Rough seas ahead for Captain, Yanks? By Wallace Matthews

Rough seas ahead for Captain, Yanks?
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By Wallace Matthews


ESPNNewYork.com
ORLANDO, Fla. -- If the Yankees could get Derek Jeter to agree to a three-year contract for $21 million per year, they would sign off on it today.


But they can't get him to agree to that, which is why we are a week away from Thanksgiving Day and a deal that was supposed to be a slam dunk is still on the shot clock.


That is the word from a source with inside knowledge of the negotiations between the Yankees and Jeter. The source says the Yankees are willing to give Jeter more money than his play currently warrants, but fewer years than Jeter currently wants.


With Derek Jeter a first-time free agent, we look back on The Captain's greatest moments in pinstripes.


Jeter, the source said, wants more. Four years, minimum, and preferably five or even six. Right now, it is a standoff, a dirty dance, a game of chicken in which one side or the other must eventually blink.


And according to the source, who has ties to both the team and the player, there is at least one voice inside the Yankees' hierarchy urging the front office to play its game as hard as Jeter plays his on the field.



"Tell him the deal is three years at $15 million a year, take it or leave it," goes the hard-line approach. "Wait him out and he'll wind up taking it. Where's he gonna go, Cincinnati?"


But according to the source, the Yankees are fearful of taking that sort of a stance with their most beloved player since Mickey Mantle, fearful of a fan backlash and a public relations nightmare even though history says this team, better than any other, can survive parting ways with even the most beloved player in the bitterest fashion.


This, after all, is a franchise that parted on bad terms with Babe Ruth, only the greatest player of all time and the one player who truly did more for this franchise than the franchise did for him. The Yankees survived that, and they survived the jettisoning of Bernie Williams and the split with Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui after both played pivotal roles in their 2009 World Series championship.


And the men who run the Yankees now, Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman and Randy Levine, as unsentimental and hard-nosed a lot as has ever run this ballclub, know they will survive a bad split with Derek Jeter, too, if that's how this all eventually plays out.


Obviously, that is not how they want it to go, but only a fool or a child would discount the possibility that it might.


A source says the Yankees could play hardball with Derek Jeter as negotiations head into Thanksgiving week.


The official line from the Yankees is that the negotiation is proceeding as all negotiations do, at its own pace and with its own unique potholes and sticking points.


"Derek Jeter is a great Yankee and he's a great player," said Levine. "With that said and done, now is a different negotiation than 10 years ago."


That last statement is open to many interpretations, but its essential meaning seems pretty clear. Jeter is 10 years older than he was when he signed that $189 million contract from The Boss following a triumphant 2000 World Series in which the Yankees beat the Mets and Jeter was voted the Series MVP.


He is not, however, 10 years better. His best playing days are behind him and his inevitable decline has probably begun. He will turn 37 before the 2011 All-Star break, older than any other starting shortstop in the league, and despite winning the Gold Glove at his position for the 2010 season, he has clearly lost significant range in the field.


And his bat, always reliable, fell off 44 points from his career average of .314, and 64 points off his transcendent 2009 season, when he hit .334.


He earned $21 million last season, but at this stage of his career, he is a $21 million player by reputation only. Still, the source said the Yankees are willing to keep him at that level for three more years, if only out of loyalty and gratitude for past favors.


Levine, the only Yankees representative at Wednesday's session of the GM meetings, with Hal Steinbrenner having returned to Tampa for his daughter's birthday and Cashman having flown back to New York in the morning to continue his search for a pitching coach, refused to delve into the specifics of the Jeter negotiations.


But again, Levine's words were revealing when he said, "He's a baseball player, and this is a player negotiation. Everything he is and who he is gets factored in. But this isn't a licensing deal or a commercial rights deal, he's a baseball player. With that said, you can't take away from who he is. He brings a lot to the organization. And we bring a lot to him."


Meaning, the Yankees would like to pay him on the basis of performance, not persona. And that being a Yankee has benefited Derek Jeter, player and persona, every bit as much as Derek Jeter has benefited the Yankees.


Joe Torre left town after Brian Cashman & Co. decided he needed the Yankees more than they needed him. Could the same happen with Jeter?


That sounds like the framework for a tougher-than-expected negotiation, and a potentially "messy" one, to borrow Hal Steinbrenner's word, if one or both of the sides don't soften.


And it echoes what was said during Joe Torre's final negotiation, which turned truly messy, when Levine laid out the team's position that it was the Yankees who made Torre, and not vice versa.


According to Levine, Cashman was expected to contact Jeter's agent, Casey Close, either Wednesday night or Thursday to check in. He will do the same with Fern Cuza, the agent for Mariano Rivera, and with Darek Braunecker, the agent for Cliff Lee.


"We would love to have both of them back," Levine said of Jeter and Rivera, "but as Hal said, it's a business."


How much of this is posturing and how much is truth is tough to say. Close did not return a call seeking comment. But for two sides who have professed since the end of the season to want badly to remain together, it appears each has a taken a position that so far has prevented that from happening.


It is not supposed to be easy, of course, especially in a negotiation between a team that has to plan for its future and a player to whom that team owes much of its past success.


Red Sox GM Theo Epstein faced a similarly touchy situation two years ago when it came time to negotiate with Jason Varitek, his team's captain, a pivotal part of two Boston teams that snapped an 86-year championship drought, and a beloved fan favorite.


At 36, Varitek was coming out of a four-year, $40 million deal and off a season in which he hit a career-low .220 with just 13 home runs. Epstein played it tough, cutting Varitek's salary to $5 million per year for one year with an option for 2010, which he wound up picking up.


"That was purely a baseball decision," Epstein said. "The baseball operations department's job is to make a market-based assessment based on performance. You can factor in other things like intangibles and marketing and organizational loyalty, but I think you have to start with the baseball and go from there."


Asked if it was more difficult to part ways with a player whose departure would cause ripples through the fan base and subject the team to charges of disloyalty, or worse, Epstein said, "You always try to ignore the chorus out there, especially this time of the year. You're human so you have fond feelings for those who've helped you win in the past, but the way GMs demonstrate loyalty to the organization and a fan base is by building teams that win and play in October."


This is not to imply that Jeter and Varitek are in any way comparable as ballplayers, only in their situations as they reach the endgame of great careers.


And Cashman is not Epstein, although their thought processes and belief in taking a dry-eyed look at what is best for their ballclubs are similar.


Cashman and his colleagues in the Yankees' front office have an idea of what they believe Derek Jeter is worth to them at this point in his career.


Jeter's idea of his worth to the Yankees is apparently somewhat different.


That is the crux of any negotiation. And perhaps, the beginning of what may yet be a messy one.


Wallace Matthews covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.

House resolution honors Bob Sheppard - AP

House resolution honors Bob Sheppard

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Congress is honoring the late Yankee Stadium public-address announcer Bob Sheppard.
New York congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy introduced the resolution on Tuesday in tribute to his lifetime achievement. It was passed by the House of Representatives.

Sheppard died in July at 99. He started as the Yankees' PA announcer in 1951 and worked his last game in 2007. He also served as the stadium voice of the NFL's New York Giants from 1956-05.
McCarthy praised Sheppard's majestic tone and noted how he introduced more than 70 Hall of Famers during his career.
McCarthy thanked 52 co-sponsors of the resolution, saying they included members who rooted for other teams.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

2010 Steiner Sports Friends & Family Offer – Save Up To 30% - Limited Time Only!

2010 Steiner Sports Friends & Family Offer – Save Up To 30% - Limited Time Only!


You don’t work for Steiner Sports, but now you can shop like someone who does! Over the next 6 days, I’m extending my personal 30% Off Employee Discount to all of my close friends & family members, to help them with their holiday shopping. In appreciation of your past business with me, I have decided to do the same for you. I consider you to be a part of my “Inner Circle,” and want to offer you an exclusive opportunity to take advantage of this special Friends & Family Discount. This will run Today through Monday, November 22nd. See below for details and to learn about potential restrictions. Reach me direct at 800-909-9162 with questions or to place an order. Have a great day!



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Yankees raise prices on some tickets - AP

Yankees raise prices on some tickets

Associated Press

The New York Yankees are raising the prices of some of their most expensive tickets for next year after making big cuts in 2010, and are hiking the cost of bleacher seats for only the third time in 13 years.
The price of the best field-level seats will rise to $260 as part of season ticket plans, the team said Monday. Those seats cost $250 this year, down from $325 when new Yankee Stadium opened in 2009.
Seats which had been slashed from $325 to $235 will remain unchanged, as will many other seats in the field level. Toward the outfield, tickets that had been $100 will rise to $110, and tickets that had been $75 will go up to $80.
Upper deck prices remain unchanged. Bleacher seats that had been $12 increase to $15, while $5 bleacher seats remain the same.
Lonn Trost, the team's chief operating officer, said 53 percent of the non-premium seats remain unchanged next year. To determine prices, the team examined the resale amounts of tickets on StubHub.com.
"We're not trying to take away the ability of fans to make a profit when they resell tickets," he said, "but the ones where we raised prices were not selling for just above face, but were far above face."

The 1,704 non-premium seats in the two sections on each side of the Delta suite -- sections 216-217 and 223-224 -- will remain unchanged after increasing from $100 to $125 last year. Seats on the main level that had been $100 will rise to $110, and remaining main level seats will go up $5 each to $50, $65 and $80.
Fans willing to make multiyear commitments, however, can get lower prices, Trost said. The $260 seats drop to $240 next year with a three-year contract, $230 with a five-year contract and $220 with a 10-year contract -- with the provision they can rise 4.5 percent annually.
"You have price protection and price certainty," he said.
Faced with empty seats in the priciest sections in the $1.5 billion ballpark's first season, the Yankees announced 2010 price cuts of up to $1,250 per seat per game on Sept. 15 last year, more than a month before winning the team's 27th title. This year, New York lost to Texas in the AL Championship Series.
New York averaged a major league-leading 46,491 for 81 regular-season home games, up from 45,918 in the stadium's opening season, when New York was second to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Total attendance this year was 3.77 million, up from 3.72 million.
Trost said prices of 2011 premium seats, including the pricey Legends Suite seats that have cost up to $2,625 per game at the new ballpark, will be determined within a few weeks.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

ROBINSON CANO WINS SILVER SLUGGER AWARD

ROBINSON CANO WINS SILVER SLUGGER AWARD
Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano earned his second Silver Slugger Award on Thursday.

Cano led all American League second basemen in several offensive categories including, hits (200), runs (103), runs batted in (109), home runs (29), and slugging percentage (.534). His career-high 109 runs batted in 2010 led all major league second basemen.

IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2010 MVP, CY YOUNG WINNERS

IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2010 MVP, CY YOUNG WINNERS

Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its final set of season award selections, naming its 2010 Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Cy Young awards.

The National League MVP award was won by Joey Votto, of the Cincinnati Reds, with the American League MVP going to Josh Hamilton, of the Texas Rangers.

The NL Cy Young award winner is Roy Halladay, of the Philadelphia Phillies, with CC Sabathia, of the New York Yankees, being awarded the AL Cy Young.

Previously announced selections include the following:

NL Rookie of the Year – Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants.

AL Rookie of the Year – Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers.

NL Manager of the Year – Bud Black, San Diego Padres.

AL Manager of the Year – Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins.

NL Executive of the Year – Walt Jocketty, Cincinnati Reds.

AL Executive of the Year – Jon Daniels, Texas Rangers.

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves.

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Vladimir Guerrero, Texas Rangers.

NL Hoyt Wilhelm Relief Pitcher of the Year – Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants.

AL Rollie Fingers Relief Pitcher of the Year – Rafael Soriano, Tampa Bay Rays.

Voting took place between September 15 and October 3, the final day of the regular season. Additional selections will be announced starting the second business day after the completion of the World Series

The IBWAA was created July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).

Among others, IBWAA members include Kevin Baxter, baseball writer for the Los Angeles Times; Tim Brown, YahooSports; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, Dodgers reporter, ESPNLA.com; Ben Maller, FoxSports.com; Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register; and prominent baseball authors Peter Golenbock, Seth Swirsky and Dan Schlossberg.

Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.

For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.

Contact:

Howard Cole
Director, IBWAAbaseballsavvy@aol.com

CANO, JETER AND TEIXEIRA WIN GOLD GLOVES

CANO, JETER AND TEIXEIRA WIN GOLD GLOVES
Three Yankees picked up some hardware on Tuesday afternoon, with Robinson Cano (2B), Derek Jeter (SS) and Mark Teixeira (1B) each winning a Rawlings Gold Glove award. Cano picks up his first Gold Glove Award after a breakout season for the Yankees in 2010. Jeter and Teixeira were awarded the Gold Glove for the second consecutive year -- the fifth of Jeter's career -- while Teixeira's defense is honored for th e fourth time.

IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2010 MANAGER AND EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARDS

IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2010 MANAGER AND EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its second set of 2010 season award selections, naming its Manager of the Year and Executive of the Year awards.

The National League Manager of the Year award was won by Bud Black, of the San Diego Padres, with the American League Manager of the Year award going to Ron Gardenhire, of the Minnesota Twins.

The NL Executive of the Year award winner is Walt Jocketty, of the Cincinnati Reds, with Jon Daniels, of the Texas Rangers, being selected the AL Executive of the Year.

Previously announced selections include the following:

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves.

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Vladimir Guerrero, Texas Rangers.

NL Hoyt Wilhelm Relief Pitcher of the Year – Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants.

AL Rollie Fingers Relief Pitcher of the Year – Rafael Soriano, Tampa Bay Rays.

Voting took place between September 15 and October 3, the final day of the regular season. Additional selections will be announced in the coming days.

The IBWAA was created July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).

Among others, IBWAA members include Kevin Baxter, baseball writer for the Los Angeles Times; Tim Brown, YahooSports; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, Dodgers reporter, ESPNLA.com; Ben Maller, FoxSports.com; Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register; and prominent baseball authors Peter Golenbock, Seth Swirsky and Dan Schlossberg.

Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.

For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.

Contact:

Howard Cole
Director, IBWAAbaseballsavvy@aol.com

YANKEES, GIRARDI AGREE ON A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT - from Yankees.com

Girardi led the Yankees to their 27th World Championship in his second season as Manager. (AP) October 29, 2010 YANKEES, GIRARDI AGREE ON A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT The Yankees signed manager Joe Girardi to a three-year contract extension on Friday. The Yankees’ manager since 2008, Girardi has posted a 287-199 overall record and has led the squad to one World Series title and one American League pennant in that three-year time span. MORE FROM YANKEES.COM » JOE GIRARDI BIO » Vote Girardi as Manager of the Year in the 2010 This Year in Baseball Awards. Vote »

IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2010 COMEBACK AND RELIEF PITCHER AWARDS

IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2010 COMEBACK AND RELIEF PITCHER AWARDS

Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its first set of 2010 season award selections, naming its 2010 Comeback Player of the Year and Relief Pitcher of the Year awards.

The National League Comeback Player of the Year award was won by Tim Hudson, of the Atlanta Braves, with the American League Comeback Player of the Year going to Vladimir Guerrero, of the Texas Rangers.

The NL Hoyt Wilhelm Relief Pitcher of the Year award winner is Brian Wilson, of the San Francisco Giants, with Rafael Soriano, of the Tampa Bay Rays, being selected the AL Rollie Fingers Relief Pitcher of the Year.

Voting took place between September 15 and October 3, the final day of the regular season. Additional selections will be announced starting the second business day after the completion of the World Series

The IBWAA was created July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).

Among others, IBWAA members include Kevin Baxter, baseball writer for the Los Angeles Times; Tim Brown, YahooSports; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, Dodgers reporter, ESPNLA.com; Ben Maller, FoxSports.com; Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register; and prominent baseball authors Peter Golenbock, Seth Swirsky and Dan Schlossberg.

Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.

For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.

Contact:

Howard Cole
Director, IBWAAbaseballsavvy@aol.com