Henderson, Rice elected to Hall of Fame

Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were both elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today. Henderson received 94.8 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility, and Rice was on 76.4 percent of the ballots in his final year of eligibility.

Congratulations to both.

Don Mattingly received 64 votes (11.9 percent) and will be on next year's ballot.

Michael Kay/YES Network drinking game

Many of us have a negative opinion of extremely predictable Yankees' play-by-play announcer Michael Kay. I've decided to create a drinking game based on the YES Network's coverage on Yankees' baseball. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

• Kay says, "Fallacy of the predetermined outcome" – 1 drink
• Kay laughs like a maniacal moron, and then is joined by the others in the booth – 1 drink
• Kay says, "Put a bow on it" – 1 drink
• Kay gets on his soapbox – 1 drink
• Kay mentions that Kyle Farnsworth was caught by Joe Girardi – 1 drink
• Kay says, "We thank you for joining us" – 1 drink
• Kay says, "If you’re just joining us" – 1 drink
• Viewer notices that the YES cameras cut off the top of Kay's head – 1 drink
• Kay talks about baseball strategy, and is probably incorrect – 1 drink
• Kay mentions how Mike Mussina locked himself in his hotel room in Japan with peanut butter and crackers – 1 drink
• Kay says a player is "like the little girl with the curl" – 1 drink
• Kay uses a word you have to look up in the dictionary – 1 drink
• Kay says, "Hey!" (i.e. "Hey, Yankee fans!" or "Hey, check out…" – 1 drink
• Kay says, "Tough league" when a pitcher throws a changeup or breaking ball when down in the count – 1 drink
  
  
• Kay says, "Pretty play" – 2 drinks
• Kay says, "Oh, what a play!" – 2 drinks
• Paul O'Neill makes fun of Kay for having too many shows on YES – 2 drinks
• Kay says, "Aforementioned New York Yankees" – 2 drinks
• Kay mentions that O'Neill's trophies are behind his couch – 2 drinks
• Kay says, "The awards you love so much" – 2 drinks
• Kay mentions Don Mattingly and the bat-shaped weather vane – 2 drinks
• Kay says, "If you’re scoring at home" – 2 drinks
• Kay says, "Joe Girardi is the man with the mission on his back" – 2 drinks
• Kay explains the benefits of the staggered lineup – 2 drinks
  
  
• Kay screams, "See ya!," "there it goes," and/or "looking up" – 3 drinks / If he says all three in the same call, finish drink.
• Kay refers to Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy as "Generation Trey" – 3 drinks
• Kay calls "The Joe Girardi Show" a variety show – 3 drinks
• Kay says, "Martini Glass defense" – 3 drinks / Chug one beer if it is illustrated on the telestrator
• Kay mentions how Chien-Ming Wang runs the Taiwanese economy – 3 drinks
• Kay refers to a past conversation he had and says "he said" at least three times – 3 drinks
• Kay says, "Most people don’t know Jason Giambi came up as a third baseman" – 3 drinks
• Kay says that Giambi learned how to scoop well because of Oakland's immense foul territory – 3 drinks
• Kay says he ties a Major League record with three assists in one inning – 3 drinks
  
  
• Kay says, "Looking up" after the ball has already reached the stands – Finish drink
• Kay asks his analysts a ridiculous question and is promptly debunked – Finish drink / Take an additional drink for each time he responds with a "don’t you think..." question
• Kay talks about Kevin Mench's enormous head – Chug beer
• Kay says, "Hit DEEP to left/right/center" and the ball is then caught well in front of the track – Chug two beers
• Kay says, "Deuces wild" – 22 drinks
• Kay isn't calling the game – Spray champagne

Please drink responsibly.

Very strange

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Mattingly's HOF candidacy examined

Bryan Hoch takes a look at Don Mattingly's Hall of Fame credentials at Yankees.com.

Aside from those great years in the mid-to-late-1980s, Mattingly is not a Hall of Famer.

He is somewhat of a mythical figure in the hearts of Yankee fans. He was a bright light in a dark era for the team. This may be easy for me to say, seeing as I never really saw him play. However, strictly looking at his career numbers, he should not be elected.

He hit 222 career home runs and has a .307 career batting average. Those are solid numbers, but he wasn't as dominant throughout the rest of his career as he was between 1984 and 1989.

However, another former Yankee looks like he will finally get elected.

Keith Law (via YanksBlog and River Ave. Blues) from ESPN has been counting ballots, and Goose Gossage has appeared on 52 of 58 ballots (90%).

Mattingly and Bowa to join Torre in LA

Joe Torre announced at his press conference that former Yankee coaches Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa will be joining his coaching staff in Los Angeles.

Joe Girardi has already named his coaching staff, so this doesn't come as a surprise. Bowa was rumored to join Seattle's staff earlier this month, but I guess that can be put to rest.

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Journal News: Torre to manage Dodgers

From Peter Abraham:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to fire manager Grady Little and replace him with former Yankees manager Joe Torre, The Journal News has learned.

Torre, 67, could be named manager as soon as tomorrow, according to two sources close to the situation. Don Mattingly is expected to accompany Torre to Los Angeles as his bench coach. Torre is also interested in hiring Kevin Long, his hitting coach with the Yankees. (The Journal News)

Incidentally, Scott Proctor is a reliever for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two will be reunited, if this report is true. How funny is that?

ESPN: Girardi offered job

The Yankees officially offered their managerial job to Joe Girardi on Monday morning and he is expected to accept it, a source has told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand.

"The Yankees have offered Joe the opportunity to become their next manager. Discussions are ongoing." Steve Mandell, Girardi's agent, said. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told Don Mattingly and Tony Pena that they will not be getting the job. (ESPN)

I mentioned this in my previous post, but I felt it should be its own post.

In the same article, ESPN says that Don Mattingly will not accept a job on the coaching staff.

This is the absolute right move, and I am happy the Yankees weren't influenced by Mattingly's mythical status. The Yankees are headed down a younger path, and Girardi is the perfect manager for this team at this time. The report is that the contract is around three years for $6 million.

Interviews to begin today

From Newsday:

The Yankees will interview their first three managerial candidates in quick succession, beginning Monday in Tampa, Fla., with Joe Girardi and continuing with Don Mattingly Tuesday and Tony Peña on Wednesday.

Those are the only three candidates whom general manager Brian Cashman has contacted, but he expects to add candidates in the days to come. Cashman, club president Randy Levine and some member(s) of the Steinbrenner family (owner George and/or sons Hank and Hal) are expected to be a part of the interview process. (Newsday)

Peter Abraham had a good article about Pena and how he has support from team executives. He doesn't seem to get as much play as Mattingly and Girardi get.

Of these three candidates, Girardi is my first choice. The team is headed in a younger direction and Girardi won the 2006 National League Manager of the Year award with the young Florida Marlins.

I think hiring the unproven commodity in Mattingly would be the wrong decision the team could make following Joe Torre. Torre will be a tough act to follow and I don't think that would be fair to Mattingly. However, he wouldn't have become hitting coach in 2004 if he didn't have thoughts about managing some day.

The Yankees should carefully examine each of the candidates and not rush to any decisions.

Cashman's short list

From Peter Abraham:

Just spoke to Brian Cashman. He said he reached out today to three candidates to become manager: Joe Girardi, Don Mattingly and Tony Pena.

The Yankees were interested in speaking to Trey Hillman, but by the time they had a vacancy, he had agreed to terms with the Royals. "Trey is somebody I talk to at least once a week,"” Cashman said. "But the timing wasn’t right."

Cashman said the process could be culiminated swiftly. But he also warned that it could take until after the World Series. "I’ll expand the pool of candidates if that is what I need to do," he said. (LoHud Yankees Blog)

I am opposed to Mattingly being the manager next year. I would love it if they hired Girardi. I would also support Bobby Valentine. His name has been mentioned but I don't think it will happen.

No decisions made

Joe Torre's future with the Yankees remained unclear Tuesday after team officials gathered at the home of owner George Steinbrenner to debate whether the manager should return for a 13th season.

"The meetings are adjourned for tonight," spokesman Howard Rubenstein said shortly after the session ended about 4 p.m. "There have been no decisions made, nor will there be any comment today. The meetings will resume tomorrow."

Steinbrenner told The Record of Hackensack, N.J., on Oct. 6 that he didn't think he'd bring back the manager if the Yankees failed to advance to the AL championship series. Cleveland then eliminated New York in four games, sending New York to its third straight first-round exit. (Yahoo! Sports)

This process is unfair to Torre.

Yes, I feel that he shouldn't return as manager and it's time to move on. Torre's body of work suggests that he should be treated with respect (cue Don Mattingly). If the Yankees don't intend on bringing Torre back, they should've said so as soon as the series ended.

Derek Jeter's in my Fave 5...Who's in yours?

I have only been a Yankee fan since 1996. I know what you're thinking: bandwagon hopper. This is not true. In 1996, I was 8 years old. It just so happens that at the age I was able to fully understand and appreciate baseball, one of the greatest dynasties was being formed. Don't hold that against me. Since that time, I have made a valiant effort to learn pretty much all that there is to know about Yankees baseball.

Now, the point of this post is to stir up some conversation. Who are your five most favorite baseball players of your lifetime? They can be from your favorite team, but they don't have to be. Mine will all be from the Yankees because all the other teams are irrelevant.

1. Derek Jeter

I have been watching Derek Jeter since he first became the starting shortstop in 1996. His career started right when I first started watching baseball, so I feel that I grew up while he was growing up as a professional baseball player, much like older adults today grew up watching Mickey Mantle, Don Mattingly, etc. I have talked to some friends, and we all agree that we will first feel old when Jeter retires. The emotional attachment is there, and all of the criticism he gets is unwarranted. The man is a winner and he is the definition of a New York Yankee (whatever that means).

2. Bernie Williams

Bernie Williams will always be a favorite of mine. Like Jeter, much of my childhood was spent watching Williams play. From the clutch hits to the sliding catches in center field, he always tried his hardest. While he has since moved on from baseball, and the ending was rather ugly, he is most certainly missed.

3. Paul O'Neill

I hate to use the George Steinbrenner cliché terms, but Paul O'Neill was truly a "warrior." He was the team's emotional leader during the late 90's and the team fed off of him. You could tell when he was pissed off and the fans loved him for that. He has been gone for six years now, but he has never been adequately replaced, and frankly, he is rather irreplaceable.

4. Andy Pettitte

I had always felt a special connection to Andy Pettitte: we are both left-handed and we are both named Andrew. He is a big game pitcher and can always be depended on to pick the team up after a loss. I was so disappointed and upset when he signed with Houston after the 2003 season that I decapitated my Pettitte bobblehead doll that I received at a game in 2001. Obviously, I am thrilled he is back home this year. I just wish the team would help him out a little more.

5. Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez

Orlando Hernandez is loved by all Yankee fans. He was a great clutch pitcher and always pitched well in October. We first saw him in 1998, crazy leg kick and all. From then until 2002, and again in 2004, he was a fixture of the Yankees pitching staff. Now he is pitching for the Mets, and while it is a little disappointing, I still love watching the man pitch.