From now on i will be posting all New York Yankees news here. You can read more of my work and chat or post in my forums at thebronxbombersblog.com




7/6

Johnny Damon will by headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. Damon was in such bad pain that he needed help to put his shirt on, and could barely slip his shoes on. Damon said it would likely be 10 days before he would start throwing, and wouldnt be back until after the break. He is expected to go on the DL this evening. Brian Cashman stated if he was to go on the DL they would call up another pitcher. Their is no word on who would be called up, Scott Strickland seems most likely. Strickland is 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA. Other possibilities are Chris Britton and Scott Paterson.

Checking in with Ross Ohlendorf, he has given up 1 run in 3 innings of work.

Joe Girardi offered to move out of his office to allow Terry Fancona to use it for the all-star game. Francona refused and said he did not want Joe to have to do that.

A.J. Burnett is a possibility if the Yankees can get him cheap. The underachieving Burnett is 8-8 with a 4.92 ERA. If the Yankees are willing to take the large contract they could use another fireballer to go with Chamberlain, being that everyone else throws under 92. The Yankees are reportedly not interested in Sabathia, and Hank agrees, he says
“We’re looking into different things,” Yankees co-chairperson Hank Steinbrenner told the Star-Ledger. “I think we all had more confidence in what we could do with what we have than what we’ve shown lately.” well he sort of agrees.

What all this means: The Yankees will be missing one of there best hitters for a while, and there hasn’t really an abundance of offense lately. The Yankees bullpen has been doing well, but they still need a mid-inning guy. Scott Strickland deserves a chance, look for him to be up soon.


7/7

Brian Cashman said the earliest Johnny Damon can come back is July 20th, and even then it would be a 50% chance he is ready becuase the injury is to his throwing shoulder.

The Yankees have placed 16 different players on the DL sensce the beginning of the season

Jose Molina leads the majors with 23 baserunners thrown out. He's naild 11 in a row.

Ken Rosenthal reported that the Yankees were "very heavily involed" in the Sabathia sweepstakes according to his source. The souce declined to comment which prospects would be inolved in the deal.

Tuesday's pitching matchup is Kazmir vs. Ponson.


7/8

The Yankees put out a press release urging fans to “Support the Stache” and get Jason Giambi to the All-Star game. The American mustache institute also offered their support to Giambi. “It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that Jason Giambi’s hitting prowess plus a fashionable mustache, equals a bona fide All-Star,” said Aaron Perlut, Executive Director of The American Mustache Institute. “Giambi’s significant first-half production as well as his powerful lip fur – indicating great intellect and good looks – make two very compelling reasons for his place on the American League All-Star roster.”

Rehab watch, here’s the lines for Brian Bruney and Humberto Sanchez from there latest outings:

Bruney: 1.0IP, 1H, 1K, 18 pitches

Sanchez: 1.0IP, 1H, 1BB, 1K, 13 pitches

Yesterday Brian Cashman said not to expect Phil Hughes back by August.

Carl Pavano might make an impact in the very late second half, but not as a starter.

Kyle Farnsworth has new found confidence and has not given up a hit in his last 6 outings. The difference comes in how much more faith manager Joe Girardi has in Farnsworth compared to his predecessor, Joe Torre. By the second half of last season, Torre and former pitching coach Ron Guidry had abandoned Farnsworth. He appeared in only 19 of the team’s final 55 games. All but eight of those appearances came in games the Yankees were losing.

A Cape Cod man is accused of beating another man with a baseball bat because he thought he was a New York Yankees fan. He is charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon and malicious destruction to a motor vehicle.

The Yankees reportedly backed out of the C.C. Sabathia sweepstakes because they were denied a 72 hour window to negotiate a contract.

Tonights Starters: Kazmir vs. Pettitte

Tomorrows Starters: Jackson vs. Ponson

What all this means: The Yankees will be getting Bruney and Sanchez back this season, and they are great relievers who can solidify the already solid pen, especially with the new Kyle Farnsworth (who doesn’t get booed). The Yankees need to find starting pitching help because Hughes, Pavano and Wang wont be back until September. Rich Harden would be a good option if Billy Beane doesn’t try to rob them.


7/9

Jose Molina will get his 5th straight start at catcher today, Joe Girardi insists that Posada’s shoulder is fine.

The Yankees are going to be handing out big, black Giambi replica mustaches to the first 20,000 fans arriving at today’s game in order to continue the team’s “Support the ‘Stache” campaign. “My heart is with G that he gets all the votes,” Joe Girardi said. “If that’s what it takes, I’ll wear that mustache. I saw another manager across town (Bobby Valentine) wear another mustache like that. That was really clever.”

Carl Pavano threw 30 pitches of batting practice and will throw 30 more on Friday.

Today’s a 1:05 game, the pitchers will be Jackson and Ponson

Tomorrow will be a make up of the postponed Pittsburgh game, the starters will be Mike “shoulda been an all-star” Mussina and Paul Maholm

7/11

Brian Cashman said that the Yankees definitely will not sign Barry Bonds.

Hankenstien plans to hire Lou Pinella (not as a manager) after he finishes his Cubs Career.

Jorge Posada sounds ticked off at the fact that the Yankees haven't let him catch lately. After being asked about his absence from behind the plate he responded: "I like to catch, okay?" he said. "So, I'm in the lineup, I'm happy in the lineup, but I like to catch. I'm a catcher. I'm not a first baseman. I'm not a DH. I like to catch. So I'm looking forward to catching."

The Yankees are reportedly very interested in Colorado reliever Brian Fuentes, but the price may be too high. A Colorado newspaper cited that Mark Melancon would have to be included in a deal to send Fuentes to the Yankees.


7/15

Jonathan Paplebon seems to think he deserves to clos the All-Star game.

Johnny Damon isnt ready to take BP yet.

Brian Bruney is close to returning to the big leagues.


7/16

Hideki Matsui is likely to be out for the remainder of the season, and Johnny Damon is moving along slower than expected which means get an out fielder or else your done, “D-O-E-N… DONE”. Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, and Xavier Nady are all options. A package that will get the Yankees Holliday and Fuentes or Bay and Marte would be ideal.

The Yankees need to get off to a strong start after the break, especially with a falling Tampa, rising Boston, and a tough schedule coming up.

Just to show you how classless David Ortiz is, Alex Rodriguez was doing an interview in the clubhouse after batting practice when David Ortiz shouted out from the adjacent locker, “No more talking about Madonna, please!”

 

 

 

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LOL Poor yankees.

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Ian Kennedy Update


I haven’t seen an update on Ian Kennedy in a while, so i decided to check out how he has been doing lately. As we all know, Kennedey went on the DL after going 0-3 with a 7.41 ERA in 9 starts. And this was the guy they drafted ahead of Joba Chamberlain. Well, Kennedy got off the DL but was told that he doesn’t have a spot on the Major League staff, and he must reprove himself in the Minors. Kennedy hasn’t proven anything yet. In fact, in his last three appearances on the road back to the show, he is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA and 8 walks. If Kennedy can pull himself together and become the pitcher Brian Cashman made him out to be by the end of August, he could definitely help this team out. A lot of people compare Kennedy to Gregg Maddux, who is arguably one of the best pitchers of our generation. Kennedy, especially last year showed some signs that made you think for a second that he could be the next Gregg Maddux

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Taking one for the team

Today was one of the most unorthodox ways to win a ballgame. This was the second start in a row where Joba Chamberlain pitched great but the Yankees failed to score.You don’t often win when you leav 21 men on base. The Yankees got lucky in this one, but you didn’t expect Mariano Rivera to be unable to keep the score 3-3. Rivera has only given up 5 runs this season however, most of them have come in non-save situations. But for some reason, whenever Rivera gives up the lead, the Yankees come back. But they never take the lead in the bottom of the ninth, they can only tie it. It is like the baseball gods will not allow the Yankees to take the lead in the bottom of the ninth. This is shown when Justin Christian fell down in the middle of the base path (maybe he could have pulled a Brett Gardner and drew some interference). Christian would have been safe at second, and the the proceeding hits would have created a Yankee win in the bottom of the ninth. But all is well because in the bottom of the 12th Jose Molina actually drove in a run. No, he didn’t get a hit, he just stuck his back knee out with the bases loaded and took one for the team. The important thing is that the Yankees won and Boston lost, moving the Yankees to within 4 games of the Bloody Sox (still 5.5 behind the first place Rays).

 

 

 

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Defensive Replacement


We have seen Joe Girardi start Jose Molina up to six games in a row over Jorge Posada, but Jorge wants to catch. “I’m a catcher” he said. “Not a first basemen or a DH, a catcher.” I’m never for upsetting a veteran but Posada’s arm just isn’t the same and when your inability to throw runners out, or pose a threat to throw them out, costs the team runs, and even games, something needs to be done. The A’s, a moneyball team who don’t believe in stealing bases, stole two bases in the bottom of the ninth off Posada. These steals contributed to Oakland taking the lead. After that inning, Girardi pulled Posada for backup catcher Jose Molina. Molina is leading the league with 25 runners thrown out, in limited appearances. Jorge Posada simply shouldn’t be catching in the late innings of a close game.Teams are running wild on him, and he’s turning into Mike Piazza behind the plate. If Jorge has surgery in the off season and comes back gunning, he could catch next year. Right now, I get nervous every time a speedy (and mildly fast) runner is on base.

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Straight A's

That’s three straight to be exact. Earlier today the Yankees completed a three game sweep of the Athletics. This was a big series because now the Yankees have some momentum to start the second half. They are now officially 4.5 games out of first place and only 3 behind the Red Sox (2 in the loss column). The Yankees will host the Twins for three games before going into Boston for a three game series. The Twins are a good team but these games are winnable, they should be able to at least take two of three. Then comes the real test. Right now the pitching match-ups look like this: Chamberlain vs. Beckett, Pettitte vs. Wakefield, and Ponson vs. Lester. If the Yankees win the Minnesota series, this series will be the key to the season. I’m saying it right now, if the Yankees sweep the Blow Sox, they will make the playoffs. But alls the Yankees need to do is take two of three. Then the Yankees host Baltimore for three. Ideally they should win that series. Now here is where you get nervous, from July 31st to August 10th, the Yankees play Texas 4 times and the Angels 7 times. Every Yankee fan knows that the Yankees can’t beat the Angels so you need to pray to the Baseball Gods that the Yankees go 6-5 over that eleven game span.

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The Yanks have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past month and have found themselves right back in the think of the AL East race with Tampa and Boston. What are everyones thoughts on the trade they made with the Pittsburgh Pirates today? They gave up reliever Ross Ohlendorf and three prospects, including the young but promising Jose Tabata. Tabata is not quite major league ready, nor does it seem that he will be for another 2 or 3 years, but he was one of the top rated prospect in the Yankees system. The Yankees got in return Demaso Marte, the Pirates' recently named closer, and Xavier Nady, who is in the midst of his breakout season. Who does everybody think got the better end of this deal or is this just another "good move for both sides?" Are the Yankees now the favorite to win the AL East? With Mussina rackin up the wins and Joba Chamberlain really starting to come around, along with Mo Rivera doing a flawless job shutting the door, the Yanks might finally have enough to make the playoff push they need. Dont forget that Chen Ming Wang is still on the DL (a guy who was close to the American Leauge wins leader the best two years). If the Yankees do not win a world championship this season or one of the next few, will this trade be seen as a panic move and regretted? What are everybodys thoughts on all these topics?

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So the final deal is Danny McCutchen, Jose Tabata, and Ross Ohlendorf, and Jeff Karstins for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. Obviously i would of preferred the previous deal that didnt involve McCutchen, but i guess that really was to good to be true. McCutchen and Tabata are two great prospects but this deal will help the Yankees greatly. Xavier Nady is having a great year and lengthens the lineup. Now you will no longer have a situation where you have Cabrerra, Molina and Gardner in the 7, 8, 9 slots. The addition of Marte gives you one of the best lefty relievers in the game and possibly the best bullpen in the league. Even though we had to give up to big prospects, I like this deal. Both Players are fee agents at the end of the year and the Yankees should move quickly to give them extensions because both these players are highly coveted by teams around baseball.

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One of the best trades in yankee history

And the Yankees didn’t make it. That’s right, I’m talking about Manny Ramirez getting traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manny Ramirez is arguably the best clutch hitter in the game and they replaced him with Jason Bay. Bay is hitting .282 with 22 HR but get this, he’s hitting .190 against lefties. Bay will most likely be batting fourth, sandwiched between David Ortiz and J.D. Drew. That means Girardi can bring in Diamaso Marte to get the two lefties and the guy who cant hit lefties. I don’t know how the Dodgers got out of this without giving up any marginal prospects. Each team won but the Pirates and Dodgers basically pulled off a heist. Jason Bay is not going to put up Manny Ramirez numbers and keep in mind, he’s never had much pressure on him in Pittsburgh, now he’s in a huge baseball town trying to replace one of the best hitters of his generation.

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Sloppy D (and a bad call) = 1 Big L

Bottom line, the Yankees play atrocious defense yesterday. Balls were going off and under gloves like like they were playing pepper (a fielding game where you get an out every time you don’t field the ball cleanly) with a handball on a basketball court. You cannot win games if you cant play defense. Constantly we saw plays that should have been made extending innings and turning into three run homers. Sure, Andy Pettitte was terrible and you could say it was just one of those days, but a pitcher is only as good as his supporting cast. The Yankees did put up a fight and if it wasn’t for a couple of great plays by the Angels, the Yankees might have surmounted a comeback. Which leaves me to the bad call, a foot note because of the final outcome, but the Yankees could have gotten a few runs that inning and would have had something to build on for the rest of the game. Ivan Rodriguez was clearly safe. This was a big game, the first of a four game set against a team they just cant beat. When you lose the first of four it makes it virtually impossible to win the series because you have to win three in a row, but now in order to even tie the Yankees need to win two of the next three. And with Ponson and Rasner going whats not to love? They needed to win yesterday game. They need to win these games.

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