The LoHud Yankees Blog

There was no walk-off magic for the Yankees yesterday as they fell to the Phillies. Sam Borden has the pie-less story.

Brian Bruney can’t figure out what is wrong with his elbow. This notebook also has updates on Melky Cabrera, Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter.

Yanks-Rangers today at 2:05. Phil Hughes returns to the scene of his almost glory.

Hi guys.

As you may (or may not) know, I was on a company-mandated furlough last week. To save money, the company basically laid everybody off for one week this financial quarter. Under the rules, that meant no blogging, no e-mails, etc. So if you e-mailed and I didn’t respond as usual, please take no offense and keep an eye on your in-box.

It was extremely frustrating not to be able to work. The Yankees are playing well and I wanted to be there to chronicle what was going on. I watched every game (live or on Tivo) to stay up to speed. Beyond that, it was a decent week. Here are the highlights:

Monday: Lined up a few freelance pieces. I’m hoping to ghost write Angel Berroa’s memoirs. Tentative title: From Gehrig to Gardner, My Years in Baseball.

Tuesday: Cleaned my condo. Quite exciting. But I no longer live in abject squalor.

Wednesday: A friend gave me his company’s tickets for the Orioles game. Section 126 is right behind the notorious Legends seats adjacent to third base and it’s a great view. The $225 seats also feature waiter service and our man Moses was very attentive.

But it’s easier to get on an airplane than to get to your seat at Yankee Stadium. I met my friend at Gate 4 and we walked to our seats. The usher at the top of the aisle checked our tickets. OK, fine. Then we got to the seats and a second usher checked the tickets again. Um, OK. Then nine minutes later, a third usher showed up and demanded to see our tickets again.

At this point I had enough. I told her they had been checked twice already. But this woman said, “I have to know if you are supposed to be here.” After we gave the tickets up, she seemed almost disappointed that we were legit.

The same thing happened to the two women who sat in our aisle. What are the Yankees thinking, treating customers like that?

Meanwhile, Section 126 was a ghost town. There were no more than 20 people there. The Legends Seats were fairly full because of the sailors and Marines who had comps. We had a great view of the Legends Seats. It’s pretty comical what the Yankees have created.

There are dozens of waiters and waitresses in those seats literally trying to give food away. Candy, pretzels, peanuts, water, even sushi. Then every few innings, guys with boxes of ice cream sandwiches walk around and literally throw them to people who clamor like trained seals.

After a while, there were so many being tossed around that the people were catching them and throwing the back to the peasants in the $225 seats. Security rushed over and admonished those people doing that. Meanwhile, nobody was remotely paying attention to the game.

That said, it was fun to be a fan again. I kept score in the program, had a few frosty Coors Lights and took photos. My friend is a “Joba in the bullpen” person and I spent nine innings trying to convince her otherwise to no avail. The girls we sat next to were cool, too. Good time.

Thursday: Saw Bruce Springsteen and the mighty E Street Band at the Izod Center. Drummer Max Weinberg was away, taping a rehearsal in LA with Conan O’Brien. But his son, 18-year-old Jay, filled in admirably Jay Lustig of the Ledger did a great story on Jay and Max.

Caught the show with two friends, one long-time Bruce fan and one relative newcomer. We were dancing in the aisle like idiots, but then everybody was. We were all impressed with Jay Weinberg. Imagine being 18 and filling in for your famous dad in front of 19,000 people?

Saturday: Back to Bruce. Hung out with radio legend Sweeny Murti before the show and sat with one of my favorite people, Tara Sullivan of The Record. Bruce, being Bruce, played 10 different songs from Thursday as the show nearly went three hours. He did three songs of his classic 1973 album The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle.

If you’re a Bruce fan, you know how cool it is to hear Incident on 57th Street and Kitty’s Back live. He closed with a cover of Mony, Mony, the old hit by Tommy James and the Shondells. I’m here to tell you, there has never been a better version done of that song.

So that’s my week. All in all, not bad. But I am glad to be back at work and will blog my brains out this week.

Thanks to Sam and the guys for filling in for me and thanks to all of you for sticking with us. Things are heating up with the Yankees and you will not lack for updates here, I promise you that.

Well, it wasn’t the best end to a homestand ever but I’d say the Yankees have to be pleased with their 8-2 run here. Should they have won today? I certainly thought they were going to, especially after they rallied off Lidge in the ninth, but Mark Teixeira’s double-play with two on and none out in the 10th was a killer. Here’s what Teixeira said:

“It’s just one of those things. He’s a good sinkerball pitcher and that’s what he was trying to do, he was trying to get me to hit a double play. (He) got to 3-2 and he didn’t give me anything up in the zone to hit and it happens.”

Brett Gardner said he apologized to CC Sabathia for not catching the Jimmy Rollins liner in the third. “I just told him I was sorry I didn’t catch it,” he said. “I probably should have caught the ball or kept it in front of me. … If I didn’t think I could catch it, I wouldn’t have dived for it. As it turned out, it was really the difference in the ballgame.’

Sabathia, though, said he had no problem with Gardner’s decision to dive. “I’d rahter have him out there diving around than letting balls bounce in front of him,” Sabathia said.

Lastly, since I know some of you wanted Johnny Damon to run over Carlos Ruiz at the plate, here’s Damon’s comment on the decision to try to score as well his slide: “Cole Hamels is a good pitcher when you have chances, you have to take them. Ruiz had quite a series. … Back in the day, I might have tried to run into him or something … but my body doens’t cooperate like it used to.”

It’s worth noting that Damon had an ice pack on his shoulder, as he often does, at the time. Having run into a stocky guy wearing armor probably isn’t a good idea.

Anyway, that’s it from the Stadium. Yanks head to Texas and I’m heading to the city for dinner with my wife. Pete will be back from furlough at midnight tonight – I’m sure he’ll post right away since he surely misses you all – and things will return to normal.

Thanks to everyone for participating this week. The mailbag was fun, the comments were fun and we saw some pretty interesting baseball. I hope you enjoyed a slightly different take on the Yankees (as well as celebrating all the holidays with me), and I look forward to hearing from you guys as the season goes forward. Have a great rest of the weekend!

YANKEES (25-18)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera RF
Hideki Matsui DH
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner CF

Pitching: CC Sabathia (4-3, 3.43 ERA)

Phillies (23-18)

Jimmy Rollins SS
Shane Victorino CF
Raul Ibanez DH
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth LF
John Mayberry Jr. RF
Pedro Feliz 3B
Eric Bruntlett 2B
Carlos Ruiz C

Pitching: Cole Hamels (2-2, 4.95)

Notes: Melky Cabrera’s three walkoff RBIs this season are the most by a Yankee in a season since Claudell Washington had four in 1988. … Sabathia’s last start against the Phillies was also his last start before becoming a Yankee. Unfortunately, he got rocked in Game 2 of the division series as the Phillies beat up on the Brewers. … Hamels started slow but is 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his last five starts. … Anyone remember spring training of 2004 when the Yankees faced Hamels for the first time? Less than two years after graduating high school, Hamels worked two innings and finished the second one by striking out A-Rod, Derek Jeter and Tony Clark. … The teams have combined to hit 11 homers already in this series. … The Yankees continued their run of clean play yesterday, pushing their errorless games streak to 10, best in the majors.

UPDATE, 12:03 p.m.: Not much going on pregame here. Joba threw a side today and says he’s ready to go for Tuesday. Wang remains in the bullpen.

Brian Bruney is still confused about what’s wrong with his arm but he’s resigned himself to the fact that he may just have some discomfort and says he hopes to be in a game tomorrow. Jorge Posada, Xavier Nady, Jose Molina and Cody Ransom are headed for Tampa today for rehab. Girardi said it’s possible Posada could be back by the end of the road trip but hedged it plenty; the next homestand might be more likely.

Nady is an interesting case in that he might be activated before he’s capable of playing the field. Throwing is the big issue for him, and Girardi pointed out that with interleague play coming up, having bats on the bench is more important. “When you start going to National League cities, you’re going to need some pinch-hitters,” he said.

Lastly, consider this the “Today in The Journal News” post — check out Ernie Palladino’s game story here and his notebook here.

UPDATE, 1:09 p.m.: And we’re off. 78 degrees at first pitch here, though there are supposedly thunderstorms in the area. As someone who has dinner reservations in the city tonight, I’m VERY much in favor of those storms avoiding the Stadium this afternoon.

UPDATE, 1:11 p.m.: Since several of you mentioned it – and I’m all about obliging the loyal readers – I chatted briefly with Dave Eiland this morning about Wang’s issues with his sinker. Specifically, we talked about his release point and arm slot.

Eiland said that yes, there’s clearly a difference in Wang’s release point from when his sinker was consistently good to right now. What they are working with Wang on, Eiland said, is “staying over the rubber” longer. As you all know, Wang has a very deliberate wind-up – he raises his leg incredibly slowly and does a little “tap-tap” with the ball before throwing. The problem, according to Eiland, is that the “tap-tap” is coming a little later and Wang’s lower body has already started to push forward toward the plate. That means he’s forced to release the point at a higher point and thus, there’s no bite on the sinker and it hangs up.

If Wang is able to stay over the rubber long, Eiland said, the “tap-tap” will take place with his body still in one location – as opposed to the lower half having already started forward – and his release point will be lower again. That’s what they’re focusing on now.

Sorry if this is a little more technical than some of you might be interested in – I know it would be for me – but since Wang’s issues have been dissected by many on here, I thought those of you curious might find it interesting.

UPDATE, 1:54 p.m.: Gardner wasn’t close enough to catching that ball to justify diving for it, in my opinion. I don’t know many “baseball adages” but I’m pretty sure there’s one about not leaving your feet with two out and a runner on. I was actually surprised that Rollins didn’t end up on third.

BTW, it’s a full house here today – or mostly full, at least – but there is a LOT of red in the stands. Obviously the Yankee fans are in the majority but the cheers for the Phillies runs were louder than I expected.

UPDATE, 2:21 p.m.: As I mentioned before, I LOVE plays at the plate and you have to give credit to Ruiz there — he blocked that plate incredibly well. I don’t have a big problem with Rob Thomson sending Damon there – it took a great throw and great concentration from Ruiz to be able to handle it while Damon was bearing down on him. Sure, A-Rod is coming up but when the fielding team goes perfect-perfect on the throw and catch/block to get you by half-a-step, there isn’t much you can do.

UPDATE, 2:55 p.m.: Is there a hotter hitter anywhere than Raul Ibanez? The Phillies got this guy for $10 million a year and he’s well on his way to a fourth straight 100-RBI season (then again, at this point, it’s probably more accurate to say he’s on his way to a first 200-RBI season). It would have been a nice break for the Yankees if that ball bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double but it didn’t and the run scored. Give Melky credit for making a nice catch on Howard’s liner though.

UPDATE, 3:05 p.m.: That’s a broken-bat home run for Mark Teixeira. Seriously. The bat flew all the way past third base and the ball went about six rows into the left-field seats. Cole Hamels just shook his head. Meanwhile, a few boos trickle down for A-Rod, who strikes out for the third time.

UPDATE, 3:33 p.m.: Wow, Carlos Ruiz is having quite a day. Again, give credit to the Phillies coming up with a perfect defensive play when they need it – if Ruiz doesn’t throw an absolute pill to second, Gardner is in there and Jeter gets a chance to drive him in.

UPDATE, 3:44 p.m.: Big pitch by CC to get out of a jam there (and nice block by Cervelli on the pitch before). Now the Yankees have to see if they can make something happen against the Phils bullpen again. Lefty Scott Eyre is on now to face Damon.

UPDATE, 3:52 p.m.: Repeat blast for A-Rod here?

UPDATE, 3:53 p.m.: Nope. Hard-hit ball, but right to third. If they do it, they’ll have to it against Lidge again.

UPDATE, 4:06 p.m.: Here comes Lidge. This guy was unhittable last year but it’s pretty obvious he’s beatable in 2009. Let’s see if Cano and Melky can do it two days in a row.

UPDATE, 4:09 p.m.: Huge cheer for the Melkman as he comes up. Smart move to get a pinch-runner in for Cano. Let’s see what happens.

UPDATE, 4:11 p.m.: Ruiz didn’t have much of a shot even if he handles it clean. Nice jump by Pena. Now a single ties it (probably).

UPDATE, 4:12 p.m.: I can’t say I like Melky bunting here. I’d rather him swing than Matsui.

UPDATE, 4:13 p.m.: And that’s why. A four-hopper up the middle gets through and it’s 3-3. Man, Lidge has been brutal. Great fightback by the Yankees.

UPDATE, 4:16 p.m.: Speaking of brutal, hello, Hideki Matsui. Now Swisher hits for Cervelli.

UPDATE, 4:19 p.m.: Gardner makes up for his dive earlier?

UPDATE, 4:21 p.m.: Nope. Extra innings. Here comes Mo.

UPDATE, 4:33 p.m.: Just a little hiccup from Rivera but it’s no real problem. Top of the order against righty Clay Condrey.

UPDATE, 4:45 p.m.: Had to figure the Yankees would win it right there, but Teixeira hits into an awful double play and Ramiro Pena flies out. Some will second-guess the Pena-for-Cano decision in the ninth, but I liked it then and you can’t count on that spot coming up again. Pena’s steal put even more pressure on Lidge – who was clearly about to have his head explode – and the Yanks have already seen how the Phillies outfielders can make throws to the plate. No doubt you want legs on the bases at that point.

Brett Tomko on now.

Hey all, Sam here, back among the internet-capable — hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day Saturday. I was outside – which was good – but meant I didn’t catch much of the game. I was, however, near a TV for Alex’s blast and the subsequent Cano/Melky heroics.

A-Rod had a good quote in the postgame scrum, saying, “Right now, I’m probably the happiest .200 hitter in baseball.” Considering that he has only 11 hits this season but eight are homers, he’s probably right. And, to be fair, you’d have to say his shot in the ninth inning today was as much a “new Stadium homer” as any of the others but then again, if the Yankees are going to be victimized by those sometimes, they might as well reap the rewards, too.

As I was driving home, I was thinking about the insanity of this homestand. I’m not nearly enough of a historian to know where this one ranks in history, but I’d have to think it’s among the most exciting the Yankees have been involved in. Consider this day-by-day:

May 15 vs MIN: Brett Gardner hits inside-the-park home run and ninth-inning triple, then scores winning run on Melky Cabrera’s two-run walkoff single.
May 16 vs MIN: A-Rod gets his first hit at new Yankee Stadium with game-winning two-run homer in the 11th inning.
May 17 vs MIN: Johnny Damon gives Yankees third-straight game-ending hit with 10th-inning home run to win it. Yankees clubhouse chefs put rush order on more whipped cream.
May 18 vs MIN: Mark Teixeira homers from both sides of the plate and the Yankees reverse their magic, scoring six in the first inning instead of rallying late.
May 19 vs BAL: A-Rod and Teixeira homer again and Yanks score seven runs in the seventh inning to turn a tight game into a laugher.
May 20 vs BAL: Yankees hit three homers in a row in the second inning and blast Baltimore to back Phil Hughes. As games on this homestand go, a pretty boring night.
May 21 vs BAL: Joba Chamberlain goes down two batters into the game after being hit by a comebacker, but the Yankees bullpen doesn’t break and they win again, their ninth in a row.
May 22 vs PHI: Jimmy Rollins homers on the very first pitch of the game and the Yankees don’t recover, finally losing.
May 23 vs PHI: Back to old reliable – the walkoff. Down two in the ninth, A-Rod hits a two-run homer to tie it; Melky Cabrera drives in Robinson Cano with the winner moments later.

So, to sum up: That’s nine games, eight wins, four walkoffs. Oh, and by the way, the pitching match-up for today’s homestand finale is CC Sabathia vs. Cole Hamels. Not a bad stretch of baseball, right?

I’ll be out at the Stadium tomorrow for that match-up. Since I’m sure there’s a late report time for the players, don’t look for the lineup too early but check in all afternoon for plenty of live blogging.

Although the Yankees saw their winning streak come to an end, they did continue a streak of a different kind: Last night was the ninth straight game in which the Yankees did not commit an error.

Not surprisingly, the Yankees are 21-5 this year when they play a clean defensive game, and last night it wasn’t just routine plays they were making – it was exceptional ones.

Earlier this season I was hearing from readers (and listening to callers on the radio) complaining about how Mark Teixeira wasn’t doing enough to save bad throws from other infielders and/or wasn’t covering enough range, but I’d say last night was a pretty good example of why he’s thought of as a superior fielder. If he doesn’t make a diving stop in the first inning, the Yankees are probably out of the game even earlier; he then made another one a few innings later. The Yankees also got a terrific grab from Robinson Cano going up the middle to start a double play.

Sure, the Phillies made some great plays in the field too — I’d be curious to see how the game was different if they don’t make that perfect relay to the plate to get Johnny Damon in the first inning — and ultimately, the Yankees came up short for the first time in awhile. But there’s no question that a big key to Yankees starting another winning streak is for them to continue this run of error-less baseball.

—-

I’m headed out for the day shortly. Hope everyone enjoys the start to the weekend and I’ll check back in later on tonight. Have a great holiday!

It’s been well over a month since A.J. Burnett last got a win for the Yankees (April 14, to be exact) and he wasn’t hiding the fact that he’s frustrated to have now gone seven starts without one.

“I’m not going to lie – of course I am,” he said. “(Tonight) I didn’t give my team the chance to win from the get-go.”

Both Burnett and Dave Eiland said the problem with Burnett is that, for whatever reason, he leaves his left side open on a few pitches a night. That changes his release point, which alters the spin on the ball. The home run ball to Rollins was supposed to be down and in, Eiland said, but spun across to the middle of the plate; the homers to Carlos Ruiz and Jayson Werth were supposed to be down and away but did the same.

“He can’t get lazy with that front side,” Eiland said. “He cannot take one pitch off.” Eiland added that even though the final numbers might not reflect it, he believes Burnett is “very, very close to being dominant.”

Both Joe Girardi and Eiland were cautiously optimistic about Chien-Ming Wang’s performance. Two runs in three innings isn’t great, but Girardi liked seeing higher velocity and lower sink on Wang’s pitches. Wang is now unavailable until Tuesday, at the earliest, so we’ll see what he does next. If Joba can’t pitch for whatever reason, you’d imagine Wang would get the ball against the Rangers. If Joba does pitch, as he expects, I’m not sure what the right next step with Wang is. Putting him into this situation was pretty unorthodox to begin with.

As for the seven homers, I’d say that only one – Ruiz’s – was a “new Stadium special.” Ibanez’s was absolutely destroyed, as was Teixeira’s — it nearly got into the upper deck, landing on the suite level just below instead. Given the power hitters on both teams, I’d expect more of the same tomorrow and Sunday.

Near the end of his press conference, Girardi was asked about seeing the nine-game winning streak end. He shrugged and gave the expected response: “You’ve got to start a new one tomorrow.”

I’m off tomorrow and will have limited computer access for much of the day, but I’ll try to check in post-game. I’ll then be back on Sunday for what should be a fantastic match-up between CC Sabathia and Cole Hamels.

Enjoy your weekend, everybody. Have a great holiday.

A few things before we get started:

1. Pete did not quit. He did not resign. He did not take a job as the guy who cleans Springsteen’s guitar every night (though I’m sure he’s probably considered it at various points). He’s just on furlough, which every Gannett employee (including me) has had to do. Rest easy; he will return to your daily consciousness on Monday.

2. This mailbag post is long. Very long. So, if that’s not your particular brand of vodka, I apologize. It’s actually your fault, though, since the number of emails I received was considerable. More emails equals more words. It’s a vicious cycle.

So here we go. You ask, I answer. The first-ever Furlough Week Mailbag. For everyone’s sake – including my paycheck’s – let’s hope there doesn’t have to be a second.

John writes: My question for you is whether Melky got a pie in the face of shaving or whipped cream? He seemed to be rubbing his eyes a little too much for the whipped variety.

Sources tell me it was whipped. Actually, knowing how much of a health nut Girardi is, it wouldn’t surprise me if he forces Burnett to use low-fat Cool Whip in the future.

Steve writes: I’ve noticed that Nick Swisher always looks “toward heaven” as he readies for each pitch. Is there some reason for that?

It’s to recognize his grandmother, who raised him, Betty Lorraine Swisher. She passed away from brain cancer in 2005. He also has her initials tattooed on his chest. On the bottom of his bat handles, he has her initials and his grandfather’s initials, and usually kisses the handle as he walks to the plate. In a story in the Daily News, Swisher was quoted as saying, “A lot of people ask me if I’m looking up at the sky, but the one thing that really helped me get through the tough times of losing those two were to give them the best seats in the house. In my mind, that’s the top of the stadium. At Yankee Stadium, it’s actually the top of the (scoreboard screen), so I visualize them sitting there, watching me play. I know they’re cheering for me. I just wish they could be here in person to see all this.”

Ryan (among others) writes: When Molina and Posada are healthy what is going to happen to Cervelli? Do you think there is a chance they would carry 3 catchers? Moving forward do you think Cervelli will be the backup catcher next year since Molina is in the final year of his contract? What about making Posada mostly a DH next year and having Cervelli catch most games?

I think it’s a stretch to make any long-term predictions about Cervelli at this point – remember, as good as he’s been (and he’s been very good), he’s still only had 36 big-league at-bats in his entire career. That said, I do think carrying three catchers would be a good idea for the Yankees, especially if Posada may have to DH with any kind of regularity. Being able to pinch-hit (or run) and still have a catcher on the bench would make late-game decisions a lot easier for Girardi.

Sean writes: I’ve read a lot about the new stadium (and been to one game myself) but I still haven’t heard anything about whether or not the Yankees have changed their oft-draconian bag/purse/backpack policy and their ridiculous “solution” of renting lockers at the nearby bowling alley. Any word on this?

Sean, I checked with a Yankee rep and was told the bag policy at the new stadium is the same as before. I was also referred to this link that lays out all the rules. Here’s one I didn’t know: You’re allowed to bring in your own bottled water. If I were a fan, I’d rather buy a bottle for a buck on the street versus five bucks inside. But that’s just me.

Adam writes: For the Yankees to win the AL East, do they need to take the Chuck Norris or Jack Bauer approach? Chuck Norris is more of the loud roundhouse-kick to your face while Jack Bauer is the covert, suddenly shooting at you and then strangling 40 terrorists all of a sudden. The obvious, in your face, ever-present Chuck Norris? Or the suddenly resurgent Jack Bauer that comes like a storm and overtakes his opponents?

Great question, Adam. I’d say Chuck Norris is the better bet in the AL East, though in less-stacked divisions like the AL Central I think a Jack Bauer will end up doing the trick (you could even make the argument that the Minnesota Twins were Jack Bauer before Jack Bauer even existed). It’s also worth noting that I’m fairly sure some Yankees fans would prefer the team go “Rambo” style over either of the two options you mentioned.

Grant writes: Dave Eiland has escaped virtually any criticism from the Yankees early poor pitching performances. … How is Eiland wearing teflon? Do we have a pitching coach problem?

Well, at this point, I’d say the pitching has certainly gotten a lot better. But even beyond that, I look at Eiland as behind Girardi on the watch list; to me, the manager in this situation will be on the hot-seat before the pitching coach. Of course, at this point, in the midst of a 10-game winning streak, talking about anybody going anywhere seems a little silly. BTW, in the earlier Steinbrenner days, is there any doubt that Eiland  would have been gone a month ago? The way things are now, though, I think he’s safe (and doing a fine job).

Joe writes: Since you’re doing such a great job filling in for Peter Abraham this week, I’m dedicating this brief “Sam the Butcher” clip to you.

Anyway, congratulations, and keep up the good work!

PS: My original thought was to send you a clip of Sam from Diff’rent Strokes, but I couldn’t find an appropriate YouTube clip. The clips were all strange. I wouldn’t want you to think I’m a weirdo or anything.

Uh … why would I think that?

Ron writes: Is there any reason against using Joba in the bullpen when the Yankees begin the post-season?

The only one I can think of is that they want to use him as their fourth starter because Wang still isn’t right. Otherwise, I’d have no problem with it — and I’m someone who thinks that, for the longterm, Joba should absolutely be a starter.

Sean writes: Is it just me or are players too nice to opposing players? Sure, every once and awhile they’ll be a bench-clearing brawl or a a temper flare between pitcher and batter but, overall, it seems like every time I turn around a player gets a hit and is laughing with the opposing fielder instead of talking trash. It seems to me that the rivalry is more important to the fans than it is to the players. Any chance we are ever going to go back to the good old days of Thurman Munson and Fisk? Why is everyone so nice to each other!?

I tell you, Sean, it’s such a shame how everyone is so nice these days. We need more anger in this world!

Seriously, though, I have no problem with players being friendly with each other. One of the downsides of free-market pro sports is the movement from team-to-team by players, and these days most veterans have gotten to know a high number of their colleagues from around the league. Chatting at first base shouldn’t be seen as being disloyal.

Martin writes: Why do hitters so often take a 3-0 pitch but swing at a 3-1 pitch? Isn’t the 3-0 pitch (maybe a get-it-over fastball) usually a better pitch than the 3-1 pitch? Wouldn’t the same reasons apply to not swinging at the 3-1 that were in place for not swinging at the 3-0? Especially with runner(s) on and 2 outs, wouldn’t it be better for a batter to be at 3-2, so the runner(s) can get a running start (if the batter hasn’t already walked)?

I’m with you, Martin, this is one of those things that I’ve never liked. Especially if you’re a good hitter, why are you taking 3-and-0? It’s the best pitch you’ll see all day! The risk that you might pop-up is far outweighed by the reward of you crushing a meatball 500 feet. I also always thought hitters like Mike Piazza, who ALWAYS took the first pitch, should have changed it up more often since pitchers often threw a cookie right down the middle on the first pitch just to get ahead. Crush the first pitch on to a LaGuardia runway once or twice and suddenly you might get ahead 1-and-0 a little more often.

Eric writes: Do you think Torre and the Yankees will ever patch things up?

I certainly hope so, Eric. For a team that values its history as much as the Yankees say they do, it’s the height of pettiness to hold a grudge against how Torre’s career here ended. Say what you want about him, but he did bring four championships here and was a part of one of the franchise’s greatest eras. He can’t be ignored.

Jake writes: Don’t you find some merit in the argument that every time a Yankee pitcher has a pop fly sail out of the park he (or his replacement) then has to pitch to another batter? Don’t you think those scenarios will build up over 81 games to make every pitcher’s arm that much more tired?

I do find some merit in that, Jake, and you’re not the only person to make that point. I just think it’s not as big a deal as people are making it out to be. Are there issues that come with a park playing smaller? Of course there are. But having a lot of home runs hit doesn’t make the park a disgrace or a travesty; it just makes it a park where home runs are hit. And, let’s not forget, I also said I think it’s still too early to be putting permanent labels on the new Stadium. Fans often criticize the media for being in a “rush to judge” something or someone; don’t turn around and do the same thing here.

Brendan writes: What do you think will happen to Johnny Damon after this season ends? Do people think he would accept a two-year deal, and that the Yanks would offer a two-year deal?

It’s pretty amazing how often players who are in a contract year perform, isn’t it? Give Johnny credit – if he keeps up this pace, he’s going to make it hard for the Yankees not to try and bring him back. That said, he’ll be 36 next season and probably looking for one last contract — I’m not sure a two-year deal will get the job done and, if I were the Yankees, I wouldn’t go beyond that.

Duhfok writes: How about Phil Hughes as the closer after Mo, a la Papelbon?

Interesting theory, but – in the same vein as my Joba opinion – I still believe Hughes has the stuff to be a starter. Until he shows, once and for all, that he doesn’t, I’m sticking with him a starter.

Skip writes: What’s going to happen to newspapers?

Beats me. Maybe instead of “National Mulligan Day,” I should have created, “National Buy-a-half-page-ad-in-The-Journal-News Day.”

Although Chien-Ming Wang was slated to pitch a minor league game in Pawtucket, R.I., tonight, word is that the righthander was called back to New York last night after Joba Chamberlain was injured. It’s possible that the Yankees simply wanted Wang on hand in case they ended up having to use too many relievers, and it’s certainly still possible that he’ll just turn around and go back to Triple-A anyway. All the same, it’s interesting that the plan was (at least temporarily) aborted.

I’ve got an email into Brian Cashman for more info. At the very least, we’ll have an update from the Stadium later this afternoon.

UPDATE: Always-excellent Mark Feinsand of the Daily News is reporting Wang will be in the bullpen tonight as a long reliever. What his schedule will be after that hasn’t been determined yet.

… which is a very appropriate way to lead into Memorial Day. (Also, judging by the deserted parking lot at the Metro-North station this morning, it would seem to be “National Start Your Long Weekend Early Day” today. If you’re one of those working “summer hours” or even “no hours” today, congratulations. Welcome to summer.)

The Yankees are celebrating Maritime Day by cruising through their recent schedule (all credit to editor Susie for that line), though it figures to get tougher with the World Champion Phillies in town. Now that I think about it, it actually might be more appropriate for this blog to celebrate National Unity Day (which is taking place today in Yemen, our neighbor to the [Middle] East) since this weekend will involve Yankees and Mets fans – normally sworn enemies – having to root for one another.

Strange right? Nothing would be better for a Yankee fan than if the Mets win three in a row (they’re at Fenway) while nothing would please the Met fan more than if the Yanks put up another sweep (with the Phillies in town). Just think: if it weren’t for Yemenite Unity Day, the universe would probably tilt off its axis. How do you guys feel about pulling for Wright, Reyes and Beltran, et. al? Make you a little sick to your stomach? Kind of hard to keep food down?

I’ll be back later this morning with an extended mailbag (it went beyond mini when I had to start a new Outlook folder to keep all the emails), but I did want to address one question here that I got upwards of 10 times from a variety of people:

Everyone (from Everywhere, USA) writes: If you could create one holiday, what would it be?

As it turns out, I actually have a credentialed expert to go to for this one: My wife’s boss recently had an awards day at the office and, among the awards given was one to my wife for “Most Likely to Create a New Holiday.” Seriously.

So, as soon as the emails started rolling in, I asked her what the new holiday should be. Without missing a beat (and obviously recognizing a sports theme would be nice), she said, “What about National Mulligan Day?”

I loved it. National Mulligan Day. You know how every time you step up on the first tee of a golf course, slice your opening drive into the parking lot and then just tee up another and swing again? If everyone got a do-over day like that in real life, it’d be fantastic! Guys who forgot their anniversary could go back and get flowers. Kids who didn’t do their homework could go back and copy it from a friend. Lonn Trost could go back and build a stadium that fans actually like! (I’m kidding … sort of.)

Obviously everyone would have to eat mulligatawny soup (preferably from the Soup Nazi) on this day and the really devoted celebrants would pay tribute to the mullet. Good times all around.

What do you guys think? National Mulligan Day? Could be good, right? Plus, consider this particularly relevant benefit: If the Yankees somehow don’t win their 10th in a row tonight, they can just invoke their Mulligan Day and go back to try again tomorrow.