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.

The Cincinnati Reds were able to take a commanding nine run lead over the Giants by the bottom of the fifth inning after a Joey Votto home run. The lead should of meant an easy victory for the Reds, however it quickly became a struggle.

The Giants never say die attitude was on full display during the game and with only four innings left of baseball, they brought out the big lumber. It started in the bottom of the fifth inning when newly acquired left fielder, Pat Burrell, laced a two-run single to cut the lead to seven.

It was Juan Uribe however that supplied the big blow in the eighth inning. After two consecutive singles from Jose Guillen and Pablo Sandoval, it was Uribe that blasted a three-run homer into the left-field seats.

The fact the Giants were able to come from behind showed everyone that beared witness the grit this team has. It is very reminiscent of the 2004 Boston Red Sox and the 2009 New York Yankees.

The Red Sox memorably fell behind three games to none in the ALCS to their most hated rival, the Yankees. The Red Sox than only did what they had done all season long up to that point; come from behind.

The Red Sox were able to win four straight games and advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1918. The Yankees of last season had a penchant for walk-off wins. In fact everyone of their starters, including Francisco Cervelli had a walk-off hit except Derek Jeter.

This year’s Giants team has that type of fortitude. They believe in each other and the fact that they are never truly out of a game. The powerful offense they possess had been slumping the past few weeks, but recently have been on fire.

In fact, the offense scored 11 or more runs in three straight games for the first time since 1953. A playoff team is one that never believes they are out of it. They know that the road is not an easy one and that there will be obstacles along the way.

These Giants match that profile. They believe they have one of the best rotations in baseball to go along with a powerful offense and that breeds confidence. Confidence wins games and the Giants are out to prove it once again.

Ryan Lazo covers the Giants for Baseball Digest. You can email him at lazorm09@bonaventure.edu, follow him on twitter here or read his personal blog here.

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.

Good thing he is just a guy with an opinion not a baseball manager or a president of a team’s baseball operations. If he ran or manage the Rays, they would not be the team they are today.

Since the post All-Star Break, Shields won three straight games prior to his start against the Yankees Sunday afternoon. His ERA was at 4.88 despite the winning streak, but disregard that for a second. Shields has gone deep in games, and he found the location to throw strikes in those three victories. Those are things Shields could not do in the first few months of the season.

Sunday’s performance showed Shields is back to being the bulldog pitcher the Rays expect him to be. He hit his spots well, and the Yankees had a hard time of finding a way to disrupt his change-up.

Shields started off well by pitching inside to Derek Jeter couple of times to start the game, getting newly acquired Lance Berkman out on two pitches and striking out Mark Teixeira with a heavy diet of fastball.

In the second inning, Shields ran into trouble. He gave up couple of hits after getting Robinson Cano out, and just like that, Shields was in a jam with runners at first and third.  Anyone thought the Yankees were going to take the  lead with two men on and one out?

No one could have blamed others for feeling that way, but Shields had other ideas. He struck out Curtis Granderson with a change-up, and Austin Kearns popped up meekly to end the threat.  This was the only opportunity the Yankees would get against Shields. After that, he shut the Yankees down for the rest of the day.

Shields was locked in from the third inning by being ahead of the count. At one point, he struck out six in a row.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi had a secret weapon waiting for Shields, and he used it in the seventh inning with one on and two outs. After intending to give Alex Rodriguez a day off just to get his mind off the home run milestone he is pursuing, here was Rodriguez with a chance not only to get that 600th home run of his career, but to give the momentum for the Yankees.  Instead, Rodriguez represented the tenth strikeout for Shields.

Shields could have went eight innings, but with his pitch count approaching 120,  Maddon elected to end his day with 116 pitches. The Rays starter finished the day by allowing four hits, striking out  11 and walking one in 7 1/3 innings.

The best way to describe this is dominance.

It was a vintage performance from Shields to say the least. It brought back memories from couple of years ago when he dominated the AL East teams.

Maddon mentioned this was the best performance he ever saw out of Shields. Maybe the Rays manager was caught up in the moment, but it’s hard to believe this was Shields’ best performance ever. Shields’ best performance came when he pitched a shutout against the Red Sox at Fenway Park couple of years ago in April. He blew the Red Sox away by throwing fastballs at every Red Sox hitter.

Shields’ recent starts have been encouraging, and if he can duplicate more performances like Sunday, the Rays starting rotation gets even better. The Rays have a good starting trio in David Price, Matt Garza and Jeff Niemann. Shields makes it better with his  postseason experience. He was the team’s best postseason pitcher couple of years ago.

With him, it’s all about confidence. If he can find his command of his pitches, he can go on a roll like he did Sunday afternoon.

Comparing his starts in May to his recent starts, there’s a change in demeanor. Shields was frustrated on the mound when he struggled. He was intimidated by the hitters at the time, but lately, that has not been the case. On Sunday, it was his turn to intimidate the Yankees.

It was hard to believe Shields would get back to the level he was two years ago. He looked done going back to last year. Teams figured him out by either homering off him or hitting lines drives off him, which inflated his ERA at either four or five. His fastball looked dead, and that’s his bread and butter pitch.

There was reasons to be concerned about him.

To Shields’ credit, his strikeouts were still there despite his struggles. He felt it was a matter of time until he got it together.  He finally mixed his change-up and fastball together, and that helped him to be successful again.

After seeing him in July and Sunday, it’s okay to call him Big Games James again.

Brignac started off well in the first two months of the season. He hit .286 in April and .318 in May, but he hit .219 in June and prior
to Saturday’s game, he was hitting .176.

Brignac’s recent struggles caused Maddon to not play his rookie much. The Rays manager talked about how he wanted to get Brignac playing time just to get back on track, but Maddon’s actions indicated differently.

On Saturday, Brignac received an opportunity to play, and that was only because Sean Rodriguez traveled back to New York from Florida after looking over the flooding damage at his condominium.

Brignac approached this as if he was trying to make the roster again. Who can blame him? He obviously has something to prove after not playing for so long.

He made an impression to Maddon by hitting two home runs and driving in five runs in the Rays’ 10-5 romp over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He made a good defensive play and then ran to first to get Derek Jeter out to end the Yankees’ threat in the eighth inning.

Brignac’s first home run in the second inning eventually riled Yankees starter A.J. Burnett up. Burnett slammed his hands in the clubhouse door after the second inning in response to him giving up a home run to a struggling hitter. Burnett could not continue in the third inning after he was out of sync with his pitches.

Burnett shouldn’t feel bad. Brignac hit a three-run home run off Yankees relieved Dustin Moseley in the fifth inning to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Whatever it is, this should inspire Maddon to give Brignac more playing time. It’s the only way Brignac is going to produce.

It’s odd to see why Maddon has given up on Brignac. Sure, he went through a rough patch, but most players go through it whether they are a rookie or a veteran. Jason Bartlett hasn’t exactly been hitting the ball well, but he still receives everyday playing time. Why is Brignac any different? It shouldn’t matter if he is a rookie or not.

Either the manager trusts him or not. In this situation, Maddon does not trust him for whatever reason he only knows. It’s obvious Brignac has to earn Maddon’s trust to be an contributor to the team again.

The guess is Brignac has been complacent. The Rays manager wants a guy that will do whatever it takes to stay in the majors. John Jaso and Rodriguez apparently do that by playing well with the idea if they struggle, they are going to the minors.

It’s hard to believe Saturday’s performance is going to do much. Odds are Brignac is going to have to wait another few weeks until he plays again. That is if he is lucky.

Getting at-bats for Brignac shouldn’t be a problem. Maddon loves to use everyone on his roster. The idea that he is having a hard time getting at-bats comes off a bunch of crock. There’s more to what’s going on.

Brignac can do good things for the Rays. He hits well and he is a good pinch-runner. He provides a jolt from the bench. He certainly demonstrated that early on.

Does he have a lot to learn? Of course. He should know how to take good at-bats. He must know how to not strike out. To be fair to him, he is only a rookie. He has to fail before he can succeed. To pressure him to get it right away is unfair to the player. It’s hard to play the game as it is, but for a guy that feels like he has to produce in his first at-bat, that’s something no player should go through.

To expect Brignac to keep this up was going to be unrealistic. Pitchers eventually would figure out his weak points, and it came to fruition when he started to striking out in June. Still, the guy showed he can play. He deserves a chance to make adjustments.

Maddon understands that. It’s hard to believe Brignac’s struggles is why he is not playing.

The Rays players and coaching staff encouraged Brignac to keep working hard and be ready at moment’s notice. That’s all well and good, but cliches can only go so far. It comes down to whether or not he is playing. Brignac can’t obviously be happy about his situation. No player wants to sit in the bench and feel useless. Teammates tend to treat that player as an outcast, and fans wonder why he is stealing money.

Brignac aspires to be a good player in the majors. He feels like he can be a good player. Even if he is a rookie, he feels like he can get it done. He obviously showed he can do it based on the first two months.

Brignac is not going to mouth off publicly about it. The last thing he needs is to go tick the organization off by demanding playing time to the media. it does not serve him well to do so. He would come off as a spoiled brat.  Odds are he is not going to go to his manager’s office and demand for more at-bats either. He has to act like a loyal solider and just deal with it.

Maybe he needs to watch more video or he has to work on his hitting at batting practice. It may come down to what he does off the field. What’s odd about all this is Maddon has not given Brignac a reason why he’s not playing.

Maddon should at least has the courtesy to go tell Brignac why he’s not playing, and what he has to do to play.

One would think Brignac will play sometime this coming week, but don’t bet on it. He is certainly not counting on it either.

Maybe Brignac should try being teacher’s pet.

The Yankees celebrated Steinbrenner’s accomplishments by doing a video montage of him. After the montage, the fans gave a heartfelt standing ovation. Mariano Rivera put roses in home plate to honor Steinbrenner, and Derek Jeter spoke about the bombastic Yankees owner and the soft-spoken public address announcer.

Steinbrenner would have been proud of the festivities, and he would have been proud of the way his team played in their 5-4 victory over the Rays. Steinbrenner always talked about how he is proud of his team when they don’t give up. That was the case of last night’s game. The Yankees trailed for the early part of the game, but they managed to cut the deficit, tie it, and win it in the end.

The Rays helped pave the way for the Yankees to make this comeback possible. The Rays could have put the game away if they did not strand runners at third several times during the middle innings. It proved to be costly in the end.

There was a feeling the Yankees were going to make Rays pay for not maximizing their opportunity, and it proved to be true. They tied the game at 3 in the sixth inning on solo home runs by Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada. After the Rays took a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning, the Yankees tied it at 4 when NIck Swisher homered off Rays setup man Joaquin Benoit in the eighth inning.

From there, the Yankees were not going to be denied. David Robertson and Mariano Rivera shut down the Rays hitters, and the Yankees celebrated with a victory on Swisher’s single in the ninth inning.

Here’s what the Rays or any baseball team must understand when they play the Yankees. When the opportunity is there to end the game, the Yankees opponent must finish off the Yankees. They are only asking for trouble by not getting it done. That was the case for the Rays last night.

Give CC Sabathia credit for pitching his team out of a jam several times, but championship teams know how to end it when the opportunity is there. As good as the Rays are,  they are not ready to be a championship team just yet. The Rays fail whenever it’s time to execute with runners in scoring position.

Too many times, the Rays tend to let the opposing pitcher off the hook whenever he is in a jam. Friday night’s game was a typical example of that. This may work against the bad teams, but against the Yankees and the Red Sox, it becomes an epic fail.

The Yankees are the opposite in this situation. Let’s say the Yankees took a 3-1 lead and they had a chance to end the game in the fifth inning with runners at second and third or with the bases loaded. Know what they would have done? They would make the pitcher pay for his mistakes, and end it right there.

That’s what the Yankees do. They find a way to win even if it looks like they are out of it or if a pitcher overpowers them with stuff. They are the only team that knows how to beat elite pitchers in baseball. It’s no wonder why they won a championship last year, and why they can do it again.

Talk about buying talent, but it takes a special team to come together and know how to win games. The Yankees have a knack of doing just that. They did that during the mid-to-late nineties, and they discovered that magic back last year.

Let’s tell it like it is. The Yankees outsmarted the Rays. They knew how to get the home runs, and they knew how to put the runners in a position to score.

This was a disappointing loss to say the least. When the Rays have their worst pitcher starting in this series and he pitched well until he lost it  in the sixth inning, this is one the Rays should not have let get away. It’s easy to go blame James Shields for giving up home runs to Cano and Posada in tying the game, but it’s not Shields’ fault that he had to pitch with no room for error in the sixth inning.

Maybe Shields go eight innings if this game was a 5-1 game. The Rays had an opportunity to pick Shields up when the game was tied at 3. They did, but they should have gotten more than one run in that seventh inning.

Whenever a team wins the first game of the series, they have a better chance of winning the series. Now, the Rays need to find a way to win today or else they could be in a position to get swept on Sunday. If the Rays get swept, the Yankees don’t have to pay attention to what the Rays are doing anymore with a nice cushion lead in the division.

The Yankees talk about how they respect the Rays publicly, but privately, they look at the Rays as a cute little team. That’s not meant to be a compliment. The Yankees don’t respect anyone. Why should they? Champions never pay attention to other teams. They are arrogant to think if they play their game, they are going to win.

The Yankees earned the right to act that way. When a team wins many championships, there’s no reason to fear the other team. Until teams figure out a way to beat the Yankees consistently, the Yankees will go use that approach.

It’s up to the Rays to change that perception. So far, they are 3-3 against the Bronx Bombers, but it’s not going to make the Yankees fear them. Even if the Rays went 6-0 against the Yankees so far this season, the Yankees will not change their approach.

For that to change, the Rays need to beat them more often than not. Last night was winnable. A message could have been sent that the Rays are a team the Yankees need to take seriously.

Just like that, the Yankees have a chance now to take the series or get a sweep. That team is finally healthy, and most of their players are peaking at the right time. The second half is where a team distance themselves from the competition in the division.

It’s up to the Rays to make it a race. They get two more cracks at it this weekend.

Here’s hoping the Rays know how to pad in some runs in case they have a lead. No lead is ever safe with the Yankees.

The Rays had an opportunity to show they can be in the Yankees’ level, but on this night, they showed the Yankees they have ways to go until they reach that level.

In the American League, in figures released Monday, the outfield race is led by Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle (1,231,950 votes), followed by Carl Crawford of Tampa Bay (1,123,132) and Nelson Cruz of Texas (1,093,099), narrowly ahead of teammate Josh Hamilton (1,006,364).  New York Yankees teammates Nick Swisher (808,871) and Curtis Granderson (766,088) and Torii Hunter (765,023) of the host Angels are among those remaining in contention.

The only other American League race in doubt is at first base, where Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins, with 1,402,496 votes, is holding off New York’s Mark Teixeira (1,221,457) and Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera (1,009,822) in a three-way race.

In the N.L., as announced by MLB today, outfield, catcher and shortstop are still up for grabs.  Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, the vote leader among N.L. outfielders last year, is again pacing the position (1,422,598).  Atlanta Braves rookie sensation Jason Heyward (1,419,753) is close behind, with Andre Ethier of Los Angeles holding the third spot (1,348,662).  Philadelphia Phillies teammates Jayson Werth (1,124,831) and Shane Victorino (1,029,700) as well as Matt Holliday (955,411) of the St. Louis Cardinals are still in contention.  Hanley Ramirez (1,190,685) of the Florida Marlins holds a small lead over Jimmy Rollins (992,887) of the Phillies at shortstop.

Placido Polanco

Placido Polanco of Philadelphia continues to pace the N.L. hot corner, with a lead of about 180,000 votes over David Wright of the Mets and 230,000 over Chipper Jones of Atlanta.

At N.L. catcher, Yadier Molina of the Cardinals has totaled 1,047,411 votes as he continues to hold off Braves catcher Brian McCann, who has collected a total of 959,033 votes.

Other starters whose leads seem secure include:

American League
C – Joe Mauer, Minnesota
2b – Robinson Cano, New York
ss – Derek Jeter, New York
3b – Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
dh – Vladimir Guerrero, Texas

National League
1b – Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2b – Chase Utley, Philadelphia

Immediately following the announcement of the A.L. and N.L. All-Star rosters on Sunday, July 4, fans will begin voting to select the final player for each League’s 34-man roster via the 2010 All-Star Game Final Vote.  Fans will cast their votes exclusively online at MLB.com from a list of five players from each League over a four-day period and the winners will be announced after the voting concludes on Thursday, July 8.

Culver is a natural athlete that hit .561 with 9 homeruns, 5 triples, 10 doubles, 13 singles with 38 RBIs and 20 walks while striking out only twice.  He stole 7 bases in 8 attempts which helps demonstrate his above-average speed.  The young athlete can also pitch as he was 8-0; allowing only 9 hits in 14 innings pitched and did not allow a run to score.  He has a fastball that has touched 94 on the gun.

Culver is expected to stay at shortstop with the Yankees as he possesses excellent range and speed at the position but could see sometime at third, second or possibly outfield.  He is a switch-hitter that is better from the left side of the plate, where he shows more bat speed.  Presently he shows some gap-to-gap power but would most likely develop more power as he fills into his body.

The young outfielder lists his three favorite baseball players as shortstops with Derek Jeter and Jose Reyes leading the list.  Also he lists his most memorable athletic accomplishment as playing at Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and the Metrodome.

At the age of 17 it is difficult to project the type of player Cito Culver will become.  With two plus tools and the theoretical ability to play multiple positions he could become a valuable piece for the Yankees.  While he was not in the top 100 on many people’s list of potential draftees, the Yankees had an extended look at the young player as he was a member of their summer league team and has worked out at Yankee Stadium in front of scouts and team officials.

This is the second consecutive year that the Yankees have taken a young high school player with their first selection.  Last year the Bronx Bombers selected toolsy outfielder Slade Heathcott with their first round selection.

5/24–5/31 Record: 5-2

2010 Season record: 31-20

The Yankees were able to turn it around last week and stopped their May slump.  Timely hitting, clutch pitching and great defensive play were the keys to the Yankees success.    The Yanks outscored their opponents 43-30 for the week, with the pitching staff holding opponents to three or less runs in all five of the team’s wins.

The Yankees dominant pitching opened up the week by shutting out the underrated Twins offense in a game that was completed over the span of two days due to rain.  In the team’s first trip to the new Target Field, A.J. Burnett and four relievers limited the Twins to six hits and Derek Jeter provided the game’s lone run with a solo home run.  The Bombers followed that up by holding Minnesota to a pair of runs as Nick Swisher homered in the 9th for a 3-2 Yankees win.

After dropping the finale of the three game series to the AL Central leading Twins, the Bombers took on the Cleveland Indians in a four game Memorial Day Weekend series at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees’ bats exploded in the four game series out scoring the Tribe 37-20.   Red hot Robinson Cano belted a grand slam in the opener, an 8-2 win, to back an outstanding effort by Phil Hughes.

The Yankees poured more runs on the board on Saturday, but a shaky CC Sabathia and an even shakier bullpen led to a 13-11 loss.  The Yankees bounced back though to take the final two games of the series.

A.J. Burnett was outstanding and Mark Teixeira provided the late innings heroics as the Pinstripes rallied for a 7-3 win on Sunday.  Andy Pettitte followed that up on Monday with his seventh win as the Yankees rolled to an 11-2 victory.

Pinstriped Positives:

The week’s positives were not only limited to the win and loss columns.  The Yankees got a little healthier when they welcomed outfielder Curtis Granderson back into the lineup on May 28.  Granderson got back into the swing of things immediately and had a multi hit game in the series finale against Cleveland.

On another positive note, second baseman Robinson Cano continued to light the league up with his bat.  Cano collected six multi-hit games this week including two 3-hit games.  That helped raise his batting average to .366, trailing only Justin Morneau’s .374 mark.

The Captain also wielded a hot bat collecting six multi-hit games during the week.  As a result, Derek Jeter raised his batting average back over .300 for the season.

Out on the mound, Andy Pettitte continued his dominant season by only allowing three runs in two starts. That included a strong eight inning performance against the Twins in which he allowed only two runs.  Pettitte continues to have the season of his life, going 7-1 in 10 starts with an ERA of 2.48.

The Negatives:

Even though the Bombers looked great this week there were still some low points.  Javier Vazquez continued to be a sore spot for the Yanks.  After a great start against the Mets, Vazquez went back to his old, spotty self against the Twins and gave up 5 runs in 5.2 innings pitched.  Vazquez continued to show the Yankees that he is inconsistent at best.

Francisco Cervelli has come back down to Earth recently.  He hasn’t had more than one hit in a game in over a week.  Cervelli hit a measly .212 in his last 10 games and his season average has dropped to .311 as a result.

What’s Next:

The Yankees have a 3-game series against the lowly Baltimore Orioles and the up-and-coming Blue Jays this week and need to continue playing well if they want to keep gaining on the Rays.

The Big Bad Rays have a two game set against the Blue Jays and a 3-game series against the AL West leading Texas Rangers and are looking to stop their own slump.  The Rays are currently only 2.5 games ahead of the Yankees and things are beginning to get interesting, keep watching Yankee fans.

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

Take tonight’s 3-1 Yankee win over the Baltimore Orioles. This had the making of a slugfest wit Brian Matursz taking on Javier Vazquez, two pitcher that would make Oliver Perez proud with a combined record of 5-10 and an ERA of over six.

But both starts throughout their records and played very good baseball, each giving up one earned run with Matursz going 6 2/3 and Vazquez the full seven.

So something needed to break here and the Yankees got it with two on and two out during the bottom of the seventh.

Alex Rodriguez’s long groundball to Miguel Tejada at third went for an era as Ty Wiggington couldn’t haul in the low throw. Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher scored as the ball trickled down the line.

“We are going to keep coming at ya,” Swisher said. “If we don’t score runs early we are going to keep coming at you. I don’t care how they score. A win is a win.”

Yet, this is more than just any ho-hum win. Another good outing by Vazquez, who just three weeks ago was on the Perez boat out of the rotation, but seemed to right the ship at Citi Field two Fridays ago.

“I feel good the last few starts,” Vazquez, who now improves to 4-5 on the season with a 6.06 ERA. “I think I am throwing better pitches. I have better command on my pitches and throwing strikes.”

Vazquez was sharp all night and was able to get out of trouble when he had to. In the seventh, with one out Matt Weiters was intentionally walked with one out to load the bases. But Vazquez was able to cap off his night with a strikeout to Adam Jones and Julio Lugo grounding out to finish off the inning.

That was the most trouble Vazquez had all night as he cruised through five and gave up a homer to Corey Patterson in the sixth. His balls looked sharp, on what may be his best outing of the season.

“He was great,” said manager Joe Girardi. “He attacked the zone all night. I thought he used his fastball very effectively. We got into a jam in the seventh. He was outstanding tonight. Everyone is going to run into bumps in the road, but we are very encouraged on how he threw the baseball.”

Also encouraging was Curtis Granderson, who hit another homer off a lefty to give the Yankees an early lead.

All of this made for a great night in the Bronx, one that could have been marred with the loss of Mark Teixeira. The first baseman left the game in the third inning after fouling a ball off his foot in the first. Girardi said the first baseman is day to day and may be in the lineup tomorrow.

“We will see how he feels.”

With the Yankees luck these days, it’s probably going to be pretty good, since they are playing well and getting the breaks.

Here’s how it works:  If a fan purchase a player-specific item this week, say a Derek Jeter signed ball or Ike Davis signed photograph, and that player hits a home run on Saturday, the item is free.  If not, you pay regular price.

Right now, the matchup looks like a tough one for fans looking for home runs.  The two teams’ top young pitchers, Phil Hughes and Mike Pelfrey, who have combined to allow just three home runs all year, are scheduled to square off on Saturday, and Citi Field has so far been stingy in allowing the long ball, although less so than last year.

Jeff Francoeur signed baseball

Active players on the Mets with the most home runs against the Yankees are David Wright, 7; Rod Barajas, 7; Jason Bay, 4; and Jose Reyes, 3.  Yankees who have hit the most out vs. the Mets include Jeter, 13; Jorge Posada, 12; Alex Rodriguez, 10; Mark Teixeira, 5, and Robinson Cano, 5.

Fans are encouraged to place their orders under the following guidelines: Orders must be placed prior to first pitch on Saturday, May 22, 2010 (approximately 7:10 p.m. ET).  All sales are final, even if a particular player doesn’t appear in the game.  The standard 30-day return policy does not apply.  Game used or Yankee Stadium demolition items do not apply.  This promotion cannot be combined with any other offer and is only valid on new orders placed between Monday, May 17, at 10 a.m. and Saturday, May 22, at 7 p.m.  Should multiple players appear on a single piece, all players must hit a home run to qualify.  Limit of three items per customer.

MLBPA, in association with its licensee Activa Global Sports & Entertainment, today unveiled this unique apparel line of men’s and women’s camouflage and army green T-shirts, baseball hats and army style hats featuring the names, numbers and facsimile signatures of 26 of the game’s top players, including Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Roy Halliday, Tim Lincecum, Johnny Damon (Click here for .pdf link to complete list of players).

The merchandise is now on sale exclusively at approximately 1,500 Wal-Mart locations across the country.

A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each item will be contributed directly to the Wounded Warrior Project in support of its on-going efforts to provide programs and services to thousands of wounded servicemen and women.

“Thanks to Major League baseball players, the MLBPA, the Players Trust, Activa Global Sports & Entertainment and the American public, who believe in our mission of honoring and empowering wounded warriors, we are able to further enhance our unique programs and services for the wounded and their families,” said Wounded Warrior Project Executive Director, Steve Nardizzi.  “Their vital support will help ensure that this generation of warriors will not be forgotten.”

“On behalf of the players participating in this program, and all Major Leaguers, in general, it’s an honor to help raise funds and awareness of our wounded warriors by supporting the Wounded Warrior Project,” said Damon, a national spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project.  “Thousands of brave young men and women put their lives on the line every day for each and every one of us, and this program gives us an opportunity to show our gratitude. I also would like to thank Activa Global Sports and Entertainment for joining us in support of such a worthy cause.”

Over 37,000 of our nation’s armed forces have been physically wounded during the current military conflicts. Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be recovering from invisible wounds of war, including post traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).  WWP assists wounded warriors and their families through a holistic approach to their recovery, providing programs and services to aid their physical rehabilitation and improve their mental health and well-being. Whether through caregiver retreats, combat stress programs, career and education services or adaptive sporting opportunities, WWP empowers warriors with the tools essential to not just survive their injuries but to thrive and achieve personal and professional success.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with the Wounded Warrior Project and the Major League Baseball Players Association to create a line of products and an awareness campaign to help the brave men and women who put their lives at risk to ensure our freedom. These warriors have sacrificed so much for our country and we are humbled to be able to contribute to their cause,” said Ray Taccolini, President, Activa Global Sports & Entertainment.

For more information, please visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Apparently, no one read either article.

People are still flooding message boards and youtube proclaiming:

“Heyward is the new Aaron in the ATL.”

“Move over Phillies.  Get out of the way Yankees and Red Sox, the Braves and the great Jason Heyward have arrived.”

“Have my baby!”

Alright, the last one I posted, but can you imagine how beautiful that kid would be!

Listen, I’m not a skeptic.  In fact, I actually think Heyward will be a very good player.  And I’m no rocket scientist, but after tabulating the numbers, dividing by pi and the calories in a Denny’s Grand Slam, Heyward is roughly 754 homeruns and 3,669 hits shy of Aaron’s totals.  He’s twenty years old and would only have to average 37 homeruns a year until he’s forty to match Aaron.   And even if by some weird fluke he catches him (he won’t); it still doesn’t mean he’s in the same stratosphere as Aaron.  People need to calm down, watch Dancing with the Stars (wasn’t Kate awful?) and stop invoking the spirit of The Amazing Kreskin.

I’m human (sort of), so I love to prognosticate and make wild predictions too.  But look at the numbers I just gave:  he’d have to play OUT OF HIS MIND for a very long time.  Logic and precedence clearly dictates that Jayson Heyward will more than likely be an above average baseball player, and not simply put, “a Hall of Famer.”

But I hope I’m wrong.  I hope he goes on to hit 800 homeruns and drive in 3,000 runs, leading the Braves to ten World Series titles.  I also hope to marry Jessica Alba and have Megan Fox as my live in maid and concubine.  And sadly, the latter is more feasible.

All it takes is a twist of an ankle on a missed patch of tangled grass or a bad slide into third base (Derek Jeter?) and it’s over before it began.

As of today, Heyward has less at-bats than Pete Rose Jr. and as well all know, sometimes, you just can’t live up to the hype.

Goodnight.

Stephen Okawa is the College Baseball Editor for Gotham Baseball. You can contact him here, or follow him on Twitter and add him on Facebook.

Nomar’s professional career would have began in 1991 as he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers.  After he elected to not sign and attend college, Nomar was drafted again in 1994 by the Boston Red Sox.  By 1997, Nomar had achieved every young man’s dream and reached the major league’s as Boston’s shortstop.

1997 would bring a Rookie Of The Year award to Nomar, as well as an All-Star appearance, a silver slugger, and an eighth place finish in the MVP voting.  It was a fitting beginning to what would be an outstanding career.

Nomar’s career would gain momentum over the next few seasons.  He would finish second in the MVP voting in 1998 posting a .323 Batting Average, 35 Home Runs, and 122 RBI.  1999 would bring Nomar’s first batting title on the heals of a .357 batting average.  The following season Nomar would prove that his hitting was no fluke, posting an amazing .372 batting average and winning a second consecutive batting title.  Nomar would make another All-Star appearance in a game that would see four shortstops on the American League roster.  Derek Jeter, in one of the most memorable moments of that game, would come to the plate and imitate Nomar’s unique batting ritual, tapping his toes and adjusting his batting gloves in what can only be described as a nervous twitch.  2001 would hit Nomar with his first injury shortened season, as he would be limited to 21 games.  In 2002, Nomar would return to All Star form, playing in the Mid-Summer Classic and posting a .310 Batting Average.

2004 would change the landscape of Nomar’s career.  In shocking news in July, the Boston Red Sox traded Nomar to the Chicago Cubs in a four-team trade that would bring Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera to the Red Sox organization.  The Boston Red Sox would go on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals for the World Championship that season without the shortstop that had helped them achieve so much.  In a private ceremony that speaks to the level of teammate and player that Nomar was, a group of Red Sox led by Jason Varitek would meet Nomar in Chicago the following season and present him with a World Series ring as a member of that 2004 team.

Nomar would begin a journey through teams that would see him play an additional year with the Cubs, three years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and 2009 with the Oakland A’s.  Through these years, Nomar would battle through injuries and begin playing the corner infield positions as well as some time as a designated hitter.  He would reach his sixth and final All Star appearance in 2006 with the Dodgers.

Nomar was a player many will not forget.  He was a classy ball player that many teammates looked up to.  He played in an era marred with discussions of performance enhancing drugs and was never linked to them himself.  He finishes his career as a lifetime .313 hitter with 229 home runs, 936 RBI, and 1747 hits.  His fourteen year career does not appear to be one that will yield a Hall Of Fame induction, but for many baseball fans, he has inspired many memories and discussions for years to come.

Drop by the Baseball Digest Bleachers and discuss Nomar Garciaparra’s career by clicking here!

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.

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.”

In addition to winning his 5th World Series ring, Jeter passed Lou Gehrig as the Yankees’ all-time hitter leader, won the Roberto Clemente Award for his off the field work, the Henry Aaron Award for his offensive exploits, and Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

It was that combination of on- and off-field achievement that helped make Jeter this year’s Sportsman. Said Sports Illustrated Group Editor Terry McDonell, “Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he’s extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field.”  Source: SI.com

A key play came in the top of the fifth inning when a run scored for the Yankees on a potential double play ball. Johnny Damon hit a grounder to Howard at first base, and Derek Jeter was on his way to second, but Ryan Howard still can’t throw to second base with confidence, so he stepped on the first base bag to get the second out, and he let the runner from third score on the play. Howard made a smart play up by five runs to get the out at first. He could’ve saved that one run, but then again, it could’ve been a lot worse for the Phils and a big inning for the Yankees. Raul Ibanez would add a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh as well to give the Phils a little more breathing room at 8-2. However, Cliff Lee stayed in the game for the top of the eighth inning, which in my mind made absolutely no sense at the time. The Phils had a six run lead, and they should have gone to the bullpen at that time, especially if they are even considering pitching Lee in game seven on only two days rest.

Therefore, my “goat” of the game is Charlie Manuel. Luckily it did not cost the Phillies the game, but Lee staying in the game at that point was a big mistake. The Yankees ended up putting up three runs to make it 8-5. Instead of Lee going 7 IP, only giving up 2 earned runs, he goes 7+ IP, and he is charged with 5 ER. Manuel should have gone to his bullpen for the beginning of the 8th inning and the 9th, but he thought he could ride Lee a little longer, and he was wrong. Drama came in the 9th inning with the Phils up 8-5 and in a save situation. This time, Manuel made the right decision to go with Ryan Madson, and he hung on for the save, as the Phillies won 8-6 in a heart wrenching game. So, what this all means is that the Phillies will be going back to New York for game six on Wednesday night, and they have extended this series. The likely pitching matchup is Pedro Martinez verses Andy Pettitte. Stay tuned.

Add another player ticketed for Cooperstown to that distinguished list, as the Yankees’ Derek Jeter was selected the 2009 winner of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy.

Jeter was honored on the field prior to last night’s World Series Game Two at Yankee Stadium, where he was met by Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer, and their son Luis.  Following a video that highlighted the Award and this year’s nominees, Jeter emerged from the dugout to a thunderous ovation.

Bestowed annually, the Roberto Clemente Award recognizes the Major League Baseball player who combines a dedication to giving back to the community with outstanding skills on the baseball field. Major League Baseball has presented this Award each year since 1971. In 1973, the Award was named in honor of Clemente, who died on December 31, 1972, during a humanitarian mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

“Major League Baseball is proud to honor Derek Jeter for the lasting impact the Turn 2 Foundation has made on youth in communities across the country,” said Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. “In a year of career milestones for Derek, receiving the Roberto Clemente Award will inspire future generations of ballplayers and fans to give back to those in need.”

Jeter was selected from a list of 30 nominees, one from each Major League Club, by a panel of dignitaries that included Commissioner Selig and Vera Clemente. Additionally, fans were able to log on to mlb.com and cast a vote for one of the 30 nominees. The winner of the fan vote was tallied as one vote among those cast by the selection panel.

Jeter joins a distinguished list of national Roberto Clemente Award recipients, which includes 13 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which can be seen here.

“This is a very special day for everyone involved with the Turn 2 Foundation,” said Jeter. “Thank you to everyone at Major League Baseball, Chevy, and especially the Clemente family for this recognition. The Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization have supported my work in the community my entire career, and I am very grateful for their encouragement. It is truly an honor to be mentioned alongside Roberto Clemente and the others who have won this Award over the years.”

In 1996, Jeter turned a lifelong dream into reality as he established the Turn 2 Foundation to give back to the various communities that are a part of his life, including Western Michigan, Tampa (FL) and New York City. Since its launch, the Turn 2 Foundation has awarded more than $10 million in grants to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and “TURN 2″ healthy lifestyles. Through these ventures, the Foundation strives to create outlets that promote academic excellence, leadership development and positive behavior. Turn 2 is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Jeter family with Derek in a hands-on role as Founder. In addition to contributing his own funds, Jeter hosts the annual “Derek Jeter Celebrity Golf Classic” and the “Turn 2 Foundation Dinner” to raise funds needed to successfully continue programs including “Jeter’s Leaders”, “Turn 2 Us Healthy Lifestyles”, “Turn 2 After School”, “Turn 2 Baseball Clinics”, “Proud To Be Me”, “Turn 2 Smart Moves”, “Holiday Express”, and the “Turn 2 Endowed Scholarships”. Recently, the Turn 2 Foundation donated $500,000 to launch the “Derek Jeter Academy at Phoenix House” in Tampa, an outpatient counseling center for troubled teens combining individual and family substance abuse treatment.

“My heartfelt congratulations to Derek Jeter who truly embodies the purpose and spirit of the Roberto Clemente Award,” said Vera Clemente. “I also wish to thank all of this year’s Award nominees, Major League Baseball, Chevy and other members of our global baseball family for their tireless efforts. They exemplify the importance of community service and the profound impact that baseball continues to have in making the world a better place.”

Throughout his 15-year career, Jeter continues to be one of baseball’s most celebrated players on the field. Named the Yankee captain in 2003, Jeter is a four-time World Series Champion, a 10-time A.L. All-Star and the 1996 A.L. Rookie of the Year. Jeter was also named both the 2000 All-Star Game MVP and the 2000 World Series MVP – the only time this has happened in baseball history. In 2009, the 35-year-old shortstop collected 212 hits, marking the third-highest single-season total of his career, reaching the 200-hit plateau for the seventh time in his career – one shy of Lou Gehrig‘s Yankee Club record. The seven 200-hit seasons are a Major League record for shortstops. On September 11, 2009, Jeter, who now has 2,747 career hits, surpassed Lou Gehrig (2,721) as the Yankees’ all-time franchise leader in hits. The sixth overall selection in the 1992 First-Year Player Draft ranks first on Major League Baseball’s all-time list with 167 career postseason hits, 95 postseason runs and 133 postseason games played.

Catcher-Carlos Ruiz slight edge over Jorge Posada because of his postseason performance offensively, and his defense, along with his ability to manage the pitching staff outweigh Posada’s offensive capabilities.

First Base-Ryan Howard has the slight edge over Mark Teixera because Howard performed better in the regular season and has performed better in the postseason as well. Teixera certainly has the edge defensively, but Howard’s 14 RBI, which leads all players this postseason, and his 2 HR will show up once again in the World Series. Plus, Howard will feast on the “short porch” in right-field at Yankee stadium.

2nd Base-Chase Utley and Robinson Cano are even. The way Utley has performed defensively this postseason and his record against lefty’s in the postseason makes me grade him down a notch. Although I believe Utley will step it up in the World Series, heading into this matchup, I grade it as even.

Shortstop-Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter are even. Jeter’s postseason resume continues to build, and even though Rollins defense is better, I rate these two players overall as even. Rollins is due for a homerun in this postseason though, because he has not hit one all postseason.

3rd Base-A-Rod easily over Pedro Feliz. Feliz might be slightly better defensively, but A-Rod has really performed well throughout this postseason, and he seems to have solved his postseason demons. We’ll see how he performs on the biggest stage though. Feliz might be due to come out of his slump hitting too.

Outfield-Phillies easily have the edge in all three positions because of their power numbers, their defense and their arms in the outfield. (Raul Ibanez over Johnny Damon, Shane Victorino over Melky Cabrera, and Jayson Werth over Nick Swisher).

Starting Rotations: I rate the first three game starters as even. C.C. Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee tonight should be a great matchup in which former teammates from the Cleveland Indians go at it. A.J. Burnett vs. Pedro Martinez in game two, you don’t really know what you’re going to get from either. And, finally, Andy Pettitte vs. Cole Hamels should be a great matchups of lefty’s as well. The savvy veteran vs. the young pitcher who is still trying to find his groove in the 2009 postseason. Hamels did win NLCS and World Series MVP last season don’t forget, so he might be due to turn it around. There’s the predictions, now let’s see what you think, and we’ll see how it all plays out on the field. Don’t forget to check back after every game for my thoughts on the game, my hero/goat for the Phils, depending on the outcome of the game, and any other criticism I might have. Mark Healey will be taking care of all the postgame recaps and Drew Sarver will be writing for the Yankees, so make sure to check out their stories too.