Twins could designate Livan Hernandez

With the prospect of possibly having Darrell RAsner and Sidney Ponson starting 22 of the final 55 games for the Yankees this season, the Yankees will almost have to find someone else to plug at least one of those holes.

Options include: Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, Carl Pavano (if healthy) and Chien Ming Wang (if healthy).

Here’s an interesting possiblity: Livan Hernandez.

Innings eater, no doubt. But is he that much of an upgrade over Rasner and Ponson? Certainly Ponson who may have run out of Houdini acts based on his last start in Fenway. But if Hernandez clears waivers, the Yankees would have to look at him. Post season experience is a plus, and let’s face it, the way Rasner and Ponson have looked the past 3 weeks, you can’t have them going in big games; games you need to win. Especially with 9 games left against Anaheim.

I fully expect the Yankees to land another starter within the next few weeks whether it’s from the farm or the waiver wire. Problem is, are any of them better than what the Yankees have currently?

Trade Reaction: Manny to Dodgers

Well, it happened. Yankee fans rejoice. I know I just cracked open a beer.

I’ll be really interested to see how Manny plays under Joe Torre out west. Not to mention having to be coached by Larry Bowa (ought to be fun, no?)

Truth is, the Sox felt they had to make this move and they did it. They made their bed, now they have to sleep in it.

I’ll bet there’s fingers crossed all over New England when it comes to Jason Bay.

Pittsburgh though made out very very well in this deal. Brandon Moss was held onto just in case Manny was dealt, now he’s a part of the trade that involved Manny. Craig Hanson throws 95+ and Andy LaRoche is a fine young player that could blossom in a place like Pittsburgh.

It’s an end of an era in Boston, and I’m sure there’s a lot of GM’s around the league that are popping corks tonight.

Byrd to fly in the Bronx?

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports the Yankees are inquiring on the availabilty of Paul Byrd.

The Indiana probably wouldn’t ask for much in return from the Yankees.

Read article here

Arthur Rhodes dealt to Marlins

MLB Trade Rumors and ESPN is reporting the Marlins aquired Lefty Arthur Rhodes from Seattle for Gaby Hernandez.

Interesting note: Acquiring Rhodes could allow Florida to move Mike Stanton to Pittsburgh in the Manny Ramirez deal. Originally the Fish didn’t want to move Stanton.

Man oh Manny

The proverbial rock and a hard place.

Deal Manny and lose the face of the team (albeit not a great face). Or keep him and deal with his antics the rest of the season. Not to mention thr Sox wouldn’t pick up Ramirez’s option at the end of the year, so you won’t get anything for him.

I can see the Sox wanting to deal him. It makes sense, and if I’m the Red Sox (Disclaimer: this is not a pro-yankees opinion. This is completely un-biased) I trade him.

For all the garbage Manny has put the Red Sox through, especially the past few months, he’s not worth the headache anymore. The best part of it, Boston would get something out of the trade. Jason Bay is a very solid player who would add some athleticism to the lineup, not to mention some hustle in left field for once.

Would the offense take a hit? Absolutely. But sometimes decisions need to be made, and a tough one at that. It’s not like they’re not getting anything for him. Manny’s a cancer, no matter how much his teamates like him. He’s an organizational cancer. And I think Boston has had enough.

Griffey to White Sox

Pending the approval of Ken Griffey Jr. (10-5 guy), the Chicago White Sox will acquire the veteran outfielder. Where he fits in is to be determined. I can’t see him playing centerfield on a regular basis these days, but it’d be nice to see Jr. playing in the playoff game come October.

UPDATE: Griffey has approved trade. He is now a White Sock

Yankees clearly going for it all

Who saw this coming?

In a move that came out of no where, the Yankees have added one of the best catchers that has ever played the game.

Once you back down from the shock of this move, you realize two things, one good, one not so good.

The Good: The Yankees have an answer to losing Jorge Posada. Xavier nady was the original answer to replace Posada’s bat, which in turn allowed Posada to have the surgery on his shoulder. Now you keep Nady in the mix, add Pudge Rodriguez’s bat (still above average for catchers) and put him on the big stage in  the Bronx (which you know he loves), and you make the Yankees’ lineup as good as it’s been all year. Defensively, they get better too. In reality, they stay the same, but it’s not a drop off by no means. 

The Bad: Pudge has to learn a new crop of pitchers in a hurry. No doubt he’ll have to lean on Jose Molina a bit. Though the staff is a veteran bunch, I’d worry a bit about a drop off in production, at least in terms of getting on the same page early on. Yes, no doubt it will take time, but you hope it doesn’t take too much time.

There’s no doubt Kyle Farnsworth was very solid for the Yankee pen this year. Fact is though, no one can trust him to get a big out in a big spot. He’s had back-to-back rough outings against Boston and Baltimore, and maybe we squeezed all we could out of Kyle. When you look at what the Yankees pen has done this year, you have to feel somewhat confident that it can continue, minus the right arm of Farnsworth. There are a few young arms coming up that could help out (Melancon) and the Yanks should be getting Brian Bruney back soon too, so that’s a booster.

In all, this was a good deal for both sides. Detroit gets some bullpen help that they badly needed, and the Yankees get a backstop that, while they may not have needed it, they’ll sure take it, especially a future hall-of-famer.

Is Seattle nuts?

You know, I understand about wanting to get rid of big contracts and trying to get younger at the same time, but what Seattle is doing is rediculous.

A team that has been an absolute joke in 2008 is asking a Kings’ ransom for Jarrod Washburn and Raul Ibanez. Washburn is under contract through 2009 and is due to make $14 million. If I’m Seattle, I’d be thrilled if the Yankees wanted to pick up the rest of his salary. They’re getting greedy. Sometimes you’re not always going to get top prospects back in return, but c’mon that’s 14 million dollars you’re saving off payroll.

I know Washburn has been solid in recent weeks on the mound, but that diesn’t hide the fact that he’s been a very average pitcher over the last few seasons. If I’m Seattle, I’d be happy with getting as mid-level prospect back from the Yankees in addition to not having to pay the rest of his salary.

Sometimes I’m amazed by baseball execs. They have a complete meltdown in Seattle this year, but they still feel they’re important enough to squeeze anything they can out of other teams. Get real Seattle. You screwed up with overpaid, againg veterans. Not to mention a brutal trade with Eric Bedard, who’s MIA. Admit the mistake and move on. Or pay Washburn for another year, while you hang out in the cellar of the AL West.

Yankees 10 Red Sox 3

Game Reactions…

• There’s no doubt that the Yankees would be out of the race if they didn’t have Mike Mussina or Andy Pettitte. Andy turned out a brilliant performance today. Can’t argue with history, and Andy Pettitte is a second half pitcher.
• Wonder what made Manny play tonight. Missing one game was supposed to be a message? It makes him look like the fool because he ended up back in the lineup. I don’t know whats wrong with this guy, but this goes way beyond Manny being Manny. Sore knees..sore enough to miss two games-but nothing shows up on an MRI? A $20 million option is a lot to pick up.
• Is the Yankee bullpen something or what? Seems like it doesn’t matter who they run out there, they just get the job done. This is something the Yankees haven’t seen in years.
• So the Red Sox retaliated and hit A-Rod. So that should be it..right?…
• I’d guess only Edwar Ramirez would be unavailable tomorrow. Girardi is a genius.
• Yankees go for the sweep tomorrow. They haven’t swept the Sox since August 2007.

New York-Boston from the very beginning

The final score was 9-3

Sterling Hitchcock was the winner, Darryl Strawberry hit a home run, we scored 2 in the 1st, 3 in the 2nd, and 4 in the 6th.

It was the first time I saw Mariano in person.

My hero, Paul O’Neill, hit a triple. Lord knows he wasn’t blessed with great speed.

I ate Sbarro pizza. My lips were chapped. I peed behind a car after the game because I didn’t go at all during the game, afraid I would miss something important. I asked permission before I joined in with an “Asssss-holllee” chant. Hey at 9 years old, you can never be too careful.

Everything I listed above were just a few of my many memories of my first Yankee game. September 10, 1995 was a day that changed my life. It was Yankees-Red Sox. How many kids can say their first game was a Yankee-Sox contest? Not to mention we were in a pennant race. Everything mattered at that point and time. Even at 9 years old, I knew how important every game was down the stretch.

I had all of those usual feelings when I first came into the stadium in ‘95. I couldn’t believe how big the place was. I couldn’t get over the brightness of the lights and how green the grass was. It was easy the largest crowd I’d ever seen, and only recently I found out there were under 30,000 people there that night. How far we’ve come no?

What I didn’t realize at the time, and more importantly, what I’ve come to appreciate and cherish as I’ve gotten older, was being a part of Yankees-Sox.

There’s nothing like it. I know there are those out there that don’t care, and think the media plays up New York and Boston way to much. But those people just don’t understand. That’s the only way to explain it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I hate Boston, with everything I have. But I love this rivalry. There’s nothing that gets me juiced up more than a game between these two heated rivals. Whether it’s April or September, there’s a feel that’s like none other.

I was at a Yanks-Sox game in July this year. Driving down to the stadium that afternoon, my foot was pushing the pedal just a little harder than usual. I walked at a quicker pace after I left the garage. It’ s just another game, but it’s not. Yankees-Sox brings out the homer in you. More than ever you feel a sense of pride. As a fan, you must defend your turf.

..We lost 7-0 that night-but we did split the series.

My roomate freshman year in college was a Red Sox fan. “You’re kidding me”, I said after moving in. “What is this sarcasm”, I asked, as if God was in the room. We argued about our teams on a daily basis. I screamed at him after Pedro thrw down Don Zimmer, as if it was his fault. I loved it. And wish I had those days back sometimes. Flip, if you’re reading this bro…you’re going down this weekend.

Yes, there’s a respect level, no question. I hate Varitek and Lowell. I hate Beckett and Wakefield. Can’t stand JD Drew and Papi. But they’re all great players, and as a fan, you have to acknowledge and respect them. Because, when you beat them, you know you just beat a great team, and more recently, the world champs.

Everytime we play Boston, I think back to that game in 1995. I remember everything I wrote about earlier. I don’t ever want to forget that game. But can’t spend too much time thinking about it. We have a game to win tonight.