With every game being so crucial to the Yankees divisional hopes, it is now time for Joe Torre to flip-flop Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter in the Yankee
batting order. If you have been following the Yankees all year long, you surely
noticed by now that Damon is not the man to be batting leadoff for this team.
For whatever reason ( I still contend he’s playing hurt) Johnny has become a
very anemic hitter. It seems all he’s doing is hitting pop ups and weak
grounders to the right side. With his on base percentage (.341) being 60 points
less than Jeter’s, this should be a "no-brainer" move for Torre. By moving Jeter
up to the leadoff spot, the Yankees will have a better chance of scoring in the
first innings of games. This season, the Yankees have been having lots of
trouble grabbing an early lead, and Damon’s poor offensive year at the top of
the order is the reason for it.

Batting behind Jeter may actually help Damon snap out of his slump. With
Jeter being on base 40% of the time, Damon will have a chance to sacrifice Jeter
over to second for Bobby Abreu or Alex Rodriguez to pick up. Torre could also
use the hit-and-run more which will open more holes in the infield for Johnny to
poke one through. I know Joe loves Derek in the second spot, but the Yankees are
a better team with the Captain leading off.

Speaking of Damon, the Yankees shouldn’t even consider taking Melky Cabrera
out of centerfield in favor of Johnny. Cabrera’s strong and accurate arm has
stopped the "first-to-third" merry-go-round which had become a staple for the
opposition for the last few years of Bernie Williams’ career, and the first year
and a half of Damon’s Yankee tenure.

During the Yankees early season struggles, one of the factors that was
over-looked was the poor start by Hideki Matsui. Uncharacteristically, Matsui
wasn’t hitting for a high average, and was failing to drive in runs. Well, that
has all changed in July. "Godzilla" is back to form as he’s hitting .313 (.389
OBP), with 5 homers and 9 RBI early on this month. The reason for Matsui’s
resurgence? Maybe his wrist, which he broke last May, is finally back to its
pre-injury state. Whatever the reason, the Yankees finally have some protection
behind A-Rod in the order.

Kei Igawa’s days as a Yankee starter, are on life support. With Phil Hughes
just a few weeks away from a return to the rotation, Igawa will get one or two
more starts and then be sent down to the minors or used out of the pen. When he
starts, Igawa seems to get by the first few innings, then the hitters figure him
out and it’s bombs away. To prove this point, here is the breakdown on Igawa so
far this year:

In his initial 1-15 pitches, hitters are batting .240 against Kei. He’s
still fine when he throws the 16th – 30th pitch (.219). Once Igawa gets by 30
pitches, he loses it. Hitters facing Kei’s 31st-45th pitch are hitting .333, and
those who face his 46-60th pitch are batting .290. If you watch his outings, you
know these numbers don’t lie. At best, the only way  Igawa can help the Yanks
this year may be as a mop up man out of the pen or lefty specialist.

Besides moving Jeter up to the first spot in the order, Torre must make
another key move, and that is anoint Luis Vizcaino as his eighth inning bridge
man. Joe has give Kyle Farnsworth numerous chances, but the hard throwing right
hander just hasn’t got the job done. Vizcaino has earned the right to hand the
ball over to Mariano and Joe should let him do just that.

Remember last season when we all thought David Ortiz was an unbelievable
clutch hitter late in games? Remember when Alex Rodriguez was chastised for not
doing what Ortiz does? Well, how fast things change.  In the close and late stat
this year, Ortiz is hitting .205, with 0 homers, and 1 RBI. A-Rod is batting
.333, with 5 homers, and 16 RBI. Sometimes you just got to love stats.

If no one has noticed, the Yankees are averaging 51,806 fans per game so far
this season. If the Yankees do what  I believe they can do ( a late season
charge past Boston) this average will sure go higher. Yes, business is booming
in the Bronx.

The Tradition and Comeback Continues at www.yankeetradition.com

On the eve of the start of the second half of the 2007 baseball season, the New York Yankees stand 9 games ( in the loss column) behind the
first place Boston Red Sox. With 77 games remaining on the Yankees schedule,
most "experts" have concluded the Yanks won’t catch Boston, and have labeled
people like me (those who feel the Yanks can win this division) as "nuts",
"dreamers",  and just chalk up my 1978 talk as "wishful thinking" from a
diehard fan.  My response to people who deride me, laugh at me, or discount
me as a "pinstripe dreamer"  has always been, "who cares"?

One thing I have learned over the years is, there are no
"baseball experts" out there. Yes, this year, a baseball writer on the YES
Network website can sound like a genius saying how the Yankees are out of it and
should blow it all up and start trading stars. So far, this guy is looking
pretty good. But you know what? Two years ago (2005) when the Yanks trailed
Boston by four or five games in early July, this guy wrote the same thing. He
went on to say the Yankees should trade "aging" players like Jorge Posada. Well,
the Yanks came back and won the division that year, and thankfully, Brian
Cashman doesn’t get his "expert" advice from columnists, for Jorge Posada is
still a Yankee.

In July of that same year, a seasoned Boston Globe columnist,
declared Boston would win the division by at least 10 games over the Yankees. 
This "expert" then spent the next  2 1/2 months fending off critics as the
Yankees passed Boston and won the East title. Last season when the Yankees were
four games out on the 4th of July, we heard and read the same kind of "Yankee
demise" stories. As a matter of fact, ever since their historic 1998 season,
every time the Yankees fall back in the division by more than a handful of
games, we hear and read the same kind of gloom and doom.

So from these few examples, and believe me, there are many, many
more, you can see why I chuckle at what these "experts" write as much as people
chuckle at my optimism for this 2007 Yankee team. If the season ended in July, I
would tip my cap to the "experts" out there and give them their due. However,
the season doesn’t end this early, and that’s where these journalists seem to be
making their mistake. In an effort to come up with a  "Man Bites Dog"
story, these writers are always quick to write the Yankees off. This year, they
have been doing just that since May, and now I will go on to explain why they will
be wrong—-AGAIN.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE FINAL 77 GAMES

Let’s get this straight from the start, the Yankees are going to
have to do a lot of things better than they did in the first half of the season
to catch Boston. No, they don’t need Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, or
Joe DiMaggio to rise from Monument Park to help the team out, but they are going
to need better second halves from numerous players.

In my opinion, Johnny Damon is going to be the most important
player who has to step it up during the second half of the season. As I’ve
written many times this year, I appreciate the fact that Damon plays hurt, but
he’s going to have to start producing soon.  Hitting in the leadoff spot in
front of  guys like Jeter and A-Rod, Johnny has to hit better than .245 and
has to get on base at better than a .339 clip. The Yankees have trouble scoring
first inning runs, and that’s because they haven’t had a consistent table-setter
at the top of the order this year.  We all know a healthy Damon can give
the Yankees just that, so it’s not far-fetched to predict Johnny may have a
terrific second half. It’s going to be needed.

Besides Damon, the Yankees must get more consistent offensives
performances from Bobby Abreu and Robinson Cano. Both players are capable, but
like Johnny, they have to get it going quickly. Abreu had a great second half
last year, and hopefully Cano has learned one good year doesn’t make you a super
star. Robinson has to concentrate more, and be more selective at the plate.

Unlike the first two months of the season, the Yankees have four
solid starters in their rotation to begin the second half. Just the fact that
Wang, Pettitte, Mussina, and Clemens will be in rotation will make the second
half Yanks a much improved team. Unfortunately, when you are nine games behind,
you need production from your fifth starter. Kei Igawa is not the answer here. 
As written numerous times on this site, Igawa just doesn’t have the stuff to
pitch effectively as a starter at this level.  In a week or two, the
Yankees may have two options besides Igawa. Both Phil Hughes and Jeff Karstens
are rehabbing and could help the Yanks out by late July. If Hughes joins the
rotation, Karstens can be a much needed long man out of the bullpen.

It’s going to be very important that Luis Vizcaino continues to
pitch well out of the Yankee pen. An effective Vizcaino gives manager Joe Torre
an alternative to Kyle Farnsworth and Scott Proctor who both have been very
inconsistent this year.

As with every Yankee team in recent history, Brian Cashman is
going to play a key role in the Yankees quest in catching Boston. There are a
few holes on this team which the Yankees can’t fix from within. In some way,
Cashman has to get a first baseman, another reliever, and a bat for the bench,
by the July 31′st trading deadline. The loss of a healthy Giambi has really
hurt, and no one knows if he can come back this year. With his offense gone,
it’s imperative that the Yanks get another power bat to protect Alex Rodriguez.

If you look at the Yankees schedule for the next month, you can
conclude if the Yankees get their act together, they will pile up the wins. It’s
easy to say, but the Yankees have to play each game with extreme urgency, as if
their season is on the line each day. Boston is not a super team and has many
flaws. Unlike a few weeks ago, the Yankees can’t afford to go on losing streaks
when Boston is losing. The Red Sox will have their share of losing streaks in
the second half, but the Yankees must capitalize on them.

This 2007 comeback is not going to be easy, but despite what the
"experts" think, it can be done. Don’t take my word for it, just look at their
track record.

www.yankeetradition.com

So I have come back to this site, where it all began so many years ago
You all remember my work in the ’96 Series, for I was as good as our manager, Joe

www.yankeetradition.com

After returning home from New York in a great mood this weekend, I thought I’d  share some of my thoughts on the now surging New York
Yankees.

To "the unnamed scout" who said Bobby Abreu looks like "he got
old fast", what do you think now?  Bobby has been red hot (19-38) at the plate
and is back being very patient at the dish.  I’m shocked that a scout would make
such a comment just two months into a season. Doesn’t the guy know that some
very good players go into prolonged slumps during a season?  Maybe this "unnamed
scout" will just chalk it up to Geritol. Again, I will ask why are so many out
there trying to write off teams and players early on in the season? There are
going to be lots of red-faced "experts" come October.

For the second straight season, the Yankees are getting some
much needed energetic infusion from Melky Cabrera. Despite misjudging a fly ball
on Friday night (Melky ran in, and the ball sailed over his head) Cabrera is
playing a great centerfield for the "Bombers". The kid is chasing down
everything in both gaps , and he has a strong, accurate arm. If Johnny Damon
ever gets healthy, the Yankees still should use Cabrera as the full-time
centerfielder. He is just so much better than Damon, and teams won’t run on him.

Attention Yankee fans who wanted Joe Torre fired a few weeks
ago. In Sunday’s New York Post, there was a question and answer piece (Steve
Serby did the interview) done with Yankee catcher, Jorge Posada. Here are some
very important points in that interview that "Torre bashers" should
absorb.

Posada called Joe Torre, "the best manager in
baseball."  When asked what makes Torre the best, Posada gave the following
answer. "He’s always even-keeled; he brings the best out of each player and
he goes out there and really is the same every day. You don’t see a difference
in the way he manages just because we’re losing or winning."

Serby then asked Posada the following question. If this team
fails again to win a World Series and Torre is fired, would it impact your
postseason decision (to stay with the Yankees)? Here is how Posada answered the
question. "Yes, sir. As soon as the season is over, I would look at every
situation, and I would see how the team is going and hold my
decisions."

Remember this, Yankee fans. Right now, Jorge Posada cannot be
replaced, and the Yankees can’t afford to lose him.

I tip my cap to Roger Clemens on his performance on Saturday.
Roger didn’t have his best fastball (90-91mph) but he found a way to win. He had
a very good splitter, and though rusty at times, he gave the Yankees six quality
innings. I’m fine with the Yankees sending out Wang, Pettitte, Mussina, and
Clemens every 4 out of 5 games. With this lineup, the top four should really
start to pile up victories.

I feel Derek Jeter, who has fouled numerous pitches off his
shin and ankle, is still playing hurt. Jeter looks a step slow out there, and
you can see he’s fighting it off. Monday’s off day should help the Yankee
captain.

Cabrera’s miscue on Friday night cost Andy Pettitte another
win, but the good news was Andy was great again.  I would start Pettitte in Game
1 of any playoff series and feel comfortable with him on the mound. He truly has
become a pitcher who mixes it up very well.

Kudos to Miguel Cairo who has actually done a nice job at first
base.

I’m still not happy or secure with the Yankee bullpen. Brian
Cashman must find a way to obtain a reliable arm to go along with Mariano
Rivera’s golden arm.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a right-handed hitter hit the ball
so far the opposite way than Alex Rodriguez. Alex seems to take an easy swing,
and the ball just sails off his bat the opposite way. If he continues to go with
the pitch, he may hit 60-plus homers this year. By the way, has anyone notice
how well A-Rod is playing at third?

The Yankees have shaved 5-games off Boston’s season high 14 1/2
game lead in a short time. Though the majority of New Englanders don’t want to
read about it  on this site, all I can say is, "Can you say 1978?" Folks, it’s
going to happen, you can just feel it. I’m telling you, there is nothing more
enjoyable than seeing a Boston 14 1/2 game lead dwindle during the summer. 
Forget 1998. Coming from behind like this is so much more enjoyable. New England
is going to be very damp during the next few months from the sweat of "Red Sox
Nation" hearing the Yankees footsteps!

www.yankeetradition.com

For those out there who were "appalled" by Alex Rodriguez’ "Ha", while running past Blue Jays third baseman, Howie Clark on Wednesday night, please get over it. As a matter of fact, instead of bashing A-Rod for it, you should be dismayed that professional baseball players (Clark and shortstop John McDonald) fell for it. Yelling, "I got it", and "deeking" by opposing players goes on all the time in major league baseball. Next time you see a shortstop "deek" a runner coming towards second base on a pop up, think about what Rodriguez did and tell me the difference.

To Alex Rodriguez, as a Yankee fan, all I can say is, "Way to go!"

Folks, A-Rod should be praised by ALL fans of major league baseball for his heads up play on Wednesday. Why you ask? Well for one, it goes to show you that even a guy making $25-million a year, and playing on a team that was 14 1/2 games out of first places, STILL wanted to win badly enough to "get in the heads" of Clark and McDonald. With the Yankees leading the game by two runs, it would have been so easy for Alex just to go through the motions while running to third and be satisfied. His now famous "Ha", proved he wasn’t satisfied, and maybe that play will wake up the Yankees.

***********************************************************************

Speaking of waking up the Yankees, it was refreshing to see the Yankees play "hard ball" with the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. After years and years of not protecting their players who were getting hit by Boston pitchers, the Yankee pitching staff is finally "getting it", and retaliating. Sorry, Kevin Youkilis, but finally the Yankee pitchers have learned "plunking" players shouldn’t be a one way street.

This is the way I like to see the game being played. I was "weaned" on baseball like this, in the late ’60′s and  70′s.  I’ve been talking about 1978 for the past few weeks and one of my favorite things about that year (in retrospect) was that the Yankees and Red Sox actually disliked each other. Very rarely did you see this "butt slapping" or "embracing"  which goes on with the two teams now.

***********************************************************************************

Many fans wrote in asking my opinion about Alex Rodriguez’ "extra curricular activities" and how this "fits" the Yankee image. I honestly don’t care who Alex goes out with. This is his and his wife’s problem. I told my E-mailers that I’m only concerned about about Alex hitting on the field and not with who he’s "hitting" on in the clubs.  Every Yankee fan adored and still adores Mickey Mantle, and we all know what Mickey was doing off the field. For those who don’t know, Babe Ruth was also a "player" after hours.

***************************************************************************************************

The New England media is wasting lots of column space telling us how the East race is "over", and why this year is different than 1978.  Frankly, I don’t understand why a columnist would declare a race over in May or June? What can he gain by doing this?  Why would a columnist "chance" fate and think this Yankee team will be finished in June? As of this writing, the Yankees have 17 weeks of baseball left, which means all they have to do is gain only 1-game per week. Don’t think it can be done. I believe it can. And if it happens, you think those columnists are going to say they jumped the gun and made a huge mistake? Don’t bet on it.

I do agree with the columnists who are saying "this year is different than 1978."  Of course it is. In 1978, the Yankees (as the front page of this site shows) the Yankees trailed Boston by 14 games on July 18th. We have a more than a month of baseball to go before we get to that point. If the Yankees ever get Boston’s lead down to single digits by the All-Star break, look out. That’s when it’s really going to fun around here. There is nothing more entertaining than watching the reaction of Boston fans as a huge lead shrinks. I’ve been through this before and it’s why 1978 was the most entertaining baseball season of my life.

**************************************************************************************

Now I can write about comebacks, but in order for the Yankees to get the job done, they are going to have to fix their bullpen. Kyle Farnsworth and Ron Villone don’t belong on this team. Brian Cashman (and it may cost him a good chip) is going to have to get a reliable arm or two in the pen for the stretch run. The Yankees really need a long man in the pen and that’s why I felt losing Darrell Rasner was a killer. This guy would have been perfect for a long man role in the pen.  "Cash" is also going to have to find a bat to replace Jason Giambi who may be out for the season.

********************************************************************************************

With Giambi out, the Yankees plan to use Johnny Damon as the DH, and play Melky Cabrera in center. The Yankees called up outfielder Kevin Thompson to fill Jason’s spot on the roster. I wish the Yankees would give the speedy Thompson a chance. Every time I see him play, he impresses me. If Melky can’t get it going at the plate, I’d love to see what Thompson could do, if he was given significant playing time.

www.yankeetradition.com

Well, what can you say, Yankee fans?

How do react to what happened to Darrell Rasner in the first
inning of Saturday’s game against the Mets? I just shook my head in disbelief as
for the second time this season, the Yankees lost a starting pitcher in the
first inning of a game due to a liner back to the mound. How much more can this
team endure? Between the rainouts, hamstring pulls, and liners back to the
mound, the Yankees can’t field a consistent starting five. It’s very
frustrating, because it’s still early in the season and you know this team will
hit, so if they can just get a consistent rotation going, they will start to
win.

So let’s get back to "how do you react?"

Maybe we should all react like our Yankees did on Saturday. 
As deflating as losing a pitcher to injury for the second time this year is; as
deflating as a stagnant offense is;  as deflating as falling 10 games
behind the Red Sox is; and as deflating as trailing 8-2 in the early innings is,
this team REFUSED to give up.

I know I’m going to anger my critics who constantly deride me
for seeing everything "through my pinstriped glasses", but I saw something very
important in Saturday’s loss to the New York Mets. On Saturday, I saw a Yankee
team that through their play said, we are going to fight through this. With all
the things that were going wrong and went wrong recently, I saw a group of guys
mount a valiant comeback in the the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings of a game
they would eventually lose, 10-7. In a game where they could have just packed it
in and said "woe is us", these New York Yankees refused to die easily. I like
that in a team, and that’s why I’m confident this club will turn this season
around soon.

On Saturday, I saw Johnny Damon sliding hard into second base
breaking up a double play. I saw Derek Jeter "busting" it down the first base
line when he hit a routine ground out. I also saw Jorge Posada and Alex
Rodriguez try to carry the team victory in the 8th and 9th innings. When I saw
the reactions of the players in the Yankee dugout in the late innings, I didn’t
see a group of guys with their heads down. Instead, I saw everyone cheering on
the rallies. If you looked very closely, the Yankees were telling the baseball
world, don’t count us out just yet.

After the game was over, I also was buoyed by the comments I
heard from some of the players. Damon blamed himself for not making what would
have been a terrific catch in center on a homer hit by David Wright. Mike Myers
said he "let the team down" when he was called in after Rasner got hurt. Alex
Rodriguez gave support to Robinson Cano, who had a three error day. There were
no excuses in that locker room. As a matter of fact, from the way they played
the game, and from their post-game comments, I sensed a confident resolve in
this TEAM.

Yes, I know my critics and post 1996 Yankee "fans" only count
wins and losses, but I’m different.  There are certain times in a season
when I "see" things in a team. I believe I saw something on Saturday, and I
assure you, many Yankees will talk about that game as a "spring-board" if they
start playing well the rest of the way.

www.yankeetradition.com

If you followed the Yankees closely this season, you can easily explain their poor 18-21 start. First, early on, the starting staff was
ravaged with injuries. The "Bronx Bombers" were without their top two starters
for most of April, and that had a negative impact on the team. Once Chien-Ming
Wang and Mike Mussina did come back, the rotation settled down, and has been
pitching well. Unfortunately, right after the pitching improved, the offense
became feeble, and  that has  been the main factor in the Yankees poor
May so far. Who would have guessed that the offense would be a problem on this
team?

As the Yankees approach the first "Subway Series" against the
New York Mets tonight (May 18th), Johnny Damon (.256), Jason Giambi (.273),
Robinson Cano (.234), Hideki Matsui (.275), Bobby Abreu (.236), and Alex
Rodriguez (.318) are all struggling at the plate. With Damon and Giambi, nagging
injuries are playing a role in their lack of hitting, but the rest of the
slumping hitters have no excuse.

Cano’s problem is that he’s been swinging at bad pitches.
Opposing teams have figured out Robinson is an aggressive hitter who doesn’t
walk, so now pitchers are letting Cano get himself out. Robbie has to realize
what is going on, and not be over-anxious at the plate. This kid is a very good
hitter and once he settles down, his bat should come alive.

Abreu has been an enigma so far this season. All of a sudden,
Bobby is not working the count, and like Cano, is getting himself out. Abreu’s
track record tells us he will eventually return to form,  and the Yankees
are hoping it starts soon.

Matsui and A-Rod’s recent struggles stem  from each
player trying to pick up the slack from the other slumping hitters. Both Alex
and Hideki should just watch the way Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada are
approaching each at bat. The Yankees two hot hitters are staying within
themselves and are just letting the game come to them. They are not forcing the
issue.

So on May 18th, we know what has led to a 18-21 record. The
big question now is, what will "kick-start" this team into playing the winning
ball we all know they are capable of?

In my opinion, the next six games will tell us what this
Yankee team is made of.  The Yanks will be playing their cross-town rival
Mets for three games and then play their arch-rivals, the first place Boston Red
Sox, for three more.  If the competition in the next six games doesn’t help
the Yankees get out of their early season funk, I don’t know what will.

Now is the time for the Yankee hitters to take control. I’m
not calling for them to press, but instead, show some swagger, and begin to play
up to their potential.  It’s time for the Yankees to shed the rust and play
some quality baseball.  They have to forget about the nagging injuries and
start getting the job done. No, excuses.

It’s only May 18th and the pennant won’t be decided in the
next six games. That said,  what the next six games will show is, what kind
of Yankee team will take on the rest of the season. Will we see a team limping
around with no spark? Or will we see a team that will get its swagger back, and
aim to go on a huge run?

Stay tuned. The next six games just may be remembered as a
starting point for the 2007 New York Yankees.

www.yankeetradition.com

Over the past two weeks, I must have answered these questions a hundred times. "Are you worried yet? What’s wrong with this team? Should Joe be fired? Can this team recover? Can we catch Boston? Why is this happening?"

Usually, before I answer questions like the ones above, I chuckle at the fact that fans seem to panic earlier and earlier every season.  It amazes me that 23 games into a 162-game season, fans and some media members are in full-blown panic mode. I chalk this "hysteria" up to the fact that because the Yankees win so much, when they hit a bump in the road, it becomes a "man bites dog" story. When one of the bumps occurs during the first month of the season, the panic seems to hit a fever pitch.

As we approach May 1′st, I thought it would be good idea  to answer some of the above questions publicly. First to ease the panic of some fans, and secondly to give my E-mail account a breather!

"Are you worried yet?"

No, I never worry about a good team getting off to a bad start in April and May. Baseball is such a long season, and  to panic after 23 or 40 games is silly. When you start off slowly in baseball, you have the luxury of having lots of time to make up ground. If a team is truly "good enough", they will make up ground as the season goes on.

Some Yankee fans have short memories. In April 2005, the Yankees ended  the month with a 10-14 record. The team ended up winning 95 games that season. In 2004, the team got off to a "so-so" April (11-10) and then went on to win 101 games. This is why I never worry about a slow Yankee start.  Sorry, "the sky is falling people", there are just so many more games to be played.

"What’s wrong with this team?"

The people who are asking me this question, can’t be paying much attention to this team.

Folks, the team lost 3 of its 5 starting pitchers for most of the first month. That’s what was wrong with the team in April. With the loss of Mike Mussina and Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees had to play their first 23 games without the benefit of having arguably their two best pitchers in their rotation.  Wang and Mussina can both eat up innings, and they were sorely missed for much of April. When you couple their loss with losing  projected number four starter, Carl Pavano,  you would have to know the answer to the "what’s wrong with this team?" question. In short, a crippled starting staff was what was wrong with this team.

"Should Joe Be Fired?"

Absolutely not.

A good manager can find a way to compensate for losing his ace.  But once that ace is gone, and you lose your number 2 starter, now you’re going to have serious problems. When you then lose your number 4 starter, then you are talking disaster. Joe Torre had to manage through disaster for the whole month of April. Losing three fifths of your rotation will cause your pen to be over-worked and exposed ,and that’s not Torre’s fault. There’s nothing more he could have done. The starters weren’t going enough innings, and that had a negative impact on the bullpen.

"Can the Yankees recover? Can they catch Boston?"

Yes and Yes.

This coming week, Mike Mussina will return to the rotation. That means, for the first time this season, the Yankees will have their big three (Wang, Mussina, and Pettitte) all pitching in the rotation at the same time. This will equate to more consistent winning outings, and give the over-worked pen a much needed breather.  Knowing that his "big three" are healthy and pitching well, Joe can more effectively use his pen in the manner it was intended to be used. The offense will also benefit from this as they don’t have to press to try to score 8 runs per game.

For those of you who are worried about Boston, relax. There are 138 games left, and the Red Sox are far from a perfect team. They will have some slumps and will also have to deal with injuries. Things just wouldn’t be right if Boston weren’t riding high in April anyway.  Hopefully, our major injuries are now out of the way, and we can now have some fun watching Boston blow their huge 6-game April lead over the Yankees.

www.yankeetradition.com

I can’t tell you how happy I am for Alex Rodriguez.

When A-Rod hit another walk-off homer today (April 19th) I
cheered so loudly in my store, that I almost drowned out a truly classic homer
call by John Sterling.  As a fan, these are the moments I enjoy the most.
To see a guy who has taken so much ****, from so many "fans", come through like
this, is a diehard’s dream.  This is what it’s all about people. This is
why I never boo a Yankee, and show my disgust at Yankee "fans" who do. 
This is why I cheer as hard during April games, as I cheer in late October. 
This is why I continually write that a fan’s main "job" is to SUPPORT its team
and players when times get tough. For those of you out there who boo this guy,
you’ll never know the joy people like me are experiencing now.

Soon after today’s dramatic win, I heard some Yankee "fans" warn
that Alex "better have a good series against Boston" or his heroics of the last
two weeks won’t "count". I also heard them warn that "nothing matters" during
the regular season, and A-Rod won’t be judged until after the first game of the
2007 Divisional Series. Are you people serious? Please, wake up and realize
what’s going on.

This is April, and I’m not thinking about "judging people in
October". What I’m doing now is, enjoying watching one of the best baseball
players ever, ride a very hot streak. I’m enjoying watching a "five-tool"
player, effectively utilize those "five tools".  I’m watching a very
talented athlete make a very difficult game to play, look very easy at the
moment.  It’s exciting, and to a Yankee SUPPORTER, it’s very rewarding to
witness.

I think it’s time for many Yankee "fans" to start enjoying what
they are seeing, instead of issuing "warnings" or rushing the calendar to
October.

We’re only three weeks into the season, and look what has
unfolded already. Besides witnessing one of the best offensive starts by a
player in major league history, we are seeing a team survive, after losing three
of its top five starters to injuries. We saw a Double A pitcher step in and win
his first major league start. We saw a Japanese pitcher win his first major
league game. We have seen a bullpen with a bunch of "no names" become one of the
best in baseball so far. We have seen a catcher, who is severely underrated, hit
his 200th Yankee homer.

All this in three weeks, and some "fans" are missing it, by
worrying about October. I feel bad for you, because you are going to miss one
**** of a season.

www.yankeetradition.com

From April 6th to the 8th, I spent three days at Yankee Stadium . Here are some thoughts from  ‘Da Bronx’.

I believe I finally found an effective way to stop Yankee "fans"
from booing Alex Rodriguez.  Just tell the booing fans that one of
the game’s best players will be playing for the Boston Red Sox next year. That’s
what I did this past weekend, and it worked. The "fans" stopped  booing, and
then asked me why would the Red Sox want A-Rod?  I then proceeded to give them
answers.

First off, since I’m in "enemy territory" I have followed the new
Boston ownership very closely, and one thing they love to do is promote their
team. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will create more buzz this coming off-season
than the Red Sox signing Alex Rodriguez.

Besides taking him off the Yankees, the Boston ownership would
acquire a player who will probably be the home run king by the time his career
is over. If you don’t think John Henry and company
don’t know how many more rating points this would bring in for
NESN, then you don’t know the new Boston ownership. Despite having
David Ortiz on the team, A-Rod will become the face of the Red Sox
because he can do so many more things on the field than Ortiz. A-Rod will be
selected to do all the promos. He speaks well, and makes a great appearance. The
new Sox ownership is very "TV conscious" and Alex Rodriguez will be an asset to
the NESN empire.

Of course, the main reason why Boston will throw big dollars
Alex’s way is because they know he’s a very talented ballplayer. Put A-Rod’s
Yankee stats along with Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and J.D. Drew,
and you have one very potent middle of the order. Scary, isn’t it?

Think about all of this, Yankee "fans", before you boo Alex
Rodriguez right off this team and on to the Red Sox.

While I’m on the subject of appreciating Yankees, it’s about time
Jorge Posada got his due. This guy is simply amazing. He just
keeps his mouth shut, catches about every game, and is productive every year. I
said it many times over the years, this is one guy the Yankees can’t afford to
lose.

Kei Igawa was just awful on Saturday. When watching
him in spring training, I knew he would have to make perfect pitches to survive
in this league. Saturday he couldn’t locate his pitches and he got crushed. It’s
imperative that he throw his breaking pitches for strikes early on. If not, this
guy could be on his way down to Scranton by early May.

So far, the Yankee bullpen looks very strong. Joe
Torre has lots of hard-throwing right-handed options, and so far, young
lefty Sean Henn has pitched very well when called upon.

It’s tough making excuses for this team, but it was just too cold
to play effective baseball in New York last week. I sat in the stands Friday
night and it was brutal out there. Anyone who has ever played this game knows
how tough it is to play well in 30-degree weather.

The New
Yankee Stadium is rising before our eyes. I can’t believe how much progress was
made since I last visited the Stadium this past January. My good friend, Phil
Dippel, has sent in updated pictures which can be seen on this site.

People can deride the Bronx (more specifically, the area around
Yankee Stadium) all they want, but I just love arriving early on a Saturday or
Sunday, and seeing that ballpark sitting in a neighborhood.  I think charm is
added to the park when you can actually see the neighborhood in "action".  While
the Stadium crew is getting ready for 55,000 "visitors", the neighborhood
continues to go on with their daily routines.

Speaking of neighborhoods and charm, it’s always great visiting
Ball Park Lanes, Stan’s, and the Yankee
Tavern!

www.yankeetradition.com