Joe to Bernie: Come to Tampa if You Want to Play

Joe Torre has made it clear that if Bernie Williams wants a chance of making the team, he will have to come and earn it in Spring Training.

“If you want to continue to play, you can’t do it if you stay up there. We have to see you.”

As poorly as Bernie has been treated, Joe Torre is absolutely correct. The team as currently constructed has no available roster spots. It needs to be convinced that it cannot do without Bernie. Williams cannot do that convincing unless he shows the team something. It would not be fair for young players to work hard all Spring Training and lose a roster spot to a guy who has been in the New York area the entire time. Here’s hoping that Bernie goes down to Tampa and tears up the Grapefruit League, proving that the Yankees were wrong to treat him like they have.

Yankees Going to China?

Newsday reports team president, Randy Levine, sees the Yankees eventually playing an opener in China a few years down the line.

The Yankees broached the idea when they sent a group of high-ranking team officials to China two weeks ago to create a working relationship with the Chinese Baseball Association. “We are always looking for new ways to spread the Yankees’ brand,” Levine said. “We’ve told Major League Baseball that we would consider playing a regular-season opener there.”

Everybody remembers what a pain those 5:00 A.M. wakeup calls were in 2004 when the Yanks opened in Japan against Tampa Bay, but we Americans have it easy. Fans from across the globe have to make television viewing at odd hours a habit for most of the world’s marquee events. We are so spoiled in America that swimming events in the 2008 Beijing Olympics will take place in the morning in China and the middle of the night in Europe just so that we will be able to watch them live in primetime. Getting up early again would be a small sacrifice if this increases the game’s exposure in a vast new market. The Yankees can create new fans, enhancing their global appeal. This means more money and an increased likelihood that the first great Chinese baseball player will want to be a Yankee. More crusaders are needed both on the field and in the fanbase for the battle against the Evil Empire of New England.

Frank Torre Needs a Kidney

The New York Daily News reports that Joe Torre’s brother, Frank, needs a kidney transplant. Frank Torre played seven seasons in the Majors, but he is remembered best for his heart transplant in 1996. He received it on the only travel day of the 1996 World Series as his brother was about to reach the pinnacle of his craft after a long wait. The story captured the nation’s attention. It symbolized just how special the 1996 season was for the Yankees and how much adversity the team had overcome. Eleven years later, the medication used to keep his heart working has damaged Frank’s kidneys. Here’s hoping that Frank Torre gets a new kidney and inspires the 2007 Yankees the same way he did all those years ago.

Yankees to Honor Lidle

The Yankees have announced that team jerseys will have a black armband for the 2007 in memory of Cory Lidle. Lidle died in a plane crash just days after the team’s upset loss to Detroit in the ALDS. This was to be expected as teams always leave some sort of designation on uniforms to remember a fallen comrade. The funny thing about Lidle is that if he still was living, he would not have much of a legacy as a Yankee. He was on the team for two unspectacular months. Now he will always be remembered as a New York Yankee. A Yankee legacy is usually special. When it comes at the expense of getting more time to spend with family, it is not worth it. Cory Lidle’s passing was just sad.

Villone Signs Minor League Deal

Ron Villone has a minor league contract to return to the Yankees. This is a solid move. After the way he fell apart during the home stretch last season, it would have been a mistake to give Villone a guaranteed contract. That would have been too much of a gamble. However, there is nothing wrong with bringing a pitcher with his stuff and track record into the mix. He cannot hurt. At best, he can regain his early 2006 form and help the bullpen. Nothing is lost if he struggles in the Spring. Villone has a better chance of helping the team than any draft pick the Yankees would have received had he signed somewhere else. The Yanks at least know he has the potential to contribute.

Mo’s Unhappy

The typically reserved Mariano Rivera had strong words of agitation for the Yankees this week over the team’s treatment of Bernie Williams and his own contract situation.

“Surprised? Yes, I think Bernie shouldn’t be treated that way. But who am I to say? Bernie should be here with his bat. He had a great year last year, and he helped us a lot. I guess that’s the business side of baseball.”

When a team treats a loyal and productive employee the way that the Yankees have treated Bernie, it is bound to bring out discontent from other loyal and productive employees like Rivera and Jorge Posada, who earlier had expressed discontent over the Williams situation. These guys have given their careers to this team, and now they know that the team has no qualms about sending anybody packing, even if it is for Josh Phelps.

Mariano has seen through Bernie’s treatment that the game is a business, and he sounds prepared to show that it is a two way street.

“I definitely want to finish my career here, but if they don’t give me the respect I deserve, I have to move on.”

Exactly what the Yankees are waiting for to extend the man is not clear. Yes, he is 37 years old and could start declining soon, but even if his production falls off somewhat, Mo will still be an elite closer. He just will not be head and shoulders above everybody else. Coolness under pressure does not fade with age either. The Yankees have already let one legend go. They cannot allow another to get away when there is no replacement in sight. With that said, it is no yet time to worry about Mo. He spoke from emotion because he was upset about the way his friend was treated. The team has plenty of time to do the right thing and extend his contract. If they do that, Rivera will be a happy camper again.

Newsday: Bernie Appears Resigned to Retirement

Jim Baubach of Newsday reports that Bernie Williams is likely to retire instead of accept an invitation to earn a roster spot at Spring Training based on his words at a charity concert he played at last night.

“I think if they wanted to have me on the team, they would have signed me already,” said Williams, 38. “Having the option to go to spring training to see what would happen is something that … I don’t think at this moment it’s something I want to consider.”
“I want to make sure I know for sure what the Yankees are thinking,” Williams said. “It doesn’t really look like I’m going to play for that team for this year, meaning the Yankees.”

It is sad that a Yankee legend is being left out in the cold like this, especially when he still can contribute to the success of the team.

But Cashman doesn’t seem too willing to change his stance. “I’ve had conversations with Scott [Boras, Williams' agent] all winter about this,” he said. “… I don’t have a major-league contract to offer.”

Brian Cashman has done a great job as Yankees general manager, but this is ridiculous. He has no contract to offer Bernie Williams, but he does have one for either Andy Phillips or Josh Phelps. Both players bring very little to the table. They have no skill that Doug Mientkiewicz and Miguel Cairo cannot combine to replicate at first base. Bernie Williams would be a better righty bat off the bench and has a storied track record for coming through in big spots. This does not even take into account all that he brings in the clubhouse. Such a storied career has no business ending at the hands of scrubs like Phillips and Phelps.

Hank Bauer Passes

Taken from ESPN.com:

NEW YORK — Hank Bauer, the tough ex-Marine who set a World Series record with a 17-game hitting streak for the New York Yankees and later managed the Baltimore Orioles to the 1966 title, died Friday. He was 84.

Bauer died in the Kansas City area, where he made his home, Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said.

During 14 seasons in the major leagues, a career that spanned from 1948-61, Bauer became a three-time All-Star outfielder, helping the Yankees win seven World Series titles and nine AL pennants. He spent his first 12 seasons with the Yankees and his final two with the Kansas City Athletics.

In his final Series appearance, he hit .323 with four homers and eight RBIs as the Yankees beat the Milwaukee Braves in seven games in 1958.

Bauer managed the Kansas City A’s to ninth-place finishes in 1961 and 1962, then took over as manager of the Orioles in 1964.

In 1966, he managed the Orioles to a 97-63 record and a World Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bauer left the Orioles during the 1968 season, and his final managing job was with the Oakland A’s the following year.

Bauer was a pallbearer at former teammate Mickey Mantle’s funeral in 1995.

Bauer joined the Marines shortly after Pearl Harbor and saw action in several battles. He maintained his hard edge throughout his career on the field.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

R.I.P. Hank. I’m sure you’re up there playing a game with Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle as we speak.

A-Rod Does Not Commit

When asked whether he will use his ability to opt out of his contract in 2007, Alex Rodriguez refused to commit.

“My situation and my only goal is to win a world championship, and I’m going to take it day to day. And that’s about it.”

This was clearly a slow news day for the media so they tried to create a story where there was none. A-Rod is not going to commit one way or the other. He has no clue how circumstances will be different. If he says that he will play the market, he creates another distraction for himself and the team all year long. If he says that he will stay, then he has painted himself into a corner. Perhaps he will have another miserable year in New York and will want out after 2007. If he said that he was definitely staying and opted out after that, he would be even more reviled as a phony than he is now. He does not know how he will feel after the season. He has to worry about getting to that point before he can evaluate the situation.

A-Rod also fielded a question over whether he was upset that Joe Torre dropped him to 8th in the lineup during the ALDS last year.

“I’m an employee. If Joe says take out the garbage, I take out the garbage. There’s no attitude. That’s just the bottom line. I’ve very old school when it comes to that. And I’ve never been a person that ever questions my authority… The first thing I’ve got to look at in the mirror is me.”

Did anybody really think that A-Rod would be dumb enough to criticize his manager to the press and create more controversy? For all of his faults, he is very media savvy. Beyond that, if he was disturbed by hitting 8th in a lineup that good, he is even more egocentric and mentally weak than anybody could have imagined.

It looks like another year of non-stop A-Rod in the Bronx. My breath is bated.

Igawa Comes Early

Kei Igawa has gotten a jump start on his first Major League Spring Training.

Igawa, who agreed to a five-year, $20 million contract in December, has been throwing on flat ground at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa, Fla.

Obviously this tells nothing of the kind of pitcher he will be in the Majors. Still, after years of guys like Carl Pavano, Randy Johnson, and Gary Sheffield it is nice to see a guy who looks to make a good first impression on his teammates. Igawa showing up early certainly displays something positive about his work ethic.