Monthly Archives: March 2007

By Bruce Markusen

Over the past few days, I’ve tried to settle on a common theme to the Yankees’ spring camp in Tampa, but in the words of Jerry Seinfeld, “I’ve got nothing.” I don’t want to spill any more ink on the Alex Rodriguez-Derek Jeter courtship, refuse to become tempted by Roger Clemens’ game of “Waiting For Godot,” and have grown tired of Gary Sheffield’s illogical rants from Tigertown. So instead I’ll present a smattering of observations on what has taken place at Legends Field over the first four weeks of spring training.

*We’re almost ten days into the exhibition season, but no closer to finding out the identity of the new backup catcher. Todd Pratt is hurt, Raul Chavez is a non-factor, and Wil Nieves reminds me too much of John Ramos (a blast from the past). For most of the 1980s, the Yankees searched high and far for a quality starting catcher. Now they’re having similar trouble finding a merely competent backup receiver. Is it so crazy to suggest that if the Yankees decide to trade Carl Pavano, they should be happy to receive a second-string catcher in return? If the Rockies, Cardinals, or Mariners were willing to give up a B-level catching prospect for Pavano, Brian Cashman should jump at the opportunity. Anything but another right-handed reliever, of which the Yankees have cornered the market.

*From what little I’ve seen of Josh Phelps, he looks like he can hit—to the tune of 25 home runs if given 450 at-bats. With his tall body and long swing, the Dale Murphy lookalike appears to be the kind of guy who could struggle in a platoon role, but might be more productive playing every day. Right now, there’s no chance of him getting those regular at-bats, but that situation could change drastically in Yankeeland. Given Doug Mientkiewicz’ recent history of back problems and poor hitting, he’ll be out of a job by mid-July. If Phelps is still around by then (and if the Yankees are willing to put up with his stodgy defense at first base), he might be a reasonable stopgap at first base. In contrast, I think Andy Phillips would fare better in a platoon, but I have serious doubts that he would even be able to match Minty’s production as an everyday player. And that’s a scary thought.

*How come no one told me about the new baseball terminology in place this spring? I’ve read in more than one place that Bobby Abreu will begin “dry swinging the bat” in a few weeks. Dry swinging? As opposed to wet swinging? When I first heard the term “dry swinging,” I immediately thought of Gregg Jefferies’ routine of taking a bat into a swimming pool and trying to swing the bat under the water. That’s actually a very good way of improving your hand and wrist strength, but I guess we can assume that Abreu won’t be doing that. In the meantime, I’m sure someone will fill me in on the real meaning of the new catch phrase.

*Mariano Rivera showcased his change-up the other day against the Reds, striking out former Devil Rays prospect Josh Hamilton with that very pitch. (Here Hamilton is trying to make the Reds’ roster as a Rule Five draftee and he has to face Mariano in the middle innings. Gee, thanks, Jerry Narron.) Rivera has worked on the change-up in prior springs, but this is the first time I can remember hearing serious talk that he might actually unveil it during the regular season. Left-handed hitters throughout the American League must be thrilled at the possibilities. They’ve already been subjected to the stinging sensation of broken bats on inside cutters; now they might have to protect the outside half of the plate against a fadeaway change-up. That’s not only unfair, it’s downright mortifying.

*Rivera might actually have some help this year. With the additions of Chris Britton and Luis Vizcaino and the availability of Brian Bruney from Day One, the Yankees have their deepest bullpen since the World Championship days. (When was the last time the Yankees had four pitchers who could consistently reach 95 on the gun?) If Scott Proctor’s rubber arm can return from last year’s pounding and if Kyle Farnsworth can work ahead of the count, the bullpen could be second only to Anaheim in the American League.

*A final thought has to do with the suffocating atmosphere around Legends Field. I know some of the hosts over at MLB Radio who have openly discussed the restrictive air around the Yankees. Even with a new PR director and a new director of stadium security in Tampa, the Yankees still conduct spring training as if it were a penitentiary. Members of the Yankee staff, who walk the premises with cold, unsmiling looks, spend much of their time shooing the media from one location to another. Given such a joyless atmosphere, it’s not surprising that the new security director recently booted some fans from box seats at Legends Field, only to realize they were members of Brian Cashman’s family. Don’t the Yankees realize it’s just baseball, and that it’s supposed to be fun? As the late Willie Stargell used to say, you’re supposed to play baseball, not work it. The Yankee organization could learn a lesson from Pops.

Bruce Markusen is the author of seven books, including A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s. His newest book, a revised edition of Tales From The Mets Dugout, is now available from Sports Publishing. Bruce is a resident of Cooperstown, NY.

The Yankees played their second ten-inning game in as many days yesterday, this time coming out ahead thanks to some more clutch hitting from Josh Phelps.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
L – Jason Giambi (1B)
L – Bronson Sardinha (RF)
R – Angel Chavez (3B)
L – Kevin Reese (LF)
R – Wil Nieves (C)
R – Mike Mussina (P)

Pitchers: Mike Mussina, Scott Proctor, Matt DeSalvo, Colter Bean, Chris Britton, Ron Villone

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Andy Cannizaro (2B), Alberto Gonzalez (SS), Chris Basak (PR/SS/3B), Raul Chavez (C), Jose Tabata (LF), Doug Mientkiewicz (PH), Kevin Thompson (PH), Eric Duncan (PH), Ben Davis (PH)

Opposition: All but one of the fallen Braves’ starters.

Big Hits: An opposite-field home run to lead off the second by Jason Giambi (1 for 3). With the game tied 2-2, Chris Basak (2 for 2) led off the eighth and doubled (though left fielder Matt Diaz booted the ball eliminating what otherwise might have been a close play at second). Josh Phelps (1 for 1) delivered the game-winning RBI single with two-outs in the tenth after having delivered a tie-breaking sac fly in the eighth in his previous at-bat.

Who Pitched Well: Colter Bean slung two perfect innings, striking out two. Bean has allowed just one baserunner in four spring innings, striking out four. Scott Proctor and Ron Villone pitched around singles for a pair of scoreless innings, Villone benefiting from a double-play and earning the save. Matt DeSalvo pitched two scoreless innings, though he did allow four baserunners (a single, a Kelly Johnson double, and two walks).

Who Didn’t: Mike Mussina retired the last five men he faced, but he was pounded before that, allowing a pair of runs on four hits in his first inning and a third, including a fielder-assisted Jeff Francoeur homer and a pair of doubles. Even those early outs were hit hard. Chris Britton blew a one-run lead in the ninth on a walk and a triple, vulturing the win from Bean.

Oopsies: Attempting a leaping catch at the wall of a drive to deep right by Jeff Francoeur, Bronson Sardinha tipped the ball over the wall for a home run as the ball bounced out of the webbing of his glove. In the bottom of the ninth, after Scott Thorman drew a one-out walk off Chris Britton with the Braves down by a run, Willie Harris pinch-ran and Raul Chavez overthrew second on Harris’s steal attempt, which allowed Harris to reach third before eventually scoring the tying run (though to be fair, Harris was plated by a triple and thus could have scored from first).

Ouchies: Bobby Abreu didn’t feel any pain while swinging his broomstick, Humberto Sanchez is soft-tossing on flat ground, and Andy Phillips has returned to camp. Phillips will have to work his way into game shape over the next few days. His 53-year-old mother, Linda, whose car was t-boned by a tractor trailer, has undergone successful surgeries on her shattered hip and pelvis as well as another to alleviate some clotting. She’s been off her respirator since Wednesday and, though she’s still not fully lucid, she’s responsive and stable enough for Andy to return to the team.

Battles: Chris Britton blew the save in the ninth when he allowed a ringing two-out triple of the bat of Tony Peña Jr. Wil Nieves (0 for 2) grounded into a double play to kill a rally in the second, then failed to execute a sac bunt in the fifth. Asked to do the same in the tenth following Jose Tabata’s leadoff single, Ben Davis (a famous bunter of sorts), bunted right back to the mound, but benefited from a throwing error by pitcher Steve Colyer which put runners on second and third with none out. Raul Chavez also went hitless in two at-bats and committed a throwing error on a stolen base attempt. Josh Phelps twice came to the plate with the game tied and the go-ahead run on base, and both times drove that run home. With the go-ahead run on third and one out in the eighth, Phelps delivered a sac fly to deep right to put the Yankees up 3-2. With the game tied 3-3 in the tenth, men on first and second, and two outs, Phelps creamed an opposite field single off the wall in right to push the score to 4-3 Yankees. Phelps also had a good day in the field, saving yet another Alberto Gonzalez error with a nice scoop at first base, though he did run into an out trying to go first-to-third on Bronson Sardinha’s RBI single to end the rally in the tenth. Thus far Phelps has raked at the plate (.600/.615/1.000), looked perfectly viable in the field, but has proven to be a dreadfully slow baserunner.

I sat down with Joe Posnanski, the author of a new book on Buck O’Neil, The Soul of Baseball, recently to talk about all things Buck. (In turn, he interviewed me about all things Yankees at his new blog.) Here is our chat. Hope y’all enjoy.

BB: Buck became a celebrity after appearing in Ken Burns’ PBS series. What did he do for the previous twenty years? Was the PBS thing really life-altering for him?

Pos: There’s no doubt it changed his life. He was a scout in the ’70s and ’80s — mostly for the Cubs, but later for the Kansas City Royals — and he told most of the same stories. He carried himself in the same way. It’s just that people really didn’t listen to him much then. I’ve heard a long interview with Buck from the early 1980s, it was just the Buck people heard a decade later. You can hear all the same joy and optimism and love in his voice. It took Ken Burns to really hear that voice and bring it to America. And it was never the same for Buck after that. Suddenly, he was in demand — an overnight success at 82, he said.

As for what kept him going in those dry years — well, I would say part of it was always baseball. He loved scouting. He was involved with the Hall of Fame veteran’s committee; Buck was such a driving force in getting so many Negro Leaguers into the Hall. But there was more to it. If I had a key question in this book, it was exactly this question: “Buck, how did you keep from being bitter?” There’s no easy answer for that. Some people just have a gift for loving life.

BB: I was so moved by Buck’s reaction to not being elected into the Hall of Fame. Obviously, he was hurt by it, but he recovered–at least on the surface–faster than those around him. Then he told you, “Son, what is my life about?” It wasn’t about the glory, it was about the giving.

Pos: That’s exactly right. It was so vivid to see the way Buck responded to the Hall of Fame. So many of the other things Buck overcame in his life — not being able to attend Sarasota High School, not being given the chance to play or manage in the Major Leagues, on and on — were just concepts in my mind. But here was something I saw first hand, and I know Buck was disappointed that he did not get elected into the Hall of Fame. But he recovered, I think, on the surface and beneath. That’s what his life was all about. You move beyond bitterness and disappointment. You embrace life.

BB: You know the famous Satchel Page line about not looking back. Do you think that applied to Buck at all? Do you think he ever had reflective moments of sorrow or anger but just dismissed them and kept moving ahead?

Pos: I can’t see how he could be human and not have those reflective moments of sorrow and anger. He dealt with so much injustice in his life … the worst of America in the 20th Century. But I can tell you this, I was pretty close to him for this book. I mean, you travel a year with someone, and you see them in all sorts of moods. I never saw things back up on him. He was a very spiritual man. And he gained so much from his contact with people. Anytime he seemed to need a burst of energy, he would go up to a stranger and just start talking.

BB: Buck really did need people as much as they needed him, didn’t he? I love the story about him taking a break during a hot day, and finding a young boy to talk to, and by the end of their chat, he was revitalized.

Pos: There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Buck’s connection to people is what kept him so alive and so hopeful about the world through 94-plus years. There is a constant theme in this book, I think. Whenever Buck felt a little tired, a little down — a little bit “old,” you could say — he would find someone to connect with. Sometimes, like in the chapter you mention, it was a child. Other times it was woman in a red dress or a man in an art gallery or a couple kissing in an airport. He never talked about these things — it wasn’t like he said, “Hey, I need to go talk to some strangers now.” He just did it. And it was always amazing to me the way he seemed reborn after connecting with someone.

(more…)

In their first night game of the spring, the Yankees played the Reds to a ten-inning one-run tie, with Bronson Sardinha again coming up with a big ninth-inning hit in a televised game. Roger Clemens soaked it all in from the stands with his son Koby, the Astros minor league third baseman.

Lineup:

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (DH)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
R – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
R – Kevin Thompson (RF)

Pitchers: Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Darrell Rasner, Luis Vizcaino, Mike Myers, Jose Veras, Sean Henn

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Miguel Cairo (2B), Alberto Gonzalez (SS), Chris Basak (PR/3B), Ben Davis (C), Raul Chavez (C), Brett Gardner (CF), Kevin Reese (PR/LF), Eric Duncan (DH), Bronson Sardihna (PH/RF)

Opposition: The surprising third-place Reds’ B-squad featuring just three starters led by Edwin Encarnacion.

Big Hits: Alex Rodriguez (2 for 3) led off the second inning with a double that rolled to the wall in center. With the Yankees down by one in the bottom of the ninth, Chris Basak (1 for 2) lead off by yanking a double down the left field line. After Kevin Reese bunted Basak to third in his only plate appearance, Torre sent Bronson Sardinha up to pinch-hit in roughly the same game situation as his game-winning homer on Monday. Sardinha delivered a game-tying single (it could have been a double but he stumbled rounding first). Later in that inning, with Cairo on first and two outs, Josh Phelps (1 for 1) creamed a ball to deep left that hopped over the wall for a grounds-rule double, forcing Cairo to hold up at third with the potential winning run.

Who Pitched Well: Everyone really. Pettitte pitched three scoreless innings, working out of a second inning bases-loaded jam by striking out Javier Valentin with a sharp curve and getting Juan Castro to ground into a double play. Mariano Rivera pitched his second perfect inning of the spring, striking out Josh Hamilton on a changeup, after which he laughingly gestured to Jeter at shortstop, pointing to his eyes as if to say “did you see that?” Darrell Rasner also showed a nice curve over three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two. Myers and Veras combined to pitch a perfect ninth. Henn added a perfect tenth save for Alberto Gonzalez’s third error of the spring.

Who Didn’t: Luis Vizcaino allowed the one Reds run on a Joey Votto homer with two outs in the eighth, but otherwise looked sharp, striking out two in his one inning of work, and also showing a nice curve.

Battles: Three scoreless innings by Rasner. A clutch ninth-inning double by Phelps in his only at-bat. Ben Davis flied out in his only at-bat and was pinch-hit for with Sardinha in the ninth. Raul Chavez served only as a defensive replacement in the tenth.

Oopsies: With two outs in the third and the bases empty, Pettitte got Chris Denorfia to hit a slow hopper to third base. Alex Rodriguez gloved it, pumped twice, and uncorked a throw that tailed into the runner. Mientkiewicz caught it, but was pulled off the bag and missed the tag. E-5. Rodriguez was also thrown out at home following his second-inning lead-off double when he then ran through Larry Bowa’s stop sign on Hideki Matsui’s ensuing single. In the third, Rodriguez took an 0-2 called strike three with two on and two outs. Tough day for the third baseman. After his game-tying single, Bronson Sardinha was thrown out stealing second on the back end of a botched hit-and-run (Cairo swung through the pitch). Alberto Gonzalez, who before last night had made the only two Yankee position player errors this spring, one at second base and one at third, picked up an E-6 in the tenth to complete the set when a hopper skipped under his glove at shortstop. To be fair, he had to range to his left and charge the ball to have a play on it.

Ouchies: In the first inning, Pettitte broke Denorfia’s bat with a cutter and the barrel flew back to the mound and knicked him in the ring finger of his pitching hand. He showed no ill effects afterwords. The X-rays on Todd Pratt’s heel came back negative, he should return to action soon. Humberto Sanchez is light tossing. Brian Bruney, who has been out with a back and the flue, threw 25 pitches in the bullpen last night and should get in a game by the weekend. Bobby Abreu should be dry swinging a bat this weekend.

Notes: Roger Clemens sat in the stands near the Yankee dugout to watch his buddy Andy Pettitte pitch. He spend an inning on the air with Ken Singleton and Al Leiter (my broadcast dream team) in the YES booth, but didn’t betray anything about his intentions for this year (though if you want to try to read into his words, the clip is available on MLB.com). During the game, Clemens was seen talking jovially with Ron Guidry, Yogi Berra, and Reggie Jackson. It’s a real treat to see players of that caliber palling around and disseminating wisdom to the current Yankees. Goose Gossage seemed to spend the entire game lecturing Scott Proctor in the dugout. Good stuff.

I fully expect Daisuke Matsuzaka to be more than formidable this season. The Bombers can survive a strong rookie season from him; they’ll have cause for concern if Paplebon and Beckett are monsters. Fortunately, Yankee fans up north are staying warm thinking about Phillip Hughes, who is profiled by Jayson Stark today at ESPN.com.

Speaking of chill, the latest round of steriod stories are predictably depressing. Check out Jon Weisman’s excellent post on matter over at Dodger Thoughts.

The Yankees coughed up a 4-2 lead in the seventh and lost for the first time this spring when a ninth-inning rally came up a run short.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (DH)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Josh Phelps (1B)
R – Miguel Cairo (2B)
L – Kevin Reese (RF)
R – Wil Nieves (C)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, Ross Ohlendorf, Kyle Farnsworth

Subs: Eric Duncan (1B), Andy Cannizaro (2B), Angel Chavez (SS), Alberto Gonzalez (3B), Raul Chavez (C), Kevin Thompson (CF), Jose Tabata (PR/LF), Bronson Sardinha (DH)

Opposition: Something like two-thirds of the Indians starters, including Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and Victor Martinez.

Big Hits: Two-run homers by Kevin Reese (3 for 4) and Josh Phelps (1 for 3).

Who Pitched Well: Phil Hughes recovered nicely from his shaky first outing with two scoreless innings, striking out one and getting the rest of his outs on the ground. He allowed a hit and a walk, but only faced the minimum six batters because he picked Dave Dellucci (the walk) off first base in the fourth and followed Hector Luna’s fifth-inning single by getting Mike Rouse to ground into a double play.

Who Didn’t: Chien-Ming Wang was greeted with a homer by Grady Sizemore on his third pitch. In the third, Mike Rouse tripled off Wang and was plated by a Sizemore sac fly. In his three innings of work, Wang allowed a total of five hits, though he still got two-thirds of his outs on the ground (no Ks). In two innings of work, Ross Ohlendorf struck out three and induced a double play, but also walked one and allowed four hits. Of those four hits, Luis Rivas’s double and Michael Aubrey’s single followed an Alberto Gonzalez error in the seventh to plate three unearned runs as the Indians tied the game. Kyle Farnsworth allowed a run on two hits in the eighth, which prevented the Yankees’ ninth-inning run from tying the game.

Oopsies: Alberto Gonzalez, who committed the Yankees only other position-player error this spring by booting a ball at second, booted a ball at third in the seventh to kick start that three-run Indians rally.

Battles: Josh Phelps’s homer was his first extra-base hit of the spring. He’s now 4 for 8 with two walks and just one strikeout. Wil Nieves went 1 for 2. Raul Chavez went 0 for 1 with a sac fly to drive in the final Yankee run. If you doc Chavez an at-bat for the sac fly, both he and Nieves would be 2 for 7 with no extra base hits or walks and one strikeout in three games each. Ben Davis and the injured Todd Pratt are a combined 0 for 5.

Book Excerpt

The award-winning sportswriter Joe Posnanski has just published a book about Buck O’Neil called The Soul of Baseball. Pos followed Buck around for a year. This book is about their time together. It is a wonderful reminder of what a special man Buck was. Here’s an excerpt to give you a taste. I’ll have a Q&A with Pos up shortly. In the meantime, head on over to your favorite bookshop and grab a copy for yourself.

Enjoy!

from The Soul of Baseball by Joe Posnanski

Summertime

Buck kept coming back to the old woman. Every city Buck had visited that summer seemed hotter than the city before, but this was the heat crescendo— Washington roasted. Gnats and flies attacked in the humidity. Buck kept talking about the old woman. She had walked across the street in front of the car, and Buck watched her. She was seventy or so, gray hair, small, she wore a long dress and a silver jacket. She carried two small plastic bags of groceries. She walked slowly, like she was considering whether to turn back.

The woman came upon a puddle in front of the curb, a puddle big enough to have condominiums built around it. Buck said: “Puddles in Washington must be bigger than anywhere else in America. The sewers must be backed up or something.” The driver made a crack about sewers and politicians. The woman stood by the puddle a few seconds. She studied it, measured it perhaps. She then seemed to bend her knees and lean forward, as if she intended to jump across. Buck held his breath. Then she shivered, as if a cool breeze had passed through her, and she stood up straight, took one longing glance at the puddle, and made the long trek around.

“Hold on for a second,” Buck said to the driver. Buck stepped out of the car and walked up to the woman. He offered to carry her groceries, but she said she could manage fi ne. He said to her, “I saw you standing there by that puddle.”

She smiled. “Yeah?”

“I thought you were going to jump over it for a minute there.”

“You did, huh? I thought about it. There was a time, you know.”

“I know,” Buck said. “There was a time.”

(more…)

Right fielder Bronson Sardinha, the only Yankee to play the entire game, smacked high fastball from ex-Yank Felix “The Run Fairy” Heredia over the wall in right for a a two-run game-winning homer to extend the Yankees’ perfect spring record to 5-0.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (DH)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
L – Bronson Sardinha (RF)

Pitchers: Kei Igawa, Jeff Kennard, Mariano Rivera, Steven Jackson, Chris Britton, Tyler Clippard, Scott Proctor, Ron Villone

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Chris Basak (2B), Alberto Gonzalez (PR/SS), Miguel Cairo (3B), Ben Davis (C), Kevin Thompson (CF), Kevin Reese (LF), Juan Miranda (DH), Melky Cabrera (PH), Brett Gardner (PR)

Opposition: All but two of the defending AL Champion’s starters.

Big Hits: Sardinha’s walk-off blast (his only hit in four at-bats), a two-run homer by Hideki Matsui (1 for 3) off Justin Verlanderm, and a two-out, full-count double by Kevin Thompson (2 for 2, the other hit a bunt single) off Joel Zumaya. Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter both went 2 for 3.

Who Pitched Well: Mariano Rivera worked a perfect third inning in his spring debut, striking out the first two batters he faced and getting a weak hopper back to the mound from the third. Tyler Clippard, also making his spring debut, hit Brent Cleven in the back of the helmet with a two-out 3-2 pitch and was having trouble getting his curve to drop into the zone in the next at-bat, resulting in a couple of high inside pitches to Brandon Inge and some boos from the Tiger fans in attendance, but he otherwise looked powerful and in command, retiring Inge and the other five batters he faced with relative ease. Scott Proctor looked sharp while working a perfect eighth, getting two quick groundouts and a strikeout and working in his curveball.

Who Didn’t: In his Yankee debut, Kei Igawa walked three and allowed two hits, using up his allotted 40 pitches one-batter into his second inning of work. Of course, he also struck out the side in the first amid all those walks, limiting the damage to just one run. Unlike Phil Hughes, Igawa didn’t look nervous, he just looked rusty. After the game he said his performance was not unlike his early preseason performances in Japan. Joe Torre added that the balls used in the early part of the game were too slick and that the balls used later on had been rubbed up better. In to finish the second for Igawa, Kennard got two line-drive outs to left field then hit Gary Sheffield and walked two other batters to force in Igawa’s baserunner. Steven Jackson didn’t make it through his two innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a pair of walks and getting pulled with two-outs in the fifth.

Battles: Josh Phelps only at-bat came with the Yankees down to their last out and trailing by one. His single off lefty specialist Heredia set up Sardinha’s game-winning homer. Ben Davis flied out in his only at-bat. Chris Britton got the only batter he faced to fly out.

Ouchies: Wither Todd Pratt? He’s been shut down due to an inflamed left heel. X-ray results are expected today. Bobby Abreu will start taking some practice swings with a broomstick.

Health Updates: Andy Phillips’ mother has been taken off her ventilator, is breathing on her own, and will undergo surgery on her pelvic bones today, all of which are good signs. According to Andy Pettitte, who has been keeping in contact with his namesake, Phillips “sounds upbeat.” Bobby Murcer will not join the YES team for spring training, but still plans to return to broadcasting during the regular season. You can listen to Murcer’s conference call with reporters over on LoHud.

They’ve got it really groovin’,
Whacking that horsehide harder,
Those Yankees are alive.

Anyone remember that old Yankee jingle for WPIX? I hadn’t heard it since I was a kid but found it on YouTube the other night. The horns used to get me jacked-up. I never could figure out what they were saying after “groovin,” but I remember something about a horse. “Whacking-that-horsehide-harder,” I said to Emily after I played her the clip. “I wonder who came up with that one?”

“Someone who was clearly sexually frustrated,” she replied.

On 11 Alive!

Oh, and while I was at it, I found an old ad for the Reggie Bar too.

Once the legendary Cole Hamels left the game, the Yankees broke out the whoopin’ sticks to run their spring record to 4-0. The deets:

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Miguel Cairo (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (DH)
R – Jose Tabata (LF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Angel Chavez (3B)
S – Melky Cabrera (RF)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
R – Wil Nieves (C)

Pitchers: Carl Pavano, Jeffrey Karstens, Chase Wright, Jose Vizcaino, Colter Bean, Mike Myers, Kevin Whelan

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Alberto Gonzalez (PR/2B), Chris Basak (3B), Raul Chavez (C), Bronson Sardinha (PR/RF), Kevin Reese (PR/CF), Eric Duncan (DH)

Opposition: The second-place Phillies’ starters.

Big Hits: The Yankees got fifteen hits, but just one went for extra bases, that being an RBI double by Kevin Reese (1 for 2, BB); Melky Cabrera broke an 0 for 8 by going 3 for 3 and Bronson Sardinha went 2 for 2 giving the Yankee right fielders a combined 5 for 5 day.

Not Invited to the Party: Jason Giambi and Eric Duncan both went 0 for 3 to give the DH spot a combined 0 for 6. Alberto Gonzalez and Doug Mientkiewicz were the only other Yankees without hits, both going 0 for 2. Mientkiewicz is 0 for 6 with two walks in his three starts this spring.

Who Pitched Well: Jeff Karstens pitched two scoreless innings allowing just two hits (one a Pat Burrell double) and striking out one, he even got two groundball outs. Colter Bean pitched another scoreless inning allowing one hit and striking out one.

Who Didn’t: Mike Myers couldn’t close the door, allowing two runs on a walk and three hits in the ninth, but only getting two outs. Kevin Whelan came on to get a grounder for the final out.

Battles: Karstens outpitched Pavano, holding his own after the solid outings of Rasner and Ohlendorf. Nieves went 1 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI, he also gunned out Jimmy Rollins on the bases. Raul Chavez went 1 for 2 with a pair of RBIs.

Ouchies: Carl Pavano successfully pitched his two innings without incident. If he does it again on Friday, I’ll take him off the 60-day DL on the sidebar. His line: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0 HR. Incidentally, Chase Wright did the same later in the game, but added a strikeout. Humberto Sanchez was supposed to pitch today, but the Yankees are being cautious with him. Lefty non-roster invitee Ben Kozlowski, who suffered an abdominal strain a week or so ago, is back in action.

Oopsies: Alberto Gonzalez booted a ball at second base, adding to Mike Myers’ troubles. It was the first error by a Yankee position player this spring (Ron Villone made a throwing error in Friday’s game).

Notes: It’s been reported by both Peter Abraham and Jim Baumbach that Don Mattingly makes out the spring training lineups. After four games, all of the Yankees’ starters have made three starts save for Jorge Posada who’s made two, and Bobby Abreu who’s made none due to his oblique injury. Playing in Abreu’s place, Melky Cabrera has been the only Yankee to appear in all four games, starting all four. The non-starters who have started thus far have been: Josh Phelps (1B), Miguel Cairo (2B, SS), Angel Chavez (3B), Will Nieves (C), Kevin Thompson (RF), and Jose Tabata (LF, DH). I’m surprised to see Tabata, an 18-year-old who spent all of last year in the Sally League, get so much playing time. It shows you how high the organization is on him. Thus far he’s gone 2 for 8 with a pair of walks (that’s a solid .400 OBP), three Ks, a run scored, and an RBI.

A three-run eighth inning rally delivered the Yankees’ third spring victory in as many games, with the youngsters who combined to produce the winning run being part of the first round of cuts afterwards.

Lineup

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Josh Phelps (1B)
R – Jose Tabata (DH)
R – Miguel Cairo (2B)
R – Kevin Thompson (RF)

Pitchers: Mike Mussina, Matt DeSalvo, Kyle Farnsworth, Scott Henn, Jeff Kennard, Jose Veras

Subs: Eric Duncan (1B), Andy Cannizaro (PR/2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Marcos Vechionacci (PR/3B), Ben Davis (C), Francisco Cervelli (C), Brett Gardner (CF), Kevin Reese (PR/LF), Angel Chavez (DH)

Opposition: The last-place Pirates B-squad.

Big Hits: A solo homer by Posada and doubles by Matsui and Thompson (both 1 for 2 with a walk); in his only at-bat, Vechionacci singled home Peña for the winning run with one out in the eighth.

Who Pitched Well: Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect fifth.

Who Didn’t: No one pitched especially poorly, but collectively the other five pitchers allowed 13 baserunners in eight innings and recorded only one strikeout. Mussina, DeSalvo, and Kennard each allowed a run, Moose on a home run by Brad Eldred.

Battles: Phelps walked and singled in three trips, but he was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double when the ball after seeing the ball ricochet of third base. Ben Davis went 0 for 2.

Cuts: After the game, the Yankees demoted the game-winning infield combo of Marcos Vechionacci and Ramiro Peña, two slick fielders who will spend the season trying to hit their way out of A-ball, catchers Francisco Cervelli, P.J. Pilittere, and Omir Santos, and righty starter Steven White. Cervelli did not get a turn at-bat in yesterday’s game and Pilittere, Santos and White saw no game action at all. White, who is still working his way back from a tweaked neck, threw a bullpen session from half-way up the mound yesterday and received praise from Guidry and Torre on his way to minor league camp. He’s expected to throw from the top of the mound in his next session. All of the reassigned players were non-roster invitees.

Notes: Yesterday’s game was the first of six broadcast on WCBS radio. Since all regular season games are on WCBS I don’t indicate it on the sidebar, but since only five more of the spring tilts will be narrated by the dulcet tones of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman, I’ll indicate the radio broadcasts in the upcoming schedule. Today, Carl Pavano pitches for the actual Yankees for the first time since his infamous butt-bruising inning last spring.

Reading: Tyler Kepner blogs about Scott Proctor, Sweeny Murti appreciates Mike Mussina (as do I).

The Yanks remain undefeated and the Yankee starters remain perfect through four spring innings. The details:

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (DH)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Melky Cabrera (RF)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)
R – Wil Nieves (C)

Pitchers: Andy Pettitte, Darrell Rasner, Scott Proctor, Chris Britton, Ron Villone, Colter Bean, Kevin Whelan

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Alberto Gonzalez (2B), Andy Cannizaro (SS), Chris Basak (3B), Todd Pratt (C), Bronson Sardinha (RF), Brett Gardner (CF), Kevin Thompson (LF), Eric Duncan (PR/DH)

Opposition: The last-place Devil Rays’ starters followed by a full compliment of subs.

Big Hits: Chris Basak’s three-run, eighth-inning homer was responsible for all three Yankee runs. Alberto Gonzalez, subbing at second after subbing at short in the opener, went 2 for 2. Jason Giambi (0 for 1) drew his third walk in four spring plate appearances.

Who Pitched Well: Andy Pettitte pitched two perfect innings, recording one K and three groundouts on 20 pitches (15 strikes). Darrell Rasner followed by allowing just one hit in two shutout innings, recording a K of his own and getting four of his remaining outs on the ground. Colter Bean pitched a perfect eighth inning, striking out one and getting two groundouts. Chris Britton allowed one hit while otherwise matching Bean’s performance.

Who Didn’t: Ron Villone gave up a pair of hits and made a throwing error in his one inning, resulting in the only Devil Ray run. Ironically, he earned the win when Basak homered in the following frame.

Battles: Following strong performances by Jeff Karstens in the intrasquad game and Ross Ohlendorf in the opener, Darrell Rasner turned in one of his own. Wil Nieves and Todd Pratt both went 0 for 2. Josh Phelps went 1 for 2. His hit was creamed off the left-field wall, but ricocheted back so hard that he was held to a single.

Notes: Today’s 1:15 start against the Pirates at home will be WCBS’s first Yankee broadcast of the year. The station just signed a multi-year extension with the Yankees.

By Bruce Markusen

Throughout the year, we’ll be spotlighting a variety of historic baseball cards at Baseball Toaster. Some will feature former Yankees, and most will be from the sixties, seventies, and eighties. We’ll discuss some of the intricacies of the cards–and the players featured on them. We hope you enjoy them.

I started collecting baseball cards in 1972. That was 35 years ago, though it seems more like three and a half. I remember well my first trip to Gillard’s Stationary Store in my hometown of Bronxville, New York. My first card, the one that was on the top of the pack I purchased, featured Dave Cash of the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. That seemed to be pretty good luck to me, obtaining the card of an everyday player for the best team in baseball.

It wasn’t until many years later that I happened to pick up another card that turned out to be a favorite of mine, No. 692 in that old Topps set. Back then, Topps issued cards in series, with the high-numbered cards usually released sometime in August. By then, most of us had moved on to collecting football cards for the upcoming NFL season. So I never even saw Curt Blefary’s high-numbered action card that year. I didn’t pick it up until I had started to become a serious collector, buying it for a few dollars from a local baseball card dealer sometime during the 1980s.

Why did I like that Blefary card? First, it was an action card, which was fairly rare back then. In 1972, Topps heralded every one of its action shots by surrounding it with a bold red border, topped off by the words, “In Action,” near the top of the card. Second, I loved the Oakland A’s of that era, the height of Charlie Finley’s green-and-gold dynasty. And third, Blefary was a former Yankee, always my most favored team.

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Yo, I just thought this was too funny:

“I felt kind of sexy up there today and I don’t know why,” [Jason]Giambi said. “I usually look to get hot the last week of the spring.”

[Johnny] Damon built a gym in his Orlando home this past off-season and bulked up to the point he said he came to camp five pounds over the 212-pound reporting date. He has shed four pounds since arriving.

“I wanted to look good with my shirt off,” Damon said of hitting the weights. “My wife still digs me. You have to keep your sexiness at all times.”

I wonder if Tank Pratt ever feels sexy.

Using my standard spring format, which I hope to apply to all of the Yankees spring training games this March, here’s the recap of today’s opener. Check out the previous post for the liveblog blow-by-blow.

Lineup

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Jason Giambi (DH)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Melky Cabrera (RF)
L – Doug Mientkiewicz (1B)

(according to Jim Baumbach, class clown Johnny Damon looked at the lineup and cracked “are we even trying?”)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, T.J. Beam, Ross Ohlendorf, Luis Vizcaino, Mike Myers, Jose Veras

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Miguel Cairo (2B), Alberto Gonzalez (SS), Marcos Vechionacci (3B), Raul Chavez (C), Kevin Thompson (RF), Brett Gardner (CF), Kevin Reese (LF), Jose Tabata (PR/DH)

Opposition: The reigning AL Central Champions B-squad, just two notable hitters (Morneau, Cuddyer), and no quality major league pitchers.

Big Hits: Homers by Giambi (a two-run shot, 1 for 1, 2 BB) and Damon (leading off the game, 1 for 3, K), a bases-loaded RBI single by Posada (1 for 1, BB)

Who Pitched Well: Wang retired all six batters he faced, five on ground balls, and needed just 19 pitches to do it. Only ten of those pitches were strikes, however, and both he and Posada said after the game that he was wild up in the zone. He gets better? Ohlendorf looked sharp in his two innings, pitching around a pair of singles, one a well-placed grounder, the other a blooped jam shot over second. Four of Ohlendorf’s six outs came on the ground and one was an infield popup. Joe Torre enthusiastically described him as “real polished” after the game. Vizcaino, Myers, and Veras also looked good against the Twins’ subs.

Who Didn’t: Golden Boy Phil Hughes was anxious, overstriding by his own admission, and likely overthrowing. His laser-guided control deserted him and his lethal curve either hung or missed wildly. He used up his 33 pitches in 1 1/3 innings walking two, allowing a double to Michael Cuddyer, and throwing a wild pitch that moved Cuddyer to third, from which he scored after Hughes’ departure. Hughes did get the reigning AL MVP to take a perfectly placed strike three to end his outing. Hardly a disaster by any stretch, but a disappointment given both the hype and what I’ve seen of Hughes with my own eyes in the past. T.J. Beam allowed that one run to score in the process of allowing as many baserunners as outs recorded.

Ouchies: Carl Pavano had a successful bullpen, reported no problems with his bruised foot, and will make his scheduled start on Sunday. Raul Chavez, all the way back from his broken hand, played half of the game behind the plate. He and Giambi, who had off-season wrist surjery, appear to be 100 percent.

Battles: Hughes made a case for starting the year in triple-A by showing some butterflies on the mound. Ohlendorf has injected himself into the emergency-starter picture along with Rasner and Karstens. Chavez was the only backup catcher to see action and went 1 for 3 with a single and a K. In the field he showed off his arm by throwing behind Twins’ lead-off man Denard Span and almost picking him off. Josh Phelps walked in his only at-bat and got the job done in the field. Andy Phillips, meanwhile, has left the team to be with his mother who was in a serious car accident. Last year Phillips’ wife was undergoing chemotherapy during spring training. His wife is doing well. Here’s hoping we can soon say the same about his mother.

One of the joys of baseball is the way it works its way into your life, be it the daily routine of watching the ballgame after work or on a lazy weekend afternoon, the seasonal shift from fresh, optimistic Aprils, to the brutal dog days of August, to the crisp, suspense-filled pennant races and playoffs of September and October, or the annual renewal that comes around each spring. As I begin my fourth full season blogging the Yankees, I’ve found that similar patterns have emerged in my work. Each spring there are two posts I look forward to with particular enthusiasm. The first is my breakdown of Yankee campers (2004: NRIs and 40-man, 2005, 2006, 2007). The second is my live blog of the first spring training game. In 2004 I actually blogged the third spring game due to the YES Network’s broadcast schedule (running upstairs to my desktop between innings to do so). In 2005 I blogged MLB.TV’s free-broadcast during a slow day at work in what proved to be the penultimate post on my Big Red Blog. Last year I was reduced to blogging YES’s 7pm replay of the spring’s opening game, though thankfully with convenience of a laptop.

This year, however, I’m doing this in style. I’ve taken the day off and am home with my laptop and DVR humming, a two-liter of Coke and a one-pound bag of Bauchman’s sourdough “nutzel” bites at the ready, prepared to transmit as much of the action as time and my fingers will allow. All updates will appear in this post (I’m currently updating after each plate appearance at minimum). With that, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present 2007 New York Yankees baseball!

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When I was growing up, my grandparent’s lived on 81st street, directly across from The Museum of Natural History. Their apartment served as a homebase for my father at various times, and I was often dispatched to Zabars, the specialty food shop, just a few blocks away on Broadway. I was usually asked to get the same thing: a beef salami and a seeded rye, sliced (must be seeded, must be sliced, I learned the hard way). The salamis hung above the meat counter and you had to take a number before being served.

One time, when my twin sister Sam and I were 12 or 13, we were standing on line facing the counter, when we heard two excited voices from behind us. They were discussing all of the treats behind the glass counter. In a nifty bit of timing, we both turned our heads around slowly, and who should we see but Danny Devito and Rea Pearlman. I think we may have had an inch on them, but we were essentially looking at them eye-to-eye. Just as our heads were completely turned, facing them, they stopped talking, looked up at us, and gave us a big smiled. They waved, which was comic because they were standing about two feet away. We turned our heads slowly back around, looked at each other and shrugged.

Zabars is still around of course (it practically takes up the entire block now). I stopped in earlier this week and was nearly floored when I got to the deli counter and found that there were no salamis hanging above it anymore. It made me think of my father. They still sell beef salami, but it just isn’t the same. Such is life in the big city. But I did feel better–at least somewhat comforted–after reading Alex Witchel’s piece in The Times yesterday. Hey, I’m thankful that Zabars is still here–and it’s not likely to go anywhere for at least a minute.