IN SLOW OFFSEASON METS SURE UP OUTFIELD BY ACQUIRING MATTHEWS JR.

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With Carlos Beltran expected to miss the early part of the season the Mets acquired OF Gary Matthews Jr. from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for P Brian Stokes and cash considerations. In addition to paying off a $500,000 obligation for trading Matthews, the Angels will pick up $21.5 million of the $23.5 million remaining on his contract, according to SI.com, which first reported the deal. In exchange, they will receive Stokes, 30, a right-handed reliever and Southern California native who was to compete for a setup role in the Mets' bullpen. Matthews wanted to be traded to a team that would allow him to start, and the Mets, at least temporarily, can offer him that assurance. But if all goes to plan, Beltran will be back on the field in May. With Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur entrenched in left and right field, respectively, Matthews will be relegated back to the bench -- as he was with the Angels. Matthews should have no problem getting at bats even as a fourth outfielder. 

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MARK McGWIRE ADMITS DRUG USE

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After years of accusations the truth about Cardinals' slugger Mark McGwire finally admits to using PED's during his career. He even admitted to using steroids during the 1998 season in which he broke Roger Maris' record for single home runs in a season. McGwire who was recently hired as the St. Louis Cardinals' Hitting Coach felt compelled to break his silence and said, "It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era." He said he first started using steroids as a member of the Oakland Athletics' in 1989 again in 1993 and "on occasion" throughout the decade. It's ironic how fellow steroid user Barry Bonds broke the record that McGwire had broken 3 years earlier. Bonds beat McGwire by hitting 73 home runs in a single season. Jose Cansenco had originally outed the slugger in his book "Juiced" but McGwire famously told Congress in 2005 that he wasn't there to discuss the past, when called to testify before a committee investigating steroid abuse within the game. Yesterday he said he "wasn't able" to come clean during his Capitol Hill appearance. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig applauded McGwire's admission.  

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A GLOBAL WORLD SERIES? IF COMMISIONER SELIG HAS HIS WAY IT COULD BE A REALITY

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MLB Commissioner Bud Selig will be leaving office in 2012 and before that day comes he wants to leave his mark on Major League Baseball. He wants to leave his mark by teaming up with Nippon Professional Baseball and Japan and creating a Global World Series which would pit the MLB World Champions against the Champions from the Nippon Professional Baseball league. As you would expect extra baseball at the end of the season is opposed by the players' union due to reasons such as the risk of injury. As of now the only global baseball competition we have is the World Baseball classic which is held every 3 years but this Global World Series would be every year and could to the surprise of Nippon Professional Baseball Commisoner Ryozo Koto this competition could be created before Selig leaves office in 2012.

What is your thought on a Global World Series? Do you like it or is the Tri-Yearly World Baseball Classic enough for a Global Baseball competition?  

AS WE SAY GOODBYE TO 2009 WE REFLECT ON THE PAST YEAR'S EVENTS

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Saying goodbye to 2009 means saying goodbye to a decade. A decade in which the New York Yankees won 5 World Series Championships with the latest being in 2009 to end the decade. A lot has happened in the year 2009 including the biggest moment being World Championship number 27, let's take a look at the 10 biggest moments of the 2009 season as we get ready to ring in the new year 2010.

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1) Opening Day at the New Yankee Stadium

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2) Luis Castillo dropped the ball during the first Subway Series at the New Yankee Stadium to give the Yankees the win.
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3) The "Pie Man" A.J. Burnett debuts as he delivers his first Walk Off pie to Johnny Damon on  May 17, 2009 after Damon hit a 10th inning HR to beat the Minnesota Twins.
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4) Alex Rodriguez homers in the bottom of the 15th inning to beat the Boston Red Sox to complete a 4 game sweep after the Red Sox had gone 8-0 against the Yankees.
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5) On 9/11 Derek Jeter passed the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig as the All Time Yankees hits leader
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6) On Alex Rodriguez's first swing of the 2009 season in Baltimore he connects and hits a HR after returning from hip surgery that caused him to miss the first month of the season.
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7) 2008 ended a streak of consecutive years of the Yankees making the playoffs but 2009 started that streak fresh as they won the AL East for the first time since 2006.
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8) A wall scraper HR by Mark Teixeira in the bottom of the 11th in Game 2 of the ALDS off Twins' closer Joe Nathan gives the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the series which ended up in a 3-0 sweep that took place in the Metrodome. The Yankee win ended the Twins' season and made it the final baseball game to ever be played in the dome.
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9) At 1:07 am in Game 2 of the ALCS Maicer Izturis misplayed a ball that plated Jerry Hairston Jr. in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Yankees yet another walk off victory and a 2-0 ALCS lead heading west to California.
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10) WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS

**The top 10 moments of 2009 were in no particular order**
What were your top 10 moments of 2009? Comment Below.
Happy New Year!

BOSTON SAYS "BAY- BAY" AS JASON SIGNS WITH METS

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It certainly took longer than expected but since the Mets were the lone suitor to Jason Bay they took their sweet time in acquiring him. The player formerly known as the "Yankee Killer" will now resort to killing Phillies, Braves and Marlins in the NL East not the AL East. Boston did replace Bay with Mike Cameron but Bay is too good an outfielder to let him just get away like the Red Sox did. Mike Cameron better be the best center fielder Boston's ever seen or the fans may be a little upset with one Mr. Theo Epstein. Bay agreed to a 4 year deal with New York that is worth an estimated $65 Million Dollars. The Mets add Bay to an outfield that includes Carlos Beltran, Jeff Franceour and Alex Cora who is a utility IF/OF. The Phillies' acquisition of "Doc" Roy Halladay may have crippled the Mets in their quest to win the East but they just got themselves one heck of a crutch in Jason Bay.

REMEMBER THIS?
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In 2000 Bay was drafted in the 22nd round out of Gonzaga by the Montreal Expos but never played one day in an Expos uniform as he made his MLB debut in 2003 with the San Diego Padres. In 2002 Bay was traded with Jimmy Cerrano to the New York Mets for Lou Collier. So, Welcome BACK to New York Jason.

VAZQUEZ IS A YANKEE AGAIN BUT MELKY & DUNN SAY "SEE YA!" TO NEW YORK

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In an attempt to strengthen the Yankee's rotation they reacquired Javier Vazquez from the Atlanta Braves. The deal sent Melky Cabrera, Arodis Vizcaino, and Micheal Dunn to Atlanta as Boon Logan accompanies Vazquez to the Bronx. 

Here is a look at who the Braves are getting in this deal:
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Along with Arodis Vizcaino:
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The Yankees will be getting:
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IT'S A "GRAND" DAY IN NYC AS YANKEES INTRODUCE CURTIS GRANDERSON

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He's here and he's ready to help the Yankees get back to the World Series. Curtis Granderson was introduced to the media this morning at a press conference held at Yankee Stadium and said that he wants to create a legacy as a Yankees' center fielder just like those who have played the position before him. He also said he wants to make things a little easier for CC Sabathia and the pitching staff as he patrols center field. Granderson is excited to be on a team that is recognized by baseball fans around the world and if he says that he plays for the Yankees nobody will ask him what city that is or where the Yankees' play because they will already know and Yankee fans are happy to know Curtis Granderson is here and we're getting ready to defend that World Championship.

Roy Halladay
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Mike Cameron
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Hideki Matsui
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HOT STOVE NEWS FOR WEEK OF 12/14/09

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Roy Halladay has been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies along with some prospects from Seattle in a blockbuster three team trade involving the Phillies, Mariners, and Blue Jays. The Phillies and Halladay have agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $60 million or more, which would keep him in red pinstripes through the 2013. In return for Halladay the Blue Jays receive: 
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The Mariners will receive Cliff Lee.
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The Mariners have also acquired Chone Figgins this week.
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The Boston Red Sox acquired John Lackey and Mike Cameron
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The Chicago White Sox have acquired Juan Pierre
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Last but not least we get to news concerning the World Series Champion New York Yankees. Their World Series MVP Hideki Matsui will be signing with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim leaving me to believe the Yankees will either try to sign Bay or resign old reliable Johnny Damon to hit in the two hole behind "El Capitan" Derek Jeter.
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That is what has happened this week and it's only Tuesday! If this is what is going on in December I can't wait to see what goes on during the rest of the off season.
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CURTIS GRANDERSON IS A YANKEE!

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The Yankees have struck a deal to acquire CF Curtis Granderson. It was a 3 team deal that included the New York Yankees, The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees get Curtis Granderson, the Diamondbacks get Ian Kennedy & Edwin Jackson, and the Detroit Tigers get Austin Jackson, Phil Coke, Max Scherzer & Dan Schlereth.

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YANKEES ONE STEP CLOSER TO A HAPPY "HALLADAY"

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Report: Toronto Blue Jays' Roy Halladay would waive no-trade clause for deal to New York Yankees

THREE DAYS after the Daily News wrote that the Red Sox were "putting on a full-court press" to trade for Roy Halladay, a report out of Canada says the Toronto ace has told the Blue Jays he would waive his no-trade clause for a deal - to the Yankees.

A story on Canada's Slam Sports Web site Friday quoted an unnamed major league executive as saying, "I don't know when he is going and I don't know where he's going. But I do know that Halladay has told the Jays he'll approve a trade to the Yankees." The story was written by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, a nominee this year for election to the writer's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

A baseball source said all was quiet when asked Friday if a Halladay-to-the Yankees trade was imminent.

Halladay, 32, has used his full no-trade power in the past - last season he said he would not approve deals to either Minnesota  or Texas, but that roadblock appears to be out of the way for a potential Yankee trade.

Halladay, who has a career record of 148-76 with a 3.43 ERA in 12 years in Toronto, has one year left on a three-year, $40 million deal. He's slated to earn $15.75 million next year and become a free agent after the season, unless he is traded and reaches an agreement on a megabucks contract extension.

New Toronto GM Alex Anthopolous has said he would deal Halladay within the AL East, if that's where the best deal was for the Jays. Team president Paul Beeston  was quoted recently saying that Halladay - a six-time All-Star and the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner - did not want to re-sign with Toronto.

"They're going to have to move him," a major-league scout said recently.

The News reported in Wednesday's editions that the Red Sox were hoping to get a deal for Halladay wrapped up before the beginning of the winter meetings Dec. 7, according to a source. The Yanks or Sox would have to part with a package of young major-leaguers and top prospects and, likely, offer a large contract extension, in any deal. Other big-market teams such as the Angels could get involved, too.

When Johan Santana became available in similar circumstances in 2007, the Yankees did not trade for him, figuring they would rather take a crack at CC Sabathia in free agency after the 2008 season rather than have to give up players and sign Santana to an expensive extension.

The Yankees are scheduled to meet next week to discuss their 2010 budget. GM Brian Cashman said earlier in the week that he had not yet engaged the agents for free agent players, but he confirmed that he has spoken to multiple teams, including the Blue Jays, about trade possibilities.

Halladay was a mentor of sorts to the Yankees' A.J. Burnett when the two were teammates in Toronto, and Burnett has given Halladay credit for helping him mature as a pitcher.

Halladay would give the Yankees an imposing front three in their rotation, alongside Sabathia and Burnett. The Yanks hope to re-sign Andy Pettitte, too, which would add depth to the rotation, which they would likely need in the event of a Halladay deal, because they probably would have to surrender either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain in the trade.



Read more:http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/11/28/2009-11-28_report_blue_jays_roy_halladay_would_waive_notrade_clause_.html#ixzz0YBtqdJLF


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