For Yanks, a Return, but Not a Triumph

Blue Jays 2, Yankees 1

By TYLER KEPNER

Published: August 19, 2008

TORONTO — This is how badly things are going for the Yankees: They activated a star player from the disabled list on Tuesday, and it indirectly lost them a game.

Hideki Matsui returned as the designated hitter, which pushed Johnny Damon into full-time duty in center field. He dropped a fly ball in the first inning and got away with it. But when Damon leaped on the warning track with one on and two out in the eighth inning, he let a deep drive by Toronto’s Marco Scutaro deflect off his glove for a double.

Damon flipped away his glove in disgust, but there was nothing he could do to erase the damage. Joe Inglett scored from first on the play, and B. J. Ryan saved a 2-1 victory for A. J. Burnett in the ninth.

“Those should have been two easy outs,” Damon said. “If they’re going to use me in center more, I need to be better. That’s very uncharacteristic of me and of most center fielders in the league. I’ll take this one on me.”

With the victory, the Blue Jays crept a game behind the third-place Yankees in the American League East. The Yankees are 11 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays and six and a half behind the Boston Red Sox, who lead for the wild card.

Burnett struck out 13 over eight innings for his 16th victory. José Veras took the loss in relief of Darrell Rasner, who carried a shutout into the seventh before allowing a game-tying homer to Adam Lind.

“I wish I would have been better on that one pitch,” Rasner said. “I’m going to try not to beat myself up.”

Across the locker room, Damon was doing plenty of that. He said he wished he had been playing deeper against Scutaro, to guard against a double, because then he might not have had to jump at the track.

But he made no excuse for the play, which he said should have been ruled an error. The ball simply hit the top of his glove and fell away. “I’m baffled,” Damon said.

The Yankees hoped for a ninth-inning rally when Alex Rodriguez led off with a spinning bloop single over first baseman Lyle Overbay. Rodriguez said he thought the ball would trickle to the side wall, but Overbay chased it down, sliding on his knees to barehand it before throwing a strike to second to nab Rodriguez.

It was reminiscent of a game in Anaheim this month when Rodriguez was caught stealing third, trying to force the action. But it was a gamble worth taking, he said, because the Yankees have struggled for runs.

“The one thing we shouldn’t do is play passive,” Rodriguez said. “If he does three things — barehand it, slide and throw a strike — he deserves it. We didn’t do enough early in the game.”

That was because of Burnett, who regularly carves up the Yankees. So does his teammate Roy Halladay, who starts Thursday. In the last two seasons, Burnett is 4-0 with a 1.21 earned run average in five starts against the Yankees.

He walked Damon to lead off the first, but issued no more walks the rest of the game. The Yankees got an opposite-field double from Bobby Abreu to score Damon, then they went cold.

Burnett’s fastball had vicious late movement — in the fifth, Damon could only wave at a tailing third-strike fastball he expected to be inside — and his curveball was humbling.

“He was throwing pellets,” said Rodriguez, who struck out three times. “He was 0-2 on everybody, throwing in the high- to mid-90s, and then he had a snake for a breaking ball. Give him credit.”

At a softer setting, Rasner was just as effective. The Blue Jays tried to take advantage of his aggressive approach by swinging early, but that helped Rasner because he was locating his pitches so well.

He threw only seven pitches in the fifth, and six in the sixth. Through that inning his pitch count was 68, and he worked into the seventh for only the second time in 11 starts.

With one out and the left-handed Lind batting, Manager Joe Girardi had the left-handed Dámaso Marte warming up in the bullpen. But Rasner had struck out Lind with a cutter in the fourth inning, and he stayed in to face him.

“He’d done a good job against him,” Girardi said. “I was comfortable with Raz, the way he was throwing the ball.”

But this time, Lind lifted a cutter over the right-field wall for a homer to tie the score, 1-1. As he watched the ball’s flight, Rasner slumped forward, his hands on his knees, and shouted. The lead was lost — not to return — and another day was soon gone from a season that is rapidly shrinking.

INSIDE PITCH

Carl Pavano has pitched twice for the Yankees in the last 1,149 days, but he could start Saturday in Baltimore despite rumblings of various minor injuries. General Manager Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi said that Pavano would pitch in the bullpen on Wednesday. “He’s going to start Saturday,” Cashman said. “Whether for us or for Trenton remains to be seen, but he’s definitely starting on Saturday.” Girardi said Pavano and Phil Hughes, another candidate to start Saturday, were experiencing “normal soreness” after their minor league starts on Sunday. Cashman said other minor leaguers could be options for the start, and it is worth noting that Víctor Zambrano pitched five shutout innings for Class AA Trenton on Monday. ... Joba Chamberlain played catch and made 60 throws. He will intensify the workout on Thursday and throw in the bullpen on Saturday but does not seem likely to return this month.

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/sports/baseball/20yankees.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

Damon: “That’s unacceptable”

There are tough losses, there are bad losses and then there are losses when your center fielder drops a ball with two outs in the eighth inning to cost you the game.

There are Yankees who play just as hard as Johnny Damon but nobody who plays harder. He’s a full-effort guy and has been since the day he arrived.

He just screwed up two plays tonight.

“Plain and simple, I missed two balls and that’s unacceptable,” Damon said. “I know that stuff happens sometimes but catching routine fly balls should be that much of a problem. I’m baffled.”

It wasn’t quite routine. But it’s a play that has to be made.

The Yankees are 6.5 games out of the wild card with 37 games to play. If the Red Sox simply go .500, they’ll win 91 games. The Yankees would have to go 25-12 to match that.

News source：http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/08/19/damon-thats-unacceptable/

Will He or Won’t He? Pavano May Be On Deck

究竟會不會是他？痛痛人可能會上場投球。
By Tyler Kepner
Tags: Carl Pavano, Phil Hughs, victor zambrano, Yankees
August 19, 2008, 7:49 pm

Rarely has a “To Be Determined” caused more intrigue than the one on the Yankees’ schedule for Saturday. That is when the Yankees play in Baltimore, and their starting pitcher could be Carl Pavano.
洋基陣中幾乎沒有一個「尚未確定」的先發投手能夠引起這麼多人的好奇心。因為，星期六洋基作客到金鶯的時候，他們的先發投手可能會是痛痛人。

It could also be Phil Hughes. Or maybe even Victor Zambrano, based solely on his five strong innings for Class AA Trenton on Monday. But it really could be Pavano.
當然也可能會是大帝，甚至可能是星期一在2A Trenton投出完美五局的Victor Zambrano，但，真的可能還是痛痛人的機會較大。

There was chatter today that Pavano had complained about an issue with his lat muscle, but General Manager Brian Cashman said there was no such issue. Maybe it was only idle talk, but there is no groundswell of excitement in the clubhouse for a Pavano return, and a good deal of skepticism. The Yankees have been fooled before.
今天又有傳言說痛痛人在抱怨他闊背肌有問題，但現金人說根本沒有這樣的事情（指痛痛人在抱怨的這件事）。也許這只是個無聊的傳言，但是洋基球團當中，對於痛痛人即將歸隊的這件事情一點興奮的情緒都沒有，並且相當懷疑他是否真的能夠回來投球。畢竟洋基之前已經被耍過很多次了。

Say this for Pavano, though -– he has worked diligently to come back on schedule from last June’s Tommy John elbow surgery. Perhaps he is motivated by wanting to showcase himself for free agency this winter. Or perhaps he will beg out of the start for some reason.
雖然痛痛人很積極努力地想要在去年六月的Tommy John手術後重返球場，但這麼說吧，也許他只是想要在（今年冬天）合約年的最後一年展現他依舊能夠投球的能力，或者，可能是他為了某些原因乞求洋基給他先發的機會。

But for now, he’s an option. The man who has pitched two major league games in the last 1,149 days might really start for the Yankees on Saturday. A strange season would get a lot stranger.
但就目前來說，他的確是個選擇。這個在過去1149天當中，只投過兩場大聯盟賽事的傢伙可能真的會在星期六替洋基出賽。不尋常的球季總是會有一堆怪咖的出現。（編按：大概就是所謂的「歹年冬，猴肖人（台語）」吧。）

Then again, a start by Zambrano might be just as strange. Michael S. Schmidt ran into Zambrano in Trenton on Tuesday, and he’ll have a post soon about what he learned.
還有，Zambrano的先發也可能是件怪異的事情。Michael S. Schmidt星期二在Trenton碰到了Zambrano，也許很快的他就會將他得到的消息報導出來。

News source：http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/will-he-or-wont-he-pavano-may-be-on-deck/

U.S. clinches berth in medal round

Fowler leads Americans to victory over Chinese Taipei
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
08/19/2008 11:40 AM ET

BEIJING -- Despite some tense moments along the way, the four favorites advanced from the original field of eight and will meet in Friday's semifinal games at the Summer Olympics on Friday: Korea, Cuba, the United States and Japan.

The U.S. clinched a place in the medal round Tuesday by rallying for a 4-2 victory over a Chinese Taipei team that personified the intense competition from top to bottom at the Games. All that remains are the exact matchups, which will be determined when all four teams play their seventh and final games of the preliminaries on Wednesday, including the U.S. vs. Japan at 7 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) at the Wukesong Main Field.

"We came halfway around the world to get to the medal round, and like I said early on, this is the best competition I've been involved in with the Olympics," said U.S. general manager Bob Watson. "You're going to have someone get into the semifinals with three losses. We've only got half of our work done. We've got some games to play against some tough clubs, and we'll have to play our A-game.

"I've heard a lot of people say they want to see us play Cuba for the gold medal. The way I look at it, we've got to play them all anyway. I just want to be there. I don't care who we play, as long as we've done our part to be there."

Korea beat Cuba on Tuesday to remain the only unbeaten team at 6-0. Cuba is 5-1. The U.S. and Japan are each 4-2. Korea will be the No. 1 seed, Cuba will be No. 2, and the other two clubs will decide their order of seeding with Wednesday's game. No. 1 will play No. 4 at 10:30 a.m. local time on Friday, and No. 2 will play No. 3 at 6 p.m. that day. The losers will play for the bronze medal at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the winners will meet at 6 p.m. that day to decide the gold and silver.

"This game was huge for us, because it alleviates some of the pressure going into [the Japan game], even though we're not just going to show up against them," said shortstop Jason Donald, who showed the representative emotion after getting to first base with an RBI single in the eighth that produced the final run. "The goal is to get in. Obviously we're not satisfied with the worst-case scenario of a bronze medal or no medal. We're going for the gold medal. That's why we're here."

Chinese Taipei struck first, when Chih-Sheng Lee led off the fifth inning with a double, was bunted over to third and scored on an error by first baseman Matt Brown. But the U.S. team answered immediately in the bottom of the inning, getting a run of its own on a leadoff triple by Dexter Fowler and an RBI double by Brian Barden.
中華隊率先展開攻勢，林智勝（編按：原文作者將大師兄的名字誤植為Chih-Sheng Lee，應該是Chih-Sheng Lin才對）於第五局無人出局時率先擊出二壘安打，靠著犧牲觸擊推進到三壘，並藉著美國隊一壘手Matt Brown的守備失誤攻下第一分。然而美國隊很快的就在下半局有所回應，由Dexter Fowler擊出leadoff的三壘安打，再靠著Brian Barden的二壘安打追平比數。

The U.S. played this game without outfielder Matt LaPorta -- who will be unavailable against Japan because of the mild concussion he sustained when he was beaned Monday night against China. Yet the U.S., also missing second baseman Jayson Nix -- who expects to play in the medal round after being hit in the face by a pitch last Friday -- once again made up for a key absence, particularly in the outfield.

Nate Schierholtz threw out Chin-Feng Chen at home with a perfect peg from right to preserve a 1-1 score through the top of the sixth. Fowler was on base all four times, hitting a triple, double and single and drawing a walk. John Gall led off the sixth with a homer and the eighth with a double and run.
Nate Schierholtz在六局上半，完美的外野長傳將鋒哥阻殺在本壘之前。Fowler四次的打擊機會全都上壘，分別敲出三壘安打、二壘安打、一壘安打和一次的四壞球保送。John Gall在六局下半率先擊出了一支全壘打，又在八局下敲出二壘安打並且回到本壘得到了一分。

The sixth inning was decisive. After Schierholtz's big play in right, Gall led off the bottom of that inning with a homer over the wall in left-center. The U.S. never trailed again. Lou Marson walked, Donald sacrificed him over to second -- "I haven't had a sac bunt the whole year in Double-A and now I've had three here," Donald said -- and then Fowler slashed a double to left while hitting from the left side. That gave the U.S. a 3-1 lead and made an eventual winner out of Brandon Knight (1-0).

"Everybody on our team feels like we've earned it, because we battled in the trenches the last several days," Gall said. "It's been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the way this crowd is up every night, the competition being this top-notch. It has been intense. Every team we play is gunning for us. It's really amazing the talent across the world, and that was a great baseball team we just beat tonight."

In his second start of the Olympics, Knight was effective early, striking out five of the first seven batters he faced. Although he did not record a strikeout after the second inning, he was able to battle and keep Taipei from no more than two runs in the game.
在本屆奧運的第二次先發，Knight一開始就投得很有效率，面對前七位中華隊的打者，他就三振了其中的五名。雖然從第二局之後，他就沒有再投出三振過，他還是可以持續奮戰下去，並且讓中華隊無法在他手中拿下超過兩分的分數。

"[Chinese Taipei] was what we expected and I was just very impressed [with them]," Knight said. "I think it is something that I have been through having played in Asia. They really do a good job of making adjustments. Their scouting is second to none and they really pay attention to what is going on.
「中華隊是我們期待碰到的對手，而且我也對他們感到印象深刻。」Knight說。「我認為這是我在亞洲打球（的這段時間）讓我一直感受到的。他們的調整真的做的很好，他們的球探報告是獨一無二的，而且他們也很專注球場上的所有情勢變化。」

"The first time through the order I was able to make some good pitches and get some swings and misses. But they made the adjustment. They started taking some good pitches and taking some good swings on others. I was impressed but I also wasn't surprised."
「在面對第一輪的打者時，我可以投出一些不錯的球，並且讓打者揮空。但是他們馬上做出調整，他們開始選擇某些好球做攻擊，並且打的很扎實。這讓我印象深刻，但我並不感到驚訝。」

Chinese Taipei cut the U.S. lead to 3-2 when Chih-Sheng Lin answered Gall's leadoff homer with a leadoff clout of his own in the seventh. Knight stayed on to retire one more batter, and then Mike Koplove came in from the bullpen induced two groundouts to end the inning. He threw a 1-2-3 eighth to extend his Olympic perfection to 4 1/3 hitless innings. Kevin Jepsen got the save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
在七局上半，大師兄馬上回應了在上個半局（六局下）率先敲出一支陽春全壘打的Gall，他（大師兄）也來了一發，將比數改寫為2比3，僅落後美國隊一分。Knight繼續留在場上，等他解決了下一棒的打者之後，Mike Koplove從牛棚當中上場接替投球，並且成功的製造了兩個滾地球出局，結束了這個半局。第八局他也成功的投出了一個三上三下的半局，也讓他在本屆奧運比賽中，無安打的投球局數來到了四又三分之一局。Kevin Jepsen也完成了三上三下的第九局投球，並順利的拿下了救援。

There were some tense moments early in this tournament, as the U.S. started 1-2 with tough losses to Korea and then Cuba sandwiched around a 9-0 win over the Netherlands. Some people might even have had a sudden doubt about whether the Americans were going to make it past the semifinal cut.

"There was never a doubt in my mind," Donald said. "There was not one guy who pushed the panic button here. We had to persevere. And we're in the medal round."

Now the baseball team has a chance to add to the U.S. overall lead in the medals standings. It will be gold, silver, bronze or zip. All of that remains to be seen, but the first objective has been accomplished.

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

News source：http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080819&content_id=3332001&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

PS：僅翻譯與中華隊有關的片段。原本不太想翻譯的，但是看到有鋒哥的照片，還是忍不住把有關中華隊的內容順手翻了一下。

Girardi Girds Yankees for an Uphill Trip

老吉帶領洋基踏上為季後賽奮戰的艱困旅程

By PAT BORZI

Published: August 18, 2008

The last of the reporters were filing out of his office Sunday afternoon when Yankees Manager Joe Girardi spun out of his chair and approached a bookshelf behind him. He reached for a blue binder on the shelf that contained scouting reports.
星期天下午，當最後一批的記者離開了老吉的辦公室之後，這位洋基的總教練一邊撥弄著他的頭髮，一邊往他身後的書架走去。他伸手在書架上拿了一本裝訂好的藍色資料夾，裡面是球探報告的資料。

“O.K., who do we have next — Toronto and Baltimore, right?” Girardi said, presumably to the Yankees media relations director, Jason Zillo, the only club employee within earshot.
「嗯，接下來我們的對手是－藍鳥和金鶯，沒錯吧？」老吉問道，大概只有洋基媒體事務主任Jason Zillo是唯一一位聽到老吉說這句話的人。

That quickly, Girardi had put aside the Yankees’ first series victory in almost a month and moved to the next job. With 38 games to play, 10 games to make up on Tampa Bay in the division race and five and a half games to make up on Boston in the wild-card race, the Yankees face a difficult, but not insurmountable, task in trying to assure themselves a postseason berth.
很快地，老吉就將洋基近一個月來，首次贏得系列賽勝利的喜悅給放在一旁，繼續埋頭準備接下來的工作。球季剩下38場比賽，目前距離分區第一的光芒隊10場勝差，在外卡的競爭上也落後紅襪5.5場，洋基面臨艱困的處境，但並非是無法克服的，必須非常拼命才有可能保住他們晉級季後賽的希望。

The 2004 Houston Astros are the only team to come from seven games back through 122 games or later to earn a wild-card berth, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Yankees trailed the Red Sox by seven through 122 games, before cutting two games off Boston’s lead by beating Kansas City on Saturday and Sunday.
根據Elias Sports Bureau的資料，2004年的太色人（Houston Astros）是唯一一隻在打完了122場比賽，在外卡排行榜落後了七場勝差，最終還能夠贏得外卡的球隊。洋基在星期六和星期日贏了皇家之後，追近了紅襪兩場，在此之前，洋基打完122場比賽後，也是落後紅襪（目前外卡榜首）七場勝差。

The Yankees can also draw hope from last year’s Philadelphia Phillies, who overtook the collapsing Mets for the National League East title after being seven games back with just 17 to play.
洋基也從去年費城人的例子上看到了希望，去年的費城人在剩下17場的比賽當中，追趕上了在國聯東區領先七場勝差的梅子隊，最終也幹掉了他們。

As the Yankees begin a six-game trip Tuesday night at the Rogers Center, much of what can happen remains within their control, particularly in the more realistic pursuit of the wild card. They face the Red Sox six more times — three times next week at Yankee Stadium, then the final three games of the regular season at Fenway Park.
星期二晚上，洋基將在Rogers Center開始他們六場的客場之旅，是否能夠有番作為就全看他們自己了，特別是在外卡的競爭上依然相當有希望。他們還必須和紅襪正面遭遇六次，下禮拜就有三場比賽在Yankee Stadium，另外三場則是在Fenway Park。

But the Yankees are also entering a stretch in which they will play 16 of their next 22 games on the road, including the makeup of a May 11 rainout at Detroit that begins a 10-day trip to Tampa Bay, Seattle and Anaheim. That could be troublesome for a team that is 28-31 outside the Bronx and dropped 7 of 10 games on its most recent trip.
但洋基也陷入了一連串客場征戰的麻煩，在未來的22場比賽當中，有16場的比賽是客場，其中包含了一場5月11號，面對老虎隊的補賽，然後是連續十天的客場征戰，分別要面對坦帕灣光芒、西雅圖水兵和安納罕天使。這對於球隊來說可能會是個大麻煩，因為今年洋基的客場戰績是28勝31敗，而且在最近十場的客場當中，他們輸了七場比賽。

“We knew we were going to go through this because of all the home games we had in July,” Girardi said. “Back on the road, back to work.”
「我們都知道這是我們將會面臨到的問題（指連續的客場作戰），因為七月份的賽事幾乎都是主場作戰。」老吉說，「重回客場，重新回到作戰崗位上。」

Over all, the Yankees will face teams with winning records in 28 of the final 38 games. Besides two series each against the Rays, the Red Sox and the Blue Jays, the Yankees play the other two divisional leaders, the Angels and the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox (70-53) are tied with Minnesota atop the American League Central.
大致上來說，洋基剩下的38場比賽當中，有28場的比賽將會遭遇到戰績比自己好的球隊。除了面對光芒、紅襪和藍鳥還剩下各兩個系列賽之外，洋基還會遭遇到其他兩個分區的領先者，天使和白襪。白襪目前的戰績（70勝53敗）和雙城並列美聯中區的榜首。（編按：本篇文章截稿時，白襪和雙城是並列分區榜首沒錯，不過今天（台灣時間08/19）賽後，白襪（71-53）暫時領先雙城（70-54）一場勝差。）

Depending on how that race goes, either the White Sox or the Twins will be a wild-card factor, too. Chicago and Minnesota each entered Monday a half-game behind the Red Sox in the wild-card race and four and a half games in front of the Yankees.
依照賽事的發展情形，白襪或是雙城都可能會是外卡的競爭對手之一。截至星期一為止，白襪和雙城分別在外卡排行榜上落後紅襪半場勝差，並且領先洋基四場半的差距。（編按：目前的最新情形是：雙城落後紅襪一場半，領先洋基四場勝差，也就是洋基落後紅襪五場半。）

“You’re constantly reminded, because people are always talking about it,” the Yankees’ captain, Derek Jeter, said. “The teams we’re trying to catch, we play. Bottom line is, if we win our games, we’ll be fine.”
「你總是不斷的被提醒，因為人們總是一直談論著這件事。」洋基隊長說，「面對這些我們試著去追趕的球隊，去打就對了。重要的是，只要我們贏了比賽，那一切就沒問題了。」

Hideki Matsui’s return from an inflamed left knee should help. He was scheduled to be activated from the disabled list in time for Tuesday’s game, and will be a designated hitter for the rest of the season, according to Girardi.
因為左膝腫脹而缺席的大松井即將歸隊，這對球隊來說應該是個幫助。根據老吉的說法，大松井預計將會在星期二的比賽當中離開傷兵名單，並且在未來的比賽擔任指定打擊的工作。

But the Yankees also need better production from their marquee hitters. “If we don’t, we’re not going to win,” said the cleanup hitter Alex Rodriguez. “That’s what it comes down to. Three, four, five in the lineup have to come up big, and we haven’t lately.”
然而，洋基還需要陣中這些鼎鼎大名的強打們提供更多的打點才行。「如果我們做不到，那麼就沒有辦法贏球。」第四棒的阿肉說，「總歸一句話，打線中的三、四、五棒都必須打些大隻的，只是我們最近並沒有辦到。」

Rodriguez’s game-tying three-run homer in the first inning of Sunday’s 15-6 rout of Kansas City was welcome, given his .235 average with runners in scoring position when the day began. Rodriguez batted all five times Sunday with men on base, delivering three hits and five runs batted in and walking twice. Jason Giambi’s grand slam Sunday produced only his third multiple-R.B.I. game since July 2, when he drove in six runs against the Red Sox. Since then, he has hit .211 (20 for 95).
星期天那場以15比6擊潰皇家隊的比賽當中，阿肉在第一局追平比數的三分打點全壘打來的正是時候，即使開賽之前，阿肉得點圈上有跑者的打擊率僅僅只有2成35。阿肉在星期天的比賽當中，五次的打擊機會，壘上都有跑者，他擊出了三支安打，貢獻五分打點，另外還獲得了兩次的保送。大吉的滿貫砲也僅僅是他從7月2號貢獻六分打點擊敗紅襪以來，第三場貢獻兩分以上打點的比賽。從那之後，他的打擊率只有2成11（95打數20支安打）。

Two places ahead of Rodriguez, Jeter went 4 for 4 Sunday, his fourth consecutive multihit game. He has hit .631 (12 for 19, all singles) in that stretch.
第二棒的隊長也在那天打出了四支四的表現，這也是他連續第四場單場兩支（或以上）安打的比賽。在皇家的系列賽中，他繳出了6成31的打擊率（19打數12支安打，全都是一壘安打）。

“You can expect those guys to contribute, because they’ve done it before,” Girardi said.
「你可以預見這些球員們將會持續的對球隊做出貢獻，因為過去他們就是這樣。」老吉說。

But those hitters will have a quick challenge this week, having to face the Blue Jays’ A. J. Burnett on Tuesday and the even more imposing Roy Halladay on Thursday. Halladay shut down the Red Sox on Saturday night at Fenway Park for his 14th victory and 8th complete game of the season.
但是這些打者很快的就會在這個禮拜面臨挑戰，星期二要面對藍鳥的A. J. Burnett，星期四還要面對更難纏的Roy Halladay。Halladay上星期六在Fenway Park完全封鎖了紅襪的打擊，贏得了本季的第14勝，這也是本季他第8場的完投。

Combined, Burnett and Halladay are 4-1 against the Yankees this season. Halladay threw a two-hit shutout against them in mid-July. And the Blue Jays are only two games behind the Yankees in the American League East. So against the odds, and against some very good pitchers, the Yankees will go back on the road this week, traveling uphill.
綜合Burnett和Halladay本季對戰洋基的戰績：4勝1敗。Halladay七月中面對洋基還投出了一場只有兩安打的比賽，而且藍鳥在美聯東區也只落後洋基兩場勝差而已。面對這些不利因素，面對這些表現傑出的投手，洋基將在本週踏上客場征戰的旅程，艱困的旅程。

INSIDE PITCH

CARL PAVANO pitched better than PHIL HUGHES in their Sunday rehabilitation starts, and General Manager BRIAN CASHMAN would not rule out Pavano;s starting for the Yankees on Saturday in Baltimore. Pavano, returning from reconstructive elbow surgery and pitching for Class AA Trenton, held Reading to one run and six hits with six strikeouts in six innings. Hughes, in a start for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowed five runs and eight hits in three and two-thirds innings against Lehigh Valley, the worst team in the International League at 52-76. “That’s why we’ve been getting him ready, so he can come back and pitch for us, whether it’s Saturday or some point beyond that,” Cashman said of Pavano, who has one major league victory since 2005. Pavano is in the final year of a four-year, $39.95 million contract. ... JOBA CHAMBERLAIN accompanied the Yankees to Toronto, where he was expected to continue his throwing program.
痛痛人在星期天的復健賽當中，表現的比大帝要來的好，總經理現金人不排除在星期六面對金鶯的時候讓痛痛人上場投球。從手肘重建手術當中回來的痛痛人，替2A Trenton出賽，主投六局，讓Reading隊擊出六支安打，丟掉一分，但也送出了6K。

在3A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre出賽的大帝，面對International聯盟中，戰績最差的Lehigh Valley（52勝76敗），主投三又三分之二局，被擊出八支安打，掉了五分。

「這就是為什麼我們讓他（痛痛人）做好準備，讓他能夠回來替我們投球，不論是星期六或是在之後的某個時間點。」現金人談到痛痛人的時候這麼說。自2005年以來，痛痛人僅在大聯盟拿到一勝的戰績。今年也是痛痛人簽下四年三千九百九十五萬合約的最後一年。

喬巴會隨洋基前往多倫多，並且持續他的投球練習。

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/sports/baseball/19yankees.html?ref=baseball

The mailbag opens back up

Doug writes: Do you think there’s any chance the Yanks would sign Francisco Rodriguez to be the 8th inning guy, and would he be open to that role?
你認為有機會可以簽下K-ROD作為洋基第八局的setup man嗎？這樣的角色K-ROD有可能會接受嗎？

Answer: That sounds good for the Yankees. But K-Rod is going to want to close in the prime of his career and make big money. The Yankees are already paying Mariano to close.
這聽起來對於洋基來說好像很棒，但是K-ROD在他職業生涯的巔峰時期只想做個終結者並且藉此大撈一筆。而洋基也已經簽下MO作為球隊的守護神了。

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Daniel writes: I wanted to ask you if you knew anything about the Washburn situation. I just heard that he was claimed but it’s unknown which teams did that. Given the interest of the team in Washburn previous to the trade deadline, I am surprised they did not move to claim him, especially when the rotation is in dire need of an arm.
我想請問你的是，你知道任何有關於洗炸彈（Washburn）目前的消息嗎？我剛剛聽說他已經被claim了，可是不知道是哪一隊。洋基之前在交易截止日之前表示對洗炸彈有興趣，我很訝異他們沒有簽下他，尤其是現在的先發輪值真的很需要一位投手。

Answer: The Twins claimed him, Daniel. Seattle wanted either Kevin Slowey or Nick Blackburn back in a trade. Obviously that’s ridiculous. The Mariners have an inflated opinion of what Washburn is worth and the Yankees don’t want to give in to their demands.
是雙城claim的。水兵想要在這個交易裡拿到Kevin Slowey或是Nick Blackburn，很顯然的，這是很可笑的事情。水兵已經過份的誇大了洗炸彈的價值，所以洋基並不想要給水兵他們所提出的要求。

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Dan writes: Do you know how many Yankees have been put on/cleared waivers? Do you see them possibly becoming sellers for any reason?
你知道有多少的洋基球員被放入讓渡名單嗎？你認為他們有可能被賣掉嗎？

Answer: At some point, probably all of them were placed on waivers. That common at this time of the year. No idea who cleared. I don’t see them become sellers in the next two weeks before playoff rosters must be set. Any players who might be worth trading are either players they want to keep or guys who have no-trade clauses. I don’t see any trades coming down at this point.
在某些時候，每個洋基球員都可能會被放進讓渡名單內。在每年的這個時候來說，這都是很常見的現象。我不知道誰已經被出清了，我不認為在未來的兩個禮拜內，在季後賽球員名單確定之前，這些被放入讓渡名單的球員會被交易掉。任何一位有交易價值的球員也是洋基想要留下來的或是具有拒絕交易條款的球員。我不認為在這個時間點會有任何交易發生。

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Marc writes: Somebody needs to ask Girardi why he refuses to hit and run with Jeter while Damon is on first. If a guy is hitting a lot of weak ground balls to second and GIDP, why don’t you hit and run to stay out of the double play? Jeter would fist one though the hole left open at second half the time, and you would have runners on the corners with nobody out. Also, A-Rod needs to bat third, and move Abreu to fourth. You have to do something to try and get Alex out his slump. And Abreu is the team’s best clutch hitter.
真的需要有個人去問問，為什麼在大門上到一壘輪到隊長打擊時，老吉總是不用打帶跑的戰術。如果有個人總是擊出一堆往二壘方向的軟弱滾地球然後造成雙殺，為什麼不下達打帶跑的戰術來避免雙殺呢？隊長有大半的時間都將球擊向二壘壘包左邊的洞，這樣一來，可能就會形成壘包上有人，沒有人出局的情況。（編按：當一壘有人時，若下達打帶跑戰術，通常游擊手就會進入二壘做補位，這樣二壘壘包左側就很容易形成大空檔，如果Jeter將球擊向那個洞，就比較容易形成安打的情形。）另外，阿肉應該調去打第三棒，然後讓Abreu去打第四棒。你們需要做點什麼讓阿肉擺脫他的低潮才對，而且Abreu才是洋基隊上最好的關鍵時刻的打者。

Answer: Marc, are you available to manage the rest of the season? I’m forward your e-mail to Brian Cashman.
Marc兄，請問你有空來帶領洋基這剩下的球季嗎？我已經將你的來信轉寄給現金人了。
（編按：亞伯拉胖還真是愛搞笑呀.... =.=||）

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Dave writes: If the Yankees continue to play poorly, do you think the front office will forego the playoffs this year and call up some of the young prospects and let them play? As a fan, I really do not think the Yanks are going to make the playoffs this year; but I would enjoy watching the kids play.
如果洋基繼續打的這麼糟的話，你認為球團會放棄今年季後賽希望，然後從小聯盟叫一些年輕的潛力新秀上來大聯盟磨練磨練嗎？身為球迷，我真的不覺得洋基今年可以闖進季後賽，但是我很想要看到這些年輕的球員有機會上來打球。

Answer: There are two problems with your idea, Dave. I don’t think they’ll give up and I don’t think they really have any MLB-ready prospects. The players in Scranton are pretty much organizational players and not prospects. You’ll see a few new faces on Sept. 1 but no wholesale changes.
Dave，你的提議有兩個困難點。我不認為他們會放棄而且我也不認為他們具有任何已經準備好上大聯盟的潛力新秀。在Scranton的球員們目前表現的都還算是中規中矩，但不是所謂的潛力新秀。你可能會在9月1日看到一些新面孔，但變動不大。

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Eric writes: I love the Yankees, you should not give up on them! They’re my boys. I feel very strongly about this.
噢，我愛洋基隊，你們不應該放棄他們。他們就像是我的孩子一樣，我對此深信不疑。

Answer: Moving right along …
電梯向下，下一位........

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Vinnie writes: Pete, who do you think is the one free agent they should go after next season?
你認為在明年球季，哪一位自由球員是洋基應該去爭取的呢？

Answer: I was very impressed with Mark Teixeira when the Yankees were out in Anaheim earlier this month. But the guy to get is CC Sabathia. The new Stadium will be the same dimensions as the old Stadium, making lefty starters important. Sabathia would give them a true No. 1 starter as Chien-Ming Wang recovers from his injury. A rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Andy Pettitte and/or Mike Mussina and the one or two most deserving of the kids (Joba presumably) would be formidable.
當洋基上個月離開Anaheim的時候，我對鐵爺（Teixeira）的表現印象深刻。但是，洋基需要去爭取的是C胖（CC Sabathia）。新洋基球場的規劃將會和舊洋基球場一樣，這也使得（擁有一位）左投手變的相當重要。（編按：因為洋基球場較利於左打者，所以如果擁有左投手，比較能夠有效的壓制左打的攻擊。）C胖會和未來受傷歸隊小王一樣，成為洋基隊真正No.1的投手。擁有C胖、小王、帥派（或是穆帥）和一到兩位表現傑出的年輕投手（假設是喬巴）的先發投手陣容將會令人畏懼三分。

That would put everybody in their proper slots. It also would enable you to trade a young pitcher as part of a package to get a good young hitter.
每個人都會在適合自己的位置上，這也讓你有機會利用一位年輕投手當作交易包裹換來好的年輕打者。

Thanks for all the great questions.

News source：http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/08/18/the-mailbag-opens-back-up-2/

Is It Time To Give Up Hope On The 2008 Yanks?

該是對今年的洋基放棄希望的時候了嗎？

August 14, 2008, 12:25 am
By Tyler Kepner
Tags: Derek Jeter, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Girardi, Phil Hughes, Robinson Cano, Yankees

Maybe people were just so ready for a new Yankees chapter that most of us ignored the obvious in spring training: their young pitchers might not be as polished as advertised. Intelligent people across baseball thought Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy were ready to contribute. Because of injuries, ineffectiveness or both, it just hasn’t worked out.
許多人也許都已經準備好要迎接新洋基的到來，但是大多數的我們都忽略了在春訓中的現實情形：他們的年輕投手群可能並沒有媒體報導來的那樣好。了解棒球的聰明人認為喬巴、大帝和總統都已經準備好對洋基有所貢獻了，但由於傷病和無效率的投球，也許兩者都有，導致他們的貢獻沒有如預期那樣的產生。

I bring this up because yet another team has shown the Yankees what they are missing. Look at the Minnesota Twins. Consider these names: Scott Baker, Glen Perkins, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Francisco Liriano. Five young starters. Only Liriano, who was hurt, attracted widespread hype in March. All have proven more ready to help their team win than any comparable young starters on the Yankees.
我會提起這件事情是因為另外一支球隊剛好告訴了洋基他們所失去的是什麼。讓我們看看明尼蘇達雙城吧，試著想想這些名字：Scott Baker、Glen Perkins、Nick Blackburn、Kevin Slowey和Francisco Liriano，五位年輕的先發投手。只有受傷的Liriano在三月引起了廣泛的注意。這五位投手所展現出來的比洋基的年輕投手群更能夠幫助自己的球隊贏得勝利。

Yet pitching is the Yankees’ strength. Derek Jeter acknowledged as much after Wednesday’s embarrassing loss to end a miserable 3-7 road trip. “To be honest, our pitching has been pretty good,” Jeter said. “We’ve got to find ways to score runs.”
投手群的表現依然是洋基的優勢，在星期三，洋基帶著三勝七負的戰績結束了這一趟令人難堪的客場之旅後，Jeter坦承道：「老實說，我們的投手群表現的真的很好，我們必須做的是找到得分的方法。」

Their repeated failures in runners with scoring position might be a statistical fluke, but it’s killing the team, and the front office clearly recognizes that. What they can do about it – long term — is another story.
他們一直重覆著無法將得點圈上的跑者送回來的失敗，這也許是在統計數字上的偶然事件，但這的確整死了球隊，教練團也明白的承認這一點。然而，他們如何解決這個長久以來的癥結所在，那又是另一個問題了。

They made a nice trade for a solid hitter in Xavier Nady, and that’s a start. But unless you believe in Brett Gardner – and maybe we should – there’s no position player from the farm system ready to help next season.
他們做了一個很棒的交易，換來了可以令人信任的打者Xavier Nady，而這只是開始。但是，除非你相信Brett Gardner（也許我們應該相信），在農場裡沒有一個球員準備好在下一季裡幫助洋基。

There’s a lot to fix, and it will be interesting to see if the road trip saps the spirit of the players the way it has for many fans. (Even the good folks at nomaas.org have given up hope.) Three games at home against the Royals might make the Yankees feel better, but this is a real test for Manager Joe Girardi.
有太多的洞需要去補了，另一個有趣的現象值得我們去觀察的是，這一趟客場之旅是否會讓支持洋基的球迷們失去信心如同讓洋基隊一蹶不振一般。（即使是nomaas.org的死忠球迷也已經放棄了今年的洋基）在主場對上皇家隊的三場比賽也許會讓洋基好過一些，但，這才是對老吉真正的考驗。

His lineup on Monday, after the Anaheim sweep, when he sat the team’s hottest hitter in Johnny Damon, was puzzling for many in the clubhouse. There’s clearly a void in the coaching staff, too, with the departure of Larry Bowa.
被天使橫掃之後，老吉在星期一所排出來的打序讓許多球團的人感到困惑，因為他選擇讓球隊中打擊最火熱的大門坐板凳。在Larry Bowa離開洋基後，也明顯的看出教練團成員缺乏的問題。

Players expected to take off toward greatness, like Robinson Cano, have slid back. Players expected to mature into steady contributors, like Melky Cabrera, have not. Bench guys, like Wilson Betemit, have been disappointing.
球員們期待可以朝好的表現邁進，但是像Robinson Cano則是持續走下坡。球員們期待自己可以成熟穩定的對球團有貢獻，但是牛奶弟卻不是這樣。像Wilson Betemit這樣的板凳球員則是讓人感到失望。

And veterans whose prime years are behind them have started what might be a steady downward trend in their statistics: like the 2 and 3 hitters, Jeter and Bobby Abreu (though he’s driving in runs).
另外，一些老將已經過了自己的巔峰時期並且在統計數據上顯現出走下坡的趨勢：像是第二棒與第三棒的打者，Jeter與Abreu（雖然Abreu依然具有得分的能力）。

There are deep problems, but there’s still time to make a run. The Yankees might have one last gasp in them. But there’s no evidence of that right now.
這是很嚴重的問題（指洋基隊得分能力不佳），但現在還不到放棄的時候。可能洋基已經剩下最後一口氣，但目前還沒有任何證據顯示那就是現在。

News source：http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/is-it-time-to-give-up-hope-on-the-2008-yanks/

Yanks Just Don’t Have Their Heads in the Game

洋基只是忘了帶他們的腦子上場比賽

Bobby Abreu after being called out by the umpire Brian Runge, left, on a steal attempt of second to end the top of the sixth inning.

By TYLER KEPNER

Published: August 13, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS — The worst part for the Yankees on Wednesday was not so much that they lost again. Losing happens almost every day. It was the way they lost that was most disturbing.
對於洋基來說，星期三再一次的輸掉比賽並非是最糟的事，因為這（輸球）幾乎是天天在發生的事。最讓人困擾的是他們輸球的方式。

The Yankees came to the end of a three-city stumble with a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins that was filled with mental mistakes. They lost 7 of 10 on the trip and are showing no signs they will seriously compete for a playoff spot.
洋基以4比2輸給了雙城，結束了這一系列跌跌撞撞的客場之旅，而在這場比賽當中也顯現出洋基犯了許多心態上的毛病。他們在最近十場的客場比賽當中輸了七場，而且也看不出他們有認真的想為進季後賽打拼的跡象。

“It’s a frustrating loss, a frustrating road trip,” Johnny Damon said. “We do need to get better. It’s getting pretty late for us.”

「輸了比賽令人感到沮喪，這一系列的客場之旅讓人感到挫敗。」大門說。「我們真的需要表現的更好一些，只是這似乎來的太晚了。」

The Yankees played without shortstop Derek Jeter, who is out with a bruised left foot. He promised to play on Friday, and he cannot return soon enough.
擦傷左腳的游擊手Jeter也無法在這場比賽當中上場，雖然他保證在星期五的比賽可以上場，但是可能沒有辦法這麼快就回到游擊的位置上。

With Wilson Betemit at shortstop, Robinson Canó at second base and Melky Cabrera in center field, the Yankees’ defense up the middle was painfully erratic. Several miscommunications bothered Manager Joe Girardi.
由Betemit防守游擊，Cano鎮守二壘以及牛奶弟看管中外野，洋基的守備出現了許多莫名其妙的失誤，這些守備上溝通不良的情形也讓總教練感到困擾。

“I don’t understand it,” Girardi said. “We’ve been playing way too long to have that happen. It’s something that shouldn’t happen. It’s inexcusable. Those guys have played together long enough, they understand what they need to do. Sometimes it’s just trying to do too much, and you can’t. You have to be able to relax and play.”

「我搞不懂，我們已經在一起打球這麼久了，根本不可能會發生這樣的事情。這是根本不該發生的事，令人無法諒解。這些球員已經在一起打的夠久了，他們都了解什麼是他們應該要做的。有時候太想要去表現反而卻搞砸了。你必須要學會放鬆心情去打球。」老吉這麼說。

Fittingly, a trip that started with a shoulder injury to a rookie pitcher ended the same way. On Aug. 4 in Texas, Joba Chamberlain went down. On Wednesday, it was reliever Dan Giese. He left after three hitters with a stiff shoulder.

很不巧的，這一趟客場之旅以菜鳥投手的肩膀受傷開始，同樣也是這樣的結果結束。在8月4號，喬巴面對德州遊騎兵的時候陣亡了，昨天這樣的遭遇也發生在中繼投手Dan Giese的身上。他在投了三個人次之後感覺到自己的肩膀有些僵硬。

As he usually does, Girardi tried to play down the injury, telling reporters, “He’s O.K., just a little stiff.” He added that Giese would need no medical exams, only treatment, and would probably be ready for bullpen work by Saturday.

老吉一如往常的試著將球員傷病的情形低調處理，他告訴記者：「他（Dan Giese）很好，只是肩膀感覺有點僵硬而已。」老吉也表示， Dan Giese不需要任何的醫療檢查，只需要簡單的治療，而且可能在星期六之前就可以回到牛棚。

Giese told a different story, and a media relations representative soon confirmed that he will see a doctor on Thursday.

然而 Dan Giese卻有不一樣的說法，一位媒體相關人員證實了Dan Giese將會在星期四的時候去看醫生。

“Once the first batter got in there, I definitely didn’t feel good, and I started overthrowing,” Giese said. “That’s when it started to stiffen up on me. It’s like if you get a tetanus shot and there’s that ache real deep in there. It feels like somebody punched you in the shoulder. I couldn’t get extension on any of my pitches.”

「當第一位打者站進打擊區時，我很明顯的感覺到不舒服，但我還是繼續投球，」Giese說，「那時候我就漸漸開始感覺到僵硬了，那種感覺就像是被打了一針破傷風一樣，那是一種很深層的疼痛感，就像有人在你的肩膀上重擊了一拳，讓我無法伸展手臂進行投球。」

Giese was working in relief of Darrell Rasner, who did what he usually does: work five innings and give the team a chance to win.

Giese接替Darrell Rasner上場中繼，Darrell Rasner如同往常的表現：只上了五局的班，然後給了球隊贏球的機會。

Double plays helped Rasner in the second and the third, but his defense let him down in the fourth. After a leadoff walk to Joe Mauer, Rasner got Justin Morneau to ground to third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who whipped a throw to second.

在第二局和第三局的雙殺打幫了Darrell Rasner的大忙，但是他自己在第四局的投球卻讓他陷入了麻煩。在保送了首位打者揪貓耳之後，Rasner成功的讓Justin Morneau擊出了三壘方向的滾地球，三壘手阿肉將球傳向了二壘。

Canó caught the ball, but he came off the bag and was charged with an error. Girardi absolved Canó, saying the runner would have been safe either way and that Rodriguez should have thrown to first.

Canó接到球之後，球卻從手套中掉了出來，這樣讓Canó被記了一次失誤。老吉則是出面替Canó緩頰，他說即使球沒有掉出來，跑者也可能是安全上壘，阿肉應該將球傳向一壘的。

“The umpire said he beat the throw, not that I was off the bag,” Canó said.

「裁判說他是根據傳球來做判斷的，並不是因為我掉球。」Canó說。

With one out, Delmon Young delivered the only damaging hit off Rasner. A day after swatting an opposite-field, three-run homer off Mariano Rivera, Young did the same off a cutter from Rasner to give the Twins a 3-1 lead.

一人出局之後，Delmon Young給了Rasner唯一致命的一擊。在昨天送給了MO一支反方向的三分全壘打之後，Young今天照樣將Rasner的cutter掃出了牆外，幫助雙城取得了3比1的領先。

“I left it up a little bit and he got a good swing on it and hit it to the right part of the ballpark,” Rasner said. “It was up, and I think that was the trouble. If it was down, I think it’s a different story.”

「我知道那球稍微高了一點，而他（Delmon Young）也打的很好，將球打出右外野的牆外。」Rasner說，「球高起來了，我認為這是問題所在。如果球低一點，我想又會是不一樣的結局。」

The Twins needed only those runs to win, but miscues in the later innings irked Girardi. In the sixth, Damon threw to second instead of third on a fly out because Betemit did not tell him the runner at second was tagging up.

這三分已經足夠讓雙城贏球了，但是洋基稍後的失誤讓老吉感到厭煩。第六局時，大門將接殺的高飛球傳向了二壘而不是三壘，因為Betemit沒有告訴他跑者已經準備要起跑了。

In the seventh, Nick Punto blooped a single off the glove of a charging Cabrera. It was Canó’s ball, and he signaled for it, but he backed off when Cabrera called him off.

第七局時，Nick Punto擊出了高飛球，卻因牛奶弟沒有接到球而形成了安打。那本來是Canó的球，Canó也做出指示說他要來接，但是他卻在牛奶弟叫他走開的時候退開了。

In the eighth, Mauer stole second when Canó and Betemit both converged on the base; the throw got away and nicked Betemit on the leg. It was another puzzling defensive performance by Betemit, who played first base in Anaheim last Sunday and failed to react to a ground ball single that lost the game.

第八局，揪貓耳盜上二壘，因為Canó和Betemit兩個人都同時進到二壘補位，捕手的傳球偏了，最後牽制到了Betemit的腿上。這又是另一個Betemit令人感到莫名其妙的防守表現，當他上星期六面對天使隊時，擔任一壘手，卻因為他無法順利接捕一個滾地球而讓它形成了一壘安打，最終也導致洋基輸球的命運。

“This club hasn’t made a lot of mental mistakes,” Girardi said. “Today there were a couple. I don’t know if it’s because Derek’s not out there; it’s still no excuse. All the things that happened today were in the middle. Different shortstop.”

「洋基從來不曾發生過這麼多莫名其妙的失誤，今天卻發生了一拖拉庫。我不曉得這是不是因為Jeter不在的關係，但這不是藉口。今天發生的所有失誤都是在中間方向，而不是在游擊區。」

It was a different shortstop, but a typical result: another loss for the Yankees, and another day gone in a season that is quickly getting shorter.

雖然是不一樣的游擊手，但卻是同樣的結果：洋基的另一場敗仗，隨著越來越短的球季，另一天又這樣過去了。

INSIDE PITCH

Manager Joe Girardi said starters Phil Hughes and Carl Pavano would make at least one more start before returning to the Yankees, though conceivably that could change because of Dan Giese’s shoulder injury. For now, Hughes is scheduled to throw 100 pitches for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, when Pavano is expected to start again for Class AA Trenton. ...Hideki Matsui (knee) is scheduled to start a rehabilitation assignment Thursday in Tampa, Fla. ... The deadline for signing amateur draft picks is Friday, and the Yankees still have not come to terms with their first two choices, pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jeremy Bleich, who are represented by Scott Boras. Cole has a U.C.L.A. scholarship as leverage and Bleich could return to Stanford for his senior year.

總教練老吉曾說，大帝和痛痛人在歸隊之前，至少都還會在小聯盟先發一次以上，但是現在隨著Dan Giese肩膀的受傷，情況可能會有些許的改變。

到目前為止，大帝表訂要在星期天3A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre的比賽當中先發；痛痛人則是預計要在2A先發投球。

大松井因為膝蓋的傷勢，預計星期四在Tampa進行復建。

業餘球員選秀的簽約期限是星期五，洋基目前仍然還沒有與他們的頭兩號選擇達成協議，這兩個投手（Gerrit Cole和Jeremy Bleich）的經紀人都是吸血鬼Bora$。Cole已經得到了U.C.L.A.的獎學金，而Bleich可能會回到Stanford繼續完成他大四的學業。

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/sports/baseball/14yankees.html?ref=baseball

Posada Will Have Surgery and Be Out Six Months

By TYLER KEPNER

Published: July 29, 2008

Jorge Posada arrived at Yankee Stadium on Monday and went to work in the batting cage in his effort to return as a designated hitter. Two hours later, he learned his season was over.

General Manager Brian Cashman and Manager Joe Girardi told Posada he was free to have season-ending surgery to repair labrum and capsule damage in his right shoulder. The trade for outfielder Xavier Nady makes Johnny Damon the full-time D.H.

The surgery is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, and Cashman said the recovery would take a minimum of six months. But considering Posada’s age (37 next month) and the unpredictable nature of shoulder injuries, it could take up to a year.

“You can’t expect anything — you hope,” Cashman said. “When you mess with shoulders, those are the dangerous ones.”

Posada, who had told reporters earlier Monday that he wanted to keep playing, said in a statement that he understood the need for surgery. He finished the season with a .268 average, 3 home runs and 22 runs batted in over 51 games.

“With Xavier here now, there isn’t as much pressure on me to return,” Posada said. “As difficult as it is, I can now focus on coming back 100 percent for next season instead of coming back at less than that now.”

TALKS WITH SEATTLE COOL It says a lot about the philosophical gulf between the Yankees and the Mariners that Seattle expressed interest in the Yankees’ top prospect, reliever Mark Melancon, in a potential deal for starter Jarrod Washburn. Barring a major shift by the Mariners before Thursday’s trading deadline, the teams will not make a trade.

The co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner could not mention Washburn’s name directly on Monday, but there was no doubt what he was talking about when asked about potential trades.

Steinbrenner, who has taken an active role in consulting with Brian Cashman, agreed that improving the back of the rotation was an obvious priority, and he said that a contract running through next season (such as Washburn’s) would not stand in the way of a move. But he added an ominous note.

“We made a good deal with the Pirates, but we did give away several good, young people, and that’s the way it has to be,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s going to have to be our trade. Anything we do is going to be our trade.”

That was a clear signal that the Yankees will not meet the Mariners’ initial requests for Washburn, who is owed about $14 million through next season. The Yankees see Washburn as a marginal upgrade and do not believe another team would take his contract.

Because of that, the Yankees see no reason to part with a top prospect unless the Mariners take Kei Igawa. The Mariners, meanwhile, seem to believe there could be a strong market for Washburn this winter if he continues to pitch well.

Things could change before Thursday’s 4 p.m. deadline, but for now there is no momentum toward a deal.

“Anybody who thinks that there’s something hot should check with their source, because they’re lying to you,” Cashman said, referring to all potential deals. “It’s frigid out there.”

MATSUI TAKES SOME SWINGS Wearing a brace on his inflamed left knee, Hideki Matsui took 20 swings off a tee before Monday’s game. Matsui said he felt fine and that barring any setbacks, he hoped to begin a rehabilitation assignment in a week or two. Matsui can take his time, because he could have surgery on the knee in November and still be ready for spring training.

WANG’S CAST COMING OFF Chien-Ming Wang said he expected to have the cast removed from his right foot on Tuesday, the first significant step in a monotonous recovery from the injury he sustained June 15. Wang will be on crutches for another week as he starts to walk again, and he may begin throwing while seated in a chair.

Asked if he thought he had enough time to return to the Yankees this season, Wang said, “I’ll try to do it.”

Wang said he spent most of his time watching television and playing basketball on PlayStation. He summed up his rehab in one word: “Boring.”

UPDATE ON HUGHES AND PAVANO Because of bad weather in Tampa, Fla., Phil Hughes and Carl Pavano are now scheduled to pitch on Tuesday for Class A Charleston. They will be limited to two innings, or roughly 35 pitches, but because of the nature of their injuries — a fractured rib for Hughes, an elbow operation for Pavano — Hughes has a greater chance to contribute this season.

“Hughes has a chance to fly through his rehab more so than Pavano, because Pavano’s coming back from elbow reconstruction, and that has a lot more obstacles,” Brian Cashman said. “Phil Hughes has no elbow or shoulder issues. Carl’s going to have a tougher road.”

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/sports/baseball/29pins.html?_r=1&ref=baseball&oref=slogin

Posada Decides to Play On, Hoping to Put Off Operation

By TYLER KEPNER

Published: July 24, 2008

The one thing Jorge Posada knows for sure is that he needs surgery to repair damage in his labrum and shoulder capsule. But Posada is not ready to concede the rest of the season, even if it means that his recovery will cost him part of 2009.

As recently as two days ago, Posada was convinced his season was over, no matter how much the Yankees might have wanted him to continue. But he told reporters Wednesday that while he would not catch the rest of this season, he would use the next two weeks to determine if he could hit without restrictions. If he can, Posada said he would return as a designated hitter and first baseman, and put off the operation until the winter.

“It’s not about me; it’s about the team now,” Posada said. “How can I help the team? That’s why I’m going through rehab. If I’m able to hit, then I’m going to try to do that. If I’m not able to hit, I’m going to have surgery.”

Posada said he hoped that by not throwing, his shoulder could be strong enough to make him a viable hitter. He has not helped much on offense this season, with three homers and a slugging percentage of .411, his lowest mark since becoming the regular catcher in 2000.

Manager Joe Girardi said Posada still wanted to contribute now, even if it meant missing time in 2009 from an operation that will require six months of recovery. “There’s a risk-reward, yes,” Girardi said. “It could run into next year if he had the surgery Nov. 1, absolutely.”

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/sports/baseball/24pins.html?ref=baseball