Happy New Year!

I’d like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe new year. See you in 2008.

Did Cancelled Batting Practice Turn the 2007 Season Around?

Okay, so the title of this post maybe a bit far-fetched. Although a single cancelled batting practice could not possibly overhaul a baseball team’s win-loss record, for the 2007 Yankees, a cancelled batting practice does seem to signify the tremendous turnaround in their baseball fortunes.

We all know how bad the Yankees started the season and how awful they looked throughout the first few months. Brian Hoch at the official Yankees Website has a nice review of the season, month-to-month, and captures the hardships that the team faced as they made their way through the 2007 schedule.

After examining the season’s box scores, it seems as though there were two turning points, although one seems to be more definitive than the other. The first moment that signified change in the right direction (winning) for the Yankees, came on May 30th, against the Toronto Blue Jays.

From Major League Baseball’s Official Website:

Last time the Yankees found themselves mired in an extended losing streak, manager Joe Torre figured his squad just needed some time away from the field.

To grant them a needed respite, Torre cancelled batting practice May 30 before the Yanks’ final game of a three-game set in Toronto. They had lost five straight games and 11 of 15 to that point, but would defeat Toronto, 10-5, and go on a torrid run through early June, winning 14 of their next 17 outings.

This was definitely a turning point for the club, and even Joe Torre stated that this win against Toronto helped them to plant their feet a bit and get situated in the standings. However, we cannot forget that even with this pivotal win, and even though the Yankees went on to win 14 of their next 17 games, directly after that series of wins, the team fell into another rut. In fact, they lost the next 7 games (out of 8), getting swept by Colorado and losing match-ups to the SF Giants and the Orioles.

Nonetheless, Mr. Torre worked his magic a second time, creating the definitive turning point in the 2007 season. Again, Torre cancelled batting practice on June 28th, as the Yankees were slated to wrap up a three game series with the Orioles (they had just lost the last 2 games against them). The Yankees ended up winning the finale, and would go on to play another 26 series, losing only 6 of them to their opponents.

Here’s some more info about June 28th and that second cancelled BP:

Now, the Yankess have fallen back into a hole and lost seven of their last eight games, so Torre again omitted batting practice from the daily schedule Thursday before his club’s final game of a nine-game road swing.

“Last time we did this in Toronto, and I pretty much sensed [in Toronto] what I sensed last night,” Torre said before the game Thursday. “A lot of tightness.”

Torre encouraged players not to show up early for the game, and didn’t require them to report to Camden Yards until an hour before game time.

Clearly, although two cancelled batting practices may seem very mundane in the grand scheme of the 2007 season, these two events really signify tremendous turnarounds in the performance of our New York Yankees. Or, you can even look at it from a different perspective. In all fairness, Joe Torre, our ex-manager and Yankee legend, was the man who decided to cancel these two practices, so maybe we owe the 2007 season to him and his understanding of the club’s players.

These two moments, although important in retrospect, are definitely not the biggest reasons for the late season tear that the Yankees were able to produce. The return of Roger Clemens and the emergence of Joba Chamberlain also provided some stability to the rotation and to the bullpen while the Yankees finally hit a groove offensively (remember how bad Abreu and Cano looked?). These were huge factors for the team.

How about you guys? What do you think were some of the key moments, performances, or aspects of the 2007 season that really signaled a turnaround?

What to Make of 2007

If you’ve read articles in the papers recently or have simply followed along with the online postings of your favorite Yankees-related news site, a general undertone, one that is entirely negative, has permeated throughout reviews of the Yankee year (see examples, here, here, here, etc.). These texts tend to focus primarily on things like the Mitchell Report, the Leyritz situation, the A-Rod debacle, the loss of Joe Torre, a Red Sox “dynasty,” Brian McNamee’s fun-filled injection parties, and so on and so forth.

“This was a bad year,” seems to be the resounding consensus.

However, although these situations (some are still ongoing) prove to be troubling and frustrating for even the toughest Yankees fan, it seems pointless to get bogged down by all the negativity related to the past year, especially when there were some key developments which will ultimately bring smiles to our faces for 2008 and beyond. 2007, in this context, was not nearly as bad as it seems.

For one, it was the year of the kids. We got to see Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Joba Chamberlain all make significant contributions to the club. They were so good, in fact, that most Yankee fans made it clear that trading any of them at all, even for Johan Santana, was a big mistake. These three young pitchers seem to provide us all with a fresh future, and we look forward to seeing what they can do in 2008.

Also, it’s important to note that these were not the only kids that made an impact, as Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Edwar Ramirez, Ross Ohlendorf, Chase Wright, all got a chance to show us what they can do (Melky and Cano solidified their abilities so that the rest of baseball would stop and notice). Although some of it wasn’t pretty, we’re still excited with the long-term gains that can possibly be achieved by these young players.

Another exciting development, while simultaneously hard for Yankees fans, was the loss of Joe Torre and the addition of his replacement, Joe Girardi. Girardi proved his managerial chops with the Marlins and is a just a wealth of baseball knowledge. He’s a great tactician and knows how to handle young players. His arrival creates a new direction for the Yankees, one that seems to be more exciting than frightening, and I’m sure we’re all looking forward to see how this one plays out.

Also, even though the A-Rod situation was a terrible mess after the opt-out, we have to be happy with locking A-Rod up for the next decade. The guy is going to break Barry Bonds’ home run record, and he’ll be a Yankee. A-Rod isn’t the most popular figure in baseball, but you can bet that baseball is collectively hoping that he does shatter the all-time record. How exciting will it be when he brings the title back to New York?

So, cheer up, it’s not as bad as it seems. Enjoy yourselves tonight. Years from now, when Phil Hughes wins his first Cy Young Award (hopefully with the Yankees), you’ll be able to look back on 2007 and recall the first game he ever started for the New York Yankees (hell, I drove three hours just to see that).

More Than Baseball

The Jim Leyritz situation has been a tough one for Yankee fans. But, we must remember that the memories gained from Leyritz’s past exploits pale in comparison to what was lost forever.

Fredia Ann Veitch, mother of 2, was killed due to Leyritz’s actions. The papers have discussed Leyritz’s situation a lot, although the loss of this woman has not been talked about nearly as much.

For this reason, here’s an article from the Daily News that gives us some more perspective on Fredia Ann Veitch, and the family she’s left behind.

Where’d Baseball Go?

The baseball world appears to be grinding to a complete halt. Lately, there hasn’t been much activity to report at all. In fact, it’s been so slow people are actually making things up. Yikes.

Hal’s Presence Being Felt

The other day, Joel Sherman informed us (well, reminded us) that, despite what Hank Steinbrenner may want to do, his brother Hal, is still steering the financial operations for the Yankees. Hal apparently does not want to spend money on Johan Santana and, although he’s typically hidden in the background, this aspect of a potential Santana trade is ultimately dictated by Hal Steinbrenner (which Cashman probably loves).

Today, in another news report, this time by John Harper of the Daily News, Harper talks about Scott Boras’ bruised ego (after A-Rod’s 60 Minutes interview) and provides us with yet another glimpse of Hal’s behind the scenes demeanor.

“And Boras didn’t seem comfortable dealing with the Yankees about A-Rod once George Steinbrenner was out of the picture,” the person said. “He had a relationship with George, who always said that Boras was a tough but fair negotiator. But Hank and Hal (Steinbrenner) didn’t play up to him. Hal, especially, was tough with him. Boras didn’t like dealing with Hal.”

We see here that Hal Steinbrenner is a tough man to bargain with (even if it is Scott Boras). Although we’ve all forgotten about Hal, he’s clearly involved in key decisions within the organization, and he’s definitely not taking a backseat. He’s going to have his say in regards to the club’s financial direction and, therefore, he will continue to play a big part in any future Santana talks that may develop.

Let’s keep him in mind the next time Hank Steinbrenner starts jabbering on about anything at all, related to the team. Hank is merely the man in front of the curtain (a curtain which was bargained down in price by Hal Steinbrenner).

Invading PA’s Lohud Blog

As most of you know, I’m a big fan of Peter Abraham’s Lohud Yankees Blog and I consider it to be a very valuable resource for information and commentary regarding the NY Yankees. The other day, due to the extremely slow news period, PA actually requested some guest bloggers for the month of January. I e-mailed him and I’ll actually be one of the guest bloggers on his site (there’s a small group of us).

It’s a pretty cool thing, I must say. I’ve enjoyed writing for all of you guys and I appreciate the support the blog has gotten from readers, writers, fans and other bloggers. One of PA’s requirements was that the guest bloggers have an “established” blog and you guys have definitely helped me in that department. So, I’d like to take this time to thank all of you for checking in and reading whatever it is that I write (and listening to each other’s comments).

I’ll be sure to have a plenty of 08 giveaways to return the favor!

Jose Canseco’s New Book — What About A-Rod?

Jose Canseco is coming out with a new tell-all book, titled Vindicated. Basically, Canseco is going to go after baseball figures who were not included in the Mitchell Report, while supplementing the allegations already featured in the report. We’ll have to wait and see what Canseco says about Alex Rodriguez. You can’t help but to think that this book will talk about him in some manner due to various comments made by Canseco in the past.

“All I can say is the Mitchell Report is incomplete,” Canseco said on the Fox Business Network. “I could not believe that (Rodriguez’s) name was not in the report.” On the Fox News Channel the next morning, Canseco said, “Alex Rodriguez is not who he appears to be. And we’ll just leave it at that.”

NcNamee May File Defamation Suit Against Clemens

I apologize for the lack of posts today. I actually just got into Seattle (from NJ) and I’m getting situated. What a terrible flight, I had some little kids in front of me who kept slapping each other. It was entertaining for five minutes, then when the movie Daddy Day Care 2 came on, the tides turned very quickly.  Anyway, back to baseball.

Brian McNamee, a man who has had to deal with Roger Clemens’ legal team as of late (and therefore, questions regarding his credibility), is thinking about fighting back with his own defamation lawsuit. This is turning into a surreal baseball soap opera. Of course, it’s missing the beautiful women and the actors involved are way better at faking the truth, but still.

From the Yankees Website:

HOUSTON — Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens’ former trainer, has added another attorney to his legal team and could file a defamation suit against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner, according to The New York Times in its Saturday edition.

Richard D. Emery, a prominent New York lawyer, told the newspaper he has been asked by the lawyer for McNamee to assist in defending McNamee against allegations that he lied to former Sen. George Mitchell’s investigators about Clemens’ use of steroids and human growth hormone.

McNamee’s lawyer, Earl Ward, told the Times he recruited Emery because of his experience in libel and defamation cases.

The article goes on to talk about Clemens’ 60 Minutes interview, which is what McNamee’s lawyers are really waiting for. If Clemens “defames” McNamee during the course of that interview, McNamee’s attorneys have stated that Clemens would face legal ramifications. They would also file the suit to validate McNamee’s Mitchell Report accusations as truths and not fabrications.

I won’t pretend to know much about legal matters, so I’m not exactly sure what can happen. This could all be some vocal posturing from both sides as they try to establish credibility for their clients. Clemens has hit McNamee hard by digging into his past and McNamee seems ready to go blow-for-blow.

The funny thing (if you can really call it that) about this situation is that McNamee could be filing a defamation suit against Clemens. We haven’t really seen Clemens talk about filing a defamation suit against McNamee, although he and his attorneys have criticized the creation (and the process involved) of the Mitchell Report, and the credibility of McNamee.

Either way, it’s interesting to see a guy who’s pretty much been characterized as a clubhouse flunky (McNamee) pursue defamation charges (you know, because he’s already thought of as a very pristine figure….) against a would be Hall of Famer whose chances aren’t so good anymore, thanks to unsupported allegations made by that flunky.

New York’s Bermuda Triangle: Hank, Hal, and Brian Cashman

Here’s an interesting excerpt from an article written by Joel Sherman of the NY Post:

Hank Steinbrenner has continued to suggest the Yanks are in play for Santana, and a sense has percolated of a tug-of-war between Steinbrenner’s willingness to surrender top youngsters and GM Brian Cashman’s reluctance. But multiple sources say the media has focused on the wrong son of George Steinbrenner. These sources say Hal Steinbrenner is most responsible for dictating financial policy and does not want to spend the dollars in salary and luxury tax (nearly $30 million annually) necessary for Santana.

With the endless sound bytes that Hank Steinbrenner has provided the media, we often forget that Hal is still an important part of the club’s operations. Many of us, including myself, simply assumed that he was going to take a back seat and let his brother ride this thing out, but, according to Sherman, that’s not the case. Hal apparently deals with the financial aspects of the team, and, when you’re the New York Yankees, that’s a bigger deal than a media sound byte. Here’s some brief background information on the silent Steinbrenner.

Recently, we’ve all witnessed the Cashman-Hank Steinbrenner struggle in regards to the Johan Santana Sweepstakes and its nice to know that there is a Yin to Hank’s Yang that is a bit more subtle and restrained. If this is truly the case, Cashman will need Hal on his side throughout this entire thing. If he wants to keep Phil Hughes, playing up the financial repercussions of a Santana trade/extension can definitely work in his favor (with Hal).

Leyritz Looking at Manslaughter

From ESPN:

Former Major League Baseball player Jim Leyritz was arrested Friday on charges of driving under the influence and killing another driver after his vehicle crashed into hers.

Leyritz, who turned 44 on Thursday, faces charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage, said Detective Kathy Collins, Fort Lauderdale police spokeswoman.  

Police believe alcohol was involved in the crash, though investigators are awaiting results of blood alcohol tests, Collins said. He posted the $11,000 bond and was released from the Broward County jail at 2:35 p.m. on Friday, according to Keyla Concepcion, a public information officer for the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

It could not be determined whether Leyritz, who lives in Davie, had a lawyer.

Fort Lauderdale authorities got a call at 3:20 a.m. that a crash had occurred in the city’s entertainment district, Collins said.

She said Leyritz was driving a 2006 Ford Expedition when he collided at an intersection with 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch of Plantation, who was driving a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero.

Veitch was ejected from the car, police said. She died at Broward General Medical Center, Collins said.

Witnesses told police Leyritz had a red light. Officers on the scene observed Leyritz to have red, watery eyes, a flushed face and an odor of alcohol, police said.

Leyritz was told Veitch had died and he was asked to submit to a blood test, police said.

“After he refused, Leyritz was informed that blood would be taken above his refusal,” the police statement said.

Leyritz bounced from team to team over his career, which ended in 2000 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But he built a reputation as a clutch postseason hitter.

With the New York Yankees trailing the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in the 1996 World Series, Leyritz hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to tie Game 4 at Atlanta. New York won the game and the series, starting a run of four championships in five seasons.

Forget Leyritz. My thoughts go out to this poor woman’s family.

Brian McNamee Versus Roger Clemens

It seems as though the two legal teams of Clemens and McNamee are poised for battle. Clemens and his legal squad are currently attempting to discredit McNamee (they’re actually succeeding by really publicizing McNamee’s date-rape situation that occurred a few years ago–you can read about it in the article) while McNamee’s attorney (Earl Ward) has responded to Clemens’ legal push, characterizing any future lawsuit as “frivolous.”

From the NY Daily News:

“In the event there’s a lawsuit, we’ve planned for that,” Ward, who represents McNamee, told the Daily News. “We think it would be frivolous, but we’re planning for that. With regards to the federal investigation, we’re confident that (McNamee’s) done everything he’s legally obligated to do. It’s unfortunate that this whole situation had to go down the way it went down. (McNamee) was friends with Roger and I think he hopes Roger understands that he had to tell the truth.

“Brian wants him to know that what he did, he was legally obligated to do. He’s got a wife and kids. He’s not going to go to jail for Roger Clemens.”

I believe the MLB will back any allegations put forth by the Mitchell Report (legally and therefore financially). So, by going after the substance within the report, Clemens will also go after the MLB. However, as of now, it really seems like he’s focusing on discrediting McNamee, and, if they succeed at that task, they’ll then go from there.

Yanks Pull Cano Out of Winter Ball

Here’s an ESPN report. Good, he’s the best 2B in baseball (next to Chase Utley) and will soon develop into one of the best we’ll see for a long time (30 bombs?). No sense in allowing him to injure/reinjure himself.

Lets Go Mets (For Real, I Mean it)

Although the NL maybe an unlikely destination for Johan Santana, the Twins would love to send him there, even with the lack of substantial suitors currently available from that sector of baseball. However, those stubborn yet oh so amazing Mets, even with a minor talent shortage in their farm system, are still on the prowl for a legitimate ace and are knocking on Minnesota’s door (Minnesota isn’t really opening the door though, sadly).

The Mets appear ready to gut their farm system completely and, according to Jayson Stark at ESPN, that’s what they’ll have to do to land the coveted lefty.

The most surprising aspect of those talks to some baseball people is that the Mets remain in the mix. It may be because the Twins would like to move Santana to the National League if possible. But while the Mets have made a four-for-one offer built around center fielder Carlos Gomez, indications are that the teams remain far apart.

It’s believed the Mets offered Gomez, two of their three best young pitchers (Mike Pelfrey, Phil Humber and Kevin Mulvey) and another prospect for Santana earlier this month. But according to one source who has spoken with the Mets, the Twins want the Mets “to rip up their whole farm system” for Santana.

Another source said he believes the Twins countered by asking for all three pitchers, along with Gomez and much-ballyhooed outfield prospect Fernando Martinez. The Twins originally asked for Jose Reyes. But one baseball man with knowledge of those talks says that possibility was dismissed “a long time ago.”

The Twins are going to want it all. Luckily for them, the Mets tossed their young guns (Pelfrey and Humber) into the MLB fire and they failed to post up solid numbers. Therefore, the Twins are going to want more and will use that as leverage. By asking for Fernando Martinez and all 3 young pitchers (Humber, Pelfrey, Mulvey) the Mets won’t even have a farm system anymore. Also, Fernando Martinez is comparable to Jose Tabata, so think about how much of a blow that is (although Tabata’s bat is better at this point). But, after their monumental collapse (sound familiar?), the Mets are going to be motivated to make a splash, and if it means giving it all up, why not use it on the best their is.

With that said, Stark also talks briefly about the Red Sox and Yankees, stating that the Red Sox have stuck with their reported packages (Ellsbury/Lester, Lowrie, etc.) while the Yankees have taken their offer off the table (which has already been reported in the past), unless Steinbrenner panics.

For our sake, for Phil Hughes’ sake, let’s hope that the Mets do get Santana and take him out of the AL East equation. I’m glad they’re still in the thick of it. Santana in the NL would be an amazing tenure to watch too.

Quick Bits: My Trip to the New Stadium, Hawkins, Gossage Debate

I just got back from visiting the new Yankees Stadium (e.g. some trailers around the area). As I stated yesterday, today I was fortunate enough to interview a tremendously interesting and genuinely nice person who’s working on the stadium. Due to confidentiality concerns (our research is deemed confidential) I didn’t take pictures and I cannot provide too much info about my visit (regrettably), but I can tell you a few interesting and random things we talked about before the interview took place. That’s when I was able to view the stadium from a high perch that allowed me to get a great glimpse of how it all looked, thus far.

A couple of things:

1. The concrete work should be done in April
2. The scoreboard will be attached to a white structure called a freize (spelling?)
3. The concrete is shipped in from Canada
4. The players all have LCD monitors in their lockers
5. There will be fewer seats in this stadium (and a ton of box seats)
6. The dimensions are very similar to the old stadium (you probably already knew this)
7. The work will come down to the wire (workers will be around even when the 2009 season begins, working on the last minute details and tying up loose ends)
8. There are about 600 people working on it now, but the amount should double soon
9. In a few months, the offices that I visited will be moved across the street and work will commence on the parking lot, which wasn’t really being developed from what I saw
10. One of the more difficult aspects of the construction seems to be the plumbing
11. The architects involved are based in Kansas

That’s all I can really say. I wish I could have grabbed a picture or two, but I felt kind of uncomfortable doing that since it was a formal sort of meeting. I think pictures were allowed but videos are a big no-no. Either way, it was a nice little trip and pretty exciting stuff just to see the stadium and be so close to it all.

Now, back to some more Yankee news. The LaTroy Hawkins signing is now official. Hopefully Hawkins (stats) will keep his injuries in check while with the Yankees (and, of course, be effective). Also, if you’re a Yankees fan, you’ve followed the Goose Gossage saga as he slowly creeps towards the HOF. Here’s a nice little debate, on ESPN, as to the Goose’s chances. It provides some perspective on his struggle to get into Cooperstown while simultaneously demonstrating the uphill climb that all RP’s experience in ther HOF bids.

Clemens Feeling Mitchell Report Financially

From David Sweet at MSNBC:

Companies and others have already reacted to the allegations about Clemens in the Mitchell Report. An ESPN spot featuring Clemens was quickly yanked. A speaking engagement on vigorous workouts booked by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association is in jeopardy; a message now scrolls at the top of its Web site that says, “In light of the Roger Clemens speaking situation, we feel more information is needed before a decision is reached.” On the positive side, Houston Astros owner Drayton Lane said that he would honor the pitcher’s 10-year personal service contract with the team once he retired.

With more than $3 million in endorsement income in 2006 and plenty more in speaking fees, Clemens has been one of baseball’s more popular pitchmen. That is guaranteed to end. Just look at baseball’s all-time home run king, Barry Bonds, who couldn’t land an endorsement when he was breaking the most hallowed record in U.S. sports because of a national belief that he used steroids.

Though no companies with ties to Clemens (such as Coca-Cola and AutoNation) have announced his contract has been terminated, as happened with Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant after rape allegations surfaced in 2003, don’t expect any firms to sign him from here on out. His marketability has collapsed. In a Chicago Tribune story, AT&T, which created a popular mobile phone commercial with Clemens that recently stopped airing, wouldn’t comment on any future ads – a no comment that spoke volumes.

This is another Mitchell Report effect that I haven’t seen discussed much since the reports release. Not only is athletic credibility compromised, but the benefits of that credibility are shattered as well. I don’t really want to defend baseball players and their ability to make money (they get a lot of it), but is this really fair to the players involved or even the companies who were utilizing these players at spokesmen (then again I’m also not a big fan of defending large conglomerates)? Still, it’s kind of an unfair situation for players that have been accused when there hasn’t been much evidence to support the allegations.

The Murray Chass Story pt. 2: Fan Effect

Yesterday, I wrote about the recent reports posted by many blogs which stated that the Twins were accepting a lesser package of Hughes-Melky-Marquez (”reported” by Murray Chass). The reporting of this story is seemingly inaccurate, as Chass never provided anything new on any potential Santana trade. As a matter of fact, he was simply regurgitating old news that we had already known about in early December, late November. The Yankees balked at including Kennedy in any deal and were willing, during the GM Meetings, to do Hughes-Melky-Marquez. However, the Twins wanted a package which also included a fourth strong prospect (they had accepted Marquez and also wanted Hilligoss), and, realizing that with Pettitte returning the payroll was ballooning, the Yankees decided to walk away.

So, any reports that state the Twins are now accepting a lesser package of players and one that does not include Ian Kennedy is entirely false (this already happened weeks ago). Chass never stated this (his article was on the luxury tax) and therefore it is not his news, but it was most likely created by an eager baseball blogger trying to get an information scoop. Either way, this muddled information has definitely had its effect on Yankees blogs everywhere. Even Pete Abraham wrote about the rumor last night, as if it were some new concept that had only recently developed. I obviously don’t blame PA or anyone specifically, it’s sort of just a collective miscue, although I am sort of surprised more people aren’t outwardly stating that this is the case. So what impact will this lack of historical recollection have on fans who scour the web in search of Yankees information?

Well, by allowing this story to evolve, we have essentially put some power back into the hands of the Minnesota Twins. The fans have shown a great amount of agency within the Yankees organization by demanding that young productions like Phil Hughes stay with the club. The Yankees know the fans want to keep Hughes and want to please the fans (to an extent). However, with this false report, we have created a scenario where fans were more hesitant to trade both Hughes and Kennedy for Santana. This “new” rumor makes it appear as though the Twins were demanding Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy the entire time, explaining why the deal was never completed. By simply forgetting that the Twins had already accepted Marquez’s entry into the deal and that the Yankees had already walked away from this package, fans are acting as if the Twins have finally relented on a Phil Hughes-Ian Kennedy-Melky trade (which has already happened weeks ago). Now, we’re sure to see fans say, “we’ve got to pull the trigger on this now!” because it is a lesser deal and we’d only lose one of the big 3 (Hughes).

But, the Yankees already walked away from a Melky-Hughes-Marquez deal before, and did so primarily because of some legitimate financial concerns (and the inclusion of a fourth prospect). Let’s not allow this “new rumor” to become an illusion that masks reality. As stated, it could ultimately effect the fan outlook on the Santana trade and paving the way to a Phil Hughes loss that nobody wants to see. We’re fans, not closers, so we need to keep our short-term memory in check and recall the history of a situation. If we fail to do this, then we may effect matters in a negative fashion.

Clemens’ Legal Team Working on McNamee’s Credibility

The NY Times is reporting that Roger Clemens’ legal team includes a group of private investigators who will seek out “evidence” that can adequately combat the credibility of Brian McNamee (his accuser). There’s even talk of a video or audiotape that contradicts McNamee’s Mitchell Report allegations (that legal team is fast). So, maybe Clemens won’t need too much hard evidence to win over the public. Just beat the guy’s name into the ground and, hopefully, all that is right in the world will be restored. Hell, it works in politics, so why not baseball?

Oh, and on a very different note, if you haven’t voted on this month’s poll (located at the right side of the site), definitely check it out. It’s been an interesting set of results, thus far. I was banking on an A-Rod walk-off off of the lovable (….) Josh Beckett, but there are plenty of other possible scenarios that people seem to prefer.

Visiting the New Yankees Stadium Tomorrow

As a research assistant at the University of Washington, I’ve been working on a great project that allows me to interview a whole bunch of interesting people that work in the construction industry (architects, engineers, builders, etc.). Due to confidentiality concerns, I actually cannot say exactly who I am interviewing tomorrow (the review board that oversees the research does not allow it and our interviewees like this set-up). But, I can tell you that the person I’m interviewing is working on the new Yankee Stadium, and I’ll be headed up to the Bronx tomorrow (at the site) to talk about it a bit.

My questions wont be specifically about the process or the stadium itself, but about the methods used to construct it. Of course, this person knows that I am a Yankees fan and told me I would see a lot of great things, so I’m hoping I’ll get a nice walk through of the stadium, as it currently stands. If pictures are possible (if I’m allowed to take them), then I’ll definitely try to post them up. I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty excited.

Yanks-Santana Trade History: Murray Chass Reporting What?

According to some of the baseball blogs, Murray Chass of the NY Times, is reporting that the Twins are willing to leave Ian Kennedy out of a potential Santana trade, substituting him with Jeff Marquez (another solid young pitching prospect). That would bring the grand total for Santana to Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera and Marquez.

It took me a while to write about this story today because I was a bit confused. A lot of my fellow bloggers are reporting this as “new” news. But, am I wrong when I say that this was the package the Twins were interested in during the GM Meetings earlier this month? In the beginning, the Twins were asking for both Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy (I know that much). The Yankees balked at the deal though, and rightfully so.

Then, at the GM Meetings a few weeks ago, after the Yankees had made the difficult of including Phil Hughes in the Santana trade, the Twins actually agreed to work with a “lesser” package of players (one that was without Ian Kennedy), one that featured Hughes, Melky, and another good prospect (someone like Horne, Jackson, Tabata, Marquez, Hilligoss, etc.). The Yankees didn’t really like this either. They felt that adding Hughes to the trade was already enough when coupled with Melky Cabrera. The deal actually stalled due to the inclusion of a third prospect because the Yankees wanted to add a mid-level player (Marquez?) while the Twins wanted someone higher (Horne, Jackson, Tabata, etc.).

Once this occurred, the Twins sort of worked the Yankees over, as they asked for a package that looked something like: Hughes, Melky, Marquez, and a fourth prospect of tremendous value (Horne, Tabata, etc.). The Yankees, once again, balked at this package, because of two things (predominantly): 1) it would gut their farm system and they did not want to give in on a fourth (valuable) prospect and 2) money, due to the return of Andy Pettitte. Remember, the Yankees were the ones who actually walked away from the 4-1 deal because Pettitte was returning and they were worried about payroll and financial flexibility. If they had agreed to the 4-1 deal (even though they didn’t want to lose out on a Horne or Tabata), they would still have to sign Santana to an extension that would dramatically increase their payroll (and subsequently, their luxury tax). Therefore, the Yanks left the deal at 3-for-1 (unless the Twins would accept a fourth, lower-level prospect), holding firm on Hughes-Melky-Marquez.

Then, the Red Sox got involved and sort of upset whatever form of leverage that the Yankees thought they had. The Sox were offering packages like Elsbury/Lester, Crisp, Masterson, and Lowrie, while the Yankees were still content with their offer of Hughes, Melky, and Marquez (and, if necessary, a fourth, lower-level talent). The Twins then used this trade war to create their own leverage, simply by remaining quiet. The Twins, from what I’ve seen, have never outwardly told the Yankees, since that point, that the Yankees had to include Ian Kennedy. They know by staying quiet and making it look as if they’re close to a deal with the BoSox, then maybe, just maybe, the Yankees will concede and offer Kennedy in the deal as well. Many papers were reporting that it would be the only way to get Santana since the Red Sox were offering a greater package.

However, here’s where the “Twins have agreed to back off Ian Kennedy” story comes back in. The package the Sox were offering to the Twins never looked like a better package than Hughes, Melky and Marquez. With the Yanks deal, the Twins would get two major league ready players on the cheap (one, a pitcher with ace potential), while the Red Sox package would be riddled with holes (if Lester is included, he’s wild; if Elsbury is included, he’s the only, truly valuable player that’s been big league tested). No matter what the Boston papers might say, I don’t see how the Boston deal is better than what the Yankees were already offering (even without Ian Kennedy).

And, the Yankees know that. The Hughes-Melky-Marquez deal has been on the table for a long time. The fourth prospect (if the Twins want it), however, was a problem that both the Twins and the Yankees could not see eye-to-eye on. Also, money proved to be the biggest factor since the Yankees are worried about financial flexibility. Adding Santana, with a fresh new extension in hand, would put the Yankees payroll hovering around $230 million plus. That’s not a number that they’re very comfortable with. Of course, Steinbrenner has said that he’ll do what he has to do and pay what he has to pay to get Santana, but a lot of that is just arrogance and tough talk.

So, when the Murray Chass “says” that the Twins are backing off of their Ian Kennedy inclusion, it’s not necessarily a surprise or even true, “new” news. In fact, if you read the article in its entirety, there’s nothing that states that this is anything new. Chass talks about the Kennedy inclusion in a past tense, stating that “at one point the Twins wanted Kennedy,” and that point was earlier this month (we all read about that already). It was the Yankees who had walked away previously from a Hughes-Melky-Marquez deal (earlier this month), because of the fourth player that the Twins were seeking and the money necessary to retain Santana’s services.

Chass talks about all of this in his article which predominantly focuses on the luxury tax that the Yankees paid this year. I don’t really know what happened when this was reported today, but there really is nothing new in this article by Chass about Ian Kennedy, Hughes, Santana, etc, or any future deals. I’m not sure which blog posted it first, but I’m assuming some folks ran with it once others began posting it. I think River Ave Blues noticed this as well, as their posting of this Chass article (despite posting it as “news”) states that this could simply be nothing at all, since the Melky-Hughes-Marquez (including Hilligoss) had been put forth earlier this month by the Twins.

So to summarize, there is nothing new on the Santana trade front. Currently, it looks the same way it did yesterday.