Yankee News & Opinions in/of the Media

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Yanks eye two Japanese outfielders
Posted: Sunday July 08, 2007 08:55AM ET
The only free agent outfielder that makes sense for the Yankees is Ichiro Suzuki because of his speed and proven durability. Presumably, they are also closely monitoring Kosuke Fukudome, one of the premier sluggers in Japan who becomes a free agent (with no posting fee) at the end of the season.--New York Daily News

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Yankees may sign Mexican Leaguer
Posted: Monday July 09, 2007 09:07AM ET
General manager Brian Cashman wouldn't comment about the rumblings that the Yankees are after current Mexican League and former Arizona and Oakland first baseman Erubiel Durazo, except to say that they haven't signed him.--Journal News

[michael123]

www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2007/07/11/2007-07-11_building_case_for_09_yanks.html

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Sheffield blasts Torre, Jeter in interview
Tigers slugger also says steroids 'is something you shoot in your butt'
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 7:00 p.m. ET July 13, 2007

Gary Sheffield is causing a stir once again with his comments.

In an interview with HBO's "Real Sports" that will air Tuesday, a transcript which Newsday obtained Friday morning, Sheffield blasts New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, former teammate Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds.

The Tigers slugger says Torre, his former manager, treats black players differently from white players.

"I know when I was there the couple of blacks that were there, every one of them had an issue with the organization," he says in the interview.

"They had an issue with Joe Torre," Sheffield continued. "They weren't treated like everybody else. I got called out in a couple of meetings that I thought were unfair."

Pressed for details, Sheffield said that "He had a message to get across to the whole team, so he used me to get the message across."

Asked if white players were ever treated the same way, Sheffield said no. "No . . . I'd see a lot of white players get called in the office and treated like a man. That's the difference."

As for Jeter, Sheffield said the shortstop, who is half black and half white, "just ain't all the way black."

"Derek Jeter used to come to me and try to tell you what Joe Torre is all about, he's a good man, he's this, he's that, but like I tell Derek Jeter, that's you. It's one thing that they treat you a certain way; you don't feel what other people feel," Sheffield said.

On the topic of steroids, Sheffield was adamant he never used steroids despite admitting he had used the clear in grand jury testimony.

"In a million years, I don't care what anybody says, steroids is something you shoot in your butt. I do know that . . . The bottom line is steroids is something you stick in your butt –- period."

And he briefly touch on his estrangement from Bonds, his one-time friend.

"I trusted this man, he allowed me to stay in his house," Sheffield said. "I started seeing the control factor. I started seeing, wait a minute, you aren't going to tell me what to do."

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19752536/

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Another player rips Torre's racial bias
Posted: Sunday July 15, 2007 08:06AM ET
Gary Sheffield isn't the only player who feels Joe Torre treated black players differently than white players, as Sheffield's former teammate, Kenny Lofton, chimed in with his thoughts yesterday. Lofton's one-year tenure in pinstripes was a tumultuous one, as he was signed to a two-year deal by George Steinbrenner to hit leadoff and replace Bernie Williams in center field, only to have Torre declare the job an open competition in spring training.--New York Daily News

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July 17, 2007
On Baseball
After Talk, a Long Wait for Nothing
By MURRAY CHASS

Jason Giambi has done his part. Now it’s time for Commissioner Bud Selig to do his. Unfortunately, Selig proceeds slowly toward decisions, and this decision is no different, even though it’s clear that Selig will take no disciplinary action against Giambi, an admitted steroid user and the only active baseball player who has spoken with George J. Mitchell.

Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield have acknowledged using substances that were steroids, but both players denied knowing at the time they used them that they were steroids. Bonds said he thought he was using flaxseed oil.

Bonds’s statement and his potent home run production did not trigger an explosion in the flaxseed market. Rather, widespread skepticism prevailed.

Giambi has told no such fairy tales. He testified truthfully before a federal grand jury in December 2003 and without using the word steroids apologized in February 2005 for using them.

Again without uttering the dirty word itself, he more recently admitted in a newspaper interview to having used steroids, and under threat of suspension he agreed to talk to Mitchell, Major League Baseball’s steroid sleuth. “Once the interview process has concluded, I will take the level of Mr. Giambi’s cooperation into account in determining appropriate further action,” Selig said in a statement last month.

Giambi, the Yankees’ designated hitter who is recovering from a foot injury, met with Mitchell and his team of former prosecutors Friday. By yesterday, Selig could have announced that he had no plans to suspend or fine Giambi because he cooperated and lived up to the agreement his lawyers negotiated for his appearance before Mitchell.

Under that agreement, it was understood that Giambi would tell Mitchell about his own use of performance-enhancing substances but not about anyone else or his suppliers. In other words, he would basically provide the same information he gave to the grand jury. Giambi did precisely that; Mitchell didn’t ask about anyone else.

Selig, however, declined yesterday to discuss Giambi and his Mitchell appearance, saying he was not prepared to announce anything. “I’m waiting for a report on that and will make a determination in the near future,” he said in a telephone interview.

When he issues his next statement in the matter, probably this week, the sense is that Selig will commend Giambi for his cooperation and take no action against him.

The same cannot be said about Bonds. If Selig had grounds on which to act against Bonds, he would have already done something. It has been suggested that if the grand jury in San Francisco were to indict Bonds before he breaks Henry Aaron’s career home run record, the commissioner could suspend him.

That is wishful but foolish thinking among people who don’t want Bonds to break the record. In this country, even in baseball, indictment is not conviction, and Selig would have no basis for suspending a player who is indicted on charges of perjury and money laundering. He would also have virtually no chance of withstanding a union challenge in the grievance system.

Bonds continues to be a curious and confounding figure in his quest for what Selig calls the most hallowed record in sports. People, especially members of the news media, don’t know quite how to treat him.

He is widely believed to have hit many of his 751 home runs with chemical assistance, but he has never been revealed to have tested positive for steroids. Still, the circumstantial evidence is considerable.

•

Fans can decide for themselves what they think of Bonds and the record. News media outlets are obliged to chronicle his pursuit of the record, but they don’t have to glorify him. They have an obligation to fans to report his home runs, but they also have an obligation to try to determine whether his home runs were legitimate.

Most of the information about Bonds comes from The Chronicle’s reporting. If there’s anything to be found to the contrary, no one has uncovered it.

Sheffield has been a lesser light in the steroids controversy, but he creates his own controversies with his outspoken nature. In his latest ear-catching remarks, he said on HBO’s “Real Sports,” which airs tonight, that Joe Torre, the Yankees’ manager, treated black players differently from white players.

Sheffield, who played for Torre for three years, didn’t accuse Torre of being a racist but said black players “had an issue with Joe Torre,” adding, “They weren’t treated like everybody else.”

Bob Gibson, the Hall of Fame pitcher, was Torre’s teammate for six seasons in St. Louis and coached under him with the Mets, the Braves and the Cardinals. Always a difficult person for reporters, Gibson practically growled when he answered the telephone yesterday and was asked his view on Sheffield’s comments.

“Why do you guys grab a hold of stuff like that and beat it to death?” he asked. “If I had known that about Joe 25 years ago, I would never have been his friend.”

Later in the brief conversation, Gibson wanted to make sure I understood that he had made that last remark “tongue in cheek.”

By not reacting to Sheffield’s comments, Gibson said, Torre handled the situation perfectly. “There’s no reason to dignify it,” Gibson said. “I don’t think it needs to be dignified.”

Gibson said he didn’t know Sheffield, so he would have no way of knowing why he said what he did. He called Torre “one of my best friends in the world. Period.”

“That’s as far as I’ll go with that,” Gibson added. “I don’t think I need to expand on it.”

Selig, who wasn’t prepared to talk about Giambi, did offer a reaction to the comments made by Sheffield, who began his career with the Brewers under Selig’s ownership.

“I’ve known Torre a long time, 50 years,” Selig said. “That’s a bad, bad rap.”

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

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Blue Jays still mad at A-Rod?
Posted: Tuesday July 17, 2007 08:37AM ET
Any threat of Blue Jays retribution for the disputed play on May 30, in which Alex Rodriguez shouted to distract an infielder as he ran to third base, is out of mind. It is now a small on-field blip in what has been a summer filled with Rodriguez controversies. Back on May 30, however, the Blue Jays definitely were looking to start something with Rodriguez.--New York Daily News

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Rivera, Posada out of pinstripes?
Posted: Thursday July 19, 2007 09:43AM ET
Next year, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada could be out of the picture, unimaginable as that must seem to the Yankees fans who have embraced them for 12 years. Rivera will be 38 in November, Posada turns 36 next month, and the Yankees front office wants to wait and see where they are at the end of this season before committing.--Hartford Courant

[sinctybldh]

nooo. they aren't going to let their beloved players leave. it may come back to bite them in the ass in 2 years but because they have been with the franchise since the start they have to be resigned.

[David Goodman]

They'll be back. You worry too much.

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Scouts focusing on Yankees
Posted: Friday July 20, 2007 09:37AM ET
The Yankees continue to talk to the Dodgers about utilityman Wilson Betemit, but the Dodgers are also chatting with the Royals about reliever Octavio Dotel, whom they like a little bit better than Scott Proctor. The Dodgers had scout Mark Weidemaier at Yankee Stadium yesterday. The Twins, Tigers and Marlins were also represented.--New York Post

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newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spken035318462aug03,0,7079120.column

Newsday.com
Yanks have bigger issues than Roger's dud
Ken Davidoff

August 3, 2007

Long, sweaty day in the Bronx, and enough happened in this 13-9 Yankees defeat to fill a month's worth of group therapy for the 54,869 witnesses.

So please allow this space to sort out yesterday's incidental from the truly troublesome. Let's divvy up the damages between "Shrug It Off" and "Don't Shrug It Off."

Shrug It Off. Roger Clemens. Go ahead: age, salary, impending expiration of contract with the Dark Master. Whatever. Clemens recorded a horrendous last outing as a 44-year-old, getting pounded for nine hits and eight runs in his inning and two-thirds against the unimposing White Sox. But only three runs were earned because Robinson Cano botched a potential double-play grounder.

Just because Clemens turns 45 tomorrow doesn't mean he's suddenly going to turn into a righthanded Kei Igawa. Just because he makes about $750,000 per start doesn't mean he won't have bad days.

In a vacuum, Clemens' 4.23 ERA is perfectly acceptable for the third starter on a contender, and you understand that his 3-5 record reflects his run support more than his pitching. Of course he's overpaid; we all knew that from the beginning. Even after yesterday, whom would you rather have on the mound next Tuesday in Toronto? Clemens or Matt DeSalvo?

"That's just one of those things you shrug at and say, 'The hell with it,' " Joe Torre said of Clemens' outing. Agreed.

Don't Shrug It Off. Kyle Farnsworth. The Yankees' decision-makers are not personally fond of Bob Wickman, to put it nicely, based on Wickman's stay here way back when. In my limited personal experience with Wickman, I can see where they're coming from.

Nevertheless, you can't dispose of toxic waste without paying some sort of price. If the Yankees had agreed to the Braves' proposal Tuesday, Wickman's presence would have been justified, very much so, by Farnsworth's absence.

With the Yankees trailing 11-9 in the eighth yesterday, their fans had reason for hope. Then Farnsworth entered and surrendered solo homers to Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye - both righthanded hitters, for crying out loud. That sucked the life out of Yankee Stadium and turned the final inning and a half into a mere formality.

"He has a good arm," Torre said. "We just have to get him more comfortable." Right, like back in Atlanta.

Farnsworth, who is as verbose off the mound as he is courageous on it, offered just one word to the media: "Nope." Agreed, again.

Shrug It Off. A-Rod. No 500th homer, yet he broke an 0-for-22 stretch (including the completion of the suspended game in Baltimore) with a pair of singles. He stole a base, too, as part of a second-inning double steal. He seemed to tire late, fouling out to first in the sixth and striking out in the eighth. It happens. "He was good," Torre said. "The thing was, he was in the game."

"It's probably the most relaxed I've been since [last week in] Kansas City," A-Rod said.

Don't Shrug It Off. Jorge Posada's left knee. He and the White Sox's Danny Richar banged knees in the seventh, and Posada decided he couldn't play in the eighth. Any Posada departure sets off red flags.

You could see Posada limping around the clubhouse after the game, even as he insisted, "It's all right. It's bruised." For the Yankees' sake, it had better be all right.

Shrug It Off. Jeff Karstens. He hadn't pitched since April 28. Cut him some slack.

Don't Shrug It Off. Luis Vizcaino warmed up in the seventh with the score 11-9. Poor guy can't get a day off. As always, Torre would benefit greatly by expanding his circle of trust. No doubt that Scott Proctor, out in Los Angeles, feels Vizcaino's pain. Literally.

Shrug It Off. The Yankees lost ground to the Red Sox in the American League East, falling eight games behind. This party is over. Even Hal Steinbrenner has conceded.

Don't Shrug It Off. The Yankees lost ground to Cleveland in the wild-card race, dropping three games behind. Torre and company have made this a bona fide competition with their play in the last month. But too many games like yesterday's will make the Indians sigh in relief.

Copyright © 2007, Newsday Inc.

[mpep]

Why should Clemens get a pass? For that kind of money, being an acceptable #3 starter ain't gettin' it. I think it's funny that while he's obviously the main reason we lost, so many people are acting like Farnsworth cost us the game. Cano had a lot more to us losing than KF.

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Sources: Clemens, Torre suspensions
Posted: Thursday August 09, 2007 07:27AM ET
According to multiple sources close to the situation, Roger Clemens and Joe Torre are going to be suspended for their actions Tuesday night when after the benches were warned Clemens drilled Alex Rios in the back and was ejected by plate umpire Angel Hernandez. The umpire believed Clemens was retaliating for Josh Towers hitting Alex Rodriguez earlier in the game.--New York Post

[David Goodman]

Fuck major league baseball. They throw at A-Rod twice and don't get any suspensions.

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Chipper rips NY media over A-Rod
Posted: Friday August 10, 2007 08:24AM ET
Chipper Jones said he's done talking to New York reporters after saying his comments about Alex Rodriguez were misrepresented and "sensationalized" by the city's tabloid newspapers. When Jones entered the clubhouse Thursday morning and saw one of the tabloids, he tossed it on a table in disgust and said to several reporters approaching his locker: "New York media -- beat it. If you guys think you're going to get anything more out of me, you've got another thing coming."--Atlanta Journal Constitution


Boras: A-Rod above suspicion
Posted: Friday August 10, 2007 08:02AM ET
Alex Rodriguez's homer production has remained lofty and consistent from when he was lean and in his early 20s until his present incarnation. Because of that, his agent, Scott Boras, insists his highest-profile client should not have to endure the black cloud of steroid suspicion.--New York Post


Will Clemens appeal suspension?
Posted: Friday August 10, 2007 07:53AM ET
Roger Clemens has not decided whether he will appeal the suspension, according to his agent, Randy Hendricks, although the punishment seems likely to be upheld. A five-game suspension is generally the minimum for a starting pitcher, who usually pitches only once every five games.--New York Times


Yankees to extend reliever
Posted: Friday August 10, 2007 10:43AM ET
The Yankees did not negotiate an extension with Mariano Rivera this spring because they wanted to see how his elbow held up. The elbow is fine now, Rivera said, and both sides hope to reach an agreement soon after the season. "I've said from the beginning, we have every intention of signing him," General Manager Brian Cashman said. "At the appropriate time, we will have that conversation."--New York Times

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A-Rod: No problem with Chipper
Posted: Saturday August 11, 2007 08:04AM ET
Alex Rodriguez and Joe Torre said they have no problem with the comments Chipper Jones made Wednesday, when he said the closer Rodriguez gets to Barry Bonds' home-run record, the more the Yankees third baseman will have to answer questions whether he used performance-enhancing drugs. Speaking last night before the Yankees' 6-1 win over the Indians at Jacobs Field, Rodriguez and Torre each said Jones' words were not harmful and understood where the Braves star was coming from.--New York Post

Padres claim Yankees pitcher
Posted: Saturday August 11, 2007 07:59AM ET
Though the Yankees aren't going to give away Kei Igawa, they have a chance to get rid of the disappointing lefty because the Padres claimed the 28-year-old pitcher on waivers. If the Yankees move Igawa, the Padres are the only team he can be dealt to.--New York Post

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La Russa to replace Torre?
Posted: Sunday August 12, 2007 07:59AM ET
Tony La Russa continues to bat his pitcher eighth in the order instead of ninth to give Albert Pujols more opportunities with runners on base. But will La Russa continue that innovation in St. Louis or will he take it someplace else for a lucrative deal? He hasn't been linked with the Yankees, but one baseball official recently offered this scenario: "If Joe [ Torre] is done there, and La Russa is looking, [the Yankees] would be crazy not to do it. It's the biggest stage. It would be a great place to end his career."--Boston Globe

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Sheffield accuses Torre again
Posted: Thursday August 16, 2007 06:43AM ET
Gary Sheffield reiterated Tuesday that he felt that Yankees Manager Joe Torre treated black players differently than white players during his three seasons in New York. That is an accusation that Torre had never heard during 27 seasons as a manager. Sheffield, who returns to Yankee Stadium with the Tigers tonight, sounded ready to keep repeating it.--New York Times


Selig to speak on Giambi investigation
Posted: Thursday August 16, 2007 10:14AM ET
Baseball CEO Bob DuPuy said commissioner Bud Selig is close to making an announcement resolving the sport's investigation into Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, whom Selig persuaded to speak with steroids investigator George Mitchell. Before Giambi agreed to cooperate, Selig threatened to discipline him. DuPuy wouldn't say when he expected Mitchell to issue his report.--New York Post

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Damon unhappy with part-time duty
Posted: Saturday August 18, 2007 08:09AM ET
In the span of four games this week, Manager Joe Torre twice removed Johnny Damon in the sixth. Damon said he understood why, but it has caused him to wonder whether he would be back next season. Choosing his words carefully, yet not avoiding the question, Damon said it would be hard to imagine himself as a part-time player for the two years remaining on his contract.--New York Times

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N.Y. teams to fight over Posada?
Posted: Sunday August 19, 2007 08:38AM ET
Could Jorge Posada be playing for another team next season? It was a question that made Derek Jeter laugh out loud. With the Mets anxious to be rid of the irritating and unproductive Paul Lo Duca, Posada could pit the two New York teams against each other if he goes onto the market.--Journal News

[michael123]

Posada is not going anywhere especially to the Mets

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Yankees pitcher on short leash
Posted: Friday August 24, 2007 06:01AM ET
Mike Mussina is on a short rope against the Tigers. Wednesday in Anaheim, Yankees manager Joe Torre said he will have a talk with Mussina if the downward trend continues Monday night. That talk could lead to deleting Mussina from the rotation despite his experience in big games and being in the first season of a two-year deal worth $23 million. Yesterday, GM Brian Cashman explained the organization isn't shy about making changes if they can help.--New York Post

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NO GUARANTEES FOR MOOSE
By GEORGE KING

August 25, 2007 -- DETROIT - With talk swirling through the Yankees universe that Mike Mussina could be pitching for his rotation spot Monday night against the Tigers, the right-hander said he isn't feeling the pressure.
"Who would they replace me with?" Mussina asked prior to last night's Yankees-Tigers game at Comerica Park.

Actually, GM Brian Cashman on Thursday brought up three names as possible replacements for the struggling veteran, mentioning minor leaguers Ian Kennedy, Steven White and, yes, even Kei Igawa.

Ever since Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif., when Joe Torre said he would have a talk with Mussina if he doesn't pitch well Monday, the inference is that the Yankees, who are in a must-win situation every night, would make a move with the 16-year veteran. Given multiple chances yesterday to say Mussina's spot in the rotation is safe, Torre danced around the subject.

Thursday, Cashman pointed to the promotions of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez and the jettisoning of Scott Proctor and Mike Myers as proof the Yankees will "do anything if we feel it gives us a better chance."

Mussina has provided no chance for the Yankees to win in his past two outings, against the Tigers and Angels. He was 0-2 with a 17.57 ERA and allowed 16 hits in 62/3 innings. Most alarming, Mussina walked the first two batters to start Tuesday night's game against the Angels.

Based on talks with Torre, Mussina said he believes the manager is more concerned with the pitcher's mental state than removing him from the rotation. But Torre never said Mussina's spot is safe. Instead, he said the club could "skip him a start" and admitted he hadn't thought about it.

"I am looking forward to him pitching a good game [Monday]," Torre said.

Because the Yankees started last night's action 5½ games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and two back of the Mariners in the wild-card race, their margin for error is slim. If it were May or June and Mussina was slumping, it wouldn't be an issue. Now, not even his being in the first season of a two-year contract worth $23 million can ward off talk that the 38-year-old might be deleted from the rotation.

Mussina said he is well aware he needs to improve quickly.

"We are in the last six weeks and the games are important," said Mussina (8-9), who has a 5.52 ERA in 22 starts.

Mussina wondered aloud why he was being asked how a bullpen session went yesterday. However, it's an issue with more than the media.

"How did it go?" Alex Rodriguez asked Mussina following the session.

The fact Mussina felt good yesterday doesn't mean he will be OK Monday night. His previous two pregame bullpen sessions were good, but the game results were horrible.

"It was mechanical and psychological," said Mussina, who insists his head is in a good spot despite the struggles.


NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc.

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Will the Yankees dump Moose?
Posted: Tuesday August 28, 2007 06:57AM ET
Mike Mussina's next start is scheduled for Saturday, but there is no guarantee he will make it. He gave up six runs and nine hits in three innings Monday, with no strikeouts and no answers. Manager Joe Torre said he would meet Tuesday with Mussina (8-10) and the pitching coach Ron Guidry to discuss what comes next.--New York Times


Yankee coach mum on Astros job
Posted: Tuesday August 28, 2007 08:55AM ET
Yankee first-base coach Tony Pena refused to comment when asked if he believes he has a chance to replace Phil Garner as Astro manager. Pena is the godfather of fired general manager Tim Purpura's daughter and managed three years in the Astro minor-league system.--New York Post

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Sox to replace Lowell with A-Rod?
Posted: Wednesday August 29, 2007 07:51AM ET
There is no guarantee that Mike Lowell will be back with the Red Sox in 2008. Not when the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, another third baseman, could become a free agent, too. The Red Sox were enamored with Rodriguez when they tried to acquire him from the Rangers in 2003, and those feelings could resurface.--New York Times


Yankees may move Damon
Posted: Wednesday August 29, 2007 07:53AM ET
Yankees right fielder Bobby Abreu is a free agent, and right now there are no plans to re-sign him. Will Johnny Damon survive if Abreu goes? Or will the Yankees try to move him?--Boston Globe

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Yankee unhappy about demotion
Posted: Thursday August 30, 2007 06:31AM ET
Mike Mussina did not speak to reporters about the decision, but Joe Torre said Mussina clearly was unhappy about being asked to give up his spot in the rotation. Torre told Mussina about the decision shortly before Tuesday's game with the Red Sox. The two met yesterday afternoon to discuss it at length.--New York Post

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Rocket to tough out next start
Posted: Sunday September 02, 2007 08:40AM ET
Roger Clemens, who is battling a pair of blisters on his right foot and slight elbow inflammation, is "still on target" to start tomorrow's game against the Mariners, manager Joe Torre said yesterday. Torre didn't mention any elbow issues but also didn't answer directly when asked what is ailing Clemens.--New York Newsday

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Red Sox covet Yankees pitcher
Posted: Sunday September 02, 2007 08:32AM ET
Yes, the Red Sox think highly of Kei Igawa, according to an official from an American League club, and they would love the opportunity to put a third Japanese pitcher on their roster.--New York Newsday

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Foul squirrel lucky for Yankees
Posted: Thursday September 06, 2007 10:34AM ET
"Lucky" the squirrel is 4-for-4. The brazen squirrel has appeared atop the right-field foul pole at Yankee Stadium four times this season, and each time the Bronx Bombers have won. The bushy-tailed spectator, roosting high above the crowd on his yellow perch, has become such a fan favorite that he got a standing ovation during Tuesday night's 12-3 win over the Mariners.--New York Daily News