. In 2.1 IP he allowed 5 runs (all earned) on 4 hits, he walked 3 and struck out three. He also gave up 2 home runs. He threw 55 pitches, 30 of them for strikes.

Juan Miranda went 0-for-3 with a walk.

Kevin Russo went 2-for-3, with 2 runs scored.

Other Yankees players are playing in the Venezuelan, Mexican and Dominican winter leagues. Here's a run down of the players in each league:

Venezuelan League: Edwar Gonzalez, Francisco Cervelli and Carlos Mendoza are playing for Cardenales de Lara. Reegie Corona and Victor Zambrano are on Navegantes del Magallanes. And Edgar Soto is on Aguilas de Zulia.

Dominican League: Bernie Castro, Matt Carson and Wilkins Arias are playing for Aguilas Cibaenas. And Jhonny Nunez, Amaury Sanit and Oneli Perez are playing for Tigres del Licey.

Mexican League: Justin Christian is playing for Caneros de los Mochis. And Walter Ibarra is on Naranjeros de Hermosillo.

You can check out all of their Winter Ball stats here.

Here is a breakdown of all the week's Winter Ball action from BigGuy. Thanks as always BG for the great contributions.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE:

Phil Hughes got the start Friday night in the AFL All Star game. Hughes threw a scoreless 1st inning. In the 2nd inning he was hit hard for 4 runs ( 1 earned) on 2, 2-run homers, double, HBP, walk, and error. Fridays line: 3.0 IP, 4 runs (1 earned), 3 hits, 3 K--2 BB

AFL Totals: 15.2 IP, 9 earned runs, 15 hits, (3 HR), 14 K-10 BB.

Humberto Sanchez pitched Thursday and had a terrible game. He gave up 6 runs on 6 hits, including a 2-run homer and 2 doubles. He also allowed a wild pitch and walk. He did not record an out. AFL totals, 4 games, 2.2 IP, 10 runs, 10 hits (1 HR), 7 K--4 BB

Kevin Whelan has pitched very well so far in AFL play. This week he pitched in 2 games,

2.1 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits. AFL totals: 4 Gms, 6.0 IP, 0 Runs, 4 hits, 6 K--2 BB

Jeffrey Marquez had pitched well in 4 relief appearances. In 6.2 IP, 2 runs, 3 hits. Saturday he made his 1st start. He got hit hard in 2.1 IP, giving up 5 runs on 4 hits, including a 3-run homer and 2-run homer. AFL totals: 9.0 IP, 7 runs, 7 hits (3 HR), 10 K--7 BB.

Austin Jackson made the AFL all star game and went 0-1 with a walk and stolen base in that game. For the week he went 5-14 hitting his 1st home run. AFL totals --12 games, .265, 1 HR, 2 triples, 2 doubles, 10 RBI. 11 K--2 walks in 49 at bats.

Juan Miranda slumped for the week, 1-14 to lower his average to .333. AFL totals: 11 games , 1 HR, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 7 RBI, 8 runs.

Kevin Russo continued his hot hitting this week going 5-9. He's played short, 3rd, 2nd and left.

AFL totals: 11 games, ..371, 5 rbi, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 3 stole bases.

HAWAII WINTER LEAGUE

Andrew Brackman made his 5th start Tuesday going 5.0 innings. He gave up 1 earned run on 5 hits, 4 K's--1 walk, 1 wild pitch. He thew 81 pitches--48 strikes. 5 groundouts--4 flyouts. His ERA in 5 games 5.03. HWL totals-- 2-3, 19.2 IP, 11 runs, 20 Hits, 20 K's--11 BB.

Jeremy Bleich has pitched very well at the HWL. He picked up his 2nd win Friday in a 10-3 win over N. Shore. Bleich went 7.0 IP, 2 runs, 5 hits with 8 K's--1 walk. His ERA is now at 2.45.

HWL Totals--- 5 games--25.2 IP, 7 runs, 20 hits, 22 K's--9 BB.

Damon Sublett did not play in any games this week. His HWL totals 10 games, BA .289. 38 AB's, 11 hits (1 home run, 3 doubles, triple) 11 rbi, 8 runs, 15 K's--2 walks.

Austin Romine played in only 1 game and was HBP, suffering an arm injury. He has not played since. He's hitting .269 in 9 games, 2 RBI.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Victor Zambrano--3 Gms. 16 IP, 1 run, 7 hits, 12 K--4 walks, BAA .127

Francisco Cervelli -- 5 games, 1 hit in 10 at bats.

Edwar Gonzalez -- 2 games, 2 hits in 4 at bats.

Reegie Corona--6 games, BA. 429. 6 for 14, 1 homer, 3 doubles.

Edgar Sota -- 1 game. 1.0 IP, 5 earned runs, 4 hits. 2 K--0 walks.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE

Matt Carson -- 5 games, .117 (2-17) 2 RBI

Wilkins Arias struggled in 2 games. 0.2 IP, 4 runs, 4 hits (HR). 0 K's

Oneili Perez picked up a save Friday night going 1 scoreless inning with 2 K's, but 2 walks. In 4 games, 4 IP, 4 runs, 6 hits, 7 K-4 BB.

Jhonney Nunez -- 3 games. 3.0 IP, 1 run, 3 hits, 3 K--1 walk.

MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE

Justin Christian--13 games, .218. 1 HR, 3 triples, 7 stole bases.

Walter Ibarra--- 7 games, .375, (6-16), 1 RBI, 1 stole base.

Yanks Would Have Left Bronx Without Tax-Free Bonds

From Richard Sandomir:

Randy Levine, the president of the Yankees, told a Congressional hearing Friday that if the city had not issued tax-exempt financing for the team’s new stadium, it would have left town.

“It’s been no secret for many years” that the team would move if it could not save tens of millions of dollars on financing with tax-free bonds, Levine told the House subcommittee on domestic policy. He added: “There was no shortage of suitors. We see ourselves as a paradigm in professional sports.”

Levine refused to be specific about the other suitors, but when asked after the hearing if New Jersey has wooed the Yankees in recent years he said, “Absolutely!”

The allure of New Jersey endured into 2006 — years after the team’s annual attendance reached three million and then four million. In June 2005, at a gala unveiling for designs of the new ballpark, Steinbrenner declared the team would stay in the Bronx. But at that time, the financing deal with the city had not been reached.

In early 2006, the city’s Economic Development Corporation recommended how to make the stadium project eligible for more than $900 million in tax-exempt financing.

In a memo to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Andrew Alper, then the E.D.C. president, said the likely result of not providing the tax-free bonds “was the loss of the New York Yankees.” Alper said the Meadowlands “could easily be reconfigured to accommodate a stadium for the relocation of a major league baseball franchise” and that the Yankees’ appeal would let them relocate “within the tri-state area, the country and even internationally.”

Earlier this week the Federal tax officials ruled that they would "allow the Yankees and the Mets to issue a new round of city-issued tax-exempt bonds worth hundreds of millions of dollars for their new homes in the Bronx and Queens."

Critics of public subsidies for sports teams were dismayed by the long-awaited ruling. “This is the same kind of socialism for the rich, and capitalism for the rest of us that’s gotten us into the current economic mess,” said Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, a Democrat from Westchester.

While this does seem like another case of the rich getting richer at the expense of the tax payer, I have to be honest, I'm no expert on this financial stuff, so I'll let those of you who know more about this than I do discuss it further. What I will say is that the last thing I'd want to see is the Yankees moving out of the Bronx, especially if that would have meant moving to Jersey. So based solely on that, I'm glad they got what they wanted.

Yankee Stadium Course Being Taught at Rutgers... NICE!

From The New York Times:

Typical first-year courses at Rutgers University include biology, calculus, English literature, history and economics. But 20 freshmen — 19 of them Yankees fans — are enrolled in a research seminar called Yankee Stadium.

Mike Glitch of Millstone, N.J., who is leaning toward a major in journalism, or perhaps music education, is on the roster for the 10-week fall course, which examines themes and issues related to the House That Ruth Built.

“Studying the Stadium is more than knowing Paul O’Neill’s batting average in 1998,” Glitch, 18, said. “The stadium has diverse effects on different walks of life, and it’s interesting to study how one building could spawn all that it has.”

Topics of research include the hero in American culture, the pluses and minuses of urban development, and the relationship between public finance and private enterprise.

Theresa M. Collins, a history professor at Rutgers for 17 years, teaches the one-credit course at the Livingston campus in Piscataway, N.J. With 220 applicants, she said, Yankee Stadium was the most requested first-year research seminar this fall.

“The purpose of this course is to open up the minds of these students to the joys of research, especially in places you wouldn’t normally think of it — like Yankee Stadium,” she said. “We often discuss the potential for certain research projects related to the Stadium, which allows the students an opportunity to maximize their sense of learning in this field.”

Wow, what a great class. As part of the course they took a tour of Yankee Stadium in September. It also stated in the article that the would be taught again next September.

10/24 Winter Ball Report

In the AFL Rising Stars game the National League beat the American League 8-7: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Phil Hughes started for the NL and did not pitch well for his second straight outing. In 3 innings Hughes allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2 and struck out 3. He threw 50 pitches, 27 of them for strikes. He allowed two 2-run homers, both in the 2nd inning. He's had control issues all Winter, and it's something he's obviously going to need to work on.

Here's an inning-by-inning breakdown of Hughes' start from BigGuy:

1st Inning: Hughes tossed a scoreless 1st. He got the first 2 batters on outfield fly outs. Then he allowed a 4-pitch walk, but the runner was caught stealing to end the inning.

2nd Inning: Hughes had a rough 2nd inning. The leadoff batter reached on an error by the 3rd baseman. He struck out the next batter, but that was followed by a 2-run homer by Chad Huffman to give the Americans a 2-0 lead. The next batter doubled, and that was followed by another 2-run homer by Josh Reddick to make the score 4-0. Hughes then gave up a walk with the runner stealing 2nd base. He struck out the next batter to end the inning. 4 runs, 1 earned, 2 homers, double, walk and 2 strikeouts in the inning Through 2 innings 38 pitches 19 strikes--19 balls.

3rd Inning: Hughes threw a scoreless 3rd inning with a hit batter and strikeout. Through 3 innings 50 pitches 27 strikes--23 balls. His final line was 3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 2 BB

Overall at the AFL: 15.2 IP, 9 ER, 15 H (3 HR), 14 K, 10 BB, 3 HBP

Austin Jackson started for the NL in center field and went 0-for-1 with a walk and stolen base.

In HWB the Waikiki BeachBoys beat the North Shore Honu 10-3: Box Score - Recap - Game Story

Jeremy Bleich made the start for the BeachBoys and picked up his second win of the Winter. He pitched 7 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1 and struck out 8. He threw 86 pitches, 58 of them for strikes.

Other Yankees players are playing in the Venezuelan, Mexican and Dominican winter leagues. Here's a run down of the players in each league:

Venezuelan League: Edwar Gonzalez, Francisco Cervelli and Carlos Mendoza are playing for Cardenales de Lara. Reegie Corona and Victor Zambrano are on Navegantes del Magallanes. And Edgar Soto is on Aguilas de Zulia.

Dominican League: Bernie Castro, Matt Carson and Wilkins Arias are playing for Aguilas Cibaenas. And Jhonny Nunez, Amaury Sanit and Oneli Perez are playing for Tigres del Licey.

Mexican League: Justin Christian is playing for Caneros de los Mochis. And Walter Ibarra is on Naranjeros de Hermosillo.

You can check out all of their Winter Ball stats here.

Heyman Discusses CC, Manny and Tex

From Jon Heyman:

While a few possible players outside the major markets have surfaced as possibilities for the stars (Baltimore and Seattle for Teixeira, and Milwaukee for Sabathia), interviews with GMs suggest that an L.A. versus N.Y. showdown remains possible for all three monster free agents.

The Mets need to make sure that all their pitching needs are fulfilled, and they're showing limited interest in Ramirez thus far, but opposing GMs still wouldn't be shocked to see them emerge as an alternative to the Dodgers. And while the Yankees don't seem to have a need for a corner outfielder (or a DH for that matter), they haven't ruled out a run at Ramirez, either.

One GM said, though, that he sees the Yankees landing Sabathia and Teixeira instead. While it's generally known that Sabathia prefers the National League as well as any team in California, where the Angels and Dodgers are likely pursuers, the consensus seems to be that the Yankees will blow him away with an offer he can't refuse. Another factor is the Yankees may not have a serious shot at A.J. Burnett, Ben Sheets or Jake Peavy (who's on the trading block but strongly prefers the National League), which could also push Sabathia into the category of a must-sign for them.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has done a nice job of selling New York in the past, and this year the economic advantage may be greater than ever. "It's a special place for those who have an opportunity to come and say they were a Yankee,'' Cashman said. "For players interested in playing in the playoffs, it's a good place to be."

Perhaps even more important, with $80-plus million potentially coming off the Yankees' books, revenues sure to skyrocket in their new Yankee Stadium and a glaring need for starting pitchers, one competing GM said, "It's going to be impossible to outbid the Yankees.''

The article also says that the Braves are the early favorite to land Jake Peavy, and that he has "mixed feelings" about New York. Brian Fuentes may be headed to the Mets, it is "very likely" that the Rockies trade Matt Holliday this off-season, and George W. Bush wants to take over as Commissioner of MLB once Bud Selig's contracts ends in 2012 - no I'm not kidding.