1) It's official, the Yankees have put out a press release.

2) The minor league pitcher is Justin Berg. From the PR: "Berg, 21, was 6-1 with a 3.07 ERA in 14 games (nine starts) with Class-A Staten Island this season (55.2IP, 44H, 22R, 19ER, 19BB, 48K). He was selected by the Yankees in the 43rd round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft." I've never heard of Berg, but those are solid stats across the board. Still, he's much too far away for a 14-game sample to mean much.

3) The Yankees should try Lawton in center rather than moving Matsui. Lawton hasn't played a meaningful number of games in center since 1998, and he wasn't very good there at the time. But I think he at least deserves a look there as he arrives in New York as a solid defensive right fielder and he has far more footspeed than Matsui. Also, Matsui's career Rate in center is worse than Bernie's mark for this season (94 to 95).

4) Was traded from the Pirates to the Cubs for Jody Gerut at the trading deadline (in fact, this is the third time he's been traded since December when the Indians shipped him to Pittsburgh for our pal Arthur Rhodes) and has since had a terrible August. Here's hoping he snaps out of it as the Yankees everyday centerfielder and #2 hitter.

5) Lawton could prove to be a steal like Shawn Chacon. Interestingly, they're both members of what Paul Lukas terms "Crew Askew":

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/050811

Chacon has gone straight with the Yanks. It will be interesting to see if Lawton does (it wouldn't surprise me if the Yankees have made a rule about this).

6) I'm warning you now, I'm going to call him "Marcus Lawton" about 900 times.

8) Lawton bats lefty and has occasional pop in his bat. That would seem a great thing for Yankee Stadium, but he has terrible career numbers in the Bronx: .196/.229/.277 (.172 GPA) in 112 ABs. Obviously he'll have to snap out of that. Looking at his hit chart on MLB.com, Lawton spreads his hits around, but did seem to be taking advantage of a somewhat short porch in right field in PNC Park as a Pirate.

Listening to the Managers' show on WCBS, Torre didn't mention the roster move or exactly what his intentions are for Lawton.

Today he's hitting eighth and playing right (his natural position). We'll see what they do with him tomorrow.

Royals start rookie J.P. Howell for the injured Runelvys.

I'm really excited about Lawton - good defense, can play any OF spot (in theory), high OBP guy - he could be a great option out of the 2 hole, or even a nice OBP guy at the bottom of the order. Nice move, Cashman!

I'm guessing the Cubs feel they are officially out of it?

Shef, despite the 3 run dinger the other night, seems to be slumping. Avg down to .293. Wonder if he's just tired, or has a nagging injury, maybe to the shoulder again.

Also wonder if he's uncle's problems with the law/substance abuse are taking a toll.

Not very impressed with Wright right now. Please please let Small be up in the 'pen . . .

btw - I think all of Sweeney's hits last night and today have been down the 3B line. 13 better be standing on it every time he comes up.

You simply can't put him in the same category as Giambi.

Suppose you can't fault him too much - Wright is the one who screwed this one up. C'mon, Cano!

cano and giambi are both batting .188 in august, they need to heat up.

Okay if the pitcher makes that throw it's over but this is why you don't concede the game early . . . .

I'm listening on XM. Sterling says that's the greatest 9th inning rally he's ever seen in 18 years with the Yanks

That was great, but not, IMVHO, real clutch. If he struck out, the game would go to extra innings. Sheff was the one who was really in the clutch this time. If he struck out, the game was over.

Love the Lawton pickup

Love the win.

Oh God, please let the Sox lose tonight so I can listen to Sports Radio ALL DAY tomorrow and hear the Sox fans bitch and worry !

Great Win !

Thanks to stupid FOX and their stupid Boston affiliate, I was left to "see" the comeback by watching ESPNEWS's scrolling ticket for updates, and then highlights. We in greater Boston were first treated to Cubs-Marlins (a very good pitching duel), but when it finished, where do you think FOX went? That's right, to that exciting Texas-Twins game. 'Cause so many people out here care about that.

Sigh.

I don't think Sterling quite said it was the Yanks' greatest in his years, but ranked among them. When he said that, I immediately thought of a game in '98 when the Yanks came back from something like 8 runs down in the eighth or ninth. A tremendous and improbable rally was capped off by a Strawberry homerun.

Does anyone remember that game, because that was one for the ages in a season for the ages.

"Umm...no. :)

That was great, but not, IMVHO, real clutch. If he struck out, the game would go to extra innings. Sheff was the one who was really in the clutch this time. If he struck out, the game was over."

Yes, Sheff was clutch here, but think about one thing in A-Rod's favor....if he HAD struck out there, we would have had to use Mariano in extra innings and depending on how our offense responded from there, maybe he'd have to pitch 2 innings and then Sturtze and F-Rod, etc.....

Sheff knocked the Royals down, and A-Rod stepped on their neck. It was, by the way, A-Rod's AL-leading 18th game winning RBI of the season.

I remember the game, because I was listening to an internet feed of Sterling's broadcast of that Yankee game in 1998 when I was on a business trip. I thought the same thing: Sterling was as thrilled in yesterday's game against KC as I've heard him during a regular season comeback (which is saying a lot), and it reminded me of the game in 1998 against Oakland, with old friend Kenny Rogers pitching.

Rogers took a 5-1 lead into the 9th, but tired, and the Yanks scored 9 runs in the ninth to win 10-5. Second game of a doubleheader sweep, no less.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=199808042oak

However...IMO, this game supports what I've been saying about A-rod. I don't think he lacks ability or toughness or moral fiber or anything like that. I think he tries too hard, and would play better in the clutch if he took it down a notch. Moreover, I think he'll learn to do this eventually, and get