Mo makes latest farewell pitch where he'd never pitched

DENVER -- Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has thrown the final pitch in the bottom of the ninth in many an opposing ballpark, another save in hand and congratulatory handshakes to be exchanged with his teammates. It hadn't happened at Coors Field for one good reason.

"I haven't pitched here," Rivera said Wednesday afternoon. "I'm dying to pitch here, hopefully tonight or tomorrow."

Rivera was sitting in an interview room adjacent to the Rockies clubhouse. He was speaking to 12 longtime Rockies employees, something Rivera has been doing in every opposing ballpark in his final season in the game. "I pitched here when we came here in '95, but that's it," Rivera continued, referring to two exhibition games the Yankees and Rockies played that year. "It was freezing, too. I remember Andy Pettitte was pitching. I said, 'Andy, just get them out, because I don't want to pitch.' "

The Rockies employees laughed. Their workday was being spiced up by something highly unusual, something memorable. They were listening to Rivera, the all-time leader in saves, in a small gathering and would leave the room with an autographed baseball and an unexpectedly personal glimpse of a future Hall of Famer.

"It's very unique. I've never heard of anything like this," said Michael Kent, the Rockies' vice president of finance. "I've been in baseball over 30 years. And there's a lot of great players that have retired and they honor them a lot of different ways, but I've never heard of this approach."

Yankees director of communications Jason Zillo explained to the group that Rivera as part of his farewell tour has asked to meet with employees of opposing organizations and thank them for their efforts. Zillo organizes the sessions with help from his counterparts on opposing teams.

"The one thing he told me when he decided to do this," Zillo said, standing next to Rivera before he spoke, "is if you're employees for the Rockies, you're probably not Yankees fans, and that's OK. And you don't have to be a Mariano Rivera fan, particularly, but he wanted to do something different and unique and I think this is pretty unprecedented what he's doing."

Rivera told the employees that he wanted to thank some of the "behind the scenes" people who work in baseball, recognize their contributions and make sure they know they are not taken for granted.

Rivera expressed his thanks to head groundskeeper Mark Razum and two members of his crew for their tireless efforts Tuesday night to keep the field as playable as possible when it rained steadily during the game.

"You have to make sure the mound is good, the bases are good," Rivera said. "We definitely don't like playing in situations like that, but there's no excuses. I appreciate you guys trying to make the field comfortable for us, and we can be more safe. It's a lot of work."

Rivera took questions and Jeff Benner, the Rockies senior director for season tickets, asked him how he developed his cutter, his devastating signature pitch.

Rivera gave an answer that was lengthy, detailed and interesting. He explained how he went to Spring Training with the Yankees in 1997, assuming he would again pitch in a setup role despite the departure of closer John Wetteland. Given the closer's job, Rivera said he "was trying to do so good" the first month of the season that he "was going backwards."

"It was like trying to run in quicksand," Rivera said.

Even after being assured by manager Joe Torre and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre that the closer's role was his, no matter what, Rivera said, "That's what you want to hear, but in reality, if I continue what I was doing, I won't be the closer. Someone else will have to step in."

While playing catch with fellow reliever Ramiro Mendoza, who like Rivera is from Panama, "the ball started moving." So much so, Rivera said, that Mendoza got mad, thinking Rivera was "playing around with the pitch."

Rivera said he was getting frustrated. Current Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was then the New York catcher, was perturbed because he didn't know where the ball was going.

"He's mad at me," Rivera said. "I'm mad at the pitch. It was a mess because we don't know what's going on, but the results were good."

Rivera recalled a 30-minute session in Detroit where the goal was to make the ball go straight.

"The more we worked, the more the ball was moving," Rivera said. "And I say, 'You know what, just leave it alone.' If it's going to move, it's going to move, because I don't try to do nothing different. I'm throwing the ball the same way that I have thrown the ball my whole career. No one teach me that. I truly believe that the Lord gave me that. Is no way you doing something the same way for your whole career, and all of a sudden one day when you have to be more effective, you have to be good, this happens. It was the purpose of the Lord. He knew all along that I needed something different."

Hours later, Rivera would use that famed cutter to earn a save in Coors Field for the first time, finishing the Yankees' 3-2 victory over the Rockies.

Benner was the first Rockies' employee for whom Rivera autographed a baseball. On his way out of the interview room. Benner was asked what he thought of the meeting with Rivera and, in particular, how attentively he answered Benner's question.

"It's pretty special," he said. "I've been in the game 21 years. This is my career. Even though I'm not a Yankee fan, the role that he has played in this game -- for me to be here along with some of my other colleagues is pretty neat. It's special for him to take the time to do this. He dosen't have to do this. And what's neat is it appears he's gaining something on a personal level. He's trying to give back to the game. The game has given him a lot; he's giving back in his way."

Jack Etkin is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

For Yankees, all's Wells that ends Wells

MLB.COM BINGO

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ODDS OF WINNING A PRIZE WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BINGO CARDS ISSUED AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VALID POTENTIAL WINNING BINGO CARDS CLAIMED FOR EACH APPLICABLE POSTSEASON GAME. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. ALL DISPUTES WILL BE RESOLVED SOLELY BY BINDING ARBITRATION AND ENTRANTS WAIVE THE ABILITY TO BRING CLAIMS IN A CLASS ACTION FORMAT.

ELIGIBILITY:  MLB.com Bingo (the "Promotion") is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and Washington, D.C. who are eighteen (18) years of age or older (except in the case of legal residents of certain states where the legal age of majority is greater than eighteen (18) years of age, such legal age of majority) at the time of entry. Employees, officers, and directors (including immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and members of the same household, whether or not related) of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. ("Sponsor"), the other MLB Entities and each of their respective parents, affiliated companies, subsidiaries, licensees, distributors, dealers, retailers, printers, advertising and promotion agencies, and any and all other companies associated with the Promotion are not eligible to participate or win a Prize (defined below). The "MLB Entities" shall mean Sponsor, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball ("BOC"), its Bureaus, Committees, Subcommittees and Councils, Major League Baseball Enterprises, Inc., Major League Baseball Properties, Inc., the Major League Baseball Clubs ("Clubs"), each of their parent, subsidiary, affiliated and related entities, any entity which, now or in the future, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Clubs or the BOC and the owners, general and limited partners, shareholders, directors, officers, employees and agents of the foregoing entities. The Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law, rule or regulation.

PROMOTION PERIOD: The Promotion period (the "Promotion Period") begins at 11:00 AM Eastern Time ("ET") on October 5, 2012 and ends upon completion of the final out of the 2012 MLB World Series Championship.

HOW TO ENTER: During the Promotion Period, you may enter the Promotion by clicking on the banners, buttons and/or links within MLB.com Gameday (a free application) and following the instructions provided to register for the Promotion. If you are not already a member of MLB.com, you must become one before you can register to participate in the Contest (membership is free). There is only one (1) way to participate in the Promotion: online. No other method of entry or participation will be accepted. Additional entries beyond the specified limit will be void. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means will be void. All information submitted online by entrants is subject to, and will be treated in a manner consistent with, MLB.com's Terms of Use accessible at: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb_com/terms_of_use.jsp and Privacy Policy accessible at: www.mlb.com/privacy.  All online entries must include a valid e-mail address for the entrant.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:  Upon successful registration, follow the instructions provided to receive one (1) virtual bingo card (the "Bingo Card") for each game of the 2012 MLB Postseason played during the Promotion Period (each, a "Postseason Game"). In addition, during the Promotion Period, participants may utilize sharing functionality available via the Promotion upon completion of a successful Contest (the "Sharing Functionality") to receive two (2) additional Bingo Cards. For each eligible individual any entrant notifies or makes aware of the Promotion who clicks on a valid link made available via the Sharing Functionality identifiable as having come from the entrant, such entrant shall receive two (2) additional Bingo Cards (for a total of three (3) Bingo Cards). No additional Bingo Cards will be received other than through verified Sharing Functionality. There is a limit of three (3) Bingo Cards per person and per e-mail address per Postseason Game. Each Bingo Card shall include a 5x5 grid that includes twenty-five (25) tiles (each, a "Tile"). Each Tile will include one (1) randomly selected game outcome for the active Postseason Game. For example, a participant could have a "Josh Hamilton Double" Tile on their Bingo Card which would be automatically marked in the event Josh Hamilton hits a double during a Postseason Game. Any eligible participant who receives a Bingo Card that becomes marked with five (5) Tiles in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row (each, a "Potential Winning Bingo Card") may be a potential Prize winner, subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the terms of these Official Rules. (See the Prize Claim Section below for more information.) For purposes of this Promotion, MLB game outcomes will not be updated to reflect any official MLB statistics changes or corrections that may occur after the completion of any Postseason Game. Once each Postseason Game is final following completion of the final out of that game, it will be final for purposes of this Promotion. In the event any Postseason Game is cancelled, postponed or suspended, all Bingo Cards will be void for that game and Sponsor reserves the right to award the applicable Prizes by way of random drawing from among all eligible participants as of the time of such cancellation, postponement or suspension.

PRIZE CLAIMS: In the event you receive a message within MLB.com Gameday notifying you that you have a Potential Winning Bingo Card, you must claim your Potential Winning Bingo Card by following the onscreen instructions provided by no later than ten (10) minutes following the end of the applicable Postseason Game to be eligible for the Drawing (defined below). Failure to claim your Potential Winning Bingo Card within ten (10) minutes following the end of the applicable Postseason Game will render the Potential Winning Bingo Card void and result in Prize forfeiture.

ALL POTENTIAL WINNING BINGO CARDS ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY SPONSOR WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING. AN ENTRANT IS NOT A WINNER OF ANY PRIZE, EVEN IF THE PROMOTION SHOULD SO INDICATE, UNLESS AND UNTIL ENTRANT'S ELIGIBILITY, THE POTENTIAL WINNING BINGO CARD AND ENTRANT'S COMPLIANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BY SPONSOR AND ENTRANT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT SUCH VERIFICATION IS COMPLETE. SPONSOR WILL NOT ACCEPT SCREEN SHOTS OR OTHER EVIDENCE OF WINNING IN LIEU OF ITS VALIDATION PROCESS.

RANDOM DRAWINGS: Approximately thirty (30) minutes following the final out of each Postseason Game, five (5) potential winners will be selected by random drawing from among all eligible participants who claim valid Potential Winning Bingo Cards for that Postseason Game in accordance with these Official Rules (the "Drawing"). Subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the terms of these Official Rules, the potential winners will be declared official winners of the Sweepstakes (each, a "Winner" and collectively, the "Winners"). Odds of winning a Prize will depend on the total number of Bingo Cards issued and the total number of valid Potential Winning Bingo Cards claimed for each applicable Postseason Game. Limit one (1) Prize per person, per family and per household.

PRIZES:  A maximum of two hundred fifteen (215) prizes (each, a "Prize" and collectively, the "Prizes") will be awarded (i.e. five (5) Prizes per each Postseason Game with a maximum of forty-three (43) Postseason Games), as follows:

For up to twenty-two (22) Postseason Games during the 2012 Wild Card Games and the 2012 Division Series, each Winner will receive one (1) Postseason.TV subscription for the remainder of the 2012 MLB Postseason. Approximate retail value ("ARV") of each such Prize: $4.99.

For up to twenty-one (21) Postseason Games during the 2012 League Championship Series and the 2012 MLB World Series Championship, each Winner will receive one (1) MLB.TV Offseason Package subscription. ARV of each such Prize: $24.99.

Total ARV of all Prizes: $3172.85.

For the avoidance of doubt, no Prizes will be awarded in connection with any 2012 MLB Postseason game that is not played because it is not necessary.

PRIZE CONDITIONS: All Prize details to be determined in the sole discretion of Sponsor. Each Winner is fully responsible for any and all applicable federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes). Postseason.TV subscriptions are subject to blackout and other restrictions - see www.postseason.tv for complete details. All costs and expenses associated with the Prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being provided including, but not limited to, any and all expenses incurred by accepting the Prize are the sole responsibility of the Winners. The Prizes are non-transferable and non-assignable, with no cash redemptions except at Sponsor's sole and absolute discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any Prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value at its sole and absolute discretion.

NOTIFICATION:  Each potential winner will be notified at the e-mail address, postal address and/or telephone number (in the sole discretion of Sponsor) provided at the time of entry (the "Prize Notification"). In the event that any potential winner does not respond to any such Prize Notification within three (3) days of the date of issuance or declines the Prize for any reason, a disqualification will result, the Prize will be forfeited and, at Sponsor's sole discretion and time permitting, an alternate potential winner may be randomly selected from among all remaining eligible entries. Each potential winner may be required to submit his/her valid social security number and/or other identification to Sponsor and may be required to execute, have notarized and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability and, unless prohibited by law, Publicity, within five (5) days of date of issuance. Failure to submit any identification required by Sponsor or to return the required documents within the specified time period, noncompliance with these Official Rules or the return of the Prize (or any portion thereof) or Prize Notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and Prize forfeiture and, at Sponsor's sole discretion and time permitting, may cause an alternate potential winner to be randomly selected from among all remaining eligible entries.

WAIVER OF LIABILITY/PUBLICITY RELEASE:  By participating in the Promotion and submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to (i) be bound by these Official Rules, including all entry requirements, and (ii) waive any and all claims against Sponsor, the other MLB Entities, Facebook, Apple, Inc. and each of their respective parents, affiliated companies, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, agents, licensees, distributors, dealers, retailers, printers, representatives and advertising and promotion agencies, and any and all other companies associated with the Promotion, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, "Released Parties") for any injury, damage or loss that may occur, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from the participation in the Promotion or from the receipt or use of any Prize (or any portion thereof) or any travel or activity related to the receipt or use of any Prize (or any portion thereof). By entering this Promotion, each entrant gives his/her express permission to be contacted by Sponsor by telephone, e-mail and/or postal mail for Promotion purposes. Each Winner, by acceptance of the Prize, grants to Sponsor and each of its designees the right to publicize such Winner's name, address (city and state of residence), photograph, voice, statements and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, promotional, trade and/or any other purpose in any media or format now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world, in perpetuity, without limitation and without further compensation, consideration, permission or notification, unless prohibited by law.

GENERAL CONDITIONS:  All decisions of Sponsor, including the determination of winners, are final and binding on all matters relating to this Promotion. Released Parties are not responsible for stolen, late, incomplete, illegible, inaccurate, misdirected, lost, misrouted, scrambled, damaged, delayed, undelivered, mutilated or garbled entries, transmissions, e-mail or mail; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, cable, satellite, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), wireless network, website, or other connections including those through and/or by any website, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cable or wireless transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; any error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in transmission, processing, or communication; non-delivery; misdirected, blocked, or delayed e-mail notifications; printing, typographical or other errors appearing within these Official Rules, in any Promotion-related advertisements or other materials; or any other errors, problems or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, network, computer, telephone, mail, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Promotion, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Promotion, the processing of entries, the announcement of the Prize or in any Promotion-related materials, or the cancellation or postponement of any Major League Baseball game, event or exhibition. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to participants' or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Promotion or downloading materials from or use of the website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Promotion or website or attempt to undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion by cheating, deception or other unfair playing practices, or intend to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrant or any representative of Sponsor or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void. Any attempt to deliberately damage the content or operation of this Promotion is unlawful and subject to legal action by Sponsor and/or its agents. Sponsor shall have the sole right to disqualify any entrant for violation of these Official Rules or any applicable laws relating to the Promotion, and to resolve all disputes in its sole discretion. Released Parties (i) make no warranty, guaranty or representation of any kind concerning any Prize (or any portion thereof), and (ii) disclaim any implied warranty. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend the Promotion (or any portion thereof) should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention, or other causes corrupt administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper operation of the Promotion (or any portion thereof). In the event of such cancellation, Sponsor may elect to identify the Winners and award the Prizes by way of random drawing from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to the time of such cancellation. Sponsor also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Promotion.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY INDIVIDUAL, WHETHER OR NOT AN ENTRANT, TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROMOTION OR UNDERMINE THE CONTENT OR LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR WILL DISQUALIFY ANY SUCH ENTRANT, AND SPONSOR AND/OR ITS AGENTS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS' FEES) AND OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY PERSON OR PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

In the event of dispute as to the identity or eligibility of any potential winner based on an e-mail address, the winning entry will be declared made by the "Authorized Account Holder" of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry provided he/she is eligible according to these Official Rules. The "Authorized Account Holder" is defined as the natural person to whom the applicable Internet service provider or other organization (such as a business or educational institution) has assigned the e-mail address for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

As a condition of participating in this Promotion, each entrant agrees that (A) any and all disputes, claims, controversies or causes of action arising out of or relating to this Promotion, or any prizes awarded (each, a "Claim"), shall be (1) arbitrated on an individual basis only, and shall not be consolidated or joined with or in any arbitration or other proceeding involving a Claim of any other party, and (2) settled by binding arbitration in New York County, New York before a single arbitrator appointed by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its then governing rules and procedures, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered by any court having jurisdiction thereof; and (B) under no circumstance will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential or any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses. These Official Rules shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A, applicable to contracts entered into and performed exclusively in that State.

Apple, Inc. is not a sponsor of, or responsible for conducting, the Promotion. All entry data provided in connection with this Promotion is provided to Sponsor and not to Facebook. This Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

WINNERS' LIST:  For a list of winners (available after December 1, 2012) mail a request and a self-addressed stamped envelope to be received by January 15, 2012 to: MLB.com Bingo Winner's List c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 75 Ninth Ave., New York, New York 10011, Attn: Sweepstakes Department.

SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Promotion is MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 75 Ninth Ave., New York, New York 10011.

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are proprietary to the MLB Entities. All rights reserved.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Diamond in the rough: Wells plays third for first time

DENVER -- After scoring what proved to be the winning run on Brennan Boesch's infield single in the top of the ninth, Vernon Wells said, "I was like a little kid just jumping around. Then I quickly stopped and realized, 'OK, I got to go play third base, so I got to get my head together.' "

In a 3-2 win over the Rockies on Wednesday night, Wells played third base for the first time at any level in the bottom of the ninth. Manager Joe Girardi had seen him take ground balls there on a day when Wells was off earlier this season, and the seed was planted.

"You can learn a lot on an off-day," Girardi said.

For his part, Wells said he likes to take ground balls at third base about once a week "to keep my hands nice and loose" and has been doing it since his days in Toronto, where he began his career.

So with the Yankees leading 3-2 and closer Mariano Rivera on the mound, Wells was fielding ground balls thrown by first baseman Lyle Overbay.

"Taking ground balls while Mo was warming up," Wells said, "and then throw the ball around and I'm throwing the ball to Mariano Rivera, it's a cool feeling."

Wells, a left fielder, said before Rivera threw his first pitch, he looked at infield coach Mick Kelleher in the dugout. "He said, "You got to play in,' " Wells said, "And I'm like, 'What? This is already in.' It was an eye-opening experience, that's for sure." Rivera got Josh Rutledge to fly to center to open the ninth. Carlos Gonzalez, the next batter, hit a chopper that Wells moved to his left and gloved.

"Hopefully, instincts take over, go catch it," Wells said, relating his thoughts when the ball was hit his way. "Then hopefully you hit Lyle's glove on the other side of the field." Girardi said, "I didn't know if he could get to it. I felt if he could get to it, he'd make the play."

Wells didn't have to borrow a teammate's glove -- "my outfielder's glove is small anyway. So if ever four or five people get hurt in one game, I have a second baseman's glove also. Hopefully that one stays in the bag."

Clearly, Wells was enjoying this postgame give-and-take. And why not after doing something so totally different in his 1,631st career game.

"You have fun with this game, and that was one of the cooler moments of my career," Wells, 34, said, "I played short in high school, and that was just a couple years ago. But that was the last time I played the infield."

Wells went 3-for-4 and hit a two-run homer in the first. He scored the winning run. And he made his debut at third base behind Rivera. So which was better?

"I'm definitely going with playing third with Mariano on the mound," Wells said. "That's most likely is something that'll never happen again, but you never know."

Who knows, maybe some day Wells will catch Rivera.

"That'll never happen," Wells said.

Mass. schoolteacher named Honorary Bat Girl

DENVER -- Lisa Forte-Doyle was selected as the winner for the Yankees in the 2013 Honorary Bat Girl Contest that recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and have shown a commitment to eradicating the disease. One winner is chosen for each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams and will be honored this Sunday on Mother's Day.

Since the Yankees are not home on Mother's Day, Forte-Doyle, an English teacher in Chatham High School in Chatham, Mass., will be honored at a Yankees home game later this month.

On the final day of classes in 2010, Forte-Doyle was cleaning her classroom when she received a call from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, informing her that the lump she had discovered in her breast was malignant and she had breast cancer. "I was unsure of my future and broke down in tears," Forte-Doyle wrote in her submission to the contest. "I was contemplating how I would tell my two sons, who were in high school and seventh grade at the time."

That winter she endured eight weeks of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation treatment daily and a mastectomy. Forte-Doyle was born and raised on the Grand Concourse, mere blocks from Yankee Stadium, and it was there she first told her brother of her diagnosis. "It is my second home, and the Yankees are my second family," Forte-Doyle wrote, adding that if chosen as the Yankees Honorary Bat Girl, she would dedicate the honor to her 93-year-old mother, who was also born and raised in New York and lives on Cape Cod.

"She is the greatest Yankees fan I know," Forte-Doyle wrote. "She saw Ruth and Gehrig play in the old stadium, now I would love for her to see me on the field in the new one." Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia was part of a six-person judging panel that helped select the winner for each Major League club along with fan votes.

Nunez not quite ready to return

DENVER -- Shortstop Eduardo Nunez (left rib-cage tightness) is unlikely to be ready to play Thursday. He did some light throwing and went through some motions as if taking ground balls Wednesday and said he felt better but still "a little tight."

Manager Joe Girardi said, "He went out and tried to do some stuff, and it's still not quite where it needs to be."

Nunez did not attempt to swing a bat Wednesday. Girardi said Nunez must be pain free and then do drills in the indoor batting cage -- hitting off a tee and hitting soft tosses from a coach -- without discomfort before trying to test his rib cage by swinging all-out.

Citing lineup limitations, Girardi hits pitcher eighth

DENVER -- Pitcher David Phelps batted eighth and catcher Austin Romine ninth Wednesday as manager Joe Girardi, who has had to write out some unusual lineups due to a slew of injuries, took a more radical approach.

The Rockies have two left-handed relievers -- Josh Outman and Rex Brothers. With the exception of backup catcher Chris Stewart, Girardi's bench Wednesday had one available right-handed hitter in Ben Francisco, plus Brennan Bosch and Travis Hafner, who bat left-handed.

At the top of his lineup, Girardi had Brett Gardner and Robbie Cano, both left-handed hitters. So if Girardi were to bat Bosch or Hafner for his pitcher, he would have three successive left-handed batters, making it easier for Rockies manager Walt Weiss to match up with Outman or Brothers.

"It's not like I'm trying to re-invent the game," Girardi said. "It's not like I'm trying to make something up. I'm trying to maximize our pinch-hitters and the people we have in our lineup. That's the bottom line. So how do you do that? If you had right-handed bats you could put in between the lefties, you don't worry about it as much. We don't have that. So you're trying to get the hitters that have had the most success off of right-handers up the most and you're also trying to make it more complicated for the other manager to navigate through your lineup."

"And sometimes you may have to do some things that maybe are a little unorthodox, but you got to do it." Girardi added, explaining that the decision was not directed at Romine, who had three hitless at-bats in two games before Wednesday.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last time a Yankees starting pitcher batted eighth was Don Larsen on Aug. 28, 1957. The last American League starter to bat eighth was the Royals' Zack Greinke, on June 23, 2009.

Girardi said in the past that while broadcasting, he spoke about hitting the pitcher eighth with Tony La Russa, who employed the tactic often while managing the Cardinals as a way to have No. 3 hitter Albert Pujols bat with as many men on base as possible.

"And I'm trying to put more hitters in a sense in front of Robbie Cano, but also get him as many at-bats as possible," Girardi said.

The Yankees have 10 players on the disabled list, including Kevin Youkilis, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, who are rehabilitating at their spring training complex in Tampa, and Curtis Granderson, who finished a stint there and was scheduled to travel from Tampa to Triple-A Scranton on Thursday.

"If I had my normal lineup, this probably wouldn't happen," Girardi said. "But our normal lineup's in Tampa."

Nova hopes to return to Yankees next week

TAMPA, Fla. -- Ivan Nova pitched more than expected Wednesday afternoon. The good news was that he also felt better than expected.

Nova gave up two runs in four-plus innings in an extended spring game against the Blue Jays at the Yankees' Minor League complex, his first outing since going on the 15-day disabled list with right triceps inflammation on April 27. Nova hoped that his next stop would put him back in the Yankees' rotation for Monday's doubleheader against the Indians.

In Denver, manager Joe Girardi said Nova reported no pain or health problems, but his command wasn't real sharp.

"It's going to be in five days, so I can keep doing my work here, do my bullpen here, do everything I've got to do here and then be ready to go," Nova said, though he admitted that he doesn't actually know what's next for him. "If they call me up for Monday, then [on] Sunday, see ya."

Nova threw all his pitches as he gave up five hits and three walks while striking out five. The right-hander said he was a little cautious in his first two innings because he didn't know how his arm would react and whether he would feel the same inflammation that forced him to exit early from his April 26 start.

"The first two innings, I was scared," Nova said. "It was more than what I expected. Every time you get hurt, you expect it to last and feel it a little bit."

But Nova didn't feel anything afterward. At one point, he struck out five over a seven-batter stretch. He worked in quite a few curveballs -- the pitch that brought on the pain in his most recent start -- and came out of it feeling fine.

Asked if he'd been given a plane ticket to Cleveland, Nova broke into a big smile and laughed.

"Not yet," he said. "I wish."

Bombers bits

• Outfielder Curtis Granderson played behind Nova in Wednesday's extended spring game and homered to center field in the second inning. Granderson played two innings in center field, moved to right field for two more innings then shifted to left field after that. GIrardi said Granderson will go to Scranton on Thursday, although might not play. He will play the corner-outfield positions there in addition to center field.

• Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery) reported to the Yankees' Himes Complex in Tampa, Fla., for his third day of work. Rodriguez went through a workout similar to his first day of baseball activities: jogging, playing catch and hitting off a tee. He left without speaking to reporters.

• Right-hander Michael Pineda (right shoulder surgery) is set to make another start in an extended spring game next Monday. General manager Brian Cashman said recently Pineda's fastball has been clocked in the mid-90 mph range. Pineda said he's been feeling good on the mound lately, but he doesn't know how far off he is from a Minor League rehab assignment.

"I don't know. Not that long, because I'm feeling good, working hard and getting ready," Pineda said.

The only bit of bad news for Pineda on Wednesday: The back passenger-side window of his SUV was shattered by a ball hit into the players' lot during batting practice.

• The Yankees entered Wednesday with a five-game losing streak at Coors Field dating back to June 20, 2002, their longest current losing streak at any opposing ballpark. It matches the Yankees' longest losing streak at a National League ballpark. They also lost five straight at Veterans Stadium in Phildelphia from Sept. 1, 1997, to June 8, 1999 -- their first five interleague road games against the Phillies.

Jack Etkin is a contributor to MLB.com. Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Yankees not rushing Nunez back to action

By Jack Etkin / Special to MLB.com | 05/07/2013 9:20 PM ET

DENVER -- Yankees shortstop Eduardo Nunez, who left Sunday's 5-4 loss to the A's in the fifth inning due to tightness in his left rib cage, was unavailable to play Tuesday's series opener against the Rockies but said he felt "so much better" after receiving treatment and resting.

However, manager Joe Girardi is not expecting Nunez to be ready to play on Wednesday.

"That might be a little bit early," Girardi said. "He'd have to go through a series of hoops to get out on the field. But the first thing is you've got to make sure he's pain free just doing simple things."

Namely, hitting a ball off a tee and swinging in soft-toss drills.

With 10 players on the disabled list, the Yankees certainly aren't looking to add Nunez to that group. Were Nunez to be placed on the 15-day DL, the move could be made retroactive to Monday, but that determination isn't imminent.

"You kind of go day by day and see," Girardi said. "And if you really feel it's going to be close to 15 days, then I think you make a move. We're on Day 2, so I think it's too early, but we'll see."

Nunez underwent an MRI exam that revealed no structural damage. He said the inflammation in his rib cage -- while diminished -- is still present.

In Nunez's absence, Jayson Nix, who moved from third base to shortstop when Nunez left Sunday's game, made his fifth start at shortstop on Tuesday.

Nelson back in Colorado after surprise trade

DENVER -- Third baseman Chris Nelson returned to Coors Field on Tuesday, 10 days after the Rockies designated him for assignment and seven days after they traded him to the Yankees for a player to be named or cash considerations.

Nelson, who struck out 19 times in 66 at-bats with Colorado, lost his spot on the Rockies' roster when the club recalled Nolan Arenado from Triple-A Colorado Springs to play regularly. In 21 games with the Rockies before being designated, the 27-year-old Nelson -- taken ninth overall by Colorado in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft -- hit .242 with four RBIs.

"I was definitely surprised," said Nelson, who started and batted seventh on Tuesday against his former club. "[I knew] Arenado's coming up, but I didn't think it would be as soon as it was."

Bill Geivett, the Rockies' senior vice president of Major League operations, called Nelson with the news that he had been traded to the Yankees. Nelson grew up a Yankees fan in the Atlanta area.

"I was happy just to be picked up," Nelson said. "At that point, I was extremely happy. Being a fan of the Yankees, it's kind of cool to be here."

Nelson isn't wondering how long he'll stay with the Yankees, whose slew of players on the disabled list includes corner infielder Kevin Youkilis (lumbar spine sprain), third baseman Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery) and shortstop Derek Jeter (left ankle surgery). The latter two are not expected back before the All-Star break.

"Like with the Rockies, I wasn't thinking about Nolan coming up," Nelson said, "or A-Rod or Derek Jeter coming back. You can't think about that stuff. The game's tough enough; you can't be thinking about everything else."

Bombers bits

• Arenado, Yankees catcher Austin Romine and Mike Gonzalez -- their coach at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif. -- had dinner on Monday night. Romine, who was two years ahead of Arenado in high school, said of the third baseman, "I'm excited to see him play" and that it should be memorable for Gonzalez to see two of his former players in the Major Leagues.

• Yankees right-handed reliever David Robertson said after throwing that his left hamstring felt fine and that he hoped to pitch on Tuesday night. He had tightness in the back of the hamstring, where it meets the knee.

• Yankees infielder Jayson Nix returned to Coors Field for the first time as a visiting player on Tuesday and singled in his first at-bat. He began his career in the Rockies organization -- Colorado took him 44th overall in the 2001 Draft -- and played 22 games for the Rox at the outset of '08 before being optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. After that season, Nix moved on to the White Sox, Indians and Blue Jays but didn't play at Coors Field until returning as a member of the Yankees.

• Girardi and first-year Rockies manager Walt Weiss were Colorado teammates in 1994 and '95. Girardi said, "I always thought Walt would make a great manager. He definitely knew the game. It was just a question of what he wanted to do with his life after baseball. I think it's a great opportunity for him, and I think he's doing a great job."

• With their series at Coors Field, the Yankees began their first Interleague series this season at a National League ballpark.

Asked whether he was worried about his pitchers hitting, Girardi said, "A little bit, just because it's not something they do every day."

As far as any instructions for his hurlers on the basepaths, Girardi said, "Be smart. Just please be smart. Go station to station."

Jack Etkin is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nelson back in Colorado after surprise trade

By Jack Etkin / Special to MLB.com | 05/07/2013 9:20 PM ET

DENVER -- Third baseman Chris Nelson returned to Coors Field on Tuesday, 10 days after the Rockies designated him for assignment and seven days after they traded him to the Yankees for a player to be named or cash considerations.

Nelson, who struck out 19 times in 66 at-bats with Colorado, lost his spot on the Rockies' roster when the club recalled Nolan Arenado from Triple-A Colorado Springs to play regularly. In 21 games with the Rockies before being designated, the 27-year-old Nelson -- taken ninth overall by Colorado in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft -- hit .242 with four RBIs.

"I was definitely surprised," said Nelson, who started and batted seventh on Tuesday against his former club. "[I knew] Arenado's coming up, but I didn't think it would be as soon as it was."

Bill Geivett, the Rockies' senior vice president of Major League operations, called Nelson with the news that he had been traded to the Yankees. Nelson grew up a Yankees fan in the Atlanta area.

"I was happy just to be picked up," Nelson said. "At that point, I was extremely happy. Being a fan of the Yankees, it's kind of cool to be here."

Nelson isn't wondering how long he'll stay with the Yankees, whose slew of players on the disabled list includes corner infielder Kevin Youkilis (lumbar spine sprain), third baseman Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery) and shortstop Derek Jeter (left ankle surgery). The latter two are not expected back before the All-Star break.

"Like with the Rockies, I wasn't thinking about Nolan coming up," Nelson said, "or A-Rod or Derek Jeter coming back. You can't think about that stuff. The game's tough enough; you can't be thinking about everything else."

Yankees not rushing Nunez back to action

DENVER -- Yankees shortstop Eduardo Nunez, who left Sunday's 5-4 loss to the A's in the fifth inning due to tightness in his left rib cage, was unavailable to play Tuesday's series opener against the Rockies but said he felt "so much better" after receiving treatment and resting.

However, manager Joe Girardi is not expecting Nunez to be ready to play on Wednesday.

"That might be a little bit early," Girardi said. "He'd have to go through a series of hoops to get out on the field. But the first thing is you've got to make sure he's pain free just doing simple things."

Namely, hitting a ball off a tee and swinging in soft-toss drills.

With 10 players on the disabled list, the Yankees certainly aren't looking to add Nunez to that group. Were Nunez to be placed on the 15-day DL, the move could be made retroactive to Monday, but that determination isn't imminent.

"You kind of go day by day and see," Girardi said. "And if you really feel it's going to be close to 15 days, then I think you make a move. We're on Day 2, so I think it's too early, but we'll see."

Nunez underwent an MRI exam that revealed no structural damage. He said the inflammation in his rib cage -- while diminished -- is still present.

In Nunez's absence, Jayson Nix, who moved from third base to shortstop when Nunez left Sunday's game, made his fifth start at shortstop on Tuesday.

Bombers bits

• Arenado, Yankees catcher Austin Romine and Mike Gonzalez -- their coach at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif. -- had dinner on Monday night. Romine, who was two years ahead of Arenado in high school, said of the third baseman, "I'm excited to see him play" and that it should be memorable for Gonzalez to see two of his former players in the Major Leagues.

• Yankees right-handed reliever David Robertson said after throwing that his left hamstring felt fine and that he hoped to pitch on Tuesday night. He had tightness in the back of the hamstring, where it meets the knee.

• Yankees infielder Jayson Nix returned to Coors Field for the first time as a visiting player on Tuesday and singled in his first at-bat. He began his career in the Rockies organization -- Colorado took him 44th overall in the 2001 Draft -- and played 22 games for the Rox at the outset of '08 before being optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. After that season, Nix moved on to the White Sox, Indians and Blue Jays but didn't play at Coors Field until returning as a member of the Yankees.

• Girardi and first-year Rockies manager Walt Weiss were Colorado teammates in 1994 and '95. Girardi said, "I always thought Walt would make a great manager. He definitely knew the game. It was just a question of what he wanted to do with his life after baseball. I think it's a great opportunity for him, and I think he's doing a great job."

• With their series at Coors Field, the Yankees began their first Interleague series this season at a National League ballpark.

Asked whether he was worried about his pitchers hitting, Girardi said, "A little bit, just because it's not something they do every day."

As far as any instructions for his hurlers on the basepaths, Girardi said, "Be smart. Just please be smart. Go station to station."

Jack Etkin is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kuroda's one mistake at Colorado one too many

MLB.COM BINGO

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ODDS OF WINNING A PRIZE WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BINGO CARDS ISSUED AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VALID POTENTIAL WINNING BINGO CARDS CLAIMED FOR EACH APPLICABLE POSTSEASON GAME. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. ALL DISPUTES WILL BE RESOLVED SOLELY BY BINDING ARBITRATION AND ENTRANTS WAIVE THE ABILITY TO BRING CLAIMS IN A CLASS ACTION FORMAT.

ELIGIBILITY:  MLB.com Bingo (the "Promotion") is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and Washington, D.C. who are eighteen (18) years of age or older (except in the case of legal residents of certain states where the legal age of majority is greater than eighteen (18) years of age, such legal age of majority) at the time of entry. Employees, officers, and directors (including immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and members of the same household, whether or not related) of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. ("Sponsor"), the other MLB Entities and each of their respective parents, affiliated companies, subsidiaries, licensees, distributors, dealers, retailers, printers, advertising and promotion agencies, and any and all other companies associated with the Promotion are not eligible to participate or win a Prize (defined below). The "MLB Entities" shall mean Sponsor, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball ("BOC"), its Bureaus, Committees, Subcommittees and Councils, Major League Baseball Enterprises, Inc., Major League Baseball Properties, Inc., the Major League Baseball Clubs ("Clubs"), each of their parent, subsidiary, affiliated and related entities, any entity which, now or in the future, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Clubs or the BOC and the owners, general and limited partners, shareholders, directors, officers, employees and agents of the foregoing entities. The Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law, rule or regulation.

PROMOTION PERIOD: The Promotion period (the "Promotion Period") begins at 11:00 AM Eastern Time ("ET") on October 5, 2012 and ends upon completion of the final out of the 2012 MLB World Series Championship.

HOW TO ENTER: During the Promotion Period, you may enter the Promotion by clicking on the banners, buttons and/or links within MLB.com Gameday (a free application) and following the instructions provided to register for the Promotion. If you are not already a member of MLB.com, you must become one before you can register to participate in the Contest (membership is free). There is only one (1) way to participate in the Promotion: online. No other method of entry or participation will be accepted. Additional entries beyond the specified limit will be void. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means will be void. All information submitted online by entrants is subject to, and will be treated in a manner consistent with, MLB.com's Terms of Use accessible at: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb_com/terms_of_use.jsp and Privacy Policy accessible at: www.mlb.com/privacy.  All online entries must include a valid e-mail address for the entrant.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:  Upon successful registration, follow the instructions provided to receive one (1) virtual bingo card (the "Bingo Card") for each game of the 2012 MLB Postseason played during the Promotion Period (each, a "Postseason Game"). In addition, during the Promotion Period, participants may utilize sharing functionality available via the Promotion upon completion of a successful Contest (the "Sharing Functionality") to receive two (2) additional Bingo Cards. For each eligible individual any entrant notifies or makes aware of the Promotion who clicks on a valid link made available via the Sharing Functionality identifiable as having come from the entrant, such entrant shall receive two (2) additional Bingo Cards (for a total of three (3) Bingo Cards). No additional Bingo Cards will be received other than through verified Sharing Functionality. There is a limit of three (3) Bingo Cards per person and per e-mail address per Postseason Game. Each Bingo Card shall include a 5x5 grid that includes twenty-five (25) tiles (each, a "Tile"). Each Tile will include one (1) randomly selected game outcome for the active Postseason Game. For example, a participant could have a "Josh Hamilton Double" Tile on their Bingo Card which would be automatically marked in the event Josh Hamilton hits a double during a Postseason Game. Any eligible participant who receives a Bingo Card that becomes marked with five (5) Tiles in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row (each, a "Potential Winning Bingo Card") may be a potential Prize winner, subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the terms of these Official Rules. (See the Prize Claim Section below for more information.) For purposes of this Promotion, MLB game outcomes will not be updated to reflect any official MLB statistics changes or corrections that may occur after the completion of any Postseason Game. Once each Postseason Game is final following completion of the final out of that game, it will be final for purposes of this Promotion. In the event any Postseason Game is cancelled, postponed or suspended, all Bingo Cards will be void for that game and Sponsor reserves the right to award the applicable Prizes by way of random drawing from among all eligible participants as of the time of such cancellation, postponement or suspension.

PRIZE CLAIMS: In the event you receive a message within MLB.com Gameday notifying you that you have a Potential Winning Bingo Card, you must claim your Potential Winning Bingo Card by following the onscreen instructions provided by no later than ten (10) minutes following the end of the applicable Postseason Game to be eligible for the Drawing (defined below). Failure to claim your Potential Winning Bingo Card within ten (10) minutes following the end of the applicable Postseason Game will render the Potential Winning Bingo Card void and result in Prize forfeiture.

ALL POTENTIAL WINNING BINGO CARDS ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY SPONSOR WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING. AN ENTRANT IS NOT A WINNER OF ANY PRIZE, EVEN IF THE PROMOTION SHOULD SO INDICATE, UNLESS AND UNTIL ENTRANT'S ELIGIBILITY, THE POTENTIAL WINNING BINGO CARD AND ENTRANT'S COMPLIANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BY SPONSOR AND ENTRANT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT SUCH VERIFICATION IS COMPLETE. SPONSOR WILL NOT ACCEPT SCREEN SHOTS OR OTHER EVIDENCE OF WINNING IN LIEU OF ITS VALIDATION PROCESS.

RANDOM DRAWINGS: Approximately thirty (30) minutes following the final out of each Postseason Game, five (5) potential winners will be selected by random drawing from among all eligible participants who claim valid Potential Winning Bingo Cards for that Postseason Game in accordance with these Official Rules (the "Drawing"). Subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the terms of these Official Rules, the potential winners will be declared official winners of the Sweepstakes (each, a "Winner" and collectively, the "Winners"). Odds of winning a Prize will depend on the total number of Bingo Cards issued and the total number of valid Potential Winning Bingo Cards claimed for each applicable Postseason Game. Limit one (1) Prize per person, per family and per household.

PRIZES:  A maximum of two hundred fifteen (215) prizes (each, a "Prize" and collectively, the "Prizes") will be awarded (i.e. five (5) Prizes per each Postseason Game with a maximum of forty-three (43) Postseason Games), as follows:

For up to twenty-two (22) Postseason Games during the 2012 Wild Card Games and the 2012 Division Series, each Winner will receive one (1) Postseason.TV subscription for the remainder of the 2012 MLB Postseason. Approximate retail value ("ARV") of each such Prize: $4.99.

For up to twenty-one (21) Postseason Games during the 2012 League Championship Series and the 2012 MLB World Series Championship, each Winner will receive one (1) MLB.TV Offseason Package subscription. ARV of each such Prize: $24.99.

Total ARV of all Prizes: $3172.85.

For the avoidance of doubt, no Prizes will be awarded in connection with any 2012 MLB Postseason game that is not played because it is not necessary.

PRIZE CONDITIONS: All Prize details to be determined in the sole discretion of Sponsor. Each Winner is fully responsible for any and all applicable federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes). Postseason.TV subscriptions are subject to blackout and other restrictions - see www.postseason.tv for complete details. All costs and expenses associated with the Prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being provided including, but not limited to, any and all expenses incurred by accepting the Prize are the sole responsibility of the Winners. The Prizes are non-transferable and non-assignable, with no cash redemptions except at Sponsor's sole and absolute discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any Prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value at its sole and absolute discretion.

NOTIFICATION:  Each potential winner will be notified at the e-mail address, postal address and/or telephone number (in the sole discretion of Sponsor) provided at the time of entry (the "Prize Notification"). In the event that any potential winner does not respond to any such Prize Notification within three (3) days of the date of issuance or declines the Prize for any reason, a disqualification will result, the Prize will be forfeited and, at Sponsor's sole discretion and time permitting, an alternate potential winner may be randomly selected from among all remaining eligible entries. Each potential winner may be required to submit his/her valid social security number and/or other identification to Sponsor and may be required to execute, have notarized and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability and, unless prohibited by law, Publicity, within five (5) days of date of issuance. Failure to submit any identification required by Sponsor or to return the required documents within the specified time period, noncompliance with these Official Rules or the return of the Prize (or any portion thereof) or Prize Notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and Prize forfeiture and, at Sponsor's sole discretion and time permitting, may cause an alternate potential winner to be randomly selected from among all remaining eligible entries.

WAIVER OF LIABILITY/PUBLICITY RELEASE:  By participating in the Promotion and submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to (i) be bound by these Official Rules, including all entry requirements, and (ii) waive any and all claims against Sponsor, the other MLB Entities, Facebook, Apple, Inc. and each of their respective parents, affiliated companies, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, agents, licensees, distributors, dealers, retailers, printers, representatives and advertising and promotion agencies, and any and all other companies associated with the Promotion, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, "Released Parties") for any injury, damage or loss that may occur, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from the participation in the Promotion or from the receipt or use of any Prize (or any portion thereof) or any travel or activity related to the receipt or use of any Prize (or any portion thereof). By entering this Promotion, each entrant gives his/her express permission to be contacted by Sponsor by telephone, e-mail and/or postal mail for Promotion purposes. Each Winner, by acceptance of the Prize, grants to Sponsor and each of its designees the right to publicize such Winner's name, address (city and state of residence), photograph, voice, statements and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, promotional, trade and/or any other purpose in any media or format now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world, in perpetuity, without limitation and without further compensation, consideration, permission or notification, unless prohibited by law.

GENERAL CONDITIONS:  All decisions of Sponsor, including the determination of winners, are final and binding on all matters relating to this Promotion. Released Parties are not responsible for stolen, late, incomplete, illegible, inaccurate, misdirected, lost, misrouted, scrambled, damaged, delayed, undelivered, mutilated or garbled entries, transmissions, e-mail or mail; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, cable, satellite, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), wireless network, website, or other connections including those through and/or by any website, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cable or wireless transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; any error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in transmission, processing, or communication; non-delivery; misdirected, blocked, or delayed e-mail notifications; printing, typographical or other errors appearing within these Official Rules, in any Promotion-related advertisements or other materials; or any other errors, problems or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, network, computer, telephone, mail, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Promotion, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Promotion, the processing of entries, the announcement of the Prize or in any Promotion-related materials, or the cancellation or postponement of any Major League Baseball game, event or exhibition. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to participants' or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Promotion or downloading materials from or use of the website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Promotion or website or attempt to undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion by cheating, deception or other unfair playing practices, or intend to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrant or any representative of Sponsor or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void. Any attempt to deliberately damage the content or operation of this Promotion is unlawful and subject to legal action by Sponsor and/or its agents. Sponsor shall have the sole right to disqualify any entrant for violation of these Official Rules or any applicable laws relating to the Promotion, and to resolve all disputes in its sole discretion. Released Parties (i) make no warranty, guaranty or representation of any kind concerning any Prize (or any portion thereof), and (ii) disclaim any implied warranty. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend the Promotion (or any portion thereof) should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention, or other causes corrupt administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper operation of the Promotion (or any portion thereof). In the event of such cancellation, Sponsor may elect to identify the Winners and award the Prizes by way of random drawing from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to the time of such cancellation. Sponsor also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Promotion.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY INDIVIDUAL, WHETHER OR NOT AN ENTRANT, TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROMOTION OR UNDERMINE THE CONTENT OR LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR WILL DISQUALIFY ANY SUCH ENTRANT, AND SPONSOR AND/OR ITS AGENTS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS' FEES) AND OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY PERSON OR PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

In the event of dispute as to the identity or eligibility of any potential winner based on an e-mail address, the winning entry will be declared made by the "Authorized Account Holder" of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry provided he/she is eligible according to these Official Rules. The "Authorized Account Holder" is defined as the natural person to whom the applicable Internet service provider or other organization (such as a business or educational institution) has assigned the e-mail address for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

As a condition of participating in this Promotion, each entrant agrees that (A) any and all disputes, claims, controversies or causes of action arising out of or relating to this Promotion, or any prizes awarded (each, a "Claim"), shall be (1) arbitrated on an individual basis only, and shall not be consolidated or joined with or in any arbitration or other proceeding involving a Claim of any other party, and (2) settled by binding arbitration in New York County, New York before a single arbitrator appointed by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its then governing rules and procedures, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered by any court having jurisdiction thereof; and (B) under no circumstance will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential or any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses. These Official Rules shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A, applicable to contracts entered into and performed exclusively in that State.

Apple, Inc. is not a sponsor of, or responsible for conducting, the Promotion. All entry data provided in connection with this Promotion is provided to Sponsor and not to Facebook. This Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

WINNERS' LIST:  For a list of winners (available after December 1, 2012) mail a request and a self-addressed stamped envelope to be received by January 15, 2012 to: MLB.com Bingo Winner's List c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 75 Ninth Ave., New York, New York 10011, Attn: Sweepstakes Department.

SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Promotion is MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 75 Ninth Ave., New York, New York 10011.

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are proprietary to the MLB Entities. All rights reserved.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Granderson's role may vary upon return

By Jay Greenberg / Special to MLB.com | 05/05/2013 7:14 PM ET

NEW YORK -- With the Yankees suffering no shortage of production from Vernon Wells in left field, it is not a foregone conclusion in manager Joe Girardi's mind that Brett Gardner will be going back to left from center when Curtis Granderson comes off the DL.

"We might toy around with some other things," said Girardi on Sunday. "Left, right, [DH] things.  

"[Granderson] is getting reps everywhere right now (in extended spring action in Tampa, Fla.). My concern is how he reacts to all the different spots.

"We'll decide that as time goes on. We just want to get him healthy. Grandy is going to play, he is a big part of our offense. But as we see around here, a lot can happen in a couple weeks."

Granderson was hit on the triceps muscle with a pitch on Saturday, his fourth day of work in Florida, but suffered no setback. He probably will be the closest of the Yankees' everyday players on the DL to return. Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery) and Mark Teixeira (torn sheath in his right arm) will be flying to Tampa on Monday to begin their rehabilitations under Yankees supervision.

"I thought we had a chartered flight going there, actually," joked Girardi. [Francisco Cervelli] (fractured right hand) is already there and I have to check about [Ivan Nova].

"I get little updates, but the update I don't want to hear is that we had a setback. If we don't have a setback, I don't get too worried about it. I know there are a lot of big people there, I understand that, but that is not going to be the focus of my day. The focus is the people in this room right now."

The Yankees have 10 players on the DL.

Nunez day to day with tightness in rib cage

NEW YORK -- With 10 Yankees on the disabled list, manager Joe Girardi could believe in a good case of indigestion, starting with his own first and his shortstop's next. Indeed, on Sunday, Eduardo Nunez first thought his problem might have been something he ate.

"Started in the third inning," Nunez said. "I thought it might be some food, something like that. 

"I kept playing. After I swing [in the third], it hurt a lot. I went out to play defense, I couldn't move."

Derek Jeter's replacement, who has already missed two two-game segments of his own this season after getting hit by pitches, had to leave Sunday's 5-4 loss to Oakland before the top of the fifth inning with tightness in his rib cage area. An MRI was negative and his status was termed day to day. Jayson Nix moved over from third to finish the game at short.

"[Nunez] just came to me in the fourth inning and said he had a little irritation," said Girardi. "He wanted to try to go, so I sent him to the on-deck circle and told him to take a couple swings.

"The last out was made, and I said, 'What did you feel?' He said it was irritated and I said, 'So you're done.'

"You don't want to make that a six-week injury if it can just be a couple days. We'll see how he feels Tuesday, although I don't think we'll have a player then."

Aside from game's outcome, Claiborne's debut perfect

NEW YORK -- Only a Yankees win could have made Preston Claiborne's Major League debut any more perfect. Claiborne retired all six batters he faced in the team's 5-4 loss to the A's on Sunday.

 "He threw strikes, used all his pitches, used his slider, used his changeup effectively," said manager Joe Girardi. "I thought he had pretty good command of his fastball.

"He gave us two important innings that allowed us to come back and tie the score."

Claiborne, recalled on Friday after allowing four earned runs in 10 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, says he tried to pretend he was on any old mound, not the one at Yankee Stadium.

"This was big game for me obviously, the biggest one I have pitched in my life," he said. "I was trying to keep in mind I was just playing baseball.

"It's a huge step for me, and obviously a big confidence booster. "

Girardi doesn't plan a Coors Field prep for pitchers

NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi, who caught three seasons for the Rockies in the days before game balls were stored in a humidor to keep more of them in Coors Field, says he will have no advice for his pitchers before they take the mound in a three-game series that begins there Tuesday night.

"Some of our guys have been there," Girardi said. "And if I don't hear them talking about it and I don't see it affecting them, why would I put a thought in somebody's head? "

Girardi, an original member of the Rockies, says he has nothing but fond memories of his time in Denver, no matter how many of the pitches he called were hit out of the park.

"It was a very enjoyable time of my life, being part of that organization at the beginning, and the fan support we had at Mile High [Stadium], then going over to Coors Field," he said. "The first pitcher we faced at Coors Field, I remember, was Andy Pettitte in an exhibition game.  

"People were great to me. I have family there. I'm looking forward to it."

Hiroki Kuroda, David Phelps and CC Sabathia are the Yankees' scheduled starters for the series, which begins an eight-game trip that continues to Kansas City and concludes with a makeup doubleheader in Cleveland on May 13.

Worth noting

• David Robertson, who suffered a slight left hamstring pull in completing a 1-2-3 inning Wednesday night against Houston, played catch on Saturday and Sunday and expects to be available Tuesday night when the Yankees open a three-game series in Colorado.

"I don't see why I wouldn't be ready," said Robertson, whose return will not require a roster move.

• Since the beginning of the 2008 season, the Yankees are 28-9 in games after being shut out, the latest being their 4-2 win over the A's on Saturday.

• Ichiro Suzuki entered Sunday with more career hits against Oakland (308) that any player since the franchise moved to the Bay Area in 1968, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Suzuki went 0-for-4 Saturday but came into Sunday's game still hitting .359 in his last seven games, raising his average 66 points to .266.

Jay Greenberg is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Girardi doesn't plan a Coors Field prep for pitchers

By Jay Greenberg / Special to MLB.com | 05/05/2013 7:14 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi, who caught three seasons for the Rockies in the days before game balls were stored in a humidor to keep more of them in Coors Field, says he will have no advice for his pitchers before they take the mound in a three-game series that begins there Tuesday night.

"Some of our guys have been there," Girardi said. "And if I don't hear them talking about it and I don't see it affecting them, why would I put a thought in somebody's head? "

Girardi, an original member of the Rockies, says he has nothing but fond memories of his time in Denver, no matter how many of the pitches he called were hit out of the park.

"It was a very enjoyable time of my life, being part of that organization at the beginning, and the fan support we had at Mile High [Stadium], then going over to Coors Field," he said. "The first pitcher we faced at Coors Field, I remember, was Andy Pettitte in an exhibition game.  

"People were great to me. I have family there. I'm looking forward to it."

Hiroki Kuroda, David Phelps and CC Sabathia are the Yankees' scheduled starters for the series, which begins an eight-game trip that continues to Kansas City and concludes with a makeup doubleheader in Cleveland on May 13.

Nunez day to day with tightness in rib cage

NEW YORK -- With 10 Yankees on the disabled list, manager Joe Girardi could believe in a good case of indigestion, starting with his own first and his shortstop's next. Indeed, on Sunday, Eduardo Nunez first thought his problem might have been something he ate.

"Started in the third inning," Nunez said. "I thought it might be some food, something like that. 

"I kept playing. After I swing [in the third], it hurt a lot. I went out to play defense, I couldn't move."

Derek Jeter's replacement, who has already missed two two-game segments of his own this season after getting hit by pitches, had to leave Sunday's 5-4 loss to Oakland before the top of the fifth inning with tightness in his rib cage area. An MRI was negative and his status was termed day to day. Jayson Nix moved over from third to finish the game at short.

"[Nunez] just came to me in the fourth inning and said he had a little irritation," said Girardi. "He wanted to try to go, so I sent him to the on-deck circle and told him to take a couple swings.

"The last out was made, and I said, 'What did you feel?' He said it was irritated and I said, 'So you're done.'

"You don't want to make that a six-week injury if it can just be a couple days. We'll see how he feels Tuesday, although I don't think we'll have a player then."

Aside from game's outcome, Claiborne's debut perfect

NEW YORK -- Only a Yankees win could have made Preston Claiborne's Major League debut any more perfect. Claiborne retired all six batters he faced in the team's 5-4 loss to the A's on Sunday.

 "He threw strikes, used all his pitches, used his slider, used his changeup effectively," said manager Joe Girardi. "I thought he had pretty good command of his fastball.

"He gave us two important innings that allowed us to come back and tie the score."

Claiborne, recalled on Friday after allowing four earned runs in 10 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, says he tried to pretend he was on any old mound, not the one at Yankee Stadium.

"This was big game for me obviously, the biggest one I have pitched in my life," he said. "I was trying to keep in mind I was just playing baseball.

"It's a huge step for me, and obviously a big confidence booster. "

Granderson's role may vary upon return

NEW YORK -- With the Yankees suffering no shortage of production from Vernon Wells in left field, it is not a foregone conclusion in manager Joe Girardi's mind that Brett Gardner will be going back to left from center when Curtis Granderson comes off the DL.

"We might toy around with some other things," said Girardi on Sunday. "Left, right, [DH] things.  

"[Granderson] is getting reps everywhere right now (in extended spring action in Tampa, Fla.). My concern is how he reacts to all the different spots.

"We'll decide that as time goes on. We just want to get him healthy. Grandy is going to play, he is a big part of our offense. But as we see around here, a lot can happen in a couple weeks."

Granderson was hit on the triceps muscle with a pitch on Saturday, his fourth day of work in Florida, but suffered no setback. He probably will be the closest of the Yankees' everyday players on the DL to return. Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery) and Mark Teixeira (torn sheath in his right arm) will be flying to Tampa on Monday to begin their rehabilitations under Yankees supervision.

"I thought we had a chartered flight going there, actually," joked Girardi. [Francisco Cervelli] (fractured right hand) is already there and I have to check about [Ivan Nova].

"I get little updates, but the update I don't want to hear is that we had a setback. If we don't have a setback, I don't get too worried about it. I know there are a lot of big people there, I understand that, but that is not going to be the focus of my day. The focus is the people in this room right now."

The Yankees have 10 players on the DL.

Worth noting

• David Robertson, who suffered a slight left hamstring pull in completing a 1-2-3 inning Wednesday night against Houston, played catch on Saturday and Sunday and expects to be available Tuesday night when the Yankees open a three-game series in Colorado.

"I don't see why I wouldn't be ready," said Robertson, whose return will not require a roster move.

• Since the beginning of the 2008 season, the Yankees are 28-9 in games after being shut out, the latest being their 4-2 win over the A's on Saturday.

• Ichiro Suzuki entered Sunday with more career hits against Oakland (308) that any player since the franchise moved to the Bay Area in 1968, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Suzuki went 0-for-4 Saturday but came into Sunday's game still hitting .359 in his last seven games, raising his average 66 points to .266.

Jay Greenberg is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

A-Rod takes field for first time since hip surgery

"I have a lot of unfinished business," Alex Rodriguez said. "I'm looking forward to getting back and helping my team win." (AP)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alex Rodriguez ran, played catch and hit off a tee on Monday, his first activity on the field since undergoing surgery on his left hip in January.

But Rodriguez certainly wasn't alone at the Yankees' Minor League complex. He was joined by a large group of Yanks working their way back from injuries, including Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Kevin Youkilis, Francisco Cervelli, Ivan Nova, Cesar Cabral and Michael Pineda. They'll soon be joined by Derek Jeter as well.

"We always talk about it: Injuries are part of the game. But God dang, this is crazy," Rodriguez said. "I've never seen anything like it. It's remarkable."

Like Jeter and several banged-up Yankees, Rodriguez could be in Tampa for quite some time. He said Monday began a 30-day plan put together by his doctors and the Yanks, and they will re-evaluate where he stands after that. It's likely that Rodriguez would then begin another 30-day schedule, putting him in line to return some time after the All-Star break.

Rodriguez said he didn't want to set a timetable regarding his comeback, instead focusing on the plan for each day. He wouldn't even say for certain that he'll be back on the field this season.

"I really hope so. That's as specific as I'll get," Rodriguez said. "But I'm working 24/7 to get back on the field. There's no surprise: The way the season ended last year was very embarrassing. It was very tough on me, and obviously, [for] our team, it was devastating, the sweep against Detroit.

"I have a lot of unfinished business. I'm looking forward to getting back and helping my team win."

Rodriguez went 3-for-25 with no extra-base hits last postseason. While he said Monday he wouldn't let the injury serve as a catch-all excuse for his poor performance because he was still healthy enough to play, he also said he's ready to start playing "close to 100 percent and being who I am."

Whether Rodriguez can match his previous production is another question entirely. He admitted this hip injury was "a lot deeper, a lot more severe" than the operation on his right hip in March 2009. Rodriguez returned from that surgery in less than two months.

"I can only control what I can control, and that's going out and busting my [behind] and working hard," Rodriguez said. "I'm just so excited to be back out there swinging the bat and trying to get back to normality."

That started Monday, when Rodriguez arrived at the Yankees' complex around 10:30 a.m. ET. He showed up in a white sweater and khaki pants, and left about three hours later in his Maybach 57 S after signing autographs for about 40 fans lined up on the Himes Avenue sidewalk, including a small group that pulled over and left their car running with the doors open as they dashed over to see him.

Rodriguez said picking up a bat for the first time in months was "like being 8 years old again. ... It was pretty exciting." And he spoke glowingly about the way the Yanks have played without all their injured superstars.

"It's been extremely inspiring to watch the guys, the way they've played this year, the power of team effort, working together the way they have," Rodriguez said. "It's been really fun watching them."

Teixeira echoed those thoughts, praising the Yankees for their 18-12 record -- second-best in the American League East -- and lamenting the fact that he couldn't be with them. But he said he was happy to see Rodriguez, who spent Spring Training away from the team while working out in New York and Miami.

"It's great seeing him. He's a little bit further behind than we are, obviously, but he's just happy to be back doing some baseball activities," Teixeira said. "He's got a big smile on his face right now, which is good."

Teixeira, out with a partially torn tendon in his right wrist, fielded ground balls and took about 20 swings on soft-toss pitches, then 20 more in live batting practice in a cage. He didn't expect to hit on the field until later this week, but said he was "very, very happy" with how he's felt so far.

Granderson was set to play in another extended spring game on Monday afternoon. The outfielder has been sidelined since Spring Training by a fractured right forearm, but he's perhaps the closest of the group to starting a Minor League rehab assignment if everything goes according to plan.

But there will be no shortage of rehabbing Yankees left behind in Tampa.

"We don't want to be here," Teixeira said. "We'd rather be with the team in Colorado, but we're making the most of it."

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Granderson's role may vary upon return

By Jay Greenberg / Special to MLB.com | 05/05/2013 7:14 PM ET

NEW YORK -- With the Yankees suffering no shortage of production from Vernon Wells in left field, it is not a foregone conclusion in manager Joe Girardi's mind that Brett Gardner will be going back to left from center when Curtis Granderson comes off the DL.

"We might toy around with some other things," said Girardi on Sunday. "Left, right, [DH] things.  

"[Granderson] is getting reps everywhere right now (in extended spring action in Tampa, Fla.). My concern is how he reacts to all the different spots.

"We'll decide that as time goes on. We just want to get him healthy. Grandy is going to play, he is a big part of our offense. But as we see around here, a lot can happen in a couple weeks."

Granderson was hit on the triceps muscle with a pitch on Saturday, his fourth day of work in Florida, but suffered no setback. He probably will be the closest of the Yankees' everyday players on the DL to return. Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery) and Mark Teixeira (torn sheath in his right arm) will be flying to Tampa on Monday to begin their rehabilitations under Yankees supervision.

"I thought we had a chartered flight going there, actually," joked Girardi. [Francisco Cervelli] (fractured right hand) is already there and I have to check about [Ivan Nova].

"I get little updates, but the update I don't want to hear is that we had a setback. If we don't have a setback, I don't get too worried about it. I know there are a lot of big people there, I understand that, but that is not going to be the focus of my day. The focus is the people in this room right now."

The Yankees have 10 players on the DL.

Nunez day to day with tightness in rib cage

NEW YORK -- With 10 Yankees on the disabled list, manager Joe Girardi could believe in a good case of indigestion, starting with his own first and his shortstop's next. Indeed, on Sunday, Eduardo Nunez first thought his problem might have been something he ate.

"Started in the third inning," Nunez said. "I thought it might be some food, something like that. 

"I kept playing. After I swing [in the third], it hurt a lot. I went out to play defense, I couldn't move."

Derek Jeter's replacement, who has already missed two two-game segments of his own this season after getting hit by pitches, had to leave Sunday's 5-4 loss to Oakland before the top of the fifth inning with tightness in his rib cage area. An MRI was negative and his status was termed day to day. Jayson Nix moved over from third to finish the game at short.

"[Nunez] just came to me in the fourth inning and said he had a little irritation," said Girardi. "He wanted to try to go, so I sent him to the on-deck circle and told him to take a couple swings.

"The last out was made, and I said, 'What did you feel?' He said it was irritated and I said, 'So you're done.'

"You don't want to make that a six-week injury if it can just be a couple days. We'll see how he feels Tuesday, although I don't think we'll have a player then."

Aside from game's outcome, Claiborne's debut perfect

NEW YORK -- Only a Yankees win could have made Preston Claiborne's Major League debut any more perfect. Claiborne retired all six batters he faced in the team's 5-4 loss to the A's on Sunday.

 "He threw strikes, used all his pitches, used his slider, used his changeup effectively," said manager Joe Girardi. "I thought he had pretty good command of his fastball.

"He gave us two important innings that allowed us to come back and tie the score."

Claiborne, recalled on Friday after allowing four earned runs in 10 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, says he tried to pretend he was on any old mound, not the one at Yankee Stadium.

"This was big game for me obviously, the biggest one I have pitched in my life," he said. "I was trying to keep in mind I was just playing baseball.

"It's a huge step for me, and obviously a big confidence booster. "

Girardi doesn't plan a Coors Field prep for pitchers

NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi, who caught three seasons for the Rockies in the days before game balls were stored in a humidor to keep more of them in Coors Field, says he will have no advice for his pitchers before they take the mound in a three-game series that begins there Tuesday night.

"Some of our guys have been there," Girardi said. "And if I don't hear them talking about it and I don't see it affecting them, why would I put a thought in somebody's head? "

Girardi, an original member of the Rockies, says he has nothing but fond memories of his time in Denver, no matter how many of the pitches he called were hit out of the park.

"It was a very enjoyable time of my life, being part of that organization at the beginning, and the fan support we had at Mile High [Stadium], then going over to Coors Field," he said. "The first pitcher we faced at Coors Field, I remember, was Andy Pettitte in an exhibition game.  

"People were great to me. I have family there. I'm looking forward to it."

Hiroki Kuroda, David Phelps and CC Sabathia are the Yankees' scheduled starters for the series, which begins an eight-game trip that continues to Kansas City and concludes with a makeup doubleheader in Cleveland on May 13.

Worth noting

• David Robertson, who suffered a slight left hamstring pull in completing a 1-2-3 inning Wednesday night against Houston, played catch on Saturday and Sunday and expects to be available Tuesday night when the Yankees open a three-game series in Colorado.

"I don't see why I wouldn't be ready," said Robertson, whose return will not require a roster move.

• Since the beginning of the 2008 season, the Yankees are 28-9 in games after being shut out, the latest being their 4-2 win over the A's on Saturday.

• Ichiro Suzuki entered Sunday with more career hits against Oakland (308) that any player since the franchise moved to the Bay Area in 1968, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Suzuki went 0-for-4 Saturday but came into Sunday's game still hitting .359 in his last seven games, raising his average 66 points to .266.

Jay Greenberg is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Girardi doesn't plan a Coors Field prep for pitchers

By Jay Greenberg / Special to MLB.com | 05/05/2013 7:14 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi, who caught three seasons for the Rockies in the days before game balls were stored in a humidor to keep more of them in Coors Field, says he will have no advice for his pitchers before they take the mound in a three-game series that begins there Tuesday night.

"Some of our guys have been there," Girardi said. "And if I don't hear them talking about it and I don't see it affecting them, why would I put a thought in somebody's head? "

Girardi, an original member of the Rockies, says he has nothing but fond memories of his time in Denver, no matter how many of the pitches he called were hit out of the park.

"It was a very enjoyable time of my life, being part of that organization at the beginning, and the fan support we had at Mile High [Stadium], then going over to Coors Field," he said. "The first pitcher we faced at Coors Field, I remember, was Andy Pettitte in an exhibition game.  

"People were great to me. I have family there. I'm looking forward to it."

Hiroki Kuroda, David Phelps and CC Sabathia are the Yankees' scheduled starters for the series, which begins an eight-game trip that continues to Kansas City and concludes with a makeup doubleheader in Cleveland on May 13.

Nunez day to day with tightness in rib cage

NEW YORK -- With 10 Yankees on the disabled list, manager Joe Girardi could believe in a good case of indigestion, starting with his own first and his shortstop's next. Indeed, on Sunday, Eduardo Nunez first thought his problem might have been something he ate.

"Started in the third inning," Nunez said. "I thought it might be some food, something like that. 

"I kept playing. After I swing [in the third], it hurt a lot. I went out to play defense, I couldn't move."

Derek Jeter's replacement, who has already missed two two-game segments of his own this season after getting hit by pitches, had to leave Sunday's 5-4 loss to Oakland before the top of the fifth inning with tightness in his rib cage area. An MRI was negative and his status was termed day to day. Jayson Nix moved over from third to finish the game at short.

"[Nunez] just came to me in the fourth inning and said he had a little irritation," said Girardi. "He wanted to try to go, so I sent him to the on-deck circle and told him to take a couple swings.

"The last out was made, and I said, 'What did you feel?' He said it was irritated and I said, 'So you're done.'

"You don't want to make that a six-week injury if it can just be a couple days. We'll see how he feels Tuesday, although I don't think we'll have a player then."

Aside from game's outcome, Claiborne's debut perfect

NEW YORK -- Only a Yankees win could have made Preston Claiborne's Major League debut any more perfect. Claiborne retired all six batters he faced in the team's 5-4 loss to the A's on Sunday.

 "He threw strikes, used all his pitches, used his slider, used his changeup effectively," said manager Joe Girardi. "I thought he had pretty good command of his fastball.

"He gave us two important innings that allowed us to come back and tie the score."

Claiborne, recalled on Friday after allowing four earned runs in 10 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, says he tried to pretend he was on any old mound, not the one at Yankee Stadium.

"This was big game for me obviously, the biggest one I have pitched in my life," he said. "I was trying to keep in mind I was just playing baseball.

"It's a huge step for me, and obviously a big confidence booster. "

Granderson's role may vary upon return

NEW YORK -- With the Yankees suffering no shortage of production from Vernon Wells in left field, it is not a foregone conclusion in manager Joe Girardi's mind that Brett Gardner will be going back to left from center when Curtis Granderson comes off the DL.

"We might toy around with some other things," said Girardi on Sunday. "Left, right, [DH] things.  

"[Granderson] is getting reps everywhere right now (in extended spring action in Tampa, Fla.). My concern is how he reacts to all the different spots.

"We'll decide that as time goes on. We just want to get him healthy. Grandy is going to play, he is a big part of our offense. But as we see around here, a lot can happen in a couple weeks."

Granderson was hit on the triceps muscle with a pitch on Saturday, his fourth day of work in Florida, but suffered no setback. He probably will be the closest of the Yankees' everyday players on the DL to return. Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery) and Mark Teixeira (torn sheath in his right arm) will be flying to Tampa on Monday to begin their rehabilitations under Yankees supervision.

"I thought we had a chartered flight going there, actually," joked Girardi. [Francisco Cervelli] (fractured right hand) is already there and I have to check about [Ivan Nova].

"I get little updates, but the update I don't want to hear is that we had a setback. If we don't have a setback, I don't get too worried about it. I know there are a lot of big people there, I understand that, but that is not going to be the focus of my day. The focus is the people in this room right now."

The Yankees have 10 players on the DL.

Worth noting

• David Robertson, who suffered a slight left hamstring pull in completing a 1-2-3 inning Wednesday night against Houston, played catch on Saturday and Sunday and expects to be available Tuesday night when the Yankees open a three-game series in Colorado.

"I don't see why I wouldn't be ready," said Robertson, whose return will not require a roster move.

• Since the beginning of the 2008 season, the Yankees are 28-9 in games after being shut out, the latest being their 4-2 win over the A's on Saturday.

• Ichiro Suzuki entered Sunday with more career hits against Oakland (308) that any player since the franchise moved to the Bay Area in 1968, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Suzuki went 0-for-4 Saturday but came into Sunday's game still hitting .359 in his last seven games, raising his average 66 points to .266.

Jay Greenberg is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More