Randy Winn, Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, Brett Gardner, Jamie Hoffman, and Greg Golson will be fighting throughout the spring as Joe Girardi decides who makes the roster, who starts against lefties, and who stands where.

Brian Cashman left us all scratching our heads when he signed Randy Winn. Nobody (at least nobody worth listening to) thought that Matt Holliday or Jason Bay would be trying on the pinstripes in 2010, but the vast majority of the baseball-educated populace thought that Reed Johnson (now a Dodger), Xavier Nady (now a Cub), or someone else who didn’t hit .158 against lefties in ’09 would be signed. Randy Winn has been an above-average player throughout his career, but a .158/.184/.200 split against lefties in ’09 isn’t what fans were expecting from the new Yankees signee. Granderson is easily fooled by southpaws, and Winn isn’t the platoon player we all hoped for. I’m not going to pull-up Randy’s careernumbers, because what he did in1999 won’t tell us anything about the kind of hitter he is today. Going back a couple years though, Randy hit .289/.343/.470 against lefties in ’08 (182 PAs), and .351/.399/.535 against ‘em in ’07 (204 PA), so he’s not exactly sinistrophobic. If Randy hits like he did in those two years, he’s a fine platoon partner for Curtis, but if he has an ’09 repeat…well that’s two million dollars down the drain.

I looked at Fangraphs to see if there was a statistical explanation for Randy’s weak ’09 campaign. I found a few things:

1. Winn’s batting average on balls in play was down to .314. He’d hit .346 on one’s he smacked in play in ’08, and .332 in ’07. Unfortunately, that alone doesn’t tell us if he was just hitting balls weaker, or if he was unlucky, or what. Expect his BABIP to bounce back to somewhere between his ’09 and ’08 rates.

2. Winn’s ground ball to fly ball ratio was down to 1.42 after a 1.71 in ’08 and 1.65 in ’07. That indicates that he was hitting under the ball more, rather than making solid contact and sending balls whizzing by the infielders. Kevin Long should be able to fix that problem pretty easily. Winn needs to get that ratio back to 1.50 or 1.55 if he wants to avoid the Mendoza line.

3. Randy’s HR/FB % was 1.4. In ’08 it was 6.5% and in ’07 it was 9%. That’s further evidence that Randy was hitting under balls, with little force or power. Likely, his swing became more of an uppercut than a level or downward swing. Easily fixable. Randy has always been a singles/doubles hitter who’s gotten away with line drive homers, and it seems like he was trying to please crowds with the long ball more so in ’09 than concentrating on solid contact.

4. I think Randy needs a new eyeglass prescription. He swung at 26.8% of pitches outside the strike zone this past year, after only chasing 22.3% in ’08 and 20.6% in ’07. His 64.7% contact rate was his lowest since he arrived in San Fran (he’s been a Giant since ’06). Add those numbers to what we established in points 2 and 3 about Randy hitting under the ball, and the problem might just be that he’s misreading pitches. Sure, my earlier theory about an upward hack as opposed to a level one could be right, but its more likely that Winn is just not picking up on pitches like he used to. It could honestly be as simple as that, a new contact prescription and Winn might be right back to being a strong player to have on your team.

Even if Winn is having trouble seeing the ball at the plate, it hasn’t affected his play in the outfield. In 104 games in right field, Winn had a UZR/150 of 17.4. In left he appeared in 54 games and has a UZR/150 of 40.6. Remember that UZR/150 is averaging out a fielder’s play over 150 games, so that second number might be slightly misleading. Regardless, Winn plays strong defense, which is a plus. He’s been primarily a rightfielder over the past three seasons, so naturally I’m curious as to whether he and Curtis Granderson should play there, and Nick Swisher should man left. I made it clear that I think Brett Gardner should be in center a few weeks ago. I ‘m not a big enough statistical expert to analyze position choice perfectly, but I know this: the right field walls are closer to home plate than the left field walls, so there’s more area to cover in left. Winn’s speed is much better than Swisher’s, as is Granderson’s, so it seems like Nick should stick to fielding position number 9.

The Yanks, it seems, will carry 5 outfielders on the roster, since Jamie Hoffman was a Rule V pick who must be returned to Los Angeles if he is taken off the 25-man for any non-injury reason. Baseball America’s John Manuel ranked Hoffman the best defensive outfielder in the system so he’ll be a possible late-inning defensive replacement for Swisher. Hoffman is speedy too, and could be used in a Fredi Gonzalez pinch-runner type roll at points too. Personally, I think he can do something with the bat too. He hit .284/.360/.455 in 68 triple-A games in ’09 (not to mention .307/.457/.495 in 29 games at double-a). He hit ten homers across the two leagues. No, he’s not Jesus Montero or anything, but there’s a good chance that Hoffman is one of the better surprises of 2010. He’s a right-handed hitter, which, though I can’t find his splits, might mean he can fill-in for Curtis against lefties (that is, if the 2009 Randy Winn shows up to camp instead of the Winn of old).

Brett Gardner might be the biggest wildcard of the entire outfield crop. People love to hate on the gritty outfielder, but .270/.345/.379 with plus-plus defense and 26 steals in 31 attempts are pretty good numbers for a guy who people seem to think won’t ever be a solid big leaguer. Sure, pitchers might know how to approach Brett better in ’10, but he’ll know how to hit them better too, and with his plate discipline he’ll be a valuable part of the club. When he gets on base he either moves to second, or distracts the pitcher like a laser pointer at the movies. If he can get on at a .340 clip or better, Brett will be a really valuable part of the club. If the haters are right, and he hits like .230/.300/.320, well then he’d probably have some fun back in Scranton.

The recently acquired Greg Golson is going to start the year at triple-A, but an injury, a Hoffman disappointment and subsequent return to LA, or an offensively clueless Brett Gardner could lead to his promotion. He’s a toolsy type, like Gardy and Hoffman: known for his speed and defense, while his bat is a wildcard. The 24 year old was rated the “Best Athlete,” “Fastest Baserunner,” and “Best Outfield Arm,” in a strong Texas organization before the ’09 season. Seeing as Elvis Andrus was a part of that system, fastest baserunner and best athlete are pretty strong statements.

The Yanks know that Nick Swisher is going to be starting practically every game. Curtis Granderson will start every game against righties, and if he figures out the whole lefty-on-lefty thing, then he’ll play everyday. Brett Gardner needs to prove he deserves a spot in the lineup, and Randy Winn needs to prove that he’s not washed up. Jamie Hoffman holds his own destiny in his hands, as anything less than a 25-man roster worthy performance in the spring will send him back to being the apprentice of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Manny “Steroids” Ramirez. Greg Golson wants people to think he understands the whole “hitting” thing and justify being the first “in-case of emergency” player to take the bus trip north. We know the names that will make the roster, barring any extreme surprises, but the spring will be about finding out where those names play (the Granderson/Gardner centerfield debate just won’t end), which will start (Winn and Gardner will jockey for playing time), and who is called in when (does Hoffman pinch run, or does he go home so that Golson can rack up the steals?).

With the Yankee’s signing of Randy Winn, it seems that the door has officially closed on a Johnny Damon return to pinstripes. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is kind of bummed that  Damon won’t be back in LF next season. I mean, I know why he won’t be back. For one thing, he can’t really play defense. His -12.1 UZR/150 last season was pretty atrocious, and that number certainly won’t get closer to zero as he progresses into his late 30s. His price tag was also way too high. Yes, he did have a very solid offensive year last season (and in each of his 4 seasons in NY), but the Yankees don’t really need that bat, especially with the additions of Nick Johnson and Curtis Granderson. Their offense is potent enough. It was OF defense that needed help, and the Yankees didn’t need/want to spend 10-14 million dollars on a guy that wouldn’t help that cause. But even knowing the reasons why he won’t be back, I’m definitely still a bit sad.

Despite his defensive struggles, Damon really added a lot to the Yankees in his 4 year tenure. On one hand, Damon added an element of speed that the Yankees  lacked in the 2000s. Damon had over 25 SB in 3 of his 4 seasons, and averaged 23 SB per season. People like Jeter, Abreu, and Rodriguez all contributed in the SB category, but Damon consistently made up about 19% of the teams stolen bases, which is a pretty good amount. He was also a very solid offensive player. He averaged out to a .285 BA, .363 OPB, .457 SLG, and 19 HR per season. These aren’t all-star numbers, but he was a stable and productive hitter coming out of the leadoff or second slot in the lineup. In addition, Johnny hit very well in the playoffs, especially this past postseason. In the ALCS, Johnny hit .300/.323/.553. More importantly, in the World Series Damon hit .364/.440/.455 and had that amazing/bizarre double steal that helped the Yankees win game 4. My personal favorite Damon playoff-moment game in the 2007 ALDS. I was at game 2 of that series, the one where Roger Clemens was absolutely horrible and Phil Hughes had to clean up his mess (He was amazing by the way. He pitched 3.2 innings of no-run, 2 hit ball. What a game by the franchise). Anyway, the Yankees fell behind early, and in the 5th, Damon hit a Johnny-Rocket that just cleared the RF wall. The HR gave the Yankees the lead, and the place was absolutely rocking. I was jumping around and practically crying from excitement, so that moment will definitely stick with me.

Damon was supposedly a great influence in the clubhouse. We have heard so much about the Yankees having a very stiff, professional clubhouse until very recently (like last season). Johnny Damon was one of the individuals that  helped to loosen the Yankees up and give them some life. He was a total goof-ball, but players and fans alike really loved his attitude. I spent a lot of my time in Yankee stadium in the LF stands, so I had a great view of Johnny’s little jump-and-point move during role call. The fans absolutely loved it. He was certainly a great personality to have on the team.

Well, the moral of this story is that Johnny Damon will be missed. He was a very solid player, and truly a fan-favorite. It’s always tough to see a fan-favorite go, but you have to trust Brian Cashman’s decision making. Clearly, Damon doesn’t fit into the Yankees plans for this season or the future. Regardless, we at 6P8OBJ wish him the best of luck and say “adios” to the Damonic left-fielder.

Yesterday, the Yanks sent infielder Mitch Hilligross to Texas for Greg Golson. Golson is speedy, and a defensive whiz (a la Brett Gardner), but has struggled at the plate. He’ll add depth to the roster, likely playing at triple-A, and could end up in the Bronx late in the year, as Freddy Guzman did last fall.

Today, the big left field news hit: Randy Winn has signed with the Yanks for $2mm-ish. The 35 year old switch hitter hit .262/.318/.353 in ’09, which makes it seem like Brett Gardner will still be the everyday leftfielder (or, if the Yanks care about defense, the everyday centerfielder). Here’s what I don’t like:

Winn as a right-handed hitter v. left handed pitching in ’09: .158/.184/.200 in 125 plate appearances.

Winn as a left-handed hitter v. right handed pitching in ’09: .292/.354/.397 in 472 plate appearances.

Is it just me, or weren’t we supposed to get someone who hits well against lefties? .200 slugging isn’t impressive. Gardner can hit just as well (if not better) and doesn’t cost that additional $2mm. The Yanks are going to have trouble against lefties if both Winn and Curtis Granderson are in the lineup. This just doesn’t seem like a smart move at the moment, but we’ll see I suppose.

As you may have heard, Xavier Nady signed with the Cubs ($3.3mm plus up to $2mm in incentives for playing time). So count him out as a left field or bench option for the Yanks. The Athletics signed Ben Sheets ($10mm plus incentives) which actually has a Yankee impact. Here it is: A’s set money aside for Aroldis Chapman, who went to Cincy. Then they planned to use that money on Sheets or Johnny Damon. With Sheets signed, Oakland is likely out of the Damon sweepstakes, and Johnny just doesn’t seem to have anywhere to go. I’d say the Braves and Yanks are now the most likely to end up with Damon. I wanted the Yanks to sign Ben Sheets before the Vazquez trade, but they saw his injury history as too big of a risk for an 8-digit investment. If Sheets stays healthy, he’ll be one of the star pitchers of the 2010 free agent class alongside Brandon Webb, Cliff Lee, and Josh Beckett.

UPDATE: According to Buster Olney, the Sheets signing hasn’t ended Damon-Oakland conversations.

UPDATE: Conor here. Hey. Anyway, (via MLBTR), Jeff Fletcher is now saying that “Johnny Damon is not looking likely for the Athletics” and that the A’s will now focus on getting a utility infielder. By this point, you have to think that Damon will be a Yankee in 2010. There is no market for him whatsoever, and I just have a feeling that Damon will go to the Yankees with a discount in mind. Granted, he won’t sign for 2 mil, but 6-8 doesn’t seem to be out of the question. Yet again, Brian Cashman has judged the outfield market perfectly.

Sergio Mitre will make $850k in 2010; Chad Gaudin will make $2.95mm. The duo currently lines up as the number 7 and 8 starters on the Yankee depth chart, following our Lord Baby Joba and Phil Phranchise Hughes. Mitre is a year removed from Tommy John surgery, so his arm strength should be at a much higher level than it was in ’09. Gaudin came to New York in August and pitched to a 3.43 ERA in 42 innings. His peripherals, however, indicate that he could be in for a drop back to his career norms (4.50 ERA). A 1.45 WHIP (in NY) is ugly, and with some time, now, in the AL, hitters will know how to approach him when they meet next season.

I’ve heard just as much about the Yanks’ $200mm payroll limit as I have about Haiti in the past week. The only difference is that people are doing something for Haiti (Donate if you can. Both MLB and the Yanks have pitched in, so follow their footsteps) whereas nothing is being done to free up money for a possible left  field acquisition. The Yanks would do well to free themselves of an overpriced mop-up man, aka Gaudin/Mitre. Mitre’s making south of $1mm, so he isn’t exactly hogging payroll space, but Gaudin isn’t worth $3mm for the Yanks. When I say he isn’t worth $3mm, I’m talking about the marginal benefit he adds over other options for the 7th starter/mop-up role (Mitre, George Kontos, Alf Aceves, Jason Hirsh, Kei Igawa). There’s no reason to pay him $3mm when any of those guys can do the same thing at a similar level for a lesser price (Igawa’s salary is a sunk cost…no chance of shedding it). Other teams could use Gaudin though, and his $3mm price tag is stomach-able for most teams in search of a number 4/5 starter. The Cardinals, Mets, Mariners, Dodgers, and Cardinals could all come calling for Gaudin to add depth and insurance to the back-end of their rotations. The Yanks might even get a B/C level prospect or a low-cost 2nd-string type in return for Chad in addition to the salary relief. an extra $3mm sould, apparently, give them $5mm to spend on left field or to leave room for possible midseason acquisitions.

In baseball, money’s obviously a big part of the game. Some players deserve their salaries because they are that much more valuable than the next best option, but Gaudin isn’t that much better than the next best option; hell, he might not even be better than the guys who could take his spot. So send him on his way. He played as well as the Yanks could’ve hoped once he donned the pinstripes, but his Yankee tenure should be over before Spring Training. Right now, he’s just a bad investment; a small scale Carlos Silva.

Who remembers the ’08 Rays? In retrospect, were they that surprising? We all knew about BJ Upton, James Shields, Scott Kazmir, and Carl Crawford; the Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett acquisitions helped, but the Rays were a well constructed team that shouldn’t have seemed so surprising. The 2010 Orioles might be a similar surprise for the AL East. No, they’re not better than the Yanks or Red Sox right now, but an injury or two to New York/Boston, and quick growth of some young O’s could make Baltimore a 85-90 win team. If they were in the NL West or NL Central, I’d pick them to win the division. Of course, playing Tampa, Boston, and New York on a constant basis will make a rise to national recognition difficult, maybe far-fetched, but the team they’ve put together is pretty damn talented.

Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis constitute one of the best young outfields in the game. Jones played in only 119 games last year due to injury, but plays a strong centerfield and has decent power that could develop into 35 HR type power. He stole 10 bases in 14 tries, and with two near-full seasons under his belt should break out into the star that Baltimore traded Erik Bedard for. Reimold, the oldest of Baltimore’s outfield trio, also had limited playing time in ’09, appearing in just 104 games. His .279/.365/.466 line isn’t half bad and the 26 year old has 25 HR potential. Nick Markakis is an unsung star who hits around .300 and averaged just over 20 homers over the past 3 years.

Garrett Atkins is coming off a rough year, but will bounce back to at least .270/.330/.470 and is good for 20 home runs. Brian Roberts has speed, plate discipline, average, double-digit power, and on of the best second base gloves in the game. Cesar Izturis is terrible. Sorry, I can’t spin Izturis positively. But, Miguel Tejada will be a great bat at the hot corner, and his shortstop hands should turn into an above average third baseman’s. Matt Wieters has a website dedicated to him that reads “Matt Wieters makes Chuck Norris cry like a little girl.” He didn’t astound everyone as he was expected to last year, but still hit .288/.340/.412 . Expect him to start living up to expectations in ’10, .310/.380/.490 wouldn’t be an unreasonable guess for his sophomore year.

The lineup is going to be sound. No stars, but lots of above average bats that could carry the team far, like the Rockies of ’09. The rotation has great upside, but lots to prove. Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, and Brad Bergesen are three of the most highly touted young pitchers in the game. Jeremy Guthrie is coming off his worst full season (5.04 ERA and 1.42 WHIP), but in ’07 and ’08 he had ERAs of 3.70 and 3.63 and WHIPs of 1.21 and 1.23. If he goes back to his ’07/’08 self he could be an ace-type, like AJ Burnett on a good year. Then there’s Kevin Millwood, who will be a work-horse that will pitch 200 innings or more in his contract year. He had a strong ’09 in Texas, a 3.67 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He’s the opposite of Guthrie, in that he had a terrible ’07 and ’08(ERAs over 5.00) and a solid ’09, while Guthrie was the opposite. Obviously, there’s a lot of unknowns in the Baltimore rotation, but if Millwood has a good contract year, Guthrie comes back to form, and two of Tillman, Matusz, and Bergesen live up to 80% of the hype, this could be a tough team to beat.

Say what you like about Baltimore, but this isn’t a team that is going to simply be walked on by the Yanks, Sox, and Rays.

Felix Hernandez-Cliff Lee is the best one-two punch in baseball (apologies to Dan Haren-Brandon Webb, Chris Carpenter-Adam Wainwright, and Tim Lincecum-Matt Cain). Still, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Ian Snell, and the other got-nothing’s in the Seattle rotation stop it from being the league’s best. One could argue that the Yankees have the league’s best rotation, with CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Javy Vazquez, and whoever wins the number 5 slot (hint: it will be Joba). Others might say that Jon Lester, John Lackey, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Clay Bucholz is stronger. The key question is whether depth (ie. 4 number two type starters) or dominance (two aces and three no-names) makes for a better rotation. In the playoffs, when rotations can be dwindled to three or four men, I’d pick the M’s philosophy, but for 162 games, depth is about as important to a ballclub as the sense of touch was to Helen Keller.

The Yanks aren’t lacking an ace; they’ve got this big Jolly California native who one time carried a Wisconsin city on his shoulders and into October, won an ALCS award, and who is allegedly the best RBI baseball (the Nintendo Game) player on the Yanks. As good as Carsten Charles is, he’s only one man, so he can’t do what Lee and Hernandez will in the Northwest this year. After number 52, the Yanks have three guys capable of being number two’s, two righties with yet-to-be-reached-but-certainly-there-…-somewhere Ace potential, a guy named Sergio, and a vast array of triple-A guys who could fit the number four/number 5 mold. Personally, I’d rather have that assortment than King Felix and a bunch of guys who never get picked off the wire in fantasy leagues.

AJ Burnett, scouts say, has Ace “stuff.” First off, I hate the word “stuff.” When I say “AJ’s got great stuff,” does anyone know exactly what I mean? Speed and movement, obviously, but no real description of either. Sorry, tangented there. Burnett, when good, is Sabathian. He strikes out a bunch of hitters, and becomes an ace. When he’s bad though….AJ turns into Sidney Ponson sans alcoholism, and the bullpen is in for a long night. Sure, he has his 6 inning, 3 earned run days, but that’s stats. If you watch AJ pitch, its not hard to tell whether he’s on or off. Watch games two and five of the World Series if you want evidence to my argument. That said, generally, AJ is better than average, a near-ace. He doesn’t deserve the contract he got, but I’m not going to complain about a World Series ring. He’s a number two though, he can’t be relied on, as CC can, to give the team the edge every time out.

Javy Vazquez was pretty damn good in Atlanta this past year, posting a 2.87 ERA in 219.1 innings, while retiring 238 on strikes. Those are ace numbers. No, Javy will not do that well in the more competitive AL, the most competitive AL East, and the pressure cooker of New York, but if his ERA goes up a full run, he’s still a good investment if he pitches as many innings as he did in ’09. a 3.87 ERA would be better than both AJ Burnett (4.04) and Andy Pettitte (4.16) had in ’09. Vazquez’s FIP was 2.77, a tenth of a run lower than his actual ERA. The tougher competition will hurt Javy’s stats, but an enhanced defense will help. A former gold glove shortstop, now at full health, manning the hot corner, the reigning gold glove shortstop and first baseman (I know Gold Glove voting is terrible, blah, blah ,blah, but both Jeter and Tex are above average defenders at their respective positions), and the whole squad didn’t stop worshiping Robby Cano’s defense all year long. With Johnny Damon out, and Curtis Granderson in, the outfield D will be upgraded as well. And, ESPN reports that Yankee Stadium isn’t a hitters park (just a homer park), so Javy should be able to pitch well in the Bronx in 2010. Like AJ, he’s not going to be an ace in 2010 (though he was in ’09), but he will be the best number four starter in the game. Can I clarify one thing? Javy should be the number two starter, in terms of talent. The Yanks have him at number four because AJ is signed for longer, and they are respecting his place on the team and on the payroll. Javy’s a better pitcher than Andy Pettitte too, but the Yanks see value in a lefty-righty-lefty-righty start to the rotation.

Andy Pettitte is going into his final season. I’m calling it. Every year there’s some debate over a possible Pettitte retirement (he learned that technique from his friend Roger), but he comes back in the end. This will be his last go round. He’ll turn 38 in June, and the family man will retire to his Houston home once the Yanks seal championship number 28 (knock on wood). Andy is going to be a 4.30 ERA type, a guy who give 6 or 7 innings every time out and always leaves the team in a position to win. He’s not known for the big blowout, just a steady 3 or 4 runs over 6 or 7 innings. Andy had trouble adjusting to the new stadium early in ’09, but seemed to figure it out by the time he started game 6 of the World Series. The reliable lefty will pitch like a number four (see the Javy Vazquez paragraph to understand why Andy is the number three), but unless he gets injured, is going to be a key part of the rotation. He’s not asked to pitch shutouts or complete game gems, that’s CC’s job, he just needs to keep the team in it every time out, and with an offense that feature Jeter, Tex, A-Rod, Jorge Posada, and Curtis Granderson, that shouldn’t be too hard.

Joba Chamberlain. Phil Hughes. Alfredo Aceves. Ivan Nova. Sergio Mitre. Chad Gaudin. Any of them could win the number five rotation slot. I’d be shocked if anyone who’s name didn’t start with J or P won it, but stranger things have happened. If Joba or Phil wins the spot out of spring training, we’ll likely see what we always see when those two start: flashes of brilliance, and short skids of baseball immaturity. The Joba Rules are no longer in place, and Phil will have few restrictions as well, so this is the year that a former top prospect needs to stand up. The fifth starter will be fighting for his spot until June, every mistake adding to the inevitable debate over whether or not one player needs to be swapped out for another. If neither Hughsie, nor Joba, for some reason, don’t come out on top, Aceves, Mitre, and Gaudin are all guys who could pitch five or six league average innings. They’d wear out the bullpen and more pressure would be placed on the other four starters to go deep in games. Nova is a wild card. He’s tremendously talented and has seen great statistical success in the minors, but he’s still young and has no major league experience. The front office loves him, but it’d take the greatest spring in history for him to beat out all the others for the 5 spot.

The Yanks have options. They’ve got depth, and lots of above-average arms. No starter will give the opposition an easy shot at winning on a typical basis, but outside of CC, no one exactly instills fear in opposing hitters. This season  will be all about playing to potential, and keeping the team in the game, letting the league’s best offense with a chance to outdo all others from April through November (depending on WS dates of course).

The first time that Conor traveled to Colorado was in April of 2005. Obviously, we went to a Rockies game. Opening Day against the Padres. Catching for the Rockies was my favorite player of all-time, JD Closser. Don’t ask me why he’s my favorite player; he just is. Anyways, at the time I was one of the best ballhawks in Denver, and taught Conor how to get a ball from whoever caught the Rockies that day. Following a Khalil Greene K looking to end the 4th, JD trotted to the dugout and threw the ball into the stands to Conor. I got a ball an inning later on what was ruled a groundout to the catcher by Phil Nevin. Since that day, JD has become legend to the team here at 6P8OJoba. Two baseballs in one game? That’s as exciting as it gets. Okay, the Clint Barmes walk-off homer against Trevor Hoffman was a tad more exciting (favorite Opening Day moment of all time).

In ’06 Conor came back to Denver for another Rockies game, and we jammed through the crowd to lean over and get JD’s autograph. “Mr. Closser, you’re my favorite player.”

“Sure kid…” JD chuckled, figuring we were just reading the name on his jersey.

“No, you threw me a ball. Seriously, you’re my favorite player.” Conor claimed.

“Uh-huh,” JD replied as he signed for the other kids in line.

“Any chance you start over (Danny) Ardoin today?” I asked. JD’s time at Coors Field was dwindling, as shown by his shaking of his head. “Good luck JD,” I shouted as he moved on down the line, pen in hand.

Well, if you’re reading JD, I just want you to know, we haven’t forgotten you. Apparently, neither have the Dodgers, who just signed JD to a minor league deal and invited him to big league camp. JD has floated around the league, I’ve heard him connected to Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and even New York over the past few years, never seeing a full press-release about his signings though. As much as I hate the Dodgers, I have zero doubt that JD will win the starting catcher role, call four perfect games, bat .400, slug over 1.000, and win a gold glove. Mr. Closser, here’s to you; you’re still my favorite player, even if you never believed me.

Hey all. I hope you’ve all enjoyed your MLK weekend, I know I did. I was up in Vermont all weekend skiing consistently awesome conditions. We even got some powder today! Anyway, while it has been pretty slow in the Yankee-news department, I have a couple of little things to post…

Jerry Hairston Jr. signed a one-year deal with the Padres worth 2.125 million. He was one of the legitimate options for the Yankees utility job, and to be honest, I’m kind of bummed to see him sign somewhere else. Jerry’s defensive versatility was very valuable. He didn’t hit too too badly for a utility guy either(.237/.352/.382). He seemed like a good dude as well, if that counts for anything. Anyway it leaves the Yankees looking for a utility man/the bat for left field. Now I know he isn’t a utility man, but would it be crazy for Johnny Damon to come back into the LF picture? There is 0 market for Damon right now, and he has expressed he wants to play in NY. Does anybody see that happening?

There was some other Yankee contract stuff today, via LoHud. The Yanks agreed to terms with Chad Gaudin and recently acquired Boone Logan. Gaudin will earn 2.95 million next season, while Logan will get 590,000. So, there you have it!

As I yelled “J-E-T-S” in front of the TV and threw my arms up in celebration during a huge victory from Rex Ryan and his troops, I couldn’t help but notice that the San Diego Chargers are the bad guys. Anyone want to guess what quarterback talks smack to opposing defenses? That would be Philip Rivers, whose two interceptions today may have demoted him to “Philip Creeks” status. Anyone else notice how the Chargers fought for the ball after the tackle, after the whistle, when breaking the ball free would do no good for anyone? Did you see Vincent Jackson kick the challenge flag back at Rex Ryan? The Chargers pushed down Jet players as they got up post-tackle. Seriously San Diego, you shouldn’t just be ashamed because your kicker missed as many field goals today as he did all season. You shouldn’t just be ashamed that LaDanian Tomlinson will never again be any type of “star” and that Shonn Greene is better than him at just about everything. You should be ashamed that the Chargers acted like rude middle school bullies, the guards from The Longest Yard, like losers. That’s how they acted. Newsflash: San Diego lost this game with their immature, post-play actions. Don’t get me wrong, the Jets defense, Shonn Greene, Mark Sanchez, and the rest of the gang did well, but San Diego would have had a better chance if they didn’t act like a bunch of elementary school drop-outs.

What does this have to do with the Yankees? Well, not a lot honestly, I just felt like talking about the Jets and how much I hate the Chargers, but I’l connect this anyways. In baseball, currently, the only punishments for “unsportsmanlike conduct” are bench warnings, ejections, and a free base for a hit batter. America’s past time has always been baseball, but football these days seems to be America’s game. Anyone notice how much more unsportsmanlike conduct there is in football than baseball? I guess you could say it’s due to more opportunity, less games, or a more testosterone-driven sport; imagine if Mark Teixeira could hold a player off first with one hand? What if Brett Gardner could wrestle an opposing shortstop for the ball when stealing second? It’s ridiculous, right? In either of those instances, the player would be ejected. There are some instances where interference a la A-Rod slapping Bronson Arroyo’s glove, can give or take a base and make or break an out, but generally a player’s conduct is either ejection worthy or ignored. There seems to be less caveman-ish behavior in baseball, but what if behavior altered the game? What if, rather than simply getting ejected, the game was changed due to behavior, like in football. Suppose Victor Martinez trash talks Derek Jeter when he comes to the plate on April 4th. How different would the game be if the home plate umpire awarded Jeter a ball without a pitch being thrown. What if Dustin Pedroia slammed his helmet on the ground after a game-saving Curtis Granderson catch, and the Yanks were given an extra out? Would that be good for the game…or bad?

Possible rule changes are fuel for conversation, though not exactly likely. Here’s part number 2 of this whole debate…if all MLB teams had their “unsportsmanly conducts” totaled over a season, how would the Yanks fare. I admire Paul O’Neill, but he’d lead the league in penalties if he still played. Outside of Joba and A-Rod, do the Yanks have any post-play gloaters? I’d like to think we have no trash talkers or dirty players, but I’m not exactly on the bench with anyone. What teams are the most sportsmanlike on the field (media sessions, romantic exploits, and mistakes on Nebraskan highways are to be ignored for this exercise)? Let’s hear thoughts in the comments.