Before everyone writes off this recent trade by the Yankees as a steal and says the Yankees gave up nothing for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, they should all look at Carlos Quentin. Quentin was cast off the Diamondbacks following last season. He was supposed to be a big time star coming out of Stanford. He began the year as the starting right-fielder and had a dreadful season. He was sent back to minors and fell out of such favor with the orginization that he was sent to the White Sox for almost nothing. Well look now, the change of scenery has made Quentin into the star everyone expected. He is top 5 in homeruns and is one of the main reasons the Chi-Sox are in contention this season. Think the Diamondbacks could use a bat like Quentin this year?

Sorry this has been a busy weekend and I havent given my thoughts about a great Yankee weekend.

* Don't let lastnight get you down. The Yankees aren't going to win every game the rest of the season. They won 8 in a row and the series in Boston so everything is fine. It was Sidney Ponson he probably wont be around too much longer anyway.

What we learned:
* The Yankees can win big games on the road. Only the Yankees and Angels have winning road records out of the contenders. The Sox and Rays are terrible out of their own parks and the Yankees just went to the Sox hittining friendly Stadium and held them to 1 earned run over the first 18 innings.

* Joba is an ace. No more arguments about relieving. Where are all the people who six weeks cried when the transition started? They were all chearing and amazed at his dominance Friday night. He is due for a bad start, a clunker, it happens to everyone, but no question about it he has ACE makeup. He has a lot more Roger Clemens in him, the pitching mentality not HGH, than anyone thoughts. He completly got into Kevin Youkilis head and made him look silly in the 7th. He can be the guy, barring injury, the Yankees count on for years to come.

* The show Manny Being Manny that has played Boston for the last eight years is coming to an end. Red Sox management has had enough with Manny and I will be shocked to see him back next year. However we have seen this dog and pony show before and Manny has stayed put so who knows. All I know is its great to see him vex everyone in the "Nation."

* The Yankees are going for it this year. The moves Friday proved it, the Yankees want # 27 this year. Was this true two weeks ago? I am not sure but this surge has put them in great position and given the front office confidence to make moves. Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte give the Yankees an even better shot to send Yankee Stadium out in grand fashion.

As the Yankees rest up on one of their few off days remaining, they are in a great position to make a move this weekend and move past the Red Sox. The one thing that cannot happen is a sweep. If they are swept and return to their light hitting ways the Yankees can kiss the division good bye and possibly the Wild Card as the Rays could add some distance to their lead. The Yankees just need one game this weekend to stay in it.

Let's get the negative out of the way, Bobby Meachum. He continues to kill rallies, get people thrown out, or be over aggressive and have "lucky runs score." Two times yesterday he sent a runner home, one time Jose Molina who is almost as slow an 80 year old man with a piano on his back, try and score when they were barely around third when the fielder had the ball. It took two lucky breaks to have the runners be safe. He could have ended some rallies quickly. Maybe with a big lead trying to get an extra run is an ok play, but not when its Jeter or A-Rod trying to score. They are so valuable to the team you cant risk injury at this point. He needs to play safe. The Yankees rank in the top in the league in having guys gunned down at the plate, last year with Larry Bowa they were one of the best. So you know its not the team its the guy waving them in like mad because its the same players. Girardi is going to need to control this, Meachum is almost as bad as Wendell "Send em in" Kim from the Red Sox in the late 90's. They just windmill people in no matter the situation. How many times does someone have to be out at before he realized Ryan Sweeney has a great arm and not to run on it. With the short wall in left this weekend lets hope Meachum learns and plays it safe.

Now to finish with the positive. This change has been the biggest improvement from 2007 to 2008. I am not bashing my head against the wall every time a reliever is brought in this year. You can actually see that there is a strategy and thought in bringing relievers into the game. Girardi is 1000x better managing the bullpen then Joe Torre. Once the starters began giving some length and Girardi could dictate roles the staff has taken off. Torre really had become Clueless Joe when it came to managing the bullpen. He would burn guys out for weeks at a time till they were dead tired or hurt and couldnt perform. Then he would dump them and find another guy he "trusted." See Scott Proctor, Paul Quantrill, Louis Vizcaino, and Tanyon Sturtz for a short list of guys used and abused by Torre. He even needed rules put in place when Joba Chamberlain came into the equation late last year for fear of over use. And when the rules were gone he overused him the playoffs throwing nearly 40 pitches in game 3 with a big lead.

Girardi has not had this problem. He has an idea and a plan everytime he used the pen. When there is a close game he uses Jose Veras and Farnsworth as the bridge. But he wont use them more than two days in a row. When its a little bigger lead he turns to Edwar Ramirez and David Robertson and both have been extremely productive. So instead of having guys pitch 10 times in 15 days they are rested and effective. There is no building trust with Girardi you get it from day one. He puts people in positions to suceed and they have rewarded him with consistency. So there isnt a time where a guy sits in the pen and doesnt do anything for 20 days, like Edwar last year. When Joba was moved people feared a bullpen collpase when the opposite has happened. There havent been many, if any, panic moved to Rivera either. He has only used Mo in the 8th twice, Torre would constantly over use Mo. This has led to his best season of his storied career. Their ERA is better now then with Joba. Girardi deserves a lot of credit as the Yankees have a bullpen with a top 10 ERA and the best fact nobody in the top 15 of appearances. He has built up a great pen to be the bridge to Rivera.

Just as the Yankees season was starting to pick up, a major wrench was thrown in its side. They have learned that not only will Hideki Matsui be out for the year but Jorge Posada will likely be joining him on the bench. This team has battled injury after injury all year and they have finally put themselves in a position to make a run at the playoffs in the seasons final two months. But this news could be the straw that breaks the camels back as this might be too much for them to overcome.

Any other season where the offense was performing upto standard they could get by with these injuries. Names like Jeter, A-Rod, Abreu, Damon, and Cano should carry a team. But this year, where offense has been hard to come by, the loss of two of your best hitters is killer. Especially a switch hitting middle of the order guy like Posada. He was key to keep lefties from dominating the team. Now they are looking at the likes of Jose Molina and Bret Gardner being key bats in the bottom third of the order.

The bigger blow of losing Posada is the emotion and intensity he brings to the table every day. I have had some issues with the contract length for Posada. I have also questioned why he wouldnt play 1b or DH when the team needed his bat. I am sorry for this question now that I know he was in pain every time he swung. His defense was never great to begin with and I always favored pulling him for defense late in games. (IE Last year game 2 in Cleveland.) He just doesnt block pitches well and this year the fact he couldnt throw made his defense worse. But I never thought the lineup would be without him for a whole season. He has a certain intangible effect on the team. He actually cares about winning and the Yankees. He plays with fire and emotion and was someone who wouldnt be aftaid to get in someones face when the time called for it. That is what the Yankees will miss if he really cant play the rest of the year. He was always on a short list of guys that the Yankees couldn'd play with out for an extended period of time. (Rivera, Jeter, A-Rod the others) Listening to Posada talk lasnight you can tell how upset and hurt he is. He really doesnt want to miss a playoff run and the team really needs him. But you can tell he just had no power this year, hitting or throwing, and that something was seriously wrong. He is crushed and he deserves better. He is one of the good guys in the game.

Can the Yankees survive this? Sure but it wont be easy. They all need to step up and contribute. Molina's defense will be superb but the team is gonna need to carry his below average bat for extended time now. Everyone is going to have to do a little bit more to help the team win. This team still has a 200 million dollar pay roll and they have the talent to get there. Hopefully Jorge will get himself healthy and ready for 2009 while helping his teamates in 2008 by still being the emotional leader that he is.

The Yankees could not have had a better return from the All-Star break. After falling on their face in Pittsburg and Toronto in the 4 games prior to the break. The Yankees came back looking focused and ready to make a serious run at the playoffs. They showed they could win games in different fashions this weekend. They can pound a team like Friday night, win in extras and tie a game in the 9th inning like Saturday, and win with great pitching and defense like Sunday. Those last two games are the games they need to win to get to the playoffs.

Joe Girardi's team had the look of a team ready to do some damage. They got contributions from everyone. From Alex Rodriguez to Brett Gardner and Jose Molina on offense and from Andy Pettitte to David Robertson pitching. The pitching this weekend was superb, outside of one inning by Jose Veras. They were sharp, crisp and threw strikes. They basically didn't walk anyone which is always a good recipe for success. Andy Pettitte capped off the dominating weekend with a 8 inning 10 k performance Sunday afternoon. It was vintage Pettitte as he threw 115 pitches and got the ball to Mariano Rivera on his own.

The team still needs to hit better and be consistant but this was a great start to the final 60 games of the season. Combine their sweep and the sweep of the Red Sox and the Yankees have put themselves in a great position to overtake their rivals next weekend. They can not overlook the Twins and take them for granted, as the Twins have a high power offense and some very good young arms. If the Yankees can get out of this week 3-3, that would be great anything better and they would be in great shape.

The un-official Second Half of the Yankees Season begins tonight. Derek Jeter summed up the first 90 games by saying "The team has been good enough to be 6 games out." The only consistant part of the team has been their inconsistency. The best example of this is the final week of the first half. They win 4 straight over Boston and Tampa and then flounder away the final 4 by losing three of them to the Pirates and Jays. They could have gone into the break really hot but instead have caused Yankee fans a lot of anxiety this past week. This will tell if replacing Joe Torre with Joe Girardi was a good move. Torre never missed the playoffs now Girardi has a lot of pressure.

This might be the season that injuries have finally caught up with the team. They have sustained some substantial injuries. Derek Jeter missed a week with a quad pull, A-Rod and Posada spent between two weeks and a month on the DL, and Posada has been unable to succesfully remain the catcher. Now Matsui appears to be out for the year and Damon has been out for two weeks and will be out atleast one more. This has to be one of the main reasons the offense has struggled. You never know who will be healthy and who will not be. There have been only a handful of games where the opening day lineup has been on the field.

If you would have told Yankee fans at the begining of the year that Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain would combine for only one win as starters you would assume that they are way out of the  race. The pitching staff has been actually held up alright and survived the injuries to their ace Chien-Ming Wang and two starters who were counted on Kennedy and Hughes. In addition Brian Bruney and Jonathan Alabadejo were showing signs of being dependable relievers when they too were bitten by the injury bug. Bruney could be back in a week to help out the bullpen and give Girdardi another dependable arm.

The big questions for final 70 games are: 1) Can Robinson Cano rebound to his all-star ways? Cano might be the most important player in the second half. The Yankees thought he would be a middle of an order type of hitter by now not a guy batting 230. He has shown signs he has his old beautiful swing back and the Yankees hope that is the case. Cano is not the only bat needed to get hot, Jeter is well below his averages as he is only hitting 280's and Bobby Abreu has slumped lately. They also need the 2007 A-Rod to reappear. His numbers look good but his 180 batting avg with RISP his not helping the team. They need him to carry the load the rest of the way. The Yankee bats should be able to carry a slumping Melky Cabrera and his solid defense.

2) What moves are up Cashmans Sleaves?- Barry Bonds probably not coming to the Bronx. Could Matt Holliday be on the way? Sure, and he would be a great addition, but the asking price is way too high. If the Pirates want two or three top of the line prospects, what will the Rockies want for a franchise, top 10 hitters in the game? Cashman does not want to unload all the prospects he has been saving in one move. And he has shown a willingness to hold on to players, but will he feel the pressure of saving his job? Look for Yankees to get a Randy Wolf type pitcher, and probably Adam Dunn to be the new DH.

3) Will the Yankees Make the Playoffs- The have made it every year since 1995 and you have to give them the benefit of the doubt.  They are a team that always finishes strong, besides 2000, and the Rays and Twins have not been in this type of pennant race. They are in a better stading position than last season but not team situation. Last year they could hit and bludgeon teams to death for wins. We have not seen that this season. And they were a lot healthier. This week off probably helped heal up some problems and re-focus the team. The Yankees will need to get off to a good start to put pressure on these teams. As Mariano Rivera said, "they know we are still in this." The Yankees need to be good closers once again. Look for them to make the Wild Card again.  

This is it final 70 games to get one last playoff run in the House that Ruth Built. If the Yankees don't turn it around Sept 21 on ESPN will be the last time the Stadium opens its doors and Tuesday will have been the last major event we will witness there. Look for a team led by Jeter, Posada and Rivera to show some Yankees Pride and get the team to the playoffs.

 

 

So I think I have finally recovered from the longest All-Star game in history. Many people have compained about the length and the end time and I understand it but you know what? I loved every minute of it. I was there when the gates opened and was there when they closed. It was truly a great way to spend a day. I am still gathering my thoughts and how to fully express what I witnessed. It is tough to put into words about how I feel about yesterday. It was truly one of the best baseball experiences I have ever had, it is very close if not ahead of Game 7 2003. From touring Monument Park in a Stadium full of Legends the day started great.

The Intro's and Hall of Famers on the field were simply amazing. It was awesome to see all of the guys that I have heard stories and legends about like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, and Bob Gibson all on one field. And then to have them all joined by the best players in the game all on one field. It was the best collection of talent on one field that baseball has ever seen. It gave me goosebumps to see them all on the field. And then to see The Boss George Steinbrenner on the field and finally be given the thanks he deserves was truly remarkable. He deserves it all as us Yankee fans owe him a lot, he is building us a great new Stadium. It was another great moment at Yankee Stadium.

It was also special for Yankee fans to get to show their love and admiration for Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and a lesser extent for A-Rod. The love for A-Rod is a little different than the love for the other two, I have seen their whole careers in that Stadium and it was a great chance to say thanks. With all the chanting of Derek Jeter and Mariano it was an amazing time.

It is still tough to put into words the way the game played out. But I know each time both sides failed to score a run, even though I would complain about the time, I know that I never wanted to leave. I wouldnt complain if it ended at 4 AM. It was truly what the send off of Yankee Stadium should be. Memorable. And it truly was. Lets hope the last Yankee Stadium Moment is in October.

 

- This video was prob missed by everyone trying to watch the game.

Its late and I have a big day ahead of me with Fanfest and the All-Star Game but The Homerun Derby did a great job of getting this even off to a great start. The atmosphere and spectacle all lived up to and actually surpassed the hype. There was a lot of downtime but hey its in Yankee Stadium with the best fans in the world and your watching the best players in the world, things could be worse.

Watching both teams take batting practice on the field was quite a spectacle. They make it all look so easy. It was awesome to watch Scott Kazmir and Roy Halladay work on pitching together. Or see Big Carlos Zambrano and Tim Lincecum talk shop. To listen to what they have to say would be amazing. Also you get to see how all the players really love the game and get alone despite rivalries. Heck Mariano Rivera posed for a picture with Paperlbon and Varitek. Oh yea, and he requested it. And watching the hitters hit was amazing. They were hitting balls into area codes that are rarely seen. Finally seeing A-Rod take bp at Yankee Stadium was a sight. He can really launch the ball all over the yard.

And finally the Home-run derby. Each player had memorable drives into the Upper Decks of the Stadium and balls that traveled 450 feet. But the night was stolen by Texas Ranger Outfielder Josh Hamilton. Even though he did not go on to actually win the title, Justin Morneau ended up winning just as he undeserving won the MVP award two years ago, Hamilton was the real winner. He displayed the talents that made him the # 1 overall pick and showed that he had overcome all his personal demons. He nearly hit one out of the Stadium and consistently was hitting balls to areas that I do not think have ever been touched. He was even hitting them to my seats in Section 35 that I never thought was possible. (I was in the Leftfield Bleachers tonight and never had a shot at any of his balls.) He even showed why he is The Natural, after being asked to try hitting one out to leftfield he does it right on cue. It was amazing. As my friend Jon texted me "that has to be the most amazing hitting display ever." Who can argue with that, to hit 28 homerun's in one round of a homerun derby in Yankee Stadium is unbelievable. He had the Stadium buzzing. Really they should have ended the night there and everyone would have been happy with what they had seen. It was truly amazing to say that I witnessed such an impressive display of hitting prowess.

I am sure tomorrow will top tonight's experience but this was a great way to start off the festivities.

Just hours away from the real beginning of the Yankee Stadium All-star festivities, beginning with tonight's Homerun Derby, I cant help but feel a little sad. Don't get me wrong I am as excited as I have been for any game that I have attended and that includes World Series games. It is almost on par with Game 7 2003 Yankees Red Sox. This is a once in lifetime opportunity and I have been hoping to get a chance to go to one of the events when it was announced this time last year. To be lucky enough to go to both events is amazing. I can't be happier to go.

But the feeling of sadness comes from it being here and coming so quickly. The next two days will be ones I will hopefully never forget as I get to see the game's best and brightest send off the most famous stadium in the world. And I will be able to share the experience with my dad who keeps saying how excited he is to be going to this great event. I have been looking forward to this day for over a year and to think it will all be over in about 36 hours is a little hard to believe. This could be the last great event in the House that Ruth Built as there is no guarantee that playoffs will happen this year.

I am ready for this great experience. I just hope that it doesn't go by in a flash and that I can fully appreciate it. Starting with the Home-run Derby tonight and then Fanfest and the All-Star Game tomorrow, this is a baseball fans dream experience.