WHY BOSTON GOT SERVED HUMBLE PIE

OK, I've been waiting to do this piece for months now. On January 2nd, a NESN.com writer wrote a piece on why the 2011 Red Sox could unseat the 1927 Yankees as the greatest team in the history of Major League Baseball. You can read the comedic gold HERE. Mind you, it was written before 1 pitch was thrown in spring training or even the season itself.

Casey was immediately outraged as well, and wrote WHY BOSTON SUCKS: PART II. Read it.

I saved the NESN piece the moment I read it. I knew at the time that this prediction would backfire on them easily and now, the season is over, the Red Sox didn't make the playoffs and, I just have to laugh. Who would dare suggest something so silly? Let's break it down. The piece started off saying: "The Red Sox have won 100 or more games three times in their 110-year existence. They will make it four in 2011."

We all know by now that he was way off in this prediction. The Red Sox finished with a 90-72 record and finished 3rd in the American League East. Meanwhile, the 1927 Yankees finished with an astounding 110-44 record. Can you say, EPIC fail? I can...oh, I did.

Next, the writer showcased the Red Sox lineup which looks like this:

CF. Jacoby Ellsbury- .321/.376/.552/.928 (BA/OBP/SLG/OPS), 32 Hrs, 105 RBI, 39 SBs
2B. Dustin Pedroia- .307/.387/.474/.861, 21 Hrs, 91 RBI, 26 SBsLF. Carl Crawford- .255/.289/.405/.694, 11 Hrs, 56 RBI, 18 SBs
1B. Adrian Gonzalez- .338/.410/.548/.957, 27 Hrs, 117 RBI
3B. Kevin Youkilis- .258/.373/.459/.833, 17 Hrs, 80 RBI
DH. David Ortiz- .309/.398/.554/.953, 29 Hrs, 96 RBI
RF. JD Drew- .222/.315/.302/.617, 4 Hrs, 22 RBI, 81 games
C. Jarrod Saltalamacchia- .235/.288/.450/.737, 16 Hrs, 56 RBI
SS. Marco Scutaro- .299/.358/.423/.781, 7 Hrs, 54 RBI
SS. Jed Lowrie- .252/.303/.382/.685, 6 Hrs, 36 RBI

That lineup looks pretty good, I mean, this team lead the majors in runs scored with 875, that's 8 runs ahead of the Yankees, but they're NOT the 1927 Yankees who scored 976 runs, 131 more runs than the second place Detroit Tigers... astounding. Also keep in mind that the 1927 Yankees had four Hall of Famers, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, and Earle Combs, in their lineup.Speaking of the 1927 Yankees lineup, let's take a look at how each individual fared that season:

CF. Earle Combs- .356/.414/.511/.925, 6 HRs, 64 RBI
SS. Mark Koenig- .285/.320/.382/.702, 3 HRs, 62 RBI
RF. Babe Ruth- .356/.486/.772/1.258, 60 HRs, 164 RBI...WOW
1B. Lou Gehrig- .373/.474/.765/1.240, 47 HRs, 175 RBI... WOW
LF. Bob Meusel- .337/.393/.510/.902, 8 HRs, 103 RBI, 24 SBs
2B. Tony Lazzeri- .309/.383/.482/.866, 18 HRs, 102 RBI, 22 SBs
3B. Joe Dugan- .269/.321/.362/.683, 2 HRs, 43 RBI
C. Pat Collins- .275/.407/.418/.825, 7 HRs, 36 RBI

Pretty good, huh? A couple of things...One, the writer of the NESN piece had us look at the Boston bench. It looks like this:

OF. Mike Cameron- He got DFA'd from the team in late June after hitting .149/.212/.266/.477 in 33 games with the Sox.
OF. Darnell McDonald- He hit .236/.303/.401/.704 in 79 games. Certainly doesn't strike fear to me.
INF. Marco Scutaro- .299/.358/.423/.781 (above)
INF. Jed Lowrie- .252/.303/.382/.685 (above)
C. Jason Varitek- Hit .221/.300/.423/.723 in 68 games, but he's the Captain of the team and wears that "C" on his jersey!

Now, in all fairness, the Red Sox improved their bench with the call up of outfielder Josh Reddick (.280/.327/.457/.784) and trading for utility man Mike Aviles (.317/.340/.436/.775 in 38 games for Boston).

And finally, I just wanted to say this before we conclude this piece. It is very hard, if not impossible, to compare different players performances between two completely different eras, not to mention that that 2011 season hadn't started yet. Baseball was an entirely different game way back when, and a lot of changed. But, the writer for that NESN piece brought it up in the first place, so it's his own fault.

Next we'll try and break down the pitching for you, comparing the 2011 Red Sox and 1927 Yankees. Stay tuned.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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WHY THE YANKEES ARE A STATE OF MIND

The past 20 hours have been quite insane. When I watched the Yankees lose to the Tampa Bay Rays and saw the Red Sox’s Carl Crawford miss a liner and Jonathan Papelbon walk off the field, it may have been the greatest feeling of my life since the worst feeling of my life, that 2004 collapse of the Yankees when the Red Sox won 4 in a row. I still don’t know how that happened there. I just remember this… the Red Sox fans made every single one of us Yankee fans feel like shit and when I think about it, I still get pissed. Now, the payback is sweeter. I don’t hate 1 Red Sox fan. I hate the franchise and love my Yankees beating them, and if that means they don't make the playoffs, that's terrific... plain and simple.(Photo: Getty)
Then I got to thinking about last night’s Yankee game, you know the one where Joe Girardi single-handedly lost the game being cute using every pitcher we had, I realized that you can’t even blame Scott Proctor for that loss last night. He was throwing around 60 pitches at that point where Evan Longoria homered. You have to expect a homer to happen eventually. Even though that game didn’t matter to the Yankees, I thought about something interesting. If the Yankees were playing the Red Sox last night but were in the same position, meaning that they had already clinched, and already had the best record in the AL, would we have played the same way? Would Girardi had used all his pitchers the way he did? No. Would Mariano Rivera had come in to try and shut down the Sox? Yes. If last night we played the Red Sox, it would have been a must win.

It goes back to my theory, winning every ballgame counts. Look, the Yankees and Red Sox don’t mix, they’ve never mixed and trust me, if Dan Johnson was David Ortiz last night, the Yankees would have brought in the top closer in the world to shut him down.
(Photo: Getty)
You know me. I hate to lose and in my opinion, walking into a playoff against a potential Cy Young winner like Justin Verlander scares the everliving shit out of me. Why? Because we’re riding a 4 game losing streak. Now, the ALDS is a whole new season, this is true. Do I have faith in CC Monster and my Yankees? Yes, but losing is easy to do and once you do it a few times, it becomes easier and easier and all I’m saying is our Yankees need to and will have to turn it around tomorrow. We need to set the tone.

Luckily for us, this Yankee team is loose. This Yankee team forgot about last night, because, let’s face it, it was more of a celebration of the Red Sox being out of it than the Rays winning the Wild Card. Today is a workout day, tonight, a light dinner, talk alittle strategy, early bed of an early rise and my Yankees will be ready to go. They’re over it so I’m over it... I’m ready to see my Yankees do damage.

I wrote a piece simply titled WHY THE YANKEES WILL LOSE ALDS WITHOUT MOMENTUM. I was sick of losing the last few games of the season and was shooting from the hip. Luckily, you die-hards talked me off the ledge. @jenjeter2211 said it best. “Casey, we have momentum… home field, CC, Nova, Freddy... Jeter, Grandy."
She’s right. We DO have CC and the others. The Yankees CAN make their own momentum. Yankee Stadium during the playoffs is the best place in the world. We have the best fans in the world and the Yankees know that. They feed off that, they feed off each other. Can we win this ALDS? Yes, damn straight! Will it be tough? Yes, but there is one phrase that I forgot about in my 48 hours nervous insanity... “One game at the time.” We can do this, we WILL do this and we will advance… Why? Because we’re the God damn New York Yankees, that's why.

A few quick notes: Alex Rodriguez will be in the lineup tomorrow night for the start of the ALDS. Read about ARod HERE.

Jesus Montero’s X-Rays have come back negative and he’ll be ready to play. Read about it HERE.

Freddy Garcia will be the #3 starter in the ALDS behind CC Monster #1 and Ivan Nova #2.
The Yankees won 97 games this season. That’s no fluke, that’s not luck... that’s solid offense and solid pitching… and we were worried about our rotation all season...remember?

Get Ready Ladies & Gentlemen… here come our New York Yankees…Quest for 28 coming up!

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WHY GOD IS SMILING ON YANKEELAND

I feel like I'm getting Punk'd. I feel like I'm being watched, and I keep containing myself, not to get too giddy, like someone's about to jump out from behind a door in my house and point their finger at me and laugh hysterically. Then Ashton Kutcher will come out and tell me it's all a joke, that the Red Sox really aren't this bad. But the reality is... they are. Couple that with the Yankees just looking so good right now and it's the perfect recipe for Yankeeland.
David Ortiz said it best a few weeks ago and believe me, all of Red Sox Nation heard him and groaned. "Hell yeah, you've got to panic." To me, that's giving up. You never show your hand and never show doubt in your club publicly. That statement did both. Remember when I wrote WHY RUSSELL MARTIN HAS BALLS? That statement by Ortiz demonstrates no balls.
Today was a beautiful day in the Bronx. Seeing the number 61 on the field to honor Roger Maris, with no asterisk by the way, was awesome. I've always read about and appreciated Roger Maris for all he did in pinstripes and I'm so glad he's honored in the Bronx.

Let's start with AJ Burnett today. The guy looked good. They guy looked like he can handle another game and he looked like he's the "good" AJ right now. Although, I noticed a "look" while he was coming off the field today. It wasn't a look of a dominant pitcher. It was a look of a pitcher who was still uncertain with himself. A pitcher who clearly still has confidence issues. Look at it, tell me what you think:This was after the 4th inning.

2 stories today, the Yankees offense continues to be great and AJ Burnett. Burnett will give Girardi a headache I'm sure, now Joe must decide who follows Ivan Nova in the rotation; AJ Burnett, Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon.

Today Burnett went 7.2 innings, he allowed 5 hits and only 2 runs. He had 6 strikeouts and allowed 2 homers today. Ultimately, he did good. Enough to think maybe he'd be in the running for the 3rd man in the rotation in the ALDS. Personally though, if it came down to me deciding, I'm choosing Freddy Garcia because of his veteran grittiness and that Burnett picture doesn't excite me. That's my bottom line.Jorge Posada had his 14th homer today and 2 RBIs. I love Posada at DH from the left side and it's clear, Jesus Montero will be in against lefties, so that DH platoon seems to be working out nicely, wouldn't you say?

Derek Jeter was 3 for 4 today and is batting .300 Ladies and Gentlemen. I'm just saying. Oh Captain, my Captain...lead us.

One play stood out and spoke volumes today. There was nothing better than watching Carl Crawford miss a ball he should have caught off of Jeter's bat today. But this is what was really telling; As the ball bounced, he swatted at it and missed, and as the ball continued to the wall, he actually looked at his glove like someone put a hole in it. I'm not kidding. I had to take a picture of this play because it was laughable. This is a guy that has a monster contract and he can't do a thing right right now. So why is this play significant to me? Because Jeter came around to score on an Alex Rodriguez hit. Runs win ballgames.

David Robertson came in and closed out the game nicely. Houdini does it again. The future New York Yankees closer? I don't mean to sound like I'm pushing Mariano out, I'm not. I'm just saying, the future's exciting.

Final Score: Yankees 6 - Red Sox 2

Game 2 tonight, keep rolling Yankees!

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THE CASHMAN QUESTION

Since Brian Cashman has been with the New York Yankees, there have been some pretty significant developments. The Yankees have won championships with some great pickups and have also fell short with some real flops in players like Carl Pavano. We’ve praised Cashman when things go well, but just as fast, we’re ready to turn on the guy as soon as we get a loss. One thing Cashman has never done though is second guess himself. In fact, when the promotion of Jesus Montero happened, did you notice how fast the media went into full effect giving Cashman credit for not trading off Montero, Ivan Nova and Eduardo Nunez to Seattle for Cliff Lee at the 2010 trade deadline? Read HERE.

Brian Cashman doesn’t have a contract for 2012 Ladies and Gentlemen. While we haven’t won the World Series yet, we’ve won the AL Eastern Division and Cashman deserves credit. Patience was his word of the winter and spring and bringing in players like Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and Russell Martin have proved genius. Larry Rothschild on the pitching beat was clearly a better selection than Dave Eiland too. Bob Klapisch has a stat I didn’t know. Since Rothschild has come over, there is a significant difference in ERA. “…the Yankees went from seventh to third in the American League in ERA, dropping from 4.06 to 3.66 entering Thursday.”

But let’s go deeper into something that has proven significant this season. Carl Crawford. Crawford has done absolutely bunk with the Red Sox this year and he’s getting paid a boat load of money. No one could have expected Crawford to perform this way, but remember the winter and remember how arrogant Carl Crawford was about the Yankees not signing him. Read WHY GARDNER TRUMPS CRAWFORD from February. I like Brett Gardner instead of Crawford. Bottom line, Cashman won that battle, he stuck to his guns and he didn’t cave. Yes, the Yankees have a lot of money and the Yankees can sign anyone they want. But the Yankees didn’t sign Crawford. We dodged a bullet. And in a story that came out today Cashman admits he faked wanting to sign Carl Crawford so the Red Sox would pay more. Genius. Read HERE. Cashman says:

"I actually had dinner with the agent to pretend that we were actually involved and drive the price up... The outfield wasn't an area of need, but everybody kept writing Crawford, Crawford, Crawford, Crawford. And I was like, 'I feel like we've got Carl Crawford in Brett Gardner, except he costs more than $100 million less, with less experience.' "

I love that.

How about giving Ivan Nova a shot this season. Nova’s provided surprising stability this year in the Yankees rotation. He’s matured and him being given a chance stems back to Cashman’s belief that Nova could improve. He has, and that goes back to Patience.

The point is, you can say what you want about Cashman, but some of the moves he’s made this year are dead on and he needs to come back to the New York Yankees. We need to offer him a contract, bottom line. He’s contributed to 5 championships by getting talent we needed to win. In this re-emergence of Moneyball, Cashman does it his way… Brianball.

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WE'RE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

Hurricane Irene has hit and BYB Headquarters is temporarily closed. As part of our vow to you, we will get back to work as soon as we can, but of course, family comes first. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite posts on Bleeding Yankee Blue...enjoy:



EXCLUSIVE: WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT PHIL RIZZUTO



WHY MANTLE & MARIS ARE STILL INTRIGUING TODAY



WHAT CASHMAN WAS REALLY SAYING



WHY I SMELL A TREND



EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: KIMBERLY JONES



WHY GOD MADE YOGI A YANKEE



WHAT GARDNER TRUMPS CRAWFORD



WHY IT'S MONTERO'S TURN



WHY JETER IS EPIC FOR 1 GOOD REASON



QUEST FOR TURKEY LEGS!



2000's MOST EXCITING PLAYER: CANO OR SORIANO?



WHY IT'S JUST BASEBALL SUZYN



WHY THE 2011 AL MVP PLAYS IN THE BRONX



WHY G.G.S. IS A.O.K



EXCLUSIVE INTERVEW: HIGH SOCKS FOR HOPE



Back soon.



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THE STATE OF THE YANKEES

The evil Red Sox are the team the world picked to run through the season, the playoffs and become World Series champs in 2011. The National League team was the supposed to be the Phillies. So, I find it to be absolutely outstanding that our team, the team no one really expected to be in the running, is a half game up, ahead of the mighty Red Sox for first place in the AL.

The Red Sox have had 1 problem, the superstar they signed, Carl Crawford, is just now starting to hit. I’m sorry, but if you’re making that kind of money and you’re signed the be the lead off man, you have to deliver. Crawford puts a bad taste in my mouth for all the lip service he gave the Yankees for not signing him this past winter. As you can see, signing him would have been a disaster, the Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter combo at the top of the lineup has proved that.

The Yankees on the other hand have had plenty of problems. From an inconsistent AJ Burnett, to an unstable rotation to lack of hitting by some of our stars. We’ve seen come and go Brian Gordon (remember him?), Nick Swisher and his lack of power mostly from the first half and a constant debate over whether or not aging stars Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada have enough in the tank any more. We’ve seen injuries from our top star Alex Rodriguez and watched gold glover Eric Chavez and 8th inning guy, now 7th inning guy, Rafael Soriano take forever to come back from injury.

One thing is for sure though, through all the frustration and aggravation, the New York Yankees have managed to grind out wins and take a series from their opponents almost all season. Winning every series, be it 2—0 or 2-1 will get you to the playoffs. I hate using the expression of "playing one game at a time", but it’s true. You can’t think about Boston if your playing the Twins, you just need to go 1 game at the time and it’s clear the Yankees mentality are in the right mindset.

(Photo: Getty)

With all that going on, the New York Yankees are breathing down the Red Sox neck. And to me, it means one thing, we never say die.

• Curtis Granderson has been a huge surprise this season, it may be the best season of his career...34 home runs... are you kidding me?
  
  

• CC Monster is rolling through the season to prove he’s the top ace in the major leagues.

• Robinson Cano has demonstrated leadership more so than in the past.

• Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have provided their veteran talents to scrape together wins… the top story of the Yankees season as far as I’m concerned.

• David Robertson has emerged as a true 8th inning guy and All-Star to boot

• Derek Jeter, our Captain is batting .290 today and hot as hell this second half. He may be old, but he still can lead. Where's the New York Media now... the same media telling us Jeter was over...hiding, that's where.

And just when you thought it was good, it just gets better. Us fans have been chomping at the bit for months about the coming of Jesus Montero and some of the Killer B's and here they come... Manny Banuelos may be up in September and Dellin Betances told us all on Twitter he was advancing to AAA. Things are happening, careers are advancing and wins keep us hungry for more Ladies and Gentlemen.

So, what’s the point of this post… well, I think it’s clear, the Yankees are coming and no team like the Red Sox is going to try and take us down. Yes, they have the upper hand in our head to head meetings, but it’s what counts now that really matters and everything in the past is past. The bottom line is the Yankees are winning, through all the turbulent rotation stuff, we’re winning with great offense and an incredible bullpen. When it counts the most, the Yankees do not roll over and if you don’t believe me, think about what these guys have accomplished this season…. CC Sabathia, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, Brett Gardner, Robinson Cano.

(Photo: Getty)

Bottom line… we have the AL East by the balls, we just need to get to the finish line, so let’s do this thing. It’s our time… again.

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WHY IT'S ABOUT TO GET UGLY

“I didn’t think I was going [to New York] after it was clear they were going after Cliff Lee...I wasn’t setting my sights on New York anymore. If we came to an agreement with Boston I knew I was going to sign. I wasn’t going to wait around for anybody else.” --Carl Crawford

OK, Look Carl Crawford is a great athlete, but how many times are you going to tell the media that it was CLEAR TO YOU the Yankees were going after Cliff Lee. You have to have an ego the size of Joba to be so self-centered to think that the Yankees should have "went after you" over a pitcher we desperately wanted. And for the record, who cares Carl, You a Red Sox now, even if you were a nice guy, you're the enemy. See you in 7 years, or whatever the hell your outrageous contract ends. Bottom line, the Yankees missed out on Lee at the July 31st deadline and they were not going to miss out again so they pulled out all the stops to get Cliff Lee. At the end of the day, we didn't, but we tried. And not only did we try, we tried hard. So get over it Carl, we met with you but never offered you a contract. Next time pick up a newspaper and read about something else other than about yourself. Maybe then you'd know the Yankees situation. But hey, we wish you well.

How's that rant to start off the first Yankee Red Sox game tonight. I don't care that it's Spring, I care that we win. Not tie, not lose, win.

Ever since Carl Crawford signed with the Red Sox, he's annoyed me and I'm hoping he sprains his ankle around the 4th inning after he gets hit by a pitch, or course.

Vegas already has the line and it's a Red Sox Phillies World Series all the way. If that doesn't drive you up a wall, considering we haven't started the season yet, I'm not sure what will.

What I've seen this spring from the Yankees I've liked. They have great young talent, their pitching has looked promising and like I've said many many times, mechanics are falling into place. If there was ever a time to set a tone, it's tonight. A win would be lovely, great pitching against an ugly team will be terrific as well. We just need a good game, no mistakes. Game on bitches... let's see some magic from the pinstripes tonight.

Oh, and by the way, Carl... I'd take Gardy over you any day of the week.

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WHY GARDNER TRUMPS CRAWFORD

I love Brett Gardner on our team. He's quick, scrappy, he can lead off, he's a great fielder and his hitting is maturing more every year. OK. I'm glad I got that out there. Now...

How much of an ego do you have to have to act like you weren't interested in the best franchise in baseball? Apparently Carl Crawford showed off that ego today when he was on WEEI this morning talking about why the New York Yankees weren't his choice.

Crawford said of the Yankees: "To be honest with you, I never talked to New York. They never offered me a contract. I never had any kind of communication with New York, so it was never an option to go to New York."

BYB says: "That's because the contract that was offered by the Red Sox was embarrassing and over inflated. You're not worth that much."

Nice. That was fun, let's analyze this guy's other statements:

Crawford says of Red Sox players: "They’re showing a lot of love. We’re fitting in really well and just trying to find our place around the clubhouse."

BYB says: "That's because you're new on the team and your new teammates haven't experienced your enormous ego yet. It's the honeymoon stage bro, it'll come."

Crawford says: "(I need to) just go out there and play my best."

BYB says: "No shit. That's why they're paying you."

Crawford says: "Cliff Lee was their first choice. I didn’t want to be somebody’s backup plan."

BYB says: "Lee is a starting pitcher, not a lead off man, of course Lee was our first choice."

Crawford says: "I wanted to go to a place where they wanted me just as bad as I wanted to go there."

BYB says: "You wanted to be in a place that showed you the money. If it was the Pirates, you would have been there. Who are you kidding?"

Crawford says of his game plan with Boston: "They don’t want me to change nothing."

BYB says: "Anything. They don't want you to change anything. Hopefully they threw a grammar book in that contract of yours."

Was this clever or ridiculous? Tell me.

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WHY BOSTON SUCKS

Me: Guess who just signed Carl Crawford?

My 8 year old: Yankees????

Me: The Red Sox

My 8 year old: NOOOOOOOOO

That dialog at 7:23am today defines what every single Yankees fan feels like right now. Yes, it's true, I never thought we needed Carl Crawford on the New York Yankees, but more importantly, I definitely didn't want him on the Evil Red Sox.

With the Yankees "Plan B" going to our stupid rivals, and us waiting like a bunch of Tools for Cliff Lee to make a decision, it puts the New York Yankees in a tough spot for 1 reason and 1 reason only; What if Cliff Lee decides he doesn't want to come to New York? Right? What if Cliff Lee passes us by and stays put inTexas? If that was to happen, the Yanks are screwed.

The 1 danger of waiting and waiting for the big fish is some of the little fish get caught up around you. And in the end, if the big fish swims away, the only thing left are a few tadpoles and some allgey. Wait, what the hell am I talking about? Anyway, you know what I mean. It puts the New York Yankees in a bad spot. The Red Sox lineup right now is built on speed and power. I'm pretty jealous quite frankly. Yes, I love the Yankees lineup, but with a down year from A-Rod and Jeet, I'm not going to lie, I'm alittle worried.

I get it though. I know the Yankees want great pitching and I personally really want Lee in our rotation. But considering Carl Crawford just signed a 7 year deal worth 142 million, There's no way Lee settles on a 140/6 contract. If I'm Cashman, I'm on the phone with Lee's agent right now sweetening the deal, to 150/7 because the markets out of whack and whether or not you think 140/6 is ridiculous, well that's irrelevant now, the Nationals threw a wrench into the whole free agent market with Werth's 126/7 contract. Yankees need to comment now 100 and break the bank if needed, because now it's not a question of wanting Lee, it's a question of Needing Lee.

Another factor you need to think about is; The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Remeber them? They were the team that practically had the Crawford deal wrapped up until the Red Sox swept in and got Crawford. Now the Angels have the money to put toward a Cliff Lee, and why not? They lost out to the lead of hitter, but everyone knows pitching wins championships. Why NOT put an offer into Cliff Lee if your the Angels? It makes sense.

Cashman has a lot to think about. Yes, I love his style, but Theo Epstein, while he's equally talented, just took a page from the Cashman playbook, and this morning, all of New York is praying Cash's offer gets us Lee, otherwise it's all for nothing.

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WHY IT'S ABOUT TO GET NUTTY

The Winter Meetings have begun. Game on. One thing's for the sure, everyone who thought that the Washington Nationals were going to make a lot of offers but wouldn't be taken seriously, like myself, were all wrong. These guys mean business. They signed Jayson Werth to a 7 year deal for $126 million and literally blew the top off the free agent market...why you ask? Because before that, Carl Crawford was getting that deal. But now he could probably ask for 8 years and $180 million. No way the Yanks are offering that to Carl Crawford. And remember that "rumor" a few weeks ago about the Yankees offering a 7 year, $140 million offer to get Cliff Lee? Then, of course, the rumor was disputed by Yankee Execs. Remember that? Well, now it will have to be legit because the Nationals just knocked the market out of whack. Expect big numbers and years. "Werth got it, Why can't I?" Mentality. Get ready for it.

Look for a real slutfest between the Rangers and the Yankees. Right now the word on the street is if the Rangers offer Lee 6 years, he'll stay in Texas. The touble is, the Rangers "say" they're not willing to do it. The Yankees are, but, do the Yankees offer 7 years? Everyone says NO. I say Yes, on this 1 fact, the Yankees have wanted Lee for a long time and at $140 million or $150 million, whats another year on a pitcher that you know will get you to the World Series. Quality Pitching wins ballgames. I expect the Yanks to do it, especially after the Werth signing.

Look for a Russell Martin deal this week, my new obsession. A lot of talk about it and it makes sense. The question is, how much. I do however love a Martin / Montero platoon.

Look for unique signings that Cashman will do for bench help and part time play. Kind of like what he did with Swisher a few years ago. Remember, no one really cared about Swish when he was signed, and he wasn't supposed to play rightfield. Then we woke up finding that we had Teixeira at 1st base and suddenly Swish was an outfielder again, like he was in Oakland and Chicago. Then he worked hard and became our every day Rightfielder for 2 years, he's done great work for us.

Cashman knows talent and expect another player or players like that. There are some nuggets out there that can still give the Yanks some quality work. Podsednik, Okajima and the like. People are even talking about George Sherrill, a lefty who came off a horrible year for the Dodgers. Could someone like Sherrill help the Yanks? We'll have to see what Cash thinks.

One things for sure, signing Jeter was huge and now, we can concentrate on make the Yankees even better. Pitching, Catching and bench.

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WHY ALL IS WELL IN YANKEELAND

Derek Jeter is officially a New York Yankee again and for the moment, all is well in Yankeeland. Mo's coming back and now Jeter and heading into the Winter Meetings, 2 big names are off our plate and a few bigger ones are on the radar, namely, Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, Russell Martin and Andy Pettitte.

If we know anything about New York, it's about getting the biggest fish now. The Red Sox for example are the same way. They've been talking about Adrian Gonzalez forever, and today, in principal at least, they have him. I bet they get Jayson Werth too, but that's another conversation for another day. The Yankees have been talking Cliff Lee since they lost him in the Mariners bait and switch back in July and you know Cashman will now do everything to get him. He'll do anything to get Cliff Lee for the Yankees sake, for the fans sake and for sure, to stick it to the Mariners. No one swindles Brian Cashman, NO ONE.

But, back to Jeet. Jeter got a 3 year contract, worth $51 million. He also got a 4th year option. To everyone who told me I was crazy, suck it. Didn't I tell you all that he'd get an extra option year? Read WHY JETER IS AN ICON from way back on November 3rd. I came damn close. Yeah, I was wrong about the years, but I was close about the cash and about how the option would break down, so sue me, that was my love for Jeter coming out I guess. I speculated 5 years, $56 million deal with a 6th year option of $9 million. It makes sense.

The Yankees played hard in these negotiations. Jeet did too. Both sides deserve alittle credit, but the hardest part was the fans watching this thing unfold like the 2 were bitter enemies. I'm the first to say that I never ever expected it to take this long, but now he's back, so we can all rejoice.

Cashman needs to do a few important things now, get Andy Pettitte to officially commit and sign Cliff Lee... whatever it takes. I told you I believed Pettitte was waiting to officially commit until he saw the Yanks get Lee. If they do, he's in, no doubt. That's how I feel about this. Now, if the Yankees lose out to another team to get Lee, at least Pettitte sees they gave it a shot, and I suspect he officially commits anyway. We will see next week, hopefully Cashman nails it all down.

I like the idea and welcome Russell Martin to share catching duties with Jesus Montero next year by the way. I never thought of it until this week obviously, but I love it. I am actually obssessed with the idea right now, so I kind of hope Cashman can get him at a reasonable price. I actually think it all hinges on whether or not they get Lee and / or Carl Crawford.

One things for sure, alots about to go down in Yankeeland, this is when it gets the most fun... the Winter Meetings. Go get'um Cash, go get'um.

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WHY AN UPGRADE IS IMMINENT

The Yankees are “very much engaged in discussions” with Carl Crawford, though it’s unclear if they’re looking at him in combination with Cliff Lee, or as an alternative to the lefty. this coming from ESPN's Buster Olney.

I'm telling you, in my piece titled WHY IT ALL GOES BACK TO SWISH, I told you that I've heard more than a few times that Swisher was on the trading block and it would mean 1 thing... the Yankees are talking to Crawford. I knew something didn't sit right. Look, you know where I stand on Swisher, and Crawford, let's face it, is awesome.
Look at these numbers:

• 47 Stolen bases in 2010, 409 Overall


• Career .296 Batting Average


• .851 OPS in 2010


• 2010 Gold Glove


• 1st in triples in 2010 with 13.
  

Neat numbers. I like it, but again, there's something about Swisher's energy that offers the clubhouse some looseness. Whatever the Yankees do with this info, I'm for it. I want a Championship like everyone else. More to follow...

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WHY YOU DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ

I've heard this one before. The Yankees said that Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford are not in their off season plans. If I remember correctly, that was a similar statement they made about Johnny Damon and one morning I woke up to the headline of " Here's Johnny" in the New York Post. Look, everyone knows the way Cashman operates, I just think that when it actually happens, everyone is taken by surprise, like "how did they pull that off?", much like I did when they signed Damon.

The Damon deal personally for me was great because we took him away from the Red Sox in the middle of the night. If Cashman were to pull off a signing of a Crawford similar to that, it would be " Wow". A Crawford signing would be more gratifying for me because we would take him away from the evil Rays. I don't have to remind you how much of a stud Werth is, but you see my point about division rivals. Reliever Joquian Benoit, the Rays setup man was also talked about. Take them both away from Tampa Bay. I like it.

Now, all my Anti-Yankee fans are reading this right now, some are deleting it, some are writing me a letter and it goes something like this: "Mighty Casey, Dude! The Yankees pay for championships. It's not fair. You guys make me sick! I hate the Yankees".

To that, I say this: This is baseball, the greatest sport in the world. You put the best team on the field to win. You don't play to win second place....ever. Plus, the Yankees don't win every year. Before 2009, there was a whole crop of amazing baseball stories, the Red Sox twice, White Sox, Marlins, and oh yeah didn't the Giants just win this year? Suck it. We're in the thick of it just like you guys.

Ok, enough of my rant, back to my point. Crawford was someone the Yanks always wanted. If you get him you spend big money though and that's my concern. Gardner at the end of the day is my choice, cheaper, younger and if he's the leadoff man, you will see production.

On Sunday at 12:01am Cash starts his pursuit of Cliff Lee. CC is already chatting it up, believe me. The Rangers are courting Lee good right now and they probably have the upper hand. To the Rangers credit, that ballclub is loose and they look like a good bunch to play with. Plus, there is a lot of talk of some sleeper teams about to jump into the fray; The Washington Nationals, Tigers, Angels and I never forget Boston, they are just as sneaky as the Yanks. The upside is I can't see the Lee wanting to go to Detroit. Kristen Lee can't stand New York, can you imagine the Lee's picking Detroit over the Big Apple? Sorry Will. Anaheim.... maybe. The Nationals? If Lee goes to Washington, he can change the whole face of that franchise. I doubt it though. In the end, it comes down to New York and Texas. May the best team win.

Let's just hope today's headlines denying any interest in some big free agents Actually means a big winter for the Yankees, with Cashman's slight of hand and all. It could be really interesting.

By the way, Let me remind all of you. The Yankees have tremendous players, and great characters on the team. People like AJ who bring pies, Jeter, our leader, Tex, CC and Swisher all have given life to the clubhouse... Hopefully if others like Lee and who knows who else can get to New York it will be even more fun. If you haven't already, be sure to vote for Swisher to host Saturday Night Live. That would be amazing and I send this out earlier in the week and I'll remind you again. There's a huge campaign to get him to host, it will be as great as when Jeter did years back... maybe even better. Check it out on Facebook: WE WANT NICK SWISHER TO HOST SNL.

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