Older Yankees showing the kids how it's done

Youth is a state of mind, isn’t it?

That’s apparently what the older veterans of the New York Yankees think. Yesterday, it was 40-year-old Raul Ibanez rescuing the Yankees with not one but two home run blasts, the second of which helped make an improbable comeback from four runs down in the 13^th inning a reality. The Yankees would go on to win the game on an error in the 14^th inning, but what everyone will remember most about yesterday’s victory is Ibanez’s heroics, which allowed the Yankees to stay one game ahead of those pesky Baltimore Orioles.

Until Ibanez’s fantastic day, most of the attention and marvel around Yankeeland was directed at 38-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, who had another home run yesterday that helped the Yankees start to climb out of the hole that Ivan Nova put them in. Ichiro has an unbelievable.700 batting average in the last five games and has been a key contributor to the current Yankees 7-game winning streak. I had my doubts about the Ichiro trade, not about him as a player, but about whether he was a necessary addition to the Yankees roster. A rejuvenated Ichiro is proving that he is.

Until Ichiro got hot, the only offense being provided by the Yankees vaunted lineup came from their hobbling Captain Derek Jeter. The 38-year-old Yankees Captain has returned to shortstop where he belongs, but is still bothered by that unfortunate ankle injury. You wouldn’t know it from his 16-game hitting streak, even though he had a rare 1 for 7 day yesterday.

Of course, no discussion of ace performances by veteran Yankees would be complete without mention of 40-year-old Andy Pettitte coming off a nearly 3-month stint on the disabled list this week to give the Yankees five shutout innings in the opening game of a doubleheader. Pettitte schooled the younger Yankees about how to win a game when you are a bit rusty or don’t have your best stuff. What was interesting about Pettitte’s performance is that manager Joe Girardi, who is usually very protective against overusing his pitchers to prevent injuries, allowed Pettitte to go out for that 5^th inning even though he was very close to his pitch limit. Girardi has that much confidence in his veteran lefty and wanted to squeeze one more inning out of Pettitte in a game the Yankees had to win.

I hope the Yankee kids are paying attention to what the older Yankees are doing this month. They could learn a few things. 

Crisis averted for New York Yankees

Balance is restored to the Yankees Universe, at least temporarily.

Some fans of the New York Yankees were on the verge of nervous breakdowns before the Yankees took the final two games from the Detroit Tigers. Granted, the Yankees have given them a lot of reason for their fears, playing terribly during a recent three-week stretch and watching their seemingly insurmountable 10-game lead dwindle in half. The Yankees themselves were starting to become concerned with their poor play, with Eric Chavez bravely voicing what others in the Yankees clubhouse were probably worrying about, but didn’t dare say publicly.

But the Yankees managed to escape Detroit with a split thanks to a turn-back-the-clock performance this week from Chavez, filling in nicely for the injured Alex Rodriguez, decent starts from CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda following poor outings by Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes, and a frustrated and angry Joe Girardi forcing the umpires to eject him and firing up his team in the process.  

Does that mean the Yankees are over the hump? Not in the least. They got lucky that the Tigers fell short in their comeback attempts these last two games. And they have to seriously hope that moving him down in the order is exactly the tonic Curtis Granderson needed to get over his slump.

Despite his recent struggles, I’m incredulous at the notion that Yankee fans would turn the ire they normally direct at ARod to the affable Granderson, but that’s what the New York Post said is happening (and, of course,  everything in that newspaper is gospel, according to my friend Scott). Sure, I was frustrated by Granderson’s weak pop up to end Tuesday night’s game and his numerous strikeouts, but the man does have 30 home runs, 66 ribbies and 78 runs scored so it’s not like he’s been a bust this year. And I seriously doubt he’ll ever take steroids or kiss his reflection in the mirror so I don’t think he deserves the level of scorn usually reserved for ARod.

I’m happy the Yankees took these last two games, but I’d feel a lot better about them if I see them sweep the Toronto Blue Jays up north before they come back to New York for a brutal 7-game home stand. They have four games against the defending American League champion Texas Rangers and three against the Boston Red Sox, who can always put up a good fight against the Yankees despite their dysfunction. It’s going to be a tough week for them and I’d like to see some signs that they can handle it. 

Hughes comes through for Yankees again

Despite all the haters out there, nobody is harder on Phil Hughes than Hughes himself.

If I hadn’t seen Wednesday’s game, I would have thought that he had gotten smacked around Yankee Stadium from the way he evaluated his performance in his post-game interview. The old Hughes might have been in for a rough day if, as Phil said, he didn’t have his best stuff. But the new and vastly improved Hughes managed to get out of several jams en route to pitching six-innings of one-run ball in a game that the New York Yankees desperately needed to win to preserve their sanity and that of their fans.

Hughes got a more positive review from his manager Joe Girardi, who thought his pitcher did a good job of managing innings and minimizing the threat with runners on base. Girardi is obviously willing to criticize one of his players, as he chastised Ivan Nova for his dreadful performance and loss of focus on Tuesday evening. The Yankees manager seem thrilled that Hughes did what Nova could not, get past the feeling that his stuff was not up to par and pitch a good game when his team staked him to a sizeable lead.

How ironic is it that Hughes, despite all his struggles and the calls to trade him away, is the one keeping the Yankees afloat during this rough stretch? The Yankees have won two games during the current home stand, both of which Hughes started. He lost a tough luck game to a hot Oakland A’s team despite a strong outing the week before. But this week he managed to do what the Yankees’ top starters CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda could not: beat a division rival, two times no less. Hughes should give himself a little credit for that. But he won’t.

Hughes’ performance against the Baltimore Orioles was overshadowed in the news by the offensive outburst of the Yankees and the long-awaited return of Joba Chamberlain. But I’m sure his teammates appreciated his effort. 

Happiness for AJ Burnett

There were a lot of feel-good stories in the first half of the 2012 baseball season. But for me, AJ Burnett pitching so well for the first-place Pittsburgh Pirates is one of the best ones.

Sure, most of the talk around baseball this year has revolved around exciting young players such as Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton, deservedly so. But after struggling during most of his three-year tenure with the New York Yankees, I’m very happy that Burnett finally found a place where he belongs, one where he is not weighed down by our often unrealistic expectations.

To be fair, Burnett did not live up to the hype of his $82.5 million contract, given to him in large part because of his dominant performances over the Yankees and the Red Sox while in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform. But that massive contract often overshadowed the fact that AJ came through with some big-game performances for the Yankees, including a crucial Game 2 win in the 2009 World Series and a clutch division series victory last year against the Detroit Tigers.

Perhaps AJ simply belongs in a place like Toronto or Pittsburgh with a more supportive fan base rather than under the never-ending New York media glare. He’s already won 10 games this year (his Yankee protégé Ivan Nova leads the Yankees with 10 victories at the break) to help the Pirates take first place in their division and I’ll be rooting for him to continue with his solid pitching in the second half of the year.

I’m glad AJ found himself again. Perhaps we’ll see him back on the Yankee Stadium mound in October, pitching against the Yankees for the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. Wouldn’t that be something? 

Yankees leave Red Sox in the dust

The New York Yankees could not feel better about themselves heading into the All-Star break, with a commanding lead in the American League East standings after another Boston beat-down.

Granted, the Yankees’ play was pretty sloppy at times this weekend, with Hiroki Kuroda giving up the 5-run lead his offense staked him to on Friday night and Phil Hughes unable to pitch out of the mess his defense put him in during Saturday’s double-header nightcap. But they took three out of four games against the Boston Red Sox after getting strong performances by Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova and a resurgent Mark Teixeira, who wisely decided not to further escalate his feud with a nut like Vicente Padilla.

More surprisingly, they got a turn-back-the-clock performance by Andruw Jones, who has been terrific subbing for the injured Brett Gardner all year, but really stepped up his game against the Red Sox this weekend. He hit four Monster home runs, constantly breaking the hearts of Saux fans anytime they thought their team might finally have a leg up on the hated Yankees. But even more impressive to me was his outstanding defense, including slamming against the Green Monster to make a terrific, rally-killing catch, which immediately conjured up images of a young Jones patrolling centerfield for the Atlanta Braves.

So despite all their injuries and lackluster play during the first six weeks of the season, the Yankees find themselves comfortably in first place with a 7-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles, nearly 10 games up over the Saux (which, let’s face it, is the only team that all Yankee fans truly care about regardless of their problems) and the best record in baseball.  

I hope Joe Girardi and his squad enjoy their All-Star break vacation. After their first-half performance, they’ve definitely earned it. 

Bad break for Pettitte means trouble for Yankees

Has a first-place team ever experienced such bad luck?

Out of an abundance of caution, the New York Yankees put ace lefthander CC Sabathia on the disabled list due to a groin injury. Out of necessity, the Yankees announced his #2 Andy Pettitte would join him on the disabled list just hours later. So the team with the best record in baseball suddenly looks like it could be in a lot of trouble.

I wasn’t terribly concerned about Sabathia’s injury, which appears to be relatively minor. Heading into the All-Star break, I thought it was absolutely the right move to be cautious and not let Sabathia risk worsening the injury by trying to pitch through it. But the Yankees had to be exasperated by the misfortune of Pettitte getting hit with a comebacker that broke his fibula, forcing him off the mound for at least the next six weeks.

I feel really bad for Pettitte. Despite my personal feelings over his actions during the Roger Clemens trial, Pettitte had stepped up to help right what had been a struggling Yankees rotation both by pitching extremely well and serving as counsel and mentor to guys like Phil Hughes. I admire Pettitte’s bulldog mentality in trying to stay in yesterday’s game, but I cringed after he threw that first pitch after getting hit with that comebacker because it was obvious that he was in an extreme amount of pain. The silver lining of this injury, as Brian Cashman noted, is that the 40-year-old Pettitte will be really fresh when the Yankees truly need him in September and October.

So for the time being, the Yankees rotation will comprise of Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova and Hughes, with some help from Freddy Garcia and a couple of Yankee minor leaguers. Kuroda, Nova and Hughes have all pitched well of late, but I do worry that they might put too much pressure on themselves to try to make up for not having Sabathia or Pettitte. As for Garcia, this is a great opportunity for him to show that he still has something left in the tank and should not be relegated to mop-up duty.

It’s going to be a challenge, but I think the Yankees can survive the next two weeks without their star lefties. But it’s going to take a lot of luck, something that doesn’t seem to be on the Yankees side right now. 

Yankees rotation problem solves itself for now

Michael Pineda’s unfortunate arm injury solves the problem of having too many starting pitchers for the New York Yankees, but only temporarily.

Joe Girardi jokingly blamed Phil Hughes for the Yankees being extra-cautious with Pineda and putting him on the disabled list, a reference to last year when Hughes’ fastball mysteriously disappeared and it was later discovered he was suffering from tendinitis that would force him off the mound for months. Concerns were also raised about Pineda’s lack of velocity this spring. But, unlike with Hughes, the Yankees did not wait until the regular season to figure out that there was a medical cause for the unexpected slowdown.  

Some cynics or conspiracy theorists might say that the Yankees put Pineda on the DL in an effort to put off making a decision about their rotation or to give themselves a chance to showcase Freddy Garcia for a possible trade. Since I’m neither a cynic nor conspiracy theorist, I will choose to believe that the Yankees are acting out of genuine concern for the health of a guy who they see as a potential future ace.

Even without the Pineda injury, Hughes had pitched his way into the rotation with his strong spring, as shown by the fact that Girardi named him the #3 starter in the rotation ahead of Ivan Nova and Garcia. But Hughes will have to pitch well in April to make sure he stays there after Andy Pettitte is ready to officially come back to the big leagues. Pettitte’s not coming back to be a reliever and Hughes has the most bullpen experience so he needs to pitch well to ensure he’s not banished to long-man duties. Or the Yankees could keep their youngsters Hughes and Nova in the rotation and try the veteran Garcia in the bullpen, a role that he has never had and likely wouldn’t embrace.

So it looks like Girardi’s difficult decision was only put off for a few more weeks. But it’s a good problem to have.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the Michael Pineda photo. 

Joe Girardi trying to keep the mystery alive

Joe Girardi must be really bored this spring because he seems to be going out of his way to try to make things interesting. It’s not working, but that’s probably a good thing.

The New York Yankees’ roster is essentially set so that will make for just a long month of players getting ready for the regular season. Sure, Girardi has some decisions to make, but these are the kind of decisions that only draw a lot of attention because it’s the Yankees. How many people care who is the fifth starter or the back-up catcher on the other big-league teams?

The Yankees manager is doing his best to keep the intrigue alive. He first said that no one but CC Sabathia was guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation. While that may technically be true as none of the other starters has CC’s pedigree or paycheck, the reality is that there is only one spot truly open. After a surprisingly strong rookie season, the Yankees are going to give Ivan Nova every opportunity to keep his job. The Yankees did not give up their top prospect to put Michael Pineda in their bullpen. And they did not loosen up the purse strings for Hideki Kuroda to not be a part of their rotation (Girardi quickly backed off and said Kuroda has a starting job).

Girardi also publicly contradicted General Manager Brian Cashman, who conceded that the Yankees did not play as hard as they would have in late September 2011 if they were still competing for a postseason spot. This is classic Girardi, not the part about going against his boss, but his sensitivity about anything even perceived as criticism. The Yankees manager will argue that he did everything he could to win those last games against the Tampa Bay Rays, even though he clearly didn’t. If he cared about winning those games, we would have seen Mariano Rivera closing things out and the Rays would have been going home instead of the Boston Red Sox. I’m not knocking Girardi, even though he would consider such comments criticism. Of course, he did the right thing in keeping Mo out of a game that didn’t mean anything to the Yankees. If only Girardi would admit it instead of being so stubborn.

But none of Girardi’s comments are going to shake things up in Yankees’ camp. A quiet spring is just what the Yankees need to get ready for baseball, even if it makes for a boring four more weeks in Florida. 

Phil Hughes determined to rebound in 2012

Phil Hughes has always been his own worst critic so it was not surprising to hear him describe his 2011 baseball season as a wasted year. But I’m glad to hear that he is doing everything he can to avoid a repeat in 2012.

The New York media has pronounced Hughes to be fit as a fiddle, which is saying a lot as the writers hammered him for being out of shape last spring. Hughes’ reshaped physique is a manifestation of his determination to avoid a repeat of his bad 2011 campaign (again his word, not mine). I thought his bad luck with injuries was the main cause of his struggles, but Hughes is not taking any chances, working his body hard to make sure he is ready to fight for his job when pitchers and catchers report on Sunday.

Hughes must be feeling tremendous pressure, even with the possibility of an AJ Burnett trade that could help clear a path for him to a rotation spot. The New York Yankees sure aren’t putting potential stud Michael Pineda in the bullpen and Ivan Nova performed well in that #2 spot after CC Sabathia. With veterans Hideki Kuroda and Freddy Garcia in the mix, Hughes will have to demonstrate that he can re-claim the stuff and mental toughness that made him an All-Star in 2010. The young right-hander has already proven that he can be successful in the bullpen so any misstep in spring training will send him back there rather quickly.

So Hughes is using his “wasted” 2011 campaign as motivation to bounce back and once again become the star pitcher he has shown us he can be. I’m looking forward to watching the comeback. 

Nova's year a breakout despite ROY loss

Ivan Nova didn’t win a Rookie of the Year award today, but that loss in no way diminishes his outstanding 2011 campaign.

I’m surprised at Nova’s fourth-place finish in the ROY balloting, with only one first-place vote and 30 points overall, well behind the winner: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson (congrats, kid!). I thought Nova would get a lot more support and perhaps become the first member of the New York Yankees to win the ROY since Derek Jeter in 1996 (yes, it has been 15 years since the skinny kid from Kalamazoo took New York by storm).

Nova went 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA for a Yankees team that finished with the best regular season record in the American League. He stepped right up to fill a major void to become the Yankees #2 starter behind CC Sabathia after AJ Burnett struggled mightily again and Phil Hughes lost a step because of injuries. I would have liked to have seen Nova rewarded for that.

But in the grand scheme of things, Nova losing the ROY doesn’t really matter. The Yankees will be counting on him to prove that 2011 wasn’t a fluke and that he deserves to be a mainstay in the Yankees rotation for years to come.

Yankee kids will get chances to crack 2012 rotation

In his last press conference before he disappears for the winter, Joe Girardi talked about how starting pitching would be the key focus for the New York Yankees in the offseason. From what the Yankees manager said, it seems likely that several talented youngsters in the organization will have real chances to earn spots in the 2012 starting rotation.

Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova will likely be penciled into the Yankees rotation heading into next year, although they will have to prove that they deserve to stay there, according to Girardi. “I know that they are going to work hard,” Girardi said. “Nothing in life is ever given to you. You have to earn it.”

“I expect them to have good years, but I can’t tell you,” he added.

But other youngsters such as Hector Noesi and a couple of the Killer B’s, Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos, are going to get a chance to challenge Hughes and Nova for the chance to join rotation mainstays CC Sabathia (assuming he re-signs with the Yankees) and AJ Burnett (assuming the Yankees have absolutely no chance of moving him).

“The competition thing seemed to work well this year,” Girardi said. “It brought out the best in some people and I don’t think you can have too much depth in the starting rotation. I think the kids could start to challenge.”

It seems obvious that the Yankees are likely to part ways with either Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon (and probably both of them). If the Yankees do let Garcia and/or Colon leave, it should be with a firm handshake and a gracious thank you, not only for saving the rotation this year, but for bridging the gap while the Yankee kids took another year to develop.

This being the Yankees, I wouldn’t rule out a major offseason move for a more established big-league starter such as CJ Wilson. But the Yankees seem determined to give their kids a legitimate chance to win the available starting spots. I wouldn’t want to rely solely on these youngsters, no matter how talented they are, but they’ve shown enough to make me excited about the competition next spring.

Nova hopes to channel big-game Pettitte

Andy Pettitte was around Yankee Stadium last weekend to throw a ceremonial first pitch, reconnect with his old New York Yankees teammates and, most importantly, impart some wisdom on a youngster who is trying to channel him: Ivan Nova.

Pettitte was the epitome of a big-game pitcher, winning more playoff games than anyone in the history of baseball. More than that, he was a rock for the Yankees, stepping up when they needed him the most. He was never the ace of the Yankees staff, but he was the guy you wanted starting a game with everything on the line.

In that sense, Nova wants to be just like Pettitte. He wants his teammates to trust him with the ball the way they trusted Pettitte. If the Yankees seem extremely calm about tonight’s do-or-die game, it’s because they believe in Nova. Not as much as they believed in Pettitte because that came after years and years of big games, but they trust the youngster enough to feel confident about their chances of advancing to the next round of the playoffs.

Nova seems to be immune to pressure, a critical trait if he wants to be a big-game pitcher like Pettitte. And Nova is perfectly happy to soak up the advice of guys like Pettitte and AJ Burnett, who has been a mentor to the kid despite his own personal struggles.

If Nova can channel Pettitte tonight, he will earn the undying affection of his teammates and Yankees fans all over. Game on, kid!

Thank you AJ Burnett

Dear AJ Burnett,

Thank you for saving the 2011 baseball season for the New York Yankees. I didn’t think you could do it. I held a rather fatalistic attitude going into Game 4 but somehow you pulled it off and you should be very proud.

Sure, you had a lot of fantastic defensive help, namely from your centerfielder Curtis Granderson, who got you out of a major jam in the first inning when it looked like the bad AJ appeared on the mound in an elimination game. And your manager Joe Girardi finally made the right call on pulling you, wasting no time when you let a runner on base in the sixth inning. But you deserve a tremendous amount of credit for all the zeros you put up in the innings in between, not always trying to strike guys out and letting your defense back you up, which it did to perfection.

What makes you great at times also makes you the most frustrating pitcher to watch. We know that you are supremely talented. We know that you are capable of throwing a terrific game like you did last night every time you take the mound. If we are too hard on you, that’s probably the reason why. It’s not that we hate you. We don’t. We want you to do well. We just want to see that tough guy who showed up on the mound when the Yankees needed him the most a lot more often.

I’m not going to apologize for doubting you. You have given Yankees fans a lot of reasons to doubt you, as you yourself have acknowledged. But I will happily admit to being wrong about you, at least for one night. Thanks for getting the Yankees to Game 5. And get yourself ready for the American League Championship Series because I believe your protégé Ivan Nova is going to get us there on Thursday.

Sincerely,
Rebelyankeechick

Super Nova comes through in prime time

Many people had a lot of questions about Ivan Nova going into his “start” last night. I was not one of them.

When I was buying tickets for the American League Division Series, of course, I wanted to see the Game 1 clash of the titans between CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander. But I also did something I have never done before. I bought tickets to two games of the same division series. Why? Because I wanted to see Nova pitch in Game 2 against the Detroit Tigers. It technically wasn’t Game 2, but the kid stepped up in a big playoff start last night.

Unlike with AJ Burnett, I’m confident in the rookie pitching a big game for the New York Yankees. Despite his youth, I never worry that Nova is going to fall apart at the first sign of trouble. That’s how much confidence I have in him. I think that goes back to the first time I saw him start a big-league game in person, the night the Yankees were dedicating George Steinbrenner’s monument. With all the hoopla and emotion of that night, it would have been very easy for the kid to be distracted, but he turned in a pretty solid start in a game the Yankees went on to win.

I’m surprised when Burnett pitches well and I’ll be shocked if the Tigers don’t shell him if he starts Game 4. I’m not surprised when Nova has a good start and I have absolutely no problem with the kid getting the ball in a Game 5 elimination matchup if it comes to that.

“I loved what he did today,” his manager Joe Girardi said of Nova last night.

So did I.

Yankees prove all the doubters wrong

The New York Yankees just won the American League East division title, proving that pre-season predictions mean absolutely nothing.

Before the start of the 2011 baseball season, many “experts” handed the AL division crown to the Boston Red Sox. Why? Because they had a good offseason, trading for young superstar Adrian Gonzalez and signing free agent Carl Crawford. In contrast, the Yankees were jilted by Cliff Lee, who took less money to join the Philadelphia Phillies’ super rotation. Brian Cashman’s response to that rejection was to sign Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. Though Cashman might still secretly wish Lee took the pile of dough the Yankees were offering him, he couldn’t be happier with the performances of Colon and Garcia, who deserve a lot of credit for helping to keep the Yankees rotation from falling apart.

What makes the Yankees ascension to the AL East division throne so impressive is the multitude of injuries and the way other players stepped up to fill the voids. Phil Hughes was projected as the #2 starter, but spent most of the first half on the disabled list with inflammation in that valuable pitching arm. But up stepped Ivan Nova, a candidate for the fifth starter spot who forced his way into the Rookie of the Year debate by unexpectedly going 16-4 with a 3.62 ERA in baseball’s toughest division. The Yankees also survived multiple injuries to Alex Rodriguez, their cleanup hitter who has been MIA for most of the second half, and a calf injury that sidelined their captain Derek Jeter, though that was probably a blessing in disguise as Jeter has been on fire since his return.

It’s like Mariano Rivera said yesterday, the Yankees overcame a lot of adversity to get where they are. Calling 2011 a challenging year would be a major understatement. But they never felt sorry for themselves or took their eyes off the prize.

However, the Yankees know this is merely a first step. Next on the agenda for Joe Girardi & Co is securing home-field advantage through the American League playoffs while at the same time resting his regulars during the last week of the season. Thanks to the early division clinch, Girardi can be very judicious in prepping his team for the postseason.

With the playoffs will come more doubts from the “experts.” Some will say that the Yankees will not survive October with their makeshift rotation, that there are too many questions about starters not named CC Sabathia. I say it’s a chance for the Yankees to once again prove all the doubters wrong. Bring it on!

Random baseball thoughts

I don't know if David Einhorn was the right guy to buy a large chunk of the New York Mets, but the sad thing is that his failed bid puts the Mets and their fans right back where they started: in limbo.

• I still think AJ Burnett has to be the odd man out of the New York Yankees rotation. I only saw the highlights of his start against the Boston Red Sox, but the numbers indicate that it was a solid start (and frankly a lot better than anyone expected). But I still don't trust him over any of the other guys in the rotation and that includes young Ivan Nova, who is surely the #2 guy behind CC Sabathia if the playoffs started tomorrow.

• I appreciate Mark Teixeira and Dustin Pedroia stepping up to say that, yes, Yankees-Red Sox games are way too long. Perhaps Pedroia can have a talk with his pitcher Josh Beckett teammate to teammate and explain that he would get better defense behind him if he quickened his pace. I knew the length of the Rivalry games was out of control when I started falling asleep in the 7th inning.

• I wouldn’t be surprised to see Frank McCourt try to take a huge payout and sell his team to a Chinese-backed group, just to piss Bud Selig off. As much as Selig wants to expand baseball's popularity internationally, this is probably not what he had in mind.

AJ Burnett burning his Yankee bridges?

Has AJ Burnett finally burned his bridges with the New York Yankees? Seems like it.

Less than two weeks ago, Brian Cashman firmly defended Burnett against his critics in the media and Yankees universe. His manager Joe Girardi launched into an anti-media tirade this weekend after Jack Curry and other reporters dared to ask him about his exchange when the righty was pulled from Saturday night’s game. As much as both have publicly defended Burnett, it seems like they are starting to get tired of it.

Girardi, who is fiercely loyal and protective of his players, may have just been acknowledging the obvious when he said Burnett has to pitch better to stay in the rotation. But the fact that he even said that publicly is telling. What is even more interesting is Cashman’s about-face. It seems like it was just yesterday when he was begging the media to put the blame for Burnett’s failure to pitch up to his contract on the general manager’s shoulders. Now Cashman is saying that Burnett’s contract won’t keep him in the rotation and that the righty has not pitched like a #2 starter.

What caused the sudden reversal for Girardi and Cashman? Perhaps they are finally sick of Burnett’s act, particularly the way he sulked off the mound on Saturday, with even Girardi questioning the pitcher about whether that rant was directed at him. Even if I believed Burnett truly was mad about the last pitch and not as his manager, which I don’t, I have a hard time understanding why he thinks he has any right to be upset about that particular pitch as opposed to the 60 pitches before when he had trouble getting anyone out.

Aside from being mad about Burnett’s sulking, I think Girardi and Cashman now realize that they have no choice but to remove Burnett from the rotation. You can’t send Phil Hughes or Ivan Nova to the bullpen with the way they’ve been pitching. You could conceivably sit Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia (once he comes off the disabled list) for a few starts in late August and September just to save their arms for the postseason. But with the race against the Boston Red Sox so tight, the Yankees have to send out the pitchers they have the best chance to win with and Burnett clearly doesn’t fall into that category.

I would be really nervous right now if I was AJ Burnett. Girardi and Cashman were the only ones standing between him and banishment to the bullpen. If they are now refusing to stick up for him, it’s only a matter of time before Burnett finds himself relegated to mop-up games and a seat on the bench as he watches his Yankees teammates play in October.

AJ Burnett should be odd man out

The time has come for Joe Girardi to make a decision about the New York Yankees rotation. For me, it’s an easy call. AJ Burnett should be the odd man out.

Burnett has managed to keep his job, despite being unable to win a game since late June, only because of his big contract and fragile psyche. A lesser compensated and more emotionally stable pitcher would have been banished to the bullpen weeks ago based on performance alone. It’s time for the Yankees to stop coddling him and do what’s best for the team.

It’s not that I don’t have compassion for AJ. I do. I truly hope that someday he figures out a way to harness all that talent in a constructive way. But I don’t think it’s fair to the rest of the team, particularly Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes, or the fans to keep Burnett in the rotation when he has not pitched well enough to deserve a spot.

Nova has elevated himself from being a borderline #5 pitcher to being the most reliable Yankees starter not named CC Sabathia and has proved time and time again that he belongs in the big leagues. And as shaky as Hughes has been this year, I still believe he will turn it around and pitch more games like his start against the White Sox last week. I just don’t have the same confidence in Burnett. I watch his starts always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I couldn’t enjoy his start against the Angels because I knew that at some point the real AJ would surface and blow the game. To be fair, the Yankees lost that game because of Mariano Rivera’s current pitching slump, but it does not breed confidence that Burnett couldn’t keep his emotions in check even in a game that he was dominating.

Team leaders Derek Jeter and Sabathia have tried to gentle coax Burnett out of his funk by stressing his importance to the team. But enough is enough. At some point, the Yankees have to admit that no amount of gentle coaxing or coddling is ever going to get Burnett to harness all his potential into being the dominating pitcher that he should be. I think that deep down Girardi knows that sending AJ to the bullpen is the right move to make. Girardi just has to have the heart to do it.

Time for Yankees to show Red Sox who's boss

If George Steinbrenner were still around, he wouldn't care so much that his New York Yankees are tied for first place. He'd be furious about the Yankees losing eight of nine games this season to the hated Boston Red Sox.

Sweeping the Chicago White Sox wouldn't have made Steinbrenner any happier because they’re just the wrong color Saux. The old Steinbrenner would be demanding that his Yankees put a beatdown on the Red Sox up in Boston this weekend. To be honest, I would like to see the same thing.

Sure, I feel good about the Yankees' postseason prospects with the distance they put between themselves and the rest of the wild card contenders in the American League. But the road to the World Series will probably go through Boston and I would like the Yankees' championship chances a lot better if they can win the majority of their remaining games with the Red Sox, starting tonight.

The Yankees have their pitching rotation set up nicely. Despite his struggles against the Red Sox earlier this year, it goes without saying that the Yankees want CC Sabathia on the mound this weekend. But I also think they feel good about having their veterans Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon pitching in what will be a hostile environment at Fenway Park rather than their kids Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova, despite how well both pitched this week. And it probably goes without saying that they are relieved that AJ Burnett will be nowhere near the Fenway Park mound.

The Red Sox have played extremely tough this year, surviving what could have been several devastating injuries, particularly in their starting rotation. They're not going to just lay down for the Yankees, even though the Bronx Bombers have finally caught up to them, which will make this a very fun weekend.

The Boss may not be around anymore, but it's time for the Yankees to show the Red Sox who's the Boss.

AJ Burnett should worry about his Yankees job

Quick question: why doesn't AJ Burnett have to worry about keeping his job, as erratic and inconsistent as he is?

I truly find myself dreading Burnett’s turn in the New York Yankees rotation. I came home from an alumni meeting to find the Yankees leading 13-1. Pleasantly surprised, I began to answer some emails, but I kept the television on to keep track of the game. Somehow I knew that even a 12-run lead was not safe in Burnett’s hands and I couldn’t have been more right. The Chicago White Sox crept closer and closer until finally they were in striking distance before Cory Wade came in from the bullpen in the 5th inning and bailed Burnett out of trouble.

Joe Girardi is fiercely protective of his players, always finding something positive in the most disappointing performances, but there was visible strain and frustration on his face in the post-game interview. His team is operating on all cylinders right now, with the obvious exception of Burnett. Girardi gave Burnett every opportunity to work out of the self-imposed jam, but after realizing that Burnett simply didn't have the stuff or the confidence to put the White Sox down, Girardi chose his team over the player and pulled him.

Burnett said he wasn't mad at Girardi, but very angry with himself. Seems like a little white lie. I think he was slightly mad at his manager for pulling him short of a victory. But I also think AJ was smart enough to understand, once he cooled down, that he has no one to blame but himself for forcing Girardi to make the move.

The Yankees used the possibility of losing his job to try to motivate Phil Hughes into being the Phil Hughes of last year. Why don't they use the same technique with Burnett? A major reason is Burnett's big contract, but I also think that the Yankees worry that Burnett's psyche is simply too fragile to handle losing his job to 24-year-old Ivan Nova, even if the kid is a lot more consistent than the veteran. But the Yankees and Burnett have to figure out some way to get him on track because everyone is running out of patience.