The LoHud Yankees Blog

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If you grew up in New York, you had your choice of baseball teams to root for. But what if you grew up in Nebraska?

For Joba Chamberlain, the solution was on television.

It’s amazing how many big leaguers grew up fans of the Atlanta Braves. Thanks to so many of their games being on TBS from 1972-2007, it was easy to get to know the Braves. Plus Atlanta had such good teams during the decade of the 1990s.

During the pre-satellite TV era, Atlanta was MLB’s national team in terms of television coverage.

For Joba, facing Chipper Jones last night was the thrill of a lifetime. He even asked Chipper to sign a jersey for him before the game.

“Man,” he said. “Chipper Jones. That was my favorite player. Nice guy, too.”

David Robertson, who grew up in Alabama, said he and all his friends were Braves fans. Phil Hughes remembers seeing Braves games on TBS when he got home from school. Nick Swisher, too. For those guys, playing against the Braves is a big deal.

Our next LHYB live video chat will be today at 1 p.m. from Atlanta.

Go to our Pro Talk Live page and get your questions answered.

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The comments on the last few game posts have gotten out of control. When 1,200+ comments are posted, there are bound to be a few trolls and other knuckleheads who sneak in there. That’s not a problem.

But when my regular readers start to have a hard time, that is a problem.

So please keep these simple rules in mind if you would like to post:

• Personally attacking other people is not allowed. If one of your fellow posters makes a point with which you do not agree, please refrain from calling them names. We’re talking about baseball here, calm down. For the better part of four years, this blog has been a good place for courteous, knowledgeable Yankees fans to gather. Don’t write something you would not say to somebody in person.

• Cursing is not allowed. This blog is part of a newspaper and we do not allow cursing in the paper. No abbreviated curses, no acronyms, etc. If you can’t figure out how to make your point without obscene words, buy a thesaurus.

• CAPS LOCK is not allowed.

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• You might have a blog and that is cool. Feel free to add the URL to your site in the appropriate place so folks can click to it. But please do not place a link below your comment.

• The whole “first” thing is stupid. It’ll get deleted and you’ll be banned.

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• Do not post false news. One strike and you are out.

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• As always, please feel free to e-mail me at any time with any questions, concerns or suggestions.

Thanks for reading the blog.

Joe Girardi got tossed during the game and Brian Cashman got fired up beforehand as the Yankees beat the Braves. It was the win they badly needed.

CC Sabathia is ready for the Mets. This notebook also has updates on Mariano Rivera going to the plate, a roster move and Xavier Nady’s first rehab game in Scranton.

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Don’t forget, our next live video chat will be today at 1 p.m. from Atlanta.

Go to our Pro Talk Live page and get your questions answered.

The chat is sponsored by Friedrich Air Conditioning.

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The NBA Draft is tonight. Back when I covered college hoops in Connecticut, doing a mock draft was always fun and I covered the draft a few times.

A few thoughts:

• Saw Hasheem Thabeet twice in person last winter. He can run all day and block shots. But it’ll be a few years before he’s strong enough to rebound in the league and he has no offensive game.

• There is no chance Ricky Rubio is worth the second pick of the draft. Two questions: Can he get his shot off against better athletes and who can he defend?

• Love Jonny Flynn. Love James Harden. They have old-school games and won’t pass up big shots.

• Brandon Jennings is not nearly as good as he thinks he is.

• Stephen Curry is not really a point guard. But he’s probably better than anybody else the Knicks can get at that slot. But Ty Lawson could run that offense.

• Never take a Duke player. Never.

Earlier in the day, I mentioned the hitters-only meeting held before the game. Brian Cashman was one of the speakers.

“He was a little fired up,” Mark Teixeira said. “There was no yelling, Cash isn’t that kind of guy. But he was here; he wanted to make himself known. … Sometimes the principal needs to show up in the classroom if the teacher’s having trouble with the students.”

Interesting.

Meanwhile, Mariano Rivera was more excited about lining out to center field than striking out all four batters he faced. Using a borrowed bat (Cody Ransom), helmet (Alfredo Aceves) and gloves (Cody Ransom), he drilled a fastball.

Catcher Brian McCann asked Mo if he had ever been up before. With his teammates on the top step of the dugout laughing, Mo showed he can swing a bat.

“That’s what happens when you have skills,” Robbie Cano said.

Francisco Cervelli had the ball from his first home run and was thrilled. For this night, at least, the Yankees were a happy bunch.

Oh, and Joe Girardi would have stayed on the field all night if Bill Welke hadn’t thrown him out.

“No comment,” the skipper said when asked how he managed to get tossed.

He was smiling, too.

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Don’t forget, out next live video chat will be Friday (as in tomorrow) at 1 p.m. from Atlanta.

Go to our Pro Talk Live page and get your questions answered.

The chat is sponsored by Friedrich Air Conditioning.

YANKEES (38-32)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Gardner CF
Cervelli C
Chamberlain RHP

Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (3-2, 3.89).

BRAVES (34-36)
McLouth CF
Escobar SS
Jones 3B
McCann C
Anderson LF
Kotchman 1B
Francoeur RF
Johnson 2B
Kawakami RHP

Pitching: RHP Kenshin Kawakami (4-6, 4.42)

TIME/TV: 7:05 p.m., YES, ESPN2.

FREE-FALLING: The Yankees have lost five of their last six games and nine of their last 13.

RANSOM RETURNS: Welcome back from the 60-day disabled list, Cody Ransom. He hit .180 with six RBI in 15 games filling in for A-Rod in April before going down with a torn left quad. He hit .250 with two homers and eight RBI in a 14-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton.

SECOND BEST: The Yankees start the tie in a virtual tie for second place with Toronto. Tampa Bay is two games behind the Yankees in fourth.

SLUMPING: The Yankees have scored 13 runs in their current 1-5 stretch, matching their lowest output over a six-game period since May 13-20, 2008 when they also scored 13 runs and went 1-5.

BRAVE NEW WORLD: Atlanta pitchers have thrown 18 consecutive scoreless innings.

ONE-RUN REVERSAL: The Yankees were once 9-4 in one-run games. They are now 10-9.

JOBAMANIA: Joba is 3-0, 2.72 on the road this season. He is 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA in his last eight starts. The Yankees have scored either one runs or no runs while he was in the game during four of those starts.

REMEMBER HIM: Mariano Rivera hasn’t pitched since June 16.

GRITTY, GUTTY: Brett Gardner is 16 of his last 46 (.348). He is up to .285 and has a .361 on-base percentage.

ALMOST FAMOUS: Rumor has it that A-Rod is in a slump. It appears so. He is 1 of his last 20, 5 of his last 47 and 9 of 62 in June. His batting average has gone fro, .256 to .207. He is 12 of 52 (.231) with runners in scoring position with 11 strikeouts.

ONE YEAR AGO: The Yankees were 38-33 after 71 games last season and 5.5 games out of first.

INTERLEAGUE WOES: The Yankees are 5-8 against the Senior Circuit, 15-16 over the last two seasons.

SHOUT-OUT: Interested in the other team? Check out Dave O’Brien’s Braves Blog at the AJC site. He does a great job and makes much cooler music references than I do.

RIGHT NOW ON THE iPOD: Bodhisattva by Steely Dan. The live version off their Gold album. Tremendously underrated band. I have lots of Donald Fagan’s solo stuff, too.

DON’T FORGET: Our live video chat will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Atlanta.Go to our Pro Talk Live page and get your questions answered.

YES, I’M ON TWITTER: All the baseball 411 is here. But I will make an occasional wise-ass comment on twitter.com/PeteAbe. I’m up to 1,686 followers. Is that good? I have no idea.

Back with more later. If Angel Berroa doesn’t get DFA’d today, we’ll know for sure he has photos of somebody high up in the organization.

UPDATE, 3:47 p.m.: Brian Cashman in the house.

UPDATE, 3:58 p.m.: Lineup taken diwn. Swisher just met with Girardi and Cashman behind closed doors. Machinations?

UPDATE, 4:04 p.m.: Melky out, Swisher in.

UPDATE, 4:15 p.m.: Watching CC throw. Seems to have velocity and command.

UPDATE, 4:23 p.m.: He threw 30 pitches.

UPDATE, 4:29 p.m.: CC says he felt great and will start Friday.

UPDATE, 5:01 p.m.: The hitters all just went into a meeting. I bet it’s about getting more hits.

UPDATE, 5:48 p.m.: Girardi on his job security: “I know the drill here. Win or go home.”

No roster move yet. Waiting until after BP.

Girardi claimed the lineup originally posted was simply incorrect. That doesn’t explain the meeting with Swisher. With Nady close, he may be headed back to the bench.

UPDATE, 6:25 p.m.: Cashman said he came here because the team is struggling. “We’re all looking for answers,” he said. Asked about a trade, he shook his team. “All the answers are here,” he said.

He also said Joe Girardi is doing “an exceptional job.” In other words, it’s stay-the-course time.

No word on the roster move. You would think they were releasing Joe DiMaggio or something.

UPDATE, 7:05 p.m.: As expected, Berroa was designated for assignment.

UPDATE, 7:12 p.m.: We’re underway at 7:11 and it’s 91 degrees here in Atlanta. Jeter gets the Yankees started by flying to right field. Enjoy the game, everybody.

UPDATE, 7:22 p.m.: Nice clean inning for Joba thanks to a good play by Tex at first base. Take that, Keith Hernandez.

UPDATE, 7:26 p.m.: Alex nearly had a hit there but no dice. He’s now hitting .206.

UPDATE, 7:49 p.m.: That 20-minute pre-game meeting Girardi and Kevin Long held with the hitters is really paying off. Kenshin Kawakami is perfect through three innings. Sadly one of the hardest-hit balls was by Joba as he drilled it off Kawakami.

UPDATE, 7:50 p.m.: Braves getting somebody warmed up. Kawakami got it in the neck looked like. That has to hurt.

UPDATE, 7:57 p.m.: Tough break for Kawakami, who was pitching a perfect game through three innings. Kris Medlen warming up for the Braves.

UPDATE, 7:59 p.m.: Joba doing his part. No score after three.

UPDATE, 8:05 p.m.: That’s 22 straight scoreless innings for Atlanta pitchers. The Yankees have scored six runs in their last 37 innings.

UPDATE, 8:08 p.m.: It has to be tough for Joba knowing that giving up one or two runs could lose the game.

UPDATE, 8:15 p.m.: Joba is pitching a heck of a game. Be nice if the Yankees scored at least one run to give him a shot.

UPDATE, 8:23 p.m.: Holy cow, they’re getting perfect gamed through five innings by Kenshin Kawakami and Peter Medlen. But the Braves haven’t scored, either.

UPDATE, 8:26 p.m.: Joba left that halfway up and middle-in. Francoeur knew what to do with that. 1-0 Braves. Is that it for the Yankees?

UPDATE, 8:35 p.m.: THE PERFECT GAME HAS BEEN BROKEN UP! Ooops, didn’t mean to get so excited. It’s just unusual to see somebody on base.

Now if Gardner steals second, third and home, they can tie. But at least Joba is coming up, he is their best hitters.

UPDATE, 8:36 p.m.: Gardner picked off. Girardi has to get tossed here. Has to.

UPDATE, 8:37 p.m.: Yep, saw that coming. Now they’ll win. Gardner was safe, too. Bad call by Bill Welke.

UPDATE, 8:40 p.m.: Like I said … Yankees will win this game like 5-2. You can see this coming like the Queen Mary down a one-way street.

UPDATE, 8:46 p.m.: If Teixeira gets on, A-Rod will hit a grand slam. No question.

UPDATE, 8:49 p.m.: Here is comes, pay attention. Its about to be 5-1 Yankees.

UPDATE, 8:51 p.m.: Two-run single. I was sort of close. You knew something would happen. Nice job on an 0-2 pitch. What is Bennett thinking, throwing a pitch down the middle like that?

UPDATE, 9:01 p.m.: Joba doing work there. Somebody better make sure Mariano is at the game.

UPDATE, 9:21 p.m.: Joba hurt himself there with that wild throw. This is a big batter for Coke as the Yankees cling to a 4-2 edge.

Nice job otherwise by Joba.

UPDATE, 9:23 p.m.: How in the world did Swisher catch that? He took more turns than Danica Patrick. … Don’t let Chipper up.

UPDATE, 9:31 p.m.: Interesting move by Cox, walking A-Rod to load the bases with no outs. The Yankees can make this game a whole lot easier with a hit or two.

UPDATE, 9:36 p.m.: Tex is not the fastest guy around, but he pays attention out there. Yankees now lead 6-3. I predicted 5-2 back at 8:40. Gotta give me props.

Three-run lead with six outs to get. We’ve officially entered the “this would be an inexcusably disastrous loss” zone.

UPDATE, 9:53 p.m.: If this is not a four-out save situation for Mo, what is? Mo has not pitched since June 16. They’re letting Bruney face the tying run? Chancy.

UPDATE, 9:56 p.m.: Mo warming.

UPDATE, 9:57 p.m.: They were lucky that was it all it was. 6-4 Yankees and Mo on to face Kelly Johnson with two runners on.

UPDATE, 10:01 p.m.: The man sits for eight days and strikes out the first batter he faces with runners on. Nobody better.

UPDATE, 10:02 p.m.: I love those commenting on how Pena is running the game. You do know that Girardi didn’t go back to the hotel, right? He’s probably standing about 15 feet away in the runway or relaying messages from his office.

Anyway, 6-4 to the ninth.

UPDATE, 10:20 p.m. Hey, Mo is up. Cool.

UPDATE, 10:19 p.m.: Awesome, he lined out to center. What a great athlete.

UPDATE, 10:24 p.m.: That was Mo’s second career at-bat. He struck out swinging at Philadelphia on June 20, 2006.

UPDATE, 10:26 p.m.: Mo strikes out all four guys he faces for save No. 498.

Back with clubhouse reaction in a bit.

This release from the Indians:

The Cleveland Indians today announced they have acquired RHP Jose Veras from the New York Yankees for cash considerations. Veras will join the Indians 25-man roster over the coming days with a corresponding roster move being announced at that time.

Veras, 28, went 3-1 with a 5.96 ERA (25.2IP, 23H, 17R/ER, 14BB, 18K) in 25 appearances out of the bullpen for the Yankees before being designated for assignment on June 16th. He limited Major League batters to a .235 (23-98) average against, including a mark of .180 (11-50) against right-handed batters. Prior to being designated, 9 of his last 12 appearances with New York were scoreless (8.0IP, 12H, 5R/ER, 4BB, 6K).

In 2008, Veras was 5-3 with a 3.59 ERA (57.2IP, 52H, 23R/ER, 29BB, 63K) in 60 appearances with the Yankees as he finished 2nd on the team in both relief innings pitched and appearances. He was signed by the Yankees as a free agent in 2005 after spending time in the Tampa Bay and Texas organizations. He currently owns a Major League record of 8-4 with 3 saves and a 4.43 ERA (103.2IP, 89H, 51R/ER, 55BB, 94K) in 106 games.

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Cash considerations? That has to be at least three figures.

Our next LHYB live video chat will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Atlanta.

Go to our Pro Talk Live page and get your questions answered.

The chat is sponsored by Friedrich Air Conditioning.

The very first post I ever did on this blog, back in Feb. of 2006, was about Phil Hughes throwing in a spring training intrasquad game:

“But the buzz afterward was about 19-year-old right-hander Phil Hughes. He threw two perfect innings, striking out one. The former first-round pick has impressed everybody in camp. Jorge Posada sounded like his agent, predicting that the kid would be in the big leagues soon and comparing him to a young Andy Pettitte. Joe Torre was more reasonable, saying only that Hughes has nice jump on his fastball, a tight curveball and acts like he belongs. “You just never know until you see them a little while,” Torre said.

Hughes turns 23 today. He has pitched in 34 big-league games over three seasons and is 8-9 with a 4.97 ERA. His promise has not yet been fulfilled.

But what we thought in 2006 hasn’t changed: Hughes will be a very good, No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the majors and be successful for a long time. As long as he can stay healthy, he has the arm and the makeup to be a terrific pitcher.

While I understand he’s in the bullpen now out of circumstance, the Yankees should not lose sight of his potential as a starter. This is not just another guy.