AL East

The New York Yankees beat the Pittsburgh Pirates by a score of 9-8. Most of the runs scored against the Yankees were against one pitcher. That was the bad. First the good.

A+: Mariano Rivera

To say he is ready to start the season is an understatement. He struck out three batters in one inning.

A+: Johnny Damon

He had three hits today. I'm wondering if those three hits would of been better out of the lead-off spot.

A+: Nick Swisher

For me, 2008 was almost as disappointing as 2003 in terms of how the Red Sox did.

My favorite player, Manny Ramirez, turned out to be the guy who screwed over the Sox down the stretch, faking knee injuries, forgetting which knee he had "hurt," and orchestrating other such shenanigans to sit out games.

The bullpen, one of the most key factors to the 2007 championship, failed to come through again in '08, thanks largely to having to rely too much on guys like Mike Timlin and David Aardsma.

Three years ago, the Yankees announced their plans to build a new stadium across the street from the current one. Now, with the new stadium getting ready for its debut, the old one is going to be torn down.

For most teams, a new stadium is no big deal. It's a new place to play that's probably filled with more amenities and conveniences than the old one.

The minute after Curt Shilling and Mike Mussina announce their retirements, the debating began in offices, message boards, and sport articles. Are these two terrific pitchers Hall of Fame worthy?

Well before we answer that question. I wanted to compare the two pitchers and decide who would be selected if only one was allowed.

So let's go to the Tale of the Tapes (Shilling's stats first then followed by Mussina):

Winning Pct.: 59.7% (216-146) v. 63.8% (270-153)

Regular Season

“Prospect -- the act of looking forward; something that is awaited or expected”

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

When the Twins faced the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, they took on their Opening Day starter, James Shields.

To say the least, Shields wasn't very good; he allowed the Twins to score 11 runs on 12 hits in just over four innings of work. Nonetheless, he got his work in and moved one start closer to the regular season and the innings that matter.

Game 31: Yankees win over the Braves 6-4

Today was an important day for some Yankee players. Some made a good impression and some didn’t. Some will remain on the team and some might get released. Let's look at the players battling for spots.

Melky Cabrera