Nova Will Get Start Over Hughes When Angels Come To Yankee Stadium

It's official, but not really a shock.  Phil Hughes' 13-pitch relief appearance against the Boston Red Sox, when he gave up the winning run in the tenth inning,  cost the pitcher a start against the Los Angeles Angels this week.  Hughes' spot will be filled by Ivan Nova.

Manager Joe Girardi tweaked the starting rotation for the upcoming three-game home series because of Hughes short stint in Sunday night's game.  Hughes came in, after Mariano Rivera blew his fifth game of the season, and gave up two hits and Boston's walk-off score.

Hughes was set to open the series on Tuesday but struggling A.J. Burnett will be moved up one day.  The ineffective Burnett will try and rebound from a disastrous outing against the Chicago White Sox, when the Yankees batters staked him to a 12-run lead, that he almost couldn't hold on to.  Burnett gave back seven earned runs and was yanked before he could go five innings to qualify for a win.  He will square-off against Dan Haren.

Nova will start Wednesday and is coming off an impressive 10-strikeout, six-hit and  one earned run performance against the same White Sox team.  Nova has won six of his last seven starts.

Bartolo Colon will close out the series on Thursday after a shaky outing (six-hits and two earned runs) against the Red Sox.  He was pulled in the fifth after loading the bases and the bull pen took over.  The Yankees won that game, 3-2.

Girardi's biggest concern had to be giving CC Sabathia an additional day off.  Sabathia, who is notoriously fickle about throwing with extra rest,  will now open the series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.  Girardi thinks the rest is good for his ace after being banged up by the Red Sox on Saturday.

The manager said there wasn't anything in particular that presented itself to be a problem with Sabathia, but it seemed like a good time to give him a break.

Hughes, on the other hand, has to be wondering if the thirteen pitches he threw on Sunday are a bad omen.  In his previous start, he gave up three hits and no runs in six sparkling innings and his ERA has dropped to 7.11 from a dismal 13.94 when he came off the DL.

"It's always disappointing if you're no starting," said Hughes.  "I feel like I made some good progress in my last start, so if I have to wait around, it won't be something that's fun to deal with, but again, I don't make these calls or anything like that."

Did Colon and Garcia's Last Outings Quell Yankees Trade Talks

Last week the New York Yankees seemed desperate to add another reliable starter to their rotation.  All eyes seemed to be focused on Colorado Rockies flame-thrower Ubaldo Jimenez.  Only problem was, the Rockies would literally be asking the Yankees for the farm to make any kind of trade for their 27 year-old righthander.

The Yankees remember all too well last year's lack of starting pitching in the playoffs and have to be wondering if they can pin four-fifth of their October hopes on Phil Hughes--a pitcher on the mend, A.J. Burnett--who has reverted back to his inconsistent self, Ivan Nova-- who just went on the Triple-A DL for a foot injury, and Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia--two aging veterans picked up during the off-season winter-sale.

Funny thing, outside of CC Sabathia, Colon and Garcia, have been the most impressive this season.  Now the question is can the 38 year-old Colon and 35 year-old Garcia hold up?

Both pitchers combined for a total of two earned runs in 13 innings in two games against the Tampa Bay Rays this week.

Garcia out dueled David Price and struck out seven Rays hitters over 6.2 innings last night.  Last week Garcia was battered in Toronto where he allowed five earned runs in five innings after a 12 day layoff.  Manager Joe Girardi said the layoff was responsible.

Colon's masterpiece the night before was spoiled after centerfielder Curtis Granderson lost a fly ball in the roof of Tropicana Field.  The hefty hurler went 6.1 innings and struck out nine batters.

Reports continue to swirl that the Yankees are still interested in Jimenez, but there hasn't been any official comment from management. Girardi seems content on keeping things as they are.

"This is what we have and we've gotten to this point because of them," he said.  "There's no reason that can't continue."

Well, many fans will dispute that sentiment and the Yankees reportedly have scouts buying more Rockies tickets than usual.

The reasons to add a player like Jimenez, who has 50 wins over his last three years and has over 33 starts in each of his three full seasons.  He had 214 strikeouts last season-- third in the NL-- and the durable pitcher who has thrown 845 innings without any real troubles.  Jimenez has only been on the DL once in his career for a broken fingernail.  The Yankees have to like the thought of getting a pitcher without shoulder, elbow or "dead arm" problems.

Jimenez could come cheap in contract but steep in trade.  He is making $2.8 million this year, $4.2 mil next season and an option of $5.75 in 2013.  Compare that to the $33 million the Yankees will be shelling out for A.J. Burnett over the next two years.

In exchange, the Rockies will probably want Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances and Jesus Montero--three of the Yankees top prospects.

Jimenez's bi-polar 2010 season has to be on the Yankees mind after he started 15-1, then sludged through the second half of the season.  He is 6-3 with a 2.61 ERA in his last 10 starts.

The Yankees could wait until the end of the season to get Jimenez and hang on to their prospects, much like they did with Sabathia in 2008, when they held on to Hughes and got the big pitcher they wanted anyway.

The questions now are if Hughes is back to form and  if Colon and Garcia can keep it up for another two-and-a-half months.

They will each get at least another start before the July 31 trade deadline--one more chance to show the Yankees the first half of their seasons weren't a fluke and the team can hang on to their prospects for the future.

Yankees Taunt Rays' Mascot During Lightning Delay; Then Win

Last night, while the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays game was delayed due to a lightning strike which knocked out a bank of lights in Tropicana Field, the Yankees dugout had fun playing keep away with the Rays mascot, Raymond.

Right after a bolt of lightning zapped the domed stadium, with Robinson Cano holding a full-count at the plate, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told officials he wouldn't continue play until the field was fully illuminated.  That's when Raymond went to the Yankees side to play catch.

The Yankees own unofficial mascot, Bartolo Colon, led the heckling during the 18 minute delay before his team eventually went on to defeat the home team 5-4 after the Rays walked in the winning run.

Colon, the cuddly 260-pound pitcher, wouldn't play catch with Raymond during the fifth-inning delay until finally giving in to the fuzzy mascot.

Raymond, who has been punched out by a Baltimore Oriole player, tackled by a fan and out danced by a Cardinal mascot tossed the ball back to Yankees centerfielder Curtis Granderson, who also refused to give it back.  Raymond just left in a huff.  His team should have followed.

The Rays pounced on A.J. Burnett--pitching on eight days rest-- early and scored three runs in the first inning.  Burnett looked like his old inconsistent self.  The Rays held  a 4-2 lead until the Yankees tied it up in the eighth.

Rays starter Alex Cobb held the Yankees to three hits and two runs through six but the depleted Rays team was coming off a 16-inning loss to the Red Sox late last night and it seemed only a matter of time before the Yankees could shred through the taxed Tampa Bay bullpen.

In the top of the ninth Rays manager Joe Maddon went to his only remaining reliever, rookie Alex Torres--who was called up earlier in the day.  Torres immediately gave up a lead off single to Granderson who stole second.  Mark Teixeira struck out then a grounder by Robinson Cano moved Granderson to third.

Next, Maddon had Torres intentionally walk Nick Swisher before walking Andruw Jones to load the bases.  A 3-2 ball to Russell Martin walked in the go-ahead run.

Hector Noesi and Mariano Rivera pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to keep Burnett from getting a loss.

Later Girardi commented about the power outage and his discussion with the umpires. " They asked me if we wanted to continue to play through it or not," said the skipper.  "I said, 'No, I don't.'  It was a big time in the game, and I want all the lights all on in that situation."

Torres wasn't exactly lights out in his first major league outing and it looks like he took the lightning express back to the minors.

Girardi: Jeter Will Be Leadoff Hitter...Probably

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he is sticking with Derek Jeter batting in the leadoff spot right now, but his endorsement didn't sound like it was etched in stone.

With the aftermath of the Derek Jeter 3,000th hit love fest over the weekend behind him, Girardi is getting back to the main task at hand, namely, keeping pace with the Boston Red Sox and juggling an injury-plagued lineup.

There was no way Girardi was going to take Jeter out of the leadoff spot with number 3,000 within his grasp at Yankee stadium,  but now Girardi has to make the practical decision about who will most benefit the team in the first spot of the Yankees lineup.


Jeter was in his familiar role of Yankees leadoff batter on Sunday and went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Jeter, himself, might have made Girardi's choice a little easier.  The Yankees shortstop's magnificent 5-for-5 day on Saturday might not have been a mirage.  Jeter is batting .391 in five games since coming off the DL.  Girardi sounded confident of Jeter's ability to stay in the top of the lineup, but there was a twinge of non-commitment to his comments.

"Yes I can tell you, there's probably a good chance he's going to hit leadoff on Thursday," said Girardi.  "I'm not sure who we're facing (in Toronto) but right he's our leadoff hitter.  People talk about when Swish (Nick Swisher) comes back, will it be Swish?  Well, Swish led off only against lefties, but Derek's numbers against lefties are really good.  So would you lead off with Gardy (Brett Gardner) against righties?  I'm probably going to stick with Jeter."

The 37 year-old Jeter is thoroughly to focused on getting the Yankees into the playoffs after becoming the 28th player to collect 3,000 hits in the momentous game against the Tampa Bay Rays.   His Saturday night celebration sounded like it was shorter than his 3K trot around the bases.

"I went to sleep," laughed Jeter asked about the after-party.  "Just with family and friends.  I had to play and I don't really recover like I used to."

Jeter has owned the leadoff spot since 1996 and hopes all the attention surrounding the milestone hit and scrutiny about his calf injury is behind him.  Girardi only wants the stability of penciling a single player's name into the leadoff spot.

"I don't want to change the lineup everyday.  It makes it difficult on our players," said Girardi.  "I might have to move around, but right now,  Derek's my leadoff guy."

Jeter is skipping the All-Star game to rest up.  There will be a wait-and-see period to see if Jeter is his old self.

Girardi has realistic expectations.

"Is he hitting .320 like he did in 2009," Girardi wondered aloud.  "No, he's not.  But are you convinced he can't hit .320 in the second half?  That would be my question to everyone."

The Captain said he feels like he's recovered enough from the strained calf which kept him out of pinstripes for three weeks.

"Any time you feel good you want it to continue as long as it can," Jeter said. 

Jeter's 3,000th Hit is a Home Run

Derek Jeter finally got his 3,000th hit and a lucky fan is getting to meet his idol.  On a picture perfect Saturday afternoon and Yankee Stadium buzzing with anticipation after Jeter singled in the first inning to bring him within one hit of reaching the milestone, Jeter jacked a 3-2 slider from David Price into the upper deck in left center field for a solo home-run and Yankees history.

As Jeter rounded the bases, Tampa Bay Rays first baseman tipped his cap to the Yankees shortstop while Jeter's teammates gathered at home plate to greet the Captain.  Price quietly placed his mitt on the mound and quietly walked over to the the Rays dugout.  The now-infamous pitcher knew there would be a long celebration.

Jorge Posada, probably Jeter's closest freind on the Yankees, was the first to give him a heart-felt hug followed by Mariano Rivera.

Both dugouts were standing at the rails and the crowd oohed and ahhed every swing Jeter took after the first hit.  They knew the next one would mean they were a part of Yankees history.

The third inning home run tied the game and was Jeter's second of the game.  You wouldn't be hard-pressed to believe Jeter was just as happy for the long-awaited hit as he was that it tied the game.  Contributing to the team is what Jeter is all about.

The 48,000-plus fans who witnessed the historic moment started lining up at the concession stands buy mementos minutes after the hit and the love fest continued a full ten minutes after he got No.  3,000.

Jeter did his part to keep everyone happy by doubling and scoring in the fifth.

The fan who caught the historic home-run ball, Christian Lopez, a young man from upstate returned the ball for four Champion Suite tickets through the World Series.

Tampa Bay Rays Robbing Jeter Chance of Getting 3,000th Hit At Yankee Stadium

Are the Tampa Bay Rays robbing Derek Jeter out of a chance to get his milestone 3,000th hit at Yankee Stadium this weekend?  You bet they are.

Blame Mother Nature for tonight's rainout of the New York Yankees-Tampa Bay Rays game but, if Jeter falls a hit or two short of attaining 3,000 in the remaining two games, blame the Rays for helping dick the Yankees captain out of getting another shot at the historic base hit inside Yankee Stadium.

Tonight's game was called on rain and the Yankees wanted to reschedule the game in a double-header on Saturday but the Rays vetoed the request to play two.

The Rays had the right to turn down the double-header and said they didn't want to lose the home date.  They could have just as easily made a concession for Jeter out of respect.

The game will now be played on September 22, a mutual off-day.

"I can't control another organization's right and decision," shrugged Yankees GM, Brian Cashman after he heard the Rays response to not double up on Saturday.

Now Jeter has two games, instead of three, to get the final two hits in the Bronx.  After that, the team hits the road.

Jeter is batting .257 and is averaging about a hit per game.  The odds are in his favor that he will join the exclusive 3K Club this weekend, but he'll have to do it going through two of the league's best pitchers.

The Yankees will face David Price (8-7, 3.56 ERA) on Saturday afternoon and James Shields (8-6, 2.47 ERA) the next day before the three-day All-Star break.

Yankees fans can't be too happy about the Rays decision to reschedule the game in September.  Many of them paid an escalated, premium price for tickets with the slim hope that they would be lucky enough to pick the right game this weekend and witness Jeter get No. 3,000 in person.

Jeter really wants to be the first Yankee to get 3,000 hits and do it for the fans in Yankee Stadium.  Now his chances have been cut by a third.

"There is more pressure," said Curtis Granderson, the Yankees centerfielder.

If he fails to get the big hit this weekend, expect the Toronto Blue Jays to jump for joy.  The Yankees begin an eight-game road trip north-of-the-border on July 14th and the Jays could use a sell-out.

Expect a lot New Yorkers to make the six-hour car trip to see Jeter get the historic hit, even if it's in Canada.

Thanks a lot Rays.

Rainout Could Make Jeter's Quest For 3,000th Hit At Yankee Stadium Difficult

Tonight's scheduled game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium has been called due to heavy rains.  The rainout delays Derek Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits and stalls the hit count at 2,998.  The cancellation slims Jeter's from getting his milestone 3,000th hit at Yankee Stadium by one-third.

Word from the Yankees is the the game will be made up on September 22. A request for a doubleheader this weekend was denied by the Rays.

Jeter was scheduled to bat second in the Yankees lineup and is only two hits short of the big 3K.   Jeter now has only two home games, this Saturday and Sunday, to get the historic hit in front of New York fans at Yankee Stadium before the team hits the road.

Local weather reports predict near perfect weather, sunny and in the mid-80's, for Saturday and Sunday's games.

After the All-Star break, Monday through Wednesday, the Yankees head to Toronto on the first game of an eight-game road trip.

The Yankees return to Yankee Stadium on July 22 to face the Oakland A's.

Derek Jeter's Return Is A Yankee Doodle Quandary

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter makes his long-awaited return to the team against the Cleveland Indians today, after rehabbing his strained calf since June 13.  Jeter haters have already begun sharpening their daggers and picking spots to poke the Yankees aging star when he comes back.

It's seems almost fitting that Jeter continues his quest for his milestone 3,000th hit on the Fourth of July--George Steinbrenner's birthday.  All that's missing are a brass band, Yogi and Yankee Stadium bunting.

Jeter's return does not come without controversy and will shake up the line-ups for the Yankees and American League, respectively.

The Yankees icon went on the 15-day DL while slumping in the midst of his worst season start.  The 37-year-old Jeter was batting .260 with 2 home runs and a pedestrian on-base percentage of .324.  Not exactly great lead-off statistics or All-Star numbers.

Oh wait, Jeter is an All-Star.  We'll get to that later.

Jeter's replacement at shortstop, Eduardo Nunez, just came off an eye-opening offensive performance  in the weekend series against the New York Mets.  Nunez went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home-run in game two.

Nunez's offensive numbers are a slight improvement over Jeter's but it's his fresh legs and potential for improvement that keep him in the mix.   He has 10 stolen bases.

Nunez's defensive skills are just plain offensive and there is room for a lot of improvement there. The replacement player has turned even the simplest ground ball to short into an adventure.  Nunez already has eight errors and would probably have a couple more if it wasn't for the exquisite glove work of first baseman Mark Teixeira.  Still, yesterday's Yankees shortstop, Ramiro Pena, had fans longing for Nunez on the field.  Pena's two throwing errors cost the Yankees a victory at Citi Field

Nunez will probably never have the season Jeter had in 2009, when the then-35 year-old Jeter was third in the AL MVP voting, but the potential for a valuable offensive weapon in Nunez is there.

Then there is the problem with The Captain's replacement in the leadoff spot-- Brett Gardner.  The speedy left-fielder has cooled off in the past week but has provided the Yankees with a racehorse on the base paths and makes watching the Yankees more fun to watch.  He has 20 steals.

Now to the quandary pertaining to Jeter's return and the tough decisions manager Joe Girardi will have to address directly with the prideful Jeter:  Where does the aging superstar fit in?  A lot has happened over the past three weeks.

It's a given that Jeter will immediately return to the lead-off spot, at least until he gets the historic number 3,000, but how long will that feat take and does Jeter's return shake the Yankees from their recent winning streak.  The team did go 14-4 without Jeter putting on pinstripes, so questions about life after 3,000 will persist.

Does Girardi drop Jeter in the order after the big hit or does he take a wait-and-see attitude.  Who knows, maybe after the pressure of getting his 3,000th hit, Jeter's mojo could return.

Gardner's and Nick Swisher's numbers were pretty bad up until a few weeks ago, and there were calls for their heads.  Girardi didn't cave in to pressure and his decision to let them play has paid off handsomely during the current streak.

Another concern is Jeter himself.  Will the player who reluctantly went on the DL for the first time since 2003 publicly admit his calf is still bothering him--especially after all the success the team has had without him.  It's hard to imagine Jeter putting himself in rehab ever again.

Jeter was never a player known to whine about or pull himself from playing due to an injury. A trait many admire in a youthful player but could this same stoicism hinder or permanently disable an older Jeter's return.  Players who have suffered the same injury claim Jeter, by pushing up his return date, could actually cause more bad than good by a premature return.

While Jeter massaged his sore calf in Tampa, it must have pained him more to see the Yankees kicking the National League's butt and overtake the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East.  Odds are high, if the calf is slowing Jeter down, he will play through the pain until Girardi pulls the plug.

Expect to see more fireworks after tonight.  Here's how Jeter's return will all pan out.

First, Jeter returns to the lead-off spot and gets his 3,000th hit at home against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday July 8.  He slumps in mid-July and gets bumped down in the line-up and takes the demotion like a man.  Nunez watches from the dugout because there is no way Jeter is going to sit while the Yankees make a playoff run.

To all the Jeter-haters who think his All-Star selection is a farce due to his numbers and injury-shortened season, get over it.  Fans voted him in and want to see the Yankee icon take a bow at the ceremonial game.  It could be his last.

Jeter will proudly attends his 12th All-Star game with his 3,000th hit firmly behind him and the starting shortstop position and lead-off spot for the Yankees in hand, only not as tightly.

Jeter went 1-for-2 yesterday in a rehab game for the Trenton Thunder.  he had a bunt-single, a walk and a throwing error.  He wasn't pleased with his final game before returning to the Yankees.  He left the game after six innings to catch a flight to Cleveland.

"I got through it," said Jeter about his time on the DL.  "How about that?'

Posada Should Have Gotten Bronx Cheer Not Standing O

It only took one day for New York fans to forgive Yankees designated hitter Jorge Posada for abruptly yanking himself from the line-up one hour before a critical game against the Boston Red Sox.  The slumping Posada got a standing ovation from most fans when he pinch-hit for Andruw Jones in the eighth-inning of last night's 7-5 loss to their division rivals.

Neither Posada or the Yankees deserve any sort of applause after dropping their fifth straight game and nine of their last 12.

True blue Yankee fans will claim that the one-time starting catcher had shown remorse for his temper tantrum and earned the right to be upset after being demoted to batting in the ninth spot by manager Joe Girardi.  A spot where he hasn't hit in 12 years.

Truth is, Posada has been moping since platooning with Francisco Cervelli last year and was batting a measly .165 when Girardi penciled the prideful DH in at the # 9 spot.

Besides Posada's lack of production, it is his lack of clubhouse instinct.  After 17 years in the big leagues, you would think Posada would have figured out that something was in the wind.  A player with less of a history with the Yankees would have been benched weeks ago.  He was hanging on by tenure and World Series rings.  The statistics don't lie, so why was it such a surprise?



The anemic batting average aside, Posada hasn't hit a leftie in his last 24 at-bats.  His six home-runs  came mostly during a hot streak early in the season when it looked like he might realistically bash 40 homers this season.

Posada has always been a notorious fast starter who slows down in the stretch.  What else could Girardi do?  Posada had 38 games to prove his worth at DH and produced diddly.  It seems like ages ago since the former-catcher was an All-Star at that position and it is sad to see him lose control--especially during a crucial series and losing streak.

Derek Jeter went to bat for his long-time friend last night, and rightfully so.  They've shared a lot over the past 16 years.  Even so, Jeter sounded vague when it came to details about the spat with Girardi without rocking the boat.  Typical Jeter.

"But my understanding is he [Posada] went, told the manager he needed a day, and if that's the case, I don't see anything wrong with that," said The Captain.

The other remaining member of the Core Four, Mariano Rivera was just as diplomatic after he was asked if Posada should have apologized.  "I don't know," said the closer.  "That's a decision he has to make."

The Yankees are putting Posada's issue on the back burner and spinning a nonchalant slant on the story.  He will not be disciplined.  The Yankees have more pressing things to concern themselves with.

Age has reared it's ugly head in more than Posada's form.  Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are also on the back-end of 30--and showing it.  The whole team has creaking joints holding it together.

The three-game sweep by Boston has put the talented Red Sox back into the thick of the AL East race and the Yankees now face the younger, division-leading Tampa Bay Rays for three games.

Next weekend's series against cross-town rivals the Mets once looked like a minor distraction.  Now, where these games were once just for New York bragging rights, they might be orange and blue nails in the Yankees' coffin.

The 39 year-old Posada has earned the right to discuss his position with his manager but his timing was awful.  He is not in any way, shape or form to argue with facts.  And the fact is Posada is a burden to the team right now.  An apology is not enough.

"I let some people down," Posada confessed. "All the frustration just came out."

It is sad to see a once-great warrior try to battle his demise.  It was a shame to see the injury-plagued Ken Griffey Jr. go through the same motions in his final years.  Or any other sports star.  Only an athlete knows that frustration and, as with a player of Posada's stature, it could be unfathomable.

Girardi hasn't revealed how long Posada (with 30 strikeouts in 109 at-bats) would sit while he figures out what to do with his $13 million lame duck.

"Yeah, he's gotten off to a real slow start," said Girardi.  "But I don't think that's how this chapter has to end this year for him."

If Posada is a borderline Hall of Fame candidate, I hope voters remember the 15 great years behind and at the plate, not the foot-stamping behavior of a player having a "bad day."

Soriano's Silence Says A Lot About Yankees "Eighth-Inning Guy"

CC Sabathia must know how Yankees GM Brian Cashman felt when he put on a big fat happy-face while the team signed Rafael Soriano's huge contract last winter.  No other team was even willing to sign Soriano as a high-priced closer, but the Yankees did pay him--against Cashman's wishes--big bucks to become a over-priced set-up man for Mariano Rivera.  Some called it more of a bribe than a contract.

Last night, the surly Soriano bolted from the Yankees clubhouse a lot quicker than his fastball without speaking with reporters after blowing a four run lead against the Minnesota Twins.

Today, the day after Soriano ruined Sabathia's 2-hit gem against the Twins, the on-the-run righthander still hasn't said anything and is considered M.I.A in the media room.

Unlike Soriano,  Sabathia put on his best face and a positive spin on Soriano's eighth-inning meltdown and runaway after the game.

"The bullpen is the strength of our team and nine times out of ten they're going to come in and shut the door," said Sabathia, who allowed two hits and one walk and had a 4-0 lead through seven innings.  "That's baseball and it's just part of the game.  We have to move on and look forward to tomorrow."

Patient words from a pitcher with two outstanding starts, no wins to show for it and a reason to be angry.

The Yankees led by four runs when Joe Girardi brought in Soriano, his "eighth-inning guy."  In two-thirds of an inning, Soriano gave up four runs, three walks and a hit as the Twins tied the game.  Dave Robertson gave up the winning run in the tenth.

This isn't the first time a Yankee reliever has blown a game and it definitely isn't the first time Soriano shown his anti-social side.  But his behavior is leaving fans colder than the thousands of nightly empty seats at a freezing Yankee Stadium so far this season.

Soriano has left a trail of bad relations in previous stops in Atlanta and Tampa Bay.  His reputation as a grump and a recluse preceded him in New York, but the Yankees were willing--or desperate enough--to take a chance on Soraino accepting the role as the eighth-inning set-up man to go with the big contract.  It only took one blown chance for him to show his true colors.

The Yankees painted a nice picture of Rivera courting Soriano during the recruitment.  The story was that the level-headed Rivera would welcome the hard-headed Soriano as his set-up guy and the bullpen would sing "Kumbaya" through the playoffs.  Soriano would be tamed by Mariano.  One big happy family.

It was all fiction and it only took five days into the season for the love-in to get icky.

Former teammates felt Soriano can sometimes look at a pitching situation as being beneath himself.  Members of the Rays claimed he did not invest his full attention in the ninth-inning of last year's Division Series elimination game against the Texas Rangers when Soriano was asked to pitch, down 3-1.  They felt his attention and fastball were off because it wasn't a save situation.

Maybe Soriano thought last night's 4-0 lead wasn't worth his valued consideration.

In Soriano's absence, Yankee players took to the vanished pitcher's defense--somewhat.

"I think he was there mentally," said Russell Martin who caught the game, "He was throwing the ball with conviction, I think."

Even Nick Swisher took the flack for his overplayed ball which tied the game.  "It was an aggressive mistake and I paid for it," said the outfielder, " CC pitched a helluva a game; it definitely hurt."

It's probably too late for the Yankees to think Soriano will behave like Rivera when it comes to the occasional blown game by holding your chin high.  The Yankee veteran has never disappeared or blamed anyone but himself.  Rivera faces the media, takes his lumps and says, 'I'll get 'em next time.'

Soriano has been anointed the "eighth-inning guy" by Girardi.  There will be other eighth innings for last year's AL 45-save leader.  He isn't going anywhere.   Not if three-year, $35 million dollar contract means anything.

Let's see how long the manager puts up with Soriano's vanishing act.

Ex-Idiots Manny and Johnny Reunite In Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Rays, who lost more than a few key players this off-season, have reloaded their depleted line-up with a couple of familiar faces from the AL East--Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez.  The former Boston Red Sox teammates and ex-Idiots will be signed to one year deals pending physicals.  The Rays may want to throw in a head examination for the enigmatic Ramirez to see what's under those dreads.

Both Damon and Ramirez were being considered by the New York Yankees this winter but, with the signing of Andruw Jones the other day, their fourth outfielder position looks capably filled.

Damon and Ramirez were teammates for four years in Boston and were two members of the self-proclaimed Idiots squad who won four games in a row to beat the Yankees in the classic 2004 ALCS.

The 37 year-old Damon bent a lot of Boston fans noses by joining the hated Yankees from 2006-09 after being unceremoniously released  by the Sox.  He spent 2010 with the Tigers.

Ramirez spent a few contentious years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, after his lease on his Red Sox padded cell ran out, and split the 2010 season between the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.  The troubled DH has seen his numbers decline in recent years and in 2009 he failed the league's Performance Enhancing Drug policy and was suspended for 50 games.  The 38 year-old Ramirez has been dogged recently by numerous injuries and may see more time on the DL than as the DH.

The 2010 AL East Champion Rays, the Yankees and the Red Sox continue to play a comical game of roster-chess by trading and picking up each other's players.

Boston added former-Ray Carl Crawford, who was desired by the Yankees, to their team and the Yankees signed the Rays relief pitcher Rafael Soriano last week.  Now the Rays pick up two experienced, but aging,  AL East warriors from their adversaries' glory days, hoping to keep the three-way rivalry alive.

The durable Damon signed for a salary of $5.25 million plus attendance incentives--not an easy task at fan-starved Tropicana field--that bring his total earnings to $6 mil.  I wouldn't spend that extra $750,000 just yet Johnny.

Ramirez signed for a flat $2 million.  A far cry from his $20 million years in Boston.

The Red Sox have dominated the free-agent market this off-season while adding power, speed and youth.  The Yankees have chipped away at nagging problems but still look a lot like last years team without a strong starting rotation. Advantage to Boston.

Now the Rays are flexing whatever financial muscle they can muster to show their three-year mini-dynasty wasn't a flash-in-the-pan and they will continue to give the other teams in the division a run for their money in 2011.

Can't wait for the love-fest at Fenway Park on April 11 when the Rays visit Boston.  It'll be an Idiot's delight.

Fat Elvis Has Entered the Stadium

By Tony Mangia

THE YANKEES GET FATTER

If you don't get it right the first time, just do it again. A maxim the New York Yankees can afford to--and always do--live by. After a trio of off-season acquisitions have seemingly gone bust, the major league leading Yankees have replaced the malfunctioning parts before the July 31st deadline without losing any cash or real prospects.

The original threesome---DH Nick (me like DL better) Johnson, OF Randy (never) Winn and reliever Chan Ho (out of the) Park will be replaced by ex-Astros first baseman, Lance (Fat Elvis) Berkman, outfielder Austin Kearns and relief pitcher Kerry Wood. I always wanted to see Wood pitch at the stadium but I never thought in a million years it would be in pinstripes.

The Yankees need help in all three areas and, with the Tampa Bay Rays manhandling them this weekend, they are only a snort ahead of the Floridians. A revitalized and always pesky Red Sox team comes to town for a four game set this weekend and the Yanks could really use the steady and powerful DH bat of Berkman and an energized Wood as an upgrade as the set-up man for Mariano Rivera. All of the new Yankees are considered on the down low---none of them have contracts for next season and come from miserable teams---so fans might be optimistic and expect to see an added spark under their cleats. Going to a playoff contender can do that. As Berkman put it after the possible playoff-positioning series, "I don't think I've played in a meaningful game in three years. With this type of intensity you have to manage your emotions."

GIRARDI SITS A-ROD

Still trying to figure out why would Joe Girardi would leave Alex Rodriguez and Brett Gardner on the bench while using Mark Teixeira as the DH in the rubber-game against the Rays? Maybe it was a "welcome to the Yankees" gift to newly-acquired Lance Berkman---a capable first baseman--- a day of rest for his starting players or maybe he is just playing for a wild card.

Girardi has always been known to play for the long-term. His pitchers rarely go more than six innings and everyone knows about the Joba Rules but, Gardner is still a frisky colt and one of the Yankees best spark plugs.

Berkman might have cost the Yanks a win on Sunday when he couldn't scoop up an errant throw by Robinson Cano---something the gold-glover Teixeira could have done blindfolded although Fat Elvis did make a baseline grab that probably saved two runs later in the game.

It's hard to criticize the manager's decision. Girardi has been successful playing for the big picture. He knew that the Trop was sold out for all three games (first time for Tampa in regular season play) and there was a playoff-type intensity down by the bay, but he has been successful utilizing his players over the long run. The ex-catcher still refuses to over work the veterans or burn out the pitching staff's arms even under the glare of his critics.

The Yankees and the Rays are the two best teams in the majors right now. The potent Texas Rangers have recently made big strides in beefing up their lineup and pitching while Boston is still hanging around so, on a day when the Rays' James Shields out dueled CC Sabathia, and his changeup had Yankee hitters literally mumbling to themselves, maybe Girardi's philosophy that playoffs aren't won in August will pay off again in October.

The Wisdom Of Ozzie

It's easy to dismiss Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen after he speaks. He spouts so much trash mixed with misdirected passion, sometimes its hard to keep up or take him seriously. I honestly don't know how Chicago deals with Ozzie and Lou Piniella during the same season.

This time Ozzie has a point. He says there is a lack of help for Latino players adjusting to life in the big leagues as compared to the support afforded to new players from Asia. Dominicans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans et al rarely have the luxury of interpreters and other cultural perks that teams give Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese players. Guillen claims that the Latino players are treated as no more than low-cost commodities.

I agree, but I am not all on board with the statement. Latino players are usually brought up through the minor leagues with minor league contracts while Asian players in MLB are usually veterans with years of overseas experience and big contracts. A team that invests in long-term, million dollar contracts for players like Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Satsuki wants to make sure they are treated like the established stars they were in their native countries. These are men who are celebrated in the far-east, and probably know three words of English---strike, ball and out. Asians don't use our alphabet and are usually the only Asian on the team. It must be pretty lonely with no one else who speaks your language. If Albert Pujols only knew a dozen words of English the Cardinals would give him a pair of Harvard English professors.

Major league rosters are filled with Latin players who came up through the ranks. Many come from impoverished backgrounds and work their way through the system with minor league paychecks. They deserve the same attention---interpreters or instruction---that any other teammate gets but the education should begin at home. MLB should have more representatives teaching in the youth leagues of the Dominican Republic or Venezuela about the dangers of PEDs (where it is more easily available), other temptations and basic English. When was the last time you heard of a drug scandal with a Japanese player?

Guillen has brought up a topic that should be addressed but it shouldn't be turned it into a racial or cultural chasm. Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and many other big contract Latinos had interpreters travel with them. It seems to be more of a player-by-player determination until more Asians assimilate into the majors through a minor league system.

Oil Slick Hits Tampa Bay

By Tony Mangia

RAYS SLIP INTO SECOND PLACE AT TROPICAN'TA FIELD

New York Yankees' manager, Joe Girardi, concerns himself these days with resting his ace starter, Phil Hughes, and prepping a line-up card for the upcoming All-Star game. Tampa Bay Rays counter part, Joe Maddon, must occupy himself with the possibility of shuffling his anemic lineup and replacing an inefficient bullpen. The Rays have lost 8 of 11 games in two weeks and find themselves tied with the Boston Red Sox and looking up at the Yankees. A sterling 32-12 start has slip-slided away to where all the cowbells, mohawks and Parrotheads in Pinellas County might not help win games this year.

The Rays have dropped 10 of 16 since coming to New York and taking two of three from the then-stumbling Yanks. An pedestrian record of 18-16 at Tropicana Field doesn't help. Tampa Bay still has one of the youngest and most talented line-ups in the league, but lately, its either feast or famine. Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford are all having exceptional years, but B.J. Upton has not turned it around after last season's dismal numbers. They either break the scoreboard or get zip. Timely hits are as rare as fans at The Trop.

Good starting pitchers seem to silence the Rays hitters while their own under 28 rotation is looking a lot older. The first two starters---David Price and Jeff Niemann---are cruising at 16-4, but the remaining three hurlers are a combined 18-14 with a 4.50 ERA. The closer, Soriano, has been solid, but the bullpen is still the team bugaboo. If the Rays go there, its all over. Good pitching efforts seem joined at the hip with low run production.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have picked up 7.5 games on the Floridians---who once led the majors by six. The Rays---two years removed from the World Series---can't blame it on youth or sneak up on teams anymore. They'll have to find a way to keep up this summer. For the battle-tested Yanks and Sox, it's business as usual.

THE HUGHES RULES

Thinking about Hughes' long-term usefulness, Girardi is pulling from the starter from Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Citing a work load of 82 innings thus far this season, Girardi is adamant about keeping the reluctant-to-rest rightie's season total under 175. The Yankees may even have Hughes pitch the back end of the rotation after the All-Star game. His next start will be in nine days against the Mariners at Yankee Stadium.

Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Hughes are gimmes for the July All-Star game with Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera probably being grandfathered in as well; but what about two of the three Yankee outfielders? Bret Gardner and Nick Swisher are having good years. Swisher has 11 HRs, 44 RBIs, and has been hitting around the .300 mark all year. Gardner has 23 stolen bases, is hitting .320, and is one of the most exciting players to watch on the bases. I think Girardi would like to reward them, if anything, for keeping things loose in the dugout and on the field. A-Rod looks like a no-go for the first time.

SHORT JABS

The Rogue Pierogi

Still can't get over the rebel dumpling who was dumped by the Pittsburgh Pirates for criticizing the team---rightfully so---then rehired. I don't know how the foam covered mascot ranks at PNC Field---probably just above beer vendor...maybe not---but he cannot break the chain of command and publicly disparage his superiors. Sounds awfully similar to another story in the news these days.

An Ogre in Yellow and Violet

Who knew Ron Artest was just a big, cuddly, mis-understood Shrek? If his exuberance and shout-outs after winning the NBA Championship weren't enough to attract a sponsor, I don't know what are. Artest is an oddball and has used poor judgement in the past, but that hasn't stopped advertisers from flocking to Kobe or keeping Tiger around. You wouldn't call Artest a weirdo like Dennis Rodman, although he is a character. I don't know what he could sell or if I would even care what novelty he's hawking, but I hear Zoloft calling.

We Thought You Meant "24" With Jack Bauer

Portugal won a World Cup match against North Korea, 7-0, after a 99 yard touchdown drive and a PAT by the Portuguese footballers. Kim Jong-il allowed the people's lone television station to broadcast the game live to North Korea's citizens for the first (and probably last) time. Immediately after the whooping, the programming director (guess who?) ran 24 hours of The Great Leader and his militia at work. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.