People talk about the great A.J., the good A.J., and the bad A.J.; tonight each made an appearance.  But unlike that winless August, Burnett hung tough, finishing strong in his final inning and, in the process, gave the Yankees some length from their starter.  Had it not been for a rested bullpen, Girardi said he most likely would have sent Burnett out for the 7th inning. Burnett said afterwards he can’t worry about “What the manager is saying/doing concerning the rotation.  I just need to go out and do my job.”

Burnett got an early boost from the Yankees offense.  Mark Teixeira drove in three runs on the night, putting the Yankees on the board in the 1st inning with an RBI double off A’s starter Brett Anderson.  Up 2-0 an inning later, Tex ripped a single through the left side to plate a pair of runners for a 4-0 lead.  Texeira single handedly has destroyed the A’s in the first three games of the series, going 8-10 with a walk and a hit by pitch in 12 plate appearances.

The A’s chipped away and cut the lead to a single run in the 6th when Burnett left a fastball up to Kevin Kouzmanoff with a man aboard.  The third baseman deposited it into the seats in right-center and suddenly it was a ball game.  Daric Barton came within inches of tying the game in the 5th when he narrowly missed the left field foul pole with a long drive, before adding to his American League lead in walks. But Burnett got Kurk Suzuki, who had two hits on the night, to fly out to end the inning.

Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan, Kerry Wood, and Mariano Rivera finished off the night, with Rivera earning his 28th save, but this game was all about Burnett.  Afterwards, Girardi was quite pleased with his starting pitcher.

“I thought he had good command tonight, for the most part.  His curveball was excellent tonight; he threw some really good changeups.  He had a couple of strikeouts with them..at times they looked like hard splits.  And when he gave up some runs, he went out and got some big outs.  That’s the main thing. I liked his approach and I liked what he did.”

Girardi also called the victory, “a personality win”, paraphrasing an old Don Zimmer adage about a “personality hit”.  Pitching coach Dave Eiland added, “This is a good win to build on.”

Derek Jeter, who reached on a hit and an error and scored two runs, knew how big Burnett’s start was.  ”It goes without saying that A.J. is a big part of this team.  He’s a guy who is capable of going out there and dominating games.  I thought this was a step in the right direction for him.”

Jeter’s teammates certainly hope he is right.

Notes

In addition to activating Lance Berkman from the disabled list, the Yankees added Jonathan Albaladejo, Greg Golson, and Chad Moeller to the expanded 40-man roster.  In addition, Damaso Marte was moved to the 60-day DL.

Austin Kearn’s snapped an 0-19 skid with a single in the 3rd inning.

Curtis Granderson’s season continues to improve.  Prior to the game he said, “I feel good about my swing.  I just want to continue to contribute down the stretch”.   The Grandy man had two hits off left-hander Brett Anderson tonight and is hitting .409 (9-22) against lefties since August 12.

Teixeira’s hot hitting continued despite a sore foot sustained when he was hit by a Vin Mazzaro pitch in Tuesday’s game.  Prior to the game Tex told me that the foot was sore, but manageable and that his thumb felt good as well.

Moeller’s call up came just in the nick of time.  Though he might not have pinch-hit Jorge Posada for Francisco Cervelli had the third catcher not been there, it was crucial when Posada was ejected after arguing a called third strike in the 8th inning.

Boone Logan struck out the only batter he faced, Jack Cust, and has retired 27 of the last 31 left-handed hitters he’s faced.

Girardi feels the rest Vazquez has had working out of the pen, coupled with an adjustment in mechanics, has gotten Vazquez back on track.  Girardi feels the right-hander’s fastball has been “truer”, which has resulted in good location and success. Pitching coach Dave Eiland later added that he made an adjustment in Vazquez’s leg kick and moved him to the middle of the rubber to ensure he “gets behind the baseball.”

Girardi also was firm in stating that A.J. Burnett is not pitching for his spot in the rotation this evening.  Girardi reminded the media just how “big A.J. was for us last year”, citing game two of the World Series as an example.

The Yankees had some big news today too.  Andy Pettitte may very well be making progress.  The left-hander threw a 30 pitch warm up in the bullpen, sat for five minutes, and then threw a simulated inning.  He felt good after “airing it out”, but admitted he’s still a bit mentally tentative when he takes the hill.   Pettitte said he expects to experience some soreness in the area (groin) tomorrow, just as he did after his last session, but also expects to feel good on Friday.  ”Today was the first day I was really able to focus on my release point and pitching”.  Pettitte also said he will not be activated by the Yankees without throwing in a minor league game first.

One other injury note – Alex Rodriguez took live BP today out on the field and felt good afterwards.  But he’s still very cautious and will not return unless he’s one-hundred percent healthy.  ”I’m taking a very precautionary approach; I’m being very conservative.  We want to make sure we’re as close to one-hundred percent as possible.”  A-Rod said he suffered no setbacks, on this his second day of starting to step things up.  A-Rod added that he’ll “see how things feel tomorrow”, use some heat and ice, and he “will continue the protocal Geno (Monahan) has set for me.”

The Yankees were already in first place in the AL East entering tonight’s play. Their spirits have to be buoyed by the possible return of Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez on the close horizon.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

2010 Season Record: 80-50

The Toronto Blue Jays have been a thorn in the side of the the Yankees all season and it continued last week with a series at the Rogers Centre.   The series kicked off with a 3-2 loss in which Toronto slugger Jose Bautista provided all the excitement in the game with his bat and with his mouth.  Themajor league leader in home runs hit his 39th and 40thbombs of the season and in between the took exception to a head high pitch from Yankees rookie Ivan Nova.

Even though Nova clearly wasn’t throwing at Bautista, Bautista had some comments for Nova who didn’t back down for a second. Then Bautista went even further and started to head to the mound, which emptied the dugouts and bullpens.  Thankfully ordered was restored rather quickly without any violence occurring.    Though the Yankees lost,  Nova turned in a very respectable performance by allowing two earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched.

Dustin Moseley took the mound in a much less dramatic Game 2; however the game was definitely not short on fireworks.  The Bombers’ bats struck back with a vengeance- blasting five home runs.  Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Marcus Thames, and Curtis Granderson all went deep.   Moseley threw an effective six innings and the Yankees rolled to an 11-5 victory.

In the final game of the series Toronto’s bats once again got the better of Yankees’ starting pitcher.  The Blue Jays left Phil Hughes feeling blue, knocking the right-hander out of hte game after just 3.2 innings pitched.  Hughes control was an issue – he walked 5 batters – and allowed five runners to cross the plate.  Despite a brilliant relief performance from Javier Vazquez, one earned run allowed over 4.1 innings pitched, the Bombers still lost the game, 6-3, and the series as well.

After a much needed day off, the team traveled to Chicago to take on the White Sox.  It was a huge series since Chicago is in a division race of it’s own, chasing the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

AJ Burnett took the mound for the Yankees in Game 1 and his struggles continued.  The slumping pitcher allowed eight earned runs in only 3.1 innings, including a four spot the 1st inning alone.  Veteran Freddy Garcia took advantage of the run support (7 IP, 1 ER) and the Chisox beat the Yankees 9-4.

The Bombers’ bats struck back with a vengeance in Game 2 by hitting four home runs in a wild 12-9 win.  The big flies were hit by Edwin Nunez (his 1st career home run), Nick Swisher and Marcus Thames, who hit a pair of long balls.  CC Sabathia struggled early for the Yanks, allowing five earned runs in seven innings, but picked up his 18th win of the season.

The series finale pitted Nova against veteran John Danks in a game that was that anti-thesis of Saturday’s slugest.   In his second career start Nova shut down Chicago’s offense, allowing only 1 earned run in 5.2 innings and the bullpen excelled the rest of the way.  Meanwhile on the offensive side, red hot Marcus Thames provided a solo shot and Brett Gardner added an RBI and the Bombers won the game 2-1.

Pinstriped Positives:

Kerry Wood was an after thought by many baseball fans when he was acquired from the Cleveland Indians at the trade deadline.  They had witnessed his struggles and his history of injuries.  However Wood has quickly become a dependablee arm in the Yankees bullpen.  Since donning the Pinstripes, Wood is 1-0 with a 0.71 ERA and has 15 strikeouts in 12.2 innings.

Sticking with pitching the Yankees recent rookie call up, Ivan Nova, has been very impressive so far.  Nova in two starts against tough offensive teams, the Blue Jays and White Sox, is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 14 innings pitched.  Nova has been a nice shot in the arm to the Yankees rotation, which has been scuffling of late.

Marcus Thames has really been killing the ball lately.  In his last 10 games Thames is hitting .294(10-34) and has 6 home runs with 12 RBI.

Negatives:

Derek Jeter has continued to struggle at the plate.  The Captain is batting .135 (5-37) with 1 HR and 4 RBI in his last 10 games.  His current .266 average is well below his career .314 average.

AJ Burnett must be the happiest player on the team now that August is over.  Burnettwent 0-4, 7.80 in 5 August starts, averaging just six innings each time out.

What’s Next:

The Bombers will head back to the Stadium to take on the young and talented Oakland Athletics and those hard hitting Toronto Blue Jays.  The Bombers ended the last full week in August in a tie atop the AL East with the Tampa Rays.  The toughest division in baseball looks like it’s going to come down to the last few days of the season.

John Fetter is a regular Yankees contributor for Baseball Digest.  He can be reached at jfetter@sportstalk88.com.

Dellin Betances has had scouts pondering/salivating over him since he was blowing away hitters as an oversized student in Brooklyn’s Grant Street High School.  The Yankees selected him in the 8th round of the 2006 amateur draft and the youngster’s professional journey began.

It has not always been an easy road though for the now 22-year old.  Just a year ago, Betances underwent Tommy John surgery, but he’s come back with a vengeance this season.  After dominating Florida State League hitters with Single-A Tampa (8-1, 1.77; 86 K in 71 IP), Betances made his Double-A debut Tuesday night for the Trenton Thunder.  He did not disappoint the crowd of 4,426, which included about 25-30 family and friends.

Listed as 6’8″, 245 lbs., Betances intimidates merely by stepping out on to the mound.  He faced a tough task right off the bat, having to go up against a solid and pennant-contending New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays) club.  The lineup included Eastern League year-end All-Stars Darin Mastroianni and Eric Thames, as well as highly touted Cuban exile Adeiny Hechevarria.

Betanances started off on the wrong foot, walking the speedy Mastroianni to start the ball game. A sac bunt moved the Fisher Cats outfielder into scoring position and an errant Betances pick off attempt moved him 90 ft. from home plate.  Betances then wild-pitched the run home and compounded matters by being late to cover home plate.

You couldn’t blame any kid pitcher for completely losing his composure at that point, but Betances steeled himself and settled down.  Mixing a mid-90′s fastball with a devastating curve and change up, Betances allowed two hits in 4.2 innings, one earned run, walked a pair of hitters, and struck out eight.

After allowing a solo home run to catcher Matt Liuzza to start the 3rd, Betances struck out six of the final eight hitters he faced.  Four of his eight K’s were looking as he set up hitters with his fastball and then froze them with his nasty curve.  His last backwards K came at the expense of Liuzza who had taken him deep just two innings earlier.   With 75 pitches under his belt, Thunder manager Tony Franklin removed Betances to a standing ovation.

The game itself was a sloppy one for the Thunder (Betances also threw a pick off attempt in the seats on the 1st base side), who remained in first place despite a night of poor base running and execution.   After rallying from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game, the wheels completely came off in the 10th as the Fisher Cats scored five runs off Wilkins Arias for a 10-5 victory.

Tony Franklin relaxed in his office afterwards and took it in stride, feeling his team knew how poorly it had played and there was no reason for him to go into the clubhouse and “rant and rave”.

As for Betances, Franklin was impressed.  ”I thought he was very good.  I liked the motion on his change up; he had a good fastball.  He’ll be fine.”  Franklin was also impressed with how Betances bounced back after he allowed the home run to Liuzzi.

I asked Franklin how he felt about the performance of George Kontos, who was also coming back from 2009 Tommy John surgery.  ”I liked the way he threw. We’re trying to be real careful with him since he’s coming back from an arm injury, but he was good.”

It was not a good night for Al Aceves, who was making another rehab performance as he attempts to come back from a back injury and help the Yankees down the stretch run.  The right-hander allowed three runs on six hits, including five doubles, in just 1.1 innings.  Franklin said Aceves felt good and chalked it up to “one of those nights.”

Notes

In addition to Betances, those in attendance also got a chance to see prospect Zach Stewart pitch for the Fisher Cats.  Stewart, who was acquired in a 2009 deadline deal for Blue Jays third baseman Scott Rolen, was impressive.  He allowed  a run on two hits in five innings.

It was also interesting to see Adam Loewen try to make a Rick Ankiel-like conversion from pitcher to hitter.  Unlike Ankiel, Loewen’s issues were all physical.  An arm injury ended his pitching days in 2008.  The native of Canada is still very much a work in progress, but he’s hitting .255 with 13 HR and 65 RBI.  His right field play, however, won’t be winning him any gold gloves any time soon.

For outstanding coverage on the Trenton Thunder throughout the season, be sure to check out beat writer Mike Ashmore’s Thunder Thoughts blog.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

2010 Season Record: 77-47

After two weeks of mediocre play, the Yankees really needed to step up their play and that’s exactly what they did.  The Bomber’s went 5-2 on the home stand and managed to remain a game ahead of the Rays.

The week started on a sour note as the Yankees lost the series opener to the Detroit Tigers 3-1. Once again, the Yankees struggled against a pitcher they had not faced before.  This time around it was hard throwing Max Scherzer, who threw 6 innings of shutout ball, limited the Yankees to a pair of hits, and struck out 6.

The Yankees sent Javier Vazquez to the mound, but the pitcher’s dead arm and lack of velocity continued to fail him.  The right-hander was pulled without recording an out in the 5th inning.

The Yankees sent their ace, CC Sabathia to the mound in Game 2.  Sabathia had a rough start, allowing a home run on the first ball he threw to former Yankees prospect Austin Jackson.  But the big man, as he often does settled down and settled in.

The CY Young Award contender went 7 innings, allowed 2 earned runs and struck out 9 batters.  Both Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano hit home runs and the Yankees cruised to a 6-2 victory.

Game 3 quickly turned into a home run derby as Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano hit back to back jacks in the 1st inning to give the Bomber’s the early lead.  The Tigers answered the challenge with three home runs of their own, including a pair by that beast of a hitter Miguel Cabrera, but the Bomber’s offense proved to be too much.  Granderson outdid Jackson, the player he was dealt for, though and smacked a second home run in the Yankees 9-5 victory. Starting pitcher Dustin Moseley struggled, he allowed 4 earned runs in 5 innings, but stuck around long enough to pick up the victory.

In the series finale the Yankees continued their offensive assault on Detroit’s pitching staff.  Most of their damage came in the 6th inning when the Yankees put a 9 spot up on the board.  MVP candidate Robinson Cano stroked an RBI double and followed that up later on in the inning with a two run homer.  Phil Hughes also got the job done on the mound, by allowing only 2 earned runs over 6 innings of work. As a result he earned his 15th victory of the season.

Fresh off of taking 3 of 4 from the Tigers, the Yankees faced the AL West cellar dwelling Seattle Mariners.   Unfortunately for the Yankees they opened the series against the man who would be king.  Felix “The King” Hernandez that is.  The hard throwing right-hander dominated the Yankees for the third time this season (1 earned run allowed in 26 innings) and the M’s took the opener 6-0.   A.J. Burnett couldn’t built off his back to back good starts, giving up a pair of home runs to Russell Branyan and was charged with all 6 runs.

The Yankees held their collective breath and sent Javier Vazquez to the mound in Game 2.  Things went from bad to worse; Vazquez lasted just three official innings and was pulled after one batter in the 4th.  Luckily, the Pinstripe’s bullpen came in and stopped the bleeding and the Yankees offense took control.

Jorge Posada belted a home run and drove in two runs while Cano added a pair of hits and RBI.  However, the biggest hit came off the bat of rookie Eduardo Nunez who with one swing in the 7th inning picked up his 1st major league single, his 1st career RBI and put the Yankees ahead for good.  As a result the Bombers went on to a 9-5 win.

In the final game of the series, the Yankees once again called on their ace and once again he answered the call.  Sabathia dominated the Mariners with six shutout innings.  It was a performance that might have gone on longer if not for a lengthy rain delay, which caused him to be pulled from the game.  In earning his 17th win, Sabathia allowed just 3 hits and struck out 8 Mariners.  The Yankee’s offense also continued to dominate thanks in large part to Cano’s big bat.  The 2nd baseman had a huge day, belting a grand slam en route to a career high 6 RBI as the Yankees sailed to a 10-0 win.

Pinstriped Positives:

CC Sabathia continues to dominate this season, in his two wins this week he allowed only 2 earned runs in 13 innings of work.  Sabathia has compiled a 17-5 mark with a 3.02 ERA and is a solid pick to win the AL CY Young Award.

Robinson Cano’s offensive dominance has also continued.  In his last 10 games the All-Star second baseman is hitting .324 (12-37) with 4 homers and 14 RBI.

Austin Kearns has thrived in the New York spotlight.  In the 14 games he has worn the Pinstripes, Kearns is hitting .341 (14-41) with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs.

Negatives:

Nick Swisher’s hot bat has definitely cooled down as of late.  In his last 10 games the Yankees’ outfielder is hitting .242 (8-33) with no homers and only 3 RBI.

Derek Jeter continues to struggle and remains on pace to have his worst season of his career.  The Yankees’ Captain is hitting just .216 (8-37) in his last 10 games.

What’s Next:

After Sunday’s victory the Yankees stood atop the AL East, one game above the Tampa Rays, who aren’t going away.  The Yankees will now head for Toronto to face the Jays to start a six game road trip.  After a mid-week day off the Yankees travel to face the AL Central contending Chicago White Sox.

John Fetter is a regular Yankees contributor for Baseball Digest.  He can be reached at jfetter@sportstalk88.com.

The Yankees were able to overcome the right-hander’s shortest outing since May 1, when Vazquez also lasted just three innings, by beating up on Jason Vargas and the Mariners’ bullpen.

Vazquez was diagnosed with a dead arm several starts ago and has regressed rapidly. His last five starts have gone from bad to worse – 6.1, 5.1, 4.1, 4, and 3 innings pitched. He’s been tagged for 16 earned runs in 20 innings and has seen his ERA rise from 4.45 to 5.05 since July 10. He’s also been ripped for 35 hits during the stretch and has walked 12 batters to boot.

Dead arm, tired arm, call it what you want, it’s not something a pitcher can work through. What it does, however, is wear out the bullpen. The Yankees got exceptional work from the pen today, specifically the beleaguered Chad Gaudin who shut down the M’s after entering the game in a 4-4 tie.

When Vazquez has no velocity, which has been the case in his last five starts, he has to be perfect with his location. That’s just as hard to do as it sounds. And when Vazquez doesn’t hit locations, home runs are sure to follow. Today it was a pair from Ichiro Suzuki and a monster upper deck shot, the first in the new Yankee Stadium, to right field by Russell Branyan.

I had a Twitter discussion a short time ago with Jack Curry of YES, who felt there was no need for the Yankees to bring in another starting pitcher. I disagreed then and I do now. How long the call up will last remains to be seen, but Ivan Nova has been summoned from Scranton to take A-Rod’s place on the 25-man roster and is scheduled to start Monday night in Toronto.

With Andy Pettitte probably not back until early September and A.J. Burnett’s continued inconsistency, the Yankees should definitely take a long look at Nova or another minor leaguer. Brian Cashman’s daily to-do list should also include checking the waiver wire for a decent starter. While they’re not likely to land a top notch starter, perhaps a serviceable arm will be available.

With an off day this coming Thursday, manager Joe Girardi is also likely to revise the rotation so that Burnett and Vazquez are not throwing on back to back days.

Speaking of waiver wires, the Detroit News reported earlier today that both Johnny Damon and Brandon Inge have been placed on waivers. Stop before you start, the Yankees do NOT need Damon back. It shouldn’t even be up for discussion.

Inge, on the other hand, should be a player the Yankees put in a claim on. The third baseman is pretty slick with the glove, and though he doesn’t hit for average, he does have pop; he had career highs in HR (27) and RBI (84) last season. Inge’s numbers are down this season, but he missed a large chunk of games with a broken hand. The former catcher could also be used in that position in a pinch- he caught 60 games as recently as 2008, and has some outfield experience as well.

In the meantime, Eduardo Nunez and Ramiro Pena figure to split the bulk of the work at third base. Nunez had his first major league hit and RBI in this afternoon’s contest.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

Season Record: 72-45

The Yankees completed a six game road trip last week with stops in Arlington, Tx and Kansas City, Mo.  The results were mixed, but the Yankees managed to remain in first place, one game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The opener in Texas was a case of David slaying Goliath.  In this case it was outfielder David Murphy who almost single handedly beat the Yankees.  Despite one of A.J. Burnett’s better outings (7 IP 3 ER), the Yankees trailed Texas 3-2 in the 8th.  But Alex Rodriguez stepped up and slugged career home run 601 onto the grassy knoll in center field for a tie game.

The game went to the 10th where Michael Young and Josh Hamilton immediately reached on singles against Mariano Rivera.  A-Rod temporarily saved the day when he robbed Vlad Guerrero of an RBI single, but both runners moved into scoring position with one out.  The Yankees decided to intentionally walk Nelson Cruz to face Murphy, who had earlier smacked a 2-run home run.  Murphy came through again with a game winning single.

The Yankees looked like they would be swept in the two game series when the Rangers and Cliff Lee jumped out to an early 6-1 lead the next night.  But the Yankees chipped away cutting the lead to 6-5 before Marcus Thames homered off of Neftali Felix to tie the game.  One inning later it was Thames who came through again with a go ahead run scoring single.  The game didn’t end without drama though as Elvus Andrus led off the home half of the 9th with a triple off of Rivera.  But the greatest closer of all time lived up to his reputation and escaped the jam to preserve the 7-6 victory.

Going to Kansas City; Kansas City here I come.  The Yankees had taken 3 of 4 from the Royals back in July at the Stadium so they were naturally looking forward to a four game set with the Royals at the revamped Kauffman Stadium in KC.  Only the Royals weren’t such welcoming hosts.

The Yankees appeared to be toying with the Royals in the opener.  Starter CC Sabathia allowed KC base runners, but allowed just a single run through eight innings.  The Yankees bats put four runs on the board and looked like they would break things open at any minute.  But the game stayed tight and the Royals cut the lead to a single run off Sabathia in the 9th.  With Rivera unavailable, David Robertson struck out out Jason Kendall with two aboard to pull out the 4-3 win.

Starters Dustin Moseley and Kyle Davies were both shaky early in game 2, resulting in a 3-3 tie heading towards the middle innings.  Billy Butler put KC ahead with a solo blast in the 5th, but the rains came before the inning ended.  Play would resume, but not before another even longer delay turned the game over to the bullpens.  The Royals shut down the Bombers the rest of the way for a 4-3 win.

Saturday night was home run derby in Kansas City.  Especially for the active home run leader, Alex Rodriguez.  Tied 1-1 in the 6th, A-Rod crushed a Sean O’Sullivan pitch to dead center for a 2-1 Yankees lead.  Jorge Posada followed that with an even deeper blast to center and the Yankees were rolling.

Rodriguez slugged career home run 603, with a man aboard to center again for a 6-3 lead.  Then in the 9th, it was another 400+ ft. home run, this time to left for an 8-3 victory.  It was the fourth 3-home run game of A-Rod’s career and made Phil Hughes a 14-game winner.

The finale saw the Yankees bats silenced by Brian Bullington, a veteran that had kicked around the minors and majors for eight years.  On Sunday he would finally pick up his 1st career major league win. 

Bullington baffled the Yankees with a mix of fastball and numerous off-speed pitches.  He retired the first 12 men he faced, losing a perfect game in the 5th on Robinson Cano’s single.  He would allow only one other base hit, a single to Brett Gardner (who was erased on a steal attempt) in eight innings of work.

Burnett threw another gem for the Yankees, throwing a complete game 4-hitter, but a 1st inning RBI single by Butler stood up.  Joakim Soria picked up his 33rd save by retiring the Yankees in order in the 9th.

What’s Ahead

The Yankees returned home to start a seven game homestand on Monday, with the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners coming to town.

Injury front

Al Aceves threw a rehab assignment at Double-A Trenton and said afterwards that his back felt good.

The news was not so good for Andy Pettitte, who felt extreme sore hipness prior to his simulated game and may not be as far ahead as he had hoped.

Lance Berkman was listed as day to day after rolling his right ankle in a collision at 1st base on Sunday.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

2010 Season Record: 69-42

The Yankees went through a disappointing 3-4 week against a pair of AL East foes, but remained ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional race.

The Yankees kicked off the week with a three  game series against the very dangerous Toronto Blue Jays.  Game 1 turned out to be an offensive battle, as both starting pitchers were hit hard.  AJ Burnett lasted only 4.1 innings and gave up eight earned runs.  Toronto starter Brandon Morrow wasn’t much better; he lasted only 5.1 innings and allowed 5 runners to cross the plate.  In the end the Jays beat the Yankees 8-6 with the help of a major league record six doubles.

The Yankees were probably wishing they had saved some of Game 1′s output for the second game of the set.  Ricky Romero, who the Yankees pounded back in July, limited the Yankees to just two runs and a pair of hits.  The Blue Jays offense continued to roll over Dustin Moseley and the Yankees pen en route to an 8-2 win.

Suddenly the Yankees found themselves in 2nd place in the AL East as play began in the series finale.  A-Rod helped kick the game off on the right foot, finally belting his 600th career home run.  Derek Jeter went 4-4 on the day and  Phil Hughes allowed a single run in 5.1 innings before the pen shut down the Jays the rest of the way.  The 5-1 victory, coupled with the Rays loss to the Twins put New York back into a first place tie with Tampa.

After a day off, the Yankees took on their arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in a big four game set at the Stadium.

The Yankees struggled offensively and defensively in the opener and the Red Sox took advantage.  Javier Vazquez streak of great starts ended with a 5.1 inning, three earned run performance that was magnified by Francisco Cervelli’s critical error.  Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz was solid in Boston’s 6-3 win.

In Game 2 the Yankees sent their big gun to the mound and CC Sabathia did not disappoint.  The Pinstripe’s ace threw eight strong innings and allowed just two earned runs.  Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano led the offense with two hits and an RBI each and the Yankees were able to turn the table on their rivals with a 5-2 win.

The Yankees kept the ball rolling in Sunday night’s prime time affair thanks to Dustin Moseley’s strong pitching performance.  The Bombers right hander went 6.1 innings, allowed only two earned runs and outdueled the much hated Josh Beckett.  The Yankees offense also did their part and smacked Beckett around the park.  Derek Jeter drove in thee runs and Lance Berkman enjoyed his first big day as a Yankee, going 3-4 with an RBI and two doubles.  The Yankees cruised to a 7-2 victory.

The final game of the series pitted Boston’s new ace, Jon Lester, against one of the game’s brightest stars in Phil Hughes. Unfortunately for the Yankees, it was a pitcher’s duel that Lester won.  Hughes survived a shaky first two innings and trailed just 2-0 when he departed after six innings.

Lester, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon shut down a number of late opportunities and the Yankees could only manage a Mark Teixeira home run in the 2-1 loss.

Pinstriped Positives:

Despite a mediocre week, the Yankees still managed to gain a half a game over the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Rays fell to 1.5 games back in the division after going 4-6 over their last 10 games.  (The stretch included a 5 game losing streak.)

Robinson Cano’s bat is back on fire. The All-Star second baseman is 12-35 (.343) over his last 10 games.

Derek Jeter continued to snap out of his season long doldrums with a 13-40 (.325) streak.

Negatives:

Jorge Posada’s bat continues to be dormant; the Yankees’ catcher is just 6 for his last 33 which translates to a .182 average.  Posada’s time behind the plate hasn’t been much better as teams continue to run on him at will.  And to top everything off, he’s been bothered by a sore knee caused by a cyst.

What’s Next:

The Yankees will now take their show on the road as they first travel to Texas for a two game set with the AL West division leading Rangers.  Then the Bombers move on to Kansas City for a four game set with the Royals.

John Fetter is a regular Yankees contributor for Baseball Digest.  He can be reached at jfetter@sportstalk88.com.

Dent anchored the Bombers’ defense for five-plus seasons, and while he is best known for the famous 1978 AL East playoff home run at Fenway Park, Dent went on to be named World Series MVP that year and later served a term as Yankees manager.  Around the time he was establishing himself as an All-Star with the White Sox, he founded the Bucky Dent Baseball School, which is going stronger than ever today.

Dent’s commitment to youth baseball continues with his work with the Subway Baseball DeSIGNS” tour that supports Little League.  Dent spent some time in New York City on Thursday as part of the national tour, which features baseballs designed by Little Leaguers and autographed by celebrities (including Dent).

As part of the visit, Dent took a few minutes to discuss his playing and managing career and his work with kids.

BBD: To a lot of people, the final piece in that late 70′s Yankees run was adding you to the roster.  How did that trade come about and what was your reaction?
BD: I was tremendously happy about the trade.  I had heard all Spring that the Yankees were going to trade for me, but I didn’t know for sure.  When Mr. Steinbrenner called, when I came over, I was excited, the Yankees had gone to the World Series in 1976, and I was a huge fan of the Yankees growing up.  It was like a dream come true for me.

BBD: Were those clubhouses really as crazy as they were portrayed in ”The Bronx is Burning” and the general perception of those teams?
BD: We had a lot of different characters with different personalities.  It was a fun group to be around, they knew when to have fun, but they also knew when to be serious at game time.

BBD: Did you have a reaction to that program and the portrayal of you in the series?
BD: You know, I didn’t watch a lot of it.  I had been there, so I didn’t need to. I only caught some clips, I didn’t watch it.

BBD: When Casey Stengel managed the Dodgers, he lost 100 games every year.  When he managed the Yankees, he won 100… Do you think you were short-changed in your managerial career because you didn’t have the horses and you never really got another chance?
BD: I think the timing of me taking over the Yankees wasn’t the best in ’89.  We were in a transition period, just the timing was wrong as far as getting a chance to manage.   When you manage for Mr. Steinbrenner, you know the ground rules coming in, if you don’t win you’re going to get fired.

BBD: How was Old Timer’s Day different this year? Did you and the other players share a lot of Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard memories?
BD: Everyone talked about it, told stories, remembering Mr. Steinbrenner.  It was a very different kind of Old Timer’s Day; there was happiness but also sadness because of losing two great Yankees.

BBD: You have been a part of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry for more than 30 years… How do you think it has changed over that time?
BD: I don’t think it’s as intense as used to be, maybe because the Red Sox have won a couple of World Series since then.  When I came over in ’77, there was a real dislike for the Yankees players vs. the Red Sox players, a true rivalry.  I don’t think it’s like that [among the players] anymore.

BBD: Tell me about your involvement with Subway’s Baseball Designs tour, and does the youth sports aspect have a special meaning to you?
BD: Absolutely. I have been a part of youth baseball for 36 years now, with the School.  I’ve been doing the Subway Baseball Designs Tour for two years now, and last year it was a great feeling and we got great response.  I’ll have the chance to go to the Little League World Series, which I’m really excited about, it’s really a wholesome event.

BBD:  I know that kids design the balls on Tour that you and other stars sign, but if you were designing the “Bucky Dent” baseball, what would it look like?
BD: I’d have to put the Fenway wall (laughs)… put that one on there.

BBD: What else are u up to these days?  Do you spend a lot of time at the Bucky Dent Baseball School?
BD: That’s it.  And watching my kids play.  I had a chance to watch my son play in the College World Series, he’s at Florida, it was exciting but disappointing that they didn’t go further.  But the last two years, I went to Little League World Series and the College World Series, I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I were coaching.

BBD: Do you miss being part of a Major League organization?
After I was let go by Cincinnati in 2007, I focused on the kids and doing these things that I couldn’t do if I was coaching.  It’s a different side of my career, but being a part of programs like this, something I really wanted to do, is gratifying.  I think Subway is doing a tremendous job of raising money for Little League programs, it’s really important.

BBD: How can fans get involved in the program?
BD:  We want them to go to Subwaykids.com or the official Subway Facebook page and take a look at the balls, and see if there’s a design or a player signature they like, to support Little League baseball.

On August 20, during the Little League Baseball World Series, the auction of the baseballs will go live on eBay.  Fans can bid on the balls with all proceeds benefiting the Little League Urban Initiative.

The recently turned 35-yr old hit the milestone home run three years to the exact day that he his his 500th home run off of Kanas City’s Kyle Davies.  With Derek Jeter on 2nd base, A-Rod drilled a Marcum fastball into Monument Park in dead centerfield.

By hitting the ball to a non-fan spot, A-Rod also doesn’t have to worry about negotiating for the baseball. (Yankee Stadium security guard Frankie Babilonia recovered the baseball.) A-Rod was willing to offer an autographed baseball and bat.  Jack Curry of the YES Network reported that if necessary, A-Rod was even willing to throw in a lunch with Cameron Diaz and himself.

A-Rod joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Sammy Sosa, and Ken Griffey Jr. at the 600 HR plateau and joined Ruth as the only player to wear a Yankees uniform while hitting his 600th.

So how does A-Rod stack up in history? That remains to be determined.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

2010 Season Record: 66-38

The Bombers opened the week on the road with a four game series against Cleveland before they traveled to Florida to take on the 2nd place Rays in a huge three game set.

The Yankees took three of four from the Tribe, outscoring them 28-10 in the process.

In Game 1, New York sent Javier Vazquez, arguably their best pitcher over the past couple of months, out to the mound.  The veteran right-hander did not disappoint.  Vazquez went 7 innings, allowed two earned runs en route to a 3-2 Yankees win.  Nick Swisher’s solo home run and Curtis Granderson’s 2-run shot provided the offense.

CC Sabathia took the mound against his former team in game 2, but came out on the wrong end of a 4-1 decision.  The Yankees ace didn’t have his best stuff, but battled (2 ER) through 7 innings.  Sabathia got little support from his teammates, however, as the Yankees were held to five hits and committed a pair of costly errors.

The following night the Bombers showed how dominate they could be against one of the better pitchers in baseball.  Cleveland sent All-Star Fausto Carmona to the mound, but the mighty Yankee lineup beat him to a pulp.

The Indians’ ace was pulled with two outs in the third inning after he allowed seven earned runs and 10 hits.  The stars for the Bombers’ offense included Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, A-Rod, Granderson, and Brett Gardner, who collected two hits each.

AJ Burnett took advantage of the run support, picking up his third win in the month of July.  Burnett struck out seven in 6.1 innings and did not allow an earned run.

In the series finale, the Yankees sent Dustin Moseley to the mound for his first start of the season.  After a shaky start, Moseley pitched extremely well, allowing a single earned run in six innings.  The Bombers gave him plenty of run support, blowing the game open with a 7-run 7th inning.

Cano hit his 20th home run of the season, while A-Rod’s 3 RBI gave him a team high 85.  Granderson continued to swing a hot bat since the All-Star break as he contributed a pair of solo home runs.

After their successful series against Cleveland, the Yankees traveled to the Tampa/St. Pete area to take on the red hot Rays.  The opener saw a strong performance from Yankees starter Phil Hughes.  The 23-yr old was cruising along until one bad pitch in the 7th inning.  It resulted in a 3-run home run by Matt Joyce and turned a 2-0 lead into a 3-2 loss to Rays starter Wade Davis.

The middle game of the series saw the Yankees bring out the heavy lumber.  Cano’s tape measure shot in the 9th inning was his 21st home run of the season and gave the Yankees a 5-4 victory.  Swisher and Teixeira homered as well as the Yankees overcame a shaky outing by Vazquez.

In the rubber game of the series, “Big Game” James Shields lived up to his nickname.   The Tampa starter didn’t allow an earned run over seven innings and struck out 11.   Sabathia surrendered three runs in 6.1 innings and the Bombers dropped the finale 3-0.  The series win moved the Rays to within one game of the Yankees in the AL East.

Pinstriped Positives:

It’s time to pay some respect to a Yankee who has done nothing but his job for his whole career. That’s right I am talking about Mr. Automatic- Mariano Rivera. Mo has been turning in yet another amazing season- a 0.93 ERA, 3-1 record and 22 saves in 24 opportunities.

The Captain, Derek Jeter, has started to swing the bat well again. In his last 10 games Jeter is 13 for 47, which is good for a .310 average.

Curtis Granderson has also been wielding a hot bat in his last 10 games, going  is 9 for 31 (.290) with 3 HR and 9 RBI.

Negatives:

A-Rod has really been struggling as of late; in his last 10 games he is 6 for 38 (.158).  His home run drought since hitting career #599 certainly has to be weighing on his mind.

What’s Next:

The Yankees will now head back home to take on the Blue Jays for 3 games and then have a much needed day off.  Then it’s time to face off against the hated Red Sox, who are in striking distance of 1st place (6.5 games back).

John Fetter recently joined Baseball Digest as a New York Yankees contributor.  He can be reached at jfetter@sportstalk88.com.

The New York Yankees drafted O’Brien in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Hidden Valley, HS in Roanoke Virginia.  Since signing the young righty made his professional debut down in Tampa with the Gulf Coast League Yankees.

In 2009 it looked like he was going to join the rotation of the Gulf Coast Yankees for the beginning of the season but a broken hand pushed back his development.  “I was hoping to be in the starting rotation this June,” said O’Brien last June, “but I broke a bone in my pitching hand in a game and I won’t start throwing again until June [2009]”

Log on to GothamBaseball.com to read the rest of the article:

http://www.gothambaseball.com/?p=1785

It was the later of the two deals that was the least impressive as the Yankees sent the now famous PTBNL (Player To Be Named Later) to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Austin Kearns.  Kearns has been a serviceable outfielder in Cleveland, playing all three outfield spots at separate times.  He has hit for some power with 8 Home Runs and 42 Runs Batted In while posting a Slugging Percentage .413.  A .268 Batting Average and .351 OBP make him an attractive edition to the lineup.  The Yankees see a hitter that can provide some solid hitting against right handers.  Against right handed pitchers, Kearns is hitting .278 with 6 of his home runs and 32 of his Runs Batted In.  His strikeouts are high, but he could provide some depth to the team as they make their stretch run.

It was the first trade of the night that sent the internet, scribes, and professionals scrambling as the Yankees added Lance Berkman to the pinstripes.  “The Puma” leaves Houston after twelve seasons, the latest casualty of a rebuilding team in Houston.  His average has struggled this year as it hovers around the .245 mark and he has hit 13 Home Runs and 49 Runs Batted In.  A change of venue, being surrounded by a solid lineup and being caught up in a pennant race may be just what the doctor ordered for this veteran who now has a chance at a ring.

On their way to the rebuilding Astros are right-handed relief pitcher Mark Melancon and switch-hitting infielder Jimmy Paredes.

Melancon has spent most of his season at AAA Scranton for the Yankees, pitching in 40 games and closing out 17 of them.  A WHIP of 1.669 has kept him working out some kinks in the minors, but he projects as a solid relief pitcher in the future.  His strikeouts are near double his amount of walks, with 58 Ks over 31 BBs.  At 56.1 innings pitched, it is easy to see that his stuff can be dominant at times.

The scrappy infielder Jimmy Paredes has been playing ball in Class A Charleston this season, hitting .282 but putting up a .312 On Base Percentage.  When he is on base, he is a catalyst, stealing 36 bases and only getting caught 10 times.  He has also hit 5 home runs and drove in 48.  He is a long way away from the big leagues, but Houston likes what they see and will put him in motion through the system.

Who is the big winner in these deals?  That is a tricky question.  The Yankees have added some great firepower towards their annual run deep into October.  The Astros continue to rebuild and obtain pieces to make themselves competitive in the future, even if that is a few yards away.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
You can find daily news about the Royals and Cardinals on Bill Ivie’s official Baseball Digest affiliate site, I-70 Baseball.

2010 Season Record: 63-36

The Yankees opened up the week with a two game series against their long time nemesis,  the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  The Bombers got off on the right foot by scoring two runs in the first inning of the opener.  Nick Swisher belted a solo home run and Jorge Posada added a sacrifice fly.

However, that would not hold up against the Angels and their second year fill in starter Sean O’Sullivan.  The right-hander didn’t allow another hit through the 6th inning and got plenty of run support, including a two-run shot by Hideki Matsui, as the Angels beat the Yanks 10-2.

In Game 2, the Yankees’ sleeping bear offense awoke and scored 10 runs.  They would need it as the Angels clawed away against starter Javier Vazquez. With the Yankees holding a slim 6-5 lead in the 7th,  rookie Juan Miranda hit his 3rd homer of the season for a much needed insurance run.   But the Yankees youngsters weren’t done yet.

With two men aboard later in the inning, Brett  Gardner was ejected in the middle of his at-bat for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.  Suddenly, rookie Colin Curtis was up at the plate with an 0-2 count.  Curtis worked the count full against veteran Scot Shields and then lined a three-run home run into the right field seats.  It was Curtis’ first career home run and curtain call.  The Yankees went on to win the game by a 10-6 margin.

The Bombers then welcomed the lowly Kansas City Royals into town for a four game series.  The Yankees beat up on the Royals in Game 1, 10-4, as their dominant offense continued to click.

The first four batters in the Yankees lineup did most of the damage, going 10-20 (.500) with 2 HR and 8 RBI.  Alex Rodriguez’s bat stood out the most.  The All-Star third baseman went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI and hit his 599th career home run.

In Game 2 the Yankees great offensive play and individual milestones continued as the Yanks rolled to a 7-1 win.  The victory included Jorge Posada’s 1000th career RBI.  A.J. Burnett threw five innings of shutout ball before rain forced his removal from the game.  Robinson Cano also enjoyed a big night with a pair of hits and 3 RBI.

The Yankees couldn’t overcome a poor start by Sergio Mitre and dropped Saturday’s contest 7-4.   Mitre allowed five earned runs in 4.1 innings to offset any possible comeback by the Pinstripes. Red-hot Mark Teixeira slugged a pair of home runs and drove in three runs, but a late rally fell short.

The final game of the four game series was another offensive outburst for the Yankees and a measure of revenge against O’Sullivan.  The righty was acquired earlier in the week from the Halos and now faced the Yankees in a different uniform.

The Yankees knocked O’Sullivan around, then outlasted the Royals and a two hour-thirty seven minute rain delay for a 12-6 win.

Five Yankees collected two or more hits in the game, including Curtis Granderson who belted a pair of solo home runs.  A-Rod also had a great game even though he didn’t hit career HR number 600.  The slugger went 2-4 and drove in 3 runs to increase his RBI total to 81.  He also survived a scary moment in his final at-bat when Royals pitcher Blake Wood hit in the arm with a 95-mph fastball.  The slugger stayed down for several moments, but came away with just a contusion.

The Bombers’ offensive tear helped them stay in 1st place in the AL East as they prepare for a showdown with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Pinstriped Positives:

CC Sabathia continues to dominate the league and has put up great numbers so far this year.  In his last 10 games the Yankees ace is 8-1 with a 2.10 ERA.

Javier Vazquez has also continued to dominate hitters.  The one time struggling pitcher is 9-7 with a 4.54 ERA after going 6-2, 3.05 in his last 10 starts.

Mark Teixeira has been sizzling like the July temperatures. The one time struggling first baseman is hitting .289 in his last 10 games with 2 homers and 11 RBI.

Negatives:

Nick Swisher’s numbers have dipped a little as of late.  The first time All-Star is hitting .263 in his last 10 games, though he did hit a pair of home runs and drove in eight runs in the stretch.  He’s also been bothered by a sore heel.

Brett Gardner is really struggling; the speedy outfielder is hitting a measly .161 in his last 10 games and only has 2 stolen bases.

Robinson Cano who was once the league leader in batting average is hitting .243 in his last 10 games and has watched his batting average drop 7 points as a result (.329).

What’s Next:

The Yankees will now take their show and the league’s best record on the road as they face the Cleveland Indians for four games.  Then they will finish the week with a three game set against the second place Rays in Tampa.

John Fetter recently joined Baseball Digest as a New York Yankees contributor.  He can be reached at jfetter@sportstalk88.com.

Ever since Rodriguez admitted his steroid use during his time in Texas, the air has gone out of the home run balloon. Whatever was left of it. There was widespread hope – that Rodriguez was clean and he would eventually erase Barry Bonds from the record books. And that he would make us forget about the tainted home run totals of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmiero.

Sosa and Bonds had been two of the last three players (Ken Griffey Jr. being the other) to reach the 600-HR mark. Sosa and Bonds both continue their “Not me” mantra in response to performance enhancing drugs. McGwire, who hit 583 home runs, came forward but claimed taking steroids had done nothing to improve his game.

So how will fans react to Rodriguez’s assault on 600?

Much in the same way San Francisco reacted to Bonds when he passed Hank Aaron. The way Cardinals fans still worship McGwire in St. Louis. Yankees fans will, for the most part, embrace Rodriguez’s 600th home run. The rest of America will still call him a cheater.

Attitudes have changed in the metropolitan area in the last year. In addition to Rodriguez’s “mea culpa” to Peter Gammons, the Yankees won a World Series championship in which Rodriguez was an integral part. Many of the same fans who once vilified him now cheer for him on a regular basis.

There’s no right or wrong here. To quote that great philosopher Brian McNamee, “It is what it is.”.

So where will A-Rod wind up in history? Will he be enshrined into the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown? That will all depend on how things shake out between now and the time A-Rod’s name comes before the Baseball Writer’s Association of America (BBWAA).

If A-Rod stays healthy, the BBWAA won’t have to consider the matter for about 10 years (Let’s figure 5 more years of playing time + 5 years to wait for eligibility). In the four years that McGwire has been on the Hall ballot, he has not received more than 23.7% of the vote and 75% is needed for enshrinement.

Bonds, Sosa, and Palmiero have not been out of the game the requisite time necessary, but one would have to figure that the latter two would certainly receive the same treatment as McGwire, though they were both better all around players than the current Cardinals hitting coach. Bonds remains an unknown commodity because of ongoing litigation and the sense that he was already going to be a Hall of Fame member prior to the years he is purported to have used PEDs.

So to answer my earlier question, “Will A-Rod get in the Hall of Fame?”… I don’t know. The only thing I do know for sure is that his 600th home run will be celebrated in grand style in the NY area, whether it’s right or wrong.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

Long time Yankees manager, general manager, and player Ralph Houk has passed away at the age of 90.

“The Major” was the first Yankees manager that I can remember. He initially had managed the team from 1961 thru 1963, winning two World Series and one pennant. He took over as skipper again 20 games into the 1966 season and would remain the Yankees main man through 1973, the first year of George Steinbrenner’s ownership. It only took him one year, but Houk could see how things would play out under Steinbrenner and resigned on September 20, 1973.

Houk wasn’t out of the game long, taking over the Detroit Tigers the following spring. He would manage in the Motor City for five years. After a couple of years off, Houk had his final managing stint with the Boston Red Sox from 1981 to 1984. He won 1,619 games (.514 winning pct.) over parts of 20 seasons.

Houk earned his nickname from his days in the service where he rose from private to the rank of major. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star, and Bronze Star for his action in World War II.

Houk’s playing career as a backup catcher was limited to just 91 games, but he was part of championship teams in 1947 and 1949-1953. He retired following the 1954 season and became a bullpen coach and manager in training for Casey Stengel. Between his manging stints with NY he served as the team’s general manager.

He was fiery competitor that was infamous for his knockdown, drag out arguments with umpires. A good debate usually included kicking dirt on home plate/base and/or the umpire and flinging his cap. He never got cheated when discussing a call.

Houk’s final stop in his baseball career was in the front office of the Minnesota Twins from 1986-1989. He earned his third World Series ring when the Twins captured the title in 1987.

Ralph Houk was one of the true characters of the game and he will be missed. Our condolences to his family.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

2010 Season Record: 58-33

On July 11th the Yankees lost their legendary public address announcer Bob Sheppard.  Sheppard called games for the Yankees for over 50 years starting in 1951 and ending in 2007.

Sheppard announced lineups that were filled with current and future Hall of Famers  like Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez to just name a few.  For generations of Yankees fans Sheppard was the voice of Yankee Stadium.  The man who greeted them with his iconic voice to thousands of games.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck the Yankees again just a few days later on July 13th when the legendary owner of the Yankees passed away.  George Steinbrenner became “The Boss” of the Bombers after he purchased the team with a group of investors from CBS in 1973.

Steinbrenner, through his hirings and firings of managers such as Billy Martin and his signing of big name free agents such as Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson, quickly changed the way the sports world viewed him and other owners.  The Yankees’ family will tell you that Mr. Steinbrenner did what ever he could to put a winner on the field and most of the time he did.  Steinbrenner famously stated that winning was second only to breathing and that attitude saved the struggling Yankees and turned them back into perennial contenders.

After the All-Star break the Yankees returned to the Stadium to take on the 2nd place Tampa Bay Rays in a big AL East showdown.  Game 1 was full of emotion as the organization remembered their fallen duo.

Perhaps it was the time off and/or the tragic losses, but the Yankees got off to a slow start and found themselves in a 3-1 hole.  The game and emotioin began to change in the 6th inning when Robinson Cano launched a bomb into the night and Jorge Posada followed with a home run of his own to tie the game at three apiece.

The Rays took the lead back in the 7th, but then Nick Swisher took over.  The first time All-Star hit a game tying homer in the 8th inning and then followed that up with a walk off RBI single in the 9th inning for a 5-4 win.   And of course, he received a pie to close out his night.

AJ Burnett took the ball in Game 2 but basically gave the ball right back after facing just two batters in the 3rd inning.  Burnett had thrown a temper tantrum before taking the mound in the 3rd, cutting both his hands in a fit of temper.  The Rays steamed rolled right over the Bombers’ pen en route to a 10-5 win.

In the final game of the series the Yankees sent Andy Pettitte to the mound to face Tampa’s ace David Price.  However, the much anticipated pitcher’s duel was not meant to be as both pitchers were hit hard and hit early.

Unfortunately for the Yankees things got worse before they got better.  Pettitte was forced from the game after he injured his groin with one out in the 3rd inning.  The Yankees offense would pick up the slack though.

The Pinstripes put a number 4 on the board in the 5th inning to drive Price from the game.  The Yankees offense continued to pile it on, including career home run #598 for Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees beat the Rays  9-5.

The series win put the Yankees 2.5 games ahead of Tampa Bay in the AL East race.

Pinstriped Positives:

The Yankees first place standing shows just how balanced the team is. The Bombers’ offense has never really fired on all cylinders this year.   The Yankees top two power hitters Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira are both hitting below .275 which is much lower than their career averages of .304 and .287 respectively, but signs of life have begun to emerge.

Hitting coach Kevin Long found a glitch in Teixeira’s swing from the left side of the plate.  Since making a correction, Tex has hit over .300 the last dozen games and his power has returned.

A-Rod has been hitting the cover off the ball and has gone back to being an intimididating run producer.

Negatives:

The injury bug has struck the Yankees again and this time it bit All-Star pitcher Andy Pettitte.  Pettitte suffered a Grade 1 strain of his groin after a 2-1 pitch to Tampa Bay’s Kelly Shoppach.  The left-hander was pulled from the game and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.  This comes at a really bad time for the Bombers when you consider that two of their starters, AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes, have been struggling as of late.  Hopefully the Yanks will do what good teams do best which is finding a way to win and stay atop the AL East.

What’s Next:

The Yankees continue their nine game home stretch this week as they play host to the Angels and the Royals.

John Fetter recently joined Baseball Digest as a New York Yankees contributor.  He can be reached at jfetter@sportstalk88.com.

Pettitte’s injury, which is expected to keep him out of action for 4-5 weeks, compounded an already-difficult situation for Cashman, who knows he must retool the current bullpen if the Yankees are to repeat in 2010.

Had a deal with Seattle  for Cliff Lee fallen into place, there would have been no worries concerning the starting rotation.  But with A.J. Burnett’s continued ineffectiveness and inconsistency, there is some reason for alarm.  For now, Sergio Mitre will take Pettitte’s turn in the rotation.  Though he has looked decent at times, neither he nor the likes of Chad Gaudin, Dustin Moseley, etc., are pitchers you’d want to rely on for any length of time.

Let’s start this off by saying Brian Cashman will not do anything crazy. No deal for Roy Oswalt and the $23 million that remains on his contract.  No deal that includes prospect Jesus Montero for a back-end of the rotation starter.

But Cashman can start to look more seriously at Ted Lilly (though ESPN reported Sunday night that the Cubs were asking for Montero) and others.  How pressing the need is will be determined by how Pettitte is feeling as the trade deadline approaches.

Here’s a look at the starters and relievers that could be available by the July 31st trade deadline:

Starters

Roy Oswalt – As  previously mentioned, the Astros’ soon-to-be all-time leading winner (he’s one victory behind Joe Niekro) has a contract that will scare most teams away.  Oswalt, who turns 33 in August, is owed the remainder of $15 million this season and $16 million in 2011.  There’s also a $16 million option for 2012 with a $2 million buyout.

It’s doubtful the Astros will get much back for him until the 2011 deadline.  Certainly not a top tier prospect if the Astros want the their trade partner to assume a large chunk of Oswalt’s contract.

Dan Haren – When Haren was dealt to Arizona, the Dbacks had to send top prospect Brett Anderson and current NL star Carlos Gonzalez and four others (Arizona also received Connor Robertson) to Oakland. The current version of Haren might be had for a song.  That’s how bad he’s been this season.

Haren has allowed a whopping 155 hits in 133 innings.  His strikeout (133) to walk (27) ratio is still remarkable, but that doesn’t really matter when opponents are hitting .287 against you.

Haren’s been better of late – a 3.69 ERA over his last 9 starts – but his contract is a major sticking point.  He’ll received $12.75 million over each of the next two years and there is a club option for 2013 worth $15.5 million (with a $3.5 million buyout).  Had this been a previous incarnation of Haren, perhaps he wouldn’t even be available.  But with his current performance, his contract is too rich for my blood and probably the Yankees’ too.

Ben Sheets – Mr. Moneyball, Billy Beane took a $10 million shot on the oft-injured right-hander in hopes of getting a big pay day at the trade deadline.  So far the move has backfired.  Sheets, who missed all of last season as he recouperated from elbow surgery, has pitched better of late, but most of his outings are of the 6-inning, 4-earned run variety.  And of course he is always a major risk for injury.

Ted Lilly – The one-time Yankee prospect blossomed once he left the organization in 2002.  Lilly has averaged nearly 15 wins in each of his last four years as a member of the Chicago Cubs and is set to become a free agent after the season.

As a left-hander, he would be a good fit into the rotation which is now down to one southpaw due to Pettitte’s injury. Don’t look for a live fastball though. Lilly has been clocked routinely at just 86-mph.  He’ll be paid $13 million for this season.

Kevin Millwood & Jeremy Guthrie – The Baltimore duo have completely hurt their trade value over the last two months.  Millwood allowed 37 earned runs in 32 innings before landing on the DL in early July with a strained forearm. Guthrie has pitched to a 5.67 ERA in his last 9 starts.   STAY AWAY.

Brett Myers – Oswalt’s teammate in Houston is working on a one year, $5 million deal that includes a mutual option in 2010.  The 30-yr old has put up a 3.35 ERA in 19 starts this season after missing much of last year.  Myers has some anger issues and I wonder if he can handle playing in New York. (Playing in Philly was a different kind of crazy.)

Tom Gorzelanny – The “other” Cubbie lefthander has pitched to a career best 3.12 ERA in 19 appearances, 13 of which were starts, and has 81 strikeouts in 80.2 innings pitched.  Gorzelanny throws 88-92 mph and has held right-handed hitters to a .228 batting average.  Control has been an issue at times.  He should come cheaper than Lilly.

Scott Kazmir, Jarrod Washburn, Pedro Martinez – Let me know when I can stop laughing.

Relievers

Scott Downs – The Toronto Blue Jays left-hander is in high demand.  He’s a Mike Stanton type that can get out both lefties and righties, and when needed, can close.  Toronto will certainly look to rip a team off, especially one in their own division.

David Aardsmaa – The Mariners closer has been frequently mentioned as being available. That doesn’t mean he necessarily is available though.  Aardsmaa had a breakout season in 2009 when he recorded 38 saves, held opponents to a .190 batting average, and posted a 2.25 ERA.   It had to be a suprise to the White Sox and Red Sox with whom Aardsmaa had posted ERAs of 6.40 and 5.55 the previous two seasons.

The reason to deal Aardsmaa now is that his trade value will never be higher. His ERA has climbed back up to 5.22 and he’s 0-6.  Aardsma has also already matched his 2009 total of four blown saves.

Brandon League – People like to mention Aardsma’s teammate a lot because of how hard he throws, but League is not a significant upgrade over what the Yankees currently have on the major and minor league rosters.

Leo Nunez -  The Marlins closer has been outstanding in his second full season in Florida.   Nunez has 22 saves in 27 attemps and has a 4.5 to 1 K:BB ratio.   He will not come cheaply, however.

Always a plus, Nunez has American League experience, when he was a member of a surprisingly strong 2008 KC Royals pen.

Brad Ziegler – The sidewinder is a solid righty specialist.  The Yankees could do better than to get someone who is just a specialist.

Kevin Gregg, Jason Frasor, Shawn Camp – Downs’ teammates in Toronto. From left to right – Wouldn’t touch him with a 10 ft. pole, wouldn’t touch him with a 5 ft. pole, wouldn’t touch him with a 1 ft. pole.

Okay, but seriously folks.  Gregg can’t be trusted with a lead, period.  Frasor’s story is similar to Aardsma’s- a breakout 2009 season and  a great job as a late season closer.  But he’s returned to his 4+ ERA form this season.  Camp is decent, but he’s not a significant upgrade from who the Yankees can run out there now on a daily basis.

Jonathan Albaladejo – Yes, he’s already on the Yankees, but he’ll get another chance when he’s recalled today to take Pettitte’s spot on the 25 man roster.  After some mediocre to bad cups of coffees in the show, Albaladejo (boy, that name really doesn’t roll off the tongue) has been dominant at Triple-A Scranton.

Albaladejo has recorded 31 saves while posting a 0.96 ERA and struck out 61 batters in 46.2 innings pitched.  But tha is in Triple-A, and Albaladejo will need to step up his major league game in order to stick around this time.  He will most certainly get the chance in late inning situations if that is the case.

So there you have it.  As the trade deadline nears, others will become available.  But because there are so many teams still in the race, there will be players (e.g. Bobby Jenks) who will stick with their current teams when they might otherwise have become available.

For Brian Cashman it will be a process… and steady as she goes.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

Eduardo Sosa was one of several international free agent players that the New York Yankees signed on July 2, 2007.  He along with fellow 2010 Staten Island Yankees Kelvin De Leon and Jose Mojica were considered some of the top players eligible for that signing class and made his professional debut the following season with the Dominican Summer League Yankees2 team.

http://www.gothambaseball.com/2010/07/sosa-impressing-so-far-this-season/

The word out of New York right now is that the Yankees will remain in the Steinbrenner family for years to come, but can that statement be believed? The Yankees are really nothing more than Dad’s rare coin collection that has been willed to the kids.  Yankees fan may hate that analogy, but it is the truth when you think about it.

The Yankees can not be looked at as something more special than that for several reasons. The first being that the Yankees are worth a ton of money, and secondly the Yankees are an organization built on one man’s passion.

The Boss spent years collecting rare and odd  coins to put in his display case. He was the first man there when the store opened and the last man to leave. He had the greatest collection of coins in the business. His nights were spent looking at old coin books. His days spent talking to coin collecting buddies. He would meet up with his other coin collector buddies to show off his massive collection. He was the envy of all other collectors. Anytime someone would come over he would have to show off his newest coin, telling the story of how he found or bought it.

Coin stories are cool and interesting when you think that it will last an hour or maybe two, but when you are stuck at the convention looking for a rare 1919 penny in hour fifteen you start to question why you didn’t go to the movies with your friends.

You hear other coin collectors offer your Dad three times the value for his special coin, but he always turns them down. Your mind often then begins to wonder how much the collection is worth, but at this point you just want to go eat and get as far away from coins as possible.  And you still haven’t found that special coin you’ve spent all night looking for.

Three more hours have passed by.  You’re tired, hungry and hating coins when your dad finally finds his 1919 penny. You think to yourself, finally we can go now, but it is not that simple. Your Dad has to inspect the coin, grade the coin, value the coin, talk to the guy who owns the coin for an hour on the price only to say “We will get a bite and come back.”. Your joy of eating is shattered because you know you have to come back to haggle over the coin some more when you finish your cheeseburger.

You both finally return to buy the coin, but the drama does not end there. Once the coin is your’s that is when the rules start about how to handle the coin, how to display the coin, where to keep the coin, and so and so forth.

The years pass and the dance continues. Your Dad becomes known as the coin guy and you are expected to be coin guy jr.. The only problem with your Dad being so into any hobby is that often it is the neighbor kid that shares the passion with your Dad, not you.  Because by the time you are an adult you are sick of hearing about the 1919 penny and the list of rules that go along with it. The neighbor kid on the other hand always comes over to ask about what is new in the collection and how he can start collecting.

A few more years pass when the coin collecting father passes on, leaving his massive collection to his son. The son is sad now that his father is gone thus vowing to never sell the collection. Days, weeks, even months pass with all of the father’s friends thinking about that one coin the Dad would never sell.

The son says, “No, I will not sell!”, when queried.  This exercise is repeated time and time again until the years have passed and the son realizes he has lost his attachment to the collection.  He finds he’s ignored the rules his father laid down for him and has let dust collect on the displays.

Then one day the neighbor kid or a family friend asks about the collection and offers three or four times what the collection used to be worth. It is that day that the son realizes that he has not been to a coin show since three years before his father’s death and that all the coins do is get in his way. It is that day that the son sells the coins saying “Dad would have wanted someone to enjoy the collection and I just do not have the same passion as Dad”.

The aforementioned story is long, but it is so true. If you substitute Yankees/superstar player for the word “coin”  and other owners for the word “friend”, you have the story of the Yankees.

The Boss saw that his sons were not really interested in his collection as much as he was a long time ago. The Yankees were not to be run by Hank and Hal but by his former son-in-law, Steve Swindal. The Boss had found someone passionate enough to take care of his hobby, but a divorce shattered those plans.

The Boss could not stand to give up control to another person outside the family so by giving the team to the sons he was still able to sit back and have control over the team knowing that his sons would think, “What would dad do?”, before they did anything.

The assurance that the Yankees will always be in the Steinbrenner family is a statement that would scare me if I were part of Yankee universe.  It seems to me that is only the first line in a tragic play that will unfold over five or ten years, because it is very rare that the second generation has the same passion as the first.

The perfect formula for the sale of anything of great value is to hand it down to one’s children who view it as a great burden.  The Steinbrenner boys face that very situation right now.