Enough about the wind!

Enough of the snickering. Some people in the media are starting to pile on way too much when it comes to all of the home runs at the new Yankee Stadium. Look, they built a new stadium RIGHT NEXT to the old one. It is facing the EXACT SAME direction. The field dimensions are EXACTLY THE SAME. How could anyone have predicted this new "wind pattern" that's causing all of the home runs? The concession area is open to the field, which is better for the fans, but may have inadvertently changed the wind current. Or, maybe something else caused it. Who knows? I'm sure they'll figure it out and fix it. I'll trash the Yanks in a heartbeat for the crazy ticket prices - because they deserve it - but I'll cut them a break on all of this flak they're getting over the freaking wind. Next time somebody calls the place a joke, I'm just going to tell them to "Shut the f- up." Nobody makes fun of our house. The place is gorgeous.

Yankee clubhouse has new culture

Bill Madden, who has been covering baseball for the New York Daily News for more than 30 years, says this 2009 Yankee team has a different vibe to it and has a much looser clubhouse. Hey, whatever ... as long as they keep winning, nobody will care if they throw pies at each other or blast music in the locker room. Here is a link to the Madden story:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/05/21/2009-05-21_close_clubhouse_no_longer_seen_as_pie_in_sky.html

Winning = Fun

Funny how everything can change in only about 10 days. Yanks take two of three from Baltimore, two of three from Toronto, then sweep the Twins four games at home, and all of a sudden, all is right again in the universe. Starting pitching has been good, bullpen has been decent and they're finally getting some clutch hits. Give A-Rod some credit, too. Though he's been inconsistent at the plate, it's no coincidence that the team got hot and Texiera started hitting as soon as he got back. His presence in the lineup is huge. Hope to see lots more "pies in the face" all season long ... HERE WE GO!

I love this kid

Francisco Cervelli is really fun to watch. He's tough, he catches a great game and his enthusiasm is infectious. Check him out when he's being interviewed on the post-game shows on YES. He's so young and green, and you can see he's just thrilled to be where he's at. Plus, there's just something fitting about a little Italian guy being the catcher for the Yankees. I think I even saw a little statue of the Virgin Mary or some saint on the shelf in his locker on the post-game show one night. Scooter would have loved this kid. Yogi probably already does.

BoSox fans feel championships tainted

Red Sox fans are feeling humiliated and downtrodden, and deeply wounded, by the fact that Manny is a cheat. They feel their 2004 and 2007 championships are tainted. Headlines read "History Blown Away" and "My Worst Nightmare." Here's a great story about how lousy they feel:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090507&sportCat=mlb

Enough negativity! Let's go!

Yes, we are 0-4 against the BoSox. And yes, all of the empty premier seats at the new stadium look AWFUL on TV. And yes, C.C. is 1-3, Wang is on the DL and has been terrible and Posada is now hurt. It's been a see-saw month, that's for sure. But - just because I think we all need it - here are a few positive signs from early 2009:

1. Cano is great. Much more focused. Looks like a big year for him.

2. Andy looks good. Better than his record shows.

3. Swisher.

4. Damon is still a very good offensive player.

5. Jeter is getting clutch hits, as always. Seems he likes leading off.
6. Texiera had two bombs last night. Looks like he's finally ready to bust out.

7. Yanks took two of three from the Angels. When was the last time that happened? 10 years ago?

8. A.J. Burnett seems like a great pick up. Yeah, he wasn't that sharp his last two starts, but I still see him easily winning 15 games.

9. BoSox have problems, too. Papi looks old. Beckett has been shelled.

10. The reviews on the A-Rod book have been very so-so and sales are slow. It seems nobody cares. Good.

I still say they win at least 92 games and make the playoffs. Stay positive! Let's go!

A-Rod book: It's bad. Really bad.

The book we've been hearing about on A-Rod is about to be released. And, so far. it's not good. It alleges that A-Rod:

1) First used steroids in high school and essentially never stopped.

2) Was such a pampered prima donna in Texas that he had the clubhouse attendant put his toothpaste on his toothbrush for him, and also insisted the team deliver special food baskets to his hotel room every day.

3) Carried on with skanks and strippers while his wife was pregnant.

4) Used to hit on girls in clubs by asking if they thought he was better looking than Jeter.

5) Used steroids with the Yankees, and as a result, developed "man boobs." Some Yankee teammates mockingly refered to him as "B.T," or "boy tits."

6) May have actually tipped off pitches to opponents in some blow-out games, hoping they'd return the favor for him someday, and if he were slumping, feed him some easier pitches.

This is gonna be bad ....

Foiled at Fenway: Yanks get swept

Yanks scored plenty of runs in first two games and should have won both of them. They are really starting to miss A-Rod, the middle relief pitchers are erratic and the team seems to lack some fire sometimes. The BoSox are a grittier team, or at least that's how it looked this weekend. Andy has pitched better than his record shows, and he didn't look to happy with Jorge after that steal of home. Sometimes, it still feels like Mattingly may have been the right guy to manage this team. He's a lot more fiery than people think, and part of the reason Torre was so respected by the players is because he was such a great player. Mattingly was even better. Hope they get hot soon.

0-1 at home

Yanks got pounded, 10-2, in their first official game at the new Yankee Stadium. It was a great game until the 7th inning, when the bullpen completely imploded. Opening ceremony was nice. And at least a Yankee got the first hit in the new stadium (Damon) and the first homerun (Posada). Sabbathia was also decent. Other than that, it was awful.

Wang is awful

Wang's ERA, after giving up another nine runs on Monday, is now so high that he must throw 150 consecutive shutouts to get it down to respectibility. The only bright side is that the only TV show I really like to watch is "House," and with the score 9-0 in the second inning last night, it was pretty easy to flip the channel.

Here we go again ...

Yanks have started the 2009 season at 0-2. They've scored some runs, but the starting pitching has been awful. (Sabbathia and Wang) Remember last year, when they had such a horrible April that they buried themselves into such a deep hole they couldn't ever get out of it? And that was before the injuries started. Still, no need to panic. This team is very good. (But the truth is, though you can't win the pennant in April, you can lose it.) If it's any consolation, the 1998 Yankees - perhaps the greatest baseball team of all-time - started the season at 0-3.

Jeter to start season as lead off hitter

Joe Girardi says that Derek Jeter will lead off this year and Johnny Damon will hit second. One reason the Yanks are giving is that Jeter hit into more double-plays last year than Damon. Nothing against Damon, but couldn't the reason Jeter hit into more double plays simply be because he was hitting No. 2 and Damon was leading off? It's pretty hard to hit into a double-play when there's nobody on base.

A-Rod has surgery, will miss all of April and probably most of May

A-Rod had surgery today to fix the problem with his hip. He'll miss 6-9 weeks. Oddly, reports say the surgery is only a quick, temporary fix, and that he'll need another surgery at the end of the season. I'm bummed that our cleanup hitter is out, but have to admit I'm so sick of reading about the guy, I'll enjoy the break. (Of course, that will end in April anyway when the book the SI reporter has been working on comes out.) Whatever ... the fact is I'm glad he won't be in the lineup the day the new stadium opens. No one player should overshadow such a great event, and somehow, A-Rod would. He won't be on the field. He won't be the guy to hit the first home run. There will be no analysis of whether or not he is cheered or booed. And that's fine with me. Any thoughts?

Time to inject!

Lost amid all of the hype and flack of Joe Torre's book and A-Rod's steroids is the fact the Yankees had an amazing off season. Watched some of the pre-season game on YES last night and liked what I saw. Sabathia, Texiera and Burnett are huge. Jorge looks good. The lineup is menacing. Let the drive for 27 begin!

Your thoughts on A-Rod?

It's been almost a week since A-Rod met wth the press in Tampa. Most say it did not go well and there have already been some holes poked in his story. Mattingly came out today and defended him, while others in the media are really throwing him under the bus. What are your thoughts on A-Rod? Please just click on the word "comments" below to share your thoughts ...

A-Rod to meet the press

A-Rod will address the media today at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. More than 200 reporters are expected to grill him about the fact he tested postive for steroids while playing for the Texas Rangers six years ago. As a sign of unity, Jeter, Posada, Rivera, Pettite, Texiera and Girardi are expected to attend. If you are anywhere near a radio or TV, you should be able to check it out. Hey, remember when the first offical day of camp was all about the excitment of the upcoming season? Yanks added three great players this winter and are going into a glorious new stadium, yet none of that will probably be even mentioned today. Oh well, let's just get this over with ...

A-Rod was juicin'

BREAKING NEWS - Sports Illustrated is reporting that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steriods in 2oo3 while playing for the Texas Rangers. Here is the story from the New York Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/02/07/2009-02-07_star_yankee_slugger_alex_rodriguez_teste.html

Pettite back with Yankees

Andy Pettite has signed a one-year deal with the Yankees. The contract, with incentives, could pay him $12 million, but the base is only $5.5 million. This is a pretty smart deal for the Yanks and, with pitchers and catchers only two weeks away, helps shore up the rotation. Here is the story: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/01/26/2009-01-26_andy_pettitte_signs_oneyear_incentivelad.html

Torre book grabbing headlines

Joe Torre is set to release a new book, "The Yankee Years," which is already grabbing huge headlines in NYC and creating quite a buzz in the world of sports. In the text, Torre supposedly talks about A-Rod's odd fixation on Jeter and his problems in the clubhouse, where he was referred to as "A-Fraud" by some teammates, plus his disappointment in Brian Cashman at the end of his tenure as Yankee manager. He also says some of his players were prima donnas and -perhaps most shocking - how doctors had actually informed Yankee officials that he had cancer before he was informed himself. This is all over the New York papers and WFAN. The book will be released on Feb. 3

Rickey voted into Hall of Fame

No suprise here. Rickey Henderson, MLB's all-time stolen base leader, was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame today. What some Yankees fans might not realize is that Henderson is still the Yankees all-time stolen base leader, and he did it in just four years. From 1985-1988, it seemed every game started like this: Henderson walks or gets a hit. Henderson steals second. Mattingly or Winfield drive in Henderson. 1-0 Yanks in the first, every game.

Congrats to Rickey. Since he left the game, nobody else has come even close to dominating the basepaths the way he did.