Pudge in Pinstripes

Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, Yankees GM Brian Cashman traded Kyle Farnsworth to Detroit for Ivan Rodriguez.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Yankees traded a talented reliever who was enjoying his finest season in New York, but one with a reputation for meltdown moments in big spots, for a 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glove winner.

On a personal level, however, it was tough saying good-bye to Farnsworth. In this business, there are a handful of players you can go to for a quote or just to say hello. Farnsworth was one of them. We talked baseball and talked about our children. In between, we even discussed professional wrestling.

So while Farnsworth is a Tiger again, Pudge Rodriguez fills the immese void left by Jorge Posada's season-ending surgery. Here's the 411 on the deal and how it went down, and an on-line diary that tracked the day's events before and after a deal that had everyone muttering, "Wow."

Tracking the trade deadline

Me and fellow YES colleagues keep you in the loop right here. No. 1 on the Yankees' wish list is Jarrod Washburn, but as you know, things change in a New York Minute.

X marks the spot

The rundown of the Yankees' big deal made Friday night:

TRADE: OF Xavier Nady and LHP Damaso Marte from Pittsburgh for RHP Ross Ohlendorf, OF Jose Tabata, LHP Phil Coke and RHP George Kontos .


This deal was reconfigured on Saturday. RHPs Jeff Karstens and Dan McCutchen are going to Pittsburgh. Coke and Kontos are headed back to Double-A Trenton.


ANALYSIS: What a great trade. The Yankees fill two immediate needs with one stroke and don't sacrifice their entire future. Nady gives them right-handed power with Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada unlikely to return, and brings experience playing in New York (Mets, 2006).


Marte, who even though has been better against right-handers (.200) than left-handers (.255), is the lefty specialist the Yankees have lacked all season and enhances a bullpen that's evolved to among the best in the game - this after Joba Chamberlain was moved to to the starting rotation. Throughout Marte's career, lefties are batting .198 compared to righties' .241. The Yankees are banking on a complete body of work.


Ohlendorf and the oft-injured Karstens were victims of  the numbers game. McCutchen has the potential to be good, but so does Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes (still). Tabata's stock has plummeted from the next Manny to a Manny-sized headache. At age 20, he has a lot of growing up to do in more ways than one.


Furthermore, Coke is one of those guys who nobody talks about but has the makeup to succeed in New York if ever called upon.

Pine Tar and good will

Believe it or not, the infamous Pine Tar Game was 25 years ago today. George Brett and Rich Gossage shared their recollections on a conference call.

I remember the game like it was yesterday. Frank Messer and Bobby Murcer called it on WPIX. Knowing Brett's history against the Yankees, it was like how Reggie Miller would make me feel years later during the Knicks-Pacers wars. Like Miller to the Knicks, Brett was an assassin in big moments against the Yankees. In a twisted way, I loved how Billy Martin once again played any angle — by any means necessary — in an attempt to win a game. No stone was ever left unturned by Billy the Kid, until Lee MacPhail found it correct to overturn the umpires' final decision because it didn't violate "the spirit of the rules." Yeah, it was a stupid rule, but the NFL didn't ask the Raiders and Patriots to replay that playoff game because of the tuck rule. It was obeyed to the black-and-white letter of the law and the league amended it during the offseason.

Whatever, that was so 25 years ago. Right now, Yankees senior advisor Ray Negron has a new book out called "The Babe and Jackie: The Greatest Story Never Told." Think The Babe and Robinson were different? Think again. On so many levels, this is an inspiring tale that teaches the value of acceptance no matter how "different" you may be.

Once in a lifetime

All-Star week came and went, and for the first time in my career, I was a part of it. I'm hopeful to cover many more All-Star Games in my career, but we'll never see the likes of the 2008 festivities ever again. Yankee Stadium was the party host and this is the great cathedral's final season.

For starters, I checked out the massive FanFest that began the fun on Friday. Sunday was the Futures Game, where I documented Yankees prospects Jesus Montero and Ramiro Pena, and even got my mug on camera. Monday's pregame story on Mariano Rivera served as a prelude to a most memorable performance from Josh Hamilton. And though Tuesday kept me at the Stadium longer than I would have liked, it was another piece of history created by the great Rivera.

In between, Nate McLouth and Brad Lidge took a few minutes to contribute to my two newest NYC Spotlights.

Bobby Murcer: 1946-2008

It was with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of Bobby Murcer, a Yankees legend and a former colleague at YES. I will not pretend I was tight with Bobby. I wasn't. But I'll tell you something, you could have met him, chatted for two minutes and never have seen him again, and he considered you a friend. All the stories you've probably heard about Bobby's warmth, caring for others and how he inspired others, you better believe it was the truth.

A couple of hours after learning of his death, I posted my own personal tribute to Bobby. I was fortunate to have spent quality time with him on some occasions, including on when I introduced him to my father. Both of us are thankful he played a part in our lives.

The good folks at The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City's daily newspaper, are running a special section dedicated to their favorite son and are including my tribute to their package.

Those rockin' Rays

Believe it. The Tampa Bay Rays, baseball's laughingstock for years, are in first place and post the league's best record. Think they're a fluke? The players are anxious to prove the naysayers wrong.

Early July Fireworks

Business picked up to kick off July. I first caught up with a Smithtown High School East alum in my latest NYC Spotlight.

Then there was a look back at July 4, 1983, when Dave Righetti tossed the first Yankees no-hitter since Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956. Then the Rangers made a flurry of moves that were necessary to slap life into a team that has its season short-circuited in the second round of the playoffs two years in a row. One was saying so long to Sean Avery, a mutual parting of the ways that helps - and hurts - both sides.

In between, the Yankees are having issues. People are shocked that this offense is resembling the blackout of 1977. Not David Justice. I ghost-write his column for YESNetwork.com once a week and he cites something that many fans don't want to admit: The core of a team is a year older. And when you're older, those nagging injuries have much more bark to their bite.

I have Red Sox-Yankees on as I write this. The Yankees have one hit in 5 1/3 innings off Tim Wakefield. Need I say more? And Joe Girardi just got thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Laz Diaz for arguing balls and strikes. At least Girardi shows fire and is trying something - anything - to wake the sleeping giants.

Viola! Brett Gardner ripped a one-out single after the ejection.

Check in with this space and YES starting next weekend. Beginning with an online diary from Friday's Fan Fest and Sunday's Futures Game, I'll be immersed in All-Star weekend.

Derek Jeter singles home Gardner. 3-2 Red Sox, end of six, and it would have been more if not for Julio Logo robbing Bobby Abreu of a base hit. Girardi is a cunning genius.