One of the things I find oddly endearing about Alex Rodriguez is his terminal awkwardness. Even when he’s doing something that should be totally cool, he still manages to look goofy. It kind of humanizes him, in a weird way. And no matter what he does, somebody will always, always, bring up Derek Jeter and say that Jeter would never do whatever A-Rod did.
Like when A-Rod was sitting in a …

If Derek Jeter wouldn’t switch positions for Alex Rodriguez, he isn’t likely to do so for Jose Reyes. But plenty of other teams could be in the market at the end of this year for an under-30, All-Star caliber shortstop. And one of those teams could be the Phillies.
Here’s a quote from an NL East GM at the end of last season:
I think we’ll probably let things, at this time, …

The New York Post’s Joel Sherman has an exclusive interview with Hal Steinbrenner today, with Hal saying that he has “no problem” with what Brian Cashman is doing:
 “[Cashman] and I have a great working relationship,” Steinbrenner said by phone, “There is no problem, right now. I think we have had a bunch of drummed-up drama.”
….When asked if he imagined wanting to keep Cashman beyond 2011, Steinbrenner said: “Yes, absolutely. I think …

I’m really starting to think Brian Cashman contracted Joe Torre Disease this offseason. The symptoms include believing you’re bigger than the Yankees, waging a battle in the media against real or perceived enemies in the front office, and thinking that your you-know-what doesn’t stink.
Funny thing is, I have agreed with many of Cashman’s moves over the years. Don’t forget, he traded for Alex Rodriguez and Bobby Abreu and Nick Swisher, and believed …

Hank Steinbrenner said Brian Cashman never got to personally meet with Cliff Lee when negotiating with him, and Steinbrenner blames it on the deer. In an extensive interview with Kevin Kernan, Yammering Hank explains:
“The fans pay the bills, we owe it to ourselves and to them to put the best product out there,” Hank said. “If we couldn’t get Cliff Lee, I’m really happy about getting Soriano. I just wish Lee …

GQ Magazine has a cover story this month naming the 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time. The article itself is not online yet on GQ’s website, although USA Today has a copy of the list, in alphabetical order. And I have a lot of issues with the list.
There are no women on it (wasn’t Billie Jean King cool? How about Jennie Finch or Brandi Chastain?), the ”All Time” in the name seems to cover only …

I watched the AFC Championship Game with Squawker Jon on Sunday, and I felt like somebody punched me in the stomach during the first half. So that’s what it means to root for the Jets? Yikes!
At least the Jets showed some real fight after getting knocked down, the way the Yankees really didn’t in last year’s ALCS, so they’ve got that going for them.
But so much for my …

At halftime of the Jets game, I rationalized to Squawker Lisa that at least a blowout loss is less painful than a close one. But I’m glad the Jets made it close, even if it’s that much more frustrating that this was a game they could have won. However, by barely showing up in the first half, it was not a game the Jets should have won.
When the Jets rallied …

To all the nonbelievers! I made three predictions this October: that the Yankees would win the ALCS, that Cliff Lee would not sign with the Yankees, and that the Jets would win the Super Bowl. I was right on one of the predictions (although I never would have guessed that Lee would go back to Philadelphia), and wrong on the Yankees’ playoff chances. But tonight, I think the Jets will …

A day after the news broke that the Yankees were signing Scott Boras client Andruw Jones, Sports Illustrated columnist Jon Heyman revealed that Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, two of Boras’ other clients are headed to Tampa together. And the next time Derek Jeter reportedly gripes about having to take a pay cut, somebody ought to tell him to take a look at what these one-time stars will be making …

Episode #041 – In this hastily put together podcast, I have all of the audio from the interviews I was a part of at the FanFest digital digest.  Dayton Moore, Ned Yost, Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur all make appearances and I briefly discuss the event.
Follow Nick on Twitter @brokenbatsingle or on Facebook
Music used in this podcast:
Super Furry Animals – It’s Not The End Of The World?

Talking Heads – …

Squawker Jon told me this morning that he can’t ever remember the GM of the Yankees — or for that matter, any other team — introducing a new acquisition by talking about how he “didn’t recommend the deal” and didn’t want the player on the team. But that’s pretty much what happened at yesterday’s introductory press conference for Rafael Soriano. Way to roll out the welcome mat, Bri!
And while the …

I’ve been saying all winter that for some strange reason, Brian Cashman seems to have shown very little interest in wanting Andy Pettitte back. His comments have been very tepid in talking about one of the greatest pitchers the Yankees have ever had. And the fact that Cash recently compared Pettitte to Brett Favre, the day before praising Carl Pavano (!) seems to be a real passive-aggressive message to the …

If I didn’t know better, I would think ESPN’s Rob Neyer’s article entitled “Yankees and Pavano just too many heroes” was a parody. But unfortunately, it appears to be for real. In the piece, Neyer calls Brian Cashman a hero for trying to re-sign Carl Pavano, and Pavano a hero for still playng baseball. Yes, really.
Neyer writes:
If I were 8 years old and my heroes were baseball executives rather than baseball players, …

What is wrong with Brian Cashman these days? He seems to have completely gone off the rails this offseason. I asked after the Cliff Lee fiasco what Cashman’s Plan B was. Apparently it appears to be consist of trying to re-sign Carl Pavano, aka American Idle!
Cashman admitted to the press today that he has had “several discussions” with Pavano’s agent about the possibility of the Crash Test Dummy bringing his bruised buttocks back to …

Why did Squawker Lisa predict a Jet win over New England, while the Squawker who is actually a lifelong Jet fan was just hoping for a competitive game? Is it because she’s a Yankee fan who always expects to win, while I’m still trying to get used to the idea?
A day after one of the most glorious wins in Jets history, I’m still in a state of shock. But it’s …

I’m exhausted from doing the Snoopy Dance last night to celebrate the Jets stomping the Patriots (I’m not agile enough to do the Braylon Edwards backflips, though!) And yes, I did totally call the win.

I haven’t as been as excited about a sporting event since the Yankees won the World Series. Granted, I’m not really a Jets fan, but I am a Rex Ryan fan — and a longtime Bill …

There are all sorts of stories coming out over the weekend saying that Brian Cashman didn’t want to sign Rafael Soriano, but the team’s ownership overruled him. And you know what? If this is the case, Hal and Hank Steinbrenner had every right to “meddle.”
What the heck was Cash thinking in making such a big deal about keeping the 31st pick in the draft, instead of bolstering the bullpen? Trading …

Oh, great. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the person who jinxed the Yankees’ ALCS chances by yakking on his radio show about planning the World Series parade, has done it again. Today, on his weekly WOR radio show, Bloomy said that the Jets are Super Bowl-bound:
“The Jets are going to the Super Bowl. You heard it from me. The Bloomberg prediction,”the mayor said during his radio show.
In an article about Bloomy’s comments, …