OK, now it's starting to feel like 2007 all over again. What is up with this team and their sluggish first half starts? The Yankees dropped a 6-4 decision to the Tigers last night on an evening when Alex Rodriguez received some especially bad news, being placed on the 15-day disabled list with a Grade 2 strain of his right quadriceps.

What happened to that well-conditioned team we were all talking about in Spring Training? The injury bug has bit hard here, with A-Rod, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter all missing time. When you're looking ahead to Wilson Betemit's rehab assignment at Triple-A, that's a really bad sign.

Phil Hughes struggled again last night and you have to wonder how long the leash will be. Sure, it's 60 feet and six inches no matter where Hughes pitches, but you have to remember that he's 21 and maybe adjusting at the big league level won't work out.

I said the same thing with Ian Kennedy -- there is no shame in it if either of those guys has to dip back down to the Minors for a stint. If the Yankees give International League Pitcher of the Week Darrell Rasner a turn or two while Kennedy or Hughes tweaks a few things, it's only to their long-term benefit.

Last night was not the time to mention it to Hughes, but I knew just what he was talking about when he said he couldn't see the catcher's signs. Back in the day, we fixed it by having the catcher tap parts of his thigh for pitches instead of flashing fingers. Then again, pitching a night game at Yankee Stadium is quite a bit different than hurling under the starry skies at some municipal field in New York. You'd hope the lighting is better.

Plenty to talk about at Yankee Stadium as the Yankees have returned home for a nine-game homestand, opening up with Kenny Rogers and the Tigers.

First, the festivities: The Yankees called a 3 p.m. ET press conference to announce their plans for the All-Star Game this July in the Bronx, including the All-Star FanFest to be held at the Javits Center in Manhattan. Derek Jeter and Yogi Berra were on hand for the conference in the Stadium Club, as was New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Second, the injuries. The Yankees are hoping for better news at some point on Jorge Posada but, as of right now, they believe he may be able to dodge the knife. Posada will see another doctor on Thursday and has refused further comment outside of releasing a statement. Brian Bruney is hoping the same thing but he's waiting on a third diagnosis after the first two doctors recommended surgery.

A roster move? Yeah, we've got one - Chris Britton out, Edwar Ramirez in. A Yankees debut? There's Chris Stewart behind the dish with Jose Molina getting a day off. And a good human interest story surfaced as well -- Harlan Chamberlain is out of the hospital and resting comfortably.

I forgot what it was like to cover a home game in the Bronx. Meanwhile, Phil Hughes could have used a better start than that. You have to wonder what would have happened if he'd gone longer than two innings at Chicago when he was really dealing.

Guess the arrival of Chris Stewart won't be played up as a good luck charm. Through five innings, the Yankees have not managed a hit against Indians left-hander Aaron Laffey, though they've had three base-runners ... two in the first inning on a leadoff walk and an error by third baseman Casey Blake. If Jorge Posada is watching, he's doing it from Birmingham, Alabama.

EDIT: Melky Cabrera, there you go. Infield single in the top of the sixth breaks it up.

Mike Mussina threw four zeroes on the board but ran into some trouble in the fifth. This, believe it or not, is the Yankees' final game in Cleveland this season. I personally enjoy coming here because the restaurant area by the ballpark is quite walkable and lively most nights. I would say that it's fairly dubious, though, that there are signs -- posted by the city -- anchored to many of the light posts urging you not to give to homeless people.

I understand that the city is asking that you donate it to a fund to help them instead, but it seems like a bit much. Meanwhile, I always like checking out the construction progress of the new stadium. The blog Sliding Into Home has a couple of real nice ones from a whirlybird.

Oh, and Kyle Farnsworth liked that Buck Hunter video game so much, he's shelling out the $5,000 to have one installed in his home. That ought to occupy more than a few rainy days during the offseason.

Cleveland played host to the breaking point for Jorge Posada, always one of the most blunt Yankees and the most likely to speak his mind on any given topic. When he tried to throw and his right shoulder told him no this afternoon, Posada said that enough was enough -- he's convinced the diagnosis of a strain is incorrect, and he intends to find out just what is wrong with his throwing arm.

Say what you will to paint a rosy picture, but very few people ever walk into Dr. James Andrews' office without the world's most noted orthopedic surgeon finding something he can clean up.

In the short term, of course, this hurts the Yankees. Jose Molina has been a wonderful backup since he came over in July, but he isn't the type of player who you'd ever give a four-year, $52.4 million deal to. Therein lies the important part -- the Yankees need to be able to see the forest from the trees here, and understand that they don't want to be stuck with a catcher who can't catch (and reacts like he gulped a gallon of lemon juice when you bring up first base) in Years 2, 3 and 4.

Does that look like a bad investment now? Let's Monday morning quarterback for a bit and say perhaps, but flash back, and the Yankees knew they were going to need Posada back. To do that, they were going to have to overpay for him after a 2007 season when he, and arguably not Alex Rodriguez, was the team's most indispensable player. To lose Posada for an extended period of time could have crushed the '07 Yankees.

Now they've lost Posada for at least 15 days. I suspect it'll be longer than that. 

This is bad news for the Yankees.

Something's up with Jorge Posada, but the Yankees haven't let us know what it is just yet. All I can tell you is that the Indians announced the lineup change about five minutes before first pitch, with no reason given. Jose Molina is behind the plate instead and Posada was yanked out of the five hole. Yankees PR director Jason Zillo said that they'll have more information after the game.

It's a new era here with the Yankees. I think you've already seen that Joe Girardi doesn't like to give out any information that might somehow affect the opposition's in-game decisions -- Girardi has said numerous times that he won't speak about relievers' availability, believing that could be an advantage for the other side. The one exception was Brian Bruney, who was in a walking boot and obviously was not going to pitch on Thursday in Chicago.

That brings us to Joba Chamberlain, who sat for two consecutive games after throwing 33 pitches in that Chicago loss. Chamberlain hit a soft spot on the mound and felt a tweak in the back of his left hamstring, but the Yankees don't seem to believe it's anything all that serious. You can understand the cautiousness, though, when you realize that Chamberlain didn't pitch until May last year with a strained hamstring.

Those hamstrings are tricky things - once you feel them start to tighten up on you, you'd better back off a little before blowing it out. I should know - it happened yesterday in the gym (yes, we writers do get to go to the gym once in a while). My left hamstring will be ready to go tomorrow and the Yankees expect Joba's to be ready for today.  

Shelley Duncan is back with the Yankees and back in the lineup, playing right field today. Judging by the force with which he shook all of the reporters' hands, I'd say it's safe to say he's happy to be back. There was a stretch there where he single-handedly destroyed International League pitching. Duncan said playing for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was like playing for a Triple-A All-Star team.

The corresponding roster move is Billy Traber, who's been sent to Triple-A. With Traber out, the Yankees will lean on their right-handers to retire left-handed batters, something that Girardi believes they will be able to handle. The Yankees opted to keep both Jonathan Albaladejo and Chris Britton - recalled Friday - for those purposes.

Albaladejo has retired 12 of 14 lefties (.143) faced this year in the big leagues, while lefties were hitting Traber for a .375 (6-for-16) mark. The Yankees need a reliable hurler against lefties, especially with Kyle Farnsworth (.438, 7-for-16) and LaTroy Hawkins (.421, 8-for-19) appearing vulnerable.

Morgan Ensberg checked in with a guest blog over on Phil Hughes' site. Ensberg is a funny guy, as you'll see, as I would expect of a fellow Ron Burgundy aficionado. Still wondering about his rowboat question. By the way, I absolutely love these old-school retro Indians uniforms. I'm waiting for Rocky Colavito or Bob Feller to show up on the field.

One last item. For the second day in a row, the printed lineup sheets the Indians provided list the Yankees leadoff batter as "Jhonny Damon." That's how you know you're in Cleveland.

As we watch Billy Traber have a bit of trouble here in the sixth inning, I'm reminded of last week in New York, when I rattled off a Q&A with the left-hander that -- for one reason or another -- never made it into print. Here's an excerpt that is appropriate given where this game is being played...

MLB.com: What's the strangest thing you've ever seen associated with baseball?

Traber: That would have to be in Cleveland, my first season. I had fans following me home from Jacobs Field. The ballpark was downtown and it's obviously a great city because everything was so close, so I didn't drive. The fans would follow me home sometimes. I'd sign autographs, and you'd think that after a couple of blocks they'd get bored, but there were a lot of days that I'd get followed all the way from Jacobs Field to West 9th Street, which was like 10 blocks away. It was definitely an eye-opener.

Back to the action. I noticed today that, with Chad Moeller on his way out the door, Morgan Ensberg had quickly stowed a mask back in his locker. He's the third catcher around these parts and he's not letting anyone forget it.  Last year the Yankees' emergency catcher was Doug Mientkiewicz, though you'd think Shelley Duncan would do a bang-up job if they ever would let him strap on the gear.

And while I'm on a rant (hi, Dennis Miller), see if this makes sense to you. Why would a Continental Airlines flight attendant wake me up this morning to tell me the plane can't take off if I have the little plastic blind down in front of my window? Is the pilot going to come back and steer the plane from Seat 2A? Just a thought. By the way, the same flight attendant came back upon landing. Planes that can't land or take off with a window shade down seems to me like a huge design flaw.

"Good evening and welcome to Teepee Talk!  Hey, in case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven't ... the Indians have managed to scrape together a few wins and are threatening to climb out of the cellar!"

I can never pass up an opportunity to quote Bob Uecker or Major League. Here in Cleveland, the Yankees are a little bit reconfigured, having placed Brian Bruney on the 15-day disabled list with a potentially season-ending Lisfranc injury and adding pitchers Jonathan Albaladejo and Chris Britton. Catcher Chad Moeller has been sent out into baseball limbo, where he'll reside for the next 72 hours to see if a team claims him. If not, he'll report to Triple-A. In the meantime, Moeller gets to fly home to Arizona and see his 2-year-old and 4-year-old children for the first time in a month.

The Progressive Field (still getting used to that name) visiting clubhouse has to be one of the coolest in baseball. I walked in today around 3:30 p.m. ET and saw Kyle Farnsworth sitting in a chair, cocking a shotgun and blasting various woodland animals on the arcade version of Big Buck Hunter Pro. We all crowded around and watched Farnsworth really give it to all of these poor virtual animals. Joe Girardi checked in and said, "A four pointer? That's not even worth it. That's like shooting Bambi!"

For those not inclined to violent guns and ammo games, the Indians also provided an arcade standup of Golden Tee, the golf game. The high score belongs to "VER." Could that be the Tigers' Justin Verlander?

For me, though, the kicker was seeing the original Nintendo Entertainment System sitting on the floor below a flat-screen HDTV. The 8-bit Bases Loaded cartridge was there, begging to be played, but I guess the guys just aren't that old school anymore.

Certainly not the way the Yankees wanted to finish up in Chicago. Joba Chamberlain took his first big league loss on a day that a promising start from Phil Hughes had to be wasted due to the rain, while Brian Bruney spent the day in a walking boot and Kyle Farnsworth slipped on the mound, tweaking his pitching elbow.

Bruney gets the award for worst day of all. Not only does it look like he's headed to the disabled list, but his uncle was found not breathing after suffering a heart attack in Oregon and has been hospitalized with a coma. Bruney also got word that the tractor trailer hauling his truck to New York was in an accident, doing significant damage to his personal vehicle.

The Yankees are going to have to make some roster moves to get pitchers up on the big league squad for the weekend at Cleveland. Farnsworth appears to be sidelined and Bruney certainly is. Meanwhile, the Yankees used Ross Ohlendorf for 49 pitches over two innings Thursday, ruling him out from duty for a while.

Jamie Moyer? Mike Mussina thinks not. The Moose was loose for seven sharp innings on Wednesday, limiting the White Sox to just two solo home runs in the Yankees' 6-4 victory. Mussina showed the ability to make adjustments, abandoning his curveball and throwing more running two-seamers with sink. Hey, forget Moyer - he's Chien-Ming Wang!

In all seriousness, Mussina should be savoring these as he goes along. He can still pitch when everything's clicking, like it was in Chicago. He's going to have days rougher than Wednesday, too, and fans need to be prepared for that. But the Yankees are looking to Mussina to be their third starter, not an ace, and by reshuffling their rotation they'll be able to avoid mismatches like the Mussina vs. Josh Beckett debacle at Fenway.

In other news...

Phil Hughes says his velocity is just fine - note to fans, stop waiting for the 95 mph-plus heaters to pop in. He's not Joba Chamberlain. Hughes himself said he only hit 95 mph three times in 2006 at Trenton, when he went over the radar gun readings after every start. ... Anyone else see what Darrell Rasner is up to lately? He's only leading the International League in ERA. Ian Kennedy, be warned. ... The buried David Ortiz jersey went for $175,000. Wonder if the construction worker would like to have it back? ... If you had Ella Alexander Rodriguez in the 'Name A-Rod's Baby' pool, congratulations -- you've won. 

When's the last time you heard the name Roger Clemens and didn't want to cringe? Well, we've all had our fill of the steroids stories, but there's a new book out that looks at the Rocket in a little different light. Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has talked to the guys who actually dug in (not that deep, we presume) against Clemens in his new book, Facing Clemens. Check it out. One of my favorite events to cover was Clemens' 300th win; I truly felt lucky to be there for that game and it's a shame that Clemens' legacy will be (forever?) tainted by the PED situation.

My colleague Scott Merkin, the White Sox correspondent for MLB.com, passed along a few amusing quotes from this afternoon's session with manager Ozzie Guillen. Apparently the Yankees were a prime topic of discussion. Most prominently, Ozzie weighed in on the Joba Chamberlain -- starter or reliever? -- controversy.

"I've never seen him as a starter, and I don't have any opinion about him starting," Guillen said. "But what I see from him out of the bullpen, that was pretty special. Real special. That guy has an arm and is going to make a lot of money. And he plays for the right team. He'll make a lot of money.

"But that's the first time I've seen him, too. I never [saw] him last year. But what I [saw] last night, that's electric stuff. They have a manager and GM to make those decisions, and they will make the best decision for the ballclub and the kid. And I think Joe Girardi will handle that situation well because Joe Girardi is a baseball man and knows what he's doing.

"Just make him a starter. We can see him once a week and not every day. I'm telling you, you see this kid coming out of the 'pen every day, and it's pretty interesting. You see him and Mo back-to-back, that's something special. Where they find that kid?"

There was a funny moment last night in the Yankees clubhouse, when Chien-Ming Wang was conducting his postgame interview session with reporters. Wang is lockering next to Joba Chamberlain here in Chicago, and Chamberlain literally climbed inside his locker while Wang spoke, staring over Wang's shoulder, making faces and doing almost anything he could to try and distract Wang. It didn't work and Wang got through his interview fine.

Later, the conversation turned to how Wang is now the quickest pitcher to reach 50 career wins since Dwight Gooden did it with the Mets. Wang said he didn't know who Gooden was, listening attentively as someone recounted Gooden's early days with the Mets and later his no-hitter for the Yankees.

Then, someone dropped the name 'Doc Gooden.' Now, that guy, Wang knew.

"He does know!" Chamberlain yelled, calling back all of the reporters who had left the conversation.

The Yankees were pretty giddy all around last night. Jason Giambi was asked something about seeing his batting average on the scoreboard and Derek Jeter started hollering, "Don't do it, Jason, don't look at it! Just don't look!"

Funny what winning can do. The Moose is on the loose tonight, with first pitch at 8:11 p.m. ET. Here's a great stat courtesy of SNY.tv's Michael Salfino (full article here):

"Mussina has generated swinging strikes 11 times this year on 319 pitches. That's five percent of strikes. At his peak, his rate was over three times that and it was 13 percent as recently as 2006. Last year, it was nine percent."

Hello everyone, from the South Side of Chicago. Joe Girardi was just down in the batting cage showing Jorge Posada and Chad Moeller a thing or two about footwork, jumping out and getting better release times on throws to second base. Posada was zipping throws down to second base pretty decently, so maybe he's not too far off. We'll definitely find out.

This is a great city and it's pretty baseball crazy right now with the Yankees in town to play the White Sox and the Mets playing the Cubs over at Wrigley. Walking the Magnificent Mile this morning, you could see caps of all four teams wandering the streets. Most important for Chicago commerce, all the fans appeared to be spending money. Anthony DiComo is in town and will be blogging about going to both games today at dicomo.mlblogs.com.

Here's something I don't need to tell you about Hank Steinbrenner - everyone has an opinion. When Steinbrenner said Sunday that he wants Joba Chamberlain in the rotation as soon as possible, it generated the most e-mails I've received about any single story in the two years I've been covering the Yankees for MLB.com. Love him or hate him, agree or disagree, Hank gets a reaction. I would share some of them but they're not all G-rated.

He's got to know that, and you know what? It's not only good for the news media, but it's actually good for baseball. It makes it interesting. The Yankees since 1973 have been marked by a loud voice coming from the owner's suite and letting the fans know what's going on. Hank is filling the void left when George began to lean on type-written missives and statements, and he's doing it quite well.

Here's what we're looking at:
Tuesday: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (3-0, 3.81) vs. RHP Jose Contreras (1-1, 4.34), 8:11 ET, YES
Wednesday: RHP Mike Mussina (1-3, 5.75) vs. RHP Javier Vazquez (3-1, 3.20), 8:11 ET, YES
Thursday: RHP Phil Hughes (0-3, 8.82) vs. RHP Gavin Floyd (2-0, 1.40), 8:11 ET, YES

Now that the Yankees are out of Baltimore, dropping two out of three before Andy Pettitte stopped the bleeding on Sunday -- and isn't that a familiar theme? -- it's time for Joe Girardi to re-evaluate a little.

I'm still not of the belief that Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy should be dropped from the rotation, as some are saying, but it's clear that they're not ready for prime time as currently comprised. You knew that at 21 and 23, respectively, they were going to struggle, but the hope must have been that they both wouldn't at the same time and for an extended period. That's why you saw the move they made, separating Hughes and Kennedy in the rotation to help save the bullpen.

Girardi believes there are still positive signs to be taken from the first few weeks but the key right now is for both of these guys to have confidence in their stuff and attack hitters without nibbling around the zone. It really does sound so easy when you're not standing 60 feet and six inches from a proven big league hitter. Once you're there, though, it's a whole different story.  The sooner Hughes and Kennedy can both make the adjustments, the better off they'll be.

As far as Alex Rodriguez's injury, you just have to hope for the best. He had a strained hamstring last year that most people expected would become a DL stint and derail his MVP year. It turned out to just be a blip on the radar. Then again, even Derek Jeter missed six games with a quadriceps injury so you know it's going to at least be a little bit of time.

Bad timing, especially with the offense beginning to warm up. In case you didn't notice, I had the weekend [relatively] off up here in the tri-state area (got to hit Murray Hill on Friday; hiking in Harriman on Saturday. Variety.). I'm flying out to the Windy City on Monday and will be with the team in Chicago and Cleveland. Big trip ahead -- time to pack.

Phil Hughes took the mound on Friday at Camden Yards and showed improvement over his previous two starts - Joe Girardi called it a "stepping stone" - but the end result was the same, a Yankees loss.

To be clear, he has not looked terrific this year. The Hughes we saw on May 1 at Texas and in Game 3 of the AL Division Series has not yet appeared, and that's the thing with young pitchers -- consistency.

Then again, Hughes' performance wasn't nearly as ugly as the 8-2 final. After all, he did take a 1-1 tie into the sixth inning before the Birds battered him for five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. Here's the thing fans will have to remember -- this is going to be a "season of transition" for the Yankees, as Hank Steinbrenner warned months ago, and the kids are going to have growing pains like these.

Hughes is 21 and, though his demeanor doesn't always tell you that, the results are going to. The Yankees believe that Hughes is best served to learn at the big league level instead of whittling through Triple-A lineups, and they're going to continue to give him the chance to prove himself on the job.

Ian Kennedy gets the ball tonight against Brian Burres. 

Yankee Stadium became The House that Ruth Built.

Fitting, perhaps, that the Yankees will be in Ruth's home town of Baltimore for the weekend, opening a three-game series with the Orioles. While they're there, some of the reporters who cover the Yankees are heading over to the Babe Ruth Museum for a tour.

If you've never headed down I-95 to 'invade' Oriole Park at Camden Yards, let's just say that there are plenty of Yankees fans who do. You should definitely put this one on your travelogue. It's a great ballpark and the Inner Harbor is quite nice for walking, shopping and eating, especially on a day as nice as this one.

Here are the pitching matchups for this series:

Friday: Phil Hughes, RHP @ Daniel Cabrera, RHP (0-0, 5.94)
Saturday: Ian Kennedy, RHP (0-1, 8.74) @ Brian Burres, LHP (1-1, 5.40)
Sunday: Andy Pettitte, LHP (2-1, 3.38) @ Steve Trachsel, RHP (1-2, 5.65)

You knew it was too good to last. The Yankees played their first four hour-plus game of the season on Wednesday at the Stadium, a 15-9 slugfest with the Red Sox that played - for the first five innings, especially - like the co-ed softball games I used to umpire in Rockland County. (That was a lot of fun. Hopefully someone remembers all the times I beat the runner down the first base line as a single-man umpiring crew. I'm a hustler.)

20 runs crossed the plate in the first five frames alone, but LaTroy Hawkins and Brian Bruney especially stopped the bleeding and deserve a lot of credit for this one. Chien-Ming Wang had little but neither did Clay Buchholz, and for as sharp as they both looked last Friday in Boston, this was a definite pounding for each guy.

This evening brings us Mike Mussina and Josh Beckett in what, on paper, reads like a mismatch. You never know when Moose is going to be able to spot his command, though, and you can't write him off for this one. If he's able to hit his spots and stay below 100 pitches in five innings, the Yankees have a chance.

Why not? The bats are warming up and this looks more like the offense that we've been saying can pound bad pitchers into submission. Beckett, however, is not one of those guys. He's a bonafide ace and they'll have their work cut out for them.

Tampa, it was short and sweet. I'll be winging it back up the East Coast to New York (well, OK, Newark) this morning, preparing for a little home cooking. The Yankees caught their flight last night and will be cramming as much as they can into their limited time.

"It'll be quick," Girardi said. "We've got to get the cleaning done, a haircut and the laundry, and I'm not real good doing it by myself. It's going to be nice to walk into our stadium. It's going to feel like we're going home, because it's our stadium and there's no place like home."

Happy Jackie Robinson Day to everyone out there, which - as we understand it - is also National File Your Taxes Day. I wouldn't know. For the third consecutive year, I haven't had time to do them, so I'm working off an extension. Hopefully most of you out there found the time to settle up with Uncle Sam.

This evening brings us the final game of this eight-game road trip, as Andy Pettitte goes to the mound against Edwin Jackson here at Tropicana Field. Last night was the Robinson Cano show in the eighth inning, as he ripped a pinch-hit homer into the right-field seats off Al Reyes and maybe - just maybe - woke up from his 13-game slumber.

It's sunny but cool here in Tampa, where there was a brisk wind whipping everyone on the St. Petersburg Pier this afternoon. Seemed like the pelicans had more than fish to contend with down in the choppy waters. I watched a cap fly off of some guy's head and down into the drink, and all I could think in my head was this sound. Terrible, I know.

I think everyone's looking forward to getting back to New York on Wednesday, even if it is for only about 48 hours. First, let's see if the Yankees can even out this road trip. If you finish a trip to Kansas City, Boston and Tampa Bay at 4-4, playing .500 away from home has to be considered passable.

It certainly has not been an uneventful day here at Tropicana Field, where Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez and Morgan Ensberg all have solo home runs in the first three innings.

To recap: Derek Jeter is back in the lineup and Joba Chamberlain has been placed on the bereavement list, having traveled home to Nebraska this morning. Chad Moeller has made his Yankees debut behind the plate with Jose Molina and Jorge Posada unable to catch, and Wilson Betemit is on the disabled list with a mysterious case of pink eye that he's had since Spring Training that no one seemed to notice and was not contagious.

Just another day covering the greatest show on dirt -- good thing I did a three-hour face plant into my mattress after checking in back in Tampa. Ah, Tampa. Hard to believe it's been just three weeks since we were all stalking around George M. Steinbrenner Field with the ever-present Mark Didtler of the Associated Press.

Apparently the Yankees are throwing out a ceremonial first pitch from space on Wednesday, and somehow that does not surprise me in the least.

Under the catwalks here at Tropicana Field, the Yankees are finally sheltered from the elements and, as Joe Girardi said, able to keep the long underwear packed away. Tomorrow is Jackie Robinson Day around the Major Leagues -- the Yankees will be represented by Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Mariano Rivera (of course) wearing No. 42.

There are a lot of great things about having the opportunity to cover Major League Baseball. 4:45 a.m. wakeup calls after a four-hour game on Sunday night, though? Not one of them.

Hello from Boston's Logan Airport, where a pack of bleary-eyed reporters are sleepwalking through security checkpoints on their way to Tampa. The Yankees themselves touched down just two hours ago back at the old stomping grounds, having been defeated in two out of three games at Fenway Park.

I don't think anyone knew quite how costly this series had been for the Yankees until it was over. If you had told me that, after 13 games, the Yankees would have both Jorge Posada and Jose Molina on their roster -- but no idea who would catch on April 14 at Tampa Bay -- I would have said this team was in a lot of trouble. You'd venture to say Chad Moeller can fill in, but it serves the Yankees best if Posada gets back in there, as soon as possible.

Maybe the Yankees get creative and figure out a new destination for Wilson Betemit, though it looks like Alberto Gonzalez will go to Triple-A if Derek Jeter is indeed ready to play. They want to stay with 12 pitchers and, two bad starts aside, Phil Hughes is in the rotation to stay. Same goes for Ian Kennedy. Darrell Rasner is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA for the Triple-A affiliate of a team that doesn't have a legitimate long reliever (though Ross Ohlendorf is giving them everything he's got in a manufactured role), but that's another story.

Like Casey Stengel once said, "If you don't have a catcher, you're going to have a lot of passed balls." Brian Cashman's job today is to figure that one out.

Hello again from Fenway Park, where the Yankees are on the field for batting practice. This afternoon's manager session with Joe Girardi turned into a rehash of last night's decision to pitch to Manny Ramirez with first base open.

Girardi said he didn't want to second-guess his choice but insisted he made the best decision he could with all of the available information; namely, his pitcher's own belief that pitching to Kevin Youkilis with the bases loaded would have painted him into a tighter corner than pitching around Ramirez. Of course, since Mike Mussina threw too good of a pitch on the first offering, the point was moot.

"You think about it when you go home a little bit and you just move forward," Girardi said. "That's the great thing about baseball, that you've got another day to worry about. Every day there will be some decisions that you have to make. You live with it, you move on, and you think about today's game."

I should mention that the press conference room at Fenway Park has the same style desks that we had back in college. I keep feeling like I need to ask someone for a No. 2 pencil.

Down in New York, jackhammers were cranking as the Yankees unearthed that illicit David Ortiz jersey. Derek Jeter, for one, was rather nonplussed by the news.

"I never pay much attention to all of those things," Jeter said. "But for those who think there are jinxes, I'm happy for them."

Here's a little story to help you wait out this rain delay between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Where were you when Aaron Boone hit a Tim Wakefield knuckleball over the left-field wall at Yankee Stadium in Oct. 2003? Phil Hughes remembers exactly where he was -- working at a Baskin-Robbins scoop shop in Southern California, getting in-game scoring updates from his mom via telephone.

Boone went deep, the Yankees rejoiced, and Hughes was crushed.

A Red Sox fan growing up, Hughes had a poster of Nomar Garciaparra on his bedroom wall that contained the words, "Reverse the Curse." The spin of it was that when the Red Sox finally won a World Series in 2004, Hughes couldn't enjoy it. By then, he'd just finished his first year in the Yankees organization and wasn't thrilled by it. But his father was -- a lifelong Red Sox fan who has since switched to the Yankee side since, after all, his son works for the team.

You couldn't ask for much more than that if you're a Yankees fan, watching the pitcher maligned as not being a "true ace" rifle through the Red Sox, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. Chien-Ming Wang may never win a Cy Young Award but the Yankees can definitely do with him as their No. 1, especially when he pitches like he did on Friday at Fenway Park.

Setting aside Bobby Abreu's missed catch for a second -- an outfielder, particularly one who won a Gold Glove just three years ago, really should make that grab -- the thing about Wang's a complete game two-hitter was that it wasn't especially all that pretty. Wang gave up some very hard hit balls, particularly in the fifth inning, but he made the dimensions at Fenway work for him this time, having struggled there against the Red Sox in the past.

It all works off Wang's sinker, but he got some strikeouts with his slider and threw his four-seamer quite a bit to give Boston a little bit of a different look. By the time Coco Crisp legged out the bunt single in the ninth inning, it seemed to be pretty much a foregone conclusion that -- no-hitter, one-hitter or two-hitter -- this night was going to belong to Wang.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting in a Beantown hotel lobby at a Starbucks, pounding away on this new wireless card MLB sprang for. How trendy!

The old place looks pretty much how we remembered it. There's a new Coca-Cola neon sign over the third base upper deck and there's a few more seats crammed into the building, but it's still Fenway Park and it's still Red Sox vs. Yankees.

It doesn't matter what month it is, this is always a special one. The Yankees are feeling a little bit better after Andy Pettitte pitched them to a win in Kansas City last night, avoiding what would have been a deflating three-game sweep to the Royals. It hasn't been the most thrilling first 10 games for the Yankees, but they're 5-5 with 152 left to play, and you probably have to take that and not worry too much about it.

After all, the Red Sox - the team so many prognosticators are choosing as the 'team to beat' in the American League - have the exact same record as the Yankees. That'll change tonight, and the Yankees hope Chien-Ming Wang tips it in their favor.

I must say, this is one of the most impressive occurrences of foresight I've ever seen. The Royals must have had about 90 seconds of advance warning because the umpires stopped play in the bottom of the fourth inning with no indication of rain at all. Not one raindrop, but there the tarp was, coming on the field.

And then the rains came, hard and heavy, with about 15 seconds to spare. A nice job all around and it certainly makes up for Wednesday, when these two teams played through the ark landing in center field. The Yankees lead 2-1 in the fourth and Andy Pettitte will eventually resume pitching to Ross Gload with one out and a runner on first.

Seriously, I'm sorry we keep talking about the weather.

Supposedly it's 74 degrees and sunny in New York right now -- at least, according to the Firefox plugin on my laptop. I wouldn't know in Kansas City, where the tarp is on the playing field (again) and it's been raining pretty much since the moment we all touched down in Missouri. But it looks like we'll have baseball tonight and that's great news.

The most interesting point of the day is that Hideki Matsui will play right field for the Yankees, where he hasn't played since spraining his ankle in St. Louis. They're resting Bobby Abreu after he played nine games and the fact the Royals are throwing a lefty, John Bale, factors in.

By the way, LaTroy Hawkins does absolutely the best imitation of a dog bark I've ever heard. Hawkins snuck up behind a napping Morgan Ensberg, growled and let loose two barks that would frighten a Doberman. I know I wasn't the only one who jumped. I figured the Kansas City Police Dept. had brought in a few of the bomb-sniffing dogs; that's how good it was.

One more day remaining in Kansas City and the Yankees are still looking for a masterpiece. Then again, the way things are going, they'd settle for an ugly victory. The Yankees will be back at it again tonight at Kauffman Stadium, sending Andy Pettitte to the mound in search of the sharpness that eluded him last time out. And wouldn't you know it? It's raining in Kansas City again.

It seems a pretty safe bet that Joe Girardi won't try using his bullpen to start this game. You think he might have wanted a do-over on that idea? Actually, the plan worked pretty well through the first four innings with Brian Bruney and Billy Traber, and then they did get a scoreless frame from Kyle Farnsworth.

But John Buck's home run leading off the fifth changed all that, and as Girardi would later say, it's impossible to win when you don't score. That's another problem they need to rectify immediately if they want to avoid months like they had early last year.

I got out of the hotel early this morning and started my way to the ballpark at 10:30 a.m., but Kauffman Stadium would have to wait. The historic 18th and Vine neighborhood of Kansas City is being redeveloped as the homes of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum.

Today was a really great day to go because, for some reason, it felt like I had the run of both places and all of the exhibits. The admission price? A remarkable $8.00 for both museums.It was well worth every penny and I would highly recommend both. I learned a little about music history and, to see how the Negro Leagues formed and enjoyed their heyday prior to Jackie Robinson's 1947 debut was stirring. It was equally enjoyable to see the league disband as they lost their quality starts to the Major Leagues in the late 1940s -- historians feel that the last quality year of the Negro Leagues was '48.

It's interesting to note that, as we focus on Robinson's April 15, 1947 debut, he was one of five African American players to play in the big leagues in '47 alone. I would also note that you don't hear enough about Larry Doby, who cracked the American League color line with the Indians just later that summer. The league served its intended purpose. As one sign said in the gift shop, the Negro Leagues were "a revolution disguised as guys playing baseball."

I capped the afternoon off with another visit to the original Arthur Bryant's barbecue. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but this is a real cafeteria style place and it's a classic. You get your meals slapped on Wonder bread and wrapped in butcher paper. Throw in some fries and a smattering of pickles and it's entirely too much food for any human being to consume. There's a long-running debate on the best Kansas City BBQ, but for me, Arthur Bryant's just took the crown.

Now here's the story with this one. Brian Bruney is starting for the Yankees instead of Ian Kennedy due to weather concerns. A Yankees spokesman said that Joe Girardi was concerned about a looming rain storm that was projected to hit the Kauffman Stadium area shortly after the scheduled 7:10 p.m. start time.

If the rain passed and play resumed, the Yankees said, Kennedy would then pitch. Interesting move by Girardi, but what kind of message do you take from this if you're Bruney?

UPDATE: And the parade of relievers continues on, as here's Billy Traber. I guess Girardi figures if he can get four innings from his bullpen and then use Kennedy for four or five, that'd be good enough. But there's a giant green blob on the radar and that might be a bit optimistic.

Alberto Gonzalez is here tonight, having been summoned from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He's in the lineup tonight and the Yankees have optioned Shelley Duncan to Triple-A -- something of a surprise since Morgan Ensberg apparently rolled his ankle on Monday.

The Yankees did have one bit of good news as Jorge Posada's MRI came back relatively clean. Derek Jeter played catch today but right now it's Jose Molina and Alberto Gonzalez as your starting catcher and shortstop, respectively.

I spent some time talking today with LaTroy Hawkins. Hawkins went to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum today with his mother and nephew, who "loved" the place. Now that MLB is allowing players to wear No. 42 again on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15, Hawkins plans to join Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera (of course) in wearing the number later this month.

I recently received this e-mail and thought I'd pass it along. It seems like a very worthy cause from Johnny Damon, who continues to impress us all with his giving spirit.

CHF's Johnny Damon Yankees Home Run Club is a fun way that fans can root for the Yankees and help bring quality health care to homeless and low-income children.  For 20 years, CHF Projects across the country have provided health care to thousands of disadvantaged children via mobile medical units.

In 1988, Yankee legend Don Mattingly helped launch CHF's Yankees Home Run Club to raise money and awareness for our programs that provide comprehensive health care to underserved children. After the first baseman's retirement, centerfielder Bernie Williams stepped up to the plate to captain the Club.  Continuing a strong tradition of leadership, Johnny Damon took over the role of captain in 2006.  

Anyone can become a member by either making a pledge per home run hit by the Yankees this season, or by making a one-time gift for the entire season.  Members may be eligible to win field-level box seat tickets to a game in this final season at Yankee Stadium.  Thanks to the generous support of loyal Yankee/CHF fans, the Club has grown over the years and raised more than $1,000,000 to support children in need.

Please visit CHF's Johnny Damon Yankees Home Run Club for additional information. 

Continue reading 'Johnny Damon goes to bat for a good cause'...

The visiting manager's office at Kauffman Stadium is something like a trip down memory lane. Besides the fact that the clubhouse is decorated with all sorts of beer paraphernalia - the digital clock that tells the Yankees to hit the field is on Michelob Time - the walls of Joe Girardi's office for the next two games have a few relics of days gone by.

Hovering right over Girardi's desk is a framed commemorative poster from the 1991 All-Star Game in Toronto, as well as one from the 1990 Midsummer Classic at Wrigley Field. Besides the fact that they're nearly two decades old, the posters are something of foreshadowing for the summer to come in New York. If these items are still displayed prominently, can you imagine what will be around from the final Yankee Stadium season in, say, 2026?

The office also has two very large prints of 33-cent postage stamps (remember those?) depicting Satchel Paige and Roberto Clemente. Those, also, are very nice and would be a suitable addition to any baseball office or library. It's a nice day in Kansas City and, though I have to postpone checking out the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum until at least tomorrow, I'll be grabbing some Arthur Bryant's barbecue before heading over to the Big K. See you all there.

Jorge Posada was removed from the game with a recurrence of the right shoulder stiffness that affected him last week. He'll go for a MRI tomorrow in Kansas City and the Yankees aren't ruling out the disabled list. Posada said he feels "dead" in his arm and isn't able to put anything on his throws.

Greetings from my hotel room in Kansas City, where the same type of Opening Day clouds that dogged the Yankees have decided to pop up as the Royals prepare to crack the seal on their 81-game home slate at Kauffman Stadium.

George Brett was on television this morning pumping up the Royals fans for a team that appears to be under construction in search of better days, and that's appropriate, since their ballpark is also undergoing renovations.

The most striking change, and one I'm looking forward to seeing, is the new giant HD scoreboard in center field -- the largest of its type in the world, apparently. I always liked the classic shield scoreboard but this one is supposed to be a beauty. By the way, everyone around here is going absolutely nuts for Kansas. So am I ... I had the Jayhawks in a pool.

The rain is expected to pass and the Yankees are supposed to get the game in. It won't matter much to Derek Jeter, though, as he mends a strained left quadriceps that we'll have to watch closely. Jeter plays through injuries often so I wouldn't expect this to keep him out of action for too long, but it could affect his productivity.

When I was covering the Mets in 2005, Carlos Beltran (a Kansas City alum, by the way) gave a day-by-day play-by-play of a strained quadriceps that seemed to last for months, and explaining why he wasn't able to use his speed on the bases anymore. Jeter won't go into that sort of detail, but that doesn't mean he won't wince in pain.

Here's this week's Yankees Mailbag in case you missed it.

I'm back on the road again, it's time I leave you now
And maybe I'll see you next time, that I'm around

It's not too often you get a chance to quote REO Speedwagon. Doesn't it just seem like we all spent seven weeks living out of a suitcase in Tampa, or is it just me? I'll try again to master the art of passing through airport security beginning this afternoon, as most of the New York beat flies ahead to Kansas City.

If you're wondering why the Yankees are playing a 7:05 p.m. ET game on what is supposed to be a getaway day, with a 4:10 p.m. ET game scheduled the next day for the Royals' season opener, you're not alone. The answer is ESPN2, but that doesn't make it any easier of a trip for those flying commercial, especially to Kansas City, a place where it's difficult to go direct. Anybody got any dining suggestions for O'Hare?

After tonight's game at Yankee Stadium, this is the beginning of a long stretch on the road that will be the Yankees' first real test. After three games in Kansas City, they travel on to Boston for a three-game weekend series, then down to Tampa for a pair at Tropicana Field. From there, it's back to New York, but only briefly -- it might as well be a road series, playing two games against the Red Sox.

Baltimore, Chicago and Cleveland await after that. If the weather holds in every city, the Yankees will have a chance to exhale on April 21, their only scheduled off-day this month.

The Yankees improved to 3-3 to start 2008, their final season at the current Yankee Stadium...matches their start from 2007...won their third game when scoring three runs or fewer in 2008...were 6-36 in such games in 2007...have scored fewer than five runs for the sixth consecutive game to begin the season...is the most since the first seven games of 1989, when they began the season 1-6.

The Yankees' shutout victory was their first in April since a 2-0 win on 4/10/03 vs. Minnesota...the Yankees last eight shutouts have come at Yankee Stadium (dating back to 2006)...RHP Chien-Ming Wang has been the winning pitcher in four of the last five Yankees shutouts.

RHP Chien-Ming Wang allowed 4H and 2BB in 6.0 scoreless IP...allowed a single to Willy Aybar in the fifth inning, snapping streak of 18 batters faced without allowing a hit (including the last three batters of his start in the 4/1 season opener)...has now gone at least 6.0IP in 68 of his 82 career starts, compiling a 47-10 record in those games...has not allowed a run in his last 20.0 IP vs. the Rays at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees will try, try again to get the rest of their slumbering bats going this afternoon under cloudy skies in the Bronx. They haven't looked much like a lineup to be considered a 1,000 run threat, but hey, it's five games. So far Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez have been the main guys. We'll also see how Jason Giambi responds after tweaking his left groin while running the bases in yesterday's 6-3 loss.

The headline of this post is somewhat misleading (sorry!). I have my first day off of the regular season today, as Anthony DiComo will be bringing you all the coverage on yankees.com. Chien-Ming Wang gets the start for New York opposite James Shields.

Hello again everyone from Yankee Stadium, where the weatherman couldn't have been more wrong about today. It's an absolutely gorgeous day and I had almost forgot what sunlight felt like. It's been a long time since Tampa.

Once in a while it's good to get out on the field and watch batting practice, just to be humbled by the raw power these guys have. Alex Rodriguez hit three balls in a row on top of the netting covering Monument Park, and to watch how fluid his swing is, he made it look absolutely effortless. It's just amazing to see that pure talent flow.

One person not watching BP today is Joe Girardi, who's still confined to his office with an upper respiratory infection that apparently is fighting all medications known to man. I'm sure he's feeling awful about it, but since this is probably the last chance I'll get to say this ... Girardi is now at the 60% attendance mark in his first week on the new job.

Rob Thomson has the reins for a second consecutive day as Andy Pettitte makes his 2008 debut. In a corresponding roster move, Jonathan Albaladejo - hours after throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings - will make his way up to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (who neither play in Scranton nor Wilkes-Barre, mind you. The stadium is in Moosic, Pa.).

Pettitte blanks 'em in the first. Enjoy the game, everyone.

...quite slowly, since you asked.

Ian Kennedy just needed 27 minutes to get through the top of the first inning, and hopefully that doesn't set the tone for the rest of this game. The Yankees' first three games of the season have been pretty brisk affairs, with times of game of 2:31, 3:10 and 2:45. The Yankees always have consistently longer-than-league average games, so those numbers translate to playing with their cars double-parked by comparison.

Not that it matters much right now to Joe Girardi. Having been through what he's battling right now, you could probably tell the skipper that Babe Ruth just walked into the clubhouse and he probably wouldn't have much of a reaction. Girardi is resting on the couch in his office and spent most of the afternoon sleeping, as Rob Thomson gets his day behind the controls.

The Yankees sent out this photo of George Steinbrenner taking a gander around the new Stadium on Friday. With him is his daughter, Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal.

Bobby Abreu was standing at his locker last night and talking about how the Yankees are going to be able to do the little things to win ballgames this year -- bunt runners over, steal bases, hit-and-run a little bit more. He didn't out-and-out criticize Joe Torre, that's not Abreu's style, but it was clear that the long-time National Leaguer liked what he saw out of the Yankees.

The more you see out of Phil Hughes, also, there's more reason to be encouraged about his bright future. Hughes carries himself like a veteran and looked sharp with both his fastball and curve last night, turning in a quality start against the Blue Jays.

Tonight Ian Kennedy, the least heralded of the Big Three, gets his turn against the Rays. Kennedy was telling us a story yesterday about how he went to an Outback Steakhouse with Joba Chamberlain, who gets recognized everywhere he goes. Someone offered Chamberlain a free dessert, which he happily scarfed down. Kennedy, sitting at the same table and with three big league starts under his belt, got no such special treatment.

Today, April 4, is my birthday, and here's my favorite gift so far -- the DVD of Billy Joel's Yankee Stadium show in 1990, which I've got on the surround sound right now as the Pianoman cranks out "New York State of Mind." I've seen Billy twice in concert - once at the Garden and once at the facility formerly known as the Continental Airlines Arena - and he's always a bet for a great show. This is a nice trip down memory lane.

So I'm sitting here in the press box at Yankee Stadium, listening to Ed Alstrom hammer away at The Drifters' "On Broadway," and here's my thought of the day -- organ music, and only organ music, should be played at all ballparks throughout the big leagues. There's nothing that says baseball like a Hammond organ, and we just don't hear it enough. (I don't count the little ditties like "Charge.") The alternative is to hear Alex Rodriguez walk up to "This Is Why I'm Hot" five times a night. I'll take Mr. Alstrom, thanks.

Hello everyone from the Bronx, where it's cold and it looks like we'll have a late-arriving crowd for game three against the Blue Jays. It's a little odd walking up to the press box and not having to push through a wall of humanity, like I did on Opening Day. But it's Phil Hughes' night here on the mound, and here's something I didn't know about Hughes -- he doesn't buy into the superstition of not speaking to anyone on the days he pitches. I always thought that was an archaic rule anyway, but it does help the guys avoid distractions on their work days.

Great stat of the day, courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau -- at 21 years and 284 days, Hughes is the youngest pitcher to start one of the Yankees' first three games of the season since Hall of Famer Waite Hoyt started the second game of the 1921 season vs. the Philadelphia A's (21 years, 217 days).

I'll be back later with some more thoughts on the game. Pay no attention to Jordan Bastian's blog, by the way. I'm an excellent driver.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES (AAA)
Kei Igawa, Steven White, Alan Horne, Darrell Rasner, Jeff Marquez
First game: Tonight vs. Lehigh Valley, 7 p.m. ET

TRENTON THUNDER (AA)
Chase Wright, Dan McCutchen, George Kontos, Phil Coke, Jason Jones
First game: Tonight at Binghamton, 6:35 p.m. ET

TAMPA YANKEES (A)
Eric Hacker, Michael Dunn, Ryan Pope, Alfredo Aceves, Ivan Nova
First game: Tonight vs. Lakeland, 7 p.m. ET

CHARLESTON RIVERDOGS (A)
Dellin Betances, Jairo Heredia, Noel Castillo, Adam Olbrychowski, Zach McAllister
First game: Tonight at Rome, 7 p.m. ET

Phil Hughes received some of the loudest cheers when the Yankees were introduced before Tuesday's game, and it's clear the fan base has high hopes for the youngest member of their pitching staff. It's almost strange to say that just because Hughes' demeanor really doesn't lend itself to youth. He may be 21 but, to me, he carries himself like a veteran already.

Hughes gets the ball rolling on his 2008 campaign tonight in the rubber game of a three-game series with the Blue Jays. Will Jorge Posada appear in the lineup? Will Jason Giambi continue to resemble a dancing bear at first base? Stay tuned. I thought an excellent defensive first baseman -- hi, Doug Mientkiewicz -- would have caught the ball that Giambi fell into the photo box chasing, but when you throw Giambi out there, you're basically hoping he'll knock everything around him down and scoop throws, which he actually is quite adept at doing.

Lessons from yesterday -- don't steal from the Yankees and don't talk on your cell phone while driving. Mike Mussina looked just OK to me but I was impressed with his ability to spot his curveball, the Frank Thomas hit-by-pitch notwithstanding. If Mussina gives you three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings every time out, I think you have to take that. They won't face A.J. Burnett every day.

The Yankees have just taken the field here in the Bronx. I must admit, I'm curious to see how Mike Mussina fares tonight -- and pretty much all season. You don't win 250 games by accident but it's clear he's pitching in the tail end of his career. On the nights he hits his spots and spins it right, Moose can still win ballgames. When he doesn't... well, I remember last August in Detroit and Anaheim. It wasn't pretty.

There is some news this evening as Jorge Posada was scratched from the original lineup with right shoulder stiffness. Apparently Posada felt something on one of his throws to second base last night, but Joe Girardi thinks this could just be a one-day thing. It is quite cold here tonight so you can understand not wanting to exacerbate the injury. Mussina put up a note on his dry-erase board that said: "Yankees vs. Blue Jays at Lambeau Field."

And now, as Moose warms up to the Scorpions, here's my unsolicited, uncompensated travel tip. It turns out Blimpie is having a deal where you get a 6-inch sub sandwich, a liter of spring water and a chocolate bar for $3.99. I'm not one to plug things but anything I'd stop for on the way to the ballpark seems like something to pass on to y'all. Every penny counts.

Opening Day is always very special, even when it's delayed by 30 hours and becomes Opening Night. Joe Girardi said that the moment he'll want to remember from Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays is the final out -- Mariano Rivera inducing Marco Scutaro to roll harmlessly to Robinson Cano at second base, just a short throw away from out No. 27.

That had sentimental cache for Girardi, being his first win as the Yankees manager -- imagine, the first person other than Joe Torre to record a victory in that position since 1995. Since I'm not managing the Yankees, though, I'll remember the two catches by Melky Cabrera. The first one was nice enough, crashing against the wall in right-center field, but the second one really made you go, 'Wow,' skidding across the turf in left-center.

Melky had a long way to run for both of those balls, and they came on back-to-back batters. That's conditioning, ladies and gentlemen. Good thing Girardi made 'em run in Spring Training.

The Yankees opened their 106th season today at Yankee Stadium, improving to 62-43-1 on Opening Day and 33-14-1 in season openers at home...they have won 11 straight home openers (1998-2008), breaking a tie with the 1945-54 Pittsburgh Pirates (10) for the longest such streak in Major League history (credit: Elias Sports Bureau)... they have won 16 of their last 17 home openers and 22 of the last 25...they improved to 58-26 in the 84th and final home opener at the current Yankee Stadium and are now 70-35-1 in home openers all-time.

Manager Joe Girardi won his debut as Yankees skipper, becoming the 10th man to win his Yankees managerial debut on an Opening Day.

SS Derek Jeter (1-for-4) made his 12th Opening Day start at shortstop (1996-2000, 2002-08), surpassing Phil Rizzuto (11--1941-42, 1947-55) for the all-time franchise record at the position.

RF Bobby Abreu (2-for-4) extended his Opening Day hitting streak to 12 games with a first inning single...it is the second longest active streak of its kind behind the 14-game streak of Toronto's Frank Thomas, who also extended his streak tonight.

CF Melky Cabrera (1-for-3) hit his first career Opening Day home run in the sixth inning, snapping a 163 at-bat homerless stretch...had last homered on 8/12/07 at Cleveland off Jake Westbrook.

RHP Mariano Rivera recorded his second career Opening Day save, setting a new Yankees franchise record for Opening Day saves (note: saves became an official statistic in 1969).

The Yankees have just come off the first base line, and it seemed to me that Joba Chamberlain got the biggest cheers of any player -- bigger than Derek Jeter, bigger than Alex Rodriguez. Phil Hughes also was very loudly received, as were Joe Girardi and Shelley Duncan. Like we've said, it's a new team.

Mike Mussina got the moose calls. One player was booed -- no names mentioned, but here's a hint, he wears No. 48 and is a right-handed relief pitc