OK, I’m almost back from the DL . . . consider this post a “rehab assignment”.

Contrary to circulating rumors, I did not pull an oblique during vigorous typing, nor did I strain my vocal cords screaming at Girardi.  But thanks to you all for your concern!

Today’s news is powered by footage from LAST year’s All Star Game:

• PeteAbe has a rather telling stat on how good (or not) the Yanks may be:

But the Yankees have played four teams (the Angels, Red Sox, Phillies and Tigers) who lead their respective divisions at the break and they are 5-15 against those teams. That’s why you can’t just dismiss this weekend as just some bad luck.

• Joba Joba Joba Joba Joba Chameleon:

Is Joba Chamberlain the most confident pitcher in baseball, or the most delusional?

After another laborious outing on Friday night, Chamberlain stood at his locker and spoke about making good pitches. He talked about his stuff being as good as it’s been all season. If that’s the best Chamberlain has to offer as a starting pitcher, the debate over his future in that role is sure to rage on.

In his last two outings, Chamberlain has given up 13 runs – although only seven were earned – on 18 hits and two walks in eight innings, taking no-decisions in each game. The last part is nothing new for Chamberlain, whose 10 decisions through his first 29 career starts are the fewest in big-league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. “The last two starts, that’s the best my stuff has been all year. It makes it even more frustrating,” Chamberlain said. “I felt I’ve been better in the last two but we came up against some good ball clubs.”

• Angel Berroa has been picked up off the scrap heap . . . by the Mets.  Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein weighs in:

This is hardly a note to defend Angel Berroa, who stinks, but rather to defend the move itself. It’s easy to just see the name Angel Berroa and chuckle, but do people really think Omar Minaya is jumping up and down with joy over the signing? Really? Without getting into the real problem here, which is that for the last two years the Mets have assembled a roster with very little in the way of a backup plan, let’s just focus on the present facts, here and now.

1. The Mets have an injured Jose Reyes, and no shortstop at Triple-A.
2. The kid playing shortstop at Double-A, Ruben Tejada, is 19 years old and not near ready.
3. Last I checked, Hanley Ramirez wasn’t available.

So what were the Mets supposed to do? Teams need bodies, especially up the middle, and the signing of Berroa makes very good sense for New York, right here and right now, despite the fact that he’s not a good player . . .

[My take: We may bust on Cashman, but just take a look at what’s going on in Queens.]

• The enigmatic (did someone say “bust”?) Kei Igawa hits the big 3-0 today.  How bad was Igawa during his time with the big club?  Opponents hit .281 against him after the count went to 0-2.  (In 2007, when Igawa toiled most of his innings for the Bombers, the league average in such situations was .179).
• Jack Aker turns 69 today.  Aker was a part-time closer for the ’69 to ’72 squads (behind Lindy McDaniel).
• On this date in 1919, P Carl Mays quits the mound after two innings at Chicago, blaming his teammates for lack of support afield. In defiance of Ban Johnson’s order that no action be taken until Mays is returned to good standing, Boston owner Harry Frazee trades Mays to the Yankees for pitchers Bob McGraw and Allen Russell and $40,000. Johnson suspends Mays indefinitely and orders umpires not to let him pitch for New York. The Yankees get a court order restraining Johnson from interfering, further eroding Johnson’s authority and standing. The AL directors will reinstate Mays. In retaliation, on October 29th the National Commission will refuse to recognize the Yankees’ third-place finish and will withhold the players’ share of the pool. New York’s owners will pay out of their own pockets.
• On this date in 1934, at Navin Field in Detroit, Babe Ruth wallops a Tommy Bridges 3-2 pitch far over the right field wall for his 700th career home run. The 4-2 victory over the Tigers put the Bronx Bombers back into first place, but Lou Gehrig is helped off the field in the first inning with a severe bout of lumbago.
• On this date in 1973, Bobby Murcer hits three home runs, all off starter Gene Garber, and knocks in all the runs in the Yankees’ 5 – 0 win over the Royals. Mel Stottlemyre scatters six hits in racking up his 39th career shutout. Murcer does not hit another homer until August 19.
• On this date in 1977, the city suffers the infamous blackout.
• On this date in 1984, the Yankees retire Roger Maris (#9) and Elston Howard (#32) uniform numbers. The team also erect plaques in their honor.
• With the All Star Break now upon us, let’s take a look at the Banter Battle 2009 fantasy baseball contest going on.  The “Quadruple A’s”, managed by “iluvdickybetts” (who is this Banterer?) hold a commanding 33 point lead over the rest of the 20-team league.  However, they are piling up innings pitched at an alarming rate, and are 137 innings ahead of the pace allowed for the 1,250 inning team maximum.  Will they be able to hold on when their pitchers stop adding stats?

I’m off for the All Star Break.  See you Friday!