Did Mariano Rivera really call the old Yankee Stadium 'a loud and frenzied cauldron of pinstriped passion'?

There was a rather spirited discussion on my Facebook page yesterday regarding my Squawk about Mariano Rivera's new book, and about the great Robinson Cano/Dustin Pedroia debate. I also noticed something my friend, popular author Jerome Preisler (see his Amazon page), said on his own Facebook page. He had gotten to read an e-sampler of "The Closer," and didn't think that Wayne Coffey had captured Rivera's voice. And after reading some of the quotes and an excerpt from the book, I completely agree. Coffey did a great job with R.A. Dickey's book, which is one of the best baseball books I have ever read. This one, not so much, if the quotes show what  Mo's book is about. Very disappointing.

Here is the most cringeworthy passage that I have seen so far, of Rivera talking about the new Yankee Stadium vs. the old one:

"It doesn't hold noise, or home-team fervor, anywhere near the way the old place did," he said. "The old Stadium was our 10th man -- a loud and frenzied cauldron of pinstriped passion, with a lot of lifers in the stands. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's hard to see that the new place can ever quite duplicate that."

While I mostly agree with the sentiment (but also think that some of the lack of noise is due to the changing fanbase, not just the stadium itself) I don't think for a minute that Rivera said that exact quote. That is sportswriter speak, not real-life speak. Not only does Mo not talk like that, but most people don't. Except for florid sportswriters like Coffey.

Not to mention the bizarre digression in the book discussing the greatest second baseman ever. According to the ESPN article about the tome, "Rivera cites Roberto Alomar and former teammate Chuck Knoblauch as second basemen he'd consider alongside Cano in the debate over the best at the position." Knoblauch? Really? Not only was he in the Mitchell Report, but he had to stop being a second basemen in what should have been the prime of his career because he couldn't make the throw to first anymore (Remember when he accidentally hit Keith Olbermann's mother in the stands?) Knoblauch is a sad story, but he doesn't even belong in any part of the discussion of the best second basemen ever. And the fact that Rivera included him makes me question Mo's judgment a little.

Anyhow, when a publisher releases information about a book's contents, they should leave you wanting to purchase the book, not leaving you scratching your head why nobody seemed to realize that Mo's "voice" in the book sounds nothing like him. What should be a poignant excerpt -- Rivera talking about his difficult childhood -- is flawed because it just doesn't sound like the way Mo talks.

In retrospect, as Jerome and I discussed on Facebook. Rivera and Coffey would have been better taking their time with this book, instead of doing such a rush job. Did they think people would so quickly forget the greatest closer of all time? If they had spent, say, six months to a year more on this, or even just waited for time and perspective before putting pen to paper, they had the material with Rivera's life to make what could have been a great book. Instead, they pushed out a book with groaners like "a loud and frenzied cauldron of pinstriped passion" and fomented controversy for no reason with the stuff on Cano. They should have had more confidence in Rivera's story and given him the type of great book that his career warranted. A dignified one.

Say it ain't so, Mo: Why Mariano Rivera would have been better off being "The Closer" of his mouth

Mariano Rivera, arguably the most respected player in MLB in recent years, with the most saintly reputation (he's like Tim Tebow but with Hall of Fame talent), is one of the few things Squawker Jon and I agree on. Not only is Mo my favorite player of the 1990s dynasty years, but I have gone to see him speak on Staten Island, and Jon and I went to eat at his restaurant in New Rochelle a few years ago. Squawker Jon also gave him a standing ovation when he saw him pitch at CitiField and at Yankee Stadium in Mo's last season. Rivera is the rare -- make that pretty much the only -- Yankee that Jon can stand.

In case you haven't figured it out by now, in addition for rooting for different teams, Squawker Jon and I have very different personalities. Where I am brash and impulsive, Jon is quiet and methodical. But one of the things we do do for each other is try to bring out the best, and stop the worst. When I have an opinion or impulse or idea that Jon thinks is too much, he will simply say, "What does that get you?" -- meaning, is it really worth the aggravation in saying or doing what I want to? Sometimes Jon is right, and sometimes he is wrong in asking that, but it is a good question to ponder before saying or writing something controversial.

All this is to say that I wonder why apparently nobody asked Mariano Rivera "What does that get you?" when it comes to his new book, The Closer. Because it seems bizarre to me that he would tarnish his saintly image with some of the things he said in his book, written with Wayne Coffey.

For example, there is this, courtesy of the News' article on the tome, on how he throws Robinson Cano under the bus:

In his new autobiography, “The Closer,” Rivera writes about how much affection he has for his former teammate, but adds, “This guy has so much talent I don’t know where to start... There is no doubt that he is a Hall-of-Fame caliber (player). It’s just a question of whether he finds the drive you need to get there. I don’t think Robby burns to be the best... You don’t see that red-hot passion in him that you see in most elite players.”

As for his favorite second baseman, Rivera says Red Sox Dustin Pedroia is “at the top of the list” of players he admires, adding: “Nobody plays harder, gives more, wants to win more. He comes at you hard for twenty-seven outs. It’s a special thing to see.” He later writes, “If I have to win one game, I’d have a hard time taking anybody over Dustin Pedroia as my second baseman.”

Ask yourself this: would Mo have written that if Cano hadn't gone to the Mariners? The answer is that he wouldn't have. And what does writing this get Mo, anyway? It seems more than a little unseemly for him to question somebody else's drive this way, especially when Rivera himself never showed any "red-hot passion" on the field himself. How would he have liked it if people had said the same about him?

And since when did Cano become some underachieving schlub, anyway? He not only was the best player on the Yankees for the last half-decade, but he played nearly every game and showed up to the park early nearly every day to work on his game. But the moment he leaves the Yankees, he becomes some bum?

To top it off, comparing Cano to Red Sox Pedroia, and finding Cano wanting, is a bit much. Sorry, folks, but Cano IS better than Pedroia. C'mon, Mo, you're better than this.

The other thing that really bothered me from the article about the book is this:

Rivera writes that neither the 2003 team nor the one that lost four straight to the Red Sox in the ALCS a year later was close to having the same championship-quality fiber as the Yankees’ previous championship teams.

“Those teams of ours that won four World Series in five years would’ve hammered (the Marlins),” Rivera writes. “They would’ve found a way and will their way through as a team.”

He isn't the first Yankee to raise that whole "it's not the same team" argument, but it makes me wonder: if the heart of the dynasty team were the players who were no longer on it in the next decade, then what does that say about Rivera and the so-called Core Four? That they weren't really so core?

At any rate, I will still be a fan of Mo, but I am very disappointed that he chose to make such comments. In answer to the question "What does that get you?", I guess it will get him some book sales, but at a cost to his pristine reputation. Not an even trade.

It's about time: Yankees are really ready to rumble

Are the New York Yankees really in it to win it? Finally, this team is acting like a playoff one – and so is Joe Girardi, who is finally making the moves you need to make if you want to see this team make it into October.

Aside from the Yankees’ great play as of late (they should have won all six games in this homestand so far if it weren’t for that bullpen implosion) a few other things give me hope:

Phil Hughes is knocked out of the starting rotation

Fortunately, the Phil Hughes Experience is coming to an end, which is good news for Yankee fans who actually want to see their team win and not be knocked out of the game by the second or third inning. Hughes is leading the league in one thing this season – the most games where he was knocked out before the end of the fifth inning!

It was shocking to me that Girardi had him start the game against the Chicago White Sox on Monday, given that pretty much every game is a must-win these days. Why put your team out of it by putting Hughes as the starting pitcher? Fortunately, the rain cooperated, and kept Hughes from finishing his start, which gave the Yankees the chance to put up that epic eight-run inning, the inning White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson said was the worst he had ever announced.

Anyhow, David  (I nearly wrote Aubrey) Huff is starting against Boston this weekend, which at least gives the Yanks as good a chance as any to win. Hooray!

Mariano Rivera pitching in the eighth

I was also pleased last night to see that Mo was brought into the game in the eighth inning when David Robertson couldn’t get out of a jam. With so few games left, every single one is a must-win, and I am glad Girardi took action instead of watching the lead totally disappear. Besides, it’s not like the Yanks have to keep Rivera fresh for next year – this is it.

Joba Chamberlain being banished to Never-Never Land

I try to find good in every Yankee, but it is very hard with Joba these days. IMHO, he should have been DFAed after his trampoline disaster. You know what you need to know about Chamberlain as a person? Pretty much every single team and opposing player to face the Yankees this year has said or done something to honor Mariano Rivera, from all the gifts he had received, to the reaction of the players on both teams at the All-Star Game. Even Squawker Jon was on his feet when Mo came into a Yankee game we attended earlier this year as a sign of respect. 

Yet Joba gets into a squabble with Rivera in front of reporters, telling him not to shush him when he was being a loudmouth. It takes a special kind of jerk to be against Rivera, but that’s our Joba!

Anyhow, after Sunday’s debacle, when Joe Girardi actually thought it was a good idea to pitch him in a close game, I never want to see Chamberlain in a game for the Yankees again. Enough already. At the very least, it appears now that Girardi will not ever put him in an important situation again. Nor  should he.

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I will be at the game tonight, to see the first of the four Yankees-Red Sox games in the Bronx this weekend -- will watch the other three games on TV. This is the first time in a while that the games have any real buzz – partly due to the standings, and partly due to Ryan Dempster. Incidentally, if the Yanks win the World Series this year, should they cut Dempster a playoff share?

I am wondering if David Ortiz will gets plunked tonight. It will be interesting to see what happens!

Subway Series Game 2 - The Anti-Castillo Game

Four years ago, I stumbled out of Yankee Stadium surrounded by Yankee fans celebrating their team's unbelievable comeback courtesy of Luis Castillo's dropped popup. Squawker Lisa was, of course, celebrating as loud as anyone. Last night, I got some payback.

Once again, the home team trailed in the bottom of the ninth and appeared certain to lose.  The closer was 18-for-18 in save opportunities; in 2009, the closer was 16-for-16.  But this time the closer was not Francisco Rodriguez, but the incomparable Mariano Rivera. And he was facing a lineup that looked as if it would have trouble competing in the between-innings kids' homer contest in Kiddie Field.

But this time, I was the elated one who still has trouble believing what I just saw, while Lisa was the one gritting her teeth on the subway.

And no, I still don't believe it. It happened so fast. Our seats were so far from home plate that you had to squint to see the ball. And the greatest closer of all time was on the mound.

As if going to the Castillo game wasn't bad enough, Lisa and I also went to the 2009 Subway Series game two weeks later when K-Rod walked Mariano with the bases loaded, giving Rivera his only career RBI, and Mariano picked up his 500th career save. The Mets later sent Mariano the pitching rubber from that game. 

I can't think of another Yankee I admire and respect as much as Mariano.  I cheered him when he threw out the first pitch before last night's game. But I had no desire to see him add to his MLB career-best saves total. And Matt Harvey, brilliant again, get tagged with his first loss, especially at the hands of the Yankees. 

Instead, the Mets beat the best. And I still find it hard to believe!

Oh no, Mo! Mariano Rivera tears his ACL; career in jeopardy

This is one of the saddest posts I have written for our Subway Squawkers blog since we started writing the blog in 2006.  Mariano Rivera's career may be over, thanks to a torn ACL and a torn meniscus. Geez, it's painful even to write that. I'm still in shock over what happened.

I was out for a walk last night, talking on the phone with one of my brothers, when Squawker Jon kept on trying to call me. After a few times, I finally picked up. Jon then said he wouldn't keep on calling me if it weren't important, and told me that Mariano Rivera was carted off the field after shagging flies. Yikes, talk about a punch in the stomach.

Although Jon did say that Mo was smiling on the cart while leaving the field, as soon as I saw the clip when I got home, I figured his initial reaction indicated a torn ACL, and unfortunately, that suspicion turned out to be correct. What a nightmare.

I was very tired last night, and went to bed before the game was over, so I didn't get to hear the official diagnosis. But Squawker Jon did stay up and watch the postgame, and he sent me an email about it last night, saying that "Just saw Mariano interviewed and he was teary. Even I'm upset." I also heard from some other Met fan friends, sending prayers and positive thoughts Mariano's way.

Needless to say, Mo's absence will be felt with the Yankees. He is the greatest closer of all time, and the Yankees would never have won four rings in five years without him. He is also a great human being, too. I got to meet him a few years ago, and was very impressed with him as a person.

Some in the media are trying to insinuate that him getting hurt while shagging balls was a preventable injury. Nonsense. We're not talking about him jumping on a trampoline; Mo was doing something baseball-related. This is why I have so little patience for those who get injured off the field being reckless; there is enough that can happen within baseball to hurt a career, without going out looking for things!

There will be enough time in a later blog entry to speculate about who will ultimately replace Mo. Today isn't the time for it. I'm still heartbroken over the loss of Mariano Rivera.

What do you think? Tell us about it!

The AL East, Mariano Rivera, the Red Sox, And What's Going on in Yankeeland

I have been very busy with real-life work projects -- so busy that I haven't had the time to squawk in ages. So here are a potpourri of my thoughts on what has been going on in Yankeeland:

* Mariano Rivera making history with his 602nd save: It was a great moment to see the greatest closer make history. What happened afterwards, not so great. Literally seconds after Mo set the record, I got an email from a certain sports memorabilia company congratulating Mo on setting the record, and pushing all sorts of commemorative products, including that valuable Yankee Stadium dirt. And the very first commercial after the game ended was for that company, pushing more product.

Then, I was horrified to see in the postgame presser that Mariano was wearing a cap and shirt featuring a logo of himself on it, commemorating the occasion. Say it ain't so, Mo! It was bad enough to see Jeter have his own logo after getting his 3000th hit, but to see Rivera promoting himself was even more of a spectacle.

Heaven forbid we just enjoy the moment, without having to see it so commercialized. I feel like Charlie Brown complaining about the commercialization of Christmas or something, but good grief. Could the powers that be wait a week or two before exploiting Mo's achievement with $199 "hand-signed" autographed baseballs (um, isn't that what authentic autographed baseballs are supposed to be? Hand-signed?) And don't forget the free "Dirt Crystal Paperweight" included. Oy. There's also a $799 signed jersey available, with a commemorative patch featuring Mo's achievement. This huckersterism and tackiness all seems so incongruous to the quiet, low-key way Rivera has conducted his career. I get that some people want to buy this stuff, but pushing it so strongly, right after the event, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I don't mind it as much when players get caps and shirts for winning the division, like the Yankees did when they got the playoff gear stuff when they won the AL East the other night. It's a team achievement, not a promotion of an individual. But these individual player logos rub me the wrong way. Not to mention the incessant promotion of the autographs and other memorabilia. And please, Chris Parmalee, do not sign any merchandise about how you were involved in getting "MR602," the way David Price embarrassed himself with his "I gave up DJ3K" autographs.

* I am very glad the Yankees won the AL East (it ticked me off the way last year ended, and they staggered into the postseason with only the Wild Card.) And I want to see the Yankees sweep the Red Sox this weekend (and A.J. Burnett has to be thankful for the existence of John Lackey, as he makes A.J. look like the reincarnation of Cy Young.) I've also been greatly enjoying Boston's September swoon. But I am not going to join in with the "I'd rather see the Yankees face this team than that team in the playoffs" crowd. The last time I did that, with the 2006 Detroit Tigers, the Yankees got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by those Tigers. I'm not taking a chance of jinxing things ever again.

And keep in mind that how a team does in September has zero to do with how well they will do in October.  No matter how bad the Sox look now, as long as they can make the postseason, they have just as much chance as anybody to win the World Series. (I feel ill writing that, but unfortunately, it's true!)

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Does A.J. Burnett Look (And Pitch) Like Chord Overstreet From Glee?

Aside from A.J. Burnett *still* keeping his record of never having a Yankee victory in August, he also debuted a new super-blond hairdo last night. When I saw A.J. in the postgame, I thought he looked like Chord Overstreet from "Glee," aka "Trouty Mouth, as Santana on the show calls him. But  a longtime reader pointed out that A.J. looked more like Gomer Pyle in this pic. Shazam!

Anyhow, every time Burnett has a bad outing, which is all too often lately, Twitter and Facebook and Yankees message boards blow up with outraged fans demanding that he be released, traded, or sent to the minors. But guess what? None of that is going to happen. There is still $36+ million left on Burnett's contract. Short of picking up 90 percent of the salary, the Yankees are not going to be able to find anybody to trade Burnett to. And MLB rules prevent him from being sent to the minors.

And forget about releasing him outright. If the Yanks wouldn't release Kevin Brown after he punched a wall, and wouldn't release Carl Pavano after all his issue, what are the chances they are going to release Burnett? Two chances: slim and none.

The other thing fans blew up over last night was Mariano Rivera giving up a two-run homer to Bobby Abreu to give the Angels the victory. People were very upset, and worrying if the end is near. I'm not. At least not just yet. It seems that every time Rivera has a bad game, it's more like multiple bad outings in a row, not just one.  They come in bunches. If the two or three awful games becomes five or six, then I will worry. But not just yet.

One other note -- I laughed over the guy in the very cool "Low-Wage Puppet" t-shirt trying to hand money to Torii Hunter to get his eyeglasses back (his glasses had knocked over into the outfield!) Hunter gave him the glasses back, but didn't take the money. Fun moment!

Always Great to Get the Best of the Great Mariano Rivera

Two years ago, Mariano Rivera closed out the Subway Series by walking with the bases loaded and getting his 500th save. I enjoyed Sunday's game a lot more. It was only the fourth time Mariano has failed to come through against the Mets.

In 2006, Mariano took the loss when David Wright got the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth in a game in which the Mets had trailed Randy Johnson, 4-0.

In 2001, the Mets beat Mariano with three runs in the top of the tenth to break a scoreless tie. Mike Piazza, Timo Perez and Todd Zeile had consecutive run-scoring singles. As with Sunday's game, the Mets rallied with two out and nobody on.

In 1999, Mariano was charged with both a loss and a blown save when Matt Franco, pinch-hitting for Melvin Mora, singled home the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the ninth.

And now, in 2011, with two out and none on, the Mets rallied behind the unlikely combination of Jason Bay (walk), Lucas Duda (single) and pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino, who singled home the tying run.

Before the rally, it had been a pretty depressing day. The 52-run, four-game outburst earlier in the week looked more and more like a complete fluke, as the Mets were punchless for the fourth game in a row, and three of those were without anyone close to Justin Verlander on the mound.

Jose Reyes had his MRI in the morning, but the Mets kept putting off announcing the results. One would think if it were good news, they'd want people to know. What were they hiding?

R. A. Dickey did not allow a hit in the first four innings, with Squawker Lisa frequently mentioning he had a no-hitter in an attempt to jinx him. In the fifth, Dickey lost his no-hitter, his shutout, the lead, and soon was out of the game because of tightness in his buttocks (Squawker Lisa, insert Met joke here).

I sometimes forget that Dickey is going to be 37 in October. This is his second injury scare in a few weeks.

So as the storm clouds gathered over Citi Field, they seemed to be gathering over the Mets as well. I would not have predicted at the time that the Mets would rally against Mariano, win the game in extra innings, and both Jose and R.A. would appear to have minor injuries.

Five days after hitting the Mets' first grand slam in almost two years, Jason Bay was the hero. Great to see a Met getting a pie in the face for a change.

The Mets also got good news on the All-Star front, with Jose being named a starter and Carlos Beltran also making the team. Reyes obviously deserved to start, and while Beltran did not merit a starting slot, he is a worthy runner-up.

Squawker Lisa, here in the National League, we like to elect All-Stars who are having All-Star seasons. Albert Pujols is a perennial All-Star, the dominant player of the last decade, but even before he got hurt he wasn't having a year up to his usual standards. So he'll be staying home.

Granted, the American League did deny perennial All-Star Ichiro a spot on the team. But Josh Hamilton somehow ended up in the starting lineup. (At least the game is being played at night, since Hamilton claims to have trouble seeing during the day because his eyes are blue.)

But then there's the situation at shortstop. Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera is having an All-Star year. But Derek Jeter has five rings, while Asdrubal is one of five Cabreras in the majors - and he's only the second-best. (Lisa, I'm referring to Detroit's Miguel, not Kansas City's Melky.)

Otherwise Asdrubal leads Derek by substantial margins in batting average (.294-.260), homers (14-2), RBI (49-20), runs (53-39) and steals (12-7). Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci puts Asdrubal eighth on his top ten list for first-half AL MVP.

Jeter returns to action Monday night against Asdrubal's Indians, so we'll get to see the elected AL All-Star shortstop square off against the deserving AL All-Star shortstop.

The only good thing about Jeter making the All-Star team is that he's likely to get a taste of batting at the bottom of the order. The middle of the lineup (3-7) figures to be something like Adrian Gonzalez, Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez. That leaves Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Alex Avila and Derek Jeter.

With his 14 steals, Granderson should lead off. And Cano should bat second. That leaves Avila and Jeter for the bottom of the order.

Joe Girardi's probably glad he's not managing the All-Stars this year. Imagine having to tell Cano he's batting eighth so Jeter can keep his rightful spot at the top of the lineup.

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After Sunday's game, Mariano has a higher career ERA against the Mets (3.28) than every other team except the Angels (3.36).

Sorry, But I'm Okay With Joe Girardi Going to Mariano Rivera

I went to sleep around the 12th inning or so last night (I tried to stay up, but I was exhausted from a long day), so I missed the Yankees four-run 15th inning, Robinson Cano's big hit, and the Bombers' eventual victory. At least I got to see Bartolo Colon's great night, and I saw Hector Noesi finally make it into a Yankee game after 16 days sitting around the bullpen. It's cool the Yankees gave him the lineup card for the win.

And best wishes to Chris Dickerson, who had to go to the hospital last night after getting hit in the head by Michael Gonzales.

I was looking at the CBS Sports recap of the game. Looks like every position player made it into the game except for Jorge Posada. And A.J. Burnett (!) pinch ran for Dickerson!

Anyhow, I missed the last few innings. But prior to that, I did see Yankee fans online flipping out over Joe Girardi taking out Colon after eight innings to bring in Mariano Rivera to pitch the ninth.. Twitter and Facebook and Yankee message boards practically blew up with outrage over it, with a lot of fans furious that Colon didn't get to finish the game. And when Mo coughed up the save, fans were ever more unhappy.

I didn't second-guess Girardi on this, for several reasons. First of all, it is not like he went to Boone Logan here. Girardi went to The Greatest Closer of All Time to protect a one-run lead. Are Yankee fans now suggesting that they don't trust in Rivera anymore? If the Yankees can't count on Mo in such situations, then this team is in big, big trouble.

Second, if Colon had given up a run or two in the ninth, you know that Yankee fans would be griping about Girardi not going to The Greatest Closer of All Time instead. 

Third, Colon is no spring chicken -- he's going to be 38 years old this month, and is coming off surgery from last year. Yes, he only threw 87 pitches, but I am okay with Girardi taking him out there. 

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Is it just me who did a double-take seeing the headlines about how A-Rod was going to get his hip examined, and thought he was getting his head examined? Just saying.

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Just Say No to Michael Kay's "JoSoMo" Nickname

I am very excited about the way Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano, and Mariano Rivera are pitching out of the bullpen for the Yankees this year. I am significantly less excited over the possibility of the wretched "JoSoMo" nickname sticking to the trio. Ugh. C'mon, Michael Kay, as if foisting "QuanGorMo" onto Yankee watchers weren't enough, now you come up with JoSoMo? Good grief.

My friend Sully Baseball has been complaining about what a terrible era we're in for baseball nicknames, with the creativity consisting of the first letter of the first name, and the next three letters of the last name (A-Rod, A-Gon, etc.), or shortening the last name (Youkilis becomes Youk, etc.) What Kay is doing is even worse. It's like putting Squawker Jon and I's names together and calling us JoLi. JoSoMo is not a nickname; it's an abomination!

How about something emphasizing the power of three, like Triceratops? Now that's a cool nickname. Three Mile Island -- they're so tough, they're nuclear? Three Ninjas? The Three Kings? The Three Amigos? We could get musical with Three Dog Night or Three Days Grace or Three Doors Down. Or operatic with Threepenny Opera! Heck, even Three Billygoats Gruff would be better than JoSoMo!

Or maybe one of our readers has a better idea for a nickname. Please, somebody must have a better idea than JoSoMo!

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I am going to the Yankee game tonight with Kelly, my childhood friend from Passaic, New Jersey. We haven't seen each other since Reggie Jackson was on the Yankees!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Say it ain't so, Mo! Did Mariano Rivera's agent pursue the Red Sox?

I saw that Rob Bradford of Boston radio station WEEI is reporting that "Mariano Rivera's representatives were the ones to initiate contact with the Red Sox in an attempt to get the team interested in the closer." Yikes! (Hat tip to Sliding Into Home)

The article also claims that contrary to other reports, the Red Sox really weren't going to non-tender Jonathan Papelbon:

While there was some thought that because of the offer to Rivera the Red Sox were prepared to non-tender closer Jonathan Papelbon, separate sources suggest the Sox were never inclined to let Papelbon become a free agent this offseason. In the short-term, the team valued the reliever's presence in the back-end of its bullpen, while long-term it coveted any draft picks that might come the Sox' way if Papelbon were to sign elsewhere in free agency next year. The Sox' closer is arbitration-eligible for a third time, and is heading into the final season of being controlled by the Sox.

I dunno what to think about this article. Could this be damage control from the Red Sox camp, given that Boston still has one more year of Papelbon, and that they could be headed into another arbitration hearing with him? Remember, Papelbon is the closer who thought he, not Mo, should get to close the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Are Boston sources trying to spin this to make Rivera look bad?

So what do you think, readers?

Hooray! Mariano Rivera about to sign two-year, $30 million deal with Yankees

It sounds like Mariano Rivera and the Yankees have agreed on a new deal. Yay! Unless you were looking forward to seeing Joba Chamberlain or David Robertson close next season, this is great news.

The Daily News is reporting that Mo will sign a two-year, $30 million contract. His salary will remain the same -- $15 million a year -- as in his previous contract. Here are the details (emphasis added):

Rivera's agent Fernando Cuza - who was one of the many guests at Red Sox slugger David Ortiz's celebrity golf tournament kickoff dinner - had said the Yankees and Rivera's camp were "a little far apart" on getting a new deal done for Rivera, and that "hopefully we'll be able to work it out." But within hours, a deal came together, perhaps expedited because Rivera had recently received a three-year deal and more money (believed to be in the neighborhood of $17 million per year) from another team, according to the source. The source added that Rivera wanted to maintain his ties to the only team he has ever played for, and went with less money and fewer years to continue wearing pinstripes.

"He wanted to stay loyal to the Yankees," the source said.
Cuza would only say that he had received calls from other teams interested in Rivera's services.

I wonder who the other team is?  Could it be...the Red Sox? Yikes!

Anyhow, this report seems to go along with my theory that if both parties really want to get a deal done, it's done. Quickly.

This also goes to show that, as expected, Mo has leverage, due to him being in demand. I'm kind of surprised that he didn't ask for more money, given that he was offered at least $17 million a year on the open market. And the report that somebody out there would offer a 41-year-old three years is a testament to the esteem he's held in.


Anyhow, I'm glad Mo is back. Whew!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Gotta go to Mo's: How Squawker Jon and I spent a Sunday afternoon

Happy 41st birthday, Mariano Rivera. In honor of the big day, here's a Mo-related post -- about how Squawker Jon and I went to Mo's New York Grill, Mariano Rivera's restaurant, in New Rochelle last Sunday.

I have been wanting to go to Mo's for years now, so when I saw a deal at TownHog for the meal, I figured now was the time. Jon and I went there for a late lunch on Sunday. It only took about 18 miles from picking up Squawker Jon to reach the restaurant. We listened to the Jet game on the radio, and watched the second half of the Jets game there -- the restaurant has plenty of big screen TVs where you can get a terrific view from any seat in the house.

At some point in the Jets-Texans game -- I think it was when the Jets were ahead 20-3 -- Jon pronounced the game over for the Jets. So much for that -- they had to come back at the very end in order to win!

Anyhow, back to the really important stuff -- the food. We each had the filet mignon and split au gratin potatoes. The food was very delicious and well worth the trip. One of the cool things about Mo's is that it has steakhouse items, as well as a variety of other foods -- and a variety of other price ranges. The steaks are reasonably priced, but you can also get a sandwich or a burger for under $10. The menu also has seafood items. We also saw the dessert tray, but passed on getting anything, although they all looked good.

The service was also very good. A young man named Dijon filled our water glasses and answered our questions about the restaurant. He was a pleasure to talk to -- enthusiastic, passionate about his place of employment, and very well-spoken. He pointed out and explained the picture above; it was one of the coolest things we saw.

After we ate, we walked around Mo's New York Grill, looking at all the pictures on the wall. It's not just all Mo -- I spotted lots of individual pictures of Yankees, past and present. There are even more pictures in the Championship Room, a separate room in the restaurant, but since there was a wedding reception going on at the time, I had to sneak a peek at the photos there.

One of my favorite pictures in the whole place was this one at left. Yes, that's Texas Rangers co-owner Nolan Ryan back in the day, giving Robin Ventura a  beatdown. The picture is autographed by Ryan himself (although Ventura didn't sign it!) and it says, Don't mess with Texas or Mo's! How cool is that!

Anyhow, if you're thinking of going to Mo's, definitely check it out. It was a cozy way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Derek Jeter has PR machine working overtime for him

I wrote something for The Faster Times today, about how ridiculous Derek Jeter agent Casey Close was in comparing his client to Babe Ruth. And jusr prior to that, we had Jeter's personal trainer making his case to Jeter biographer Ian O'Connor. Now there's yet another inside source to the Jeter camp -- this one anonymous -- griping about how poorly their guy has been treated, and calling it an "arbitration ambush" approach. What's next? Jeter's mother complaining?

Anyhow, here are a few tidbits from the Mark Feinsand article in the Daily News:

"Players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle - and Derek Jeter - are what make the Yankees the Yankees," the source said. "The iconic players make the iconic franchise, not the other way around."

It's both, actually. Would Jeter be an icon if he were with, say, Houston, all his career? I think not. Craig Biggio had over 3000 hits for the Astros, with some similar career numbers as Jeter, but he never got his level of fame -- or endorsements.

Feinsand himself claims that the Yankees " have not been shy in pointing out Jeter's shortcomings, presumably as a counterpoint to what he brings to the franchise - a peculiar approach to signing a free agent of Jeter's status." Um, no, they haven't, unless you think that Randy Levine mentioning that it's a different contract situation than it was 10 years ago is a smear tactic.

Anyhow, the anonymous source also says, "If you have a valuable asset, why would you want to devalue it? That's what they're doing. It has an arbitration feel to it."

Huh? By most accounts, instead of devaluing him, they've offered Jeter two to three times his current market value. How insulting, right?

According to what Feinsand's source told him, Jeter "is likely looking for a four-year contract that takes him through his 40th birthday - similar to the deals the Yankees came to with both Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera three years ago. "He's not trying to be unreasonable," the source said of Jeter. "He just doesn't want to go through this again in a few years."

Using Posada here is a great example -- to show why the Yanks shouldn't give Jeter a four-year deal! The year after signing that contract, Jorge got injured. And while he bounced back in 2009, he was awful in 2010, lost the ability to throw, and is no longer the starting catcher. And the Yankees still owe him $13 million for 2011. That's exactly what they're trying to avoid with the captain.

If Derek Jeter wants to keep that "above it all" status, he might start by getting his mouthpieces to shut up and stop pleading his case in the press. You know, like the way free agent Mariano Rivera,  the most valuable player of the Yankees of the last fifteen years, is doing right now.

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Why I don't like the Joe Girardi/Mariano Rivera Taco Bell commercial

I wrote a piece for The Faster Times unfavorably comparing Joe Girardi's bullpen decision's to Bruce Bochy's. I closed it by wondering why Girardi was so willing to go to Mariano Rivera in that ubiquitous Taco Bell commercial, but not in the postseason!

I know some Yankee fans who liked the Taco Bell ad, but I'm not one of them. It's not just that they played it about a gazillion times during the postseason. It's not just that I don't like seeing the greatest closer of all time lowering himself to be in a fast food commercial. It's that the commercial makes zero sense.

First off, the guy eating the XXL Chalupa who sighs, "I can barely finish it," hasn't even started eating it. There's not one bite missing from the chalupa!

Then, there's Girardi being so eager to get Mo to finish that uneaten chalupa. What's up with that? Can't Mariano buy his own fast food? Why does he have to dumpster dive from someone else's meal?

Besides, if I'm thinking of a Yankee who would finish somebody else's din-din, it wouldn't be Mo, the thinnest guy on the team. It would be CC Sabathia. But he's in the Subway commercial instead! How does that work?

Mariano is no actor, but Girardi isn't half-bad. However, it's a little disconcerting the way Joe smacks the customer's butt so enthusiastically!

I do like one thing in the ad: when the guy who just had his food stolen from him just mumbles, "Mo."

Oh, no, Mariano! Rangers beat Yankees in walkoff fashion

I was completely exhausted last night after a long day, so I ended up falling asleep when the Rangers were leading the Yankees, figuring I would watch the replay later. Which meant I missed seeing Alex Rodriguez's homer live to tie the game.

And maybe the Yankees could have won if Squawker Jon didn't call me at the end of nine innings to see what I thought about the game so far. I was in dreamland then, and woke up startled. So I eventually made it to the television, only to see the Rangers loading up the  bases -- and eventually beating the great Mariano Rivera. What a nightmare! So I blamed Squawker Jon for this terrible twist of  fate, of course!



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Oh no, Mariano! What a way to end the weekend!

As good as Saturday's game was - Andy Pettitte looking very sharp, Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada hitting homers, and the whole team looking sharp - Sunday's game was pretty bad.

I was running around doing errands, and just around the time Mariano Rivera came into the game for a four-out save, I had to leave my car for a few minutes to pick up some food. A few minutes later, I get a call from my brother, asking "Do you know what happened in the game?" He was watching it on the TBS national broadcast, so he told me about the bases-loaded walk, and the grand slam. I felt like I got punched in the stomach. Yikes!

Then I called Squawker Jon to tell him what happened, and his voice perked up. I haven't heard him so happy since, um, the last gut-wrenching Yankee loss! Sheesh. Of course, he needed something to cheer him up after the latest Met debacle. I did make sure to bring up how John Maine threw12 balls in a row the night before to start the game.

My Facebook friend Joe - a Red Sox fan - blames me (!) for Mariano and "Joba the Mutt," as he calls him, spitting the bit today. He thinks I brought "negative karma" to the Yankees by my rooting for the Philadelphia Flyers over the Boston Bruins this weekend. Joe says:

"The sports gods don't like transferring loyalties strictly to hate...they penalize you somewhere else. It's OK to hate on the nemesis, but you can't become a "fan". You goofed by becoming a Flyer "fan" instead of just a Bruins "hater"... by the way - how's the Magic loyalty going for you so far?

Ouch!

Speaking of Joes, I forgot to mention that Joe Mauer is dead to me, after he failed to sell his soul become a free agent. What the heck is wrong with that guy, re-signing with the Twins and staying with his home state? He'll never get to host "Saturday Night Live" now!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Country Joe and the Dish: Why umpires should be seen and not heard

Yankee closer Mariano Rivera isn't exactly Chad Ochocinco when it comes to being an outspoken athlete. So it was a big surprise to see Mo criticize umpire Joe West's comments about Yankees-Red Sox games taking too long.

In an interview with the Bergen Record, West whined about the long pace of the games, calling them "pathetic and embarrassing" and "a disgrace to baseball." Why an umpire, who is supposed to be an impartial arbiter, is making such inappropriate comments to the media is beyond me. If West wants the spotlight so badly, why doesn't he just go date Kate Gosselin or something, and keep his thoughts to himself.

And where is Bud Selig on this? At the very least, West ought to be fined for speaking out of turn. His comments were so over the top and inappropriate that even Rivera, one of the most soft-spoken men in baseball, seemed to feel compelled to say something:

“He has a job to do. He should do his job,” Rivera told the New York Post. “We don’t want to play four-hour games but that’s what it takes. We respect and love the fans and do what we have to do and that’s play our game.”

“It’s incredible,” Rivera said. “If he has places to go, let him do something else. What does he want us to do, swing at balls?”

Actually, one New York writer - Wally Matthews (who else?) - wants the Yankees to do just that!

In "Ump should be praised, not punished," his latest column for ESPN NY, Matthews defends West's comments, and criticizes both teams for having hitters who work the count, like Nick Johnson. The DH who won Wednesday's game is just a time-waster, in Wally's eyes, as someone who "seems determined to see at least six pitches each time up." The horror! Matthews opines:

...the GMs of both the Yankees and Red Sox should assume some of the blame for the excessive length of their games, since both specifically and carefully shop for hitters who like to work deep into the counts in an attempt to get the right pitch to hit and in the process wear down pitchers.

Oh please. Is this guy serious? I can see sportswriters complaining about pitchers taking too long to throw the ball, and batters who futz around too much in the batters' box, or the incessant commercial interruptions during Yankees-Red Sox games. But to gripe about hitters working the count is a ridiculous complaint, even for Matthews.

That's not all. Matthews does something I detest from sportswriters, in which he claims he's speaking for everybody else.

Pick it up, will ya, fellas?

That's all Joe West was saying, and deep down, we all know he's right.

For that, he shouldn't be reprimanded. More like rewarded.

1. What do you mean "we," Wally? Got a parrot on your shoulder?

2. Rewarded for what? For West making a spectacle of himself and criticizing MLB's marquee rivalry?

3. Why should an umpire be "rewarded" for such inappropriate behavior? And how can either team expect fair treatment in the future from an ump who has been shown to have such bias against them?

Besides,  if we're going to talk about egregious things in games, I just want to not that I'm still bitter the umpires wouldn't stop the game during the midge infestation in the 2007 ALDS. The fact that the Yanks had to play through that swarm of bugs was more offensive than a season's worth of four-hour Yankees-Red Sox games!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Will Luis Castillo drop the ball to ring in the New Year in your house?

After a Christmas trip to Texas, I'm back! Hope all of our Subway Squawkers readers have had a great holiday season so far. We have one more holiday to go - New Year's. And Squawker Jon informed me that the YES Network is running ads suggesting that after you watch the New Year's Eve ball drop, that you tune into their Yankees Classics marathon on New Year's Day to see the Mets' Luis Castillo drop the ball. Ha! (If only the game broadcast showed Squawker Jon sitting there slack-jawed at the Stadium, as I cackled at Castillo!)

The YES Network is also showing the parade tonight, which is cool. But I'm not crazy about some of the other choices for the New Year's Day marathon. They're showing the following 2009 games:

• 12:00 PM Minnesota @ Yankees (5/17/09) (the third walkoff win in a row)
• 3:00 PM Mets @ Yankees (6/12/09) (Castillo ball drop)
• 6:00 PM Boston @ Yankees (8/7/09) (15-inning epic)
• 11:00 PM Jeter ties Gehrig: Tampa Bay @ Yankees 9/9/09

Of the Minnesota games, I would have liked to have seen the first one on the marathon - it's not just A-Rod's first game back at Yankee Stadium, but it's the very first walkoff pie game! (And Squawker Jon and I were at that game as well.)

And why is the Jeter tying Gehrig game on the list, and not the one where he sets the record? Very strange.

Granted, I'm not sure of the TV rights issues. But there are other games I would like to see in the marathon. The one game I would most like to see again from 2009 on TV is ALDS Game 2, the first turning point of the postseason, the game that remade Alex Rodriguez's repuation, and one of the greatest games of the playoffs.

Remember, the Yankees were trailing by two runs in the ninth inning, and the series could very well have turned out like their previous playoff appearances. But thanks to A-Rod's game-tying - and Mark Teixeira's game-winning - homers, the Yanks won the game.

Would also like to see Game 2 of the ALCS again. And I'm getting the complete World Series DVD as a belated Christmas gift, so I'll get to see Damon's Dash on TV soon enough. (I have MLB.tv on my computer, so I can watch these moments over, but I don't have my computer connected to my TV, so the screen is much smaller, of course.)

Other 2009 games I would like to see again include these choices:

* 6/24/09 vs. Braves - The Yankees were struggling a bit - Brian Cashman had flown down to Atlanta to squawk at the team - and they were being no-hit by Atlanta. When Brett Gardner finally got a hit, he was picked off base. Joe Girardi was so frustrated that he got ejected arguing the call. Then the Yankee bats came alive, and they won the game. Unlikely hero - Francisco Cervelli with his first major league homer.

* 5/8/09 vs. Orioles -It's A-Rod's first game back, where he hits a three-run homer on the very first pitch. CC Sabathia also pitches a great outing. First great game of the year.

* 6/28/09 vs. Mets: Mariano Rivera gets his 500th save. But my favorite moment of the game is when Francisco Rodriguez walks him with the bases loaded. The Mets later infamously sent the pitching rubber to Mo as a souvenir; I wish they had also sent the baseball that he walked on over! And we were at this game as well.

Hopefully, these games will make the YES Network eventually. I'm already a little wistful, though, when thinking about the great moments of Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, and Melky Cabrera.

I'm sure our readers have other 2009 games they'd like to see on Yankees Classics. Tell us your suggestions!

More ways for the Mets to honor the Yankees

Last night, Mariano Rivera was presented with the pitching rubber from his 500th save. I do not have a problem with the Mets sending over the memento - it is a classy thing to do and Mariano is my favorite Yankee.

But Benigno and Roberts on WFAN report that the pitching rubber was accompanied by a congratulatory letter from Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon. And that is a bit much.

As long as the Mets are going to these lengths to honor Yankee achievements at their expense, here are some other things they could send over to Yankee Stadium:

Luis Castillo's glove that he used to drop the popup: In recognition of the Yankees' fifteen walkoff wins this year.

Johan Santana's cap that he wore when he gave up nine earned runs to the Yankees in three innings: In recognition of the Yankees' powerful lineup.

Francisco Rodriguez bobblehead: In recognition of Mariano's first career RBI, achieved when Frankie walked him with the bases loaded.

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Even if CC Sabathia wins 20 games, Zack Greinke should still get the Cy Young. But the gap might be narrower than you think. Read more about it here.