min0 lee

I would bet if he'd sign with the Mets instead of Texas he would be thought of differently.

min0 lee

Scouts say Yankees should have traded for Johan Santana

So the wheel officially begins to spin now on Brian Cashman's grand gamble to ride the Yankees' young pitching in 2008 and beyond. And premature as it may be, there is no avoiding the question that will be asked countless times this season: Was the GM right or wrong in convincing Hank Steinbrenner to pass on Johan Santana?
Over the last week I posed that question to six major league scouts and executives who saw the Yankees multiple times this spring, and for what it's worth, here is the consensus opinion:

The Yankees could well win multiple championships over the next 10 or so years, thanks largely to a pitching staff built around young guns Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. But this year? Forget it. It's more likely their streak of 13 straight playoff seasons will come to a crashing halt.
Each of the six polled made a point of saying they were impressed by the way the young trio performed in spring training, yet four of the six said they believe the Yankees indeed will miss the playoffs in 2008, citing the inevitable growing pains as well as questions about the rest of the pitching staff.
"I love their future," was the way one scout put it. "But if you think those young guys aren't going to take their lumps at times this season against American League lineups, you're dreaming."
Of the two evaluators who believe the Yankees will be there in October, meanwhile, both think new manager Joe Girardi will need Chamberlain in the bullpen all season, and as a result, neither thinks the starting pitching would be dominant enough in the postseason to win a championship.
Of course, it's only fair to ask if such opinions are mostly wishful thinking from Yankee rivals or objective analyses. Whatever, the answers start coming today, and Chien-Ming Wang, whose curiously ineffective spring raised questions of their own, could begin to change the outlook with a strong start today against the Blue Jays.
Meanwhile, is there a Yankee fan out there who feels good about Mike Mussina starting the second game of the season?
Yes, for the moment, at least, it's hard to disagree with the feeling the Yankees will need at least a season for the pieces to fall into place, especially with Chamberlain's situation still somewhat undecided.
At the same time, it's worth noting that the decision to go with the young arms did lower expectations and lighten the mood for a team accustomed to carrying the sometimes joyless championship-or-bust burden.
"It's just been a lot of fun this spring," Alex Rodriguez said recently. "I'm not saying we're an underdog. In the big scheme of things, the Yankees are always going to be Goliath, but it does feel different this year.

Triple Threat

NY Yankees 3, Toronto 2

IainDaniel

Good game for a season opener. Great pitching. Jays need to learn to capitalize with runners in scoring position.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

IainDaniel

I like that Joba kid.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

Triple Threat

There were quite a few well-pitched games last night. Aren't the pitchers usually ahead of the hitters this early in the season?

soxmuscle

It sure seems like that.

They report to Spring Training much earlier than batters do.

Age: 20 | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 150 lbs | Penis: 12 inches

min0 lee

You like a Yankee?
I never knew you smoked?

So do I, they and I guess he wants to start but Rivera is near the end of his career and I can't think of anyone more suitable than him. He's already proved it, he's young, cheap and he's got the personality of a reliever.

min0 lee

Bastards already started stripping the place.

Yankees fans barred for trying to take souvenirs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two New York Yankees fans accused of trying to steal souvenirs on the opening night of the last season at historic Yankee Stadium were arrested and had their season tickets canceled, the Yankees said on Wednesday.....................

I Are Baboon

^ Morons. Having your season tickets canceled though has got to hurt.

min0 lee

Your going to see a lot of this happening.

Triple Threat

Good, but not great start for the Yankees. The big questions are how long will Mussina continue to suck and how long before Girardi has to pull him from the rotation?

IainDaniel

It isn't like the Jays are a walk over.

Anyone of the Yanks wins, could have easily gone the other way, but as the Yanks do they find a way to pull out the victory.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

Triple Threat

That was my point. 2 out of 3 wins against a divisional rival is good. It would have been great to win all 3.

Now had I said that 2 out of 3 was not good, then I would have been insulting the Jays.

IainDaniel

The series was actually a very good series. Very competitive, almost had a playoff atmosphere, weird for April.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

min0 lee

Yeah, he's a number 5 pitcher now.
He had a good career but a few more outings like this......

We have a new sherif in town, expect to see the Yanks bunt more and use the hit in run.

Remember that series when Schilling had the bad ankle, well did it ever occur to Torre to have someone bunt on him....they couldn't get a hit off him.

I think this change may have been for the better.

min0 lee

Yanks play small ball and come up big

When Joe Girardi took the Yankees' managerial job, many expected the Bombers to have a different look this season, playing a "National League" style of ball that was largely unseen under Joe Torre.
Girardi's team small-balled its way to victory over the Blue Jays on Thursday night at the Stadium, using a pair of sacrifice bunts to set up Bobby Abreu's go-ahead hit in the eighth inning, leading to the Yankees' 3-2 victory.
"In our division, we're going to face some pretty good pitchers. We're going to have to battle to score runs, and it's not going to be easy," Abreu said. "Those little things, they're going to help us. We don't have to just wait for homers."
The Yankees have scored just eight runs this season, yet they managed to take the three-game series from division-rival Toronto and its rock-solid top-of-the-rotation starters.
"When our guys start warming up, everybody knows what this lineup can do," Hank Steinbrenner said. "(Thursday night) couldn't have been better."
Phil Hughes started the game and gave the Yankees six strong innings, but it was fellow young stud Joba Chamberlain (1-0) who picked up the win after pitching a scoreless eighth. Mariano Rivera survived a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his second save.
With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth, Melky Cabrera singled leading off, prompting Girardi to put the bunt sign on for Johnny Damon, who laid it down the first-base line. Lefty Scott Downs raced over but bobbled the ball, allowing both Cabrera and Damon to reach.
Girardi called for a second bunt, which Derek Jeter put down perfectly, nearly beating the throw to first. With runners at second and third and one out, Abreu blooped a single to center, scoring Cabrera to give the Yankees their first lead of the night.
"You get in tight games, you're going to have to be able to execute and score runs to tie the ballgame or take the lead," Girardi said. "You work on it, do extra work and guys are willing to come out and do it. Tonight's a night where it paid off."
Girardi admitted that he's "not going to do it with A-Rod and (Jason) Giambi," but the rest of the American League was served notice on Thursday night that the Yankees have no plans to be a team solely dependent on the longball.
"We have to win as many games as possible," Damon said. "If it means we have to bunt, then so be it."
For much of the winter, Hughes' name was at the center of the Johan Santana talks between the Yankees and Twins. Thursday night, he got his first opportunity to show everybody why the Yanks made the right move by keeping him in pinstripes.

IainDaniel

Even the Jays were showing some small ball. How many stolen bases and attmepts occured. Big difference from last year.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

Triple Threat

And so Tampa Bay picks up where they left off last year - tormenting the Yankees.

Has Farnsworth been relegated to mop-up work now?

min0 lee

Some things never change.

Farnsworth can't blame Torre now.

min0 lee

oh boy.....this don't look good.

Andy Pettitte shelled in debut

Triple Threat

Taking 1 out of 3 at home so far vs Tampa - not good. Not good at all.

I Are Baboon

Yeah, you guys suck.

min0 lee

Yankees' victory is a mixed bag as Jeter gets hurt and Abreu, Mussina star