David Wright set a historic team record last night when he homered off Mark Buehrle to give the Mets a 2-1 lead, a game they ultimately would win 5-1. Those two RBI were the 734th and 735th of his career, setting the Mets record that was previously held by Darryl Strawberry. It’s amazing that he’s in his 9th season with the Mets. Even if he only finishes out his current contract, Wright will also set team records in hits, runs, walks, doubles and a very outside shot at home runs. If he re-ups with the club, Wright will undoubtedly make his mark as the best offensive player in team history. After the last three uneven seasons, many forget how good he’s been for this franchise.

You never would think of putting Strawberry and Wright in the same category. They are vastly different offensive sluggers. Strawberry was all about power and speed, while Wright has been more about average and doubles. Strawberry stirred the pot- both positively and negatively- on and off-the-field. Wright has been nothing but a model citizen during his tenure, but his value to the team has widely been debated. Both have been polarizing topics with the fan base, albeit in vastly different fashions. It’s amazing how on the night that Wright passed Strawberry for the team RBI record there are still legitimate questions about his future in New York. The same questions that Strawberry faced at a similar point in his Mets career.

Wright and Strawberry may be different offensive players, but there are some similarities between them. When Wright is on, it’s nearly impossible to get him out. You saw that earlier this year when he went 17-34 out of the gate. Wright, quite literally, was carrying the Mets offense. He’s been asked to do this since 2009. Strawberry did the same, at times, especially in his final season in New York. The Mets dynasty of the 80s would crumble in 1991, but it appeared on the way out a year earlier. The Mets were 20-23 at the end of May, which cost Davey Johnson his job. Strawberry was hitting .247 with 7 home runs. All he would do during the month of June is hit .376 with 10 HRs and 27 RBI. Although they would fall short – the Pirates won the first of three-straight division titles- it was Strawberry’s bat the breathed the last bit of life into the 80s Mets. He nearly carried them to the finish line one last time.

Strawberry would leave for Los Angeles after that season. Both he and the Mets would never be the same for quite some time. Years later he would win three World Series titles wearing Yankees pinstripes; his performance in the ’96 ALCS being a big reason for the first one. You always wondered “what if” when it came to the rest of Straw’s career. He has gone on record saying leaving New York was the worst mistake of his career. Could Strawberry have stayed clean and sober with the team he grew up with? Who knows, but if he did there is a strong chance there would have been another pennant race or two at Shea in the early 90s.

Wright has gone through similar question, but for his on-the-field performance. He clearly isn’t the lineup presence of Strawberry, but can carry a team in a different way. In some ways you wonder if Wright, unlike Strawberry, would be better off in another uniform. Imagine if he could go to St. Louis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or even across town with the Yankees. He could fit into the lineup and not worry about taking on the pressure of the entire organization.

Strawberry lived for the spotlight. He wanted to be the focal part of the offense. He didn’t mind the home fans razzing him. The more attention he drew, the better. He lost all that when he arrived at Chavez Ravine. New York was built for him.  I am not so sure that Wright yearns for that type of spotlight. Unless Lucas Duda or Ike Davis develop into a star of Strawberry proportions (unlikely) or the Mets import a big in-prime star (even more unlikely) this will continue to be his team into the future. Their success will be defined by his success. If they lose, right (no pun intended) or wrong, he will be blamed. Wright was at his best when he was part of an offense the featured Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and an emerging Jose Reyes.

We know now that leaving New York wasn’t a good idea for Darryl Strawberry. I still wonder if it’s not the best thing that could happen to David Wright.

TRENTON, N.J. – Yankees fans, rightfully so, are a bit concerned about their favorite team’s starting rotation.

Yes, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia have been inconsistent. The injury to Michael Pineda throws another monkey wrench into the picture.

Help will be coming from veteran Andy Pettitte, but not immediately.  The 39-year-old,  who has made 479 regular-season starts, and won 240 regular-season games, threw 5-plus innings in Trenton for the Double-A Thunder Wednesday night, allowing four runs, three earned and took the loss in a 10-4 Eastern League win by the Erie Seawolves.

Pettitte threw 81 pitches, 59 for strikes, struck out three and walked one. The success of the outing came from the fact he went from 66 pitches in his last start, against Pittsburgh Extended Spring Training performers.  His fastball was in the 87-88 mph range.

By his own admission, however, Pettitte is hardly ready to pitch for the Yankees.

“I still have a lot of work to do,’’ he said. “I’ve got to get to 100 pitches, and I have to be able to “pop’ one in there when I need to.

“I was happy I got to near 85 pitches in this start, but as far as putting a “hump’ on my fastball when I need it, I’m not there yet.’’

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman stated Pettitte will need “a few more starts’’ before he can consider him for the Yankees rotation. To me, a few has always meant at least three.

“When we see everything is right with Andy, we’ll slot him in there,’’ said Cashman. “His strength and stamina need to get where they have to be. He’s healthy and feels good, but we still have to get to a certain level.’’

Cashman reiterated the Pineda injury adds no urgency to Pettitte’s situation.

“Andy still has to go through the steps,’’ said Cashman. “He’s between the quarter and halfway mark of spring training after 16 months of inactivity.  If I lost every starter in the Yankees rotation, I still wouldn’t put him in right now.

“He’s not ready.’’

Pettitte also realizes he will be 40 on June 15, and coming back after a year off is a challenge.

“I have to get my body used to a lot of things again, and I am almost 40. I’ll get this done, and help the Yankees, but I have to get myself to that level. Last year at home, I didn’t throw during the offseason the way I had before. I’m catching up on some things.’’

And when Pettitte does return to the Yankees, don’t expect him to throw complete-game shutouts.

“I’m not that kind of pitcher,’’ he said. “Every game is a grind. I battle to keep our team in the game.’’

Cashman will decide within the next few days where Pettitte pitches next. The Thunder are on the road and the re-named 2012 Triple-A Empire State Yankees are an International League road club based in Rochester this season.

“Andy’s next start depends on how he feels, location, competition,’’ said Cashman. “We have to take a step back.’’

So does a mid- to late-May Yankees arrival for Pettitte seem realistic? It does.

Expect him to be ready to contribute at that time, but also temper your expectations.

Yankees fans have been penciling in Andy Pettitte to takeover either Phil Hughes‘ or Freddy Garcia‘s rotation spot. On a day where the organization received bad news regarding Michael Pineda‘s shoulder, Pettitte made another rehab start with Double-A Trenton.

According to Mike Ashmore of the Hunterdon County Democrat Pettitte’s velocity was between 86-87 mph. His average in 2010, his last full season, was 89 mph.

Pettitte pretty consistently around 86-87 MPH with the fastball tonight.My handy dandy sources don’t have him over 88 today.

— Mike Ashmore (@mashmore98) April 25, 2012

Bob Klapisch of The Record believes Pettitte needs more work.

@howardmegdal My gut says he’s not there yet.

— Bob Klapisch (@BobKlap) April 26, 2012

Brian Cashman admitted he is going to need a few more starts.

Cashman here in Trenton, says Pettitte “not there yet.” Willneed a “few more” minor league starts.

— Bob Klapisch (@BobKlap) April 26, 2012

Even Pettitte admitted he isn’t close to being ready.

Pettitte: “I don’t feel the strength is there yet…I was a little disappointed in my command.”

— Bob Klapisch (@BobKlap) April 26, 2012

Before you count on the Andy Pettitte of old to return to form, remember that he is almost 40 years old and hasn’t pitched to big league hitters in well over a year.

There is no evidence to date that Pettitte is anything more than a question mark.

Our very own Jed Weisberger was in the building and will provide us with his analysis in the morning.

I made a trip out to Trenton this past Saturday for a rare 5:05 start to watch the Thunder play host to the Washington Nationals Double-A affiliate, Harrisburg Senators.

Some seasons have seen Thunder manager Tony Franklin blessed with tremendous pitching staffs with zero hitting, and other seasons have seen him write in a tremendous lineup while wondering if his pitchers can limit the opposition to single digits.

This year he has both hitting and pitching somewhere in the middle.

On the mound for the Thunder was left hander Shaeffer Hall.

As a 25^th round draft pick out of Kansas, Hall appeared nothing more than a sturdy arm for the organization. But I saw him throw two years ago in Charleston and Tampa and saw a pitcher with pretty good control and command, with pitching smarts to know how to attack hitters.

This pitching intelligence is much needed as Hall doesn’t throw overly hard. He was usually 88-89 in 2010, but was pretty much 84-86 all day long on Saturday. However, he is in his second season of throwing a cutter (with slider tilt and movement), which he can get in on the hands of right handed hitters.

It was this pitch and his changeup which kept hitters off balance and grounding the ball towards the extremely organizational infield the Thunder put out that day.

Hall is a pitcher who relies on changing speeds and location. He needs an umpire to give him the calls on the corners, then can work from there to expand the zone and get batters to chase pitches. This requires him to constantly get ahead and stay ahead of the hitter, which is always a good thing. If Hall gets an umpire with a tight zone, he has to come over the plate more and his stuff likely will not translate to quality outings.

A perfect example is when Hall tried to come inside to Jeff Kobernus, the Senators second baseman. Kobernus just missed powering two balls out of spacious Waterfront Park, but each drive was held up by a stiff wind, which allowed both deep drives to fall harmlessly into the glove of the Thunder left fielder.

Hall is a nice kid but his style doesn’t appear to be what the Yankees hierarchy likes in their starting pitchers. With injuries and ineffectiveness to hard throwers like Michael Pineda, Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos and the 2011 released Andrew Brackman, maybe the Yankees should change their preferences to pitchers rather than throwers.

The Yankees also let Francisco Rondon throw the final inning, and he allowed a deep drive home run to center by Senators LF Chris Rahl (who had 3 RBI & was a double short of the cycle). Rondon was fluid with a fastball with some life, usually 89-91, and hit 93. He showed a pretty good slider (82-83), which he wasn’t able to control and a decent changeup, but which had a tendency to stay up.

Rondon has been in the organization since 2006 and has become less hittable as he has moved up, but also shown an increased inability to throw strikes. The way teams can always use hard throwing left handed relievers, Rondon has a chance to progress further but need to trust his stuff more.

Luke Murton has three hits on the day, but showed total pull tendencies, similar to what I saw in Charleston in 2010. His swing is mostly arms and upper body, barely using his lower half. I saw him reach for quite a few pitches during the day, out front but still put the good part of the bat on the ball indicating pretty good eye, hand coordination. He is a hard worker who is constantly working in the cage and oftentimes off a tee just minutes before a game, and has the personality and build of former Yankee Shelley Duncan.

Cody Johnson was a former first round pick for the Atlanta Braves in 2006 and came to the Yankees in a minor league trade. He had shown a tremendous ability in the past to swing and miss*, and this was attributed to a severe hitch which caused him to not get around on good fastballs. He also was susceptible on breaking stuff, especially when behind in the count. However, he has eliminated the hitch by keeping his hands really low, behind his back hip. They do come up slightly during his load, but not that much higher. This keeps Johnson’s path to the ball much quicker allowing him to wait longer on pitch recognition.

*Johnson’s strikeout rate has increased each season as a pro, going from 34% in 2008, to 35% in 2009, 39% in 2010 to 41% last year.

In one at bat, Johnson basically flicked his wrists the way Rod Carew used to for a nice line drive single to left center. In two other at bats, Johnson showed good power to left field (going with the pitch) putting balls to the warning track, one which likely would have been out for a booming homer if not for the strong wind blowing in.

He does hit the ball very hard when he makes contact, and with his new hand placement he has made better contact. I still believe better fastballs will eat him up inside (he was never tested inside during this game), but with his changes and improved contact rate (30% K rate thus far) while still hitting for power, he is someone to keep an eye on.

Zoilo Almonte, the 22 year old switch hitting outfielder who impressed Joe Girardi in spring training, is on the disable list and did not play. I saw him last year and he appeared overmatched in the couple games I saw. But, a la Brett Gardner, Zoilo does have a track record of struggling at a level when first promoted, then improving considerably when he returns to start at that same level the following year.

The Senators had a few guys impress who I had not seen before. The aforementioned Kobernus, a second baseman is very quick to the ball. He stands very quiet at the plate until he unleashes a very quick swing, going direct to the ball. His swing has some loft which provided nice backspin. As I said earlier, he would have had two long home runs if not for the wind.  He also showed pretty good speed down the line on a ground ball. At same body type (6-2, 210 or so), the position he plays, and the fact they attended the same school (Cal), Kobernus reminds me of Jeff Kent. He might not hit with the power Kent developed but Kobernus can hit the ball, which will be his ticket to the higher levels.

Destin Hood is a former second round pick for the Nationals, one of those highly athletic “toolsy” guys who never seem to work out because they really don’t become baseball players. They don’t develop the instincts and work ethic to improve and advance beyond just playing the game. Hood has changed for the better since I saw him last in 2010 in the Low-A Sally League. Hood showed great bat speed and foot speed, easily beating out a slow roller to third base, and easily scored from first on ground ball down the left field line.

In his second at bat, Hood got behind two strikes, but calmly stayed off a cutter low and in from Hall. While Hood eventually struck out a better version of that pitch, he was on the ball with a good swing. Hood is aggressive at the plate, but has shown an improved ability to attack better pitches and to stay away from off speed stuff out of the zone.

That is a good combination.

The right hander who closed the game out in the Senators 4-01 win was former Trenton Thunder pitcher Christian Garcia. The tall right hander was one of the Yankees top starting pitching prospects a few years ago, but injuries (two Tommy John surgeries) and a lack of desire to work hard hampered his career. He is back now as a reliever, and now healthy, continues to possess a tremendous repertoire including an easy fastball at 93-94, moving it easily around the zone. I remember a few years ago that Garcia had a tendency to sometimes overthrow his fastball (maybe why he was always injured?), but it was no longer the case – at least in this game. He also threw a solid hook and plus, plus major league quality change up.

The change up has always been Garcia’s out pitch, and he uses it extensively, playing is very nicely off his solid fastball keeping his arm speed the same on both pitches. Both his strikeouts this game came on change ups, making the Thunder hitters look foolish. According to a couple Senators players, Garcia has been tremendous all season, with his changeup getting swings and misses on most occasions. It is a pitch which doesn’t necessarily need to stay down to be effective, as it is almost impossible to recognize early. I asked about his desire and work ethic (not his strong suit in his Yankee career), and both said they have not seen any slacking on his work habits.

Garcia showed good bite and downward action on his curveball, a plus pitch which he appears now to throw in basically offering something else to the hitter. Garcia was very popular when he played in Trenton, and many of the locals were glad to see him back healthy and performing well.

If he stays healthy Garcia could move quickly towards a bullpen spot with the major league club.

On Saturday, I attended a screening of Knuckleball! at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. The documentary, by award-winning filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, follows knuckleballers R.A. Dickey and Tim Wakefield during the 2011 season. Stern and Sundberg also tell the story about how both pitchers came to embrace and master this unique pitch.  Charlie Hough, Phil Niekro, Jim Bouton  and long-time White Sox lefty Wilbur Wood all made cameos to discuss this “trick pitch.”

“To gain power you first must give up control,” is the tagline on the movie poster. The pitch that sometimes travels slower than the speed limit on a State Highway eludes many who have attempted to master it. Wakefield and Dickey are two of the luckier ones that saved their career by embracing it and executing at a high level. Wakefield retired before the season and finished with 200 wins for his career. R.A. Dickey is in his third season with the Mets and has been throwing the pitch since 2005. After becoming a member of the Mets rotation in 2010, he’s pitched well enough to be considered a top-10 pitcher in the National League. Despite the success of these two recent knuckleballers, I think the future of the pitch is very murky. With a game that is obsessed with power, strength and speed, it could be that Dickey will be the last member to carry the torch of this small fraternity. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we are seeing the final days of the pitch.

Turn back the clock just 25 years ago. Hough, Tom Candiotti and the Niekro brothers were all top-of-the-rotation pitchers for their respective teams. A decade earlier, Wilbur Wood had four straight seasons of 20 wins or better. Of course we can’t forget Hoyt Wilhelm, a Hall of Famer. Today, outside of Dickey, there is no one even close to being an established knuckleballer. Charlie Zink made one start for Boston in 2008. Charlie Haeger had a couple of brief cups of coffee with the Dodgers in 2009 and 2010. Neither was good enough to stick around very long.

So is there anyone on the horizon? One minor leaguer to keep an eye on is Steven Wright, a right handed knuckleballer with the Indians. He converted last season and is throwing the pitch 85% of the time. After bouncing around three minor league levels and posting an unsightly WHIP of 1.6 and walk-rate close to 5, Wright has pitched well thus far this year; going 2-1 with a 1.56 ERA in 3 starts for the Indians Double-A affiliate. His walks are still high (5.2 per 9), but he’s struck out nearly 10 batters per 9 innings. When mastering a “trick pitch” progress can’t be sneered at.

The Indians actually endorsed Wright going full-time with the knuckleball after Candiotti watched him throw. With all the organizational fillers throughout the game, wouldn’t it make sense for every team to be progressive with the pitch? “Being on the other side, in the management side, I’m not looking for a guy that can throw a knuckleball. I don’t know of any big league manager that’s going ‘boy, I wish I had a knuckleballer on my team’,” Hough, now senior adviser of player development for the Dodgers, told me during a recent interview. “We’ve only got so many innings per year for our prospects to pitch. It’s difficult to give some of those innings to somebody kind of on an experiment.”

I would counter that there is a value to dedicating innings to this “experiment.” Having a pitcher on the staff that could eat innings and throw everyday has value. Even if the ceiling for that prospect is a league average hurler that gives you 200 innings with a 4.50 ERA, I think it’s worth it. How many kids throwing 95-mph would die for that type of pitching profile?

You also don’t have to contain it to failed pitchers. Wakefield was a first baseman that was coming off a season where he hit .216 with 1 home run in Low-A; not the kind of numbers that keeps you employed in a big league organization. It’s not like you have to spend money on scouting for the next great knuckleballer (Phil Niekro was actually drafted strictly throwing the pitch), you can find one amongst the scraps in your own organization. The one issue would be having someone run such a program since there aren’t many knuckleballers left, and Hough is already employed.

Hough also believes Dickey he could pitch another ten years. If that comes to fruition, there is plenty of time for the next big league knuckleballer to join him. If Wright continues to improve he may be the most likely candidate. If not, then we may be seeing the last of the knuckleball, which I think would be a shame.

You almost have to be my age – nearly 48 years since my Bar Mitzvah – to remember a Yankees outfielder at the end of career named Walt “No Neck” Williams.

Williams, who played 10 years in the majors – mostly with the Chicago White Sox – and later coached in the majors and managed in the minors, including the Charleston RiverDogs in 1994, was known as “No Neck’’ for his 5-foot-6, muscular build.

Those 1994 RiverDogs were a Texas affiliate and finished 50-89, but, through Williams, have a connection to the Yankees’ talent-laden 2012 Charleston club, which has started 13-3 in the South Atlantic League.

Yankees blue-chip outfield prospect Mason Williams, who is hitting .318 (21-for-66) with eight stolen bases, is distantly related to “No Neck,’’ who was his grandfather’s brother.  He looks nothing like “No Neck,’’ and 6-0, 155, but can he ever play.

Williams, named as the New York-Penn League’s top prospect, is about to pass the oft-injured Slade Heathcott in the pecking order.  Coming off a season in which he was named the top prospect in the New York-Penn League after batting .395 (94-for-269) with 31 RBIs and 28 steals in 68 games, he is making his mark in his first full-season league.

Just 21, with the tenacity of “No Neck’’ and the speed of his dad, Derwin, a former New England Patriots wide receiver, Williams is working on improving his route-running and swing. A mid-season promotion to Class-A Advanced Tampa is not out of the question.

Williams is part of a four-pronged attack that is laying waste to the Sally League by prospects who hope to arrive in the majors around late 2014 or 2015. Outfielder Tyler Austin is hitting a lusty .393 (22-for-56) with a league-leading four homers and a team-leading 12 RBIs.  Catcher Gary Sanchez chips in with a .356 mark (21-for-59) and six RBIs.  Dante Bichette Jr., last year’s supplemental first-round pick, is clicking at .294 (15-for-51).

Give credit to scout Jeff Deardorff, who signed both Williams and Bichette.

On the pitching side, the somewhat forgotten hurler in the Seattle trade for Michael Pinieda that sent Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi West, righty Jose Campos, is 3-0, 1.23 in four starts with a strikeout/walk ratio of 23-5. Campos’ fastball, which sits at 92-95 mph, has been clocked at 98.

Add the potential of shortstop Cito Culver and righty Bryan Mitchell to this aggregation, which has won eight straight heading into play Tuesday, and no wonder manager Carlos Mendoza says, “This is a fun team to manage.’’

Keep an eye on all these Charleston players – Austin was a 13^th-round pick from Conyers, Ga., signed by scout Darryl Monroe for $130,000 in 2010. They will be moving up the ladder quickly.

ELSEWHERE IN THE YANKEES SYSTEM

TAMPA YANKEES (Class-A Advanced) – The T-Yanks enter Tuesday’s play with a 9-8 mark. Offensively, infielder-outfielder Rob Segedin is batting  .308 (20-for-65).  On the mound, lefty Nik Turley is 2-0, 1.93 with a strikeout-walk ratio of 27-9.  Turley was a 50^th-round selection in 2008 who is recovering from a broken bone in his pitching hand sustained last season when he was hit by a line drive in his second 2011 Tampa start.

TRENTON THUNDER (Class AA) – The Thunder are 8-8 heading into Tuesday night’s game at home with Erie, and will have Andy Pettitte pitching Wednesday evening. Third baseman Ronnier Mustelier, a Cuban defector, is hitting .339 *21-for-62). On the mound, righty Craig Heyer is 1-1, 2.16 in three starts (he also made a start from Triple-A Empire State), with a strikeout-walk ratio of 12-3.

EMPIRE STATE YANKEES (Class AAA) – The vagabond Yankees are 8-8, having won four straight on their journey without a home. Outfielder Dewayne Wise is looking for attention with a .439 (18-for-41) average. Infielder-outfielder Steve Pearce, another former big-leaguer, is hitting .361 (22-for-61).  Sinker-slider righty D.J. Mitchell,  at 2-0, 2.12 in three starts, with a 15-5 strikeout/walk ratio, has been the most consistent pitcher

Jose Reyes returns to New York tonight as a member of the Miami Marlins. It will be weird to see the former Mets shortstop decked out in the silly art deco Miami uniform. This is not the first time in team history a star is returning to his former place of employment. The Mets have done a bad job over their history keeping in-prime homegrown talent with the organization. Tom Seaver and Darryl Strawberry immediately come to mind. Mike Piazza was clearly on the decline, but his departure still was bitter-sweet for many fans. I don’t expect Reyes to receive anywhere near the reaction or media scrutiny those three memorable returns generated.

The all-time returning hero was Seaver, who beat the Mets 5-1 at Shea on August 21st, 1977. The Franchise would strike out 11 and toss a complete game in front of 46,265. The events that led to Seaver being sent to Cincinnati still bother Mets fans to this day. There will never be a more emotional return in the history of the franchise.

Darryl Strawberry leaving the Mets after the 1990 season wasn’t the equivalent of Seaver from a public relations disaster, but it had a similar effect on the franchise. 1991 marked the team’s first losing season since 1983. It would be six years before they returned to contention. They would not have a hitter of Strawberry’s impact until they traded for Piazza in 1998. They wouldn’t develop one until David Wright made his debut in 2004. The Mets were actually playing pretty well for Buddy Harrelson early that year when Straw and the Dodgers returned to Shea on May 7th.  Strawberry received a mixed reaction of cheers and boos. It actually was pretty symbolic of his time in New York, as many fans felt he never lived up to his potential. Who knew at the time how deeply rooted his demons were. 47,744 saw John Franco close the door on a 6-5 victory, which raised their record to 15-10 and kept them 1.5 games behind the first-place Pirates.

Mike Piazza was also an emotional return. Unlike Seaver and Strawberry, there was no animosity towards Piazza since the Mets elected to not re-sign him after the ’05 season. The Mets were a lost franchise going nowhere when Steve Phillips acquired him from Florida in May of ’98. Piazza was the heart and soul of the overachieving late-90s Mets.

His new team, San Diego, came to Shea on August 8, 2006 in the midst of the Mets magical run. Piazza went 1-4 and received a nice standing ovation from the crowd of over 47,000 during his first at-bat. The dramatics actually came a night later when Piazza hit 2 home runs off Pedro Martinez, and nearly a third off Aaron Heilman that was caught in deep center.

Lesser reunions include Gary Carter, Lenny Dykstra, Todd Hundley, Edgardo Alfonzo, John Franco and Al Leiter. Carter and Dykstra received standing ovations from the Shea faithful, while Franco was given a tribute video. Leiter, despite being the ace of the late-90s pitching staffs, was booed when he took the mound for the Marlins in April of 2005. This was due to his reported involvement in the Scott Kazmir-Victor Zambrano deal. To this day the relationship between Leiter, Mets fans and the organization has been strained. When John Franco returned with Houston earlier that same month he received a tribute video, similar to what we will see today with Reyes.

So where will tonight rank in all-time Mets reunions? It probably won’t be contentious like Leiter, but it will be no-where near the drama and attention of Seaver, Strawberry and Piazza.

Reyes was a very good Met that became a fan favorite because of his endless energy. He was the jumpstart to the offense, and the team usually won when he had a great day at the plate. The fans also remember the September slumps during collapse, lack of focus in the field that led to routine errors and the barrage of injuries the last three seasons. Unlike Seaver, Strawberry and Piazza, Reyes’ Mets were colossal disappointments. There are more bad memories than good ones, and the way he left by walking off the field after one at-bat his last game, has left a bad taste in some people’s mouth.

We won’t see anywhere near the attendance figures that Seaver Strawberry and Piazza drew. I doubt we will see 30,000 fans at Citi Field tonight. Reyes will probably get a polite ovation from the crowd. If he has a big game the few thousand that are left later on might do a mock “Jose, Jose, Jose” chant, but it will largely be no big deal.

Modern Mets fans love Reyes, but in the context of team history he isn’t at the level of importance of the aforementioned trio. He is more Edgardo Alfonzo than Piazza. That isn’t a bad thing, but this era of Mets baseball has changed not because of his departure, but due to a change in front office and a unique ownership dynamic.

After that first at-bat, Reyes is just another opponent. It’s ok to give a polite applause, and I wouldn’t blame you if you booed. For me, the nostalgia just isn’t there for the guy. It would be interesting if the fans ignored him, or better yet, ran from their seats like he ran off the field the last day of 2011. I doubt Reyes really cares how he is received. He got what he wanted, which was a big dollar contract. He would have played on Mars if Bud Selig had an MLB team stationed there with an owner willing to give him the maximum amount.

I have moved on, so should you.

Reyes is not worth crying over.

The setback to Michael Pineda this past weekend where he was shut down after only 15 pitches on Saturday, along with the recent struggles of the Yankees rotation, have turned the signing of Andy Pettitte from a “luxury item” to a thing of urgent necessity.

So how concerned are the Yankees with Pineda’s latest setback? I spoke with a member of the Yankees organization on Saturday in regards to both Pineda and Andy Pettitte’s comeback, who informed me that the team has gone from having minimum concern over Pineda’s rotator cuff tendinitis issues to “outright worry” that there could be something seriously wrong with him. Pineda will be seeing Dr. Christopher Ahmad on Monday and will also be getting another MRI. If it does turn out that there is something structurally wrong with Pineda’s shoulder, then you can bet your last dollar that the “acolytes”, those groups of Yankees fans who never wanted to trade Jesus Montero in the first place, will be hard on the heels of Brian Cashman on the blogs and message boards.

Speaking of Pettitte, my source, who has been monitoring his comeback since day one, told me that Andy looks “outstanding” and that his control is, in his words, borderline “impeccable”. “He looks like he could step into the rotation right now and not miss a beat”.

More interestingly, my source also told me that he had a 45-minute conversation with Pettitte this past week, where the iconic left hander told him that he’s been monitoring what’s been going on with the rotation, and that he remains steadfast and totally focused on coming to help out any way he can. Pettitte, who’s always been known for his ebullient and loquacious personality, seems to have a spring in his step that not many in the Yankees organization have seen in quite some time.

I was also informed that, as of right now, Pettitte, who will start Wednesday for the Double-A Trenton Thunder, will get at least two more starts afterward before Yankees management considers calling him up.

As far as the Yankees current rotation goes, it appears that Freddy Garcia, who has been just awful so far this season, will most likely be the odd man out when Pettitte returns. Garcia, who is now sporting a 9.75 era, is starting to resemble a batting practice pitcher rather than the pitcher who went 12-9 with a 3.62 ERA in 2011. So can Garcia, who has been known as a notoriously slow starter, right the ship, or was his 2011 season nothing more than an outlier.

As far as Garcia’s main competition, Phil Hughes, I was told that his sub-par performance against the Twins this past Thursday has actually bolted him slightly ahead of Garcia in the rotation pecking order. In fact, there are a lot of people in the Yankees organization willing to give Hughes a “mulligan” for his last start due to the fact that his pitching line would have been a lot better if not for the Nunez error and Girardi’s ridiculous over shift on Ryan Doumit with the bases loaded that cost the team two runs.Hughes, who is now 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA, needs to step it up, not only to help the club, but to also maximize his chance of staying in the rotation. From what I have been told, and this is really no secret the consensus down in Tampa, is that the Yankees brain trust still prefers Hughes over Garcia, and will give him every opportunity to stay there.

As far as minor league options go, Adam Warren might very well be given a look see later in the season. I was told that the organization is impressed with his toughness and maturity on the mound. All he needs is to accrue the proper amount of innings at the minor league level and he “should be” good for an eventual call-up. Also don’t be surprised if you see David Phelps start a game or two this season. Personally, I would have preferred to see either Warren or Phelps get a shot at the rotation over Freddy Garcia, but that’s simply water under the bridge.

Passing Thoughts

So was Bobby V. right about Hiroki Kuroda? Several advanced scouts that I have spoken with recently feel that Kuroda might have a very difficult time adjusting to life in the heavy hitting American League. Kuroda has never pitched full-time in a league with a DH, ever, until this season, so there might be more than a few bumps along the way before he straightens things out and gets some consistency going. The key to Kuroda is, of course, his sinker, which he has failed to throw with any consistency so far this year. Kuroda’s next start should be a rather interesting one, to say the least, as he is set to face off against fellow countryman Yu Darvish in Texas this week.

Speaking of the Rangers, in my opinion at least, they are still the most prolific hitting team in all of baseball. With a batting order that is, as one scout friend of mine called “scary and relentless,” they are still the team to beat in the American League. Seriously, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, Adrian Beltre, (now injured) Elvis Andrus, Nelson Cruz, Mitch Moreland, David Murphy…..simply scary! Here’s an idea, maybe the Rangers should change their name from the Texas Rangers to the “Relentless Ranger’s Of Arlington, sort of a play on the whole Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim name fiasco. All I know is there could be a lot of runs scored this week when the Bombers and Rangers meet!

The Red Sox bullpen had an ugly Saturday afternoon by giving up 13 earned runs in 3 innings. That is a meltdown of epic proportions, but it appears the 8th inning sing-along at Fenway perturbed Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.

If they play Sweet Caroline between innings, somebody should get fired. I’m sorta serious.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) April 21, 2012

We just blew a 9-0 lead. So good! So good! Wheeee! Just pathetic . Can not play it. Just can’t.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) April 21, 2012

Unreal. They’re playing it. No shame whatsoever.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) April 21, 2012

And on April 21, the #RedSox jumped the shark.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) April 21, 2012

So good! So good! Unreal.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) April 21, 2012

Sometimes Twitter brings out emotional rants in the best of us (I am guilty of this as much as anyone), but Abraham decided to put it in his his Boston Globe column

The Red Sox allowed seven runs in the seventh inning and seven more in the eighth inning to blow a 9-1 lead. If ever there was a day to skip “Sweet Caroline,” in favor of some decorum, this was it.

But the song played and on one of the most embarrassing days in franchise history, people sang, “So good! So good!” like they were drunk at a wedding.

It’s only a song and if people want to sing, so be it. But let’s forget about the notion that Fenway Park is a tough place to play and is full of hard-core fans. Because it’s not any more. It’s a place where people gleefully sing a cheesy song after their team blows a nine-run lead.

Nobody is singing when they home team is getting embarrassed at Yankee Stadium or Citizens Bank Park. Bruins fans weren’t singing at the Garden Saturday. Either winning really matters or it doesn’t. If it does, put the silly song on the shelf during games like this.

This kind of open and honest rant is exactly what is missing in media. Personally, I wouldn’t have cared, but Abraham does have a point. You just got your butt kicked by the Yankees in the most embarrassing fashion. Do you really want to sing after seeing 14 runs in two innings?

Pete was a good friend of this website and my radio program. He always was supportive of the blogosphere and built up the very popular LoHud Yankees Blog that is now run by Chad Jennings.

He was one of my favorite beat writers and I see he continues to do a nice job in Boston.

I will say, however, I did get a chuckle that the Saturday afternoon massacre perturbed Red Sox Nation all the way down to the beat.

Join me on this rainy Sunday night to recap the week of New York baseball.

Leading off is Hart Seely, author of the book “The JuJu Rules.” Hart, a Yankees fan, will tell us how he helps the Bombers win games from his couch!

Award-winning sports columnist for Connecticut’s Valley Times, Bob Lazzari, will talk about the wild weekend at Fenway for the Yankees and Red Sox.

Remember collecting baseball cards? I do, and that is why Dave Jamieson, author of the book “Mint Condition,” will talk about the lost hobby and ways it can be revived.

Finally, I give a Mets “state of the union” and talk about my issues with Terry Collins in-game management.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE

DOWNLOAD THE MP3

You can check download my app for both iPhone and Droid here

Congrats to Philip Humber who pitched the 21st perfect game in MLB history.

The former Met is more known here for his meltdown against Washington when he blew a 5-0 lead  in Game 158 during the collapse in September of 2007.

After years of injuries and poor performance, Humber put up a very solid 2011 with the White Sox when he went 9-9 with a 3.75 ERA. Humber took a no-hitter into the 7th inning against the Yankees last season until Alex Rodriguez broke it up with a single.

After that game I wrote a short piece in which I passed along some information about how Humber would have pitched a play-in game against the Phillies in ’07.

I was recently talking to a member of that team and reminiscing about the lost season. During the conversation I was told the Mets pitching was in such trouble that Humber would have started the one game playoff in Philadelphia if the season ended in a tie. After 162 games the Mets were going to ask a kid with exactly one major league start to bring them to the postseason. That has 7-0 Phillies after one inning written all over it. Of course, it’s possible he comes up big and writes another amazing chapter in Mets history. Somehow the way 2007 went the latter seems unlikely.

The real issue that September was that Pedro Martinez could not pitch on normal rest so it threw the rotation into disarray. The Mets lacked pitching depth (sounds familiar?), so the option was either Brian Lawrence or Humber.

Too bad Humber couldn’t have saved that perfect magic for that 2007 fall night.

I think Terry Collins does a great job holding his team accountable and communicating with his players. Both were huge question marks when he was named Mets’ manager after the 2010 season. After watching him for two years, I have been less impressed with his in-game management and bullpen utilization. I don’t think either is bad enough to cost the Mets in the way that Jerry Manuel did during his tenure, but yesterday was a prime example of where Terry-and a lot of modern managers- fall short. Even more disconcerting is I don’t think he learned anything from what could have been a devastating loss.

Mike Pelfrey breezed through a six pitch 8th inning. With only 102 pitches to that point it should not have been a question about whether he was allowed to pitch the 9th. Pelfrey earned that by matching Ryan Vogelsong all day, and becoming more efficient as the game wore on. When the Mets added a run in the top half of the 9th, it made the decision even more of a no-brainer. Instead, Collins turned to his struggling closer, Frank Francisco, and that is where the fun began.

You could argue that a Kirk Nieuwenhuis dropped fly ball is the reason for this discussion. I would be writing this even if Francisco pitched a clean 1-2-3 ninth. I see two huge negatives from taking Pelfrey out:

1 – You breathe some life back into the opposition. It wasn’t like Pelfrey was laboring and it was a matter of time before the Giants broke through. Pelfrey allowed six hits and there wasn’t many dangerous innings. If I were Bruce Bochy I would be glad to see the starter exit, especially after seeing him breeze through the 8^th; doubly so after I beat up the closer the night before.

2- You lose an opportunity to rest a bullpen that has been used heavily. Many look at appearances to judge whether a pitcher has been overused. That only tells half the story as you have to include the times a pitcher warms up and doesn’t get into the game. There is a fatigue factor involved with that. Byrdak, Rauch and Francisco- all who pitched the 9th- have been used heavily in that manner this year. They deserved a day off, especially considering you don’t have a staff that Collins will allow to go into the 9th very often this year. I don’t think you will ever see a better opportunity this year for a starter to pitch into the 9th.

Collins’ reasoning was even more perplexing:

“There was [a consideration]. There were too big reasons [he wasn't sent out there]: Number one, he was in a situation where if a couple of guys got on, … I have to go to the closer. Even though lately he has not pitched in a closing situation, he has pitched pretty good in closing situations. I wanted to get him back out there – I just said last night that the one thing that’s happened to him is he isn’t getting much work. So I wanted to get him back out. I told Mike if we got the extra run, he was going back out. If not, we were going to Frankie. …[Pelfrey] pitched like the Mike Pelfrey we know he can be, and I want that feeling to last. I don’t want him to give up two runs, and  all of a sudden they tie the game, and now I have to go get him. … I didn’t want that to happen it him.”

Let’s dissect this.

First, the idea that Francisco isn’t getting enough work is silly. He’s now pitched in 7 of the Mets 14 games. My math says that’s fifty percent. He also had pitched the last two games in a row when he entered in the 9th. Where is the work issue?

I normally would agree with Collins’ thought process on getting the closer back on the mound after a rough night. The problem with doing this yesterday is the fact this was Mike Pelfrey’s game. So what if the first hitter got on? Pelfrey probably had another 18-20 pitches in him. I would probably give him a chance to get in serious trouble; the kind of trouble that Francisco eventually put them into. The more important mental lesson would have been showing Pelfrey confidence in going back out there. The message I took from Collins’ move is more “we survived your start and let’s not push it” more than “job well done.”

Earlier in the week Tom Verducci talked about closer utilization in Sports Illustrated:

Managers are motivated by the save statistic, throwing three-out save chances to their closer like bones to a dog. The game universally has embraced this idea that a closer can’t come in to a tie game on the road — better to lose the game with a lesser pitcher than run your closer out there without a save in hand.

What makes this groupthink so crazy is that the system isn’t working. Closers are breaking down or losing effectiveness faster than you can say Joel Zumaya. (Quick, look around baseball: show me the high velocity, high energy closer with the obligatory, goofy closer-hair starter kit who has a long career. The job has a bit of planned obsolescence to it.)

Again, it’s the “paint-by-numbers” in-game management that we see. I remember Mike Francesa asking Jerry Manuel about why he didn’t bring K-Rod in a tie game on the road. Manuel stammered (as he often did) before citing that “it’s not the way it’s done.” Collins, like Manuel, would rather fail by going with the book versus doing what logic and common sense dictated.

In taking the safe approach Collins was lucky he avoided a loss. What he did accomplish is blow a much deserved win for Pelfrey and tax his already heavily used bullpen. Maybe the upcoming rain showers in New York will give them  some unexpected rest, but after yesterday’s game Francisco, Byrdak, and Rauch have appeared in fifty percent or more of the games. Each is on pace of 80+ appearances. I am sure there will be another 25-30 games in which they warm up but won’t get an appearance. Is that healthy?

R.A. Dickey and Pelfrey are two pitchers that should be worked hard each and every start. Dickey is a knuckleballer and admits he could go as long as the manager wants. He also possesses a gamer mentality in which he never wants to come out of a ballgame. Pelfrey is a big, strong guy with solid mechanics. He could easily go 120-130 pitches each start ala Roy Halladay, Justin Verlander or CC Sabathia. I think you could even put Dillon Gee and Jon Niese into that category as time goes on. On a staff that features  a 5-inning pitcher in Johan Santana, the deeper that Pelfrey and Dickey go, the better it is for the bullpen.

Yesterday should be a lesson for Terry Collins. Unfortunately, his post game comments tell me he didn’t get the real take away from the 9th inning mess he created.

Great day I walked on to the field and then flexed for the crowd got a loud possitive cheer loved it

— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) April 21, 2012

The beauty and downfall of social media is that it allows complete transparency into the world of people. The invisible wall that once separated fans from who their athletes really are has been torn down. Some athletes bring us more into their world than others. Jose Canseco is one of those athletes.

Long known as the godfather of steroids, Canseco has been blamed for introducing and blowing the whistle on steroids in baseball. His book “Juiced” claimed that 85% of the league was using some sort of banned substance. Although we can never prove that claim empirically, it’s safe to say that Canseco wasn’t too far off. At the very least he tipped us off about the rampant use.

The last time Canseco donned a big league uniform was during a 2004 tryout with the Dodgers. Since then he’s discussed his life on A&E, appeared on Donald Trump’s hit show “The Celebrity Apprentice,” MTV’s “The Surreal Life” and has participated in various mixed martial arts matches. Through it all Canseco has gone on record saying how much he loves the game of baseball. He discusses it almost nightly on his Twitter account, and even recently talked about what he would do if he were commissioner of the game.

Last year Canseco became player/manager for the Yuma Scorpions of the independent North American League. In his late forties he was still able to hit .256 with 8 HRs in 237 at-bats. He was slated to play in Mexico this year, but failed a steroid test. Canseco claims the drug in his system is only being used because of physical side effects he suffers from his years of steroid use. He was looking to enhance a different type of performance, if you will.  Not to worry, he will be playing baseball again this year as he signed a deal with the Worcester Tornadoes of the Can-Am League. According to the Worchester Telegram & Gazette, the Can-Am League does not have a drug-testing policy in place and leaves it up to the individual teams to police the players. The Tornadoes believe Canseco is serious about promoting the league on the field and at the gate. With the large presence the Can-Am League has in the Northeast, you can bet there will be more than one story written about Canseco this year.

The most interesting twist to the Canseco story is the fact the Red Sox invited him to yesterday’s 100-year celebration of Fenway Park. Canseco has claimed in the past that he believes he was blackballed from baseball because of the fact he spoke out about the steroid issue. He believes the powers that be did not want him to reach 500 home runs – a huge Hall of Fame benchmark- which would put him in an elite class in the game’s history. He finished his big league career with 462. As a matter of fact, Canseco believes he could hit 40 homers at the age of 47 today if given the chance to DH full time.

If baseball was so anti-Canseco why would Bud Selig allow the Red Sox to invite him back to Fenway? He played only 198 games with the Red Sox, and many forget that he even wore their uniform. The cynic in me wonders if this is baseball’s way of reining him in. It’s no secret that Canseco has financial problems. His ex-girlfriend recently spoke about that and other off-the-field issues with a blog called “The Stirring Straw.” 

It is important, however, to note that Canseco has been critical of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. He believes there is more to A-Rod’s PED use than the “whoops I made a one-time mistake” confession he gave in 2009. The sport already has Barry Bonds‘ tarnished legacy hanging over it. Do you really think Selig wants Rodriguez to be revealed as more than just a cursory user of steroids? Having the two most complete athletes of the last 25 years as proven frauds puts a huge black mark on his legacy. Having Canseco lashing out at the game nightly on Twitter probably doesn’t make him feel too good. Why not soften him up by allowing him back into the club in some capacity, even if it’s for just one day.

You could tell that Canseco had a great time at Fenway. I found his comments on Twitter interesting:

I am right next to bud selig ,he is so lucky I am not angry at him anymore

— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) April 20, 2012

I almost went over and had a word with Alex rodriguez when I was on the field

— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) April 21, 2012

Arod is a hater and a liar

— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) April 21, 2012

It would have been fun to see him confront A-Rod. It would have certainly made an interesting day at Fenway even better. I was actually surprised that Canseco wasn’t booed during his introduction. Interesting how the fans seem to be more forgiving than the league and media.

We won’t ever see Jose Canseco in the Hall of Fame as he fell well short of the 5% necessary to keep him on the ballot. With players such as Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell possibly being kept out because of suspicion of PED use, an admitted cheater will never get consideration from the Veterans Committee. Canseco’s day at Fenway might be about all he gets from the game.

I do think there should be a Hall of Fame exhibit to this guy someday. He symbolizes a wild time in the game’s history. One in which the league will never embrace. One they will try and hide or “dress up” as they do their other transgressions; specifically segregation and collusion.

What’s funny is that Canseco does seem to really love the game. Sure, he’s broke and probably could use the paycheck, but his name will certainly command appearance fees in various venues. He doesn’t need to put on spikes to make a living. You also don’t make a ton of money playing independent baseball. At best I suspect he’s pulling in $3,000 a month.

Lots of people seem to hate Canseco because he stands for everything they believe was wrong with the game for two decades. I believe he is exactly what baseball has been its entire existence: dynamic, superior, ever-changing, interesting, flawed and, at times, criminal. I am sure there are tons of other adjectives you can find that connect the two.

Baseball hates Canseco because of the fact it reminds it of what it really is when they see him.

That is probably why I actually don’t have a problem with Jose Canseco staying in the spotlight. I hope he continues to remind them for a long time.

The sky was high and the sun shining bright over the Fens on Friday afternoon. A brisk breeze kept the sellout crowd of ballpark patrons in modest comfort as they sat and partook in red hots and ate enough roasted peanuts to keep half of rural Georgia in coal and horse feed for most of ’12. The occasion was the arrival of the New York Highlanders, fresh off the Atlantic Railway and in town to battle the Red Stockings in their new ball palace known simply as Fenway Park.

Despite the festive atmosphere and fine surroundings, the game was marred by poor play. Particularly at fault was the Highlander nine, who constantly interrupted the flow of the grand game with long home runs that left the park. It was a bush league performance marred by the lack of a single bunt hit, Baltimore Chop, or even a batsman reaching base safely on a single butcher boy hit. No one even attempted to hit behind a runner, give himself up for the betterment of his squad or stealthily take an extra base.

The state of the mound men was at a level so low that this scribe has never seen such ineptitude from a big league hurler. They would have been laughed off of the local sandlot with gusto if they showed up with the repertoire that was on display at the Fens. Nary a quality spitball was seen all day, but one must wonder if it is even possible to throw one with the lack of tobacco stains on the garb of these players. The clubhouse boy will have an easy evening of laundering these uniforms, since they lack evidence that a junior circuit ballgame took place in them. Old Jack Chesbro would not be happy if he would have seen what took place on this field yesterday. The standard palm ball, greaser, slow down and hook back were never seen. In fact, a quality looping curveball was a scarce commodity on this day. Both hurlers were an embarrassment as neither were close to going the full nine and needed help from obviously subpar bullpen arms. It should be noted, however, that the old timer, Rivera, continued to impress in his usual short spurt.

The subpar fielding was a disgrace, a sure sign that the great pastime is not what it used to be. The quality stars of the 19th century who understood how to play the game are clearly a thing of the distant past. Bostonian Dusty Pedroia failed in his attempt to corral a routine pop fly to the infield despite playing with a comically large glove. Even worse was New York’s clown prince of a right fielder, Nick Swisher, who had a frightful adventure attempting to handle a hump back liner bathed in sunlight. He actually appeared to not see it, despite the fact that he was wearing spectacles! One may believe that Mr. Swisher might need a house call from his family physician upon his return to Gotham. It was the sort of play that may have lead to fisticuffs if he was a member of Mr. McGraw’s much finer Giants squad, for you can be certain that the great manager would never stand for such tomfoolery in his outfield.

Boston’s new ball yard is quite impressive, as it should be with its $350,000 price tag to build and over 30,000 seats. Unfortunately, the game of ball played there was less so, as the Highlanders ended up the victors by the score of 6-2. Still, it’s a nice place to spend a sunny afternoon after the workday and on a Saturday; there is a large area if you care to take your Model-T motor car on a weekend drive. On a hot day, there are plenty of local establishments nearby to procure an ice cold Moxie, a freshly jerked Lime Rickey or the phosphate of your preference. Still, it is of this writer’s opinion that you should wait to go until someone to come to town who knows how to play the game the right way, Mr. Cobb’s way for instance, rather than Prince Hal’s Highlander nine and their boring barrage of home runs.

It appears the fans really like the New York Highlander 1912 throwbacks the Yankees are wearing today against the Red Sox. The Yankees are one of the few teams that don’t ever wear an alternate or throwback jersey due to the rich tradition of the pinstripes. The Bombers haven’t worn a different road uniform since 1918, and the home uniform has been the same since 1936. Their batting practice jerseys are about as close as you will get to an alternate look in the Bronx.

I am never a fan of teams employing third color uniforms (usually black) just for the sake of sales and marketing. You can sell those jerseys just fine without having the players don them on the field (see Pink Hats throughout baseball). I do like when a team embraces tradition and wears some sort of throwback on a particular occasion.

Perhaps the Yankees should use throwback jerseys more often. Their uniform hasn’t changed all that much over the years, but wearing a more traditional look from their early history would be an interesting change of pace during the season. Perhaps they could make these Yankees-Red Sox throwbacks a yearly tradition, not just for Fenway Park’s 100th birthday. Maybe they break out different versions of their uniform on Old Timers’ Day.

What do you think? Do you agree? Also, what type of other throwbacks would you like to see?

***

In case you want to learn more about the 1912 baseball season and specifically the Red Sox, you can listen to a segment I did on my radio program back in 2009 with NY Post columnist Mike Vaccaro.

Mike wrote a book called “The First Fall Classic: The Red Sox, the Giants and the Cast of Players, Pugs and Politicos Who Re-Invented the World Series in 1912.”