Hope, Memory

Today I went with Brent from The Bronx Block and my friend Dan D. to the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York.

It was the third time I've been, but the first time I went with people as interested in baseball as I am, and, without the summer crowd, we were able to take in everything, and appreciate all of it.


Going through all of the exhibits, there were two things that came to mind:

Hope, and memory.


Hope. The hope at the beginning of a season. The hope at the beginning of a game. The hope at the beginning of an inning. The hope of a single at bat. The hope of a single swing. The hope, in the end, that summer will come again.


Memory. Memory of the game's beginning, when it cost no more than $.50 to see a game. Memory of when it was free.

Hope. The hope that maybe somewhere, somehow, you'll be able to play in the bigs. It won't matter what color your skin is, or what gender you are; the only thing that will count is how well you play the game.

Memory. Memory of moments that passed us by--the Polo Grounds. Ebbets Field. Comiskey Park. The Washington Senators. Boston Braves. St. Louis Browns.


The memory of hope. The hope of memory.


It's not just baseball.

It's America.



Some pictures, and explanations.

It starts with a sword.

Let me explain.

Yesterday, it snowed, and iced. A lot. To the point that it buried my car. So, today being the designated Cooperstown day, I had to scrape the ice off my car. I have an ice scraper thingie, but after fifteen unsuccessful minutes, something had to be done to speed the process up--Cooperstown is a two hour ride through rural upstate NY from Syracuse.

So I remembered that I had a sword, and suggested to Brent that we try using the sword. He was worried I'd break the sword. I was worried I'd dent the car. I was REALLY careful, believe it or not.



However, as it turned out, the sword worked marvelously to break up the ice on the top and then the scraper was able to brush the rest off. However, by this time it was getting a little late, so instead of putting the sword back in my apartment, I tossed it in the back seat.

Not the most brilliant idea ever, but a functional one.


So after that fun adventure, we picked Dan up at his dorm, and drove the two uneventful hours to Cooperstown.


When we got there, we had to find a place to park, and as I'm utterly afraid of parking tickets, we ended up parking way down by the lake. It was gorgeous in the winter snow.




(Dan and myself, credit Brent Nycz)




It was then that Brent decided he wanted a picture of himself with the sword, and I was happy to oblige as swords really are that awesome.




While holding the sword, Brent made a comment about how he was holding the sword a là Paul O'Neill, his favorite Yankee. He started to swing the sword like a bat, and the thought came to him that it'd be pretty cool to turn the sword into a bat given the location and occasion.

It was then that Dan produced a shiny, green apple.

So the stage was set: Game seven, 2008 ALCS, Jonathan Paplebon (played by Dan) versus an unretired Paul O'Neill (Brent in the Oscar performance of his life), and myself, fellow picture-taker.

The first pitch was a foul ball, as Brent sliced the top off of it. Literally.



The second pitch was a...well, what do you call it when you slice an apple completely in half with a sword?

Brent says it's the 'Shot That Sliced The Big Apple In Two'


At this point, we decided it was getting a little chilly, and our best bet was to make the short walk to the Hall of Fame and venture inside. Thus we did. We did put the sword back in the car, for those of you curious.

Dan used his AAA membership card to get us each a $1.00 discount on the admission price. Cool stuff.


Now, as you probably know, I like old things. Lucky for me, the HoF is arranged in a mostly chronological order, so it's like taking a journey through history.


See?

All right, now, so we start with the game's beginnings (Doubleday may, or may have not, actually invented the game).


The oldest surviving baseball for a scheduled game. I don't know about you, but it reminds me more of a shot-put ball than a baseball...then again, people 150 years ago also believed women shouldn't vote or run for office, so who knows what they thought.



Old woolen Reds jersey. I can knit in wool, but I've never made a baseball jersey.



The tools of ignorance, old style. I'm not sure about you, but given Yogi, et al, I think catchers are probably some of the smartest guys on the team. They just also happen to be slight masochists, but that's the spice of life.


Oldest surviving baseball contract known to exist. I doubt those guys knew just quite what they were starting...I can imagine them now, coming back from the other side, looking at each other and going "oops."


Babe Ruth's bat. It's actually fairly small for a bat, but at the same time...dude, it's Babe's Ruth bat. I mean, that's like saying it's Harry Potter's wand or Frodo's ring, except that Babe Ruth actually existed. Maybe it's more like King Arthur's sword. Oh, fictional again? Damn. Umm. Sorry, I'm at a loss for a reasonable comparison.


Babe's glove. Personally, I'm more impressed in the bat, but if you wanted to get me this for my birthday I wouldn't complain. It's like asking if I'd rather go to France or Spain. I'd prefer Spain (because I can semi-speak Spanish and they have better swords), but I wouldn't say no to France under any circumstances.


Myself in front of Babe's locker. The back of my shirt is actually blank, so I don't have to worry about players leaving or getting traded; as long as the Yankees don't suddenly move to Boston, I'm set.


Brent at Babe Ruth's locker. It was really that awesome.


Babe Ruth's original contract with the Red Sox. We know what happened next.


Chicago White Sox apparel and equipment from the Black Sox era. LET SHOELESS JOE INTO THE HALL! Ahem. Anyway, could you imagine if a Black Sox-ish scandal came about today? It'd blow 'roids out of the water.


Part of the exhibit on the Negro Leagues. It is utterly amazing how much the story of baseball is like the story of America, unified after the Civil War. Maybe that's why this game means so damned much to us.


Jackie Robinson's apparel and equipment. If there was ever a saint in baseball, it's him. Or maybe it's Rickey, for signing him. Or Landis for telling them that for all he cared they could sign 25 black players. Or maybe it was all three, coming together, to do what should have been done at the game's start.



I just like the pink.

Anyway, it's at this point that my wonderful camera, home to over 2520 pictures, decided that it was time for the battery to decide it wanted to be recharged, so thus all following pictures are credit Brent Nycz, some rights reserved



There's no cryin' in baseball! Okay, I lie. There's actually quite a lot. Mostly from me but maybe from you on occasion as well.


The Yankees have a lot of stuff in the Hall of Fame. But you know that.


Bats from Tino Martinez and Aaron Boone. Tino's bat he used in game four of the 2001 World Series, when had that two-out-bottom-nine-down-by-two home run that sent the Stadium in a frenzy. I am, however, slightly surprised they don't have Brosius's bat from when he repeated the feat the next night. As for Aaron Boone, well, you know why that bat's there. I really shouldn't need to elaborate.


A-Rod's batting helmet from when he hit 500. I can't wait for them to have his batting helmut when he hits the WS-winning grand slam to close out the old stadium.


Memory.


Hit this. Or, as it were, don't.


I can hear my dad yelling from so far away: get your hands off the glass!. But dude, they're so shiny....


There's gaudy. There's ostentatious. And then there's the 2003 Florida Marlins World Series ring.


The bloody sock doesn't, in fact, look all that bloody in person. Still, though, Joe, why didn't you BUNT?!


The three of us. I'll let you guess who's who, and if you can't get it, you probably don't read PBP very often. I guess it's not that often that you get two Yankee fans and a Red Sox fan sitting together, all smiling and not actually chanting 19-18 or whathaveyou. I know the black and red scarf I'm wearing is huge, but a) I made it, b) it's warm, c) it was 18F outside.



Vaca Sagrada.


They were ball players, not saints, but if not for them, we would not have the memories. Some are hope, some are memory, but all knew it was more than a ball and a stick.


For some moments, the less words, the better.


A photo of part of the original payment from the you-know-whom to the you-know-whom in you-know-when for you-know-who, which spawned the you-know-what.



The Hall of Fame, as seen from the outside.


So the Hall of Fame was a great experience, and once again I was a sucker for the gift shop, as I purchased a shot glass (I collect them) and a Yankees' Hall of Fame members' shirt (and I hope it fits).

Despite this, there was one caveat: Having left Syracuse at 11 AM and gone to Cooperstown stopping only for five minutes to get fast food/vending machine food, and then staying in Hall of Fame until near closing (at five in the winter), we were hungry.

Okay, hungry is an understatement. I felt like my insides were eating themselves for want of food, which may have been a little more graphic than you wanted, so I apologize.

Anyway, we headed to the Doubleday Cafe, which was very decent, and hey, we saw highlights of SYRACUSE BEATING GEORGETOWN! GO ORANGE!



After about four or five giant glasses of water, I had to use the restroom. To my amusement, the restroom had a chalkboard...and chalk. So I drew.


(I did not draw the kitty, alas, but the url to this blog and the 'let's go yankees', completely my idea.)

I came out of the restroom and mentioned it to Brent, and then Brent decided to do a similar thing, linking to his blog. Seeing as his url is easier to remember (sorry!) and his handwriting is a lot neater, I expect he'll get a lot more hits.




So there you have it. After that, it was a two hour ride back to Syracuse and whatnot. I could elaborate on what I've done since getting back to Syracuse with Brent, who's come up from New York to spend the weekend, but as it's mostly meaning 'this post', I'll spare you.


I know I owe a Season update, but this post took two hours to write, so the Season update is going to wait till tomorrow afternoon. Don't worry, it's written, but hopefully you all will enjoy this.

The Hall of Fame is an amazing experience under any circumstance, but for something really special, bring a couple friends that are as big of fans as you are, of the same team or your most hated rival. Come on a frozen winter day when the snow coats everything. Park down by the lake. Stay until closing, and revel in the definitely-not-filled-to-capacity galleries. Get up so close to Babe Ruth's bat, if just for that little bit of plexiglass, you could touch immortality.

Swords are optional.

News N' Notes

So, for the record, I love Fridays. Today in particular.

Anyway, in case you've missed it, some news and notes from around the league:

Radomski avoids prison time. Moral of the story: It's okay to commit crime, as long as you rat out your accomplices, especially if your accomplices are from New York. Sam Waterson's Law and Order universe, this is not.


Santana would get to choose whether or not to exercise 2014 option. Isn't this a fancy way of saying that Santana's now got an opt-out clause? Have the Mets learned nothing re: A-Rod? I mean, I know Santana's agent is not Boras, but still, that can't be the smartest move the Mets have ever made.


Curt Schilling has shoulder injury and disagrees with team over surgery/no surgery. All that blogging must have taken a toll. Guess it's on the list of verboten off-season activities such as motorcycle riding and pick up basketball...


FIVE days to go.

Finally February!

Wow.

You know, yesterday I thought there were about five or six more days of January to get through, especially given how cold it got last night, but I woke up today and I turned the calendar page...and right now, I'm about to do it again.

This time I'll go from 31 January to 1 February.

Sure, there's a lot of winter left up in Syracuse, but, as I'd tell myself as a kid, by the time we get out of this month, people will be pitching and swinging again.

I have to say, it's a slightly odd feeling, for a few reasons.

The first is that, even if the last month was kind of slow (until Tuesday), it was one heck of an offseason from a Yankees perspective: new manager, new coaching staff, A-Rod hoopla, getting Mo, Po and Andy to come back, the report-that-must-not-be-named, Santanamania...

Hard to believe it's only been three months. Hard to believe it's been as long as three months. I go back and forth.

It's an odd feeling because October 2007 seems like it was such a long time ago, feels so far removed from now, but it's really not.


On a more personal level, it's an odd feeling because it means the blog's closing in on a five month anniversary and (coincidentally?) 25.000 views. I can't describe the feeling, knowing that something I started more or less on a whim has grown into something that was good enough to survive the off-season.

What's more, I can't describe the feeling this past week has given me--and the irony of it all is that I'm a journalism school reject. That's life though, isn't it?


So now there are just fourteen days to go, and indeed, there are a lot of people already down in Florida or Arizona, and the potential of Spring is soon to be at its most vibrant.


Whoever said February was a boring month is probably just a college football fan.

Johan, Meet the Mets

I am happy.

I am filled with pure and utter glee.

It's not that I didn't want Johan Santana in pinstripes; it's that the price requested--at least one of the "Big Three" is much too high.

It's true, we don't know exactly how the Big Three are going to turn out, but it's a far worse crime to not give them a chance.

While I do think the Mets got the better end of the deal, I also think we're underrating the package that the Mets sent to Minnesota. Bill Smith is many things, but he's not stupid.

So congratulations to the New York Mets on a fine pick up, you got what you desperately needed (a pitcher), and the Yankees will hold onto their youth--and their future--for a little longer.

(sorry this took me so long to get up, I just got back from class!)

A Funny Thing Happened On My To Class Today....

Maybe it's because it's ten degrees warmer outside today than it's been the past two weeks.

Maybe it's because with January winding down, the countdown to pitchers and catchers has really begun in earnest.


Maybe it's because it's beginning to hit me that the 2008 Yankees season has got so much going for it, so much potential...



...but while going to class today, a squirrel crossed my path, and I was reminded of last September, when, for just about every game, every time a squirrel crossed my path, the Yankees won the game.

I know it sounds odd, but you probably don't have to remember too hard to remember Scooter the Squirrel's appearance on the right field foul pole, and how the Yankees swept that series against Boston, and then, the next week, took two of three from Seattle (who was the Yankees' biggest playoff spot competition at the time). I'm sure you remember how it was maybe a week after Phil Rizzuto had gone to play shortstop for Heaven's side, so there was something...else...about the squirrel being there.

Every time I saw a squirrel in the fall, I would think about that.

About November, when the weather started to turn in earnest, I stopped seeing squirrels on my way to class. It was the beginning of winter, after all, and even squirrels can freeze in Syracuse.


Today I saw a squirrel for the first time since we put the bats and the gloves away last 1 November.


There's still a few weeks of unbearable cold up here, but today I was reminded that Spring really is just around the corner...

Oh, right, this is a Yankees' blog...

Reading through the recent entries, I just realized that on the entire front page of a New York Yankees blog, I have not one post related directly to the Yankees, except for mentioning Phil Hughes' blog.

So I should probably fix that, seeing as this is, first and foremost, a Yankees blog.


It is a rather slow time, when the off-season really does feel like an off-season, but there are a couple things of note, many of which will be familiar:

Cano and Yankees close to long-term deal: The important thing to take away from this is not necessarily the numbers, but the length. It's unusual for baseball players to get long term deals at this point in a career (the first that Cano is arbitration eligible), so that lets you know just how highly the Yankees think of their second baseman. Hey, if he learns how to run the bases properly, Cano could go from being a reallygood player to one of those guys who flirt with immortality...

The numbers that Chien Ming Wang and the Yankees submitted, in terms of salary, are fairly close, so the two sides should have no trouble coming to an agreement. Then again, should is a funny word.


In other news, you have probably heard that the Feds have been unable to locate Chuck Knoblauch to serve him with a subpeona. While we shouldn't find this funny, there is a bit of humor, especially with the 'he went to go find first base' jokes. I don't blame him for trying to keep his head down and stay out of the limelight, but there are extremes at both ends. Of course, I hope that he's not actually in any sort of trouble, and who knows, maybe they'll make a movie of it some day...

Are You Not Entertained?

So on Sunday, or tomorrow, I'm driving back up to my one-bedroom apartment, where I'll have a precious few hours to get everything clean and ready for the first day of class on Monday.

I know it sounds really weird, but I like everything to be neat and clean when I'm at the start of the semester because I know it only gets way, way worse from there.

Anyway, the point is, with the Spring Semester starting, it can mean only one thing:

Baseball is on its way!

I will give you that February in Syracuse does not lend oneself to thinking about spending lazy afternoons in the ballpark, but that's why they train down in Florida and Arizona.

So that means that now might be a nice time to take stock of the off-season, if not just for the Yankees, for baseball as a whole as well.

There is still a month to go before pitchers and catchers, but that doesn't mean we can't look at what has happened thus far.


The biggest news this off-season, of course, has nothing to do with any trades or FA signings (I'll get to A-Rod in a moment), but with that thing that some call a report. I won't recount the details of the MR; unless your dwelling involves a subterranean existence, you'll know to what I'm referring.

However, there's no denying the MR has been a major source of gossip, especially now as the McNamee-Clemens saga has ceased to be about 'roids, but instead has turned into "As the Roid Turns" soap opera. (Playing every day on ESPN, et al). It's a he said-he said, the truth somewhere buried on that island in Lost, and kind of like Britney or Paris, no matter how much we want to, we just can't stop paying attention to the anamoly.

Thank heaven, then, that other things have occurred this off-season as well!

Among the things you may have forgotten:

First, there was the A-Rod non story. In short form, A-Rod went from Deity-Rod to Playoff-Goat-Rod to Opt-Out-Fraud and then back to A-Rod. I certainly don't know A-Rod's thought process, but he might just be the most clever guy on the planet, willing to sacrifice his sense of dignity and pride just to get a top contract...wait, no, A-Rod would never do that...but that Agent dude, Boras (Bore Us? ), he might be just the type...

Second, there was that bit where Detroit and Florida did this thing where you send some players from Team A to Team B and vice versa. In baseball we like to call this a trade. Detroit sent Cameron Maybin, et al, to Florida for Dontrelle Willis an Miggy Cabrera. Most people think Detroit came off better in the deal, but I am actually of the belief that Florida will come out better. Consider:

1) Willis is an NL pitcher who struggled last year and now has to pitch in the bat-happy AL.
2) Miggy C has weight issues and defense issues that may be a concern, and will easily command a top dollar contract, like Willis.
3) Florida likes the five year rule, having won their first world series five years after their inception, their second five years after that (1997, 2003) and now, 2008...whaddya know, five years? Okay, so 2003-1997 is actually six years...so maybe the Marlins are more due in 2009 or 2010, but that's besides the point.


Third, Oakland fleeced Arizona, giving 'Zona "ace" Dan Haren for basically the entirety of 'Zona's farm system. 'Zona's got a nice young team as is, but, as Yankees' fans know from the years 2003-2006, it's generally a good idea to have a farm system no matter how good your team is on the top level.


Fourth, Johan Santana is still a Minnesota Twin. First he was supposed to be a Yankee, then a Red Sox, now local articles have him as a Met, but if tomorrow was February Fourteenth, he'd be reporting to Twins' camp. There are all sorts of different ways this can be interpreted, and yes, I admit that it can be fun to play "let's pretend you're Bill Smith and he's Theo Epstein and I'm Brian Cashman and she's Omar Minaya", but that won't actually make the trade happen. Unless you actually are Bill Smith or Theo Epstein or Brian Cashman or Omar Minaya, in which case I say "Hello, and Thank You for reading the blog. Go Yankees!"


Fifth, in case you forgot, the Yankees managed to resign their most "key" free agents besides A-Rod: Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Jose Molina. Mo and Po earned their keep, getting unheard of contracts for closers and 36 year-old catchers. Andy Pettitte came back after, among other things, incredible fan support. If you missed it, Steve Lombardi of Was Watching initiated P46, a letter writing project to get Pettitte to come back, and it looks like it worked.


Sixth, in what seems like ages and ages ago, Joe Torre turned down a contract offer and in something that sort of resembled the dating game, Joe Girardi beat out Don Mattingly and Tony Peña for the manager's job. Torre landed softly on his feet in a job managing the LA Dodgers--Torre grew up a Brooklyn fan--and, whaddya know, his favorite reliever of all time, Scott Proctor is right there waiting for him. Of the Yankee coaches on staff for next year, perhaps none is more welcoming than the appointment of Dave Eiland as pitching coach--Eiland worked with the Trinity (that is, Phil, Joba and Ian) in the minors, and, well, we know what they can do...


There is still a month of the off-season to go, and anything can happen--if I know myself correctly, the second I post this, we'll all see Johan Santana has gone to the Angels and the Cubs have decided to stop playing at Wrigley--but that's the fun of it.


So, all things considered, I have to ask, of the past few baseball game-less months, in my best Russell Crowe voice, ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?



I know I am very, very entertained.

A Mensch

As we'd say in Yiddish, Andy Pettitte is a mensch.

His statement, issued through his agent and posted by Pete Abraham:

First, I would like to say that contrary to media reports, I have never used steroids. I have no idea why the media would say that I have used steroids, but they have done so repeatedly. This is hurtful to me and my family.



In 2002 I was injured. I had heard that human growth hormone could promote faster healing for my elbow. I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. Though it was not against baseball rules, I was not comfortable with what I was doing, so I stopped. This is it - two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list.



If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize. I accept responsibility for those two days. Everything else written or said about me knowingly using illegal drugs is nonsense, wrong and hurtful. I have the utmost respect for baseball and have always tried to live my life in a way that would be honorable. I wasn’t looking for an edge; I was looking to heal.



If I have let down people that care about me, I am sorry, but I hope that you will listen to me carefully and understand that two days of perhaps bad judgment should not ruin a lifetime of hard work and dedication. I have tried to do things the right way my entire life, and, again, ask that you put those two days in the proper context. People that know me will know that what I say is true.




***


HGH was not banned until 2005, so even if what he did was unethical, it wasn't illegal.


The best thing to do for anyone is to admit it (if it's true), and that's what Pettitte did. He has the whatchamacallit to stand up and take responsibility for his actions.

If only there were others who did that as well...

Where Are We Going from here?

"On a long road, miles to go,
It's winding and cold and covered with snow
But I ask you what we all want to know
Where are we going from here?"

--Blackmore's Night, "Where Are We Going From Here?"

So now that the Mitchell Report is out, and the "Mitchell 86" are rightfully or wrongfully excused, the question now becomes: What next?

Do you punish the offenders? I am going to break ranks with the majority and say I agree with Bud Selig--you have to take everything on a case-by-case basis. Someone who asked about HGH once but never actually used it is far different from someone who injected themselves with steroids for five or ten years, consistently.

What should the players do who are named? If you're guilty, fess up. It's that simple. Purists will probably never forgive you entirely, but at least both parties can move on--denying it, if you're guilty, only makes you look like a bigger fool in the end. If you're innocent, stay that way.

What about people getting into the Hall of Fame? This is a tough one--I've felt for a while that McGwire and Bonds should not be allowed into the Hall, so, by that logic, I would have to say that Clemens, if he is guilty, should also be barred...but if you consider what he did while on the Red Sox, it's likely he would have been Hall of Fame caliber anyway. Then again, the same is true with Bonds and when he was on the Pirates. Unfortunately, this is a question we will be debating for a long time to come.

What do you do now? You get an independent testing body. You make sure the random tests really are random. You screen clubhouse managers ad any package coming into the locker room that's, say, large enough to hide whatever drug of choice. You don't just go after the players, but you go after the suppliers as well.


Are there criticisms of the Mitchell Report? Galore. I need not recount them all for you, as I am sure you are well aware of most of these.


What now? We move on.

Take the hits and move on. Don't let it become the defining moment of baseball--1919 certainly is not; neither should this be. Rise above it.

The fans will still be there come April 1st, because, as always, there is nothing higher than the game.

What's In a Name?

[EDIT]: Another list circulating around the internet links Mo Vaughn and Jason Varitek with the Mitchell Report.

[EDIT]: First definitive names from ESPN: Clemens, Tejada, Paul LoDuca, Fernando Viña, Denny Neagle, Rondell White.

[EDIT]: Okay, the internet list was largely bogus. Add to the list, Ron Villone, Jason Grimsely, Mike Stanton. Still looking for Red Sox names, but 400 pages is a lot to read through, and I only have time to skim.

[EDIT]: I finally figured out you can do a search on Adobe.

Yankees:
Clemens, Pettitte, Justice, Knoblauch, Villone, Grimsley, Stanton, Neagle, Rondell White and a few others you may not remember.

Red Sox:
Mo Vaughn, Manny Alexander, Eric Gagné, Mike Spinelli, Paxton Crawford, Josias Manzanillo, Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn, Chris Donnels, Mike Lansing, Kent Mercker, Mike Stanton, Brendan Donnelly, Steve Woodard


So it seems that there is at least some anti-NY tint, though given the sources of McNamee and Radomski, that's not all that surprising.

All in all, I'm not terribly disappointed. Pettitte and Brian Roberts are the most disappointing names to me, though you may disagree.

However, the 'core' of Jeter-Rivera-Posada was not implicated, neither were Bernie Williams or Paul O'Neill, and neither is Alex Rodriguez.


There are some curious absences, such as Pudge Rodriguez, (maybe) David Ortiz, etc.

you can view the complete, accurate list here

Feel free to discuss this amongst yourselves and whatnot, but I have some Boccaccio and Petrarch to re-familiarize myself with, and about a foot of snow to shovel off my car. Two thirty PM and they still haven't plowed my road.


A reminder: The SPORTSTALKNY webcast is on tonight at nine, with guests Neil Best and Zack Hample. A link to the webcast can be found in posts below.

I will talk about, of course, the Mitchell Report and A-Rod finalizing his contract.

This is Where it gets Interesting...

Heh.

If fate didn't love irony so much, I'd have my last final today, and not tomorrow evening, when the Mitchell Report is released.

Oh joy.


Mitchell has planned a news conference for tomorrow (no time is given, so I hope it's in 'early afternoon' territory), and then the report will be released online on MLB.com afterwards.

I've already told you where I stand on this--Mitchell might be one of the most honest senators in government (and, by his track record, it looks like that), but Selig and MLB erred when they chose someone who is part of the front office for the Boston Red Sox. I am not saying this because I am a Yankee fan; the same conflict would exist if he was in a similar position with the Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, Cubs, Rangers...and yes, even Yankees.

Mitchell might be an honest man and the names in the report balanced among the 30 teams, but it's the concept of appointing him as head of the commission that is at fault.

If current or ex-Yankees are named at a greater rate than Red Sox, expect to hear considerable outcry. I would expect at least one former or current Red Sox athlete to be named; Mitchell will be crucified otherwise.



In other news, the Yankees are working on signing Robinson Canó and Chien Ming Wang; according to Pete Abraham, Wang would prefer a multi-year deal, but the Yankees are hesitant to do so.

Hopefully, the situation gets resolved before it gets nasty.

Andy Pettitte's deal has been finalized, which leaves A-Rod, Mo and new acquisition LaTroy Hawkins to be finalized.



Have to get some going-home preparations taken care of today; the SportstalkNY webcast will air Thursday evening this week. If you get a chance, click the link and look at the guest list...

What with the Shenanigans and the Going Ons...

First things first, since enough of you are asking:

I had two finals yesterday. I thought the first one would be easy and the second would be hard, so, of course, the first one was hard and the second one was easy. I know a lot more about Aerica and World War Two than I realized I did, and it came in very, very handy.

Anyway.

There is (for once, and maybe the only time this winter) not a whole heaping of news concerning the Yankees, but that does not mean there isn't news elsewhere. So, in case you haven't been paying too much attention, here are some of the bigger stories around the league:

Kosuke Fukudome to come Stateside. Fukudome is regarded as one of the best Japanese outfielders; interested teams include the Padres, White Sox and Chicago Cubs.

I'm not sure, but I believe the correct pronunciation of his surname would be something like 'Foo-koo-doh-may'. However, I've never studied Japanese, so I might not to be the one whose advice you take.


Paul Lo Duca agrees to one-year deal with Nationals. This now means that the Nats have taken Milledge, Lo Duca and Clippard, all from New York. It will...uh...be interesting to see how these moves pan out, especially the Milledge one, considering the Nats got him for almost nothing.


Gagné and Brewers finalize one-year $10 million contract. Well, if you honestly thought Gagné would stay in Boston after the disaster of last August and September...

At least, in the National League, Gagné will only see his old team either during interleague play or the World Series. It'll probably do him some good to be away from Boston.

Rangers set to add Bradley to line-up. Bradley, if you forgot, was the dude whose season came to an end last year after a rather interesting confrontation with an umpire...



The big news we are a-waiting is, of course, the release of the Mitchell Report, possibly Thursday. I am singularly amazed it hasn't already been linked.

Nobody beats the Viz--Not even an Arbitrator.

This is a wonderful article by ESPN about Andy Pettitte accepting arbitration and thus officially officially coming back to the New York Yankees.

However, the more important part of the article is among the last lines, where it states that Luis Vizcaino has declined arbitration.

This does not leave us with any reliably good arms in the bullpen aside from Mo Rivera.

While I am 100% behind a rotation of young starters, especially ones as talented as Ian, Joba and Phil, if we go into the season with them as a crucial part of our rotation and without a bullpen to back it up, it is worrying, even for an optimist.

Young pitchers are going to falter on occasion. It's why we call them growing pains. The Yankees need to have a plan ready to implement when this happens--it could just not just save a game, but a season as well.


Now, I am sure Brian Cashman has something up his sleeve. He already traded Tyler Clippard for Jonathan Albaladejo, and I'm sure there's more where that came from. However, as we saw with Johan Santana, nothing is definite and until something is announced as official, you have to plan as if it isn't happening.


I've made no secret about thinking that the bullpen is our biggest issue for '08, and I am reiterating it here.



Also, guys, gals, trans and undecideds (since it seems we've got some of each), we need a name for Ian, Joba and Phil!

A) The Trinity
B) The Big Three
C) The Three Musketeers
D) _______ your own suggestion


Most votes win and that is henceforth how the three will be referred to on this blog.

Seeing Red

My friend, Dan, is as die-hard a Red Sox fan as I am a Yankee fan. We talk about baseball a lot, and seeing as we are almost always on the opposite side of the fence, we have some great conversations, such as the one we're having now.

I thought I'd share with you a die-hard Red Sox fan's point of view on the whole Santana deal.


Dan: I have mixed feelings about Santana...I mean, didn't he struggle last year?

Me: 15-13 I think

Dan: Well, in '06 he was amazing...in '05 he was very good with a couple bad streaks
I'd give up Lester or Buccholz; not both

Me: They wanted Lester, Buccholz AND Ellsbury from us

Dan: [I] wouldn't give up Ellsbury, probably wouldn't give up Pedroia unless they threw in a prospect

Me: Yeah, see they wanted Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera from us

Dan: well that's what they want from us, but what's worrying me is Epstein says now that Ellsbury is on the table...to he, he's our center fielder for the next 10 years...We dont need an ace, so it's not worth trading the farm for...we need another solid starter, two bullpen guys and a fourth outfielder

Me: We need a bullpen...and maybe a 1b.

Dan: I want Danny Haren

Dan:I think Haren would cost less and he's the "solid-but-not-ace-quality" guy I was talking about

Me: but Billy Beane is going to demand the farm for him

Dan: Yeah, that's the problem, all the As are is a farm factory. They don't resign anyone



I will be on a webcast tomorrow at SportstalkNY; the show runs 9 PM to 11 PM and you can call in with Skype, so if you like hearing my voice (for whatever reason), you should turn in!


Right, now to that Victorian literature...

Snowed In

Okay, try as I might, I can't think of any Yankees' Classic Moments that would have to do with snow, except on those occasions in which a game has been snowed out, and those are hardly classic occasions!

I do have to say, there's about ten inches on the ground right now; there is so much snow on my car that I can't actually lift the trunk to get to my scraper. Ooops.

As of right now, it looks like Johan Santana might be headed to the Sox. Please keep a few things in mind:

1) No matter what, Santana still has to approve the deal.

2) It's not that the Yankees don't want Santana, but Hughes AND Kennedy? No dice. Even a casual fan could see that.

3) We took a step in the right direction yesterday, trading Tyler Clippard for reliever Jonathan Albaladejo from the Nats. Albaladejo had posted a WHIP of .62, which is slightly Joba-like. Clippard had a few good starts for the Yankees early in the year, but he has been overshadowed by Phil, Joba and Ian, and even Horne and Sanchez, who are still in the minors.

It looks like a good move for both teams.

Monday Midnight Melee (or something like it)

You know, I had no plans to watch the Ravens/Pats, but when I turned it on for the heck of it, Baltimore was up, so I kept watching.

I am not a Ravens fan. I am to the Patriots what I am (as a Yankee fan) to the Red Sox and, as a liberal, to (most of) the Republican Party.

yet I was gripped by what I saw: pure grit on the part of Baltimore. They weren't supposed to have the talent to hang with them, let alone the strength to nearly win it...but if it wasn't for a time out that should not have been taken, they would have had it won.

Even still, the last play echoed the Super Bowl between the Rams and the Titans a few years ago...so...damn...close...

You don't have to be a football fan to appreciate tonight's game.

****

I received this email from the folks over at WasWatching:

Not sure if you saw this, but, just in case, I wanted to share the link:

http://www.waswatching.com/archives/2007/12/did_project_p46.html

Thanks again for helping to get the word out on this one. I think it helped!

Regards, Steve
WasWatching.com


The link is worth a click. It's amazing what the fans can do when they band together. For any of you that found the P46 campaign through PBP and wrote accordingly, my thanks.


******

I have accepted an offer to participate in a weekly sports webcast; the link can be found here.

I have no idea how it will turn out, but tune in on Wednesday, at 9 PM, and see how it goes!


******

I'm sure most of you saw my posting on PeteAbe's blog, but in case you haven't, I found out today that I made a perfect score on the writing portion of my GRE.


It's certainly not a true test of my writing ability, but as someone that rarely tests well, I was elated by the news.



Catch you all tomorrow evening, maybe by then there will be some real news regarding Santana


We have passed 200 posts.

Monday Morning Surprise

Apparently, Christmas has come early to the Bronx (and from what I've been told, it looks like it, as well).

Andy Pettitte will be back in pinstripes for 2008.


How awesome is this news?

Let's do a Top Ten.


10) Pettitte on staff gives us not just a veteran (ie, Mussina), but a veteran who has been on Series-winning teams, and as someone the youngsters on the Yanks can look up to and learn from, the benefit of having him back for one year goes much further than the one year.

09) There is no one you want more pitching after a loss--the later in the season or the postseason, the better. Sure, he's had a few rough spots, but on the whole he will give the Yankees a chance to win. That says a lot.

08) With him on staff we have a left-hander, regardless of whether or not Santana comes to New York.

07) Pick your rotation: Wang--Pettitte--Joba--Phil--Ian or Santana--Wang--Pettitte-Joba--Phil/Ian. With Mussina, a borderline HoF'er in the bullpen

06) This announcement means that the big three Yankee FA--Jorge, Mo, Andy--who we were worried about leaving after Torre's departure are all coming back.

05) Pettitte said he'd retire or go back to the Yankees. Nice to know he's kept his word.

04) Andy has a great name for headlines. Andy is Dandy, etc.

03) I just keep thinking about Andy's pitching performance in Cleveland last October. I get shivers up my spine.

02) Yeah, did I say he's a winner?

01) He's Andy. Freakin'. Pettitte.


So I am elated right now. Nevermind that it could theoretically all come crashing down if i get my geography term paper back today, but I won't think about that. Life is good.

Johan Philler

Things to think about when thinking about Santana. Or, how I rationalize the world when I go to sleep tonight:


1) Every trade you make is a risk, but the biggest risk is not taking one.

2) We're arguing about Phil Hughes and Johan Santana, not Phil Hughes and Ben Sheets or Phil Hughes and Mark Prior.

2a) It's Johan freakin' Santana.

3) No matter what, our rotation will have at LEAST Wang, Joba, one of Phil/Kennedy and likely either Santana/one of Phil/Kennedy and Moose or Pettitte. That is a better rotation than most teams can dream of--young (except for Moose/Pettitte), but talented. Holy crap is there talent.

4) I don't want to see Melky go, of course, but with that exception, we have the same line up we had in 2007, which, in case you forgot, wasn't really a bad line up. Actually, it was pretty good. Actually, we'd still have guys like A-Rod, Jeter, Robbie, Bobby, Johnny D...hell, we have Jason GIAMBI coming off the BENCH. Not to mention Shelley Duncan or Jose Molina, etc. It's not a line up I want to pitch to...even in a slump.

5) We also have a coaching staff teams would kill for...and I like it. A lot.


It really isn't a bad time to be a Yankee fan.

Boston won the World Series twice in five years, sure, but it's not like the Yankees' Universe has suddenly imploded.


I love Phil Hughes. I want him to be a Yankee, but I am not going to cry myself to sleep if he goes for Johan Santana.

Whatever happens, happens, but if you're considering trading in your Yankee pinstripes for a Twins' cap if Phil goes, you need to take a few deep breaths.

(Then call 911 and tell them you've gone off your rocker)

Third-Degree Burn: The Prodigal Son Returns?

By now, if you're reading this, you're hearing that it seems increasingly likely that Alex Rodriguez will return to the Yankees.

While I am a little conflicted by this, I am encouraged that it seems that A-Rod has done or is doing this without Scott Boras, and the statement he made on his website re-affirms that he went to the Yankees, and not the Yankees going to him.

If it is true, then the Yankees won't have to worry about filling a hole at third, and can instead focus on putting together something vaguely reminiscent of a bullpen, resigning Mo, resigning Molina and convincing Pettitte to come back for one last time.

Alex, dude, if this is true, you don't need to go on a 54 home run barrage. Play solid defense, get those hits in the ninth inning, when it matters, and if a guy's on second or third in October, get a hit. Even a dinky single.

Oh, and if you really did go behind Scott Boras to do this, let's just say I'll be noticeably impressed.

Hip Hip Jorge!

Okay, for the record, sometimes you just know that something is going to happen.

Like, for example, when Pete Abraham decrees that no deals will be made today, you know something is going to happen.

So, of course, when The Daily News reported that Jorge Posada has agreed, in principle, to a 4-year, $52 million deal I was greatly, greatly amused.

Now you might be thinking, Four years? What the hell is Cash smoking? To which, I respond:

We're the Yankees, not the Mets. We have this thing called the 'designated hitter' spot in the line up. Sure, it's extremely unlikely Jorge will be able to catch more than another two years, but as we have the DH spot and Giambi's money likely coming off the books in 2009, it should work out well.

Now, if Posada has another year like he had in 2007, we'll probably all be thinking Jorge, what are you smoking and where can I get some?, but his 2007 was so good that even if he drops off, he'll still be a critical part of the Yankees' line up.

All right, so here we go.

Yankees' 07-08 Free Agents:

Alex Rodriguez: Opted out of contract. Good bye, so long, auf weirdersehn, etc.

Andy Pettitte: Yankees or retirement. Please, for the love of G-d, return!

Doug Mientkeiwicz: Didn't spell it right. Free Agent. Not high on concern list.

Jorge Posada: One and done.

José Molina: Free Agent. Dude, Cash, when you're done with Mo, Po and the 'pen, get this guy back, pronto!

Luis Vizcaino: Free Agent. If we bring back anyone from the '07 pen aside from Mo, it'd be him. I almost called him José. Oops. Anyway, Torre isn't managing, his arm will hopefully not fall off.

Mariano Rivera: Supposedly close to deal. Hope this is true. Enter Sandman!

Roger Clemens: Rumor is he's accepted a position on the Houston staff. Thanks for the spark that made 2007 one of the most memorable Yankee seasons after 1 June!

Ron Villone: Free Agent. Low priority--we need a bullpen, high priority, but we need guys that can get guys out with runners on base. Have heard Ron is a wonderful guy in person, though.