My son is going to the Scranton game later today with my brother-in-law to see Clemens pitch. They have special VIP tickets that will allow them to meet Clemens after the game. I'm sure there will be no chance to meet and greet if Roger gets rocked. Therefore, I hope he does well.

By the way, the sweep this weekend really stung NY. Some advice from a Phillie fan, whose team has been in the thick of the wild card run the past several years:

Do not even look at the wild card standings now. The wild card race doesn't even start until August.

True. I know it's still early but it looks like the AL East is lost for them this year. But the wild card is going to be just as hard with the Indians, White Sox, Tigers, A's, etc all gunning for that spot. As of today, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Yankees miss the playoffs. Even when they get Clemens and IF they make a splash at the trade deadline, they have a lot of fixing to do. I don't even think they need to make a big trade this summer. They have the pieces, they just can't put them together. Plus it doesn't help when they have 11 or 12 different starting pitchers and we're not even in the month of June yet.

Tell him to get some pics!

The division will be tough to win, and may require a collapse from the Red Sox. The season is still early, and while Torre's Yankees have never been in this position before, they can still trim the Sox lead with enough time to make a run for it.

The deceptive thing about the Wild Card is that while it sometimes look as though you're right there 5 or 6 games out, there are so many other teams with you that you can't seem to break free from the pack. It might be a little more pronounced in the NL with the 2 extra teams.

I caught the last couple of batters in the Yankee game yesterday, and had to stop what I was doing to watch the 2-out battle between Jeter and Francisco Rodriguez, which reminded me why I'm a baseball fan. With the winning run on third, it was quite a confrontation between two exceptional talents.

Unfortunately, the post-game meeting with Clemens was cancelled due to the pitcher's "illness." I can't fault the guy. I think some people promised more than they could deliver.

I think Clemens will win some games, but he won't be a savior for the team. His days of going deep into a game are pretty much over, and I think the toil of an every day rotation will take its toll on him.

After watching last nights postgame, I think it's time for Joe to go.

He basically said that he's "at a loss" as to how to fix the offense, and that we've been shut down this season by great pitching.

What the fuck? Seriously? Are you kidding me? I mean, we seem to be the most inept hitting team in the league, and you're telling me its because of quality starts...?

Please switch Joes. Girardi for Torre. Thank you.

is a dark, dark period for Yankee Fans.

The games are getting harder and harder to watch.

13 1/2 games back tied with Tampa. Wake me up, I must be dreaming.

I have this picture of Schilling standing over a large grill holding a Giant Barbecue Fork sticking Irishman in the ass yelling who's done now.

Where is the fire in t his team? We have to use 4-5 pitchers to get thru a game and still lose. And lets not start that crap that it is still early yet. This team doesn't just have a cold. it looks like it could be cancer, and if not treated could be fatal.


It least the METS have been holding their own.

12 seasons as Yankee Manager :

97-65 record in 2006 ( best record in the American League).

NINE consecutive American League East division titles.

The first manager to guide the Yankees to 11-straight postseason appearances.

Won 4 WS championships in those 11 years.

Under Torre the Yankees won 90 or more games 10 out of 11-years!

1,079 Wins - 699 Losses as Yankee manager.

What have you done for me lately, chief?

The sad fact is that this team plays with no emotions, and has looked awful since last year's ALDS. Now, pitching injuries earlier this year made things seem bad, but now its the nonexistent offense. The pitching is fine, especially after Clemens comes in.

I don't care how many World Series' rings Joe has. His team looks like shit this year, and it can't all be blamed on injury. Part of it is Cashman's fault - a horrible bench, and a bullpen full of underachievers. But this team needs one last Steinbrenner-ballistic-missile. Firings. Nuclear war.

Even if it doesn't get is into the playoffs, it gives whatever regime will be instituted a head start for next year (hopefully Girardi).

They seemed to have lost that emotion when Zimmer left. Torre was NEVER a rah rah kind of guy, but having a guy like Zimmer on his bench brought that rah rah kind of attitude to the clubhouse. Someone on that team needs to step up and act like a leader. The Yankees are definitely talented enough to make a decent run before the AS break to put them back into some kind of a race. They need some solid pitching and a veteran player to step up as a team leader.

They also need Bernie.

They probably regret not signing him now. I think the window of opportunity has closed on him.

Well, they did bring Clemens back...maybe if they get rid of Torre and/or Cashman, Bernie will be back?

My biggest problem with getting rid of Cashman is that I don't want the Tampa group to come back in power with an "I told you so" from George, and we end up signing the biggest priced vets we can find.

I can see it now...

Trade Phil Hughes for Ken Griffey...

With Torre and Cashman, is it possible that Steinbrenner cans one or the other, but not both? I think if one goes, they both go.

I've been hearing the Yanks are going to be first in line to trade for Mark Texiara around the All-Star break. Personally, the number one guy I want to see in pinstripes is Johan Santana

Those guys would probably prefer to play for a contender.

Actually, I think part of the Yankees' problem is chasing all-star names for exorbitant prices, and not getting value for them. Sure, there's a lot of initial excitement when you bring in names like Giambi, A-Rod, Sheffield, Abreu, Randy Johnson, but I think the Yankees overvalue these guys. They become albatrosses and set them back. Their focus should be on building from within.

It looks like you're correct in that point klydon. But some of these Triple-A guys are starting to get rocked (Clippard, De Salvo, etc.). Who knows. It just doesn't seem like the Yankees year this year.

I think the Yankees should start making trade offers to the Giants for Barry Zito.

They need a dominant pitcher I still say Santana if they could ever pull it off

They should get rid of pieces of shit like Abreu.. send him back to the Phillies... that'd be a good start.

BTW - Proctor pulled a Kevin Brown last night and decided to unload on the clubhouse wall. No word on the damage to his hand, but he may miss time.

Then again, that may not be a bad thing - maybe Bruney and Britton will finally get shots. Bruney has been without question our best reliever this year, and Britton is lighting up AAA. Why did we trade Wright for him if he's going to waste away in AAA?

Oh, and if we can't beat the Red Sox this weekend? It's over. Thanks.

No way we come back from being 16+ games back in June.

We won't take him back. His contract was choking the team to death, and the Phillies were getting little production from him. Shane Victorino isn't going to any all-star games, but he's faster, a better defensive player, and hitting well.

Amazingly, in a few years Abreu has gone from one of the most underrated plsyers to the most overrated. After setting a record in the homerun derby in 2005, he hasn't even remotely hit for power. Some point to a classic moment 2 years ago as the start of his downfall. He was engaged to a beauty queen, and shortly before the wedding he discovered nude photos of her on a pornographic web site, which made him cancel the wedding. Maybe A-Rod can introduce him to some blondes, in order to get his mind off his troubles.

Geoff, take heart (as I do) in knowing that Abreu's contract is up after this year (I doubt after his performance he'll be re-upped for '08) and that the Yankees will be going after Ichiro and Torii Hunter.

Much in the same way they will be going after Teixeira after '08, although given how poorly Giambi has played/injuries, it may be sooner rather than later, before he even hits the FA market.

The Yankees need to get younger, and less injury prone, in a hurry. Granted, Ichiro isn't a spring chicken, but he's a phenom. Teixeira would solidify the right side for the first time since Mattingly. If Cano can come around, and we keep A-Rod and Jeet, the team looks a lot better.

Also, maybe if they dump Giambi and move Damon or Matsui to the DH, they could pick up another above average outfielder. Hunter is too injury prone, methinks, but Andruw Jones will be an FA.

Maybe having George control means the free spending will be back...an outfield with Matsui, Jones, and Ichiro would be amazing!

Then again, that won't be a very young outfield, but still...

I watched the bottom of the eighth inning last night. Did anyone else see it? There was some discussion about whether A-Rod should have let the sacrifice go foul, but it's a judgment play where you don't have a lot of time to decide, and the ball stayed fair for quite a while. Plus, it's up to the catcher to tell him to let it go because he has the best view. Posada did break from the plate and followed the ball. I assume he didn't yell "Let it go!" before A-Rod picked it up. After watching the replay, I think it would have rolled foul, but it was the right play at the time to pick it up because it was too hard to tell, and you can't risk a first and third with nobody out in a tie game in the eighth.

i think the big play was how Matsui misplayed the lead-off double. He judged the ball terribly.

"be back"??? When did it ever stop?

Don't tell me that 2007 Steinbrenner is the same as, say, ten years ago even. Torre would have been gone the day after last years ALDS. Furthermore, the "free spending" had been quelled (relatively, until the Abreu acquisition), since last season. Though that's largely due to the fact that there were already so many bloated contracts, it was impossible to maneuver. This offseason, instead of going after someone like Lilly, they went the "cheaper" (i.e. worse) route and avoided the luxury tax by signing Igawa with the posting fees not counting towards the tax. They got Doug Mienkeiwicz instead of Richie Sexson.

I'm just hoping he's still competent enough to either a.) play an active and meaningful role, instead of just issuing statements or b.) if not, turn it over to Hank.

BTW - I was just checking - if Cashman goes...Gene Michael is still VP and Senior-Advisor of Scouting. Who wouldn't like to see "The Stick" back as GM? After all, he did bring Mo, Jeet, Posada, etc...

I think you're forgetting about the Roger Clemens contract. The only thing more laughable about the deal itself, is Roger stating he chose the Yankees because he wanted to win a championship. I wonder what he's thinking now, since the Yankees have fallen 9 more games out of first place since he signed.

Roger Clemens I think is the turnaround - I mean, they didn't go after Barry Zito's huge contract. Steinbrenner seems to have this thing for him, and yeah, it's $28 mil, which is egregious, but I think it shows the Boss still wants to win, and is willing to spend.

Too bad that it's virtually all for nothing at this point, and Clemens hasn't even started for the Yankees yet.

I just found out that the reporter, who asked Clemens the question that set him off, is related to an old friend of mine, and is working for a paper about 90 minutes west of Scranton.

The local paper printed both the question and the response. The question was kind of silly and basically was, With the negative reaction from some concerning your recent signing and the nature of your contract, how nice is it to receive the response you did from the crowd today?

The question was one of those self-serving attempts to get a big time star to say something complimentary about the local fans. Clemens' answer was really non-responsive to the question, which was by no means negative. No big deal though.

the reporter is quoted in today's paper as saying that he didn't ask a follow up question because he didn't further want to piss the guy off. He's certainly not part of the New York media.