Bobby C, BronxNet on YES!

That's me, inside the Yankees dugout on Old Timers' Day. This pic was snapped by a friend, right off the TV. It's from Yankees Magazine. They were also filming during the festivities and captured me in the dugout.

Pretty cool!

Back in Biz...

Hey there fans, I’m back blogging again. This has been the longest I’ve been away in a while. I’m usually posting every day, or every few days, but it's been a week now.

I’ve actually been very busy with our coverage. I’ve spent a lot of time working on some extra packages. I hope you enjoyed our look at Old Timers’ Day this past Friday on the show. I’m actually going to be hosting OPEN this Friday all by my lonesome.

I feel like a middle infielder going into pitch. I’m always playing the lead sports anchor and this Friday I’ll have to host the whole morning show with Rhina on maternity leave. The new, interim position will be fun, and of course, I'll have everything sports, too in the roundup and "C-List."

I'm happy to be back penning some Yankee notes, too. The break was much needed though. I'm sorry I didn't let everyone know. Then again, my blog has some great stuff on it, even in my absence. I have some links on the sidebar and you can always get up to date baseball info with SI, as well as scores and sports updates with the tool bars provided below. All part of the whole experience that is Stars in Stripes.

The Yankees are cruising these days, holding on to a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL East. I have a lot of posts to add between tonight and tomorrow. Please check back a bit later. We’ll have a lot to discuss with Friday’s trade deadline looming. Plus, I’ll reflect on the Yankees’ recent surge with a quick look back on the homestand.

Talk to you in a bit.

-BC

Old Timers Announced

NEW YORK – Out at the ballpark tonight, and I'm very excited about this coming Sunday. Sunday is Old Timers' Day at the new Yankee Stadium, the first inside these "rookie" walls.

As the Yankees continue to try and build a new tradition here across the street from "The House that Ruth Built," they've adopted some of their most memorable rituals of season's past, most notably the annual Old Timer's game. Last year's final one at the old Stadium was great. We did a terrific package for the station that included some of the all-time greats.

We even had an exclusive interview with Reggie Jackson. Now, that's big time. Do you know how difficult that was to work?

Well, we're gearing up again for the big game. The festivities are always a special treat. I can remember going to the Old Timer's games as a kid. It was the one game of the season, I wouldn't dare miss.

But then again, the Bombers didn't do much winning back then, so the ballgame was a chance for a youngster like myself to get lost in all of those stories that mom and dad had about the Yankees from their glory days.

The ones they enjoyed in their youth.

I never thought I would see a good Yankee team myself. I really clung to all of those great stories from the 1950s, '60s, '70s. I grew up with some royally bad teams, but hey, they were "my Yankees."

Looking back, I think it made it even more special when they finally started winning World Series again. I had dreamed of telling stories about legends past one day, but all I had to work with was...well, the past.

Now, I have both. The old tradition, the old guard, and the Yankees of my generation, which are slowly becoming the Old Timer's of tomorrow. As legendary Yankee voice, the late, great Mel Allen would say, "How about that!"

Check out this list of Old Timers below, released by the Yankees.

Mike Mussina, an Old Timer? He won 20 games last year!

Should be a great day at the ballpark.

List of those Scheduled to Attend (*Denotes First-Time Old-Timer)

* Luis Arroyo
* Jesse Barfield
* Yogi Berra
* Ron Blomberg
* Dr. Bobby Brown
* Homer Bush
* Rick Cerone
* Horace Clarke
* Jim Coates
* David Cone
* *Chad Curtis
* Bucky Dent
* Al Downing
* *Mike Easler
* Dave Eiland
* Whitey Ford
* Oscar Gamble
* Joe Girardi
* *Dwight Gooden
* Rich "Goose" Gossage
* Ken Griffey, Sr.
* Ron Guidry
* *Charlie Hayes
* Arlene Howard
* Helen Hunter
* Reggie Jackson
* Pat Kelly
* Don Larsen
* Hector Lopez
* Lee Mazzilli
* *Lindy McDaniel
* Gene Michael
* Diana Munson
* Kay Murcer
* Meredith Murray (B.P. Pitcher)
* *Mike Mussina
* *Jerry Narron
* Jeff Nelson
* Graig Nettles
* Joe Pepitone
* Bobby Richardson
* Mickey Rivers
* Bill "Moose" Skowron
* Aaron Small
* Mel Stottlemyre
* Bob Turley
* Roy White
* *Don Zimmer

Stadium to Host College Football

The new cathedral has a throwback feel and is about to welcome another old time tradition that was customary at The House that Ruth Built.

Sources confirmed that Army and Notre Dame will square off in the first college football game at the new Yankee Stadium in 2010.

I blogged about the possibility of this earlier in the season in this space. Army issued a release Friday afternoon touting a "major college football announcement" Monday at the Stadium.

Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick told the Associated Press the negotiations were far along, but would not acknowledge a completed deal.

Notre Dame still has two dates not scheduled for next year, including one home game.

The Times Herald-Record, citing unidentified Army sources, said Friday that Army will also play games at Yankee Stadium in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons. Rutgers and possibly Syracuse could be involved in future games at the stadium, a person familiar with the scheduling told the AP on condition of anonymity.

Army and Notre Dame played each other at Yankee Stadium annually from 1925-46. The two teams last met at Yankee Stadium in 1969.

Cool idea. I’m definitely interested in seeing that. All I have to say is: GO IRISH!

Second Half Starts at Home Against Detroit

NEW YORK – What to expect from the Yankees in the second half, you ask?

Well, if you read my midseason report, I gave you my take on the Yankees so far. They have some room to grow, but I think the current roster is still a Wild Card kind of a team. I haven’t been impressed by the Yankees against the American League’s elite, most notably their 0-8 mark against Boston.

After getting swept by Anaheim, the West division leader, just before the All-Star break, the Yankees will try to get back on track against another when they open a three-game home series with the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

New York (51-37) lost all three games to the Los Angeles Angels last weekend, giving up 29 runs in the series after coming in with an eight-game road winning streak.

Detroit will be facing a New York club that has struggled badly against division leaders. The Yankees are 5-15 against the Tigers, Angels, Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies – the first-place teams they have faced in 2009.

Despite that stat, the Yankees lead the race for the wild card and trail Boston by only three games in the East.

The Tigers will give rookie Luke French (1-0, 1.93) his third career start. He earned his first win July 8 by giving up one run over 6 1-3 innings of a 3-1 victory over Kansas City. Detroit recalled the 23-year-old left-hander from Triple-A Toledo on June 29 to replace Alfredo Figaro in the rotation.

AJ Burnett will oppose French for the Bombers. He’s looked very strong in his last few starts.

The Yankees took two of three at Detroit from April 27-29 in the teams’ first meeting of the season.

Midseason Report Card

NEW YORK – The teacher has clocked in, and he’s here to give his Yankee report card for the first half.

In my book, the Bronx Bombers have some red ink to tend to, but have performed relatively well prior to the All-Star break as they gear up for the stretch run. New York begins a new homestand Friday when it welcomes Detroit to the Stadium.

I give the Yanks a B+ on the whole for the first half, but still believe they are a Wild Card team and not a real threat to Boston – yet – for the American League East crown. All of that could change if the Yankees step up and acquire Roy Halladay from Toronto. I think the Yankees should make it a blockbuster and try and swing a larger deal with the Blue Jays that could include former All-Star outfielder Alex Rios, who is having a down year, but is very talented and not far removed from All-Star caliber play.

The Yankee off-season has produced some very fruitful free agents. Slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira has lived up to the billing. He looked like a bust in April, but ended up starting in the All-Star Game after hitting .275 with 21 homers and 63 RBI in the first half. His glove may be even more valuable than his bat, as he has saved countless errors at first base.

Free agent pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett have looked sharp of late as well. A bad April (1-2, 4.73) gave way to a great May (4-1, 2.56) for Sabathia. Burnett is 6-2 since late May with a 2.01 ERA, erasing his mediocre first two months and helping the Yankees surge in the standings. He’s also been a valuable asset to team chemistry, leading the team in thrown cream pies – New York’s new custom for a walk-off winner.

Derek Jeter has rebounded from a down season in 2008. The captain leads the team with a .321 average, showing renewed life in his bat (10 homers) and his legs (17 steals) in the leadoff spot. Even Mariano Rivera has picked it up. The great closer went through his annual early season struggles, causing many to speculate that he was finally on his way out. He rebounded in typical fashion, converting his last 19 save opportunities.

The most important piece to the puzzle remains Alex Rodriguez. His impact is undeniable. Since his return on May 8, the Yankees are 38-22.

The Yankee bullpen has struggled a bit, but Phil Hughes has been a nice addition in the late innings. As far as my midseason report card goes, New York gets barely passing grades in the middle relief department and the backend of the rotation.

Bottom line: The Yankees could use one more bat and defining pitcher for their rotation and possibly one more arm for the bullpen. Joba Chamberlain, Andy Pettitte and Chien-Ming Wang have been major disappointments in the pitching department, while Nick Swisher has done some good in the outfield, although injuries to right fielder Xavier Nady and reliever Brian Bruney have had a major impact in the first half.

With the July 31st trade deadline looming, the Yankees should be players for an outfield bat and another quality starter. Or, move Chamberlain back to the pen and make Hughes the No. 5 starter in the interim until Wang returns from another DL stint.

I still think New York would be better served with Chamberlain in the pen. The Yankees need more from the backend of the rotation and they need to hit better against the top teams in the league. The bats have been quiet against Boston, Detroit and Anaheim.

A-Rod will have a better second half and expect even more from Tex and the rest of the lineup. Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera have played well in center, splitting time and Johnny Damon had a great first half. Still, Eric Hinske, albeit a nice player, won’t help the Bombers down the stretch with some aging outfielders like Damon and Hideki Matsui in the mix.

ASG Insider Wrap Up

ST. LOUIS – I must admit, St. Louis is the greatest baseball town I’ve been too – yes, even better than New York City.

They breathe baseball. St. Louis is like a throwback to the 1950s when football, basketball and anything other than baseball took a backseat in America.

To St. Louis, baseball is life, and the rest are just details.

With that in mind, it made the entire All-Star experience extra special. It was truly one of the best All-Star games I’ve covered.

The Carl Crawford catch is extremely memorable and the 4-3 final was a special treat for a baseball purist like myself.

Here are a couple quick hitters before we say goodbye to St. Louis.

The American League has gone 4-1 lifetime in the five ASG played in the city. WOW!

Despite the AL’s dominance, the NL is still 40-38-2 in the 80 ASG.
For the first time since 1999 at Boston, there were no homers hit in the All-Star Game…That was also the last time no player had more than one hit.

The NL’s five hits Tuesday were the fewest by one team in the ASG since the NL had just three hits in 2001 at Seattle.

The game was played in 2:31, the shortest Midsummer Classic by time since 1988, a 2:26 contest at Cincinnati.

Interesting to note: NL ASG starter Tim Lincecum played Golden Tee in the clubhouse an hour and a half before the first pitch. He seemed to be having a lot of fun.

All the All-Stars had a blast – this reporter included.

Dazzling Catch Keeps AL All-Star Steak Alive

ST. LOUIS — The Midsummer Classic isn’t just for sluggers after all.

In a tight ballgame Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford pulled back a home run with a leaping grab, keeping the game tied for the American League an inning before Detroit’s Curtis Granderson tripled and scored the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning of a 4-3 All-Star win for the AL. The junior circuit is now 12-0-1, dating back to its last All-Star defeat in Philadelphia in 1996 — the longest unbeaten steak in All-Star history — and won its seventh straight since the Midsummer Classic has been used to determine home-field advantage for the World Series.

All the talk after the game was Crawford’s robbery of Colorado’s Brad Hawpe.

“I was over the wall. It would have been a home run,” explained Crawford, who named the All-Star Game MVP. “Feels good. Feels great to help the team win.

“It's got to be the top (defensive) play (of my career), I don't think I've ever robbed a home run before, so I picked a good time to do it tonight. It's definitely probably my best catch I've ever made.”

New York Yankee closer Mariano Rivera came on in the ninth to close the door for an All-Star record fourth time. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

“We came here on a mission and the mission was accomplished,” said Rivera, who broke Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley’s All-Star mark for saves.

Rivera ensured that the AL would once again have home-field advantage in the Fall Classic — something his club may get a chance to take advantage of this October.

Even Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon had it on his mind. “It is so important to get home-field advantage in the World Series,” said Maddon, whose Rays lost to Philadelphia in the World Series last October. “So there was a lot on the line there today.”

Crawford became the first non-pitcher to win the MVP with no RBIs and no runs. He entered with a pinch single in the fifth, but it was his snare of Hawpe’s leadoff drive in the seventh off winner Jonathan Papelbon that clinched his MVP honors.

Hawpe and the rest of the NL locker room was stunned. “I still don’t think there’s a good answer for it,” he said.

Granderson’s one-out triple in the eighth against Heath Bell landed off the bottom of the left-field wall. Bell, the loser, intentionally walked Cleveland’s Victor Martinez, and Baltimore’s Adam Jones followed with a fly to deep sacrifice right that brought Granderson home.

AL pitchers retired 18 consecutive batters before Adrian Gonzalez’ two-out walk in the eighth against Minnesota closer Joe Nathan. Los Angeles Dodger second baseman Orlando Hudson singled and, with pinch-hitter Ryan Howard at the plate, stole second before Howard struck out on a pitch in the dirt.

The AL scored twice in the first against reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum after hometown hero Albert Pujols allowed Mark Teixeira’s one-out bouncer with two on to bounce away. Yankee captain Derek Jeter came around from second on the error, and Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton hit a two-out RBI grounder.

The NL went ahead 3-2 in the second against AL starter Roy Halladay on a two-out RBI single off the bat of St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina. Philadelphia center fielder Shane Victorino scored from second on a throwing error from Hamilton. Milwaukee bopper Prince Fielder plated Molina for the lead with an opposite-field double.

But the AL battled back. Minnesota catcher and the league’s leading hitter, Joe Mauer, tied it in the fifth with a two-out RBI double off L.A. Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley.

“They have some pitching,” NL manager Charlie Manuel said. “The whole game was centered around pitching and we had a tough inning the first inning, but after that it was definitely a pitcher's game, and they have some horses and the back end of the bullpen is good. I felt like our guys did a super job, too.

“They executed when they had to and they made the big play when they got a hit.”

Previewing the Midsummer Classic

ST. LOUIS – The National League used to dominate the Midsummer Classic, reeling off a string of wins in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

But these days, the annual All-Star spectacle belongs to the “Junior Circuit” – the American League.

The NL hasn’t won since 1996, something the “Senior Circuit” will try and change tonight when the 80th annual affair squares off in St. Louis.

Now 11-0-1 since its 1996 defeat at Philadelphia — the longest unbeaten streak in All-Star history — the AL has cut the overall gap to 40-37-2 in All-Star games and hasn’t lost in six meetings since the winning league started receiving home-field advantage in the World Series.

Welcome to one of the most one-sided rivalries in sports.

“We’d like to keep this streak alive one more year,” Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan said.

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum will have honor of trying to change that fortune as he gets the start, opposing Toronto starter and AL pick Roy Halladay.

“We would love to be able to snap that streak,” said Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard, a St. Louis native. “It always seems like they kind of pull it out towards the end of the game but, you know, hopefully this year it will be different.”

Couldn’t be more different from 1966, the last time the stars met in St. Louis. The NL was in the midst of winning nine straight All-Star games and 19 of 20.

Ever since, the AL has turned the tables on their counterparts, even dominating the NL in interleague play during the regular season. Since interleague play began in 1997, the AL had a 1,673-1,534 advantage and this year’s season series went 137-114 to the junior circuit – its sixth straight winning record and ninth in 13 years. The All-Star dominance hasn’t carried over as much in October. The AL has won seven of the last 12 Fall Classics and each side is 3-3 since the Midsummer Classic determined home field in the World Series.

“Is there more talent in the American League than the National League? Not necessarily,” Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon said. “I think it’s just two totally different styles of baseball, and when you put those up against each other for one game, our style seems to come out ahead.”

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel believes the AL’s dominance should be further incentive for his club tonight. “That's motivation and something else to play harder for. Yeah, I hear that, and I think our league definitely wants to win, and we would love to be called the superior league.”

All-Star victories have taken on increased importance because of the connection to the World Series. In 18 of the last 23 Series, the team with home-field advantage has gone on to win.

2009 MLB All-Star Lineups

American League

1. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle, rf
2. Derek Jeter, New York, ss
3. Joe Mauer, Minnesota, c
4. Mark Teixeira, New York, 1b
5. Jason Bay, Boston, lf
6. Josh Hamilton, Texas, cf
7. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay, 3b
8. Aaron Hill, Toronto, 2b
9. Roy Halladay, Toronto, p

National League

1. Hanley Ramirez, Florida, ss
2. Chase Utley, Philadelphia, 2b
3. Albert Pujols, St. Louis, 1b
4. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee, rf
5. Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia, lf
6. David Wright, New York, 3b
7. Shane Victorino, Philadelphia, cf
8. Yadier Molina, St. Louis, c
9. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco, p

Derby King: A Prince

ST. LOUIS – The crowd at Busch Stadium celebrated hometown All-Star Albert Pujols and serenaded homegrown standout Ryan Howard, but by the end of the night, their applause were fit for a…prince.

Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder edged a field that included favorites Pujols and Howard and surprise runner-up, Texas’ Nelson Cruz en route to being crowned king of the Home Run Derby. Fielder outslugged Cruz 6-5 in the finals, taking home the title before the St. Louis faithful, who hoped it would go to one of their own.

“This is Albert's stadium and Ryan is from here," Fielder said. "I was just happy I was able to put on a show and I'm glad I won."

Pujols, St. Louis’ powerful first baseman who leads the majors with 32 homers at the break, and Howard, Philadelphia’s big bopping first baseman who grew up in the Gateway City and won the event in Pittsburgh in 2006, were eliminated in the second round. With the hometown sluggers out early, Fielder won the derby with a steady power display, highlighted by one jaw-dropping blast, estimated at 503 feet.

Fielder, the son of former big league slugger Cecil, became the youngest player to hit 50 homers in 2007 at age 23. But that season, he was eliminated in the first round of the derby in San Francisco.

He maintained a similar approach Monday night, but the result was far different. “I’m not quite sure about my mechanics. I just know I have to swing hard,” said Fielder, who became the first Brewer to win the derby. “In high school, a lot of people told me to swing easier and everything, but I just don’t know how to do that.

“I knew what to expect this time so I was a little more relaxed,” he added. “I think it’s very competitive. I don’t think (any) of the guys would be here if they weren’t. But it’s fun at the same time.”

With three outs left in the final round, Fielder parked one onto the grassy hill in center field for the victory. Fielder started out using a bat that belonged to injured Milwaukee teammate Rickie Weeks, then switched to fellow All-Star and teammate Ryan Braun’s stick.

Fielder finished with the most home runs in the contest, connecting on 23 for the evening, including the four longest shots of the night. Fielder and Cruz both made their major league debuts in 2005 with the Brewers. Each has 22 home runs this year.

Fielder stole the spotlight from the hometown sluggers and the first-timer Cruz. The Texas Rangers slugger is enjoying a breakout season. The Dominican-born Cruz was a late addition to the All-Star roster because of an injury to Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter.

Unfazed by his first crack in the derby, Cruz set the pace in the final round, smashing five homers in nearly capturing the title. Other than Fielder’s mammoth blast, Cruz had the second most jaw-dropping home run. In the first round, Cruz hit a drive into the fourth deck in left field – a feat never accomplished during a game in the four-year history of the new Busch Stadium.

The derby served as a nice warm up to the Midsummer Classic. Toronto’s Roy Halladay will take the hill Tuesday night for the American League, opposing reigning National League Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum. The AL has won 12 straight All-Star games.

Yanks Should Mortgage Farm for Halladay

ST. LOUIS – I spent some time chatting with Toronto GM JP Ricciardi a couple of years ago on a visit to Canada.

Make no qualms about it, JP hates the Yankees.

And, he should.

They represent everything the Blue Jays will never be from this point forward. From a financial standpoint, Toronto can’t compete with the Bombers anymore, and that, more than likely signals more time passing up north without a title.

The game has changed so much since the Jays were a dynasty in the early 90s.

Realistically, Toronto headlines a host of teams that can't win no matter how close they got, because, larger market teams like the Yanks and Red Sox have more dollars to invest in talent.

With that said, would a desperate Ricciardi consider dealing his ace, Roy Halladay – arguably the best pitcher in the American League – to his nemesis?

I say, YES!

Especially if given the opportunity to fleece New York of some of its best prospects and young talent, understanding that Halladay is likely gone in a year-and-a-half when his contract is up.

“Doc” loves Toronto, but he’s got no shot of winning there – and he, like JP, knows that.

Halladay is 32, but he's in his prime, and still dominant. Conversely, would the Yankees consider moving some of their best prospects for a pitcher in his early 30s, maybe the center fielder of their future, Austin Jackson, in a package for Halladay. Or better yet, a deal that could include Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, who were at one point, two of the most coveted pitching prospects in the game.

The stock for both has dropped a bit. Chamberlain hasn’t starred in the rotation the way he did in the bullpen, and Hughes is now in the pen, performing well in a role reversal for the two. Hughes showed some flashes of brilliance as a starter, but was moved to the bullpen when Chien-Ming Wang returned from the DL.

Sources say the Jays want Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano and Chamberlain for Halladay – a move I would welcome if the Yankees can find an adequate replacement at second for Cano. No easy task when you consider how well Cano has rebounded. It's not like I want to get rid of Cano Yankee fans, its just that you can't get something without giving up something, and Cano could be expendable for Halladay in my book.

That deal is more than likely just rumblings though, because I can’t see why the Jays would want Cano when they have Aaron Hill at second base. Unless, they want to move Hill to another position in the infield and play Cano at second.

Halladay may not even be a good fit in New York. He seems to have a small market mentality – both in personality and demeanor, likely a residual of playing in Toronto for the last several years.

Still, there’s no denying how good Halladay – on paper – could be when paired with CC Sabathia at the top of the rotation. Add AJ Burnett in the third spot and Andy Pettitte and Wang, or Hughes at the back end, and you have the best starting five in the American League, and maybe, all of baseball.

New York has one of the better rotation’s already. Halladay could cement that rotation.

I say it all the time, you can never have enough pitching. Halladay could be the difference come playoff time, especially if he makes a smooth transition to playing in the Big Apple.

A big IF, but one worth considering. The last time the Yankees acquired an ace from Toronto, it worked out pretty well. Roger Clemens won two championships and played in two more series in the Bronx (2001 and 2003) during in his time in pinstripes.

Halladay got the nod today to start the 80th annual All-Star game Tuesday night in St. Louis.

The hard-throwing right-hander is 10-3 with a 2.85 ERA this season. He spoke about the possibility of being dealt Monday in St. Louis during an early All-Star press conference.

“Yeah, it's tough," said Halladay. "Obviously I'm somewhere that I enjoy being and spent my entire career, so there's a lot I think that goes into it. But you know, I think as a player, there's that will to win and there's that will to do it in October, and basically that's all this has been about is I would like to chance. And I'm not saying it won't be Toronto. It's just what's going to be best for the organization, are we going to be able to do that, and how do we move forward.

"But it has been tough because I do enjoy Toronto so much, and you would like to be, you know, three games up in first place and not have to deal with this."

JP said he would entertain offers. Halladay sounds lukewarm on the idea of picking up and moving, but if he's motivated, there's no telling how good he could be in the heat of a pennant race.

Rumors have Halladay likely packing his bags for the National League. Reigning champs, Philadelphia, could provide Toronto with a nice package of young prospects for Halladay.

But, I think none would be better than what the Yanks could offer in Chamberlain and Hughes, or a deal that would include Cano.

You may differ on opinion on this one, but I’ll tell you, pitchers like Halladay don’t come along very often.

It’s time for the Yanks to make a move. Halladay would be a good start.

First Place, Not for Long

The Yankees swept the Twins in Minnesota, moving into a tie for first place with Boston earlier in the week, but the weekend brought three straight losses in Anaheim as the Red Sox capitalized on New York’s woes against the Halos.

On the flip side, Boston swept their final series before the All-Star break, taking a three-game division lead into the Midsummer Classic.

The Yankees continue to struggle against the American League’s elite. They are 0-8 against Boston and now 2-4 against the Angels after being swept in Southern California.

John Lackey pitched seven solid innings and the Angels knocked around CC Sabathia Sunday to complete the sweep behind a 5-4 victory.

Sunday’s loss was extra bitter after New York’s dreadful display Saturday. The Angels trailed 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth and then scored seven runs, highlighted by Brandon Wood’s two-run shot, en route to a season-high 14 runs. It was Wood’s first homer of the season and seventh of his career. The Angels went on to win 14-8.

It wasn’t the offense that failed the Bombers Saturday. It was the pitching.
Yankee starter Andy Pettitte allowed six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in the loss as the Yankees fell to 5-16 in the last 21 road games against the Angels.

Alex Rodriguez and Eric Hinske had multi-HR games and Hideki Matsui also went deep for the 14th time this season.

But it wasn’t enough.

It was the fifth time in the last 55 years the Yankees have lost a game when hitting at least five homers.

The Angels cruised, scoring 10 or more runs in back-to-back games against the Yankees. Friday, A-Rod homered for the Yankees, who failed to extend their eight-game road winning streak despite taking a 4-0 lead in the second and fell out of a first-place tie in the AL East.

Gary Matthews Jr. had an RBI single in the second for his 1,000th career hit, and former Yankee Bobby Abreu drove in a run in the fifth to cut the Yankees' lead to 5-2. The Angels never looked back, taking the ballgame, 10-6.

New York was riding high, coming off a huge holiday weekend the week before and a sweep of the Twins.

On Thursday, Mark Teixeira ended a 23-game homerless stretch and the Yankees completed a season sweep of the Twinkies with a 6-4 victory.
Unfortunately, none of that carried over to the next series, where the Angels continue to haunt the Yankees, especially on the West Coast.

The Bombers finished the Minnesota series having won 13 of their last 15 games, including another AJ Burnett gem Wednesday when the Yanks built an early lead and won 4-3 in Burnett’s fifth straight start with fewer than three earned runs.

In his previous start, Sabathia held the Twins to just three hits as the Yankees pummeled Minny 10-2 in the opener.

But once again, New York proved it still has a long way to go if it wants to compete come playoff time. Equally strong teams, like Boston and Anaheim, are doing a better job of grinding out games against the Yankees.

Nonetheless, for all the injuries and the loss of A-Rod for more than a month at the start of the season, the Yankees close out the first half neck and neck with Boston.

They look much better than they did at this point last season, and something tells me, they are on a collision course with Boston for another showdown in the American League Championship Series.

Tex, Jeter and Mo off to All-Star Game

The Yankees will be well represented in next week’s All-Star festivities. Not only will myself, BronxNet’s top Yankee Insider be heading to St. Louis for the Midsummer Classic, but so will three Bronx Bombers: Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Teixeira’s back-and-forth battle with Red Sox counterpart Kevin Youkilis to serve as the American League’s starting first baseman ended on Sunday, and now the slugger is headed to the July 14 contest at Busch Stadium, joined by Junior Circuit leading vote-getter, Jeter, and the unflappable closer, Mo Rivera. Jeter and Mo are both 10-time All-Stars, and like Tex, are enjoying terrific seasons.

“I’m so appreciative of the fans," Teixeira said. "Since I've been here, I've said they were the best fans in the country. I want to thank all of the fans for going out there and voting. It just shows how passionate Yankees fans are. There's probably four or five first basemen that deserve to go and deserve to start, but you've got to give credit to the Yankees fans for getting me there."

Jeter paced the AL in votes received for the first time in his career, appearing on 4,851,889 ballots to earn his sixth All-Star start.

It’s hard to make an All-Star case for any other Yankee than these three. Robinson Cano has had a bounce back season at second base, but that position features some of the top hitters in the league, including reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia and Toronto’s Aaron Hill. Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler may also capture one of the final spots on the roster.

As far as pitchers go, only CC Sabathia deserved some consideration. He’s been shaky over his last few starts and that likely sealed the deal for the big lefty.

Nonetheless, congrats to Jeter, Mo and Tex. I’ll see you in St. Louis!

Weekend Full of Fireworks for Yanks

The Bronx Bombers finished the holiday weekend by taking the final two of three from Toronto, highlighted by some fireworks of their own with another walk-off win Saturday as America celebrated Independence Day with a Yankee victory.

July 4th was a special one for the Yankees. Before the game, they honored Lou Gehrig’s memory on the 70th anniversary of his famous “luckiest man alive” speech. Jorge Posada singled in the winning run in the 12th inning to lift New York to a 6-5 win, coming up with the clutch hit after a rough game behind the plate. It was Posada’s first game back after sitting out with a sore thumb Friday.

That was the biggest win of the weekend for the Bombers. They beat ace Roy Halladay and proved, once again, how tough they can be at home no matter who they're facing.

The celebrations wouldn’t end there for the Yankees. Sunday was equally impressive. After blowing an early 4-0 lead, the Yankees came back from an 8-4 deficit to win for the 10th time in their last 11 games. Derek Jeter was 4 for 5, hitting his 10th homer to give him 14 straight seasons with 10-plus homers.

It was New York’s fifth straight win over the Blue Jays, whose five-run fourth inning gave them an 8-4 lead. There were four homers hit at homer friendly Yankee Stadium, raising the total to 139 at the new ballpark midway through the season.

Yesterday, the Yankees almost pulled off the four-game sweep, falling 7-6 to the Jays. Toronto starter Ricky Romero was sharp, but the Bombers took advantage of the bullpen late, nearly capturing the win. But it wasn’t meant to be. The Yankees couldn’t push across that final run in the ninth as Toronto avoided the sweep.

Romero improved to 2-2 on the road and 4-0 in his last four starts. The young left-hander looks a lot like a young Johan Santana. He has allowed only five earned runs in his last 28 1/3 innings.

While the Blue Jay lefty was on point, the Yankees’ lefty was not. Andy Pettitte fell to 0-5 in eight home starts against the Jays since 2001.
That was about the only bad news for New York coming out of the weekend. They need to get Andy right at home.

That was the final homestand for New York before the All-Star break. They head to Minnesota tonight.

Behind Burnett, Bombers Right Back to Winning

NEW YORK – It didn’t take AJ Burnett and the Yankees long to get back on the winning track.

After losing for the first time in eight games Thursday night, the Bombers took the first game of a four-game set from Toronto Friday afternoon at the Stadium. Burnett scattered six hits over seven innings, Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez homered, and the Yankees opened the long holiday weekend with a 4-2 victory.

Wearing bright red caps as part of Major League Baseball's Fourth of July weekend celebration, the Yankees quickly rebounded. Burnett (7-4), who lost to his former team at Toronto on May 12, allowed both runs, struck out seven and walked two. Phil Coke and Phil Hughes split the eighth and Mariano Rivera struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances, No. 503 of his career.

"When you’re clicking, everything just flows,” Burnett said. “When you’re clicking on pitches, you don’t even think about anything. You know, it’s just all confidence out there.”

The offensive highlight of the afternoon came from Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod led off the eighth against Jeremy Accardo with an opposite-field homer to right. He has 14 homers this season – including five in his last eight games.

“It was good to have a day game and get back at it really quickly,” Rodriguez said.

The Blue Jays feel for the fifth time in their last six games and are now 1-3 against New York this season, including 0-1 at the Stadium. Toronto starter Brian Tallet suffered his second straight loss.

“Not too good,” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said of losing the game. “You’d prefer to win games like this…but it sure didn’t feel good.”

The Jays will send Halladay to the mound tomorrow to oppose Chien-Ming Wang. Halladay is 10-2 with a 2.56 ERA this season. Wang is 1-6 with a 10.06 ERA.

Notes: Yankees catcher Jorge Posada rested his sore left thumb for the second straight day. He was hit by a foul ball Wednesday night…Toronto third baseman Scott Rolen singled to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 20 games...A-Rod tied Don Mattingly (222) for ninth place on the franchise’s all-time list. He is also two homers shy of tying Rafael Palmeiro (569) for 10th place on baseball’s all-time list.

Take 2-of-3 from Ms; Win Streak Ends at 7

NEW YORK – The Yankees took advantage of a week Seattle club this week, taking the first two games of the series Tuesday and Wednesday nights before falling in the series finale last night.

The Yankees welcome Toronto for the start of a four-game weekend series today, one that will include the best pitcher in the American League, Roy Halladay, taking the hill for the Blue Jays.

Unfortunately, the Yankees meet their divisional rival having watched their seven-game win streak come to an end Thursday against the Mariners.

Seattle is not a good baseball team, but you have to give the Yankees credit for taking care of business. New York has played down to competition several times this season; losing games it has no business losing.

That wasn’t case against the Mariners as the Yankees continued their solid play, winning yet another series.

Tuesday night, Melky Cabrera’s go-ahead double in the eighth inning helped the Yankees beat the Mariners 8-5 in the opener for their sixth straight win. Alex Rodriguez hit his 565th career homer and Cabrera drove in three runs as the Bombers won their ninth in a row at home over Seattle, dating back to 2007.

Tuesday’s win proved once again as A-Rod goes, the Yankees go. Wednesday brought more of the same. The streaking slugger hit a tie-breaking homer and Andy Pettitte pitched seven strong innings, leading the Yankees over the Mariners 4-2 for their seventh consecutive victory.

A fatigued Rodriguez, who had hip surgery in March, was held out of the lineup June 19-20 in Florida. Soon after, his swing started to come around. Now, the three-time MVP is on a hitting tear. In his last seven games, he is 10-for-23 with four homers, 13 RBIs and 10 walks.

Russell Branyan had a bounce back game and the Mariners salvaged the final game of the series last night. Branyan rebounded from a frustrating string of strikeouts with a mammoth homer over Monument Park, and the Mariners beat CC Sabathia and the Yankees 8-4 to snap the New York’s seven-game winning streak.

The Yankees will look to bounce back in a quick turnaround against a tough Blue Jay team Friday.

Notes: On Wednesday, July 1, prior to the Yankees-Mariners game, the Yankees honored the 150th anniversary of Fordham University's baseball program with school president Joseph M. McShane, S.J., throwing out the game’s ceremonial first pitch. The Yankees also invited the Fordham Prep baseball team, which won the Class A high school championship this year…Over their last 16 games, Yankees pitchers own a 2.81 ERA (141.01 IP, 44 ER) with a .215 opponents batting average, leading the majors over that stretch in both categories…A-Rod is 10-for-his-last-26…In Thursday’s loss, first baseman Mark Teixeira was charged with a ninth-inning throwing error. It was his first error since 8/19/08, snapping a 106-game errorless streak at first base…On Saturday, July 4th, the Yankees will honor Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig during pre-game ceremonies. This year marks the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, when he gave his “Luckiest Man” speech and his No. 4 jersey was retired – the first in sports history…Each of the four games this weekend, through Monday, are day games.

Where Have You Gone Shane Spencer?

NEW YORK – Out at the ballpark this afternoon for the opener of a four-game, holiday weekend set with AL East rival Toronto. I got to thinking about one of my favorite afternoon games that included me sharing a moment with my favorite player at the time – and getting ejected for it.

But that’s another story for another post. The player I speak of, though, is none other than Shane Spencer. I got to wondering how the “Home Run Dis-Spencer” was doing these days. So, I decided to give Google a quick search and found out that Spencer is in his second season as the hitting coach for the Lake Elsinore Storm, the Class A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

I was happy to hear that Spencer had a job in baseball, even if it wasn’t of the playing variety. I loved watching Spencer play. As a teenager, he was my favorite player. He was a classic example of an overachiever, having made the majors after crossing the picket line and playing as a “scab” in 1994.

Spencer survived the scrutiny and made a nice career for himself in the pros, one that included being part of four World Series teams with the Bombers. He won three rings and enjoyed perhaps the greatest September call up in baseball history in 1998 when the Yankees were on an historic pace in the win department.

The stocky, baby-faced outfielder was first brought up by the Bombers at the age of 26, in the midst of a famously dominant season by the Yankees. He quickly endeared himself to fans by hitting 10 home runs, including 3 grand slams in only 67 at-bats – a rate that would have been phenomenal even for an established star – and won a surprise spot on the postseason roster. Spencer's production of a home run for each 6.7 at-bats would have yielded 76 dingers during Mark McGwire’s 70-home run 1998 season, with 509 official at-bats. During Barry Bonds' record year (2001) where he hit 73 homers in 476 at-bats, Spencer’s total would have been 71.

Spencer was nicknamed “Roy Hobbs” after the fictitious star from the film and book, The Natural. Hobbs’ character also enjoyed a breakthrough rookie year as an older player. Unfortunately, Spencer would never follow through on the promise.

Injuries and off the field issues prevented Spencer from maintaining that level of play.

But for a guy that was a long shot to make it to the big leagues, I look at Spencer’s career as a major achievement. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1998 for his dramatic splash on the big league level and had some key postseason moments, including a big homer off Curt Schilling in the 2001 World Series.

Now, the seven-year major leaguer, a 28th round pick, gets a chance to steer young players in the right direction as a minor league hitting instructor.

Not everyone gets a chance to be Mickey Mantle, or even Shane Spencer for that matter. He had a wild ride in "The Show" – a short one, but one that I’m sure he and many fans like myself will soon forget.

p.s. Remind me to tell you about that afternoon at the old ballpark some day.