ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Commercial

Thought this was funny and definitely put me in the mood for opening day. It features Clay Buchholz and Nick Swisher....12 days.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ5a09TWFpE

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Chad Gaudin Placed On Waivers

So just a couple of days after I speculated Mitre being traded and the Yankees keeping Gaudin as their long man, Gaudin has been placed on waivers. Gaudin is out of options so once he clears the Yankees could send him to AAA and pay the rest of his salary or release him pay a fraction of it.

Gaudin has been the least effective fifth starting candidate in spring training so it doesn't come as much of a shock. I do think this increases the chances of Mitre being kept on the team for the start of the season.

Chad Jennings of the LoHud Blog has a nice article about Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain's battle for the fifth starting spot. He mentions how despite Hughes giving up a walk-off home run eysterday he and Girardi feel he threw his best. The article also discusses Chamberlain's progress this spring from some dismal performances early on.

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Sergio Mitre: Possible Fifth Starter, or Trade Bait?

While March Madness has taken over everyone's lives the past week, all is relatively quiet in the world of baseball. The Yankees made cuts today, sending Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, Colin Curtis and Reid Gorecki to the minor league complex. But the big question is, who will be the fifth starter?

Sergio Mitre has caught the attention of everyone, especially after his stellar performance against the Tampa Bay Rays, in which he allowed two hits and struck out seven in five innings. But there has been some rumblings that either Mitre or Chad Gaudin will be traded at the end of spring training. Now if you look at spring training stats, Mitre seems to be the better pick. But if you look at spring training stats, Jon Weber should be the next Babe Ruth.

In a case like this you need to look past the spring training stats. Gaudin may have an ERA around 8, but his track record is much better and he is more reliable than Mitre in the long-run. If you're looking at Mitre as the fifth starter, you have to compare him to Hughes. Hughes has been the face of the Yankees farm system the last few years, and he has been groomed to be the next starting pitcher.

I think, in the end, what will benefit the Yankees in the long run is that Gaudin stays and Mitre gets traded, while Hughes gets the fifth spot in the rotation.

Today's game was rained out, but they will have an intrasquad game tomorrow because they need several pitcher to throw.

Just saw this on espn.com: Joe Mauer of the Twins has agreed to an 8-year $184 million contract extension.

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News, Notes, and a chance meeting

Little bit busy for us the past few days but I thought I'd just share a few stories from Spring Training.

• CC Sabathia had a rough start against the Pirates, going 4.1 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 2 runs, 2 Ks and surrendered a home run. He threw 57 pitches, 29 of them for strikes. Not good, but it is only the third start of spring training, and Girardi wasn't concerned, "He was very sound today. He was good. He was really good today."
• It's just a rumor about a wild discussion, but there are reports that the Phillies have discussed trading Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols straight up. As John said to me, the Phillies would be the one to get the best player at a position, and then trade away the second best player at the same position.
• Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg has been lights out in spring training, fueling speculation about whether he will open the season at AAA or with the big club. Personally (and selfishly) I hope he starts in AAA because the National's top club is in Syracuse,NY, so I would get a chance to see him up close.
• Speaking of Syracuse, the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament bracket was announced. I've got my bracket all filled out. You'll never guess who I picked to win it all.

And, I almost forgot to mention this, but I have a good story from my trip home for spring break. I took the Amtrak down from Syracuse, and it arrived late (surprise, surprise) so I missed the earlier NJ Transit train home. With a 45 minute wait, I grabbed a bite to eat and sat across from the Hudson News stand in the station. One second I looked up and walking by was none other than Michael Kay. It took me a couple of seconds to recognize him, and then I heard him talk to one of the people he was with, and that confirmed it was him. He was too far away by the time to say anything by the time I realized it was him (but I did get a few suggestions from friends, none of which I can repeat). But we will meet again one day.



That's all for now, but we've got less than THREE WEEKS until opening day!!!

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March Madness (and it's not about Syracuse)

I know we are a Yankees blog, and since Jim is always, always, talking about Syracuse basketball, I need to step in with my college basketball's team. Tomorrow is a big day for Quinnipiac basketball because we will actually be on national television tomorrow, at 7 pm on ESPN2 for the NEC Championship game against Robert Morris. We are on Spring Break but I will be going up to the game so I won't be blogging tomorrow. Tickets are already sold out, which never happens, so it is going to be crazy. We have never made it to the NCAA Tournament and a win sends us dancing. Sure, we'll probably be a 16 seed (maybe even have a possible matchup with Syracuse), but it's about getting to the dance for us.

If you're bored on Wednesday night, turn on ESPN2 to watch a team and its fans try to will itself to the big dance. It's going to be a crazy atmosphere and the stakes are a lot higher and the game means more to the players and fans than any other conference tournament game you will watch.

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A-Rod Drama

It isn't spring training unless there's A-Rod drama involved. Yesterday, the Canadian doctor who is under investigation for having the drug Actovegin, which is not approved for sale in Canada and is illegal in the United States, said that he had treated A-Rod after his hip surgery. Dr. Anthony Galea, who was also found with HGH at the US-Canadian border, said he had only given A-Rod anti-inflammatories, which of course, is legal.

However, the Yankees along with Dr. Marc Philippon, never gave authorization for A-Rod to seek medical attention from this doctor. This presents a problem for the Yankees. This could result in a void in A-Rod's contract, but some think the Yankees would not let that happen. There is also the possibility of fining A-Rod, but I'm sure the player's union will step in if that happened.

If I'm a member of the Yankees front office, I'd be pretty ticked off at A-Rod because he went behind the Yankees and their doctors backs. A-Rod has yet to speak to federal investigators, but if what has been said is true, the Yankees and A-Rod have some trust issues they need to work out.

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Fight for the Fifth Spot, Round 1

I wanted to put this up yesterday after Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain pitched, but I didn't get around to it. The big question this spring training is who is the fifth starter for the Yankees? Hughes and Chamberlain are expected to be the front-runners, but after their performances yesterday, and the performances of some others this spring, it can easily be said that it is wide open. Now that the Yankees have played four spring training games, and each has gotten roughly 35 pitches in, let's breakdown how they have looked and the chances each have.

Chad Gaudin:
2 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 0 ER, 34 pitches, 23 strikes.

Sergio Mitre
2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K

Alfredo Aceves
2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K

Phil Hughes
2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 33 pitches, 18 strikes.

Joba Chamberlain
1.1 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 33 pitches, 14 strikes.

Kei Igawa (Yeah, I know. But Girardi has said not to rule him out)
1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K

Analysis: Obviously it's still very early, but, there should be some cause for concern with Chamberlain and Hughes. All candidates had similar lines, with the exception of those two. My theory is that Hughes and Chamberlain could be putting a little more pressure on themselves whereas the others are pitching with no pressure at all. What really bothers me is Chamberlain's performance. Maybe it was because he was coming back from having the flu, but 14 strikes out of 33 pitches? Sounds like the exact same Joba from last year that we know.

On the other hand, the darkhorse of this group is Gaudin. He has the most experience out of anyone in this group, and pitched well for the Yankees at the end of last year. He went 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA in 11 games (6 starts). If Gaudin remains consistent and efficient for the rest of the spring, he has a legitimate chance of being the fifth starter. The the question becomes, do you put both Hughes and Chamberlain in the pen? Or one in the pen and the other to the minors to work as a starter?

There is still plenty of time left for decisions to be made, but this gives you a good idea of where the competition is at the first mile of a five mile race (yes I run cross-country I must make a running reference).

Other Yankees news:

• The Yankees lost 9-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays today. A.J. Burnett pitched, working out of a first inning bases loaded jam, but couldn't get out of the second, giving up 2 doubles and a single, surrendering 2 runs on 5 hits . His main concern was developing a changeup since he is only a two-pitch pitcher. He said that it's "only going to help."
• Francisco Cervelli was hit in the head today by a pitch and suffered a concussion. It was his second concussion in four months, so you know they will be careful with him. Girardi said that Mike Rivera is the third string catcher, not Jesus Montero, should Cervelli not be on the team come April.
• Gaudin and Mitre will pitch tomorrow against the Twins in Fort Myers, Florida. Andy Pettitte will pitch a two-inning simulated game.
• Mariano Rivera, Damaso Marte, and Chan Ho Park are the only pitchers who have not faced live hitting and will throw a batting practice session Monday.

That's it for today...See Ya!

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Yankee Stadium Music Turns it Up to 11

Image via Wikipedia

Well, I'm in the same boat as John with a bunch of school work to do in the next week in a half before my spring break. I like to listen to music while I work and it got me thinking about the music they play at Yankee Stadium during Yankee home games. Here's some of the ones that came to mind quickly.

Black Betty- Ram Jam


This one's sure to get the head bopping and the feet tapping, plus you've got to love the hair/beard combo going on there.

Get Ready for this- 2 Unlimited


Much like the next one, I associate this more with basketball, most likely because it appeared in Space Jam. (Awesome movie, and I'm not just saying that because I'm part of a Sport Management Department named after Jordan's agent and executive producer of the film, David Falk. Ask any one who grew up in the 90's, and they'll tell you they love the soundtrack.)

Sirius-Alan Parsons Project


Considering I live just outside of Chicago from 1997-2000, this song will always be the Chicago Bull's intro. ("Annnnnnd now, the starting lineup for yoooour Chicago Bulls... from North Carolina, Six foot Six, Number Twe-nty Three, Mich-ael Jordaaaan.)

For those About to Rock- AC/DC


The guitar part at the beginning and the drums throughout the song make this the perfect stadium song. The lyrics ("For those about to rock") also lend themselves to being used prior to the game.

Cotton-Eyed Joe-Rednex (that pretty tells you all you need to know about the song)


YMCA


I lump these two together because they fall under the "give fans an opportunity to look stupid on the jumbo-tron" category. Some people love them, some people hate them, some people don't really care, but they are played.

The "Yankees Score a Run" Chimes


A lot of fans will recognize the sound, but few know its actually the intro to the song Workaholic by 2Unlimited. (If you don't want to pursue that link, trust me, you are not missing anything.)

Empire State of Mind- Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys


We heard this song about a million times during the playoffs last year, and I guess it's possible Derek Jeter can still use it as his intro music this season, so we could hear it some more. Nice beat, solid vocals, and lyrics relevant to the Yankees means this song will be around for a while.

Enter Sandman- Metallica


This one goes without saying, as it's Mariano Rivera's intro music. Hearing the entire Stadium sing along as Mo ran in from the 'pen against Boston to finish off a sweep last season sent chills down my spine. Personally, I think this song is retired from the Stadium whenever Mo hangs 'em up, because there is just such a close connection between the two, you can't have one without the other.

Welcome to the Jungle- Guns 'N' Roses


This is my favorite stadium/arena song of all time, and maybe even my favorite song period. The guitar intro is awesome and the beat gives the fans something to clap along to. I can't remember the first time I heard this song, but I remember it was playing when I was on the line for my last high school track race, and it just got me so in the zone and I ran my best time ever. Then, it furthered cemented itself into my life this year, as it's played before every Syracuse Orange basketball game at the Carrier Dome. And last Saturday, when we had 34,616 people (the largest on-campus crowd ever for an NCAA basketball game) for a win over Villanova it was just breathtaking.



I'm sure I missed a few, especially since I didn't even go into other player's intro music. Let us know your favorite Stadium music, either with a comment or an email.

Oh, and if you don't get the movie reference in the title, I feel bad for you, but I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation.

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Should it be retired: Number 51

Last week, I debated whether Paul O'Neill's jersey number 21 should be retired, and this week I'll go into Bernie Williams and number 51.

Image via Wikipedia

Bernie is an interesting case considering that, despite having not played since 2006, he has never officially retired. When he returned for the ceremonies prior to the closing ceremonies at the old Yankee Stadium, he said he "may never retire officially." Nevertheless, the number has not been reissued. There was a little bit of friction between Williams and the Yankees after the 2006 season; he thought he could still play, but the team only gave him a non-roster invite to Spring Training. I think that should be water under the bridge since he came back for the final game and then a few times last year.

So, let's get into it:

The case for retiring the number:

• Career Yankee
• 5-times All-Star
• 4 World Series Championships
• 6 Top-20 finishes in MVP voting (Highest was 7th in 1998)
• 4 Gold Gloves, 1 Silver Slugger
• Position on All-Time Lists: 6th in home runs, RBI's, runs, and games played, 5th in hits and extra-base hits, and 2nd in doubles.
• Everyday centerfielder for 13 seasons.
  

The case against retiring the number:

• Most likely will not be enshrined in the Hall of Fame
• Most of statistics came from a peak period, and he faded quickly at the end of his career.
• When compared to the other center fielders who have their numbers retired, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, Williams does not compare favorably. That, however, is a pretty unfair comparison.

I think it is pretty safe to say that the number 51 will hand in Monument Park some day.The bigger question is probably whether Williams gets a plaque as well. That is probably a closer debate, but I can see that happening as well.


In some actual news, the Yankees won their first spring training game today against the Pirates. The 2010 Yankees won in 2009 style with a 3-run walk-off homerun by Colin Curtis. They take on the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow in a rematch of the World Series.

SEE YA!

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A-Rod Investigation and Some Spring Training Fun

Sorry for not posting much lately. Technology has not been on my side this last week and I've been busy. Just when you thought it would be a quiet spring training for Alex Rodriguez, A-Rod was contacted by the FBI yesterday regarding an investigation of Canadian doctor Andrew Galea who is accused of selling unapproved drugs. A-Rod did not comment about whether or not he was treated by Dr. Galea, but the Yankees released a statement saying that they were never in contact with Dr. Galea and was not suppose to be treating A-Rod.

On a lighter note, Joe Girardi called off practice today and took the team to an arcade where they participated in games such as skee ball, Pop-A-Shot and Indy Car. A.J. Burnett won the Indy Car game, while pitching prospect Andrew Brackman won Skee Ball and left handed reliever Royce Ring won Pop-A-Shot.

If you remember last year, Girardi took the team to play pool which Mariano Rivera was the winner. The point of this activity is to get the teams mind off baseball a little and get to know one another.

I'll try and get a trivia question up. It's the last week before Spring Break so I'm pretty busy with work right now.

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