Today’s news is powered by interviews and footage of “My Morning Jacket” (A very cool band. Their last album “Evil Urges” was at the top of many reviewers’ “Best Of” lists last year):

• To the victor goes the post-season scheduling choice:

The official rule gives the team with the best record one hour to make its choice after either clinching the top spot or learning its first-round opponent — whichever comes later. Because the Yankees clinched the AL’s best record before the ALDS matchups were finalized, they should have several days to discuss their options before they must choose.

. . . Seemingly, the most compelling arguments are for the longer series, which would allow the Yankees to rest their bullpen and — perhaps more important — use only three starters, all on regular rest. Though Joba Chamberlain is now stretched out long enough to start games in the postseason, he has no doubt been erratic over the past two months, and the Yankees may be better served to use him out of the bullpen in the ALDS.

The longer series would allow them to do just that, as well as carry an extra bench player without needing to overuse Mariano Rivera or Phil Hughes out of the bullpen.

• Those off-season moves (CC, A.J., Teix and . . . Swisher!) pay off:

As the Yankees celebrated clinching the American League East title after their 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, several players discussed the difference that the three free agents made in 2009. Sabathia leads the American League with 19 wins, Teixeira has 38 homers and a league best 120 runs batted in and Burnett won 12 games.

“It starts with the Steinbrenners,” said Johnny Damon. “They knew that we needed to go get a guy like C.C., to bring another guy like A.J. along and then, after that, we were able to get Teix. So those are three of the top free agents from last year’s class and we were able to bring them in. And we could see the difference of where we’re at.”

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Today’s news is powered by Miles Davis and friends:

• A-Rod’s peaceful, easy feeling:

Rodriguez arrived after missing five weeks this season due to right hip surgery, relieved of the pressure he feels every season to justify his big contract and high profile. The Yankees knew he would be limited in some ways, and were happy to accept whatever he could offer.

It has been more than anticipated. With 27 home runs and 89 RBIs in 115 games, Rodriguez has found himself at the heart of a lineup that is headed for the postseason for his fifth time in six seasons with New York. The clinching this week gave Rodriguez reason to reflect on how far he’d come.

“Just shaking hands with the guys and giving a few hugs takes me back to where I was in February and March, Colorado and Tampa,” Rodriguez said. “It just feels good to be part of it and contribute a little bit.”

• Joe Sheehan tackles an online chat question or two:

ekanenh (Capitol City): Shouldn’t a clear-eyed Yankee fan be concerned about starting pitching in the playoffs?

Joe Sheehan: Absolutely. Andy Pettitte‘s quality start Monday certainly makes everyone breathe easier, but A.J. Burnett is a dice roll, and they have apparently screwed up Joba Chamberlain something fierce. (The lesson here is that very-low-pitch-count starts are apparently not the way to manage workloads for young starter.) Only CC Sabathia is someone you can expect to be healthy and effective throughout October…and he’s the guy who’ll be facing Verlander and Lester. The rotation is the Yankees‘ biggest concern, and at that, they’re the postseason favorite.

sprechs (Brooklyn): How would you construct the Yankees’ post-season roster? Girardi seems pretty set on having both Guzman and Gardner–does that make any sense?

Joe Sheehan: Think of it the way Earl Weaver would…how will I use each player? If Girardi wants to start Gardner, which he should, he’ll want an extra set of legs on the bench to pinch-run tactically for Posada, Matsui and maybe Swisher. Facing a RH reliever who doesn’t hold runners well–like Papelbon, for one–Guzman could be a key element. Given that the Yankees need somewhere between zero and one backup infielders, Guzman could be a good weapon to have. I’d certainly rather him than a seventh (or EIGHTH) reliever.

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Today’s news is powered by Bruuuuuce! (He turned 60 yesterday):

• Pop goes the Hairston:

Yankees utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. was removed from Wednesday’s 3-2 win at Angel Stadium after feeling a popping sensation in his left wrist and will undergo an MRI examination on Thursday in New York.

Hairston was batting in the seventh inning against right-handed reliever Jason Bulger with New York leading, 3-2, and took a ball from the hurler. He tried a practice swing after the pitch and felt something strange and painful.

“It’s just been bothering me the last three weeks or so,” Hairston said. “It felt really weird. I’ve never had that. I felt something pop and I tried to take another swing and felt kind of a sharp pain. Right now, I’m hoping it’s scar tissue or something I can play through.”

• Will Carroll on Andy Pettitte’s season:

At 37, Pettitte’s been an effective mid-rotation starter . . . but the consistency in his workload over the years is astonishing. Aside from two seasons with arm problems in 2002 and 2004, Pettitte’s always been a workhorse. He’s put up four straight years of 200+ innings, and if he gets 16 more innings this season, he’d have his 11^th season with 200+ IP. At 215 wins, Pettitte’s unlikely to hit the 300-win milestone, but he’s also an interesting case for the Hall of Fame. The Yankees are far enough ahead in the standings that they can do things like give Pettitte a week off to rest up, and given his results last time out, it appears that worked. . . . The age and workload may have worn him down a little, but the Yankees are smart enough to get him the needed rest.

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Today’s news is powered by the Double Dutch Bus:

• Guess who is coming to throw out the first pitches this weekend?:

The Yankees announced on Tuesday that they plan to welcome United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Panama President Ricardo Martinelli to throw ceremonial first pitches this weekend at Yankee Stadium.

Sotomayor, a Bronx native, will take the mound on Saturday, prior to the Yankees’ game against the Red Sox. Martinelli will perform the honors the evening before, on Friday, as New York opens its important three-game series with Boston.

The invitations are part of the Yankees’ continuing celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

• AL Cy Young contender Zack Greinke speaks of the comfort of pitching in KC:

Had he waited until free agency, or even just until the end of this year, he would have been in line for tens of millions more. But security had substantial appeal, especially given that Greinke recognized that Kansas City offered him a comfortable environment, on and off the field.

Even so, Greinke’s growing confidence becomes evident in hearing him suggest that he could succeed outside of the cocoon of the only organization that he has ever known.

“[The environment] had a lot to do with [signing the extension], for sure,” said Greinke. “Now, maybe New York would bother me, but I don’t think anywhere else would bother me anymore. Even though I’m in Kansas City, I’ve gotten used to it a lot more. New York, I still might have trouble in New York. I probably would. But I think almost everyone does.”

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Today’s news is powered by a Yellow Submarine:

• Are the Yanks interested in adding Aroldis Chapman?:

The Yankees are monitoring Chapman’s situation and will undoubtedly be interested in signing a 21-year-old left-hander whose fastball exceeds 100 miles an hour and who was touted as the best pitching prospect in Cuba. So far, General Manager Brian Cashman has not commented on Chapman, but the Yankees have been aggressive in signing international pitchers like Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras.

Roberto González Echevarría, a professor at Yale University who has written extensively about Cuban baseball, called Chapman “the most promising young pitcher” to leave Cuba in 50 years.

• Friend of the Banter Allen Barra is concerned about the Yanks:

(Joba) Chamberlain went just three innings, was hammered for seven runs on six hits and three walks, handing the Yankees their second series loss in the last ten days. And the excuse was the recent A.J. Burnett mantra: “If not for one or two bad pitches …” Memo to A.J. and Joba: a three-run homer is not — repeat, not — one mistake. It is, at the very least, three mistakes.

Joba hasn’t gone more than five innings since August 11, and in his last seven starts, has gone just 20 innings, giving up 39 hits and walking 12 against just 17 strikeouts. Let’s make that even more dramatic: in his five starts since the Yankees began this ridiculous “New Rules” (with apologies to Bill Maher) approach, Joba has pitched 16 innings, given up 23 hits, struck out 10, and given up 14 earned runs for an eye-gouging ERA of 7.87. . . .

Is there a team in baseball with a worse record of developing young pitchers than the Yankees? Was there any more illogical way to bring Joba along than to put him in games where he was expected to only go three or four innings? If whoever is calling the shots in the front office had conferred with Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave “No Man Is An” Eiland and at least agreed to put Job aback in the bullpen to be worked in front of Phil Hughes, they might at least have something to show for all the absurd coddling and pampering of Joba. All they’ve got now is a big fat ugly decision as to whether or not he should be included on the postseason roster — and if the numbers mean anything, the answer to that question is an emphatic no.

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Today’s news is powered by a cat, and its unusual perch:

• Ian Kennedy has made it all the way back:

Having missed four months of the season following surgery to repair an aneurysm in his right arm, Kennedy never expected to finish his year in the big leagues. Yet there he was Saturday night, getting ready to slip on his No.38 jersey before the Yankees’ game against the Mariners.

“This is crazy,” Kennedy said. “I didn’t dream of this happening. After not pitching all year, this seemed crazy. When he called me and told me it was going to happen … I’m still in shock.”

• President Obama thinks highly of the Yanks:

As for the American League, Obama says the Yankees are doing well. And he singles out New York shortstop Derek Jeter for breaking Lou Gehrig’s team record for career hits. Obama calls Jeter “a classic.”

• John Perrotto details the late-inning Yankee heroics:

Few teams have used home field more to their advantage than the Yankees in their first season at the new Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have had 14 walk-off wins, the most in the major leagues and the most by the franchise since the won a record 17 in 1943. Eight different Yankees have had walk-off hits. Furthermore, the Yankees lead the major leagues with 48 come-from-behind victories and 26 triumphs in their last at-bat. Of those comeback victories, 34 have been at Yankee Stadium, which ties the franchise record set in 1932, when the Yankees won one of their record 26 World Series titles.

“I think there is a feeling that you can always do it because you’ve done it so many times,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of his team’s numerous walkoffs. “When guys have that kind of confidence, they are different players. There is no doubt about that.”

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Today’s news is powered by Pete Abraham, giving us a quick tour of the old Stadium. We wish Pete the best of luck in his new gig in Boston:

• Buster Olney is a little skittish when it comes to the post-season rotation:

In his last five starts, (A.J.) Burnett is 1-3 with a 7.67 ERA, and this at a time when Andy Pettitte has some shoulder soreness and when nobody has any idea what Joba Chamberlain might provide in the postseason. And don’t forget that CC Sabathia, who has worked his way into the AL Cy Young conversation this year, has some postseason ghosts to slay as the Yankees start in the postseason — in five starts in October, he is 2-3 with a 7.92 ERA, with 33 hits and 22 walks allowed in 25 innings.

• Bernie Williams is up for a Latin Grammy.
• Everything you wanted to know about possible Game 1 opposing starter Justin Verlander.
• The Tampa and Staten Island Yankees won their respective league championships.
• Billy Traber (lousy cup of coffee . . . 7.02 ERA in 19 games with club in ’08) turns 30 today.
• On this date in 1965, on Mickey Mantle Day at Yankee Stadium, 50,180 fans see Mantle play his 2,000th game. Joe DiMaggio and Bobby Kennedy are on hand as Mantle is given a barbecue grill in the shape of a prairie schooner and a six-foot Kosher salami weighing 100 pounds. In Mantle’s first at bat, Detroit’s Joe Sparma comes off the mound to shake his hand. Mick then flies out. Detroit wins, 4 – 3, with reliever Denny McLain getting the win.
• On this date in 1979,Billy Martin reportedly pays rookie P Bob Kammeyer $100 to hit former Yankee Cliff Johnson with a pitch in Cleveland’s 16 – 3 rout of the Yankees. Johnson belts two homers as does Toby Harrah and the two combine for nine RBIs. The loss goes to Paul Mirabella but Kammeyer gives up all eight Tribe scores in the 4th inning without recording an out.
• On this date in 1993, trailing by two runs with two outs in the bottom of ninth, Mike Stanley hits a pop fly to left for the apparent third out, but time had been called just as the pitch was delivered due to a fan running out onto the Yankee Stadium field. Given a second chance, the Yankee catcher singles which is followed by a Wade Boggs’s hit, a walk to Dion James, and a Don Mattingly single driving in two runs to beat the Red Sox, 4-3.

Back on Monday . . .

Today’s news is powered by . . . The Brain, talking about . . . the brain:

• How do the Angels feel about the Bombers?:

“By no means have we dominated those guys,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’ve competed well against them but they’re tough.” Third baseman Chone Figgins told the Los Angeles Times‘ Mike DiGiovanna, “It’s always a battle against them and we’ve had our share of success but I don’t think it’s because we’re in their heads.”

Many scouts believe the Angels hold the edge on the Yankees because they have more team speed and athleticism. “We run the bases aggressively and we put pressure on you, but that stuff doesn’t show up in Kansas City and Seattle,” Figgins said. “It shows up more because it’s New York, and you’re not expected to have a good record against the Yankees.”

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Today’s news is powered by Levon Helm:

• Ticket prices for 2010:

. . . prices for more than 80 percent of the stadium will remain the same.

Some of the highest price seats will see reductions of up to 40 percent, including those in the Legends area and the Delta Sky 360 Suite. The first level of non-premium suites, which are one level up behind home plate, will be reduced from $325 to $250 or $235 per game per seat, depending on the location. . . .

The only increase will be seen by those who own tickets in a group of 1,700 seats that surround the Delta suite, which currently sell for $100 per game. Those prices will increase to $125 per game next year.

The much publicized $2,500 per game suite tickets, which were not part of the seats whose price was cut in half in April, will cost $1,500 in 2010.

[My take: I guess we should say . . . umm . . . “thanks”?]

• Joel Sherman is confused with by the hubbub over “The Joba Rules”.
• The preliminary schedule for 2010 has been released.  Here’s a review of what they have to look forward to.
• Andy Pettitte will skip his next start to rest a tired shoulder.
• Kevin Goldstein highlights the best Yankee minor league performances this season:

. . . Even though he began the year as the top prospect in the system, catcher Jesus Montero went from best prospect in the Yankee system to one of the best in all of baseball by batting .337/.389/.562 across two levels, and having no problems handling Double-A pitching as a teenager.

A 10^th-round pick last year who signed for nearly half a million, righty D.J. Mitchell cruised through the Sally League, posted a 2.87 ERA at High-A Tampa, and compiled a ground-ball ratio of nearly 3-to-1.

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Today’s news is powered by vintage Peter Frampton:

• Hal Bodley touts Jeter for MVP:

The MVP Award should go to the player whose leadership and value has contributed to his team’s success more than any other individual. Jeter has been that player for the Yankees as they storm to another AL East title.

There may be teammates who have higher batting averages, hit more homers, driven in more runs, but no one has been more valuable to the Yankees this season.

• Don Zimmer appreciates Jeter:

“He might go down, when it’s all over, as the all-time Yankee,” Zimmer said by phone Sunday of Jeter, who got the lion’s share of his hits after rubbing the crusty old coach’s head and tummy for luck. “He’s right up there with ’em now and anyone who said he was slowing down or losing range or whatever don’t know what kind of man he is. It’s no surprise he’s gotten where he is with the hits. The guy plays. He’s played hurt more days than people will ever know – the kind of hurt other players would be thrilled to take the day off.”

Watching Jeter basking in the adulation of the Yankee Stadium crowds, Zimmer could not help thinking back to that first spring training with Torre in 1996. At the time, there was some debate among the Yankee hierarchy as to whether Jeter was ready to take over as the shortstop. As a hedge, the Yankees had kept their ’95 shortstop, veteran Tony Fernandez, around and were working him in at second base while they evaluated Jeter.

“I remember Clyde King (George Steinbrenner’s longtime special scout) coming into camp and saying Jeter’s not ready to be the shortstop after watching him for just two days,” Zimmer said. “Joe and I just smiled. By then we’d seen plenty to convince us that this kid was gonna be special. He had great hands, a good arm and was a hit machine the way he could ‘inside-out’ the ball. More than that, though, it was the way he carried himself. He was a baby then, but he acted like a seasoned veteran. Nothing fazed him.

• The team makes some personnel moves:

The Yankees can tell from looking at Freddy Guzman’s career statistics that he knows how to run. With an eye toward October, they’d like the chance to see it up close.

New York on Monday promoted the 28-year-old speedster from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, signing him to a big league contract and adding him to the active roster.

“Freddy is another option to pinch-run for us, play outfield defense, play an outfield spot for us,” manager Joe Girardi said. “He’s got great speed and, in some late situations, there’s a chance that you’re going to see him in there.”

In a corresponding move, right-hander Anthony Claggett was designated for assignment to create room for Guzman on the 40-man roster.

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Today’s news is powered by men of constant sorrow (no, not fans of the Pirates):

• Monday’s make-up game with the Angels looms large:

With 18 games to play, the Yankees own a five-game edge over the Angels for the top seed in the AL — a title that comes with more than merely bragging rights. If New York captures it, the club will not only own home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, but it will be able to choose whether or not it wants to proceed with an extra off-day in the AL Division Series — a scenario that would allow erratic righty Joba Chamberlain to be skipped from the first-round rotation.

“We understand what’s at stake here,” Girardi said on Sunday. “That’s an important game tomorrow.”

• Mike Vaccaro has an appreciation of Derek Jeter.
• Here’s some helpful info regarding gameday weather updates.
• Jerry Coleman turns 85 today.  Coleman was a member of four championship teams between ’49 and ’57.  He is currently the well-liked, long-time radio man for the San Diego Padres.
• On this date in 1974, Graig Nettles homers for the Yankees in the first inning, and brother Jim Nettles homers for the Tigers in the 2nd. This is the 2nd time that the two brothers have homered in the same game for different teams, having done it on June 11, 1972, when Graig was on Cleveland and Jim was with Minnesota. Graig’s team wins 10 – 7.
• On this date in 1999, the Yankees rally with a pair of grand slams, just the 3rd time in club history, to beat the Blue Jays, 10 – 6. Bernie Williams ties the game with a slam in the 8th inning, and Paul O’Neill wins it in the 9th with another slam.

No video to start the post today.  Just think good thoughts for the widows and orphans of those lost on this day eight years ago.

• We wonder where Wang will wander in 2010:

Chien-Ming Wang, who had shoulder surgery in July, hopes to travel with the Yankees during the postseason even through he cannot play.

 “This is a great team. We can win the World Series,” he said. “I want to see that.”

In his first public comments since the surgery, Wang said he hopes to start playing catch again in January and believes he will pitch in the major leagues at some point in 2010. But he realizes that may not be with the Yankees.

Wang had a $5 million contract this season and is eligible for arbitration. There is virtually no chance the Yankees will offer him arbitration before the December deadline. That would leave Wang a free agent.

“I would like to stay in New York,” he said. “But I don’t know what will happen.”

One possibility is that the Yankees could offer Wang a minor-league contract. Or another team could sign him to a major-league deal and hope that he returns to form.

• Adulation from around the majors for Jeter’s accomplishments:

Rangers third baseman Michael Young, who has represented the American League in six All-Star Games, said he was in awe of Jeter’s career.

“That’s an incredible accomplishment, considering how many great players have played for that organization,” said Young. “Their best players are guys that played their whole careers there.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment. I’ve gotten to know Derek over the years, and as much as he won’t admit it, I think this means a lot to him.”

Veteran reliever Brendan Donnelly, who spent seven seasons in the American League before joining the Marlins this season, was also impressed by Jeter’s work ethic and role as the face of baseball.

“Jeter has been one of the best role models in Major League Baseball in recent history,” said Donnelly before Wednesday’s game. “He’s done it the right way, from start to finish, at the highest level and probably the hardest place to play. He’s been the face of Major League Baseball for years. You just don’t hear guys staying in one spot that long. For him to do everything he’s done, I think he’s earned every bit of his fame.

“To me, it’s not surprising that he’s about to become the Yankees’ all-time hit leader. He’s always healthy. He’s just done it the right way. I think more players in baseball should follow his way.”

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Today’s news is powered by U.K. national treasures Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, from season one of  “A Bit of Fry & Laurie” (1987) :

• Brett Gardner returns from the DL.
• Tyler Kepner wonders if the team all-time hits record will be Jeter’s biggest achievement.
• Could Jeter top not only Gehrig, but Rose too?.
• A nice profile of Lou Gehrig, on the eve of his Yankee all-time hits record being surpassed.
• On this date in 1919, Babe Ruth hits HR No. 26 off Jack Quinn in New York, breaking Buck Freeman’s 1899 HR mark of 25.
• On this date in 1978, New York continues its rampage of Boston by scoring two runs in the 1st inning and six more in the 2nd inning. Boston makes seven errors to ease the Yankees to a 13 – 2 romp. Reggie Jackson hits a 3-run homer and Lou Piniella adds a double, triple and homer to back Jim Beattie’s pitching. Dwight Evans and Carlton Fisk both make a pair of errors. New York is now two games in back.
• On this date in 1983, Yankees OF Steve Kemp will miss the rest of the season with a fractured cheekbone after being struck in the face by an Omar Moreno line drive during batting practice in Milwaukee. Kemp hit just .242 with 12 home run and 49 RBI in the first year of his 5-year, $5.45 million contract. New York wins today, 6 – 5.
• On this date in 1992, Yankees OF Danny Tartabull goes 5 – for – 5 with two homers and a double, and drives in nine runs as New York defeats Baltimore, 16 – 4. Scott Sanderson is the winner.
• On this date in 2000, the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 4-0, behind Roger Clemens. A scary moment occurs in the 9th inning when Boston P Bryce Florie is hit in the face with a line drive off the bat of Ryan Thompson. The Red Sox hurler never loses consciousness and leaves the field with blood streaming down his face. Florie suffers a fractured cheekbone and a fracture of the orbital socket, the bone that surrounds the eye, and retinal damage. He will undergo surgery.
• On this date in 2007, Alex Rodríguez homers twice off of Brian Bannister. The first of the homers is his 49th of the year and breaks the record for homers by a third baseman. Previously, Mike Schmidt (48 in 1980) and Rodriguez (2005) had shared the record.  Rodriguez had already held the single-season record for shortstops, giving him the highwater mark at two positions.

I’m back on Friday (at Yankee game Tuesday night, and Met game the next night).

Today’s news is powered by Woody Woodpecker:

• Swisher is at home on the road:

While the rest of the Yankees seem to have fallen in love with hitting for power at the new Yankee Stadium, Swisher has gone in the completely opposite direction. He now owns 23 homers in his first season with the Bombers, 20 of which have come away from the Bronx.

“I’m just trying to prove to everybody that hitting home runs in Yankee Stadium is not that easy,” Swisher said, laughing.

• Did Dellin Betances really have a true TJ procedure?:

Betances’ procedure was an “overlay TJ,” a variant of the Tommy John procedure where the damaged ligament isn’t removed, but instead left in place and the ligament is buttressed by the new tendon. Originally, it was thought that this would reduce the issue with proprioception that many TJ surgeries involve for patients, but the procedure is seldom used currently.

• The Times analyzes the “true” price of post-season tickets.
• Fangraphs examines the Angels replacement for Teixeira, Kendry Morales.

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Today’s news is powered by an orchestra-accompanied version of a Dire Straits classic:

• No 2nd surgery for A-Rod?:

When Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees picked Dr. Marc Philippon to operate on the superstar’s right hip in March, they did so because they believed the Vail-based surgeon was the best in the business.

. . . When Philippon was done with the March 9 surgery, which repaired a torn labrum, removed an impingement and drained a cyst, the doctor said Rodriguez was looking at another operation after the season was finished. Now, there is a chance Rodriguez can avoid the second operation.

“Eighty percent no; 20 percent yes,” Rodriguez told The Post before sitting out last night’s game against the Orioles at Camden Yards. “But you got to call him.”

. . . Though Philippon deserves credit, so does Mark Lindsay, the chiropractor Rodriguez has worked with since the surgery.

• “S-Dunc” and “A-Jax” get it done:

The league leader in home runs, RBIs and runs scored, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees right fielder Shelley Duncan has been named the International League MVP. He’s the second Scranton/Wilkes-Barre player to win the award, following Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino, who won it in 2005.

Duncan has eclipsed his own franchsie record by hitting 29 home runs this season, and he’s eight away from becoming the second player in franchise history to amass 100 RBIs in a season. After a breakout 2007, Duncan had a bizarre and unsteady 2008 that saw him shuttled to and from New York before landing on the disabled list. This season, though, he was back in a big way.

Yankees center fielder Austin Jackson has won the league’s Rookie of the Year award, becoming the third player in franchise history to do so. Long time major league second baseman Marlon Anderson won it in 1998 and right-handed pitcher Brandon Duckworth won it in 2001, when he was also the league’s Pitcher of the Year.

At 22 years old, playing in a league usually dominated by veterans, Jackson is third in the league in hits and leads the league in triples. He’s top 20 in runs, stolen bases and batting average. Earlier this season, Baseball America conducted a poll of International League managers who named Jackson the league’s top hitting prospect.

• Tyler Kepner compares this year’s model to the 2006 squad:

The Yankees are certainly an excellent regular-season team again. And with September upon us, it’s a good time to look ahead to October. If the season ended today, the Yankees would see those Tigers in the division series again.

That means Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson, Jarrod Washburn and Rick Porcello – a more formidable on paper than the 2006 group of Nate Robertson, Verlander, Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman.

 

By October 2006 the Yankees were a jumble of mismatched offensive and defensive parts. (Remember Gary Sheffield playing first base?) This Yankees offense functions well together, with power, discipline, speed, and a knack for success in the late innings.

As for the theory that the Yankees rely too much on homers, consider last fall. The 2008 Phillies also played in a cozy ballpark and led their league in homers. They won the World Series and did it with clutch home runs in every postseason series.

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Today’s news is powered by the Captain, talking to Cal Ripken:

• Post-season ticket information for those of you with full-season plans (all 2 of you):

Regular season ticket prices for full-season ticket licensees (non-Suites) will be replicated for the 2009 American League Division Series (i.e., a Main Level ticket that costs a full-season ticket licensee $60 in the 2009 regular season will cost the same licensee $60 for the ALDS), however, full-season ticket licensees (non-Suites) of $325 Field Level seats may purchase their seats for the ALDS at the lower price of $275 each.

For full-season ticket licensees (non-Suite), prices will range from $5-$275 per ticket for the ALDS, $10-$350 per ticket for the ALCS, and $50-$425 per ticket for the World Series.

Full-season Suite licensees in the Legends Suite, Delta Sky360° Suite and Jim Beam Suite, have all already paid their Suite license fees. Accordingly, they will only be required to purchase their Suite tickets, which will range from $65-$275 per Suite ticket for the ALDS, $115-$350 per Suite ticket for the ALCS, and $150-$425 per Suite ticket for the World Series. As with the regular season, Legends Suite licensees will also be required to pay a per-game food and beverage fee, but not a Suite license fee.

• Who you gonna call (up)?:

Though the Yankees have not announced their plans, (Francisco) Cervelli and (Ramiro) Pena are likely to highlight the team’s September callups.

Though the Yankees will not announce the rest of their callups until Tuesday, there are plenty of candidates who will receive consideration. Chief among them is Shelley Duncan, who endeared himself to the Yankees during a 2007 power binge and is leading the International League with 27 home runs.

Also likely to return to active duty is Brett Gardner, who has been on the disabled list since July 26 with a fractured left thumb. The Yankees will not immediately activate Gardner, but should do so sometime in mid-September after he has completed a rehab assignment.

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Today’s news is powered by . . . musical vegetables (no, not Michael Bolton!):

• The draconian Yankee Stadium bag policy may be easing a bit:

Fans are now allowed to bring in one bag that cannot be larger than 16” x 16” x 8”, subject to inspection.

• John Perrotto has the lowdown on what the Yanks might do in the off-season:

The Yankees would prefer to re-sign Johnny Damon to a one-year contract for 2010 and allow outfield prospect Austin Jackson a second year to develop at Triple-A, meanwhile pursuing such big-name free-agent outfielders as Matt Holliday and Jason Bay in the offseason.

• Yankee prospect Dellin Betances had TJ surgery.
• An update on Ian Kennedy:

Kennedy has been throwing 35-pitch bullpen sessions that include all four pitches. When he first got back on the mound, Kennedy focused on throwing the ball over the plate, right down the middle. For the past two weeks, he’s been working side-to-side, hitting the corners. He’s scheduled to throw another bullpen on Monday, then he’ll face live hitters in batting practice sessions on Wednesday and Saturday. Beyond that, there is surely a plan, but Kennedy doesn’t know it.

. . . Kennedy is not pitching in Puerto Rico this season. The Arizona Fall League replaced winter ball. He’ll pitch during the instructional season beginning at the end of September — is it a season, it’s more like spring training — then he’ll go to the Arizona Fall League to pitch through October and most of November. He was planning to pitch in Puerto Rico, but the timing of the Fall League works better. His doctors told the Yankees that pitching in the fall would probably be better for his arm than pitching in the winter.

• Boss George gets sued:

A former president of Madison Square Garden says that it was his idea to create what became the Yankees-run YES Network, and on Friday he sued George Steinbrenner, the team’s principal owner, in Manhattan federal court for fraud and breach of contract. He is seeking at least $23 million in damages.

Bob Gutkowski, who as president of the MSG Network negotiated a 12-year, $493.5 million deal in 1988 with the Yankees and is the plaintiff in the lawsuit, said that he had several meetings with Steinbrenner, starting in 1996, to discuss the idea of a Yankees network. He said he also made a presentation in 1998 to Steinbrenner and other Yankees executives that laid out how to build a regional sports network controlled by the team.

At one meeting in 1997, according to the lawsuit, Steinbrenner said he wanted to use the threat of starting a network to get $1 billion for a 10-year extension from MSG.

“At no point did Steinbrenner, regarded for his business acumen, conceive of creating a Yankees television network,” Gutkowski said in his papers. “The idea and plan was solely Mr. Gutkowski’s.” He added that Steinbrenner “knowingly and continuously misrepresented” an oral agreement that Gutkowski would run or be part of the network.

[My take: He’s suing NOW?  12 years later?]

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I didn’t want the Mets walking wounded to feel lonely, so this past Monday, I apparently broke a bone in the little toe of my left foot (confirmed by x-ray Thursday).  So, powered by Advil, ice packs and one of my favorite all-time cartoons, here’s the news:

• Those sneaky Yankees muck up the BoSox plans:

When the New York Mets and Red Sox worked out a trade for left-handed reliever Billy Wagner earlier this week, Chris Carter, an outfielder-first baseman currently playing for Triple-A Pawtucket, became part of the deal as a player to be named headed to Boston, sources said. In preparation for the deal, the Red Sox placed Carter on waivers, with the intention of moving him on to the Mets.

But the Yankees, sources said, placed a claim on Carter — perhaps to create some 40-man roster discomfort for the Red Sox. In order to complete the Wagner trade, the Red Sox are now pulling Carter back from waivers, and for the rest of the year they must carry him on their 40-man roster.

• Yankees in(terested) for a Penny, in for a pound(ing)?:

The Yankees have an interest in veteran right-hander Brad Penny, who was released by the Red Sox late Wednesday night.

According to a person with knowledge of the Yankees’ plans, the club doesn’t know of an agreement between Penny and the Red Sox that he wouldn’t sign with an AL team if they released him.

Penny, who is expected to clear waivers Monday because he has about $1.5 million left in salary and attainable bonuses, might be considered an upgrade over Sergio Mitre in the fifth starter’s spot. After he clears waivers, Penny would cost the club signing him $100,000.

. . . “He’s got good stuff,” Johnny Damon said of Penny, whose fastball touched 97 mph and averaged 91 to 93. “His secondary stuff might need a little tweak but his fastball was electric, it cut and he hit his spots with it. Bring him here, why not? I love the way the guy competes.”

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Today’s news is powered by . . . a baseball-themed Tex Avery cartoon:

• No Peavy this weekend:

The chances of Jake Peavy making his first start for the White Sox on Saturday are remote, team sources said on Wednesday.

Pitching coach Don Cooper said that Peavy was unable to throw his side session on Wednesday due to lingering effects of being hit by a line drive in his last rehab start on Monday. The right-handers is still getting treatment on on his pitching arm, which had some swelling and soreness.

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Today’s news is powered by some vintage Neil Young:

• The veteran Yankees are producing in the field:

. . . Jorge Posada, 37, Johnny Damon, 35, Hideki Matsui, 35, and Derek Jeter, 35, all have better OPS marks this year than last. (Alex Rodriguez, 35, has only a slight decline). Andy Pettitte, 37, and Mariano Rivera, 39, are almost as good as ever. . . .

Perhaps least surprisingly, Jeter, whose body and game have changed almost not at all over the years, is having a prime Jeter season, including a .332 batting average.

“He’s always been good at getting those [bloop] hits here and there,” hitting coach Kevin Long said, “but this is a hard .330. It seems everything he has hit has been hit hard. All year long. And that’s because he’s swinging at a lot of strikes. Everything he’s swinging at is a good pitch. To me, it’s been about his strike zone recognition.

“He’s been much better at deciding which pitches to swing at. He’s more disciplined than I’ve ever seen him at waiting for pitches to be in the zone. And when you wait for good pitches to hit, you’re going to hit better.”

Jeter is striking out at a career-low rate. He said his improved plate discipline is due more to consistent good health than to a change in his approach.

• Gardner making progress:

Injured Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner tested his left thumb for the first time in nearly a month on Tuesday afternoon, and if all goes well, he could be activated in the next week.

Gardner took swings and threw at what he estimated to be 50-60 percent prior to the Yankees game against the Rangers.

“Everything felt pretty good,” said Gardner, who is confident he can at least serve as a pinch-runner in the coming weeks.

The key in determining whether Gardner will be used for more than his legs is how his thumb holds up at the plate.

“He needs to get some at-bats,” manager Joe Girardi said. “How many at-bats he needs, I can’t tell you. But I think a lot of [his timetable] depends on how these first few days go.”

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