Baseball instant replay expansion unnecessary

Mets fans have been patient for so long. Tom Seaver came close several times. Dwight Gooden tried, too, but to no avail. On June 1, Johan Santana became the closest Met to nail down a no-no, but a call on Carlos Beltran's liner down the line midway through the game was overturned due to expanded instant replay rules. The Mets and Padres remain as the only two franchises without a no-hitter. 

That's what the story would be if Bud Selig expanded instant replay before June. Instead, the Mets got their wish without interference from a well-placed camera.

Last Friday on "The Mike Lupica Show," Selig said instant replay in baseball will expand to include trapped balls and plays down the foul lines. He didn't give any time reference other than the word "now," but clearly those rules are not in effect -- yet.

New poll: Who should Yankees trade for?

Our last poll resulted in a split decision: home run-happy teams may or may not be successful in the playoffs. Just as the statistics proved, we'll have to wait and see.

More importantly, the next 30 hours or so are the busiest time of the season for MLB general managers. The non-waiver trade deadline is 4 p.m. Tuesday. They've already made one big splash, nabbing Ichiro Suzuki from the Mariners for practically nothing. As a Yankee, he hasn't gone a game without a hit.

Yankees add Ichiro, lose A-Rod

This week the Yankees may have added a 10-time All-Star, but they lost a 14-time All-Star. Both of whom came up with Seattle.

Ichiro Suzuki came to the Yankees, at his request, in a trade for two prospects Monday, and Alexander "The Great" Rodriguez went down last night with a broken hand after you went to bed. Early estimates say he'll be out 6-8 weeks, which takes us to the last couple weeks of the season.

Despite getting swept in a four-game series in Oakland, the Yankees have maintained a seven-game lead in the AL East, still owning the best record in the majors.

Going, going, GONE! – Brett Gardner

All of this too-much-home-run talk has had Yankees fans hoping for a speedy recovery for Brett Gardner. But that possibility looks bleak now.

Gardner will undergo arthroscopic surgery in the next week, "most likely" ending his season, the Yankees announced today.

Shucks.

So much for the return of speed to the lineup. So much for giving old (but productive) outfielders like Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez some rest. So much for shiny rings in October. ... Because hitting home runs doesn't work in the playoffs. Right? The pitching is just too good.

Well, behind every claim in sports there are numbers to back it up – or disprove it. The Post's Ken Davidoff looked at some of those numbers for this claim, and you might be surprised by his findings.

Rafael Soriano untucks shirt after save [Video & Photos]

Time to show off my new camera for you readers. I like the photos better, but the main attraction, of course, is Rafael Soriano's post-save superstition: The Untuck. Watch it here, and then check out my photos (mostly) from the upper-deck.

Unsurprising news from Forbes: Yankees are most valuable baseball team

The Yankees are huge nationally, but not globally.

Soccer teams Manchester United ($2.23 billion) and Real Madrid ($1.88B) are the only two teams that are more valuable than the Yankees, according to Forbes' annual rankings. The Yankees are tied for third on the  list with the Dallas Cowboys, both valued at $1.85B.

Bernie Williams a manager?

Sounds kind of good, doesn't it?

Well, in case you missed it, Bernie Williams managed a baseball game over the weekend. Sure, it was just the Futures Game, but he accepted an offer and called the shots for one day. The whole story is nice, written by Yahoo!'s Tim Brown. But my biggest takeaway was this nugget left at the bottom:

"I think it is something I could maybe possibly in the future possibly [see] doing. It’s kind of intriguing at this point for me," Williams said.

No joke.

Poll Results: Fans want Granderson over Swisher

We all know that chicks dig the longball (Curtis Granderson), but I also thought chicks dug(?) Nick Swisher.

My latest poll found that, if forced to choose, Granderson is worth keeping more than Swisher. Soon enough, we'll see what the Yankees decide. As NY Post columnist Joel Sherman noted last week, the Yankees likely won't bring back both.

A primer to the Yankees-Red Sox series [Globe]

Check out my latest piece for Boston.com, comparing the Yankees and Red Sox once again for the series ahead.

My prediction? I'll call it a split. Do you agree/disagree with that, or any of the points made in the piece? Let's chat in the comments or on Twitter @lenNYsYankees.

David Ortiz, Red Sox proving clubhouse chemistry is important

David Ortiz thinks it's embarrassing to make $14.575 million in one season. He even went as far as saying to USA Today that it's humiliating.

Now, he's right to feel humiliated – but only for these comments.

He's the team's best player, sure, but he's only a designated hitter. And he's 36 years old. The Red Sox' deal was more than fair. Put a cork in it, Papi.

All of this ranting about the media and his contract reminds me of Gary Sheffield, who memorably complained about his three-year, $39 million deal, among other things, with the Yankees.

Poll Results: Yankees are 'postseason good'

Not World Series good, just postseason good.

That's what the Yankees are, according 76 percent of the voters in my latest poll.

Since I launched this poll, the Yankees' record (48-31) has dropped to second-best in the majors, as the Rangers are now on top at 50-30.