New York Yankees Blog
12/05/06
Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner has been criticizing Yankees players in the newspapers since he bought the team in 1973. Players from Tucker Ashford to Ken Clay to Dave Winfield to Hideki Irabu to Derek Jeter have felt The Boss' wrath on the printed page.
Alex Rodriguez joined the club on Tuesday when Steinbrenner answered a question about Randy Johnson with a jab at "the third baseman," who made two errors in the Yankees' 14-3 loss to the Red Sox.
But this "Boss Rips Yankee" story has a new twist - Steinbrenner told Joe Torre yesterday that he didn't say it, and if he did say it didn't mean it.
Steinbrenner was quoted by three newspapers, including Newsday, as answering the question, "Are you a little upset at Randy?" by saying, "I'm upset at a lot of them. The third baseman."
The exchange took place, as most Steinbrenner interviews do nowadays, with reporters shouting questions from behind a security gate at the 75-year-old Yankees owner as he exited Yankee Stadium.
Steinbrenner-ologists immediately took his comments to mean The Boss was upset with Rodriguez. It wasn't like saying Clay "spit the bit" or calling Irabu "a fat toad" or chiding Jeter about his love of the nightlife, as Steinbrenner has done, but it was something.
Or, it was nothing. At least that's what Steinbrenner told Torre in a phone conversation yesterday.
"I really don't believe that ever happened, to be honest with you," Torre said. "I spoke to George today. He knows what was in the paper and wanted me to know that that didn't happen. Or if it did happen it obviously wasn't the way he meant it to come out."
Torre, who probably had more important issues to deal with yesterday, nonetheless patiently answered repeated questions about The Boss and A-Rod.
Asked to clarify whether Steinbrenner was saying he was misquoted, Torre said, "He just called me to basically let me know, sure he's unhappy about the game, but if anything came out it wasn't purposely. There's nothing going on as far as being angry at someone, I guess."
Alex Rodriguez joined the club on Tuesday when Steinbrenner answered a question about Randy Johnson with a jab at "the third baseman," who made two errors in the Yankees' 14-3 loss to the Red Sox.
But this "Boss Rips Yankee" story has a new twist - Steinbrenner told Joe Torre yesterday that he didn't say it, and if he did say it didn't mean it.
Steinbrenner was quoted by three newspapers, including Newsday, as answering the question, "Are you a little upset at Randy?" by saying, "I'm upset at a lot of them. The third baseman."
The exchange took place, as most Steinbrenner interviews do nowadays, with reporters shouting questions from behind a security gate at the 75-year-old Yankees owner as he exited Yankee Stadium.
Steinbrenner-ologists immediately took his comments to mean The Boss was upset with Rodriguez. It wasn't like saying Clay "spit the bit" or calling Irabu "a fat toad" or chiding Jeter about his love of the nightlife, as Steinbrenner has done, but it was something.
Or, it was nothing. At least that's what Steinbrenner told Torre in a phone conversation yesterday.
"I really don't believe that ever happened, to be honest with you," Torre said. "I spoke to George today. He knows what was in the paper and wanted me to know that that didn't happen. Or if it did happen it obviously wasn't the way he meant it to come out."
Torre, who probably had more important issues to deal with yesterday, nonetheless patiently answered repeated questions about The Boss and A-Rod.
Asked to clarify whether Steinbrenner was saying he was misquoted, Torre said, "He just called me to basically let me know, sure he's unhappy about the game, but if anything came out it wasn't purposely. There's nothing going on as far as being angry at someone, I guess."
12/05/06
Hideki Matsui's broken wrist
Hideki Matsui's broken wrist left the Yankees without another power-hitting outfielder, and the Boston Red Sox rallied past New York 5-3 Thursday night on Mark Loretta's two-run infield single.
Loretta finished with four hits. His first sent Matsui to a hospital, and his last put the Red Sox ahead in the seventh.
Boston's No. 2 hitter sent a blooper into left field in the first inning, and Matsui landed hard on his wrist in an unsuccessful bid to make a diving catch. He immediately left the game, was put in an ambulance while still in uniform and was to have surgery Friday. The Yankees did not say when he would be able to return, and a lengthy absence appears likely.
New York was already missing a starting outfielder: Right fielder Gary Sheffield hurt his left wrist in a collision at first base on April 29 and went on the disabled list this week. He can't come off the DL until May 21, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Sheffield might go to Tampa, Fla., for rehabilitation.
Boston took two of three in the series, opened a one-game AL East lead and has won three of four against New York this year.
Because Matsui did not play a full half inning, his consecutive games streak ended at 518 when the game became official. Baseball rule 10.24 (c) states: "A consecutive game playing streak shall be extended if the player plays one half inning on defense, or if he completes a time at bat by reaching base or being put out."
If Matsui had been ejected in the top of the first, his streak would have continued, according to the rule.
Loretta finished with four hits. His first sent Matsui to a hospital, and his last put the Red Sox ahead in the seventh.
Boston's No. 2 hitter sent a blooper into left field in the first inning, and Matsui landed hard on his wrist in an unsuccessful bid to make a diving catch. He immediately left the game, was put in an ambulance while still in uniform and was to have surgery Friday. The Yankees did not say when he would be able to return, and a lengthy absence appears likely.
New York was already missing a starting outfielder: Right fielder Gary Sheffield hurt his left wrist in a collision at first base on April 29 and went on the disabled list this week. He can't come off the DL until May 21, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Sheffield might go to Tampa, Fla., for rehabilitation.
Boston took two of three in the series, opened a one-game AL East lead and has won three of four against New York this year.
Because Matsui did not play a full half inning, his consecutive games streak ended at 518 when the game became official. Baseball rule 10.24 (c) states: "A consecutive game playing streak shall be extended if the player plays one half inning on defense, or if he completes a time at bat by reaching base or being put out."
If Matsui had been ejected in the top of the first, his streak would have continued, according to the rule.
12/05/06
A bit of history
Founded: As the Indianapolis, Indiana franchise of the Western League, originally a farm team of the Cincinnati Reds. In 1901, became the Baltimore, Maryland franchise in the newly created American League. Moved to New York City before the 1903 season.
Formerly known as: Baltimore Orioles, 1901-1902. New York Highlanders, 1903-1910, "Yankees" as early as 1904, used more and more interchangeably with "Highlanders" as their first decade in New York progressed.
Nicknames: Yanks, Bronx Bombers, Men in Pinstripes
Home ballpark: Yankee Stadium, at 161st Street and River Avenue in the Bronx, New York City, from 1923 to the present, excluding two years in the 1970s during renovation. Also played at the original Oriole Park in Baltimore, 1901-1902; Hilltop Park in Manhattan, New York City, 1903-1912; the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, 1913-1922; and Shea Stadium in Queens, New York City, 1974-1975. The team plans to move into a newer Yankee Stadium modeled after the old one in time for the 2009 season.
Team colors: Navy blue, Grey, and White
Team theme song: "Here Come the Yankees" (1967), composed by Bob Bundin and Lou Stallman. The "Theme from New York, New York" is played at the end of each home game. (Frank Sinatra's version has been traditionally played following victories; Liza Minnelli's original version following losses.)
All-time regular season record (1901-2005): 9192 won - 7029 lost - 87 tied - 3 no-decision
• Baltimore record (1901-02): 118-153-2
• New York record (1903- ): 9074-6876-85-3
Under George Steinbrenner, the team has a strict dress code that forbids long hair and facial hair below the lip.
The Yankees have teamed up with New Era and Adidas to make caps for sale. These caps are extremely popular in the UK, despite the fact that the general population has little interest in baseball.
The Yankee fans who sit behind the right field portion of the bleacher seats in Yankee Stadium have become so well known for their rowdy behavior that they are often referred to as the "Bleacher Creatures," who have also popularized a type of chant called a "Roll Call," which occurs in the top of the first inning when the Yankees first play defense. In this "Roll Call," the "Bleacher Creatures" chant each field player's name (excluding the pitcher and the catcher) repeatedly until the Yankee acknowledges the chant. Many of these fans wear custom made Yankee jerseys with the name "Section" and the number "39," referring to the section with the most raucous fans.
The Yankee Stadium grounds crew has become famous in their own right for their infield sweeping in the middle of the fifth inning when they dance to the popular 1970s hit YMCA by the Village People.
The "YMCA" custom began during the 1995 season. It was briefly disrupted in the summer of 1996, when the Yankees caved in to a fad and hosted "Macarena" Day on August 17. The stated goal was to achieve the world's record for the most people performing the signature dance associated with that song. Nominally, 51, 729 people (that afternoon's attendance) joined in, breaking the record of 37,576 people set earlier that month when the Seattle Mariners held a similar event. The grounds crew danced to "Macarena" for a few games until switching back to "YMCA" because of a combination of declining fan interest in the fad dance and superstition because the team's performance appeared to suffer when the new song was introduced.
Many records are held by members of the Yankees. Two of these records are virtually unbreakable: Jack Chesbro's 41 games won in a single season, and Joe Torre's eleven seasons as George Steinbrenner's field manager.
The Yankees have no mascot.
Formerly known as: Baltimore Orioles, 1901-1902. New York Highlanders, 1903-1910, "Yankees" as early as 1904, used more and more interchangeably with "Highlanders" as their first decade in New York progressed.
Nicknames: Yanks, Bronx Bombers, Men in Pinstripes
Home ballpark: Yankee Stadium, at 161st Street and River Avenue in the Bronx, New York City, from 1923 to the present, excluding two years in the 1970s during renovation. Also played at the original Oriole Park in Baltimore, 1901-1902; Hilltop Park in Manhattan, New York City, 1903-1912; the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, 1913-1922; and Shea Stadium in Queens, New York City, 1974-1975. The team plans to move into a newer Yankee Stadium modeled after the old one in time for the 2009 season.
Team colors: Navy blue, Grey, and White
Team theme song: "Here Come the Yankees" (1967), composed by Bob Bundin and Lou Stallman. The "Theme from New York, New York" is played at the end of each home game. (Frank Sinatra's version has been traditionally played following victories; Liza Minnelli's original version following losses.)
All-time regular season record (1901-2005): 9192 won - 7029 lost - 87 tied - 3 no-decision
• Baltimore record (1901-02): 118-153-2
• New York record (1903- ): 9074-6876-85-3
Under George Steinbrenner, the team has a strict dress code that forbids long hair and facial hair below the lip.
The Yankees have teamed up with New Era and Adidas to make caps for sale. These caps are extremely popular in the UK, despite the fact that the general population has little interest in baseball.
The Yankee fans who sit behind the right field portion of the bleacher seats in Yankee Stadium have become so well known for their rowdy behavior that they are often referred to as the "Bleacher Creatures," who have also popularized a type of chant called a "Roll Call," which occurs in the top of the first inning when the Yankees first play defense. In this "Roll Call," the "Bleacher Creatures" chant each field player's name (excluding the pitcher and the catcher) repeatedly until the Yankee acknowledges the chant. Many of these fans wear custom made Yankee jerseys with the name "Section" and the number "39," referring to the section with the most raucous fans.
The Yankee Stadium grounds crew has become famous in their own right for their infield sweeping in the middle of the fifth inning when they dance to the popular 1970s hit YMCA by the Village People.
The "YMCA" custom began during the 1995 season. It was briefly disrupted in the summer of 1996, when the Yankees caved in to a fad and hosted "Macarena" Day on August 17. The stated goal was to achieve the world's record for the most people performing the signature dance associated with that song. Nominally, 51, 729 people (that afternoon's attendance) joined in, breaking the record of 37,576 people set earlier that month when the Seattle Mariners held a similar event. The grounds crew danced to "Macarena" for a few games until switching back to "YMCA" because of a combination of declining fan interest in the fad dance and superstition because the team's performance appeared to suffer when the new song was introduced.
Many records are held by members of the Yankees. Two of these records are virtually unbreakable: Jack Chesbro's 41 games won in a single season, and Joe Torre's eleven seasons as George Steinbrenner's field manager.
The Yankees have no mascot.