Peter Abraham: Beat Writer, Blog Author...Legend?

This feature interview will remain at the top of the page for the remainder of the week. Scroll down below to read our new posts, and catch up on everything related to Jeter's gangster.

Before the "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog ever existed, us authors regularly visited and got our insight from beat writer and blog author Peter Abraham. For those of you who don't know, Peter Abraham is a beat writer for the Journal News, and has one of the most popular Yankees blogs around. The truth is, I got my inspiration to start blogging from him. So we were quite delighted when Peter Abraham agreed to answer some questions for our blog. What does Peter respect most about Jeter's gangster? Read on to find out...

1) You have one of the more popular Yankees related blogs, and regularly get thousands of comments a day. What made you want to start blogging, and why do you think its become so popular?

I did a feature story on baseball bloggers in 2005 and that inspired me to start my own. I had to convince the paper to let me do it. I think it's popular because I have no life and I update it often. Plus a lot of people like the Yankees. I don't fool myself.

2) In the time you have covered the Yankees, which player has given you the best stories? Which player have you liked covering the most?

Nobody really gives you stories, you sort of dig them up and hope the guy cooperates. Because I helped write a book on the guy, I'd say Chien-Ming Wang. The player I have liked covering the most is Jason Giambi. He is a really good guy and very funny.

3) Who has been the most difficult Yankee to cover during your time with the team?

A-Rod.

4) As a fellow Umass grad, what would you say the best hang out spot was: The Pub, Barsie's, Delano's, Charlie's or the Spoke?

I used to hang at Barsie's or Mike's Westview Cafe.

5) If you were in a bar fight, which Yankee player would you want on your side, and why?

C'Mon. Shelley Duncan. Shelley is an animal and impervious to pain.

6) Last season was filled with freak injuries, slumping bats, and underperforming overpaid pitchers, and yet the Yankees made it to the playoffs. What was it about that team that got them so far?

Their relentless 968-run offense.

7) What has been your favorite interaction with a Yankees player?

I like talking about things other than baseball (like 70s TV shows) with the Moose. Or about baseball with Giambi. Or about most anything with Damon.

8) What has been your favorite interaction with Carl Pavano?

Who? The Yankees have a player by that name?

9) Is it true Derek Jeter has two lockers in Yankee stadium, one for his gear, and one for his Gold Glove Awards?

He has three lockers: his gear, his Gold Gloves and one for suggestive photos of hot babes he gets in the mail.

10) Yourself, Mark Feinsand, and Sam Borden wrote a book about Chien-Ming Wang that was released in Asia. Are there any plans for future books?

We're working on "What the hell was Brian Cashman thinking? The Wilson Betemit Story." Seriously, no plans. But I would love to work with those guys again. I learned so much during that project and have tremendous respect for both of those guys as writers and reporters.

11) What is your honest opinion of Fenway Park (fans and stadium) and covering games in Boston?

Fenway Park is nice once you sit down. But it's a dump otherwise. I like covering games in Boston because I can stay with my sister and her family.

12) In your opinion, is Mussina done as his Boston start would indicate, or can he still be effective as his White Sox start would indicate?

I think he can help. He's pretty smart, he can still throw his fastball and their offense will score for him.

13) You are a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, and even berated me once for misspelling his name on your blog (I googled it this time!), but its your secondary music choice that really stands out to us. Would you say that cash rules everything around you?

As in Johnny Cash? I love the Man in Black. Lately I have been listening to a lot of Ludacris and Ying Yang Twins. Plus some old skool Wu-Tang Clan.

14) With the Lohud Yankees blog being as popular as it is, how many times a day do you frequent the "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog, and why is it your favorite blog?

In all seriousness, I think it's way cool that people who read my blog were inspired to start their own. You guys have passion for the game and for writing and I respect that.

15) And lastly, what do you respect most about Jeter's gangster?

His Jordan Brand jackets. A new one almost every day. Plus his Kid N' Play fade.



There you have it! Peter Abraham respects Jeter's gangster, and loves old skool Wu-Tang. We are very appreciative of Peter taking the time to answer our questions, and if you haven't seen his blog, do yourself a favor and take a look. Not only is it a great place for your Yankees news, its also a really cool place to chat with knowledgeable Yankee fans. His wit is legendary, and we appreciate the amount of insight and commentary he provides on his blog. If you're like us, it'll become a daily stop in no time.

Ian Patrick Kennedy

Tonight we have Ian Kennedy pitching for us, and its probably the most important start of his season. He pitched 5 innings of 3 run ball his last time out, and all 3 of those runs came in a dull second inning. He returned to pitch 3 very sharp innings, giving the Yankees enough reason to keep him in the rotation. Tonight, Kennedy can ill afford to have a bad start. There is no more patience left in this team. It is now May, and the Yankees are below .500. So what can we expect? I for one think Kennedy will have a good outing. He needs to. Kennedy doesn't have a blow away fastball and relies heavily on finesse. He comes from college ball, so he's faced a decent level of competition before going through his minor league spots. Unlike Hughes, he has experience, and he needs it since his stuff isn't as explosive. Kennedy has a larger repetoire of pitches than Hughes, and more confidence in his pitches. That is partially why I don't think he needs more time in triple A. All Kennedy needs to do is throw strikes. Strike one is essential. After that, curves, changeups, and well placed fastballs will lead the way.

If Kennedy doesn't pitch well, you can expect a demotion, or perhaps the same pink eye Betemit came down with. The team has to see what Rasner can do in place of Hughes, but if Kennedy is gone, what options are there? Kennedy has to pitch well, and he has the stuff to do it. All that remains is for him to eat his lucky charms, pray to his maker, and save orphans out of a burning building for kharma purposes. After that I expect to see his best outing yet.

Oh, and this offense needs to wake the crap up. Wake the crap up. WAKE the crap UP.

Yankees Drop Two to Detroit

The Good

Melky had a couple hits and an RBI, and Johnny Damon hit the only extra base hit with a double going 1-3 with a walk. Hawkins and Ramirez pitched a combined two-innings of scoreless relief with 2 strikeouts.

The Bad

Andy Pettitte gave up 5 runs in 6 innings of work. Cano went another 0-3, and the Yankees had 5 players go hitless in this game. Farnsworth gave up a solo homerun in his inning of relief, but also struck out 2.

The Ugly

The offense. The lethargic, slumping offense. Pettitte wasn't good, but he can't be expected to stop every skid the Yankees fall into. Especially when the skids tend to fall between when Wang pitches and when Pettitte pitches. This is a team effort, and the bats need to wake up. It doesn't matter how well you pitch, if you don't score runs, you won't win games.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's homerun 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 homeruns hit and the money donated throughout the season. Unfortunately, no homeruns last night:

Melky Cabrera 5hr = $5.00
Alex Rodriguez 4hr = $4.00
Hideki Matsui 3 hr = $3.00
Bobby Abreu 3hr = $3.00
Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Jason Giambi 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Morgan Ensberg 1hr = $1.00
Robinson Cano 2hr = $2.00
Chad Moeller 1hr = $1.00
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.

Elite Pitcher in the Making

I want to begin by saying that I am one of the biggest supporters of Phil Hughes, and have been preaching patience with him since spring training. I still do. I still think we need to be patient with Hughes. But I don't believe we need to be patient with him on the big league roster.

I want to be clear. Phil Hughes has the make up to become an elite pitcher in the future, but his growth has been stunted by being forced to mature too quickly. What I saw yesterday, and what I've seen all season, is a young pitcher with good stuff, but a lack of repetoire. His fastball and curve are major league ready, but that's only two pitches. He has not shown the ability to locate his changeup, and his slider, which is a new pitch for him, is not big league ready. What I saw yesterday, what I've seen all season, is a gifted pitcher weaving his way through major league lineups with 2 pitches. Its not his fault.

Last season, Brian Cashman made it very clear. Phil Hughes was to stay in triple A for the 2007 season. He needed to grow, develop his pitches, and face the competition there before he would move to the big leagues. However, he made just 5 starts at that level before injuries made it necessary to call him up. He was shaky in his first outing, but carried a no-hitter into the 7th against Texas in his second outing, before a hamstring injury pulled him from the game. After a long rehab, he came back, and pitched decently. His big performance was his relief of Roger Clemens in game 3 of the ALCS, where he was amazing. I understand why they called him up, and agree with it. He was tearing it up in triple A. But it didn't mean that he was ready.

What we are seeing now is a pitcher who has little confidence in his secondary pitches, because frankly, they're not very good. He's still working on his slider and changeup. Its not fair to ask him to toy with new pitches on the biggest stage. If you ask me, the whole point of the minors is to work on and develop your pitches. Because he was called up so early, he never had the chance to develop his pitches. He knows how to throw them, but not at a big league level. Right now, the best thing for him is to go back to triple A, and work on those pitches. He has enough natural talent to pitch well, and if he stays with the big league club I can guarantee that he'll have his moments. But the rough starts will far out weigh the good ones. The teams know him now. They know his fastball, and they know his curveball. They've scouted him thoroughly, and they know how to hit him. He's had one quality start all season. He pitched 6 innings of 2 run ball against Toronto. Since then, he has struggled to even qualify for a start. He should be taking these lumps in Scranton, not in the New York.

If they send Hughes down, I'm sure he'll be devastated. But its the best thing for him right now. It shouldn't be deemed a failure by any means. Sometimes you need to retreat before you can advance. I know people love this kid, and will argue to the death that he belongs on the big league club, but if you really want to see this kid become the elite pitcher he will be, then you need to let him go.

Tough Loss Against Detroit

The Good

Was anyone else impressed with Ohlendorf's 3.1 innings of 5 strikeout no run relief? Ramirez and Hawkins also contributed shutout innings of their own. All in all, a very good effort by the bullpen. Cano hit a 2-run homerun, but came up in some big spots and was unable to deliver. Duncan went 1-2 with a double and 3 walks. Jeter did what he does best by working a bases loaded hit-by-pitch. There are less painful ways to knock in a run, but none are quite as effective as the bases loaded HBP.

The Bad

The offense just couldn't deliver, squandering bases loaded situations and failing to knock in runners in scoring position. Basically, nothings changed. The Yankee offense managed just 2 runs in 6 innings off a struggling Kenny Rogers. The Tigers also took advantage of what essentially was the worst defensive lineup the Yankees could manage. With Damon in center, the Tigers sent an extra runner to score that I guarantee would have been held up if Melky was there. Also, Matsui missed a linedrive by just a couple steps in leftfield, that I can also guarantee would have been caught if Damon were there. That's 2 runs a better defense would not have allowed. This is not to say that they are bad defenders, just to say that our best defense relies on Melky in center and Damon in left.

The Ugly

Phil Hughes lasted 3.2 innings and gave up 6 earned runs off 8 hits and 3 walks. I plan to write a commentary on this later, but basically, it wasn't pretty.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's homerun 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 homeruns hit and the money donated throughout the season. The C&C homerun race was in full swing last night as Cano hit his 2nd homerun of the season helping him gain some ground on Cabrera:

Melky Cabrera 5hr = $5.00
Alex Rodriguez 4hr = $4.00
Hideki Matsui 3 hr = $3.00
Bobby Abreu 3hr = $3.00
Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Jason Giambi 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Morgan Ensberg 1hr = $1.00
Robinson Cano 2hr = $2.00
Chad Moeller 1hr = $1.00
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.

Around the Majors: Waste of Money

That's a lot of money.

Schilling them Softly

The Red Sox typically make some really good deals when it comes to pitchers and have no problems booting a pitcher who they feel has gotten too old. That is why the signing of Curt Schilling to pitch this year was such a mystery. Right now, he's rehabbing, but I suspect he won't be any good if and when he comes back. Now its not nearly as bad, as say the Carl Pavano signing, but $8 million isn't chump change either. Plus, if he makes the weigh ins he can make another $2 million. That means that he could make as much money as staff ace Josh Beckett. Not a bad deal for Schilling...pretty bad deal for the Red Sox.

GIANT Amount of Money for Middle Relief

Want to talk about a waste of money? Let's talk about the $116 million and 6 years left on Barry Zito who has recently been relegated to the Giants bullpen. That's a lot of money on middle relief. The sad thing is that the contract is back loaded, so he made $10 million in 2007, his first season, and will make $20 million in his last. Ouch.

Breaking News: Multi-Year Contracts for Aged Sluggers Not A Good Idea

So, Toronto dropped DH Frank Thomas because of the slow start that he's had at the plate, or so they say. Thomas believes it has something to do with the performance clause he was approaching that would guarantee him $9 million for next season. By cutting him, the Blue Jays still had to pay him the remainder of the $8 million for this season to not play for them. So the ever savvy Athletics signed Thomas to a league minimum deal of $390,000, and now have a slugger in their lineup.

Money's being waisted everywhere. Good thing the Yankees have so much of it. Just so you know, all the information came from Cot's Baseball Contracts, a phenomenal resource for those interested in seeing how much more baseball players make than you. Really puts that liberal arts degree in perspective.

Yankees Take Second Against Cleveland

The Good

Today's game just goes to show how timely hitting is much better than hitting many times. The Yankees managed just 5 hits today, 1 for extra bases, no homeruns, and yet, they score 5 runs. The Cleveland pitching staff only gave up 2 walks too, so it wasn't like they were walking runs in. Mussina put together another decent outing with 5 innings and 2 earned runs, but perhaps more impressively, Albaladejo and Farnsworth got the ball to Chamberlain and Mariano. Farnsworth had a very good inning striking out 1 and going perfect. Once again, the Chamberlain-Rivera express delivered, and Mo picked up his 8th save of the season. He's yet to give up a run.

The Bad

You hope to see more from Giambi who left 5 men on base, and Cano went 0-3 further extending his slumping ways. Not good. You also hope to get more innings out of Moose, but following up his 7 inning effort against Chicago, I'll settle for it.

The Ugly

That double that Matsui hit scored Damon from 1st without even a throw. Cleveland's right fielder could not pick that ball up for some reason. By the time he did, Damon was rounding 3rd.


Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's homerun 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 homeruns hit and the money donated throughout the season. No homeruns tonight. Just means there'll be 4 tomorrow:

Melky Cabrera 5hr = $5.00
Alex Rodriguez 4hr = $4.00
Hideki Matsui 3 hr = $3.00
Bobby Abreu 3hr = $3.00
Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Jason Giambi 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Morgan Ensberg 1hr = $1.00
Robinson Cano 1hr = $1.00
Chad Moeller 1hr = $1.00
Total = $27.00

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.

Where's Marty Miller When You Need Him?

As you have all probably heard by now, Posada is going on the DL for the first time in his major league career. I thought about writing a post jokingly suggesting he'd been getting tips on how to stay healthy after signing a big contract from Carl Pavano, but Posada has been a great Yankee and deserves better. From what I've read, he seems genuinely distraught at the fact that he will have to go on the DL, and he was the first to mention that he had been given a good contract and feels like he's letting the team down. We'll be okay for now, the season is young and Molina is a more than able back up. Will he produce offensively like Posada? No, but neither would most human beings. I just hope we keep Moehler and he can come back to back up Molina. I don't know the extent of Posada's injury, but if he can come back this season than I rather he takes time off in April/May than in August/September. Feel better Posada. You can always guest blog at Respect Jeters Gangster if you get bored.

Surprise Factor

How surprised would you have been last January if I told you Melky Cabrera would be tied for the team lead in homeruns? Seriously, on a scale from 1 - 10 in surprise factor, how surprised would you be? For me, I'd be about an 8. I figured he would hit more homeruns this year, but he hit 7 all last season, so more could have meant 10. I don't tend to surprise easy, but Melky has just been on a tear. So how surprised are you?

For me, a 1 on the surprise scale would be like the time I showed up for a surprise birthday party and saw all my friends cars parked outside. A great effort, but very little surprise. A 5 would be like the time I saw Andre 3000 standing outside of a hotel in New York city. It wasn't too surprising since it was in New York, but still a little surprising. A 10 would be like the time I was robbed at a friendly dice game. I'm placing my bet when all of a sudden I get sucker punched. I looked up and who should I see but Miley Cyrus. I said "Hannah, why?" And she said, "Money earned ain't as sweet as money taken.", and then walked away with all of our dice money. That kind of caught me off guard. So a 10 would be having Hannah Montana rob your dice game, and a 1 would be the non-surprise birthday party. So, how surprised are you?

Ace Rematch Ends in Win

The Good

Wang pitched 7 shutout innings with 9 strikeouts. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Wang has been striking out a lot more batters than usual. The Chamberlain-Rivera Express pitched another 2 perfect innings and each struck out 2. I'm really hurting on the bullpen/rotation debate with Chamberlain. I think long term he should be in the rotation, but right now, we have no one we can give the ball to in close games. Is that game won with Latroy Hawkins, Kyle Farnsworth, or Jonathan Albaladejo pitching the 8th?

Anyway, more good....Melky hit another homerun, which puts him in a tie for the team league with Jason Giambi. If you see them standing next to each other, it looks like Giambi could eat Melky. Jeter hit a double in the game, but they couldn't do anything with it.

The Bad

Although they were facing a tough pitcher, this Yankee lineup produced 4 hits, 2 for extra bases. You won't win a lot of games like that. Cano was ugly on the base paths too. Shelley went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts bringing him below .100 for the season.

The Ugly

Sabathia yelled at Cabrera for looking at his homerun too long. That's the second time this season an ace pitcher has given up a homerun to Cabrera and then yelled at him for looking at it. That's also two homeruns for Cabrera off two team aces that have won games for the Yankees. But big boys don't cry Sabathia. Instead, they hit homeruns off ace pitchers. Also, Posada is heading to the DL with a tear in his shoulder. There's no indication how long he'll be out, but its expected he'll be out long.


Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's homerun 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 homeruns hit and the money donated throughout the season. Melky Cabrera hit yet another homerun today as he continues his pursuit of the hallowed Derek Jeter single season homerun record, set by Derek Jeter. That was all the offense the Yankees needed:

Melky Cabrera 5hr = $5.00
Alex Rodriguez 4hr = $4.00
Hideki Matsui 3 hr = $3.00
Bobby Abreu 3hr = $3.00
Jorge Posada 1hr = $1.00
Jason Giambi 5hr = $5.00
Johnny Damon 3hr = $3.00
Morgan Ensberg 1hr = $1.00
Robinson Cano 1hr = $1.00
Chad Moeller 1hr = $1.00
Total = $27.00

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.