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As Spring Training enters its final week, all 25-man rosters will be set and that means the beginning of a new life for some players and the end of the road for others.
One player, however, who may not see a resolution to his career status just yet is Barry Bonds.
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Any chance the New York Yankees have at making the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season begins with Andy Pettitte's ability to pitch 200 quality innings. If he fails to reach that plateau or has an off year, the $200 million team may have to enjoy October from their couches for the first time since 1994.
Unfortunately, things have already gotten off on the wrong foot.
 According to a report by ESPN, Pettitte has been suffering from back spasms that may be serious enough to cause him to miss his first regular season start.
"We've got options," Pettitte said. "It's just the first start of the season. I don't want to do that, but I want to make sure that I'm healthy and not go into the season with a bad back."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi seems less concerned and believes Pettitte will be ready for his start against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 2. "When a guy has tightness in his back, I don't worry about it as much as if it's in his elbow or shoulder," Girardi said. "Back spasms usually heal in three, four, five days."
The Yankees open the season with 20 games in the first 21 days, so it's going to be very important for every starter to remain healthy.
If Pettitte's start is pushed back or delayed, New York may have to call on someone like Jeff Karstens to make a spot start -- and based on the way he's pitched this spring, that's not a good thing.
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The past few days I've been down in Tampa to get the latest on the Yankees' ongoing preparation for the 2008 season.
There are a lot of questions surrounding this starting rotation, namely their aging veterans, Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte.
I had the chance to talk to each of them following their latest outings.
WATCH: Joe Girardi, Dave Eiland and Brian Cashman share their opinions on Pettitte's progress.
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Brian McNamee, the former Major League Baseball trainer who claims to have injected Roger Clemens with steroids and Andy Pettitte with HGH, blacked out while driving this past Thursday and crashed into a New York City bus following a training session at a local gym.
 Several people who were involved in the accident, which occurred at around 12:35 p.m. near Beach 9th Street and Central Avenue in Queens, did report minor injuries, but no one was seriously hurt.
In his statement, McNamee told police that he had passed out due to an ongoing battle with diabetes.
As of now, no criminal charges have been files, and no additional details have been released on the extent of the damage.
You can't really fault McNamee for suffering with diabetes, but you certainly can question the young pitcher whom he was training prior to the accident. Who in their right mind would hire McNamee after everything he's done and all the lies he has told?
Whether or not Clemens is lying as well is irrelevant. Having McNamee as your trainer cannot look good when being scouted by major league ball clubs.
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Morgan Ensberg hasn't had the type of spring that will make you stop and say "whoa," but he's done enough to keep from becoming a free agent.
According to Peter Abraham of the Journal News, the New York Yankees have added Ensberg to the 40-man roster and will pay him $1.75 million. And because he has no options, it all but guarantees him a spot on the team.
 Now that he's no longer in limbo, changing his jersey number is priority numero uno for Ensberg.
"I can't wear Paul O'Neill's number," he said.
That comment alone with earn him several thousand fans across the Tri-State area.
In 17 games this spring, Ensberg is hitting .270/.341/.405 with 10 hits and 5 RBI. And in 703 career games, he's gone .265/.366/.476 with 109 HR and 343 RBI.
What does this move mean for Shelley Duncan, Wilson Betemit and Brett Gardner?
Well, it's a little early to say, but it probably means Duncan will see more time as an outfielder and designated hitter than first baseman. It also means Joe Girardi feels comfortable with Betemit backing-up the middle infielders.
As far as Gardner is concerned … well, it looks like he'll probably start the season in the minors.
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The New York Yankees faced a scare earlier this month when an MRI revealed a spot on Bobby Murcer's brain. Friends, family and the organization braced for the worst, but were pleasantly surprised when a biopsy revealed nothing more than some post-surgery scar tissue.
Unfortunately, those cancer-free feelings have been short lived.
 Although Murcer still has a clean bill of health, which is something we can all be thankful for, former Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is scheduled to undergo surgery on April 8th.
"I was diagnosed the day before Thanksgiving," Nettles told The Post yesterday. "They wanted to do it at the end of January, but I wanted to come to [spring training]. They said that was OK because it's slow moving and there was no rush to do it."
Graig's 60-year-old brother Jim was also recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and was told that the disease was genetic, which is what promoted him to get checked in the first place. Luckily, it appears that it's still very early in development and that both Nettles' stand a very good chance at beating it.
Nettles spent 10 years at the hot corner for New York, with his best season coming in 1977 when he hit .276 with 27 HR and 93 RBI.
As I said with Murcer, I think I speak for everyone when I wish Nettles and his family the absolute best.
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It looks like the riddle of Joba Chamberlain has finally, officially, been solved.
According to manager Joe Girardi, the 22-year-old flame-thrower will begin the 2008 season right where he ended the 2007 season -- in the bullpen. "We think that's where he fits best right now," manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday. "He's a back-end guy. That's how I'm going to classify him."
 There were a few moments earlier in the offseason where it looked like Joba would get the opportunity to start, but with Mike Mussina pitching fairly well this spring and the other four spots being locked up, the Yankees really only had one choice. And with the bullpen being a bit of a weakness, the decision to strengthen the back-end wasn't a very difficult one to make.
If Chamberlain can have the same success in the bullpen that he had last year, it will most certainly bode well for New York. However, they'll still need their top five starters to perform at a quality level -- if not, then Joba will be wasted.
The only question that remains is, if a starter does get injured somewhere along the line, will Joba move to the starting rotation or will New York turn to someone else?
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The New York Yankees have been quietly shopping around for another starting pitcher this offseason, and have recently set their sights on the Oakland Athletics' Rich Harden. Unfortunately, like their previous attempts at acquiring a new arm, the asking price just seems to be a bit too steep.
 According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's may be willing to trade Haren, but it would cost the Yankees a package that includes Ian Kennedy, Alan Horne and Jeff Marquez.
And the Yankees tax strikes again!
How in the world can Oakland GM Billy Beane possibly have such insane demands for an injury-prone youngster who hasn't pitched more than 128 innings in the last three years? And why does he always pull this over-sized package card when it comes to dealing with the Yankees?
If I were Brian Cashman, I would just pack it in at this point. It's become painfully obvious that teams believe they can walk all over New York, and even more obvious that the Yankees young talent is quite valuable.
New York may struggle this season, but if they hang onto all of these young stud pitchers, the future is more than bright. A mid-to-late-90s repeat is not out of the question.
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Andy Pettitte got the start against the Red Sox and allowed three runs off three hits over 3 1/3 innings. But, more importantly, Pettitte felt good after the outing and didn't experience pain in his arm.
When I caught up with the lefty after the game, he spoke about facing Boston and his outlook on the season. MORE:
Brett Gardner doesn't generate a lot of power for an outfielder, but that hasn't stopped him from making his presence felt. The 24-year-old has caught the eye of many, including New York Yankees skipper Joe Girardi. "It is intriguing," Girardi said of Gardner possibly making the opening day roster. "He's also a very good outfielder. He's making a tremendous amount of progress. He's a pest."
 In 12 games this spring, Gardner is batting an impressive .408 to go along with an even more impressive .480 slugging percentage. He also leads the team with six stolen bases and one triple.
These numbers are nothing new for Gardner -- this isn't just a stretch of good luck.
Throughout his minor league career, spanning from 2003 through 2007, Garnder has a career average of .288, an OBP of .381 and a total of 114 steals.
If spring training means anything, and it really is about finding the best players for your team, then Gardner deserves to be on the opening day roster.
From defense to speed, he's proven without a shadow of a doubt that he can be valuable to the team as the season wears on.
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Leading off for your New York Yankees, No. 60, Billy Crystal.
That was the announcement Thursday at Legends Field as the 59-year old (60 Friday) comedian stepped to the plate for his first, and last, big league at bat.
Unfortunately for the life-long Yankees fan, things didn't go exactly as planned.
 After bringing the count to 3-1, which included a foul outside of first base, Crystal went down hacking after two inside fastballs, courtesy of Pittsburgh Pirates starter, Paul Maholm.
All was not lost, however.
Although he was sent to the bench with the bat on his hip, Crystal did exactly what a leadoff hitter is supposed to do; he worked the count. He made Maholm throw six pitches and gave his fellow teammates a good look at what they were about to face.
And while it's nothing more than a moral victory, he was able put some wood on the ball -- not bad for someone who hasn't faced live pitching since 1965.
If nothing else, Crystal will forever be able to tell anyone who will listen that he once batted leadoff for the 26-time world champion New York Yankees.
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Three days after tempers flared between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, the two teams were back at it again. It took only a few minutes before players were being ejected and only one inning before the benches cleared.
Yankees pitcher Heath Phillips, who was replacing Andy Pettitte, was the first to be sent to the showers after brushing Evan Longoria across the chest with no outs in the first inning. There were already two runs in and two men on, so it's hard to believe that the pitch was intentional. However, umpire Chad Fairchild wasn't taking chances after these two teams spent the early part of their week jockeying back and forth.
The anger spilled over in the top of the second inning when Yankees first baseman Shelley Duncan tried to stretch a single into an impossible double. As he slid into second, he went spikes high, essentially igniting the fury of Rays right fielder Jonny Gomes, who promptly ran in and tackled Duncan as if he were Tom Brady getting sacked by Osi Umenyiora. At that point, the benches cleared and the second round of ejections began.
Although no punches were thrown, the umpires decided to give Duncan, Gomes, Bobby Meacham and Kevin Long the rest of the day off.
Remember when players used to police themselves? The days when you were given a pat on the back after standing up for a teammate? Ty Cobb would have called it a "good, hard baseball play." Well, those days are long gone. And as I stated earlier this week, it's just "a part of the game" unless New York does it.
Already anti-Yankees fans are calling for their heads, while radio personalities like Mike and the Mad Dog are condemning this kind of action.
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Spring Training is in full swing, and there are a lot of players who are auditioning for roles in the major leagues.
There's a lot at stake for these three different classifications of players.
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Joe Madden's Tampa Bay Rays are playing baseball like it's mid-August and Joe Girardi is not happy about that.
The New York Yankees skipper, who replaced long-time manager Joe Torre in late October, was enraged after Sunday's loss to the Rays because of a home plate collision that he believed was completely "uncalled for." "It's one thing to get hit by a pitch that gets away or to twist an ankle running the bases, but I don't understand this," Girardi said. "I don't understand it. During the season, I'm all for it. It happens in the season, and as a catcher, I understand that. But in spring training, I don't believe in it."
 The collision, which was one of the most violent I have even seen, resulted in Yankees minor-league catcher Francisco Cervelli leaving with a broken wrist -- all but ending his dream of earning a spot on New York's roster. However, an unlike his manager, Cervelli understands that these things happen when people are fighting for their jobs.
"It's okay," Cervelli said. "It's part of the game."
I understand the competition and I realize these things come with the territory, but what would everyone be saying had Alex Rodriguez done the very same thing? Every member of the media and every anti-Yankees fan in the world would be up in arms today. They'd all be calling A-Rod dirty and claiming it was completely unnecessary for a Spring Training game. In fact, the more extreme Yankee haters would probably being calling for a fine and/or suspension.
But in this instance, because the Yankees were on the other end of it, it's "just part of the game." Unfortunately, that's just how it goes when you don those pinstripes.
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Ian Kennedy gave up a home run, Joba Chamberlain's velocity appeared to be down and Edwar Ramirez was smoked for two hits and three runs in the Yankees 7-5 loss to Minnesota yesterday.
But after only six spring training games, is that reason enough to worry?
 The New York Yankees and their fans have come to expect the best at all times. Unfortunately, when things don't go as planned -- even in the spring -- they immediately begin to think the worst. And although everyone has refrained from hitting the panic button so far, it's only going to take one more poor outing by each young arm before that uneasy feeling sets in.
At this point, however, there is absolutely no reason to be concerned.
Sure, Chamberlain's velocity was nowhere near where it should be, but he's only thrown in two games this spring. And sure, Kennedy gave up a home run in the second inning, but he's still rusty. These guys still have a long time to get prepared, and by the time the regular season rolls around, they'll be ready.
That said, Ramirez's outing was a bit more disconcerting. Like Kyle Farnsworth, he's a bit of an enigma. He seems to have the stuff to dominate at the Major League level, but is really struggling to put it together. Unlike Farns, however, Ramirez is still young and has many years to put it together.
But don't panic quite yet, Yankees fans. This young staff will come together sooner than later; and when they do, watch out!
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Did you know that Phil Hughes' favorite TV show is "The Office?" Did you know that he loves to attend Metallica concerts? And did you know that he gets more mail in one day than most of us get in our entire lifetimes? Well, if you've been fortunate enough to discover his blog, then you'd know all that and much more.
While most athletes do everything they can to remain as private as possible, the 21-year old Yankees right-hander goes out of his way to connect with the fans.
"The fans are very important to me," Hughes said. "Without them, I wouldn't have a job, basically. I try to give back as much as I can. It's almost a no-brainer."
Don't expect to read his feelings about his last performance, however. Unlike some other player blogs that cram boring information or personal opinion down your throat, Hughes tries to interact on a more personal level with his readers. Rather than analyzing one bad pitch or discussing an in-game decision, Philly Franchise prefers to give away sports memorabilia or to conduct entertaining Q&A sessions -- often aided by Peter Abraham. "Fans get enough baseball information from you guys; that's your job," Hughes said, referring to the news media. "I don't try to do any of that. I want them to feel they have a connection with me. That's kind of the main idea."
Both on the mound and off of it, Hughes is one of a kind. And if he continues doing what he's doing, he'll forever have a place in the heart of Yankees fans everywhere.
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Will Joba Chamberlain begin the season as the starter or in the bullpen?
That question has been asked repeatedly throughout the offseason, and there has yet to be definitive answer ... until now.
Although you won't read it any newspaper, Yankees pitching coach David Eiland said during an interview on ESPN Radio's Baseball Tonight that Chamberlain is slated to begin the season in New York's starting rotation.
 Hallelujah!
Joba has been a starter since day one and changing that would have been completely counter-productive. And while his value as a reliever was evident last year, the Yankees are in dire need of quality starting pitchers.
A starting rotation of Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy has the potential to be great.
Unfortunately, two other problems arise: What do the Yankees do with Mike Mussina? Who bridges the gap to Mariano Rivera?
Lucky for Joe Girardi & Co., LaTroy Hawkins appears to be the solution to the latter. Mussina, on the other hand ... well, that's another story.
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Antonio Pierce, a member of the Super Bowl champion New York Football Giants, showed up at the Mets' Spring Training camp to see how one of New York's other professional teams prepares for their season.
I had a chance to chat with the linebacker on a sunny day in Port St. Lucie.
Later on, I got back to baseball and asked Pedro Martinez how he became the pitcher he is today.
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Though he's wearing a different shade of blue these days, ex-Yankees manager -- and current skipper for the Los Angeles Dodgers -- Joe Torre still has strong ties to the core of his former team.
Watch the video to see how Joe has handled his shift from the East Coast to the West Coast.
Later in the day, I headed on over to the Mets' Spring Training site and caught up with Moises Alou, Jose Reyes and Johan Santana.
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We all remember Pedro Martinez's injury last year kept him out of Spring Training, as well as most of the regular season.
And even though the Mets brought in the best pitcher in baseball in Johan Santana, the club will still rely on Pedro for many solid starts this season.
On Thursday, I caught up with the veteran righty to find out how he's feeling this spring and to get his outlook for the season. MORE:
There's no away around it, the Yankees will have to continue to answer questions about the usage of performance-enhancing drugs in the league and on their team.
Well on Wednesday it was Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter's chance to speak on the major issue - and distraction. MORE:
Now that Andy Pettitte has faced the music, the Yankees hope to move forward.
The day after Pettitte's press conference in which he apologized for using HGH, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Joe Girardi and Hank Steinbrenner expressed their support for the lefty hurler. MORE:
Is there anything Hank Steinbrenner doesn't have an opinion on? He's like the Charles Barkley of Major League Baseball; there's nothing he won't talk about so long as someone listens to him.
This time, however, George's little boy is right on the money.
Shortly after Andy Pettitte's Monday press conference, the New York Yankees Senior Vice-President was openly critical of both Congress and the national media, claiming baseball has been unfairly targeted in the war on performance-enhancing drugs.
"I don't like baseball being singled out," Steinbrenner said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Monday night.
"Everybody that knows sports knows football is tailor-made for performance-enhancing drugs. I don't know how they managed to skate by. It irritates me. Don't tell me it's not more prevalent. The number in football is at least twice as many. Look at the speed and size of those players."
As out of place as these comments are, it's hard to disagree with them. And if the NFL goes out of their way to destroy evidence of a lesser crime, there is no telling how far they'd go to destroy evidence of a steroid problem.
Sure, Rodney Harrison, Shawn Merriman and Marcus Stroud got pinched and "punished" for using performance-enhancing drugs, but if you think that's the extent of the NFL's problem, you're fooling yourself. In fact, that's precisely the problem -- I bet half of you read Stroud's name and immediately ran to Google to fact-check my statement.
When a player tests positive in the NFL, nothing is ever made of it. They silently accept their four-game suspension, return and get voted into the Pro Bowl. In Major League Baseball, however, if you are even suspected of juicing, you are nationally labeled a cheater and everything you've ever done is called into question.
I don't often agree with Steinbrenner, but kudos to him for finally saying what most of us are thinking. He's right on the money, and hopefully this will finally open some eyes.
Baseball has been unfairly treated from day one -- not because of the scrutiny they've come under, but because no other league has faced the same scrutiny.
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On Day 1, Andy Pettitte wanted to face the music and not, "take the coward way out."
Besides repeated apologies, Pettitte reiterated that he told the truth.
Check out what else was on his mind during Monday's press conference.
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If you were expecting any fireworks during Andy Pettitte's press conference this afternoon, you probably walked away extremely disappointed.
Outside of a few apologies and acknowledgments, Pettitte failed to offer anything that had not already been picked apart by the media.
 In typical Pettitte fashion, the 13-year MLB veteran remained as calm and nonchalant as ever. He reiterated that using HGH was a huge mistake and it's something he'd never recommend for children. He also repeatedly expressed his sorrow for bringing unnecessary embarrassment to the Yankees organization and thanked his teammates for sticking with him.
The only real revelation came when Pettitte admitted to thoughts of retirement -- although he didn't use that particular word. "That wouldn't be the thing to do as a man. I felt like I needed to come out and face you guys and whatever circumstances that come I'll take it, I'll take it like a man and I'll try to do my job," he said.
Although the fans and media may not be fully satisfied, you can bet Andy will sleep more comfortably tonight. And while the situation may not go away, at least he knows he faced it like a man.
It's time to move on and focus on baseball.
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According to Peter Abraham of the Journal News, citing a he said/she said conversation between Ian Kennedy and a friend of Jason Giambi, the New York Yankees first baseman/designated hitter has been hard at work since November and is expected to arrive at camp in "great shape."
 The former All-Star has allegedly lost a significant amount of weight and has been taking batting practice nearly every day. And although he recently turned 37, a healthy and fit Giambi could do some serious damage in the middle of that Yankees lineup.
Does this mean he's a lock to hit .280/30/100 or even win a starting spot out of camp? Absolutely not, but it's a step in the right direction.
If Giambi can come out and prove he's capable of starting at first base everyday, both offensively and defensively, it would save Joe Girardi the hassle of deciding what do to with him, Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon on a game-by-game basis.
And since this is a contract year for Giambi, this news really shouldn't surprise anyone. Either he's going to earn himself a new deal with another team next year, or he's going to fizzle into retirement.
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On Monday, Andy Pettitte will report to |
