Its The Final Countdown

T-Minus 39 hours until Single Game Yankee Tickets go on sale.

Being that I struck out trying to buy packages to go see my Yankees this is my second to last chance to go see them in the new stadium.

In the event that this doesn't work out...I plan on spending my free time tomorrow studing Dr. Rivera's Do-It Yourself guide to Surgery. I can live with just one kidney right?

Keep 'Em or Cut 'Em According To Millie

How about Friday’s nights Yankee-Red Sux match up? I will admit it…I was screaming for a new pitcher by the end of the 1st inning after the Red Sux took a 3-1 lead. Sure Aceves worked his way back and ended up having a decent game but I was pretty ticked after having sat through the hour and half rain delay to see him give two HRs…especially to Youk whom has replaced Manny as my Red Sux enemy #1. I knew that my beloved Yankees would be able to turn it all around as soon as Johnny Damon hit his homerun in the 2nd. Seeing Johnny hit a homerun is always a cool thing, but to see him hit one against Boston, at Fenway Park is truly a blessed moment. That homerun was one of many that resulted in the Yankees pummeling the Red Sux 19-8, at Fenway, after another bloody rain delay. I enjoyed watching that game more than I can say.

Ok folks…so let’s move on to Millie’s State of the Yankees Address. No sugar coating…just my opinion and recommendations of who needs to stay and who needs to go before next season. For accuracy purposes, I am using the 40-depth roster to ensure that each player gets fair consideration.

Let’s start with the Catchers.
#64 Francisco Cerveilli – Who the hell is this? I say cut him loose.
#19 Chad Moeller – I haven’t seen enough of him to have a good opinion. He seems to lack some confidence behind the plate. That being said…he is a young kid so for that reason alone I say we should keep him. Give the kid a chance to develop some confidence.
#26 Jose Molina – Definitely keep. His presence behind the plate is amazing. He is great with pitchers, especially the young ones which is a true gift. He is selfless and rarely gets rattled.
#20 Jorge Posada – Obviously the Yankees are going to keep him because of his contract. This isn’t a bad thing. If he stays healthy, he still has a lot to offer both behind and at the plate. If he doesn’t, he can used to mentor the new guys. So even there wasn’t a major contract involved, I would say keep him.
#12 Ivan Rodriguez – Tough call. I love Pudge and love him being a Yankee. He is still a powerhouse behind the plate but the problem is that he didn’t really produce the way that the team needed him to offensively this season. Honestly, I don’t see the Yanks keeping him but if I was in charge I would keep him for one more season.

Infielders:
#14 Wilson Betemit: Gotta keep this guy! He can play anywhere in the infield and he isn’t bad behind the plate. He is young so there is star potential for this guy if the Yankees spend the time with him.
#24 Robinson Cano: Hate to say it but I think that he should go. Sure he has come around since his benching but hasn’t this happened before? He lacks consistency and the fact is that the Yankees could make some good money by trading him. Sorry Robbie but I think your time in pinstripes should come to an end.
# __Shelly Duncan: I had forgotten that he was still a Yankee. Cut him loose.
#25 Jason Giambi: Without a doubt, keep him. I know that he is practically the oldest guy on the team and that he isn’t the slugger that he used to be but you have to keep him! He is begging to stay…he has even offered to come back for less money for goodness sake! Everyone in the clubhouse talks about what a great guy he is and how he has an amazing attitude. The organization needs to forget about his age and see what he offers to the team from a leadership perspective. You cannot put a price on the passion of a man who really loves what he does. The Yankees have got to keep Jason…no question.
#2 Derek Jeter: This one really doesn’t need any discussion. Of course the Yankees will keep him around and they absolutely should.
#66 Juan Miranda: Not sure as I haven’t really seen him play. I am not impressed so far. I wouldn’t say to cut him loose, but definitely send him to minors to develop some skills.
#29 Cody Ransom: Keep him. Two HRs against the Red Sux is worth one season in pinstripes. Seriously though, Cody is showing some major league potential. He will never be an all-star but he could be a key player in the organization.
#13 Alex Rodriguez: Cut him loose. I don’t care what his numbers show, I don’t care if it costs the team money to dump…get rid of him. I felt this last year but now that I have watched almost every game this season, I can say with absolutely certainty that he is not and never will be a Yankee and should sold to the highest bidder.

The Outfield:
#53 Bobby Abreu: Tough call. Offensively it is a no brainer…he is a good hitter and we need that. Defensively the field just seems too big for Bobby. He is a classy guy and should be given one more season to sort out his defensive issues. Of course, the Yankee organization is not as patient as I am so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go.
#28 Melky Cabrera: Where did it all go wrong for Melky? He isn’t a bad player and the fans love him. Yet he has fallen from Yankee grace and his confidence has been damaged. It is probably best for both parties to send him on his way. Cut him loose.
#17 Justin Christian: Undecided as I have no opinion on him.
#18 Johnny Damon: Most definitely a keeper. In fact…I hope many years from now Johnny retires wearing pinstripes. Of all of the outfield players, he is the one that needs to stay the most. #11 Brett Gardner: This kid has the potential to be a big deal within the league. The Yankees need to hang onto him.
#22 Xavier Nady: The X-Man is the best change that the Yankees made all season. He needs to be kept on the team no matter what the cost…and I think that the Yankees see that. I am looking forward to several more seasons of watching him play for the greatest team in sports.
#55 Hideki Matsui: I don’t see the Yankees trading him but I won’t shed any tears if I am wrong.

Before we jump into this last part…let me say that it will be brief as I either love them or hate them and therefore little needs to be said when it comes to keeping or cutting someone. The list started off alphabetically but I have saved my strongest convictions to the end. So close it out with the Pitchers.

#91 Alfredo Aceves: In spite of his terrible performance against the Red Sux on Friday, I say to keep him. He is young and will outgrow his nerves.
#63 Jonathan Albaledejo: Who the hell is this guy? Trade him for someone I know.
#64 Andrew Brackman: Same as above.
#39 Chris Britton: Keep him but give him some experience so he can become stronger set-up man.
#33 Brian Bruney: Keep him but only if he cuts his damn hair!
#38Dan Giese: Get rid of him.
#31 Ian Kennedy: Get rid of him
#71 Jeffrey Marquez: Get rid of him
#43 Darrell Rasner: I like the guy so I say keep him.
#34 Damaso Marte: Keep him but give him more time on the mount, even if it is in the minor league.
#36 Edwar Ramirez: Trade him and make some money off of him.
#30 David Robinson: He is young so I say keep him and mold him into what a Yankee pitcher should be.
#77 Humberto Sanchez: Don’t know and don’t really care.
#41 Jose Veras: Get rid of him. I really don’t know what they see in this guy.

#65 Phil Hughes: Get rid of him. Nothing against the guy but he just isn't Yankee.
#40 Chien-Ming Wang: Of course keep him but don’t ever let him run the bases again.
#65 Chase Wright: Don’t know and don’t care.
#48 Phil Coke: This guy has Yankee Star written all over him. Great efforts must be made to keep him and strengthen him. He has a bright future and losing him would be bad.

#35 Mike Mussina: Everyone keeps saying that Mike is going to retire. In the event that he doesn’t call a day…he must be kept. (See my previous post.) Gotta keep The Moose.
#46 Andy Pettitte: Tough call. If The Moose goes…Andy should stay.
#45 Carl Pavano: GET RID OF HIM! Yes I know all about how it will cost the Yankees more to trade with his damn $13 million deal but I don’t care. He has done nothing but piss me off this season. What a waste signing him turned out to be.
#47 Sidney Ponson: GET RID OF HIM. Fucking Ponson. He is only Yankee to piss me off more than Pavano and A-Rod combined.
#42 Marino Rivera: I will cry the day Marino leaves the Yankees. I can only hope that it is for retirement because I would hate to see my boys have to face him on the mount. I love this guy.
Last but certainly not least…

#62 Joba Chamberlain: If you don’t know my opinion on this one, you don’t know Millie. The fact is that few young players have created as much excitement as Joba has…in any city or any sport. Fans love Joba and Joba loves his fans. More importantly, the organization loves Joba and guess what…he loves the organization right back. Pitching wise he has the potential to become one of the greatest pitchers in Yankee history. Of all of the Yankees currently on the roster, he is the one that I am most passionate about keeping. He is the future of Yankee baseball.

Now I bid you good day as I am off to watch the Yankee doubleheader from the comforts of the Mess Deck.

T-Minus 20 Hours To Go

As I sit here waiting for time to pass before I catch my train to the city for what I hope will be one of the greatest sports night of my life. Good thing that I slept well last night because tonight my head is racing with Yankee goodness and I am not sure where to start. Of course this is going to be a Yankee post but where to start?

Let's start with the pitching scenario. First there is the whole..."what to do with the "older" guys on the team. Bottom line...the team is faced with what to do with free agents Mike Mussina or Andy Pettitte. They need to sign one of them but it would be a mistake to sign them both. So which one should they sign? Both are in their late 30s and both men have been vocal about plans to retire in the near future. Both say that they think that they want to play at least one more year....but are not sure that they are up for another multi-year contract. But honestly that is where the similarities end...and without lashing it out in a lengthy post...the Yankees need to sign Mike.

Mike Mussina is the clear choice...and if there is any doubt about it just think on his 18+ wins this season. It would have been more than 18 wins if the Yankee offense had given him the support that he deserved throughout the season. He has given the Yankees 8th good seasons without any kind of drama. Bottom line...he is a fine example of what a Yankee should be and for that reason he should be kept.

Now don't get me wrong...I love Andy Pettitte. The problem is that he proved during the last half of this season that he isn't the pitcher that he used to be. I am hoping that the Yankees see this and that this is the reason that he is going to be the starting pitcher for tomorrow's game. I hoping that they are giving him one last start as a Yankee....ever.

The Yankees cannot keep signing these older players and expect to win. The Yankees need to keep one veteran pitcher on board and it needs to Mussina.

Let's move on...while staying in the world of pitching. There is a lot of talk about Joba being a starter next season or to keep him in the bullpen. I am actually torn about this. Joba is an amazing pitcher. He is also an amazing person to watch. The excitement and energy that he brings to the game is incredible. The problem is that some people think that he is a little too excited for a starting pitcher. I disagree...and hope that the organization does too. Joba did great as a starter and once he is back to 100% he should be back in the starting rotation....no question.

Let's end with Derek Jeter. What is up with the damn Orioles pitchers hitting my Yankees with "wild" pitches. This is the 2nd time this season that Derek has been hit by an Orioles pitcher...and it really, really, really pisses me off. I am going to be beyond pissed off if Derek doesn't get to play tomorrow because some asshole couldn't get the ball over the plate. I have never seen Derek react the way he did today which tells me that he took one hell of a hit. So it is a real possibility that he might not get to play.

I can't even get my head around the possibility of him not playing in the last game in Yankee Stadium. He is the ultimate Yankee...a living legend....there is no other man who was ever worn pinstripes and is still breathing that deserves it more. I know it sounds crazy...but I seriously get upset just thinking about it.

Don't expect another post until after the game. I will be leaving my house early tomorrow and will not be back until early the next day. I honestly don't know what to expect tomorrow but I can say that I cannot remember the last time that I was this excited for something.

LET'S GO YANKEES!!!