Best thing I’ve heard all day! I am by no means ready to retire my Mussina shirts yet. Was wondering if it would come up during the postgame last night… glad he’s already putting it out there that he’ll come back. And maybe now we can get past the “everyone thought he was done for” speeches, because I am REALLY sick of those!

I’d rather have Abreu than Matsui in ‘09, but can’t see carrying both if a real 1B is found… Damon as a fulltime CF doesn’t make me feel warm all over. Damon or Matsui could be traded, but where?

Correction …

They can all play 1B as well as GIAMBI can with five minutes training. With ten minutes training they’re an upgrade.

That’s not necessarily saying they can actually play 1B.

I could see someone like Matsui or Posada (if he can’t catch anymore) as a back-up, or a fill-in 1B at best (read: desparation move) if someone who really plays the position can’t be acquired. If it turns out they actually establish themselves at the position then great, but the team shouldn’t count on that. Matsui & Posada both have the work ethic to make the transition but that’s still no guarantee. I agree it ain’t as easy to do as people think. More importantly, I think Girardi and those two players realize that.

Would either guy be willing to go on a minor league stint to get ready for a few weeks? Probably no … besides, the team needs both their bats at the big league level. Both will be rehabbing this winter, so winter ball is out of the question. Even then, you’d have to ask yourself … ‘would a veteran even play winter ball? So, if they can’t get ready in spring training (very likely they wouldn’t) then with either guy it’s a shaky move. They really have to find someone who plays the position.

Nady helps the Yankees horrific RH/LH balance, so trading him makes no sense. Ideally you could move Matsui for a young position player… SF and Seattle seem like possibilities…

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09.....ref=sports

Not sure how many people on this blog remember that team, but it was the first year for O’Neil, Boggs and Key among others. Bernie’s first full season too. (I somehow forgot about Spike Owen’s tenure in pinstripes.)

They pushed the Blue Jays that entire season – tied for first a bunch of times – but couldn’t get over the hump.

The difference is, that Yankee team was praised, while this one will be panned.

Oh, and The Boss was still serving his 30 month suspension – so Showalter and Gene Michael had free reign to put together that team.