Adding Granderson to the outfield corps was an instant boost in defense, but he’ll also be judged at the plate where Johnny Damon excelled batting either in front of or behind Derek Jeter.  Last year Damon hit behind Jeter and delivered.  His numbers were .282/82/24 for average, RBI and home runs.  He also had .365 on base percentage.  Damon was also very instrumental in the Yankees winning their first World Series championship in nine years, as he batted .364 and had an on base percentage of .440.

Damon also had the single highlight moment in the World Series.  In Game 4, with the score tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth inning and Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge on the mound Damon stole second, popped up and outran 3B Pedro Feliz (who was covering second on a defensive shift put on for batter Mark Teixeira) to an unprotected third base.  The move seemed to unhinge Lidge who hit Teixeira allowing Alex Rodriguez to come to the plate.  A-Rod delivered a 2-out double to left field scoring Damon and putting Teixeira at third.  Catcher Jorge Posada smacked a 2-run single to left, which doomed the Phillies to their fate.  Instead of possibly tying the Series at 2 games apiece the Yankees took a commanding 3-1 lead, and ultimately the Series in six games.

On Granderson’s side of the ledger he is only 28 (Damon is 36) and he is defensively head and shoulders above Damon in this stretch of Damon’s career.  Granderson hits for power.  Last season he knocked out 30 home runs and drove in 71.  Of concern is his .327 OBP, which was lower than Damon’s.  His batting average was 33 points lower as well.  However, throw out Granderson’s overall numbers for last year and he is offensively on par with Damon in all the pertinent categories.

The one move that has everyone scratching their heads is not resigning World Series MVP Hideki Matsui to a one-year contract.  Matsui wanted to come back to the Yankees, and it was reported he would’ve taken a one-year deal, around $7 million to make it happen.  Nonetheless, the Yankees jettisoned the man affectionately known as “Godzilla” and signed ex-Yankee Nick Johnson to a one-year deal for nearly the same money.

In the six years Matsui played in New York he averaged a .292 BA.  He averaged 23.3 HR per year, and that’s including an injury shortened 2008 season when he only hit nine round trippers.  Matsui also nearly averaged 100 RBI per year.  That’s a lot of firepower to let walk away.  The liability with Matsui is his knees, which have both been surgically repaired.  The injuries have basically relegated Matsui to a DH role.

Johnson, on the other hand, can play first base where he has a career .992 fielding percentage.  Johnson also has a better on base percentage than Matsui, and a comparable slugging percentage.  Where Johnson lags is in the power numbers.  He has played two more seasons than Matsui and has 51 less home runs.  He has also plated 218 less runs.  It will be interesting to see where manager Joe Girardi places Johnson in the Yankee lineup in order to effectively use him.

Next on the list is Javier Vazquez, who returns to the Bronx after being traded away following the 2004 season.  Vazquez was part of a three team trade, which sent OF Melky Cabrera to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Vazquez.

Vazquez had a mixed season in his one and only year with the Yankees.  In the first half of the campaign Vazquez went 9-5 with an ERA of 3.42 (as of June 29).  Vazquez’s performance earned him his first and only all-star appearance.  After July 1 Vazquez developed shoulder problems and his ERA averaged 6.78 for the remainder of the year.

In the 2004 playoffs Vazquez was a mess.  He gave up 12 earned runs in 11.1 innings earning Vazquez a one-way ticket out of town via trade.

Vazquez enters the 2010 season hoping to build upon the best overall season of his career.  Last year Vazquez pitched to a 15-10 record.  He attained career bests in win percentage (.600) and ERA (2.87).  Over the past three seasons he has struck out 200 or more batters and has pitched 200+ innings in nine of the last ten seasons.  The ability to eat up innings at the back of the rotation made Vazquez very attractive to New York.

The Yankees are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and hope the pitcher they saw in the first half of 2004 and all of last year in Atlanta is the guy they traded for.

Lastly, the Yankees signed free agent Randy Winn to a one-year deal to play outfield.  Winn comes to New York by way of San Francisco.  His career numbers are very good.  Touting a lifetime average of .286 Winn plated 50 or more runs in each of the past 4 seasons.  He will probably share playing time with Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner.

Many observers think the Yankees are making these short term deals in order to make a run at Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford who becomes a free agent after this season.

As for the rest of the squad there are question marks as well.  Posada is 37 years old entering the new season.  He has been the full time catcher since 2000.  In 2008 Posada, after signing a big 4-year contract, made two trips to the disabled list for the first time in his career.  He had surgery on his throwing shoulder, and only played in 51 games.  Last year Girardi rested his catcher often in order for Posada to make it to the finish line.  He responded positively by hitting .285 with 22 home runs and 81 RBI.  One has to believe that Girardi will continue to rest Posada as often as he can so he can have his bat late in the season.

A-Rod is expected to have a monster year this year.  He had the first significant injury of his career when it was discovered he had a torn labrum in his right hip.  Rodriguez had corrective surgery and after missing the first 31 games of the season came back to hit 30 home runs and knock in 100 RBI.  In his last game of the 2009 regular season A-Rod hit two home runs and drove in 7 runs in one inning to reach the 30/100 plateau for the 12^th season in a row.  He finally broke out of his playoff slump by hitting .378 while driving in 18 runs and hitting 6 home runs in 15 playoff games.

The biggest, potential, distraction to the upcoming season will come from Yankee captain Derek Jeter.  Jeter has been the face of the Yankees ever since he came up to the big club for good in 1996.  Jeter is coming off one of his best seasons, hitting a team high .334, while belting 18 home runs and driving in 66 runs all from the lead off position in the lineup.  He also scored 107 runs and came in third in the MVP balloting last year.

Jeter is entering the last year of his ten-year, $189 million contract and if he has another year close to last year the Yankees will be put between the proverbial rock and hard spot.  Last season Jeter earned his fourth Gold Glove award as well as the Silver Slugger award for being the best hitter at the shortstop position.  He also broke Lou Gehrig’s Yankees hit record and is only 253 hits from reaching the 3,000 hit mark to become the only Yankee in history to do so.

The list of accomplishments goes on an on.  Jeter is a 10 time all star, was the 1996 Rookie of the Year.  He was the 2000 ALCS and World Series MVP and he has had 7 seasons of 200 or more hits.  Without a doubt when Jeter hangs up his spikes he can punch his ticket into Cooperstown as a first ballot hall of famer.

The quandary for the Yankees is what to do with Jeter after this year.  He will turn 36 on June 26 of this year.  He is at an age where playing shortstop becomes more and more difficult.  The Yankees have to determine how much longer can he play there and how long of a contract will they give him.  Jeter has stood by and watched Mariano Rivera, Posada and A-Rod receive huge pay raises.  In a climate of economic strife will Jeter get the money he deserves or will he be offered less because of the market.

The Steinbrenners and Brian Cashman better have a big bottle of aspirin ready.  They’re going to need it.

Lastly, the pitching looks to be solid again this year.  With CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte anchoring the top and middle of the rotation Vazquez’s presence should improve it as well.  Fighting it out for the fifth spot will be Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain.  Both have struggled as starters and pitched well as relievers.  It should be a terrific duel during spring training.

The bullpen will also add concrete support.  Alfredo Aceves, Damaso Marte, David Robertson, either Hughes or Chamberlain handing the ball to Rivera should all have good seasons.

The 2010 squad appears poised to defend their title going into the new decade.  The road will not be easy.  They play in the toughest division in baseball.  Boston, Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa Bay have all added depth to their teams and all have their sights set on the Yankees.  Other teams looking to knock off the Yankees are the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners.

Fasten your seatbelts it’s going to be a bumpy and exciting ride to the finish line.

Naturally the assembled baseball media was more interested in getting a perspective of roster moves Cashman was looking at in a short off-season. It is barley three weeks since the Yankees won their 27^th world championship and there are some issues to address before spring training commences down in Tampa Florida in mid February.

“We haven’t game planned yet,” said Cashman dressed in casual attire, not typical for a Red Carpet type of affair. He recently completed organizational structural meetings with team brass and it may be too early as to making major decisions. What to do with the contracts of Johnny Damon, World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and pitcher Andy Pettitte?

And do the Yankees go after some of the high powered free agents that ate available, such as pitcher John Lackey, or trade for an outfielder, or acquire the highly sought Matt Holliday off the free agent market? “We’re going through everything that transpired in the meetings,” said Cashman. “Once I get some firm numbers, I can go ahead and start putting together some ideas,” he said.

Those ideas become interesting, because the Yankees seem to be solid at every position, with the exception of course in the outfield when it comes to the futures of Damon and Matsui. Then there is the obstacle of finding a viable fourth starter as Chien-Ming Wang  continues to rehab from right shoulder surgery.

“I had a couple of agents call me,” said the GM with a smile. There is reason to smile. Players on the market know coming to New York increases their chances of getting a ring, because the Yankees are willing to spend. But how much will it take after Cashman and company spent about a half billion in payroll, last off- season to get pitchers CC Sabathia, A.J, Burnett and first baseman Mark Teixeira?

Cashman alluded to making the right decisions when it came to the financial aspect of getting the top three, players that no doubt were a vital contribution to the Yankees success. “I am real pleased at the financial aspect of last winter,” he said. “It puts us in a much better position than before.”

So the Yankees will shed more salary without Matsui, leaving them the ability to re-sign Damon Their six years of futility to get back on top was done with their core of veterans, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and of course, Pettitte, who became the all-time post season pitcher with most wins after the game 6 clincher against the Phillies.

There was also the mix of players that came together, with some new and returning players that stayed healthy.  To that Cashman said, “Truthfully we won with older guys and stayed healthy.” In particular he mentioned the healthy year that came from Posada and Matsui..

“With the exception of Wang and Nady (Xavier) that’s why we are here today,” he said about the Yankees overall staying free of injuries and getting the contributions they needed.  Nady is one of the options the Yankees have for the outfield, if indeed they decide to tender him a new contract.

So getting younger and reducing payroll also can enable the Yankees to obtain another high caliber type of player off the free agent market. In particular Cashman will take a look at outfield prospect Austin Jackson, and maybe take someone out of the bullpen and make the conversion to starter.

“Do we promote Austin Jackson and way do we do at DH,” said Cashman who was anxious to see the 80 minute DVD that captures the Yankees run to another championship and their post season success.  “Do we get younger, that remains to be seen,” he concluded.

And as Cashman and Girardi posed in front of their new World Series trophy they know the task is ahead to defend the title and get number 28.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Matsui finished that at bat by striking out, but it didn’t matter.

The damage he inflicted on the Philadelphia Phillies’ pitching staff in Game 6 and earlier in this year’s World Series, had long been done.

Indeed, sixteen minutes after the final out of this year’s World Series was recorded, and the Yankees had completed the journey to the 27th championship in their history, Matsui was officially awarded the 2009 World Series Most Valuable Player trophy.

“It’s awesome, it’s just unbelievable,” Mastui said through an interpreter. “I mean, I’m surprised myself.”

He certainly wasn’t the only one.

Playing with a collection of some the game’s greatest current power hitters and clutch postseason performers all on one roster, including the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada, the 35-year-old Matsui, with ailing knees and all, was initially an afterthought as a possible candidate to be this year’s World Series hero.

And yet, it wasn’t any of the much bigger stars, but it was instead Matsui, who walked away with the 2009 World Series MVP.

Matsui was so good against last year’s world champion Phillies, that Philadelphia can now relate to those who played against him when he first starting learning the game in Japan.

The accomplished left-handed hitting Matsui originally batted right-handed as a child. However, when he started playing with his older brother and his friends, Matsui was such a good batter that his embarrassed brother insisted that he bat left-handed or stop playing with them.

His brother later built the Hideki Matsui baseball museum in Japan.

Most likely, Matsui left the Phillies just as impressed, after batting .615 in the 2009 World Series, going 8–for-13, with three home runs, eight runs batted in, and three runs scored.

Talk about efficiency. An MVP award with as few at-bats as that.

Matsui put his stamp on this year’s World Series despite not being able physically, to play the field throughout the entire series.

It wasn’t always that way for Matsui. He actually still holds the major league baseball record for rookies for consecutive games played to start a major league baseball career. That streak was extended to 518 straight games played with the Yankees, which came on the heels of playing 1,250 consecutive games for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, for a total professional baseball streak of 1,768 games in a row. He even played one more than the norm during his rookie year as a Yankee, being credited with the all-time major league rookie and Yankee team records of 163 games played in a season, due to a game in Baltimore that wasn’t completed due to rain.

To go from that, to being limited in this year’s World Series because of past injuries and lingering knee problems certainly had to be difficult to handle, at least mentally.

Yet, Matsui rose above it all, to shine, even in a restricted role, as the 2009 World Series’ single most outstanding offensive player, over a bunch of other offensive talent in both dugouts.

That type of success on a grand stage was nothing new for Matsui. He was a three-time MVP in the Japanese Central League (1996, 2000, and 2002), leading his team into four Japan Series, while winning three titles (1994, 2000 and 2002). He also made nine consecutive all-star games and led the league in home runs and RBI’s three times (1998, 2000, and 2002).

Still, because of the constrained role he was forced to play due to his achy knees and past surgeries, many looked elsewhere for World Series heroes in the Yankee lineup before choosing the player who always batted sixth as a DH in a loaded lineup at home, and as a pinch hitter on the road in this World Series.

Nevertheless, Matsui came through in a huge way.

He hit in five of the six games in which he appeared in the Series.

Mastui broke a 1-1 tie with a two-out, sixth inning solo home run in an eventual 3-1 Yankee win in Game 2.

In Game 3, he came off the bench for a pinch hit eighth inning homer to increase the Yankees’ lead to 8-4, as New York went on to win 8-5.

And then, he saved his best for last.

In the Game 6 clincher, Matsui went 3-for-4, tying a World Series record which stood for more than 49 years, that of former Yankee Bobby Richardson’s 6 RBI, set back on October 8, 1960.

Matsui set the tone in Game 6 with a second-inning two-run home run to put the Yankees ahead, 2-0. In the third inning, after the Phillies cut the Yankees’ lead in half, he drove in two more runs with a single, to give New York a 4-1 lead. And, in the fifth inning, Matsui put the game out of reach and started the process of getting the champagne ready in the Yankee clubhouse with a two-run double, giving the Yankees a commanding 7-1 lead, as New York went on to a 7-3 victory to seal its latest championship.

Baseball is ultimately a business, and despite winning a World Series MVP, Matsui, because of his inability to play the field the way he once used to, could very well not fit into the Yankees’ plans in 2010.

For that reason many people, fans and baseball experts alike, forgot about Matsui as being such a threat in this year’s World Series.

Obviously, the Phillies didn’t pitch to him like that, not the way they feared all of the other superstars in the Yankees’ lineup.

Matsui realized his childhood dream of turning success in Japan into triumph in the United States. He not only made it to the majors, but he excelled. And then, among all of the others who were thought to be bigger factors in this year’s World Series, Matsui was left hoisting the game’s most prized possession for a player –- the World Series MVP trophy.

When a minor league player makes to the major leagues, they say he’s made it to “The Show.”

The World Series is baseball’s grandest show.

Coming from Japan, Matsui not only made it to “The Show,” but surprisingly, he stole the biggest show of all.

For years, Hideki Matsui was one of the symbols of a New York Yankees team that never reached the promised land.

Not any more.

In playing what could be his last game in pinstripes, Matsui made the most of his final curtain call, driving in record-tying six runs to power the Bronx Bombers to their 27th World Series title.

Much like his Yankee Stadium debut seven seasons ago, a performance that saw the Japanese slugger called “Godzilla” drive in four runs with a grand slam in a 7-3 win over the Twins, Matsui was the leading man in Wednesday’s victory, by the identical score of 7-3.

Lending even more credence to the idea that the ghosts of championships past have moved across the street, Andy Pettitte was the winning pitcher that cold April day so many years ago.

”It’s mind-boggling the things that happen here at the Stadium,” said Pettitte that day. ”It’s obviously a great moment for him. That was special.”

On a night when the pre-game chatter in the press box was about how the Yankees had to find a way to stop Chase Utley from ruining their season, it was the Phillies who never found a way to keep Matsui from ending theirs.

While it’s certainly true that Matsui never truly delivered the kind of numbers that were expected of him when the Yankees signed him, his career in pinstripes has earned a great deal of respect
from anyone who has ever come in contact with him.

Perhaps it was his first impression, which could be his last. Either way, I leave it to Tyler Kepner, who wrote so eloquently about Matsui on Opening Day, 2003.

“… Matsui unleashed his compact swing and drove it more than 400 feet. When he returned to the dugout, the fans gave Matsui a 30-second standing ovation until he appeared and lifted his helmet to them in a curtain call. Matsui called it the ”greatest moment” of his life.”

That was then. This is now.

Matsui’s solo shot off Philadelphia’s Pedro Martinez in the sixth inning of Game 2 broke a 1-1 stalemate and was the key blow in the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over the Phillies.

When healthy, Matsui has been one of the most consistent Yankees since arriving from Japan in 2003. But his troublesome knees have given rise to doubt that he will return to the Bronx in 2010. For one night, he puts those doubts to rest.

“Matsui has been huge for us all year,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

The former Tokyo Giants legend posted 28 homers and 90 RBIs in 142 games this season, and his second homer of the playoffs is proof he remains a vital part of the team’s offense.

On the mound, New York was even more impressive.

After A.J. Burnett allowed the Phillies their first – and only – run of the game on an RBI single by Matt Stairs in the second inning, the Yankee offense was quiet until Mark Teixeira homered to right-center leading off the fourth to tie the game at 1-1.

The Bombers got another run in the seventh, when Jerry Hairston led off the inning with a base hit. Brett Gardner pinch-ran, and reached third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run by Melky Cabrera, and scored on Jorge Posada’s pinch-hit single.

Burnett had a solid outing, striking out nine, including Ryan Howard three times, in his seven innings of work to earn his first-ever Series win. Thought by some to be the weak link in the Yankees’ rotation coming into the postseason, Burnett’s gutsy performance saved the bullpen any extra work after a terrible showing in the Game 1 defeat.

Instead, Mariano Rivera, like he did in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Angels, got the final six outs for the save.

“It’s tough putting pressure on CC when you get nobody on,” said Angels, outfielder Torii Hunter who got a single off Sabathia in the first inning. It was one of four hits off Sabathia who got his first LCS win and recorded a postseason high in innings pitched. “It was just CC,” said Hunter. “CC is the cold weather. CC’s the real deal, man” he said.

And again, the Yankees as they do so well, capitalized on the errors by the Angels, a team that set a franchise low 85 and third fewest in the league this season. One in the first inning opened the door for a New York early 2-0 lead when left fielder Juan Rivera threw to the shortstop that put runners on second and third.

Then, in the same inning there was the probable miscommunication of a ball in the infield, or the wind playing havoc which saw a popup from the Yankees Hideki Matsui drop between third baseman Chone Figgins and shortstop Erick Aybar. The result was a single and Johnny Damon scoring a run.

“”We haven’t seen our guys crack the door open for a team like we did tonight in a long time,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia about that first inning, And like so many other teams that have been victims, now are the Angels. “And the Yankees are going to take advantage of that, and they did,” added Scioscia.

From there it was all Sabathia.  This series is supposed to be about the Angels speed and ability to take the extra base, if they can get there.  The Yankees with their power, though no home runs this windy night, and ability to hold a lead then go to their pen in the late innings. Sabathia threw 113 pitches, struck out seven and had great command.. Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth and got the save,

“I noticed he was able to get ahead and change speeds,” commented Scioscia. “He threw some good change ups. I think he commanded both sides of the plate better than we had seen him before. He pitched a heck of a game. He obviously is one of the best in out league.”

The Angels know for sure how important it was to get on base. But Sabathia did not let the cold weather get to him and made the Angels know he could be the difference in this series. Sabathia could face then two more times if indeed there is a seventh and decisive game in the Bronx next weekend.

“He kept the guys that can create problems off the bases all night,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, “and he was sensational.” Sabathia has now won two opening games in the postseason, the other against Minnesota last week in the divisional series.  And for the first time this season, with over 49,000 fans chanting CC in the seventh inning, Sabathia showed emotion after striking out pinch hitter Mike Naploi with a runner on second with a 4-1 lead.

Said Sabathia about the emotion, “That was a great feeling to have the Stadium rocking and to be chanting my name and to be able to get a strikeout. I was pretty pumped up. I don’t really show a lot of emotion a lot of times, but it came out of me there.”

But that emotion is what the Yankees like. They feel confident when their work horse takes the mound. Johnny Damon who made a defensive gem in left and had a fifth inning double hoped to have a powerful pitcher behind him in the postseason. This is his first ALCS with the Yankees.

“This is the first time we’ve been into the ALCS since I’ve been here,” he said. “The other two times we were knocked off in the first round. That’s why we got CC. To be a work horse during the season, of course, But to shut down teams in the postseason. They didn’t have too many base runners tonight. And any time you can do that, it definitely plays in our favor.”

As for the errors that the Angeles rarely make, said Damon “We’ll take it. We don’t see them do that too often, so we’ll take it.”  Miscues that spoiled a good pitching performance from Angels, starter John Lackey who gave up four runs on nine hits.

A loss that Hunter said will be forgotten. “Wake up in the morning and feel like we had amnesia,” he said.  The Angels hope to readjust and get out of New York with a 1-1 split before going home for Game 3 Monday.

Girardi also has the ability to use the bullpen Saturday evening in Game 2 because Sabathia went deep. That may now go to the Yankees advantage when A. J. Burnett takes the mound for New York opposing Joe Saunders.  “If we need multiple innings out of guys we know we can get it,” he said.

“Having a guy like CC, A.J. Pettitte (Andy) and the strong bullpen we have, it’s allowed us to get to this point,” commented Damon.  So Hopefully tomorrow night A.J. shows up and pitches well, and hopefully we can score a few runs off Saunders”

And if the Angels want to make this a series they know they have to avoid those costly mistakes. Burnett is not Sabathia, but one mistake against the Yankees, as Scioscia said, will crack the door open.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

That appeared to be the case when Yankees general manager Brian Cashman acquired Nick Swisher and a minor leaguer from the Chicago White Sox last November for back-up infielder Wilson Betemit and a pair of minor leaguers.

The switch-hitting first baseman/outfielder was not promised the job but it seemed that he might be the Bombers best option – at the time. Although he was coming off a less than sub-par season on the South Side of the Windy City (.291, 24, 69), Swisher had a fairly successful tenure in Oakland. His best season came in 2006 when he hit .254 with 35 long balls and 95 runs batted in.

The leading free agent first baseman on the market was Mark Teixeira, who was contemplating offers from Boston, Washington and Baltimore. The Yankees swooped in at the 11^th hour and inked the Maryland native two days before Christmas to an eight-year, $180 million deal.

Relegated to a super-sub role behind not only Teixeira, but also Johnny Damon (left field), Xavier Nady (right field) and Hideki Matsui (designated hitter), the son of former major league catcher Steve Swisher just went about his business the only way he knew how.

He played and produced when called upon and finally got a chance to start when Nady went down for what appears to be the season with an injury. Swisher’s batting average is not where he would like it to be (.238), but he has been a producer with 17 doubles, 14 home runs and 39 RBI.

“I’m having a good year so far,” said Swisher. “[As a team], I don’t think that we have reached our full potential, but it’s still early in the season and we feel good about ourselves.” At press time, the Yankees were 2.5 games behind Boston in the American League East with a 45-43 mark.

Besides playing left and right field, first base and DH, Swisher even threw a scoreless inning during a blowout loss early in the season. He gave up one hit, walked and struck out one apiece.

Swisher had no regrets about being dealt to New York, even after the acquisition of Teixeira. In fact, his feelings are just the opposite. “(It’s) absolutely wonderful,” he said. “It’s a great thing. I’m just honored to be wearing the pinstripes.”

The regal Yankees clubhouse has never been known as a place for a lot of fun and is usually all business. Swisher, known as a free spirit, would seem like an odd match for the ‘Bronx Wall of Silence.’ Has he tried to inject some of his energy into his new teammates?

“I’m not trying to break them down,” he said with a laugh. “I’m just trying to fit in. It’s been great. The team and the fans have really welcomed me into the city of New York.”

If he keeps getting clutch hits and playing good defense, the welcoming committee will continue deep into the summer.

Afterwards, he answered numerous questions about said cheating and his answers to these questions led to more questions.  The press checked on A-Rod’s claims and statements and decided he came off looking like a less than honest or contrite dishonored athlete.

Meanwhile, all the Yankees could do is wring their hands and try to minimize the damage done by their stained star.  They came out in support of Rodriguez.  Last Sunday Rodriguez played his last spring training game in Yankee pinstripes before leaving the club to join the Dominican Republic team competing in the World Baseball Classic.  Before doing so, A-Rod sat down for about two hours and chewed the fat with Major League Baseball investigators about the circumstances surrounding his using steroids.   What exactly was discussed remains a mystery, but A-Rod was described as being “cooperative.”

After A-Rod’s departure the thought around the clubhouse was that with Rodriguez playing elsewhere the focus would return to baseball.  After all, the Yankees had scored big in the off-season with the 3 largest (and not just in terms of money) signings of the winter.  They had landed C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira.

However, with all the drama surrounding A-Rod the Big 3 faded into the background faster than a speeding bullet.  Not to mention there were other storylines such as Chien-Ming Wang’s return after foot surgery, Jorge Posada after shoulder surgery and Hideki Matsui after his second knee surgery.  What about Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy?  All of these newsworthy items took a backseat to the on-going soap opera known as A-Rod.

Well, any thought of the Yankees being able to discuss anyone or anything else besides Alex Rodriguez was short lived.

On Tuesday, the Yankees announced that Rodriguez was playing with a hip injury that would cost him his opportunity to play in the WBC.  They stated A-Rod had been playing with soreness in his right hip and that an MRI taken of the area on the previous Saturday showed a small cyst in the hip.  He was examined by Dr. Chris Ahmad who recommended A-Rod see hip specialist Dr. Marc Philippon in Vale, CO.

Rodriguez saw Philippon on Wednesday and the news was mixed.  First, the cyst was confirmed, but the second examination revealed A-Rod had a torn labrum in the hip as well.  Apparently, labrum tears cause fluids to accumulate leading to a cyst, and that can weaken the muscle.  Dr. Philippon drained the cyst and A-Rod’s activities were immediately suspended.

The Yankees approach at first was complete rest and rehabilitation.

It’s shocking, just shocking information,” Yankee GM Brian Cashman said at the time. “Last night we were all caught off guard. ‘Wow, surgery is an option.’ The other option is the conservative side. We hope that’s the way it’s going to work out. We also know it might not possibly happen.”

As late as this past Thursday Rodriguez planned on playing this year with the labrum tear; foregoing surgery until after the season was over.  The thought of starting the season without A-Rod wasn’t one the Yankees relished.  Their only option, if Rodriguez had surgery, was to start Cody Ransom at third.

Ransom is a 33-year old journeyman infielder who has had only 183 major league at bats.  The bulk of his career has been spent at the minor league levels within the Yankees, San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros organizations.  Last year Ransom played in 33 games for the Yankees at four different positions.  He hit .302 with four home runs and eight RBI.

Nevertheless, the Yankees worst fears came to pass as they announced yesterday A-Rod would have surgery today in Vale under the supervision of Dr. Philippon.

Was there really another option?  No, not when you’re dealing in dollars and sense.  Here you have arguably the greatest player in baseball history, not to mention the highest paid one to consider, and to panic early without even one game being played in the regular season makes no sense at all.  Sense won out and it was decided A-Rod would take care of the injury now, rather than trying to play with it and possibly doing further damage to his hip; damage that could shorten a still bright career.

The prognosis is that Rodriguez will miss between six and nine weeks of the season.  Looking ahead that would put A-Rod at mid-May to rejoin the team for the remainder of the season.

Even now the thought of starting the season without Alex Rodriguez at third base is distasteful, but realistic to the Yankees.

“It’s better than him missing the whole year, but I don’t ever think it’s good news when you’re going to miss a player for six to nine weeks,” manager Joe Girardi said after the announcement. “It could have been a lot worse.”

The doctors performing the surgery will repair the labrum and shave down a section of the bone to reduce the chances of it tearing again.

“There’s always a risk with surgery,” said Dr. Philippon. “But the approach we’re using is definitely much safer than letting Alex play the way he is now.”  Philippon estimated A-Rod’s return this season at 90%.

One of the persons most affected by this turn of events is Girardi.  After the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons Girardi knows there is a big target painted on his back.  Losing A-Rod made his job just that much harder.  Nonetheless, Girardi remained upbeat about the decision.

“I’m glad we’re doing this now instead of a week before the season,” Girardi said.

Even Cashman said A-Rod was excited to get the surgery done now rather than later.

“When it first happened, he said he was bummed out,” Cashman said. “There was uncertainty of not knowing which direction to go. When this option became available, it seemed like the obvious choice.”

“Alex sent me a text message last night, and it was really positive,” Cashman added.

So what does this all mean now?  As Bernie Williams said on Friday when contacted about A-Rod’s situation, “As hard as this may sound, it could be a blessing in disguise for him, because it might give him an opportunity to get away from all this craziness and give him an opportunity to heal. Kind of dissipate the whole distraction.”

Williams also discussed the Yankees.

“I think probably it might be good for the (Yankees), too,” Williams continued. “It’s gonna leave a big hole in their lineup, but they have enough firepower in that lineup. Obviously (Rodriguez) is gonna be missed. But they have a lot of firepower to compensate for his loss. Hopefully they’ll be able to do well.”

That’s exactly the mindset the Yankees have to have.  Other players will have to balance out A-Rod’s absence.  It could also prove to the Yankees that having an all-star player at every position isn’t needed.  You can win with role players, like the Bombers did during their World Series run from 1996-2003.

One of the players expected to help out is Teixeira.  His approach is a simple one.

“Anybody that plays professional sports wants to win,” Teixeira said on Friday before the surgery announcement. “There’s an empty feeling when you go out and have a good individual performance or a good individual season and you have nothing to show for it as a team. It’s a little frustrating, and that’s why I signed with the Yankees. I don’t want that to ever be an issue again.”

“I’ve never played for a contract and I’ve never looked at myself as a salary,” Teixeira went on. “It doesn’t matter how much money I make or what team I’m on; I want to perform. The contract is something that other people talk about more than I do.”

As for him jumping into the huge hole left by A-Rod’s absence, Teixeira said, “I’ve been in the spotlight my whole career. Every year I play, I expect to put up huge numbers and I expect to help carry a team. That’s not going to change in New York. There may be more people watching, but I’m still going to go out and do what I’ve always done.”

As for doing his job Teixeira had an answer for that as well.

“I didn’t come here to play at 80 percent, hope to hit some home runs and drive in some runs; I came here to do what I do,” Teixeira said. “Brian Cashman didn’t sign me to go out and steal 50 bases or hit .380; he signed Mark Teixeira, so I’m going to go out and do what I do every year.”

If everyone on the team has that same approach, just doing their jobs, and not thinking they have to “make up” for A-Rod the Yankees will be fine.  All they have to do is play their game and do what they can do, because no one can replace an Alex Rodriguez.

Girardi said it best about Teixeira and the others, “He can only do what he can do. That’s what we have to guard against, that guys will think, ‘I’ve got to pick up for Alex.’ You can’t pick up for Alex. Just do your part and things will be good.”

If the Yankees can do that, then, when A-Rod returns it will just be icing on an already beautifully made cake.