Judge Denies Clemens' Motion To Prevent 2nd Perjury Trial

A motion by Roger Clemens' defense team to have a judge dismiss the government's case against the former pitcher was denied Friday afternoon, as reported by Fox News.  Clemens' lead attorney Rusty Hardin had asked judge Reggie Walton to forbid another trial following the July hearing in which the judge declared a mistrial after two days of testimony.

According to Fox News, the judge sided with the prosecution and set a date for the second trial.

Hardin accused prosecutors of deliberately sabotaging the case because it was going badly for the government.

During the first trial jurors were shown evidence that was already determined to be inadmissible in court by the judge.

The prosecution team claimed it was a mistake.  Prosecutors-- Steven Durham and Daniel Butler made a critical error by introducing the barred evidence.  They apologized and impelled Walton into giving them another chance.

The evidence in question was a video in which a congressman referred to testimony by Laura Pettitte-- former Yankee Andy Pettitte's wife-- that Walton had barred as second-hand testimony.

In a statement, Walton said," I want to believe it is a mistake.  I would find it hard to believe that they would blatantly disregard a ruling I would make.  But it's hard for me to reach another conclusion."

Hardin, meanwhile, thinks a retrial would be a "reward" for the prosecutors for causing the mistrial in the first place.

Clemens is accused of lying under oath after speaking before a committee about steroid use in 2008.

At that hearing, Clemens testified," No matter what we discuss here, I'm never going to have my name restored.  But I've got to set the record straight.  Let me be clear.  I've never taken steroids or HGH."

Today's decision by judge Walton means that there was no procedural misconduct and it favors the prosecution.

The ruling determined that Clemens will be tried once more for lying under oath.  The trial date is set for April 17.

A guilty verdict would further tarnish the image of one of baseball's greatest pitchers and hinder his chances of getting into Cooperstown.

Hardin said it would take a couple of days to decide if they will file an appeal.

Phil Hughes Pitching for Final Spot in Yankees Rotation

Now that New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman didn't acquire any new arms before the trade deadline and we can finally put those Andy Pettitte un-retiring rumors to rest, manager Joe Girardi has to figure out what to do with the six starting pitchers he has left.  His dilemma, who is the odd man out after he whittles his rotation down to five--the dead arm of Phil Hughes or the hot hand of Ivan Nova?

"We just talked about tweaking our rotation a little bit.  Do you give guys an extra days rest?" was Girardi's rhetorical question.

Girardi hasn't made any decisions, but it is a sure bet he won't be going with a six-man rotation.  That scenario wouldn't bode well with CC Sabathia or A.J. Burnett-- who both prefer to pitch on normal rest and what the ace CC wants, he's going to get.

On the other hand, Hughes has to pitch a near perfect game against the Chicago White Sox this Tuesday night to keep a slot.  The righthander's sparkling 2010 season can only carry him so far.

Girardi seemed defensive when asked about Hughes' 1-3, 8.14 ERA this season since returning from the DL for an inflammation of his right shoulder.  Hughes fastball has hovered around the 92-93 mph since coming back.

"You're evaluating [Hughes] on his last three or four starts," Girardi said.  "We believe this guy still has a huge upside; he won 18 games last year, and we want to see him continue to progress.  How many guys won 18 games last year?  Not too many.  We have to continue to evaluate him, if we think he's going in the right direction."

There's a lot wrong with that statement.  Maybe Girardi is waiting for Doc Brown to pull up with the "Back to the Future" DeLorean.

First, Girardi can't live in the past and,  has to put a lot of consideration on who stays in the current rotation on a pitcher's last few starts.  Secondly, Nova still has the slight chance of winning 18 games this season, even with time spent on the DL.  Hmm...let's see, 18 W's last year or 18 this season?

Nova pitched well in the night-cap of Saturday's double-header-- his first start since being called up from the Yankees Triple-A club in Scranton. Staked to a comfy 12-run first-inning, Nova held the Baltimore Orioles to six hits and two earned runs over seven innings. He is 9-4 with a 4.01 ERA including going 4-0 with a 3.41 ERA over his last five starts.  Nova knows how the business works.

"That's a decision I don't make," he said.  "Of course, I want to be here."

If Hughes pitches lights-out on Tuesday, Nova could be going back down to the minors.  Girardi indicated it would be "a natural move" to send down but would weigh other options.

Now if Hughes gets rocked, it would leave Girardi no choice but to demote Hughes to work things out.  The only rationale for keeping a struggling Hughes in the rotation is if either Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia gets injured or falter badly and that doesn't look like it's going to happen.

For now, Girardi is standing by Hughes.

"We'll talk about this after Sunday," said Girardi.  "His stuff in his last [start] was closer to where it was last year.  I'm not ready just to throw away what he did last year."

It looks like we should have some answers after the road trip to Chicago.

Mistrial Ruled In Roger Clemens Case; Could Get Off Due To Double-Jeopardy

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton was not certain of a fair trial, in the case of former-major league baseball star Roger Clemens' perjury trial,  and ruled a mistrial on the second day of the case.  His ruling was handed down after prosecutors showed jurors inadmissible evidence against his orders.

Prosecutors claimed the problem could be corrected with instructions to the jury to "disregard the evidence."

Walton wasn't convinced of the prosecution's assurance and said, "We've got a man's liberty at interest."

The jurist followed that up by reasoning," I don't see how I can un-ring the bell."

Now the government's case could be "concluded" if they determine not to re-try the case or if Clemens' attorneys claim 'double-jeopardy."  The term refers to the law which prevents anyone from being tried again for the same crime.



According to ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson, the "government failed 100%" by not removing evidence it was instructed to dispose from the case.  The "blunder" could lead to acquittal through the mistrial and legal loophole.

The piece of evidence in question refers to video testimony from former New York Yankees teammate and good friend, Andy Pettitte, who said Clemens told him in 1999 or 2000 conversation that the pitcher used performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

Walton stopped the prosecutor's playing of the video of the 2008 testimony before Congress and removed the jury from the Washington courtroom.

Clemens is accused of lying to Congress during that testimony and claims Pettitte misheard him.

Walton said prosecutors erred when they showed jurors evidence that was previously unusable in the case.

Prosecutors wanted to use Pettitte's wife Laura as a witness to corroborate Pettitte's statement, but the motion was denied because Clemens never said it directly to his wife.

Pettitte said he told his wife about the conversation with Clemens the day it happened but Walton still considered it second-hand information.

Being denied a chance to use this key piece of the prosecution's evidence was a big blow to their case.

"The ability with Mr. Clemens with this jury to get a fair trial with this jury would be very difficult, if not impossible," said Walton.

This was the second time prosecutor's have gone against Walton's orders.  Yesterday, assistant U.S. attorney Steven Durham said Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch and Mike Stanton used human-growth-hormones.

Before that, the prosecution came out with guns blazing on the first day of the trial.

In their opening statement, the prosecution showed off photos of medical waste that they claimed contained both anabolic steroids and Clemens DNA.  They claimed the needles and bloody cotton balls would prove Clemens was lying when he testified before Congress.

Clemens attorney, Rusty Hardin, claimed the prosecution's evidence was manufactured by Clemens former trainer, Brian McNamee.

After today's ruling, Walton told the jurors to leave and said, "The case has already cost a lot of taxpayer money."

Walton reschedule a Sept. 2 hearing to determine if a new trial is necessary.

Potential witnesses who might have called to testify in the case included a Who's Who of former big league players.

Clemens and his attorneys remain under a gag order.

Roger Clemens Witness List Looks More Like an All-Star Roster

Former pitching great Roger Clemens may call on ex-teammates to testify in his defense at his perjury trial.  At the same time, a prosecutor said he may call former players already implicated in the scandal to the stand as well.  It's virtually a Who's Who of future, potential and tainted Hall of Famers.

While throngs of potential jurors lined up outside the E. Prettyman Court House in Washington; both sides planned their strategies and it sounds like a lot of former baseball greats might be headed for the stand.

It sounded like U.S. District Judge might permit Clemens former Yankees teammates-- Chuck Knoblauch, Andy Pettitte and Mike Stanton-- to take the stand, after Clemen's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said that Clemens' main accuser, Brian McNamee, created evidence made to blackmail his client.

Other potential witnesses including Mark McGwire, Jorge Posada and Sammy Sosa also appeared on the list.



Clemens, the 48 year-old winner of seven Cy Young Awards, was indicted a year ago on charges he gave false statements to a U.S. Congressional Committee investigating the use of steroids in baseball and perjured himself under oath while obstructing the committee's investigation into the wide-spread use of the drug which damaged the sport's reputation.

Other witnesses' names being mentioned by both the defense and prosecution include Barry Bonds, Wade Boggs, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa and the guy who literally wrote the book on steroids--Jose Canseco.

The collection of names looks more like an old All-Star roster than a witness list in a Federal case and it's a pretty formidable team.

Here we go position by position.

1st Base-       Mark McGwire.  Former Oakland A's and St. Louis great.   583 career home-runs.
2nd Base-     Chuck Knoblauch.   Former Minnesota Twins and Yankee All-Star until he couldn't control his errant throws.
Shortstop-    Alex Rodriguez.  Yankees current third baseman who dates Cameron Diaz.
Third Base-  Wade Boggs. Former Red Sox player who jumped to Yankees and rode police horse around old Yankee Stadium after winning World Series.
Catcher-        Jorge Posada.  Current Yankee DH who stormed out of manager's office after getting dropped to batting ninth in the batting order earlier this year.
Outfield-        Barry Bonds.  All-time HR leader with 762.  Tried in own perjury case in April.
                       Sammy Sosa.  Seven time All-Star who tested positive for steroids in 2003 according to New York Times.  609 career homers.
                       Jose Canseco.  Former teammate of Clemens and admitted steroid user and book writer.
Relief-            Mike Stanton.  Former teammate of the Rocket on the Yankees.
Starter-          Andy Pettitte.  Just retired Yankee lefthander (19-10 postseason record) and good friend of Clemens.  Probably has most to lose in this hearing besides Clemens.

Baseball fans' eyes will be glued to the All-Star game at Chase Field in Phoenix next week, but the real  action may be in a Washington D.C. courtroom.  And while the former baseball talent testifying may even be questionably better than most of the 2011 All-Stars, there is no doubt there is more on the line than World Series home field advantage for some of these ex-big league players.

Yankees Rivera Still 'Mo'ing Down Opposition

Is there anything in spring so sweet to the ears of New York Yankees fans than the bells of an ice cream truck or, even better,  Metallica's "Enter Sandman"baring over the Yankee Stadium P.A. system.  The two sounds are a prelude to a couple of sweet sights--ice cream and Mariano Rivera's trot out of the bullpen to the pitcher's mound.

Rivera continues to defy time as he marches towards his quest of becoming the all-time saves leader.  The "Sandman" is now at an an AL record 566 and closing in on Trevor Hoffman's MLB record of 601 saves.

For the 2011 season, Rivera has been almost untouchable.  He has had a hand in eight of the Yankees nine victories so far.  He picked up save No. 7 after throwing a scoreless ninth against the Texas Ranger, in a come-from-behind victory, last night.

It's amazing how the 41 year-old defies nature.  It seems like he is the only member of the original Core Four who isn't showing signs of aging.  The other members, Derek Jeter hit 30 points below his average last season, Jorge Posada is struggling as DH and Andy Pettite is already enjoying retirement.  Rivera keeps plugging away--and better than ever.

The righthander and his deadly cutter have gone nine innings in 2011, allowing 4 hits and zero runs.  He is 1-0, has seven saves in as many chances and giant goose eggs for an ERA.

Rivera's cutter still baffles hitters.  Last night, the powerful Ranger batters could only toss their bats at the darting balls.  As predictable as Rivera's repertoire of pitches is, it is pretty amazing that opponents still can't touch him.

Since 1996,  Rivera has always answered the call.  Mo's body still looks freakishly as young as any twenty-something.  In his 15th season in pinstripes last year, Rivera had 33 saves and was selected to the All-Star game. 

This season he has reached seven saves in the fastest time ever and Rivera is on pace to equal his age in saves plus some.

Rivera has recently stated that 2012 could possibly be his last year.  If that's the case, it's unfathomable to think that a 41 year-old  leaving the game could be considered an athlete retiring in his prime.  With Rivera, that would be the case.

Springtime brings a lot of perennials like the inevitable Baltimore Oriole's flop and European tourists in sandals and black socks, but there is nothing as dramatic as Mariano Rivera running across the Yankee Stadium outfield as the thumping chords from Metallica fill the air.

Ahhh...springtime in the Bronx.






 

Pettitte Officially Gone. Core Four Whittled Down to the 'Key Three'

And then there were three.  Andy Pettitte, one of the four cornerstones of the New York Yankees championship teams over the past 15 years has finally made his retirement official.  This morning, at Yankee Stadium the popular lefthanded pitcher said he was through as a player.  The Core Four is now the Key Three.

Pettitte's exit leaves Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada as the only remaining members of the Core Four and a gaping hole in the starting rotation.

The press conference was a sad moment for Yankees players and their fans but Pettitte didn't turn it into a funeral march.  Pettitte smiled--suspiciously more than usual--and looked happy to know he was leaving on his terms and would be spending more time with his family at his home in Texas.

The pull of a more stable home life nagged at Pettitte for years.  Today he made it clear this wasn't any kind of Brett Favre or Roger Clemens "retirement.  "It's not a one day decision," he stated.  He said he knew his playing days were over "weeks ago."

All the rumors of Pettitte working out in Texas, cancelling autograph shows to meet with Yankee management and possibly wanting to pad his stats for a better shot at Cooperstown were just that--greatly exaggerated hearsay.

The Yankees GM, Brian Cashman, started murmurings weeks ago that he thought there was little chance of the 240 career game winner returning for a final year.  Pettitte even said "Don't count on me' right after the 2010 season, but the "will he or won't he" drama continued throughout the winter. 

Cashman might have played a small part in Pettitte's decision.  The GM went all out for Cliff Lee and left Pettitte dangling but, after Lee went to the Phillies, Pettitte became an important factor again.  It was too late.  Pettitte had already made up his mind and was taking his famous game-face stare with him.  The soul searching was over.

Now the Yankees worst case scenario is reality and there are major holes to fill.  The team goes into spring training relying on the arms of CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and basket case A.J. Burnett.  Call it Two and a Half Starters.  Even a blitzed Charlie Sheen might fare better than the burnt-out Burnett.

Filling out the starting five rotation is a pile of bargain basement signees and a couple of young untested hurlers.  Even Hughes value is questionable.  In his first full season as a starter, Hughes was cradled by manager Joe Girardi, and was limited to a certain amount of innings.  Who knows if he can hold up to the rigors of a full season?

Recycled players like Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia now loom large in the Yankees' plans along with Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre.  The scary part is that probably the success of the rotation lies in the inconsistent arm of No. 3 starter A.J. Burnett.

Burnett, who throws a cream pie better than a baseball, is being restored by pitching coach Larry Rothschild.  If Rothschild can figure a way to get into A.J.'s head, tighten a few screws and get his fastball up to par, there is hope.  Throw in either one of the kids having a breakout year or one of the former All-stars--Colon and Garcia--coming back from the dead, there is a playoff season.

Babying pitchers, counting pitches and holding back younger arms will not be apart of this year's Yankees philosophy.  It will be put up or shut up. 

Pettitte's retirement is only the beginning of the dismantling of the Core Four era.  One by one, it could be a steady parade of the four potential Hall of Famers out of the Bronx.

Posada's contract is up after this year and he has been demoted to regular DH action.  Rivera just signed for two more years, and it's conceivable that the still reliable closer might call it a career after that.  Jeter will begin his march to the Hall of Fame in three years. In four years, the Core Four will be no more.

Pettitte's legacy, besides the huge numbers (240 career wins, 19 postseason wins, 3.88 ERA, 5 rings) is his clutch play and work ethic.  No pitcher was more reliable and there never seemed to be a situation Pettitte couldn't handle.  He has more post-season wins than any other pitcher.  Think back to Game 5 of the 1996 World Series when he beat the Braves 1-0.  It was a typical  Pettitte outing-- businesslike and efficient.  It started the current Yankee mystique.  Big-game pitcher doesn't begin to describe him.

The only blotches on Pettitte's Yankee resume are his three years with the Houston Astros and being mentioned in the Mitchell Report, where he admitted he used human growth hormone.

Pettitte made his decision to retire and the Yankees, wisely, didn't try to convince him to stay.  The man leaves a big chapter in Yankee lore.  Arguably the second best pitcher in the Yankees' modern era behind Whitey Ford.

  The Yankees were desperate for Pettitte's services this season.  He could have asked for George Steinbrenner's Monument Park plaque and gotten it.  He could have added ring number six.  Andy Pettitte knew what his heart wanted and he appeased it.

Too bad the next time we see him will probably be at Roger Clemens' federal perjury trial in July.  Then, it's the road to Cooperstown.

Pettitte Postpones NY Autograph Appearance. Could He Be Signing Contract?

The will he stay or will he go saga with New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte keeps getting more mysterious.  While the free-agent lefthander keeps Yankee management waiting in the wings, he has now left Yankee fans standing in the cold.

Pettitte postponed a private, New York area autograph signing tomorrow until February 15--one day after pitchers and catchers start reporting to spring training voluntarily.

According to the memorabilia dealer, Steiner Sports, Pettitte opted out of the appearance--leading to speculation on a number of fronts. 

"He's just not in town," Steiner Sports executive vice-president of purchasing and player relations Chris Amaroso said on Monday.  "I would assume he's not in town because right now he's thinking about what he's going to do."

The 38 year-old Pettitte has already told the Yankees he will not pitch in 2011, according to the Yankees GM Brian Cashman.  It has been reported that Pettitte is in his home state of Texas and has not worked out this off-season.

Cashman said he has been in contact with Pettitte and are hoping the veteran hurler will change his mind and play another season.

Could Pettitte be planning a New York to Tampa trip.  He isn't saying.

Meanwhile, Cashman continues to load up on aging, low-priced former All-Stars for the Yankees pitching rotation.

Yesterday, the team signed 35 year-old Freddy Garcia to a minor league contract.  Garcia pitched in 28 games for the Chicago White Sox last season.  He was 12-9 with an ERA of 4.64.

Garcia joins the other over-30 Club the Yankees have signed--including Bartolo Colon, 37 who hasn't pitched since 2009, and rehabbed thirty-something Mark Prior.  It looks like Cashman is loading up on a surplus of rusty arms to battle it out with youngsters Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre for the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the rotation.

Sadly, it's looking like "Sex and the City 2" for this year's Yankees signees.  A bunch of once sexy arms reduced to desperately finding a little love in a Big Apple rotation and only after the Yankees' own heart was broken by their Mr. Big--Cliff Lee. 

Cashman has been frantically trying to fix the Yankees sagging rotation after the Lee fiasco and now the Yankee rotation's Botox is beginning to show.

Pettitte could be the logical cure.  He now has the upper hand.  A couple of  months ago, when Cliff Lee and his $150 million contract with the Yankees was all but a slam dunk, Pettitte was the odd man out.  The team saw CC Sabathia and Lee as their lefthanded 1-2 punch and the reliable Pettitte was wanted, but not a priority.  Pettitte now looks like a prize bull at a slaughter house.

And the Yankees are looking at an old and wobbly starting rotation.  They can only hope one of their youngsters has a breakout year or one of the old timers just doesn't break down.  Pettitte could be the glue that holds the rotation together and the money ball is in his mitt. Not so long ago, Lee's $150 million was all over the headlines.  It must look pretty good to Pettitte's agent right now.

Even if the current crop of possible Yankee starters can muster enough six inning games,  hand the ball to the improved bullpen with newly-signed, and over-paid, set-up man Rafael Soriano and closer Mariano Rivera, Cashman would be still be in a  better off place with the crafty Pettitte.

Pettitte still hasn't said if he plans to return.  He really  hasn't made any kind of public statement about his plans for next year.  If Pettitte returns to pinstripes, he will get a lot of money and deservedly so.

Pettitte was 11-3 last year with an ERA of 3.28.  He was injured for a few weeks but he didn't break down.  When healthy, Pettitte is still one of the best.

If Pettitte doesn't come back, it will be fun to see who wins the battle for the No. 4 and 5 spots--one of the New Kids on the Block or Carrie or Samantha. 

In the meantime, Pettitte's price is going up.

Posada Won't Take Demotion Standing Up

Jorge Posada, the New York Yankees newly appointed DH has been pretty quiet this off-season regarding his status on the team.  The veteran backstop is set to report to spring training in a couple of weeks but won't be leaving his catcher's mitt and chest protector behind.  All reports that his days behind the plate are through are premature according to Posada.

"I'll catch. I'll catch.  I'll catch this year," the Core Four charter member said.  "I'll DH and then they're going to want me to catch one of those days.  I'm keeping an open mind.  I would love to catch.  I'm training like I always do and if I have to catch I'll catch," said Posada.

These were the first words from Posada since it was made public that the Yankee veteran would be replaced by newly acquired Russell Martin, Francisco Cervelli and possibly rookie Jesus Montero.  Montero is the stud prospect the Yankees have protected from trade inquiries and is expected to be the full-time catcher of the future.

The 39 year-old Posada is in the final year of his contract and was informed by GM Brian Cashman that he should expect to be used as the regular designated hitter and "emergency catcher." 

Posada is coming off an injury-plagued season and he batted .248 with 18 home runs and 57 RBI's. He had surgery on his left knee in November but insists the joint is "one-hundred percent."

It has been a contentious off-season for members of the Yankees Core Four.  First, there was the public contract squabble with the face of the Yankees, Derek Jeter.  It led to the Yankee captain criticizing Cashman for making the shortstop look like the bad guy.  Then last week,  Cashman stated that Jeter will probably finish his storied pinstripe career in centerfield.  Cashman later recanted those words.

Then there was pitcher Andy Pettitte who was put out to pasture when the Yankees  thought they had lassoed Cliff Lee.  Now Lee is a Phillie and Pettitte is still unsigned and considering retirement.

Now comes the insensitive handling of the prideful Posada.  Cashman has to work on his public relations skills, especially with members of that exclusive club. Of the four popular players, only closer Mariano Rivera went through this winter unscathed.

At first, it seemed like Posada accepted his demotion from behind the plate to just batting from the right side of it like a good soldier, but now it sounds like he won't make the move too quietly.

"I can't complain.  I always like to catch.  I'm used to catching, but if they want me to DH to help out the team, you have to do that," said Posada.

Posada understands that you can't play forever.  "We're getting old, " he confessed.  "It's tough, it's a business.  But we understand it."

Even if the nagging bumps and bruises from over a decade of errant balls, collisions and crouching won't keep Posada from getting behind home plate, management probably will. 

Posada isn't taking the role of designated hitter lightly.  He is working with hitting coach Kevin Long for three days this week and said, "I'm coming to spring training as a DH.  I don't know if I'm going to catch in spring training.  I have no idea, to tell you the truth."

While the new DH works on his hitting, Posada won't be putting his catching gear in storage anytime soon.  "I have to keep it broken in, just in case," he said.

Yankees Jeter Will Be Hitting and Pettitte Might Be Sitting

It looks like Derek Jeter will be getting an early jump on the 2011 season by heading down to Tampa in two weeks to work out with New York Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long--three weeks before the start of spring training.

When last seen Jeter was happily splashing around the Caribbean with his girl Minka Kelly.  This was after a disappointing season as a player and an early exit from the playoffs.   The year was capped off with a mockery of drawn out contract negotiations with the Yankees.  The turbulent contract talks had Jeter--normally a company man--suggesting, after the new contract was signed, that the team leaked information during the talks to make the Yankee star look like the bad guy.  All in all, it wasn't the best of times for the face of the team and future Hall of Famer.

Jeter, doesn't need to be reminded about his below-standard season and is looking to remedy his .270 average--a monstrous 30 points below his career number.

Long has worked with other players during the off-season but never with Jeter.  "He wants to get going," said Long from his home in Arizona.  " We're well on our way to getting that [Jeter's low average] taken care of and seeing if we can't speed up the process with him a little bit," he said.

Jeter isn't the only Yankee taking last season not sitting down.  Long will piling on the frequent flier miles after he spent time in Los Angeles working with outfielder Nick Swisher.  Next week he will be in New York working with first-baseman Mark Teixeira before heading down to Miami to work with third-baseman Alex Rodriquez and newly-appointed DH Jorge Posada.

Long is prepared to correct any problems which caused Jeter to put up the worst numbers of his solid career.

"I think we found something with his stride and the direction of his stride and going up and down with his stride instead of gaining distance and going in," said the hitting coach.  "We're going to keep it as simple as possible."

While Jeter gets a jump on his new three-year deal, things don't look so good for the Yankees and their veteran pitcher Andy Pettitte.

GM Brian Cashman has been dropping subtle hints since October that the free-agent Pettitte was straddling the fence on whether or not to pitch another season with the Yankees.  Yesterday Cashman may have let the cat out of the bag after he said the lefthander "has chosen at this stage at least, not to start in 2011."

"Don't count on me," is what Pettitte told Cashman.

The Yankee GM tried clarify Pettitte's statement by saying, " I don't think he's determined if he's officially finished or not , but he's chosen at this stage at least not to start in 2011. If that ever changes, he'll call us," said Cashman.  "We're not going to hound him or bother him," he said.

Pettitte has pulled this will he or won't he act before.  The Yankees, who did not add a big-time starter to the rotation this off-season, are probably hoping for the 38 year-old Pettitte's return.

Even if Pettitte does return to baseball, it could be in another uniform.  The Texas native desires to be near his family and reportedly has not been working out during the off-season--which he normally does.

Pettitte has repeatedly claimed that if he does return, it would only be in Yankee pinstripes.

The lack of big-name pickup during the off-season pick-up could sway Pettitte.  He pitched 21 games last season and finished 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA.  The Yankees are looking at an average starting rotation, even with Pettitte, with little help on the horizon.

Pettitte confessed in 2008 to using human growth hormone will be a star witness in the government's case against his old teammate and buddy,  Roger Clemens this summer.

Clemens trial--which the former pitcher is accused of lying under oath about using steroids and HGH--is scheduled for July and could put a considerable amount of stress and a limit on Pettitte's time.  I'm sure Pettitte would rather face the potent Red Sox lineup then to be cross-examined by Clemens tough-as-a-cowboy's saddle, attorney Rusty Hardin.

Cashman says he is ready to push forward, with or without Pettitte.  "I'm actively out there," the GM said.  "It's a very thin market to be flying in right now.  That's why we may have to rely on our strong farm system a little bit sooner than we expected."

All signs seem to point to a Pettitte retirement but, for now, Cashman better get down on the farm sooner anyway.

Yankees Scraping Bottom By Pursuing Manny Ramirez

If New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn't turn his team into the best one this off-season, he could turn them into the oldest.  While the Yankees are in desperate of starting pitchers and relievers, reports from the YES Network say Cashman has had internal discussions about signing aging outfielders, Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.  If you can't beat the Boston Red Sox on the playing filed next year, at least you can break the hearts of the Red Sox Nation by wheeling out a couple of their favorite Idiots in pinstripes.

Cashman seems to be scavenging  the bottom of the free-agent scrap heap looking for players.  The eccentric Ramirez is free after finishing a two-year $45 million  deal he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  He finished last years injury-plagued season with the Chicago White Sox and batted .298 with nine home runs and 42 RBI's in 90 games.

It seems ridiculous for Cashman to be looking at outfielders and a DH, while the real Yankee priorities are starting and relief pitching.  Andy Pettitte  seems to be leaning heavily towards retirement and the Yankee GM has made it clear that Jorge Posada will see way more games as DH than as catcher.  So what's he doing?

The Yankees say they are trying to land a defense-first player to spell regular outfielders Nick Swisher,
Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson.  That trio is solid, if not spectacular and Ramirez is no defensive whiz.  In fact, Ramirez finished the season in Chicago as the full-time DH.

The talk of pursuing Ramirez could just be coincidental.  Agent Scott Boras represents both Damon and Ramirez, so it seems logical the heavy-hitting righthander's name was just tossed out there during the talks.

Damon, the former Yankee outfielder bats left-handed and appears hopeful of landing a full-time starting position.  There doesn't seem to be any room for the player and fan-favorite anywhere on the roster in that capacity.

Ramirez, on the other hand, is a malcontent and his behavior could be disruptive to the team chemistry.  This would not sit well with the Yankee's Key-Three---Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Posada.

If Pettitte bails, it looks like the remaining starting pitcher pool is slim and not particularly reassuring.  Reports say Cashman has asked for the medical records of Freddy Garcia and has inquired about oft-injured Brandon Webb and Jeff Francis.  Any of those moves look intriguing, but it looks like Cashman might have to rely on the inexperienced--but highly touted--Ivan Nova as the fourth starter until he can make a blockbuster move before the July 31 trading deadline.

The Yankees just look and sound old.  Cashman's two biggest off-season moves so far have been resigning the 36 year-old Jeter and 41 year-old Rivera and now he is chasing after other past-their-prime or damaged players.

If Cashman isn't voted MLB's Executive of the Year,  the Yankee GM could end up AARP's Employer of the Year.

A Kardashian Could Do Brian Cashman's Job

The New York Yankees insist they are not in any sort of panic mode after finishing out of the money in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes.  After coming up with zilch at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, the Yankees GM, Brian Cashman, immediately went out and made a couple of moves;  signing two players with a history of injuries--catcher Russell Martin and pitcher Mark Prior.

While the Yankees claim they are looking past Lee's back-door move to the Philadelphia Phillies, they do seem to be a little desperate.  Cashman has gone from waving a blank check at Lee to Plan B.  "Plan B is patience," Cashman said yesterday.  Everyone assumed Plan B was acquiring outfielder Carl Crawford.  Didn't he end up in Boston?

Cashman spent a couple of weeks waving a wad of cash in the face of his desired off-season pick-up, Lee, who couldn't be bought.  One of the Kardashian brats could have done the same thing--only they usually get the bling they want.

The Yankees and Cashman have become so accustomed to whipping out the checkbook and getting who they want, wheeling-and-dealing are never an option.  Cashman just wrote a check and pulled A-Rod, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia off the rack.  Being spurned is never in the equation.  Just like the K girls.

Cashman, the Steve Carrel lookalike, sometimes looked like he was playing some sort of bumbling Michael Scott in the Yankees "Front Office" this off-season.  Cashman's sit-commish negotiations with Derek Jeter made it look the relationship between Michael and Dwight look healthy.  It caused the face of the Yankees to actually question the allegiance of his beloved Yankees.

Then in the next off-season episode, Cashman had a business dinner with Carl Crawford.  He must have had corn in his teeth because the outfielder signed with the Red Sox two days later.

The GM's last off-season storyline continued with Michael... I mean Cashman watching Lee flee back to the Phillies while all the baseball pundits all but had the lefthander posing for a Monument Park plaque.

Now Cashman has to get his hands dirty by making a big-time trade--something it seems like he's done once in the past decade--the Curtis Granderson swap last year--then go to Plan P.

Plan P is getting Andy Pettitte to stop pulling his annual Brett Favre imitation and come back for one more year.  Cashman keeps speaking of patience and it could end up being a profitable virtue for Pettitte.  If the Yankee free-agent had signed a couple of weeks ago, when Lee looked like a slam dunk for the Yankees, he would have had to fight for every penny in his contract.  Now he knows Cashman has Lee's offer of $148 million still in hand and an ineffective A.J. Burnett as the number 3 starter.  Can any one say leverage?

"The one thing the Boss taught me is you have to get in the arena and fight, " said the Yankee GM.  "We will engage the remaining free agents and trade market and pursue what interests us at the level that we feel  appropriate," he continued. 

What is appropriate is another reliable starter and the only way to get one now is by wheeling and dealing.  After Sabathia and Phil Hughes, his rotation is fragile--even if it is bolstered with the 39 year-old Pettitte. Rounding out the rotation with Sergio Mitre and Ivan Nova is risky at best.  Prior, who was signed to a minor league deal and hasn't pitched since 2006, will go straight to the bullpen.

After  wooing Pettitte, Cashman will realistically target former Cy Young winner, Zach Greinke.  The Kansas City Royal, who has admitted to past anxiety problems may come at a high cost and there is speculation he could be a bad fit in the Bronx.  Yankee fans have seen stronger players wilt under the New York media glare before.

There is talk about jumping in on the Tampa Bay fire sale and trading for Matt Garza as well as making an offer to the Florida Marlins for Josh Johnson and the possibility of a face-saving shot at Seattle Mariners Cy Young winner, Felix Hernandez.  Beyond that, the pickings are slim--an injured Brandon Webb and ex-Yankee flame-out, Carl Pavano. Webb hasn't thrown since 2008 and Pavano already knows what it's like to be run out of the city.

The final Yankees option is waiting for the July 31 trading deadline because most of the pitchers named are in the middle of their contracts and teams would be asking too much right now.  Their prices might come down in mid-season.

For now, if Cashman wants to prove he's more than a Chloe or Kim with a checkbook jiggling through an off-season designer sale, he would make a move for Hernandez--even if it means parting with his prize catching prospect Jesus Montero.  Yankee fans have been hearing about Montero for years and well...where is he?!  Reality check.  The Yankees have three regular starting players they have brought up since 2005--four if you count Joba.

Cashman keeps harping about his young pitchers, Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances, down in Single-A and how the Yankees must nurture them to be championship players.  Sounds like trade bait to me.  It's Cashman's version of the Joba Rules and looked what that pitcher has produced.

Seeing Hernandez in pinstripes would be a bigger deal than getting the 32 year-old Lee and make Cashman look like John Wayne and George Steinbrenner combined.  The only question remains is if the Mariners are willing to trade their current ace for future stars?

Cashman should make an offer to the Mariners.  He has trade bait and $148 million.  I wonder what the Kardashian girls could do with that kind of cash?

Nolan Ryan Makes Play For Pettitte

By Tony Mangia

Maybe the the Texas Rangers realize they won't be able to sign pitching ace Cliff Lee and want to really zing the Yankees as revenge.  Rangers president Nolan Ryan is playing this off-season like when he was on the mound---hard and fast.

Ryan might not be planning for a Lee exit but reports say he is making an attempt to lasso home-grown Texan star, Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte to ease the pain if it happens.  Cue the harmonica and start the first verse of "Home on the Range."  Nothing Pettitte likes better than being back home--in Texas.

According to sources, Pettitte called Ryan to congratulate him after the Rangers eliminated the Yankees in the ALCS---leading to Texas' first World Series appearance.  At that time, any contact with Pettitte regarding  a stint with the Rangers would be considered tampering.  Ryan waited until the Yankee lefthander became a free-agent before reaching out to him.

Pettitte hasn't declared his intentions for next season, but always expresses a desire to be near his family in Deer Park, a town outside Houston.  Pettitte spent two seasons with the Houston Astros before returning to the Yankees in 2007 to be closer to his children.  The Texas Rangers play in Arlington, only 250 miles from his family's home.

Pettitte, 38, has pitched well the past two post-seasons but is disappointed in the hard-line stance Yankee GM, Brian Cashman, took in an incentive-filled contract in 2009.  The pitcher feels he getting paid as a No. 4 starter, when in reality he is the No. 2 behind CC Sabathia.  He started last season with a 11-2 record with a 2.70 ERA but later missed a couple of months with a pulled groin. 

Pettitte has been doing his annual 'Will he or won't he retire' routine.  A couple of weeks ago, Pettitte told a Houston radio station he would play in "New York or nowhere for sure." Ryan has not denied expressing interest in the Yankee (he declined comment through a Texas spokesman), but Pettitte might be using this as leverage to get back at Cashman.  Pettitte has never showed any interest in playing for the Rangers but it looks like logical plan B.

It seems improbable that Pettitte will leave the Bronx.  He has stated many times his desire to finish career in pinstripes and has turned down offers from other teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers when Joe Torre was there.

Pettitte was paid $11.75 million last year, well below the erratic A.J. Burnett's $16.5 million.  Burnett was a complete washout and Pettitte could be the most important key to next season's success. Unless Burnett completely turns it around--which is doubtful--he looks like dead weight until his contract is up.

If the Yankees land Lee and pair him with Sabathia, they will have the best 1-2 punch in the majors.  Add that pair to Pettitte and Phil Hughes and it is the best starting rotation in baseball.

There are reportedly six teams still in the mix for Lee.  The Rangers are climbing out of bankruptcy and a $130 million contract would take almost 30% of their total budget--not advantageous considering MVP Josh Hamilton's contract is up for renewal next year.

The Yankees are clearly the front runners for Lee, but Ryan is not going to let his ace go quietly into the Texas sunset. What the Rangers can offer  family men Lee and Pettitte is the convenience of being near their homes and Ryan's reputation as  a legendary Texan has a lot of influence. He might even offer  a plan where the two pitchers could fly to their families on off days--ala Roger Clemens.

If by chance the Yankees lose Pettitte, they could be in a bad place.  There aren't many quality starters of Lee and Pettitte's caliber.  Sticky negotiations with two other members of the Core Four have already got Cashman and the Yankees crunching numbers.  Derek Jeter has been told to 'test the market' and Mariano Rivera turned 41 the other day.

Everything looked so much easier for the Yankees only a few weeks ago.  Cashman's unsentimental hard-line stance might have to soften.