What I love about Martin is that he's a young catcher with a lot of talent and potential.  He also displays a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the game.



A lot of analysts were in doubt of Martin coming into this season.  He came off a hip injury that sidelined him for most of the 2010 season and during the winter after he signed with the Yankees he tore his meniscus and needed surgery.  I can understand based on these injuries why some would doubt him, but he is proving everyone wrong.

So far this season in 10 games Martin is hitting a .294 AVG with three home runs, eight RBI's, two doubles, two stolen bases, and six runs.  He's not only slugging the baseball, but he's hustling around the bases as well.

When was the last time we had confidence in our catcher stealing a base?  He stole THIRD base on opening day!



Yes, I know it is only five games into a 162 game season, but if you are not excited for the performance that Mark Teixeira has put on so far then you need to open your eyes a little bit more.

Teixeira has been my favorite Major League Baseball player for the past six seasons.  He's always had consistency by hitting at least 30 homers and 100 RBI's in all but one of his past seasons.  His defense at first base is the best I've ever seen.  However he is infamous for starting his season every year very slow at the plate.  I used to get laughed at by friends because they knew Tex was my favorite player and would go 0-for-16 or 0-for-20 to start off the season.

This season, however, they have nothing to say.

I was at Opening Day this year at Yankee Stadium.  I was standing behind Section 217 with some of my friends in the freezing cold when Teixeira stepped up to the plate for his second AB.  I hear him smack the baseball and I see it soaring through the air toward right field.  I was screaming, "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" and sure enought it was hit right out of the park.

I was watching Tex round the bases and be greeted at home plate by Derek Jeter and Russell Martin.  I was jumping up and down.  I was so happy I was ready to do cartwheels.  It had nothing to do with the score of the game.  Teixeira hitting a home run on Opening Day gave ME a sigh of relief.  I could only imagine what he was feeling.

Tex hit homers in the following two games, got a hit in the next game, and hit another home run last night.  It is really almost unheard of that Teixeira is hitting so well this early in the season.

I have been saying this to all of the doubters for years.  "The year Mark Teixeira hits early in the season, stays consistent the rest of the year, and has few slumps it will be his MVP season."

Again, I know we're only five games into the season and about to play number six tonight, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.  If Teixeira keeps hitting like this consistently into May he is going to have a monsterous season.  Even with his slumps in the past Tex has hit at least 30 homers and 100 RBI's in each of his past seasons except his rookie year where he hit at least 25 homers.  Imagine the numbers he can put up now that he's hitting in April.  Anything can happen, but for now I have never been more proud of him.

For all we know, Tex could come back next season and go back to his normal slump in the beginning, but for now I am enjoying all of the Teixeira haters' silence and I am basking in the glory like all the other Mark Teixeira fans.  Thank you, Tex, for making me proud.

In about 24 hours from now I will be getting on the train out of Bayonne on my way home.  Wait...I thought you live in Bayonne you might ask.  Where I will be going is my home away from home.  That would be Yankee Stadium.

I'm looking forward to getting on the D train for the first time this season and making the stop at 161st street.  I can't wait to walk up the stairs out of the subway and look up at the grand stadium that brings me such joy.  I'm anxious to revisit the atmosphere outside of the stadium where everyone is making their way in or just admiring the view.

Getting your ticket scanned and stepping inside the stadium doors is one of the best feelings in the world.  Behind those doors is a group of fans looking forward to watching a talented group of baseball players take the field and win a game.

I love walking in the doors and looking down the grand hall and seeing the beautiful memorials of Yankee history.  It reminds me of how special it really is to be a fan of a great franchise.

I can't wait for the introduction of the teams in the pregame celebrations.  I'm especially looking forward to the first roll call of the season with the Bleacher Creatures.

Opening Day brings back a sense of comfort to me.  Sports to me are a good escape from the real world.  Baseball is one of my favorite sports and the Yankees are my team.  Being at Yankee Stadium is being in a comfort zone, and when those doors open tomorrow morning I will be able to say, "I'm home."

All my teams were auto drafted due to me being in classes during draft time.

Team #1:

C  Carlos Santana
1B  Prince Fielder
2B  Brandon Philips
3B  Evan Longoria
SS  Jimmy Rollins
LF  David Murphy
RF  Shin-Soo Choo
CF  Matt Kemp
BN Chase Utley
BN Nick Markakis
BN Carlos Quentin
BN Aramis Ramirez
BN Carlos Beltran
P Yovani Gallardo
P Brett Anderson
P Francisco Rodriguez
P JJ Putz
P Ryan Franklin
P Craig Krimbel
P Josh Beckett
P Joel Hanrahan
P Frank Francisco

Team #2:

C Alex Avila
C Francisco Cervelli
1B Joey Votto
2B Jamey Carroll
3B Chase Headley
SS Ian Desmond
CI Kila Ka'aihue
MI Starlin Castro
OF Shin-Soo Choo
OF Curtis Granderson
OF Chris Young
OF Desmond Jennings
Util Ryan Spilborghs
BN Randy Winn
BN Ramon Santiago
P Wandy Rodriguez
P Jeremy Hellickson
P Gavin Floyd
P Travis Wood
P Mariano Rivera
P Joakim Soria
P Brad Lidge
P Frank Francisco
P Hong-Chih Kuo
P Alexi Ogando
P Brian Sanches
P Javier Lopez
P Alex Sanabia

Team #3:

C Yadier Molina
1B Billy Butler
2B Ty Wigginton
3B Edwin Encarnacion
SS Erick Aybar
OF Brett Gardner
OF Curtis Granderson
OF Carlos Beltran
DH Vladimir Guerrero
BN Ryan Theriot
BN Scott Rolen
BN Hideki Matsui
BN Jorge Posada
BN Kurt Suzuki
BN Matt Wieters
P Scott Downs
P Fernando Rodney
P Roy Oswalt
P Matt Garza
P David Price
P James McDonald
P Johan Santana
P Mariano Rivera
P Rafael Soriano
P Neftali Feliz

Team #4

C Matt Wieters
1B Prince Fielder
2B Gordon Beckham
3B Pedro Alvarez
SS Hanley Ramirez
OF Matt Holliday
OF Justin Upton
OF Jacoby Ellsbury
BN Adam Dunn
BN Raul Ibanez
BN Erick Aybar
BN Russell Martin
BN Michael Bourn
P Phil Hughes
P Matt Garza
P Mariano Rivera
P Brian Wilson
P Neftali Feliz
P Jonathan Broxton
P David Robertson

Hank Steinbrenner had some very intersting comments about the Yankee Captain Derek Jeter.

Though later he said he wasn't singling anyone out, his comment made it very clear he was:

"Sometimes I think maybe they celebrated a little too much last year," said Steinbrenner of the team.  "Some of the players are too busy building mansions and doing other things, not concentrating on winning.  I have no problem saying that."

If Steinbrenner didn't want to single anyone out then he should have picked his words more carefully.  The only Yankee known to the public that finished building a mansion over the offseason was Jeter. 

On another note, the construction on Jeter's mansion began in 2008 which would mean that it was going on during the offseason before 2009...the year the Yankees won the World Series for the first time since 2000.

Not to mention that you are criticizing a 2010 team that won 95 games and were only two games shy of making it to the World Series.

So, Hank, why don't you reveal the real reason why you singled out Jeter.  You are obviously still irritated about the way the contract negotiations went with Jeter and agent Casey Close.  Maybe it was easier to pick on him because Jeter is coming off his worst season.  Sorry, but no one is buying it.

You're trying to single out a player...a captain...a living Yankee legend...whose career has been circled around winning and the drive to win.

Jeter has always been a player who has kept his private life in no other way than it is...private.  I heard he even snapped at a reporter recently who asked him about the house.  Private life questions cross a line between baseball life and personal life, and Jeter values the use of that line.  Although he didn't want it to be, Jeter's house is now an issue thanks to Hank Steinbrenner.