Yankees News

"Throughout most of baseball history there have been far fewer Yankee killers than Yankee victims. Paul Byrd can count himself among the latter group, inasmuch as he has a career record of 1-5 with and 4.75 ERA against the Bronx Bombers, including Thursday's 6-3 loss that denied the Indians their first sweep of the New Yorkers in 19 years."

" Most of the Indians' best moments against the New York Yankees have been in Cleveland. The Tribe's storied doubleheader sweeps of the Bronx Bombers during the 1948 and 1954 seasons were in cavernous Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The dramatic Indians' wins in games 4 and 5 of the 1997 American League Division Series happened at Jacobs Field, now Progressive Field. The Indians, though, have been part of some notable moments in the history of Yankee Stadium since "The House That Ruth Built" opened in 1923. "

"The Indians haven't swept the Yankees in the Bronx in 19 years. They still haven't because Paul Byrd couldn't keep the ball in the confines of Yankee Stadium on Thursday. The Indians took the first two games of the series on David Dellucci's three-run pinch hit homer off Joba Chamberlain and a superb pitching performance by Cliff Lee, Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt. They were poised for the sweep Thursday afternoon, but the Yankees hit four homers on the way to a 6-3 victory. "

"Wallowing as they are in the sea of mediocrity that currently represents much of Major League Baseball, the Yankees left town Thursday - appropriately - a .500 team after finally getting to flex their home run muscles against the Cleveland Indians and Paul Byrd, who could have used a little extra HGH on some of his pitches. By contrast, Yankee legions could feel heartened that all is apparently right again in Jobaland."

"Robinson Cano entered Thursday's game with the lowest batting average among all American League regulars at .160. Jason Giambi would have been second-lowest on the list at .157, but he fell a couple of plate appearances shy of qualifying for such an honor. Both players took steps to snap out of their early-season funks, bashing two of the Yankees' four home runs in the Bombers' 6-3 win over the Indians at the Stadium. "

"Alex Rodriguez may not be back in the lineup quite as soon as he had hoped, as the second MRI exam on his strained right quad is unlikely to take place before Tuesday. General manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that he would be surprised if Rodriguez had the MRI by Monday. Since A-Rod wants to play in two rehab games, that would push his return until at least a week from today, when the Bombers open a three-game set at home against the Mets. "

"Mike Mussina hardly was thrilled that an arduous fifth inning prevented him from pitching deeper into the Yankees' 6-3 win Thursday over Cleveland. Yes, the best news when assessing his recent streak of success - four straight wins since back-to-back losses to Boston in April - is that the reborn righty suddenly is nitpicking his victories rather than lamenting every costly moonshot by Manny Ramirez. "

"Two nights ago, Indians outfielder David Dellucci pinch-hit a go-ahead three-run homer off Joba Chamberlain. After giving up that shot, the 22-year-old reliever bent over, avoided watching the runners score and otherwise appeared upset. Thursday was a different scene in the Yankees' 6-3 win over Cleveland at the Stadium. Chamberlain screamed and pumped his fists three times in celebration as he spun off the mound after striking out Dellucci to end a three-batter eighth inning. Dellucci was not amused by Chamberlain's antics. "

"For his 45th birthday in 11 days, David Wells wants something pinstriped. The free-agent left-hander told The Post yesterday he has been working out near his home in San Diego and believes he could bolster a Yankees New York Yankees ' rotation suddenly besieged by question marks. Could Boomer III be in the cards? Consider that Wells has a huge fan monitoring the situation from Tampa. "

" Joba Chamberlain needed only 12 pitches yesterday to offer a reminder that he is nobody's punching bag. Only fitting, the right-hander's afternoon ended with a strikeout of David Dellucci, who had inflicted so much misery on Chamberlain and the Yankees two nights earlier. One, two, three, the Indians were done in the eighth inning, and the Yankees soon had a 6-3 victory at the Stadium. So much for wondering how Chamberlain would respond to the first blown save of his career. "

"Alex Rodriguez is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday, but the timing of a second MRI exam on his strained right quad may make that date an impossibility. Rodriguez is scheduled to have a second MRI sometime next week, but Brian Cashman doesn't expect the exam will be Monday. If it isn't, Rodriguez likely won't be able to return until at least next Friday. "

"Eighteen wins. Eighteen losses. Thirty-six games in the books. One-hundred and twenty-six to go. So, how are you enjoying the new digs, Skip? "I think that our record could be better," Joe Girardi said, smiling thinly, sitting behind his desk, encircled by his daily inquisition, talking about the Yankees New York Yankees ' 6-3 win over the Indians yesterday at Yankee Stadium and their 18-18 standing in the American League East. "But it could also be worse." "

"Damon shattered the Yankees' three-day shutout with a leadoff homer in the fourth inning yesterday, then added an even more crucial hit his next time up after the Yankees had blown a three-run lead. With the game tied in the fifth, Damon's RBI double put the Yanks ahead for good in their 6-3 win over the Indians."

"A day before the Mitchell report was released in December, two retired Houston police officers working as investigators for the lawyer for Roger Clemens interviewed Clemens’s former trainer Brian McNamee in New York... Five months later, lawyers representing McNamee are preparing to send two retired New York City police officers to Houston, not to interview Clemens but to find out information about him, including any possible connections to steroids and human growth hormone."

"When Dellucci came to the plate, there were two outs and nobody on and Chamberlain was working with a 6-3 lead. He pounded Dellucci with four fastballs before beating him with his only slider of the game — low, inside and nasty. At that point, Chamberlain wheeled off the mound with a primal roar, pumping both his fists. Dellucci was clearly not impressed, particularly because the score was not that close."

"Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said before Thursday afternoon’s game that Byrd was a creative pitcher. As Giambi trotted around the bases with the Yankees’ second home run of the fourth inning, it appeared they had Byrd figured out. Along the way to a 6-3 victory, the Yankees belted four balls over the fence, which helped them climb back to .500 and avoid being swept for the second time in this nine-game homestand."

"What did the New York Yankees expect? What would any sane person expect? Cliff Lee on the mound, so forget about mounting an offense. That has been the story of the Indians' left-hander this season. It became just another 3-0 win for Lee, who lifted his record to 6-0 and actually lowered his 0.96 ERA to 0.81 Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium."

"Lee threw seven scoreless innings Wednesday night to lead the Indians to a 3-0 victory over previously undefeated Chien-Ming Wang and the Yankees. Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt completed the seven-hitter with a scoreless inning each."

"Roger Clemens, battered in recent months by steroid allegations, adultery charges and a Justice Department perjury investigation, received more bad news Wednesday: The 45-year-old pitcher won't be considered for a slot on the United States Olympic baseball team. U.S. general manager Bob Watson said Clemens might pose more problems than pluses for the team he is assembling for the Beijing Games. "

"Chien-Ming Wang's performance Wednesday night against the Indians would typically have been more than enough to put the Yankees in the win column. Unfortunately for Wang and the Bombers, they ran into the red-hot Cliff Lee. Lee and the Indians dealt the Yankees a 3-0 loss, as the lefthander outdueled the Bombers' ace, turning in seven shutout innings in front of 50,199 at the Stadium."

"Ian Kennedy took a giant leap forward on Tuesday night with his 7-1/3 innings of one-hit, shutout ball at Triple-A. But as happy as Joe Girardi was with the outing, the manager said it will take more than one stellar start in the minors for the rookie righthander to return to the big leagues. "We don't have a timetable, we're just looking for him to get right," Girardi said. "The important thing is to get him throwing the ball the way he's capable of throwing it." "

"This year, Lee is riding the greatest "up" of his career and the best in the AL as his astonishing start to the season continued last night. He pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just six hits and no walks while fanning seven, and upped his record to 6-0 with a 3-0 victory over the Yankees."

"Alex Rodriguez ooked and sounded like he would be coming off the disabled list as soon as he is eligible. But that now looks unlikely. After a full pregame workout Wednesday that included batting and infield practices, the Bombers third baseman said he felt no pain in his strained right quadriceps and that he couldn't wait to get back in the lineup. However, between the workout and Joe Girardi's postgame remarks after Wednesday night's 3-0 loss to Cleveland, it was determined that Rodriguez will need another MRI to be cleared to begin rehab games in Tampa."

"Privately, the Yankees admit they incorrectly handled Alex Rodriguez's initial quad strain. He suffered the injury on April 20 in Baltimore and soon after left the team to be with his wife in Miami for the birth of their second child. Because the club was on the road in Cleveland and because Rodriguez has an iron man history, the Yanks allowed Rodriguez to talk his way back into the lineup without an MRI exam on April 25. "

"In an earlier generation, Bill Lee was "Spaceman." Cliff Lee can simply go by "Aceman." Lee's almost unfathomable run to begin the season continued last night with seven shutout innings for the Indians in their 3-0 victory over the Yankees at the Stadium. Lee (6-0) moved into a tie for the AL lead in victories, but more notably his ERA dropped to 0.81, lowest in the major leagues. "

"Back on the field yesterday for the first time since going on the disabled list, Alex Rodriguez felt fine during his workout. But he's not returning to the Yanks until at least Thursday. A-Rod was optimistic about coming off the DL next Wednesday - the first day it was believed he was eligible. But as it turns out, Thursday is actually the first day Rodriguez is eligible to return in terms of both the rules and his rehabilitation. "

"It was a masterpiece in which the Yankees could barely even touch Cliff Lee. Last night in The Bronx, the Yankee bats were flummoxed, stymied and easily dismissed by the planet's hottest pitcher. Lee, the Indians' lefty who's off to a brilliant start that's everything from stunning to historic, harnessed the home team with seven innings of excellence... Girardi's crew went down 3-0 to Lee, who surrendered six hits and no walks while striking out seven and outdueling Chien-Ming Wang in a well-pitched battle of unbeatens."

"When Roger Clemens tacitly acknowledged on Monday that he had engaged in extramarital relations, and apologized, he was seen as perhaps undermining the defamation lawsuit he filed in January against his former personal trainer Brian McNamee. But more significant than the defamation suit is the federal investigation into whether Clemens committed perjury in denying to Congress that he had used performance-enhancing drugs. And the several women who were linked to Clemens in articles that appeared in The Daily News last week could have an impact... "

"Alex Rodriguez performed baseball drills for the first time in more than a week Wednesday, and said he could rejoin the Yankees on May 14, the first day he is eligible. The Yankees play at Tampa Bay that night, the third game in a four-game series. Rodriguez, who has a strained right quadriceps, said he hoped to play in rehabilitation games at extended spring training in Tampa, Fla., on Monday and Tuesday. In that setting, Rodriguez could come to bat every inning, giving himself several chances to test his leg."

"Mariano Rivera does not overanalyze the incredible success he has had as a closer. Not now, not ever. He prefers to view his exploits in a simple way. He throws one pitch and he expects to get batters out. No overanalyzing needed. Rivera is outdoing himself again this season, outdoing a glossy career filled with more than a decade of dominance as the Yankees’ closer. Rivera has not allowed a run in 13 innings, which is his longest scoreless streak to begin a season. He is an old dog using the same old trick."

"Lee has won all six of his starts this season, the latest a 3-0 masterpiece before 50,199 subdued fans. He lowered his earned run average to 0.81, striking out seven with no walks and allowing six hits. He has two walks all season."

"It was nostalgia night Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. No, not because the Yankees will move into a sparkling new edifice next year. This bit of wistfulness was triggered by the Indians, who hit two home runs in a 5-3 win over the Bronx Bombers, who hit none. It was the good old days of 2007, when often— maybe too often — the Tribe lived and died by the long ball. But most any Northeast Ohio fan will take last season's brand of offense rather than the nearly nonexistent attack that has bogged down this year's Indians."

"He wanted the whole game on his shoulders. He got the whole game on his shoulders. That's how David Dellucci takes to pinch-hitting. Tuesday night, with Joba Chamberlain on the mound throwing 98 mph and leading, 3-2, Dellucci hit a three-run pinch-hit homer to bring the In dians from behind for a 5-3 victory over the Yankees in the Bronx. It was the 10th pinch-hit homer in Dellucci's career, tying him for third among active players. "

"A federal judge in Texas Tuesday denied a motion to disqualify Roger Clemens' attorney Rusty Hardin from the pitcher's defamation suit against Brian McNamee, the trainer accusing Clemens of performance-enhancing drug use. McNamee's lawyer Richard Emery had argued that Hardin's previous representation of Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte, who will almost certainly be a witness in the case, was a conflict of interest."

"Alex Rodriguez passed out during the birth of his first daughter. “The one nurse had a cold cloth on his head. The other nurse had the blood pressure on his arm. And my mother was like rubbing his back. And he is passed out on a couch. And I am there, in the middle of labor,” Cynthia Rodriguez, wife of the New York Yankees star, said on an episode of the YES Network’s “YESterdays” that is scheduled to be broadcast Wednesday night. “And really, I am not being paid much attention to besides the doctor and a couple of nurses,” she said. “And he is there moaning. In between pushing, I am going, ‘Honey, are you OK?’ and ‘Are you breathing? Are you OK?'" Natasha Alexander Rodriguez was born on Nov. 18, 2004."

"There has been plenty of talk about the growing pains Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy have encountered, but when it comes to Joba Chamberlain, that subject is rarely broached. Let the talk commence. Chamberlain blew a late-inning lead for just the second time in his career - the first time since facing the Indians in last year's division series - serving up a pinch-hit, three-run homer to ex-Yankee David Dellucci in the eighth. That shot lifted the Indians to a 5-3 victory, dealing the Yankees their first loss of the season in a game they led after seven innings. "

"Yankees fans might cringe when they hear who's pitching for the Bombers on Friday. The experiment known as Kei Igawa is getting another try, this time against the Tigers in Detroit. Hey, at least it's not Carl Pavano. Igawa is getting the call to fill one of the two vacancies in the Yankees' starting rotation. Phil Hughes is out six to eight weeks with a fractured rib. Ian Kennedy has been sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. "

"Perhaps getting away from the Bronx is all Ian Kennedy needed to pitch like the pitcher the Yankees expected him to be this season. Kennedy took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and tossed 7-1/3 scoreless frames Tuesday night, allowing one hit and striking out eight to lead Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to a 4-0 victory over the Charlotte Knights. It was his first start since being demoted to Triple-A on Sunday. Kennedy held Charlotte hitless through the first 5-2/3 innings, before surrendering a single to shallow center in the sixth. A hit batter in the third was the only other baserunner Kennedy allowed in his 90-pitch outing, which included five 1-2-3 innings. "

"So now, after David Dellucci's three-run home run had stunned a crowd that had never seen Chamberlain so much as give up a run here at the Stadium, Joba talked as if he wouldn't make that mistake again. "You gotta attack all the time," he said in a contrite tone. "You can't take a pitch off. You never think you're doing that, but you should attack more with the fastball. I didn't attack the zone as much as I should have." Chamberlain wound up losing the game 5-3 to the Indians on a fastball that Dellucci cranked into the right-field seats. And, who knows, maybe this was just a night when he was going to blow the lead one way or another. "

"Alex Rodriguez says he feels good enough to play, despite having seven more days on the disabled list. Yet, the Yankees have to protect themselves against that so when the cleanup hitter does return from a right quad injury he is completely healthy. "It feels really good," said Rodriguez, who may have another MRI exam to gauge his progress. Asked if he could be ready to come off the shelf on May 14, the first day he is eligible, Rodriguez didn't want to comment without talking to manager Joe Girardi. "

"JOBA has to learn, too. Sure, all those Yankees blue T-shirts proclaim that Joba Rules. But he also has to learn, and now we'll see what Joba Chamberlain is made of, because his baseball life is no longer a fairy tale at Yankee Stadium. This wasn't the midges that beat Chamberlain, it was the 5-foot-10 David Dellucci and some questionable pitch selection from the young right-hander. As the autopsy was going on in the Yankees clubhouse of the stunning, 5-3 loss to the Indians, a game in which Chamberlain surrendered a two-out, eighth-inning, three-run home run to pinch-hitter Dellucci, shocking the Stadium and wiping out a 3-2 Yankees lead. I asked veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins what Chamberlain will learn from this affair. Chamberlain had proclaimed that this loss will teach him to "attack more with his fastball." "

"In Andy Pettitte's 400th career start, he righted his personal ship. Like his team, Pettitte missed out on the win last night as a result of Joba Chamberlain's eighth-inning meltdown. Though he ended up with a no-decision in the Yankees' 5-3 loss to Cleveland, Pettitte had his strongest outing in more than two weeks. The veteran lefty was stellar in 61/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out a season-best six. "Andy was sharp tonight," Joe Girardi said. "

"Cut into Joba Chamberlain's skin and he bleeds. When he misses with a high-octane fastball, he pays the price. And at some point, he was going to give up a regular-season run in The Bronx. "Because of last year and this year, people think he is invincible when he gets on the mound," Joe Girardi said. "He is human like everyone else." Chamberlain proved that in the eighth inning last night against the Indians, when his lack of control combined with a fastball in the wrong spot to David Dellucci flushed a victory for Andy Pettitte and propelled the Indians to a 5-3 victory in front of 50,713 at Yankee Stadium. "

"A federal judge Tuesday ruled that Roger Clemens’s lead lawyer, Rusty Hardin, could continue to represent Clemens in a defamation lawsuit he filed against his former personal trainer Brian McNamee. The judge, Keith P. Ellison, denied a motion to disqualify Hardin and said only Andy Pettitte, who was represented by Hardin for several days before the Mitchell report was released in December, could ask to have Hardin removed from the case."

"By the time he met with reporters a few minutes after the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday night, Joe Girardi had already heard the happier news from Moosic, Pa. Ian Kennedy, the rookie starter the Yankees demoted to Class AAA on Sunday, had thrown seven and a third shutout innings, allowing just one hit. “It’s great,” Girardi said. “I have a lot of belief in this kid that he has the ability to pitch here. For whatever reason, it didn’t work out. But this kid’s going to be back and I think he’s going to have a very successful career.”"

"Called in to protect a one-run lead and preserve a victory for Andy Pettitte on Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians, Chamberlain crumbled in the eighth inning. He walked two hitters before surrendering a three-run, pinch-hit homer to David Dellucci that sunk the Yankees, 5-3, before 50,713 fans."

"Robinson Cano's solo home run in the third inning on Sunday proved to be nothing more than a little insurance in a comfortable Yankees win. Judging by the reaction in the dugout afterward, it meant a whole lot more... Sunday's home run snapped a 3-for-35 skid for Cano, who welcomed yesterday's off-day before tonight's series opener with the Indians at the Stadium. "It's a good feeling," Cano said. "I'm not worried about (the statistics). I just want to get on base for my team. My hits are going to come soon.""

" It's about 30 minutes from Grand Central Station to the Bronx on the subway. Most of the trip takes place underground, where the only light is man-made. On the way there, especially on weekday afternoons, the subway cars are packed with people going and coming from work and students headed home after school. Just before the 161st Street stop, the train pops into the sunlight at rooftop level. On one side are the tarred roofs of a crowded neighborhood. On the other is Yankee Stadium. As the sub way train slows, slivers of green outfield grass can be seen between openings in the ballpark's back wall. "

"It is very early, but you would not want to be Brian Cashman on the final year of his contract with Hank Steinbrenner reading the box scores over your shoulder. Despite all the solid moves Cashman has made over the years involving position players, he has done nothing to convince anybody that he knows much about starting pitching. "

"Right now, those fans who want Chamberlain to remain Mariano Rivera's setup man are getting their wish. Even with tumult in the Yankee rotation - Phil Hughes is out because of a broken rib and Ian Kennedy was demoted to the minors - Chamberlain is staying in the bullpen for now, though the Yankees are planning an eventual transition. "