Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Few New Years' Resolutions

I, Rebecca, hereby resolve for the year 2009:

1) To watch every Yankee game I am able, and not to turn the game off, even if it is a loss--even if it is a blowout loss.

2) To update this blog at least once a day and not twice a month, even if I don't have much to write about.

3) To make my way to the new Stadium at least once (and preferably more than that)

4) To do all of this and still (somehow) complete my MA thesis.

5) Voy a estudiar màs español porque tengo que tomar un examen.

6) To attempt to see another major league baseball park besides Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium/CitiField and Fenway Park.


Have a happy and healthy new year, and please stay safe!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Everything's Bigger with Tex

ESPN's Buster Olney and Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman are now reporting that the Yankees and Mark Teixiera have agreed to an 8-year, $170 million deal.

This, on the heels of announcing that prices to an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs to open the New Stadium will be slashed to 1923--yes, you read that right--1923 prices, is enough to make your head spin.

Among the questions to be asked now are:

1) Is Teixiera really worth that deal?
2) Have the Yankees reverted back to a 1980s buy-everything-in-sight model? You know, the one that didn't work?
3) What do you do with recently acquired 1B/OF Nick Swisher?
4) How many countries have smaller GDPs than the Yankees' corner fielders?

Anyway, uh, I guess you can all consider it baseball's Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Festivus present...

Friday, December 12, 2008

A Jay comes to the Yankees

ESPN is currently reporting that a 5 year, $82.5 million deal has been agreed to in principle between AJ Burnett and the Yankees.

If we ignore the fact that right now the Yankees seem to be printing their own money, this is a move that has to be approached with a lot of caution.

Burnett can be great, and you'd be hard pressed to find a Yankee or Yankee fan not excited at the prospect of not having to actually face Burnett, but the lengthy injury history is a major red flag. We're talking the Yankees are Marie Antoinette and Burnett is the storming of the Bastille--so what if I've been watching the History Channel?

It almost has a here we go again feel to it, but the good news is that because the Yankees signed Sabathia, they will (hopefully) not have to rely on Burnett as their ace.

Conventional wisdom states that you don't sign free agents coming from your division rival because there's probably a real good reason if they're letting one of their stars go to your team--at least in Burnett's case, the caveat is well known.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

C. C. You in the Spring!

Holy crap it's been a little while since I've posted, hasn't it?

Well, when you're spending eight hours a day in the library researching medieval Nottingham...yeah, yeah...anyway...

According to multiple sources--Peter Abraham, ESPN.Com, SI.com and the NY Post, C.C. Sabathia is all but set to sign his Yankee papers.

No doubt, primal yelps of joy are sounding throughout all of YankeeLand, as he is by far the best pitcher on the market.

That said, a word of caution--one great free agent signing does not a team make, and there is word that he is looking for an opt out clause in the contract.

It's like getting that shiny brand new ipod for Christmas--it could be amazing, but if you don't care for it properly, bad things can happen.

Anyway. The important thing is that there's a new guy in pinstripes in the spring--and it's the one (most of us) all wanted.


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In other Winter Meetings news, Francisco Rodriguez has signed a three year contract with the Mets. It's a good deal--K-Rod wants the money, the Mets need some semblance of a bullpen, even if one closer does not a good bullpen make.