Playoff scores from last night

Celtics defeat Lakers 103-94 to clinch Game 2 of the finals.
The series is now tied 1-1.
This was an absolute downright disgusting game by the Lakers. Their defense was off all night.

Blackhawks beat (crushed) the Flyers 7-4 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Blackhawks now lead the series 3-2, with only one more win needed for the championship. I pretty much predicted before this started that the Blackhawks would win it, and now it seems so. I feel kinda dumb though. I filled out a bracket and picked the Capitals to win it all, but of course, they get kicked out by the friggin' Canadiens!

Stay tuned for tonight's live blogging, as I'll be constantly updating tonight giving you the latest from the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft's 1st round.

Yankees fall to Blue Jays 3-2 in 14 innings and other news

Sorry for the brevity of these posts!

Yankees lost to the Blue Jays for the second straight game in 14 innings.

The Mets put Oliver Perez on the DL just to get him off the team. This guy has to go.

John Wooden, the long time UCLA basketball coach died today at age 99.

And most important the Yuri Foreman vs Miguel Cotto fight is tonight at Yankee Stadium! It's on HBO live and coverage starts at 8:00 pm!


Guys I'm really sorry for the lack of these posts, I've been very busy lately. Things should hopefully be back to normal Monday.

Retirement and the End of an Era

We usually don't do this on the sports blog (not talk about sports haha), but I would like to take a moment to recognize someone who has been an inspiration for me throughout High School.

Everybody knows that Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement yesterday, after over 20 years in baseball as one of the feared hitters. Without a doubt, Griffey had the best left handed swing that anyone watching baseball has ever seen. Most importantly, Griffey is a first-ballot hall of famer. You can put your money on that. While we celebrate one of baseball's best's retirement, we wish him good luck and say thanks for the memories, as we do with all sports retirees. But that's when we realize, they're gone. We lose our childhood icon, our inspiration, our heroes, the figure we always wanted to be from the game, but not from the mind and heart. It's not just Ken Griffey Jr., it's all the sports heroes we've watched have to walk away from the game. It's not until they finally leave the game do we realize that we've witnessed the end of a remarkable era. (I think this could be subject to edit....)

Introducing Mr. Gordon Russell, a.k.a. Mr. Russell, the music teacher. Mr. Russel has been the music teacher at my high school, Somers, for 11 years. This year however, Mr. Russell announced his retirement, and that this would be his last year teaching music at Somers High School. When he told our class face-to-face about his decision, I couldn't help but feel saddened. Others felt happy for Mr. Russell to leave and enjoy his retirement. I felt the same, but I didn't want Mr. Russell to leave yet. After tonight's Spring Concert, I realized how much I would miss Mr. Russell and how much he meant to our school district.

2006-07, 8th Grade

I was in 8th grade at Somers Middle School and even then I had heard of Mr. Russell. I had a friend, Peter, who had been my neighbor and best friend since we were six years old. Peter was a year older than me and was in his first year of high school. Everyday that I would see him, I would ask Peter about the high school: what's it like? how are the teachers? is there a lot of homework? is the food good? and so on and so forth. Peter, like myself, was a big music guy, and still is to this day. He influenced me to pick up the guitar and become affiliated with musical study. When I would ask him about music classes at the high school (I was almost certain that I wanted to be a musician) he told me that, while he hadn't taken any music classes (normally freshman can't take the guitar class, with the exception of this present year) he would go the music room frequently and jam on the guitars and talk with the music teacher, Mr. Russell. Peter had nothing but nice things to say about Mr. Russell, and I was very eager to meet him as an incoming freshman. Peter has since moved to Los Angeles, California.

2007-08, Freshman Year

High school. It really was what everyone said it was. Drama, drama, drama. I felt uncomfortable my first year in high school, what with new classes, new teachers, and intimidating upperclassmen. As well, Peter had moved away that summer, so I had not upperclassmen friends besides my now good friend, Hayden Carnaghi. Hayden, also an avid musical guy, played the drums and took classes with Mr. Russell, including the Jazz Band. When the elective sheets came out for sophomore year, I told Hayden that I wanted to enroll in the guitar class. In order for this to happen, I had to go talk to Mr. Russell. Hayden walked me to the room (which was and is still huge!) and right before we got to the doors said "It's all you," and scurried away. Oh boy was I nervous. I'm a pretty shy guy when it comes to meeting new people, and I didn't want to leave Mr. Russell with a bad first impression, especially being a freshman and at the bottom of the high school food chain. So I walked in, sheet clutched in my hands and knocked on the door located in Mr. Russell's room. I knocked. "Come on in man!" is what I heard. I opened the door. "Mr. Russell?" I asked, nervous. "Hello, what's your name man?" said Mr. Russell. "I'm Josh Handszer and-" he gripped my hand. "Nice to meet you dude!" he said, a beaming smile on his face. From then on I asked him about enrolling in the class and how the class was run. He explained and signed off on it. After our brief talk, I regularly went into the music room and worked in the practice rooms playing one of Mr. Russell's many acoustic guitars. One day he even walked in on me and complimented my playing. I couldn't wait until sophomore year.

2008-09, Sophomore Year

It was the summer, and I got my schedule. I saw GUITAR LEVEL 1 on my schedule for 8th period everyday for the first half of the year. I was ecstatic. The first day of school came and I couldn't wait till 8th period. Finally it came. I walked into the room, ready to jam. We all sat down and Mr. Russell called out our names. When he got to me he said "Hey I remember you Josh! Hey Josh, how are you?!" I felt really humbled that he remembered me and tried to play it down. I was ready to jam, ready to rock out with my friends in the class. I had no idea what I was in store for. I expected AC/DC, I got Ode to Joy. I think that's what most of us thought that class would be, rock n' roll. Everyday for homework our assignment was to work on our songs and then we would play them the next day. We all thought, "hey if he can't hear us when we all play together and we don't know the song, then we're in the clear!" It was not to be. I remember on one certain day, the class played so badly together that Mr. Russell made each of us play the song alone. Most of us failed and received F's. I turned to my good friend Jack and said "We're never going to survive this class dude." That's when I realized that guitar class wasn't just an easy A, or how well you played. It was about how dedicated you were to the music and how to understand it. I saw when Mr. Russell spoke how passionate he was about this class. Throughout that year, Mr. Russell and I made our bond stronger and began to talk regularly, seeing as I had his class daily. Everyday Jack and I would go into the music room during 9th period, while he was teaching music theory, and grab two guitars and practice in the practice rooms. After his class was over, we would put the guitars away and he would either compliment or criticize what he heard. Most of it was criticism as I regularly heard "Josh, did you put this guitar in Drop D?" And from that day forward, every time Mr. Russell finds a guitar in drop D tuning, he looks at me and laughs. We spoke regularly, even after the course was over and I had a different class the second half of the year. I realized that Mr. Russell was a teacher I could talk to, even if it wasn't just about music, it could be small talk or anything and he would listen to me. I realized that I wanted to take more classes from him and that he was one of my favorite teachers. Elective sheets came out for junior year. I knew exactly what I was going to do.

2009-10, Junior Year

What a ride this school year has been. Following my sophomore year, I signed up for music theory and guitar level 2 with Mr. Russell. I was very excited, expecting two easy A's. Man, was I downright wrong. I strolled into the theory class with Jack, the both of us thinking "we're going to ace this class." I saw Mr. Russell on my first day and we talked about our summers and I told him how excited I was for this class. He chuckled at that. I now see why. Over the course of the year I've realized that a) I have weak musical study skills and b) I did myself a disservice by not taking music theory seriously. At the beginning of the year, Mr. Russell warned us that it would be a difficult class and that it took lots of hard work. I day dreamed as he said this. Hell, I was gonna get an A right? Wrong. As the first few weeks rolled on, I became confused and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. However, everyone else got it. That's when I began to stay after school with Mr. Russell a few times, and bookmarked musictheory.net on my Internet browser. Through our sessions, and our talks (mainly when I told him how much trouble I was having) I could see that he truly did care and that he wanted to help me, not matter how much work it would take. I saw that I wasn't "just another student", and I guess throughout the year I saw that he never sought any student out particularly, which was why I had so much respect for him. He treated everyone the same way, regardless of their musical ability. As I continued to struggle and somewhat improve, the second half of the year started and beginning was guitar level 2. I was mad excited. The course this year ran pretty much the same as last year, except this year was way more frustrating. There were some times where Mr. Russell would get angry at the class because, flat out, we didn't practice. I could see how upset he was with us and felt guilty for letting him down in not just guitar class, but in music theory as well. I wanted to improve and I didn't want Mr. Russell to think that I accepted mediocrity.

The Big News

The class began to pick it up, preparing for the Spring Concert. We felt confident and felt that we were in great shape. In theory, we were doing tons of packets on different chords. We prayed each day that we wouldn't get another packet, but rest assured there was a warm fresh copy waiting for us. A lot of people were complaining, myself included, but I realized Mr. Russell was only doing it to help us become better students. A couple of weeks ago however, we got the big news. Mr. Russell sat down with us in class (both guitar and theory) and told us that he was retiring after 11 years. The classroom was silent. He explained his future plans, and while I was happy for Mr. Russell, I was also sad that I was losing one of my favorite teachers and mentors and that I wouldn't have him next year as a senior. A couple of days after that talk, I met one-on-one with Mr. Russell during guitar class. I had previously taken a trip to the west coast during spring break, and thought to myself "why would I go back east?" I wanted to live our there after college and start a new life. After he had told us that he wanted to be "West Coast Bound" for the future, I felt some relation to where he wanted to be. Anyway, we talked and I asked him why he wanted to go out west. He explained to me and asked me why I had asked and I told him that I wanted to go out west after college, but that my parents were wary with that decision and that it would be hard leaving everything behind and starting over. The words Mr. Russell told me will stay in my mind forever: "It's your life man, and you need to do what makes you happy. If going out west is what will make you happy, you do it. You can do anything if you put the right mindset to it. I know that after our years together that you've got the determination and mindset of someone who can make it to do what makes them happy." We ended up taking up 10 minutes of class time. Those words will forever be in my head, and I hope that one day, if I do become a sports writer, that I can always reference these words.

The Concert, June 3, 2010

Tonight was the night. The night of the Spring Concert, and Mr. Russell's last "hurrah." Our guitar class was scheduled to perform and we had been working extremely hard. After our hard times in class and funny moments, we were confident that we would succeed. We were scheduled to play second, so we had to watch the Band play first. I was in awe, they were amazing. But perhaps what I noticed most, was how passionate Mr. Russell was, standing on the conductor's box and waving the pointer. He showed great might and enthusiasm and occasionally cracked a smile. I gotta say though, some of his moves made me laugh. We finished our performance, satisfied, dispersed into the hallways. Most of our class went home, however I stayed with my family as I was eager to see the Jazz Band perform (I really wanted to see Hayden's drumming!). I was amazed by the performance. Before the last song, a senior in the band, Phil, stood up and said some kind words about Mr. Russell on behalf of himself and the music classes. As well, another senior band member, Sarah, told Mr. Russell that we would purchasing him a pair of tickets to whichever orchestra he would like to see. After that, Irene Perella, our principal came up to the microphone to commend Mr. Russell for his fantastic work at Somers. The crowd went crazy. Everybody stood up for Mr. Russell and applauded him, even my two younger brothers, who don't and will not, ever have Mr. Russell like I did. Mr. Russell received a standing ovation that lasted at least a minute and a half. I could tell that he was very moved by this treatment.

And Now?

I realized tonight just how much of an impact Mr. Russell has made on the lives of some of us students. Whether it's giving band lessons, teaching music theory, throwing music stands (laughs), making dinosaur noises and telling lame jokes, Mr. Russell has an impact on everyone he teaches, and even those he doesn't teach, but knows through musical activities. I also realized how privileged I was to be able to have Mr. Russell for two years in high school, a privilege my brothers, and other students, won't be able to have. I talked with Mr. Russell today and told him that I wasn't sure I wanted a career in music and that I wanted a career as a sports writer/journalist. Expecting him to be a little puzzled he told me "You should do what makes you happy, but you should always have music with you as something to hold onto. Music is something you carry with you your whole life. You should do what makes you happy, and luckily I've been able to be a music teacher, which is what I always wanted to be. This is what makes me happy."

Throughout my three years knowing him, and two with him as my teacher, Mr. Russell was a teacher I could talk to when I had trouble with my work, without feeling scared to ask for help. He was an inspiration to my musical study. To me Mr. Russell was my friend, and I'm going to miss him a lot next year, but I'll always remember the good times we had in class and the good times we had when we talked and how much of an inspiration and mentor Mr. Russell has been to me. It's going to be a lot different with a new music teacher next year. It's truly the end of an era in Somers High School music, and we know just how much we'll miss Mr. Russell next year. It's not just sports athletes that leave an impact when they retire, but teachers as well. I wish Mr. Russell the best for his future and congratulations on his retirement, and yes I'm going to miss him a lot, but who knows, maybe we'll meet again someday on the west coast.

Thanks Mr. Russell.

Let's edit that first paragraph shall we?

It's not until they finally leave the classroom and school do we realize that we've witnessed the end of a remarkable era and a man's gift of passing knowledge.

My predictions for the National League All-Star Team

Same as yesterday, but here are my NL Stars

Catchers:

Yadier Molina* - Cardinals

Carlos Ruiz - Phillies

Ivan Rodriguez - Nationals

First Base:

Albert Pujols* - Cardinals

Ryan Howard - Phillies

Prince Fielder - Brewers

Adrian Gonzalez - Padres

Joey Votto - Reds

Second Base:

Chase Utley* - Phillies

Martin Prado - Braves

Third Base:

Placido Polanco* - Phillies

David Wright - Mets

Casey McGehee - Brewers

Short Stop:

Hanley Ramirez* - Marlins

Jimmy Rollins - Phillies

Troy Tulowitzki - Rockies

Outfielders:

Ryan Braun* - Brewers

Andre Ethier* - Dodgers

Jayson Werth - Phillies

Jason Heyward - Braves

Matt Kemp - Dodgers

Justin Upton - Diamondbacks

Alfonso Soriano - Cubs

Andrew McCutchen - Pirates

Pitchers:

Ubaldo Jimenez* - Rockies

Tim Lincecum - Giants

Matt Cain - Giants

Mike Pelfrey - Mets

Livan Hernandez - Nationals

Matt Capps - Nationals

Jaime Garcia - Cardinals

Roy Halladay - Phillies

Jon Garland - Padres

Roy Oswalt - Astros

Braves - 2

Phillies - 7

Mets - 2

Nationals - 3

Marlins - 1

Cardinals - 3

Cubs - 1

Brewers - 3

Astros - 1

Pirates - 1

Reds - 1

Giants - 2

Dodgers - 2

Padres - 2

Rockies - 2

DBacks - 1

Today's News

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of posts today. I had a very busy day with school, going to apply for a job and then I had to perform in the Spring Concert with the guitar class. It was a special night due to the retirement of our music teacher, and one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Gordon Russell. I'll get to that later, but first your scores and highlights in brief!

Yankees - 6, Orioles - 3

W - CC Sabathia (5-3)

L - Kevin Millwood (0-6)

SV - Mariano Rivera (12)

HR: (NYY) Alex Rodriguez (8), Brett Gardner (3) (BAL) Adam Jones (6), Luke Scott (10)

NBA FINALS

Lakers lead 50 - 41 at the half against the Celtics in Game 1.

Other baseball news:

- Stephen Strasburg will indeed make his debut on June 8th at Nationals Park, when the Nationals take on the Pirates. The game's top prospect was drafted #1 overall last year.

- The Angels and Cubs have been in talks with a trade that would send Cubs 1B Derrek Lee to the Angels. It has since been denied, but some sources say otherwise.

- Dave Trembly will soon be fired by the Baltimore Orioles. I think this is a blessing in disguise for Trembly, who's had to endure losing seasons since he took over.

- The Twins called up their top prospect today, Danny Velencia. The 25 year-old third baseman was called up to replace Michael Cuddyer who was placed on the bereavement list.

- Daniel Murphy of the Mets will miss the rest of the season with an MCL tear.

- The biggest news of the day: Armando Galarraga's butchered perfect game will not be overturned. Commissioner Bud Selig has refused to overturn the call that prevented Galarraga's perfect game.

That's it for tonight so far!

My predictions for the American League All Star Team

Lately, we've been hearing a lot about the fan voting for the All Star Game this summer in Anaheim at Angel Stadium. Many of baseball's most talented players lead in the voting, even though some do not deserve it (I'm talking to you, Mark Teixeira). Nonetheless, I felt it appropriate to reveal my predictions for the American League All Star Team. (Unbiased of course) *-signifies starter

Catchers:
Joe Mauer* (Twins)
Jorge Posada (Yankees)
Victor Martinez (Red Sox)

First Base:
Mark Teixeira* (Yankees)
Justin Morneau (Twins)
Miguel Cabrera (Tigers)
Paul Konerko (White Sox)

Second Base:
Robinson Cano* (Yankees)
Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox)
Ian Kinsler (Rangers)

Short Stop:
Derek Jeter* (Yankees)
Elvis Andrus (Rangers)

Third Base:
Evan Longoria* (Rays)
Alex Rodriguez (Yankees)
Jose Bautista (Blue Jays)

Outfield:
Ichiro Suzuki* (Mariners)
Nelson Cruz* (Rangers)
Carl Crawford* (Rays)
Josh Hamilton (Rangers)
Torii Hunter (Angels)
Vernon Wells (Blue Jays)
Shin-Shoo Choo (Indians)

DH:
Vladimir Guerrero* (Rangers)
Hideki Matsui (Angels)

Pitchers:
Phil Hughes* (Yankees)
Andy Pettitte (Yankees)
Mariano Rivera (Yankees)
Clay Buchholz (Red Sox)
David Price (Rays)
Zack Grienke (Royals)
Dallas Braden (Athletics)
Cliff Lee (Mariners)
Kevin Millwood (Orioles)
Raphael Soriano (Rays)

All Stars/Team
Rays - 4
Yankees - 8
Blue Jays - 2
Red Sox - 3
Orioles - 1

Twins - 2
Tigers - 1
White Sox - 1
Royals - 1
Indians - 1

Athletics - 1
Rangers - 5
Angels - 2
Mariners - 2

Who's my AL MVP?

This guy.

Yankees trample Orioles 9-1

(33-20) Yankees - 9, (15-30) Orioles - 1
W - Phil Hughes (7-1, 2.54)
L - Brad Bergesen (3-4, 6.75)
HR: (NYY) Robinson Cano (12, 2-run)

Is there truly any hitter on earth hotter than Robinson Cano is right now? Robbie, after going 3-4 tonight with a big home run, raised his average to .373 to go along with his 12th home run! Remember, Cano had all of 25 home runs last season! If he continues this torrid pace, he'll end up with 37 dingers on the year! Robbie now leads the majors with 78 hits this season. Can you say All-Star and MVP? And how about Phil Hughes? 7 innings pitched with 1 earned run and 7 strikeouts! Hughes is truly proving to be a top of the rotation starter this year and for years to come. Could Hughes be the American League All-Star starter this year? Do you think the Yankees feel they made the right choice in Spring Training? But Hughes and Cano weren't the only players to shine in this game. Curtis Granderson went 3-4, continuing his recent hot hitting, Nick Swisher went 3-5 to increase his hot streak, and Brett Gardner went 2-3. In his return to the lineup, Jorge Posada went 1-3. Great game played by the bombers! See you next time!

Seniors beat Juniors 7-6 in 4th quarter nail biter

The Seniors gained bragging rights after tonight's game as they beat the Juniors 7-6. This game came down to the final minutes, as both teams scored in the 4th quarter. A very exciting, and somewhat boring (at times) game, it was well played on both sides. Congrats to the Seniors.

The Varsity Lacrosse team lost sectionals today to John Jay by a score of 9-6. Tough break for the Somers boys who were very confident going into this game. Get em' next year guys.

Ken Griffey Jr. Retires

According to ESPN, Ken Griffey Jr., "The Kid", has called it quits. After struggling this year with a .184 average, Griffey felt that he wasn't playing his best baseball. He finishes with 630 homeruns, 5th on the all time list, and with a legendary reputation. In his career, Griffey played for the Mariners, Reds, and White Sox. He had one of the most beautiful left handed swings I've ever seen. A first ballot hall of famer, no doubt. We wish him nothing but the best here at the Sport Spot. Here's to Junior. You can see more here.

Another perfect game in the works?

Armando Galarraga is 3 outs away from the perfect game for the Detroit Tigers who are leading 3-0 vs the Cleveland Indians!

UPDATE: What a play by Austin Jackson! 2 outs left!

UPDATE: 2 outs! Going for the last out, Galarraga vs Jason Donald.

UPDATE: Wow, perfect game over. Jason Donald reached first base, but missed the base! What a terrible call! Terrible call by Jim Joyce the umpire. Wow, gotta feel for Galarraga!

UPDATE: Well, at least they Tigers won. Wow, still can't believe that call.

You can see the video here. You be the judge: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300602106

Powderpuff!

This should be fun.

As part of "Senior Week" at Somers High School, the Powderpuff game will take place tonight on the world's greatest stage: Tusker Turf. Come watch as the Senior Girls take on the Junior Girls in a matinee sure to be talked about for years to come.

The favorites in this year's game, the Seniors, are looking to claim bragging rights, and leave for college as champions of powderpuff. I however, will be rooting for my class, the Junior Girls, to kick some ass tonight!

Myself, and Mike Rossillo, have the honor of broadcasting the game tonight as we see the true essence of competition.

Be ready for blood, sweat, and tears as the games begin! Come out tonight, 6:30 PM at Somers High School! Be There!

Yankees win, beat Orioles 3-1

Yankees - 3 (32-20) Orioles - 1 (15-37)
W - Javier Vazquez (4-5)
L - Brian Matusz (2-6)
SV - Mariano Rivera (11)
HR: (NYY) Curtis Granderson (3) (BAL) Corey Patterson (3)

Javier Vazquez is turning into the pitcher the Yankees expected. Javy pitched great tonight giving the Yankees 7 strong innings and surrendering only 4 hits, 1 run (on a homerun to Corey Patterson) and got 7 strike outs. However, Brian Matusz wasn't too bad either. He only gave up 3 runs in 6.2 innings, 1 being earned due to the throwing error on Miguel Tejada, but the biggest one on the homer to Granderson (his first at Yankee Stadium). Other than that, the offense was quiet tonight. Not much to write about with this game, but the good news is the Yankees win and the Rays are losing 5-3 to Toronto in the 9th!

The Mets and Oliver Perez

Omar Minaya: "Well golly, Ollie! Just go to the minors!"

Oliver Perez: "Nnnnno."

Mets Fans: Oh no!

Tell me if you could picture this debate with Minaya and Perez looking like this. Just replace everything with this skit I've worked out with Omar playing Tom Tucker and Oliver Perez as Peter Griffin.

"I don't wanna go to AAA!"

"Ollie, you have to go to the minors. Ollie, you have to. Don't you dare say no Ollie!"

*Ollie says no*
Minaya spanks him.

Now, hopefully you have an understanding of the situation between Oliver Perez and the Mets recently. In the sports news this week we've heard of the back and forth debate between Perez and the Mets. The Mets reportedly want to send Perez to AAA. He has been (since acquired) a waste of roster space and a bad investment. Clearly, the contract he was given last off season may be one of the worst in Mets history. But wait, there's more? In Perez's contract, he has to right to refuse a minor league assignment! What a joke this has become! Great job Omar!

So glad I'm a Yankees fan.

UPDATE: Glad I'm not the only one! http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/perez-has-become-a-joking-matter/?src=mv

Pushing back the inevitable

The question has been asked, however, the response has been the same:

Will Derek Jeter have to move off short stop sometime in the future?

Answer: Yes.

But where?

It's inevitable that Jeter will eventually have to change positions, and most likely move to the outfield. However, the Yankees are trying to push back that inevitable. After a strong defensive season in 2009, it's been seen by the human eye that Jeter's defense has taken a step back this season. Jeter is without a doubt, the greatest short stop in Yankees history. While Jeter's range to his right is acceptable, his range to the left has been poor. Questions began to arouse about Jeter's defense after a report by a few college students showed that Jeter was the worst defensive short stop in baseball. Since then, Jeter has worked hard to improve his defense. However, Jeter is human and age will soon come into effect, and Jeter will have to move.

It won't be an easy conversation for Brian Cashman to have with the future hall of famer. Over the course of the past two seasons, Cashman and Jeter have fielded questions about a position change. According to Andrew Marchand, Jeter' s most recent response, while in Minnesota last week was "Why would I?" It's obvious that Jeter believes he can still play shot stop and that he doesn't see himself changing positions unlike other great short stops such as Cal Ripken Jr, Robin Yount, and his teammate Alex Rodriguez. Cashman has said that it's "a no-win situation."

With Jeter's contract expiring after this season, Cashman and co. will have to talk a position change when negotiating with Jeter's agent, Casey Close. Many believe Jeter will sign a deal worth about $20 million/season for around 4-6 years. You can bank on it that Jeter's defense will come into play when discussing his new contract.

One away or another, the Yankees, and Jeter, will have to grin and bear it. Jeter will have to accept a position change, either to the outfield or becoming a full time DH. The Yankees will also have to grin and bear having this conversation with their captain and most popular Yankee. Jeter is so respected by so many players that one can only imagine how the baseball world would react if Jeter changed positions.

Throughout his illustrious career we've seen Jeter make marvelous plays in the field: the jump throw, the flip play in the ALDS, falling over the stands in the World Series, and who could forget the best play he ever made, diving into the stands to catch a ball against the hated Boston Red Sox, emerging from the stands bloody and bruised like a warrior.


One asks, "how could Jeter possibly be moved when he has been the rock of the Yankees' infield for 15 seasons?"

Although this decision will likely not happen for years to come, it will have to be discussed soon. I can envision Jeter playing short stop for another 3-4 years, but no longer than that. As my favorite baseball player ever, it pains me to see my idol grow older and be treated as such, but the Yankees have to do what's best for the team, even if it means moving their "face of the franchise." One thing is certain, and that is that it will certainly be awkward seeing Jeter anywhere else but at short stop.

For now, the Yankees are trying to push back the inevitable.

(I'm writing this in response to Andrew Marchand of ESPN's most recent article)