The LoHud Yankees Blog

There has (understandably) been a lot of attention focused on the Yankees bullpen lately and there’s no doubt that it’s one of the few problem areas. When I talked to Brian Cashman yesterday, he said the bullpen is one of the obvious areas that the team will consider addressing as the trade deadline gets closer, but he mentioned that possible solutions could be both “internal or external.”

On the internal front, Cashman said the Yankees will be watching closely as versatile righty Sergio Mitre pitches tonight for the SWB Yankees. Mitre has been on the DL with an oblique injury but put up a 2.88 ERA in 25 innings before getting hurt and could be in line for a more prominent spot with the Yankees once he’s healthy.

Another option is Jonathan Albaladejo. He’s been up with the Yankees before and never been able to sustain success, yet he’s clearly having a great run in Triple-A right now and got the save in the Triple-A All-Star Game Wednesday night. Check out Donnie Collins’s story on that here.

Could the Yankees go outside for bullpen help? Sure. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they do. But there are also some interesting options inside the organization and you can bet that Mitre and Albaladejo will do whatever they can to make an impact.

Via the Yankees, here’s the information about the video tribute to George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard that will be shown before tomorrow night’s game:

YANKEES TO HONOR GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER III AND BOB SHEPPARD PRIOR TO FRIDAY’S GAME AT YANKEE STADIUM

The New York Yankees will hold a tribute to commemorate the lives and recognize the passings of former Principal Owner / Chairperson George M. Steinbrenner III and longtime Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard prior to their 7:05 p.m. game on Friday, July 16 vs. Tampa Bay.

Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:45 p.m. for the pregame ceremony which will include a video tribute to “The Boss” and a special moment of silence honoring both of the Yankees icons. Further tributes to Mr. Steinbrenner and Mr. Sheppard will be revealed during Friday’s ceremony, and additional ceremonies will be held during Old-Timers’ Day events on Saturday, July 17.

United States Army Sergeant First Class MaryKay Messenger will sing the national anthem on Friday, and the West Point Color Guard will present the colors.

In addition, a wreath will be placed in front of Mr. Steinbrenner’s statue in the Yankee Stadium Gate 2 Executive Lobby as well as in front of Mr. Sheppard’s plaque in Monument Park.

What were you doing when you were 17? For me, I seem to recall eating a lot of hot dogs at Walter’s famous stand in Mamaroneck and making some incredibly poor (if not altogether embarrassing) attempts at talking to girls. Probably pretty standard.

More interesting, however, is the tale of what CC Sabathia was like at that age – and,  for those who want to know, Sabathia will be featured on the MTV show “When I was 17″ this weekend.

According to this press release on MTV’s site, young CC apparently enjoyed throwing paint (in addition to fastballs):

“I remember one time in my junior year, in my art class, our teacher had us doing, like, finger paints, and I went and put a stripe on a girl’s shirt, and it turned into a big paint fight,” he laughed. “Paint all over the walls, all over everybody. It was pretty fun.

“The teacher was this short little lady, and she was screaming, ‘You guys, stop!’ and we kind of drowned her out.”

The show airs at 11 a.m. on Saturday on MTV.

* That’s an AP photo of Sabathia from this year’s All-Star Game – when he was very much not 17.

Our corporate pals at USA Today have been running a poll on their web site about whether or not George Steinbrenner belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and during the course of my conversations with people who knew him this week that very subject has – not surprisingly – come up constantly.

One of the most succinct opinions on the matter came from Mike Stanton, the reliever who won three championships with the Yankees during the dynasty years. Stanton told me that, honestly, he doesn’t really understand the argument from people who say Steinbrenner shouldn’t be in the Hall.

“I don’t see how you can say no,” Stanton said. “You put down New York Yankees and what do you think of? You think of the interlocking NY and you think of turtlenecks.”

I chuckled at the imagery when he said that, but it’s certainly true. And Stanton went on, “I just don’t see how they could say he doesn’t deserve it. For what he’s done and what he’s built? Absolutely.”

My opinion is that Steinbrenner deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and so does Marvin Miller. Whether either man actually makes it remains to be seen.

* That’s an AP photo of a small memorial to the Boss that was created just outside the gates of his home in Tampa.

Over the past two days, hundreds of people – including many wearing Yankees gear – have reportedly shown up at the wake for Bob Sheppard. Today, he will be laid to rest.

The funeral for Sheppard, who died Sunday at the age of 99, will be at 10:45 a.m. at St. Christopher’s Church in Baldwin, N.Y. When I spoke to Brian Cashman yesterday, he said he didn’t know the specifics of any tributes the Yankees would do for Sheppard (or George Steinbrenner) at tomorrow night’s game but said he expected there would, obviously, be something.

Like many writers who spent a lot of time around the team over this past decade or so, most of my interactions with Mr. Sheppard were when he buzzed past me on the way to the elevator right as a game ended. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories from others by now, but seeing him wait at the back of the press box as a would-be final out was at the plate was endearing; as soon as the last out was made, he’d tuck his book under his arm (he would read between announcing hitters) and then zoom towards the elevator so he could be downstairs, in the car and on the way home before the traffic snarled. Even when he was in his 90s you didn’t want to be in his way.

The few times we spoke – I remember interviewing him at least once – he was kind, warm, cordial and exactly as he sounded on the job. He was, quite simply, a class act. He will be missed.

Reggie Jackson issued a statement on the passing of George Steinbrenner. Here it is:

“Upon hearing of Mr. Steinbrenner’s passing early Tuesday morning, the last two days have been filled with great emotion and personal reflection. The relationship I shared with The Boss is one that both heartens and comforts me during this difficult time. He meant so much to so many people, and I will always cherish him as a leader, a winner, and a friend.

“While I look forward to honoring and celebrating Mr. Steinbrenner’s life with his family and loved ones, I am taking this time to reflect on the enormous and lasting imprint he made within the game of baseball, throughout the Yankees organization, and in my life.”

This should be a slow night for baseball, but if you need a fix, the Triple-A All-Star Game will be on the MLB Network at 7:05 p.m. The  Yankees have three players on the International League roster: One huge prospect (Jesus Montero), one pretty big prospect (Eduardo Nunez) and one guy you’ve seen before but might deserve another shot.

Jonathan Albaladejo has been terrific in Triple-A. He has 29 saves at the break, which is already a single-season record in Scranton. He’s pitched 44.2 innings with 59 strikeouts, 25 hits and 12 walks. And he’s been consistently that good since Opening Day.

“He’s been pitching great,” Joe Girardi said. “He’s a guy that possibly we look at, something we definitely have to look at.”

Girardi said part of the reason Albaladejo hasn’t been called up is that the Yankees no longer see him as a multi-inning guy. They want to use him one inning at a time, and he’s thrived in that role in Triple-A. Might be worth a look in the second half.

The other Yankees in the Triple-A all-star game…

Jesus Montero, C
.252, 7 HR, 37 RBI
Thrown out 19 of 89 base stealers, 21.3 percent
You might have heard of this guy. So far Triple-A has been a bit of a learning curve for the 20-year-old, but he had a .505 slugging percentage in June so maybe he’s starting to adjust. Still very young. Still questions about his ability to stay behind the plate. Still has a lot of believers when it comes to his bat.

Eduardo Nunez, SS
.305, 3 HR, 40 RBI
Seven errors in 371 total chances at short
Word is he’ll be the No. 3 hitter for the IL. The Yankees have played him at third quite a bit lately, fueling speculation of a possible call-up. He’s already matched his walk total from 2009 and surpassed his walk total from ’08. He has two additional errors at second and two more at third, but I’ve been told great things about the progress of his defense at shortstop. He made 33 errors there last season.

Albaladejo photo from my friends at the Scranton Times-Tribune. That’s a Jason Farmer original.

The Yankees just sent out a statement from the Steinbrenner family. Here it is:

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the many kind words of condolence. We have been deeply moved by the generous outpouring of love and affection for George.”

The family will hold a private service.

A public memorial will be planned, and details will be announced next week.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to any of the following charities:

The Silver Shield Foundation
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 307
New York, NY 10017
(212) 832-1100

Special Operation Warrior Foundation
P.O. Box 13483
Tampa, FL 33681-3483
(813) 805-9400

The Gold Shield Foundation of Tampa
P.O. Box 271791
Tampa, FL 33688-1791
(813) 969-0417

Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay
1307 North MacDill Avenue
Tampa, FL 33607
(813)769-7523

In support of Bronx based Boys and Girls Clubs
Boys and Girls Club of America (Northeast)
5 Hanover Square, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10004-2657
(212) 377-6405

At first, I thought maybe my TV was just a little off  because, sporadically, it seemed like some of the players’ heads last night were bigger -  you know, like when you got the “oversized heads” code in “NBA Jam” for Sega Genesis back in the day.

Then I realized it wasn’t the TV – it was the helmets. Remember when Francisco Cervelli got all the grief from his teammates for using the big “Gazoo” style helmet after suffering a head injury during spring training? Well, the company that makes those extra-padded helmets has come up with a (slightly) more streamlined version and a number of players wore them during the All-Star Game (including Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer and Torii Hunter — the only Yankee who did was Nick Swisher). Kudos to good buddy Big League Stew for getting to the bottom of the story.

So will the look catch on all over the league? Who knows. But since Cervelli was the first player to wear the helmet consistently, it’s only fair to think of him as the trendsetter if it does.

*That’s Matt Holliday rocking his Gazoo helmet.

Obviously the Cliff Lee trade didn’t work out for the Yankees, but the fact that they were in on him to begin with was particularly interesting since a few years ago – when Johan Santana was the ace on the market – the Yankees passed. Their reason? They didn’t want to pay twice – once with players, once with cash.

So what changed this time? Brian Cashman said the Yankees situation now, as opposed to then, was almost completely different. “I didn’t think we were one player away from winning it all with Santana,” Cashman told me today. “And I didn’t think our system was prepared for the deal. This team is a lot deeper and stronger, both on the 25 and the system below.”

That’s certainly true – Cashman pointed out that if they’d made the deal for Santana, the Yankees still would have had to get a center fielder (to replace Melky Cabrera) as well as another starting pitcher (to replace Phil Hughes). They also would have lost their top prospect without having significant depth below. This time, with Lee, they would have dealt a top prospect (in Jesus Montero) but done it a position where they had others (Austin Romine, et al) right behind him. Also, the 25-man roster wouldn’t have been affected.

“We were building towards something that ultimately culminated in a championship down the road at the time the Santana deal presented itself,” Cashman said, “and the truth was that we just were not in a position to do a four-for-one at that time.”

I know some (if not many) of you were glad to see the Lee deal fall through and would have been disappointed to see Montero shipped out. If you’re in that category, it sounds like you can rest easy – Cashman intimated that Lee was a special case and that he believes – understandably – that “starting pitching is our strength.”

As the trade deadline moves closer, it’s more likely the Yankees will focus on the bench and the bullpen.

“Those are obvious areas that we need to improve,” Cashman said, “whether it’s internal or external.”