Powered by the memory of Joe DiMaggio, who passed away 10 years ago yesterday, here’s the news:

• As you most likely know by now, A-Rod and the Yanks have decided to proceed with a lesser form of hip surgery on Monday.

The decision eliminates the option of Rodriguez treating the injury with rest and rehab and playing through the season without surgery. But this operation will not completely correct the hip.

“The surgery that will just repair the labrum tear right now would shorten his rehab,” Cashman said. “Then, following the conclusion of the season, going in and repair the remaining aspects that need to be repaired.”

• ESPN’s Stephania Bell has a detailed explanation of the anatomy being poked and prodded:

Surgery to repair the labrum alone, without addressing any underlying bone issues, results in a shortened time frame. During surgery the damaged piece of labrum is either repaired or resected (removed), depending on the extent and location of damage. Since the labrum does provide some protection for the joint surface itself, surgeons aim to preserve as much of the healthy tissue as possible. Following surgery, the athlete is required to go through a “protective” phase, during which the amount of weight-bearing is limited to allow the tissue to heal, and range-of-motion and strengthening exercises are increased incrementally. Later in rehab, the athlete returns to weight-bearing exercises, which then get more complex in scope (meaning they start to look sport-specific — baseball-type exercises, in Rodriguez’s case — as opposed to basic leg-strengthening exercises). Once the athlete has demonstrated sufficient strength and stability, he can return to sports drills and eventually return to play. Complete recovery from a labral resection or repair typically ranges from 10 to 16 weeks. This scenario allows Rodriguez to return for the majority of this season, with the announced second surgery in the postseason to address any bone issues.

[My take: I realize I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to orthopedic surgery, but wouldn’t it be better to “go in” just once and get it all over with?  My thought is if the Yanks had a more-than-competent replacement at third, they would have had Alex go for the “complete” procedure now, rather than do it in two trips.]

• Rodriguez’s surgery is fueling plenty of rumors, including one involving the Royals:

Alex Rodriguez’s decision to undergo surgery on his hip is fueling rumors that the Yankees are interested in Mark Teahen as a temporary replacement at third base.

Royals officials, for now, are brushing off the speculation, and general manager Dayton Moore has long maintained that Teahen is more valuable now to the club than in previous years because of his versatility.

“What I’m hoping,” one Royals official said, “is they sign (second baseman Mark) Grudzielanek. That way, we get a (compensatory) draft pick.”

• Tidbits from PeteAbe:
  • Matsui may bat cleanup during A-Rod’s absence.
  • A.J. Burnett didn’t realize he was dealing at 98 on the gun during his last start.
  • Girardi is thinking of Cody Ransom, and ONLY Ransom, as an internal replacement for A-Rod.

• Tyler Kepner reminds us that the Yanks survived the loss of Jeter for some time in 2003.
• Ian O’Connor offers an account of a harrowing time in the life of Cody Ransom:

Bodies and blood were all over the desert freeway, and somehow Cody Ransom landed on his feet. He was standing upright inside a flipped 15-passenger van, death and dying all around him, and he had no idea how or why he was chosen to live.

His feet had plunged through a shattered window and were planted firmly on the ground. The van belonging to the South Mountain Community College baseball team had blown its right rear tire on Interstate 10 in Arizona, crashed into a Palo Verde tree and rolled over two or three times on its catastrophic tumble from the fast lane to the other side.

Ransom opened his eyes when the violent sounds of steel and glass meeting asphalt finally quieted, replaced by the desperate screams of his friends. …

The accident left permanent scars. Born and raised in Arizona, Ransom came to fear any trip on I-10. He nearly panicked when he blew out a tire driving his truck — only a year after the crash — before safely pulling off the road.

• The Star-Ledger has an interview with Mark Teixeira, including this exchange:

What about him (Mattingly) stood out to you, just visually even, when you saw him?

His sweet swing, sweet follow through, the way he played first base, just a great glove at first. And then just the pinstripes. There’s something special about the pinstripes. He wore them well.

Could you give us a sense of what you enjoy when you’re not at work?

I enjoy spending time with my family. And when my family’s not around, when I’m on the road, a lot of sleep. I get my rest. I understand how important my job is and how important rest is to that job. I’m pretty boring.

• BP.com notes that Royals catcher Brayan Pena is out of options, and will most likely be placed on waivers later this Spring.  BP notes that many organizations will be interested in Pena.

[My take: His minor league stats and cups of Major League coffee scream “Quadruple A”, but he might be worth a waiver claim by the Bombers.]

Poll time!

[poll id=”20″]

• Aaron Boone turns 36 today.  Boone of course is responsible for one of the most dramatic homers in recent Yankee history, winning the 2003 ALCS with a bomb off of Tim Wakefield in the 11th inning of game 7.  If Boone hadn’t then proceeded to wreck his knee in an contract-violating off-season basketball game, the Yanks wouldn’t have traded for A-Rod.

[My take: Is Aaron Boone still a viable thought for replacing A-Rod for a couple of months?]

• Today is also the 36th birthday of Suffern-born C.J. Nitkowski, who bounced through the Yankee clubhouse for a few weeks in 2004.
• Terry Mulholland hits 46 today.  The Phillies apparently knew just when to deal him (after four seasons in which his WHIP was never higher than 1.21), as the Yanks got him in 1994 … and he proceeded to give up 150 hits (24 homers) and 37 walks in 121 innings.  He was allowed to go the free agent route after that one year.
• Happy 67th birthday to Bert Campaneris.  “Campy” finished up a fine career as a bench player for the ’83 Bombers, going .322/.355/.357 in 143 ABs.  Fun fact:  Campy had 79 homers in his career.  22 of those came in 1970; in no other season did he hit more than eight.