The Bronx Daily

How Do We Lose the the Mets?

I thought nothing made me feel sicker than losing to the Boston Red Sox. I was wrong. Losing to the Mets is even worse. The Yankees are the pride of New York. The symbol of excellence. As American as apple pie. The Mets are a patch of jaded Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants fans that exist only because of their hatred for the Yankees because we beat their teams so many times in the post season that they could not stomach becoming fans when their teams got sick of living in our shadows and went to California. So for this group they put together a band of second rate players to form the Mets.

Now here we are, losing to even them. It is time to shake things up. I don't know how, I don't know who. But Hank needs to step in and do something to wake this team up. Last weeks comments and Joe Girardi's closed door meeting did not work. It is time to try something else. I know it is only one game, but after the week the Yankees have had, my patience is running thin.

Sickening. All I can say is sickening. I hope they gave ticket holders their money back today. If not, they were duped!

Rainout Makes for Intriguing Match Up

The baseball gods wanted to see a better pitching match up so they sent the rain to postpone tonight's game. With that, the Yankees will skip Darrell Rasner and send Andy Pettitte to the mound to face Johan Santana tomorrow.

Rasner will spend the weekend in the bullpen while the game may be made up us a day night, two stadium double header in June. The good news for the Yankees is that the game will be made up when Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada are back from their injuries.

Right now the Yankees will take any break they can get.

Pregame Quick Hits: Yankees vs. Mets 5/16, 5/17, 5/18

The Subways Series returns to New York as the Yankees (20-22) host their cross town rivals the Mets (20-19). Both teams have been floundering as the Mets lost a series to the Nationals while the Yankees lost  3 out of 4 to the Rays.

Pitching Match Ups:
5/16 vs. NYM Darrell Rasner (2-0 3.00) vs. Johan Santana (4-2 3.10) 7:05pm My9
5/17 vs. NYM Andy Pettitte (3-4 4.40) vs. Oliver Perez (3-3 4.61) 1:05pm YES
5/18 vs. NYM Chien-Ming Wang (6-1 2.90) vs. John Maine (5-2 2.81) 8:05pm ESPN

Other Quick Hits:

• Derek Jeter recorded his 2,400 hit in yesterday's game.
• Jeter is a .381 career hitter against the Mets.
• The Yankees 113-79 record in interleague is the best in history.
• The Empire State Building is celebrating the Subways Series by donning Yankees and Mets colors.
• Robinson Cano is batting .378 in his last 10 games.
• The Yankees are 18-9 when walking 3 or less batters.
• The Yankees are 35-25 all time against the Mets.
• Andy Pettitte is 7-3 with a 3.42 ERA against the Mets.

Coming Up:
The Yankees will host the Baltimore Orioles for three games then the Seattle Mariners in a weekend series.

Kennedy, Yankees Fall, Team Sinks to Basement

Ian Kennedy came back to the Yankees with a renewed confidence and swagger. Sadly he also came back with the same pitches. The other problem was the same Yankees lineup  . The Yankees managed only managed 7 hits in a 5-2 loss. The defeat put the Yankees in last place in the AL East.

All I can say is this team is disgraceful. Hank Steinbrenner was easy on them and they need to look inside of themselves be ashamed of their play. I understand their pitching but with the lineup and the amount of money that this team has spent on them, there are no excuses.

Joe Girardi needs to light a fire under them and maybe have another closed door meeting.The first one did not take! This is completely unacceptable and Girardi who made the Marlins a half decent team with salary, also needs to be ashamed and show more urgency to win.

The Moose is Loose

Mike Mussina stood up as a leader for the Yankees today. Moose, realizing his team was not hitting and after hearing Hank Steinbrenners rant, decided to do something about it. He pitched a gem giving up only 5 hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings. Ohlendorf finished the seventh for him while the dependable combination of Joba and Mariano closed out the eighth and ninth innings.

The offense was again anemic but the bright spot was a 4 for 4 night by Robinson Cano that took his average over the Mendoza line. He had 4 of the team's 7 hits. The offense is just not gelling right now but they were able to squeek out 2 runs for the win.

Tomorrow the Yankees look to even the series. Check back for continuing coverage of the Hank Steinbrenner comments coverage.

Yankees Do it Again, Lose

Chien-Ming Wang pitched a great game only to have the New York Yankees offense, who apparently did not bring their bats to Florida, sleep through another game as the Yankees lost 2-1 in 11 innings. Kaz Matsui had the teams only run as he hit a solo shot to tie the game in the ninth inning to send the game to extra frames.

The Yankees must not have thought they were able to pass their quota of 6 hits in a game even if they were given extra innings. Seriously, how much money do these guys make to hit? Bobby Abreu went 0-4 for his $17 million.

The only good news from the night is Jason Giambi had two more hits as he is approaching the Mendoza line. Not much more to say except we are now two games under .500 but at least the Red Sox lost.

Quarterly Review: Yankees .500 Team

Like it or not, the best way to describe the New York Yankees at the quarter mark of the season is as a .500 team. The team is 19-20 entering tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Rays and have hovered around the .500 mark all season.

Injuries have certainly hampered the team. First Derek Jeter missed 6 games with a strained quadricep muscle, then Jorge Posada's arm issues, followed by Alex Rodriguez's quad injury. The Yankees have had an All-Star team on the shelf. But worse than these problems have been the starting pitching and lack of consistency in their offense.

Mike Mussina started the season terribly as did Phil Hughes (another injured Yankee) and Ian Kennedy. Mussina was able to rebound and looks as though he will be serviceable but Hughes ended up on the DL while Kennedy has been optioned to the minors then recalled.

The lineup has been a bit of a Jeckle and Hyde. One night they get 15 hits and score 7 runs, the next they get 6 hits and score 2. There has been no consistency and while losing A-Rod and Jorge certainly has something to do with it, there are many other capable former All-Stars that should be carrying this team during their absence. The bottom line is, they are not. in addition, Jason Giambi is batting .177 while Robinson Cano is hitting .188 as they race for the goal of being the first to cross the Mendoza line. Nothing to be proud of in mid May.

Things have not been all bad though. Hideki Matsui has been awesome. Chien-Ming Wang took the mantle of being the opening day pitcher and has run with it being nearly unbeatable and posting a 6-1 record. And what more can you say about Mariano Rivera. He continues to be simply the best. Mo has only given up 6 hits in 15 innings while striking out 12 and walking none. He has yet to give up an earned run and is 10 for 10 in save opportunities.

The question is where does this season lead? The good news is that with all of the injuries, young pitchers struggling, and offensive inconsistencies, the Yankees have managed to stay in eye shot of the division lead. They are only 4 games out of first place although there are 3 teams in front of them.

The other good news is that although he will miss a little more time than originally anticipated, A-Rod should be back with the team and healthy next week. Jorge Posada could return June 1st although that is an optimistic statement. Cano and Giambi seem to be swinging the bats better and their production with the return of Alex and Jorge should restore the lineup to being the most feared in the league.

The question coming up seems to be the same question the Yankees had coming into the year. Just now the question mark is bigger. Pitching, pitching, pitching. The bullpen has been good especially when you consider Chamberlain and Rivera but the starters have been a whole different story.

Will Mike Mussina continue to pitch well or is he just on a hot streak? Can Ian Kennedy find himself after being recalled from the minors. Will Phil Hughes return healthy and how well will he pitch? Will the Yankees make a trade or signing and bring a Greg Maddux, David Wells, or another outside source to stabilize the rotation?

The rest of the season is a mystery but the good news is the Yankees are still in the thick of the race in the A.L. East. Let's hope they pull it together and our next quarterly review will be much better!

Yankees Flat in Opener

Andy Pettitte had a rough fourth inning and the New York Yankees lost their bats in the rain as they lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1. Pettitte, who was 14-3 against the Rays coming into the game, lasted only 4 innings giving up 8 hits and 5 earned runs. Maybe the extra day of rest threw him off his game.

The bats were worse. The Yankees only managed 6 hits. Two of them were by Alberto Gonzalez who had just been recalled from Triple-A. The Yankees faced Matt Garza, not Cy Young. What is up with the offense? Let's hope for a little better effort tomorrow.

Pregame Quick Hits: Yankees vs. Rays 5/12, 5/13, 5/14, 5/15

The New York Yankees (19-19) will travel to Tampa Bay to play the Rays (21-16) in a four game series. The Yankees split a series in Detroit with the Tigers over the weekend. Their Sunday game was rained out. Alex Rodriguez who was expected to be activated during this series will need more time and will also likely miss the series against the Mets.

In other news Ian Kennedy will be recalled to start the Thursday game while Kei Igawa is being moved to the bullpen. The Yankees put Wilson Betemit on the 15 day disabled list and recalled Alberto Gonzalez from Triple-A.

Pitching Match Ups:

5/12 at TB Andy Pettitte (3-3 3.77) vs. Matt Garza (1-1 4.91) 7:10pm YES
5/13 at TB Chien-Ming Wang (6-1 3.12) vs. Edwin Jackson (2-3 4.04) 7:10pm YES
5/14 at TB Mike Mussina (5-3 4.36) vs. James Shields (4-2 3.14) 7:10pm YES
5/15 at TB Ian Kennedy (0-2 8.37) vs. Scott Kazmir (1-1 2.70) 4:10pm YES

Other Quick Hits:

• Bobby Abreu needs 2 stolen bases to have 300 in his career.
• Derek Jeter is hitting .330 since sitting out with a quad injury in April.
• Chien-Ming Wang was named Pepsi's MLB Clutch Performer for April. He went 5-0 for the month.
• The Yankees are 115-57 lifetime against the Rays and 53-31 at Tropicana Field.
• Andy Pettitte is 14-3 lifetime against the Rays.
• Chien-Ming Wang  is 7-1 2.61 in his last 9 starts against Tampa Bay.

Coming Up:
The Yankees will return home for a weekend Subway Series with the Mets.

Rain Out Gives Yankees Pitching Options

With the Yankees Tigers game being rained out on Sunday, the Bombers have the luxury of being able to shuffle their starting rotation. Either everyone could move back a day which will happen with Pettitte, Wang, and Mussina, or the Yankees could keep Rasner on schedule and skip Kei Igawa.

With the way Rasner has pitched, it makes sense to keep him on schedule and buy some time before deciding whether to give Igawa another start or recall Ian Kennedy or another minor league option. Recalling Kennedy so soon is not a good idea. He needs to spend some time in the minors, be successful, and regain his confidence. Either way, skipping Igawa sounds like the right move to me on Thursday.

Maddux to the Yankees?

As the New York Yankees pitching woes have fans wondering how the team will address them, the rumor mill continues to churn. The latest rumor has Greg Maddux being traded to the Yankees.

With the San Diego Padres having the worst record in the National League, they have been rumored to be willing to trade Maddux if the right deal comes along. Some Yankees fans have jumped to the conclusion that Maddux could fill one of the holes in the rotation and help the Yankees retake the American League East.

Before anyone goes out buying Maddux jerseys, ask yourself a few questions. How much of a help would Greg Maddux be? He is well past his prime and it took him a month to win his 350th game. Also, what would you have to give up to get Maddux? Phil Hughes? Ian Kennedy? Melky Cabrera? We wouldn't give these guys up for Johan Santana. We certainly should not and would not give them up for Greg Maddux.

If Maddux could be acquired for a low cost, he may be worth taking a chance on. But the Yankees should not give up any decent prospects for him. With the David Wells rumors last week, maybe the next rumor can involve someone less than social security age?

Yankees Rained Out

The New York Yankees game against the Detroit Tigers on 4/11/08 was rained out. They now head to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays in a four game set. Alex Rodriguez is expected to return during this series. Hopefully this series is the turning point for the team!

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day from MyTeamRivals.com. We wish all the mothers out there a very special day. All none mothers out there make sure you do something special for your mom today!

Rasner Brings Team to .500 Again

The New York Yankees seem to get to play .500 ball then lose a game or two, get back to .500, then stumble again. Much of this has had to do with their starting pitching but today for the second straight start Darrell Rasner gave his team a strong start and led them to a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Derek Jeter hit his first homerun of the season and scored two runs. Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera did their thing while Rivera earned his 10th save and has yet to give up an earned run.

I have said this before but I think this may be the turning point for this team. With Mussina pitching better and Rasner solidifying the number 4 spot in the rotation, the Yankees seem to have figured out their starting rotation other than the number 5 spot. Igawa should be given another shot and if he can not get it done, they will have to find another option, but at least it is one spot now and not two.

Wilson Betemit left the game with a strained right hamstring but the Yankees got some good news today on the injury front. Alex Rodriguez took 65 swings in batting practice, fielded 31 grounders at third base, and ran in the outfield during his second injury rehabilitation workout at the Yankees' Minor League complex. If all goes well, Rodriguez will be back with the team this week.

There was also good news on the Jorge Posada front. The veteran catcher took batting practice for the second time on Saturday since going on the disabled list on April 28 with right rotator cuff tendinitis. Posada is expected to begin a light throwing program on Monday to rebuild strength in his shoulder and arm. The Yankees are hoping he can return to action on June 1st.

Tell Dellucci to Stop His Whining

David Dellucci of the Cleveland Indians took exception to Joba Chamberlain pumping his fist and screaming when he was struck out. Dellucci had hit a 3 run homerun the night before against Joba and won the game for his team.

"If he wants to yell and scream after a strikeout and dance around the mound, that's what gets him going," Dellucci said. "My home run was in a much bigger situation, a much more key part of the game, but I didn't dance around and scream."

The fact is that Joba is an excitable guy that loves what he does and wants to show how much he feels for the game. Dellucci needs to realize that Joba is a high energy guy that love his team, teammates, and winning. Maybe if David had the same enthusiasm, he wouldn't be a fringe player at best. Pipe down David, unless you want to be a leader on your team and actually care about what you do. Oh, never mind!

Pregame Quick Hits: Yankees vs. Tigers 5/9, 5/10, 5/11

The Yankees are in Detroit for a series with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers won the opener tonight after knocking around Kei Igawa for 6 runs in 3 innings.

Pitching Match Ups:
5/10 at Det Darrell Rasner (1-0 3.00) vs. Jeremy Bonderman (2-3 4.17) 3:40pm Fox
5/11 at Det Andy Pettitte (3-3 3.77) vs. Nate Robertson (1-4 6.64) 1:05pm

Other Quick Hits:

• The Tigers are 6-0 in their last 6 games against the Yankees.
• The Yankees are 1028-917-9 all time against the Tigers.
• They are 466-505-5 in Detroit and 16-17 at Comerica Park.

Coming Up:
The Yankees head to Tampa Bay for a four game set against the Rays.

Igawa Gets Shelled in Yankees Loss

Kei Igawa was not the key to the Yankees turning around the bottom of their pitching rotation as he pitched only 3 innings giving up 11 hits and six runs digging the team into a hole they could not dig out of as the Detroit Tigers beat them 6-5. The Yankees battled back with 3 runs in the ninth but could not tie the game as they took the loss. The Yankees did out hit the Tigers 14-13 and 5 players had a two hit game Robinson Cano and Jason Giambi who added his 7th homerun.

The other positive sign was the continued success of the bullpen that pitched 5 scoreless innings and helped give the team a chance to fight back and make it a game. If only they could figure out the 4 and 5 spots in the rotation, they could be fine...

With that being said David Wells has expressed interest in returning to the Bronx Bombers. The 44 year old southpaw was 9-9 with a 5.43 ERA for the Padres and Dodgers last season. The question of whether he can still compete at this level looms though and is legitimate. It is also legitimate to say he probably would not be any worse then what they have had so far and could lend some guidance to the younger pitchers. it will be interesting to see how desperate the Yankees become.

What are your thoughts of Wells returning?

Yankees Salvage Finale

The Yankees had two rough games against the Cleveland Indians losing the first game by a rare homerun surrendered by Joba Chamberlain and the second game when Cliff Lee baffled the bats. Today the Bronx Bombers got revenge as Mike Mussina won his 5th game and 4th in a row. Mussina only pitched 5 innings but the bullpen added 4 shut out innings while Joba Chamberlain returned to form with a perfect eighth inning and Mariano Rivera earned his 9th save.

The ball was flying out of the park as Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano, and Wilson Betemit all homered. It was really good to see Cano have a 2 for 3 game and hopefully he has turned the page and his slow start is behind him. Hideki Matsui continues to impress as he went 2 for 4 and is now hitting .345. Matsui has been the team's MVP so far this season.

The win brings the Yankees back to .500 and again poses the question of where the season is heading. The Yankees are now in third place 4 games behind the Boston Red Sox. They can not afford to fall any further behind and it will be very important to win the weekend series against the Tigers and then beat the Rays so they can be in striking distance when A-Rod returns hopefully on Wednesday. Mussina pitching better gives the team hope that 3 out of the 5 spots in the rotation are now solid. Once the other two spots are solidified, this team will be fine, but they again can not afford to be any further behind in the division race before they figure it out. The next few weeks will be critical.

Lee Silences Yankees

Chien-Ming Wang was solid but Cliff Lee was spectacular as the New York Yankees lost tonight 3-0 to the Cleveland Indians. Wang was 6-0 coming into the game and suffered his first loss.

The Yankees managed 7 hits which equaled the Indians total but could not make their hitting timely as they were shut out. The Yankees need to rebound tomorrow to salvage a game in this series. Sorry, not much more to say, it was a tough night for the Yankees faithful!

A-Rod to begin Rehab

Alex Rodriguez has been cleared to start physical activity this week after completely resting for seven days. He will begin a Minor League rehabilitation assignment in Tampa next week

Joe Girardi said that Rodriguez is tentatively scheduled to play in extended Spring Training games at the Yankees' Minor League complex on Monday and Tuesday, likely batting third in every inning so he can log six or seven at-bats per game.

Rodriguez is on the disabled list with a grade 2 right quadricep strain. This is his first trip to the DL in his career. When asked about it he said, "I'm bored to death. I haven't watched games in a long time, and I'm going nuts. It's so tough to watch and not be able to get an at-bat or help out your teammates."

Jorge Posada and Phil Hughes will also join Rodriguez and begin their journey to recovery. A-Rod will likely return Wednesday which works out because the Yankees will be in Tampa Bay to play the Rays. The Yankees are hopeful he will be 100% at that time.

Yankees Pen Faulters in Defeat

The New York Yankees have had a common theme this season. When they get good starting pitching, they win. That was not the case last evening as Andy Pettitte pitched strong into the seventh inning and the Yankees looked well on their way to victory. Sadly, Joba Chamberlain gave up his first earned runs at Yankees stadium with a 3 run homerun to David Dellucci and the Indians won 5-3.

In another common theme, when the Yankees lose the bats struggle. They managed only 8 hits, 3 of which came off of the bat of Matsui. Damon, Abreu, and Cabrera all suffered 0 for nights.

The Yankees will need to return to their winning ways tonight with 6-0 ace Chien-Ming Wang on the hill. The Indians will counter with Cliff Lee who is also off to a blistering start. Good news for Yankees fans though, Lee has a career 6.82 ERA against the Bronx Bombers. It is time to get his ERA up a point or two!

Pregame Quick Hits: Yankees vs. Indians 4/6, 4/7, 4/8

The New York Yankees will host the Cleveland Indians at Yankees Stadium for a three game series beginning tonight. The Yankees are coming off a three game sweep of the Seattle Mariners over the weekend. The Indians swept the Kansas City Royals in their last series.

Pitching Match Ups:
4/6 vs. Cle Andy Pettitte (3-3 3.93) vs. Fausto Carmona (3-1 2.60) 7:05pm
4/7 vs. Cle Chien-Ming Wang (6-0 3.00) vs. Cliff Lee (5-0 0.96) 7:05pm
4/8 vs. Cle Mike Mussina (3-3 4.73) vs. Paul Byrd (1-2 3.74) 1:05pm

Other Quick Hits:

• The Yankees are 1,059-839 all time against the Indians.
• They are 577-377 in New York.
• This series marks the final regular season series for the Indians at Yankees stadium.
• The Indians have not won a series at Yankees Stadium since July 2001.
• The Yankees are 17-3 since 2002 at the House that Ruth Built.
• Wednesday's starter Cliff Lee is 2-3 with a 6.82 ERA lifetime against the Yankees.

Coming Up:
The Yankees will travel to Detroit to take on the Tigers followed by a trip to Tampa Bay to face the Rays before coming home to begin inter league play against the cross town rival Mets.

Farnsworth Has His Say

Kyle Farnsworth met for two hours with MLB vice president Bob Watson  as he  had his appeal heard on Tuesday following a three game suspension he received for throwing behind Boston's Manny Ramirez during an April 17 matchup at Yankee Stadium.

"I think we had a good case and our point got put across pretty good," Farnsworth said. "I feel good about it." 

Farnsworth said of the incident, "The ball slipped, and as far as I know, I didn't hit him. If I'm going to hit somebody, it's not going to be in the head, that's for sure. I don't want to endanger anybody's career, and that's definitely not a hitter you throw at."

A decision will probably be made known tomorrow or Thursday. Farnsworth has been suspended two other times which may hurt his case. The bottom line is whether or not they think he threw at Ramirez intentionally. Seeing the replay a few times, I do not think he did.

Baseball has gone a little overboard with inside pitches. Pitchers have lost the ability to throw inside and keep batters honest. This is part of why ERA's are inflated in todays game. Good thing they did not do this in Bob Gibson's day!

 

Kennedy Unhappy About Demotion

Ian Kennedy was surprised and unhappy about being demoted to triple A before todays game against the Seattle Mariners. The Yankees want Kennedy to restore his confidence and command while in the minors and gave him no timetable for a return to the bigs. Brian Cashman said it could be after 2 starts or 15 depending on whether "if he gets his game in order."

Kennedy sounded bitter saying, "I was kind of surprised, because I feel like I've been throwing well but if you don't do well and get drastic changes and drastic improvements, this is what happens. They made it sound like they wanted me here, but they'd rather have me improve in Scranton and get my confidence back up. I feel like the last two times, I've been doing better. It's not going to be easier because it's in Scranton. It's still baseball, it's still a game."

After Kennedy's last start I thought he was pitching better. The results looked worse then they were because of fielding mistakes by Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu. I thought he earned another start but Yankees brass did not agree.

What will this do to the young pitcher confidence? Sending him down now may really hurt the young pitcher and when he returns he may feel extra pressure causing him to struggle more. With Phil Hughes out, the Yankees could have afforded to keep him as the number 5 pitcher, keep him on a short leash so the games do not get out of hand, and let him develop at the big league level. I think this move was a mistake. Your thoughts?

Kei Igawa, a southpaw, will probably be recalled to take over as the number 5 pitcher in the rotation. Igawa, who is signed to a five-year contract in November 2006, was 2-3 with a 6.25 ERA in 14 games with the Yankees last year. He spent most of the season in the Minors.

Rasner Looks Good in Yankees Win

Who ever said good pitching is the key to winning was never more right when discussing the 2008 New York Yankees. When this team gets pitching, they win games. Darrell Rasner, recalled from triple A, pitched six solid innings and the bullpen pitched 3 scoreless as the Bronx Bombers completed the sweep of the Seattle Mariners.

Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano each homered as the Yankees belted out 14 hits including a 4 hit game by Derek Jeter. It was good to see Cano connect who has been struggling this season and is hitting only .154. Hopefully the homerun will help Cano start hitting. The Yankees need him to step up with the injuries to A-Rod and Posada.

The Yankees have a well deserved off day then will host the Cleveland Indians. We need two out of three against the Indians as the Yankees are now three games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and need to at least keep pace with them until A-Rod returns.

Steinbrenner Unhappy with Teams Play

Hank Steinbrenner told the Associated Press that he was unhappy with the Yankees slow start. He was understanding about the injuries the team has sustained but you can tell he does not like the make up of the team the Yankees are presently fielding and it is only a matter of time before changes in personnel are made.

Steinbrenner said, "I'm very disappointed with the way the season has gone, period."

Referring to the amount of injuries he said, "The injuries have been a killer, too, there's no question about that. It happens to one team every year, sometimes more than one team. And it just appears to be our year. It's something you've got to deal with in every sport."

Steinbrenner also said that the injury to rookie starter Phil Hughes will not change the team's plans for Joba Chamberlain and they will, at least for now, go into their farm system to replace Hughes.

"There's no question, you just can't stick him in there right away," Steinbrenner said. "He's got to be brought along properly. You have to stick with [the plan]."

It is only a matter of time until Steinbrenner loses his patience if the Yankees continue to struggle like they have. Joe Girardi is safe, but you have to wonder how long the leash is on Brian Cashman and how willing the team will be to bring back some of the veterans at the end of this season. Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi will probably not be back to name a few.

Mussina Deals, Bats Crank, Yankees Win

If you only watched the Yankees yesterday and today you would think they were the team to beat in the AL East. After Chien-Ming Wang's solid performance stopping a losing streak last night then Mike Mussina pitching well and the line up hitting the ball today, it gives the fans hope that this Yankees team can overcome their injuries and pitching and still compete for the division.

Mike Mussina is a big key to this team. If he can contribute strong outings consistently with Wang and Pettitte, the Yankees can figure out winning when Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes replacement pitches.  Wang, Pettitte, and Mussina need to be able to pitch into if not through the seventh inning so the bullpen can be rested to support Kennedy and the number 5 pitcher.

The lineup needs to have days like today where they banged out 13 hits and scored 6 times. There is more pressure without Alex Rodriquez and Jorge Posada but even without these All Stars this is one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball. This team can score 5 or more runs a game and needs to begin to do so consistently.

Fielding is also more important than ever for this team. Third base is a hole A-Rod but the back ups need to at least be adequate. Bobby Abreu needs to make the plays in the outfield especially against the wall. This team needs to make the plays more now than ever with veteran pitchers Pettitte and Mussina and developing pitchers like Kennedy, Darrell Rasner, and Phil Hughes when he returns. The team can not afford developing pitchers to have to make four or more outs in a inning. They need to make the plays.

Today was a good day for the Yankees. We are back at .500, optimism is renewed, and it is time for the team to execute. Let's go Yankees!

Pregame Quick Hits: Yankees vs. Mariners 5/2, 5/3, 5/4

The New York Yankees (15-16) will continue their series with the Seattle Mariners (13-17) at Yankees Stadium at 1:05pm.

The Yankees returned to the win column as Chien Ming Wang became the first AL pitcher to win 6 games. Wang has been the bright spot in the Yankees rotation so far this season and the only consistent starting pitcher the team has had.

Derek Jeter scored his 1391st run passing Joe DiMaggio for 4th on the all time Yankees list.

Pitching Match Ups:
5/3 vs. Sea Mike Mussina (3-3 4.73) vs. Felix Hernandez (2-1 2.22) 1:05pm YES
5/4 vs. Sea Darrell Rasner (0-0) vs. Carlos Silva (3-0 2.79) 1:05pm YES
5/5 Off Day

Other Quick Hits:

• The Yankees are tied with the Rangers for the most players on the disabled list (9).
• The Yankees are 185-151 all time against the Mariners.
• They are 92-73 at Yankees Stadium.
• Mike Mussina is 17-5 against the Mariners.
• Hideki Matsui has an 11 game hitting streak going into Saturdays game.

Coming Up:
The Cleveland Indians will come to New York for a 3 game series against the Yankees.

Kennedy Looks Better, Yankees Fall

Ian Kennedy looked improved on the mound tonight but his defense did not back him up as the Yankees lost again the the Detroit Tigers. Kennedy made good pitches and should have had an opportunity to win but Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu would not allow this to happen.

Damon made a mistake in left field and although I could rant about it, the play pales in comparison to the one not made by Bobby "Wall Banger" Abreu. If Abreu is so afraid of the wall, perhaps he should move to first base or designated hitter. His play on balls hit to the wall is a disgrace. I heard this from Phillies fans when he was traded here but thought it was exaggerated as he was a gold glove winner. If anything, the Phillies fans were understating. HE STINKS on balls near the wall. Joe Girardi should bench him for that play tonight. There is no excuse expecially when you have a young pitcher trying to establish himself.

Ok, I think I am done. With the loss the Yankees go a game below .500 and now we have to think, where is our season headed?

Kennedy Looks Better, Yankees Fall

Ian Kennedy looked improved on the mound tonight but his defense did not back him up as the Yankees lost again the the Detroit Tigers. Kennedy made good pitches and should have had an opportunity to win but Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu would not allow this to happen.

Damon made a mistake in left field and although I could rant about it, the play pales in comparison to the one not made by Bobby "Wall Banger" Abreu. If Abreu is so afraid of the wall, perhaps he should move to first base or designated hitter. His play on balls hit to the wall is a disgrace. I heard this from Phillies fans when he was traded here but thought it was exaggerated as he was a gold glove winner. If anything, the Phillies fans were understating. HE STINKS on balls near the wall. Joe Girardi should bench him for that play tonight. There is no excuse expecially when you have a young pitcher trying to establish himself.

Ok, I think I am done. With the loss the Yankees go a game below .500 and now we have to think, where is our season headed?