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 

Not Time to Panic

Kim Klement - US Presswire

While I remain trying my best to get over the abomination of what was the Yankees' first series this past weekend, I would like to call on all of my fellow fanatics out there to calm down and release the panic button. An 0-3 start is not "sexy," but in Yankeeland, it's not even close to being the end of the world. The cries for Joe Girardi's job really need to stop; he made some very poor decisions this weekend I agree, but he's still a damn good manager, and deserves to at least make it through the first month of the season before fans start with the "Girardi has to go" nonsense. I just wanted to put that out there.

Wikimedia Commons

I won't rehash yesterday's game. It's too painful. I'd just like to look ahead to tonight's game against the Orioles, and pray that Ivan Nova has gotten over whatever his problem was in Spring Training. He's been solid against the O's in his short career, going 2-0 with 21 strikeouts in 25.1 innings; his best mark against any club. I'm also hoping that Camden Yards, known as a hitter's ballpark, will ignite a home run assault from our lineup.

And Andy Pettitte will make his first minor-league start tonight with the Tampa Yankees team against the Clearwater Threshers in Clearwater, Fl. I'm hoping that tomorrow's reports will say that he had excellent control of his cutter and slider, and that he mixed in a nasty changeup to strikeout several batters. Fingers crossed.

Here is tonight's lineup:

Derek Jeter - SS
Nick Swisher - RF
Robinson Cano - 2B
Alex Rodriguez - DH
Mark Teixeira - 1B
Curtis Granderson - CF
Andrew Jones - LF
Russell Martin - C
Eduardo Nunez - 3B

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

My Return and Moves for the 2012 Season

Fanatics!! Look who decided to come out of hiding. Yes, folks, I'm back. I have figured out a way to keep up with my busy life and continue to bring you guys my take on everything Yankees. The secret? Force myself to write at least every week no matter how tired I am, even if it's just a paragraph. I feel as though I've been completely disconnected from you all, and I can't have that. You guys are my extended family, and so, here I am, ready to talk Yankees.

On the ALDS - I won't go into great detail on this; the last thing I want to do is re-hash horrible memories of a loss that hurt like crazy. All that I will say is that the offense was abysmal and Joe Girardi's management was again, questionable.

It's time for a shake-up, people!

So where should it begin? Let's talk about this lineup. If I'm Brian Cashman, my first move is to put Nick Swisher on the trading block. It hurts me to say because I love Swish, but the downfall in his production this year, combined with another failed postseason, means it's time to go. The Yankees have a $10 million option on him for 2012, and if they decide to pick it up, it should only be for the sake of trading him. I give Swish much credit for the adjustments he made at the plate mid-season, which obviously helped him end the season batting .260, and for his home run production. But it's no longer enough. At this point, Carlos Beltran sounds like a viable option if he can stay healthy. If not Beltran, why not Andruw Jones? Jones is still a great outfielder and I believe he will produce more if he can play everyday.

Next up is Derek Jeter. For those of you who believe that to say anything adverse about Jeter is sacrilege, please skip ahead to the next paragraph. It is time to move The Captain to the end of the lineup. The days of Jeter being the fastest, most productive hitter and base stealing threat are long gone. Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson have clearly taken over that role, and I say, they should fill the 1-2 spots, respectively. I'd place Jeter in the 9-hole to not only tighten the back-end of the lineup, but also to give him opportunities to hit as the second lead-off man. It would be quite the scene to watch eight players' names be called before Jeter's, but Girardi must not continue to allow the reality of Jeter's present to be superseded by the legacy of his past.

And it's time for a switch-up in the middle of the lineup. I say, have Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira hit in the 3-4-5 spots, respectively. Sure, the Yankees had nothing to show for this set-up in the playoffs, but over a season, I think this will work well. Robbie is clearly the best hitter on the team and should have the 3-spot. If Tex bats behind A-Rod, he'll see better pitches which will hopefully translate into more hits and a better batting average. And, regardless of what any of you fanatics may think, if A-Rod comes back as healthy as he was during Spring Training and the beginning of the season, he will still be their best clean-up man. In A-Rod I still trust!

Russell Martin will no doubt be back as the everyday catcher, but my vote for his back-up is Francisco Cervelli. If the Baseball Gods would allow this kid to get through a full season of baseball without injury, I see no reason why he can't back-up Martin. He's a decent hitter, he's fearless and he calls a great game; particularly when the ace of the staff is the mound.

Which brings me to all the hullabaloo over CC Sabathia. If any of you believe that he will not be back with the Yankees next year, you also believe that the Yankees will pick up David Ortiz. CC will opt-out of his contract, as he has every right to, but it will only be to force the Yankees to pay him more money. He's become accustomed to life in New York and his family loves it here. But besides that, he knows that the Yankees can't afford to let him walk; he's going to get every bit of money he asks for, even if it means Cashman giving up his own salary to do so.

Speaking of Cashman, he's expected to sign a new contract with the team any day now. Sorry to you fanatics that hate him, and too bad to the Red Sox fans who secretly pray that he will become the new GM in Beantown. It ain't gonna happen. With a questionable rotation to sort out last offseason, Cashman put on his best poker face with the signings of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia and came out a winner; he also gambled and won by bringing in Jones and Eric Chavez. He's not going anywhere.

But Colon and Garcia will most likely not be back in 2012, so again, the Yankees head into another offseason in desperate need of viable starting pitching. Texas' CJ Wilson seems to be on the list of everyone's favorites; he's pitched .500 over the last 2 seasons with a 31-15 record and an ERA just over 3.00. He also ranked in the top 10 lowest ERAs this season with a 2.94. The cardinals' Edwin Jackson has also been mentioned as an option for the Yankees. Yu Darvish, the phenom from Japan, is also picking up steam around the blogosphere as a possible candidate, but I doubt if the Yankees are open to signing another Asian pitcher; it hasn't worked out very well for them so far. I'm guessing all roads will probably lead to Wilson and the resurgence of talk about "King" Felix Hernandez. I'm resigned to giving up on that dream, however; he's not leaving Seattle.

So as the offseason gets underway and the Hot Stove heats up, I'm gearing up for an exciting few months of ridiculous rumors, speculation and the chase for Sabathia. Should be a really good time, fanatics.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

They Love Us in Minnesota

Let's gloat a little, fanatics. The Yankees OWN the Minnesota Twins. It's just a fact. I normally watch Yankee games feeling nothing but antipathy for the opposing team, and for me, the bigger the Yankee beat-down, the happier I feel. But when the Yankees play the Twins I actually feel bad, really. Of course I want my boys to win, but dang, sometimes I say to myself, "Will the Twins ever catch a break?" And will they? It just seems like they have no answer for the Yankees no matter who's on the mound or in the lineup; it's kind of sad, actually. Thank God I'm not a Twins fan.

Take last night's game. The Yankees won, 8-4. Another game where the home run dominance that the Yankees have shown all season was in the forefront. Mark Teixeira started the home run parade with a 2-run shot to left in the 3rd inning, scoring Curtis Granderson and putting the boys up 3-2. Speaking of Teixeira, I'm very disappointed in his .249 batting average, but if he continues to hit the long stroke with men on base, I'm more than willing to overlook it. Next up was Nick Swisher, who crushed another 2-run shot to left, scoring Tex and putting the Yankees up 5-2. Andruw Jones immediately followed with a solo blast to the 3rd level of the left field porch on a 3-1 count; Yankees go up, 6-2. I have to say that it's amazing how much you ignore great players that you're not privileged to see on a regular basis. I've never cared much about anything that I've ever heard about Jones throughout his career as far as his power goes, but I see now what baseball fans have been talking about; this guy can turn on a fastball like nobody's business. Not just the power behind it, but the speed on his swing is incredible. The blast was as Paul O'Neill would say, an absolute bomb!

Beside the homers, Yankees got hits from guys that have been coming up big in big situations. The Tex 2-run homer was made possible on a triple from Granderson. Brett Gardner hit a sac-fly in the 2nd inning that scored Eduardo Nunez, who has certainly earned the right to remain with the team for the rest of the season and the playoffs. In the 9th, a single from Francisco Cervelli scored Jones and Nunez, and pretty much put the game too far ahead for the Twins.

You would think that all this would have been enough to showcase the Yankees dominance over the Twins. But before a run was ever scored, the Baseball Gods, who can be downright cruel when they want to be, played the nastiest joke on Minnesota that could be played. CC Sabathia, who was beyond shaky in the first few innings of last night's game, gave up what was originally deemed a 2-run shot to Justin Morneau in the 1st inning, by the 1st place umpire. Unfortunately for Morneau, Joe Girardi, still reeling from the costly home run call the night before, had a better view of the shot and argued it a foul ball. The umpires reviewed the call and reversed it. Wow!! At that moment all I could do was shake my head, I mean, if this were any other team, reversing that call would have had me jumping out of  my seat. But I genuinely felt sorry for them. They have the absolute worst luck against the Yankees than any team I've ever seen. Really.

And it's becoming evident now how frustrating the bad luck is becoming. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, was ejected from last night's game after emphatically arguing the reversed call. It made no sense for him to argue the way he did; the umpires reviewed it. We can go back to Wednesday's game against the Royals and say that the umpires blew a call there that they reviewed, but this situation was completely different. Wednesday's call was to determine a homer or a double; last night was to determine a homer or a foul ball. It's highly unlikely that umpires will miss a foul ball call on a replay. But getting back to my point, Gardenhire's frustration, I believe, was less about the call, and more about the call coming against the Yankees. He knows that any opportunity given to the Bombers to take a game, they will, and they did last night. I really feel for Gardenhire.

Anyhoo, Alex Rodriguez was back with the team last night. He's not expected to be activated until either Saturday or next Tuesday, but it was a plus to just have him present in the dugout, eating quenepas. If you're curious about those "Spanish limes" that A-Rod tosses back, you can read up on them, here. I love them; got a batch in my fridge right now.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Hip, Hip, Jorge!

It's been a rough year for Jorge Posada.

A valued member of the "Core Four," he has taken a lot of hits this year, beginning in the offseason, when GM Brian Cashman told him that he would no longer be the everyday catcher for the Yankees, but would instead be their designated hitter. It was a move that most of us saw coming, taking into account Jorge's age and the injuries that have plagued him for the past few seasons, coupled with the rising star of prospect Jesus Romero and the known defense of newcomer Russell Martin. Being the DH made sense, as Jorge has always been productive as a hitter, but his efforts in April and May were, for lack of a better word, lackluster, as he batted .132 and .219, respectively.

And who could forget "Jorge-Gate;" my term for the craziness that surrounded Jorge's request for a "day off" just an hour before a start on May 14, after learning of his demotion in the lineup during a series against the Red Sox at the stadium. It was an ugly turn of events that left many believing Jorge's run with the Yankees may come to an end this year.

But, Jorge managed to turn things around in June. He batted .382, getting 26 hits in 22 games. It seemed as though he was on his way back to being the hitter he once was, and on the verge of silencing the critics who deemed him "washed up." But it wouldn't last very long, as July saw his production dwindling again. He fared better overall than he had earlier in the season, but in 17 games following the All-Star break, Jorge went homer-less and managed only two RBIs. The lack of hitting was enough to force Joe Girardi to make a difficult, but necessary decision.

And so, it was announced last Sunday, that Jorge would no longer be the everyday DH, but would instead be a bench player. The honor of DH would go to Eric Chavez, who could be platooned to third base on days when starters like Derek Jeter or Mark Teixeira need a day off from playing in the field.

"[Girardi] said he's going to put the best lineup on the field," Jorge said. "And he doesn't know when I'm going to DH again, so right now I'm sitting the bench."

The one thing that most of us had to know, was that there was no way Jorge would repeat the mistake he made on May 14 by throwing another "temper tantrum." The criticism he received by haters and fans alike was scathing, and I believe he learned all too fast how quickly even an icon can turn into Public Enemy No. 1. What Jorge needed to do was just be ready to play whenever called upon, and give Girardi a reason to rethink his position. He did that yesterday.

Coming up to the plate in his first at-bat yesterday afternoon against the Rays, Jorge received a standing ovation at the stadium from sympathetic fans who wanted to show him that they appreciated all he's done for the Yankees in his career. Jorge responded with a two-RBI single to right field. He answered a second round of cheers in the fourth inning, with a single to center. For an encore in the fifth, following a solo shot by Curtis Granderson and a double and two walks by Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez, respectively, Jorge smacked a grand slam homer to the right field porch; the tenth of his career. It put the Yankees ahead 7-0 and they would go on to win 9-2. This was an incredible day for a proud man who has to have been in doubt of his worth at this point in his career.

After the big hit, Jorge would wave to the crowd for a rousing curtain call; a definite act of vindication.

"The fans are a big reason that I love playing the game. They deserve a lot of credit,"Jorge said.

It's been rumored that the relationship between Jorge and Girardi has been sketchy since Jorge relieved Girardi of his everyday catching duties back in the late 90's. If there is dissension between the two, you wouldn't know it listening to Girardi's comments after the game.

"[Jorge] is a beloved Yankee and we all love him," Girardi said. "At times it's been a struggle for him but he's never stopped working. For that, I'm extremely proud of him."

As are we. I'll be the first to tell you fanatics, that I was in total agreement with Girardi for benching Jorge, and I still am. It's never easy benching a legend, especially when that legend plays for the Yankees, but what's best for the team must always come first, and I believe Girardi made the right call. I also believe that Jorge, although obviously disappointed, knew in his heart that the demotion was deserved. But today, he gave me, Girardi, and every other person in agreement with his benching, a reason to maybe think twice before relegating him to the dugout. The legend appears to have a lot of game left in him. With a month and a half left to the season, a continuation of today's performance down the stretch, could easily secure Jorge a spot on the postseason roster. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

And...

Phil Hughes continues to make a bid for a permanent spot in the rotation. He pitched 6 solid innings, striking out six batters, and only allowing two runs on four hits in yesterday's win. The fastball was definitely working for Hughes. It's likely that he may be designated to the bullpen, as Ivan Nova has clearly earned his way back in to the rotation, but Hughes certainly made that an even tougher decision for Girardi to make with today's performance.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Jorge-Gate and Everything Else

It is a bad time in Yankeeland. A very, very, very bad time. As the Yankees go down last night for the second straight game to the Red Sox 6-0, the loss marks their 8th in the last 11 games.

In these first 2 weeks of May, the Yankees have managed only 5 wins, 51 runs, 15 homers and 48 RBIs. Their April numbers were 14, 128, 41 and 127, respectively. They've gone from slugging .475 to.395, a drop of almost 100 points. And their OPS has shifted from .813 to .728, another significant drop. Yes, we're only halfway through May, but in watching these games for the past two weeks, seeing what appears to be a total collapse of this team's offense, it seems hard to fathom that the Yankees can pull their numbers up to even contend with what they did in April.

And the ugliness of what is becoming pure fodder, made a terrible turn for the worse last night. Jorge Posada, who has been absolutely abysmal as of late and was slated to bat 9th in the lineup, decided to scratch himself from the game because he needed to "clear [his] head," as he told the media afterward. Rumblings from different media sources were that Jorge "threw a fit" on learning of his demotion, this according to team officials. Ken Rosenthal, who reported from the sidelines for the FOX game coverage, said that he personally spoke to Posada before the game and Jorge said that he was okay with playing 9th and acknowledged that it was a deserved move by Joe Girardi. During the game, Rosenthal spoke to GM Brian Cashman who said that Jorge's removal was not injury related and that Jorge "just took himself out of the game." Shortly after Cash spoke, Jorge's wife Laura posted on facebook that her husband suffered with a stiff back.



In the midst of all this, rumblings began that perhaps Jorge was about to make an early, permanent exit. But YES' Jack Curry spoke with Jorge's dad who said that Jorge was in no way retiring, but acknowledged that his son should have played in the game. After the loss, Girardi told the media that Jorge came to him and just said he needed to "take a day," but never made mention of any back stiffness. Finally, when Jorge spoke to the media at his locker, he said that he just needed a day off, but also acknowledged that he never told Girardi or Cash that his back was stiff. He also acknowledged, when asked, that he felt disrespected.

So you can see how all of this is very confusing. The stories aren't clearly adding up. But regardless of that, one thing is clear: Jorge Posada gave up on his team last night, and that is unacceptable, especially for a guy who has been known to get in the faces of other players in that clubhouse who he himself has accused of doing the same thing.

I have no problem with Jorge needing a day off. In fact, I think that it was necessary. He has been struggling mightily of late and seems to be falling into the worst luck of his career. But my problem, is the timing. If any of us showed up to work an hour before the start of the workday and decided that we needed to take that day off for personal reasons, we'd be fired. Period. I refuse to believe that Jorge didn't realize the need for a day off, say, the night before. It's obvious that he was upset over being moved to the 9-spot and he protested; I'm not buying that this had no bearing on him scratching himself.

So what could this mean for Jorge? Quite simply, no negotiation for a new contract. Don't know if any of you fanatics out there saw Rosenthal's interview with Cashman, but Mr. GM's tone and body language were reminiscent of the "cryptic" response he gave when he fired Dave Eiland as pitching coach. When he said that he spoke to Jorge and that Jorge pulled himself out of the game, he twitched, almost like he was struggling not to announce Jorge's dismissal right then and there. But Cashman is the master of holding back, yet giving viewers just enough to know where his mind is. It's classic PR, and he is the best at it. One can only imagine, however, if Rosenthal were interviewing Hank Steinbrenner, how different that would have gone down.

And, Jorge was upset that Cashman decided to make a statement during the game.

"I don't know why he made a statement during the game," Jorge said. "I don't understand that. That's the way he works now, I guess.

"I think we should have waited for the game to be over to talk to whoever. You don't do that. You're not supposed to do that."

Cashman countered that it is common practice for a statement to be made when a player removes himself from the lineup and that Jorge knew that he was going to make a statement. Matter-of-fact, Cashman spent an hour talking to Jorge and his agent letting them know as much. My question is, if Cashman was so wrong to interject during the game, what does Jorge have to say about his wife Laura, who is making it a bad habit to post and tweet comments at inopportune times? Comments that should be left to her husband?

But with all this, it remains that there is serious trouble in the Yankee clubhouse. This team as a whole is not living up to their billing at all and it's embarrassing. No offense, silly errors in the past few games and a disgruntled soldier within the ranks, all add up to the need for a shake-up. I'm calling for someone in that clubhouse to crack skulls. Normally, that would be Jorge, but at the moment, I think he could use someone shaking him up a bit. I elect Derek Jeter for that role, as the two are best friends and Jeter's careful approach to everything, can only work for a guy with as much pride as Jorge.

But it would really surprise me if a team meeting hasn't already been called. Someone needs to remind Alex Rodriguez of why he's the highest paid contractual player in the history of sports. Somebody needs to tell Mark Teixeira that it's enough with the pop-ups already, especially with men on base. Somebody needs to let Nick Swisher know that his patience at the plate has been lacking and that it's time for him to stop swinging at bad pitches. And Jeter needs to remember that the name "Captain Clutch" was not simply given, it was earned. It's time for this team to get back to playing YANKEES baseball. Period.

And for an interesting and eye-opening look at how Jorge-gate is only the beginning of what may be in store for this team, check out ESPN's Wallace Matthews' scathing assessment here.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Bartolo, Cano Shine In Yankees Win

Before last night's 3-1 Yankee win over the White Sox, I tweeted to my fellow fanatics that we would see if Bartolo Colon was the real deal. I've given him much praise for what he's done so far, but there was still a part of me that was not ready to believe that he is as good as he looked in his start before last night. Bartolo proved me wrong, again.

His performance last night at the stadium was an even better showing than the start in Toronto. The biggest difference was that he pitched a brilliant 8 innings without any signs of fatigue or wear. He allowed only one run and struck out 6 batters. Again, he had all four of his pitches working last night--fastball, curveball, changeup and slider--and he dialed his fastball up to 96 mph. This is amazing when you consider that before this season, he hadn't pitched in the majors since '09.

But besides the performance, Colon is showing a cool confidence on the mound right now, that I believe is the reason why Joe Girardi opted to keep him in the game for 8 innings. We knew before the game that Rafael Soriano, who's clearly in a battle with himself right now, would probably not be available for the 8th inning, but I don't believe that to be the reason why Colon was stretched. David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan were all available. I think Girardi saw what I did: a guy in a good pitch count that was in complete domination mode. Colon simply dominated the White Sox last night. He now sports an ERA of 2.77. Dare I say that Bartolo may be moving back to his 2005, Cy-Young form? It certainly looks that way right now.

And let's give it up for Robinson Cano, who is on his way to another standout season. With singles from Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, Robbie clubbed a sharp line drive to the right field seats for a 3-run home run that would prove to be all the Yankees needed last night. He now has 4 homers and 10 RBIs on the season.

Overall, the Yankees offense didn't do much, but the home run was just enough for Bartolo to keep them in line for the win. Tonight, the ace, CC Sabathia, gets the start against Edwin Jackson. Could be another good night for Robbie, as lefties are hitting .329 against Jackson so far.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Nova's Lack of Adjustment Will Be Problem Down the Stretch

My dad believes that Joe Girardi has a "problem" with Ivan Nova.

"Until I see otherwise, no one can convince me that Girardi doesn't like this kid," my dad said last Saturday. "He pulls this kid out the moment he makes a mistake. Nova will never build confidence that way."

Kudos for me for being wise enough to write this down when my dad said it as we spoke over the phone. I "somewhat" agreed with his take on Nova, but I also defended Girardi's quick pull of the trigger on this kid, and I sensed that in a game that Nova would fall apart, I'd be able to use this quote of my dad's as part of my defense.

In last night's 5-3 loss to the Texas Rangers, Nova was terrible. He lacked location on his pitches, pitching low fastballs and sliders into the dirt. He also threw wild pitches and more balls than strikes. In 4.1 innings, he walked 5 batters and earned all 5 of the Rangers' runs. Just not a good start at all, and you have to wonder if this kid is going to be able to give the Yankees needed innings down the stretch.

Now, last night's meltdown was different from what my dad was referring to. His argument was that in Nova's starts where he pitches really well in the beginning and falls flat later, Girardi doesn't give him a chance to pull himself out like he would if say, AJ Burnett were struggling. Well, last night, Nova was terrible from beginning to end, and I'm sure that as my dad watched this game, he too probably cheered when Nova was pulled in the 5th.

But what was apparent in last night's game, and all of his other starts where he's fared better, is Nova's lack of adjustment. And by adjustment, I'm talking on 2 fronts: 1) the lack of adjustment in his pitches, and 2) the lack of adjustment in his attitude. Is it just me or does anyone else see that Nova completely shuts himself down mentally when he's struggling? You see it in his body language and it's pretty much written all over his face. This kid can pitch, and for me, there's no reason why he can't rebound when he struggles. But he fails to pull himself together and settle down enough to execute the pitch he wants. And this is why I defend Girardi, because I think he sees this and does what he has to do to minimize the damage. You, like my dad, can argue that Nova will never build confidence if he's not allowed to battle through his struggles. I'd argue that Nova's confidence is his problem to deal with, not Girardi's.

And not to blame last night's loss completely on Nova, because the Yankee batters were not much better. They hit into 6 double plays. Six double plays. Seriously? Last night was the night of ground balls for this lineup. It was really no fun to watch.

On a brighter note, the bullpen did a pretty good job. David Robertson pitched a decent 5th in relief of Nova, although two wild pitches allowed Texas' Elvus Andrus to score. Boon Logan finally made it through an inning without giving up a run. And Lance Pendleton, who was brought up from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill in the roster spot for Phil Hughes, pitched a spotless 7 through 9 with 2 strikeouts.

I like Ivan Nova. I said that he would be part of the starting rotation back in February. He's that good. But he has to learn to make adjustments when he's struggling. Freddy Garcia will pitch his first start today, weather permitting. He has yet to prove what he'll bring to the table in 2011. Bartolo Colon seems like a pitcher reinvented, and has now taken Hughes' slot in the rotation as he is on the DL with a "dead" arm. If Garcia bodes as well as Colon has, and if the two give the Yankees strong starts down the stretch, it will be Nova heading back to the minors if the Yankees do indeed make a trade for a starting pitcher.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Girardi Slips, Yankees Lose

Last night's 5-4 loss to Minnesota never had to happen. Matter-of-fact, it never should have happened. The collapse in yesterday's game is a clear example of the how Joe Girardi over-manages his bullpen. I make no bones about touting Joe as one of the best managers in the game, who never gets any credit for managing a team of superstars which isn't as easy as most may think it is. But perhaps last night justifies the argument of many that Joe seems to have moved away from the brilliance of how he managed his bullpen in '08 and '09.

With the Yankees heading into the 8th inning leading the Twins 4-0, Girardi opted to bring in Rafael Soriano in relief of CC Sabathia. It was surprising on two fronts: 1) he had David Robertson warming up to come in and Robertson had only pitched one inning three days before against Detroit; 2) Soriano had pitched the day before. Now granted, before coming into last night's game, RaSo had only pitched twice, but looking ahead, you've got the Boston series coming up and, you've got Freddy Garcia facing Carl Pavano in tonight's game. As my blogging buddy J-Boogie pointed out, what if Garcia can only go 5-6 innings? You'll need Soriano to come in but now with 50+ pitches under his belt, he may not be available.

So Soriano comes in, walks Danny Valencia and Jim Thome, then gives up a single to Denard Span to load the bases. He strikes out Tsuyoshi Nishioka looking on a 92 mph fastball and it seems like he might be catching his stride, but he loses the zone again and gives up another walk to Joe Mauer which puts the Twins on the board for the first time at 4-1.

Girardi then decides to bring in Robertson, who gives up a double to Delmon Young thath cleared the bases and the game was tied at 4-4. You can say well, Robertson gave up the big hit that allowed the Twins to come back and win, but that double would have seemed a whole lot different had it been at the top of the 8th with no men on. Again, agreeing with J-Boogie, if Robertson could have gotten through at least 2/3 of the 8th but continued to struggle, that would have been the time to bring RaSo in for possible damage control. Hell, as good as Mo's been, and was, following Robertson in the 9th, I would have brought him in to finish out the 8th inning.

I can't really be mad at Girardi's next move, but it proved to support the classic phrase "hindsight is 20/20." With the game tied in extra innings, Boone Logan gets the call. He walks Span, then allows singles to Nishioka and Mauer and the Twins go up 5-4, which is all they would need. Had Girardi called in Luis Ayala instead, who pitched an excellent 10th inning relief of Boone, the game may have stayed tied and the Yankees would have had another chance in the 11th for a comeback.

What hurt most is that the win was blown for CC. He pitched an incredible game; throwing for strikes with his changeup, slider and fastball. This makes the second no-decision for the ace and you gotta believe that he must have felt really disappointed last night in the bullpen's performance, although you'll never hear him say that. After getting into trouble in the 2nd with singles to Jason Kubel and Valencia, CC was lights out, pitching 1-2-3 innings from the 3rd to the 7th. He gave up only the 2 singles, walked 1 and struck out 6.

And why couldn't CC pitch at least 2/3 into the 8th? If the argument is that you don't want to over-stretch him so early in the season, consider this: during CC's second start last year against the Rays, he pitched into the 8th in the now infamous "almost a no-hitter" game. In his second start. And last year, CC had more pitches going into the 8th of that game than he had last night, but Girardi had no problem stretching him. Hmmm.....

Fanatics, we know that Joe is a play-by-the-setup type of manager who obviously isn't comfortable with taking many chances. Last night was definitely an opportunity for him to take a chance on giving the 8th inning to Robertson, but, he made what he believed was the right call; the best we can hope for is that tonight's game is not more of the same.


And...

The Yankees 4 runs came on a 3-run homer by Mark Teixeira and a solo shot from Andruw Jones. Alex Rodriguez continued his hit streak with a single in the 6th to right field.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Girardi: Andy Is Working Out To Be In Baseball Shape

The old adage that "no news is good news" works in some cases, but it doesn't work here.

Here's what Brian Costello of the NY Post just recently tweeted:

"Joe Girardi spoke to Andy Pettitte last week. No decision, but Girardi confirms Pettitte is at least working out to be in baseball shape."

I said a few days ago that I was not going to create anymore posts based on Pettitte's non-decision, as the endless reports and blogs repeating the same thing over and over again have made me dizzy. But to know that Andy is indeed working out, is well worth posting on. Matter-of-fact, this is probably the most optimistic I've felt this entire offseason.

Although Costello was clear to note that no decision has been made by Pettitte yet, the implication is worth getting excited about. The fact that Andy is working out to be in "baseball shape" means that the competitiveness that normally rises to the surface as Spring Training nears, has arisen once again. It's had its Hawaiian vacation, had its time to relax and "just chill" and is now ready to make its annual appearance.

Am I too excited? Probably. There is still a chance that he will walk away and ride off into the Texas sunset, but my gut tells me that he will muster up enough of the Old Andy for just one more fling. Roger Clemens be damned!

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

CC Sbathia Knee Surgery Update

As I blogged this past Thursday, CC Sabathia had arthroscopic surgery performed on his right knee to repair a minor meniscus tear. The surgery was performed at New York Presbyterian hospital by Yankees team physician, Dr. Chris Ahmad.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi revealed Friday what most in the media and fan base had already assumed: Sabathia's knee was an issue during the 2010 season. However, according to Girardi, "there was never a start that was in question because of [it]."

Sabathia is expected to begin rehabilitation immediately. If all goes as planned, he should be ready to workout in 3-6 weeks to prepare for Spring Training. You can check out the following link to get an idea of how the surgery may have gone : http://video.about.com/sportsmedicine/Medial-Meniscus-Injury.htm

So, the Sabathia "knee watch" is officially on. Stay tuned...

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Three More Years of Cool Joe

The Yankees made it official today, formally announcing the signing of Joe Girardi to a 3-year contract extension, keeping the manager in pinstripes through 2013. The deal is reportedly worth $9 million, a reasonable pay raise from Girardi's prior contract: 3 years at $7.8 million.

The new contract includes bonuses of up to $500,000 if the Bombers win another World Series.

The move is welcome news for fans of Girardi, who may have been skeptical of his return, as rumors swirled during the season speculating Girardi was a front-runner for the manager position with the Chicago Cubs after former Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced he would retire at season's end. Girardi, however, always had staying with the Yankees in mind.

"I didn't really think about leaving the Yankees," says Girardi. " My thought process was that I was going to be back."

In three seasons with the Bombers, Girardi has a World Series championship (2009), and sports a 287-199 (.591) record; the best in the majors over that period.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Sat It Ain't So, Joe

In my Enter Sandman? post, I stated that this year's ALCS would be remembered for the absent bats of the Yankees. I would like to take this moment to detract that statement.

As the thoughts of this ALCS and the Yankees humbling loss to the Rangers in game 6 continue to swirl in the mind of the Bomber faithful, what will be remembered, and discussed, and recounted to the point of nausea will be the "questionable" management of Joe Girardi.

For a second, critical game in this series, Girardi opted to overuse a struggling, starting pitcher and both times, it cost the Yankees the game. Phil Hughes, who to his credit pitched far better last night in game 6 than his efforts in game 2, gave up a game-ending, series-ending 2-run double to Vladimir Guerrero in the fifth inning after walking Josh Hamilton with a man on for the second time. The move worked in the second inning, as Guerrero popped out. But the second go-round, he made the Yankees pay.

If you live by the sword, you die by the sword.

No one can argue that Hamilton continuously burned the Yankees in this series. But what will baffle fanatics from now until the fresh excitement of Spring training, is why Hughes was left in to face Guerrero with CC Sabathia available in the bullpen.

Again, Hughes really pitched a decent game, but it was obvious that he was winding down. As a manager, isn't it your job to know when your pitcher has had enough? Aren't you suppose to make critical decisions based on the present situation? Wouldn't you want your absolute best pitcher on the mound at this point?

And why did it even have to get to the point of walking Hamilton? Sabathia was available in the bullpen. Girardi said himself that if they used CC it would probably be to face two batters. And yet when the opportunity came for him to do so, he opted to stick with Hughes.

"Hughesy has had success off Vlad Guerrero and got him out twice, and that's why he stayed there," Girardi explained.

No. No. No. No. No.

Sabathia was brought over to the Yankees for moments like this. He was the ONLY pitcher at that moment who was supposed to face Hamilton and shut down Guerrero. If he couldn't, at least you knew that your best was out there. But Girardi never gave himself or his team their best chance to stay in the game.

So went the game, so went the series.

"You have to give some credit to their pitchers," Girardi said. "They obviously made some good pitches when they had to."

You have to also give credit to Ron Washington, who out-managed Girardi and optimized his pitch staff because he had to.