Pinstripe Posts

Cito's seal of approval

Well, you'll be thrilled to know that Jays manager Cito Gaston likes the new Yankee Stadium. "The clubhouse is nice. It's an upgrade,'' Cito said before the game. A few days ago, Mr. Gaston wasn't shy about sharing his opinion of the vacant Stadium next door, in its final days.

"What was to like about it?'' Gaston told Toronto writers with a laugh. "All it has is history. Otherwise, it was a dump. The clubhouse was not good.''    Gaston went on to praise the Yankee organization and its fabled history, but, "I didn't like the (old) ballplark. I hope that doesn't offend them.''

Wait, it gets better. Asked about Fenway Park, Gaston - who seemed to be speaking more about clubhouse interiors than anything else - laughed and said, "I take it back. Yankee Stadium is 400 times better than that place!''

Not that Rogers Centre is anything to write home about. Once considered a marvel, it's now a cold mass of concrete more suited to the CFL than MLB.  And old Exhibition Stadium (above), the first home of the Jays, was barely a big-league park.

A great city like Toronto needs something better to play baseball in -- like a park with an open view of Lake Ontario. And more clubhouse space for the visiting team.

Hinske a Yankee

The Yanks just sent two minor leaguers to Pittsburgh for Eric Hinske, who will be in uniform for tonight's game.Not exactly on the scale of acquiring Nady from the Pirates last year, but Cashman obviously felt a need to replace some of Nady's offense now that he's visiting Dr. Yocum, and is likely lost for the year. Hinske is versatile - LF, 1B, 3B.

Tex message Tex

 The Yankees have announced that Mark Teixeira will conduct an on-line chat on their Web site - yankees.com -- tomorrow (Tuesday, June 30) at 3 p.m. So, get your questions ready.

And a few more things, stats wise...

Yanks are 5-0, and have outscored their opponents (the Braves and Mets) 37-13 since Joe Girardi got himself ejected by Bill Welke in Atlanta last Wednesday night.

Derek Jeter can't get enough of the Mets. The captain has now hit safely in 59 of his last 69 career games vs. the Mets.

And...the Yankee bullpen has pitched to a 1.60 ERA in their last 13 games, covering 39.1 innings. Phil Hughes, a spotless 7.1 innings.

Mr. 500

 With three outs to go for his 500th save, let's take a quick look back at The Great Mariano's first save.

It came on May 17, 1996, against the Angels. The California Angels, at the place dormant across the street. He threw eight pitches, gave up a base hit, got a strikeout, and got Garrett Anderson to roll into a double play to end it -- with Jeter firing to first for the final out. Catcher was Joe Girardi.

The win went to Andy Pettitte, the first of 59 (and counting) they combined on (suprassing Welch-Eckersley's record 57).

Rivera was typically humble before the game about being on the cusp of such a milestone, but he was firm on one point. The 27th out is the hardest one to get. "Always, always, always,'' he said. "That's the one that defines if you win or lose. Nothing is written until you get that out.''

He's done it 499 times. And he's three outs away from following Trevor Hoffman as the only pitchers to ever achieve 500 saves.

Hooray for Hollywood

 Photographers caught Kate Hudson at Citi Field on Friday, and there was Richard Gere -- with his kids, wearing a Yankees cap -- seated in the visiting dugout before Saturday's game, a guest of the club. Also, Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Yankees fan, was in the runway down by the clubhouses after the game.

So, the VIPs were out this weekend, but no one's Q-rating has soared faster than Dr. Marc Philippon, hip hip doctor to the stars (or at least, Alex Rodriguez). Now, A-Rod is swinging a lot less during the pre-game - 75 percent less - thanks to the good doctor's advice.

A-Rod calls it 'The Philippon Rules,' but Joe Girardi mentioned that the biggest rule is basic common sense. If A-Rod looks as if he needs a day, he'll get it. With 13 straight games until the All-Star break (following Monday's off date), A-Rod will be getting a break or two -- especially with three games on the Metrodome's artificial turf.

And at the All-Star break, the Yanks will re-evaluate A-Rod's status, though for now, hitting coach Kevin Long said he's on board with the "less is more'' theory. Maybe that saves A-Rod from having to be rested every five or six games, with regularity.

We'll see. And we'll see if A-Rod can resist doing all the prep work he usually does. But for now, it looks to be a good balance of playing/resting/not overdoing it. As Long said today, if it gives A-Rod a feeling of more energy by limiting his pre-game work, he's all for it. But this is still in the experimental stages.

A-Rod 564, Reggie 563

 Thought it was telling how Reggie Jackson described watching A-Rod pass him on the all-time homer list. Mr. October wasn't in the stands at Citi Field. He was in the visiting clubhouse, watching a TV with the coughing captain of the Yankees. "Derek Jeter's probably my favorite player,'' Reggie said.

As for A-Rod, he remains a friend, too. "I always told him, when he got close, I would be there,'' said Reggie, who flew from California to be there when No. 564 happened. Reggie was 6th on the all-time list when he was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1993. Now, he's 12th.  

"I don't vote,'' Reggie said of the Hall. But, then he quipped, "if he doesn't make it in the first 15 years on the ballot, then I get a vote,'' alluding to the period when the writers' vote gives way to the Veterans Committee, comprised of each living Hall of Famer.

Then, Reggie spoke of a phone conversation he had with Willie Mays, talking about A-Rod's slump as they each watched the Yankee game on TV. "We talked about steroids, we talked about home runs.'' That's 1,223 combined homers on that call. And Mays might have hit 200 more if he played in today's parks, and not at Candlestick.

Reggie's never been one to shun the spotlight. But good on him for being there when another man passed him on the all-time list, especially one as controversial as A-Rod, and for offering his congratulations and not a sermon.

Shea goodbye

 Birthday boy Derek Jeter could've had a slice of his cake earlier than usual, Friday, but he probably wasn't in the mood. A persistent cough caused him to be scratched from Joe Girardi's lineup tonight, thanks to an upper respiratory infection that is going around the club.

Matsui and Melky were affected earlier this week. Jeter seemed to have it pretty bad this afternoon as he talked about the Subway Series shifting to new digs at Citi Field. Jeter's grandest memory at Shea, of course, was the 2000 World Series, and that huge, momentum-turning leadoff homer in Game 4.

"You have some good memories over there,'' Jeter said, alluding to the field that is now paved over. "But I'm sure there aren't too many players who miss it.''

Incidentally, Jeter - who turned 35 today - is a career .325 hitter (13-for-40) on his birthday, and this is the fourth time the Subway Series has fallen on his birthday. He's also a .385 career hitter vs. the Mets, the all-time leader against the New York National League club (min. 150 PA).

A Case for the Yankees

 If he were around today, Casey Stengel probably would have approved of this Subway Series jazz as "a splendid thing for our city at the present time.'' He saw the whole of it in this town, all those pennants with the mighty Yankees, all those awful losses with the meager Mets.

As a Met, Casey managed those early Mayor's Trophy games as if they were World Series games. Imagine using your best (or what qualified as his best) pitchers to win an exhibition? But those Mets weren't going to play a bigger game all year.

Now, here come Joe Girardi's Yankees into Citi Field, coming off two huge games in Atlanta. And if it weren't for that stunning dropped pop up by Luis Castillo, and a very un-Johan day by Santana in the last Subway Series....well, you wouldn't have wanted to be in Girardi's shoes over these past 2 weeks.

 How would Casey see this series? His heart might be pulling for the banged-up Mets to rise up, take 2 of 3, and even the Subway Series for the season. His head might say the Yanks -- now with some offensive momentum -- should take 2 of 3 and start to heat up the summer as they should.

And if he managed the Yanks today, can you imagine ol' Case having to be tethered to the doctors reports on when to rest/play Alex Rodriguez all weekend?

"Well, my big fella over there, he's got a hip doctor, a rehab doctor -- that's what they tell me. He's got the whole staff at the Columbia Medical School advisin' him, and I think he's got a coupla pre-med students tellin' him what to do. My gen-ral manager talks to 'em all, and when them doctors tell me to put 'em in the lineup, I put 'em in the lineup.''

You can bet A-Rod will be in there all weekend. The Yankees need this series. CC tonight, A.J. back from suspension tomorrow. Amazingly, Wang going for his FIRST win of the year on Sunday.

And as Casey would say, you could look it up.

Reggie tied, Nady hurt, Jeter & Johnny go on a spree

 And before we go any further, that was me, to the left of Sweeny, with an equally ungraceful attempt at that 9th inning foul ball. I'm just glad Mr. Murti didn't deflect that ball off my face.

HR no. 563 for A-Rod, which tied Reggie, helped prove A-Rod's point. He didn't need the night off, and he probably plays all weekend. (No day games after night games helps). On matching Reggie for 11th all-time, "Obviously, big picture, that's quite an honor...I'm sure Mr. October will have something to say about that.''

Well, he already did. In spring training. Mr. October noted how the tainted foursome of Bonds, Sosa, McGwire and Palmeiro had passed him, and mentioned his profound disappointment after A-Rod's admission. When Reggie got to the Hall in '93, he was 6th all-time. "The game was 140 years old,'' he said in February. "Now, (16 years later) I'm 11th.''

Anyway, Xavier Nady pulled himself out of tonight's rehab game after cutting loose a throw and Brian Cashman said it could be the worst case scenario -- which would be season-ending surgery. Just terrible news for a very good guy.

And how about Jeter (who is officially 35 years old right now) and Damon, on base 11 out of 12 times tonight? "I don't think Derek and I have been hot together all year,'' Damon said. "Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.''

 

A-Rod plays on

 Alex Rodriguez is in today's lineup, and it looks like he'll be in there for all three Subway Series games. Monday is a Yankee off day, and, well, "he feels good, let's keep him going,'' Joe Girardi said today. "Because we need his bat in the lineup.''

Originally, A-Rod was going to get a rest before Monday. But after a consultation with his doctors, he was cleared to play the next four straight games, though he'll be monitored. "I think the idea is one day off a week,'' A-Rod said today. GM Brian Cashman said the ideal situation is a day off every 5-6 days.

Anyway, it's Robinson Cano who is out of the lineup today, scratched due to a sore left wrist (though Cano said he's fine, it's just his legs have been a little heavy from the stretch of hot weather). In a bit of pre-game strangeness, Cano had his left wrist taped, but said it was fine -- adding that it was his right wrist that actually gave him some trouble a few weeks ago.

Either way, he's available off the bench. Melky Cabrera has been feverish, but is also available. Girardi told him to take it easy before the game, stay indoors. Matsui also was under the weather yesterday, but available off the bench. They still don't want to risk his knees in the outfield yet, beyond an inning or three. And Matsui hasn't taken outfield drills yet in cleats, a sign that he's not fully ready for OF play.

Day 3 in ATL

 CC Sabathia just finished playing catch in the outfield from about 100 feet, and everything looks good for his start tomorrow night at Citi Field. As we speak, a group of Yankee relievers are in the upper deck here at Turner Field, doing the stairs.

You'd suspect there would be no need for a third straight hitters meeting after last night's eight-run outburst over the final four innings. Brian Cashman is here, and he'll fly home on the team charter.

Perhaps A-Rod gets tonight off vs. Derek Lowe. Cash and Girardi were to confer with A-Rod's doctors again today (shouldn't they have been doing this regularly before?) to inquire about when to rest him.

This from ESPN: Mariano Rivera will be the subject of SportsCenter's Sunday Conversation at 11 p.m., and here's what he said about Jonathan Papelbon's statement that he'd consider closing for the Yankees if he becomes a free agent:

"If he wants to do that, he'll have to wait for me to retire,'' Rivera said. "You know, then I think he has a shot at that. Besides that, he doesn't have a shot at that.''

No word on when Rivera was planning on retiring. Probably not any time soon. He remains an absolute wonder.

UPDATE: A-Rod in the lineup and Melky sits again.

Chance meeting

 Under estimate Brian Cashman at your own risk. His presence in Atlanta today leant a sense of urgency to the Yankees' mid-June swoon -- it was time to straighten out priorities, time to focus on the big picture before frustration mushroomed into something worse.

So, Cashman alerted ownership, postponed his Scranton trip to see Sergio Mitre, and met with his manager and sat in on a hitters' meeting (where he didn't exactly sit on his hands). Cash didn't do any yelling, Mark Teixeira said, but he got his point across.

"You have to realize, 162 games, sometimes you need a kick in the butt, '' Tex said after tonight's win, where eight runs were scored after Girardi's (intentional) ejection, and after the club's first 15 hitters were set aside.

Tex described Cashman as "a little fired up,'' and the GM had already said his point was that his hitters were better than they'd shown, and it was time to show it. Plus, it's not as if Cashman's viewpoint was restricted to the GM's box; he did hit .348 at Catholic University in 1988.

"I've never run a company before,'' Texeira said. "But if my employees weren't getting the job done, I might come in and (tell them).''

Cash call

 Brian Cashman says he's here in Atlanta out of general concern for the club's condition, "I am not here to send any messages, other than we're here to fix problems,'' Cashman said, though any unexpected appearance by the GM would be a signal in itself.

Earlier, Joe Girardi said, "I know the drill here. You win or you go home.'' But Cashman offered only praise for the job his manager has done to now, and said the answers to righting the ship are here. "Three weeks ago we had the best offense in baseball,'' Cashman said.

Meanwhile, CC Sabathia threw his bullpen (27 pitches), and felt good enough to start on Friday. Girardi and company will wait to see how he feels tomorrow before making it official. 

The reason Melky Cabrera was scratched and Nick Swisher inserted in the lineup is that the wrong lineup was given to Rob Thomson, who posts it. They were tinkering with a few ideas, Girardi said, but he still has concerns about Matsui's knees holding up in the outfield.

 Posada (0-for-4, 4 K, error on Tues.) was due to get one of the next two days off, so tonight's the night. ALSO: Angel Berroa just designated for assignment, Cody Ransom on the club. Ramiro Pena survives, but might be the one to go once Xavier Nady returns in 7-14 days.

Today's two cents

 As Jimmy Cannon once wrote (brilliantly), nobody asked me but....

I'd start Hideki Matsui tonight, get him in there for four or five innings vs. Kenshin Kawakami -- partly because Matsui is the only guy to have ever faced the right-hander (.319, 7 HR, 16 RBI from 1998-2002 in Japan).

Would it hurt to flip flop Teixeira and A-Rod (1-for-23) in the order, just for a few games? Bat A-Rod third, maybe force pitchers to challenge him a bit more with Tex on deck.

I'd make sure Mariano Rivera - who hasn't been in a game since June 16th - pitches at some point tonight, no matter what.

And this bit of news...the Cleveland Indians have picked up Jose Veras from the Yankees for cash considerations. How the Pirates let Veras get away, we'll never know.

CC just finished his 27-pitch bullpen session, good to go Friday.

Have another donut

Let's go back to June 9, an overcast morning in Boston. The Yankees woke up in first place by a game, winners of 19 of 25, and hadn't been shut out all year.

Since then, they've been swept (again) by the Sox. They've been shut out three times. They've lost 9 of 13, lost six games in the standings, and they've lost six games since June 13 to starters they'd never previously seen.

Jorge Posada kept shaking his head -- no, it's not the run of games without a DH, or the streak of newbie pitchers that has thrown this lineup for a loop. "That's not the case. We've got a lot of video...it just didn't happen today,'' said Posada, who struck out four times for the fifth time in his career. He hadn't done that since 2002.

 Where do you go from here, after four hits - and 11 men left on base - against the Braves, on a night when they couldn't deliver a knockout blow to a teetering Tommy Hanson in his fourth big-league start? Posada was left to praise Chien-Ming Wang - "better every time out there'' - and to essentially say, 'Go get 'em tomorrow.'

CC, Damon, and the lineup

From Atlanta: CC Sabathia will do a shortened bullpen tomorrow but fully expects to start Friday at Citi Field. "I want to hit," CC said. Damon out of the lineup, says he still feels a little sore from slipping in OF on Sunday. Jeter, Swish, Tex, ARod, Cano, Posada, Cabrera, Gardner, and Wang - winless since he injured his foot on the bases last June 15 at Houston. ALSO: MLB denies Yankees protest from Sunday at Marlins.