By Allen Barra

Hello. Some of you may know me as Allen Barra. Some of you may know me under my pseudonyms, Norman Mailer–check out The Naked and The Dead, it kicks butt–or Eleanor Holmes-Norton, the black congresswoman from D.C–I’m thinking of giving up that identity as it forces me to do too much writing from the bleachers while watching Nationals games.

I promised Alex Belth that I would do this blog, so here I am. I wanted to call him up this morning and say, “I’m not responsible for the decisions I make when I’ve been drinking.” But then the horrible truth struck me: I don’t drink, and I actually made the decision to do this while sober. This has to rank with the worst decisions I ever made in my life, right up there with not returning Angelina Jolie’s phone call. So, here I am. I’m not really sure what it is I’m supposed to do.

To be honest, I’m not entirely certain of what a “blog” is. Before I met Alex, I thought a blog was a Danish breakfast treat. Now, after reading Alex, I’ve discovered it’s really a device for baring your soul, like Dostoevsky, only more neurotic.

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The Yankees plated five of their seven base runners to support some strong pitching and pick up the win.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Bobby Abreu (RF)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Jason Giambi (DH)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)

That’ll be the lineup against right-handed starters when the season opens.

Pitchers: Kei Igawa, Mike Myers, Colter Bean, Brian Bruney, Kyle Farnsworth, Mariano Rivera

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Miguel Cairo (2B), Chris Basak (PR/SS), Aarom Baldiris (3B), Ben Davis (C), Kevin Reese (RF), Kevin Thompson (CF), Matt Carson (LF)

Opposition: The Phillies’ starting nine.

Big Hits: A mammoth three-run homer by Alex Rodriguez (1 for 4) with one out in the first inning. A double by Robinson Cano (1 for 3) in the fifth which was followed by a two-RBI double by Doug Mientkiewicz (1 for 3) (Posada had walked to start the inning). Those were actually the only Yankee hits. The Yanks scored five runs on three hits, three walks and a Jimmy Rollins error.

Who Pitched Well?: Kei Igawa gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the third inning, but allowed just two other baserunners (a Wes Helms double and a walk in the fourth), striking out four in five innings of work. He threw 87 pitches. Igawa has looked better in each start this spring, has a 2.65 spring ERA, and could be the Opening Day starter. That said, the Yankees seem more inclined to hide Igawa from the spotlight for now, despite his big-game reputation in Japan. Expect him to make one more spring start on Saturday then make his regular season debut a week from Friday against the Orioles following Carl Pavano, Mike Mussina and, hopefully, Andy Pettitte in the rotation. Brian Bruney struck out the side looking in the seventh. Colter Bean came on in relief of Mike Myers with a man on third and one out, hit two batters to load the bases, but stranded all three runners. Kyle Farnsworth pitched around a walk and a hit that should have been caught by Doug Mientkiewicz for a scoreless eighth. Mariano Rivera pitched around a flared single to shallow left that tipped off the outstretched glove of shortstop Chris Basak for a scoreless ninth. And, yes, he did throw the changeup.

Who Didn’t?: Mike Myers came in to face superstar lefties Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Howard is slumping badly and struck out, but Utley greeted Myers with a triple.

Oopsies: Doug Mientkiewicz whiffed on a Chase Utley liner that skipped right in front of him in the eighth.

Ouchies: Pettitte threw 25 pitches in the bullpen before the game and is scheduled to throw again on Wednesday. Pettitte did not throw full speed, but said that he usually doesn’t throw at game speed in his bullpen sessions and that the session went “as good as I could expect.” Jeff Karstens’s tests (including an MRI, a CT scan, and X-rays) came back negative, with doctors suggesting that his stiffness is in his triceps, not his elbow. That’s good news, though it doesn’t cure the stiffness which could still rob Karstens of the roster spot that he appeared to have won this spring. Chien-Ming Wang will have a catch again today.

Battles: Josh Phelps didn’t come to the plate. Ben Davis made out in his only trip. Brian Bruney got the upper hand on Colter Bean in back-to-back innings, though neither allowed a hit or a run. Bean plunked two batters then escaped the bases-loaded jam he helped create. Bruney struck out all three men he faced, looking.

Notes: Ron Villone tossed a scoreless frame against the Phillies’ A-ball squad yesterday afternoon. Ex-Yank Matt Smith tore through the heart of the Yankee order retiring Abreu, Rodriguez, Giambi, and Matsui in order, striking out Rodriguez and Matsui. Smith was a small price to pay for Abreu, but I still dig the cut of that kids jib.

By Will Weiss
Bronx Banter Correspondent

Welcome, Yankee fans, to the first edition of “Yankee Panky” on Bronx Banter. First, special thanks go to BB’s Alex Belth and Cliff Corcoran, for allowing me to riff on two subjects I’ve studied my entire life: the Yankees and the media.

In this space, we’ll address on a weekly basis — and sometimes more frequently, if the situation merits — how the team is portrayed in the local and national media. Along the way, we’ll review the battle of the back pages in the Daily News, the Post and Newsday, the top storylines of the week, and examine TV and radio coverage as well.

While I will be critiquing the coverage in this space, I will not criticize specific writers or broadcasters. I spent the past five years as senior editor of YESNetwork.com and still call many of the writers and broadcasters on the Yankee beat my colleagues. I’ll leave the railing to Phil Mushnick and Bob Raissman, since that’s what they get paid to do.

This column will also be an exercise in engaging you as readers and fans to speak up. (This is a place for banter, after all, isn’t it?) If the media, from an idealistic standpoint, is supposed to be the eyes and ears of the fans, do they do a good job of serving their audience? What kind of stories do you care about: features that give a sense of humanness and personality to the players, or do you want better game analysis? Do you care more about snappy quotes and the soap opera elements that feed the tabloids, or do you prefer the more intellectual type of coverage presented by the New York Times, Baseball Prospectus and bloggers like Steven Goldman at YES?

We can get to those questions throughout the season. For now, here’s my quick recap of the spring, and the backpage count for the week:

Number of times the Yankees led: 1 (Wednesday, 3/21) On this day, the Yankees announced they would not give A-Rod a contract extension, leaving the door open for him to opt out after the season. Since the Yankees have a history of not giving contract extensions before the season, this should not have been a surprise. It should be even less of a surprise given the treatment of Mariano Rivera’s contract as he enters what could be his final year as a Yankee.

Top Story, Part 1: A-Rod. From his admission of a cooler relationship with Derek Jeter to the Mike and the Mad Dog interview to the “will he or won’t he” be here in 2008 questions, when was enough enough? Why didn’t editors sound the dead-horse alert?

On his WEPN radio show, Michael Kay called for Alex Rodriguez to “shut up” and “stop doing interviews.” On virtually every stop of the Baseball Prospectus book tour, the contributing authors were asked about A-Rod and, naturally, defended his status as a great player. I hope this year is the year he’ll be able to get out of his way both psychologically and verbally and stop caring what people think, but that’s not his makeup. The New York papers have played A-Rod to be the anti-Jeter for three years, when really the biggest difference between the two is their relationships with the media. Jeter uses the press to preserve clubhouse matters and an image similar to Nike brethren Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, whereas A-Rod comes across as a little brother in his sibling’s shadow, using the media to pine for attention.

As someone who had to assess these situations and decide how to cover the soap opera in a workable way for YES, I can tell you honestly that not long after his game-winning home run against the Braves in late June last year, I wanted the A-Rod stuff to stop. But he has a tendency to keep bringing the stories on himself and making news through his actions. Maybe this is the year he does it in a positive way in New York.

Top Story, Part 2: Carl Pavano. A cause for contempt among Yankee fans and to some extent, teammates (remember Mike Mussina’s quote; “He’s got to prove to a lot of people he wants to pitch for us.”), the pinstriped punchline for the past 18 months has come through the spring healthy and is now being considered for the Opening Day start on April 2 against the Devil Rays at the Stadium. I don’t have a problem with the logic or facts of this report, given Chien-Ming Wang’s hamstring injury, Andy Pettitte’s back spasms and Mussina’s desire to keep to a regular schedule. Let him start Opening Day in front of 56,000 fans who can’t wait to boo him and see what happens.

Here’s my beef: To say that Pavano has redeemed himself among teammates and fans is farfetched. You don’t go from “CRASH TEST DUMMY” in September to redemption in March. Just ask A-Rod.

Top Story, Part 3: The Roger Clemens discussion. This would be going on even if Brian Cashman hadn’t lured Andy Pettitte back from Houston. Clemens was coy in his YES broadcast booth appearance two weeks ago, which is typical. He’s been vague every offseason since 2003. I’m inclined to disbelieve anything that’s written or said about Clemens’ return one way or another. Like many, I believe he will pitch, either in New York or Boston. The Post’s “>George King called it a “flop” in Sunday’s edition – leading to questions of his Major League readiness, and whether he’ll be able to handle New York.

Story we all saw coming, Part 2: Gary Sheffield popping off at the Yankee organization the first chance he had to meet with the New York media. His comments, however true or untrue they may be, fit the pattern of how he left his previous five teams.

Surprise column: Joel Sherman of the Post criticizing Jeter’s skill as a captain in the wake of the first phase of the spring’s A-Rod dilemma.

Most underreported story: Granted, he was hurt for much of the Grapefruit League season, but did anyone else notice how much leaner Jason Giambi looked? (I’m glad not too much has been made of the team’s lenience regarding Giambi’s mullet and scruff. He needs to be grubby.)

What’s your take on all this? There’s a lot here, so fire away.

Until next week…

Paging Darrell Rasner . . .

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
R – Todd Pratt (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Melky Cabrera (RF)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (DH)

Pitchers: Jeff Karstens, Sean Henn, Mike Martinez, Chris Britton, Scott Proctor, Luis Vizcaino, Eric Wordekemper

Subs: Andy Phillips (PR/1B), Miguel Cairo (2B), Chris Basak (SS), Marcos Vechionacci (3B), Wil Nieves (C), Austin Jackson (RF), Kevin Reese (CF), Kevin Thompson (LF), Josh Phelps (DH)

Opposition: The Tigers’ starting nine.

Big Hits: Doubles by Todd Pratt (1 for 3), Jason Giambi (2 for 2, BB), Alex Rodriguez (1 for 3), Doug Mientkiewicz (1 for 3), and minor leaguer Austin Jackson (1 for 2). Pratt’s and Rodriguez’s were ground-rule doubles, both touched by fans down the left field line.

Who Pitched Well?: Scott Proctor pitched a perfect sixth. Luis Vizcaino pitched a perfect seventh. Minor league reliever Mike Martinez (who is not 7’2″ as his Baseball Cube page claims; He may not even be his official height of 6’2″), got Omar Infante to pop out to strand the three runners he inherited from Henn in the fourth. Chris Britton pitched around a pair of singles for a scoreless fifth inning.

Who Didn’t?: Jeffrey Karstens had his second straight poor outing, putting his grip on the fifth starter’s in question. Karstens lasted just two innings due to elbow stiffness, allowing six runs on six hits and two walks, the big shot being a three-run homer by Gary Sheffield which put the score at 4-0 after just four Tiger batters. In his last two starts, Karstens has allowed ten runs on twelve hits in 6 1/3 innings. Sean Henn’s scoreless spring came to an end when he gave up three runs on five hits and three walks over 1 2/3 innings while striking out no one. Henn’s line would have been worse had Martinez not come in to get the final out of the fourth after Henn had walked a man to load the bases.

Oopsies: Henn threw two wild pitches, both fastballs in the dirt that Pratt was unable to stop. Alex Rodriguez muffed a humpback liner in the third, tipping it into foul territory, but was not charged with an error. Rodriguez also nearly threw away an inning-ending 5-4 fielder’s choice in the second, but was saved by a nice stretch by Robinson Cano. He then made up for his third-inning muff in the fourth by making a great diving stop to his right to turn a would-be double into a 5-3 groundout.

Ouchies: Jeff Karstens left yesterday’s game after just two rough innings and 46 pitches because of stiffness in his pitching elbow. Andy Pettitte will throw a bullpen today with the hope of throwing a lighter session on Wednesday and starting Friday’s game. Chien-Ming Wang tossed a ball with Ron Guidry for ten minutes yesterday. According to Peter Abraham: “He made 70 throws, most from a distance of 120 feet. And he was throwing from a semi windup and putting some zip on the ball.” Abraham quotes Wang as saying “I don’t feel anything. Yesterday I felt it when I walked. Today, nothing.” (Incidentally, Abraham refers to Wang’s injury as a “tear” when it’s actually just a strain). Despite these encouraging signs, the Yankees are not adjusting Wang’s timetable, instead saying that he’s just keeping his arm in shape while his hamstring heals. Jorge Posada missed his second straight game with an illness characterized by a sore throat.

Battles: Sean Henn gave Ron Villone a reprieve and Jeff Karstens opened the door for Darrell Rasner. Chris Britton didn’t really look all that sharp and his scoreless inning was likely too little, too late. Andy Phillips and Josh Phelps combined to go 0 for 3 with three fly outs, none of them particularly deep. Todd Pratt went 1 for 3 with a double. Wil Nieves went 1 for 2. Pratt’s double is the only extra base hit between the two catching candidates. Pratt also has the pair’s only walk this spring.

Notes: During the YES broadcast, John Flaherty recalled an embarrassing incident in 2005 when he was facing Tigers’ lefty Wil Ledezma and he struck out on a pitch that actually hit him in the back shoulder. Flaherty said that the incident was proof of how out of whack he was at the plate, and perhaps the first indication he had that he was on the verge of retirement. Michael Kay asked if his teammates made fun of him for striking out on a pitch that hit him. Flaherty said that they did indeed, singling out Jeter as a prime offender. The YES camera’s then showed Jeter in the dugout and Flaherty said, with more than a little bitterness in his voice: “Derek Jeter knows how to give teammates a hard time when things don’t go well.” Ouch.

The Yanks and Blue Jays played to a tie yesterday, which was no where near the most significant news item out of Yankee camp yesterday. Read on . . .

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Bobby Abreu (RF)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Jason Giambi (DH)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
R – Wil Nieves (C)

Pitchers: Mike Mussina, Brian Bruney, Kyle Farnsworth, Mariano Rivera, Colter Bean, Ben Kozlowski

Subs: Andy Phillips (1B), Angel Chavez (2B), Alberto Gonzalez (SS), Chris Basak (3B), Todd Pratt (C), Miguel Cairo (RF), Melky Cabrera (CF), Kevin Reese (LF), Josh Phelps (DH)

Opposition: All but one of the Blue Jays’ starters.

Big Hits: A two-run homer by Alex Rodriguez (1 for 3) and a triple by Bobby Abreu (2 for 3). Hideki Matsui was also 2 for 3.

Who Pitched Well?: The five Yankee relievers–Brian Bruney, Kyle Farnsworth, Mariano Rivera, Colter Bean, and Ben Kozlowski–were perfect combining to pitch four hitless, walkless innings while striking out five.

Who Didn’t?: It’s a bit unfair to list Mike Mussina here. Technically he turned in a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER). But he allowed nine baserunners on seven hits and two walks and struck out just one in those six innings and a fourth run scored thanks to a catcher’s interference call. Really, it would be more accurate to list Mussina’s first two innings here (all four runs) and his last four scoreless innings in the previous category.

Oopsies: Just that catchers interference by Wil Nieves, which led to a run.

Ouchies:The big news, and this really is big news for a change, is that Chien-Ming Wang’s right hamstring will force him to start the season on the disabled list and he could miss most if not all of April as an MRI revealed a Grade 1 strain (the lowest level). Jose Veras had a bone spur removed this past week. He should be out for two to three months. Jorge Posada was a late scratch from yesterday’s game with what Joe Torre called “overall discomfort.”

Battles: With Wang on the shelf it appears Jeff Karstens will move into the fifth-starter’s spot and break camp with the team, though the Yankees might only need to start Karstens once before Wang returns (on April 8 against the Orioles). Wil Nieves and Todd Pratt had identical 0 for 2 with one strikeout days, though Nieves did have that interference call. Raul Chavez was reassigned to minor league camp. Andy Phillips and Josh Phelps both went 0 for 1, though Phelps struck out in his at-bat. Brian Bruney and Colter Bean continue to be the top contenders for the last right-handed bullpen spot. Bruney retired all three men he faced on two Ks and a grounder. Bean faced two men and retired them on a strikeout and a fly out.

Cuts: In addition to Raul Chavez, Bronson Sardinha, Angel Chavez, Andy Cannizaro, and Ben Kozlowski were also reassigned to minor league camp. I had forgotten Cannizaro was in camp. I can’t remember the last time he got in a game. Meanwhile, with the exception of the rehabbing Humberto Sanchez, Sardinha (who was actually optioned as he’s on the 40-man roster) was the last man in camp who didn’t have any major league experience. Proof of how impressed the Yankees were by him this spring.

Notes: Bobby Murcer reports that test have shown that he is “entirely clear in regard to the [brain] tumor.” Of far less importance, Chien-Ming Wang was on schedule to be the Yankees Opening Day starter, but now that Wang’s on the shelf, the Opening Day hurler will be either Kei Igawa, Carl Pavano or Wang’s replacement Jeff Karstens. Neither Pettitte nor Mussina is a candidate because Pettitte’s return from back spasms (he’s expected to start no sooner than Thursday) won’t allow him time to get in a warm-up start. Similarly, Mussina’s next scheduled turn is Thursday, which would put him on short rest on Opening Day. Torre’s a bit concerned about Igawa overthrowing in response to an Opening Day start, and thus Pavano is considered the frontrunner at the moment. Of even less importance, Brian Bruney and Kyle Farnsworth shaved their heads before yesterday’s game.

Colter Bean’s first poor outing of the year landed both him and the Yankees a loss.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Wil Nieves (C)
L – Bobby Abreu (RF)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
R – Chris Basak (3B)
R – Angel Chavez (2B)
R – Miguel Cairo (SS)
R – Darrell Rasner (P)

Pitchers: Darrell Rasner, Sean Henn, Colter Bean, Luis Vizcaino

Subs: Andy Phillips (1B), Carlos Mendoza (SS), Todd Pratt (C), Raul Chavez (C), Bronson Sardinha (RF), Kevin Reese (CF), Tim Battle (PR/LF), Josh Phelps (PH), Kevin Howard (PR)

Opposition: Most of the Pirates starters, save for batting champ Freddy Sanchez.

Big Hits: Bobby Abreu (1 for 3) doubled and scored in the fourth.

Who Pitched Well?: Rasner struck out five in 4 2/3 innings, walking none. He did however allow seven hits, and a Chris Basak error led to an unearned run. Sean Henn pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings, striking out one. Luis Vizcaino pitched a perfect eighth.

Who Didn’t?: Colter Bean had his first stumble of the spring, allowing two runs on three hits in the seventh and taking a loss. Of course, he also struck out two and still hasn’t walked anyone.

Oopsies: Chris Basak booted a ball leading to an unearned run. It was his second error of the spring.

Ouchies: Chien-Ming Wang’s hamstring cramped up on him during running drills. Wang was not sent for tests, which suggests a cramp is all it was. He reportedly had a hamstring issue during the first week of camp as well. Andy Pettitte stretched a bit and tossed a ball around in lieu of making his scheduled start.

Battles: Both Josh Phelps and Andy Phillips singled in their lone at-bats. Neither Todd Pratt, nor Raul Chavez got a hit in their only at-bats. In fact, adding in Wil Nieves’ performance, the Yankee catchers were 0 for 5. That said, Torre has been talking about Nieves’ health recently as if it’s his job if he’s healthy. Sean Henn was perfect. Colter Bean gave up his first runs of the spring.

Notes: Mike Myers allowed an unearned run in two innings in a minor league game yesterday. T.J. Beam was reassigned to minor league camp.

By Bruce Markusen

The Yankee Rumor Mill—Does It Exist Anymore?

I can’t remember the last time the Yankees experienced such a quiet spring on the trade rumor front. It stands in direct contrast to a long forgotten season like 1989, when rumors infiltrated the Yankee camp in Ft. Lauderdale almost every day, with a busy front office pulling off spring deals for the likes of Steve “Bye Bye” Balboni, Tom Brookens, and Mel Hall. It seems almost every spring that there’s a rumor about the Yankees acquiring a brand-name pitcher, or a center fielder, or an extra arm out of the bullpen—something through the trade route. This year, however, all’s silent on the rumor mill. Other than the never-ending talk regarding a possible return of Roger Clemens—which won’t happen until May at the earliest and would not involve an actual trade—there has hardly been any substantive talk of the Yankees making a deal this spring. I guess that’s the price you pay for having a talented team with few glaring weaknesses. (And it’s not like Balboni, Brookens, and Hall drastically changed the fortunes of the ’89 Yankees, who won only 74 games and finished fifth in the AL East.)

With the phone lines remaining quiet, some writers have been busy trying to concoct trades that might make some sense. Others have been contemplating deals that could happen after the season starts. After all, this is a Yankee team that does have flaws, even for all of its frontline talent. The backup catching situation is a mess, first base could be a disaster if Dougie Mink is given too long a leash, and the back end of the rotation looks something less than sturdy. With that in mind, let’s assess some moves that either could happen, or at least in theory, would improve Yankee fortunes.

Bullpen help to the Phillies for a spare catcher: Earlier this week, Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggested a trade that would make a great deal of sense for the Yankees and a potential trade partner in the National League: Mike Myers to the Phillies for backup catcher Carlos Ruiz. The Phillies need relief pitching like Doug Mientkiewicz needs a corked bat, so Sherman is certainly on the right track. Ruiz, a 28-year-old receiver with solid defensive skills and something more than a lightweight bat, would represent an upgrade over the current backstop brigade of Todd Pratt, Wil Nieves, Raul Chavez, and Ben Davis. Let me add another suggestion to this scenario. If the Phillies don’t like Myers, how about sending Ron Villone to Philadelphia for Chris Coste? Already 34, Coste is six years older than Ruiz, but does bring a potentially stronger bat and the versatility to play other positions, including first base and third base. With Rod Barajas around as the starting catcher in Philadelphia, either Coste or Ruiz should be available—at least in theory.

Carl Pavano going nowhere for now: At the beginning of spring training, we heard whispers that the Mariners, Rockies, and Cardinals had interest in Pavano, but the Yankees responded by essentially taking the right-hander off the market. The reason? Brian Cashman realized that the timing wasn’t right because Pavano’s value remains exceedingly low. (Plus, with recent concerns over Andy Pettitte’s back, Pavano might become more necessary in the grand scheme.) Here’s what Cashman wants to do: open the season with Pavano, hope that he pitches well over the first month and builds up his trade value, and then re-explore trades that might bring back a backup catcher, or first base help, or a prospect. By then, the Yankees could look more seriously at using Jeff Karstens as a fifth starter, or even give some thought to a recall of Phil Hughes or Ross Ohlendorf.

An Alex Rodriguez blockbuster: An Angels blogger claims that the Yankees have talked to Anaheim about a trade that would put A-Rod on the left coast in exchange for a package of three players: catcher Jose Molina, right-hander Jered Weaver, and minor league righty Dustin Moseley (ah yes, another pitching prospect). Pardon me for doubting, but I suspect that Cashman has had little or no conversation with the Angels regarding A-Rod this spring. Even if he had, this particular package doesn’t fit, now that Weaver has been placed on the disabled list and will miss Opening Day. (Plus, the Yankees like Ervin Santana better than Weaver.) The Yankees would also need a third baseman in the deal, necessitating that someone like Chone Figgins be included. Still, I could see a trade like this being discussed sometime after April 1, assuming certain conditions are met. If the Yankees stumble out of the gate badly and A-Rod simultaneously slumps at the plate, rumblings of him exercising his “out” clause will only escalate. Angels owner Arte Moreno absolutely loves Rodriguez, who would be a perfect fit for a Halos team that needs at least one more slugger to team with Vladimir Guerrero. Of course, A-Rod would have to give his consent. He’s not ready to do that, but a poor start coupled with continuing showers of Bronx boos could convince A-Rod to cut his losses and move on to the next stage of his career.

Are any of these scenarios—a deal with the Phillies, a trade of Pavano, a blockbuster involving A-Rod—likely to happen? Of course not. When it comes to trades, especially in this day of complicated contracts, lack of organizational depth for many teams, and a preponderance of conservative GMs, always bet against a trade happening. But these are the kinds of moves that Cashman should be considering, especially if the Yankees duplicate their slow start of 2005. This team has some pitching and depth concerns—and only a fool would consider the Yankees bulletproof, in need of nothing as Opening Day approaches.

Bruce Markusen is the author of seven books, including A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s. His newest book, a revised edition of Tales From The Mets Dugout, is now available from Sports Publishing. Bruce is a resident of Cooperstown, NY.

The Yanks jack three homers, but can’t hold a four-run seventh-inning lead.

Lineup:

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Bobby Abreu (RF)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Jason Giambi (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
L – Kevin Reese (LF)
R – Carl Pavano (P)

Pitchers: Carl Pavano, Mike Myers, Kyle Farnsworth, Ron Villone, Jason Jones, Brian Bruney, T.J. Beam

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Miguel Cairo (2B), Chris Basak (SS), Angel Chavez (3B), Todd Pratt (C), Kevin Thompson (RF), Bronson Sardinha (RF), Shawn Garrett (LF), Ben Davis (PH), Andy Phillips (PH)

Opposition: Two-thirds of the Reds starters.

Big Hits: A three-run homer by Bobby Abreu (1 for 3) and solo shots by Alex Rodriguez (1 for 4) and Josh Phelps (1 for 2), and doubles by Robinson Cano (2 for 4) and Kevin Reese (1 for 4). Derek Jeter was 2 for 2 with two walks.

Who Pitched Well?: Kyle Farnsworth struck out two of the three men he faced in a perfect sixth inning. Non-invitee Jason Jones retired the only two men he faced to stop the bleeding caused by Ron Villone.

Who Didn’t?: Villone allowed three runs on two walks and two hits including an Enrique Cruz triple while only managing to record one out. Brian Bruney struck out the side in the eighth, but also allowed a game-tying run on two hits, one of them an RBI double by Dewayne Wise. Brought into a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, T.J. Beam gave up doubles to the first two batters he faced, the second a game-winner by Edwin Encarnacion. By comparison, Carl Pavano’s start (three runs on eight hits and two walks in just 4 1/3 innings) almost looks good . . . almost. Meat did escape a no-outs, bases-loaded jam in the first via a shallow fly out and a double play.

Oopsies: Jason Giambi misjudged a couple of balls hit in the second base hole, retreating to cover the bag rather than attempting to make a play on them.

Ouchies: Bobby Abreu played the field for the first time this spring. Andy Pettitte will indeed miss his scheduled start today, but says his back is feeling better.

Battles: Josh Phelps hit a solo homer in two trips. It was his second longball of the spring, tying him with Jorge Posada for second among the Yankee campers. Before the game, Joe Torre said he’d limit Andy Phillips to first base and DH and might even use him in a minor league game to allow him to concentrate on his hitting and said that Todd Pratt is in a similar place in terms of needing to catch up to the rest of the hitters at the plate due to his early heel injury. Pratt walked in his only plate appearance yesterday, the first walk drawn by a backup catcher candidate this spring. Wil Nieves caught Chien-Ming Wang in yesterday’s minor league game. Villone, Bruney and Beam combined to blow the game over the final three innings, with Villone and Beam having the worst outings. Villone’s spring ERA is now 9.00.

Notes: What Derek Jeter estimated to be about 100 bees interrupted the game in the fifth inning by swarming in the infield and chasing the Yankees off the field. Chien-Ming Wang, Chris Britton and Scott Proctor pitched in a minor league game in Tampa against the Phillies triple-A squad. Wang allowed three runs on five hits and struck out four in six innings. Britton struck out three in two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Proctor allowed just two hits in two scoreless innings. Neither Britton, nor Proctor walked a batter.

I interviewed Curt Schilling last weekend. Our conversation is now up at SI.com. We spoke about his new blog, 38 Pitches, which I think is particularly interesting when Schilling breaks down his pitching performances. Check it out.

I thought I’d take advantage of the lone off-day in the Yankees’ spring schedule to take a look at some of the overall performances we’ve seen this spring, with the caveat that spring training stats are largely meaningless, of course.

First, here’s how the starting nine have performed:

Because of Abreu’s injury, Melky Cabrera has lead the team in plate appearances, but struggled mightily, hitting just .200/.216/.220. He has, however, played strong defense at all three infield positions. For the same reason, Kevin Thompson has lead the team in games played, also cycling through all three pastures and hitting a far more robust .296/.367/.556, not that you’d know it with all of the attention heaped upon Bronson Sardinha’s .303/.324/.424. The other Kevin, Reese, his hitting just .267/.281/.400.

In the infield, the breakout star has been Chris Basak, who’s crushing at a .414/.433/.690 clip and leading the team in slugging. Miguel Cairo is leading the team in stolen bases, a perfect five-for-five, and is tied with Mientkiewicz with six walks, hitting .300/.405/.333 overall.

The man leading the team in batting average and on-base percentage is righty first-base combatant Josh Phelps, who’s hitting .435/.481/.609 and has struck out just three times in 26 plate appearances. His rival, Andy Phillips has gone 3 for 12 with no walks or extra base hits since returning from his mother’s hospital room, but has struck out just once himself.

As for the catching battle, neither Todd Pratt nor Wil Nieves, both of whom missed time due to a sore heel and elbow respectively, has an extra-base hit or a walk. Pratt is 2 for 14, Neives is 2 for 11. Raul Chavez, meanwhile is hitting .294/.278/.471 on the strength of a homer and four singles. And that’s no typo, Chavez has indeed pulled off the odd trick of having a lower on-base percentage than batting average thanks to having a sac fly, but no walks. Ben Davis has only come to the plate eight times, but has more extra base hits than the other three men have produced in a combined 43 trips (.250/.250/.625 thanks to a walk and a triple). Yes, you read that right, not one of these four men has drawn a walk in 51 plate appearances.

Of the position players already reassigned to minor league camp, the most impressive by far was 18-year-old Jose Tabata, who hit .429/.529/.643.

As for the pitchers, here’s the starting five:

Of the two sixth-starter options still in camp, neither Jeff Karstens nor Darrell Rasner has walked a man in a combined 20 2/3 innings. Karstens has a 2.70 ERA and 11 Ks in 13 1/3 innings. Rasner has a 2.45 ERA and 4 Ks in 7 1/3 innings. Actually, that’s not entirely fair. Rasner pitched in one minor league game. Factoring in that outing, Rasner has a 2.38 ERA and 7 Ks in 11 1/3 innings, but did walk one batter.

Phil Hughes left camp with a 7.71 ERA having walked 6 men in 4 2/3 innings and struck out just two. Tyler Clippard and Chase Wright both left camp with 1.35 ERAs. Steven Jackson split camp with a 9.82 ERA.

Finally, the bullpen:

And the contenders for the final two spots:

Bean and Henn look like the leaders there, but don’t count out the team’s prejudice against Bean or toward Villone. Of the two I’d say Henn has the better chance of making the team because he’s out of options. I wonder if north Jersey native Villone, who’s in camp on a minor league deal, would be willing to start the year in nearby Scranton. On the flip side, Andy Phillips and Wil Nieves, the other two Yankee campers who are out of options, are likely to slip through waivers at the rate their going, which means Josh Phelps just might make the team after all.

All of that said, there’s still a week and a half left to go in camp (ten games to be exact). Anything could happen . . .

Yo, did anyone see Mariano pitch against Ryan Howard last night? He threw the big guy two consecutive change-ups. The first, on an 0-2 count, was low for a ball. The next one was low too, but Howard lunged and struck out. If Rivera can throw a change up effectively this season, well, that just wouldn’t be fair would it?

Oh, and speaking of our man Jorge, Joel Sherman has a column on Posada today in The Post:

The Yanks are making Posada, who is in his walk year, play for his next contract. But even more important is just how vital Posada is to the Yanks. He is their most irreplaceable player. Not the best player. But the one that would be most difficult to cover for should he suffer a long-term injury.

True, true, true dat.

This game wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicates.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Bobby Abreu (DH)
L – Jason Giambi (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Melky Cabrera (RF)
R – Miguel Cairo (3B)

Pitchers: Kei Igawa, Mariano Rivera, Luis Vizcaino, Mike Myers, Colter Bean

Subs: Doug Mientkiewicz (1B), Chris Basak (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Angle Chavez (PR/3B), Wil Nieves (C), Bronson Sardinha (PR/RF), Kevin Thompson (CF), Kevin Reese (LF), Andy Phillips (DH)

Opposition: Two-thirds of the Phillies starters, including Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell, but a double-A starting pitcher.

Big Hits: A double by Robinson Cano (2 for 3) in the second that turned into an inning ending play when Jorge Posada (0 for 3), who had been on first base via an error, missed Larry Bowa’s stop sign and was thrown out at the plate. Doubles by Matsui (2 for 3) and Cairo (1 for 3). Melky Cabrera went 2 for 3.

Who Pitched Well?: Everyone. The four relievers combined to allow one hit (off Myers) and no walks while striking out six in four innings. Of particular note, Rivera struck out Ryan Howard on a changeup. Igawa looked sharp in the first inning, throwing first-pitch strikes to all four batters he faced, working down in the zone, and allowing just a bouncing ball single. In the second he was back to his old ways of being wild and up in the zone. He then recovered in the third and would have had a 1-2-3 inning on three groundballs if not for Jeter’s error, which he followed with a walk and another groundout. He got that 1-2-3 inning in the fourth on a pop up and two strikeouts. He was less impressive in his final inning, walking the lead-off man, then having a homer blown back into Hideki Matsui’s mitt by the wind that was gusting in all night, and finally having a ringing line drive head right to Miguel Cairo at third resulting in a 5-4-3 double play. All together he needed 65 pitches to work five innings, allowing two hits, walking three, and striking out three.

Slick Plays: In the first, Aaron Rowand hit a grounder that almost rolled to a stop on its way to the second base position. Robinson Cano charged and made a barehanded flip to Jason Giambi, who made a nice scoop for the out. With one out in the second, Jayson Werth tripped leading off first base on a fly out to center. Johnny Damon flipped to Jeter who, racing into shallow center, spun and fired low to first where Jason Giambi made a great scoop to complete the 8-6-3 double-play. Giambi later made another nice scoop on another low throw by Jeter on the play before Jeter’s error.

Oopsies: Kei Igawa would have had a 1-2-3 third inning on three groundouts to the left side, but Derek Jeter booted the third out. Following singles by Cano and Cabrera in to lead off the fifth, Miguel Cairo popped up a bunt, failing to move the runners. Ramiro Peña made a throwing error later in the game.

Ouchies: Bobby Abreu went 0 for 3 in his spring debut, but didn’t look hindered by his injury in any way, just rusty. Andy Pettitte had back spasms after his workout on Monday, skipped his bullpen yesterday and likely won’t make his scheduled start on Friday, despite his own protestations. The Yankees are playing it safe and don’t consider Pettitte’s back to be a major issue right now.

Battles: Andy Phillips grounded out in his only at-bat from the DH slot. I have yet to see Phillips hit a ball in the air past the pitcher’s mound this spring. Though I admittedly haven’t seen all of his at-bats, I have seen one of his two hits. Will Nieves was also 0 for 1. For what it’s worth, the only Yankee relievers not to allow a run or issue a walk this spring are Mariano Rivera, Scott Proctor, and Colter Bean, their combined line is 19 2/3 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 20 K.

Pat Borzi has a nice piece about the relationship between Jorge Posada and Tony Pena today in The Times.

Chris Britton punches his ticket for triple-A and Miguel Cairo pulls an Enrique Wilson in the outfield. Total score of the last two games: Yankees 9, Opponents 10.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (DH)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
R – Todd Pratt (C)
L – Bronson Sardinha (RF)
R – Chris Basak (SS)
R – Miguel Cairo (LF)

Pitchers: Jeff Karstens, Chris Britton, T.J. Beam, Scott Proctor, Brian Bruney, Sean Henn

Subs: Angel Chavez (3B), Wil Nieves (C), Kevin Thompson (CF), Jose Tabata (PR/LF), Andy Phillips (DH), Kevin Reese (PH), Kevin Howard (PR)

Opposition: The second-place Blue Jay’s starters.

Big Hits: A pair of doubles by Robinson Cano (2 for 3) and a third by Doug Mientkiewicz (1 for 3), the last being Minky’s second hit of the spring. Minky also drove in the only run of the game, though it came on a double-play so there was no official RBI.

Who Pitched Well?: Scott Proctor, Brian Bruney, and Sean Henn each pitched a perfect inning, Bruney and Henn both struck out two of the three men they faced.

Who Didn’t?: Jeff Karstens had his first rough outing of the spring, needing 75 pitches to get through 4 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs on six hits, four of them doubles. Chris Britton, who came on in relief in fifth, gave up five more runs on four hits and a walk, the big blow being a three-run homer by Gregg Zaun. Britton was pulled after six batters, having retired just one of them.

Slick Plays: Mientkiewicz came off the bag to save an errant throw by Alex Rodriguez in the first inning, making a swipe tag on Lyle Overbay for the out.

Oopsies: Miguel Cairo had a rough outing in left field, flubbing one catch that was ruled a double and making a wild throw to first to try to double up a runner that was properly ruled an error. He was moved to second base later in the game.

Ouchies: Wil Neives returned to action today. Bobby Abreu will make his spring debut tomorrow.

Battles: Todd Pratt and Wil Nieves both went hitless in three and one at-bats respectively. Andy Phillips singled in his lone at-bat from the DH slot. Chris Britton more or less punted his chances of making heading north with the major league club, inflating his spring ERA to 13.50 after getting lit up in a minor league game in his last outing. Brian Bruney, Sean Henn, and T.J. Beam, meanwhile, still have yet to give up a run this spring.

Notes: Kevin Howard is a 25-year-old utility infielder acquired in the Tony Womack dump whose disappointing showing repeating double-A last year kept him from getting a proper spring training invite.

The acclaimed baseball writer, Charles Einstein died a few weeks ago. His obit is in the Times today. Einstein edited the four volume “The Fireside Book of Baseball,” as well as several books about Willie Mays. Well worth checking out. And he’s the random part: Einstein was the half-brother of Albert Einstein, better known as Albert Brooks.

The Yankees batted around against a tired Zach Duke with two outs in the fourth, putting up seven runs before Josh Phelps, in his second at bat of the inning, lined to third to mercifully end the inning.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Josh Phelps (1B)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Melky Cabrera (RF)

Pitchers: Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, Kyle Farnsworth, Mike Myers, Luis Vizcaino

Subs: Doug Mientkiewicz (1B), Miguel Cairo (2B), Chris Basak (SS), Angel Chavez (PR/3B), Ben Davis (PR/C), Bronson Sardinha (RF), Kevin Thompson (PR/CF), Kevin Reese (PR/LF), Andy Phillips (DH)

Opposition: Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche and a bunch of scrubs.

Big Hits: Jason Giambi hit a grand slam in the middle of the Yankees’ seven-run outburst against Duke. Alex Rodriguez followed with a triple. Chris Basak doubled off Damaso Marte in the eighth, eventually scoring the Yankees’ eighth run.

Who Pitched Well?: Mike Mussina finally had a good outing, pitching five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, all singles, and a walk while striking out two. Mariano Rivera needed just six pitches to work a perfect sixth, and thus threw ten more in the pen afterwards. Mike Myers pitched around a double in the eighth. Luis Vizcaino pitched around a single in the ninth, striking out one.

Who Didn’t?: Kyle Farnsworth gave up a run on two walks and a hit in the seventh.

Slick Plays: With one out in the fifth Jose Castillo flew out to shallow right with Ryan Doumit on first base. Doumit wandered a bit too far off first and Melky Cabrera fired a strike to Doug Mientkiewicz for a 9-9-3 double play. Later, Minky made a couple of nice plays of his own, one a diving stop to his right on a line drive, the other fielding a short hop on the foul line. Left fielders Hideki Matsui and Kevin Reese both made nice running catches heading back toward the warning track, though Reese’s was more impressive.

Ouchies: Bobby Abreu looked good in batting practice yesterday, ran the bases, and is penciled in as Tuesday’s DH. Humberto threw 25 fastballs in the bullpen and will remain in camp to work with Ron Guidry, throwing another bullpen on Tuesday. Wil Nieves should play in today’s game. Jose Veras (elbow) will play catch today.

Battles: Josh Phelps went 2 for 3 and made a nice base-running play with two outs in the fourth. That came when Robinson Cano hit a grounder behind second base which Pittsburgh shortstop Brian Bixler dove for and stopped on the edge of the infield grass. Phelps, who had taken off on contact, slid in just ahead of Bixler’s flip to second. Andy Phillips grounded out in his only at-bat from the DH slot. Ben Davis did not come to bat.

Notes:

Housekeeping: I’ve fixed all of the MLB hit-chart links on the sidebar. I’ve also deleted all of the Retrosheet links, as all of the splits and game logs on Retrosheet can now be accessed via Baseball-Reference (with the exception of the catch-all “men on” split, but it hardly seemed worth the clutter for that single split seeing as B-Ref provides all of the individual men-on-base situations).

Andy Phillips and Carl Pavano collaborated on this loss.

Lineup:

R – Miguel Cairo (2B)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
R – Andy Phillips (3B)
R – Kevin Thompson (CF)
R – Raul Chavez (C)
L – Kevin Reese (RF)
L – Andy Pettitte (P)

Pitchers: Andy Pettitte, Carl Pavano

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Chris Basak (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Jorge Posada (C), Bronson Sardinha (RF)

Opposition: Most of the Phillies starters.

Big Hits: A double by Kevin Thompson (2 for 4) of former teammate Matt Smith.

Who Pitched Well?: Andy Pettitte was fantastic, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out four in five innings, retiring the last 13 men he faced in order. He has yet to allow a run or issue a walk this spring while allowing just five hits and striking out seven in ten innings over three starts.

Who Didn’t?: Carl Pavano gave up all three Phillie runs, though Andy Phillips defense helped out there, walking two and allowing four hits in four innings while striking out one and hitting a batter in his bonus half inning in the bottom of the ninth.

Oopsies: Andy Phillips made an error in the sixth, leading to the first Phillie run, then ole’d a possible double play ball with the bases loaded in the seventh, leading to two more Phillie runs. Kevin Thompson dropped a fly ball in Pavano’s bonus inning.

Ouchies: Bobby Abreu, who took batting practice in the cage on Friday, took outdoor batting practice with the rest of the team yesterday, during which he checked his swing a few times with out pain. Wil Nieves did “batting exercises” on Saturday and could return to game action by Tuesday. Humberto Sanchez is scheduled to throw a bullpen from the top of the mound today.

Battles: Andy Phillips went 1 for 4 with a run scored as the third baseman, but struggled in the field, his error and later misplay leading to all three Phillie runs. Josh Phelps walked in two plate appearances. Raul Chavez went 1 for 3. Chris Britton had an awful outing against the Phillies minor leaguers (see below). Darrell Rasner did well against the Devil Ray’s triple-A squad.

Notes: Scott Proctor and Chris Britton threw in a minor league game against the Phillies minor leaguers. Neither did particularly well. Proctor allowed a run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings and struck out no one and Britton got lit up for four runs on three hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. Darrell Rasner faired much better against the Devil Ray’s triple-A squad, allowing just one run on one hit and a walk while striking out three in four innings. The Phillies wore green caps and jerseys in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

The first three men the Yankee sent to the plate all scored. They were the only Yankees to do so. The penultimate man the Astros sent to the plate scored to end the game.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
S – Melky Cabrera (LF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Bronson Sardinha (RF)
R – Todd Pratt (C)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
R – Miguel Cairo (SS)
R – Chien-Ming Wang (P)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Luis Vizcaino, Ron Villone, Colter Bean, Ben Kozlowski

Subs: Andy Phillips (1B), Angel Chavez (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Chris Basak (3B), Ben Davis (C), Kevin Reese (PR/CF), Kevin Thompson (PR/LF)

Opposition: The Astros starters

Big Hits: A three-run first-inning home run by Robinson Cano (1 for 3). Miguel Cairo was 2 for 3.

Who Pitched Well?: Chien-Ming Wang allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three and walking none in five innings. Ten of his remaining twelve outs came on the ground and he threw 75 percent of his 61 pitches for strikes. Colter Bean pitched a perfect eighth inning, striking out two. Luis Vizcaino pitched around a walk while striking out two in a hitless, scoreless sixth inning.

Who Didn’t?: Ron Villone blew the lead in the seventh by surrendering solo homers to Morgan Ensberg (that’ll happen) and Adam Everett (that won’t). Ben Kozlowski then lost the game by giving up doubles in the bottom of the ninth to the only two batters he faced in the game.

Ouchies: Bobby Abreu took 55 swings against batting practice pitching. The Yankees hope Abreu will be able to play on Thursday against the Reds, the day after the lone off-day in the spring schedule.

Battles: Todd Pratt went 0 for 3. Ben Davis made out in his only at-bat, but did throw out Chris Burke attempting to steal second. Andy Phillips struck out in his only at-bat.

Notes: With Andy Pettitte and Carl Pavano scheduled to be the only Yankee pitchers to see action in today’s game, throwing five and four innings respectively, Darrell Rasner will throw in a triple-A game today while Scott Proctor and Chris Britton will also pitch in minor league games. Eduardo Nuñez, who subbed in at shortstop in yesterday’s game, is a 19-year-old shortstop who didn’t hit a lick in his full-season debut in 2006 after being invited to Yankee camp last spring on the strength of a mildly impressive short-season pro debut with Staten Island in 2005.

Finally, Andy Phillips’ mom has been released from the hospital.

By Bruce Markusen

Mike Easler—Topps Company—1987 (No. 135)

As a child of the 1970s, I’ve always loved wood paneling in a home. I even appreciate the cheap, cardboard-thin wood that lined the basements of many houses in the northeast corridor during the seventies. Given my affection for wood paneling, it’s not surprising that Topps’ 1987 wood-bordered set ranks as my favorite of the 1980s.

With the wood border providing an ideal framework, Mike Easler’s card rates near the top of my list. This card, No. 135 in the set, gives us a clear view of Easler’s memorable batting stance. Unlike most power hitters, Easler batted out of a pronounced crouch, a pose usually preferred by singles and doubles hitters the ilk of Pete Rose. After attacking a pitcher’s offering with a fierce uppercut, Easler finished off each swing with his signature flourish—an exaggerated rotation of the bat, the equivalent of a helicopter motion. Even as a college student in the 1980s, I used to mimic the Easler “helicopter” during meetings with fellow baseball diehards. No one of Easler’s era finished his swing in such a way, and no one since has matched Easler’s twirling of the bat.

In addition to his distinctive batting style, Easler also had a descriptive nickname. Although most Yankee fans remember Don Mattingly as “The Hit Man,” he was not the first to acquire the nickname. Easler preceded Mattingly as the original Hit Man, a testament to his aggressive style at the plate and his ability to pepper line drives from one outfield gap to another. Unlike most left-handed hitters with power, Easler boasted a particularly effective opposite-field stroke, which he seemed to prefer over pulling the ball to right field. Easler was usually at his best hitting the ball with gusto toward left-center, an ability that he honed during his years at Fenway Park. Easler became particularly adept at hitting “The Wall” at Fenway, an advantage that he would lose during his two stints with the Yankees. Unfortunately, left field at Yankee Stadium has never provided a reachable target for left-handed hitters, and that did not change for The Hit Man, who struggled to fill the shoes of the player for whom he was traded, Don Baylor.

Still, Easler was reasonably productive in his first go-round in Yankee pinstripes. He played well as a platoon DH and left fielder, sustaining a role that he had filled with the Boston Red Sox. Prior to that, Easler had forged a niche as a highly successful part-time player with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which included a cameo during the team’s World Championship season in 1979. That Easler sustained a lasting major league career of consequence throughout the 1980s is testament to his perseverance. For most of the 1970s, Easler bided his time in the minor leagues, save for unproductive cups of coffee with the Houston Astros and California Angels. Along the way, he won two minor league batting titles. Yet, major league scouts didn’t like Easler; they viewed him as nothing more than a platoon player, incapable of hitting left-handed pitching, and regarded him as a butcher in the outfield. They didn’t feel he hit with enough power or possessed enough speed. Even as Easler filleted minor pitching at Double-A and Triple-A, scouts dismissed him as nothing more than a career minor leaguer.

Most players would have been excused for taking their minor league numbers to Japan for a bigger payday, but Easler remained adamant about a career in the major leagues. Easler’s persistence started to deliver dividends in 1977, when the Pirates first brought him to Pittsburgh. By 1979, he appeared capable of contributing in a small role to a World Championship club. By 1980, he had convinced everyone that he belonged in the major leagues for the long haul.

Easler also helped his cause by becoming popular in the clubhouse. Teammates liked him, as did the media. Easler always answered questions from the press after games, regardless of the outcome. Even the most jaded Red Sox reporter, weary from having to deal with “unfriendlies” like Jim Rice and Wade Boggs in an exceedingly difficult clubhouse, could find solace at Easler’s locker. Easler would always talk—no matter what.

Given his sociability, his relentless determination, and his resplendent hitting style, it’s easy to see why Easler became one of my favorites during the 1980s. His 1987 Topps card might not be worth much—it’s a common card from an era in which too many cards were produced to begin with—but it’s still a nice one to have.

Bruce Markusen is the author of seven books, including A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s. His newest book, a revised edition of Tales From The Mets Dugout, is now available from Sports Publishing. Bruce is a resident of Cooperstown, NY.

The Yankees scored all of their runs off Oscar Villarreal in the seventh inning to win a game that would have been infuriating for Braves fans had it actually counted.

Lineup:

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (DH)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Andy Phillips (1B)
L – Kevin Reese (RF)

Pitchers: Kei Igawa, Mike Myers, T.J. Beam, Tyler Clippard, Sean Henn, Mariano Rivera, Brian Bruney

Subs: Chris Basak (2B), Angel Chavez (PR/SS), Miguel Cairo (3B), Raul Chavez (C), Bronson Sardinha (PR/LF), Kevin Thompson (CF), Todd Pratt (DH)

Opposition: All but one of the Braves starters.

Big Hits: They all came in the seventh inning against Oscar Villarreal. Hideki lead off with a double and was followed by an absolute bomb by Raul Chavez that disappeared deep into the night over the left field gap, tying the game at 2-2. Chris Basak followed that by popping out to shallow left, but the wind that blew Chavez’s drive out to sea blew Basak’s ball past shortstop Yunel Escobar and Basak hustled into second for a double. Andy Phillips then bunted Basak to third and Kevin Reese laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to give the Yankees the lead. That was followed by a double by Kevin Thompson for good measure. Incidentally, I was thrilled to see the squeeze bunt. It’s baseball’s forgotten play. The sac but may be overused, but the squeeze bunt needs to be brought back. I can’t remember the last time the Yankees executed a squeeze bunt, in spring training or any other time.

Who Pitched Well?: Tyler Clippard wasn’t great, but he was good. In 2 2/3 innings the only hit he allowed was a solo homer by Chipper Jones. In that at-bat, Clippard made Jones look foolish with an 81-mile-per-hour changeup that wowed Ken Singleton and Joe Girardi in the YES booth, then followed it up with a 91-mile-per-hour fastball that Jones was late on. Jones timed his next changeup, however, and deposited it over the wall. Clippard struck out two in his first two innings, but in his third frame he walked two and was pulled with two outs in the inning for Sean Henn, who retired the only batter he faced on a comebacker. Mariano Rivera pitched around a leadoff flare single by ex-Yank Craig Wilson for yet another scoreless inning. Brian Bruney also pitched around a single for a scoreless inning, picking up the save. Rivera and Bruney struck out one man each.

Who Didn’t?: Kei Igawa threw three scoreless innings, allowed just one hit, struck out five, and got three of his remaining five outs on pop ups. So why is he here? Because he also walked four, threw more balls than strikes (33 to 29), and exhausted his pitch count an inning ahead of schedule. Joe Torre thinks Igawa’s still overthrowing, but both he and Jorge Posada have been impressed by his stuff and his approach. Mike Myers gave up a double to the only batter he faced, lefty-hitting Braves catcher Brian McCann. T.J. Beam inherited that runner and let him score on a wild pitch and a single.

Slick Plays: Brian McCann, leading off the second, lit into a high fastball, sending it into the right center field gap. Melky Cabrera wasn’t having it and made a tremendous diving, rolling snag.

Ouchies: Bobby Abreu will take batting practice today for the first time since straining his oblique muscle while doing the same at the beginning of camp. Humberto Sanchez will remain in camp until he throws a bullpen from the top of the mound. He threw from half-way up on Wednesday.

Battles: Raul Chavez hit a game-tying homer in two trips to the plate and nearly threw out an attempted basestealer (super duper slo mo showed he was probably out, but it was to close to call even with the replay) despite a very high throw. Todd Pratt struck out in his only trip as the DH. Andy Phillips hit three grounders, one of which found the shortstop hole for his first hit of the spring, and successfully sac bunted. Phillips has yet to hit a ball in the air in a game this spring. T.J. Beam let his inherited runner score. Sean Henn retired his only batter. Brian Bruney picked up a one-run save.

Before the game, Joe Torre described Chris Britton as “raw” and said that he was rushed in Baltimore and that “he’s got a little ways to go yet, because he is young.” Torre made sure to point out that he’s been impressed with Britton’s stuff, his confidence, and his demeanor, and said that Britton is still in the mix for the bullpen, adding “you can’t dismiss anybody that’s had major league experience at this point.” Still, it sounds like Britton’s a long shot to head north with the team at this point. Britton has a 2.45 ERA in 3 2/3 spring innings across five appearances. In that time he’s allowed three hits and a walk and struck out one. Meanwhile, here’s the combined spring line of Brian Bruney, T.J. Beam, Jose Veras, Ron Villone, Sean Henn and Colter Bean:

21 IP, 12 H, 0 R, 7 BB, 16 K

Fortunately, half of the spring schedule still remains. This is a dogfight.

Joe also mused on Karstens (9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K), the last two spots in the rotation, the possible need for a long reliever, and the shape and size of his bullpen. Give a listen over on LoHud starting at the 3:29 mark. In summary, Torre sounds like he’d rather have Karstens pitching in rotation in Scranton than languishing in the bullpen, and will likely use Pavano and Igawa irregularly in April as the schedule allows/requires while keeping the top three starters on regular rest. As for the pen, with his last two starters pitching irregularly, Torre seems to think those two can eat the April relief innings that might otherwise require a long man. That said, he’s still leaning toward a 12-man staff, but said that if a position player really jumps out at him over the remaining two weeks, he could make the team at the expense of the twelfth pitcher.

Notes: As expected, Tyler Clippard was reassigned to minor league camp after the game. Before being reassigned, Jose Tabata was learning about plate discipline from fellow Venezuelan Bobby Abreu.