My good pals Rich Lederer and Bryan Smith have launched a new baseball blog called, The Baseball Analysts. Anyone familiar with their work won’t be surprised to find that it is an excellent read. Rich has kicked off their first week with an entertaining three-part series (one, two and three) simply titled, “Who Was Your Favorite Player Growing Up?” It’s terrific stuff.

Spring training means puff pieces galore for baseball fans. Sometimes it feels like fool’s gold: there are lots of stories, but none that are especially meaningful. Still, it’s better than nothing, and I ain’t complaining. Today gives news about Boss George, Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, Doug Glanville, Rey Sanchez, Ugie Urbina, Cookie Monster, Sammy Sosa, and Willie Randolph and his new-look Mets.

Here’s a little blurb from Sam Borden that appears in today’s Daily News:

[Bernie] Williams offered the first strong defense of A-Rod yesterday when asked for his reaction to the procession of Red Sox players who have bashed Rodriguez over the past week, calling him a “clown” and saying he wasn’t a “Yankee type.” Several Sox implied A-Rod wasn’t a true Yankee because he hadn’t been part of the championship teams of the late ’90s, but Williams said that was a silly sentiment.

“You have probably one of the greatest Yankees that ever wore this uniform, and that’s Cap (Don Mattingly), and who would argue that he’s not a true Yankee?” Williams said. “Still, he didn’t win a World Series here. I just don’t think that’s an accurate statement.”

Could this be Bernie’s last year with the Yanks? Will he possibly hang em up for good at the end of the year? According to Newsday:

“Some days I feel like I want to retire right at that moment, and some days I feel like I want to play another 10 years,” Williams said.

I’ve always imagined that Bernie is the kind of guy who will walk away from the game. I don’t think of him as someone who will be a coach or a broadcaster. But who knows? Maybe he wouldn’t mind playing for three or four more years as a part-time player. I don’t see it, but stranger things have happened.

Rodriguez, Sheff, Giambi, The Big Unit, more from Trot Nixon…Thank goodness the Yanks have Joe Torre. His calming influence makes for what John Harper calls, “The Perfect Zoo Keeper”:

“We’re here to get in shape for the season,” Torre continued, “so whatever the distractions, let’s air them out here. Let’s get it out, get it over with – let’s deal with it. You don’t hide from it, you deal with it and move on.

“I’ve always done it this way, even before I was with the Yankees. Obviously I didn’t have as many talented people as I have now. Every year we get more high-profile people, but you find out that once they come in, they’re easy to talk to.

“That makes my job easier … talking, the basics, it’s common sense. As far as I know, anyway, it’s common sense.”

Capice?

And what about the newest members of the Bronx Bombers? Here’s Jayson Stark on Randy Johnson and Tyler Kepner on Jaret Wright.

On the lighter side, Jack Curry had a nice, long piece covering Bernie Williams’ five-day tour of Venezuela and Colombia as U.S. cultural ambassador last week.

And Bob Klapisch recently caught up with Mariano Rivera to talk about how the 2004 ALCS may have effected his pysche:

To even suggest the Sox are in his head evokes a smile out of Rivera, who playfully says, “Come on, bro, no way. That’s not possible.”

That’s not a lie. That’s not a boast. Rivera is among the least neurotic players in the clubhouse, having made a permanent peace with the leadoff walk to Kevin Millar in the ninth inning of Game 4, ultimately costing the Bombers a chance to sweep the Sox.

But no one counted on Rivera walking Millar on a full-count fastball just inches inside. That started the Yankees on a downward spiral that turned into the most traumatic postseason collapse in baseball history.

Sitting at home days later, watching the Red Sox on TV in the World Series, Rivera said, “I asked myself, ‘What could we have done differently? What did I do wrong?’ It took me eight to 10 days to get over it. Then, I finally decided it wasn’t meant to be. Sometimes you just can’t explain it and you leave it at that.”

…”What’s the point of being angry at myself or at losing?” he said. “Life will go on. Baseball will go on. No one is supposed to succeed every time. I’ve always said, you learn more from failing than you do from winning.”

Roger Angell couldn’t have said it better himself.

The Alex Rodriguez story continued over the weekend as various members of the World Champs (Millar, Arroyo and newcomer, Matt Mantei) had their say. Rodriguez spoke with reporters at Legends Field on Sunday and addressed some of what has been flying around of late. John Harper doesn’t think Rodriguez is helping himself any, but Murray Chass holds the media responsible for all of this mishigoss:

One player, Trot Nixon, ignited the game with negative comments about Rodriguez last week and atorrent of teammates have followed. But the teammates’ comments have not been unsolicited. They were at the urging of reporters eager to inflame the game to incendiary levels. They were all but handed a script.

Athletes have long accused reporters of creating stories, and, sadly, this is one of those instances. It has become one of the most distasteful instances I have witnessed in 45 years of covering baseball.

…This story has not seen its last chapter. Twenty-four position players will be in the Red Sox’ camp tomorrow. That’s 24 more players who can be asked about A-Rod.

No, make that 23. Kevin Millar showed up yesterday and was asked the obligatory question. It doesn’t matter what he said in response. Just that he was asked was predictable and ridiculous enough.

Joe Torre is from the old school, and bemoans the current in-your-face culture of self-promotion and disrespect:

“As a whole, there is a lack of respect. It’s unfortunate and I know that I speak for my generation, but it’s reality. I don’t know. It certainly is against the grain for me.”

“I would like to believe when we win as a team, you understand how tough it is to win and you respect the other team that tried to beat you. You have to understand there is somebody else trying to do the same thing you are.”

The trash-talking continues between members of the Red Sox and Alex Rodriguez. Though Rodriguez has yet to report to camp, and offer any comebacks himself, he doesn’t need to be around to draw attention to himself. This story is already old, but it’ll be a running theme to contend with all season long. In other backpage news, ol’ quotable himself, Boomer Wells, was talking to the Daily News yesterday:

“I’ve never had a good relationship with Joe, we’ve had a few run-ins, and Mel Stottlemyre, as well,” Wells added. “Mel’s probably the best pitching coach I’ve ever had, but when you have run-ins like that, it just leaves a sour taste. And who needs it? I can understand their point, and hopefully, they can understand mine.

“There’s no hard feelings one way or another. Life moves on and now I’m in a Boston uniform and it’s my job … to go out there and beat the Yankees.”

Curt Schilling likes to talk even more than Wells does. Here is his relatively tame latest take on Alex Rodriguez:

“I’m pretty sure that me not liking Alex Rodriguez is not a groundbreaking story. I’m sure there’s a lot of guys in the big leagues that don’t like each other. The comments came about because of play in the field last year. I never really thought it was nearly as big a deal as people have made it. I’m pretty sure Alex could care less whether I like him or not. I don’t need somebody not liking me to motivate me to play. The guy’s an MVP.”

That’s couldn’t care less, but pernt taken.

Forgive me for not giving Murray Chass’ recent series of articles regarding how the Yankees handled Jason Giambi‘s contract more burn here. But for a thorough account and good analysis of it all, check out Jay Jaffe’s latest post.

Okay, enough clowning around with the Red Sox…at least for the next five minutes. Yeesh, Alex Rodriguez isn’t even due to report to the team until the weekend. Meanwhile, his teammates seem content to let him fight this war with Boston by himself. The big news for the Yankees is the arrival of The Big Unit, who was in camp yesterday, working out, and talking with reporters. Kevin Brown, was there too, and he told Newsday he’s worked hard to cure the back injuries which hampered his performance for the entire 2004 season.

Hey, guess what? The Red Sox really don’t like Alex Rodriguez. Yesterday, Trot Nixon told the Associated Press:

When people ask me about the Yankees, I tell them about (Derek) Jeter and Bernie Williams and (Jorge) Posada. I don’t tell them about Rodriguez. … He can’t stand up to Jeter in my book or Bernie Williams or Posada.”

There’s more. Nothing shocking, just more fuel to the fire. Nixon thinks Rodriguez is a phoney, pure and simple. John Harper wonders what the point of harping about Rodriguez is:

Question to Nixon: Why do you care whether A-Rod is a true Yankee? If you’re worried so much about the Yankees, worry about Randy Johnson, and pray that as a lefthanded hitter, Terry Francona doesn’t make you face him.

The Sox as a team don’t just seem to hate A-Rod, going back to the fight with Jason Varitek last year and then the infamous slap at Bronson Arroyo‘s glove in the playoffs; they seem positively obsessed with the guy.

But why are they talking about him in February? Shouldn’t they be happy just to bask in the glory of their historic championship? If you didn’t know better you’d swear the Sox actually lost again last year, and all their talk about A-Rod is just a sign of their frustration.

Rodriguez has replaced Clemens as the man everyone loves to hate on the Yankees. Harper likens him to Pedro Martinez. So, how many games do the Sox and Yanks have to play against each other this season before there is another fight? And is there any question but that Rodriguez will be in the middle of it?

It was horrible, cold, blustery and rainy yesterday in New York. But this morning, the boids is chirping, the sun is out and it is supposed to get up to the mid-fifties this afternoon. Knowing that our favorite ballplayers are begining to report to their respective training camps, all I can think about it Biz Markie singing, “It’s Spring Again.”

While Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez, Jorge Posada”, and newcomer Carl “The Italian Stallion” Pavano settle in to their spring rituals, the Yankees eye talking contract extension with Hideki Matsui sometime before the season begins.

Yankees come and Yankees go, but one thing remains the same: Bernie Williams is still the teams’ centerfielder. Now, if you look at his defensive statistics over the past four seasons, or if you’ve simply watched the games, it’s clear that he isn’t a defensive asset any longer. Regardless, he’s still my favorite Yankee (Mariano Rivera is number two). And Bernie, bless him, isn’t ready to conceed to old age just yet. According to a bit in the Daily News:

The Yankees’ center fielder bristled at talk of retirement at a clinic for young players in Venezuela, saying his experience will help carry him through despite a decline in some of his physical talents.

“I’m still not thinking about retirement,” the 36-year-old told The Associated Press. “I’m going to play as long as my physical abilities allow me to. I still feel very good physically.”

Or as George King notes in a mini-Yankee preview:

Extremely prideful, Williams is bent on proving he can still play at a high level.

You go, you old goat, you.

Steroids is the talk of the town in baseball these days. Jose Canseco’s new book has generated an expected amount of controversy. Later this year, Boston Herald columnist Howard Bryant will release a book about baseball in “the juiced era.” Will Carroll has his own book on performance-enhancing drugs due out this spring. 60 Minutes is featuring a profile on Canseco this coming Sunday, and according to Cliff Corcoran, Bryant will appear in the segment. Be sure to check out for it.

Jason Giambi addressed the media yesterday at Yankee Stadium and, in case you haven’t heard yet, apologized for his behavior without specifically admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs. Tyler Kepner has a good write-up of the strange scene this morning in the New York Times. Joe Torre and Brian Cashman sat next to Giambi as he answered questions from reporters. Cashman told the Times:

“The biggest thing that I’ll be watching is not what takes place on the field,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “It’s how he handles the process. It’s going to be a journey, and it’s going to be a long journey. Today will not end it. He knows that and we know that.”

Joe Torre added that Giambi will be the biggest question mark facing the team this spring:

“The effort will obviously be there,” Torre said of Giambi. “But I think we’re all curious to see how he’s going to recover from what he went through. He certainly looks healthier than he did last year.”

…”He’s going to have to understand that even in his home ballpark, on a regular basis, he may not get the response he wants to get,” Torre said. “I think he has to be tougher. In being human, there’s only so much you can do to say, ‘I understand,’ and go on about your business. It’s something he’s going to have to condition himself to do. But when he looks around, he’s going to see a lot of support.”

As Murray Chass reports, regardless of what Giambi says or does not say, it is highly unlikely that the Yankees will ever be able void his contract:

A person with knowledge of the contract said that before they signed off on Giambi’s seven-year, $120 million deal, the Yankees acquiesced to his request and removed all references to steroids from the guarantee language routinely included in contracts.

The Yankees were not innocents in this matter. They didn’t say to themselves: Delete references to steroid use? Well, all right if you insist, but why would you want us to do that?

They wanted Giambi badly enough that they relinquished the right to suspend him or stop payment on the contract or terminate the contract or convert it into a nonguaranteed contract if he was found to use steroids. No other words were deleted from that paragraph of the contract, the person said.

Mike Lupica, Bob Klapisch and Dave Anderson were less than impressed with Giambi’s performance. Tim Marchman, however, has a slightly different take:

It’s hard to tell exactly how Giambi let down the press. I’m a member of the press; I’m not offended or disappointed or surprised by his drug use. He didn’t harm me in any way.

If anyone has harmed the press, it’s been the press, which offered nothing more than innuendo as ballplayers swelled grotesquely in the 1990s. Our job is to cover baseball; the job of a ballplayer is to play it. Players owe writers nothing but the common decency and respect any person owes another. If Jason Giambi can avoid disappointment when I put whiskey in my body, I can avoid disappointment when he puts testosterone in his.

…The accounts Giambi has to settle are with his own conscience and his fellow athletes – not with you, not with me, and not with George Steinbrenner. These are not matters for press conferences, and it’s unfortunate that the Yankees would trot the man out in a deeply silly attempt to pre-empt what will be a richly deserved storm of bad publicity for their organization.

In speaking yesterday, Giambi has already done more than he needs to do. It speaks well of him. Apologies are at best more than the rest of us really need, and at worst more than we deserve.

For Giambi, it was an understandably uncomfortable start to his season. There is also little doubt that it will get worse for him before it gets better. The route to salvation, at least as far as he and the Yankees are concerned, lies in how he performs on the field.

Jason Giambi will meet with the local media today at Yankee Stadium. According to Tyler Kepner, the event is being carefully orchestrated by the Yankees (and will not be televised live):

Late yesterday, the Yankees announced that [the press conference] would be at Yankee Stadium, with strict ground rules. They have invited each newspaper that regularly covers the team to send no more than two reporters.

Giambi will meet with the print media in one location, and Cashman and Torre may be in the room with him. After that meeting, Giambi will speak with television reporters in a separate room.

Does this mean Giambi will be contrite and offer some sort of public apology? Local columnists Mike Lupica and Mike Vaccaro hope that is the case. No matter what he says, or how delicately the Yankees handle the proceedings, Giambi is still going to face a torrent of national media attention once he reports to spring training.

Tino Martinez, who according to Buster Olney’s recent book “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty,” used to be a master clubhouse motivator, told the Daily News that Giambi’s teammates will be behind him:

“Hopefully, he says he’s healthy and he’s feeling good,” Martinez said. “He’s a great hitter. He’s got a great eye and he still has the ability to put up big numbers. I don’t know what he’s going to say, but I know the guys on the team are ready to get him over here and get going and get the first couple of days out of the way because I’m sure those are going to be the hardest, with the media and stuff.

“He’ll be accepted just fine by the team. He played with these guys last year; they know him. The thing about it is, because of all the controversy, people don’t really realize he’s a great guy off the field and in the clubhouse as well. I’m sure everybody is pulling for him. I know I am. I want him to get back and have a great season, because I want to win a championship again and obviously he can help us.”

It’s like Martinez never left.

There is less than a week before pitchers and catchers report to Yankeeland, which means the puff pieces are about to begin. Hey, it’s better’n’nada, right? (Well, at least for a few weeks anyway.) While Pedro Martinez made headlines in New York today for reporting to camp early, several Yankee veterans, including including Mariano Rivera, Flash Gordon, Gary Sheffield, Tino Martinez, and Derek Jeter, are already working out at the Yankees minor league complex. Jetes and Alex Rodriguez may not be best friends any longer, but Jeter isn’t about to stoak any sort of feud with Rodriguez. They will be pitted against one another by the local press, but I doubt they’ll ever become another Reggie and Thurman. Never mind that soap opera anyhow. The Glimmer Twins will move to the sidelines in the next few days when Jason Giambi is expected to address the media for the first time since the end of the 2004 season. Man, talk about one uncomfortable situation. Yeesh.

To the everlasting delight of Red Sox Nation, Yankee fans as well as Yankee players, are still haunted by the 2004 American League Championship Series. Recently, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield have spoken about how long this winter has been for them, licking those nasty wounds and all. The memory of the loss won’t go away for a long time, either. However, the sting will begin to ease some once the 2005 begins. Jorge Posada, for one, is eager to get going. According to the Daily News:

It was tough to swallow what we went through,” he said. “The sun has come up and we’ve got to go at it again this year. I’m excited about the moves we made, I’m excited about the rotation. I’m really, really happy with everything, but I’m going to miss Javy (Vazquez), we became really good friends. He was the one who went. It’s tough to see that.”

Which begs the question: Will Carl Pavano fare better or worse than Javier Vazquez did last year?

Peace to Repoz for linking these boss cartoons from Korean artist Choi Hoon. Here are your New York Yankees in action, past and present.

Winter is not my favorite season. But my trick is to get sick of it before everybody else does. That way when I turn the corner and start thinking in a spring-state-of-mind, it doesn’t bother me how much snow, or lousy weather we still have to endure. I’m ready. I’m ready for the buds to start showing on the trees, I’m ready to start seeing skirts, and some flesh move around the city again. I’m ready for rebirth, dog.

I usually make the move anywhere between late January and mid February, and this year, I made the transition this past weekend. The weather in New York was in the mid forties, and the sun was shinning. Em and I strolled through Central Park on Saturday and had the windows to our aparment cranked open the past two afternoons. I announced to her that winter is now dead to me. She that, “That’s fine, don’e forget your scarf.” No, no, it’s still winter, of course. But the switch went off inside me. I could smell a faint hint of spring, which means a faint small of dirt, which means…well, what else could it mean: baseball’s almost here. Truthfully, it’ll be hear before we know it as pitchers and catchers report to the camps around the major leagues next week.

Hot Dog.

The Yanks may have forgotten about brining Ramiro Mendoza back now that they have extended an invitation to the veteran southpaw Buddy Groom to jern the team in spring training. If he makes the squad, he’ll ink a one-year, $850,000 deal. Boy, if you could just turn the clock back three or four seasons, the Yankees would really have a powerhouse bullpen, with the likes of Felix Rodriguez, Steve Karsay, Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, Mike Stant Stanton, Groom, and of, course, Mariano Rivera holding down the fort. As it is, Groom gives the Yankees the left-handed specialist they lack. He may not be as impressive as Steve Kline, or the imposing B.J. Ryan, but he’s probably a step-up from Stanton.