Some Yankees Blame Fans For Awful ALCS

From John Harper:

...while A-Rod blamed two weeks of postseason futility at the plate, saying it “sucked the energy out of us," another player privately made a far more indicting observation: that the ballclub was affected by the hostility from the fans at Yankee Stadium last weekend.

“I really think the booing spooked a lot of guys," the player said. “A lot of guys hadn’t been booed before, and they couldn’t believe how nasty it got in the stands."

Obviously Nick Swisher admitted to being sensitive to such treatment after Game 2, but the player said Swisher was far from alone in his reaction.

“A lot of guys were talking about it in the clubhouse," he said. “I was surprised by how much it bothered them. I really don’t think they ever recovered."

If that’s true, well, so much for the big, bad Yankees.

Sounds like that unnamed Yankee is someone who has been here for a while. Maybe Andy?

Anyway, the idea that this team struggled because of the fans says a lot more about the team than the fans. On one hand I do agree that the booing of A-Rod this postseason was ridiculous and could not have been good for team morale, but at the same time these guys are paid a lot of money to perform so grow a sack and deal with it. Hopefully, any player that was spooked won't be here once the 2013 season rolls around.

They're Even A Disaster Off The Field

From the NY Post:

Even the Yankees’ team bus had a bad night.

After last night’s 4-3 loss to the Red Sox, the Yankees were pulling out of a Fenway Park parking lot when their driver crashed the bus into a gate protecting the entrance, breaking a window.

According to bystanders, glass was shattered into the bus, but nobody was injured.

Seriously, can things get any worse for this team?

Screw You, Jerry Meals

OK, we've all seen the play, and if not, you can above. To make matters worse, here's what crew chief Mike Winters said after the game:

“We looked at a replay. The replay we had, honestly, was not a very good angle and inconclusive. That was just a very, very close play. Until I see a definite replay, I really can’t give you any more than that.”

“We saw a replay and from where I’m sitting, it’s inconclusive. It’s very close. That’s a very close play.”

No, moron it was not very close, not at all. Like John Sterling said, "he was safe by a lot".

Here's what Tex and Girardi had to say about the play:

Mark Teixeira

“Pretty sure the game was televised so everyone saw what it was. It was just a terrible call. It happens.”

“Very frustrating. It started in the eighth inning. We could have had a big inning there and a questionable call on me as well. And in the ninth, sometimes you wonder if the umpires are just trying to get out of there. They don’t want you to make a comeback, they want to go home, because those are terrible calls. It is what it is, but we’re out there fighting, I’m out there playing on one leg and I wish it would have gone my way.”

“It wasn’t even that close, that’s what’s disappointing. We’re out here battling, we’re scratching and clawing for every win, and it wasn’t close. I’m not one to complain about calls, but that was bad.”

“I’m probably going to get fined, but I don’t care, really, because I’m out there fighting. We’re out there fighting. When you’re battling like we’re battling and I’m out there on one leg and they can’t get a call right, that pisses you off. It really does.”

Joe Girardi

“It’s not a bang-bang play. He’s safe. He’s clearly safe. Jerry missed it. You hate to lose a game that way, but he missed it.”

“It’s extremely frustrating. The way we battled back, down in the seventh, get a run in the eighth and you have a chance to tie the ballgame, it’s frustrating. It’s a shame.”

“They’re going to watch it and they’re going to know they missed it.”

Sadly, Joe, they did not know that, or at least they refused to admit it. What else can I say? These umpires suck.

A-Rod Once Again Voted Most Hated Player By His Peers

From Wallace Matthews:

Hot on the heels of being voted baseball's MOP -- Most Overrated Player -- in a Sports Illustrated poll back in May, and another by Men's Journal that named him baseball's MHP -- Most Hated Player -- in June comes word that A-Rod has topped another anonymous SI poll: according to the magazine, he is also "baseball's biggest phony", whatever that means. A-Rod "won'' the poll with a whopping 26 percent of the vote.

.... The runner-up in the voting is none other than the Yankees' own Nick Swisher, who garnered 14 percent. Swisher also ran second to A-Rod in the MHP voting. Is Swish poised to make a run at the man at the top?

What is there to say about this besides that I really hope A-Rod comes back and tears the cover off the ball.

Michael Pineda's First Season in Pinstripes Gets Worse

From SI.com:

New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was arrested early Monday morning for driving under the influence, reports the New York Post‘s Dan Mangan.

Pineda, who is out for the season after having shoulder surgery in April, ”had a fixed gaze and his eyes were bloodshot, watery and glassy” when he was stopped in Tampa, Fla., according to the arresting officer’s report. His blood-alcohol level was .128 and .125 in two tests, Mangan reports. He also reports Pineda was charged with DUI and released on bond.

I still can't understand how these athletes don't have the common sense to call a damn cab. Yes, I know, he's "ONLY" making $528,475 this year, but that should be more than enough to be able to afford cabs.

Gammons Says Cliff Lee Might Be An Option

Oh no, not this again.

Here's the story from Jon Lane:

During his weekly Thursday spot for Sports Radio WIP in Philadelphia, MLB Network’s Peter Gammons suggested that the Phillies, due to their last-place standing and the changes in compensation for free agents, may explore getting into an area where they can sign pending FA Cole Hamels and trade Cliff Lee, who turns 34 next month and signed through 2015 with an option for 2016.

If that were the case, Gammons said a big-market team would go for Lee in a hurry, and one of those teams could be the Yankees. Ironically, the Yankees were this-close to trading for Lee in 2010 before the Mariners chose to do business with the Rangers. That winter, Lee turned down the Yankees’ seven-year, $148 million offer for five and $120M in Philadelphia, a place he claimed he never wanted to leave. (Lee was traded from the Phillies to the M’s in December 2009).

.... The Yankees have professed fiscal responsibility and are aiming for a payroll under $189 million by 2014. Lee will cost a contender top prospects and the acceptance of the left-hander’s contract. That along with Brian Cashman’s insistence he’s not looking to do anything big by the July 31 trade deadline would put the Yankees out of play.

Or would it?

“The Yankees can say all they want that they won't trade,” Gammons said. “I do think it's not exactly in Brian Cashman’s DNA to trade young players, but it's different when you're Cliff Lee. I think there's a possibility. I really do. I think (the Phillies) can get more for Cliff Lee than for Cole Hamels.”

Even though Lee isn't the same pitcher he's been in recent years, there is little doubt in my mind that the addition of Cliff Lee (or Hamels for that matter) would easily favorites to win it all. However, I think we all became pretty sick of Cliff Lee, and all the talk about him coming here, when he decided to sign with the Phillies instead of signing with the Yanks a couple off-seasons ago.

"I never wanted to leave [Philly] in the first place," Lee said. "To get an opportunity to come back and be part of this team and this pitching rotation is going to be something that's historic, I believe."

So Cliff, how's that working out for you?

Maybe I'm just an ass, but part of me would much rather watch him rot with those last-place Phillies than come here and succeed.

What about you?

Reggie Issues (A Completely Unnecessary) Statement

Reggie Jackson issued this statement today about the recent comments he made in Sports Illustrated:

"In trying to convey my feelings about a few issues that I am passionate about, I made the mistake of naming some specific players."

"This was inappropriate and unfair to those players, some of which are very close friends of mine. I think there are ways to speak from the heart without hurting people, and I’m disappointed that I didn’t take greater care in expressing my views.

“I have been proactively reaching out to make personal apologies to those within the Hall of Fame community that I offended, and to the Yankees organization for any disruption that I caused in the clubhouse. I continue to have a strong relationship with the club, and look forward to continuing in my role with the team. As always, I remain dedicated to the great game of baseball."

Reggie, stop! You did nothing wrong.

Yanks Tell Reggie To Stay Away

From Buster Olney:

After Reggie Jackson's disparaging comments about Alex Rodriguez and others last week, he was essentially benched by the Yankees and told to stay away from team events indefinitely, according to AL sources.

Jackson was not in Boston over the weekend, where the Yankees played the Red Sox.

Jackson, a special adviser for the Yankees, usually is around the team.

But at this time, there is enough anger at the Hall of Famer from within the organization that the team has decided that he should keep his distance until otherwise determined.

"A cooling off period, but not a death penalty," a source with knowledge of the team's thinking called it when speaking to ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand.

At some point, Jackson is expected to be back with the team, the source said.

Olney also mentions that Jackson apologized to Joe Girardi and other team officials, as well as A-Rod himself.

To me, Reggie did nothing wrong and shouldn't have been forced to apologize or stay away from the team. After all, the quote in the article was pretty harmless:

"Al's a very good friend. But I think there are real questions about his numbers. As much as I like him, what he admitted about his usage does cloud some of his records."

The Yankees are blowing this whole thing way out of proportion.

Would The Boss have reacted this way? I don't think so, and I'd bet he'd be pretty disappointed.

The only thing that matters here is that Alex Rodriguez brought this on himself when he decided to cheat the game, and he's not the victim here. If anyone is, it's Reggie.

... Well, and maybe some of those HOF'ers he ripped in the article, too.

Harper: "I don't want to be a Yankee"

If you had hopes that the Yankees would one day sign Bryce Harper, you may want to pull back the reigns a little. Apparently, he's pretty happy in DC:

“You look at Cal Ripken. You look at Derek Jeter. You look at all the greats that played for one team their whole career,” Harper said last weekend, sitting in the dugout at Camden Yards in Baltimore. “I want to be like that. I’ve always wanted to be like that. I’ve always wanted to play with that same team.”

“Having a community and fans like we do in D.C. that love our players, love everything about us, we deserve to give something back to them,” he added. “I want to do that. I don’t want to do anything else.”

Harper has told his father the same thing, that he wants to make Washington home and play here until he retires. “Bryce is as loyal as they come,” Ron Harper said. “He doesn’t care about nothing but winning a championship.”

...

Before the Nationals played the Yankees in mid-June, Harper told his father, “I don’t want to be a Yankee. I want to beat them.”

At least the Yankees won't have to fork up the $400 million it was estimated that Harper could get on the open market, so at least they can avoid that headache. That said, if Harper spends a few years in Washington and doesn't win, I wouldn't be surprised to hear he's had another change of heart.

Mets Closer Frank Francisco Calls Yankees "Chickens"

From Mike Puma:

At least somebody isn’t afraid to talk trash about a cross-town rival.

“I can’t wait to face those chickens,” Mets closer Frank Francisco told The Post when asked about playing the Yankees in this weekend’s Subway Series at Citi Field. “I want to strike out the side against them. I’ve done it before.”

Before Francisco could elaborate on his “chickens” comment, after the Mets’ 4-3 victory over the Orioles on Wednesday, he buttoned up.

“I think I’ve said too much already,” he said.

Chickens? Really, Frank?

Hey Yanks, please sweep these bastards again.

Clemens Trial: Not Guilty On All Counts

From The Associated Press:

Roger Clemens has been acquitted on all charges by a jury that decided he didn't lie to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Jurors returned their verdict Monday after close to 10 hours of deliberation. The outcome brings an end to a 10-week trial that capped an expensive, five-year investigation into one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball.

The 49-year-old Clemens was accused of perjury, making false statements and obstructing Congress when he testified at a deposition and at a nationally-televised hearing in February 2008. The charges centered on his repeated denials that he used steroids and human growth hormone during his 24-year career.

The verdict is the latest blow to the government's pursuit of athletes accused of drug use.

And the United States Justice system continues to be an embarrassment to all citizens of this great nation. Clemens cheated, he knew he cheated, and he lied about it to Congress. Somehow the painfully obvious was lost on these 12 idiots.

"Hey Rusty, I can't believe they bought it."

Rays Fans Can't Catch

Yanks Fan vs. Sox Fan @ Yanks-Tigers

Here's a couple videos of a recent brawl at the stadium that's been going around the interwebs today. The fight was between a few female Yankees & Red Sox fans (Why were they at Yanks-Tigers?).

Part One Part Two

Ain't that a kick in the head?

Tebow and Wade Receive A Bronx Cheer

From ESPN New York:

Tim Tebow has work to do if he's going to win over New York sports fans.

The new backup quarterback for the Jets was booed at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night when he was shown on the giant video board -- even though he was wearing a Yankees cap.

Sitting in the third row next to the Los Angeles Angels dugout, Tebow cracked a smile and acknowledged the camera. There was a smattering of cheers, but most of the initial reactions were boos.

...

Sitting next to Tebow was Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, also booed when he was shown on the scoreboard earlier in the game. But those boos quickly turned to cheers when Wade held up his Yankees cap.

Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert was also in attendance. Shumpert was the first of the three players shown on the big screen, receiving a nice round of applause.

To my knowledge, Shumpert was not sitting with Pope Tebow or Wade. At least I hope he wasn't.

How The Knicks Saved Easter (and Passover)

I probably should be upset about this embarrassing season-opening sweep. After all, the Rays thoroughly outplayed and outcoached the Yanks in this three-game set. But I don't. Not at all actually. First of all, there's no reason to begin to panic over three games in April. Oh, and this happened:


Hopefully, most of you are Knicks fans and were able to enjoy this in the midst of the Yankees ugly opening series. If not, well that's what you get for rooting for the Nets.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover.

Brien Taylor Arrested For Cocaine Trafficking

From John Swartz:

Taylor, 40, was arrested Thursday in Beaufort and now faces a host of cocaine charges after a joint effort between the Carteret County Sheriff's Office and the Morehead City Police Department. Investigators said they bought "a large quantity of cocaine and crack cocaine from Taylor over a period of several months."

The former No. 1 selection in the Major League Baseball draft now faces a slew of charges involving the possession of and the intent to sell and distribute cocaine.

Taylor was placed in the Carteret County Jail under a $275,000 bond and is scheduled for a court appearance Friday morning.

It's amazing how the guy's life changed after that incredibly stupid bar fight. A sad story gets even sadder.

Scattered Thoughts on #MysteryTeam

This post is being syndicated from The Yankee Analysts.
Claiming that Twitter has changed the landscape of sports reporting and journalism has become one of the more cliché statements of the past calendar year or so. In fact, it has become so cliché that referring to it as cliché is, in fact, cliché. Or something like that.

That being said, the ubiquitousness of Twitter cannot be overstated. After all, it was only a shade over two months ago that this happened:

In essence, Twitter has become the go-to source for breaking news, for all parties concerned - fans, journalists, professional athletes, and front office personnel utilize the 140-characters to garner as much information as possible, choosing the jumble of text and abbreviations over the larger bodies of analysis to which they link. The social networking giant has, in short, become the place for sports analysis, prognostication, rumors, and reporting. It is expected to be omnipotent, and it oftentimes is just that. Recently, however, #MysteryTeam has come to represent not only a veritable joie de vivre, but a somewhat frustrating outlier.

The #MysteryTeam phenomenon began, at least in a practical sense, with the Phillies signing of Clifton Phifer Lee. As late as Thanksgiving of 2010, most everyone 'in the know' was certain that Lee would be signing on the dotted line with either the Yankees or the Rangers. Some writers alluded to a 'mystery team' throwing a monkey wrench into the operation, yet it seems inevitable that one of the 2010 ALCS teams would win the bidding. As Yankees and Rangers fans remember, it was roughly three weeks later that Lee was hamming it up in front of cameras at his introductory press conference ... as a Phillie.

Throughout this past season, it seemed as if every rumor was sprinkled with allusions to a 'mystery team' pursuing trade deadline targets, or planning their off-season around Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, or the possibly opted-out CC Sabathia (some in a truthful sense, but most in jest). Over these past two months, the allusions to a 'mystery team' have evolved (or devolved) into #MysteryTeam being added into a substantial percentage of all rumblings and grumblings. And for all the prognostications about payroll flexibility, likely landing spots, and the like ... #MysteryTeam won out with Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and, most recently, Yoenis Céspedes. Jorge Soler, perhaps the last remaining prize on the market, has been linked to the Cubs, Yankees, Marlins, and, among others, #MysteryTeam.

What does this all mean? To be perfectly frank, I'm not quite sure it means anything at all. The likeliest lesson to be learned is that the leakiness of front offices has not quite kept pace with the insatiable appetite of the fans and media, and that the news breaking abilities of Twitter are as dependent on such leaks as any other medium - it's simply instantaneous. This 'phenomenon' may merely be a product of players being more willing to follow dollars, or more willing to give 'home town' discounts. It may be a result of more teams being willing to enter the fray, and thus impeding the ability of journalists to stakeout the usual suspects.

Or it may just be nothing more than a joke transcended into news, albeit a far more prescient joke than most.

Follow me on Twitter - @DomenicLanza

YES Network's Bob Lorenz Arrested For DUI

From the AP:

YES Network television host Bob Lorenz has been charged with drunken driving in Connecticut where police say he was found passed out in his car in his hometown of Westport.

The 48-year-old Lorenz was arrested early Wednesday morning. Police say they found him slumped over the wheel of his car and when they woke him up he drove away slowly and nearly hit a utility pole. Officers say his speech was slurred and he smelled of alcohol.

Luckily nobody was hurt. Bob, I'm sure you make good money, next time, call a damn cab.

Marry Christmas Everybody

Hoping all you Yankees fans have a very Merry Christmas, and to those of you who don't celebrate the whole Christmas thing, Happy Holidays! The Yankees may not have gotten much this year, but the Giants beat the Jets yesterday and the Knicks season tips off this afternoon against those hated Celtics, so we have that going for us, which is nice.

Ticket Price Increase Hits Creatures Hard

From Flip Bondy:

Many Bleacher Creatures are now being asked to shell out as much as $1620 for a full season ticket plan next season, up from $15 to $20 per game, and are beginning to wonder how much longer they can afford to populate Section 203.

“People are groaning about going from $972 to $1620 (for the full 81-game plan) just because Nick Swisher waves at us,” said Mike Donahue, a long-time Creature. “As the economy gets worse, the deforestation begins.”

...

Many Creatures already were dismayed this season to discover that half-season ticket plans only entitled them to purchase tickets to half the playoff games.

Not only will the Creatures face this price increase, but they'll do it while prices for 70% of the other seats in the stadium stay the same. Wow, what a joke. It's like the morons in the GOP are running this team.

Yet another example of big business raping the little guy. Sadly, in this case, that evil big business happens to be our favorite baseball team.