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One month from today, February 12th, pitchers and catchers will officially report to Tampa for the beginning of the 2013 season. Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez were signed and A.J. Burnett was traded roughly around the time the team headed to Florida last season, so it's very possible we still don't know exactly how the team will look when all the dust settles on free agency and the height of offseason trading.
Goose Gossage Takes His Museums Very Seriously:
Clearly, not everyone has accepted the Steroid Era for what it was. Gossage not only wants anyone ever connected to steroids to be precluded from Cooperstown, but wants their numbers stripped as well. He's certainly not alone in that line of thought, but it seems like such a slippery slope to go down when we will never know who all cheated and who all just managed to never get caught.
According to Bob Klapisch, Scott Boras contacted the Yankees about taking Rafael Soriano back on a one-year deal after he opted out of his contract in pursuit of greener pastures. The Yankees, rightfully, said no.
A-Rod's Hip Injury and the Role of Steroids:
Dr. Bryan Kelly, the surgeon set to perform surgery on A-Rod's hip next week, says that steroids had nothing to do with the slugger's current ailment. The condition, Femoroacetabular Impingement, occurs during the developmental stages, according to the doctor. Another doctor, Lewis Maraham, remains unconvinced about Dr. Kelly's claims, but one has actually examined A-Rod and the other hasn't, which should count for something.
Thames' New Job, Yogi's New Past Time:
Newly retired Marcus Thames will remain in the Yankee organization as the hitting coach for the Low-A affiliate Tampa Yankees for the 2013 season. Yogi Berra has decided to make his infamous sayings 140 characters or less with his new Twitter. He'll be tweeting through the account @Yogi_Museum if you want updates on it getting late early out there or whatever.