The LoHud Yankees Blog

Registration begins in an hour. One last time, here are the details from our online department, along with a list of the prizes being given away in the random drawing.

This afternoon we are implementing free registration on the LoHud Yankees Blog. This is not meant to hinder you in any way. Rather, it will make reading and commenting on the blog a richer experience. By introducing registration, we will try to ensure that the conversation is free from the distractions of spammers, trolls and imposters.

Registration will be necessary for those wishing to post a comment on a blog entry. If you simply wish to read the content, you do not need to register. Each person who wants to comment will have to register a unique username. In addition to choosing a username, you will be asked to submit a valid e-mail address, your gender, zip code and age. This information is for demographic purposes only and will not be released to any outside party without your express consent. However, you may receive promotional or informational e-mails related to the LoHud Yankees Blog. You also must check the box saying you agree to the Terms of Service. Once you register and sign in, you’ll be able to comment as much as you wish.

To kick off this new feature, we are holding a drawing for those who register between noon July 20 and noon Aug. 3. Ten users chosen at random will win prizes provided by LoHud.com/The Journal News and Steiner Sports. You must be a registered user to enter the contest. Only one user per household may win. If you are one of the 10 chosen, you will be notified by e-mail following the registration period.

The prizes are all Major League Baseball authorized autographed baseballs in glass display cases and will be awarded in the following order:

1. Derek Jeter
2. Alex Rodriguez (signed 2009 World Series ball)
3. Mariano Rivera
4. Andy Pettitte
5. Robinson Cano
6. Brett Gardner
7. Reggie Jackson
8. Whitey Ford with “CY 61″ inscribed
9. Yogi Berra
10. Marcus Thames

Tonight 
RHP Phil Hughes (11-2, 3.65)
vs.
TBA
7:05 p.m., MY9

Wednesday
RHP Javier Vazquez (7-7, 4.45)
vs.
RHP Joel Pineiro (10-6, 3.95)
1:05 p.m., YES Network and MLB Network

Tonight’s Angels starter was supposed to be Scott Kazmir, but he went on the disabled list with fatigue in his shoulder. The Angels are most likely going to start either Trevor Bell or Sean O’Sullivan, each of whom has been starting in Triple-A but worked only out of the bullpen in the big leagues this season.

One other bit of Angels news: They just activated shortstop Maicer Izturis from the DL and designated Paul McAnulty. Izturis hasn’t played since June 15.

Associated Press photo of Hughes

A few minor league notes…

Sergio Mitre wrapped up his rehab assignment with 4.2 innings tonight in Scranton. Mitre allowed four hits — all singles — while walking two and striking out four. He left with runners at the corners and Eric Wordekemper let them score on a three-run homer.

Donnie Collins reports that Mitre did not allow a ball to be hit in the air. Donnie is also reporting that both Romulo Sanchez and Jonathan Albaladejo — logically the best call-up candidates for tomorrow — are with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight.

—

It’s worth noting that Double-A third baseman Brandon Laird started at first base on Saturday night. It was only his fourth game there this season, and his first since June 12. Laird has also started taking fly balls in the outfield before games.

As Mike Ashmore reported, manager Tony Franklin said not to make a “big deal” out of Laird’s time at other positions, but it’s hard not to notice that: 1. He’s blocked at first and third in New York, and 2. He’s been one of the breakout stars of the minor league system this year. It’s true that the Yankees, as a matter of course, often have players get at least a little work at other positions. But with a bat like Laird’s, it’s curious to see him working in in the outfield for the first time, especially considering it’s a spot where the Yankees system is pretty thin.

—

Spring training’s feel-good story might have taken a turn. Major League Baseball announced three minor league suspensions today, beginning with this one.

Jonathan Weber, a retired player, has been suspended for 100 games following his third positive test for a drug of abuse in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Weber will be effective immediately upon his return to Major League Baseball.

That’s the same Jon Weber who had such a huge spring training with the Yankees, an incredibly good guy who, at 32-years-old, had routinely played well at Triple-A without getting a taste of the majors. Weber was released out of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this season, signed with Toledo, then suddenly retired on Thursday.

From the of-course-that’s-true file comes this story: Derek Jeter is the most marketable player in Major League Baseball.

The ranking comes from Sports Business Daily which surveyed sports business executives and members of the sports media to determine the Top 10 most marketable players in baseball. After Jeter comes last year’s Most Valuable Players — Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer — followed by this year’s top phenom, Stephen Strasburg. Alex Rodriguez ranked ninth, one spot below David Wright and one spot ahead of Dustin Pedroia and Torii Hunter, who tied for 10th.

Jeter also topped THE DAILY’s last two most marketable reports, in ’05 and ’03, and earned his highest percentage of first-place votes this year. Armed with Hollywood looks and charm — not to mention 15 endorsement deals with companies such as Nike, Gatorade, Gillette, Delta, Upper Deck and 24 Hour Fitness — Jeter is a “clear cut number one,” says Premier Partnerships President & CEO Randy Bernstein. “Derek is so marketable due to his likability, passion, hard work, leadership and most of all, his humility,” Bernstein said. “He is a proven champion and has led his one and only team to multiple championships while also building up exceptional Hall of Fame statistics.”

A few other links worth a look as this off day comes to a close.

• My old friends with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are having their annual autograph party and auction on July 31. It’s a good chance to meet some of the Triple-A players in the system, and the auction includes autographs ranging from Reggie Jackson to Brian Cashman to CC Sabathia to Aroldis Chapman.

• The Yankees have reportedly prioritized the bench at the trade deadline, and Jon Heyman has a ranking of the Top 25 position players who could be available before July 31.

• Apparently TBS is planning a George Steinbrenner tribute by airing 10 Seinfeld episodes that feature his character, as voiced by Larry David.
 
• Two notes from the YES Network: The two-hour Yankees Old-Timers’ Day Special from 2-4 pm Saturday was highest-rated and most-viewed Yankees Old-Timers’ Day Special ever on YES. Also, Sunday’s telecast of the Rays-Yankees game was the highest-rated and most-watched non-Red Sox telecast on YES this season.

• Ken Rosenthal writes that the Yankees might not see much bang for their buck when it comes to Alex Rodriguez’s home run milestone bonuses. He notes that there’s not much buzz for A-Rod’s 600th home run, which is true, but I think that might be a little different when he starts passing the huge names on the list.

• By the way, that same Rosenthal link includes a note that several teams have asked the Yankees about Francisco Cervelli, but indications are that the Yankees have been reluctant to trade him.

• On off day at home made Sunday night the perfect opportunity for CC Sabathia’s birthday party. Just a guess, but I’d say it had very little in common with my 30th birthday party.

Associated Press photo of Jeter speaking before Friday’s game at Yankee Stadium.

When I talked to Brian Cashman this afternoon, I told him that — apparently – all he needs to do is make a quick, easy trade for Joakim Soria and all his bullpen problems will be solved. He knew I was kidding. I could tell because he didn’t hang up the phone right away.

“It’s going to be a very difficult trade market,” Cashman said. “Limited options and high price tags. I wouldn’t be all that optimistic.”

The bullpen reportedly ranks below the bench in terms of trade priorities, and some of that might be the reality of the two roles. The Yankees proved last summer that it’s pretty easy to add solid bench pieces — Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston were minor pickups who played quality roles down the stretch — but the bullpen is tricky.

Most lockdown relievers who could step confidently into the eighth inning would cost an arm and a leg. Literally. Kansas City and Florida would be well within their rights to ask for a significant hitting and pitching prospect for someone like Soria orLeo Nunez. A guy like Scott Downs — who has fairly significant left-right splits — might be more likely as a trade target.

Part of the problem with assembling and patching a bullpen is that even the best relievers are not always predictable. Last year the Yankees stumbled into their top setup man when they converted Phil Hughes. The Royals originally landed Soria in the Rule 5 draft. The Brewers have found success with closer John Axford, who was an absolute no-name in the Yankees minor league system three years ago.

It’s the nature of the beast in the bullpen, and the Yankees might be more likely to stick with Joba Chamberlain — trusting that his old dominance is still in there somewhere — than make a deal for a big name setup man to take his place.

Associated Press photo of Chamberlain.

In case anyone missed it last night or this morning, I want to remind everyone that we will be using free registration on the LoHud Yankees Blog beginning Tuesday.

To answer a few early questions that have popped up: 1. Yes, you will be able to opt out of informational emails from the blog. 2. International readers should have no problems registering. 3. We have some plans in place to try to help people get their original screen names. If those issues pop up, we’re probably going to have to deal with them as they happen, but we’re very aware that people are going to want to keep their screen names. We want that as well.

One more time, here’s the original message from our online department.  

Starting Tuesday, July 20, we are implementing free registration on the LoHud Yankees Blog. This is not meant to hinder you in any way. Rather, it will make reading and commenting on the blog a richer experience. By introducing registration, we will try to ensure that the conversation is free from the distractions of spammers, trolls and imposters.

Registration will be necessary for those wishing to post a comment on a blog entry. If you simply wish to read the content, you do not need to register. Each person who wants to comment will have to register a unique username. In addition to choosing a username, you will be asked to submit a valid e-mail address, your gender, zip code and age. This information is for demographic purposes only and will not be released to any outside party without your express consent. However, you may receive promotional or informational e-mails related to the LoHud Yankees Blog. You also must check the box saying you agree to the Terms of Service. Once you register and sign in, you’ll be able to comment as much as you wish.

To kick off this new feature, we are holding a drawing for those who register between noon July 20 and noon Aug. 3. Ten users chosen at random will win prizes provided by LoHud.com/The Journal News and Steiner Sports. You must be a registered user to enter the contest. Only one user per household may win. If you are one of the 10 chosen, you will be notified by e-mail following the registration period.

Sergio Mitre will make a rehab start tonight for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. According to general manager Brian Cashman, Mitre will throw 75 pitches. He’ll be working on short rest — he just pitched Thursday — but this should help him get a little more stretched out.

Cashman said Andy Pettitte’s injury has not changed the way he’s approaching the trade deadline.

“That’s what Mitre is here for,” Cashman said. “He’d be in most teams’ rotations.”

Before Mitre is activated, the Yankees will call-up someone from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Cashman said he hasn’t talked to Joe Girardi to solidify who that will be, but Cashman said it will not be Ivan Nova.

Nova was scheduled to be tonight’s Triple-A starter, but he will either work in relief for the night or be bumped back to start on another day. He will not come to New York to serve as a temporary long man.

Jonathan Albaladejo — who won the International League’s Pitcher of the Week award for a second straight week — seems to be the top option, but that’s strictly my opinion.

If you were planning to go, here’s the announcement from the team.

The New York Yankees announced that the “Bombers Boomer Broadway Softball Classic,” originally scheduled to be held on Monday, July 19, 2010, has been cancelled due to the passings of George M. Steinbrenner III and Bob Sheppard. Information regarding a possible rescheduling of the event will be released at a later date.

Please note that refunds will be issued in the same method of payment used at the time of purchase.

“Bombers Boomer Broadway” Refund Policy:

Tickets Purchased through Ticketmaster – Ticketmaster telephone orders will be automatically credited back to the purchaser’s credit card. Call the Ticketmaster Customer Service extension at 877-469-9849 for more information.

Tickets Purchased through www.yankees.com – Internet orders will be automatically credited back to the purchaser’s credit card.

Do you know who made the fifth-most starts for the Yankees last season?

It was Sergio Mitre. He started nine times, the same number as Chien-Ming Wang. In 2008, it was Sidney Ponson. In 2007 it was 21-year-old Phil Hughes edging Kei Igawa by one start.

Point is, this has happened before and it will happen again. Until Andy Pettitte was hurt on Sunday, the Yankees rotation had been remarkably healthy and consistent, but dealing with a rotation injury is par for the course in a baseball season. Brian Cashman seems to have told just about every Yankees writer — including myself — that Pettitte will be out four to five weeks. He was careful to call that number, ”my guess,” but whatever the exact number, this doesn’t seem to be a one- or two-start situation.

Cashman took it a step farther when talking to Wallace Matthews…

“Right now, I’m not inclined to make a move,” Cashman told ESPNNewYork. “I always prefer to fix things from within.”

With Cliff Lee traded and Roy Oswalt having another year on his contract, I’m not sure there’s an obvious front-line option out there. For now, Mitre will get the ball again.

Another thing to keep an eye on: Ivan Nova is scheduled to start tonight for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Pure speculation, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see his turned skipped so that he can give the Yankees an extra long man for a few days. That way they could save Chad Guadin and Dustin Moseley to give them innings behind Mitre.

If the Yankees are thinking shorter options, there’s Jonathan Albaldejo and Romulo Sanchez, each of whom pitched last night, suggesting they are not in line for a promotion.

Associated Press photo

A lot of smart people — much smarter than me – have been working behind the scenes for quite some time, and the LoHud Yankees Blog is ready to begin free registration later this week. This is the product of conversations that have been going on for months back at The Journal News. It is also the product of my bosses’ dedication to keeping the comments section as user-friendly as possible. Here’s a quick message with the nuts-and-bolts details from our online department. They’re the ones who did all the heavy lifting here.  

Starting Tuesday, July 20, we are implementing free registration on the LoHud Yankees Blog. This is not meant to hinder you in any way. Rather, it will make reading and commenting on the blog a richer experience. By introducing registration, we will try to ensure that the conversation is free from the distractions of spammers, trolls and imposters.

Registration will be necessary for those wishing to post a comment on a blog entry. If you simply wish to read the content, you do not need to register. Each person who wants to comment will have to register a unique username. In addition to choosing a username, you will be asked to submit a valid e-mail address, your gender, zip code and age. This information is for demographic purposes only and will not be released to any outside party without your express consent. However, you may receive promotional or informational e-mails related to the LoHud Yankees Blog. You also must check the box saying you agree to the Terms of Service.  Once you register and sign in, you’ll be able to comment as much as you wish.

To kick off this new feature, we are holding a drawing for those who register between noon July 20 and noon Aug. 3. Ten users chosen at random will win prizes provided by LoHud.com/The Journal News and Steiner Sports. You must be a registered user to enter the contest. Only one user per household may win. If you are one of the 10 chosen, you will be notified by e-mail following the registration period.