The Equalizer: Lionel Messi vs. Crisitano Ronaldo makes Manchester vs. Barcelona a must-see match

Tuesday May 26, 2009 5:24 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Lionel Messi, the Argentine forward, leads Barcelona. (Getty Images)

By Andrew Keh

Special to amNewYork

If you’re on the subway, reading amNewYork on your way to work on Wednesday, get off at the next stop, make your way across the platform, and head back in the opposite direction. If you’re already at the office, begin planning your escape.

Because if you don’t, you risk missing one of the most alluring, potentially fantastic sporting events you will see this year.

At 2:45 Wednesday afternoon — an inconvenient time for many among New York’s white-collared masses — Manchester United and Barcelona will square off in Rome for the 2009 Champions League trophy. When the knockout round draw was revealed in December, this was its “dream final”: a battle between the world’s two best clubs, the matchup everyone wanted to see.

Today, it comes true.On one side will be the Red Devils from Manchester, who this season won their 18th league title using a trademarked blend of staunch defense and counterattacking élan. As defending champions, they are considered slight favorites to win.

On the other will be La Blaugrana of Catalonia, who topped La Liga for their 19th league title with a singular philosophy — attack, attack, and attack a bit more — in a perpetual quest to produce beautiful soccer.

On paper, it is brilliant game for the neutral fan, a confrontation made for TV. And of course, there is plenty subplot.

For the past couple of weeks, at water coolers around the city, sports fans have asked one another: LeBron or Kobe? Next week, new battle lines will be drawn: Federer or Nadal?

But today, there is only one question: Ronaldo or Messi?

Do you enjoy the gratuitous flash, punishing speed, knuckling shots, whirling step-overs and operatic gestures of United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, reigning World Player of the Year?

Or do you prefer the dizzying dribbling, fearless runs into traffic, subtle demeanor and even subtler touch of the diminutive Lionel Messi, the purveyor of the finest “one-two” pass in soccer and likely successor to Ronaldo for the sport’s most coveted individual award.

Whichever you prefer, the chance to see the world’s two best players on the same field — in club soccer’s biggest game no less — is a rare opportunity.

Call in sick, if you must. Take a two-hour lunch.

Watch this game.

Yankees in red - you're not seeing things

Monday May 25, 2009 3:11 PM By Pete Catapano

Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes wears a red cap on the mound Monday in honor of Memorial Day (AP Photo)

By Pete Catapano

Here's a weird sight. That's Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes wearing a red Yankees cap while on the mound this afternoon against the Rangers in Texas.

It's not about style, it's about honoring Memorial Day in a league-wide showing of respect to the country's fallen soldiers. The umpires are also wearing red today in Texas. (The Rangers already wear red)

For those keeping score at home, this is the first time the Yanks have worn red hats.

The league will also do this on July 4 and Sept. 11

Bobby Valentine's day's numbered in Japan?

Monday May 25, 2009 1:47 PM By Pete Catapano

By Pete Catapano

Former Met manager Bobby, famously fiery and unique, may be close to the end of his successful run in Japan, the Los Angeles Times is reporting.

Valentine, manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines, was apparently told by the team in the off-season that this would be his last year with the team because they can no longer afford his $3.9 million salary.

If he has priced himself out of the Japanese market, he could land the payday he's looking for back in MLB.

A picture we never get tired of: Bobby Valentine in disguise in the Mets dugout after getting thrown out of a game in 1999.In nearly seven seasons with the Mets, from 1996-2002, Valentine posted a 536-467 record with a one pennant.

Perhaps his most famous moment, as seen in the photo above, was in a 1999 game when he snuck back into the dugout wearing a mustache and sunglasses.

I think we can all agree, there needs to be more disguises in baseball.

The Times said the move had sparked protests and a petition to keep him that has 50,000 signatures.

If the Mets miss the playoffs again, would — and should — the team have him back?

Book review: "Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal and the Greatest Match Ever Played" by L. Jon Wertheim

Wednesday May 20, 2009 9:05 PM By Max J. Dickstein

"Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal and the Greatest Match Ever Played"

L. Jon Wertheim

224 pages, $24

(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

By Max J. Dickstein

The stunning 2008 Wimbledon final — in which Rafael Nadal toppled the five-time champion Roger Federer — never was adequately chronicled by the writers who gushed over it for days last July.

It was all too much to encapsulate. From the contrast between the men to the weight of tennis history to the world-class quality of the play, the five-set classic cried out for a full-length account.

Enter “Strokes of Genius,” published next month, a gripping narrative of the match.

Sports Illustrated writer L. Jon Wertheim offers both finite focus and wide scope. On one page, he explores the inner physiological state of the contestants during one of match’s many rain delays; on another page, he monitors the fickle movement of the betting lines during the seesaw duel.

The book’s occasionally hyperbolic style lacks the in-game focus of the definitive one-match tennis book, John McPhee’s “Levels of the Game,” which spends paragraphs suspended within a single stroke of a single point of a 1968 U.S. Open semifinal.

But Wertheim’s involving tone is well suited to the sweep of his project, which successfully reawakens the excitement of one of the greatest encounters in sports history.

Q&A: SNY broadcaster Gary Cohen, the Mets’ learned voice

Tuesday May 19, 2009 6:40 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Gary Cohen in the SNY booth at Citi Field on a rainy evening before a recent Mets game. (Rj Mickelson/amNY)

By Max J. Dickstein

Here’s a secret: It is possible to stump Gary Cohen, the comprehensively knowledgeable Mets broadcaster.

“Heresy” though it may be, the Queens native and Columbia alum has gaps in his Mets knowledge from the mid-1980s golden age, when the Mets won their second World Series title. From 1982-88, Cohen was an itinerant, small-town radio man working his way back to New York and following the Mets from afar.

Since 2006, the 51-year-old has led a sharp SNY TV broadcast booth with — oddly enough — two 1980s Mets greats, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. Cohen spoke with amNewYork recently.

As a lifelong Mets fan, do you favor one era?

Believe it or not, [it’s] one of the worst eras in Mets history — the late ’70s — only because I probably went to more games as a fan during that time than during any other period. It’s when I was in college, mostly, and I would be at the ballpark 50, 60 times a year.

What is special about how a Mets fan thinks as opposed to other fans?

I think there’s a certain fatalistic view that the Met fan takes, but also one of great expectation. Because let’s face it: The Mets franchise, over 48 years, is a history of a lot of failure punctuated by spectacular success. Their first seven years, they finished ninth or 10th every season. And then, when they won, they not only won, they won everything, and they did it in, quote-unquote, miraculous fashion.How important is impartiality in your broadcast — or at least a firm appreciation of the other team?

Well I think ultimately you have to be honest. That’s the way I’ve approached this since the day I arrived in radio in 1989. In other cities it’s probably different, but in New York, there is an expectation on the part of the people listening and a watching, and a sophistication, that requires you not to lie to people. As long as you’re telling the truth, I think that you’re doing your job. And I think that all of us feel that way. If a player for the opposition does something that would elicit a certain response if a Met did it — if we didn't respond the same way, then it would be being dishonest with the audience. So I think that all of us understand that when the Mets play better it makes our job easier, but at the same time, all you can deal with is the reality of what’s happening in front of you. People can see. People are not stupid. There’s no reason to say something that isn't true. And none of us ever intends to do that.

How do you think you differ from the other lead announcer in town, the Yankees’ Michael Kay?

Everybody has their own style. I have great respect for everybody who does this job at the major league level. And every announcer has his own assets and his own liabilities. And I have tremendous respect for Michael.

If you could guest-announce for any team for a year, which would it be?

The Jets. I’ve been an enormous Jet fan since I was a little kid, been a season-ticket holder for over 30 years. That would probably be a cool thing to do.

How did Columbia WKCR shape your New York sports outlook?

It got me started. My first play-by-play experience on the radio was doing Columbia sports, WKCR. Soccer, football, baseball, basketball. I spent many a 35-degree, rainy day at Andy Coakley Field ... At that point, I was playing and having a good time, never knowing that I would up doing this for a living for as long as I have. Those were fun times and helped point me in this direction.

Columbia isn't exactly a “rah-rah” school. How did that help you or hinder you in your early experiences as a sports broadcaster?

I don't think it really had an impact one way or another. I mean, I broadcast a lot of really, really bad football games. I think that prepares you for real life probably better than doing games at Florida or Ohio State. But more so, it’s growing up in New York and listening to people like Marv Albert, and knowing that there’s a right way to do a game. Being honest, having a sense of humor and telling it straight to your audience is the best way to go. If I remember correctly, virtually all the people at WKCR I worked with had the same approach to things. There’s reason to sugarcoat the fact that the Lions lost to Rutgers 69-to-nothing. [Laughs.] That was reality; I did witness that happen. It is what it is, and I think that ultimately it prepares you to deal with whatever comes your way in the real world. That victory and defeat are things that you should describe in their own fashion.

Do you feel like you’re fully adjusted from radio to TV at this point?

I still think in radio, and I have to avoid overtalking on television because I spent 30 years on the radio. It’s my fourth year doing television. I think I’ve learned a lot in four years about how to adjust what I do to best suit the medium. But there’s no question that it’s still a second language to me and I’m constantly learning.

Column: Paul Auster, a novelist in the press box for a day

Thursday May 14, 2009 8:55 PM By Max J. Dickstein

World-renowned author Paul Auster observes pitching warm-ups on Wednesday afternoon, May 13, 2009, at Citi Field, before the New York Mets lost 8-7 to the Atlanta Braves in 12 innings. (Rj Mickelson/amNewYork)

By Max J. Dickstein

amNewYork Sports Editor

Publishing 12 novels doesn’t necessarily prepare you for deadline sportswriting, but Paul Auster handled the job with ease.

(On Thursday, we published his terse recap of the Mets’ tense 8-7 loss on Wednesday.)

[NOTE: See Auster's writeup after the jump]

“It’s just a game after all, but it’s only fun if you take it seriously,” the Brooklyn-based, world-renowned writer told me at Citi Field on Wednesday, when amNewYork got the lifelong Mets fan a seat in the press box for the first time.

In his youth, Auster played shortstop and followed Willie Mays’ New York Giants. “That’s all I did,” he said. “Play, play, play.” After the Giants fled to California in 1957, he adopted the Mets. In April 1962, he was among 9,231 fans at the Polo Grounds on a drizzly day for the expansion Mets’ third game.

Heeding his own words on Wednesday (“take it seriously”), Auster jotted his crisp play-by-play into a black leather notebook.

He occasionally stifled a cheer or exhortation (both are unwelcome in the media area). “That’s good!” he exclaimed after Mets starter Jonathan Niese coaxed an Atlanta Braves groundout. “For him. I’m not supposed to root.”

After the Mets lost, Auster tore three sheets of paper from the black notebook and penned his story in the time it took for him to smoke two Schimmelpenninck cigarillos.

We had observed the Mets’ locker room after the game, but it was getting late. “I’m 62 years old,” Auster said. “It’s OK if I don’t meet Jose Reyes.”Mets K’d in seesaw tilt

Extra-inning loss a painful end to 8-2 homestand

By Paul Auster

Special to amNewYork

The Mets ended a successful homestand Wednesday afternoon with a painful 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves in 12 innings.

The lead changed hands for the sixth and final time with one out in the 12th, when Martin Prado homered off Ken Takahashi, the eighth pitcher used by manager Jerry Manuel.

After Tuesday night’s stirring come-from-behind win, 4-3 in 10 innings, the Mets sent young Jonathan Niese to the mound for the rubber match of the three-game series. The 22-year-old left-hander had pitched well in his only other start this season; with Oliver Perez on the disabled list, Niese is fighting for a spot in the starting rotation.

He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and five runs and allowing Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson to go 5-for-5, with three doubles.

After the Braves took a 4-2 lead in the third, Fernando Tatis electrified the crowd of 40,555 in the fourth inning by launching a grand slam over the center-field wall.

The Braves retook a 7-6 lead with single runs in the seventh and eight innings. They were aided by a David Wright error on a potential double-play ground ball and a baserunning gaffe by Jose Reyes, who was thrown out trying to go from second to third on a slow roller to short by Luis Castillo, squelching a scoring opportunity.

Gary Sheffield, given a rare start in left field, tied the game once again at 7-7 with the 501st home run of his career in the eighth.

After Prado’s homer in the 12th, Reyes led off the Mets’ half of the inning with his third double of the day. Following a sacrifice bunt, which put Reyes on third base, Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez bore down to strike out Carlos Beltran and Sheffield.

After an 8-2 homestand, the Mets face a 10-game road trip to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston. The Giants, Dodgers and Red Sox have three of the majors’ best home records.

Tuesday May 12, 2009 5:42 PM By Max J. Dickstein

By Kyle Stack

Special to amNewYork

Baseball isn’t thought of as a contact sport, but its 162-game grind presents a consistent barrage of injury concerns. With help from Will Carroll, a senior writer for Baseball Prospectus who specializes in sports injuries, here is a rundown of three common afflictions:

Oblique strain

Pitchers are typically more susceptible than hitters. The strain is most irritable to pitchers when it’s on the side of their body opposite their throwing arm, according to Carroll.

One might suspect weak core muscles as the culprit, but Carroll disputes that theory.

“Some players do have weak cores, but if that was the case, we should be seeing a ton of these in high school or college, where you would assume you have lesser athletes,” Carroll said.

Rest is considered the most successful remedy, but one popular new treatment is called platelet-rich plasma therapy. In this procedure, blood is taken from the patient and spun in a centrifuge that separates red blood cells from the platelets which release protein. That mixture is then injected into the affected area. While its long-term effectiveness is still unknown, the treatment is not restricted to oblique injuries.

Forearm strain

It’s been reasoned that the split-finger pitch resulted in a higher percentage of pitchers developing these strains.

“Just do the motion yourself and you can feel the flexor mass kind of stretch,” Carroll said. “You can feel it all the way into the bicep.”

Hitters aren’t immune to forearm strains, either. Position players at “quick throw” positions, such as catchers and shortstops, are at greater risk. The short amount of time between fielding the ball and whipping it to the desired bag can result in contorted throwing motions. Shoulder strains are also associated with this urgent throwing style.

Outfielders are less prone to this type of injury since they have time to rush to a ball, field it, set and throw.

The recovery timeline for the injury ranges from two to six weeks on the low end to three months for the most severe cases, which are associated with pitchers.

“A lot of that [recovery period] is the pitcher getting back into pitching shape,” Carroll said.

Torn hip labrum

New MRI technologies have brought more clarity to this injury, which has often been confused with a groin pull.

“We haven’t had the diagnostic technology [to properly identify it],” Carroll said. “How many years have athletes been treated for a groin strain when in fact they had a hip labrum tear?”

The labrum — a ring of cartilage around the hip socket — acts as a cushion and adds stability, much in the way a gasket does in a car, Carroll said. Players are at most risk when the labrum is over-twisted, or when hip flexors become extremely tight.

Since last season, a rash of high-profile hip labrum tears (and ensuing surgeries performed primarily by Dr. Marc Philippon of Vail, Colo.) has shed light on the recovery timetable.

Mike Lowell underwent surgery last October, but the 35-year-old returned quickly and has looked revitalized with 28 RBIs through 31 games this season. Chase Utley and Alex Rodriguez returned to play well ahead of their initially planned schedules, and Alex Gordon is currently on track to return on time.

Carroll said he is surprised at the overall aggressiveness of the rehab process.

“Two hours after surgery, these guys are riding a stationary bike,” Carroll said. “[The surgery] works.”

Q&A: Baseball Prospectus co-editor Steven Goldman on Manny Ramirez

Thursday May 7, 2009 6:40 PM By Max J. Dickstein

The 50-game suspension of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez will likely set back his red-hot team, which was 21-8 entering Thursday. (Getty Images)

By Max J. Dickstein

We caught up with Baseball Prospectus co-editor Steven Goldman (and Pinstriped Bible blogger) by phone on Thursday to discuss the what-if's and the broader implications of the Manny Ramirez suspension.

How does that hypothetical Manny Ramirez-to-the-Mets move look now? Is it true they would have been better off with him?

Except for a 50-game intermission, it’s kind of still true. They do have a little bit of depth there in the outfield with Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis, who you could argue should be getting more playing time anyway. They would have survived it. In an alternate history where the Mets had signed Manny Ramirez, I think that, to date, they would have been in better shape than they are now.

But what about the moral consequences of this cheating?

I’m still really agnostic when it comes to this stuff. Using steroids and getting bigger, the effect is fairly minute on hitting. I'm not convinced it's more than maybe a five-percent markup. But while I’m dismissive of the impact, but I’m not dismissive of the attempt to cheat. Maybe the rules are arcane, but that’s all the more reason for you to do the right thing. If you gave a damn about the game, you would do your due diligence. Now the Dodgers are going to have to fight through it.

Not to mention the fact that Manny had done this as a Met in New York — along with A-Rod — this would be a perfect storm with some serious off-field consequences, wouldn't it?

It’s just a massive distraction. You’ve seen this with the Yankees in the last couple of weeks. Even though A-Rod isn't even there, Joe Girardi has to devote a certain amount of his time to Alex Rodriguez, and not just talking about A-Rod's rehab. If A-Rod comes back, and he goes "O" for his first 20, everyone will say he’s off the juice. Had there been two of these scandals going, one for each team, there would have been this incredible resonance and disenchantment with both teams. They would have fed on each other if they’d both been here. You’d rather keep it to on-field stuff.

Legit? Sizing up hot MLB starts

Wednesday May 6, 2009 9:59 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Zach Duke’s efficient 2.63-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio should help maintain his early success. (Image: Getty)

By Kyle Stack

You can count on three things at the beginning of every fantasy baseball season: 1) Mark Teixeira will flirt with the Mendoza Line, 2) at least one team in your league will overpay for saves/steals, and 3) there will be a litany of breakout players whose hot starts you have to determine to be legit or facades. The first two will take care of themselves, but the third is vital to either building on your early success or fostering a turnaround. Here are six surprising players to evaluate after the season's first month:

Facade

Alberto Callaspo (2B/SS, KCR)

Callaspo, a career .266 hitter in 399 at-bats entering the year, is fifth in the Majors in batting average (.379). To his benefit, he batted .337 and .341 in consecutive Triple-A seasons from 2006-07. But he might never have met Lady Luck the way he has this year. His .388 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is unsustainable, and his 18.1 line drive percentage (percentage of batted balls that are liners) is very low for a player with his batting average.Kevin Milwood (SP, TEX)

It's not good news when a pitcher who has a 2.78 ERA has given up roughly two more earned runs per game on the road (3.80) than at his bandbox for a home ballpark (1.88). That's the quagmire Millwood faces. He has a career 4.80 ERA at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, so that 1.88 figure will correct itself in a bad way. It doesn't help matters that his HR/9 rate has significantly increased (at 1.4 vs. a 0.9 career rate) while his K/9 rate has dramatically dipped (5.0 against 7.1 for his career).

Scott Richmond (SP, TOR)

Try not to pay attention to the 4-0 record. Wins are unpredictable since pitchers have little to no control over their run support. Other stats from Richmond (2.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 7.7 K/9) are impressive at first glance, but the career Minor Leaguer hasn't suddenly cracked the code to prolonged Major League pitching success. His 3.6 BB/9 rate is abysmal, especially since three of the five offenses he's faced rank in the latter half in walks. Also concerning is the 24.4 line drive percentage he's allowed, meaning that lineups are making fantastic contact against him.

Legit

Brandon Inge (3B, DET)

You might look at his eight homers and .609 slugging percentage and think to yourself, "There's no way this guy is for real." His slugging percentage is nearly higher than his on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (.672) last year. He's only three homers off his '08 total. Even though Inge's .287 batting average might shrink to the .250s range, his power is legit. He swatted 27 long balls and drove in 83 runners as Detroit's full-time hot cornerman in '06.

Adam Jones (OF, BAL)

Despite his 20/20 potential, Jones' greatest attribute this year will be runs scored; he's tied for the league lead with teammate Nick Markakis at 29. Batting second in the high-powered O's offense could net him 100-plus trips across the plate. A .395 BABIP will ensure that his .350 batting average falls, but the 23-year-old is showing greater plate discipline. His strikeout percentage is down 3.5 percent from last year, and he's cut his number of swings at pitches outside the strike zone by over nine percent.

Zach Duke (SP, PIT)

While another Zack (Greinke) has moved past sleeper status into full-fledged elite starter territory, Duke is keeping fantasy owners skeptical of his long-term value. A 1.12 WHIP is unusually low for him -- he hasn't finished a year below 1.50 since '05 -- but he has legit stats to support the mark. His K/9 rate has improved a full strikeout from last year, to 5.2. More optimistically, he's cut his BB/9 rate to 2.0, thus opening a strikeout-to-walk ratio to a very respectable 2.63-to-1.

All stats referenced are through May 5.

Brawn turns it on: Upstart F1 team shocks Ferrari, attracts Virgin

Tuesday May 5, 2009 9:03 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Jenson Button of Brawn GP won his third race in Bahrain on April 26. (Getty Images)

By Max J. Dickstein

In a development as shocking as the upstart Tampa Bay Rays’ 2008 pennant at the expense of the Yankees and Red Sox, rookie Formula One outfit Brawn GP has claimed three wins out of this season’s first four races.

While traditional F1 powers Ferrari and McLaren lick early-season wounds to their pride, F1-leading Brawn GP is negotiating a long-term sponsorship deal with the Virgin Group this week heading into this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, where top driver Jenson Button is looking for his fourth victory of 2009.

Ross Brawn, a longtime Ferrari engineer, bought Honda’s team and installed Mercedes engines after Honda dropped out of F1 this winter amid economic jitters. His drivers’ success stunned the sport; since the top-level racing circuit’s launch in 1950, no Formula One team had debuted with consecutive victories.

“I have been impressed by Ross Brawn’s technical genius, organizational ability and his guts to go out and bid for the team,” said Richard Branson, president and founder of the Virgin Group. “It is a rare combination and he deserves his success.”

The success of Branson’s fellow British entrepreneur has Virgin negotiating a broader sponsorship deal with Brawn, one that might pave the way for a Virgin F1 team, Branson added.

As the 17-race series moves to Europe, Brawn GP may find its rivals waking from their spring slumber. But the team’s lightning debut has shaken up the sport. From 1998-2008, all but two of the circuit’s champions drove for Ferrari (6) or McLaren (3).

And after pouncing early, journeymen Brawn drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, Nos. 1 and 2 in the F1 driver standings, face the challenge of maintaining their team’s championship lead through the summer.

Life in a minor key: Sorting out the tragic death of Mike Coolbaugh

Tuesday May 5, 2009 12:00 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America

By S.L. Price

$24.99, 320 pages (Ecco)

By Max J. Dickstein

A portrait of a man who seemingly gave his life to the game, S.L. Price’s “Heart of the Game,” to be published next week, is a searing and sweet account of the career of of Mike Coolbaugh, the minor league first-base coach killed by a sharply hit foul ball on the night of July 22, 2007.

Price, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, does well not to falsely decorate this sad, simple tale with heroic adornments. Coolbaugh, 35, had just concluded a pedestrian minor league career the previous season.

Still, Price’s eye for emotion and detail lead to a number of ponderous and oversentimental passages.

While Coolbaugh was a muscular Texan who hit for average and power and fielded a decent third base, he was not an everyday major league talent. A classic “four-A player,” Coolbaugh’s chief weakness — an inability to hit the high, inside fastball — kept him stuck between Triple-A ball and a secure place in the majors.

In one of many tragic coincidences that led up to Coolbaugh’s death, the pitch that generated the deadly foul ball was an inside fastball.

Price devotes most of his attention to the inner circle of the Coolbaugh family, struggling to cope with a loss both senseless and, in the deeply felt reaction of the baseball world, meaningful.

But Price also delves into the terribly damaged psyche of another career minor leaguer, Tino Sanchez, who cannot escape the haunting knowledge that a ball from his bat killed a man.

Price’s chronicle sheds a brilliant light on the lower rungs of professional baseball, a shadow world of young men locked in largely unrewarded struggle.

Yanks place Marte on DL

Sunday May 3, 2009 3:11 PM By Pete Catapano

Damaso Marte (AP Photo)

By Pete Catapano

Just when you thought the Yankees bullpen couldn't get any thinner, the team placed lefty specialist Damaso Marte on the 15-day disabled list.

The move is retroactive to April 26, the last time Marte appeared in a game.

This season, Marte is 0-1 with a insanely high 15.19 ERA, with a lot of the damage coming in a 10-2 loss to Cleveland on April 16, when he allowed six runs in one inning.

The bullpen, which at times has been brilliant, has largely been disastrous. And now Marte joining eighth-inning man Brian Bruney in the trainer's room.

Bruney was hands down the top reliever, next to Mariano Rivera on the team, going seven straight appearances without allowing a run. The righty was placed on the DL with an elbow strain on April 25.