The first full week of Spring Training – full as in the whole team was in camp – is nearly over and what have we learned?

Well, for one thing, we learned that the Yankees are open to switching the defensive alignment of the outfield by placing Curtis Granderson in left field and allowing Brett Gardner to patrol center field. This is all in the beginning stages and it may not even come to fruition but the fact that the Yankees are open to this idea makes me happy. I believe the stronger outfield would have Gardner in center.

Another thing we learned is that Ichiro Suzuki is pretty funny. From him showing up on the first day of training camp in a glittery Yankee cap – at least according to the beat writers who couldn’t take pictures in the clubhouse so there actually isn’t any proof that this hat exists. I guess we’ll have to take their word for it – to his quote in which he subtly made fun of the New York sports media for focusing on Derek Jeter’s weight which, surprise surprise, turned into a non issue to him tipping his cap or, in this case, helmet after he blasted a batting practice home run off fellow countryman Hiroki Kuroda. I like Ichiro. He can stay.

Next up, we have Mariano Rivera who seems to be healthy and ready to pitch in 2013. He threw his first live batting practice and said he felt good. He said that he was more worried about how his knee would respond to fielding practice than he was about pitching. You and me both, Mo. Let’s hope everything stays copacetic.

Jorge Posada returned to Tampa as a guest instructor this week. He already shot down the comeback idea. According to Posada there will be no repeat of what happened with Andy Pettitte last season although some Yankee fans wouldn’t mind it considering the team doesn’t actually have a starting catcher as of this moment.

Phil Hughes hurt his back earlier in the week and was diagnosed with a bulging disc. The Yankees conservatively estimated he’d be out two weeks. Hughes started getting ready for the season two weeks earlier than usual so these next weeks off, according to him, will put him right on schedule. Or something.  Frankly, I’m concerned because this is the third season in a row that Hughes has had a back issue. His 2012 ended when he left Game Three of the American League Championship Series with a back problem.

What else happened in Tampa?

• Joba Chamberlain grew this thing on his face. 
• New Yankee Kevin Youkilis arrived and hugged it out with Joba.
• Alex Rodriguez issued a statement about his rehab and the New York Daily News which seems to be obsessed with Alex, reported that he ate at the same seafood restaurant three nights in a row this week. He ordered oysters. No word on if this is all a part of his rehab.

So this is my first entry and I have to admit, it feels like the very first day of high school. I made sure to wear something nice and got a haircut. My only problem is that I’m not sure who I’ll sit with at lunch, which is a source of considerable stress for any freshman. To keep up with this theme, I thought we could look back and see how the “Core Four” fared in their Major League debuts. Granted the stress level for them was much higher than finding a familiar face during lunch, but we can at least try to make the comparison.

Jorge Posada: 9/4/95 vs. Mariners. Posada came into the game in the ninth inning, replacing Jim Leyritz defensively and did not have a plate appearance. Taking Leyritz out of the game was a poor choice. Not professionally, but personally. You never want to give Leyritz any more free time than necessary. This wasn’t a big sample size for Posada, but I think flying under the radar in a debut is in itself, a small success.

Now, if we were to equate Jorge’s debut to an experience you might have had at lunch on your first day, it would go something like this: You found a seat with some people you never talked to in middle school, but you now act like they have always been your best friends. Forming alliances is always a good strategy in these “Hunger Games”.

Andy Pettitte: 4/29/95 vs. Royals. Pettitte was brought in as a relief pitcher and ended the day with 0.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, K. He’s going to have to pull his hat down even lower if he doesn’t want to be seen after that outing.

Freshman lunch equivalent: A weird kid sits next to you and starts to drink his chocolate milk through his nose with a straw. The entire lunchroom then assumes you are friends based soley on proximity.

Mariano Rivera: 5/23/95 vs Angels. Rivera made his debut as a starting pitcher in this game. He allowed 5 ER in 3.1 IP as the Yanks went on to lose the game 10-0. We now call this man “God”, but on that day, he was more like Judas.

Freshman lunch equivalent: You’ve dropped some ketchup on your white shirt and everyone is looking at it like it is the Scarlet Letter.

Derek Jeter: 5/29/95 vs Mariners. Jeter started at shortstop and batted 9th in the lineup. He went 0 for 5. That’s a tough one. Mr. O-vember. No one is getting a gift basket after that performance.

Freshman lunch equivalent: The senior offensive tackle smashes the tray out of your hands, much to the delight of the entire cafeteria. The loudest laughs coming from the kid drinking chocolate milk through his nose.

Obviously, this is all said in jest. These youngsters have all gone on to have legendary careers for the Yankees, but even they had to endure a “first day”. It takes time to get adjusted and find your stride. So far I feel like I’m doing okay, but just to be safe, I’m skipping lunch.

*Okay, so it’s not exactly ruminating, it’s more like babbling. I can’t help it.*

It’s a late January afternoon and as I sit here listeing to the cars and trucks on the main road just above my house, I am thinking about how much closer we are to baseball season. In fact, we’re just 36 days removed from the Yankees’ first Spring Training game!

This off-season has been a relatively quiet one by Yankee standards. The biggest splash came when the team traded away one of its best known prospects, Jesus Montero for Seattle’s righty phenom Michael Pineda.

They were able to sign free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda and agreed to one-year deals with Brett Gardner, Boone Logan, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Russell Martin.

» Continue reading “In Which I Ruminate About The Yankees On A Winter Afternoon”

Good morning! It’s January 25, 2012 which means we are less than a month away from Spring Training (Woooo!).

In the news, Jorge Posada says good-bye, as does Kim Jones of YES and Yankee fans are still left to wonder about the DH situation now that Prince Fielder has been signed by the Detroit Tigers – not that the Yanks were in on Fielder in any way and not for the money the Tigers paid.

Jay Jaffe, one of my favorite writers and favorite people on Twitter wrote a great piece on Posada over at Futility Infielder where he shares his favorite Posada memories and discusses his Hall of Fame chances.

Last night, word surfaced that after seven years with the YES Network, Kim Jones chose to leave to “explore other options.” Personally, I’ll miss Kim. I know some people didn’t particularly care for her but I thought she did her job well and had a great rapport with the players. She’s also a better reporter than people give her credit for. I wish her luck and I hope she gets the recognition she deserves.

Never forget:

Over at River Avenue Blues, Larry Koestler explores some DH options via the trade market and Ben Kabak looks back at Jose Canseco’s time in Pinstripes.

My “fondest” memory was the night of the 2000 World Series clincher. I was at a club in Manhattan and Canseco was there with Derek Jeter, David Justice and Glenallen Hill – they were all celebrating their victory over the Mets. Jose looked bored out of his mind and he was tremendously big. He actually scared me. Glenallen Hill on the other hand was having the time of his life on the dance floor. That was a fun night.

Okay, back to 2012…

Matt Imbrogno of the Yankee Analysts explores the WARs of Yankees with retired numbers to see where Jorge Posada, his fellow core members – Jeter, Mo, Pettitte and Bernie – and Alex Rodriguez fit in.

The Yankees avoided arbitration with Russell Martin. They agreed to a one-year $7.5M deal, plus $100,000 in player bonuses. The last man standing is Boone Logan who is still waiting to be signed.

Here’s a collection of links about Jorge Posada’s emotional day.

Everyone from Bernie Williams to John Flaherty and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg to former Met catcher Mike Piazza issued statements congratulating Posada and wishing him well.

David Waldstein of the New York Times talks about Posada’s emotional day.

“Playing for the Yankees has been an honor” – NY Daily News

Jorge Posada Retires After 17 Years and 5 Titles – CBS Sports

Jorge Posada Retires As Yankee Lifer Content With Five Ring Run – Bloomberg Business

Posada: I Will Forever Be a Yankee – Chicago Tribune

For Posada, DH Was the Last Straw – ESPN NY

Emotional Jorge Posada After 17-Year Career – MLB.com

Posada Gives Tearful Good-Bye (Courtesy of Fox Sports):

I was going to be strong. I said to myself, “Stace, you can handle this. It’ll be fine.” As soon as Jorge Posada made his way to the dais with his family in tow and I saw how moist his eyes were before he even uttered a single word, I thought, “Aw crap,” and grabbed a box of tissues.

Posada read from a prepared speech and it only took about 17 seconds for me to start tearing up. He said, “Today’s a very emotional day for me…Ever since I was a little kid, I remember that all I wanted to do was become a Major Leaguer. I became a member of the New York Yankees, and that’s all I wanted when I was a little kid.”

Then as he went to talk about his career, about his teammates – past and present, about his coaches – past and present, and about his family, Jorge choked up and had to stop speaking in order to compose himself.

I lost it and I think every fan watching did as well.

Jorge Posada has always been an emotional, fiery man. Whether it was anger, happiness or sadness, you’d know how Posada was feeling. He never shied away from letting you know exactly what was going on. That honesty along with his on the field play, is what’s going to make Yankee fans miss him so much.

» Continue reading “17 Seconds Is All It Took, Thank You Jorge Posada.”

Today is a sad day in the Bronx. Longtime catcher Jorge Posada is saying good bye to the only team he’s played for in his long and storied career. The press conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. EST and will be shown on the YES Network. For those of you stuck at work, it will also be streamed live on yankees.com.

Naturally when players of Posada’s magnitude retire, discussions about their Hall of Fame credentials – whether they have them or not – always crop up. Here are a couple of articles – one pro and one against – Posada’s Cooperstown chances.

Lou DiPietro of YESNetwork.com talks about Posada’s career “by the numbers”.

62: Currently worn by Joba Chamberlain, 62 is the uniform number Posada wore on the night of his Major League debut. Although he’s best known for his iconic No. 20, Posada actually wore five different numbers as a Yankee, also sporting Nos. 41, 55, and 22.

The Michael Pineda/Jesus Montero trade was finalized and the 23 year-old Pineda is excited to be a Yankee (Well, duh, of course he is):

“It’s a tremendous team, with good pitching. It’s very exciting for me — for the first time in my life, I’ll have the pleasure of playing with Alex Rodriguez, a huge star, and Derek Jeter, one of the most well-known players ever. And Mariano Rivera, (Robinson) Cano, (Mark) Teixeira, Rafael Soriano,” Pineda says in Spanish, his voice trailing off as he sifts through the Yankees’ roster. “I never thought in my life that I would be in this situation.”

Pineda also added:

This is the best thing in the world. Pitching alongside CC Sabathia, I’m speechless.

Over at Needle Ball – Aerys’s home of all things Seattle Mariners – Ashley Varela introduces former Yanks Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to Mariners fans.

With the offseason winding down, the one thing left for the Yankees to do – or maybe not – is to find a DH.

At The Yankee Analysts Matt Imbrogno tries to think of ways the Yankees can avoid the rotating DH.

Happy Tuesday and don’t cry too much during Posada’s press conference (Okay, that was really for my benefit.)

Last Saturday morning Yankee fans were still buzzing about the Jesus Montero-Michael Pineda deal and the Hiroki Kuroda signing. This Saturday morning most fans are starting their countdown to Spring Training – now less than a month away.

The Yankees were relatively busy this week avoiding arbitration with key players – Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson and Brett Gardner. Those signings leave Boone Logan and Russell Martin as the only two arbitration eligible Yankees who have not yet agreed on a contract.

Gardner and the Yankees were $8 million apart but settled in the middle – he wanted $3.2M, they offered $2.4M, they agreed on $2.8M. Not shabby for Gardner who made $549,500 in 2011.

» Continue reading “Yankees News and Notes: 1/21/12″

Could it be Hideki Matsui redux? It’s a possibility according to about 4 million articles written within the last 24 hours.

Here are a few of those links how likely it is to see a Yanks-Matsui reunion in 2012:

• Yankees might bring back Hideki Matsui CBS Sports
• Yankees considering Matsui for DH role Newsday
• Report: Yankees, Hideki Matsui Have Been in Contact SI.com

There were more articles on Carlos Peña possibly filling the DH void:

• Carlos Peña Rumors: New York Yankees in Mix For Slugger? SB Nation
• Steve at Fangraphs writes about being wary of Peña.

» Continue reading “Yankees News and Notes: 1/17/12″

Sweeny Murti of WFAN has reported that Jorge Posada will be announcing his retirement in the coming weeks. While this isn’t shocking – the Yankees made it pretty clear that they would not be pursuing Posada this offseason – it’s still a bit of a bummer for Yankee fans everywhere.

Last year we had to deal with losing Andy Pettitte to retirement and now it’s Jorge’s turn.

One positive is that Yankee fans didn’t have to see Posada play for another team. Another positive, at least for me, is not having to hear the “Hip Hip Jorge” chant anymore. It’s okay the first few times but when Posada is having a long at bat and the people won’t stop doing it, it would make me wish he’d just strike out.

Posada had a pretty amazing career, He was a five time All Star, a four time World Champion, and in 2007 became the only Major League catcher to hit .330 or better with 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 90 RBIs in a single season.

» Continue reading “No More Hip Hip Jorge Chants At Yankee Stadium”