How to get Halladay

The only way Cashman is going to be able to weisel a trade within the division is if somebody frees the Blue Jays of Vernon Wells' awful contract.

I think packaging the two together for a few prospects, maybe Melky, and maybe even Joba (gasp) could land Doc Halladay.

There only a handfull of teams that can take on both contracts (Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, Angels).

Aside from that, there is one other obvious solution: Halladay for Hinske... straight up.

Basic Math
Halladay > Joba

Meaningless Grades

Everyone else is doing it, so we will too...

Here they are: the long-awaited Yankee Midseason Grades!

Pitchers

C.C. Sabathia: B
He's been solid. Nothing real bad, but nothing worthy the money he's being paid.

A.J. Burnett: B
Again, has shown signs of greatness, but hasn't lived up to the green.

Chien-Ming Wang: Inc.
(Insert quip about Wang's inability here)

Andy Pettitte: C-
Andy has been brutal as of late, and overall very inconsistent. A few decent starts sprinkled in here and there keep him from an F.

Joba Chamberlain: D
Hey, remember when Joba struck out 12 Red Sox? You don't? Why not? Is it because he got rocked in the first and got the loss? It is? Damn. Joba's inconsistency as a starting pitcher is about as frustrating as it gets.

Lineup

Derek Jeter: A
I don't feel this explanation needs more than this: .321

Johnny Damon: B
Was very hot to start 2009, I'd like to see his average up closer to .300, but he's had a great year so far.

Mark Teixeira: B
Yeah, he hit the cover off the ball in May and part of June, but he was about as bad as you can be in April, and went nearly a month without a home run.

Alex Rodriguez: C+
Starting to come around, finally looking healthy. He's still running like a fat toad.

Jorge Posada: B
Missed some time in May, but is so vital to the lineup. Good season so far for the aging backstop.

Robinson Cano: B-
Of course he's hitting over .300, he better be. But his average with RISP is .211. That's about as ugly as it gets. No wait, check that: this is as ugly as it gets.

Nick Swisher: B+
Swish carried the Yankees through April, finishing the month with a ridiculous 1.144 OPS, but has come back down to earth.

Hideki Matsui: B
I can't stand the fact he's a permanent DH now, but he has hit well at times.

Francisco Cervelli: B+
Listen, no one is going to come in a replace Posada's bat, but this kid is going to be the next big thing when old man Jorge finally realizes he's a DH. He worked the staff, called great games and had five multi-hit games in his short time with the big club.

Melky Cabrera: A
He's been solid, posting a .347 OBP in the bottom third of the lineup. His defensive skills and clutch hitting in '09 help him make Dean's List.

Brett Gardner: A
I said before the season, when the new Clueless Joe named "Gardie" the starting center-fielder, that if he hit .270 he'd be useful. He's hitting .282 and is a threat to run every single time he reaches with his .352 OBP. Almost the biggest surprise ever.

Cody Ransom/Ramiro Pena: C-
Pena might have scored an A by himself, but averaging it in with Cody Ransom being the dunce of the class, it resulted in a C-. Why is Ransom still on this team? Ransom is slugging .027 lower than Jeter's batting average. Just awful.

Mariano Rivera: A+
Three walks in 37 innings. 0.89 WHIP.

If you have any problems with these grades, and would like to set up a parent-teacher conference, please leave a message with a reservation. I have 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. open all next week.

We're Back

Here at The Black and White Cookie, we have held many closed-door meetings with upper management recently, and have made the executive decision to get away from our previous theory of one post every three months. We feel the average NY-area sports fan needs a bit more consistency from BWC. Don't get crazy, it's not going to be much more, but it'll be something.

The two main goals here at BWC will be to initially introducing our huge staff, and providing readers with an extremely biased fan blog, covering all the tri-state sports teams you hear rattled off really fast in those IO commercials.

Comments and suggestions are always welcomed, please drop all inquiries below the article in question. We expect an absolute flood of fan mail, so any organization will help us sort them accordingly.

Enjoy!

Thoughts about A-Rod

Okay, well it goes without saying now that Alex Rodriguez is a cheater, a liar, and a bigger asshole than Christian Bale.

But, none of that matters to Yankee fans, as long as you can pencil this guy in for 160 games, a .300+ batting average, 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs from April to the end of September.

Now, that mainstay in the middle of the lineup is gone.

I've heard some talk of the Yankees trying to go out and get a utility infielder than can play third for a month or so while A-Rod rehabs his arthroscopic hip surgery. I wonder why. Because they're the Yankees and can? Maybe. Because they don't have faith in Ransom? Maybe. 

Bottom line is this is the first time the Bombers have had a good rotation since 2003, a year they went to the World Series on the wings of an nobody third baseman named Aaron Boone.

Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte and Joba-if healthy-will be able to carry this team to tons of 2-1 and 3-2 victories, doing it with pitching and defense.

The point is the Yankees can survive without A-Rod for a month, letting Cody Ransom take the reigns at third, hit in the lower part of the lineup, and have a chance to help this team get to October.

Should Yankee fans be nervous? No. A lineup with Damon, Jeter, Teixeira, Posada, Matsui, Swisher/Nady and Cano is more than good enough.

Reports have A-Rod out for two months from his March 9 surgery, which would get him back on the field for a weekend series in Baltimore in early May.

The Yankees will be 31 games into the 2009 campaign by that time. This team will get off to a good start for the first time in what feels like 100 years, and be around 20-11 when he returns. They will go on to win 98 games as well as the American League East.

No need to panic but...

Mats Sundin will be a Ranger. New Toronto GM Brian Burke doesn't seem to be chasing down the stubborn Swede and the Rangers continue to hold interest. I don't know when, and I honestly don't feel like getting into all the roster moves Glen Sather will pursue to make this happen (other than trading Petr Prucha, that's a given), but I feel he will be a Ranger shortly.

This current Rangers team needs to make moves before the deadline, and if they feel Sundin will help them, it's better to get him in uniform sooner rather than later to better assess the team at the deadline with him in the makeup.

The Rangers also need to clear cap space--not only for Sundin--but to also call up a defenseman from Hartford. I'm not saying this team isn't a top-four team in the Eastern Conference, but there are definitely some issues to work out.

Wade Redden has been skating around like Eric Lindros the first day back from a concussion, and Kalinin, with the exception of a couple games here and there, has not impressed. Rozsival has not played well, but do fans realize he is coming off major offseason hip injury? I am not impressed with his play either, but he has always been a serviceable NHL defenseman, he didn't turn into Marek Malik overnight. Stay calm Garden Faithful, you will see his transformation as he continues to get healthier. But they still need a hungry defenseman from Hartford to scare the current six from losing their job. I would love to see Corey Potter in the regular season - he had a monster preseason.

Will Sundin help the Rangers? I don't think so, but I feel as if the Rangers think he can help. Sundin has always been a good player, but a bit overrated throughout his career. Does this opinion come from a narrow view? Of course, I live in Jersey and watch him play maybe 12 times a year if I catch all four games he plays against the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders. And let's be honest, can Islander fans even sit through an entire Islanders game? I mean, it is pretty tough to watch a game after you break the TV with a beer bottle midway through the first period after the Isles are down 3-0 and are trying to kill off their ninth penalty.

Sundin has never won anything and is old. Why not just re-sign Brendan Shanahan? He can give you 20 goals, proven winner, leadership, he loves New York, loads of intagibles, and he knows the system already. I'd rather see Shanahan on Broadway than Sundin.

Unless of course if Sather could swing a deal for (the oft-injured) Marian Gaborak (Mike Cammalleri would be a nice addition also), but we'll save that for another day - I'm too busy watching Jacque Lemaire's super-defense Minnesota Wild give up six right now to the Sakic-less Colorado Avalanche.

Jets Suck

Last week, I warned the non-Jets fan about getting too excited about Gang Green.

They will always let their fans down, and today was no different. I'm assuming at this point, the Mets/Jets fan has to be right on the verge of suicide. Good thing for me the Yankees keep me afloat (And the fact that the NFL is creeping further and further away from my interest in recent years because of the constant Jet heartbreak).

8-4.

The Jets are now 8-4. A week ago, Jets fans across the tri-state area were calling a win-out.

Someone explain to me why in the first quarter of a scoreless game, deep in your own end, in the rain, Brian Shottenheimer called for a fake option reverse with Brad Smith. You can't. It's unexplainable. The game was over from that moment on.

Go ahead, look at the box score.

"Thomas Jones had 138 yards on 16 carries! The Jets should have run it more!"

No, they shouldn't have. They had one good drive that stalled in the red zone. It started at their own 2-yard-line. A couple penalties and a few big screens (With equally as many Bronco injuries) got the Jets all the way down the field, where they settled for a meaningless field goal.

Take away Jones' 59 and 29-yard touchdown runs, and he had 50 yards on 14 carries. Nothing spectacular. I don't usually like to use foul language, so what I will say is that the Jets played like this today.

How could you not love this guy?

The Daily News' hilarious President Bush photos. Enjoy.

Big Bust Update

Remember this guy Rangers fans? Hugh "Huge Specimen" Jessiman? Slats do you even remember? Anybody?

Don't worry if you can't recall the fella, not many people do, considering he is the only player from the first round of the 2003 draft to have never played a regular season or playoff NHL game. I'll give you a minute to collect yourself after looking at that draft list and vomitting Rangers fans. It's all better now, Zherdev is here.

Just thought I'd give you folks (well the few that care about him anyway) a little update on the recently traded bust.

The new Milwaukee Admiral (is it that hard to put the roster in some kind of order? Alphabetical, number, position...something?) has three goals and one assist since the Rangers traded him to the Nashville Predators for future considerations earlier this season. Maybe the Rangers are just trying to get even with the Preds for that Adam Hall disaster. But check out this goal by Jessiman (Click here) in a game this past week against the Detroit Red Wings farm club, Grand Rapids Griffins. Not too shabby, but I am actually more concerned for the Red Wings. Goaltender Jimmy Howard is supposed to be the future and he's letting in weak shots...from Hugh Jessiman...on his backhand...from his knees? Dom Hasek, you may want to wait by your phone again.

By-the-way, what are the odds that Glen Chervin drew the Admirals logo?

Hey, they'll take it

When you're a New York Islander you'll take whatever you can get in order to win five of your last six (Click). As for Ryan O'Byrne, don't be down on yourself, just remember you don't live in Colombia. Someone might want to let Canadiens fans know that as well.

Of course, the irony is that Sean Bergenheim of the Islanders got a penalty which caused Montreal's Carey Price to head to the bench for the extra attacker to begin with. That along with the 10 other penalty minutes accumulated in the game keeps the team with the 7th most penalty minutes in the league. Hey, every team has to have goals right? I believe next item on the agenda is worst plus/minus.

Kudos

Thanks to an avid reader of The Black and White Cookie, I have received some much-deserved praise regarding a prediction I made back in May about Mike Mussina.

Touche to me, and touche to you, mystery reader. You have just earned Black and White Reader of the Month. Read on my friend, read on.

Where's the Love?

On February 3rd Adam Graves' #9 will hit the Garden rafters, joining his 1994 Stanley Cup teammates Mike Richter, the Gary Coleman-loving Mark Messier, and Brian Leetch. Call it coincidence, but Graves 2k8 has emerged on the notoriously awful Garden ice wearing #24.

Ryan Callahan has been the most consistent Rangers forward so far this season. I dare you to argue. Consistency doesn't always mean that you have to put the puck in the net every game.

Consistency means that you show up every game and make yourself effective in every area of the rink. If you can point out a player who has displayed more tenacity, more will, and more heart in every game this season for the Rangers, I'll show you my prepubescent "cooking show" that I made for English class in 7th grade (for the record, my homemade potato chips were a thing of beauty).

With his heart on his sleeve, Callahan has played every shift like it is his last and is a constant force around the net. At only 5'11" and 185 pounds, the man is fearless and effective when throwing his weight around. If only I could say the latter for another player with similar size.

Not only is he a player who will stand up for teammates, and skate his guts out every time he spills over the boards, but the guy can actually score. He's got a quick pair of hands and a great shot to boot. He is not flashy. He doesn't have the puck carrying grace or public wit that Scott Gomez has, but he is starting to find his game and is due to break out at any moment.

Adam Graves was a player built in the same mold as Callahan (they are actually almost the same size too). Graves put up very small numbers offensively in his first five years, but then erupted once he donned Rangers blue. This is Callahan's second full season in the NHL and he has proven that he is a sniper at the AHL level. Of course, just because you score at the AHL level doesn't necessarily mean it will translate in the NHL, but by watching Callahan on a consistent basis you'll soon see why I consider him the best Rangers forward up to this point. As he continues to grow in this league, he will develop into - at the very least - a terrific 2nd line winger. His hockey IQ simply won't let him be anything less than that.

He doesn't get much attention from the media and hockey "experts," but that just helps him fly under the radar and maybe will give him a New York Giants mentality. Is it a guarantee that Callahan becomes what I say he will be? Well, I'm not considered an "expert," and we all know they always get it right.

Play the Super Bowl at Giants Stadium

If the Giants and the Jets (Click here to find out just how big I think that "if" is) end up meeting each other on Super Sunday, why would you send these two teams that play in the same stadium all the way to Tampa?

If pigs decide to fly, and hell freezes over, and the Jets should actually make it to the Super Bowl, where the Giants will be waiting for them, why can't they play the game at Giants Stadium?

People are already calling up WFAN asking what they're going to do if the Jets and Giants both get home-field in the playoffs and have to play games back-to-back in January.

I guess these "fans" don't quite remember last year's playoffs. There are games on Saturday and Sunday during the NFL playoffs. So, just by thinking about it for a half-second, I have solved this conundrum: One team plays on Saturday; the other team on Sunday. I can't take all the credit though -- they've been doing it this way forever. This will give the stadium's crew plenty of time to hang up the green wallpaper they use to cover the red walls. Genius.

Confident Jets Fan*

For those non-Jet fans out there, the asterisk is because there is no such thing as a confident Jets Fan.

As Jets fans, we know we have to be cautiously optimistic of anything good that may come from Gang Green on Sundays. We know they have let us down time after time in the past, and they will let us down again. And we know that Jets/Giants Super Bowl talk is about as dumb as Donovan McNabb. Well -- maybe not that dumb.

After their 34-13 thumping of the previously undefeated and, in my opinion, overrated Tennessee Titans, the Jets moved into a tie with the Steelers for the second best record in the AFC at 8-3. The future looks bright.

Aside from awful play-calling after the opening drive, a Favre interception, and a Leon Washington fumble, the Jets played like, I can't believe I'm saying this, a true contender.

The remainder of the Jets' schedule is as easy as that one girl from high school (You know the one), and it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that they could end up 12-4.

But, any true Jets fan is prepared to finish 8-8. Sadly, it's the unfortunate "True Life: I'm a Jets fan" reality. They should win next week at home against the Broncos, but we'll see what happens.

But yes, if you're wondering, I would consider myself a confident Jets fan*.

Some thoughts...

Well, it's been quite some time since my last post, to say the very least.

The Yankees were 20-25 and had just won three in a row. I guess ending their season winning nearly 90 games isn't something to just brush off, one would think if some key injuries didn't happen and any sort of hitting with runners in scoring position went on, this brutal season could have seen 100 wins. Laugh if you want, but at 89 wins, you figure Wang, who got hurt in mid-July, for roughly 10 wins in the second half.

Anyway, as we move into the first baseball-less October in what seems like forever, the Yankees have some real work to do. They just extended Brian Cashman's contract three years, so that's done. Now, they have to discuss the on-the-field product.

Bare with me, I've been stewing like a mad scientist the past few weeks at what I would like to see the Yankees do this winter, given what's available, and here they are:

Most importantly, the pitching...

Convince Pettitte and Mussina that you want them to open the new stadium.

Get Wang on some kind of rehab assignment where he plays kickball with kindergartners to practice running (Thank you Miller) so he never hurts himself ever again.

Continue to develop Hughes and make sure he has tons of contact solution. His last start: 8 IP, 2 ER, 6 K, 0 BB.

Sign C.C. Sabathia for the love of everything holy. I know he said he wants to be on the west coast (Source), but the Yankees cannot afford for the Angels to scoop him up just because it's convenient for him. Offer him the rest of the payroll if need be, they're going to have plenty of free money.

Joba stays in the bullpen for now. Yes, we all know he was and would be a fantastic starter, but he obviously can't log innings like the Yankees needed him to this year. This way, with strong starting pitching, you have the eighth and ninth innings locked up.

The bullpen is fine and would only be better with Joba there.

Worst scenario: Go out and get Derek Lowe. Yeah, he's older, but he's a gamer and has big game experience (He was on a certain 2004 team, I can't quite remember which one though). He's coming off a good year with a great ERA.

So the rotation would look like this:

Chien-Ming Wang, C.C. Sabathia, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes

Now, for the rest of the position players...

Obviously this team is poised, when healthy, to score 1,000 runs in any given season. But it hasn't happened. What I would love to see is for the Yanks to pass on Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu.

Move Nady to right, Damon plays left.

Now, here's the big one: Trade Robinson Cano to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp. Kemp plays center, and they go out and sign free-agent Orlando Hudson to play second.

I'm a little sour on Matsui, but I suppose he could DH in a seven or eight spot.

Sign Mark Teixeira to play first. I can't even fathom the kind of numbers he could put up batting between Jeter and A-Rod. Scary.

Lineup:

Johnny Damon LF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Xavier Nady RF
Jorge Posada C
Hideki Matsui DH
Matt Kemp CF
Orlando Hudson 2B

I could love that squad. Thoughts?

Yanks win three straight, Joba to join rotation

After an embarrassing loss to the Orioles Tuesday, the Yankees have won their last three games. In those three games, they have outscored their opponents 23-3 and the recently anemic, enigma of an offense seems to be coming around.

The Yankees have finally announced their plans for setup man Joba Chamberlain this week. According to manger Joe Girardi, Joba will strengthen his arm and stretch it out over the next few weeks and enter the rotation as soon as possible.

Finally someone realized that with a sub-.500 record, Joba wasn't making nearly enough of an impact pitching once a week. Chamberlain will solidify the rotation and make the 5-man rotation strong (If Mussina and Darrell Rasner continue to pitch well and Andy Pettitte comes around).

By the time Joba enters the rotation, Posada will be back from his shoulder injury and the team should finally be 100 percent ready to win games.

At 20-25, I said I would like to see them reach .500 at the 30-30 mark. That would mean they would have to go 10-5 over that stretch. Not unrealistic for a team expected by many to score 1,000 runs. Since that point, they are 3-0, but are still in the AL East cellar at 23-25.

Unreal

The last time the Yankees won a game without the decision going to either Mike Mussina or Darrell Rasner was May 2.

The last time the Yankees won a game without the decision going to either Mussina, Rasner or Wang was April 20, when Andy Pettitte won his start against the Orioles.

Mussina, Rasner, Wang and Pettitte have accounted for all of the winning decisions going to Yankee starting pitchers. Guys like Joba Chamberlain, LaTroy Hawkins and Brian Bruney have also picked up wins in relief. It looks like a good thing, for your big three pitchers to have the bulk of the wins for starting pitching for their team, but one has to take into account the team is four games under .500 and struggling mightily. Mussina, Rasner, Wang and Pettitte are a combined 17-10 with a 3.88 ERA. Not horrible, but also not the record you would wish upon the top three pitchers in your rotation.

Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes and Kei Igawa in 2008: 0-8, 9.31 ERA. The Yankees are 2-12 in games started by these three enigmas.

Can't solely blame the pitching staff, the bullpen has been generally good, injuries have been a factor, sending Bruney, Hughes and Jonathan Albaladejo to the DL. The Yankees do not hit. They will not win until they hit, it's as simple as that.

Yanks lose series to Mets, drop three straight

20-24. The Yankees have not exactly followed their preseason script to say the least.

The only bright side to this atrocious record is there is no A-Rod or Posada. The lack of Yankee offense can be saved when those two big bats get back into the lineup. A-Rod is scheduled to return to action tonight against the Orioles, while Posada is slated to return in early June.

Yankee Offense:
179 Runs (12th in AL)
136 BB (10th in AL)
14 SB (13th in AL)
56% SB (Last in AL)
8 Sac Flies (13th in AL)
33.7 AB/HR (11th in AL)

Maybe A-Rod will come back and rake like last year.

This just in: hell freezes over

The Yankees are in the AL East cellar and the Tampa Bay Rays, who just took three out of four from the Bombers, are laughing at them from the top.

Don't believe me? Yeah, I wouldn't believe me either. (Click)

"Simply amazing." -John Sterling

Moose

Can't say enough about the way Mike Mussina is pitching right now.

Just when you think the series with the Rays is over, with two losses coming off starts by Andy Pettitte and Chien-Ming Wang (your two "aces"), Moose goes out there and continues his recent dominance, giving up one run over six and a third.

With four strikeouts and just one walk, Mussina's control, which has been his bread and butter over the years, is back. He has never been, and never will be, a power pitcher, so he needs to place his pitches to be successful.

Moose's ERA is down to 3.99 and he has only suffered nine earned runs in his last 5 starts, a 2.78 ERA in that span. The Yankees have won the last five games Mussina has started, as the old-timer raised his record to 6-3.

The Yankees will try to salvage the 4-game series with Tampa Bay tomorrow, sending Ian Kennedy to the mound for his first start since being sent down to Triple A.

Correction:

The Yankees have announced that Kei Igawa will go to the bullpen, Ian Kennedy will be recalled and will start Thursday, and Darrell Rasner will take the mound at home against the Mets on Friday. (Source)

A blessing in disguise?

With the Yankees coming off a big win Saturday on the strength of a second strong start from Darrel Rasner (click), Sunday's rainout against the Tigers seemed like a bad thing. One good thing has come out of it though: The Yankees now have the ability to skip Kei Igawa the next time around in the rotation. (Source)

Andy Pettitte is the scheduled starter tonight in Tampa, followed by Chien-Ming Wang tomorrow and Mussina on Wednesday. To finish up their four-game set with the Rays, the Yankees may be able to skip Igawa's start and throw Rasner on Thursday.

Another scenario has Igawa throwing on Thursday (due to a horrific lack of arms) against the Rays, then Rasner pitching the first game of the weekend series with the Mets.

The last option is to start Rasner on Thursday, then send Igawa down to Scranton and bring up either the reborn Ian Kennedy or another starter to fill in. (Source)

The ten types of Yankee fans

Why do editors let Boston fans write things like this? Click.

Calling all third basemen

Wilson Betemit is joining A-Rod on the disabled list after pulling his hamstring while legging out an RBI double today against the Tigers. That leaves Morgan Ensberg to hold down the hot corner for awhile.

I'm just spitballing here, but what if Ensberg finds a way to injure himself? I don't see why the Yankees shouldn't just throw Kei Igawa over there to play third. Way I see it, he has to be better at third than he is on the mound. He is robbing the Yankees blind, might as well try to get something useful out of him.

Maybe I'll send a letter to the front office with a few suggestions.

Second coming?

At 7:05 tonight, the Yankees take on the Tigers in Detroit. Regarded by some idiot as the "greatest lineup in the history of baseball," Detroit certainly is stacked. Starting for the Yankees? Hideki Irabu-er, Kei Igawa... my bad.

Maybe the Yankees can get to Kenny Rogers this time around. If not, look for Girardi to yank Igawa early so the bullpen can get taken behind the woodshed.

In other news, A-Rod will be undergoing another MRI on that pesky quad. The results of the MRI will then allow the Yankee heirarchy to make a decision about whether he can make rehab starts in Little League. The same Little League that made Ian Kennedy delusional enough to think he was Superman (That mane really fits Joba, doesn't it?).

By the way, the fact that Irabu has two World Series rings is about as funny as Jonathan Papelbon.

What is the Universe coming to?

...when all the Yankee fan can look forward to is every fifth start from recently-thought-to-be-washed up Mike Mussina. Over his last four starts, Moose has gone 4-0 with a 3.13 ERA. Touche.

Mussina is back to commanding his pitches, especially inside to lefties, the very aspect of his game that was thought to be long gone. He's probably going to win 15+ games in 2008. Trust me, the Yankees are praying for that right now.

Now for the bad news: Kei Igawa is starting tomorrow. Yes, the same Kei Igawa from last season.