The LoHud Yankees Blog

The Media Guide contest is over. I’ll be emailing the three winners this afternoon. As for the answers.

1. We started with an easy one. Derek Jeter was the High School Player of the Year in 1992 when he was a senior at Kalamazoo Central High School. He had slash stats of .508/.637/.831. Is that good? He actually hit .557 as a junior.

2. It was left-handed reliever Boone Logan who once lost a cow-milking contest in Los Angeles. He had debuted with the White Sox the year before, but 2007 was his first nearly full season in the big leagues.

3. While Joe DiMaggio was away, first baseman Nick Etten who wore No. 5 from 1943 to 1945. He kept the number proud, gaining MVP votes each of those three seasons and leading the league with 22 home runs in 1944. In 1946 he switched to No. 9 and hit just .232. He was out of the big leagues after 1947.

Just a reminder, if you didn’t win, you can still purchase a Yankees Media Guide at Yankee Stadium, by calling 1-800-GO-YANKS (800-469-2657) or by going online to yankees.com/mediaguide.

UPDATE, 12:19 p.m.: The contest post was up for 11 minutes. I got 121 emails. And they’re still coming.

UPDATE, 12:37 p.m.: Congratulations Chris Perez, P.J. Miller and Erik Didriksen. They were the first to get all three answers correct.

UPDATE: Contest is over. We have our winners.

The Yankees have offered to give away three Media Guides to LoHud blog readers. The first three to email me the correct answer too all three questions will be the winners. All of the questions come from information in the Media Guide.

Send your answers to: cjennings@lohud.com

1. Which current Yankee hit .508, was a perfect 12-for-12 on stolen base attempts and had 23 RBI in 23 games when he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association’s High School Player of the Year in 1992?

2. Which new Yankee once lost a pre-game cow-milking competition to Brandon Wood at Angel Stadium in 2007?

3. Which Yankees infielder wore No. 5 from 1943 to 1945 while Joe DiMaggio served in the military in World War II?

One entry per email address.

Today’s contest to win a Yankees Media Guide begins in 15 minutes. It starts at noon, eastern time.

Three questions. Three winners.

Thanks to the Yankees media relations department for offering to give away the Guides. If you’ve never flipped through one, I highly recommend it. Unreal amount of information.

A little bit of minor league news while we’re waiting for today’s spring training game against the Nationals.

According Patrick Teale over at Pinstripes Plus, the Yankees have released nine players from minor league camp. The biggest names are infielder Chris Malec and outfielder Seth Fortenberry, each of whom did enough to generate at least a little bit of prospect buzz at some point.

In his five years with the Yankees, Malec walked more than he struck out, good for a .380 on-base percentage. He never hit for much power, though, and he batted just .226 during his brief Triple-A stint last season. Fortenberry had 18 homers and 27 stolen bases with Charleston in 2007, but he hit just .169 last year.

Others released: Mike Lyon, Isaac Harrow, Julian Arballo, Griffin Bailey, Buck Afenir, Dan Miller and Paul Heidler.

With a week and a half remaining in spring training, the Yankees roster seems to be coming into focus. It’s still unclear who the fifth starter will be, and the Yankees have yet to decide whether Curtis Granderson starts in left or center, but 25 favorites have emerged for the active roster.

Don’t forget, today’s game is a night game against the Nationals. Also, we’ll be giving away Media Guides here on that blog at noon.

Today was an off day here in Tampa. The Yankees will get after it again tomorrow night against the Nationals.

Until then, check out our good friend Marc Carig’s video with Phil Hughes explaining how he grips his four-seam, curveball, cutter and changeup. Hughes also talks quite a bit in the video about the development of his pitches.

A few years ago, the Scranton paper asked me to do a story on the different types of pitches, and they wanted the package to include pictures of pitchers gripping each pitch. That meant finding someone in the Yankees organization to show me a knuckleball grip. Chase Wright agreed to give it a shot for me.

So there’s your random Chase Wright fact for the night.

• Speaking of former Yankees, Dan McCutchen has been named the fifth starter in Pittsburgh. He’ll join Ross Ohlendorf in that rotation.

• Rule 5 pick Zach Kroenke doesn’t have good numbers with Arizona this spring, but the Diamondbacks are likely to open with eight relievers and Kroenke is still in the mix. That link also has some information on Ian Kennedy’s latest spring start.

• Not sure if I’ve already linked to this article, but the other Rule 5 pick taken out of the Yankees organization, Kanekoa Texeira, is very much in the mix for the Mariners bullpen.

As I type this, there’s a Yankees Media Guide within reach. It can tell me that Dave Robertson is the fifth Yankee to come out of the University of Alabama. Or it can tell me that Dr. Stuart Hershon was born in Brooklyn and is in his 23rd season on the Yankees medical staff. Or that Bobby Murcer hit three home runs in a game twice during his Yankees career, which is more than Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle.

The Yankees have generously offered to give away three Media Guides to LoHud blog readers. We’ll do a contest tomorrow at noon. Three questions. First three to email the correct answers get the book.

Of course, you can also purchase the Media Guide at Yankee Stadium, by calling 1-800-GO-YANKS (800-469-2657) or by visiting the Yankees site at yankees.com/mediaguide.

The Guide is $20 ($85 for the spiral-bound version). It’s 448 pages of information, stories and full color pictures. Here’s the Yankees’ online description:

Typically available only to sportswriters, broadcasters and Yankees players, coaches and front office staff, the New York Yankees 2010 Media Guide is the ultimate insider’s resource and collectible. The Media Guide contains complete stats and biographies of every current player and coach in the entire Yankees organization going into spring training, along with the definitive written and statistical history of the club since its inception in 1903. With hundreds of photos of Yankees past and present, the Yankees 2010 Media Guide is simply the best and most comprehensive book about the Yankees anywhere. Serious collectors please note the additional availability of a limited-edition, front-office spiral-bound version of the Yankees 2010 Media Guide. After initial distribution to Yankees front office personnel and select media members, remaining copies from the 750-book run will be made available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis.

Two years ago, LaTroy Hawkins came into spring training with the Yankees and pitched 8.2 Grapefruit League innings without allowing an earned run. When he came to pitch in a minor league game that spring, a group of reporters asked him what he thought about his impressive numbers. His response was classic.

“Spring don’t mean sh….”

Well, spring doesn’t mean very much. That was his point. Three months later, the Yankees dumped Hawkins and his 5.71 regular season ERA on the Astros, and he actually rebounded to pitch pretty well in Houston.

This spring, it’s Sergio Mitre who’s putting up impressive spring numbers, but spring don’t mean (much), and Joe Girardi and Dave Eiland have said they’re evaluating their pitchers on other factors. It seems clear that they prefer Mitre over Chad Gaudin — even though it’s Gaudin who pitched better last season — so what might have tipped the scales in Mitre’s favor?

He’s further removed from surgery: “Last year I felt good early when I was coming back from Tommy John and toward the later months of the year, I just kind of fatigued,” Mitre said. “The offseason really helped. Nothing hurts right now.”

His sinker is moving more: “I think the pitches are the same,” Mitre said. “I think the only thing that’s different is there might be more life to it as opposed to being flatter.”

He’s throwing harder: “His velocity is better,” Joe Girardi said. “He doesn’t seem to fatigue as easily. There is a difference.”

His command is better: “He’s a different guy,” Jorge Posada said. “You can tell that he’s healthy and the ball is just coming out of his hand a lot better. He’s throwing strikes. Location, that tells you that he’s back on track… He’s putting it wherever he wants.”

That’s an Associate Press photo.

Aside from the 25 players who seem to be favorites for the Opening Day roster, there are still 14 others in big league camp with the Yankees. Could any of these play their way onto the roster?

Jonathan Albaladejo
Right-handed reliever
Two straight seasons on the opening day roster, but that trend will probably come to an end this spring. He’s really struggled with a sinker that hasn’t sunk. On the roster? On his way to Scranton to get things worked out. He was pitching very well at the end of last season.

Chad Gaudin
Right-handed pitcher
Might be on waivers, but he’s still in camp. Pitched well for the Yankees last season, but he seems to have been passed by Sergio Mitre. On the roster? It obviously doesn’t look good.

Greg Golson
Center fielder
He’s on the 40-man and he’s had a nice spring — .300/.364/.550 with plus speed and defense — but he has yet to prove himself as a consistent hitter in the minor leagues. On the roster? More likely in Scranton trying to prove himself with the bat.

Boone Logan
Left-handed reliever
Joe Girardi seems to view a second lefty as a luxury, not a necessity. Logan has an option remaining, so he can be sent to Triple-A. That’s probably not good news for him. He has pitched well, though. On the roster? Not if the Yankees plan to keep the four remaining fifth-starter candidates.

Mark Melancon
Right-handed reliever
One rocky outing, but otherwise he’s been solid this spring. The Chan Ho Park signing probably crowded out any chances he had of breaking camp with the big league club. On the roster? Not now. Check back in June.

Juan Miranda
First baseman
Remember when the Yankees signed Nick Johnson? That was the day Miranda was bumped out of the big league mix. He’s insurance at this point. On the roster? Not as long as Johnson is healthy.

P.J. Pilittere
Catcher
In camp to help handle the extra pitchers but has almost no chance of breaking camp with the team. Needs a chance to play regularly at Triple-A, but obviously Jesus Montero stands in the way. On the roster? A simple, no.

Mike Rivera
Catcher
Veteran depth behind the plate, Rivera is around as insurance. He’s clearly behind Francisco Cervelli, and his .125 spring average probably hasn’t helped. On the roster? Not unless someone gets hurt.

Royce Ring
Left-handed reliever
Another pitcher who has done well this spring but seems crowded out of the bullpen. Even if the Yankees were to carry a second left, Logan might be the better bet. On the roster? Probably battling Logan for a call-up from Scranton.

Kevin Russo
Infielder
He’s a polished hitter, and he’s proven that this spring, but his limited experience at shortstop and in the outfield leaves him as a tough fit for the Yankees. On the roster? Probably not on Opening Day, but keep an eye on his Scranton numbers.

Amaury Sanit
Right-handed reliever
I’ll be perfectly honest: I was surprised Sanit even got a big league invite, but the Yankees clearly saw some things and he’s proven worth the spot with a terrific spring. He won’t break camp with New York, but if he keeps this up he could push for a call-up. On the roster? No, but made a more compelling case than expected.

Zack Segovia
Right-handed reliever
Minor league veteran was signed to a minor league deal this winter. He’s been solid this spring, but he’s pretty far down on the depth chart. On the roster? It’s a bit difficult to even find a spot for him in Scranton.

Jon Weber
Outfielder
Not at all flashy, but the guy knows how to hit and he’s shown it time and again this spring. Being left-handed takes his slim chances and makes them almost nil. On the roster? No. But he might have opened some eyes.

David Winfree
Outfielder
One of the more interesting minor league free agent signings, Winfree is still just 24 and has shown good power. The Yankees say he’s competing for a bench role, but it’s hard to see that happening with Thames in the mix. On the roster? Might be the only guy who could give Thames a challenge, but it still seems unlikely. Mid-season replacement? Very possible.

A few key events and comments from the past few days have made guessing the Yankees roster fairly simple. The team could make a surprise decision in the next two weeks, but there seems to at least be an educated consensus on the most likely 25 players to break camp with the big club.

• Yesterday, Joe Girardi said: “We have five guys (competing to be the fifth starter). We have, in a sense, one spot in the rotation and three in the bullpen.” Today, it was reported that Chad Gaudin was placed on waivers, cutting that list to four players for four spots.

• Bench candidate Jamie Hoffmann has been sent back to the Dodgers. Girardi responded by saying Marcus Thames has a “proven track record” and “the most experience in that situation.”

• Girardi also gave Ramiro Pena the “most experience” tag as the utility infielder. He’s the only utility candidate still in camp with considerable shortstop experience.

• Randy Winn and Chan Ho Park were signed to guaranteed major league deals, assuring them spots on the team.

• Last week Girardi said: “I came to camp expecting (Dave Robertson) to be one of our guys.”

• When Girardi started his A lineup last week, it included Brett Gardner as the No. 9 hitter.

Favorites for the Opening Day roster

Alfredo Aceves
A.J. Burnett
Joba Chamberlain
Phil Hughes
Damaso Marte
Sergio Mitre
Chan Ho Park
Andy Pettitte
Mariano Rivera
Dave Robertson
CC Sabathia
Javier Vazquez

Francisco Cervelli
Jorge Posada

Robinson Cano
Derek Jeter
Nick Johnson
Ramiro Pena
Alex Rodriguez
Mark Teixeira

Brett Gardner
Curtis Granderson
Nick Swisher
Marcus Thames
Randy Winn