The LoHud Yankees Blog

As expected, Rickey Henderson was elected to the Hall of Fame today, receiving 511 of a possible 539 votes. Nice to know I share a profession with 28 dolts.

All Henderson did was play 25 years, collect 3,055 hits, score 2,295 runs and steal 1,406 bases. He had a career OBP of .401, played in 14 postseasons and helped win two World Series. He was a Yankee from 1985-89 but will surely be inducted as a member of the Oakland Athletics.

Meanwhile, Red Sox slugger Jim Ed Rice joined Henderson in the class of 2009. Nobody else was elected. Rice received 412 votes, or 76.4 percent. Players needed 75 percent.

Here is the release from the BBWAA with the vote totals.

UPDATE, 2:04 p.m.: Here is the voting:

Rickey Henderson 511 (94.8%); Jim Rice 412 (76.4%); Andre Dawson 361 (67.0%); Bert Blyleven 338 (62.7%); Lee Smith 240 (44.5%); Jack Morris 237 (44.0%); Tommy John 171 (31.7%); Tim Raines 122 (22.6%); Mark McGwire 118 (21.9%); Alan Trammell 94 (17.4%); Dave Parker 81 (15.0%); Don Mattingly 64 (11.9%); Dale Murphy 62 (11.5%); Harold Baines 32 (5.9%); Mark Grace 22 (4.1%); David Cone 21 (3.9%); Matt Williams 7 (1.3%); Mo Vaughn 6 (1.1%); Jay Bell 2 (0.4%); Jesse Orosco 1 (0.2%); Ron Gant 0; Dan Plesac 0; Greg Vaughn 0.

UPDATE, 2:07 p.m.: Players remain on the ballot for up to 15 years provided they receive at least five percent of the vote. Players who will return to the ballot next year are Dawson, Blyleven, Smith, Morris, Raines, McGwire, Trammell, Parker, Mattingly, Murphy and Baines.

UPDATE, 2:09 p.m.: I would think that Tim Raines receiving only 22.6 percent (down from last season’s 24.3 percent) would not go over well with those who are statistically inclined. Raines could well be the second-best leadoff hitter ever.

Bert Blyleven’s candidacy has become a hot topic in the internets. He has gone from 53.3 percent in 2006 to 62.7 percent this season. But that’s still a long way from 75 percent.

Mark McGwire dropped a few points this season. Mattingly, meanwhile, remains in the teens.

UPDATE, 2:22 p.m.: For what it’s worth, I once asked Ron Guidry whether he thought Rice should be in the Hall of Fame and he looked at me like I was crazy. “Of course he should be,” Guidry said. “Guy scared the crap out of every pitcher in the league.”

So there’s that. But you can make a good case for or against Rice.

The Yankees are breaking out a patch commemorating the first season at the new Stadium. It’ll be on the home and away uniforms and available on all manner of merchandise.

Yankees.com has a few shirts with the logo available already. It’s a nice patch and if you look closely you can see a team official asking the city of New York for more money.

While I don’t obsess over uniform details, single-year patches are interesting and certainly make for a unique collectible.

Meanwhile, across town, here is the uniform patch the Mets unveiled for their new ballpark, Citi Field:

Yeesh. I’m tempted to arm my 3-year-old nephew Jason with his markers and see if he can do better. He certainly can’t do any worse.

You have to love the Mets, the only team that would design a patch for their new stadium that doesn’t mention the stadium or show any images of it.

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Back at 2 p.m. when the Hall vote is announced. But I did want to mention that former Star-Ledger baseball writer Dan Graziano has started a blog called New York Baseball Hack.

Dan took a buyout from the Star-Ledger (as did their intrepid Yankees beat writer, Ed Price) but he’s still interested in writing about the game. So check it out when you get a chance.

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Big League Stew over at Yahoo has a post about Joba’s new beard. While ‘duk is hoping the Yankees will let him keep it, there’s no chance.

January is traditionally a slow month for baseball news. So for the second year in a row, we will showcase other blogs with a series of pinch hitters.

Next up is Jason from My Baseball Bias.

Jason is originally from Bradford, Penn., (birthplace of Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell) and currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. He idolizes Don Mattingly, worships Phil Rizzuto and is a classically-trained opera singer. He works for the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City as principal Cantor and serves on the music staff of the prestigious Madeleine Choir School.

Here’s his post:

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Much has been made of the Yankees’ new cathedral being built at East 161 St. and River Ave. in the Bronx. We’ve heard the 1,500,000 square foot, 50,800-seat stadium will contain an Indiana limestone exterior, the replica frieze – a staple of the original 1923 structure, removed during the ’74-‘75 renovation – and the gigantic Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision HD LED video scoreboard that sits nearly a 101 feet wide and 59 feet tall with 8,601,600 LED lamps.

In true Yankee style, the Steinbrenner family promises a first-class, premium atmosphere for fans to enjoy their beloved Yankees. As Old George put it: “This new ‘Home of Champions’ will preserve the architectural integrity of the original Yankee Stadium, while incorporating modern amenities.”

And while the Yankees dazzle us, however, with “modern amenities”, it looks like they’ve failed to incorporate any bold ideas when it comes to building a stadium that is environmentally responsible. In what could have been a model for future sports stadiums all over the world, the Yankees have decided that bigger and more expensive fit their brand better than a cost-efficient, environmentally safe and sustainable structure. What a shame.

Reading through many of the public statements regarding the new stadium since the groundbreaking ceremony in 2006, one finds nary a mention of the word “environment” or “green design elements” from anyone associated with the Yankees or any city/state officials. Moreover, we learned recently that the building of new parkland in the South Bronx, as stipulated in the Yankee Stadium Redevelopment Plan is behind schedule, causing many in the community to question the commitment to neighborhood revitalization. Unfortunately, Googling “new Yankee stadium” with “green” returns more references to cost overruns than to the environment.

I’m perplexed why the Yankees didn’t follow the lead of the Washington Nationals. In March of 2008, Nationals Park became the first professional sports stadium awarded an LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certificate by the U.S. Green Building Council and became the first “green ballpark” in the nation. Even the Mets and the Giants/Jets new stadiums, while not seeking LEED-certification, have incorporated sustainable features in their plans. The Minnesota Twins are also building their new stadium to be LEED-certified. Why not the Yankees?

I attempted to contact HOK Sport, who was responsible for the Stadium’s new design, but I have yet to hear back from them. It’s rather interesting that HOK designed both the Nationals ballpark and the new stadium in Minnesota. I also reached out to Stephen T. Del Percio of greenbuildingsNYC.com, who mentioned that Turner, the contractor building the new Yankee Stadium is a prominent sponsor of the USGBC.

With all of this overlap, it’s surprising the Yankees weren’t at least interested in the idea of building a stadium that could, among other things, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy and water, reduce waste to landfills and provide a healthier place for it’s roughly four million annual visitors while reducing operating costs.

What a missed opportunity.

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Interesting post, Jason. Thanks. If anybody from the Yankees cares to respond, I’ll happily print their side of it.

Coming tomorrow: Dan from River and Sunset.

It will take only a well-placed fastball for the angry words to start. But in January, the rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox can be set aside for a good cause. CC Sabathia understands that.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and his twin brother Paul run The Foundation To Be Named Later, a charity that helps out disadvantaged kids in Boston. Their biggest fundraiser is the annual Hot Stove, Cool Music concert, which was held last night.

Before the show, Epstein hosted a roundtable discussion for fans at Fenway Park. Guests included Dustin Pedroia, Justin Masterson, Terry Francona, Peter Gammons and Rays outfielder Fernando Perez.

Sabathia participated via telephone from California. This was the same event Brian Cashman attended last year.

Pretty cool of Sabathia to do that.

Meanwhile, why don’t the Yankees have any public events that include star players, the GM and the manager taking questions? Hopefully the improved facilities at the new Stadium will help lead to such things.

January is traditionally a slow month for baseball news. So for the second year in a row, we will showcase other blogs with a series of pinch hitters.

Next up is Chris from Pinstriped Scranton..

Pinstriped Scranton was started in September of 2007. Chris covers the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees as a beat writer for Pinstripes Plus Magazine. Unable to pursue a beat writing career full-time, a blog seemed like the natural outlet for coverage of his favorite team’s Triple-A squad.

Here’s his post:

The 2008 season was the opportunity Phil Hughes was looking for. He was basically guaranteed a spot in the rotation after the Yankees not to trade for Johan Santana. Alongside Ian Kennedy, Hughes was supposed to be the youth movement that fans of the 1996-2001 dynasty were waiting for.

One problem for Hughes: Health wasn’t on his side.

Hughes ended the 2008 season sporting 0-4 record, a 6.62 ERA and a WHIP of 1.7. Safe to say, his numbers were unimpressive and Carl Pavano would end the season with more wins than Hughes and Kennedy combined.

As 2008 came to a close, Hughes did get some work in the Arizona Fall League, where he was impressive. Pitching for the Peoria Javelinas, Hughes went 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA. He held batters to .198 batting average and allowed 21 hits in 30 innings of work.

Of course, 2009 is a new year, a new chance to make an impression in the Bronx. If the current rotation stands, Hughes has an excellent shot of rounding out a rotation that will include CC Sabathia, A.. Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain.

Unfortunately, Hughes carries an “injury prone” reputation with many Yankees fans. Chamberlain has passed Hughes in the popularity race since his debut in the Bronx. Make no mistake, Hughes hasn’t lived up to what many fans expected. Reality reminds you one thing, however: Hughes is only 22 years of age.

Before we go appointing him “injury prone”, it’s only fair to give the right-hander a few more years. After all, pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras, and scouting director Damon Oppenheimer see something in Hughes and aren’t just giving up on him. Of course, if you want ignore Hughes’ high ceiling, his ability to control the strike zone and his excellent curveball, you’re more than welcome to. But if he’s given the chance in 2009, there’s a good chance you will change your mind.

Sitting in the fifth spot of the rotation in 2009 is a reality if Andy Pettitte does not resign with the Yankees. At this point, that’s very likely.

Another year in the minors wouldn’t be awful for Hughes either. The more endurance he can continue to build up can only assist the big club. There’s no question the Yankees need innings and if Hughes is used right, he can provide more than enough innings for the Yankees rotation this year.

If you’re a fan of the Bronx Bombers and you’re still cursing after the non-trade of Hughes and Kennedy for Santana, it’s my belief you won’t feel the same way when Hughes’ career comes to an end. After all, the interest in Hughes hasn’t gone away. And the Yankees won’t trade him.

There’s something about this kid. Don’t give up on him yet.

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Thanks, Chris. I knew there was one fan out there who liked Hughes. Coming tomorrow: Jason from My Baseball Bias.

Could this team of free agents win a division title?

First base: Kevin Millar
Second base: Orlando Hudson
Shortstop: Orlando Cabrera
Third base: Ty Wigginton
Left field: Adam Dunn
Center field: Ken Griffey Jr.
Right field: Bobby Abreu
Catcher: Jason Varitek
DH: Manny Ramirez
No. 1 starter: Ben Sheets
No. 2 starter: Derek Lowe
No. 3 starter: Andy Pettitte
No. 4 starter: Jon Garland
No. 5 starter: Oliver Perez
Closer: Brandon Lyon
Set-up man: Will Ohman
Set-up man: Juan Cruz

I left out Garret Anderson, Randy Wolf, Joe Crede and Pudge Rodriguez. Buster Olney has one of these all-unemployed lineups on his blog, too. It’s pretty amazing so many name players are still looking.

January is traditionally a slow month for baseball news. So for the second year in a row, we will showcase other blogs with a series of pinch hitters.

Next up is Zac from Zac’s Yankees Blog..

Zac is 21 and says he’s been a Yankees fan all his life. “The 2001 World Series will always hold a special place in my heart due to the fact most New Yorkers where trying to cope with the aftermath of 9/11. I will never forget the magical Tino Martinez, Derek Jeter, Scott Brosius home runs,” he said. Zac is a business student at Indiana University majoring in finance.

Here’s his post:

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Yankee Stadium. The sanctified stadium that has authored some of our most esteemed childhood memories as die-hard Yankee fans and baseball fans alike, the holy grounds that have been blessed by the supernatural powers of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter, the baseball cathedral that served as a healing ground after September 11th by hosting one of greatest World Series of all time, the sacred stadium that will no longer be.

The old Yankee Stadium has departed our lives, but the countless memories and moments have not. The treasured moments of Lou Gehrig’s famous speech, Don Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series, crazed fans charging the diamond after Chris Chamblis blasted a pennant-winning home run, Reggie Jackson crushing three mammoth home runs in the World Series, Aaron Boone delivering a magical ALCS walk-off home run vs. the Red Sox, or any moment in particular that makes you quiver with joy and commemoration will be etched into eternity because of what is really behind the memory.

The common factor in any Yankee moment we cherish collectively is Yankee magic. Yankee magic is that vibe that has derived from the arduous path to obtaining 26 world champion trophies. Yankee magic is that fixation that sparks the great Yankee rallies and moments that consume your thoughts with special memories when the team is engaged in a close game late inning game. Yankee Stadium will soon be lost, but the Yankee magic will never be lost. As long as the famed pinstripes are donned the aura Yankee magic will follow them.

As we part ways with the old Yankee Stadium and embrace the new Yankee Stadium a new generation of new-fangled memories and everlasting moments will be formulated. The new stadium offers a novel era of hope and promise that will be backed by the eternal Yankee magic. Stadiums may come and go, but Yankee magic is timeless.

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Thanks, Zac. Coming tomorrow: Chris from Pinstriped Scranton.

Huge clown New Cleveland Indian Carl Pavano had his feelings hurt in New York according to the Plain Dealer.

Asked how it felt for his teammates to turn on him and for Joe Torre to say he needed to regain their trust, Pavano replied:

“All that stuff only makes you stronger. When you’re down, you expect your organization to support you and not kick you. I had a lot of setbacks in New York. A lot of trials and tribulations. It just made me stronger.”

I better stop there before I get in trouble. Mike Mussina, pick up the telephone.

First off, much applause for today’s guest blogger, Mike. His pinch-hit post was everything a pinch-hit post is supposed to be: focused, informative, concise and opinionated. Good job.

The pinch-hitter series will run through the end of the month and a few days in February. I’m working on a few special guests as well. Will Carroll has said he wants to join in.

Meanwhile …

Finally saw Gran Torino yesterday. The fact that Clint Eastwood became a great director has to be one of the pop-culture upsets of all time. Clint was an entertaining tough-guy actor and now has this immense second career as a director. He and Opie Taylor, who would have ever guessed?

As for the film, it’s a simple story told well. Clint is an old-school retiree who befriends the Hmong family next door against the local gang. It’s a classic Western theme set in modern-day Detroit. I try not to read too much about films before I see them so as not to have any preconceived notions. Went back today and found that the Asian kids were all first-time actors. Pretty amazing.

Next on the list: Frost/Nixon.

BCS title game: Talk about a letdown. Instead of a shootout, we got interceptions, bad coaching (take the points, Bob Stoop) and great defense. Tim Tebow is a great college player but I still can’t tell whether he has the arm to play in the NFL. It remains befuddling to me that Division I football remains the only sport in the NCAA without a playoff. A final four of Florida, Texas, USC and Utah would be a lot of fun.

NFL playoffs: Why the Giants favored by only four points? They’ve had a week off to get healthy, the Plaxico mess is behind them and their defense will smother the Eagles. … The Cardinals are not a good team. Panthers big. … The Chargers are a hard team to figure but Darren Sproles won’t be Gale Sayers again. I’ll take the Steelers at home in January. … I really want to like the Ravens. But a rookie QB from Delaware in a playoff game on the road? Have to take the Titans.

Yankees: Aside from the on-going Andy Pettitte drama, it’ll be interesting to see if Brian Cashman deals Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher before spring training. I get the sense that they really like Swisher and want to keep him around. Nady will be a free agent after this season and with Boras as his agent, you know he’ll walk.

Has anybody used one of those services that ships luggage ahead for you? I need to take two bags to spring training and it would be much easier to send the larger suitcase ahead. Any ideas?

The guest posts will continue over the weekend. I’ll chip in here or there, but hope to get some time away. Stay warm.

Just a reminder that spring training tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. according to the Yankees.

To go Yankees.com for information.

If you’re thinking about going, get your tickets now. Good seats go fast.

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Journal News columnists Sam Borden and Rick Carpiniello are trying to decide what the best rivalries are in New York sports. Seems pretty obvious to me that it’s the Yankees and Red Sox.

They’re on the Faceoff blog discussing it if you want to share your opinion.