There's a PBS special on Japanese high school baseball that I have not seen, but I exchanged e-mails with the people who made it before I moved over here.

It's called Kokoyakyu, and I hope someone will tell me how it is....

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/kokoyakyu/

I will always love "The Natural." Talk about great performances, tremendous production quality including gorgeous lighting, and a timeless feel.

If you were at all interested in music AND grew up in the NY area in the '80s and '90s, the demise of Tower Records is a landmark event (akin to the shuttering of CBGBs). Man, the hours I spent combing through the bins of both the W. 4th St. and West Side stores. Tower accounts for a good percentage of my entire CD collection. Happy memories!

I used to go down to the TR on W.4th after watching hoops at the cages, and it was always a place to meet friends. "Where should we meet?" "In front of Tower Records". There was always an open air market in the vacant lot next to the store.

also:

Damon said, "It's a no-brainer for us. If I had to go play first base, I'd do it for a few games here and there just so we can work Bernie in."

http://tinyurl.com/y3n4y4

just thought some people here might be interested in damon's campaigning for bernie's employment.

His mind would wonder at times and his instincts would go walk about but his contribution and class and example is and was so important. I know I'll miss that half crouch stance and little hop, the silly little spin move on a swing and a miss and the futile arm in the air gesture on a ball out of his range. I'll also miss those doubles laced to the gap and big hits and sliding catches and that great big beautiful smile.

Good men like Bernie don't seem to wander through the business of professional baseball often enough. If it should come to pass that his time is up already I will miss him. Bernie Williams Day will be a nuts event. I hope they find a way to polish a nice shiney plaque for him. He certainly has done his share.

maybe he'll take up a coaching job, so we can get a shot of him on the bench from time to time. (i know that i smile everytime i see mr. mattingly sitting there.)

his numbers during "The Dynasty" are definitely plaque-worthy. (in my unsolicited and meaningless opinion.)

Come to think of it, I heard somewhere that Virgin's Boston Megastore has itself closed.

10 MFD, Bernie was a wonderful Yankee for all the reasons you say and perhaps more than any of us can say usually words. But the good of the team outweighs the good of the individual, and in this case especially, its time for Bernie to hang 'em up. Melky deserves to have the time and chance to become what he'll be, just as Bernie did way back in 1991.

yes, it recently turned into a best buy with luxury condos above floor 3

So now it's what, only two months to pitchers and catchers?

other than newbury comics, you're pretty much out of luck. up until last spring, i was running a little local chain of used cd shops. that chain has since been dissolved into one solitary store.

people blame all of this on increased downloading, but i think the real problem is that major labels focus solely on "hit singles", which usually means disposable artists and music that has little longevity and virtually no shelf life.

a sad, sad state of affairs.

16 Oh, so you mean that the music business's problems are mostly of its own doing, and not because of all the evil freeloading downloaders?

I agree, and it is a sad, sad state of affairs.

When I lived in Brookline, there used to be a great independent music shop on Beacon St. that even sold records. Sometimes a little pricier than, say, Best Buy, for new stuff, but what a place to browse for old stuff. I hope its still there.

All said, I'm not surprised, though it is a shame to see what a barren hull they're becoming. Yes... this is absolutely a metaphor for the Knicks... (sniff) (Stops to think of something sarcastic to follow-up with, but instead silently finishes this sentence, sighs deeply and logs off...)

i have sworn off all music awards shows.

i do enjoy watching videos from the early MTV era... that was when anyone (physically) could be a rock star.

How much do you think they paid him to say that?

Eager to meet D&D Schilling? WTF?

If I'm in LA or SF, I'll stop by, but I've never been blown away by the place.

That said, if any of the branches closed, I'd be down about it.

24 27 Any chance he also said, "I'd also like to meet this Walking Greek God, Youkilis"?

Or "I'm hoping Manny Ramirez will teach me how to do strange things with my hair."

Oh boy - this could go on for awhile.

and yes, i find it odd that out of all the people on the team, he mentions schilling. that ought to do wonders for curt's low self esteem.

http://www.buymusichere.net/stores/newworldrecord/

http://bopshop.com

http://www.alternativemusic.com

I've done better at Bop Shop in one visit than I've done at any Amoeba branch in about 15 visits!

next time i get out that way i will try to check them out. (my sister went to SUNY buffalo for a couple of years, she mentioned new world record as being her favorite spot out there.)

this is a full service site.

34 "I'm hoping Doug Mirabelli will give me pointers about riding police escort through Boston."

34 "i look forward to learning the ways of the mulleted one. i believe the mullet is the source of schilling-san's inner strength."

36 alternative music is up in rochester, right? i ordered a cool cd from them online a coupla years ago and it was also a fine transaction.

i used to go to the Tower on Broadway & Lafayette all the time as a teenager and then when i was at NYU for Grad School. The Annex was great. Tower's always been overpriced and overrated, however. the annex ended up here in Atlanta when they moved to a bigger location a coupla years ago. the stock has been diminishing greatly, but even with the big discounts, it's still sorta pricey.

they'll most likely close soon after the holidays. all the stock has already been bought and will be sold to other distributors, so it'll never get stoopid cheap...

"I'm looking forward to the fans turning on me after my first rough outing."

"I'm looking forward to meeting the guy in the gorilla suit."

and, of course:
"I'm looking forward to meeting the head of bullpen security, Karim Garcia."

it is likely that Matsuzaka will mistake AROD for a teammate when he hears the boos AROD receives at Yankee Stadium...

he declined.

unlike the "straight shooter" mr. schilling.

matsuzaka is supposed to be very kind and i've even heard the word "sweet" used to describe him by a japanese reporter.

it will be hard to root against him, but i think i'll find a way.

We instead got Andy for 2/32.

Andy seems like a better pitcher, but he had has injuries over the last 3 years and his recent numbers are from a weak division of the NL, where Lily has been in the AL East.

Some comparing the dollars, we could have had Lily for an extra 2 years at 2$m/year or used him as trade bait.

I know we are all emotionally attached to Andy and his history with us.... but wa this deal, 2/32, really that wise?

45 Pete Abraham has a post about all of the extra perks heading Matsuzaka's way. Boras did better than we gave him credit.

I wonder if Godzilla has to pay his own rent.

That is all.

AP's agent said that they might not take the 2nd year. if there was an injury, etc. they'd walk away.

you can't assume the 2nd year if you trust the pettitte camp, which i choose to do.

as for lilly, those 4 years would be locked in, and the amount of money a pitcher of his calibur might get three years from now, if owners and GMs come to their senses could drop... so they'd be overpaying for mediocre pitching.

that is my take, anyway. i liked the signing.

in case you missed it in the NY times today...

"The Yankees have until Dec. 28 to sign Kei Igawa, the Japanese starter whose rights cost them $26 million. "We are making good progress," Igawa's agent, Arn Tellem, said in an e-mail message. "However, I do not anticipate reaching a deal this week.""

http://tinyurl.com/yk7p2d

that quote is beautiful, however.

I look forward to beating Jonathan Papelbon in Scrabble ... in English.

http://tinyurl.com/y7ftlr

that is the best news i've heard all day.

He will, at the least, repalce Timlin as their righty set up man. I doubt he will be their closer, but he will help their BP a lot...

(Sorry for writing that they 'signed' him, by the way. Traded for him, I meant to write.)

Many of the bands I enjoy existed only because of illegal tape-trading in the 80s and early 90s. Nothing made me more furious, in recent years, than Metallica coming out against Napster, since without people copying the demo tape they made and spreading it around the U.S., they'd be nothing, rather than one of the premier bands of the 1990s.

On baseball: I love Bernie, but I don't know if I want him back. I feel like a traitor, but it doesn't seem like he has much left in the tank, especially on defense. I think The Fielding Bible rated him as the worst CF in baseball. We don't really need him at DH.

I just can't bring myself to cut the strings.

One of the best things about being a Yankee fan is we get attached to our players, and many stay around a while.

It's 'new baseball' due to FA, but does anyone else miss the days when players stayed on the same team for a while?

Check USSMariner. A lot of them (not a majority, but a significant minority of the commentors) have given up. They want Betancourt, Ichiro and King Felix traded to get them off that sinking ship.

Look at the Minnesota Timberwolves and the situation with Kevin Garnett. Everyone wants him to get out so he can win. It's KILLING him to be stuck in that environment. Same thing with Allen Iverson.

Meanwhile, we have the luxury of being able to retain our players almost at will because of our economic power and the draw and lure of the Yankee name.

(Aside: OYF, doesn't it seem, though, like most of the moves the Sox have made were supposed to be upgrades? I seem to remember everyone being high on Clement, Beckett and now Matsuzaka.)

in fairness, many of the 2004 yanks were signed to long term contracts though. and many of the 2004 sox players were former scrubs that overachieved from 03-04 (guys you dont hold on to). also, mussina is the only starter remaining from 2004 so the sox beat them in that department (i soooooo miss the john burkett days)

In any case, I imagine that either Hansen will emerge during the season after Donelly returns to his better suited role of setup man, or they will make another trade. Wakefield wouldn't work, no matter what the press says.

Their best bet is really to cross their fingers and hope than Hansen regains his status as closer of the present. Closers always seem to emerge from unlikely places however...

he needs to find that st. johns slider... i think coaching f'd him up somehow.

Donnelly and Timlin are both declining fast. Romero had a terrible year in LAA last year but migth be decent as a LOGGY, Okajima is a wildcard but at best i see a Otsuka out of him (which would be nice i suppose) Delcarman is a decent arm but at the very best he throws up a Scott Proctor 06 -lite like year. Hansen is a mixed bag, but if i were a Sox fan i definately dont' want him as teh default closer if simply for confidence issues.

Say it ain't so! After a few days' well-earned break in the NoCal wilderness, //think Goodfellas// — "I come home to this? To THIS!

"Baseball sources indicated Friday that Yankees are willing to part with left-handed hitting outfielder Melky Cabrera straight-up in a trade for (Pirates closer Mike) Gonzalez."

http://tinyurl.com/y2j5ub

Hoping it's nothing more the usual media BS, can anyone make a case for this move?

http://tinyurl.com/yjtq9g

They also report that Mientkiewicz is a good bet to sign and platoon with Phelp and Phillips. I'm not a fan of either move.

Gonzalez is lights out. He'd fill in for Mariano in a pinch. He'd be the steadiest bet as our set up man since Mariano was setting up for Wettland. He'd be kept away from the Red Sox.

Melky leaving would absolutely suck, but it would open the door for the Yankees to go get Ichiro next year to play the outfield and put Matsui at the DH. Something like that....

Considering the age of Matsui and Damon, Melky will have a role to play as long as Bernie decides to retire. Trading Melky just adds that much more possibility of Bernie staying. (Really, I love Bernie too like everyone else here but I am ready for a Bernie Williams Day next year at the Stadium.)

79 Not hot on getting Minky either.

I love Melky but his nunbers were still bottom of the (outfield) barrel. It's not like he's Nick Johnson or something.

http://tinyurl.com/yk8fqu

His "out ratio" is over 109, which is astounding.

Still, Melk just doesn't hit well enough for a corner OF, so I think Mike Gonzalez must be an objectively more valuable player. But I'd still hate to see the Melk Man go. And his BA could really jump this year -- it's expected to because of his age.

It is essentially a given that anyone who can qualify as a legit starter on the field is worth more than a reliever, unless the reliever's level of dominance is way ahead of that positional player. and i'm not very sure Gonzalez fits that bill over Melky.

people have said that bats are easier to replace, to some extend i agree, but in terms of non-closer relievers i have to disagree, those guys are easy to replace. finding another Melky Cabrera would be a lot harder than finding another Scott Proctor.

logically the Pirates are better off just holding on the Gonzalez until a desperate borderline contender with a messed up bullpen and a deep farm shows up (happens almost every year) and fleece them at the deadline (the Dodger is certainly a team that might end up like that next year. if Saito goes boom or hurt, hell if K-rod gets hurt the Angels definately could end up dealing too, or if the D-backs make a legit run next year)

In the end, it just doesn't seem to make enough sense on either sides for this to happen.

anyone can find out how/what Melky is doing in the dominican winter leagues? those websites just don't seem to update much (or maybe because i can't read Spanish..)

Can we afford to give up Melky? Gardner and Tabata are on the way to being MLB ready; Gardner maybe ready this year. Tabata may be ready by next year ('08) or the middle of '09. Justin Christian and Seth Fontenberry could be ready soon as serviceable 4th outfielders as could Bronson Sardinha. Kevin Thompson is ready now. We should over the next couple of years find something useful in the group including: Colin Curtis, Josue Calzado, Melky Mesa, Tim Battle, Austin Jackson and Carlos Urena.

I actually think a league average or above corner outfielder may be easier to find than a lights out lefty reliever with a big arm. If Gonzalez is that, much as it pains me to say it, I think we should consider the deal that's outlined in the Post. If we have to include Proctor or Farnsworth to do it I'd say no because that would seem to be at best a lateral move or worse. If we had to throw a minor leaguer in it wouldn't be anyone above A ball that has attained B level prospect status.

I'd hate to move Melky but a big lefty arm out of the pen to sit Pappi on his back side sure would be a thing of beauty.

From the what's right and wrong with baseball article mentioned at the Griddle:

STEVE TREDER - Author for The Hardball Times:
Wrong: TV games as presented by Fox

Unfortunately I don't have cable so that's the only way I see 'em, but still...

I'm not equipped to do the math so I won't insist I'm right on this, but I would guess that Melky's offensive potential plus defensive chops more than equals the amount of runs saved by ANY loogy.

Besides, didn't Cash spend the offseason to date cannily stockpiling bullpen arms while NOT giving away building blocks?

1. He's 21 and plays great defense. He could find his power stroke, as others do, at age 25 and be a Bernie Williams type hitter.

2. Moving Melky would mean more Bernie (ironically).

His age and potential are why you'd hesistate to deal him. As for Gonzalez, the reasons you'd hesitate to acquire him are:

1. He's put up a 1.350ish WHIP in the NL the last two years
2. He's never pitched in a meaningful game.
3. You look super foolish if he's a bust and Melky is at the very least the same player as last year.

Gonzalez' WHIP is largely a result of his walks totals increasing the last two years. His K/9 ratio is the same as B.J. Ryan. His salary is still league minimum so you aren't adding payroll for a nice opportunity.

The reason I'm in favor of this move is that I think we should re-up Abreu, and we have Matsui and Damon already in the fold for a few years. We brought Melky up to the bigs, and we have a choice. Sit him and make him the 4th outfielder, or send him to SWB to play everyday. Neither of those is a great option. Melky could really stretch his wings in Pittsburgh and could have a very nice career in center for them. If he wants to come back in a few years when he's a FA, and he has turned out to be Bernie, great.

I'm in favor of the move. Go Melky go. Show 'em what you got in an everyday job! I just hope Gonzalez turns out to be as good as advertised. You'd have to like our pen with :

Britton
Myers
Farnsworth
Bruney
Proctor
Gonzalez
Mariano

That's nutty.

I noticed it a few days ago, and wondered if I'd just been blind all these years.

I had heard the Pirates were desperately seeking a young OFer. I'm not sure why; I thought Chris Duffy was working out for them (once they found him, anyway).

It would probably be better for the Yanks if Melky stayed, if only because it would mean Bernie retires. But it would probably be better for Melky if he's traded. At his age, he needs to play every day, and he's not going to get that as a 4th OFer with Torre in charge of the team.

If Melky is traded, I like Bronson Sardinha, but I have a feeling it's going to be Bernie Williams as 4th OFer, and no 5th OFer.

Also, from NYT: "...the Yankees were close to completing a five- year, $20 million contract with the Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa."

4 mil/yr is fine, but FIVE years? What?!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=5642

.206 BAA .300 OBA .291

Very good numbers, just slighty different.

Although, perhaps they are wrong. I see that the link says a OPS against of .588--though, that would mean their math is wrong by .003.

Anyway, I am not opposed to getting Gonzalez. I just think that Melky would be more valuable to the Yankees next year than Gonzalez.

A great bullpen is more valuable than on paper yes, but so is a good bench. and while a good LHP reliever don't grow on trees, 21 year olds that could actually hit something out of the bench is not nearly as abundent as you would think.

Brett Gardner's power makes Melky look like Barry Bonds, anyone who think he's going to be anything like Melky is mistaken, he's probably a slightly better Bubba, or at the very best a slightly worse Pierre.

Tabata's arrival time should more realistically be put at 2010, late 2008 would be the best possible situation, but sometime in 2009-2011 is far more realistic.

Tabata is the only player in our system that's probably going to be better than Melky, everyone else would really not be, at least it would take a while.

I thought we just learned it the hard way what a crap bench could mean over the last few years?

The one thing that I think is important to understand here is that Major League teams deal from positions of strength to fill weak points. The Yankees weak point is pitching. They have a good solid starting rotation, but that rotation has age questions and health questions. We've addressed the health questions by acquiring an extra pitcher or two and building a good supplemental staff of minor leaguers. The age question is an issue of resilience.

Can our starters go 7 or 8 innings every start? We know RJ can't. We've seen Mussina grow weaker after 5 or 6 tough innings. Pettitte would do well to have his innings managed this year. Pavano, if he pitches, shouldn't be counted on for more than 6 innings of good work. That necessitates a bullpen.

We've had a very mediocre pen in the last several years. We've watched the Angels and Twins throw top notch middle and late inning relievers out there and do very well. If we trade from a position of strength (a young switch-hitting outfielder with nice potential) to acquire a lights out left handed closer, we suddenly turn our weakness into a strength and lose very little in the short term.

Face it, we need a good lefty in the pen. We may as well get a guy who has posted a career 182 ERA+ and absolutely ridiculous OPS against of .588. He posts a strikeout rate similar to B.J. Ryan and lefties go .176/.260/.218 against him. He's only given up 9 home runs in 155.2 IP, and only one to a lefty (Carlos Delgado, last season, walk off).

I can't say we won't be trading a future star, but at this point it makes sense for our roster for the next 3 years. That the remaining time on Gonzalez' contract, and probably the time until Melky Cabrera really breaks out. I'm for the trade with only a little hesitation.

Rest assured my friend, one day the Bronx Bombers' Bloggers will rule the world!!!!

"The Yankees, however, have a history of being unable to deal with Pirates GM Dave Littlefield, and talks about a three-team trade - which would send the lefthander to the Yankees, Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche to the Pirates and Yankee outfielder Melky Cabrera to the Braves - have cooled."

'Cooled' - that sounds about right for the Pirates management.

The NY papers do seem cooler on the Melky for Gonzo trade today. The Pittsburgh papers are hot about it, though. Maybe they're just a day behind. The Post-Gazette is reporting that the Pirates are willing to do Melky for Gonzalez straight up, and they think the Yanks would go for it.

If we don't get Gonzalez, I hope Boston doesn't. They reportedly want him very much, but so far, they haven't found a match. The Pirates want a young, lefty-hitting outfielder or first baseman. The Sox have offered Eric Hinske, but he's not what the Pirates had in mind.

I wish we could get Ryan Doumit from Pittsburgh. He's hitting pretty well in winterball. And Pittsburgh has so many young catchers they are trying to convert him to another position. He played some at 1B this season, and he's playing right field now in winterball.

1) He's 21. These are the guys that the Yanks shoud be holding on to - young, motivated, improving, cheap, and talented, not signing someone like Ichiro (Mike, come on!) to a bloated contract for probably equal production.

2) Who would have thought that both Shef and Godziller would have lost 2/3 of last year. Melky saved them because he was good! He won at least one game with his glove, made great throws, and hit increasing well, especially in July and August (ops = .850). If any of the OF's get hurt, having Melky around means you have a solid and capable replacement, but one who could still get better!

3) If he shows even modest improvement (OPS = .800) he's even more valuable next year, or at the trade deadeline when the deals are better. Hanging on to true prospects too long will never a problem a problem for the Yanks because they have other ways to make up the difference.

Gonzo is solid (though maybe not in the AL East). But that deal wasn't right for the Yanks.

Maybe Melky's value will never be this high, but at the age of 21, I think it is reasonable to expect him to improve a bit over the years. Maybe he is never more than a 4th outfielder, or maybe he is merely a solid starter but never an All Star.

However, we certainly have a need for him on this team right now.

If you want to talk about trading a player because his value will never again be this high, then I want to talk about trading Proctor. As much as I love the guy, I think last year was a fluke, and we should trade him before Spring Training. We have enough replacements in the farm for him.

As for Proctor...we probably should have traded him early this year. That was when his value was at its peak. Everyone thought he was a future lights-out closer.

But the Yankees clearly do not want to trade Proctor. They've had a lot of people asking for him - last spring, this summer, at the trading deadline, and now. But Cashman won't give him up. I think they're grooming him to be a closer or at least a setup man.

I think we have players on the farm now who can replace Melky. I'm not as enthusiastic about KT as some, but I think he'd do all right. I like Bronson Sardinha. And Tabata will be ready in a year or two.

The drawback is that we won't use KT or Sardinha. It's probably going to be Bernie, unless Cashman puts his foot down.

And I really want to get rid of Farnsy. I don't know if Gonzo will work out or not, but I'm willing to chance him instead of Farnsworth.

Meaning the very occassional start, possibly defensive replacement, but mostly a pinch runner.

I suppose, considering the durability of our outfield, if you want to upgrade him to 4th outfielder that is fine.

However, what happens if one of our durable outfielders (as all are over 30) gets a freaky injury and is out for 1,2,3 weeks...a month...the whole season? As we saw last year, Melky is the player that would be able to step in and not kill us on offense while helping us on defense.

Kevin Thompson, however, will likely not be able to handle such a workload.

Also, I believe that if Melky is on the team next year, he would get consistent ABs.

Assuming a 21 yo is likely to regress is pretty silly, IMHO. Melky will get get better. The only question is how much.

As for trading Melky, I am not convinced you trade a more-or-less everyday player for a middle reliever, I don't care how good the reliever is. Will Melky's career likely be stunted in NY? Yeah, and that's too bad.

But there is a very good chance that he gets at least 100 games started next year--despite torre--because he is the ONLY back-up CF option, and he will fill in when Matsui DHs. His sitation right now is comparable to teh first year or two of Bernie's career, and that worked out pretty well for everyone.

Yes, his value might be the highest it will ever be, but if that high value is only a middle reliver, so what? Also, the team's minor league teams are heavy in arms. If we need a reliever in the middle of the year, there is every chance that one can be had for free by plucking him from AA or AAA, rather than trading for him.

But the farm is weaker in position players; let's not shed one of the few young ones on the roster. Last year we all moaned and groaned about the horrible roster construction, with its terrible and inflexible bench. The team is finaly in a position to have a young, flexible, decent player for the bench, and now we want to trade him? Makes no sense to me.

As it is, the team will likely have a sucky back-up IF, an inexcusably bad back-up C, and some Josh Phelps clone as the starting/back-up 1B. Should the entire bench be crippled?

Of course this would be a steal for the Yanks, but the Pirates made some pretty questionable trades last year, so who knows?

The reason I think Melky might regress is that I think he was playing a little above himself this year. As Cliff pointed out, he didn't show that kind of plate patience in the minors. It wouldn't be surprising to see him drop back more in line with his career numbers. Especially if he doesn't get much playing time.

And I really think this would be best for Melky. I don't think he has the tools to be a starter in the AL, especially not for the Yankees. Maybe he could be in the NL. He'd at least get the chance in Pittsburgh. He won't in NY.

The Yankees are concerned about "What is best for the Yankees?"

Maybe Cashman believes that Gonzalez is more valuable to the Yankees than Cabrera, but I am of the opinion that Melky would be better for us next year and in the future.

Toby Hall has signed with the White Sox. I know it was kind of a long shot, but I was hoping...

When Farnsy is good, he is very, very good. I love his fastball.

What I don't love: he can only pitch one inning every other day. And his back gives out unexpectedly, usually when he's warming up in the pen to come in.

I think we need someone more versatile and dependable, especially if we're carrying Myers, the one-hitter wonder. Thirteen pitchers is ridiculous, but they are apparently seriously considering it.

60 to 100 games of Melky will help the team next year far more than 60 innings from reliever X, who MIGHT be better than Farnsworth in half or a quarter of his appearances.

I think Mike 101 is right. The hole is pitching. I'd rather have Matsuzaka, but that's not happening. If we have to make do with the best bullpen we scrape together, so be it.

Ordinarily I'd be leery about an NL pitcher, but it's not like we're giving up Hughes for him. Also, he's a closer. The DH won't bother him, because by the time he gets into the game, the pinch-hitters are in. His stats aren't padded by pitching to pitchers.

Whatever happens in this situation, I'll support it. If it goes bad, I'll just shrug and say "You win some, you lose some." I'm less worried about trading away a potentially very good outfielder, than I am about anything else. When the Yankees need an outfielder they grow on trees.

That assumes NO injuries and NO other days off by the OFs. 60 starts is a real possibility if Torre decides to rest any of the 30+ y.o. startes a little more, or if any go on the DL.

100 starts would require, aside from major injury, clever lineup juggling by Torre. I grant that this is highly improbable.

The minor leaguer traded with Claussen was traded back to the Yanks the very next year (Charlie Manning). And Reds are rumored to be pursing Boone for their vacancy at 1B. All we have to do is pick up Claussen and the trade will be completely unwound. ;-)

I'm not thrilled about this. I hate the idea of a full-time DH. But it looks like that's what we've got. They asked Giambi if he was willing to be traded, and he said no.

http://tinyurl.com/yz5bwy

====
Carl Pavano, Yankees -- The St. Louis Cardinals know pitching. Dave Duncan has been able to turn Jeff Suppan into an NL Championship Series MVP, and Jeff Weaver became an integral part of a championship rotation after being acquired from the Angels in July. The Cardinals have been kicking the tires on Pavano.

Pavano has changed agents and apparently changed his attitude. For the first time in his career, he worked out like a fiend in Arizona, hoping to show he didn't just take the money ($39.5 million for four years) and run.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who never tips his hand, has said he won't deal Pavano.

The Yankees' rotation is old. Between Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson, and Andy Pettitte, they have three guys who could break down. Chien-Ming Wang is their young ace. They will also add 28-year-old lefthander Kei Igawa, giving them six starters. And Humberto Sanchez, who was acquired in the Gary Sheffield deal, and Philip Hughes could be ready before midseason to earn spots in the rotation.

So, do the Yankees want to deal a guy who is obviously very talented -- an 18-game winner in 2004 with Florida -- and acting as if he's hungry to get back to that level?
===

Hmmm. Is Pavano really changing his stripes?

We don't really NEED Melky, but I WANT Melky. There is nothing as satisfying as watching homegrown players succeed. ARod's MVP was nice, but one for Jetes (or Posada or Bernie) would be many times better, because he (they) are pure 'Yankee'.

But what if Mo goes down? Without Gonzalez we are cooked.

Emotionally, I want to see what Melky becomes. But intellectually, especially with a questionable starting rotation and a 37 year old closer, you simply can't have too good a bullpen. Maybe our PB didn't have much effect on the last few PS losses, but if you look back to our wins, the PB was a BIG part of our winning.

WOW!!! (that's about all I can say)

did cash really not consider it?