On the Yankees beat

Way to go Kat! Get next to him so you can be his trusted source. I guess you are just laying the foundation for some good tidbits during the season like any good reporter would do.

Golf stories, trips overseas...

He sounds only too happy to let Hank do the talking. I hope you didn't promise your editor anything good out of that lunch, Kat.

More from ESPN's "Insider" hot stove blog:

4:03 p.m., from Jayson Stark
• The Red Sox and Twins continue to have "a lot of dialogue" about Johan Santana, according to one source with knowledge of their discussions. But there is no indication they've been able to rebuild any momentum toward a deal. The Red Sox want to make this deal on their terms, meaning they're still only willing to offer either Jon Lester or Jacoby Ellsbury but not both. The Twins think they need a bigger return if they're trading Santana. So even though their ability to compete in the AL Central took a hit with the Tigers' deal for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, it doesn't appear that has heightened the Twins' sense of urgency to complete a deal.

• Free-agent pitcher Jon Lieber is attracting interest from the Royals, Astros and Reds. The Mets and Rangers have also inquired about him as a potential fallback option. Lieber missed the second half of last season, but not with an arm injury. He ruptured a tendon in his foot running to back up home plate, but he's expected to be fully healthy by spring training.

3:45 p.m., from Amy Nelson
• Andrew Miller got a phone call within the hour from Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski that he was traded to Florida, which signals that the deal is official.

• Former Red Sox player Damon Buford was offered a job as a roving instructor by the Yankees earlier this week, but turned it down because of his family.

What in the world is a roving instructor?

A roving instructor teaches people how to wander off base.

Madden,Lupica,Matthews,Sherman and Jim whatever his name who was replaced by Kat are among a group of lousy journalists who lost sight of their job. Instead of reporting on-the -field happenings they are more interested in creating soap operas and cheap shooting people they don't like in the sports world. Kat on the other hand does the leg work and gives us solid reporting and I bet she didn't take a ball for Joe to autograph.

A roving instructor teaches rovers how to put their oar in the vater.

vater...lol that was a good one.

Jim A - I keep getting the feeling that the Sox are low balling the Twins and dont really want to pull off the deal. I hope that the Twins either trade him to the Mets or keep him. Imagine they keep Johan and we go and get him as a FA next year?

Johan
Wang
Joba
Hughes
Ian

Cash Money would be a god!!!! Not likely though, I think the Twinkies move him somewhere.

Even if he goes to the Sox it looks like the Twins wont take their BS offers. If they can get Lester, Ellsbury, that SS and SP out of the deal...so be it. The Sox will be dangerous next year but that doesnt guarantee them anything. How many seasons did the Yanks look like the clear cut favorite only to flame out.

I keep seeing this.....

Santana's Sox vs Hughes' Yanks...game 7 ALCS!!! Just imagine for a moment that Phil Franchise matches Johan pitch for pitch through 8. Win lose or draw...SIGN ME UP!!! Then after next year, we would have the upper hand!!!

I really cant wait to see this rotation stick together and lead the Yanks back to the promise land!!!

GO YANKS!!!!

Roving instructors move around from farm club to farm club. Usually minor league clubs can't afford to have special instructors for every aspect of play, so FO hires guys to rotate among them. These guys are never in one place long enough to move the family around with them.

a roving reporter usually writes about rovers, persons who like to rove. a really interesting subject.

a roving reporter usually writes about rovers, persons who like to rove. a really interesting subject.

Hughes's Yanks??!!

LOL

Drew is HYD in disguise.

If Johan read half the comments many of You all said about him breaking down and basically dissing him what makes you think he would want to come here next year?

Anonymous...dont think he reads this stuff or really cares when he's getting that 30M check from Hanky.

Grampa...sorry...Jeter's Yanks. That better? Or are you still calling them the Stumps Yanks?

Can't imagine, Anon.

Oh, wait...

...biggest stage?

...run support?

...biggest salary budget in baseball?

...place in Monument Park?

...in the playoffs every year?

I was worried about Cano being sent into a deep depression after loosing his "carnale" so if he stays with the Twins I guess all is not lost....

It's not over yet but if nothing happens it was one hell of a false alarm seriously feel like I've been hiding under my desk for the last 72 hours.

PTRS...you and me both. I wake up every morning dreading the words "Yanks deal Hughes, Kennedy, Melkey and Tabata for Santana". At that point my boot (yes I sleep with them on) will go through the TV. I really hope the pressure doesnt get to the Yanks, they stick by their guns and keep the kids. I would rather root for the 2nd place Yanks with Joba, Hughes and Ian then take my chances with Johan minus the 4 players above. It's so much more fun rooting for the young guns than to keep getting these highered assassins for boatloads of money. Im very excited to see these young guys develop!

Santana/Reyes/Haren Blockbuster In The Works?

Just got an incredible rumor from a trusted New York sportswriter. Stay with me, because this one's crazy. But rest assured that if the source wasn't good, I wouldn't post it.

Minnesota has initiated talks for a three-way blockbuster with the Twins and A's. Here's how it would go down:

Mets send Jose Reyes, Kevin Mulvey, and Hector Pellot to A's
A's send Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson to Mets
A's send Dan Haren to Twins
Twins send Johan Santana to Mets

Mets get Johan Santana, Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson
A's get Jose Reyes and Kevin Mulvey
Twins get Dan Haren and Hector Pellot

The source says Haren is exactly the type of player the Twins want for Santana, a cheap frontline starter. It's known the Mets would hate to deal Reyes but they would get some value beyond Santana. Billy Beane is happy because he gets Reyes for one more year than he had Haren plus longtime favorite Mulvey. And, he's out of Crosby's contract.

For those who are not all-Hughes-all-the-time, Pete Abraham says you've got two chances to see JOBA IN PERSON in Manhattan:

--tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Modell's Sporting Goods in Times Square (W. 42 between 7th and 8th Aves), for a charity appearance

--Friday morning at 8 a.m. at Penn Station in front of the Christmas tree on the Amtrak level, to appear on the Mike & Mike show on ESPN radio

Just so some of you dont go ape-sh$t....NO, it isnt me who has this source....I copy/pasted from :

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Casual,
I saw that rumor too and I thought it was nuts. I can't see the Mets parting with Reyes, unless they have a replacement I don't know about.

Stranger things have happened I guess.

Cas

LOL I heard that too but figured it was nonsense.

That would be crazy for sure but I just can't see the Mets letting go of Reyes even for Santana.

I'm actually hoping the twins keep him so he doesn't set the market till next year that way we could all get a crack at him Sabbathia and Peavy for $$$ only and we keep our Hughes/Kennedys/Elsburys and Bucholz ;-)

Jim,

Yeah, it does seem a bit far-fetched....but hey, I'd love it...Santana in the NL where he wont haunt either the Sox or the Yanks.....s'ok by me.

Isn't this where we ask: "But can he hit?"

Hey Gramps, I love me some Joba too!!!!

Check this out from ESPN =

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3142534&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

Got a little misty eyed with the father story…

CO you got the squeal from a NY sportswriter or are you repeating what you read?

That trade sounds like some Met fans pipe dream to me.

Gramps: I have had some alter egos on this blog. One of them was obvious (I was using it during the playoffs), Hughes Your Ace. It stuck longer than planned because I forgot to uncheck the remember personal info box. The other one, I don't know if people on here will remember, but I used it for less than a week and it was created in response to an attacking poster, potentially one of the anonymi. This alter ego was titled Little Miss Dynamite. I was referred to as Brenda Lee and her nickname was Little Miss Dynamite. Rather than post under my own name to argue with the ingrate that was posting, I used that name and literally took a different approach to my blogging. Since it does not look like Hughes will be traded, I have no intention of changing or altering my handle anytime soon, but will notify the board if by chance I do.

So, did any of the regulars from the time know or suspect that Little Miss Dynamite was me? I know she had a few fans back in the day.

Do a little basic research sports maven. The replacement for Reyes would be Crossby.

Thanks for the link in your 17:27 post, Drew.

Check it out folks, a very nice story by Olney on Joba the text messaging machine (a big part of the story is in Joba's text-message words).

I'm ba-a-ack...

HYD, I loved Little Miss Dynamite, even posted to that effect and signed off using a moniker something like Fan of Little Miss D, can't remember exactly.

That was you?? Cool.

Anonymous: CO just copied & pasted the whole thing. The insider information from a NY sportswriter was written by the author of the article, not CO.

How was Lunch Kat? Did you ate alot? Girardi's hands on Manager than Joe.. You never see Joe Torre visit Nashville instead He's vacationing in Hawaii

Do Diet Sodas Make You Fat?

The short answer(s) to this question is no and, maybe, yes. One recent study has shown that people who drink diet soda still have a 41 percent chance of being overweight.

What is even more interesting about this research is that these diet-soda drinkers have a greater risk for obesity than do those who drink regular sodas.

How is this possible? It can't be that the diet sodas are causing obesity, since they contain no calories.

Some researchers believe that the problem with diet sodas is this: When people consume diet drinks, they think they're doing something "good" for their body — and then they feel free to splurge on other, high-calorie items.

For example, if you are eating at McDonald's and order a diet soda in place of a regular soda, you may think, "Now I can super-size my meal." People don't do this intentionally; it just happens and we don't pay attention to it — and then the extra pounds slip on board and stow away.

There is also some research that suggests diet sodas may actually stimulate the appetite. This explanation of the relationship between diet sodas and obesity is that the overly sweet taste of diet drinks actually creates a craving for still more sweet things, thus upping calorie consumption.

What then should you do about your drink choices?

First, remember: Everything in moderation. If you are drinking a lot of regular or diet soda each day, decreasing your intake of either may help you lose weight. Also, think about when during the day you drink diet sodas; do you then tend to splurge on other calories?

Although escaping the obesity epidemic isn't as easy as avoiding diet sodas, you should think about what you drink.

Guys, read the blog, Casual O gave the link to his source in his 17:18 post.

Anytime Gramps, Im a newb on this site. "Hughes Your Daddy" told me about it from another site we are on.

I love the fact that he such a hard worker. When he was at Nebraska he was over weight, like 280. Then I believe his JR year he started to work out and never looked back . I was always a little worried that he would go back to his lazy days and gain weight. Hearing about him working out like a madman and challenging the rocket gets me giddy!!!! If he can keep up with his workouts, the sky's the limit with Joba.

Cant wait to see him start at the stadium and have the 'Joba the Hut' laugh when he K's a guy....HOOO HOOOO HOOO HAAA HAAA HAA! That will drive visiting teams nuts!!!!

Trade makes sense on all fronts since Omar has to do something to save his job and Santana's stock continues to drop while the A's get rid of a guy Billy doesn't want in Crosby.

Ha, yes Diane, that was me and I do remember the Fan of Little Miss D handle posting. I used that handle as a way to sort of police the blog; she put some of the annoyances we had at the time to rest. I was sick of the back and forth arguing and finger pointing, so I decided that it was in order.

I thought you'd appreciate that today, I posted on another blog, in complete disagreement with my favorite blog author (EJ Fagan of the Bronx Block and Pending Pinstripes on MVN). After the post, I posted how I was surprised since he and I usually see eye to eye, but anyway, my point is, I don't dislike every writer whose opinion is different from mine, just the ones that confuse fact with fiction just to get something down on the paper/screen.

When he was first pitching for the big club Joba very earnestly said in an on-camera interview that Rocket told him, "Your body is your temple! You get out of it what you put into it!" (Yes, you could hear the exclamation points in Joba's voice.)

Drew, meant to address that 17:55 post to you.

Maybe that prorated 28M was worth it after all. Im sure when Roger was getting ready in the minors, he showed the young guys how hard you need to work every day to be at your best.

Thanks Rocket

Hughes Your Daddy now I remember you used the AKA after you were exposed as a homopobic bigot after remarks you made about your school team. Did you seek help to deal with these issues? It seems you did and I am happy for you.You have a lot of baseball knowledge.

I was with you Gramps.

; )

Thanks for the info Cas Ob. Very interesting indeed. Not too far fetched - I think they should have traded Reyes for Santana straight up. I think the Santana deal breaker was when the Tigers/Marlins made this killer trade. In order for the Twins to even be competitive in their division, they will need to keep Santana for at least the 1 season. If they are out of contention come July, then the BIG trade will be done. The Twins have been competitive most of the time and have been in the playoffs. I think they still want to compete, although at discount prices.

My bet is they keep 'em. Thank you, Tigers (I think)

Tigers are the real beasts of the AL now. But our Yanks will give them hell.

Dotty: Do you post under an alternate handle? I do not recall reading posts from you before.

Drew,

One writer who described Rocket's period of getting ready in the minors told how a group of young pitchers gathered around to ask him questions about how to do certain things. He got them in front of a mirror to practice and when they couldn't quite understand from his description how to approach one piece of mechanics he said, Just a minute, I've got someone who can describe it to you better. Then he got Nolan Ryan on his speed dial and said to him, now you describe to these guys what we were talking about...

Yeah, I'd say we got something out of it. Even if it was just a few weeks of fan confidence at a low point of the year, and some remarkable tutoring for our kids.

Poor choice of words does not make one a bigot or homophobe...at worst, it makes them ignorant, at best, it makes them president of the USA. Sorry for the politcal reference...at that, I'll refrain.

WOW...Hughes, I forgot to tell you, Im a Native American Transvestite. Are we still friends? lol

Jokin of course, not that there's anything wrong with being a Native American Transvestite.

= )

J03 - thx agn 4 ltng thoze bugz eet me alive...J0b4

Drew: Love the Seinfeld reference!

Gramps...imagine learning how to pitch from the two best power pitchers of all time? AMAZING!!!!

Hughes: Was wondering if anyone got that one.

Yep, it could go into one of those MasterCard commercials that end in the word "PRICELESS".

I posted this on another site, lets see what you guys think....

Why does everyone around baseball call Ian Kennedy no better than a 4th starter? Because he does not have a high 90’s fastball? Because he doesnt have a 12-6 Zito Curve? Because he doesnt have a Mo cutter? He’s too small to be a durable pitcher? I know there must be several examples proving the opposite, but I would like to present some stats to you.

Ian
5-11…185lbs.
Minor league stats =
149in…1.87 ERA…5.62 H9…0.36 HR9…3.14 BB9…9.97 K9…0.97 WHIP

Player X
6-0…185lbs.
Minor league stats =
491in…2.86 ERA…7.92 H9…0.29 HR9…2.75 BB9…5.66 K9…1.19 WHIP

Now based on these stats, along with the size being exactly the same, with the same kind of “stuff”- AKA nothing overpowering, both being considered very smart pitchers, both having excellent control, both being the same age when they start their Major League careers….how does Ian compare with Player X? What would you consider player X as being? #1? #5? Maybe player X is considered a back of the rotation SP that will eat innings. Based on the stats I would probably favor Ian over Player X in a trade.

Based on the stats its hard for me to believe Ian Kennedy is at best a #4 while Player X is 1st ballot hall of famer, Greg Maddux.

Now I know there are TONS of prospects with better minor league stats that turn into car dealers 10 years down the road. But dont these two pitchers seem similar? Maddux is considered one of the best ever, even if Ian is half that, wouldnt that be better than just a #4 in his prime? Now Greg is a once in a lifetime SP, but who knew that when he started out.

I would love to hear your opinions on that…thanks!

HYD and Diane are the Spider man and Mary Jane of the blog set'
Soooo articulate.....Soooo pompous....Sooo full of s!!t.

Drew,

I liked Kennedy a lot, thought he was smart, extremely poised, had very unusual command and control for his age, good mechanics, and more consistent than Hughes. He was under-rated in my opinion and I could never see why except that he wasn't blowing it by them with a 98-mph fastball. I am glad he's staying (so far) and if we continue to hold on to him I think he may surprise the people who haven't been paying close attention.

And soooo much too smart to think that that was Casual Observer's post.

Okay...

...that's capital C capital O...

another moniker to SCROLL ON BY in future...

Agreed! He's been dominate at every level going back to his record setting days at USC. I feel like he's getting overlooked due to Joba and Phil. His K rate is amazing for a "finesse" pitcher. It would have been madness to trade him AND Phil for Johan. The thought was giving me nightmares!!! I really like what Cash Money has done amassing these young arms.

I feel like Cash is William Wallace and the rest of the league is the charging cavalry looking to steal these guys...

hold...Hold...HOld..HOLD!!!!!!

'Tis better to be Spider Man than Peter Parker...

Drew: IPK's projections are lower than the others because while Greg's career was great, it's uncommon. He had an unnatural ability. IPK could be a number one starter, that's true, but it's not as likely. Scouts drool over power similarly to the way that chicks dig the long ball. Strikeouts and 95MPH fastballs are SEXY. IPK isn't sexy, but he gets results. What's wrong with that? To me, nothing. The other part is, IPK came from college, so you would expect him to be ahead of the competition when he starts in the minors. I personally project IPK as a #3 starter. With his best case scenario being a #2 starter on a good team or a #1 starter on a bad team. Point being, Fausto Carmona was the #2 pitcher on the Indians, but would've been most teams' #1. A better comparison for IPK however is Mussina. Mussina was Baltimore's #1 and at times was the Yanks' #1, but I ask you, was Moose EVER a true #1? Is Wang really a #1? Certainly not in the mold of a Clemens, Maddux, Johnson, Santana, etc. So, I don't think IPK will develop into a true #1. He's got good comparables, but I'm sure you could do the same thing with some pitchers that flamed out (I don't care to do the research). Also, the key hole in your example is the sample size. When comparing a pitcher that was dominant in the minors for nearly 500 innings to one that pitched less than 150.

from peter abraham:

Putting my public school education to good use, just did this quick stat:

Total innings pitched (major, minors and postseason) in 2006
Ian Kennedy 165.1
Joba Chamberlain 116
Phil Hughes 115.2

This perhaps sheds a little light on why the Yankees were so interested in hanging on to Kennedy. Unless they abandon all common sense, Chamberlain won’t be throwing 200 innings next season. More like 175. The same is probably true of Hughes.

But Kennedy is at a stage in his conditioning where he could go 200 fairly easily. Given that Hughes and Chamberlain will have to be skipped from time to time, Kennedy could prove critical.

Kennedy could be a nice fit, given that Wang, Pettitte, Hughes and Chamberlain are power pitchers. His finesse should be effective.

Mike Mussina will figure in the mix somewhere, perhaps as the No. 5 starter. But given his uneven performance last season and age, it’s hard to count on him for much more than 25 starts.

Hughes, very true with Maddux being a once in a lifetime type SP. All Im trying to say is that you never know how these guys will turn out. True Maddux came right out of HS and IPK was a college boy, but if you take the college stats and roll them into the minor league status, he looks even better!. Im not looking for him to be a #1, but if he turns out to be Mike Mussina, 250 Wins, that would be more than enough for me.

See isnt speculating about these kids' future more fun than paying 150M for Santana? Dont answer that...

You can see my handle...I would've been devastated to no end if Hughes was traded...

Hughes...lol...I checked that "other" site nyyinsider. Looks like they changed their tune, this is the next post after blasting the Yanks for not getting Santana for Hughes =

"Also, I thought about the Santana thing and I’m actually a bit happy the Yanks didn’t pull the trigger. Honestly its because I think Hughes is amazingly good and I expect Melky to continue to improve"

Funny how a verbal beatdown can affect opinions...HA

Drew, I'm with you. Said last week in passing to a buddy of mine that I thought Kennedy reminded me of a Maddux-type. Great info and observation on your part. Thanks.

HYD, why is everyone saying Kennedy does not have a fastball. Looks to me he varies the speed on his fastball, reaching back and throwing 93-94 when necessary and using a "set-up" fastball thrown at 88-90 mph early in the count. I think that is intentional and makes him even tougher to hit. Joba seems to think Kennedy is a "genius" and loves watching him pitch. Me too!!!

New thread, my friends.

Drew, thanks for the Kennedy/Maddux side-by-side.

All, didn't Kennedy's stock drop because he was injured in either his jr or sr year at USC. I thought some analysts thought he would have been a top 1st round pick if had left USC a year earlier.

Am I remembering this correctly!

If this is true, this could be a good find for Cashman.

Yes I believe it was his Soph year. He was absolutely dominate his Freshman year, was even better his Soph year, won tons of awards (PAC 10 pitcher of the year), got hurt at the end of his Sohp year. Then came back was still very good his Jr year. That along with signability concerns (wanted tons of money) are the reasons he fell to us. A gift from the Babe!!

I got a great feeling about Ian!

Great read on Ian...all his USC stats/awards =

http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/kennedy_ian00.html

That site is kind of a joke Drew...I, like EJ, don't waste my time reading it, but it's nice to see they've come into the light...sort of.

Mike from Jersey: It's not that Ian doesn't have a fastball, but he doesn't EVER hit 95. I've never seen it or read about it. He hits 92 for a high. If he h its 95, I suspect that either 1. it's a freak occurrence, 2. a heavy radar gun, or 3. not placed. The key to IPK is his placement. Here's a nice write-up from about a year ago that shows that the Yanks were always high on him (already ahead of most AA pitchers, which is saying a lot since they were pitching Hughes at AA at the time).

Age: 22
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 185
Drafted: 1st Round in 2006 out of USC
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right

Fastball: Kennedy throws a 4 seamer around 88-92 mph, although it dipped in velocity during his final year at USC. He is learning a 2 seamer down in Hawaii, which may be to blame for most of his struggles there (more on this later). Kennedy locates his fastball with extreme poise, ala Mike Mussina.

Changeup: Kennedy has a plus changeup, which he uses with ruthless efficiency. The changeup is essential to Kennedy's approach on the mound. He uses it to out smart the batter, with a lot of success. It is one of three pitches that he will often use to finish off a batter.

Slider: Kennedy sports an above average slider, sitting in the mid 80s. He uses it to make his changeup look a little lighter, forcing the hitter to account for harder breaking stuff. He is one of the rare pitchers who can reliably throw their slider for strikes. When it misses, it misses in the dirt, not in the zone.

Curveball: He also sports an above average curveball, which he can again use with pinpoint accuracy. The curveball gives Kennedy a third strikeout pitch, making him incredibly deadly in that department (and it showed in college, which I will get to soon).

Command: As previously mentioned, Kennedy's command is excellent. He is a very smart pitcher who learns how to get each individual batter out. He has a strategic mind not unlike that of Greg Maddux and Mike Mussina. He handles pressure extremely well. In terms of "polish", the Yankees believe that Kennedy is already far ahead of most AA prospects.

Performance: Ian Kennedy put up two of the more dominant seasons in NCAA history. In 2004 and 2005, Kennedy pitched a combined 209.2 innings. He posted a 2.70 ERA between the two years, striking out 278 and walking just 69. for a 19 and 20 year old just entering college, these numbers were monumental. He had a reputation as the best pitcher in USC history - a group which includes Randy Johnson and Mark Prior. USC also happens to face the highest level of competition in the NCAA. What happened? Kennedy had a poor - by his standards - Junior year. He posted a 3.90 ERA in 101.2 innings, striking out 102 and walking 36. He did not allow any more home runs than his freshman year, give up significantly more his, or walk a ton of batters

WO WOO WOOO..EZ killer. Its just a USC site that lists his year to year accomplisments and some game details. I dont think there is much insight or opinions on the lad. Didnt realize you and your butt buddy EJ would oppose to a site that lists stats and game details just to see what he did each year in college. Sorry my info wasnt up to your standards, Ill try harder next time sir...lol

Drew: I was referring to your post regarding the nyyinsider, not the USC site. I thought that was clear in the context; sorry for the confusion.

I didn't even look at the link you posted.

Dam, Im sorry Hughes. Been a long day at work and posting..lol. Thanks again for the heads up on this site, Im addicted!!! See you tomorrow brother!

No prob; later man.