As the Yanks report for duty in Florida to gear up for a repeat of last year's championship performance (no pressure though, dudes), there will be a few new teammates with whom to get acquainted. Since their big win in November, the Yanks added Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson, Javier Vasquez, and Randy Winn (as well as an assortment of random non-roster invitee types), and yesterday it was announced that there will soon be another new face at camp: Chan Ho Park.

Huh? Eh, why not.

The Yanks have struck a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the 36-year-old veteran former starter, with plans to stick him in the bullpen and shore that sucker up as much as possible. Park has primarily been a starter throughout his 16-year career, but pitched decently out of the bullpen for the Phillies last year (including shutting down the Yanks in four appearances in the World Series). With the unheard of surplus of starters the Yanks are lucky enough to be in possession of there's certainly no need (or room) for him in the rotation, but when it comes to the bullpen, as the Cash Man so eloquently put it: "The more, the merrier. You can never have enough."

With Park rounding out a bullpen that already includes the likes of Edwar Ramirez, David Robertson, Sergio Mitre, Mariano, and of course whichever members of the Hughes-Jobamania-Guadin-Aceves contingent don't wind up with the starting gig, the Yanks roster seems to be improving by the day. And if anyone thinks otherwise....

If you had asked any baseball expert on June 14, 2008 to predict what Chien Ming Wang would be doing in 2010, I doubt a single one would have answered "pitching for the Nationals after putting up a 9+ ERA in 42 innings in 2009".

Alas, thanks to a freak foot injury incurred whilst running the bases during an interleague game on June 15, 2008, that is precisely the state of affairs in Wang-ville. Despite all the promise he showed in New York from 2005 through early 2008, the Wangster's days as a Yankee are over: it was announced yesterday that he signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Nationals.


There's no question that since that fateful day in Houston, the Wangster has made limited contributions to the team - he didn't pitch again in 2008, and when he returned in 2009 he went 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA before having season-ending shoulder surgery in July. Before the completely preventable injury (*cough* ADOPT THE DH RULE, NL JACKASSES *cough*), he was a vital part of the Yanks' rotation and on his way to becoming a bona fide ace. Before we bid him adieu and wish him luck in DC (where, ironically, he'll be forced to run the bases on a regular basis - let's hope he's more careful this time), let's take a gander at the highlights of his Yankee tenure:

2005: After being called up from AAA mid-season, the Wangster made 17 starts, putting up an 8-5 record with a 4.02 ERA. During the game against the Orioles on September 19, he tied a record for assists in a game by a pitcher with 9!

2006: A breakout year! 19-6 in 33 starts with a 3.63 ERA, a performance impressive enough to finish 2nd place in the Cy Young voting.

2007: Almost as good as the previous year, with a 19-7 record in 30 games started and a 3.70 ERA. He came 5 outs away from a perfect game against the Mariners in May and took a no-hitter against the BoSox into the 7th inning in August.

2008: In the brief time before the injury threw his career (and the Yanks' rotation) off track, the Wangster was putting together another nice year, with an 8-2 record and 4.07 ERA. When he won his 85th career start in April, he became the fastest starting pitcher to reach 50 wins since Dwight Gooden in 1986.

Had he not gotten injured, who knows how things might have turned out?

The moral of the story? Your choice: interleague play sucks, or the NL needs to get hip and join the DH train. Or both!

After a few shaky years of relying on one or two solid starters backed up by a series of interchangeable question marks (Rasner, Ponson, Chacon) and downright WTF's (Igawa, Wright, Pavano), the 2009 Yanks finally managed to put together a roster of starters that came close to being as impressive as their lineup. The Wangster was a bust, but they still had four starting pitchers pitch the entire season without injury or major disaster (CC, AJ, Pettitte, Joba), and the collection of dudes that filled in at the 5th spot was refreshingly reliable - as far as 5th starters go, that is - as well (Hughes, Gaudin, Mitre). As we look forward to 2010, the Yanks' list of starters is even more impressive. In fact, the Yanks appear to be in possession of - I'm frightened to even say this for fear of it causing a wave of Pavano-esque injuries and sending us right back to where we were in years past - a surplus of starting pitching.

Could this really be true? Is this real life? In addition to their three best performing starters from last year (CC, AJ, and Pettitte), the Yankees will also have Javier Vazquez in 2010, giving them a rotation any team would be thrilled to have regardless of who was rounding out the last spot. Unlike previous years where the 5th (and sometimes 4th) spot was at best a gamble and at worst a throwaway, the Yanks have four viable starters to fill in after CC, AJ, Pettitte, and Javy. Hughes and Joba are the obvious candidates for the spot - Girardi and Stein still consider both of them as potential starting pitchers, not relievers - but the Yanks also still have Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin, who started 9 and 6 games last year, respectively.

Who will actually get that spot remains a mystery for now; arguments can be made in several directions (and we shall discuss them in a later post). The fact that they have all these options is the important thing. Not only does it give the Yankees some breathing room in the event that someone gets injured or proves to have an off year, but it also forces all of them to step up their game to earn the spot - having to beat out their teammates to get the chance to pitch will surely inspire some serious hard work and determination. I don't necessarily anticipate Chad Gaudin to bust out an epic season and knock Joba and Hughes out of the rotation, but for those two to know that if they don't pitch well they could easily be bumped can only be good.

It's been quite a while since I've felt such confidence in the Yankees' pitching staff. Not having to rely solely on Mariano and offense was a nice treat last year, and I'm really looking forward to enjoying that same luxury this year. With a lineup that actually could carry a team with poor pitching and a rotation like this to take the pressure off, this team is looking downright absurd*.

*Superstition disclaimer: Not I would count my chickens before they hatch. Knock on wood, etc etc.

I'm not a huge fan of change when it comes to my Yanks, particularly when the status quo is working just fine and dandy, but it came as no surprise that after winning the World Series in November the Yanks basked in the glory of their 27th championship for about 36 seconds before beginning their quest to improve the team for a bid for #28. While I personally would have been content to watch the exact same team trot back out there in 2010 and try to repeat their successes, I understand the need to capitalize on free agency (by both letting some dead weight go and snapping up some available players from other teams) and lucrative trade offers, and I must say the Yanks have done a bang-up job tweaking the team thus far this off-season. They've steered clear of all the blockbuster-type players many assumed they'd be in the market for (Lackey, Halladay, Holliday, etc), instead focusing their energies on making minor changes that cost relatively little in terms of both money and prospects. Is it possible that the Yankees might make it through an entire off-season without blowing $3028023091283 or shipping off their entire farm for one player? The winter's not over yet, so there may be a big move still up their sleeves, but the 2010 team is shaping up quite nicely without the need for major moves. Let's review what the Yanks have done so far to prepare for 2010:

No hard feelings, Hideki: Despite having a very productive 2009, capped off by an MVP-worthy World Series performance, the Yanks let Matsui walk away rather than re-signing him. I like Matsui and appreciate everything he's done for the Yanks (and I'm sure the Steins appreciated the Japanese advertising yen he brought in), but there was really no need to keep him around at this point. He is not able to play defense anymore and his knee is hanging on by a thread - keeping him around strictly as DH is silly when there are other candidates available who can offer more for a lower price.

...But we'd rather have Nick Johnson: I loved NJ when he was first with the Yanks, and I'm thrilled to have him back. His services won't be needed at first base very often (Teixeira took a grand total of about half an inning off last season), so he's likely to spend just about all of his time in the DH spot, but that is precisely where he should be with his .400+ OBP and potential for a bunch of right-field cheapie homers in the new stadium. I'm not always keen on teams signing someone strictly to be a DH, but the Yanks' infield is set in stone and they've already got a plethora of outfielders, so NJ it is!

You better learn how to dance, Curtis: The Yanks already had about 678 outfielders, but when they agreed to a 7-player three-way trade with the D-Backs and Tigers that landed them centerfielder Curtis Granderson I was excited all the same. He's got speed and power and is a good all-around dude to boot - which, as we saw from Nick Swisher last year, can add a lot to a team. For Cano's sake, though, let's hope he can dance a la Melky...

No mas Melky, bring back Javi: The writing was on the wall for Melky once CG was signed - as mentioned above, how the hell many outfielders does this team really need? Still, seeing him traded to the Braves for Javier Vazquez was bittersweet all the same. Javi is obviously much more valuable to the Yanks than Melky, however, and will hopefully fill out the rotation quite nicely. Whether he can repeat the incredible performance he put together in '09 seems unlikely when you factor in the league change and the park he'll be pitching in, but he's just what the doctor ordered to back up CC, AJ, and...

...Dandy Andy!: Bringing back Pettitte was a no-brainer - he's affordable (relatively) and you know exactly what he'll be bringing to the table.

That just about sums up what's been going on in Yankee-land since November, but I'm sure there's more on the horizon - will Damon settle for a one-year deal eventually after all? Will a reliever of some sort make his way into the Bronx? What's going to happen with Nady? Stay tuned: per my (somewhat late) 2010 resolution, I assure you I shall be here to discuss all the goings on this year!

ESPN is reporting that the Yanks have a "tentative" deal to bring Richie SexsNO to the Bronx as early as Saturday.

Is he really better than Better Mint? I'm assuming that's whose roster spot will be usurped. He actually hits pretty well against lefties - .344 average this year - which I admittedly did not realize when I first proclaimed my disdain for the very thought of bringing him on the team, so I suppose there is an outside chance that he can do something for the team. They only have to pay him a prorated chunk of the league minimum $390K, so even if he winds up being miserable at least they wont have wasted much dinero on the perdador.

Thoughts?

In addition to my usual Yankees Chick posts, I have also begun writing regularly for AOL's FanHouse blog. I will post the beginnings of those articles here on YC, and then you'll have to click the link to jump on over to FH to read the rest... stick with me here, amigos!
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The Red Sox are probably the last team about which one would think "boy, do they need some help with their pitching!", but they've added another name to their list of available hurlers in Bartolo Colon. Several teams, including the White Sox and Cardinals, had expressed an interest in Colon during the off-season, but the Sox managed to woo him with promises of a winning season and playoff contention and signed him to a minor league contract; if he makes the major league roster he would earn $1.2 million.

The large and in charge former Angel was once a Cy Young winning dominator, but over the past two years injuries have thwarted his pitching performance. After starting 33 games to the tune of a 3.48 ERA during his 2005 Cy Young season, he started just 10 in 2006 and 18 in 2007 and combined for a 5.72 ERA during those two dismal years.

Continue reading Red Sox Nab Colon for Minor League Action

The Yanks have completed another mini-signing, this time for 3rd baseman Morgan Ensberg. I refer to it as a "mini" signing because it is just a 1-year minor league deal (he'll come to Spring Training to "audition" for a roster spot) and with A-Rod at 3rd base he obviously wouldn't be getting much starting time over in that corner. In fact, he would most likely spend most of his limited playing time as part of the platoonity over at 1st base. It's not a bad deal for the Yanks (although at this point I'm unsure about how much they're paying the fellow) - he doesn't have a strong average (.265 lifetime) or OBP (.366 lifetime), but he's got at least a little bit of pop and he seems like a nice enough dude. I suppose we'll see how things turn out!

We've been waiting for news on Santanamania's 2008 destination since the end of the 2007 season, and it appears that a decision has FINALLY been made! The Yanks were in the mix for quite a while, offering the likes of the Melk-ster and Hughsie, but the Twinsies (wisely) had their sights set on Jobamania and/or I-Ken; the Red Sox were considered the other big player and offered either Ellsbury or Lester, but the Twinsies wanted both, not one or the other. Both of those negotiations ended up sputtering out, and it looks like 'tis the METS that will end up the winners of the Santanamania sweepstakes.

According to MetsBlog the deal won't be dunzo until a (sizable!) contract extension is agreed upon, and they have 72 hours to get that hammered out. The Met Jrs that will be heading to Twinsville won't be officially announced until that time, but it looks as though the Twins will be getting 3 pitchers (Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey) and one outfielder (Carlos Gomez). Obviously I am not all that familiar with the Mets' farm system and prospects, but Mets fans and bloggers seem to agree that those 4 players project to be solid, but they are very happy that their top prospect, Fernando Martinez (a 19-yr-0ld outfielder) was not included in the deal, and neither was 24-yr-old pitcher Mike Pelfrey.

I'm sure all parties involved are pleased with this situation - Santana gets his extension and will be pitching in the NL, the Twins get some prospects, and the Mets get arguably the best pitcher in baseball for what appears to be a relatively low cost prospects-wise - but I've got to say that I still feel like the offers both the Red Sox and Yankees put on the table were better than what the Twins are getting from the Mets. Why would a team turn down Melky and Hughes or Lester/Ellsubry, who are proven to be capable of succeeding in the big time, in favor of 4 guys with a lot of promise but limited experience? Am I missing something?

The best part of this news for the Yanks is, of course, the fact that the guy did not end up going to the Red Sox. They will now only have to face him probably twice a year during interleague play (once per series) - more if the two teams ever end up facing off in a WS again! - rather than 5+ times against a division rival, and they won't have to worry about him boosting the Sox's record for years to come. Their pitching is good enough without that beast.

Last year's utility man extraordinaire - he played every infield position as well as left and right field at least once in 2007 - Wilson "Better Mint (don't deny that you think that EVERY TIME you read or hear his name)" Betemit will be returning to the team this season. It's just a mini-signing, really, but everyone needs a utility man and one that can fill in at so many positions and also has a decent amount of pop is certainly a fine choice. He'll be earning $1.165 million for his services.

Just a sidenote, my babies: the very fact that a bench player that barely gets on base (and a sidenote-within-a-sidenote: I DO think that he's a good addition to the team, I'm just making a point here) can demand over a mil is either a great sign for the state of the MLB's economy or yet another sign that the dollar has very little value anymore.*


*P.S: Sorry for getting a tad political... again.

The Yankees have been relatively quiet on the roster-shake-ups front this year, and the only major signings they made all involved folks who were already Yanks - no big trades, no newbie free agents picked up. If they end up busting some moves to woo the Twins and Santanamania that would be big news, of course, but thus far most of the excitement has come via "The Other 29". There have been many a trade and signing made, and some of them have made us baseball fans scratch our heads in wonder or even let out a hearty chuckle. A lot of money was spent (surprise surprise!) and not all wisely, and a lot of lopsided trades were also executed. Some of them stand out as particularly poor choices, though...


Top Ten Moves That Methinks Will Be Regretted

10) Estrada for Mota swap: This could be looked at as a simple swap of some unimportant role players that their respective previous teams neither wanted nor needed, but I think the Mets made a mistake in picking Estrada as their catcher - even if it was just a "contingency plan" - when a very willing and New York-lovin' Lo Duca sitting right there practically begging for a spot on the team. Shortly thereafter they ended up non-tendering the boy, so I suppose they got the last laugh.
9) Carlos Silva misjudgment: What do you get when you add 28 (years old) + 4.31 (ERA) + 1.37 (WHIP) - $44,000,000? An overpaid average starting pitcher.
8) Francisco Cordero closer caper: The Reds were in need of a closer and Cordero is certainly a fine pitcher, but he snookered Cincy into giving a 32-year-old a 4-year deal worth $46 mil. It seemed crazy to some to give Mariano $43 million for 3 years, and that's MARIANO.
7) Scott Linebrink signing: He's going from the best pitching park to one that favors hitters. Furthermore, he's already 31, and 4 years seems risky to me.
6) Ozzie Guillen re-up: Dudes. This man is CRAZY TOWN USA. He got lucky in 2005 with an un-beatable team that could have won under the leadership of a donkey; I would not attribute any successes the Sox have had to this maniac.
5) Torrii Hunter mega-contract: $90 million when you've already got a surplus of outfielders...?
4) Aaron Rowand deal: The Giants have no business investing $60 mil into a 5-year deal with a 30-year old when they won't be in contention for at least the next few years anyway.
3) Lastings Milledge trade: I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Mets are the new old Yankees.
2) Kaz Matsui idiocy: Yes, he was fantastic in Japan and had a swell 2007, but come on 'Stros. Hitching your wagon to that star for 3 years?
1) Carl Pavano Not Somehow Being Eliminated: I understand that it's highly unlikely that anyone would have traded more than some loose change or perhaps a bag of leaves for him, but it still would have been nice (nay, glorious!) if Hank et al could have figured out something to do with him. They did make an effort to pay him off and send him to the minors to free up a roster spot, but the beast wouldn't have it. Blimey!


How about you lovelies... what are your picks?

Read last week's Top Ten: New Year's Resolutions

One of last year's designated over-used pitchers, Vizcaino, opted to become a free agent a few days ago and is reportedly looking for a three-year deal with some sucker of a team (the sad/crazy/lucky part is that I bet he gets it, what with the black hole where decent relief pitchers should live), leaving the Yanks in need of a replacement for The Viz's very important position: Dude That Can Eat Innings And Henceforth Be Used Until His Shoulder Disintegrates A La Scott Proctor. Dr. Proctor himself isn't available since he's out in LA with the very man who destroyed his arm in the first place, so the Yanks had to look elsewhere for a destroyable arm to sign to a reasonable contract. The answer came in the form of ex-Rockie LaTroy Hawkins, who the Yanks just picked up for 1 year at a rate of $3.75 mil. He did very well for the NL East champs last year (sidenote: let's take a moment of silence for the fallen Padres), particularly considering the thin-air factor: 3.42 ERA in 55.1 innings over 62 appearances. He seems like a good pickup for the price, but if Girardi picks up where Torre left off with the handling of relievers, LaTroy better get in shape to pitch more like 90 innings in 2008.

As we're all well aware, winter meetings are underway and I'm sure you're all just as frenzied with anticipation as I. Day one has come and gone, and while no bombshells were dropped in the way of Santanamania or Danny-Boy Haren trades, the Yanks did bid adieu to one old friend and signed on a decent backup catcher that can hopefully serve as a viable back up for Old Man Jorgie Porgie as he further advances into his twilight years (of playing... not of life). Jose Molina, who joined the team in the middle of last year to replace poor sweet Wil Nieves, is 32 years old with a lifetime "backup catcher batting average" of .243 and hits an average of, oh, a whopping 3 or 4 homers a year, will be sticking with the team for two years. Sure, he is no power hitter and he's not going to be working walks like Giambi, but he is a solid defender and seemed to get along with the team swimmingly last season, so for a backup catcher - which everyone needs, particularly teams who sign 36-year-olds to 4-year contracts (not that I'm knocking that contract, I'm all for it and have been from the get-go) - we surely could have done much worse (sorry, Kelly Stinnet). As for that "adieu" I mentioned, sadly that was bid to Andy Phillips as he was DFA'd to make room for Bengie Yadier Jose. I doubt I am alone in having a soft spot in my heart for AP, but logistically it made the right sense. While no one wants to see Giambino manning first base all year, it is surely much easier to plug that hole (throw Posada in there sometimes, Damon if Melky is still on the team, one of the youngsters like Alberto Gonzolez....) than one behind the plate.

Despite the many reports from friends of Andy "Who Knew I Was So Damn Popular And That So Many Of My Friends Were So Damn Chatty?" Pettitte, the dear fellow will not be collecting social security in 2008 (neither will any of us, ever, but I have been told to keep my liberal leanings under wraps as much as I can here...). Word came today that he has decided to return to the Bronx to pitch for the team, though it doesn't appear to be known yet just how much cash he'll be netting.

This is great news for the Yanks as we head into the first week of December and the first days of the always-exciting winter meetings (all y'all in Nashville, keep your eyeballs peeled for some Steinbrother activity at the local $40-per-martini bar). A lefty pitcher was needed like nobody's business, and I believe the lack of Pettitte as a perceived option was making the Santanamania kick into overdrive. As for that potential trade excitement, the Yanks upped the ante by putting Hughes and Melky on the table to counter the Sox's offer of Ellsbury, but Hank Stein said that if the Twins don't make a decision today then the team aint willing to stick around and haggle all winter. Personally I think the Twins would be downright borderline mentally challenged to value Ellsbury over Melky and Hughes when trading away their best pitcher - picking up Melky and Hughsie for years when they aren't going to have Santana for more than one year even if they don't trade him seems to be a no-brainer to me - but whether they will buckle under Stein's pressure and make an effort to deal the boy today is unclear. One thing IS clear, though: if the Yankees get Santana, their rotation officially becomes frightening - to other teams, finally.

I don't really want to see Hughsie and Melky go - who would - but a Santana-Pettitte-Wangster-IKen-Jobamania starting 5 is way too good a prospect to let slip away. [Sidenote: I completely forgot about the existence of The Moose when I wrote this earlier today. I didn't just forget he was on the team or that we had him under contract, I literally forgot he even existed. Sorry Moosester. Now stay the fuck out of my fantasy rotation.]

Goodness gracious great balls of fire, my lovelies.

After all the uproar over the changes that took place at the beginning of the offseason, things are beginning to fall into place quite quickly. In fact, the 2008 crew is actually shaping up to look... well, a lot like it looked in 2007.

In 2007, Jorge Posada caught 138 games. In 2008, he'll be back behind the plate.

In 2007, A-Rod hit 54 homers, had 156 RBI, and made 13 errors at 3rd base. In 2008, he'll be making a f*ckton of money and playing 3rd base again.

In 2007, Mariano Rivera pitched in 67 games, earning 30 saves. In 2008, he'll be pitching to the tune of Enter Sandman for a 14th season.

In 2007, Kevin Long hitting-coached the team to a collective .290 batting average. In 2008, he'll be working with the cream of the crop again... let's shoot for .291 this year, kiddos.

In 2007, Tony Pena parked himself on the first base line to pat baserunners on the ass and send them on stealing missions. In 2008, he'll be right back out there with his butt-patting hand at the ready.

In 2007, Rob Thomson was the "Major League Field Coordinator" for the team (what does that mean? No one knows.) In 2008, he'll be The Girardino's right hand man on the bench.


I am very pro-Girardino, and I sincerely have high hopes for the 2008 season. I like the idea of keeping so much of the core 2007 team together while injecting some fresh blood to shake things up a bit. What the Yankees were missing last year was not talent. It was unity, motivation, attitude... factors that I feel a little shaking up could help. A lot.

With A-Rod, Torre, and Mattingly gone, the status of Pettitte, Posada, and Mo all up in the air, and a strange possibility of seeing Cano over at 3rd if the Cash Man can't find anyone else to plug that hole, it is natural and understandable for us Yanks fans to feel a bit flustered - things in Yankeesville certainly seem to be in quite the state of disarray. Rest assured, though, that not everything will be different next year. Besides working on convincing Pettitte to exercise his player option and stay with the team for 2008 and hopefully hammering out deals with Jorgie Porgie and Sir Mo, the Yanks have already made a few deals to keep some familiar faces around for next year. Tony Pena obviously wasn't as disappointed about not being offered the managerial job as Mattingly, because he has agreed to come back as first base coach, and Kevin Long, whose batting coaching skills helped the team achieve the best collective batting average (.290), slugging percentage (.463) and RBI total (929) in all of baseball this year will also be back. The team also announced today that they picked up Bobby Abreu's $16 mil option, so at least we don't have to add "right fielder" to the list of gaping holes that need to be filled this off-season.

We're only a few days into this new Girardi-led era, but I must say that I am feeling good about things. I really did want A-Rod to stick around, but it seems abundantly clear that he is obviously not the type of team player we had hoped he would be ($350 mil just to talk? You make me sick.) Abreu is a man of pure golden consistency and is a shining example of good attitude and teamwork, and at $16 mil he is certainly affordable in today's market. The Cash Man has also said that convincing Pettitte to stick around is a "priority", so that is a good sign, as well, and we have thus far heard no rumblings of ridiculous "all our youngsters for one old dude" trade rumors, which one might expect to be hearing with A-Rod gone. I love Torre. I love Mattingly. I even love (or loved, anyway) A-Rod. But you know what? Out with the old. I'm on board with Girardi.

As some of you faithful Yankees Chick supporters are aware (and I love all 3 of you), I make a weekly appearance on Free the Fan's Sunday evening radio show, chatting Yanks and subjecting myself to the harassment of a Mets-loving host and belligerent callers. During the most recent show, one particularly irate listener called in and took issue with the signing of Roger Clemens and what he will or will not be able to do for the team. This delightfully bitter gentleman argued that the the addition of the Rocket couldn't possibly save the Yanks, and could end up doing more harm than good, either by creating dissension in the clubhouse because of his "I'm better than all of you, haha!" contract or by exhausting the bullpen if he can only go 5 innings each start.

Blatant anti-Yankees acerbity aside, this man actually did raise some interesting points. I have made no secret of the fact that I too find Clemens' contract demands to be ridiculous, and while I suppose he has "earned" the right to respect with his 78 years of civil service, the special treatment certainly could be grating to his teammates. The possibility of him further exhausting the bullpen is a bit frightening as well; there is only so much our friend Dr. Proctor can do before he ends up buckling under the stress and exhaustion and hangs himself in the bullpen.

The caller's overall negativity regarding the Rocket signing was unwarranted, though. For starters, I don't think anyone - from Steinbrenner on down to us fans - believes that any one person, Rocket included, can be the savior of the team. Still, signing Clemens was a good move by the team on several levels: he will add an essentially fail-proof arm to our rotation (as long as he doesn't get in a car with Pavano), the signing prevented Clemens from going to the Red Sox and potentially causing even more losses for the Yanks, and the move confirmed to the fans and the public that the front office was not giving up on the team and was willing to make some moves to stay competitive. As for him upsetting the team with his extra days off and shortened season, I say "too bad for them". With the losses aplenty the team has been suffering of late, I highly doubt Jeter and the gang are going to be crying over Clemens being treated like a diva. Unlike certain other aging amazing pitchers (I'm looking at you, Mullet-Man), at the very least Clemens doesn't seem to have the type of grumbly attitude that puts a serious damper on the clubhouse.

In short, only time will tell if Clemens can help the Yankees improve their ever-worsening record, just like only time will tell if Pavano is a human or a simply a cyborg on a sabotage mission from Boston.

Considering the state that the Yanks are currently in - a record 2 games under .500, 8 games behind the Red Sox, 3 starters on the DL, a bone spur bothering the DH - it would be easy for us fans to let anxiety get the best of us and fall into an unnecessary pessimistic melancholy. But be cool, my babies! Don't let yourself fall into that trap! There are 126 games to go and there's no reason the Yankees can't spring back to life and run away with the division. Give your bitten-to-the-nub fingernails a rest and read these 10 delightful reasons why we all have nothing to worry about*:

10. Cano, Damon, and Abreu still need to break out. Each one of those three is in his own personal slump, but don't expect any of them to stay this way for long. Cano was thisclose to a batting title last year, Abreu gets on base like a fiend, and Damon can easily hit .290 once he gets rolling, so as long as those kids get in their zone the Yanks will be able to breathe a bit easier.

9. The Red Sox are really not that great. Yes, I know they have crushed the Yanks thus far this year, and their record is certainly much better than New York's. I can't discount the team's talent as a whole, but it seems to me that much of their winning has come courtesy of good luck and hot streaks. Dice-K, who we are all supposed to be incredibly frightened of, has proven himself to be a solid, steady pitcher, but not exactly a Tom Seaver in the making. JD Drew is hot right now, but like his distant cousin Carl Pavano, I have a feeling there are injuries in his future. Crisp and Pena leave much to be desired, and if Manny doesn't heat up soon "Manny being Manny" will mean "hitting .250 and slugging under .500".

8. Darrell Rasner and Matt Desalvo have shown us that even when our entire pitching staff is in shambles, there is hope in our farm. These 2 kids have 3.28 and 1.98 ERAs, respectively, and neither has broken down under the pressure yet. It is an amazing comfort to know that the Yanks have reserves like Rasner and Desalvo available to come up to the show with talent and maturity when our injury lists starts bending under its own weight.

7. Jorge Posada is out of control! If this man was on any other team, he would be a superstar, but he tends to get lost in the Jeter-Arod-Mariano-Etc-Etc-Etc shuffle in New York. He is currently hitting .365 with 21 RBI, and he can throw out would-be base-steelers as well as any of his younger counterparts. What's more, Jorgie comes through in the clutch - he has a lifetime batting average of .349 when runners are in scoring position and .857 when the bases are loaded.

6. Derek Jeter is...Derek Jeter. It's really no surprise that he is doing so well (.375 average, 20 RBI and just 13 strike-outs), but the fact that we have come to expect this performance does not make it any less valuable.

5. Mariano will be just fine. I've heard a few nervous Nellies panicking about Mo's 7.11 ERA or the homers he has given up, but I personally don't put any stock into these early failures. Mo has been one of the most reliable pitchers in Yankees history, and I don't envision that changing this year.

4. We've seen the future, and his name is Phil Hughes. It really is a shame that PH strained his hammy during his second ever start for the Yankees, but what we saw that day was enough to make us all bust out our construction paper and craft some lovely countdown-chains to help us get through the time he's on the DL. Depending on the state of the rotation when Hughes returns he may be sent back to AAA for more seasoning, but I have little doubt that we will be seeing him again this season.

3. The Rocket is ours. Roger's decision to come to the Yankees rather than the Astros or the Sox is going to do the Yanks a world of good. During the last 3 years that he spent on a similar minimal schedule, he went 40-18, gave up 33 homers, and struck out 505. Not only will his presence make the Yanks rotation infinitely better, but it means that our batters won't have to face him in a Red Sox uniform!

2. A-Rod is in a prove-it-to-us phase, and whether he stays or goes at the end of the year we are getting some great work out of him. His numbers are amazing and his attitude has definitely improved; he seems to be somewhat enjoying himself in the Bronx this year. While I'd like to say that all this ensures that he will not opt out at the end of the year, he still may choose to flee - - but as I said, let's worry about that later, and for now just enjoy his help on the field and at bat.

1. Doug Mienkicantspellhisname is just a nice person and perhaps a good luck charm. He was, after all, integral (by catching that last out) to the Red Sox 2004 World Series win, so who's to say we won't be seeing him snag a ball for out 3 in game 7 in October? Plus, he really is a nice guy.


* By "nothing", I of course mean "nothing serious yet". If the situation hasn't improved by this time in August, you may be reading an entirely different post, one entitled "10 Ways the Yankees Have Let Down the Yankees Chick in 2007".