The LoHud Yankees Blog

The tarp is still on the field, but the rain has died down and there seems to be some hope of playing today.

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C

After a press conference this afternoon, Jorge Posada is going to announce a new partnership to further the efforts of the Jorge Posada Foundation. As always, you have to appreciate when these guys go out of their way to make good things happen.

Here’s the press release with all the details.

All-Star catcher Jorge Posada and his wife Laura will announce a new partnership with Grammy Award-winning duo Wisin & Yandel on Tuesday, April 12 at 3:00 p.m. in the Yankee Stadium Press Conference Room, prior to that evening’s Yankees-Orioles game. The duo will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the start of the game.

The top-selling Latin artists Wisin & Yandel, born Juan Luis Morera and Llandel Veguilla, respectively, have partnered with the Jorge Posada Foundation in their efforts to combat Craniosynostosis. The duo has very generously pledged to donate a percentage of each ticket sold in their upcoming U.S. tour to the Jorge Posada Foundation.

The donated funds through this partnership will be used to underwrite the playroom area of the brand new state-of-the-art facility at the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (IRPS) at the NYU Langone Medical Center, one of the pre-eminent facial reconstruction facilities in the United States. Nearly 70 percent of the IRPS’s patients are uninsured or receive only Medicaid reimbursement.

Wisin & Yandel began their career together more than 10 years ago in their native Puerto Rico within the Latin music genre Reggaeton, which started as a fusion of Jamaican dancehall and Panamanian Reggae Root and has since evolved to include Hip Hop, Pop, Rap, Dance and R&B rhythms. In the past five years, Wisin & Yandel have accumulated a record 12 Platinum Album Awards in the United States as well as 11 Platinum Album Awards and eight Gold Album Awards across Latin America. The duo holds the record for most number ones on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Airplay Chart, having placed nine different songs since the chart’s creation in 2005.

In June 2009, the duo launched an unprecedented program amongst Latin artists to benefit “Habitat for Humanity” by donating a portion of the revenues made during their U.S. tour to help build homes for needy families. When Haiti was devastated by the earthquake in 2010, Wisin & Yandel were among the first in the Latin music world to respond – as well as the most generous – donating $100,000 towards rebuilding an orphanage that had been destroyed in Port-au-Prince.

The New York Yankees organization has been a longtime supporter of the Jorge Posada Foundation. They re-confirm their loyalty to the Foundation and to Craniosynostosis by promoting the before mentioned partnership to all the fans at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees will broadcast a public service announcement created for this project on the Stadium’s Centerfield Video Board, as will the team’s television partners, YES and My9, during Yankees games.

The Jorge Posada Foundation is a non-profit organization established by Laura and Jorge Posada in honor of their son and his successful struggle with Craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis affects one out of every 2,000 births in the United States. Early intervention by a multi-disciplinary team of doctors is the key to effective treatment of the condition. The Jorge Posada Foundation works to raise awareness of the condition in the United States and abroad. The Foundation partners with community-based organizations, medical centers and provides support through a Mentors Network. The Jorge Posada Foundation also funds innovative and groundbreaking projects that create a deeper understanding of the condition and the required medical treatments. All monies raised by the Jorge Posada Foundation are used in a targeted manner in order to maximize efforts.

Associated Press photos

The Orioles are going to be without shortstop J.J. Hardy this series. Hardy is heading for the disabled list with a strained oblique (the Yankees can relate). Meanwhile, the Orioles have yet to settle on a starter for Wednesday’s game. It will either be Brad Bergesen — who would be called up from Triple-A — or Chris Jakubauskas, who pitched out of the bullpen this week.

Tonight
RHP A.J. Burnett (2-0, 4.09)
vs.
RHP Chris Tillman (0-0, 3.38)
7:05 p.m., MY9

Wednesday
RHP Phil Hughes (0-1, 16.50)
vs.
TBA
7:05 p.m., YES Network

Thursday
RHP Ivan Nova (1-0, 6.10)
vs.
RHP Jake Arrieta (1-1, 8.68)
7:05 p.m., YES Network

Associated Press photo

First, we’ll start with a photo passed along by the group that help organize today’s Nick Swisher appearances at various Bank of America locations. Is anyone surprised to see that Swisher seemed to be having a great time?

Second, a very cool thing is happening over at Chasing800.com, where the website came up with a good way to celebrate Mark Teixeira’s birthday.

Inspired by Teixeira’s $1 million donation to Harlem RBI and the DreamTeam25 initiative, the website found a group of 25 Yankees fans who agreed to donate $40 apiece to the cause. It took 48 hours to assemble the group of fans who would contribute to a $1,000 donation to Teixeira’s charity. From the website:

During a time of economic uncertainty and daily financial struggles, it was great to see a group of fans with one common interest (Yankees Baseball) coming together in support of a great cause for inner city athletics and inner city education.

Check out Chasing800.com for a list of those who donated.

A few other notes on this off day…

• The Yankees announced today that CC Sabathia will be greeting fans in the Great Hall near Gate 6 before tomorrow’s game. Sabathia will be there around 5 p.m. Also, Robinson Cano will get his Silver Slugger award before the game.

• Speaking of the upcoming home stand, Connecticut basketball player Kemba Walker — fresh off his NCAA title win — will throw out the first pitch on Wednesday.

• The Associated Press has reported that Kevin Millwood is scheduled to make his “second and possibly final” extended spring training start tomorrow in Florida.

• Buster Olney reports that the Yankees are “just trying to get 20 to 35 starts” out of their final two rotation spots, then they’ll look to the trade market to fill the rotation. Right now there’s no clearly defined rotation trade market, hence the Millwood and Carlos Silva additions.

• The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looked back at the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte and, unsurprisingly, found it to be a win for the Pirates on the strength of Jose Tabata alone.

• Speaking of that trade, Ross Ohlendorf went on the disabled list and was replaced on the roster by Dan McCutchen.

• Speaking of traded former Yankees: Austin Jackson is struggling in Detroit.

• Not to excuse the cost of parking around Yankee Stadium, but thought I’d mention that it cost me $45 to park at Fenway last night.

Associated Press photo of Sabathia

The Yankees minor league seasons got underway last week. An off day seems to be a good time to look at all four full-season teams.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Prospect watch: The big name here is obviously Jesus Montero who has six hits, including a home run, in his first three games. Montero is the biggest name in the Yankees minor league system, and he could hit his way into a major league call-up, possibly forcing the Yankees hand at some point this season.

Worth watching: Montero is the big name, but the rotation might be the best part of the Triple-A roster. Hector Noesi, David Phelps, Adam Warren, D.J. Mitchell and Andrew Brackman are legitimate prospects, and one of them could very well be in New York by the middle of the summer… Plenty of familiar names are playing for big league call-ups, including Ramiro Pena, Greg Golson and Kevin Russo. Spring addition Chris Dickerson is also a viable call-up candidate… It’s worth mentioning that left-handed reliever Andy Sisco is off to a strong start and has big league experience… Blocked at the corners, Brandon Laird and Jorge Vazquez need to prove they have big league bats, forcing either a call-up or a possibly trade.

By mid-season: Might not be long before Mark Prior is ready to join the Triple-A bullpen. He was better than might have been expected this spring, and he could pitch his way back to the big leagues… While the Triple-A starters are pushing for big league call-ups, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances will be working toward replacing them with promotions from Double-A… At some point Kevin Millwood and Carlos Silva might play a role, but that’s uncertain at this point.

Opening day lineup
Kevin Russo 2B
Chris Dickerson CF
Jesus Montero C
Jorge Vazquez 1B
Justin Maxwell LF
Brandon Laird 3B
Greg Golson RF
Jordan Parraz DH
Ramiro Pena SS

Trenton

Prospect watch: Activated today from the temporary inactive list, Manny Banuelos is making his season debut tonight. The top pitching prospect in the Yankees system made a huge splash in spring training at just 20 years old. He could move quickly, but the major leagues seem unlikely until at least September.

Worth watching: He didn’t steal as many headlines as Banuelos, but Dellin Betances also had a solid spring and seemed to make a good impression. He’s another real-deal pitching prospect who needs to stay healthy… Austin Romine was sent back to Double-A after spending all of last season there. How long he stays there might depend on how long Montero stays in Scranton… He’s not a huge name, but Corban Joseph has shown a pretty good bad for an infielder. He could be a Russo-type utility option within a year or so…  Lefty Steve Garrison very nearly made the major league roster and got the win on Opening Day… A strong Double-A season could push Graham Stoneburner among the elite pitching prospects in the organization. He’s often labeled as a future reliever, but he’s so far had tremendous success as a minor league starter.

By mid-season: Might not be long before second baseman David Adams is ready to return from last year’s ankle injury. He and Joseph are somewhat similar prospects, both with intriguing infield bats… Jeremy Bleich and Alan Horne are currently on the Trenton roster, still working their way back from surgery… Could a strong Double-A season push switch-pitcher Pat Venditte to Triple-A and make him a viable major league option next season? He turns 26 in June… A few months should be enough time to give an indication whether Melky Mesa can make enough contact to keep his career moving forward. He’s a toolsy outfielder, but seems hit-or-miss as a prospect.

Opening Day lineup
Austin Krum LF
Jose Pirela SS
Austin Romine C
Bradley Suttle 3B
Cody Johnson DH
Melky Mesa CF
Corban Joseph 2B
Addison Maruszak 1B
Ray Kruml RF

Tampa

Prospect watch: Right now, this is the least prospect-heavy roster of the four full-season teams, but starting pitcher Brett Marshall is one of the most intriguing arms in the lower-levels of the season. His upside might be as high as anyone in the organization — he has a huge fastball — and last season he made a strong return from Tommy John surgery. Now he needs to stay healthy for a full season. He’s never thrown 100 innings in a season.

Worth watching: My old friend Patrick Teale over at Pinstripes Plus believes center fielder Abe Almonte could be on the verge of a breakout season… Starter Jose Ramirez is another low-level starter who could really emerge as he climbs through the system. He had a 3.60 ERA with 105 strikeouts in Charleston last year, his first full-season… The Yankees got aggressive in pushing 2010 draftees Chase Whitley and Preston Claiborne to Tampa this season. The pair of college relievers could make some noise… Kyle Higashioka didn’t have an especially good 2010 and will need a solid 2011 to keep pace with the Yankees strong crop of catching prospects.

Mid-season: Not many huge prospects on the Tampa roster right now, but that could change within a few weeks if Slade Heathcott hits his way out of Charleston… Utility man J.R. Murphy — who can catch and play the corners — could also hit his way into a call-up to Tampa by mid-season.  This is a make-or-break year for shortstop Carmen Angelini. He seems healthy and needs to get off to a strong start to prove he’s still worth getting at-bats… Doesn’t seem likely that reliever Mark Prior will stay in Tampa very long.

Opening Day lineup
Abe Almonte CF
Carmen Angelini SS
Rob Lyerly 3B
Luke Murton 1B
Taylor Grote RF
Ziolo Almonte LF
Kyle Higashioka C
Deangelo Mack DH
Walter Ibarra 2B

Charleston

Prospect watch: Four games into the season, former first-round draft pick Slade Heathcott is hitting .500 with two home runs, a triple and four doubles. He was only so-so last year, but he’s an exceptional athlete who’s showing early signs of a big year. Might not be in Charleston for long.

Worth watching: The hot start from Heathcott is impossible to ignore, but the biggest prospect on this roster is catcher Gary Sanchez. A legitimate offensive and defensive prospect, Sanchez is getting his first taste of full-season ball… Third-round pick Rob Segedin is the highest pick in last year’s draft to open with a full-season team… Outfielder Ramon Flores opened a lot of eyes in rookie ball last season. So did second baseman Anderson Feliz… J.R. Murphy was drafted as a catcher, but he’ll see time at third base and the outfield corners. The Yankees love his bat… Last year’s fifth-round pick, Tommy Kahnle is opening in the Charleston bullpen. He had 25 strikeouts and allowed just three hits in 16 innings last year with short-season Staten Island.

By mid-season: Much like the Yankees did with Heathcott last season, first-round pick Cito Culver was held back in extended spring training this year. If he follows the Heathcott plan, he could be in Charleston by the middle of the year as the everyday shortstop… Also possible heading for a mid-season promotion to Charleston are second-rounder Angelo Gumbs and fourth-rounder Mason Williams. In some corners Williams is considered the top Yankees prospect from last year’s draft, and he could replace Heathcott in center field… Is outfielder Kelvin DeLeon still a legitimate prospect? We might know that by mid-season.

Opening Day lineup
Slade Heathcott CF
Anderson Feliz 2B
J.R. Murphy DH
Gary Sanchez C
Rob Segedin 3B
Roman Flores LF
Kelvin DeLeon RF
Kyle Roller 1B
Jose Mojica SS

Associated Press photos of Montero, Banuelos and Prior

When the Yankees opened this weekend’s series in Boston, Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia was hitting .227/.261/.227 with no extra-base hits, no walks and no hits in his previous two games.

When the series ended, Pedroia was hitting .400/.447/.571.

That’s the reality of this time of year. Last Monday, Jorge Posada hit his third home in two days. He’d played in four games and was hitting .286/.375/.929. In four games since, he’s gone 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts.

“Just four or five days ago, people were ready to call him a great DH,” Joe Girardi said. “That’s the nature of this game early on in the year. Two or three bad days gets you below .200. Two or three good days gets you way above .300.”

Here’s the rest of the Yankees regular lineup.

• Brett Gardner is now hitting .167/.265/.267. He’s started eight games this season. In four of them, he’s reached base a total of nine times, struck out only once and stolen three bases without being caught. In the other four he’s 0-for-16 with eight strikeouts and no walks.

• Derek Jeter is now hitting .206/.300/.235. Heading into yesterday’s game, he had a modest four-game hitting streak — accounting for half of the season to that point — during which he was hitting 313/.421/.375.

• Mark Teixeira is now hitting .182/.325/.545. Five days ago he was hitting .333/.455/1.000 with four home runs in five games.

• Alex Rodriguez is now hitting .321/.441/.714. He’s played in eight games. In the middle four — exactly half of his season so far — Rodriguez hit .188/.235/.375 with more double plays (2) than extra base hits (1).

• Robinson Cano is now hitting .324/.342/.595. Coming into the weekend he was hitting .240/.269/.400 with two extra-base hits and two RBI. He’d struck out five times and walked once.

• Nick Swisher is now hitting .219/.289/.250. Five days ago he was hitting .333/.409/.389 with five hits and three walks in his past three games.

• Curtis Granderson is now hitting .172/.250/.414. As recently as two days ago he was drawing praise for the fact he had already homered off a lefty twice this season, apparently a sign that last year’s mechanical adjustments were working.

• Russell Martin is now hitting .300/.344/.633. In his past five games, Martin has hit .188/.278/.563 and would have only one hit in that span if not for the two-homer game on Saturday.

—

“If I did (put much thought into early numbers), I wouldn’t be standing here to be honest with you,” Mark Teixeira said. “If I did I would have retired years and years ago. The first nine games, you’re going to have some funky stats. You’re going to have guys that you’re going to say, ‘This guy’s going to be the next MVP’ and he gets sent down a month later. You’re going to have guys that are hitting .050 and then he wins the MVP.

“It’s such a small portion of the season. It’s raining and it’s cold, you can’t get into a rhythm sometimes. I’d love to be able to hit .300 from Day 1, but that’s just the way it is. That’s the way baseball is.”

Here’s hitting coach Kevin Long speaking after last night’s game. He touched on Teixeira, Posada, Jeter and the offense as a whole.

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Associated Press photos of Posada and Teixeira

Just a quick heads up to all of you Bank of America customers, or really anyone who might be walking around New York City today.

Apparently Nick Swisher is making unannounced and somewhat random appearances at various Bank of America locations in the city today. He’ll be giving away tickets and other Yankees items. The whole thing is connected to the bank’s sponsorship connection to Major League Baseball.

From a press release…

To thank customers for their business in unexpected ways, Bank of America has invited New York Yankee Nick Swisher to surprise customers at select banking centers around the city on April 11. During his unannounced visits, Swisher will give away tickets to upcoming Yankee games along with other baseball-themed items. His appearances are part of a larger, national program that uses Bank of America’s sponsorship of Major League Baseball to demonstrate its gratitude to customers who also share bank’s passion for America’s National Pastime.

Just something to be on the lookout for on this off day.

Associated Press photo

After last night’s game, hitting coach Kevin Long took offense to the idea that Derek Jeter had abandoned the mechanical changes that were the subject of so much discussion this spring.

“Everybody is talking about abandoning stuff. That’s so far from the truth,” Long said. “I think it’s wrong to write because that’s not right. He really has stayed to the plan. What you want to do when you step in the box is compete, and that’s what he’s doing.”

Jeter’s lead foot has been easy to spot. That foot hasn’t stayed on the ground for every swing, proving that Jeter’s stride has not completely disappeared. And the stride was the most visible part of the changes.

The stride, though, was only a product of the greater goal, Long said. Primarily, Jeter is working to move directly and quickly to the ball. The important thing is that his foot doesn’t cross over toward the plate.

“He’s trying to keep his stride direction and keep his stride short,” Long said. “You work on it as long as you can, and when you go into the game, really all you can do is compete. And that’s what he’s doing… We talked about getting him more in line. That’s it. When we started it we did it with no stride. He’s picked up at times and set it down. And there’ll be times when he goes in, and we’ll discuss it.”

On Saturday, Jeter made it clear that he didn’t want to keep discussing his swing. The subject seems to have worn thin. Jeter is hitting barely better than .200 – and he’s hitting a lot of balls on the ground again – but Joe Girardi said he won’t make any judgments until Jeter’s had 100 to 150 at-bats.

“Obviously I would love for the results to be there, but all you have to worry about is being comfortable,” Jeter said. “I felt pretty comfortable the last few games. (Sunday) I’m sure you could have thrown anybody out there that was comfortable and it would have been an uncomfortable day for them. As long as I’m comfortable, then I’m confident the results will be there.”

There’s no denying that Jeter’s not hitting right now. At this point, it seems the Jeter followers fall into two camps: Those who believe he’s finished based on what he’s shown so far, and those who are reserving judgment until he’s played more than a week and a half. What Long took exception to was not that Jeter’s struggling, but rather the idea that he’s no longer working on the things he set out to master.

“For somebody to say he’s not doing things the way we set out to do, that’s not the truth because he’s really worked hard at it,” Long said. “I don’t agree with that. I think it’s completely opposite of what he’s been trying to do and trying to accomplish.”

Associated Press photos

Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson combined to go 0-for-9 with eight strikeouts tonight. Granted, no one was going to have a good night against Josh Beckett tonight, but those three stand out for one reason: Just a few days ago, there was reason to believe all three in for a terrific start to the season.

As of now, all three are hitting below .200 with only their string of home runs boosting their overall production.

“I’m looking for something positive and nothing is positive right now,” Posada said.

Fans never like to read or hear that a lineup’s struggles are because of a pitcher, but the truth is that Beckett was outstanding tonight. Derek Jeter said he couldn’t remember the last time Beckett looked so good, and Robinson Cano said it reminded him of the Beckett he saw when he first came up from the minors.

That said, only three everyday Yankees are hitting better than .219, and one of them was out sick tonight. The Yankees showed on Saturday that this lineup has the potential to be explosive – this lineup can still carry the team to a win – but that production has been erratic. Some players haven’t shown much since Day 1, and some showed something in the first few games and have seen their numbers plummet.

“You can’t make too much of a few at-bats,” Joe Girardi said. “You just can’t do it because early in the season you’re going to see guys have ups and downs. You’re going to see it, and then as they start getting more at-bats under their belt, they start to get more consistent.”

Here’s Girardi postgame.

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• Girardi said Alex Rodriguez was legitimately unavailable tonight. Even if he wanted Rodriguez to pinch hit, Girardi wasn’t going to use him. “He’s sick. He’s got the flu,” Girardi said. “Hopefully the rest today and the rest tomorrow, he’ll be back to full strength by Tuesday.”

• Using Freddy Garcia in the eighth inning was simply to get him some work, Girardi said. If it were a closer game, one of the late-inning relievers might have pitched. “Freddy’s got a start coming up here and we just thought we’d get him in,” Girardi said.

• Not a great outing by CC Sabathia, but he gave the Yankees a shot. “I did what I could today,” Sabathia said. “But the stuff just wasn’t there.” Sabathia said his delivery was a little off, but he still managed to give up just one run through 5.2 innings.

• By the way, this was another Sabathia start that the Yankees could have won. He has yet to win a game. “You felt like he could pretty easily be 3-0,” Girardi said.

• On the last pitch to Mark Teixeira, which Teixeira argued quite a bit: “I thought the ball was low,” Girardi said. “I thought it was low. Tex thought it was low. It’s unfortunate you get rung up on a pitch like that, but it’s going to happen from time to time.”

• Jeter on Beckett: “He was probably as good today as we’ve seen in quite some time. It’s always a challenge when you face him, it’s never comfortable, today he was as good as I’ve seen him look since I don’t remember when.”

• Have to give a lot of credit to Boone Logan. Coming off some pretty bad outings, he did a nice job today of getting out of the seventh inning. The Yankees are going to need him to turn a corner because even if Pedro Feliciano is cleared to begin throwing this week, he’s going to be more than a day or two away.

• Joba Chamberlain got Sabathia out of that sixth inning jam, but his control wasn’t there in the seventh and the two runs he allowed really seemed to put the game out of reach. Scoring one was going to be tough tonight. Scoring three seemed impossible. “It was the two walks that hurt him,” Girardi said.

• Cano has now reached base safely in 16 straight games at Fenway, a streak that goes back to 2009.

• This is the third time Sabathia has carried an ERA below 2.00 through his first three starts of the season. He previously did it in 2004 and 2005 with Cleveland.

• The Yankees were shutout for the first time since September 13 of last year. They were held to two hits for the first time since August 15 of last year.

• Mark Prior has pitched today and yesterday for High-A Tampa. One hitless inning each time. Throwing on back-to-back days is a pretty significant step. “It was a step forward,” Prior told the AP. “My arm feels fine.”

Associated Press photos of Cano, Martin and Chamberlain

The Yankees lineup roared to life yesterday. Tonight it left Boston with a whimper. Held to just two hits, the Yankees dropped tonight’s series finale 4-0, and they’ll leave Fenway having lost two of three. CC Sabathia allowed nine hits, but he limited the damage to one run. It wasn’t a great start, but it might have been enough had the Yankees lineup showed any of the explosiveness that helped them win on Saturday. Josh Beckett retired the last 14 batters he faced, Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth and the Yankees didn’t have a single base runner after Robinson Cano’s fourth-inning single.

Associated Press photo