Talk Bronx New York

 Move over, Jason Giambi, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, there’s a new potential inductee to the Yankees’ Hall of Shame.

This member simply could have “A-Roid” inscribed on his plaque.

‘ROID-RIGUEZ IN HALL OF SHAME

SHERMAN: BRASS BLEW SHOT TO BAIL FROM THIS BOMBER DISASTER

JET-DEBTOR ALEX PUTS PLANE ON MARKET FOR $20M

CANSECO: I TOLD YA SO!

COMPLETE YANKEES COVERAGE

PHOTOS: ALEX RODIRGUEZ

According to a Sports Illustrated report released yesterday, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in his 2003 MVP season with the Rangers, as part of tests that were conducted to determine if random drug testing was necessary for the following season.

So a Yankees offseason that was clear of sideshows as recently as 15 days ago has now become the Blizzard of 2009, with the release of Joe Torre’s controversial new book and the latest report targeting Rodriguez.

“It’s always a circus,” a Yankees official said. “If it’s not this, it’s something else. I’m not shocked about anything anymore.”

Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post

In the course of one horrendous season, Joe Torre went from St. Joe to Joe Blow.

Now, over the course of 477 pages, Torre may well have blown more than just a playoff series or two. He may have blown his entire Yankees future.

Publicly, the Yankees are mum about “The Yankee Years,” the soon-to-be-released account of Torre’s managerial tenure co-authored with Tom Verducci. Privately, they are livid.

That means all those little perks that go with being a Legendary Former Yankee have probably gone up in smoke, like all those burning bridges along the Harlem River. The plaque in Monument Park? Back in the box. The retired number? Cross it out. The chance to march out and flash the Papal Wave at Old-Timer’s Day? Wave bye-bye to that idea.

And that old standby, the cushy job with YES? Uh, no.

Over time - a long time - that may change, but right now, David Wells will be named the team nutritionist before Torre is invited back to the Bronx. Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post

                                                                              David Wells

The first thing you notice about CC Sabathia - after the diamond earrings, sure to be Yanked soon from his lobes - is his sheer size and girth. The man is a giant; 6-7 and an unapologetic 290 pounds. He would fit nicely into the Giants’ offensive line, but it is hard, really, to envision him climbing onto the same modest mound as skinny A.J. Burnett.

The pinstripes may be slimming, but they can only do so much for the new No. 52. Sabathia had the chance to play football at the University of Hawaii and still does not look much like a pitcher. There are no prototypes to determine whether this is a durable, oversized human construction for a major league starter over the long haul.

“It’s an unknown,” Brian Cashman said Thursday, in the basement of the old Yankee Stadium. “You try to come up with comparisons….He’s unique. He seems to be a stand-alone.” Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post

CC Sabathia shows up at his hotel in preparation for Thursday’s unveiling

 c but it doesn’t look like the center fielder will be Bronx-bound in the coming days.

Talks between the Yankees and Brewers were put on hold, according to a source, as Yankees general manager Brian Cashman didn’t speak with Brewers GM Doug Melvin Monday.

The trade has centered around Cameron and Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera, though the Bombers are also expected to dump Kei Igawa, and part of the $12 million he is owed, to Milwaukee in the deal. Although the two sides didn’t talk Monday, a Yankees official said the trade should still get done at some point.

“There’s no hurry,” the official said. “There are a lot of issues.”

The amount of money the Yankees will send to the Brewers seems to be the sticking point, though it’s possible that more players - such as Milwaukee third baseman/outfielder Bill Hall - might also become part of the deal.

Although it may take some time for Cameron to join the Yankees, his former Brewers teammate Sabathia is expected to take center stage in the Bronx on Thursday. Sabathia will undergo a physical and do some house-hunting today and tomorrow, then meet the press and slip into his XXL pinstriped jersey on Thursday. Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post

The Yankees’ expected signing of the massive left-handed pitcher C. C. Sabathia to a gigantic contract is the latest manifestation of the team’s muscular business model.

The Yankees generate $400 million or more in revenues and spend $200 million in player salaries.

The team owns 38 percent of the YES Network, which pays the Yankees at least $70 million a year, and can receive still more cash from its cut of the channel’s profits.

It is opening a new ballpark in the Bronx in April, only months after attracting a team-record 4.3 million fans for the final season at the old Yankee Stadium.

The $1.3 billion stadium is designed to generate more revenue than the old one did, even as the recession worsens. But here’s a sometimes-forgotten wrinkle that helps the Yankees rationalize contracts like Sabathia’s $161 million over seven years: Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post