Mike Trout outdoes himself to rob Jesus Montero of home run (VIDEO)

It was starting to feel like highlight clips of Mike Trout had been relatively scarce over the past few weeks — emphasis on relatively. But just when you start thinking maybe the Angels centerfielder is merely mortal, he goes out and performs a feat to remind us that he is something more.

The 24-year-old already has more sensational catches in his four-year career than most respected veteran outfielders, but this incredible catch confirms that Trout is way more than your normal player.

With two men on base in the top of the fourth inning of Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners, Trout scaled the Angel Stadium wall to rob Jesus Montero of a three-run homer. Not only did the four-time All-Star hang onto the wall to make the catch, but Trout also alertly got the ball back to the infield to keep the runners from advancing.



Throw in the fact that the Angels won a 3-2 game with Wild Card implications, and that's one timely catch even Trout will find hard to top.

So it's worth seeing again:

Congrats on your home run Jesus Montero ... oh sorry Mike Trout happened (via @MLB) http://t.co/PpHy2CdvD2 https://t.co/Q4D6tgFEPU

— SB Nation (@SBNation) September 27, 2015

CC Sabathia Likely To Opt-Out At Midnight

The New York Yankees have until midnight Monday night to sign pitcher CC Sabathia before he can opt-out of the last four years of his seven-year deal with the team.  When the clock strikes twelve tonight—and there is no last minute agreement—Sabathia and his agents will void the remaining four years and $92 million of his original seven-year, $161 million contract.

Call him CCinderella.

The Yankees are believed to have made a last-ditch attempt at signing Sabathia to a new deal over the weekend, but it seems likely the 300-pound ace will exercise the option making Sabathia a free-agent, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

The team hoped to strike a deal with the 19-game winner before it got close to the deadline but, as of Sunday, it hasn't happened.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman—who's expected to sign a new contract of his own on Monday—was unavailable for comment this weekend.

Cashman offered the former-Cy Young winner the opt-out clause in 2008.  It gave Sabathia the option to leave the Yankees if things didn't work out in New York.

Sabathia has said in the past his family is happily settled in New Jersey and is satisfied where they are living.  Now, it looks like the 31 year-old pitcher is just looking for more money and a longer contract.

This is a problem which the Yankees brought upon themselves.

The Yankees starting rotation is pretty unsettled after Sabathia and last year's rookie sensation Ivan Nova.

A.J. Burnett is undefeated in April but a head case after May, Phil Hughes struggled through "dead arm" and Bartolo Colon's return is improbable since the 38 year-old wore down in the second half of 2011.  The team may bring back Freddy Garcia—who won 12 games last season—but that's not a given either.

Sabathia, the hefty lefty, led the Yankees to a World Series title in 2009 and began last season 25 pounds trimmer, but his expanding girth matched his fattening ERA down the stretch last season and he was less than overwhelming during the last two postseasons.

The Yankees are one of a handful of teams that could afford signing Sabathia.  He is expected to ask for a new deal with a minimum of five-years at $125 million (more likely seven years at $150 million) which would leap-frog him over the $120 million that 32 year-old Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies last year.

The Yankees will probably go all-out in making a deal with Sabathia today.  The free-agent market for top-notch starters is slim and Sabathia would be hard to replace.

C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle and Roy Oswalt lead the pack, but are all considered No. 2 starters and Yu Darvish—the Japanese phenom—has yet to prove himself in the U.S..

If Sabathia flies the coop, Cashman will be thrust into a difficult position.  He may have to trade one of his prize prospects like Jesus Montero for a No. 1 starter.

Well, if any time is a good time to turn into a pumpkin, it's the day after Halloween.

Yankees Rookies Bring '80's Music Stars and Bad Outfits Back to Life

It was a decade of one hit wonders and The Go Go's around Yankee Stadium.  No I'm not talking about Jack Clark or Billy Ball, but the '80's-- a decade the Yankees would rather mostly forget.

Yesterday,  seven rookie players dressed up as some of the end-of-that decade's most famous pop stars during the Yankees annual rookie hazing, and brought back memories of the only ten year-run the team didn't win a World Series.

Some of these players were too young-- or not even born-- to remember when skinny ties with a tee-shirt and big hair were the rage.  A man could actually wear pajama pants to a bar and be the toughest guy in the room. It was a time when MTV actually played music videos and Don Mattingly won an MVP.

Music had G & R's "The Spaghetti Incident" while the Yankees had the pine tar one.

There was Flock of Seagulls and Rickey Henderson, George Michael (before the public bathroom arrests) in Wham with that other guy while the Bronx had "Mr. May," Dave Winfield.

Sadly, people actually dressed like that.  Any John Hughes movie will attest to that.

Hope this photo brings back good memories, except for the duds. The players look like they're having fun parodying the new wave look.  If they only knew that this was considered cool back then until Kurt Cobain and Nirvana went grunge.

Taking their show to Danceteria are (from left) Andrew Brackman, Dellin Betances (Milli Vanilli), George Kontos (George Michael), Hector Noesi (Prince), Joe Girardi, Austin Romine (Madonna), Jesus Montero (MC Hammer), Brandon Laird (Slash).

Yankees Still Have Questions About Hughes, Soriano and Posada After Red Sox Series

Things looked pretty good for the Yankees after Brett Gardner slammed a seventh-inning pitch over the centerfield wall in Fenway Park on Friday Night.  The hit gave New York a come-from-behind win over the Boston Red Sox and manager Joe Girardi looked like a genius for his bullpen moves.  The Bombers were riding an eight-game win streak and their best pitcher, CC Sabathia, was scheduled for the next afternoon.

Girardi looked like he had all the answers that night.  He made all the right moves by pulling Bartolo Colon with the bases loaded  and using his bullpen to almost perfection.  The Yankees were in first place for the first time since July 6.  Everything looked sweet for the men in pinstripes.

Two nights later, by the end of Sunday night's typical Yanks/Sox marathon, there were more questions than answers after the Yankees dropped the final two games of the series and got knocked back into second place.

Neither of those losses were pretty and now Girardi is facing big questions regarding the starting rotation, the bullpen and the DH roles.  How fast things change.

If Girardi thinks he had a bad weekend, think about old Jorge Posada.  The veteran catcher could only watch from the bench Sunday after he was replaced by off-season acquisition, Eric Chavez.  The newly-appointed right-handed DH went 0-for-4.  Chavez is deserving and batting .304 so far this season

Posada didn't take the news as badly as he did when he was benched in May.  After the first benching, he actually followed his temper-tantrum by hitting .326 with three home-runs and 12 RBI's over the next 32 games.  Since the beginning of July, Posada has slumped and is hitting .205 with no home-runs and four RBI's in 26 games.  He might not get a second chance this time.

Girardi's benching can't be going over good with the one-time power-hitter, who is slowly being forced off the roster.  Reality struck hard yesterday, after the manager told the 38 year-old Posada his services as DH would no longer be needed.  Girardi hasn't exactly been subtle when sending his message. In both instances, the Core-Four member was demoted to the bench before nationally-televised games against the Yankees bitter rivals, the Red Sox.  That's gotta hurt.

"We're going to see how this works," said Girardi.  "We're going to try some different things.  We'll see how this works, and I told Jorge, 'You're still going to be a big part of this, and we're going to need you.' We're just going to do some different things."

And the check is in the mail.  It sounds reassuring until Posada realizes that Triple-A slugger Jesus Montero is breathing down his neck.

The relationship between Girardi and Posada should be interesting the rest of the season.  And the final chapter doesn't look good for the ex-catcher who first lost his backstop gig in spring training.

The bullpen's performance in last night's game opens up a slew of analytic equations.

Mariano Rivera blew his fifth save of the year--and at a most inopportune time.  Marco Scutaro laced a lead-off double against the Sandman which led to the game-tying run.  Getting to Rivera was instrumental in the Red Sox win.  It was a moral victory as well.  Sox manager Terry Francona put it bluntly," Getting that hit off Mo was big."

A situation which leads to the appearance of Phil Hughes in the 10th inning.  Girardi made it clear his righty would be available from the bullpen all weekend, if that what it took to beat the Red Sox.  After last night's game goes into extra innings, it gave Girardi the excuse he needed to use Hughes. The move ultimately takes Hughes out of this week's rotation, giving Ivan Nova one more chance to prove himself as a starter again this week.

Hughes showed nothing last night.  He followed his best start of the season by giving up a confidence-breaking game winner in the rubber-game for first place.  That 1/3 of an inning cost Hughes a shot at starting on Tuesday and possibly in the future.

Now Girardi has to decide what to with Hughes and Nova...again.

If Hughes allowed two hits and can't get three outs in relief, what does Girardi do now? The starting rotation and bullpen are both overstocked as it is and Hughes can't be feeling too secure.  It appears to be a situation Hughes couldn't win.  If he does well, he heads to the pen but that one out cost him a start.

This leads to the question of Rafael Soriano.  After a disappointing and injury-plagued first half of a season in New York, is the $35 million man finally showing his true talent?  Two perfect relief appearances in important games this weekend say 'I want a more prominent role.'

Since returning from the DL last week, the temperamental Soriano has retired all batters he has faced--including the 2-3-4 batters in the seventh last night.

The question surrounding Soriano is how long before the former closer mopes about his role on the team.  Last year's 45-save pitcher for the Rays has been demoted from that esteemed spot to set-up man and now middle relief.  After his fine performances this weekend, does Girardi move him up the pecking order to replace the All-Star Dave Robertson at times or even--this is blasphemy to Yankees fans--sometimes use him as an occasional closer?  He would have fared better than Hughes in the tenth last night.

Soriano has a history of erratic behavior, beginning with his days in Tampa Bay, when he refused to shag flies or take batting practice on Sundays, leading up to his slipping away from the New York media, because he refused to answer questions about a bad outing in April.

How long until Soriano's well-known frustration boils over into wanting more?  Girardi has to face the fact that Soriano could be a valuable weapon if the pitcher keeps his head.

Here's some extra credit questions for Girardi.  Will CC Sabathia ever beat the Red Sox this season?  The hottest pitcher in the American League--and the Yankees ace-- turns ice-cold against Boston.  The big man is 0-and-4 vs. the Red Sox this season and it's no secret how he dominates the rest of the league, as his 16-2 record will attest. 

Finally, where were all the fireworks between these two sworn enemies?  Fans want Charlie Sheen-Chuck Lorre acrimony, not Alec Baldwin-John Krasinski cuteness.

This Yankees/Red Sox series had it's share of intensity-- especially in games one and three-- but something was missing. There was too much mutual admiration. Sure, the teams were only playing for first place in the beginning of August and it looks pretty much like both teams are headed to the playoffs, but where was the nastiness... the Pedro Martinez knocking down Don Zimmer hatred? 

Oh, he was on the DL and his name is Alex Rodriguez.  This rivalry needs A-Rod like Obama needs McCain or Osi needs the Giants.  Every one's whipping boy is expected off the DL by August 15.  The next meeting between the two teams is August 30 at Fenway Park.

Hope the Yankees have answered a few questions by then.

Yankees Fans: Where Have You Gone Russell Martin?

Russell Martin, in his first year as New York Yankees catcher, started the season at a blistering pace and made Yankee fans forget about not seeing Yankee stalwart Jorge Posada crouching behind the plate a lot easier to fathom.

The former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher had four home-runs and 13 RBI's by his thirteenth game in pinstripes and he became more than a just a transitional bridge between the Posada Era to the Yankees future catching star, Jesus Montero.

One problem, since May 24, Martin doesn't have an extra-base hit and is batting .136 (8-for-59) in his last 17 games?

What the hell happened?

Surprisingly,  Martin is still the leading vote-getter for the American League's starting catcher's spot--probably based on his early-season offensive explosion-- for this year's All-Star Game.  Martin currently has a 400,000 vote lead over the Texas Rangers Alex Avila who is slowly creeping up to the Yankee for the starting position.  Avila is batting .304 with 10 home-runs in his second season.

A two-time National league All-Star with the Dodgers, Martin was released by the team after slumping in 2009 and having a serious hip injury in 2010.

The 28 year-old backstop was signed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Yankees.  It immediately looked like the Yankees GM Brian Cashman salvaged an Antiques Roadshow-type find mixed in with his box of off-season garage-sale buys.  Martin looked like the early favorite for the comeback player of the year.

Along with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, the deal made Cashman look brilliant by landing Martin and his potential at a risky, but relatively bargain basement price.  It also kept the catcher from going to the Boston Red Sox.

By the beginning of May,  Martin had pounded nine home-runs, had 26 RBI's, stole six bases and had a slugging percentage hovering around .600.  Martin's early success helped take the pain out of the Yankees Cliff Lee fiasco.

Only today, the native Canadian is still stuck with nine homers and knocked in only four runs since.  Martin's slugging percentage has dipped to a pedestrian .398.

Give credit where it is due.  Martin has been solid behind the plate and, with the Yankees M*A*S*H unit full of starters and relievers, Martin is more Hawkeye than Frank Burns.  Yankees players say Martin's sense of humor and team work make him a popular and welcome figure in the locker room as well.

Two weeks ago, a back problem took Martin out of the line-up for a couple of days, but he resisted going on the 15-day DL.  It is quite possible he is still feeling the ill-effects of that injury and came back too soon.   Martin said he "felt pain when swinging."

It makes you realize that extending Derek Jeter's stay on the 15-day DL might not be such a bad thing after all.

Posada Pulls Himself From Line-Up Before Crucial Yankees/Red Sox Game

In a move to shakeup the New York Yankees line-up, Manager Joe Girardi penciled  his slumping designated hitter, Jorge Posada, into the ninth spot of the batting order before tonight's game against their division rivals the Boston Red Sox.  Posada, the one-time starting catcher regulated to a DH position this season, apparently disagreed with the demotion and pulled himself from the line-up before Saturday's nationally-televised game.

According to Fox Sports, the proud Posada met with Girardi an hour before the game and came out saying he wouldn't play.  No one knows what was said in the meeting.

Before the two met,  Girardi explained why he was juggling the line-up and said, "It's been a struggle this year, we're trying to get things going."

During the past three losses, the Yankees have left 37 runners on base.

There was speculation that the 38 year-old Posada would not accept batting ninth and that there was even talk of retirement.  Chances are Posada, one of the Yankees original Core Four players, wouldn't walk away from the remainder of his $13 million contract.

This weekend's series against the Sox is an important barometer of where the Yankees are headed.  The team has lost three straight and dropped out of first place in the AL East.  They in the midst of a grueling schedule where they play 32 games in 33 days.  Discord in the clubhouse could make things worse.

Posada has been slumping badly.  He has an anemic batting average of .165 as the DH and hasn't hit a home run in weeks.  Fans have been calling for his head for the last month of play.

Russell Martin has been the Yankees starting catcher all season and hasn't let the team down.  The Yankees also have a streaking prospect, Jesus Montero, on their Triple-A  club in Scranton.  Montero is batting .325 and has 2 home-runs.  He looks ready to jump up to the bigs.

Whether or not Posada is in breach of contract with the Yankees is one thing, but acting like a spoiled brat is another issue.

The next month of the schedule will probably exhaust a lot of Yankees players.  If Posada decides not to play, it might be a blessing in disguise.  It would free up the DH spot and allow older players like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and even Martin the luxury of resting while having just DH duties.

Posada, as one of the respected veterans on the Yankees, should conduct himself in a more fitting manner.  He has no one to blame but himself for his poor showing so far this season.