Flaherty, who enters his sixth season on the YES Network broadcast lineup as a field reporter, studio analyst and game analyst for Yankees telecasts, played for five teams, including five years with Tampa Bay and three each with New York and Boston.  He is perhaps best known to Yankees fans for his 2004 walk-off single that ended a 13-inning regular season game against the Red Sox.  In the 2005 season, Flaherty became Yankees ace Randy Johnson’s catcher, in addition to backing up Jorge Posada.

The Halligan-McGuire Irish American Sprots Good Guy Awards also saluted Dick McGuire, the legendary St. John’s University and New York Knicks star and NBA Hall of Famer.  Flaherty was honored along with Halligan’s wife of 41 years, Janet, McGuire’s wife of 54 years, Teri, and Dave Maloney, former New York Ranger and 1050 ESPN Radio Rangers analyst.

At the luncheon, Flaherty talked about his father and his upbringing in a strict Irish household.  He also noted that he was proud that the name Flaherty would always be associated with the names Halligan and McGuire through the award.

The John Halligan Memorial Scholarship will be awarded each year to provide financial assistance to a junior or senior undergraduate enrolled at Fordham University majoring in communication/media studies at the Rose Hill Campus in the Bronx.  Halligan was a 1963 graduate of the school, which has turned out many broadcasters, including Vin Scully and Michael Kay.

Also joining the program was former Yankees and Blue Jays second baseman Homer Bush, who talked about the future of the 2B position in MLB, and how he doesn’t like where it’s headed. He also talks about his career, and why he declined to use performance-enhancing drugs to extend his playing days.

Josh Landsburg, who covers the Phillies for BaseballDigest.com, provided a live report from Spring Training. while fellow BD.com Red Sox writer Michael Mayer tried to convince Baseball Digest Online editor Mark Healey that the Red Sox are better now than they were a year ago.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN / DOWNLOAD

Baseball Digest LIVE airs every Wed. from 11am-1pm (Eastern) on BlogTalkRadio.com

From the Tommy Bahamas release:

The first team shirts to be released will be the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox — just in time for their season opener on April 4th at Fenway Park in Boston.  They will be followed by the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in mid May; the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs at the end of May and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels in early June. All eight team shirts are currently available for viewing at www.tommybahama.com and select Tommy Bahama’s retail locations. The shirts will be sold exclusively through Tommy Bahama retail channels.

“We are very excited about these new Major League Baseball team shirts,” said Terry Pillow, CEO Tommy Bahama. “These unique and beautifully made “Collector’s Edition” shirts are just the type of thing we had envisioned when we began our relationship with MLB.  Our talented design team worked very hard to create these special shirts and we’re hopeful that Tommy Bahama and MLB fans will be equally excited when they see them.  These are just the first of our series of MLB team shirts, and we look forward to creating “Collector’s Edition” shirts for all of the teams in the MLB in the upcoming baseball seasons.”

The walk off win became a staple of last year’s team that captured its 27th title and though it was just an exhibition game, the ironic outcome of yesterday’s game was lost on no one.

Chad Gaudin started for the Bombers and was followed by two of his fellow combatants for the 5th starter spot, Sergio Mitre and Al Aceves.  The three combined to allow just one hit over six innings.  A rough beginning by Jonathan Albadejo and a Yankees error helped the Pirates tie things up in the 7th after the Yankees had jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

But after lead off singles by fellow minor leaguers Brandon Laird and Jon Weber to start the 9th, Curtis hit a no doubt about (in fairness almost all home runs in the grapefruit league are no doubt about it due to the wind) blast off Virgil Vasquez to right-center for the game winner.

Ramiro Pena opened the scoring for the Yankees in the 6th with a solo home run.  Nick Johnson added an RBI double and Weber drove in a third run in the inning with the first of his two singles.  Former Yankees prospect was charged with all three runs.

Game Notes

The Yankees traditionally wore their pinstripes for the only time during spring training.

Curtis Granderson played centerfield and was 0-2 in his Yankees’ debut.

And I also realize he will be in as a first ballot manager in the next ten years, so there’s almost no point in this long diatribe on the Veteran’s Committee’s irresponsibility of not putting Joe Torre in the Hall ten years ahead of time.  Right?

Well, no.  Wrong.  There is. 

Torre was a hell of a ball player, once being called by famed Beat Generation writer, Jack Kerouac, “the best catcher since Roy Campanella.”  That was in 1965, the only year he won a gold glove for any position.  And he played three of them very well.  He played them well enough to play over 500 games at games at each of them (catcher, first and third).

I suppose the biggest problem, when 1983 came around (his first year of eligibility), was that writers were having a difficult time deciding what to induct him as.  And it’s a good question but somebody should have come up with an answer.  Somebody should have found a logical manner in which he could be inducted without having him stay embarrassingly on the ballot for fifteen years, never getting more than 22% of the vote in 1997 – one year after his World Series victory as manager of the Yankees.  (Biased much?)   

So somebody should have devised a well thought out plan to make sure a player like Torre wouldn’t have to wait.  Well, somebody did.  Me.  And I propose the Utility spot as an official Hall of Fame position for a player like a Joe Torre to get inducted in with.  Of course there are some guidelines:

• The player must have 1,000 AB in at least three positions. 
• The player must have played 400 games in at least three positions.
• The player must have played 4,000 inning in at least three positions
• The player must have finished in the top ten in MVP voting for at least two positions.

Now, the last stipulations might seem odd, but it’s really contingent upon the other three requirements.  Basically, it’s designed to rule out the modern day definition of the utility player that comes off the bench.  That’s not to say that there’s not a place for those players in baseball.  There’s just not a place for them in the Hall of Fame. 

And this really isn’t new, considering Pete Rose fills all of those out to the tee and more.  If Rose hadn’t been banned from baseball, he would’ve have been de facto, the first “utility” player in the Hall.  I know he would have bet on it. 

All kidding aside, Torre as a utility player needs to be compared to players already in the Hall.  That’s the best way to go about it.  It’s probably also best to situate yourself in the time period he played in, which was the Expansion Era.  And anyone will tell you that the era was not the time to be a hitter.  Its nom de guerre could aptly be called, “The Pitching Era.” 

As a catcher:

There are thirteen true catchers in the Hall and virtually all of them played the majority of their careers primarily as a catcher.  So for the sake of this discussion, we’ll assume all their numbers are as a catcher, and discount the fifty games or so they might have been outfielders or first basemen.  Also, all numbers being compared are based on a 162 game average.  For example, if Player A hits 15 homeruns in only 81 games, his 162 game average would be 30.  And those are the numbers I’ll be using for Torre versus other catchers.    

Joe Torre’s primary catching years were from 1961-1968.  During that time he averaged .294 in over 3,698 at-bats and played in 1,035 games.  He was an All-Star five times and received MVP votes in three, breaking the top five in 1964.

Regarding his numbers by comparison to other Hall catchers, there were only six other players with a higher OBP, five with a better batting average, six with a better OPS and five with a better slugging percentage. But, virtually all of them were better in RBI per year.  Statistically speaking, as an offensive threat, he ranked somewhere in the middle, but with a better Slugging Percentage and OPS than Carlton Fisk and Johnny Bench, arguably the best power catchers of the past forty years. Torre was a more productive catcher.  He also had a higher batting average than them, including Yogi Berra.

What was most astonishing was the fielding percentage and caught stealing percentage.  While there were only six players with a better caught stealing percentage of 41%, there was only one out of thirteen with a higher fielding percentage, and that was Gabby Hartnett. 

Perhaps the more important issue and more telling is the Pitching Era that Torre played in with Fisk and Bench.  In 1967 Carl Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown with a batting average of .301.  Runs per game were down almost two full runs.  In 1968 we saw a 30 game winner and a 1.12 ERA.  For Torre to have beaten out players whom some writers and fans dub “the greatest,” is a remarkable and overlooked feat.  He proved not only to be a successful offensive threat, but a defensive one as well.    

As a corner infielder:

Torre fluctuated between first base and third base from 1969-1976.  During that time he won the 1971 MVP Award as a third basemen and appeared in four All-Star games. 

The reason I can’t divide the two positions is because first and foremost, I’m lazy.  And also, he only played 107 games as a catcher during that time frame, so it’s fair to say that those were primarily first and third base seasons for Torre. Basically, it’s easier.

And I’ll only be comparing his numbers to third basemen for the sake of this argument.  (It makes me look better). I’ll be excluding Paul Molitor who spent nearly 400 more games as a designated hitter and Cal Ripken Jr. who was primarily a shortstop.  That leaves us with eleven true third basemen.  Again, it’s important to emphasize that Torre began his corner infielder switch during the heart of the Pitching Era. 

When I took his numbers on a 162 game average and compared them to those of a Hall of Famer’s, I found that he drove in more runs than ten of the eleven players.  The only person who had him beat was Mike Schmidt.  Only six had better batting averages, five had better OPS’s, four had a better slugging percentage, and four had better OBP’s.

On average that puts him ahead of the middle of the pack.  I mean, the guys we’re talking about who were ahead of him were mainly Boggs, Brett, Matthews and Schmidt.  Those players were elite, and yet Torre was close in nearly every category.  In fact, the only two that beat him out for homerun average were Matthews and Schmidt, and both of those guys have over 500 career homeruns.  And despite not hitting a lot of homeruns, he maintained a high OPS; due mainly in part to his 1971 MVP season in which he batted .363 with 230 hits.  The only other third baseman in the Hall to win an MVP and lead the league in batting average was George Brett, who only played 117 games that year.  To be fair to Joe Torre, he played 161 games and racked up 55 more hits than Brett did. 

If Joe Torre’s career teaches us anything, it’s that there is room for players with diverse careers.  You simply need to go back and review it in parts.  I’m a big advocate of eras and how well the player compares to players already in the Hall of Fame.

And as the years go by, it’s unlikely that we’ll see players like Joe Torre or a Pete Rose.  There are few players playing today like a Chone Figgins who can play multiple positions for great lengths of time.  But first things first I suppose.  They need to recognize the designated hitter as a Hall of Fame position and then they can create either a utility position or something dignified sounding like, “All-Purpose Position Player.”    

There’s no doubt that Torre will be in the Hall someday as a manager.  The Veteran’s Committee handles all manager and special player selections, like Joe Gordon who got in last year.  It took the committee 39 years to put him in and by then Gordon was long gone.  I fear that the same will happen to Joe Torre if there isn’t a critical review (like this one) done by both the Baseball Writer’s Association of America and the Veteran’s Committee.  Who knows, they might even be able to change their position as well. 

Quick facts:

Joe Torre was a player/manager for the Mets in his final season in 1977, much like Hall of Famer John McGraw, who led his team to a World Series victory in 1905.  Joe Torre has gone on to win 4.   

Joe Torre has more 100 RBI seasons than Mickey Mantle, George Brett, Cal Ripken, Billy Williams, Al Kaline, Brooks Robinson and Andre Dawson.  All of whom are in the Hall of Fame.

Joe Torre has the 3^rd most hits by a third baseman in a single season (230), behind only Wade Boggs (240) and Freddie Lindstrom (231).  Both are in the Hall of Fame.   

There are only three inactive players with at least 9 All-Star appearances, 2000 career hits and an MVP Award who are not in the Hall of Fame:  Barry Larkin, Steve Garvey and Joe Torre.    

Stephen Okawa is the College Baseball Editor for Gotham Baseball and the Co-Executive Producer of Gotham Baseball LIVE. You can contact him here, or follow him on Twitter and add him on Facebook.

As these 35 days drag on, I keep reflecting on the magical 2009 season and World Championship. The Yankees didn’t just sneak into the playoffs and surprise everyone, they jumped in feet first and dominated.  A-Rod finally delivered what Yankee fans have been expecting since 2004. The Captain did what he always does, and that’s win. The most underrated hit of this entire postseason was Jeter’s bomb in game one of the ALDS versus the Twins. The Yankees got behind early in that game and the energy in the stadium was nowhere to be found, until Jeter pulled one deep over the left field wall and woke up the fans and his teammates.

The offense didn’t disappoint and neither did the rotation.  Girardi knew the Yankees best chance of winning was to go with a three man rotation and left the world championship in the hands of CC, AJ, and Andy.  He took some undue criticism from fans and media alike following AJ’s second World Series start. In my opinion, there were no three better pitchers to start those games than the aforementioned men.

Nearly every time Girardi made a call to the bullpen, the relief was delivered.  Mariano Rivera did exactly what New York fans have come to expect from him, Damaso Marte pulled a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde act, not impressing anyone for months but becoming a whole different pitcher when it truly mattered, and David Robertson, the unsung hero of these games, took the ball and shut down the best of the best.

David Robertson  quietly put together a fine 2009 regular season:

2-1, 3.30 ERA,  1 Save,  45 Games, 43.2 Innings pitched, 36 Hits, 16 ER, 4 HR, 23 BB and held opposing batter to .216 average.

Not too shabby for a guy who was relatively unknown to the baseball world prior to last season, a fact proven by the opposing teams.  

Robertson dazzled in the playoffs and went about his job like a ten year veteran with fingers full of rings.   

2009 Post Season Stats:  

Division Series: 1-0, 0.00 ERA,  1.0 IP,  1 H, 1 Game

Game 2 –“The Houdini Act”

Robertson entered the game with the bases load, no outs, and left all three runners stranded. Mark Teixeria later won the game with a walk-off bomb.  Game 2 sunk the Twins and made Yankees fans believe that the magic of late 1990’s playoff  games was back in the Bronx.

“Sometimes, I still can’t believe I got out of that jam and won that game. When Mark hit that home run, the momentum just seemed to push us and shove us right through that round,”  Robertson said.

American League Championship Series: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 Games

World Series: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 Games

Game 5–2 shut out innings

In his first World Series appearance at Citizens Bank park, Robertson entered the game following a shaky performance from AJ Burnett who gave up six runs early. He inherited runners on first and third with nobody out, but got Pedro Felix to pop out to Teixeria, and later struck out Jimmy Rollins looking.  In the bottom of the fourth he saw ground outs from Shane Victorino and Chase Utley, and then sent Ryan Howard back to the dugout without a run.

Am I over-hyping Robertson’s performance?  If you think so, let’s re-examine the performances of the rest of the Yankees pen over the course of these playoff games.  

Phil Hughes pitched to a 8.53 in post season play due to the fact that opposing batters were hitting .379 off of him. Girardi gave Hughes the opportunity to straighten himself out, reaching for the bullpen phone nine times during the post season for him with no success.

Joba Chamberlain pitched well. In ten games he recorded a 2.84 ERA, while batters hit .333 against him.  The World Series had a shift in balance when Pedro Felix deposited a Joba fastball into the seats at the Bank.

Alfredo Aceves  success in the regular season didn’t follow him into the playoffs. In four games, Aceves was 0-1, with a 4.15 ERA,  and opposing batters hitting  .313. Regardless, he was the Yankees workhorse all year going 10-1 out of the pen.

Mariano Rivera: 0.56 ERA,  12 Games, 5 Saves,  16 IP,  .175. Do I really need to make a case for Mo?  He is the foundation of all of the Yankees success since 1996. Once he retires, the closer position on the Yankees, and frankly all of baseball, will never be the same.  It scares me to think of a day when I won’t hear the first few notes of Enter Sandman and look up to see number forty-two trotting to the mound.

Damaso Marte makes a case to secure my anointed “Unsung Hero” tag.  In eight games he pitched to a  0.00 ERA in 4.0 innings and held opposing batters to .154. The reason I chose Robertson over Marte is largely because of the aforementioned ‘Houdini Act’ of  game two that sent the Yankees hurtling towards their 27^th ring.   Marte flat out stunk during the regular season and on Opening Day 2009, as the Yankees christened their new digs, he was booed off the mound. Opening Day 2010 he will get a standing ovation.

Jay Ferraro is the Executive Producer of Baseball Digest LIVE and Gotham Baseball LIVE.  He is also a columnist for Baseball Digest ,Baseballdigest.com, and Gothambaseball.com. You can reach him at Jay_Ferraro@Juno.com , follow him on Twitter here and add him on Facebook here.

On Baseball Digest LIVE, it all starts Monday at 11:00am EST, when I talk to Dan Hayes, who covers the San Diego Padres for the North County Times:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/baseball-digest-live/2010/03/01/team-in-transition-the-san-diego-padres

Later on Monday, Jim Duquette will come on the show at 1:15 pm EST to talk about his new career as a MLB analyst for SiriusXM, and his mission as a member of the NephCure Foundation.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/baseball-digest-live/2010/03/01/the-real-jim-duquette-interview

We’ll have quite the lineup for our regular Wednesday show, broadcast from 11am-1pm on BlogTalkRadio’s FantasySportsChannel.com, starting with our regular “Fantasy Life” segment with BDL Exec Producer and Fantasy Baseball Editor Jay Ferraro. The lineup:

Josh Landsburg (Baseball Digest), covering the Phillies from ST
Homer Bush
Jim Bowden
Michael Mayer (Baseball Digest), trying to convince me that the Red Sox opffseason was a success

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/baseball-digest-live/2010/03/03/live-from-spring-training

I’d like you invite you to listen, and wouild love to hear from you. The call-in number is (646) 727-2874, and to listen to past shows, view the entire archive at:

http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/baseball-digest-live

I think that most athletes have the press conference down pat, especially those who have been signed many times over, like a Johnny Damon.   You just get used it, even though it’s mainly B.S.  But that’s just part of the many events outside of the stadium that players have to excel at.  So why not be good at it?  Why not use every opportunity in front of a camera like you’re auditioning to host Baseball Tonight or a MasterCard commercial?

Using Damon’s recent press conference as a rubric, here are a few things to remember if you ever want to give a great press conference:

“Let’s put a smile on that face!”

For the love of God, smile!  You’ve just been given a pile of cash and access to the most prominent of lifestyles imaginable.  To go in there with some Dickensian attitude or anything less than a smirk will automatically put you on the wrong side of the popularity fence.  The bad boy days are over.  We’re living in a metrosexual, Prozac taking, “it’s okay to cry in baseball after all” world.  People want emotion and they still want to believe that money can buy happiness.  So please, show off them pearly whites whenever the opportunity arises.

I counted, and there are only nine separate seconds in which Damon isn’t smiling.

Tip: Do a small head nod with the smile.  Even if no one has said anything, look like you’re in agreement with, well, everything.  The fans want you to want to be there.  An approving head nod is just enough body language to win them over.

Sit behind as much Aquafina as humanly possible

You need to give the appearance that you are indeed the healthiest and most viable candidate for the job.  So form a barricade of H2O which ultimately says, “I drink this stuff, I’m in great shape and you’ll never have to worry about me going to rehab.”

Tip: Don’t actually drink the water.  You don’t know where it’s been.  For all you know it’s been festering in the backseat of some intern’s Prius.  Take the advice of Vizzini from The Princess Bride: “Only a great fool would reach for what he is given.”  I mean, you do really want to go on the 15 day DL with a case of E. coli?

Thank Somebody

Most people will go with God in this situation or whoever their preferred deity happens to be.  Others will seek immediate approval from the fans by thanking them, which is a good one too.  I prefer thanking ownership, who when all is said and done, is God to all parties concerned.  Daniel Plainview would simply call this last one, the “third revelation.”

Then there is professional schmoozer Johnny Damon, who thanked all three.  It comes off as a bit needy, but it covers all your bases and leaves nothing to question.

Tip: Under no circumstances thank a sponsor, a mistress, or your former team.  The latter comes off as sarcastic, and the other ones are just in poor taste.  However, if you do, you might as well have the P.R. guy schedule another press conference.

The Thumbs Up

So you’ve spread your new jersey out like some colonialist flag and have given some reason to why the number 82 has special meaning to you.  Now what?

Two freaking thumbs up is what!

Siskel and Ebert made it famous.  Now you have to make it look not goofy and contrived.  After you’ve put on your new jersey, keep your hands about a foot in-front of your chest.  Any further and it’ll look like you’re doing a PSA for “People Suffering from Rock’em Sock’em Robot Injuries.”  Any less and it’ll look like you’re covering up hard nipples.  Twelve inches is the “rule of thumb.” < (Even I think that’s corny).

Tip: Allow time for cameras to snap off some pictures, and shake hands with the GM like he’s your guardian angel.  You might even want to call him that at some point during the press conference, but not before you’ve learned his named.

Tip #2: Learn the GM’s name.

Tell them what they want to hear

After you’ve smiled you’re way through the handshaking, the head nodding, and the obligatory thank yous, you must move on to the most important thing:  Lying.  Lie so much that David Frost will want to interview you.

Okay, so maybe not that bad.  You want to tell little white lies.  Or better yet, you want to “do what’s in the best interest of the team” (lie).

Take Johnny Damon’s recent press conference, where he had to wear specially made flame retardant pants just to get through the Q&A:

“Actually, after the Red Sox, Detroit was the first place I wanted to sign.”

Smile.  Next lie.

“This is the place I wanted to be.”

Nod.  Smile.

“The fans are great.”

Hold back laughter.  Keep holding…keep holding…and breathe.  Now smile.

Tip: Keep it to about three compliments on how great the city and the fans are, and how your dreams are being fulfilled.  Basically, don’t work overtime at the B.S. Factory.  Clock-in and clock-out.

Compliment the Manager

You want to play don’t you?  Well, this is the perfect time to kiss some serious behind.  Johnny Damon said some pretty complimenting things about the Tiger’s skipper, Jim Leyland.  Actually, any more flattery and they’d be legally dating in Michigan.  He pulled out all the stops:

“Jim Leyland is a Hall of Fame Manager…you look at Jim Leyland, and you say, wow.”

Really?  I also look at Jim Leyland and say, “Wow”, but it’s usually followed by, “he really looks like Bruce Dern.”  No disrespect to Leyland, who is a good manager, but the Hall of Fame?  Sorry.  No.  He has a World Series ring with the 1997 Florida Mar-Loans, the best rent-a-team of all time.  But he also has a losing record.  Out of the 21 managers ahead of him in wins, only three have losing records: Gene Mauch, Buck Harris (HOF), and Connie Mack (HOF and the most career wins).

Tip: As much as I loved Johnny Damon’s professional press conference, I must say he flubbed it a bit here.  After playing for Terry Francona and then Joe Torre (a total of six World Series titles), there’s no basis for comparison.  It’s not close.  You’ve been there a day and you’re calling the manager a Hall of Famer?  Damon needed to scale it back a bit.  Compliments are most effective when they’re believable.

Say something clever

And finally, have fun.  Like the 1952 movie Singing in the Rain croons, “make’em laugh.”  You don’t have to be Donald O’Connor to do this, but you need a little humanism.  Once again, smile.  Too many athletes like a Tiger Woods or Bret Favre get so serious that you forget they’re talking about playing a game.

At this point in the press conference, you’ve set everything up for a great closing line.  Some people will simply say, “Let’s go (insert team),” but not Johnny Damon.  He opted for an Eastern theme.  “Let’s hope the Chinese are right when they say 2010 is the year of the tiger.” (Room chuckles)

Do you get it?  He plays for the Tigers, and the Chinese calendar indicates this is the year of the aforementioned mammal.  So it’s funny.

Tip: Be cute, not crude. You don’t want your press conference to turn into a sound bite buffet.  (Look what happened to Howard Dean)  In the same token, you don’t want to be too cute.  Damon could have easily ended the conference by proclaiming of his new team that, “They’rrrrrre great!”

Johnny Damon is a consummate professional, who always knows what to say and how to say it.  I don’t want you to get confused though with the differences or lack thereof between him and Tiger Woods.  Yes, whoever writes their scripts should have won Academy Awards by now, but a guy like Damon, and the tongue and cheek “tips” I’ve given are valid. The advice can’t be fed into a machine, only to be regurgitated.  They need a real person to process it.

Just remember this, most of what Johnny Damon said was wrong.  But he said it right.  And that’s all that matters.

Stephen Okawa is the College Baseball Editor for Gotham Baseball and the Co-Executive Producer of Gotham Baseball LIVE. You can contact him here, or follow him on Twitter and add him on Facebook.

Their stories, told by authors Marty Appel (MUNSON: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain) and Judith Testa (SAL MAGLIE: Baseball’s Demon Barber) will join Mark Healey on Baseball Digest LIVE to talk about their award-winning books.

Also joining the show will be former big league pitcher Dick Drago, who pitched in the majors from 1969-1981 with the Royals, Red Sox, Orioles, Angels and Mariners. Baseball Digest LIVE’s Executive Producer and Fantasy Editor Jay Ferraro will also be on hand, discussing the Baseball Digest Fantasy Baseball leagues, as well as promoting the debut of his new show, the re-launch of “Gotham Baseball LIVE”!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE OR TO DOWNLOAD ARCHIVE

Curry, a 1986 graduate of Fordham (also the alma mater of noted media personalities Vin Scully, John Andariese, Michael Kay, Mike Breen and dozens of others) joined The Times in 1987 and became the Yankees beat writer in 1991. He was the newspaper’s national baseball writer from 1998 until he departed late last year. While at The Times, Curry authored more than 4,500 articles, covering 18 World Series, 11 All-Star Games, 10 MLB Winter Meetings and two World Baseball Classics. The New Jersey native also was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service Reporting at The Times in 1999 for co-writing a series on the demise of New York high school sports, and won multiple Publisher Awards at The Times, monthly awards that recognize the best journalism at the paper. Curry has also been the chairman of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

“I look forward to this new chapter of my career, and am eager to contribute to YES on air and online,” said Curry. “Through my work on Yankees Hot Stove and its pre-game shows, I am already very familiar with YES’ high quality of work. I’m eager to provide insight and information to our television viewers and Web readers.”

“Jack has earned an impeccable reputation at The Times over the past two decades, and his arrival enhances our already impressive talent roster,” said John Filippelli, president of production and programming at YES. “He boasts a superb knowledge of the game, has tremendous sources throughout the league, and has earned the respect of everyone in the game. He will be a tremendous addition to our Emmy Award-winning multi-platform Yankees coverage, and will complement Bob Lorenz, our pre- and post-game host, extremely well in the studio.”

Curry, who began his broadcasting career at WFUV while a student at Fordham, has been a regular contributor the YES’ Yankees Hot Stove show since November 2005 and has also appeared as a guest on YES’ Yankees pre-game shows. His television experience extends back to 1991, when he began contributing to Madison Square Garden Network’s Yankees pre-game show and weekly baseball magazine show.

In addition, he was a featured panelist on MSG’s Angles roundtable show, was a frequent guest on WCBS-TV’s Baseball Insider weekly studio show, and has also provided expert baseball analysis and commentary on television and radio programs such as ESPN’s Outside The Lines, MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann, ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show and various WFAN Radio programs.

Curry also co-wrote a book with Derek Jeter entitled Life You Imagine: Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams, which was a New York Times best-seller. Curry resides with his wife Pamela in New Jersey.

“Bleacher Boys” is the story of five men who shared a common boyhood dream of growing up and playing Major League Baseball, each of whose dream was dashed at an early age due to blindness, whose stories differ in detail, yet share that one common element. Their stories unfold in chapters like the innings of a baseball game. Each inning becomes a chapter from their lives as they relate the hardships of overcoming the painful reality of never seeing again and the struggle to create a new dream. All are masterful storytellers whose tales become easy for us to identify with and whose perseverance we admire. The line-up includes:

• Ed Lucas, now a reporter for the New York Yankees. Ed lost his sight after being inspired by Bobby Thomson’s famous “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” in 1951. He and his friends were so excited that they took to the streets to play a pickup game of baseball and a line drive hit him between the eyes, rendering him blind.  His dream was shattered, but he never lost his love for the game.
  

  Ed Lucas

• Pat Cannon, who lost his sight more gradually as he, nonetheless, continued the struggle to keep his dream alive.
• Neal Freeling, who was born without sight but fell in love with baseball announcer Mel Allen’s voice as his words brought the game to life. These radio voices became Neil’s “friends” since the boys in his neighborhood shunned him.  The game of baseball became his true pastime.
• Craig Lynch, who has never seen a baseball field in his life, but who now sits in the bleachers at Wrigley Field reporting on games for the Chicago Cubs he cannot see.
• Paul Parravano, known as the MIT King and honored for his remarkable contributions to this prestigious university.  His love of baseball motivated him to achieve greatness.

The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of the Southern Arts Federation, a not-for-profit regional arts organization making a positive difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975. Southern Arts Federation is supported by funding and programming partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts and the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.  Special support for Southern Circuit is provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Yankee are going to miss Damon’s enthusiasm on and off the field as well as his bat in the lineup. Scott Boras and the Yankees played a chess match for months regarding Damon’s contract. Early in the offseason, Damon’s camp turned down a two year 14MM deal, which prompted the Yankees to immediately sign Nick Johnson to a one year deal.  In hind sight, Damon and Boras should have taken the money and ran and, I must admit, I thought the two sides would reach an agreement for 2010.

Brian Cashman has brought in solid stop gap players in Winn, Thames, and Johnson. The Yankee Dynasty of the late 90’s always consisted of  unusual suspects in left field, whether it was Curtis, Ledee, Raines or Spencer, they all put rings on their fingers.  However, these players, can’t be expected to slide into the two hole of the lineup and produce at the high level Damon did for four seasons.  I like all three of these guys and two of them are returning home. I was never in favor of the Yankees dealing away Johnson to the Expos and am glad to see him back in pinstripes. I only hope he can stay on the field and slide in-between Jeter and Teixeira successfully.

It would be naïve not to bring up the fact that following the 2010 season, Carl Crawford will become a free agent.  I would love to see the Rays lock him up long term, nothing makes me happier  than seeing home grown talent stay within an organization. That being said, the chunk of real estate in left field at Yankees Stadium may be on layaway for Mr. Crawford.  I am and always will be a huge Johnny Damon fan, I wish him well wherever he ends up, and will give him a standing ovation when he steps up to the plate for the visiting team. And if he blasts a “Johnny Rocket” to the short porch in right field, you’ll see a silly smile on my face.

Jay Ferraro is the Executive Producer of Baseball Digest LIVE and Gotham Baseball LIVE.  He is also a columnist for Baseball Digest ,Baseballdigest.com, and Gothambaseball.com. You can reach him at Jay_Ferraro@Juno.com , follow him on Twitter here and add him on Facebook here.

Listen or download the interview here

But what about today’s baseball players.

There is a private side to your favorite, and not so favorite players as well.  When you are growing up, they are all heroes.  These guys are all strong and on TV and playing baseball, so they all must be the most incredible people to ever walk the earth.  As you age, you find this isn’t so.

Dee Stargell, ex-wife of the late-Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, spoke of her ex-husband’s private side recently.  She mentioned how he was never around.  The problem with a baseball marriage is the months during the season where the ballplayer is on the road.  Dee understood this.  She didn’t love that part, but she understood it.  When it came to her husband, what she didn’t appreciate was his absence in the off season.  Even then, he was making appearances.  He was traveling and doing other things.  The public side of Willie Stargell was of a man who was not only a great ballplayer, but also a great humanitarian.  The private side was a man who neglected his family by not being there for them.

In Idiot, Johnny Damon’s autobiography (actually written by Peter Golenbock with some verbal input by Mr. Damon), he writes about his then-private side, which destroyed his first marriage, to Angie Vannice.  He described Vannice as a “drag,” somebody who was holding him back.  In the off season, she wanted to shop for furniture.  He wanted to go jet ski.  He turned to drinking and “late-night shenanigans” that gave the outward appearance of a fun, happy-go-lucky guy.  But at home, he became as absent as Willie Stargell.  It wasn’t cute to Vannice, the mother of their twin boys.  That marriage ended too.  To his credit, Damon says he settled down in his second marriage.  “We said, ‘If we want to grow old together, we need to chill and enjoy each other’s company.  If we can’t do that, we should be in different places.’”

You can’t blame The Baseball Life for the end of every baseball marriage.  Some players have a private side that would be difficult to live with even if the guy worked a 9 to 5 at Prudential.  Some guys, no matter what, are conceited, selfish kids.  These guys have been superior athletes since they were young.  They’re spoiled.  They’ve been treated differently since they can remember.  When they’re home, away from the team and the media, they don’t know how to share the television remote or put down their X-Box to play with their own kids.  They don’t realize that when they go on that hunting trip to Vancouver for 7 days next week, they’ll be missing their mother or father or wife’s birthday.  It’s just a trip they want to get in before the grind of a baseball season begins again. 

There’s also the whiner.  You know the type.  This is the guy who complains about everything.  He’s paranoid too.  Somebody’s always criticizing him, either in the papers or at home.  He’s never understood, by a manager or his wife.  When things go wrong, he blames the circumstances rather than blaming himself.  He couldn’t get a Major League deal?  His agent’s fault.  It has nothing to do with his declining skills.  His marriage busted up?  It’s his wife’s fault.  He wasn’t going to be making millions anymore and she wanted her half.  One of his teammates said something about him?  That guy’s always had a stick up his ass.  We don’t see this guy’s private side because the media can’t stand him enough to write a feature on him and his ex-wife is happier now that she’s married to a VP of Prudential.

You can’t forget about how certain players’ private sides accidentally spill out into the public.  There are guys like Alex Rodriguez, who was caught cheating on his wife with women from across the country.  Then he was courting Madonna.  Then Kate Hudson.  We found out about his personal life because of cellphone cameras and loose lips (and stupidity on his part).  Then Selena Roberts and David Epstein wrote further about the Rodriguez private side when they broke the story of A-Rod’s use of performance enhancers. 

There are the Lenny Dykstras who are bad with their money.  There are the Billy Martin-type guys who don’t know when to stop fighting.  There’s the quiet, more introverted Kris Benson-type who marries an outgoing Anna Benson type.  There’s the beloved Kirby Puckett-type who’s a huge success on the field, wins community and humanitarian awards, but goes through a very public divorce and is eventually charged with sexual assault (note that Puckett was acquitted). 

And, of course, there are the thousands of players who, in public and in private, are just regular guys.  They aren’t crazy.  You won’t see them making headlines.  Their private side is, well, private.  And their actions keep it that way.

There are also guys like Brett Myers, a complex person who allegedly beat his wife, Kim, on the streets of Boston in 2006.  But in THIS ARTICLE, you read his side of the story.  You also get a sense of Kim’s feelings.  Yes, they’re still married and have two children. 

In the article, Myers said when he got up to the big leagues, “I was rude because I thought people were out to get me.”  Kim Myers says that they are both “pig-headed,” and that nobody wants to be around them while they’re playing ping pong.  She also says, “What people don’t know if how sensitive he is.”

Right there, we can see the complexity of a person’s private side.  Sensitive soul.  Competitive.  Misunderstood.  Fiesty.  Charitable.  We judge people because of what we see on the field or what we get from the media.  But we never really understand the person behind the player; the private side of the guy.  Heroes on the field.  Humans at home.  There’s a private side to every player.  It’s a side most of us will never know.

Jimmy Scott is probably the greatest pitcher you’ve never heard of.  Visit Jimmy Scott’s High & Tight to read more from Jimmy and guests Eric Valent & Real Baseball Wife Cassidy Dover.  You’ll also hear a new interview every Monday morning with former MLB players, agents, wives and others; giving new outlooks on this great game we call Baseball.  Go there now to hear Jimmy’s latest interviews with Rollie Fingers, Mike Vaccaro, Natalie Niekro and Lary Sorensen.  You can follow Jimmy on Twitter or Facebook.

Perhaps that is why the Thurman Munson Awards Dinner, benefiting the AHRC New York City Foundation, which assists children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is still such a hit.  The 30th Anniversary event, held on Tuesday night at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, sold out again, as attendees had the chance to meet the 2010 Award winners, including Joba Chamberlain, Lou Piniella and Darryl Strawberry, as well as other New York sports stars such as Knicks starting point guard Chris Duhon and Yonkers Raceway’s leading driver Jason Bartlett, who also won awards.

Champions all, which was the the theme of the evening.

Piniella was presented with the Legend Award for his “long and meritorious service to baseball.”

“It’s unbelievable,” said Piniella of the event’s staying power.  “Usually when somebody has an accident like Thurman did, maybe it goes on for a while and then things sort of drift away a little bit. But 30 years later, the charities that are benefiting from this event and the people that are honored here, it speaks volumes of how this city loved and respected this guy.”

Also on hand were three of Munson’s teammates, Graig Nettles, Goose Gossage and Ron Guidry, as well as Brooklyn Dodgers legend Ralph Branca and his son in law, former Mets manager Bobby Valentine.

Ron Guidry presents the 2010 Thurman Munson Award to Joba Chamberlain (Photo: Tom Berg)

Chamberlain, entering his fourth year in the Majors, was born six years after Munson’s death, but feels his presence as a Yankee.

“If you don’t know who he is, you’re not really a fan of baseball,” said Chamberlain.  “Just to see the things that he did and the passion that he played the game of baseball with and the passion for life and his family was truly incredible.”

“This guy was a professional with the way he played and the way he carried himself,” said Piniella of his former teammate and close friend.  “He was named the captain of the team and I think Derek Jeter is right after him, they haven’t had one since, so I think that speaks volumes.  We had such a good time with the guys we played with like Nettles and Sparky [Lyle] and Catfish [Hunter], Roy White, Willie Randolph…what a group of professionals we had over there…Gossage, I know I’m leaving a few out, I’m not doing it intentionally.  Bucky Dent, Mickey Rivers…what a group. I wear my championship ring with pride. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. I’d pay to do those years over again.”

The signing of the 35-yr old switch-hitter effectively ends the possibility of Johnny Damon returning to the Bronx this season.  It is, however, a curious choice made by Brian Cashman and the Yankees’ front office.

Winn is an obvious defensive upgrade over Damon, but his offense leaves something to be desired.  The Yankees could use a right-handed bat to complement lefty hitters Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner, but Winn isn’t the answer.    At least not based on his 2009 season when he hit just .158 against left-handers.  Couple that with Granderson’s .190 average and lefties and the Yankees could be hurting against southpaws.

As for Damon, Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn’t see a deal happening even before Winn’s signing.  Speaking at the Baseball Assistance Team dinner, Girardi expressed doubt that the Yankees budget would fit Damon’s contract demands.  The skipper accepted the Bobby Murcer award for Yankees.  It is given to the team that raises the most money for B.A.T..

Via a MLB Press release:

NEW YORK–Major League Baseball has pledged an immediate donation of $1 million to benefit earthquake victims in Haiti, Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced today. The donations are being coordinated through UNICEF, which is aiding earthquake victims by providing necessary supplies to assist with recovery efforts including clean water and sanitation, medical supplies and temporary shelter. The contribution is being made on behalf of Major League Baseball, its 30 Clubs, MLB Network and MLB.com.

“Major League Baseball believes it is crucial to help the Haitian community in this time of need,” said Commissioner Selig. “It is difficult for us to imagine the catastrophic toll this earthquake has taken on the people of Haiti, a land not far from the United States. We hope this contribution will help aid in the relief efforts and we encourage our fans to make a donation as well. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all who have been affected by this unimaginable natural disaster.”

“This generous donation from Major League Baseball will help save the lives of Haitian children,” said Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF. “The people of Haiti urgently need food, fresh water, shelter and medical supplies, and the first days are crucial.”

As with the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Hurricane Katrina and the hurricane in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua in 2007, the Yankees have stepped up to the plate first and loudest with a $500,000 donation to support rescue and relief efforts in Haiti.

In addition to UNICEF, the New York Daily News has a list of organizations to which people can donate to directly aid people in this devastated region.

3.  Manny Banuelos – Probably the best left-handed pitching prospect the New York Yankees have developed since current Yankee Andy Pettite.  Manny Banuelos was neck and neck with Arodys Vizcaino for the title of best pitching prospect in the Yankees organization but a trade solved that debate.  Banuelos was an international free agent that signed on March 30, 2008 out of Mexico.

Later in 2008 Banuelos made his professional debut when he appeared in 12 games for the Gulf Coast Yankees, three of which were starts.  With the GCL Yankees he was 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 42 innings.

The 2009 season saw Banuelos make his full season debut with the Charleston RiverDogs and in 25 games he was successful with a 9-5 record and a 2.67 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 108 innings.  Late in the season he was moved to the bullpen where he remained when he received a one game promotion to the Tampa Yankees late in the year where he pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts.

Manny currently posses three pitches, a low 90s fastball and what is said to be a plus curveball and changeup.  He profiles to be a top of the rotation starter and could see himself in Double-A at the end of 2010 if he continues his success with the Tampa Yankees.

2010 Prediction: Class-A Advanced – Tampa Yankees

2.   Austin Romine – Coming in right behind the slugging Jesus Montero is the best defensive catcher in the organization in the form of Austin Romine.  The Yankees selected the 21 year old catcher in the second round of the 2007 First-Year Player draft out of high school and made his professional debut later that season appearing in just one game where he went 1 for 2 with a RBI for the Gulf Coast Yankees.

In 2008 he moved up to the full season leagues where he was part of a platoon with Jesus Montero.  In Charleston he hit an even .300 with 10 homeruns, 24 doubles a triple and 49 RBIs in 407 at bats with 3 stolen bases in 3 attempts.  He missed some time with a right groin strain but made up for it when he was sent to the Hawaii Winter Baseball League where he hit only .208 in 17 games.

Romine and Montero continued their platoon in the first half of the 2009 season when they opened it up on the roster of the Tampa Yankees.  Just before the All-Star Game Montero was promoted and Romine took over the everyday catching duties for the T-Yanks.  With Tampa he hit .276 with 13 homeruns, 28 doubles, 3 triples and 72 RBIs in 442 at bats.  After winning a championship with Tampa he went to the Arizona Fall League where he was .400 in 15 at bats.

Austin’s strength is his defensiveness, though he is not bad with the bat.  Romine posses a plus arm and thrown out 30 percent of the bases runners who attempted to steal on him at a level where the Yankees do not emphasis holding runners on.  He is expected to be the regular catcher at the major league level, splitting some time with Montero.
2010 Prediction: Double-A – Trenton Thunder

1.   Jesus Montero – Young, big, and powerful are three words that can best describe catching prospect Jesus Montero who comes as no surprise to be number one on our New York Yankees top prospect list.  The 6 foot 4 inch 225 pound right handed slugger has impressed at every level he has competed at.  Signed at the age of 16 on October 17, 2006 and he made his professional debut the next season with the Gulf Coast Yankees where he hit .280 with 3 homeruns, 6 doubles, and 19 RBIs in 107 at bats. 

In 2008 Montero played his first full professional season with the Charleston RiverDogs where he hit .326 with 17 homeruns, 34 doubles, a triple, 2 stolen bases and 87 RBIs in 525 at bats.  The 2009 season he split between the Tampa Yankees and the Trenton Thunder.  Between the two he hit .337 with 17 homeruns, 25 doubles, a triple, and 70 RBIs in a shortened season due to an injury.

Jesus’ greatest asset is his bat.  An average defensive catcher at best Montero’s is however one of the best hitters in the game, ranking in the top ten throughout the minors.  Though an injury cut his 2009 season short he is expected to start the 2010 season as the regular starting catcher for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees as a 19 year old.  With his hand-eye coordination and great power he is expected to be a regular at the major league level, if not at catcher as an everyday designated hitter at the worst.
2010 Prediction:  Triple-A – Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

Be sure to check out the BaseballDigest.com Bleachers Forum to discuss the Yankees Top 10 Prospects as well as see the rest of the Top 30.

6.   JR Murphy – John R. Murphy is the second member of the 2009 Draft class to be named to the Top 10 Prospects.  Murphy was selected in the second round of the draft out of high school.  The 6foot 190 pound catcher then made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees where he hit .333 in 9 games with a homerun, a double and 7 RBIs. 

Murphy is a good athlete and has good hitting ability which is above average for catchers but he also has the potential to become a strong defensive catcher also.  His good arm and the Yankees’ sudden depth at the position may prompt a position change in the future, however for now Murphy will continue to develop as a catcher and would most likely start the 2010 season in the shadow of New York City with the Staten Island Yankees and former major league catcher Josh Paul.
2010 Prediction: Short Season-A – Staten Island Yankees

5.  Zach McAllister – Zach McAllister was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 3^rd round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft and made his professional debut later that season as a piggyback starter with fellow draft pick Dellin Betances.  In the Gulf Coast League he was 5-2 with a 2.83 ERA in 11 games, striking out 28 in 35 innings.

In 2007 he made his New York debut pitching for the Staten Island Yankees where he was a NY-Penn League All-Star before he struggled in the second half.  He finished the season with a 4-6 record and a 5.17ERA and 75 strikeouts in 71.1 innings.

McAllister split the 2008 season between the Charleston RiverDogs and the Tampa Yankees where he had a combined 14-9 record with a 2.09 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 151 innings.  He started the year with the RiverDogs and pitched to a 6-3 record and a 2.45 ERA in 10 games and was even better after the Yankees promoted him going 8-6 with a 1.83 ERA in 15 games, including a complete game and a save.

The 2009 Season saw McAllister’s jump to the high level minors where he excelled as a member of the Trenton Thunder’s pitching staff.  In 22 games with the Thunder he had a 7-5 record and a 2.23 ERA while striking out 96 in 121 innings.  He missed sometime after the All-Star Break with an injury but returned to his successful ways soon after and even earned himself a late season promotion to Triple-A for the playoffs.

McAllister profiles as a middle of the rotation starter and as a guy that will eat innings.  He is one of the better command pitchers in the organization and has a fastball that is in the low 90s with a slider and changeup.  He is a lock to begin the season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and could see a September call-up if he has success.

2010 Prediction: Triple-A – Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

4.   Slade Heathcott – One of the two members of the 2009 First-Year Draft class who made our Top 10 prospect list is outfielder Slade Heathcott.  Although he appeared in only 3 games during the season with the Gulf Coast Yankees he is a talented young player with a plus arm (reached 94MPH as a pitcher) and raw power.  The Yankees see him as a future centerfielder and is expected to rise through the system similar to former Yankee prospect Austin Jackson.  Injury concerns allowed him to drop to the Yankees in the 2009 draft but as in years passed the Bombers took a risk.
 2010 Prediction: Class-A – Charleston RiverDogs

Later on we will take a look at numbers 3-1 and then join us in the BaseballDigest.com Bleachers Forum to view and discuss the rest of our Top 30 prospects.

Proceeds from the fundraiser, held annually since the untimely death of the Yankees captain in August 1979, go to  AHRC New York City Foundation, which helps serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Munson’s widow Diana has helped raise nearly $10 million for those afflicted.

Piniella, a previous Munson Award recipient, will receive the “Legend Award” for his long and meritorious service to baseball at the event, set for the Grand Hyatt in New York.

In addition to Chamberlain and Strawberry, two other sports stars will be honored with Munson Awards at the Dinner, including New York Knicks starting point guard Chris Duhon and Yonkers Raceway’s two-time champion driver Jason Bartlett (not to be confused with the Tampa Bay Rays’ shortstop of the same name).

Lynn Pike, the president of Capital One Bank, will receive the “Corporate Hero Award.”

For tickets and information, fans can call 212-249-6188 or visit http://www.ahrcnycfoundation.org/.

Among a long list of notable athletes to previously receive the Munson Award are: Alex Rodriguez, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Willie Randolph, Mariano Rivera, Muhammad Ali, Yogi Berra, Goose Gossage, Don Mattingly, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, Joe Girardi, Patrick Ewing,  Walt Frazier,  Mark Jackson, Charles Oakley, Bernie Williams, Arthur Ashe, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Willie Mays, Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Adam Graves, Tom Seaver, Harry Carson and John Franco.