Bartolo Colon Set To Start Saturday Against Mets

Bartolo Colon, who has been on the 15-day DL since June 12, is set to return as the New York Yankees starter against their cross-town rivals the New York Mets on Saturday.  On Thursday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi claimed Colon threw well enough in a bullpen session earlier that morning to be activated for Saturday's inter-league game.

Colon threw the ball and ran through some fielding drills before the Yankees Thursday afternoon game against the Milwaukee Brewers to Girardi's satisfaction.  If everything continues to check out, the hefty righthander will start the second of the three game series at Citi Field.

Colon strained the hamstring on his planting leg against the Cleveland Indians back on June 11 but says he is more than ready to get back to throwing.

 "I felt good," Colon said through a Yankees source.  "I'm ready to come back and help the team.  My bullpen went well.  I'm happy to be back with everyone.  I'm looking forward to Saturday."

Barring a freak accident, Colon will be on the mound for Saturday's 4 p.m. game.

While Girardi was not so confident about Colon's return last night, Yankees GM Brian Cashman painted a brighter picture and said Colon would return if Thursday's bullpen session went according to plan.

"I think there's a good likelihood you'll see him back this weekend," said Cashman.  "That's our mind-set."

To make room in the rotation, the 38 year-old Colon will replace Brian Gordon, who was 0-1 with a 5.13 ERA in two starts.

Colon, who was out of baseball since injuring his elbow and shoulder in 2009, was a surprising 5-3 with a 3.10 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 78 innings before he went to the DL.

If Colon's return is a success, the Yankees will have the luxury of five good arms in the starting rotation and one sitting on the back burner.

The anticipated return of Phil Hughes next week might lure the Yankees into the extravagance of having too many live arms for the team to go around.

Not so says Girardi.  He knows the overabundance of starting pitchers is better than too few.  Girardi looked at the situation like an artist surveying his canvas.

"Do we feel a guy needs an extra day off, do we skip a guy to give him a little rest?," said the manager.  "There are some different things you can do to be creative with a six-man rotation, if you do a six-man."

Too many pitchers, it's a problem any team would like.

The Yankees are 14-4 over the last eighteen games, their starters have a 3.15 ERA and the team has overtaken the Boston Red Sox for first place over that span.

Imagine, the Yankees with a surplus of pitching arms.  Take that Phillies.

Kobayashi Will Compete in Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Via Satellite

Takeru Kobayashi won't be on the Coney Island boardwalk for this year's Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest but will compete from a distance via satellite TV.

Kobayashi, who can't compete because he refuses to sign an exclusive contract with organizer Major League Eating, says he will unofficially compete from a remote location to protest his ban from the Super Bowl of competitive eating.

Kobayashi still refuses to sign any exclusive contract with MLE and insists he will down hot dogs on July Fourth, simultaneously with the other competitors, in a mid-town Manhattan restaurant--a D train ride away from Nathan's.

Six-time champ Kobayashi was once the face of the sport and pretty much brought the Nathan's event to ESPN on his own.  The one-time Babe Ruth of the sport has now become an outcast and even had his image removed from the Nathan's Wall of Fame last April.  Even Al Capone's visit to Nathan's lives in infamy on it's website.

Last summer, Kobayashi, was unable to compete in the Nathan's FFJHDEC because Major League Eating's contract stipulates that he can only participate in it's tournaments and the league has to have total control over Kobayashi's endorsement deals.  He refused to sign.

"I hope to create awareness about the nature of this kind of business," said Kobayashi.  "At least they cannot erase history," he said of his removal from the Wall of Fame.

While Kobayashi becomes a sort of pariah in the sport he once dominated, the current champ, Joey Chestnut has been getting all the glory.

Chestnut, 27, realizes the event isn't the same without Kobayashi.

"He's an awesome eater," said Chestnut.  "He pushes me to work harder."

Some people are wondering if Kobayashi is making a big deal over nothing after setting a world record and personal-best of 64 1/2 downed barkers in 2009.

Some think Kobayashi is just losing his mind.

In 2010, while banned for the first time and watching the Nathan's competition from the crowd, Kobayashi leaped onto the stage in protest after Chestnut won and was arrested.  He spent the night in a New York City holding cell.  Charges were later dismissed.

This year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest will have a women only competition for the first time.

It's a shame Kobayashi and Chestnut won't meet again this year.  It's sort of a Pacquiao/Mayweather predicament in the world of competitive eating. There may be competitions against others, but if the two best don't meet, it doesn't really matter.

Charlie Sheen Used Steroids for "Major League" Film Role

Charlie Sheen, the star of the classic 1989 baseball movie "Major League" admits in the new Sports Illustrated "Where Are They Now" issue that he used steroids to boost his fastball for the film, according to the New York Daily News.



Talk about method acting.  Is this what Sheen meant when he says Tiger Blood runs through his veins?

"Let's just say that I was enhancing my performance a bit," admits Sheen.  "It was the only time I ever did steroids.  I did them for like six or eight weeks.  You can print this, I don't give a f---.  My fastball went from 79 to like 85."

"Wild Thing" would have approved.

The actor carried over his portrayal of the wild and crazy "California Penal League" pitcher, Ricky Vaughn, from the film set to his personal down time during the shoot.

Sheen's character sported a lightning bolt haircut and, combined with Vaughn's nasty stuff on the mound and 'roid rage, made Wild Thing a cult figure and the most popular and enduring character in the movie about a down-and-out Cleveland Indians team.

The then-22-year-old Sheen said the character didn't make him a winner off the set and his juicing only intensified his rage.  Sheen said he stopped using the drug after the actor got into too many confrontations.

"I didn't like the haircut because it generated so many comments in bars.  I've got  enough of that already," said Sheen.  "Add that to the mix, and it's a recipe for a fistfight."

Drugs and Charlie Sheen, what a shock.  What no Goddesses?

And I thought Sheen's portrayal of a 'roid-raging pitcher was just good acting.

Chris Bosh's Four-Day Bachelor Party Filled With Guns, Booze and Levitation

Chris Bosh's bachelor party sounded a lot more fun than his NBA Championship series and lasted almost as long.  Bosh, the last wheel in the Miami Heat's Big Three, and his pals partied like rock stars during a four-day Las Vegas bacchanal dubbed "The Hangover 3."   Bosh celebrated, alongside 11 of his closest friends, with guns, liquor, steak dinners and magic shows. 

"It was everything these guys don't get to do during the season," said a source close to the party.

Funny, it sounds like a typical NBA season to me.

Miami teammates, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, were nowhere to be seen.  They probably had colds.

Bosh's Dirty Dozen, which included New Orleans Hornets players Jarrett Jack and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, kicked off the weekend by taking in Criss Angel's magic show "Believe" at the Luxor.  Angel pulled the guest of honor onstage and made him part of the act.  Backstage, Bosh was levitated by the greasy illusionist for a photo shoot.

The New York Post reported that Bosh and his posse's manly fun included blowing off steam at a gun range as soon as they hit the Strip and pigging out on steak dinners at some of the top restaurants in Vegas.

Other Sin City activities for Bosh and his posse included partying at Tao and a day of paintball.

The crew capped off the festivities on Sunday with a "Rack Pat" casino night at Caesars and the comedy-styling of Mark Curry.

Bosh will marry Adrienne Williams at the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami in July.

Yankees Fans: Where Have You Gone Russell Martin?

Russell Martin, in his first year as New York Yankees catcher, started the season at a blistering pace and made Yankee fans forget about not seeing Yankee stalwart Jorge Posada crouching behind the plate a lot easier to fathom.

The former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher had four home-runs and 13 RBI's by his thirteenth game in pinstripes and he became more than a just a transitional bridge between the Posada Era to the Yankees future catching star, Jesus Montero.

One problem, since May 24, Martin doesn't have an extra-base hit and is batting .136 (8-for-59) in his last 17 games?

What the hell happened?

Surprisingly,  Martin is still the leading vote-getter for the American League's starting catcher's spot--probably based on his early-season offensive explosion-- for this year's All-Star Game.  Martin currently has a 400,000 vote lead over the Texas Rangers Alex Avila who is slowly creeping up to the Yankee for the starting position.  Avila is batting .304 with 10 home-runs in his second season.

A two-time National league All-Star with the Dodgers, Martin was released by the team after slumping in 2009 and having a serious hip injury in 2010.

The 28 year-old backstop was signed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Yankees.  It immediately looked like the Yankees GM Brian Cashman salvaged an Antiques Roadshow-type find mixed in with his box of off-season garage-sale buys.  Martin looked like the early favorite for the comeback player of the year.

Along with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, the deal made Cashman look brilliant by landing Martin and his potential at a risky, but relatively bargain basement price.  It also kept the catcher from going to the Boston Red Sox.

By the beginning of May,  Martin had pounded nine home-runs, had 26 RBI's, stole six bases and had a slugging percentage hovering around .600.  Martin's early success helped take the pain out of the Yankees Cliff Lee fiasco.

Only today, the native Canadian is still stuck with nine homers and knocked in only four runs since.  Martin's slugging percentage has dipped to a pedestrian .398.

Give credit where it is due.  Martin has been solid behind the plate and, with the Yankees M*A*S*H unit full of starters and relievers, Martin is more Hawkeye than Frank Burns.  Yankees players say Martin's sense of humor and team work make him a popular and welcome figure in the locker room as well.

Two weeks ago, a back problem took Martin out of the line-up for a couple of days, but he resisted going on the 15-day DL.  It is quite possible he is still feeling the ill-effects of that injury and came back too soon.   Martin said he "felt pain when swinging."

It makes you realize that extending Derek Jeter's stay on the 15-day DL might not be such a bad thing after all.

Eli Manning: Giants Would Take Back Ex-Con Plaxico Over Ex-TV Host Tiki

Eli Manning was asked if the New York Giants players had to chose between former Giants wide-out Plaxico Burress or former running back Tiki Barber returning to the team, the Giants quarterback said he believes the recently released ex-con, Burress, would be more readily accepted than the ex-"Today" show reporter.

According to the New York Post, Manning, speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, claimed Barber slammed the door on his Giants career when he bolted the team for a career in broadcasting.

Even though there is little chance either Burress or Barber will return to the team, Manning said at least Plax chipped in by catching the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII and the Giants players have long and heartfelt memories of the victory and Burress' part in it.

Manning thinks Burress stands a better chance of joining the G-Men; even after a 20-month stint in the joint.


"Probably Plaxico just because he has fonder memories of winning a Super Bowl and that catch for the touchdown in Super Bowl XLII," said Manning.  "Tiki ended on a bad note and it's really a shame, he should be remembered as a great Giants running back and a terrific player, because he was.  Just kind of the way he went out and burned a few bridges with the fans and kind of went after me a little bit, it's unfortunate.  I'm not happy about it in that sense, so I think Plaxico would probably be welcomed back a little quicker."

Neither former-Giant was ever considered a team player and both players couldn't keep their opinions of head coach Tom Coughlin to themselves.  Burress was mainly prone to missing team meetings but is still dissing the old disciplinarian Coughlin, even after his release from prison.

Barber, meanwhile criticized Coughlin, even though the taskmaster helped the running back with his "fumblitis."  Barber went on to have his best seasons because of Coughlin's adjustments of the running back's flawed mechanics.  Grateful is apparently not in Barber's vocabulary.

Barber's worst transgression was criticizing a young Manning before announcing his retirement in the out of nowhere in the middle of the season.  Barber's self-promoting stunt stunned the Giants players and alienated Big Blue fans from the grinning back for good.

Barber claimed Manning's leadership skills were lacking and called them "comical."  

Manning didn't take kindly to the remarks and called Barber's premature announcement a distraction to the team.  The counter punch at Barber raised Manning's esteem and his profile with the veteran players.

"When I kind of responded, I think guys kind of liked to see that from me, since I've always been pretty quiet and never really tried to create any controversy," said Manning.  " I just felt this was a little different.  This wasn't a media guy or reporter attacking me, this was a teammate coming after me...but I couldn't sit there and do nothing."

After Barber's verbal attack on Manning, the proud QB didn't just do nothing.  He went on to win a Super Bowl that Barber could only watch from his living room.

Jeter's Return Halted By Rain Delay

New York Yankees Derek Jeter spent his 37th birthday taking 39 swings off a tee and then 35 more attempts at some soft-toss pitching before a rain storm cut short the shortstop's plan to take some ground balls on grass Sunday.

Jeter, who was notably missing at yesterday's Yankees Old Timer's Day, is planning to start a running and light-jogging program either today or tomorrow.

While Jeter rehabs his strained calf at the Yankees minor league complex in Tampa, the Captain's absence at yesterday's festivities was duly noticed--especially because two of the Old Timer's game first-time participants included Jeter's mentor, former-manager Joe Torre, and his teammate for twelve years, Bernie Williams.

Williams was asked what he thought about Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits and his place in Yankees history.

"He has to be right up there," said the normally quiet Williams.  "He's in the unique position of being the only Yankee that going to have 3,000 hits.  That really puts him in a category by himself as far as hits are concerned.  He's earned it.  He's been the face of the franchise.  He is one of the most popular Yankees that ever put on the uniform."

According to the Associated Press, Jeter said he "hopefully" will start the running program, but won't comment on a target date for his return.  He is currently six hits shy of the 3,000 hit milestone.

"You've got to run.  Once you start running, then we'll have a better sense," said Jeter, who has been lingering on the 15-day DL since June 14.  "If it was up to me, I'd be playing now, but you have to be smart."

Right now, Jeter's scheduled return is in doubt.

It must have been quite a dilemma for Jeter to pass on yesterday's ceremony in the Bronx.  It's hard to imagine that he would ever consider missing Torre's long-awaited, and overdue, return to pinstripes after his former-manager's contentious release from the Yankees.
 
Torre was like a father-figure to Jeter.  He helped mold the young shortstop's career and personality both on and off the field.

Torre understands Jeter's decision to take one for the team.  He fostered that trait in him.

A-Rod Helps CC Become Major's First 10-game Winner of Season

CC Sabathia, the New York Yankees big lefthander, pitched another stellar game and, in the process, became the major league's first 10-game winner this season.  Sabathia (10-4) pitched eight dazzling innings in the Yankees 8-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Alex Rodriguez chipped in with a couple of singles and 3 RBI's.  A-Rod also started a rally-killing double play in the 6th inning that was the only threat Colorado posed to CC all day.

Sabathia tortured the Colorado batters with a fastball consistently in the 96-97 mph range but it was his perfect slider which left the Rockies shaking their heads.  Five of Sabathia's nine strikeouts were of the little burger's namesake.



The big guy also came through in the clutch.  The befuddled Rockies hitters were 2-15 with runners on base.  Sabathia finished the game allowing only one run, one walk and seven hits to go with the nine K's.

Sabathia has been consistent all season.  After a couple of early-season no-decisions, the victory today gave the 2007 Cy Young winner his seventh win in his last eight starts.  He is a sure bet to make the All-Star game.

The win also gives Sabathia his 50th victory in pinstripes in 85 starts.  The leftie matches Chien-Ming Wang as the fastest Yankee pitcher to reach that total in thirty years.

Manager Joe Girardi couldn't stop singing the praise of his workhorse starter.

"CC has won 50 games in the 2 1/2 seasons he's been here," marveled the manager.  "That's just in the regular season."

 This year, Sabathia is continuing that trend.  He has a 3.25 ERA with 93 strikeouts and has allowed 119 hits in 122 innings.

"CC's a great guy to be around," said Girardi.  "He's the same guy every day.  He works quick and teammates like to play behind a pitcher who is quick."

It's also no coincidence that, as the Yankees beat up on the National League during their current intra-league jag, A-Rod has been lighting up every ballpark since Wrigley.  The aching third baseman is on a blazing hot streak and has 10 hits in his last five games while batting a sizzling .556 during that span.  Currently,  A-Rod is the only .300 hitter in the Yankees line-up.

A-Rod also reached base in the seventh on a missed communication between the Rockies' Chris Nelson and Eric Young in shallow right field. 

When asked why he pulled Rodriguez in the eighth, Girardi claimed it wasn't for anything more serious than sore legs.

"A-Rod's a little beat-up," answered Girardi.  "He's been sore since Chicago."

Sabathia also put an end to Troy Tulowitzki's New York City home-run streak.  The Rockies shortstop hit four dingers against the Mets in Flushing last week before jacking one last night against the Yankees in the Bronx.  He was the first visiting player to homer in five straight games since Ernie Banks.

Mark Teixeira chipped in with his 22nd home-run of the season in the eighth.

The Yankees are now 44-31 and could take over first place in the AL East if the Boston Red Sox lose tonight.

Yankees Old-Timer's Day Ceremony for the Unceremoniously Dumped

Expect to hear some of the most heartfelt cheers bellowing through the Bronx this Sunday afternoon in a long time.  No, the applause won't be for Derek Jeter's long-awaited milestone hit or even for any of the New York Yankees on the field.  The roar will be for three of the most beloved Yankees ever to don pinstripes--Joe Torre, Bernie Williams and Lou Piniella--who will be making their Yankees Old-Timer's day debuts.  All three will stand in the middle of Yankee Stadium for the first time after being unceremoniously dumped by the team.

All three former-Yankees have witnessed the pomp from the dugout.  Now it is their turn to bow and the gratitude extended to these former-Yankees will be both long overdue and bittersweet.

In a tradition that seems to have been around almost as long as the 65-year old ceremony, the Yankees are welcoming back fan favorites who were sent backing by the team.  In return, they triumphantly return to the Bronx as conquering heroes.  Remember Yogi Berra?

Why do the Yankees continue to perform this sado-masochistic act?



The appearance of Torre, Williams and Piniella should stir up memories of some not-so-good teams, dynasties and the turbulent reign of George Steinbrenner.

All and all, good memories, even though the trio all left the team under strained circumstances.

Individually, the former-Yankees' personalities are as different as the reasons for their walking papers.

Torre, the Brooklyn-born manager who guided the early careers of the Core Four--Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Jeter-- during the team's late-90's dynasty.

In 2007, the classy Torre rejected a one-year, $5 million take-it-or-leave-it contract by the Yankees.  He called the offer "insulting."  He was replaced by current manger Joe Girardi.

The parting wasn't amicable.  Don't even mention Torre's remarks about his time with the team or excerpts from his bitter 2009 book, "The Yankee Years," during this forgive-and forget weekend.

In the book, the 70 year-old Torre referred to A-Rod as "A-Fraud" and publicly aired out his dirty socks by ruminating about his contentious relationship with GM Brain Cashman and president Randy Levine.  Not exactly a Hallmark thank you card.

After a stint as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Torre is now MLB's executive vice-president of baseball operations.

Torre may have buried the hatchet, but if you look closely, part of it is still in Cashman's back.

Sunday's reconciliation tour continues with another of Cashman's castoffs showing love.

Bernie Williams, the quiet, guitar-playing ex-centerfielder is also coming to his first Old-Timer's game.  It still sounds weird saying old-timer and Bernie Williams in the same sentence.

Williams was shamefully excluded from the Core Four equation --it should have been known as the Fab-Five or Jive-Five or a more pertinent name that included the five-time All-Star in that Yankees core group--but not as disgraceful as his banishment from the Yankees.

The clutch Williams played the game just like he exited--with class.  Even after Williams contract wasn't renewed by Cashman in 2007, the fan-favorite and life-long Yankee retired with the gracefulness he covered the middle ground for 16 years in Yankee Stadium. Bernie's #51 is still one of the most worn jerseys.

Finally, Piniella joins the ranks of another incendiary former-Yankee player then manager who was fired--Billy Martin.

Like Martin, Piniella had success with the team on the field and in the dugout.  Unlike Martin, Sweet Lou was not canned five times.

It's been 23 years since Piniella has squeezed into a Yankee uniform after managing stints with the Reds, Mariners, Rays, and Cubs.

Torre has to remember the glaring omission of his name and image from the video tribute on the closing of the original Yankee Stadium in 2008.  That slight had to hurt more than the feeble contract offer but makes his trot into the stadium a cleansing of the soul.

""I know the way it ended the last couple of years in New York was something that both the Yankees and myself didn't know how to say goodbye and it turned out to be something uncomfortable," Torre said.  "Looking back, I never would have traded anything for those 12 years."

Get ready for 50,000 fans and 50 other Yankees old timers to salute the three first timers with a rousing welcome back. The trinity of new kings won't come empty-handed.  They'll come bearing 10 World Series rings.

All three Yankee greats will wear Yankee pinstripes for the first in a long time but, what must seem like eons in Yankees years to each of them.  

Sunday's appearance of Torre, Williams and Piniella beckons back to the time when Steinbrenner ruled the team with passion and an iron hand, not the cookie-cutter corporation it seems to have become. 

Torre, Williams and Piniella will discover, like the exiled Martin, Reggie Jackson and Berra before them, you can go back home.

Call it Yankee love.

Jose Reyes' Response to Yankees Non-Interest: Who Cares

Jose Reyes made it clear on Tuesday that he had no interest in discussing contract negotiations with the New York Mets until the season was over.  Today, Reyes said he had no prior knowledge of all the stories claiming Yankees GM Brian Cashman never had any interest in the Mets third baseman and it's a non-factor as far as Reyes is concerned.

Reyes claims he has not seen the New York headlines about Cashman denying the Yankees have any interest in acquiring the Mets speedster.

"I don't know nothing about that, I don't worry about that," Reyes said on Thursday afternoon.  "I play for the New York Mets, so I really don't care what they say, because I'm focused on this team."

While Derek Jeter rehabs on the 15-day DL, rumors swirled about the Yankees picking up Reyes before the trade deadline on July 31.



It's hard to believe the Yankees didn't give Reyes some thought.  It sounds like Cashman is in spin control mode--especially with Jeter scheduled, but not certain, to return on June 29 and still six hits away from his milestone 3,000th  basehit.  It would be a PR nightmare.

"It's just not going to happen," said Cashman about getting Reyes.  "We have an everyday shortstop in Derek Jeter and I think we have an everyday shortstop that would be playing for a lot of clubs in Eduardo Nunez.  The Yankees don't have a need now or in the future for a shortstop."

On Tuesday, Reyes publicly said he doesn't want to discuss trades or contracts--with anyone--and hopes to put an end to all the speculation.

"Right now, I don't want any distractions," he said.  "I just want to continue to play."

Reyes refusal to talk with the Mets could send the team into panic mode and unload him for a truckload of young talent.  There must be some uncertainty in Metville that the financially-strapped team could compete with other teams if Reyes throws his name in the free-agent pool.

The Mets third baseman is batting .335 with 13 triples, 105 hits and 26 stolen bases.  Reyes is having an MVP caliber season and even if the Yankees back away, there are plenty of teams with money which could use a player like Reyes down the stretch run.

There is still over a month until the trade deadline and, if the Mets fall out of contention, expect a deal of some kind.

Japanese Rugby Star To Be Banned For Growing Steroid-Aided Mustache

Japanese rugby star, Ryohei Yamanaka, is facing at least a six-month ban for trying to grow a mustache with a steroid-based cream to speed up the hair-growing process.  The cost of trying to look like a female Bulgarian weightlifter means Yamanaka could miss the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

The 22 year-old Yamanaka failed a drug test as he was preparing for Movember, a charity event where rugby players don't shave for a four-week period.

Apparently, Yamanaka looked more like Justin Bieber than Burt Reynolds and applied the cream to look a little older and have more facial hair not to shave.

The cream just happens to have a forbidden steroid in it.



Japanese rugby coach, John Kirwan, was surprised by the drug-test results, but doesn't expect rugby's governing boards to go easy on his fly-half.

"I don't think he was aware of the severity of it," said Kirwan.  "We spent 24-hours trying to find out what he had taken.  He got a hair-growth cream to try and grow a mo."

Yamanaka's poorly-planned attempt at growing a "mo" is expected to get him banned from competition at least through the World Cup in the fall and possibly up to two years.

"It was a little tube of hair-growth cream.  He just didn't think," said Kirwan.  "Apparently he failed the (B-Sample) too.  I gather he's innocent, but the (IRB) take a dim view.  He's lucky if he gets six months."

Yamanaka apologized for his attempt at looking manlier on Twitter by saying he was "sorry for causing such problems" but made it a point to say the cream was "not a hair-growth tonic which grows hair on the head."

Got to keep those priorities straight for the ladies.

Just think, after the ban, Yamanaka will have actually grown a real 'stache for the 2013 Movember.

The barren-faced Yamanaka should have done what we did in high school to impress the senior girls-- a light brush of your mom's mascara over your top lip.

Mike Francesa Calls Tiki Barber's NBC Career a "Failure"

 The Tiki Barber Comeback Tour keeps getting better and better.  For the most part of a thirty minute radio interview on Wed., interviewer Mike Francesa ripped the ex-New York Giants running back and called Barber's broadcast stint on NBC a "failure."

Barber, who went on the WFAN show to discuss his plans for returning to the NFL this upcoming season after a four year retirement, went on the defensive after Francesa commented on Barber's release from NBC and his presumed grooming to be the next Matt Lauer on the "Today" show. 

"I don't consider my time at NBC a failure," said Barber.

"The guys at NBC, and I know all of them, they felt you did a bad job, and they said you thought you were entitled, said Francesa.

The radio host probably knows something.  Francesa does a Sunday night show in the same NBC building where the "Today" show broadcasts from.  Word travels fast in 30 Rock.



The interview started cordial enough until the the NBC exchange and then the discussion became contentious.  Barber even had his agent, Mark Lepselter, who was in on the call, throw some interference for the ex-running back.

Francesa wouldn't have any of it.

"You're on the line, Mark," interrupted Francesa. " You're not supposed to be his bodyguard."

Barber continued the verbal fray.

"I think it's unfair for you to label it that way," railed Barber.  "I think that's cowardly of someone to talk behind some one's back and not tell them.  I don't know what I could have done better at NBC."

"Tiki, you got fired," said Francesa.

"Oh Did I?  Did I?," questioned Barber.  "Mike, I don't think you know the whole story."

Just last month, Barber caused an uproar when he compared himself to Anne Frank, in a Sports Illustrated interview, after he was asked about hiding from the media in Lepselter's house.

Barber's last game with Big Blue was a wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the Giants 2006 season.  He left on bad terms with the front office and fans alike.

The ubiquitous running back jumped directly into the studios at NBC, where he was being prepped for his star turn on the network's morning news program and their NFL pregame shows--sort of an Al Roker, only with muscles.

Barber appeal didn't translate to the TV screen from the locker room.   He was a mediocre host and his spotlight burned out fast after a three year run.  Real fast.

The grinning Barber was let go by NBC after he reportedly left his pregnant-with-twins wife, Ginny, and two kids for an  young intern.

In Wed. interview, the 10-year NFL veteran tried to spike the ball in Francesa's face by claiming the sports-talk host wasn't good at his job either.

"You badger your listeners," said the defensive Barber.  "You badger your interview[ees]."

Barber didn't stop there and said it's not his fault for still being disliked by Giants fans.

"I'm sure it has to do with the fact I criticized Tom Coughlin and he goes on to win a Super Bowl," reasoned Barber.  "Or the conversation I had about Eli Manning that got blown out of proportion...I've always been opinionated."

Really, now?

Tiki, good luck playing with your brother Ronde down in Tampa.

For interview audio.

HBO Developing Dramatic Boxing Series Based On Mike Tyson

HBO has ordered a pilot from Doug Ellin, the writer and producer of "Entourage," for a dramatic series based on the rise of a fictional Newark, N.J. boxer.  Ellin has enlisted Spike Lee and Mike Tyson to co-produce.

"Da Brick" is the title of the series about the up and coming fighter loosely-based on Tyson's own rise to fame as a boxer. 

The idea for the project stemmed from a conversation Tyson had with Ellin while the former heavyweight champion was doing a guest spot on "Entourage" in 2010.

"Why don't you do with my life what you did with Mark's [Wahlberg] life on 'Entourage?' Ellin said Tyson asked him while on the set.

Simple as that, a gritty new series was born.

The title "Da Brick" is a reference to Newark being know as "The Brickyard City" or "Brick City."

Ellin will act only as producer of the series with co-producer Jim Lefkowitz while "Entourage" ends it's eight year run on HBO.  The head writer will be John Ridley, Lee's co-writer in a film-in-development about the Los Angeles riots.

It is not known if Tyson will hone his "Hangover 2" acting chops and appear in a  role or guest spot on the series but, his wife, Lakiha Tyson will co-executive produce with Azim Spicer.

Lee's people have been scouring local New York City area boxing gyms for locations and actors.  The casting directors are looking for actors who "have chops" and fight experience.

By basing a series on the dwindling fight game, does HBO have a Pacquiao or a patsie on it's hands?

Wahlberg produced "The Fighter," last year's Academy Award nominated and winning film about boxer 'Irish' Mickey Ward and his brother Dicky, which successfully brought the world of boxing to the masses.

On the other hand, FX's "Lights Out," a fine series about a fighter coming out of retirement, was cancelled after a single critically-acclaimed season. 

Even if Tyson doesn't appear in the series, it will probably not be too difficult to separate the fiction from the facts regarding the one-man demolition crew.  There is too much of his life that was public domain.

Both inside and outside of the ring, Tyson's recollections alone bring a solid foundation of incidents for the writers to incorporate into the scripts.  The out-of-control fighter has endured both the glory, the scandals and the shame behind the sport.

I wonder if there will be pigeons and facial tattoos?

Jose Reyes Will Make Mets Pay For Wilpon's Remarks

Last month, New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon told The New Yorker magazine that his star third baseman and soon to be free-agent, Jose Reyes, would never get "Carl Crawford money."  He also threw in a few tidbits like Reyes had "everything wrong with him" and "he won't get it" to stress his point.   Those fateful words may now come back to haunt the financially-troubled owner.

Reyes is off to a mind-boggling MVP-type season and leading a mid-season surge to a once improbable Mets wild-card playoff spot.

Forget Carl Crawford bucks, Reyes has even been bandied about as the next New York Yankees shortstop--replacing cross-town icon Derek Jeter.  We're talking desperate Yankees dollars now.

Reyes has not publicly mentioned himself as being trade-bait or packing his bags for another team, but Metsies shouldn't speculate that their star wants to remain with the Mets.

The 28 year-old Reyes is still attached to his long-time agents even though there has been rumors about super-agent Scott Boras poaching the highly-desirable Reyes.

Reyes' current agents are Chris Leible--the godfather of two of Reyes' kids--and Peter Greenberg.  Both associates have stood by Reyes through a couple of injury-plagued seasons and cries of overrated by fans and media.  By the way, the two men are also friends of their client.

Reyes claims people are getting the wrong idea after a Fox Sports story said the Mets player had spoken with Boras.

"There is no chance I would ever leave those guys," said Reyes of Leible and Greenburg.  " I mean, I have been with them since I was 17."

Wilpon might one of those people who are getting the wrong vibe from Reyes.  The Mets owner might read into Reyes snub of Boras as some sign of loyalty.

The Mets are probably under the impression that by staying with his agents, Reyes can't be shopped around by Boras and a reasonable offer could keep their prize in his Flushing surroundings.  That glimmer of hope is based on the delusional reasoning that since Reyes isn't represented by a blood-seeking shark who seeks the maximum contract for his clients, he is more about keeping contract talks simple and staying cozy with the Mets.

Fat chance.

Reyes doesn't need Boras to get a huge contract.  About two-third of the majors could use a lead-off third baseman who is currently leading the NL with a .341 average and 103 runs scored.

If Reyes isn't traded by the July 31 deadline, expect the free-agent flood-gates to open and the Mets left standing without their rubber boots.

Reyes' agents have not said what they are seeking, but it's a sure bet it will be a lot more than the $17 million per season that Jeter is getting.

Crawford signed a seven-year contract with the Boston Red Sox for $142 million.

At the moment, the Mets and Reyes are world's apart on what the team wants to pay and what their third baseman is expecting. He's earned it and Wilpon showed no devotion of his own when he dissed Reyes in public.

 According to the New York Daily News, Reyes' friends say he talks about what he is looking for when the Met is away from the diamond.

"He talks about it all the time," said one buddy.  "And if the Mets think they're getting him for, like, $95 million, they're wrong.  He's going to get paid.  He's clear about that."

Whatever the outcome, Wilpon is going to have to put a lot of money where his big mouth is if the Mets want to keep Reyes in blue and orange.

Life Without Derek Jeter Ain't So Bad For The Yankees

It's only been a week since Derek Jeter strained his calf muscle and the Yankees had the monumental task of placing The Captain and his quest for his 3,000th base hit on ice.  Jeter reluctantly went on the 15-day DL and now the Yankees seem to be sailing along nicely without their team leader.

The Yankees have scored 42 runs, including a sweep of last year's AL Champs the Texas Rangers to go 5-1 while Jeter treats his calf down in Tampa. 

Jeter's replacement, 24 year-old Eduardo Nunez, isn't Derek Jeter circa 1998, but has handled himself adequately at the plate.  In 77 at-bats, Nunez has knocked in 11 runs with two home-runs and eight stolen bases.

Jeter, before he went down, had 20 RBI's, two homers and seven stolen bases in 262 plate appearances.

The 24 year-old Nunez won't remind anyone of Ozzie Smith in the field.  Every ground ball hit to short is an adventure with Nunez.  On Saturday, he muffed a double-play grounder for his eighth error in 37 games.  First basemen Mark Teixeira has probably saved half-a-dozen careless throwing errors from fumbling Nunez already.



The young shortstop knows his time at shortstop will be limited; no matter how good he is playing.  It's only a matter of time before Jeter says "Helloooo Nunez...good job, now go."

"I feel good you know?  It's my opportunity to show I can play," said Nunez.  "But I keep telling you, I don't want to think like that.  Some one goes down like Jeter, in two weeks, he'll be back in the same place."

While it's a given Nunez will relinquish his position at shortstop when Jeter returns, it is the resurgence of Brett Gardner that will give manager Joe Girardi headaches regarding the lead-off spot.

Right now, batting in the top of the order where Jeter was loosely ensconced, Gardner has become a torrid offensive force.

After a slow start, which made it easy to put the creaky-boned Jeter in the lead-off spot, Gardner is showing all the tools which kept him from being trading over the past few seasons.

 Gardner is doing a little of everything to spark an aging, home-run slugging team.

The spunky left-fielder is batting .360 over his last 51 games and his average is creeping to .300.  He has eight multi-hit games over the last 14 games.

When Jeter returns, Girardi's conundrum will be what to do with his current No. 1 and No. 2 batters.  Gardner and Curtis Granderson, who is having an MVP-type season, have ignited the top of the Yankees line-up and it's a sure bet Jeter is squirming in his whirlpool while witnessing it.

Jeter's diminished play at short is still better than Nunez at full ability, but it's where he bats in the line-up after he gets his milestone 3,000th hit that will be intriguing.

Sure, Jeter has earned the right to bat first when he returns and, unless he acquires those six hits in quick succession, he will probably be dumped to a lower spot in the batting order after the big hit.

It's any one's guess where, and how tactfully, Girardi places the legendary Yankee.  Jorge Posada took his demotion kicking and screaming.  It's unlikely the cordial, but proud,  Jeter will go the same route, but I seem to remember a blistering Jeter press conference after the Yankees front office leaked details of his contract talks last winter.  So who knows.

Granderson is hitting both righties and lefties and there is no way you can move him from the No. 2 spot and Gardner is the speedster the team needs in the lead-off spot.  He is a mini-weapon of mass destruction right now and the Yankees are a hell of a lot more fun to watch when Gardner is prowling the base.paths.

Where does Jeter actually fit in the line-up when he returns on June 29?

One through five are solid and have the team on cruise-control right now.  The sixth spot is for the DH or Nick Swisher, who has also come alive.  That leaves the seventh spot and even that is up for grabs.

It's easy to rip the unassuming Jeter, while he hobbles around his Florida mansion, and it almost seems blasphemous.  He is about to make history and maybe that 3,000th hit is the only thing keeping the soon-to-be 37 year-old  in the conversation, but he is still The Captain with a $17 million-a-year contract and on the verge of legendary stature.

The experienced and sure-handed Jeter, even lugging around a .260 batting average, is still the Yankees best choice at shortstop--even if he has to bat seventh.

Are the Yankees better without Jeter?  This last week has produced an intriguing plot when he returns.

Ryan Dempster's Harry Caray Tribute To Derek Jeter Is Funny But Premature

In anticipation of Derek Jeter getting his historic 3,000th base-hit in Wrigley Field, Chicago starting pitcher Ryan Dempster did a hilarious imitation of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray throwing accolades at the Yankees shortstop for getting long-awaited hit.  Dempster even looked the part with Caray's trademark giant square glasses. 

While Dempster's mimicking of Caray was dead on, his timing was off.  Jeter's quest for # 3,000 is on hold while he rehabs his strained calf muscle in Florida.

The Yankees captain is on the 15-day disabled list and is stuck six hits short of the milestone with 2994.  He is expected to resume playing on June 29 in  a home game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Yankee Stadium.

Dempster filmed the segment earlier for Fox Sports and it was broadcast during the ninth inning of the Cubs 4-3 loss to the Yankees at Wrigley Field.

The  Chicago Cubs impersonator was also the starter for yesterday's game and went 5 1/3 innings before getting the loss.

The beloved Caray has a host of impersonators, including Will Ferrell and thousands of Cubbie fans, caricaturing the assorted Carayisms, but Dempster's impression is right up there with the best of them.

Clarence Clemons: 1942-2011; NFL's Loss Is Rock 'n' Roll's Gain

One of Rock and Roll's great sidemen, Clarence Clemons, died Saturday at age 69.  The legendary E Street Band saxophonist whose huge presence and bigger sound passed away in a Florida hospital after suffering a stroke last week. 

The Big Man's tight bond with Bruce Springsteen for four decades made him one of the most revered figures in the rock world.  His distinctive solos on hits like"Jungleland" and "Thunder Road" are considered some of the most recognizable sax riffs in rock 'n' roll history.

Clemons had undergone surgeries following a June 12 stroke.

"He carried with him a love of people that made them love him," said Springsteen.  "He created a wondrous and extended family."

Clemons cut a big figure onstage and the gridiron as well.  "Glory Days" could almost be autobiographical.

Most E Street fans probably didn't know that the burly Clemons was a pretty good athlete and a star football player.  The 6-foot-4 Clemons excelled in the sport and earned a scholarship to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and, later, a tryout with the Cleveland Browns.  Injuries  he suffered in a serious automobile accident shelved his plans for an NFL career.  

His derailed football career gave Clemons time to concentrate on his saxophone playing and the rest is rock 'n' roll history.

Clemons might not have made the Cleveland Browns roster, but he's been immortalized in Cleveland's Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

The E Street band also played the Super Bowl in 2009.  It was the first time Clemons walked on stage after knee replacement surgery in 2008.

Even the first meeting between Clemons and Springsteen is a legendary rock 'n' roll fable.  As Clemons and Springsteen tell it, Clemons, the son of a Virginia fish salesman, burst into an Asbury Park bar when a blast of thunderous wind blew the door open in 1971.  The grand entrance gave the impression Clemons ripped the door open.

The dramatic first encounter was the basis for the song "Tenth Avenue Freezeout."

"I will never forget that moment," Clemons recollected later.  "I felt like I was supposed to be there.  It was a magical moment.  He looked at me, and I looked at him, and we fell in love.  And it's still there."

After that stormy night, Clemons became a regular E Street Band member and, possibly, it's most recognizable and popular member.

Clemons blistering sax solos were the highlights of E Street shows and he never disappointed--whether it was in front of 70,000 in the swamps of Jersey, aka the Meadowlands, or one of the mythical shows at the Stone Pony rock club.

"His loss is immeasurable...He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music," said the Boss last night.  "His life, his memory and his love will live on in that story and in our band."

Clarence Clemons will live on in his music but "Spirit in the Night" just took on a whole new meaning.

Osi Umenyiora Calls LeSean McCoy a 'Chihuahua or Poodle'

New York Giants defensive end, Osi Umenyiora, is still making a lot of noise one day after leaking bits of an affidavit claiming that New York Giants GM Jerry Reese reneged on a verbal agreement to renegotiate his contract.  Now, when Umenyiora should be in some sort of spin control, he has stirred up more controversy by comparing Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy to a yapping, little lap dog.

After Umenyiora's story broke on Thursday afternoon, McCoy Tweeted that Umenyiora was "overrated n soft."  McCoy also called Umenyiora the "3rd best d-line on his team honestly."

In a phone interview with The New York Times, Umenyiora responded to McCoy's tweet.

"That little chihuahua or poodle in the backfield," steamed Umenyiora.  "He doesn't have to block me.  If you have something to say, say it man to man; you can't be a Twitter gangster.  That's easy to do, trying to be a tough guy.  Say it to my face, and we'll see what happens."

Or you can say it in an affidavit to be filed in Minneapolis next month.

Umenyiora goes on to say that the G-Men's defense has a pet name for McCoy: "Lady Gaga."  The Giants defensive end doesn't elaborate on how the nickname came about.

McCoy hasn't replied to Umenyiora's diss, but he might start by reminding him that the Eagles are 4-0 against the Giants with the speedster in the backfield and then go all Twitter gangster by throwing in a video of his game-winning run through Umenyiora's fingertips and the Giants defense last season. 

The G-Men's defense had so many holes against the Eagles in that epic New York fail last season, McCoy might think of calling them the Kardashians.

While Umenyiora goes off on McCoy, it looks like his stance against the Giants has softened.

According to the Times interview, Osi did an about face and revealed his deep love for the team from the Meadowlands.

Umenyiora said he'd be happy to return to New York, even after, in that sworn affidavit, called Reese a liar for going back on a two-year old verbal commitment to renegotiate his contract after the 2010 season.

"I love my teammates.  The owners of the team, Mr. Mara and Mr. Tisch, I'm really cool with both of them," said Umenyiora.  "They came to the hospital when I was injured...I don't have a beef with them per se.  At the end of the day, they're going to have to make the best decision for them."

Umenyiora's case is notable mostly because he is one of the plaintiffs named in the ongoing anti-trust case against the NFL.

Finally, some spinning and less stirring from the disgruntled Giant.  Stay tuned.

Osi Umenyiora Has Packed His Bags & Wants Out Of New York

If it's spring, it must mean another demand to be traded by New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora.  In what has become an annual grind in the Giants rumor mill,  Umenyiora is making allegations and mandates once again.  Only this time it seems like Osi really means it.

In a sworn affidavit to be filed in Minneapolis next month, Umenyiora makes it clear why he wants to leave New York by stating Giants general manager, Jerry Reese,  has failed to honor a verbal agreement to renegotiate Umenyiora's current contract.

According to ESPN,  Umenyiora met with Reese during the off-season after the 2008 season and the GM promised that, in two years, the Giants would reevaluate the two-time Pro-Bowler's contract.



"In early 2008, approximately two weeks before the start of the New York Giants off-season conditioning program, I, Osi Umenyiora, had a meeting with the general manager of the New York Giants, Mr. Jerry Reese," testified Umenyiora last April.  "If I was playing in the National Football League at a high level, we'd either renegotiate my current contract so it would be equal to the top five defensive ends playing or I would be traded to a team that would do that."

Umenyiora claims Reese has amnesia when it comes to the meeting.

"He [Reese] told me that he was an honest, church-going man and he would not lie."

The Giants defensive end has led the team in sacks in five of the last six seasons.  Umenyiora's last contract extension in December 2005 was for 6-years at $41 million.  He has two years left and he will be paid $3.5 million if the 2011 ever season starts.

This has been an ongoing drama between Umenyiora and the Giants for a long time and, frankly, Giants fans are getting a little ticked at the pushy 280-pounder.

During the 2009 season, after the second-round draft pick lost his starting job and threatened the Giants with trade demands.  The following spring he was stroked the wrong way and threatened to leave again.

The 29 year-old Umenyiora has been bothered by injuries over the past few seasons and played through some pain, but his song-and-dance routine is getting tired.

He missed the entire 2008 season after tearing up his left knee in an exhibition game against the New York Jets and is recovering from hip surgery from a lingering hip injury.  Umenyiora says his hip is fine right now and he is ready to bring it on.

This time, it looks like the tempestuous Giant is sticking to his guns about leaving the Meadowlands before--or when--the 2011 season begins.

Umenyiora has packed up his bags and moved his personal belongings to Atlanta, his home of six years, according to reports.

The New York Giants have not publicly commented on the situation, but it is unlikely they will back down.  Maybe they know something.

The current NFL lockout prohibits teams and players from discussing any disputes during litigation.

Derek Jeter On DL For Now; Could Jose Reyes End Up In Pinstripes?

The decision to place Derek Jeter on the 15-day DL has given the New York Yankees a possible glimpse into the future and opened up a giant can of worms for the team.  If Jeter wasn't chasing his mythical 3,000th hit, some Yankee fans might secretly call his tweaked calf a blessing in disguise.

While the Yankees put Jeter's historic milestone on hold, Eduardo Nunez gets 12 games to audition for the future shortstop opening and Brett Gardner moves to the lead-off spot.  These changes might highlight the glaring deficiencies the Yankees captain has displayed this season.

Like it or not, there is already talk about the Yankees trading for shortstop Jose Reyes from their cross-town counterparts, and cash-starved, New York Mets.

That sound you just heard is a mixture of Yankee fans wincing and Mets fans throwing up a little.



No matter how blasphemous picturing the 'anti-Jeter' Reyes in pinstripes sounds to Bomber fans, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has to be thinking about how far the Yankees can go with the 36 year-old Jeter at shortstop and leadoff.  How does he go about replacing a team icon?

 The 28 year-old Reyes is having an MVP-type season.  He leads the majors with a .346 average and has 11 triples, 49 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.

Jeter has been quietly struggling to fulfill his quest for 3,000.  It's been painful to watch.  The future-Hall-of-Famer is batting .260 with 39 runs and seven stolen bases.  Jeter's .649 OPS is a fraction of Reyes' whopping .914.

For now, the 24 year-old Nunez is Jeter's replacement at shortstop and has waited a long time for his first big shot on the Yankees.  Jeter hasn't been on the DL since 2003 and left little time for anyone to showcase their talents.

Nunez is a capable sub and was named the Yankees minor league player of the year in 2010.

When the Yankees haggled with Jeter over his 3-year, $51 million contract over the winter, did they really believe he would struggle this much, this fast?  The Yankees poster boy is not the .342 hitter with range and power he once had and, without saying it too loudly,  Nunez might be a better all-round player right now.

While Nunez auditions, it is Reyes who is waiting in the wings.

Cashman isn't the only one who has to make an unenviable decision about his shortstop.

The Mets must decide if they can afford Reyes or if their best player is worth more in a trade.  If the Mets don't commit to Reyes the cash-poor team will have to let him go.

Reyes is signed through 2011 and some cynics wonder if the immature shortstop is playing up to his potential because he is in the final year of his contract.  Others say he's finally grown up.

Reyes, in nine seasons,  was a shadow under Jeter's  bright lights.  He could only watch Jeter win championships and get TV endorsements while Reyes was a blip on the back pages except for health or maturity issues.

The Mets star has been criticized for his juvenile antics in the dugout and and mental mistakes on the field, but makes up for it with speed and his bat. 

Jeter seems to be aging faster than Brooke Shields this season and his range and the ability to perform in clutch situations has diminished greatly.  Cashman will have to decide if he wants to trade his future stars in the minors for a playoff run.

Either way, it wouldn't be easy replacing Jeter during a milestone season.

It was hard enough getting the stubborn Jeter to accept his DL stint.  Imagine the monumental task of telling the proud face of the Yankees he is being replaced-- by a Met... especially in a playoff race!

Jeter Put On 15-day DL: Poised To Get 3,000th Hit Against Mets In Citi Field

The New York Yankees placed Derek Jeter on the 15-day DL shortly before 6 p.m. today and, as fate would have it, the Yankees captain could possibly get his historic 3,000th hit against cross-town rivals, the New York Mets, in Citi Field.  Ticket prices just went through the roof for that series.

Jeter tried to convince Yankees GM Brian Cashman to give him a few days off, but Cashman wouldn't budge and announced that his star would be sitting for 15 days.

An MRI showed a Grade 1 Strain of Jeter's right calf after running out a fly-out in the fifth inning of last night's 1-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians.  Jeter got his 2994th hit in the first and went 1-for-3 on the night.

Cashman knew it wasn't going to be easy getting Jeter to be a spectator for 15 days but, with all the injuries and light hitting on the Yankees, he knew he couldn't take a chance on Jeter compounding the injury just for history's sake and he took the safe route.



A seven day rest period would have meant Jeter could have resumed playing on the June 24 home stand against the Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers and possibly collecting # 3,000 in front of the home fans.

Jeter last sat out on May 5.

Cashman probably remembers how Alex Rodriguez had the same "low-grade" strain last year and sat out three games before aggravating the injury necessitating A-Rod going on the 15-day DL.

The 36 year-old Jeter will miss a six-game road trip to Wrigley Field and Cincinnati before returning during the last two games of a home-stand series against the Brewers and finally heading to Flushing and the Mets on July 1-3.

For now, the 3,000th hit will have to wait.

Jeter said being put on the DL was "a little bit frustrating."  It is the fifth time Jeter has been on the DL in 15 1/2 seasons and the first time since 2003.

The Mets organization must be thrilled with the Yankees misfortune.  It means they will possibly fill up CitiField for three games.  Sellouts in Flushing are pretty rare.

For the Yankees fans, at least Jeter still might get his monumental hit in New York.

Phil Hughes Should Join Bullpen When He Returns To Yankees

 New York Yankees starter Phil Hughes pitched today for the first time in an organized game since April and he didn't disappoint.  The right-hander, who was diagnosed with "dead-arm" two months ago, threw 3 2/3 solid innings against minor leaguers in an intra-squad game at the Yankees minor league complex and struck out six while allowing two hits.

Hughes' fastball topped out at 93 mph and was consistently throwing in the low-90's.  He retired the first eight batters.  Good news for Hughes and the depleted Yankees pitching staff.

The New York Yankees starting rotation has turned into one of the most bizarre collection of pitchers in recent history.  It's a combination of an old work-horse, schizoid fastballer, young hopeful and a couple of old retreaded former All-Stars--one who just went down and will be replaced by Hector Noesi from the bullpen or David Phelps.  Hughes' return will add another question mark in that motley crew.



This rotation may be as reliable as Harold Camping and getting nearly as old.  While the bullpen is shaky and has more injured players than Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark; where does Hughes fit in when he comes back to Yankee Stadium?

Hughes underwent a battery of tests in April and, truthfully,  hasn't been the same since last year's All-Star break.  Hughes' breakout 2010 season was still memorable and he finished 18-8 with a 4.19 ERA.  He slumped a little down the stretch when it looked like he was emerging as one of the best young hurlers in the majors, but never looked good in 2011.  This season he is 0-1 with a fat 10.94 ERA.

Now, with Bartolo Colon on the 15-day DL,  the $35 million Rafael Soriano looking at another 4-5 weeks and Joba Chamberlain out for the season; it opens up the quandary of where to put Hughes when he returns.  Chances are, it will be about the same time as Colon and way before Soriano.

Right now, Dave Robertson has played the part of set-up man with the flair of Houdini, but does manager Joe Girardi continue to bite his nails and Mariano Rivera grind his teeth every time Robertson loads the bases and goes to his great escape routine?  Boone Logan is just a mop-up pitcher right now and Girardi has to be wondering which pitcher who can get an opposing batter's knees knocking in the eighth.  Hughes could be the man.

Hughes is scheduled to leave Tampa and is scheduled to pitch for Class A Staten Island on Sunday.  Physically, the rested Hughes is getting closer to Yankee Stadium but still has a ways to go.

The 24 year-old Hughes knows it's a long process but is thankful surgery wasn't an option so far.

"It [his arm] felt good; a lot better," said Hughes after this morning's game.  "I thought the ball was coming out pretty good and that's all I can ask for at this point.  I'm just trying to build it up and make sure I don't have any set backs."

The Yankees have said this morning's outing was technically not a rehab start and is just another way of getting Hughes' pitch count up.  It will take about three or four rehab starts for Hughes to strengthen his arm and build up his stamina.

If Colon returns from his strained hamstring injury on schedule, the five-man starting rotation should be intact.  That still leaves room for a steady set-up man like Hughes for a few weeks.  A perfect opportunity to limit  Hughes' pitch count until he builds up his arm and Soriano returns--and that's no guarantee.

For the time being,  Hughes seems happy to be throwing in a game situation again.

"Really, until I get to the 100-pitch mark, there's no way of knowing [when I'll rejoin New York]," said the optimistic Hughes.  "I'm hoping it won't be much longer, but it's kind of out of my hands."

Girardi must weigh his options after Hughes does return.  What will be the former-number three starter's role?  It seems logical to slowly work him in from the bullpen and allow him to get back to form.

Yankees Great Joe DiMaggio Caught In Own Weinergate

An all-nude full-frontal nude photo of New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio is currently up for bidding at a Long Island auction house and DiMaggio's long-time lawyer isn't happy about it.  But Anthony Weiner would be proud.

The black and white photo shows DiMaggio lathering it up alongside another player inside the showers inside Yankee Stadium circa 1939.

Lelands.com, a company which specializes in sports memorabilia and photography, is calling the photograph the "Joe DiMaggio Boudoir Photo" even the there isn't a bedroom in sight.  The bidding is scheduled to begin on June 24 at $1,331.

DiMaggio's long-time lawyer and friend, Morris Engelberg, is disputing the veracity of the snapshot and claims the notoriously private Yankee Clipper would never allow himself to be photographed in such a situation.

"I could never imagine Joe DiMaggio, this private individual, ever letting anyone take a photo of him in the nude with someone next to him," claims the lawyer for DiMaggio's estate.

Engelberg who was DiMaggio's confidant for over 60 years, said, "When Joe DiMaggio went to the bathroom in a restaurant, I always had to escort him.  I made sure no one took a picture of him at the urinal."  Sounds like a fun gig.



This isn't the first time the nude photo of DiMaggio popped up.  Two years ago the nation turned their lonely eyes to  the photo of Mister Coffee hanging in an exhibition called the Hunted and Gathered at the gallery Modernism in San Francisco.  No one knows where the photo originally came from.

When asked where he got the photo,  then bluntly titled the "Joe DiMaggio Shown in All His Glory in Showers of Yankee Stadium," San Francisco curator Robert Flynn Johnson joked, "I have friends in low places."

The photo appears to have been taken a couple of years before the young slugger had his famous 56-game hitting streak.  Lelands CEO, Josh Evans, told the New York Daily News that he doesn't know how the photo made it to this point but it is "100% authentic, first generation and vintage."

Evans said he reluctantly acquired the naked image from an anonymous seller six months ago and insists there is no mystery to the photograph's origins.  Evans said he would provide a certificate of authenticity if the buyer requests one, but would not include the seller's name.

DiMaggio died in 1999 at the age of 84.

If he played right now, it would be easy to identify the modern-day DiMaggio because his body would be covered with a gallery of tattoos to go with his untrimmed nether regions.

Maybe not, we're talking about conservative Joe D here.

Bartolo Colon Limps Off Field And It Means More Bad News For Yankees

Just  a couple of days after the New York Yankees found out relief pitcher Joba Chamberlain would miss the rest of the season due to a damaged elbow; the team's second best starting pitcher, Bartolo Colon, limped off the slippery Yankee Stadium field with a "strained left hamstring" on Saturday afternoon.

Yankees GM Brain Cashman told the YES Network, after New York beat the Cleveland Indians 4-0,  the injury to Colon "looks like a DL situation."

Since getting swept by division rivals the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees have literally taken one step forward and two steps back when it concerns their pitching staff.

The one step forward was Ivan Nova's gutsy win against the Indians last night.  Nova needed a solid performance to save his spot in the Yankee rotation after being winless since May 17.  His continued ineffectiveness would have meant possibly coming out of the bullpen to replace Chamberlain.  Now it looks like he will be needed to fill Colon's big spot in the rotation.

The two steps backward are the injuries to Chamberlain and Colon--and they are of mammoth proportions.



Chamberlain had settled nicely into his role as set-up man after Rafael Soriano went out for up to eight weeks.  He was having one of his finest seasons.

Now comes Colon's pulled hammy and it could really spell trouble for the Yankees. 

The flawless Colon cruised through six innings in the drizzling rain against the Indians when he went to cover first base during Shin-Soo Choo's seventh-inning dribbler down the first base line.  Colon's slipped or landed oddly on the damp turf and limped back to the mound.  Manager Joe Girardi and team doctor Gene Monahan ran out and convinced the pitcher to exit and take his 2-hit, six strike-out gem to the showers.

Dave Robertson relieved Colon with one out in the seventh and continued to pull his Houdini act by giving up three hits then striking out the side in the eighth. Boone Logan mopped up the ninth.

Girardi wouldn't make any predictions on the possibility of putting Colon on the DL or the extent of the injury to his pitcher's "planting foot." "We won't know anything until tomorrow," he said.  "We'll have to wait until he shows up tomorrow."

Colon has resurrected his career after under missing a year and a half of major league play.  He had undergone a radical, but controversial, treatment in the Dominican Republic for his damaged right shoulder and elbow.  This season, Colon is 5-3 and has become the number two starter on the Yankees rotation.  He won his last three starts in dominating fashion.  Extended time on the DL would be a real set back for New York.

When asked about Colon's performance so far this season, Alex Rodriguez said, "He [Colon] is off the charts.  He is pitching like his Cy Young caliber season in 2005."

A-Rod-- who got  Indians starter Mitch Talbot tossed out for plunking him in the sixth-- homered and then compared Colon to the Yankees # 1 ace CC Sabathia.

"He [Colon] has been consistently great all year," said Rodriguez.  "He is pitching like 1-A."

If Colon does go on the 15-day DL, it could take longer for the portly pitcher to rehab than other players.  He packs over 260 pounds on his short frame and was never known as the best physical specimen on any team.

It's too bad because it looked like Colon was headed for his second straight complete game victory and sensational comeback season.

Joba Chamberlain's Dad Claims "Rules" Didn't Help Prevent Son's Injury

In 2007, three young pitchers represented the future of the New York Yankees starting rotation and dominance over the American League for years to come.  Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy were the building blocks to a new dynasty after the Core Four were gone.  Now, only four years later, all three may have seen their better days with the Yankees prematurely slip away for one reason or another.

Chamberlain and Hughes were considered so indispensable, Kennedy was the one traded to Arizona in the Curtis Granderson mix before the 2010 season.  He is now enjoying an All-Star season with a 6-2 record and 3.14 ERA with the Diamondbacks.

The other two fastballers stayed behind and the Yankees tried to figure out what to do with them.

Both pitchers were shuttled to-and-from the bullpen to the starting rotation and the team set limitations on the hard-throwing pitchers' innings.  They became known as the "Joba Rules."

The Joba Rules were put in place to limit pitcher's time on the mound and protect the young hurlers' arms.

Now, even with all the coddling, it looks like Chamberlain's season is over, with Tommy John surgery is on the horizon, for an elbow injury--which could keep the 25 year-old Chamberlain out until the 2013 season-- nobody saw coming.  Nobody except one person.



"I just knew.  It's something I can't explain," said Joba's dad, Harlan.  "But as a father, I knew."

Hughes, meanwhile, has been on the DL since April 15 with right shoulder inflammation--or dead arm as the Yankees have cryptically called it.  The Yankee starter, who had an All-Star season last year, threw 30 pitches over two innings yesterday in a simulated game in Tampa.  His bread-and-butter fastball reached 92 mph--slowly approaching a shadow of his old self.  Hughes will give it a go and start Tuesday for the Gulf Coast Yankees.

Even with all of the reasons behind the Yankees implementation of the Rules, it seems they did nothing to prevent injuries to Chamberlain or Hughes.

In 2007, then manager Joe Torre wouldn't use Chamberlain on consecutive days, and for every inning he threw, the young righthander would get a day off.

The following year new manager, Joe Girardi, lifted the Rules but sent Chamberlain to the bullpen.

Last season, Hughes finally earned a position in  the starting rotation but was restricted to 175 innings over the regular season.  He slumped down the stretch after an All-Star appearance and lost two big games in the playoffs.

Girardi said, up to now,  Chamberlain was consistently throwing in the mid-90's and during the recent road trip and showed no signs of pain.

While Chamberlain's new elbow injury caught the Yankees off guard, his father could tell his son was hurting.

Chamberlain's dad thought it was only a matter of time before his son injured his arm, and didn't blame the Yankees for babying their his son or causing the damage to Chamberlain's elbow, but did have regrets about the Joba Rules.

"Looking back on it now, well...there's some reservations," he said.  "But I entrust these people, this organization with one of the two most precious things I have, my children.  I don't think any where along the line that they intentionally wanted to hurt my son.  Had I thought that, I would have intervened.  In summary, they did what they felt was best and I respect that."

The elder Chamberlain said his son knew about the possibility of injury before he was a Yankee.

"He throws the ball with such velocity, such power, that the torque the body goes through --any pitcher-- and compound that with a power pitcher, something eventually is going to break," he explained.

Chamberlain was having a fine season with a 2-0 record and 2.83 ERA in 27 games.

GM Brian Cashman expects the Tommy John surgery to keep Chamberlain out of action for "10 to 14 months."

Chamberlain's dad is more optimistic.  "With relievers, it's a shorter time.  You're talking eight, nine, ten months," he said.

"He's still pitching 96 mph and gets people out," Harlan Chamberlain exclaimed.  "Look what he's doing now; imagine what's going to happen when he gets back."

Here's A Few More R-Words For Yankees A.J. Burnett

A.J. Burnett continued losing another game, 11-6, to the Boston Red Sox as a New York Yankees starter, and was asked after the game why he seemed top have more success against the Sox when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays.  Burnett's partial answer to the pertinent question, "it's retarded."

For the record, as a Blue Jay,  Burnett was 5-0 with a 2.56 ERA against the Sox but in eight starts as a Yankee, he is 0-4 in eight starts and has given up 40 earned runs in 41 1/3 innings for an ERA of 8.71 against the same ballclub.

The losing pitcher later apologized for his politically incorrect reply and it got me thinking about some R-words which could be used to describe Burnett.  Let's start with repulsive to describe the relapsing starter's answer last night.

Let's continue with red, as in Red Sox and red-faced.  Burnett seems to revert back to his rattled self every time he faces the Boston line-up.  Last night was rocked by the Sox for seven earned runs on seven hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings.   Repugnant comes to mind.


Remember is another R-word.  Did  Burnett forget about the night before when Jon Lester plunked Mark Teixeira and Russell Martin and David Ortiz humbled rookie Hector Noesi by flipping his bat after homering.

Last night, with Yankee Stadium buzzing about revenge in the steaming air, Big Papi stepped to the plate in the first inning and jacked his 15th home-run ten rows deep for an early 3-0 Boston lead.  Surprisingly, no brush-back by Burnett for Ortiz's celebratory bat toss or the boppings by Lester.  Retaliation isn't in his vocabulary.

"He's been doing that for years.  Who cares?" Burnett said of Ortiz's antics.  "I didn't watch him when he hit it off me and I didn't see it last night.  Rerun.

The Yankee manager, Joe Girardi,  was watching--both nights.  Girardi repeatedly remarked that he didn't appreciate Ortiz's funky bat move and expected his pitcher to rattle the Boston slugger because "it bothered him."

Ortiz showed no remorse about how he threw the bat after his home-run and had his own retort.

"Why should I?" said the rotund DH.  ""I don't care about what Joe Girardi says, man.  No, I come to play the game every day and that's about it.  I'm done with that."

Either way, Burnett showed no resilience on the mound and resented the question afterwards. 

"I'm not in Toronto anymore, so I'm tired of hearing that.  It's retarded," said Burnett.  "If anything is different I made pitches in Toronto.  I didn't make pitches tonight.  That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of."

Besides the $82.5 million dollar starter, there is a lot of blame to share for last night's defeat.  Brett Gardner fell asleep on a passed ball and Derek Jeter dribbled into a double-play with the bases loaded, but the real  concern has to be about Burnett's reversal of fortune every year down the stretch.  He now has a 2-4 record after a 4-0 start.

Are the Yankees going to chance putting Burnett on the mound in a Game 2 playoff series?  If he can't hold down the Red Sox in June, how can the team expect the righthander to put them down in October?  Risky.

The Yankees starting line-up is ramshackle at best right now and being held together by CC Sabathia and  38 year-old Bartolo Colon's reanimated arm.  With Phil Hughes recovery a crap-shoot, Burnett is an important cog in the rotation.  He was specifically paid big bucks to come over from Toronto for his Red Sox slaying prowess and he has failed to reciprocate on the deal.

Should Burnett have represented by going after Ortiz last night?  

Former-Yankee, Dwight "Doc" Gooden, on his Twitter account wrote: "In the 80's Ortiz would be laying on his [backside] right now after the stunt he pulled [Tuesday] night."

The Yankees are 1-7 this season against the reviled Red Sox and looking up at first place.

Here's an R-word Burnett needs to earn whenever it involves the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry--it's called respect.