Entering Spring Training the Yankees had three big questions to answer. The biggest and most obvious was the role that Joba Chamberlain would play. Hank proclaimed that he wanted Joba to start and Joe Girardi’s insisted that Joba’s future is as a starter, but in the end the Yankees put him in the bullpen for at least the start of 2008. And it makes sense because while they won’t admit it publicly, the Yankees are......

Almost no hitter has been happier after a strikeout. Billy Crystal, who turned 60 today, had the opportunity to play for the Yankees in their Spring Training game against the Pirates yesterday. Leading off and serving as the DH -- he said it stood for Designated Hebrew -- Crystal got a piece of one pitch and chopped it foul down the first-base line. He also showed a good eye to work the count to 3-1,......

That didn't take long. Opening Day is still 2 1/2 weeks away, and the Yankees have already engaged in a bench-clearing brawl with the Devil Rays. The blood began to boil Saturday, when Tampa Bay's Elliot Johnson ran over Yankees minor-league catcher Franciso Cervelli in a collision at home plate. Cervelli got the worst of it and suffered a broken wrist. Both managers -- Joe Girardi for the Yankees and Joe Maddon for the Rays......

Photograph of Joe Torre and Willie Randolph greeting each other before a game in Port St. Lucie, FL, by Nati Harnik/AP Okay, Mets manager Willie Randolph hasn't been in pinstripes for a while, but this photograph of him saying hi to new Dodgers manager Joe Torre just seems like something from the bizarro world - not that there's anything wrong with that! Randolph, who was a Yankees coach under Torre, said, "It was a......

He’s made his list, he’s checked it twice and now we are going to find out who has been naughty and not nice. Former Senator George Mitchell's report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball comes out at 2pm today. And besides providing us with the most complete look at the use of performance-enhancing drugs to date, the Mitchell Report will also name names. While it is just speculation at this point,......

The Yankees don't talk about new contracts with their players during the season. That was their policy with Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and with Alex Rodriguez. At least before the season started. What a difference a half season makes because the Yankees have changed the policy for their All-Star third baseman. The team hopes to meet with A-Rod's agent Scott Boras in the next few weeks to discuss an extension. Rodriguez currently has three years......

Celtics 102, Knicks 94: It's games like this that make Knicks fans shake their heads when their team talks playoffs. Even without Jamal Crawford and David Lee, the performance in this game is embarrassing. For one, the Celtics are the favorites to win the draft lottery, and, for another, no team should look as bad as the Knicks did Wednesday. Sure, they were thin enough that Malik Rose had to play 10 minutes. But even......

Mets fans, your wait is finally over. No, not because it's Spring Training, and not because of a World Championship, but because one member of the New York Mets will finally be enshrined in...Madame Tussauds. The 204-figure museum, which bills itself as "New York's most famous tourist attraction" (get it? famous), will unveil its first wax Mets figure on April 2. The house of wax already has five Yankees figures - Derek Jeter, Babe......

If you were a 17-year old looking to meet Mike Piazza, your childhood idol and favorite baseball player, what would you do? If you're Ryan Leli, you make some fake press credentials, sneak into Shea Stadium, participate in some Q&A with Piazza, and then pose for pictures. That's what Leli, from Head of the Harbor, did last August when Piazza was visiting with the San Diego Padres. Padres officials became suspicious of Leli when he......

Gothamist likes to eat and can understand getting the late night munchies. But when we're on the road for business late on a Sunday night in a nice hotel that has room service and we get a food stipend, we usually order in. Apparently, if you're Duaner Sanchez in Miami, that's not what you do. Some details have been released about the early Monday morning accident the Mets reliever was involved in. Sanchez, his younger......

Let's step away from some of the more popular sports for a second. Move aside basketball and your NCAA Tournament. Take a chill pill baseball with your World Baseball Classic and Spring Training. Yesterday the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum hosted the Big Apple Grapple, which featuring the some of the world's best male and female arm wrestlers. All battling for NYC's King and Queen of Arms. Unfortunately, there are no results online for this scintillating display......

In a stunner, the United States actually lost a game in pool play during the World Baseball Classic. Yesterday, they lost to their friendly neighbors to the north, 8-6. If you're thinking to yourselves, "Canada? Who the hell do they have?" Gothamist can say that we're right there with you. The "big" names on Team Canada include: Erik Bedard, Paul Quantrill, Chris Reitsma, Corey Koskie, Jason Bay, and Matt Stairs. Canada all but conceded the......

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......

It took a while, but Randy Johnson looks like he's ready to start the season. In his final Spring Training start, Johnson pitched six scoreless innings on Thursday. He allowed one hit, one walk and picked up eight strikeouts against the regulars for the Atlanta Braves. While Johnson would normally have started next Tuesday's pre-season game against the Red Sox, he will throw against Yankee farmhands instead. Johnson is scheduled to pitch in the Opening......

Early Tuesday morning, Time Warner pulled the plug on three Cablevision channels, much to the chagrin of sports fans in the area. The three channels - MSG Network, Fox Sports NY, and Metro Channels - were pulled because of a disagreement over the rights fees Time Warner would pay Cablevision for the programming. Of course, each side blames the other for the removal of the channels. Sources say the increase Cablevision is seeking is as......

Well, the Yankees didn't win their first game of Spring Training, nor did they lose, but they finished a 9-inning game against the Pirates with a 2-2 tie. The big story was not Tanyon Sturtze pitching two perfect innings for an injured Randy Johnson, but Jason Giambi. Surprise, surprise. In his three trips to the plate as the Yankees DH, Giambi went 0-1 with 2 walks. While the Pirates were batting, Giambi spent his time......

With that whole snow thing happening here in New York, it might be hard to think baseball, but down in Florida, baseball is in the air. Last week, pitchers and catchers showed up to Spring Training; this week, the position players are starting to show up as well. For the Mets and the Yankees, this means two big off-season stories are ready to take center stage. Carlos Beltran took his place on Tradition Field for......

Okay, so pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training probably isn't the most exciting thing in the world, but it's welcome news to Gothamist. With the Knicks in contention for 4th place in their division, no football, and the NHL season on the brink of cancellation, baseball looks like the only sports news in town until football resumes later this year. Right now, we'll take what we can get. The pitchers and catchers reported for......

Honestly, the Mets really need to win a game, because we're getting tired of writing about their losing ways. Last night, they were in Miami, taking on the Marlins and losing their 10th game in a row and their 15th loss in the last 16. We'll just sit here and remember some good times. Times when the Mets were close to first and swept the Yankees. Seems like so long ago. Don't let the 7-3......

In last night's 11-2 loss to the Angels (box score), Jorge Posada was injured when he took a ball in the nose while on the basepaths. During the 2nd inning, Posada was running to 2nd base on a double-play ball when a ball thrown towards first by Angels shortstop Alfredo Amezaga struck him. The ball deflected off Posada's arm as he reacted and hit his nose, breaking it. Amezaga threw the ball side arm,......

New Mets shortstop and Gothamist's favorite Japanese shortstop, Kazuo Matsui made his debut at shortstop yesterday. Sure, it was Spring Training, sure it was only for five innings, but he sure made an impact. Earlier this spring, Matsui cut the middle finger on his throwing hand and required two stitches. With only two fielding opportunities Monday, a high-chopper and a routine double play ball (Gothamist knows that no double play is assumed), Kaz had little......