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The Yankees announced today that they have traded pitcher Shawn Chacon for utility player Craig Wilson. Wilson should receive playing time in the outfield and first base.Chacon played a huge role in the Yankees' second-half run last season, but this season, he spent time on the disabled list and fell out of favor with management, going 5-3 with a 7.00 ERA. (Newsday)
It may seem like Cory Lidle is the "other" player in the deal that brought Bobby Abreu to the Bronx yesterday, but that certainly is not how the Yankees looked at it. "I wouldn't have done this if I couldn't get a pitcher back," GM Brian Cashman said. "I had to have Cory Lidle. I wouldn't have done this as a stand-alone (trade)."
That sentiment is understandable. For as much as the Yanks were looking for a hitter to help their injury-riddled outfield, the back end of their starting rotation was equally in need. Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina and Chien-Ming Wang have been solid as a front three, but Jaret Wright has been up and down as the fourth starter and Sidney Ponson is the latest attempt at filling the fifth spot. Continue
Since the vision of Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui slugging homers are a distant memory by now, the Yankees' outfield has been a bit power-starved this season. Adding former Phillie Bobby Abreu on Sunday will certainly boost the outfield's production, but his current eight home runs are the same as platooning veteran Bernie Williams. So, even now, is there going to be any power in the outfield? Leave it to center fielder Johnny Damon to answer that. Continue
There had been a feeling throughout baseball that Bobby Abreu would ultimately end up in pinstripes this month, and today it finally happened. The Yankees and Phillies reached an agreement on a trade that brings Abreu and pitcher Cory Lidle to the Bronx in exchange for four Bombers prospects; first-round pick C.J. Henry is believed to be one of the minor leaguers, as is lefthanded pitcher Matt Smith.
Talks heated up this weekend when Abreu made it known that he'd be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Yanks, Mets or Red Sox and wouldn't require those teams to exercise his $15 million option for 2008 in return. Continue
For the moment, as the Yankees push hard to acquire Bobby Abreu, I'm willing to trust that GM Brian Cashman has a plan that will unfold over the next day or so, because just about everything he has said and done since acquiring more power last winter has made sense.
Surely there has to be more in the works, if indeed the Yankees are willing to give up reliever Scott Proctor while taking on Abreu's contract. At this point, laughable as it may sound, Proctor may be more valuable to this team than Abreu would be. The Yankees need pitching more than they need offense. They need relief help, especially since Octavio Dotel is suddenly no sure thing to join the bullpen at all this season, after a couple of setbacks in his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Continue
Carl Pavano threw a 55-pitch bullpen session with his entire repertoire on Friday, his longest to date, and he'll toss another one today. Pavano might throw batting practice next week, if he continues to feel no after-effects of the bone chip removed from his elbow.
Pavano remains convinced that he'll return this season just like Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano and Octavio Dotel. "My motivation and goals are obviously to help the team, since I haven't been able to do it earlier this year," Pavano said before yesterday's game with Tampa Bay. Pavano has been through this process numerous times this season, joking that he's had four spring trainings. Continue
The Yankees worked feverishly yesterday to try to complete a trade that would bring them at least Bobby Abreu and possibly a starting pitcher, Cory Lidle or Jon Lieber, as well. As tomorrow's 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline approached, the Yanks also were vigorously pursuing Pirate outfielder/first baseman Craig Wilson and a reliever, either Roberto Hernandez or Salomon Torres.
Interestingly, the Yanks also had not surrendered on obtaining infielder Wilson Betemit, although he was traded on Friday from the Braves to the Dodgers. The Yanks had grown more encouraged yesterday about completing a deal as the prices for their top targets dropped, with their most prized prospects - notably Philip Hughes and Jose Tabata - no longer being requested. Continue
The Yankees have been very happy with the consistency of their top three starting pitchers in recent weeks, but Saturday was not a day to celebrate that point. The Devil Rays hammered Randy Johnson and the Yankees, 19-6, snapping New York's four-game winning streak while equaling a Tampa Bay record for runs scored in a game.
"They killed us today," said manager Joe Torre. "I wish I could come up with an explanation other than that we got our rear ends kicked, but that's the best I can do." Johnson, who had given up three earned runs or less in seven of his previous eight starts, equaled his shortest start of the season, allowing nine runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings. Continue
It has become fashionable for baseball people to equate a team's chances of playing - and winning - in October with the Big Three of their starting rotation. Gotta have three potentially dominant starters, they say, and indeed the Mets' drive to make a deadline trade is fueled by their concern over who will start Game 3 of the playoffs.
Funny, nobody has talked much about the current Yankee rotation in terms of a Big Three, but maybe it's time. Mike Mussina has been on that level all season, Randy Johnson seems to putting together the same second-half resurgence that carried the Yankees past the Red Sox last year and perhaps most significant, Chien-Ming Wang is looking more and more like an ace every day. Continue
Without a cast for the first time since mid-June, Gary Sheffield greeted teammates and reporters before Friday's game and was delighted to be back at Yankee Stadium.
"I'm feeling pretty good. I'll see the doctor [hand specialist Charles Melone] on Monday and he'll tell me the next step," said Sheffield, who injured his left wrist in a collision April 29 and hasn't played since May 29. He had surgery June 13 to repair a torn ligament and dislocating tendon in the wrist.Said Sheffield, "I've been working out [in the gym]. I can use both hands. I'm looking to pick up the pace." Continue
With the Phillies and Pirates lowering their price on the players they are trying to move, the likelihood of the Yankees making a deal before the trading deadline is better than it has been in weeks. And there were indications the Yankees may include Scott Proctor - whom the Phillies love - in the right transaction. If Proctor is moved, another reliever is a must.
Until the price came down on Bobby Abreu, Jon Lieber, Cory Lidle and Tom Gordon, GM Brian Cashman wasn't going to get something done with the Phillies. Ditto with the Pirates, who are shopping Craig Wilson, Salomon Torres, Roberto Hernandez, John Grabow, Sean Casey and Jeromy Burnitz. Continue
The last time Chien-Ming Wang pitched a complete game, he threw his glove to the ground in frustration as he left the mound. It wasn't quite the classic nine-inning variety, as Wang surrendered a walk-off homer to Washington's Ryan Zimmerman.
On Friday night, before Wang walked to the mound in the ninth inning, pitching coach Ron Guidry joked with Wang on the bench saying, "I'm going to give you one more chance." This time Wang finished it, sitting down the Devil Rays in order to cap a 6-0 complete-game victory. It's win No. 12 for Wang and his first career shutout. Continue
There are 3-1/2 days remaining until the non-waiver trading deadline and the Yankees seem to be engaged in a large-scale game of chicken. This is by design. GM Brian Cashman is continuing to work the phones - he put a conference call of reporters on hold for nearly two minutes yesterday to take another call - but the Bombers, according to sources, are in more of a wait-and-see mode as Monday's 4 p.m. deadline draws nearer.
Quite simply, the prices being asked by opposing teams are too high. The Phillies, however, may be slowly moving toward middle ground with the Bombers, sources said, and could get closer over the weekend. After asking for top prospects (such as Phil Hughes or Jose Tabata) in exchange for Bobby Abreu earlier this month - even though the Bombers believe any transaction involving Abreu is basically a salary dump for Philadelphia - the Phillies are now said to be discussing a deal that would net them lesser prospects for Abreu - with the catch being that the Yanks have to take on former Bomber Jon Lieber, too. Continue
Having already completed a minor deal that transported backup catcher Sal Fasano from Philly to The Bronx, the Yankees remain interested in more Phillies.
And while Bobby Abreu may not be dealt or may require talent the Yankees don't have or don't want to trade, there are other options. Right-handers Jon Lieber, a former Yankee, and Cory Lidle are on the list of pitchers the Yankees are interested in. The list also includes Royals lefty Mark Redman and the Nationals' Ramon Ortiz. Continue
He doesn't have Philip Hughes' future. His past suggests journeyman. But it's Scott Proctor's present that has quickly carried him into the rarefied place in the Yankees' organization: untouchable.
Yesterday, the Yankees were informed by the Braves that a deal for infielder Wilson Betemit wouldn't get done unless the Yankees included Proctor. Unwilling to remove Proctor from their bullpen, the Yankees run the risk of watching the switch-hitting Betemit, a player many evaluators say has a bright future and one who could help bolster the Yankees' lineup, land elsewhere. Continue
Since being demoted from the starting rotation more than three weeks ago, Shawn Chacon has done a lot of sitting around. The right-hander had pitched just twice since July 4, making two appearances in last weekend's series against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
When the Yankees took a two-run lead into the eighth inning on Wednesday night, it looked like it would be another night for Chacon to sit in the bullpen, watching his teammates contribute to another win. But when things took a turn for the worse and the Yankees gave up the lead, manager Joe Torre called on Chacon to come in with the bases loaded and no outs, hoping that he would be able to limit the damage. Continue
Johnny Damon didn't look particularly good early yesterday afternoon, moving around the clubhouse as if he were closer to 80 years old than 40. After the game, however, he looked like a new man. Damon didn't start for a second straight day because of a back strain but said he had a breakthrough during treatment and expects to play tonight. "My back snapped, crackled and popped a little and it feels so much better," Damon said. "Now if I can just keep the person with the voodoo doll away from me for a little bit ..."
He was referring to the odd way he hurt himself - stepping into a car on Monday. He woke up yesterday not feeling any better and expressed some concern about his status before heading into the trainer's room. Continue
Looking to upgrade their backup catching situation the Yankees acquired Sal Fasano from the Phillies last night for an undisclosed minor leaguer, The Post has learned. Fasano had been designated for assignment by the Phillies last weekend and immediately caught the Yankees' attention because he was with them in spring training in 2004 and spent the season with Columbus (Triple-A). Continue
The Phillies told Bobby Abreu's agent the Yankees and Mets remain interested in the right fielder, but the Yankees have expanded their search for a bat beyond Philadelphia. The Post has learned the Yankees and Braves have held discussions about the Yankees acquiring switch-hitting infielder Wilson Betemit and may be willing to give up reliever Scott Proctor.
Betemit has filled in well for Chipper Jones at third base, but the Braves believe their best way to cop the NL wild card is to improve their bullpen. And like a lot of NL clubs, the Phillies included, they like Proctor's live arm. Continue
For the second night in a row, the Yankees used a combination of solid starting pitching, timely hitting and a strong bullpen to defeat the Rangers, putting their morbid weekend in Toronto even further behind them.
Despite collecting just four hits on the night, New York took a 7-4 victory against Texas, improving to 5-0 at Ameriquest Field this season. Mike Mussina pitched six quality innings, earning his team-leading 12th win of the season. "You don't expect to get four hits and get seven runs," Mussina said. "Our guys did what we usually do when we're successful; we made them work and throw a lot of pitches. That's efficient hitting for only four hits." Continue
First it was Mariano Rivera's back locking up while the closer tied his shoes. Now it's Johnny Damon getting hurt while trying to get into a car. The Yankees center fielder was scratched from last night's lineup after his back stiffened on the way to the ballpark. Damon, who was moving very gingerly through the clubhouse after the game, said he felt pain out of nowhere as he was stepping into a friend's car yesterday afternoon.
He got treatment throughout the evening but reported little improvement. Damon didn't seem particularly optimistic about playing tonight, though he wouldn't rule it out. "(The pain) is pretty much from the top to the bottom," he said. When asked if he was concerned about a long-term layoff, Damon said, "Not yet at least. But it was definitely not good today." Continue
The Yankees were doing just fine at overcoming all of the injuries, finding ways to survive - at times thrive - even with players as important to their everyday lineup as Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield and Robinson Cano sidelined.
But they are not going to overcome the mental anguish afflicting Alex Rodriguez. Because this has become every Yankees' mental anguish. This is wearing on a whole team in a way the physical injuries did not. A groundball is hit to Rodriguez now and an entire team - an entire fan base - thinks the worst. The same when A-Rod bats in a big-time spot. Continue
After a tumultuous weekend in Toronto, the Yankees were thrilled to escape the climate-controlled Rogers Centre, even if it meant playing in the scorching heat of Ameriquest Field. Like the weather, the Yankees heated up, handing the Rangers a 6-2 loss to open the three-game series between American League contenders.
Randy Johnson tied Mike Mussina and Chien-Ming Wang with his 11th victory, allowing two runs over six innings. The Big Unit received plenty of run support, as the Yankees scored in five consecutive innings from the third through the seventh. "Pitching just turns momentum back the other way," Joe Torre said. "Randy gave us what we needed. The lift that he, Moose and Wang have given us, now we expect it." Continue
Alex Rodriguez refuses to drown in the sea of negativity surrounding him. While fans blame the third baseman for everything wrong in the Yankees' universe, he is staying positive. "I still feel good [at the plate]," Rodriguez said after going 0-for-4 and striking out in yesterday's 13-5 loss to the Blue Jays. "I hit a ball to the track that would have been a double, but the kid [Frank Catalanotto] made a good play on it."
Since hitting career homer No. 450 Friday night - which was also his 2,000th hit - Rodriguez is 0-for-10 with six strikeouts, and hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position. Continue
The Yankees have made an offer to the Phillies for outfielder Bobby Abreu that was immediately turned down because it didn't include major league-ready talent or top prospect Phil Hughes. Like other teams, the Yankees believe if they take on Abreu's contract ($23.5 million through next year) and pick up his $16 million option in 2008 for him to waive a no-trade clause, they shouldn't have to part with upper-crust prospects such as Hughes, who suitors have been told is untouchable.
With the trading deadline set for 4 p.m. a week from today, the Yankees are monitoring Alfonso Soriano's situation in Washington, where the Nationals are mulling several three-way trade possibilities for their left fielder, who is a free agent after the season. A three-way deal is likely the only avenue the Yankees can use to get Soriano. Continue
Sidney Ponson didn't do much to cement his status as the Yankees' fifth starter, as the Blue Jays lit him up early and often on Sunday. New York dropped the series finale, 13-5, losing to Toronto for the third time in the last four games. The Yankees now hold a two-game edge on the Jays for second place in the American League East, and they trail the Red Sox by 2 1/2 games.
Ponson was hit for six runs in just 2 1/3 innings, while Kris Wilson and Shawn Chacon were tagged for seven more runs in relief. "It's a helpless feeling," Joe Torre said. "It was a surprise, because I expected something from Sidney today. He just didn't have any command at all, and this is the kind of offense that will let you know about that." Continue
Alex Rodriguez isn't the 2006 version of Chuck Knoblauch, Joe Torre said yesterday, even if the third baseman is having issues throwing the ball to first base. Knoblauch, whose struggles forced the Yanks to move him to the outfield in 2001, made his errors mostly when he had time to think about his throws from second base, indicating his issue was psychological; the Yanks don't believe that's the case with Rodriguez, who made five errors at third base this week.
"(Knoblauch's), to me, was mental," Torre said before yesterday's 5-4 victory over the Jays. "Alex's is physical. It has to do with positioning." Along those lines, Rodriguez was at the ballpark early yesterday to work with third base coach Larry Bowa. The two went through a number of drills to try to correct a flaw in A-Rod's mechanics; Rodriguez said he was mostly working on "rhythm and momentum," attempting to make sure his footwork was fluid. Continue
Once again, Joe Torre seems to have the magic touch. Torre held a pregame meeting with the Yankees on Saturday, urging his players not to let their three-game losing streak snowball into something much worse.
"He just wanted to make sure we weren't getting sloppy, because we played a sloppy game the night before," said Jason Giambi, referring to Friday's loss to the Blue Jays. "He didn't want us to let it get away; we've been playing so well with so many guys hurt, he didn't want us to lose our situation and have the wheels come off." New York responded to Torre's words, as the Yankees grinded their way to a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays, snapping the losing streak. Continue
Derek Jeter sighed when the question was posed to him yesterday. He first heard it a few weeks ago, but for the second time this season there was a buzz among talk radio and other Yankees observers as to why the captain hasn't "spoken out" in defense of his struggling teammate Alex Rodriguez.
"My job is to support him, to offer any support I can and that's what I do - with all of my teammates," Jeter said. "That's my job. My job isn't to tell fans what to do. What power do I have to do that?" Continue
With one swing of the bat on Friday night, Alex Rodriguez made history. Twice. A-Rod's three-run home run against Toronto's A.J. Burnett marked both his 2,000th career hit and his 450th homer. The 416-foot shot, which came on a 1-1 count, made Rodriguez the youngest player in baseball history to reach the 450-homer mark.
"It's exciting; that's a lot of home runs," Rodriguez said. "It's nice to do it in a park that I like and respect so much. To do it against a very good pitcher like A.J., it's pretty cool." Rodriguez is the youngest player ever to hit 450 homers, eclipsing the mark of his former Seattle teammate, Ken Griffey Jr. Continue
Alex Rodriguez, one day after making a critical throwing error, came out early Friday to take extra ground balls and work on his throwing mechanics. Rodriguez and manager Joe Torre believe his recent throwing problems are a result of dropping his arm and throwing sidearm, which Rodriguez is trying to correct."It's one of those things that has to change, and I'm assuming it will, because he's too good," Torre said. "I don't think there is anyone who works harder than he does."
Rodriguez has been frustrated by his struggles, which have resulted in boos at home, but not enough to consider leaving New York. He called that "a ridiculous thought" Thursday night, and Friday Torre said, "I don't think that's necessary." Continue
Poor starting pitching, inconsistent offense and shaky defense isn't exactly a formula for success, so it's no wonder that the Yankees had a tough time against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Friday night.
Jaret Wright was roughed up for five runs in 2 2/3 innings, New York managed just two singles after the third inning and Alex Rodriguez made yet another error, as Toronto cruised to a 7-3 victory. The loss was the third in a row for the Yankees, who suddenly find themselves trying to hold off the surging Blue Jays for second place in the American League East. Continue
Alex Rodriguez laughed when a trade rumor that circulated through Wall Street yesterday was relayed to him. "It doesn't make any difference," Rodriguez said of the rumor that had the Yankees third baseman going to the Phillies as part of a blockbuster trade for Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, Tom Gordon and David Bell, with the Yankees supposedly also sending Melky Cabrera and a player to be named. "I would veto it." Continue
Not long after watching the unlikeliest of endings, Alex Rodriguez stood in front of his locker and answered what ought to be the unlikeliest of questions. Across the room, Mariano Rivera had just finished talking about giving up only the sixth game-winning home run of his career in a crushing 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays in 11 innings. But now Rodriguez was leaning up against the wall, and it was clear that his struggles - his sixth-inning error last night helped turn the momentum toward the home team - are the biggest issue lingering over the Yankees right now as they sit 2 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East.
Whether it's strikeouts, sunbathing or sidearm throws that sail, Rodriguez cannot escape the spotlight, and there has even been speculation recently - bizarre as it may sound - that perhaps Rodri.guez would like to get out of the Bronx. Continue
It doesn't happen often, but Mariano Rivera walked off the mound Thursday night without a smile on his face. Vernon Wells blasted a walk-off home run with one out in the 11th inning against the All-Star closer, giving the Blue Jays a 5-4 victory in the first game of a four-game series.
"Any time Mariano comes back without a save or a victory, I'll never stop being surprised," Joe Torre said. "He's so good at what he does." Rivera looked like his vintage self on Thursday when he took the mound in the 10th inning of a 4-4 game. The closer blew through the Blue Jays lineup with a perfect inning, getting a pair of ground balls and a fly out to left. Continue
THERE are now 69 baseball tomorrows remaining in the season for the second-place Yankees, and this is why the way Randy Johnson feels today is equally as important as the way he threw yesterday ... and threw yesterday ... and threw yesterday. Johnson threw the ball 129 times yesterday afternoon, and his last pitch against the Mariners was a 95-mph fastball that Richie Sexson couldn't catch up to before going down on strikes - the way 10 of his teammates did over the Unit's eight innings of throwback work.
It can't quite be an afterthought to state that Johnson lost the game 3-2 on an unearned run in the eighth - not with the Red Sox winning a second straight 1-0 game over the Royals to extend their division lead to 1 1/2 games over the Yankees - but it's close. Continue
Randy Johnson surprisingly made some concessions to age a few weeks ago, acknowledging that he might not be the same pitcher he was as a younger man. Yesterday, after an eight-inning outing in which he threw more pitches in a start than he has since 2002, the sole reference to Johnson's advancing years was when he admitted he would probably feel it when he woke up today.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, they felt their soreness from yesterday's game much sooner - when the final out was recorded in a 3-2 loss to the Mariners in front of 54,121 at the Stadium. They couldn't hit enough to support Johnson and, one day after getting a gift from umpires in a victory, a call went against them that could have helped change the outcome. Continue
Brilliant, Alex Rodriguez described his Sunday, when he started a difficult double play to get Jaret Wright out of a first-inning jam, made another throw that forced a rundown and hit a two-run homer that chased away his boo birds. Then, just like the well-heeled idiots in the beer commercial, Rodriguez' next bright idea was to sun himself on a blistering Monday in Central Park, winding up not only shirtless in yesterday's Post, but with three throwing errors and a bases-loaded seventh-inning strikeout. Continue
Sidney Ponson always wanted to be a Yankee partly because of the way they never quit. The Yankees reminded Ponson of that in his pinstripes debut Tuesday night, coming from two runs behind in the bottom of the ninth and winning on a walk-off homer by Melky Cabrera in the 11th to beat Seattle, 5-4, after a nearly two-hour rain delay.
It was the Yankees' ninth win in their past 10 games and fifth straight since coming back from the All-Star break, but they still are a half-game behind the Red Sox in the American League East. Cabrera lead off the 11th by ripping a slider off Julio Mateo inches over the right-field wall for his fourth homer of his career and first walk-off. He didn't think the ball was going to clear the fence, but raised both hands above his head in triumph after rounding first base. After tossing off his helmet, Cabrera was joined by a mob of teammates at home plate. Continue
Johnny Damon broke in at Kansas City, where in the withering Missouri summer, the Royals suffer the agony of defeat and agony of the feet. Trust him, when you play in Kaycee, you are hot to trot long before free agency becomes an option.
"It was always smoking there," said Damon, who thus had previous experience with the calf cramps he suffered Saturday. Last night, after a one-game absence, he jumped back into the boiling Stadium vat, delivering three hits and driving in a run as the Yankees beat Seattle, 4-2. Continue
Sidney Ponson says he won't be nervous when he slips on his new pinstriped No. 24 uniform tonight and heads to the mound for his first start as a Yankee. He says he won't feel any added pressure to perform, despite the fact the Yankees are in need of another reliable arm in their rotation and tonight amounts to Ponson's audition for that role as the one-time 17-game winner tries to resurrect his career. No, Ponson is playing it cool, even if he says it's a battle to keep his emotions in check. "I'm really excited," Ponson said. "I can't wait. Hopefully I won't be overly excited. I just need to focus on what to do." Continue
It's very rare for a team to win a game when the final linescore shows the same number in both the runs and errors columns. But that's how good life is for the Yankees right now. New York continued its post-All-Star streak on Monday night, winning for the fourth consecutive day with a 4-2 victory over the Mariners. Chien-Ming Wang bailed out his team on several occasions after it tied a season high with four errors, three of them committed by Alex Rodriguez at third base. Continue
Good things happen to those who wait. Derek Jeter waited 189 at-bats for yesterday's first-inning home run - the second-longest dry spell he has ever had between homers in one season. But the Yankees captain got things started for the Bombers yesterday in a 6-4 triumph over the White Sox with a one-out, solo homer in the first inning.
The longest stretch Jeter's ever gone between home runs in the same campaign was a 313 at-bat span in 1997. He waited 46 games for yesterday's long ball against Chicago starter Freddy Garcia. Jeter's last home run before yesterday's 0-1 jack was May 16 against Texas. Continue
No one on the Yankees could have seen this coming 10 years ago, which is understandable. To this day, no one on any other team can see it coming from 60 feet, 6 inches, either. So yesterday, for the 400th time, everyone witnessed something that no one really has seen. The ball just sort of appears out of Mariano Rivera's hand and heads toward the plate; then, all of a sudden, it's not where you thought it was going to be.
That's what makes him the most unhittable pitcher of this generation. That's what has given him 400 saves, including the strenuous one yesterday in a 6-4 win over the White Sox at Yankee Stadium. That's what is going to send him to the Hall of Fame, and that's what has made him the most indispensable Yankee since they got good again in 1996. Continue
It was their starting pitching Friday night, their bats Saturday and their defense Sunday that gave the Yankees a series sweep of the defending World Series champion White Sox. By the end of the weekend, the Yankees left the clubhouse only a half-game behind the Red Sox in the American League East and feeling the best they have all season.
And to make it all so much sweeter, their 6-4 win Sunday was accomplished the way the new Yankee way -- with an injury-bitten group of guys who haven't given up. To cap it off, Mariano Rivera nailed down career save No. 400, making him just the fourth player in history to reach that number. Continue
The Yankees paid Johnny Damon $52 million for days like this, when a bunt single turned out to be as important as any of their 14 hits, when they small-balled the White Sox into submission. In fact, for one day the Bronx Bombers turned into the Bronx Bunters, dropping down four bunts for maybe the first time since the Horace Clarke era, only in this case it was a strategy born not of desperation but rather Joe Torre's constant preaching.
With the lineup failures of last October in mind, Torre has urged the Yankees since spring training to think small, the better to achieve big results, more so since losing Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield to long-term injuries. Continue
George Steinbrenner likes Bobby Abreu. That's not just a rumor. That comes directly from The Boss' mouth. On his way out of the Stadium after yesterday's game, Steinbrenner spoke briefly, but he said enough to reinforce indications that the Yankees will pursue the Phillies' right fielder.
Asked whom general manager Brian Cashman should target on the trade market, Steinbrenner said, "He knows what he's doing. There's a guy I prefer, but I'm not going to talk about it now." Asked if that guy is Abreu, the principal owner said, "Sure I like Bobby Abreu." Then he added, "Everybody likes Bobby Abreu." Continue
The general consensus has been that the Wild Card spot will come out of the American League Central this season, but the Yankees are making people think twice about that. New York's 14-3 beating of Chicago on Saturday didn't do anything to discredit the idea that the AL East could produce a pair of playoff teams, as the Yankees beat the White Sox for the second straight day. The Yankees remained 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Red Sox in the AL East and four back of the White Sox in the Wild Card race. Boston shut out the A's on Saturday night, 7-0. Continue
Randy Johnson, who recently confessed to not being what he used to be, pitched his 42-year-old heart out last night. Joe Crede went deep with a flat slider with one on in the second, and that was all The Big Unit gave up until the seventh, when Johnson wild-pitched Paul Konerko to second, Jermaine Dye got the runner to third with a high hopper and Juan Uribe got a sacrifice fly just deep enough to leave the starter with only a hard-earned no-decision. Continue
When Randy Johnson and Jose Contreras met last Aug. 21, the Big Unit served up four homers in a White Sox win, while Contreras began a personal winning streak that would reach 17. On Friday, Johnson and the Yankees got the better of Contreras and the White Sox, as New York held off a late charge for a 6-5 victory in the first game of the three-game weekend series.
Johnson tossed seven strong innings, though he did not factor into the decision as the Bombers scored three times in the eighth to snap a 3-3 tie. Mariano Rivera notched his 399th career save, despite allowing a pair of runs in the ninth. Continue
Forget the schedule. Ignore the Yankees and Red Sox having just nine games remaining against each other. Starting tonight and lasting until Oct. 1, it's Yankees-Red Sox 24/7. Each will play a game on the field wondering what their blood rivals are doing in another stadium. They can deny it but it will be hollow talk. That's because you can make the argument that for the first time since the 1978 one-game playoff game Bucky Dent won with a homer, the stakes have never been bigger between the Yankees and Red Sox. Continue
Three seasons ago, Sidney Ponson was coveted as a potential ace as the trade deadline neared. Now the Yankees are just hoping the embattled righthander can help them patch together the back end of their rotation for a run at the Red Sox.
Desperate for a starting pitcher, the Yankees yesterday said they expect to sign the just-released Ponson to a contract today and plug him into the fifth spot, a move that could be the first of several to help shore up the second-place Yanks before July 31.
The Yankees have already scheduled Ponson to start Tuesday at Yankee Stadium against the Mariners, GM Brian Cashman said. Ponson is slated to join the Bombers today after details of the contract are complete. The Yankees will pay Ponson the pro-rated minimum salary, roughly $160,000 for the rest of the season. Continue
It was worse last season. Much, much worse. How easy it is to forget, but the Yankees were in a far more dire spot than their current plight when the second half began a year ago today.
Chien-Ming Wang mysteriously came up with a shoulder injury during the break that would disable him for two months. Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright already were out, meaning four starting pitchers on the DL. When the second half opened, the Yanks were a third-place team - in both the AL East and AL wild card - with Jason Anderson, Wayne Franklin, Darrell May and Tim Redding all on their pitching staff. Continue
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner expressed optimism about his team entering the second half of the season. The injury-depleted Yankees reached the All-Star break three games behind the Red Sox. It's the Yankees' biggest deficit at this point of the season since 1997, the last year they failed to win the American League East title."I still think we've got a good chance," Steinbrenner said last night after the Class A Tampa Yankees' game was rained out. "We've got to battle Boston. It will be between Boston and ourselves." Continue
he challenge of the second half is clear. Alex Rodriguez sees it. The Yankees must beat Boston or go home. "The wild card will not come out of the East. Period," Rodriguez told The Post yesterday at the American League All-Stars' press conference. How sure was he of that? "One-hundred percent," he said.
The Red Sox own a 53-33 record, three games better than the Yankees at 50-36. The Yankees are playing at a .581 clip. The Tigers are at .670, the White Sox at .648. A-Rod is right. The Yankees have to make up ground against their archrivals or the postseason will be played without the Yankees for the first time since 1993. Continue
With Alex Rodriguez's swing long again and his bat frigid, the All-Star Game couldn't come at a better time for the Yankees cleanup hitter. "The time off is good," said Rodriguez, the American League's starting third baseman tomorrow night in Pittsburgh.
Maybe A-Rod can rediscover a productive stroke among the galaxy of All Stars. He is in a 0-for-12 slide that includes four at-bats with runners in scoring position without a hit. Yesterday in a 6-5 loss to the Devil Rays, he banged into a rally-killing double play to end the first and fanned with two on in the seventh. Continue
Scott Proctor said it best after Sunday's game, when he remarked that it's not how you start, but how you finish. Proctor was speaking in terms of the second half of the Yankees' season, but the same words of wisdom held true for New York's efforts in a 6-5 series-ending loss to Tampa Bay. The Yankees had a 5-0 lead in the third inning, but saw it dissipate as quickly as it had come, thanks to a few dangerously-placed pitches.
"It was nice to jump out like that," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "We just couldn't pitch well enough to hold it." True to Proctor's adage, what should have been an easy win after the top of the third was anything but. Continue
Eleven years ago on a Tuesday night in Anaheim, a 25-year-old Mariano Rivera struck out Tony Phillips and Jim Edmonds to begin his major-league career. Those in attendance had no way of knowing they were witnessing the birth of a new Yankees legend.
Since that 10-0 loss to the Angels on May 23, 1995, Rivera has become the greatest closer in the history of baseball. He has won a World Series MVP. He's been to seven All-Star Games. He's made Yankees fans feel safe turning off the TV after the eighth inning. Continue
Out of action since Wednesday, Johnny Damon wanted to make his return count. And since he didn't enter Saturday's game until the sixth inning, he had precious little time to make a difference. Not a problem. The regular center fielder scored the game's first run, in the sixth inning as a pinch-runner, and then smacked a two-RBI triple to right in the top of the seventh to push New York's lead to three during a 5-1 victory over Tampa Bay that secured a series win.
It also gave manager Joe Torre his 1,926th career win, tying him with Casey Stengel for 10th-most all-time. "It's great company. And you know the great part about celebrating something like that is it means that you did well on the field," Torre said of the milestone. "It's an accomplishment that coincides with the team doing well, so it's easy for me to enjoy that." Continue
Gary Sheffield is usually the portrait of fiery intensity while in a baseball clubhouse, but he was buoyant while visiting the Yankees before last night's game. The good mood stemmed from the progress his injured left wrist has made since surgery to repair a dislocated tendon and torn ligament June 13. Sheffield, whose left arm is in a cast up to the elbow, predicted he would be back around Sept. 1. "That's my plan," said Sheffield, who has been on the disabled list since May 30 and missed 35 games.
Sheffield is slated to have the cast removed after the All-Star break, and Joe Torre said the Bombers would "know more" then. But the manager agreed that Sheffield could return in September, which would mean that the Yankees could have both Sheffield and Hideki Matsui, who has a fractured left wrist, back for the season's final month. Sheffield, whose wife gave birth to a boy on June 15, said it's been difficult to watch the Yankees while he heals. "Where we are in the standings, I think I can make a difference," Sheffield said. Continue
Jaret Wright turned something old into something new on Friday night. He made up for a poor outing in his prior start and threw in a career-tying-high 10 strikeouts for good measure in what manager Joe Torre called "dominance" in a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay. "That's probably as good as he's pitched this year based on the fact that he threw hard, and the fact that his pitch count was pretty good," Torre said.
"He could've pitched another inning and still only reach 100, that's pretty darn good." Wright went six innings on 91 pitches and scattered four hits. Torre said if the game hadn't been such a close one, he probably would've sent the right-hander back in for another inning. Continue
Despite pleas from Major League Baseball, The Post has learned Alex Rodriguez won't participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday night in Pittsburgh, due to the cranky right groin he has been suffering from for three weeks. While the AL's starting third baseman isn't shy about his dislike for the event, he is wary of putting that much stress on the groin.
"I have to be careful with it," said Rodriguez, who says the injury isn't serious enough to keep him out of Tuesday's night's All-Star Game. "The last thing I need to do is make it worse. I don't want to take 30 to 40 swings and make it worse with all that torque. I don't want to irritate it." Continue
The Yankees are anticipating they will be without Johnny Damon until after the All-Star break because of his strained right abdominal muscle. "He may be out for the weekend, whether we're conservative or not," manager Joe Torre said.
Damon suffered the injury during batting practice Wednesday afternoon and said yesterday, "I definitely feel it more today." He did not take part in any baseball-related activities yesterday, though Torre said Damon could start swinging a bat today.Damon wants to make himself available tonight, but understands the best course might be to shut himself down to take advantage of the extra four days off. "If we keep swinging the bats like we did [Wednesday] night, it would be a no-brainer," he said. Continue
After an up-and-down first half which saw him struggle to find consistency, Randy Johnson gave the Yankees a glimpse of the pitcher he hopes to be during the season's second half. Johnson's final line Thursday didn't look nearly as good as his performance, as he allowed four runs (three earned) over 7 2/3 innings. Still, it was good enough for a 10-4 Yankees win, as the Bombers earned a four-game split with the Indians.
"He was terrific," Joe Torre said. "He got a little tired at the end, but he dominated today. Everything was working for him, his pitch count was great and we got him some runs to work with." "If I was as washed up as everyone has been saying," Johnson said, "I wouldn't be pitching well at all and we wouldn't be where we are." Continue
According to George Steinbrenner, it's up to general manager Brian Cashman to make the Yankees better before the July 31 trading deadline. "Brian Cashman is working hard to improve the team and the responsibility is in his hands," The Boss said in a statement delivered by PR guru Howard Rubenstein yesterday before the Yanks defeated the Indians, 11-3.
When Cashman came back last fall, he was given more control by Steinbrenner, who insisted his Tampa Inner Circle wouldn't have as much input. Now, it's in Cashman's lap to make a deal or deals. But what if the Yankees can't pull off a deal and start to slip hopelessly out of the postseason picture? Will The Boss revert to listening to Bill Emslie and Billy Connors, who were slated to meet with Steinbrenner yesterday in Tampa? Continue
Add another body part to Johnny Damon's list of aches and pains. The Yankees center fielder came out of last night's game against the Indians in the third inning with soreness in his right abdominal muscle and he is likely out for at least tonight's series finale.
Damon said he first felt something during batting practice yesterday. The discomfort returned as he was warming up in the on-deck circle before the first pitch, but the lineup cards had already been officially exchanged so he figured he'd see if he could play through it. He couldn't. Continue
Less than 24 hours after the Indians handed the Yankees an embarrassing loss, New York returned the favor. The Yankees blasted the Indians, 11-3, using an eight-run fourth inning to take the drama out of the contest early. Melky Cabrera went 3-for-4 with his first career grand slam and five RBIs, a career high.
Mike Mussina won his 10th game of the season, holding the Indians to three runs over six innings. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mussina is the first pitcher in American League history to reach double-digits in wins for 15 consecutive seasons. Continue
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