I SAID IT ONCE, I’LL SAY IT AGAIN: YES!

Emily successfully pulled through 6 1/2 hours of surgery on Thursday, and is recovering slowly but surely at Lennox Hill, on the Upper East Side. As I mentioned last week, Emily suffers from Chrones. This was her 9th operation since 1996. This latest round dealt with problems caused by an infection that was a result of her last surgery, and the doctor’s appear to have remedy the situation.

Damn, but my girl is a fighter. She’s a real bulldog, making it through like a trooper, though she has been doped up pretty good since the operation. I’ve been with her every day and I gotta admit, it tears me up to see her in so much pain. Truthfully, she hasn’t felt much of it, but you can see just how enervated her body is from the procedure, and just how progressive the recovery process is going to be.

I haven’t had much time to dwell on baseball during the past couple of days, but every once in a while I’ve tried to let the idea that the I’ll be able to watch the Yankees this year really sink in.

I still can’t believe it. Part of me doesn’t want to believe it until I see the damn channel pop up on my TV at home. Call me superstitious, but it’s hard to trust anyone from either Cablevision or the YES Network after all we’ve been through with these schnooks.

Still, the thought of not being dependent on Sterling and Steiner is enough to keep me warm until the flowers start blooming in a couple of weeks.
For Realah, Magilla.

THE GAMBLER

I worked for the filmmaking duo, the Coen brothers, for a year in the mid-1990s, first as their personal assistant, and then as an assistant film editor on “The Big Lebowski.” I started working for them just before the Yanks won the World Serious in 1996. Joel couldn’t have cared less about baseball, but Ethan was a casual fan, and kept up with the box scores and the headlines. As you can imagine, he was anything but a Yankee fan.

I thought it fitting however that Ethan’s favorite Bronx Bomber at the time was none other than that lovable loser, Mr. Square Jaw himself, Kenny Rogers. He is a sap directly out of one of their movies.

Well, Rogers signed with the Coen brothers’ hometown team, the Twins, yesterday. Here what Lee Sinns had to say about the deal, which will bump the highly touted Johan Santana back to the bullpen for the time being:

1) The Twins signed free agent P Kenny Rogers to a 1 year, $2 million
contract, contingent on him passing a physical.

Rogers has gone to 2 extremes in the past 2 years. His 6.19 ERA/-23 RSAA in
2001 was the worst year of his career, while his 3.84 ERA/28 RSAA tied 1998
for his 2nd best RSAA figure. Rogers has a 4.20 career ERA, compared to his
league average of 4.57, and 90 RSAA in 589 games.

The 38 year old ranked 5th in the AL, among LHP, in RSAA over the past 5
years–

RSAA
1 Barry Zito 88
2 Jamie Moyer 77
T3 David Wells 65
T3 Mark Buehrle 65
5 Jarrod Washburn 58
6 Kenny Rogers 53
7 Chuck Finley 48
8 Andy Pettitte 44
9 Mike Sirotka 39
10 Arthur Rhodes 37

2) Twins MGR Ron Gardenhire says that, with Rogers’s signing, Johan Santana
is going to move back into the bullpen, but the team still views him as a
future starter.

Santana, who turns 24 today, is coming off a 2.99 ERA/17 RSAA season in 27
games (14 starts) and set a Senators/Twins single season record for best
SO/9 IP, vs. the league average (min: 100 IP)–

STRIKEOUTS/9 IP YEAR DIFF PLAYER LEAGUE
1 Johan Santana 2002 5.12 11.38 6.26
2 Tom Hall 1970 5.03 10.68 5.65
3 Joe Krakauskas 1938 4.15 7.71 3.57
4 Tom Hall 1971 4.06 9.48 5.42
5 Camilo Pascual 1960 3.60 8.47 4.87
6 Juan Berenguer 1988 3.42 8.91 5.49
7 Walter Johnson 1910 3.40 7.61 4.21
8 Dave Boswell 1966 3.32 9.21 5.90
9 Walter Johnson 1912 3.15 7.39 4.24
10 Bert Blyleven 1974 3.06 7.98 4.91

WHO YOU CALLIN’ FUNNY LOOKIN?

Steve Keane, who recently launched a Mets blog, aptly titled, The Eddie Kranpool Society has a good call on Godzilla Matsui: Shemp from the Three Stooges.

PEACE

I want to take a moment to thank all the readers who have sent me e-mails wishing the best for my girl, Emily today. Thanks, I’ll pass those good vibes along when she comes to.

YES!

I was at Lennox Hill hospital at the crack of dawn this morning as my girlfriend was getting prepped for her surgery. As we held hands in a pre-op waiting room, I caught the Yes-Cablevision settlement headline on the television.

I took it as a sign of hope for Emily. If those rich bozo’s can finally come to their senses, she’ll make it through this ordeal with flying colors.

PUNKS JUMP UP TO GET BEAT DOWN

“This era of pitchers don’t know the art of pitching inside. They just think they can take a baseball and you wind up just throwing it at somebody’s head or whatever, that’s pitching inside.” — Frank Robinson.

In a spectacular act of cowardice, Dodger pitching hopeful Guillermo Mota, plunked Mets catcher Mike Piazza for the second consecutive year in a spring training contest, and then ran to safety like a little bitch when Piazza charged the mound.

“It was a set-up as far as I was concerned,” Howe said. “It was certainly intentional from my viewpoint.

“The guy ran like a scared rabbit when the man came out after him,” Howe added. “If he wants to hit somebody, stand there and fight. He can back-pedal faster than I can run forward.”

Unlike Vladi G, Piazza is not your proto-typical, thin-skinned modern slugger. I saw the game involving Mota last year, and thought the kid was a punk trying to act tough when he threw at Piazza on a 3-0 count in a meaningless game. Those feelings were reinforced when I saw the replay of last night’s incident.

Have you ever seen someone who deliberately wanted to hit a batter, run scared the way Mota did?

Piteful. I don’t blame Piazza for being heated. This ranks up there with the best chickenshit beanings in recent memory.

While I’m on the subject, here is an article from MLB.com on the Vlad Guerrero-Brad Penny altercation earlier this week.

Robinson said that when he was a player, instead of going after the pitcher, he walked to first base and took his anger out on the shortstop or second baseman on the basepaths, or by getting a base hit during his next time at-bat. There was a reason behind Robinson’s actions.

“I retaliated, but I didn’t charge the mound,” he said. “Why would I charge the mound? Then the pitcher has won, [and] I’m gone. I did my teammates a disservice, I did the organization a disservice and I did myself a disservice because I’m not in the ballgame. I just took it out on the second baseman or the shortstop. Many of them asked me, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘Don’t ask me. Ask your pitcher.’ I was going to get you if it was a ground ball.”

MR. CLUTCH

There was a nice, little article on Edgardo Alfonzo in the Sac Bee a couple of days ago that is worth checking out. Can you equate clutch hitting with playing in New York? Fonzie thinks so:

“The key is his plate coverage,” new Giants batting coach Joe Lefebvre said. “He can hit any pitch with a short, compact swing — and that makes him dangerous. Playing in New York definitely toughens you up. He can handle anything.”

Alfonzo agreed.

“The New York pressure never got to me. The fans and media back there can be tough when you’re going bad and great when you’re doing good. But it really was no different than playing winter ball.

“When you play in Venezuela, it’s very intense from the first pitch to the last, so it makes you very aggressive. And when you play in New York, you have to learn to handle things. There are a lot of distractions and a lot of competition, including the Yankees…”I just try to select a pitch to hit. I’ve always been able to focus. It’s always been part of my game to make contact. I’ve always hit line drives and used all fields.”

TAGGING UP

It’s no secret that Bernie Williams, a four-time gold glove center fielder, has a rag arm, that is only getting worse with age. To his credit, Williams knows it is a flaw in his game:

“That’s always been a constant battle for me,” the center fielder said. “There are things in this game that come easily to me and some things that don’t. That’s one of the things that never has come easily to me, and I think everybody knows it.”

…”If you perceive the guy to not have a strong throwing arm, you would be more encouraged to do that, sure,” Williams said. “It’s something I would do myself.”

Having identified the problem, Williams works every day on charging the ball so he can be in better position to make a throw.

“Does Bernie have the strongest arm in the league? No,” Yankees first-base and outfield coach Lee Mazzilli said. “But there are things we do to compensate for that, like playing shallow and getting rid of the ball. Bernie’s real good about working on that.”

…”Everyone knows what you have, so it’s no secret,” Mazzilli said. “That’s why we work on it all the time.”

Mazzilli said Williams loves working on the details, things like getting in position to throw off the correct foot, setting up to catch fly balls in a good throwing position, and charging ground balls to cut down the time it takes to get the ball back to the infield. Still, other teams see an opportunity — something to exploit.

“There’s no doubt, in everybody’s report, you take the extra base on a ball hit out there,” an American League scout said at yesterday’s Yankees-Indians game. “And you’ve definitely seen a decline. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more teams (tagging up from first) as time goes on.”

…”It keeps you humble,” Williams said. “I know I will not be a complete player until I master that.”

It is unlikely that Bernie will improve his throwing significantly at this stage in his career, but he can work at making quick, accurate throws to the cut off man (ala Mickey Rivers). Still, it’s refreshing to see that Williams’ work ethic is as strong as ever.

WHO YOU CALLIN A RED ASS?

Former Yankee pitcher, and personal favorite, El Duque appears to be a happy camper for the Expos this spring.

According to a report in Newsday, Montreal GM Omar Minaya said:

“First day, 8 a.m., and he’s out there running laps before everybody else,” Minaya said yesterday before the Mets-Expos game that ended in an 11-inning, 6-6 tie. “He’s been a leader for us right from the start.”

Hernandez, who was sharp pitching three scoreless innings in his first spring-training start for Montreal and makes his next start tomorrow, smiled easily and, through an interpreter, was loquacious with New York writers. “I never felt I had to impress anyone here. That’s just the way I work,” said Hernandez, who has admitted he is several years older than the 33 it says in the Expos’ media guide. “The people in New York know I work hard and I always come out to the park early.”

…”He’s been throwing great. He’s the El Duque I’ve always known,” [Minaya,] the former Mets assistant GM said. “The leadership and the work ethic are there. Some men are perceived leaders and some men are leaders with scars. El Duque is a leader with the scars to prove it. When there was a big game for the Yankees, he wanted the ball. Wanting the ball is leadership.”

El Duque has also been in constant contact with fellow Cuban refuge, Jose Contreras, offering him counsel through what is undoubtedly a difficult transitional period:

“The change is very harsh, in speaking English, not understanding things, having your family far away, the pressure from the press, the money they’re paying you,” HernZndez said. “There’s a lot of things you have to overcome little by little.”

Contreras listened. Leo Astacio, Contreras’s translator with the Yankees, said: “He just kept nodding. He appreciated it.”

GETTING CLOSER TO GOD IN A TIGHT SITUATION

The Times has a story today about Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara. Last fall, Clara gave birth to a son, Jaziel. She had to have a Caesarean, and as a result began hemorrhaging. It was a frightening situation but she pulled through just fine.

Rivera, a deeply spirtual man, still gets misty-eyed when he talks about it.

Just to prove that all jocks aren’t self-involved jerks, dig this:

A few weeks later, Rivera invited about 20 members of the hospital staff who had cared for his family to a celebration at his home in Purchase, N.Y. It rained that night, and Rivera parked cars to keep his guests dry. “I’m thankful that my family survived because of what you did,” Rivera later told the gathering. The speech nearly caused him to weep.

“As a worker or an employee, it’s special when people show appreciation,” Cruz said. “Our staff was very humbled by being included in the night at the Rivera home. It was beautiful.”

A beaming Rivera said: “They took care of my wife and son like they were their family, so I wanted to do something for them. They told me no one had ever done anything like this for him.”

This story hit home for me, because my girlfriend is going to have major surgery tomorrow. Emily has Crones, and while the procedure is not life-threatening it will take up to 9 hours, and is a major ordeal. She will be at Lennox Hill hospital in New York for a week to ten days recovering after that. All of my thoughts and love will be with her, of course, and I can only hope that she is in good hands.

I won’t be able to treat all of her doctors and nurses to a dinner at my house, but I may send them a note of thanks all the same.

HUMBLE PIE

One thing I know for sure. Each year, the more I learn about baseball, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. Or how much I have yet to learn. It is why I keep coming back.

It is also one of the reasons why the art of second-guessing isn’t one of my favorite activities. More often than not, I simply don’t feel qualified enough to go there. Sure I engage in it from time to time, and I also appreciate how essential second-guessing is for many fans, but frankly, I’m more interested in how Dusty Baker is tuned in to his team’s individual culinary tastes than how sound his baseball strategies are.

But that’s just me.

With each passing season, I feel that as my appreciation for the game grows profoundly, so does the sense that there is still much to discover.

I was reminded of this when I read Rob Neyer’s recent interview with Paul DePodesta, assistant GM of the A’s. DePodesta serves as Billy Beane’s right-hand man in Oakland, and is likely to become a hot shot general manager sooner rather than later:

Growing up, I always thought I knew a lot about baseball. I played in college. I played with a bunch of guys who played pro ball. I played hundreds and hundreds of games. Because of my body type, I was an on-base machine (I haven’t hit a home run since tee-ball), and I was always fundamentally sound because I had to be. But I got to the Indians, and it didn’t take but three or four days of being around the minor-league complex in spring training, and I realized, “I know nothing.”

It was overwhelming at first. At that point, I realized that the best I could offer was just grinding out anything they needed done. And it was probably something like two years later when I gave them something that actually added value to the organization. I just didn’t know a lot about the game, or at least not about the way this game works.

So the advice I normally give is, “Don’t go in thinking that you’re going to revolutionize this organization. Go in ready to work very hard. Keep an open mind, and listen to everybody.”

RED ASS REDUX

Former teammates Omar Vizquel and Jose Mesa have a nasty little feud going. It started with comments Vizquel made about Mesa in his book, “Omar! My Life On and Off the Field,” and apparently didn’t end when the two faced each other last year.

“I thought he already took care of business,” Vizquel said Tuesday. “He already hit me once. He hit me twice actually, because he hit me once in Seattle. I don’t know why he hit me then. I hadn’t done anything to him then.”

The Indians faced the Phillies in a spring training game yesterday, but the two did not face each other.

Still, Mesa is still heated:

“I will not forgive him. Even my little boy (Jose Jr.) told me to get him. If I face him 10 more times, I’ll hit him 10 times. I want to kill him.”

Which bring to mind a scene from “The Honeymooners:”

Alice Kramden: They call me Killer, cause you slay me.

Ralph Kramden: And I’m calling Bellvue cause yer nuts!

TAKE IT FROM FRANK

Inspired by Vladi Guererro’s short fuse, I peeked into my baseball library and checked out Frank Robinson’s autobiography, “Extra Innings” (written with Berry Stainback).

Here is what the Hall of Famer had to say about beanballs:

I was as aggressive at the plate as I was on the base paths and in the outfield. I stood as close to the plate as I could and stuck my head out over it so that I could get the best possible view of the ball when it left the pitcher’s hand and so that I could protect the outside corner. If pitchers jammed me, my wrists were quick enough to get around on the pitch. And I dove into the ball as I strode to start my swing, but my reflexes were so sharp and my wrists were so strong that I could stop my stroke before I turned over my wrists for a called strike.

…But pitchers were not happy to see me come up to the plate with my head hanging over it in what was known as “concussion alley.” Many liked to throw fastballs inside and drive me off the plate. George Powles [a legendary American Legion coach from Oakland who also taught Joe Morgan, Curt Flood and Vada Pinson as kids] had schooled me well in how to get out of the way of inside pitches. Tuck your head into your shoulder and spin left. Quickly. If the pitch was too far inside, you spun and fell hard away from it. So a pitcher would knock me down, and I’d get right back up and hang over the plate again. At times, of course, I couldn’t get out of the way of 90-mph fastballs that were well inside. In my rookie year, I was hit by pitches 20 times, which easily led the league. I led the league in being hit by pitches in each of my ten National League seasons.

In Robinson’s second season (1957) he was beaned in the head by Ruben Gomez, and the following spring he was hit in the head again, this time by Camilo Pascual in an exhibition game against the Washington Senators. The second incident seriously effected Robbie, as his 1958 show. But the dip didn’t last long, and Robinson rebounded to win the NL MVP award by 1961.

The baseball played in those days was a lot tougher than it is today for one simple reason—the brushback pitch. Every team had a pitcher or two who moved guys off the plate and occasionally hit batters in the ribs, in the buttocks, in the elbow, or in the head. No team had more pitchers who threw dusters than the Dodgers…

We didn’t have many pitchers who regularly dusted opponents, and that bothered me when my teammates and I were being knocked down. If opposing pitchers were going to try and intimidate me to keep from doing my job, I though it was up to the pitchers on my club to help me and help themselves by retailiating with dusters. Most pitchers that you knocked down a couple of times got the message.

…We always knew when were being thrown at. When a pitcher with good control started throwing behind hitters, that was a clue. And when one of my teammates was hit such a pitcher, I’d tell ours, “Hey, let’s stop this thing before it gets out of hand. He hit one our our guys; let’s hit one of theirs and end it.”

The umpires usually controlled the beanball battles pretty well. Typical was a game against Don Drysdale. The first pitch he threw to second baseman Don Blasingame was behind his head. After getting Blazer out, Drysdale threw three pitches in a row at Pinson’s ankles, making him skip. Then Drysdale jammed Vada, but he dinked the pitch off his thumbs over third and ran it into a double. Drysdale was so furious that his face was flushed when I stepped in. His first pitch was at my head, the second at my ribs. While I spat out some dust, home plate umpire Dusty Boggess stepped toward Drysdale and said, “That’s enough of that. You do it one more time; you’re out of there.”

The next pitch smacked me in the forearm. Drysdale was ejected from the game, fined $50, and suspended for three days. Of course, suspending a starting pitcher for three days was meaningless, because he only started every four days anyway.

What? Robbie didn’t charge the mound? My how times have changed.

HURRICANE VLAD

In the first hilarious spaz encounter of the year, my main man Vlad Guerrero charged Brad Penny in the first inning of the Expos-Marlins exhibition game yesterday. Guerrero, who is surely over-sensitive about being pitched inside, instigated the fight with the Marlins pitcher.

Awww, nutzo.

“He threw the first punch. He started saying stuff. I just felt I wasn’t in the wrong at all,” Penny said.

“If I was going to hit him, I’d have thrown a four-seamer, not a sinker. It barely touched his shirt. It didn’t even hit him hard.”

Guerrero said it wasn’t the end result, but the principle involved.

“I expect people to pitch me inside. I understand that. But it was just the fact that it was up around the head area. And what he said after he threw at me, he kind of cursed at me. That kind of ticked me off.”

“Nobody’s that good to where you can’t throw inside. He’s a Hall-of- Famer, but you still have to pitch him in,” Penny said. “He’s going to get into a lot of fights if that’s how he acts when people throw him inside.”

Expos manager Frank Robinson, who was hit by his fair share of pitches during his playing days, naturally defended his star:

“He’s been very patient and very tolerant about these things, so I’m a little surprised. But when I really look at it, no. I think the pitcher accelerated it … coming down off the mound and popping off,” Robinson said.

“After watching all last year and this spring, the opposing pitchers take liberties. The pitchers say: ‘I’m gonna make a real good pitch, or I hit him. If I do, so be it. If he’s out of the lineup, so much the better.’ “

Perhaps Robinson can give Vlad some lessons in how to properly turn away from a brushback pitch. Of course, yesterday’s incident only reinforces just how much pitching inside has changed since Robinson’s playing days.

At the very least, this should add some spice to the inter-division rivalry between the ‘Spos and the Fish.

20 days until Opening day. Fire away.

DUMB AND DUMBER

The Yankees fined David Wells $100,000 yesterday for the sins of tarnishing the Yankee image. Oh, brother. Coming from George Steinbrenner, that sure is rich. Quite frankly, I don’t see how the punishment will do anything but boost the sales of Wells book.

Vic Ziegel hit the nail on the head in the Daily News this morning:

Has there been a more tiresome spring training story than David Wells, his perfect game, and his imperfect book?

Mike Lupica was in fine form today too:

George Steinbrenner, hiding behind his team president and his general manager, now fines David Wells $100,000 for the crime of being David Wells. Wells lets him do it, after writing a book that is supposed to show that he’s not just loud and obnoxious, but a real tough character as well. They both come up looking like phonies. It is why they are made for each other.

…The real beauty of what happened yesterday is an owner who never knows when to shut up fining one of his pitchers for not knowing when to shut up.

An owner who wrote the book on embarrassing the Yankees fines David Wells for writing a book that he thinks embarrasses the Yankees. It frankly doesn’t get much better than that.

…You know the only thing that would make the whole thing go away? Wells going away. Only he’s staying. It means Wells’ season will be more entertaining than his book, too.

It was easier in the old days, when Billy Martin was the one drinking too much, and embarrassing the Yankees more than the owner. Steinbrenner would just fire him. Only now he’s stuck with Wells and the irony is pretty wonderful, if you ask me:

George Steinbrenner can’t fire Boomer Wells, who brags about drinking too much, because of a deal the two of them cut in a bar.

U-G-L-Y, YOU AIN’T GOT NO ALIBI

I stopped by my friend Joey La P’s place in the East Village yesterday afternoon, and was thrilled and delighted to catch a couple of innings of the Yankee game. Joey has somehow managed to scam 6,000 channels of digital cable for himself, so we caught the Tampa Bay Fox feed of the game.

The most exciting thing I saw was Godzilla Matsui bat for the first time.

Boy, is he f-ugly. But like the real Godzilla, Matsui is ugly in a friendly way. Like a three-year old, Matsui has a very large head. He has high cheek bones, and a wide face, and crooked teeth. Matsui doesn’t look unlike a Cro-Magnon version of Christopher Walken.

But he’s not comically ugly, or offensively ugly. His face has character.

Matsui has huge, Robert Newhouse-fullback thighs, and a big, fat ass. He stands very erect in the box, and was selective and patient in the at-bat I saw. He pulled a 2-2 pitch on the ground to the right side. The ball kicked off Travis Lee’s glove, and into the outfield; Rondell White scored from second on the play. I believe Lee was given an error.

Still, Matsui looks to be an appealing hitter to watch. God bless Joey La Pep, and his scamming ass.

WHERE’S YOUR MESSIAH NOW?

One player who has had his fair share of critics over the past year and a half is Andy Pettitte. Some feel as if Pettitte is just not healthy enough to be a big time pitcher any longer. Andy’s performance on Saturday didn’t help dismiss the skeptics.

FANTASY FYI

I recieved an e-mail from a reader, plugging his keeper fantasy league. I’m not going to have the time to participate, but I thought I’d pass it along in case any of you out there were interesting. Here are the details he forwarded to me. Check it out:

Details: This will be a ten-team yahoo keeper league with a live mixed draft on 3-17-03 @ 6:50 pm est. To join the yahoo league click http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/b1, join private league, then enter league id #53151, password-daggers.

After the season you will be able to reserve 4 players from your team, and use them again next season. There is a $100 entry fee for this league, payable in full or installments via money orders, check, yahoo pay direct, or paypal. PAYMENT DOES NOT NEED TO BE MADE PRIOR TO THE DRAFT!! Please contact me for payment details and address.

Entire amount must be paid by all-star game, or your team will be dropped, and any money paid will not be refunded. Prizes-$850 to overall winner including playoffs, $150 to playoff runner-up.

Scoring will be head to head based on these categories : R H HR RBI SB AVG OPS W L CG SHO SV K HLD ERA WHIP. Your roster will consist of the following: Starting Positions: C, 1B, 1B, 2B, 2B, 3B, 3B, SS, SS, OF, OF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, RP, RP, DL, DL PLUS 5 BENCH SPOTS.

Please email me with any questions.
THANKS
Jeff

jadevine@optonline.net

CHUMP CHANGE

According to a report in the New York Times this morning, the Yankees will fine Boomer Wells $100,000 for embarrassing the organization with comments made in the pitcher’s new book. Sparky Lyle and Craig Nettles got their asses shipped out of town after they published their books (“The Bronx Zoo,” and “Balls”).

Boomer should consider his fat ass lucky. Fuggin degenerate.

NO CONTEST

Although it’s seemed clear for a while now that Jeff Weaver will earn a spot in the starting rotation over Jose Contreras, Contreras’ third poor outing helped solidify the feeling that the big Cuban will start the season in Triple A or the bullpen.

Joe Torre, who all but promised Weaver a starting role at the end of last year, doesn’t need convincing.

“He didn’t have to make a case for me, everbody knows that,” Torre said. “I like what I see, obviously.”

Contreras relieved starter Jeff Weaver yesterday and gave up 7 runs on 7 hits in 3 innings of work against the Devil Rays. But another poor performance is the least of the Jose’s problems:

There is so much going on inside Jose Contreras’ head. His 80-year-old father, Florentino, who was recovering from surgery on an intestinal blockage, had a stroke Saturday and is in intensive care in a Havana hospital.

His wife and two daughters are in Cuba, too, and Contreras, who has rarely been apart from his wife since they married as teenagers 15 years ago, doesn’t know if he’ll ever see them again.

…”I think I pitched 10 years of Triple-A in Cuba,” Contreras said through a translator. “The level of Cuba is equivalent to Triple-A. Just because I struggled and have had a few bad outings, doesn’t mean I’m not ready for this.

“The last few outings, you haven’t seen the pitcher I am,” Contreras added. “Once I get out of this rut in the near future, you’ll see.”

Meanwhile, Weaver allowed 1 run on 5 hits in 4 innings of work. Not only does Weaver have the support of his manager, Joe Torre, but GM Brian Cashman is a big fan too. And rightfully so. The deal that brought Weaver to New York was all Cashman.

According to Tyler Kepner in an article that appeared in the Sunday Times:

Weaver is here because of Cashman. It may be no coincidence, then, that the right-handed Weaver sometimes seems to be a spare part on the Yankees’ staff. His stuff is electric but his profile is low. He is not here because the owner demanded it.

… “We didn’t have a need for him, but I was like, `This is my opportunity; I have to take advantage of it,’ ” Cashman said. “A guy at this age, with this contract, everything that we believe he is, we have to somehow try to make this work.”

Weaver learned of the trade at his hotel in Boston, when Dombrowski summoned him back to Fenway Park at midnight. When he got the news, Weaver cried. But talking to Cashman that night took away some of the sting.

“He was straightforward and straight up,” Weaver said. “He told me: `I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. We have a few extras in there, but the rotation is getting up in age, and who knows how long they’ll be able to go? We want you to be here for the future, to make the transition a continuous one.’ “

…”I can’t profess to know him well,” Cashman said. “I can’t tell you we’re friends. But I like him. I like everything about him. I get excited when he’s on that mound.”

BIBLE STUDIES

In the latest installment of the Pinstriped Bible, Steven Goldman compares Yankee DH Nick Johnson, to former Bronx Bomber Ron Blomberg, who was the first designated hitter to appear in the big leagues. Hopefully for Yankee fans, Johnson will have a more successful career than Blomberg. Still, it’s an interesting comparison:

Johnson’s body is what it is; if his wrists betray him it’s no fault of his. Still, it takes a ballplayer an instant to be labeled as fragile, a lifetime to live it down. This spring is a crucible moment for his career — he’s either going to establish himself now or face an uphill climb. This is only partially because he’s in an organization that can’t afford to wait, and mainly because when a youngster goes from “first base prospect” to “first base option,” he is thrown into a large pool of players from which it is very difficult to distinguish oneself. Call it “The Ivan Cruz Zone.” It’s easy to get in, nigh impossible to get out.

EXPLOSIONS

I love the idea of the Expos as the “Slap Shot” team of the Major Leagues. Owned by Major League Baseball, run by Omar Minaya, managed by Frank Robinson, and led by the inimitable Vlad Guerreo, the Expos are interesting if nothing else.

Phil Rogers has a long article on Montreal today, over at ESPN, which also reprints its hot stove report on Frank Robinson’s bunch too. And just for the hell of it, here are two more articles on from North of the Border.

WHAT KEEPS US ALL UP AT NIGHT

Rob Neyer profiles Angels GM Bill Stoneman, and Giants GM Brian Sabean over at ESPN. When asked what keeps him up at night, Stoneman spoke for baseball fans everywhere, not only his fellow GM’s:

The same thing that keeps a lot of GMs up at night: health questions. The unexpected. Something serious that might cost us a good player. That stuff you don’t control. We’ve got pretty good depth on the bench. Some of the same guys we had last year, plus Eric Owens. But you still don’t like to lose your No. 1 guys, and that’s something you just can’t control.

On that note, Mets pitcher Pedro Astacio and Yankee second baseman Alfonso Soriano are hurting.

Speaking of pain, the Boomer Wells story has become a sore for sight eyes. While the Yankees continue to deliberate on how to punish Wells, Rocket Clemens fired away at Boomer on Michael Kay’s radio show yesterday.

Link at your own risk.

HEY, GOOD LOOKIN’

Everything is a-okay in Red Sox Nation this morning. Pedro Martinez was his usual impressive self in his spring training debut against the Twinkies yesterday. Last year, Thomas Boswell used the phrase “imperial disdain” to describe Barry Bonds at the plate. I think it applies to Prince P on the mound as well.

Kevin Kernan has a nice little piece on Jason Giambi’s relationship with Ted Williams in the Post, while Joel Sherman offers a puff piece on Cliff Floyd.

NOT A BELIEVER

While the Orioles are making waves about aquiring Junior Griffey, Lee Sinns isn’t sure it would be a wise move:

I think that Griffey’s days as a top of the line player are over. He was never the best player in baseball. He was never as good as Bonds, even when Bonds wasn’t the Bonds of 2001-02. He was never the best player in the league. Even in his “mvp” season, Frank Thomas was much more productive than him and Griffey was only barely the most productive player on his own team, with Edgar Martinez giving him a great run for his money.

Griffey’s also not had a sharp all of a sudden decline. He’s been in a consistent state of decline for years–

YEAR SLG OBA OPS RCAA OWP RC/G
1997 .646 .382 1.028 65 .731 9.04
1998 .611 .365 .977 51 .692 8.00
1999 .576 .384 .960 45 .669 8.28
2000 .556 .387 .942 27 .614 7.87
2001 .533 .365 .898 18 .628 7.02
2002 .426 .358 .784 -2 .476 5.16

NO PEPPER GAMES ALLOWED

According to Lee Sinn’s ATM report today:

1) Orioles owner Peter Angelos has given the team permission to trade for Ken Griffey Jr. According to the Baltimore Sun, “the Orioles remain determined to add a major run producer to their lineup, and Griffey has quietly hovered near the top of their target list, along with Kansas City Royals center fielder Carlos Beltran.” The paper reports the Orioles are willing to include Sidney Ponson and one or two prospects in a deal, with Brian Roberts being a possibility.

2) Yankees P Steve Karsay complained of shoulder soreness and is being shut
down for a few days. He’s coming off back surgery and, while the Yankees
have been insisting that he’ll be ready for Opening Day, Baseball
Prospectus’s injury expert Will Carroll hasn’t been so optimistic.

After 3.76 ERA/11 RSAA and 2.35 ERA/21 RSAA seasons, Karsay had a 3.26
ERA/11 RSAA in 78 games in his first year with the Yankees. He has a 3.88
career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.62, and 47 RSAA in 321 games.

Karsay became the 4th pitcher to have 3 consecutive years with 70+ games,
10+ RSAA and an ERA at least 1.00 better than the league average–

T1 Duane Ward 1991-93 3
T1 Jeff Shaw 1996-98 3
T1 Scott Sullivan 1999-01 3
T1 Steve Karsay 2000-02 3

Sinn’s daily ATM report is essential for any hardcore fan. What’s better, is it’s free, baby. Don’t sleep.

Christian Ruzich, The Cub Reporter, has a great report from the Cubbies training camp in Arizona.

David Pinto has two posts that are worth checking out: one is about how to speed up the game, and the other one is about Derek Jeter.

Finally, Ed Cossette has a fun column today over at Bambino’s Curse. He links articles about Prince Pedro Martinez, and Jurassic Carl Everett. The Everett piece is hilarious. Lord what a putz. As talented as Everett is, the Rangers can have him.

SPRING CHICKEN

Jeff Pearlman has an article on the Ancient Mariner, Jesse Orosco in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. Will Orosco, now 45, pitch until he’s 50? Uncle Jesse tells Pearlman:

The reason I’m still around is because I feel the ame way I did when I was in Little League, greasing up the mitt before the season. I’m excited for spring training. I love batting practice. The games are thrilling, even if I’m sitting in the bullpen. I’m the little boy who loves baseball. I don’t care what my job is.

THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW

Will Carroll, over at Baseball Prospectus, has posted his team health report for the New York Mets. Carroll has concerns about the usual suspects—Mo Vaughn, Cliff Floyd and Mike Piazza, and is skeptical about the Mets chances of winning the NL East:

The question going into this season is does removing a Bobby V-shaped tumor from the Mets and plugging in Howe’s soothing salve fix things? Does adding two big signings–both with some questions–push the big-money Mets back into contention? A team with the cash the Mets have should never have an organizational depth problem if they do the necessary due diligence. At the very least, they should fill Norfolk with Quadruple-A players while they’re developing young prospects. Yet somehow, the Mets have found ways to spend money without making themselves appreciably better.

…In the new-look NL East, the Mets once again feel they are contenders. Fueled by an involved owner and a GM trying to hang onto his job, they should be nothing if not interesting. But despite a roster that looks to be healthy, it’s unlikely that the Mets can hang with the Phillies and Braves. One or two unexpected injuries could drop them behind the Expos and Marlins.