MARK PRIOR IS STILL IN BASEBALL

Can you believe it?

Now Mark Prior is retired, but I was happy to see that he just secured a gig with the Dodgers.  Check this out. It's from the Los Angeles Times...

(Cataffo/News)

"Mark Prior, a former All-American pitcher at USC and an All-Star for the Chicago Cubs, will be the Dodgers bullpen coach in 2018, according to people familiar with the situation. The organization is expected to announce Prior’s hiring on Wednesday. Prior will replace Josh Bard, who departed manager Dave Roberts staff after two seasons to become bench coach of the Yankees."

And there you have it.

Enjoy your cold, unpleasant weather if you are in the Northeast. We are getting shellacked!

Stay warm.

HEY LARRY ROTHSCHILD... YOU GOTTA GO!

This season the New York Yankees have had it all go wrong in the blink of an eye. Three fifths of the starting rotation is on the shelf. Some of the older players have looked every bit their age, and the bullpen has been used and abused. The Yankees look like their 2013 selves…and they weren’t a handsome bunch if you’ll remember.

One of the knee jerk answers fans will often come up with when the boat springs a leak is to blame the coaches. Kevin Long has been raked over the coals more than a few times the last few seasons and at times rightly so. These hitters are his responsibility. Now each slugger needs to do their work and share said responsibility, but when the team struggles to score runs the buck stops at K Long. That’s life in the Major Leagues. It is a result based business, and if your guys lack pop, YOU GOTTA GO!

Let’s put Coach Long on the back burner for now shall we? He is not the gentleman I’m looking to focus on this time around. I’d like to see the Yankees hire O’Neill or Tino to oversee the Bomber bats…but that’s a discussion for another time.

What do you say we take a crack at the older chap on the bench? The fella with the glasses that looks a tad out of place and certainly out of touch. The guy that mopes out to the mound to impart wisdom on the pitching staff…that Larry guy who looks JUST LIKE the actor who played Marvin Stanwyk in “Fletch” (Seriously look him up its uncanny!).

Larry Rothschild puzzles me in every way, shape and form. How was he the logical choice when the organization went looking for a new pitching coach? I understand the Chicago Connection with Joe Girardi, but Rothschild was a lousy manager in Tampa Bay. Yes, they were an expansion team and even Piniella had his struggles with the club, but Larry seemed as clueless then as his does now.

And more importantly DOES ANYONE REMEMBER that it was this genius at the wheel of the Prior/Wood machine and helped drive them into the ground?!  Larry Rothschild’s resume is far from stellar and yet the Yankees felt he was the man for the job.

I won’t accuse Larry of hurting CC Sabathia's knee or causing Michael Pineda to be a less-than intelligent kid with a glob of pine tar on his neck, but his job as pitching coach has been fairly poor. I’m sure that the front office, GI Joe and Cashman would stand behind their choice and tell me that I wasn’t being fair, but Rothschild just doesn’t instill any confidence in me that he has a clue as to what he is doing. I’ve never heard one Yankee pitcher rave about him (something they did about Mel and Gator by the way). It just seems that he is that substitute chemistry teacher that the students ignore. It’s as if he used to work in government or for a big corporation, made a nice living, retired and now wants a low impact job just to stay busy…hey Larry, THIS AIN’T THAT GIG!!

The Yankees aren’t the Rays when it comes to developing young arms. They have had nobody come to the show and make it the way Andy and Mariano did. We have seen Kennedy, Chamberlain and Hughes come up with a head of steam only to fade away and head off to other clubs. Is that Larry’s fault? No…but he didn’t help. I worry about him messing up the only good thing about New York pitching, namely Masahiro Tanaka. Ask Mark Prior what he thought of Rothschild’s tutelage.

I wish we could wrestle Dave “Rags” Righetti away from the Bay Area Big Guys. Maybe we could send him a highlight package of his No No in 1983…it was on July 4th, the Boss’s birthday. George would want you back home, Rags. I no longer want this trumped up Driver’s Ed teacher holding the reigns on the starters and bullpen!

I am probably being too tough on Larry. The pitchers do the pitching, he doesn’t. Injuries happen and age can creep up on you…but I still think it’s time for a change of pace. I’d like to see a battle tested pitcher step in and lead the Yankee hurlers. Why not Boomer? Can we give Coney a ring? Hell, call El Duque!! They all played with the current manager and know what it takes to pitch on Baseball’s biggest stage.

I want to be sure you understand this is not personal. I don’t know Larry Rothschild and don’t ever want to see someone lose his or her job. I’m a merely throwing out the idea that a coaching change may need to come sooner rather than later. Oh and K Long, I haven’t forgotten about you, sir. You’re skating on thin ice. Believe it. Both Larry and Kevin were given very expensive pieces to this machine. They better learn to help make it work because this in New York. Do your job at a high level or YOU GOTTA GO!

**Larry, the Mighty Mighty BossTones say it better than I can.**

 

--Mike O'Hara, MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
   Twitter: @mikeyoh21
"Paulie was always my favorite player."



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GUESS WHAT MARK PRIOR'S DOING?

Hey, it was a good run.  Mark Prior was a young pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and he and Kerry Wood were dynamic together.  But much like any young pitcher with injury, sometimes things just don't work out.  It's no ones fault.  Sometimes it's bad luck, maybe you want to suggest bad strength and conditioning, although I don't think that was the case with Prior. He hadn't been in the big show since 2006.  He's 33 now. He's still young, but sometimes heart and determination even takes a toll.  He was tired of fighting and that's OK. It's official... Prior is retiring. He'll now take a job in the Padres front office.

Man he was great! And when he came back to the Yankees few years ago, I was hoping to see him start up his career again officially. It didn't happen and he kept travelling.  But the run is now over and you need to tip your cap for trying to get through it.

Baseball is a tough gig.  Getting to the show is brutal, it's a ton of work, but staying there is just as tough, being healthy or not.  I remember Marci Hensley saying just how tough it was for her husband Mike Hensley and how the kids now , even in the Yankees farm, including her son Ty Hensley of course, are working their tails off.  She said in THANKSGIVING WITH THE HENSLEYS: "I lived through it with my husband, Mike Henlsey.  I lived through the highs, the lows, the injuries and his heartbreak when he was released. We worked 4 jobs between us to allow him to finish school, most of the time not knowing where our next dollar was coming from...I do know that making it to the majors is more about a bunch of factors such as health, opportunity, and work ethic coming together.  That doesn't happen in one season with kids coming out of high school. It takes some time, in pinstripes or in some other jersey, it doesn't matter."

Those words stick in my mind every day I see a guy like Mark Prior, who's still young but just can't do it anymore.

I applaud his strength and I always rooted for this guy with the Cubs. I also wanted to see him in the majors with the Yankees.  Again, it just didn't work out, but I tip my cap to Mark... it was a good run. You deserve the best.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

FORMER YANKEES ARE MOVING AROUND

A few quick notes about former Yankees that are now on other teams trying to do things still.  Some have succeeded, some have not, but that's the game.  It's the hardest thing in the world to get to the Major Leagues and stay there because there is always someone better.  Bottom line, I like to keep you in the loop so you know about it.  That's what we do here.

Mark Prior: Yesterday it was reported that Mark Prior was released from the Reds. You can read about it HERE.  According to Yahoo Sports, "...Prior went to spring training on a minor league contract. He had a 4.66 ERA in seven relief appearances for Triple-A Louisville, but last pitched April 21 because of a right shoulder strain..."

I wonder if this is the end for Prior who has been trying to come back for a few years now, only to continue to become injured. After a while you really have to put things in perspective. Maybe this is a sign that it's over... or maybe next year he'll latch onto a new team and try again.

Eric Chavez: The Arizona Diamondbacks reinstated Eric Chavez from the disabled list...(Read HERE.)  In order to do that they have to move someone.  Who was that someone? Look below:

Eric Hinske: Yeah, that's right, the D-backs designated Hinske for assignment.  You can read about that on AZ Snake Pit (HERE). They write that the Backs: "...designated infielder Eric Hinske for assignment, according to D-backs' Executive Vice President & General Manager Kevin Towers."

That's it, that's all I got... for now.

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PRIOR, VAZQUEZ, MATSUZAKA & KATE UPTON

Let's face it, there isn't a ton of news reading about Mark Prior, Javier and Daisuke Matsuzada, but there are some good nuggets... plus, Kate Upton's been up to some stuff too.  Can't leave her out...

Mark Prior: Prior is in the best shape of his life.  Thank God.  According to Comcast Sportsnet Chicago, He wants one more shot.  Read about it HERE.

Javier Vazquez: The Nationals like Vazquez, but Vazquez isn't sure if the Nationals is for him.  That comes from the Washington Post, read HERE. Yankee fans are hoping Vazquez is NOT on the radar for the Yankees.  BYB wrote WILL THE YANKEES REUNITE WITH JAVIER VAZQUEZ? and we've been getting a lot of concern from Yankee fans about it.  

Daisuke Matsuzada:  According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.com, Matsuzada has just signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians.  You can read Jon HERE.

Kate Upton: Upton has done it again.  She is appearing on her second Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, back to back... read HERE.  Photo above.  This past year she's been all over the place, including Bleeding Yankee Blue.  Congrats to Upton, and well... there are a lot of men happy with the choice I'm sure.

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WHY NOTHING IN BASEBALL SURPRISES ME ANYMORE

There were quite a few stories swirling around Major League baseball in the past 24 hours, some Yankees related, some not, but hey, I thought I’d bring them to your attention just to keep you in the loop… that’s what we do here.

Mark Prior: The Boston Red Sox have signed former Yankees minor leaguer Mark Prior to a minor league deal.  Don’t forget, Prior was working his way back in the Yankees minor league system all last year and I was really hoping and praying for his sake, we’d get a glimpse of him last year at the major league level.  The guy last pitched in 2006 in the pros and had a slew of injuries along the way…even last year.  I actually felt pretty bad for the guy and it was clear I was the only guy that still had faith in him.  I like that he still believes in himself and for that, I hope he makes it back to the majors.  That being said, it’s now our job the hit him over the fence if he get’s there.  You can read about Prior from Jon Heyman HERE.

Brett Gardner: Marc Carig for the Star Ledger says that Brett Gardner is not likely to come off the disabled list Thursday which will mean more playing time for Eduardo Nunez or Andruw Jones in left field.  Look, I voiced my opinion on unexpected injuries in the Yankees outfield before. I hate to harp on it but this doesn’t surprise me. The Yankees had a kid named Justin Maxwell who had a dynamic Spring and they let him walk to the Houston Astros.  Maxwell was athletic and probably willing to ride the bench for an opportunity like filling in for Gardner.  Now we need to wait for Gardy to get healthy, use Andruw Jones, an awkward outfielder, and hope the ball doesn’t get hit out there.  Just sayin’, we could have planned that out alittle better.

Willie Aikens: Some of the older guys and gals may remember Aikens.  He was one of the player for the Kansas City Royals back in the 80’s.   I read a terrific piece today by SB Nation’s Amy Nelson who wrote about the hard life that Aikens had, self inflicted. He used drugs and eventually becoming a junkie and went to prison for a bit off and on.  But it was this quote that disturbed me: “Every day, every game of the World Series, I snorted cocaine.” He’s referring to the 1980 World Series where Aikens just kicked ass…a .400 average, 4 home runs and 8 RBIs, but he was a coke head.  I remember looking at his baseball cards as an 11 year old kid and was young enough to not know too much, but knowing the guy was a hot mess. You can see it in his 1981 Topps baseball card…I don’t think I was curious enough to know he was a coke head then, but it doesn’t surprise me.  That being said, Aikens is now clean and trying to help get young ballplayers who have an “itch” to dabble to change their minds and stay clean.  Read about it HERE.

Johnny Damon: The Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta said that he wants Johnny Damon to be the Indians lead off hitter this season. Read HERE.  I never saw that one coming.  Not only did teams pass on Damon, they weren’t going to pay $5 million for an old lead off hitter.  Props to the Indians for giving Damon a shot at lead off again.  You know I like Damon, just not at the price Scott Boras wanted for him.  By the way, Johnny Damon eventually signed with the Indians for …wait for it… $1.25 Million.  Damn I should have been Damon’s agent... didn't I say $1 or $2 million? You're Welcome.

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WHY NOT BRING MARK PRIOR BACK?

Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but one can dream, can’t one? I want Mark Prior back...just to see if he can get back to the major leagues. I mean, I was very excited to have Mark Prior in pinstripes last year and I was rooting for him to get in at least 1 major league relief appearance just to prove to the world and himself that he was able to work his way back. That never happened and the season came and went for Prior, with injury upon injury again. It’s really a shame. So as we continue on our quiet streak of signing warm bodies and broken down pitchers on the cheap, wouldn’t Mark Prior fit that category?

First off, you can probably re-sign a guy like Mark Prior for next to nothing, and if he continues to work for us and NOT GET HURT, what’s to say he couldn’t be called up and be in a game? See what I mean? The Yankees are worried about budget? This is an easy fix and a low risk signing. I say do it.

Recently Chad Jennings from LoHud asked Mark Newman, the Vice President of baseball operations in Tampa. Read it HERE. Newman’s response? “Right now I would say no, but never say never.”So you're telling me there's a chance! Good.

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WHERE IS JORGE VAZQUEZ?

During the season we spoke of a youngster the Yankees have that has enormous power and in their farm system right now. Jorge Vasquez made a name for himself in Spring Training last year and he played in Scranton-Wilkes Barre all season, kicking ass and taking names.

Vasquez can, in my opinion become a major league hitter, but there are 2 things wrong with Vasquez, he strikes out a lot and he plays a terrible field. Luckily, he’s young and those things could possibly be corrected. Here is his line last season in the minor leagues:

.262 AVG / 119 for 455 / 32 HR / 93 RBI / 166 K

Chad Jennings from LoHud spoke to Mark Newman, the Yankees Vice President of Baseball operations down in Tampa. Read it HERE. There were many names thrown around in his piece, but 2 stood out, Jorge Vazquez and Mark Prior. We’ll be writing up something on Mr. Prior soon.. you know how I love the guy.

Jennings ask Newman about a report that surfaced about Vasquez wanting to play in Japan. Read HERE. Newman responded “News to me…Still on my board…still under contract.”

I wonder if there’s any truth to the Japan report? I mean, Vasquez mashed the ball last year and maybe because of the gang we already have on the Yanks pro team, he feels like there’s no fit for him? After all, all the talk is constantly about Jesus Montero and Manny Banuelos. Look, I’m speculating, it’s not really fair, after all Newman confirmed it’s not true. There is no doubt though, I’d love to see Vasquez take some cuts in the majors in 2012, it could be fun, that’s all.

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WHY MARK PRIOR CAN'T CATCH A BREAK

Mark Prior’s hurt again. I swear to God. It’s like a bad bad joke. I suggest he cut all ties with Nick Johnson immediately, this is ridiculous. Prior was scheduled to pitch yesterday, but because of what seems to be a sore shoulder, they scratched his pitching appearance. Read about it HERE.

When does a player decided that enough’s enough? Mark Prior, who has fought his way through arm surgery, soreness, groin pulls and who knows what else has to think that he’s getting Punk’ed right now and Ashton Kutcher’s about to pop up in Tampa and laugh his balls off. But it’s not that simple. Clearly Mark Prior’s body’s not working right. The Associated Press reports that he was supposed to pitch in a Gulf Coast League game and because of that soreness, they decided to give it a few days. Let’s hope it’s just a few days.

Look, I wrote about my love for Mark Prior in THE PATIENCE OF MARK PRIOR. Maybe I should just cut ties with my obessession, it’s clear this guy may not make an appearance this year. But yes, it’s true, because of Prior’s drive and dedication to make it, I can’t walk away just yet. Now look, if he comes back from this injury and suddenly gets hit by a truck, I really have to rethink this. For now, I have some strict ground rules for Mark Prior getting back to the Bigs:

• Prior must stay in the bubble and only come out if there is a catcher 6o feet 6 inches away.
  
• He must make sure it’s at least 75 degrees and sunny and he needs to wear sunscreen.
• Prior must make sure your shoes are tied, or better yet, get Velcro cleats.
• He make be sure the mound is manicured and there is no rosin bag. We don’t want him to trip over it.
  
• Only throw 5 pitches, that’s safe.
  
• He should wear sunglasses. We don’t want dirt to accidently get kicked in his eyes.
  
• When Prior's finished throwing, he needs to walk slowly to the dugout. DO NOT step on the foul line. Instead, he needs to step over it. I’m supersticious.

Mark, I hope you read Bleeding Yankee Blue and yes, I know it’s got to be frustrating at this point but we have to laugh. It’s pure comedy. How does someone get hurt as much as you and NOT laugh. Sorry Eric Chavez, I forgot about you.

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THE PATIENCE OF MARK PRIOR

If you know me, you know I love and have always loved Mark Prior, in between his injuries of course. This is a guy that has pitched great while healthy, but the healthy moments are few and far between and if you look at his list of injuries through the years, he’s been hurt more than healthy. It’s quite fascinating actually.

Well, Mark Prior's patient, more patient than any man I know that continually takes a beating like he has. Why? Because late last week, Mark Prior was in a game. I'm NOT KIDDING. With all the injury and pain there is 1 thing Prior has that the other injury prone ballplayers don't have... resilience.

That's why I don’t give up on Prior because he doesn't give up on himself. I know he’s got the talent and I know the Yankees do too, if they didn’t, they would have cut him loose months ago. I say stay the course, let this guy heal and try to make it back to the big show, even if it’s 1 inning just to see if he still has it. After all, the money spent is minimal and who knows, maybe, just maybe he can make it back to contribute and see if there’s any lightening in that bottle. Don’t forget, at one point in his career, he was 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA. That was with the Chicago Cubs. Yes, In fairness, it was 8 years ago, but it’s raw talent. I can only imagine where he’d be in the record books if he was healthy. Yeah, it sounds stupid that I’m living in the past... it's definitely stupid, but I believe in him.

So, here are the details, in his Gulf League outing last Friday, Prior pitched 16 pitches, 9 of them were strikes. After he pitched, he said he felt good. That's great as far as I'm concerned. Read about it HERE. According to MLB, "Prior then recorded two strikeouts on 10 pitches, both on nasty curveballs that were clocked at 79 mph and 80 mph. His fastball throughout the outing ranged between 90 mph and 92 mph."
And I found this nuggest interesting. When talking about the different pitches he threw MLB has this from Prior:

"I figured something out with the grip, and I kind of hold it like a slider now. It used to go back too far, so I changed my grip just a tiny bit, and that's made a huge difference. I've been drawing on the ball to practice it, and that's helped out a lot." Prior got the tip from Roy Halladay and said it's been useful. "I have a lot more trust and confidence with it now," he said.

I'm looking forward to Prior's next outing, and to hopefully making it back to the big show.

And speaking of the big show, just wanted to let ya'll know that the Yankees may have released lefty JC Romero from his minor league contract recently, but it doesn't mean their done with looking at lefty pitching. The Texas Rangers released Arthur Rhodes and he has become a free agent. The Yankees are interested in the 41 year old. Read about it HERE. If they did sign Rhodes, it would be to a minor league deal. Anyway... stay tuned.

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WHY THE YANKEES ARMS RACE HAS STARTED

The Yankees are looking, no doubt about it but the good news is, some of their relief is on the mend, so just in time for the second half, the New York Yankees may end up with more pitching than they needed. But as you know, you can never have too much pitching.

First off you must know that Mark Prior is close he pitched his first game since nursing that groin injury. Read about it HERE. So, because he's throwing again, I expect to see him back soon. The question is, will he get a shot in the big show before season’s end? Man I hope so, just to see this guy healthy and in action would make me smile. Does Prior still have what it takes? He’s talented, but we’ll have to see.

Rafael Soriano is expected back soon but he still needs to do a few more rehabs before they determine when he's returning. Read it HERE. RaSo, while having a few good moments, and being apart of the Three Headed Monster has had a rough start in the Bronx no doubt and injury to this guy won’t help his reputation. If Soriano comes back and acts like a stuck up disease in the clubhouse, the Yankees will have distractions. But if he comes in willing to help any way he can, including taking a back seat to a now dominant David Robertson, things will be just fine.

Heath Bell: He is such a likable guy and very talented. The Yankees have been linked to Bell for a few weeks now, but other teams are connected to him... the Phillies, Red Sox and Rays. If the Yankees can pick up this arm, it will be a huge help to the already terrific Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Cory Wade and Luis Ayala gang. Plus, we’ll crowd things up with Rafael Soriano and maybe even another lefty to assist Boone Logan. The big question about Bell is "Who will the Yankees will give up for him?" Many are suggesting Jesus Montero. Read about this HERE. Also, Some would suggest trying to snag Heath Bell is just gluttonous. I call it stability. The Yankees didn’t pick up a top starter in the off season don’t forget, but we got damn lucky with the performances of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. Extra help in the bullpen is always needed in case these guys fall apart and last night there was an indication of that with Colon. I like this move for Heath Bell, even if they're looking at it as a rental.

JC Romero: Yes, the Nationals released him and the Yankees have signed him to a minor league deal. Read about it HERE. Romero is a lefty and could be affective in the pen with Boone Logan, but as I’ve said all along, I like the idea of someone like Scott Kazmir instead because it could be a diamond in the rough. The only issue with my scenario is Kazmir might want to start somewhere and all I’m saying is you can take a chance with him as a lefty specialist in the pen. At any rate, if the Yankees like what they see from Romero, it could be a good marriage down the stretch.

Scott Kazmir: Yes, I believe his starting days are over right now and I have this ridiculous idea to bring him into our pen to face a few lefties once in a while. Kazmir was recently attached to the Rangers at one point after he was released by the Angels. Read it HERE. The problem with that was, the Rangers are not terribly interested in the left hander, according to MLB Trade Rumors. You know our stance here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we like Kazmir. For 1, it helps the Yankees with an extra lefty and 2, Kazmir may be able to reinvent himself.

Sean Burnett: The lefty Nationals pitcher would be a smarter alternative to someone like Scott Kazmir because for the most part, his performance against lefties is pretty damn good: .235 BA and 1.17 WHIP. Read about it HERE.

Matt Capps: Bolstering the bullpen with someone like Capps may be a good idea, but I don’t necessarily see that happening. This year Capps has 13 saves. Every once in a while there is a “rumor” between the Yankees and Capps, but it never has legs. My guts saying it still doesn’t have legs. Read it HERE.

Good things are happening in Yankeeland when it comes to pitching. We are back to the second half grind and close to the trade deadline so expect the rumors to start heating up and the Yankees to step up as they make a run for another Division championship and beyond. After all, we are the New York Yankees… the best God damn team ever.

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WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE YANKEES?

Now that the All-Star break is over, what should the Yankees do to bring them to the next level?
Our Crosstown Rival, The Mets just traded away their closer Francisco Rodriguez for prospects to make the first deadline deal. The Mets are clearly in a rebuilding stage, and are trying to dump salary, but our Yankees are trying to figure out what it will take to bring them to the next championship.Let's take a look at which areas we need help with, and which possible candidates could be used to fill these voids:

• RELIEF: We are missing a solid 6th inning reliever. Joba Chamberlain went down with an injury earlier in the year, and David Robertson stepped up to take the 8th inning spot until RaSo comes back. Then, I think DRob will probably be moved back to the 7th inning spot, but who will be used to pitch in the 6th inning? I say call up someone from AAA or AA such as, Andrew Brackman, Lance Pendleton, or maybe even Mark Prior among others.

• TOP FLIGHT PITCHER: We are it and it could carry us through the playoffs if we had one. I say trade for someone such as Mark Buehrle or "Pretty Boy" CJ Wilson.

• EXTRA HITTING: Any team could always need another bat. I think having another person for some power or average is a threat in the lineup could really spice things up. I say trade for a 3 month rental and see how it pays out. My few candidates to trade for are Lance Berkman, Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, or if a miracle were to happen, Albert Pujols.
  

IMAGINE this lineup:

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Pujols/ Prince Fielder DH
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Teixeira 1B
7. Swisher RF
8. Martin C
9. Gardner LF

seems like Murderers Row 2.0, right?

Let me know what you think by commenting on this post or hitting me on Facebook. Or, if you have a blackberry you can add the Bleeding Yankee Blue group on BBM and we can converse in there. Thanks.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY HE'S MAN DOWN, NOT OUT

Mark Prior is still hurting and it has nothing to do with his shoulder, but it has everything to do with his groin. It kills me but it’s true. I was and still am rooting for Mark Prior who has had more injuries than B.A. Baracus in the entire A-Team Series and that show had plenty of nutty stunts. The good news is, he has finally thrown a live batting practice and is working his way back. That nugget comes from KFFL.com. Read it HERE. What can you do, we've always known that Prior was an injury risk and most of Cashman’s signing ideas have panned out this year, but some don’t, although I’m not giving up on Prior yet. It sounds like if he threw 27 pitches like it's being reported and feels no pain in that groin, he'll hopefully be on his way back. It’s been quite a while since he was able to face live hitters because this groin injury needed time to heal. Bottom line, if it doesn’t heal, well, C’est la Vie, we'll be forced to move on.

The Scranton Times Tribune reports that with all the problems with his shoulder, this groin is the most annoying because of the time it will take to get back on the mound. They have a great quote: “Mark Prior had to admit that pain was all he could feel. Not physical pain. The pain of disappointment. The brutal pain of frustration.”

That sums it up for me. The guy has had injury upon injury for years with the Cubs, and finally, he comes back to the New York Yankees, ready to contribute, grateful he was given a chance and he was on the right track and then, the groin injury. Son of a Bitch.

You know me, I was expecting to see this guy up and helping out our bullpen by now, and who knows, if there was no groin injury we may have seen him already. It’s got to kill Prior because even when he takes a step forward, he’s taking 2 back. Luckily, this KFFL report is a positive one.

The Scranton times quotes Prior: “I guess one way of looking at it is, It’s not my shoulder, but unfortunately, it hasn’t been getting better. It’s been a long month to say the least.”

If there is one thing to think about, it’s Prior's positive attitude. He wants this more than anyone and I predict, he’ll be up this year, even briefly and that will be enough for me. Heart and Dedication, love it. When this guy is healthy I see good things, even with our already stacked bullpen.

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