Don't mistake losing [was gonna make a rhyme here lol] as being a decent organization

They've had some exceptional games, and they've had some horrible ones (see last two under horrible, see Friday's under exceptional). However, it's a looooooong season, and let's all talk again in September.

Get better, Harlan!

Joba Chamberlain leaves Yankees to be with ailing father

Last night ESPN had a crawl announcing that Joba Chamberlain was on bereavement leave. I took that as meaning his father died, but I guess bereavement can refer to attending to a sick relative. On the Yankees website the current announcement (6:14 pm 4/14/08) says that "Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain left the team after Sunday's game to tend to his ailing father and has been placed on the Major League bereavement list." He's in critical condition.

Tough going for the Chamberlain family.

Yes, I'm a Yankee hater...but I feel very bad for Chamberlain. He is a genuinely likeable guy, and I remember his father making it to some games. I wish his father a full recovery, and hope Joba returns the team soon.

His dad must be a pretty amazing guy. He was stricken with polio as an infant (plus has other health issues from what I understand), yet he raised Joba all by himself, and seems to have done a pretty great job.

The win last night was fairly miraculous. The 7th inning was like the inning from hell that would never end. Thanks to Cano and Rivera, they pulled it off, but it was too close for comfort.

Astronaut makes first-pitch history

NEW YORK -- It was one short toss for mankind, and one giant leap for the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.

NASA astronaut Dr. Garrett Reisman threw out a ceremonial first pitch from the International Space Station prior to the Yankees' game against the Red Sox on Wednesday, the first ceremonial first pitch thrown from space in Yankee Stadium's history.

It was, as you would only expect from a rivalry that once prominently featured Bill "Spaceman" Lee, out of this world. Reisman was displayed on the right-field video board, shown wearing a Yankees cap, a navy blue T-shirt bearing the "NY" insignia and jeans.

Floating in a walkway of the space station and introduced to cheers, Reisman said that he is enjoying his stay at the space station but looked forward to getting back with the Bleacher Creatures and cheering on his favorite Yankees like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano.

"There are many nations and there is only one universe, and it's a Yankee universe," Reisman said, drawing more cheers before uncorking a pitch that floated past the camera.

Reisman, 40, docked at the International Space Station on March 12, carrying dirt from the Yankee Stadium pitcher's mound, a Yankees banner and a hat autographed by Yankees principal owner George M. Steinbrenner.

"Launching on the Space Shuttle and living aboard the International Space Station is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Reisman said in a statement released through the club. "But as a lifelong Yankees fan, throwing out the first pitch at a Yankees-Red Sox game is also a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"I am really honored to have this opportunity in such a historic season in the House that Ruth Built, and I would like to thank the Yankees for being so supportive of our mission up here in space. From earth's orbit, but still deep inside the Yankees universe, let me say, 'Go Yanks!'"

The first pitch from the International Space Station was actually not the first in Major League Baseball. The Red Sox set one up last year with NASA astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria and Suni Williams live at Fenway Park for the Sept. 16 game against New York.

Lopez-Alegria was following Wednesday's event with interest, and he noted in an email to MLB.com that this actually was the third time a ceremonial first pitch in Major League Baseball has been thrown from space. The first one, he said, was in conjunction with Game 5 of the 1995 World Series between the Braves and Indians at Jacobs Field.

"I was one of a seven-person crew performing a microgravity research mission on Columbia," Lopez-Alegria recalled. "They showed video of the pitch coming at the camera that we had recorded on board on the big screen at the field, and then a ball landed in center field. We took hats from both the Indians and the Braves on that mission. I still have the Braves hat (gave the Indians hat to Mike Hargrove who was the manager at the time) when I got to throw out a real first pitch at Jacobs Field the following season."

This also was a continuation of MLB's cooperation with NASA to make baseball the interstellar pastime. Major League Baseball Advanced Media has worked with NASA to provide MLB.com Gameday Audio feeds that have been uplinked to the Space Station to keep astronauts such as Lopez-Alegria updated on their favorite teams whenever time is allowed amidst their experiments.

Yankees players reacted with amusement to the news that a Yankee Stadium ceremonial first pitch would actually be tossed from outer space.

"It'd have to be a pretty long throw, wouldn't it?" said infielder Morgan Ensberg, who attempted in vain to remember his physics schooling at the University of Southern California, trying to figure out how a baseball would react if tossed out of the space station itself.

Outfielder Johnny Damon grinned and said, "It would be cool if it ever happened," moments before he was informed that he would actually have the opportunity to watch one on the right-field video board Wednesday.

Damon makes his home in Orlando, Fla., and said that during night launches, he can see the Space Shuttle when it takes off from Cape Canaveral, leaving long fire streaks through the sky. Occasionally on re-entry, the Shuttle also creates a "sonic boom" heard miles away.

"I yelled at [my wife] Michelle the last time and said, 'Stop slamming the doors,'" Damon said.

A native of Parsippany, N.J., and a lifelong Yankees fan, Reisman is making his first trip into space as a member of the Expedition 16 and Expedition 17 crews. He is in the midst of a planned four-month stay aboard the International Space Station, which is located more than 200 miles away from the earth's surface.

Reisman conducted his first spacewalk on March 13 and is conducting numerous tasks with the International Space Station's robotic arm and robotic manipulator, Dextre. He was launched into space on March 11 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour and is scheduled to return aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in June.

Reisman was originally selected by NASA as a mission specialist in 1998 when he began his astronaut training. In June 2003, Reisman was a crew member on NEEMO V, living on the bottom of the sea in the Aquarius habitat for two weeks.

Source: Yankees

Chamberlain's father improving

NEW YORK -- Joba Chamberlain's father's health had significantly improved by Wednesday afternoon, according to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, and Chamberlain could rejoin the Yankees' bullpen by the end of the week.

"There are still some more tests that have to be run, but, obviously, his father is doing much better than he was a couple of days ago," Girardi said.

Chamberlain, 22, left the team after Sunday's game vs. the Red Sox to return home, where his father, Harlan, was listed in critical but stable condition at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Neb. The Yankees placed the right-hander on the Major League bereavement list the following day, making him ineligible to play for a minimum of three games.

The elder Chamberlain, 55, has had a history of medical ailments, including a case of polio that left him partially paralyzed and forced him to rely on a motorized scooter for transportation. After collapsing at his Lincoln home on Sunday, he was admitted to the hospital, where doctors placed him on a ventilator to help him breathe.

Chamberlain and his father are quite close, and speak daily during the season.

"His father is progressing," Girardi said. "He's about 40 to 50 percent on the ventilator. He sat up a couple of times [on Wednesday] for like a half an hour, and Joba said he's getting a little bit antsy, so that's a good sign. He's doing much better."

Source: Yankees

A-Rod makes home run history

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez hit his 522nd home run Wednesday night, passing Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 15th place on Major League Baseball's all-time list.

The Yankees' third baseman connected in the first inning off Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz, blasting a 1-1 offering into the visiting bullpen.

"It's pretty humbling," Rodriguez said. "I'm very excited."

The solo shot was A-Rod's fourth home run of the season. He tied Williams and McCovey on Monday at Tropicana Field with a first-inning home run off right-hander Andy Sonnanstine.

Rodriguez's drive put the Yankees ahead, 3-1, and came three pitches after Bobby Abreu's two-run homer, the second time this season that the Yankees have gone back-to-back. Rodriguez and Jorge Posada hit back-to-back home runs in Kansas City on Thursday.

"We're going to see this for a while now, him passing a lot of people," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's an amazing hitter and it's really nice having him."

Next up for Rodriguez on the all-time home runs list is Jimmie Foxx, who has 534.

Source: Yankees

OMG! This is a horrible inning! 7 runs so far in this one inning! WTF????

Gonna be a showdown in Yankeeville. Hanky Panky wants Joba in the starting rotation. Cashman wants to keep him in the bullpen.

Anyone wanna give odds on who'll win.

I think they should put him in the rotation too. So far Hughes and Kennedy are a combined 0-5 with a 18.46 ERA (Hughes is 0-3 with a 8.82 ERA while Kennedy is 0-2 with a 9.64 ERA). Granted these kids are young (Hughes is only 21 while Kennedy is 23) but the Yankees envision Joba as a starter in coming years anyway. They are saying he's going to be in the rotation by the end of the year. If they want to remain "somewhat" competitive, they have to have good starting pitching. Wang and Pettitte will hold their own, but they can't keep going 2 games with solid starters and 3 games with busts (Hughes, Kennedy and Mussina).

This sounds familiar.

Wasn't it just last year when the Yankees were struggling (worse than they are now) and ownership flipped into panic mode while Torre and Cashman stuck to the planned course and erased a deficit and made it to the post season.

Chamberlain's time will come in due course. No need to alter it because some of the young starters have had a few rough starts to begin the season. It's still April.

And they're already 3 1/2 games behind Boston. Remember about last year too, they were too far behind to catch Boston and lost the division by only 2 games. With the competition this year from Cleveland, Detroit, and Seattle, it'll be harder this year to get in than in year's past.

I disagree completely. Mo is going to be retiring next year, and I firmly believe that Joba should be remain the setup man and take over as closer.

Last week without him in the bullpen shows you what it would be like without him.

I see what you're saying SB but Joba can't be too effective if the Yankees are already losing by 5 runs. I think they need help in the rotation more. They're going to lose Moose after this year (contract expires) and possibly Pettitte. That's 2 more holes to fill. Now if they transition Joba to start, they only need one more arm (C.C. from Cleveland perhaps to take over Andy as the left-hander?)

Yes, they need starters, but they also need a closer. And where are they going to get one? Mo has been on his way out for a couple of years. Why haven't they prepared? And how many times has the bullpen blown a lead???

Anyway, nice to see Moose do a good job last night.

I think they have some plan in action for post-Mo since they claim sooner or later Joba will be a started. I thought I heard a while ago that they had a closer in the minors who went to UT? I could be mistaken but this was before I ever heard of Joba Chamberlain

Mo reaches 450, with no end in sight

CLEVELAND -- The remarkable aspect of watching Mariano Rivera, believes Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain, is the consistency with which the future Hall of Fame closer plies his trade and goes about business.

Pitch after pitch, game after game, year after year, Rivera has exhibited the personal know-how and self-awareness to -- in Chamberlain's words -- "just be Mo."

"His delivery, he repeats it every time," Chamberlain said. "He knows when his arm gets out of slot. He knows what he has to do right there. That's the difference with the good ones -- he doesn't need anyone to come tell him."

Rivera recorded the 450th save of his illustrious career on Sunday at Progressive Field, hurling a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to preserve a 1-0 Yankees victory over the Indians. Entering Monday, Rivera had not allowed a run or a walk in nine appearances this season, recording seven saves and striking out 10 batters in 10 innings.

"It's a blessing to have the opportunities, and you have to be blessed to pitch that long to achieve [450 saves]," Rivera said. "It's not about numbers. It's about having the opportunity to help the team, because without having my teammates to give me the opportunities, I would never have that."

Rivera's 450 saves are the most in the history of the American League and third most on baseball's all-time list, trailing Trevor Hoffman (528) and Lee Smith (478).

Yankees manager Joe Girardi called the accomplishment "awfully big," considering that Rivera didn't even begin life as a closer -- he came up as a starting pitcher and then served as a setup man to John Wetteland on the Yankees' 1996 World Series-winning club, for which Girardi caught.

"He's just so consistent," Girardi said. "Mo is one of those guys that what he does doesn't really faze you. You see how good he's been and you're never really surprised by any accomplishment that he reaches."

Compared to last April, Rivera's dominance has made for an even more striking comparison. Rivera did not record his seventh save of 2007 until the Yankees' 58th game, on June 7 at Chicago.

He blew his first two save opportunities of that campaign, serving up a three-run homer to Oakland's Marco Scutaro last April 15 and allowing three runs to the Red Sox in two-thirds of an inning on April 20 at Fenway Park.

Rivera believes the key for him has been finding more regular work, allowing him to remain sharper.

"Last year, I didn't pitch at all almost in the first month," Rivera said. "Now, I have a little bit more opportunities. If you have them, you take advantage of them. I don't compare seasons to other seasons. Last year was last year. That's the way I go about business."

As his plaque in Cooperstown, N.Y., will almost surely attest one day, Rivera enjoyed his success primarily on the strength of one pitch, his cutter. Chamberlain called it "the best pitch in baseball," and having that weapon in the arsenal makes life on the job that much more enjoyable for the Yankees' catchers.

"You know the game is going to be over soon, because he's going to make it end," Jose Molina said. "You have to like that mentality. He's been around a long time, and he has that perfect movement and that perfect location."

Though everyone from the batter's box to the upper deck knows pretty much what Rivera is about to throw -- he has toyed with other pitches, but Molina said that he has called almost 100 percent cutters for Rivera since joining the team last July -- it still proves effective. Therein lies the magic of Mariano.

"You [reporters] may call it just one pitch, and the fans may think he has just one pitch," Molina said. "To me, he has seven pitches, something like that. I can call for it up, down, inside, outside, wherever we need it. We're on the same page."

"I don't care how good your curveball, changeup or slider are," Chamberlain said. "At 92, 95 and 96 [mph] sometimes, it's not going straight. That all comes down to his delivery."

Now 38 and in the first season of a three-year, $45 million contract, Rivera said that he has enjoyed the opportunity to help influence the minds of some of the Yankees' relievers.

Television cameras often catch Chamberlain and Rivera spitting sunflower seeds in the bullpen and shooting the breeze, and though Rivera doesn't pop the mid-90s nearly as often as Chamberlain does, he hopes to provide some even more valuable ammunition for the 22-year-old setup man than just plain octane.

"I want to be able to be there for them and make sure that I put something good in their minds," Rivera said. "I want them to be able to pull something out of their minds when they need it and put it to work. I like to help. I like to do good. I don't want to do something halfway. I want to do my best."

Source: Yankees

I can't read all that.. .all I know is, he was the best closer in the land. Until starting about 7 years ago when he'd blow ever single important game in the name of Yankees post season history!

Don't get too excited... of course he also HELPED a lot!

But year after year after year, I see him more like a nerve-wracking and sometimes heart attack-inducing Wetteland-type likely to make-it or break-it on any single pitch!

Definitely not the Ol' Mo.

Stress fracture in Hughes' ribs will keep him out at least four weeks

NEW YORK -- Phil Hughes has a stress fracture in one of his ribs, and the New York Yankees' pitcher is expected to be sidelined until at least July.

Hughes, placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, had an MRI exam that revealed the stress fracture in the ninth rib on his right side. He will be shut down for four weeks and then re-evaluated. General manager Brian Cashman said the team probably can't expect the 21-year-old right-hander to return before July.

Hughes is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in six starts this year.

Source: ESPN

We need pitching. BADLY!!

What's Kevin Brown up to?

He's hanging out with Eddie Lee Whitson, Jack McDowell and Jimmy Key.

I heard a report that Hughes' stress fracture may have resulted from a cough.

Abreu looked bad in the outfield last night. During his years in Philadelphia, he put up offensive numbers, and actually played well for a while defensively, but I got the distinct impression that winning was never important to him.

Hughes to wear glasses upon return

NEW YORK -- Phil Hughes was not even 3 years old when the movie "Major League" was released, but now the Yankees right-hander has something in common with Charlie Sheen's fictional Rick Vaughn character.

Hughes visited a Connecticut optometrist on Friday and was found to be "slightly nearsighted," he said, and was issued a prescription for glasses. Hughes could be sidelined until July with a stress fracture in his ninth rib, but when he eventually returns, he'll do so wearing a new pair of specs.

"I'll look like I went to college," Hughes said.

The 21-year-old Hughes was a first-round selection of the Yankees in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft out of Foothill High School in Santa Ana, Calif. The optometrist appointment was made after Hughes struggled to pick up signs from Chris Stewart in his most recent start, on Tuesday, before going on the disabled list, crossing up his catcher and throwing two wild pitches.

"We can't continue to go with what what we're doing, because that doesn't work," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Unless we get all day games."

Hughes said that he has always had some problems pitching in night games, with the Yankee Stadium lights particularly troublesome.

Hughes finds pitching with contact lenses annoying and believes that undergoing Lasik surgery would not help, so he said he will pick out a pair of sports glasses much like the ones the Tigers' Nate Robertson wore to the mound on Thursday at New York.

In the 1989 movie, Sheen's Vaughn is experiencing a streak of wildness and is about to be sent to the Minor Leagues when his manager realizes that his star rookie can't see the strike zone. A quick trip to the eye doctor fixes everything for the Tribe right-hander, and the parallel was not lost on Hughes.

"Wild Thing? With the big skull in the middle," he said, grinning.

Source: Yankees

Yankees reach 4 million tickets sold for fourth season in row, setting all-time Major League Baseball record

The Yankees announced today they have exceeded 4 million tickets sold for the 2008 season, becoming the first franchise in Major League Baseball history to reach the total in four consecutive years (2005-08).

"This achievement is a testament to our great fans," said Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost. "In this final season of the current Yankee Stadium, we think of each remaining game as a celebration. We continue to invite our fans to the House that Ruth Built as we salute the most famous venue in sports."

Originally constructed prior to the 1923 season, Yankee Stadium was remodeled in 1974 and 1975. The club will move into a new state-of-the-art Yankee Stadium across the street from the current one in 2009.

The Yankees have surpassed the Toronto Blue Jays (1991-93) as the only other Major League team to accomplish the feat in as many as three consecutive years. The Yankees have also seen their home attendance increase in each of the last seven seasons (2001-07).

There are 68 regular season games remaining at the current Yankee Stadium.

Source: Yankees

Yanks make Wang AL's first to six wins

NEW YORK -- Chien-Ming Wang gave the Yankees what they have so sorely needed in recent days -- a quality start from a quality pitcher.

Remaining undefeated this year, Wang became the American League's first six-game winner on Friday, scattering one run on three hits in six innings. Melky Cabrera drove in two runs as the Yankees posted a 5-1 victory over the Mariners at Yankee Stadium, snapping their three-game losing streak.

"I think you feel really good when he takes the mound," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's won 38 games the last two years. Obviously, when Chien-Ming Wang takes the mound, you feel good about your chances."

The Major League leader in victories (44) since the beginning of the 2006 season, Wang washed away the bad vibes of a club handicapped by injuries and -- later Friday -- the criticism of co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, who called the Yankees' performance through the first month-plus "disappointing."

With his club coming off a three-game sweep to the Tigers at Yankee Stadium, Wang was just the guy the home team wanted to see. New York has won the past 11 games Wang has started immediately following a Yankees loss, and he improved to 7-0 in his career against the Mariners, a team that originally courted him as a free agent.

"I just keep the game close and give my team a chance to win," Wang said.

In the midst of his best stretch as a big league pitcher, Wang tossed five scoreless innings before Ichiro Suzuki manufactured Seattle's lone run in the sixth. Suzuki singled and then stole a pair of bases before coming home on Raul Ibanez's infield groundout.

Walking two and striking out five, Wang again credited his developing slider for helping to get away from the sinker-only mode that spoiled the latter stages of his 2007 season, particularly his October. Just for comparison, Wang didn't win his sixth game last year until June 12 vs. the Diamondbacks.

"I didn't feel this good back in Spring Training," Wang said. "My control wasn't this good back in Spring Training. It just keeps getting better."

"The first few innings, his sinker wasn't that great, but his slider and changeup were really good today," catcher Jose Molina said. "From the second inning on, he picked up the sinker and had good ones going on. He got ground-ball double plays when we needed it."

Girardi said that Wang's slider, which the right-hander has worked on extensively with pitching coach Dave Eiland, is turning into a valuable weapon.

"It's been really good the last two starts," Girardi said. "What I like is the depth of it. When you get something going the other way, it just really keeps hitters off balance. He's able to throw it to left-handers as well. It's been a big pitch for him."

Since Wang made his last start, on Sunday at Cleveland, no Yankees pitcher had been able to go at least six innings while allowing three runs or fewer. But the game did not progress without a scare: Wang drew attention with one out in the fifth inning for a potential problem on his pitching hand, calling Molina out to the mound.

"I was able to grip the ball, but it wasn't that comfortable for me to release the ball," Wang said.

The Yankees determined that Wang had suffered a cramp in the meat of his pitching hand, which he eased by receiving some light hand treatment. He believed that it was due to the cold weather, and with New York leading, 3-1, Wang was lifted after completing the sixth inning at 90 pitches.

"Once he had that cramp in the hand, we just figured it's best to get him out," Girardi said. "It's a close ballgame, and if it cramps up and he makes a mistake with a pitch, it can cost you. He did his job, and we were allowed to use our bullpen."

Kyle Farnsworth, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera each threw one scoreless inning to close out the victory. Farnsworth in particular received a warm ovation as he walked off the field after a perfect seventh, striking out two.

"I love it," Rivera said. "I have no doubt that he can do that. He has the ability."

The Yankees took advantage of a sloppy Mariners defense, which committed four errors through the first three innings. Facing left-hander Erik Bedard, Derek Jeter reached on an error by shortstop Rafael Betancourt, moved up on a Bobby Abreu single and then scored on Hideki Matsui's RBI single to left.

New York tacked on two more in the second. Morgan Ensberg reached on an error by third baseman Adrian Beltre and moved to second when he was caught stealing but second baseman Jose Lopez dropped the ball. Cabrera brought Ensberg and Alberto Gonzalez home on a two-run double to left, staking the Yankees to a 3-0 lead.

"That's what you have to do, especially against a guy like Erik Bedard, who has been very tough," Girardi said. "You're not going to get a ton of opportunities against that guy when he's on his game. He's got really good stuff, and we took advantage."

The Yankees padded their lead in the eighth, when Ensberg touched Sean Green for an RBI single and Molina hit a sacrifice fly. Bedard took a tough-luck loss, allowing four hits and three runs (one earned) in seven innings, walking one and striking out six.

But the star of the evening was Wang, who continues to make Chamberlain -- for one -- look good after the boisterous 22-year-old threw out a few laudatory preseason predictions.

"I told everyone from the get-go, he's going to have a better year than he's had the previous two, just from the work he does," Chamberlain said. "As soon as we put some runs up, you know as a guy in the bullpen that you'd better be ready, because it's going to be a short night for those guys."

Source: Yankees

I'm going to the game on Tuesday against the Indians! Pettitte's pitching

My condolences.

Take the Deegan south to the Bruckner, then head northeast, get off at Country Club Road and join me for dinner. No Irish food though.

Cheer for the Tribe Irish. I know I will be.

I hope this isn't my last time in the House that Ruth Built. I'd love to go once more before the season ends but I don't know when I'll be in New York again.