Archive for November, 2010

Today is Mariano Rivera’s 41st birthday. That’s not really news, but what is news is that his contract negotiations with the Yanks are going well. He will get a raise from the $15 million he made in 2010 and remain the highest paid reliever but it’s unclear if he’ll get a one- or two-year deal. Talks with Mo are going so well they’ve been referred to as “night and day” from Derek Jeter’s contract squabble. Speaking of which, the Yanks reportedly want Jeet to take some sort of “reality potion” and accept the current offer. I hate to be crass [...]

I’m sure you all know the story by now. First, the Yankees offered free-agent Derek Jeter a three-year deal worth $45 million. Then, his agent, Casey Close, called the offer baffling and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told his shortstop to test the market. Reports soon surfaced that the Yankees 36-year-old captain wanted $150 million for six years. After that, Close denied those reports and said they were seeking a four- or five-year deal worth $23-$24 million per. And here we stand today, with no end in sight. I really can’t say I’m surprised at this contract impasse. The Yankees [...]

Today is a day for giving thanks… 2010: 79-83, fourth place in NL East 2009: 70-92, fourth place in NL East 2008: 89-73, second place in NL East (no playoffs) 2007: 88-74, second place in NL East (seven games up with 17 to play, did not make playoffs) …so be thankful you don’t root for the Mets. Happy Thanksgiving from Yanks Go Yard!!

If you’ve ever wanted to meet John Sterling, Black Friday is your chance. He will be signing autographs, taking pictures and “who knows what else” at Last Licks Ice Cream Store, located at 245 East 93rd St. in Manhattan, on Friday, Nov. 26 from noon until 2 p.m. Sterling is, of course, the radio play-by-play announcer for the Yankees on WCBS-AM 880, and has been doing games since 1989. He’s worked alongside Suzyn Waldman since 2005. For more information, check out Last Licks’ website.

I’m thankful for the Baby Boss for purely selfish reasons, of course…he makes this team SO much more fun to cover than the rest of the boring, blah, buttoned-down Yankees brass.   Need proof?  Here’s Hank on arguably the two biggest names of the last 25 years – Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera -  “As much as we want to keep everybody, we’ve already made these guys very, very rich, and I don’t feel we owe anybody anything monetarily,” the Yankees co-chairman said Tuesday. “Some of these players are wealthier than their bosses.”   Doesn’t sound like Steinbrenner is ready to cave [...]

Joey Votto (Cin) and former drug addict Josh Hamilton (Tex) were named the NL and AL Most Valuable Players, respectively, for the 2010 season. They did so in convincing fashion, as Votto received 31 of the 32 first-place votes and Hamilton 22 of the 28 first-place votes. I don’t have a problem with either of them getting the award, they were both deserving, but it really grinds my gears that Jose Bautista (fourth) got a first-place vote and Robbie Cano (third) did not. Furthermore, Miggy Cabrera (second) got five first-place votes. Oh well. Much like the CC-Dave Price argument from [...]

Mariano Rivera is the greatest reliever of all time, there’s no question about that, but he has got brass balls with his latest contract demands. The soon-to-be 41-year-old Mo is seeking a deal for two years worth $36 million. The Yanks, obviously, only want to give him a one-year deal due to his age. He has made $15 million in each of the past three season and definitely deserves a raise with the numbers he’s put up over that span, but how long can he keep up this production? We’ve never seen a (clean) pitcher pitch well into his early [...]

My man Kurt Smith over at Ballpark E-Guides has written an extensive e-guide for Yankee Stadium. It’s in PDF-format and contains everything you need to know about taking a trip to the big ballpark in the Bronx. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend checking it out. Kurt goes into detail about the food and beverages, traveling to and fro YS III, deals on tickets and anything else you could possibly want to know about The Stadium. He describes the different sections, what a seat in each will run you and tips on saving money at a game. This [...]

On Saturday, a Florida jury acquitted former Yankee hero Jim “The King” Leyritz of DUI manslaughter. Although he was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of DUI. A jury in Florida on Saturday acquitted former major league baseball player Jim Leyritz of DUI manslaughter in a 2007 crash that killed a mother of two. However, Leyritz was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail. Leyritz had faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the manslaughter charge. Sentencing was set for Nov. 29. Leyritz must have [...]

The Yankees announced late on Friday afternoon that Larry Rothschild will succeed Dave Eiland as pitching coach. He signed a three-year deal. Rothschild has been in Major League Baseball for 36 years as a player/coach/manager. He wasn’t exactly a hall-of-fame player, but he was the first manager in Devil Rays history (1998-2001), was the Cubs pitching coach from 2002-2010 and also served on the staff of the 1990 Reds and 1997 Marlins World Series champion teams. Interesting tid-bit: Larry Rothschild managed Dave Eiland while he was on the Rays. Larry’s pitching staffs from 2002-2010 put up 11,604 strikeouts, the best [...]