Yankees

Typically, I am not a fan of interleague play. 

The concept is fine, I guess, but in practice it seems unfair.

This weekend, however, I am pretty excited, since the Mets are playing the Red Sox and the Yankees are playing the Phillies.

In addition to cheering for the Mets this weekend, I will also be pulling for the Yankees, which is weird, but unique, and sure to make my wife happy.

I hope most Yankees fans will be rooting for the Mets, as well.

However, there appears to be a section of Mets fans who just can’t bring themselves to cheer on the Yankees, and so, I guess, they’ll be rooting for the Phillies.  Yes, these Mets fans will be rooting for the Phillies.  So, if you’re among them, and the Mets again lose the division by one game, and that one game is because of the Yankees, I hope you can live with yourself.

I am not one of those people.  I hate the Phillies.  End of story.

In other words, ‘Let’s go Yankees.’

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According to a recent poll by Quinnipiac University, “If the Yankees face the Mets in a Subway Series, 55 percent of New York City fans back the Bombers and 42 percent pull for the Amazins.”

“Except for Queens,” Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, explains, “New York City still is the home of the Bronx Bombers, who are favored in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island, too.”

Among fans who say they are ‘very interested,’ or ‘somewhat interested,’ in Major League Baseball, 56 percent say they are Yankees fans, while 33 percent side with the Mets; three percent picked the Red Sox.

…this sounds right to me… my hunch has always been that the city is divided in three, equal parts Yankees fans, Mets fans and front-running fans… the team that is winning rings, picks up the middle third… and so, the above numbers make sense to me…

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Steve Phillips of ESPN.com believes the Yankees and Brewers are in serious talks about sending OF Mike Cameron to New York and Melky Cabrera to Milwaukee.

…here’s a suggestion, next year, hold the Winter Meetings in New York City, it will make things a lot easier…

Last night, at the Star-Ledger, Dan Graziano reported the Yankees resumed talks with the Brewers regarding Cameron and Cabrera, adding the deal would include a pitching prospect, ‘not likely to be Ian Kennedy.’

Update, 9:15 AM:

The Daily News writes, ‘The Yankees are set to acquire Cameron,’ in exchange for Cabrera.

Update, 9:17 AM:

…by the way, i was under the impression the Yankees had been shopping cabrera and kennedy to the Cardinals for Rick Ankiel…so, perhaps ankiel is now earmarked for a different deal...

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Prior to yesterday’s game, Jerry Manuel explained to reporters why he, from an out-of-town perspective, believes the Mets are a second-class citizen to the Yankees, saying:

We’re kind of like the second team…The Yankees have won 26, 27 championships.  They’ve been here longer, I would think…That’s just the way it is. That’s just my opinion now.  I don’t speak for everybody else.  That’s my opinion.  And being a baseball person all these years, from the outside, I’ve seen it that way.  In Chicago, if you asked me, ‘What was the favorite team in New York?’ I would have to say, ‘The Yankees.’  I don’t have a problem with that.  I love playing them…Shoot, use that as motivation.  If you want to be first, win.  Win some world championships.  Don’t be first just by popularity, or who wears what jersey.  Win some championships and you can claim first.  I don’t have a problem with that.”

…it’s sad, but true…i’m not happy about it, but he’s right…also, he’s right that if the Mets truly want to take the town back, they need to win…because, i think it’s quite clear that part of New York is a front-running town when it comes to baseball…

…i say that, because, to me, the two fanbases are probably split fairly even…it’s the middle ground, the undecided, fair-weather, front-runner fan who likely sways towards the championships and the cache of cheering for the favorite…and so, the team who is winning is the team with more ‘fans’…that happens to have been the Yankees over the last decade…for much of the 1980s, it was the Mets…and so on…and that’s all totally understable…

According to a poll by Quinnipiac University from last summer, which you can check out here, 52 percent of New York City baseball fans said they would back the Yankees over the Mets in a Subway Series, while only 44 percent said the Mets. 

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According to Bob Klapisch at ESPN.com, both the Mets and Yankees played .500 baseball in the month of April and it was treated like the apocalypse.

Klapish writes:

“Billy Wagner tore into Oliver Perez last week for lasting only 1 2/3 innings against the Pirates. Across town, Hank Steinbrenner was openly questioning whether his Bombers would even make it to the playoffs, let alone dethrone the Red Sox in the American League East … Of course, that was before an impressive weekend cleared everyone’s heads … But there was no ignoring the parallels between the crosstown rivals, both of whom left spring training with a we-own-the-world mentality only to discover a reality that wasn’t nearly as generous.”

…it is odd to see both teams experience the same things at the same time…age is catching up with the veterans, youth is under-performing, injuries to key players and the middle of the order is not hitting…

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By the way, Yankees VP Hank Steinbrenner had the following to say about the trade, as quoted by the Associated Press…

“I can’t really comment because it’s not done. All I can say is that the Twins did what they had to do.  I hope it works out well for them. The Mets made a good trade from their end. Hopefully it works out for both teams.”

…i love it…he just can’t say, ‘no comment,’ can he…he tried…give him credit…but he had to continue…he just can’t help himself…i love it…

…by the way, i was in the elevator the other day with two guys…one of them was holding a Yankees hat…the other man said, “Yeah, I’m a Yankees fan too,” to which the guy holding the hat said, “Oh, I don’t know, I’m not really a baseball fan, it’s just a hat I wear,” and i laughed out loud…priceless…

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During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter last night, ESPN.com’s Tim Kurkjian said that, while it is still a three-team race, he believes that Johan Santana will eventually be traded to the Yankees, ‘since they have made the strongest offer.’

…well, i certainly hope the Twins trade santana to whomever makes the strongest offer…i just hope they eventually see the Mets as having such an offer…

…that said, it is amazing to me just how quiet things are on the santana-trade front…

…honestly, i have not heard much, nor asked much for that matter…i find that when things get down to it, and real dollars are on the line, comments from insiders are even harder to interpret than usual…so, it’s often easier to just sit back and let the narrative play out…

…however, if i had to make an educated guess – emphasis on the word guess – this is what i believe is going on…

…the Twins want to trade santana before spring training, and santana would like to be traded before spring training…the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets have let the Twins know what they are each willing to part with…however, the Twins would like to acquire a ready-for-action, major-league player in the deal, such as Jon Lester or Phil Hughes, a) because they’d like a semi-instant return on the deal, but b) because it will be easier to sell the fans on parting with johan if such a player is starting for the Twins next season…

…the problem is, a) the Yankees no longer want to trade hughes, b) the Twins are not all that enamored with the Red Sox package, otherwise they would have sent them santana by now, and c) the Mets do not have any major-league ready talent to trade, which is why adding Fernando Martinez to their rumored four-prospect package is no guarantee to wrap this up…i keep hearing people say, “Just add Fernando and be done with it,’ but adding martinez will not get the Twins any closer to that major-league ready player…which is why we keep getting radio hosts and random reports suggesting Jose Reyes must be involved…because, if the Mets want to drop the hammer and end this, that’s what it will take, i.e., a major-league ready player…of course, as we know, that’s never going to happen…

…however, at some point, the Twins will have to make a decision…especially if santana forces the issue…

…and so, the Twins are in hiding as they take one more look at what the Mets are offering, and decide whether they absolutely must get that major-league ready player or if they can live with and sell a collection of minor-leaguers…at the same time, santana and his agents are quiet, as they decide how best to encourage a deal, while getting him the most money from his new team, all while helping the Twins get the most back in a trade…meanwhile, the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets have made their case, some more aggressively than others, and they’re sitting quiet while waiting for the Twins to call…

…lastly, the Mets are hoping santana calls the Twins and says, ‘Trade me now, preferably to Queens,” as it will give the Mets all the leverage in a trade, and more or less guarantee they do not have to part with Fernando Martinez…

…again, the above is a ‘guess,’ but it’s a fairly educated guess, and i would not be surprised to learn i am more right than wrong…

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The Daily Intelligencer, a blog for New York Magazine, takes a closer look at Hank Steinbrenner’s ever-changing positions regarding his team’s pursuit of Johan Santana.

On December 3, Steinbrenner set a deadline for the Twins to accept their best offer. On December 8 and 15, Steinbrenner said the door is still open. On January 3, he stated that the Yankees had the best offer, and the Twins know it, but two weeks later he said it was likely his team would “go with what they’ve got.”

On January 14 reports indicated that the Yankees were done talking to the Twins, unless Steinbrenner had a change of heart. So, naturally, the next day, Steinbrenner told the Associated Press that the Yankees are still discussing Santana, adding, “There’s still a little talk back and forth.

…jeez, hank, you want syrup with them waffles…you’d think he was running for public office with all that back and forth…

…by the way, thanks to ruffian for the link…

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