Bombers Beat

Sabathia up for Sportsman of the Year

2009-11-17T16:24:52Z

He may not win the Cy Young (then again, he may -- the BBWAA will announce the award today at 2 p.m.), but CC Sabathia is nonetheless generating buzz.

Sabathia is one of 30 nominees for Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year award, given annually to the individual or team with the greatest impact on the sporting world at large. To give you a sense of the award, here are the last five winners:

2008: Michael Phelps (swimming)
2007: Brett Favre (NFL)
2006: Dwyane Wade (NBA)
2005: Tom Brady (NFL)
2004: Boston Red Sox (MLB)

The nomination, which you can read here, harps on Sabathia's much-publicized influence within the clubhouse, as much as his performance on the field. It may be tough for Sabathia to beat out the likes of Manny Pacquiao (boxing) or Tim Tebow (college football) for this year's award, but hey -- you never know. Sports Illustrated gives out the hardware every Dec. 1.

Speaking of hardware, Bryan is off trying to win MVP awards at fantasy camp down in Tampa. I'll be filling in with Yanks news this week, so give me a Twitter follow at @anthonydicomo. Really. You won't regret it.

--Anthony DiComo

Snapshots from Joe Torre's Safe at Home Dinner

2009-11-14T16:22:40Z

I took the L train over to Chelsea Piers yesterday afternoon, getting there well ahead of the 4:30 p.m. check-in time. So like any responsible reporter, I hit the batting cages there. I mean, why not? Proud to say there wasn't one swing and miss. A few gappers too.

Once the red carpet availability started, it was amazing to watch the speed that Joe Torre worked the line, giving one TV interview after another. By speed, I mean it was probably glacial. Writers were at the end of the line and there was some concern that Torre would be all talked out. Then someone remembered - this is Joe Torre, king of the 40-minute pregame press conference.

No worries. Torre said that he was extremely pleased for the Yankees and Joe Girardi, while a little relieved he didn't have to root for Derek Jeter to make a World Series out against his Dodgers.

"To watch what they've done with Joe Girardi at the helm really made me feel good, even though I'm supposed to be a National League fan and all that stuff," Torre said. "When you're as close to these guys as I've been for all these years, I was just really pleased for them."

Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera represented the '09 Yankees. Paul Simon was to provide musical entertainment, Mike Francesa and Chris Russo mugged on the red carpet, and when James Lipton walked by a few feet away I replayed every single Will Ferrell SNL skit in my mind.

It also seemed like most of the cast from 'The Sopranos' was there ... hey, look, it's Dr. Melfi! I somehow resisted the urge to tell Michael Imperioli how upset I was when ABC cancelled the 1973-era time-travel cop show 'Life on Mars.' What a horrible, horrible finale they forced upon that show - the old, 'Surprise! It was just a dream!' ending.

The best scene was when a fan pushed through, asking Jeter for a picture. Jeter grabbed the young man's camera and took a picture of him, then calmly handed the camera back with a smile. Something tells me he's pulled that trick before.

Anyway, that was my view from three feet off the red carpet against a metal barricade. Torre's Safe at Home Dinner is going seven years strong now, and the event remains as popular as ever. Even though the manager's office is now in Los Angeles, Torre intends to keep his roots in New York.

"We hope we can continue in L.A., but we can't leave here," Torre said. "We started something here and we feel it's very important. We're making some headway."

The captain down on his luck

2009-11-13T17:28:42Z

Does this look like a five-time World Series champion to you?

A down-on-his-luck Derek Jeter was wandering the Coney Island boardwalk on Thursday afternoon, but it was all for show - the Yankees captain is playing himself in the upcoming movie, "The Other Guys."

According to a synopsis in the New York Post, Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play police officers who are taken off the streets after Wahlberg's character wrongly shoots Jeter in the leg after seeing him walk around with a bat.

The scene shot at Nathan's Famous on Thursday takes place years later, when a washed-up Jeter - wearing a ratty jacket, jeans and sporting stringy gray hair - encounters the two officers. The comedy is being directed by Adam McKay, who also provided "Anchorman" and "Talladega Nights."

Jeter has had a little acting experience in the past. Aside from numerous commercials - including a memorable 2003 credit card ad with George Steinbrenner - the shortstop had a cameo in the 2003 Jack Nicholson flick 'Anger Management,' and hosted 'Saturday Night Live' in 2001.

Rumor Mill: Cashman wings it home

2009-11-12T15:42:54Z

The nice part about holding the General Managers' meetings at a Chicago airport hotel must have been that it was easy for Brian Cashman to get back to New York.

Cobbling through this morning's reports, it's clear that the Hot Stove is alive and well, though there isn't much concrete to hitch onto. Sure, the Yankees would be interested if the Blue Jays decide to move Roy Halladay -- just the way they were in July (New York Daily News). But who's to say Toronto can really stomach seeing Doc in their division pitching for either the Yankees or the Red Sox? That'd have to be one heck of a prospect package.

File the name Curtis Granderson under those that we might be seeing a lot of this winter (New York Post). We said in Spring Training that if the Yankees didn't make the playoffs, it would be because a lot of things more important than Melky Cabrera vs. Brett Gardner went wrong. Well, neither really played All-Star caliber ball and the Yankees didn't seem to suffer a bit. But looking to 2010, Granderson could be an impact player for a team that could lose both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.

Also today in the Post, the Yankees are planning to wait until after 2010 to discuss extensions with Joe Girardi and Derek Jeter. Arbitration-eligible Brian Bruney is expected to be tendered a contract, and Cashman has received some level of interest from Japanese teams in the long-forgotten Kei Igawa, though his preference would be to stay.

The most significant moves this week were to outright Josh Towers and Freddy Guzman into free agency. That means there's still plenty of work left to do.

Rumor Mill: A Jeter deal for Damon?

2009-11-11T15:27:36Z

Scott Boras made the rounds in Chicago yesterday, giving the writers something to chew on with Johnny Damon. Whether you read it frokm Joel Sherman in the New York Post, Mark Feinsand in the Daily News or David Waldstein in the New York Times, here's the bottom line -- Boras is drawing comparisons between his client, Damon, and what the Yankees have done and will do with Derek Jeter.

Boras' argument, according to Sherman, is that Damon and Jeter worked so well atop the lineup in 2009, they should be viewed as a tandem. He also notes that that Damon has historic durability and that past three seasons equate well for both Damon and Jeter, and so they should be paid similarly. And Boras, of course, does not want Damon to take a pay cut from his $13 million annual salary (no one pays Boras' commission to take a pay cut).

Here's the problem, as I see it. The Yankees are going to overpay Derek Jeter. There's no question about it, they're going to give him one of those sweetheart deals where they pay him a lot for the future as a thank you for being the captain and leader of past teams, because they don't want to see him getting his 3,000th hit in another uniform.

That's fine, we all accept it, and if there's one guy you're going to do that to, it's Jeter. OK, maybe they did it a little to not see Mariano Rivera -- and especially Jorge Posada -- in other uniforms too.

Point is, Damon doesn't have that same cache with the Yankees. He was a very good player, a very productive player, over those four years. But he's no franchise talent. A one or two-year deal is probably all that the Yankees are going to bring to the table with Damon. If Boras is intent on getting more, Damon is likely to be playing elsewhere in 2010 and beyond.

-- Sherman also notes the Yankees intend to either pick up Sergio Mitre's $1.25 million option by next week's deadline or offer him arbitration, keeping him around as rotation depth. As expected, the Yankees also plan on non-tendering Chien-Ming Wang and then considering offering him a smaller money deal to return.

-- Cashman on Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, via Feinsand: "I look at them as starters that can relieve. We haven't had our meetings, but I would anticipate going to spring training with as much starting depth as possible."

Cashman also told reporters that he's not actively shopping Ian Kennedy, but teams have called with interest.

Reggie chats with Damon, Pettitte

2009-11-11T13:55:35Z

Received this press release in my inbox today from Sirius XM, where Reggie Jackson hosted a show that ran through last night. Some good stuff in here:

Last night (Nov. 10) on their weekly show, "October Nights," on SIRIUS XM's Mad Dog Radio, Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and co-host Bill Pidto spoke with two members of the 2009 World Champion NY Yankees, free agent outfielder Johnny Damon and free agent pitcher Andy Pettitte.

Highlights from the interviews below:

Host, Reggie Jackson: "You're a free agent. One of the things people don't know much about is you're close to 3000 hits. You're about three years away..."

Johnny Damon: "Yeah, I believe I'm at 2,425 now so it's going to have to be three very good years or four pretty decent years so I have to try to keep going strong."

Jackson: "Are you telling us that you'd like to play another three or four years?"

Damon: "Yeah, absolutely. I feel like with my body type, the fact that I've been able to play in at least 140 games over the past 14 seasons, I feel like I can keep it going. I'll find a way to try to win at all costs. So, that being said, I'm going to take a little break now because the offseason just got here but I'm going to start working out sooner this offseason. It seems like when you start to mature in age a bit your workouts tend to start happening a lot sooner after the season. So I'm going to give myself 'til probably December 1 and then I'm going to get going very hard. And hopefully by then I'll know what lies in store for me and hopefully it's back in pinstripes."

Host, Bill Pidto: "So all things being equal, Johnny, you'd like to come back to the Yanks?"

Damon: "Why not? I mean, we just won a championship. That new stadium is incredible. The Steinbrenners have been the best owners in the game as long as I can remember. They want to win and they proved it last offseason. The Yankees, it's amazing when you have the pinstripes on and you walk through the clubhouse and you see guys like Reggie Jackson walking around, you see Tino Martinez, you see Yogi Berra. These guys are life-long Yankees and they've been accepted into the family because of what they did and how they played the game. And they won in New York City. So, that being said, I've loved playing for New York these past four years. You know, if it works out that I do come back then that'd be great and if not, we'll see where I restart my future at."

***************

Host, Bill Pidto: "When you look to the financial aspects of your future do you maybe say, 'You know what? I'll play for a little bit less if I can stay with the Yanks?'"

Johnny Damon: "Well, we have to go through the system and start negotiating if that's what it's going to take. We just need to start talking. We know New York has all the resources in the world but they also know I want to come back. So I'm sure it wouldn't be too much of a problem. I'm sure there's something we can work out. And if it doesn't work out I've enjoyed four years there but I really hope it works out. I'm going to be back up there in a week and just savor the moment again because this was truly a wonderful year."

***************

Host, Reggie Jackson: "Johnny, if you had a wish list, besides coming back and playing for the Yankees again, do you see anything that you would wish for from [general manager] Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenner family to add to the ballclub?"

Johnny Damon: "Hmm. Well, I always feel like you can't stay stagnant. I always feel like you have to move forward. You can never have enough pitching. I know there's guys out there like John Lackey. He's been a workhorse for years. I don't have that list in front of me [of] who are free agents but there are quality players out there and the Yankees are always trying to get better. I just hope when they try to get better my name is still involved with it and I'm still wearing pinstripes."

**************************************

Host, Bill Pidto: "In recent years you've thought about retiring, taken a long time to make up your mind. I know it is really early, the season not even over a week, but what are you thinking about for 2010?"

Andy Pettitte: "You know, really I just need to kinda just get down here and get away. If you immediately start thinking about it right now and you start counting the numbers and you're looking at the calendar you're saying, 'Oh my gosh, it's only 90 days to spring training. Are you kidding me?' Obviously, you can imagine what's going through my head right now. I'm down here by myself at my ranch so haven't even been with my wife really yet as far as to go through things with her and stuff like that. But I'm just going to try to take a little bit of time here and I want to do the right thing. I want to do the right thing for my family more than anything. And I don't want to continue to play baseball trying to accomplish selfish goals because I've never done that before and I feel like that if you try to start doing that you're not going to be able to be successful as a teammate as you need to be, as far as I feel like the time and the attention that I need to pay to my teammates when you start trying to worry about yourself too much. So there's a lot of things I need to factor in and think about. I'm not trying to hold anybody up. I don't want to hold anybody up. People can do what they want to do, you know? But I just want to make the right decisions for my family. I don't want to leave my kids hanging and regret not seeing my kids do their stuff. They're not able to be in New York with me no more, you know? I went the last month and a half, two months of the season not seeing my family at all except for the couple of times they flew up during the playoffs."

Pidto: "You talk about goals. Does the Hall of Fame weigh into it at all? 18 wins now, you're #1 all time in postseason wins. You're at 229 wins during the regular season. Do you feel maybe you need to pad those regular season numbers a little bit or is it not something that you think about?"

Pettitte: "That's the other, and heck, I'm not going to lie to you. Now towards the end of the season and that's all your friends want to talk to you about and that's coming up. And to me that's just like, it's so off the wall because I've never thought about the Hall of Fame. And so it's not. I don't want to think about that. If that's something that happens in my future down the road that would be something I feel like the Lord just absolutely blessed me with and given me the honor to be able to be a part of something like that. Like I said, I want to concentrate on if I come back to just figure out a way that I can continue to hopefully perform at a high level like I feel like I was able to do this year and then, more importantly, to feel like I can contribute to the team and make the guys around me hopefully better and be a positive influence in the clubhouse and hopefully continue to be a positive influence on people."

"October Nights," with Reggie Jackson and Bill Pidto, aired Tuesdays (7 - 9 pm ET) through November 10 exclusively on Mad Dog Radio, SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144.

Jeter, Teixeira bring home Gold Gloves

2009-11-10T21:07:39Z

Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira were announced today as American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners. This is the fourth for Jeter and the third for Teixeira.

Here's what Jeter and Tex said in statements released by the Yankees:

Derek Jeter: "I've said it time and time again, playing championship-caliber baseball starts with pitching and defense, and I think those two components were certainly the foundation for our success in 2009. I've always taken a great deal of pride in my defense, and being honored with a Gold Glove is an accomplishment I will never overlook.

"I also want to congratulate and recognize Mark Teixeira on his well-deserved achievement."

Mark Teixeira: "Solid defense is the most underrated component of winning baseball, but it is something I have always taken pride in. Winning a third Gold Glove means a lot to me, especially when good defense helped our entire team reach the ultimate goal of a World Championship."

Here is the complete list of AL Gold Glovers. NL awards come out Wednesday:

C Joe Mauer
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Placido Polanco
3B Evan Longoria
SS Derek Jeter
OF Torii Hunter
OF Ichiro Suzuki
OF Adam Jones
P Mark Buehrle

Breaking up the Yankees

2009-11-10T15:12:52Z

One of the realities of that great parade down the Canyon of Heroes was that it was probably going to be the last time these 2009 Yankees were together as a group. That was confirmed yesterday when Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, two of the biggest keys to the World Series title, officially filed for free agency.

Jose Molina, Xavier Nady and Eric Hinske also officially filed on Monday, one weekend of celebration after rolling down Broadway on a float.

Brian Cashman said yesterday that he does not expect to lock up any of his seven free agents before they splash onto the open market, which means that none of those five are likely to get a quickie deal, along with Andy Pettitte and Jerry Hairston, Jr.

What I keep telling people who ask is this: If you'd asked me at the All-Star Break who the Yankees would be more likely to keep, Damon or Matsui, I would have said Damon. But then Damon tailed off in the second half and Matsui was a monster, and now I really can't be so sure.

The fact that the Yankees don't see Matsui as anything but a DH hurts his chances, because the idea of a revolving-door DH between guys like A-Rod, Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira and company is appealing and makes sense.

As for Damon, he was a great Yankee, which I wasn't sure he'd be when he was shaving off his Red Sox scruff. But the moment I truly believed the Yankees were going to win the World Series was his dash in Game 4. People don't understand how incredibly smart of a play that was.

So Cashman vows he does not do things for sentimental reasons, and I believe him on that topic. Just because a guy was the World Series MVP doesn't mean you have to bring him back. Heck, the Yankees did it in '96 with John Wetteland.

As for the other three guys in that group, Molina brings a lot to the clubhouse in terms of relationships and wisdom. If the cost isn't crazy, a return isn't out of the question, and if not they can entrust the backup catcher job to Francisco Cervelli - who really did seem ready for it.

Hinske never really got as many at-bats as I thought Joe Girardi would give him down the stretch -- it almost seemed at times that they forgot he was on the team -- and Nady will be permitted to leave as a free agent, since it's difficult to count on a guy who is coming off his second serious surgery.

Should be a good Hot Stove. Who said baseball has an offseason?

Millions to line the Canyon of Heroes for Yankees parade

2009-11-06T12:38:49Z

This is going to be a big one. Oh, is it going to be a big one.

People have been lining the parade route for hours down on the Canyon of Heroes, getting ready on a cold day in New York to see their Yankees celebrate the 27th World Series championship. It's going to be windy, whipping all that confetti around and creating quite the spectacle.

"What's sweeter than a World Series won at home? The only thing that comes close is a ticker-tape parade up the Canyon of Heroes, and that's exactly what New Yorkers will get on Friday," Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said.

Up in the Bronx, the Yankees and employees are boarding two dozens buses that will take them downtown via police escort for the start of the celebration, which begins on Broadway at Battery Place and continue northbound to Chambers Street, followed by a ceremony at City Hall Plaza, where the Mayor plans to present Joe Girardi's Yankees with keys to the city for their defeat of the Phillies in the six-game Fall Classic.

If I may take you off-site for a moment, here is a handy parade guide from the New York Daily News. Bundle up if you're going to be out along with three to four million of your best buddies, but savor this one, the Yankees' long-awaited first parade since 2000.

"New York has been hungry for a championship. We gave it to them," Alex Rodriguez said.

(Friendly reminder: I'll be tweeting from along the parade route, wherever I may wind up. Check that at http://www.twitter.com/bryanhoch.)

Celebrate!

2009-11-05T20:13:01Z

World Series Game 6: Yankees vs. Phillies

2009-11-05T00:54:16Z

Now that Mary J. Blige has completed her "Bleeding Gums Murphy" rendition of tonight's National Anthem... (points to anyone who gets that classic 'Simpsons' reference)

We're ready to go in the Bronx on a cool but clear night. The building is packed and this place is juiced with what should be a much different crowd than in Games 1 & 2. All that stands between the Yankees and World Series title No. 27 are the next 27 outs, and they'll look to Andy Pettitte to deliver the lion's share of those.

With "old goat" Pedro Martinez standing on the mound for Philadelphia in one of the most anticipated World Series games in recent memory, this could be the last night of the 2009 MLB season. I'm predicting it will be.

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino CF
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Pedro Feliz 3B
Ben Francisco LF
Carlos Ruiz C

Pitching: RHP Pedro Martinez (0-1, 2.08 ERA in postseason)

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner CF

Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (3-0, 3.24 ERA in postseason)

When to go to Mo?

2009-11-04T21:57:12Z

The Yankees think they have Mariano Rivera available for two innings of work tonight; can't see any reason why he wouldn't be. The big question is, when should Joe Girardi call down to the bullpen and get Rivera up in the event of an emergency?

Could 'Enter Sandman' be played as early as the seventh inning?

The answer, in a word, is yes. It would be a definite if this was Game 7, but Girardi is already thinking that he will be burning a lot of pitches out of his future Hall of Fame closer if the opportunity presents itself to lock down a World Series title tonight.

"The limit is more at pitches than innings for Mo," Girardi said. "We've got him up to 39, so we feel that we can go there again."

"Hopefully we don't need it," Rivera said of pitching three innings. "We have to do whatever it takes to win the game. I have to be ready."

Brief uniform note - check out this photo from yesterday's workout at the Stadium. When you're Mariano Rivera, you can wear the wrong jersey for batting practice and no one cares.

I asked Jerry Hairston, Jr. yesterday if there was anything he appreciated more about Rivera, seeing him from this side.

"He's a better shagger than I thought he'd be," Hairston said. "He loves playing center field. He thinks he's Bernie Williams or Willie Mays."

Scott Brosius to throw tonight's ceremonial first pitch

2009-11-04T21:47:53Z

Keeping with the dynasty Yankees theme, Scott Brosius will throw out tonight's ceremonial first pitch in Game 6 of the World Series, following up on tasks performed in Game 1 by Bernie Williams and in Game 2 by Paul O'Neill.

"It's really neat to see, because you don't get to see them a whole lot during the course of a year now. I love seeing them," Joe Girardi said.

Girardi was asked if having those retired players come out, one after another, at the Stadium makes him feel old.

"I don't need those guys to feel old," Girardi said. "I get reminded every day in my house how old I am."

27 outs to No. 27: Andy vs. Pedro

2009-11-04T18:11:14Z

Tonight brings us one of the most anticipated games of the season, and you really cannot script it any better than this. All that stands in the way of the Yankees winning their 27th World Series title is Pedro Martinez.

Andy Pettitte gets the ball tonight for the Yankees on three days rest in what Martinez called a matchup of a couple of "old goats."

The Yankees have all the faith in the world that their offense will get it done in the first couple of times through the order against Martinez, with Alex Rodriguez oh so close to his first World Series ring, Derek Jeter commanding the ship as usual and Mark Teixeira grinning despite hitting 2-for-19 thus far in the Fall Classic.

What's he got to smile about? Well, for one thing, all of the Yankees can breathe a sigh of relief that Mariano Rivera is still there to lock down any leads in the late innings. Rivera is almost certainly going to be asked to get more than three outs tonight if New York is up late - the question is, when will Joe Girardi push that button?

If it's the difference between going to Game 7 and putting a World Series trophy on George Steinbrenner's desk, expect Rivera to be called into action in the eighth inning and maybe even the seventh. There could be no tomorrow, so it is time to empty the tank.

World Series Game 5: Yankees at Phillies

2009-11-02T23:33:03Z

As the Yankees try to put away their 27th World Series championship and "Win One For the Boss," as the grounds crew t-shirts said at Yankee Stadium, there is a minor bit of news to report -- the Yankees have replaced Melky Cabrera on the World Series roster with Ramiro Pena, granted Major League Baseball's approval after Cabrera suffered a strained left hamstring in Game 4.

Should they polish this off, the Yankees will have employed three starters this postseason (Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte)...the last team to reach the World Series using only three postseason starters was the 1992 Braves (Maddux, Glavine, Avery)...the last to win the World Series using three postseason starters was the 1991 Twins (Morris, Tapani, Erickson).

New York has scored 15 combined runs over the last two games, marking their most runs in consecutive World Series games since posting 18 runs over Games 1 and 2 of the 1998 World Series vs. San Diego. And they are 8-0 in World Series play when taking a 3-games-to-1 lead, winning Game 5 six times. The Bombers have never gone to seven games in the World Series when taking such a lead, and they certainly don't intend to.

Here are the lineups for the potential clincher:

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Brett Gardner CF
Jose Molina C
A.J. Burnett P

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (1-0, 3.55 ERA in postseason)

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino CF
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth RF
Raul Ibanez LF
Pedro Feliz 3B
Carlos Ruiz C
Cliff Lee P

Pitching: LHP Cliff Lee (3-0, 0.54 ERA in postseason)