I hope Alex hasn't ruined his marrymoon by watching the highlights of these dreadful games.

Didn't he have only the one start in the minors, and wasn't his gb/fb ration something like a very un-Wangish 1:1?

Oh, and Mfhfdjxk has been a below average 1B for at least the last three years. Combine that with his woeful inability to get on base, and the choice should be clear from this point forward.

Unfortunately, it's going to take another three weeks of full-time play. The another few of occasional starts and LIDRs.

From what I've seen thus far watching every game, he gets to a few balls Phelps doesn't and makes a few scoops Phelps won't, and is vastly superior to Phelps on making plays that require him to act as an infielder (charging balls, diving, making throws, etc.). I think Phelps should start behind everyone else, but Minky just might have value behind Wang.

I can see the argument for playing Minky, and I might even agree with it.

That said - and this is a very small sample - Wang has pitched 27.7 innings at the Trop, 29 hits allowed, 1 HR, 4 BB, 12 K, 3.90 ERA, 1.19 WHIP. 7 IP with Sheff at 1B, 8.3 IP with Phillips, 6.3 IP with Giambi, and 6 IP with Tino. Maybe it doesn't matter who plays first.

Only because Wang tends to give up more runs on the road, I'd play Phelps and hope for the best.

So far Phleps has been twice the hitter. And if he's not half the fielder (which at 1B seems impossible), then I see no reason for Mfhsdfjg on the team.

Look at is this way, all those fews you've seen so far (hits, scoops, bunts, throws) do they add up to ten to 12 total bases?

Anyhow, just wanted to let you know that I'm STOKED!!!

I never wanted to see a Taiwanese Wang so badly. I lust for that Wang. I'm hoping that Wang can go deep into the game today. I want our Wang to go deeper than a Ron Jeremy anal scene.

I am stoked and I'm ready for the Wang. Give it to me!!!

Even worse news - I just checked Extra Innings's schedule, and its not on there either!!!!!

Is MLB.TV still running their free promo?

I really, really hope I'm right.

I won't, however, give up on my girl on Mary Jane - at that point the Yankees better figure it out.

Not a good night at all.

Thank God I spent the weekend on an air mattress waiting for furniture to arrive and had no tv hookup. Went to a sports bar for Friday night, but the knuckleheads were so festive -- one could feel hopes rising in the nation. Isn't it like this every year? Why are these people never CLUED IN?

I like the Minky-Wang connection. So I concede 30 starts, about as many as I would like to see Will Nieves, come to think of it. We need to get together and fax Joe the moves we actually approve of.

Looked up Dave Pinto's Probalistic Model of Range for Phelpsie as Catcher yet? I've always felt we would have a season where Jorge goes down for a while and we would REALLY REALLY find out who this team's MVP is. God I hope it's not this year.

The great teams deal with adversity. This is a great team. My final word.

Is this another dumb ass case of keeping a silly meaningless steak alive, or can this fix itself? With Matsui back, isn't this the perfect time to DL the oft-tweaked Center Fielder?

Either way, I thought Clemens would be great but not neccessary. However, it is becoming clear that Igawa is not ready from prime time, and should probably be pitching in Tokyo, not Gotham. I am back on the Roger Clemens band wagon. If only because he and Andy would feed off of each other.

He said he is overcompensating for the calf injury, and that is causing strain on his back. Isn't that a pretty clear sign that he should sit until the calf is 100% and the weather is a tad better 15 days from now? I guess I just dont see the point of sending JD out there at 50% just so he can keep his non-DL streak alive, a streak that will have no meaning to actual educated fans who are fully aware that he should have been DL'd numerous times while playing for other squads, not only the Yankees. Gritty tough players play through injuries and get better (E.G. Cal Ripken), they dont take every other day off when they should be on the DL. Its easy for any player to tell the press they want to play when they know ahead of time that the manager isn't going to play them.

Agreed concerning Jorge. He may not be the team MVP, but he is certainly more important day to day than most any player we've had. I hate to think how this team would have performed had we had an average reciever and dead spot in the lineup like most teams. If he played for another team, he would get the props he has always deserved. Its not sexy to write about Jorge when you have Jete, Arod, Boggs, Clemens, Cone, etc.

To be fair, Ripken had a Clemens-like legendary off season routine, years before many players gave up golf and beer in the off-season, for training. I agree about the type of injury determining the need for a DL stint. I guess my argument would be that if you can play on again off again with the same injury, and it isn't getting better, that is the type of injury that likely needs a period of time to heal. I appreciate that he wants to help the team, but I'd rather he be healthy for 100 games if possible, than 50% for 50 games, and out for another 30 or 40 games. It just seems to make sense that when you have a lineup that can absorb a DL stint, that you should take advantage of it and get better. Make use of the Yankees' depth and heal.

Agreed. Isn't Torre supposed to take the blame for the hurt pride and do what is best for the team? In this case, to DL Damon. Posada has never been on the DL either, but I dont remember him going through a period of months where he was playing 3 out of every 6 games, while playing at 50% and not helping the team, the way JD is now. The reality is that Melky is a serious upgrade in Center defensively, and we are scoring runs without JD. I think its better to do it now rather than later when we might have other offensive guys who are out. I guess it just makes sense to me from a management perspective.

I wonder if he said that he won't opt out. That is like music to these ears....

Do we have another catcher in the minors who could do as "well" as Nieves? I would seriously give the idea of starting Phelps behind the dish on Jorge's days off a thought if I were Brian Cashman. I've said this before, but Nieves cannot throw runners out, cannot hit, and isn't any better than average at blocking the plate. What is the benefit to having him on the squad, if not defense, which he doesn't have either?

He didnt say "I've always admired Willy Randolph," did he? Just kidding.

The problem is, NY media will. He might have made a tactical mistake saying that.

Seriously? No way. Arod may have let something silly come out of his mouth, you don't say.

YANKEES
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi DH
Matsui LF
Posada C
Cano 2B
Phelps 1B
Wang RHP

GO YANKS!!!

I would appreciate a Yanks bashing BBRod game.

Exactly. Look, Manny is the only player (maybe Sheffield) moronic enough, and Boston fans the only fans dumb enough, to accept a player who says two years in advance that he isn't coming back.

If a Yankee player said "I am gone after this year, no matter what," like Manny did (2 years), he would get booed even if he hit 50 HR in April, and rightfully so. I give Arod credit for not stirring the pot during the season. Manny on the other hand should be swallowed by the Green Monster and never heard from again, he's bad for baseball.

They're not cheating anymore. I would guess Donnelly preceeded an internal MLB investigation and the team got a talking to. Mike S. knows how to cheat, he taught Dodger pitchers well. Then again, it could be a conspiracy theory.

Unless we get the Rocket...