Tuesday Thoughts

Another Monday off-day means a potpourri of Tuesday Thoughts. The Yankees are finally leaving the Bronx for upcoming series in Toronto and Baltimore, coming off a very good 4-1 homestand against the O's and Rangers. Remember, Tuesday Thoughts can be very, very random.

* I went to my first game of the season on Friday night against Texas. No, I promise, I don't think I'm bad luck. It was freezing, windy, and Ivan Nova could not find the strike zone, or Russell Martin's glove at times. My favorite time of the night was before the game, checking out the new World Series Ring display in the Yankee Museum. It's always fun to look at the autographed baseballs, but there's something more special about World Series Rings. On display were rings from all 27 championships, minus 1923, when the Yankees received pocket watches instead of rings. It is highly recommended that you stop over and notice how much bigger and gaudier the rings have become since the early days of the sport.

* On the way home from the game, I was determined to figure out what song Nick Swisher used for his "entrance" music when he came up to bat. It was a techno song that kind of sounded like Daft Punk. When you hear the song, you can seriously picture Swisher drinking like eight Red Bulls and taking some hacks in the cage. After a little bit of research, it turns out that the song is called "Ghosts n Stuff" by Deadmau5. WHAT SONGS WOULD YOU COME UP TO IF YOU WERE IN THE SHOW? Me? "Hypnotize" by the Notorious B.I.G. Yeah, I said that. You can listen to Swish's song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV8eiSA4vqc

* It was requested by some of our Facebook visitors that I talk about Mariano Rivera. Problem is, I really don't know what to say. Mariano is a freak. He doesn't throw as hard, but this year, he's pitching like the front runner in the American League Cy Young Award. He already has recorded seven saves, has allowed four hits, and hasn't walked a batter. Eventually, he'll have a bad day, and we'll remember that he's not quite a robot, but there is no one in baseball that I'd rather see on the mound at any point than the Sandman. What he's doing this year at his age in cold weather is already incredible. I'll think back to 2009....eight teams in the playoffs, eight closers in pressure situation. Seven closers, at some point, blew saves for their team: Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon (I almost feel bad), Brian Fuentes, Brad Lidge, Huston Street, Jonathan Broxton, and Ryan Franklin. Mariano Rivera did not, and the Yankees won the World Series. That's how it works, and that's why the Yankees have won five titles since 1996. Without Mariano, there are zero.

* I know I talked about it last week, but Brian Cashman has done a great job with some of the small pieces he added in the off-season, other than Pedro Feliciano. Eric Chavez is contributing every day, ripping an RBI single that won Sunday's game over Texas. Freddy Garcia was dominant on Saturday against the tough Rangers' lineup, and Russell Martin looks like the steal of the year. All three played enormous roles in the most recent series, but how about some others? Bartolo Colon was HUGE (no pun intended) on Thursday night, allowing the Yanks to crawl back and eventually walk off against the Orioles. Kevin Millwood just turned in a one-hitter for Trenton at AA, and Carlos Silva and Mark Prior have a chance to get some innings this year. These guys are not Hall of Famers, but at one point they were stars. There's potential for each of them, and for each signing, there was very, very low risk involved. Props to Cashman once again.

* Speaking of the minor leagues, now is a good time for a quick look at what the AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees are doing, and if there are any prospects for call-up soon. Remember Jorge Vazquez? Big guy who dropped bombs throughout Spring Training? He was named the AAA Player of the Week, and already has 7 homers and 17 RBI's. He's a guy that could be trade bait, especially if the Yanks want to pick up another starter this season. I was thrilled to see that Jesus Montero is batting .425 with a homer after a brutal season in the Grapefruit League. On the pitching side, Andrew Brackman picked up his first victory of the season, while Andy Sisco is already 2-0 without allowing a single earned run. This year's Yankee team will not have a stagnant roster. A lot of these guys will be called up to help at different points, so it's good to keep an eye on them.

* FINAL THOUGHTS: I'd be happy with three out of five in Toronto and Baltimore. More importantly, the pitching needs to hold up. Colon will get his first start in Baltimore, and they are due to win a few games. CC Sabathia should already have three victories, but he's stuck at zero, while AJ Burnett already has three. Look for the big guy to notch his first W before the week is over. What does everyone think about the NBA Playoffs? Did anyone else feel like throwing up after the Knicks in Boston? The Knicks have one problem the Yankees haven't had for a long, long time: closing out games.