Yankees baseball blog

Yanks set for Pow-Wow

  For the first time in a what seems like an eternity, the Yankees will hold their organizational meetings in New York starting today. Normally, George Steinbrenner summons GM Brian Cashman, club president Randy Levine and COO Lonn Trost to Florida to meet with whomever is running the Tampa branch of the dysfunctional Yankee family.

However, in a strong indication the worm has turned in regards who are the power brokers in the organization, the meetings will be held in New York, chaired by Cashman, attended by Steinbrenner and the entire branch of the Tampa mafia. Continue

Yankees sack coach Allen

The reshaping of the Yankees' coaching staff continued yesterday as the Bombers informed Neil Allen that he no longer will be the bullpen coach. Reached at home, GM Brian Cashman confirmed the move and said Allen had been offered a new position within the organization that is not on the major-league level.

Allen's removal means the Yankees now have a bullpen coach vacancy to go along with their opening at pitching coach. Former Yankee Ron Guidry remains the top candidate for that spot, though Joe Kerrigan, whom Cashman hired as a scout earlier this year, is under serious consideration to join the coaching staff in some capacity. Continue

Yanks target CF, pen

The Yankees' organizational meetings are expected to begin Monday in New York, with the focus on finding a centerfielder and upgrading the bullpen. Although general manager Brian Cashman has promised to redefine many team officials' roles in an effort to keep himself at the top of the team's chain of command, the usual cast from Tampa and New York is expected at the meetings.Manager Joe Torre will attend, but it's not clear whether George Steinbrenner will fly up from Tampa. Publicist Howard Rubenstein said Friday he was unaware of The Boss' travel plans, but he has always attended these meetings.

An internal debate among team officials already is taking place about whether it would be prudent for them to commit big money to Red Sox free-agent centerfielder Johnny Damon or give up young talent to acquire the Twins' Torii Hunter, who likely would want an extension and perhaps a raise from his $10.75-million salary. Continue

Now time to fill up the holes

Only the manager and general manager have been scratched off a long list of Yankees needs. "We need a center fielder and we need relief help," said Brian Cashman, who yesterday re-upped as GM with the understanding the Yankees' $208 million 2005 payroll must come down. "I can't put one over the other, they are all important.

"Starting pitching could become a strength for us. We have some surplus there with [Randy] Johnson, [Mike] Mussina, [Carl] Pavano coming back from the DL; [Shawn] Chacon, [Aaron] Small, [Jaret] Wright, [Chien-Ming] Wang." Johnson, Pavano, Mussina, maybe Wright, probably all, make too much money for the Twins to absorb, if Minnesota is interested in moving Torii Hunter, or for the Marlins, if Florida would trade Juan Pierre. But there are options the Yankees certainly didn't have at midseason, so let the speculation season begin.

Much more in focus seems the makeup of a revamped coaching staff following the resignation of pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre and the loss of Joe Girardi to become manager of the Marlins. Third-base coach Luis Sojo could be moved to first base to replace Roy White, or Sojo could take a minor-league managing job. Continue

The General idea

Brian Cashman agreed to stay on as Yankees general manger for three more years with no net or out-clause below, only guardrails on both sides. "I would describe it as a guardrail on a clear road that can be successful," Cashman said yesterday. "If something happens adverse to the process or to somebody in this organization I will address it quickly, and I believe I have the people above me to address and support it."

The guardrail won't hold in the end, of course, against George Steinbrenner's bulldozer, like it can't against any owner's. It's the Tampa persons bending The Boss' ear who must know their place, and that the place to go is through a real general manager, not one just in title. Continue

Buyin' Brian

There is no denying money is power. But within the dysfunctional Yankee universe, power is defined in ways that have nothing to do with dollars. And it was increased power within the Yankees' organization that brought Brian Cashman back for three more years as the general manager. The money - just less than $2 million per year and $6 million total - is nice. However, Cashman likely wouldn't have returned to The Bronx if he wasn't granted more power within the organization from George Steinbrenner. Continue

Cashman stays with Yanks

Brian Cashman has agreed to a three-year deal worth about $5.5 million to return as Yankees general manager. According to a Major League Baseball official, an announcement is being held until the World Series is finished.Cashman, who has not publicly addressed his situation since the Yankees were eliminated by the Angels in the Division Series two weeks ago, remained silent today.

His contract was set to expire Oct. 31. Once they announce the new deal, the Yankees are expected to finalize their new coaching staff, as well. Larry Bowa is expected to be their new third-base coach, Lee Mazzilli becomes the bench coach and Ron Guidry the pitching coach. (Newsday)

Cashman tries double play

If you believe the scuttlebutt from the GMs at the World Series, Brian Cashman's prolonged negotiation with Yankees general partner Steve Swindal is directly related to Theo Epstein's holdout in Boston. "They're pals," said one GM, "and I'm sure they're both holding out as long as they can, if nothing else, to give Theo additional leverage so he gets what he wants from the Red Sox. In any case, Brian's going to get his money."

That's been pretty much a given. Money is not the issue with Cashman and the Yankees; mutual cooperation and understanding with the Tampa faction of the Yankee front office is. It's been generally assumed Cashman will command a raise from his present $1.15 million to a three-year deal somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.7 mil per year, which would put him slightly above the Braves' John Schuerholz as the highest-paid GM in the game. (The Tigers' Dave Dombrowski makes $2 million but he is also the team president.) Continue

Offer he can't refuse?

The Yankees are offering Brian Cashman a deal to make him one of the three highest-paid general managers in baseball, and he's expected to decide within the next day or two whether he'll accept that proposal or leave the organization where he began as a low-paid intern 19 years ago.

One club executive said it's believed Cashman's decision will come "very soon," which was defined as today or tomorrow, and most Yankees people expect him to stay despite another difficult year working for George Steinbrenner in a notoriously fractured front office.Recent difficulties have led Cashman to question whether he'd be better off in another organization with clearer lines of authority, not to mention more reasonable hours. However, Steinbrenner's megabucks offer - estimated at three years and $5 million - clearly is intended to override any reservations. Continue

Yankees anxious on Brian

Brian Cashman is a hot topic everywhere, not just in New York. Executives at the World Series have been greeting anyone with connections to the Bronx with some variation on the same question: What's Cash doing? At this point, it's unclear. The Yankees want a definitive answer soon and, according to sources, would like a resolution on Cashman's situation early this week, preferably by tomorrow or Tuesday.

Why the rush? Although Cashman's contract doesn't expire until Oct. 31, the Bombers would like to move forward with their offseason program sooner than later and really can't do so without having a GM in place. Continue

Yankees should deem season a success

In between pickup hoops with MJ and group therapy with Oprah, some World Series ramblings:Among all of the hand-wringing about the Yankees - and please, Joe Torre was never quitting or getting fired - it's easy to forget what transpired this past season. The Yankees' 2005 campaign marked their best since 2001, in these eyes, and the lessons they learned must be applied, moving forward.

What the Yankees tried to pull off this year was the equivalent of Keanu Reeves trying to dismantle a bomb from a moving bus in "Speed." In the middle of the schedule, they attempted to make their team younger, more athletic and stronger mentally. Continue

Boss calls Cashman, wants GM back

Attempting the same personal touch that recently mollified Joe Torre, George Steinbrenner yesterday phoned Brian Cashman to tell him in a one-on-one conversation how much the Yankees want to retain him as general manager, The Post has learned.

The Yankees have been quite overt in their desires to keep Cashman, but negotiations essentially have been handled by Steinbrenner's son-in-law, general partner Steve Swindall. Steinbrenner obviously sensed that Cashman needed to hear from The Boss' mouth how much the organization hopes the GM will stay. Continue

Staff in transition

Ron Guidry, Lee Mazzilli and Larry Bowa have emerged as leading candidates to join a Yankees coaching staff that now seems poised to get overhauled. According to a person familiar with the situation, the Yankees are looking at Guidry to be their next pitching coach and Mazzilli to be their next bench coach.Bowa told MLB.com last night that the Yankees have asked him to coach third next season. Bowa said he has not reached a decision. "We're still talking," Bowa said.

Negotiations with Mazzilli and Bowa are believed to be further along than the Yankees' talks with Guidry. The Yankees are looking for a pitching coach because Mel Stottlemyre quit last week and a bench coach because the Marlins hired Joe Girardi to be their manager. But Bowa would replace Luis Sojo, who was hoping to return as third-base coach next year. Continue

On the Ron

Since late July George Steinbrenner dreamed of Leo Mazzone being the Yankees' next pitching coach. At the trade deadline Steinbrenner badgered confidant Billy Connors about Mazzone's intention of working for the Yankees and was constantly told Mazzone wanted the gig.

Now, the Yankees, who could have made Mazzone the highest-paid pitching coach in baseball, are looking at other options because Mazzone turned his back on The Bronx and will become the Orioles' pitching coach. Continue

Fish catch Joe

For the third straight season, Joe Torre has lost a member of his staff to another team. Bench coach Joe Girardi, who spent four seasons catching for the Yankees and joined the staff before last season, will be the new manager of the Marlins. Girardi inked a three-year deal and the Marlins said he will be introduced in a formal news conference today. "I am extremely pleased to have Joe in our organization, and I look forward to his input as we start focusing on next year," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. "Joe was known as an intelligent player with great leadership skills, and he will bring those traits to his new position. Continue

Mazzone halts talks with Yankees, O's still in picture

Atlanta Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone will not be joining Joe Torre's staff next season, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney confirmed Wednesday.Newsday, citing a person familiar with Mazzone's thinking, reported Wednesday on its Web site that the pitching coach decided to end negotiations with the New York Yankees Wednesday morning. Mazzone is still a candidate to join the Baltimore Orioles, or he could still return to Atlanta.

The Yankees are looking for a replacement for Mel Stottlemyre, who is not returning to the Bronx next season. Other possible candidates include Yankees bullpen coach Neil Allen, Yankees scout Joe Kerrigan and Columbus pitching coach Gil Patterson. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner also might try to persuade former New York star pitcher Ron Guidry to take the job. Continue

Show goes on for Joe, Boss

George Steinbrenner's words nearly drove Joe Torre out as Yankee manager, so it was only fitting that a conversation with The Boss was what ultimately led him to stay. In his first public comments since the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs, Torre revealed yesterday that he spent the past week "waffling" over whether to retire and reached a final decision only after a Monday meeting with Steinbrenner in Tampa during which The Boss made it clear he still wants Torre in pinstripes. Continue

Money buys happiness

MONEY won yesterday. What do you expect? These are the Yankees, where Cash is more than the current general manager's nickname. Joe Torre has $13 million owed to him and the Yankees owe Torre $13 million. Many reasons were cited yesterday why the marriage between Torre and the Yankees was preserved. But there is only one with currency, only one that blends both common sense and dollars and cents.

Torre was going to find a reason to protect the $13 million he has coming to him, and that way was to actually suggest a better line of communication and trust can exist with George Steinbrenner and his henchmen. The Boss, not wanting to pay so much money for nothing, decided to act more like a caring grandfather than vengeful Godfather in a face-to-face meeting with Torre on Monday in Tampa. Continue

Next up: Cashman

With Joe Torre comfortably back in the fold, George Steinbrenner's attention is focused on retaining GM Brian Cashman before his contract expires Oct. 31. Of course, the decision is up to Cashman, who instantly would become the leading candidate in Philadelphia if he turns his back on the Yankees. Cashman hasn't spoken to the media since the Yankees' ALDS Game 5 loss to the Angels two Mondays ago, preferring to concentrate on his job and what his future holds.

Though Cashman's decision didn't impact Torre staying on board, the manager said he would love to continue having Cashman as GM. "I would be disappointed if Brian left," Torre said. "With negotiations, you never know what is going to happen. Brian is like Bernie Williams, he has been here his whole life. He knows the workings of it here. He is as strong as any individual I know in doing the job he has had to do here. I am still hopeful he will be signed." Continue

Brian talks, Joe ready

Brian Cashman is talking and Joe Torre may be soon, too. In Cashman's case, his conversations aren't with the media - he didn't return a call again yesterday - but he is believed to have had plenty to say during discussions with Yankee higher-ups regarding his contract situation. Cashman's current deal expires on Oct. 31 and George Steinbrenner wants to retain him, though it won't be easy. Much of Cashman's dialogue - said to be with general partner Steve Swindal and team president Randy Levine - is focused on Cashman's authority and the role of the Yanks' Tampa office in baseball decisions.

As for Torre, the manager has been mum since the Bombers were eliminated by the Angels in the division series eight days ago, but word going around the baseball world yesterday was that he could opt to break that silence today. His annual postseason wrapup is highly anticipated because he is expected to address his sometimes-rocky relationship with Steinbrenner. Continue

Yankees making pitch to Mazzone

The Yankees need a new pitching coach and they're starting their search with one of the best. The Bombers have received permission and are speaking with Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone, who oversaw the legendary Atlanta pitching staffs of the late '90s and has shown an ability to develop young hurlers.

Mazzone has been at manager Bobby Cox's side since 1990. He has one year remaining on his contract with Atlanta. The Yankees are in position to offer Mazzone a raise from his current salary - believed to be in the neighborhood of $225,000 per season - but aren't expected to approach Mel Stottlemyre's salary, which was around twice that. Continue

Here We Joe!

The thick cloud of silence that has smothered the Yankee universe since Hideki Matsui made the final out of Game 5 in Anaheim eight days ago will start to dissipate today. Multiple sources within the Yankee organization say that's when Joe Torre is expected to meet the media at the Stadium. Normally such an appearance wouldn't be clothed in as much drama as today's is

. The theory running through the organization is that Torre isn't going to be fired by George Steinbrenner.  Nor is Torre going to resign, and he hasn't been negotiating a buyout of the $13.1 million owed him for the next two years. However, what makes Torre a hot topic is that, ever since early August, when his bullpen decisions were second-guessed by Steinbrenner, Torre has answered every question about the owner, this way: "Ask me about that after the season is over." Continue

Cano wants skipper back

Robinson Cano cast his ballot yesterday — he wants Joe Torre to return as Yankee manager next year. While admitting, "I don't know anything about next year," the rookie second baseman said, "[this year] was fun for me," and that, "I like him [Torre]. I hope he's here next year." Cano was one of two players to show up at the Stadium yesterday. The other was Bernie Williams, who waved at reporters without making a comment on his or the team's future. (NY Post)

A-Rod's huge loss

The mother of Yankee star Alex Rodriguez is defending her son's poor playoff performance, saying the slugger was secretly grieving over the death of his uncle. "I know how much he suffered from the death of his uncle without being able to do anything, from listening to me crying and not being able to be there," A-Rod's mother, Lourdes Navarro, told the Dominican Republic newspaper Listin.

Rodriguez's uncle, Augusto Bolivar Navarro, died in a Miami hospital Sept. 30, a day before the Yankees clinched a playoff berth by winning their division. Lourdes Navarro said her brother was like a father to the Bombers' All-Star third baseman, whose biological father abandoned him as a child. Continue

Joe gets cheers close to home

Joe Torre may be getting the cold shoulder from Yankees boss George Steinbrenner, but he's still a champ to his neighbors in Westchester County. Well-wishers cheered and thronged around the Yankees skipper when he showed up with his family for the annual Halloween window-painting outing in his town of Harrison - his first public appearance since last week's playoff debacle against the Los Angeles Angels.

"I love Joe Torre. I am a huge Yankee fan, I love him!" gushed Kathy DeCarlo, 44, who stopped her car in the middle of traffic when she spotted Torre. "If they even think of getting rid of him, I would be devastated," added DeCarlo, who only moved after a cop warned her with his siren. "[Steinbrenner] should just leave him alone." Continue

Yankees waiting for Brian's call

George Steinbrenner is waiting. Hideki Matsui is waiting. Even Joe Torre, to some degree, is waiting to see which way Brian Cashman's in-the-balance situation turns. Until Cashman makes his decision about whether to return in 2006, the baseball business of the Bombers is at a virtual standstill - an unusual status for a team that seems to be frenzied year-round.

The clock is ticking and the Yankees are hoping for action this week. While Cashman wasn't commenting again yesterday - he hasn't spoken with the media since the Yankees returned home following their division series loss last Monday night - he is said to be intensely laboring over whether he wants to stay or go as Yankees GM. Continue

Matsui's going to bat for Torre

Hideki Matsui has spent the last week in his Manhattan apartment, waiting like everyone else for Joe Torre to speak publicly for the first time since the Yankees were eliminated from the postseason Monday. Matsui, however, has a vested interest in what Torre says.The leftfielder told the Japanese publication Sankei Sports last week that Torre's future with the Yankees will play a role in whether he decides to re-sign with the club or head elsewhere.

"I want Joe to stay as Yankees manager," Matsui said. "I respect him not only as the manager but also as a human being. I feel very comfortable playing baseball under Joe. "Yes, it will be one of the factors when I think about my new contract," Matsui added. "Of course, it is important who the manager is." Continue

Wang keeps his Chien up

With the sun bright and temperatures in the 70s, Yankee Stadium was beautiful but lonely yesterday. While the ALCS was 3,000 miles away, a few autograph hounds loitered outside the press gate as Chien Ming-Wang, Ruben Sierra and Al Leiter entered the Stadium.

When the three left, they each talked about hope for next year. Wang hopes he is in the rotation. Sierra hopes he returns to the Yankees. And Leiter left open a sliver of hope he could pitch again. Wang, 25, finished the regular season 8-5 with a 4.02 ERA, which might be enough to land him in the rotation for next year. Continue

Joe's torment

THE most formative experience of Joe Torre's life was growing up under the same roof as an abusive father. The blessing, if such a word should even be used considering the subject, is that Torre formed his Safe at Home Foundation to combat domestic violence.

Nevertheless, the personal battle does not stop. Even at age 65, Torre carries emotional scars from childhood. He will tell you that the constant screaming matches and tension engendered at home by his father have made him uneasy with loud noises and uncomfortable with confrontation. Continue

Boss prefers Cash

With the Yankees' universe crumbling following a crushing loss in the ALDS, George Steinbrenner has made re-signing Brian Cashman his No. 1 priority. After riding Cashman hard for every minute of the eight years he has been the GM, Steinbrenner realizes if Cashman leaves, the dysfunctional Yankee universe would be in deeper trouble than it is today.

And it has been a while since the Yankees had this many problems. Losing Cashman, whose contract expires Oct. 31, would only add to it. While Joe Torre was spotted outside his Westchester home yesterday, Cashman remained in his Yankee Stadium office behind closed doors, presumably negotiating with Steinbrenner. Continue

Will Cashman bolt for Phillies?

Brian Cashman is believed to be on the Phillies' short list of GM candidates, possibly even the favorite, while the Yankees gauge their chances of keeping him. The Yankees are not believed to have made him an offer, but they are considering a three-year proposal with a slight raise over his current $1.1-million salary. The Yankees likely will present him their offer sometime next week, and they hope to have an answer before his contract expires Oct. 31.

Cashman has not addressed his situation since he broke down after the Yankees lost Monday, which made it seem as if he's ready to leave the only team he's worked for. The Phillies also are believed to be interested in former Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker, who hails from the Philadelphia area and has a personal relationship with Phillies president Dave Montgomery, who will have the final say on their hire. Continue

Flash ready to close door

Tom Gordon's days as a Yankee appear to be over. That doesn't necessarily mean he is done pitching in New York. Gordon, one of four Yankees to clean out his locker yesterday at Yankee Stadium, said he would like to become a closer again. Since the Yankees already are set at that position with Mariano Rivera, it seems as though Gordon, now a free agent, has pitched his final days in pinstripes. "I'd love to close again somewhere," Gordon said. "We'll see what happens, but if it takes me somewhere else, so be it." Continue

Boss thanks Mel

One day after taking several direct hits from Mel Stottlemyre on his way out, George Steinbrenner responded in a positive light through a statement. "Mel Stottlemyre will always be a Yankee," said Steinbrenner. "When I purchased the ball club more than 30 years ago, he was one of the team's true stars and leaders and during his 10 seasons as pitching coach, we won six American League pennants and four World Championships. "While it's no secret that I can be a very difficult boss, Mel has always conducted himself as a professional and a gentleman. I wish he and Jean much success and happiness in the future." Continue

Jaret: Get Mazzone

As the Yankees begin their search for Mel Stottlemyre's replacement, one member of the rotation gave an endorsement to Leo Mazzone. "When I was in Atlanta, Leo did a good job," Jaret Wright said of the Braves pitching coach yesterday. "I thought he helped me out a lot and he's done that for a lot of years and a lot of guys. He's a professional also and I think he could do a good job."

Wright showed up at Yankee Stadium yesterday to empty his locker. The 29-year-old right-hander said Mazzone would be a good choice. Under Mazzone in 2004, Wright had his best season, going 15-8. Like most people in the organization not based in Tampa, Wright said the team would miss Stottlemyre. "He's been here so long," Wright said. "It's definitely going to have an effect. I thought he did a great job but I've played long enough where these things do happen. You've got to be a professional and deal with new people." Continue

All must wait for limbo Joe

Joe Torre has held his tongue since August, when he vowed to remain silent on his thoughts concerning George Steinbrenner, and his not-so-subtle jabs at the Yankee manager, until the Yankees ran out of games to play.

It's been three days now since the Bombers' season ended in Anaheim with a 5-3 loss to the Angels Monday night, and it was thought Torre would have addressed his deteriorating relationship with the Boss by now. But as pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre showed up to give what amounts to his farewell address yesterday and a handful of Yankees milled around the clubhouse to pack up their belongings for the winter, Torre was conspicuous by his absence at the Stadium. Continue

Yankees are a lost bunch

The day dragged on inside the Yankee clubhouse yesterday, and soon it became painfully, inconveniently apparent that few of the team's players or officials would face the rain or the music.

The lockers sat unattended. Empty boxes waited to be filled with a season's worth of batting gloves and slippers. No A-Rod, no Derek, no Bernie, no Joe, no Randy. Maybe they would show up over the next few days, maybe not. Maybe they would just pay a clubhouse attendant another $500 and have their stuff shipped home. This is how it is with the Yankees these days, who are adrift in an expensive, pinstriped malaise, searching for a slap in the face. Continue

Stott walks away on his terms this time

THE last time, Mel Stottlemyre walked away from the Yankees with a chip on his damaged right shoulder and a vow that he'd never be back. This was the spring of 1975, and the team decided to cut him at the last minute possible before they would have to pay him a full year's salary, a nice kneecapping for a decade of loyal service.

This time, the anger was softer, the melancholy more subtle, but the message was ever so timeless after all these years: working for the Yankees can still be colder than Jones Beach in January. "I'm going to leave happy this time," Stottlemyre insisted yesterday, after re-affirming his intention to leave the job as Yankees pitching coach he's held for 10 years of almost continual success. "I'd just rather this be my decision than theirs." Continue

Report: Hideki deal in works

According to a Japanese newspaper, the Yankees are poised to offer Hideki Matsui a three-year deal worth $35.5 million. Sankei Sports reported the club is ready to open negotiations with the left fielder, who recently finished a three-year pact worth $21 million.

GM Brian Cashman didn't return phone calls pertaining to the subject. While Matsui has been mum on the topic, the offer isn't much more than the Yankees were talking about in spring training when Matsui told the team he would rather play the season than sign an extension.

The 31-year-old Matsui, who can become a free agent Nov. 15 if he and the Yankees don't agree on a contract for 2006, hit .305 with 23 homers and drove in 116 runs. For his three years in America, Matsui is a .297 hitter with 70 homers and 330 RBIs. His solid regular season was tainted by a poor ALDS in which he batted .200 (4-for-20). (NY Post)

10 reasons they aren't worth it!

Over the past five seasons, George Steinbrenner has spent just short of $1 billion on the Yankees in payroll and luxury taxes. It has bought him the softest Yankee postseason team in history. Including this team, one round and out against the Angels. Think about it: The Yankees might end up with the MVP this season, Alex Rodriguez, the Cy Young Award for Mariano Rivera, have the Rookie of the Year in Robinson Cano and the Comeback Player of the Year in Jason Giambi, and still they can't make it out of the first round of the playoffs.

We thought this team might be different, especially after the way it won Game 4 Sunday night against the Angels to stay alive. Then it did what five straight Yankee teams have done in October: Lost the game it needed to keep going, or to win it all. This team falls down in October, every single time. This Yankee team, according to Major League Baseball, cost $210.9 million in payroll. We all thought this team at least had the chance to be special. This team came back from that amazingly bad 11-19 start and from being 39-39 on July 1 to win its eighth straight title in the AL East. Continue

Bay watch: Boss has next move

Because it is the Yankees, for whom anything short of a World Series championship is deemed a failure; because their $200 million payroll was twice the amount of the team that beat them and because we are talking about George Steinbrenner here, there will be blame aplenty for what played out in Mickey Mouse's neighborhood Monday night.

Heck, Steinbrenner gets his jollies playing the blame game in good times. Never has he allowed himself to be content with the blessings he has reaped from baseball, or with all the people who have contributed to them. It's called creative tension, The Boss' lifeblood, and it's readily recognizable on the faces of Brian Cashman and Joe Torre. Continue

Shipping Sheff should be in plans

Ten years ago, the Yankees lost a first-round playoff series to the AL West champs in five games, triggering sweeping changes that ushered in a new general manager, manager and dynasty. From the ruins of being eliminated by the Mariners in October 1995, the Yanks renovated the front office, coaching staff and roster, and somehow formed a championship mosaic from disparate pieces. However, back then, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera emerged from the system to join Andy Pettitte as instant stars and bedrocks. They were cool, calm, and collected rings because of it

. The Yanks cannot expect the same bounty now, not after years of incompetence from the Tampa minor-league officials. That is why, in the aftermath of losing a first-round playoff series in five games to the AL West champion Angels, the Yanks face their most critical offseason in a decade. GM Brian Cashman might leave, George Steinbrenner is as disenchanted today with Joe Torre as he was 10 years ago with Buck Showalter, and key roster issues must be confronted. Continue

Steinbrenner must face painful reality

The owner is, like so many of his fans, delusional about the truth, and despondent about the reality that no amount of money he spreads around can ever recapture the magic of what used to be. George Steinbrenner can apologize to his fans and he can continue to take kindergarten-style pot shots at the manager who rescued him from the championship desert the last time. He is free to speak his opinion at any time, no matter how addled it might be.

But that doesn't change the fact that the biggest problem facing the Yankees for now and for the immediate future has little to do with their opponents, or the way the rest of baseball has caught up to them competitively, passed them by organizationally in every place but the bank vault. No, the biggest problem facing the Yankees of 2006 and beyond are the Yankees of 1996-2001 - the championship Yankees - whose image still burns in the collective memory of New York as well as that of Steinbrenner. That image provides ready access to the qualities possessed by dynastic baseball teams. Those Yankees had it in abundance. Continue

Lou lurking

During a 15-minute conversation yesterday, Lou Piniella did not campaign to be the next manager of the Yankees. But he definitely didn't close any doors either. "I would like to manage again, but it would have to be the right situation," Piniella told The Post from Chicago, where he is calling the ALCS with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver for Fox.

If George Steinbrenner decides to fire Joe Torre as punishment for the Yankees' ALDS loss to the Angels, Piniella is considered the leading candidate as a replacement. Even if Torre remains, the specter of an unemployed Piniella in the on-deck circle could loom over the 2006 Yankees. With Piniella desiring a legitimate chance to win another World Series, he may sit out next season, waiting for the right opportunity. Continue

Sorry, A-Rod you are the new emblem of futility

He kept the uniform on for as long as he could, because once the jersey came off, once the socks were in the laundry pile, then another baseball season would be over. Another chapter of Alex Rodriguez' legacy would end so horribly wrong. The vultures would prey, and he knew it.

So he took the first bite at the apple of self-loathing. "I played so well all year," Rodriguez said, "and then I played like a dog the last five days." And there you had it: the most honest appraisal of what turned out to be a five-game calamity that approaches, if not matches, the catastrophe of last October. Continue

Sad end for Cashman?

General manager Brian Cashman, who began his career with the Yankees as a 19-year-old intern in Tampa, broke down in tears last night in a losing clubhouse when he was asked if this was his final game working for the team. The tears and Cashman's inability to even respond to the question is, perhaps, the strongest indicator that he plans to leave when his contract expires on Oct. 31. Cashman has tabled all discussion of his status until after the season. But when that came abruptly last night, with the Yankees losing a decisive ALDS Game 5 by 5-3 to Anaheim, he had to table the matter even further.

"Did it creep into your mind that this could be the last one you are involved in?" was the question posed to Cashman about 20 minutes after the final out. Cashman began to try to answer, his eyes reddened and his voice cracked. He tried to compose himself, putting his hand to his mouth and taking a deep breath. Continue

Bernie's unhappiest place

It wasn't the adulation that Bernie Williams had experienced the night before at the Stadium. Instead of crowds chanting his name, begging him for one last curtain call, what might be Williams' final moments in a Yankee uniform passed by mostly unnoticed last night by a screaming crowd draped in Angel red. Williams flied to left for the second out of the eighth inning for his last at-bat of the playoffs, but most everyone at Angel Stadium was only concerned that it pushed their team one out closer to the AL Championship Series. The last image Yankee fans may see of Williams in his beloved uniform is the television shot of him watching expressionless as the Yanks futilely tried to build a ninth-inning rally.

Perhaps the lack of fanfare was apropos, considering his mood after the game. He refused to acknowledge that his Yankee career could be over, though his contract is expiring. Instead of nostalgia for 15 mostly sweet years, he felt only the sting of disappointment from the Yanks' latest playoff failure. Continue

Matsui leaves eight on base

Most of Hideki Matsui's three years in pinstripes have been untarnished. But that ended last night when he failed to deliver in the clutch four times as the Yankees were knocked out by the Angels. Matsui, who went 0-for-5 last night, was hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position and stranded eight. He and Alex Rodriguez were two reasons why the Yankees got bounced in the first round.

"It's a bitter feeling," the free-agent-to-be said. "I had opportunities where the game could have been different." That's for sure. Matsui fanned and stranded two in the first inning, flied to left with one on in the third, popped to first with two on and one out in the fifth, popped to right in the seventh with one out and a runner on second in the seventh and made the final out of the game with a grounder to first with a runner on second. Continue

Yankees fall against Angels in Game 5

After a season filled with comebacks, unlikely heroes and MVP performances, the Yankees' 2005 campaign came to an end in disappointing fashion Monday, as New York dropped the decisive Game 5 of the American League Division Series, 5-3, to the Angels.

It marked the second time in four years that the Yankees' season ended at Angel Stadium, as the Bombers were eliminated in four games by the Halos in the 2002 ALDS. To those players that were here three years ago, this one feels no different. "I don't think you can rate losing," said Derek Jeter. "You either win or lose; it's black and white. One loss doesn't feel worse than another. We haven't won in a while." Five years, to be exact. Continue

Boss points to Joe

Mike Mussina is pitching for the Yankees tonight in Game 5 of the division series, but George Steinbrenner put the pressure squarely on the shoulders of Joe Torre following last night's victory.

After emerging from the Stadium about 40 minutes after the Yankees' 3-2 win over the Angels, Steinbrenner was asked how confident he is that the Yankees will leave Southern California triumphantly. The owner, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses just before midnight and decked out in his familiar blue blazer and white turtleneck, first said he had no comment. Continue

Long goodbye for Williams

Bernie Williams got the retirement treatment last night even though - as Derek Jeter pointed out - there's no guarantee this is the end for him. "He's never actually said it," Jeter said.

That may be true, but it's very likely that this is Williams' final season in pinstripes whether or not his career continues. The 37-year-old's contract is up after this season, so last night could have been his final game at the Stadium as a Yankee. That's why the crowd gave him a standing ovation before every at-bat and begged for a curtain call after he flied out in the eighth. Continue

Mussina right guy for job

Short of having Mariano Rivera go all nine innings, Mike Mussina is probably the ideal choice to pitch for the Yankees tonight. That's because on both occasions in which Mussina has pitched in a must-win playoff game for the Yankees, he has not allowed a run. With Yankees winning, 3-2, to even the series in Game 4 last night, Mussina will be on the hill tonight for the deciding fifth game against the Angels.

Twice in his Yankee career, Mussina has pitched in a must-win playoff game, and he has been exceptional both times. The first came four years ago, also in the ALDS, against Oakland in Game 3. With the Yankees trailing 2-0 in the series, Mussina outdueled Barry Zito in a 1-0 win, firing seven shutout innings. Mussina not only kept the Yankees alive that night, but the Yanks eventually won the series. Continue

Yankees rally late to defeat Angels

Gas up the plane, the Yankees are headed for California. Staring elimination in the face in the sixth inning, the Yankees mounted yet another comeback win on Sunday night, defeating the Angels, 3-2, at Yankee Stadium. New York's victory in Game 4 of the American League Division Series extended the best-of-five series to a fifth game, which will be played in Anaheim on Monday night. "We could fly to Hawaii right now and we [couldn't] care less," said Alex Rodriguez. "We're so excited about playing Game 5 and having the opportunity to take it to the next level." Continue

Home groan

When Jason Giambi, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada arrived at Yankee Stadium yesterday, they were ready to rinse out the rancid taste of Friday night's loss to the Angels in Game 3 of the ALDS. Instead, rain washed out Game 4 and denied the Yankees a chance to even the best-of-five series. So the Yankees will attempt it tonight in The Bronx starting at 7:55. If they avoid elimination, the Yankees and Angels will fly to Anaheim and play a deciding fifth game at 8:30 (5:30 on the West coast) tomorrow night. "You would like to play but you can't play," Jeter said. "It's the same for both teams." Continue

Johnson signs up for pen

If Randy Johnson is needed, he may be available out of the Yankees' bullpen at some point in this ALDS. Johnson, who pitched terribly in Game 3 on Friday night, is not going to start either Game 4 or 5 against the Angels. But with yesterday's rainout and the fact the Big Unit threw 62 pitches in his three-plus innings Friday, Johnson could emerge in a relief role in one of the two games.

"I think whenever Randy feels physically able to do it, he'll jump in there," Joe Torre said yesterday. "He's done this before where he has volunteered for bullpen work. But when you're up against it like we are right now, we certainly look for a show of hands and we'll take whatever help we can get. "Obviously, there's more to Randy Johnson than what he can give us out of the bullpen. The health issue is the first thing, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with him, but we wouldn't jeopardize doing something that would hurt him. So that's the first thing, and after that, we certainly would pull out all of the stops to win the game [tonight]." Continue

Cano at center of momentum swing

Whatever Robinson Cano has done in this division series, it has not been boring. One moment, he is ripping another key hit and igniting the Yankee attack, another he is involved in a strange or wonderful defensive play that either frustrates or delights the Yankees and their fans.

Here is what Cano crammed into Game3 last night: He started a 4-6-3 double play in the fourth inning that everyone pointed to as the tumbler that began the Yanks' rally from a five-run deficit. He smacked an RBI double an inning later that tied the score at 5. He swung at the first pitch he saw with the bases loaded in the sixth and two out and flied out to waste a scoring chance. He stepped off second - or did he? - in the seventh, bungling a force play and extending an Angel rally. Continue

Set to say halo to winter

ALL year long they have danced around the abyss, stared into it, skipped around it. All year long there have been moments when the Yankees could have disappeared into that black hole, taken their season in there with them, and disappeared. Each time, they skipped out of the way. Each time, they grabbed for more season, held on for dear life, and found a way to survive.

By the close of business tonight, there may be nothing left to hold on to. There may be no season left. And another high-priced baseball adventure may wind up in a fiery death spin, leaving all the good feelings of a mad September dash to the ashes of their wake. "We have no more wiggle room left," catcher John Flaherty said. "It's all pretty simple now. We'd better win." Continue

Yanks battle back, but fall short in end

The Yankees find themselves in a familiar position following Friday night's Game 3 loss to the Angels, with their backs directly up against the wall. That's because a loss in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Saturday will end New York's roller-coaster season, one which the Bombers hope will extend to Sunday in Anaheim.

Randy Johnson put the Yanks in a 5-0 hole early, then watched his team battle back to take a lead in the fifth. But Aaron Small and four other relievers couldn't close the door, as the Angels took an 11-7 decision to move within one win of an ALCS matchup with the White Sox. Continue

Bogus return on $46-million investment

Today, Randy Johnson resembles a taller Kevin Brown. Johnson is an older Jeff Weaver. He's a more available Carl Pavano. He's a nastier Javier Vazquez (at least in terms of personality, not his pitches.) Friday night, in the biggest game of Johnson's Yankees life, he looked like any other overpriced pitching disappointment they've imported, just costlier.

Johnson's fastball has no life, his slider had no bite. His scowl had no scare. Johnson was imported for this very game, to be the key playoff swing man. Turns out, it's hard to imagine him doing more to swing the series Anaheim's way. He surrendered five runs, all on home runs by Garret Anderson and Bengie Molina (the 33rd and 34th homers he's allowed this year) and he never got out of the fourth, exhausting an ultra-thin bullpen that suddenly features Al Leiter as a key man. Continue

Bomber payroll dwarfs other playoff teams

The Yankees entered the postseason with a record payroll of nearly $203 million, triple that of the Padres. The Bombers' payroll as of Aug. 31, the last day before active rosters expanded, was a major league-record $202,978,809. Among the other playoff teams, the World Series champion Red Sox were second at $126,800,160, and the Angels were fifth at $96,140,560. The NL champion Cardinals had the highest payroll among the NL playoff teams, 10th at $83,510,604, and the Astros were 11th at $77,453,843. The Braves were 12th at $74,977,433.

Among the four AL playoff teams, the White Sox had the lowest payroll, 13th in the majors at $74,273,478. The Padres were 15th in the big leagues at $70,503,572. The figures, which do not include earned performance bonuses, are unofficial. They are for 25-man rosters and players on the disabled list, and included prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income. Final payroll figures, which include both performance and award bonuses, will not be available until late December. (NY Post)

Giambi is back on top

Way back on May 14, mired in an awful hitting slump and on the verge of getting demoted to the minors by his Yankee bosses, Jason Giambi erupted. The first baseman/DH told the Daily News that he was "pissed" about how his situation was being handled and it seemed as if the slugger's season was headed in the same nightmarish direction as his 2004.

Instead, Giambi reverted to the feared slugger of old, the one who won the AL MVP award in 2000 and crushed 83 home runs in his first two seasons in pinstripes. Yesterday the 34-year-old was honored with the AL Comeback Player of the Year award. Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr. was the NL winner. Continue

Joe waitin' for Randy to rock

INSIDE The House That Ruth Built, Joe Torre is expecting the ruthless Randy Johnson in Game 3 tonight against the Angels. The Yankees' 6-foot-10 Chairman of the Board. "We have so much confidence in Randy at this point in time, the way he's handled a couple of pressure situations, the Boston game on Saturday, the Boston game on Sunday before we left on that next-to-the-last road trip where he beat them 1-0," Torre said. "He certainly has been conditioned to do this before he got to the Yankees. "But I think once he got through that adjustment period with the Yankees, he certainly has been everything we have hoped for."

But after all the ups and downs — the incident on the sidewalks of New York with a cameraman when he first arrived, the Big Bum headlines, the late-season snarls and domination Boss Steinbrenner craved a year ago — the second season, the money season, the only season that matters in The Bronx, starts tonight for Randy Johnson. Against a team that has no fear of the pinstripes or the stadium, Randy Johnson has to be Mr. October starting now, and stare down seven straight division series losses. Continue

Yankee bats! Get a handle

We can talk about Randy (Big Unit) Johnson all we want today, and how it all starts with pitching, and how this is the latest game he was brought here to pitch. All true. But the big boys better hit for the Yankees this Yankee Stadium weekend, starting tonight if the weather holds up. When the big boys hit, the Yankees look like the best team still playing. When they don't, they look like a team that might be lucky to make the next round. The Yankees need to jump Paul Byrd tonight, not let Byrd, a .500 pitcher, do to them what John Lackey did on Wednesday night. Continue

Field of screams spoils Wang night

He had saved their season early and now they were looking for him to validate their postseason. For six-plus innings, Chien-Ming Wang did all he could to justify Joe Torre's faith in handing him the ball on enemy soil for his first postseason start until the Angels finally conquered his sinkerball with their speed and did him in.

He had pitched magnificently up to then, belying his 25 years, in limiting the rowdy Halos to two scratch runs, one of them unearned thanks to Alex Rodriguez's muff of an easy leadoff bouncer in the sixth by Orlando Cabrera. Continue

Can't help but point at A-gump

There was never any doubt where the ball was going. Orlando Cabrera caught it clean and drove it into left-center field, and now Jeff DaVanon and Steve Finley were rushing around the basepaths toward home, delivering the Angels their first lead of this Division Series after almost 16 full innings.

The OC was officially alive again, the people rising to their feet, and they slammed those plastic tubes together and chanted like fevered cult members when that ridiculous monkey appeared on the screen. Cabrera, who you may remember as a key member of the Red Sox team that accomplished the unmentionable last year, stood on first base and pumped his fists. Continue

Going batty over Cano's good stick, bad glove

The precocious second baseman continues to drive in runs and drive the Yankees crazy with his occasional lack of concentration in the field. Call it Alfonso Soriano, redux.

One night after ripping a three-run double in the first inning, Cano got the Yanks going again last night with an RBI double in the second. But he made another misplay at second base, his third in two games, even if none of his fielding lapses have cost the Bombers in the first two games against the Angels. Continue