Plus, I don't think he has pitched as long of a season as he'll have to pitch this year. I'm not sure how long Japan's season is but I've heard a few guys wondering if he'll simply burn out by the end of the season.

Notes: Damon raring to go

NEW YORK -- Johnny Damon has played in 1,705 Major League games, and he has never spent a day on the disabled list. It would appear that his run of good fortune will continue.

The 33-year-old center fielder on Friday reported "massive improvement" in the strained right calf that has sidelined him for three days, rejoining the Yankees' early workouts before the evening contest against the Orioles.

A smile on his face and the spring slowly returning to his step, Damon said that he could be available for pinch-hitting duties on Friday, with possible starting duties on deck for the weekend series with Baltimore.

"It's feeling pretty good today," Damon said. "I'm definitely going to make myself available to the skipper if he needs me for anything. Hopefully, it keeps on improving, but there was massive improvement last night. I'm close to being ready."

Damon left Monday's Opening Day contest after just five innings, replaced by Melky Cabrera.

With two full days of rest following Tuesday's off-day and Wednesday's rainout, Damon had unsuccessfully lobbied to be used as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter in Thursday's game.

Manager Joe Torre declined, saying that he didn't think it was the best idea, and maintained that he would try to stay away from using Damon in that role against the Orioles. Torre said it remained a possibility, though.

"The fact that he was in the weight room, riding the bike, and [he] went out and did some light jogging, I think that's a good sign," Torre said. "I think we're headed in the right direction."

Either way, general manager Brian Cashman has ruled out a stint on the disabled list, saying that Damon will remain available to Torre but that the manager will need to be "careful" in using him.

The prospect of avoiding two weeks on the shelf restored Damon's perky nature after a couple of days in which his demeanor had appeared reserved.

Damon was far more fluid on Friday, working out in the weight room and swinging in the underground batting cages, where he said he felt no stress on the right calf.

"I'm just happy I could possibly go out there and help the team," he said. "Whether I'm in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, they know what kind of player I am. I know my body the best."

He said the fact that he has never being placed on the disabled list is a career note he has grown fond of.

"I think ... I've been very fortunate," he said. "I have been able to take care of my body over the years. The unfortunate thing is that when you start getting older, you start feeling a few aches and pains a little more. I can find a way to play."

Jeter's milestone surprise: Players don't always realize a milestone once they've reached it. Just ask Derek Jeter, who logged one on Thursday.

Jeter legged out an infield single in the seventh inning, giving him 2,153 hits for his career, tying him with Don Mattingly for sixth on the Yankees' all-time list. Devil Rays first baseman Ty Wigginton walked over to Jeter and offered words of praise.

"Honestly, I wasn't even aware of it until Wigginton said, 'Congratulations,' " Jeter said. "I didn't even see it on the scoreboard, so I was unaware of it."

The next Yankee in Jeter's sights is Joe DiMaggio, who leads Jeter by 61 hits. Following DiMaggio would be Bernie Williams. Jeter trails Williams by 183 hits and, considering he's had five 200-hit seasons, could pass him late this season in what would be a bittersweet moment.

Though the numbers don't mean much to the shortstop, being listed among the organization's great players is a source of pride.

"Any time you're on a list with guys like that, it makes you feel good," he said.

Ready to go: Less than 24 hours away from his Major League debut, Kei Igawa greeted about three dozen reporters in an auxiliary clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, saying that he was "very excited" but "not nervous."

Igawa, a 27-year-old left-hander, will throw his first pitches in the big leagues on Saturday afternoon against Baltimore, following up on a spring that started shaky and gained smoothness as the Grapefruit League schedule went along.

"I think in the early part of the spring, he was trying to make an impression," Torre said. "After two starts or so, he kind of settled in to get himself in shape and sharpen up what he does.

"He seems to be pretty calm. He gets out there and is pretty animated, and works fairly quickly."

Igawa noted that he watched Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka in his 10-strikeout Major League debut on Thursday, but wasn't surprised by the ace's dominance over the Royals.

"It's normal for him," Igawa said.

Source: Yankees

This time, Moose shows his age (is this the year when his control finally fails him?) and the Yankees fall to the Orioles, 6-4, despite some great play by my man Hideki Matsui and improved defense. Big bats like A-Rod and Giambi didn't come through, and when they had men on, they seemed to lose their patience at the plate. Henn et al in the bullpen did a great job in relief, but Moose had zero control tonight and got blasted. His velocity was terrible as well, averaging around 85 on the fastball...that's Wakefield speed.

Still a bit early to hit the panic button, obviously, but it does make you wonder: Cashman looked pissed the couple of times they cut to him...It does bring all these young arms into focus. It wouldn't surprise me if Humberto Sanchez and possibly Chase Wright (who looked awesome in Spring Training) could be into the starting rotation, and Mussina (gasp) could end up in the long-reliever role.

[/not_pushing_panic_button_after_3_games]

Oh, I am so sick of the ARod train. Two nights in a row, he was in a position to either tie up the game or pull ahead, and failed. Thursday night he popped it up (there's a shock) and last night he struck out. Yes, he scored blahbity-blahbity runs in his career, but lets see how many of them were necessary runs. Let's see how many of those were NOT scored when the team was already winning 10-2. At least Giambi can come through when the team needs him, unlike ARod. Whenever the bases are loaded, the score is down, and ARod comes up to the plate, my husband and I take bets on whether he'll pop it up or ground out.

Moose will be OK and so will the Yankees. It's been a rough start, but I have faith. The Yankees are unusual in that just when the other teams are starting to fade in August, they somehow build up steam and move ahead.

The Yankees don't built up stream, they have great depth on the bench. Hurt players, worn out players, players in slumps just replace him with another great player. Problem was they couldn't do this with their pitching staff last year.
I would have gotten rid of A-rod and his money and ego problems because as you say he doesn't bring it home in the pinch. Nothing bothers the Yankee office as giving away a player to another team and having to carry the player payroll while he plays for another team. And that is what they would have to do to get rid of A-rod and his big buck spot.

Dice-K had a good debut, and Pavano did better than expected.

But really, beyond the juvenile Boston-NYC pissyness, thats it so far.

Dice-K could still become the most expensive flop in baseball history(alongside the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, which YAnks somehow lost to neverless) and Pavano could still ultimately play out his rep as the most expensive broken toy in the Yankees toychest.

One game at a time.

Ugh. Yankees looking ugly. Igawa got a rough first outing, with pretty minimal offensive support...I had to shut the game off after it became 7-2.

Oh, and Abreu showed me for the first time how he takes plays off...that little bloop into right, Mientkeiwicz was fucking booking on, Cano came too, and Abreu trotted like he had no place to be that was important...he definitely could have made that play.

Playing like they've already won the division, and its only the first week of the season...poo.

Ah, but then The Giambino comes through in the clutch!! 1 more to tie it up.

A-Rod!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alex Rodriguez is the salt of the earth.

OK, sure, after trashing him in my previous post, he comes through in the clutch! Well, thank goodness he did! And good for him. Maybe this will be the year that he finally becomes comfortable in NY.

Matsui leaves game with injury

NEW YORK -- Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui left Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles with a strained left hamstring.

Matsui started in left field for New York and suffered the injury during his lone at-bat of the contest, grounding out to catcher Alberto Castillo in the second inning.

Miguel Cairo replaced Matsui as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning and took over in left field. The 32-year-old Matsui will be re-evaluated on Sunday, the Yankees announced.

Matsui played in just 51 games for New York last season after suffering a broken left wrist in a May 11 contest against the Boston Red Sox, costing him four months and snapping a consecutive games played streak of 518 games to open his Major League career.

Matsui batted .302 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 2006. In four games this season, he is 3-for-12 (.250) with three runs batted in.

Source: Yankees

Hughes wins his Triple-A debut


With temperatures near freezing, one of the Minor League's hottest prospects made his Triple-A debut.

Phil Hughes pitched five efficient innings for the win Friday night as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees defeated the Norfolk Tides, 6-3, at PNC Field.

A crowd of 7,269 braved 34-degree temperatures and 14 mph winds to see Hughes (1-0) make his first start of the season. The 20-year-old prodigy did not disappoint, throwing 50 of 74 pitches for strikes.

"I definitely wasn't the coldest guy out there," he said. "But with all the adrenaline, I didn't mind it too much."

Despite striking out six batters, Hughes' control was slightly off as he gave up two runs on two hits and two walks with a hit batter and a wild pitch. Although he is known for a blazing fastball and hard breaking pitches, he was busy working on a third weapon -- a changeup.

"I had a pretty good fastball coming into tonight and I had a pretty good curveball as well. It doesn't make the changeup so important right now, but down the road, I'm definitely going to need [it]," Hughes said.

"Overall, I think I threw it pretty well. I feel confident throwing it. It was kind of a tough night to throw a changeup because it was so cold and dry. I'm going to have better days, but I'm also going to have worse days."

Once Hughes left, the Yankees bullpen clamped down on the Tides, yielding one run on two hits over four innings. Chris Britton worked a scoreless ninth for the save.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took control with a two-run second. Alberto Gonzalez worked a two-out walk from Norfolk starter Jon Leicester and Chris Basak drilled a two-run homer. Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Basak went 2-for-4.

Leadoff man Kevin Thompson also chipped in two hits, stole three bases and scored a run. Eric Duncan contributed a two-run homer in the fifth.

Norfolk got to Hughes in the opening inning, when Mike Cervenak was hit by a pitch with two outs, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Jon Knott's single.

J.R. House was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Tides.

Leicester (0-1) took the loss after giving up three runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts in three innings.

Source: Yankees

I just heard. Good for A-Rod and a good come from behind win for the Yankees!

A-Rod rescues Yanks

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez jokes that one way or another, he always seems to wind up in the middle of something.

He didn't seem to mind on Saturday, grinning from the center of a pile at home plate, his Yankees teammates alternating between slapping his head, offering high-fives or embracing the third baseman's body in appreciative hugs.

Rodriguez hit a game-winning grand slam off Chris Ray in the bottom of the ninth inning to sink the Baltimore Orioles, 10-7, and set off a raucous celebration at Yankee Stadium.

"It felt awesome," Rodriguez said. "I was so excited, I felt like a fool running around the bases, like it was Little League. I just remember I almost knocked [coach Larry] Bowa over at third. I saw the fans rocking behind him. That was kind of cool."

The grand slam -- Rodriguez's second home run of the game -- capped a Yankees' rally against the Orioles, bailing out starter Kei Igawa, who surrendered seven runs in a five-inning Major League debut.

Trailing by a run as they headed to the bottom of the ninth, Rodriguez said that he somehow knew the game was going to come down to him.

"You relish it," Rodriguez said. "As an athlete, you always want to be in that opportunity."

Trying to preserve a victory for Orioles starter Steve Trachsel, Ray retired the first two batters in the inning before Robinson Cano rapped a single up the middle and Derek Jeter walked, representing the winning run.

Bobby Abreu was then hit by a pitch on the left knee, hobbling the Yankees' right fielder as he limped down to first base. That set the ultimate stage for A-Rod, the one that plays out in the minds of sandlot players everywhere -- bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the ninth.

So much of Rodriguez's tenure has been mercurial, even boiled down to Opening Day. On Monday, Yankees fans needed just six minutes to boo him for a dropped foul popup, then cheered him as he came back later that afternoon with a home run.

The Yankees watch and wonder when the big moment is coming, the landmark occurrence that puts an end to these types of hot-and-cold receptions. As Torre said, "You'd have to be in that dugout to appreciate how much people pull for him."

Ray worked the count to a ball and two strikes against Rodriguez before a fastball rode up on Rodriguez. The Orioles' right-hander instinctively leapt as Rodriguez triggered a swing, as if to acknowledge his mistake and cry out for a do-over, but it was too late.

Rodriguez ripped the offering into the black seats beyond center field, with the ball making a jagged bounce up and to the left before being retrieved and landing in its ultimate destination -- a center shelf in Rodriguez's locker.

Rodriguez jumped as he approached home plate, discarding his helmet and sending it spinning toward Baltimore's third-base dugout, accepting a pounding at the hands of his teammates. He called it "one of the best moments for me" as a Yankee.

As Rodriguez made his way to the first-base dugout, Torre placed his left hand on A-Rod's cap, ruffling his hair underneath the polyester covering.

Torre has been steadfast in his belief that too much attention is paid to A-Rod -- in the stands, in the newspapers, on 24-hour sports radio -- but he probably won't have concerns with what could be said after Rodriguez's Saturday in the park.

"It's one of those things when you get to a point," Torre said. "When do you have to stop proving yourself? I think that's what it's all about. When you set the bar as high as his is set, people sort of expect it all the time.

"This game has helped him. It's an important game, but it wasn't a game where the home run didn't mean anything. It was a huge lift for everybody. That's sort of a plateau -- people say [that] with men on base, he can't do this or can't do that. Well, there it is. Let's shut the book on that one and wait for the next chapter."

As a postscript, what remained of a Saturday afternoon crowd that endured Igawa's shaky opening cried out for their just rewards -- a Rodriguez curtain call.

It was an unlikely candidate who eventually alerted Rodriguez to their clamors, making contact with the third baseman's lower back and gently shoving him up the dugout steps to accept the crowd's warm embrace.

"I'm happy for him, that he came through," Jeter said. "That was a big hit for us. We needed that. We didn't want to waste another game."

Rodriguez said he appreciated the curtain call and the continuing applause and roars from the fans, which followed the Yankees as they made their way down the tunnel, satisfied with a win in the season's fourth game that some players had even gone so far as to call "urgent."

"That felt really good," Rodriguez said. "They've been wanting to explode for three days. It was rocking right then."

Even through the tumult that seems to trail Rodriguez's every comment and mannerism, the All-Star maintains that he feels at peace; he has since reporting to Legends Field in Tampa, Fla.

Maybe it was uncovering the state of his friendship with Jeter, maybe it's because he claims to no longer over-analyze every single comment made about him in the mainstream media, or maybe it was just his due time.

Torre scoffs when players claim they don't hear the boos and cheers; they're described as ever-present, even if the best players can tune them out and work past the distractions.

Either way, Rodriguez walked off Saturday as a winner. No one would dare say otherwise.

"He's such a big part of this club," Torre said. "He sits in the middle of our lineup and the expectations are high. It's really tough for him to live up to them. Today, he did."

Source: Yankees

Wow, glad I turned my TV back on to see Giambi park it, and (gasp) A-Rod come through in the clutch! Can you believe, even with our horrid pitching and defense, we're atop the AL East? Amazing.

Let's hope Rasner can give us at least 4 innings today.

BTW - Matsui will be out 5-7 days, he should return on Friday.

Jeter: "Chu ok Alex?"

AROD : " Ahh let em boo me for now Derek. I give dem a clutch hit and dey gonna luv me again."

Ha Ha. That's a great analogy. He's safe today, I gotta say that much. But if he strands 3 guys tomorrow, he's gonna get booed again. It's crazy.

Matsui placed on 15-day disabled list

NEW YORK -- The Yankees placed Hideki Matsui on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday, one day after the outfielder strained his left hamstring while running out a ground ball.

The assignment is the second in less than a year for Matsui, who missed four months last season with a broken left wrist. He strained the hamstring in the second inning of Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles.

"When you play baseball, these things happen," Matsui said through an interpreter. "You just can't help it. I look forward to just getting back as soon as possible."

To fill Matsui's place on the 25-man roster, the Yankees recalled outfielder Kevin Thompson from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Thompson batted .300 in 19 games for the Yankees last season across three stints, and is expected to assume Melky Cabrera's role as a reserve when he meets the team in Minnesota on Monday.

Manager Joe Torre had been optimistic in his earliest assessment of Matsui's condition, saying that the outfielder could perhaps rejoin the club within three to five days.

But an MRI exam performed on Sunday showed some blood, indicating a strain, and Torre said that the move to the disabled list was triggered in Matsui's interests.

"He certainly understood," Torre said. "I think the biggest thing is that you protect the player against himself at this point in time."

General manager Brian Cashman said that the club's history with strained hamstrings has generally spelled at least a two-week recovery period. He cited the case of second baseman Robinson Cano, who missed 35 games last season after straining his left hamstring in a late-June game.

"It's something we just don't want to play with," Cashman said. "It's something that we could have held back for five or six days, but with hamstrings, it's just not worth the gamble.

"We're going to take the safe route and make sure that this is not an issue that carries us deeper into the season, so we want to get it out of the way. As hard as it is to put a guy like Hideki Matsui on the DL, it's the right thing."

Matsui believes that the assignment will offer him more than enough time to recuperate and rejoin the lineup. He said that he did not attempt to dissuade Cashman or Torre from the move.

"It's a fact that I will not be able to play a couple of games," Matsui said. "That would mean that by not being on the DL, I wouldn't be a factor to the team, and I'm actually inconveniencing the team in that process."

He suggested that the chilly conditions in the Northeast -- Saturday's first pitch was thrown with a recorded 39 degrees -- may have contributed to the injury, but added that his preparation for the season may have not been adequate.

"From my perspective, I gave it my best," he said. "The fact that this happened means somewhere, something wasn't right."

Source: Yankees

Notes: Cold keeps Damon on bench

NEW YORK -- Johnny Damon left for Yankee Stadium on Sunday morning believing that he would be in the lineup against the Baltimore Orioles.

Joe Torre had thoughts along the same lines, but the manager reached a late decision upon further review to scratch the center fielder.

Torre said that he had thought back to the second inning of Saturday's game, when Hideki Matsui sustained what has been termed a mild strain of his left hamstring running out a ground ball.

Citing the fact that Matsui never seemed to take a misstep as he made his 90-foot dash, Torre could only come to the conclusion that the chilly conditions -- Kei Igawa's first pitch was thrown with the temperature recorded at 39 degrees -- had been a major contributing factor to the injury.

"The weather is the only excuse I can give you for that one," Torre said.

Damon was informed of the lineup switch as he dressed for Sunday's game, preparing to take indoor batting practice about 90 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. Though he was caught by surprise, Damon grasped the logic behind Torre's decision.

"I understand," Damon said. "Joe does not want any more guys to get hurt."

Instead, Damon -- who has been battling a strained right calf, an injury sustained in Monday's season opener -- will remain available as a pinch-hitter and late-inning defensive replacement. He could return to action on Monday at Minnesota.

"It's great having the coaches and manager here who have played and understand the cold," Damon said. "It makes everything so much easier for us."

Damon said that the Metrodome's artificial turf would not be a major concern, and he looked forward to shagging fly balls and attempting to get ready for three games.

The climate-controlled atmosphere would be a welcome change for Damon, who has been openly critical of the scheduling decision to have such teams as the Yankees open their seasons in what are typically cooler climates.

"We just need to get to warmer weather," he said. "I cannot stress that enough. I sure hope next year we don't start here [in New York] until April 15 or so. ... There's no reason why there should be games in Cleveland and Chicago. It's crazy. And unfortunately, guys have to brave this cold weather."

Infielder out: With Damon scratched, Torre assigned utilityman Miguel Cairo to start in left field for Sunday's contest.

Cairo entered to replace Matsui on Saturday and is generally considered the Yankees' emergency fifth outfielder. Cairo made one start in left field last season and appeared there in Spring Training, though the results weren't pretty.

In a March 19 game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., Cairo misplayed a handful of wind-blown fly balls as fifth starter candidate Jeff Karstens had his first shaky outing of the Grapefruit League campaign.

Cairo said that he felt he'd received enough work in Spring Training to get the job done in left field.

"Of course," Cairo said. "I'm ready. I come ready to play every day."

Even though Torre said that Cairo's defense wouldn't supplant that of any of the regulars, he said it would be passable.

"He's a pro," Torre said. "We're pretty comfortable he knows what he's doing."

Making history: Alex Rodriguez's game-winning grand slam on Saturday made him just the third player in Major League history to accomplish that feat three times. Rodriguez joined the St. Louis Browns' Vern Stephens (1946, '49, '50) and the Phillies' Cy Williams (1924 and twice in '26).

Rodriguez hit his other walk-off grand slams for the Rangers (July 27, 2002, against the A's) and on July 31, 2003, against the Red Sox.

Injury updates: Torre said that right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (strained right hamstring) threw 45 to 50 pitches off a mound earlier this week.

Wang has been in contact with pitching coach Ron Guidry, who has told the hurler to expect to make at least two rehab starts as he works toward a projected late-April reunion with the Yankees' Major League rotation.

Karstens (right elbow tendinitis) is closer to rejoining the squad, as he is eligible to come off the disabled list on Tuesday. Karstens threw batting practice on Saturday in Tampa, Fla., and Torre said that he could expect game action soon.

Source: Yankees

Melky Cabrera has zero patience at the plate this year, so I'm glad to see Kevin Thompson come up and get a shot. He looked good in Spring Training. I realize Melky has sparkling defense, but he...umm...can't hit the ball. KT is at least a speedy baserunning who gets decent line hits and can be a nice utility player.

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Rasner solidifies the terrible first pass through the rotation of the 2007 season. I wouldn't be surprised if he's moved to the long-reliever role, or rule 5 drafted back to the Nats. He's not a viable option as the 5th starter. Karstens needs to come back as soon as possible. I've never been thrilled with loose change we pick up from other clubs via rule 5, but Rasner really looked bad.

Not that any of the Yankees pitchers looked really good, either...

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Pettitte pitched a relief appearance yesterday, which was nuts, imho. I realize they wanted to test him and his back, but his start is Tuesday...really shocked me that they'd risk pitching him so close to his start. He looked pretty good though. Let's hope that getting inside the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and its controlled climate temperatures will help get the Yankee pitching back on track.

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The H.H.H. Metrodome should also let us know what's happening with Mike Mussina. We all know he's a hypercontrol pitcher, and he can no longer rely on his "burning" 87-89 fastball to get the job done anymore (it was more like 84-86 the other night...). Was it just the cold, ruining his "feel" on the ball, that made his curve not break, his change not change, and his fastball act like a BP fastball? We'll soon know.

Moose could be fading fast. If his bad performance continues...I don't think he has much left in the tank. I hope Roger Clemens' number is on speed dial.

---

Can Pavano actually pitch two decent outings in a row? They gave the Yankees rotation a hard time (deservedly) for the first week of the season, but Pavano wasn't (gasp) half bad. Uh-oh. I still can't believe he's the "ace" of our rotation right now. Oh, untimely death!

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A-Rod comes through in the clutch.


Shocking, isn't it?

---

Who else thinks Abreu is hurt? He looks like he can't run as fast as he has in the past, and has a little gimp in his giddyup when he's chasing down balls in the outfield. I know I criticized him for taking plays off, particularly since he's had two balls well within his range drop for bloop RBI hits, and I know Phillies fans sometimes questioned his work ethic, but...I haven't seen anything since he came to the Yankees that indicates that is the case. I don't know. It's hard to say, because the first bloop the other night happened before he took a Chris Ray fastball of the shin two days ago, and the second in yesterday's game came after.

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Derek Jeter is hurt, but his range to his left had issues before that. Let's hope the Gold Glove defenseman can work through it, but he looks horrible trying to run. If the Yankees can get ahead in a game (I know, at this point, its tantamount to locating the holy grail), I hope they swap Miggy in at short (or, gasp, move A-Rod to short and play Cairo at third?)

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Godzirra is hurt (you frucking strupide Amelicans!), which is a bad deal, because he's been the Yankees most consistent AB this season (as usual). He says it's not that bad, but they found blood and swelling on the MRI, so its a nifty little strain, and will keep him out on the DL for 15 days. Crap.

He does say though that it will be more than enough time to come back healthy, and should come right back out the box (hit 'em, Luke) and hopefully the Yankee offense will do the same.

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Johnny Damon has a cold. I'd buy him some Cold FX, if that shit didn't cost $25.

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Josh Phelps can play defense? Holy shit. What a snare at first yesterday. Gold Glove type play.

Too bad that he's actually offensively behind Doug Alphabet.



I think he needs to show a little plate discipline. And no, that doesn't mean skipping seconds at KFC.

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Giambi is, as usual, feast or famine. When he strikes out, he looks horrid, but as seen two days ago, he can crush the ball.

I'd like to apologize...for something.

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Who else thinks that Tyler Clippard or Chase Wright could have pitched better than Darrell Rasner.

Hands?

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Things aren't greener on the other side. Super ace Johan Santana had a rough first outing, earning a 6.00 ERA. His last start was stellar, though, and now he's back in gear.

Let's hope the Yankees follow suit.

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Sidney "The Drunk Aruban Assault Fatty" Ponson is actually under weight, and working hard on ground balls this spring for the Twins.

What the fuck? Don't you know pinstripes are slimming?

---

Let's hope for some good starts against the Twins. The Yankees really started to turn things upward offensively and defensively in the A-Rod "king of the world" game, now let's hope the pitching follows suit.

Regards,
Double-J

Lets see if Pavano can continue on his resume for 2007 Comeback Player of the year.

Anyone heard Mike Greeny's story of taking his kid to the Yankees game last week this morning? Funny stuff.

I'd settle for mediocrity with Pavano (i.e. 10 wins would make me ecstatic)...

Whoa whoa man, one win at a time. That's my philosophy.

I hear Damon's gonna be back in the lineup tonight. Is that true?

Damon is in, and he's on fire. He's clearly a bit hobbled in the outfield, and his baserunning is probably at about 75% capacity, but he's gone 2 for 4, with a .556 average this season.

Cano and Melky still have zero patience at the plate, but Cano had a 5 game hit streak on the line in this game, and he went 0 for 5 at the plate tonight. Oh well. Melky was the lead off man I think 4 times this game (as the 9th hitter) and went 0-4.

A-Rod does it again...he really looks great this year, and is off to an amazing start. Let's hope he keeps it rolling.

One thing this game I've seen is massively improved defense, Cano and Jeter have made some amazing plays up the middle on the superfast fake grass on the Metrodome.

Pavano pitches 7 innings and only allows 2 runs? Whoa! This is the kind of start he (and the rotation) needed. Let's hope Pettitte can improve on that tomorrow, but you can't expect anything more out of him. Great job for the Crash Test Dummy.

Also of note: A-Rod has just set a Yankee record, something no other Yankee - not Ruth, not Gehrig, not DiMaggio, not Mantle, not Berra, not Maris, not Jackson has done - he is the first Yankee to reach five homeruns in a season within the first 6 games.

Great, now fans have another reason to hate him when the time comes.

Let's trade him for mediocre starting pitching!

I knew when A-Rod came up I felt he might hit another homer and he did. I watched some of the game but didn't tune in until the 3rd inning (miss Abreu's shot). Boy A-Rod is off to his best start as a Yankee. He could definitely win his 3rd MVP the way he's starting off. Good win for them to get back on track!