POLL: YANKS BEAT METS, JETER BEATS A-ROD

Selected excerpts of a Quinnipiac Poll, March 25, 2009.

"In an open-ended question, the 50 percent of adult New Yorkers who say they are "very interested" or "somewhat interested" in Major League Baseball were asked to pick their favorite team. The Yankees are number one, at 56 percent, with the Mets at 33 percent, followed by 3 percent for the Red Sox, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

If the Yankees face the Mets in a Subway Series, 55 percent of New York City fans back the Bombers and 42 percent pull for the Amazins. The Mets win 51 - 46 percent in Queens, while the Yankees are number one in the other boroughs, especially The Bronx 69 - 30 percent.

When New Yorkers are given four teams from which to choose, 42 percent of adults list the Yankees as their favorite team, with 28 percent who cite the Mets, 7 percent who follow the Brooklyn Cyclones and 3 percent who cheer for the Staten Island Yankees.

Interest in the new Yankee Stadium and the Mets Citi Field is about even as 30 percent of adults say they plan a trip to The Bronx to see the new stadium, compared to 29 percent who plan a trip to Flushing to see the new home of the Mets.

Derek Jeter is the favorite of 48 percent of Bombers fans, including 51 percent of women and 46 percent of men. Alex Rodriguez gets the nod from only 9 percent of pinstripe fans, followed by Mariano Rivera at 5 percent."

Click Quinnipiac logo for full text.

Johnny Blanchard dies

Ex-Yankee Johnny Blanchard died early this morning of a heart attack at age 76.

The third string catcher nearly quit in 1960 when Casey Stengel toyed with activating 40-year-old Jim Hegan as a back up to Yogi Berra when Elston Howard was hurt. Blanchard had a career year and was adequate behind the plate. And he also did some special home run hitting.

On July 21, Blanchard hit a ninth inning, two out, pinch hit grand slam home run at Fenway Park to give the Yanks an 11-8 victory over the Red Sox. The next day Blanchard hit another ninth inning, pinch hit homer to spark a second come-from- behind victory over Boston.

On July 26, the man they called "Super- Sub" slashed his third and fourth home runs at Yankee Stadium against the Chicago White Sox. The homers drove in four runs as the Yanks beat the White Sox, 5-2.

Four straight homers over three games tied a major league record. Not bad for a guy who was ready to pack in his career the year before.

Blanchard's career was essentially spent as a third string catcher: He played in 516 games, batted .239, hit 67 home runs. In the World Series he caught fire; in 15 games he batted .345 and had five home runs.

In 1965, the Yankees traded him to to Kansas City.

CANO AND MARTE HURT AT WBC

Robinson Cano and Damaso Marte will be examined by team doctors Saturday after rejoining New York following the World Baseball Classic.

Cano has tightness in the back of his right shoulder. He has felt it all spring training but didn't think it was serious.

Marte has tightness in the left side of his chest, which he thinks stems from weightlifting.

Cano and Marte played for the Dominican Republic team at the WBC.

BERNIE ACCUSED OF HITTING WOMAN

A woman has filed a complaint against Bernie Williams for allegedly hitting her at a nightclub while she took his picture.

San Juan Police Officer Angel Nazario said the woman claimed Williams snatched the camera, damaged it and hit her in the face. The incident allegedly happened around 2:30 a.m. Thursday at a San Juan nightclub, hours after the Puerto Rican team beat the Netherlands 5-0 in the World Baseball Classic.

Williams, who is playing for Puerto Rico, left with the team on Thursday for Miami. It will play the United States in the tournament's second round.

San Juan Police Officer Marisol de Jesus said police are investigating.

YANKS MAKE ANOTHER CUT: GERMS

Yankees Become First MLB Team to Integrate Antimicrobial System

From News Blaze.com:

CSG, in conjunction with the New York Yankees, today announced the new Yankee Stadium will become the first facility in Major League Baseball (MLB) to be treated with the Sports Antimicrobial System(TM) (SAS).


Comprised of several leading-edge and highly advanced products, the SAS is a comprehensive process that kills illness-causing microorganisms and continually inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold and fungi on any surface for up to three years.


Areas of Yankee Stadium set to be treated with the SAS include the home and visiting club houses, locker rooms, training rooms, dugouts, showers, managers and coaches offices, weight training areas, and family lounge. Additionally, the Team's washable fabrics will be treated with FabricAide(R).


"When applied through the wash, FabricAide will continually inhibit the growth of a wide array of bacteria, mold and fungi on any fabric or textile. Defined by its durability, FabricAide's unmatched antimicrobial effectiveness will last a minimum of 30 washes before another application is needed," said Craig Andrews, Chief Executive Officer, CSG. "Integrating the Sports Antimicrobial System and its family of products into Yankee Stadium evidences just how committed the Yankees are to being innovators in the world of professional sports."

Full Story Here

FREE CAR IF YANKS LOSE

Of course there is a catch.....

From the STAR-TELEGRAM:

(Fort Worth, Tx) Here’s a home-run concept: Free new cars. Provided the Texas Rangers win their first four 2009 regular-season games and the New York Yankees lose their first four, anybody who’s bought a new Vandergriff Honda between Monday, March 9, and Monday, March 16, gets a free vehicle.

Charlie Evans, the dealership’s general manager, said Vandergriff bought a $1.5 million insurance policy from a Georgia company to recover costs if the dealership has to pay up.

In such a case, Vandergriff would reimburse buyers all their costs.

"It’s like a hole-in-one contest," Evans said. "It’s all cars included. We’re hoping people win."

1927 YANKEES W.S. RING ON EBAY

There is a 1927 World Series Yankees 14k Gold/ Diamond Ring for sale on EBAY.

It can be yours for a mere $65,000.

The seller claims it is authentic, but does not say how the ring came into their possession.

I'd like to know how the seller obtained it before I purchased it.

NOTE TO A-ROD: DON'T END UP LIKE ME. GET IT FIXED NOW.

Not that I believe that Alex Rodriguez would ever navigate to this blog, I'm going to offer this personal story, just in case.

This morning I read Peter Abraham's article about a doctor who says that sooner or later, "A" will need to get this torn labrum repaired.

"I just spoke to an expert, Dr. Robert Buly of the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. He is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hips.

According to Dr. Buly, A-Rod likely has an impingement in his hip socket, a common injury for athletes. It comes from the femoral bone hitting the rim of the socket. The labrum, he said, is like a rubber gasket around the socket. A torn labrum is a symptom of the impingement.

Dr. Buly said it is “not unreasonable” to try rest and rehab. “But at some point you have to bite the bullet and have the surgery. It’s going to get progressively worse and for the patient, it’s pretty miserable,” he said.

A-Rod’s ability to play depends on the size of the tear and how quickly it gets larger. At some point, surgery will be needed. If it is only soft tissue, the recovery time is six to eight weeks. If bone must be repaired, it would take three to four months.

Only time will tell how the Yankees handle this. But keep this in mind: Cashman said all last season that Jorge Posada’s torn labrum could be treated with rest and rehab. Then on July 30, as Posada underwent surgery, they made a surprise trade for Pudge Rodriguez.

I would expect the same in this case. What is the point of babying A-Rod through the season only to see him break down in September and October? Make a trade now, get the surgery and perhaps he returns by the All-Star break." (full story, click here)

Boy does that sound familiar!

Back in July of 2007, I suffered a shoulder injury at work. An MRI showed a rotator cuff tear (which ended up being detached) and a labrum tear. My doctor recommended "rest and rehab" to try to avoid surgery.

The night after this diagnosis, a friend called me to see how I was. I told him what the doctor told me and he had a firm and loud reply:

"DON'T DO IT, MIKE! TELL HIM YOU WANT IT FIXED NOW!"

He went on to explain how he had the same injury and that the "rehab" (physical therapy) would not help, might make things worse and I'd end up under the knife anyway.

So what do I do? Do I take the medical advice of a fellow fighter aircraft mechanic OR do I go with the recommendation of a man with "MD" and other fancy letters after his name?

I chose the fancy letters guy.

Mistake.

10 weeks of "rest and rehab" made the situation worse and I was in more pain than ever.

October 2007, I had arthroscopic surgery to make the repairs. The rotator cuff was repaired but the labrum could not be repaired. The doctor later added that MRI's tend not to tell the whole story, you really don't know until you get in there.

So here we are, March 2009, I am still on disability with an impingement and something called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and possibly facing another surgery. My new doctor believes that the "rehab" might have caused further damage.

Therefore, I offer this unsolicited advice to A-Rod:

DON'T DO IT, ALEX! TELL HIM YOU WANT IT FIXED NOW! The "rehab" will not help, might make things worse and you'll end up under the knife anyway.


Feel free to "Twitter" me for further advice.


Sincerely,


Mike.

A-ROD: TORN CARTILAGE IN HIP.

Reports now say that Alex Rodriguez has a tear of the acetabular labrum in his hip.

The acetabular labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the acetabulum (the socket of the hip joint).

Its function is to deepen the acetabulum, making it more difficult for the head of the femur to slip out of place (sublux).

On January 13, 1991, while playing for the Oakland Raiders, Bo "Knows" Jackson suffered a hip injury where the femur actually did slip out of place.

This resulted in a condition called avascular necrosis resulting in a decreased blood supply to the head of his left femur and deterioration of the femoral head, ultimately requiring that the hip be replaced.


Yankee doctors think he can avoid surgery.

The cyst in the hip was drained Wednesday.

"A" will miss the World Baseball Classic, Yank GM Brian Cashman said.

He will be treated conservatively in the hope of avoiding an operation. "Cash" said that if surgery is needed, Rodriguez would be sidelined for four months.

HUGHES, KENNEDY TO BULLPEN

With the top five starters needing innings, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy will be shifted to relievers for the remainder of the exhibition season as they prepare for spots in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) rotation.

Since the Yankees want Hughes and Kennedy to pitch regularly, they aren't in the mix for the long reliever spot that is open. Yesterday, Joe Girardi sounded like Alfredo Aceves might have the lead.

"Ace can do both," Girardi said of the right-hander, who appeared in six games with four starts a year ago. "He has much more experience than those kids."

WHO'S ON 3rd?

That question is funny when Abbot and Costello are asking it.

It's not so funny when it's asked to Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi.

With the prospect of Alex Rodriguez out until mid/late May, the Yankees have a huge hole to to fill at third base.

As of now the top candidate would be Cody Ransom followed by Angel Berroa and Eric Duncan. Ransom hit .255, 22 HR, 71 RBI for SWB in 2008.


Also, there is nobody on the free agent market to bring in.

A-ROD TO MISS 10 WEEKS

ESPN.com news services

Alex Rodriguez will have surgery to remove a cyst from his right hip and will be out 10 weeks, Rodriguez's brother told ESPNdeportes.com on Thursday.

Joe Rodriguez, Alex Rodriguez's older brother, told Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com during a phone interview that immediate surgery was recommended, and that rehabilitation would take about 10 weeks.

A source close to the situation told ESPNdeportes.com that the surgery is scheduled for Monday in Colorado.

There has been no confirmation from the Yankees regarding the scheduled surgery.

"A-HIP" WAS PROBLEM LAST YEAR

ESPN REPORTS: Joe Girardi said the team is being cautious with Alex Rodriguez's ailing right hip because he had some problems with it last year.

"Alex expressed a little stiffness. There was really no pain," Girardi said on Wednesday. "We just thought it was best because he had some minor issues last year with it. We'll have a better idea after today with what the course of plan is."

"Whenever you have something going on, you're concerned," Girardi said. "The fact he didn't have a lot of pain is a little bit more comforting. He's been able to play, and play at a high level. It hasn't kept him from doing anything. It hasn't kept him from driving the baseball. That's the good thing."

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A-ROD HAS CYST IN HIP

It was discovered over the weekend that Alex Rodriguez has a cyst in his right hip. Doctors want to take a closer look.


Rodriguez is on his way to Vail, Colorado to see Dr. Marc Phillipon (bio), a hip specialist at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic.

"A" experienced right hip stiffness this spring. He was examined by Dr. Chris Ahmad, the Yankees team physician on Saturday in Tampa. An MRI revealed the cyst in the right hip.

"We felt it was in everyone's best interest-for the team and the player-to send Alex to Dr. Phillipon, who is regarded as the leading expert in his field," said Brian Cashman, New York Yankees Senior Vice President and General Manager. "Alex has proven his durability throughout his career, and we will take every precaution and step necessary to ensure his health as we near the start of the 2009 regular season and beyond."

Rodriguez played for the Dominican Republic team Tuesday in an exhibition game against the Florida Marlins. He went 1-for-3 and left after 4 1/2 innings.

The hip problem leaves Rodriguez's status for the World Baseball Classic in doubt.

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