The LoHud Yankees Blog

Although the official report date is still a few days away, there are several Yankees already in Tampa working out and getting a jump on spring training. Two of them are Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain – friends, to be sure, but also rivals for the fifth-starter competition that will play out over the next six weeks or so.

Hughes told a few reporters that he is “out of the reliever mindset” for now and focusing on sharpening his repertoire. He also guessed that his innings limit, if he does win the job, will be around 175 — which shouldn’t be a problem since off-days during the season would allow the Yankees to skip the fifth starter spot a few times.

The most interesting thing about Hughes’s candidacy will be how well he’s able to improve his change-up. Dave Eiland made a point of stressing its importance to Hughes and right now it’s obviously his fourth pitch; he barely threw it at all in 2009 since it wasn’t necessary when he was working out of the bullpen. Obviously that’ll have to change if he’s a starter.

The Joba vs. Phil debate figures to be a fascinating aspect of spring training, and you can make strong cases for both guys. Everyone – from team officials to teammates to fans – will be watching every pitch each guy throws, and both already know that they’re the other’s main competition.

“It’s kind of one of those things that really doesn’t need to be said,” Hughes said.

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By the way: For those, who love the Yankees and casinos (not necessarily in that order), the World Series trophy is coming to the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut tonight and tomorrow.

The Trophy will be on display tonight at 5:30 p.m. at the Connecticut Sports Foundation Dinner. On Saturday, it will be on display and available for the public to take pictures just outside of the Box Office in The Shops at Mohegan Sun from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. For additional information, call (888) 226-7711.

When Sam and I were putting together the Pinch Hitters series, there were a few proposals that stood out as obvious parts of the series. There were a few tough decisions and a few difficult omissions, but Pete’s post was always the one we wanted to use as the finale.

On Thursday, Frank wrote about the way a World Series can suddenly take a unthinkable turn for the worst. This morning, Pete wrote about the way a routine grounder to second can become a monumental moment. I don’t think I’ll ever forget talking to Mark Teixeira after the 2009 clincher — No. 27 on Pete’s list – and having him ask whether anyone could remember who he hugged first during the infield celebration. He honestly couldn’t remember. After that groundball, his world became a blur.

“I didn’t feel it,” Teixeira said of the throw to first. “I literally did not feel it hit my glove. I had to look down afterward to make sure that I caught it.”

Pitchers and catchers report to the Yankees spring training complex on Wednesday. In five days, the Yankees will turn the page and begin actively chasing No. 28.

Hope Pete left room in that notebook.

Wrapping up the Pinch Hitters series is Pete Colgan, who came up with his own way to define the greatest moments in Yankees history.

Pete lives in Central Illinois and has been a Yankees fan since 1962. In coming up with his list of the greatest moments in Yankees history, Pete worked from his own spreadsheet of data he’s collected.

“E-mail it?” he wrote. “No, its not on my computer. I have it in a notebook. I’m old school.”

———

Mariano Rivera is pitching in a non-save situation. A ground ball to second and a quick flip to first. A great moment has just occurred? Better than the no hitters by guys named Reynolds, Righetti, Abbott and Gooden? Better than the perfectos of Wells and Cone? Yes, better than any other, because this is the final out of the 2009 World Series and my pick for one of the 27 greatest moments in Yankees history.

What moment is better for a fan than the moment their team wins it all? I’ve followed the Yankees since 1962, the year McCovey’s line drive found Bobby Richardson’s glove with the tying and winning runs in scoring position to end Game 7. I have read books and viewed videos proclaiming a multitude of greatest moments: Home runs like Maris’s 61st or Ruth’s 60th. Pennant winners from Chambliss and Boone. DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. Gehrig’s 2130 consecutive games.

In my mind none of these moments can match the thrill and exhilaration of that moment of winning it all, pure and simple. Thankfully none of the winners have been quite as harrowing as 1962 and McCovey’s near miss.

I recently made up a hand written spreadsheet of each of the 27 clinching moments. Most are ordinary plays involving mostly ordinary players. I can tell you, as much as baseball has changed the more it stays the same. Today it is always the closer getting that final out, and true to form, Mariano has closed the last four championships, with Wetteland and Gossage the two prior. Used to be guys like Gomez and Ruffing and even Torrez and Terry finished what they started. But check out Johnny Murphy and Joe Page, both pioneer relievers who closed out a combined four of the eight championships between 1936 and 1949. Ever hear of Bob Kuzava? He closed out two straight clinchers during the run of Casey Stengel. Second guess Casey for using Kuzava? Why should you? Casey won five straight championships. You can look it up.

Sure, some big names have fallen as the final outs. Guys like Hodges, Reese and Robinson — all of Brooklyn — made the final outs. So too did lesser knowns like Wasdell, Garmes and Yvars, plus names of recent vintage like Lemke, Sweeney and Lockhart. For every McCovey or Piazza there seems to be three or four of these quite ordinary players. Yet, they are all a part of the 27 greatest moments

I look at my spreadsheet and see only 10 clinchers at home. That means 17 on the road followed by a long train or plane ride home? Not exactly, because eight of the 17 road wins occurred at Ebbets Field, Polo Grounds and Shea, all just a bus or subway ride from the Bronx. So 18 of the 27 celebrations were kicked off somewhere in New York City. Two championships were won in the Yankees final at bat. The team that legend says intimidated the Pirates by merely taking batting practice, the Murderer’s Row team of 1927, walked off on a wild pitch of all things, and Billy Martin clinched 1953 with a line drive single.

It is that split second that leads to the subsequent wild celebration: The weak grounder, the routine fly ball, the strikeout and yes, McCovey’s scorcher to Richardson. It is all about the moment, the place, the people and the final play.

Ordinary as the final play might be, no Yankees fan can deny, THIS moment as the ultimate. All 27 of them. Putting it in perspective, Reggie Jackson’s three homer game will always be remembered as the greatest memory of 1977. But Reggie’s third home run wasn’t even the greatest moment of that game. Instead it was Mike Torrez squeezing the final out, a pop up bunt by Lee Lacy. Reggie’s heroics were merely stepping stones to one of the greatest moments in Yankees history. One of 27. We all know about Larsen’s perfect game, but it too was a precursor to THE event of 1956: Jackie Robinson’s strike out ending Game 7.

So now pitchers and catchers are about to report and great moments can be anticipated. What great moments lie ahead for the 2010 Yankees? Walk off wins, performances worthy of MVP and Cy Young awards, unimaginable feats of hitting and pitching may all be in our 2010 season just ahead. For all of these great feats I’ll take another routine grounder to second to end another Yankee championship and in the process become one of the TWENTY-EIGHT greatest moments in Yankees History.

Frank Thomas was a .301/.419/.555 hitter for his career? He got on base 4,222 times, which is 250 more than Tony Gwynn, 400 more than Mike Schmidt, 800 more than Ernie Banks and a thousand more than Willie Stargell. He was top 10 in RBI nine times, led the league in walks four times and never finished top 10 in strikeouts.

Tom Glavine won 305 games in his career. He won 20 five times, and finished with double-digit wins in 18 of 19 seasons, the only exception being a nine-win season in 2003. He was a Cy Young winner at age 25, an all-star at age 40 and had a 2.16 ERA in eight World Series starts, three of them complete games.

Glavine retired today, accepting a role in the Braves front office. Thomas also made his retirement official, fittingly while getting a lifetime achievement award in Chicago. Two of the best players of the past two decades. We’ll see them in the Hall of Fame in a few years.

The Yankees’ situation at third base feels both unique and familiar. Let there be no doubt that Alex Rodriguez is a one-of-a-kind player with a one-of-a-kind contract, but in terms of the Yankees plans and preparations, Rodriguez isn’t all that different from Mark Teixeira. Both are among the game’s premier players, locked into long-term contracts at positions where the Yankees don’t have an obvious replacement rising through the system. First base belongs to Teixeira, third base belongs to Rodriguez, and it should stay that way for a long time.

Starter: Alex Rodriguez
Backup: Ramiro Pena
Veteran insurance: none
Almost ready: Kevin Russo
Low rising: Brandon Laird, Brad Suttle, (plus a handful of lower-level guys who play all over the infield)

Pena seems to be the favorite to open as the Yankees utility infielder, and that makes him the most obvious backup at third base. Similar to the situation at second, though, Russo might be a better long-term solution should the Yankees need someone other than Rodriguez to play third base more than once or twice a month. With Jerry Hairston and Eric Hinske gone, there is no veteran who could step in and handle the position for a few weeks. Laird should be in Double-A, and he has legitimate power, but Suttle might be the most intriguing young third baseman in the system. He needs to bounce back from injuries and regain the form that made him a highly touted college hitter in the 2007 draft.

Worst-case scenario: You remember what happened last spring. At the time, it was believed that Rodriguez would need a second surgery this winter, but his doctors checked him out and determined that second surgery was no longer necessary. The worst-case scenario is that those doctors were wrong. There is absolutely no reason to believe they were wrong, but the possibility looms. If Russo takes a step backward in his return to Triple-A, Laird proves unable to stick at third in his Double-A debut and Suttle’s injuries prove too much for him to stay on the field at any level, the minor league system would take a hit at third base.

Best-case scenario: Ladies and gentlemen, your 2010 American League MVP, Alex Rodriguez. The same best-case scenario that applied to first base fits perfectly at third. Look at Rodriguez’s 2007 numbers. That’s what we’re talking about here. Icing on the cake would be another .320 batting average from Russo, 20 home runs from Laird and 400 at-bats from Suttle. A huge season from one of the lower-level infielders — Garrison Lassiter, Corban Joseph, Addison Maruszak, Jimmy Paredes – would be the cherry on top.

The future: Rodriguez is signed through 2017, so any talk of the future begins with him. He even has a contract that becomes more affordable year-by-year. There is some third base talent in the minor league system, but none of it is likely to bump Rodriguez as long as Rodriguez stays productive. If Rodriguez gets hurt, his skills fall off a cliff or the Yankees make a radical decision to have him change positions, then we can talk about a change of plans. For now, Rodriguez is the Yankees present and the future at third base.

An attempt at the complete depth chart
An educated guess, but just a guess
Scranton: Kevin Russo
Trenton: Brandon Laird
Tampa: Garrison Lassiter, (eventually Brad Suttle)
Charleston: Rob Lyerly, Kevin Mahoney
Both High-A and Low-A could have a lot of guys moving all around the infield, and even Double-A and Triple-A will likely see some defensive flexibility at second, third and short.

As I remember it, my mother used to watch a soap opera called As The World Turns. I’m sure a quick Google search would tell me whether it’s still on the air, but I honestly don’t care (sorry Mom). I’ve never watched them, but my understanding of daytime soap operas is that my mother could miss several weeks and still understand what’s going on whenever she started watching the show again. The shows are on in the middle of the day, when there’s nothing good on TV anyway, and they’re just interesting enough to keep someone entertained for an hour or so.

Such is the Johnny Damon saga.

At this point, it’s the same old story. Even if you’re sick of it — raise your hands with me! — it’s pretty much the most interesting thing going on. We’re less than a week from pitchers and catchers reporting. It’s the ultimate down time in baseball, and Damon’s contract has become bad daytime television. It’s just entertaining enough to keep our attention, and it’s moving slowly enough that we can miss a few episodes and still know the storyline.

Unless there is a mystery team waiting in the weeds — not entirely out of the question — the race seems to have come down to the Tigers and the Braves, with the Rays and White Sox possibly engaged to some extent. Jayson Stark reports that Detroit seems to be the highest bidder, and might be willing to go $7 million for one year. “There were indications the sides were still discussing a possible two-year deal,” Stark wrote. “But even the Tigers’ one-year offer appears to be the biggest offer on the table.” Ken Davidoff hears that the Tigers offer is much closer to $4.5 million, slightly more than yesterday’s reported offer from the Braves.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Yankee fans are still interested in where Damon ends up — and for how much – but mostly I believe we’re all ready to change to the channel and get spring training started.

UPDATE, 3:56 p.m.: No sooner did I post this than Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi came up with an update, reporting that the Tigers might be willing to go two years, $14 million.

Game 7 of the 1960 World Series is hardly a high point of the Yankees tradition. It ended with one of the most memorable home runs in baseball history, but that home run was hit over Yogi Berra’s head, not off the end of his bat.

So why choose that memory as one of the guest posts?

I guess it was partially because that’s what Frank wanted to write about — some bad memories stick with you longer than the good ones — but it was mostly because Frank’s story seemed to be the perfect snapshot of what it is to be a fan. Even the mighty Yankees fall sometimes, and the newspapers are poetically late that day.

As for my most vivid Yankees home run memory, it’s a bit more recent and a bit more positive. It comes from my first year in Scranton, which was also my first year living outside Middle America and in the midst of the Yankees Universe. It was Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. I was at work, and another writer and I actually ducked into the assistant managing editor’s office so we could focus on the game.  The place erupted when Aaron Boone hit his home run, then we all went back to work trying to update the sports section.

The last of the Pinch Hitters is tomorrow morning, and the whole series has been about bringing new and different perspectives to the blog. Sam and I are both in our early 30s, and we will simply never be able to write first-hand about being a newspaper delivery boy in 1960 hearing Bill Mazeroski’s home run on the radio. That’s where Frank comes in. 

It might be a crushing story, but it’s a great story.

We’re near the end of our Pinch Hitters series, but next up is Frank Funicello, who chose not to look ahead, but rather to look back and write about one of his most vivid Yankee memories.

Having grown up in Utica, N.Y., Frank now lives in Europe after a lifetime spent traveling the world. Everywhere he’s gone, he’s brought his love for the Yankees with him.

“Since graduating from college, I have rarely been back, preferring to live and travel overseas,” Frank wrote. “I have worked in many countries teaching English in schools and businesses and have now permanently settled in Heidelberg, Germany. Recently, though, I have become unemployed as the financial crisis has made English lessons a luxury expense. But, hey, now I can listen to the Yankee games that start at 1 a.m. here and not have to worry about getting up for work. Every cloud has… well, you know.”

———

While most Yankee fans are anticipating the first slaps of horsehide on wood of 2010, and making untenable predictions, I am standing at the opposite end of the field. Approaching retirement, I have more Yankee years behind me than I have ahead. Throughout changes of countries, jobs, girlfriends and wives, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do us part, the Yankees have remained a stability and a staple in my life. Fortunately, most memories ring loud with triumphs, but there clangs a devastating recollection which I will carry with me six feet under.

On a mild fall day in 1960, the Yankees faced the Pirates in the seventh game of the World Series. I picked up my afternoon copies of the local newspaper, packed them in the newsprint-splotched canvas bag and slung it over my shoulder. My other arm remained free to hold my transistor radio (ah, the wonders of technology!) close to my ear. Unbalanced and walking like an inebriated umpire to keep the antenna tuned to the strongest signal, I began my deliveries.

Listening to arguably the wildest game ever in World Series history, I had to stop frequently to absorb it all, with an especially long break when Tony Kubek was hit in the throat by a groundball and had to leave the game. The resilient Yanks kept coming back, though, and rallied with two runs to tie the score 9-9 in the top of ninth.

Of course, they would shut down the Pirates in the bottom of the inning and Mantle or Berra or somebody would win it in the 10th. I was in the Knobloch’s (no relation to Chuck) driveway when Bill Mazeroski came up. No problem. A career .260 hitter with only 11 home runs in 1960, he was a soft out — at worst a single.

Ralph Terry’s first pitch was a ball; then he served up a fat one and Maz crushed it over Yogi Berra’s head and the left field wall. Stunned, I dropped my bag and sat on the cool tarmac. The world was coming to an end, and at 14, I had experienced death.

All the newspaper deliveries were late that day.

We’re officially counting down in days – not weeks – until spring training, and almost every big name has come off the free agent board. Two of the top remaining free agents are ex-Yankees, and at this point, it looks like $2 million can buy one of them, and almost twice that might be able to buy another. Chien-Ming Wang seems headed toward a $2-million deal (plus incentives) with Washington, while the Braves have reportedly offered roughly the same amount (which almost doubles with deferred money) to land Johnny Damon.

Seems like a good deal for Wang. At this point, Damon might as well continue to wait and hope for more from Detroit.

Jon Heyman wrote a piece today in which he called utility infielders and so-so catchers two of the winners of the offseason because they landed bigger-than-expected deals. It seems worth noting that Brian Cashman and the Yankees could have jumped into both of those markets but chose to stick with their young players.

As for the best players still out there, here’s a quickly thrown together group. It’s not nearly as impressive as the group from one month ago.

1. Johnny Damon, LF
2. Felipe Lopez, 2B
3. Jermaine Dye, RF
4. Russell Branyan, 1B
5. Gary Sheffield, DH
6. Joe Crede, 3B
7. Rocco Baldelli, CF
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Ramon Martinez, SS

SP: Jarrod Washburn
SP: Chien-Ming Wang
SP: Pedro Martinez
SP: Bradon Looper
SP: John Smoltz

RP: Kiko Calero
RP: Chad Bradford
RP: Russ Springer
RP: Joe Beimel
RP: Chan Ho Park

Hand picking a team to win right now and remain competitive in the future, money being no issue, how many second basemen would you chose ahead of Robinson Cano? Is Chase Utley the only one? I’m sure there are some would prefer Dustin Pedroia or Ian Kinsler — and I’m positive everyone back home in Sikeston, Missouri would choose Blake DeWitt — but Cano ranks right up there at the top, clearly behind Utley but in the conversation for the second-best second baseman in the game. Not bad for a 27-year-old.

Starter: Robinson Cano
Backup: Ramiro Pena
Veteran insurance: none
Almost ready: Kevin Russo, Reegie Corona
Low rising: David Adams, Corban Joseph

Cano is in place, but the Yankees don’t have a veteran second baseman behind him. Pena is an outstanding defensive player with solid speed and a bat that might be improving, but he will probably never be an especially good offensive player. If something were to happen to Cano and the Yankees needed more than a spot start at second, Russo would be the better option (in my opinion). He really showed a lot in Triple-A last year and seems more advanced than Corona. Kudos to the Yankees for not feeling the absolute need to grab a proven middle infielder who brings little to the table other than experience. Standout second base prospects are rare — and I wouldn’t call any of the young Yankees second basemen superstars – but there is a long line of nice young second basemen coming through the system.

Worst-case scenario: It’s obvious isn’t it? Cano goes down — or falls into a funk like he experienced at the start of 2008 — and none of the young Yankees are able to handle the job. At some point, a team has to trust it’s young players, especial in a backup role, but that transition always comes with a risk.

Best-case scenario: Wouldn’t everyone involved be happy with a repeat of 2009? If Cano once again hits .320 with 25 home runs and 48 doubles, the Yankees might have the most productive No. 7 hitter in the game. If Russo repeats as the best lead-off hitter in the International League, the Yankees will have a legitimate middle infielder begging for an everyday job in the big leagues. If Adams and Joseph each get a promotion and succeed at the next level, they’ll begin looking like Top 10 organizational prospects. Last year was a good year for Yankees second basemen. If it ain’t broke…

The future: Cano is signed through 2013, and the Yankees can buyout either of the last two years. Basically, the ball is in their court. Cano is going to get pretty expensive in those last few years, but he’s under the Yankees control. They can decide whether he’s worth it, and by the time they have to make that decision, the Yankees should know what they have in their up-and-coming second basemen. Most like, the future looks a lot like the present, but the Yankees have some options.

An attempt at the complete depth chart
An educated guess, but just a guess
Scranton: Reegie Corona
Trenton: David Adams
Tampa: Corban Joseph
Charleston: Jimmy Paredes
Extended: Emerson Landoni (or he might be a utility type in Charleston)
Where’s Russo? As it stands, the Triple-A roster is going to have a lot of mix-and-match going on in the infield. My guess is, Russo will get most of his starts at third base while Corona gets most of his time at second. They just fit those positions a little better, but if the big league club needs a second baseman, I still think Russo would get the call ahead of Corona. Also, you might know the name Damon Sublett as a second base prospect, but he moved to the outfield last year.