Any Yankee HOFers this year?

The short answer here is no. The list of new Hall of Fame contenders released today isn't a great one (it's headlined by Roberto Alomar, although former Yankees Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile are both there too), so what we're really talking about is how close previous contenders are. The only big name Yankee on that list is Don Mattingly, who garnered only 11.9% of the votes last season.

Here's where it gets interesting. Don Mattingly is a fan favorite of Yankees fans from the '80s and early '90s, a time when Yankees fans had little to root for. However, Mattingly's bad back prevented him from playing past his age 34 season, and it also made his numbers decline in his latter years. He did finish with a solid .307/.358/.471 career line, but that isn't good enough to get him into the Hall of Fame (especially considering he was a first baseman, albeit a stellar defensive one). Paired with his 222 career home runs, and it seems that Mattingly really isn't much of a candidate. 2009 was the year of the Yankee, but don't expect to see one make it into the Hall of Fame next year.

Bob Sheppard officially retires

Yesterday's Thanksgiving celebrations ended with one disheartening note: Bob Sheppard, the PA announcer at Yankee Stadium, officially announced his retirement. Sheppard, who is 99 and hasn't announced a game in a few seasons thanks to a serious bout with bronchitis, has been the voice of God at Yankee Stadium since Mickey Mantle's rookie season. It may have been only a formality at this point, but I don't think I was alone in hoping that Sheppard would again call a game at the stadium one day. I hope Sheppard enjoys his retirement, as he will forever be entrenched in Yankee lore.

(Photo by Chris Faytok/Star-Ledger)

Thanksgiving round-up

I've been a naughty blogger. While the Yankee news hasn't exactly been flowing since last Thursday, a mixture of being busy and being lazy has prevented me from posting what little Yankee news that there's been. Consider this post a promise that that is coming to an end. My goal is to restart regular posting as Yankee news develops. For now, accept my apologies and some blurbs about what I've missed.

CC Sabathia finishes fourth in Cy Young voting

Zack Greinke won the AL Cy Young, as he deserved to despite a modest 16-8 record. He posted a 2.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, both of which led the league. In Yankee news, CC Sabathia finished fourth behind Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander. While Sabathia did lead the league in wins, his ERA (3.37) was a full run higher than Greinke's and he struck out 45 fewer batters. There's really no argument for Greinke not winning, and while CC was invaluable to the Yankees Greinke was far and away the best starter in the AL.

Mauer beats out Jeter and Teixeira for AL MVP

Like the AL Cy Young, the MVP was never really more than a one-horse race. Joe Mauer, the great defensive catcher of the Minnesota Twins, hit .365/.444/.587, leading the AL in all three categories. An argument could've been made that Mauer deserved the award if he was a first baseman, but the fact his Mauer's season was historic considering his position. Teixeira, who finished second, may have had more HR and RBI, and Jeter, who finished third, may have had a stellar year also, but Mauer is the clear choice for this award and the 27 of 28 possible first-place votes backs that up. For what it's worth, A-Rod, Mariano, Cano, and Sabathia each also garnered a few MVP votes. Of those, though, A-Rod finished the highest with a tenth place finish.

Jon Weber replaces Shelley Duncan

Shelley Duncan, a name quite familiar to Yankees fans, opted for free agency instead of another season in AAA Scranton effectively ending his tenure with the Yankees for the time being. In an unrelated transaction, the Yankees acquired 31-year-old career minor league outfielder Jon Weber. Weber hit .302/.382/.497 with 14 HR for the Rays' AAA affiliate last year. He's never seen a major league game and won't be a big factor for the Yankees, but it counts as hot stove news, right?

Seven minor leaguers protected from Rule 5 draft

The Yankees added seven minor leaguers to their 40-man roster, thus protecting them from the Rule 5 draft. The biggest (and most easily predicted) name on that list is Austin Jackson, the Yankees best outfield prospect. They also added RHP Hector Noesi, RHP Ivan Nova, RHP Romulo Sanchez, INF Reegie Corona, INF Eduardo Nunez, and INF Kevin Russo. That brings the Yankees total number of players on the 40-man roster to 39, meaning if they hope to sign more than one free agent they'll have to designated someone for assignment.

Yanks, Red Sox interested in Halladay, Duchscherer

The whispers about Roy Halladay seem to be growing in volume by the day, with the Yankees and Red Sox considered the top suitors. For Boston, the package would start with Clay Buchholz and top prospect Casey Kelly, while a Yankee package would have to include one of Hughes/Chamberlain plus one of Jackson/Montero. Such an acquisition would be like the Santana sweepstakes two years ago, when the team acquiring him would have to give up a ton of value in prospects plus a massive contract extension. Meanwhile, Justin Duchscherer is a free agent, meaning acquiring him would only take money. After an outstanding 2008 campaign (22 GS, 2.54 ERA), he didn't pitch in 2009 due to a mix of arm injury and clinical depression. He's all better now, though, so he's looking like a great risk/reward type of player.

103 wins and a world championship doesn't buy what it used to...

Today Tim Lincecum (rightfully) won the NL Cy Young award, but it was yesterday's awards that had me a bit miffed. Yesterday, the Managers of the Year were announced, with Jim Tracy of the Rockies getting the NL win and Mike Scioscia taking it in the AL. Scioscia is certainly a quality manager, but may I ask... what?

The manager who wins manager of the year is often a manager that does one of two things: either he's coaxed his team into outperforming expectations (such as Ron Washington in Texas) or he came from behind to take the division crown (such as Ron Gardenhire in Minnesota). Or, I guess the third would be that he steered his team to a World Series championship. Granted the Nick Adenhart issue was tragic, but I think it was more of a team coming together on it's own after that than Scioscia's doing. (After all, the US came together after 9/11, it wasn't W. who made us all love each other.) And as for outperforming expectations? If there's one team that you expect to succeed in the AL as much as the Yankees, it's probably the Angels.

My point is not that Joe Girardi unanimously deserves the AL manager of the year, but I just don't see how Scioscia is number one. Gardenhire should probably have walked away with the award (after all, the Twins' comeback was something special), but if we're giving the award to the manager of a rich team that was expected to make the playoffs from day one, I just don't see how it's not Girardi. Oh well, it's a good thing that Manager of the Year is kind of a BS award anyway.

Yanks decline Mitre's option

The Yankees declined Sergio Mitre's $1.25 million contract option for 2010 today, although that doesn't necessarily end his tenure in pinstripes. The Yankees seemed to like the depth he brought (despite his 6.79 ERA), so there remains the chance that he could come back on another contract. Although, for the life of me, I just can't see why. Do the Yankees really think Mitre is that much of a better option than the in-house choices like Aceves or Kennedy? I don't, but they do so perhaps Mitre will be pitching in pinstripes in 2010.

(Photo by James Keivon/NY Daily News)

Rightfully so: Grienke takes home AL Cy Young

Most baseball people with brains expected Zack Greinke to walk away with the AL Cy Young. After all, the 26-year-old righty posted an astounding 2.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 33 starts this year. He was fantastic, but even so some skeptics thought that his great-but-not-fantastic total of 16 wins would hold him back. (After all, people in important analyst positions such as John Kruk have before said that wins are the most important pitching stat.) But Greinke won, and while I can't say I would've been upset if CC Sabathia had won (34 GS, 19 W, 3.37 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), but that just wouldn't have been right. Instead, CC came in fourth place, right around where he belonged. Maybe CC can win a Cy Young in 2010, but I think in 2009 he walked away with a trophy that's slightly more important.

Potential Yankee Analysis: Curtis Granderson

Rumors have been circling ferociously for the past week or so about the Tigers trying to cut payroll. The primary name being bandied about is Curtiz Granderson, their athletic center fielder. Prior to a down year in 2009 (he hit .249/.327/.453), Granderson hit .292/.363/.524 in 2007 and 2008. Also, Granderson has a sterling defensive reputation, ostensibly making him the ideal candidate for the Yankee outfield.

But, below the surface, Granderson has some pretty big faults. He's a .210 career hitter against lefties and has topped .200 against them once in the past three seasons. That essentially makes him a platoon player, someone who the Yankees would need to compliment with a lefty bat. There's nothing wrong with that, but considering Granderson's salary and the potential trade demands of the Tigers, that could be a problem. Throw in his propensity to strike out (141 K in 2009 and 149 K per 162 games), there's good reason to believe that Granderson is quite overvalued offensively.

That's not to take away from his skillset, though. Granderson has real power, belting 85 HR in the last 3 seasons, and plenty of speed, stealing 53 bases and hitting an astounding 44 triples in the past 3 seasons. While Granderson may not be an elite outfielder, he's one of the better bats out there. His youth makes him a more viable long-term option than some free agents (namely Jason Bay).

And then there's his defense. He posted a very good UZR in both 2006 (13.7) and 2007 (14.2), but it fell off the chart in 2008 (-8.9) and didn't rebound to its previous highs in 2009 (1.6). Simply put, Granderson is overrated as a defensive outfielder. He'll still post his fair share of web gems, but his days of being an elite defender are not too recent. Not helping his cause is his occasional mental lapse, one of which occurred with his team fighting for a playoff spot against the Twins.

The final topic in the Granderson discussion is the price. He's reasonably priced next season, costing only $5.5 million, but that goes up to $8.25 million in 2011, $10 million in 2012, and $13 million club option in 2013. All told, he's due $36.75 million over the next 4 seasons with the option, or $25.75 over the next 3 three seasons (due to a $2 million buyout). It's not a ridiculous sum, as someone far less appealing (such as, again, Jason Bay) would cost more, but Granderson would also cost prospects, undoubtedly top tier ones. It just seems like a lot to ask for a player with so many question marks. If we were promised Granderson would rebound to his defensive and offensive prime, this one wouldn't even be a question, but the fact is that no one can promise that. It'd be a gamble, one that'd be too costly to be worth it.

(Photo by Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated)

What are our needs?

The Yankees have around $45 million coming off the books (before arbitration raises and whatnot) this offseason, so the question seems to be how they'll spend it. To answer that, we'll have to figure out exactly what they need. The infield is, obviously, set, as is right field and some of the bullpen. So what else is there?

Left field and Center field

The Yankees are losing both Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon to free agency, and while Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera served as a solid tandem in 2009, there's room for improvement in production from that spot. As such, expect to hear plenty of chatter about the Yankees pursuing left field options (such as Jason Bay or Matt Holliday), perhaps center fielders (namely Mike Cameron), or (the likeliest scenario) that they'll attempt to bring back one (or both?) of Matsui and Damon.

Starting Rotation

Sabathia and Burnett are set in stone, and the Yankees have said that both Hughes and Joba will enter camp as starters and don't foresee putting either on a innings limit in 2010. That leaves the fifth spot, which was once occupied by Andy Pettitte. Outside of bringing back Andy, the Yankees have some decent options from within (Kennedy is healthy and Aceves earned himself a shot), but nothing too exciting. That being the case, it seems thay resigning Andy will encompass most of their dabbling in the free agent starting pitcher pool. Could it be John Lackey? Maybe, but he'll be asking for a lot of dough and he's had health problems.

Bullpen

The Yankee bullpen was supposedly set enter 2009 with Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez, but it ended up being David Robertson and Phil Hughes serving as the bridge to Mo. Robertson will be back, but Hughes will shift to the rotation, opening a hole in the 'pen. The Yankees has figured out just how silly signing middle relievers to large contracts is (cough cough... Kyle Farnsworth), so they'll probably restock the relief corps from withing unless a vet is available on the cheap late in the offseason. The name that's mostly coming to mind is Mark Melancon.

Potential Yankee Analysis: Jason Bay

There have been rumors aplenty about the Yankees' left field options this offseason, and one of the bigger names on the market is Jason Bay, the Red Sox left fielder in 2009. Bay is a solid hitter with real power, and he's proved that he can hit in a crazy media market too. Bay hit .267/.384/.537 with 36 HR and 119 RBI in 2009, and while you'd like that batting average to be higher the OBP is very, very good.

So why shouldn't the Yankees pursue him? He's on the wrong side of 30 (he's 31) with the propensity to strike out (which he did 162 time in 2009) and go into prolonged cold streaks. Considering his next contract will take him into his mid to late 30s, there's reason to believe that those K's and cold streaks would become more frequent in the coming years. The power is nice, but the Yankees already have a high power, high OBP, low BA guy in Nick Swisher that's significantly cheaper than Bay.

Which brings me to my next point: the contract. The rumors is that Bay is seeking a deal in the 4-year, $60 million area, which is a lengthy and pricey contract for someone like Bay. Throw in the atrocious defense (13.0 UZR in 2009), and the signing team could be looking at a $15 million, mediocre DH in four years. Obviously, a team like the Yankees could take a hit like that, but why would they? They've been trying to get younger and more agile, and Bay is the exact opposite of that. He may look appetizing now, but the cost outweighs the benefit too much for the Yankees to do much more than kick in the tires.

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Towers, Guzman depart

As a part of their pre-offseason cleaning, the Yankees outrighted both Josh Towers and Freddy Guzman to open up a pair of spots on their 40-man roster (spots that will be invaluable come Rule 5 draft time). Both Towers and Guzman had the option of accepted a trip to AAA Scranton, but instead they elected for free agency, essentially ending their tenures in pinstripes. It's not major news, but news is news this time of year.

Jeter, Teixeira take home Gold Gloves

The AL Gold Gloves were announced today, and both Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira took home the hardware. Teixeira, anecdotally fabulous at first base, posted a pedestrian UZR of -3.7 (it's a flawed stat, but it's one of the better fielding metrics). For Tex, it's his third Gold Glove and his first since 2006. As for Jeter, he posted a positive UZR (6.6) for the first time in his career, showing some clearly better defense than he's ever done before. For Derek, this is his fourth Gold Glove (however, the first one he's deserved), his first since 2006. Here's who rounded out the other AL Gold Glovers:

C - Joe Mauer

2B - Placido Polanco

3B - Evan Longoria

OF - Ichiro Suzuki

OF - Torii Hunter

OF - Adam Jones

P - Mark Buehrle

(Photo by Julie Jacobson/AP)

The Elias Rankings are in

The Elias rankings were released yesterday, and the results were a bit unusual. As expected, Johnny Damon recieved type A status and Andy Pettitte received type B status, but Hideki Matsui received none while Xavier Nady, who played in all of 7 games in 2009, received type B status. Obviously, the system is completely broken, but this is totally ridiculous. Matsui, despite being a DH, isn't that much less valuable than Damon, and he probably deserved to get type B.

For those who don't know, type A and type B free agents are treated differently during free agency. If offered arbitration by their team, type A free agents cost the team that signs them a first round draft pick (assuming that pick is not in the top 15) which is given to that player's former team. As for type B free agents, the team that loses the player is awarded a sandwich pick in the draft (one between the first and second rounds), while the team that signs the player loses nothing. If a free agent is unranked (as is Matsui), no draft picks are exchanged.

Should they stay or should they go?

It's been pretty quiet since the end of the World Series, as is the nature of Major League Baseball, but there are still things to talk about. Today, the general manager meetings (not to be confused with the much-more-exciting winter meetings) will begin in Chicago. And with that, our focus will turn to the Yankee free agents and whether they'll be in pinstripes come 2010.

Johnny Damon

In the last year of his 4-year, $52 million contract, Damon had a banner year, hitting .282 and tying his career high of 24 HR. His defense, once acceptable in center field, is now barely acceptable in left. He was invaluable to the Yankees' championship, but moving forward he's nearly a DH defensively and he's lost a ton of the speed that once made him valuable. That being said, Damon's swing in tailor-made for the right field porch and he and the Yankees have mutual love for one another. I could see Damon returning to the Yankees, but he should not get more than a 2-year deal (a 1-year contract would be ideal) and probably should make about half of his '09 salary. As of right now, Damon seems like the most likely candidate to be patrolling left field coming Opening Day 2010.

Hideki Matsui

Matsui is in a similar situation to Damon in that he is coming off an identical contract, had a very good offensive season, offers nothing defensively, and is getting old. The problem is, he's already a DH with two bad knees and, while 2009 was excellent, there's simply no telling when his knees will shelf him. Of course, winning the World Series MVP certainly curried him some favor and, as with Damon, both he and the Yankees like each other. Matsui could easily come back to the Bronx, but only if Damon is not and he's willing to take a one-year deal.

Xavier Nady

Nady missed essentially all of 2009 due to Tommy John surgery, and is entering free agency for the first time of his career. I've heard that Nady is interested in coming back to New York, but I simply don't see it. He doesn't seem like a better bet offensively than either Damon or Matsui, and there are other better corner outfielders to be had. There's no two ways about it: Nady's played his last game for the Yanks.

Andy Pettitte

Andy Pettitte always seems unsure about what he'll do next, but it's hard to see him signing with another team. As with last season, it'll likely be Yankees or retirement for the lefty, and if he does come back he'll probably have more than the $5.5 million guaranteed he got last offseason. With all of the jubilation of winning the World Series, I think Andy will come back with a similar contract, provided guidance for Chamberlain and Hughes in the rotation.

Chien-Ming Wang

I don't think Chien-Ming Wang is a free agent yet, but the Yankees might release him, essentially making him one. Wang was always one of my favorites, which made it difficult for me when the Yankees always seemed to mistreat him by going to arbitration over $600,000 and refusing to offer him a multi-year contract. It turns out they were right, as Wang never fully healed from his foot injury in 2008 and he lost his 2009 as well. I think Wang can be an effective pitcher once more, but he has a lot to prove and I just can't see the Yankees guaranteeing a spot to a pitcher like that as other teams could. I'd love to see Wang given another shot with the Yankees, but chances are he'll end up elsewhere for a team with lower expectations.

Jerry Hairston Jr.

Jerry Hairston Jr. was a welcome addition to the Yankee team, giving them a veteran utility who actually has a semblance of a bat. He made $2 million in 2009, and I could see the Yankees offering him a similar deal to be their utility guy in 2010, especially considering Ramiro Pena is the alternative.

Eric Hinske

Aside from hitting a handful of homers, Eric Hinske didn't do too much as a bat off the bench in 2009. He made $1.5 million, a good amount for someone in that role, but money that could probably be better spent elsewhere. Being a good luck charm in the AL East aside, the Yankees might opt to find another play for that role.

Jose Molina

Molina did play defense well, but the Yankees have a younger, cheaper catcher (Francisco Cervelli) who can do the same thing for cheaper. A.J. Burnett may have developed a rapport with Molina, but with Cervelli around there's really no reason to bring Molina back.

Scenes from the parade

Still in a state of shock? Yeah, me too. Well, while the ecstasy of the Yankees' world championship sinks in, enjoy some photos of the Yankees celebrating with their ticker tape parade.

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kathy Willens/AP)
(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Appleton-Pool/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Enjoy the parade, everyone

The offseason has officially started, with 79 players filing for free agency yesterday. But for the Yankees, it will start tomorrow. Today, they'll continue to bask in the glow of their 27th World Championship with a ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes. The parade is on the MLB Network and YES, but if you don't have access to either of those MLB.com is broadcasting the parade online for free. Enjoy this moment. It is truly a special one.

Twenty-Seven

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
(Photo by Pool/Getty Images)
(Photo by Pool/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Hideki Matsui named World Series MVP

Prior to Game 6, there was much debate about who would take home the World Series MVP honors if the Yankees won. At that point, not Yankee had done a ton to separate himself in the Fall Classic, and some even thought Chase Utley (who hit .286/.400/1.048 with 5 HR and 8 RBI) might take away the honors even if the Phils lost. But Hideki Matsui distinguished himself last night, going 3 for 4 (and falling a triple shy of the cycle) with a HR and 6 RBI. He finished with this line: .615/.643/1.385, 3 HR, 8 RBI (although he got only 3 AB in Philadelphia thanks to their lack of a DH). It's hard to argue that Matsui deserves it, though, as his 6 RBI last night not only powered the Yankee offense, but tied Bobby Richardson for most RBI in a single World Series game (a feat Richardson set in 1960 for the Yankees). Matsui, the first Japanese player to ever receive the honor, is a free agent this offseason and could command a higher salary thanks to his fantastic performance last night.

(Photo by David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images)

Matsui's 6 RBI catapult Yanks to 27th championship

Yankees 7, Phillies 3

Yankees win World Series 4-2

If there were any Yankees fans who were nervous entering Game 6, Hideki Matsui was sure to calm them. After an uneventful first inning, the soon-to-be free agent Japanese slugger came up with one on and none out. Matsui worked an impressive at-bat, working the count full and fouling off a few pitches before Pedro Martinez finally misplaced a fastball in the middle of the plate. Matsui knew exactly what to do with it, turning it around and launching it over the right field wall to make it 2-0 Yankees. The Bombers never looked back

As for pitching, Andy Pettitte made the start on short rest. It was a cause for concern, and Andy wasn't particularly sharp, but he still got the job done. In the top of the third, Carlos Ruiz hit a one-out triple and, instead of crumbling, Andy held strong. He did give up a sac fly to Jimmy Rollins to cut the Yankee lead in half, but he proved why his experience is so valuable. Instead of getting shaken up, Ruiz's triple was a mere blip in Andy's evening.

Of course, it helped that the Yankees spotted him again in the second inning. With one out, Derek Jeter hit a single (his first hit of three) that Shane Victorino misplayed, trapping the liner instead of catching it. Martinez then loaded the bases by walking Johnny Damon and hitting Mark Teixeira with a pitch to set up Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod fell behind 1-2, then was punched out looking on a slider that was probably outside of the zone. But Hideki Matsui picked him up, lining an 0-2 fastball (that was probably a ball) into left center field to drive in two more runs and make it 4-1 Yankees.

After a fourth inning where Andy walked a pair and Pedro got hit hard but still retired the side in order, the Yankees set themselves to feast on the Phillie bullpen in the fifth. Derek Jeter started it with a ground-rule double off of Chad Durbin, and after he was bunted over (by Hairston, not Damon, who had left with a leg injury) Mark Teixeira lined a single into right center field to push the Yankee lead to 5-1. Durbin then walked A-Rod and was pulled for J.A. Happ, a lefty. But that played right into the Yankees' hand, as Matsui was white-hot and doesn't struggle against lefties. On Happ's fifth pitch, Matsui lined a double off of the right field wall to plate the Yankees' sixth and seventh runs and give him 6 RBI for the game. Godzilla came up big when it mattered.

Pettitte did falter again in the sixth, surrendering a 2-run homer to Ryan Howard, but it felt very minor. The Yankees, it seemed, were unstoppable. After Raul Ibanez doubled with two outs, Joba Chamberlain was called upon to end the inning, which he promptly did.

In the seventh, Joba gave up a hit to Ruiz (who finished with a .333 BA in the World Series) and then walked Shane Victorino with two outs. With the Phillies' big lefties coming up, Joe Girardi went to the inexplicably effective Damaso Marte, who got Chase Utley to strike out on a failed check swing to end the inning and escape the jam. Marte returned in the ninth to get the next lefty, Ryan Howard, to strike out swinging, and Enter Sandman blared on the PA system. It was Mariano Rivera time.

This being Game 6 of the World Series, critiquing Girardi for calling on Mo to get five outs despite the four-run lead was the farthest thing from anyone's mind. After all, if he does his job, he gets about five months of rest. And, of course, Mariano did his job. In the eighth, he gave up a 2-out double to Raul Ibanez but nothing came of it. In the ninth, that pesky Carlos Ruiz walked with one out, but Jimmy Rollins followed with a fly out to center. One out away from a world championship, Mariano was forced to work hard for his last out. Shane Victorino worked the count full on nine pitches then, on the tenth pitch, Victorino tapped a fastball to second base. Cano flipped the ball to Teixeira, and, arms raised, the Yankees converged on the infield. The fans screamed, everyone hugged and jumped up and down, and "We Are the Champions" blasted throughout the stadium. This was it: world championship number 27.

Box Score

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

The Yankees win the World Series!

The Yankees won 7-3 to seal the deal for their 27th World Championship! Congratulations to the Yankees, their fans, and the Steinbrenner family!! I'll be sure to get a game recap up sometime tomorrow, but right now is for celebrating!

A little too much, maybe?

I dislike Pedro Martinez a lot. The guy's a pompous ass that has consistently said dopey things simply to bother the Yankees and their fans. But it reaches a point where taunting him is just absurd, and I'm pretty sure that the New York Post has reached that point. That's right, the bosses at the Post decided it was a good idea to superimpose Pedro Martinez's head on the body of a baby. Someone in their employ actually sat down with a picture of a baby in a diaper, found a picture of Pedro's head, and cut it out and put it on the baby. I wonder if, at any point, that employee thought to himself, "I am working for one of New York's more reputable newspapers." Somehow, I doubt it.

(Image courtesy of the New York Post cover archives)