Johnny Damon: Renaissance Man

Johnny Damon: Professional Wrestler, Professional Video Gamer, Tree Swinger, Idiot. Read all about his offseason exploits at http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070222&content_id=1812014&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Yankees on YES; Yankees News, Well Really Bernie News

Anyone get the YES network? The Home of Champions as they say. I saw a commercial for Spring Training games starting March 1st. Is it more or did the off season seem to be longer than usual?

Joe Torre and Brian Cashman can't get Bernie Williams on the phone, but Derek Jeter can. "I have talked to him, he called me back," Jeter said. "I don't want to talk about what we talked about. It appears he is not coming [to camp]."

The Yankees probably would like to retire Bernie Williams' No. 51 some day, but if he's still bitter enough to duck the ceremony, it might never happen. It would be the highest of 16 uniform numbers retired by the Yankees (honoring 17 players and managers), topping Ron Guidry's No. 49.

News out of Wyoming: Steve Swindal arrested for DUI

In case any of you Yankees newshounds missed it, George Steinbrenner's likely successor and useless son-in-law Steve Swindal likes to drink and drive, according to Wyoming's leading newspaper the Casper Star Tribune.

Mussina and Pavano

Mussina is "speaking his mind" about Pavano in Tampa. I personally think this is all nonsense and that Mussina is going too far. Did Pavano really dog it? I highly doubt it. Why would he? Is it more fun to watch your peers in a playoff race from the sidelines, knowing they all think you're a joke? It's one thing for Muss to say that Pavano has something to prove, which is true and which he has said several times already, but I think he's harping on it to no one's benefit. It's not like Pavano can prove himself overnight or even in a month or two. He has to go the entire season without injury and be productive. So continuing to say the guy has something to prove when it's completely obvious and when it's going to hang over him the entire season, well, I don't think that's good for chemistry or a very good motivator. These guys better start learning how to pick each other up a bit. This Yankee team becomes increasingly less likable each season, it seems.

Jeter, Mantle, and Bush

I was saving this for when I found a picture of it but couldn't find one. It's from last night's Countdown with Keith Olbermann 02-14-07. I certainly don't agree that they did this but then again I'm no longer buying baseball cards.

And my finely tuned PT Barnum sense tells me this is a publicity stunt, but it‘s a good one. Yes, I promise, this will be the last baseball card reference for a while, but look at the brand new 2007 Topps card of Derek Jeter of the Yankees. You see the guy behind him in the dugout, the guy on the left, with the bat on his shoulder, it‘s the late Yankee immortal Mickey Mantle, who died a few months after Jeter‘s first big league game.
But wait, there‘s more, in the crowd, to Jeter‘s right, the fellow in the suit waving to everybody and blocking the view of everybody in those nice 135 dollar seats, looking like he doesn‘t know where his seat went, President Bush. The Topps spokesman jokes the president must have been at the game that day. Just for the record, the photo shopping did not put Waldo anywhere in the background and most importantly, if Mickey Mantle was in uniform for the Yankees last year, why in the hell didn‘t they DH him in the playoffs against Detroit?

Pitchers & Catchers Report; Yankees News

Baseball is backfolks! Once again it's time for baseball to take its place among the elite sports. Now that the dull, boring, pro football season is over (finally), the don't go by the rules pro basketball (sure they're playing now but if the refs don't make calls what's the point of watching, come on, a guy can't stop dribbling, take 10 steps and shoot, that's traveling), hockey (let the Russians and Canadians have their fun), and any other sport you want to name, which doesn't come close to holding anything remotely interesting as baseball.

Anyway the point being, let the discussions begin. Who's on 1st? Really 3 firstbasemen? Bernie, Williams (to the tune of Marco, Polo) maybe he can be long relief in the pen? How will the pitchers hold up? Let's start commenting, and here is some news to keep you interested.

Yankees sign Ron Villone to minor league deal with spring training invite.

Mariano Rivera's contract is up following the World Series. Agent Fernando Cuza approached Yanks general manager Brian Cashman in December about an extension and nothing developed. "They said they would get back to us if they had any interest," Cuza said. Now, with pitchers and catchers reporting to Legends Field today, Rivera is entertaining thoughts of leaving the only organization he has ever worked for. "I know I have one more year," Rivera told reporters yesterday following a light workout at the club's minor-league complex. "After that, I don't know what's going to happen. Definitely I want to finish my career here, but if they don't give the respect that I deserve, I have to move on." Cuza said Rivera has no plans to open negotiations with the Yankees and the agent doesn't believe there will be dialogue "unless they call us, but I doubt it. "Mariano wants to wait until the end of the season,'' said Cuza, whose client badly wants to pitch in the new Yankee Stadium as a Yankee in 2009. "It's the first time he wants to wait and see what happens."

A longtime friend of the outfielder told the Daily News that Bernie Williams has no plans to take the Yankees' nonroster deal, though the pal didn't think that a retirement announcement was coming any time soon. "This could drag on for a long time," the friend said. Williams isn't ready to call it a career just yet, though he doesn't want to play for any team other than the Bombers. GM Brian Cashman didn't return a phone call yesterday, but he has said several times that the current construction of the roster has no spot for Williams.

Hank Bauer

I always remember the name of Hank Bauer from Old Timers Days from past years and from the stories of the great Yankees teams of the 1950's, usually associated with Moose Skowron. But I really didn't know all that much about him otherwise. Now that he has passed, and I read his obituary, I was amazed. 7 World Series Rings with the Yanks and 1 as Orioles manager, 2 Bronze Stars and 2 Purple Hearts in WWII. I don't mean to get all "Greatest Generation" here but I just have to say what an incredible life this man led.

Alex Rodriguez 2007 & Gone?

I just heard that Alex Rodriguez has an out clause in his contact after this season. Should he not opt-out he's got $75 million for 3 years left on the contract. Scott Boras, Super Agent, said something along the lines that if Alex opts-out then he could sign a contract for more (money, years) and possibly (and probably) someplace else.

So he could go from MVP-'05, to hated-'06, to still hated-'07, to someplace else-'08? On the one hand, it would suck to see him take the money and run (like just about everyone.) On the other hand, he switched positions still put up good numbers but didn't do enough, can you blame the guy for leaving? His team basically turned their backs on him.

Do you trade him? Yankees won't get equal value. Do you risk getting nothing for him? Rumors could drive him over the edge like Michael Douglas in Falling Down. What to do?

Bernie's Fate

Looks like Bernie either signs a minor league contract or he's out on his "goofy" ass. He has an invite to spring training too. It's sad, but Bernie said it best, "When you give a large chunk of your life to a team, it is hard. It's not like I am a journeyman," Williams said. "When you play this game for a long time, you take things for granted and think it won't end. But the harsh reality of it is, it will."

Check out the article.