World Series or nothing for Yankees, says Joe Girardi

Opening day is only a week away and, even with all of the questions surrounding the New York Yankees, manager Joe Girardi won't call this season a success unless the Yankees win the World Series.

Not such a particullarly bold statement for most MLB managers days before the season's first pitch but, when your hopes hinge on an injury-prone rotation, a bunch of new faces and a pariah for DH, it's a tall order in the Bronx.

And it is the Yankees after all.

"That's why we come to camp, that's why we train, it's why we do everything," Girardi said before Sunday's 7-0 victory over the Astros. "It's the World Series. That's our goal . . . To me, it's all or nothing. That's why you play."

With most experts picking the Yankees to finish with about 81 wins, with a healthy rotation and a couple of new players coming up big, the Bombers could snap its two-year playoff drought.

"I think guys understand the expectations here," Girardi said. "Even the guys who haven't been here understand the expectations and feel we have something to prove."

Tanaka might miss All-Star Game due to Yankees' slick rotation maneuver: Report

For all you baseball fans who never had a reason to hate the Yankees — and there are a few of you — here's a new one.

Even die-hard Bomber fans might be a little miffed at the Yankees organization after reports surfaced the the team was maneuvering their starting rotation so that their break-out Japanese pitcher, Masahiro Tanaka, might miss the All-Star game.

The Yankees have aligned their starting pitchers so that Tanaka — who was almost a sure bet to start the annual classic —  would have to skip making the trip to Minneapolis, according to Joel Sherman of the N.Y. Post.

The slick move theoretically benefits the Yankees while likely hurting Major League Baseball — who would love to showcase the $155 million headliner and drive up TV ratings here and in Japan.

Sherman wrote:

With an off-day Thursday, the Yankees could skip the struggling Vidal Nuno and have Masahiro Tanaka start the opener of a three-game series against the Red Sox in The Bronx.

Instead, citing the long season and seeing a chance to give extra rest to Tanaka and the rest of the rotation, the Yankees are going to stay in order and have Nuno start against the Red Sox, though he has the worst home ERA in the majors at 7.09 (minimum 35 innings) and has given up the most homers (13) at home — 11 to righty hitters. So, if you can get a future bet in on Mike Napoli hitting a homer Friday, go for it.

It means Tanaka will start Saturday, then July 3 at Minnesota, July 8 at Cleveland and July 13 at Baltimore. And you know what July 13 is? The last day of the first half. Only twice in the last 20 years — Randy Johnson in 2000 and Brad Penny in 2006 — has a pitcher started the final Sunday of the first half and then also Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

The chances are slim to none that the Yankees let Tanaka become the third starter.

 Unlike last year, when the losing Mets used Matt Harvey’s innings cap and a mild blister on a finger as excuses not to let him start the Saturday before the break so he would be available to start the All-Star Game at Citi Field, the Yankees are in the mix at the top of the AL East.

There is a possibility Tanaka could start and be limited to 15 pitches or an inning. But the strongest likelihood now is the player who would draw the most interest if he started — here and, particularly, back home in Japan — probably will get named to the AL team and then replaced, not to even perform in the game.

“We can skip the fifth man to maximize short-term, but that is not in the individual’s best interest,” said GM Brian Cashman.

Sorry baseball fans. You're welcome Yankee haters.

Twins' broadcast graphic makes everyone love Derek Jeter (PHOTO)

If you've watched any baseball this season, then you know every team the New York Yankees face is throwing loving tributes and clever parting gifts Derek's Jeter's way.

He's had a Hall of Fame career, and been a great ambassador for the game. However, let's just say that someone in charge of writing the "scouting reports" for the Twins' broadcast of their game against the Yankees on Friday night (a 6-1 win for the Twins) needs to take less sips of the Jeter Kool-Aid.

But despite the scouts' glowing analysis, they still forgot to include: Gives free swag bags to one-night conquests.

MLB knowingly bought stolen A-Rod documents: Report

Maybe this whole Alex Rodriquez Biogenesis scandal isn't over quite yet. At least it's still got legs.

Major League Baseball investigators illegally bought documents to build the performance-enhancing drug case against the Yankees' third baseman, according to a report in Newsday, citing a Boca Raton, Fla. police report, 

That's despite repeated warnings to MLB from Florida authorities that the documents in the Rodriguez scandal were stolen and that they were not to purchase them, according to Florida investigators and an April police report obtained by the newspaper.

MLB investigators bought Biogenesis records anyway, and a Boca Raton police detective investigating the theft noted that baseball officials neglected to notify law enforcement officials that they had done so for nearly eight months.

League spokesman Pat Courtney, however, told Newsday that it "had no knowledge that that documents we purchased were stolen."

The police report, which has not been previously publicized, details how a detective's investigation into the burglary of documents from a car parked outside a strip-mall tanning salon turned into an examination of whether MLB officials broke the law when they paid for records showing that players had used performance-enhancing drugs.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who will retire at the end of the 2014 season, stood by his office's actions.

"The only thing I'll say about the whole Alex Rodriguez thing, if you want to have a tough program, you better have tough enforcement," Selig said in a public appearance on April 25. "And once the Biogenesis thing broke, we did what we had to do."

MLB suspended A-Rod for the 2014 season for alleged PED violations.

A-Rod considering going to U of Miami for MBA: Report

Alex Rodriguez is apparently making good use of his free time during his suspension. Besides picking the brains of finance wizards Steve Cohen and Warren Buffett, the Yankees third baseman is considering going back to school for an MBA.

A-Rod is pondering getting the advanced degree at the University of Miami, reported Page Six of the N.Y. Post.

And why not? He already has his PED.

Rodriguez, suspended from the Yankees for 162 games, was spotted meeting with SAC Capital Advisers founder Cohen at the bar of the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills last week, according to CNBC.

The pair met with a group of eight before attending this week’s Milken Institute Global Conference. Rodriguez was seen at Milken events — on Tuesday, he went to a reception celebrating women business leaders.

Wednesday he was at a panel discussion on the business of sports with Magic Johnson and football star Larry Fitzgerald.

A-Rod was on his way to Omaha to the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting Friday night, held by billionaire Buffett, with one source telling us, “When he’s not on the field, Alex takes his business interests very seriously.”

Rodriguez would need a lot of undergrad credits before pursuing an MBA. He never went to college after being recruited as quarterback and signing a letter of intent to play baseball with the Hurricanes before becoming a rookie with the Seattle Mariners right out of high school.

I wonder if those offers at The U still stand?

Jeter inspects Cano's new beard during Bronx return (VIDEO)

Derek Jeter welcomed Robinson Cano back to Yankee Stadium Tuesday night and and the first thing he did was examine his former teammate's new facial hair. 

Something the Yankees captain never grew in the Bronx.

Call it beard envy. Next year Derek. Next year.

New York City soccer club will share stadium with Yankees: Report

The New York Yankees will be sharing their valuable turf in the Bronx with New York City's new professional soccer team next year — at least on a temporary basis.

That's when New York City FC will play its inaugural Major League Soccer season at Yankee Stadium and most likely several more while the club looks for a permanent site for a soccer-specific stadium in one of the five boroughs — and possibly outside of the city.

NYC FC will play at least 17 home games in 2015.

As it stands, this arrangement between the MLS and MLB clubs is obviously less than ideal — and obviously a temporary solution. And for the first time, Yankee president Randy Levine said the co-owners might consider a site outside the five boroughs if no place can be found in the city for a soccer-specific stadium.

"We're going to take whatever time is necessary to get it right," NYC FC chief business officer Tim Pernetti said at a Yankee Stadium news conference Monday. "We're not going to create artificial deadlines. We're only going to get one shot to do it."

Asked if Major League Baseball had concerns of field overuse, Levine replied, "They think we know what we're doing. We know what we're doing."

Converting the field from one sport to another takes about three days. "We can work it in," Yankees COO Lonn Trost said. "We've analyzed it. We have tested it against existing schedules."

The Yankees' biggest challenge is removing and rebuilding the pitcher's mound before and after each soccer game. The ground crew would put a base under the mound and remove it using a claw-like structure.

Former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, the soccer team's first season-ticket holder, was on hand for Monday's press conference. He was not concerned about pitching on the mound after repeated reconstructions.

"I don't think we have to worry about that because like Randy says, we know what we're doing," he said.

The stands will be downsized from a 49,642-seat baseball capacity to 33,444 for soccer, except for selected matches.

Since the Yankees are usually in the postseason, NYC FC can't schedule home games during its October stretch run.

Carlos Beltran takes scary tumble over Tropicana Field wall (VIDEO)

Carlos Beltran said he'll see how he feels Friday morning before telling manager Joe Girardi whether he can play after his scary tumble over a Tropicana Field wall in the Yankees' 10-2 win over the Rays Thursday night.

The 36-year-old Beltran said he suffered a sore left shoulder and right wrist after the right fielder chased a Desmond Jennings' fly ball and flipped over the wall during the third inning.

Beltran said he was focusing on the ball, worried he might lose it in the stadium's white dome, and didn't even think about the 3-foot high blue padded wall.

Girardi said Beltran told him he had no clue a wall was there. Beltran played on but came out for a defensive substitution in the bottom of the eighth with the lead well in hand.

"I thought he was hurt bad is what I was thinking," the manager said. "We asked him. We were like, 'Did you know the wall was there?' He was like, 'No.' And I'm thinking, well, every place has a wall. So, you know it's a scary moment. I didn't take him out because of that but hopefully he's not too sore tomorrow."

Beltran finished 0-for-5 with a strikeout and four left on base Thursday.

Baseball mainstay Don Zimmer has heart surgery: Report

Ex-Yankees and Red Sox coach Don Zimmer had surgery Wednesday to fix a leaky heart valve, according to the Tampa Tribune's Roger Mooney.

Whether or not you know him as Popeye, Zip or The Gerbil or remember him in the infamous brawl with Pedro Martinez, the 83-year-old Zimmer has been a mainstay in baseball as a player, manager or coach over a career spanning seven decades.

Zimmer is currently resting comfortably, though he'll stay in the hospital for a few days, according to reports.

Zimmer was the Yankees' bench coach for four World Series wins in the late-1990's after a stint with the Sox.

He's currently in his 11th year as an advisor for the Rays.

Get well Zim.

Jeter wondering who injury snitch on Yankees is: Report

Derek Jeter was in Wednesday night's starting lineup for the first time since last Friday and it sounds like he feels he didn't need three games (or four days) to comeback after tweaking his quad last week.

Jeter is trying to get accustomed to the Yankees treating him cautiously — as they did by sitting him out Saturday and Sunday with a tight right quadriceps then easing him back into the lineup in the second game of the Cubs' doubleheader yesterday — but the antsy Jeets is wondering who is turning a simple stretching exercise into games on the bench.

The shortstop claims he never complained about any injury to manager Joe Girardi.

“I didn’t say anything,” Jeter said of the quadriceps injury he suffered Friday. “I was running to first and evidently someone saw me stretching. I don’t know who. Joe said, ‘Did you hurt yourself? I saw you stretching.’ I said, ‘No, I was just tight.’ No big deal.

“That was the end of the conversation. Saturday, he was not planning on playing me anyways, and then when I got here on Sunday, he said, ‘You have the day off.’ ”

“I’ve always understood, but I didn’t like it,” Jeter said of the days off. “I still don’t like it, but I get it — the fact that it’s a long season.”

Jeter returned Wednesday night for the second game of a doubleheader against the Cubs and went 1-for-5, playing all nine innings at shortstop in a 2-0 win at Yankee Stadium.

He said he felt fine.

Ichiro robs Ortiz of extra-base hit with amazing catch at the wall (VIDEO)

Yankees right fielder Ichiro Suzuki made an amazing leaping catch at the wall Sunday night, robbing David Ortiz of extra bases.

Even Big Papi had to smile at the phenomenal eighth-inning crash-and-roll which robbed Ortiz of a sure double and helped preserve the Yankees' 3-2 win.

Girardi on resting Jeter: 'I wasn't hired to put on a farewell tour'

It was set up as the perfect day for Yankees fans Saturday afternoon. Sun drenched seats, the Boston Red Sox showing off their new rings and a chance to see Derek Jeter lead off during the last season of his career.

Scratch that.

The Yankees captain didn't play at all in the 7-4 victory over the Bombers' rivals and manager Joe Girardi made no apologies for disappointing the revved-up fans and their iPhones by sitting his star.

Girardi kept a healthy Jeter out of the lineup, and the skipper made it clear that he will continue to sporadically rest the 39-year-old shortstop with the aim of keeping him healthy for all of 2014.

“I have to manage him with a focus of winning games and keeping him healthy, not being a farewell tour,” Girardi said before the game. “I wasn’t hired to put on a farewell tour.”

With Saturday's game coming after a night game, Girardi's basic logic was that Jeter was due for a break — especially after the shortstop already played 10 of the Yankees' first 11 games.

“There is not a whole lot I can do about that,” Girardi said. “When you start running guys out there too much, you risk injury. I think people would be a little bit more upset if he were out two weeks or a month or something like that.

“I understand that fans want to see him play. I want to see him play. I would like to run him out there 162 times. But I have to do what is best for him and the team.”

Saturday’s game marked the second time in the Yankees’ first dozen games this season that Jeter was not in the lineup; he was replaced both times by Dean Anna, who went 1-for-4 with a double on against Boston.

Girardi shrugged off suggestions that he use Jeter to pinch hit (he's batting .286) or finding a way to slip a non-starting Jeets into games just to please the crowd.

“Then you start to run out of infielders and that sounds like to me it is for a farewell tour,” Girardi reasoned. “It is not the last week of the season. These games are obviously very important to us. They are important today, tomorrow, the next month. I have to manage that.

“I’m sorry if people came to see him today. I have to be smart about it.”

Like it or not Joe, it is Derek Jeter's Farewell Tour.

Adam Jones scoffs at Masahiro Tanaka hype: Report

Adam Jones usually doesn't say too much but,  since hitting Yankee Stadium this week, the Orioles' centerfielder is spouting more than Old Faithful.

After saying free-range fans should be tasered like cattle, Jones now refuses to be electrified by all of the hype surrounding New York Yankees $175 million pitcher Masahiro Tanaka — even after getting whiffed by the Japanese righty two times.

Jones first tried to avoid drinking all of  the Tanakamania Kool-Aid on Tuesday when he told Newsday:

"Why don't you ask Tanaka about me? I'm the one who's been over here in the major leagues for a while. Congratulations, he did it over there. Don't make it like he's the dirtiest guy in the world. He was 24-0 — in Japan.

Then, after striking out twice and singling once against the 25-year-old Wednesday night, Jones still didn't sound thirsty. He not only didn't take a sip, he kicked over the pitcher — both the glass and throwing one.

"Am I (supposed) to go home and say I faced Tanaka tonight? Just go throw a party that I faced Tanaka?" he said.  "It's another pitcher. Another pitcher in the rotation. Nothing special to me. It's just another guy that we have to go through to get to where we want to be."

Tanaka didn't get his first win in the Bronx Wednesday, but he was solid most of the night. He gave up a three-run homer in the second inning, but struck out 10 and walked just one while allowing seven hits for the no decision.

Adam Jones wants cops to 'tase the living s--t' out of fans who run onto field: Report

Adam Jones was steaming mad inside Yankee Stadium in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday. Even with a 10 run lead, the Orioles outfielder couldn’t stomach two fans in Yankees jerseys ran onto the field from the left field side as Francisco Cervelli was batting — causing a brief delay in the game.

The two spectators were rounded up by roughly 10 security guards and policemen, tackled near second base, handcuffed and led from the field.

Jones didn't think it was enough and didn't mince words about it either.

"I get it, you’re drunk and you want to be on SportsCenter. Your ass is going to jail with a fine... It’s just plain old stupid... I wish the cops Tase the living s--t out of them. I wish that."

As the two intruders were being taken away toward a center field gate, the livid Jones gave the idiots a piece of his mind.

“I let them know how I felt, obviously a lot of choice words because I think it’s idiotic for people to run on the field, and I think the punishment needs to be a lot harsher and they should let us have a shot to kick them with our metal spikes on because it’s stupid,” Jones told reporters after the game. “You look like a jackass when you run on the field. We don’t go to any other events. We don’t go to other sporting events and do that to their jobs, but they come to ours and do that.

“I get it, you’re drunk and you want to be on SportsCenter. Your ass is going to jail with a fine, and you might not be allowed to come back to the ballpark. I remember a couple of years ago, one dude broke his ankle in Baltimore. I was laughing at him. I wish he shattered his finger because it’s stupid. It’s just plain old stupid.”

First and last time you'll see Derek Jeter dog it to first (VIDEO)

During a season that will be filled with lasts, Derek Jeter may have committed a first during Monday's opening season game at Yankee Stadium.

For the first time in memory, the celebrated hustler didn't run hard to first base after hitting a long fly ball to leftfield in the fifth inning. The lackadaisical effort had some fans wondering if Robinson Cano was back in pinstripes.

Even YES announcer Michael Kay had to ask out loud, "How rare is it to see him (Jeter) break it down."

Jeter thought his drive was going to be a home run. But it banged high off the wall, and he had to hustle to just make it into second with a headfirst dive.

Here's video of the Yankee captain admiring the ball, then uncharacteristically moseying down to first before hitting the gas for a double.

"When I hit it, I thought it was a home run," said Jeter after going 1-for-4 in the Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Orioles. "I hit it pretty good. I think the wind played some tricks on it. Played some tricks on a few balls today.

"I thought it was a home run, then I thought it was going to be foul. And the next thing you know, it ricocheted right to the leftfielder, so I had to pick up the pace a little bit.

"There were some guys laughing. Until a couple of them hit some balls and the wind got them, too."

Jeter, who scored the Yankees' third run on a single by Jacoby Ellsbury, recognized how odd it was for him to be the one who could be accused of not giving 100 percent on the field.

"Maybe you get caught up in Opening Day and I thought it was a home run," he said. "I hit it good enough to be one. It just wasn't. It didn't go out.

"Yeah, you probably haven't seen it. You won't see it again. What can you do? I was safe. It would be a lot more embarrassing if I was out. I did make it, so I'm fine with it."

Like I said, first and last time.

Here's the call by the Yankees announcers:

Jeter reunites with ‘Core Four’ for final Yankees home opener (VIDEO)

The Core Four are back together — at least for a day — as Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte threw out the first pitch to Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter at Yankee Stadium on Monday.

Under overcast skies, New York Yankees fans got their first chance at home to say goodbye to the retiring captain and they did it with a standing ovation.

Jeter's final opening game in the Bronx had a special feel to it, thanks to his old teammates.

Rivera threw the ceremonial first pitch to Jeter, while Pettitte delivered to Posada. 

Luckily, both pitchers' tricky cutters didn't cross up their catchers.

Jeter caught off guard by Astros' timing of dugout salute (VIDEO)

In the first inning of the New York Yankees game against the Houston Astros Wednesday night, the home team showed their appreciation for retiring  Derek Jeter with a rare but sincere gesture — exiting the dugout for a standing ovation.

It happened during Jeter's at-bat with one out in the first inning, when he walked to the plate and was receiving a nice welcome from the Astros' crowd at Minute Maid Park.

However, more bizarre than the impromptu salute from the Astros was the odd timing of the players' gesture — it came during the the second game of a three game series and after a pre-game ceremony already honored the future Hall-of-Famer.

Adding to the build-up, Houston's bullpen also came from behind the door in the outfield to pay tribute while Jeter was preparing for his first pitch of the evening.

Even the normally cool Jeter seemed to be caught off guard by the awkward moment.

So the baffled — and a little red-faced — Yankee captain simply pulled the helmet off his head and waved it at the crowd like he didn't know what else to do. 

It might have seemed like a strange and random time for the Astros to give the ovation since they had a chance to do it on Tuesday night, but it showed great respect to one of the best and most popular players of his generation.

Standing ovation from the #Astros bench as Jeter steps in. He salutes the crowd. pic.twitter.com/u3YgkbJwEP
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 3, 2014

"I had never even thought about that happening," the normally self-assured Jeter said after the Yankees' 3-1 loss to the Astros Wednesday. "I didn't know what was happening at first. I didn't plan anything like that."

Jeter said he was grateful for everything.

"It was nice," Jeter said. "It was nice that they took the time to honor me."

He better start planning for a lot of these occasions. 

Jeter honored in ceremony before final spring training game (Video)

The farewell tour of New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter got off to a rainy beginning today as the retiring player was honored prior to the start of his final spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Sadly, it was to be the last time Jeter would suit up for an exhibition game after 19 seasons of spring ball in the Tampa area.

And too bad the game against the Marlins was called to due to rain.

The Jeter ceremony was a success. The game not so much. Rained out.
— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) March 29, 2014

Otherwise, the Yankees captain received a key to the city of Tampa as fireworks went off in the distance and a big ovation from the stands as they said goodbye to the future Hall of Famer who is going to have a number of farewell moments in cities across the country this year.

Last year it was Mariano Rivera who received gifts and tributes from rival teams across Major League Baseball when he announced he was retiring. This year it’ll be Jeter who baseball lavishes with the same.

Jeter was out of action with injuries for much of last season, so, deep down, fans are hoping the five-time World Series champion doesn’t make a return appearance here in Tampa during his last season.

And, rainout or not, you knew Jeter wasn’t going to miss saying goodbye to the place where his spectacular career started.

Derek Jeter named 11th greatest leader in the world by Fortune: Report

Derek Jeter may have a batting average some 300 points below the league leaders so far this spring, but the New York Yankees captain is among the front runners in another category. 

Namely — leading the world.

Fortune magazine compiled a list of the top 50 greatest leaders in the world — and the shortstop's name landed at 11, just outside a top 10 that include influential movers and shakers like Pope Francis, Warren Buffett, Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama.

"As he begins his 20th and final season in pinstripes, Jeter remains the type of role-model player that even a Red Sox fan must grudgingly respect," CNN wrote. "It's not the five World Series rings he's won or his team record for career hits. In a steroid-tainted, reality-TV era, Jeter, the son of two Army veterans, continues to stand out because of his old-school approach: Never offer excuses or give less than maximum effort."

The honored spot puts Jeets ahead of other leaders including former New York mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg, 16-year-old human rights advocate Malala Yousafzai and actress and activist Angelina Jolie.

Along with about 40 other people I admittedly know little about.

Other sports figures who appeared on the list include Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, San Antonio Spurs skipper Gregg Popovich and South Carolina women's coach Dawn Staley  who all tied for 20th place.

Nobody will ever doubt the pinstriped prince's dignified authority on the diamond and contributions off it, but Jeter himself will probably just smile and shake his head at this accolade.

Willie Randolph's weird photobomb of Joe Girardi during interview (GIF)

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi is used to doing plenty of in-game TV interviews from the dugout. And, from the looks of this GIF clip, it seems like bench coach Willie Randolph wanted to get in a little face time of his own during Tuesday's spring training game.

The former Yankee star's weird expression is sort of frightening.