Here are some notes:

• James “Mudcat” Grant once wrote a book about all of the African American pitchers to win 20 games, he called them the “Black Aces”. If Sabathia wins 20, he would become the 14th member of the Black Aces.
• CC is also going for a record 22 consecutive games at Yankee Stadium without a loss. He is currently tied with Whitey Ford at 21.
• Andy Pettitte‘s rehab start has been pushed back to Thursday. He is scheduled to throw 4 innings or 65 pitches, which ever comes first.
• Because of Austin Kearns‘ bone bruise on his right hand and Nick Swisher‘s knee, Colin Curtis was called up from the minors.
• Swisher played yesterday and hinted that he wasn’t 100 percent, but an MRI showed no structural damage. That means he’s just playing through pain and shouldn’t be making the situation worse by being active.

So the Yankees are finally back to playing at night, at least for one day. They go back and play another day game tomorrow. That means you can probably expect Jorge Posada to sit one of these games out. My guess is tomorrow’s game since Francisco Cervelli has a lot more experience catching Ivan Nova from the minors.

If Sabathia misses out on winning 20 tonight, he will have at least four more chances to get it done.

Related Stories

• April 11, 2010 -- Yankees Giving Fans Reasons to Get Excited Early
• September 6, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Pettitte, Swisher, Curtis, and Match-Ups
• August 29, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Recap, Nova, and Injury Updates
• August 13, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Recap, Montero, Mesa

Here are some quick highlights:

• The Yankees had a guy with a .331 OBP leading off and a guy with a .395 OBP batting 9th, Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner respectively.
• Alex Rodriguez homered and drove in a pair of runs. That gives him 100 for the season, his 14th season with at least 100 RBI’s and 13th in a row.
• A-Rod is 3-for-6 with a homer and 3 RBI’s since returning from the DL.
• Nick Swisher started and went 0-for-3 with a walk.
• Colin Curtis was activated before the game. He pinch hit and struck out looking to end the game (the pitch was in the opposite batter’s box).
• Brian Matusz held the Yankees to just 3 runs on 5 hits.
• The Orioles’ bullpen held the Yankees hitless over 3 innings.

Related Stories

• August 30, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: A-Rod, Burnett, Berkman, and Matchups
• August 21, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: A-Rod Injured, McAllister Traded, Nova to be Called Up
• August 9, 2010 -- Extended Yankees Notes: A-Rod, Burnett, Posada, Pettitte, and More
• July 2, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Recap, Moseley, Oppenheimer, Montero, Burnett

People often talk about how Jeter is “clutch,” and while he has posted good postseason numbers in general, when was the last time he came through in a big spot at the end of the game? When the Yankees were in Detroit a few weeks back, Jeter came up with runners on base in the 9th inning, down a run, 1-out and facing Jose Valverde. Was I thinking this is the guy we want up? No. I was just hoping he struck out and didn’t hit into a double play. Of course, he hit into a double play.

I give this example because I know many people like to say that Jeter is more than his numbers – surely, everyone has heard of Jeter’s “intangibles” by now – but I think even those supposedly unquantifiable things are no longer there.

So you get it by now: I’m not a huge Jeter fan. Obviously, his consistent on-base abilities while playing shortstop make him one of the greatest ever. He’s a no-doubt Hall of Famer. But right now he’s not very good. All that said, here is something I find immensely interesting:

AL OPS+ Leaders, SS

1. Blue Jays – Alex Gonzalez: 114 (101 for Braves)
2. White Sox – Alexei Ramirez: 97
3. Yankees – Derek Jeter: 95
4. Royals – Yuniesky Betancourt: 92
5. A’s – Cliff Pennington: 91
6. Indians – Asdrubal Cabrera: 91
7. Twins – JJ Hardy: 88
8. Red Sox – Marco Scutaro: 87
9. Rangers – Elvis Andrus: 82
10. Tigers – Ramon Santiago: 82
11. Angels – Erick Aybar: 80
12. Rays – Jason Bartlett: 80
13. Mariners – Josh Wilson: 72
14. Orioles – Cesar Izturis: 48

So despite having his worst year ever, Jeter is still one of the best hitting shortstops in the American League, only behind Alex Gonzalez, who had a flukey home run binge with the Blue Jays before being traded, and Alexei Ramirez, who is having a decent year but has never been a consistent OBP guy. If Jeter can bounce back even a little, he could very easily once again be clearly the best hitting shortstop in the league. I guess what it comes down to is, will Jeter simply continue to decline, or will he be able to bounce back a little? I may not be a huge Jeter fan, but I still think he is capable of at least being as good as he is now for a few years. Maybe the Yankees won’t be able to bat him 1st or 2nd anymore, but there aren’t really any other options anyways.

The reason all of this becomes so interesting is because Jeter is about to be a free agent. Joe Posnanski has been writing extensively about this, including his most recent entry. I agree with most of the points he makes, except I think he is failing to notice just how bad Jeter’s competition is. I think it’s pretty obvious that Jeter will come back to NY, if for no other reason than the Yankees don’t have any other good options. Look at that list. Again – at his worst, Jeter is still a GOOD hitting shortstop.

Last night, Rob asked via Twitter what Jeter’s next contract will look like. My guess is 3 years, $60 million. I’ve read people suggest it will be over $100 million. People have also guessed as low as $30 million. The Yankees have bargaining power because no one can afford to give an aging shortstop that much money. Jeter has leverage because he’s the face of the franchise and the Yankees don’t have any other options. 3 years at $20 million a year I think is a reasonable compromise; let’s face it after all: Jeter isn’t going to make less than AJ Burnett. 3 years is also a short enough time that the Yankees can reasonably expect Jeter to still hit enough to stay near the top of the shortstop OPS+ list. They just might not be able to bat him at the top of the order anymore (I mean, they probably shouldn’t be right now), which I suppose is an issue unto itself. But that discussion will probably have to wait until Jeter’s contract is figured out.

Related Stories

• September 6, 2010 -- Pictures of Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly at the US Open
• September 6, 2010 -- Forget Derek Jeter, The 2010 Yankees Have A Bigger Issue
• September 5, 2010 -- Winning Streak Comes to an End
• September 2, 2010 -- Day Game Dominance

Related Stories

• February 14, 2010 -- Happy Valentine's Day: Minka Kelly Pictures
• January 13, 2010 -- Jeter and Minka Kelly Not Engaged…Yet
• November 23, 2009 -- Pictures of Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly at St. Barts
• September 6, 2010 -- How Bad Is Jeter’s 2010?

Gehrig was named the league MVP in 1927 and 1936 and also won the triple crown in 1934, leading the league in home runs, RBI’s, and batting average. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 and was picked as the first baseman for the MLB All-Century Team in 1999.

Gehrig was born and raised in New York City and even went to college at Columbia University, although he did not play baseball in his freshman year because of eligibility rules. At Columbia he was a standout pitcher, once striking out 17 batters in a single game, but the Yankees were more interested in him as a hitter. He finished school in 1923 and made his major league debut in that very season.

Gehrig would not become a standout regular until 1926 when he played in 155 games, led the league with 20 triples, smacked 16 home runs, and hit .313. In 1927 he was truly amazing hitting .373 with a 1.240 OPS while leading the league with 447 total bases (52 doubles, 18 triples, and 47 home runs). His 1927 numbers still rival the stats for any player’s single season accomplishments to this day, Babe Ruth included.

That ’27 team was nicknamed Murderer’s Row in a large part because of Gehrig. In fact, Ruth hit 60 home runs that year and Gehrig still took home the AL MVP award. That offense powered the Yankees to a 110-44 overall record that year and a sweep in the World Series.

Gehrig was a hero in the 1927 World Series, but he really stood out in the 1928 World Series when he hit .545, had a .706 OBP, a 1.727 slugging percentage along with four home runs and nine RBI’s. All in four games.

Gehrig lead the league in home runs in 1931, 1934, and 1936, but only outslugged teammate Ruth in the ’34 season, his last with the Yankees (they tied in ’31 and Ruth was retired in ’36).

Midway through the 1938 season Gehrig first reported feeling tired. It was the start of his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, later named Lou Gehrig’s disease, that would eventually end his career and take his life.

At the start of the 1939 season there was something clearly wrong with Gehrig, but it wasn’t until May 2 that he came out of the lineup for the first time in 2,130 games. Gehrig had to bench himself because Yankees manager Joe McCarthy refused to take him out of the lineup. The Yankees were on the road that day and the Detroit Tigers fans acknowledged that Gehrig’s games played streak had ended by giving him a standing ovation. He never played again.

Gehrig gave his famous “Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth” speech on July 4th that year. It was on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium and took place in between a double header against the Washington Senators. On that day, Ruth and Gehrig put behind them a personal conflict that kept the pair from speaking with each other for years. There is a famous picture of Ruth embracing Gehrig. Gehrig didn’t hug Ruth back because his ALS had been so bad that he couldn’t lift his arms.

Gehrig died June 2, 1941 at the age of 37. Today he is remembered by the Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park and his no. 4 is retired. The Yankees also didn’t name another captain until Thurman Munson was given the honor in 1976, in memory of Gehrig.

Here are Gehrig’s stats:

Related Stories

• January 13, 2010 -- Wish We Were There: July 4th, 1939 – Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech
• January 11, 2010 -- Wish We Were There: 1932 World Series- Ruth's Finale and the "Called Shot"
• September 10, 2009 -- Jeter and Gehrig Share a Day Together
• September 7, 2009 -- All Eyes On Jeter As He Closes In On Gehrig

Here are some notes:

• The Yankees will announce today what the next step for Andy Pettitte will be. Most likely he will pitch with Double-A Trenton on Wednesday, but he could do a simulated game instead.
• Nick Swisher had an MRI on his left knee which revealed no structural damage. There is inflammation though, but Swisher hopes he will be back in the lineup today.
• Nothing has been announced yet, but it appears that OF Colin Curtis is going to be called up today. He was pulled from a Triple-A game yesterday while his team was on the field.
• Here are the pitching match-ups vs. the Orioles:
  • Monday: RHP A.J. Burnett (10-12, 5.15) vs. LHP Brian Matusz (7-12, 4.72).
  • Tuesday: LHP CC Sabathia (19-5, 3.02) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta (4-6, 5.11).
  • Wednesday: RHP Ivan Nova (1-0, 2.89) vs. RHP Brad Bergesen (6-10, 5.47).

The Yankees play the Orioles six more times over the remainder of the season. Hopefully they can still manhandle them, but it might not happen. The next six games will go a long way to showing if the Orioles are for real or not. If they are real they still aren’t going to compete for the division next season, but it will make the AL East that much harder.

Also, we’ve got Curtis likely coming up. That’s a good move because with Swisher being a question mark Greg Golson had to start yesterday. Golson is a good runner and fielder, but you really don’t want him starting down the stretch, Curtis is a better option.

Related Stories

• September 7, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Sabathia, Pettitte, Kearns, Swisher, Curtis
• September 4, 2010 -- Pettitte & A-Rod Feel Good After Sim, Swisher Scratched
• September 4, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Vazquez, 3rd Base, Pettitte, Swisher, and Marte
• August 29, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Recap, Nova, and Injury Updates

Before I go any further in this post, let me inform you that this is not a reactionary post to yesterday’s loss.  This is presenting something that is most likely well known by Yankee fans.  Something that has been a big problem of late.

We have been hearing lately about Derek Jeter and how he not the same player anymore.  Perhaps this is true, but let us step back and think for a minute.  This is one bad season.  Yes, he is getting older, but it may not be fair to overreact and christen his career “done” or it will “never be the same.”  If this happens again next season, then there is a stronger argument against Jeter.

But, this post is not about Jeter.  It is about something that the Yankees have lacked of late.  Efficient starting pitching.

Outside of CC Sabathia (19-5, 3.02), the rotation is one giant question mark.  Phil Hughes (16-7, 4.29), who emerged as a top of the rotation starter earlier this season, has just not been the same of late.  Before the All Star break, Phil was 11-2 with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP.  Since the midsummer classic, he has been 5-5 with a 5.47 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.  Lately, his location has been horrendous, and John Flaherty a few days ago mentioned that his arm slot has dropped, perhaps as a result of fatigue.  He has never thrown this many innings in his career, and perhaps skipping a start would pay dividends for Hughes.  Some may suggest that his struggles began when the Yankees skipped that start in June, but this is September.  They will need Hughes come October, and a tired arm cannot be an excuse for losing a potential big playoff game.

Hughes is not the only culprit.  A.J. Burnett (10-12, 5.15) and Javier Vazquez (10-9, 5.01) have only fueled the fire, which could also make it difficult for the Yankees to skip Hughes.  Burnett was 0-4 in the month of August, posting a 7.80 ERA.  Difficult to believe, but AJ has had a worse month this season, going 0-5 with an 11.35 ERA in the month of June.  His stuff is there, but his command has not been consistently, resulting in those two horrific months.  He is coming off of an eight strikeout outing against Oakland, so he must build on that and have a September like his April and July.

With Vazquez, his velocity and command is gone, which has resulted in batting practice.  His fastball sits in the mid to upper 80′s touching the low 90′s at times.  Hitters are just teeing off against Vazquez, hitting the ball long and hard.  He has given up 29 home runs this season, making him third in the league in HR’s allowed behind Rodrigo Lopez of Arizona (33) and James Shields of Tampa Bay (30).  He also gave up the only top deck home run in the new Yankee Stadium to Russell Branyan of Seattle.  It was often thought that the top deck was unreachable in the new building.

Ivan Nova (1-0, 2.89) has stepped up and filled in nicely.  He has impressed many with his composure and mound presence, even though his last start wasn’t his best work.

The Yankees do have hope on the way: Andy Pettitte (11-2, 2.89).  He is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Monday followed by a rehab start in either Scranton-Wilkes/Barre or Trenton.  The Yankees rotation has missed Pettitte’s consistency and his “Pettitte-ness” on the mound.

Even through the starting woes, the Yankees have the best record in baseball at 86-51, 2.5 games ahead of second place Tampa Bay and 10 games ahead of third place Boston.  But, it is no secret that the Yankees September schedule is difficult, perhaps the most difficult September schedule in Major League Baseball.  They will be facing teams such as Texas, Tampa Bay, Boston, and Toronto, teams that can and will eat alive bad starting pitching.

They desperately need both Hughes and Burnett to step up, because this October, they will need four starters.  With their offense, and the emergence of the bullpen, they should have no trouble defending their title if their starting pitching can get straightened out.  Until then, it remains a huge question mark, making the month of September that much bigger of a month for the team.

Related Stories

• August 30, 2010 -- Yankees: Worst Rotation, Best Bullpen Last 30 Days
• September 2, 2010 -- Day Game Dominance
• June 20, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Hughes, Jeter, Burnett, Aceves, Thames
• May 21, 2010 -- Starting Pitching Evening Out

Here are some highlights:

• Hughes allowed 3 home runs for the second time this season (last time was July 4th also against Toronto).
• With an 0-for-4 day, Derek Jeter is now batting .154 over his last 20 games.
• Nick Swisher, day-to-day with a knee injury, pinch hit and went 0-for-1.
• Austin Kearns, day-to-day with a thumb injury, came in as a defensive replacement in the 9th inning.
• Don’t blame the bottom of the order for this one, Greg Golson and Ramiro Pena combined to go 3-for-6.
• Brett Cecil is now 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA in 4 starts against the Yankees this season.

The Rays also lost so they remain 2.5 games behind the Yankees. Up next are the Baltimore Orioles.

Related Stories

• March 5, 2010 -- If Your Favorite Yankee Was a Beer He Would Be…
• September 6, 2010 -- Forget Derek Jeter, The 2010 Yankees Have A Bigger Issue
• September 5, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: A-Rod, Kearns, Golson, Vazquez, and the Lineup
• September 2, 2010 -- Day Game Dominance

While Granderson was struggling, Jackson was thriving in Detroit. His BABIP might have been sky high, suggesting that he was over achieving, and he might have been showing very little power, but he was still hitting north of .300 while providing exceptional speed and defense. It made the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman look bad.

So the Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long went to work with Granderson on fixing his swing to untap some of that amazing potential G-Unit showed with Detroit. It wasn’t anything major, but he cut out excessive movement and lowered his hands.

If the first 23 games after the fix are any indication, Granderson has done a complete 180. Here are his numbers:

23 G, 80 AB, 12 R, 24 H, 4 2B, 7 HR, 15 RBI, 10 BB, 16 SO, .300 BA, .385 OBP, .613 SLG, .997 OPS.

His BABIP is right where you want it too at .298 (.300 is about the league average and means he isn’t getting extraordinarily lucky). On top of that, the guy famous for not being able to hit lefties is crushing them. Since the fix he’s hitting .414 with three doubles and a pair of homers against southpaws.

It’s still early and there is certainly no guarantee that this will carry over into next season or even the playoffs. If this is a turning point in his career, the Yankees might have bought low on Granderson instead of making a poor trade. Just like another outfielder roaming Yankee Stadium, Nick Swisher, who is currently having a career year in Pinstripes.

Related Stories

• September 3, 2010 -- Even A Hurricane Can’t Stop the Yankees
• September 2, 2010 -- It’s Not Just The Weather That’s Red Hot
• September 2, 2010 -- Fast Forward: 2011 Outfield
• August 31, 2010 -- Your 1st Place New York Yankees

Here are some notes:

• Alex Rodriguez will be activated this afternoon. He will play third and hit cleanup.
• Marcus Thames got the start in right field yesterday when Nick Swisher was scratched because Austin Kearns couldn’t play due to a minor thumb injury. He is day-to-day.
• Swisher and Kearns might be day-to-day, but they aren’t playing this afternoon. On top of that Girardi must be uncomfortable with Thames in right because Greg Golson is getting the start in right field.
• Robinson Cano also has the day off, Ramiro Pena is starting in his place.
• Manger Joe Girardi expects to keep Javier Vazquez in the rotation despite yesterday’s poor start.
• Here is the lineup:
  • Gardner LF
    Jeter SS
    Teixeira 1B
    Rodriguez 3B
    Thames DH
    Posada C
    Granderson CF
    Golson RF
    Pena 2B

Golson won’t help the Yankees much offensively, but he helps give the Yankees one heck of a strong defensive outfield with Brett Gardner in left and Curtis Granderson in right. This is right up there as one of the best defensive outfields Yankee fans have ever seen.

Related Stories

• August 25, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Recap, Swisher, Hughes, and Aceves
• September 4, 2010 -- Let The Good Times Roll: Yankees Win Eighth Straight, Hottest Team In The Majors
• September 4, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Vazquez, 3rd Base, Pettitte, Swisher, and Marte
• August 29, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Recap, Nova, and Injury Updates