Mussina comes to A-Rod's defense
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
TORONTO -- Many people have been wondering why Derek Jeter hasn't come to Alex Rodriguez's defense as the fans at Yankee Stadium continue to direct their anger and disappointment in this year's team at the reigning American League MVP.

Mike Mussina doesn't think that Jeter has the responsibility to defend A-Rod, but the Yankees' pitcher does think that the fans have been far too harsh on Rodriguez this season.

"It's hard to be looked upon to help carry a team and at the same time, be the lone target of ridicule when we don't do well," Mussina said. "That's what he is. He's expected to go 3-for-4, yet he'll be booed when he makes the one out. If he misses one ball or makes one mistake and we end up losing the game, it becomes his fault that we lost the game.

"Leave this guy alone for a while, let us see if we can get him to play," Mussina said. "The way he's being treated right now, it's not going to make it any better. It's making it worse -- and we can't win without him."

Mussina compared A-Rod's situation in New York to a parent admonishing their young child for spilling milk or breaking a glass.

"It's not going to help; imagine if every time your child made a mistake, you buried them and made them feel smaller than they already felt," Mussina said. "Instead of encouraging, it's negative reinforcement, and that doesn't produce improved results. And that's all he's getting."

It might be strange to hear Mussina come to A-Rod's defense, given that Mussina himself pointed a finger at his third baseman for a throwing error on Thursday that helped spark a four-run inning in New York's 5-4 loss.

"I thought he was going to throw to first," Mussina said after Thursday's game. "When I turned and saw him throw home, all he had to do was throw it on target and the guy would have been out by 20 feet.

"It let everything happen from there," Mussina added of the error. "I was doing the same things I was doing before, it all just mounted up in one inning. It was a tough inning."

Were Mussina's critical words following Thursday's game meant to inspire A-Rod? Not necessarily, but if they have that effect, Mussina won't complain.

"If I knew the right way to give him a kick in the [rear end], I would," Mussina said. "It's hard to tell which is the best way to do it. He has to be who he is for us to be successful, and he's not right now. I don't know how to get him back there. "

Mussina admits that he was "a little upset" about the error immediately following the game, and he still believes that, had Rodriguez thrown to first, making it a 3-1 game with two outs and no one on base, the game would have played out differently.

"That one inning, we didn't do much right; I didn't pitch that well and he made the error," Mussina said. "We could have walked off the field at 3-1 or 3-0 and we would have coasted through the rest of the game. That's not the way it happened, so everyone is looking for someone to blame. In a lot of cases, it's been him."

It most certainly has.

Whether it's an untimely error or a big strikeout with runners in scoring position, A-Rod has been the primary target of all things negative. Jeter can go 0-for-5 and strand eight men on base, but if A-Rod has two hits -- but neither wins the game for New York -- he'll bear the brunt of the criticism.

"The only way they'll accept him, because he's never won a World Series, because he didn't come from the organization, is if he's better than Derek -- and to be better than Derek, you really have to stand out and be glaringly better," Mussina said. "Everybody is going to give Derek the benefit of the doubt because he's Derek."

By no means is Mussina suggesting that Jeter hasn't earned that benefit of the doubt, nor is he saying that Jeter should be held more responsible for anything than anybody else. But his point is clear; put these two players next to each other, have them do the exact same thing and the reactions will be markedly different.

"When Jeter went 1-for-April a couple years ago, how long did it take people to actually boo him?" Mussina said. "And even then, it was a smattering. It wasn't lethal booing."

Mussina is the longest-tenured member of the Yankees who has not won a championship in pinstripes. Since joining the club in 2001, Mussina has been to the postseason five times, reaching two World Series.

In his eyes, his run in New York has been a successful one. No, he doesn't possess the ring he covets, but after spending a decade in Baltimore, where the World Series trophy hasn't been hoisted since 1983, he can appreciate the difficult nature of making the postseason once, let alone five straight times.

"Everybody else plays to get to the postseason, then they take their chances," Mussina said. "In New York, everybody is spoiled because this team went to the World Series four years out of five and won. Coming from an organization where, for 10 years, it was such an accomplishment to get to the postseason, knowing how tough it is, it's tough to be thought of as a failure if you don't win the World Series. That's a tough way to do your job.

"I've been to the World Series twice," he continued. "I came to New York to go to the World Series and I got there. You never know what's going to happen once you get there, so you just want that chance in the postseason."

The attitude Mussina describes is the one that has piled the greatest of expectations on Rodriguez, who has to try to live up to his $252 million contract every time he steps on a baseball field.

Compare these two stat lines:
Player A: .316 average, 21 home runs, 79 RBIs, 63 runs, .388 on-base percentage
Player B: .284 average, 21 home runs, 71 RBIs, 67 runs, .386 on-base percentage

The first? National League MVP candidate David Wright. The second? Rodriguez.

So although their stats are virtually identical, Wright (who has 11 errors vs. Rodriguez's 18) is having what is considered a terrific season because the Mets have a double-digit lead in the NL East -- and he makes less than a half-million dollars.

And let's not forget -- Rodriguez has put up these numbers in a "down year" where nothing has gone right for him.

The question from here is, can Rodriguez get past his current struggles and thrive in what has become an increasingly hostile atmosphere? Mussina, who watched last season as A-Rod captured the MVP award while playing in the same uniform in front of the same fans in the same ballpark, believes he can.

"Once you get adjusted here, it usually stays there or gets better; it rarely reverts back to the way it was," Mussina said. "I believe that he can still play in this atmosphere, but right now, it doesn't look like it's that comfortable for him.

"He really looks lost, which is the best way I can describe it," Mussina continued. "We've all looked lost once in a while, but it's magnified because we don't have Sheffield, Matsui or Cano right now. We have enough trouble as it is with the players we can't put out there. Without those guys, we need the guys we have to play at their level and be themselves."

And that starts with Rodriguez. Who knows where it will end.

Originally posted by Double-J:
Gee, Andy Phillips went 0-4, Miguel Cairo went 0-3, and Nick Green went 0-2.

They SUCK! :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Irishman12:
[quote]Originally posted by Double-J:
[b] Gee, Andy Phillips went 0-4, Miguel Cairo went 0-3, and Nick Green went 0-2.

They SUCK! :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Irishman12:
Yes, but they're not expected to fill Matsui and Sheffield's shoes in the batting order, A-Rod is

Originally posted by Don Andrew:
[quote]Originally posted by Irishman12:
[b] Yes, but they're not expected to fill Matsui and Sheffield's shoes in the batting order, A-Rod is

TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees left fielder Hideki Matsui is making progress in his comeback from a broken left wrist but still isn't ready to take batting practice.

Matsui took easy swings off a tee and during a soft toss session with a mini-bat during his second workout Monday at the Yankees' minor-league complex. He also had a long toss session and fielded fly balls and grounders in the outfield.

"At this point, there are no problems," Matsui said through a translator. "I'm practicing to where it doesn't cause any problems."

Matsui has been sidelined since breaking his wrist while diving for a fly ball hit by Boston's Mark Loretta on May 11. A batting practice timetable could be set next week if Matsui is re-examined.

The Yankees are hopeful Matsui can rejoin the team in August.

"Right now I don't have a specific date," Matsui said. "I'm working on it now, expecting to be back as soon as possible."

Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, out with a left hamstring injury, did agility drills Monday in the outfield in addition to taking batting practice and fielding grounders. He hasn't played since he got hurt running out a double against Florida on June 25.

The All-Star infielder hopes to run the bases Friday or Saturday. If that goes well, he could start a minor-league rehab assignment next week.

"It's feeling a lot looser," Cano said. "But I don't want to rush it."

Cano would likely play in two or three minor-league games before rejoining the Yankees.

Trade talk: With the deadline looming on Monday, rumors continue to swirl around the baseball world.

One published report had the Yankees sending Proctor to the Braves for infielder Wilson Betemit. Listening to Torre, it sounds like the Yankees would prefer to add pitching rather than trade it away.

"If you're going to improve your team in one area that's going to cost some pitching, that would take a lot of thought," Torre said. "Pitching is hugely important. Now that we're getting production out of right field with [Aaron] Guiel and Bernie [Williams], you hope that's enough."

While Torre continues to stress pitching over hitting, he wouldn't rule anything out with the deadline just five days away.

"I'm sure we can do something to help our team, but if you asked me to put my finger on it right now, it's tough for me to do," Torre said. "I don't think we can limit it to feeling that we need to get better in only one area."

Here's Johnny: Johnny Damon was back in the lineup on Wednesday after missing two games with stiffness in his back. The center fielder suffered the injury while getting into a car on Monday.

Although he said he was unable to play on Tuesday night, Damon said his back "snap, crackled and popped a little bit" during the game, allowing him to play again.

"He told me last night in the seventh inning that he was OK," Torre said. "When he came in [on Wednesday], he was ready to go."

Rehab rumblings: Robinson Cano will start running the bases on Friday, testing his strained left hamstring. If all goes well, he could begin playing in Minor League rehab games next week. ... Octavio Dotel, recovering from a right elbow injury, threw on flat ground at a distance of about 100 feet, and he is expected to throw off a mound in a few days. ... Hideki Matsui did more light work off a tee on Wednesday, as Torre said the outfielder was "sore in his shoulders, which is very good." Matsui, who is trying to come back from a left-wrist fracture injury, will be back in New York early next week to visit the doctor, and he could be cleared to take batting practice after that visit.

Manager Joe Torre entered Wednesday night's game against the Rangers with a simple plan: Do not use Scott Proctor "at all costs."

But when Kyle Farnsworth's back refused to cooperate during his warmups in the bullpen, Torre was forced to go to Proctor, who gave up his first runs since the All-Star break.

Fortunately, the Yankees were able to come back and escape Texas with an 8-7 win and a three-game sweep. While that will make Thursday's off-day more enjoyable, the Yankees will certainly be crossing their fingers that Farnsworth's back problem is a temporary one.

"It was just a cramp that locked up on me," Farnsworth said. "Hopefully, it's nothing too bad."

Farnsworth said that the lower back pain was the same problem he dealt with in June, when he missed two games.

"There are certain things that crop up with him that handicap him a little bit, but we've been pretty fortunate," Torre said. "He's been able to go to the post for the most part for us."

Farnsworth has appeared in 49 games this season, second only to Proctor's 51 in the American League. He had no problem with his back before the game, and there was no sign of trouble when he got up to warm up in the eighth inning. But when he started throwing on the mound, he couldn't get himself ready to enter the game. After 25 or 30 pitches, Farnsworth stopped warming up.

"I did my whole warmups and did everything, it just never got loose," Farnsworth said. "My back was just grabbing, so I knew it wasn't where it needed to be to go out there. I could have injured it even more."

Torre said that no tests were planned, and Farnsworth said he expected to be ready to go when the Yankees return home to face the Devil Rays on Friday.

"We certainly hold our breath that Farnsworth isn't a problem," Torre said. "We'll know more about that Friday."

The Yankees made their first move leading up to the trade deadline on July 31, acquiring backup catcher Sal Fasano from the Phillies for Minor League infielder Hector Made on Wednesday.

Fasano, 34, batted .243 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 50 games with Philadelphia before landing on the disabled list on July 4 with inflammation in the left knee. He was designated for assignment on July 22.

"When he was designated, we were all on the same page in thinking it could be an upgrade for us," manager Joe Torre said. "It's no guarantee, but that's our feeling going in."

"You have two fears: Am I going to get a job, and am I going to get a job with a team that's not in contention," Fasano said of being designated. "When I found out the Yankees were interested, I was extremely excited. It changed the whole demeanor of my house. It was a good day in the Fasano household."

Fasano spent the 2004 season in the Yankees organization, spending Spring Training with New York before being sent to Triple-A Columbus for the year. When he walked into the clubhouse, he was greeted by several familiar faces, from catcher Jorge Posada to former Columbus teammates such as Andy Phillips and Scott Proctor.

"It makes it real easy," Fasano said. "I saw them at the beginning of their development, and now they're turning into big leaguers. The old guy in me says, it's great to see them have success, while the player in me wants to play with these guys."

To make room for Fasano on their roster, the Yankees designated Kelly Stinnett for assignment.

"He's very professional in the way he goes about his business -- not that Kelly isn't; we just felt he was a better option for us," Joe Torre said. "He's probably played a little bit more, especially this year. We were comfortable with him a couple of years ago, but we had a little more depth with John Flaherty."

Stinnett, 36, hit just .228 in 34 games with the Yankees this season, striking out 29 times in 79 at-bats. He was signed by the Yankees this winter to replace Flaherty as Posada's backup, but he did not live up to expectations at the plate. Torre informed Stinnett of the decision after Tuesday night's game.

"We're still going to count on Jorge," Torre said. "Offensively, we may not have to pinch-hit as often as we did before, so at least the days that Jorge is going to get off, he'll get off."

Made, 21, hit .286 in 86 games with Class A Tampa in 2006. He was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic on July 17, 2001.

Fasano had one piece of business to take care of before leaving Philadelphia for Arlington, trimming his Fu Manchu into a regular mustache, along with cutting the back of his hair.

"The jury is still out on the mustache," he said. "If I get some hits and we win, I might keep it. If we lose, I'm shaving it off. That was the tough part; the Fu Manchu was easy to get used to. I liked it. I also cut off about 20 inches of hair. You know the rules when you get here; it's part of being a professional."

Originally posted by Double-J:
OMG! We'll trade you A-Rod for Johan Santana, Francisco Liriano, and Torii Hunter!

Originally posted by Jimmy Buffer:
I don't know if the Yanks fans would like that trade. Even though Johan got the win in his last start, he didn't pitch his best, Liriano got rocked his first start back after the break, and Hunter is hurt and has worse stats across the board than Arod. Evidently, anything short of perfection isn't good enough for the blessed Yankees.

Originally posted by Jimmy Buffer:
it's been five and a half years since they last won the World Series and Johnson, Mussina, Rivera, Sheffield, Williams, Posada, Giambi, ARod, Matsui, et al. aren't getting any younger. They're all still very good players, but the last several years seemed to have proven they aren't capable of carrying a team to a title anymore without help from younger talent. When this happens to a lot of other ballclubs, the GM blows the whole operation up, trades for prospects or young talent, and starts building for the next 5 years. With the Yankees payroll, they can avoid taking this route, but if they fall short of the crown this year, would you as a Yankees fan like to see them try this, at least to an extent.

Originally posted by plawrence:
I think the reason that they haven't been winning championships is that a flukey thing happened on the way to one in 2004, and they lost to Arizona on a flukey play with the best relief pitcher in history on the mound.