New York Yankees

Let’s take a look at the potential for run scoring in this year’s version of the Yankees lineup. We’ve done this in the past, even a couple of times this offseason, but now that spring has started and we have a better idea of what their lineup will look like let’s do it again.

Nick Johnson returned to the Yankees lineup today as the DH and went 0-for-2 with a walk and told reporters after the game that “Things feel fine. No grabbing. No nothing. I loosened up before. Felt nothing.”

That’s good news for the Yankees, who no doubt cringed when they heard that he tweaked his back last week.

According to George King of the New York Post , after seeing the team doctor yesterday, Yankees backup catcher Francisco Cervelli plans to meet with a neurologist this afternoon.

Cervelli is recovering from a concussion he sustained after being hit by a pitch in the head the other day.

The Yankees drafted Ian Kennedy in the first round of the 2006 draft, and by the end of the 2007 season he was not only pitching in the majors, but over three starts he was pitching brilliantly.

He pitched so well, in fact, that it earned him a spot in the 2008 rotation coming out of spring training. Kennedy struggled in the big leagues that year though and was sent back down to the minors.

Geoff Britches remembers when his St. Louis Cardinals acquired the services of Roger Maris prior to the 1967 season.

He responds to a recent article whose position is that the New York Yankees should not traded Roger.

Roger Maris Would Not Play for the Yankees

Roger Maris would not have returned to the New York Yankees after the 1966 season.

The New York Yankees lost a spring training game to the Minnesota Twins yesterday, 11-0.

Brett Gardner started and got one hit in three times at bat.

His hit came on a bunt. The bunt was fielded by the pitcher, whose throw pulled the first baseman off the bag.

Gardner's speed was the critical element in the play because the pitcher had no time to make an accurate throw with Gardner speeding down the line.

The battle for the fifth starting spot on the Yankees is up for grabs this spring. While in all reality there are about five players in contention, many believe it will come down to either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes, with the "loser" moving to the bullpen.

Dave Paderson is a die-hard New York Mets' fan. In 1966, Dave was attending New York University's graduate school.

One December night that year, on his way back to his home in Flushing, Dave received a wonderful present from New York's other team.

Yesterday, in their fourth Spring Training game, the New York Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Brett Gardner started in left field.

In his first plate appearance, Gardner hit a hard ground ball to Lyle Overbay at first base for Toronto. The ball was hit so hard and so directly at Overbay that he was able to turn it into a tricky 3-6-1 double play even with the incredibly fast Gardner running to first.

In his only other time to the plate, Gardner showed great patience and worked a walk.

Three of the greatest pitchers in New York Yankee history have a lot in common.

Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, and Mariano Rivera each were great.

Ford is in the Hall of Fame, Rivera is a lock for it, and Guidry would have made the Hall if injuries had not shortened his career.

Number 16 is permanently attached to the wall in Monument Park in Yankee Stadium.

So is Number 49.

Number 42 will be there as soon as he retires.

All three of these guys were big game pitchers.

All three of them played their entire careers only with the Yankees.