Nick the Swish Strikes Again

The Good

An exceptional pitching performance by Joba Chamberlain who went 7 innings, allowing 1 run and striking out 6. Phil Coke pitched a scoreless 7, and has effectively dropped his ERA into the respectable zone. Nick the Swish went 2-5 with 2 homeruns. Matsui went 1-2 with 3 walks and drove in 3 runs. The fleet-footed Posada stole a base.

The Bad

Team captain Derek Jeter went 0-5 and botched a play in the field that was ruled a hit. Don't you ever do it again!

The Ugly

Mariano Rivera came into the game and gave up a 3-run homerun off the first batter he faced. Mariano rarely gives up homeruns, and he's given up two in his last two appearances. It has been 5 days since he last pitched but I'm hoping this is a trend that ends now.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Nick the Swish showed his deep concern for children's health by hitting two homeruns, one from each side of the plate.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 2hr = $2.00
Derek Jeter 4hr = $4.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 7hr = $7.00
Robinson Cano 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Melky Cabrera 4hr = $4.00
Jose Molina 1hr = $1.00
Total = $32.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Zach Grienke is Looking to Destroy the American League

This just in. Royals pitcher Zach Grienke has set his sights on the destruction of all Major League teams. After years of pent up frustration as a pitcher for one of the worst ball clubs in the Majors, Grienke finally snapped and decided to take his revenge out on the rest of baseball. This revenge has taken form in Grienke's 4-0 record in 4 starts and a competitive yet balanced 0.00 ERA. He's pitched 29 innings including two consecutive complete games, and has struck out 36 batters. He walked 6 batters in that time, but then threatened to eat their children so they wouldn't score. Tonight Grienke sets his sights on the winningest Blue Jays, whom Grienke has decided will end their winning ways now. If you see this man, avoid eye contact and make sure your estate is in order.

Philip Hughes is Back in Effect

The Good

Philip Hughes tossed a 6 inning shutout in his first start in the majors this season. Four Yankees had multi-hit games including Swisher who hit a homerun. Cano had a pair of hits, and his extended his hit streak to 15 games. Jose Molina hit a grandslam in the 7th to put the Yankees ahead by 10 runs. Melancon-Ramirez-Veras combined for 3 shutout innings of relief.

The Bad

Angel Berroa's defense. At this point its become a punchline, but its well deserved. He cannot field third base.

The Ugly

The 10-run 7th inning was as crazy as it sounds. The Yankees had one hit after another and they were doing this thing called "driving in runs" that has eluded them of late. Molina hit one of his three homeruns of the year, and it was a grandslam. Unfortunately the Yankees were already up 6 to nothing by the time he hit it, but what are you going to do.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. The power outage in Yankee land continues.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 2hr = $2.00
Derek Jeter 4hr = $4.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 5hr = $5.00
Robinson Cano 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Melky Cabrera 4hr = $4.00
Jose Molina 1hr = $1.00
Total = $30.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Girardi Field Trip Harms Yankee Offense

With the Yankees losing 4 straight games including a sweep at Fenway park, many are looking for answers. The fact that the Yankees often field three automatic outs at the bottom of their lineup is no excuse for their losing streak and the fans are growing restless. However, our intrepid undercover reporting team uncovered some revealing information that gives great insight into the causes of the recent struggles.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now looking back on it, I can see why it may not have been the best idea."

These words were spoken by Yankee manager Joe Girardi after another one of his team field trips that was meant to build team unity. However this particular field trip, which occured on the off day before the Boston series proved to be rather harmful.

"With all the information we have now, I guess it sounds bad, but I really thought a day trip to a Mexican pig farm would be a lot of fun. We left right after our game with Oakland, and got back before the Boston game. If I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have done it."

With the Yankees playing as horribly as they have been, some can't help but wonder if this trip had anything to do with it.

"I don't know." Said Joe Girardi. "No one's come down with any symptoms. Unless playing bad baseball is a symptom of swine flu, but you'd have to ask a doctor that."

We spoke with Doctor Anderson who recently has been working towards preperations to contain swine flu.

"Yes, swine flu would negatively effect how you play baseball. You probably won't be able to play baseball at all if you have swine flu."

And just like that, the recent Yankee struggles made perfect sense. The Yankees have not been playing baseball, which we confirmed is a symptom of swine flu.

"Really?" Said Yankees GM Brian Cashman. "This could be bad."

But not nearly as bad as the Yankees. The only hope now lies in the one uninfected member: Alex Rodriguez.

Complete Game Not Enough

The Good

Sabathia pitched a complete game allowing 4 runs with 7 strikeouts. Cano had a pair of hits to continue a hot streak.

The Bad

Verlander shut down the Yankees for 7 innings leaving the Yankees with no runs after striking out 9 and giving up 0 walks. Ordonez' homerun in the 6th buried the Yankees.

The Ugly

A 9th inning rally was doused by a groundout double play by Jorge Posada. He ran like he had Matsui's knees, Frank Thomas' feet, and Bengie Molina's legs. This the 4th straight loss for the Yankees, and the people are getting restless. How long before Girardi's head is called for?

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. The power outage in Yankee land continues.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 2hr = $2.00
Derek Jeter 4hr = $4.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Melky Cabrera 4hr = $4.00
Total = $28.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Bronny Cash, Explain Yourself!

As the Yankees got swept by the rival Red Sox, we here at RJG thought it time to call our good friend Brian Cashman via satellite video phone. It had been a while and we thought now was an opportune time to check back in. The following is a transcript of the call:

BC: Hello.

RJG: Hey Bronny, what's up?

BC: Nothing much.

RJG: Nothing much? Really? How about your bullpen ERA, that's pretty #@$%*&$% up!

BC: We've struggled a bit, but with Bruney down for a bit we're going to have to work with what we've got.

RJG: You mean what you stuck us with. You just got swept man. You gave the lead away in two straight games. Then, Pettitte has home plate stolen on him. That's embarrassing, #@$%*&$% embarrassing!

BC: These things happen in baseball.

RJG: No. These things happen in movies. In Jackie Robinson highlight reels, and movies. Stealing home?! Seriously?! WTF?!

BC: Look, I know that as a passionate fan you are upset about being swept by a rival, but it's April. These things happen. A-Rod still isn't back with the team. We have Angel Berroa shoring up the rear of our line-up. What do you want me to do? This team is going to contend, but sweeps happen, it's not anything to panic about.

RJG: It's something your mother panics about.

BC: What?

RJG: It's not all about you, Bronny.

[Click]

There you have it folks. Brian Cashman thinks it is too soon to panic about an A-Rodless Yankees.

Yankees Decide to Stay Home Tonight

The Good

Pair of hits from Cano, Matsui, and Cabrera. 2 Scoreless innings from rookie reliever Mark Melancon.

The Bad

A sweep where the Yankees looked as listless and uninterested as they did in 2008. My open message to the Yankees is that you're all a disappointment.

The Ugly

Jacoby Ellsbury stole home against Pettitte and Posada pretty easily. Keep your head in the game fellas.

Just an awful way to close an awful series. Nothing went right in these three games, and now the Yankees have to move on and start winning some games. The Yankees better look alive when they see the Red Sox at Yankee stadium in May.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. No homeruns as the Yankees decided to take a day off.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 2hr = $2.00
Derek Jeter 4hr = $4.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Melky Cabrera 4hr = $4.00
Total = $28.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Yankees Red Sox Compete For Which Bullpen Sucks More

The Good

A powerful offense that scored 11 led by Robinson Cano who went 3-6 with 5 RBI's and 2 homeruns. 5 other Yankees had multi hit games, and Marky T drew 5 walks.

The Bad

After cruising for 3 innings Burnett turned a 6 run lead into a 2 run deficit between the 4th and the 5th innings. The charge was led by Jason Varitek who hit a grandslam. The legendary matchup between Beckett and Burnett was incredibly dissapointing.

The Ugly

Neither bullpen did well, but the Yankees slightly edged out Boston for which bullpen sucks the most. With the exception of Coke's two out performance, no Yankee reliever was able to pitch a scoreless inning.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. The only real good that came from yesterday's performance was the three homeruns hit to benefit children's health. Many thanks to Robinson Cano for his 2 homeruns, and Johnny Damon for one of his own.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 2hr = $2.00
Derek Jeter 4hr = $4.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Melky Cabrera 4hr = $4.00
Total = $28.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Way to Blow It Yanks

The Good

It was a generally well pitched game with Chamberlain going 5.1 innings and allowing 1 earned run, and the Yankee bullpen delivering the game to Mo with a lead. Molina, Jeter, Damon and Teixeira all had multi-hit games.

The Bad

Mariano blew his first save of the season, and his 13th against the Red Sox. Mariano gave the lead and basically the game back. Marte gave up the game winning homerun after pitching an exceptional 10th inning.

The Ugly

Can the Yankees leave any more men on base? Personally, I don't think the game was lost when Mariano gave up the 2-run shot. A 2 run lead with these teams means little. The game for me was lost when the Yankees loaded the bases in the 8th with no outs, and then couldn't score a single run. Cano led that charge with a weak grounder that was turned into a double play at home and first. The Yankees also had an opportunity in the 11th to score some runs, but another weak grounder from Melky made sure that wouldn't happen.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Yankees were powerless away from the wind tunnel.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 2hr = $2.00
Derek Jeter 4hr = $4.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 3hr = $3.00
Johnny Damon 2hr = $2.00
Melky Cabrera 4hr = $4.00
Total = $25.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

This Just In: David Ortiz Donates Money to Children in Need, Then Eats Them

It was a scene of sheer pandemonium as we arrived upon the Boston neighborhood where the event had occured. Ambulances rode in and out transporting victims as mothers and fathers held their ailing children close. Paramedics on site administered first aid as they sifted through the wreckage looking for more victims. A single mother stood weeping trying to grasp any meaning out of the carnage that just occured.

"Why would anyone do this?" She asked, sobbing. "They're animals!"

Of course, she was referring to Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz who regularly eats children in need before series with the New York Yankees.

"It gives me my explosive power." Ortiz stated after the event. "This year I need it more than others. That's why I ate more children then usual."

Several Red Sox players have pre-game routines that vary from playing checkers, to eating children in need. However, the Boston Red Sox want to make it clear that the majority do not take part in the children eating, just players in a slump.

"We the Boston Red Sox do not want to give the wrong impression about these events." Read the release from Red Sox President/Chief Executive Officer Larry Luchino. "We only have our players eat the commoners children when they are slumping. We follow these guidelines rigorously. Other players have routines that are less destructive. For example Jonathan Papelbon likes to take long walks around elementary schools, and punch every grade school child he sees in the face. No lives lost, a child gets a free shiner, and we get a great story for our out reach department."

But some Boston fans do not agree with the seemingly excessive means the Red Sox use to prepare for the Yankees series.

"It seems excessive." One fan said under condition of anonymity. "But when you join Red Sox nation, you have to live under nation rules and authority, and our constitution clearly states that our children belong to the Boston Red Sox. Outside of the nation this might seem crazy, but in the nation its normal. They give us a ton of alcohol so we can't tell the difference between right and wrong. Sobriety is illegal in Red Sox nation. We're also forced to worship Red Sox nation idols like Wally the Green Monster. I pray to him every day."

Out of curiousity, Respect Jeter's Gangster sent a reporter to the Yankees to see how they prepared for the Boston series.

"I usually like to play guitar hero." Said Joba Chamberlain.

"I like to eat potatoes. Baked." Said Yankee new comer AJ Burnett.

"I usually read the newspaper. Maybe call up Jeter and see if he wants to get some steaks." Said catcher Jorge Posada.

"Yeah, I like to keep my cutter inside on lefties...wait what was the question?" Asked Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

The rivalry continues.

Does It Really Matter if It Is a Launching Pad?

Though we put this story to rest days ago, it just will not go away. Whether Yankee Stadium is a launching pad is the new official slow news day topic. Here's the thing, it doesn't matter. If it is, it is for any team who plays there, it's not an advantage. Also, when you have A-Rod, Teixeira, Matsui, Posada, and Cano all in your line up, you should hardly care whether you can put one over the fence in right. Besides, I suspect most of the home runs hit were a function of my jedi powers, not some sort of "jet stream," I think we would've noticed a river of jets flying out to right field. Stupid media.

Is It Time to Reconsider Gardner?

I've held my tongue on the Brett Gardner phenomenon, but I'm going to vent a little. I don't think he should be our center fielder. At least not yet, not everyday. He just doesn't hit enough. I don't care that he steals bases, he's not in the top of the order, and he's usually walking back to the dugout after an at-bat, not heading to first. He's good in the field, but I don't care. Our outfield defense has never been a real issue. Not saying that late Bernie Williams and Damon were everything we could ask for defensively, but I don't recall losing too many games because of a lack of range or a weak arm in center.

That being said, Gardner is the every day center fielder. But I propose the following rule: if Molina is in the game, Melky is in center and Gardner is a pinch runner. As much as I love to watch three automatic outs in a row (Molina, Ransom, Gardner), I'd rather have a guy in the bottom of that line up who's got some chance of getting on base or at least getting one extra base hit in the game. I know Gardner outplayed Melky in spring training, but I could hit .300 in spring training. Melky has more major league experience and at some point, when it counts, that's going to make a difference. I know the game is getting younger and faster, but the Rays weren't good just because they were fast, they also hit. We're still in the American League East, and until A-Rod gets back, you can't have three guys in the bottom of the line up who can't hit (especially when Matsui hasn't warmed up yet). So if Molina is in, Gardner is out.

Someone Wants His Job Back

The Good

The extra inning affair saw several more homeruns at Yankee stadium including 2 from Melky Cabrera who also hit a walkoff 2-run shot in the 14th inning. The bullpen was extraordinary with Coke-Albaladejo-Mariano-Marte-Ramirez-Veras combining for 7 innings of scoreless baseball. Veras really held down the Athletics with 3.1 innings and 4 strikeouts.

The Bad

Girardi's decision to have Sabathia pitch the 7th even though he had already thrown 100 pitches, and was pitching horribly was a bad decision. I know he may not have much faith in his bullpen, but at that point I had more faith in the bullpen then I did in Sabathia. And what's the deal with running up his pitch count this early in the season? He may be durable, but he has 6 years on this contract. Save some of those pitches for later.

The Ugly

Sabathia had a horrible start and was booed as he walked off the field. His final line was 6.2 innings and 6 runs with 2 strikeouts. I know he's typically a slow starter, but he needs to start improving quicker than normal. I mean, is it bad that I'm relieved that our staff ace is not going to be pitching in Boston this weekend?

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Four more Yankee homeruns yesterday, two of which were from Melky Cabrera. There might really be something to this wind tunnel theory. Jeter and Matsui also helped the cause.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 2hr = $2.00
Derek Jeter 4hr = $4.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 3hr = $3.00
Johnny Damon 2hr = $2.00
Melky Cabrera 4hr = $4.00
Total = $25.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Pettitte and Mo Tie Record for Awesomeness

The Good

Though he did not have his best stuff, Pettitte went 7 innings only allowing 2 runs. Rivera saved the game. Four different Yankees had multi-hit games including Damon who hit a homerun. Gardner drove in a pair of runs, and stole a base in the game.

The Bad

Bruney allowed his first run of the season. For shame Bruney! For shame!

The Ugly

Oakland reliever Josh Outman, twice threw to first while Jeter was there, and both times the ball got away from Giambi with the second getting far enough away for Jeter to take second. However, it was not Giambi's fault, it was actually Outman's, who apparently shares the same mental block Giambi has throwing to second when he throws to first.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Damon hit a homerun showing why the Children's Health Fund's homerun club is named after him.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 3hr = $3.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 3hr = $3.00
Johnny Damon 2hr = $2.00
Melky Cabrera 2hr = $2.00
Total = $21.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Empty Seats a Dilemma for World's Richest Team

With many of their highest priced seats unsold and empty, the Yankees are turning to creative new ways to make the stadium look full on their television broadcasts. "First we tried computer animation," explained Yankee VP Randy Levine. "We hired the best of the best, Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas' company. Next thing I know, I turn on the #$%&*@! game and Jar Jar #$%&*@! Binks is sitting in the third row behind the home dugout in Yankee #$%&*@! Stadium."

With computer animation having gone bust, other methods of making the stadium look full were explored. "One person suggested having CC sit in the stands instead of the dugout, that's three or four seats right there. But apparently that's not kosher," explained Yankee COO Lonn Trost.

"We heard a lot of teams will give seats to charities. But then, when we called them up, those pieces of $#!% didn't want to pay. They had the balls to tell us that teams donate those tickets to them. #$%& that," stated Hank Steinbrenner, obviously having a good day.

One option the Yankees are now considering is lowering the prices on seats that currently cost over $2000. "Honestly, we never could have seen this coming," lamented Hal Steinbrenner, the new king of the Yankees. "I mean, where I'm from, $2650 for a seat would be considered a bargain. But I guess I do live in a pretty small gated community. Well, it's not really a community, there's just a gate around my mansion. But we have servants' quarters so it's sort of like a community."

Lowering the prices may ultimately address the problem, but ticket holders who paid full price will have to be placated if the Yankees pursue that option. "Obviously, all of our current ticket holders will have to be compensated if we lower prices," Hal continued. "This will put a strain on our operating budget, which does not have room for four refund checks."

RJG Public Service Announcement

Some of you may have noticed that Toronto is leading the AL East. Now, I generally don't pay much attention to the standings until July, but some people do, and they get worried. So let me put an end to the speculation: the Blue Jays will not compete this year. Their pitching behind Halladay, though impressive thus far, will not hold up over the course of the season. The offense is basically what they had last season. The AL East has not become a 4 dog race, we can all rest a little easier now.

Unless of course I'm wrong.

Horribly wrong.

The More You Know.

Yankees Split Series With Cleveland

The Good

Though it wasn't his best start, Burnett gave the Yankees a chance to win with 6.1 innings of 3 run ball. Posada hit a pinch hit homerun to put the Yankees up by one before the Yankees loaded the bases and Ransom cleared them with a double. Ransom also made some good plays on the field, though the award for best defensive plays goes to Teixeira who snagged a hot shot hit his way, to make an out at first. Matsui and Teixeira both drove in runs, and a bullpen of Albaladejo-Bruney-Rivera combined for 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball.

The Bad

Posada's homerun got sent to review after Cleveland felt there was fan interference. The homerun call was upheld, but it was close. I saw the replay and I don't think the fan touched it, but it wasn't for lack of trying. I agree with Peter Abraham that they'll need to address that somehow.

The Ugly

Although the Yankees won the game, they made Carl Pavano look like Nolan Ryan. The fragile ace pitched 6 innings of 1 run ball against his former club, which was an embarrasment. The Yankees should not celebrate a win, they should mourn their inability to hit Carl Pavano.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Posada hit the go-ahead homerun yesterday that puts him at 3 for the season. I used my future telling abilities to call that shot for everyone sitting around me. Not for nothing, but the Yankees are off to a hot start with 20 homeruns in 13 games. All of it without A-Rod. If they keep it up when A-Rod returns, we'll really be seeing some fireworks.

Jorge Posada 3hr = $3.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 3hr = $3.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 3hr = $3.00
Johnny Damon 1hr = $1.00
Melky Cabrera 2hr = $2.00
Total = $20.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Stadium Trip, April Edition

My brother and I went to today's game and I hope to publish a few of the images here shortly. My brother called the Posada home run, while I called my friends to tell them about it. All in all, it was a good day. Biggest observation about the new stadium? Do not sit in the obstructed view seats. As is clear from the following long range photo, taken with the RJG spy cam, you cannot even see the tv screens they put up from a fairly good number of them, especially if you're in the last nine or ten rows sitting near the wall:




Here is what the obstructed view looks like when actually sitting in the right field bleachers:

Worst Inning in Yankee History Inexpicably Buries Yankees

The Good

Melky C and Marky T both hit homeruns and Ransom went 1-3 with a triple. Woooo!

The Bad

So far this season, the Yankees appear to have two bullpens: a good one and a bad one. The good one, which consists of Phil Coke, Jonathan Albaladejo, Brian Bruney and Mariano Rivera has helped win some games. The bad one, with Veras, Ramirez, and Marte has been an absolute disaster. Now all relievers will have their bad outings and their good outings, but does anyone have confidence in the bad bullpen right now? Today was horendous. In fairness, Veras did have a decent outing, though after Anthony Claggett's 8 run performance, I do wonder why they sent Robertson down in the first place. I don't really blame Claggett for the loss however seeing as the starter buried the team before they even had a chance.

The Ugly

Chien Ming Wang took his third consecutive loss after burying the Yankees yet again in a sea of runs. Wang lasted 1.1 innings and allowed 8 runs. His first inning was actually flawless, and gave us all hope. His second inning ruined my ability to ever dream again.

The Yankees are talking about skipping his next start, but what happens if he comes back just as bad? Eventually they'll need to see what Phil Hughes can do with a starting role again.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Marky T and Melky C both hit round trippers for the kids. Could Marky's swing be coming back?

Jorge Posada 2hr = $2.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 3hr = $3.00
Mark Teixeira 3hr = $3.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 3hr = $3.00
Johnny Damon 1hr = $1.00
Melky Cabrera 2hr = $2.00
Total = $19.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Bronx Bombers in Full Effect

The Good

5 of the Yankees 6 runs were solo homeruns from Damon, Teixeira, Melky, Cano and Jeter. Jeter hit the go ahead homerun in the 8th inning. The relief looked good today with Coke-Albaladejo-Bruney-Rivera combining for 4.1 innings of shutout ball. Gardner and Damon both had stolen bases.

The Bad

Joba lasted 4.2 innings allowing 5 runs in that time. He fell behind nearly every batter, and threw way too many pitches. I understand that he's a work in progress, but he's definitely better than he showed yesterday.

The Ugly

Matsui was out because of fluid build up in his knees, but he was called upon to pinch hit for Cody Ransom late in the game. He struck out. Matsui does not look good this season, and that his knees are giving him trouble already is not a good sign. If Matsui doesn't turn things around, they'll need to start keeping him on the bench and have others DH. Hopefully, he gets his legs under him, but right now it does not look likely.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Yesterday, the Yankees showed little regard for my fixed income, but much regard for children's health in their 5 homerun barrage. But, screw the fixed income, keep hitting those jacks!

Jorge Posada 2hr = $2.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 3hr = $3.00
Mark Teixeira 2hr = $2.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 3hr = $3.00
Johnny Damon 1hr = $1.00
Melky Cabrera 1hr = $1.00
Total = $17.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Launching Pad? Nasa Scientists Weigh In

Many of the articles discussing today's game have mentioned that the six home runs hit in today's game, all to right field, strongly suggest that the new Yankee Stadium is a launching pad. RJG contacted experts on launching pads to find out whether this claim was justifiable.

"No way," said Ted Dorcus, chief launch padologist at NASA. "It's way too populated for a launching pad." According to Dorcus, launching pads must be built away from population centers in order to limit civilian exposure to lift-off based dangers.

"It doesn't even have a pad for the rocket. Where would you put the rocket? Where? I don't understand why someone would suggest launching a rocket from there." After explaining that no one was suggesting an actual rocket be launched from the stadium, Dorcus responded, "Oh . . . then why did you call me?"

Needless to say, the number of home runs hit at Yankee stadium, while high, does not make the stadium suitable for launching space flights. Sorry liberal corporate controlled right wing media, you're wrong yet again.

Well That Didn't Go As Expected

The Good

Cano went 3-4 yesterday continuing his hot April start, and Posada hit a homerun early in the game. Although it wasn't the best start, Sabathia went 5.2 innings allowing just one run. Dave Robertson made his season debut with two shutout innings with 3 strikeouts.

The Bad

Cody Ransom had an 0-5 night with an error on the field. He did make a nice play early on to stop a run from scoring, but any offensive contributions he gave this team last year appear to have been a limited occurrence.

The Ugly

The bullpen was dreadful. After Sabathia left with 2 outs in the 6th, Edwar Ramirez came in and gave up a hit. He was quickly pulled for lefty Phil Coke who got the last out of the inning. Then came Jose Veras to pitch the 7th. Veras walked the first batter and quickly showed that he couldn't throw any strikes. He gave up back-to-back doubles allowing the Indians to score 2 runs. He was pulled for Marte who quickly loaded the bases, walked in a run, and then gave up a grandslam to Grady Sizemore. He then gives up another homerun to Victor Martinez. The crowd started chanting "We want Swisher", and who could blame them. The bullpen was abysmal. Marte is the biggest contract we have in the bullpen besides Mariano. He needs to shape up.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Posada hit his 2nd homerun of the year.

Jorge Posada 2hr = $2.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 2hr = $2.00
Mark Teixeira 1hr = $1.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 2hr = $2.00
Total = $12.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

A-Rod a Dork? RJG Investigates

Recently, Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia referred to A-Rod as "a dork." RJG thought this was curious, so we decided to investigate. After speaking to 7 of A-Rod's 11 official spokespersons, my brother and I were finally able to get a meeting with A-Rod at his house in Miami.

When we arrived, we were told to feel free to look around, and so we did. At first, all looked normal and undorky. Big screen tv, batting cage, multi-car garage full of Maybachs, strippers, everything you'd expect was there. Nothing dorky whatsoever. Then we checked out the bedroom, and it all fell apart.

As I took a peak under A-Rod's bed, I noticed something. "Is that a 12 sided die?" I asked. "I don't think so," said A-Rod suspiciously. Then we noticed something weird underneath the pillow. A-Rod lunged to stop us, but we'd already overturned the pillow. "What the #@$%&! bro, is this a wizard's hat?"

"Ha ha, that's just um . . . my kids, leave their stuff everywhere. Why don't we check out my ultra cool game room?" stated A-Rod nervously. We knew there was something wrong when he used the phrase 'ultra cool,' and we were suspicious as to why he was trying to lead us out of the room. We noticed A-Rod shoot a quick glance toward an unassuming door on the other side of the room, which we had unassumingly assumed was a closet. We quickly headed over.

"No wait . . . guys!" Too late, we had opened the door to Alex's dungeon lair. There was a Dungeon's and Dragons board set up on a table, a game clearly in progress. On a far table was a complete set of Magic cards, right next to the Pokemon action figures. A linux based computer ran a calculus practice set program. We couldn't believe it.

"Is that a real light saber?" we asked, stunned. "It is, Matsui got it for me in Japan," responded A-Rod. "Holy $#!%," my brother and I exhaled. "No one can ever know about this. You're too important to the franchise."

A-Rod wiped a tear from his eyes. "Can I have Yuri drive you anywhere?" asked A-Rod. "Home," we both said, trying our best to avoid eye contact. We promised A-Rod that we wouldn't share what we saw that day with anyone, but he's a dork so what's he going to do about it?

The Captain Delivers

The Good

Pettitte gave another lengthy outing lasting 7.1 innings and giving up 3 runs. Jeter, Damon and Cano all had a pair of hits with Cano hitting a homerun. Bruney and Mariano combined for 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball with Mariano getting the save. Jeter was quite productive late in the game scoring the tieing run after a leadoff double in the 8th, and driving in the go ahead run in the 9th.

The Bad

Teixeira's April woes continued with an 0-4 night. Gardner got thrown out at 2nd during a pitch out, which in a close game is never good.

The Ugly

Not much ugly to report. It was a well pitched game on both sides, and the Yankees happened to pull it out at the end. Today is the home opener with CC Sabathia on the mound. This should be a fun game to watch.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Cano hit a 2-run shot last night commemorating his idle Jackie Robinson, whom he is named after and whose number he had the privilege to wear.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 2hr = $2.00
Mark Teixeira 1hr = $1.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 2hr = $2.00
Total = $11.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

And Then There Was Swisher

Peter Abraham is reporting on his blog that it looks like Xavier Nady will have season ending surgery. This is still unofficial and the Yankees have a tendency to try "alternatives" before doing surgeries, but this is the word coming from Tampa right now. This is bad news because we had some amazing depth with both Nady and Swisher on the team, and honestly, we were all expecting Matsui, Posada, or maybe Damon to be injured instead of Nady.

The silver lining is that Yankee hero, Nick the Swish, is now the starting right fielder. With the start he was having it was just a matter of time before he took the spot from Nady anyway, but now its necessary. We'll have to see how this all plays out.

MLB and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Launch Campaign to Find "Honorary Bat Girl" For Each Club

A release from Major League Baseball:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE®
LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO FIND “HONORARY BAT GIRL” FOR EACH CLUB

MLB Fans Have the Opportunity to Share Inspirational Experiences in
Their Fight Against Breast Cancer

Major League Baseball (MLB) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® have collaborated to launch a search to find an “Honorary Bat Girl” for each Club in celebration of Mother’s Day in stadiums around the country. Lasting until May 1, MLB.com will host a contest providing fans an opportunity to share stories of “going to bat” against breast cancer in their daily lives. The initiative is aimed to raise additional awareness and support for the annual ‘Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer’ program, a joint partnership between MLB and Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization. Winners will be selected on May 1 by a celebrity panel consisting of MLB Network’s Mitch Williams and Dan Plesac, New York Yankees OF/1B Nick Swisher, Houston Astros 1B Lance Berkman and Baltimore Orioles OF Nick Markakis. Men and women 18 and older can submit stories and vote for their favorites on www.mlb.com/honorarybatgirl.

During the registration period, Baseball fans can share their stories of inspiration and hope of how they are supporting the fight against breast cancer in their daily lives and why they want to be an “Honorary Bat Girl” for their MLB home team. Testimonials can be submitted by breast cancer survivors, advocates or supporters of the cause.

“Major League Baseball is excited to launch this new campaign recognizing the incredible lives of our fans who are leading the fight against breast cancer,” said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball. “It is an honor to expand our partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We are committed to using the popularity of Major League Baseball to help Komen raise funds and awareness for this important cause.”

On Mother's Day (May 10, 2009), Major League Baseball players will wear pink wristbands and the symbolic pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness will be displayed on player uniforms, as well as on all on-field personnel. Additionally, Louisville Slugger, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, has produced pink bats stamped with the MLB breast cancer logo, which will be available for players’ use on Mother's Day weekend. In addition, dugout lineup cards will be pink. The Louisville Slugger pink bats will be auctioned off at a later date to raise additional funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Several players will individually represent their teams on Mother’s Day, and most have personally experienced the effects breast cancer (and other cancers) have had on their families. These players include Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim P Jered Weaver (mother survived breast cancer), Berkman (aunt survived breast cancer), Markakis (mother survived breast cancer) and Los Angeles Dodgers P Jason Schmidt (mother passed away from brain cancer).

“Major League Baseball’s partnership and support over the years has been a vital part in enabling us to move forward in our promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever,” said Katrina McGhee, Vice Rresident, Global Partnerships at Komen for the Cure. “The introduction of Honorary Bat Girls is exciting because the passion and the personal stories of breast cancer advocates are what keep us going.”

Prior to each Mother’s Day game, each “Honorary Bat Girl” will be invited to participate in pre-game on-field activities, will be publicly recognized during an on-field ceremony, will receive a ticket to the game and will be given special baseball pink product. All 30 Clubs will be represented in this initiative—visiting teams on Mother’s Day will select another date in May to honor their “Honorary Bat Girl.”

The celebrity panel consisting of MLB players and MLB Network talent will select each “Honorary Bat Girl.” New York Yankees 1B/OF Nick Swisher is an advocate of fighting all forms of cancer. In 2007, Swisher grew his hair out to donate it to create free wigs for women dealing with hair loss from cancer treatment. Today, Swisher continues to participate in the on-field activities of MLB’s “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer.” MLB Network analyst Mitch Williams’ mother survived breast cancer and he is still involved in helping charities associated with the disease. MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac’s mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1.3 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

Major League Baseball Health Initiatives

The Mother's Day “Going To Bat Against Breast Cancer” program is one of several cancer-related initiatives supported by Major League Baseball. Other partnerships include Stand Up To Cancer, an innovative charitable campaign designed to raise philanthropic monies for accelerating ground-breaking research; the Prostate Cancer Foundation Home Run Challenge which helps increase awareness of prostate cancer and raise money towards the search for a cure as part of Major League Baseball Father's Day activities; the Commissioner's Initiative for Kids supports the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation; and Play Smart When it Comes to the Sun, a league-wide, season-long skin cancer awareness program in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Players Association and the American Academy of Dermatology.

Burnett Start Polar Opposite of Wang's Start

The Good

Burnett, who is slowly developing a reputation as a stopper, pitched 8 innings allowing 2 runs and striking out 9. He carried a no-hitter into the 7th, when it was broken up by Carl Crawford who I still hold the Yankees should have traded for years ago. Bruney pitched a beautiful 9th, striking out the side which included such standouts as Upton, Crawford, and Longoria.

The 7-2 final score is fairly deceiving, because it was a very close game until the last inning when Yankee captain Derek Jeter hit a three run homerun as part of his 3-5 day. Swisher continued his best A-Rod in April impression by going 2-4 with a homerun and a double. Gardner went 3-5 with 2 doubles and scored 3 of the 7 Yankee runs.

The Bad

Marky T still looked like the wrist was bothering him. Besides a sac fly, he was not able to get any hits and struck out once.

The Ugly

Honestly, the only ugly part of the game was watching Burnett's no-hit bid get broken up. After the game however, it was reported that Xavier Nady felt some sharp pain in his elbow and was the reason he was pulled out of the game. That cannot be a good sign.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Nick the Swish hit a solo shot to help put the Yankees into the game, and Derek Jeter hit a 3-run shot to bury the game.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 2hr = $2.00
Mark Teixeira 1hr = $1.00
Nick Swisher 4hr = $4.00
Robinson Cano 1hr = $1.00
Total = $10.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Fans Upset Over Nick Swisher's Smile

As many already know, there is an uproar in Yankee land over first baseman/right fielder Nick Swisher. Apparently, Swisher was brought into last nights game with the Tampa Bay Rays as a reliever in a 15-5 game. Though reports vary, most first hand accounts agree that Nick Swisher did the unthinkable: he smiled on the mound.

"I was there." Began Mark, a Yankee fan who was present at the game in Tampa. "I saw the whole thing." Mark paused collecting his thoughts. "It all began when they called Nick Swisher to pitch the 9th inning. I was thinking 'why are they calling him in?' Then it all started happening. Nick Swisher was standing on the mound smiling. I think I even saw him enjoying himself. I could not believe it. I thought to myself 'I can't be seeing this.' but there he was, smiling. Like an animal."

Mark was not alone in his disgust for Nick Swisher's smile.

"This is the sort of thing that will ruin baseball." Said one Yankee fan familiar with the incident. "I mean, how can we expect kids to want to play baseball, when their supposed role models are standing on the mound smiling and having fun? I mean did you see him? He was throwing pitches and smiling like this was some sort of game."

Many New York Yankee fans agreed as many chose to skip work in order to spend their day calling New York radio stations to complain about the situation.

"Nick Swisher is not a Yankee." Claimed one concerned caller. "Who does he think he is smiling in a game we're losing? I've never smiled in a baseball game. Even ones we win. Smiling is for special occasions like weddings and meeting Derek Jeter. But baseball? There's no smiling in baseball. Sheer stoicism is the only way to enjoy the great American pastime."

Despite the heavy clamor, some fans did not feel slighted by the smile.

"I don't know, I guess I just didn't feel insulted by it." Claimed one Yankee fan who witnessed the incident through their TV in their living room. "Yeah, we were losing, but we were going to lose anyway, so why not at least have some fun?"

But Mark does not see things this way.

"Look, if you want to have some fun, go do a crossword puzzle. Baseball isn't meant for fun. You don't see me walking into board meetings at work smiling, so why are baseball players smiling on the field? It makes no sense."

As of the press deadline Nick Swisher has yet to offer an apology or issue a statement concerning the smile. Messages left with his agents were not returned. Reports have confirmed that Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez has offered the services of his crisis management team to Swisher, but it is unclear whether he has accepted the offer. For now Yankee fans can only wait for Swisher's prepared apology. Keep waiting.

Lack of Self Awareness

I know this isn't the venue for this, but I can't help but point this out. The Times had an article today detailing the case of an Iranian-American journalist that is being tried for espionage in Iran. According to the article, "Mr. Jamshidi[, Iran's judiciary spokesman,] said Tuesday that [U.S.] intervention in the case was 'ridiculous and against international laws'" Ummmmmmm, sort of like jailing journalists? I'm just saying.

Ouch.

The Good

Nick Swisher. Nick the Swish hit a homerun and scored 2 of the Yankees 5 runs. He also pitched the only scoreless inning for the Yankees. Yes, you've read that correctly, Nick Swisher pitched the 9th inning and was the only, um, reliever, to not allow a run. Nick Swisher has to be the best part of this still young season. Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada both had a pair of hits and drove in runs.

The Bad

Hmmm, where to start. Much of what happened in this game falls under the ugly category, so I'll just point out some bad trends. After hot starts, both Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter have been awful at the top of the lineup. Matsui is still struggling at the plate and looks awful running to first. But the offense cannot be blamed for this loss. 5 runs should be enough.

The Ugly

Chien Ming Wang had another horrible outing where he could not get out of the 2nd inning. He left the bases loaded for Jonathan Albaladejo who promptly gave up a grandslam to Carlos Pena. Albaladejo pitched 3 innings and gave up 3 runs. Afterwards Edwar Ramirez threw two innings allowing one run, and Phil Coke went one inning allowing 3 runs, though all unearned. By the end of the night, 4 Yankee pitchers allowed 15 runs. You're not going to win too many of those games.

The other thing we'll mention is about Swisher's smile while he was pitching. Posada didn't seem to like it because they were losing so badly. I understand Posada's sentiment, but baseball is a game, and given the circumstance (Nick Swisher pitching the best inning of any reliever) I think a smile is warranted. Not to mention that right now Swisher is the best player on the team. So keep smiling Nick, eventually we'll all join you.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Nick Swisher hit a homerun last night to not only help the Yankees not get blown out so badly, but to also help sick children everywhere. Thank you Nick Swisher.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 1hr = $1.00
Mark Teixeira 1hr = $1.00
Nick Swisher 3hr = $3.00
Robinson Cano 1hr = $1.00
Total = $8.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

A-Rod Adjusts His Priorities

A-Rod met with members of the Yankee press corp in Tampa yesterday, and stated that, having had time to think in Colorado, he had decided to make baseball and the Yankees his number one priority. While not the only ones in the media to find this statement curious, RJG was the only media source able to acquire A-Rod's previous list of priorities. Advantages of not being beholden to liberal corporate controlled right wing interests. The following has not been edited for content, but has been formatted to fit this screen:

My Priorities, by Alex "Derek Jeter" Rodriguez

1. Making Jeter and I best friends again.

2. That stripper I met last week.

3. Vicarious pharmaceutical visits through my cousin.

4. Making out (with self if necessary).

5. Praising other major league shortstops in a way that does not imply that I want Jeter off the team (wink wink).

6. Tanning (in Central Park if necessary).

7. Censoring the curse words in her shirts now that me and Cynthia are back together.

8. Learning my kids names before the next photo-op.

9. Baseball.

10. Yankees.

When Did We Sign Mark Wohlers?

So Chien-Ming Wang is having problems throwing his sinker. You see, when thrown properly, a sinker results in ground ball outs. When thrown improperly, it results in eight runs in less than 2 innings. I Wang's defense, those pitches were thrown for strikes, making the Wohlers comparison unfair and hurtful. In my defense, those pitches were thrown for runs, making the Wohlers comparison well deserved and, quite frankly, earned. Is it bad that I would like to see what Ian Kennedy can do in the two spot? Only time will tell.

The best part of last night's game? Swisher as the new set up man. Swisher pitched the eighth, giving up one hit, one walk, and no runs. He has, perhaps, been our most consistent reliever, and, I've got to think, the front runner for the all important 8th inning set up role. Oh yeah, and Swish had another RBI today, and scored two runs. Yankees MVP so far? I think so. AL MVP? Only time will tell.

Finally, tonight marks our fourth loss where we have scored at least four runs and still managed to lose. Okay, in fairness, tonight, and in the first two losses, we pitched to lose. Only the last game of the Kansas City series was managed to lose. Will William Jefferson Randolph be sitting in the Yankees dugout before long? Only time will tell.

Yankees Embarras Themselves in 8th Inning

The Good

Joba went 6 innings allowing 3 runs (only 1 earned) in his first start of the season. The Yankees showed some grit as they came back from a 3-1 deficit against Royals starter Gil Meche, and put themselves up 4-3. Bruney pitched a good inning of relief.

The Bad

Overmanaging the bullpen cost us this game. Peter Abraham does not fault Girardi for taking out Marte for Veras since Royals hitter, Billy Butler kills lefties. He does fault him for removing Veras for Coke to pitch to a switch hitting backup catcher whose had 132 at bats in his entire career. I, however, fault him for both decisions. The thought is that Billy Butler kills lefties, sure, but he hit .275 with 11 homeruns all last season. He's not really killing anyone. He has one hit in 17 at bats on the season. He's faced left handed pitching this season, and shockingly has little to show for it. But what really bothers me about the decision is that we paid Marte $3.75 million this season as part of a 3 year $12 million deal to be our setup guy. If they don't trust him to pitch the 8th then why did they sign him in the first place?

The Ugly

Though they eventually reversed the ruling, the fact that the ball that went through Swishers legs was ever called a hit has to be one of the most absurd calls in baseball. Here's a quick and easy guide for you Kansas City ruling officials that read our blog: if a baseball goes between an infielders legs, its an error. Don't over think it, its an error. Oh, and by the way, Joakim Soria is nasty.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. No homeruns yesterday, but does anyone else feel bad for Cody Ransom? He's now batting .050 on the season.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 1hr = $1.00
Mark Teixeira 1hr = $1.00
Nick Swisher 2hr = $2.00
Robinson Cano 1hr = $1.00
Total = $7.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Unnecessary Pitching Changes Dooms Yankees

The game was in the bag. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, all the Yankees needed was one more out before handing the ball to Mariano in the ninth and polishing off a sweep of the Royals. Girardi had just taken Damaso Marte out of the game, and with right-handed hitter Billy Butler coming to the plate, Girardi called on Jose Veras.

"It seemed like the right call at the time," explained Girardi. "With a righty up there, we wanted to use a righty. Lefties normally only have success against lefties. That's why there are no lefty starters. Certainly not any good ones. I can't think of a single lefty ace in the Majors."

One pitch into the at-bat however, Girardi began to rethink his strategy. "Veras has a good fastball, but I wanted to throw Butler a curve," explained Girardi. "So I took Veras out and put Coke in to throw Butler a curve." One pitch later, Girardi had seen enough. He walked out to the mound, took the ball from Coke, and gave the signal for a righty.

"I was looking for more of a slider type pitch, so it was time for Albaladejo. But after Albie missed outside, I took him out to bring in Ramirez. You see, match-ups are really important in baseball, and it was time to throw a change up, so we went with Ramirez."

When Butler got on despite the brilliant match-up based strategy, Girardi got creative. "I called the Pirates from the dugout phone and reacquired Jeff Karstens and had him try to finish the inning. I realize it is a bit unorthodox to use your entire bullpen on one out, but the season is a sprint, not a marathon, and we desperately needed this one."

Asked what he would have done in the ninth or in extra innings, Girardi replied, "I can't worry about that. I have to manage based on the situation at hand. What's the best match-up, the best pitch, the most aesthetically pleasing pitcher relative to the hitter. These are all things you have to think about as a manager. I can't worry about what might happen later in the game."

Sabathia Dominates KC

The Good

Sabathia's 7.2 innings of shutout ball certainly stand out, but equally impressive was Nick Swisher's 2-3 night where he hit a triple and a homerun, driving in 3 runs, while walking twice. Posada drove in the other 3 runs while going 2-5 with 2 doubles.

The Bad

Veras ruined the teams shutout by allowing a run in his 1.1 innings of work. The bullpen is finished I say! Finished!

The Ugly

Cody Ransom went 0-4 bringing his season average to a healthy .056. I'm pretty sure Ramiro Pena can do that.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Nick Swisher did his part for children's health with his 2nd homerun of the season. Nady better start hitting some jacks of his own before he gets dropped on the children's health fund depth chart.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 1hr = $1.00
Mark Teixeira 1hr = $1.00
Nick Swisher 2hr = $2.00
Robinson Cano 1hr = $1.00
Total = $7.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Sabathia Rebounds from Shaky First Outing

Finished. That's what most major league scouts decreed after Sabathia's opening day start in which he failed to reach the fifth inning. The Yankees front office desperately searched for trade partners on whom to unload Sabathia, even offering to eat all of his contract, but there were no takers. Dark clouds had begun to hover over poor Cup Cakes Sabathia, named for what is likely his primary dietary supplement. Seriously. He's very fat.

Then, redemption came. On Saturday night, CC Sabathia was everything the Yankees had made him much richer than you or I to be. He was an ace. Having fixed a mechanical flaw in his delivery, CC resurrected a career left for dead, something never before seen on Easter.

"Davey and I worked really hard this week fixing my delivery," explained Sabathia, who prefers to spell his name 'Sabbathia,' with two bs. Sabathia went on, "You see, before when I was throwing, my fastball wasn't over the plate, today it was, fixing that flaw in my delivery really made a difference."

It was a bit unorthodox, but by throwing his fastball over the plate, Sabathia was much more effective than he had been just a few days ago, a lifetime in New York baseball years, and five days on a standard calendar. "It felt good to just get out there and pitch," Sabathia said. "I've proved the doubters wrong, and by pitching two consecutive games and winning one of them, I would have to say I've earned at least 4 years and $40M of my contract." Truer words have never been spoken.

Teixeira Injury Rife with Possibilities

As you probably already know, Mark Teixeira was scratched today because of a sore left wrist, which he claims he is not sure how it happened. I've decided to show restraint with this one, but suffice it to say that road trips get lonely. The thirteen year old in me wants to milk this for all its worth, but I'm not going to. I'm going to leave that up to you.

Swisher continues to make a case for playing everyday. Hard to take him out of the line up right now, and he should probably be starting. Matsui did manage a hit today, but maybe it's time to let Swisher have an everyday spot at the expense of Matsui.

Royals Fall to Yankee Might

The Good

Andy Pettitte gave us the best start of this still young season going 7 innings and allowing 1 run. Bruney and Rivera pitched scoreless innings of their own to finish up the game. Pettitte's performance saved the bullpen from over use, and helped the Yankees get this series started on the right foot. Cano had a pair of hits, and Posada drove in two runs with a single.

The Bad

Matsui seems to be really pressing. He went 0-4 with two strikeouts. Jeter had a rough night of his own going 0-5.

The Ugly

Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect inning striking out all three batters that he faced. To their shame, I will now call them out by name: Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, and Hideki Matsui.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. No homeruns last night as the Yankees showed more regard for my fixed income than in their previous games. I suspect they will continue their homerun onslaught tonight.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 1hr = $1.00
Mark Teixeira 1hr = $1.00
Nick Swisher 1hr = $1.00
Robinson Cano 1hr = $1.00
Total = $6.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Cash Is in the House

With four games in the books, it was time to call our good friend, frequent reader, and personal reference, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman via satellite video phone. The following is a transcript of our conversation:

BC: Hello?

RJG: May I speak to Lou please?

BC: Lou who?

RJG: The loser who put together a mediocre .500 team! Zing!

BC: Found my number again, huh?

RJG: Yeah. Why do you even bother changing it anymore?

BC: So what do you want?

RJG: That's a cold reception, and after all we've done for you. Tisk, tisk. So how does it feel to only be .500?

BC: It's only been four games.

RJG: Yeah, but you can't expect to make the playoffs with that sort of record. So does sucking come natural to you or did you have to work on it.

BC: I don't think that's fair. We've pitched well the last two games, and our lowest run output in a game so far has been four, and that's without A-Rod.

RJG: Oh yeah, how is A-Rod? I heard he hurt his hip. That Madonna must be pretty energetic, huh?

BC: Please don't go there.

RJG: Alright, sore subject. I get it. So are you going to fire Girardi? He's had four games to turn the ship around and hasn't gotten it done. I'm sure Willie Randolph would leave Milwaukee if you offered him the job. You would have sent away Joe Torre with an incentive laden one year contract by now. What gives?

BC: I don't think we're at that point yet.

RJG: It's not all about you, Bronny.

[click]

There you have it, folks. Girardi is safe for now. Personally, I didn't see that coming.

Kansas City Night

The Yankees take on the mighty Royals tonight with the match up everyone's been waiting for: Andy Pettitte vs. Sidney Ponson. For those who do not know Ponson, he is the pitcher teams pick up when things have gone horribly wrong. The Yankees have gotten to know him well over the past few years. Pettitte is of course the lovable lefty who accepted a $5 million contract after turning down a $10 million offer from the same team. The strategy did not pay off for him. He is now motivated to reach his performance incentives so he can make an additional $7 million. For our sake, I hope he gets them as well.

Nady will be getting a day off as Matsui will DH and Swisher will play right field. Swisher has been flexing at the plate in this short start of the season, and he may very well be playing himself into, well, more playing time. It will be interesting to monitor Matsui over the early part of the season. He hit a homerun in the season opener, but it was his only hit in 10 at bats. He got a day off yesterday so we'll see what he can do today. If his bat doesn't come around, you can expect way more Swisher and Nady trading off in the DH/RF spot with a sprinkling of Posada. I suspect his bat will come around.

Cody Ransom has just one hit as well, but his spot is much less assured then Matsui's. A-Rod could be back early, but if Ransom doesn't hit in the next few games we can expect Ramiro Pena to get a start at third. Right now Pena is the team leader with a batting average of 1.000. That's tough to compete with.

Yankee Caution Leads to Yankee Struggles

In 2007, Joe Torre famously tired of the restrictions imposed by the Yankees' front office on the use of Joba Chamberlain. The now infamous "Joba rules" were not the last time restrictions on pitchers would rear their heads, and they are now being blamed for the Yankees recent struggles against the Baltimore Orioles.

"I had trouble locating my fastball," explained new Yankee ace CC Sabathia, "but in fairness, it was the first time I'd thrown a fastball since last season. The Yankees were very cautious with me this spring because I pitched on three days rest so many times at the end of last season. They made me stand in front of the mound when I pitched in exhibition games. It was my first time on a mound in a while."

Because of a foot injury last summer, the Yankees were even more cautious with sinker-baller Chien-Ming Wang. "My mechanics were off," explained Wang through a translator. "It didn't help that the Yankees made me train for the first half of the spring by playing MLB The Show on a PS3. I wasn't even allowed to step on the practice field. I was only allowed to walk on carpet or grass. I didn't leave the clubhouse in Tampa until today so I could pitch in Baltimore."

Today, A.J. Burnett had his first start of the regular season. Because of his past injury history, it was the first time he had thrown a ball since the end of last season. "I wasn't invited to camp," explained Burnett. "Somehow I made the roster."

The Yankees have indicated that they will continue to be cautious with their pitchers, limiting their innings and pitch counts in order to avoid injuries. "We've invested a lot in these players," explained Yankees GM Brian Cashman. "We can't risk them getting hurt doing something as silly as playing baseball."

Yankees Avoid Sweep

The Good

Well, 11 runs is the first thing that comes to mind, but Swisher had a great game today going 3-5 with a homerun and 5 RBI's. Gardner, Cano and Teixeira all had multi-hit games with the later two hitting jacks. Perhaps the best thing was that Burnett did not give the Orioles much going 5.1 innings and allowing 2 runs with 6 strikeouts. For his first start it was good, and I can imagine that all the starters will go deeper into games as the season progresses. Ramiro Pena got his first game and first hit as a Yankee.

Coke-Veras-Bruney-Rivera combined for 3.2 perfect innings, amassing 6 strikeouts in that time.

The Bad

Jeter and Damon both went 0-4 with Jeter hitting into a double play for old times sake.

The Ugly

Melky Cabrera got his first game in today, but struck out in his one at bat. He should take a page from Swisher's book for how to fight your way into a lineup.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Today the Yankees showed their interest in children's health by hitting 3 homeruns to put the total to 6 homeruns in 3 games. Let's hope they keep it up.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 1hr = $1.00
Mark Teixeira 1hr = $1.00
Nick Swisher 1hr = $1.00
Robinson Cano 1hr = $1.00
Total = $6.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Is It Swisher Time?

I think it may be time to give Swisher the right field job. I know it's only three games, but he's hit off the bench, and hit very well today. We need guys at the back of the line-up to produce if we're going to be successful and Swisher seems to fit the bill. I know Nady isn't expensive, but he's more expensive than Swisher and they should've traded him, perhaps for bullpen help (you can never have too many arms stockpiled).

Regardless, good win for the team tonight. We've clawed our way back and are now only one game below .500. This teams got fight, no question. That's also 21 runs in three games, which bodes well for the offense.

Yankees Drop Two to Orioles

The Good

Another 5 run game including a 2-run homer by Jeter and a pair of hits for Robinson Cano. Both of those players also swiped a bag, as did Johnny Damon. Teixeira made his first hit as a Yankee count with an RBI double. Cody Ransom hit an RBI double of his own, the only player to drive in a run against Baltimore starter Uehara. Swisher, who came in again as a pinch hitter, drew a walk. The bullpen held up with Edwar Ramirez, Jonathan Albaladejo and Jose Veras combining for 4 innings of shut out baseball. Albaladejo pitched a pair of hitless shutout innings.

The Bad

I seem to see a theme concerning Yankee starters in the month of April. Is it just me, or does it seem like every year our starters begin horrible, can't give more than a handful of innings, and then burn out our bullpen part way through the month? Wang lasted just 3.2 innings and gave up 7 runs on 9 hits and 3 walks. That followed Sabathia's 4.1 innings of garbage. The bullpen better get those arms ready, because the innings have to come from somewhere.

The Ugly

That's two losses to start the season against the Baltimore Orioles. Its way too early to start panicking and as my brother has already pointed out, the Orioles are the best early season team in baseball. Luckily, we don't have to wait that long to see how Burnett will hold out. The game today is at 1:35pm.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Derek Jeter 1hr = $1.00
Total = $3.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

The Bright Spot

The silver lining: two consecutive games where we scored five runs. I know it doesn't feel great, but losing the first two games to Baltimore is not that big a deal. If you've been following AL East baseball as long as I have, then you know that Baltimore is the greatest April baseball team in Major League history. Two games, five runs each. And many of those runs came in the later innings, which means we can come from behind (stop laughing junior high school students). Our pitching will get sharper. Wins are not far behind.

Scandalous Joba Video

A video of Joba's DUI arrest, in which he "bashes" New Yorkers, is making its rounds on the internet. Apparently, Joba, while drunk, had the audacity to suggest that New Yorkers are aggressive and rude. As someone who has been living in New York for the past couple years and spends a lot of time with native New Yorkers, let me just tell you how upset we are: we're not. In fact, we're too busy hating New York to be bothered by Joba's comments. New Yorker's aren't going to care that Joba "bashed" New York, New Yorkers practically live to bash New York. Not to mention, Joba's comments weren't even bashing really, more like constructive criticism. Here's what Joba would have to say to get New Yorkers really mad:

"How's New York? It's alright. Not like Boston though, Boston is awesome! They're fans are so polite and knowledgeable, and Fenway is the best place to play in the Major Leagues. I'll tell you man, if only I'd been drafted by the Sox."

"The thing about New Yorker's is, they know nothing about baseball. Ask them about hockey, they'll go all day. But they barely know the difference between 'RBI' and 'ERA.' It's like explaining particle physics to monkeys."

"The best thing about New York is midtown. I love midtown!"

"I like to hang out in the financial district. You know, Wall Street. A few years ago I created credit default swaps. Then I told my friend Bernie that, rather than investing money, he could just create the illusion of wealth and consistent growth for his investors by getting other investors to keep giving him money, and paying the first investors with the money from the other investors. It's a perfect plan, and a victimless crime."

"What's it like to play for the Yankees? It's alright, but what I really want to do is go to Swedish Med School."

Far From Home

The Yankees will be playing tonight as they continue the Baltimore series and hope to secure a win with Wang's sinker. The Yankees have had a day to recover from a loss and the Orioles a day to celebrate a win. We sent our award winning reporting team down to Baltimore to speak to some Yankee players about the reason for the loss. What they revealed may surprise you.

"To be honest with you, we all feel the void." Began Yankee reliever Brian Bruney who allowed two runs while recording one out in Monday's game. "I never thought I'd miss it, but it just doesn't feel right without it. When you get used to something, you just expect it to be there."

"This is my walk year," Explained Yankee left fielder Johnny Damon. "and I've played for 3 years with it. Now that its gone, I don't know how well I can continue to play."

At first we were not sure what void the Yankee players were referring to, so we pressed the question. The answer was very simple:

"I can't play baseball without the constant media coverage on A-Rod. It doesn't feel like the season has started without it." Explained Bruney. "I never thought I'd say this, but I miss him."

Joba Chamberlain could not agree more.

"At first I thought A-Rod's media attention was annoying, but then it became normal and it made for good baseball. Its hard to let personal things distract you when A-Rod's on your team. I mean, I get attacked by Lake Erie midges, A-Rod's dating Madonna, I get a DUI, A-Rod's on steroids. It all evens out."

What we soon learned is that A-Rod actually uses his big headlines to distract the sports world from issues going on with his teammates. In this, A-Rod proves to be one of the most selfless players to ever live.

"People don't know this, but while A-Rod's been rehabbing he's been visiting after school programs and reading books to underprivileged children daily. But if we lose tonight, you can bet A-Rod will be seen walking out of a night club with Cher." Said a Yankee official under condition of anonymity.

So the Yankees loss can be directly attributed to A-Rod's lack of headlines. We suspected it was his fault some how, but we just now were able to prove it. Either way, the Yankees need A-Rod, and he is far from home.

The Ringers Sucked Yesterday

The Good

Jeter showed what he could do out of the leadoff spot with 3 hits, and Damon showed some power out of the 2 spot, with 2 hits including a triple. Matsui and Posada both homered yesterday showing what time on the DL can do for your power stroke. Swisher hit a pinch hit double. His first hit as a Yankee.

The Bad

The Yankees left 11 runners on base, including Damon at 3rd after he hit his triple, and Pena at third after he came in to run for Swisher. Marky T went 0-4 and was flat in the clutch. He honestly looked overwhelmed by all the booing he got. Damon should have caught Izturis' homerun, but what can you do.

The Ugly

Seeing the Yankee offense falter with runners in scoring position invoked memories of last years offensive malaise, but 5 runs are normally enough to win a game. Yesterdays loss is the fault of the pitchers. Sabathia was awful, going 4.1 innings with 5 walks, no strikeouts and 6 runs. Coke pitched well until he went out for the 8th inning and gave up a homerun to Cesar Izturis. Bruney took his cue from Sabathia and decided to avoid the strikezone like the plague. Sabathia and Marky T, the two ringers, sucked, but it is just the first game. Sabathia is a slow starter, and in his last tune up start of spring training he went 3.2 innings allowing 2 runs. We may have to watch a couple more starts like this before we see the Sabathia we paid $161 million for.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Yesterday, the post-surgery Posada and Matsui hit homeruns to put the Yankees closer to tieing the game before the bullpen gave it all back. They are now on pace to hit 162 homeruns this season.

Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Hideki Matsui 1hr = $1.00
Total = $2.00

If you are interested in Johnny Damon's Homerun Club or the Children's Health Fund you can find links to both at the top right hand corner of our page.

Meet Your New Ace: Ian Kennedy!

The strike zone today was like that conversation where you have to tell your best friend you made out with his wife for Sabbathia, he was avoiding it. Seriously, he looked more like Ian Kennedy out there than he did like pitch every third day Sabbathia. In fairness, though, the strike zone was inconsistent, making things harder.

The Yanks did score five runs, which is good. But they gave up 10 runs, which is bad. Hopefully Wang has better luck tomorrow. Go Yankees!

Opening Day at Camden Yards

Boy, this day seemed like it would never come. Today the Yankees open the season against the Baltimore Orioles, and finally, baseball is upon us. Plenty happened over spring training, some of it positive, some of it not. A-Rod was found to have used steroids, and then needed surgery on his hip, which will keep him out for the first month of the season. Derek Jeter was moved to the lead off spot, Brett Gardner won centerfield from Melky Cabrera, Ramiro Pena beat veteran Angel Berroa for the utility infield spot, Jonathan Albaladejo was named to the bullpen, and the Yankees won the Grapefruit League. A-Rod will be back relatively early this season, but for the meantime Cody Ransom will be our third baseman. Ransom is a great athlete, a veteran baseball player who has spent the majority of his career in the minors. He will not take third base from Alex, but its a great opportunity for him to roll a good start into a solid season, and a solid season into future baseball contracts.

As we did last year, the RJG will be donating one dollar (American) to the Children's Health Fund through Johnny Damon's Homerun Club. We will track how many homeruns were hit in each game, and show how much money is being raised throughout the season. We did this last year, and it was fun to keep track of it. For donating $1 for every homerun hit, the CHF will gift us a mini-hand sanitizer spray. Honestly, its the only reason we donate.

Baseball officially started yesterday with the Braves beating the Phillies. Derek Lowe pitched 8 shutout innings against the Phillies, allowing just two hits, while the Braves offense hit 3 homeruns. Could the Braves compete this year in the NL East? The Mets sure won't. Their current rotation of Johan Santana and assorted plan B's won't hold up.

Today's matchup will be one Charlemagne Constantine Sabathia vs. Jeremy Guthrie. My prediction is that the Yankees win this game to start the first 162 win season in the history of baseball. It is supposed to rain in Baltimore throughout the early afternoon, but should stop by 3pm. The game will start at 4:05pm.

We've Got a Winner, Folks!

The Daily News has a feature on Derek Jeter, discussing his importance to the team, and the issues surrounding his 2010 contract expiration. The basic argument is as follows: Jeter is 35. I wish I could say there was more to it, but there isn't. They discuss the fact that according to one analyst, Jeter cost the team 9 runs (it takes 10 to cost the team a game). Other, younger shortstops, like Jimmy Rollins, save their teams runs. I don't know about you, but I certainly needed a five page article to explain to me that a much younger Rollins' defense is superior to Jeter's. The best point in the article was made by a scout who pointed out that there aren't many clubs who would pass up on Mr. Jeter. It's true. Regardless, I suspect we can expect many of these articles this season, and next for that matter. Any time there's a lack of news to report, expect more Jeter's getting old related articles. It is what it is.

Peter Handrinos Interview

Here is the Handrinos interview. It was filmed with my cellphone so there's a bit of shaking and the audio isn't great. You should be able to hear it, but I may suggest ear phones. This was my first crack at this and hope to have opportunities to do this again in the future. I don't have editing software and the last two questions were cut off. They were as follows:

1. In light of his answer to the last question recorded, what did he think will happen in 2010 when Jeter's contract is up?

2. What did he respect most about Jeter's gangster?

To the first question he responded that he suspects that Jeter will be re-signed. To the second, he expressed admiration for Jeter's career. Peter is definitely critical of the older Jeter, but he definitely recognizes how great he has been and the significance of Jeter to the team and to baseball. He just thinks that shortstop is a young man's position.

Yankees Workout In Stadium

The Yankees got to workout in the stadium yesterday, and many of them had glowing reviews of the new cathedral. The workout was a strenuous affair complete with such taxing exercises as hand grips, jumping jacks, and Wii bowling. One player was even seen at a weight bench, not lifting weights mind you, but using the bench while he played the drums for the Rockband tournament occuring in the clubhouse. Team captain, Derek Jeter, said that his range at short will increase drastically this season as he's decided to drop the ten pound weights he normally straps to each of his legs in the regular season. "Its time." Jeter said. "I started wearing them because I used to be so fast that I'd go to dive for a ball up the middle, and end up in right field next to Paul O'Neil. He'd be like 'What are you doing here?'. Torre gave me the weights to slow me down. The last time I didn't wear the weights was when you saw the flip throw play, I just wanted to go to the pitchers mound but next thing I know, I'm down the first base line flipping the ball to Posada. But I'm getting old, I need to lose the weights."

Much youthful optimism is in the air, and its all waranted. Its a good time to be a Yankee, and prior to opening day, everyone has the same batting average, and pitching line. This is why its the perfect time to make my predictions for the year. I have three predictions for the season all of which are guaranteed to occur. Here they are:

1. Derek Jeter beats out David Wright for the Delta Airline charity batting average thing they're doing.
2. Brett Gardner wins a batting title.
3. Cody Ransom plays so well in April that he takes A-Rod's spot at third and makes A-Rod get him a water out of the cooler before every game.

Look Out for Peter Handrinos Interview Tomorrow

This evening I attended Peter Handrinos' book signing at Borders on Park Ave. and 57th. As soon as I can figure out how to get the video off my phone and onto my computer I will post it here. Peter discussed the Yankees past and present for over an hour, and was gracious enough to let me use up about 12 minutes of it asking questions about punching horses. Okay, I didn't ask any questions about punching horses, but you know what I mean.

The event was well attended. I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa Swan of Subway Squawkers at the event. There were a few older fans present and one, who was the first person to arrive and had sat in the front, asked a lot of great questions and was very knowledgeable about the team. It's interesting listening to a guy who's been following the team for decades. The passion that surrounds the Yankees is just such a great thing to be a part of.

So look out for the interview tomorrow, and pick up the book, which is entitled, "The Truth About Ruth." The cover has a picture of Jeter on it, despite the title's reference to Ruth, but the publisher clearly respects the gangster. It's an enjoyable read with a lot of great information about the Yankees and the game of baseball. Handrinos is a fan but he's not sentimental, he definitely booed A-Rod at some point. He has a critical eye and doesn't pull punches. In short, he's a real New York fan. I think you'll enjoy the book.

Around the Majors

The Yankees are staying relatively quiet now that A-Rod is in seclusion, which really messes with us bloggers. So in order to fill up our time, please allow us to take you on a trip around the majors.

Former slugger Andruw Jones has made the Rangers as the 5th outfielder. I can't be sure, but Jones' career has to be one of the worst digressions in history. The Dodgers let him go after last season deciding that it would be better for them to pay his full contract and free up the roster spot then to actually have him on the team. This guy used to be a threat with the bat, and a solid centerfielder too. Jones looks to serve mainly as a DH with the Rangers as they feel they could use his right handed bat, seeing as those are so rare and all.

Manny Ramirez feels he needs more at-bats to be ready this season. I suppose that's what happens when you miss the first three weeks of spring training trying to squeeze more money out of the only team that has offered you a contract. It also doesn't help that he injured his hamstring and missed another week of games. But you know, its Manny being Manny.

It appears that the Reds are interested in the recently released Gary Sheffield. He could add depth to their team, but it is unclear how.

In other news, it appears that inmates in Brazil have trained carrier pigeons to bring them cellphones. This is of course how Mussina got candy into the clubhouse last season, and how bleacher fans got in their beer.

Yankees Press Release with Regards to Bleacher Seats

Source

In response to Ken Belson's article (see previous post) in the New York Times today, the Yankees have made the following release exclusively to RJG:

Today's New York Times Sports section included an article pointing out the architectural shortcomings of the new Yankee Stadium. To this we have the following organizational response: That's bull$#!% man! Not cool dudes! We don't announce on our billboards what pages of the New York Times have typos! Besides, it's just left field. You know how people say, "That came out of left field"? It's never in reference to anything good. We're just protecting our beloved fans from all the ills that happen in left field. Why did we also block the view of right field you ask? All right smart @$$, you want to poke holes in our excuse? The reason we blocked the view of right field as well is because, uh, people in left field are lesser human beings and don't deserve to see the whole game. Besides, we're installing TVs. Didn't you ever think to yourself, "Gee, it'd be great if I could have all the pleasures of watching a game in a Best Buy, in a far less comfortable setting." Sure, the glare during the day will make it absolutely pointless, but you're only paying $5, and we'll let you walk the same halls as our tier seat fans. You know, the ones who are actually a revenue stream for us and you tell to "jump" when they walk by? We let you interact with them now. So please, give us a break. Just because we put a very expensive restaurant in the middle of the cheapest seats in the Stadium doesn't mean we think less of those fans who can't afford our more expensive seats. It just means we don't think you're viewing the whole field is more important than our ability to sell expensive steaks to people with more money than you. Thank you. You're beloved New York Yankees who love you back, but not for $5-$12 a seat.