I don't know if we "need" Sheff's bat in the lineup, but it certainly added significantly to the fear factor that the opposing pitcher would have to face.

I just don't know what to think. Melky, for all his likeability, is not Sheff. He's not going to put the fear of God into any pitcher, at least anytime soon, but he appears to be morphing into a fine defensive outfielder (even if you ignore The Catch).

I would much rather see Sheff come back in the DH role and put Bernie out to stud in Monument Park, but then what do you do with Giambi?

Methinks I'll let bigger minds solve this riddle. Too much for me to contend with.

BP

He has always been surly, egotistical and money-hungry, and has been a disruptive clubhouse presence more often than not.

All that being said, his bat IS wondrous (though he gets major demerits for falling into Bonds' sphere of influence)

That being said, I think it will come down to what the market dictates. Obviously, I don't think the Yankees should pick up his option. If some team is willing to throw 8-10 mil a year on a 38(?) year old DH coming off a wrist injury, fine. But for 3-5 mil, I wouldn't mind having him in a platoon DH/Rueben Sierra role for the next 2-3 years.

The buisness aspect of baseball always gets people confused. How a player performs on the field and the fact that he wants to get paid and make money are mutually exclusive, at least to me. I don't care about him being money hungry, wanting to get his props or the fact that he hates anyone with a mic. I care about what's done between the lines - no, no...not the the Doc Gooden, Strawbery type of lines. :-)

One place I'd hate to see Sheff go to is Boston. His numbers at Fenway are insane and he can pepper that wall all day long. I hope Sheff stays, I like him as a Yankee and thought he represented himself very, very well.

For some very weird reason, while I'm typing this email, I keep thinking of that old New Edition (remember them?) song, "Is this the end".

Sheff, I gotta know.
Is this the end?
I wanna know, I wanna know, I wanna know.
Is this the end?
I gotta know, I gotta know, I gotta know.
Is this the end?

I don't buy the whole "true Yankee" meme. After giving us the seasons he did, he'll always be a Yankee in my eyes.

2007 Yankee Free Agents:
Bernie, Villone, Sturtze, Small, Cairo, Stinnett

Who'll be back?

Sheff - if he doesn't come back at all, no. Use the money for pitching and let's get back to manufacturing runs the old fashioned way. If the rest of the lineup is doing its job, Giambi and A-Rod should be enough to win ballgames.

Posada - if he cares about the team, he'll take a pay cut and start giving way to a protégé - who that is I don't know yet, but he's going to start wearing down quicker than someone like Bernie, who doesn't have to squat for 9 innings 4-5 times a week.

Rivera - duh.

Bernie - gee I hope he proves he's not fading as fast as people say he is.
Villone - wait n' see
Sturtze - not if Dotel does well
Small - wait n' see
Cairo - I think so - always at least one spunky utility guy on the bench
Stinnett - eh. Johnson doesn't seem to need him anymore, so what's the point? Bring someone up.

I think Bern retires after the yr..

Sheff goes to Angels or Giants..

Villone, Cairo -- Maybe

Stinnett, Sturtze, Small -- see ya

Moose, if he takes a 50% pay cut..

Wright -- option picked up i guess or a 4 mill buyout ( i would keep him for 7 mill)

We need an NBA like Alan-Houston rule for Meat.. we can save some money on the lux tax atleast

That's kind of my answer to your question, Alex. I have nothing against Shef, but he doesn't inspire me so much; if he never plays another game in the Bronx, that would be too bad, I suppose, but I really wouldn't miss him.

infact he is a bigger culprit than ARod.. its lost on a lotta ppl..

Carlos Lee, can he be had??

Rod Carew played first base at the end of his career.

Len Dykstra was a left-fielder when Mookie was in center, was he not?

Lonnie Smith also comes to mind.

The point being, the point is to win games and if you win games, who cares where the power comes from or if there even is any power?

I recognize that I may be irredeemably oldschool, but there it is. I just get crazy when baseball is turned into so many formulas for success.

Melky contributes so much to this club already, and that's at a tender age. Don't worry about the power; it'll come or it won't.

Besides, power is a very unreliable way to win ballgames, especially against quality pitchers.

And it was another good read.
What I find interesting about Giambi is that I've never seen a hitter go from hitting the ball to all fields to being a strictly pull hitter as fast as he did.
He's 35 now I think he can hit till he's 40 in a DH role but I wonder how ling can his power last?

Gotta be someone who can put up some numbers down there...

I'm not here to defend the guy, but we shouldn't look at Sheff's bluntness and his ability to say what's on his mind as a reason to hate him just cause he rubs you the wrong way. There are a lot of athletes and regular old folks like ourselves that have some pretty creepy demons in our closet. I always think of the portrayal the media had of Robert Parrish, but it was this same Robert Parrish who during the 1986 playoffs kicked his pregnant wife down a flight of stairs. A lot of times perception and reality get crossed. OJ was perceived to be a good guy, had a perfect life, was the guy running around in those Avis commercials, the guy doing the sideline reporting for NBC's NFL telecasts, he was great in those Naked Gun movies, and we later find out he was quite the chef (no pun intended) with a ginsu knife.

Me thinks if that's all we have to pin on Sheff then he did alright for himself in his life.

infact when all the Sux's were chirping he was the guy who defended ARod n said he will do what it takes to defend Rod if they confront him in Fenway

he started a small issue on the extension but he reneged and had been ultra quiet even b4 he got hurt

he was even quoted as saying, if Yanks dont pick up.. someone else will pick me up..

i think Sheff has been less of a baggage than ppl think he is..

and what fan-scuffle?? u mean the one @ fenway when someone swiped at him??

and oh btw.. i want him gone coz of age n non-production in playoffs than his attitude..

Melky may develop into a much better hitter, but he isn't likely to get anywhere near Sheffield's level of production in the nest 2 years. If we're not going to bring Sheff back, we'd better be looking at someone to replace his production (or at least come close.)

Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines

http://tinyurl.com/ljaeu

We need some big time help.

BTW, Dotel I believe is another FA or player option, which in my opinion was a mistake on Cash part...should have been a team option..especially if he come back smoking...

Last night he had a solid first start.

7.0 IP 3 H 1 R 0 ER 2 BB 2 SO

His peripherals were far from great in Trenton, but he go the job done:

4W 1L 2.11ERA 68.1IP 52H 16R 16ER 0 28BB 45SO

Meanwhile, TJ Beam (25 yo righty) has 6 SO and 1 BB (no R) in his first three innings of AAA work.

Hasn't he been a good "citizen" on the Yankees?

He's overpaid? Talk to the boss, he negotiated the deal.

Look at it this way: would you rather see Sheff waggling his bat against a Yankee pitcher? I wouldn't, not even against Mo.

Despite his age, he's one of the most prolific RBI guys in the league -- and if his wrist heals 100% he should continue to be among the most dangerous hitters in the game.

Yes, he would best serve the team as a DH, as would Giambi, but those are two bats any team would be lucky to have, and are worth accomodating.

How do I think it will shake out? Depends on Sheff's recovery. If he returns in time to help the team down the stretch I think Steinbrenner will have him back, which will require overpaying him again.

If he doesn't recover before the end of the season I suspect Steinbrenner would hold it against him and the negotiation would send Sheff packing. Lord knows Gooden won't be in on the negotiations this time to smooth things over.

As far as the money issue - it ain't my money so I don't really care. I don't think it is as simple as "using Sheff's money to get more pitching", as others have suggested. If there was pitching to be had - we'd have it already. Sheff's contract didn't keep us from getting The Farns, Dotel, and the rest. The simple fact is - there just aren't many good arms available - so might as well load up on bats while we can.

At some point, the question will be - who is a more valuable DH? Sheff or Giambi? Sheff has been far more consistent, but Giambi's peaks are off-the-charts and his OBP is always great (as is Sheff's).

I want 'em both. Do we have to choose?

BP

As much as I love Melky!, he's only had 100 ABs, and his SLG is less than his OBP. That is not good, folks. He might just turn out to be a younger version of Bubba.

My problem with Sheffield has only to do with his baseball behavior. He completely went in the tank when he was with Milwaukee, obviously and deliberately and unashamedly, and he admitted it. I've never forgiven him for that. If he'd ever apologized, or shown any regret at all about what he did, I'd probably let it go. But as far as he's concerned, it was everyone else's fault (as everything seems to be).

The fact that he hasn't further disgraced the game while a Yankee is irrelevant. That stain is still there. There are things more important than hitting, and even than winning. (And yes, I'd rather see him waggling the bat at Yankee pitchers. I'd rather see him anywhere else.)

Moral of the story, we all do crappy stuff in our life....some things we don't regret, some things we do regret and there are some things we just wish never would have happened - like that big and tall and huge fat chick on my 21st b-day. I would file Sheff's time in Milwaukee as something he wish never would've happened or said outright. Don't you think you are taking it to heart a bit? Maybe you should have a 21st b-day like mine and you'd forgive Sheff.

the fan swiped and he didnt get involved in a ron Artest Confrontation..

its wrong to call that a scuffle

As for wishing it had never happened, Sheffield's never indicated that he has any such feeling. In fact everything he's said and done since then has indicated that he doesn't give the slightest crap about it.

Well, I do. To me, not giving a fair effort to try to win is about the worst baseball sin there is. In strictly baseball terms, stealing a Twinkie or schtupping a fat girl aren't in the same league.

As for Leyritz taking greenies. Talk about a dog bites man headline. I really do assume a good 90+% of major leaguers have used amphetamines at one time or another. Mike Schmidt said he tried 'em. I wouldn't be surprised if Jeter's used 'em. It's just not that big of a deal in that culture. It's good that they're testing for them, but an amphetamine scandal is not news. We've known they were a regular part of baseball since Ball Four was published in 35 years ago.

As for Leyrits's supplier, if Steve Sax wasn't beaning up, then no one was.

Randy Moss
Latrell Sprewell (14 million ain't enough to feed my family)
Manny - you can't possibly say he gives it his all running down the first base line
Bonds
Derrick Bell - operation shut-down

Shef, to me, is a saint when compared to some of those.

BTW, the fat girl...was the bodega store owner's daughter.

I'm geeked about this kid Beam. I think he could be ready for the Bronx before to long. The man brings some filthy stuff to the game and he has that look about him that some of those gun slinging relievers bring; he looks like he just KNOWS what's going to happen. I think you'll like him.

Manny doesn't always give 100% - which is bad - but this is a different thing altogether.

Randy Moss and Latrell Sprewell are basically irrelevant to me - baseball's really the only sport I follow. And as far as I can tell, Derrick Bell was just washed up at 30.

The lineup has held together without him, but I've enjoyed his time with the team and hope it ends with him playing a significant role in the middle of a championship Yankee lineup.

I was all for picking up his option prior to the wrist injury, as he was still a killer at the plate and wasn't Bernie in the outfield. I'd like to see how he comes back after this surgery before I'd pick up the option for $13mil. His value is entirely in his bat, and if the wrist injury saps his power, then he's not worth that much money. To me, it's as simple as that.

I won't judge the man by what happened 15 or so years ago (whatever it was). His play in '03 with that bum left shoulder told me all I needed to know about the man's character on the field. He's a gamer to me, and I wanted him on the team. If he comes back healthy, I still want him on the team.

BP

And you're spot on about the green stuff - except that it was just as illegal (U.S. government-wise) as the other stuff. Any and all reports will get greater scruntiny now with the G-men involved. Jetes never struck me as the type though - the kids I've known to use we're always amped up Like Leyritz and Sax. Captain Calm doesn't fit the profile - late nights or not.

43 I did see the Hughes line. It's encouraging that he's starting to control the strike zone again (4 SO and 1 BB). Should be fun to see if he makes the club next year - esp. with the resigning of Moose and the already signed Unit - the geriatric ward will need that 6th starter. Nice to get a MLB look next year.

As for Beam, the local Comcast network showed a Trenton-Portland game maybe two weeks back. Hughes started and Beam came on in relief. I was most impressed by how big he is. It also looked like he's got alot of late movement on his fastball and a big looping off-speed pitch - looked like a slider. Actually reminded me a good bit of Farnswacker. If all stay healthy, that's quite a pen down the stretch - though I could imagine Beam getting traded - too many guys and not enough slots. I'm really curious (and hopeful) that Erickson gets cut with Chacon's return - too bad my rational mind says Smith to AAA.

But I know I really enjoyed seeing him in our lineup as a Yankee...he was much more of a "true Yankee" to me among the free agent signings we've made over the years than just about anyone else, including Moose, A-Rod, Giambi, Clemens, or RJ. The guy cared about being a Yankee, wore his passion on his sleeve, cared about his teammates, and carried the team on his back in so many games in the 2004 season that even his teammates were in awe.

Yes, he laid an egg in the 2004 playoffs, but he wasn't doing that badly until Game 4...and guess what, Matsui, ARod and Jeter didn't exactly acquit themselves well either in that historic collapse.

All this noise about disgracing the game has been discussed before, and I can be as self-righteous as anyone regarding the sins of modern day athletes...but Sheff, for all his self-centeredness and irascibility, never struck me as false. What you saw was what you got. And I mostly enjoyed -- enjoyed tremendously -- the many things he did on the field as a Yankee. For a while in 2004, it seems like he singlehandely willed the team to victory in every late inning situation...I'm thinking of the time his home run against the Twins led to a deluge that knocked out Nathan in the ninth inning, but there were so many others...

Perhaps more steroid fallout and post career tell-all bios will expose Sheff further as a pill-popping, people-abusing Antichrist, but I can only go by what I saw on the field and in his interviews with the press.

He was a bit in love with himself as a badass, and his insecurity regarding his perceived value on a team of superstars was tough to see at times (though totally understandable), but he was never dull. And he frequently backed up the bluster and made people out there fear the Yankees everytime he came up to bat.

I'll personally be sad if the last we see of him is this quiet fade with a career-damaging injury...even if it's the best thing for the team long term.

Thinking back to last year. I loved when Sheff hit that double off the wall last year against Schilling and then ARod followed with his bomb. Sheff was waiting for ARod at homeplate and they had that great high-five + chestbump scene. Good times....

On topic, Sheff '05 is worth the $13 million option, Sheff with a surgically repaired wrist with no real other option in the outfield, isn't. Pick up his option, slot him as the DH, throw Giambi at first, Lee would be a good cheap signing, but he's going to command premium dough and then underperform (his career stats aren't that great).

Look, from an aesthetic standpoint, I love watching the guy hit. In 40+ years of watching baseball, I've never seen a guy hit the ball as hard as he does. But in those 40+ years I've found there are things more important than whether a guy is mashing the ball for the Yankees. Not many, but a few.

No, he's never seriously dogged it with the Yankees (though his outfield play can be pretty nonchalant). But he's also made it clear that he's perfectly willing to do so if he sees fit. As I quoted above: "If I'm not happy, you don't want me on your team." And this spring: "I'm the type of guy who loses interest real quick. When I give out what I'm giving out and I don't feel like I'm getting back, I just go the other way. But the motivation has always been there here. I've never had to go the other way." Not yet, anyway. But if need be, he will.

Know what made me laugh last night? When Murcer excused Papelbon for walking Melky! because "sometimes closers just don't know how to pitch when the game's not on the line." I was really hoping someone could've followed up on that stupid comment after Papelbon blew away Giambi and A-Rod - despite the lack of close-game pressure.

51 I remember that game, those were indeed good times.

55 Papelbon...the look he has on his face just gets on my nerves...no...no not just because he's been a excellent closer so far.

First, I'm not sure who the Yankees have to offer in a trade. In this scenario, Melky's your second outfielder, so you obviously can't trade him. There aren't really many prospects at AAA or AA except Hughes, and they'd be nuts to trade him. (Trenton has to be one of the oldest AA teams I've ever seen.) If you want someone who's any good, a package of A-ball prospects is a tough sell.

Second, you'd have to decide that getting an outfielder was more important than getting a pitcher. That's not at all clear right now.

However...the kind of injury he has is the kind he may never really recover from. He'll be 38 next year. He was thought of as a durable player, but he's been on the shelf an awful lot the last two seasons, and I don't think that's going to get any better. It might be time for him to hang up his cleats.

And I do wonder about what he does to team chemistry. I've read several articles now that mention how much happier and more pleasant the clubhouse is, with Melky and Philly and Miggy, who are so happy just to play, instead of Sheff grumbling about his contract. It sure sounds like he was a downer in the clubhouse. Can all those reporters really be out to get him?

As far as Sheffield is concerned, I'm not a huge fan of him pesonally, but that being said, you would be a fool not to want him hitting third in your lineup, any lineup, NL or AL. He's 38 but if he recovers, he's still the best number 3 guy in the league, Ortiz included.

61 Who knows about the press? As for the players, when was the last time you heard a player call out a teammate for being a whiny self-absorbed punk in the clubhouse? It just doesn't happen--Jeff Kent notwithstanding--, so we have no idea how any of the Yankees tryly feels about Sheffield, no idea, and to speculate is irresponsible. Remember how much those Indians and Dodgers claimed they just "loved" Milton Bradley?

Posada-Absolutely sign him to an extension if you can. There is nothing to evidence he is falling off that much, if at all! Sure we need a young catcher to back him up, and soon, but considering he has a higher average, more RBI, and more HR than any catcher but Piazza the last 5 years, I think I'd chill on the retirement talk for now, sheesh. Rivera washed up too?

Sign Moose to a 3 year deal, he's still a very good pitcher, and he could get 300 in pinstripes. The alternative?

Sign Rivera to a 345 year deal for God's sake. Pay him with you daughter for all I care. Give him what he wants! He shouldn't be making less than Billy Wagner for crying out loud.

2007 Yankee Free Agents:
Bernie... retire a Yankee... PLEASE
Villone... a keeper at a reasonable price
Sturtze... see ya
Small... it's been nice, enjoy your money.... see ya.
Cairo... maybe worth a mil, depending on the market and the farm, but probably not.
Stinnett... pay him to leave!

Lets be fair minded at look at Shefs history and production as a Yankee. And that looks pretty good to me. I think he has earned his stripes. If he recovers, he is good for another year or 2 as a DH/reserve OF'er.

Also, I'm not a doctor, but I think Mats injury is more difficult to recover from the Shef's. We may need to replace him (heaven forbid).