"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.

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)

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)

Home Sweet Home?

Opening Day at the New Yankee Stadium

Indians 10 (WP- Cliff Lee, 1-2)
Yankees 2 (LP- Jose Veras, 0-1)

The New York Yankees did everything right during the pregame festivities at their new ballpark. Trying to evoke the ghosts of the past, Yankee legends, from Berra to Winfield, lined the infield. Bernie Williams played his haunting and melancholic interpretation of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in his old stomping grounds, center field. Babe Ruth's bat was laid across home plate as Derek Jeter stepped into the box. Johnny Damon collected the first hit in the history of the Stadium and Sabathia struck out the first batter. But it was all downhill from there.Starter CC Sabathia struggled with his control but managed a respectable 5 2/3 innings of one run ball. It took CC 122 pitches, though, so Joe Girardi was forced to go to the Jekyll and Hyde bullpen early. Thanks to a Jorge Posada homerun (the first in the history of the new ballpark) the game was tied 1-1 when Sabathia exited. By the time Jose Veras and Damaso Marte were finished, though, the game was out of reach, capped off by a Grady Sizemore grand slam. Veras and Marte were so bad that the listless crowd chanted, "We Want Swisher!" As easy as it was to blame the bullpen, the Yankee offense went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, an alarming trend dating back to last season. The first game at the New Yankee Stadium was memorable for all the wrong reasons, as Cleveland beat New York 10-2.

Game 11: Do Over


Indians 5 (LP- Jensen Lewis, 1-1)
Yankees 6 (WP- Brian Bruney, 2-0;
Save- Mariano Rivera, 3)

Derek Jeter hit the game-winning homerun in the 8th inning of a tie game and Mariano Rivera saved it with a scoreless 9th to secure the very first victory in the new Yankee Stadium.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The "Bronx Bombers" lived up to their moniker Friday afternoon, belting 5 solo homeruns (Damon, Teixeira, Cabrera, Cano, Jeter). The only other Yankee run scored via a throwing error by the Indians' Vinnie Chulk. It was just the right margin for victory. Joba Chamberlain, making his second start of the season, was not impressive, allowing 5 earned runs in less than 5 innings. Girardi was forced to go to the bullpen early once again, but, unlike the previous afternoon, Phil Coke, Jonathan Albaladejo, Brian Bruney, and Rivera got the job done by throwing 4+ scoreless innings. Earning the first victory at the new home of the New York Yankees was great, but the Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Timely hitting is sorely lacking thus far.

Game 12: Brutal


Indians 22 (WP- Fausto Carmona, 1-2)
Yankees 4 (LP- Chien-Ming Wang, 0-3)

Please don't make me recap this game for you. Look it up here if you must, but I advise against it.


Saturday afternoon's debacle featured 6 Cleveland homeruns and 16 surrendered earned runs between Chien-Ming Wang and rookie Anthony Claggett in only 3 innings. Every Yankee pitcher gave up a run (or eight) and every Cleveland starter had a basehit (or 4).

Embarrassing is an understatement.

A Look Ahead

The Yankees will try to salvage a split of the four-game series on Sunday afternoon when the newly appointed stopper A.J. Burnett takes on the Indians. Who will be opposing him, you ask? Why, none other than our old friend, Carl Pavano! Well, Carl is scheduled to pitch; he very well may break a rib or stub his toe or suffer a bee sting between now and 1:00 p.m. so it's best if you just tune in and see if he makes it.

Inauspicious Beginning

Opening Day 2009

New York Yankees 5
Baltimore Orioles 10

WP: Jeremy Guthrie (1-0)
LP: CC Sabathia (0-1)
HR: Jorge Posada (1), Hideki Matsui (1), Cesar Izturis (1)

From the Mound

- Sabathia had nothing working for him today. He really labored through 4+ innings, allowing 6 earned runs, and didn't strike at least one batter out in a start for the first time since 2005.
- Scary Stat: Five Yankee pitchers combined for more wild pitches than strikeouts today.
- Jonathan Albaladejo, the last pitcher named to the 25-man roster, was the only reliable man out of the pen today. Phil Coke was left in too long, Brian Bruney was channeling Kyle Farnsworth, and Damaso Marte was similarly ineffective.

At the Plate

- Derek Jeter had a nice day at the plate from the leadoff spot until he stepped up with a runner on third and less than two outs and failed to drive in what would have been the tying run.
- Johnny Damon was the only other Yankee with a multi-hit ballgame.
- Jorge Posada hit the first Yankee homerun of the season, a shot into the centerfield bullpen. Hideki Matsui followed suit in the 7th.
- Mark Teixeira, booed mercilessly throughout the ballgame, went 0-4 and stranded runners in the 1st, 3rd, 7th AND 8th innings.
- The best debut for a newly-acquired Yankee? Nick Swisher, who came up with a pinch-hit double in the 8th.

Around the Diamond

- Cody Ransom looked shaky at third, botching a potential double-play ball in the 5th that was generously (and inexplicably) scored a single.

A Look Ahead

The Yankees and Orioles will enjoy a day off on Tuesday, before Wednesday night's matchup, in which Chien-Ming Wang will take on Koji Uehara, the Japanese import making his Major League debut.

Opening Day 2009

Following a long and eventful offseason, baseball is finally back, as CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees take on the Baltimore Orioles and Jeremy Guthrie from Orioles Park at Camden Yards.

The Yankees christened their new $1.5 billion ballpark with two exhibition games over the weekend as a final tune-up before the regular season. I was fortunate enough to attend Friday night's game and experience the new Yankee Stadium for myself. Having attended the final game at the original Stadium last season, it was fitting that I should be in attendance for the very first game played at the new incarnation. But that's a write-up for another day. For now, it's time to look ahead to what promises to be an exciting 2009. New acquisitions Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira have gargantuan contracts and high expectations to live up to; Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, and Chien-Ming Wang are all coming back from injuries; Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano are looking to come back from sub-par performances in '08; and Manager Joe Girardi has to decide how to shuffle five outfielders in Johnny Damon, Brett Gardner, Melky Cabrera, Xavier Nady, and Nick Swisher (not to mention Matsui once Interleague play rolls around). And, of course, there is Alex Rodriguez, who will carry all of his baggage onto the team sometime in the next few weeks as he recovers from hip surgery (and a bruised ego).
Despite the questions surrounding the 2009 New York Yankees, to me, they are the best team in the American League, if not all of Major League Baseball on paper. We'll just have to let the season play out to see if that translates to a division title and the ultimate goal of World Championship #27.

That quest for #27 finally gets underway April 6th in Baltimore.

Opening Day 2008: Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees

The 2008 season finally gets under way for the Yankees today, marking their final season at The House That Ruth Built.


The league's top two pitchers in terms of winning percentage over the past two seasons will be toeing the rubber for their respective teams (Roy Halladay and Chien-Ming Wang), and the Yankees' Opening Day starter will also be celebrating his 28th birthday.


Lineups are set for both clubs.


Baseball is back!

The Comeback Captain- Opening Day (Very Late!)

Yankees Win 9th Consecutive Home Opener in Exciting and Dramatic Fashion

New York Yankees 9

Kansas City Royals 7Win: Proctor (1-1)Loss: Sisco (0-1)Save: Rivera (1)Noteworthy Performances- Jason Giambi: 1-1, Homerun (1), 3 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB- Bernie Williams: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R ***- Derek Jeter: 1-4, Homerun (2), 3 RBI***

Back to the Bronx: Opening Day at Yankee Stadium

Today at 1:00 p.m., I will be taking in the Yankees Home Opener among the most faithful of Yankees fan, the infamous Bleacher Creatures of right-centerfield. Opening Day at the Stadium is one of the most exciting sporting events of the year, and I'll be one of the lucky 56,000+ fans in attendance. So, make sure to check back once the game is over to get a recap, look at a few pictures, and read about my first-hand account of the game.

Let's Go Yankees!

Lara*

Yankees Win, The-e-e-e Yankees Win!

New York Yankees 15

Oakland Athletics 2

Win: Randy Johnson (1-0)

Loss: Barry Zito (0-1)

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Player(s) of the Game: Randy Johnson- 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Hideki Matsui- 4 for 4, 3-Run Homerun, 4 RBI, 2 BB

Play of the Game: Alex Rodriguez's 12th Career Grand Slam (430th of Career, 1 HR shy of Thome and Ripken)

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Worth Mentioning:

*Alex Rodriguez is only the fourth Yankee to hit an Opening Day Grand Slam. He joins Russ Derry (1985), Bobby Murcer (1981), and Alfonso Soriano (2003)

* Both starting pitchers, Randy Johnson and Barry Zito, were the 2002 Cy Young Award winners in their respective leagues

* Randy Johnson started his 14th Opening Day and won the start for the 7th time in his career

* The 15 runs the Yankees scored ties for the most runs ever scored on the road on Opening Day

* Barry Zito's outing was the shortest of his career- He completed only 1 1/3 innings, giving up 7 ER

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Anyone else totally worried that the Yanks won't have nearly enough offense this season? If Opening Day is any indication of things to come, we're in for quite a ride.

Lara*