Baseball has a wacky transaction system. Yesterday the Yankees offered Bernie Williams arbitration, but only because they knew he would decline it. Why the apparent waste of time? Because without the offer, the Yankees would have lost negotiating rights to Bernie and if Bernie had accepted he would have been in line for a salary near ten million dollars for 2006. So, the Yankees and Bernie have until January 8th to make a deal. Even if they do, Bernie won’t be back as a starter and a certain, hairy, centerfielder may take his place. more ›

It was a season of lows and highs from an 11-19 start to 95 wins and a playoff spot the Yankees gave their fans a story with many twists and turns in 2005. There was the emergence of Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang and the painful decline of Bernie Williams. In the end, the Yankees couldn’t keep the momentum they had built in September going and fell to the Angels in five games. more ›

For the Mets, this series at Shea Stadium starts a stretch three difficult series; the Mets visit Atlanta and Florida following the Yankees series. The Mets have not covered themselves in glory against baseball’s best so far this season. The series against the Yankees will go a long way to determining how long the Mets will be mentioned in the same breath as the Braves, Marlins, and, for that matter, Yankees. more ›

Tino Martinez continued his incredible pace of late, hitting two home runs to tie him with teammate, Alex Rodriguez, for the league lead at twelve. Since making two critical errors in the tenth inning of a game on May 6th, Tino has unstoppable at the plate, hitting eight home runs with 19 RBI”s over eight games. Nobody expected a revival of this magnitude when he retuned to the Yankees, but with Jason Giambi’s continued struggles, it is a welcome addition to the team. more ›

Tino Martinez did not homer in the game, snapping his streak at five straight games. It had been the longest streak by a Yankee since Don Mattingly tied the MLB record by homering in eight straight games in 1987. Jason Giambi was given a surprising start at DH and managed to a single in the ninth inning. Giambi, who refused a demotion to the minors earlier in the week, also struck out twice and is hitting .198. Joe Torre seems inclined to stick with him, even with Bernie Williams on the bench and Ruben Sierra on the way. more ›

Tino Martinez continued his torrid May, hitting a home run for the fourth consecutive game and bringing his average up to .346 for the month. Tino’s resurgence has been a big plus for the Yankees because Jason Giambi continues to slump. Giambi is hitless since April 28th and seems afraid to swing the bat. With his average down to .195, Giambi, Joe Torre and GM, Brian Cashman, met to discuss their options before the game. While it is rumored that sending Giambi to the minors was mentioned during the meeting, none of the parties would confirm it. It is clear that something has to change for Giambi and maybe escaping the pressures of New York for Columbus, OH, would allow him to clear his head and get back to baseball. Then again, it is possible that he isn’t a major league caliber player without using steroids and what we have seen so far is the best we will. more ›

Brown’s and Mussina’s gems could not have come at a better time. Mussina snapped a four-game losing streak that included three losses to Tampa Bay (Tampa Bay!) and a sloppy 6-3 loss to Oakland on Friday night. Still, Gothamist needs to see more. The A’s line-up is hardly potent, especially with Eric Chavez, its best hitter, hitting .190. Still, Tampa Bay’s line-up is not fearsome, yet it still managed to torch Brown in his previous start. These starts are baby steps for the Yankees. For a team that is now six games under .500, those are the only steps they can take. more ›

The Yankee offense did manage ten hits, but could never get the big one, stranding twelve runners on the basepaths and allowing the Devil Rays’ pitchers to escape several jams. The lone bright spot was Tino Martinez who homered for the second consecutive game. Jason Giambi was hit in the head with a pitch and had to leave the game for tests. The extent of his injury and that of Bernie Williams, who will have an MRI on Friday, have not yet been determined. more ›

Rookie, Andy Phillips, was the offensive star of the game, going 2-4 with a home run while driving in four runs. Phillips, who had spent time on the bench earlier this season, was recalled from Columbus Friday to replace Ruben Sierra who will be out four to six weeks. With Tino Martinez and Jason Giambi struggling, perhaps Phillips will get more playing time over the next month. He certainly earned another look based on his performance Sunday. more ›

The Yankee offense collected only five hits total. One week into the season, the Yankees are hitting .262 as a team with Jason Giambi, Tino Martinez and Bernie Williams all hitting under .200. Getting those three going will be a big focus for Hitting Coach, Don Mattingly, over the next few games. more ›