The LoHud Yankees Blog

Mark Feinsand of the News has an interesting note today about A-Rod and Mark Teixeira confronting ESPN’s Rick Sutcliffe about something he said on the air that upset them.

I’m not saying that Sutcliffe is necessarily guilty of this, but fans would be astonished at how little work some announcers do and how little time they spend in the clubhouse talking to the players before or after games. They just wing it and say what they figure is right. The YES guys, particularly John Flaherty, Michael Kay, Ken Singleton and David Cone, do their homework. But some of the national guys let somebody else do it for them.

It’s certainly a player’s right to stand up for himself if he feels he has been wronged.

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Meanwhile, the Yankees just took Adam Warren, a right-hander from UNC, with their fourth round pick and a Vanderbilt right-hander named Caleb Cotham in the fifth round. Tyler Kepner, a proud Commodore, will be thrilled.

The draft gets going today at noon with the start of the fourth round. They expect finish the 30th round by the end of the day. Rounds 31-50 will be tomorrow.

The best player available is probably catcher Max Stassi of Yuba City, Calif. But he is considered a tough sign and is committed to UCLA.

Arizona closer Jason Stoffel is an interesting player. The Yankees took an Arizona closer named Mark Melancon in the ninth round of the 2006 draft, so who knows?

You can follow pick by pick on MLB.com.

A.J. Burnett couldn’t get through three innings as the Yankees again fell to the Red Sox.

Brian Bruney is getting close to a return — but not that close. This notebook also has updates on Chien-Ming Wang and Hideki Matsui.

The Yankees took a five-tool outfielder with their first pick of the draft.

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The AccuWeather people say it’s the dimensions, not the wind that is leading to all the homers at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees have claimed since construction started that the dimensions at the Stadium would be the same as the old Stadium. But that is obviously not the case in right field. The wall is shorter (particularly in the corner) and the gap is shorter. The players noticed that during the first exhibition game.

The irony, of course, is that when the Yankees signed A.J. Burnett, they couldn’t stop talking about how well he had pitched against the Red Sox in his career.

Two starts against Boston this year: 7.2 innings, 13 hits, 11 earned runs. That’s a 12.91 ERA.

Burnett fell behind 12 of the 18 batters he faced tonight and threw only 40 of 84 pitches for strikes. This is the A.J. Burnett so many people feared, the guy with the great talent and frustrating lack of consistency. The only strike he throws regularly are with those pies.

“It’s embarrassing, it’s very disappointing,” Burnett said. “But obviously I’m not going to kill myself. I’m not going to go and try to figure out what went wrong or this and that. I’m going to get back out there. The confidence is there.”

He’s not going to figure out what is wrong? He has a 4.89 ERA. Figuring out what is wrong might be a good idea. Burnett was asked how he views his 12 starts with the Yankees.

“Terrible,” he said. “Glimpses of greatness but I’m not very consistent right now. I’m not a negative guy, so I’m not going to beat myself up over it. But when I do get on that run, it’s going to be impressive. I promise you that.”

Brave words. But in New York, that sort of talk can get thrown back in your face if you don’t back it up. Presumably he knows that.

Meanwhile, it has been five days short of a year since Chien-Ming Wang last won a game and he drags a 14.46 ERA to the mound tomorrow as the Yankees try and beat the Red Sox for the first time this season.

Can the fans of a team in first place be in a panic?

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Didn’t get a chance to update the draft. The Yankees took a catcher in the second round, a young man from Florida named John “J.R.” Murphy. He hit .627 with 56 runs, 17 doubles, six triples, 11 home runs, 66 RBI, 13 stolen bases and only four strikeouts in 2009 as a senior with Pendleton High School in Bradenton, Fla. Baseball America rated him as the fifth-best catcher among the 2009 draft class. The publication also rated him as having the second-best strike-zone judgment among high-schoolers in this year’s draft.

The Yankees sure have a lot of promising catchers in the organization. That is never a bad thing.

Meanwhile, here is what Damon Oppenheimer had to say about Slade Heathcott:

“We’ve been scouting Slade for two years, and we’re excited about selecting him. We really liked his combination of tools, athletic ability, performance and grit on the field. He’s a versatile hitter and has good speed in addition to possessing an above-average arm.”

I’m fairly sure that Slade called me “sir” about a dozen times during the interview we had tonight. If bring polite counts, he’s in good shape. Burnett said he remembered meeting Slade briefly via his agent but didn’t recall any details.

The last time a team from Boston started the season 6-0 against a team from New York was 1912 when the Red Sox won 14 straight against the Highlanders.

In other news from that year, the Titanic sank, Fenway Park opened and Woodrow Wilson beat William Howard Taft in the presidential election.

The Red Sox won the World Series, the Highlanders finished 50-102.

“Tough season for us,” Angel Berroa said.

The postgame was a bit bizarre. Joe Girardi took the bullet for A.J. Burnett, saying he pitched on too much rest. Then Burnett tried to come up with as many ways as he could to say he stinks.

YANKEES (34-23)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon DH
Mark Teuxeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Nick Swisher LF
Melky Cabrera RF
Brett Gardner CF

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (4-2, 4.69).

RED SOX (33-24)

Dustin Pedroia 2B
J.D. Drew RF
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Jason Bay LF
Mike Lowell 3B
David Ortiz DH
Jason Varitek C
Mark Kotsay CF
Nick Green SS

Pitching: RHP Josh Beckett (6-2, 4.09).

TIME/TV: 7:05 p.m., MY9.

THE SEASON SERIES: Boston is 5-0 against New York, outscoring the Yankees 38-23.

RETURNING TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME: A.J. Burnett allowed eight runs in five innings against Boston on April 25, kicking away a 6-0 lead in a game the Yankees lost 16-11. But Burnett has pitched well against Boston (5-0, 3.52) and at Fenway Park (3-0, 2.93) in his career.

ON A ROLL: The Yankees have won two straight, three of four and 19 of their last 25. They have won eight of their last nine series.

IN THE CLUTCH: The Yankees are 9-4 in one-run games and have come from behind to win a MLB-best 20 times.

THEY’RE HOT: Mark Teixeira has homered eight times in the last 14 games. … Nick Swisher is 12 of 31 with seven extra-base hits and eight RBI in his last 11 games. He has raised his batting average from .222 to .257.

HE’S COLD: Hideki Matsui is hitless in 16 straight at-bats, matching the longest streak of his career.

DESPITE THAT: The Yankees are 4 of 34 (.118) with runners in scoring position the last five games.

CAN ANYBODY ELSE CLOSE? Mariano Rivera has pitched in each of the last three games, throwing 42 pitches. He has worked four of the last five days, too.

IT’S GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME: The Yankees have an ERA of 4.81, the lowest it has been since April 12 when it was 4.41.

THREE’S A CHARM: The Yankees are 21-0 when holding opponents to three runs or less. They have a streak of 31 such wins going back to last season.

WELCOME BACK: This will be Alex Rodriguez’s first taste of Fenway Park this season. It’ll be interesting to see how the fans respond given the sudden, inexplicable decline of David Ortiz.

Back with much more later on.

UPDATE, 5:23 p.m.: Brian Bruney threw all of his pitches in the bullpen and said he felt great. But expect the Yankees to proceed cautiously with him. Joe Girardi indicated that they want to see Bruney pitch another bullpen before “one or two” rehab games. If that is case, Bruney could be available sometime next week.

Girardi said he wants to stay away from Mariano Rivera, who has pitched three straight days. They also seem leery about using Phil Hughes again.

Talked to CMW, who said he’ll be good for 90-100 pitches tomorrow. Girardi said it would be more like 85-90.

UPDATE, 5:38 p.m.: Here is Joe Girardi’s pre-game interview session. Using my newly discovered editing skills, I was able to condense it and cut out the dead spots. Pretty fancy, right?

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Meanwhile the tarp is down but Boston is hopeful of getting the game in.

UPDATE, 5:50 p.m.: In terms of the Red Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury is day to day with a shoulder injury.

UPDATE, 6:14 p.m.: The grounds crew is gathering to pull the tarp, which would seem like a good sign. It’s sort of misting and very foggy.

UPDATE, 6:30 p.m.: So much for Donovan Tate falling like a rock to the Yankees, the Padres took him third which is where he belonged. Meanwhile, a hearty congratulations to our own SJ44. His nephew, Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez, was just taken No. 4 overall by the Pirates.

SJ44 has been telling us about Tony for several years now. Congrats to their family and here’s hoping Tony has a great career.

UPDATE, 6:31 p.m.: Tarp is coming off and the pitchers are going to warm up. Looks like we’ll have a baseball game.

UPDATE, 7:03 p.m.: We’re going to have an on-time start, a testament to the grounds crew. We’ll have news on the draft pick when it breaks but we’ll mostly be concerned with Burnett vs. Beckett.

Enjoy the game.

UPDATE, 7:40 p.m.: It would seem that teams cast signability issues out the window in the draft as Crow, Tate, Purke and Matzek all went in the first half of the first round. As for what’s going on at Fenway Park, Burnett is doing is “throw a million pitches” thing again on a foggy, raw June night. Beckett looks fairly sharp. He is 4-0, 1.98 in his last six starts.

Ortiz just homered to dead center. 2-0 Red Sox and Burnett in trouble again.

UPDATE, 7:48 p.m.: Burnett’s ERA is 4.42 in his career when he pitches with extra rest, 3.44 on four days’ rest. Tonight’s erratic effort isn’t helping that any.

UPDATE, 7:51 p.m.: That makes it seven straight games with an error for the Yankees.

UPDATE, 7:54 p.m.: Burnett can’t pick up A-Rod as Drew doubles in two runs. 4-0 Red Sox. Burnett has walked three batters and two have scored.

UPDATE, 7:59 p.m.: Pitching on extra rest of not ideal for an established starter. But a big part of being good is doing what the circumstances dictate. This is the Burnett so many reasonable people feared when the Yankees pursued him. He has thrown 61 pitches after chucking 43 in that inning.

How can a guy with that sort of ability need 43 pitches to get through an inning?

UPDATE, 8:04 p.m.: 4-0 in this park with the offense the Yankees have is not insurmountable over seven innings. But with the way Beckett is pitching and Burnett having maybe three innings left, it’s not shaping up like a good night for the pinstripes.

UPDATE, 8:20 p.m.: Just brutal. Nick Green? Really? Nick Green?

5-0 Boston and Burnett is done.

Can the Yankees draft somebody they can sign now and use in the fifth inning?

BREAKING NEWS: YANKEES TAKE HEATHCOTT, 8:28 p.m.: The Yankees have selected Texas HS outfielder Slade Heathcott with their first-round pick.

UPDATE, 8:38 p.m.: Heathcott has already had major surgery. Usually the Yankees take guys who get their surgery later on, so that’s a good sign. He an an ACL repair in November.

Hetahcott is a player with tools who wants to play pro ball and is likely to pass on LSU. He’s a guy with plus speed, a plus arm and plus defensive skills along with a good bat. He’s a lefty hitter. He’s repped by Darek Braunecker, who has A.J. Burnett.

We’re hoping to get a pool reporter on a call with him shortly.

UPDATE, 9:23 p.m.: Here’s a Q&A a pool reporter (it was me) had with Slade Heathcott:

How surprised were you? “I was pretty surprised. It’s indescribable.

(He said he was with his HS team at the state final four in Round Rock. They’re playing a state semifinal tomorrow night. Final is Thursday if they win.)

First round a surprise? “It was somewhat of a surprise. I had a feeling it might happen to a degree. But nothing was final. So it was still a pretty big surprise. I had (talked to the Yankees) quite a bit. I think it’ll be an excellent fit.”

LSU or pro ball? “Like I’ve said all along throughout this whole process, I’m in a win-win situation either way. I’m ready to get started if it works out. I’m just in an excellent situation right now.

Describe yourself as a player: “Aggressive, energetic, I play with a lot of passion and heart.”

Best part of his game: “I’m pretty rounded in my five tools. My hitting is probably the best out of the five.”

Negotiations with the Yankees: “I’m not sure about that. We’re going to negotiate through everything and I don’t have a clue how long it will take.”

He said he has Darek Braunecker advising him. He is A.J. Burnett’s agent.

Meet A.J.? “I did, I did talk to A.J. and his family. Back when I first met Darek, we went to a Rangers ballgame against the Blue Jays last year while they were in Dallas. We sat down with A.J. and his mom and dad and we talked then. It’s actually ironic now that I think about it. I guess everything happens for a reason. It seems like a good fit.”

He was a Red Sox fan: “I’m a Yankees fan now. I actually was a Red Sox fan. I’ve always been a Red Sox fan since I was little and I just kept with it.”

He said he did not pitch this season but he used to. His left knee (ACL surgery in November) is good.

“It’s sore from time to time. I came back in three and half months to try and help my high school team out. The doctor said it would be sore but it’s doing good.”

When will they start negotiations? “I imagine it’ll be after the season so I can focus on these games first. It’ll wait until right after this series.”

The grounds crew is readying the field for batting practice here at Fenway Park and the skies, for now, are clear.

If that changes, we’ll let you know.

This from MLB:

As the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox prepare to meet tonight at Fenway Park, New York first baseman Mark Teixeira has overtaken Boston’s Kevin Youkilis in the latest American League All-Star balloting update, but only 1,209 votes make up the difference in a remarkably tight contest that will determine the starter in the 2009 All-Star Game, to be played on July 14th at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

After a stellar month of May, Teixeira (.286, 18 HR, 51 RBI) has now garnered 833,960 votes, slipping past the 832,751 cast for his new American League East rival Youkilis (.349, 9 HR, 35 RBI), who was the A.L.’s starting first baseman in the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Teixeira ranked third at first base in the first week of balloting and was second last week. Like Youkilis, Teixeira has started one All-Star Game before (2005).

The contest for the overall leading vote-getter is still being waged on the left side of the infield, as Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (.316, 13 HR, 55 RBI) holds the overall A.L. lead in his first year on the ballot with 1,560,358 votes. Nine-time All-Star shortstop Derek Jeter (.306, 8 HR, 26 RBI) of the Yankees follows Longoria with 1,511,418 votes. Behind the dish, Minnesota Twins two-time A.L. All-Star Joe Mauer (.413, 12 HR, 35 RBI) has extended his advantage with 1,255,206 votes, ranking third among all A.L. players. Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (.274, 15 HR, 44 RBI, 11 SB), vying for his first All-Star Game start, has collected 1,173,494 votes, in front of last year’s starter, 2008 A.L. Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia (923,416) of the Red Sox.

In the outfield, two-time All-Star Jason Bay (.277, 16 HR, 55 RBI) of the Red Sox remains ahead with 1,101,649 votes, followed by Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton (.240, 6 HR, 24 RBI), a 2008 A.L. All-Star who has accumulated 989,710 votes. Eight-time A.L. All-Star Ichiro Suzuki (.356, 5 HR, 17 RBI), has padded his lead for the third spot with 794,104 votes, but the climbing Carl Crawford (698,470) of the Rays, Torii Hunter (660,078) of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Ichiro’s Mariners teammate, 13-time All-Star Ken Griffey, Jr. (654,253), are among several outfielders who remain in the thick of contention.

The 2009 American League and National League All-Star Teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 5th on the 2009 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, televised nationally on TBS.

The annual amateur draft starts today at 6 p.m. from the studios of the MLB Network in New Jersey. Only 111 picks will be made today. The remainder will be made on Wednesday and Thursday as 50 rounds are completed.

That means the Yankees will pick twice today — 29th and 76th.

The Yankees lost their first-round pick (No. 25) to the Angels as compensation for Mark Teixeira. They also forfeited their second-round pick (No. 73) for CC Sabathia and their third round pick (No. 104) for A.J. Burnett.

But the Yankees gained the No. 29 pick in the draft as compensation for failing to sign first-round pick Gerrit Cole last season and No. 76 for failing to sign 2007 second-round pick Scott Bittle.

But here’s the twist: That compensation lasts only a year. If whatever reason the Yankees fail to sign their first two picks, they disappear.

That would seem to indicate the Yankees need to select players they know for sure they can sign. Does that necessarily indicate a college player? It could. But the Yankees have the means to make a high-ceiling high school talent an offer he can’t turn down.

The Yankees have been linked to Mississippi HS shortstop David Renfroe and Texas HS lefty Matt Purke. Georgia HS outfielder Donovan Tate is a candidate to fall in the draft because of signability concerns. The Yankees might jump on him much like they did with Cole last season. But given their lack of leverage, such a move could be a risk.

ESPN’s Keith Law, who knows of what he speaks, has the Yankees taking Texas HS outfielder Slade Heathcott. My guess: U. of Florida RHP Billy Bullock or another college pitcher. But if they went for a power hitter to fill an organizational need, that would make a lot of sense.

The other change is that the Yankees are operating under a more stringent budget than in previous years. Odds are they will spend more than most — if not all — teams. But there isn’t a blank check.

The MLB draft is unpredictable, as is the process of trying to determine which high school and college players can make it to the majors. For every Joba Chamberlain, there is a C.J. Henry or Eric Duncan. So enjoy the draft but don’t get too wrapped up in it. The results won’t be known for another two or three years.

Hopefully the Yankees will find a way to make their first-round pick available to the media today. If so, we’ll get you a full report later on.

The Yankees are headed to Boston after beating the Rays. Ernie Palladino has the story.

Joe Girardi doesn’t look too far ahead when it comes to Mariano Rivera. This notebook also has an update on Phil Hughes and news on Xavier Nady and Brian Bruney.

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As predicted, it is raining in Boston. We’ll keep you posted as the day progresses.