Yardbarker: New York Yankees

Printable Madonna mask to taunt A-Rod

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:15:44 -0500

Our good buddy Ian over at Sox & Dawgs has provided gigantic printable PDF files of Madonna's face for tonight's game at Fenway. You can print them out, poke out the eyes and show how much you love 'the material girl' (or hate A-Rod.) Another option is to tape it to a stick and wave it around like a crazy man. Both work.

Quick Hits: Uribe/Cora, Pirates(not the Pittsburgh kind) Washburn

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:14:35 -0500

-The Uribe-Cora deal between the White Sox and Red Sox is off. The Boston Globe is reporting that the Red Sox are the ones who backed off but other news sources are saying the White Sox needed "something else" to fall into place for this deal to work.
-To whomever is pirating this website, you have done great harm here. Be gone.
-The Jarrod Washburn talks continue between the Yanks and the Mariners. The Yankees want to include Kei Igawa in the deal and Seattle is hesitating. The Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that the Yankees might be willing to part with Melky Carbrera, Brett Gardner or Justin Christian.
-While very interested in Xavier Nady, the Rays are unwilling to pay the Pirates high price and have turned their attention to the Indians Casey Blake.

Your MLB Announcing Schedule For The Weekend

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:43:37 -0500

Here it comes folks...the weekend you've dreaded all season. It's the Sox, It's the Yanks, It's Buck and McCarver and it's on FOX.....NEXT! You'll be getting a double dip of the rivalry that people love to hate this weekend, but there is some good news as well. HR is going to be in the booth for TBS! It's been awhile Harold....welcome back.

Here's the schedule....

Saturday:

Boston Red Sox at LA Angels- Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees- Joe Buck, Tim McCarver & Ken Rosenthal (Fox, 3:55pm, 85%)

MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Dayton, Denver, Detroit, Fort Myers, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Tulsa, Washington, West Palm Beach

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies- Matt Vasgersian & Mark Grace (FOX, 3:55pm, 15%)

MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Nashville, Philadelphia

Sunday:

Florida Marlins at Chicago Cubs- Chip Caray & Harold Reynolds (TBS, 1pm)

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox- Jon Miller & Joe Morgan (ESPN, 8pm)

Quick Hits: What We Missed Today

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:04 -0500

*Who, among the Pirates is untouchable going into the deadline? It doesn't seem like anyone. While OF Xavier Nady and reliever Damasco Marte are the big names being dangled, their price tags may be too high for most teams to pay. However, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that SS Jack Wilson, OF, Jason Bay and returning pitcher John Grabow are also drawing interest.
*Mets Manager Jerry Manuel said yesterday that he expects the Mets to make a move for a big bat. While Matt Holliday, Xavier Nady and Jason Bay may top their list, they are also lloking at Raul Ibanez and Casey Blake.
*There were more than a dozen scouts at Friday night's game against Tampa Bay, in which AJ Burnett was pitching but GM J.P. Riccardi says he doesn't think there will be a deal for him because of his opt-out clause. He would draw too high a price for a short-term rental to most teams. However, let it be noted that the Yankees had scouts there and they never shy away from overpaying.

What Aren't the Yankees Shopping For?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:03 -0500

In taking a last look for the day on any evening news I might have missed, I couldn't help noticing the number of items detailing interest in players that the Yankees supposedly have. For starters, they have talked to the Mariners about LH pitcher Jarrod Washburn. Also, being reported by the New York Post is their ongoing interest in Pirates reliever Damasco Marte and Rockies Brian Fuentes. In addition, they are considering going after Mark Teixeira to play first base and possibly, the Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez. The New York Daily News reported that during interviews at last week's All-Star game, Hal Steinbrenner told GM Brian Cashman to make whatever deals he deemed necessary, including trading prized prospects. I guess if you cast a wide enough net, you have a better chance of landing something.

Hi-Lo Salary Averages

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:03 -0500

Not surprisingly, the Yankees lead the majors in average salary paid at $6.7 million. The Twins are on the low end at $2.48 million.

Biggest Needs for AL Playoff Contenders

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:03 -0500

-The Red Sox are in pretty good shape, according to Perry. He points a finger at Jason Varitek's underachieving season but thinks the only real need they have is RH middle relief, assuming that Justin Masterson can settle in in the bullpen.
-The Yankees have a long list of players on the DL, with the chance that Matsui and Posada could be gone for the season. They need another bat and will likely be looking at the same players as the Mets, Holliday, Bay, Giles and Dunn.
-The Tampa Bay Rays need a RH left fielder to partner with Carl Crawford, who, with a .235 avg, can't hit lefty pitcher to save his life.
-The White Sox-With one of the worst farm systems in baseball, it's lucky for them, as Perry sees it that that so don't have a lot of holes to fill. They just need for Paul Konerko to start hitting and Jose Contreras to come off the DL in good shape.
-The Minnesota Twins need a third baseman. Perry sees Adrian Beltre as a good fit for them because he bring hitting and fine defense.
-The Angels should be on the hunt for another big bat as their production from their left fielder and their DH has been less than stellar. Third base is also a weak spot offensively.

Yankees should pursue other Molina

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:25:22 -0500

While most Yankees fans are clamoring for a left fielder or another starting pitcher as the July 31 trade deadline looms, one overlooked position seems to be that of catcher. It appears Jorge Posada is lost for the season, and it could be that he is no longer able to play as an everyday backstop again. In the meantime, Jose Molina has filled in as the regular catcher, with very mediocre results. While he is a decent defensive player, his .220 batting average, .260 on-base percentage and .300 slugging percentage are laughable. You'll take that out of a back-up catcher one game per week, maybe. Jose's brother, Bengie Molina, on the other hand is a whole different story. Sure, the Giants catcher may be the slowest baseball player since Cecil Fielder, but beyond that, it's hard to find something he doesn't do well. This guy is simply a pro's pro. He defends well, rarely letting balls get by him, and he is second in the National League when it comes to throwing out would-be base stealers, having gunned down 34.5 percent this season. And while handling pitching staffs is sometimes an overrated quality, he is one of the best. But fielding aside, Molina is always a threat at the plate with men on base. He certainly rivals Posada when it comes to catchers hitting in the clutch, and he's been doing so ever since his Angels days, when he actually protected Vladimir Guerrero for a time. On a young San Francisco Giants team, Bengie is the unquestioned leader. On the Yankees, he would be a welcome veteran who could add some pop to the lineup and provide a reliable presence behind the plate. And being that he's under contract through 2009, he might make Posada's possible transition to 1B/DH a little smoother. The only question is: Do the Giants let him go? While San Francisco drafted Florida State phenom Buster Posey with the fifth pick in this year's amateur draft, the young catcher is likely a couple years away from The Show. GM Brian Sabean won't let him go for nothing. New York will need to dangle a couple of solid prospects, certainly making a better offer than what the Giants got from the Brewers for the pinch-hitter deluxe Ray Durham. So let the Molina brothers unite in The Bronx. It could make for a joyous reunion.

Bring Your Madonna Face

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:20:06 -0500

Just like I did a Bibby face duing the Celtics playoffs. Our friend at Sox&dawgs has created a Madonna face with Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees coming to town this weekend. sr_adspace_id = 1330307; sr_adspace_width = 300; sr_adspace_height = 250; sr_adspace_type = "graphic"; sr_ad_new_window = true;

Sandlot Baseball Becoming Extinct?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:53:26 -0500

The Globe and Mail has a rare baseball feature on Sandlot baseball, a slice of American life enjoyed for decades by boys from coast to coast that appears on the verge of extinction.

Madonna masks at Fenway tonight

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:34:03 -0500

This trend doesn't seem to be going away. SoxandDawgs has unveiled the Madonna mask just in time for tonights game at Fenway. Will Alex Rodriguez actually be phased by it? I highly doubt it. But it will be fun nonetheless.

Basebrawl: Arrests, Ejections, Fun.

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:25:57 -0500

Listen or read about a hilarious and entertaining brawl in a Minor League baseball game. [Video inc.]

Hey Sportsbuy.com...Steve Bartman Is Not For Sale!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:07:09 -0500

Everyone in the free world knows who Steve Bartman is and how he is blamed for the Chicago Cubs losing a three-games-to-one lead against the Florida Marlins. Of course then the Marlins went on to the World Series and defeat the New York Yankees in six games. www.rawsportsblog.com

The Ace of Spades

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:34:43 -0500

Music and baseball have been two constants for John Wetteland, who plays the guitar, the saxophone and the clarinet, yet, he can't seem to figure out the whammy bar on Guitar Hero.

Robinson Cano For Derek Lowe And Matt Kemp?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:49:57 -0500

Just the title of this post alone should be enough to drive any Dodger fan insane, but i'll quickly touch on the rumor anyway. MLB Trade Rumors has the details: "Dodgers have an interest in Robinson Cano and might be willing to deal Derek Lowe and outfielder Matt Kemp, but the Yankees aren't inclined to part with the red-hot second baseman unless there is a front-of-the-rotation-type starter coming to The Bronx. Lowe, who has the stomach for big games and has AL East experience with the Red Sox, doesn't fit that bill." My first reaction to this trade is disbelief because I don't exactly understand what the Dodgers are trying to accomplish here. Can somebody explain to me how this helps the Dodgers at all? Is it a trade that helps the Dodgers in the future?