Yankees baseball blog

Yankee fans 'live for this'

The insatiable human need to appear on television found another quintessence yesterday when gaggles of fans lined up from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside Yankee Stadium's snow-covered field, aching to win stardom in a forthcoming Major League Baseball commercial. If it's weird by now to see a queue of about 40 at 7:55 a.m., to see painstakingly painted bald heads and bare blue legs in the morning stillness of the last Sunday in January, then the Bronx qualified as pretty weird. Four college youths stood painted and shirtless from 5:30 a.m., freezing their dexterity off; their hands soon lacked the blood flow to fill out applications outdoors.

A wheelchair-bound 34-year-old man waited, and then, once indoors, told selection committee folk how he went almost directly from three months in the hospital with a broken neck to Yankee Stadium to sit through Game6 of the 2000 American League Championship Series in unyielding physical pain and unyielding emotional joy. Continue

Giambi to address media at spring training

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told ESPN on Sunday, in an interview dealing with the embattled Jason Giambi, that the team expects the first baseman to be "100-percent healthy" for spring training. "Yeah, everything is coming back fine," Cashman said. "[Giambi's] 100-percent healthy, ready to go, and we are excited about that." Cashman spoke at length about the former AL MVP for the first time since the San Francisco Chronicle reported the first baseman testified to a grand jury he had used steroids.

"Our strength and conditioning coach, our trainer, our doctors have been in touch with him throughout the winter," Cashman said. "I actually saw him here in New York when he came back for another, you know, check-up and he looks good. "You know, he knows he's got a mountain to climb, but he's prepared to climb that mountain." Continue

Heat's on Joe to win it all with aging team, rebuilt rotation

Joe Torre's transformation into an institution as Yankee manager has obscured an astonishing sports accomplishment - that he is about to begin his 10th spring training in his job. Torre took over from Buck Showalter, who was the previous champion for continuous service as George Steinbrenner's manager (four years). Torre arrived recognized as an all-time great loser having never participated in a World Series as a player or manager. So the under-over on his survival was probably a lot closer to one year than 10.

But here we are and, perhaps, Torre faces shakier ground now than any time since that first spring. Steinbrenner has spent approximately a half a billion dollars the past four years and not seen the Canyon of Heroes. In the past two Octobers, in particular, Torre heard stronger criticisms of his decision-making, from using Jeff Weaver to relieve against the Marlins to starting Kevin Brown against the Red Sox. In addition, his most trusted aide, pitching coach, Mel Stottlemyre, received more questions about being unable to fix young arms gone wrong. Continue

Yankee tickets goin' fast

The Big Unit has already made a big impact on Yankee ticket sales. As of Thursday, the Yankees had already sold 2,313,913 tickets for 2005, nearly 300,000 more than they had sold at this point last year. The Bombers had sold 69 individual-game Hall of Fame suites at this point last year. So far in 2005, they have sold 225. And as they were last year, all Luxury Suites and Legends Suites are sold out. The Yankees have already sold out their 16-game home spring training schedule at Legends Field in Tampa. For regular-season ticket information, visit yankees.com or call (212) 307-1212. (New York Daily News)

Glanville gets shot as Yank

The Yankees decided against pursuing Bernie Williams' replacement when they abstained from the Carlos Beltran derby, but they made some recognition of Williams' brittleness and suspect defense by signing Doug Glanville to a minor league contract. Glanville will have six weeks in spring training to prove to Joe Torre he is a better fit as Williams' backup than Bubba Crosby. Glanville's contract gives him the right to declare free agency after the exhibition season should he not make the final 25-man roster.

  Glanville, 34, has mainly been recognized for his defense and speed throughout his career. Among active players (minimum 200 steal tries), only Beltran (89.3) has a better stolen-base percentage than Glanville's 82.4, and Glanville was safe in all eight of his steal tries last year. However, he hit a career-low .210 in 162 at-bats. Continue

Glanville, Rolls Agree to NYY Minor Deals

Outfielder Doug Glanville and utility player Damian Rolls reached preliminary agreements Thursday on minor league contracts with the New York Yankees. Glanville would get a $550,000, one-year contract if he is added to the major league roster and Rolls would receive a $600,000, one-year deal. Born in Hackensack, N.J., the 34-year-old Glanville hit .210 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 162 at-bats for the Philadelphia Phillies last season.

The nine-year major league veteran, who also has played for the Chicago Cubs and Texas, would compete with Bubba Crosby for a backup outfield job. Glanville has a .277 career average with 59 homers and 333 RBIs. The 27-year-old Rolls played six positions for the Devil Rays last season, appearing at first, second, third and all three outfield spots. He hit .162 with no homers, had nine RBIs, 36 strikeouts and 10 walks in 117 at-bats. In his Tampa Bay career, Rolls hit .248 with nine homers, 73 RBIs and 27 steals. (AP)

Yanks to add an outfielder

The Yankees have few details to finish before spring training begins in three weeks, and it appears they will sign either Doug Glanville or Tom Goodwin to a minor-league contract to fill the fourth outfielder's role. With the Yankees uninterested in Carlos Beltran, who is now with the Mets, the club's outfield alignment remained intact this offseason, and either Glanville or Goodwin would provide adequate backup at all three positions. Glanville, 34, appeared in 87 games for the Phillies last season, batting .210 with two home runs. Goodwin, 36, hit .200 in 77 games for the Cubs. (Newsday)

Jason on the hot seat

NO major leaguer faces a more daunt ing spring training than Jason Giambi. Barry Bonds, you say? While Bonds is higher profile and is on the brink of passing Babe Ruth en route to Hank Aaron's homer record, he is blessed — or is it cursed? — with the ability to coldly shut people and impressions out, and excel regardless of criticism raging around him.

Giambi wants to be liked, hates confrontation and makes Ed Whitson appear a bastion of New York mental toughness in comparison. Heck, Perry Mason never broke a witness as easily as the government did Giambi. If the San Francisco Chronicle's reporting is to be believed — and it has been Pulitzer quality to date — Giambi reacted on the grand jury stand to his implication in the BALCO mess by confessing everything short of taking Fredo Corleone out on the lake. Continue

A-Rod calls ALCS loss 'great motivation'

New papa Alex Rodriguez has been spending a lot of sleepless nights this offseason, and two-month old Natasha is only partly to blame. The Yankees third baseman attributes most of his insomnia to an American League Championship Series that caved in on his team, bringing his first year in New York to a haunting conclusion.

"It's like a bad dream. I've had a hard time sleeping thinking about that," Rodriguez said Friday afternoon on a conference call with New York reporters. "It was like being in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with no waves." Continue

Yankees pay $3.6M to retire dispute over rent

The New York Yankees, who boast the highest payroll in major-league baseball, have paid $3.6 million to settle a dispute over back rent on Yankee Stadium after a New York City comptroller's audit found the team underreported millions of dollars in revenue to the city and overstated deductions to baseball from 1997 to 2002.

"The Yankees cooperated fully, and we're pleased with the result," Yankees spokesman Howard Rubenstein said last night. When the comptroller's office first announced the audit results on Dec. 1, the team had disputed some of the calculations and agreed to pay about $2.5 million of the $3.6 million owed. But the city pressed the issue. Continue

Martinez prepping to play every day

ino Martinez knows how huge his role on the Yankees could be in 2005, given Jason Giambi's horrific 2004. So while Martinez wishes his good friend well, the returning Yankee hero told The Post last night he's getting mentally ready to be the starting first baseman. "I'm getting in shape and preparing to play every day — just in case," Martinez said. "That's my mindset. "But if it works out where Giambi comes back and I've gotta come off the bench more often, I'm ready for that as well.

"But I'm gonna prepare to play every day and be in shape for that in case that's the case." Martinez, in town with his wife to scope out apartments and to attend a function, was asked how Giambi would handle the ongoing steroid controversy. Giambi reportedly told a grand jury last offseason that he's used steroids. "We'll see," Martinez said. "That's a hard question. Only he can answer it, and his performance will show. It's hard to tell." Continue

Warning to Unit

Randy Johnson will thrive on the mound this year, both David Cone and Tino Martinez predicted last night. But the time Johnson spends off the field in New York may be more of a challenge than The Big Unit is used to, the two Yankee fan favorites forewarned.

"It took Roger [Clemens] half a year [in 1999] to get used to it," Martinez said at a Manhattan sports function. "Same thing with Randy. I think he'll pitch well in the meantime, but I think until he really gets comfortable it'll take him at least half a year — at least to the All-Star break — to really grasp the whole New York City thing." Continue

Giambi's losses have outweighed his gains

The real punishment for steroid cheats in baseball is not 10 days' worth of lost pay or 20 days of lost pay or even a whole season. The real punishment is this: They test positive from now on, they turn into Jason Giambi. That is the real price they will pay for getting on the juice because they think it will help them hit the ball into the bay, or because they think it will help them muscle fastballs with a little extra something on them past all these juiced-up hitters. They get turned into Giambi and nobody looks at them the same ever again, no matter how many second chances we give them.

"The driving force from the commissioner throughout this process was this one idea: No free passes," Rob Manfred, baseball's senior vice president for business and labor affairs, said last night from Arizona. "Meaning there had to be punishment for first offenders, and that an entry would be made right away on the transactions wire that so-and-so has violated baseball's joint drug policy." Continue

Rivera happy Yanks closed Randy deal

Mariano Rivera was three outs away from sending the Yankees to the World Series last October before he blew the save in Game 4 in Boston, opening the door for the team's historic collapse and its archrival's first championship in 86 years.

The aging closer said he doesn't expect that to happen again, especially after the Yankees' acquisition of Randy Johnson. "I'm happy we finally got him," Rivera said yesterday. "Hopefully he can be the guy to get us back to the World Series. He's what we needed."Rivera received a hero's welcome at Adlai Stevenson H.S., where he helped launch a program called "Class Is In," which aims to improve attendance at Bronx public high schools. Continue

Eyes on Randy

Randy Johnson throws underhanded on city street outside "Live with Regis & Kelly" studio yesterday. Former teammate Luis Gonzalez says Johnson could have trouble adjusting to New York. The hatchet has been buried between Randy Johnson and Luis Gonzalez, two former teammates who made history in the 2001 World Series and nearly came to blows last season.

But Gonzalez, whose July 9 fielding error turned into a dugout brouhaha with Johnson, doesn't seem to believe it'll be totally smooth sailing for the Big Unit in the Big Apple. I think a lot of people were and still are intrigued at how this plays out, just because of the way he is," Gonzalez told The Post yesterday. Continue

Despite the rumors, Giambi will be in Tampa

Jason Giambi will be with the Yankees for spring training, Brian Cashman said yesterday. Speculation was that the Yankees would try to trade Giambi after a newspaper reported that the first baseman admitted to the use of steroids during grand jury testimony in California.

Giambi had an awful 2004 season because of health problems that reportedly included a pituitary gland tumor. Dealing Giambi's burdensome contract now that he's a steroid pariah in the eyes of many will obviously be nearly impossible, but some speculation centered on a buyout. Cashman made no hint of that, claiming Giambi will come to camp and would be the team's DH or first baseman. Continue

Bring it on

Randy Johnson said he isn't sure if he'll get the call to start Opening Day against the Red Sox and said he's unconcerned about whether he faces former teammate Curt Schilling when the Yankees play the Red Sox that night.

"I don't know," Johnson said. "But I'm sure at some point along the way, we'll pitch against each other. It's a long season." True - and it's one in which the teams will play each other 19 times. But Johnson refused to take a similar anti-Red Sox stance to the Yankee-hating one Schilling took upon signing in Boston last year.  Continue

Agent tries damage control

Alan Nero says his client, Randy Johnson, is "a tremendous human being" and that's why he is so upset that Johnson's introduction to New York has gone so poorly. Immediately after yesterday's press conference at Yankee Stadium, Nero approached WCBS sports reporter Duke Castiglione and confronted him about asking Johnson how he felt about the incident on Monday in which the lanky left-hander shoved a camera away from him as he exited his hotel, then yelled at the cameraman.

After Johnson apologized again at the press conference, Castiglione brought it up. An annoyed Johnson, who called what happened "unfortunate and regrettable," said he didn't know what Castiglione wanted him to say. Continue

Johnson the perfect ace at the perfect time

WHEN Randy Johnson pushed away that camera, the public got the chance to see the Big Unit the batter sees every time he steps into the box. And I, for one, love it. I love the idea the Yankees again have a No. 1 with an edge to him, a No. 1 who is not a wimp. Sure Johnson made a midtown mistake Monday when he told a WCBS-TV cameraman to get out of his face, then showed him which direction to go.

Yesterday at his introductory Yankee press conference, Johnson apologized - over and over. After those apologies, when the incident was brought up yet again by CBS' Duke Castiglione, Johnson again apologized saying, "I saw the video and I felt terrible, I felt embarrassed ... I hope that we can move on." There also was a bit of an edge with Johnson offering his side of the story, noting he told the station off-camera on Monday that he did not want to be interviewed at that time. He told Castiglione yesterday, "You seem to forget that I said when we were leaving the hotel that I was going to allocate some time after my physical. Am I right about that?" Continue

Long day for a tall Yankee

Before he thanked George Steinbrenner or said how happy he was to finally be in pinstripes, Randy Johnson tried a new pitch yesterday - asking for forgiveness. "The situation (on Monday), it was unprofessional," he said in reference to his run-in with a TV cameraman and a Daily News photographer on his way to take a physical in midtown.

"Obviously I feel very foolish today at such a great moment of my career that I would have to stand before you and apologize for my actions. Hopefully it's water under the bridge. I'm sorry. ... I hope I can move on and get another chance to prove that I'm worth coming here." Continue

Randy already in Whitson territory

AS first impressions go, this was spilling a carafe of red wine onto your blind date's white dress. It was picking your nose during a job interview. For now, Randy Johnson's nickname remains Big Unit, but if he's not careful it won't take long for him to inherit a different one.

Eddie Lee, for example. Of course, even Eddie Lee Whitson waited until he unwittingly started throwing BP to opposing hitters before he began seeing ghosts in the machine on every New York street corner. Poor Eddie Lee. The pride of Johnson City, Tenn., actually won 10 games for the '85 Yankees. But after 14 appearances in '86, his ERA was up near 8, and every trip to the Yankee Stadium parking lot became an adventure in urban warfare. Pair him up with Sandy Dennis, and he'd have been a great understudy for Jack Lemmon in "The Out-of-Towners." Continue

Randy's 1st strike

The Big Unit is oficially New York's biggest $32 million crybaby. Thin-skinned superstar Randy Johnson got into confrontations with a TV cameraman yesterday and a Daily News photographer - a day before he was to appear at Yankee Stadium in his official introduction as a Bronx Bomber.

Instead, Yankee fans got a crash-course intro to the star pitcher's prickly personality. "Look, don't take my picture," the 6-foot-10 Johnson snarled at News shutterbug Michael Schwartz. Flanked by two Yankee security men, the towering flamethrower stopped on Madison Ave. and E. 59th St. and gestured at Schwartz. Continue

Unit walks on snitty streets

The day before his official initiation at Yankee Stadium, the Big Unit acted more like a big jerk. In a bizarre scene witnessed by this Post reporter, the notoriously ornery Randy Johnson physically confronted a Channel 2 cameraman yesterday morning while walking on Madison Avenue to his physical. He shoved a TV camera down while local CBS cameraman Vince Everett was backed against a building, a stunning display even for an athlete with a history of anger issues.

"I've had them angry, but never to that extent where the athlete grabbed the camera," Everett told The Post. "And that includes Barry Bonds. "I've (ticked) Barry Bonds off, but he hasn't done anything like that." Johnson issued an apology for his actions hours later, saying, "I hope that everyone will understand that the past few days have been a bit overwhelming, and I wish I had handled the situation differently. I am very sorry it happened." Continue

Cashman: bombers never put in bid on Carlos

The Yankees never bid for Carlos Beltran, general manager Brian Cashman explained yesterday, not because they did not consider the switch-hitting center fielder an elite player, but because even George Steinbrenner's team has a bottom line — not just bottomless pockets.

In the final hours Saturday night before the Astros lost the chance to retain Beltran and the Mets emerged as his post-midnight last, best alternative, agent Scott Boras called the Yanks to say his client preferred to play with them, and would do so for six years at $99.6 million. That was far under the 10 years at $200 million Boras initially proposed to the Yanks, and even fewer than the seven years at $119 million the Mets used to harpoon the best free agent of the offseason. Continue

Big Unit Clashes With NYC Cameraman

The Big Unit had a little confrontation on the way to his Yankees physical. Randy Johnson put his long right arm up to block a camera from WCBS-TV on Monday after he left his Manhattan hotel. It was unclear from the video whether Johnson, who was accompanied by Yankees director of team security Jerry Laveroni, made contact with the camera.

"Get out of my face, that's all I ask," Johnson said, according to a video of what occurred, which was posted on the station's Web site. "No cameras," Laveroni said. "Don't get in my face," Johnson then said. "I don't care who you are. Don't get in my face." "I'm just taking a picture," said the cameraman, identified by the station as Vinny Everett. Responded Johnson: "Don't get in my face, and don't talk back to me, all right." Continue

Randy arrives as 1 gets away

The Big Unit has eaten up opposing batters for 17 years with his fiery fastball and wicked slider.Now Randy Johnson is ready to do that for the Yankees.Or maybe he just wants some room service after choking down airplane food. Johnson arrived at the Four Seasons hotel on East 57th St. last night and declared that he was most looking forward to "eating."

The 6-10 lefthander, in town for the physical that's the last step before the Yankees finally complete the long-awaited trade for him, got to New York with virtually no fanfare, though security guards at the hotel were ready for a media circus. They hustled Johnson through the revolving doors into the lobby.Asked if he was excited to be in the Big Apple after months of trade rumors and a failed three-way megadeal with the Diamondbacks and Dodgers, Johnson said, "You could say that, yeah." Continue

Mets reach deal with Beltran

The Mets have reached an agreement in principle on a $119-million, seven-year deal with free-agent Carlos Beltran, Newsday has learned.

Beltran, a multitalented centerfielder who provides immediate credibility, is expected to take a physical Monday and sign the deal Tuesday. The press conference is likely to take place Tuesday.

The Mets and Beltran's agent Scott Boras put the finishing touches this morning on a deal that is worth $17 million annually. The Mets sweated out Beltran's intense but ultimately failed negotiations with his former team, the Houston Astros, late Saturday night. It is believed the Astros were offering at least $105 million. Continue

Sierra sticking with Yanks

Ruben Sierra re-upped with the Yankees yesterday, taking less money to stay with a team he loves. That's noteworthy in itself, but Sierra recently counseled Carlos Beltran on that very topic, an industry source told The Post.Sierra, 39, signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract, declining deals for option years with multiple teams because he's happy in the Bronx.

Beltran and his family recently spent about three days in the Miami area with Sierra's family, and the futures of both free agents were discussed, a source said.While Beltran told Sierra his stint in Houston was the best time of his career, a source said, he chose to let last night's midnight deadline pass without re-upping with the Astros.It obviously wasn't an easy decision, as no formal announcement was made until after the deadline.

Sierra, once a disgruntled superstar who was shipped out of New York in 1996, resurrected his career after George Steinbrenner sought to acquire him in 2003. Although he could've played more often elsewhere next season, he felt the pinstripes' pull. He batted .244 with 17 homers and 65 RBIs last season. Continue

Unit makes Boss happy

In a not-so-shocking development, George Steinbrenner says he likes the Yankees' offseason moves. So does Curt Schilling, by the way, and so does Major League Baseball, which announced that Round 1 of Yankees-Red Sox 2005 will be played in prime time, getting the new season going with an April 3 Sunday night showdown on ESPN2.

The Boss watched hordes of fans snap up all of the Yanks' spring training tickets in about three hours yesterday in Tampa and, when asked if he was happy with the Bombers' winter program, didn't exactly go out on a limb with his prediction. "I think we're going to have a very good team," Steinbrenner told The Associated Press. Continue

Not bad for openers: Yanks-Sox, Sunday, April 3

Some people thought it would be a cold day in hell before the Red Sox won a world championship. They did, and it will be a cold night in April when they start defending it.

The Yankees and Red Sox will open the 2005 baseball season with a Sunday night game April 3 at Yankee Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2; ESPN has the college basketball women's Final Four.

The opener originally was supposed to take place on Monday afternoon, April 4, but Major League Baseball likes to designate one game a year to show nationally on the first Sunday in April. The next installment of the heated Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, with Randy Johnson likely throwing the first pitch of the season to Johnny Damon, must have seemed ideal. Continue

Stacked deck inspires no one

The Yankees officially became even less interesting yesterday. That wasn't easy. With Randy Johnson now aboard, they continued shrinking any element of cleverness we might ascribe to any World Series they might win. They stand pretty much one Carlos Beltran away from absolute zero in that regard.

It's not a new phenomenon, just one that keeps finding extremes. As it stands, they teach us something only when they lose or perhaps melt down. Money can't guarantee everything. Odd stuff happens when too many prom queens gather. Wisdom like that. Continue

Unit extension ends long stretch

In a matter of days, Randy Johnson will explain why he forced a trade to the Yankees, and only the Yankees. He might say he's always envisioned putting on the pinstripes, pitching for the home team at Yankee Stadium, 55,000 people in the stands ...

He probably won't be so crass as to reveal another possible motivation - the thrill of signing a Yankees contract with all of those George Steinbrenner megabucks attached to it.

Johnson and the Yankees reached agreement on a two-year, $32-million contract extension yesterday. Johnson, the five-time Cy Young Award winner, waived his no-trade clause in exchange for the extension, which will go into effect when the long-awaited trade finally is made official next week. The contract will take Johnson past his 44th birthday. Continue

Unit signed, sealed

That's all that stands between the Yankees and Randy Johnson after the Bombers reached an agreement on a two-year, $32 million contract extension for the Big Unit yesterday in exchange for the 41-year-old lefty waiving his no-trade clause.

Physicals for all participants are the lone hurdle remaining before the long-awaited trade that sends Javier Vazquez, Dioner Navarro, Brad Halsey and $9 million in cash to Arizona for Johnson is complete. Johnson is tentatively scheduled to undergo his exam in New York on Monday, while Vazquez is planning to be in Arizona the same day.

The Bombers finished negotiating the extension a day before their 72-hour window was to expire and might have done so even earlier except that there was some tricky language involved. According to sources, the Yanks worked out a deal in which they will pay Johnson the $48 million he is owed - $16 million for the final year of his last contract plus the extension years - over a six-year period. Continue

Going to den in the fold

The Yankees reworked the final year of Randy Johnson's contract to turn it into a three-year deal worth $48 million, leaving a physical Monday in New York as the last hurdle to introducing the ace lefty at a Stadium press conference, likely Tuesday.

The 72-hour window the Yankees received from commissioner Bud Selig to negotiate a new contract with Johnson was to expire today. But Johnson's representatives and Yankee officials had few hitches in doing this package.

Johnson was due $16 million on his Diamondback contract this year with $6 million deferred. Now the Yankees will pay Johnson $10 million in 2005, $14.5 million in 2006 and $14.5 in 2007, which will conclude with Johnson at age 44. Johnson then gets deferred at no interest $3.5 million in both 2008 and 2009, and $2 million 2010. Johnson retains his no-trade rights, but there are no awards bonuses for items such as the Cy Young or the All-Star team. Continue

Yankees still face tall order

When Randy Johnson throws his first pitch as a Yankee next April, exactly one thing will be absolutely, positively guaranteed: The immortal Stefan Wever and Lee Guetterman (all 6-feet-8 of them) will be greatly saddened -- because they'll no longer be the co-answers to the trivia question: Who was the tallest pitcher ever to start a game for the Yankees?

But that, friends, is about the only thing His Unitness will guarantee. If you're a Yankee hater, you should still feel free to rant, rave, grumble and mumble about (pick three): the Yankees' money, greed, egomania, Yankee-centric TV network, ticket prices, souvenir shop, parking nightmare, sound-system decibel level, owners-box guest list, yada-yada-yada -- whatever you think you have to vent about to get through this crisis. Continue

Yankees in bidding for Beltran

Publicly, the Yankees have sent mixed signals regarding their pursuit of five-tool centerfielder Carlos Beltran. But behind the scenes, there's no doubt about their intentions. The Yankees, and particularly George Steinbrenner, badly want Beltran to carry on their tradition of greatness in centerfield.

The Mets' pursuit of Beltran has been much more publicized, but that doesn't make the Yankees any less interested. The Yankees "definitely are players for Beltran," according to a source familiar with their thinking.

The Beltran Sweepstakes has been whittled down to a final four. Also in the ballgame are the Cubs and the incumbent Astros, who are very much a player here, with surprising staying power. The gathering intrigue will peak if the derby comes down to New York vs. New York. Continue

2 years, $32M for Unit

Negotiations were going so well between the Yankees and Randy Johnson that both sides expected a finalized contract extension for about $32 million over two years to be completed today.

The only snag, as of yesterday, had been logistical. One of Johnson's agents, Alan Nero, was tied up for portions of the past two days because another of his clients, Wade Boggs, had been voted into the Hall of Fame.

Nevertheless, a Johnson deal that is likely to have a few million dollars deferred to help in some small way with the Yankees' soaring payroll and luxury tax was expected to be done well before the 72-hour negotiating window permitted by Commissioner Bud Selig closes tomorrow at noon. Continue

Yanks continue negotiations with Big Unit

Randy Johnson and the Yankees moved closer to agreement Wednesday on a two-year contract extension that would allow New York to complete its tentative trade with Arizona for the Big Unit.

Yankees officials negotiated by telephone with agent Alan Nero, who was busy for much of the day with Wade Boggs, elected to the Hall of Fame a day earlier.

New York and Nero are discussing a two-year deal worth about $32 million, as well as whether to restructure the final season of Johnson's current contract. The five-time Cy Young Award winner has a $16 million salary in 2005, of which $6 million is deferred at 2 percent interest. Continue

Yankees announce move of free TV games to WWOR-TV

The first pitch is three months away, but the New York Yankees were ahead of the curve Tuesday in announcing the switch of their free television home to Fox-owned and operated WWOR-TV in New York.

No financial terms of the deal were announced, although the multiyear agreement should allow the television station to air up to 21 games per year _ the majority on Friday evenings, according to a statement issued by the Yankees. Continue

Yanks, Unit discuss a 2-year extension

he Yankees began negotiations with Randy Johnson yesterday on what is expected to be a two-year contract extension worth about $32 million. Since Johnson wants the Yankees and the Yankees certainly want the 6-foot-10 lefty, these talks — which must be completed by Friday morning — are expected to go rather smoothly.

The Yankees obtained Johnson last week from Arizona for Javier Vazquez, $9 million, Dioner Navarro and Brad Halsey. Commissioner Bud Selig on Monday gave his approval, required since the trade included more than $1 million to be transferred. That started the clock for the sides to negotiate an extension. Continue

Hall calls Boggs, Sandberg

Wade Boggs and the Cubs' Ryne Sandberg, who weren't exactly prototype players at their position, became the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday in an election that signaled real hope for a breakthrough by the standard-bearer relievers next year.

Boggs, the singles-hitting third baseman who amassed 3,010 hits and five American League batting titles, was named on 474 of the record 516 ballots cast for a 91.9% plurality in his first year of eligibility. Sandberg, a rare (in his time) power-hitting second baseman who retired with the most homers in history at that position, just narrowly eclipsed the necessary 75% (387 votes) for election by being named on 393 ballots (76.2%). It was his third time on the ballot. Continue

Yankees may have reached limit

So far, the Carlos Beltran negotiations are only business for George Steinbrenner. And unless it gets personal, the Yankees will not compete with the Mets for a player who would fit their long-term needs as well as any free agent that has hit the market in recent years.

There's still time for Steinbrenner's impetuosity to come into play. He could scan the back pages and the front pages today and over the next three days and see the Mets -- a team the Yankees have mostly lorded over in his 32 years as owner -- dominating the headlines.

Then the Boss could change his mind. Get Scott Boras on the phone, he could bark, and Steinbrenner could immediately reverse the course of the negotiations. That's what this writer has long assumed -- wrongly, it appears -- that he would do, because this is how Steinbrenner has always operated. He has not only been devoted to the Yankees' success, but also to blotting out the Mets and Red Sox as if they stood helplessly in the shadows of a total eclipse. Continue

Bud gives his ok to unit deal

Despite concerns about just how much greater the Yankee payroll is going to be than even that of the next-biggest spender, Commissioner Bud Selig nevertheless approved a trade of Randy Johnson from Arizona to New York yesterday that promises to rocket the Yankee payroll beyond $200 million.

The Yanks will go about the business of swelling that payroll today when a 72-hour window opens to complete contract extension talks with Johnson. Johnson, who is due $16 million in 2005, is likely to get a two-year extension at around $32 million. One of his agents, Alan Nero, said: "Obviously we're optimistic. But until you negotiate you don't know what the New York Yankees want to do exactly. Now we can find that out. Continue

Yanks' deal for Randy approved

The drawn-out deal to send Randy Johnson to the Yankees was approved by commissioner Bud Selig on Monday, making a contract extension the last major obstacle to the Arizona-New York swap. New York was given until Thursday to come to terms with the five-time Cy Young Award winner. Johnson's current deal pays him $16 million in 2005 and expires after this season.

The Diamondbacks would receive pitchers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey, young catcher Dioner Navarro and $9 million to be paid over three years. Arizona also agreed Monday to a proposed trade that would send Navarro and other prospects to the Dodgers for Shawn Green and $8 million. The outfielder was part of a three-team, 10-player swap involving Johnson and the Yankees that collapsed Dec. 21 when Los Angeles backed out. Continue

Unit deal in Bud's hands

The next step is the Selig of approval.

The long-awaited Randy Johnson trade, permutations of which have been discussed for more than six months, is expected to be submitted to baseball commissioner Bud Selig today. Once the blockbuster deal is pushed through the MLB office, the four players involved on both ends of the deal will have to pass physicals, and the Yankees will request a 72-hour window to negotiate a contract extension with Johnson expected to be worth around $32 million for two years.

The trade, which was agreed upon late last week, will send pitchers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey, catching prospect Dioner Navarro and $9 million to Arizona for Johnson, the five-time Cy Young Award winner whom the Yankees have been trying to obtain on-and-off for more than six years. Continue

Maybe Randy deal worked out for the best

Top Yankees exec Randy Levine fumed that his club would have trouble dealing with the Dodgers again after their dastardly double-dealing, and general manager Brian Cashman was said by a confidant to be "livid," but things wound up working out even better for the Yankees by trading straight-up with Arizona.

The Yankees paid a few million more in the straight-up deal for Randy Johnson but were able to keep slugging third-base prospect Eric Duncan. One National League GM called the New Jersey-bred Duncan "their one impact bat" in the minors.

Yankees people question how good Dioner Navarro will ever become. So does Arizona, which will have him for only a moment anyway. When the three teams were involved in earlier trade talks and the Yankees and Diamondbacks saw how high the clueless Dodgers were on Navarro - they see him as a starter by 2006 - that's what kick-started the two-team deal. Continue

Johnson hopes being traded to Yanks has a nice ring to it

When he threw his first pitch for the Montreal Expos in 1988, Randy Johnson held one distinction: At 6-10, he was the tallest player in major league baseball. He gained several others in the next 16 years, foremost among them becoming the oldest player to pitch a perfect game and the most recent to achieve 4,000 strikeouts.

At 41, Johnson hopes to add one more honor to his stellar resume: punching the Yankees' ticket to their 27th world championship, which he personally denied them four years ago. Baseball's reigning strikeout king despite his age, Johnson was a late bloomer by baseball standards. Control problems confined him to the minor leagues until he was 25, and it wasn't until five years later that he became an unqualified success. Perhaps as a result, he appears intent on making up for lost time. Continue

Yank$ present daunting roster

WHETHER it's Big Unit or small details, the Yankees have improved their roster going into 2005. They landed their No. 1 target in Randy Johnson and made at least minor upgrades in several other areas. And since these are the Yankees, they might not be through. Carlos Beltran is still available, and if the Yanks sign him some time early in the new year they are going to be considered even more grotesque for taking their payroll into the $230 million range and something close to unbeatable.

Beltran, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Tony Womack would give the Yanks four players who finished in the top 18 in steals last season, and Beltran just might be the most cagey thief ever. Beltran, A-Rod and Gary Sheffield would give the Yankees three of the majors' top 15 homer hitters last year. Even if Jason Giambi did not come back, the Yanks would be able to offer a lineup in which eight players hit at least 21 homers last year. Continue

Auld lang sign?

When it came to Randy Johnson, the Yankees never really played coy. They wanted him and were willing to move heaven, earth and certainly top prospects and a few million dollars to secure the 6-foot-10 ace. They are not being so cavalier when it comes to Carlos Beltran. Is this reality or strategy? Can George Steinbrenner really shun the best free agent available, especially if the Mets are involved? Those questions should be answered quickly in the new year as the Yanks turn from Johnson to Beltran.

The Yanks and Diamondbacks yesterday put their deal in writing, sending Johnson to New York and Javier Vazquez, $9 million and prospects Dioner Navarro and Brad Halsey to Arizona. The teams agreed to wait until Monday to submit the trade to commissioner Bud Selig, who must approve it because the deal involves the transfer of more than $1 million. Selig, despite being disturbed about financial matters involving both clubs, is expected to validate the swap. Arizona then might move Vazquez, Navarro and Halsey in various trades, with Dodgers Shawn Green and Brad Penny of particular interest. Continue

Tino's back as backup plan

Tino Martinez might play nearly every day next season for the Yankees, or he might be used off the bench. How those circumstances play out hinges on Jason Giambi, whose arrival pushed Martinez out of pinstripes after the 2001 season and whose uncertain status contributed to Tino's return to the Bronx.

But playing time wasn't the foremost thought on Martinez's mind yesterday, when the Yanks announced they had re-signed him to a one-year contract with an option for 2006 worth $3 million guaranteed. After receiving several standing ovations upon his visits to Yankee Stadium over the past three seasons with St. Louis and Tampa Bay, Martinez is looking forward to hearing that adulation on a more regular basis. "This is the last uniform I'm going to put on," Martinez said yesterday. "If the Yankees had any interest at all, whatsoever, it's where I wanted to be, where I wanted to finish my career." Continue