The LoHud Yankees Blog

One of our readers (thanks, Jenn) wrote to say that the Yankees will be offering tours of the new Stadium starting May 4.

Tours are $20 and include the clubhouse, dugout, museum and Monument Park.

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This is always an interesting time of the year as team executives, players, managers, reporters and fans scan the news to see which players are released or sent to the minors.

The first shocker came today when the Tigers decided throwing $14 million into the wind was better than having Gary Sheffield play for them.

Sheff vowed to play on. Will some team will take a $400,000 flyer on him? The Phillies have expressed an interest. Sheffield has said he wants to play for the Rays or Marlins. Would he take a bench role? Given that he needs one more homer for 500, he probably would.

Sheffield is 40 and hit .225 last season with a .326 OBP. He can’t play the OF or run much any more. He’s also not exactly Mr. Warmth in the clubhouse.

This is another example of how baseball is changing because of drug testing. Teams used to value veteran sluggers because everybody (including the media) would shield their eyes when some old dude belted 40 home runs and swallow some made-up story about a new weight-lifting regimen.

Now clubs place more emphasis on youth, versatility, defense and speed along with financial value. Look at the Yankees. They’re going with Brett Gardner in center and may well have a spot on the bench for Ramiro Pena. Last year they went with Morgan Ensberg.

I think Joe Girardi is exactly correct when he predicts a major shift in how the game is played. Sheffield is out and we’ll see in the next few days whether any other notable players follow.

Other than Springsteen records and the occasional movie or television show, this blog has not endorsed much over the years.

However, these two pieces of news are worth noting.

You’ve probably heard by now that the new Stadium will have a steak house, NYY Steak. It’ll be located just inside Gate 6 and will be open all year long, including game days.

The restaurant will be modeled after The Council Oak steak and seafood restaurant at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. The menu will be nearly identical along with the atmosphere, attention to detail and level of service.

NYY Steak isn’t open yet. But if Council Oak is any indication of what is to come, you’re going to want to go there. I had dinner there with a few friends on Saturday and it was outstanding. Put it this way, it’s where Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter go when they’re in Tampa and want a good meal.

It will be worth the trip to the Bronx in the dead of winter, that’s how good it was.

It’s also worth mentioning that the book Yankee Stadium: The Final Season is available to order now and comes out on Wednesday.

If the old Stadium meant something to you or somebody you know, pick up this book by Al Santasiere and Mark Vancil. It’s an incredibly well done keepsake of the final season. It takes you from Opening Day through the Pope’s visit, all the big games and right to the emotional finale on Sept. 21.

The photographs alone are worth the price but you also get touching passages written by some top-notch baseball writers.

This is a book you’ll enjoy the first time and keep going back to.

UPDATE: NYY Steak is now open. Call (646) 97-STEAK for reservations and information.

The Yankees confirmed that Joba hit 96 today and was at 95 throughout his start.

“I could feel it out of my hand,” Chamberlain said. “It felt better. There are some when you force it in and there’s others that come out of your hand great. There were some that came out of my hand, the swings misses with the fastball, I hadn’t got many of those in spring training. That’s part of just training your arm in the bullpen.”

Counting the game against Team Canada, Chamberlain threw 20 innings this spring and struck out 20.

His overall line this spring: 20 21 13 13 11 20.

His last three games:

13 12 4 4 6 14.

That’s a 2.77 ERA over the final three games and he has a tune-up appearance on Sunday. Unless you also want him to walk on water, thats pretty good. The Yankees are doing the exact right thing. Put him in the rotation as the No. 5 starter, watch his starts, build up his innings and let him develop. That is what you do with 23-year-olds with that kind of arm.

They’ll give him a 10-day break around the All-Star Game and monitor him closely. If he is honest with the team about how he feels, it should work out well. There will be ups and downs, of course. But at the end, he’ll be that much closer to being a top-tier starter.

UPDATE, 5:26 p.m.: Here’s Joba talking about his start:

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This from the Yankees as well …

The Yankees today announced that outfielder Brett Gardner is the recipient of the 2009 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the outstanding Yankees rookie in spring training. Gardner will receive the award in a pre-game ceremony on Wednesday, prior to the Yankees’ 1:15 p.m. game vs. the Philadelphia Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Gardner, 25, is batting .390 (23-for-59) in 24 games this spring, with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs and 7RBI. He is leading the team in hits and stolen bases (5), while tying for the team lead in home runs. A third-round pick by the Yankees in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Gardner hit .228 (29-for-127) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 16RBI and 13SB in 42 games with the Yankees in 2008 in his Major League debut.

The award was established in honor of James P. Dawson (1896-1953), who began a 45-year career with The New York Times as a copy boy in 1908. Eight years later, he became boxing editor and covered boxing and baseball until his death during spring training in 1953.

Two winners of the honor, Tony Kubek in 1957 and Tom Tresh in 1962, went on to win the American League “Rookie of the Year” Award. Last season’s winner was infielder/outfielder Shelley Duncan. The award first was presented to rookie Norm Siebern by Manager Casey Stengel in St. Petersburg, Fla., at the conclusion of spring training in 1956. New York Yankees beat writers vote on the winner.
In conjunction with the award, Gardner will receive an engraved Tissot watch from William Barthman Jewelers.

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Good luck to Brett, given the fate of the last five winners …

2004: Bubba Crosby OF
2005: Andy Phillips INF
2006: Eric Duncan INF
2007: Kei Igawa P
2008: Shelley Duncan INF/OF

This from the Yankees:

The New York Yankees announced today that longtime public address announcer Bob Sheppard will be unavailable at the commencement of the Yankees’ 2009 inaugural season, including the club’s workout on April 2 as well as the first exhibition games at Yankee Stadium on April 3-4 and Opening Day on April 16, as a result of his continuing recovery from a bronchial infection.

For the Yankees’ workout day on April 2 and their exhibition games vs. the Chicago Cubs on April 3-4, Paul Olden will substitute for Mr. Sheppard in the public address booth at Yankee Stadium while he continues to recover at his home on Long Island. A 12-time Super Bowl public address announcer, Olden’s broadcasting career spanned 17 years, including two seasons in the Yankees’ television broadcast booth from 1995-96, alongside Bobby Murcer and Phil Rizzuto.

This season marks the 58th anniversary of Sheppard’s debut as the Yankees’ public address announcer. His first game was on Opening Day, April 17, 1951, as the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox, 5-0.

“I will not be able to be at Yankee Stadium for the series with the Cubs or Opening Day,” Sheppard said. “My personal physician advised me to wait until I am ready. It is in the hands of God. I am looking forward to doing games in the new Stadium.”

UPDATE, 4:14 p.m.: Just to clarify, the Yankees have not yet named their announcer for April 16. Only that Olden will fill in for the Cubs series.

YANKEES
Gardner CF
Swisher LF
Teixeira 1B
Posada C
Nady DH
Cabrera RF
Ransom 3B
Berroa SS
Pena 2B

Pitching today: Joba Chamberlain.

REDS
Tavares CF
Dickerson LF
Votto 1B
Phillips 2B
Bruce RF
Hernandez C
Encarnacion 3B
Janish SS
Owings RHP

Notes: The game is on WLW, 700 AM radio in Cincinnati. … The Yankees are looking for at least six innings out of Joba, who has had problems running up his pitch count all spring. He’s also due to start maintaining his velocity. … This will be the penultimate game at Ed Smith Stadium for the Reds, who will move to Goodyear, Arizona, next spring. The Reds have been in Sarasota since 1998. The final game at Sarasota will be on Thursday against the Pirates.

Back with more later.

UPDATE, 9:25 a.m.: Per Brian Cashman, Jonathan Albaladejo is on the team.

UPDATE, 9:35 a.m.: Lots of news this morning:

Alfredo Aceves and Dan Giese were optioned to Scranton. Kevin Cash and Brett Tomko were reassigned to the minor-league camp. They’ll be at Scranton.

No decision yet on the utility reliever. Cashman said he wants to see what players become available out of other organizations first.

A-ROD UPDATE: Joe Girardi and Cashman have spoken to or texted with A-Rod in recent days. He started throwing yesterday. Word is that the rehab has gone well. Follow-up MRIs, Cashman said, have been positive.

UPDATE, 9:40 a.m.: The rotation at Scranton, Cashman said, would be Hughes, Kennedy, Igawa, Aceves and Jason Johnson. They plan to use Brett Tomko out of the bullpen.

Tomko was crushed, saying the news came as a shock. But he doesn’t have an out in his deal until June. “I don’t have any options,” he said. “I’m trying to be rational about it and look at the big picture. But it’s tough because I had a great spring.”

UPDATE, 11:12 a.m.: To advance the A-Rod story a bit more, Cashman said that Alex would be back in Tampa by no later than April 13, although it could well be earlier. The Yankees are still targeting a mid-May return to the major-league lineup by Rodriguez. He will play in minor-league games first, likely in warm weather. That probably means with Single-A Tampa.

UPDATE, 12:03 p.m.: It would seem justice moves slowly in Nebraska. This from the AP:

New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain¹s arraignment on a drunken-driving charge has been rescheduled a fourth time. His lawyer requested the postponement. The Nebraska hearing had been
scheduled for Tuesday and was reset for Wednesday. Chamberlain was to pitch in Florida on Tuesday. He also was granted delays earlier this month and in December and January. Chamberlain, who played for Nebraska in college, is charged with first-offense drunken driving and having an open alcohol container. He was pulled over Oct. 18 by police on the outskirts of Lincoln.

UPDATE, 1:03 p.m.: We’re about to get underway here in Sarasota.

UPDATE, 1:09 p.m.: Here’s a iink to a story I did for LoHud.com on A-Rod this morning.

Meanwhile, Gardner singled to center. But when Swisher hit a rocket up the middle, the pitcher snared it and doubled Gardner off.

UPDATE, 1:12 p.m.: Yes, the Yankees have the DH and the Reds do not. Makes sense I guess.

UPDATE, 1:21 p.m.: Just received an e-mail from Sports Illustrated. Their baseball issue is this week and they predict that the Mets will beat the Angels in the World Series. That would be quite a thing given their rotation.

Meanwhile, Joba’s first inning was like so:

F-7
Double (sinking liner that Melky let get behind him)
BB
P-3
K

20 pitches / 11 strikes

They also pick the Yankees to win the AL East. CC Sabathia is on the cover.

UPDATE, 1:37 p.m.: Good second inning for Joba:

K
F-9
E-9 (Melky dropped a ball)
K

13 pitches / 10 strikes. No score in the game.

UPDATE, 1:48 p.m.: On behalf of all the beat writers who need to pack, I would like to thank Angel Berroa for getting picked off first after getting a single and Brett Gardner for being thrown out stealing after getting his second single of the game. That makes the game so much faster.

UPDATE, 1:53 p.m.: Joba’s third inning:

P-2
K
Single
F-8

12 pitches / 8 strikes

Meanwhile, via Lauren Moran back in Tampa, we have this report on Mariano Rivera:

He got five outs (in one inning). He threw 21 pitches and allowed one hit, a home run of all things. Two groundouts, two strikeouts, one fly ball.

UPDATE, 2:02 p.m.: A new source has emerged with Mariano Rivera news. Chad Jennings, the Scranton beat writer, was watching Mo and reports that his second pitch was belted for a homer by the immortal Rich Thompson of Lehigh Valley. After he needed 10 pitches to record three outs, they left him out there to face two more hitters. Chad had him for 18 pitches, 14 strikes.

UPDATE, 2:08 p.m.: 2-0 Yankees on a two-run double by Melky, who has had quite an interesting game.

Meanwhile, since so many people have asked, here is Joba’s velocity:

Fastball: 105
Slider: 99
Curve: 91
Change-up: 89
Knuckleball: 63
Gyroball: 86

The game is not on TV and there is no gun at the park. I see two scouts with guns in the stands and if I get a chance, I’ll ask one of them.

No offense to anybody, but sweating velocity on March 31 is a little silly. Power pitchers usually take time to build up their velocity and the Yankees have said Joba’s velocity isn’t much different than it was at this stage last season. He hit 96 against the Phillies last week.

Beyond that, he is not going to throw 99 as a starter and nor should be try. The idea is to go seven inning, not win a carnival game.

Yankees lead 3-0. Ransom had an RBI single to drive in Melky.

UPDATE, 2:31 p.m.: 1-2-3 inning for Joba. I have him for 67 pitches, 44 strikes, through five innings. His line: 5 3 0 0 1 5. Why oh why did they make him a starter? What a mistake.

UPDATE, 2:43 p.m.: Yankees 4-0 after a sac fly by Melky. But Ransom grounded into a DP to end the inning.

UPDATE, 2:54 p.m.: Joba fanned Dickerson to start the sixth. Then came the trouble. Walk, walk, RBI single. He seems to be wearing down a little. I have him at 83 pitches.

UPDATE, 2:57 p.m.: Joba is out after another RBI single. 4-2 Yankees.

He pitched well. But they wanted him to get through six and he went 5.1. He threw 86 pitches, which is too many for 5.1 innings.

Bruney in now to try and clean up the mess.

UPDATE, 3:00 p.m.: Keep in mind, Joba will be back in Tampa on Sunday to pitch in a minor-league intrasquad game. That will be his final tune-up.

UPDATE, 3:04 p.m.: Joba’s line: 5.1 5 2 2 3 6.

UPDATE, 3:38 p.m.: Yankees lead 6-3 middle of the eighth.

We just spoke to Joba and Jorge Posada. Joba was pleased with his outing with the exception of not being able to go deeper in the game. Posada, who once believed Joba belonged in the bullpen, said that the pitcher “proved me wrong.”

“He’s our fifth starter and I’m happy with that,” Posada said. “It’s for the betterment of the team.”

Spoke to a scout who was in the stands today and he had Joba consistently around 94-96.

Also, Joba is on his way to Nebraska tonight and will appear before the judge tomorrow. He expects that the case will be settled then.

The Yankees came through spring training in great shape physically. Well, if you don’t count A-Rod.

No roster decisions are expected until the team gets back to New York. This notebook also has items on Joba Chamberlain, Andy Pettitte, Brett Gardner and Mariano Rivera.

The Yankees and Mets have given their new ballparks even the “big flush” test. Sam Borden writes about the travails of moving into a new home.

The YES Network can be mystifying. Why, for instance, will only two of the 12 Yankees games from March 20 to April 1 televised? That’s just when spring training gets interesting. And why do they need so many announcers? Why is Kim Jones not used during the game to report news? Why doesn’t Chien-Ming Wang host a weekly variety show?

But when YES televises a game or produces a show, they do an excellent job of it. So it was no surprise that YES won 23 New York Emmy Awards last night, the most it has ever won and the most this year by a New York regional sports network. Take that, MSG.

The YES Network’s 2009 Emmy Awards:

• Historical/Cultural: Program Feature/Segment: Yankeeography: Yankee Stadium, Final Act
• Historical/Cultural: Program/Special: Yankeeography: Yankee Stadium
• Sports Programming: Regularly Scheduled Program: Yankeeography: Alex Rodriguez
• Writer: Sports: Jeff Scott, Yankeeography: 1998 Act 2 and Yankeeography: Alex Rodriguez Act 2
• Photographer: Sports: Tom Rome and Brian Schulz, Yankeeography: Alex Rodriguez
• On-Camera Talent: Anchor – Sports: Bob Lorenz
• Children’s Programming: Yankees on Deck: Know Your Teammate with Mo and Jorge
• Promotion: Sports Promo: Yankees 2008: Blueprints for a Championship
• Technical Achievement: YES Network New York Yankees Technical/Operations Team
• Set Design: Jared Boshnack, Bill Boland, Woody Freiman, Michael Cooney, David Weller, Michael Webb and George Greczylo – YES Network Studio Set Design
• Advanced Media: Sports: YESNetwork.com
• Lighting: George Greczylo – YES Network Studio Lighting
• Program series: The Penn State Football Story

Congrats to all the winners. Bob Lorenz told me that if he won, he would buy everybody he knew a beer. So hit him up for that.

CORRECTION (made April 2, 2009): Michael Messner did not win the Emmy for Director, Post Production. That award was won by Harry Hunkele of NYC TV. The original information was incorrectly supplied to The LoHud Yankees Blog by YES. We apologize for the error.

Journal News and LoHud.com photographer Ricky Flores posted a gallery of photos he took at the new Stadium last week.

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The new Stadium will have a Hard Rock Cafe. Guess who will help open it on Thursday morning at 9 a.m.? Bernie Williams.

Bernie will join “rock n’ roll legends” (that’s what the press release said) Ace Frehley (Kiss), Scott Ian and Frank Bello (Anthrax), Darryl “DMC” McDaniels (Run-DMC) and Anton Figg (Late Show Band) to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame with students from the Bronx-based Renaissance EMS.

There also will be a celebratory guitar smash.

Bernie’s new CD Moving Forward will be released on April 14. It includes a live track of his playing Glory Days with Bruce Springsteen.

Meanwhile, Bernie is doing anything but moving forward by saying he wants to play in the majors this season. This after getting only five at-bats in the WBC. Hopefully the CD does well for him and he devotes himself to his family and his music.