Saturday's Links

• Y'all should check out the recent comments by recently defeated Angels manager Mike Scioscia. He was talking to 300 people at a fundraiser lunch for KidWorks, and was asked by someone in the crowd if the Yankees could buy another championship next year.

He first said that the Yankees' payroll had nothing to do with their ALCS defeat of the Angels and eventual world title. He told them the professionalism and ability of the players did it. Then, there was this:

"I don't care if the Yankees go out and spend $350 million next year, we're going to beat them because we have the team," Scioscia said.

Hmm. The team that JUST got beat. Ah you're better than that Mike!

• Charles Warner of The Huffington Post (relax conservatives) has a article about Mariano Rivera and Hideki Matsui, and how they're behavioral models for TV.

New York Yankee World Series MVP, designated hitter Hideki Matsui, and the incomparable closer Mariano Rivera were models of mature, professional dignity in the final game of the World Series -- behavior rarely seen in the trash heap of commercial television.

Matsui, the calm, taciturn Japanese slugger drove in a record-tying six runs in the sixth and final game of this year's World Series against the scrappy Philadelphia Phillies, and Rivera, baseball's greatest, most effective closer of all time, got the final five outs to shut down the dangerous Phillies in a 7-3 Yankee win.

These were impressive performances, but what stood out as much as their on-the-field heroics were their calm, confident, mature behavior and, most of all, their dignity -- the way they handled their accomplishments. They didn't jump up, pump their fists, look to the heavens, or even smile. They just did their jobs in a non-demonstrative, professional manner.

Self Explanatory. ..

Here comes a nice story about Joba and his father on the night the Yankees won # 27 from Big League Stew. During the postgame celebrations Harlan Chamberlain was trying to find Joba. Finally he spotted A.J. Burnett if he could get his son.

Burnett could and a few moments later, Joba Chamberlain(notes) put down the giant blue Yankee flag he had been waving up on stage. The big Yankees pitcher hopped off the stage, disappeared from the view of the Fox cameras and quickly made a beeline for his father. When they came together, they wrapped each other in a huge rocking bearhug.

It wasn't long before both were crying.

They said the same thing over and over.

"We did it, dad," Joba said.

"We did it," Harlan said.

"We did it," Joba said.

"We did it," Harlan said.

And on and on. They held tight for almost a minute. Their eyes were red when they let go.

Picture of the two below:

I'm getting emotional myself!

NY Senator Wins Bet

New York Senator Charles Schumer is eating up a philly cheesesteak courtesy of Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter. If the Yanks won, New York Senators would receive a supply of cheesesteaks, and if Philly had won the Senators from Penn would receive a supply of New York cheesecakes.

Hopefully they do more of these bets and Yanks win!!

Zimmer Was Rooting For Yanks

From Bryan Hoch:

Torre's former bench coach Don Zimmer, now a senior advisor with the Rays, said he was also cheering hard for the Yankees. Girardi broke in as a rookie catcher with Zimmer's Cubs in 1989 and went along with him to Colorado in '93 before continuing with the Yankees in '96.

"I was pulling so hard," Zimmer said. "I spent the first 10 years he was in the big leagues, we were together. Joe's quite a man and a very good friend of mine. I was happy for him and I was happy for the Yankees."

Zimmer noticed the scrutiny on Girardi was intense during the Fall Classic, and he said that he was pleased the manager was vindicated in the end.

"He took a lot of heat from the media during the Series," Zimmer said. "I remember all that. [The media was] second-guessing every move he made. If they'd have lost, I'm sure he'd have heard more. Now that he won, he's on top of the world. That's the way baseball works. I was so tickled he was right."

Rooting for Joe Girardi means rooting for the Yankees.

It was also mentioned in the article that Joe Torre was somewhat relieved he wasn't forced to manage against his former team.

Hideki Will Be Disappointed If Not Brought Back

From Anthony McCarron:

Hideki Matsui says his "feelings are still with the Yankees" but he doesn't know whether the Bombers will re-sign him.

And, Matsui acknowledged, it would be disappointing if he did not play an eighth season in pinstripes. "If that happens, yeah, I think it would be," Matsui said Friday night through his interpreter before attending the dinner that benefits Joe Torre's Safe at Home Foundation. "But on the other hand, it's something to look forward to, a new change, a new challenge for me. So in that sense, I'll definitely take it in a positive way. The Yankees have their own plans, too, and you have to respect that."

I expect to see him one more year in pinstripes. Hopefully it works out. He's not planning going back to Japan as of right now.

AD For Boston

Not a real AD but.. this Nike Ad was found over River Ave. Blues last night.

J. Torre Happy With His Former Team

From Torre via Kristie Ackert:

"To watch what they've done, especially with Joe Girardi at the helm, it really made me feel good," Torre said. "Even though I am supposed to be a National League fan, when you're as close to these guys as I've been all these years, well, I was just really pleased for them."

He praised Joe Girardi saying "Coming after my 12 years and after all the success we had, that was not an easy thing for Joe Girardi," he said. "He never backed away from it. He's a quality individual." And said that Alex Rodriguez "got the monkey off his back" and that he was "happy for him."

And The AP:

Dodgers manager Joe Torre says he was pleased when successor Joe Girardi and the New York Yankees won the World Series this month.

Speaking before his foundation's annual gala on Friday night, Torre said it was "surreal" watching the Yankees face the Phillies in the World Series. But he was happy to see some of his former players earn another title.

Part of him is happy but I know deep down the other side of him is mad/jealous that the Yanks can win without him.

Headlines For Friday

• AOL Fanhouse takes a look at C Jesus Montero, OF Austin Jackson, RHP Andrew Brackman, LHP Manuel Banuelos, and RHP Hector Noesi.

• Bert Blyleven breaks down the Yankees in this article from NBC Sports. Blyleven believes David Roberts could be a better starter that both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain.

• Both the Yankees and Mets are showing interesting in Aroldis Chapman. He talks about his defection in this article from the Post.

• John Wetteland is out of the hospital. “My wife and I are very appreciative of the over and above care of our local officers and paramedics,” Wetteland said in a statement released Thursday night. "The circumstances leading to my elevated blood pressure and heart rate have been addressed. I am currently resting safely at home.”

• Steven Goldman of The Pinstriped Bible Blog breaks down the arbitration process.

Why Are The Yanks Making Jeter Wait?

Bob Klapisch thinks if the Yankees wait until after next season to give Jeter his extension it'll be a bad move.

To this we say: think again. Running out the clock on their most cherished player is bad business, not to mention bad karma. And it's not like the Yankees are going to save themselves any money by waiting.

So we've come up with a reasonable compromise, effective immediately: Cancel the 2010 pay-out and give Jeter four more years for $100 million — exactly $25 million per. That'll give him a respectable, but not irresponsible raise. And it keeps him under the A-Rod threshold, where it should be.

The Yankees should acknowledge Jeter's unique circumstances. If nothing else, giving him an extended contract sooner than later will insulate everyone from the inevitable tidal wave of questions and headlines next summer.

The Steinbrenner family made Mariano Rivera wait until free agency for his new deal last winter, and all it did was (temporarily) offend the game's greatest closer. There's no reason to put Jeter on hold, too.

I think Jeter will play the rest of his career in pinstripes but I think is time for the Yanks to give him that extension. Why wait?

Yanks Face Arbitration Decisions

Chien-Ming Wang, Melky Cabrera, Brian Bruney, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre are all eligible for arbitration. The Yankees have to make any offer by December 12th.

Melky should get an offer and Bruney and Gaudin deserve one. Wang or Mitre might not get an offer.

Mark Feinsand points out that "The consensus seems to be that the Yankees will non-tender Wang, then try to re-sign him to a smaller deal with some incentives." He doesn't think this will happen because he thinks other teams will make Wang a better offer, which is certainly possible.

I hope Wang comes back.

Full list of all 210 eligible players found here.

'Aging' Jeter playing himself in upcoming Movie "The Other Guys"

From Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:

A down-on-his-luck Derek Jeter was wandering the Coney Island boardwalk on Thursday afternoon, but it was all for show -- the Yankees captain is playing himself in the upcoming movie "The Other Guys."

According to a synopsis in the New York Post, Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play police officers who are taken off the streets after Wahlberg's character wrongly shoots Jeter in the leg after seeing him walk around with a bat.

The scene shot at Nathan's Famous on Thursday takes place years later, when a washed-up Jeter -- wearing a ratty jacket, jeans and sporting stringy gray hair -- encounters the two officers. The comedy is being directed by Adam McKay, who also provided "Anchorman" and "Talladega Nights."

He looks funny. I'm definitly going to go watch it.

Genau hier gehort diese Trophae hin

This from Sam Borden:

Journalism was emailed from Austria (thank you John). According to Google’s translator, the headline says: Precisely where this Trophy belongs to.

You already!!

Tex, Jete Take Home Silver Sluger Award

Both Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira claimed their Silver Slugger award honors today for the respective positions.

Check out the full list of winners from both leagues:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

C - Joe Mauer MIN
1B - Mark Teixeira NYY
2B - Aaron Hill TOR
3B - Evan Longoria TB
SS - Derek Jeter NYY
OF - Torii Hunter LAA
OF - Ichiro Suzuki SEA
OF - Jason Bay BOS
DH - Adam Lind TOR

NATIONAL LEAGUE

C - Brian McCann ATL
1B - Albert Pujols STL
2B - Chase Utley PHI
3B - Ryan Zimmerman WSH
SS - Hanley Ramirez FLA
OF - Andre Ethier LAD
OF - Matt Kemp LAD
OF - Ryan Braun MIL

P - Carlos Zambrano CHC

• In other disturbing news, the 1996 World Series MVP John Wetteland apparently has been hospitalized due to "mental issues". Hopefully things work out well for him.
  

San Fran Could Be Damon's New Home

From Jon Heyman:

Boras strongly hinted that postseason hero Johnny Damon should be in line for another four-year contract from the Yankees by prominently mentioning that Jorge Posada received such a deal in his mid-30s, and Derek Jeter will surely get one next winter at the same stage. Boras also produced a Damon book with some surprising numbers, such as the fact that Damon is one of only two players to produce 150 runs each of the past 12 seasons (Alex Rodriguez is the other) and one of only 16 players with 150 hits and 100 runs in 10 seasons (the book points out Rickey Henderson did not accomplish the feat). Meanwhile, the Yankees, who were hoping to get Damon on a two-year deal, say they are "absolutely" not going to offer four to Damon, whose signing with the Yankees doesn't seem like such a surety at the moment. As for money, the Yankees also have been thinking about a deal that might top out at about $10 million a year. But coming off a superb season, Damon doesn't seem to feel he deserves a cut from $13 million. The Giants, who badly need a productive outfielder, appear to have emerged as one potential competitor.

So far Damon has been saying he wants to remain with the Yanks and all the right things. However, his agent is not on the same page with him. This could end in the same results like when he left Boston. He'll be the only two face. Also, the Giants would be stupid to offer Johnny a 3-4 year contract. He can barely play left field!

Yanks To Make Big Moves Next Off-season

Mark Feinsand wrote today about the potential bidding war between the Yankees and Red Sox that's in the making for when Roy Halladay hits the free agent market next offseason.

This on Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee:

A source with knowledge of the Yankees' thinking said the Bombers already have their sights set on signing either Halladay or Cliff Lee if both become free agents after next season. Yankees executives, however, fear that Lee might sign a long-term deal with the Phillies before becoming a free agent, leaving Halladay as the lone target for teams looking for an ace.

The Yankees view of free agent John Lackey:

Even though the free-agent market is thin when it comes to starting pitching this winter, some Yankees officials are intrigued by the idea of signing Angels starter John Lackey.

Others are wary of signing Lackey to a big contract, according to one Yankees executive, citing the righthander's injury issues over the past two seasons. There is also the Angels' apparent willingness to let him walk, which some see as a sign that they know something about the health of his arm that others don't.

If he's going to hold off on any major pitching moves this offseason so that he can sign Lee or Halladay, then it's probably for the better instead of giving Lackey a big contract.

Zilla May Not Go To Japan

From Mark Feinsand:

Arn Tellem said his client will be playing in the majors next season one way or another. "The goal right now is finding the best place for Hideki to continue his career," Tellem said. "When I first met him, he wanted to play 10 years in the major leagues - and I believe he will."

Feinsand turned down some of the Matsui to Boston rumors from yesterday, saying a source in Boston told him that kind of deal was "highly unlikely."

According to this article, that leaves the Yankees, White Sox, Rays, Orioles, and Angels as possible destinations for the MVP.

Good Looking AD Ey?

Cover Of SI

Wednesday's Links

• Talks between Hideki Matsui and the Yankees are on hold until after the team holds their annual postseason meetings.

"Nothing has changed," Tellem told a group of reporters. "But I expect things to pick up in a couple of weeks. As far as the Yankees go, I know they have organizational meetings so it will at least be several weeks until we get together with them as well. So that's pretty much it."-

• According to Chad Jennings, the Yankees and Red Sox are in the lead to land Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman.

“Start with the Yankees and Red Sox and go from there,” the source said.

The source also told him that "Chapman has exactly the arm and raw stuff that he’s touted as having, but his control remains a bit erratic."

• Jennings let's us know that Cashman told him if the Yanks sign both Damon and Matsui that would pretty end their major free agents signings for the winter.

“If I did that I wouldn’t have room for anybody else unless I made trades,” Cashman said.

• Jason Varitek exercised his $3 million player option and will remain with Boston as Victor Martinez's backup.

• Check out this article from Ben over at River Ave. Blues. He discusses how Johnny Damon and agent Scott Boras are not thinking alike. Boras has been saying that he wants a long-term deal -- 3 or 4 years -- while Damon has consistently expressed his wishes to come back to the Yankees, even if that means getting a smaller contract. Man.. I hope Damon comes back. He seems like he really wants to stay.
  

Yankees One Of Eight Teams Interested In DeRosa

According to Jon Heyman, eight teams have already made calls to free agent Mark DeRosa inquiring about his services. Those teams include the Mariners, Nationals, Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers, Orioles, Giants, and Yankees.

With the Yanks, he probably might not get a starting spot unless the door closes on Damon.

I'd still try to land him though. Even if Johnny comes back. He's very versatile and a good hitter.

Yanks Set Tender Contract For Bruney

Joel Sherman, reports the Yankees "plan to tender arb-eligible Brian Bruney because his price (about $1.5M) will be reasonable".

Towards the end of the season Bruney showed improvement and with his kind of stuff, you just can't let him go. He could be a big part of the pen next year.