Pinstripe Alley

Cooperstown Calls

2009-11-22T02:49:32Z

Cooperstown Calls

If you're looking for something to do over the holiday, you might consider a pilgrimage to the shrine in Cooperstown.
Matsui's bat, Damon's spikes, Mo's hat, Jorge and Jose's masks, Jeter's bat, Pettitte's jersey and cap, a ball from the first Fall Classic at New Yankee Stadium, and Waldman's scorecard (I didn't realize that she was the first women to call a World Series game).

The Importance of Pettitte

2009-11-21T21:00:16Z

More photos » by Elise Amendola - ASSOCIATED PRESS

Do it again in 2010?

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We do this every year, don't we?

But how important is Andy Pettitte to the Yankees' success?

I certainly want him to come back, but as I look over the end of the year numbers, I can't help but notice that he got lucky.

His BABIP was .301, down from .339 last season, and the lowest of his Yankee career (he posted lower twice with the Astros). It was out of line from his Line Drive %, so we should expect some regression.

My gut reaction was to think, Andy gives up a lot of groundballs, and with the addition of Tex and with Jeter's career year with the glove, it's certainly possible that they turned more grounders into outs that previous seasons- maybe the difference is sustainable. But Andy's Ground Ball % went way down: from averaging 50% the last 3 seasons to 42.9 percent this season. And all the rest of those outs turned into fly balls, not a terrible thing for a lefty in Yankee Stadium, but not encouraging either.

His fastball continues to average 89 mph, and the cutter still looks good. FanGraphs figures he was a $15M player in 2009. Make no mistake: a pitcher who can throw 200 innings in the AL East is a valuable player. And the Yankees need him back.

I just worry that we're hoping for more than we have right to expect.

Matsui's future

2009-11-21T16:00:13Z

More photos » by Koji Sasahara - AP

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Hideki Matsui must have wondered what he did to deserve such a cruel fate. He left the Japanese major leagues seven years ago to prove himself against the best in the world. In Japan, he had won three MVP awards and three championships. In 2003, he crossed the Pacific and joined the best team in MLB, coming off a stretch in which they'd won four titles and five pennants in seven years.

His first season saw the Yankees reach the World Series, with Matsui hitting a big three-run homer in Game 2. But as we all know, the Yanks lost the Series in six. The next five years went downhill from there, ending in an LCS loss, three straight LDS losses, and then failing to make the playoffs completely in 2008.

Matsui missed most of the 2006 season when he broke his wrist sliding to catch a pop-fly. He then missed about seven weeks in mid-2008 with knee problems. 2009 looked to be the 'swan song' for Matsui with the Yankees (and possibly in MLB).

He turned in a season and postseason beyond most people's expectations. His OPS+ (131) was higher than any year since 2004 (.274/.367/.509). You have to think that being the full-time DH allowed his body/knees to rest, making him a better hitter.

Anyway, I'm trying to get to the book I just read, Hideki Matsui: Sportsmanship, Modesty, and the Art of the Home Run. It was written by a Japanese novelist, Shizuka Ijuin, who's been friends with Matsui for almost 15 years. It details Matsui's life from a young boy who's big dream was playing in the Koshien Tournament (the 'March Madness' of high school baseball) to spring training with the Yankees in 2007. (Unfortunately it was written before the 2009 season, when he became the first Japanese player to win the World Series MVP).

The main point of the book is that Matsui is not just a great ballplayer, but a great person. He personally sponsored 10 Vietnamese students who couldn't afford to attend school. He paid for a young Japanese girl with a rare disease to get treatment in America. He donated half a million dollars to the 2004 tsunami relief fund. And he did all this while trying to remain anonymous, and was perturbed when his 'exploits' became public. In his first visit to New York after joining the Yankees in early 2003, he visited the WTC site. He stood in the snow and prayed for an hour.

If I learned anything from the book, it's that Matsui will take the off-season in stride. He's not going to stress over whether the Yanks re-sign him.

If there's one player to root for, just from an emotional standpoint, it's Hideki Matsui. We should feel proud to have had a person like him representing the Yankees the past seven years.

Yankees notes: See ya, Shelley!

2009-11-21T14:41:00Z

Let's take a look Around the Yankee Universe this morning. Not a lot of news on the last Saturday before Thanksgiving, but always some interesting stories around our New York Yankees.

GOOD LUCK, SHELLEY: The Yankees have dropped Shelley Duncan from the 40-man roster, again, and it appears Duncan's Yankee career is over. Personally, I wish Duncan well. He can be a productive big-league hitter if he can find a team willing to give him 300-400 at-bats.
BREAKING DOWN AROLDIS CHAPMAN: The 21-year-old Cuban left-hander is one of the more intriguing players to follow this off-season. He is also one of the riskiest big-money investments, according to Baseball Intellect.

Chapman is going to be a risk for whatever team signs him. His upside is tremendous, but he’s raw in every sense of the word. Does he have the mental capacity to turn himself into a pitcher and not be just a thrower? Does a team’s development staff have a good track record in developing a talent like Chapman? Does Chapman have what it takes to put it all together and develop into a legitimate number one starter? We’ll eventually get our answers, but some team will have to shell out millions of dollars before getting them.

Baseball Intellect's breakdown discusses Chapman's mechanics, his maturity and projects his future. They seem to lean toward the opinion that his production won't end up justifying the huge investment a team will have to make to sign him.
MATSUI IN DEMAND: Hideki Matsui's services as a hitter might not be in huge demand around baseball right now. Matsui is, however, in huge demand as an advertising spokesman in Japan. The World Series MVP continues to be a huge hero in his native country.
WANG WOULD LIKE TO STAY: Chien-Ming Wang told reporters in his native Taiwan that he would love to stay with the Yankees. If that doesn't work out? Wang said pitching for Joe Torre and the Dodgers wouldn't be so bad, either.
SPEAKING OF FREE AGENTS: WFAN's Sweeny Murti says sentimentality and what players like Matsui, Wang and Johnny Damon have done for the Yankees in the past will play no part in GM Brian Cashman's decisions about 2010.

Emotion is for the fans, not the people who run the teams. And while Brian Cashman has as special a place as you do for the players who just brought home #27, he’s not going to let his heart keep him from moving the 2010 Yankees forward. So if it’s not in the team’s best interests to keep Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui in a Yankee uniform, it won’t happen simply as a reward for 2009.

Cashman is no sentimental fool. If you need proof, ask Bernie Williams. Cashman could offer the dynasty icon no more than a spring training invitation before the 2007 season. All the chants of "Ber-nie Will-iams" you could ask for from the bleachers weren’t going to be enough to change his mind. Cashman had decided that it was time to get younger and it was time to cut ties with Bernie.

RHP Hector Noesi RHP Ivan Nova RHP Romulo Sanchez INF Reegie Corona INF Eduardo Nunez INF Kevin...

2009-11-20T23:17:45Z

RHP Hector Noesi
RHP Ivan Nova
RHP Romulo Sanchez
INF Reegie Corona
INF Eduardo Nunez
INF Kevin Russo
OF Austin Jackson

Added to the 40 man to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.
They chose not to protect Texeira, Horne or Whelan. They must figure that none of those 3 could stick for a full season with another team because of injury or ineffectiveness.

h/t LoHud

Is Swish really on the trading block?

2009-11-20T00:06:28Z

If you haven't heard the rumor, the Yankees are "quietly" making Nick Swisher available for trade. I have no idea if there is any truth to this, nor do I know how available Brian Cashman has made him. However, if this rumor is correct, I think I may know why.

Compare Nick Swisher over the last three seasons to a certain Mystery player X:

Want to guess who this mystery player is? I'll give you a hint: he just reportedly turned down a 4-year, $60 million dollar offer.

Jason Bay is the second-most coveted, and likely to be the second-highest paid, outfielder/hitter on the free agent market this offseason. And while he's a fine player, I'm just not that convinced he's that much better than Swisher when you factor in defense and age. And that's where it gets interesting.

Bay is 31 years old, and at this point it seems unlikely that he'll sign for anything less than 5 years/$75 million. Swisher, on the other hand, is only 29, and is signed for a total of $25.5 million (including a team option) for the next three years.

Given the choice between two good (but not elite) outfielders, most GMs would probably choose the younger, cheaper one. Brian Cashman is no doubt aware of this. Swisher is a great value, based on his production and his salary (and who the Yankees gave up for him), and I have a feeling that his availability hinges on the number of teams who have pitching, need hitting, and don't want to spend eight figures in the free agent market.

This is pure speculation, but the Atlanta Braves fit that description perfectly. They have holes in at least one outfield corner and first base, in fact, the lack of offense probably kept them out of the playoffs in 2009. They also have six good starting pitchers signed for 2010. Tommy Hanson is untouchable and Tim Hudson just signed a three-year extension. While they'd love to move Derek Lowe, his salary is probably too high, and nobody seems that interesting in Kenshin Kawakami. That leaves Javier Vazquez (pass) and Jair Jurrjens.

One would think that any team would be reluctant to part with a 24 year old pitcher who's posted stellar ERAs the past two seasons. I'm not suggesting this is probable or likely. However, when a team is dealing from a position of strength to fill a glaring need, strange things can happen. And I think Cashman may be dangling Swisher in hopes of a deal like this falling into his lap.

Boredom in the Bullpen

2009-11-20T16:15:09Z

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Mariano liked his 'penmates.

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Confession:

I didn't find this season's bullpen nearly as exciting as the '08 version.

First, CC, AJ, Andy and Joba contributed more than 170IP more than the 2008 top 4 starters of Moose, Pettitte, Rasner and Wang.

Then, Phil Hughes locked down the 8th inning- 51IP, 0.86 WHIP, .228 SLG against, 11.4K/9.

And finally, while the 2008 squad was very good (.235/.310/.373), the 2009 'pen was even better (.231/.308/.393). Plus, the '09 team did it with only 21 pitchers while the '08 team used 24 men. Furthermore, 14 guys relieved in 10+ games in 2008 and only 12 guys did that in 2009.

What should the bullpen look like in 2010?

I see that people are trying to link the Yanks to high profile relievers like Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez. Haven't we learned the Karsay/Farnsworth lesson? Every once in a while it works out right and Tom Gordon shows up, but relievers are the hardest players in the game to predict. Not only would either Soriano or Gonzalez cost most of the Yanks' payroll space, since both are Type A free agents the Yanks would lose their first round draft pick next June.

The Yanks are stacked with pitching prospects, and the simplest way to employ those prospects is to throw them in the fire. Joe Girardi has proven he's the right guy to handle a Cashman style cost control bullpen, shifting roles regularly to put the hot hand in the game.

And even better (or worse if you get excited by leadoff walks, line drives, and blown saves), of the pitchers who relieved for the Yanks in 2009, only Josh Towers (5.1IP), Anthony Claggett (2.2IP), Brett Tomko (20.2IP), and Jose Veras (25.2IP) will not return. Coke and Marte will be back as effective lefties, and Houdini Robertson, Alfredo Aceves and Brian Bruney will be ready as the right-handed bridge.

Shall we sign Soriano to a Farnsworth style deal? Wouldn't that make 2010 more exciting?

The Slow Offseason, the 2010 Free Agent Class, and Collusion

2009-11-20T12:43:12Z

NYPost:

"We have evaluated, now we will organize," Cashman said. "Then we will meet with ownership."

Cash will go talk to Hank and Hal, get authorization for next season's budget, and then dive into the market.

Because the Yanks are moving so methodically, the mood around baseball seems to be that this will be a long free agent season. No one wants to be the team to set the market, and no free agent wants to sign until the Yankees have made their offer.

The consensus that next season holds the free agent gems, may deflate the market even more- if you know there's going to be a party on Saturday, you don't spend all you funds on Thursday night.

Then there is the talk of collusion. Ken Rosenthal reports on the escalating war of words between Scott Boras and MLB Chief of Labor Relations Rob Manfred. Boras thinks the game was worth $6.3 billion dollars, and that there are a dozen clubs with $200M revenues fielding teams for around $70-$90M (what they receive from revenue sharing and MLB's tv and licensing contracts). All of these numbers have allegedly attached to them because baseball doesn't disclose hard numbers, a point sure to come up in the next labor talks.

I've hated Scott Boras for years. His willingness to pick and choose facts to present each client as a baseball immortal, his eagerness to move successful players to dead-end franchises for an extra nickle, and his enthusiasm for non-traditional contract loopholes and incentives are all repugnant to me.

But if Scott Boras becomes one of the central figures in a movement to expose baseball's finances and move more of the revenue from the owners to the workers, he could have a Darth Vader moment.

Bud Selig said there will be a tightening of baseball's postseason schedule in 2010... Regarding...

2009-11-19T23:42:49Z

Bud Selig said there will be a tightening of baseball's postseason schedule in 2010...

Regarding instant replay, Selig said he's taken the matter under advisement after a rash of missed calls in the first two rounds of the postseason.

Though the matter wasn't addressed here last week by the 30 general managers during their two days of meetings, a number of them told the media that they'd like to expand the use of video technology to enhance the sport.

All good news.

Lincecum wins NL Cy Young

2009-11-19T23:23:17Z

Lincecum wins NL Cy Young

He edged out Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. (via BTF)

Around the Yankee Universe: Mark DeRosa, anyone?

2009-11-19T17:15:10Z

Here are a few stories worthy of discussion today Around the Yankee Universe.

Infielder Mark DeRosa's glove could be good fit

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News is suggesting that the Yankees pursue DeRosa, the veteran utility man.

If the Yankees bring back Johnny Damon, DeRosa would be a good fit because he could play left field on days when Damon serves as the designated hitter. DeRosa, who has started 212 games in the outfield, 311 at third base, 304 at second base, 139 at shortstop and 23 at first base, could also spell Alex Rodriguez at third base on his DH days, making him an ideal addition for the aging Yankees.

The Yankees have shown prior interest in DeRosa, who is well-regarded by many inside the organization. At least 10 teams are reportedly in the mix for DeRosa, who hit .250 with 23 home runs, 78 RBI and 78 runs scored in 139games with Cleveland and St. Louis last season.

My take: This is an idea that I like, particularly if HIdeki Matsui and Jerry Hairston Jr. are not part of the 2010 Yankee roster. There have been seasons when GM Brian Cashman has pretty much ignored the bench, and last season we saw how important having quality depth is. Just like Hairston was an upgrade over Cody Ransom, DeRosa would be an upgrade over Hairston.

Speaking of Matsui, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS... caught. makes an impassioned, somewhat melancholy, case for why the World Series MVP can't be a Yankee next season.

It's no fun, closing the book on a great novel.

Its like watching Peter Pan, when you were a kid: You didn't want it to end. You wished you could stay in that fantasy world, flying with Tinker Bell and always outwitting Captain Hook. Everything was magical. And then... it ended... on a school night, no less.

We have no place next year for Hideki Matsui.

It's not his fault. Great player. Great Yankee. Great man. He just can't play the outfield anymore. And we just can't take a full-time DH anymore.

My take: Unfortunately, I agree with this. The Yankees have too many veteran guys who could benefit from rotating through the DH spot. If the Yankees keep Damon, Matsui, as much as I love the guy and what he has done for the Yankees, would be cluttering up the roster.

Other Stuff

Here is another vote against the Yankees signing free-agent pitcher John Lackey.
Commissioner Bud Selig is promising to tighten baseball's ridiculously stretched out playoff schedule. I say, hooray for that.

Pythag Record and the Future

2009-11-19T16:00:21Z

I'm a big believer in Pythagorean record as a test a team's quality. I like the simplicity: reduce runs allowed or increase runs scored to increase winning. Hitting, pitching and defense are already built into the analysis. (Click here for a down and dirty explanation).

	RS	RA	Diff	Pythag	actual W%
2009	915	753	+162	.586	.636
2008	789	727	+62	.537	.549
2007	968	777	+191	.599	.580
2006	930	767	+163	.586	.599

I was surprised to find that 2009 was not a marked improvement over the previous 3 clubs. The pitching and defense was actually worse than the 2008 squad, and whole team was roughly equal in 2006 and 2009.

Could it be that the big transformation wasn't CC or AJ or Hughes in the pen. Certainly, both players were essential to replacing Mussina, to cover for the loss of Wang, the 5th starter debacle and a slight regression by the bullpen (87 OPS+ against in 2008; 92 in 2009). But those problems at the back of the rotation mask the improvements at the top.. It was the addition of Tex and the return of a healthy Posada and Matsui that really put the team back in the driver's seat.

On the other hand, the Yankees significantly overshot their expectations in 2009, so unless the team improves on one side of the ball or the other, we had better brace for a step back in 2010.

Having Mariano in the pen (and a strong pen in general) seems to skew the Yanks to the top side of the projections (because they lose fewer close games than other teams). While I expect Joba/ Hughes/ mystery pitcher to outperform 2009 Joba/ Wang/ Mitre/ Gaudin, I'm worried that will be balanced by a step back for CC or AJ.

Johnny Damon was a decent offensive left fielder but a terrible defensive one. Offensively he was 24.5 weighted Runs Above Average, and defensively -9.2 runs below average according to UZR, for a net of +15.3 runs. Matt Holliday netted +39.6 runs in 2009. Jason Bay netted +23.0. My preference, Mike Cameron, netted +18.8 as a centerfielder.

Roy Halladay a Yankee? Make this happen, Brian

2009-11-19T12:30:11Z

More photos » by Fred Thornhill - AP

Roy Halladay

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Trade prospects, and maybe Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes to Toronto for Roy Halladay? Hang on to the youngsters, like Jesus Montero and Austin Jackson, and watch the Red Sox get the best pitcher available who is not already in a New York Yankee uniform?

That is the question confronting Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman this winter. Here is Jon Heyman of SI.com discussing the possibility.

Here is the most obvious reason the Yankees (or Red Sox) may now finally have a legit shot to trade for arguably baseball's best pitcher: New Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos is making it clear he is genuinely willing to consider a deal with either the Yankees or Red Sox, a sharp contrast to Anthopoulos' predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi, who had GMs convinced he'd never make a Halladay trade with either the Yankees or Red Sox.

And here's yet another potential reason the Yankees (or Red Sox) might have an edge this time around: While Halladay's latest desires are not yet known (and agent Greg Landry did not return calls), with a year to go before free agency a player in Halladay's position can leverage his no-trade clause to engineer a trade to a team amenable to an extension. The Yankees have not heard that this will be the case. But if that happens here, the field could be limited to the teams who can pay a franchise pitcher. This is often the case when talking about big stars, and it was two years ago when Johan Santana was being shopped by the Twins -- the field was quickly winnowed to the two New York teams plus Boston, the three teams that could most easily work Santana into their budgets.

I have only one thing to say about this. MAKE THIS HAPPEN, CASH! If there is a realistic possibility you can put Halladay in pinstripes YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!!

If it costs you Montero, so be it. The Yankees are flush with catching prospects, and Montero might end up being just a DH, anyway.

If it costs you A-Jax, so be it. He might be a good big-league player some day. He might also be Ricky Ledee or Ruben Rivera. You don't pass on Roy Halladay to keep a guy who MIGHT become a good big-league outfielder.

If it costs you Joba Chamberlain, so be it. We still don't know what Joba is, but I think we know he is unlikely to become a Halladay-caliber starter. Besides, you would still have Phil Hughes, and I will bet you a buck (yeah, I'm a big gambler) that Hughes ends up having a better -- and longer -- career than Chamberlain.

If it costs you Hughes instead of Chamberlain, well, you still have Joba. And Ian Kennedy. And Dellin Betances. And you can always throw gazillions of dollars at Aroldis Chapman.

Want a list of reasons that are probably better, and most definitely funnier, than anything I can offer why the Yankees should do this? Diehard Yankee fan Jane Heller offers such a list over at Confessions of a She Fan. I'm not exactly jumping for joy like Jane at the thought of Halladay in pinstripes, but I do love the idea.

The Intensity of Billy Martin

2009-11-18T22:00:14Z

More photos » by Gary Stewart - AP

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What made Billy Martin so great was also what made him so volatile: his intensity. It allowed him to give a kick start to his teams, yet made it so difficult to keep it going.

From a great article on the managing style of Martin -

Billy Martin was the most fearless manager in baseball history. In 20 years of managing, he never backed down from a challenge. As has been well documented by others, Martin consistently caused dramatic improvements to his squads immediately upon arrival by pushing them hard...

Martin's approach had its downside. He pushed his teams so hard they could not keep up with his pressure. Hiring Martin was like pushing too much voltage through a light bulb: for a brief while it burns brighter than otherwise possible, but it soon shatters unless the excess electricity is removed. Despite his impressive starts, Martin never lasted longer than three years in any managerial stint.

Imagine Mike Scioscia, then triple his aggressiveness -

The ultimate Billyball moment came on May 18 [1969] when both [Cesar] Tovar and [Rod] Carew stole home plate in the same inning - in the same at-bat. Carew stole his way around the bases in that plate appearance. At the plate during this maniacal base running was Harmon Killebrew. Harmon Killebrew! It boggles the mind: With one of the greatest home run hitters of that or any other generation up Martin wanted his men running wild.

We would never see a manager like that today. Too much research has been done to show how reckless stealing bases can be (especially stealing home).

However, Martin knew what he was doing -

Therein lies the rub. Instead of getting worse, his teams got dramatically better despite all these reckless maneuvers.

Once Martin had installed the desired mindset in Minnesota, there was no need to run the risky home plate steals. For the rest of the season opponents played back on their heels, wondering what Minnesota would do next.

Is it worth it to have base-runners play extra-aggressively early in the season if it affects opponents throughout the year? Say an inordinate number of attempted steals happen early on, would that cause defenses to play closer to the bases, opening larger holes for the hitters? And if so, would it make up for the base-runners that got caught?

I don't know the answer, but it's food for thought.

In addition to being aggressive with base-runners, Martin was also one of the hardest managers ever on pitchers -

He would do whatever it took to win that day, and not worry about any possible negative side effects in the future. The best example came when he ran the A's in the early 1980s. They had a great stable of young pitchers whom Martin pushed as hard as he could. In 1980, they completed 94 games, the most by any team since the 1940s.

In 1981, the A's completed "only" 60 games, but a third of the season was lost to a strike. In fact, no other team of the 1980s completed that many games, despite Oakland only playing 109 games.

In the short run, it worked as Oakland produced the AL's best record in 1981. Then the A's pitchers' arms fell off and they lost 94 games in 1982. Martin never considered the long-term repercussions. Then again, it was the only time he lasted three full seasons as manager. Martin was so concerned with seizing the day that he never considered what would happen tomorrow...

Martin handled his relievers similarly. He wanted whom he wanted when he wanted them without concern toward keeping their arms well rested. As a result, his bullpens consistently ranked among the league leaders in most innings pitched by men with zero days rest.

(For all those saying 'take the leashes off' Joba and Hughes, it's been shown time and again that pushing pitchers too hard, especially young ones, is often detrimental to their long-term effectiveness. In other words, the Yankees know what they're doing, and it's better to be cautious than aggressive with potential future All-Stars. There's a reason Andy Pettitte and Mo Rivera are still pitching well in their late-30s: they weren't abused as youngsters.)

Martin was clearly not a perfect manager, but for a 'win-now' team, he may have been the best.

Scioscia and Tracy are Managers of the Year

2009-11-18T20:36:34Z

Scioscia and Tracy are Managers of the Year

The Rox awarded the deserving Jim Tracy with a three-year extension. Scioscia was less deserving; Ron Gardenhire is amazing how he always gets his team, no matter how weak it is, into the playoffs.

One last thing on instant replay

2009-11-18T16:00:16Z

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

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I know we discussed it ad nauseum during the playoffs, but I have to mention one last thing about video review (probably the last time before next season).

Instant replay/replay review/video review, whatever you want to call it, it's been a success. It's been around for a little more than a season (beginning in September of 2008), and has only been used for disputed homeruns. Of 65 disputed calls since then, 22 have been overturned (34%)*. 34% may not seem like much, but it is. Homeruns can completely change a game. To think that umpires have been blowing a third of (disputed) homerun calls in the past is disturbing.

Unfortunately, general managers didn't have enough poor umpiring in the playoffs, so video review will remain limited to homeruns next year. If Tim McClelland's atrocious non-call in the ALCS wasn't bad enough, I shudder to think what kind of call will motivate expanded video review.

* source: The 2010 Bill James Handbook

Around the Yankee Universe: It's always about the money

2009-11-18T12:59:33Z

There is always news in Yankee land, so let's take a tour Around the Yankee Universe and see what stories are making the rounds today.

Moneyball: Dead, Alive, or on Life Support?

Gnashing of teeth around baseball about how much money the Yankees spend, and about how they can "buy" World Series titles, has been going on forever.

Well, a group of Harvard students did an exhaustive study of baseball's payrolls since 1990 to see just how much influence payroll has on winning in baseball.

Their conclusion? Money helps, but it's really how you spend and not how much you spend. I think I could have told you that without all the research. Anyway, here is part of the report.

Considering the past 8 seasons, this year was not particularly notable in terms of payroll predicting success. However, the big market clubs are spending smarter, particularly in the draft and on Latin American teenagers, which is not reflected in opening day payrolls. The margin for error for the little guys is razor thin and the window of opportunity can be very short (see: Indians’ downfall after 2007 and Rays’ slide after 2008). However, the data suggest that this year may not have called for the alarmist musings by some members of the media. Competitive balance is probably not what it should be, but this year was hardly different from most other recent seasons.

Credit for Pettitte

A pair of young Yankee pitchers are singing the praises of veteran left-hander Andy Petttitte. Joba Chamberlain is lobbying both the Yankees, and Pettitte, to keep Pettitte with the Yankees in 2010.

"Andy [Pettitte] has been my greatest friend -- not only baseball-wise, but trying to grow up as a man and a human being," Chamberlain said on Tuesday at his "Wrap to Rap" holiday gift-wrapping charity event at Madison Square Garden. "We'd obviously love to have him back, and that's a decision he's going to have to make with his family and himself and go from there."

Ian Kennedy just finished the Arizona Fall League, pitching to a 2-1 record and a 4.25 ERA. Kennedy has refined a two-seam fastball, and gives some of the credit to Pettitte.

"If you watch some of the better guys, some of the best pitchers -- Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina -- they all throw two-seamers," said Kennedy, who pitched alongside both starters in 2008. "You look at the positives and I've been watching those guys do it for a long time."

Free agent notes

Johnny Damon is a free agent for the third time, and says each time the uncertainty gets tougher. Hey, Johnny, at least you have a nice, fat bank account to fall back on. And you know you will be getting paid handsomely by someone. Try being one of the millions of Americans who don't have a job.
Sam Borden is not sure Matt Holliday would be a good fit for the Yankees.

The Coolest Thing You'll See Tonight

2009-11-18T01:59:40Z

The Coolest Thing You'll See Tonight

NYTimes photographer Robert Caplin took a gorgeous time lapse of the Yanks' World Series victory.

Injuries and the Chance for Greatness

2009-11-17T22:00:13Z

July 30, 2008: Jorge Posada had rotator cuff surgery

September 22, 2008: Hideki Matsui had surgery on his left knee

October 7, 2008: Mariano Rivera had surgery on his throwing shoulder

March 10, 2009: Alex Rodriguez has the first of two surgeries to repair his hip- upon review, the injury heals so well that the second surgery is canceled.

It seem routine, doesn't it?

Torn cartilage in the right knee at age 19.
Surgery to remove loose cartilage in left knee at age 21.
Suffers injury to left shoulder during the World Series at age 25.
Suffered from abcesses in his hip at age 29. Missed the end of the regular season, but returned to play in the World Series.
Surgery to remove cartilage from left knee at age 31.
Right shoulder surgery at age 34.

On the other hand, if Mantle's knees had been better he probably would have been drafted to fight in Korea and not have won the Triple Crown.

DiMaggio, Ruth, Red Ruffing, and Ron Guidry all missed time with major injuries. Hard to imagine what the Hall of Fame would look like if all the players had been given the benefit of modern medicine.

The Yankees have officially declined their 2010 option on Sergio Mitre. He still remains under...

2009-11-17T20:36:56Z

The Yankees have officially declined their 2010 option on Sergio Mitre. He still remains under their control and is arbitration-eligible.

LoHud
Makes sense. They must be confident they can win an arbitration case and bring him back for less than $1.5M