Future Yankee Signings

Two exams left before spring break will prevent me from posting the game results right now, but here's a nice two year plan for the Yankees.

2008 Free Agent Signing



2009 Free Agent Signing

Astros 4, Yankees 3

Robinson Cano hit a three-run home run in the first inning and Miguel Cairo had two hits. Chien-Ming Wang allowed one run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts over five innings. Vizcaino and Bean tossed scoreless innings while Villone served up two home runs and southpaw Sean Kozlowski took the loss when he struggled in the ninth.

NY Yankees
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 6 0
Houston
0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 - 4 10 3

Yankees 4, Twins 1

Jeff Karstens walked none and struck out four in four shutout innings. Chase Wright, Proctor, Britton and Farnsworth had scoreless outings for the Yankees. Ron Villone allowed one run in the eighth. Jeter, Cano and Matsui each went 2-for-3. Todd Pratt drove in a run.

Minnesota
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 0
NY Yankees
0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 X 4 9 4

Reds 6, Yankees 3

Mussina continues to look bad. He served up another home run (fourth in three starts) and three runs over three innings. Brian Bruney and Rivera made scoreless appearances and TJ Beam tossed a scoreless inning. Luis Vizcaino allowed an unearned run and Matt DeSalvo let up a pair. Johnny Damon had two hits and Robinson Cano went 3-for-3 with a double. Kevin Thompson hit a ninth-inning home run.

Cincinnati
2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 - 6 9 0
NY Yankees
0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 3 15 2

Red Sox 7, Yankees 5

In a game that featured Boston's Opening Day lineup and three Yankee regulars, the Yankees didn't lose the game until removing their few regulars and pitching their prospects. Ross Ohlendorf took the loss allowing three runs in two innings. Darrell Rasner allowed two runs behind a three-inning, two-run outing by Carl Pavano. Josh Phelps had two hits and two RBIs. Matsui and Basak each had two hits. I've been impressed by Chris Basak, and am beginning to think he deserves the backup infielder job ahead of Miguel Cairo.

NY Yankees
3 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 - 5 12 1
Boston
0 2 0 0 0 2 3 0 X - 7 11 0

Indians 4, Yankees 3

Alex Rodriguez had an RBI double and Jose Tabata hit his first home run of the spring in the ninth inning, but other than that, the Yankees didn't muster much offense. Bronson Sardinha had two hits and Brett Gardner drove in one. Chein-Ming Wang allowed one run in four innings. He allowed three hits and struck out four. Philip Hughes struggled, allowing three runs in an inning and a third. Rivera, Beam, Proctor, Britton and Villone all had scoreless outings.

Cleveland
1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 4 9 0
NY Yankees
0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 9 0

Yankees 5, Pirates 3

The Yankees bookended their offense today, scoring three times in the first and twice in the ninth. Cano had an RBI hit in the first, and Eric Duncan homered in the ninth to break a tie and give the Yankees their eighth spring win against only one loss. Igawa followed his shaky first outing with a better one. Not great, but an improvement. He made a mistake to Ronnie Paulino that led to a two run homer in the third, but other than that Igawa was better. He didn't walk any and struck out four, giving him seven in four innings this spring. Steven Jackson struggled again in two innings, but Vizcaino, Clippard, Henn and Myers were all solid.

NY Yankees	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2		5	5	0
Pittsburgh	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0		3	11	1

The Yankees return to Legends Field on Sunday to play the Indians. Chien-Ming Wang maes the start for the Yankees.

Yankees 5, Devil Rays 1

Pavano was supposed to start, but was scratched about an hour before the game. The reason, according to Cashman and Torre was not injury-related and was also not related to the lawsuit being filed against him by that man from Florida. Jeff Karstens filled in admirably, striking out four in three scoreless innings. Chase Wright also struck out four in two and two-thirds innings. He seems to be settling down after a rough first outing. TJ Beam got an out and Farnsworth struck out two in a scoreless inning. Lefty Kozlowski made his first appearance after shaking an injury and allowed a run and struck out the side. Jose Veras also struck out two in another scoreless inning. Melky Cabrera had two hits, including a double and Jeter drove in a pair. Posada hit his second spring homer, but lowered his average to .556 in five games.

Tampa Bay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		1	4	0
NY Yankees	0	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	X		5	8	0

Kei Igawa looks to put his rough first outing behind him tomorrow afternoon as he and the Yankees travel to face Pittsburgh.

2007 Yankees vs. Red Sox

I'm working on a rivalry preview, going in depth and examining the rivalry as it's shaping up for 2007. Assignments are slowing down to a leisurely pace so I'll have plenty of down time this weekend to do stuff like comparing Boston to New York. So stay tuned.

Other Yankee Blogs

Some baseball columnists also have their own blogs to satisfy the blogger community, which is larger than one would imagine. One of the blogs I frequent is written by Jim Baumbach, a sports reporter from Newsday. I really like his writing and just about every one of his reports and every player or prospect he profiles is accurate and well-written.

A few days ago he introduced a new contributer to his blog, Kat O'Brien. Originally from Iowa, she graduated from Notre Dame and covered the Texas Rangers starting in 2003. She's awful. While Jim updated the blog during the game, almost play-by-play, this new woman posts well after the games, and her analysis isn't any good. One thing she's really good at is stating the obvious. "Jose Tabata is young and limited English skills" Duh. We know that. It's common domain by now. Jim was excellent at getting inside information from inside the clubhouse and catching the Yankee players to get his own quotes. Not this lady. Nothing. She gives you basically what I take off the MLB site. Who the Yankees play next and who's starting. Jim usually had the lineup and injury updates. None of that now.

Something that you wouldn't think mattered much would be the small typing issues. Like capitalizing the beginning of your sentences and names of players. It's kind of hit and miss with Kat.

I really like Baumbach's blog, but he hasn't posted much the past few days. I think that this new woman is getting her own blog, which will mean Jim should take back over the blogging duties. Maybe I'm spoiled. I got used to Jim's A level blogging, only to be relegated to listening to the B-team.

Yankees 5, Braves 3

Mussina went three innings and gave up two home runs. That makes three home runs in five innings this spring against Mussina. Hopefully he'll work that out. Scott Proctor, Matt DeSalvo and Colter Bean continued their good work this spring with scoreless outings. Chris Britton walked one and allowed a run-scoring triple in his inning and Villone worked a one-hit scoreless ninth. Giambi hit his second homer of the spring, but the rest of the game belonged to the prospects. Sardhina, Reese, Chris Basak and Jose Tabata combined for nine of the Yankees thirteen hits and drove in a pair of runs. Josh Phelps drove in the winning runs with a tenth inning hit.

NY Yankees	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2		5	13	1
Atlanta	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		3	9	3

The Yankees host Tampa Bay tomorrow night at Legends Field. Carl Pavano should make the start for the Yankees.

Yankees 1, Reds 1

The Yankees went to extra innings for the first time in 2007, and ended the game in a 1-1 tie after ten innings. Bronson Sardinha tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with a one-out RBI single. Alex Rodriguez had a pair of hits and Josh Phelps added yet another extra base hit, this time a double. Andy Pettitte was hit on the left hand with a shattered bat, but was fine and pitched three scoreless innings. Mariano had his second perfect inning, unveiling a nasty splitter. Darrell Rasner tossed three scoreless innings and Mike Myers, Jose Veras and Sean Henn (with whom I've been impressed) all had successful scoreless innings. Luis Viscaino allowed a two-out home run in the 8th inning.

Cincinnati	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	6	0
NY Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		1	11	2

The Yankees travel to Disneyworld to play the Braves. Mike Mussina goes for the second time this spring.

On a side note, tonight was the first successful viewing (on my computer) of my MLB.TV. Surprisingly good quality and excellent sound quality. I should be able to try it again this weekend sometime.

Also, Josh Phelps has been having a very good spring. Andy Phillips has been away with his mother, and Joe Torre obviously favors Phillips over Phelps, but if hitting lefties is their main job, Phelps is definitely the better choice.

Indians 6, Yankees 5

Wang threw three innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Grady Sizemore took him yard to lead off the game and wasn't as sharp as he was in his first start. Philip Hughes took the opposite route. After struggling with his command in his first start, he breezed through two scoreless innings allowing one hit and a walk. Ross Ohlendorf allowed three unearned runs in two innings, and Kyle Farnsworth allowed a run in his inning. Kevin Reese and Josh Phelps continued their impressive springs with home runs and Matsui had a pair of hits.

NY Yankees	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	1		5	8	1
Cleveland	1	0	1	0	0	0	3	1	X		6	12	1

The Yankees host the unbeaten Reds tomorrow in their first night game, with Andy Pettitte scheduled to throw about three innings, or fifty pitches.

Yankees 6, Tigers 5

Walk off home runs are always exciting when your team hits them. That was the case for the Yankees today, as Bronson Sardinha hit a home run following Josh Phelps two-out single and was pinch run for by Brett Gardner. Hideki Matsui hit his first home run of the spring, a two run shot in the second off Justin Verlander. Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez also had RBIs in the game. Kei Igawa struggled in his Grapefruit debut, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks in just an inning of work. He did strike out the side in the first inning, but seemed to be battling nerves as he struggled with his usually impeccable command. Kennard and Rivera had scoreless outings, as did Britton, Clippard, Proctor and Villone. Steven Jackson, acquired in the Johnson deal, struggled in his outing. He allowed five hits, three runs and walked two.

Detroit	1	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0		5	8	0
NY Yankees	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	2		6	10	0

The Yankees play the Indians on Tuesday, with Chien-Ming Wang expected to start.

Yankees 10, Phillies 5

Pavano's debut was a success. He pitched two innings, facing major leaguers and exited on his own accord. He allowed one run on two hits and walked two. His command wasn't great, but his breaking stuff was sharp and induced weak contact. For a guy who's been out so long, it was a good sign. Karstens followed Pavano with two scoreless innings and hyped young gun, Chase Wright struggled in two innings of work allowing a run on two hits and a pair of walks. Luis Viscaino allowed a run in an inning and Colter Bean had his second consecutive scoreless outing. Mike Myers, as his usual spring contribution, allowed three hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning. He's on the roster to face one batter (a lefty) per outing, so him struggling shouldn't worry anyone, although I do view him as a waste of roster space. Kevin Whelan finished the ninth for Myers, picking up his second save.

The Yankees used fourteen singles and a double to push across ten runs. Melky Cabrera had a 3-for-3 day, Kevin Reese hit an RBI double and Raul Chavez had a two-run single.

NY Yankees	0	0	0	0	4	2	2	2	0		10	15	1
Philadelphia	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	2		5	12	1

The Yankees face the Tigers tomorrow on ESPN, with Kei Igawa scheduled to start.

-On a side note, I've still yet to get my MLB.TV up and running. I'm in the midst of downloading different versions of Windows Media Player but no luck yet. I shot an email to the support people and hopefully they'll get back to me soon and it'll work.

Yankees 4, Pirates 3

Mike Mussina allowed a second inning home run to Brad Eldred but was otherwise solid. Jeff Kennard and Matt DeSalvo each allowed a run in their outing, while Kyle Farnsworth (1), Sean Henn (2) and Jose Veras (1) all worked scoreless outings. Jorge Posada hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and Ramiro Pena, Marco Vechionacci and Kevin Reese all added RBIs in the eighth inning.

Pittsburgh	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0		3	9	0
NY Yankees	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	X		4	6	0

The Yankees will go to Clearwater to play the Phillies at 1.05 ET tomorrow. Carl Pavano will make his spring debut for the Yankees.

Yankees 3, Devil Rays 1

Another impressive pitching performance for the Yankees. Andy Pettitte was perfect for his two innings as was Darrell Rasner. Scott Proctor and Chris Britton each tossed a scoreless inning and then Ron Villone pitched. Two hits, an errant pickoff throw and a run later he was done. Prospects Colter Bean and Kevin Whelan finished off the game with hitless innings. The Yankees only offense came from a three-run home run from minor leaguer third baseman Chris Basak in the eighth inning. Alberto Gonzalez, acquired from Arizona in the Unit deal, had a pair of hits and Brett Gardner had his first stolen base of the spring.

It scares me a lot when Joe Torre says that Ron Villone will make the major league club. Villone's arm was shot by the end of this year and he doesn't look any better this spring. I know it's one inning, but I'd take Chris Britton over Ron Villone in a heartbeat.

NY Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0		3	6	1
Tampa Bay	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	5	0

The Yankees host the Pirates on Saturday at Legends Field in which Mike Mussina will make his first start of the spring.

MLB.tv

My friend and a decided to test out the MLB.tv feature offered on MLB.com together. Since you can be simultaneously logged into the same password on two computers, it ended up costing us $80 total, or $40 each. We can choose to watch any game for any team, spring training and playoffs included. So I decided to see how much it costs per game if you watched every game, not that I'll be doing that.

There are 30 teams in the league and each play 162 regular season game. Each plays about 30 spring training games.

30 x 162 = 4,860
30 x 30 = 900
60 minimum postseason games
4,860 + 900 + 60 = 5,820

So we'll have 5,820 MLB games available to us from March til October and it only cost us $40 each. That's gonna run us about $0.007 per game. Not too shabby. Two of my classes today were canceled, so I'm done for the day and will be able to check out the quality of MLB.tv today at 12.05 CST when the Yankees visit St. Petersberg to play the Devil Rays.

Yankees 6, Twins 1

The Yankees kicked off their spring schedule with an impressive showing. The pitching was strong and the hitting was good. Damon hit the second pitch for a home run and Giambi added his own towering home run the next inning. Jeter, Matsui and Rodriguez were all 1-for-2 and Posada and Cano added RBIs. Wang threw two perfect innings (5 ground balls) and Ohlendorf, Viscaino, Myers and Veras each tossed a scoreless inning (Ohlendorf threw two). Philip Hughes struggled with his control, walking two in and letting up a hit in an inning and a third of one-run ball. He's still young and it's early. He wasn't awful, but he wasn't "the next Roger Clemens" yet.

Minnesota	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0		1	5	3
NY Yankees	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	X		6	11	0

The Yankees head to St. Petersberg to face Tampa Bay on Friday afternoon. Andy Pettitte makes his return for the Yankees.