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He had a couple of bad outings. Today's game dropped him down to around 4.

The Yankees have a decent amount of pitching depth in the minors. While this was a tough blow to Patterson, it might serve as motivation for him to keep pushing forward.

I can see where spring training performance doesn't mean a whole lot in terms of pitching staff though. It did open some eyes for him, though, and I think he will be up before too much time goes on. The Yankees will look to have a dominate pitcher coming in later in the season.

Pettitte did well his last ST outing, even though he is on the DL. His minor league start was going so well they had to intentionally walk some to give Pettitte some work from the stretch. Not bad.

Patterson was probably a tough guy for Girardi to leave off.

Goes to show just how many options the Yanks have in the pitching department.

I feel good about the bullpen in the fact that we have a lot of guys to turn to. I really like Humberto Sanchez and Mark Melancon later in the year.

I read a story over there about Patterson being sent down. After he knew the decision, he went to the clubhouse. He sat down, with his head between his hands. He was devastated.
At that moment, LaTroy Hawkins moved his own chair next to Patterson's. He talked to the guy, who is not a kid, since he's 28. LaTroy told him that he could charge whatever he wanted to LaTroy's account at the hotel. That way, Scott could save some money to invite LaTroy a beer to celebrate, once Patterson gets called up.


Now I can say that I like Hawkins so much more.

I read that also. I am impressed with people who go out of their way to pick a future team mate up. I think the Yankees are well aware that there will be changes through the season when they will need a good bullpen pitcher to come up. I think of Patterson as being given a chance to work some of his pitching and control some more, but will be one who they call up earlier rather than later.

The pitching in the minors is something that I think can help put the Yankees over the top this year.

And about Hawkins, this is what Pete Abraham wrote today:

Misplaced loyalty on Opening Day
April 2

Some fans in the crowd of 55,112 last night actually booed LaTroy Hawkins when he was introduced yesterday. His crime? Wearing No. 21.

People, let it go.

Paul O’Neill is a member of the Hall of Very Good. He was a fine Yankee and he tried real hard. But he hit .303 for the Yankees over nine seasons and made the All-Star team four times. That’s really good, but that is not retire-your-number good.

Beyond that, do you know that eight players wore No. 3 after Babe Ruth? Just because Hawkins is wearing 21 doesn’t mean anything. If the Yankees want to retire the number, they can at a later date.

Further, Hawkins is wearing 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente.

Like the Celtics, the Yankees got carried away with retiring numbers. They have retired 15 numbers already and eventually that list will also include 2 (Jeter), 42 (Rivera/Robinson), probably 6 (Torre), 20 (Posada) and maybe even 51 for Bernie.

This will never happen, but the Yankees need to set some standards. To have his number retired, a player should have spent 80 percent of his career with the Yankees and been elected to the Hall of Fame. Or at least won a major award (Cy Young, MVP, Rookie of the Year, World Series MVP) twice.

Hawkins is a good guy and a good teammate. He’s living in Manhattan and he is throwing himself into being a Yankee. Guys in the clubhouse, especially the young players, have praised him for his leadership.

But he got booed on Opening Day and that’s not right. Give the guy a break. You don’t honor Paul O’Neill by trying to bring down somebody else.



And I agree with Pete

Paul O'Neill rightly has an immeasurable place in Yankee history but in no way should Hawkins get booed for wearing his number. It's up to the Yankees to put a hold on it, or not, and not up to the guys coming in here trying to WIN games for these fans.

Jorge, absolutely agree with Pete on that.

I liked Paulie's playing, but wasn't as over the head with him as many fans have been.

It brought up an interesting discussion that we've had on this board ... or at least on the previous one, about what numbers should have been retired. I can understand some fans being for it, but while he was a very good player, the Yankees have retired too many numbers, and frankly, some of them shouldn't have been.

Also, to boo a player for wearing a number just irks me. Hawkins was a great guy to offer paying Patterson whatever he wanted on the hotel bill after he found out that he didn't make the team (yet). I was also miffed that they were booing Farnsworth. Regardless of how any player has done, keep that stuff out of the opening game. Introductions of the team should be nothing but cheers on opening day.

I also think Paul O'Neill should say something about his number while on TV.

I think some numbers should be retired, as they are honoring outstanding players who have made living up to that number's history impossible.

Can Maris be said to be that?

I think there should be a time played on the team factor. Say, the majority of their careers. They should be at least near HOF level, if not inducted in. Some of those names resonate through the history of baseball. Others don't quite fit that bill.

I also think that retiring a number should be something that happens after a set period of time has gone by. Allow for at least 5 years after they last played. Maybe more.

They can be honored with a plaque, but that doesn't mean they have to retire the number as well.

The only thing I don't agree with Pete on is the HOF criteria. Donny will probably never get in the HOF. His number deserved to be retired by the Yankees.

Agree with you, Al. Like OG said, "They should be at least near HOF level, if not inducted in."

Mussina's outing today looked to me like a good 4 or 5 pitcher. He shouldn't be throwing in the #2 spot.

Al, I don't think Mussina would have been pitching tonight if Pettitte hadn't had that set back with his back ache. I think Girardi doesn't look at them in the order of rotation so much as he seemed to want to separate the kids and veterans a bit.

I didn't think Mussina did terrible, but he was over matched tonight. Burnett is a good pitcher, and the talk of his nail problems were just talk. He had his stuff working well. Mussina also got robbed of a few called strikes. That umpire was not consistent on where his strike zone was.

That was on both sides, and it has to be frustrating to everyone.

The thing about it is, yeah, some guys, and maybe O'Neill is one of them, don't have the numbers that are out of this world.

But there was something special about them as a Yankee, where their adulation from the fans or timely contributions or team spirit transcended their actual production.

Paulie, to me, fits that mold.

He was the heart of those title teams, and his competitiveness is ultimately what this franchise is all about.

Down the road, during his lifetime, they ought to retire #21. That's just the way I see it.

I see your point... although I'm not sure I agree with it.

In the late 80s and early 90s, Donny Baseball was the heart of the Yankees... absolutely no question. Anyone who went to the stadium knew it. When the bleacher creatures chanted each player's name, it was Donnie that had everyone in the stadium taking part.

But from '96 to 2000, it's a lot harder to identify the heart of the Yankees. O'Neill was one of the group that stepped up... another was Tino, in a different way (a much quieter way) so were Bernie and Jeter... and Brosius too... and each of them had their own set of followers from the fans... but there wasn't a clear dominant fan favorite like there had been with Donnie.

That group was really unusual. It was a team that was truly greater than the sum of its parts. Can you retire O'Neill's number and not retire Tino's? Or Brosius? Or Girardi?

I don't see how, not really. They were brought in to play roles, to fill holes for a relatively few years.. and they did more... it all worked together to make great teams... but there was no Reggie Jackson, or Babe Ruth or Micky Mantle sort of player...

Are they more deserving than Bernie? Who was not only a member of those teams, and a quiet leader, but also a lifetime Yankee?

I like O'Neill as a player, liked the emotion and fire he brought to the team... but I don't see singling him out over Tino and others.

I don't think they should retire 21. 2? Yep, they'll retire it one day. 20 and 42? They damn well better. 51? I think they should think long and hard before they decide not to. I think they should retire 51. 22? Nope. 35? No. 55? Nope, as much as I like Godzilla. 46? Yep. 40? 24? 13? 28?We'll have to see how the players wearing them now do with them and how long they play in pinstripes.

Retiring numbers should be done on very rare occasions, not just for guys who accomplish some great things for the team. Their place in team history should be unigue, not just above average. It is for the uniquely special player and contributor to the face of the franchise, not just an emotional twitch.

Mo and Jeter are the only ones who fit that mold from the recent championship teams. Mattingly belongs there as well, but wouldn't scream if his number wasn't retired because his legacy is not of championships.

The special player linked to championships is important but in his case, you could make a exception.

I would not retire 6.