Game Face

Here’s a humorous side note to Curt Schilling’s rant yesterday that “the Yankees suck” so “New York’s excited” that Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury: The Patriots’ MVP quarterback is a Yankees fan!

Brady was spotted by the Boston Herald last year wearing a Yankees cap.

In 2001, Drew Henson, Brady’s former teammate at Michigan who also briefly played for the Yankees, outed Brady to reporters: “Tom’s a huge baseball fan and a big Yankee fan,” Henson said.

Scuttlebutt has it that Brady used to wear his Yankees cap around the Pats locker room until he was told not to.

So using Schilling’s logic, Tom Brady is happy that Tom Brady got hurt.

Carl Pavano, the righty who signed a four-year $40M contract with the Yankees in 2004, only to become a punchline and symbol of the team's woes could be back — Saturday, according to MLB.com.

Pavano has appeared in just 19 games for the Yanks, including two last season, and a whopping zero in 2006. Recovering from Tommy John surgery, Pavano has put up decent numbers while rehabbing in the minors. That was just the latest in a long-line of injuries for the 32-year-old.

In three Eastern League starts, Pavano is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA, allowing 14 hits and three walks while striking out 13 in 14 innings.

Phil Hughes, who is also rehabbing in the minors, could also be chosen to make the start Saturday in Baltimore.

— Pete Catapano

Yankee great Don Mattingly will be sitting on Joe Torre's side in the Dodgers' dugout as hitting coach, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Mattingly signed for the job in the off-season, but resigned before the season started because of marital problems.

The deal isn't done yet, and he likely wouldn't start until July 17.
— Pete Catapano

Despite the ’stache, Jason Giambi is still behind on the web vote to be named the last player added to the AL All-Star roster.
According to MLB.com, Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart and Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria were holding slim leads, while fans turn out in record numbers. Yankee fans, there's till time to get the ’stache in the game. You can vote at MLB.com.
— Pete Catapano

Even the most casual Yankee fan will know that the last name of the Yankees injured ace Chien-Ming Wang rhymes with "wrong."

Then why do some of his teammates like Jason Giambi and Mike Mussina pronounce it as it rhymes with "hang"? This is particularly strange with Mussina since he's widely considered one of the smartest players in the game, graduating from Stanford in 3 1/2 years and obsessively doing crossword puzzles etc.

Well, the answer is in John Feinstein's great new book, "Living on the Black," which chronicles the 2007 seasons of Mussina and Tom Glavine. Mussina said he says pronounces the name incorrectly on purpose just to see if people "correct him."
"I know how to say his name," Mussina said.
— Pete Catapano

Joba will be pitching T-shirts instead of baseballs in Times Square on Tuesday. (AP)

Fans gearing up for the 2008 All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium (the last to be held in the historic park) can help out those other boys in blue by picking up a commemorative T-shirt this week.

The T-shirts, which read “Heroes Made Legends Remembered,” will be sold at Modell’s Sporting Goods stores for $19.99, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the FDNY Foundation and the New York City Police Foundation.

Yanks’ pitcher Joba Chamberlain will be spreading the word at a press conference at the Modell’s store in Times Square at noon tomorrow.

The 79th Midsummer Classic will be played on July 15, but baseball junkies can vote online at MLB.com for their all-star picks until July 2.

— Megan Stride

As dominant as Joba Chamberlain has been in the bullpen, Yanks fans who are worried that the bullpen will be exposed in the eighth inning can rest easier. Right-hander Edwar Ramirez, 27, has quietly put together an unbelievable start to the season.
Ramirez, who was hit or miss as a late-season callup last year, has pitched 14 scoreless innings this year, striking out 15. Apparently, Yanks closer Mariano Rivera has taken Ramirez under his wing, telling him to throw more fastballs and using his killer change-up and at more selective times. Look for him to win the eight-inning set-up role spot.

— Pete Catapano

In 1990, Chicago Cub Andre Dawson was walked intentionally five times in a 16-inning, 2-1 win, against the Reds at Wrigley Field, setting a major league record.
So it's the rare case in sports in which a player sets a record just by, well, doing nothing.
— Pete Catapano

(AP)

Now that Joba Chamberlain is moving to the starting rotation, the Yanks have put themselves in a familiar position- they have too many starters for the rotation. Once Joba enters the rotation, the starting five will likely look like this:
Chien Ming Wang
Andy Pettitte
Joba Chamberlain
Darrel Rasner
Mike Mussina

Where does that leave the Yanks pitching stars of the future Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes? Kennedy, who starts tonight, will likely get sent down. Hughes, meanwhile, will come off the DL in July. Right now, Rasner has been a savior to the staff, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.67 ERA. Despite those numbers, he’s likely to head to the pen.

— Pete Catapano

Derek Jeter, who got plunked on the hand last night in the Yanks 12-2 drubbing by the Orioles, is back in the line-up tonight after x-rays cane back negative.
“I’m fine,” Jeter told the AP. “Definitely good.”
— pete catapano

Weather permitting, Friday night will kick off the 12th year of the Mets and Yankees facing off in interleague play. Here are ten of the best, worst and strangest moments of the Subway series.

10) David Wright hits a walk-off RBI Single
May 19, 2006: Wright hit the game-winning RBI single off of Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning to score Paul LoDuca, giving the Mets a 7-6 victory over the Yankees.

9) The Yanks score two in the bottom of the ninth off Braden Looper
June 26, 2005: Jason Giambi hits a game winning single to bring home Alex Rodriguez and Tino Martinez, giving the Yankees a 5-4 victory.

8) Armando Benitez walks in the tying run
June 22, 2003: Four walks and a wild pitch from Benitez allow the Yankees to tie the game at 3-3 in the ninth inning. The Yankees would score four times in the eleventh inning, giving them a 7-3 victory.

7) Roger Cedeno steals home
June 29, 2002: Cedeno slid in and avoided the tag of Yankees catcher Alberto Castillo, en route to a blowout Mets victory, 11-2.

6) Baerga wins in a photo finish
June 28, 1998: With Carlos Baerga on third and Brian McRae on first, Yankees rightfielder Paul O'Neill caught a fly ball and then threw to first to try to double off McRae. The umpires ruled that Baerga touched home a fraction of a second before McRae was thrown out, and the Mets won, 2-1.

5) Dave Mlicki shuts out the Yankees in the inaugural Subway series game.
June 6, 1997: Dave Mlicki threw a complete-game shut out to beat the Yankees, 6-0, in the first ever regular season meeting between the Mets and the Yankees.

4) Shawn Estes throws at Roger Clemens, misses.
June 15, 2002: Shawn Estes was put in the awkward position of having to throw at Roger Clemens, whose antics in the 2000 World Series (and regular season) led Mets fans to demand retribution when he came to bat at Shea Stadium. Estes' pitch sailed behind Clemens, but he made amends later, hitting a solo home run off the Yankees starter in an 8-0 Mets win.

3) Robin Ventura acts a fool.
June 11, 2000: As fans waited to see whether or not rain would prevent baseball that day (it did), those remaining in the stands were treated to Robin Ventura, sporting a painted on goatee and a #31 jersey, doing his best impression of Mike Piazza. Ventura ran around the bases, sliding into both second base and home, sending up enormous splashes of water on the tarp-covered, rain-soaked field.

2) Day/Night Multi-Borough Doubleheader
July 8, 2000: In game one of the doubleheader, Dwight Gooden went back to the mound at Shea Stadium, only this time he was wearing a Yankees uniform. Gooden picked up the win, allowing two runs in five innings. Tino Martinez homered and drove in three runs for the Yankees, who won 4-2. Game two, which was at Yankee Stadium, is the more famous of the two games, because of moment number one.

1) Roger Clemens: Professional Headhunter
July 8, 2000: In the first of a series of bizarre events between Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza, Clemens hit Piazza in the head with an 0-1 fastball, likely in retribution for a grand slam that Piazza hit off of Clemens earlier in the year. Piazza had to leave the game, but this wouldn't be the last time that Clemens would throw at him. Next time it would be a bat.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

(Thanks in part to Newsday. Find these moments, and more, in this photo gallery.)

The following is Mets ace Johan Santana’s internal monologue as he takes the mound for Friday night’s opener of the three-game subway series at Yankee Stadium. (For the purposes of this column, the Venezuelan’s thoughts are in English, addressed in the second person and knowable only to this writer.)

Some Yankees fans here tonight want to see your left arm tear off on the first pitch, Johan.

“To watch your prized left arm rip right off your shoulder and then whistle harmlessly past Melky Cabrera with your first delivery. (Joe Girardi wouldn’t lead off with lefty Johnny Damon, would he?)

“Whistle by Melky? Hmm. What sound would the flight of your arm make? Whoosh? You’d have to go with whoosh, Johan. Or swish or swoosh.

“Of course, if you were uncorking a fastball and, whoops, off came your arm, then the sound would obviously be zing. But more likely, you’d start young Melky off with a changeup, so that when your arm flew off — to the delight of jealous Yankee fans — a whooshing sound would accompany it.

“Anyway, this whole scenario is impossible, right? Which is to say, you’re probably safe from the grotesque sight and excruciation of your own arm detaching from your rotator cuff and so on, and then sort of helicoptering the full 60 feet to home plate.

“Johan Santana, you’re in your prime at age 29, and you’re the best pitcher in baseball. Those things are on the list of things that you are.

“This whole arm-detachment scenario that’s playing out in your head right now? That’s just the pressure, Johan. The pressure of the seven-year, $137.5 million contract the Mets gave you after the Yankees cut off trade talks with the Twins. Averaged out, that’s $19.6 million for this season. Over 34 starts, that’s about $576,000 for today.

“So your arm spinning lifelessly off your shoulder, still gripping the baseball, and Melky swinging at your arm, and your arm becoming a leadoff single? Ridiculous.

“Look at you, Johan. Your goatee is perfectly groomed. A battery-powered Gillette glided over the non-goatee areas of your beard this morning.

“You warmed up your arm. It will not fall off!

“So go pitch your complete-game shutout in fewer than 115 pitches.”

Max J. Dickstein is amNewYork’s sports editor.
E-mail him at mdickstein [at] am-ny [dot] com.

— Max Dickstein

Last year, there were rumblings that Hideki Matsui’s best days were behind
him, with balky knees and age catching up with him. But almost six weeks
into the season, Matsui has been the Yanks' most solid bat in the lineup.
Hitting safely in 15 straight games, Hideki is hitting .342 with four homers
and 17 RBIs. In his last three games, Matsui is 7-for-12 with three RBIs. At
this pace, he’s a lock for his fifth 100-RBI season.
It's Godzilla's revenge!
— Pete Catapano

Alex Rodriguez, the three-time MVP, became a D-A-D for the second time yesterday.

With A-Rod at her side, his wife, Cynthia, 34, gave birth to a 7-pound, 9-ounce girl in Miami, team officials said.

“We are thrilled with the birth of our second daughter and the blessing of having two beautiful, healthy daughters in our lives,” Rodriguez said.

The couple also has a 3-year-old daughter, Natasha. The newborn’s name has not yet been released

A-Rod, who is nursing the right quad he strained Sunday at Baltimore, missed Tuesday night’s game at the Chicago White Sox and isn’t expected to return to the Yankees until Thursday.

AP Photo

(Credit: Getty Images)

If the Yankees’ Joba Chamberlain is to undergo the conversion from eighth-inning setup man to starting pitcher, the place for him to do so will be in eastern Pennsylvania, where the Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees play ball.
I called Scranton to ask the team’s director of media relations and broadcasting, Mike Vander Wood, what sort of process Chamberlain would need to undergo if he were sent to Moosic, Pa., for a three-week conversion program from big-league reliever to Triple-A starter to big-league starter.
“That all depends on the individual,” said Vander Wood, who was about to broadcast the conclusion of a three-game series against the visiting Rochester Red Wings on Monday night. “You have to look at it on a case by case basis. If a guy had been strictly reliever, you’re not going to have a guy throw 100 pitches the first time out.”
Vander Wood said that no one in the Bronx had contacted the Triple-A affiliate about making arrangements for Chamberlain, and said he was therefore willing to speak only very generally and hypothetically about the potential conversion of Chamberlain.
He did suggest that Scranton, where former big-league pitchers Kei Igawa and Scott Patterson toil, would be a good place to effect the change.
“This is one step below the major leagues,” Vander Wood said. “You’ve got some pretty good talent here.”

Tragic story from Shea Stadium Tuesday night: A 36-year-old father of two fell from an escalator while leaving the game and died. This sort of thing has happened twice before –- at Shea in 1985 and at Yankee Stadium in 1999.

But in doing our research, we stumbled upon another stadium tragedy that seems to have been overlooked in today’s media reports.

On May 19, 1929, a 17-year-old female Hunter College student and a 60-year-old male truck driver were trampled to death in a Yankee Stadium stampede. Sixty-two others were injured. At a time when more tickets were sold than seats were available, a sudden storm hit the Stadium, sending panicky fans in the right field bleachers to seek shelter.

The International Herald Tribune reports that “ ‘Babe’ Ruth rushed to the open bleacher in an effort the stem the wild rush for shelter. Fighting and pushing his way through the crowd he found the woman crushed beneath the trampling feet. He fought his way back to the field but the woman died in his arms before aid could arrive.” (We, however, couldn’t track down any verification of this part of the story.)

New Yank reliever Latroy Hawkins hasn't made too many friends amongst Yankee fans with his first two outings this season, allowing nine hits and seven runs in just three innings pitched. While we all knew he was no Mariano Rivera when he came to the Bronx, those numbers are downright ugly.

But as far as numbers go, could the No. 21 on his back be bringing him some bad luck? Yes, it was an absolutely sincere choice he made by wanting to honor the late Roberto Clemente, who wore the same number.

However, he is the first to choose that number since the beloved Paul O'Neill retired at the end of the 2001 season.

Yes the number wasn't officially retired and he has ever right to choose it, but maybe that number on his back - which looks somewhat odd on someone other than O'Neill - is brining him bad vibes from the Yankee faithful. Perhaps he can change his Yankee number but put a 21 on his hat to honor Clemente, the great outfielder for the Pirates.

In fact, during his awful outing Friday, fans were chanting "Paul O'Neill" to chastise Hawkins.

Would changing the number change his luck? Don't be surprised if he has a new number after a few more awful outings.

Recent notable Yanks who changed their numbers while on the team:
Don Mattingly
Roger Clemens
Joe Girardi
Robinson Cano

In the meantime, we at Gameface would like give everyone a reminder of Clemente's greatness with this video tribute.

-Pete Catapano

In the vein of the Bucky Dent interview I posted yesterday, here's the transcript from an interview I did with Bill "Moose" Skowron, the Yankees' first baseman from 1954-62. Of course, the subject again was Yankee Stadium's final season. At age 77, Moose, who lives in Illinois, seems like he still has a lot of spunk.

What do you think of the plans for the new Yankee Stadium?
“They should build the park the same way as I had it because I want to see these guys hit those home runs in the bleachers -- 457, 461 feet to dead center.”

Do you remember your first game as a player at Yankee Stadium?
“Opening day [1954], I hit a triple and a home run.”

What were you thinking when you ran out on the field for the first time? Were you nervous?
“I was always nervous prior to the first out. Once the first out was made, then you just forget; everything’s out of your mind.”

What do you think makes Yankee Stadium such a special place?
“Fans. Beautiful fans. They were always great. Win or lose, they were always nice. You don’t forget things like that. They treated me well. In nine years, we won seven pennants. Sure, when I was lousy, they booed me. They had every right to boo me. When I was good, they gave me accolades, and that’s the way it should be.”

“We used to call it Death Valley. We couldn’t wait to go on a road trip because the fences were closer on the road. I hit some balls to left center, and they’d catch ‘em. Then I’d come to the dugout and moan a little bit, and [manager] Casey [Stengel] says, ‘If you don’t like it here, we can get you somewhere else.’ What are you going to say when you win World Series and pennants? The pitchers loved the ballpark because they’d throw it out there and say, ‘Hit the damn thing.’ ”

As a player, did you feel the history of the place, like, fore example, Babe Ruth’s ghost?
“I never felt that.”

“I wish I would have met Lou Gehrig, but I met Babe Ruth when I was like 17 years old at the Polo Grounds. … I had Wally Pipp come up to me at an old-timers game. He said, ‘Moose, sit over here; I want to talk to you.’ He said, ‘Don’t ever get a headache or stay out late.’ He said, ‘I stayed out late, and the next day I went up to the manager, Miller Huggins, and I asked him for a day off, and Lou Gehrig took my place, and I never played again.’ I never forgot that. After that, no matter what, I played.”

Do you think the new stadium can capture the same essence that people feel when they enter the current Yankee Stadium?
“I think so because they have a helluva ballclub. They get 50,000 to 60,000 every game."

So you think it’s mostly about the fans than the stadium?
“The fans. The fans and the media, they want to win. Mr. Steinbrenner wants to spend money and win.”

In Monday’s amNewYork, we have an article about the last opening day at the House that Ruth Built. I interviewed several fans and a couple of past Yankees about the history that will be lost when the current Yankee Stadium is torn down.

Here is a transcript of my interview with Bucky Dent, who played in pinstripes from 1977-82. Notice how many times he calls Yankee Stadium "a special place."

How well do you remember the first game you played at Yankee Stadium?
“I remember it quite well. It’s just a special place. I missed the old stadium when I came up. They were playing in Shea. Missing the old one then coming back and playing in the old one -- the one they’re in now -- it was pretty neat.

What do you think makes Yankee Stadium such a special place?
“I think because of the history of the people that played there. Just walking in there and having that feeling of knowing that the great guys like Ruth and Gehrig and Mantle and Berra and all those legendary guys played there.”

Do players talk about the history of the stadium often, like for example they feel the ghost of Babe Ruth?
“You talk to the guys who played there. That’s a special place to go.”

What do you think of the plan to tear down the stadium to build a new one next door?
“I’m kind of torn, simply because of the tradition, the history, that aura. You know the guys that have played there, they know that House that Ruth Built. It’s a special place. I know that they’re building a new one, but there’s that feeling about playing in Yankee Stadium?

Do you think it’s possible that a new stadium could capture that special feeling that the old stadium had, or will new memories have to be created there before that can happen?
“It’s going to take a history of things. The new one’s going to be nice. But the old one, you knew that those great players played in there. That was like sacred ground. It’s a special place. That’s not going to be able to replaced.”

What was your favorite memory of playing at Yankee Stadium, whether it was something you accomplished or witnessed there?
“I witnessed Reggie hit his three home runs there, but my thing is the first time I put the pinstripes on and went out on the field, opening day. I was a kid. I dreamed of playing with the Yankees, and it all happened. And you stand in that dugout, and you wait for your name to be called, and then you run out for opening day.

“The other great memory is standing there waiting for your first World Series, playing in your first World Series game as a Yankee. Those memories, they’re vivid.”

Check back Monday afternoon at Game Face for a Q&A with Bill “Moose” Skowron.

(Photo by AP)

Have you seen the photos of Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui announcing his marriage? Oh yes, 33-year-old Godzilla has wed a 25-year-old woman, but she wasn't at the news conference alongside him Silda Wall Spitzer-style. She was there ... in drawing form.

Matsui presented his bride to the public with a black-and-white sketch. The New York Post didn't go into detail today about why he didn't at least have a photo, but I guess we're happy if he's happy. A happy anime fan.
— Emily

Let’s first get one thing straight: There’s no denying at least some of what Jose Canseco wrote in his first book, “Juiced,” was true. But I’ve always found it laughable that just because he got some of it right, he’s now considered an entirely credible source.

People seem to forget some of the outrageous allegations levied in “Juiced” that didn’t include steroids (or more realistically, they never read it). So when you read that in Canseco’s latest installment, “Vindicated,” the one-time Bash Brother hooked up Alex Rodriguez with his steroid supplier and that A-Rod was trying to move in on Canseco’s ex-wife, consider this is coming from the same guy who also wrote he:

Personally, I think it’s just a matter of time before he takes credit for the Black Sox scandal, the Kennedy assassination and aerosol cheese.

Judge for yourself. If you think all of Canseco’s stories are true, go right on believing him. But count me in the number who views Canseco as an attention-starved egomaniac, who yeah, knows and saw some damaging things during his career. But he’s still far from believable 100 percent of the time.

And as long as that’s the case, A-Rod doesn’t deserve to be convicted in the court of public opinion just based on Canseco’s words.

AP Photo

Everyone has criticized the Yanks the last couple of years for being an aging team with the likes of Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina etc.

But the team got older today -- much older -- when life-long Yankee fan Billy Crystal joined the team in its preseason game against the Pirates.

Playing DH, the 59-year-old comedian struck out in his first at bat on a 3-2 count.

Crystal, who looks miniscule compared to your average ballplayer, actually made contact, fouling off a pitch down the first base line.

Maybe he should talk to some 'trainers' about procuring some HGH.

Check out the photos here

-- Pete Catapano

AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Tensions between the Yanks and Rays boiled over today with a bench clearing brawl during their Spring Training game today.

NCAA Basketball is heating up, as conference tournaments are getting underway, and March Madness is only a week away. The Big East tournament gets underway today at the World's Most Famous Arena

Isiah Thomas still thinks he will be the head coach of the Knicks after this season, and is preparing for the draft lottery.

Billy Crystal is apparently having a blast at Yankees camp. Congratulations are in order for Crystal, as he has become the third oldest player in baseball history - behind El Duque and Julio Franco.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

Below is statement from Bobby Murcer released through the Yankees today. Murcer, who had a malignant brain tumor removed in December 2006, underwent a brain biopsy on Monday in Houston after doctors found an "area of concern."

Here's what he had to say:

“We received great news this morning. The biopsy revealed scar tissue. It showed no signs of cancer. We are very excited about this news. It’s what we had hoped for all along. We are checking out today (from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston) and are flying back to Oklahoma. I plan on resting at home over the next few weeks and focusing my energy on returning to the Stadium for its final Opening Day. My family and I thank everyone for their prayers, e-mails, cards and thoughts.”

AP Photo

There’s a lot of buzz lately about Derek Jeter’s poor defensive play (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7824160/Jeter-takes-a-byte-out-of-'worst-shortstop'-label)

So he might not be Dave Concepcion over there, but things were A LOT were as far as scooping grounders go before Jeter came to town. Last year Jeter hit .322 with 73 RBIS, while making 18 errors, posting a fielding percentage of .970.

So the team clearly good do much worse.
Here’s a refresher of how things used to be:

1993 Spike Owen, .234 BA, 14 errors, .968 fielding percentage in 96 games
1992 Andy Stankiewicz, .286 BA, 11 errors, .973 fielding percentage in 81 games
1991 Alvaro Espinoza, .256 BA, 21 errors, .969 fielding percentage in 147 games

and everyone’s favorite

1985 Bobby Meachem, .218 BA, 24 errors, .968 fielding percentage in 155 games

--Pete Catapano

The ongoing saga of Clemens v. McNamee is fast becoming one of the most intensely bizarre conflicts in recent history.

Today comes news that McNamee testified that he showed Roger Clemens' wife how to inject herself with HGH.

It stands to reason that McNamee has little to nothing to gain from lying to congress, but this new wrinkle to the story is simply out of this world.

Perhaps I am biased, as I had Brian McNamee as an associate professor during my studies at St. John's (in Queens, NY), but the general feeling I get on this situation is that Roger Clemens is in a lot of trouble, and he's digging himself deeper by the day.

Should be an interesting show next Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

Fresh off the AP wire (with some edits for grammar... the AP stresses speed above all else):

Andy Pettitte has decided to pitch for the New York Yankees in 2008 and
put off retirement.

Pettitte’s agent, Randy Hendricks, said Monday that the 35-year-old left-hander had started telling teammates on Sunday.

Hendricks then informed Yankees general manager Brian Cashman of the news.

Wang, Pettitte, Chamberlain and--hopefully--Santana... not bad.