Hooray! Baseball is back!

The New York Yankees quest to repeat their World Series title got off to a smashing start today, literally. Colin Curtis, who quite frankly I wouldn't be able to pick out of a lineup, put the Yankees in the win column with a 3-run blast in the 9th inning. It was a typical Yankee walk-off victory, minus AJ Burnett's pie in the face.

Of course it's only spring training, which represents a fresh start for the team and the first in a series of opportunities for players to impress their bosses and win jobs. Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre all did well in their first attempts to win the fifth starter job, pitching two scoreless innings each.

Tomorrow will be really interesting, with CC Sabathia matching up against Roy "Doc" Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies. Yes, it's only spring training, but it will still be fun to see these two heavyweights battle it out, if only for two innings.

All I have to say is hooray, baseball is back!

Making Jeter Yankee owner perfect solution

Kevin Kernan of the New York Post wrote a fantastic column today advocating that George Steinbrenner and family make Derek Jeter a part owner of the New York Yankees. It's the perfect way to prevent a nasty, public dispute about Jeter's value when contract negotiations begin in the offseason.

The captain wants to be forever known as a Yankee and has been vocal about his desire to be a baseball owner. The team needs him because he is the marquee player and beloved fan favorite who will draw people to Yankee Stadium long after he retires.

It wouldn't be a major stretch to involve Jeter in the decision making, given that Brian Cashman already seeks his input on player moves. Jeter's a smart baseball guy, but he understands that it's a business so he won't let sentimentality get in the way of what's best for the team.

Jeter could probably be persuaded to take a lower annual salary in exchange for a piece of the team after he retires. Hell, it would be a better deal than Alex Rodriguez got. I'm sure Jeter would love that.

Mo's health critical to Yankee success

Although overshadowed by the latest controversy involving Alex Rodriguez, a far more important event happened yesterday at spring training for the New York Yankees. Mariano Rivera threw his first bullpen session.

Mo is so critical to the team's future, that his health and well being are far more important for the team's chances of repeating their World Series title this year than anything else, including ARod's latest mess. At spring training last year, Mo was coming back from an offseason surgery. This time, it seems like it's all systems go with baseball's greatest closer throwing about 20 pitches yesterday with seemingly relative ease and no pain.

Mo being Mo, all he will need is about eight innings in spring training to get ready for another long regular season and playoff run, which is why Joe Girardi & Co. don't push him too early in camp.

My favorite Mariano quote of the day: "I don't think that, in my case, I have to come in and impress anybody." That is a classic understatement. The future Hall of Famer is well beyond having to come into spring training to win a job.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.

Quiet Yankee spring a thing of the past

Just like that, the peace and quiet of the first few weeks of spring training for the New York Yankees was shattered. The source of the angst, of course, is Alex Rodriguez.

The Yankees third baseman told reporters that he has been contacted and will talk to federal agents about his interactions with a Canadian doctor being investigated for involvement with performance-enhancing drugs. Given ARod's admitted steroids use, it's a major story anytime his name surfaces in connection with PED.

Lacking a real controversy, the reporters covering the Yankees were incredibly bored this spring training and desperately tried turning the lack of negotiations on a contract extension for Yankee Captain Derek Jeter into a story. Now that they have a real story on their hands, they won't let go so things are probably going to get a lot worse for the Yankees.

I feel sorry for Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman, who were probably enjoying the quiet spring. Just a few days ago, their biggest problems were settling on a fifth starter and the Yankee lineup. Now they have to deal with another ARod-related mess. Girardi's attempt at recreating last year's bonding experience will no doubt be overshadowed by this latest controversy.

I also feel bad for the players, who will be pestered by questions about ARod rather than about baseball. I expect them to pledge support for their third baseman, who came through in a big way during last year's playoffs. But you wonder at what point this all becomes too much for them and they start to resent ARod for bringing this controversy to their door again. It's way too early to tell, but it's possible that ARod could once again become the pariah of the Yankees clubhouse.

Thanks to Randy Oostdyk via Wikipedia for the photo.

Mets think they have fighting chance

Are the New York Mets serious or just delusional? I couldn't help but wonder during an afternoon where several baseball players and general manager Omar Minaya dropped by Mike Francesa's radio show to insist that they can compete with the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves for the National League East division.

Now it could be written off as them putting a positive spin on their situation or trying to excite and win back their fan base. But they all seemed to genuinely believe it. Check it out:

"I think this team is built to win right now," first baseman Daniel Murphy said.

"I've got a very, very good feeling about this team," said centerfielder Angel Pagan. "I think we're going to go very far."

"I think we have a club that's capable of doing some things this year," catcher Rod Barajas said.

And last but not least the general manager: "I feel good about this team," Minaya said.

Now they acknowledge that a lot of things have to go right for them to be competitive, namely that they all have to remain healthy, a major challenge as they proved last year.

I don't think their happy camper routines are going to win over Mets fans. But an April winning streak might do the trick.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.

Team bonding off to a good start

Both New York baseball teams are off to a good start in the annual bonding ritual that occurs in spring training.

For the New York Mets, the fierce battle for the hockey championship in the Winter Olympics was the trigger. Now that Jason Bay, a Canadian and lifelong hockey fan is on the team, there is a friendly rivalry going on. With Canada's big victory in the gold medal game last night, Bay will be a happy camper today. Alex Cora, who reportedly got stuck with the dinner check thanks to the US team's tying goal with 24 seconds left in regulation, is not. But sounds like a fun night out for the Metsies.

Tomorrow it's the New York Yankees turn. Joe Girardi will try to repeat the magic of last year's pool tournament with another team bonding event. But Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira have already gotten a head start, sharing a meal last week with the conversation focused on repeating last year's World Series title. But the real bonding came during a pre-spring training workout at ARod's Miami home in January. Tex was very impressed with the generous side of ARod, who invited young kids/minor leaguers to his home for a meal and baseball tips. That kind of admiration can only help the bonding.

Thanks to chris.ptacek via Wikipedai for the photo.

More steroid questions coming for ARod

The New York Yankees, baseball's poster child/team on the steroids issue, are going to have to get ready for a new round of questions. Now comes word that Alex Rodriguez may follow Mets shortstop Jose Reyes in answering questions from federal agents about a Canadian doctor being investigated for distributing performance-enhancing drugs.

The athletes themselves do not appear to be a focus of the inquiry. According to Reyes, the agents simply wanted to know if he was injected with human growth hormone. Much to his relief, they told him the investigation should be no problem for him.

The Yankees have had a very quiet spring. ARod's press conference last week was civil, if not downright boring, and focused almost entirely on baseball and ARod's rebirth last year. But you have to wonder if the resurfacing of his name in connection with steroids is a bad omen or whether it will shake the comfort and confidence that ARod has found. For the Yankees' sake, I hope not.

Thanks to Googie man via en.Wikipedia for the photo.