Johnny Damon

It took a while for Rob Thomson to get home to Tampa to begin the shortest off-season he's had in 20 years in the New York Yankees' organization. If only every holiday were this brief. The onetime Stratford Hiller has gone from signaling for fastballs, curves and pitchouts behind the dish at National Stadium to keeping the Pinstripers circling the wagons in the Bronx, all the way home to their first World Series title in a decade.

It was exhilarating, gratifying, just about any great emotion you can think of   -Rob Thomson

 

The Yankees have dropped Shelley Duncan from the 40-man roster, again, and it appears Duncan's Yankee career is over . Personally, I wish Duncan well. He can be a productive big-league hitter if he can find a team willing to give him 300-400 at-bats.  

In preparation for next month's Rule 5 draft, the Yankees added seven players to their 40-man roster on Friday, including highly touted outfield prospect Austin Jackson, who could compete for a major-league job in spring training. The Yankees also added infielders Kevin Russo, Eduardo Nunez and Reegie Corona along with right-handed pitchers Romulo Sanchez, Ivan Nova and Hector Noesi. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, the Yankees outrighted outfielder Shelley Duncan, who will become a free agent if

We’ll have our internal meetings (about) whether he’s ready to take it over.   -Brian Cashman

 

In preparation for next month's Rule 5 draft, the Yankees added seven players to their 40-man roster on Friday, including highly touted outfield prospect Austin Jackson, who could compete for a major-league job in spring training. The Yankees also added infielders Kevin Russo, Eduardo Nunez and Reegie Corona along with right-handed pitchers Romulo Sanchez, Ivan Nova and Hector Noesi. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, the Yankees outrighted outfielder Shelley Duncan, who will become a free agent if

We’ll have our internal meetings (about) whether he’s ready to take it over.   -Brian Cashman

 

It took a World Series title, but Yankee fans are finally warming up to Alex Rodriguez . Yet, there are still doubters out there. Of the close to 500,0000 votes cast in the Daily News' Keep 'Em or Dump 'Em online poll, 93% said the Bomber third baseman should stick around.  

Johnny Damon wants to return to the Yankees, but it remains to be seen whether they want him back - and if they do, how many years they want to commit to the 36-year-old. Although Damon has told friends that he would take a shorter deal to remain in pinstripes, agent Scott Boras didn't sound intent on settling for a one- or two-year contract. "His durability is off the charts," Boras said, referring to Damon's streak of 14 straight seasons with 140-plus games played.

His durability is off the charts   -Scott Boras

 

If Brian Cashman thinks he's got his hands full figuring out what to do with free-agent fan favorites Johnny Damon , Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte , imagine what he'll face next year when Derek Jeter 's contract expires. The Yankees have had a long-standing practice of not negotiating extensions with players until their current deals expire, and after holding firm to that two years ago with Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada , it's hard to imagine that they would alter their approach with Jeter. "There's

There's no reason to believe that would be different, but I haven't talked to ownership and no one has knocked on our door about it   -Brian Cashman

 

Outfielder Marlon Byrd is truly a free agent. As of Friday, he can sign with any team. But he made it clear where he wants to play in 2010.

My first choice is and has always been the Rangers   -Marlon Byrd

 

The Yankees' latest feat has already been deemed Hall of Fame-worthy. Artifacts from baseball's most memorable moments from this past postseason -- one that saw the Yankees notch their 27th World Series championship -- have been put on display at the Autumn Glory exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. Following New York's Game 6 Fall Classic win over the Phillies on Nov. 4, the museum acquired nearly a dozen artifacts from the Yankees and Phillies to put in the e