Woe Is Moose

Mussina got shelled today, getting tagged for 10 runs on 12 hits, 4 of which were the long ball, all in 4 innings. Not exactly a promising start, but it's spring training, the Yankees are 9-12, and we all know what happens in spring training doesn't mean much. Good news is Mussina feels fine so it doesn't appear to be injury related. That would be the last thing the Yanks need. Pavano, Small and Wright have already had setbacks. The success of the 2006 Yankees will likely hinder on the health of the rotation. Lucky for the Yanks, they can manage with 4 starters for the first 2 weeks of the season, which will give some arms a little more time to rest before making start number 1. Maybe Cashman will step up efforts to bring the Rocket back to the Bronx, though I'm sure Roger knows that the Yankees want him. But could it hurt to send the guy a fruit basket or something?
In baseball news somewhat related to the Yankees, the Red Sox traded Bronson Arroyo to Cincinnati for Wily Mo Pena. Nothing that should concern Yanks fans. With any luck, their rotation will be in shambles and Arroyo's arm will be missed. Pena's a backup OF who has a poor .OBP and whiffs a lot. Expect more of the same from Wily Mo. I must say though it was nice of the Red Sox to job Arroyo the way they did. Arroyo cuts them a break and gives them a hometeam discount by re-signing for less money in hopes to stay with the club. Arroyo's lower salary makes him a little easier to trade, and it's Bye Bye Bronson. Did the Sox take advantage? Yup, but he cut his own throat.
J

Leit's Out

Al Leiter's final pitch in the majors was in today's spring training game against the Cleveland Indians. Leiter entered the game in the 7th and got Eduardo Perez to ground out to third. A press release was read during his appearance announcing his retirement, effective at the end of his outing. Leiter, drafted in the 2nd round in the 1984 draft by the Yankees, will retire as a Yankee. Leiter's career spanned 19 years and he was one of the better lefties of his time. Al was a two time world champion, winning with the Blue Jays and the Marlins and sported a career ERA of 3.80. He pitched a no-hitter and was the first pitcher to ever beat every major league team. Quite the accomplishments.
I'm glad I was tuned in to today's game. It was nice to see the reception Al got from his fellow Yankees as he left the field and took a seat in the dugout. I would have thought that Al would have received a better ovation from the crowd as he walked off. I only noticed one gentleman standing and clapping. Maybe the crowd didn't know? I expected to see Al receive a standing ovation. He certainly was deserving. I'm sure his next endeavor will lead him to the booth, where he will no doubt succeed as an analyst. If anyone saw him during his stint on Fox during the World Series a few years back, you know what I'm talking about. Hopefully, we'll see him as a member of the YES team. Best of luck to you Al.
I got to "meet" Al once. Perhaps meet isn't the best word. I got his autograph last year at Yankee Stadium. We were huddled down the right field line hoping that someone would. Shawn Chacon and Mel Stottlemyre had signed right before but I was about 3 feet too far to the right to get their autographs. Al came over after working his arm out. He was kind of funny. People are screaming his name and he was screaming it right back at them, using the same annoying voice that they were using as they shouted. I don't think they got that he was mocking them. Anyway, Al's in front of this kid who is maybe 13 and the kid says "Ay yo Al. Sign my hat!" Al repeats what the kid says in the same tone of voice and the kid laughs. Al then says that there is a better way of asking for things and turns the kid down. Al moves down the line a little bit, signs a lot more stuff (my ball included) and makes his way back to the 13 year old kid he turned down. He asks him how old he is, kid says 13 (or 14). Al says how he remembers what is what like to be 13, trying to act all cool in front of your friends, acting like a big shot. He basically gives the kid a lesson in what respect is and how to treat others with it, especially when asking for something. It was probably a good 2-minute lesson. It ended with Al signing his hat and the kid saying "Thanks Mr. Leiter." It was kind of funny, but definitely a lesson that I think more people need to learn, especially autograph hounds. I usually get to games an hour or two before the gates open so I can try to snag an auto or two, try to being the key phrase. I rarely hear anyone say thank you when someone gives them an autograph. It's amazing. I always make sure to say thanks. Maybe if more people did, then players would be more inclined to stop by and sign something. So if you read this and have the opportunity to get an autograph, say thanks.
As for the game, the Yanks shutout the Tribe 2-0. The Big Unit looked sharp, pitching 6 and striking out 9. Hopefully we see more of the same from the Unit all year long. The line-up included those who participated in the WBC. Jeter goes 1-3 with a double, and RBI and a run scored. It's good to have the band back together.
14 days 'til Opening Day!!!!
J

End Of The Road

I'm bummed, but what can you do. The pitching was there, the bats weren't. It has to be pretty tough to get any kind of rhythm going as a hitter when you face a different pitcher every at bat. Pitching has definitely dominated the WBC. If not for the D-Train, the US might be packing their bags for San Diego instead of for Florida or Arizona. But D-Train is one of the country's best, he had to be there. He just didn't deliver.
Congrats to the 4 remaining teams. The games have been awesome and they all deserve to be there. I'm looking forward to Japan vs. Korea round 3. I hope Korea pulls it out and wins it all.
J

March Madness

And I don't mean NCAA Basketball. I'm talking the WBC.
It's been a while since I've posted. Not for lack of thoughts or ideas, but for lack of an internet connection. I moved recently and it look a little long for my DSL provider, who shall remain nameless, ehh Verizon, to switch my service, just over 3 weeks to be exact. I'd go into more detail but who wants to read that.
I am totally hooked on the WBC. It's been fantastic to watch and I'm pumped to watch the US take on Mexico tonight, hopefully winning and moving us on to the Final 4 in San Diego. With the Rocket on the mound, my hopes are high. I don't know how many of you saw last night's game between Japan and Korea, but it was awesome. Korea has been quite the surprise and they definitely hooked the US up last night with the victory. I had the pleasure of watching it live, which is saying a lot because it ended at 1am, and being on the east coast that didn't leave me with much sleep. I'd stay up again in a heartbeat. A lot of the games have been shown on a local public-access type of channel called WNGS. I'm not sure why they're showing the ESPN feed of games, but I'll take it over waiting for the replay any day of the week. I guess I have Adelphia to thank for that. Finally, they've done some good. I've even watched a few games on ESPN Deportes, which was kind of fun, since the entire broadcast is in Spanish. I was hoping that there'd be SAP, but nope. But it was neat nonetheless.
It's amazing to see how players from other teams are so excited about the WBC. I haven't seen, and don't expect to see, this kind of enthusiasm from the US or its fans. When Jong Beom Lee from Korea stroked the two-run double in the 8th I was pumped. It amazed me to see his reaction. He's running down the first base line with his arms up in the air as if he'd just won the game with a walkoff single. To see that kind of excitement in the 8th inning was mind-blowing. I was on the edge of my seat during the bottom half of the ninth, especially after Japan led off the inning with a solo HR. Thankfully for the US, a second run never crossed the plate. Even the Puerto Rico/Cuba game was chock full of excitement. To see the entire Cuban team standing outside the dugout in anticipation of the final out was something I didn't expect to see. It showed how much these teams want to win. I'd be surprised if the US team showed as much enthusiasm. Quite frankly, it's kind of what I want to see.
The fans of these teams definitely are excited. You can definitely sense their excitement. It's amazing to see so many flags and to hear all the sounds that go along with that nation's culture. I haven't seen an overabundance of US flags at any US games. And attendance definitely looks higher at the other venues. There were 39000 plus on hand for last night's Japan/Korea matchup and I'm pretty sure the Puerto Rico game was a sell-out. It'd be nice if the US fans showed as much enthusiasm for the event. It probably doesn't help that most of the games aren't on TV until 1am. From what I gather from listening to MLB HomePlate on XM, baseball fans are enjoying it, but I don't get the sense that there is any national pride at stake for us. I for one am extremely excited. I've got a USA Baseball T-shirt and hat on order. I had to order it from the MLB shop because no apparel stores in Buffalo stocked any WBC merchandise. I'm disappointed in that also.
Well, it's almost time for Mexico/US so it's time to get settled in front of the TV. When we moved we bought a nice big screen LCD projection TV and ordered the HD pack from Adelphia. The game is in HD, which is awesome!! It's an entirely different viewing experience. If you don't have a big TV with HD, go get one. You're missing out!!
USA!! USA!! USA!!
J

My How The Sammy Hath Fallen

The Washington Nationals have offered Sammy Sosa a non-guaranteed, incentive-laden contract worth $500,000. Sammy is mulling it over, but sources close to Sammy say he feels disrespected by the offer, and thinks he's worth a cool million because of all he's done for the game of baseball. Is he kidding? Does he honestly think that the Washington Nationals care if he was "berry berry" good for the game of baseball? That's a matter of opinion anyway and it's one I don't share.
I'm not now, nor even have i been, a fan of Sammy Sosa. The guy is a cheater. He was busted using a corked bat, which of course he said was his batting practice bat. On he used to hit home runs for the fans who show up for BP? Does he honestly think anyone bought that? What does one of the so-called "greatest home-run hitters" need a corked bat for? He can't muscle the ball out on his own? Even if it was his practice bat, how do you let that get anywhere near your game bats? He couldn't tell by its feel? Come on. If you bought his excuse, send me an e-mail. I have something magic beans you might be interested in.
Now even if Sammy was a little bit good for the game, how does that warrant more money than what your worth? Look at his stats since 2001. Every major statistical category has declined from one year to the next. AVG, OBP,SLG, HRs, hits, games played, at-bats, and runs scored...all down. Last year, he hit a ******** .221. If it weren't for 1998-2002, Sammy would be an average major leaguer at best. Take out those years and his OBP cracks the .340 mark twice. 1994 was the only year his AVG was higher than .280. Now for a guy with a 17 year career, that's nothing special. The fact of the matter is, Sammy Sosa isn't that good. I can't help but wonder how many of his HRs can be attributed to a corked bat, or "the juice." Come on, you know he was using.
Sammy Sosa is lucky to have gotten an offer from anybody. If the Washington Nationals throw him any more money, their whole front office needs to be fired. Sammy Sosa isn't even worth the $500,000 he was offered. I'd say $250k at best.
For years, he duped fans into thinking he was a good baseball player, when in fact, he's just another chump. It's like he tricked you into buying a really hot taco and he told you it wasn't hot. Sammy needs to do everyone a favor and retire. It would be "berry berry" good for everyone. Maybe he and Palmeiro can go around the world putting on HR hitting shows with their corked bats and chemically enhanced muscles?
Have a good hair day-
J

My Radio Debut

If anyone was listening to MLB Live w/ Ronnie "Night Train" Lane on XM Radio tonight, you may have heard my national radio debut. It was Flashback Friday. Flashback Friday is when listeners call in and request their favorite highlight from the 2005 season. So I thought it'd be a good time to remind Sox fans that we still rule the East. My request was the AL East clincher, when Johnny Damon grounded out to Rivera to give the Yankees their 8th straight division title. Now that didn't play the John Sterling clip which is what I was hoping for, but I imagine it went something like this: "Ballgame over!! American League Eastern Division over!! Yankees Win!! Thhhhhhhhhhe Yankees Win!!"
Here's the funny part. Prior to getting on the air, the call screener of course wants to know your highlight so they can cue it up. After explaining that I wanted to hear Damon ground out to Rivera, the guy said "That's impossible. Damon and Rivera were on the same team." I'm like "Huh?" Now after about 15 seconds of us going back and forth trying to convince each other who was right, he put me on hold, came back and said "Sorry man. It's been a long day. We'll have it coming up. Please hold." Now how can you work at a baseball only station and not know that Rivera and Damon were on opposite teams?? Especially when one plays for the Yankees and one for the Red Sox. Mind boggling.
For those of you baseball fans without an XM Radio subscription, I really suggest you get one. 24-7 baseball coverage that you can take with you wherever you go. I've had my radio for about 6 months and I listen to it daily. I play it all day when I'm at work and the tuner never leaves XM Home Plate 175. It comes in handy for those of you who can't access the Internet at work and listen to MLB.com. It's portable and it goes with me wherever I go. It's probably one of the best purchases I've ever made. XM and MLB are married for the next 11 years so I'll be an avid listener all year long. The best feature: I can turn off Tim McCarver and Joe Buck and listen to the play-by-play through the XM. That's quiet nice. So go out and pick one up. If you're a fan of MLB, you can't go wrong.
Stay Hot!
J-Boogie

Here's Johnny

For those of you that haven't seen it or haven't heard about it, Johnny Damon took out a full page ad in today's Boston Globe thanking the city of Boston and the great fans of New England. You have to give my man some props for that.
Classy move Johnny, classy move. Was it a little late in coming, probably, but it was done nonetheless. I really like it because it sends a reminder to Sox fans that he decided to leave the team for greener pastures. Kind of like a little parting shot. It'll get Sox fans riled up I'm sure. The boo birds will be out in full force whenever Johnny steps up to the plate. Remember Sox fans, they guy was a very integral part in helping you win your first World Series in 86 years. You should at least applaud him in his first at bat, and then boo him all you want like you do every other Yankee. So what if you feel bitter about him leaving? It's not like the Red Sox front office made much of an effort to keep him in Boston. They could have matched the Yankee's offer, but chose not to. They targeted Coco Crisp for over a year and a half. That would make me feel wanted. Everybody always brings up a player's loyalty, or I should say lack of loyalty, when he leaves for another team. No one ever questions the organization's loyalty to the players. If the team is loyal to the player, they'd work it out. It's a two way street. Year after year, Red Sox players come and go, very few stay and most are extremely productive. Pedro, Damon, Mueller, Cabrera, Millar, Clemens, Boggs, Nomar, even Manny and Wells want out. Maybe it's the organization and not the player?
Those in the Sox front office are really the ones to blame for Johnny leaving for New York. They knew that the Yankees were his likely destination if he left, and they let him go there. Thankfully, for Yankee fans, they did. We've now got a bonafide leadoff man, Jeter's back in the 2-hole where he belongs, and the Yankees have 5 of the top 12, and 3 of the top 4, leaders in runs scored in 2005. We're poised to win number 27. That journey begins in 1 week. I live for this.
Stay hot.

What The Mel?

Ex-Yankee pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre is reportedly going to be at spring training, helping the Yankees and new pitching coach Ron Guidry with the pitchers. I hope this doesn't happen but it likely will. I've never been a fan of Mel's. I think he does more harm than good. I can't think of any pitchers that he has done a tremendous job with. Usually when the Yankees acquire an established pitcher, the guy never does as well as he did in seasons past. Pavano, Wright, Mussina, Brown, Vazquez, Contreras, even Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens to an extent. Johnson had said in the mid-part of last season that there he noticed a problem with his mechanics and he corrected it, and that he should soon be his old self, which he almost was. I wonder how much of his problems had to do with Stottlemyre tinkering with his delivery? When Contreras and El Duque reconnected in Chicago, El Duque reportedly told Contreras to forget everything he learned in New York. Not only is that funny but it says a lot. When guys make comments like that, it doesn't reflect well on your ability to better the pitcher. Contreras is having a pretty good stint with the White Sox, so I'm inclined to think there may be some truth in El Duque's comments.
I've never thought of Stottlemyre as a good pitching coach. I was relieved when he decided to step down, citing differences with the Tampa faction of the front office. He was tired of being second guessed. Maybe if he was a decent coach, there'd be no second guessing. I, for one, wish Mel would stay away from Tampa this spring, and let Gid take control of the staff. We don't need Mel to make the pitching staff any worse. His leaving was a good thing!

Super Bowl & The WBC

Today's the big game for football fans. Since I have no personal allegiance to either team, I'm pulling for the Seahawks! I have a friend who lives in that area with season tickets to Hawks games so I'm pulling for them to win the big one.
The Super Bowl also means new commercials and clever advertising. According to MLB.com, there will be a commercial for the WBC. I'm looking forward to seeing that. MLB might need all the promotions they can get with the recent dropouts. I expect more players to withdraw as the event draws closer, especially the American born player. My impression is the WBC is not as important to them, or the fans for that matter, as it is to players and fans from other countries. Foreign countries seem to take more pride in the countries doing well in international sporting events. You see it in soccer, you see it in the Olympics. I don't think "most" Americans care, especially if you're not a baseball fan. It'll be interesting to see what kind of turnout there will be at the WBC finals if the US isn't playing. If I weren't into baseball, I probably wouldn't give the WBC any thought.
I fully understand why someone would not want to participate. It isn't exactly timed well. With spring training underway, it's understandable why a guy would want to devote all of his efforts into preparing for the season and skipping out on the WBC. There's no perfect time to have this event. After the season wouldn't work as some players may be tired and not participate as they need the rest. The winter months obviously don't work because of the weather and all of the off-the-field business that goes on. I don't think it makes any sense to do it in the middle of the season, like they do with the NHL and the Olympics. I'd rather focus on the second half of the season and getting my team into the postseason as opposed to playing in an exhibition. So, that leaves right before the season which happens in spring training. Not ideal, but probably the best choice.
I expect to see a few more big names withdraw from the WBC in the coming weeks. Quite frankly, I'll be surprised if that doesn't happen.
J

Cano Says "No"

Robinson Cano has decided not to play for the Dominican Republic in this year's World Baseball Classic. I am happy with that decision. It's not like he would have played much with Alfonso Soriano and Luis Castillo on the Dominican roster. Robinson can now dedicate himself 100% to the Yankees' spring training. I think it's safe to say he should spend most of his time on infield practice, fielding ground balls and making the throw to first. Cano committed 17 errors in 131 games last year, with a fielding percentage of .975. Like I did with Chuck Knoblauch, I remember cringing anytime a ball was hit to second. Hopefully, he can shake off any freshman jitters and avoid any kind of sophomore slump. A full spring training should help.
I'm looking forward to Cano being the Yankee 2B of the future. He's got a nice bat and with Donnie Baseball's help, I'm sure we'll see his .OBP and power numbers against LH pitchers increase. Hopefully, the Tampa faction of the Yankee front office doesn't pressure Brian Cashman to trading the youngster to acquire an aging all-star, and the Yanks can keep him in the fold for many, many years to come.
Out.
J-Boogie