" Let the New York/Philadelphia comparisons begin.
Not only are the N.Y. Giants and Philadelphia Eagles preparing for an NFC East showdown on Sunday (after the Eagles finish disposing of the Redskins tonight), but in case you hadn't heard -- the Yankees and Phillies are about to commence in what could be one of the greatest World Series battles of all time.
We'll hear and read all about which city has the better fans and who has the better food (I've already read one article titled: Cheese steak vs. Cheesecake. No joke).
Luckily, the hype won't last too long, as the series starts Wednesday -- not a long enough stretch without baseball for the coverage to get as nauseating as those George Lopez commercials on TBS during the American and National league divisional series.
What if this series lasts all seven games? The endless Joba Chamberlain and Cliff Lee dissections will get as old as the talk of how cold it is in the northeast in late October and into November. Did you hear that Alex Rodriguez was in a playoff-hitting slump before this year? You're about to -- every single moment that Tim McCarver and Joe Buck get a chance.
I'll admit, as a Yankees fan, I didn't know a ton about the Phillies before they won the World Series last year.
It's fine though -- anything I didn't know about them before, I have a feeling I'm about to find out.

--KKW "

" My predictions for the World Series (as crazy as they may be):
- Game 1 will feature more close-ups of Kate Hudson than C.C. Sabathia.
- Joe Girardi will continue to use reliever DeMaso Marte in close games, I assume in an attempt to further heart attack awareness among the New York fanbase.
- Ryan Howard will be held homerless for the series, and quickly blame his lack of power on all those Subway subs he's been inhaling.
- Tim McCarver will say at least five things per game that will leave me speechless, and not in a good way. (My personal favorite was during the 2004 playoffs. After a David Ortiz home run, one of many during the postseason, McCarver yelled out "Everest erupts again!" Hey Tim, Mt. Everest ain't a volcano. But nice try)
- Someone will get a pie in the face (Please let it be Joe Buck. My fingers are crossed)
- No more George Lopez promos (Woo-hoo!)
- Plenty more Wanda Sykes promos (Still not funny)
- The Game 1 matchup of Sabathia and Cliff Lee, both former Indians, will send Cleveland fans into a permanent state of melancholy that can only be eased by the re-emergence of Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn and Willie "Mays" Hayes.
- A-Rod will continue his torrid hitting, but will be upstaged by Derek Jeter, who will be the World Series MVP after the Yankees win the series in six games.

- Day "

" Why do the Blue Jays always seem to have the Yankees' number? Even Roy Halladay, who hasn't been the Roy Halladay of the first half of the season, dominated the Yankees in last night's brawl contest. Tonight is no exception, as the Jays are leading the Yanks 4-2 in the eighth inning.
I feel like the Yankees are playing as though they have the AL East sewn up. Do they realize that Boston keeps winning? They're trailing the Angels as I type this, but they are slowly creeping back into the division race.
With 15 games left in the regular season, New York needs to be careful...

KKW "

" SWEEP
That series completely swept the legs out from under the Red Sox. Don't be fooled, the Sox have the talent to bounce back, but 6.5 games will be a monumental feat if they're going to rebound in the division.
And while I should be drinking the Yankee Kool-Aid at the moment, something worries me -- Joba.
Apparently, he's on an innings limit this year, and if my math skills are correct (probably not, i'm a writer) then he's got about seven or eight starts remaining. That's if he's on a 160-inning limit, as rumored, and he averages six innings per start.
The problem with that is, if he starts ever five days, it'll only get him through mid-September.
Joba has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since the All-Star break. He's clearly a guy you'd love to have in your postseason rotation, but I fear the likes of Joe Girardi and the Yankee big wigs are going to send him to the bullpen, despite the best interest of the team this season.
Forget the long run -- Joba is pitching brilliantly. You CAN'T banish him to the bullpen because of some dumb limit, not when it'll hurt your chance at winning a World Series.
I understand the need to preserve the arms of younger pitchers, but this is not the time. The Yankees made the decision to take Chamberlain out of the bullpen and put him in the rotation -- they shouldn't be able to back track on that now.
Get rid of the limit. Stop acting like babies and focus on winning the World Series. Joba doesn't need a limit, just like Nolan Ryan didn't need a limit back in the day. God forbid pitchers nowadays throw over 100 pitches and take the mound on short rest.
Stop going on numbers and go with your gut. Joba, on any given day, can be one of the best pitchers in baseball. Don't take away one of your best weapons.

- Day "

" First off congrats to Mark Buehrle on his first ever perfect game, but second career No-Hitter. What a game!? He was on the mound for just 32 minutes to record 27 outs. It's the first MLB Perfect Game since 2004 in which Randy Johnson tossed a Perfect Game against the Braves when he was a member of the Dimondbacks.

On to the Yankees now... In this week Sports Illustrated Magazine the players poll was "Worst Outfield Arm in baseball." No surprise here... Johnny Damon received 54% of the votes from players around the league. It's no surprise to me that he has won this voting as Red Sox fans say... "Throws like Mary." "

" Well the Yanks remain on a tear taking sole control of first place in the East with a win over Baltimore and another Red Sox loss. The Yanks haven't lost since the second-half of the season started and in the latest Sporting News Rankings moved up to No. 2 overall behind the Dodgers. The set-up work of Phil Hughes has been a top threat and improved their bullpen a lot lately. I still think if the Yanks had stayed as loyal and confident with Hughes in the rotation as they are with Joba it would have worked out better. I still think Joba is set to be a set-up guy and Hughes should be a starter, but what do I know?

I attended the 63rd Annual Old-Timers Day and the first at the new palace. May I say Heaven? The ability of sitting in bleacher seats and actually walking around the Palace left me speechless. Last year I wasn't allowed that wonderful trip around the park in its final years, but this year I was allowed to see it all and soak it in. When you walk in it is like you have died and been allowed into Heaven. Of course I saw a great game (a 2-1 Yankee win with A-Rod and Tex Homers, Mo shutting the door on the Tigers, a sweep and Joba taking care of business)

However it seems that despite the offense still not putting up a lot of hits (four against the O's in Monday's 2-1 win) their pitching is coming through.

Wang had a set-back in his rehab and given Sergio Mitre's ability to step-up for the Yankees will be key throughout the season. If Joba's first start of the second-half is signs of the future well then the Yanks might be headed int he right direction, but still an important factor is beating the Sox head-to-head.

Until then the Yanks go for their second sweep at home in the second-half- knowing a lot more baseball lies ahead... a total of 76 games still to a long baseball season. "

" The Yankees made the right move yesterday, naming minor leaguer Sergio Mitre as their No. 5 starter. This move sends Alfredo Aceves back to the pen where he's a terrific long man. It also leaves Phil Hughes as Mo's setup man, and if you don't think he's perfect for that role, look at his line from last night -- 2 IP, 6 Ks. Yeah, he's pretty dominant. Mitre may be a bust, but at least they're not breaking up the bullpen by filling the fifth spot in the rotation. New York can hit, and with Sabathia, Burnett, Joba and Pettitte, they've got a formidable starting rotation. But mark my words, they'll only go as far as the bullpen takes them this season. This means guys like Phil Coke, Demaso Marte, Aceves and Hughes are going to have to be dominant and somehow, get the ball to Rivera without too much damage being done. We saw Dave Robertson blow up against the Angels last weekend, and look what happened -- NY lost three straight. The pen is the key for the Yanks in the second half.

- Day "

" Yanks return to action tonight with Burnett on the mound. CC goes on Saturday and Joba will take the mound on Old-Timers Day Sunday. The Yankees will need a major turnaround mainly with head-to-head match-ups against Boston if they want to return the Post-Season after missing it under Girardi's first-year guidance. If the Yanks don't make it it might be an eventful October, November and December under the Steinbrenner wings. The Yanks will get Lefty specialist Damaso Marte back form the DL within the next couple of weeks and if he can contribute like he did last year after being acquired by Pittsburgh the Yanks might be in for some luck. Until then a good test comes into New York this weekend and as always baseball is back in action in the Bronx. "

" Mo shuts the door again! 3rd All-Star save tying him with hall-of-famer Dennis Eckersley for most all-time. Given the ALs dominance and Mo's dominance it shouldn't be a tie for much longer. "

" Ryan can't help but agreeing with you about Mo. In the book "Last night of the dynasty" I just completed it talks more about Mo's dominance. The music that is played once those doors open intimidate batters coming up. Unlike a starting pitcher you don't get to see his pitches more than your one at-bat. Once that cutter is thrown it's up to the batters to guess and have fun with trying to hit the ball. I still don't think they would have won four W.S with him. 1999- Series MVP... 1996 was Wettland's time, but Mo set him up. 1998 three games of four he saved! Factor in a possibility of a blown save from another closer and a momentum shift might not have won that series either. 2000 against the Mets who shut the door on the series? Mo... Enough said. Mo is the best closer to ever enter the game past the 8th inning. When it comes to shutting the door when I hear "Enter the Sandman" my heart relaxes.

-ZB "

" Mo records his 500th career save, and then people start discussing him as the best ever. Really? Rivera was the best closer ever in 2000. Nothing has changed since then. Sure, he's shown a little age, lost a few MPHs on his cutter, but he's still the most dependable finisher in the game.
I heard Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci saying the other day that closers are overrated and that a starting pitcher is far more important. I disagree. You take Mariano off the Yankees teams from 1996-2000, I think they have one less championship. I really do. Can you say that about anybody else on those teams?
Here's a guy who, for 22 percent of his career saves, has recorded more than four outs. That's unheard of nowadays.
Derek Jeter is a first ballot hall-of-famer, but in my lifetime, Mo Rivera has been the most important Yankee.
And for those who disagree with me, just wait til he retires and the Yankees have to fill his position. Rivera won't be fully appreciated until he is gone and someone else is coughing up saves.

- Day "

" how does wakefield keep winning? i really do not know why anyone would want to keep such an old ineffective washed up pitcher like him. the suck's should release him immediately! then the yank's can grab him. it would be a nice replacement for the soon to be ex-yank wang. "

" How do you interview A-Rod on the field after that game? You might as well interview the bullpen coach, he had just as much influence on the outcome as A-Rod did. That game was an aberration -- the Yankees caught a major break and a gold glover dropped a ball he'd catch 99 times out of 100. Added to the Mets' injury problems (Delgado, Putz and Reyes) and Johan's recent struggles, Friday's ninth-inning choke job couldn't have come at a worse time. The Mets even lost a game last month because Ryan Church missed third base. C'mon, is this T-ball? The Mets are currently second in the NL East but I don't see that improving with the current squad. With Maine on the DL and Johan not dominating, their rotation is bad. Plus, David Murphy is surprisingly mediocre at the plate, Gary Sheffield's back is about tear in eight places and Citi Field is currently a home run burial ground. I mean seriously, someone throw up some snow fences in the outfield, I wanna see some dingers!
The only positives are the play of David Wright, Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran. Aside from that, the Mets are bordering on ridiculous. They have found every way to lose this season and have shown no signs of making a run at the Phillies in recent weeks. In fact, the most exciting thing to happen to the Mets in the past two weeks was when K-Rod went after Brian Bruney in the outfield at Yankee Stadium. That's their only excitement!
The Yankees had a bad week, but Sunday's slugfest might get them going back in the right direction. For the Mets, the only direction they're heading is down and out.

- Ryan Day "

" I love the analogy by Ryan when he said "like Tiger Woods hitting a 3-wood from home plate" because it is true. Foure homeruns from the bronx bombers last night as they take the first game...well, receive a hand-delivered gift from God last night as Castillo dropped the routine pop fly. I love how A-Rod was the proclaimed hero in this mess. Shouldn't we be praising Tex? Did you see how hard he busted it out from first base? What other player in the MLB would you see bust it out as hard as this guy? He's being paid close to what A-Rod is being paid, and he is producing more than anyone. Sure his play was similar to A-Rod's in October, but he came back and made May and so far June well-worth the money. So back to last night's unbelievable game, it was K-Rod's first blown save as a Met. How mad would you be if you blew your save over something you had nothing to do with? If I was K-Rod, I'd light Castillo's locker on fire or add wood glue to his shampoo. Maybe this will be a turning point to the Yankees because they should have lost this game. They lost their 7th game this season to the Red Sox, making that 8 straight losses dating back to last season. They need to wake up and realize that they need to prove that they are worthy against the big boy teams. Let's see if they can take the series with a win tonight against the Mets. Now if you'll excuse me, I am heading down to the city to take fielding tips from Luis Castillo. "

" I'm baffled by what is going on with the Yankees right now. Girardi is keeping Wang in the rotation, Damon forgot how to catch routine balls and the Red Sox are pounding them like they just won the World Series. Good thing it's only June and they're only behind one game -- before they inevitably get swept by the Sox tonight...again. It's only the bottom of the fifth, but it doesn't look good.

--KKW "

" I made my first trip to the new Yankee Stadium last week. My expectations were somewhat high, but mostly I was just excited to see a major league game -- I tend to only get to one a year.
Plus, in my mind, nothing could have topped "the cathedral" that was the old Yankee Stadium. (and the fact that I just referred to The House that Ruth Built as "old" made my feel nauseous)
But then I arrived at the new digs...and I completely forgot about the old place.
From the moment I stepped foot into the building, my mouth was permanently ajar. Once you walk through the Hall of Champions -- which is mammoth by the way -- you go up a flight of stairs and the field hits you with all its splendor. Nothing on this planet is greener than that field. And once you walk closer, you immediately realize just how unbelievable this place is.
Technically, there are a few less seats than the old place, but it seems twice as big. Plus, prior to the game they let fans go wherever they want, excluding the vacant suites of course.
For a solid half hour, I sat in the front row in right field, chatting it with Nick Swisher and dodging batting practice home runs.
Also, someone who works from the Yankees walked along the outfield fence handing out Yankee hats -- and it wasn't even cap day!
Now, this was a Thursday night game against the Orioles, so the premium seats weren't exactly filled. And, oh ya, I had to hand over the keys to my fake escalade to afford two hot dogs and a few beverages.
Plus, I was sitting so high I lost about 10 pounds due to the thin air.
AND STILL...the new Yankee Stadium is the BEST ballpark I've ever been in. They got it right.
The jumbotron is enormous, there are concessions everywhere you look, even the bathrooms are clean (I know, New York City, right).
This place is gorgeous, Yankee fan or not. The game was nothing spectacular, it was the one where Joba got hurt in the first inning, but the experience was unbelievable. I enjoyed every second.
So ya, the balls are flying out of the stadium like Tiger Woods hitting a 3-wood from home plate. But I don't care, I love that place. What a ballpark.

- Ryan Day "

" Underestimating No. 13

"I'll tell you what he's not going to do, and that's hit a home run."
My famous first words prior to A-Rod's first at-bat a week ago. We all know what happened next. After a sub par week, Rodriguez heads to the plate in a big situation tonight in the bottom of the 11th inning against the Twins.
"Please. He hasn't hit a home run since his first pitch -- here comes the 12th inning."
Maybe I should just rip on him every time he comes to the plate -- his numbers would skyrocket.

-- KKW "

" So A-Rod rode back into the MLB on his trusty steed with a homerun in his first game, first swing, and first pitch he saw. Magical wouldn't you say? Maybe in some instances, but not for the most part. Yes, it was ironic he homered, but take away that 3-run shot and the Yanks still win 1-0. After that, A-Rod has had 2 hits! Two! That's it! Way to contribute. But in all fairness, the Baltimore rotation is starting to come around and tell me quickly who had hits against Roy Halladay on Tuesday........time's up. That's what I thought. The Yankees are still showing glimpses of hope with a great comeback in their final game against Baltimore with Damon's 3-run shot which solidified some confidence to not get no-hitted against Halladay. The Yankees still show much room for improvement. Let's start with with some run support from big names with big contracts *cough* TEIXIERA!!! *cough*. $53728905790 million dollars and he can't even hit .210. Usually I am here to rip the Mets, but I can't stop tearing my beloved team into two because to be honest, the Mets are playing better despite playing cupcake teams like the Pirates, Reds, and Padres. Come on.. The Mets may be playing cupcake teams and steamrolling them, but they are doing exactly that, steamrolling them. They are winning games they should be with production from Beltran, Wright, Reyes, and even the bottom of the lineup. Sheffield was an interesting acquistion, but seriously...You hit your 500th, let's move on. Stop giving starts to a washed up journeyman. Work on players who will live to see next season and doesn't need to wheel himself to 1st and back to the dugout after his infamous popouts.


-ETK "

" The Yankees aren't dead. Not yet anyways.
With A-Rod's return today, there's a glimmer of hope that things might turn around -- even though the real issue pitching.
I know it's still early, and I know the Yankees have yet to play a game with A-Rod, and I know that Wang, Posada and Nady are on the DL, but I'm not encouraged by anything I see -- and let me tell you, watching the past week's games has been excruciating.
Girardi overmanages every game. Key example: Joba strikes out eight straight Red Sox players and in the middle of an inning, Girardi yanks him because he's thrown 100 pitches.
Let me tell you, if this were Nolan Ryan pitching in the mid-80s, and Girardi walked out to the mound in the same situation to pull him, Nolan would have slugged Girardi right in the jaw.
Quit it with these pitch counts. Joba was absolutely dealing and hadn't worked hard all game. In fact, he had an easier go of it than his counterpart, Josh Beckett, who threw well over 100 pitches.
And aside from Girardi, the Yankee bullpen is absolutely atrocious. Edwar Ramirez and Jonathan Albaladejo can't throw strikes while Phil Coke and Jose Veras consistently serve up meat balls. And even Mariano Rivera is struggling, having just given up the first back-to-back home runs of his career.
Mo will be fine -- he still has a strike-to-walk ratio of 17-to-0. But in most games, they can't get to Mo.
The Yankee bats are OK, but there's nothing on this team that tells me that things are going to turn around. They fall behind by three runs, and I immediately think the game is over. That's the feeling I had during each game the past week, and guess what, the Yankees lost all those games.
With Girardi pushing the panic button every game, and the relievers forgetting how to throw strikes, the Yankees are in serious trouble. It's early May and it's a long season, and the Yankees will make a push at some point, but top to bottom, this team doesn't have the mental toughness nor the arms to pull off something special.

- Ryan Day "

" Why is Sheffield still on the Mets? He's done, finished, OVER THE HILL!!! Get rid of him, and give the AB's to Tatis, Church, & Murphy. "

" It's nice to see the Yankees finally get back in gear with a win last night as they fired out 10 runs in the top of the 7th. Molina woke up from his coma by hitting a grand slam. Nick Swisher added on to his hot April with a solo shot in the 9th. I see the mets lost yet again last night bringing their total record to 9-11 (their win total matching their converted saves in 2008). The New York baseball teams have been hyped up in the offseason through key offseason acqusitions and new stadiums. With none of them really being stand-outs, except maybe K-Rod. Everytime Mets fans see a save NOT blown, they think it's Christmas. So K-Rod probably walks around on 5th Avenue with a halo over his head and walks on East River rather than taking the Brooklyn Bridge. I think the Yankees will carry themselves throughout the season and back their ways into the wild card as Boston takes another pennant, if not, goodbye Joe Girardi. I don't think the Mets will make it because I thought they were going to make it the last 2 years. Until they can win a world series not based upon a ground ball going between a fielder's legs, I am convinced that no matter how many games they are up by in September, they are going to blow it.

- ETK "

" It was nice to see Melky Cabrera come through in the 14th inning today -- with a runner on base, no less. The Yankees-A's chess match reminded me of the Syracuse-UConn 6 OT slugfest (if that game had been played in the regular season, mind you) -- neither team wanted to be the one to leave Yankee Stadium with a loss after playing that long. Too bad it took hit No. 17 to come through for New York.

--KKW "

" Ryan took most of the words right from my keyboard about yesterday's two New York contests -- but lets not blame all of yesterday's embarrassing debacle on the Yankees' bullpen -- the "Stinkees", as one NY tabloid paper referred to them today, are the worst in MLB when they have runners in scoring position. With a lineup as stacked as theirs, there is really no excuse for leaving so many guys stranded. Take away Derek Jeter's solo home run on Friday and the Yanks could be 0-3 at the new ballpark. The good news is that they have 78 more tries to get win No. 2 in the Bronx. At this rate, it might take them that long.

-- KKW "

" The Mets and Yankees both played games in their newly minted stadiums on Saturday, but with vastly different outcomes. Johan Santana looked every bit like a Cy Young winner, holding the Brew Crew scoreless through seven innings. The Mets held on to win 1-0.
But over in the Bronx, the Yankees were getting crushed by the Indians, who scored 14 second-inning runs en route to a 22-4 win.
Obviously, Chien-Ming Wang doesn't have his stuff this season, his ERA has crept above 30.00 and he's only pitched six combined innings in his three starts. His last start, the Yanks were blown out by the Rays 15-5.
Wang clearly isn't getting it done, but neither is New York's bullpen. Edwar Ramirez has looked shaky, Jose Veras has looked awful and Phil Coke was been erratic.
But it's been the opposite for the Mets, who have benefitted greatly from their offseason additions of J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez. Both Putz and K-Rod shut things down Saturday, solidifying the win.
Relief pitching was supposed to be a strength for both squads this season. So far the Mets have lived up to the billing, the Yankees have not.
There's no use having Mariano Rivera (aka "The Hammer of God") as a closer if you can't get to him.
I know it's early in the season, but good teams don't get in a habit of losing by 10+ runs. It's happened twice in a week for the Yanks. That is not a good sign.

- Ryan Day "

" Who do we blame last night's 15-5 debacle on? Wang? Everyone? Mr. Day has already stated Girardi's early shortcomings, but the entire Yankees roster looked inept against the Rays last night. Or...is Tampa still that good? Time will tell, as the Yanks have already rebounded to take a slim, early lead tonight.
And speaking of unimpressive, the Mets didn't exactly open Citi Field with a bang against the Padres last night. At 3-0, the Auburn varsity baseball team is more exciting to watch than both New York MLB teams combined right now.

--KKW "

" We're only a week in and already Joe Girardi is over-managing.
That's my one concern with the Yankees skipper. The Yanks are up 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth against the Royals Sunday. Brian Bruney pitched a flawless seventh, and instead of bringing him back out for the eighth, Girardi goes with lefty specialist Demaso Marte. And it worked, because Marte easily got the first two outs.
Then, Girardi goes with righty Jose Veras who walks the one batter he faced.
THEN, Girardi brings in another lefty, Phil Coke, who gets tagged for two runs and three hits in one-third of an inning.
This isn't the playoff, there's no reason for Girardi to overthink his moves. The Royals weren't going to hit Bruney -- he looked untouchable while throwing only 14 pitches in the seventh. Bring him back out for the eighth, and you've still got Marte or Veras if Bruney gets into trouble.
You can't be mixing and matching this early in the season -- the roles haven't been established yet. Instead, use your eyes. If a guy has his stuff, keep him in. Girardi's over-managing may have cost the Yankees a win on Sunday. "

" Congrats with the new baby Kristin. Its your friend from the Box. The Yankees, I feel should've went with their old ace in Wang. Sabathias number are horrific in April, granted he WAS perfect against the O's. He clearly wasnt ready to go, he shyed away from his fastball at times. They wanted to strengthen their pitching staff and it appeared it hasnt improved. They looked a little um, how do i say it not ready at times with the wild pitches passed balls poor baserunning. It was frustrating to watch that was for sure, but lets hope they play a better game wed. and get the season rolling on a better note. O and did I mention that they need Arod in the lineup, he was missed in the field no doubt about that as we saw ransom boot a few balls. Anyways enough of that.. Lets go Yanks!! "

" I may have just made my first big parenting mistake -- I just hope it didn't ruin baseball on my son permanently.
MLB Opening Day is one of the greatest holidays, for me at least, every year. So after a week in the world, I thought it was time to expose my son to a sport other than NCAA hoops. It was probably wrong to kick off his baseball experience with the Yankees though, as he did nothing but fuss and cry throughout the first three hours of the long and painful loss to the Orioles. While I know that most newborns cry and fuss, mine has not done much of either in the last week, and since he was fed and freshly changed, my assumption is that CC Sabathia and the Yankees' inept play was the reason for his bad mood.
In all seriousness, these "new look" Yankees looked a lot like the old Yankees, at least like last year's club. I know it's early, but Sabathia looked a lot like $161 million being flushed down the toilet. That's a lot of money to get that poor of a performance on opening day.
I probably should have checked out the Mets' game instead, especially if I wanted my son to witness some stellar pitching. Johan Santana racked up seven K's and allowed all 3 Reds' hits en route to his first win of '09, while K-Rod notched his first save in an inning's work. Not too bad, considering Cincy was actually pitching well itself.
Now, its back to the drawing board -- at least where my son is concerned. With no New York baseball being played tomorrow, we'll give it a day's rest before tuning in again Wednesday night. Hopefully by then, I -- and the Yankees and Mets -- can teach him about offense.

-- KDW "

" Is April a great month or what?
National championship game, NHL playoffs, NBA playoff, The Masters...and Major League Baseball officially kicks off.
And if you're a Yankees or Mets fan, Opening Day means a little bit more this year.
The Yanks missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 1993 and the Mets are coming off a second straight collapse where their playoff hopes were dashed on the season's final day.
Both have reloaded -- Yanks get Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett; Mets get K-Rod, Putz and Sheffield. And both have luxurious new digs (bye bye Shea, we'll miss the rats).
There's one thing New York baseball fans have grown accustomed to, and that's October baseball. Last year, we were robbed of that.
Opening Day signifies a new start for both clubs, but it also signifies added pressure. Both teams have to win, and win a lot.
The money has been spent. If either the Yankees or Mets miss the playoffs again, somebody is going to lose their job (I'm looking squarely at you Girardi).
I don't think there's two teams in baseball with more pressure.
It's only Opening Day, and there's still 162 games on the schedule. But the Yankees and Mets need to start winning right away. Neither can afford a bad start to the season.
It's Opening Day, and both the Yankees and Mets are playing meaningful games. How bout that. In your face BCS.

- Ryan Day "