"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here..."

- The Beatles

Opening Day.

What's more exciting than those two words?

The Quest for #28 starts now.

2011 Division Preview

The biggest MLB storyline for the 2011 season will be the beastly American League Eastern Division. The A.L. East has been the toughest division in the game for the past few seasons, and this year will be no exception. 

The New York Yankees are coming off a season in which they made it to the ALCS despite off years from Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and especially A.J. Burnett. The Captain has revamped his swing this spring, Teix is looking to start strong instead of dealing with his usual lackluster April, and new pitching coach Larry Rothschild is hoping to work his magic on Burnett. In addition, the Yankees still have a fearsome lineup that includes last year's MVP candidate Robinson Cano, the consistent Nick Swisher, and centerfielder Curtis Granderson, looking to continue his strong end to the 2010 campaign. Look for a better season from Jorge Posada, who should benefit from DHing and not having to worry about the wears and tears of catching on his 39-year-old body. With arguably the best bullpen in the league anchored by the legend himself, Mariano Rivera, the only question that remains with the Yankees is their starting pitching beyond Sabathia and Hughes.

The Boston Red Sox had an incredible offseason, solidifying an already impressive lineup by adding the likes of speedy Carl Crawford and slugger Adrian Gonzalez. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis are strong again after being sidelined by injuries in ’10, so the Red Sox lineup is another force to be reckoned with. Questions do arise in regards to their starting pitching, though. Youngsters Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are reliable starters, but then you have to consider the remaining three- the often erratic Josh Beckett, an aging John Lackey, and the frustrating Daisuke Matsuzaka. Still, it’s hard to argue with many early predictions that the Red Sox might just be the team to beat.

Tampa Bay has been overlooked going into 2011. Their starting five is a talented group of young arms with enough firepower and experience to make opposing batters rather uncomfortable at the plate. The lineup is impressive, too. Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton are joined this season by two veteran superstars who each had a great deal of success with other A.L. East teams, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. As hard as that lineup will be to navigate, the issue with the Rays is, of course, their bullpen. Sending away their closer Rafael Soriano, as well as Benoit and Balfour, the only problems the 2011 Rays will have will most likely be the late innings.

In the past, the Orioles and Blue Jays were the overlooked teams in the division. It might be time to give them a second look. Baltimore was an entirely different team after Buck Schowalter came along midway through last season and breathed new life into the Birds. Their 2011 revamped lineup is nothing to be scoffed at, with Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Brian Roberts being joined by Vladimir Guerrero, Derrek Lee, and J.J. Hardy. Jeremy Guthrie and Justin Duchscherer will anchor the rotation and propel the Orioles to what will probably be their best season in years. The Blue Jays, on paper, look to be the weakest team in the division, but being the weakest team in the toughest division in baseball doesn’t mean they can’t contend. 

The A.L. East is up for grabs in 2011.

... Remember Me?

Once upon a time, there was a dedicated young lady who loved to write about the New York Yankees. Then one day she got too busy and before she knew it five months had gone by without a single post. Now she finds herself five hours from the start of the American League Championship Series, waiting for the Yankees to take on the Texas Rangers to decide the pennant, and doesn't even know where to begin. So she decided to simply apologize profusely to her loyal readers and vow to do better from this day forward. The end.

Go CC!

Vintage Vazquez and a Breath of Fresh Air

On a gorgeous Friday night in Queens, with the Yankees scuffling from injuries and a certain degree of recent ineptitude, Javier Vazquez delivered his best start as a Yankee since the coaching staff comprised Joe Torre, Willie Randolph, Don Mattingly, Luis Sojo, and Mel Stottlemyre. Bubba Crosby was on that team. And Kenny Lofton. John Flaherty was backing-up Posada behind home plate, not in the YES Network booth and the bullpen was made up of the likes of Felix Heredia, Paul Quantrill, and Bret Prinz. In other words, it's been a long time.

Cruising through six one-hit innings, Vazquez was forced out of the game after bruising his finger in a successful bunt attempt. A trio of relievers, Robertson (coming off his best outing of the 2010 campaign), Marte, and Chamberlain combined for two scoreless innings and got the ball into Rivera's hands with the 2-0 lead (courtesy of rookie Kevin Russo's two-run double in the 7th) still intact. Things got a bit dicey with Mo in the 9th after back-to-back doubles by Bay and Davis, but he induced a ground ball to second to secure his 8th save of the season and a satisfying Yankee win that snapped a three game losing streak and left them four games back of the first-place Rays.

 

On Saturday, two young right-handers face off at Citi Field, with Phil Hughes (5-0, 2.25) taking on Mike Pelfrey (5-1, 3.02) in the second game of the three-game set.

Photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

Mr. Swish Goes to Washington

The 2009 World Champion New York Yankees were welcomed to the White House yesterday by President Obama and presented the Commander-in-Chief with a #27 jersey. I guess Reggie wasn't willing to unretire #44 for a day, not even for the President.

(All photos courtesy of Associated Press)

A Little Heartbreak Before The Joy

The House that Ruth Built... In ruins.



It will surely be a sobering experience for some as they walk past the ruins of the original Yankee Stadium and make their way into the new one. At least the Yankees christened the new Stadium the same way they christened the original in 1923; with a championship. It's time for the new place to continue the legacy and for new memories to be created.


(Photos courtesy of AP)

Heading Home

The defending World Champions finally return home to New York on Tuesday after a successful 4-2 road trip against Boston and Tampa Bay. Tuesday should prove to be an exciting day as the Yankees raise their 27th championship flag, receive their World Series rings, and welcome new additions like Curtis Granderson to the Bronx.

(Photo courtesy of Associated Press)

The Yankees and Red Sox are a "Disgrace" to Baseball?

In a recent interview with the Bergen Record, veteran umpire Joe West ripped into the Yankees and Red Sox for the typically slow pace of their ballgames.

The Yankees and Red Sox are notorious for their epic, nine-inning marathons and four hour affairs. As a result, West stated, "It's pathetic and embarrassing. They take too long to play." He went on to say that this issue is "a disgrace to baseball."


Yes, the Yankees and Red Sox are a disgrace to baseball, according to a longtime Major League umpire. The same Yankees and Red Sox that provide the game of baseball with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue (the Yankees, in fact, brought in $441 million in 2009, $173 million more than the second-place New York Mets). The same Yankees and Red Sox who consistently provide the best television ratings for networks and make up more back page headlines than the rest of Major League Baseball. Yes, the very same Yankees and Red Sox who quite literally represent and define baseball in America thanks to the long, historic, and heated nature of their decades-old rivalry. What would baseball be without these two teams?

Since 1995, either the Yankees or the Red Sox have made the postseason every single year. During that span, the Red Sox accrued two championships (2004 and 2007) while the Yankees won the Fall Classic five times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009). During that same time frame, only the Florida Marlins became World Series champions more than once (1997 and 2003). For Joe West to come out and publicly criticize the two teams that have made baseball what it is today in such a way is absolutely ludicrous.


Boston and New York play long games because they are and have been the two best teams in baseball over the past decade. Both lineups are full, from top to bottom, of players who see more pitches per plate appearance than the rest of the league. Last season, the league average for pitches per plate appearance was 3.84; the Red Sox were ten points higher at 3.94. The Yankees and Red Sox also ranked first and second, respectively, in walks AND on base percentage. The Yankees scored the most runs in baseball last year while the Red Sox were third. And let's not forget that the Yankees and Red Sox play more primetime, nationally-televised games than the other M.L. teams and ad revenue and longer commercial breaks has quite a lot to do with the pace of games as well. Do you think all this might have something to do with the fact that they play long games?

Mariano Rivera was asked about West's comments and responded, ""It's incredible. If he has places to go, let him do something else. What does he want us to do, swing at balls?"

Mo sums things up pretty nicely with that quote, I think. As for me, I'm going to have to agree with Jonathan Papelbon for the first and probably last time in my life; during spring training, Papelbon asked WEEI.com, "Have you ever gone to watch a movie and thought, 'Man, this movie is so good I wish it would have never ended?' That's like a Red Sox-Yankees game. Why would you want it to end?"

(Photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports)

Meet Your 2010 New York Yankees!

Easter evening is Opening Night, and the World Champion New York Yankees will be taking on the archrival Red Sox at Fenway Park. After a long winter, baseball is back, and back with a vengeance.

Spring Training treated the Yankees well, and despite a few nicks here and there (especially this past week), the team will start the season relatively unscathed.

So who is breaking camp with the 2010 Yankees?

Take a look!

Starting Pitchers

















CC Sabathia, the ace of the staff, will start Sunday evening's grand opening in Boston against Josh Beckett. A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte remain integral, proven pitchers at the top of the rotation, and former Yankee Javier Vazquez is back via a trade with Atlanta. One of the only true competitions in Spring Training this year was the fight for the fifth starter role, with Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Alfredo Aceves, and Sergio Mitre the leading candidates. In the end, manager Joe Girardi chose Hughes and sent the remaining three candidates to the bullpen.



Bullpen






















Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre are two considerations for long men out of the bullpen at this point, having lost the fight for the fifth starter role to Phil Hughes. Chan Ho Park, a late addition to the team during Spring Training, will also be on hand, as well as the Yankees' only lefty out of the 'pen, Damaso Marte. Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson are likely to battle it out over the set-up man spot in front of the great and incomparable Mariano Rivera.


Infield






















The starting infield for the 2010 New York Yankees is exactly the same as the previous season; Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, and Captain Derek Jeter are the starters, meaning the Yankees literally have an All-Star at every infield position. Ramiro Pena will be the utility infielder, and following the departure of Jose Molina, Francisco Cervelli is the new back-up catcher.



Outfield














While most of the 2010 team looks much the same as the 2009 World Champion Yankees, the outfield is where you spot the real differences. Gone are Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon, replaced now by Curtis Granderson and Randy Winn. Brett Gardner will be the left fielder, Granderson's in center, and Nick Swisher will patrol right. Winn remains a backup, along with former Yankee Marcus Thames, who was the last man to be named to the Opening Day roster.



Designated Hitter




2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui is a member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim now, so the Yankees brought in their old farmhand, Nick Johnson, for DH duties. Johnson will primarily DH but can also fill in quite capably for Teixeira when Girardi needs to give his regular first baseman a rest.

So there you are. What do you think of the 2010 Opening Day roster?

(All photos courtesy of mlb.com)

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THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS ONCE MORE

CC Sabathia was a bona fide ace, on and off the field, and an absolute gamer, taking the ball on short rest for virtually the whole postseason.


A.J. Burnett helped foster a sense of camaraderie the Yankees have lacked for years now, and pitched the game of his life against Pedro and the Phils in Game 2.


Andy Pettitte, who almost got away during the offseason, cemented his legacy as one of the ultimate big game pitchers, becoming the all-time postseason wins leader and clinching every single game along the way.


Damaso Marte seemingly came out of nowhere and dominated. Joba seemed to find himself again. And Robertson got a few important outs as well.


And what more can you say about the greatest closer of all-time, Mariano Rivera, who was ready and raring to go in the 8th inning of nearly every win?


While the right side of the infield struggled mightily at times, Posada was steady behind the plate (well, at the plate), Derek Jeter was Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez was truly a revelation, seeming like a new man entirely and coming through time and time again.


Damon caught fire (and the Phillies sleeping on that unusual and heads up "double steal" in Game 4), Melky was steady before going down with an injury, and Swisher had a Halloween homer that was huge.


And in what may have been his last game in pinstripes, Hideki Matsui came through with 6 RBI in Game 6 and won himself the MVP.


The 2009 World Series title is back where it belongs.


The Yankees sure throw one hell of a housewarming, huh? 1923 and now 2009. Guess those ghosts made it across the street after all.


See you at the Canyon of Heroes.

(All photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports)