ARod tale more twisted by the day

The latest Alex Rodriguez controversy keeps getting more and more twisted by the day. The Canadian doctor being investigated by federal authorities now says that he treated the New York Yankees third baseman for his hip injury with anti-inflammatory drugs, but not human growth hormone.

Dr. Tony Galea's admission raises more questions for both ARod and the Yankees. High on the list for the team will be whether ARod's representatives lied to them when they told the Yankees they had never heard of Galea when the team asked point blank if he ever treated ARod. Is it possible that ARod hid that information not only from the team, but from his own people? Highly unlikely. I doubt ARod even makes a restaurant reservation for himself, let alone an appointment for treatment of his hip injury.

Another twist came when the doctor who performed the hip surgery said he never authorized Dr. Galea to treat ARod with an anti-inflammatory drug, which could create major problems with the Yankees who have the contractual right to approve any doctor treating their player. If ARod needed such a drug, why didn't he just go to his team-approved doctor?

The Yankees are reportedly angry with ARod and this is only going to fuel that anger and give them ammunition to punish ARod. I doubt they would try anything as drastic as voiding his contract, but you can be sure that the team will hang him out to dry on this issue. The Yankees are probably tired of being seen as the poster team for baseball players using performance-enhancing drugs so I expect to see them distance themselves from ARod as much as possible.

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

Pettitte ready for another title run

Andy Pettitte isn't going to claim this is his last year playing baseball. He's done that too many times, only to make the decision after much agonizing to return to the game rather than retire, a fact that his teammate and pal Derek Jeter openly mocks.

I thought Pettitte could have gone out on top last year after playing a pivotal role in the New York Yankee's World Series championship. Most of his previous flirtations with retirement were driven by a cranky elbow and a desire to go home to his family. But Pettitte and his family talked it over and they were supportive of him returning to the Yankees. Plus, he realized that he was feeling too good to quit. In fact, the lefty said it was "totally strange" that his elbow was feeling so good.

"I don't want to retire too soon," Pettitte said.

So here he is, back with the team and focusing on another title run. Pettitte's recipe for success is simple. "I was able to stay healthy," he said. "I felt like I was pretty consistent, which is good. I was able to stay out of big innings and get some outs when I needed to."

Sounds good to me.

Thanks to kidsire via Wikipedia for the photo.

Lame Oscar show makes me happy for baseball

It's a good thing we have spring training baseball. If we were relying on last night's Oscar telecast for entertainment, we would have been seriously disappointed.

A surprise appearance by Neil Patrick Harris in a musical opening held promise, but the night quickly went downhill from there. Co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin had a few funny lines, namely a faux stare down with George Clooney, always game for a good joke. But mostly all they had were a bunch of lame jokes directed at the nominees themselves, including at co-star Meryl Streep for having the most Oscar nominations and losses. Surprisingly, they took no shots at Washington or Albany, which has supplied plenty of material of late. I think Martin did better when he hosted the Oscars solo a few years ago, memorably making fun of the Hollywood establishment's Democratic leanings and Tom Cruise's financial planning ("Every week, he takes a million dollars and puts it away, like it's not even there," Martin said.)

The lack of upsets was the other disappointment. I was very happy for Jeff Bridges, who got a long overdue Oscar for his fantastic acting and musical performance in Crazy Heart, and Sandra Bullock, a favorite comedic actress of mine who surprised me in the tender, if exaggerated the Blind Side. But there were no shockers this time around, which always spices up the telecast and the next-day chatter. No Alan Arkin over Eddie Murphy. No Julia Ormond over Lauren Bacall, who was saluted for her honorary Oscar last night. The Hurt Locker won over the money-machine Avatar, the right choice as Hurt made a greater impact with its depiction of the constant danger surrounding our troops despite Avatar's stunning visuals and planet-friendly message. But Up in the Air was better than both those movies with pitch-perfect performances from Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick and plentiful humor mixed in with the sadness of real people telling stories about how losing their jobs upended their worlds.

But now that the Oscars are over, back to important baseball stuff. Nick Johnson is supposed to play today. Can he get back on the field? That's the big question for New York Yankees fans.

Thanks to David Shankbone via Wikipedia for the photos.

Daily News spotlight on Captain Jeter

Starting today, the Daily News is publishing a special series on modern Yankee heroes. First up to the plate: Captain Derek Jeter, of course.

Given that Jeter has been in the headlines for the last 15 years, the issue doesn't have a lot of fresh information. But there are a few interesting tidbits. Tino Martinez tells a story from Game 4 of the 2001 World Series against the Diamondbacks: forever known as the Mr. November game. Jeter came in the dugout in the 10th inning and told his teammates that the game was over. Just after midnight, he made good on that prediction, slamming a home run into right field to end the game.

There are also a couple of stories that really give a sense of what Jeter is like as a person and how much he cares about his fans, especially those struggling through the toughest times.

I'm looking forward to the Mariano Rivera issue next Sunday. The Yankees closer doesn't get as much ink as his teammate so there should be some good insights into what makes him great.

Yes, you can read the story online, but it's not the same, especially with all the photos of Jeter on and off the field. Go ahead and buy a copy before they run out. Newspapers need all the help they can get these days.

Yanks must be careful with Cervelli head injury

Let's hope the New York Yankees are better at handling concussions than their cross-town rivals. Francisco Cervelli, the Yanks backup catcher to Jorge Posada, got beaned in the head yesterday, suffering his second concussion in less than four months. Injuries are a part of baseball, but fastballs to the head are particularly scary.

Cervelli is set to be a key player for the Yankees, catching at least 50 games this year after doing a nice job filling in for both Posada and Jose Molina last year. How many times have we seen a young player finally getting his chance to shine, only to be interrupted by something terrible and unexpected?

The Mets were rightly criticized for rushing Ryan Church back after he suffered two concussions (and then criticizing him even after they traded him to the Braves). Joe Girardi, a cautious guy by nature, will not repeat that mistake. Out of an abundance of concern for his player, he will not allow Cervelli to take the field again until he is convinced that his catcher is truly healthy.

Not the best birthday present for Cervelli, who turned 24 yesterday. Let's hope this concussion doesn't cause him too much pain.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.

Yanks have right to be angry with ARod

The New York Yankees tried to refute a report that the team is mad at Alex Rodriguez for the latest controversy engulfing the team. But the Yankees have every right to be annoyed with their third baseman for disrupting the quiet spring the team was having and taking attention away from the team's mission to repeat as World Series champions.

Before news surfaced that federal agents want to question ARod about any interactions he may have had with a Canadian doctor accused of illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs, the biggest story was the peace that had settled over spring training camp. The biggest non-story was the lack of contract negotiations between the team and Captain Derek Jeter. I bet Brian Cashman wishes he could go back to being hounded about why the team hasn't offered Jeter an extension yet.

The Yankees supposedly wanted to send a message by publicly distancing themselves from ARod or having the YES Network voices address his steroid use during their broadcast. But so what if the Yankees are mad at ARod? Some might say it's hypocritical after years of defending him during his numerous struggles on and off the baseball field, particularly the steroids controversy last year. But they have every right to be frustrated with this recent turn of events since they probably felt that issue was firmly behind them.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.

Torre, Jeter bond still strong

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. At the very least, it hasn't broken the bond between Joe Torre and Derek Jeter. At a recent event for his Safe at Home Foundation, Torre addressed rumors of Jeter's impending nuptials, saying Jeter promised his former skipper that he would be the first to known when and if he decides to get married. Presumably, Torre meant he'd be the first to know after Jeter's parents. But the point is clear: despite his ugly divorce from the Yankees, Torre remains extraordinarily fond of Jeter.

Torre and Jeter regularly trade text messages, including a congratulatory text from Torre after Jeter & Co. won the 2009 World Series. They will have an opportunity to see each other again when the New York Yankees visit the Los Angeles Dodgers in June during interleague play.

Given their years of playoff battles together, it's understandable that the two would have a bond like no other. But Jeter is known as being fiercely loyal so perhaps that explains why he hasn't formed quite the same bond with Joe Girardi. During a recent interview, Jeter frequently referred to his current manager as Girardi. You wouldn’t expect him to call him Mr. Girardi since his skipper was once his teammate, but he didn’t call him Joe either.

The affection Torre has for Jeter, his favorite player, is seemingly unshakeable. When Torre compares a player to Jeter, it's meant as the highest compliment, proving that the bond between the two remains strong.

Thanks to Matt314 via Wikipedia for the photo.