I saw the end of the Dave Trembley era at Yankee Stadium

I was at my first Yankee game of the season this year yesterday. This was thanks to Squawker reader Barbra getting tickets for us from Jennie, another Squawker reader and partial season ticket holder. We had great seats - upper deck, right behind home plate, last row. The overhang protected us from the sun, and we felt a breeze from the AC compressor thingy.

As for the game itself, it was great to see CC Sabathia get his first win in a month. And to see A-Rod hit a homer. And to see the Yankees win. (And yes, it does count, even it was against the Orioles!)

It also was O's manager Dave Trembley's last game - he was fired today. Wonder what the value is in having a ticket stub is for that historic occasion!

We had a great time at the game except for one thing, which I will write about later today.

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Should Derek Jeter be Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year? I say yes

I wrote a piece for The Faster Times pointing out that in the 55 years that Sports Illustrated has given out their Sportsman of the Year award, nobody from the New York Yankees has ever won it. Outrage!

Gawker.com is reporting that a tipster has revealed that Derek Jeter will be getting the award this year. I think that's a great choice. Jeter is well-deserving of such an honor. And it's more than shocking that no Yankee - least of all him - has won it before.

Some Yankee fans thought Jeter deserved AL MVP this year. I thought Joe Mauer had a better season than him, so Mauer was the more worthy choice. That being said, Jeter - as captain of the Yankees, an exemplary role model, and the all-time Yankee hit king - would be a great Sportsman of the Year. The definition of the award says it should go to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." As somebody who is arguably the most beloved figure in baseball, it makes sense for Jeter to get that award.

Longtime readers know I'm hardly somebody who gives Derek Jeter undeserved praise - I think he is all too often overhyped. That being said, when you think Sportsman of the Year, you think somebody who's not just a great player, but a role model. And who else fits that as well as Jeter does, with his Turn 2 Foundation and the way he conducts his life?

Mariano Rivera would also be a great choice for the award, for what he also means to baseball. And no, I don't think A-Rod should get the honor - as much as he was a huge reason the Yankees won it all this season, you can't give Sportsman of the Year to somebody who admitted earlier that year to using steroids.

But if Jeter and the Yankees are left out in the cold again this year, it will be pretty obvious that the SI anti-Yankee bias is insurmountable. Speaking of that bias, look who they featured as one of their Turkeys of the Year picks - A-Rod:

After his name was leaked from a confidental list of 104 Major Leaguers who failed tests for performance-enhancers in 2003, A-Rod made a painfully awkward confession, as his Yankee teammates looked on, to using Primobolan supplied by a "cousin." He copped to being "young, stupid and naïve" but said he didn't really know if the boli worked. He also made a bizarre claim that he had been stalked by SI writer Selena Roberts, who was working on a book about him.

Is A-Rod's steroid use fair game? Of course. But you would think the Turkey of the Year description might mention him finally shedding his postseason choker label. And while A-Rod isn't Sportsman of the Year caliber, making him "Turkey of the Year" along with Steve Phillips, Eric Mangini, Plaxico Burress, and the New York Mets is just silly.

Let's review - Phillips lost his job, Mangini has won one game and is about to lose his job, Burress is in the pokey, the Mets are in oblivion, and Rodriguez is on top of the world after getting his first World Series ring. Remember that little Sesame Street ditty, "One of These Things Is Not Like the Other Things"? Sing it, Cookie Monster!

The Melkman - and A-Rod - deliver as the Yankees walkoff in style

For most of yesterday's game, I didn't have much hope for a Yankee victory. As I expected them to, they did very little against J.A. Happ, while Andy Pettitte gave up five runs. And given that it was the FOX Game of the Week, which the Yanks usually lose, it didn't look good. The biggest excitement of the game up until that point was FOX misidentifying John Mayberry Jr.'s dad in the stands after Mayberry's first career homer.

But I had a good feeling in the ninth inning that the Yanks were going to do something against Brad Lidge. Down by two in the ninth, up against a big name closer? That was the same scenario against Joe Nathan last week, and we all know how that turned out! So I was not surprised that the Yankees won, or that Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera were the heroes.

Before the game, friend of the Squawkers Larry Milian interviewed me on South Florida's WTFL 640. I talked on the radio about how Alex Rodriguez did the opposite of his so-called stat-padding reputation this season, where he's only had a few hits this year, but nearly every one has been critical to the game. And whaddaya know, he goes 1 for 4 today, with that one hit a game-tying homer.

And how about Melky Cabrera? Three walkoff hits in two months? Amazing!

Anyhow, the ninth inning was something else. Off to watch that walkoff celebration again!

What did you think of today's Yankee game? Leave us a comment!

Michael Kay and Mike Francesa: Self-appointed arbiters of 'The Yankee Way'

The Yankees have won seven in a row, with C.C. Sabathia getting his first win at Yankee Stadium, and Alex Rodriguez hitting in his fourth straight games. But some broadcasting voices don't like the team's current penchant for actually having fun while winning.

I watched the Joe Girardi Show before last night's game, and heard Michael Kay ask - or should I say complain - about the new Yankee whipped cream tradition. Kay claimed that his boothmates David Cone and Paul O'Neill were "not really cool with that." The broadcaster also said it wasn't "The Yankee Way."

Girardi said he was fine with it. He noted that because it was done after the game when the other team was off the field, it wasn't showing up the opponents.

But geez, is Michael Kay head of the No Fun Zone or what? He didn't like Nick Swisher laughing about pitching. He doesn't like condiments, seafood, soup, or bananas. Now he doesn't like - shudder - the Yankees actually acting like other teams, which means having a good time playing a kid's game. Sheesh.

For goodness sake, this team has won seven games in a row, with three walkoff wins in a row in that streak. If having fun contributes to winning - and I believe it does (and vice versa) - then why can't Kay, Cone, and O'Neill get behind that? The late 90s super-serious vibe worked for that team, but it shouldn't mean that every Yankee team ever has to act the same way. Besides, the Bronx Zoo teams didn't exactly carry themselves like choir boys.

Kay's sports radio competition, Mike Francesa, is just as super-serious. He griped on Monday about A.J. Burnett being the instigator, saying that Burnett should win a few games first.

Francesa also said that Burnett better not try that stuff with Derek Jeter or Jorge Posada, a point Squawker Jon and Newsday writer Anthony Rieber agree with. Rieber writes in today's Newsday:

It's a good thing Jeter didn't get the walk-off hits on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A.J. Burnett smashing a shaving cream pie into Jeter's mug on live television might have been the last thing Burnett ever did as a Yankee.

Jeter had already said that the Yanks better not do that to him, so yeah, I wouldn't be surprised over that outcome!

On the other hand I noticed on Saturday how Alex Rodriguez handled the whipped cream pie. He seemed thrilled to be - for once - just one of the guys! For somebody who's been known to worry too much about his looks and image, he appeared to let his hair down there when talking to Kim Jones with egg - I mean whipped cream - on his face!

Besides the whipped cream, and the new WWE wrestling belt tradition (CC Sabathia won it last night), there are a few other new looks in the Yankee clubhouse this year. The bullpen guys are shaving their heads! Phil Coke showed off his new bald look before Tuesday's game. He told the New York Times:

"So far, it’s me, [Jose] Veras, [Brian] Bruney and Alfredo Aceves," Coke said of the bullpen baldies. Coke said Jonathan Albaladejo "is thinking about it; he’s on the fence now. He’s not sure."

Maybe Edwar Ramirez will shave his head, too, whenever he comes back to the big leagues. He got sent down to open up a roster space for Bruney. Ramirez has given up too many walks this year - 15 in 17 1/3 innings. Hopefully he can fix that in AAA.

LoHud's Sam Borden blogged today about the Yankees team's newfound team spirit, including how the Yanks are having a Kangaroo Court today, with Judge Mariano Rivera presiding. Cool! That's the first time I can remember that happening in many years, although it used to be a staple of the Bronx Zoo Yankees.

Borden asked Johnny Damon about the team's current makeup:

Johnny Damon, who started the WWE belt trend, was supposed to help “change the rigid Yankee culture” when he arrived in 2005, but that’s tough for one guy to do by himself. This year, the Yankees have several new players and that’s how the vibe of a team changes, Damon said. “We’ve got a lot of new guys here,” he said. “A lot of guys didn’t know what it was like here before, so they bring their own flair and so far it’s working.”

Newsday's Ken Davidoff wrote about this as well earlier this week.

I think this team having fun, and coming together, is all a good sign for the Yanks. Maybe it all started when Joe Girardi took the Yanks out for that pool expedition this spring. At any rate, I hope this era of good feeling continues.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Look who's in the news - A-Rod!

After the events of the last 24 hours, I propose a new reality show, "Sucking the Oxygen Out of the Room." First up, Manny Ramirez, who finally signs with the Dodgers for the same two years and $45 million he was offered in November. Somehow it took several months to iron out the final details of the terms and payout.

Your next contestant: Terrell Owens. Controversial superstar gets released by the Cowboys. Do the Giants want him? The Jets? Does anyone?

And finally, your returning champion, Alex Rodriguez. With his back-page streak in jeopardy, A-Rod knew he'd have to come up with something more than just an on-field appearance with his daughters and ex-wife. And many of you say that A-Rod can't come through in the clutch.

Squawker Lisa won't be able to post until this evening, but when I told her that the report that A-Rod will need hip surgery came from his brother, Lisa remarked that A-Rod used to be a lone wolf but now his life has turned into the Brady Bunch - a new relative in the news every day.

As of now, the Yankees have not confirmed that A-Rod will need surgery, but if it's true that he could miss a quarter of the season or more, the Yankees will have to make a move. Lisa has written how the ongoing A-Rod circus has taken the spotlight off of the Yankees' pricey free agents, but suddenly Mark Teixeira, usually a slow starter, will be beginning his career in pinstripes without A-Rod hitting behind him.

Even if Teixeira gets off to a good start, all that means now is that he'll be replacing A-Rod's production in the early going. And players coming off injuries like Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada will have to regain their earlier form if the Yankees are going to make up for the loss of Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi.

So sticking Cody Ransom at third won't cut it, even if Johnny Damon thinks Ransom is the best athlete on the team. The Yankees are going to have to make a move.

Replacing A-Rod at third for the Dominican team in the WBC is Seattle's Adrian Beltre, who is entering the last year of his five year, $64 million contract. Though nowhere near the hitter he was in his last contract year, 2004, when he hit 48 homers, Beltre has hit at least 25 homers the last three years, with much better numbers on the road. Beltre turns 30 in April.

The Yankees are in win-now mode, while Seattle is rebuilding and unlikely to re-sign Beltre, who has been a bust relative to his contract and is represented by Scott Boras.

If the Yankees are confident that A-Rod will be back in a few weeks at full strength, it probably doesn't make sense to trade for Beltre, especially considering that Matsui will probably be the main DH, Posada may also need to DH and Damon may need some DH time as well. And then there's the question of what to do with both Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher.

But how likely is it that all of these players will be healthy and productive?

Five years ago, when Aaron Boone went down, Brian Cashman made a bold trade to replace him at third with a Boras client. Beltre is no A-Rod, but he's also no Cody Ransom. Whether with Beltre or someone else, it's time for Brian Cashman to get creative again in the trading market.

And speaking of Boras, imagine what would be going on now if the A-Rod injury news had broken just a couple of days earlier, when Manny was still a free agent.

Fantasy baseball advice for the Yankees and Mets from ESPN expert Matthew Berry

Derek Jeter may be a future Hall-of-Famer on the field, but when it comes to fantasy baseball, he's overrated, says Matthew Berry, ESPN's lead fantasy expert.

"People say, he's the captain! He's dreamy! But none of that matters in fantasy," says Berry, whose columns and podcasts are featured on ESPN.com's fantasy pages.

Berry spoke with Jon of Subway Squawkers as part of ESPN.com's promotion of its fantasy baseball game. ESPN.com is offering the chance to play fantasy baseball for free, with free live scoring. ESPN.com's leagues are fully customizable and feature auction draft capability.

Along with Jeter, Berry suggests that local fans be careful not to overvalue Francisco Rodriguez.

"I'm a big believer that you don't pay for saves," says Berry. "Frankie led the league in blown saves last year, tied with Huston Street. Granted, he had more save chances. But the history of players getting 50 or more saves is that they generally come back to earth the following year."

Berry adds that K-Rod has "lots of innings on that arm" and concludes that he "will not be on any team of mine this year. I'd rather wait 10 rounds and take someone like Heath Bell."

With all the hype surrounding New York sports, it's hard to believe that any Yankees or Mets could actually be underrated for fantasy purposes. But Berry says to look out for Robinson Cano.

"He just had a brutal April, but look at what he did from May 1 on – it was in line with what he usually does. He's in line for a big year," says Berry, who also mentioned Johnny Damon as someone who could get overlooked. "Damon will still steal 30," Berry adds.

As for underrated Mets, Berry mentions Daniel Murphy. "I could see him putting up nice numbers if they stick to the plan of him playing full time and platooning Ryan Church," says Berry. "I think Church will go higher in drafts, but Murphy will do better."

One Met who might not be on fantasy players' radar is J.J. Putz, but Berry, always on the lookout for cheap saves, thinks Putz will rack up double digits.

"I could see someone like [Jonathan] Papelbon or Frankie getting hurt," says Berry. "Or Mariano [Rivera] hitting the wall. He's no longer Big Mo. Could happen this year. Not saying it will, but it could."

As long as he's healthy, Rivera is as sure a bet as anyone to perform under the pressure of New York. But Berry is more skeptical of top pitchers who come to the Yankees, noting that their performance usually goes down from what they did with their previous team.

"I get hate mail – what about Randy Johnson? He had good years with the Yankees. Yes, but they weren't as good as the years before," Berry says. "[CC] Sabathia will be good, just not as dominant as last year. He showed up at camp bigger than normal, if that's possible."

Berry points out that Sabathia has only pitched for Cleveland and Milwaukee, two small-market teams, while A.J. Burnett has only pitched for Florida and Toronto.

"Pitching for the Yankees is unlike pitching for any other franchise," says Berry. "You can't prepare for the fanaticism of New York fans."

ESPN only ranks Mets Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez as the 69th and 72nd best fantasy starting pitchers. Between them are Detroit's Armando Galarraga at 70 and Ubaldo Jiminez of Colorado at 71. Berry includes Galarraga and Jiminez in the "love" part of his "Love/Hate" list, which is a variation on a sleepers/busts list. Pelfrey and Perez do not make the cut.

While Berry is concerned about Pelfrey because of his lack of strikeouts and Perez because of his control issues, Berry says, "I do like Perez," but did not include him on the sleepers list because "people are more aware of Met pitchers – you don't need to hype them."

Berry would prefer to tout a player like Jiminez, who may be barely known outside of Colorado but whom Berry projects as a top sleeper this year.

As for how their new ballparks will affect the production of the local teams, Berry says, "You can't unfortunately account for new ballparks. I think the dimensions are similar, but you never know" how they will play.

If Berry were drafting in the top five and had a choice between David Wright and Jose Reyes, "I'd probably go with David Wright because of the more balanced production. But Reyes is special."

And speaking of top-five players, a recent article on ESPN.com via Baseball Prospectus argued that Alex Rodriguez would not surpass Barry Bonds' home run total and that A-Rod's skills may be beginning to decline. What does Berry foresee for A-Rod?

"I have A-Rod third. When you are hitting 50 homers you have a long way to drop," Berry says, adding that A-Rod is "still a phenomenally gifted player who will put up great fantasy numbers."

But Berry believes that "A-Rod would have been much better off if the '60 Minutes' interview had never happened" because "America hates liars."

And, Berry adds, "I believe, based on pure gut, that we haven't heard the last on the A-Rod steroids story."

But that won't stop him from drafting the scandal-plagued slugger.

"I won't go out of my way to get A-Rod because I don't like him, but I won't avoid him, either," Berry says.

As for whether there is any player whose baggage would preclude Berry from drafting him, Berry says no.

"It's a virtual clubhouse. They don't need to get along."

Next Monday, March 9, Berry will attempt to set an ESPN record for longest chat. The chat is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and the goal is to last until 10 p.m. All questions will be answered.