Baseball world rushes to celebrate Mariano Rivera

The praise and accolades for Mariano Rivera flowed in from all over the baseball world.

Mo’s official announcement of his retirement following the 2013 baseball season prompted teammates, competitors and opposing managers all across the United States to pay tribute to a man who will go down in baseball history as the greatest closer ever.

Even former Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbum, excuse me, Papelbon (sorry, old habits die hard), rushed to embrace Mo. Papelbon, who now closes games for the Philadelphia Phillies, calls Mariano Rivera the Godfather. It’s a nickname that fits, despite Mo’s good nature, because he is ruthless and unforgiving on a baseball mound.

About the only one to voice anything close to negativity was, ironically, former New York Yankees great Goose Gossage. I understand his frustration as he feels that praising Mariano as the greatest closer ever diminishes what he and others did in the role. But I think it’s possible to appreciate what closers of Goose’s era did while acknowledging that Mo’s postseason dominance allows him to shine above all others. And even Goose’s relatively mild criticism was coupled with extensive praise for Mo’s role as the best possible role model for young relievers such as David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain.

Mo’s eagerness to work with youngsters, as he voiced during his press conference yesterday, is one of the personal factors that help him shine above the rest. He has this tremendous talent and impeccable mindset. But instead of hoarding his wisdom, Mo shared it with anyone who would listen, including Papelbon, who was then closing games for the Yankees’ fiercest rival. It’s one of the many reasons why so many people have been so outspoken in professing their respect and admiration for the great Rivera and vowing to enjoy the last year he will give us.

Sad day in Yankee land as Rivera to call it quits

I knew the day I long dreaded would come, but now that it’s here, it really stings.

Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer in baseball history and one of the all-time great members of the New York Yankees, is expected to announce that he will retire after the 2013 season. The news is not at all surprising as he has talked openly about wanting to be a full-time family man for years. He probably would have retired after last season if not for that horrific crash on the Kansas City warning track. Mo was just too much of a legend to go out that way, for his last appearance at Yankee Stadium to be a ceremonial first pitch rather than the last pitch of yet another victorious season.

I just hope the Yankees can give him the sendoff Mariano deserves, one last World Series Championship before he goes home to his family for good. I’m starting to doubt that the team is good enough to do that this year, but I have no doubts whatsoever that Mo will go out with yet another dominant season under his belt that will further solidify his mark on baseball’s record books and in the minds of all of us who were lucky enough to watch him pitch.

After this season, we spoiled Yankee fans are going to find out what it feels like to deal with a mortal closer, a fate that we have been spared for more than 15 years because of Rivera’s calmness and consistency. Whether it’s David Robertson or Joba Chamberlain or some other reliever who will step into Mo’s shoes, we are just not going to have the same safe feelings about the ninth inning as we have had in all the years that Mo was handed the ball.

I love the line in the New York Times story about the possibility of Rivera changing his mind between now and Saturday because I think it sums up what all of us Yankee fans are feeling: that small glimmer of hope that Mariano will decide he simply cannot walk away from the game of baseball just yet. But he’s given us so much already that as much as I will miss the thrill of hearing Enter Sandman and knowing Mo is coming into the game to shut another team down, I will choose to be incredibly grateful for what he has given us already and wish him well in his life after baseball.

Random Yankees thoughts: spring training sequel

Despite what Joel Sherman says, I don’t think the New York Yankees are tired of Joba Chamberlain. I think Sherman is tired of Joba Chamberlain. The New York Post columnist launched a bizarre public attack criticizing Joba for acting childlike, which is a silly argument to me considering these guys are playing a game for a living. So what if Joba is loud in the clubhouse or expresses his preference to start or close baseball games? He is well within his right to express his opinions, just like the Yankees are well within their rights to ignore them, just as Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi did.

Sherman is a columnist these days, but it still seems strange that he would take such a personal shot at a baseball player he has to cover. It’s more of an attack on his character, not his pitching, and for no other reason than Sherman doesn’t like want he perceives as Joba’s act. Opposing players have never liked Joba’s antics on the mound, but I haven’t heard any of his teammates or bosses complain so I’m going to disregard Sherman’s criticisms, as should Joba.

·         Alex Rodriguez is a constant magnet for criticism so it was no surprise to see all the coverage of the Boston Globe report that listed him as one of the professional athletes whose charity didn’t give as much money away as it should. These types of stories gain traction simply because people hate ARod, but some things are just unfair. Granted, his charity was not as efficient as it should be, but it’s not like he was pocketing the money for himself. And when he realized it wasn’t working out, he shut down the charity and gave millions directly to good organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club. He should get credit for realizing that running his own charity wasn’t the right path for him and finding other ways to give back to the community.

 
·         Derek Jeter is spending a lot of his time this spring training trying to reassure the world that he is healthy and will be ready for Opening Day. He was a guest on the Mike Francesa show this week and the very first question he got from MF was about his health. The Yankees Captain said he immediately knew the injury was bad and the ankle was broken last October. But he quickly moved on to reassuring all of Yankee land that he will ready to man shortstop come April 1. Jeter has an extreme tolerance for pain and supreme confidence in his own abilities so I’m going to take him at his word that he will be ready to go.

 

Jeter’s recovery top baseball story for Yankees

Put aside the salacious revelations of the potential connections of Alex Rodriguez and Francisco Cervelli to a Miami clinic suspected of dispensing performance-enhancing drugs. Never mind the feud and subsequent burying of the hatchet between Joba Chamberlain and his new teammate Kevin Youkilis. The most important baseball story so far this spring training by far for the New York Yankees has been the recovery of Derek Jeter.

I can understand why the media is obsessing with the Yankee Captain’s every move on the field. With ARod down for at least half a season, Nick Swisher playing the outfield for the Cleveland Indians and Russell Martin catching his old pal AJ Burnett in Pittsburgh, the Yankees are going to have to squeeze offense out of every position. The Yankees will desperately need Jeter to have a season like he had last year before getting hurt, the kind of season in which he carries the team with his clutch hitting and defense while his teammates struggle mightily, which will no doubt happen again this year. Jeter has to be healthy and he has to be Derek Jeter or the Yankees don’t have a chance in 2013.

But I really worry about his health. I hope Derek learned a valuable lesson about not pushing himself too hard. He admitted he played the last two months of the 2012 regular season and into the playoffs on an injured ankle even though he probably shouldn’t have. Jeter is, in a sense, a hostage to his own toughness because he firmly believes that if a baseball player can walk, he should be out on the field. I’ve long admired his ability to ignore pain and man the shortstop position every day, but I think it leads to too many situations where he plays baseball when he shouldn’t. It finally cost him last October.

Jeter’s rehabilitation has gotten even more attention than Mariano Rivera’s comeback, perhaps because Mo’s injury happened way back in May of last year while the image of Jeter writhing on the ground in unbearable pain is fresh in our minds. Whatever the reason, no one on the Yankees is being watched more closely than Derek Jeter.

Chamberlain-Youkilis feud overblown

I’m so glad Joba Chamberlain and Kevin Youkilis are now best buds. Now the New York Yankees can steamroll their way to the World Series championship that’s rightfully theirs.

Seriously, I don’t doubt that there was genuine bad blood between Joba and Youkilis. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has gotten nasty at times, despite the fact that some of the players actually enjoy each other’s company (see Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia after being teammates during the last World Baseball Classic). Now, I don’t expect Joba and Youkilis to really become friends and they don’t need to be—seriously, who likes all of their coworkers? But I never thought that there was going to be tension between Joba and the Yankees new third baseman to the point where it was going to wreak havoc with the team’s chemistry.

But perhaps Youkilis could benefit from the Yankees’ superior media operation. If he had only returned Joba’s call in the offseason when the Yankees pitcher called to make peace, the story wouldn’t have blown up the way it did. And Yankee fans shouldn’t overreact to Youkilis’ stated love for Boston and the Red Sox. He played there for eight years and we can’t expect him to start bleeding pinstripes just because he signed with the Yankees. All we should expect is that he will bring the same fire and clutch hitting to the Yankees that he did before his time in Boston came to an ugly end.

But teammates do not have to love each other for a team to win. I distinctly remember that Derek Jeter was no Roger Clemens fan when the Rocket was throwing 95mph fastballs at his head. But spring training started in 1999 and Jeter and Chuck Knoblauch pranked their new colleague by showing up in the batter’s box with full catcher’s gear, getting a big laugh out of the notoriously intense Clemens. The prank lightened the mood in spring training and the Yankees never looked back.

I’m not saying that the Yankees are going to win another title if Joba comes up with a similarly hilarious prank to pull on his new teammate. The Yankees have plenty of problems that are a lot worse than any feud between Joba and Youkilis and that’s where the focus should be.

Mariano Rivera back for final curtain with Yankees?

Mariano Rivera is coming back to the New York Yankees because has way too much pride (the good kind of pride) for his Hall of Fame career to end on the Kansas City warning track. But will this be the final hurrah for the legendary Yankee? I think it could be and we all need to prepare ourselves for that possibility.  

Like with Andy Pettitte, the negotiations on Mariano’s new deal seem to have been relatively painless, even though he took less money to return to the Bronx after his unfortunate knee injury. But once Mo decided on one more year, he and the Yankees quickly came to an agreement because they know that they are meant for each other and that they need each other.

But this has to be a transition year for the Yankees. I suspect Mo is going to call it quits after this season. Even though the pull of baseball is strong, there were signs that the pull of family was getting stronger for Mo. If he is injury free, he will likely put up Mo-like save and ERA numbers and then walk away on a high note. The Yankees are going to have to spend 2013 testing David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain and the rest of their relief core to see who has the guts to step into those legendary shoes.

This is a transition year for Yankee fans as well. We’re going to have to make peace with the fact that in the near future we are not going to have Mariano closing games for us anymore. We’re going to have to live with the sheer nervousness of slim 9^th inning leads that other baseball teams navigate on a daily basis, but that we haven’t worried about in 15 years. We’ll just have to enjoy this while it lasts, however much longer that will be.

Yankees set 2013 plan in motion

We don’t know all the details yet, of course, but the New York Yankees have finally put their plan for the 2013 baseball season in motion.

The first element of the plan was picking up the options on second baseman Robinson Cano and center fielder Curtis Granderson. Picking up Cano’s option was a no brainer, even though his agent Scott Boras had been clamoring for a multi-year extension, which the Yankees were unwilling to do right now. I’m slightly surprised they were so quick to pick up Granderson’s option, but the Yankees could have decided to give him another year to right himself, meaning to correct the bad tendencies that made him a swing-and-miss hitter, before they let him walk as a free agent. There is also speculation that Granderson could be traded, which would not surprise me in the least.

So what’s next? The next news out of Yankees land will likely be Rafael Soriano officially opting out of his deal to secure a rich, multi-year contract after his successful year closing games for the Yankees. But I don’t think the situation will be resolved anytime soon, not until Mariano Rivera commits to another year or retirement. And we’ll know soon enough if the Yankees, as expected, decline to retain Nick Swisher’s services, although this seems like a foregone conclusion given his constant struggles in the playoffs.

The Yankees will have to decide what to do with their other free agents or players just a year away from free agency such as Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. There seems to be a movement to send these two out the door in exchange for cheaper talent. I’m frankly surprised at how eager people are to get rid of two young, but experienced pitchers. I know they are going to cost money when they hit free agency, but I doubt the Yankees are willing to bid adieu to either one just yet, especially Hughes, who at times this year pitched like the top-flight starter the Yankees projected him to be. The Yankees will likely give these two one more year to prove that they can consistently perform in the Bronx.

Given that the Yankees failed in their quest to win another World Series championship, I expect some major changes. It will be interesting to see who the Yankees show the door. 

Happy Birthday, Joba Chamberlain

I would like to wish a belated happy birthday to Joba Chamberlain.

Joba seems to have turned a corner recently, finally shaking off the rust from his extended disabled list stint. He hasn’t given up an earned run in his last eight appearances and has been credited with one win and three holds in that timeframe.

With Rafael Soriano and David Robertson clearly overused and exhausted, Joba is going to play an important role down the stretch and in the playoffs. He has the freshest arm out there and plenty of experience in pressure situations. He has pitched superbly out of the bullpen in the past and the New York Yankees will need him to do so again this year if they are going to win the American League East division. I believe he can and will be a key cog in the reliever core the rest of the way.

Happy Belated Birthday, Joba.  

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. 

Joba Chamberlain a sight for sore Yankee eyes

Joba Chamberlain was a sight for sore eyes.

Watching Joba standing on the Yankee Stadium mound yesterday warmed my heart. He didn’t pitch particularly well, which was to be expected given his long pitching layoff and the jumble of emotions he must have been feeling. Not that it really mattered how he pitched. Just seeing him on the mound was a testament to his perseverance.

His manager Joe Girardi talked about how he never had any doubt that Joba, a famously quick healer who didn’t even feel his elbow coming apart before his Tommy John surgery, would pitch again this year, even after the grotesque ankle injury. I genuinely believed Girardi when he said that, not always the case to be honest. I had been following Joba’s recovery as closely as possible and his determination to return to the pitching mound and prove all the doubters who said his career was over wrong was evident. Not only did he heal more quickly than expected, he was lighting up the radar gun during his rehab assignments and I have no doubt that he will be lighting up the Yankee Stadium gun once he gets comfortable again.

Despite his rough first outing, the New York Yankees are confident that he can solidify the bullpen, much as he had done last year before his unexpected and unfortunate elbow injury. They are so confident in Joba that Brian Cashman felt comfortable trading away Chad Qualls for some bench help before Tuesday’s deadline. The Yankees, overly cautious in their handling of Joba at times, were so sure that he was healthy that they called him back up to the big club rather than sending him to Trenton for a scheduled rehab assignment, no doubt disappointing a lot of New Jersey-based Yankee fans hoping for a glimpse of Joba.

But it was a thrill watching him pitch in a big-league game again, something a lot of people suspected he would never do, even if Joba himself never doubted it for a second. 

Joba Chamberlain closing in on a comeback

Tomorrow is a big day for Joba Chamberlain. No, it’s not his birthday, but if it was, his birthday wish would probably be to come through tomorrow’s simulated game pain free.

It’s a big step on Joba’s way back to rejoining the New York Yankees after last year’s devastating, unexpected elbow injury and the fluke trampoline accident that dislocated his ankle. So far, Chamberlain has passed all the tests and reported no lingering pain from either injury (although he has an incredibly high pain tolerance, throwing gas with a torn ligament in that elbow right up until the injury was discovered).

The Yankees bullpen could use a fresh arm. The relievers, with the notable exception of Rafael Soriano, have really struggled of late. I suspect the struggles can be traced back to them being forced to throw too many innings earlier in the baseball season when the Yankees starters were struggling to get past the 5^th and 6^th innings. If a healthy Joba can help lessen the workload, Joe Girardi can give some of those arms some much needed rest.   

I’m rooting to see Joba back in pinstripes as soon as possible, as long as he doesn’t rush through his rehab and reinjure himself. He would make a strength of the Yankees team even stronger. But for me, it’s about more than just making the Yankees a better team. I always root hardest for the homegrown Yankees and Joba is definitely one of those so I would love to see him back on the mound, throwing gas like the Joba of old. 

Hughes no longer in danger of becoming AJ Burnett

I was beginning to worry that Phil Hughes was becoming the new AJ Burnett for some New York Yankees fans looking for someone to boo and blame for the Bronx Bombers’ mediocre start. But Hughes put those concerns to rest with his gem of a start yesterday.  

With Andy Pettitte coming back to the Yankees today, it was extremely important for Hughes to remind the fans and quite frankly the organization about why they have so much invested in him as a starter. Hughes was on the verge of being shifted to the bullpen, sentenced to a baseball life as a middle reliever, as Joba Chamberlain has been despite his stunning debut in the American League in 2007. But his starting job now seems safe as Hughes delivered by far his best performance of the baseball season. Yes, it was against the Seattle Mariners, but he has been improving with each start and is headed in the right direction.

Hughes claimed he didn’t have his best stuff, but he spotted the baseball beautifully and took full advantage of an improved defense behind him (no longer having to worry about Eduardo Nunez making errors that blow up innings for him as the young shortstop was sent to the minor leagues to work on his defense). Hughes was so efficient that the Yankees finished off the Mariners in about 2 ½ hours. The main improvement has been in Hughes’ attitude, with his newfound aggressiveness leading to more success, which in turn breeds confidence.

Yankee fans don’t have Burnett to kick around anymore so I was worried they were starting to turn their negative attention on to Hughes, a kid who has shown flashes of promise, but has struggled to sustain it. But it looks like he is in the clear again when it comes to restless Yankee fans. All Hughes has to do is keep pitching well and he will hear his name being chanted instead of being booed. 

No need to rip Joba over gruesome injury

I don't believe in kicking a man when he is down, but Bill Madden apparently has no problem doing exactly that.

Madden's column in the New York Daily News ripped Joba Chamberlain for the gruesome, potentially life-threatening, ankle injury he sustained while playing on a trampoline with his son Karter. While I agree that Joba probably shouldn't have been on the trampoline in the first place, I can't help but feel Madden was way too harsh in his criticism, especially considering that Joba's life could be at risk. Even Brian Cashman was shaken up by the news and clearly more concerned about Joba's health than the impact of this devastating injury on the New York Yankees.

Anyone who follows Joba on Twitter knows how much he loves his son. Chamberlain is constantly posting photos and video of his cute little boy for all Yankees fans and the world to see. He has said that the blessing in disguise of his unexpected arm injury last year was the thrill of seeing his son off to school for the first time. And Joba very much acts like a big kid himself at times so I'm not at all surprised to hear about how the injury occurred.

But Madden is flat-out wrong to compare Joba's situation to Brien Taylor, the one-time hot Yankee prospect whose career fizzled after he injured his arm in a bar fight. Joba wasn't pulling a Taylor or a David Wells and fighting with some drunken guy. He was playing with his kid. I wish all fathers were as devoted to their kids as Joba is to his boy.

And I guarantee no one feels worse about this injury than Joba himself. So why does Madden feel the need to kick the man when he's down? Badly done on Madden's part.

Yankees survive Robertson injury scare

The New York Yankees survived their first scare of spring training: David Robertson’s fluke foot injury.

Joe Girardi and the Yankees were concerned about the injury being more serious than initially appeared, sending Robertson for a battery of intensive tests that found only a bone bruise. The prognosis is good, which is a huge relief for Girardi & Co. He must have been terrified at the thought of losing his set-up guy when he already has to wait months before he has Joba Chamberlain back on the pitchers’ mound.

Robertson became a key member of the Yankees bullpen in 2011, posting a 4-0 record, a miniscule 1.08 ERA and an astonishing 100 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched. He also showed a poise on the mound reminiscent of a young Mariano Rivera, although Robertson will have to be more like Mo by learning to throw his pitches exactly where he wants them and keeping runners off base so that he doesn’t get into situations that force him to turn into Houdini.

Since things around the Yankees never move slowly, there was immediate speculation about who would replace Robertson in the 8^th inning if he went down for an extended period of time. Possible names included Phil Hughes, which would have temporarily solved the 5^th starter riddle. But none of that is necessary as the bone bruise should not keep Robertson off the mound for long.

Crisis averted.

Will Mariano Rivera really say goodbye?

Will Mariano Rivera really call it quits after the 2012 baseball season is over?

It’s hard to imagine anyone walking away still at the top of their game, as Mo clearly is, but it seems like he is planning to do exactly that at the end of the year. Mo did not directly say he would retire, but he strongly hinted that the end of his unmatchable career is close to completion.

After achieving the all-time saves record last year, Mo has nothing else left to do in baseball. His status as the greatest reliever in the history of baseball is completely secure. He has five World Series rings and will hopefully win a sixth before he calls it quits. Mo could have even decided to join Jorge Posada in retirement this offseason if he didn’t have another year left on his contract. But Mo just has too much integrity to leave the New York Yankees in the lurch like that.

How do you replace an icon? The Yankees are actually in pretty good shape there. David Robertson has proven he has the chops to pitch late innings in tight games and has absolutely no fear of dangerous baseball situations. If Joba Chamberlain can come back from his arm injury, and all reports are that he is making excellent progress, then he can serve as Robertson’s back-up and take over the 8^th inning role. In a worst-case scenario, the Yankees also have Rafael Soriano, who has closer experience, and could try him out in the role.  

But I’m not sure if the Yankees are ready to lose their iconic closer. Even the heir apparent Robertson is unconvinced, suggesting that Rivera could “Brett Favre us”, meaning that he could decide not to retire. I would love it if that were true, but the tone of Mo’s recent comments suggest that as much as he would miss baseball, he is tired of the grind and of being away from his kids so much.

So of course he can call it quits. All good things come to an end eventually. At least we have a chance to say a proper goodbye. 

Rooting for Joba Chamberlain comeback

Heading into spring training in 2011, I wrote about how there is no member of the New York Yankees I would be rooting for more than Joba Chamberlain. The same is true again this year, but for a different reason.


Joba got dealt a bad hand last year when he was felled by a serious arm injury in the midst of a successful campaign to once again become the set-up man for Mariano Rivera. He managed to do what I thought was impossible: cast aside Rafael Soriano despite the millions of dollars the Steinbrenners wasted on Soriano’s services. Joba’s numbers reflected the fantastic year he was having (2-0, with a 2.83 ERA and 1.05 WHIP). But he also showed us a maturity that we hadn’t seen before, which was not surprising considering that he is still only 26 years old. Being in the middle of such a professional renaissance made his unexpected season-ending surgery that much more devastating.

Reports indicate that Chamberlain’s rehabilitation is progressing quite well so perhaps we will see him back on the mound mid-season. Of course, he will need time to find his groove again. But if he can do that, the Yankees already strong bullpen could become an unstoppable force.  

Something good did come out of Joba’s injury since it allowed the baseball world (and the Yankees themselves) to see what David Robertson could do in that job. But I hate to see any player lose his job because of an injury, especially one that may have been preventable if the Yankees hadn’t shifted Joba back and forth from the bullpen to the rotation and back again.  

But that’s all in the past. I will look forward to the future and hope that Joba can once again be the pitcher that had all of New York buzzing about his promise. 

Hughes, Burnett the odd men out for Yankees?

The New York Yankees all of a sudden have a crowded starting rotation heading into spring training after reportedly signing Hiroki Kuroda and trading for Michael Pineda. So who are the odd men out? Most likely it will be either AJ Burnett or Phil Hughes, or perhaps both of them.

Hughes just got some good news, as his agents and the Yankees reached agreement on a one-year, $3.25 million contract with performance bonuses and avoided arbitration for the second straight year. I’m glad that Hughes and the Yankees were able to reach a deal because of the contentious nature of these arbitration hearings. Hughes would not have had as strong a case for a raise this year as he struggled with injuries and was unable to replicate his 2010 All-Star campaign. With Hughes rededicating himself to going into spring training in tip top shape, I fully expect him to have a bounce-back year.

But even if Hughes struggles in spring training, I don’t think the Yankees are ready to trade him, despite the rumors in the blogosphere. For one, he is coming off a rough year so his value is not as high as it was a few years ago when he was a key prospect that Brian Cashman simply refused to part with for Johan Santana. Secondly, the Yankees know that Hughes can be successful in the bullpen and could ultimately decide that is the best spot for him, as they eventually did with Joba Chamberlain.

Burnett is another issue entirely. He has worn out his welcome with Yankee fans, and possibly even people within the Yankees organization, as evidenced by the Yankees reported willingness to trade him. Since the Yankees would have to pick up a huge chunk of his remaining salary over the next two years to make it happen, I still think the odds of a trade are miniscule. But I think the Yankees are almost out of patience with Burnett so his large contract is not going to protect him for much longer. Burnett has already been demoted to the bullpen in the playoffs and I could easily see the Yankees shifting him to the pen if he struggles in the regular season.

It’s possible this overcrowding situation will be resolved by injury although I would hate to see anyone lose a job because they got hurt. More likely, Hughes and Burnett will have to step up to keep their jobs. I believe Hughes can do that, but seriously doubt we will ever see Burnett consistently harness his ridiculous talent to become the #2 starter the Yankees paid for. 

Happy Birthday Mariano Rivera!

Mariano Rivera is used to striking fear in the hearts of opposing batters, but he recently unintentionally struck fear in the hearts of New York Yankees fans.

First, Rivera unveiled that he will be having surgery soon, not on his Hall of Fame-bound right arm, but on his vocal cords. Normally this would not be much of a concern as Mariano prefers to let his pitching talk for him. But as Mariano noted, nothing is simple when it comes to surgery.

But the scarier comment came when Mariano left open the possibility of retiring after the 2012 baseball season. He didn’t commit one way or the other, but hanging up his pinstripes is clearly on Rivera’s mind, much to the terror of Yankees fans and the hopeful glee of opposing hitters all around baseball. As much as we hope that a David Robertson or a Joba Chamberlain can eventually step up to take over the closer’s job, we know in our hearts that Mo is simply irreplaceable.

In our heads, we know the day is coming when Mo will not be closing games for the Yankees. But in our hearts, we all want Mo to keep going until he is at least 50, which gives us another eight years of not having to worry about the 9th inning of baseball games as so many other teams do. It may sound completely unrealistic, except that Mo really hasn’t shown any signs of fading. He marched right up to the all-time saves record without breaking stride. Mo is too humble to care about numbers, but the now 42-year-old has achieved a record that will likely never be broken.

Happy Birthday, Mo!

Moment of truth for Phil Hughes

To say this is a big start for Phil Hughes would be the epitome of an understatement.

If Hughes does not pitch well tonight and Ivan Nova turns in another quality start on Thursday, Hughes is probably going to lose his spot in the New York Yankees rotation to Nova.

The decision will go beyond numbers. Hughes only gave up two run in six innings in his last start, which Joe Girardi – and any other big-league manager – would gladly take in most circumstances. But Hughes struggled with his command in the latter half of the game and had to pitch out of several jams. In contrast, Nova pitched beautifully in giving up only two runs in seven innings in his last start, never really getting into too much trouble except for a jittery first inning. Hughes has to show confidence, command and consistency in this start or it could be the last time we see him starting a game for a while.

Would a return to the bullpen be a bad thing for Hughes? Yes and no, I think. He had great success as Mariano Rivera's set-up man in 2009, but that role is now solidly occupied by David Robertson. Banishment to the bullpen could give Hughes the space to work on the issues that continue to plague him, but it could also be a major hit to his confidence.

And what would such a bullpen move say about the Yankees long-term plans for Hughes? The Yankees have been grooming Hughes as a starter and sending him to the bullpen for an extended period of time could hurt that process. (Of course, the Yankees until the spring of 2010 also envisioned Joba Chamberlain as a starter, but those plans blew up in their faces as the Joba Rules failed to protect his arm). But the Yankees also can't ignore what Nova is doing, forcing himself into the equation by pitching so well. The Yankees are getting just as invested in Nova’s long-term development as they are in Hughes’.

I don't envy Girardi & Co. It's a tough call, but one that Hughes could turn into a non-call if he comes through with a performance tonight that reminds everyone that he is still the same guy who won 18 games last year.

Right move on Nova for Hughes stings nonetheless

I feel really bad for Ivan Nova, who became the odd man out once Phil Hughes proved he was healthy enough to return to the New York Yankees rotation.

The young Nova pitched really well and seemingly started to get into a groove of late after gaining more and more confidence with each passing start. His numbers – 8 wins against 4 losses, a decent 4.12 ERA pitching in the American League East – certainly don’t justify banishment to the minors.

But the Yankees clearly made the right call. Going to a six-man rotation would have been too disruptive for the rest of the staff, especially ace CC Sabathia, who likes to take the ball every fifth day and throw 120 pitches. Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, who saw another terrific effort wasted yesterday by a lack of offense, a rare off night by Mariano Rivera and critical misplays late in the game, have both been too good to take out of the rotation. And hell would have to freeze over before the Yankees pull Mr. Erratic AJ Burnett and his $82.5 million from the rotation.

The talk of putting either Nova or Hughes in the bullpen just didn’t seem like a great option either. I understand and concur with Joe Girardi’s thinking when he says he doesn’t want Nova’s development stunted by unpredictable use out of the bullpen. After the unfortunate season-ending injury to Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees got a lot of questions about Hughes possibly reclaiming his job as Rivera’s set-up man, a move Girardi and Brian Cashman firmly declined to make. Even though Hughes excelled in the bullpen in 2009, the young righty also excelled as a starting pitcher last year and the Yankees have to think of him in that role long term as Garcia and Colon won’t be around to save their rotation forever.

Nova has proven that he has the talent, stuff and heart to be a big-league pitcher. I just hope he isn’t too crushed by his demotion, which really has nothing to do with him.