Playing not only without their WBC participants, but without Mark Teixeira and without a DH, the Yankees fell to the Braves 3-2, dropping their spring record to 2-5-1 (including their “unofficial” loss to Team USA).

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Kevin Russo (3B)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)
R – Ian Kennedy (P)

Subs: Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Austin Romine (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Jesus Montero (PH)

Pitchers: Ian Kennedy, Dan Giese, Andrew Brackman, Mark Melancon

Opposition: The Braves’ non-WBC starters.

Big Hits:

Triples by Johnny Damon (1-for-2, BB) and Xavier Nady (1-for-3), a double by Eduardo Nuñez in his only at-bat, and a single by pitcher Dan Giese (1-for-2), whose last hit was in 2007.

Who Pitched Well:

Andrew Brackman pitched a perfect seventh inning. Mark Melancon pitched around a double in the eighth. Dan Giese gave up a run on two hits and a walk in three innings, but also struck out three.

Who Didn’t:

Ian Kennedy gave up two runs on three doubles and a walk in his three innings, failed to strike anyone out, and said after the game that he didn’t have command of his curveball, which is the pitch he had made so much progress on in Puerto Rico this winter.

Battles:

Xavier Nady‘s triple was just his second hit of the spring, though both have gone for extra bases. He has yet to draw a walk. Brett Gardner went 0-for-2, but drew a walk. Angel Berroa went 1-for-3 and was caught stealing. Dan Giese‘s outing was among the better performances by the aspiring long-relievers. He’s now pitched thrice, while Alfredo Aceves has only pitched once, and poorly at that. Mark Melancon has yet to allow an earned run in three spring innings.

More:

Pete Abe had a couple of posts from earlier this week that are worth checking out if you missed them. First this on Phil Hughes. Then this random thoughts post full of behind-the-scenes observations.

Every once in awhile I enjoy tweaking my father-in-law by making a reference to Juan Marichal. The mere mention of the “Dominican Dandy” brings out a few exclamation marks from my wife’s dad. You see, he’s a Dodger fan, going all the way back to the Brooklyn days, and he remembers all too well the time that Marichal decided to take a bat to the head of Dodgers catcher John Roseboro. I try to explain to my father-in-law that Marichal is really a pretty good guy, that he actually reconciled with Roseboro, but he won’t buy that line—not at all.

This 1974 card of Mr. Marichal is one of the last two regular cards that Topps issued for the Hall of Fame right-hander; the other one is part of the Topps Traded series for 1974, featuring Marichal in the colors of the Red Sox. Yes, it is strange to think of him in Beantown after all those years by the Bay, sort of like watching Elston Howard finish up his career in Boston after all those seasons in pinstripes.

Although it has no remarkable monetary value, the regular issue ’74 Marichal encapsulates the lasting image of the great right-hander’s most memorable attribute—not his onetime bat-wielding incident, but an extraordinarily high leg kick that counterbalanced a no-windup delivery. The photographer skillfully manages to catch Marichal’s left leg near its highest point, with the toes of his left foot practically even in height with the tip of his cap. (Don’t try this at home; it’s sure to cause a muscle pull or some other significant injury.) The photo on the card is particularly striking because few pitchers in today’s game use this kind of a motion, in part because of the modern-day emphasis on the slide step and in part because pitching coaches like to teach more compact motions, thereby lessening the possibility of bad mechanics. As distinctive as Marichal’s motion seems in contrast to today’s big league pitcher, it’s hardly the only one of its kind in baseball history. A number of great pitchers have used high leg kicks and—in contrast to Marichal—large, convoluted windups, including Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Warren Spahn. For years, the high leg kick was considered important for a variety of reasons; it added to a pitcher’s velocity, proved distracting to a hitter, and helped a pitcher hide the ball—and his pitching arm— behind his leg.

While one’s eyes naturally tend to gravitate toward Marichal’s front leg, his back leg is also worth a look. In the photo, he’s bending his right knee severely, almost unnaturally, as a way of absorbing all of the weight that the leg kick causes to shift to the back side. The more I look at that back knee, the more my own joints start to suffer.

Other attributes of this card bear exploring. The photograph for the ’74 Marichal was taken during a day game at Candlestick Park, at a time when the old stadium still featured artificial turf—and lots of empty seats beyond the left-field fence. Yeah, those were the really fun days in Frisco, when players not only had to deal with the howling wind and glaring sun at The Stick, but also the rock-hard turf that supplied a pounding to the legs of infielders and outfielders. Of course, the fans didn’t have much fun either while dealing with the Candlestick elements, which kept down the size of the crowds in 1973, the year that this Marichal photo was taken. (The Giants finished a more-than-respectable 88-74 that season, but drew fewer than 900,000 fans, the third-worst figure in the National League.) So even on a day when the popular Marichal pitched, fans showed their apathy in the form of their absence.

Still, for those who had a chance to watch Marichal, he usually entertained with a speckled assortment of breaking pitches and that gymnastically fashioned leg kick. And perhaps that helped him atone for that one incident—one that he probably regretted for years—at least until he finally made amends with Mr. Roseboro.

Today’s news is powered by a little league game turned into a big-time event …

• A-Rod has been diagnosed with a cyst on one of his hips, and will most likely miss participating in the WBC.
• Here’s the official press release from the Yanks on the cyst-em of a down-ed player.

[My take: Unfortunately, one of the first things I thought of when I read this news was ‘cysts can form around multiple injection sites, but its highly unlikely it developed five years after he stated he last used injected PEDs … unless he was using HGH recently’.  (Yeah, I wanna give him the benefit of the doubt, but its so hard to given all that has gone on lately …).]

• Rodriguez complimented the play of Jose Reyes, but may have slighted his BFF Jeter in doing so:

“I wish he was leading off on our team, playing on our team,” Rodriguez said of Reyes, who hustled to take an extra base in the fifth inning and then stole third and scored in the Dominican team’s 10-1 win over the Marlins. “That’s fun to watch. Anytime you have that type of speed… I mean, we have a guy in (Brett) Gardner that’ll be fun. That’s probably the most you can have, watching those guys run.”

Rodriguez may have forgotten who plays shortstop for the Yankees these days, but he quickly remembered once his brief press conference was over. A Dominican team spokesman told reporters that Rodriguez’s compliment of Reyes was not intended as a shot at Jeter, the Yankees captain who has remained somewhat distant since A-Rod’s steroid admission.

[My take: Its the subject of our poll today (see below).]

(more…)

The Yankees–without Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, or Robinson Cano–nearly beat the All-Star-quality Team USA (which did have Jeter) yesterday afternoon, and likely would have if not for some poor play in the field by the New York reserves. As it was, they led the US in hits 13 to six, didn’t allow an extra-base hit, and the only member of the US squad who had a multi-hit day was their captain, Derek Jeter, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored, two RBIs, and a walk against his real team. In the end, John Rodriguez flied out with the tying run on base and the Yankees lost 6-5.

Lineup:

L  – Johnny Damon (LF)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (2B)
R – Kevin Cash (C)
R – Angel Berroa (SS)
R – Justin Leone (3B)

Subs: Nick Swisher (1B), Ramiro Peña (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Doug Bernier (3B), Kyle Anson (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Melky Cabrera (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), John Rodriguez (DH)

Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Eric Hacker, Michael Dunn, David Robertson, Jose Veras

Opposition: The USA All-Stars.

Big Hits:

Brett Gardner went 3-for-3 with a double and a stolen base. Nick Swisher (1-for-2) delivered a two-RBI ground rule double that bounded over the outfield wall. Jorge Posada and Cody Ransom both went 2-for-3; Ransom also stole a base.

Who Pitched Well:

Everyone but Hacker. Michael Dunn, David Robertson, and Jose Veras combined to hold the US hitless over the final four innings, striking out seven and walking one man each. Phil Coke allowed just a single in 2 1/3 innings and struck out Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun swinging. Phil Hughes faced the minimum for the first two innings, getting Jeter to ground into a double-play in the first, striking out David Wright and Dunn looking back-to-back in the second–Wright on a fastball on the inside corner, Dunn on a curve that dropped into the zone. In the third, Braun reached on a broke-bat single and with one out Hughes threw inside under Curtis Granderson’s hands and clipped his jersey, putting him on base. The runners move up on a 400-foot fly ball to center tracked down by Gardner before Jeter hit a bouncer past Berroa at short to drive them both in and end Hughes’ day.

Who Didn’t:

Eric Hacker allowed two singles, walked two men, and uncorked two wild pitches without getting an out. Angel Berroa botching a backhanded grounder didn’t help anything but Hacker’s stat line, which shows four runs allowed, but only three earned in zero official innings pitched.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera went 1-for-2 and stole a base, the hit and steal coming during the Yankees’ ninth-inning rally against Matt Lindstrom which fell a run short. Unfortunately for Melky, Brett Gardner had already gone 3-for-3 in the game with a steal of his own and a double down the left field line. Adding insult to injury, during a remote from the dugout with the YES Network former Yankee and current Cubs and Team USA lefty Ted Lilly complemented Gardner’s swing and asked if he was going to be the Opening Day center fielder. Xavier Nadywent 1-for-3 and hit into a 2-6-3 double-play. Nick Swisher went 1-for-2, his one hit being a booming two-RBI ground-rule double. Cody Ransom went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a great diving play to his right at second base, while Angel Berroa went 0-for-3 and made an error at a ball hit to his backhand at shortstop. Jose Veras, having passed on the Dominican team to fight for his bullpen spot, turned in a second strong outing. David Robertson turned in his first strong outing of the spring. Phil Coke‘s 2 1/3 innings suggest he is indeed in the long-relief battle and his dominance in those inning suggest he’s got a good lead in that battle.

Ouchies:

Jorge Posada went 2-for-3 as the DH. His shoulder soreness seems to have already been forgotten about. Across the state with the Dominican team, Alex Rodriguez was diagnosed with a cyst on his right hip. It’s not enough to keep him from working out, and shouldn’t threaten his availability for Opening Day, but it could give the Yankees and excuse to recall him from the WBC.

More:

The Yankees’ games against the USA (yesterday) and Canada (Thursday) won’t count in the spring statistics, which doesn’t make much sense to me, as all of the spring games are exhibitions, the US is an All-Star team and Canada is at least as good as a split-squad team (more hitting, less pitching).

What a wonderful surprise to turn on the TV at 7:30 on Wednesday evening and find a live baseball game being broadcast from Florida! Not only did the spring training telecast of a Red Sox-Twins lidlifter from Fort Myers signify the start of the exhibition season, but also the coming of age of the new MLB Network. With the Grapefruit and Cactus League seasons kicking off Wednesday, the Network now has a real opportunity to shine. By providing local broadcasts of a variety of spring games, beginning with the Boston feed of that Boston-Minnesota matchup, the network has brought back terrific memories from the early 1980s. That’s when our local cable outfit in Yonkers aired local broadcasts of the Braves (on SuperStation WTBS), the Red Sox (on Boston’s WSBK), the Cubs and White Sox (WGN), and the Pirates. Except for the Chicago clubs, all of those teams have now disappeared from a majority of cable outfits. By airing exhibition games this spring, the MLB Network will not only show us a similarly wide range of teams, but also give us the local flavor of the hometown cable broadcasts. And that’s going to make this one of the more enjoyable spring trainings, even if I’m stranded in 20-degree Cooperstown.

The 24-hour baseball network has picked up a large volume of steam over the last ten days, starting with the unveiling of its “30 Teams in 30 Days” series, consisting of comprehensive hour-long previews of each major league club. The MLB Network also rolled out a fresh set of old-time games a week ago, including Tom Seaver’s 300th win from 1985, Carlton Fisk’s triumphant 1981 return to Fenway Park, and Gaylord Perry’s 300th victory from 1982. Two of those old games involved the Yankees, who found themselves on the short ends of the milestone losses to Seaver and Perry. Even though both games ended in defeat, these are broadcasts that I would like to see the YES Network show from time to time as parts of “Yankee Classics.” There simply is not enough variety currently being offered by Yankee Classics. I mean, how many times can I watch Dave Righetti’s no-hitter, or another game from the 1996 World Series, within the same calendar year? Even as a Yankee fan, I have my limits when it comes to victorious repetition.

Frankly, the sting of those losses to Perry and Seaver wore off years ago. Neither game cost the Yankees a division, a pennant, or a World Series. More importantly, there is historical value in seeing those games. The Seaver game coincided with “Phil Rizzuto Day” on a beautiful afternoon at Yankee Stadium, complete with a pre-game ceremony that saw “The Scooter” knocked to the Stadium curb by an overzealous cow. How great was that? And then the game itself provided us with a chance to watch Rickey Henderson, Don Mattingly, and Dave Winfield—two Hall of Famers and a near Cooperstownian—all on the same stage. As an added bonus, we had the opportunity to see old favorite Oscar Gamble wearing those ghastly red, white, and blue White Sox threads from the mid-1980s. Even the 1982 loss to Perry provided some interesting memories. It was a kick to see the crouching Gamble come to bat as a DH, watch Big John Mayberry wearing Yankee colors, and eyeball Bobby Murcer, who absolutely hated facing Perry’s assortment of puffballs and spitters, as he pinch-hit for Bucky Dent.

Heck, if a tape existed of the final game of the 1960 World Series, the Bill Mazeroski game, I would enjoy seeing that. Even though it ended up as a heartbreaking Yankee loss, it still stands as one of the most theatric games ever played. Besides, it would provide the rare opportunity to see players like Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Roger Maris in something other than isolated highlights, all the while playing against the nostalgic background of the wondrous Forbes Field.

Now, as for the Pine Tar Game, that’s one I’m still not ready to see…

***
With regard to the current day Yankees, I wonder if the front office might take a flier on veteran infielder Esteban German, who was designated for assignment by the Royals over the weekend (so as to make room for free agent Juan Cruz). The Yankees badly need infield depth, a problem that is highlighted by Angel Berroa’s non-roster presence in Tampa. German, 31, had a dismal offensive season last year, but did well as a part-time player in both 2006 and ’07, when he put up on-base percentages of .422 and .351, respectively. German is primarily a second baseman-third baseman, but has played a pinch of shortstop, too, along with a good measure of left field. If nothing else, German would be an upgrade over the zero-tooled Berroa and could serve as an insurance policy at Triple-A Scranton…

***
Finally, here’s a postscript to my earlier feature on former Yankee Billy Sample. In nine major league seasons, Sample played, rather remarkably, for eight different managers. The cross-section of skippers included Billy Hunter, Pat Corrales, Don Zimmer, Darrell Johnson, the eccentric Doug Rader, Yogi Berra, Billy Martin, and Chuck Tanner. The transition from the laidback Berra to the fiery Martin to the ever-optimistic Tanner must have been sufficiently traumatic. The identity of Sample’s favorite manager might surprise you. That would be Zimmer, the onetime Yankee guru who guided Sample’s Rangers in 1981 and part of ‘82 before being given the boot in mid-season. Sample liked Zimmer’s honesty and directness, specifically his willingness to talk “straight” to his players when questioned about roles and strategy. Unfortunately, that’s a managerial tendency that is becoming more and more outdated.

Today’s news is powered by  “ANSKY”:

• CC Sabathia made a simulated start on Monday.  28 pitches … only one of which were put into play in fair territory.
• C-MW looked good and, more importantly felt fine, in his start against the Astros Monday.
• Joba Chamberlain made a kid’s life a little happier, as he spent part of Sunday at Disney World with a hard-working student from his hometown:

Chamberlain said that his efforts to give back have been well-received at home.

“I pick a student that represents what I stand for and where I come from,” Chamberlain said. “Jazmine had worked really hard, and she deserved it. Talking to her parents, I guess a lot of kids started working harder in school because of the rewards that come along with it.”

While in Orlando, Chamberlain appeared on the Baseball Tonight studio set and introduced Jazmine and her family to CC Sabathia, who was also present for the ESPN events.

“It’s cool to be able to cherish that with your teammate and someone that cherishes their time with their family as much as I do,” Chamberlain said.

• BP.com’s Joe Sheehan examines how the Yankees have (re)built their bullpen over the last few seasons:

Other than re-signing 2008 trade acquisition Damaso Marte to a three-year, $12 million deal, the Yankees made the statement, however implicit, that they are committed to their homegrown relievers in 2009. One of the bright spots in the team’s first October-free season since 1994 was the emergence of hurlers such as Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras, who combined to strike out 126 men in 113 innings with a 3.74 ERA. By the end of the season, Phil Coke and David Robertson were making contributions in low-leverage situations. Add in free-talent pickups like Brian Bruney and Alfredo Aceves, and the Yankees have more than enough effective relievers to go around, whether you’ve heard of them or not.

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The Yankees and Astros played to a 5-5 tie this afternoon, with the Yankees jumping all over Mike Hampton in the early going.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
R – Cody Ransom (SS)
R – Jose Molina (C)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
R – Angel Berroa (R)
R – Doug Bernier (3B)

Subs: Justin Leone (1B), Kevin Russo (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Eduardo Nuñez (3B), P.J. Pilittere (C), Colin Curtis (RF), Austin Jackson (LF-CF), Tod Linden (LF), Kyle Anson (DH)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Brett Tomko, Anthony Claggett, Wilkin De La Rosa, George Kontos, Steven Jackson

Opposition: All but two of the Astros’ starters.

Big Hits:

Angel Berroa (2-for-3) hit a solo homer off Russ Ortiz and doubled off Hampton. Melky Cabrera (2-for 3) tripled off Hampton (and the glove of center fielder Michael Bourn) and later added an RBI single.

Who Pitched Well:

Chien-Ming Wang, in his first action since breaking his foot against, coincidentally, the Astros on June 15, threw two scoreless frames allowing just two singles. That said, four of his six outs came in the air and one of them would have been a double if not for a nice running play by Nick Swisher. Wilkin De La Rosa recovered from his rocky first outing to pitch a scoreless seventh, allowing only a single.

Who Didn’t:

George Kontos allowed three runs on three hits and a walk while only managing to get one out in the eighth.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera finally threw his hat into the ring in the center-field battle with a pair of RBI hits, one of them a triple. He had gone 1-for-8 without an RBI or a run scored in his previous three games. Cody Ransom went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a double play. He entered camp with the utility infield job in his pocket, but he’s going to have to perk up to keep it there as he’s now 2-for-12, both hits singles, while Angel Berroa is 4-for-7 with a double and a homer. Nick Swisher walked and scored in three trips and made a running catch on a would-be double in the right-field corner. Brett Tomko only gave up one run on a walk and a Carlos Lee double, which would put him in the lead for the long-relief job unless Phil Coke is also being considered as a long-relief candidate, which he should be. Steven Jackson didn’t allow a run of his own, but seems to have let a few inherited men score after taking over for Kontos in the eighth. Jackson allowed three singles in 1 2/3 innings.

Ouchies:

Jorge Posada delivered an RBI single in three at-bats as the starting DH, so I guess his shoulder’s feeling better. Chien-Ming Wang reported no discomfort in his foot after throwing two innings and considers it a non-issue at this point.

More:

My laptop didn’t show up today, so my intended liveblog of the game against the USA tomorrow is listed as doubtful.

Today’s news is powered by a pitch from The Mick:

• Two of the Baby Bombers got nicked in the Yanks Grapefruit League game on Sunday:

Yankees catching prospect Jesus Montero left Sunday’s Grapefruit League exhibition against the Reds after suffering a strained right groin. …

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Montero had been examined by trainer Gene Monahan and that the 19-year-old backstop would miss at least a few games.

Earlier in the contest, Yankees right-hander Jonathan Albaladejo was also forced to exit after being struck in the left calf by a batted ball.

Albaladejo was working in the bottom of the third inning, when Cincinnati’s Jeff Keppinger hit a hard shot up the middle and off the pitcher into center field. …

• Mike Vaccaro of the Post profiles Mariano Rivera:

“People come and people go,” Derek Jeter said the other day, smiling, shaking his head, “and then you have Mo, who isn’t going anywhere.”

The smile thinned a bit.

“Who’d better not be going anywhere,” he said. …

It is Mariano Rivera. It is the ninth inning. It is, as his arm can attest, as often as not a few outs in the eighth inning, too. It is 482 saves in 542 lifetime opportunities, an 88.9-percent success rate that the record books insist is just fourth, all-time, among all relievers with at least 200 save opportunities. …

Especially because last year may have been Rivera’s finest, 39 saves in 40 chances, a 1.40 ERA, all of that at age 38, with more than 800 appearances and close to a thousand innings already on his right arm, elbow, shoulder and rotator cuff.

“I like the idea of being consistent, of being slow and steady and reliable,” Rivera says. “I like that I’m an element of the team the other guys can count on being ready to do my job. That’s what I do. That’s why I’m here.”

(more…)

The 24 runs scored by the Yankees and Reds this afternoon included eight home runs. Think the wind was blowing out? In the last game before the World Baseball Classic participants departed, the Yankees lost 13-11 and dropped their spring record to 2-3.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
L – John Rodriguez (LF)
R – Cody Ransom (DH)
R – Kevin Cash (C)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Kevin Russo (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Jesus Montero (C), P.J. Pilittere (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Todd Linden (LF), Doug Bernier (DH)

Pitchers: Alfredo Aceves, Johnathan Albaladejo, J.B. Cox, Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney, Christian Garcia, Mark Melancon

Big Hits:

Robinson Cano went 3-for-3 with a single, a double, and a solo homer. Brett Gardner went 2-for-3 with a double and a solo homer. Alex Rodriguez doubled twice in three trips. John Rodriguez added a solo homer in three trips.  Derek Jeter went 3-for-3, all singles. Mark Teixeira and Kevin Cash both went 2-for-3, with Cash picking up a double, but also getting caught stealing following his single. Three of the Yanks’ five doubles came off Yankee punching-bag Arthur Rhodes.

Who Pitched Well:

No one really. Mark Melancon allowed an unearned run on a triple, a walk, and an error in the eighth. Brian Bruney allowed just a solo home run to Laynce Nix in his one inning of work. Those performances qualified as “good” in this game.

Who Didn’t:

Starter Alfredo Aceves gave up three runs on a walk and two hits in his only inning of work. Two of the runs came on a Chris Dickerson homer. Christian Garcia entered with an 11-8 lead in the seventh and blew the save by allowing four runs (three earned) on two singles, an error, and a grand slam by Craig Tatum. Damaso Marte gave up a pair of solo homers to straight-away center in the fifth, both to lefties as Dickerson hit his second of the game and Joey Votto also took him deep.

Battles:

Brett Gardner is hot as hellfire, having hit his second homer in four spring games after hitting a total of three between spring training, the majors and minors last year. Gardner leads the Yankees in homers, extra-base hits, total bases, and is slugging 1.300 on top of a .500 batting averge. That said, Gardner’s double today came when he hustled out a pop-up that happened to fall in, then got thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Xavier Nady went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a rally-killing double play. Jonathan Albaladejo didn’t help himself by giving up a run on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings, needing J.B. Cox to get him out of a third-inning jam, but he did well to bury that performance in a 24-run game. After Dan Giese opened up the long-man battle with an awful two-inning performance yesterday, Alfredo Aceves did almost as bad in a single inning today.

Ouchies:

Jesus Montero strained his right groin sliding after a passed ball. Jonathan Albaladejo was hit in the back of his left leg by a comebacker and is day-to-day. The soreness in Jorge Posada‘s shoulder is disappating. Edwar Ramirez has not resumed throwing since being diagnosed with bursitis in his pitching shoulder. He will skip the World Baseball Classic as a result.

More:

The World Baseball Classic participants have departed for their respective teams. Francisco Cervelli (1-for-6) joins the Italian team, which means he should be back in camp in a week, as Italy is likely to be eliminated on March 9. Derek Jeter (5-for-11, all singles) is likely to be gone much longer as the US are the favorites in the tournament despit their early exit last time. Jeter hit .450/.522/550 in the 2006 WBC, then went on to have an MVP-worthy season (.343/.417/.483). Here’s hoping he’s similarly inspired this year (though it’s worth noting Jeter was just 32 in 2006 and is 35 this season). The largest Yankee contingent will be on the Domincan team (even without Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras, who made the final roster, but won’t be participating). Damaso Marte (2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 HR, 0 BB, 2 K), Alex Rodriguez (.429/.545/1.143 in 10 PA), and Robinson Cano (.556/.636/1.111) will all likely be away for most of March as the Dominican team looks like the best non-Asian team after the US.

Speaking of the WBC, I’ll be liveblogging most of the USA’s game’s for SI.com, and if my new laptop shows up tomorrow like it’s supposed to, I’ll liveblog Tuesday’s game between the USA and the Yankees here at the Banter.

The Yankees’ starters touched up Francisco Liriano this afternoon, but the next six Twins hurlers, including former Yankee farm hands Jason Jones and Sean Henn, held the line as the Twins beat the Yankees for the second straight day, this time by a score of 7-3 at Steinbrenner Field. The big story, however, was that Jorge Posada was a late scratch after reporting soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Shelley Duncan (DH)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Angel Berroa (3B), Francisco Cervelli (C), John Rodriguez (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Jesus Montero (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Dan Giese, Jose Veras, Michael Dunn, Kei Igawa, Kanekoa Texeira, David Robertson

Big Hits:

The Yankees’ only extra-base hit of the game came off the bat of Mark Teixeira (1-for-3) as he shot the opposite field gap for a double while batting righty against the lefty Liriano. The only multi-hit game was by Shelley Duncan, who singled twice in three trips.

Who Pitched Well:

Jose Veras worked a perfect fourth inning, striking out two, mixing his slider and curve nicely and sitting around 93 with his fastball on the YES gun. Kanekoa Texeira pitched a perfect eighth. Kei Igawa pitched two efficient, soreless innings allowing just one baserunner on a single.

Who Didn’t:

Joba Chamberlain was leaving his pitches up in the zone and didn’t hit 90 mph on the YES gun. He did uncork one typically nasty slider for a swing-and-miss, but oherwise he used up his 22 pitches in the first inning and only threw 11 of them for strikes. In total, he allowed two runs on three hits, two of them booming doubles by Delmon Young and Jason Kubel, and didn’t strike out a batter. Dan Giese followed Joba by giving up four runs on four hits, including a Carlos Gomez homer, and a walk in his two frames.

Battles:

Jose Veras made up for his rough first outing with an impressive inning, but David Robertson was again disappointing, giving up a run on two hits in the ninth and getting his third out on an appeal because a baserunner left second base too soon on the warning-track sac fly that scored the run. Dan Giese hurt his candidacy for the long-relief job. Nick Swisher went 0-for-3. Melky Cabrera went 1-for-3.

Ouchies:

It’s impossible to say right now if Posada’s shoulder soreness is simply a typical post-surgical ache likely to pass with a couple of days of rest or a major red flag. Jorge, of course, is downplaying it, but that’s the sort of behavior that landed him on the DL to begin with last year. Posada tweaked the shoulder stretching in the on-deck circle before his first at-bat (the one in which he homered) on Thursday and played in both that game and Friday’s before mentioning it to anyone. To me, this is the key sentence from the above linked story:

Posada said he performed one stretching exercise that he was not supposed to, bringing the bat up over his head and behind his neck, when he felt something in his shoulder.

Anyone else get the sense that the obstianance of the aging Posada and Jeter is going to be as much of an injury threat as their advancing ages? Guys, follow your doctor’s orders and take the day off when you’re hurting. Please. Do it for the team.

Pete Abe did some pre-game reporting on Posada and has some audio from Jorge here.

Joba Chamberlain and the Yankee starters (save the rehabbing Hideki Matsui) take on Francisco Liriano and the Twins B-squad at Boss Field this afternoon at 1:15. The game is on YES and marks the spring debut of the WCBS radio team. I love baseball on the radio, but I’ve had a hard time stomaching John Sterling ever since Michael Kay jumped to TV. Still, let’s hope he gets to do this some 95 to 100 times during the regular season and 11 more times in October:

By the way, what ever happened to “no cheering in the press box?”

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The Yankees took their first loss of the spring this afternoon in the first game in which they faced an opponent’s major league starters. Twins win, 5-4.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Cody Ransom (2B)
S – Nick Swisher (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
S – Melky Cabrera (LF)
R – Angel Berroa (SS)
R – Justin Leone (3B)
R – Francisco Cervelli (C)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Ramiro Peña (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Doug Bernier (3B), Austin Romine (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Kevin Russo (LF), John Rodriguez (DH)

Pitchers: Ian Kennedy, Eric Hacker, Anthony Claggett, Andrew Brackman, George Kontos, Wilkin De La Rosa, Steven Jackson

Opposition: The Twins’ starters minus Joe Mauer.

Big Hits:

Justin Leone (1-for-3) homered off Twins’ starter Scott Baker. Brett Gardner (2 for 2, BB, 2 SB) singled and doubled off Baker. Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher were both 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.

Who Pitched Well:

Ian Kennedy struck out three in his two scoreless innings while allowing just two baserunners on a walk and a single. Anthony Claggett pitched two scoreless innings of his own, stranding two inherited runners in the fourth and allowing just one of his own on a single.

Who Didn’t:

Eric Hacker failed to get an out in the fourth, giving up a run on three hits before getting pulled in favor of Claggett. He also walked two men in the third. George Kontos blew the save in the seventh by allowing a run on three hits. Wilkin De La Rosa gave up two runs on two walks and two singles in the eighth before Steven Jackson was brought in to get the last out.

Battles:

In a game they both started Brett Gardner (who got the nod in center) went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, and two stolen bases, while Melky Cabrera (starting in left) went 0 for 3 and stranded three runners. Gardner led off the game with a single, stole second, and scored on a Cody Ransom single. That after homering leading off the first game of the schedule. Who does he think he is, Rickey Henderson? Nick Swisher went 2-for-3.

Alex and Diane have both been kind enough to mention this already, but I just wanted to post a reminder that I will be appearing at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center this Sunday at 2pm along with Steven Goldman, Kevin Goldstein, Christina Kahrl, Jay Jaffe, and Neil deMause. This is ostensibly to promote Baseball Prospectus 2009, which we all contributed to (Banter readers note that the Yankees team essay was among my contributions), but for you it’s $6 (or free if you buy a book) to see Yogi’s museum and pepper some of the best baseball minds on the net with questions for two hours.

If you can’t make it on Sunday, I’ll also be at the 18th St. Barnes & Nobel in Manhattan on Thursday March 12 and the Rutgers University Bookstore in New Brunswick, NJ on Thursday March 26.

Alex Rodriguez’s performance at last week’s press conference was all anyone could talk about on the airwaves here in New York for days. Driving around as I did for much of the weekend, it didn’t matter if I turned on 1050 or WFAN, it was “Let’s skewer A-Rod,” followed by “What the hell is Jerry Manuel doing with the lineups,” “Fire Renney,” and “The Knicks play in New York, too, so we have to talk about them.”

On the written side of things, there was more diversity in the Yankee coverage, ranging from the requisite holier-than-thou columns on A-Rod to the investigative journalism unearthing the details of A-Rod’s PED story. The muckraking that ensued was to be expected, but with all this information being brought to light now, shouldn’t investigative reporting at this level been done proactively in the beginning of the decade, instead of reactively now? Of course, there has been a great amount of what we’ve all been waiting for: actual baseball stories from camp: roster projections, players to watch, the ongoing discussion regarding what to do with Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher, Joe Girardi’s personality, and the questions regarding ticket prices as Opening Day approaches.

Of all those articles, I was particularly drawn to one that added even more perspective to the steroid investigation. It was a blog entry posted Wednesday on the Daily News Web site by investigative reporter Michael O’Keeffe (not the Michael O’Keefe who played Danny Noonan in “Caddyshack” and was married to Bonnie Raitt), and it profiled a sports activist, Charles S. Farrell, who moved to the Dominican Republic to help open a sports and education academy. Farrell, a former director of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Sports, commented on the prevalence of steroids, the legality of them and the ease by which they can be obtained in a recent newsletter.

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Today’s news is powered by the brainpower of Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of “Mythbusters” (with special guest Roger Clemens):

• Cliff has the recap of the Yanks 5-1 win over the Rays yesterday.
• Here’s a link to something to make Banterites less nervous …. Georgie juices one.  (sorry … couldn’t resist)
• Tyler Kepner writes of Posada’s progress to date.
• The Bombers will be wearing a new cap to commemorate their inaugural season in their new stadium.
• George Vecsey notes the number of major leaguers that have lost a bit of weight in the off-season, including Brian Bruney.
• Those obstructed-view bleacher seats will now go for $5, rather than the original $12.
• The Bombers and Bank of America have ended their long, drawn out negotiations for a major sponsorship deal.
• Lonn Trost, however, states that the economy has not affected the Yankees’ sponsorship deals “one iota”.  Furthermore, with regard to those obstructed-view bleacher seats:

“Those seats are being sold at $5, not $12,” he said. “I think some seats may have gone out improperly invoiced. Those are going to be corrected, but those 600 seats are going to be $5.” …

“When we built the sports bar we knew architecturally there is an architectural shadow,” he said. “And that means there are a group of seats that are in the bleachers that if you are sitting very close to either the rightfield or leftfield side of the sports bar, you may not see the opposite side.

“We knew that going in, and to that extent we pre-prepared to put televisions in the wall, as well as that big screen so you don’t miss anything.”

[My take: You put televisions in the food courts so people don’t miss the action.  You shouldn’t have to put them in the actual seating area.  Whatever.]

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The Yanks made their home and broadcast debut with a 5-1 win over the Rays this afternoon. They’ve now won their first two spring games by a combined score of 11-2.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
R – Jose Molina (C)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)

Subs: Cody Ransom (1B), Angel Berroa (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Doug Bernier (3B), Francisco Cervelli (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Brett Gardner (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Kyle Anson (DH)

Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, Damaso Marte, J.B. Cox, Mark Melancon, Jonathan Albaladejo

Opposition: Carl Crawford and spare parts

Big Hits:

Jorge Posada (2-for-2) hit the first pitch he saw this spring into the right field bleachers, then hit a 405-foot RBI ground rule double in his next at-bat that likely would have gone out to dead center if not for a strong head wind. Shelley Duncan (1-for-1) crushalated a Calvin Medlock pitch in the seventh, dropping a three-run homer into the pond beyond the left field fence. Together, Posada and Duncan drove in all five Yankee runs.

Who Pitched Well:

Everyone. The seven Yankee pitchers didn’t allow an extra base hit and walked only one man. The one Rays run came off J.B. Cox in the seventh on a pair of infield singles and a stolen base. Phil Hughes issued the one walk and hit two other batters in his two innings, but he wasn’t wild. Both HBPs came when pitches inside and under the hands clipped the jersey of a left-handed batter, and the walk was on a full count. Hughes actually looked to be throwing a lot of strikes (Pete Abe had him throwing 67 percent of 33 pitches for strikes). He used his changeup and curveball, didn’t allow a hit, broke two bats, and struck out two men with fastballs (sitting around 92 miles per hour per the YES gun), one of whom was Carl Crawford, who went down on three pitches.

Nice Plays:

Robinson Cano made a nice ranging play on a hopper far to his left. Mark Teixeira saved a wild throw by Alex Rodriguez and got the out call, though his foot appeared to leave the bag before the catch.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner both went 0-for-2, but Melky’s two were weak groundouts, while Gardner was robbed of a double in the right field gap in his second trip when the swirling winds blew his hit back toward a diving Ray Sadler in center. Gardner tried to bunt for a hit in his first at-bat, but didn’t get the ball far enough away from home plate and was easily thrown out by former Yankee farmhand Michel Hernandez. Gardner also showed good range in the field. Xavier Nady hit a ground rule double down the right-field line in two at-bats. Phil Coke pitched two scoreless innings, suggesting he might be in the mix for the long-man position, which would be a good solution to that problem. Mark Melancon and Jonathan Albaladejo both pitched perfect innings late in the game. Melancon got two outs on the ground and the third by strikeout, but didn’t look terribly impressive to me, pitching deep into counts and sitting around 90-91 mph with his fastball. Albaladejo got two of three outs on the ground and had a few extra ticks on the gun.

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The Yankees are running out their starters (save the rehabbing Hideki Matsui) for their first home game of the spring today at 1:15 against the Rays. This will also be the first televised Yankee game of the spring. Unfortunately, my laptop died last week and the new one’s still on order, so my traditional liveblog will have to wait until later in the spring schedule.

In the meantime, you can listen to my appearance on Kenrick Thomas’s Real Sports Talk podcast from last night here (I’m the first guest).

Also, with the arrival of the games, we here at the Banter have finally put together some guidelines for commenting on this site. The post below, which will be permanently linked on the sidebar, includes instructions on using HTML codes in your posts, but is also a code of conduct (adapted from that of our longtime colleague Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts).  We ask that everyone, new and old, familiarize themselves with these guidelines so as to maintain the high level of discourse we’ve become accustomed to here at Bronx Banter.

As I avidly followed baseball in the early 1980s, some of my favorite ballplayers did not happen to play for the Yankees. One of those players was Billy Sample. He was playing for the Rangers at the time, a team with which I’ve never had any kind of affiliation. Sample wasn’t a star. He was a pretty good ballplayer, though, a speedy defensive left fielder who stole bases, hit for a decent average, and launched an occasional longball. In other words, he was a role player, one who had to overcome the stigma that comes with being five feet, nine inches tall. I’ve always liked role players, in part because they have to struggle—just like us. Little comes easy to them, but they find a way to contribute in tangible and important ways.

One winter day in 1984, I was doing some broadcasting for WHCL, the radio station for Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. As I was preparing my afternoon sports report, I noticed a transaction on the AP wire. It involved the Yankees. They had made a wintertime trade, sending an over-the-hill Toby Harrah to the Rangers—for Billy Sample. Yes!

I immediately began to think of what role Sample might play for the Yankees in 1984. Left field looked like the logical destination, perhaps in a platoon with the elder Ken Griffey. You see, the Yankees collected outfielders in the early 1980s the way that Adrian Monk collects phobias. Only stars played every day in the Yankee outfield back then, Hall of Famers like Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson. A player like Sample, a complementary role player, appeared destined to platoon in pinstripes.

Even so, a timeshare in left field looked appealing to Sample, who was glad to be out of Texas, a team that had lost 92 games. He also looked forward to playing for a new leader in Yogi Berra, a man with a reputation for being the consummate player’s manager. Unfortunately, no one could have anticipated that Berra would manage the Yankees for a mere 16 games in 1985. An early managerial changeover brought the worst of possible successors for Sample—the fourth pinstriped tenure of Billy Martin.

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Since the games have finally begun (OK … only exhibition, but still) … today’s news is brought to you by someone who decided to videotape a Strat game:

• ESPN recaps A-Rod’s day as part of the Yanks 6-1 Spring Training opener, and offers these tidbits:

The slugger had dinner Tuesday night with former Yankees star Reggie Jackson, now a special adviser with the team.

“I told him to hit the baseball. It’s really an old story. It never really changes,” Jackson said. “Hit the baseball, and hit it like heck. That’s really about all that really matters.”

The Hall of Famer also passed along some words from Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner.

“He said, ‘You deliver this message: Just tell him hit the damn ball and hit it when it counts. That’s really the most important thing that he can do. All the other conversations, they don’t matter. The more you talk, the more you have an opportunity to make a mistake.’ “

[My take: What an interesting contrast and comparison to be had … A-Rod and Mr. October.  Who wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall for their conversations?]

• Tyler Kepner points out the contributions of Swisher and Gardner in the win.
• MLB.com offers a capsule recap of the game.
• PeteAbe ponders why Igawa is not playing in the WBC, and gets a blunt assessment:

One of the Japanese reporters in Tampa covering Hideki Matsui was asked why Igawa was not considered for the WBC roster. He searched for the right words.

“They think … he is not so good,” the man said.

• PeteAbe also gets some interesting quotes from Reggie regarding A-Rod’s revelations:

“The best answer I can give you is that I was disappointed. I was very lucky to have been a good player. When I started playing I was a fan. When I played I was a fan and when I left the game I am a fan of Derek Jeter, of Alex Rodriguez, of CC Sabathia. I like to be at games, I like to watch the games. … I get affected as a fan. You get saddened.

“I get angry sometimes. I’ve been reprimanded by the commissioner and the president of our team. I’ve pleaded with them to understand that I’m personally affected; I’m personally involved. I’m hurt; I’m bewildered. I don’t know that we ever get past it.”

• The Babe Ruth monument has landed at the new Stadium.

[My take: No truth to the rumor that the Babe’s view of the field is blocked by the center field restaurant.]

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The Yankees kicked off their exhibition schedule this afternoon with an easy 6-1 win on the road against the Blue Jays, though neither team played their full set of starters.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
R – Shelley Duncan (DH)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
S – Todd Linden (LF)
R – Kevin Cash (C)

Subs: Justin Leone (1B), Cody Ransom (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Kevin Russo (3B), P.J. Pilittere (C), Colin Curtis (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Jesus Montero (DH)

Pitchers: Brett Tomko, Jose Veras, Dan Giese, Kei Igawa, Christian Garcia, Michael Dunn, Steven Jackson, David Robertson

Opposition: The Jay’s B-squad

Big Hits:

Brett Gardner (1-for-3) led off the game by hitting Brett Cecil’s second pitch over the right-field wall. Alex Rodriguez (1-for-1, 2 BBs) added a two-run jack off Rickey Romero in the fourth. Robinson Cano and Austin Jackson (both 1-for-2) both doubled. Todd Linden (1-for-3) picked up an RBI single against B.J. Ryan. Kevin Cash went 2-for-3 and stole a base.

Who Pitched Well:

Everyone except Jose Veras. The other seven pitchers combined for eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits and a walk.

Who Didn’t:

Jose Veras gave up the lone Blue Jay run in the third on a one-out John McDonald double, a hit batsman, a wild pitch, and a sac fly. He then walked two batters before getting out of the inning.

Battles:

Gardner‘s home run was no small thing. Last year he hit just three home runs between the minors and majors, spring training included. Cecil, meanwhile, allowed just six in 118 1/3 innings. Kevin Long’s been working with Gardner to get his legs into his swing. If Gardner can hit for power this spring, he’ll take the center field job with ease. His throwing error came on a strong throw to the plate that just happened to hit the runner. Swisher affirmed his ability to reach base at a high rate by drawing two walks, but didn’t hit a ball fair in three trips, striking out in his other turn at-bat. Veras put himself in an early hole in the bullpen battle, but David Robertson was also wild in his one inning of work (issuing a walk and uncorking a wild pitch). Pete Abe reports that Robertson loaded the bases in the ninth. I assume two of the Yankees’ other three errors (one by Leone, the other two on throws by Peña and Russo) were involved. Veras and Robertson did combine for four of the Yankees’ seven strikeouts, but  Steven Jackson was perfect, getting two groundouts and a strikeout.

More:

• Melky Cabrera has switched to Bobby Abreu’s old number 53.
• I’ll be on Kenrick Thomas’s Real Sports Talk podcast tonight at 10pm. Give a listen.