Why I don't like the WBC

One of the more interesting moments in last night's great Yankee win at Fenway was the interchange at first base when DJ got hit by Lackey. Youkilis had been beaned the inning before and when he got to first he yelled across the diamond to his WBC teammate Derek Jeter that he was next. Unlike a Thurman/Pudge confrontation, this one was done with a smile. When Jeter arrived at 1st after he got hit, instead of anger he was met by a laughing Youkilis. Jeter, in turn, pushed Youkilis off the bag like getting back at a kid brother and they both had a good laugh and conversation. This is what happens when guys like Jeter, Youkilis and the hyperactive little punk Dustin Pedroia spend a couple of months as teammates - instead of angry rivals you get guys that, while competitive, enjoy being around each other. There is a healthy good feeling to all this but a part of me yearns for the knock down, drag him out, benches clearing animosity that use to be shared not only by these rivals' fans but by the teams themselves.

I harken back to May 20, 1976 when while Louuuuu squared off with Fisk at home plate, Nettles performed a wrestling body slam on Spaceman Bill Lee, separating his shoulder. Even as recently as 2004, these teams seemed to have a "healthier" dislike for each other. I don't know if it's the WBC, free agency, or the fact that the BoSux have broken the curse and feel more like equals but I don't think I like this kissy-feely bullshit. I know Leo Durocher is spinning in his grave somewhere. I've even noticed less stands fights when the two teams get together. I used to place the over/under at about 20 for fights in the stands and now it's definitely under 5.

So tell me, do you like the mellower age we live in?

Some Links To Start Your Weekend

- Kevin Kernan of the Post discusses the bond being formed by two New York superstars over at the WBC; Derek Jeter and Mets' third baseman David Wright. Kernan writes about how Jeter has become something of a mentor to the younger Wright.

A-Rod must be loving all these stories about Jeter being so friendly with players from other teams. Just saying.

- Speaking of A-Rod, Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle doesn't think there's a chance A-Rod remains in New York for the length of his contract.

Vintage work by Alex Rodriguez as he agreed to a story/photo shoot for Details magazine. At a time when he knew Sports Illustrated was about to reveal his steroid use, he downed a few shots of tequila, launched into full narcissistic mode and was photographed with his face against a mirror, essentially making love to himself. Man, is that A-Rod. Not a chance the Yankees ride out nine more years with this guy. He's gone within three .

Who is stupid enough to pay an aging third baseman with a busload of baggage, through the age of 40, $30 million a year? OK fine, who is stupid enough besides the Yankees?

And speaking of the WBC, William C. Rhoden of the NY Times writes that Team USA is lacking support from the fans and players. Mainly because the US is having such a hard time finding a first baseman to replace the injured Kevin Youkilis, and fans to show up at games.

- Peter Abraham had readers of his blog submit question for Joba Chamberlain. Out of the hundreds of questions submitted Joba answered 15, here are those anwers.

- According to the AP, the top price for an individual ticket at the new Yankee Stadium is $2,625. Examples of what $2,625 will buy you these days are below.

Jeter's Defense Is No Longer Just The Yankees' Problem

Now it's the entire country's problem. Here's more from Ken Rosenthal:

Before Tuesday night, Jeter had played only 15 innings at shortstop over the previous 10 days, a far lower total than he would have compiled if he had remained with the Yankees at spring training.

So, Johnson played Jeter for nine innings at short in the elimination game against Puerto Rico and used Rollins as his designated hitter.

Twice, Jeter failed to stop balls to his left that Rollins might have at least knocked down, and both led directly to runs.

If Team USA had not secured its dramatic 6-5 victory over Puerto Rico by staging a three-run rally in the ninth inning, Jeter's defense would have come under heavy scrutiny.

Jeter, who turns 35 on June 26, is 4 1/2 years older than Rollins. His defensive decline is not exactly a secret within the industry; the sabermetric community, in particular, has pointed out his inadequacies.

I hope and pray that what we saw on Tuesday night was effected by some offseason rust, because he really looked awful. It was like he was running in quick sand. He looked so bad that a friend of mine who has been defending Jeter's defense for quite some time sent me this text message: "Jeter is such a joke in the field.. I'm convinced."

Jeter did have his reasons - or excuses - for why he was unable to make the plays. First the Rios single in the sixth:

"That was a slider," Jeter said, referring to the pitch by right- hander Heath Bell to Rios, a right-handed hitter. "He usually pulls sliders. I've played against him enough. He usually gets out in front of sliders in that situation."

And left-handed Ramon Vazquez's single in the 9th:

"I was just trying to knock it down," Jeter said. "The bottom line in that situation is that Broxton throws so hard, you can't shade him up the middle. He can hit the ball the other way, so you've gotta play straight up."

Fair enough, but it's very likely that any other shortstop in the league at least knocks those balls down stopping those runs from scoring. Jimmy Rollins, who is one of the better defensive shortstops in the game, definitely does.

Rob Neyer has this to say about what Jeter's defense will really cost Team USA:

What does that mean, practically? The difference between them might fall somewhere in the range of 20-30 runs, or (roughly) less than 0.2 runs per game. That's why -- when someone asked me on the radio last week -- I said that playing Jeter instead of Rollins was highly unlikely to really hurt Team USA. If the Americans reach the final, they'll play eight games; theoretically, even if Jeter played every inning of every game, he would "cost" his team a couple of runs … and a couple of runs wouldn't be likely to change anything. And he's not playing every inning of every game.

So far, so good. Jeter's cost his team (at least) a couple of runs, but Team USA hasn't lost a game because of them. Not quite. Nor is Team USA likely to lose the championship because of Jeter. Still, you can't help but wonder -- as you might have wondered three years ago -- if decisions like this one send a fundamental message to everyone involved: Team USA isn't really trying to win.

If you were Davey Johnson who would you start at shortstop on Saturday, Jeter or Rollins?

I know who I'd start, and it isn't Jeter.

Maybe They Do Care

( REUTERS/Scott Audette)

The other day I questioned whether the Team USA players really cared about the WBC. Well, what I actually said was that they "probably don't give a damn" about the tournament.

That still might be true, but they sure have me fooled with the effort they put forth in tonight's game against Puerto Rico. Down 5-3 in the bottom of the 9th, facing elimination, Team USA rallied for three runs to win the game 6-5. The US cut the lead to 5-4 with a one out bases loaded walk by Kevin Youkilis. David Wright then steped up and sliced a two-run, walk-off single, down the right field line to win it for the Americans. It would have been nice to get Jeter back in Yankee camp, but it was a great win for the US, who have now advanced into the semifinals.

Here's some video of Wright's walk-off hit.

(Getty Images)

Passan: The WBC is a Farce

From Jeff Passan:

The World Baseball Classic is a farce. There’s no other way to put it. As much great baseball as it showcases, and as much as it means to other countries, until the United States starts treating the games as something more than exhibitions, the American public will continue to ignore it, and rightfully so.

This has little to do with the outcome of Team USA’s game Saturday night against Puerto Rico, an 11-1 mercy killing. ...

... What’s inconceivable and inexplicable and downright insulting to anyone who wants the WBC to succeed was Team USA manager Davey Johnson’s explanation of why he continued to let his starting pitcher, Jake Peavy, rot away any chance for a win with pitch after ugly pitch that the Puerto Ricans sprayed to every corner of Dolphin Stadium.

“Just basically let him get a little more work,” Johnson said.

Really.

OK, just to go over this one time: The WBC bills itself as a tournament to determine the world’s best team and spread the game’s allure (and, yeah, maybe fatten Major League Baseball’s wallet). It expects fans to take such notions seriously. They do, even though a double-pronged reticence within MLB – players and management alike – prevents many of the best players in the world from participating. Still, the games in the first round win support for their intensity and quality, especially this early in spring. And how does the manager for the most visible team, the one with the most major league stars, repay such commitment from those who bought tickets and watched on TV and sponsored the event figuring it more than a glorified spring training game?

He makes sure Jake Peavy hits a pitch count.

Fifty-two, by the way.

That it followed manifold other mistakes makes Johnson resemble his predecessor, Buck Martinez, who fumbled and bumbled as the United States bombed out of the first WBC.

...

Its second pool kicks off play Sunday in San Diego with a rematch of the 2006 final, Cuba and Japan. If Cuba’s starting pitcher struggles, manager Higinio Velez will have no qualms about yanking him in the first inning. He did so in the first championship game, pulling Ormari Romero after 23 pitches and one out.

That’s the urgency this tournament demands: caring more about the team’s well-being than the individual’s. Let Peavy throw his pitches in the bullpen. The WBC deserves better than Johnson’s cockamamie excuse.

One problem with "caring more about the team’s well-being than the individual’s," is that at this point in the year everyone is trying preparing for their real season, the one that begins in April. The one they get paid for.

I don't know if there is a better time for this tournament, but having it two weeks into spring training is about as bad as it can get. These guys are barely in shape to play a full spring training game, so how can we expect them to play playoff-type games on the world's stage? That's one of the reasons all these b-level pitchers look like Sandy Koufax out there.

Passan also mentions in the article that several of the United States players didn't even realize the game had ended when Puerto Rico scored its 11th run in the seventh. How is that even possible? It's like Donovan McNabb not knowing that NFL games could end in a tie if nobody scores in overtime. It's pretty obvious that Team USA in unprepared, poorly coached, and probably doesn't really give a damn.

Meanwhile, the uninspired USA team takes on the Netherlands tonight at 7:30 p.m. with their tournament life on the line.

The WBC Strikes Again.... At least this time it's a Red Sock

Yep, the WBC has claimed another victim, this time it's Red Sox second baseman and reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia. According to Ken Davidoff, Pedroia has a strained left oblique muscle.

He will be replaced by Cleveland's Mark DeRosa in the Team USA lineup tonight against Puerto Rico.

Pedroia is heading to Fort Myers to be checked out by the Red Sox's doctors today. He spoke of his desire to return to the WBC, but if I were you, I'd bet a month of Mark Teixeira's salary that Pedroia won't be back. The Red Sox, like the Yankees, hate the WBC, and they'll exercise their rights to restrict Pedroia. Oblique injuries can linger if you're not ultra-careful with them.

When a reporter asked Pedroia if he thought this was the sort of thing that concerned teams - that a player ramped up his preparation for the WBC - Pedroia offered a passive-aggressive response.

"A little bit. I know when we got to Toronto, that first game, you play nine innings, you’re not really ready for that. You try to do things you’re not capable of doing at that time. But I knew that getting into it. I don’t think this little injury, or whatever it is, is because I jumped in and played nine innings right away. I’d probably be playing five innings in Fort Myers. It’s just kind of a freak deal, and hopefully, it’s nothing serious."

Who will be the next victim of the WBC?

I just hope it isn't Jeter.

Cano and Marte Injury Update

This update comes from the Yankees via Peter Abraham:

Robinson Cano and Damaso Marte underwent initial physical examinations this evening at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Yankees Team Physician, Dr. Chris Ahmad, examined both players.

Marte’s initial evaluation indicates left shoulder inflammation. Cano’s initial evaluation indicates right shoulder tendinitis.

Both players will undergo MRI scans tomorrow in Tampa.

As Peter said in his post, we'll know more tomorrow after the MRI, so I'm gonna wait until then before reacting to this. However, as I said earlier, I believe both should be fined. Especially Cano for not telling the team he was injured before joining the Dominican team.

Cano Didn't Tell Yanks About Injury

I didn't mention this yesterday when I originally posted the story, but Robinson Cano did not tell the Yankees about his injury before leaving for the WBC. Joe Girardi said “It was a shock to me.”

Damaso Marte was injured while lifting weights on Tuesday, and Girardi was pretty upset about that.

"He said he felt OK to pitch, and now he's sore," Girardi said with some annoyance. "I don't completely understand what he was doing lifting [weights]."

Neither do I. I also wonder what would have happened had the Dominican Republic gone further in the WBC. Would Cano and Marte still be playing with their injuries? You have to assume they would have.

And what happens if their injuries had gotten worse? Were these two idiots really willing to potentially put their season in jeopardy for this tournament? I think they were, and for that they should both be fined. Heavily. Cano should also be fined for not disclosing his injury, and Marte should be fined for lifting weights without being granted permission from the Yankees.

Jake Peavy said the other day that he was "going to empty the tank for the boys," when he pitches tonight against Puerto Rico. Do you really want a pitcher to be "emptying the tank" in mid-March? I know if I was his manager I wouldn't. Luckily for him, the Padres season is over before it begins, so this is pretty much going to be his World Series this year. Still, no pitchers should be emptying their tanks this early in spring training.

This is the problem with the WBC. Not only is it played at the wrong time of year, but the players involved lose sight of their priorities. I know they take pride in playing for their country, but they must realize that they have an obligation to the team that pays their bills.

Random Link Dump

- Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger wrote this article about Yankees catching prospect Jesus Montero, and how, despite his size, is trying to be the best catcher he can be. There has been much talk that he's too big (6-4, 225 lbs) to be a successful catcher in the big leagues. But that hasn't stoped him from trying to prove his critics wrong.

"Without question, he is significantly improved this year as opposed to last year," Cashman said. "To the point that we don't really doubt he's going to be a catcher in the big leagues."

- Kat O'Brien has this story about four Yankees pitchers and their love for tattoos. The four pitchers are A.J. Burnett, Brian Bruney, Joba Chamberlain, and CC Sabathia. "We've got more tattoos than the California Penal League," said Bruney.

- Many fans, including myself, have been upset about the 300 obstructed seats in the bleachers at the New Yankee Stadium. But Anthony Rieber points out that this isn't anything new, and most of the new and future ballparks in baseball have obstructed seats.

Of the 11 major-league ballparks - including the new Yankee Stadium and the Mets' new Citi Field - that have opened since 2000, eight have obstructed-view seats.

- Not Yankee-related but still very interesting is this article from Fielding Bible guru John Dewan (hat-tip to MLB Trade Rumors). He did a study to determine exactly how important defense is and he concludes that defense is worth roughly half as much as offense.

- Scott Ham over at The Bronx View, takes a look at Dewan's article and posted his own article that lightly looks at combining a players runs above average on offense and defense. Check it out.

- Over in the WBC, Team USA manager Davey Johnson will miss Saturday's second round matchup with Puerto Rico. Johnson will be attending his stepson's wedding, and Barry Larkin will take over the managerial duties.

- Sorry I had to throw one A-Rod article into the mix, and sorry once again, because is was written by Mike Lupica. He wonders if the Yankees have already seen the best that they will get from A-Rod.

- Just a reminder: Tonight's Yankees-Red Sox game will be aired on NESN, and a simulcast will be shown on the MLB Network. The game is set to start at 7:15 p.m., with Chien-Ming Wang going for the Yanks, and Tim Wakefield starting for the Sox.

Classic Upset

Did anyone catch the WBC matchup between the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands tonight?

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the WBC, but holy s*** what a game. If you didn't see the game, here's how it went down. It was scoreless heading into the 11th. In the top half of the inning the Dominican Republic had Jose Reyes on first with two out. Jose Bautista lined a ball to Dutch right-fielder Eugene Kingsale, but he lost the ball in the lights (so he says) and it got past him allowing Reyes to score all the way from first to give the Dominican Republic a 1-0 lead.

Carlos Marmol came into the game in the bottom half of the inning to try to close it out for the DR. Leading off the inning Dutch pinch-hitter Sidney de Jong lined a double. After he moved to third on a ground out it was Kingsales' chance for redemption. And on a 2-2 pitch he got that redemption when he blooped a RBI single into rightfield to tie the game at one.

During the next at-bat Marmol threw away a pickoff attempt allowing Kingsale to get all the way to third. Then two batters later, with runners on 1st and 3rd and two out, third baseman Yurendell de Caster hit a grounder down the first base line, but Willy Aybar, who had replaced David Ortiz at first, couldn't make the play and Kingsale came in with the winning run. You gotta love when things work out that way. The guy who makes the error that would have cost the Netherlands the game, and the chance to move on in the tourney, gets the game tying hit, and then scores the game winning run in the very next inning.

That's twice in a row for the Dutch over the "mighty" Dominican Republic, two in a row to single-handedly eliminate them, a team many people were picking to win the tournament. Wow.

For more on the game check out the highlights below:

Jeter Getting Awfully Chummy With The Enemy

From Mike Puma:

Love is in the air between the Yankees and Red Sox.

Maybe "love" is a little strong, but Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis don't mind saying they have formed a bond with Derek Jeter as members of Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

You only need to spend a few minutes around the batting cage to hear the good-natured bantering and wagering of side bets - payable in pushups - to realize many of these U.S. players have built a rapport. Jeter and Pedroia are among the ringleaders.

Pedroia recently set the tone when he posted a deodorant ad in his locker. In the ad, Jeter is standing outside Fenway Park, and the message says, "Every day is a walk in the park. Even this park."

Jeter couldn't help but laugh at Pedroia's posting.

"You get to know guys playing against them, as players," Jeter said. "But one of the good things about something like this is you get an opportunity to put personalities with the players."

Youkilis said he has always respected Jeter, but spending the past week with him has taken that admiration to another level.

"[Jeter] has been unbelievable, and you see why he's the captain of the Yankees," Youkilis said.

And some more from Anthony McCarron:

They go at it constantly," Chipper Jones said of Jeter and Pedroia. "It's fun when Yankees and Red Sox go at each other, because you know they're going to hate each other in a month."

Jeter's burgeoning relationship with Pedroia adds a different dynamic to the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry. The two met at last year's All-Star Game when Pedroia and Youkilis were among the Sox All-Stars who dressed in enemy territory - the Yankee clubhouse.

Jeter says he admires the way both Pedroia and Youkilis play "every game like it's the last game they're going to play. You appreciate that."

"It's awesome to play with him, especially because we play against him so much during the season and he's always getting hits and doing things, so you respect him so much," added Pedroia. "We don't hate them and I don't think they hate us. It's great competition. That's what makes it fun - playing against great players and trying to win."

Jeter has seen former teammates go to Boston, such as David Cone, Ramiro Mendoza and David Wells, and noted that feelings about opposing players are somewhat different than they once were because of all the player movement in baseball. Still, he noted, "Even though you have relationships with guys and you respect them and admire them, it's still a rivalry."

OK, I'll admit it's nice too see that the players on Team US are getting along. And I'm glad that a lot of players around the league look up to Jeter. But at the same time I really miss the days of the rivalry when the players on both teams really hated each other, and you don't even have to go back to the days of Thurman and Fisk, and Nettles and Bill Lee. Even as recently as 2003-04 the players on the two teams really didn't like each other. But ever since the Sox won, the rivalry has become a bit watered down. Maybe Joba can put another pitch in Youkilis' ear and change all that.

A-Rod Has Injured Hip, May Miss WBC

From Jack Curry:

Alex Rodriguez has an injured hip and may not play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, according to a person in baseball who has spoken to Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is expected to fly to Colorado on Wednesday to meet with Dr. Marc Phillipon, a hip specialist. Before he left for the W.B.C., the Yankees’ medical staff examined him, and he had a magnetic resonance imaging test on Saturday. The M.R.I. showed that Rodriguez had a cyst.

Despite the cyst, Rodriguez went 1 for 3 in the Dominican Republic’s 10-1 victory over the Florida Marlins on Tuesday. The Dominicans open the W.B.C. by playing the Netherlands on Saturday in San Juan, P.R.

Even if Rodriguez only has a cyst, it is unlikely that the Yankees will want him to risk further injury by playing in the tournament.

Hey Alex, stop with the WBC nonsense and get yourself ready for the regular season.

WBC Rosters Finalized

WBC rosters were finalized today, 10 Yankees, and one former Yankee made the final cut. However, it was reported last Friday that two of the Yankees on the Dominican Republic's roster, Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez, were not going to play.

Here are the remaining eight:

- United States: Derek Jeter (SS).

- Dominican Republic: Robinson Cano (2B), Damaso Marte (RP), and Alex Rodriguez (3B).

- China: Kai Liu (LHP) and Zhenwang Zhang (C).

- Italy: Francisco Cervilli (C).

- Mexico: Jorge Vazquez (1B).

The former Yankee I was talking about is Bernie Williams, He will be playing for Puerto Rico.

In a related story, Joe Girardi plans to keep an eye on the WBC players:

Still, Girardi has been clear about his concern for the health of his players, and he said Tuesday that he plans to keep tabs on every Yankee player on a WBC roster.

"From my standpoint, I've got to make sure they come out healthy," said Girardi, who plans to stay in contact with his players through the tournament.

Two More Yankees Ditch the WBC

According to NorthJersey.com, reliever Edwar Ramirez will no longer be pitching for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

UPDATE: MLB.com is reporting that Jose Veras has also withdrawn from the WBC.

So far that's Melky Cabrera, Alfredo Aceves and now Veras and Ramirez who have all dropped out of the WBC in the last week.

Bernie Back Where He Belongs

From Tyler Kepner:

Two years later, Bernie Williams finally returned to the Yankees’ spring training camp. He’s not on the team, but he’s here to get ready for the World Baseball Classic. Williams will be with the Yankees until March 2, when he will report to Fort Myers with Team Puerto Rico.

“It doesn’t feel strange,” Williams said. “It feels great.”

Williams dressed at an unmarked locker near his old corner spot – now occupied by Jose Veras – but wore his familiar No. 51 jersey and batting helmet.

Williams still has his family – his wife and three kids, as well as his Yankees family. He even visited principal owner George Steinbrenner on Thursday for about 20 minutes, mostly talking about old times.

Here's some more from Anthony DiComo:

"I think it's important for Bernie to be around," Girardi said. "Your friends want to see you. The fans want to see you. Obviously, he has other things that he's doing in his life, but he was an important Yankee. I think it's important that he's around."

Thursday marked the first of 11 days in Yankees camp for Williams, who is working into game shape for next month's Classic. Though he won't know for sure whether he has made the final Puerto Rican roster until next week, team officials have already taken his uniform size -- "so that's always a good sign," Williams laughed. He will work out with the Puerto Rican team beginning March 2 in Fort Myers, Fla., then will likely come off the bench to spell starting center fielder Carlos Beltran in the tournament.

From there, it's anybody's guess. If all goes well in the Classic, Williams said he might not be able to resist the temptation of a return to the big leagues.

"Right now, I'm taking it as it comes," Williams said. "I'm really concentrating on representing my country well and not embarrassing me or the team. And then, from that point on, if I still feel the competition in me and I still have the fire, I may have to consider seriously taking the opportunity of perhaps playing somewhere else. But right now, it's a very premature statement. I'm saying that my focus right now is the World Baseball Classic, and that's about it."

"He's a part of our family," Girardi said of his old teammate Williams. "Obviously, he's retired as a Yankee. But once you're a Yankee, you're always a Yankee."

"I feel that I never left," Williams said. "There's always going to be this small kid inside of me saying, 'You can still do this, man. You can still do this.'"

And this from Mark Feinsand:

"The fact that I stepped away had nothing to do with being angry with them. I had to take care of some things, step away and really figure out what was important in my life. I think I'm in a better place right now."

"Right now, I'm having a great time," he said. "I faced some guy from Double-A or Triple-A throwing gas and I hit a line drive up the middle. What else could I ask for?"

Nice to see Bernie back at spring training. I'm not sure how much playing time he will get with Puerto Rico in the WBC, but hopefully he can contribute.

So when is Bernie Williams day at the new stadium?

Melky To Skip WBC

From Pete Caldera:

Melky Cabrera will now skip the WBC, and concentrate on winning the center field job over Brett Gardner. It was obviously a good choice by Cabrera, who stood to lose much by just being out of the manager's sight for a few valuable weeks.

I know there are a lot of fans who enjoy the WBC, but as I said before, the less Yankees the better.

Aceves Will Skip WBC

According to Peter Abraham, Alfredo Aceves has decided not to play for Mexico in this year's WBC, and will remain with the Yankees throughout spring training.

“It was a hard decision but I feel I should stay here,” he said.

Jeter Will Play Against Yanks

If you were wondering which team Jeter will be playing for when the Yankees take on team USA in an exhibition game on March 3rd, you got your answer today. Jeter will be playing for team USA.

From YESNetwork.com:

Derek Jeter admits the New York Yankees spring training game on March 3 will be a strange experience.

"Hopefully, I won't see any pitches inside," Jeter joked Thursday. "It will be funny. It will be fun."

13 Yankees Heading to the WBC

The 2009 World Baseball Classic rosters were announced tonight, here are all the rosters from MLB.com.

There will be 13 Yankee minor and major leaguers heading to the WBC, here's a list of those players and the country they will be playing for from Bryan Hoch's blog:

United States: Derek Jeter

Dominican Republic: Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Damaso Marte, Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras

Mexico: Alfredo Aceves, Jorge Vazquez

Italy: Francisco Cervelli

Panama: Jahdiel Santamaria

China: Kai Liu, Zhenwang Zhang

Former Yankees Bobby Abreu, Ivan Rodriguez and Bernie Williams will also be playing. Abreu for Venezuela, and Rodriguez and Williams for Puerto Rico.

Cashman: No WBC for Jorge

From Anthony McCarron:

One thing's for sure, though, Cashman said - Posada will not be playing for his native Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in March. ESPN deportes recently reported that Posada's father said his son would DH for Puerto Rico in the tournament.

"He wouldn't be able to perform," Cashman said. "He won't start on time as a catcher in spring training. It's just a fact. There's nothing I can do about it or the player can do about it..."

"We support the event," Cashman said of the WBC. "I'm sure (Posada) wants to play and if he could, he would. But, just like last season for us, he wasn't able to play because of an injury.

He also says that the Yankees and Posada are optimistic that he will be able to catch on opening day, but there are still some concerns.

"It's so early. So far his rehab is going well, but he started his throwing program Dec. 8."

"We're hoping to have Jorge by Opening Day, but he will not be the opening spring training catcher, I can tell you that.

"He's going to come in with restrictions and we'll bring him along slowly."

"That's what everybody says when you go through these things, that the player will be ready by Opening Day," Cashman said. "We've never really had to rehab a catcher before."

The Yankees may be optimistic, but from those comments I can't say I am. The most important thing is not rushing him to be ready for opening day, but making sure he's 100% for most of the season.