The LoHud Yankees Blog

Congratulations to Nick Swisher, who was chosen as a winner of the Thurman Munson Award and will be honored on February 1. Here’s the announcement, including Diana Munson calling Swisher “cute.” You don’t see that in every press release.

A trio of popular New York baseball stars will receive the prestigious Thurman Munson Award at the 31st annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner on Tuesday night, February 1, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, it was announced today. New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Nick Swisher, New York Mets outstanding outfielder Angel Pagan, and former Mets All-Star catcher Mike Piazza will be honored by the AHRC-New York City Foundation in memory of late, great Yankees catcher and captain.

The formidable baseball threesome will be joined by the Nets all-star guard Devin Harris and Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Evan Lysacek as the “Class of 2011.” For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner contact 212-249-6188.

Diana Munson, Thurman’s widow, will attend the gala, and has been involved in the benefit since its inception, raising nearly $10 million to assist children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“I love the way he plays, I love his enthusiasm,” said Diana Munson of Swisher. “Most importantly, he respects the history of baseball and the Yankees. On Old Timers Day, he was out there getting autographs and taking pictures. He’s not embarrassed by his love of the game, and respects the players. Plus, he’s cute.”

The AHRC New York City Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports programs enabling children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives, including programs of AHRC New York City. AHRC New York City is one of the largest organizations of its kind, serving 11,000 children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities.

Swisher, 30, who helped lead the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title, enjoyed his first All-Star season in 2010, hitting .288 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI as the club’s primary right fielder. Among his many charitable endeavors, he established the Nick Swisher Foundation “Swish’s Wishes” in 2007 to assist children with life-threatening illnesses and to help lift the spirits of kids going through difficult times. In 2009, Swisher provided Christmas dinner for the families of children battling cancer at the Ronald McDonald House in New York and was the co-Ambassador to the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Lee Denim Day to help raise money for breast cancer research.

Piazza, 42, may have been the top offensive catcher of all time. A .308 career hitter with 427 home runs and 1,335 RBIs, Piazza played for 16 seasons, including an eight-year stretch with the New York Mets following a three-team trade from the Dodgers via the Marlins. The 1993 Rookie of the Year, and a 12-time National League All Star selection, Piazza was peerless amongst catchers with the bat during his career, and the Norristown, Pennsylvania native is the all-time leader in homers for a backstop. In a career filled with big home runs, Piazza’s most memorable long-ball was a go-ahead two-run shot off of Atlanta Braves’ reliever Steve Karsay in the first game back in New York following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The popular Met also contributed to the team’s 2000 World Series appearance by hitting 2 key homers in wins over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. Piazza participates in Michael Jordan’s Make-A-Wish charity golf and softball events, and has worked closely with Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)

Pagan, 29, is a rising star with the New York Mets, with the 2010 season rating as his strongest to date during a five-year career. An outstanding fielder, Pagan made strides with the bat last season, setting career highs in hits (168), runs scored (80), home runs (11), RBI (69),and stolen bases (37). The native of Puerto Rico was originally drafted by the Mets in 1999, but reached the majors for the first time in 2006 with the Chicago Cubs. Pagan made an impact off the field for the Mets in 2010, and was the Mets nominee for the 2010 Roberto Clemente Award. He was one of the first Mets to participate in the June “Teammates in the Community Week,” planting new trees in community gardens in Spanish Harlem. Pagan also proudly supports City Harvest, food and rescue organization dedicated to feeding New York City’s hungry men, women and children. He hit the streets of Manhattan this year to raise awareness for City Harvest’s Skip Lunch Fight Hunger campaign and has visited Hour Children Food Pantry in Long Island City to help distribute more than 1,000 pounds of food to needy families during the busy holiday season.

The list of notable athletes to previously receive the Munson Award reads like a sports “Who’s Who,” and includes: Yankees – Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly, Mariano Rivera, Willie Randolph, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Robby Cano, Bernie Williams, Bobby Murcer, Joe Torre and Joe Girardi; Mets – Tom Seaver, John Franco, Darryl Strawberry, Ron Darling, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Keith Hernandez, Rusty Staub and Gary Carter; Basketball – Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, Jason Kidd, Dave DeBusschere, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Mark Jackson, Charles Oakley, Allan Houston and John Starks; Olympians – Donna de Varona (swimming), Dorothy Hamill (figure-skating), Paul Hamm (gymnast), Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skating), Nancy Kerrigan (figure skating), Carl Lewis (track and field), Carly Patterson (gymnast), and Dwight Stones (men’s high jump).

Associated Press photo

I want to start today with one more call for our upcoming Pinch Hitters series.

I haven’t counted the emails I’ve already received, but there already a lot of terrific suggestions. I appreciate all of you who have already written, and I want to get as many as possible before I put the schedule together.

If you have something to say and haven’t sent your suggestion, feel free to fire away. You can write about something in the Yankees past, present or future — a favorite player, a wasted opportunity, an open letter to Brian Cashman — whatever comes to mind.

My plan is to start contacting people this week, and I’d like to finalize the schedule this weekend. Just email me a brief explanation of your suggested post. The ones that are chosen will hear from me in the next week or so.

A handful of links and notes from another fairly quiet day in baseball.

• The Rockies have locked up Carlos Gonzalez with a seven-year extension. That’s pending a physical. Colorado is clearly ready to roll with Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki for the better part of the next decade.

• The Rangers made their Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes signings official today. They’re also known to be chasing Adrian Beltre, but T.R. Sullivan says team officials “weren’t too optimistic” a deal would be done with the third baseman.

• The Blue Jays have signed Chad Cordero. That’s a minor league deal for the former Nationals closer who’s gone through serious injury problems.

• Turns out Alfredo Simon really was involved in a shooting this weekend, but he says it was an accident. Simon turned himself in today, and his attorneys’ fees will be paid by Miguel Tejada.

• The Mets have signed Chris Capuano and Taylor Buchholz for their pitching staff, but those additions don’t necessarily take them out of the mix for Chris Young or Jeff Francis.

Sunday, February 13
Manager Joe Girardi addresses the media. Kind of an unofficial start to spring training. Lots of questions about Derek Jeter batting lead-off, who fills the eighth-inning role and whether the Yankees have an obvious favorite to be the fifth starter.

Monday, February 14
Pitchers and catchers report to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

Tuesday, February 15
First official workout for pitchers and catchers. If we’re lucky, there will be a bullpen session. Lots of questions about Joba Chamberlain as a reliever, Russell Martin as an everyday catcher and Jorge Posada as a DH.

Sunday, February 20
First full-squad workout. Lots of questions about how Alex Rodriguez’s hip is doing and what Curtis Granderson did to keep up the strides he made late last season. Posada finally stops answering questions about his role (for at least a day or two).

Wednesday, February 23
Spring training photo day. I’m sure the guys will be thrilled when this day rolls around.

Saturday, February 26
First spring training game. The Yankees open the spring schedule at home against the Phillies. Pretty sure Sam will be taking you through this game. I’ll be in a tuxedo at my friend Wade’s wedding.

With Pedro Feliciano officially re-signed, the bulk of the Yankees bullpen has been put together for next season. There is, however, room for one more arm. Without an addition, the Yankees could move forward with a bullpen that’s very similar to last season’s initial group, but there are still several impact, late-inning relievers on the market.

Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, Brian Fuentes, Jon Rauch and Kevin Gregg are still out there, but Brian Cashman has said he would be hesitant to pay closer money for a setup man. In many cases, the Yankees would also have to decide whether it’s worth losing a first-round pick to add a reliever.

Closer
Last year: Mariano Rivera
This year: Rivera
At some point, Rivera will pass the ninth-inning torch, but right now it’s still his to carry.

Setup
Last year: Joba Chamberlain
This year: Chamberlain
At this time last year, Chamberlain was in the rotation mix. Now he’s a full-time reliever and seems poised to get another crack at the setup job unless the Yankees find a Kerry Wood replacement.

Setup
Last year: Dave Robertson
This year: Robertson
Of the in-house options, some combination of Robertson and Chamberlain seems best poised to setup for Rivera, handling the seventh and eighth innings as necessary. Pretty much the exact same late-inning situation as April of last year.

Left-handed specialist
Last year: Damaso Marte
This year: Pedro Feliciano
One veteran lefty needed season-ending (probably) surgery, so the Yankees went out and found a replacement. Hard to pinpoint any sort of difference between Feliciano’s new role and Marte’s old role.

Long reliever
Last year: Sergio Mitre
This year: Mitre 
Last season, the Yankees had an abundance of long-relief types. They’ve since let most of them go — Moseley, Gaudin, Aceves — leaving Mitre as the most obvious in-house long man. That’s, of course, assuming he doesn’t end up in the rotation.

Second long man/Second lefty
Last year: Alfredo Aceves
This year: Boone Logan
Last year’s bullpen was setup to have several multi-inning pitchers. This year’s seems to be designed for more than one left-hander. Logan became a great find in the second half of last season, and could go more than one inning if necessary.

Swing man
Last year: Chan Ho Park
This year: ???
Spring training had already opened when the Yankees agreed to sign Park. They considered him a versatile reliever, one who could pitch his way into a late-inning role or pitch multiple innings at a time. It’s the same with the open spot in this year’s bullpen: It could be a second long man, or it could be a late-inning option. In-house choices include the Rule 5 picks, Robert Fish and Daniel Turpen, the out-of-options Romulo Sanchez or any number of minor leaguers including Mark Prior.

Associated Press photo

The Yankees made the Pedro Feliciano signing official today. Here’s the announcement.

The New York Yankees today announced they have signed free agent left-handed pitcher Pedro Feliciano to a two-year contract, extending through 2012 with a club option for 2013.

Feliciano, 34, has led the Majors in relief outings in each of the last three seasons (2008-10), and his 266 total appearances over the stretch set a Major League record for most games pitched over any three-year span. His 344 relief outings since the start of 2007 also mark an all-time record for most appearances over a four-year stretch.

Feliciano owns a 22-19 record with four saves and a 3.31 ERA (372.1 IP, 137 ER) in 459 career relief appearances over parts of eight seasons, all with the Mets (2002-04, ’06-10). His 459 games pitched rank second on the Mets all-time list, trailing only John Franco (695). In 2005, he pitched in Japan for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League, appearing in 37 games and going 3-2 with a 3.89 ERA (37.0 IP, 16 ER).

In his career, Feliciano has held left-handed batters to a .214 (146-for-683) batting average with 210 strikeouts and just 10 home runs, including a .211 (26-for-123, 0 HR) mark in 2010. Of his 459 career appearances, 398 have been 1.0-inning or less. In 30 career relief appearances against AL East opponents, he is 1-1 with a 2.48 ERA (29.0 IP, 8 ER) and a .202 (21-for-104) opponents batting average.

In 2010, Feliciano went 3-6 with a 3.30 ERA (62.2 IP, 23 ER) in 92 relief appearances for the Mets, surpassing his own franchise record in games pitched (previous was 88 games in 2009). His 92 appearances tied the Dodgers’ Mike Marshall (1973) for fourth place on Baseball’s all-time single-season games pitched list, trailing only Marshall (106 games in 1974), Pittsburgh’s Kent Tekulve (94 in 1979) and Salomon Torres (94 in 2006).

A native of Puerto Rico, Feliciano was originally selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 31st round of the 1995 First-Year Player Draft. With his first appearance as a Yankee, he will become the 110th player all-time to play in a Major League game with both the Mets and Yankees.

It seems to be time for Andy Pettitte to make a decision.

It’s been two months since the Yankees postseason run came to an end. It’s not especially surprising that it’s taken him this long to mull retirement, but at this point a lot of pitchers — non-Rivera category — will start throwing to get themselves ready for spring training. What Pettitte does in the next few weeks will depend entirely what he decides to do the next few months. For his own well-being, it’s hard to hesitate much longer.

For the Yankees, their roster situation changes significantly depending on Pettitte. Their lineup and bullpen is basically the exact same today as it was this time last year. The difference is in the rotation, and a Yankees source has told Wally Matthews that they expect a decision in the next few days (though, we’ve heard that before).

With Pettitte, there’s no reason to panic. Essentially, the Yankees would have Ivan Nova to replace Javier Vazquez, and that would give them a legitimate starting five to carry into Opening Day. They’d want to add some depth and might be able to find one or two upgrades, but a Yankees roster with Pettitte is viable. It would actually be very close to last year’s roster.

Without Pettitte, there’s an obvious need for pitching help, and the Yankees might have to get creative to find pieces that fit.

Associated Press photo

Guess I picked a pretty good week to take some time off.

Predictably, the week between Christmas and New Years was overwhelmingly quiet. I managed to avoid the New York blizzard, see a ton of friends and family and not have to unexpectedly work on a single breaking Yankees story.*

That’s a win for me.

Most of the AL East was busy. Nothing too crazy, but the Red Sox re-signed Hideki Okajima, the Orioles landed Derrek Lee and the Blue Jays signed Octavio Dotel. Of the three, only Dotel would have made much sense for the Yankees, but there are still several late-inning, right-handed relief options out there (trading for David Aardsma, though, is now pretty much out of the question).

Whether the Yankees are legitimately interested in any of those relievers remains to be seen, and their interest might depend on how the market changes in the next few weeks.

For now, another quiet week has come and gone. At this point, did you expect anything else?

* Most significant Yankees-related story of my week was probably this one: My friend Bobby felt absolutely certain that Kansas State would beat Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl, and he put a fairly significant amount of money where his mouth was. Not good. At one point he tried to blame me for the end result.

All is quiet on the baseball front today except for an unsettling story out of the Dominican Republic. According to an AP report, police say Baltimore reliever Alfredo Simon is a suspect in the shooting death of one man and the wounding of another, although the pitcher reportedly denies being involved. The police are trying to find him.

It’s the final regular-season Sunday of the NFL season, and I’m actually at the Meadowlands covering the Jets-Bills game. The Jets are resting several regulars for the playoff opener next weekend.

I believe Chad will be back from vacation on Monday. Thanks for all the comments during this uneventful week.

Hello to 2011 and to all the possibilities for the Yankees and everyone out there.

The Orioles should continue to at least be more competitive under Buck Showalter, and they should get some more power at first base now that they have agreed with Derrek Lee on a one-year deal contingent on a physical. 

And the other new transaction in the division involves the Red Sox, according to ESPN.com. It appears lefty Hideki Okajima is coming back for another season in the bullpen after a strong finish to a mostly down year. 

The writers’ Hall of Fame votes were due in by New Year’s Eve. There were 33 former players on the ballot. I voted for one, Roberto Alomar, who received 73.7 percent in the balloting last year, his first year eligible, and he needed 75 percent for baseball immortality. Yes, I know he wasn’t great with the Mets and spit once. But he was a .300 lifetime hitter, with 2,724 hits and 474 steals; batted .313 in 11 postseason series; made the All-Star team 12 straight seasons; and won 10 AL Gold Gloves at second. 

I do consider myself a hard marker when it comes to the subject. I’m old enough to have seen everybody play. But this is obviously a subjective evaluation.

I couldn’t bring myself to vote for the names associated with steroids. We are told in the instructions to also consider integrity.

There are some borderline cases that I thought hard about, although if you have to think about them, are they really Hall of Famers? That group includes Bert Blyleven – I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t get in this year, his 14th out of a possible 15 on the ballot after finishing .8 percent short last year – Jeff Bagwell and Fred McGriff. Maybe I’ll reevaluate in the coming years, but right now I don’t see it.

I’m sure there will be a good deal of support again for Barry Larkin and Jack Morris.

Besides the ones mentioned, the notable names on the ballot included: Harold Baines, Kevin Brown, John Franco, Juan Gonzalez, Al Leiter, Edgar Martinez, Tino Martinez, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, Dale Murphy, John Olerud, Rafael Palmeiro, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith, B.J. Surhoff, Alan Trammell and Larry Walker.

The results will be announced this month. So who would you vote for?