If you are a fan of a team hoping for a WS win, the last player you want on your team is Kenny Lofton.  Not only do his teams lose in the playoffs, they have heartbreaking defeats

97- Indians
02- Giants
03- Cubs
04- Yankees
07 - Indians

I look forward to having Lofton play in Japan next year.

Season Tickets for the 61 game plan - $2440
George Washington Bridge - $5 a game
Parking - $14 a game
Tailgating - $40 a game
Parking in playoffs - $28 a game

Having the Yanks have their ass handed to them in the first round the last 3 years - priceless

There is the something money can't buy....for everything else, there is team pathetic.

Yes, its another classic from George King.  This does though bring up a pretty interesting point for many of us that want Torre gone.  There maybe a chance these players will not come back if Torre isn't here.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08242007/sports/yankees/split_decision_lies_ahead.htm

The man in the manager's office will have a huge impact on what the Yankees' 2008 roster will look like.

While the Yankees are involved in two races - the AL East and wild card - there is no avoiding what looms beyond this season. Joe Torre is doing a wonderful job as a lame-duck manager, and his future will have an impact on what free agents Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens will do following the World Series. Since Alex Rodriguez doesn't have the history the others do with Torre, the manager's future doesn't expect to play a role in Rodriguez' decision to opt out and become a free agent or stay.

However, it will impact what Posada does.

"I don't see myself playing for anybody else," the All-Star told The Post.

So, if Torre leaves, does that mean Posada goes, too?

"Let's see who is coming in," the catcher said.

GM Brian Cashman's stance since the start of spring training is that the focus is on 2007. That meant Torre, Rivera and Posada have to wait until after the season to see where they fit. The same went for Rodriguez, but at the All-Star break word leaked out the Yankees were willing to talk about an extension with the MVP candidate, but he shut that down quickly.

I think Josh Towers should focus more on how to get hitters out and his over 5 ERA.

Towers said his problem the second time was with Pena, not Rodriguez.

"I heard somebody chirping when I was talking to Lyle [Overbay] and I didn't think it was Alex and I asked who it was," Towers said. "Tony Pena is running his mouth off and I was like, 'What's this guy running his mouth off for?' This dude is a quitter. He managed a team and quit in the middle of the season because he couldn't hack it. He's going to run his mouth off? So I ended up getting into it with Alex a second time."

Pena quit as manager of Kansas City in May 2005.

"I don't care," Pena said when asked about the incident. "I have no comment. Let him talk."

Finally, more articles calling him out on this and continuing to use people that he trusts:

WEAPONS OF MASS FARNSWORTH
The entire Stadium began chanting "Farnsworth sucks." The entire Stadium apparently understands more about Kyle Farnsworth than Joe Torre does.

Since the trading deadline, I've been writing that if, with the Yankees having restructured the 'pen, Torre continued to insist on using Farnsworth in important spots, he deserved to be summarily dismissed. Not only is it stupid, not only is it throwing away what is now a very viable shot at the Wild Card, it's flipping the bird at the front office. It's the worst kind of insubordination. Torre would rather lose on his terms than win on Cashman's.

Full Article
[editor's note, by John Amato] Please don't quote an entire article. That's a violation. Thanks!

Yes, I know this article is by George King. I also know the Yanks would need to replace the arm in the bullpen (Joba mabye?).  But man, wouldn't this be nice.

In what only can be described as a strange twist, the Tigers have an interest in taking Kyle Farnsworth off the Yankees' hands.

According to multiple sources, the Tigers are looking to make a deal that would bring Farnsworth back to the team he pitched 46 games for in 2005. Ideally, the Tigers would like to add Texas closer Eric Gagne but he likely will balk at a deal that sends him to a team where he can't close.

Tigers scout Dick Egan was at last night's Yankees' 7-1 win over the Royals in which Farnsworth didn't pitch in. What the Yankees would get back depends on how much money the Tigers want to pay on Farnsworth's salary.

Farnsworth, who is making $5.25 million this year and $5.5 million next season, is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA.

Hello, I am new to this site.  I have season tickets but we were offered only 1 parking pass for this season.  Since we take multiple cars, I was wondering if anyone on this site that has season tickets and doesn't need the parking pass (people living in the city) would be open to selling me their parking passes for the season.  Thanks

I guess he liked to be in the company of Michael Kay

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2911691

oe Girardi has declined an offer from the Baltimore Orioles to become their next manager, his agent, Steve Mandel, told ESPN on Thursday.

Girardi interviewed with the Orioles on Tuesday, and ESPN's Peter Gammons reported that the team offered him its vacant managerial job. And ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported that as of Wednesday night, the two sides had agreed to work on an agreement that would make Girardi the team's next skipper.

The discussions with Girardi came after Baltimore fired Sam Perlozzo on Monday after two-plus seasons as manager.

Girardi was a first-time manager last season, leading the Florida Marlins to a 78-84 record and keeping his youthful club in contention until late September.

The former big league catcher was fired at the end of the season following a rift with owner Jeffrey Loria and then was voted NL Manager of the Year -- the first to win the award with a losing record.

A former coach for Yankees manager Joe Torre, Girardi returned to New York this season as a broadcaster for the YES Network.

Meanwhile, as first reported on Monday by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney, Andy MacPhail was hired Wednesday as chief operating officer of the Orioles. MacPhail has run both the Cubs and the Twins.

Man, if only the Yanks could have had him instead of Nieves

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2910079

Chicago Cubs catcher Michael Barrett was traded to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

Michael Barrett
Barrett

It wasn't immediately known what the Cubs will receive in return from San Diego for Barrett, who has made headlines this season for arguing with Cubs pitchers in the dugout on two occasions this month and struggling on defense at times this season.

Last week, Lou Piniella said Barrett's playing time would be reduced in the coming weeks, though the Cubs manager said it had nothing to do with Barrett clashing with his teammates.

Barrett was involved in a dugout confrontation, shoving match and then a clubhouse brawl with starter Carlos Zambrano during a game earlier this month, then had what was characterized as a heated discussion with starter Rich Hill in the fourth inning of a June 12 loss to Seattle.

Barrett also was involved in a much-replayed fight with A.J. Pierzynski in a May 2006 interleague game. Barrett landed a punch to the right jaw of Pierzynski after the White Sox catcher ran him over at home plate in what both teams said was a clean play. Barrett later received a 10-game suspension while Pierzynski was fined.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_heyman/06/07/scoop.thursday/index.html

Torre's recent criticism of Alex Rodriguez's controversial "Ha!" play against the Blue Jays last week earned George Steinbrenner's wrath and an uncomfortable phone call, courtesy of the Boss, SI.com has learned. General manager Brian Cashman did the honors on Steinbrenner's behalf, but it was the owner who most disapproved of Torre's failure to support Rodriguez over A-Rod's Toronto screaming strategy.

Word that Torre was taken to task at Steinbrenner's behest might explain Torre's uncharacteristic over-reaction to a New York Daily News back-page headline, "Joe to A-Rod: Shut Up." Perhaps Torre thought the strong headline contributed to his airing out, so he lectured the media and recruited a couple TV types to support his fairly unworthy cause. While the headline certainly wasn't literal and somewhat exaggerated, Torre's reaction to A-Rod's tactic, one of Torre's greatest strengths as Yankees manager has been to deal maturely with the tabloids.

For 12-plus years, Torre also has done a magnificent job protecting everyone else in his clubhouse, but curiously seems to have a different standard for the imported superstar. A-Rod's play -- in which he screamed to distract inexperienced third baseman Howie Clark, causing Clark to mistakenly allow Jorge Posada's popup fall for a single in the Yankees' 10-5 victory -- received mixed reviews. Understandably, however, Steinbrenner didn't think any of the negativity should come from A-Rod's own clubhouse. Torre called A-Rod's act "probably inappropriate," and asserted it was "probably something he shouldn't have done."

The same could now be said for Torre's critical remarks; they're something he probably shouldn't have said. After being chastised, Torre explained to his bosses that he didn't mean to demean A-Rod, then apologized to them and to Rodriguez. Torre hasn't always seemed to be in Rodriguez's corner, such as when he batted the superstar eighth in a desperation move during the playoffs last year -- another move his bosses disagreed with.

Again, this is nothing really that new.  But after the comments he made this week, it looks like they are talking about it again.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2876608

Jason Giambi might lose his spot on the the Yankees' roster if it's determined he used performance-enhancing drugs, according to a published report.

Citing unnamed sources, The New York Daily News reported Sunday that the Yankees will consider voiding Giambi's contract if it's determined he used steroids after they signed Giambi as a free agent in 2001.

Major League Baseball intends to investigate reported remarks by Giambi that the sport should apologize for use of performance-enhancing drugs and the Yankees star's comment that he was "wrong for doing that stuff."

According to The Daily News, what Giambi says in his expected meeting with Major League Baseball will likely determine whether the Yankees decide to try to get out of what's remaining of the seven-year, $120 million contract they gave Giambi in 2001.

Rob Manfred, executive vice president for labor relations in the commissioner's office, spoke Friday with Yankees president Randy Levine about the matter, a baseball official with knowledge of the conversation said, speaking on condition of anonymity because baseball officials didn't want the matter publicly discussed.

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi was quoted as saying in Friday's editions of USA Today. "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said: 'We made a mistake.'

"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. ... Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it," he said.

Giambi told a grand jury during the BALCO investigation in December 2003 that he used steroids and human growth hormone, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in December 2004. Before the start of spring training in 2005, Giambi made repeated general apologies at a news conference but wouldn't discuss whether he used steroids or admitted to the grand jury in 2003 that he did.

The Yankees also considered terminating Giambi's deal after the leaked BALCO testimony. If the team does try to end Giambi's deal, the move likely will be appealed by the players' union.

"The commissioner's office, I think, is going to be looking into this, and so at this point I just can't comment," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said before Friday's game against the Mets. "Let the commissioner go through the process he needs to go through, and we'll go from there."

Giambi has refused to talk about the USA Today story.

Cashman was troubled by the notion that fans are owed an apology by Major League Baseball.

"There's an implication that there was a lot of people that were involved that would know that, what was going on, and I can tell you that's false," Cashman said. "We've spoken to that in the past, so I do have a problem with that, without a doubt, because I can tell you -- I can speak from being right there, too -- that whatever goes on individually with these guys is really on them."

Giambi, whom USA Today said was interviewed on Wednesday, was quoted by the paper as saying he's thankful for baseball's testing program for steroids and amphetamines that was revised before the 2006 season. MLB does not test for human growth hormone and Giambi said he does not use the drug.

Man, does this guy like to give excuses.  At least we know now, in the ALDS last year, and in Japan the other year he had meltdowns was because he had too much rest.  Hey Moose, grow some balls and get the job done instead of always complaining.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05172007/sports/yankees/mussina_is_thrown_off_by_time_off_yankees_george _king.htm

MUSSINA IS THROWN OFF BY TIME OFF

May 17, 2007 -- CHICAGO - Out of all the Yankees, Mike Mussina is easily the biggest creature of habit. So, when his routine was thrown off by a day off Monday and a rainout Tuesday, the veteran right-hander had trouble adjusting.

"It's tough to stay sharp," Mussina said of having six days between starts. "I didn't stay sharp."

It showed in the first game of yesterday's doubleheader against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, where the White Sox hung a 5-3 loss on the Yankees. "We needed a well-pitched game and I didn't do it."

Working in front of the Dead Bat Society, Mussina (2-2) gave up five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

"Everything," Mussina said when asked what the extended rest affected the most. "I didn't feel like I had finish on my pitches."

For those who have not heard, please make sure your volume is up when you hear Waldman announce Clemens is back.  Sounds like a little school girl.

Click here to listen!

Over the top? More like off the deep end.

Suzyn Waldman's call of Roger Clemens' triumphant return on WCBS radio Sunday already has taken its place as a Yankees classic, alongside many of the vocal stylings of her partner, John Sterling.

Whether you heard it live, through MLB.com or on numerous TV and radio replays, it was undeniably entertaining, arguably unprofessional and singularly wacky.

"Oh, my goodness gracious!" Waldman gushed in the middle of the seventh inning.

"Of all the dramatic things, of all the dramatic things I've ever seen, Roger Clemens standing right in George Steinbrenner's box announcing he is back!"

Reading it doesn't do it justice. She sounded as if she might pass out from the excitement.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05012007/sports/yankees/zim_puts_blame_on_yankees__george_king.htm

General manager Brian Cashman says if you are looking to blame somebody for the Yankees being in last place and 61/2 games behind the Red Sox, he is your guy.

And Don Zimmer agrees with him.

"To me, Cashman is the problem," Zimmer said yesterday without going into detail. "Four or five years ago, we were in the coaches' room and talking about the club and he said, `Anybody can manage this team.' Well, let him manage that team now with all those injuries."

Zimmer is upset that his buddy Joe Torre had to spend the weekend answering questions about being fired. And he implored the Yankees to give Torre and Mariano Rivera contract extensions.

"The Yankees should show a lot of class and extend Joe Torre and Mariano Rivera for a year," said Zimmer, who left the Yankees ticked at George Steinbrenner and works for the Devil Rays. "They are two of the classiest Yankees in the past 12 years. Why should Mo be in [a free-agent] situation? They give millions of dollars to guys who don't pitch and this guy has been there every day for the past 12 years. They should take care of the good people."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/04/15/yankees.mussina.pavano.ap/index.html - Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano joined fellow Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang on the disabled list Sunday, further depleting New York's already taxed pitching staff. "Nobody wants that," Mussina said after cutting short his throwing session because of pain in his injured left hamstring. "We don't have a choice. You just find a way to get through it and deal with it. It's unfortunate. ... Nobody's having surgery. A couple of muscle pulls, a strain, we'll be fine." After a pair of extra-inning games Friday and Saturday against Oakland, the Yankees called up right-hander Chris Britton from Triple-A Scranton to give them a fresh arm in the bullpen for Sunday's series finale against the reigning AL West champion Athletics. New York manager Joe Torre said the club was discussing a couple of possibilities to take Pavano's turn in the rotation Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium. Left-hander Chase Wright was thought to be the leading candidate to be called up from the minors. "It's OK," Torre said. "We're above water. That's the main thing. We're holding our own. We're going to get healthy. It's not anything that's going to debilitate anybody for a long time. We have to hang around." Pavano was scratched Friday from his scheduled start Saturday with tightness in his forearm, while Mussina has a strained hamstring that he injured three batters into the third inning Wednesday in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Mussina tried to throw off the mound Sunday morning but stopped after only seven pitches. Pavano didn't throw his scheduled bullpen. Mussina was able to do some light running and play catch. "I can do everything else, it's just getting down the hill trying to stop myself," he said. "It was wearing down. It hasn't been four days yet. I'm not disappointed." Pavano felt the problem in his pitching arm during his start Monday night and informed the Yankees afterward. He threw seven innings in an 8-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday, giving up six hits and two runs for his first victory since May 22, 2005. He knows pushing it now might make things worse. "It's not something that's going to get any better going out there and trying to be a hero," Pavano said. "To take a step back like this is disappointing. It's the right thing to do."

It sucks he has another season left on his contract or this would be really good news

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_heyman/04/11/baseball0416/index.html

The Twins may be fighting a losing battle in their efforts to extend Johan Santana's four-year, $40 million contract, which expires at the end of next season. A league source told SI that Minnesota recently offered to add two years to the deal, at around $18 million per season, plus a club option for 2011. That offer, however, falls well short of the seven-year, $126 million figure that Barry Zito received from the Giants this winter and virtually assures that Santana, the Koufax of his generation, will be the hottest free agent in the class of '08. Having set this past Opening Day as his deadline for securing a new deal, Santana has told the Twins that he won't negotiate again until he hits the open market -- when, it should be added, he will only be 29.

The more immediate concern to the Twins, though, is the rest of their starting five, which features one promising youngster (Boof Bonser) and three veteran journeymen (Carlos Silva, Ramon Ortiz and Sidney Ponson). "Every year you have question marks," says G.M. Terry Ryan. "Last year it was the position players, especially on the left side of the infield. This year it's the rotation."

Every year, his topics and his views become even dumber.  I'm surprised he still has a job.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/04/08/2007-04-08_mets_got_something_building.ht ml

The first level of steel for the new Mets ballpark, Citi Field, is maybe 70% complete now, and they're getting ready to lay down the first planks for the seating areas. The pre-cast for the façade will be arriving in the next couple of weeks.

And the Jackie Robinson rotunda, the entrance that is supposed to remind everybody of Ebbets Field, out behind where the Mets bullpen in right field is now, is beginning to take shape. And two pieces for the scoreboard, 35 tons each, are already in place.

The Mets will play a home opener tomorrow at Shea Stadium against the Phillies, and it will be the second-to-last at Shea, which looks older than it really is, sometimes looks and feels older than Fenway Park or Wrigley Field or even Yankee Stadium itself, no matter how many coats of blue and orange they use on it between now and Citi Field.

Shea sometimes feels as old as dirt. It is the Mets who feel new all over again, even as their new ballpark is built in front of our eyes, on the edges of this season. The Yankees will have their own new ballpark by then. But it will not be Yankee Stadium and they will not draw 4 million anymore. The Mets will draw as big as the Yankees draw when both new parks are open, and will go toe-to-toe with them from now on.

Nobody can win the past with the Yankees. The Red Sox can't, the Mets can't, no one can. But this is a fair fight between the Yankees and Mets from now on. The Yankees aren't going to dominate baseball ever again the way they did between 1996 and 2000. They aren't going to dominate New York, either.

These past couple of years, the Mets feel as if they are starting all over again, two years before they move out there beyond right field, through the rotunda that will face Roosevelt Avenue. Even with the age we always hear about on their pitching staff, even with 40-year-old Moises Alou playing left and old Valentin at second, there is still something fresh and new to the Mets, six months after they should have made the World Series.

It is only the first week. The Mets make us pay attention to them already, as they try to come out of the blocks this season the way they did last season. That was an amazing series against the Cardinals in St. Louis, even if it didn't make up for Yadier Molina. The Braves' series started with that beatdown Friday night.

Doesn't mean the old guys are going to pitch this way all season, doesn't mean the jury is in on the young guys, John Maine and Oliver Perez, even if they pitched this week the way they did against the Cardinals in Games 6 and 7. But does anybody doubt that the Mets, if healthy, are going to be as much fun, and maybe more, day in, day out, than any team in baseball right now?

The Yankees will always make headline and news on and off the field. The fans booed Alex Rodriguez in the first inning of the first game and loved him like he was the second coming of Mickey Mantle yesterday when he hit that walk-off slam into the black in center. But after four years of this, even that soap opera has gotten old. Will they hate him at the Sadium? Will they love him? Will he stay or go? Will Joe Torre stay or go at the end of this season, if it doesn't end in the Canyon of Heroes?

Of course there is the ongoing soap opera about the owner's health, and the bigger soap opera about his family and the possible line of succession, and who really is calling the shots with the most famous sports team in the world.

There will be almost daily speculation about Roger Clemens, as if the Stadium will fall down before Shea does if the Yankees don't somehow sign a pitcher who will turn 45 this season, one who walked away from them nearly four years ago.

Maybe it will be this way for the Mets someday, after they have won a World Series or two. Maybe they will have a soap opera between their shortstop and their third baseman like the one that exists between Jeter and A-Rod. Maybe everything that happens off the field will seem as crucial as what happens on it.

Just not yet

Personally, i think he is an idiot for saying this, what good does this do?  If he said he would play for both NY teams, that can even help his situation out even more.  I would be surprised though if he doesn't resign with the Cubs.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/03/28/2007-03-28_friends_tell_duaner_that_surge ry_will_pr-1.html

ZAMBRANO'S MET PITCH: Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano is using the Mets as leverage in his contract extension negotiations in Chicago, which he's threatened to cut off if he's not signed by Opening Day.

"I like the Yankees, but I don't see myself pitching at Yankee Stadium. Too many rules," Zambrano told SI.com. "If I play in New York, it's going to be with the Mets. First of all, because I get to hit. And I love hitting. I can't say ... that I would never play for the Yankees. Hopefully no, but you never know."

Hey, Just wanted to know if anyone is interested in Yankee tickets for some April games during the week.  They are in Section 37 for $10 each ticket.
4/4 -TB, 1pm
4/5 - TB, 7pm
4/17 - Clev, 7pm
4/19 - Clev, 1pm
4/25 - Tor, 7pm
4/26 - Tor, 7pm

Let me know if you are interested, then we can discuss over email.  Thanks

How do you all feel about this?

 The Red Sox will reportedly announce a resolution to their much-discussed closer dilemma with a retro decision following Thursday's exhibition game against the Phillies. ESPN is reporting that Jonathan Papelbon will return to the role he was so masterful in a year ago.
Julian Tavarez, who did a solid job in the rotation when given the chance in September, is a likely candidate to take Papelbon's starting slot.

This, after a winter and spring in which the Red Sox and Papelbon both said numerous times that the hard-throwing right-hander would go into the season as a starting pitcher.

The reason Papelbon was moved out of the closer's role in the first place was for health reasons. Papelbon suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder on Sept. 1, 2006. Shortly thereafter, the Red Sox, citing advice from the medical staff, announced that Papelbon would be best suited, at least in the short term, to go back to starting

Update [2007-3-23 1:4:35 by John Amato]: This is really a gamble on Boston's part if the doctors were against him staying in the bullpen. I hope he stays healthy because I hate to see injuries to players, but I wouldn't have toyed with his health status. If he does go down, Theo will "shoulder" the blame for not making a move. I still see them going after a closer...Maybe from the Nationals or the Brewers...

Hahaha, this article was funny though.  

http://www.yesnetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070320&content_id=1421166&oid=36019&vke y=4

Forget about Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina or Andy Pettitte. If Joe Torre really wants to make Opening Day special, he'd start Carl Pavano.

Don't misunderstand me -- I am well aware that David Eckstein has a better chance of hitting 50 home runs this season than Pavano does of taking the mound on April 2nd. Heck, Pavano's not even in the conversation, and for good reasons. He isn't worthy of the honor to begin with. Also, the Yanks open at home this season, so it's only natural to assume that game No. 1 would be pitched by the ace of the staff: Wang.

Of course, given Mussina's tenure and Pettitte's history with the team, either one of those two would be more than acceptable in the eyes of the guaranteed-to-be sold out crowd in the Bronx. All three are worthy options ... but they also extremely boring options, too.

For the last year and a half, Pavano has put the Yankees through the wringer without pitching in a single Major League game. He had to be shut down in 2005 due to a shoulder injury that didn't require surgery. Then there were all the "nagging" ailments that plagued him last year. Would you really have been surprised if he was placed onto the 60-day disabled list with a hangnail?

No Pavano discussion would be complete without mentioning last summer's car accident and subsequent broken ribs that the right-hander concealed from the Yankees. Pavano claimed that he never brought that situation to light because he "wanted to pitch." Maybe he was telling the truth, but do you, the fans, believe him? You certainly have a right not to.

Granted, the idea is generally to "root for the uniform," but what kind of credibility has Pavano built up in order to warrant being taken at face value?

He's caused a lot of heartburn within the organization, so it'd be hard to blame Joe Torre if he were to tell Pavano: "You want to prove your desire to be a Yankee? Do it here on Opening Day with everyone watching. As Torre proved in last year's playoffs when he dropped Alex Rodriguez to the eighth spot in the batting order versus Detroit, the skipper is not afraid to send messages to players.

Rodriguez' stay in New York has been a choppy one thus far, but he still has an MVP award and, whether some people want to admit it or not, more than a few big hits. Pavano is best known for the car accident, a strained buttocks muscle, and having attractive girlfriends.

Who knows what would be going through the minds of those in attendance if they settled into their seats a little before 1:05 p.m. that Monday and saw No. 45 emerge from the dugout? There would probably be a decent amount of irritation and/or disdain -- two emotions that Pavano has brought out in fans the likes of which few players have in recent years.

Randy Johnson came to the Yankees with a reputation and pitched well every so often. Kevin Brown is persona non grata in these parts mainly because of one historically bad game, but you have to give him a little credit. When he stupidly broke his glove hand punching a wall following a quality start, he took the mound at Fenway Park 23 days later. Such an injury might be career-threatening to Pavano.

Most big leaguers will tell you that the adrenaline pumps a little higher than usual on Opening Day, so Pavano's brain would probably be racing a mile a minute. You've heard all about the comments that people like Mussina and even Torre himself said during the offseason. "Pav"'s got a lot of work to do. Why waste time? Allowing him to hit the ground running could be the best thing for him.

Bridges are damaged, if not burned, but he could begin repairing them by starting the Yankees' year with a dominant performance, even if it comes against the Devil Rays. Hey, Brown beat them four times in 2004 before his brief stay with the Yanks hit the skids.

Given Pavano's track record though, fans probably wouldn't expect that. If he were to get blasted by Tampa Bay's impressive collection of young hitters and outdueled by Scott Kazmir, it could wind up being a counterproductive experience.

Here are some experpts from sheff's new book coming out.  Yes, I know its the 99th story this offseason on Sheff, but this guy just loves to talk.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=alipour/070315&sportCat=mlb

Alipour: From the feedback you've gotten, what is shaping up to be the most controversial revelation in the book?

Sheffield: I think it's actually my departure from the Yankees. People think I'm bitter and angry that I left, but I was just talking about the conditions of what went on.

Alipour: In the book, you give much love to your teammates, but you were quite critical of the organization, which you call "The Corporation." How do you look back on your time with the Yankees?

Sheffield: There's a lot of things that go on there that you don't know until you get there. I heard stories about how they're a first-class organization. That they're everything you want in playing for a team. I'm not saying they're not first-class. But I've played for teams that were family-oriented organizations. They made you feel like family. The Yankees are strictly a business. Baseball is your life and everything else is secondary.

Alipour: So if a player came to you for advice on playing with the Yankees, what would you tell him?

Sheffield: If winning is everything to you, go there. If it's not, don't. If you can't handle everything else that comes with it, it's not the place for you. There are things that you have to deal with every day, until the next pitch is thrown. So I'd say, if you're not mentally strong, if you don't have a deaf ear to a lot of things, don't go there.

Alipour: You write that much of that is due to the cozy relationship between the New York press and George Steinbrenner. You also call The Boss "cold-blooded" and Torre "an owner's manager," as opposed to "a players' manager." What would you tell that player about dealing with The Corporation itself?

Sheffield: Stay out of their way. The Corporation is bigger than any one person. It's not something you can do damage to. Just stay out of their way. As long as you protect yourself, and keep another door open, keeping in mind how many years you want to play and not leaving the Yankees as damaged goods, then you'll be fine.

Alipour: You assign some blame to Joe Torre for the Yankees' quick ouster ...

Sheffield: No, one thing I did not do is "blame." I might've said what's on my mind, but I don't blame anyone.

Alipour: Well, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but in the book, you criticize Torre ...

Sheffield: See, that's not blaming. You show me where I blamed him.

Alipour: OK, gotcha. You criticized Torre for dropping A-Rod to eighth in the order and benching you in Game 3 (against Detroit). Is that fair?

Sheffield: That's saying what Corporate America -- or any person in America -- saw. That when I wasn't playing and A-Rod is hitting eighth, something is wrong. If something is wrong, who writes the lineup? Joe Torre writes the lineup. I'm not really blaming. I'm telling you factual stuff.

Alipour: At the moment, seems everybody is caught up in the Jeter and A-Rod dynamic. What are your thoughts on your two former teammates and their relationship?

Sheffield: I don't know how they were before, but in my three years there, I haven't seen a change in their relationship. As far as I'm concerned, I saw a good working relationship.

Alipour: You wrote that you used anger, or "the rage," as fuel, particularly in the early stages of your career. How did anger help you?

Seffield: Because it was like a fight to me. When you challenge me, I like my chances in a fistfight. On the field, I use the same approach. I'm going to win. And I'll do it by any means necessary. If you're not willing to go that route, don't come my way.

Alipour: You certainly approached the business of baseball that way. You've chosen to represent yourself in recent deals and you wrote vivid accounts about slamming the door on [former Dodgers chairman, managing partner, and CEO] Bob Daley and Steinbrenner. How did being "a fighter" help you in business?

Sheffield: It helped me because I wasn't intimidated that they had a ton of money. You can't just use me. I won't allow that. I let that be known to Daley and Steinbrenner. On the outside, people called me arrogant. But I do business aggressively to benefit me, and they do the same to benefit them, so we can find a middle ground.

Alipour: As time went on, you sought what you call "The Calmness." Have you finally found that calmness?

Shefield: I found it. That's the thing. If you have that in you, nothing can trigger you. I might have dealt with things differently when I was, like, 25, but when I go through something now, I look at the source and deal with it accordingly.

Alipour: You've got a reputation for expressing the brutal truth, so now that you've found The Calmness, do you have any specific regrets as a mature, calm adult?

Sheffield: Not at all. Because the rage was in me, and if it wasn't for the rage, then I wouldn't know how to be calm. They feed off of each other. Just like when Malcolm X fed off Martin Luther King. They needed each other.

Alipour: In the book, you blamed race for some management decisions -- like when the Brewers moved you to third base so Billy Spiers could play your preferred position of shortstop, and when the Marlins made Jeff Conine their "posterboy" and not you. Do you still feel race is an issue in baseball?

Sheffield: Jeff Conine is a good friend of mine, but that's an example. I've been the best player on every team that I played on, so if I can't be the poster child of your team, then what else is it? It's got to be a black-white issue. Every white player I know who's the best player on their team is the poster child of that team. But you need to know when to fight your battles. It's a part of society.

Alipour: You wrote that Derek Jeter is well-liked because he's biracial. You feel that helps in the clubhouse?

Sheffield: It doesn't have everything to do with it. It also has to do with him being a quality person. That's what I look at first. But when a black player walks in the room, he's got to fit in with what's in there: a majority of whites. We don't ever walk in a room and already fit in. I ain't never heard of that. I've seen squeaky-clean black players walk in the room and people ask me, "What kind of guy is he?" But when a white player walks in the room, nobody ever asked me that question.

Here we go again!
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070309&content_id=1835760&vkey=spt2007 news&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees right-hander Carl Pavano was excused from his scheduled start Friday against the Devil Rays for personal reasons, the team announced.

Pavano, 31, left Legends Field following an unspecified issue that developed after batting practice, Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said.

The team said that Pavano's absence was not related to any legal issues or proceedings, and said that the hurler may return to the team Saturday. Right-hander Jeff Karstens was selected to start in Pavano's place.

Earlier Friday, The Associated Press reported that Pavano had been named in a lawsuit relating to an August 2006 automobile accident.

Ernest DeLaura, 47, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., also named the Yankees as a defendant when he filed paperwork two months ago in Bronx state Supreme Court, the report stated.

On Aug. 15, DeLaura was driving a garbage truck in West Palm Beach, Fla., when Pavano's 2006 Porsche hydroplaned and hit DeLaura's vehicle.

Pavano sustained two broken ribs in the accident, which he concealed from the club for a short period, making three rehabilitation starts before seeking medical attention.

DeLaura's attorney, Paul Edelman, told the AP that his client required shoulder surgery and may need a second procedure on his neck.

Man, I wish I could pitch. Have a lifetime record less than .500, had an era near 5 last year and still gets over 11 mill a year.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070306&content_id=1830347&vkey=spt2007news&fex t=.jsp

White Sox and right-hander Javier Vazquez have agreed to a three-year, $34.5 million contract extension, announced Tuesday after the right-hander worked three innings against the Rockies at Tucson Electric Park.

Vazquez, 30, has a career record of 100-105 with a 4.34 ERA and 1,602 strikeouts in 290 games over nine Major League seasons. He will receive $12.5 million in 2007, as called for in the final year of his four-year contract he signed with the Yankees in 2004, and will be paid $11.5 million each year from 2008-10.

"Javier and his representatives made a proposal that we felt was fair and made sense for us over the next several seasons," said White Sox general manager Ken Williams. "Javier has expressed a desire to remain in Chicago, and based on what he has accomplished in his career and the familiarity and stability he found with the White Sox and the city of Chicago, it's a win-win situation for both sides."

Since we cannot post on the other diary anymore, I opened up this one and this will be the last one (sorry to the people that don't want to see this fantasy crap!)

I copied this part from the last diary

Pinstripealley Fantasy 2007

Here are the different leagues,
http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/

The plus is a better option since we can all decide what day and time we will have our live draft online (plus costs $125 to make the league).  For example, if everyone pays $35 (35 X 12people = $420 - $125price to join = $295 prize money.

http://baseball.sportsline.com/splash/baseball/spln/mgmt?refcode=sk1_home_com07_early

I'm not too familiar with this one but the GOLD option is $30 a team, but the prize money would only be $150.

http://games.espn.go.com/flb/welcome?campaign=fb07_e&source=ext_mlb

Check these 3 out and tell me what you think.  If there is another better fantasy option, please share with us.  I know the yahoo can have 12, not sure what the max is for the other 2.  
Please when confirming please state which league you prefer, how much money each person should put in (matters if we have 11 or 12, right now we have 11), what type of league you want (point system or head to head).  The majority will rule in these answers.
After this part is done, we can all decide on a date and time for the live draft

So far, the people out of the list that have confirmed are
Relaunch
sanchez96
beantownbosoxh8er
YanktheTitle
mg
danbrady143
grgoyldef2
HarlemUSA
Ronster22

The majority of the people have preferred the yahoo plus league, this will cost everyone around $35.  If there are any other people that want to join, please confirm by Friday, then the league will be closed.

For the people that have already confirmed, please email me at parazor@yahoo.com with your screen name.  After I get everyone's email, we can decide payment info, live draft time, specifics with the rules in the league, etc.

Look forward to a fun season.

P.S-  Every player is available!  If the difference between winning and losing is Manny, I'm sorry, I have to take him!

Is anyone doing a fantasy league or open to doing one?  The one I did last year has fallen apart for this year.  If the league has money involved, even better.  Let me know.

Thanks

I need to keep on typing to make 300 characters so i will keep on typing just to type to continue to make 300 characters

The more I hear him talk, the more I am relieved that he isn't with the Yanks anymore.

George King

The blaze in his belly has carried Gary Sheffield from the streets of Tampa to the doorsteps of Cooperstown. Now, as he moved toward the first base line last October to be introduced with the reserves prior to Game 3 of the ALDS vs. the Tigers at Comerica Park, the pilot light deep in Sheffield's soul went off the moment he found out he wasn't in the lineup.

"Joe [Torre] took the fire out of me," Sheffield told The Post yesterday at ProPeak Fitness, where he spent the winter chiseling his 38-year-old body getting ready for the first season as a Tiger. He was dealt for three young arms. "I am running out on the field with the extra players. Think of what was going through my head. It takes the fight out of you. I have been through a lot. To tell me that I had to run out with the extra players, that took it to another level. I wanted to make sure I didn't lash out and affect the team, but the way we played it looked like we were affected already."introduced with the reserves prior to Game 3 of the ALDS vs. the Tigers at Comerica Park, the pilot light deep in Sheffield's soul went off the moment he found out he wasn't in the lineup.

"Joe [Torre] took the fire out of me," Sheffield told The Post yesterday at ProPeak Fitness, where he spent the winter chiseling his 38-year-old body getting ready for the first season as a Tiger. He was dealt for three young arms. "I am running out on the field with the extra players. Think of what was going through my head. It takes the fight out of you. I have been through a lot. To tell me that I had to run out with the extra players, that took it to another level. I wanted to make sure I didn't lash out and affect the team, but the way we played it looked like we were affected already."

Update [2007-2-21 19:8:43 by John Amato]: He's all about himself. The typical me, me player. I was filled with dread as a Yankee fan when he forced his way back into Pinstripes in September. I was mad at Torre for catering to that self obsessed idiot. Watching him play first base made Giambi look like an all star. The writing was on the wall when he came back after the Yanks finally looked like a cohesive bunch when they slaughter the Red Sox in five games to win the division.

Hey, at least he is being honest here.  How sad, no more sleep overs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2007/news/story?id=2771141

 On the first day of his fourth season with the New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez finally acknowledged his relationship with Derek Jeter has cooled.

"People start assuming that things are a lot worse than what they are, which they're not. But they're obviously not as great as they used to be. We were like blood brothers."
-- Alex Rodriguez
After insisting for three years that they remained close, Rodriguez said it was "important" to him to publicly confirm what others have said since he joined the team.

"People start assuming that things are a lot worse than what they are, which they're not. But they're obviously not as great as they used to be. We were like blood brothers," Rodriguez said Monday. "You don't have to go to dinner with a guy four, five times a week to do what you're doing. It's actually much better than all you guys expect, but I just want to let the truth be known."

Jeter, the Yankees' captain, has distanced himself since a 2001 Esquire article in which A-Rod said "Jeter's been blessed with great talent around him" and "he's never had to lead."

"You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie (Williams) and (Paul) O'Neill," A-Rod was quoted as saying. "You never say, 'Don't let Derek beat you.' He's never your concern."

Sitting in jeans and a black sweat jacket in the first-base dugout at Legends Field after his physical, Rodriguez did three rounds of interviews: English-language television, Spanish-language television and print reporters. He addressed his relationship with Jeter in all three.

"We were best of friends about 10, 13, 14, years ago, and we still get along well. We have a good working relationship. I cheer very hard for him. He cheers hard for me. And most importantly, we're both trying to win a world championship," Rodriguez said.

What's changed? He made it sound as if they had just grown apart.

"The reality is there's been a change in the relationship over 14 years and, hopefully, we can just put it behind us," Rodriguez said. "You go from sleeping over at somebody's house five days a week, and now you don't sleep over. It's just not that big of a deal."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/498457p-420196c.html

Of course, Phil Hughes won't be making a name for himself with his bat, save for a few random interleague opportunities. Instead, the 20-year-old Hughes has been tabbed as the next great Yankees pitcher, one who many believe will hold the title of staff ace not only into the next decade, but possibly the one after that as well.

Hughes' love affair with the game grew larger with each passing year. As a toddler, he would play catch with his father, Phil Sr., even though he could barely stand. When he was 4, he was finally old enough to play in an organized league, officially kicking off a life on the diamond. During his childhood in Southern California, Hughes spent most of his free time watching major league games, taking note of minor details that most people never even saw. His father had been raised in Rhode Island as a die-hard Red Sox fan, so young Phil had been brought up as a part of Red Sox Nation, which apparently stretches even 3,000 miles away from Boston.
Hughes nearly fitted with Halo

Phil Hughes almost wasn't a Yankee.

In the weeks leading up to the 2004 draft, the Angels expressed serious interest in drafting Hughes, a local product from nearby Santa Ana, with the 12th pick.

The Angels told Hughes they planned to take a high school player, and he was fourth on their board. The first three were expected to go before their pick, making Hughes their guy.

As late as 20 minutes before the draft, the Angels called Hughes' agent, Nez Balelo, to confirm that the money they had discussed - a $1.75 million signing bonus - would still get the righthander signed. Phil Hughes was going to be an Angel.

"That's what I was thinking going into the draft," Hughes said.

As the Angels' pick drew near, new owner Arte Moreno told his draft team he wanted Long Beach State ace Jered Weaver, the 2004 Golden Spikes winner as the nation's top amateur player.

Many teams feared they would have to overpay to sign Weaver, who was represented by Scott Boras. Moreno wasn't scared away, and when it came time, Weaver was their man.

"The look on Phil's face was, 'Oh no!'" recalled Hughes' father, Phil Sr.

Hughes and his parents had decided during the draft process that he wouldn't sign with anyone unless he received at least $1 million, an amount his father called "life-changing money."

But after the Angels passed, Hughes was no longer a lock to go in the first round.

Hughes had committed to Santa Clara University, but never really wanted to go to college. He wanted to play pro ball.

"Five minutes later, the phone rang and it was the Yankees," Phil Sr. said. "They told him they were going to take him at 23."

Hughes file

Born: June 24, 1986 (Mission Viejo, Calif.)
Height: 6-5 Weight: 220
Hometown: Tustin, Calif.
Resides: Tampa, Fla.
Drafted: First round (23rd overall) 2004
High school: Foothill High School (Santa Ana, Calif.)
College: None
What you should know: Don't call him Philip. He prefers Phil. ... Was named the most valuable player on his high school team during his senior year, going 9-1 with a 0.69 ERA. ... Was voted team captain by his teammates that season. ... Threw a perfect game against Laguna Hills High School that same season. ... Set a school record with 23 wins in his last two years at Foothill HS ... Went 2-3 despite a 1.80 ERA in five starts with Class A Tampa last season, earning a promotion to Double-A Trenton. After his move, he went 10-3 with a 2.25 ERA, striking out 138 in 116 innings while waking just 32.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02182007/sports/yankees/man_with_the_golden_gun_yankees_joel_sherman.htm ?page=0

The most important person - not just player - in the Yankees organization was born 11 days before the Olsen twins. He wears a number, 65, more associated with a football center than the center of attention.

Yet, don't let the number on his back or his not-legal-for-alcohol age of 20 diminish Philip Hughes' worth to the Yankees. He is the Great Right Hope. He is not just their No. 1 prospect, perhaps the No. 1 pitching prospect in baseball. Hughes is No. 1 in magnitude around Legends Field.

There is immense pressure for him to fulfill his ace pedigree, because if he doesn't, the Yanks have to wonder where else they will find that commodity moving forward.

Just look at the baseball landscape. The most precious commodity is prime-aged, ace-quality pitchers. In the past, the Yankees could expect to just buy that breed. But there is so much money in the game now that teams such as Arizona (Brandon Webb), Toronto (Roy Halladay) and Houston (Roy Oswalt) can tie up their aces throughout their prime years.

So few young aces reach the market. Thus, it cost the Red Sox $51 million just to have a conversation with that kind of candidate (Daisuke Matsuzaka). Barry Zito is not even a true ace and he received $126 million from the Giants.

Next offseason looks worse. There were reports over the weekend that the Cubs were near a deal for Carlos Zambrano. If so, there will be no prime-aged, top-of-the-rotation stalwarts available in the next free-agent market. The following offseason such starters as Jon Garland, Jake Peavy, C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets and, most notably, Johan Santana could be free. But that is 20 months from now, enough time for injuries or long-term deals to strike.

Nice that he was up front with this when he was here.  Even jackass Mike Lupica makes some valid points.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02182007/sports/painful_memory_sports_brian_costello.htm

The big left-hander threw some heat at the Big Apple press corps, saying it was the biggest problem in his two years as a Yankee and caused him to pitch with a back injury that required offseason surgery.

"Last year I pitched in pain," Johnson said.

Asked why he didn't let the media and fans know about his injury, Johnson said it wouldn't have helped, because of how he was portrayed by the press.

"I tried to do something maybe I shouldn't do," Johnson said about pitching while injured. "It was going to be a no-win situation, especially where I was at. If I didn't pitch, then [it was], 'Well, see, we told you. He's got a bad back and he's old,' and all that. If I did pitch with a bad back and I pitched poorly [it was], 'Well, you know, what the hell is going on? You are not supposed to pitch like that.' "

Johnson, whose pinstripes never quite fit, claimed his injured back restricted him last year, when he went 17-11 with a 5.01 ERA. He looked happy and relaxed in a red Diamondbacks' T-shirt as he discussed his time in The Bronx but became agitated while discussing the media.

"That was the one thing that didn't click very well," Johnson said to the one New York reporter at his press conference. "[It was], 'Oh, he's surly,' and all that. You're damn right; if you are going to use me as a floor mat and not take the time ... and write your own stories and not come get to know me, then I don't want to sit down and give you my time. If you already have your mind made up of your perception of me."

Yet Johnson insisted yesterday he enjoyed his time in New York, even though he rarely seemed to when he was there.

"I had a great time in New York despite what people want to say," Johnson said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/498688p-420403c.html

It took him two years, two months and 2,100 miles, but Randy Johnson finally showed the fire yesterday that the Yankees and their fans had expected to see all along.
Unfortunately for the Bombers, it was in the form of a misguided salvo fired at the New York media, instead of a high-and-tight heater aimed at an opposing batter.

Claiming that he was mistreated by scribes who never took the time to know him, Johnson's latest heater seemed to fall as flat as those that he had tossed during his ill-fated tenure in the Bronx

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/498689p-420404c.html

Heater gone, so only thing left is hot air

Randy Johnson suggested yesterday that somehow he was used as a floor mat during his time with the Yankees. He was not, unless you count the way he got hit by the Angels and Tigers in the playoffs.
Johnson was judged here the way everybody is, on results. This is still a results place and Yankee Stadium is still a home office for that, the way it is the home office for tradition and World Series titles and the biggest money and all the rest of it. If Johnson had delivered the way he was supposed to, and that means winning the most important games he pitched for the Yankees, it would not seem so important to him that some of the people criticizing him didn't get to know what a swell guy he really is.

That isn't the deal. And the criticism he received isn't the issue here, and never was, and never will be. His relationship with the media isn't the issue, either. Results are the issue. He won 17 games in both seasons he pitched for the Yankees but only occasionally did he look like the dominating pitcher the Yankees had chased for nearly 10 years. It is why he works someplace else now.

He did nothing in the two games he was hired to win, Game 3 of the division series against the Angels and Game 3 of the division series against the Tigers. The Yankees, despite his advancing age, despite a creaky body, gave him a two-year extension when they got him out of Arizona. That is a two-year extension worth $32 million. They had to pay off $9 million on Javy Vazquez's contract on top of that. The Yankees at that point were still willing to pay anything to get back on top.