Color Me Baffled

Elise Amendola / Associated Press

Yesterday, the Yankees made a big splash in the offseason, free agent sweepstakes by signing now former Red Sox outfielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, to a 7-year, $153 million deal. As reported on ESPN's Mike & Mike show this morning, Ellsbury's deal makes him the third outfielder of all-time to receive such a payout, and, he is the 4th highest paid Yankee of all time behind Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter, when you break down his salary per year. I said weeks ago that the Yankees needed to do what they had to, to get Ellsbury and solidify their outfield, especially since it seemed inevitable that Curtis Granderson would be playing for another team next year. Ellsbury had a solid 2013 for Boston, hitting .298 with 53 RBIs and 9 home runs. He was far better in the postseason, averaging .344 going 22-for-64 and scoring 14 runs. He's a damn good player offensively and a remarkable defensive center fielder. But I have to ask the question: if the Yankees are willing to pay him $153 million, why shouldn't Robinson Cano get a $200 million contract?

Is it just my perception, or has Cano been the best second baseman in all of baseball for several years

Kathy Willens / Associated Press

now? Am I mistaken, or has he also been one of the best players all-around in baseball for several years now, not to mention that he has been the Yankees' best player for at least the last four? Cano has been able to play the difficult position of second base with no injuries, unlike Ellsbury who has been plagued by injury since 2010. And, Cano hits for average AND power. Have the Yankees forgotten that the dynasties of the last two decades were built on power? In Ellsbury's 7 seasons of baseball, he's hit home runs in the double digits once. Cano's averaged  28 home runs a season since 2009. Again, Ellsbury is a damn good player. Cano is an all-around juggernaut.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported this morning that Cano's camp is "salty" by Ellsbury's deal, and rightfully so. What message should Cano take from this when the Yankees have shown no issue with paying big money to a player that really isn't worth the deal right now and because of injury, probably won't be worth it in the long run, but are refusing to see him on a deal that he's earned? While I believe that athletes make erroneous amounts of money just to play a game, the bar has been set by the likes of the A-Rods and Albert Pujols of the sports world, and Robinson Cano is worth a 7-year, $200 million deal. To disagree with that now that Ellsbury has his deal, is absurd.

So the question now becomes this: which side of the Cano negotiations is willing to make a sacrifice in securing his return to NY? Most insiders believe that a deal will get done, despite the Seattle Mariners now suddenly emerging as the team making the most noise for his services. I can't fathom the Yankees allowing themselves to lose to any team in the league, let alone Seattle. And it simply doesn't make sense to; Robinson Cano is in the top 5 players in baseball. You don't just let him go over money. You find a way to make sure that a player of his caliber stays on your team. Maybe the Yankees sweeten the pot via vesting options after 7 years; maybe Cano is given a contract laced with options that benefit and protect him more so than any player past. I don't know what it will take, but the Yankees better do what they must to bring him back. Ellsbury has his money; time for the Yanks to "ante up" and make a lifer out of Cano.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on Twitter: @ra_cooper

Noteworthy News 11/12/13

Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Hiroki Kuroda all rejected their qualifying offers of $14.1 million which would have kept them in pinstripes for another year. Absolutely no surprise to me, although, I truly hoped that Grandy would accept as this will probably prove to be the nail in his Yankee coffin. However, according to this tweet by Mike Puma of The New York Post, the Mets are on the chase for Granderson. Makes sense; Mets had one of the worst offensive outfields in the majors last year. It would certainly feel strange to see Grandy in a Mets uniform, but it would be cool for him to stay in New York. I will still, however, keep my fingers crossed; I am truly a Granderson fan.

Several headlines came out of Yankeeland in the last day or two. Here are the most noteworthy:

• Yesterday, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Kansas City Royals are now in contention for the services of Phil Hughes, This would put Hughes back under the tutelage of former Yankee pitching coach, Dave Eiland.

• According to Bill Madden of the Daily News, at present, Cano is garnering no interest from any major league team other than the Yankees. Right now, Cano's price tag is too high.

• Jerry Crasnick of ESPN also tweeted yesterday that the Yankees have signed outfielder Antoan Richardson to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Richardson is a switch-hitter with incredible speed and a lifetime on base percentage of .381.

• Some positive news on Alex Rodriguez, our embattled third baseman met with the family of Avonte Oquendo, the autistic teenager from Long Island City who disappeared from his school on October 4 and hasn't been seen since. This, reported by Ken Davidoff, also of The Post. A-Rod spoke with Oquendo's mother, grandmother and brother at La Marina restaurant in Upper Manhattan in an effort to lend his support in their search for the missing teen. 

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Noteworthy News

Perhaps newly-donned sports agent Shawn Carter, a.k.a. Jay-Z, should pay a bit more attention to MLBPA's manual on player regulations. Reported yesterday by ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the super agent may have violated said regulations by giving his client, Robinson Cano, a $33,900 watch as a birthday gift. Agents are not allowed to give gifts in excess of $500 without the price tag being reported to the union. Bad boy Mr. Carter...bad, bad, boy! Here are some more interesting notes from around the Yankeesphere:

• Curtis Granderson says he is considering accepting the Yankees $14.1 million, one-year offer but will continue to weigh his options. Granderson told MLB Network Radio that the offer is "definitely something you have to think about," and that he "appreciate[s] the Yankees extending that offer to [him]."

• The Yankees are doing their due diligence in the unlikeliness that Cano does not return. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported yesterday that the Yankees made a call to the Cincinnati Reds on second baseman Brandon Phillips.

• Alex Rodriguez' attorneys decided to take their battle with Major League Baseball up another notch, calling for MLB investigators to be probed by the feds. As reported by The New York Post, Lanny Davis, an advisor on Team A-Rod, released what we'd call on the Boulevard, "fighting words" in his assessment of Bud Selig & Co., and implied that perhaps their purchase of stolen documents from Biogenesis or the information MLB filed with the IRS, requires federal involvement into their "misconduct." Fanatics, this thing, is just getting started.

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Noteworthy News

The measure of true greatness? When the accolades and achievements continue to come, even after retirement. Yesterday, Mariano Rivera was named AL Comeback Player of the Year by Major League Baseball; a remarkable accomplishment following a great bounce-back season, after suffering an ACL injury in 2012 which sidelined him for the year. Congratulations Mo, I don't think we fanatics ever get tired of saying that. Here's more news from around Yankeeland:

• The Yankees made one-year, qualifying offers to Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Hiroki Kuroda for $14.1 million yesterday. Each player has until next Monday to accept or reject the offer.

• Our beloved former manager Joe Torre will join great former managers Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox on the Hall of Fame expansion era ballot next month. Also on the ballot as a holdover, is our much loved, missed and esteemed, Mr. George Steinbrenner.

• The New York Post reported yesterday that the Yankees are looking at Detroit's Omar Infante as a possible replacement at second for Cano, should they fail to re-sign him. Detroit has no plans to extend a qualifying offer to Infante, so if the Yankees did acquire him, they would not forfeit a draft pick to his former team.

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Noteworthy News

Robinson Cano and Mariano Rivera teamed up to secure the Yankees' win against the Diamondbacks last night, but other noteworthy news made its way around Yankeeland as usual. Here are some interesting reads on our boys in pinstripes:

• George A. King III of The NY Post recounts the Yankees "Sweet Caroline" tribute supporting the people of Boston in lieu of the Boston Marathon bombings.

• The Post's Dan Martin and George King III also report that Andy Pettitte is ready to return for his start this Friday.

• Mark Feinsand and Anthony McCarron of the NY Daily News report that Derek Jeter has been ordered by the Yankees to cut back on the groundballs he's been taking down in Tampa.

• Anthony McCarron also reports on Curtis Granderson's visit to Abraham Lincoln HS yesterday in Brooklyn, citing Grandy's admission that free agency is weighing heavy on his rehab.

• The Record's Jeff Roberts discusses how David Phelps has become the Yankees' "Mr. Everything."

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Noteworthy News

With the Yankees blanking the Orioles 3-0 last night, much was "a-buzz" over Hiroki Kuroda's pitching performance. But there's always much more to talk about in Yankeeland and some stories made for interesting headlines. Here is some noteworthy news you might be interested in:

• Dan Martin of The NY Post reports that Curtis Granderson has yet to take a swing and is unsure of his timetable to return to the lineup.

• The Post's Joel Sherman also discusses Robinson Cano's value in terms of an MVP candidacy.

• John Harper of the NY Daily News says that the aging Yankees are getting no help from the young arms in their rotation.

• Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer breaks down his assessment of the Yankees' future path.

• John Jeansonne of Newsday reports that Granderson says Derek Jeter is "ripping" the ball down in Florida.

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Noteworthy News

Much has been written about the Yankees mash-up of Cleveland last night. But other stories made for some interesting headlines as well. Here's some noteworthy news from around Yankeeland:

• Joel Sherman of The NY Post discusses how Curtis Granderson's return will force changes in the outfield.

• Dan Martin, also of The Post reports on Derek Jeter's progress and how Joe Girardi is seeing improvement.

• The NY Daily News' Mark Feinsand reports that Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco's drilling of Kevin Youkilis comes after a 6-game suspension for a similar incident last August.

• Stefan Bondy of the Daily News also reports that Jay-Z will sell his shares in the Brooklyn Nets franchise, a condition necessary to take on his new venture as a sports agent.

• ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews discusses how Vernon Wells is proving the naysayers wrong.

• Mike Oz of Yahoo! Sports' Big League Stew bids a fond, pictorial farewell to Joba Chamberlain's mustache.

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Welcome Sights in Yankee Loss

The Associated Press

Hiroki Kuroda was forced to leave tonight's game against the Red Sox in the second inning after suffering an apparent contusion to the middle finger of his right hand. The blow was inflicted by a "comebacker" from Shane Victorino who, thus far, has hit nothing short of fantastic against Yankee pitching.

Seeing Kuroda walk off the field stung like the most painful bee sting you could ever experience. With the majority of the Yankees' regular starters in the lineup down with injuries, it will take stellar pitching to keep this team in contention, so seeing one of the best pitchers in their rotation go down does nothing to reassure fanatics that this team can stay afloat; I'm sure what it did was cause an already panicked fan base to dub the 2013 campaign as the Season of Murphy's Law. In the short term, you believed that the Yankees would probably lose their second game of the season which they did, 7-4. Cody Eppley provided little in relief of Kuroda, giving up 4 runs in the third to give Boston a 6-0 lead. The inning was all Boston needed to secure their second win and the series.

But from every negative comes a positive, and tonight, hope came from the bats of Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells.

In the 4th inning, Hafner knocked a blazing line-drive single into the Yankees bullpen; his first of the

The Associated Press

season and the first for the team. Wells, who went 3-for-4 tonight, crushed a 3-run home run to left field off of Alfredo Aceves. The homerun was also his first of the season.

Both homers are a welcome sight for a team that, in missing it's 3 top home run producers--Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira--will lose a bounty of homers that have been their bread and butter for the last few seasons.

Even more important, this is what the Yankees were hoping to get in signing Wells and Hafner; particularly Hafner as he will be the team's DH for the majority of the season. As for Wells, all 3 hits tonight came on fastballs; the first from starting pitcher Clay Buccholz at 93 mph. He looks like the Wells from a few years back when he was the star of the Toronto Blue Jays lineup. Wells was always an excellent fastball hitter, but his production had gone down in recent seasons as he's been plagued with injuries. Seemingly healthy, the Yankees are hoping that he's regained some of his bat speed and can provide much needed offense in the middle of the lineup. If tonight is any indication, the team will get from Wells exactly what they signed him for.

Tomorrow, our beloved Andy Pettitte will try to avoid a sweep against righty Ryan Dempster. Game time is 7:05 pm.

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Yankees Lose Opener to Red Sox

Today was a "rainy" day for the New York Yankees two-fold. While what started as a sunny, warm afternoon turned into a stark evening of rain, the Yankees also got "rained" on by the Boston Red Sox, losing their home opener 8-2. No offense and subpar pitching conspired to turn the excitement of Opening Day into feelings of "concern" as to whether this game foreshadows what may be to come while many of the superstars are on the disabled list.

I threw that last line in there just to stoke the nervous Yankee fans that are already crying armageddon after today's loss. It's just the first game of the season, yet while I point that out, many fans are anticipating nothing but hard times for this team until the return of the bredwinners. Make no mistake, today's game did expose some problems that the Yankees need to work on--some in a hurry--but I have no doubt that this team will be okay.

AP Photo

One thing that needs to change is whatever goes on in CC Sabathia's head on Opening Day. While his role as the ace seemingly gets him the automatic start, he has yet to win a home opener for the Yankees. Today, mustering no better than 5 innings and giving up 4 runs in the second, doesn't do much to breed confidence in CC's ability to start this team's season on the plus side. He is now 0-2 in 5 Opening Day starts with an ERA over 7.

In that second inning, CC gave up a single to Jonny Gomes and walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Boston's new kid, Jackie Bradley, Jr. to load the bases. He then gave up singles to Jose Iglesias, Shane Victorino (for two runs) and Dustin Pedroia. The inning proved to be all Boston needed.

Some pluses for CC however were that he showed good movement on his changeup and slider. The fastball was not working well for him today, as he didn't have much speed on it and struggled to locate it.

AP Photo

And while CC did manage to hold the Red Sox at 4 runs until his departure after the 5th, the Yankees Kevin Youkilis double, Vernon Wells walk and Ichiro single. After Jayson Nix went down on strikes, Francisco Cervelli scored Youkilis and Wells on a line-drive single to right field. Boston starter Jon Lester held them at bay for one more inning, and Boston's next 4 relievers took over the rest. Boston would go on to score 4 more runs, one in the seventh inning and 3 in the ninth, to put the game away.
offense did little to nothing to back him up. Their only 2 runs came in the 4th after they loaded the bases on a

Other changes that need to happen now are hitters showing more patience at the plate; most notably Brett Gardner and Eduardo Nunez. Maybe the excitement of Opening Day made them take swings that they shouldn't have, but we've seen this in these two before and it's a big problem now. With so much offense now missing from the lineup, these two are the fastest and most explosive base runners the Yankees have. With the team needing to resort to small ball to get runs, these two have to get on. Speed and base stealing is what is going to propel this lineup until the home run hitters--Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson--return. I will say that Nunez did a very good job defensively today, making good throws and stops when he needed to.

Elsa / Getty Images

And speaking of A-Rod, seeing him in uniform in the dugout for the game today was a welcome sight. He was not introduced with the rest of the team, however, and I think that was right move. He would have surely been booed, and why /kill the excitement of Opening Day with that negativity. He did speak to the media briefly before the game, and as expected, would not answer any questions involving the Biogenesis investigation. He did tell the media that he was not worried, and that he felt everything would be good.

Game 2 resumes Wednesday at 7 pm. Hiroki Kuroda gets the start against Clay Buccholz,

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Which Yankee Will Go Down Next?

USA Today / Derick E. Hingle

That is probably the biggest question Yankee fans are asking now, as the reports of Mark Teixeira being out for 8-10 weeks with a strained wrist tendon have made it's way around the mediasphere. Tex suffered the injury yesterday while taking swings in the batting cage during warm-ups with the U.S. WBC team.

This incident is the second major injury for the Yankees in the past two weeks. On Feb. 24, Curtis Granderson broke his forearm during a Spring Training game after being hit by a pitch.  He too will be out for 8-10 weeks.

And of course, there's still the issues of Alex Rodriguez being out until mid-July or perhaps the entire season as he rehabs from his injured right hip; pitcher Michael Pineda still in the "slow" process of rehabbing from the torn labrum in his pitching elbow; Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter being "close" to coming off of the disabled list from last season, but still both not quite 100%.

Now, the good news about Tex's injury is that it will require no surgery. He'll rest the wrist for 4 weeks and then will begin rehab.

The bad news is that now, pretty much all of the Yankees long-ball power will be absent from the lineup when the season begins. With the exception of Robinson Cano, all of the Yankees who hit more than 15 homers last season are either on the disabled list or off the team (A-Rod, Tex, Grandy, Russell Martin, Raul Ibanez and Nick Swisher). In total, the Yankees have essentially lost 180+ home runs.

To say that the Yankees are, at the moment, a "challenged" team is an understatement. Not only do they now have to scramble to replace their latest ailing superstars, but both Grandy and Tex have sustained injuries that could affect their production when they return.

We all need to keep our fingers crossed and beg the baseball gods not to let anything happen to Robinson Cano before the season begins.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

A-Rod Should Insist on a Trade

Reuters / Ray Stubblebine

So, in the last  hours, the drama surrounding Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees has gone from bad to obscene. The discussion of Alex's struggles are no longer about whether or not he will play and where in the lineup he'll be placed. The conversation has now shifted to this team's most talented player being booted out of the Bronx during the offseason. After being benched for game 4 of this ALCS series, the Yankees biggest game of the year, it has become clear to the media and Yankee fans that the message being sent to A-Rod is that he is no longer needed, nor valued on this team. Couple that with reports of trade talks between Yankees and Florida Marlins ownership for the star and well, the writing may be pretty much on the wall.

I say Alex should demand a trade and get the hell out of town.

While it would sting me tremendously to see one of my favorite players leave my favorite team, a trade to Florida makes sense for Alex. Miami is his home, and he is respected and revered there. Not just for his play on the field, but also for the countless contrinutions he's made to the Miami community. The Marlins are coming off of a failing season where a new stadium, location, name and manager did nothing to improve their standing in the National League. Nor did it improve the number of fans who came out to watch the team play. Alex would single-handedly turn all that around with his presence and the success he's had off of National League pitching.

 Also, being managed by a guy like Ozzie Guillen would be great for Alex. Ozzie is a wild-card that doesn't seem to care about what his players do off the field, as long as they perform on the field. He also does not have the pressure of a "Yankee-style" organization dictating his movements like every manager has to deal with here in New York (although I do believe that Joe Torre had more flexibility in his leadership than any manager was afforded for years prior). Guillen himself has had to battle through being a lightning rod for the media; not being particularly liked by many in baseball; making comments that perhaps were better left unsaid. He could definitely identify with Alex's struggles, and that would bode well for managing a superstar of Alex's caliber.

And let's be real fanatics, Alex was a marked man from the time he put on the pinstripes. No one in 2004 questioned him as a player, but the hatred was there for his strained relationship with Derek Jeter. Seems like no matter what is going on with Alex, Jeter gets thrown into the equation somehow. The truth from my perspective is that Alex has had to succumb to not truly being himself at any time during his tenure in New York because of the backlash of having our revered Captain at odds with him. Any implication of adverse feelings from or toward Jeter makes you a target for hatred in this town. It's not always fair, but if you're a Yankee fan of this generation, you live and die by the Captain.

But the bigger picture in all of this is that what's happening to Alex now is unfair. There, I said it. A crucial game 4 and the decision is to bench him? Again? It's as if the Yankees believe that he is just no longer viable in any capacity, period. So Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher--all of whom have now put up worse numbers than Alex has this postseason--can play for a chance to "run into something," but Alex can't? And let me reiterate from my last post that Eric Chavez has done nothing, absolutely nothing in Alex's place, yet he continues to be given an opportunity to also "run into something?" I don't believe that this is still about Alex not doing well against right-handed pitching. This is personal, and my intuition tells me that these decisions are coming directly from Brian Cashman and even higher, and Joe Girardi's hands are tied, although, I don't see him putting up much of a fight in Alex's defense. Regardless of the struggles, you have to keep putting your best players out there and Alex Rodriguez is still one of their best. He's certainly better than the guy they're replacing him with.

So it's time for Alex to go. You can't continue to fight through struggles for an organization that has already billed you as null and void. Not when you're a player of this caliber. My friend Nicholas, who is staying on top of all this drama, informed me yesterday that Kobe Bryant had a conversation with Alex, basically telling him that while it's ok to be a team player, you have to remember who you are. In other words, you can't continue to sit back and be okay with being treated like you no longer matter when you're still the most dangerous player on your team. Listening to Alex's press conference, it was clear that Kobe's words made him realize that he had to get back to being A-Rod.

"I really feel that in my heart, any time I'm in that lineup, the team is a better team, without any question," Alex told reporters yesterday. He gave a fantastic interview overall, clearly shying away from caring about any backlash his words might incite. He made it clear that he is still a dangerous hitter; still capable of turning this series around; still the guy that has done nothing but give his all and compete his entire career. He also made it clear that he's not happy with being benched and that the relationship between him and Girardi has shifted. Jorge Posada, anyone?

With Alex's contract containing a full no-trade clause, only he can detrmine his fate in New York. Only he has the power to approve any deal. At this point, I don't see him wanting to stay here; not with all that's transpired in this ALCS series. Maybe something can happen from here that will turn things around. ESPN's Buster Olney reported on this morning's "Mike and Mike" show that in batting practice this morning, Alex was "absolutely raking." Maybe Joe could change his mind and include him in today's game; give him a chance at redemption. If Alex makes some noise, it would certainly work in his favor today. But if no chance is given, and if today's game is the last game the Yankees play this year, I see no room for repair. No way that Alex will want to stay here.

But I could be wrong about all of this. I'm speculating like every member of the media and every fan following this story. I hope that I am. I hope that this can all be fixed. I hope that when we all go to bed tonight, a game 5 will be necessary. I hope that Alex gets a shot to do something big. I hope that he can reconcile his feelings and want to stay in New York. I hope that this team can pull off a miracle, and that all of the superstars play a part in that. I hope.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ ra_cooper 

Do or Die Time In Yankeeland

AP Photo / Alex Brandon

What's happening in Yankeeland right now seems both unimaginable yet, at the same time, predictable. I don't know how you fanatics felt last night, but I went into the game feeling that a loss was on the horizon. Sorry, but this is where the Yankees have left me, and other fans like me, at this point. With very little hope. And that's what's so unimaginable: that Yankees' fans have literally been left with no hope; something that we've always had. On the flip-side, the predictability of the loss comes because the offense has shown no "substantial" signs of improving from game to game.

Getty Images / Leon Halip

But will I say it is over entirely, folks? No. If any team can build momentum from having their backs pushed all the way to wall, it's the Yankees. But the only way this will happen is for the offense to do what it does. Where are the homeruns?? Where are the stolen bases?? Where are the good at-bats?? What's happened to making pitchers work and running up pitch counts??? These are the fundamentals of what make the Yankees such a deadly team, and it's all been lost somehow. Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson look absolutely dead at the plate; no good pitch recognition, allowing way too many "cookies" to pass their bats in the zone. Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano have lacked the control and patience that allows them to see as many pitches as they do, and get better opportunities for pitches they can hit. At least twice in this series, Ichiro has had an opporunity for a stolen base in a crucial situation, and has passed. And with the exception of Raul Ibanez, no one in the entire lineup has the power stroke. And I won't even bother to question hitting with runners in scoring position, because the Yankees haven't done that all season. But on all other fronts, it's as though everything that makes this team pop has just completely disappeared in the postseason. Definitely the worst time possible.

AP Photo / Kathy Willens

And speaking of A-Rod, with the exception of a close childhood friend of mine that I've been going back-and-forth with on this, I have kept relatively quiet on Girardi's decision to bench him. So I will say this: A-Rod is playing the worst baseball of his career right now. He is a shell of the hero we saw 3 years ago. Girardi's decision to play Eric Chavez was both warranted and necessary, in the beginning. But right now, Girardi can no longer justify sitting A-Rod out. Why? Because Chavez has done absolutely nothing in A-Rod's place. Nothing. Chavy is now 0-for-14 with 6 strikeouts, and he committed a costly error last night. If Chavez' struggles are just as bad as the guy who lead you to a World Series just 3 seasons ago, you must now give that guy the chance to come in and make something happen. If Chavez were hitting, I might not like it personally, but I would be alright with him playing for A-Rod. But that's not the case. Fanatics and Yankee haters who can't stand A-Rod can think whatever they want to think about him personally. But as I've stated to many people before, the Yankees do not win a WS Championship without his bat. He proved this in 2009 and he's proving it by default now. No, it's not all about A-Rod, but it's largely about him and how he can turn any game around at any time. Let's face it, none of the superstars on this team except Mark Teixeira are doing anything. So if Girardi continues to put Cano, Grandy and Swish out there in hopes of something happening, he has to afford the same to Alex. At this point, what do the Yankees have to lose by putting him in? But, I'd be surprised if gets to play tonight. He's 1-for-12 against Tigers' Max Scherzer with 4 strikeouts. Could be that leaving him out of last night's lineup was a missed opportunity for this team. But we'll never know.

But all is not lost, fanatics. We saw some good signs in the game last night. Eduardo Nunez looked damn good defensively showcasing his diving play up the middle, and the homerun off of  Justin Verlander in the ninth inning was a sight for sore eyes.  The bullpen has been lights out this entire postseason really, and last night only allowed one run in 5 innings without the help of David Robertson or Rafael Soriano. And Brett Gardner, although hitless, took some good swings last night. I think he has to continue to play and get at-bats while either Swish or Grandy sit games out.  

AP Photo / Carlos Osorio

So tonight, CC Sabathis gets the start. Bottom line is, CC has to be CC and the offense has to dig deep and score runs. Right now, the Yankees' approach has to be that of a 12-step program: just take each remaining game (because I do believe they will win tonight) one at-bat at a time. If the Yankees can pull it together in the next two in Detroit, we'll be looking at a different series. They still have a chance, but the bats have to come alive.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Andy Still Good In Return

Getty Images

Andy Pettitte made his return to baseball yesterday and although the results don't say so, he had a damn good outing. In their finale against the Seattle Mariners, the Yankees would lose 6-2; four of the six runs Andy was responsible for, as he gave up two 2-run home runs.  But the two shots were really the only black marks on his outing. Overall, I think it's safe to say that Andy is back!

On a day where there was much speculation that perhaps Andy might begin the game so hyped over his return he might over-pitch, he was actually his same old self--throwing his cutter and curveballs in the mid to upper 80's and inducing ground balls. He managed to get through the first three innings without giving up a hit  and wasn't hurt by the walks to Ichiro in the first and Alex Liddi in the second. But in the fourth the walk to Jesus Montero set up a the first two-run shot by Justin Smoak, and Andy faltered a bit from there. In the next 2 1/3 innings, he would give up six more hits, one being the second two-run homer by Casper Wells.



Getty Images

So again, the two homers were really the only mistakes Andy made in his return. he worked economical innings and threw 94 pitches into the seventh. Not bad for the 39-year old who returned after an entire year away from the game. Andy is most likely replacing David Phelps in the lineup, as Phil Hughes pitched to his best outing on Saturday in the Yankees 6-2 win. In my opinion, Phelps was a long-shot to beat Hughes for a roster spot, but it was nice to see this kid get his shot in the majors after staying atop the Yankees prospect list for the past few years. Any kinks in the rotation's armor during the season, and we could see him return.

Quite disappointing yesterday was the offense. The Yankees only two runs were both made on bases loaded walks, which was all they could muster because they could not hit Seattle's Kevin Millwood, who pretty much threw fastballs and sliders around 90 mph his entire outing. In the 5th with bases loaded, Derek Jeter hit into a double-play; in the eighth with bases loaded, Mark Teixeira swung and missed for the final out. Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano failed to hit again, but Eric Chavez went 2-4 as the DH, and has had a hot bat since returning from "concussion-like symptoms" on May 11.

Next up, the Yankees take on the Orioles at Camden Yards. Hopefully the offense will get itself back in order. Ivan Nova gets the start against Jason Hammel.

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The Grand Finale

I know it's still very early, but in my opinion, last night's game was a must win for the Yankees. I say that because the pitching and offense have been somewhat sluggish thus far this season, and to have the Minnesota Twins, a team that the Yankees knock around like cats do mice take a four-game series, could have induced some mental doubt; something that may have affected them going into tonight's series against the Red Sox.

Granderson inset - AP photo

So, the Yankees did what they needed to do. The "Big Bats" went to work and simply out-slugged the Twins for the win. Curtis Granderson put on his own version of the "Laser Show" with three home runs last night--two solos and a two-run shot for four RBIs. He would go 5-for-5, adding in two singles. None of Minnesota's pitches were safe from Grandy. His first two homers came off of 93 and 90 mph fastballs from Anthony Swarzak. The third home run pitch was an 88 mph changeup from Jeff Gray. The singles came on an 84 mph slider and 96 mph four-seamer from Alex Burnett and Glen Perkins, respectively. Grandy now leads the team with 6 homers and 14 runs. He's second behind Derek Jeter in RBIs with 10.

Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Raul Ibanez had a good night as well. Tex went 2-for-4 with a two-run shot in the first which put the Yankees one run behind the Twins, who had already scored four runs. A-Rod hit singles in the first and second innings and Ibanez added singles in the third and seventh. Speaking of Alex, he seems to be slowly making his way out of the slump he's been in; hopefully home runs will ensue. He seemed a little less antsy at the plate last night and more focused on putting balls in play instead of trying to drive them for home runs. And Ibanez has looked excellent of late, going 7-for-16 in his last 4 games.

The Associated Press

A somewhat disappointing start for Phil Hughes, however, although the offense allowed him to get his first win of the season. He went 5.1 innings, giving up six hits and allowing 2 earned runs. As I mentioned, the Twins knocked in four runs off of him in the first inning, two of which came on an error by Eduardo Nunez. Regardless, Hughes still has not figured out how to put batters away when he's ahead in the count, as he continues to rack up his pitch count in early innings. What has looked great in all of his starts, has been the movement and placement of his changeup.

And just a little note on The Captain, Jeter went 1-for-5 last night, and has hit safely in 10 straight games. He's batting .373. Nice.

In a few, our boys head up to Fenway Park to meet the Red Sox on what is the park's 100th birthday. I could care less about all the ceremonies taking place; I just want the Yankees to put Boston into further misery, as they are 4-8 to start the season. There are reports of dissention in the ranks; Bobby Valentine is not playing nice with some of his superstars. Let's see how long this lasts. Ivan Nova gets the start against Clay Buccholz.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Yankees Back On Track; Beat Twins 8-3

Associated Press

Good morning fanatics! I've been asleep at the wheel, having not posted anything on our beloved boys in blue since last Friday. It's been a busy few days for me, and while I love bringing you guys all the news you can use, I know that my fellow Yankee bloggers have given you all plenty to digest until my return. I have a feeling that there will be a post coming soon inviting all you great writers out there to apply to write here at Bomber Boulevard; I simply can't keep daily entries coming by myself. So all you aspiring Yankee bloggers, look out for it.

In just a small recap, the Yankees won their series against the Angels, taking Games 1 and 2 on Friday and Sunday. They started their series against our favorite team to beat--the Minnesota Twins--on Monday, continuing with Game 3 tonight at the stadium. Game 1 was a wash for our boys, as Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau went a combined 5-of-9 to lead the Twins to a 7-3 vistory.

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But of course, the Yankees did what they always do to Minnesota: lull them into a false sense of security and give them hope that maybe they've gotten over the Yankee hump. But that's never quite the case, and it wasn't last night in Game 2 as the Yankees had a big comeback, beating Minnesota 8-3. CC Sabathia got the start and struggled in the third inning, but managed to regain his ace-like form for his first win. CC went 7.1 innings with seven strikeouts, four hits, a walk and only three runs. He mixed his fastball and slider for strikes; the FB reaching a speed of 93 mph.

Chris Stewart, who gave Russell Martin a needed day off behind the plate, also came up big for the Yankees, and backed up CC in that shaky third inning. The Twins had just taken a 3-1 lead; the team seeming to respond to the ejections of manager Ron Gardenhire and right-fielder Denard Span, both of whom argued balls and strikes with the umpire. Thankfully the offense was able to stop the Twins' momentum. Following an RBI single from Eduardo Nunez that scored Andruw Jones, Stewart hit a line-drive double to score Nunez and Curtis Granderson. Granderson had been on with a single to right.

The Yankee offense had a great night. The bottom of the lineup--Nunez, Stewart and Brett Gardner--combined for a 6-for-10 night with 5 RBIs; hitters 1thru 6--Derek Jeter, Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Jones and Granderson--went 7-for-26 with 3 RBIs. The hits total might have fared better had A-Rod not come up empty in last night's game. His stats don't say so, but he is actually hitting very well, connecting on line-drives, but he's hitting directly at the outfielders. Hopefully, he'll start hitting balls in the gap and revert those line-drives to home runs.

Associated Press

And can I just say that The Captain is once again defying the laws of age, and seems on his way to another monster offensive season. Jeter is hitting everything that is coming his way and is tied with Grandy for the club lead in homers at three. He's also leading the team in slugging with a .633 percentage, and hits with 18. As great a hitter as Jeter is, a batting title has eluded him his entire career. Could this be the year? Only time can tell, fanatics. I personally will be adding a request that it does to my prayers.

Tonight, Hiroki Kuroda gets the start against righty jason Marquis.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

What A Home Opener Should Be

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A Friday afternoon in the city. Sixty-five degrees under bright, sunny skies. A capacity crowd at the stadium. A beloved member of The Core Four throwing out the first pitch. And the afternoon capped off by a 5-0 shutout of the Angels. The Yankees made my day yesterday. *Curses* to not being at the stadium!

Jorge Posada, returning to the stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, was a great moment. It was odd seeing him run out their in "civilian" clothes, though; just made it even more apparent that he would no longer be out their playing in pinstripes. I loved that he was able to throw the ball to his dad, the man whom he credits for making him such a great baseball player. And it was nice how the team stood behind him while he was on the mound. They'll never forget everything Jorge did for the team, and I'm sure yesterday will rank high on his list of great Yankee memories.

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So I guess all Alex Rodriguez needed was to get a whiff of the air in the Bronx. After a five-game slump, he came out blazing in yesterday's game, going 3-for-4 with two singles and his 630th home run. He also threw in a stolen base for good measure. Alex is now tied with Ken Griffey, Jr. for 5th place on the all-time home run list, and needs 30 more to tie Willie Mays for 4th place. I think he can get that done this year; last season was the first in 14 that he didn't reach the 30 homer mark, and regardless of how bad the season played out for him, I'm not ready to give up hope that A-Rod can still put up big power numbers.

And how about Nick Swisher? He's been coming up with big hits for the Yankees, and today, his three-run, base-clearing double in the first inning proved to be the game winner. Swish has been seeing the ball really well, and is looking good at the plate; he's not swinging at too many pitches out of the zone and is fouling off balls pitched inside. I'm expecting him to have a season comparable to 2010; this is a contract year for Swish and with his name having been bounced around in trade talk for the prior two seasons, it's a no-brainer that he'll have to show the organization why he's more valuable to them than not.

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But today's game was really about Hiroki Kuroda. He pitched 8+ innings of shutout ball, allowing just five hits and  two walks while striking out six. He showed all four of his pitches--fastball, slider, sinker and curveball--mixing speeds anywhere from 78 to 93 mph. He had great command throughout the game, and showed a steady demeanor for a pitcher making his debut at the stadium. It was nice to see him bounce back from his shaky start in Tampa Bay.

And Curtis Granderson hit his second homer of the season; a line drive over the porch in right field that barely looked like a double at the point of contact. Grandy started Opening Week slow, but has picked up the pace rather nicely in the last few games.

Today, Phil Hughes gets his second start and will face CJ Wilson. There are two things I'm hoping will happen: Wilson doesn't make the Yankees regret not signing him in the offseason, and A-Rod and Albert Pujols go toe-to-toe in a match-up of the active home run leader versus his heir apparent. Today's game starts at 1pm on FOX.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Swish Secures Yankees Sweep of Orioles

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Nick Swisher saved what would have been a terrible loss for the Yankees, smashing a two-run home run in the top of the tenth inning of a 4-4 tie against Baltimore. The Yankees would go on to win 6-4, completing a sweep of the O's and bringing their record to 3-3. Last night's game was another nail-biter, as both teams went extra innings for the second night in a row. Swisher's home run followed a double by Mark Teixeira with two men out.

The Yankees were off to a great start in the first inning with Derek Jeter hitting a double and Curtis Granderson following with a monster two-run homer that made its way on to Baltimore's Eutaw Street. CC Sabathia pitched a stellar first, going 1-2-3 on just 12 pitches mixing his slider and sinker for strikes, and was able to get his four-seamer up to 92 mph.

But CC struggled afterward and alllowed Baltimore to come back and tie the game in the second inning at 2-2. It would take him 38 pitches just to get out of that inning. The Yankees needed CC to give them innings since most of their bullpen was unavailable, and he managed to stretch his outing to six. With 112 pitches, he gave up eight hits, two walks and struck out eight batters. Not a great night for the ace, but he was able to keep the Orioles at bay just enough for the bullpen to take over. Boone Logan, Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera all got the job done, giving up only two hits between them for the last three innings. Mo is now 2-for-3 in save opportunities.

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And although he wasn't the only batter to struggle in tonight's game, Alex Rodriguez had another poor night offensively, going 1-for-4 and striking out twice. A-Rod's batting average now sits below .150 on 4-for-23 hitting; not a huge deal at this point in the season, but not something that should be overlooked, either. Alex is not seeing the ball well as he's taken too many fastballs in the zone. He's also swinging "late" against pitches that he would normally tag. But what's most alarming is that he seems unable to make a full swing "through" balls pitched inside. This was a problem he had caused by his hip surgery, and it looked as if he had made progress with it during Spring Training. Hopefully with the off-day today, he'll be well rested and we'll see more production from him tomorrow.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Jeter and Nova Shine; Yankees Get First Win of '12

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Derek Jeter was on fire last night, leading the Yankees to a 6-2 win over the Orioles; their first win of the season. Jeter went 4-for-4 with three singles, a double, an RBI on a sacrifice fly and he scored a run. Ivan Nova also pitched a gem in his first start of the season, going seven innings and striking out seven without allowing a walk. Nova also prevented the Orioles from getting a hit with runners in scoring position. He had excellent command of his fastball, and was able to mix his four-seamer with curveballs for strikes. He was also able to get his fastball up as high as 96 mph.

The Yankees knocked out Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz early, limiting him to just four innings. In the fourth, he gave up walks to Curtis Granderson and Andruw Jones, followed by an RBI single to Russell Martin and sac-fly to Eduardo Nunez. Jeter would tag him for his second hit, an RBI double, and the Yankees were ahead 4-1. Nunez would later make an incredible defensive play, catching a line drive mid-air off of Wilson Betemit. The play prevented Matt Wieters from scoring from second base, and ended the fourth inning.

The Associated Press

Jones also did his part, hitting a line-drive solo shot to left field, putting the Yankees up 5-1 in the sixth. The Yankees final run would come on an RBI bunt from Brett Gardner who took over for Jones in left field in the bottom of the sixth.

Tonight, Freddy Garcia will get the start against Taiwanese import Wei-Yin Chen, who will make his major league debut after signing with the O's this past offseason.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper