To the pleasure of the contributors of this blog I am proud to say that we were all finally able to out drive Tiger Woods this past weekend. Three days after the accident many questions surround the whole situation involving Tiger. Lets recap the facts of the case, and then discuss:

1.) Tiger and his wife Elin Nordegren were in an argument Friday morning, causing tiger to leave his home at 2:25am

2.) Alcohol is said to be a non-factor, although I don’t know any human being alive who didn’t need a drink

Elin Nordegren

during/after the Giants game on thanksgiving.

3.) Tiger’s wife came to his rescue after hearing him crash his escalade.

4.) If there was any argument between the two before the accident, Tiger might crash a plane into her country when he realizes she used his Driver to smash out his car windows.

5.) Tiger finally showed his asian heritage managing to drive into his lawn, hit a fire hydrant, roll up into a tree, and fail to signal before any of those turns.

The police are attempting to obtain a search warrant to determine if the car crash was what left Tiger with his injuries, and not his wife beating the hell out of him. Tiger was reported to be hooking up with Rachel Uchitel, a New York night club hostess, and were even seen in Melbourne. Melbourne is of course where he competed in the Australian Masters. Can I just mention that has to be the best weekend ever, you hook up with your hot supermodel wife, get paid $3 mil to just show up and play, and get seconds from a New York night club hostess in the process.

Tiger's other squeeze

Personally, I believe that Uchitel had no shortage of dark meat this thanksgiving week. This is the first blemish on Tiger’s spotless resume and character. It leads me to question why any professional athlete ever gets married, other than to produce more super athletes to take their place (sounds like the New Milford High School XC team does).

I sure know one thing, If I had ever been decent enough to hit the pros there is not a shot in hell I would be anything but single, never mind married. I would go about my life like the true players, Derek Jeter and Tony Romo. Lets give it up to the lists these guys can produce, and it must be sickening Boston sports fans, Jeter just being great at another thing. For my 15 or so years in the professional ranks, I sure as hell would be playing the field in more ways than one. Tiger probably should have thought of that, and dont think he didn’t second guess that decision when he found out he was getting  a daughter who would never be able to get past the mini golf scene. Can we just take a note that November 27th, the day before my birthday, is quickly becoming a cursed day. Between Plaxico shooting himself last year and Tiger this year using the Dale Earnhardt turn right strategy.

…and is the first Yankee ever to be honored as the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year!

We all knew it was coming.  With the information leaked out on Saturday, Yankee fans had to wait for Monday for the confirmation, but it is official now with the magazine announcing that Jeets is the Man o’ the Year.

“It’s unbelievable. It was completely unexpected. It came out of the blue,” Jeter told the AP during a break in the photo shoot. “When I heard it, what can you say? It’s one of the greatest honors you can achieve in sports.”

Jeter had one of the best years of his career in 2009, leading the Yankees to their 27th World Series Championship and earned his fifth World Series ring.  Here are some other of the Captain’s accomplishments in 2009:

• Hit .334, with 18 HR’s, 66 RBI and 30 steals.  He finished third in the AL MVP voting and earned the AL’s Silver Slugger Award for hitting as a shortstop.
• Had a career-low 8 errors at shortstop and was the best statistical shortstop in MLB.  He was honored with the AL’s Gold Glove @ shortstop by his fellow players and managers.
• Became the All-time Yankee leader in hits, by passing the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, in September.
• Led all American League Players in All-Star Votes for the 2009 game in St. Louis.
• Scored his 1,500 run, passed Mickey Mantle for all-time at bats as a Yankee (with over 8,103), and passed Bernie Williams and Babe Ruth with over 2,085 games played as a Yankee.
• Earned $100,000 for his charity the Turn 2 Foundation, by out-hitting the Mets’ David Wright in a hitting challenge.  Delta Airlines made a $100,000 donation to Jeter’s charity and $50,000 to the charity of Wright’s choice.
• Was honored as the Roberto Clemente Award for excellence on and off the field
• Won the Hank Aaron Award as the American League’s top hitter

Last year’s winner was Michael Phelps, who had a record performance at the Beijing Olympics.  The last winner from baseball was the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who were honored as a group for breaking the 86 year streak of no championships in Boston.

Congrats to Jeets!  He is truly the most deserving sportsman in 2009!

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When trying to find a ticket seller for baseball tickets, try VividSeats.com. They’re a leading seller of sports event tickets and have reasonable prices for some of the biggest games this year. They offer cheap Yankees tickets throughout the season and you can view the full schedule and seating charts.

While I don’t deny that Derek Jeter is a worthy candidate for Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, and that it’s an incredible accomplishment considering he is the first New York Yankee to win the award since it began in 1954, my cynical nature disagrees with the belief that he should receive the credit alone for the 2009 Championship or A-Rod’s turnaround after he admitted in Spring Training to taking steroids earlier in his career.

That being said, Jeter had a terrific 2009 season and became the oldest shortstop to ever win a World Series, his fifth ring overall and first since 2000.  Moreover, Jeter’s philanthropy has been strong during his 14-year career through his Turn 2 Foundation, which was established to give to organizations that help young people stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Congratulations, Number 2.

SI names Derek Jeter 2009 Sportsman of the Year (SI.com)

Yeah, yeah, I can hear you all bitching and moaning. Derek Jeter is SI Sportsman of the Year? This year?

What’s that you say? Derek Jeter is a media darling? Who’s worse? Jeter, Favre or Tebow? (This was an actual debate on Twitter yesterday, and honestly Jeter has got nothing on Favre or Tebow).

Jeter is Sportsman of the Year

Did you just say that Jeter is overrated? That the Yankees have the highest payroll in the league? He can’t go to his right?

Well, I don’t care. Honestly. I’ve spent years defending being a Yankee fan and a Jeter supporter. And you know what? You should all just shut up. The man is good. He’s a leader. He’s a solid citizen. He comes through in the clutch. And why shouldn’t he be recognized for his accomplishments? Despite being a Yankee.

And why not this year?

My friend Stefanie, an unabashed Jeter fangirl, saved me the time and effort of putting together Derek Jeter’s resume.

• Minor League Player of the Year
• Rookie of the Year
• All-Star Game MVP
• World Series MVP
• 4 time Gold Glove winner
• Hank Aaron Award winner
• Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award winner
• 4 time Silver Slugger Award winner
• New York Yankees Captain
• FIVE time World Series Champion

And if that isn’t impressive enough, I’ll add a few more for good measure:

• Yankees franchise leader in hits (surpassing Lou Gehrig this season)
• 10 time All-Star
• 6 time All-Star starter

This year, he adds Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year to the resume. And deservedly so. Haters be damned.

Oh, if you want to read SI’s article announcing Jeter’s selection, it’s here. The reasons look pretty legitimate to me.

And deservedly so. Now give the man a round of applause, He’s that good and he’s that special.

Get Out There:

Students Learn How to Protest- From the UK- At one time student protest was as much a part of university life as getting drunk on Freshers’ week. Now a university is giving some of its politics students lessons in how to campaign and take direct action. For the complete article click here

Work It Out- Health:

WHO: Treat HIV patients sooner- The U.N. agency issued new guidance advising doctors to start giving patients AIDS drugs a year or two earlier than usual. The advice could double the number of people worldwide who qualify for treatment, adding an extra 3 to 5 million patients to the 5 million already awaitingAIDS drugs. For the complete article click here.

Sports:

Derek Jeter named SI’s sportsman of the year- “The 35-year-old Jeter is the first Bronx Bomber to be tapped for the award that has been given out since 1954. Swimmer Michael Phelps was last year’s recipient.” For the complete article click here.

World Cup 2010, South Africa, FIFA has picked an anthem- Watch here

Destinations:

Oasis of the sea- The world’s largest crusie ship- This is truely an amazing cruise ship. Just reading this article will make you want to book your next vacation here. Check it out.

“Longer than three football fields and weighing as much as 1,204 blue whales (the world’s largest animal), the $1.5 billion vessel is staggering in size and scope. Picture a more wholesome Las Vegas, and swap the sand for water.

The Oasis has so many restaurants, you could spend a week on board and never eat at the same place twice.”

According to SI.com (obviously), New York Yankees SS Derek Jeter has won the coveted Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award. Derek becomes the first Yankee to ever win the award and the first baseball player to win the award since the Boston Red Sox won it at as a team in 2004.

I have no problem with Jeter receiving the honor, but he should receive it for the right reasons, not one of the reasons that Sports Illustrated Group Director Terry McDonell gave.

“This verifies my idea that he is on the level of Ruth and Gehrig,” McDonell said. “He’s the greatest shortstop in the history of the game.”

What???

He sounds like a junior high school kid. You give someone this honor because they deserve it and they dominated the sports world for that particular year, not because this gives credibility to a preposterous idea you have that Jeter is just as good as Ruth and Gehrig.

I could just see this guy talking to his friends and saying you know what? I really think Jeter is as good as Ruth or Gehrig and just to verify this thought, I am going to make him Sportsman of the Year.

Now to his credit, McDonell did give one logical reason as to why they picked Jeter for 2009.

“Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he’s extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field.”

From the Associated Press

NEW YORK — Derek Jeter posed in his crisp pinstripe uniform, resting a shiny black bat on his shoulder, while a photographer lying on the ground near the entrance to a Bronx subway station snapped pictures of the New York Yankees shortstop from a low angle.

Photographing the Yankees captain from below to make him look more regal seemed beside the point. Jeter already has an image that is larger than life.

Jeter was back at Yankee Stadium a couple of weeks after winning his fifth World Series title, capping a stellar season with a photo shoot for his latest achievement: Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year.

The magazine made the announcement Monday.

“It’s unbelievable. It was completely unexpected. It came out of the blue,” Jeter told The Associated Press during a break in the photo shoot. “When I heard it, what can you say? It’s one of the greatest honors you can achieve in sports.”

The 35-year-old Jeter is the first Bronx Bomber to be tapped for the award that has been given out since 1954. Swimmer Michael Phelps was last year’s recipient.

“That’s even harder considering all the great Yankee players that have played for this organization,” said Jeter, standing under the banners depicting Yankees greats that hang in the Great Hall of the new stadium. “So I hope I’ve done them proud.”

Sports Illustrated Group editor Terry McDonell certainly thinks he has.

“This verifies my idea that he is on the level of Ruth and Gehrig,” McDonell said. “He’s the greatest shortstop in the history of the game.”

Some other baseball players to win the award are Sandy Koufax (1965), Tom Seaver (1969), Cal Ripken Jr. (1995); and the recent nemeses of Jeter’s teams, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling (2001), and the Boston Red Sox (2004).

All business between the lines, Jeter has become one of the untarnished ambassadors in the steroids era of baseball through steady play and quiet leadership on and off the field.

“He’s so classy,” McDonell said. “He brings a dignity and elegance to the game.”

Jeter’s 2009 season was remarkable.

He batted .334 with 18 homers and 66 RBIs with 30 steals to help lead the Yankees to their first World Series title in nine years — a frustrating drought for the player who won four championships in his first five seasons.

And as calls swelled for Jeter to switch positions after his contract expires in 2010, the 10-time All-Star went out and had one of his best defensive seasons: He made a career-low eight errors in winning his fourth Gold Glove.

He also passed Yankees icon Lou Gehrig’s club record for hits, won the Hank Aaron Award as the AL’s top hitter, and was given the Roberto Clemente Award for excellence on and off the field.

The World Series victory might have been Jeter’s most cherished accomplishment this year, but what clinched the sportsman award for him was his philanthropic work. Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation has doled out over $10 million in grants since 1996 to organizations that help keep young people away from alcohol and drugs.

“It’s about the manner of the striving and the quality of the effort, too,” McDonell said. “Off the field he has grown so much as a member of the community.”

Coming 15 seasons into a career full of honors, the award could be seen as a lifetime achievement, but both McDonell and Jeter dismissed the idea.

McDonell was impressed by Jeter’s leadership, how he “stepped in and molded a team” this spring with the arrival of three expensive free agents, and Alex Rodriguez’s admission to using steroids from 2001-03 and then having hip surgery that kept him out until May.

For Jeter, who only looks as far ahead as the next game, he’s nowhere near the end of an illustrious career that could culminate with 4,000 hits.

“I’ll take it one hit at a time. That’s a long way in the future,” said Jeter, who has 2,747 hits. “I’m going to play as long as I’m having fun. Right now I’m having a blast.”

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

As Thanksgiving Break comes to a close and December nears, again there has been little Hot Stove news to discuss. So, let’s look ahead to next offseason, as 2 of the “Core 4″ – Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, are to be free agents.

The Yankees aren’t known for giving in-season extensions, or making any extensions for that matter, but I’m sure they will be looking into giving an extension to their captain, #2, Derek Jeter.

But it’s tough to tell if he should get one.

Jeter, 35, is coming off one of his best years as a Yankee, as Jeet batted .334 with 18 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. He even won a Gold Glove for his much improved defense. But at 35, with him turning 36 in June, will an extension for the Captain really be worth it?

I think so, but no more than 2 years. Although we don’t want to think about it, his career is winding down, and this past season may possibly have been the final time we see Jeter put up the type of numbers he has over the course of his career. He still could put up good numbers next season, but it’s not far from now when we all see #2 get his final curtain call.

I think Derek will get an extension, and probably during Spring Training (which starts in 81 days, by the way). He’ll get an extension because if he doesn’t, he and the Yanks would have to deal with things like “his possible final game at Yankee Stadium”, or “his possible final game against the Red Sox”, and that’s not healthy for a Captain of a team to deal with, especially when the team is in the thick of a pennant chase. Plus, they probably don’t want us fans wondering “will he” or “won’t he” come back.

In conclusion, I do think Derek Jeter will get an extension. He’s the face of the Yankees, and he has been for the past 10-12 years, so I’m sure they won’t hesitate when it comes to giving him an extension. My prediction – 2 years, $15-20 mill. Thoughts?

Everyone knows about Derek Jeter’s 2007 Topps card with Mickey Mantle and George W. Bush on it. I decided to make a card like that featuring Mantle and Barack Obama on Jeter’s 2009 Topps card.

While every one is pondering why Roy Halladay is needed on the Yankees (he isn’t), I want to focus on the first free agent deal that Brian Cashman will attempt to get done.

After Johnny Damon finally helped the New York Yankees back to the World Series, and winning their first title since 2001, he is a free agent again. And every time Damon has been a free agent, he has changed teams. He was the good corporate guy who said all the right things before, during and after the big parade down the Canyon of Heroes.

Damon would “love to be a Yankee again,” and he wants “to end my career in New York.”

But after making the defining play of this years World Series with his double steal, smart dash to third base, it appears Damon does want more of the Yankees…more of their money and more years in his contract.  

Before his breakout in the 2009 post season, it was widely thought that the Yankees and Damon would agree to a one year deal with incentives, similar to what Andy Pettitte signed with New York last off season. That type of situation would work well for bothe sides; the Yankees would retain the popular Damon with reasonable dollar figures and Damon would continue to play his usual 150+ games per season.

Damon would play mostly left field and occasionally DH to give his 36 year old legs a rest.

Now Damon (his wife, Michelle and agent Scott Boras) says that many teams are interested in his services, and he has told friends that he will not give the Yankees a discount to stay with the World Champs.

There is no other way to say this – Johnny Damon is a moron. Simply put, if he leaves the Yankees then he is a very stupid individual.

While a member of the Boston Red Sox, Damon was considered one of the “idiots” of their 2004 World Series title team.

That name aptly fits this older version of Damon, too.

After finally experiencing a World Championship in the best city to win a sports title of any kind, Damon wants more money. His agent has bandied about needing a four year deal for the 36 year old outfielder. But Boras’ free agent rants never get his client was he says they deserve.

In separate interviews Boras has said that Damon should get the same type of deal that Yankee catcher Jorge Posada (also 36 at the time) received prior to the 2008 season. Then Boras said that Damon “made Derek Jeter” by hitting behind him this season and his client compares favorably (saber and fantasy stst wisw) to the Yankee captain over the last three seasons. He stated that “whatever the Yankees plan on doing with Jeter long-term, Damon deserves similar consideration.”

Problem for Boras and Damon is that the decision on Johnny will come well before any work on Jeter’s new deal begins.

Also, Boras does not realize (or maybe he does and is just blowing his usual smoke), that the Yankees really needed Posada that off season, as they had nothing in their system at the catching position remotely close to the major leagues and the other choices available in free agency or via trades were terrible.  At that time Francisco Cervelli had finished his first full season in the minors at High A Tampa.

In fact, the Yankees were willing to give Posada a three-year deal, but had to go the extra year because Jorge was being courted by Omar Minaya and the New York Mets, and at that time, the best available catcher was their own backup Jose Molina or free agent Paul LoDuca. Also, Alex Rodriguez had already opted out of his Yankee deal at that time, and the Yankees were in desperate need of  right handed power, something the switch-hitting Posada provided.

Also, Posada plays a more demanding position (although not as well as his younger years) and was a mainstay Yankee from their dynasty years.

Not quite the same situation as with Damon is it Mr. Boras? But when have you ever been reasonable in your free agent demands?

And in regards to comparing Damon to Mr. Jeter, a five-time World Series winner, de facto leader of the Yankees over the last 10 years, this generation’s version of Joe DiMaggio and a sure fire first-ballot Hall of Famer… well I guess I just said all their needs to be said.

As the title of the piece says, Damon needs the Yankees more than the Yankees need him. Their are quite a few left fielders available via free agency (Jason Bay and Matt Holliday) and within the Yankees own system – they can promote Austin Jackson, and have a trio of Jackson, Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner man center and left field. Lefty power can then be supplied by Juan Miranda or re-signing Eric Hinske.

Or the rumored trade involving the Yankees and Detroit Tigers for center fielder Curtis Granderson would move Cabrera to left field and Granderson in center will supply the lefty power Damon provided last season. While I personally do not like Granderson for the Yankees, it is another option for Brian Cashman.

According to reports Damon has options, too. Remember that even Damon said several teams have shown interest. Those teams include the San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox (very early reports). But lefty hitters are a dime a dozen. What most teams need is righty power such as Bay and Holliday. The Red Sox, Rangers, Rays and a dozen other teams fit this category.

And from what I remember, Damon hits left handed. So I do believe some teams are interested in a guy who put up a line of .284/.365/.489 this season with an OPS+ of 126. It is just that those teams are not good and would be in Damon’s worst interest to sign with them.

Damon needs to think about himself first, but not in the monetary sense, but in terms of legacy. It is what every person wonders – how will I be remembered in this game, business, job, family etc? And in major league baseball, legacy is determined by World Series Championships and the Hall of Fame.

According to baseball-reference.com, Damon has made a tick over $97 million in his baseball career. Assuming he hasn’t blown it all (and TMZ is more busy following Tiger Woods’ life), he is pretty well set, as are his children, his future grandchildren AND THEIR future grandchildren!

Unless you are Montgomery Brewster, a person can’t even begin to spend all that cash.

In other words Damon doesn’t need any more money.

What Damon does need is more career hits, runs, doubles,  HR’s and RBI’s. Evidenced by his never being in the Top 10 of any MVP vote, Damon has not been dominating in any aspect of his game during any part of his career.

Damon needs to accumulate stats to even get a whiff of the Hall of Fame. He has two World Series rings, but Damon needs to get 3,000 hits, needs to get to around 1,800 runs scored, needs 600 doubles, needs 300 homers and needs about 1,300 RBI’s.

Is Damon going to get to those numbers hitting second in the White Sox lineup? Will he get there hitting in spacious AT&T Park in San Francisco, hellish for a lefty hitter? No and no. The Red Sox might need a left fielder this year, but Damon can never go back there.

Damon bests interests  for HOF consideration (and a great legacy) in playing for the Yankees where he gets to hit in cozy Yankee Stadium, hitting behind a Hall of Famer in Jeter and in front of Mark Teixeira (potential HOFer) and Alex Rodriguez (lock HOFer). Hitting in that lineup, while in that park will get Damon more of the accumulated stats he needs to get serious Hall of Fame votes somewhere around 2020.

It would be great for Damon if they can work out that two year deal, and a TEAM OPTION for a third, which would keep Damon hungry for more.

Here is what Damon said during the parade, “I want to continue to be on a team that can win and to play in front of great fans – and we know that the Yankees fill both of those,” Damon said. “I think everyone knows my desire to come back. Still, every time I’ve been a free agent, I’ve ended up switching teams. It’s the nature of the beast. If people are interested, I’m going to listen.”

Go ahead and listen to them Johnny because when you take that bigger contract in San Francisco for more money and years, but fall short in career numbers for the Hall of  Fame, you only have yourself to blame. Imagine at age 70 Damon sitting on the front porch answering another reporter’s question about his thoughts on falling short of the Hall of Fame?

Don’t be an “idiot” this time around Johnny, but be a man and tell your agent, Mr. Boras, to get a deal done with the Yankees.

It will be in your legacy’s best interest.

Topps already made a card of Derek Jeter in their ‘Prospects’ subset, but I really wish they would’ve gave him his own Future Star card. Here’s what it could’ve looked like.

It was a question of who was going to be in the TMZ negative news first, Derek Jeter or Tiger Woods?  Up until this point both have kept a squeaky clean image off the field and off the course.  However it was only a matter of time before something went wrong.  It happens to the best of them, just ask  Tom Brady who is being sued for having his bodyguards shooting at the paparazzi (look for Paparazzi Hunter to replace Big Buck Hunter in local bars near you).  For those who somehow may not have heard, Tiger crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and then hit a tree at 2:30 a.m. but no drinking was involved.  Riiight.  My guess is that he wasn’t on his way to meet Hank Haney for a few tweaks on his takeaway or his power fade.  It was reported that he and Elan  had a marital dispute about whether Tiger was using his stiff shaft in other tight lies throughout the world.  Maybe, maybe not.  The thing that will need to be answered is why Elan supposedly needed to use a club to break a window to free Tiger from the vehicle?  Cover up?  Was the back window busted during the argument? Exactly how do you back into a fire hydrant and tree and end up unconcious?  It’s time for the Tiger image machine to kick it into full gear.  He’s one of the most widely recognized and idolized athletes in the world.  He’s single handedly changed the game of golf as well as the golf industry.  Nike golf should be on the horn asking how much it’s going to cost to make this crash spin like Tiger’s ball on 18 at Augusta.  There is clearly a lot at stake.  The game of golf has been built around one man and the image which he represents.  There have been chinks in that armor throughout this past year, between the numerous f-bombs and the club throwing incident.  Those can be shrugged off as Tiger being Tiger, but a drunken domestic dispute and a roaming eyed Tiger won’t sit well with the millions of Tiger fans worldwide. 

Could be time to get the Kennedy’s on the horn for some advice.

Stay tuned.

According to Gawker, Yankees captain Derek Jeter will be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year on Monday, and will likely grace the cover of the next issue of SI.

I hate to say it, but Jeter didn’t really deserve the award. I mean, if this was a Yankees Sportsman of the Year, defenitely, but there were many guys playing other sports that might have deserved it, like Usian Bolt, Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, or someone else.

Wikipedia states that the award goes to “the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.” 

I guess Jeter did that, but I think SI was just too lazy to look at other sports and say, “well the Yankees won the World Series so we should pick Derek Jeter”, but that’s just my opinion. Congrats to the Captain though, he’s always been a good sportsman.

According to Gawker via an email tipster Derek Jeter will be named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year on Monday. Now, not knowing what SI’s criteria is, I quickly looked on good ole Wikipedia which states the award goes to “the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.”

Now, when I originally read this, I thought that maybe other people on his team or within the league might be more deserving of this award. However, after checking Wikipedia’s entry on the criteria, I couldn’t disagree with it at all. From all accounts, Derek Jeter has embodied what it is to be sportsmanlike since his first appearance in 1995.

Going even further, in 2009, Derek became the all time hits leader for a shortstop (passing Luis Aparicio) and became the New York Yankees all time hits leader (passing Lou Gehrig) as well.

If what Gawker is reporting is true, do you agree with this? I couldn’t think of an athlete who is more deserving than Derek.

Following this weekend’s New York Times article on the Yankees’ post-World Series strategy, and the lessons they can learn from past champs, I received some thoughtful and interesting e-mails from Times readers.

So for your Thanksgiving reading pleasure: Mailbag Time!

I was reading your article where you said the Angels made a huge mistake not replacing more players. That might be true but the important fact you forgot is Disney owned the Angels and were selling them. If you just won the World Series and want to sell the champs why would you make any drastic changes? Would that make sense to the new owner? I think you should just mention that little fact. Most of the time it makes sense to make changes but not that time.
–B.C.

This is a fascinating argument, one I’ve often thought about outside the realm of World Series teams. Do ownership groups actually get a financial benefit from having recognizable players on the 25-roster? If you want to argue that the Yankees would be a more salable property with Derek Jeter on the team, I could behind that argument. But did the 2002 Angels fetch more money for Disney because Scott Spiezio was on the team? Or Ramon Ortiz?

My guess is that most of the value tied up in sports franchises lies in their status as one of a small number of entities operating within a profitable and prestigious oligarchy. Beyond a select group of global brand-type athletes (Jeter, LeBron, etc.), I don’t think sports teams see much, if any benefit from continuity in the event of a sale, even if we’re talking about very good players who aren’t breakout superstars (like Garret Anderson, Tim Salmon and other ‘02 Angels).

Re ”Giving It a Second Thought,” Nov. 22: What an insidious misuse of statistics! Jonah Keri’s derogation of recent Yankees’ heroes is breathtakingly selective, and flies in the face of logic and intuition. In the context of a discussion of how the statistics of several mediocre players “regressed to the mean” after a single “career year,” he sarcastically implies that the odds are overwhelming that Matsui, Damon, and Pettitte will perform poorly next year. I claim no special knowledge of statistics or their use, but it seems breathtakingly clear that the only meaningful “mean” for these players derives from their own individual histories: these guys have been simply great for many years, including coming back from serious injuries. Will age catch up with them? Sure, eventually. But what are the chances that this will happen to all of them in the same year?
–D.S.

I’m not implying that every Yankee over the age of 35, or even just Damon, Matsui and Pettitte, will all collapse at once in 2010. The idea here was to explore how other teams fared after winning a World Series, based on how active they were in reshaping their rosters. In the Yankees’ case, we have decades of data telling us that aging players run a greater risk of reduced success with every year that ticks by.

Now it’s certainly the case that players age better today than they did in previous generations, thanks to better training methods, improved medical science, etc. But the old Branch Rickey slogan applies here: Better to sell a player a year early than a year late. Given the advanced age of several Yankees, one could argue that the team has already rolled the dice and resisted dealing or jettisoning a number of players a year early. But they still have a chance to do it before it’s a year late. It’s an idea worth exploring.

“Hulking palace” seems like a reach; it is a pretty nice stadium
–C.P.

You’re right that “hulking palace” isn’t usually how I refer to Yankee Stadium. It’s gigantic, metallic and impersonal. Reminds me of Schiphol Airport.

Three other pieces of information would have been useful:

3. Some numbers (general or specific) to support regression in the opposite direction – do teams who perform poorly but keep their rosters relatively stable improve the next year?
–R.L.

1. Pulling these numbers together was tricky to begin with. Do you use playoff rosters from year to the next, and knowingly omit a team’s fifth starter, who’s unlikely to be in play? How do you account for injuries to key contributors before or during the postseason? And so on. I used a blend of art and science in this case, roughly speaking Aug. 31 rosters (before September roster expansion but after most deals have been made), with a sprinkle of creative liberties where appropriate. By those standards, I get the following new Phillies in 2009:

Raul Ibanez
Cliff Lee
Ben Francisco
J.A. Happ
Chan Ho Park
Pedro Martinez

So, six.

2. Throwing out the ‘97 Marlins, who staged a massive fire sale, we get an average of 6.3 players per team changing hands. Which is why I used 6 as the over/under on stand-pat teams vs. movers and shakers. Certainly any study like this could be guilty of selective end points, and there are small-sample size issues inherent in sticking only to teams in the Wild Card era.

3. Excellent question, and one that could be worthy of further study in the future.

Excellent article, one of the best examples of this was the 1964-1965 Yankees. They went from first to 6th. There was some turnover for the backup players, but the starting 9 plus the pitching staff was essentially the same. Yes it was before free agency, but the Yankees ignored the aging of their players and stood pat, not trading or developing their farm system. They got old very quickly and it took them 12 years win the pennant again.
–M.W.

One of the things I didn’t do with this article was parse out turnover of bit players (long relievers, bench types) from a team’s leading lights. As you note, merely swapping out backup players doesn’t really solve the issue of fighting complacency and avoiding the curse of an aging ballclub. Of course, the greater the dynasty, the harder it is to say goodbye to key components, and that’s been the case both before and after the advent of free agency.

To throw a wild hypothetical out there, what if the Yankees could get Josh Hamilton, Elvis Andrus and Derek Holland from the Rangers for Derek Jeter? Assuming Hamilton’s healthy, you solve your center fielder problem with a star-caliber player, sub in an early-20s defensive dynamo at short for Jeter, and add an electric lefty arm to your stable of young pitching talent behind Sabathia and Burnett. From a baseball standpoint, it’s certainly a defensible trade.

So would the Yankees ever do this? No freaking way.

I really liked your analysis of the Yankees Sunday.
I would add.
It is unlikely Posada will be able to catch as much as he has – either effectively or ineffectively.
Look at the Hall of Fame catcher numbers after 35. It is unlikely he can do it again.
Damon and Pettitte are candidates for crash and burn in a hurry. I have a great deal of respect for P. but teams have begun hitting him. Teams had big innings. That should continue because of his age, wear etc.
Ibanez is another guy who almost certainly won’t do in 10 what he did in 09.
I am not in love with the free agent class either. Bay strikes out too much. Lackey is good but not great. Figgins seems like a guy made for the Angels.
He would be good for the Twins – my team – but not at the money he wants. Feliz looks like a bargain to me. His stats for the last five years are pretty much Beltre’s – at a third the dough.
–M.C.

Another key consideration when assessing the Change Is Good theory: What’s out there? You can add Matt Holliday and a few others to the top of the free-agent class, as well as likely trade availables such as Adrian Gonzalez and Roy Halladay. But at any given time, there are only going to be a handful of true impact players on the market, and only a few more mid-tier players worth the money they’re seeking. Of course when you’re the Yankees, you have the money to overpay anyone you want if the mood strikes. What the Yankees don’t have is a deep stable of young talent to flip in trade, especially if they’re determined to keep, say, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes.

As for your Twins, they still enough young pitching to swing a deal should the mood strike. As for third base, don’t sell Adrian Beltre short. He’s a terrific fielder, yes. But his offensive numbers also got brutalized by Safeco Field, which as tough as any park in baseball on right-handed hitters. Put him in a neutral to positive environment for hitters and you might be surprised how much better he looks, even if 2004 is a distant memory.

Interesting article and analysis regarding the effect of keeping rosters after world series titles. One thing that i thought could be very helpful and interesting was taking a look at the Yankee dynasties beginning in 1996. How was the turnover each year, since we know how they fared.
–A.R.

TEAM players lost turnover % Year-over-year records
96 to 97 Yankees: 10 40% 92-70, WS W to 96-66, WS L
98 to 99 Yankees: 5 20% 114-48, WS W to 98-64, WS W
99 to 00 Yankees: 6 24% 98-64, WS W to 87-74, WS W
00 to 01 Yankees: 7 28% 87-74, WS W to 95-65, WS L

The 2000 team throws the math out of whack a bit, in that it was easily the worst of the four World Series winners with just 87 wins. The Yanks won eight more games in 2001 than they did in 2000, but obviously failed to take home the trophy that year.

Thanks for the article on the Yankees. It makes me feel better in case they lose Matsui, Damon, or Pettitte. The only thing is, I think it would be hard to replace what they did this year with anyone else. Plus, I think these three guys are maybe different and might not regress that much if at all. For one thing, they all had been dinged up much more the year before. Once they were healthy they produced more like their early thirties selves. Injuries can affect ball players of any age. Also, all three are baseball geniuses. Think of Pettitte fielding the bunt and throwing the guy out at third against the Braves in 96, Damon taking third against the shift this year, Matsui’s success in thinking along with Pedro Martinez in big spots.

Thanks for the Yanks talk in this doleful winter of NYK, NYJ, NYG.
–D.S.

Good point about Damon, Pettitte and Matsui succeeding largely thanks to improved health. My friend Chris Liss of Rotowire.com argues that if skilled baseball players could stay healthy, their performance could easily hold up well into their 40s, given the better shape they’re in today and how far medicine has progressed. It’s an interesting thought, but one that’s very tough to prove, simply because years of wear are almost inevitably going to lead to injuries of some kind. It may be that we’re being too fine in defining what constitutes “injury” vs. “player has a lot of miles on his odometer and is slowly breaking down.”

G0nna make this short and sweet. A few weeks back Mario broke a pack of Triple Threads baseball supplied by Topps and out of it he pulled this sweet Jon Lester auto-relic. I immediately inquired about it and he said I could have it for nothing more than my postage-paid bubble mailer. When the card arrived, it also came with a little container of other goodies including about a dozen random Red Sox cards, a UFC Michael Bisping Auto redemption (Topps estimates it’ll be ready in March) and this Derek Jeter Upper Deck short print card commemorating his achievement as the all-time Yankee hits leader. If there is one thing I have learned in my 18 months as a blogger it’s that there are a lot of generous people in our hobby.

In a showdown of American League’s “best,” it probably comes as a surprise to very few (living outside of New York) that Joe Mauer won the Most Valuable Player Award walking away. The only other first-place vote went to Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers.

Catchers seem to have a bone tossed their way on a regular basis, don’t they?

What’s that? You disagree, you say?

We must look no further than last season (2008) when Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto won the National League Rookie of the Year Award (running away) from should-have-been winner Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds.

Doubt me if you must, but just check the numbers. Votto batted .297 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI. Soto’s numbers were similar but inferior: .285, 23 HR, 86 RBI. Surely you will show me more respect than to attempt to say those two RBI assured him passage on such a runaway train.

I don’t wish to digress from the purpose of this piece; I was just offering up a recent example of “behind the plate” preferences. I could go on, but then what is the point?

Am I attempting to diminish Mauer’s great year and his first MVP trophy, not to mention that incredible .365 average? No, not at all.

Should it have been one of the New York Yankees since they did win the World Series—say, perhaps, Mark Teixeira or Derek Jeter? Yes, I think Tex should have been the winner, and let me tell you why.

Teixeira won two legs of the Triple Crown, tied with Carlos Pena for the league lead in homers with 39, and was the league leader in RBI with 122. The only remaining leg of the Crown was won in convincing fashion by Mauer with an incredible .365 batting average. Mauer did lead the league in OBP, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Both men are Gold Glove winners, but if there is another first basemen with the defensive skills of Tex, I wish someone would bring him to the forefront so we could lay hands on him. He also tied for the league lead in total bases with Cabrera, at 344.

The best “overall” year at the plate of anyone in the American League was crafted by Cabrera. It is still hard for me to believe he is only 26 years old. Let us get out our pencils and compare apples to apples—that is to say Cabrera and Mauer. Cabrera’s vital signs were .324 with 34 homers and 103 RBI. The Tigers first baseman had more runs (96-94), hits (198-191), doubles (34-30), home runs (34-28), RBI (103-96), and total bases (344-307) than Mauer.

As is the case nearly every year, there are disputes in many of the categories voted on by those slick-talking sages (baseball writers) who are oozing with acumen.

Condensing a long story into a “Reader’s Digest” format, do I think Joe Mauer is undeserving of the award? No, of course not; I just think Mark Teixeira is a tad more deserving.

What’s your story?

Cliff Eastham is a Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report, where this article was first published.