"There’s millions of people who would love to put on a major league uniform, and I’m sure a great amount of them would love to put on the pinstripes. We’re lucky. We’re damn lucky to put on the pinstripes, and we need to definitely set a better example of what wearing the pinstripes means."

"We’re going to be very cautious with Mark," Cashman said, noting that Melancon was recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery. "I’m not saying you won’t see him up here (in 2008), but you shouldn’t put him on the fast track.

"Mark is continuing to work on a changeup, and we feel the best place to do that is at the double-A level. We believe he could pitch at the triple-A level. We actually believe he could probably pitch up here. But just after Tommy John surgery, and as he continues to refine his stuff, he’s at Trenton now."

Hard not to be impressed by Robertson, who now has 48 strikeouts in 33 innings. Eleven of his 16 walks came last month....
I asked Mark Newman today if the Yankees had any plans to let Robertson go back to throwing the slider he used in college. Newman didn't rule it out, but said Robertson's fastball moves so much that the slider seems redundant. They like having him work with that big curveball, and the curveball has obviously been working.

Not long ago, it appeared that the general managers of both New York teams might be in trouble.

No more.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman seems likely to sign a contract extension, though perhaps not anytime soon. The Yankees have made it clear they want Cashman back, and owner Hank Steinbrenner supports the GM's emphasis on young pitching.

While Cashman would be a natural for possible openings with the Mariners, Phillies and Nationals — not to mention a potential coup for the Mets or Dodgers — he never has worked for any team but the Yankees.

Prepare yourself for the return of Sir Sidney Ponson.
Per Chad Jennings, the Scranton rotation lists TBA on Thursday, which would have been Ponson’s spot. It seems pretty evident that Ponson will pitch one of those games against the Mets on Friday. Assuming he’s not arrested first.

The Yankees have won nine games this year when scoring three runs or fewer. They did that six times all last season.

The maple bats, because of a denser cell structure, do not crack like ash bats but break apart, with the jagged barrel piece typically flying up to 100 feet in any direction: toward the pitcher, infielders, base coaches, dugouts and, most dangerously, toward fans...

jackreed: Could you comment on where you saw the strengths and weaknesses in this year's talent pool, and the N.Y. strategy to get the most from the Draft, aside from "best athlete" at each selection?

Oppenheimer: The strengths and weaknesses of this year's drafts -- there were some power arms at the top, one that we were able to acquire, and then there were some quality bats.

We also were able to acquire some of the quality bats.

The Yankees’ reluctance to use Britton has been confounding to many Yankees bloggers, and Brian Cashman sounded similarly baffled when asked about Britton on Wednesday. Cashman said he would never tell his manager how to run a game, but he seemed hopeful that Joe Girardi would give Britton more of a chance.

"It’s about opportunity," Cashman said. "He has not failed in any capacity at any level. Every chance he’s gotten, he’s had success, period. That’s what defines Chris Britton. I can’t tell you any more than that."

The antiunion bias of the powers who control the hall has consistently prevented recognition of the historic significance of the changes to baseball brought about by collective bargaining. As former executive director (retired since 1983) of the players’ union that negotiated these changes, I find myself unwilling to contemplate one more rigged veterans committee whose members are handpicked to reach a particular outcome while offering the pretense of a democratic vote. It is an insult to baseball fans, historians, sports writers and especially to those baseball players who sacrificed and brought the game into the 21st century. At the age of 91, I can do without farce.