Anyway, with Myers and Wang's effort the pen is actually got some reasonable rest over the last couple of days. and we're (hopefully) on track again. seriously Wang's good outtings since he came up have almost all been huge for us one way or another.

Since I didn't get a chance to point it out, and it's never too late for an "I told you so":

Unit was his 2006 varitey on Friday night - 7 IP 7 K 1 BB 5 ER. Of course, he's still overpriced, but with that performance the Yanks easily win the ballgame on Friday night and spare the bullpen in doing do. Indeed, Unit has averaged 6 IP in his first three starts, and that's coming back from major surgery.

Instead, they got a crappy reliever. Worse, of the ten arms that will have started for the team by tomorrow, exactly ZERO were acquired in that deal. Oh, and they spent three times what they owed Unit on a AAA Japanese lefty.

But at least Mfghdgbf and Nieves are still on the team.

Ok, I'll stop now...except, I told you all so.

http://tinyurl.com/2vt29j

They need outfielders, we've got outfielders. And hell, they can have Carl Pavano back for free. Make it happen, Cashman!!

"Whether Wang knew what was going on, that's another story. He insisted he did not realize he had a perfect game going until Posada told him after the eighth. "I wondered why no one was talking to me," he said."

http://tinyurl.com/2exlup

I'm excited for Matsui to get his 2000th hit to become a member of Meikyukai (the association of great players). Hopefully, it happens today.

Phelps! But Cairo too...

I have my own account of the game up there. In a little bit, I'll have pictures and such as well.

jeteupthemiddle.blogspot.com

I just don't see a match with the Marlins.

Jetes is finally starting to pull the inside pitch... with very good results.

Guys need periodic rest. Myself, I would bench Cano once in a while, for swinging at so many bad pitches... and tell him so.

There are 25 guys on the team. You're gonna see our worst players... sometimes 2 at a time. This is the nature of the game. You'll see it with every team.

Cairo is batting 0.000, yet his OBP is only 0.070 below Cano's, or 1 onbase every 14 ABs. Cairo knows how to take a BB. I would point this out to Cano.

One, spending that kind of money on the starters probably makes the bean counters reluctant to spend a lot of players who won't play often.

Two, players who are kinda sorta decent don't want to play for the Yankees. They want to play for a team where they have a chance to start.

People diss Cairo, but he could have made more money and started at 2B for the Mets. He preferred being a bench player for the Yankees. But I doubt you'll find many players like him, especially if they are better players than he is.

How's Rasner looked thus far?

and 5, nothing liek thinking short-term, eh? Thats it for debating for me for the day, way too nice here...

Still...given the money we paid for him, I think they'll be hesitant to send them down. It would be like admitting they screwed up.

But I'm still rooting for you Dorf!

69 I saw that too, very sibjective definition of "outpitched."

He's so clutch. ;-)

How did Phelps take his payback?

I mean, how much more due could you be than O 'fer the ENTIRE YEAR?!?!?!?

And the answer is, none really, right?

it'd save them all some running...

97 They're trying to get a workout in at the same time?

Just because the universal principle of "dueness" didn't work out this time, doesn't mean it's not an immutable law of baseball, if you don't believe me, just ask Michael Kay ...

Question not the decisions of the mighty Torre, young disciples, just bask in the glow of his reflected wisdom

89 Washburn hit Phelps as payback for the Johjima incident. Next inning Proctor threw behind Bettancourt and the benches emptied.

In that case, way to go Scotty!

And man, that sun is KILLINg Ibanez

Who knew I was that good!?

Clemens
Wang
Pettitte
Mussina
Hughes

Unreal.

And I with Hughes being hurt, I really like that they can showcase guys like Rasner and, hopefully, DeSalvo for mid-season upgrades. Even Clippard might get a few starts if Igawa continues to shit the bed.

Only thing that would make this day better is Nieves getting a hit here.

Let's hope the Yanks get back to 1st place before he comes back.

It does make the Igawa signing look like a complete waste of cash though. After that, I'm not sure they saved any cash.

we've got a 5 run lead for christ's sake.

why, joe, why must you torment me so???

welcome back, Rocket!

I never liked Clemons very much before he went to Houston, but his behavior since has been truly repulsive. This whole "I'll sit out until I feel like playing" schtick makes me sick.

And I have no idea how people can get on Pavano's case for "not wanting to play" without killing Clemons. He's a Yankee now? Can I now blame him for not being there when we needed him last month?

186 well, it's clear he's no Randy Johnson ...

And Roger blurts out a "beautiful" with the final out.

Sounds kinda dirty.

Matty D, you're on tomorrow! (Maybe we should send Igawa down instead, won't happen tho)

http://tinyurl.com/24b48v

"If Clemens waited until September it might be too late. The Yankees are at the bottom of the AL East. Even assuming they get all their starters back off the DL and they're effective again, they've got a hole to climb out of — and they're not all coming back tomorrow, so the hole may well be deeper by then. And Clemens may need a few weeks to get into pitching shape, too. I am suprised he didn't wait until June, but the Yankees may have made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Will he be carried to the mound on a palanquin borne by oiled bat boys? Will they get a Concord out of mothballs to fly him out to NY from Houston for his starts? Will there be a separate staff of trainers, masseuses, and dietitians following him around? A uniform hand-woven from Imperial Chinese silkworms and a cup made from the fur of endangered snow leopards? Organic hydroponic sunflower seeds and a supermodel to crack and feed them to him in the dugout?"

The sun is shining. Our team won again today. The team just got great news. Be happy. Damn!

To me, it isn't about the money. I wouldn't care if Pavano was faking injuries even if he wasn't getting paid. And I won't begrudge him for taking a paycheck if the injuries are all legit.

It is about character. What if ClemEns had signed a contract in February for the same amount of money (presumably pro-rated for a partial season) and said, "I am signing for less money on the condition that the Yankees don't make me play for the first few weeks"? Would that be okay?

Unless the wheels fall off the wagon (or the HGH deliveries get intercepted), I am confident that he will be very successful for the Yanks this year.

But in Roger's case, no amount of money would have gotten him on the field. I suspect that Joe D would have caught more flack had he simply said, "Me and Marilyn are going to chill in the Bahamas for a couple of months. See you in June. Don't be too far out of first when I get back."

Also, major league athletes are cool about a lot of things that I'm not.

And think of it this way, once again, the Sox get the shaft, and no matter how their fans/media try to spin it, they were DYING for him :)

So much for that reduced payroll, eh?

We'll also most likely be in 2nd place by the end of the day - good day to be a Yankees fan.

Sucks, that they're firmly back in "Anything but a ring is a failure" territory.

i'm not saying the Yanks can/will make it up, but things could be a lot worse standings-wise

246 What do you think, Wang, Clemens, Pettitte, Moose, Hughes?
I think I would do, once all is set, Wang, Clemens, Pettitte, Hughes Moose. For the most diversity, no?

I don'tthink 5 games really is that much considering we still have like 13 games against them and like 14/16 of the season left. Think of it this way, the Yanks gain just one game a month starting today and they tied at the end of the season :)

George Steinbrenner, the Yankees' principal owner, said in a statement: "As I pledged just a few years ago, I will do everything within my power to support Brian Cashman, Joe Torre and this team as we fight to bring a 27th championship back to New York.

"Roger is a winner and a champion, and he is someone who can be counted on to help make this season one that all Yankees fans can be proud of. The sole mission of this organization is to win a world championship."

http://tinyurl.com/2oyvx2

And I know it's enitrely premature, I'd rather have Hughes in the playoff rotation than Moose, but I can't see it happening. Injuries could change things of course.

Cripes. The Roger-Hating is as foolish as it is shortsighted.

BTW, David Cone always had the reputation as a hired gun, but he seemed to find a home in the Bronx.

258 Yes, it's still early. Last year they were hit with injuries late in the season.

Hey, the Yankees have scored twice as many runs as the Cardinals this year. (This is a little misleading because I checked when the Cards' runs for today hadn't been recorded officially yet, game still in progress.)

Fortunately, Clemens contract does NOT effect this, and ARod will still be due $32m/yr for 2009 and 2010.

ARod cost the Yankees $112m over 7 years, or exactly $16m/yr. Add $10m extra for 2009 and 2010 and average it out over 7 years, and ARod (if he does not opt-out and gets his $5m raise) costs us $17.43m/yr

Giambi costs us $17.14m/yr (average over contract)
Jeter costs us $18.9m/yr (average over contract)

In other words, the ARod deal, EVEN with the 2009-2010 raise, IS A STEAL! (Soriano is now making $18m/yr for 7 years!)

Unless there is total insanity, I don't think ARod can make more money leaving the Yankees. He is due (with raise) $91m over 3 years (2008-2010, costing us $17.43m/yr).

Even if he was offered $150m/7 yrs, we would only need an extension of $59m/4 years to match it. Money won't be the issue. It will simply be where ARod WANTS to play (and lets hope it's not in Queens... and let's really hope it's NOT in Boston)

(Geez... If ARod did play in Boston, how many HRs and Doubles might he get in one year?)

Cashman deserves a statue in CF for this deal.
And now Roger is back.

Cashman: "...AND?"
Jeter: "2 text messages, 3 Emails and I'm calling him tonight"
Cashman: "Did you tell him about the money? Tell him thats about $7,500 PER PITCH?"
Jeter: "Yeah... I did"
Cashman: "...AND?"
Jeter: "It's close... very close"
Cashman: what's it gonna take to close the deal?"
Jeter: "Well... he said something about 2 Jessicas on the QT"

BTW, just to make clear. This is obviously a great move for the Yankees. If I was in Cashman's position, I would have made the same move. Despite their deficit in the standings, I now see the Yankees as the favorites to win the division. I also stated earlier that I think Clemens is the best starting pitcher in the history of baseball.

I just don't like the guy. He is a selfish, money-grubbbing, publicity hound. I don't think he cares about winning first -- as a team. Although I think he fights as hard as anyone in every single start he makes and cares as much about winning the games he pitches as anyone who has ever taken the mound.

Do I think that he was overpaid? Let's put it this way. If you knew last year, before the trading deadline, that Lidle would get killed, Pavano would be a zero, Igawa wouldn't set the world on fire, Mussina and Wang would suffer significant injuries to start the season, Karstens would break his leg on a freak play, and Hughes would be unavailable even if you wanted him, then you could have probably spent $24-28M over the next several months and gotten more than Clemens for part of the season. But right now, it is money well spent.

Now, we are in 2nd place, 5.5 games out. Hughes should be back before 2 months, Moose looks good, Wang looks great and Rasner has shown he can pitch effectively in MLB.

And now Roger is a Yankee.
I'm psyched!
Anyone who things 5.5 games is a lot, check out Minn, Houston and Oakland at the ASB over the last few years.
And we get to see Roger, at Fenway, in a Yankee uniform. How cool is that.
And maybe Abreu is back.
And Cairo gets a hit!
The baseball Gods are smiling at us.

Then I saw a TV special that showed Roger's daily workout. I was blown away. My muscles ached just watching what he did. It seemed like torture. And I realized this guy doesn't just pitch. He works! And works brutally hard.

Maybe, like Bonds, it's takes an ego to punish yourself on a daily basis, and keep focused on a goal (Bond's workout, some years ago, was as brutal as Clemen's).

So while he IS a self absorbed asshole, I respect the guy a real lot.

So for today? I <3 Roger. (Yes... I guess I'm a bit of a whore... but a YANKEE'S whore!).

Roger knew he'd be ready at the end of May/early June. So it was silly to wait another month.

274 Sorry.. yes... that's what I meant. The Yankees HAVE to pay if that IF they want to guarantee he can't opt-out.

2008 season: $27 million ($3 million deferred with 3% interest)
At the end of 2008 season has the right to void seasons 2009 and 2010 and become an unrestricted free agent unless Rangers increase 2009 and 2010 salaries by the greater of $5 million or $1 million above the 10 largest salary of any position player.

2009 season: $27 million plus the greater of $5 million or $1 million above the then largest salary of any position player. ($3 million deferred with 3% interest)

2010 season: $27 million plus the greater of $5 million or $1 million above the then largest salary of any psition player. ($3 million deferred with 3% interest)

With Roger and Phil in the rotation, it makes Cashman 'building for the future' trades look pretty smart.

I think Cashman is crazy. Crazy like a fox!

Oh... and 2 months ago I said Cashman wasn't done and he would fortify the team if needed. Does getting Roger and bringing up Hughes count in this regard? (Jim?)

Also... I may be wrong, but it seems to me that a number of pitchers, if they rehab correctly, come back from TJ surgery stronger they before they had it. Is this true? Do we have some percentages of pitchers over the last 5 years who have gone this route?

Not that I wanted Sanchez to go down, but if this is true, it could be a very good, and very cheap SP in 2009 (and beyond). Am I wrong?

"No way The Rocket comes here if Torre was fired"

You said Cashman wasn't done with his work before the season. Big difference. And it's dishonest to now suggest otherwise.

Everyone knew Roger was still on the table. And if you had taken a poll here this morning, I'd say 80% expected Roger to sign with the Yanks. Indeed I called it not ten minutes before the announcement on YF v SF and not one person argued with me. Everyone knew it was coming. The only surprise is the timing.

And Sanchez will be 26 in 2009 with 9 career starts under his belt at AAA. That's barely a prospect - if that.

People wonder why I go mental with all the accolades for Cashman. Yes, this move solidifies the team for 2007. But he was the only one standing at the auction - see what Hendricks said. It was a no-brainer getting Clemens in 1999 and it is now.

Otherwise, it changes nothing about the off-season moves. Indeed, it makes them look more idiotic in light of Mfghidkj, and Nieves, and Cairo as well as Igawa and Pavano. Tomorrow they will have drawn SIX starting pitchers (Wright, Hughes, Rasner, Karstens, DeSalvo) from the minors this year, and ALL were in the system last year.

If they were going to dump Unit, they should have gotten a 1B and some bench help. I'll maintain that until my dying days, even if Mgfhdjk pulls a Boone. Instead, they got four AAA scrubs.

But I'm still rooting for you, Dorf!

Anyone have video of Clemens whole announcement? All the clips I've seen are just the last part.

290 cool. I got excited just sitting on my couch. thanks!

284 I think why a lot of post-TJ pitchers seem to be stronger than before when they come back is that they were probably pitching for a while with some type of damage in their elbow before finally having surgery. Once they come back, the elbow should be back to full health, so they pitch the way they would have before the injury caused them to decline. We'll have to see how Sanchez looks when he gets back.

Nice weekend--Two nice pitching performances and the Clemens announcement has me feeling good about our chances right now. Playing the M's and Texas doesn't hurt, either..

A.) Will Roger have any impact on the other pitchers? I mean, he already has Andy, who I believe is Roger's wingman in all senses of the word when it comes to who and what he's playing for. Andy provides a legit-humane excuse for his coming here..."That's my BOY right there!" (Even though his other Boy is stuck over in Houston without his Daddy)... but I digress. Will his Legendary Workout™ and competitive nature rub off on Igawa, Henn, Proctor, Bruney, Bubblebean, Viz, Wang, and... and...

B.) Will Roger kick Pavano's ass? - Lord, if you're up there, please give Roger some steel-toed boots. Can you dig it? Roger automatically negates the presence of Pavano, so if he decides to bend him like a flexi-straw (or a strand of uncooked spaghetti)that's all right with me, we're having Pavacotti with Meat Sauce while watching Basically Tonight on E@$%... By the way...

C.) Would kicking Carl's ass on E@$% make him Peter Clemenza, Paulie Walnuts or Liberty Vallance? (Hello, Carlo...)

D.) Did we save any kind of money in this, or did we save money FOR this? A legitimate question. Please forgive me.

E.) If something happens to Clemens, who gets the blame? Marty, Torre, Cashman or A-Rod? Better question, if he makes it through the season and through the playoffs, can we hire him permanently as our new Director of Performance Enhancement? THAT's gotta be worth $28 mil at this point...

F.) And suitably, the last question... can anyone spare a quarter? (coughcoughMILLIONcoughcough) Seriously, I'm telling myself I will receive ten grand this month for something good that I do, and so far I landed a $75 1-day PA gig at the last minute, a free Mac laptop and zoom lens film photo camera. Uncle Woodrow says a 1000 mile journey starts with the first step, so who knows? >;) G'night all...

D - No, not after the 50 million to Igawa.

E - An excellent suggestion.

Unreal, seriously!