Hankenstein Bashes BoSox, ESPN

From an upcoming magazine interview comes Hank Steinbrenner's jabs thrown at the Boston Red Sox, its fans and ESPN.

"Red Sox Nation?" Hank Steinbrenner said in an interview with The New York Times' Play magazine. "What a bunch of [expletive] that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans.

"Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order."

Yeah, you're not like your father at all Hank. Not that telling it like it is is wrong.

The Hughes Q&A Session

Pete Abraham of the Journal News sat down for an extensive Q&A session with Phil Hughes. The entire interview and audio is available at the LoHud Blog and on Hughes' blog. All of the questions were taken from fans, making for more original discussion than your standard sportswriter-to-athlete interchange.

Klapisch: Torre May Regret Dodger Blue. Bob Klapisch, the no-nonsense columnist for the Bergen Record, ponders Joe Torre's decision to bolt for the City of Angels after feeling slighted by the Yankees extension offer.

Klap first sympathizes with Torre's decision, calling the Yankees offer a "hollow, one-year offer [which] was made to be rejected." However, the tone soon turns as he contends Torre may implement the same type of Yankees boycott Yogi Berra instituted after an ugly departure from pinstripes.

Klapisch goes on to paint an ugly final year for Torre and his Yankees tenure, citing an unnamed source which called the Ron Guidry promotion as a favor and not a proper baseball move. From the piece:

Torre says all the right things -- it is, after all, still February -- but his friends in the business say it's only a matter of time before the non-Yankee reality greets him head-on. One person close to Torre said, "I just hope Joe doesn't end up regretting this."

That hollow, one-year offer was made to be rejected; after taking the Bombers to the postseason 12 straight seasons, Torre was so offended he hinted at a long, Yogi-type boycott of the organization.

The Dodgers ... want to win now: They've made Torre the richest manager in the team's history ($14.5 million through 2010), and will want an immediate return on that investment. For all the tension that grew between Torre and Steinbrenner, at least the Yankees stuck with their manager for over a decade. Meanwhile, the McCourts are on their third skipper in four years, which is to say, they won't wait long on Torre.

He doesn't get in people's faces. He doesn't do fiery team meetings. He operates on trust, believes in self-reliance. The Yankees unwittingly took advantage of the honor system last year; everyone seemed too comfortable, especially after failing to win the World Series for the seventh straight time. Even Torre's supporters in the organization admit Joe's stewardship had become too casual, evidenced by his naming Ron Guidry as pitching coach. "It was obvious all [Torre] was doing was taking care of a buddy," said one Yankee inside. "Finally, we have someone here [Dave Eiland] who knows what he's doing."

In his heart, Torre probably knew it was time to leave New York. He's said as much recently, that he no longer felt appreciated. But why did he take another job so fast? Torre is in a new league, trying to familiarize himself with a roster of strangers, surrounded by a baseball culture that could care less about the Yankees. Someday, Torre may look in the mirror, see that Dodger blue and ask: Was it really worth it?

Good question.

NY Times Q&A With Gammons. Wow, a whole five questions with Red Sox relic ESPN columnist Peter Gammons. The Boston beaneater made good points on the Roger Clemens saga, Barry Bonds' future and the Yankees young starters. Then, there was this:

Q: The Yankees s New York tood pat in the offseason, while some contending teams like the Mariners and Tigers made drastic improvements. Do you think the Yankees could miss the playoffs?

A: There's a risk because Toronto is going to be really good if A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan come back. The AL East is so deep. [If] Scott Kazmir is healthy, the Devil Rays, Jays and [Red] Sox are three teams in your division you don't want to play. I don't think that's true in any other division. I am sure it has Hank Steinbrenner very concerned.

So, according to Gammons, the AL East is going to be good. Where would we be without these Diamond Notes?

Larry Lucifer Won't Retire Clemens Jersey. The man who coined "The Evil Empire" label regarding the Yankees, Larry Lucchino, is reconsidering the idea of immortalizing Roger Clemens in Beantown:

Once an icon in the game, Clemens is now a baseball pariah. Now comes evidence that the Red Sox may be backing off their efforts at rapprochement.

While the organization had spoken in broad terms about holding a special day to honor to Clemens and perhaps even retire his number, those plans are now on hold.

“I seemed to remember some talk about that,” confirmed Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino yesterday, noting that former vice president of public affairs Charles Steinberg spearheaded the discussions. “But since that time, there’s been nothing further. I know there are no plans at this point (to do anything).”

Wright Tells Milledge To Shut Up

The New York Mets do not like Lastings Milledge. After all they traded him - a potential Gary Sheffield type - for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider.

The love fest doesn't stop there, as David Wright and [of course] Billy Wagner took exception to comments Milledge made to Sports Illustrated upon his arrival at Nationals training camp:

"I can't go through anything worse than I went through in New York. It only gets better from here," Milledge said. "A lot of veterans didn't like the way I play the game. They thought I didn't respect it."

Milledge added: "The vets here (on the Nationals) have no problem with me. They know I respect (the game). They know I work hard."

"Enough is enough," David Wright said yesterday. "You're a Washington National now. Don't worry about what happened last year or the year before that. Just go out there and try to help the Nationals win.

"It makes no sense to bash your former team. He just needs to turn the page and worry about helping the Washington Nationals. Forget about what we're doing over here. Forget about the New York Mets."

This is a no-win situation when viewing the situation as an outside observer. Milledge probably had some growing up to do, but his make-up issues seemed to be very much exaggerated. After hitting an important homerun, running down your the foul line at your homefield and high-fiving excited Mets fans is youthful enthusiasm, not cockiness or showing up the opposition. If Milledge had released a rock record - and not a hip hop album - littered with profanity, methinks the youngster would not have received half the commotion.

On the other hand, Milledge could have shown some class and progress by keeping his mouth shut this Spring, but he could not manage to do so. Whether or not he hits his ceiling becomes more a question of maturity than physicality. The question remains, can Milledge put the trivialities aside and just play ball, or will he continue to fumble his priorities. At least he can always turn to the new Elijah Dukes for inspiration.

Hilarious Canseco "Story" From The Onion.

Maybe this is how it all went down before the infamous BBQ hosted by Jose Canseco:

"Hey guys, big steroid bash at my place," Canseco said while handing out flyers at a Toronto Blue Jays spring training intrasquad game. "Nothing too fancy, just a bunch of guys, hanging out, taking steroids. Tell your friends."

"Let me break it down for you: food, babes, steroids," said Canseco, leaning over the outfield fence of Dunedin Stadium, to Blue Jays centerfielder Vernon Wells. "Any steroid you want. Winstrol-Stanozolol, Deca-Durabolin, Sustanon, Anadrol, you name it. I even got some exotic steroids from South America, and I might bust out my own special homemade steroid blend. Oh, and if everyone chips in $5, I might get a steroid fountain. It's gonna be sweet."

Rangers Hated On Tex For "Winning" Statements. Mark Teixeira drew ire from his Texas teammates and coaches when he expressed his desire to play for a contender - and said the Rangers were far from contending. The author: "Rangers types started floating this idea that losing Tex helped them and not simply because of Salty and his fellow Braves prospects -- Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, et al. -- look to have huge upside." The writer goes on to refer to Alex Rodriguez as A-Fraud for leaving the Texas Rangers in 2004. How does this chick have a column?

Larry Bowa doesn't like the new helmet rule for base coaches. The rule goes into effect this year following last year's incident in which a minor league base coach was killed after an errant foul ball caught him in the head. Bowa was quoted as saying, "One guy got killed and I’m sorry it happened...but bats break and they can be a deadly weapon. Do something about bats."

Murcer To Face New Brain Cancer Trial. According to an e-mail sent out by his wife, Bobby Murcer may have to defeat brain cancer for a second time. Murcer must undergo a brain biopsy on Monday to determine if an area of concern for doctors - which appeared during a recent MRI - is another tumor or simply scar tissue. Speaking for myself, every true Yankees fan and all of Major League Baseball, let's hope it's the latter. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Murcer family.

That's Offensive: The Detroit Tigers

Nothing groundbreaking here, but was pondering the top offenses in the American League. The Yankees and Red Sox are always prominent, but take a look at Detroit's potential lineup for 2008:

Curtis Granderson

Placido Polanco

Miguel Cabrera

Magglio Ordonez

Gary Sheffield

Carlos Guillen

Edgar Renteria

Ivan Rodriguez

Jacque Jones

That's about as scary a 1-8 as has ever been assembled. The Yankees offense is nothing to sneeze at, but the Tigers arguably have more firepower and consistency. Sheffield's health is a concern, but the real question mark is their pitching.

Can Dontrelle Willis return to form? Will Jeremy Bonderman ever put it all together? Is Nate Robertson able to emerge if Kenny Rogers continues to be an injury prone aging lefty? Justin Verlander can't pitch 600 innings.

The bullpen is just as porous with Fernando Rodney never able to stay on the field, Joel Zumaya recovering from shoulder problems and Todd Jones well still being Todd Jones.

Afternoon Links:

· FBI opens case investigating whether Roger Clemens committed perjury. MLB fans offer their overbearing indifference.

· Jon Heyman says Joe Torre will have a tough time keeping the Dodgers together as embittered veterans will mix with LA's uber prospects.

· Jonathon Mayo, good source of MiLB info, takes his swings on the Clemens predicament and may offer a surprising perspective.

· The NY Observer thinks a Betemit/Duncan platoon at first base best serves Yanks though Joe Girardi will probably institute the "hot hand" approach.

Miggy B Loves Some Kenny G

This has got to be one of the funniest baseball-related posts of this young year. Mariners starting pitcher Miguel Batista, apparently likes the soprano saxophone a lot. Eventually, Batista took up the instrument as a hobby and not surprisingly idolized the king of the genre - Kenny G.

The result was an awkward encounter between a fan - the professional baseball player - and a pseudo celebrity - the master of the super market anthem.

The close of the article is especially ambiguous as the author writes Batista "this time, was the one receiving instead of giving." Ouch.

The Mariners pitcher and blossoming soprano saxophone buff was invited to a concert at the Dodger Theatre in Phoenix on Tuesday, where he spent 20 minutes backstage with his musical idol, Seattle native Kenny G. They talked music, baseball and saxophone breathing techniques in a private waiting area before Batista was serenaded with his very own Kenny G session.

"He played for me," Batista said. "It was my favorite song, 'Alone.' Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

Batista took private sax lessons at the University of Washington last summer. He was inspired to begin playing the instrument after listening to CDs of Kenny G's music in the
1990s.

Kenny G, whose real name is Kenneth Gorelick, heard about Batista being a fan after The Times published a story about the pitcher last August that detailed, among other things, his new musical hobby. Representatives for the team and Gorelick arranged the meeting when it was discovered that Batista's spring training here in the Phoenix area coincided with the date of the musician's one-night performance.

Partway through the sold-out concert, the musician left the stage while playing "Havana" and waded through the aisles, slowly approaching Batista's seat.

"Then he pauses from playing," Batista said. "And he goes, 'Thanks, guy, it was cool today.' "

Batista is used to being thanked by others. But this time, he was the one receiving instead of giving.

McCutchen Sets The Record Straight. For those who don't already know, Dan McCutchen is a bulldog righthander from Oklahoma who catapaulted himself on the prospect scene after going 16-4 with a 2.59 ERA last year.

Splitting time between Tampa and Trenton, McCutchen was not merely facing the critical jump from Single-A to Double-A competition, he was also overcoming a 50 game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use in 2006. When news of the suspension first surfaced, McCutchen's local Oklahoma newspaper blared a large, loud headline reading "McCutchen Busted For Steroids."

However, had the newspaper spent any time discovering the details to his suspension, they would have learned McCutchen had tested positive for Adderall, a drug his doctor prescribed for his attention deficit disorder. McCutchen forgot to file the prescription with the Yankees and therefore a big misunderstanding became an unavoidable stigma.

"People assumed he had taken steroids, and that just wasn't true," said Jay Franklin, McCutchen's agent. "The paper printed a retraction that nobody saw because it was so short. It was a rough time for him and his family."

Despite [an elbow injury], the Yankees drafted McCutchen in the 27th round. He turned them down to accept a scholarship from Oklahoma.

McCutchen pitched well for the Sooners, getting drafted again in 2004 (28th round by the Rays) and 2005 (12th round by the Cardinals). He beat Nebraska 5-1 on April 28, 2005, handing a sophomore named Joba Chamberlain his first loss in college.

"He threw hard; he was good," Chamberlain said. "That game was on ESPN, and he just beat me."

Within the linked piece from the Journal News, McCutchen is depicted well as the ferocious mound presence he has been described as in several prospect guides. His Trenton Thunder teammates refer to him as "Danimal," and McCutchen admitted "I have a split personality when I get on the mound."

It's this tenacity which has helped push the 25 year-old into the mix for a 2008 promotion into the Yankees starting staff or bullpen. His versatility is a great value and GM Brian Cashman explains "He's a starter for now, but we believe he does have the ability to relieve."

McCutchen primarily throws a sinker 90-94 mph, but he also throws a straighter four-seam fastball which can hit 96. He also has a hard curveball thrown at about 80 mph which is his outpitch. McCutchen completely lost his feel for the curve in Trenton, forcing him to develop and rely upon his changeup. The pitch has come a long way because of it and makes his 2007 statistics even more impressive.

Girardi Says "Giddy Up." The new Yankees manager spent Tuesday evening with the New York beat writers for dinner. Though Pete Abraham warned the gathering was off the record, he did reveal a telling piece of information on Joe Girardi.

General Joe is a Seinfeld fan. When the group's reservation was lost in the shuffle, Girardi explained "Anybody can take a reservation, the key is keeping the reservation." Maybe some day Girardi will have established himself enough in the Big Apple to warrant Larry David's homage - that is, a crew-cut, a Forest Gump-like running regimen and an over-the-shoulder impersonation.

Two Stories Of Alcoholism

Bret Boone claims a bout with alcoholism forced a sharp decline and early exit from his baseball career.

Boone, 38, revealed that an alcohol problem was the reason he retired. According to Boone, the problem goes as far back to his peak years with the Mariners, but he happily reports that he hasn’t had a drink in seven months.

...Boone’s problems started in a more subtle matter, but it got to a point where he would drink 12 to 15 beers after a game. At age 32, for example, Boone recalls dinking heavily after a game and then going 3-for-4 the next day. But as he got older, Boone’s stats declined and he lost the passion for baseball.

“For me, it was an alcohol thing,” Boone said. “It wasn’t to the point where I was down and out. But it was to a point where I could see it was going there.

“I don’t want to make a big deal about it, but I was at a point where sometimes it was more important to me to go to a hotel bar after a game. At the end, it takes away your passion and everything inside that makes you tick. I’m not proud of it. I’m proud I took care of the situation before it got to a point where it could have.”

Call me a cynic, but it's altogether possible Boone faded from baseball because of abuse of drugs other than alcohol. Perhaps the kind that builds muscle and allows you to hit 450 foot opposite-field homeruns. Citing alcoholism - though a terrible disease - and being called a recovering addict is much more forgiving territory than being called a cheater who used steroids.

Max St. Pierre, a once heralded catching prospect in the Tigers farm system, also revealed a serious drinking problem in his recent past.

He began his career as a catcher. Nearly ended it, though, as an alcoholic.

“I drank all night, every day of the season,” Max St. Pierre said.

...After four seasons at Double A Erie, St. Pierre finally rose to Triple A. Instead of seizing the opportunity, though, his demons seized him.

“I started not caring as much,” he said. “My priority was drinking instead of wanting to be a baseball player. It happened more than a couple of times that I almost fell asleep in the bullpen because I’d barely slept the night before. “I lost my job because I was just partying. I wasn’t going the right way, and people finally found out.”

That sounds more like an addict's behavior than Boone's "alcohol thing."

Marchman: Bonds Would Make Rays Contender. Tim Marchman of the NY Sun believes adding Barry Bonds to the Tampa Rays - the team is rumored to be mulling an offer - would make the AL East basement dweller a contender in the American League. The article believes the Rays should cut a deal today, though Bonds' upcoming legal circus has to be a factor. It's hard to DH in Tampa Bay if your in lockdown upstate.

Hank: I'll Discuss Cashman Extension

Hank Steinbrenner wants to extend GM Brian Cashman. But he also wants to hold him accountable if Johan Santana wins 25 games and posts a 1.90 ERA for the crosstown Mets.

From the AP Wire:

"I want to concentrate on the season, and he does, too," Hank Steinbrenner said Monday. "But during the course of the season, we will talk. It will just happen. We'll be sitting together at the game, and we'll start talking about it. It's just that simple."

Cashman joined the Yankees as a 19-year-old intern in June 1986. He succeeded Bob Watson as general manager after the 1997 season.

"I've known Cash for a long time," Steinbrenner said. "He's been with our family for a long, long time. I think the big thing is with Brian is the organization he put in place. You know, it's not based on just one decision as far as do a trade or don't do a trade, or sign a free agent or don't."

Steinbrenner will be keeping a close eye during exhibition games on Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, the Yankees' trio of touted young pitchers.

"They're going to take it easy with them, build up their pitches," Steinbrenner said. "We'll be careful with them, but obviously everybody's going to be watching them."

Today In Spring Training

The LoHud blog reported a few notes from today's live batting practice, with emphasis on Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes.

Apparently Pettitte isn't satisfied with his ability to keep runners on second base from stealing third and consequently began working on a slidestep today. His pickoff move is still a lethal weapon - as illustrated by the bases-loaded sniping of Jhonny Peralta last year - but Pettitte believes AL East baserunners are beginning to take third more easily.

The report on Hughes' BP session should be encouraging for Yankees fans as the 21 year-old told Pete Abraham his curveball is back to what it was pre-hamstring injury. His fastball must also be coming back into form:

Hughes was, in a word, terrific. He made Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu and Francisco Cervelli look foolish at times. He got Abreu to swing and miss at a curveball and had Damon fouling balls off the other way, a sign of how late his swing was. Jeter only swung at 3 of the 10 pitches he saw and fouled all of them off.

Now, keep in mind, the hitters have been facing live pitching for four days and Hughes started throwing off a mound in Tampa in mid January. But what was encouraging is the confidence with which Hughes threw his curveball.

As he said later on, he never had his true curveball last year after the injury. Now it’s back. Hughes is working out with Pettitte six days a week and has dropped 10 pounds since last season. You can never say never, but all the work he has done should help him avoid leg injuries.

This all must be taken with a grain of salt, however, as pitchers are far ahead of hitters in terms of their workout regimen.

Get(ty) Your Photos Here

Getty Images has the photo collection of all the Spring Training invitees posted here.

As you see in the photo, Joba Chamberlain lost some LB's. So did Brian Bruney and Chris Britton.

The 6'11'' Andrew Brackman looks like a beast and Jose Tabata also looks to be in very good shape.

Then there's Jesus Montero - the 18 year-old powerbat - and A-Jax - the five tool centerfielder.

Humberto Sanchez will always be "husky" and Ross Ohlendorf looks happy with a bullpen spot that's his to lose.

Phil Hughes is all business and Alan Horne wants him some major league innings.

Sherman: Melancon May Be 'Next'

Joel Sherman, a great source for Yankee management information - but not so much on player development - offered another piece on the emergence of Mark Melancon.

The article, titled "Melancon The Next Joba?" tells the abridged story of the righthanded reliever's organizational rise, though he has yet to do anything besides close out the NY Penn league playoffs.

Melancon throws a four-seam and two-seam fastball along with a nasty power curveball and a developing changeup. The four-seamer ranges from 92-94 and tops out at 96 mph, but the two-seam sinker is his real fastball weapon which runs from 90-93 mph. He sinks the ball expertly, but the lateral movement is filthy as well. His power curveball is reminiscient of Josh Beckett's or K-Rods, in that it is thrown in the 82-84 mph range and looks like a fastball before diving into the dirt. Ian Kennedy - who was a PAC-10 rival in college - calls his curve "the Melancon."

As this Yankees blog and countless others had implied months ago, Melancon has the ability and the moxy to become a late inning weapon this year. If he can recapture the level of performance he had while closing games at the University of Arizona, Melancon can eventually become Mariano Rivera's replacement - as Baseball America contends in their annual prospect handbook.

Of course, such a solution remains several months and several leaps away from fruition as Melancon has to first conquer Tampa, Trenton and Scranton's minor league levels before sniffing the big leagues. He also has to prove himself to be a durable power arm completely recovered from last fall's Tommy John surgery.

Furthermore, the path which Joba Chamberlain takes will determine Melancon's route, as a move of Joba to the rotation midseason would open up a major hole in the Yankees bullpen. An opportunity which Melancon would drool over.

From the Sherman piece:

Mark Melancon did not pitch an inning last season. He has pitched 62/3 innings in his entire minor league career. Yet, Yankees officials speculate Melancon could pull a Joba, emulating Mr. Chamberlain by rocketing from the Florida State League to late-inning Yankee relevance in one season. This season.

"I thank Joba for opening that door," Melancon said after a simulated two-inning batting practice session.

The scouting report on Melancon is above-average fastball with command (though his control was sketchy yesterday), a power curve that some in the organization equate as an out pitch to Chamberlain's slider and, as Nick Green, who hit against him in the BP session, said an ability to hide the ball in his delivery. However, what every Yankees official cites as Melancon's greatest asset is a serious, professional, determined makeup.

"This guy wants to compete and will not get rattled," minor league pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras said.

If the Yanks were to get nothing else from that process besides Kennedy and Chamberlain, it would be considered an excellent draft. But the Yanks think they will get more. Oppenheimer said the Yanks "felt blessed" how the draft fell, allowing them to grab six players ranked in the top 70 on their board: Kennedy, Chamberlain, Melancon, Zach McAllister, Dellin Betances and Colin Curtis. The Yanks also believe pitchers from that draft such as George Kontos and Daniel McCutchen, particularly, but perhaps David Robertson and Tim Norton, too, have a chance as major league relievers.

That is one hell of a draft just on IPK and Joba alone. But add Kennedy, Chamberlain, to McAllister, Betances, Kontos and McCutchen and all six arms are potential contributors to the 2008 season or front-line rotation prospects of the future.

Inside The Tampa Clubhouse. On his blog, Phil Hughes posted a cell phone photo of the now legendary interior decorating Mike Mussina concocted in his dark corner of the Yankees locker room. Meanwhile, LoHud has the story of yesterday's incident in which a Chien-Ming Wang wild pitch nearly decapitated Derek Jeter. In the same post Joe Girardi reportedly voiced his early impressions of Dan McCutchen, Mark Melancon and Steven White - all strong candidates for the Yankees bullpen at some point next season.

Forgot to post this before the weekend, but here is a link to a knowledgable list of the top 30 prospects in the Yankee farm system.

BoSox Sign Colon, Hide Cheeseburgers

According to ESPN, the Red Sox have signed Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract as an insurance plan for the unpredictable nature of Curt Schilling's future.

The Boston Red Sox have reached preliminary agreement on a minor league contract with right-hander Bartolo Colon, a source told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.

If he makes the Opening Day roster, Colon would provide rotation insurance for Boston, which will be without Curt Schilling, who is working his way back from a shoulder injury.

The White Sox, Cardinals and Astros also had been rumored as possible
suitors for Colon this offseason.

Jeter, A-Rod Buddies Again?

That's right kiddies, breakout the sleepover bags and fathers lock up your daughters. From the NY Post:

A Yankees official said the [Jeter-Rodriguez] relationship is "getting better, and that is good for the team."

Then again this is G. King were trusting here. Hat tip to Steve.

Carl Crawford Owns Delmon Young. Crawford and Young have begun a war of words ever since the latter was traded to Minnesota and Elijah Dukes to Washington. Following their collective departures, Crawford told the media the Devil Rays would enjoy a more comfortable, relaxed clubhouse without the presence of Young and Dukes. Young took exception, and fired back at Crawford. Then Crawford got angry and shot back once more:

Carl Crawford has a message for former teammate Delmon Young: Shut up.

Irritated at Young’s reaction to his comments about the Rays having a calmer clubhouse without Young and Elijah Dukes, Crawford spoke out early Friday morning.

“These are exactly the the kind of distractions we were talking about with the Rays, a young guy popping off at the mouth, talking too much,’’ Crawford said. “He needs to just shut up and play baseball.’’

Crawford said that if Young didn’t fully understand his comments about the Rays benefiting from having fewer distractions, Crawford said he will be more than willing to explain it. After reading Young’s comments in the Times early Friday morning, Crawford was animated in his response:

“Nobody even mentioned the word losing, losing games. We know we’ve been a losing franchise. He just wanted to say something back like he’s always running his mouth. That’s what he does. He runs his mouth all the time. Nobody was blaming him for anything. For him to come back at me was a personal attack. I feel that if there is anything that he is unsure about, tell him I would be more than happy to say it in his face, or any kind of other way, that would make him understand.”

That first Twins-Rays game should be fun to watch.

Jeter plans to play short for a long time. Real shocker here, but the NY Daily News reports Derek Jeter intends to man shortstop for "as long as he can." When asked if he's ever thought of playing a different position, the Captain answered with a definitive "No." Jeter plans to play out the final three years of his contract at the only position he's known and after the 2010 season - should he sign an extension with New York - he would assume his position would remain at short. “That’s the plan,” Jeter said. “I haven’t really thought about how long I’m playing. I take it one year at a time; I don’t sit down and say, ‘Well, I hope I’m playing in two-thousand whatever.’ It’s a tough question, because I haven’t really thought about it much.”

That Boy Can Hit

Pete Abraham describing today's live batting practice:

The format was pretty simple. Each pitcher threw 35 pitches. The hitters rotated every five pitches. The pitchers threw from behind a screen to a catcher who was in the batting cage.

There was one moderately hard-hit ball off Mussina. He kept his pitches down and looked very good. Wang gave up five line drives, four off the bat of Jesus Montero [pictured above]. “He’s a strong young man, a strong hitter,” Joe Girardi said.

Oscar Picks

As a movie junkie, I figured I'd throw out my selections of worthy winners for Sunday's Academy Awards. I haven't seen every movie this year, but I caught most of them. There Will Be Blood was a deliberate, long epic, but Daniel Day-Lewis puts forth such an incredible performance the film itself is lifted.

Gone Baby Gone was an excellent film which will keep you talking about it for another 20 minutes after the credits roll. Casey Affleck shows great versatility and his brother's direction is just as surprising. Michael Clayton is an intelligent political thriller that reminded me a bit of The Parallax View - possibly the greatest poli-thriller of all time.

Juno is clever, quirky and hilarious. No Country For Old Men is a great experience for the first hour and then becomes prodding, pretentious and obsessed with itself. I am a fan of the Cohen Bros, but what exactly they were thinking during the final 45 minutes of the film is a mystery to me.

Charlie Wilson's War proves the unparalleled writing talents of Aaron Sorkin, the architect of The West Wing and films like A Few Good Men. Tom Hanks embraces an unusual role for himself and Phillip Seymour Hoffman steals every scene he's in. The dark humor is used expertly without clouding the message - which remains at the forefront of the film.

American Gangster was entertaining - if only to see two exceptional actors share the screen - but was way to lengthy and not as compelling as expected. The Assassination of Jesse James should win for best cinematography simply because every shot appears like a painter's canvas. Like Gangster, the film it way to drawn out and moody, but the spectacular photography and an excellent ending redeems its shortcomings.

Best Movies [I've Seen] Of The Year:
1) Gone Baby Gone
2) There Will Be Blood
3) Michael Clayton
4) Juno
5) Charlie Wilson's War
6) The Assassination of Jesse James...
7) No Country For Old Men
8) American Gangster
9) I Am Legend

Best Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Actress:
Ellen Page

Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem [PS Hoffman a close 2nd]

Supporting Actress:
Amy Ryan

Best Director:
PT Anderson

Best Cinematography:
The Assassination of Jesse James

Photo Shows Clemens Attended Canseco Party. According to the Daily News report, a young man who attended the now infamous Jose Canseco barbecue - 11 years old at the time - may have photographic evidence showing Roger Clemens was there as well. Though the debate as to whether or not Clemens appeared at such a BBQ seems to be trivial at best, the Republicans and the Rocket's defense team spent an awful lot of Congressional hearing time attempting to prove he was never at Canseco's house. Just as was the case with Clemens' former nanny, it appears new evidence will emerge, proving him to be inaccurate. According to the photographer, he took several pictures of his baseball heroes, one of which was Roger Clemens. The article states Richard Emery and his client Brian McNamee were aware the photo had been circulating as evidence for over a week. Just another lie from a couple of liars. Can we put a fork in this, now?

Barry Bonds is a sad, sad individual. The recently revealed typo which mistakenly cited Bonds had failed a drug test in 2001 [the correct year is 2000] motivated the mongoloid, syringed slugger to declare "the damage to the case was already done," the AP says. Roger Clemens based his case on the word "misremember" and Bonds is building his defense around the idea that a typo recants a positive drug test. These guys have to be long lost brothers, right? At least within whatever fairy tale world they now inhabit.

Jeter Pulls A Fast One

This was supposed to be Andy Pettitte's individual photo, but the Captain had other ideas.

Sheffield Rips Boras A New One

Looks like Alex Rodriguez isn't alone with his newfound disdain for super-agent Scott Boras. After Kenny Rogers recently fired Boras and completed a one year deal with the Tigers on his own, Gary Sheffield has come forward, calling the agent a "bad person" amongst other things.

Gary Sheffield and Boras have been in dispute for five years, since Sheffield fired Boras in 2003. Sheffield later negotiated his own contract with the New York Yankees, but Boras claimed he should get a portion of that deal because of the work he had done on Sheffield’s behalf.

“It’s probably personal, but when it gets done it’s going to be personal with me,’’ Sheffield said. Sheffield won’t mention Boras by name, but he left no doubt who he was talking about when he said this morning that he would tell other players to stay away from the super-agent.

“I’m going to warn everybody,’’ Sheffield said. “It’s going to be the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen. There’s certain people you don’t want to mess with—and I guarantee you I’m one of them.’’

Sheffield later said that his dealings with Boras were “total hell,’’ and he twice referred to the agent as a “bad person.’

..."Major league baseball is allowing it to happen,’’ Sheffield said. “They haven’t heard what I’m going to say when I’m done with all of this, And it’s not going to be pretty. And nobody’s going to shut me up.

“Ain’t no fine going to be big enough. Ain’t no suspension going to be long enough.’’

Good ol' Gary. That chip on his shoulder must be why the steroid suspicious slugger required surgery in the offseason.

Tabata Makes Way For Jeter. Top outfield prospect and 19 year-old Jose Tabata got his first sniff of the big league media yesterday. Though Tabata attended his first Spring training last year, he did not have the burden luxury of neighboring Derek Jeter's locker as he does now. Along with learning lessons from Jeter comes the unenviable task of dealing with the media swarm which accompanies the Captain. Pete Abraham reveals an interesting encounter involving Tabata, Jeter and a bevy of NY media.

Pedro-Santana Rift Already?

An article from The Sporting News discusses Pedro Martinez and Andy Pettitte, exploring the possibility of both New York pitchers falling on their faces this season. More specifically, the idea of Pedro resenting Johan Santana is presented:

For Martinez, it is a matter of accepting that he no longer is the lead dog in the Mets' rotation.

Martinez said he was "jumping up and down" when the Mets obtained Santana from Minnesota and welcomed his arrival. However, Martinez also has an oversized ego, which has served him well.

He rejected the suggestion that Santana was just what the Mets needed to recover from last season's collapse. The Mets had a good No. 1 starter last season in 13-game winner Tom Glavine, Martinez said. The Mets need a full season from Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and Martinez, he said.

"What this team has been lacking is health," Martinez said. "Even though Glavine was healthy, he couldn't do it by himself. I wasn't there to help him. El Duque got hurt. We're all healthy now."

Mets manager Willie Randolph must carefully maneuver to keep Martinez engaged and productive. Santana seems willing to do his part. He is deferential to Martinez and expressed no reservations about watching him get the start on Opening Day.

Regarding Pettitte, the article wonders "how deep the psychological damage runs" stemming from his role between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee. The upcoming season will certainly be a challenging one for Pettitte, but photos like this one seem to paint a pretty relieved individual.

Burgos' Bling Burglarized,The 'Real' Dukes Shows Up

Ambiorix Burgos had his chain snatched. How does a pitcher this bad carry around jewelry this expensive?

New York Mets reliever Ambiorix Burgos had $270,000 in jewelry stolen from his hotel room here Tuesday after leaving it in a shaving bag, Port St. Lucie police said.

Most of the bling was recovered last night, according to a police spokesman, but Burgos went to the police station today after the Mets’ full-squad workout and discovered four to five pieces worth $20,000-$30,000 were still missing.

The theft happened when Burgos, who made $415,000 with the Mets last season, switched floors of his hotel near the Mets’ Tradition Field complex. Cops say Burgos left the bag with the jewelry in his earlier room, and when he went to get it back, it was gone.

Burgos, 23, had a large diamond necklace and an assortment of bracelets, chains, watches and rings in the bag. The Dominican Republic native told The Post today that he stored the jewelry in the bag because the Spring Hill Suites doesn’t have room safes.

Let's get this math straight. Had jewelry worth an estimated $270,000 stolen from him and he made a total of $400,000 last year for the Mets. That mean - using my superlative mathematical skills - Burgos was wearing trinkets worth nearly 3/4ths of his entire paycheck for 2007. Ok . . . to each his own.


Elijah Dukes is a changed man. At least that's what the article says.

Elijah Dukes, the talented but troubled outfielder acquired by the Washington Nationals over the winter, reported to spring training this afternoon and declared himself a changed man.

“I’ve been working on myself a long time,” the 23-year-old said in a press conference at Space Coast Stadium. “I finally found a breakthrough, and from now on, everybody gets a chance to really see [what] the real Elijah Dukes is like.”

...Dukes has been working extensively with a player adviser hired by the Nationals to mentor and watch over him. General manager Jim Bowden said the adviser, James Williams, has spent nearly every waking moment with Dukes over the last two months, at times even sleeping at the player’s house.

“He kind of comes in and gives me that tough love and shoots it to me straight,” Dukes said. “We kind of do things together that kind of reflect a kind of father and son type thing. That’s a good feeling to always have.”

Sorry, but I will never get over this radio interview in which Dukes describes the benefits of crack-cocaine. If he has turned his life around, congratulations. Excuse me while I reserve judgment on Mr. Put Up Ya Dukes.

The Poll: A Split Decision

After approximately 200 votes were cast, BL visitors created a split decision regarding how the Yankees should use Joba Chamberlain this season. Each choice had its own reasonable justification. Some believe Joba is the heir-apparent to Mariano Rivera and should serve as his setup man until succeeding him - much like Rivera's role when John Wetteland closed in 1996.

Some believe Joba has the ability to become an ace starting pitcher and effect games in the same fashion which Josh Beckett dominated last year. After seeing Chamberlain pitch in Trenton, and observe he could carry his velocity into the later innings - still hitting 97 mph in the sixth and seventh innings - this argument holds just as much credence in my mind.

The major concern for the Yankees is to keep his innings totals under control, something that will be done with greater ease than many may believe. Nardi Contreras has already worked out his plans for Chamberlain - as well as for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy - and his recommendations will be explored by Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi. Expect to see Chamberlain pitch between 140-150 innings as has already been reported on numerous occasions.

Though the Yankees seem intent on starting the year with Chamberlain in the bullpen, there is a strong belief they will stretch him out after the all star break before joining the rotation down the home stretch. This was my choice, and received 21 percent of the vote. Receiving only 2 percent more votes was the desire to keep Chamberlain in the bullpen all season.

The most popular decision - and by far the most reckless for health reasons - had BL voters hoping Chamberlain would start and end the 2008 season in the rotation. Considering the "plus 30 rule" for starting pitchers, Joba should not throw more than 150 innings next season, and using him all season as a starter could pile up 180-200 innings. This could bring about serious arm issues by the summer and even more likely cause injury at some point during the 2009 season.

All things considered, the poll results in a true split decision. Of the first four choices, two place more value on Joba in the bullpen and two more so in the rotation. If you add up the total votes for each facet, 44 percent believe Chamberlain better serves the Yankees as a reliever and 44 percent believe he is more valuable as a starting pitcher.

Conclusion? There is none, other than this is a very separative issue amongst Yankee fans, media members and [probably] organization officials.

Damon Pondered Retirement Last Spring. Johnny Damon, class clown and team nude-exerciser told Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated he considered retirement after leaving camp for a few personal days.

"I was just exhausted .... Burnt out," Damon told SI.com Tuesday. "(Retirement) definitely crossed my mind." Damon, who will become the Yankees' regular leftfielder and hit in the leadoff spot, believes he is ready for a comeback season. "So this offseason, I finally was able to work out consistently... I was able to do things that this game has afforded me to do. I'm ready to go out there and prove to everybody that I'm still a pretty good player."

No Teixeira News Is Good News For Yanks. Braves fans want to know if Mark Teixeira will be manning first base in 2009 and for the forseeable future. However, the talented switch-hitter has yet to yield any hints on the topic, leaving the organization guessing what his next move will be. With Jason Giambi's $20 million per season coming off the books following this year, the Yankees are a good fit for Teixeira and his likely exorbitant contract demands. The fact that Tex's agent is none other than Scott Boras - who was recently humbled by the Yankees ownership and his own client in Alex Rodriguez - may make it an interesting derby.

"Leche, usted es flaco, hermanito."

Video of Pettitte's Return to Teammates. Pete Caldera of the Record submits a video report from Spring training in Tampa, chronicling the day's activities. Included is a look at Andy Pettitte's first workout with the team since the Mitchell Report's release. The clip also quotes Jason Giambi as declaring himself "100 percent" going into the season - that is until he hits a ball in the gap and leaves his Achilles tendon on the infield rounding first base. Also, Pete Abraham reports Bobby Abreu's in good shape entering camp. Abraham notes, "He also appeared to take the warnings of Joe Girardi seriously and came to camp in great shape."

Klapisch Investigates Mussina

Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record talked to Mike Mussina about his most difficult year in the major leagues. . . 2007. Klapisch explained Mussina is smart enough to realize that he was "killing [the Yankees]" during his Summer swoon and also revealed that he was pitching through pain for the majority of the year. From the article:

The Yankee right-hander says there are two reasons why he'll rise from the ash heap.

The first is the state of his arm: Mussina is pain-free for the first time since 2006. The second is the rebound factor that goes hand in hand with a catastrophic collapse: Mussina reasons he'll improve because he certainly couldn't pitch any worse.

"Oh, it was bad. I admit that," Mussina was saying Tuesday morning at Legends Field. "There were times when I was on the mound thinking, 'Why can't I get anyone out anymore? Why can't I win a game?' It got to the point where no matter what I threw, it would get hit. It's a helpless feeling, like you can't believe you're the same pitcher who used to be able to go seven innings [a start]."

At 38, his numbers suggest this was no crisis, just an aging pitcher reaching the end of his career. But the Yankees say the dropoff was too steep to be solely age-related. Go figure: In '06, Mussina was fourth in the American League in ERA, third in WHIP (walks plus hits per nine innings), and among the top 10 in winning percentage and strikeouts.

A year later, Mussina had crashed and burned beyond recognition, with the worst ERA (5.15), worst batting average against (.311) and worst WHIP of his career. The very asset that once separated Mussina from other pitchers -- the ability to think through a crisis -- stopped serving him. The right-hander remembers returning to the dugout after being knocked out by the Devil Rays on July 20, having allowed six earned runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, unable to find an explanation.

At 38, his numbers suggest this was no crisis, just an aging pitcher reaching the end of his career. But the Yankees say the dropoff was too steep to be solely age-related. Go figure: In '06, Mussina was fourth in the American League in ERA, third in WHIP (walks plus hits per nine innings), and among the top 10 in winning percentage and strikeouts.

A year later, Mussina had crashed and burned beyond recognition, with the worst ERA (5.15), worst batting average against (.311) and worst WHIP of his career. The very asset that once separated Mussina from other pitchers -- the ability to think through a crisis -- stopped serving him. The right-hander remembers returning to the dugout after being knocked out by the Devil Rays on July 20, having allowed six earned runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, unable to find an explanation.

Crazy, isn't it, that Mussina is the pitching staff's de facto leader. Pettitte intends to keep his mouth shut for the time being. Wang never speaks anyway, and the kids are just learning. So Mussina's pride is at stake, not to mention his legacy as a Yankee. If he ends his career in pinstripes with back-to-back failures, all his successes, even the one in 2006, will become invisible to Yankee historians.

Mussina knows he will never again be able to call upon his 93 mph fastball of yesteryear, but he also believes he can succeed with an 88 mph heater. Klapisch contends, just like Pedro Martinez, Mussina possesses the deep pitching repertoire necessary to get outs. Unfortunately, Pedro's decline is taking place at a pitcher's park in the forgiving National League and Moose is looking to come back in the offense-dominated AL East.

CC Kills Contract Talks

According to the AP [via ESPN], Cleveland ace CC Sabathia has cut short contract talks. Sabathia cites the continuing discussion of a contract extension as a potential distraction for himself and his team.

Ever since Johan Santana signed off on a trade and contract which made him a Met and the highest paid pitcher in MLB history, industry sources began pondering the final destination of Sabathia. Many have labeled him the second prize to the Santana sweepstakes.

Suffice to say that the New York Yankees will have an interest in the 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner. It also goes without saying that the Yanks will have plenty of competition for such a free agent signing. Today's report of Sabathia cutting off talks is one of several small steps which lead to him walking out of Cleveland - and into a more pricey salary and address.

Call me an idiot, but I would like to see Sabathia remain in Cleveland. It would be good for the city and for baseball in general. However, the realists in all of us probably believes CC is on his way out of Ohio following the upcoming season. From the article:

The cold, hard reality is that C.C. Sabathia's days with the Cleveland Indians could be dwindling.

At this time next year, Sabathia could be somewhere else, pitching for somebody other than the only team he has ever known.

"I can't think like that," Sabathia said after a brisk workout on Tuesday morning. "I don't want to go through the season thinking this will be my last year. I want to help my guys here win."

At the end of December, the Indians offered Sabathia, who has a 100-63 career mark, a four-year extension believed to be worth between $17 million and $18 million per year. He's represented by Legacy Sports Group.

Sabathia said the two sides never got close to a deal.

"The Indians sent a proposal," he said. "We couldn't get any common ground on it. Coming into spring training I want to focus on the team and not make it a distraction. I've seen it be a distraction for guys in this clubhouse and I don't want it to be that way for me, so I decided to put it on the shelf."

Last week, Sabathia announced through his website that talks had hit a standstill. Therefore, this is not really "news," but his public statements give it a little more relevance as opposed to rehashing stale items.

Hal Steinbrenner in the interview you don't care about. Hal comes across as the softspoken intelligent brother to Hank's outspoken blowhard persona. After twenty years of silence, many would expect an interview chock full of intriguing anecdotes and an in-depth perspective of the Steinbrenner empire. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case in the above-linked GQ article.

Some points of interest:

Who’s at the top of the chain of command?
What’s been determined is that this is a family business, and if we’re both gonna be involved, it has to be an equal thing, and we both need to be involved with all major decisions, whether it’s the stadium, big expenditures, or [the unconsummated trade for Johan] Santana, for instance. It’s well publicized in New York that we didn’t agree on that deal. My concerns were economical and financial, and I’m not gonna get into those, but I also had baseball concerns. I didn’t want to get rid of these kids! Boy, the last time we had three young pitchers like Philip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy, I couldn’t even tell you.

Is it true, as the media has suggested, that Brian Cashman’s job is on the line because the Yankees didn’t do the Santana deal?
No, it’s not. I don’t know where the media gets this stuff sometimes. They gotta sell papers, I understand that. You gotta sell magazines, right? The bottom line is Cashman is with us this year. In any given year for the past thirty years, you could probably say, “This year the general manager’s job’s on the line.” That’s par for the course for that job, but certainly not because of one trade, no.

It’s been suggested that you and your brother would sell the team after your dad passed away. Given your uneasiness with public life, are you exploring this option?
No, we’re absolutely not planning on selling the team.

Are you willing to concede that Boston, my favorite team, is the superior organization right now?
No, I will never concede. They’ve got a lot of talent, and you’ve done very well the past few years, but let me put it this way: I don’t think you guys wanted to play us in the ALCS. So I will concede nothing. I think we’re better than you.

These excerpts were as inspired as Steinbrenner's comments reached throughout the interview.

Hankie Says Baseball Was Singled Out. Yankees boss-in-training, Hank Steinbrenner, does not like the fact that Major League Baseball is picking up the PED tab for the rest of professional sports. The NFL once saw offensive lineman over 300 lbs as freaks, but now such specimens are considered the norm. As is probably the case with MLB, somewhere in every NFL lockerroom is a Steve Lattimer locked in a bathroom stall transforming himself from David Banner to the Incredible Hulk. Steinbrenner opined that "everybody that knows sports knows football is tailor-made for performance-enhancing-drugs." The Yankees owner also said he was irritated when wondering "how [the NFL] managed to skate by" and believed "the number in football is at least twice as many [as baseball]."

Torre: What Went Wrong With Yanks. The Philadelphia Daily News reports Joe Torre's entrance into Dodger-hood and considers the last three disappointing years for his previous team. Torre called his successor, Joe Girardi, "intelligent" and advised him to always "be yourself" whether criticized or acclaimed. Following the 2004 collapse, Torre felt the Yankees "wanted to make a change" and said he never felt as secure as manager after losing that series to Boston. Torre went as far as to say the last few years got "to the point of not being a helluva lot of fun." The Brooklyn native goes on to discuss how his new job originated and what aspects he looks forward to.

Writers Weigh In On Pettitte

1) Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.

2) Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.

3) WasWatching's Steve Lombardi.

4) Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.

5) Ronald Blum of Yahoo! Sports.

6) Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

From Justice's blog entry:

Andy Pettitte stuck his hand out to shake mine after one of the toughest hours of his life. I said the first thing that came to mind.

''You're a role model,'' I told him. ''I don't know if you were a role model before, but you're a role model now.''

The Andy Pettitte you saw on television Monday afternoon is exactly the Andy Pettitte I know. He doesn't have an insincere bone in his body. Has he made mistakes? Sure he has. That's true of most of us.

Andy is a man of such decency and humility that it's impossible not to admire the things he has attempted to stand for. He admitted his mistakes and asked for forgiveness. What else can he do?

He's a role model for every player that used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. He's going to find out we are a forgiving people. He's also more than that. He's a person that has attempted to do the right thing his entire life. He has messed up some and will mess up again.

I don't know where those injections of human growth hormone will be viewed in the wake of his entire career, but for me, it's going to be a very small part. He did it. He regrets it. Next question. It was telling that he would have let the Yankees out of his 2008 contract. He was being honest about that.

It was telling that Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada showed up to hug Pettitte when his news conference was over. They know Pettitte well enough to know how much he has suffered these last few weeks. They also know how he hates being the center of attention.

This post isn't to condone what Pettitte did. He cheated. That said, he has done the best he can to admit his mistake, ask for forgiveness and keep going. He did exactly the right thing. His family and friends should be proud of him.

That sounds about right.

Pettitte Looks To Move Forward

Today's press conference allowed Andy Pettitte to address his use of HGH on three separate occasions in 2002 and 2004. Pettitte came across honest and genuine. The mistake of using HGH occurred when desired to return from two trips to the disabled list. It is a faux pah which will follow his career now and long after he retires.

Pettitte answered every question - with exception to a couple whose legal ramifications made them off-limits. By and large, Pettitte showed himself to be an honorable, remorseful individual who knows he was "stupid" to implement HGH into his rehabilitation process. A few photos from the day [courtesy of Yahoo!] are included below.

Some will remember Pettitte as a cheater, but Roger Clemens more appropriately fits that label. After all, Pettitte pursued a quick return from the DL to help his team while Clemens apparently pursued a fountain of youth and steroid help. Pettitte looked for an edge in recovery, but he did not abuse drugs, pump himself full of steroids or sell out his wife in the process.

Those Yankee haters baseball fans who allege Pettitte lied and used HGH more than his admitted three days suffer from a clear case of having your cake and eating it too. The 2004 incident was something only he and his father knew about and Pettitte could have chosen never to confess it as no one would have ever been the wiser.

Instead, Pettitte was compelled to tell the whole truth. Using Pettitte's testimony to incriminate Clemens is very rational. But, turning around and questioning Pettitte's deposition regarding his own HGH use reveals a biased observer with an agenda. Either Pettitte lied and Clemens has been wrongly implicated, or he is telling the truth and has only used HGH over a three day period. Can't have it both ways.

Yankee fans will embrace Pettitte when he returns to the Bronx. Whether or not the average baseball fan will be so kind - when recollecting his career - will not be realized until years later. Some athletes can never recover their career from PED use, and should Pettitte have a terrible year in 2008, his detractors will point him as a cheat. A slippery slope has been accumulating in Major League Baseball over the past decade and The Mitchell Report doused it with ice water.

"It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of the truth." - John Locke

1) The new manager, Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman bookend Pettitte:



2) The rest of the "Dynasty Yankees" lend support:



3) Jeter, Posada and Pettitte hug it out:



4) The end result? Humility personified . . .

Pettitte circus press conference to commence at 3:00 p.m. That's right nonsports fans, Andy Pettitte will be on the griddle this afternoon, though it's been reported he wanted to meet with the media on this topic months ago. The big news outlets - ESPN, USA Today, FOX Sports and Yahoo! - are descending on Tampa with pens, cameras and journalistic aspirations, says Pete Abraham. Pettitte's lawyer will be on hand to help him sidestep questions pertaining to Roger Clemens' upcoming defamation lawsuit against former trainer Brian McNamee. Trapeze teams, fire jugglers and domesticated elephants may or may not appear at the tent to be constructed on Legends Field.

K-Rod implies 2008 his last year with Halos. Francisco Rodriguez is not pleased with the fact that he must enter an arbitration hearing with the Angels over this year's salary. When asked if this meant K-Rod would be wearing another uniform next season - he enters free agency in 2009 - the closer replied, "Yeah, probably...if they wanted me here they would have done something a long time ago." Rodriguez asked for $12.5 million this year and the Angels countered with an offer of $10 million. As far as its bearing on the New York Yankees, K-Rod's departure may not make the Bronx a likely landing spot. Mariano Rivera would have to show a sharp decline in 2008 and be willing to move to the setup role in 2009. Those are big ifs to consider, especially for the 26 year-old Rodriguez who collected 40 saves, a 2.81 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 67 innings-pitched.

Farnsworthless had staph infection. Kyle Farnsworth, resident save-blower [and meathead in Roger Clemens' absence], revealed he suffered a serious staph infection which required hospitalization in January. The malady required Farnsworth's left leg to be immobilized for three weeks and the relief pitcher believes the infection began with "a mosquito bite." He said the incident did not derail his offseason regimen very much - which presumably involves shotgunning Schlitz beers and hunting field mice.

Cash: Payroll's Too High

Brian Cashman is sick and tired of being chided as a baseball executive operating under an unlimited bank account. After watching the Yankees fail to win a World Series with an escalating payroll, Cashman reiterated to the AP yesterday it's time to cut down on expenses.

"We are high," Yankees GM Brain Cashman said in an interview with ESPN 1050 New York's Andrew Marchand. "If I could get our payroll lower [I would]. It is not going to happen -- not this year. But we have, at the end of the year, a lot of numbers coming off. The combination of building our farm stystem and getting our salary lines back to where they probably need to be. That's a process, too, and that takes some time. I'm not particularly proud that we have the highest payroll in the game.

"I just don't think you are going to get the type of bang for your buck at the type of dollars that you are paying."

"I don't think anyone is promised tomorrow," Cashman said. "It is something I don't really think about it. All I really care about, every day that I have had this job, is doing the best job I can while I've got it because I've had the fortunate side of having the rare opportunity of being one of 30 GMs in the game. While I do it, I'm going to do everything in my power to do the right way."

With Hal Steinbrenner supporting his financial conservatism and Hank publicly lobbying for Cashman to stay, it's altogether possible the Yankees GM re-signs for another three seasons. Contrarily, Hank Steinbrenner could just as easily dispatch Cashman should the Yankees fall short of the playoffs - or of the owner's expectations.

Hank's already begun griping over Cashman's decision to pass up Johan Santana - as well as place blame on the Yankees front office should Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy collectively add up to a six month season.

The Real Hughes Stands Up?

Phil Hughes threw a bullpen session Friday and, according to Pete Abraham, is beginning to get his mojo back. Not to imply Hughes pitched poorly in 2007, but it was obvious he was relying more on guile and guts than the electric stuff he is known for.

Pitching through such difficulties and facing adversity will only improve his pitching acumen - as well as provide an experience for the 21 year-old to reference during any future struggles.

Watched Phil Hughes throw and was impressed with his fastball. After his leg injury in May, he said his heater was 91-92 instead of the usual 93-95 it is. “It wasn’t until the playoffs when I felt complete confidence in my leg,” he said. “That was when I got my fastball back.”

Hughes said it’s not so much velocity that he counts on. It’s more the “late life” when he can throw harder. “You need your legs to follow throw and get that little extra on the pitch,” he said. “I wasn’t getting that.”

Jorge Posada caught Hughes and was impressed. On his last few pitches, Posada was yelling “Nice pitch!” back to the mound.

Meanwhile, Hughes has his locker moved. It was Mike Mussina’s idea. He wanted Hughes on one side and Ian Kennedy on the other so he talk to the kids all spring.

The Hughes who I've seen dominate hitters at the minor league level - and a Texas Rangers lineup at the major league level - before succumbing to a hamstring strain is a totally different animal than the one who appeared in the Summer of 2007. The life on his fastball - and curveball - did not seem to return to Hughesian levels until September, and possibly even the playoff series against Cleveland.

Abraham also described his 1st class view of Hughes tossing a bullpen, noting "the ball was almost never right over the plate, it was hard and down on the corners."

Carl The Crutch Is Blind

Carl Pavano doesn't like baseball. The Crutch would rather play demolition derby with his Porsche, crack a few ribs and spend months indirectly damaging the Yankees starting rotation. Well, this is just speculation, but a story from the LoHud Blog is just as unbelievable - except it's actually true.

To say Pavano is a pariah is an understatement. He asked one of the clubhouse kids for a small box today to store some things he had in his locker. The kid went over to a garbage pail, fished out an orange Nike shoebox, dumped a half-eated sandwich out of it and handed it to Pavano.

None the wiser, the “American Idle” (as the Post calls him), put it in his locker.

When the clubbies hand you garbage, that’s a sign your team has had enough of you.

When Mike Mussina ripped Carl to pieces during last Spring training, that's pretty embarrassing. Mussina rarely criticizes anyone. But when an adolescent clubhouse attendant isn't afraid of publicly humiliating the American Idle, that's a sign that it's time to leave.

Wang loses arbitration hearing, and $600 K. The hearing between the Yankees and starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang was resolved today, with the Bombers winning the case. The Yankees offered $4 million and Wang requested $4.6 million. Either way, this is not a very big deal - particularly because of Wang's nonchalant persona.

From the Wanger's perspective, the past fews weeks had the frontline starter witness fellow youngster Robinson Cano ink a deal potentially worth nearly $60 million and lose an extra $600,000 via an insulting arbitration hearing.

Sabathia will not be traded this year. Or at least so says the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Should the Indians fall way out of contention before the trading deadline, Mark Shapiro may reconsider dealing CC Sabathia.

"Our priority is to win now," said GM Mark Shapiro on Thursday as spring training officially opened with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp.

Win now means keeping their best starting pitcher even though he can be a free agent after this season. Shapiro has said that all winter.

"Nothing has changed," he said.

On the other hand, the Akron Beacon Journal reports the Indians will not give up on completing a Sabathia contract extension before his impending free agency - though many in Cleveland already believe the lefty has one foot out the door.

Posada Believes Clemens

The LoHud Blog reports Jorge Posada believes Roger Clemens who recently testified in front of Congress that he was innocent of accusations that he used steroids, HGH or any other performance enhancing drug.

“I’m supportive,” Posasa said. “He says he never took it and I’m behind him 100 percent. Rocket is one of my favorite teammates ever. It doesn’t take anything away from what he did. For me, he’s the best pitcher I ever caught and it doesn’t change that.”

Maybe more importantly, the report mentioned Posada's belief that things will be "a little different" under Joe Girardi's watch as opposed to what went on during Joe Torre's tenure. Posada stated Girardi is "a little more critical" than Torre and will probably "be a little tougher on us." That's the plan.

Posada also told reporters “the Mets were really, really involved” this Winter and that the Yankees career catcher had to seriously mull their offer(s).

Hughes Interviews Kennedy

Using his blog, Phil Hughes took tens of questions from his fans posed to fellow starting pitcher Ian Kennedy. IPK answered six of them which were posted today:

1. What’s something you’re into or a fan of that you are embarassed to admit to?
The TV show Grey’s Anatomy

2. This is not baseball related but what is your all time favorite movie?
Dumb and Dumber

3. hey Ian, Do you answer fan mail or did I just waste 82 cents?
I try and answer as much fan mail as I possibly can. Sometimes it can be very time consuming so I won’t guarantee it.

4. Who’s better at HALO, Phil or Joba?
Phil, hands down.

5. Ian, what’s the benefit of throwing the “vulcan” changeup instead of the normal changeups (circle and straight grips)? more downward movement? it is a comfort thing?
It’s more of a comfort thing. I had trouble throwing a traditional circle change so I tried a “vulcan” grip and found it more comfortable and had more movement.

6. (bonus) How come you chose #31 and do you have any plans to change it in the future?
31 is my favorite number and what I used in high school. I don’t plan on changing it.

The whole Grey's Anatomy deal is a little frightening. Wouldn't watch that show if the alternative was hearing John Sterling commentate the rest of my life, live. That said, Dumb and Dumber is an alltime great, so good save by Kennedy.

Sabathia: Talks Can Wait

If CC is to remain a Cleveland Indian, he will have to work something out at the end of the season as other big market clubs wait to make offers as well. According to his website via an AP report, Sabathia is quoted as saying "there will be time after the season...to discuss my contract status."

From the article:

On Sabathia's Web site, he posted this message: "This offseason, through my representatives at Legacy Sports Group, I have discussed the possibility of a contract extension with the Cleveland Indians. At this time, we haven't been able to reach agreement. Now that the reporting date for spring training is here, it is time to put aside contract discussions so that I can focus all of my energies and attention on preparing for the upcoming season.

"I look forward to a successful 2008 season, both for myself and for the Indians as a whole."

"I will do everything within my power to help the club to its first World Series appearance since 1997 and its first World Series Championship since 1948.

"There will be time after the season for the Indians and my representatives to discuss my contract status. I remain hopeful that these discussions will result in a contract extension that will keep me with the franchise for many years to come. In the meantime, in order to avoid any distractions, my representatives and I will not make any further comment about my contractual situation beyond this statement."

The article also says Sabathia and his agent broke off talks with Cleveland after they offered the lefthander a contract extension of four years at $17 or $18 million per season.

The Pettitte Depo Debunked

After reading through the 100 pages which comprise the Andy Pettitte deposition, you get a real sense for who the Yankee lefthander really is. Throughout his testimony, Pettitte was noticeably troubled with the mention of Roger Clemens' name, but his desire to tell the truth was just as evident. According to Pettitte, he and Clemens never discussed any PED use. However, Brian McNamee would vent about Roger's drug-use to Pettitte.

When the Jason Grimsley report leaked, Pettitte says in the deposition that he wanted to come clean and told McNamee he planned to. However, McNamee asked him to keep his name out of his admission which Pettitte knew was impossible. As a result, Pettitte did not confess his three days of HGH use, protecting his trainer and others around him.

If you really want to know Pettitte better, I recommend reading his entire deposition, but I have cut and paste a handful of telling excerpts from the report:

Q: And why did you stop after the four injections?

A: I just -- I did feel uncomfortable with it. I felt really that's it. I can't explain any better than that, just knowing if you've ever been somewhere and you don't feel right about it, so you just leave. I mean I just didn't feel right about it. I don't know. It was because -- every time, you know, before any injections I'd ever had had been administered to me by a team doctor or you know a trainer. And you know, just didn't feel comfortable with, you know, him doing that.

And on why McNamee tried to dissuade Pettitte from using HGH to return from injury:

A: Yeah. He discouraged me from doing it.

Q: Why? What did he tell you?

A: I mean, he told me that he knows what kind of person I am. He knows -- I mean, I'm a Christian man. I try to live my life a certain way. And he told me that he did not think that I would feel comfortable doing it once I did it. I definitely listened to what he had to say.

Pettitte's reasoning for trying HGH:

I felt like it was the right thing to do. I was making an awful lot of money. I wanted to give back to the team. I had been on the DL before. But I knew I had hurt my elbow pretty bad this time. I was on there for an extended period of time, where before with my elbow I'd only missed a couple of weeks. But I knew that I was missing some extended period of time there. And I just felt like that it was the honorable thing to do, if I could do whatever I could to try to get back on the field and try to earn my money. I just told him I think that I ought to do it. And so that's why he agreed to do it.

Q: Did it help? I mean, was it effective for your elbow?

A: I mean, I don't think so just because I think you have to take the stuff for an extended period of time. And you know, I don't believe it did.

According to the deposition, Pettitte had previously attempted to stop his father from using HGH at his mother's behest. Within the transcript Pettitte cites his father's involvement as the major reason for his exclusion from the public hearing explaining "it would be a very uncomfortable situation for me to try to talk about [my dad's involvement] in front of the whole world."

He then discussed his second and final use of HGH - though it is important to understand Pettitte's father had had numerous open heart surgeries and had been taking HGH to help his recovery:

Again, I was on the DL. First start of the season with the Houston Astros in '04 I check swung, very first at-bat, and I popped my tendon in my elbow. My flexor tendon. The next day I had an MRI, found out I needed to have surgery and decided not to have the surgery, you know, they recommended that I have surgery. But I just signed a $30 million contract with the Astros. My first start with the hometown team and I was like, there's no way I'm going out like this. So got a few cortisone injections into my elbow that year through the team doctor to try to help me get back. I came back off the DL after trying to rehab it. Went back on the DL. Had to miss a start here and there.

Through all this I was getting Toradol injections, which was a painkiller that you get, you know, so I could just deal with the pain when I was making my starts. And the team doctors were administering that and the trainers for the Astros. And anyhow, just ended up going back to my dad. We were just having a conversation. I had asked my dad if he had had any of the HGH that he had had before. He ended up bringing me two syringes over to my house. And you know, I injected myself once in the morning and once at night. He had brought two syringes over. That's what he brought over to my house. You know, that's the best that he recalls also that he had brought two syringes over. And that was it. I did it that time. I did it for that day. And to this day, I don't know why, it doesn't make a whole lot -- heck of a lot of sense. I knew -- I think that's probably why I didn't continue to pursue it. I did it. I was desperate and you know I really knew that it wasn't going to help me. My flexor tendon was already torn. I knew I needed surgery. I would just say just out of desperation I tried to do it again. But that was the extent of it.

And when I took HGH both times, it was not banned from Major League Baseball. If it was, I would have never taken it.

When Pettitte talks about pitching through a torn elbow tendon it makes me wince. Some of these professional athletes are pampered - there are many others, however, who are anything but.

According to several reports, Pettitte will be given an extra three days before arriving in Spring training camp on Monday - pitchers and catchers officially report tomorrow.

Knobby The Dramedy

After skimming through the Chuck Knoblauch deposition, I came across two enlightening passages which you guys might find interesting. The entire transcript is over 50 pages in length and throughout it Knoblauch seems genuine, remorseful and honest.

Interestingly enough, Knoblauch said he decided to use HGH in hopes of solving his infield throwing problems. According to him, the HGH use had nothing to do with getting jacked or hitting homeruns. He hoped to feel better mentally and HGH was described to Knoblauch as a way to stop the aging process and was "not a steroid." He believed it's effects could help him defeat his psychological demons and boost his confidence.

The first excerpt's context references Knoblauch's throwing mental breakdown in which he became incapable of consistently throwing the ball to first base and instead often times launched it into the 10th row of Yankee Stadium:

Q: I'm sorry, I just don't remember when the throwing problem started. I remember, I just can't -- A Well, Yankee fans will say it started when I first got there, but that's not really correct.

Knoblauch, a comedian? Who could have seen that coming - especially in the face of federal investigators. He's probably right though.

Then came the dramatic side. Knoblauch interrupted investigators because he felt compelled to explain why he felt it was important to come forward and offer his knowledge on the PED problem in baseball. Admittedly, I have never been that big of a Knoblauch fan - I loved hated his fake throw in the Metrodome which deked Lonnie Smith - but it's hard not to feel compelled when he talks about his child:

And let me add this, and hopefully you won't get mad at me for adding what I want to add, but it is a little bit more about my story. And I appreciate what you guys are doing. I really do.

You know, my son was here, my son was here today. And I am trying not to get emotional about this, but I mean, I am trying to teach him a lesson that you need to do things in life that you are going to be willing to talk about openly and to tell the truth.

I am here today on my own to cooperate with you guys, to tell the truth; and that is why I brought him. We were on vacation. But that is why I brought my family, to let him know. And he will be able to look back on this and read about this. That is the first thing I want to say.

The second thing, when I played, when I started in '91 -- I am a little emotional about that, I am sorry, I am sorry. My life has obviously changed since I played baseball. I am a father now, so a lot of things mean different things to me now.

Throughout the report, Knoblauch depicted himself as a loner who never heard anything about Roger Clemens or Andy Pettitte using PEDs. Before the 2002 season began, his father died and afterward Knoblauch said he "should have retired" because he basically gave up on baseball. Repeatedly, Knoblauch said the HGH "didn't work" over the course of his usage - less than two seasons all told.

Breaking: Get Your Depos

The House Oversight Committee now has all of the depositions available online on their website.

Click the above link and happy reading.

Here are links to the four most important depositions:

Roger Clemens

Brian McNamee

Andy Pettitte

Chuck Knoblauch

Wang: Yankees Say 'Not Now'

Newsday cites Chien-Ming Wang who said the Yankees told him now is "not the time" for a longterm contract for the sinkerball specialist. Although Wang said "I want to" complete a multiyear deal, the Yankees are showing a clear reluctance to lock up young pitchers for an extended period of time.

This approach makes sense because the Yankees can control Wang's cost. However, it's also tough love as the Taiwan product probably deserves similar compensation that Robinson Cano recently received. From Newsday:

Newsday first reported in December that Wang's camp was interested in a long-term contract, but yesterday marked Wang's first words on the matter. The Yankees didn't share the desire to sign Wang long-term, even though the righthander has won 38 games in the past two seasons. General manager Brian Cashman did not return a phone call, but told Newsday recently, "Not at this time," when asked about possibly signing Wang long-term.

Wang echoed Cashman's words, saying the Yankees told him it was "not the time."

This is the first time Wang is arbitration-eligible, and his agent, Alan Nero, said he expects to go to an arbitration hearing tomorrow.

Wang said he is OK with going to arbitration and OK with not. Someone close to Wang said the pitcher is disappointed that the Yankees would not entertain the idea of a long-term contract. The source said that the fact that the Yankees signed second baseman Cano to a contract worth at least $30 million and up to $57 million adds to Wang's disappointment at not receiving the same type offer.

One reason the Yankees told Wang they did not want to do a long-term deal now, he said, is: "Because pitchers [can find it] hard to stay healthy."

I'd say Wang has reason to be disappointed, though it speaks of his character that he has yet to complain about his situation and only offered his desire to secure his future with New York.

Happy Congressional Hearing Day!

The depositions are beginning to leak out. Andy Pettitte admitting to - aside from using HGH for two days to recover from elbow issues in 2002 - he also used HGH once before elbow surgery was necessary in 2004. The HGH was supplied by his father. Pettitte's deposition also confirmed conversations with Roger Clemens in which the Rocket admitted use of Human Growth Hormone nearly a decade ago.

Essentially, it appears Pettitte used HGH on two different occasions for the sole purpose of recovering from injury - and not to enhance performance on a regular basis. Pettitte's decision was a mistake, however, his limited use [three days total] speaks to his degree of use. Considering Pettitte admitted conversations with Clemens and implicated himself as well, it is hard not to take Pettitte's testimony as fact.

Roger Clemens told Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte nearly 10 years ago that he used human growth hormone, Pettitte said in a sworn affidavit to Congress, the Associated Press learned Tuesday.

Pettitte disclosed the conversation to the congressional committee holding Wednesday’s hearings on drug use in baseball, a person familiar with the affidavit said. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the document had not been made public.

According to the person familiar with the affidavit, who said it was signed Friday night, Pettitte also said Clemens backtracked when the subject of HGH came up again in conversation in 2005, before the same House committee held the first hearing on steroids in baseball.

Pettitte said in the affidavit that he asked Clemens in 2005 what he would do if asked by the media about HGH, given his admission years earlier. According to the account told to the AP, the affidavit said Clemens responded by saying Pettitte misunderstood the previous exchange in 1999 or 2000 and that, in fact, Clemens had been talking about HGH use by his wife in the original conversation.

Andy Pettitte has admitted to also using human growth hormone in 2004, saying it was supplied to him that time by his father, The Associated Press learned Wednesday.

After the Mitchell Report was released, Pettitte said he used HGH for two days in 2002. Last week, Pettitte was asked to discuss drug use in both a deposition and affidavit before a congressional committee.

“In that affidavit, Andy informed the committee that in addition to the two shots a day of HGH he took for two days in 2002, he also took HGH for a one-day period in 2004, shortly preceding season-ending elbow surgery,” his lawyer, Jay Reisinger, said in a statement.

God bless America. The people who are implying Clemens will be charged and convicted with perjury, that is not a threat. Unless a smoking gun surfaces - like physical evidence - regardless of how many people testify, the conflict remains a "he said, she said" scenario. Therefore, there is not enough evidence to supply perjury charges.

Sherman: Joba to the pen. Like the MSNBC report discussed on Friday, Joel Sherman's NY Post story claims to be an "exclusive" story on Joba Chamberlain beginning the season in the bullpen. He will likely pitch 40+ innings in relief before moving to the rotation for another 90+ innings during the second half of the season.

Joba Chamberlain will prepare during spring training as a starter, but will begin the season in the Yankee bullpen barring injury to any of the other five main rotation members, team officials confirmed to The Post.

It had been speculated throughout the offseason that Chamberlain could open in the 'pen as a way to restrain his innings from going beyond the approximately 140 the organization wants to limit him to in 2008.

The starting rotation, barring an injury, appears to be set with Wang, Pettitte, Hughes, Kennedy and Mussina. At some point after the all star break, the Yankees will move Chamberlain to the minor leagues for 3-4 weeks so they can stretch him out in lieu of making him a starter. He will then move to starting staff where either Hughes, Kennedy or Mussina will be pushed into another role.

Godzilla may or may not have a bum knee.

Hideki Matsui might not be at full strength when the Yankee position players begin spring workouts Feb. 21 because of lingering soreness in his right knee, the outfielder told Japanese reporters in New York Monday. Matsui, who is slated to fly to Tampa today to talk to team doctors and trainers, was examined by a doctor in New York. Matsui said he hopes to be healthy enough that he does not have to begin spring training under a different program than his teammates.

Meanwhile, however, the NY Post quotes Brian Cashman as explaining the knee exams are "routine" and that Matsui will merely take it easy early on in training camp

Pettittte's Testimony Backs McNamee

A report from Newsday.com reveals Andy Pettitte's testimony given to investigators supports the claims of trainer Brian McNamee, who has been engaged in a bitter war of words with Roger Clemens this past month.

The affidavit of Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte helps to support the account of Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens' former trainer, that he gave Clemens injections of banned drugs, according to a ranking member of the congressional committee investigating the use of illegal drugs in baseball.

Newsday.com first reported the story last night after interviewing Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) yesterday. Davis said that in an affidavit given to the House Oversight Committee, Pettitte's account matches McNamee's in most details, but that in a separate affidavit to the committee, Clemens said both are mistaken.

Sources said McNamee has told investigators that in the winter of 2002, he, Clemens and Pettitte were working out together at the gym in Clemens' Houston home. According to the sources, McNamee says that during a break in the workout, Pettitte went over to McNamee by himself and asked: "How come you don't give me the stuff you give Roger?" McNamee supposedly replied, "Because it's illegal."

Guess we can close the book on that one.

Pettitte Asks To Be Excused From Hearing

According to the New York Times, Andy Pettitte asked to be excused from testifying publicly during the upcoming hearing in Washington DC. Only Pettitte, his attorney and investigators know what is in the lefty's deposition, but legal experts may predict this to be a bad sign for Roger Clemens and his defense team.

From the article:

The chairman of the House Oversight Committee is supporting Andy Pettitte’s request not to have to testify publicly against his former teammate Roger Clemens at a public hearing on Wednesday, a congressional staff person said Monday.

The chairman, Democrat Henry A. Waxman of California, wants to take Pettitte off the witness list but he is consulting with Republican members of the panel first, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Two other people familiar with the case said it is also possible that Clemens and his accuser, the former trainer Brian McNamee, may be the only witnesses who will ultimately testify on Wednesday.

Pettitte asked out of public testimony because he did not want to say something to hurt his friend and former teammate while in the glare of national television coverage, according to a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

There has been no final decision on Pettitte’s request, the official said. A final witness list may be released shortly.

.

Moose guaranteed a rotation spot? According to the Journal News piece, Mike Mussina will be "penciled in" as one of the starting five pitchers this season.

Cashman said that Pettitte and Chien-Ming Wang are in the rotation. He also has penciled in Mike Mussina despite the veteran right-hander going 11-10 with a 5.15 ERA last season.

"Last year was a blip. We're counting on Moose to have a bounce-back season," Cashman said. "He'll be one of our starters."

Alotting Mussina a guaranteed spot before Spring training opens is somewhat surprising. However, should his decline - seen in 2007 - carry into April, there is little doubt that Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi will call upon Ian Kennedy or a AAA arm depending on how the pitching staff is comprised leaving Tampa.

George King Is Senile

This probably seems like a statement reeking of the sarcasm, self-righteousness and relentlessness which makes bloggers great. However, this is not a poor attempt at humor as King's most recent column in the New York Post genuinely warrants such pondering.

Permeating an article with the idea that the Yankees will struggle to make the postseason next year is not unfair. It's not outlandish or out of the question. A ballclub whose 2008 rotation potentially houses three inexperienced kids 22 years old or younger spurs several question marks, making it altogether possible that the Yankees spend October playing golf. Attacking the integrity of such an unpredictable starting staff is fair game and easy.

However, leading your article with the idea that the Yankees would be better off without Alex Rodriguez for this season and the forseeable future quickly turns me for a loop. The second paragraph goes on to contend the Yankees should have also showed the door to Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Bobby Abreu.

They should have let Rodriguez dance out of The Bronx, thanked Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera for wonderful careers and sent Bobby Abreu away.

Wait... nope. Ashton Kutcher is still making terrible romantic comedies and hasn't rehashed Punk'D in newspaper form.. I checked. This raises the question of who becomes the Yankees starting catcher in Posada's stead, because I know King isn't demented enough to volunteer Jose Molina. Is he? Dropping you closer and starting rightfielder - also without a current and viable replacement - is equally odd strategy.

Then there's this:

If Chamberlain is in the rotation, Kennedy starts the season at Triple-A. If he is as good as the Yankees believe, he must be in the big leagues.

Let's get this straight, George. Should Joba Chamberlain pitch in the rotation [very likely for only a half season], Ian Kennedy is somehow relegated to AAA-Scranton? This is an interesting equation King is working with. Who's to say Mike Mussina will outperform Kennedy this Spring? Who's to say Mussina's 2007 season is merely a preview of what's to come in 2008?

It is very possible the Yankees start Chamberlain in the pen for the first half, move him into the rotation mid-July. Consequently, Kennedy could pitch the entire season as a starter with Mussina taking on the long reliever role should Chamberlain eventually push someone out of the rotation.

Finally, there is King's revelatory conclusion:

There was nothing wrong with Andy Phillips and Doug Mientkiewicz, but the Yankees got rid of them. How long before Rodriguez complains about not having a glove guy saving him errors?

You don't have to go out on a limb to suggest King is an A-Rod detractor. Maybe Rodriguez snubbed him for an interview or is making too much money. Whatever the case, Dougy Mink tricked the columnist into thinking he could hit and Andy Phillips confused King into thinking he was more than just the kindest AAAA player to man first base for the Yankees.

As an aspiring journalist, it's difficult not to cringe after reading such lazy, unsubstantiated dribble. The confusion is compounded when you realize the column came from a guy baseball insiders incorrectly consistently include amongst the most well-sourced writers in the sport.

Nick The Stick At 1st?

According to Joel Sherman, the Yankees may appease an obsessed segment of their fanbase and return former first baseman Nick Johnson to the Bronx should he prove himself capable this Spring.

Over 700 at-bats during the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Nick Johnson hit 29 homeruns and knocked in 105 runs for the New York Yankees. Five years later, Johnson is still recovering from a badley broken leg which forced him to miss the entire 2007 season.

His last year in the bigs - 2006 - saw Johnson hit .290/.428/.520 with 23 homeruns, 46 doubles and 77 RBI. Nick the Stick walked 110 times to only 99 strikeouts. All very impressive numbers considering his home park - RFK - is a drastic pitcher's park.

Should Johnson prove healthy, he would be an interesting option for Brian Cashman, and at the very least provide a potent platoon when paired with the righthanded Shelley Duncan. A lot of "ifs" stand in the way of that, though.

Schilling Gets Shot In Shoulder

The first step of Curt Schilling's rehab program - instead of his doctor's reccommended surgery - occured yesterday when the pitcher received a cortisone shot. While the Red Sox team physician believes the rehabilitation should be successful, Dr. Craig Morgan has not beaten around the bush on the issue:

Curt Schilling received a cortisone shot in his right shoulder on Friday, beginning a treatment plan the Boston Red Sox hope will bring the right-hander back before the end of the season, according to the Boston Globe.

The pain-killing shot would allow Schilling to begin rehabbing an injured shoulder tendon -- the Red Sox' team physician believes the tendon is damaged, not torn, and that rehabilitation gives Schilling his best chance to play this year.

Schilling's physician, Dr. Craig Morgan, disagrees, saying the tendon is torn and requires surgery.

On Saturday, Morgan said he could not confirm that Schilling had received the cortisone shot, but repeated his opinion that the team's recommended course of action is doomed to fail.

He said that within a couple of weeks of the shot, "[Schilling] won't even be able to exercise."

Ouch.

Wang, Yankees Arbitration Bound

According to the Journal News, the Yankees and Chien-Ming Wang are headed to an arbitration hearing to determine the 19-game winner's 2008 salary.

General manager Brian Cashman said yesterday he expects the team will need a hearing to settle its differences with ace right-hander Chien-Ming Wang.

"There have been talks, but they haven't been productive," Cashman said. "Unless something changes dramatically, we'll see them at the hearing."

The hearing is scheduled for Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla., the same day Wang is scheduled to report to training camp in Tampa. The 27-year-old has been working out with a trainer in Arizona for the last two weeks.

Cashman and agent Alan Nero have discussed terms for Wang since the end of last season. But no deal could be reached, and the sides entered the arbitration process last month. The Yankees submitted $4 million, and Nero $4.6 million.

Wang is 38-13 with a 3.67 ERA over the past two years, probably enough clout to win him his arbitration hearing.

Closer Look At Phil Hughes

Via Pete Abe, comes Sam Borden's in-depth profile of Phil Hughes, a righthanded pitcher scouts fell in love with last year and Yankee fans begin to worship today. Borden's piece is an extensive look into the pitcher's personality, drive and humble beginnings.

Here are a few tidbits I found interesting:

Shortly after Hughes was drafted in 2004, the Yankees invited him to throw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium before an interleague game.

Hughes was so focused that when pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre told him not to pay any attention to the catcalls coming from nearby Dodgers fans, Hughes replied that he hadn't even noticed there was anyone booing at all. This impressed Stottlemyre and manager Joe Torre, and the incident became a go-to anecdote for the two men when they were asked about Hughes in the future. He was so mature, even at 18, they would say.

And, on Hughes as a high schooler deciding to bypass college to turn pro:

"I was so against it," she said of Hughes turning down a full scholarship to Santa Clara so he could enter the major-league draft. "I remember we were at a game somewhere when PJ was in high school, and the field had a radar gun and one of those boards that showed how fast he was throwing. He threw the ball, and it said 100 mph, and right after that happened, one of the scouts who was there came up to me and said, 'Well, Mom, he won't be going to college.'

Joba: To Pen Or Not To PenThere Is No Question

The age-old question which is getting just plain old is what the Yankees plan to do with their new star pitcher, Joba Chamberlain. According to MSNBC columnist Mike Celizic, the Yankees plan to start the season with Chamberlain in the bullpen before moving him into the starting rotation.

The plan announced by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is to start the 2008 season with Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen. That should be good news to the team’s fans. The long-range plan for the season is to move the sensational young pitcher into the starting rotation.

The LA Dodgers performed a similar approach with their own husky power-pitching prospect, Chad Billingsley. *Billingsley began the 2007 season in the bullpen and finished out the year in the rotation. The experiment worked out well for the Dodgers as the righthander earned a 12-5 record with a 3.31 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 148 innings. If Brian Cashman could sign on for that type of production from Chamberlain next season, you had better bet he'd be searching for a pen.

The hope is to keep Chamberlain around 150 innings for the 2008 season, something the Dodgers succeeded in achieving with their valuable righty. As long as Nardi Contreras signs off on a plan calling for Chamberlain to split his season between the pen and the rotation, there should be little to worry about in terms of a Joba injury. Celizic says:

It’s a tough call the Yankees have, one that I wouldn’t like to make. Chamberlain, Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy are the kids whom the Yankees have groomed to form the core of the team’s rotation for the next decade or longer. And there’s no question New York needs the lift that strong, young arms can give a starting rotation.

The plan all along had been to use the 22-year-old Chamberlain as a starter, the role in which he excelled as a minor leaguer. But last year he proved to be an exceptional reliever, and in this era of ball, there’s no one more important to a team than a great closer.

There's no one more important to a team than a great closer.

Tell that to Colorado Rockies fans who had zero chance against a determined, dominant Josh Beckett. And a Beckett-like pitcher is just what the Yankees organization envisions when they look at Joba Chamberlain. Let the debate continue.

Its Still Yankee Stadium [Sort Of]

Derek Jeter and the interlocking NY aren't the only Yankees traditions making the switch from the old stadium to the new one. According to MLB.com, the new home of the Bronx Bombers will maintain its title as THE Yankee Stadium, refusing to relent to "Progressive" name changes like the one seen in Cleveland.

Lonn Trust put it best:

"You don't re-name the White House or the Grand Canyon," Lonn Trost said Thursday, acknowledging $50 million isn't just a ballpark figure. Moreover, the Yankees COO said the construction cost will exceed the announced $830 million by a half billion. In the name of tradition, the successor to The House That Ruth Built and John Lindsay refurbished will cost $1.3 billion to build.

The cost is for the Yankees to calculate, meet and privately lament. "We'll make it up some way," said Trost. Their public won't care about that anymore come 2009, when the gates open for the first time, than it cared about Derek Jeter's salary the night he sailed into the boxes in '04. The name of the park does matter, though.

The article also reports that the "the [new] field dimensions will be identical to the existing stadium."

Schilling's Loss Is Omar's Gain

Had Curt Schilling's shoulder issues come about a week or so earlier, the baseball world may have been discussing the Red Sox 1-2 punch of Josh Beckett and Johan Santana. There is no doubt that had Schilling been diagnosed with an injury keeping him off the field until after the all star break that Boston would have actually pursued Santana, instead of exercise smokescreen tactics.

Fortunately for the New York Mets - and by extension, the Yankees - Theo Epstein and company had no desire to surrender a package built around Jacoby Ellsbury or Jon Lester. The status of Boston's rotation as one of the best in the business made this decision much easier for the Red Sox. However, had the Sox known about Schilling's shoulder earlier, Omar Minaya would have been scrambling to sign Livian Hernandez or Kyle Lohse.

Subway Squawkers had this to say:

Reports out of Boston say that Curt Schilling has a major shoulder injury and the Red Sox may try to void his contract. Had the Red Sox known earlier that Schilling would be unavailable, might they have gotten back in the bidding for Johan Santana? Sure, Schilling might not have pitched more than one more year anyway, but the Yankees supposedly had a lot less interest in Santana once Andy Pettitte decided to return, and Pettitte may only be around for one more year himself.

Actually, the Mets also have an aging, injury-prone ace with one year left on his contract, but I’m glad they didn’t use Pedro Martinez’ return as an excuse not to pursue Santana. And if Pedro does continue his successful comeback, I hope he’s still an important part of the team next year at Citi Field.

Schilling Update

Boston Herald Update 11:41 pm:

According to the latest Herald report, Dr. Craig Morgan explained after examining Curt Schilling that the aging pitcher is suffering from an injury to his "bicipital groove," which is the portion of the bicep tendon running outside the shoulder.

Though he denies it within his latest 38Pitches blog post, Schilling and the Red Sox are reportedly at odds about whether or not to have the surgery. While the righthander would like to have the operation done, Boston threatened to void his contract if done so, thereby forcing Schilling's hand.

From Rotoworld:

Morgan said the biceps looks like "three strands of spaghetti," and is an irreversible problem if just using the Red Sox’ recommended remedy of a cortisone shot and rehabilitation. Morgan believes Schilling could undergo surgery and still be ready to go after the All-Star break. The Red Sox, though, disagree, and according to the Globe, threatened to void Schilling's contract if he attempted to undergo surgery. Indications are that Morgan became worried about the problem as far back as last summer. If that was the case, then the surgery he's recommending probably should have been performed in November, not now.

Yikes. Schilling is going to try to pitch with three strands of spaghetti holding his arm together? This makes the Mets acquisition of Johan Santana all the more satisfying. If what Morgan believes is true, and Schilling could make it back in equal time with the surgery, it would appear that Mr. Red Light let down the Red Sox on this one.

Callis Chats: Guess Hughes Back

I forgot to post a few Yankees morsels which Baseball America's Jim Callis spoke on during his last two ESPN chats. Topics include how Phil Hughes will fair in 2008, a comparison of Melky Cabrera and Carlos Gomez, a comparison of Jacoby Ellsbury, Adam Jones and Austin Jackson and more:

SprungOnSports (Long Island): For 2008: Hughes, Myers, Ubaldo, Francis?

Jim Callis: Phil Hughes. Let's give him 16 wins and a 3.65 ERA.


Marc: Commack NY: Will we see the real Phil Hughes this year... im talkin big time curveball, and 92-94 on the gun?

Jim Callis: Yes.


Jay (Madison,WI): Carlos Gomez or Melky Cabera?

Jim Callis: Wow, two guys I don't like as much as other people do. Gomez has more upside, Cabrera has more polish . . . it's a tossup on which way you want to go. I'd take Melky, I guess.


Max, (NY, NY): Pure speculation at this point but...who ends up having the better career: Austin Jackson or Adam Jones?

Jim Callis: Adam Jones. I want to see Austin Jackson have more than one strong half, but I do like him.


Jarrett (Medford, MA): ellsbury or austin jackson

Jim Callis: I'd take Ellsbury. Jackson has the higher ceiling but Ellsbury has a nice ceiling too and is much more of a sure thing.

Granted, Callis is admittedly more in love with Ellsbury than many other prospect gurus, but he still has a fair take on A-Jax. Interesting that - though he isn't very high on either - Callis selects Cabrera of Gomez. Callis' take on Hughes has been consistent since last September when he wrote Hughes would not be "right" until the 2008 season.

Schilling Needs Shoulder Surgery?

According to the Boston Herald, Curt Schilling may need surgery for what is being reported as a labrum or rotator-cuff injury.

From Rotoworld:

Schilling is done after this year, so we don't see why he'd undergo surgery. Unless he's reconsidering and wants to extend his career beyond 2008, then he'll have to try to pitch through the problem. According to the Herald, the Red Sox are already exploring the possibility of voiding Schilling's contract. They could decide to make a run at Kyle Lohse or take a flier on Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia if they don't think Schilling will make it back.

This could be a big loss in terms of losing a veteran stabilizer in the Red Sox rotation. Boston's multitude of young starting pitchers could prove capable of filling in for his innings, though the acquisition of a Kyle Lohse type seems the more likely alternative.

Pedro Martinez likes to cockfight. According to the NY Post story, Martinez and Hall of Famer Juan Marichal are seen in a video [since pulled from Youtube] laughing as a "gruesome cockfight" ensues at Coliseo de Gallos - the largest cockfighting venue in the Dominican Republic. The two pitchers "are seen grinning before releasing two roosters." Unlike the United States, cockfighting is legal in the Dominican and seen as an acceptable, popular practice. While Mike Vick sits in prison for his involvement with a dog-fighting ring, it's interesting to see a country some 100 miles from Florida allow a similar cruelty toward animals. Then again, in Pamplona, Spain, there is the annual running of the bulls and in countless other countries come comparable traditions.

Yu Darvish Update

According to Sankei Sports - via Rotoworld - the Nippon Ham Fighters may be willing to post 21 year-old superstar starting pitcher Yu Darvish after the 2008 season, if the young fireballer wishes to pitch in America.

Darvish won't be eligible for free agency until 2014 and has previously said that he's not interested in coming to America, but the Fighters could let him leave before then given a posting fee that some feel could rise beyond the $51 million that the Red Sox paid to negotiate with Daisuke Matsuzaka. A Mariners scout told Sankei Sports that Darvish is as good or ahead of Matsuzaka at the same age and Darvish could become more interested in coming to America if he thrives in this summer's Olympics. Darvish went 15-5 with a 1.82 ERA and 210/49 K/BB ratio in 207 2/3 innings last season.

His curveball is a hammer and a true plus pitch already, but his fastball command could use a little work. However, Darvish appears to be far ahead of Matsuzaka at age 21 and in a couple of years could be a frontline starter in the big leagues. If you haven't heard of Darvish already, here is an excerpt from a piece I wrote on him a month ago:

Scouting Report:

Darvish throws a low-90s fastball (91-93 mph). At 21 years old, he is 6 foot 5 and under 180 lbs. which means he has the potential to add weight and thereby add velocity.

He throws a plus knuckle curveball along with a sinker, slider, and changeup.

His 2007 season, which earned him the Japanese version of the Cy Young was spectacular:

1.82 ERA, 26 starts, 207 innings pitched, 123 hits, 210 strikeouts, 49 walks and 12 complete games. That works out to a k/bb of 4.29, a batting average against of .170 while averaging 8 innings pitched per start.

.

McNamee Evidence May Be Weak

According to a New York Times report citing scientific experts, the physical evidence trainer Brian McNamee submitted to officials yesterday may be impossible to date. The Clemens defense team will also lambaste McNamee during a trial as the fact that the evidence was handled by his accuser does not work in the ex-trainer's favor. From the article:

The syringes, vials and gauze pads that Brian McNamee has turned over to federal investigators to back up his contention that he injected Roger Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone will be the subject of a strenuous attack if they enter the courtroom, according to medical and legal experts.

The syringes, vials and gauze pads are said to date from 2000 and 2001, part of a four-year period in which McNamee contends he gave Clemens drug injections. But even if the physical evidence tests positive for Clemens’s DNA and, say, steroids, Clemens’s lawyers could argue that McNamee added steroid traces to the original evidence in a bid to incriminate Clemens, experts say.

“You can test to figure out what the substance is, but you cannot figure out how old it is,” Dr. Don Catlin, the former director of the Olympic testing lab at U.C.L.A., said in a telephone interview.

There is no way to date blood either, Catlin said, which means there may not be a conclusive way to establish that the syringes, vials and pads were from 2000 and 2001.

The experts said that any syringes were particularly important because they could have come in contact with Clemens’s blood and a substance he might have been injected with.

This is where I get off. Legal mumbo-jumbo and scientific experts become a baseball blog's worst nightmare. Not that this story hasn't been intrusive and annoying from the jump.

Former Players Make Current News

· David Cone
The former Yankee and Met was the quintessential gutty starting pitcher who could pitch seven scoreless innings even on days when his good stuff stayed in the bullpen. However, Cone's most valuable qualities remain his honesty and humility - traits which quickly made him a fan favorite in the Bronx.

Exemplifying these characteristics, it was no surprise to see Cone describe the plight of Major League Baseball as "embarrassing" and "humbling." Such regret stems from Cone's status as a MLBPA representative during the years in which steroids were most prevalent.

From ESPN.com:

David Cone is taking part of the responsibility for baseball's steroids era.

The former pitcher was on the union's negotiating team during the 1994-95 strike, when management proposed drug testing and the players' association successfully fought it off.

"Certainly in retrospect, I think there's plenty of blame to go around. Certainly I share some of that blame as being involved with the players' association at that time," Cone said Wednesday. "It's something I'm not proud of. It's humbling. It's embarrassing."

Cone wants to believe the allegations against Clemens aren't true.

"We played on championship teams together. It affects our era," Cone said. "And certainly I'm in a position to want to defend that era. But at the same time I understand how people may look back a little differently depending on how history is going to be written on this particular issue."

· Pete Rose
The master of sports gambling sat down for an exclusive interview with Sports Net Ontario?! Not exactly the New York Times, Pete.

Here are a few golden nuggets of journalistic brilliance:

"It's strange, it's one man, it's Bud Selig. You know Bud, get a life. You give everybody else a second chance, and to be honest, fans have given [Selig] another chance," said Rose. "All you hear now is he's gonna clean up all the steroids; well all the steroids started on his watch, so he should clean them up."

"The strange thing about my case is, I seem to be the only guy from America that can't get a second chance," Rose added. "It's sad to say this, but if I had been on drugs, I'd have gotten a second chance, if I had been an alcoholic, I'd have gotten a second chance, if I had been a spousal beater, I'd have gotten a second chance, but I chose the vice that baseball just can't stand, gambling."

Sure Charlie Hustle, you bet on your team to win every night. Or you could have bet your team to lose every night and bet big on the nights your centerfielder was hurt or your starting pitcher told you he was pitching through pain. Nah, that doesn't compromise the integrity of MLB.

Saying Rose does or does not belong in the Hall is one thing. Attempting to trivialize his massive blunders is a whole other ballgame. Then again, he does have a point on Selig. Just because Bud hired a Boston front office director and US Senator to police his own sport does not suddenly exonerate the Commish for years of ineptitude negligence.



· Bert Blyleven
The unworthy fringe Hall of Famer with a great curveball and a ton of strikeouts had a lovefest for Johan Santana via MSNBC. Also included was Blyleven scapegoating Santana's poor close to the 2007 season as a result of poor run-support.

As a Twins' broadcaster I didn't see one sign in Santana's pitching at any point last season that signaled to me he has lost any of his brilliance. Santana may not have pitched his best at points last year, but he was also hurt by a lack of run support. And early runs, which are such a big factor for starting pitchers, didn't come Santana's way very often last season.

He dropped to 15 wins after chalking up 19 victories in 2006, but most of his numbers were pretty much the same as they were in the three seasons previous to 2007 -- and in two of those years he won the AL Cy Young Award. So all the numbers were there last year for another 18-20 win season, but he just didn't get the support he needed offensively. No Santana hasn't slipped. He's still as good as he's ever been and Mets fans are going to find that out to their delight this season.

Lack of run-support may explain the mediocre win percentage [by Santana standards], but it does not account for a bloated ERA in the second half [by Santana standards] - or whispers that he was afraid to throw his slider.

Surely, Blyleven would not appreciate such insinuations, and probably would reenact his live broadcast of an F-Bomb barrage. In all seriousness, Santana will be an absolute beast in the National League and probably challenge for a Cy Young. But Bert still needs to lay off the Joahn Kool-Aid a bit.

Bedard Deal Finally Done

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Erik Bedard will finally make his way to Seattle to pass a physical and put an end to another grueling trade. The return for Bedard is expected to be Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio, and Tony Butler.

By including Jones [a top 10 prospect in baseball] and Tillman [a top five prospect in their farm system] the Mariners certainly gave up enough to acquire Bedard. However, waiting the Orioles out a bit allowed the M's to lessen the demand. In doing so, Seattle was able to remove top shortstop prospect Carlos Triunfel and powerhitting outfielder Wladimir Balentien from their package.

According to the report, the deal is believed to be announced on Friday.

McNamee Has Physical Evidence

Brian McNamee has physical evidence against Roger Clemens, according to The New York Daily News. Should the samples contain traces of PEDs and a DNA test proves the sample came from Clemens, the smoking gun will have finally made an appearance.

Brian McNamee has turned over physical evidence to federal investigators that he believes will show Roger Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs, according to McNamee's lawyers.

"This is evidence the government has that we believe will corroborate Brian in every significant way," said McNamee lawyer Earl Ward.

McNamee's attorneys would not discuss the details of the evidence, but according to a source close to the former Yankee strength and conditioning coach, McNamee gave the Justice Department's BALCO investigators vials with traces of steroids and growth hormone, as well as blood-stained syringes and gauze pads that may contain the Rocket's DNA.

Justice Department officials have sent the evidence to a lab for testing, and if the materials do indeed contain traces of drugs and blood, prosecutors may attempt to get a court order for a DNA sample from Clemens.

And the band played on, even though nobody was listening.

Melky's Sigh Of Relief,A Visitor To Thurman's Locker

Brian Heyman of the Journal News caught up with Yankees centerfielder Melky Cabrera and was able pull some quotes regarding his inclusion in a trade package which would have sent him to Minnesota in exchange for Johan Santana.

"I was a little worried about getting traded because I wanted to stay with my teammates," Cabrera said through an interpreter last night at the Marriott Marquis, where he was among the honorees at the 28th annual Thurman Munson Awards, a dinner that benefits the AHRC NYC, which works with the developmentally disabled. "I'm really happy the trade didn't go through."

As a footnote, Heyman described a special visitor making her first trip to the hallowed locker kept empty in honor of Thurman Munson following his tragic passing.

Diana Munson has never seen her late husband's locker at Yankee Stadium. It has been kept empty with the No. 15 over it since his death in 1979. But she hopes to come this year on a day when no one is around to take a look, since this is the ballpark's final year of existence.

"To me, it's very touching," she said. "I want this to be a private moment in my life and in the lives of my children."

The article also has some updates on stories which broke yesterday afternoon, including a resolution to Derek Jeter's tax predicament:

According to The Associated Press, Derek Jeter has settled his problems with the state's Department of Taxation and Finance, although the numbers weren't released. The tax people believed Jeter should have paid taxes for 2001-03 as a resident of the state because he had an apartment he owned in Manhattan. Jeter said he was a resident of Florida.

As well as Don Mattingly's bizarre encounter with his drunken estranged ex-wife:

An AP report stated that Don Mattingly's estranged 45-year-old wife, Kim, was arrested on Saturday at his home in Evansville, Ind., and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Police said she wouldn't leave the premises. She posted $50 bond and appeared in court on Monday, the same day the ex-Yankees player and coach was granted a protective order.

Deveney: Can Tribe Keep Sabathia?

Sean Deveney of The Sporting News offers his insights on the future of CC Sabathia, ultimately concluding the Indians lack the financial dedication to keep him.

According to the article, Cleveland's 2007 payroll was approximately $62 million, which ranked 23rd in Major League Baseball. Their payroll was largely held down due to bargain deals made for (then) budding stars Victor Martinez [5 years, $15 million] and Grady Sizemore [6 years, $23.5 million].

However, these rising stars will soon reach free agency and require the big bucks which goes along with it. Travis Hafner, for example, received a four year extension worth $57 million last year. Sabathia will likely require a contract that doubles Hafner's deal, leaving several baseball experts skeptical that Cleveland can keep the 2007 AL Cy Young winner.

From the article:

I asked an NL executive to take a stab at how much Sabathia, who has had some waistline issues in his career, would get on the open market. "He seems to have put all the questions about his body and conditioning behind him," he said. "Still, I don't think anyone would go beyond five years. Maybe he could get to six with incentives. If it stretches to six years, you'd have to think $130 million."

There's no way to know what the Indians' price range on Sabathia is. But we can guess it is lower than $130 million. The hope is that Sabathia will take a lesser deal to stay put, which is what Carlos Zambrano (five years, $91 million) did last season with the Cubs. But even if Sabathia is willing to give the hometown discount (five years, $100 million?), that discount still might not be enough for Cleveland. If you get a half-price bargain on a Lamborghini, you still need to come up with $160,000.

The metaphor of a Lamborghini's cost is an exceptional one. And even with a hometown discount, there is little reason to believe Sabathia would accept a contract which does not top $100 million. Most likely, Sabathia will require a deal which comes closer to $125 million.

Considering the $62 million payroll from last season, Deveney goes on to theorize the impact a Sabathia megadeal would have on future payrolls:

The Indians' payroll figures to jump to north of $80 million this year. That's with Sabathia at $11 million. It just doesn't seem likely that the Indians can afford to jump to nearly twice that number. The team is not expected to pursue trades for Sabathia -- not yet, at least -- but if the Indians can't find a solution in the next week or so, then this problem will continue to loom.

A well-written piece with very valid points. I don't believe the Indians have any intention of trading Sabathia, realizing their current roster has a great chance at repeating as AL Central champs in 2008. Removing Sabathia from their rotation would erase that possibility, especially if top pitching prospect Adam Miller takes another step backward following an injury ridden 2007.

That said, many Yankees scouts, fans and front office people will wince at the idea of paying a 300 lbs pitcher $100+ million. Should the young starting trio of Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy even come close to living up to some outlandish expectations, the need for CC will not be so needy.

Tom Verducci Didn't Do His Homework

Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer and Joe Torre's chum, published an article today examining young major league pitchers whose 2007 season saw them increase their innings total to dangerous levels.

The "Rule of 30" contends that a pitcher below the age of 25 should never see his innings total for a particular year rise more than 30 innings per season. Large leaps in innings totals often times leads to injury or a ballooning ERA.

Within today's piece, Verducci listed Ian Kennedy as the #1 pitcher at risk, citing an increase of 61 innings from 2006 to 2007. Unfortunately for Tom, he forgot to do some research. Here's what Verducci wrote:

Kennedy sailed through three minor league levels and reached the big leagues last year, his first full season in professional baseball. The Yankees allowed him to ring up 165 1/3 innings at age 22, after he threw 101 2/3 innings at USC in 2006 and 2 2/3 innings at Staten Island after signing. Kennedy was shut down late in September and left off the postseason roster because of what was described as mild back soreness.

Kennedy's path may recall how the Angels pushed Jared Weaver, another college stud, by 56 innings in 2006. Weaver started 2007 on the DL with shoulder soreness and saw his ERA rise by 1.45.

As Pete Abe points out, however, Verducci mistakenly omitted Ian Kennedy's stint in the Hawaiian Winter League to close out his 2006 season. The 30.1 innings Kennedy threw in Hawaii brings his 2006 total to 134.2 innings, making his 2007 innings total of 165.1 exactly two outs over the proposed 30 inning increase cap.

Therefore, listing Kennedy as the #1 culprit of young pitchers in 2007 is completely unfounded and dead wrong. Kennedy is right on track to toss a minimum of 195 innings in 2008 and could easily eclipse the 200 innings plateau without becoming a major injury risk.

Verducci did add a correction following Kennedy's listing, but decided to keep Kennedy listed as the top injury risk for next season. Tom might want to scrap the article altogether, or at least omit Kennedy's name. After all, this is the internet. This isn't a daily newspaper incapable of hitting a delete key. This was Verducci's correction:

One caveat: Kennedy's jump is not as alarming as first blush indicates. The Yankees did give him an extra 30 1/3 "unofficial" innings of winter ball in 2006 (see Carmona below); not your high-stress big league innings, but still good incremental training. If you count that work, his jump of 30 2/3 innings barely pushes him into the danger zone.

One caveat? How about one completely inaccurate report.

Shapiro: Sabathia Won't Be Traded

According to GM Mark Shapiro, the Indians have no plans to trade CC Sabathia before or during the 2008 season.

Here are some of the thoughts Shapiro offered the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

The Indians, short of an early collapse this season, won't trade C.C. Sabathia.

Regardless of Johan Santana's contract with the Mets last week, General Manager Mark Shapiro believes it will be Sabathia's call on whether he stays in Cleveland after the 2008 season.

Shapiro thinks there are other contracts just as relevant to Sabathia's negotiations as Santana's record-setting, $137.5 million, six-year deal.

The five-year contract extension the Indians made to Sabathia at the end of December is not an ultimatum.

"I can't present you with a scenario where it's acceptable to us or to our relationship with our fans that involves trading C.C. or examining trading him," said Shapiro.

From the past week of Sabathia discussion, it seems as though the Indians will make their best offer - which many believe to be vastly inferior to what the Red Sox, Yankees and other big mark clubs can offer - and hope CC allows a hometown discount.

The Jake Peavy extension comes to mind when Shapiro implies other recent contracts given to high caliber pitchers, other than the Johan Santana's $150 million variety.


*Meanwhile . . The Telegraph Forum hopes believes the Indians should follow Minnesota's blueprint and trade Sabathia before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. This would probably bring back more than a couple of draft picks for the dominant lefthander.

Bedard Deal Only Needs A Bow

Erik Bedard will be a member of the Seattle Mariners come April. According to a Seattle Times report - the same writer who first reported an imminent deal over a week ago - both Adam Jones and George Sherrill have in fact traveled to Baltimore for their requisite physical exams. The post also confirms pitching prospect Chris Tillman will be a part of Seattle's package.

The deal may not be announced tomorrow, though it appears to be done now.

More Sabathia Implications

This will become a tiresome commentary, but Johan Santana's lucrative contract have ripple effects on the rest of the starting pitcher free agent crop, particularly fellow Cy Young lefthander CC Sabathia.

The AP published a story indicating how persuasive Santana's historic deal will become for Sabathia, his current general manager and the rest of baseball in general.

Some pieces from the article:

The mammoth [Santana] deal made headlines all around the country and rattled the Indians, who are attempting to sign C.C. Sabathia to a long-term contract. Now, they might have been priced out of any chance at doing so by the Mets' spending splurge.

The Indians recently offered an extension to Sabathia, the defending AL Cy Young Award winner who can become a free agent after the 2008 season. But that deal has now been dwarfed -- perhaps nearly doubled -- by Santana's record-setting package with New York.

"We recognize that the Santana deal is an added reference point in a contract discussion with C.C.," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said Monday. "Every deal that deals with a pitcher of C.C.'s ilk is relevant. But in the end, the only thing that matters is how relevant C.C. and his agents feel it is."

The 27-year-old Sabathia has maintained he wants to stay in Cleveland, where he began his career, got married and began raising a family. "It's my second home," he said while back in town last month. And there's no doubt that the Indians want to keep Sabathia, who went 19-7 last season and became the club's first Cy Young winner in 35 years.

"The only question that remains is can we find a business deal that is deemed to be equitable and fair by both parties?" he said. "Any deal like that we could arrive at will cause both parties to reach and stretch beyond past their point of comfort. The question is, can we reach and stretch and arrive at a point we both feel good about? That remains to be seen."

While preparing their initial offer to Sabathia, the Indians analyzed recent deals signed by pitchers such as Jake Peavy (three years, $52 million), Roy Halladay (three years, $40 million), Chris Carpenter (five years, $63.5 million) and Carlos Zambrano (five years, $91.5 million) for comparison.

"Recognizing the market we're operating in, we have to be aware of risk and we have to be careful," Shapiro said. "There are people like C.C. who will push the boundaries of our risk tolerance. C.C., because of who he is as a person, as a teammate, as a man and what he can do on the mound, will push the boundaries of our risk tolerance.

"Frankly, he already has."

Shapiro would not confirm or deny a rumor that Sabathia rejected Cleveland's initial offer but did state the Indians would not shy away from a bidding war should the talented southpaw test free agency. Shapiro declared "We're not going away" and said the Indians "will be there in October and November" along with a host of interested suitors.

Shapiro does not seem resigned to the belief that the Indians cannot afford Sabathia, but many remain skeptical due to owner Larry Dolan's propensity for shying away from big ticket items once big market bullies throw their hat into the ring. Signing Sabathia to a megadeal which approaches Santana's extension - in the $110-125 million neighborhood - would be a huge departure for Dolan.

Hughes To Wear #34

Fortunately for Yankee fans - who have not yet bought his #65 jersey - Phil Hughes decided against wearing Carl Pavano's #45 and instead plans to purchase #34 from Sean Henn. Hughes went on to explain his mom's favorite number was 7 (which 34 adds up to) and more importantly, 34 was the number Nolan Ryan - Hughes' idol growing up - wore.

Mariners, Bedard Inch Closer

Considering the biblical nature of the Johan Santana trade talks, the Erik Bedard saga is making its way as a close second this offseason. However, a deal is reportedly inching forward and could be completed very soon. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Mariners outfielder Adam Jones traveled to Baltimore on Sunday, presumably to undergo a physical."

From the article:

A clean bill of health would be the last hurdle standing between the Mariners and Orioles and one of the most significant trades in franchise history.

The Mariners would get left-handed starting pitcher Erik Bedard in exchange for five players, highlighted by Jones and left-handed reliever George Sherrill. The Mariners also would send three minor league pitchers to the Orioles to complete the deal.

Bedard would give the Mariners a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher to complement burgeoning star Felix Hernandez. Bedard was 13-5 and struck out 221 batters in 182 innings last season, losing a month because of an oblique injury.

With the additions of Bedard and free-agent signee Carlos Silva, the Mariners will have replaced the bottom end of their rotation, Jeff Weaver and Horacio Ramirez, presumably giving them deeper and much stronger starting pitching.

Sabathia Rumors Supplant Santana

Unfortunately for the strong corps of die-hard Cleveland fans, it appears as though they will now have the honor of being this month's version of the Twins fanbase - as they must deal with the prospect of losing a Cy Young winning lefthander to free agency because their franchise won't pony up the money to keep him.

According to several reports, Cleveland offered CC Sabathia a four year extension worth about $70 million on top of the $11.25 million he will make in 2008. A contract of $80+ million will not hold last year's AL Cy Young winner, particularly after witnessing Santana bank over $150 million last week.

Some locals address the Sabathia issue:

· Cleveland Plain Dealer says Indians need to up their offer to Sabathia.

· The Akron Beacon Journal ponders whether or not Sabathia will stick around.

· The Chicago Tribune believes the Johan Santana deal puts Sabathia's future on deck.

Congrats G-Men

The Patriots didn't beat themselves. The Giants outperformed them physically and mentally by outcoaching and outclassing their opponent. Looks like karma came back to haunt a Patriots team whose season started with cheating and ended with catastrophe.

18-1

Unbelievable game and my congratulations to the New York Giants.

Raissman Accuses Hughes, Looks Moronic

Bob Raissman, NY Times media critic and often times uninformed blowhard [with less credible contributions than Phil Mushnick's "Equal Time" column], accused Phil Hughes of sounding complicit in some capacity - and/or rebellious toward the Mitchell Report's findings. This accusation came after Hughes applauded Roger Clemens for his work ethic and ability to dominate at the major league level during a piece aired on YES Netork's "Yankees Hot Stove."

So, Bob, was Hughes supposed to bombard Clemens with righteous indignation, even though any proof has yet to surface? Anyone who reads this blog once in a while understands my stance on Clemens, but how does Rocket's alleged transgressions become the fault of Hughes or anyone else who's complimentary of a pitcher once regarded as the best of his generation?

Read from the article and see how you feel about Raissman's absurdity assessment:

Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network suits have already cast aspersions on George Mitchell's report on steroids in baseball.

After watching YES' "Hot Stove" feature on Phil Hughes, it appears, according to YES, certain allegations made about Roger Clemens don't really exist. They are imaginary - just like the Tooth Fairy.

Much of the Hughes piece shows the pitcher going through his daily offseason workout regimen (lifting weights, etc.) at the Yankees' Tampa facility.

At one point in the story, Hughes says: "God-given ability can only get you so far, then it's up to you to maximize that. Even if I can just take a little bit of what Roger did for us last year, (to) see the way he works out ... see the way he goes about his business, it kind of gives you an idea of what you need to do to stay in this game as long as he did."

It seems the "idea" of what Clemens needed to do "to stay in this game as long as he did" is contained in Mitchell's report. Or, at least, allegations of what Clemens did. In the report, Clemens' former trainer, Brian McNamee, alleges that the seven-time Cy Young Award winner had been juicing since 1998.

If the Hughes feature was shot before the Mitchell Report came out, it would have been a good idea for YES - perhaps through "Hot Stove" host Bob Lorenz - to mention that fact. And if the Hughes interview was shot after the report was released, well, YES made the young pitcher look like a fool.

Someone should have edited the Clemens line out of the story. Unless, of course, it was left in on purpose to further discredit Mitchell's report.

"Grasping at straws" would be an accurate description of the Raissman column. Well, that or "jumping the shark."

Hoch On Spring Training

Bryan Hoch of Yankees.com offered some thoughts on Spring training, including the rotation, the bullpen and Joe Girardi. From the article:

Projected rotation:

1. Chien-Ming Wang, 19-7, 3.70 ERA in 2007
2. Andy Pettitte, 15-9, 4.05 ERA in 2007
3. Joba Chamberlain, 2-0, 0.38 ERA, 1 SV in 2007
4. Phil Hughes, 5-3, 4.46 ERA in 2007
5. Mike Mussina, 11-10, 5.15 ERA in 2007

The Yankees' plan all along has been to develop Chamberlain as a starter, where they believe he has ace-type stuff and can be what Josh Beckett has been to the Red Sox. Hitters barely even saw the changeup and curveball in Chamberlain's repertoire in 2007. If you think he was dominant for one inning, the Yankees feel he can be that good over six or seven frames.

He may love his 1980s movie T-shirts, but there's no DeLorean waiting to transport Mussina back to regain his velocity from years past. A rough spring could put Kennedy in the rotation and relegate Mussina to long relief

He goes on to rattle off some prospects to watch next season, including Humberto Sanchez, Alan Horne, Jose Tabata, Jesus Montero. Peculiarly, Hoch omits Hideki Matsui from his projected 2008 lineup, deciding to insert Giambi at DH and Shelley Duncan at 1B in his stead.

The Enemy: Manny & Red Light

· Manny Ramirez wants to be like Julio Franco:

“Every year is the same,” Ramirez added when asked if he was excited about heading to spring training. “I look forward to ’08, ’09 and maybe move on.”

Ramirez, who has been working out at API since early December, is clearly focused on making the Red Sox [team stats]’ decision whether or not to pick up his $20 million team option for ’09 a difficult one. Another thing that is certain is that Manny has no intention of drifting off into the sunset after the completion of his current contract, which also includes a $20 million team option for 2010.

“I want to be like Julio Franco and play until I’m 48,” said Ramirez, who is planning on leaving Arizona early next week. “And if you want to do it, this is the right place to come."

48 huh? Let's get ourselves to Spring trainings and through full seasons without phantom "injuries" at 38 years old first.

· Curt Schilling loves himself some Sean Casey:

I heard yesterday that we signed Sean Casey. To have someone of his talent come here as a potential platoon player and role filler is huge.

I’ve known Sean and competed against him for a long time. I think he’s gotten the best of me more than I on him.

I have never had him as a teamate until now but I can assure you this guy is pretty much one of the classiest and most respected players in all of baseball.

In addition to being as likable as anyone I’ve ever met, I’ve never heard anyone have anything to say other than what a fantastic teammate and person he and his wife are.

This is a huge piece, even though it might not appear so on the surface. Theo continues to show extraordinary ability to bring players here that most likely could play everyday somewhere else to fill vital and important roles on this club.

Awww. Looks like somebody's making peace with Red Sox management. Maybe his Sean-love will translate into a less belt busting version of a the Red Light come this Spring training.

That's A Lotta If's

Jim Souhan, Twins columnist and resident optimist believes 2010 will be the year for Twins fans. He lists all the reasons why Minnesota will make major steps forward during that season, and even if the stars align, there's always the possibility of Cleveland and Detroit outpacing them two years from now.

This is the year Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young and Francisco Liriano will all be under contract. This is the year you can expect to see the Twins' squadron of young pitchers and center fielder Carlos Gomez grow up and contend.

“This" year is not 2008. It’s 2010, the realistic target season for the Twins to take a run at another division title.

In 2010, the Twins will enter their new stadium. They should be willing to expand their payroll. Most of their best young pitchers will have three or four years of big-league experience. Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer and Young should have sorted themselves into the middle of a dynamic lineup.

Raw youngsters such as Alexi Casilla and Gomez might have turned into star-quality everyday players. And the teams currently ruling the AL Central—Detroit and Cleveland—might have come back to earth, because of the Tigers’ aging position players and Cleveland’s imminent payroll problems.

"This year" sounds great. Too bad Souhan's crystal ball doesn't include lotto numbers, innings caps or Iraqi exit strategies.

Santana Passes Physical

It's officially a done deal. Mets fans can now move forward in exorcising last September's demons and begin celebrating the arrival of Johan Santana as the pitcher passed his physical today.

From Rotoworld:

Johan Santana passed his physical Saturday, the Mets said, and his trade to New York is expected to be announced later in the day.

The Twins will receive Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey and Philip Humber.

Up next: Erik Bedard. Orioles lone shining light or Seattle superstar? And who really cares either way?

Santana Is A Done Deal

According to SI.com, the Mets and Johan Santana have agreed to a contract worth $150+ million over the next seven years. The last year on Santana's current contract is worth $13.75 million so the Mets extension is worth $137.50 million and he is expected to receive $7 million in a signing bonus.

Heyman: Santana Deal Imminent

Update 5:00 pm:

The Mets and Twins have been granted a two hour extension until 7 pm to conclude contract talks which would lock up Johan Santana into his mid-30s.

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Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting the Mets are closing in on a deal of six years at about $22 million per season:

Johan Santana and the Mets continue to make progress on a record-setting contract that is expected to make the two-time Cy Young winner a $150-million man, SI.com has learned. People with knowledge of the talks say they expect a deal to be completed by the 5 p.m. EST deadline.

Santana and the Mets are discussing a contract extension for six years that is expected to pay Santana close to $22 million a year, according to sources familiar with the talks. In addition, it is believed the Mets may add about $7 million to Santana's $13.25 million salary for 2008.

That expected new $20 million salary for '08, and the six additional years at $22 million, could bring Santana's total haul to $152 million. The previous record for a pitcher was Barry Zito's $126-million, seven-year deal signed last winter with the San Francisco Giants.

Some reports say the Mets are holding strong to a deal of five years and a sixth year as a vested option, but if Heyman's report is accurate, Omar Minaya cannot be blamed for trying. They are throwing the kitchen sink at Santana, and a deal will therefore get done soon, if it hasn't already.

I know plenty of Mets fans, and though we like to take shots at each other from time to time, I have to offer a kudos on picking up the best pitcher in baseball. With the NL and that stadium, Johan will be an absolute stud for them. Citi Field and not Fenway Park is all the Yankees care about.

Friday Linx: Santana, Bedard, & Joba

· The Johan Santana contract is expected to be completed by the 5:00 pm deadline. The NY Post says Santana is looking for a contract of at least $150 million and the sticking point seems to be whether or not the final year is guaranteed. The negotiations could come right down to the wire, but it should get done.

· Similarly, the Baltimore Sun reports the Erik Bedard story should be wrapped up "soon." Both the Mariners and Orioles believe a resolution will come within the next couple days; which does not rule out Bedard staying in Baltimore. Supposedly, as was rumored yesterday, the hold up is linked to procedural red tape involving physical exams.

· In the wake of the Santana sweepstakes, RLYW examines the top twenty offensive seasons in Yankee history.

· The Minor League Baseball site released its list of the top 50 prospects who are rookie eligible in 2008. Not surprisingly, Joba Chamberlain and Clay Buchholz are in the top ten. However, Clayton Kershaw, who has yet to throw a major league pitch, and probably will not until a September call-up or not at all until 2009, is ranked above both AL East pitching phenoms.

I understand there is a consensus from scouts that Kershaw is an uber prospect and lefthanded, but it seems inaccurate to rank a pitcher never above AA over two prospects who flew through the minors before flashing dominance at the big league level. Ian Kennedy came in at #26 and Austin Jackson #49.

· Nolan Ryan is considering a job with the Texas Rangers and no, it does not require putting Robin Ventura in a headlock.