New Rule Ruining Baseball

In the top of the 7th inning of a 4-2 game, which ultimately determined the fate of the Yankees’ 2007 season, the new rule was once again put into effect, as Cocoa Crisp was thrown out at 2nd base by about a foot. As the 3rd out of the inning, this would have provided the Yankees 3 innings of opportunity to tie or even go ahead in a 2-run game. However, that was under the old assumption that a runner is ruled “out” when tagged prior to reaching the base. Unfortunately now, as long as you attempt to steal, the base is automatically awarded to the runner. Please refer back to the previous entry for further details on the new rule.

Umpires Spontaneously Change Rulebook During Yankee Game

In a surprise turn of events, the official rulebook of baseball, which has remained nearly untouched for over a century, was changed in mid-game Monday night. The new rule states that a runner, if tagged before reaching base, is no longer out (as previously instated) but is in fact safe. Effective immediately, the rule change was put into place just prior to the 8th inning of Monday night’s Yankees/Mariners matchup. During that inning, fans saw the new rule in action, as Jorge Posada threw down to Robinson Cano, intending to tag out the stealing Willie Bloomquist. Cano applied the tag, beating Bloomquist to the bag by a matter of feet. Under the old rules, Bloomquist would have been called out and the inning would have been over. Since taking effect, however, the new rule deems Bloomquist safe, regardless of where he is while the tag is made.
As a result of the rule change, the Yankees lost their 1-run lead, and consequently the game, by a final score of 3-2. An excellent outing by young pitcher Matt DeSalvo was also put to waste. Despite several complaints from players and managers, the league currently has no intention of reinstating the original rule.
Following the game, when questioned about the rule change, interim manager Don Mattingly simply stated, “This shit is bogus.”

The Yankees May Never Win Again

This just in: The 2007 Yankees are the worst team of all time.

Is This Blog Dead?

Nope, it’s just sleeping. Wait for baseball season to start.

“Thanks For NOTHIN’, Bernie!”

Sixteen years of greatness, and this is how we repay him?

It was reported last night that the Yankees organization offered Bernie Williams a MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT. Let’s get something straight here. Bernie may be old, but there are some things you just don’t do to a player once he’s paid his dues. And if anyone has paid their dues in full, it’s Bernie Williams. This guy has records up in the rankings of ALL TIME Yankee greats. You can find his name on lists among guys like Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra, and Micky Mantle. Bernie has been nothing but a class act for 16 seasons, earned his name onto the top of several franchise records, and is undoubtedly the last Yankee to wear #51… and the Yankees yesterday offered him a MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT! Seriously? Have you ever heard of such a thing?

I’m one of those Yankee fans who would rather see Bernie retire than see him play for another team. However, in a best case scenario, I’d like to see him back for one more year. But with the signing of guys like Miguel Cairo and Doug Mientkiewicz, it’s looking more and more like that ain’t gonna happen. It also appears Melky Cabrera will serve as the 4th outfielder in ‘07. But just the thought of Bernie Williams, a YANKEE LEGEND, spending his 17th season being sent up and down from Triple A Columbus, is enough to make me cringe.

Free Shipping

Well, that takes care of that problem.

The long-rumored deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks to bring Randy Johnson back to the desert is all but official at this point. I wanted to wait until it was pretty much rock solid before reporting it, as just about everything is purely speculation during the hot stove months. The Diamondbacks have agreed in principle to feed and watch after Randy Johnson. In exchange, the Yankees receive relief pitcher Luis Vizcaino, and three minor leaguers.

This means 3 things:
* The Yankees’ pursuit of Roger Clemens gets turned up a notch. Afterall, as sub-par as Randy Johnson has been, they still need to find a way to replace 16-17 wins.
* Cameramen in the New York metropolitan area can feel safe again.
* Randy can grow his mullet back.

For the life of me, I can’t figure out what the Diamondbacks were thinking in this deal. They not only were interested in a 43 year-old pitcher who’s coming off back surgery… But they wanted him so badly, they threw an extra year onto his contract. If you thought Randy Johnson didn’t “have it” anymore last year, wait till he’s 45! And the money in Johnson’s new contract doesn’t even include additional expenses for prunes, Ben Gay, and adult diapers.

The Yankees didn’t exactly come out of this deal with a showstopper either, but that was never the goal. Like with Gary Sheffield, the Yankees didn’t need another aging ego providing distraction for the team. Brian Cashman is continuing to steer in the right direction. He’s looking to spend less, build more, and take out the trash. Afterall, the Yankees are still stacked with veteran all-stars, so focusing a trend toward younger talent certainly can’t hurt.

As a side note, the Yankees signed former Red Sox Doug Mientkiewicz to a 1-year deal. There’s no denying that he’s an excellent defensive first baseman, but he can’t swing a bat for his life, so I assume the Yankees are looking to use him largely as a defensive replacement.

God To Pettitte: $16M Is “Cool With Me”

When Andy Pettitte was presented with the offer to return to the Yankees, he had to walk away from the table and think for a bit. Pettitte’s reluctancy to relocate to New York was mostly driven by his personal life. What about his family? What about his home? What about his personal relationship with Jesus? After consulting with his wife, his agent, and God, all parties were unanimous: Making 16 million dollars in one year is totally the shit.

He should’ve never left, but Andy Pettitte will officially be returning to The Bronx for at least the 2007 season. Honestly, I couldn’t be more excited. I know he’s not the same pitcher he was when he left us, but he’s proven himself in New York and in the playoffs. I’ve always liked Andy, and I’m looking forward to his welcome back.

Here’s the FULL STORY.

…Could Clemens be next? I guess we’ll find out in late June.

MVP Voters Hate Derek Jeter

Clubhouse Cancer Successfully Removed

Similar to Philadelphia’s desperation to cut ties with Bobby Abreu, the Yankees made it a top priority to send Gary Sheffield packing, even if it meant getting 3 nobodies in return.

[LINK TO STORY]

Despite getting virtually nothing in exchange, I’m just glad that Sheffield’s removal has been taken care of. “Addition by subtraction” as they say.

Now the Yankees can move on to bigger issues… Like pitching. Which reminds me, it appears that Boston has made the highest bid for talks with Matsuzaka.

Cory Lidle In Fatal Plane Crash

The already startling story of a private plane crashing into a building on East 72nd St. in New York took an even more bizarre twist when it was learned that Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle was on board the plane at the time of the crash. I am stunned and speechless. He was only 34 and leaves behind a wife and 6 year-old son. Absolutely horrible…

LINK TO STORY